.

.

.

This was beginning to become disturbing. And Valerie had a pretty high bar for what she considered 'disturbing.'

Ghosts were not supposed to act this... friendly... with hunters. Even Phantom didn't act like this, no matter how much he insisted he and the hunters were on the same side.

This ghost also didn't extend the behavior it displayed with Valerie to anyone else, ghost or human. Which was. Creepy.

Getting gear from a human benefactor like Mr. Masters was one thing. Getting... stuff from a ghost was something else entirely. Having a ghost swoop in to 'save' her, one that wasn't a pathological liar like Phantom was... At least Phantom had a motive.

She didn't like it. At all. She especially didn't like how the ghost kept complimenting her. Kept showing up no matter how many times she beat it up.

Claimed that it had made her new suit. The one bonded to her body. The one that whispered static to her mind.

She didn't have a lot of places to turn to, when it came to ghost-related issues. Her Dad knew about the hunting, now, but he didn't know about ghosts. Her first choice for info and aid would be Mr. Masters, but he was out of town, and she didn't exactly have his phone number.

That left the Fentons.

.

"Perhaps it's trying to possess you," said Mrs. Fenton, taping electrodes to Valerie's arm. "Can you try summoning your suit again?"

Valerie sighed, fixing her gaze on the Fenton's stained kitchen wallpaper, but complied. She knew that telling the resident mad scientists about the weird ghost tech integrated into her body would result in some poking and prodding, but that didn't mean she had to like it.

"Wow, Mads!" exclaimed Jack. "Get a look at these readings!"

"Oh, my," said Maddie, leaning around Jack's bulk to get a look at the readout screen. "That is interesting."

Valerie's phone buzzed, her alarm going off. "I have to go," she said. "If you figure out what the ghost wants, you have my number, right?"

"Er, yes," said Maddie. "Although, I still stand by my first thought. Ghosts like to make you doubt yourself, to make you afraid, or uneasy. That's what they feed on, and I doubt this one is intelligent enough to diverge from seeking that, even if it is going about it in a relatively novel way."

"Right," said Valerie, dubiously. She agreed that ghosts were evil, but mindless? Not a chance.

She didn't know what she'd expected to accomplish, here.

"Thanks for your help," she said.

As soon as she got out the front door, she let herself sigh again. Hopefully, Mr. Masters would be back soon, and she'd be able to get some real help.

"Hey."

Valerie jumped, just barely keeping herself from summoning her suit in the middle of the street.

"God, Danny, you can't just sneak up on me like that."

"Sorry," said Danny, completely unrepentant. "Ghost stalker, huh? You know, my parents are not the people you want to go to for that."

"I thought they were the experts," said Valerie, rolling her eyes and starting to walk home.

"They are," said Danny, keeping up with her easily.

(He was cute when he was earnest.)

"They are," he repeated, "but they're experts in ghost technology. And ghost physics. And ghost biology. Stuff like that. Which is good for your suit and all," he paused to jump up on the side of a planter and use it as a balance beam, "but not so much for the problem you asked about, which is more of a ghost culture thing."

"Which you know about."

"I do!" protested Danny. "Just because Mom and Dad don't bother to actually talk to ghosts, that doesn't mean that Jazz and I are like that."

Valerie stopped. "Are you telling me you know why this ghost is following me?"

"If the ghost in question is Technus," said Danny, "then, yes. Yes I do."

"And are you going to share that with me any time soon?"

"Yeah," said Danny. "Just, keep an open mind, okay?"

"Danny, I swear, if you go on one of Sam's 'poor misunderstood creatures' rants, I'm going to yeet you all the way back to your house. I'm stressed. I don't want to deal with this."

"Technus is trying to adopt you."

Slowly, Valerie inserted her pinky into her ear and rotated it, trying to clear out the wax that had clearly built up without her knowing.

"No, really," said Danny, his tone that of barely suppressed glee. "It's a thing adult ghosts do with ghosts that are kids, because usually there aren't too many kid ghosts. I guess with your suit you're ghostly enough to count."

Valerie suppressed a shiver at being called ghostly at all. "How do you even know that?"

"I talk to ghosts about things."

"About adoption practices."

Danny shrugged. "It came up."

"Great. How do I make 'Technus' stop?"

"No idea. Nothing I've done seems to work. But who knows? Maybe Technus is different."

"Different from-? Danny, what are you saying?"

"Well," said Danny tucking his hands behind his back and looking up at the sky. "You've seen our house and our lab. If you're ghostly because of a suit you've had for a few months, what do you think I'm like?"

"Do your parents know?"

"Nope. I'd like to keep it that way, if it's all the same to you. And I can help you navigate Technus. If you want."

Valerie scowled. "You think this is funny."

"Of course I do! I think it's great that someone else has to deal with this. It's not dangerous, though. You can literally just humor him. Might get him to stop attacking so often, even."

"You're joking."

"Nope," said Danny.

Valerie pinched the bridge of her nose. "Ghosts have done this to you, too?" she asked, because she needed to know for sure.

"Yep. So, do you want help or no?"

Valerie hesitated. "This doesn't mean we're dating again."

Danny frowned. "Why would it?"

"No reason. Tell me what you know."