Sorry this took forever! As I mentioned before, I was having difficulties! On the bright side, I have a new beta! YEA! *confetti everywhere* I know, I know….im ashamed of myself! DON"T LOOK AT MEEEEEE! *Insert lame excuse here*
Q 'n A time!
dannyFAntom- Thanks for the help, but I'd rather keep my typos on the down low in the future! ^.^'
kurimaster13- Sorry about that. I couldn't get it on time. Glad I've kept you entertained! Plague becomes a pretty big character. You'll find out what he and his accomplices did later.
Jim89- You'll learn the whole story later. But it's not exactly easy to break into a top level security government building, especially when its only a Goth chick and her geeky best friend.
Haha, sorry. Bad writer's block on this one. Normally I do better to please my readers. Dani pops up later. Don't worry. I'm not sure how major I want her in the story, so don't expect too much from her.
Thanks! I try! .'
Ms. Frizzle- Jazz actually wrote her college thesis about ghosts in the show, which is part of the reason I've decided to get her to work with the GIW. Jazz also actually LIKES ghost hunting, also revealed in the show. Although many view her as a simple brainiac who would become a psychologist or Nobel Prize winner, I view her as an independent woman who fights to protect those she loves and has amazing intellect. Also, as for Danny's location, it was only revealed that the GIW captured Phantom. The citizens have no idea which facility he'd be in. That is strictly need to know amongst GIW. It's mainly to keep ghosts from breaking out other ghosts. Oh poor Danny's soul! The whole process of what's happened to it… like… yikes… and ouch…
CartoonFreakshow- *tears in eyes* TuT BELOVED FAN! T-thank you! *Bows*
So, thank you very much for sticking with it! It means a lot to me. I hope you further enjoy the story. Thanks again for reading!
Lady bird, lady bird…
Pride. It can be deadly, but it's the foundation of humans, or at least part of it. It sets us up for stupid mistakes. It causes us to stand up for morals. It's what causes that burn in your chest and your cheeks to get red-hot when that one idiot doesn't have a clue what he's is talking about so you're the one to set him straight.
Fly away home…
This was their way of showing pride. This was their religion at work, and they'd be damned if anyone took it away from them.
So even if they resorted to holding service in this empty field, they would still be holding their moral rights. This was the way it had to be.
You're house in on fire…
Burning alive is quite possibly the worst of fates, she concluded as they held the torch before her. Not only do you smell your flesh burn off, but you feel the heat bite into your bones and eat your skin away. Then, there are all those people cheering it on, of course it will be overcome by the crackling of the fire and her own shrieks.
But it was all for pride. It was all for Consequently Mass.
And your children are gone.
The priest held his hands to the sky. "Father," he called out. "Take me into your arms."
The last words he spoke before the floor fell beneath him and the rope swung around his neck, and there Phantom stood, unseen and in the corner, crying out to God to save his soul. Take it all away.
Amity Park: FentonWorks Fourteen Years Ago….
Of course I was scared, I hadn't stopped freaking out since this whole mess started. Even after I lost my powers. I may be a hero, but I'm also a kid.
This whole thing started when Vlad and his Master's Blasters took over the ghost hunting business. Normally, I'd tell him to shove it and show Amity who the true hero is, but I was beginning to think maybe it wasn't me after all. I mean, I'd already been putting my friends in danger, my family at risk, half my life didn't even belong to me, and then my parents got arrested because of me. That's when I did it. I went back in the portal and got rid of my powers.
I thought it'd be great. I thought my life would fall back into place; I could be normal. I hoped my friends would be happy, but to say they didn't support it was an understatement. Sam said she'd always be my friend, but I found it harder and harder to believe. I wasn't sure why, but she was the one person I felt I couldn't afford to lose.
Then the giant meteorite came and Vlad's plan was put into action. I was powerless to stop him as he actually took over the world. But he failed and was exiled from Earth. Which would've been great, if it weren't for the whole the world is doomed thing.
But that's when it hit me. Even if I didn't have ghost powers, I was still able to save the world. All we had to do was make the Earth intangible. Yeah, even harder than it sounds.
Everything was in place; all that was left was to get the ghosts. But that plan backfired and they escaped and turned on me. Which wasn't really surprising, I wasn't exactly their number one hero. So they attacked me all at once. During which I regained my powers, and I convinced them to save the Earth, which is parallel to the Ghost Zone.
We made it back in time to start up the machines and turn the Earth intangible. That was extremely hard. I felt like my whole body was holding out until it would give beneath me. But we pulled out. Somehow, when I was gone, my parents figured out who I was. I guess, Jazz must've told them. After all, for a moment everyone thought I was dead.
So I revealed who I was... to everyone. Somehow, they all accepted me. The crowd cheered, my parents no longer looked at me like they wanted to rip me apart molecule by molecule, and the girl of my dreams was my girlfriend. Tuck took Vlad's place as mayor and the town dedicated a statue to me, a statue that sits in every capitol of every nation in the world!
I didn't attend the ceremony though. Sam and I just watched from afar. I put the ring engraved with her name on her finger and took her in my arms. Everything seemed perfect. She looked up at me and smiled.
"Danny. I lo-"
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP BEEP!
Danny fell out of his bed and hit the floor. He yelled and landed on his backside. "AH! Huh? What?" He rubbed his backside and looked around. "My room?" He looked at the alarm and hit the off button. "Just a dream." He said, disappointed.
He felt irritation and slammed his fist on the floor. "Darn it!" He yelled. After getting dressed he made his way downstairs for breakfast.
