The Saturday morning had arisen with the chirps of birds and ruffling of leaves caused by the fall wind. The sun was out, but its heat wasn't at all overwhelming as it was a cool autumn day.

The scruffs of sneakers against the pavement were the only sounds that could be heard as the trio walked away from Danny's house. 

The cool breeze ruffled his charcoal, black hair and sent a cool chill down his spine. Tucker pushed the brim of his glasses up and looked over at Sam. She was uneasy about this plan. It was dangerous.

Vlad and Danny had been fighting all year round and the fights had only escalated. Each tussle earned more bruises from both sides. She crossed her arms and closed her eyes for a mere second. They never knew when Danny would come back looking battered to no mercy. Tucker looked down at his shoes as he walked beside Danny and sighed. No one had spoken up since they had picked him up at his house.

Danny glanced both ways at his friends. He could easily sense the way they felt about the plan. He sighed. 

"Look, I know that this seems to you like a foolish plan, but I've got this. Vlad would never-" Sam threw her hands up and stopped to face the ghost boy. "Danny, this is practically suicide! After each fight, I see that you show up with more brutal scarring-" Danny's blue eyes widened. 

"That's usual, Sam. I just never told you all-" Sam's mouth dropped to the floor. 

"See, Danny? Vlad's concern for your safety has dropped to an all-time low! He won't care that you're in front of everyone in town and everyone who attends Caspar High because he'll make sure that there won't be a 'you' to tell who he really is afterward!"

 Danny's eyes fell to the pavement. Tucker spoke up. "I mean, do what you have to do, but don't ever disregard your safety." Danny's head snapped up. That's all he has ever done. 

"But that's what I've been doing since I got these powers! I put my life on the line every hour of every day for the people of Amity, for you guys! Don't you see that this plan isn't scaring me, that even if it does go south that I don't want you guys to worry about me?"

They both were silent as they stood there, just looking at him. Danny began to walk again, leaving the two to grasp what he had just said to him. They caught up with him a few moments later. 

As they got closer and closer to the center of town, they saw a crowd of people. It was almost all of the population of Amity Park. Danny huffed. They stayed in the back of the crowd, not wanting to draw much attention to themselves.

He no longer wanted any more close encounters with them getting hurt. That would be put to a stop by himself. Danny had made up his mind. No way was his friends going to get hurt because of him, especially if Vlad was going to be in the middle of things. 

He turned around to both of his friends and looked them dead in the eyes. "Don't try to save me if everything goes wrong, I won't let you." They both gasped. What in the world was going through Danny's head? 

"B-but, no we will-" Tucker tried to oblige but was immediately cut off. "You guys can't risk your lives for me anymore. I will face the facts if I can't save everything or even myself." 

Sam became furious. She didn't like what she was hearing. Not one bit. The girl took a step closer to the boy's face, pointing her index finger at his chest. 

"How could you think that we would be okay with this, huh? Cause there's no way in-" Danny grabbed her wrist with a tight hold and narrowed his eyes. "Don't, Sam. Don't you dare do anything." His words were like ice, but his eyes pleaded.

Sam and Danny's stare was broken when a loud sound was heard. The crowd turned their heads to the front and saw the ghost himself: Plasmius. The crowd immediately all coward beneath him, shaking as Vlad hovered in the air. 

Only at this time did Danny notice how huge the crowd was. There were people everywhere around him. And they all looked amazed but deathly afraid. 

Everyone began to look around. Where was their beloved Danny Phantom? Vlad's laugh broke out. 

"Well, I see that your so-called hero isn't one after all. If he was here, the ghost boy would at least try to run me off. Not like he could anyway." Danny heard this but was also caught off guard when he saw his family in the crowd, about fifty people away. He saw his parents aiming at Plasmius. 

"Take this, ghost!" He heard his father yell.

With one swift motion, a large, green shield bounced off the attack. The shield went from the pavement to about a mile in the sky. It was a big circle around Vlad. Jazz put her head in her hands, embarrassed by her parents once again. 

"I don't think so," Vlad said. He began to float down to the pavement. 

"Since the ghost boy isn't here, I find it appropriate to give you all some important information about who he is." Danny's eyes were like saucers. Was he hearing the man correctly? 

"I see your shocked, confused faces. I've known him for quite a while actually, and I do know a lot about him. After all, it's good to know your enemy. His strengths, his weaknesses." 

Danny heard Dash yell at the evil ghost. "Why would you want to tell us something about him?" The whole crowd began to agree and nod. "Because this information is his deepest secret. A secret that would defiantly change your views on him."

