Danny Phantom - The Next Chapter

Lost

Danny's nap, while it had been helpful in regaining some strength, wasn't enough to build up his endurance to its max, and soon he was feeling the strain of exhaustion once again. The day had passed by quickly and it was once again night, but unlike the night before, clouds were slowly moving across the sky, blocking the stars from view. Which meant he was flying blind. He vaguely knew which way north was from where the sun had set, but if he was still sticking to it, he didn't know. All he knew was that there was a road below that he was following pretty closely and he knew he would reach another city or town if he stuck to it. He had already passed many, but he wanted to put as much distance between himself and Léon as he could. The Guys in White were clearly tracking him, and he didn't want to make it easy for them to catch up. Unbeknownst to him, he had drifted slightly to the west, moving away from the flight path his parents had made.

But even he had his limits, and he was reaching them faster and faster these days. So when he reached a city called Zacatecas, he slowed and descended, hoping that maybe someone else had put up his insignia in the hopes he would notice. He felt even worse than he had when he reached Léon, if that was possible, and he hoped his lack of rest wasn't going to make him sick. That was the last thing he needed at the moment.

He swept through the suburbs once again, steering clear of the city centre. If the Guys in White had any spies or lookouts waiting for him, they would likely put them in the most densely populated areas. But now that they knew he was hiding amongst the people, they might have moved some of them into the suburbs. He needed to hide in the poorer parts of the city. Help might not be as forthcoming, but at least the Guys in White wouldn't suspect them.

The streets were empty as he landed and transformed behind a dumpster, slowly making his way onto the street with his hood up. He didn't even have the energy to turn invisible any more. It was all he could do to keep putting one foot in front of the other. Each house that he passed looked rougher than the last, and he was contemplating just falling asleep in a tree when he noticed the piece of paper glued to an old, rusted letter box leaning haphazardly against a waist-high, chain-link fence. It looked like it had been coloured in black with crayon, the only clear parts forming his logo against the black. He paused and looked up at the house. It was ramshackle, but so were the rest of them. And if this logo thing was going to become a symbol of safety for him, then he had to give it a try.

He opened the gate, wincing at the screech as its rusted hinges moved, and limped up to the door. There was no doorbell, but he knocked as loudly as he dared. Somewhere down the street, a dog barked and Danny jumped, prepared to flee. There was no response from within the house and he knocked again, telling himself if no one answered, he would leave. But this seemed to have done it as the cracked bulb above the door turned on and there was the sound of several locks being opened. After a moment, the door opened slightly and a man peered out warily.

'¿Quién eres?' he demanded and Danny noticed he had a bat in his hand.

'Danny Fenton,' he replied, guessing what he had said and the man's eyes widened.

The door swung open wider and Danny cautiously pushed back his hood.

'Pasa, pasa,' the man said, gesturing him to enter and Danny slowly obeyed, once again making sure that it wasn't a trap. But while it wasn't as neat as Antonio and Gloria's house had been, it was clear that it was home to a family. Children's toys were littered all over the hallway and pictures hung from the walls of a number of kids, some including a woman and the man standing before Danny.

He quickly set down the bat and led him into the tiny living room, turning on the lights.

'Un momento,' the man said and continued on down the small hallway. He heard a door open and low voices talking, before the man returned with a girl who looked no older than ten or eleven. She blinked owlishly in the light and rubbed her eyes, before she focused on Danny.