Jazz looked up from her book, her tea was cooling beside her on the table. "Good morning, little brother." She said with a smile.
"What's so good about it?" Danny mumbled, getting the milk from the fridge.
Jazz glanced at him, her eye bow raised. "Hm? What's wrong?" She asked.
Danny slammed the fridge door. "Nothing!" He snapped. "What could possibly be wrong?!" He asked. He got out the cereal and began pouring the milk into the bowl. "I mean, what could possibly be wrong? I'm freaking Danny Phantom! A half ghost freak living with a family of ghost hunters in a town where half the people either treat me like a celebrity or a monster and the only reason the two girls I actually like, like me are because I'm a ghost! So yeah, ha-ha, I'm doing swell." He said, fuming as he sat at the table.
Jazz gave him a gentle look. "Danny, I know being the hero of Amity Park can be tough," she said. He glared at her, taking angry bites of his cereal. "But you're not alone. And I'm sure Sam likes you for more than just your ghost powers."
Danny blushed and looked away. "I-I never said Sam-"
"Or Paulina. Or Valerie." Jazz said, smiling. Danny folded his arms.
"Heh, Valerie's the only one who doesn't like the fact I have ghost powers." Danny said. Suddenly he shook his head. "That's not the point!" He yelled.
Jazz tilted her head. "Then what is the point, Danny?" She asked.
He sighed and rested his chin on his hand. "I don't even know." He said. "I'm just so… irritated." He admitted.
Jazz put her book down. "You know you can come to me for anything." She said. "If something is bothering you, you can tell me."
Danny looked at her. He paused and then sighed. "Yeah, I know." He said. "I just feel like I'm living two lives: Fenton and then Phantom." He said. "And let's just say Phantom's life is a bit more glamorous than being shoved in a locker." Danny muttered.
Jazz looked at him soberly. "You are living two lives." She said. "But that doesn't mean you aren't you still. Danny, your friends are here to help. And so is your big sister." She smiled. "You can ask for help."
"No I can't!" He said. "I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you guys when trying to help me."
"We know what we're getting into." Jazz said.
"No, you really don't." He muttered. "Besides, I don't give you much of a choice anyway. Hey, guys! I gotta go fight ghosts to save the town, if you don't help me I'll probably get my butt kicked!" He mocked.
Jazz looked at him softly. "Danny, we don't think-"
"Time to make you drop everything and help me! Cover for me guys! Make sure you don't tell anyone my secret! Don't let any ghosts hurt you while I'm busy!" He mocked.
"Danny!" Jazz snapped. "We can handle ourselves. Don't you trust us?" She asked.
"I trust you, just not him!" Danny said.
"You mean Vlad?" Jazz asked.
"I mean Phantom!" Danny yelled. Jazz looked at him oddly.
"Danny, you're the same person." She said.
Danny shook his head. "No, we're not." He said, calming down. "Fenton is me. I'm the geeky kid who gets picked on. I'm completely ordinary, one of the crowd, sitting on the sidelines. Phantom is a superhero with amazing and dangerous and destructive powers. The people who aren't trying to hunt him down and rip him apart molecule by molecule are his paparazzi." He said.
Jazz took a sip of her tea. "Danny, your powers make you special. You can save the people who don't have the power to do it themselves. You can make a change." She said.
"What good can I possibly do?" He asked. Jazz opened her mouth but Maddie and Jack came rushing downstairs.
"GHOST!" They both yelled.
"This time I know we got 'em, Maddie!" Jack said. "You'd have to be a moron not to find a ghost with this baby!" He pointed the newly improved gadget at Danny and a high-pitched beep continuously emitted from the device. "What?! This doesn't make any sense. The Fenton Finder says the ghost should be right where Danny is sitting." Jack said.
Danny gave Jazz a bored look. 'Oh, the irony.' He took another bite of cereal as Jack pointed the device closer to Danny's ear.
Maddie put a hand on Jack's shoulder. "Jack, Danny is not a ghost." She said.
"Well, I know that!" He said, scratching his head. "I was sure I'd finally got the bugs out." He said, walking back down to the basement.
"Oh well, back to the drawing board." Maddie said. "You kids, get ready for school, okay?" She said, following Jack.
Danny got up and put his bowl in the sink. "I'm heading out, Jazz." He said, grabbing his backpack.
"Danny, we're not done with this conversation." Jazz said. "How bout I give you a ride to school?" She asked.
"No, thanks." He said, "I'm gonna go the usual route." He smirked.
"Oh, right." She said, standing up. "We'll talk later though, okay?"
"Yeah, yeah." He said. "I'm going ghost!" Danny said, switching to Phantom. He flew out of the house and headed for Casper High.
Having superpowers had its perks. But the rest was mostly major suckage. As Fun Danny calls it 'a total bummer'. Sometimes he seriously considered splitting himself again. But he never actually thought to completely rid himself of ghost powers.
It was as if Phantom was another soul within his body. They were two different people but fatally connected. You couldn't have Danny without Phantom. They were a package deal.
Of every girl he ever liked, only Sam accepted both halves. But it was different. Sam was in love with Phantom, not Danny. Danny is her best friend. Danny is the geek who spends weekends-o-fun with Tucker in her decked out basement. Danny is the guy who's flunking math and a below average classmate.
Phantom is a superhero. Phantom is the obsession of everyone in town. Phantom is a celebrity. Phantom is everything Fenton isn't. Which is what makes him so perfect.
How can you envy yourself? It's almost mental. Correction, he told himself, it is mental. In fact, it's borderline insanity.
