Oh hurr. I forgot I had this thing. Not really, but Jesus Christ. A whole year of no updating? What the hell is wrong with me- besides lack of want and need? Erm, a lot. A lot has happened. A LOT HAS HAPPENED. Just ask, oh… EVERYONE.

Crossover love. Again. Bahaha. This time with Chuck. Want a little more? Come find me on my newest account here on FFN- Aqua Zephyrus. Made it because I am sick and tired of the shell I have built around myself. I wanna be- me. I just want to be me and nothing more. Shining Zephyr is going to be pretty dead in a while, guys. Just go find me at my newest one. …please.

Thus said, enjoy this little wee bit of love. And sorry for OOC-ness. Derp.

26. Exposed

This wasn't exactly what he had in mind.

"He's a bit crazy."

"Yeaaah, Casey likes his gun to do the talking most of the time."

The agent merely shook his head, walking out of the room and scoffing to himself. Two nerds in the same room pretty much meant a case of the crazies for one man working with the government. And God help Morgan if he came into the room as well with Casey in there listening. The last thing he needed was Tucker Foley, Chuck Bartowski, and Morgan Grimes- all whom couldn't fight worth the lint in their pants.

He grimaced at that thought. What an analogy.

"Hey, uhm… Casey?"

Great. The Fenton kid. The wuss. He turned around, and to his honest surprise, it wasn't him.

It was Phantom. The real American hero. And he was watching him with this worried look in his eyes as if he didn't know if Casey was going to strangle him or not. Almost exactly like the Fenton kid… Casey's eyes narrowed, but he kept his voice cool. "Danny Phantom. Thought you were somebody else for a minute."

"Sorry if I, uh- scared you," the teenager told him uncertainly, making circles with his fingers in the air. "I just- you know." He cracked a slight grin. "Wanted to make sure you were okay and everything. I mean, after you were ambushed at City Hall and everything."

Casey raised a brow and glanced around for a moment before leaning in and nodding. "Your help was- appreciated. Never dealt with that sort of thing before. Now I know how to deal with it the next time something like that comes around." He turned to Chuck and Tucker, who were babbling about some video game. "Not to ask the nerd."

Phantom blinked at this and shrugged. "He doesn't seem like that bad of a guy, though."

"You'd be surprised how much damage he can inflict."

Silence at this remark. Phantom continued to watch Casey as he sat on the couch and looked deep in thought about something. He floated there for a long few moments before finally landing on the floor and walking over to the NSA agent. "You sure you're going to be okay? I mean that was probably the first time you ever fought ghosts or something."

Casey scoffed softly. "Nothing a little cleaning up can't do to make these wounds go away. I'm not that badly hurt."

"I beg to differ."

"This coming from the hero who saved the world from an incoming asteroid and has a file in the CIA database all to himself. You should get yourself checked out with all your wounds, kid." He smiled dryly. "Physically and emotionally."

"Don't you get emotionally hurt sometimes?"

Casey's smile dropped in a heartbeat. Phantom knew he had hit a hard nerve in this question and bit his lip uncertainly, taking a step back when his companion stood up and glared at the teenager. "I don't let my emotions cloud my judgment—unlike yourself, Phantom. You constantly let your anger of Masters coming back and Plasmius being more powerful than you get in the way of your fighting. And that's why you fail."

Phantom clenched up slightly at this. "Hey. Thank to those emotions, I actually can kick his butt sometimes! Sure, it might not be all the time. But at least I do!"

"Yeah right."

"Last I checked, Agent Casey, you were the one under fire, and I was the one saving your sorry ass!"

Before he could give out another biting comment, the teenager suddenly doubled over in pain and grabbed the table. Casey was at his side in an instant, grabbing the teenager as he clutched his sides and yelled in utter agony. Two rings split across his body, and Phantom's eyes widened with horror as they moved in opposite directions.

Casey moved back in shock as the kid slumped over on the floor and moaned softly. Raven hair, rumbled clothing, and blinking cerulean eyes- how the…?

Danny Fenton stirred a bit more, holding his head with one hand and glancing at the NSA agent before freezing. Casey looked absolutely stunned. He couldn't move, his mouth dropped open and eyes wide with shock. John Casey was never surprised in his life. But this—this was a real shock.

The two of them merely stared at each other for what seemed to be an eternity.

"…y-you saw that, didn't you?" Danny finally stammered out.

Casey nodded, shutting his mouth and pursing his lips into a grim line. The kid looked shocked. There were certainly people around the world who knew Danny was Phantom, but not Casey. After he found out the world was saved, he didn't stick around for ceremonies. He went right on back to what he did best—finding the bad guys.

He took a deep breath and growled lowly for a moment. "You could have told me, moron."

"How the hell was I supposed to know you weren't with the Guys in White? All you FBI agents kinda all look the same with the suits!" Danny was obviously flustered. "And then you tell me I have an entire FBI file on my ghost side! That only makes my powers screw up even more when I'm anxious like—"

"Just calm down for a second!" Casey barked finally.

The kid hushed, staring at him now as Casey sat back down on the couch and groaned a bit. "You're not in any trouble as far as the law is concerned, kid. You're fine."

Danny relaxed a little.

"I just you would've told me first so I could have called you for back-up."

"…so wait, you would have used me?"

"Sure. We'll be blunt."

"…you are a jerk. A real jerk," Danny growled.

Casey merely grunted under his breath, "Get used to it, kid."

Yay. Done. I'm writing a little more… I think. Hope you all enjoyed this one.