Raditiz: We see that.
SS: I updated early because I got reviews.
Raditiz: Her happy dance was highly disturbing.
---
Jazz woke up to a scream. Not just any scream, but the scream of her younger brother. She rushed into his room silently thankful that her parents were out on another late night ghost hunt.
The door flew open to reveal a bedraggled blue eyed teen, hand still halfway to the door which was now behind him. "Jazz?"
"What happened! I heard you scream."
She didn't like the way he looked down at his feet. Yesterday she had to smooth over him skipping school with her parents. He'd said he felt sick but didn't want to go to the nurse's office. He had told their parents that he walked home after school instead. Secretly he told her that he needed to clear his head and took a flight.
"It was just a nightmare."
"This is the fourth time this week." and it was. She hadn't been able to get a full night's sleep since Saturday. "Is it the same dream?"
"Yes." Danny said as he walked though her, he felt like a cold draft that made her bones shiver. She glared at her younger brother's back as it retreated down the stairs.
"I'm getting a glass of water. Want one?"
"Ew, no." Danny had a nasty habit of running the water through his hand before putting it in his glass. He said that it purified the city water. She thought he did it for no other reason than to bug her. Little brothers were designed to do that.
Jazz walked down the stairs and watched Danny get his water. "Do you want to talk about it?"
Danny shook his head.
"Danny, it might help."
"Jazz," he sat down at the table with his water, "they are just dreams."
"You've been nervous since the incident on Sunday, which you still won't tell me about."
"Did it ever occur to you that it was none of your business."
"Did it ever occur to you that I loved you very much and worry about you."
Danny sighed. He knew Jazz was just being her over protective self, and looking out for him, but this was stuff he needed to do alone. He didn't want his friends and family hurt while he figured out what was going on.
Glowing red eyes flashed in front of his vision. He shook his head. That didn't happen, but it could. It was but one possible future, and his could be one like it.
"Jazz I have school in the morning. I'm going back to bed. Sorry for waking you up."
The aforementioned young women stared in his direction as he jumped/flew up to the second floor. "Show off." Then she shifted as she muttered, "What am I going to do with you."
---
"Target sighted." The blond haired boy lowered his high tech binoculars. "The target is heading toward the educational facility on foot."
A voice came over his head set, "It's called a school. You know, that thing that humans send their kids to be brain washed. Where's the ghost king?"
"The enemy leader is on the roof of the building north of the educational facility designated 'school'."
"It's…. Never mind. Have you been spotted?"
"Hawk 1 has not been sighted."
"Good. Keep it that way. Keep an eye on our little prince, and be extra careful of the king. We don't want a repeat of last time."
---
"I've got the feeling I'm being watched." Danny complained for the tenth time that day. Quite a feat considering that they had only been in school for a total of thirty minuets, including the time it took to get their stuff.
"We know. What do you want me to do about it? Stuff you into a closet?" Sam was getting annoyed and worried. Annoyed because he would not shut up. Worried because if it was bothering him this much it might be a ghost.
"You are just being paranoid." Tucker was just plain annoyed. So what if Danny thought there was someone watching them. As long as they weren't bothering him, he just wanted to move on with life. Of course, playing Doomed till 5:15 in the morning might not have been the brightest idea on his part, not that he was going to admit it. "If it is bothering you so much, check around the school during break. I want to sleep some during The Mede tone wonders of ligaments." Health wasn't his favorite subject anyway.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to bother you oh great and wonderful lords of the universe. It's just that my prey instinct is kicking in and I don't want to get slaughtered."
"What kind of bad thing? And don't you think that 'lords' is a high term for them. I know you are friends and all, but lords?" Valerie had gotten bored with the movie as well. She still felt bad about breaking up with Danny and had come to make it up to him little and chat. She had heard the entire conversation, they weren't exactly being quiet, but she also knew that Danny was bullied a lot. His paranoia was normal, at least in this high school.
Unknowingly, she was on his wave length. The lack of ghost had been felt by all of Amity Park. The quiet was making everyone edgy, even though many didn't know why. Valerie, being a ghost hunter, felt it greatly. Not even Phantom had shown up much. That made her think there might be a ghost invasion coming. All the more reason she couldn't bring Danny into it.
"They are lords where they are being royal pains in the butt." Danny won himself a giggle at the cost of two glares. "As for the bad, well this is high school."
Valerie had to agree with him there.
