Okay, so my beta reader is having some promlems IRL right now, so updates aren't going to be as fast asyou guyswould like, and I'm sorry, but quality over quantity, right? Writing more tonight, hoping to get some chapters back soon.


The last strands of light had just begun to fade from the surface of the vast, placid lake when Danny and the twins phased up through the floor of the old warehouse where he'd fought Hortensia and her little horde of trapped ghosts.

"Well, here it is," Danny yawned, dropping to the floor and glancing around in boredom. "Just remember," he shot a pointed look at the two girls, who exchanged their own glance, "I'm not a tour guide, okay?" They nodded simultaneously, obviously not wanting to disagree with him just now. Satisfied, he turned around to look at the room as if he stood in a garbage heap. Dust lay like a matted blanket, and the traces of some...thing taking shelter recently drifted through the air, mixing unpleasantly with the musty scent of the old building. "Don't they ever clean this place?"

"So...you know Mr. Masters?" Ashlynn asked slowly. Danny turned and blinked at them, knowing that something had been on their minds since their little "battle" with Valerie.

"Also known as Vlad Plasmius? Ch. Yeah."

"You know he's half-ghost too?" Abby blurted.

Danny rolled his eyes. "Duh."

"We were under the impression you didn't know," Ashlynn blinked, looking slightly perturbed.

The half-ghost chuckled. "Of course I know. He's a putrid, pathetic half-ghost who thinks he's all that, but he can't even get the three things he wants most! And he's such an idiot! He doesn't even have a girlfriend, let alone a wife...especially the one he wants...heh, heh." He grinned and leaned against one of the walls, waving a hand through the air with a shrug. "And everyone knows a super villain should have at least a girlfriend, even if only for appearances..." He suddenly faded off, blinking in realization. Both girls opened their mouths to ask if he was okay, but he cut them off with a warm smile.

"So," he said, as his smile reappeared and he leaned towards the closest of the two ghost girls: Ashlynn. "Wanna be my girl?"

Both of the sisters started with shock and surprise, but it quickly faded: Ashlynn to an ecstatic smile and Abby to a mixture of jealousy and annoyance.

"REALLY!" Ashlynn leaned Sam's body forward eagerly.

"Of course!" Danny's grin widened. "Why would I joke about something like that?"

"Because you have a cruel sense of humor," Abby muttered under her breath. Ashlynn either didn't hear her sister, or ignored her, and Danny only shot her a warning glance.

"YES!" Ashlynn grinned, leaning forward, puckering Sam's purple lips.

"Huh?" Danny blinked, not anticipating her eager reaction. "Oh...right." With a cocky grin, he leaned toward her, then wobbled and pulled back as his eyes flickered to green. He put an unsteady hand to his head. "No…this...I mean...we're just friends..."

Abby and Ashlynn shot confused looks at each other, then Ashlynn looked down to see her hands.

Understanding washed over Sam's features. "Oh, right;the body." A few seconds later, a green aura shone around her and two figures separated, one falling to the floor with a groan, and one floating in the air above. Ashlynn turned her eyes back to Danny. "Now, where were we?"

His red eyes turned up to her, and he leaned forward, "Right about here..."

Abby turned her back on them with a scowl, while on the floor Sam slowly opened her eyes and blinked several times at the scene unfolding above her. She wished she could interfere, but knew what would happen if she did, and didn't relish the thought of spending a few weeks in the hospital.

The couple's lips were just about to brush, when a loud crash resounded from the front of the warehouse. Everyone jumped, spinning to see Jack and Maddie Fenton rushing in through the still-quivering door Jack had kicked in, weapons out.

"Don't move, ghosts!" Jack yelled as he and his wife flanked the four figures.

Danny opened his mouth to speak, but a loud boom drowned him out. He looked up toward the noise, where a black and red streak came diving through a smoking hole in the roof.

"Ha!" Valerie exclaimed. "I knew I could trace your ecto-signature, ghost!"

"Oh, please," Danny groaned, backing away from a disappointed Ashlynn.

"Get Ashlynn out of here." Abby turned Paulina's head towards her two companions.

"What?" Danny glared at her. "You don't think I can handle all of these guys?"

Paulina's look of worry turned into a hard stare. "Not if you want to keep your promise, ghost boy."

"Abby, what are you doing?" Ashlynn reached towards her sister.

"I SAID DON'T MOVE!" Jack yelled. "Maddie, get their ecto-signatures in memory so we can capture them!"

"Abby, I'm the older sister, I take care of you!" Ashlynn said out of the corner of her mouth.

"Not this time, sis," Abby replied, and stepped forward. "Please! Help me!" she said with a slightly Spanish accent. "Get me away from the ghosts!"

Jack and Maddie looked at each other, both hesitating at this new turn of events. After a few seconds, Maddie took a slow step towards them, lowering her gun slightly.

"Don't!" A voice from behind all three of them caused everyone to look at Sam, who now stood with her hands on her hips, glaring at the trio. "She's overshadowed!"

"What?" Maddie raised her weapon again, stopping dead in her tracks.

"No I'm not!" Paulina shot a glare at the Goth before turning a pleading look at Maddie and Jack. "Please! Help me!"

Maddie stared for a moment at the two obviously surprised ghosts who floated, staring at Paulina, then at the hunter who still hovered near the hole she'd made in the roof who looked like she had something in hand, then glanced back at Sam.

"Jack, cover me," she said, putting her weapon away and taking out a small, oval device.

"Great idea, honey! The Ecto-stun will hurt ghosts, but not humans, even if a ghost has taken over a host." Suddenly his face brightened. "Heh-hay! I'm a poet! I rhymed! Ghost and host! Get it?"

Maddie didn't answer, preparing to throw the Ecto-stun instead.

"We're outta here," Danny said to the other two, and turned to go.

"No you don't!" Valerie yelled, hurling a disk at them which spit sparks.

Then everything happened at once. Abby, having heard Danny's parting comment, took one look at Maddie and dove into the floor. Danny pushed Ashlynn behind him, and fired an ecto-blast at the sparking disk. The disk exploded into gas and debris, sending the two ghosts and Sam to the floor, just as the Ecto-stun hit Danny's back. He was too busy shoving Ashlynn out of the way to phase out or brace himself as it suddenly gleamed bright green.

Danny's back suddenly arched in pain, and those who could see watched as green lightning traveled through his body. The shock traveled down his arm to Ashlynn. Her scream joined his own agony filled cry, and they both fell to the floor as the green sparks stopped. The last thing Danny saw as smoke and gas filled the room were two figures darting through the door opposite his parents.

"This is not good," he muttered, as the last of his strength gave out and he collapsed. Two blue rings encircled his waist, leaving an unconscious Danny Fenton to be discovered under the gas.