Adrian Spook, Prologue

Since the day I was born, my eyes have beheld the Ghost Zone…

The air was freezing. All around, voices whispered from shadows, their owners trying to catch a glimpse of what was happening in the abyss below. A silence fell over the area as a new cry echoed into the depths of the Ghost Zone. The gathered spirits murmured excitedly. It had actually happened; the halfa's offspring had been born in the middle of the realm of the dead.

Sam Fenton held a little bundle in her arms as her amethyst eyes darted around, catching glimpses of nearby ghosts. Warily she clutched her precious cargo closer to her chest. Inside the soft blankets, two small eyes stared curiously at the surroundings. The child was a newborn, and the world he now saw was an awe-inspiring mystery to him.

The mother of the little miracle looked to her husband worriedly. "I still can't believe he was born here in the Ghost Zone… Doctor Patterson said our child would be born next week, not this…"

Danny Fenton currently in ghost-mode in an attempt to scare of curious specters shook his head. "What does he know? Remember what Clockwork said? He cautioned us that our kids would have ghost DNA, and even if it's just a little, that changes things." He smiled weakly. "No one knows how long it takes for the kids of a half-ghost to come into the world…"

Holding up a glowing hand, Danny shooed another ghost away. The infant wasn't even in the first days of life and Danny already felt a strong bond with his son. He wanted nothing bad to ever happen to any of his children… But then the Spectral Speeder died on them, and in the chaos, Sam's water broke, so they were forced to remain in the Ghost Zone while their little boy was born. Though he would never admit it, Danny was still worried about the effects the Ghost Zone could have on the newborn.

Looking down at their child, however; the little one he and Sam had created from their love, Danny couldn't help but smile widely. The precious gift of life had been given to them, and they would treasure him always. The baby had his mother's gentle eyes and small wisps of raven hair on his head like his father. Though his expressions seemed to mimic Sam's, Danny could see a little of his own facial structure, especially around the young one's eyes. He was without a doubt a baby to be proud of.

"What should we call him?"

Danny stopped his daydreaming and glanced up at his wife. A determined smile planted firmly on her face, proved that no matter what circumstances were, Sam was just as proud of their son as he was. Danny smiled back fondly before his brow creased a little, as it always did when he was in deep concentration. "I don't know… We went through so many names. Let's see, there was… Danny Jr., Maxamillion, Travis, Justin, Micah, Leo, Timothy, Titus, Robert, Adrian…"

"Adrian," Sam said suddenly, cutting him off. "I like that one best. It has a bit of a dark charm to it." She gazed at the little boy whose eyes were staring out into the Ghost Zone. "Adrian Fenton."

"Adrian Devin Fenton," Danny added with a small laugh, choosing the middle name himself. He received a nod of approval from his wife. Still keeping an eye on the area around them, he brought his hand up to ruffle his son's hair. "Welcome to the Fenton family, Adrian."

Only I didn't know at first what it was…

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I met my best friend at age 2…

Time passed, both slowly and not slow at all, and throughout it, Adrian started to grow. He now had a full head of messy raven hair, and his little amethyst eyes never changed from their original color. His first word was, 'Momma.' much to his dad's disappointment, but 'Dada' was next, and soon it was hard to get him to stop talking. He was constantly asking questions. The only one who seemed to be able to handle, the chatter was his grandfather Jack Fenton, who liked to say, "Adrian takes after me with his genius! Just watch my grandson; he will never stop being an adventurer. He's a Fenton after all. All of us Fenton's have a mind to learn."

It turned out his grandpa was right. As he got older, Adrian was getting more and more curious about the world around him. He explored every nook and cranny he could get to in the house. Sam and Danny eventually had to block off the most dangerous areas, including the attic lab where their ghost hunting gear was. Adrian's excited mind never seemed to cease working.

It was also hard to keep him still for one moment. He was a fidgety kid, and as soon as he learned to walk there was no stopping him from causing all types of mischief. After a while, his parents decided they needed to find Adrian, a playmate with enough energy to keep up with him. Fortunately, Tucker and Valerie Foley, their childhood friends, were already on the case.

