Chapter 1

Danny was so tired. Every muscle felt like it had lead weights attached to them, weighing him down. He couldn't move without pain searing through him from his chest and abdomen. He almost laughed at his misfortune. He was already late for curfew when Skulker came out of no where, sporting what was obviously new tech. Said tech had done a number on the hybrid, leaving his already exhausted body immobile. He couldn't even change back into his human form and go home. He considered calling Sam or Jazz but then realized that his phone had been destroyed last week by Technes.

And so here he sat, too hurt to really move anywhere, too tire to even change, and had no way of calling for help as he bled green ectoplasm all over the grass. At least he had managed to suck Skulker into the thermos before sinking down to the buildings below and finding temporary shelter in the deep shadow on a corner where the street lights couldn't reach him. He was safe as long as no one with searching eyes came walking around. At this time of night, nearly midnight, no one was walking around regardless.

He groaned as he reminded himself of what time it was. His curfew was eleven o'clock. He was in so much trouble. He closed his eyes and rested his head against the brick building behind him. He hoped that if he rested for a little while, he could transform back and go home. There he would suck up his pride and ask Jazz for first aid. He knew she didn't mind but he still felt it was rather demeaning when he had to ask her to stop him from bleeding or straiten out a dislocated limb. At those times, he was glad that ghosts healed ten times faster than a normal human.

As the ghost boy rested, another enemy stalked the streets, looking for the place the ghost had run off to. Maddie Fenton looked down at the ghost tracker in her hands and then back at the street ahead of her. The device said that the ghost was only a few yard up the street. As she grew closer to the spot, she pulled out her ecto-blaster and readied herself for the worst. When she rounded the corner, she was not expecting to see Danny Phantom resting against the apartment building in front of her. His jump suit was torn, pieces missing and exposing pale flesh, his hair hung in his face, preventing her from seeing if was awake or not. But what got her attention the most was the large gash running across his chest and down his torso. One arm was draped over the wound, green ectoplasm oozing from between his fingers.

The huntress powered up the ecto-blaster, aiming it at the ghost boy's alarmingly young face. Briefly she felt sorrowful for the ghost, having had died at such young age. She wondered if his family had died with him or if he was alone. That thought made her falter. What if when this kid had died, he had died without his family? Maybe in a horrible accident, that that was why he insisted that he was trying to protect this town. He was maybe trying to protect his family?

Her musing came to an abrupt stop when the sound of the charging gun brought the boy to his senses again. His green eyes looked subdued and dull as he looked up blurrily at the huntress standing over him. They lit up a little, looking both confused and relieved at the same time. "Mom?"

Maddie gasped, dropping the gun. Do I look so much like his mother that he mistakes me as her? Maddie kneeled down to his level, hesitated for a moment before showing the first act of gentleness toward a ghost as she grasped his face. She was surprised to find that, even though it was too cold to be human, he still created a heat of his own. She lifted his head to look at him but his eyes had already slid shut.

"Phantom? Phantom, wake up." She slapped lightly on his cheek before he started stirring again. It was obvious this time that he recognized her for who she was as he jumped and tried to shuffle away.

"Mmmoooaaaddie!"

Okay, that was puzzling. It sounded like he was about to say 'mom' again but tried to correct himself. He tried to sit up and stand but didn't even get to the first part as he suddenly winced, his face screwing up for a moment. He trembled momentarily before falling back against the building. He sighed, defeated, looking up at her with fear shining in his glowing green eyes. The same color as the ooze creeping out from between his fingers and staining his pristine white gloves.

Maddie moved to his side and carefully pried the hand away. Phantom stiffened but gave no real fight. "W-what are you doing?"

Did he just stutter…? "I'm helping you, you're wounded." She stated the obvious in case he really was too out of it to realize.

"Y-yeah but w-why?"

He did stutter! "Because it's against our moral code as hunters; never kill or capture a specimen that we did not weaken ourselves. So you got off easy tonight, ghost." Maddie paused, her voice taking a gentler tone. "Besides, I can't bear to see a child hurt like this, even if you are a ghost."

XXX

Yeah, so… This is another experiment I did when I should be sleeping. I have a hard time dealing with people that I did not create. So you will find that I have many OCs in my stories. But I'm going to try something new. This little ficlet will have no obvious OCs besides maybe extras. I don't know if I'm going to continue this or Nightmare. Without my friend here, I don't have anyone to make me finish things. But I'll try.

Feed back please, is very much valued.