F for Fantom

by dekalkomania

On a Casper High trip to a summer camp, Danny and Dash re-open old wounds and start a full-blown prank war. Along the way, their shenanigans escalate, and certain secrets get put at risk. Or: Mr. Lancer has to deal with two dumb asses and he doesn't get paid enough for this.

Danny and Dash didn't exactly have the best track record when it came to forming alliances. Although Dash's freshmen year bullying had long come to an end, and Danny's petty antagonism had all but dwindled, it was hard to resist falling into old habits when together for extended periods of time.

Unfortunately, their teachers seemed unaware of how tentative the truce was, constantly verging on a very delicate line between tolerance and resentment. If they'd known, the two would not have been in the situation they were in now.

"Honestly boys, I don't know what else I can do. We've punished you every way we can while we're here-"

That he had, Danny mused, still bitter at not having been able to enjoy the first real vacation he'd had from ghost hunting. Now that his folks had gotten better at capturing said entities, he had been confident in leaving Amity Park in their hands. He'd made sure to warn his allies of his trip, so they wouldn't be mistaken as enemies, and even set small traps ahead of time for those with predictable haunts.

For once in a very long time, he was excited about something, naive enough to believe he could catch a fucking break. His luck quickly showed him he was wrong.

"You've been banned from nearly every activity at this camp, short of being sent home," Lancer continued. "You wouldn't even have been allowed on this trip without my interference! I vouched for you two, and there you go proving my praise wrong. Lord of the Flies, why can't you behave!"

"I'm sorry Mr. Lancer," Danny muttered, shame making his cheeks flood with red.

"You weren't very sorry when you lured a ghost into the shower with Dash," Lancer seethed, eyes narrowed with contained anger.

That he couldn't deny.

Beside him, Danny heard the jock snicker, apparently taking amusement in the sight of him being lectured. His smugness didn't last long however, cut short by the shifting of Lancer's glare onto him as well.

"And you are not any better," he snapped. "I was notified of your little prank last week. Stealing your roommates clothes, really? How old are you, twelve?"

"I really didn't mean to cause damage, sir." Dash displayed a formality only ever seen around his superiors, a habit that had successfully placed him in their good graces in the past. "It was harmless."

"It was humiliating," Lancer corrected. "He could not leave his room until he had a change of clothing, and even then, he had an allergic reaction to whatever powder you put on it."

"It was itching powder, not-"

"I don't care," the teacher cut off. "I've had enough. For the rest of this trip, you'll be on kitchen duty. I expect you to do well and come to an agreement by the end of this trip. If I hear about one more incident, Shakespeare help me, you will get detention every day until you graduate. Clear?"

Begrudgingly, the two boys nodded, casting furtive dirty looks in the other's direction. Had he been given a choice, Danny would have rather punched Dash in the face, but sadly that was not an option.

"Good enough." Lancer reached over from behind him, lugging a bucket of cleaning supplies onto the table in front of them. "You'll start with this, now that you've gone and ruined the cafeteria with your mess. I'll be back in an hour to see how things are going. Once finished, you'll be joining Coach Tetslaff for a special training session. Don't mess up."

With those final words, Lancer briskly let them be, slamming the door shut in his wake. With him no longer there, the tension in the room was strong enough to deter anyone from approaching, other kitchen staff maintaining a safe distance, or sending them reproachful looks.

Sighing, he grabbed a rag, knowing that the sooner he began, the quicker it would be over. As he cleaned, he thought back to the shit show that had been the past week. From the moment he arrived, he knew he was screwed. Walking to the cabins, he'd expected him and Tucker to head the same way. As it was, they were in completely opposite directions, not even close enough to be considered neighbors.

The second tell had occurred once he'd opened the cabin door, coming face to face with an angry Dash pinning Mikey to the wall. Not stopping to consider his actions, he wedged himself between the two, glaring down at jock. He had grown quite a bit taller since beginning his junior year, and he planned to use it to his advantage when need be.

"Move, Fenton. This isn't about you." Dash's usual scowl had much more malice than it'd had before, marring his features with angry lines.

"It's about me because you're shitting on someone in my cabin," Danny retorted.

"In my cabin, Fenturd. You made a wrong turn."

"If I may interrupt," both heads snapped to Mikey, who flinched under their gaze. "I saw both your names on the program here. We're sharing a cabin."

After a moment of shocked silence, consisting of Mikey still pressed against a wall, Danny standing chest out as a shield, and Dash's eyes flitting between the two, a nearby bystander began to clap. Sitting on the top bunk, nearly hidden from view, was Eliot, white tufts of hair poking out from a black hoodie.

"And here I was thinking this trip would be a bore," he smirked, phone lense pointed in their direction. "Oh don't let me stop you, finish where you left off."

Immediately, Dash backed away in annoyance, flashing an even nastier glare at Eliot. It was clear the fight was over, though before Danny could get too comfortable, he shoved him to the side, throwing one final remark at Mikey.

"You better not say shit like that to me again or you're toast." Slowly, he picked up his discarded jacket from the floor, making his way to leave. Just before shutting the door, he made sure to utter his final words. "And don't think this is over Fenton, you're gonna learn not to stick your nose where it doesn't belong."

Danny had taken the remark as an empty threat, naively thinking that Dash wouldn't reopen old wounds over a silly argument. As it was, whatever dispute he had interrupted between him and Mikey obviously involved something personal. Danny had left the shower first thing in the morning to find his luggage empty of all clothes, save for underwear. The only other person in the cabin was Eliot, who from his amused expression, had obviously seen the whole thing go down.

"It was Dash, wasn't it?"

"Who else?"

"You didn't think to say something?" Danny scowled.

"And risk getting my ass beat for a loser? No thanks." Eliot gave him a quick once over, chuckling under his breath and serving to make him even more uncomfortable. "Though I do admit, you're pretty fit for a geek. Trying to make up for something?"

Danny decided that locking himself up in the bathroom was a much better alternative to putting up with Eliot's presence. He could've probably flown out to find the luggage himself, but he didn't want anyone to realize Phantom was on their trip. It would be too much of a coincidence.

Instead, he waited for Tucker, telling himself he would be the bigger person and not retaliate. That was, until he was stuck scratching at his full body rash in misery throughout the night. The verbal beatdown Dash had gotten from Lancer was satisfying, but not quite enough to satiate his thirst for revenge.

Allowing himself a rare moment of mischief, he'd waited for Dash to take his turn in their shower, before asking Mikey for anything square.

"All I've got is a tissue box...but I need those for allergies."

"C'mon, please? I'll buy you some new ones from the shop." He did his best to look convincing, even clasping his hands together in a silent beg. "Ultra soft."

Mikey frowned, eyeing him suspiciously, and then hesitantly handed him the Kleenex.