"Adrian I'd like you to meet someone." Valerie said gently. She smiled for the little one's sake; he still was getting used to his parents' friends. The lady pushed a chocolate brown skinned girl with dark curly chestnut hair and soft doe-like eyes towards him. "This is Alicia." He watched curiously as the little girl dug her heels into the carpet. She tried to resist her mother, but finally, she was standing there in front of Adrian. The children looked at each other with confusion, then interest.

Sam saw this as a good sign. She kissed her son on top the head, ignoring his little cry of complaint and smiling soothingly at the two of them. "You play nice, Adrian, while Daddy and I go with the Foleys to discuss something."

Adrian nodded, still at lost for words. He kept staring at the girl. She looked nice, but he had mixed feelings. After all, she was a girl, and girls were nothing but ponies and rainbows stuff that didn't really appeal to him.

The girl seemed to have the same thoughts. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she opened her mouth and spoke. "Wanna playyy racer cars with me?" Alicia asked motioning to her bag nearby. Adrian looked over and noticed that it wasn't stuffed with dolls and girly stuff. There were a few ponies, but he did see there were cars.

That was good enough for Adrian. He decided he liked her or at least could tolerate her. She wasn't all girly like most other girls he met. She was different, and he liked that. He nodded eagerly, leading the way into the living room where his track was already set up.

I never really understood what they were going off and doing…

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The doctors treated me differently, even at that age I could tell. They seemed almost afraid or excited whenever I came in for a checkup…

The doctor pulled the stethoscope away from his ears and turned to type a few notes on his data pad. He then turned his attention from the rambunctious three-year-old sitting on the exam table to Danny. "So he's not showing any signs of transformation?"

Adrian stopped swinging his feet and cocked his head, looking between the adults, confused.

Danny turned to glare at the doctor with frustration. It felt like this was the only question he was ever asked these days. No matter how many times he took Adrian to the doctor, the question of ghost powers was always brought up and quite frankly, the halfa was getting sick of it. "No, he hasn't. I don't think he ever will. He probably will always be a normal boy."

"But he is the son of an abnormal human! You must understand. Mr. Fenton, that everyone is asking about him." The doctor motioned to Adrian, who had taken to staring at the dinosaur stickers on the ceiling. "He wasn't even born at the hospital. We don't know for sure what he is capable of. If you'd let us run a few tests…"

Danny grit his teeth in frustration. He couldn't take this kind of talk anymore… He was already struggling to keep the Guys in White off his back; now he had to deal with these quacks who would probably try and stick pins in his beloved son if given a chance. "Well I'm sorry to disappoint you, but he hasn't yet phased through our wall." Danny snapped, his eyes gaining a green tint in a fury.

"Dada?" Adrian asked, puzzled. He didn't know what the word 'phased meant, but it obviously meant something to his father.

"Just a few tests…" The doctor persisted "Then maybe…"

"NO! N.O." Danny nearly shouted, raising his voice, and looking the doctor straight in the eye. "Do you hear me? You touch one hair on my son's head, and you'll pay. Adrian is normal as normal can be. And even if he wasn't, I wouldn't let someone like you run tests on him! He's my son! Good day!" He scooped Adrian up off the table and stormed out of the room.

The doctor wasn't giving up just yet. He followed Danny out into the hallway. "Other doctors will come after you too, you know. You won't find one physician who won't take an interest in your son, or your little girl for that matter. They really are simple tests… mostly harmless..."

Danny snarled and turned to the doctor, eyes glowing neon green. "There is nothing for you to test. The end. Now leave me and my family alone…" With that, he turned and marched out of the doctor's office, mumbling darkly as he buckled Adrian into his car seat.

Adrian's eyes darted around the car. He was scared. He'd never seen his father this mad before, and his eyes looked strange. They weren't the usual sky blue he was used too. "Dada?"

Danny sighed trying to calm down. "It's alright, Add." He said affectionately, using his son's special name to comfort him. Taking a deep breath and smiling softly, he ruffled his hair, causing Adrian to giggle. "I won't let anything happen to you," he murmured, voice barely above a whisper. "I promise."

