There didn't seem to be much to note about this ordinary Monday morning, other than the haze of weariness that hung about the vision of Jasmine Fenton as she gulped down her breakfast. Her eyes felt like lead weights, but she felt somewhat better as she sipped at the coffee mug in her right hand, staring at the wall like it was doing a little dance for her amusement. Her mother was sitting at the head of the table, eating her own breakfast. Danny was still asleep, and her father was undoubtedly in his lab working on something ghost-related.

Speaking of which, she heard a yawn as Danny walked into the kitchen, wearing his street clothes and looking almost as tired as she felt. "Good morning all." He announced groggily before making his way to the fridge to fix his own cereal.

"Good morning Danny." Their mother Maddie said with a smile. This was one of those rare moments she removed her mask, her deep violet eyes shining. "How did you sleep last night?"

"Okay I guess. I was up half the night studying." Danny sat down at the table across from Jasmine, setting a glass of Orange Juice beside his bowl. Jasmine shook her head, knowing better. The boy never studied or he wouldn't be a D+ student. She knew the truth... not that she would ever dare tell on him.

"How about you, Jazz?" Maddie turned to her redheaded daughter, who took a moment to register that she was being spoken to.

"Oh, I'm fine." Jasmine said with a yawn. "I was just up all night studying. We have a big exam today and I really don't want to screw it up." She said truthfully. Her mother smiled, but didn't have a chance to speak before Jasmine and Danny's father, Jack Fenton, swept into the kitchen in that cluelessly important way he had.

"Maddie, have you seen the Fenton Stripper anywhere?" He glanced at Jasmine. "Jasmine, what happened to you? You look terrible... some ghost got to you in the middle of the night didn't he?"

"No dad, I'm just tired. Didn't get enough sleep." Jasmine yawned.

"I know better than that." Jack made his way around the table and put his hand on her shoulder worriedly. "This settles it, we're going to spend the day ghost-proofing your room."

"Dad, I'm tired. It's a natural reaction to lack of sleep. Besides, I have school." Jasmine replied.

"You can miss today." Jack insisted.

"No, I'm not skipping school." Jasmine huffed. "How about you do it yourself while I go get an education so I can get a real job when I'm older?"

"Jasmine, I can't do it myself. If you don't help the ghosts will know you're not serious and pass right through the barrier. You need to show them you mean business by helping me ghost-proof your room." Jack insisted. Jasmine narrowed her eyes, staring up at him in amazement.

"So... this is a psychological ghost-barrier?" Jasmine asked.

"Precisely! Nothing works against ghosts like psychology. And really big ecto-guns." Jack replied. Jasmine stared at him a moment, then lowered her gaze and stood up from the table.

"I'm going to go to school now and pretend I have better genes than I really do." She walked around the table and grabbed her brother's wrist, dragging him out of his chair toward the front door. "Come on Danny, I'm driving you today."

"Heeey! I'm not finished eating!" Danny complained as he was pulled out the front door toward Jasmine's car.

"I'll stop and get you something on the way." Jasmine replied shortly.

"I'm holding you to that." Danny grumped. They made their way to the can and climbed in, Jasmine taking the wheel and rubbing her eyes before turning the ignition. "You look pretty tired, are you sure you're up for this?" Danny asked.

"Danny, please, don't insult me. I can handle a car." Jasmine growled as she backed out of the driveway and turned down the street in the direction of their school. Danny leaned against the passenger-side window, staring out at the passing traffic and street lights as they cruised down the road. Jasmine yawned and shook her head clear, then glanced over at him. "So... rough night huh? You wanna tell me about it?" Jasmine asked hopefully.

"Nothing much to tell. I hate math." Danny replied. Jasmine sighed and turned back to the road, knowing this familiar conversational roadblock all too well. She was waiting for him to confide his ghost-powers in her, but for some reason he never did. Did she ever do something to make him trust her so little? The thought made her feel guilty, though she knew it was probably just normal sibling distancing. He was becoming his own man, and didn't want to rely on family anymore.

"Fair enough." Jasmine replied smoothly. She pulled up to the drive-through of a nearby McDonald's and got Danny his promised food before taking off down the road again, tapping her fingers on the wheel and humming to herself. She let out another yawn and shook her head again. Man, she hoped exhaustion didn't do her in during the test after all that cramming she did last night.