"Yes! Thank you!" He snatched his backpack from behind his pillow, casting one final glance at Mikey. "If Lancer asks, you saw nothing."

Not waiting for his response, he'd made his way over to the hallway separating the common room from the bathroom. He tried gently turning the knob, but finding it locked, he cast a furtive look around, before making his hand intangible and forcing it open with a soft click.

Not giving his conscience time to catch up, he tossed the tissue box in first, hearing a silent "what the hell?"

With Dash caught off guard, he'd pulled the thermos out from his bag, unclasping it and releasing the box ghost who'd for some reason been wandering the mess hall earlier in the day. Usually he wouldn't dream of pulling something like this, but the most Boxy could do was a small paper cut.

Shoving the still foggy-eyed ghost inside, he shut the door, booking it back onto his bed right at the moment when Dash had released a high-pitched scream. Trying not to laugh too hard, he listened in on the increasingly panicked commotion going on in the other room.

"Beware! For I have the power of," a pause. "A cubic container in an unflattering green color!"

"Get away from me!"

"Yes! Fear me, large pasty human!"

Unable to hold it in much longer, Danny cackled, earning the rather horrified looks of his two other roommates. Elliot was unsurprisingly the first to break the silence, quirking a brow.

"Dude, what did you do?"

"Nothing, what makes you think I did anything?"

In an act of beautiful irony, it was in that exact moment when Dash burst into the room, yelling in garbled fright about a ghost in the camp. His towel was placed haphazardly over his most important bits, hair still foaming with shampoo. Danny was quick to wipe the amusement from his face, pretending to be just as scared as he watched Dash spring his way straight out the front door, two other boys following in his wake. When he was certain they were gone, he rushed back into the bathroom, sucking the Box Ghost back into the thermos before he could escape as well.

He made a mental promise to thank him later for his help.

Sadly, he didn't get away with his little prank like he thought he would. Elliot, the drama-loving little bitch he was, caved right away when Dash investigated later on.

Pointing an accusatory finger at him, he said, with all the smugness in the world that, "Danny did it, please wait to jump him until I finish heating up my popcorn."

Terrifyingly enough, Dash had not so much as smacked him, remaining unusually quiet and leaving the cabin instead. He hadn't been naive enough to think it was over, but he had not expected to wake up to an attempted kidnapping on the jock's behalf.

He'd carried him about as far as one would expect to when trying not to wake someone with the paranoia of a man at war. That is to say, he was not even off the bed yet when he caught him red handed, acting on instinct and punching Dash hard enough to toss him off the top bunk. Once the bleariness wore off, he felt slight guilt at seeing the other's figure on the floor, but it quickly dissipated at the blame thrown his way.

"What's wrong with you, Freakton?" Dash scowled.

Balling his hands at his choice of word, he threw a glare right back. "I can't control how I react when someone grabs at me in my sleep! What were you even trying to do? Toss me outside?"

At the other's shameful silence, he scoffed. "Of course, treat me like a garbage bag, go ahead."

"You're the one that snuck a ghost in while I showered!"

"You started it! My back was literally peeling!"

"Why'd you scratch at it so hard then, dumb ass!"

"Why'd you put itching powder on me in the first place? Why did you even bring it!"

"In case little dweebs like you-"

"Guys!" The two quieted in shock, looking over to an irritated Mikey leaning out from beneath his sheets. "We have to get up at eight tomorrow. Can you maybe save this until later? Maybe after noon?"

The light flickered on, Eliot appearing next to the switch. "Careful there, Mikey. Don't wanna anger Danny and end up like muscle man over here."

Now that it wasn't so dark, Danny could clearly see the darkening bruise appearing on Dash's cheekbone. It was no doubt hurting him, even with it not being the strongest his hits could go. Lowering his gaze, he gave himself a moment to put himself together and then glanced back up at Dash.

"I'm sorry, I was caught off guard. I didn't mean to hit you."

The blonde seemed surprised, blinking slowly and then looking away. "Whatever. You've done freakier shit anyway."

Stung again by the word, Danny flipped the other off and buried himself back into the blankets. It wasn't his problem if the other decided to continue their stupid rivalry, he would just do his best to ignore it. As it turned out, his best was not enough, and it took only a few days of Dash's constant antagonism for him to retaliate.

That day had been particularly bad, with Dash 'accidentally' tripping and dumping his whole breakfast tray over the front of his shirt. He was lucky Sam hadn't arrived at the cafeteria yet, or he would've been receiving more than french toast to the face.

"Oops, sorry Fentonio!" He smirked. "Guess I was just caught off guard."

"You'll definitely be caught off guard when I leak your dms next week," Tucker grumbled, patting Danny down with a napkin.

"What did you say, sucker?"

"Me? Oh nothing, just nerd shit. You wouldn't care."

Dash huffed, walking off to grab himself another tray, while Danny clenched his eyes shut in an attempt to keep the green from leaking. He silently accepted the rag Tucker gave him, cleaning himself off roughly.

"Dude, I know you said it was bad, but this is like freshman year Dash all over again."

"Only now I've got less patience to deal with him," he grunted.

Tucker's eyes widened, flickering back to the blonde. "Is that what the nasty bruise is about?"

"It was an accident!" Danny protested, catching sight of Lancer directing Dash to carry a giant Home Depot water cooler over to the table. "Only this won't be."

"Sam won't approve of whatever you're about to do!"

Ignoring his friend, Danny walked over to Dash with a huge grin, too large to be anything but conniving. At the motion of someone blocking his way, he scowled, asking Danny to move rather rudely.

"I just wanted to help," he did his best to look harmless, furrowing his brow and staring off at something in the distance. "Hey, what's that?"

Confused, Dash looked over his shoulder, giving Danny an opening to turn his side of the cooler briefly intangible. The effect was instantaneous, half the 10 gallon container dumping fruit punch all over him. Stepping back to admire his handiwork, he saw the jock drop it onto the ground, staring down at himself in shock.

"Huh," Danny looked him over, arms crossed. "Guess it had a leak."

Before he could so much as blink, Dash grabbed a passerby's bowl of cereal, dumping it unceremoniously onto his head. Dripping in skim and cinnamon toast crunch, Danny smiled, pointing over at another nearby student.

"You, can I have that please?"

"Um," Lester flinched under his scarily polite veneer, handing him his measly plate. Grabbing only the sandwich, he separated the two slices, smacking the nutella-smeared halves on either side of Dash's face.

It was only thanks to his near-inhuman speed that he was able to do so, chuckling under his breath at the result. In an almost-whisper, he leaned in and muttered, "Now that's an Idiot sandwich."

The jock lunged at him, but he easily dodged, pretending to trip and fall in order to make it look less smooth. With his track record, it honestly was.