We never saw that doctor again, but he still stuck out in my thoughts, I couldn't help but wonder what they had been talking about…

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When I was stolen from my bed at age 4, I was scared out of my mind. I didn't know what to do… but the place I was brought to was strangely familiar…

It was cold, so very cold. Adrian sobbed, and shivered as he lay there, two large shadows looming over him and watching his every move. He shuddered, eyes frantically darting around the area in hopes of seeing something he recognized. The two people who had grabbed him were glowing and floating, and that was not normal. No one even knew he was missing… He looked around as he cried, hoping to find a sign that his parents would notice he was gone and come save him.

"Silence, child!" the floating person with silvery skin, glowing green eyes and flaming green hair barked. Even after yelling at him, there was a grin on its face. It seemed to be enjoying his pain.

This made Adrian scowl slightly. He'd seen enough comic books to know that these two were bad guys. He stopped sobbing, not wanting to give the silver one something to smile about. "You're meanie!" he cried out angrily. Then he called out for his parents. "Momma! Dada!" They had to come and rescue him, they just had to.

The other bad guy, a girl with flaming blue hair and pale white skin, looked down at him and snickered. "I don't believe this. He has his mother's attitude alright. Just look at the helpless little guy. He's not even groveling." She rolled her green eyes.

Adrian cocked his head. 'Mom? What do they know about my momma?'

"Quiet, Ember," the bad guy made of silver snapped. "We must find a way to silence the child until his parents meet our demands."

Ember rolled her eyes again. "Whatever, Skulker-baby, I'll just lull him into silence…" She strummed her guitar softly. A sickly sweet note came out of the instrument and turned into a ball of green goo, which attached to Adrian's mouth, effectively cutting off his crying. "There, see? My music can fix anything…"

Skulker smirked. "At least the child is quiet now…" he said, sounding bored. He went back to sharpening his blade, while Ember kept an eye on their little prisoner.

Adrian's eyes were wide with terror. What were they planning to do with him? Why were they after his parents? Where were mom and dad?

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH MY SON?!" A voice bellowed.

Both bad guys turn to smirk at the owner of the voice.

Adrian stared at the newcomer with both awe and confusion. Who was he? There was something vaguely familiar about his appearance… The boy squinted, trying to get a better look at this new floating person. He had snow white hair, glowing green eyes, and was dressed in a silver, and black jumpsuit. But the real thing that caught Adrian's attention was the silver DP emblem on his chest. The little boy couldn't help but grin, knowing exactly who the stranger was. It was Danny Phantom! He was a hero, like the ones he had seen saving people in the comics his mom read him! A superhero had come to save him! Adrian was so busy staring at the ghost-hero that he didn't even catch the part when the figure said 'my son.'

Ember floated forward with her hands resting on her hips. "Well, well. It looks like you finally came out to play, Baby-Pop!" She winked at him. "We should hang out more often."

"Zip it, Ember." Danny snapped, gathering a ball of ectoplasm in his hands. "And back away from Adrian."

The musician just smiled darkly. "And if I don't? You owe us a lot Phantom. After ruining my career..." She held up a glowing hand and brought it close to Adrian's face, the ectoplasm within inches burning his skin. "What's wrong with a little revenge?"

She really shouldn't have done that. All Danny could hear was his blood boiling as her flaming hand moved dangerously close to his son. His children should never be part of revenge schemes… Most ghosts knew by now that the halfa would fight to the death to protect the ones he held dear. "Now you've asked for it…" he snarled, voice low.

Ember immediately regretted threatening the kid. It wasn't very often a ghost got to see Phantom this angry, but when they did, they knew there was no way to beat him. Still, Ember wasn't one to back down from a fight… Strumming her guitar, she nodded to Skulker, who had been lurking in the shadows, and they attacked the ghost hybrid together.

In the end, Phantom was victorious, as predicted. The two ghosts fought hard, but they eventually found themselves tied together with phase-proof ropes. Both were covered in a fair amount of bruises or dings, and Ember had a fat lip.

"Last time I listen to one of your plans," Ember muttered from her awkward position tied to the mechanical ghost's back. " 'We'll just grab the ghost-child when he comes for his spawn.' Ha."

Skulker growled, his escape hatch welded shut with ecto-goo. "We would have had his pelt if you hadn't threatened the child!"

"Oh shut it, You know he was going to get mad and attack either way."

