Hello, and welcome to the new and improved Falling For The Ghost Of You! This first chapter is posted in celebration of the new Danny Phantom graphic novel releasing today! Regular updates will begin mid to late August! Comments are always appreciated!
Summary: Once, Danny was a hero. Now, he and Liz live life on the run, desperate to avoid being recaptured by the Guys In White. When a poor decision leads to an introduction to the Teen Titans, will Danny and Liz finally find safety? Or are they doomed to spend the rest of their lives in a cage?
3rd person POV
Rated T for swearing
How Long Did You Think We Could Make It- Danny (1)
Danny woke up falling from a tree. Before he could process the branches rushing past his face, he slammed into cold, unforgiving Earth.
"Ow..."
"Wow," A nearby voice huffed. "You're just all kinds of smooth, aren't you, Danny?"
With a groan, Danny rolled into a sitting position. "Yup, Mr. Smooth. That's what they called me in high school ya know."
Liz, the speaker, crouched close enough for Danny to make out her features in the moonlight, a small, playful smirk on her lips. "I went to high school with you and you were called many things; 'Mr. Smooth' was not one of them."
"You weren't there long, Liz. Maybe I had a whole secret life you never found out about."
She snorted, sitting back on her heels. "You mean a second secret life besides the one where we fought ghosts?"
Danny rolled his shoulders. "It was before all that when I was an ordinary human being. We can't all be blessed with ghost powers from birth; some of us have to be caught in death-defying, catastrophic, molecule-altering ghost portal explosion."
"Yeah," Liz gestured to the silent forest around them. "Feeling super blessed right now."
A cool breeze rustled what few leaves remained on the trees, cutting through Danny's threadbare hoodie and making him shudder. "It's better than the alternative." The alternative being a cramped cell or sterile lab in the East Wing of the Guys In White compound.
Nearly two years ago, the pair had spent two traumatizing weeks captured there. It was by dumb luck they escaped, and the Guys In White weren't willing to let them go that easily. As far as Danny knew, the search was still on to recapture them, hence sleeping in trees in God-knows-where.
"Hey, catch." Liz tossed a small bag of chips to Danny. "Happy Valentine's Day."
Danny cheered when he opened the bag and inhaled the scent of his favorite flavor, sea salt and vinegar. "Where did you get these? Where did you get those?" Liz was wrestling a bag of sour candy open.
"Definitely didn't steal it if that's what you're wondering," She paused. "Wait, omigod, that sounded way more sarcastic than I meant it to- genuinely, I didn't steal it. I found a five-dollar bill the other day and made a quick run to the 24-hour gas station."
Danny raised his eyebrows. "And you decided to buy junk food?" It wasn't that he didn't appreciate it- he hadn't had chips in ages- but food was a scarce resource for them, and he felt a pang of guilt knowing that money could have gone to something more substantial.
"It's Valentine's Day," Liz said, trying to open her candy bag with her teeth. "I thought we deserved a treat. Besides, everything in the place was discounted- I got, like, 10 protein bars for three bucks."
In that case, "Cheers to Valentine's Day and your incredible shopping skills!"
She snickered, tapping her bag against his. "Cheers!"
Danny leaned back against a tree trunk, savoring his salty snack. He wasn't sure what time it was, but the sun was beginning to rise, dying the sky a dull gray. It did nothing to warm the cool February morning, and the two huddled together, trying not to shiver. Their clothes did little to protect them from the cold, but if they wanted to eat, they couldn't afford to replace them, and stealing was out of the question. Anything that could draw unwanted attention their way wasn't worth the risk.
A weight settled on his shoulder; Liz had fallen asleep. Danny rested his cheek on her head, her brown hair tickling his nose. Silently, he thanked whatever powers were listening that she was there with him and that he wasn't alone.
When she had first entered his life as the newly adopted teenage daughter of Vlad Masters, Danny wasn't sure how to react. His first assumption was that he wouldn't see her again after their parents' college reunion. Then Vlad moved them from Wisconsin to Amity Park and enrolled Liz at Casper High, and she became a constant in his everyday life. And when everyone turned their backs on him, friend and family alike uniting to hand him over to the Guys In White, she was next to him, their uniquely shared secret of ghost powers damning them to an uncertain future.
Liz startled awake as a squirrel ran across the ground and up a tree, snapping a twig and crunching leaves. She was a painfully light sleeper.
"Stupid tree rat," She muttered, sitting up straight.
"Go back to sleep," Danny encouraged, guiding her head back to his shoulder. Neither of them got much rest, but the effects of exhaustion were visibly wearing on her.
"Wasn't sleeping."