A hand grabbed onto his leg, yanking him back, but abruptly let go with the piercing sound of a whistle. Above them stood a very angry coach Tetslaf and Lancer, faces equally stoic, the teacher so red he put the Kool-Aid man to shame. It was that final confrontation that led to the now, with them stuck cleaning up the cafeteria, while the rest of their class was whisked off to do some other much more fun activity.

Danny pretended not to notice Sam's disappointed scowl and Tucker's snicker as they finished breakfast and left. Suddenly wiping down the tables was much more interesting than whatever his friends said to him the next time he saw them.

Once done, him and Dash were directed to help out with the dishes and organizing of inventory in the back. Danny couldn't help but feel remorse as he saw how much the kitchen staff already had on their plate, without the added burden of dealing with two bratty teenagers. He apologized to the head cook the first chance he got, noticing their slightly lightened mood after.

Without further words, he counted the vegetables in their large fridge, unbothered by the cold and finishing by the time that Tetslaff arrived to pick them up. He followed her out, catching Dash muttering another sorry to the staff.

Good to know that at least the guy was somewhat sensitive.

Coach Tetslaff let them have a piece of her mind all the way to the track field, grilling them on how "a pair of sore legs would teach you pair to behave." Not doubting her enthusiasm, but also knowing that he's dealt with more extraneous physical conditions fighting ghosts, Danny just listened silently. Nearing the field, he paused, tilting his head at the strange howling noise in the distance.

"Aye, Fenton! Quit daydreaming and stand at the starting point!"

Pushing the distraction out of his mind, he readied himself next to Dash, taking off once their coach gave the signal. Realizing that he shot ahead of the jock, he slowed down, purposefully using bad form and a turtle's pace. He didn't notice the odd look the other shot him, but definitely heard Tetslaff's frustrated scream.

"We just started! Speed it up!"

Huffing, he quickened up just a fraction, silently ready for a morning of minor inconveniences. He didn't like going slow either, his core practically tingling with energy that needed to be released, but this wasn't something he was willing to risk.

"Even your shadow's going faster than you, Fentoad," Dash quipped, going backwards just to show he could.

Ignoring the quiet taunting, he kept at it, more concerned about the strange feeling he got every time he neared the forest's edge. Not sensing any imminent danger, he promised himself he would check it out after they were finished.

….

"Hey, where are you going? The locker rooms are this way."

Danny rolled his eyes. "Maybe I need to go to the bathroom."

"In the forest?" Dash seemed disgusted at the thought. "But there's one right here."

"You've got your business, and I've got mine."

Not sticking around to see his reaction, Danny ducked under the trees, making his way over to where he felt the most chill. As he neared his destination, he noticed a slight frost coating most of the trees, ghost sense going off even when he saw no one around. Taking it as a bad sign, he transformed into Phantom, muttering his signature catchphrase under his breath.

Had he been a second too late, he may have been too slow to block the onslaught of blue and white that hit him, green shield serving to protect him from the worst of the blow. Still, the force of the attacker had him falling on his back, teeth clenching as he met eye to eye with what appeared to be a supernatural wolf.

The creature was an unusual color, seeming to have come straight out of the Far Frozen, with its light winter colors and unnatural temperature. Even with his ice core and the protection, Danny could tell that its aura brought the heat down to well below zero, too cold for anyone to survive.

He fought to keep up his shield, snarling sharp teeth biting it enough to form cracks. Knowing it would not last long, he let go, going intangible and flying to the opposite direction. The wolf seemed thrown off guard, glancing from side to side, while Danny formed a disc of ice and threw it to the distance.

"Fetch!"

Now knowing his location, the wolf turned, snarling and all the more angry to be treated like a common house dog.

"Worth a try," he shrugged, yelping when it swiped forward, nearly clipping him on the thigh.

"I'll tear you to shreds and feed you to my children," a voice hissed, echoing in Danny's mind.

"Oh great, she talks," he bemoaned, shooting an ectoray into their face.

The blast barely did any damage, seeming to have an effect similar to getting hit by a rubber band. Opening its mouth, the wolf howled, hitting Danny with a gust of ice shards, most of which he avoided, but still felt sting wherever they managed to hit. Parts of his arm began to drip with ectoplasm, making for a sticky, unpleasant feeling.

"Aye, watch it! I'd rather avoid being made into ground beef, thanks," he snapped, going for a similar technique. Maybe his usual tactics wouldn't work, it could be that as another ice creature, the wolf was also more susceptible to damage from their own element.

Going for size more than numbers, he shot two of the longest, sharpest icicles he could create spontaneously, managing to lodge one in her shoulder. The next howl was more out of pain than an actual attack, the wolf leaning heavily on her undamaged side.

"You're the same as the rest," she hissed. "Hunting my kind for sport. Finding more value in my pelt than my spirit."

"You got the wrong guy," Danny frowned, attempting to freeze her legs and hold her still. "I just send ghosts back to the zone, I don't kill anyone."

"Ha! I've been trying to get back home for ages," she ripped her paws out from their icy prison, pinning him underneath her once more. "As if I would believe an abomination would grant me that mercy."

Danny floundered as he tried to phase himself through her hold, finding that physical contact with her somehow made that impossible. He was able to wrestle his way further up, kicking her on the muzzle and preparing to throw more ammunition. Recovering from his hit faster than he'd expected, she simply moved her grip onto his legs, jaw snapping shut around his waist.

The initial feeling was nothing but shock mixed with the numbness of cold, giving him just enough strength to grab either side of her head and shoot a wave of painful energy directly into his target. She yowled, falling back and burying her face into the snow, meanwhile he was left to deal with the effects of her bite. It was through sheer willpower alone that he didn't scream at the top of his lungs, agony coursing through his veins, but remaining the strongest at the source.

Biting down on his lip, he struggled to sit up, eyes blazing while he raised his hands. In his state, he didn't know how much power he could muster, but he couldn't just sit there and let her roam onto the campsite. His hands had just begun to flare blue, when a green net shot out of nowhere, capturing the wolf.

His shot fizzled out, eyes confusedly searching for the source of help. He nearly didn't believe it when he saw Ember and Kitty standing to his right, former still holding what looked to be one of Skulker's weapons. She lowered it when she saw his expression, apparently satisfied with the reaction.

"Sup, babypop."

"Ember? What are you guys…" He narrowed his eyes. "Did everyone follow me here?"

"Relax," she rolled her eyes. "It's just me and Kitty. Boxy came too but we haven't seen him in days. Guessing it had to do with you?"

"He was trashing the mess hall," he explained, only lowering his guard in appearance. "Put him back in the zone after a little favor." Ever since he and Tucker had updated the thermos, they'd been able to transport the ghosts home through a useful teleportation feature on command. Made things a lot easier. "You guys aren't planning to cause problems too, right?"