Vlad took to the sky again, his black cape swooshing behind him. "Have you all ever heard of the term 'halfa'?" Jack and Maddie gasped. 

"That's not possible! There's no way on earth that a ghost could be half-human!" She shouted. 

"But oh there is, lady. And the boy sure is one. He's only had these powers for a year now and hasn't even had the heart to tell his family yet. How sad." Vlad's mischievous smirk broke onto his face. 

"And where is your dear Danny Phantom you may ask?" He questioned.

It seemed like it all happened in slow motion. 

Vlad flew through the shield and flew over all of the people. The red eyes stared directly into his soul as they were approaching him. He could feel his heart drop. It was over. Vlad picked him up by the arm and flew him back into the shield. He tossed him onto the ground. 

Danny propped himself with an elbow as he didn't want to get up. His hair stuck to his sweaty face and his eyes wouldn't leave the road. 

Vlad pointed to him. "This is your halfa. And he is Danny Fenton." Everyone gasped. It couldn't be. There was no way. 

Dash yelled at the ghost. "What? Danny is way too weak to be him! He can't even throw a stupid punch!" Maddie began to yell at the ghost too. "How dare you touch and then accuse my son of being a ghost!"

Vlad rolled his eyes. "Oh come on people. Danny Phantom, Danny Fenton. How can you all be so stupid?" Vlad looked at the boy, seeming to remember something. 

"If you don't believe me, then I have physical proof." He picked up Danny. 

"Get away from me!" He yelled. But the ghost lifted up the boy's shirt for all to see. And what they saw were the wounds of the fight that was broadcasted on television. 

They all couldn't believe their eyes, but they all were still in denial. No way could a human be part ghost. Vlad threw the boy back onto the ground.

"That must've been an illusion! How could you try to make us believe that this boy is Phantom? That's sick!" A stranger yelled from the crowd.

Vlad was getting irritated. His plan wasn't working. 

These people were sure a special kind of stupid because all of the facts and evidence were practically spread out on the table for them to all see. They all began to yell at the ghost, using hateful words. 

Vlad shot a ray above him. "Enough!" They all were now silent. 

He turned to the boy who had just gotten to his feet and pointed a glowing hand at him. "Change or this ectoplasm will go straight through your chest, Daniel." 

Danny could only grit his teeth. "I have no idea what you are talking about." Vlad shot the ray past the boys head, threatening him. 

"Do it now, or I will give you another reason to." Danny's fists balled up with anger. "I said, I have no idea what you're talking about." The boy's words were stone cold. Nobody in the crowd would dare to talk to the evil ghost like that.

It seemed as is it happened in seconds. Vlad flew out of the shield and brought back with him someone who Danny loved. It was Sam. 

Vlad dropped her to the ground. "Don't you dare, Plasimus. I swear-" Danny threatened him but was cut off. 

"And what are you going to do about it?" Vlad's hand was already glowing as he pointed it at Sam's head. Her eyes were full of fear, her mouth formed words, pleading for Danny to not do anything. But there was no way he was going to let this happen. 

He ran over to them and pushed Vlad away from her and onto the ground. Danny stood in front of his friend, guarding her against any hits if there would be any. Vlad chuckled as he got up from the floor. 

"Aw, how precious. I'm touched, Danny. I really am. But I know what one of your weaknesses is and let me tell you, it's her." Danny's eyes narrowed.

"And if you think I'm finished then you've become naive." Vlad disappeared from his eyes and heard Sam screaming from behind him. The boy turned around as she was taken high into the air. 

"Danny! Don't-" Vlad had put a hand over her mouth. Her lavender, frightened eyes looked at him. "I told you not to test me, boy, " was the last thing Vlad said before letting go of Sam. 

She screamed and screamed. Danny didn't even know that the blue ring had already formed around him as he was running toward her. He flew up, unconscious of what he was doing, and caught her tightly. Her grip on him was everlasting and her tears dripped onto his black suit. 

As they flew back down Danny felt a pain in his back. He has been shot. They tumbled down to the ground fast.

Danny was in so much pain as he laid on his stomach. He saw Sam's knees as she shook him. His name was being called and he heard her gasp between breaths. 

"Please get up, Danny. Come on, bud!" He grunted and began to pull himself up, inch by inch. 

The whole crowd was silent as they watched in confusion. What had they just witnessed? A halfa? 

As Danny was almost to his knees, Vlad shot at him again, sending him sliding against the pavement. His back hit the shield and then he fell to the ground.

What the hell was happening?