After finally making it to school, Phantom is forced back into the body of a hapless teenage boy and off he goes into the world of public ridicule.
Walking down the hallways takes a certain strategy. You carefully look and wait for someone of lower social class than yourself to pass by so when Dash and the football squad comes by you can safely make your way around this noble sacrifice for your dignity and underwear.
"Danny?" A voice asked. He flinched when a hand touched his shoulder but relaxed when he saw it was Tucker.
"Tucker!" He sighed with relief. "Thank God it's just you!" He said.
"Gee thanks." Tucker replied flatly. "Are you holding the men's room hostage or something?" He asked.
Danny moved aside. "Oh, sorry." He said.
Tucker gave him an odd look. "What? Is Dash looking for you?" He asked.
Danny rubbed the back of his neck. "No, it's just.." He looked at Tucker for a while, wondering if he should speak his mind. Before the dream he'd been wondering, but didn't have the guts to ask. He feared the answer. "What would happen if I didn't have ghost powers anymore?" He asked.
Tucker looked at him wide-eyed. "Did something happen to your powers?!" He asked. He looked Danny over. "You didn't split yourself, what, did something happen in the ghost zone?!"
Danny felt a burning in his chest. "My powers are fine." He snapped.
Tucker raised an eyebrow. "Then what's wrong?" He asked.
Danny looked at the floor. "Nothing. I was just asking." He said, turning around and accidentally bumping into someone.
"Sorry, Danny." Sam said.
He glared at her. "I bet." And stormed off.
Sam narrowed her eyes at him and looked back at Tucker. "What's Mr. Sunshine's problem?" She asked.
Tucker shrugged. "He's been acting weird for the past few days. Maybe something happened when he was ghost hunting?"
"Last time I checked, friends don't keep secrets from each other." She snapped.
Tucker took out his PDA. "Give him time, Sam. He'll tell us when he feels like it. We can't force him into anything." He said.
Sam sighed. "Yeah, I guess." She said. "But that's still no excuse to act like a jerk."
Later on that day Danny's anger only increased. It was bubbling over. He wasn't sure why, but he was just so agitated.
Of course flunking his English Test wasn't helping. Neither was the look Lancer gave him. And of course, he momentarily left the class for whatever reason and gave Dash some time to finally wail on him before lunch.
A paper hit him in the back of the head and Danny ignored it. He heard a bunch of snickers and Dash loudly shouting a verity of insults at him. Sam gave Tucker a worried look.
"Just ignore them, Danny." She said.
Danny looked away from her. "Thanks, Captain Obvious. What gave you that brilliant idea?" He muttered.
She glared at him. "Look, whatever is bothering you, you have no right to take it out on your friends." She snapped.
He ignored her and went back to pretending to write down notes. Dash threw another balled up hunk of paper at the back of his head. That all you got, Dash? Danny smirked. This is nothing. Suddenly he was knocked out of his seat by a football being thrown at the back of his head. The class erupted in laughter.
"Your head makes a good target, Fen-turd!" Dash shouted and began laughing with the rest.
"Danny?" Tucker asked. "You okay?" He and Sam stood up from their desks, looking over to see if their friend was all right.
Danny felt his chest burn. He almost felt the, as Vlad calls, 'scary eyes' come out to play, but he held it down. He gritted his teeth and chucked the football at Dash's face.
The class gasped and got quiet. Dash rubbed his forehead and glared at Danny. "You're gonna pay for that one, Fenton." He hissed.
Dash stormed over and took Danny's shirt in a balled fist, aiming to punch him in the face. Danny glared at him and punched Dash square in the nose.
Dash stumbled back, holding his nose. "Ow! I dink he broke by nobe!" He said.
Danny advanced on his former bully and slammed him against the wall. "I'm not gonna be your punching bag anymore!" He screamed.
Dash pushed Danny off him and the class stared in silence. Lancer walked in and saw the bloody nose and the angry Danny. "Clash of the Titans! What is going on here?" He asked.
"Fenton broke Dash's nose!" Kwan shouted.
Lancer looked at Danny in shock. "What? Is this true?" He asked. Danny looked away. "Mr. Fenton-"
"I know, I know, to the principle's office. Don't bother wasting your breath. I know where it is by now." He snapped, walking out and slamming the door behind him.
Lancer looked back at Tucker and Sam. "He's in a mood." Tucker explained. Lancer shook his head.
"Teenagers." He mumbled to himself. "Alright, alright! Take your seats everyone! And for goodness sake, Mr. Baxter, go to the nurse's office before I have to call in the janitor."
Later that day…
Danny Fenton sat alone at the lunch table. He hadn't had much of an appetite in days and laid his head on the table, his tray untouched.
Two trays clunked as they hit the table. Danny barley looked up. "Are you done being a jerk so we can sit here?" Sam asked.
Danny sat up and sighed. "I'm sorry, guys. I don't know what's gotten into me." He apologized.
They sat down. "An extreme case of bad attitude." Tucker said. "Seriously man, what's up?" He asked.
Danny shook his head. "It's nothing." He said.
"It doesn't seem like nothing." Sam said. "You used your powers in class. You broke Dash's nose. You're being a jerk to your friends." Sam listed.
Danny felt himself fuming again. "I'm angry." He said.
"Obviously." Sam deadpanned.
"I'm serious." He growled, looking at her with his ghostly green eyes. "I. Am. ANGRY." He said through gritted teeth, clenching his fist.
Sam and Tucker gasped. "Dude, your eyes!" Tucker whispered.
Danny tightly shut his eyes and his body was shaking. His fist got tighter and he bared his teeth. He then hit his head on the table very hard. For a second he sat there.