"Will you watch the road? You're starting to swerve." Danny told her. Jasmine blinked and suddenly realized the car was beginning to drift to the left. She turned back into her lane and ignored as her brother stared at her worriedly.

"Just eat your breakfast..." Jasmine mumbled. Danny shook his head and turned to the back on his lap, pulling out his Egg McMuffin and sucking on his drink as they rode on toward the school. Just to be sure, Jasmine started to run through her studied in her mind, trying to make sure she was prepared for the test. Her mind faded into a whirlwind of questions and answers, swirling around each other in an almost taunting manner. She didn't even notice as the world began to fade into blackness, swallowed by the swirling, taunting messages that whirled through her mind.

She jerked in shock when she heard a tremendous impact mere moments later. Her eyes opened to see her car up against the side of a brick building, the front hood smashed dangerously far back while thick plumes of black smoke poured into the sky. Jasmine blinked in shock, thinking for a moment that she must be dead... she was even floating in the air. But a glance above her head showed a familiar head with snow-white hair and glowing green eyes peering down at her worriedly.

"Hey, are you okay?" Danny Phantom asked. Jasmine just stared at him numbly, then turned her gaze back to the wrecked car in front of her.

"Y... yeah, I guess..." Jasmine's voice shook as she spoke. Had she fallen asleep? She hadn't even felt herself drift off, and yet here she was staring at the wrecked ruins of her vehicle. Danny lowered them down toward the ground, setting her on the sidewalk and landing beside her. Jasmine just stared at the thick plumes of smoke that whirled into the sky.

"You should be okay now J... uh... miss." Danny said, putting on his best tough man voice. "Don't worry about your brother, I already saved him. I'll just... uh... go get him." With that Danny nodded and turned to fly in the other direction, his legs fading into a single ghostly tail as he went. Jasmine watched him go, then turned to walk slowly toward the car.

She moved around it, peering inside the driver's side window. The steering wheel had been shoved into the back of the seat... a position that would have easily broken her spine if she'd stayed in the car. But even worse was the passenger's side. Shards of the shattered windshield were embedded throughout the seat, punching straight through it in some places. She could picture the scene if Danny had remained in the car...

The thought made her knees tremble and she collapsed to the ground, staring at the totaled car in shock. She heard Danny's normal voice calling to her as if from a distance, though he was now standing right beside her. "Jazz? Are you okay? Jazz, speak to me!" Danny grabbed her shoulders and shook her, trying to get a response. Jasmine's gaze slowly turned to look at him, seeing his bright blue eyes alive and well.

She reached out and grabbed her little brother suddenly, wrapping him up in a tight hug. Danny yelped in surprise when he was yanked up against her, but didn't try to pull back. "Danny... I'm so, so sorry..." Jasmine said in a trembling, fearful voice. "You were right... I never should've... God, are you sure you're okay?"

"Hey, come on, stop that." Danny said softly, though he made no move to push her away. "I'm a little freaked out by the hugging, but otherwise yeah, I'm fine. I promise." He told her. Jasmine nodded slightly, but didn't let go, clinging to him until she heard the sound of approaching sirens. At last she let him slide out of her grasp and slid to her butt on the sidewalk, her limbs trembling too much to stand as two police officers climbed out of the car to approach them.

"What happened here?" One of the officers demanded as he approached the two. There was a crowd forming around the smoking vehicle and the pair of Fenton kids, watching with morbid interest. Jasmine stared up at him, unable to speak. So Danny stepped in front of her.

"It was just an accident. My sister was tired and she just fell asleep at the wheel." Danny explained. "It's okay though, Danny Phantom saved us before we hit the wall. We're both okay."

"We're glad to hear that." The officer replied. "But we're still going to have to take care of all this. Can we see her driver's license?" He demanded. Jasmine blinked and reached into her purse withdrawing her license from her wallet and handing it up to the officer as he approached her. "Don't get in such a rut girl, we're not going to arrest you or anything. Accidents happen, and the important thing is nobody was harmed. We just have to clear up the financial responsibilities." Jasmine nodded and the officer turned to head back to his squad car while his partner began to take pictures of the scene.

