Author's Note: I own nothing.

19 Disaster Strikes

Dani was still questioning her life choices as she and Vince made it back to her house. Their plan was to study until his father got off of work at Axiom labs and could come pick him up; but Dani's focus was going to be shot. She wasn't sure if Officer Wulfric had figured her out or not. She wasn't even sure if it would be so bad if he did. It might be nice to have a living adult who cared about both Phantom and Fenton. Wynona was nice but Dani couldn't often sneak off to the old house on Maple way that the ghost called home. They'd met up with Sam on their way to her house. He was hiding from his mother who was trying to force him into a terrible powder blue suit. Dani couldn't help but wonder if there was a bit of disappointment in Vince's eyes when Dani offered Sam a place to hide out at Fenton Works. No it was probably just her imagination.

Unfortunately she didn't even have time to really think about it as she arrived home to find an unwanted guest. Vlad Masters sat on the couch in the living room wrapped in a throw blanket. He had a black eye and a slightly swollen nose and the fact that anyone had gotten close enough to leave marks on Vlad, whom Dani knew would not hesitate to end someone he thought of as a threat, set Dani's teeth on edge.

"What are you doing here?" She snapped. Her father, who was sitting next to Vlad with a plate of brownies frowned slightly. Jazz looked between Dani and Vlad her eyebrows knitting. Maddie though looked about as angry as Dani felt.

"A perfectly reasonable question." She said pouring tea. Dani had to hold back laughter as her mother purposefully missed Vlad's cup, pouring the scalding tea directly in his lap instead. Vlad cried out in pain and Maddie forced an apologetic look. It was clear to Dani that it was forced but Jack just smiled as Maddie passed Vlad a towel.

"I'm afraid that's a bit complicated. I was on a walk at one of my houses and wasn't looking where I was going. Suddenly I was in this place. Oh it was terrible, this red castle!" Dani froze eyes fixing on Vlad, luckily everyone but Sam was focused on Vlad. "I was attacked by this viscous ghost! But thankfully he wound up throwing me through your portal. Your dear father put on that fascinating battle suit of his and defeated that awful Knight. It was magnificent. I may have to acquire one of these suits!"

"It's not finished, or quite functional yet. The interface is glitchy, it almost drained Jack like a battery!" Maddie snapped at Vlad, her eyes narrowing.

"Are you ok dad?"

"I'll be fine Dani Bear. Just feeling a little run down." Jack said with a reassuring but weary smile. Vlad stood and stepped over to Dani.

"It's sweet you're so worried Danielle. Your father's stronger than he looks." Vlad said laying a hand on her shoulder. Dani tensed.

"I swear Plasmius if you hurt a single hair on his head." She hissed lowly so only the two of them would hear. He smiled, his grip tightening slightly as he spoke just as lowly barely moving his lips.

"There's not much you can do unless you'd like me to let slip your little secret." He smiled squeezing her shoulder again, just a bit too tightly. He glanced up and smiled. "And this must be the young Mr. Grey!" He said stepping towards Vince, completely ignoring Sam.

"You know me?" He asked as Vlad shook his hand. The gears in Dani's head were whirring at a hundred miles per hour. Vlad knew Vince.

"Of course! I like to keep my eye on promising youth." He said and it clicked in Dani's brain. Vlad was responsible for the Red Hunter. Vlad had sent Vince all of his ghost hunting gear. The fact that she couldn't cuss him out right here really annoyed Dani. But they were all distracted when an alarm began to blare. Maddie went pale.

"The ecto-exodus alarm!" She cried out rushing over to the living room mantel. With the press of a button the family photo drew up into the wall revealing a radar.

"What's the ecto-exodus alarm?" Sam asked, he had to shout slightly over the sound of the alarm.

"We set up an alarm in case of another massive ghost invasion." Maddie explained and Dani went pale. She turned to Sam who nodded slightly. While everyone else's attention was fixed on the radar Dani took off down the stairs to the lab. Sam felt bad tripping Jack but was confused when Jazz threw a book in her mother's way, causing her to go sliding into the closet. He glanced at her, but she didn't meet his eyes. Sam glanced around looking for Vince, but he and Vlad were gone.

It wasn't another moment before the living room was full of ghosts, but they didn't stay. They were running. All of the ones Sam could make out in the rush of ectoplasmic beings had looks of sheer terror on their faces. They went by too fast for him to make out many individual ghosts. All he knew was that at the front of the group had been Skulker, his hand wrapped in the front of Dani Phantom's jumpsuit. Nothing good was going to come of this. It only took a minute or two for the flow of ghosts to vanish. Sam blinked at Jazz who looked scared. Sam took off for the door, he had to see what was happening. Above Fenton Works the sky was a swarm of ghosts. People in the streets were beginning to panic. Sam could just make out a ring of ghosts surrounding a single black and white figure. She vanished quickly swallowed by a tornado of former enemies. It spit her out sending her flying into the pavement, leaving a sizable dent in the road. She transformed back into herself, unnoticed in the panic by anyone but Sam who rushed forward to help her as the other ghosts rushed down toward them to finish the job. They were saved only because someone inside had thought to activate the ghost shield.

Sam pulled Dani to her feet and practically dragged her inside. She was bruised and had one hand pressed to her ear, he'd guess her head was ringing from that beating. Sam dragged her up to her room where they could have a moment alone to talk.

"What the fuck is going on Dani?" He asked as she phased a vial of ectoplasm out of the wall and pulled the cork with her teeth downing the liquid in one go.

"They're running." She panted. "From someone called Pariah Dark. Skulker called him the King of Ghosts. I think Vlad Plasmius just became the least of my problems."