Only one word could describe Danny's situation at the moment.
'Shit! SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIIIIITT!'
Danny skidded around the corner of the hallway. He had a broom in his hand, no ghost gear on him, and he was being chased by one of the hardest enemies to fight. Spectre.
The devilish ghost was in her shadow form, with hostages wrapped up in her spectral tail. Bertrand, her ghostly shadow companion, was following under her. Shadows stretched out into a spider like form as it crawled flatly on the floor towards Danny. Despite him being flat, much like a normal shadow, each leg of the spider form was leaving dents in the lockers and cracks in the tile as it crawled.
Sam had his thermos, and was locked in one of the classrooms along with Tucker and Valerie. Mr. Lancer keeping them from joining the fray. Jazz was home sick in bed, not that that would have kept her down once she hears the news. So Danny was stuck with his own wits, which he didn't think counted much.
Dash was crying in fear, bound to the increasingly annoyed Paulina. The jock who bullies him and the popular girl who calls him a loser. Spectre didn't pick them randomly to hold over Danny's head as one of their notable traits, especially in the last year and a half, its that they were also one of Phantom's biggest fans.
Danny ducked with a flinch as one of the shadow legs slammed into a locker above his head. Not the time to focus on who she has, he needed to get away, or pray Valerie or Sam can bust in. Or even his Parents. He be happy to see them bust through the wall for once.
"Aw, little boy is lost. Its really such a shame PHANTOM isn't here." Spectre cackled, shaking the two hostages in her tail.
"What kind of HERO leave their FANS in danger? Not a very good one. Huh?"
Danny gritted his teeth, as he ducked and rolled under one of the legs, giving a slip as bust through the gym, hoping to cut through.
"Ugh. He's waiting for the perfect moment. Duh!" Paulina rolling her eyes at Spectre. More annoyed at this situation than anything. "Heroes always swoop in at the right moment."
Dash sniffled, trying not to show weakness in his voice, but it shook regardless. "Phan-phantom won't let me-us down.. He didn't before."
Danny feeling the pull of guilt as jump to dodge another leg as it tried to stab him. Lights blowing out as Spectre and Bertrand passed under them.
"Ahhh~ Smell that? That's fear, anxiety, and mmm guilt. You really are a treasure trove of teenage emotion. I wonder what would happen, if~" Spectre stopped following after him, but Bertrand didn't. She flew up high in the gym, just as Danny was nearing the doors on the other side.
"Phantom never saves them at all?" She dangled the two teens in the air and started to squeeze the life out of them.
Danny saw it in the corner of his eye, Spectre cackled sensing his fear, only egging her on. Danny quickly ducked from the doors, deciding not to leave the gym and dived through the spider legs.
Dash was kicking and panicking as air was squeezing out of him, screaming out. "PHANTOMMM!"
"Not.. the hair-" Paulina choked as her hair frizzed from the spectral tail.
Danny needed an idea and fast- the gym equipment! His parents "ghost proofed" some of it, much to the school's disapproval. If he remembered correctly, the net was made out of Fenton fishing line.
The black hair teen made a beeline for the gym storage closet, it was wide open with some gym equipment spilling out. A spike sprouted in front of him, making him jump back. Confused he quickly side glanced. Bertrand wasn't behind him anymore, he must have went under the floor and-
Danny jumped back as another one popped up beside him. He hissed as his arm got snagged by the spike. He couldn't stop to nurse it though as spikes kept popping under him, making him hopscotch away from the storage closet.
Dammit. He could hear Dash's sobs for Phantom grow weaker and Paulina's strained Spanish swearing. He felt sweat dripping off his face. He couldn't let them move him around like a chess piece. He accidentally stepped on a dodge ball falling backwards, he was able to flip back onto his feet. His eyes gluing to the offending ball that tormented him in gym class.
The net wasn't the only thing his parents at "improved". The gym teacher actually liked the coating they applied to the dodge balls. It turned the average painful squishy ball into a less squishy but still painful ball that could hit ghosts. Honestly, if they didn't disguise it as a safety thing, he was pretty sure the balls weren't following the code.
Danny dodged another spike, as it had come an inch too close to his face, scraping his cheek. He wasted a second too long in thought. His eyes scanning for Spectre who was squealing and laughing in delight. Danny shifted his broken broom.
He gauged the distance as he side swiped around another spike, and swung at the ball with the broom. The ball flew up into the rafters, getting stuck. Danny cursed as he duck and rolled out of the way of another set of spikes.
Bertrand crawling back out of the floor, still sending spikes at Danny. This time knocking the broom out of Danny's hand, as Danny was running towards set of scattered balls. He picked them up, as spikes came for him left and right, one spike hitting a ball right before Danny could grab it. Sending it in the air.
Danny was able to catch it, as it came back down. Spectre was now moving, taunting Danny as the teens in her clutches were turning blue. Danny kept his eyes sharp.
He sent one flying at Bertrand to stop the spikes. Bertrand hissed as it hit him directly into his face. Danny then ran around where Spectre was above him in the air, tossing balls. She laughed as she dodged them effortlessly. "Is that all you can do? Such a shame their only hope for a hero, is you."