Danny turned to Jasmine, who watched the cops work with a blank gaze. "Jazz, are you okay?" He asked worriedly. Jasmine turned her gaze upward slowly, staring at him with eyes wet with brimming tears of fear and uncertainty.

"No... I'm so sorry Danny..." Jasmine looked down and wiped at her eyes, her shoulders beginning to shake. "My stupidity put you in serious danger... I'm so sorry..." Danny watched with a worried expression, but couldn't do anything as his precious redheaded sister sobbed on the sidewalk, her face covered in one hand and her shoulders shaking violently. There was nothing he could do... Jasmine had never screwed up so badly in her life. She didn't know how to handle it... so she cried.


(He's a phantom)
(Danny Phantom... Phantom... Phantom...)

Young Danny Fenton, he was just fourteen
When his parents built a very strange machine
It was designed to view a world unseen
(He's gonna catch them all 'cuz he's Danny Phantom)

When it didn't quite work, his folks they just quit
Then Danny took a look inside of it
There was a great big flash, everything just changed
His molecules got all rearranged
(Phantom... Phantom...)

When he first woke up he realized
He had snow white hair and glowing green eyes
He could walk through walls, disappear, and fly
He was much more unique than the other guy
It was then that he knew what he had to do
He had to stop all the ghosts that were coming through
He's here to fight for me and you

He's gonna catch them all, 'cuz he's Danny Phantom
He's gonna catch them all, 'cuz he's Danny Phantom
He's gonna catch them all, 'cuz he's
Danny Phantom


To Err Is Human

Danny Fenton walked through the halls of Casper High with his two best friends, carrying his backpack slung over one shoulder. They were chatting companionably as they made their way toward the front door of the school, after classes had ended. Danny hadn't shown up until the day was already half over, and Jasmine had refused to come to school at all.

"Just give her some time Danny." Sam said logically. "She's such a perfectionist the idea that she messed up probably hit her harder than it would a sane human being."

"Just what are you saying?" Danny whirled on her angrily. "She's not crazy!"

"Hey, I was joking!" Sam raised her hands innocently. "Come on, don't get so intense. Seriously, just give her some time to think it through, I'm sure she'll come back to her senses at some point. She's a smart girl after all." Sam commented as the three of them made their way out of Casper High onto the streets of Amity Park.

"Yeah... sorry." Danny sighed. Sam smiled and patted his shoulder comfortably, but quickly removed it when Tucker cleared his throat.

"Anyway, are you still coming to Sam's place tonight Danny?" Tucker asked. "Movie marathon night."

"You know, you have a house too. We've been having these marathons at my place for several months now. Why don't we break the routine and come over to your place?" Sam narrowed her eyes.

"And go back to a 25 inch TV when you have a 2,500 inch? No thanks." Tucker replied. "Besides, you can afford the popcorn." Sam sighed and rolled her eyes.

"I might be there, it depends on what happens at home." Danny replied morosely. "I'll definitely at least swing by for a visit."

"You do what you have to do Danny, and we'll be here for you any time you need us." Sam said.

"Just try to make it between movies." Tucker added.

"I'll do that." Danny smiled slightly. "Thanks you guys. I'll catch up with you later." Danny waved as he turned to walk toward his place. He wasn't in a big hurry, walking in the bright afternoon sunlight with his hands jammed inside of his pockets. When he reached his house he went inside and closed the door behind him, making his way into the basement where he found his parents working on one of their many ghost-hunting inventions. "Hey, guys?"

Maddie Fenton looked up from her work and flashed him a kind smile. "Hey Danny. How was school?"

"A drag." Danny replied simply before cutting right to the chase. "How's Jazz been? She was pretty shook up when I left."

"She's been in her room resting." Maddie replied. "But I think she'll be okay. Are you sure you're okay Danny? You seem awfully calm."

"Oh, well yeah, I'm fine." Danny replied with a nervous smile. "Guess the shock just hasn't set in for me yet." Maddie smiled back and turned back to her invention, while her husband worked behind her. "I'm just going to go check on Jazz." With that Danny left the basement and made his way up to the second floor, stopping outside of his sister's bedroom. He took a moment to turn his head intangible and peek inside, seeing his sister sitting on her pillow writing in one of her journals. Her eyes were bloodshot and her cheeks stained with tear streaks.

