The Huntresses

"Dodge!"

A woman dropped and rolled as a green ectoblast fired at her. She was up a moment later and running, her breath coming out ragged in her throat. Her training partner ran ahead of her. "Where's the thermos?" her partner asked.

The woman stopped briefly and spotted it a few feet away. "Damn it, Manson! Keep up!"

"Shut-up, Valerie!"

Manson took a deep breath before launching herself forward, dodging several ectoblasts. She ducked behind a crate and uncapped the thermos. "Take this!" she called, whirling around.

The ghost was sucked into the thermos, but the battle wasn't over yet. "Oooh… someone's angry," a voice taunted her.

The woman took a deep breath. The ghost knocked the thermos from her hand and floated before her, his green eyes sparkling underneath a mop of messy white hair. He laughed and charged an ectoblast in his hands. "Manson, move!" Valerie yelled.

The woman jumped into action, dodging the ectoblasts, and sliding across the floor. She drew her ectogun and fired. The ghost boy vanished before she hit her target. Valerie angrily stomped to her. "What is your problem today?"

"My problem?" Manson hissed. "It could be that they're having us shoot Danny."

"You still insist he's alive," Valerie muttered.

"He is! I know it!"

"I'm telling you. Phantom killed him and stole his body. Half-ghosts cannot exist."

"How can you be so stupid?"

"You tell me, Haley."

Haley growled. A sharp blast of ice interrupted their argument, as Danny Phantom floated above them. "I think you two need to chill- seriously," he said, grinning lopsidedly.

Valerie shot at him, but he dodged aside, amusement showing in his eyes. Haley turned her gaze to the thermos several feet away from them. I need to end this now, she thought.

Haley ran toward the thermos, and Danny duplicated himself, letting one copy follow her. "Haley, Haley, Haley," he chided.

Haley dodged an ectoblast from him and rolled over, managing to grab the thermos. Electricity shot through her as one of the ghost's blows hit her. She ignored the pain and sucked him into the thermos. Raising her head to see the other ghost, she sucked him in, too. Valerie nodded. "It took you long enough. You didn't even attack him!"

"I… how could you attack him?" Haley asked.

"Stop living in a dream. Danny is dead, and Phantom is too much of a coward to show his face."

"Danny is not dead!" Haley yelled. "They're the same person!"

"Get over it! I moved on, why can't you?"

Haley snapped. She dropped the thermos on the ground and slapped the Huntress in the face. Valerie glowered at her before punching her in the jaw. Haley's violet eyes narrowed, and she kicked the other girl. Valerie dodged aside, and they began circling each other. "Move on!" Haley spat. "Danny is not dead, and he's not a coward! How can you still be like this? All Danny ever did was help."

Valerie rushed forward, kicking Haley's ankles underneath her and knocking her to the ground. "His name is Phantom- not Danny!"

Haley glared and punched Valerie in the stomach. She scrambled free, trying to control her rage. "We killed the ghosts. End simulation."

"What? Too scared to fight?" Valerie taunted.

"No, bring it on, Valerie."

Valerie narrowed her eyes and rushed forward. Haley dodged aside, slamming the Fenton bazooka into the other girl's side as she dodged. "You little witch!" Valerie yelled.

Haley clenched her fists, about to launch herself forward again, when someone interrupted. "Garrison! Gray! Stop this now!"

Haley growled, feeling rage bubble up at the interruption. The instructor, a tall man with graying hair and blue eyes, entered the room. His crisp white suit stood out strangely in the now-black room. "Fighting?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"She is too slow," Haley snapped, using the first lie she thought of.

"I'm too slow?" Valerie asked. "Like you can talk!"

Neither of the girls was willing to admit they were arguing about the ghost boy. They'd never be allowed to graduate the Ghost Hunting Academy if they were arguing over the ghost boy. "I see… I always thought the two of you would be better alone, but we're all cadets here. We need to work together."

"Yes, Sir," Haley said, trying to sound humble.

Valerie nodded. "Yes… well, Miss Garrison, I'd like to speak with you."

Haley obediently followed him, but not before glancing back once at Valerie. The florescent lights in the hall were almost blinding after the dark scene of the simulation room. Her footsteps echoed on the tile floor, making the building seem unbelievably empty. The instructor, called simply Agent K, opened a door and gestured for her to enter. Haley did and waited, as Agent K walked around and sat before an oak desk. "Haley Garrison," he said, "Top of your class, highly athletic, determined… and you've expressed an interest in joining the G.I.W. Is that correct?"

"Yes, Sir."

Agent K nodded. "Hm… I assume you know of the trouble we're having with the Ghost Zone?"

Haley's blank look said she hadn't. "Oh, of course not," Agent K said. "As it turns out, ghosts are attacking more than usual now, more sporadic. They're starting a rebellion, but we can't find the leaders. Also, we've never fought some of the ghosts. A few agents swear there's a ghost who can control time. All in all, I'm not sure how many of the reports to believe. It's mass hysteria out there."

"I see."

"It's a serious problem," the agent added. "The Ghost Registry Act isn't as effective as we'd hope. Several ghosts never registered. We're particularly worried about Plamius, as she was an accomplice of Phantom's."

"Plasmius?"

The agent nodded. "Yes, he vanished without a trace after the Disasteroid Incident, and we think he may be leading this rebellion. Of course, there are other ghosts we're considering."

"May I ask what you're planning to do?"

"You may. We're doing some tests. It may be possible to kill ghosts now, but we're still working on it."

"That's good."

"Yes, it is good. Very good… I have spoken with the G.I.W., and with your specialty in ghost psychology and anti-ghost technology, you could be just what the G.I.W. needs right now."

"I'm flattered, Sir."

"I'd like you to go to orientation tomorrow morning, Miss Garrison."

The man passed a manila folder to her, which Haley accepted without a word. "Lovely, then. I see a very good career ahead for you."

"What about Valerie?" Haley asked.

"Ah, yes… we have a special assignment for Miss Gray. Congratulations. You're dismissed."

Haley nodded and left. She stood in the hallway and held the folder against her chest. The girl looked anxiously around the hall and, finding it abandoned, pulled out her cell phone. She dialed the number and waited. "Sam?" a voice said on the other end.

"Yeah, it's me. Have you managed to hack into those files?"

"No, I'm trying. I can't get in without some inside help."

"You'll have it soon."

"Be careful. I know you think the G.I.W. is underhanded, but we can't find out anything about Danny if we aren't careful."

"I know. Good-bye, Tuck."

The girl shut her phone and left the building. Haley unlocked the doors of her purple car and set the folder in the passenger seat. Haley did it. Sam Manson didn't exist anymore, as far as the government knew. She was now Haley Garrison, protégé and pride of the new Amity Park Ghost Hunting Academy. She still thought of herself as Sam, but only her friends called her that anymore.

She shifted the car into gear and drove out of the parking lot. Her house wasn't far away, only a couple of blocks. It was easily identifiable by the giant garden behind it. Sam smiled halfheartedly as she unlocked the door to her house. Placing her keys and the folder on a desk, she paused to smell a bouquet of tiger lilies. Her smile faltered. She didn't know where Danny was, or if he was alive, but she wasn't giving up until she knew for certain.

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Author's Note: These are mostly things I started and never finished. I was browsing through my computer and realized I had all these random beginnings and one-shots to Danny Phantom stories that I never finished, so… here they are.