Alex Chase: Beyond The Multiverse

Chapter 27: Pride and Personality: Part 1

" Wow, what a day!" Danny said.

" I'll say. We defeated a victory-crazed goddess with a net trap created by a sixteen-year-old," said Ben.

" A sixteen-year-old genius engineer," I corrected.

" Whatever."I looked at Danny and smiled. There were some things I had been dying to talk to him about.

" Hey Ben, could you leave us alone for a minute? There are some things I've wanted to ask Danny," I told him. He nodded and exited. We stared at each other for a long time before speaking.

" So. . . ," Danny started.

" Yeah. . . ," I started.

" I'm sorry about the hand thing back there!" We both yelled at the same time. We both stared for a moment before bursting out in laughter.

" Oh man, we're messed up, aren't we?" Danny asked.

" Yes, yes we are," I said with a hand over my mouth. I reached out and grasped Danny's hand again. He looked surprised, but he didn't pull it away.

" Is there something you want to tell me Alex?"

" Yeah. For a long time now. I just wanted to ask, are you happy? Happy with having Sam as your best friend, you know, instead of me?" I had watched Danny's whole life, what he had discovered he liked, all his embarrassing moments, all his developments into the person he was today, everything Sam had seen.

I had been there for it all. But he hadn't known I had been there. Danny looked at me and placed a hand on the back of his neck, not sure what to say to me.

" Well, I like Sam, I really do," he admitted. I sighed sadly. I had been a tiny bit afraid of this, I'll admit. " But I like you too," he told me sincerely. I looked up, shocked.

" But, you just met me. You've barely spent three minutes alone with me. How do you know that I won't blast you into oblivion as soon as I don't need you anymore?!" I asked hotly.

" Because I know Sam. Sam's passion, strong will, the fact that she's mature, forceful, bossy, good-hearted and caring; her individuality, even half her appearance, all the things I like about her–came from you. She's an exact copy of you, only with a bigger dark side. I've known you all my life, because I've known Sam all my life.

And without Sam, I wouldn't be Danny Phantom. . . which was your plan all along! You traveled back in time to the year I was born and inserted Sam there so she would be there fourteen years later to tell me to go into the Ghost Portal, didn't you?" I smirked.

" You see? This is why I like you. . . your type so much! You're so much cleverer then other boys, yet you're not nerds and geeks at the same time." Danny grinned.

" Thanks. And thanks for the ghost powers by the way." He stared at his hands.

" You're welcome." He continued staring for a second, and then turned back, a different look on his face. This one was filled with self-doubt. I didn't have to be able to read minds to know what he was about to ask.

" Alex, why did you have me go into the ghost portal? Why not Jazz, or Sam, or Mom? They'd all have been better ghost hunters then I am. Why not have somebody stronger, faster, more agile, more trained in ghost fighting?" he said. I smiled. Ben had asked me this question before, as had many others.

" Danny, I choose you for many reasons. But the biggest one was your selflessness. You're ability to do the right thing. You had some many hidden traits that were waiting to be unleashed." Danny wasn't convinced.

" But I get scared. There are times when I'm afraid I've lost everything, and it's the scariest thing in the world."

" A very wise troll once said: " To strive and triumph in the face of fear is what it means to be a hero." You've put your fear behind you numerous times to save the people you care about. And the fact that you've done it so many times makes you the bravest of everyone back in Amity Park.