(A/N)

Believe it or not (not that it's hard to check) this is my first Danny Phantom fanfiction. Or, maybe I should say "phanfiction". No, I don't think I will. That's just corny. I don't have much to say, but I've always found that I enjoy reading about how people came up with their stories. Also, credit should be given where it was due.

First of all, I was skimming through the internet, bored silly, when my sister told me that I should read a fic called Mount Ivory. If you've never heard of it, OK. If you've read it, know this: Phantom Nightmare is nothing like Mount Ivory. If you're curious now, I recommend reading it.

My odd brain took what I read in Mount Ivory, drove me to read similar stories, and this eventually led me to the Goddess of Angst—Cordria. I love her work. It's impossible to grasp all of the little nuances without thinking hard for a good five minutes after every chapter and reading the story thrice. Anyway, I was under her influence when I wrote the outline for this story.

There…I think that's all I felt the need to say before the first chapter. All that's left is the disclaimer.

Danny Phantom is not mine. If you sue me, nothing much will happen—I'm just a high school student, you won't get anything from me.

Chapter the First

Sighing happily, Danny back-flopped into bed, smiling at the day's lack of homework and silently thanking Technus 2.0 for blowing up the computer lab before anything could be assigned as he absently made his feet intangible so his shoes and socks fell to his cluttered bedroom floor. 'I know I shouldn't be happy that the Master of Long-Winded Introductions exploded the computer lab, but an evacuated Casper High means that I don't have any homework. Maybe I can catch up on my sleep tonight and—' his thoughts were cut off by a sudden chill that ran down his spine, causing an involuntary gasp and the coldness of it, and when Danny released the air that had cooled as it entered his lungs, a plume of unnatural mist rose from his mouth. 'And then again, maybe not.'

"Whoever's prowling around had better be ready to get their butt kicked. I was just getting comfortable, too!" he grumbled aloud as he leapt to his feet, reaching into the core of his being for the cold power that had been there since his accident almost a year to the day ago, expression nor determination wavering as a cascade of icy power washed through him, turning human flesh and blood to ghostly ectoplasmic slime, transforming "ordinary" teen Danny Fenton from human to spirit, replacing faded blue jeans, white T-shirt, and bare feed with black and white jumpsuit and white boots. Black hair faded to white and lively blue eyes became a supernatural, glowing green.

Danny stretched slightly before flying through the NASA poster covered wall of his room, leaving behind glow-in-the-dark stars and suspended model rockets to perform his self-appointed duty as guardian of Amity Park—Danny Phantom was flying out to another fight above the streets of his hometown.

"Hey, it's the Ghost Zone's lamest hunter! Skulker, I'm surprised you got your suit back together so fast after that beating I gave you last week!" he exclaimed upon sighting his enemy.

"For your information, whelp, I am always prepared for the possible event of loosing a suit," the ghost in mechanical battle-armor replied. Skulker's "face", while set into a permanent skeletal grin, seemed to be smugger than usual. The malevolent spirit's flaming green hair whipped about in a nonexistent wind as he contemplated his prey.

"What's the matter, tiny? Finally realized that your hype isn't as accurate as you'd like it to be?" the ethereal teen taunted, firing a weak ectoblast at the intruder.

"Not at all, whelp," the self proclaimed "great" hunter chuckled, effortlessly dodging the attack. "I just don't see any point in correcting a creature that will, shortly, no longer be in any position to know anything."

"Yeah, yeah. You're going to kill me, skin me, and put my pelt at the foot of your bed. Never going to happen and, uh, ew? That is really nasty." With this dismissal, Danny narrowed his eyes and charged twin blasts in his hands, charging forward to attack. He never noticed Skulker smirk as he dodged, and adrenalin prevented him from noticing the faint pricking sensation as a needle touched home through his jumpsuit.

"Too slow, ghost child!" the hunter taunted, hypodermic retreating back into his armor. 'There's no way the whelp can win, Plasmius told me that the substance would bring about Phantom's fall…no matter what the child does to try to stop it.' However, Skulker had paused for thought for too long, and Danny easily caught him in a Fenton Thermos.

"Now who's too slow? Heh…I didn't even take one hit!" the C student gloated happily. "Man," he continued with a yawn, "fights like this one aren't usually so exhausting, but I'm really tired! Maybe this is that 'sleep deprivation' thing Jazz was going on about. Guess I'll just hit the sack, then, and catch some Zs."

Lazily, he drifted back through his bedroom window, stashing the thermos underneath his bed, where no sane (or quasi-sane) individual would dare to look for anything without a native guide, rubber gloves, and a protective mask. Having effectively hid his weapon of choice, Danny returned to human form and rubbed his now blue eyes. The only son of two of the world's most prominent ghost researchers stretched, yawned again, and slowly removed his shirt and peeled off his jeans, leaving him in the boxers his father had given to him for his last birthday—ugly black things with stylized ghosts and the word "Fenton" on them. Pulling on his equally embarrassing ghost pajamas, the controversial hero formerly known as Inviso-bill snuggled under his bedclothes and was asleep in moments.

Maddie Fenton, widely considered (according to the latest newspaper poll) the most competent ghost hunter in Amity park, smiled to herself as she checked on her youngest child. 'He's sleeping like a baby. Must have had a long day wearing himself out with his friends, since the school had to be evacuated because of that ghost attack. What a pity that Phantom had already taken care of it by the time Jack and I got there…even more of a pity that he'd left before we arrived, that ghost has been around for almost a year now, and I still don't know what makes him tick! Poor Danny…he's so convinced that Phantom is good. He'll be crushed when that odd manifestation of ectoplasmic slime and post-human consciousness shows his true colors.'

"Sleep tight, Danny, and I'll be sure to keep the ghosts away," she whispered as she turned away from his room to run a few last-minute scans to make certain everything was well. "After all," she continued, shaking her head, "for the son of two ghost hunters, you certainly seem to be terrified of the supernatural."

(A/N)

I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. The second will be up—eventually. I like this story. I know everything that's going to happen, of course, but I like it. Please review, I like to read the reviews that people give to me, and if you have a problem with my writing style (or the fic) let me know.

Flames will be heeded. Nonsense will be flamed. Use bad grammar at your own peril. Oh, and compliments are never nonsense.