"Uhhhhh…. Danny?" Sam asked.
"Dude, you okay?" Tucker said after.
Danny looked up, his eyes their normal blue. "Yeah. I'm good." He said.
"What was that?" Sam hissed.
Danny rubbed his temple. "I don't know." He admitted. "It seems like I'm getting more and more angry by the second for no reason." He said.
"Great. A ghost PMSing. That totally doesn't suck." Sam said.
Danny's eyes shot up at her. She just shrugged. "It's not just that." He said.
"Then what is it? What's with the mood swings?" Tucker asked.
"Jeez, where to start? I've been having weird dreams, like someone is messing with my head. Phantom's power is growing where Fenton's is dwindling. I feel like my life is downhill from here. I envy my ghost half. How about the nightmares? Or the dream last night? Do you guys…Sam…Tucker…would you still like me if I were just a normal human being? "How do you guys feel about Phantom?" Danny asked.
"Phantom? You mean your ghost powers?" Sam asked Danny felt a chill go up his spine.
They aren't my powers. They're his. "Y-yeah." He said.
Tucker and Sam looked at each other. "Danny, we're your friends." Sam said.
"Yeah, we always got your back, man." Tucker said.
Danny looked down. "But what if….what if I didn't have them anymore?" He asked. There was a silence. "Would you still like me?" He asked.
"That's a stupid question." Sam said. "Of course we'd still like you." Sam said, with an earnest face.
"Danny, we're your friends. Whether or not you have superpowers isn't going to change that."
"Yeah, man. We're always gonna be there for you." Tucker said.
Danny looked away. "You say that but… but…"
"But what?" Sam asked.
"But what if I really did lose them? What if I couldn't protect the town anymore? What if I liked to stay on the sidelines?" He asked, looking at her face. Her eyes widened a bit he looked back down at the table. "Worse, what if I have them forever? What if I'm always going to be part time hero, part time friend? I'm living two lives! I can't keep this up. Eventually I'm gonna have to choose." He said.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait!" Sam said, holding up her index finger. "What? Choose?" She asked, narrowing her eyes. "Danny, you don't have to pick anything. Your powers are a part of you."
"No, they're a part of him!" Danny grabbed his chest and stood out of his seat "I'm just attached to him!"
"You're the same person." Tucker stated, confused.
"NO WE'RE NOT!" Danny shouted. Suddenly the lights in the cafeteria flickered violently and the windows blew open, the wind rushing around.
"Danny stop!" They both shouted.
Danny realized what he was doing and took in a deep breath and sighed, the turmoil ceasing. The mess hall was in an uproar.
Danny sat back down and looked away from them. "I can't even control my ghost powers anymore." He said, looking at his hands. "Not in this form." His hands were shaking. "It's like I'm not even supposed to be in this body. I'm wasting away! It's like Phantom is trying to take over, become the only ego." Sam grabbed his shaking hands.
"Danny, you're not alone." She said. "Your friends are here for you."
Tucker nodded. "Yeah, so there's no need to worry." He said.
Danny's body was shaking a bit. "What if I didn't stop it?" He said barley above a whisper, taking back his hands from Sam.
"You stopped it." Sam said. "The lights aren't flickering, the windows are closed-"
"Yeah, I didn't even know your powers could do that!" Tucker said, smiling.
Danny shook his head. "Neither did I." He said. Suddenly their smiles faded. "That wasn't what I meant. What if I didn't stop that future form happening? What if I still turn into him?" He asked.
"Then that is the path you chose." Sam said.
He looked at her, wounded. "How could you say that?" Danny asked.
"It's your future, so it's your choice." She stated simply. "The Danny I know wouldn't hurt his friends. He chooses his own destiny." She said.
Danny paused and smiled. "You know what, I think your right." He said.
"Of course I am." Sam smirked.
His face relaxed and his eyes seemed to light up form the darkness. "I… I don't feel angry anymore. Not now at least." He said.
"That's good." Tucker said.
Danny began eating his lunch. The rest of the time they had left was normal. It was fine. Going back to class was good. The whole class period was going smoothly, until towards the end.
Danny's face went pale and his body shook. "Uh, Mr. Fenton, do you need to go to the restroom?" Mr. Lancer asked.
Without even asking for a pass, Danny rushed out of the room. Several minutes passed before Lancer sent Tucker to fetch him.
"Danny? You okay, man?" He asked.
The stalls were empty, besides the third one down. Tucker knocked on the door. "Uh, Danny?" He asked.
He heard the sound of a slight whimper and sharp breath. "I-I can't." Danny replied form in the bathroom stall.
"You can't what?" Tucker asked.
"I can't do it, Tuck." He said, almost in tears.
"Uhhh you need me to get you a fiber bar or something?" Tucker asked.
"I can't eat, Tucker, I can't hold it down anymore."
After school….
Danny lay on the couch in the Manson home. He refused to go back to his place in fear of being pricked and prodded by his parents, trying to figure out what illness their son had, only to find he was half ghost.
"You feeling better?" Sam asked, seeing color return to her friend's face.
Danny sighed. "Much." He said.
"You really freaked me out back there!" Tucker said. "I thought your powers were really going out of control!"
Danny laughed a bit. "Yeah, but it was just food poisoning."
"You also ate all that food after not eating much lately." Sam said. "You gonna start eating like a normal person now?" She asked.
Danny put his hand on his stomach. "Yeah." He said. "For a second there I actually thought I wouldn't be able to eat anymore." He laughed. Sam glared at him. "What?" Danny asked, holding his hands up in surrender.