---
Danny couldn't find anything or any ghost at lunch. He searched the entire school from the roof to the basement, and left no meat packaging box unchecked. Everywhere he went he could feel eyes on him. He wondered briefly if this was how fish in an aquarium felt?
Appearing by Sam and Tucker, and sitting down at the bench, he said, "I couldn't find anything."
"Maybe that is because there are no ghosts. You said that you didn't sense anything." Sam rolled her eyes and ate another carrot.
"Yeah, not even the Box Ghost has been around. Think of it as a ghost vacation." Tucker tore another chunk of meat off of his chicken leg.
"Eat something, here have a nice calming carrot." Sam held out a carrot.
"No he needs energy. Have some protein filled chicken Danny."
The young teen saw where this was going, he grabbed both and stuffed them in his mouth at the same time. It didn't taste great, but it effectively stopped the upcoming fight. Even C students have their days.
---
Ever since that morning, Valerie had a sense of growing paranoia. She carefully checked to make sure nothing would get in the way of her upgraded ghost hunting suit. Everything was set.
As she walked out of the school, she got a feeling that there was someone who wanted to speak with her. It was odd, like she was being called to out loud but she couldn't hear anything. Looking around she had a sudden urge to walk to the edge of the parking lot. Her years of honing her skills and last few months of ghost hunting screamed trap, but curiosity over took her.
She followed the feeling to the opening in the fence and saw Vlad Masters leaning on one of the posts. 'He's telepathic?' she wondered. She had heard of it, but never encountered it before. There was no doubt in her mind now, though. It didn't cross her mind that he was manipulating her and had used this power on her before.
"My dear Valerie, just the hunter I wanted to see."
Valerie was flattered, but, she kept her composure, "Most of my stuff was broken, and Dad doesn't want me ghost hunting." It still irked her that Phantom exposed her, "He says that its too dangerous."
"But letting ghosts do what they want unchecked is even more dangerous." Valerie suddenly wondered if he could read minds as well as broad cast, "That is not the reason I wanted to see you though Valerie. I have a job for you."
"But I have school." Valerie was slightly startled. Mr. Masters had never requested anything of her before.
Vlad smiled, "I know. Actually it is because you are in school that I am making this request of you. I will even give you a little cash for this."
He had her full attention. She needed cash. "Why do you need a school kid, especially me?"
"You have motivation, among many other admirable traits. But for this you have connections. Connections an old man like my self does not."
Valerie couldn't help but smile at that. He didn't look a day over 25, despite his white hair.
"I do believe you know the Fentons."
"Yes, what do they have to do with anything?"
"I am a multibillionaire. The Fentons are my closest and most treasured friends. In fact I think of them as family. Unfortunately there are people who hate my guts because I am more fortunate that they are."
Valerie knew what that felt like. That stupid ghost who..
"Maddie and," Vlad coughed, "Jack are perfectly capable of taking care of themselves and their children. But while they are at school the young ones are open to attack."
"Danny!" Valerie felt sick. How could anyone want to hurt him, just because he was loosely connected to Mr. Masters. He was already over his head with the ghosts and her friendship.
Vlad nodded. "Yes, could you keep an eye on him. I fear for his safety."
"What about Jazz?"
"She is a female and always carries a gun. She is also older, smarter, and school active. People will notice more if she disappears. My enemy will not want that much attention drawn to themselves."
Valerie nodded. "So, you want me to protect Danny."
"Yes, at all costs. But be discreet about it. I don't want him to be alarmed. The closer you are to him, the easier that will be."
"I will." Valerie knew she had to. Danny, he, he was her only real friend she had after Phantom… No, she didn't want to think of that.
"Good. I will send you the money and equipment sometime tonight."
---
Paulina flopped on to her bed. There hadn't been any ghost attacks which meant that the ghost boy hadn't been around. She stared into the glowing green eyes of her obsession on her poster. She hadn't been able to get any more pictures of him lately.
She could never figure out why he seemed to show up around that loser Fenton kid. The best she could guess was that Phantom used him to conceal himself from the ghost hunters; that way he would always know were they were.
Phantom was brilliant like that. The greatest advantage was that he could keep a good eye on her of course. He was romantic that way, and mysterious.
How could everyone else think he was evil? He had saved her a few time and way always kind to her. She personally though that he liked her. And why not? She was the prettiest girl in school after all.
With everyone always mad at him, it was no wonder he was so shy. Those Fentons were always hunting him down. Why couldn't they she that he was protecting everyone and how brave, handsome and strong he was.