"Messing with you isn't our only hobby you know," Kitty crossed her arms. "We heard your school came out for a trip and wanted to see what the fuss was all about. Not too impressed."

"If you're going to finish me off, please do it right away," a familiar voice interrupted. "No need to play with your prey by making them wait."

Oh, right. Danny still had a ghostly murderous wolf to deal with.

Suppressing another groan, he decided to float instead of walk, unclasping the thermos from his belt. It was now permanently tied to his ghost form, appearing in its usual spot whenever he changed. He popped it open, giving himself a moment to reassure the wolf. Sure, she nearly bit off a chunk of his side, but fear could make anyone do crazy things. No hard feelings, right?

"Like I said, I'm going to send you back into the zone. If you see me again, remember that I don't kill. Alright?" Not awaiting a response, he sucked the creature inside, clicking on the light blue transport button.

"Surprised she didn't already know that," Ember commented, hips cocked. "Everyone back home knows you're a snot-nosed goody-two-shoes."

"So you're saying I'm famous," he quipped, smug.

"More like infamous," Kitty cackled. "Like half of everyone you've met hates you."

"And you?"

"We tolerate you," she eyed his injury, promptly phasing through her backpack and tossing him a first aid kit. "Keeping you alive makes things more interesting."

Danny huffed, returning to his human form. He plopped onto the floor, rummaging around for a needle and thread. "Why do you even carry one of these? Not like you need it."

"Boxy loves 'em, says their sturdiness makes them the superior box." Ember sat down beside him, making room for Kitty. "Need help with that? Looks like you're doing a shitty job."

"You're saying you know how to stitch human skin back together?" Danny shot her an unimpressed look. "Nah, it's fine. I'll ask Tuck to redo them for me later. Thanks for the help by the way, guess I forgot to say that."

"She's just saving you for her boyfriend," Kitty teased, elbowing Ember. "You're his favorite playmate and all. The whole gang's been less stingy since you joined the other side. Could do with you beating our asses less, though."

"Could do with you not stirring trouble," Danny quipped.

"Oh c'mon, it's all in good fun. We add a little spice to your short, empty lives," Ember made to poke at his wound, wrist stopped halfway by his firm grasp. The tension rose slightly in comparison to the almost light-hearted banter they had going on before.

"Terrorizing people in my territory isn't what I'd consider fun. You know how close some of the other's have gotten to seriously harming someone? I let you guys hang out 'cause you've been mostly civili since the truce, but one wrong move, and you won't like how I retaliate. Got it?" Danny's eyes flashed briefly green, face slightly obscured by the shadow of the branches.

Ember and Kitty took a more defensive position, wary of any turn their encounter might take. For a moment, they seemed to be at a standoff, the girls shoulders slightly rising at the hidden threat.

Deciding she'd had enough, Ember yanked her hand out of Danny's grasp, huffing. "Whatever, you know we've honored your shitty truce so far."

Kitty followed her lead, slumping and throwing him a slight kick. "Yeah, lighten up a bit. I thought I left Johnny back at the zone."

Danny stared them down for a while longer, and then relaxed, smiling slightly. "I know, sorry. It's just-"

He stopped again, pulling out an ectogun he carried for times when he felt more drained. At Kitty's growl, he put a finger to his lips, shaking his head to indicate that he wasn't on edge because of them. He listened, eyes narrowing in the direction he thought he'd heard the snapping of a branch come from. Other than a slight rustle, he hadn't heard anything more, leaning back to settle himself comfortably against the trunk.

"Thought someone was there," he said as way of explanation.

"I'm saying, the hero life is getting to you. Soon you'll be paranoid of your own shadow," Kitty complained, smirking. "Speaking of, did you hear what happened last week in between Spectra and Bertrand? Kept us laughing for days."

"Is it embarrassing?"

"Oh yeah, she's been desperately trying to save her rep," Ember cackled. "This is the most humiliating thing to happen in the zone for centuries."

Danny shed any remaining tension, deciding a few minutes of conversation wouldn't be so bad. "I'm all ears."

"Okay so, it started when Bertrand confessed his ever dying love for-"

….

A few minutes ended up becoming closer to nearly an hour, but Danny figured he should be fine since neither Tucker or Sam had blown up his phone. He wasn't allowed to join in on any camp activities for the rest of the day anyway, and they were trusted enough at this point to return to their cabins on their own. Not like any of his roommates would mind much if he was missing.

It did spell out trouble for his stitches though, which had begun to bleed through the bandaging. It would be better to find Tuck sooner rather than later, forcing him to change out of his sweaty clothes in a rush, not checking to see if the locker room was empty.

He removed his shirt, wincing slightly as he raised his arms. There wasn't much time to dwell on the pain though, a loud crash coming from behind him. Wary, Danny turned around, spotting Dash sprawled against the lockers, eyes glued to his back.

He quickly put on the new shirt, turning to look down on him directly. "What're you still doing here?"

The dazed look hadn't left the jock's face. "I didn't imagine it...it was real…"

"Dash?" With dread, Danny remembered hearing what he thought was an eavesdropper in the woods. "How long were you there?"

No response.

"Dash!"

The other flinched, scrambling to his feet, stuttering around his words. "I-I didn't mean to. Look, I won't mess with you anymore."

"But will you tell anyone?" Danny approached him, nerves making him sounder rougher than he'd intended. It was apparently the wrong tone to take, Dash finding an opening and running back out the building, stopping the conversation from going further.

Danny slumped onto one of the benches, letting him get away. There was no telling how long his secret would last, now that it was in the hands of someone with much more influence than Wes, and way more against him.

….

"Are you absolutely sure that he saw you?" Sam asked, bag of oreos in hand.

They were seated away from everyone else, snacking during one of their rare breaks throughout the day. Lancer had let him return to most of their regular activities, though he still had to help out with the morning shift at the cafeteria. It had been just yesterday when Dash walked in on him going ghost, his nerves grating at him when his secret wasn't spilled right away.

"What else could he have seen that would've gotten him so spooked?" Tucker responded, snatching another one of Danny's untouched pretzels. "I'd freak out too if I found out my classmate was a freaking ghost."

"Half-ghost," Danny corrected, keeping an eye on Dash's crew mingling in the distance. "And yeah, I'm pretty sure. He's been acting weird all day. Wouldn't so much as look at me when we saw each other at the dorms yesterday. And then this morning, nearly spilled a crate of eggs when he caught me staring."

"'Pretty sure' isn't a solid yes," Sam frowned. "You don't know how long he was there. You know how dense he is, he could've seen a little and formed his own dumb conclusions. I just think we should figure out what he knows, and then plan from there."