"This isn't funny! We thought you were hurt!" Sam said.
"Actually, I think it's kinda funny." Tucker said, grinning. Sam shot him a glare. "Come on, Sam. It was a scare! Lighten up, Danny's fine."
"I still don't see what's so funny." Sam mumbled.
"I'm just glad, that's all." Danny said.
"Glad?! You puked up your lunch! How does that make you glad?" She asked.
He smiled. "Because I know I can still eat." He said. "Eating is one of the few things that lets me know I'm still human."
A few days later…
Danny Fenton walked the halls with dark circles under his eyes. He tried to stay awake to the best of his ability. He ran into the wall again, and accidentally fell onto the lockers. He kept slowly making his way down the hall.
"Danny! Yo, Danny!" Tucker's voice called from behind. Danny turned around. "Hey, I- whoa…you look terrible." He said.
"Gee, thanks." Danny said in a monotone voice, putting a textbook in his locker and trading it for another.
"How much sleep have you gotten?" Tuck asked.
Danny shrugged. "I don't know. A few hours." He said. "Maybe, five."
"Last night you only got five hours of sleep?" He asked.
"Oh, I thought you meant the past few days." Danny said.
Tucker shook his head. "Jeez, Danny! You need sleep!" He said. "Like pronto. It's gonna mess with your head."
Danny just yawned. "I'm fine, Tuck." He said, dully blinking his eyes. "Really."
"Hey, guys. What's goin' on?" Sam said from behind.
Danny nearly jumped ten feet in the air. "Gah! Jesus, Sam, you almost gave me a heart attack!" He whined.
She lifted a brow at him. "Sorry, skittish much? Whoa, Danny, you okay?" She asked. "You look a little….tired."
"That's what happens when you only get five hours of sleep over the past few days." Tucker mocked.
"Past few days? What's up with you lately?" Sam asked him.
"Yeah, we're your friends, dude. You can tell us." Tucker said.
"There's nothing to tell. Besides, I'm gonna be late for class." Danny said, grabbing his stuff and dashing off. Something cold made its way through Danny's stomach, freezing his lungs and rising out of his throat. He growled. "Great, just what I needed."
He looked around and the halls were empty, so he ran into the empty janitor's closet. Morphing into Phantom, he then began searching for the ghost. "Here ghostie, ghostie. Come out, come out wherever you are." He mockingly sang. "Stop playing hide and seek so I won't be late for class again."
"Yo, Danny!" A voice called form behind him. Phantom turned around.
"Tucker, Sam, shouldn't you guys be headed to class?" He hissed.
"Shouldn't you? This is like, what, the fifth time you've ditched class?" Sam asked, narrowing her eyes at him.
"Hey! You make it sound like I'm abusing my powers. I'm actually on a hunt this time!" Phantom said.
"This time?" Sam asked.
Phantom cringed. "Okay, okay, so maybe once or twice I may have ditched class, but I can't help it! Midnight ghost hunting takes a lot out of you and- and, jeez, Sam, what are you?! My mom? He snapped.
Sam and Tucker looked around. "Well, I don't see anything. Maybe you're just tired." Tuck said. "Just change back, dude."
Phantom looked around. Nothing. He sighed and morphed back into his human form. Danny shook his head. "I could've sworn-"
Suddenly something grabbed his leg and flew him to the end of the hall, Phantom went intangible and the figure forced him through the wall. Sam and Tucker screamed his name and they disappeared behind the solid wall. Danny felt himself being lifted into the air by his leg. He looked up and saw ghost in a dark cloak.
"I don't know who you are," Danny said, changing into Phantom, "But you've caught me on a really bad day!" He turned his leg into a ghostly tail and slipped from the figure's grasp.
The hooded ghost quickly turned around and meet with Phantom's fist. The ghost flew through the air and hit the ground. Phantom charged. "Strike one!"
The figure slowly got up from the fall only to be tossed back again by one of Phantom's ecto blasts.
"Strike two!" He formed an ecto-energy ball in his hand. The figure looked up at him and dashed up to get him.
"Strike three!" He yelled, blasting the energy ball and grounding the hooded ghost. Phantom landed and walked over to it, aiming the Fenton Thermos at it. "You're out." Phantom aimed the thermos at it but the creature wasn't going in. "What? What's wrong with this thing?!" Phantom hit the thermos but nothing happened. The hooded figure suddenly hit Phantom in the chest, knocking him over, and flying off out of sight.
Sam and Tucker rushed out of the school to greet him as Phantom morphed back into Danny. He looked down, a small brown feather was the only thing that remained.
"Danny!" Sam called.
"You okay?" Tucker asked.
Danny looked behind him. "I'm fine, guys." He said. "Really."
They meet up with him. "What was that about?" Sam asked.
Danny shrugged. "Maybe I'm getting popular?" He looked down at the thermos. "Well, whatever it was, the thermos didn't work on it." He said.
"A ghost that wasn't affected by the Fenton Thermos?" Tucker asked. "Is that even possible."
Danny held up the feather. "I don't know." He let it fall and walked on. "Well, whatever it was it's gone now. So I guess it's back to bed- I mean class."
Sam gave him that Sam look and Danny rolled his eyes at her. "It was a joke, Sam. Lighten up." He said, pushing past them.
"Yeah, Sam, lighten up." Tucker said, with a quirky grin. Sam smacked him upside the head and followed Danny back inside.