"Liar."
With a dismissive hum, she tucked her head back on his shoulder but didn't close her eyes. Danny popped another chip in his mouth and watched the sunrise in comfortable silence.
"We should get moving," Liz said quietly, making no attempt to stand. "There was a security camera at the gas station- it looked closed circuit, but you never know."
From past mistakes they learned that the Guys In White had a much broader scope of resources than anyone could have expected from a government-funded ghost-hunting service. Despite what the citizens of Amity Park had led him to believe, there was a staggering amount of people who believed in ghosts and were dedicated to studying them too. Or torturing them, depending on who you asked.
While Danny and Liz weren't reported as missing or on a public watch list, hundreds of undercover agents were spread nationwide. Any traffic cam, security feed, or mildly supernatural report was fair game to them. Neither had used their ghost powers for that reason and did their best to avoid interacting with anyone else. No one was safe.
The silence was broken by the rhythmic crunch of leaves growing closer.
Please go a different way.
Danny and Liz knew the park they were camping in wasn't big enough to keep them from running into joggers and other patrons, but they'd done their best to pick a secluded area. Still, there was no trail hardcore joggers left untrodden.
Unsurprisingly, most people didn't appreciate seeing two scraggly-looking teenagers on their run. Danny lost count of how often they'd had the cops called on them because someone assumed they were up to illegal teenage shenanigans or, more likely, that they were tweaked out on drugs.
Liz huffed as the sound got closer, standing and running her fingers through her hair. The more presentable they looked, the less likely they'd have to deal with the police.
Before they could do much else, the jogger was in their line of sight. He waved as he got closer, and Danny was too shocked to do anything other than wave back.
"Good morning!" He panted, stopping a few paces away, hands braced on his knees.
"Uh," That was unexpected. "Good morning?"
"Beautiful day," the man continued. "Perfect for a run!"
"Sure is," Liz agreed tightly. "In fact, we should get back to ours,"
"Oh, you kids run?"
"Yup," Danny grabbed the green backpack that held their few possessions and slung it over his shoulder. This was more than enough social interaction for one day, and he wanted it to end as soon as possible.
The lean leaned back. "I don't know many people that like to run in jeans."
Danny's heart stuttered. Jesus, dude, leave us alone! "We have school right after."
"Oh, of course, that makes sense," He took a step closer. Liz bumped into Danny as she took one back. "Where do you kids go? Jefferson? City Center? Bay Front?"
"City Center," Liz lied, wrapping her hand around Danny's thin wrist like she did when she was anxious. "And we need to get going if we don't want to be late so-"
"I'll go with you," The jogger said with a smile. "I'm going that way myself. The more the merrier, right?"
Danny could practically hear the swears running through Liz's mind, her grip tightening. "Well, actually, we need to stop somewhere and get breakfast-"
"Excellent, I'm starving! Have you been to Cafe Etonnant? Their coffee is the best, and their breakfast sandwiches are to die for."
It sounded delicious, but, "We uh… We don't really have the budget for-"
"Please," he scoffed, "It'll be my treat! As a thank you for letting me join you on the tail end of your run."
It took a conscious effort for Danny's jaw not to drop. The offer had to be too good to be true- no stranger in their right mind went around offering to pay for kids' breakfast. Still, the mention of breakfast sandwiches had his stomach growling, reminding him that a few potato chips weren't nearly enough to count as a meal.
Besides, it wasn't as if the jogger looked like an undercover agent in his light blue tracksuit.
Liz caught Danny's gaze, eyebrows quirked questioningly. He could tell she was as intrigued as he was at the prospect of free food, and just as suspicious of the stranger's motives. One silent conversation later, she hesitantly replied, "I guess we can do that."
"Fantastic!" The jogger grinned. "Let's get going. Would it be alright with you if we power-walk? I'm not sure I could keep up with you two youngsters."
Danny shrugged as if it were an acceptable inconvenience. Truthfully, he and Liz probably wouldn't have been able to keep up with him. Their restricted diet and super-powered teenage metabolisms didn't equate to enough stamina to pass as runners. Even the brisk pace the stranger set had Danny feeling winded after only a few minutes.
Thankfully the man, who introduced himself as Wilbur Gottfurd, liked to talk and didn't seem bothered with minimal responses. As soon as the group set off he began prattling on about how much he appreciated them letting him tag along. His son had recently left for college, and until he left the two of them had always run together. He told them how he'd gotten out of the running habit without his partner and how his wife was on his case to take it up again and stay in shape.
We passed the gas station Liz had visited earlier. An employee was vaping outside and scrolling through his phone.