With a satisfied huff, Danny brushed his hands together, eyes slowly returning from their neon color they been glowing to the slightly dimmer green they usually were. He was glad he had been able to keep Adrian safe, but he didn't enjoy the amount of violence it had required. He drifted slowly to where his son sat still, his amethyst eyes wide with fear. It pained Danny to see that much terror on his only boy's face. He would have to find a way to change that…

Ever so gently he picked up his son in his arms and flew back towards their portal.

Adrian shivered a bit in the strange man's cold arms. Though Danny Phantom was a hero, the way he had just fought kind of reminded the boy of a villain, and didn't know what to make of it. He glanced up at the man who held him, puzzled. "Who…?"

Danny forced himself to put on the friendliest smile possible. He had to tell Adrian the truth. He had been taken to the Ghost Zone after all, and he deserved to know why. "It's me, Add, it's your dad."

His appearance may have been different, but Adrian could definitely recognize his father's voice. He blinked in astonishment. The signature lopsided grin played out on the man's features convince him. "Dada?"

Danny's grin widened. He was glad that Adrian could still tell who he was. "Yup." He ruffled his son's dark hair out of habit, causing the boy to giggle like always.

"What happen' to you?" Adrian asked, suddenly. "You're white."

"Uh… Well you see, Add… I'm half ghost…"

And that's when I learned my family's secret…
-------------

Jack Fenton slowly brought the Fenton Ecto-Counter up to Adrian's chest, checking the dial repeatedly for any signs of ectoplasmic energy. The device beeped faintly, but the boy seemed to be clean. Danny had insisted that his son be checked to make sure that his trip into the Ghost Zone hadn't done anything negative to his molecular structure. They still didn't know what, if anything, Skulker and Ember had done to Adrian, and Danny wanted to be extra sure his son was safe. The boy didn't seem to mind, he had been asking all sorts of questions the whole time his grandpa was working.

"So dada a ghost?" Adrian asked his grandfather as he sat on the exam table in Fenton Works.

"Your dad is half ghost, little Adrian. There's a difference." Jack corrected him.

Adrian contemplated his grandpa's words for a long moment before looking at him in confusion "What different?"

"Well, whole ghosts live in the Ghostzone…"

"That the place I was capshured?"

Jack couldn't help but grin broadly. His grandson was very intuitive. "Exactly. That's where you were born, too."

"Weally?" He'd never tell his grandpa, but that might explain why the place had seemed familiar to him.

Jack nodded with a smile. "Yup." He finished the exam with a flourish. Adrian checked out fine, so Jack pulled his grandson down onto his lap, and begun explaining things carefully. "You see, people are alive and ghosts are already dead. Half-ghosts aren't really dead or alive, they're in between the two. Your dad was in an accident when he was fourteen that changed him into a halfa."

"Why they not tell me?" Adrian asked with a frown. He didn't like secrets being kept from him, especially if they were about his family.

"We didn't think you were old enough to handle it," Jack said gently. "Your parents were going to tell you when you got older, Adrian." It was true, they had been planning to tell him in the future…

"Does Jen know dis?" he asked referring to his baby sister.

His grandpa chuckled. "Not yet, but you and I can tell her together when she gets older, Adrian. Let's just keep this our little secret until then, okay?" It was true they had been planning to tell him in the future…

Adrian slowly nodded. While he didn't like keeping things from his little sister, he was beginning to understand it would not be a good idea for her to find out about their dad's powers yet.

After that I took every opportunity I could to see my dad in action...

"Daddy!" Adrian whined, using the pouting face he reserved only for getting his parents attention. He was helping his mother dry the dishes when his dad came back into the kitchen. His father had been checking on his sister, Jennifer, who no doubt was still sleeping upstairs in her crib. Adrian still didn't understand why babies slept so long, but right now he had other things to think about. He didn't want to miss a chance to ask his dad what he'd been thinking about for so long.

Danny smiled at his son, noticing the pout. "What's up, Add?"

"Can we fly now please?!" he asked, his amethyst eyes sparkling with hopefulness. Ever since the Ghost Zone experience, he'd wanted to go flying with his dad again. Being up above everything else looked like so much fun!

