Thanks to those who reviewed. Artgirl4, Yugirose, DPcrazy, Azure Inu, inukagome15, goldacharmed, Luiz4200, and Thunderstorm101, thank you loads for your reviews.
Sorry for the slow update. Getting stuck. I know what I want, I think, at the end, but I'm not sure how I'm going to connect from here to there. But for now, just enjoy this chapter.
"We're taking a break." Miss Reynolds called out. He nodded, panting too hard to form an answer and knowing that a nod would suffice. The bald teacher sank to the ground, grateful for the brief rest.
Mrs. Fenton settled down near him. Her purple eyes watched him carefully from behind the red lenses, as if trying to look into his very being. Feeling uncomfortable under the scrutinizing gaze, he cleared his throat.
"How may I assist you, Mrs. Fenton?" Lancer asked.
"What is your opinion of Phantom?" She replied quietly.
Lancer turned his gaze over to Danny. The younger generation was gathered close, just out of earshot, heads bent in a hushed discussion. Everyone was giving their own thoughts, but it was clear who the head was. Danny had come a long way since the first time he saw him.
"He's resourceful, brave, a responsible teenager that would protect others with every fibre of his being." Lancer answered.
"How are you so sure of your last statement? He may just be acting the hero to gain our trust before attacking." Mrs. Fenton argued.
Mr. Fenton destroying Amity Park? He had told them of his alternate future self, who reduced Amity Park to rubble within ten years. However, their Danny would never do that. He had seen what he could do, and had made a promise never to let that possible future come to pass.
Another factor that was different then and now is that then, he was alone, now, he had the support of the whole Team Phantom. He could rely on them to help him through any hardships.
He turned his eyes to Mrs. Fenton. After years of teaching, he had gathered that people usually would believe a statement if the speaker held the listener's eye, to show that what the speaker actually believed what he was saying.
"I assure you, Mr. Phantom would do no such thing."
"He attacked the mayor."
"How can you be sure that the mayor was not overshadowed by another ghost and that Mr. Phantom was merely trying to save the mayor?"
"He's a ghost, and all ghosts are evil."
Mr. Fenton was only half ghost and not all ghosts were evil.
"How sure are you of that statement?" Lancer asked.
"Very." The voice didn't sound very convincing.
Lancer let his eyes land on his charges.
"You have spent some time with Mr. Phantom, what is your opinion of him during that time?" Lancer asked, careful not to place any suggestions in his question.
Mrs. Fenton followed his gaze to the group of teenagers. She unconsciously bit her lip as she searched through her memory.
"Kwan places a lot of trust in him, and I'm sure a lot of people, especially teenagers, look up to him. Phantom is either a very good actor, or he actually wants to protect Amity Park. He carries himself like a teenager, a leader, sometimes…" Mrs. Fenton trailed off.
"Sometimes?" Lancer prompted. Despite himself, he was curious of Mrs. Fenton's thoughts on her son's counterpart.
"Sometimes, when I space out, when I'm not looking at him, and he talks to me, I feel like, sometimes, it's like I'm talking to my son. I would catch him doing little gestures that my son always does." Mrs. Fenton was struggling visibly to let the words leave her mouth.
"If someone reminds you so much of your son, he can't be as evil as you think." Lancer suggested subtly. Could it be? Would she finally see the real Phantom? A small ember of hope flickered. However, purple eyes hardened, and he knew that he had failed to convince her.
"We should continue our journey." Maddie said, her emotions were locked behind the mask of the ghost hunter. She rose to her feet with much more grace than what he could ever be able to possess. The overweight teacher gave a soft groan as he stood up, his body protesting the whole way.
His charges, seeing that the adults were ready to leave, scrambled to their feet.
"Let's go" Phantom said and turned his back to them. His peers moved, gathering around the special teen without any conscious thought. They walked in a tight group as they continued their discussion in hushed voices, leaving a small gap between the two different generations.
Next to him, he noticed purple eyes fix on the white-haired teen, confused, curious, devoid of hatred for the halfa. Maybe what he said had left an effect on Mrs. Fenton. Maybe, he hadn't actually failed after all.
Now you've read this, what do you think?
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