(Hayden's apartment complex)

Danny stared at the door in front of him. The brownstone they had finally located was clear across town. It wasn't hard to believe that the peculiar girl they were trying to track down lived in this dark, seemingly abandoned building. Mustering up his courage, he knocked on the door.

Nobody answered. After waiting a few minutes, he knocked again, louder this time. Still no answer or noise from inside the apartment.

Frustrated, Sam pushed him aside and turned the door knob. The door swung open soundlessly, and the Goth girl stepped through.

"Hayden? You home?" Sam stood inside the apartment and waited for Danny and Tucker. After exchanging tentative glances, the boys followed her.

It didn't take Danny long to notice that was apartment was incredibly bare. In the room they were standing in, which he assumed was the living room; there was only a dingy couch and a television with a DVD player. No paintings, no tables, no other chairs, nothing at all. Apparently, Sam noticed too.

"I'm the last one to be materialistic, but this apartment is kind of……lacking, in the personal effects department." She turned slowly to appraise the entire room. "It's like no one lives here."

"Or just one person." Danny moved forward and glanced down the hallway. "There's only one bedroom." He turned back around to face the others.

"She's living alone? That's weird."

"That's not the only weird thing, guys." Both of them looked to Tucker, who had flipped open the CD case and began examining it. "These aren't music CDs, they're data recording discs. Like DVDs. They can store audio and video."

Sam glanced over to Danny. "Why would Hayden be carrying around a bunch of DVDs?"

He shrugged. "Unless she really is a hidden techno-geek."

"There's only one way to find out." Tucker moved over to the television and slid a disc out of its holder. Kneeling down, he inserted it into the player and turned the TV on.

"Tucker, what are you doing!" Danny raced forward and snatched the case out of his hands. "What if someone hears that?"

"Relax; we don't even know if it's a DVD. It probably won't even play."

"Tucker, that isn't even the point. You--…"

"Turn the camera off!"

The three of them turned their attention to the TV screen. Hayden's face had come into focus, smiling. She laughed on camera and apparently tried to grab the camera from the holder. The camera angle jiggled as the camera wielder back pedaled. A strangely familiar voice echoed from behind the camera.

"Stop trying to snatch it, Hay. You're going to break it and then I'm going to be very angry with you." The voice had a mock-sternness to it, indicating they were kidding around. The camera slowly backed away, revealing the rest of Hayden's form. She was wearing a shirt that was an identical match to Danny's and cut-off shorts. She put her hands on her hips in mock anger.

"Stop filming me, you dork!"

"Never!" The voice behind the camera, obviously a man, began to laugh. Hayden joined in and giggled.

"I'm serious. This is a serious thing we're supposed to be doing. You've got to film me so I won't forget if he sends me back again."

"Ok, ok. What should we say? You're a nerd, you hit like a girl, and you can't kick my butt to save your life." The man made the camera do a little dance. "Hayden can't hit, Hayden can't hit, Hayden can't hit."

"Oh, this is hopeless." She folded her arms and rolled her eyes. "You've got to be serious!"

"Oh, all right." He trained the camera on her face again. "You are Hayden Masters. You're a 15 year old who attends Casper High School. Your mother and father have been killed, and you're on the run... Hay, this is idiotic. What makes you think he'll find you? I mean, you don't even know if he's looking for you."

"I'm out of time. He's going to try to fix the damage I've done and erase me. It's what he does. Now, you need to film yourself; so I won't forget you either."

"Aw, how sweet. I'm really touched, Masters."

"Stop being sarcastic. I meant so that I can remember who to contact in the Ghost Zone in case he does find me."

"Ok, ok. Meanie." The camera lurched and revolved, apparently so the cameraman could film himself. After a few moments, a man's face came into few. The camera zoomed out to take in his entire head and shoulders. He had dark hair and bright blue eyes, and was sporting a goatee and a ponytail. He grinned inanely into the camera.

"All right, all right. Here are the basics. My name's Dan and I am the only person you will put up with you and your attitude. Got it?"

"Thank you, Daniel. Now, turn the camera off before we run down the battery. We'll record more later, ok?" Hayden's voice floated in off screen. The man glanced up from the camera and nodded. After a few minutes, the screen went black.

Danny stared at the screen, shocked. Beside him, Tucker mouthed wordlessly, while Sam blinked rapidly. It took a few moments before anybody could say anything.

"What in the….what was that! Did you guys see that?" Tucker, having found his voice, gestured frantically at the screen. Sam nodded. "I saw it. That was Hayden, and that guy was--…"

"Me." Danny reached out and laid his hand on the screen.

"That was me, in the future. I mean, except for the weird lack of ghostliness, that was Dan Phantom."


Author's Note: DUN DUN DUUUUUNNNN! The plot thickens. R&R, you guys.