"Yeah, it is." Danny eyeing where the balls landed on and grinned running towards them. Bertrand recovering from being hit, growled and sent spikes after Danny.
"Cause normally I suck at dodge ball." Danny grinned.
Danny purposely leading the spikes at the balls, sending them flying into the air. Spectre gasped as she weaved through the barrage of balls. Danny jumping up to catch one, narrowly missing the spike that almost took his own pair, then tossing it as soon as he caught it.
The ball flew and hit Spectre in the face sending her back towards the ground, Dash and Paulina flying free from her grasp.
"But apparently so do you." Danny muttered as he eyed the falling teens, catching them to break their falls. The weight of the two, sent Danny to the waxed gym floor. He used his powers to make sure they didn't get hurt, phasing a little to the floor then pushing all of them back out. Thankfully Dash and Paulina were out of it at the moment.
Which meant. Danny laid them down, as a light ring appeared around him. He stood up cracking his knuckles as the ring split in two and moved up and down his form. Changing him from Danny Fenton, into Phantom. He popped his neck as he flew up with a mischievous grin.
Spectre and Bertrand watched with wide expressions, before turning to flee. A blast of green sending them both writhing to the ground. They turned to face, Phantom, hissing in pain.
Danny blew the smoke off his fist, as he kept his grin. He swooped in, sending more blasts their way, as Spectre and Bertrand flew in opposite directions to avoid the blasts.
They growled. Spectre turned around, and sped towards Danny. Her claws sharply pointed at Danny, as she avoided his blasts. "You worthless, miserable, brat!"
"Tongue not so sharp, now is it?" Danny kept blasting at her, teeth gritted. He needed to still find a way to capture them.
"So sure of that?" Bertrand's voice could be heard behind Danny, as Bertrand attacked him from behind.
Danny flew up, barely missing getting hit by either Spectre or Bertrand as they crashed into each other. 'Way too close...' Danny thought. His eyes focusing back on the gymnasium's storage closet.
The net.
Danny sent a huge blast at them, sending them down to the ground before they could recover. He made a beeline for the closet. He almost made it when a clawed fist sucker punched him, knocking him back into the air.
Spectre grinned as she lowered her fist, blocking the door, having phased through the floor to stop Danny. "I think its time for round two."
Danny rubbed his jaw, in pain. His eyes widening and glancing down at the floor. Bertrand was spreading out against the floor, grabbing many of the rubber balls. Crud.
Danny started weaving in the air as the balls were shot up at him, trying to retaliate with his green blasts. Spectre flew straight towards him, clawing at him. Danny hissed as she sliced at his chest, making him bleed.
Balls were still managing to hit him, making it hard to maneuver in the air. He had to choose whether to be hit back by a ball or sliced by Spectre. Bertrand laughing loudly as he shot repeatedly up at him.
Think, Danny. Oh, DUH. Danny would have face palm if a ball didn't graciously did it for him. He waited until Spectre flew full speed at him again, pulling in his power before releasing it into a shield.
The balls rained back down at Bertrand, as Danny used his shield to fly straight into the ground, taking Spectre with him. The ghosts screeched in pain as they collided.
With a pant, Danny flew back up. Third time's a charm. Flew into the closet. Quickly searching for the glowing green volley ball net, thankfully it wasn't exactly hard to find.
Grabbing the net, and yanking it off of the equipment it was draped over, Danny flew back to the ghosts just as they were about to recover. He tossed the net over them and scooped them up like a bag of trash, tying the end.
"Told you he was tying things up." Tucker's voice echoed in the gym, making Danny turned to face him with a grin.
Sam rolled her eyes before smacking the boy in the arm. "You're the one that was worried he would be ripped to shreds before we got here!"
"Hey! You were the one that said he can't beat Spectre on his own!"
"Guys?" Danny raised a brow, as he glanced back and fourth between his friends. Tied net still in his hands, hanging in the air.
"We BOTH know Danny's emotional and mental state is at a breaking point! He hasn't slept well in a week! And Spectre uses psychological warfare. What was I suppose to think?" Sam hissed at Tucker.
"Ouch." Danny pouted. "Right here, ya know."
"Not now, Danny!" Tucker and Sam said in union from where they stood near the gymnasium's front doors.
Danny frowned, rolling his eyes.
"Even your friends' don't believe in-"
"Yeah, yeah. I get it," Danny shook the bag to keep Spectre from talking. "Sam, Tuck, mind still giving me a hand?!"
"Wha-oh right," Sam tossed the thermos up to Danny.
Danny caught it, and let the net fall as he twisted off the cap. He pointed it towards the net and sucked up the ghosts. He slowly floated down as he capped the thermos again.
"I think that was the fastest you ever defeated her." Tucker stated as he walked up to pat Danny on the shoulder.
"Yeah, well it didn't feel any easier. She was using Paulina and Dash as fodder." Danny sighed.
"Oof. Sounds rough." Tucker stated.
"Should have let her keep them." Sam muttered, arms crossed as she stared at the two unconscious teens.
