Warning: Metric system used

"This is Neath's friend saying…this is actually a pretty good story…DON'T LET THE PREVIOUS STATEMENT PUT YOU OFF!"

Thanks that fills me with confidence.

Review. Or not. It's not like I'm going to find where you live and paint your house pink or something. Oh yeah. One shot. Probably.

"This is Neath's friend again…I REPEAT! THIS IS ACTUALLY A PRETTY GOOD STORY. DON'T LET THE AUTHOR'S OBVIOUS INSANITY FOOL YOU!"

I wasn't always a hero. People seem to forget that it took a whole month for me to start heroing. Left to my own devices I wouldn't have started at all. Because the accident didn't just turn me half ghost.

It gave me a voice.

I can still remember the first time I heard it. It was as I was waking up from the accident.

The world slowly began to fade in, like it does when you're waking up slowly. The first thing to come back was feeling in my body.

There was pain. A red clogging haze that drowned my mind. I could hardly think. It was coming in waves that rose to crescendos, where I almost vomited, before sinking to a deep ache all through my body. It was too cold. The pain didn't warm me at all. And I was tired. Drained. It was hard even to breath

Why did it hurt so much?

The second thing was sounds. Someone close by said "Are you alright?" in a suspicious tone of voice. I couldn't see them properly.

Third thing was being awake, more or less.

My eyes focused and the redness faded to my mind, becoming a throbbing headache. I saw Tucker, keeping his distance like I was a diseased animal. I was confused. What had I done? I couldn't remember doing anything. "What are you saying Tucker?" my voice was weak and off, somehow. He kept his distance. This filled me with a kind of weepy anger. Fine. Stay away. Some friend you are! I tried to stand up but I had to fight my body. Then something inside me broke and everything went black.

I woke up on the floor of the down stairs bathroom.

It hurt. It was cold, and the cold hurt.

"Try not to stand up" said Sam.

Sam. she convinced me to go in to that bloody portal. Why? I didn't want this, I thought and I felt that weepy anger again.

/Don't get angry! She didn't know. Think about how she feels. /

/How she feels? She isn't the one who's hurting so much with cold that she can't think straight.../

/Irrelevant. She didn't know. /

/Damn you./

/She. Didn't. Know. /

/Will you shut up? /

/No. and you didn't have to go in there. And even then if you'd just stayed by the opening, you would've got out in time. /

This trigged a flashback, and it sent shivers up my spine, and filled me with panic. That light. I hated it. "I tried to out run it, I really did…" I said, out loud without thinking. And then noticed I was glowing

Holy ****

/Glowing isn't the half of your problems. And don't swear. /

I swallowed nervously. Voice in my head. Kinda freaking me out. And then I noticed my friends. My heart softened, because they looked terrible. Frightened, guilty, distressed and freaked out to say the least. I don't know about you, but I can't stay angry at someone who comes up and looks sorry. Actually I just plain can't stay angry. Suspicious, yes. Angry, no.

"You guys alright?" I asked, and became nervous at the look they gave each other. Like something *more* terrible had just happened. "What's wrong?" I asked. Neither would make eye contact. Swallowing, I stood up, and noticed how Sam twitched, like she thought I was going to topple over. Then I caught sight of myself in the mirror and nearly fainted on the spot. My hair was white! My eyes where green! And what was up with my suit? I couldn't go to school like this, I would die. I was already picked on the most by Dash. Without thinking I ran a hand through my hair and lent on the sink-

Tried to lean on the sink, only it acted like it wasn't there.

I only just managed to catch myself. The fright sent my heart racing, and made me feel dizzy. What happened to me?

/You are a halfa. /

/Say what?/

I turned to my friends. They hadn't just said anything, right?

"You said that the portal worked with ectoplasm, right?" said Tucker. I nodded. Then the dizzy feeling just got too much and I fell over. I would've hit the floor. Or maybe the floor would've hit me. That's what it felt like, the ground rising up to become a wall I couldn't avoid.

But Sam caught me. And then she held me as gently as one of those baby birds she often rescues. A weird warmth passed through and I drifted off to unconsciousness.

She'd a good friend. She must be beating her self up about what happened.