"Well, now's our chance," Tucker subtly nodded over to Dash and Kwan, the pair walking away from their friends and disappearing into a cabin. "If Dash's gonna tell anyone something as big as this, it's gonna be Kwan."

Catching on, Sam and Danny stuffed their snacks into their backpacks, following Tucker to squat behind a nearby bush. Seeing the rest of their class still distracted, Danny grabbed onto their wrists, turning them all intangible and flying them over to settle quietly near a frazzled Dash. They floated just within earshot, getting a good view of Kwan seated on one of the beds.

"Dude, calm down. You've been freaking out all day, and now you can't even tell me what happened." Kwan pointed to the bunk across from him, expression clearly worried. "Sit or you'll just panic more."

Dash stopped pacing, considering his request, and then listened with a sigh. "Sorry, I've just been wondering how to phrase this without sounding nuts."

"We're both from Amity Park, very few things sound nuts anymore."

"Right," Dash chuckled, playing with the frayed ends of the blanket. "This is just um...something really hard to believe. I was thinking about it all night, and I think I finally got it." He braced himself, nervously meeting Kwan's gaze at his next confession. "I think Fenton might be in a ghost gang."

Danny nearly lost his grip on Tucker, eyes bulging from his sockets. His friend desperately grasped onto his shoulder, trying not to make noise, while beside him, Sam faced the same predicament, hand clasped over her mouth.

Kwan pursed his lips, reacting similarly. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Don't laugh! I'm serious!" Dash stood up, pointer fingers pointed parallel, expression crazed. "I've connected the dots!"

"You haven't connected shit," Kwan buried his face in his hands, shoulders shaking.

"I've connected them!" Dash insisted, resuming his pacing from before. "Look, you ever wonder why he runs out of the classroom when the ghosts arrive? Big coincidence, huh?"

"Maybe he's got IBS? C'mon man, these are the kinda claims Wes would make."

"Well, Wes is wrong! I'm right!" He tapped his chin, pondering. "I should've started with what I saw, then maybe you'll believe me. So yesterday, remember how Tetstlaff had us run some laps?"

Kwan nodded.

"After we finished, Fenton went off into the woods. He was acting kinda weird, more than usual. I got changed and waited for him to show up, but nothing. Dude was taking forever and I was starting to wonder what was going on. With that whole prank war we've had, I thought he was trying to pull something. So I followed."

"Understandable," Kwan shrugged.

"Right! So, I try finding him, but there's all this ice everywhere. Obviously something ghostly. I go in that direction and I see Fenton." He stopped. "But he's not alone. He's sitting with those two hot chicks, Ember and the biker ghost. And he's got this crazy bleeding down his side, but he's treating it like it's nothing. From what I could hear, he got into some sort of fight and the girls helped him. Said something about how him joining "The Other Side" made things more fun."

Dash made air quotes around the name as if it held significance, amusing Kwan. "I mean, I don't know if you've noticed, but ghosts do be dead."

"I know that! It's why they chose that as their gang name, it blends in," Dash continued, completely ignoring his friend's sarcasm. "And get this, they said something about causing trouble, and Fenton threatened them. Wimpy little Danny Fenton actually made these two super powerful ghosts cower. Shit, I wasn't even that close and I felt scared. He's got this whole other secret life, and now he knows that I know!"

"How would he know?" Kwan frowned. "You didn't tell him right?"

"Not exactly, but I was dumb and I went back to the locker room 'cause I realized I forgot my bag. Tried convincing myself the whole time that it was fake, but I caught him changing and dude, he was bleeding through his bandages. It was all real, and he really is part of the gang." Dash's eyes widened, even bigger thought popping into his head. "I think he might be working with Phantom."

"You're jumping to all sorts of conclusions here, you're starting to lose me."

"No it makes sense! Number one, what I said before about him going off when the ghosts arrive. He's scared, but not because he's a wimp, it's because the ones attacking are ghosts from the rival gang. If they catch him, they'll kill him!" He raised his finger in a V gesture. "Number two, where's Phantom getting all his ghost tech? Who else has parents crazy enough to have prepared ghost fighting weapons before they even showed up? Fenton! He's his supplier, I bet that's why all their tech has that logo on it. F for Fantom."

Danny had to roll his eyes at that one. Or maybe my parents just like putting the initial of their last name on everything. F for Fenton, dumb ass.

Kwan looked like he was about to raise that same argument, but Dash spoke too quickly.

"The constant bruises, being tired all the time, that creepy language he speaks sometimes. He's using ghost code. It all makes sense!" He counted on his fingers, brow furrowed. "He missed school for a whole week freshman year, I bet it's been going on since then. We all know gangs have to beat up the noobs to initiate them. It would probably take him that long to recover."

He fell to his knees, fingers grasping at his hair. "This is serious man, Fenton could send his gang after me! I'm too young to die!"

Unable to hold it in any longer, Danny flew out of the cabin, going as far as he could before dropping down at a clearing and laughing at the top of his lungs. Tucker and Sam weren't far behind him, tears practically trailing down their cheeks.

"The Other Side?" Tucker buried his face in the grass, shoulders shaking. "He-he hears ghosts talking about Danny literally dying and assumes he's joined some poorly-named gang?"

"I-If you think about it it kind of is." Danny pressed himself into Tucker's side, laughter rising in pitch. "Exclusive, must be at least half dead to join."

Sam kicked him lightly, too amused to put any force into it. "I guess we got lucky that Dash was the one that overheard. Forgot he was way too much of a moron to actually figure it out."

"Real save there, Fantom with an F," Tucker rolled over, taking deep breaths. "Oh that was great, you gotta milk this one out man."

"I don't know. It's funny, but we can't risk him spreading it to other people who actually have a brain. We can say Danny just supplies them with tech and that's it, no ghost gang affiliation." Sam looked over to Danny. "You do plan on fixing this right?"

"With the way he's been treating me? I think I can keep this going for a bit." He grabbed onto Tucker's arm, using it as a pillow. "Consider this petty revenge."

"Danny…"

"Relax, I'll make something up...eventually."

"Yeah Sam, let Danny have his fun," Tucker agreed. "It's the least he could do after falling victim to an afterlife of organized crime."

….

"Hey Dash, can I talk to you for a minute?"

The jock stiffened, pausing his conversation with Kwan and Dale. "What do you want, Fenton?"

"Can't a guy ask for some conversation?" he cocked his head over to the cafeteria entrance. "C'mon, it'll be quick."

Dash exchanged a nervous look with Kwan, the other seeming more exasperated than worried. "Go, it's just Fenton."

"Just Fenton, my ass."

Danny pretended not to hear the last bit, leading the way over and out away from earshot. Dinner had just begun and students were milling about, drowsy after a long day of hiking, but he found a space discrete enough for his next task.