Danny looked at his wife with a questioning gaze, Sam sighed, rolling her eyes. "Go ahead and take him. He hasn't been too much of help with the dishes anyways." Danny raised an eyebrow at her in confusion. "He keeps breaking them," she explained with a smirk. "He's just as clumsy as his father was…"

The halfa's cheeks turned red in embarrassment. "I-I wasn't that bad," he protested. The amused smile remained on Sam's face as she turned back to the sink. Danny sighed, and turned to his son, ruffling his hair. "You want to go flying huh, Add?"

Adrian nodded excitedly.

Danny laughed hoisting his son onto his shoulders and walking out of the kitchen. "Okay then." Two rings of light surrounded his torso and split, slowly transforming Danny Fenton into Danny Phantom. Adrian watched with awe. "Let's go!"

With a gasp, Adrian felt his whole body go almost weightless. This had to be that in-tan-gi-whatever thing his grandpa had been talking about. It felt really weird and made him bit light headed, but he also sort of enjoyed it. Danny phased them straight through the walls, Adrian clinging tightly to his father the entire time. He doubted there would be an end to the amazement he felt towards what his dad could do with his powers. In a few quick seconds, they had passed through the roof and were looking down at their quaint three-story house.

They drifted away from the house, and out over Amity Park , their hometown. Adrian laughed in delight as they flew past a skyscraper and he caught a glimpse of his own reflection in the window. He squinted and looked at the tiny solar cars on the street far below them before his father lowered their flight path. Now that they were closer to the street, every once in a while a stranger waved at them or snapped a picture. Sometimes Danny waved back, other times, he would glance back at his son. The little boy seemed to be enjoying himself, so Danny was happy to share this moment with his son.

Adrian took in everything with excitement and wonder. "Dad?"

"Mmm?" The halfa murmured, obliviously enjoying the sights as well.

"Will we be able to fly together forever?"

Danny laughed. "Of course, Add."

"Promis'?"

"I promise."

Adrian's eyes shone with happiness as he hugged his father tightly.

That was the promise he made me…
----------
Unfortunately, promises can't always be kept…

"Where's dad an' mom?" Six-year-old Adrian asked his Aunt Jazz scowling slightly as he realized that his parents weren't home yet. His sisters didn't notice, but it was bothering Adrian.

Jazz looked up at her nephew and sighed. "Your mother is busy with a case. She called and said she was going to be late." Sam was a lawyer, but she had taken a few years off to have her kids. Now she spent a lot of time with them, but still had to work on cases ever so often. As for Danny… "…and your father was called into 'work'…" Jazz said softly. That meant he was off saving some town from ghost attacks, again.

"Buhh today's flying day… Dad never misses flyun' day!" Adrian exclaimed, feeling hurt.

"I'm sorry Adrian… He's in another town." Jazz replied as she tried to calm her own son down. He had begun crying again.

"But… he promised." Adrian insisted, tears of mixed anger and confusion trickled down his face. "He promised…"

I soon learned that there was no getting around how popular my father was…

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"Dad's always gone now." Eight-year-old Adrian complained to his best friend Alicia as they worked on a model dinosaur together. He was starting to resent how little he saw his father these days. It felt like Danny was always off saving some town or another.

"He's just savin' the world like those superhero guys in the tel-vision do," Alicia said with a shrug, placing another bone on their masterpiece.

"Why can't he be home anymore? It isn't fair…" Adrian whined as he kicked at a nearby racecar, sending it skittering towards the wall.

"Don't break that Adri, it took forever to earn it!" Alicia whimpered, scampered over and picking up her slightly bruised toy.

"Sorry… I'm just mad 'Licia." He said with a scowl.

"Why don't talk to him? Tell him how you feel."

"Every time I try, he's too busy to talk about it. Ever since I got bigger, he's been like this. He doesn't talk to Lil' or Jen that much either."

"Just try! You never know…"

Adrian sighed but nodded slowly. "Alright… I'll try."

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It took nearly an hour for Adrian to find his dad; which was a bit weird because their house wasn't that big… He finally found his father in the kitchen, munching thoughtfully on a ghost shaped cookie from the batch Sam and Adrian had made earlier. There was no denying that their family revolved around ghosts, in any case. The halfa had a dreamy half-awake expression on his face as he chewed, day-dreaming.

Taking a deep breath, Adrian cleared his throat and spoke up. "Dad, can I talk with you?"