/She's pretty. /

/Shut up. I'm not crazy, and I don't have a voice in my head/

/Are you going out? /

/Shut. Up. Wait…Oh man. Girls. Who would go out with me now that I am a…was a…/

/Halfa/

/What Is A Halfa!/

/Half ghost half human. Hello Danny. I'm Phantom/

/Oh no. no no no no no. I have a voice in my head! I'm going insane! I'm crazy! /

/Well you know what they say. No one goes as insane as a previously totally sane person. You must've been pretty darn sane before. /

/Before what? /

/This. Hello? Getting zapped? Getting a ghost core? Being a halfa? /

/I don't get you/

/Which is strange because I am you. /

/No you're not. /

/Yes I am. /

/NO, you're not. There's no way that I'm you, you're insane/

/Case in point. Listen. I'm not quite sure what happened. The closest I can get to is you…we… agh, never mind! You half died. When that happened, your mind couldn't handle it and separated the things that changed from the rest of you. That's me. I am you, just the bit that the rest of you can't handle. If you concentrate, you can feel your mind first thinking from your perspective, then mine. Funny, aint it?/

/Right/

/So you believe me? /

/No/

/Figured. Any other questions? /

/If you're me, why are you called Phantom? /

/I like Phantom. I'm partially separated from you anyhow. I think I deserve a name/

/You're weird/

/Just cause you're boring/

/Am not/

/Denial/

/Am not/

/Not very creative, are you? /

/Am no…oh I see. Very funny/

/No sense of humour either. I can see why Sam's not going out with you. /

/SHUT UP/

Phantom mentally poked his tongue out at me and waltzed of somewhere. I think he went through my memory on music because the next time we talked he was humming the moonlight sonata. This is possible if you're a voice in a head.

I began to wake up. In my bedroom. Was this going to be a regular occurrence? Me dropping unconscious and waking up in a different place?

"How're you feeling, man?" asked Tucker.

"Alright" I said. I was lying. I felt wiped out. I sighed "I'm half ghost" I said. Tucker nodded sympathetically.

"Worried about girls?" he said. Tucker and I were on the same wavelength "don't worry about it, man" he said, "I'm sure you'll find a girl who's going to be okay with everything, even the weird." Sam, who'd been kinds spaced out, suddenly looked up. She looked furious. Anyway "But now I'm half ghost, or what ever. I have ghost hunter parents!" I wailed.

"At least you're still alive!" Sam snapped. I looked at her in surprise. "You walked into that bloody portal!" I flinched "Making me sick with worry! And now you're talking about girls? You almost died just now!" and with that she turned and ran out my bedroom

I felt terrible. Stupid voice /hey!/ was right. I didn't have to go into that portal. It had been my own choice. I struggled out my bed; sure I didn't usually have that many blankets, and ran after her. I still felt like a slug. Halfway down the stairs, my foot went through the stairs. I yelped and pulled it out, and it came out easier than I'd expected and the force sent me falling over. This, ladies and gentlemen, pretty much sums up my life. One of those horrible slow motion moments later, I was groaning at the bottom of the stairs. "Danny" Tucker yelled from up stairs. I was pretty dazed. And I must've looked really awful because Jazz walked in, and from what Tucker tells me, had a heart attack. I can't really remember. Things where going grey and black again. I do remember being helped back to my bedroom and someone saying something about concussions. Then I went to sleep. Looking back, I realised that I'd been thinking with Phantom's mind just before I'd chased after Sam.

I woke up later that night. Checking my clock informed me that it was 3am. I wondered, for just a second, if everything that had happened was a dream.

/I'm hungry/

/What am I supposed to do about it?/ I snapped back, realising that there was no chance of all this being a dream.

/What are you muttering about? Anyway. Let me rephrase. You're hungry. /

/Fine. What do you want?/

/Tribute. A Macadamia nut cookie. Or two. Or three. Or four even, but if you think that's too much…/

/TRIBUTE? YOU are in MY head. YOU owe ME tribute. /

Suddenly I fell through my bed onto the floor below. Then I bashed my head on the bottom of my bed, trying to get up.

/Sorry. /

/This is your fault? Don't do that! /

/I'll try not to. It's hard! /

As if to emphasize, I then fell through the floor into the kitchen below. The impact knocked the breath out of me, but no bones were broken. I sat slowly, and then realised I was hungry, and had some cereal.

/Macadamia nut cookies! /

/It's take it or leave it, stupid voice. /

/Mildly offended by that. /

/I must be doing something wrong then. Tell me, pray, what should I say to be wholly offensive? /

Suddenly I felt really cold. My breath misted in the air, and I felt a pressure in my mind.

Below. It's below.

Whatever it is.

I crept into the basement. The portal was filled with green light that swirled around and around. And in front of it was a green bird thing. It was floating even though it wasn't flapping its wings. Its red eyes swept around. I squeaked and hid in the stairway. What was that?

/Ghost. /

/Are you sure? /

/Positive. You've got to stop it! /

/Why? What's it doing? /

/Something bad. Normally ghosts don't leave that place unless they want to cause trouble. /

/How do you know? /

/I just do. Trust me on this /

I took a quick breath. I couldn't believe I was asking the stupid voice this.