"You'd best stop poisoning your lungs, Gerald!" Wilbur shouted.
The kid jumped, stuffing his vape in his pocket as he turned to see who yelled at him. He broke into a laugh when he saw them. "Mr. Gottfurd! I'm never gonna be able to vape in peace, am I?"
"Not as long as I'm here! Say hi to your mother, will you?"
"Will do!"
"Good kid," Wilbur explained once they were out of earshot. "Fell into a bad crowd for a while there, but he came to his senses. His mom and my wife play bridge together; she makes the most amazing deviled eggs, you would not believe!"
Danny leaned close to Liz and whispered, "This dude doesn't shut up."
She poked his side. "Be nice. We're getting breakfast out of it."
The cafe wasn't much further, but as Wilbur led them deeper into the city, Danny felt claustrophobic. He hadn't realized the city was so big, and the towering buildings and amount of people crowding the sidewalks were suffocating. If it weren't for the promise of food, he never would have let himself venture this far in. Every nerve buzzed with anxiety as he tried to maintain awareness of his surroundings, turning away from the traffic cameras at every intersection. His pulse was racing, and he was ready to grab Liz and abandon the plan when they finally arrived.
Through the closed door wafted delicious smells: freshly baked bread and ground coffee, chocolate, strawberry, and banana. It was overwhelming, and for a moment his body was torn between feeling hungry and wanting to throw up.
"After you," Wilbur said, holding the door open.
It was warm inside. Soft rock played faintly as scattered groups of high schoolers talked and laughed. Danny wrapped his arms around himself, acutely aware that he hadn't bathed in a few days or brushed his teeth that morning.
"Mr. Gottfurd!" A girl in the corner waved. "Morning!"
"Morning, Sarah!"
"Mr. G- what's up?" A boy called.
Liz glanced around anxiously as Wilbur went to greet more people. "Why does everyone here know him?"
"He's our principal," A girl sitting nearby said without looking up from her phone. "He knows everyone in school by name- it's a whole thing."
Liz swallowed hard, noticing the girl's City Center High sweatshirt.
"Well," Danny damn near jumped out of his skin as Wilbur clapped a hand on his shoulder from behind. "What d'ya kids want to eat?"
"You… You're the principal?"
"The one and only," Wilbur herded them towards the counter. "Now personally, I love the mini crepes- don't tell my wife- I promised her I'd try to cut back on the sweets. Of course, the breakfast sandwiches are a classic and a best-seller."
"But if you're the- then you know-"
"Sam!" Wilbur cut Danny off, and his veins flooded with ice. "Please, tell us all about your daily special!"
Liz was between Danny and the register before anyone had time to appear, a protective hand holding him back.
The hostess had blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail. Her brown eyes were passive and vacant, like she wasn't fully present. Her nose was a little too long, her smile a bit lopsided, forehead too tall, yet it was as if Sam Manson was standing behind the counter.
It wasn't until she said, "It's on the sign, Wilbur," In a voice that was too high and grating to be familiar that he could breathe again.
It's not like Sam is a rare name; get it together.
Wilbur signed dramatically. "What happened to customer service?"
Sam crossed her arms, unimpressed. "You're in here every day."
"They aren't!" He gave Danny a slight shake. "You gotta impress the newcomers!"
Sam huffed a laugh and rolled her eyes, turning her attention to the two teens before her. "Welcome to Cafe Etonnant, where our motto is 'La vie est courte mange le chocolat'. My name is Sam. Our breakfast special today is our customer-favorite triple banana nut bread. Are you ready to order, or would you like more time?"
Liz didn't move, and Danny only managed to say, "I hate bananas."
"Then I don't recommend our special."
After another awkward moment, Wilbur laughed. "Looks like we'll need a minute! We're gonna sit down and think it over."
"Sure," She handed him a few prints of the menu.
He led the two to a table half obscured by a display of mugs for sale, but Liz refused to sit in the offered chair.
"What is going on?" She demanded, hand back on Danny's wrist. "What's your game here?"
"I don't know what you mean," The principal said calmly.
"Do you really expect me to believe that a random stranger doesn't have ulterior motives for pressuring two strangers to follow him into the city? Especially since you haven't asked for our names and know we lied about where we go to school. So again, what's your game here?"
"I just want to help."
She took a step back. "Maybe we don't want your help."
"You may not want it, but you obviously need it," Wilbur held his hands up placatingly. "Look, I promise that's all this is- no ulterior motives. I've worked with kids a long time, and I can recognize a rough situation when I see one."
"Not many people care about kids in rough situations," Danny pointed out.