"She was going to kill them Sam." Danny frowned as Sam flinched, not looking at him.
"Did they.. you know?" Tucker asked gesturing with his hands.
"No. Thankfully, they were passed out after I managed to free them from her." Danny walked over to loom over the two teens, checking to make certain they were still okay. Watching their chests rise and fall.
"Well, we better go get the nurse. Also you might want to change back. We don't know how long your sister can keep your parents busy." Sam sighed, walking over to look over Dash and Paulina too. Her hands on her hips.
Tucker followed suit, kneeling down to check their pulses.
"Good thinking." Danny said as a white ring appeared around him.
"Mommy?" Dash muttered in his daze.
Tucker held back a snicker, before playing into it. "Yes, baby? Pfft.."
"You think Phantom likes me?"
Tucker silently wheezed as tears came to his eyes. Danny smacked the back of his head before he could reply to Dash, as his form reverted back into Fenton.
"Okay, Dash. Time to get you to the nurse's office." Danny sighed, hands on his hips as he stared down at the sad looking jock.
"Okay... mm." Dash passed back out.
Paulina was still asleep, thought muttered Phantom under her breath with a smile.
"Alright, Sam take Paulina." Danny stated as he pushed up sleeves of his jacket, kneeling down to pick up Dash.
"What?!" Tucker whined same time Sam growled.
"Why do I have to carry her? Might give me chemical burn with how much ethically questionable makeup she puts on her face!" Sam crossed her arms with a huff.
"Yeah! Why not me? I would make a dashing Knight in white armor." Tucker winked.
Danny rolled his eyes. "Because I don't trust you to carry Dash without banging his head into the lockers-"
"But you trust me with Paulina and her catachable locks?"
"Sam! Please." Danny sighed as he picked up Dash with a grunt. He shuffled him in his arms bridal style, to find a good balance. "We both know, Tucker doesn't have upper body strength."
"Hey!" Tucker pouted but didn't argue.
"If you want to switch, I'll gladly take Paulina, but-" Danny grunted as Dash curled up in his arms, sucking his thumb. Danny made a gesture with his eyes.
"Yeah no, I rather take sleeping beauty than the thumb sucker. I do not want jock drool all over my shirt." Sam stated as she begrudgingly picked up Paulina, in her arms.
"Thanks Sam."
"Yeah, sure. Now.. ufn. Let's get going. Queen bee is heavier than she looks!" Sam grunted as she shifted Paulina around to get a better hold.
"Okay, Tuck, lead the way."
"Roger that~ After I take a few pictures~!" Tucker grinned, his tongue sticking out sideways from his mouth as he raised his phone to take a picture of them holding the respective popular kid.
Sam and Danny glaring, "Tuck!"
"Ok ok.. just one more! Hey!" Tucker's phone flew out of his hand with a blast of green. Tucker frantically catching it before it fell to the floor. "I have six more payments on that!"
Danny, who's finger was smoking, "Good to know. Now let's get heck out of here before Dash wakes up and finds out he's being carried by Fenton."
….
Dash found himself, in one of the beds in the nurse's office. His head was pounding as he tried to reel back what had happen. He was being squeezed to death by a ghost.. right- YEAH YEAH! And-
"Phantom?!" Dash glanced around, only to find no one else is around. Dash deflated, sad he had missed his chance to see his hero. He had to have carried him there.
He remembered he did. He did carry him. He couldn't mistake that strong jawline.. though his memories were so fuzzy.
"Ah, you're awake. Thank goodness!" Mr. Lancer sighed as he walked in, wiping his hands on a hand towel. "Ms. Sanchez was just now reunited with her family. "
"Oh. Is my folks...?" Dash sheepishly asked.
"I'm afraid not, Mr. Baxter. We called for an ambulance, but the roads are currently blocked from an attack." Mr. Lancer explained. "
"Oh..." Dash looked down at his feet, as he kicked one off the side of the bed. Dangling it back and fourth in the air. He furrowed his brows. "So uh.. What.. happened?"
Mr. Lancer raised a brow, "Well I was hoping you could tell me that, Mr. Baxter. You see, I had found you and Ms. Sanchez lying in the beds, while Ms. Manson, Mr. Foley, and Mr. Fenton were tending to your injuries."
"Tch. Those losers?! Why were they there?" Dash huffed.
Mr. Lancer raised a brow then cleared his throat, "Well. As hard as it is to believe, they had carried you both from the gym. Though I made sure to let them know how dangerous that was, they are the reason both you and Ms. Sanchez are safe."
"No way! Those weirdos couldn't carry a fly! Phantom carried me." Dash knew he did.
"Yes, well. No one saw Phantom fly in or out of the building. Not to say he did, or didn't, but with the ghost shield active.. I have no idea when he would have."
Dash furrowed his brows. Phantom … didn't come for him? Phantom left them to die... but he's not dead... He could have sworn he saw Phantom!
But.. one of the losers were there too.. Foley right? And there was a bright light.. like.. the thermos Phantom uses.. Which means- Oh no.
Look like Dash needed to talk some sense into Fenton. If he had planned on giving Phantom to his parents, he'll have another thing coming.