Danny pulled back and turned normal again before knocking on the door. He waited until Jazz replied "it's open" before turning the knob and stepping inside. Jazz was sitting where she was before, but the journal had mysteriously vanished. "Hey Danny." Jazz said with a forced smile. "How was school?"

"Do you really have to ask?" Danny asked with a humorous smile as he walked into the center of the room. "Look, you shouldn't be so hard on yourself over the whole car thing. We're both fine, and you'll get your license back in a few months."

"Danny, I was responsible for it." Jasmine replied darkly. "I was responsible for YOU, and I failed in my duty to keep you safe." She looked down at the floor, obviously fighting back a fresh wave of tears. "You even tried to warn me against driving today, but I was too stupid to listen." She smirked, closing her eyes. "You warned me about Johnny too, and I didn't listen then either... and once again, you were right. When did you become so much smarter than me?"

Danny couldn't help but laugh. "Me? Smarter than you? Come on, you're just pulling my leg now." He laughed. His laughter subsided when his sister didn't speak or look up, just keeping her head down and her eyes closed. "Jazz, I'm not smarter than you. You made one mistake, a mistake thousands of people have made. It doesn't make you stupid."

"Well it almost got you killed Danny!" Jasmine shouted angrily. "Can everybody say that?" She turned away from him suddenly, hiding her face behind her hand and looking down at her bed. "Please, just leave me alone..." She requested softly. Danny stared at her for a minute, then climbed to his feet.

"Okay. But I don't blame you for anything Jazz, and neither does anyone else. It was a simple mistake, and doesn't mean anything besides that you're just as human as the rest of us." Danny blinked, quickly catching himself. He thought he saw a smirk on Jazz's face, but couldn't be sure since it was still hidden behind her hand. "If you want to talk... you know where to find me."

Danny left the room, closing the door behind him and heading into his room. There wasn't much to do now but wait for the marathon if Jasmine wouldn't talk to him. So he sat down in front of his computer and turned it on, leaning back and waiting for it to boot with his hands behind his head. Suddenly he felt the breath catch in his throat and a silvery blue mist emanated from his mouth.

"Ghost sense?" Danny sat up quickly and looked around, but didn't see anything out of the ordinary. He left his room and made his way into the hallway, but everything looked completely normal. Cautiously he turned into his Ghost Mode and made a quick scan of the house, but nothing was amiss. His parents were still tinkering with their inventions downstairs, and Jasmine had gone back to her journal. Danny scratched his head and landed in his room, turning back into his normal self. Perhaps a ghost just flew too close to the Fenton Portal. It happened sometimes.

He played computer games until a quarter to seven, when he left the house to make his way to Sam's mansion toward the edge of Amity Park. She answered his knock with a surprised smile. "Danny! Hey, I didn't think you'd be around tonight." She stepped back to let him in.

"Yeah well, I don't get to come over here often enough." Danny looked around at the large, lavishly decorated house as he walked inside, taking in the sheer expensiveness of it all. She'd kept this place a secret for a long time, not wanting her family's comfortable position known to her friends, or anyone at school for that matter. "Where's Tuck?"

"He's already downstairs drooling on my TV." Sam rolled her eyes. "You want something to eat before we head down?"

"Sure, what you got?" Danny replied. Sam waved for him to follow and led the way from the lavishly decorated living room to the expansively shiny kitchen, where everything gleamed so brightly it was as if everything was made of diamonds. "Got any sunglasses?" Danny squinted and put his hand up to block the glare.

"Now do you see why I like the dark so much?" Sam smirked and opened the refrigerator door. "Looks like we have some Chinese left over from last night." She said.

"Works for me." Danny said as his eyes finally began to adjust to the bright lights. He stepped toward the fridge, but the lights were still shining in his eyes and he stumbled against the counter top, plunging into Sam and knocking her against the counter. His arms shot out to catch himself, gripping the countertop on either side of Sam's waist. She was leaning back over the counter, a look of surprise on her face.

"Danny?" She exclaimed in surprise. They stared at each other for a few moments, then Danny's face turned beet red and he pulled back, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

"S... sorry... I tripped." Danny said clumsily.