And oh, what a task it was.

Putting on a somber act, he sighed, gaze locked on Dash. He wouldn't consider himself a scary person, not even being literally half a corpse helped in that, but he could be slightly unsettling if he allowed his ghost tendencies to slip through. Separating his two halves was a conscious decision, one that took a lot of energy, so it was quite easy to let the act drop.

First thing to go was blinking.

If deep in thought, he often forgot to correct his strange behaviors. Chest rising and falling less than average, body unnaturally still, eyes glazed and wide. Even Sam had to admit it was creepy, and she knew the reasoning behind it. So to a person like Dash...well, based on his uneasy fidgeting, he wasn't having a great time.

"You gonna say anything? Or am I just gonna stand here like an idiot?"

Danny had to give the other credit, he really did put on a great front. But a bit of bravado wasn't enough to hide the subtle way that he backed up, or his deep nervous gulp.

Perfect.

Danny smirked, leaning in a little too close. "So you've figured it out."

Dash took a whole step further back, eyes wide. "I don't know what you mean."

"Hm, so I guess my friends are lying?" Danny frowned in mock disappointment. "Guess I'll have to send them over to apologize personally."

"Don't! I mean, look-" Dash ran a shaking hand through his hair, thinking through his next few words. "I don't wanna get into problems. I only told Kwan, no one else, and even he didn't take me seriously. So-so if you're gonna do something, do it yourself, I don't want no crazy ghost bent on homicide coming after me and-why are you laughing?"

Danny waved him off, shaking his head. Honestly, this is why he was so bad at intimidation. He just found everything so funny.

He coughed, pulling himself together. "Relax, I'm not actually gonna do anything. You really think someone working with Phantom would be sending ghosts after himbo jocks?"

Ignoring the jab, or most likely not knowing what it meant, Dash frowned. "You already did."

"Oh please, Boxy can barely do damage to a fly. Real softie once you get to know him," he waved it off. "I just wanted to know you wouldn't go spreading this around, then there would be problems."

Dash shook his head so fast Danny thought his head would snap off. Not a pleasant feeling, and that was coming from personal experience. "No, no. Putting this all behind us, alright?"

"Sure," Danny smirked. "After one favor. Nothing big really."

The blonde's eyes narrowed in suspicion, but he nodded nevertheless. "What is it?"

Now, despite his many claims to not be scary, anyone watching from a distance could not help but to shiver at the downright scheming look that crossed Danny's face. It screamed nothing but bad news for Dash, and a great source of amusement for his enemies.

….

"Um, why's Dash here?" Tucker asked, pointing a fork to Danny's left.

The pair had just returned from their talk, Dash looking as if he would strangle Danny if given the opportunity. Ignoring the other's obvious death glare, Danny shrugged. "Personal assistant."

"Temporary personal assistant," Dash corrected between clenched teeth.

"Nice," Tucker went back to his meal as if nothing was amiss, meanwhile Sam silently frowned at Danny in disapproval.

Not paying mind to her either, Danny rested his chin in his hand, languidly sending the jock off to go get him his dinner. "With extra mashed potatoes!"

"Don't you think you're abusing your powers a little too much?" Sam asked, once the blonde was out of earshot.

"Technically haven't used any powers, so no. Just good old fashioned manipulation."

Tucker nodded agreeably. "A perfectly normal human trait."

"They've been going at each other's throats since we got here," Sam continued. "I'm all for pettiness with the A-listers, but isn't this kind of humiliating?"

"Sam, Dash made Danny eat his underwear in the ninth grade," Tucker blanked. "I'm sure a few days of harmless chores won't hurt him that bad."

"Exactly! At least someone gets me." Spotting Dash making his way back, Danny pointed to the nearby drinks table. "Don't forget my Caprisun!"

….

"Harmless chores, you said?"

The next morning found Danny on his stomach, Dash giving him a surprisingly decent back massage. He'd granted him the mercy of asking him to do it in a secluded area during their free hour. They'd been switched to the dinner run at the kitchen for their final week at camp, leaving him with ample time to enjoy this luxury.

"I said what I said," Danny groaned feeling another knot come undone. "Right there! Ah, yeah that's perfect."

"Geez, what's all this tension about, Fentoad." Dash grimaced has he pressed harder. "I thought that being your personal assistant would be less lame."

"Hey Danny, when he's done can you send him over to me?" Tucker asked, slumped over on a bench.

"No promises," another sound of content. "Might have him keep at it until break is over."

Dash gave a rather aggressive push against his back, earning a glare. "Excuse you, high ranking member of a ghost gang here. Try not to break the goods."

Dash scoffed. "Yeah right, I bet you're just their supplier. Probably not even that important."

Even as he said it, the trio could hear the uncertainty in his voice. One didn't just stand up to Ember McClain and Kitty and leave unscathed, not unless they were strong enough to fight back.

Rolling her eyes, Sam decided to go along with it this one time. "Oh no, Danny's pretty up there." She eyed him and grinned. "Might as well be massaging Phantom."

"Oh ha ha Sam, very clever." He tapped on a spot between his shoulder blades. "Right here next, thanks."

Dash grumbled, grabbing more lotion. Once they were back in Amity, he was going to find Phantom and tell him to control his stupid member. After asking for an autograph first, obviously.

He had priorities.

….

"Dash, would you be so kind as to carry my dear friend Tucker the rest of the way? He's quite fatigued."

Danny had taken to speaking in that snooty, high class way that Vlad did since they began their daily hike. It was downright unbearable when he heard it coming from the man himself, so he figured, what better than to test out whether it would annoy Dash just as much? So far, the result was pretty satisfying.

"People are around," Dash hissed. "I'm not gonna carry your techno geek of a friend."

"Just say he hurt his foot and I was too weak to carry him," he insisted. At Dash's lack of response, he sighed, arm dramatically flying to his chest. "I suppose I will have to inform Phantom of your enthusiastic eavesdropping then. Let him deal with those who meddle in his affairs."

"Fine!" Dash chucked his backpack to the floor, squatting down. "Get up already. Fenton, you carry my bag."

Chuckling, Danny grabbed it, watching as Tucker comfortably climbed onto the bigger boy's back. "Ah, this is great. My feet were killing me, thanks Danny!"

"Oh, you're ever so welcome," he smiled, leading the way. "Now onwards, mighty steed!"

….

"Danny, isn't this a bit much?"

"Oh! Is that a charcuterie board? Neat!" Tucker popped a piece of cheese and fruit into his mouth. "Ratatouille was onto something, this is fire."

"He's called Remi, not Ratatouille," Danny scolded. "Put some respect on my boy's name."

Overlooking their antics, Sam sat next to him, contemplating whether she should even bother asking where they got all the ingredients, and deciding it was better not to. Figuring, what the hell, she grabbed a sliced peach for herself as well and got comfortable.

