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Phantom was most likely at the school, if he had Danny's parents at least, so that was Valerie's first stop. She circled Casper High once from the air, noting the GAV parked in the otherwise empty lot, but nothing else suspicious. Her ghost detector, however, was picking up a ghost inside. It had to be him. She hoped.
Valerie set down on the sidewalk in front of the school, her hands shaking slightly. She made herself be still and tried to calm her rapid breathing.
"I'm here Phantom. Let the Fentons go, and then we can settle this out here, just you and me," she called loudly. She waited a minute, then two, but there was no answer. She couldn't help glancing around nervously every few seconds.
Finally, a voice spoke from not more than 15 feet in front of her, though she couldn't see anyone. "You came alone?" said the sneering voice of Phantom.
Valerie raised her arm, a charged ecto-cannon now in her hand, pointing where she thought the voice was coming from. "Let the Fentons go!" she repeated. "I'm here. I'm who you want. No one else needs to get hurt."
"You came alone to keep anyone else from getting hurt?" The voice now came from several feet behind her. Valerie whipped around, startled. "That is so… really stupid." Phantom's voice had momentarily lost its sneer, sounding more disbelieving, more like her Phantom's when he was taunting an enemy during a fight. She couldn't help hearing the undertones of Danny's voice though, now that she knew it was him, almost breaking her resolve. She had to do this. It was him or her.
"Why don't you come out where I can see you?"
"Because that'll make this too quick," the voice whispered in her ear.
She instinctively reached backward, grabbing him and throwing him in one fluid motion, her years of martial arts training kicking in.
He became visible as he hit the pavement, clearly surprised. It took him only a second to recover and hover to his feet however, easily throwing up a shield to block the blasts she sent at him. His red eyes blinked slowly at her in disappointment.
Valerie leapt to the side as Phantom sent a ball of ectoplasm hurtling toward her. She cried out in pain as her injured shoulder hit the pavement, but again instinct saved her as she rolled and came back up to her feet. Two running strides and a jump and she was back on her jet sled, zooming low across the ground.
Valerie knew she didn't really have a chance of winning against Phantom at this point, but she couldn't bring herself to just give up without a fight. She flew at high speed in a large loop, trying to get a shot on him, but he was too fast. A shot of ectoplasm hit her injured leg, nearly causing it to buckle. Her jet sled wobbled perilously before she managed to straighten up again.
She flew on, wondering why he was toying with her this way. He was far faster than her when he wanted to be – he should have been able to catch up easily. Tears started to blur her vision as she once more circled the school. Coming here alone really had been her stupidest idea ever.
Without warning he was in front of her again. At the same time Valerie caught a glimpse of movement over his shoulder, by the GAV. Instantly she latched on to that tiny speck of hope. Instead of slowing, she sped up, intending to ram through Phantom. Startled, Phantom went intangible and Valerie flew straight through him. Desperate, she headed toward what limited cover the GAV would give her at full speed.
Phantom pursued close on her heels. As Valerie dived behind the GAV, a glowing green shield suddenly sprang from the satellite dish on top, forming a dome around Phantom. He skidded to a halt just before he hit the side of the dome, and glared at the Portable Ghost Shield which surrounded him. "This won't hold me for long," he warned.
"It doesn't have to," said Danny Fenton, stepping out of the driver's side of the GAV with a drawn ecto-cannon. Tucker followed behind him similarly armed, and Sam stepped out the rear door wearing the Fenton Peeler. They quickly spread out around the perimeter of the Ghost Shield.
Phantom watched them without moving. "What are you going to do now? Ecto-blasts can't penetrate the Ghost Shield. I'm safe in here." His gaze turned back toward the GAV where Valerie was just now approaching the edge of the shield.
Sam took a step forward, entering the glowing green dome. "I wouldn't bet on that." His head whipped around to look at her just as she fired the Fenton Peeler canons at full strength.
Phantom was quickly brought to his knees, unable to withstand the continuous onslaught from all sides, as Tucker and Danny joined in with their weapons. They all stopped simultaneously when he fell to the ground, without anyone having to say a word. Sam swallowed roughly, staring at Phantom. "What now?" she mumbled.
Danny glanced toward Tucker, who shook his head silently and lowered his weapon with a resigned shrug. Danny took a deep breath and stepped forward with a grimly determined look.
"Wait," Valerie called. She had her own weapon drawn and entered the Ghost Shield. She approached Phantom cautiously. Danny stepped back again, but kept his cannon at the ready.
Phantom was at Valerie's mercy. She held an ecto-cannon inches from his head, as he knelt there, staring up at her with his empty red eyes. His face was full of defiance and anger still, but now tempered by his fear. Sam, Tucker, and Danny watched frozen, unsure what Valerie was going to do.
"Is it true?" Valerie said quietly to Phantom. His eyebrows pulled together in confusion. "You were Danny Fenton?" she clarified. Phantom's eyes got wide in surprise as he glanced to Danny and back to Valerie. Then he quickly hid it again behind the mask of defiance.
"I'm just Phantom now," he replied with a sneer.
"Because I killed you?" Valerie asked, her voice almost breaking.
Phantom's face tightened. He lifted his chin slightly to look at Valerie better. He did not answer. A moment passed. "Just do it already. Finish what you started and destroy me. Get your revenge," he growled.
Valerie stood there uncertainly, finger preparing to squeeze the trigger, but she couldn't quite do it.
Phantom closed his eyes and braced himself. "I'm the ghost who ruined your life. It's what you've been working toward this whole time. Just do it!"
"No," Valerie finally answered, letting the cannon fall to her side.
Phantom's eyes shot open. He looked wildly around at the four of them, finally locking on Danny. Then suddenly Phantom started laughing. "You did it? You actually told her!" Phantom said incredulously. He shook his head in amazement. "I never thought you would. But that works, doesn't it? She's stopped. She won't do it now."
Danny gaped in confusion as Phantom looked back up at him – Phantom's eyes were no longer red, but instead glowed with a soft white light. Still laughing silently to himself, Phantom reached under his shirt and pulled out the cog-shaped medallion. With a single tug the ribbon broke, and he dropped it to the asphalt with a clang. Phantom vanished in a flash of white light.
One more chapter...