Danny Phantom: Fear

Hunted

Danny trudged down the streets of Gotham. The sidewalks were so dirty that after the second day of wearing them the bottom of his shoes were black.

As Danny turned into a narrow pathway, the air grew slightly chillier.

Ahead of him, he could hear yelling and shouting. As he got closer the air took on a putrid stench.

Danny moved cautiously, he wasn't sure of what was ahead of him.

"FUCKING ASSHOLES!" Someone shouted. Their voice sounded like air was being restricted and it was all squeezing out at once.

"Shut up" a skinny guy with bandana said kicking the other guy in the ribs.

Danny was at the edge between the dark and the light. Despite this, the comfort the darkness provided, Danny stepped forward.

One of them noticed the newcomer.

"Hey look, it's the murderer" one guy cracked. Several heads snapped on Danny's direction.

"Holy shit it really is Jokers killer" the guy who had been kicking commented.

"What do you want?" The guy asked no doubt trying to intimidate.

"Leave him alone" Danny said.

After a tense moment of silence the guy laughed reacting in a chorus of laughter from the other guys as well.

"Tough guy wants to be a hero" he said to the surrounding thugs.

"If I let him go, you'll have to take his beatings for him. Then we'll never go after him again" the guy said getting up close in Danny's face.

Danny hardened his stance. He knew guys like this. And maybe he wanted to feel pain.

He did kill someone. He deserved what was coming to him.

"Fine"

The guy looked looked at him surprised before grinning using all his teeth.

"So your crazy, I LOVE CRAZY GUYS!" The guy screamed.

Danny crouched next to the guy.

"Go on, get out of here"

The guy grimaced as he pushed himself up and hobbled away.

Danny didn't have time to stand up before a punishing blow was delivered to his head.

Danny groaned as his eyes rang.

"Ha, crazy bastard!" One guy commented.
______________________________________
I had my suspicions about the kid eve since I heard about him.

Despite the enthusiasm of many about the death of Joker, I had always believed he could be reformed. Maybe I was being foolish.

But now there wasn't a chance for it.

The outrage of the case was only in me. I'm sure everyone else was glad, except, was that guilt written all over that boys face as he hugged his jovial sister.

I kept watch. I needed to make sure, maybe this kid was really dangerous or maybe he was ignorant. Either way, that made him unstable. I followed the kid as he walked. His blank stare reflecting on the emptiness inside.

I watched the kid walk and I realized where he was headed. Whether he did or not, I'm not sure.

Suddenly the kids eyes became lively and he moved swiftly towards a growing noise.

The kid ran right into the gang hideout.

"Leave him alone"

Despite watching the words pass his lips, I found it hard to believe. The other guy taunted the boy, testing his metal by offering a bloody alternative.

The boy agreed apparently because the other guy was let off.

A sickening crack caught my attention. The boy had been crouching when they attacked, the cowards.

Despite the hard blow the boy stood up.

He took every blow without even flinching.

"How's this guy still standing"

"You'll have to shoot me if you want to kill me" Danny said aumonously.

"What-" the kid punched the guy.

"My turn bastards!" Danny spat out. The guys surrounded him.

Batman watched as Danny fought. His skills were similar to ones he had taught. Too similar.

Despite the odds Danny was the last man standing.

The kid swayed before loosing balance.

Danny fell forward, passing out amongst the battered bloody gang.

Batman watched the boy fight loosing consciousness but eventually succumb to it.

What he had done was heroic but incredibly stupid.

Batman dropped down and scooped up the surprising light boy. It felt as if the kid didn't even weigh a pound.