Shazam! Part 2

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I have serious beef with shcool athletic days, I mean, lock me in a jail cell with five books of my chosing and a TV showing people running, only roughly five of whom actually care about running and make me stay there for a whole day and I'd prefer that over athletics day! Because 1) I am not required to run, take pity on my poor non-athletic internet-poisoned book-reading soul 2) no sun making it hot enough that I feel like I'm melting 3) good seating, I'd take a prison bed over uncomfortable grass on a slope, seriously 4) I wouldn't have to get up early to show up to prison 5) no dress code, I mean my schools isn't bad but it isn't good either

Billys P.O.V

I walked home and sighed in relief that the guy who owned the house was asleep, he was supposed to be my new dad and he was failing, hell even ignoring the abuse I didn't even know his name! I sat in my 'bedroom' and sighed. I wanted to run away, forget this place, welcome the streets.

And it's not like the guy upstairs would even notice until he missed a child support payment, but once CPS was alerted I was screwed. I doubt I could run form CPS for long as Billy and Captain Marvel would have no means of making money, at least as Billy I could beg which got me the food I needed. And here, when I was lucky, I could sneak a microwaveable meal, they weren't that bad raw, really.

Okay, that sounded pathetic even in my head. But another -more solid- reason was that the basement didn't freeze, even in winters, even if I was stuck awake I wasn't going to die from the cold, and most of the year it stayed warm enough that the abuse wounds healed by the time I went on patrol. Even ignoring what abuse wounds would do to my public image, I don't think I could deal with two sets of injuries. I was sure heartless muggers could and would replace a nameless drunk.

I sat down in my bed and my stomach rumbled, I ignored it, it was stupid that I was hungry. I could survive of meals from begging, the watchtower, and if desperate the cupboard. I snuggled into my jumper, pretending that there was someone in it, someone who cared enough to lie still of me; and if I cried myself to sleep that night, well that was none of your business.

I woke up with a sigh and as I sat up Phantom appeared "Why are you here?" I asked, Phantom held out a meal, a warm meal which varied from ration bars
"You can't check if it's poisoned." Phantom offered gentely, I took the food and ate it happily without checking. I was sure Phantom could've killed me by now, poison would be a waste. "I promise I'm here to help." Phantom said
"Why?" I asked suspiciously, something broke in Phantoms eyes
"Superheros- esspecially minors, often value their jobs above their own well being; and while I can't say that's bad even more hours for begging could change your life from what I've seen. I've never been in a situation like this but I know that presure and limited time can have effects, I just want to help." Phantom exlained, I hesiatated and Phantom opened up his... soul? Emotions? Mind? What ever it was it radiated safetruthcareprotect worriedconcernrelate helpnurtureteach protectsafe childghostlingbaby
"Okay," reliefhappydetermine "But nothing too big, I don't want to owe you or anything."
"Don't worry, I'm not a rope into deals kinda guy." Phantom said "I'll get you some food and heal what inguries I can." Phantom explained,
"If you're not lying... thanks." I said.

That afternoon I walked downstairs and found another meal, I ate it slowly and savoured the taste of actual warm food, I slept with a full stomach for the first time in a while that night. Next morning I woke up to the smell of another meal and relaxed when I realised it wasn't a dream!

