Must keep on moving ahead!
Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom or other relating characters.
Chapter Three: A Familiar Face
"Ready, whelp?" Skulker asked as slipped his boots on.
"Why do you always call me whelp, is it supposed to help with me self-esteem or something?"
Skulker gave the boy a stern look. Looks like he was getting his witty banter back.
"Yes, I'm ready." Danny rolled his eyes. Some people just didn't appreciate good humor.
"Let's go."
Danny couldn't deny he was excited. This would be his first solo hunt out in the Ghost Zone, not just on Skulker's Isle. He was free to catch anything he wanted to, but that just left so many possibilities.
What should he go after?
He knew he should start small, but he kind of wanted to go for something stronger. He could do it. Skulker wanted him to go after an ectopus, but those were too easy. You didn't even need to use spectral energy to defeat them! A dragon was way too tough, if he went after one of those it would be an embarrassing trip back to the isle. That is if he made it out in one piece!
Ectopus it was!
"Alright, I'll be hunting nearby." Skulker told the halfa. "Don't do anything stupid, okay?"
"Yes, yes, I got it." Danny flew off, ready to start his own individual hunt. Ectopuses hung out in the Ghost Zone swamp, so that's the first place he should probably check out.
"Here, Ectopuses!" Danny called out. Calling out to them while hunting was probably the worst thing you could do, but it made no difference now. There was nothing here.
Where were all the little critters that usually hung out around the swamp? This place looked like a ghost town, no pun intended.
Great, he was going to go back to Skulker empty handed. This would be more embarrassing than having to call for help while trying to catch a dragon. Maybe he just go try and catch a dragon.
Danny sighed. He may as well wear himself out to make it look like he had actually tried to catch something. He morphed his legs into a spectral tail and took off.
Flying at full speed was relaxing. His white locks whipped all around his face when he made sharp turns. The adrenaline would pound through his veins each time he almost crashed into a tree. He must have done this all the time; he had yet to have a crash or collision while flying at such high speeds.
He quickly shifted himself to the right, flying around a large rock. Without warning, he collided into something white. Or someone.
Great, he must have jinxed himself bragging about his flying skills. "Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't think anyone would be hiding back here." He apologized as he rubbed the sore spot on his forehead, not paying attention to his fellow ghost.
"Daniel? Is that you?" The stranger asked.
Danny stopped rubbing the sore spot on his head to get a better look at the ghost.
The ghost was dressed in a mostly white with a cape. The cape was white too save for the red lining on the inside. His face was a bluish green color with red eyes, and black hair that was spiked up.
"Do I know you?" Danny asked, floating closer to him. The man knew his name; he must be a part of Danny's past. Maybe this would clue him in to his lost memories!
"Did you really hit your head that hard? Don't play stupid, Little Badger." Vlad was clearly unamused by the boy's act. "Although it would fit you perfectly…" He tacked on with a small chuckle.
"Who are you?" Danny continued the questioning. Maybe a name would help him ring a bell.
Vlad was about to go off on the boy. He had disappeared for almost three weeks now without a trace. The only reason he had found out about this was when the young boy's friends and sister stormed into his castle demanding to know what he had done with the boy.
He was flattered they would think he was the only ghost strong enough to take down Daniel, but alas, he had not been behind the teen's mysterious disappearance. If the boy was not in Amity Park, and he was not with him in Wisconsin, there was only one other place he would be.
The Ghost Zone, hence Vlad's presence. The fact Daniel had flown directly into him had only made his search all the more easier.
The more Danny focused on the ghost in front of him, the more he felt the raw strength of his energy. It was so powerful! He must be the reason there was nothing around in the swamp, his ecto-signature had scared all the weak ghosts away.
Meanwhile, Vlad was starting to realize Danny wasn't joking. The boy really couldn't remember who he was. If he had been gone for three weeks, he had probably forgotten everything. His family, his friends, Amity Park, and best of all, him. Maybe this could work in his favor. "Daniel, dear boy, where have you been all this time? You've had me worried." Vlad shifted his tone to that of concern.
"Worried?" Danny asked, confused. "Why would you be worried?"
"Daniel, can you really not recognize me, Vladimir, your own father?" Oh yes, this would work out quite well.
Danny backed away slowly. For some reason, 'father' did not exactly match his impression of this ghost. Something felt familiar about this ghost, but it was something horrible. Something inside of him was telling him to either run or put up a fight. He knew this man couldn't be trusted.
"Daniel, what's wrong?" Vlad noticed the uneasy look on the boy's face. What was going through his mind?
"No. You're trouble!" Danny suddenly remembered being thrown into a building, he remembered fighting, he remembered being scared and in danger because of this ghost.
"Daniel, we're the same. You're half human, just like me."
"What?" Danny was caught off guard. He was half human? No way, he couldn't be. He had never even seen a human before, let alone been to the human world. Was it even physically possible for someone to be both ghost and human?
"Haven't you ever felt it inside you? Something different from the other ghosts?"
"That's crazy! You can't be half human and half ghost, I know you're lying!" Danny shouted, wishing this ghost would just go away. He was here to hunt, not look for trouble.
"Daniel, don't be stubborn. Come home with your father, now." Without memories, Vlad would be able to mold young Daniel into the perfect son, even if he still retained his stubborn attitude.
Danny's adrenaline kicked in yet again, this time from fear. His mind told him to get out of there before things escalated. Not waiting for things to get out of hand, he sped away as fast as he could.
Vlad took off, following close behind. He was not going to lose the boy when he had the perfect opportunity to make him his son. He fired a few blasts at the boy. It would be easier if he could just knock him out of the sky and carry him back to the human world.
Danny's suspicions were confirmed when the blasts began. He had to find a place to hide; flying in the open expanses of the Ghost Zone was probably not helping. He spotted a small island composed of rock formations.
Talk about perfect timing!
Danny swerved, heading straight for the island. He ducked into the first formation, slowing down a bit so he could find himself a good hiding place. Suddenly, he felt something wrap around his waist.
He had been caught, it was over!
A hand against his mouth stopped him from crying out for help.
"Calm down, Whelp. Do you want to give our position away?" Skulker held the squirming child in his grasp.
Danny calmed down as soon as realized it was not Vlad who had caught him. He watched as Skulker raised a shield around the two of them, one he knew would hide their ecto-signatures.
Vlad flew through the formations, searching for the boy. "Oh, Daniel!" He called out. "Where are you?" The boy was good; he couldn't even pick up the remnants of his energy. He flew off the island; Daniel must have slipped off unnoticed. He'd find the boy eventually; the child had too many enemies out here to make it by safely.
Skulker lowered the shield once Vlad was out of sight. That was too close, good thing he had chosen to hunt nearby.
"Who was that?" Danny asked, a hand over his beating ghost core.
"He's a very powerful ghost, even I can't fight him. Stay away from him." Skulker wasn't going to tell him anymore. Knowing the boy, he'd get too curious and try to go meet him again.
Danny nodded. He knew the ghost's name was Vladimir. He'll call him Vlad, it sounded more appropriate.
"Come on, let's head back. That ghost scared all the prey away. We can try again another time."
See, I said it'd be longer. Not that much, but still a little longer.
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