"Aren't you gonna eat, Dash?" Danny patted the spot next to him, calling over the irritated blonde. "I mean, you made it."

Dash scowled, still irate from a few hours before, but sat down anyway. Seeing that he was honestly upset, Danny dropped the bossy act, shoulders slumping.

"I'm sorry, I guess having you play piggyback was kind of embarrassing," he acquiesced. "I would've done it myself but uh, Danny Fenton being strong enough to carry someone that long is pretty much unheard of."

Dash huffed, grabbing a square of cheese. "What, you got secret super strength or something?"

"He can bench press an elephant, man." Tucker said it so seriously that the jock was unsure whether to believe it or not.

"Ignore him," Danny frowned, though Dash swore he heard him correct it to, actually, two elephants. "But anyway, Sam guilt tripped me into realizing that I was being an ass, so take this as my final request. Oh! And before I forget-"

He reached into his backpack, handing Dash a green and white ectogun. "I don't think anyone knows that you're kinda affiliated with me now, but just in case."

"You're saying I might be attacked!"

"Probably not, but better to be safe, no? If you need help using it, I can teach you." Seeing Dash's less than enthusiastic reaction, he rolled his eyes. "Or I can have Phantom do it."

Dash choked on his cheese, grabbing both of his shoulders in an intense grip. "Really! Bro wait, you're serious? When?"

"I don't know, he's a busy guy. But uh, I'll see what I can do."

The rest of their snacking went by with much more eagerness than before, the group actually exchanging pretty interesting conversation. Even Dash, who had been taciturn most of the day, chimed in with an anecdote or two. Mr. Lancer had arrived amid another story, Danny snorting up a storm while Sam buried her face in her hands from the sheer stupidity.

He stayed frozen, watching the scene unfold with surprise. After the chaos that had happened for the past days, he didn't expect to see the two nemesis laughing together over a cheese board.

He coughed, somewhat regretful of interrupting them. But a punishment was given for a reason.

Danny looked over first, smile slightly fading. "Guess it's time for kitchen duty. See you later guys."

He got up, waving goodbye to his friends while he and Dash trodded off, ready for another day of food prep, or whatever they decided to give them. Luckily for them, Lancer had other plans.

"This way," Lancer waved the teens over to the parking lot. "Today is going to be easy. It's pizza night, and the locals here suggested a great place downtown. You'll be helping me with pickup."

Their earlier glee from before came back, even if somewhat dulled. With a polite wave goodbye to the cafeteria ladies, they settled inside the car, relatively quiet for the rest of the drive. Considering they had been getting along pretty well in the past hour, Danny didn't mind the company. Even then, he wasn't sure how years worth of animosity could be fixed over a camping trip. So he was comfortable with simply being in the other's presence without the urge to phase him out the vehicle.

Once they arrived, Lancer led the way to the back door of the mom and pop. He knocked, waiting for it to open, and coming face to face with the friendly restaurant owner that had prepared their order.

"You're the bunch that Lorna sent to get the food right?" At Lancer's nod, he propped open the door, leading them over to a counter stacked with brown boxes. "This shouldn't be too many trips, but if you need an extra hand for anything let me know. I'll be at the register."

"No problem, thank you." Lancer turned to the boys, handing them each a stack. "Let's hurry back. If we have time, I'll let you go free for today."

He went ahead of them, clearly in a rush to leave.

Dash's eyes grew wide at the extra boxes Danny piled on. "Didn't you get like a crazy injury recently? How are you gonna carry all that?"

Danny ducked when Dash tried to snatch some pizzas from his pile. "Relax, I heal pretty fast. Ecto-contamination from being around all those ghosts." He winked, seeming completely at ease. "It's fine, let's just put these away."

Turning his back, Danny marched out the door, feeling very much like Spongebob on a delivery run for some Krusty Krab Pizzas. Not altogether a bad thing. They quietly packed the items, adjusting them so they wouldn't turn over on the drive. After a while, everything was pretty much done, the last person left to return being Dash.

There was only one small stack left, so it really shouldn't have taken him so long, but the pair was left waiting. When five minutes passed and there was still no sign of him, Lancer sighed and decided to go check what the delay was.

"This boy, I bet he got sidetracked placing another order. Wait here, I'll bring him."

With a strange dread settling in his stomach, Danny ignored Lancer's request and followed, much to the annoyance of his teacher. He didn't do anything more than huff though, wanting to get in and out fast.

Seeing the still-open back door, they quietly walked in, immediately seeing the problem. Ahead of them, near the counter, stood the restaurant owner, hands raised and expression defiant in the face of a weapon. The tall man in front of him, donning an all black wardrobe and a covered face, turned to look in their direction, apparently having heard them enter.

"You, come in and close the door behind you or I'll shoot!"

Seeing Lancer frozen next to him, Danny moved to follow the man's instructions, body tensing in preparation for future retaliation. Without protest, he raised his hands, gently tapping Lancer with his foot to get closer.

"We don't have anything, see?" He inched forward slowly, eyes subtly scanning the kitchen for Dash. He found him, squatted behind a wooden counter in the center of the room, but showed no signs of having seen him. "No need to get aggressive."

The man scoffed, using one hand to toss a satchel onto the counter. "I won't let a kid tell me what to do. I want you lot to get on your knees, and you-" He pressed his gun closer to the owner's forehead. "To fill up that bag. Quick."

Seated on the floor, they were closer to Dash, jock crawling his way over to get within earshot.

The owner crossed his arms, refusing. "If you're going to steal from my business, then reach over and grab it yourself."

"Don't make me repeat myself, put it in the bag."

Hearing the warning in his voice, Dash got more frantic, getting as near as he could to Danny without being seen. In a low voice, he nodded over to the front and whispered, "Can't you call up your ghost gang for backup?"

Apparently not quiet enough, because his voice caught Lancer's attention first. "Excuse me, his what?"

"Hey! Back there, be quiet or the bullet's going in your head too!" The man grabbed onto the owner's collar, roughly dragging him forward. "Pack, now."

"What if I don't want to?"

Danny looked over at Dash, not liking the determined glint that began to appear in his eye. Surely he wouldn't be so stupid as to give himself away, right?

The criminal unlocked the safety on his gun, response all too loud in the small room. "Well then, I guess it's unlucky for you that I don't mind taking a life."

Before he could act on his threat, Dash shot up from his spot, fists clenched. "He's-he's not going to give you the money. Just send him over with us so you can get it, you don't need to shoot."

The man seemed thrown aback, going quiet for a minute and scanning the room in case someone else decided to stand. After a while, he loosened his grip, shoving him so hard that he got knocked to the ground.

"Alright, if you're so brave then, why don't we do a trade?"