-

A few weeks later when I walked downstairs Phantom was sitting there, "Uhh, hi." I said, he handed me a plate of food and I started eating,
"I looked you up, you have wisdom of soloumon-" I winced at how bad his pronunciation was "-or something. Does it apply to homework? For example can you know which one is the right answer on a multichoice math quiz?" Phantom asked while glaring at a book, I laughed
"I don't think so, I'm not going to be much help with math considering I dropped out before primary even ended." I mentioned, Phantom gave a long suffering sigh
"You know how to spell right? All my friends are busy and Clockwork's dealing with all the knots your speedsters keep making in time and Frighty and Pandora keep saying my grammars incorrect and suggesting words like 'twas' and 'shall' and stuff that belongs in a medieval movie!" Phantom complained, I made a mental note to look into Clockwork and tell Flash that he was pissing off someone powerful enough to have at least some control over time and know the ghost king.
"I can spell, just not really big words." I confirmed, Phantom gestured for me to sit next to him
"Great, you're helping me with my english homework." Phantom informed me
"You have to do english homework?" I asked in shock
"Yeah, I kind of want to strangle the guy who said that death is like sleep right now. Mr Lancer is relentless, oh and he doesn't know I'm dead yet." Phantom mentioned, I choked on the mouthful I was trying to swallow
"What?" I asked, Phantom gave me a small smirk
"What summoning book about me did you read? I'm a halfa, half human, half ghost," rings of light wrapped around him and showed me a very human looking teenager, almost 20, black hair that no longer defied gravity, teeth that have sharp canines but to a convincibly human level, freckles that were the same shapes as constellations but didn't glow, blue eyes that flashed green when the lights hit them just right, pink blush instead of green, a tan skin tone instead of a deathly pale, white and red socks, and a normal jumper and jeans with silver stars embroidered onto them. "I still live as Danny Fenton, not in this realm of course." Phantom said
"Wait, Danny Fenton, Danny Phantom... seriously?" I asked
"No ones put it together yet, I mean at the very start I looked pretty much like I do as a human only I glowed, and had green eyes, and white hair, and just happened to be wearing a hazmat suit. But I grew up within... two days I'd say, got a few more ghostly aspects, ghost instincts replacing or clashing with some human ones, and control over my powers. Then at two years of death I went through ghost puberty, Vlad is lucky, he just sped through it all in a hospital bed, I had to grow a mouth full of sharp teeth and deal with my nails turning into claws before I could control that stuff! Oh and get different forms and became way stronger but like, the teeth were really annoying and I accidentally sliced a door handle off when walking into class." Phantom ranted, I giggled
"That's gotta be hard to keep your secret identity." I said
"You'd be surprised what people are willing to overlook if you play it right." Phantom said, he waved his hand and a small portal appeared "Can you keep a secret?" Phantom asked
"Have you seen my secret identity?" I retorted, the portal cleared into an image of a guy with glasses opening a door and accidentally shattering the handle, another scene where the same guy pulled a different door off it's hinges, and accidentally lifted a weight which was definitely heavyer than most weightlifters could. "Is that... Superman?" I asked and I moved closer and sat down to watch
"Also known as Clark Kent, I'm the Ancient -which are... ghost gods? Kinda- of Space, Protection, and Heros. I have all of their moments." Phantom said happily, he pulled up a portal of some guy with spiderwebs in red and blue spandex swinging straight into a building, then a lamppost, then stopping while being chased by a giant man in a rhino suit to pet a cat. Then another portal of (IS THAT BATMAN!?) setting a pan on fire while trying to cook something, then deciding he could totally do that obstacle corse in high heels, then piercing his ear with a medical needle. I laughed as the scene changed and Flash ran into several walls, then managed to be late for work 3 times.

As I moved my hand up to cover my mouth it moved Phantoms bag and a few school books fell out, he sighed and closed the portal "Okay, okay, we're writing a novel on Frankenstein, how do we start this?" Phantom asked while clicking a pen
"Uhh, introduction, three paragraphs, conclusion. It should be TEXT, Topic sentence, Example, eXplanation, and then Tie back, you can swap the e's." I explained,
"Okay, uh, what about..."

-

The next morning I woke up leaning on Phantoms shoulder and curled into his hoodie, I sat up slightly and Phantom woke up
"Morning." Phantom said as he got up and stretched, turning back into the king he opened a portal "I'll get breakfast, take aways or cereal? The cereal might be slightly contaminated but it never really died so it won't come back to life."
"Your food comes back to life?" I asked
"That's not normal? I'll uh, get you a pastry and a smoothie." Phantom said, "I thought everyone's hotdogs unionised?" I heard him mutter as he stepped through the portal

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