"It's okay... they keep the floors freshly waxed. It can get kind of slippery." Sam looked as red as him as she turned to split the container of Chinese food into two equal portions. Neither of them spoke while the food was heated and they made their way downstairs, where Tucker was lying on the couch with a bored expression on his face.

"It's about time. I was just about to start the movie without you two." Tucker said.

"We haven't even picked a movie yet." Sam replied.

"We're watching Vampire Vixens Six: The Director's Cut." Tucker grinned. Sam and Danny exchanged a droll glance, then each took their seats on the couch silently while Tucker leaned back luxuriously in the recliner beside them. They sat through the very 'R' rated movie, feigning disinterest though there were some parts Danny found himself very fascinated by. Sam just yawned through the whole thing, pretending they weren't there until it finally ended.

The night went on without further event, fading into a string of movies Danny probably wouldn't remember the next day. And indeed he had forgotten all about them, for some reason only remembering the moment in the kitchen with Sam after he'd tripped. He'd been able to feel her breath on his face they were so close... it was all he could think about all morning. But she was promptly replaced when his mother finally coaxed Jasmine out of her room.

She looked like a mess. A pale face surrounded by a messy red tangle of unbrushed and unwashed hair. She was barely moving as her mother pulled her out of the room into the kitchen to get her some breakfast. "Now sit down and I'll make you some French Toast dear." Maddie smiled before turning to the counter to prepare the promised dish. Danny stared at his sister worriedly, a knot forming in the pit of his stomach.

"Are you okay?" Danny asked. Jasmine looked at him, bus her face only grew paler when she saw him and she turned back to the table. Her shoulders seemed to slump even more than before, her gaze downcast. Danny felt a bit guilty, knowing she was upset because of him. But he had no idea what he could do about it, so he just tried not to upset her even more throughout breakfast.

Maddie volunteered to drive them to school since Jasmine's driver's license was revoked. They drove to school in the armored tank Jack and Maddie invented since Jasmine's car was totaled. The whole ordeal only seemed to make Jasmine even paler and more upset, and soon Danny found himself sitting alone in the back of the armored van with her.

"How are you feeling, Jazz?" Danny tried again to strike up a conversation.

"I'm good, Danny." Jasmine replied with obviously fake enthusiasm. "How about you?"

"Good, I guess..." Danny trailed off as Jasmine turned back to staring at the floor. He sighed and gave up, waiting until they reached school to emerge and join his friends in the hallway in front of his locker.

"Hey Danny. You look bummed. And Jazz looks worse." Sam jerked her thumb down the hallway where Jasmine was rooting through her locker, her shoulders slumped noticeably and her face pale. "She makes me look like the head of the cheerleading squad."

"I know. I don't know how to get through to her that nobody blames her." Danny replied. "It's like all the confidence is being sucked out of her or something. She won't accept that what happened isn't some personal flaw." He shook his head and turned to Sam and Tucker. "Anyway, what are our plans after school? I was thinking we could hit the water park."

"Ugh, I hate that place. Are you sure you wouldn't rather come to a Goth poetry..." She trailed off when she saw the expressions on the boys' faces. She sighed. "Okay, gawking at girls in bathing suits it is." Danny and Tucker exchanged a high five, then laughed and turned to head down the hallway. Sam followed behind them until they all heard a startled shriek from a nearby classroom.

"No! You can't do this to me! I couldn't control what happened, I just couldn't be here!" Jasmine's voice sounded panicked as it floated from a nearby classroom. Danny, Sam, and Tucker exchanged a glance before creeping along the wall to slide up to the door to hear better. "Please, you've got to let me take a makeup exam. I can't have this mar my record!" Danny peeked into the classroom to see.

"I'm sorry Miss Fenton, but you know my policy on make up exams. Only if you call out in advance, which you did not. You get an F. I'm sorry." The teacher handed Jasmine a sheet of paper. "Now please, take your seat." He turned to walk behind his desk, leaving Jasmine to stare down at the paper with a numb look on her face. The arm holding the paper fell limp at her side and she turned to walk to her seat, ignoring the rest of the students.