Danny's eyes widened as the man's gun swivelled to Dash, throwing himself forward and grasping onto his knee at the very last minute. He heard the shot go off, but the bullet embedded itself into the wall rather than human flesh. Looking up, he saw Dash lower his arms in confusion, staring at them as if they belonged to someone else.

Danny knew the feeling very well, a pins and needles sensation that he's grown accustomed to for the past three years. Knowing that there would be no turning back, but preferring to do something rather than let everyone be put in unnecessary danger, he threw both Lancer and Dash what he hoped was a reassuring look.

"Try not to freak out too much," using the counter for cover, he transformed, grabbing each person on both sides and forcing them into a duck. Not paying mind to their stunned reactions, he reappeared a distance away, cocky smile in place.

"Hey tough guy, over here!"

The man woke from his shocked stupor, taking a frightened step back upon seeing Danny. They were close enough to Amity Park that he surely knew who he was, dropping his gun now rendered useless.

"You're-you're the Phantom kid. But why are you here? We're not even in-"

"What? You scared now?" His eyes flickered to the shop owner, still sprawled on the ground, hopefully just passed out. "Didn't seem like it a while ago. Not so nice to be outmatched, right?"

The man watched him closely, before deciding to duck for his weapon in sheer desperation. With a sigh, Danny flew forward, so fast that the man didn't even have a chance to reach for it. Going with a route he usually didn't prefer, he swiped his hand intangible through his head, using partial overshadowing to knock him out.

With that solved, he picked him up and placed him on a nearby chair, freezing his arms and legs to its sides and letting him slump forward. Floating over to the counter, he sheepishly met eyes with Lancer and Dash, both now standing, but gaping at him like a fish.

Rubbing the back of his neck, he smiled nervously. "So, I guess this explains all the bathroom breaks?"

….

"So...what you're saying is you're not actually part of a ghost gang?"

Danny groaned, tired of hearing the same question for the fiftieth time. "No Dash, I'm just Phantom."

"Just Phantom he says!" Seemingly exasperated, Dash buried his face in his arms, mumbling about how obvious it should have been and ignoring the soothing pats the equally dumbfounded Lancer tried giving him.

They were seated on the floor of the kitchen, the criminal moved to be within eyesight, and store owner prattling on the phone to the police in the other room. Danny would've honestly preferred to simply dip, dread at having revealed his biggest secret beginning to weigh down on him, but the rational move was to stay. Though still overwhelmed, Lancer and Dash helped him come up with a cover story about the sudden appearance of Phantom, and then settled in for an explanation once the owner had woken up and left.

They decided on some bs excuse about their school's presence in the town being enough to summon the hero from Amity Park. If asked where he went, they would point towards his elusive nature and leave it at that. Honestly, that part of the conversation was much easier to deal with than this.

He had told them what he felt comfortable with, glossing over the exact details on how he came to be a half-ghost, and waving off Lancer's profound apologies on all the detentions. Now he was stuck with a guilt-wracked teacher and panicking jock, not the best combination.

"So to reiterate, Mr. Fenton, you're still alive, correct?" That was what seemed to weigh down on Lancer the most.

Danny sighed.

"Yes," he tilted his head. "Well, mostly."

Lancer paled.

"Wait," Dash interrupted. "So this means, all these years, you could've totally fought back. Why didn't you?"

"Dude, you've seen me fight ghosts ten times my size and win. How messed up would it be for me, a person who's so obviously overpowered, to use my powers against a normal human? Don't get me wrong, I've played some pranks before, but to go that far? Can't risk it." Danny explained. "Besides, I have a secret identity to protect. I can't have my human self looking like he actually has a backbone."

"Didn't seem to bother you since we arrived," Dash scoffed.

"That's because you were threatening Mikey," Danny scowled. "And then getting on my case once I defended him. Seriously, I thought you'd left the bullying behind, but here you were, proving me wrong."

"Yeah, and you didn't even bother to ask why I was so mad before butting in. Ever consider I had an actual reason for nearly beating him up?"

"Boys, you should never have an excuse to hurt someone else," Lancer chastised.

Both parties rolled their eyes in unison, Danny continuing on with their conversation. "What could Mikey possibly say to get you that mad?"

Not thinking he would actually ask, Dash grew quiet, looking down at his hands. "He saw me and my dad fighting just before we got on the bus. Rubbed it in the moment we got here, as if I could control the type of shit my parents hound me for. Ever since the divorce, they've been fighting over me like some object, and to have him make fun of me for it..."

He furrowed his brow, glancing back at Danny.

"I guess now I know what it's like to be on the receiving end. Doesn't feel very great to have your family situation poked fun at, suppose you would know how that feels, right?"

Knowing he was referring to his taunting back in ninth grade, Danny shrugged. The most common thing Dash would bully him about was his 'freaky parents' and the disappointed look on their faces every time they went to an open house. "Can't even live up to your sister," he would snicker, shoving him into a locker.

He was right, it didn't feel great, but in the grand scheme of things, and their decrease in animosity over the years, he'd swept it under the rug, moved on to bigger problems.

"It's whatever," he answered. "I'd honestly prefer to just let it go and not repeat this shitty week we've had." He smirked. "Though I will admit, it got pretty fun."

"For you, but most certainly not for me." Lancer pinched the bridge of his nose, levelling both of them with a stern look.

"Sorry, Mr. Lancer," Dash snickered, and then smiled uncertainty at Danny. "And sorry to you too, about everything."

"Eh, like I said, I'm over it. But I also owe you an apology." He put out his hand for a quick shake. "Promise not to spill my secret to the government and call this a truce?"

Dash laughed, extending his own hand as well. "Truce."

….

An hour later and significantly more tired from giving their side of the story to the police, the three drove back to camp, pizzas already cold in the back. The atmosphere was significantly more comfortable than when they had arrived, drive filled with questions verging on fanboying from Dash, and stories on Danny's behalf.

Mr Lancer was worryingly concerned nearing the end of it, promising Danny that he would try and help him academically in any way he could, without compromising his secret. Altogether pretty wholesome, until Dash stopped talking suddenly, leveling Danny with a mischievous grin.

"Hey Danny...you can still access your Phantom side in human form right?"

"Yeah?"

"You think you could maybe use those ghost powers to pull a little something on Smeliot?"

"I don't know, Dash. That would be very irresponsible of me." Danny glanced slyly over to the approaching campgrounds. "But I can make an exception."

Ahead of them, Lancer released a heavy sigh. "Detention, for the both of you."

"Aw c'mon Mr. Lancer, we were just joking!"

"Yeah, I would never!"

Quarrelling with their teacher the rest of the way, the two boys couldn't help but feel that this would be the beginning of a new and overdue chapter at Casper High.