/What do I do? /

/Let me take over. I'm the bit of you that can use your ghost core. /

/Whatever that is. Okay. /

It was weird. Like stepping into a cold day, and falling backwards at the same time. And then…well Phantom was doing the main thinking.

He thought in a different way to me. His first thought was for everyone sleeping inside. Then everyone outside. Then witty remarks. Then himself.

He quickly checked around and then stepped forward. The ghost bird thing's horrible red eyes fixed on him, tracing his every movement.

"Get back to the Ghost zone, now!" he said. The bird thing sneered, "Or what?" it said. "There is no 'or what'. There is 'go back willingly', or 'go back unwillingly'. But it's your choice, really" he said with a cocky grin. The grin was meant to infuriate. It said 'I'm in control, and there's nothing you can do about it' and it said it loudly. The bird thing screeched in anger and charged Phantom, who dodge rolled. And slammed into a wall.

The pain jerked me, the human part of the brain, into action, and more or less mucked up Phantoms control. He staggered and fell, and I accidentally took over.

I dazedly looked up into furious red eyes.

Phantom yanked control back and launched himself at the bird thing. It squawked in surprise and Phantom was able to shove it into the portal and shut the doors.

He relinquished control and retreated to the back of my mind

/Phantom? / I asked. I hadn't liked how he disappeared on me just then.

/Hmmmm? /

Wow, he was tired. This meant I was tired. Suddenly I was overwhelmed by sleepiness. I was barely able to drag myself back to my room and collapse onto my bed. I was asleep in seconds.

Jazz shook me awake the next morning. "Hmmm?" I mumbled.
"Danny, you need to turn off your alarm" she said in a cranky voice. I blinked fuzzily, and then the annoying beeping finally penetrated my brain.

/Owww. Turn it off! /

/Your face turns it off/ I thought at him, and Phantom gave me a worried look from the depths of my mind.

I managed to turn the darn thing off and was about to get out of bed when Jazz stopped me "You're staying at home today to recover from your concussion. If you leave this room for any reason other than a burglar, a fire, or the call of nature, you will be in trouble. Here" she handed me something. "It's to keep you occupied" I looked at it. It was a comic book, the latest in a series I followed. I was shocked. Jazz was being nice! I looked out the window to see if it was the end of the world. No it wasn't

/She's your sister, of course she cares. /

/Not Jazz. She's a fink. She doesn't care about much more than her studying. /

/You know that's not true. /

With a mental sniff I ignored Phantom. Annoying stupid voice. "Thanks Jazz" I said, trying to sound as appreciative as possible. She nodded twice and then suddenly kissed me on the forehead. "Get better soon, baby brother" and she went down stairs. I felt all fuzzy inside, before I remembered to pull a face.

Suddenly, my cell phone ran. I picked up

*Danny*

"Hey Tucker"

*How are you doing? You know, with everything…*

"Um, injury wise, I'm actually pretty good, but Jazz isn't letting me come to school today"

*Good. What do you mean 'injury wise'?*

"Well, you know how I was different? With white hair and everything? And then how I changed back?"

"Yeah"

"Well I can control it"

silence

"What…"

"I can change from one from to another. I can turn into a ghost, Tucker!"

More silence

"This…is going to be a problem."

"yeah"

"How are you going to handle it? With your parents and everything?"

"Tucker, I have no-"

My hand went intangible and the cell dropped to the ground and bounced twice.

/Darn it Phantom, keep your intangibility to yourself! /

/Finish the conversation before you start grumbling/ he muttered

I picked up the cell, after 3 tries.

"hello?"

"Danny? You all right?"

"Sorry, dropped my cell. Look will you come over this afternoon?"

"Sure. Ummm…what about Sam?"

"She can come if she wants, but she seemed pretty cranky yesterday…"

"She'll come. Leave it to me."

"Thanks, Tuck. You're the best"

"Obviously. See ya later."

"See ya" and I hung up

Then I began to feel nervous. Oh dear, Sam had been very cranky. And I know she and Tucker were my friends, but…but…

/Have a little more faith. /

/You don't understand. I don't even know if we actually have such a close friendship, or at least, one that would stand something like this. Why would they even want to stick around? /

/I do understand. Let me say that you don't have to worry. They are good people, and they won't let you down. /

/…You're right. /

/You sound surprised. About what? /

/Thinking with my part the mind, then yours. We really are one person, aren't we? /

/Indeed. Can I suggest not telling anyone about this? /

/Yeah, they'll think we have a multiple personality disorder/

/I get the feeling that they'd be right. /

/Such an optimist, aren't you Phantom? /

/Watch your mouth Danny or I'll take over and make you confess! /

/Confess what? /

/Clueless. You are completely clueless, you know this right? /

I shrugged. Both Tucker and Sam called me clueless all the time. I'd gotten used to it, but it was mildly annoying to not know why they were calling me clueless.