"Wow..." Danny pulled away from the classroom, looking at his friends. "An F. She's never gotten an F in anything. She's never gotten below a B minus."

"That'll be a real confidence booster." Sam quipped snidely.

"It's just a 'missed test' F, you don't think she'd take it personally, do you?" Tucker asked.

"With the mood she's been in, it wouldn't surprise me. I'll have a talk with her tonight, see if I can get through that stubborn skull of hers." Danny replied.

"Guess that means our water park plan gets cut short." Tucker sighed.

"Sorry Tuck, I'll make it up to you. For now, let's just get to class." Danny turned to head down the hall again, followed by his two friends. The rest of the school day was uneventful, though Danny felt a greater sense of sympathy every time he saw Jasmine pass him in the hallway. The F seemed to have made her even worse. By the time school let out her shoulders were so slumped she looked ready to pass out, and her expression was that of a distracted goldfish.

Danny bid his friends a hasty goodbye and rushed after her toward their house as she shuffled slowly along the sidewalk with her books clutched in her arms. "Hey, Jazz?" Danny called as he ran up beside her, slowing down to pace her. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm falling into a world of despair from which there can be no mortal escape..." Jas grumbled.

"Uh..." Danny hesitated a moment, completely unprepared for an answer like that. "Nuh-uh."

"Sorry, I don't mean to bother you with my problems. How was your day at school, Danny?" Jasmine asked with a forced smile. This only made Danny feel even guiltier. Even when she was mentally ripping herself apart she wouldn't take it out on him. He half wished she would scream at him or call him names or something. Just so he'd he able to be mad at her and not feel so bad.

He decided to stop trying to be tactful; he was no good at it. Instead he grabbed one of her wrists. "Look, forget about me. I'm more worried about you." Jasmine blinked and gave him a look of surprise. "You can't keep doing this to yourself. It's only been one day and you look like you're ready to collapse." He said.

"Maybe I am..." Jasmine replied softly. "I don't deserve to stick around here..."

"Stop that!" Danny yelled desperately. "Don't you ever start saying things like that!"

"Sorry Danny... I don't mean to worry you." Jasmine replied guiltily. Danny growled and dropped her wrist, turning to walk home with her again silently. She walked along with him, as if carrying some invisible burden on her back. They reached the house in a little while and Jasmine unlocked the door, heading inside and shuffling toward the staircase. She stopped at the bottom of the stairs and turned to look back at him.

"Look, Danny, I really am sorry." Jasmine said.

"Stop being sorry!" Danny shouted. "Geeze, fine! If you want to beat yourself up over the stupidest little things, go ahead! Why should I care? You're not going to listen to me anyway!" Danny shouted. Jasmine looked for a moment like she was going to break down again, but instead she just turned to shuffle slowly up the stairs, taking each step like she was tightrope walking across the Grand Canyon.

Danny's heart sank, but he didn't know what else to do. She wouldn't listen to reason, and she was normally the reasonable one. He turned to head into the kitchen, but stopped when the breath caught in his throat, a silvery blue mist emanating from his mouth. False alarms weren't so uncommon as to worry him. Having two in two days was extremely unusual. He went into the basement to make sure his parents were okay, then turned to make his way upstairs cautiously.

He peeked in various rooms as he passed, spotting nothing out of the ordinary. He made his way slowly up to Jasmine's room, stopping outside for a moment before reaching for the doorknob. Suddenly a pair of black holes opened in the door, with white pupils glaring at him. A growl emanated from the door and suddenly it flung itself open outward, knocking him back against the other side of the wall with a thud.

"Agh!" Danny howled as he slid to the floor. "Hey! Try knocking next time!" Danny shouted as he climbed to his feet. He clenched his fists, and his body began to shift. A pitch black suit as dark as the night save for his boots, gloves, and white "D" on his chest covered his body, a head of pure snow white hair covered his head, and spectral glowing green eyes peered out from a tanned face.

The door slammed shut again, and a lime green liquid fell to the ground in front of it, reshaping itself into a samurai with a massive blade as long as Danny was tall. It swung the blade in a wide arc, but it went straight through Danny as he went intangible to avoid it. "Gee, that's gonna work. Let me try now!" Danny lurched forward, slamming one fist into his attacker's face. It flew down the hallway and plummeted down the stairs with a thunderous clanging of armor.