Danny looked over at his son, smiling warmly. "What do you need Add?" he asked cheerfully, taking another bite of the cookie and offering another to his son.

Adrian accepted the cookie, but he didn't eat it. Instead, he stared at the green frosting, trying to figure out the best way to start this conversation. Finally, he spoke. "I just…"

A long familiar beeping sounded through the room, cutting off the boy. Both father and son turned to the fridge magnet with a DP symbol flashing three times. Adrian felt his heart sink. One meant a minor ghost disturbance, twice was a normal attack, but three flashes meant it was an extreme emergency that Danny needed to take care of fast.

"Sorry, Add. Can you hold that thought? I need to handle this…"

Adrian watched as his father transformed went intangible, and flew out through the ceiling. "I just wanted to see if we could hang out," he muttered to the empty kitchen. Then he threw his cookie to the ground and let out a bitter, frustrated sigh. "'Licia is wrong. This isn't gonna change."

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The doorbell rang.

"Adri, can you get that?" Jennifer's young soprano voice sounded from upstairs.

The ten-year-old boy answered the door with a sigh. He was startled to find a kid who looked only a few years younger than him standing on the front step. "Who are you?"

The boy was all business. "I'm Brandon Baxter," he said shortly, pulling out a notepad from his backpack. "I'm here to meet Danny Phantom. I heard he was signing autographs today." He looked past Adrian eagerly.

"No, he's not here," Adrian replied with a shake of his head.

"What? Hey, aren't you their first kid? Aden, or something like that…"

"It's Adrian."

"Yeah, well… You have to know where he is, right? Don't hold out on me kid!" Brandon demanded.

Tears of anger formed in Adrian's eyes. "I don't know where he is. He left a while ago… Off to save the world or something. Now good bye." He slammed the door violently in Brandon's face.

"Who was that at the door?" Aunt Jazz asked from the top of the stairs. She was currently watching them while Danny and Sam were away.

"Nobody important, just more of dad's fanclub," Adrian said with an irritable sigh

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As I got older, I started to resent my dad's powers and what they meant for me…

"And why am I here again?" thirteen-year-old Adrian asked dryly, glaring at the putrid ghost that decided to snag him from school. This was the fifth time this year he had been kidnapped. 'Wow a new record.' Adrian thought to himself, rolling his eyes.

"You are here to lure your father, the ghost boy to his DOOOOM!!!" cackled the weirdly dressed ghost.

Adrian rolled his eyes. "Oh sure, Tech-butt… Yeah, his doom… You do know how protective my dad is, right? Even if we were having a tea party when he got here, he'd still kick your butt for abducting me."

"He will not escape me this time!"

Adrian sighed, shaking his head. 'When will the ghosts ever learn?' "It's been nice knowing you…"

Out of seemingly nowhere, a very angry Danny Phantom appeared, his eyes glowing neon green in rage. He instantly turned to Technus shooting ectoblasts at every weak spot he knew the ghost possessed. Technus could barely avoid the blasts, let alone counter-attack. Danny was not only annoyed that Adrian had been kidnapped again, but Technus had chosen to attack the one day when Danny was finally going to have some time alone with Sam. The poor technology ghost didn't know what hit him.

Adrian almost felt sorry for Technus… almost. "Don't say I didn't warn you." He taunted as the two ghosts fought.

Once he had dealt with Technus, Danny turned to his son, concerned, "Add are you okay?"

Adrian had had enough. He was tired of ghosts, he was tired of being kidnapped, and he was tired of his dad never being around. "Don't call me that, Dad!" He shouted, losing it. "I NEVER SEE YOU ANYMORE! THE ONLY TIME YOU EVER SHOW UP IS WHEN A STUPID GHOST DECIDES TO USE ME AS LEVERAGE AND YOU HAD TO COME SAVE ME." Tears started falling down his cheeks. "I see you more when you're Danny Phantom than when you're my actual father, and that's NOT okay." Huffing in frustration, Adrian wiped his face, and tried to catch is breath. "Let's just go home.."

Really, I just miss my dad. I don't care if he's a halfa and a hero, I just want him back… And this is where my story really begins, half a week before my 14th birthday and before my life changed forever.