/They call you clueless 'cause you're clueless! /

"I'll clueless your face!" I yelled and mentally tackled Phantom. Now I don't actually know what it looks like when I do this, but people tell me that I make a hundred different faces while struggling on the floor. Sam took a photo, once. Phantom got to it before I could, and now only half my brain knows what I look like, since he proceeded to burn the thing.

Inside my mind, when I tackle him, everything detaches and turns weird colours and random memories pop up and wack me over the mental head. Sometimes I win. Sometimes Phantom wins. As time has gone on, Phantoms has won more and more. He's pretty much in complete control these days. I don't mind.

I spent most of the morning changing form. I discovered I could fly, turn invisible and intangible. Then I crashed and did nothing until Tucker and Sam came to visit. They walked into my room "Hey guys!" I said cheerfully. I was properly dressed, sitting on my bed, reading comics. Tucker jumped on the bed.

"Is that the latest edition! Sweet!" he said. I handed him the comic.

"Jazz got it for me" I said smugly.

Sam didn't sit down. Quite naturally, I started thinking with Phantom's mind. She was still upset about yesterday, obviously. I had been an idiot. And seeing someone go through a near death experience must be very stressful, so it was no wonder she was still hurt. Maybe if I said sorry…

/She convinced me to go in there! /

/Don't blame others for your problems. And anyway, which is more important, a friend or your pride? /

And I had to admit, I wasn't in a position to offend anybody, especially someone as smart as Sam.

I gave her a sad look. "Sam" I said, "I'm sorry about yesterday." At that her face fell and she looked at me in a hurt way. Suddenly I realised that in the entire world I only had two friends, and right now I stood a real chance of losing one of them. I began to panic. "Anyway" I said, when she was silent. "We can go as normal right? We're still friends?" I begged. Tucker snorted, and I frowned at him. "Come on, Tucker!"

"Man, if what you told me this morning is true, continuing as normal, it aint even an option," said Tucker.

"Told you what?" Sam said suspiciously. Okay. Here goes nothing.

"It's easier to show you" I said as I got of the bed and went to stand in the corner. I took a deep breath and concentrated, really hard.

/Come on Phantom/

/Right behind you/

Suddenly, there was a flash of light and a ring of white appeared around my waist. It was very odd, though the outside transformation may look the most spectacular; the mind shift had always been the strangest to me. These same rings, that had appeared when I'd turn back into myself yesterday, slowly began to travel over my body. "I'm going ghost" I explained through clenched teeth. The rings began to split into smaller ones, changing me where they went. They disappeared once they reached around my feet and above my head respectively. White hair. Green eyes. Black hazmat suit. Soft glow all around me.

I chewed my lip nervously and rubbed the back of my head. "We can still be friends right?" I asked. There was a slight echo to my voice. But before Sam could reply

"This way Maddie!" My dad yelled from out side. Oh no! They were ghost hunting, I knew it, and they would catch me and cut me up and…

I was so freaked out I changed back without thinking

My parents burst into the room holding some weird thingy that was beeping really fast. "Come out you vile ghost!" Jack yelled and Maddie brandished some weapon. I was frozen to the spot, whether from my fear or Phantom's, I don't know. Sam bumped into me as she shrank back from my parents. I gave a frightened squeak.

Then Sam took control. "There's no ghost in here!" she said, feigning surprise, "You're ghost hunters! It wouldn't come in here. It must be outside!" And pointed dramatically. My parents looked at each other. Then turned and ran out yelling things like "We're going to get this one!"

Tucker heaved a sigh of relief. "Quick thinking, Sam" he said. I just nodded. I was very rattled and Sam sat me down on the bed. Then she gave be wide smile. "As I was about to say" said Sam, "Danny, don't be an idiot. Tucker and I will always be your friends; don't blame me for being clique. I don't usually do the friendship speech thing and I don't watch Yu-Gi-Oh, but no matter what happens, no matter what you are, we'll be here. Okay?" I smiled, relieved.

"Any way" said Sam, spinning round once on her heel, "You need a name for you secret identity"

"You make him sound like a superhero" said Tucker. Sam just grinned.

"I have the perfect name" she said, turning back to them.

"Phantom. Danny Phantom."

I felt my jaw drop.

What.

I felt the blood drain from my face and I flopped backwards on to the bed. I couldn't think over Phantom's elated whoop in my mind.

/She knows me! Sam knows me already! /

"R and R! IT WAS WORTH THE INSANITY OF THE AUTHOR RIGHT?"

That was my friend. I don't know what that means.