Chapter 25

Danny had managed to turn invisible and get to the guest bathroom in the hallway. He changed back. Opening the door, he had to use the wall to steady himself. What he just did really drained him.

He walked to his parents' bedroom. Now his mother was there. They were all amazed. Danny burst into tears when he saw his father was awake. "Dad!" He cried, rushing to his bedside as quickly as he could in his current state. He gave him a big hug.

"Danny boy!" He hugged him back.

He backed away from him and looked around. "What – um – what happened?" He asked, rubbing the back of his neck to make himself look inconspicuous.

"That ghost boy – he did something," the nurse said. Her eyes were still wide with shock. "It was the most amazing thing I've ever seen."

"Phantom," Jazz told Danny, shaking her head in disbelief, with a look of mixed excitement and relief in her eyes. "The nurse saw him doing some green glow over him, and after he did, Dad was better. I don't know how he did it, but he saved Dad."

"It's certainly a miracle," Maddie said with her hand on her chin. "But I'm not sure if you saw everything correctly, Norma. You were hit on the head."

"Oh yeah. That's another weird thing that happened. Norma was knocked out before Phantom came! She didn't see who did it."

"Maybe it was all the Phantom ghost. I'm not sure what his intentions are," Maddie speculated.

"Whatever happened, I'm just happy to be back," Jack said, smiling.

"We are happy to have you back too," Danny said, before they all joined in a family group hug.

The next morning, Danny messaged his friends that his dad was better.

Whoa, back up! What happened? Sam replied.

Oh my gosh! That's amazing! And ditto to what Sam asked. Tucker responded.

Phantom saved him, he wrote, smiling and feeling a tinge of pleasure in the fact that he actually did it. No one would ever know the wiser but him – and Vlad, he supposed. And he didn't care to take credit for it. He was just relieved that it worked and proud that he was able to use his powers in this way. And it was all without the help of his so-called mentor.

His family and him had been up all night. It felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off everyone. The pain was gone…at a time when all hope seemed to be lost.

Jazz couldn't stop gushing over Phantom. It made Danny cringe a little. He was almost embarrassed, even though he didn't have too much reason to be. But in all of this, he was still getting used to the dual identity thing. It felt weird to be talked about as if you weren't there.

In a way, he almost felt like he wasn't Phantom sometimes. Then he'd flash back to reality when he'd feel a strange tingling sensation like he was about to accidentally go intangible and had to quell the feeling by adjusting himself.

"It's just so…so comforting. Knowing there's someone out there watching out for all of us, you know?" Jazz told Danny.

He nodded sheepishly.

"You haven't said much about it," she noticed.

"Well, I –" The doorbell rang. Danny breathed a sigh of relief. "Better get that."

He opened the door, and his stomach dropped.

"Daniel, I heard the news," he came inside, arms outspread to give a hug.

Danny stood straighter and regained composure, crossing his arms to assert dominance. "You're not welcome here, Vlad."

"Hmm," he said, putting his hands on his hips. "Well, seeing as you are the only one who thinks so, and telling them what happened will expose yourself, I'd say you are in the minority."

Danny's lip twitched, as his mother came from behind him.

"Vlad!" She exclaimed, hugging him. "Danny, close the door! You're letting all the hot air in."

He shrugged, shutting the door.

"Jack's in the bedroom resting for now. He still needs time to recover, but the doctor is coming to take a look at him in a little while. They are so shocked by what happened!"

"What did happen exactly?" He asked while Maddie guided him into the family room and to the sofa to talk.

Danny stood by the door frame of the kitchen, leaning on the wall nonchalantly.

"Well, it's a bit strange, and we are not sure we completely understand or believe everything about it, but it's quite the story!" She started. "You know that ghost boy that was on the news a few weeks ago?"

Vlad nodded.

"The nurse saw him do some sort of green glow over him – probably an ectoplasmic energy field. And in doing this, the ghost boy – Phantom – saved Jack."

Vlad's eyes widened slightly. He didn't think Danny was powerful enough. "Oh," he said, slowly nodding and briefly locking eyes with Danny who was smirking at him. Vlad's eyes grew dark and narrow.

"I don't know if that ghost boy was really trying to save Jack. It just doesn't make any sense. Why would he feel the need to save Jack anyway?"

"Why indeed," Vlad said.

"I'm going to try not to question it too much. I'm just so relieved to have my husband back!"

"Of course."

"Well, anyway, sit tight for a bit. I'll go see if Jack is awake enough to see you."

After she left, Vlad clapped quietly. "Well played."

Danny narrowed his eyes. "I wasn't playing." He walked over to him. "This was my dad's life. And you better not mess with his life – or any of our lives – ever again. Or saving him won't be my only priority."

"Oh, I'm truly terrified," Vlad mocked him.

Danny scowled. "I've said everything I needed to say."

"Good. Now let me talk. Sit," he commanded.

Danny rolled his eyes as he sat at the far seat from him.

"First, since you seem to think you know everything about me now, let me clear things up. You don't. I am capable of things outside of your realm of comprehension. Things I won't get the chance to teach you now. And unfortunately for you, there are only two of our kind."

Danny's face twitched, but he remained calm.

"Second, you may think this is over, but one thing you don't understand is, I don't give up easily. You've only scratched the surface of my power. And my power reaches far beyond my abilities. You've met Skulker, you've met Technus, you've met the Vultures. They are but a small taste of your enemies to come. And my allies. I have the entire Ghost Zone wrapped around my finger."

Danny swallowed hard.

"If I so choose, your friends and your family can be taken again. And at a moment's notice, they can be done away with just like that," he said with a snap of his fingers. "Are you beginning to understand?"

Danny furrowed his brows angrily. He felt his blood boiling. But he also felt deep fear beginning to overwhelm him. Vlad had so much power. Next to him, Danny might as well be powerless. He was an idiot to even think he stood a chance against him.

Vlad smirked when Danny finally – and reluctantly – nodded. "Good. And so you understand that pretending to keep me on good terms is necessary to keep you and your loved ones safe?"

Danny breathed in and out with his shoulders and looked down. "Yes," he said between his teeth.

"You're a smart boy, Daniel. Oh, and while we're on the subject, I'm going to need you to get that stone for me from Samantha by the end of the week. Or things might get a little…heated. Let's stay on the safe side, shall we?"

Fuming, Danny met his gaze with bitterness. He nodded slowly.

"Very good. You're getting the hang of this now, aren't you?"

Before Danny could retort, his mother came around the corner cheerily. Their demeanors changed in an instant.

"He's ready for visitors!" She said.

Vlad locked eyes for a moment with Danny before getting up from the couch and following Maddie to the bedroom. Danny followed closely behind, unwilling to let Vlad be alone with his father in any capacity.