"I know," Wilbur agreed sadly. "But they should. Bad circumstances don't mean bad kids. I won't ask about your situation or force you to go anywhere or talk to anyone. You don't have to tell me your names if you don't want to. But please, let me buy you breakfast."
"Why?"
"Because you never know when a little kindness can change someone's life."
Danny made the executive decision to take a seat; it was either that or the hunger pangs in his stomach would make him pass out. Liz sat beside him, hiding her face behind a menu with a murmur of, "Thank you."
Wilbur's face split in a smile, and he launched into a speech on his personal ranking of crepe fillings.
Chills crawled up Danny's spine as he picked up his menu; Sam was staring at him while she wiped down the counter. Her face was perfectly blank, betraying none of her thoughts. They locked eyes, but she glanced away quickly, like she'd been caught doing something wrong. She didn't look at him again, even when she brought their food.
Wilbur stayed and talked throughout the meal, only pausing to make parental comments like, "Don't eat too fast," or "Let me get you more fruit."
With Danny's scare and irregular eating pattern, his stomach had grown used to being empty all the time; it had been retrained to feel full after the bare minimum. It had gotten to the point that he didn't realize he was truly hungry unless his hands were shaking and stars clouded his vision when standing. The strong scents from the cafe had bypassed all that and awakened that gnawing, aching hunger he'd learned to ignore.
It was difficult not to inhale the meal. He knew if he ate too much or too fast, it would be too much of a shock to his system. He'd only make himself sick. Still, the pit in his stomach brought back memories of starving to death in a cell while agents taunted him, and he was desperate to chase them away.
Half a sandwich and a side of fruit later, Danny stabbed at a strawberry with his fork, convinced another bite would make him burst. It didn't take nearly as long to satiate his hunger as he'd expected, stomach heavy and full.
Liz pushed the remains of her meal around the plate, hiding a yawn behind her hand. Danny did the same. The warmth of the cafe created the perfect environment for a nap.
"Here," Wilbur stood, pulling all the cash from his wallet. "It's not a lot, but it should help. At least invest in some heavier coats- it will be snowing soon, and I don't want you to freeze. If you decide you want more help, there's a Wayne Foundation building a few blocks over. They have plenty of resources you could use, completely free. I need to get to work but… well, I hope things turn around for you."
Liz eyed the wad of cash in disbelief; there was at least $60 there.
"We can't take this," Danny protested, but the principal pressed the bills in his hand.
"I want you to," He assured.
Stunned, Danny choked out a thanks, carefully zipping the money into the front pocket of his backpack.
Wilbur seemed reluctant to leave them but eventually said, "Good luck," and vanished.
His absence left Danny at a loss; he didn't know what to do next. Liz leaned back in her seat and dragged his chair closer to hers, silently offering for him to rest his head on her shoulder. He did, and she began running her fingers through his hair, gently teasing out knots.
"You need a haircut," She mused. His hair was getting shaggy, bangs falling in his eyes and settling halfway down his neck in the back.
He hummed sleepily, losing himself to the comfort of Liz playing with his hair as sunlight from the window warmed his face. He was about to doze off when the calm of the cafe was shattered as every cell phone screeched simultaneously.
"Holy hell," Liz gasped, instantly on her feet.
Danny tried his best to look calm as he grabbed their backpack and made for the door, terror churning in his gut, convinced the Guys In White were about to appear.
"Prison break," A cafe employee announced boredly. The other diners sighed in disappointment.
"Wait, it's Cinderblock!" Another person exclaimed.
The air was charged with energy; everyone surged out the door to the street.
"Are they coming this way?"
"They must be- it's the fastest way with 6th under construction!"
"Oh my God, the one day I decide not to curl my hair!"
"If Beast Boy waves at me, I swear to God I'll combust on the spot!"
Liz blinked at the now-empty cafe. "What the hell is going on?"
"It's the Teen Titans," Sam said as her coworkers ran outside. "They'll probably drive past us and everyone wants to see."
"Are they, like, a band or something?"
Sam laughed, a sound like nails on a chalkboard. "You're joking, right?" Her laughter died when she realized they weren't. "Seriously? Wow. Go and see for yourself."
The sidewalk was crowded, the air buzzing with anticipation and excited chatter.
"I see them!" Someone shouted, and the street exploded with deafening cheers.
Sam pushed Danny and Liz to the sidewalk's edge, where the road remained vacant despite the tightly packed crowd.
A motorcycle came roaring down the center of the street. The driver was dressed in a ridiculous red and green suit, a black and yellow cape billowing behind him. Though his face was hidden by his helmet, it was clear he was talking.