Casper High: English Room 204…
Danny felt his eyelids drooping and he struggled to stay awake. His head dipped and he quickly straightened up only to feel his body begin to sink again. It wasn't that the Holy Roman Empire wasn't the most fascinating thing ever, but it wasn't, and to make it worse he was running on fumes here! Eventually, he finally found himself lying his head on his desk, softly snoring.
The back end of a ruler suddenly slammed on his desk. Danny screamed and frantically woke up, giggles rose up form the class. "Am I boring you, Mr. Fenton?" Lancer asked, narrowing his eyes.
"No, yes, er, I just…." Danny sighed. "Sorry, sir. It won't happen again."
Lancer eyed him carefully. "See to it that it doesn't." And he went back to lecturing. Danny tried staying awake the rest of the class but even though he didn't fall asleep, he didn't pay attention to class.
The bell rang and Danny cursed himself for not being able to listen. He slowly gathered his things and Dash bumped his shoulder on the way out of class, casing him to drop his binder and all the papers in it. He gritted his teeth.
"Oops, my bad." Dash said in a mocking tone, continuing to walk on.
Danny piled up his papers and stuck them in his binder, and threw everything else in his backpack. Everyone had almost cleared out when Lancer signaled him over.
"Danny, could you come here for a moment?" He asked, sitting at his desk.
Danny watched as Sam and Tucker nodded to him that they'd wait for him. He sighed as everyone left. He walked to the desk. "Sir?" He asked in a monotone voice.
"This is the third time this week I've caught you sleeping in my class. Twice you haven't even shown up." He said.
Danny grumbled to himself. "It won't happen again, Mr. Lancer." He said.
Lancer gave him a troubled look. "Are you sleeping well, Mr. Fenton?" He asked.
Danny shrugged. "Enough." He lied.
"The human body needs eight to ten hours of sleep each night." He said.
Danny slung his backpack over his shoulder. "I thought you were an English teacher." He snapped, beginning to walk off.
"I haven't excused you yet, Mr. Fenton." Lancer said. Danny looked over his shoulder with a bored look and dark circles under his eyes. "What is it, Mr. Fenton? You've been acting strangely lately. You got in a fight; you've been sleeping in class, skipping school," he listed. "Making snide comments about my hair." He narrowed his eyed.
Danny smirked. "What hair?"
Lancer ignored him. "Is something wrong? Are you being bullied? Is it something at home?" He asked.
Danny looked away. "That's none of your business, sir." He said in a condescending tone.
Lancer sighed, and rubbed between his eyes. "Daniel, I know being a teenager is hard." He said. "There isn't anything you're going through that I or any other adult hasn't gone through in their life either."
"I beg to differ." Danny mumbled in an inaudible tone.
"Hm? I didn't catch that." Lancer said.
"It was nothing." Danny said. "Thanks for the... whatever this was, Mr. Lancer, but I'm fine." He began to talk out. "I don't need my English teacher to be my psychiatrist." He muttered to himself and joined his friends outside.
Lancer sighed and shook his head. Sometimes being a teacher was great. Seeing those bright youthful faces, the interaction with the next generation. But sometimes it was a helpless situation. Being so close to them but unable to do anything to help them.
"What was that about?" Sam asked as Danny approached them in the hall.
Danny shrugged. "Nothing. Let's go." He said. He wouldn't look back. He never could. Because he didn't make choices that allowed you to look back. He just leaped and hoped the ground would be there to catch him.
The next day…
Jazz sipped her tea as she read the latest headline. She always looked forward to anything about her superhero brother in the papers. Lately he'd been very agitated, but it was expected of a teenage boy. Soon enough he'd be feeling his old self again.
Just as she had thought it, Danny came down the stairs in a ball of energy. He opened the fridge and took out the orange juice. "Mornin', Jazz!" He said with a grin.
She looked up and smiled. "You're up earlier than usual." She said, loving how she was right about his mood change.
"I've been up!" He said with a smile.
Jazz set her tea down. "Really? How long?" She asked.
He shrugged, gleefully getting out a pop tart. "Since yesterday I guess."
She looked at him wide-eyed. "Danny, that's not good. You need eight to ten hours of sleep-"
"Jeez, you sound like Lancer." Danny cut her off, pouring himself a glass of OJ and sticking his pop tart in the microwave.
"You had a talk with Mr. Lancer?" Jazz asked. "Why?"
Danny gave her that nosy big sister look. "None of your business, Jazz." He sneered.
"It most certainly is." She snapped.
"In what parallel universe?" He asked, turning to her. The microwave beeped and he got out his breakfast. He gulped down his juice in one gulp and stuck the pop tart in his mouth and he grabbed his backpack. "Byeh, Fazz." He said muffled through the pop tart and headed out the door.
Jazz sighed. "That adrenaline is gonna wear off pretty quick." She put her paper down and put her tea in the sink. She grabbed her bag and her keys and headed out the door. "Guess it's my job to watch out for him again." She smiled.
Phantom flew through the air. The sun was out and it was warm, a gentle breeze was in the air, it was a perfect day. He felt so rejuvenated. No irritations, no sleepiness, no Dash, no annoyances, and best of all no-
Suddenly his ghost sense went off, ruining the mood. He paused and grumbled to himself. "Great. Just when I was finally starting to enjoy the day again."
Phantom looked around and saw the hooded figure; it looked thinner than yesterday and dove into the shadowy alleyway. He flew down to look for it. "Hey, what was that about yesterday?" He asked.
"There are easier ways to meet people." He looked around, seeing nothing. "Like maybe a hello, or a name." He grumbled. "Or a face."