"Paulina. Dinner."
Paulina sighed as she got up. Why couldn't they see what she saw, a hero. She gave the picture by her bed a quick kiss before flicking out the lamp and leaving her room.
---
If Danny knew he had one person outside of his click on his side, he would have been jumping for joy. At the moment though, he had a dilemma. Valerie had decided to join them for the day. Well join him. Sam was seething and if looks could kill, he was sure that Valerie would be six feet under right now.
Tucker was hitting on every decent looking girl in the food court. At least he was in a better mood than this morning. He must have gotten his nap.
Thankfully, Valerie seemed to be taking his friends' antics quiet well. She was drinking her cherry smoothie and was only a little nervous. She looked around like she either didn't want to be seen with them, or like there were ghosts around. He assumed it was the latter.
The quiet didn't last long, it never did. Danny shivered and at first he thought it was his Black Berry Storm but the feeling didn't go away.
Now most of the time when a really strong ghost like Skulker was around you can see your breath. Ectoplasma was a strange substance that most interpret as cold, but in actuality, it's the physical world's reaction to it. Ectoplasma was an energy that slows down atoms that go through it because it's two different matters sharing the same spot in two very close planes of existence, or at least that was the theory Maddie presented at the latest ghost convention.
Over time Danny come to identify humans in the same way, though they are a lot warmer and not as noticeable. The opposite was true in the ghost zone oddly enough.
"Of course the ghosts show up at the most inconvenient time." he thought to himself. He got out his chair as he said out loud, "I'll be right back."
Valerie had a job to do, and something made her uneasy. Her ghost tracker wasn't going off, be not all of Masters' enemies were ghosts. "Where are you going?"
A simple question, but he couldn't tell her that he was going to make sure a ghost didn't cause any trouble. Thankfully, lying was something that he had gotten in the habit of doing though. "To check out the video games. Come on Tucker."
There was no way he was going to make her stay with Sam alone besides, she had promised. Unfortunately for her, both boys had already disappeared into the crowd.
"He left me here with her?" two girls thought simultaneously. Sam was mildly upset. But she saw the suddenness and the look in his eyes. It was a ghost, long months of working with him told her. Besides, she was the boys' video game connection. That was why she didn't want to tell them about all of her parents money, they now thought that just because she was rich they could beg off of her. Boys. Speaking of which, it was time to bite the bullet for Danny. Sometimes she was just too nice.
"Want to go look at some clothes?" Sam smiled. If she was going to do this, she was going to do this her way. "I could really Goth you up."
---
After Tucker was dragged into an empty aisle of video games, Danny transformed. This time he did fall over. Forget snowmelt, this was considerably worst than Kemper's ice breath. He swore that he could feel the air freeze.
"Whoa, man, are you ok? Tucker whispered. This was not normal, the shelves were shaking and it was cold in the there is a ghost around sense. Ok, there was a ghost around, but usually he couldn't see his breath and didn't shiver around Danny.
"I'm fine." Danny said as he felt the shock were off. He floated up. "I'll be back." he said jokingly and flew off.
"Wait! Aw man, Sam is going to freak, not to mention kill me when I tell her he went to fight in that condition." Tucker didn't know if he should tell her.
---
Valerie's ghost radar started beeping wildly. She was with Sam who was trying to get her to wear a blood-red dress. Sam was carrying on about how she had a necklace that would go with it, she almost sounded like a normal girl.
"Sam, I need to go."
Sam had heard the radar go off. She didn't want Valerie within a hundred feet of Danny while he was ghost fighting.
"No! I mean, we could find some other clothes for you. I'll buy them for you."
Valerie blinked and for a moment she had a sneaking suspicion but she shrugged it off. Sam was just trying to be nice. Valerie grabbed her bag.
"This is important. Sorry to ditch you like this." All she had was that odd suite, the glider, and a few guns that she still couldn't for the life of her, figure out where she had gotten. Vlad still hadn't gotten her the equipment he promised her, but she could improvise. Anything that made this much noise from her radar had to be dangerous. Perhaps strong enough to destroy Amity Park.
Sam had to stall Valerie. If she fought Danny, she might kill him.
"Look, this is supposed to be a fun day. Let's at least try to have fun. I know we don't like each other, but let's try."
"No, I have to go. I'll be back if I can." Valerie would apologize later.
Sam stared after Valerie, knowing there was no stopping her now. "I hope Danny will be able to handle things." she thought as she went to find Tucker.