Danny followed the spirit down the stairs, raising one fist behind him. But the samurai raised the blade again, swinging suddenly for his head. He weaved to the side and landed in the living room, skidding to a crouch before whirling to keep track of his opponent. The samurai had climbed to his feet and was charging at him again.

Danny dodged the next two horizontal swings, then leapt over the next and planted a solid kick across his opponent's face. This time the samurai whirled with the kick, his blade whirling until it came down in a wide vertical arc. Danny leapt to the side and it sliced the living room couch right in half, pieces of white fluff raining down everywhere.

"Hey! I like that couch!" Danny exclaimed angrily, his fists pulsing with bright green energy. The samurai lunged at him again, the massive blade sparkling. Danny whirled to the side and flung a green blast at his opponent, but it reflected off of the thick samurai armor, punching a smoldering hole through the wall behind him. "Well, that's not a good idea."

He ducked as the blade swung in another horizontal arc, then came down vertically on top of him. "You know, for a samurai you don't have many moves. This is getting boring." Danny clenched his glowing green fist and brought it up in a vicious uppercut. The blast cut through the middle of the blade, sending more than half of it flying across the room to embed itself into the wall. The samurai stumbled in surprise, and Danny lurched forward to punch him in the chest, sending him flying against the wall.

Dazed by the last blow, the samurai's form shifted again into that of a squat, goofy looking man with white hair and a black formal tuxedo. A form Danny had seen twice already. "Bertrand? You're Penelope Spectra's lackey, what are you doing here alone?" Danny demanded.

"Who said I was alone?" Bertrand grinned.

"What are you doing here!" Danny repeated and grabbed the front of his coat and held him against the wall, raising one glowing green fist. "Talk!"

"It doesn't matter if I do or not. You're already too late." Bertrand grinned. Danny stared at him, thinking. Bertrand had attacked him as he searched the house... more precisely, when he'd been about to enter Jasmine's room.

"JAZZ!" Danny dropped Bertrand and whirled to fly at the ceiling, going intangible. He heard Bertrand's laugh fade behind him as he phased through the ceiling, coming out into his sister's bedroom. He saw her sitting on the bed with her hands hanging limp at her sides, turned away from him. "Jazz? I mean... miss? Have you seen anything strange?" He approached the bed slowly, trying to get a look at his sister's face.

"Wrong?" Jasmine's voice was strangely low, and a deep rumbling undertone set Danny on edge as she turned around slowly. She had a victorious grin on her face, and her eyes had gone blood red. "Nothing's wrong anymore. I finally have my youth!" She stood up with a triumphant yell, throwing her fists into the air. "Oh it feels so good! Not only do I have my youth back, but I have a real, human body to boot!"

"Spectra!" Danny dropped into a crouch, his eyes pulsing green. "What do you think you're doing? Get out of there before I get you out!"

"I don't think you understand." Penelope grinned. "I feed on the misery of others... it is my nourishment. And depression is a self-perpetuating cycle of disappointment and despair! It took only a small nudge to get this girl into that spiral... and since YOU so kindly pushed her over the brink into full-on depression, I can move in, feed on it, and take her body! Permanently!" She laughed, throwing her head back. "I am now alive and immortal!"

"Me?" Danny exclaimed in surprise.

"Yes, you. Having you yell at her was the last straw, because she wanted nothing more than to keep you safe and happy. What might have taken weeks was accomplished in a second because of you. Thank you so much, now I'm going to go enjoy my prize." She turned toward the window.

"No you don't! I won't let you!" Danny lunged forward, bringing his fist back. But he stopped when his fist was inches away from hers, his sister's kind, innocent face twisted by Penelope's presence.

"You won't hit me. Everything you do to me happens to her." Penelope grinned. Danny growled and searched for a way to stop her... but he could find nothing. "Farewell, Danny Phantom. I'll make sure your sister has a long, wonderful life." She laughed and turned to run at the wall. Her body turned intangible just before it hit and she flew out across the sky away from him. Danny ran to the window and stared out after her helplessly.

"Jazz..." Danny clutched the windowsill tightly, staring out after his sister's body as it faded into the distance. "I will save you. I promise."