The figure attacked him from behind. Phantom dodged and looked behind him. What had lashed out at him was a long, slender tongue coming from the hood. The figure was dark and Phantom couldn't see it, but he was way beyond creeped out.
"What are you?" He asked. "Why can't I stick you in the Fenton Thermos?"
The figure lunged at him and Phantom jumped up and put his hand on it's head, grabbing the hood and flipping over.
Phantom looked behind him with a smirk but the figure was gone. Suddenly the tongue wrapped around his ankle in the darkness. Phantom fired an ecto blast at it and the figure yelped. The sound was inhuman, almost animal like, and Phantom shivered. He flew out of the alleyway and looked down.
The figure was one. Just darkness. He looked around, but it didn't attack. He went back down and only saw the sewer drain cover open. "Great. I was attacked by a sewer gator." He rolled his eyes and flew back up headed to school. "At least my day can only go uphill from here!"
Casper High: English Room 204…
The entire class groaned and Danny slammed his head on his desk. "Come now, a pop quiz isn't that bad." Lancer said with a devilish grin. He passed out the papers and Danny began psyching himself up.
I can do this. I can do this. I can- Lancer put the quiz on Danny's desk and he looked down with his pencil ready in hand. Suddenly his heart raced. I can't do this. I can't do this. I can't do this!
By the time the bell rang, Danny quickly scribbled in a few answers before Lancer took his unfinished quiz from him. He groaned. The class started filing out. "I'll give you your graded reports on the way out." He said.
The students lined up at his desk and took their reports and left. Paulina looked at hers and glared.
"Stupid report, it was almost as flawless as my perfect skin!" She said.
"Maybe next time you can write something more than your lipstick shades." Lancer pointed out.
Star looked at her report and cringed. Kwan and Dash looked at theirs and high fived each other. "C minus!" Dash said. "New record!"
Lancer smiled at Sam. "I rather enjoyed yours, Miss. Manson." He said, giving her a B plus.
"Stick to mathematics, Mr. Foley." Lancer said, giving Tucker a C plus.
Danny walked up and Lancer sighed, giving him a red and F and a see me after school note. He groaned and walked out with his friends.
"Lancer give you a bad grade?" Sam asked.
"Bad grade doesn't even cut it. I got the see-me-after-school note." Danny said, crinkling up the paper.
Tucker and Sam cringed. "Yikes." Sam said.
Danny sighed. "Then I got a visit from the hide and seek guy again. Who apparently has a freakish tongue and lives in the sewers." He ranted.
"Did you figure out why the thermos isn't working?" Tucker asked.
"It is working, just not on this thing." Danny said.
"Any idea why?" Sam asked.
Danny shook his head. "Nada. Other than the possibility it might not even be a ghost." He said. "But I doubt any human could've pulled that stuff off." He said.
"Then what is it?" Tucker asked.
"That's what I'm trying to find out." Danny said. "It was weird. Last time it only attacked me from the air, and this one wouldn't even fly." He said.
"Maybe they were different figures." Sam suggested.
Danny shrugged. "Maybe."
Tucker put his hand on his shoulder. "Try not to think about it man! You're with us at school. There's no need to worry about ghost hunting right now." He said with a smile. Danny smiled back and they looked at another nerd being shoved in a locker by Dash.
"B-but this isn't even my locker!" The nerd cried from inside.
Danny cringed and Tucker pushed him along. "We've got enough to worry about here."
English Room 204: Currently time for the dreaded see-me-after-school note…
Lancer liked his job. He did, honest. He'd just like it more if his students paid more attention to his lectures and less to their cellular devices. He heard a knock tat his classroom door and kept his eyes on his papers. "Come in." Lancer said.
A student opened the door, a paper that had been balled up was frantically straightened out in his hand. "You wanted to see me?" Danny Fenton asked. He looked behind him to see his friends who nodded at him.
"Yes, come in." Lancer said. Danny closed the door behind him and stood in front of his desk. "Our last chat was cut short, so I thought this would give you more time." He said, a smile behind his voice.
Danny looked away and mumbled to himself.
"Danny, I don't really care that you failed this. What I'm concerned about is why." Lancer began. "You've been sleeping in class a lot lately. Why don't you sleep at home?" He asked.
"I just..don't….much.." Danny said, yawning.
"Busy schedule?" Lancer asked.
Danny chuckled, still irritated. "You don't know the half of it."
"Really? Because you aren't sighed up for any clubs or extra circular activities. As far as I know, you don't have a job. You don't do anything outside of school." He said. Danny realized Lancer must've either been talking to his parents or Jazz. "So what are you so busy with? Socializing doesn't count."
"Wasting space then, I guess." Danny shrugged.
"Danny, you don't have many friends. You always are with Miss Manson and Mr. Foley. And they do fine in their academics. What are you doing that is causing you to be so tired you can't pay attention in class?" Lancer asked.
"Guess I'm just stupid, sir." Danny replied straight faced.
Lancer narrowed his eyes at him. "Who said that?" He asked.
"Me." Danny said.
"Who makes you feel that way?" Lancer asked.
"Are you my therapist now?" Danny snapped.
Lancer leaned back in his chair. "Mr. Fenton, I doubt I'm the only class you are lacking in. If you continue down this track of failure, you will be unable to finish high school, if you can't get your degree then you end up working in the Nasty Burger." He said. "You don't strike me as a kid who really wants that, are you?"
Danny shrugged. "I'm not sure I'm even cut out for flipping burgers." He joked in a monotone voice.