---
He flew drunkenly for a few moments before he straightened his head out. That feeling was bothering him again, but he had a job to do. He flew up onto the roof of the building.
Looking around he saw a young woman maybe twenty years old. She wore a long open trench coat and her raven hair flowed in the slight breeze behind her. Her black boots disappeared under her cargo pants and her red shirt was rather… almost lack there of, not that Danny minded.
'Huh? She doesn't look like a ghost. Her skin is too tan. Is she possessed?' Danny couldn't tell, the dark glasses she wore blocked his view of her eyes.
"Hello young prince." Her voice was strong but quiet with a slight accent to it.
'Prince? What did she mean by that?' "Wh-who are you?" Danny's pretty girl a-phobia kicked in. 'Darn it, stay calm.'
"My name is Tomowashi. It seems you are having a little trouble there young prince."
Now Danny was only more confused. "Why are you calling me that?"
"It is what you are, is it not?"
He stared at her blankly.
"Oh, you really don't know anything do you?"
"That depends on your definition of anything." Danny was now beyond confused. He was a fish in a mud puddle.
She laughed. It sounded like bells over water. Danny dazed, her smile was stunning. 'Get back on track.' "No seriously, what are you talking about?"
"My little prince, your powers are getting stronger but you seem to be lacking control. I've been watching you. Perhaps I could help." She dazzled him with another warm smile as she walked a little closer.
Danny never got the chance to respond.
"Your going down ghost!"
'Oh great,' Danny thought as Valerie shot at him, 'she remembers me.' he dodged the incoming ectoblast. 'Sam must not have been able to stall her.'
Valerie flew up on her hover board and landed on the roof with grace, the glider retracting with a soft swish. She glared at Phantom, and then turned to the unfamiliar women. She looked down at her radar, 'Wait, she isn't a ghost. Usually there is another ghost, unless she is possessed. Maybe Phantom's presents is overloading the circuitry, but lets not take chances.'
Danny was nervous, Valerie was still unhappy with Phantom. He cringed as he remembered how he had accidentally hurt her. Unfortunately, being nervous caused his energy to act up. When he looked down his hands were glowing. "Valerie, please, listen to me…"
"No way ghost. I'm going to cream you!"
"I'm sorry," Tomowashi looked confused, "but I was speaking with the prince. You are interrupting."
Valerie turned to her, "He is dangerous, you should run. Wait, prince?"
Tomowashi no longer seemed interested in the ghost hunter. "Well my lord, I do believe that you need some time to sleep on it. I will leave you to your play date for now." she gave a short bow. "I will come back for you."
The mysterious women jumped off the building, leaving both hunter and the hunted. The former turned to Phantom, "Why did she call you prince and what were you two talking about?" She demanded.
"I don't know to both questions. Bye." Danny took advantage of her lowered guard to escape.
Valerie stomped her foot. "Arg!"
---
"Sam, he looked terrible. I didn't know what to do. I couldn't stop him from leaving.
"How bad was it?"
"The shelves were shaking and I was shivering. So was he. My glasses fogged up, and he fell. Even when he got up he didn't fly straight."
Sam was now officially worried. Tucker was a hard guy to upset, and now he was shaking so bad it was a wonder he was still standing. Danny was fighting a ghost and Valerie was out there too.
"Calm down Tucker, deep breaths. That's it deep breaths." Sam said as much to Tucker as to her self.
"Yo, guys, what's up?" Danny walked up to them. "having a little heart to heart in the middle of the mall?"
They jumped. Then Sam hugged him, "Danny, you're alright!"
"Yeah, but I won't be if I don't get air." Danny gasped out.
"Sorry." Sam blushed as she let go.
"How was the ghost?" Once Tucker had seen Danny, he had calmed down.
"I don't know, it was strange. Her name was Tomowashi." Danny's face went a little red.
"Her?" was his doubled reply. Then Tucker said what Sam thought but in different wording, "Was she hot?"
Danny smiled and opened his mouth but..
"Hey guys. Sorry to run out on you but there was something I needed to do." Valerie called as she strode up to them.
Sam growled, "Yeah, like kill Danny."
"What was that?" Valerie asked.
"Oh I just want cotton candy right now, you know cravings." Sam's eye twitched as she said that.
The boys laughed and started teasing Sam. Soon it was war as Valerie gave Tucker a remark on his women skills. And another day passed without any ghostly fights.