Inspired by this ( emmagineif.t\umblr.com / post / 96270071343 ), though I did try to put my own spin on it

I'm moving "Reign Storm" after "The Ultimate Enemy" for plot reasons. I will also re-interpret A LOT of off-screen events.

Warnings for character death, depression, murder, suicide, cannibalism, and apocalypse

Chapter 1: A Day Like Any Other

Why did the ghost attacks had to happen when Team Phantom was already busy? It wasn't like they had no other things to do. Talk about unfair.

At least the fight was over now, even if it took far longer than the trio of friends expected.

"Box Ghost and Lunch Lady?" Tucker asked incredulously, as Sam shook the thermos with the trapped ghosts. "Since when do they team up? And did they have to trash the Nasty Burger? I need my junk food!"

"I think they were on a date," Danny replied, sounding equally incredulous and disturbed.

"Yikes," the goth and the geek chorused.

"Actually, it's more of an 'ew'," Danny said, trying to wipe various condiments from his jumpsuit. Honestly, couldn't they wait until after the C.A.T. to hook up? Oh, duh! He had ghost powers! Danny turned intangible, the sauce stains splattering on the ground.

Along with a packet.

Danny picked it up and gasped, "Oh my gosh, the answers to the C.A.T.!"

"So, you really are going to cheat?" Sam asked and crossed her arms. "I thought you were better than that, Danny."

"It's not like I spent the last month playing video games!" Danny retorted. "I was hunting ghosts! I didn't sleep for days and I still didn't get enough time to study!"

Sam opened her mouth, ready to start an angry tirade, but paused and simply looked at her friend. Danny looked beyond exhausted, his eyes bloodshot and his skin nearly grey.

He made it look so simple – it was easy to forget how much the ghost fights took out of him.

"C'mon, man!" Tucker said. "It's just a stupid test. You don't need to cheat to pass it!"

"Well, I'm not smart like you, Tuck," Danny replied tiredly. "And Lancer was pretty clear about how important it is."

Sam rolled her eyes, "Lancer always says stuff like that. He's dramatic."

"If you think this test is so meaningless," Danny snapped, "why do you even care if I cheat?" He held up the still closed packet, "Why shouldn't I open this up and study the answers, huh?"

Sam sighed. He did have a point. She didn't want to condone cheating, but Danny was her friend and it was ultimately his decision. "Danny, listen," she said. "How about you get some sleep and decide what to do in the morning? You are too tired to study and you are not thinking clearly."

"You sound like Jazz," Danny muttered. His shoulders slumped, "But I guess you are right."

Tucker gave him a thumbs up, "Get some rest, man. We'll see you tomorrow."

Jazz ruffled through the fridge in search of breakfast, trying to remember which food was safe to eat and which would try to eat her, when her brother shuffled down the stairs looking half-asleep.

He was so not a morning person.

"Hey, Danny," she greeted. "Ready for the big test?"

He yawned, "Not really. I didn't get much time to study-"

'Because of the ghost fighting,' Jazz added to herself.

"-But I'm not completely stupid, so I guess I'll be ok?"

Jazz sighed in relief. She knew that he had the answers to the test, but apparently, he decided not to cheat. Good.

"Of course you will, dear!" Maddie piped up, peeking into the kitchen. "All Fentons get A's! …Or at least solid B minuses. Especially on a test that will determine your future!"

Jazz saw her brother's eye start to twitch and fought an urge to facepalm, 'Thanks a lot, mom. Now he is definitely going to cheat.'

The trio of ghost boy, goth girl and techno-geek didn't even reach the doors of Casper High after the Career Aptitude Test was over, when Danny suddenly stopped, turned around, and headed back into the classroom.

Tucker and Sam exchanged confused glances. What was that all about?

"Did you forget something?" Tucker asked.

Danny shook his head, "No, I just need to talk to Lancer. Can you wait for me?"

"Sure, we'll be here," Tucker replied.

They didn't have to wait long – Danny returned only a few minutes later.

"Care to share?" Sam asked and Danny gave her a tired smile, "I told Lancer that I cheated and gave the answers back. He said I could take a make-up test next week, but he's still going to tell my parents. He called a meeting this evening."

Tucker groaned, "Why did you do this, man? You either don't cheat at all or you cheat and stay quiet!"

Sam stomped on his foot, "What Tucker is trying to say, you did the right thing. Want us to come with you for moral support?"

Danny nodded and smiled. His friends were the best.

Sam was right, Lancer was dramatic. Why else would he call their meeting near the half-demolished Nasty Burger?

Of course, Danny quickly stopped trying to decipher his teacher's thought process once the story came out. His parents… well, he didn't know how he expected them to react, but Jack and Maddie made a long, rambling speech, interrupting each other with every sentence and alternating between chiding Danny for cheating, apologizing for putting too much pressure on him and heaping more and more chores on him as punishment.

Judging from Lancer's incredulous expression, he was solely regretting gathering a meeting instead of simply calling on the phone.

The Fentons had that effect on people.

Finally, Jazz decided that enough was enough and began herding her family to the Fenton RV, only pausing enough to whisper, "We all make mistakes, Danny. I'm glad you fixed yours."

Danny didn't reply.

He didn't have the time.

…What happened?

Mom? Dad? Are you-?

No…

No, no, no!

…Jazz?

Somebody, help!

Sam?! Tucker?!

No, please, no…

…Mr. Lancer?

…Anyone…?

…Please…

…Help…

A/N: I hate how the narrative treats Danny cheating on a dumbass school test like a pinnacle of evil. Seriously, what the hell? (And that's me speaking as an actual real life teacher). So I changed the aesop from "Cheating at school is the worst crime EVAH!" to "Your family and friends will still love you, even if you make mistakes", "Don't hang out near half-destroyed buildings, especially if there are explosives inside", and, of course, "Don't make your condiments out of freaking nitroglycerin, the hell is wrong with you?!"