Lancer ignored that statement. "So I suggest you start finding a drive. Find something you really like. It can be sports, or drawing, or dog whispering! Just find something you like and stick with it." He said. "Go home, get some rest, if you continue to have this…insomnia, then I'm going to call your parents, again. And I'll be calling your sister, too."
Danny looked at him a bit wide eyed. "You what?"
"Get your act together Mr. Fenton. Or someone is gonna have to do it for you." He gestured to the door. Danny took back his report and grumbled on his way out. He opened the door and slammed it behind him.
"Guess it didn't go so well." Sam said.
"What did Lancer say?" Tucker asked.
Danny walked past them. "He wants me to be a dog whisperer. I'm going home, don't wait up."
Fenton Works: 12:00am…
Danny tossed and turned in his bed again until he finally awoke from yet another nightmare. He looked around him. Once again he was on the floor and had taken half his sheets and his pillow down with him.
Thunder crashed in the sky. Danny looked outside. A storm was brewing big time. Lighting lit up the sky and thunder shortly followed. The rain poured down heavily, a sound he rather liked. He got up, threw the blankets and pillow back on the bed and went to his bathroom. He ran the sink and splashed water on his face. He wiped away the cold sweat and went back into his room, knowing he wouldn't be going back to sleep even though he was dead tired.
A tapping sound came at his window. He looked up at it curiously. Silence. Just the rain outside.
He flopped on his bed, feeling his heartbeat slow and his breathing synchronize with the rain. He closed his eyes to relax, maybe for once getting sleep. So tired…so-
Danny gasped, his ghost sense going off. He grumbled. "Of course…right when I'm about to go to sleep." He morphs into Phantom and intangibly flies out the window. The rain soaks him and he hopes for that ghosts sake that he doesn't catch a cold.
He didn't have to wait long; the hooded figure grabbed him and took him down to earth. Phantom looked up at the hooded figure and kicked it off him. He looked back at it. It was larger than before, much larger. "Did you eat a car... or a bus?" He asked the figure.
Wasting no time it lunged at him. Phantom quickly grabbed the cloak and took it from the figure. "No sewers to hide in this time!" He turned and the thing before him was a large ape-like beast, almost human.
It roared at him and Phantom stood ready for attack. Suddenly he heard someone's fingers snap behind him and the beast stopped.
"That's enough E-27." A voice said. Phantom turned to see a young gentlemen who looked like he stepped out of the Victorian Era. "Can't you see your scaring the boy?" He smiled.
Phantom's ghost sense went off again and he glared at him. "So it's been you that's set off my ghost sense?" He asked. "You and your lackeys?"
"Lackeys?" The man asked. "I hardly think so. Not even that. They are my experiments. Don't you know a camera when you see one?" He asked.
Phantom looked at him oddly. "A camera?" He asked.
The man sighed regrettably. "Oh, dear. I bet you don't even know what that, what did you call it, ghost sense is even about, do you?" He asked, suddenly a blue breath escaping from his own lips.
"You have a ghost sense?" Phantom asked.
The man smirked. "So much you don't know. I bet you don't even know that your 'ghost sense' doesn't even sense ghosts, but those from the ghost zone. Never mind, it's of no matter. You're, what, fourteen? This whole ordeal has yet to begin yet, so I suggest you just… stand there." He laughed.
"Who are you?" Phantom asked.
"Me?" He looked at Phantom and grinned. "I am many things, known by many titles and many names. But you may call me Plague!" The man lunged at Phantom, too quick for him to react and kicked him effortlessly, making him fly off in the sky. Phantom caught himself in the air and shook his head.
He looked up and Plague was there, sending a fist in his face and he went down, becoming grounded.
Plague jumped on Phantom and laughed. "You're weak now, but I can't wait to see you when you're all grown up, halfa." He said. Phantom struggled beneath him and Plague chuckled as he watched him squirm about helplessly. He quit and looked up at his attacker. "What do you want from me?!" He asked.
Plague grinned. "I just wanted to tell you that my master says hello." He said, his eyes shown with a devilish glint. "Oh, and this is a gift."
He took something out of his coat and suddenly thrust his hand inside Phantom's chest. The boy felt a burning inside his body, like something foreign was forcing its way in for a permanent stay.
The halfa howled out in pain and his cry sent a shiver of delight up Plague's spine. The fire was rising inside his body. He felt something under his skin crawl inside and choke him though his core. He felt like he was drowning and burning to death all at once. A pain shot through his back like lightning and the screams grew louder. He wanted to beg Plague to stop but couldn't open his mouth to do anything but cry out.
Plague laughed and shoved his hand in deeper, for the hell of it. Phantom couldn't take it anymore. He felt his eyes roll in the back of his head. Plague grinned at the boy's pain and slowly took his hand out.
"There." He said, relaxing. "It's in place."
A bright light came from Phantom and his body reverted back to human form. Plague noticed the child was unconscious and sighed.
"Honestly, kids today just can't take a little pain." He said, standing up. "Oh well, I suppose this isn't my concern anymore." Plague put his hat back on and slid his thumb and forefinger around the rim. "E-27," he called. "Take care of the mess." He ordered. "Oh, and don't eat him. We need this one alive."
A large beast swooped down from the alleyway where the young Danny Fenton was sleeping. It sniffed him and with one hand grabbed the boy and carried him off. The beast returned to its master. "We don't. …erase ...memory?" It asked, barley able to speak at all.
"Not this time, E-27, when young Daniel wakes up this will all seem like a bad dream. Besides," Plague smirked, tipping his hat down to shield his eyes, "I plan on seeing him in the distant future, and I'd like him to remember me." He said, with a devilish grin sending a horrid laugh into the night.