A Hero's Work is Never Done

A Danny Phantom FanFiction

By

Siskie Business

I do not own Danny Phantom. All rights got to Butch Hartman. If I did, Danny and Dash would most likely be together...but that's just me ^^"

Mr. Lancer sighed for what seemed the millionth time that day. The student currently in front of him being the center of his misery.

"Daniel, is there anything….bothering you?"

The young Fenton boy sat slumped in his chair, arms crossed over his chest, and ice-blue eyes set in a glare at the wall behind Mr. Lancer's head. His jaw twitched in annoyance.

Why'd my parents have to let him have this meeting? It's bad enough he wanted to.

"Mr. Lancer, for the fifth time I am fine! Nothing is bothering me! I am fine!" Danny shouted, agitation clearly on his face. He had more important things to do than discuss his private life with Lancer. His hand itched for the sketchbook in his bag.(1)

Lancer brought his hands to his temples, rubbing away the pain that struck there.

"Danny, the sooner you tell me, the sooner you can leave"

"I told you already-"

"Enough lying! I do not appreciate being lied to Mr. Fenton, nor do I tolerate it!" He spoke, standing from his chair and resting his hands on top of his desk.

"I can see just as clearly as everyone else what you condition is. You've gotten pale, you sleep during class, at lunch you don't eat! There's something going on in your life, Fenton, that is causing you misery. I ask you as a friend to tell me what is wrong. I only wish to help. You may not think it Daniel, but I do care for you." Lancer finished. His gaze had grown soft near the end of his speech.

Yet Daniel remained as unsettled as ever. In fact-Since when were his eyes green? Lancer thought.

"I told you Mr. Lancer" Danny uncrossed his arms and leaned forward, placing his hands on the desk as well; pushing himself into a standing position.

His eyes were still green and held a dark, somewhat evil, glare.(2)

"I'm fine"

"Daniel, please. I've seen you come into class battered and beaten. And once in the hospital. If you could just tell me who-"

"I can't" Danny said in defeat. He sat back down, face seeming to be mixed with confusion and pain.

Wait a second, his eyes are blue again. What in the name of Macbeth is going on here?!

"And why can't you? You realize they will never find out. Everything will-"

"You don't understand!" Danny snapped, eyes once more glowing green. "No one does"

Mr. Lancer was in shock. He had heard Fenton speak up before, but never with such authority hidden within his voice.

He stepped around his desk to the front and crouched down so that their eyes were level. The green eyes had again gone blue, tears threatening to pour out.

"Daniel….Danny, please. Tell me why you're upset. Was it something I said?"

Danny shook his head "No, it wasn't you"

"Then what is the matter?" Lancer questioned. He watched as Danny closed his eyes and a few tears rolled down his cheeks.

Lancer's heart clenched. He hated to see the boy so upset. He reached up and wiped a few stray tears from Danny's face. Resting his thumb on the boy's cheek he slowly rubbed along the skin there.

"What's wrong?" He asked again.

Danny watched him with swimming eyes before everything broke free. Thus his world came crashing down in front of him.

Danny shut his eyes tight and released a shaky breath.

"I hate keeping secrets. People end up finding out, so it's kinda dumb to call them 'secrets' . 'Cause in the end, everyone knows"

"What are you talking about Daniel?"

"Mr. Lancer, would you keep a secret…my secret…even though my life is in danger?"

Lancer's eyes widened. What on Earth…?

"Is it? Are you in danger?"

Danny's eyes held a look of strength that he had never seen the boy possess.

"Everyday."

"What do you mean? Is someone threatening you?"

"Heh." The boy chuckled before continuing "You could say that"

"Daniel, I think this is way over both of our heads. Perhaps-"

"I told you, you don't understand" Danny shook his head. "I'm not normal. My secret is big. I can't have people finding out and telling everyone. I don't wanna go back there" He shuddered.

"Back where?"

But Danny just shook his head again, vigorously this time.

"Daniel….Daniel, back where?" Lancer gripped the boy's shoulders. "Where Daniel?"

Fresh tears made tracks down Danny's face once again. "The lab" He finally choked out.

"The lab? Someone sent you away to a lab?!" Lancer's face turned solemn at the thought that entered his head. "They experimented on you, didn't they? Is that why you don't want me to know?"

Danny nodded.

"Daniel, I would never put you through such a horror. Never. Do you understand?"

The boy looked up, hopeful at Lancer's words. "You won't t-tell?"

Lancer shook his head. "I won't tell"

Danny thought for a moment. "Y-you w-won't send me a-away?"

Lancer gulped. What had they put him through? "I will never send you away."

Danny breathed in and exhaled before he spoke. "Alright, I'll tell you."

Lancer sighed. The war of 'get-Fenton-to-talk' was over. Now he could focus on the main topic.

"Good. Now, tell me everything you want. You can tell me about your secret, if only to get it off your chest"

"I want to"

"Good"

"But I more or less have to show you"

Show him a secret? Well if it made Danny better, he didn't mind.

"That's fine. Whatever you need to do" Lancer said, stepping back to lean on his desk and wait for Daniel to show him. All of a sudden there appeared a white ring around the boy's middle. Then it split, one traveling up his body and the other down it. His normal garb was traded for a black hazard suit. The gloves and boots were white, as well as the belt around his waist. Upon the chest was a white flying 'D' with a 'P' inside of it. His hair went from ebony to snow white. Ice-blue eyes became emeralds.

Lancer gasped. There in front of his own eyes Daniel Alex Fenton had become non other than the town's hero, Danny Phantom.

"Now do you understand? Why it was so hard for me to just give it up? Having people find out about my secret could only endanger the ones I love the most, but I trust you. It's just if anyone finds out…" Danny trailed off and looked down at his feet. Lancer was in complete shock.

How in the world could this mere child be a hero?! What horrors has he gone through? Is that why he's so tired? Because he's fighting ghosts all the time?

Lancer placed his hand upon the boy's shoulder.

"Daniel, your secret is safe with me" He reassured him.

"Thanks Mr. Lancer. It's just…"

"I understand completely Mr. Fenton or should I say Mr. Phantom?" Danny just smiled before changing back to himself.

"Though I do still expect you to do well in school." Danny sighed.

"I know and I'm trying. But sometimes the sleep catches up with me and I can't get things done." He shrugged.

They began walking out of the building together, idly chatting about this and that. When they came to the front door, Danny had begun to shake and his breath was visible.

"Daniel? Are you alright?"

"I've gotta go Mr. Lancer. There's a-"

"Don't let me stop you. Be careful, okay?"

With a smile and a nod Danny Phantom took to the sky in rare form.

"What a hero!" Exclaimed one of the janitors who had stepped out side for a break.

"No" Mr. Lancer shook his head "What a kid"

A.N. Just a little one-shot I wanted to write. I had an original idea, but scrapped it for this. Besides, this turned out way better than I thought it would.

I love Lancer so this was really fun to write just because it had Lancer in it. (sorta reminds me of a fussy teacher I had ) Anyway, I love bonding stories so I loved writing this one.

(1) I know it seems like Danny wouldn't have a hobby like sketching, but hey, it's fiction for a reason.

(2) No I was not hinting at TUE…or was I….Oo I don't even know the answer to that question.