"Hey, Fentonio!" A familiar voice cut through the after-school clatter of students rushing to get away from the building.

"Aw man," Danny groaned. He'd been able to avoid just about everyone he wanted to for the last week and a half, since Spring Break had ended, but he knew his luck couldn't last. A few people, to his surprise, had cornered him and re-welcomed him back...or at least that's how he'd described it to Jazz, but for the most part he was just as invisible as ever. This time, however, he liked it that way. The popularity he had previously craved no longer held any of the glitter and hope that it once had. He didn't turn around as a shadow blocked most of the hall light from reaching him.

"I heard you ran away," Dash shoved Danny's locker door out of his hands. It banged closed loudly, and Danny sighed inside. Back just after Christmas Break, he'd have been cowering and scared. Now, he just felt weary and annoyed. Dash just didn't seem as dangerous as he'd used to.

"So?" Danny turned and faced him. Dash leaned close, a malicious grin on his face.

"Couldn't handle it, could you?" He laughed. "You're such a freak, Fenton." Danny felt the old, familiar feelings of anger begin to bubble inside him.

"I lasted longer than you ever could," Danny replied, grinning. Dash froze, his smile gone, and began to advance on Danny, who did not back down.

"What was that, Fenton?" he slammed his fist into his palm, and Danny immediately crouched, defensively. Maybe he'd picked up more at Vlad's than he'd realized, although the thought didn't exactly please him.

"Sometimes I can only use one power," he whispered to himself. He couldn't fly without giving himself away, he couldn't use ectoplasmic blasts in his human form, and he couldn't simply vanish...that would draw someone like Valarie down on him in a heartbeat. But what if Dash couldn't hit him...what if he gave an illusion...

"Talking to yourself now, Fenton?" Dash continued to advance until he was towering over the smaller teen. "You really did loose it, didn't you?" He slammed his fist together again. "Well, let me worsen your condition." Danny suddenly stood up and grinned confidently. He ducked as Dash swung at him, but although the football quarterback could have sworn that he had hit Danny, the momentum of his punch connecting with nothing sent him staggering forward. He turned and lunged at Danny again, who once again side stepped.

"Ooo, Fight! Fight!" Several students had gathered around them and were beginning to chant. Danny sighed. He'd hoped to just wear Dash out and walk away, but he wasn't sure if that was possible now. He stepped aside, and whirled around as Dash almost went running into the wall of students.

"I'll get you FENTON!" Dash screamed and went charging at Danny, who stood his ground until the last possible moment. Just before Dash hit him, he stepped aside, and Dash ran head-long into the lockers, causing a rather deep dent in both the row of lockers, and maybe even Dash's head. He fell immediately to the ground, groaning for a few moments before losing consciousness completely.

"What's going on here?" Danny put his hand over his eyes for a few moments before turning to face Mr. Lancer.

"Mr. Fenton," Lancer glared down at the teen menacingly. "Why am I not surprised."

"Dash fell into the lockers," Danny said, non-chalantly.

"What?" Lancer eyed him suspiciously. Danny rounded on one of the few stragglers that had stuck around.

"You saw the whole thing," he said to the boy, who paled slightly when Lancer too turned his attention on the boy. "Did I throw a punch?" The boy gulped and shook his head.

"N–no," he shook his head harder, causing his semi-short hair to fly out around him.

"Thanks," Danny nodded. "I'll see you tomorrow, Mr. Lancer," the half ghost turned and began to walk away.

"Wait a second, Daniel," Mr. Lancer said. Danny sighed and stopped. "We'll need a record–"

"I've got to get home," Danny said. "My parents want me home right after school. They've wanted me to do that ever since I got home. There are plenty of witnesses around. Bye." And with that, he walked away, turning a corner before Lancer could say anything.

"Daniel!" Lancer called after him. Danny heard his rushed steps after him, and immediately went invisible, seeing as the short hallway he had turned onto had only a few students at the end of the corridor who weren't paying attention to him. Lancer came around the corner, slowed and looked around.

"We shall discuss this, Daniel," Lancer muttered to himself.

"Don't call me Daniel," Danny growled to himself. Vlad called him Daniel, and he hated being reminded of his stay with the other half ghost. Without thinking, he leapt into Lancer, overshadowing the biology teacher.

"Actually," he said out loud, knowing that the thought would stay with the person overshadowed, heavily influencing their actions, "I don't think I'll do anything. He had a completely logical explanation, and I don't really need to worry about him." He was tempted to do something about Dash, but figured that being knocked out for several hours was good enough, and leapt out of his teacher, flying out to find Sam and Tucker.

xoxoxox

"You see," A male voice whispered, his voice barely audible in the semi-silence of the hall, "He uses his powers for his own gain. We both know where he learned that." No one answered the voice, so he continued. "Will you agree to the terms? You help us, and you get your revenge simultaneously." Again, silence answered him. "I know you didn't want to believe," the voice droned on. "But you saw it with your own eyes. Will you believe me now?" After a long pause a soft whisper finally responded with a single, simple sentence.

"Yes, to all of the above."