A/N: Back to back up-dates, oh yeah!


The Art of Deception

Chapter Three


"Giving up tonight
I won't let go
Won't let go of you
Giving up tonight..."


Later that day, afterschool, the trio of friends finally made it to the park. "Man," Sam sighed, sitting on the bench they usually sat on. It was on top of a short hill, over-looking an extremly long stretch of meadow. "I'm beat."

Danny sat right down next to her and nodded. "The bad part about having Gym last period: you get more tired than any other class," he said.

"I actually enjoyed today's class," Tucker admitted, sitting across from him and Sam. Both teens looked at him. "What? I did."

Danny groaned and put his head down. "My parents are gonna kill me," he murmured.

"Not again! Danny, listen, just ask Mr. Folluka to give you another chance. He's coming back tomorrow. You'll something extra-credit, and it'll raise your grade. I'll help you," Sam said.

"Like what?" Danny asked. Sam was about to say something when she noticed a trail of blue vapor exit Danny's lips. She blinked.

"Looks like we've got another problem on our hands right now," she said, standing.

Danny stood, as did Tucker. Before long, Danny had switched into his alter-ego, Danny Phantom. The white rings formed at his middle and trailed up and down simultaneously, changing his clothes into a black-and-white hazmat suit.

He floated up and looked at his two friends. "You guys stay here," he told them, and flew off to see what lame-o ghost had showed up this time. He hoped, silently, it was Skulker.

"I don't know, I think we should folow," Tucker whispered towards Sam as Danny vanished from sight.

"I think we should stay here," Sam objected. Out of nowhere, Walker appeared behind Tucker. Sam caught sight of him. "Tucker!"

Tucker heard her shrill scream, felt a shiver run down his spine and the temperature suddenly drop. He turned only his head a few inches to see Walker. The ghost grinned devilishly and produced a red shot-like item from behind him. Tucker's eyes widened at the glinting point of the needle. Sam let out a shrill scream as Walker injected the red fluid into Tucker quicker than her eyes could follow. Too fast for Tucker to move, it was done within split-seconds.

Tucker fell forward, unconscious. "What did you do to him?" Sam shouted, angry flames showing in her eyes.Walker only grinned and vanished. Sam rushed to Tucker's side. She checked his neck for a pulse. She sigehd with relief at finding Tucker had vital signs.

"Sam? I heard a scream," Danny's voice penetrated the eerie silence. The thermos in his hand now, Danny's eyes widened as he gazed upon his fallen comrade. "Tucker! What happened?" He got down, kneeling beside the teen. Sam shrugged.

"I don't know, Walker showed up and shot him with this red stuff," she said, her vocie quivering. "He's alive, unconscious, but alive. We should get him to your house, see if it's just some knock-out thing. Your parents can help..."

"Okay, I'll fly him there, it's quicker that way. You mind walking?" Danny asked. Sam shook her head.

"No problem, just get him checked out by your parents and quick!" she exclaimed. Danny nodded and picked up Tucker.

"I'll meet you there," he said, then flew off, invisible.


"He's gonna be okay, right?" Danny asked his parents. Tucker lay on a white cot, still sleeping.

"Yes, dear," Maddie assured her son. "It was just to knock him out. Well, almost."

"Huh?" Sam asked. She'd been watching Tucker sleep for awhile, keeping check on the monitors and whatnot. She looked at Maddie.

"You see," Jack said in his booming voice. "The fluid is recognized as a type of ectoplasmic energy. But it's solid. It's not going to do any damage, we already took care of it. But he'll be weak and unable to do much for a few weeks at the most."

"No more than a month," Maddie assured them. "Don't worry though. Did you call his parents?"

"Already done," Jazz told them, coming down the stairs to the lab. "I explained everything and they'll come to pick him up in five minutes."

"Good," Maddie said. "In the meantime, Danny, this came in the mail, from your school." Maddie held up an un-opened envelope with the address of his school stamped on there along with his address. He flinched. "An explanation or should I open this and read it myself?"

"Well, you see mom," Danny stammered.

"Danny's failing math, but I'm gonna help him raise his grade," Sam cut in. "We're gonna ask Mr. Folluka if we could do some extra credit work since my test grade was a little low too."

"Oh," Maddie said. "Danny, you know what I todl you about your grades."

"I know, I've just got too much on my mind lately I've been spacing out, sorry," Danny said. Maddie gave him a fond smile and said, "I'm sure Sam and You can both raise your grades. Thank you, Sam."

"No problem," Sam said.

Minutes later, The Foleys came to pick up Tucker. They carried him out to the car, Tucker still asleep, then drove off. Sam said she had to go home and left soon after. Danny was left,falling asleep again while he tried to study.


"The boy is offically out of the way."

"Good."

"We have a clear path now."

"We can follow up right according to plan."

"It will all take place in two days. We will build up the tension and suspicion of Daniel with more ghost attacks. Today the Box Ghost, tomorrow another ghost. Are you ready to take on the challenge of playing detective?"

"Believe it..."a tear escapes her eye.

"Having second thoughts, are we?"

"What's done is done, child, you cannot go back on your word."

"I have no second thoughts," she said, wiping away her tears. "And I will be able to take the challenge. I'm not going to give up. Ever."

"You're going to have to let go of them," said Vlad.

"I know. I will."


"I wanna show you
Wanna show you
Giving up tonight
I won't let go
Won't let go of you
Giving up tonight..."


E/N: Hope you liked it! I didn't do a full spell-check unfortunately! I'm trying to get this story done, but the chapters are not going to lack importance or anything like that, no worries! As you can probably now see, the few bits of dialogue at the end are Skulker, Walker, Vlad, and our mystery guest. I don't own, by the way, the song 'It Wasn't Enough' by Good Charlotte. But man do those guys rock!

--Airamé Phantom