"Robin," Same explained, lips uncomfortably close to Danny's ear. "Boy Wonder, team leader. Badass, and not a bad ass, if you know what I mean. No one knows exactly where he came from, but there are theories."
A high-tech blue and white car screeched around the corner, gunning to catch up to the motorcycle. A song with heavy base shook the half-down windows. A dog with green fur leaned out of the passenger window, tongue lolling in the wind. The driver was a man who looked to be made mostly of metal. He nodded along to the beat of the music, though his face was severe.
"Cyborg. Name is self-explanatory- he's the brains of the team. Beast Boy, the animal shapeshifter and notorious crowd pleaser."
As if he'd heard her, the dog morphed into a teenage boy with green skin and started blowing kisses to the crowd. He sent one to Liz specifically with a wink.
"MARRY ME, RAVEN!" Someone close yelled.
Two girls were flying a few feet behind the car.
"Starfire. She's an alien if you believe the rumors, which I do. Absolute sweetheart." Sam pointed to the closer of the two. She had orange skin, bright green eyes, and pink hair trailing behind her in a glossy banner. She smiled and waved to everyone she could. The other girl was little more than a shadow, hidden under a dark blue cloak. "The dark one there is Raven. Quiet, mysterious, terrifying. She's got some wicked powers; some people think she was cursed, others believe she's a witch."
The group vanished around the next corner. As quickly as they'd formed, the crowd dispersed, leaving Danny, Liz, and Sam alone on the sidewalk.
"What the actual hell?" Danny asked at the same time Liz said, "What kind of Circus Gothica sideshow was that?"
"Those were the Teen Titans," Sam grinned. "Jump City's very own team of superheroes."
"Super what now?" Danny was sure he'd misheard.
"Superheroes," Sam repeated slowly, like she was explaining it to a toddler. "You know, like Spiderman or the Hulk."
Liz wrinkled her nose. "You're talking about comic book characters."
"Only as an example. I can't believe you've never heard of them; I figured everyone knew who they were."
"They're real superheroes?" Danny clarified, trying to wrap his mind around the concept. Sure, he had what could be considered superpowers himself, but that didn't make believing in an entire team of heroes easier. "Like, secret hideout, fighting evil, honest-to-God superheroes?"
"Their hideout isn't so secret, but yeah,"
"And people are just… okay with that?"
Sam looked at him strangely. "Why wouldn't we be? Who else is gonna deal with a giant man made of bricks attacking a prison?"
Admittedly, Danny had no idea how to answer that.
"Well, I need to get back to work," She said, checking her watch. "Good luck with everything."
Danny didn't move for a long time after she left, trying to process the information she'd given him. The idea of a team of teen superheroes operating so publicly, let alone existing, was mind-blowing. For as long as Danny had known him, Tucker had been obsessed with comic books and superheroes; around 6th grade he started hearing conspiracies and legends of people with real powers, but nothing ever had proof. It wasn't real. It wasn't this.
"Man made of bricks," Liz broke the silence. "That's a new one."
"Aliens, witches, shapeshifters... Am I dreaming? Or dead? Or dead and dreaming?"
"Superheroes. With powers." Liz turned to him with awe-struck eyes. "They were flying, Danny. Flying." She sat down hard on the curb.
With a long exhale, he sat next to her. Life hadn't been simple until that moment, but it had at least been simpler. He hadn't expected his whole worldview to be challenged when he woke up, but he also hadn't expected to fall out of a tree.
After a while Liz said, "I think I have an idea. A stupid idea, but an idea."
"Well, if it's stupid, then it might be the same idea I'm having."
"Doubt it. You have really stupid ideas, like using your real name for your secret ghost identity. Mine is bad even by those standards."
"Are you thinking we should introduce ourselves to the Titans?" She choked. "I'll take that as a yes."
She shook her head. "If you're thinking the same thing, then it's definitely a really, really stupid idea."
"I agree."
"Dangerous too."
"Absolutely. An unnecessary risk."
"Mmhmm, so unnecessary. Potentially the biggest mistake of our lives."
Danny took a deep breath. "It could also be the smartest choice we've ever made."
The corners of Liz's mouth turned up as she tried not to smile. "A prison break sounds like a lot of work for only five people."
He nodded. "So much work! And a brick man on top of that?"
"Overwhelming."
"It would be… irresponsible of us not to help, right?"
"We should at least check it out- be there to offer help if needed."
Danny's heart thumped in his chest with something dangerously close to hope. "Are we actually doing this?"
Liz turned to him and smiled, and with a blink, her eyes were glowing purple. "It's been far too long, Phantom.
With a grin, he flashed green eyes back. "I've missed you too, Phasma."