Author's Note: I own nothing.

27 Center Ring

Tanya frowned as she sidled into the tent. The ringmaster was in the center of the ring a large grin on his face.

"Spooks and Ghouls! A special treat for you today. Up on the high wire we have a new vic… volunteer in his final performance." He gestured up to the high wire and the spotlight refocused on the high wire. Lady Death stood on the platform and on the wire itself was Sam, a blindfold over his eyes.

"What the fuck is he doing?" Tanya asked herself watching as Lady Death swung her scythe at Sam. The crowd gasped as the blindfold fell away. From the ground Tanya could see his eyes widen as he looked down. Tanya screamed as Lady Death swung the scythe in her hands at the high wire. As the blade passed through the wire something odd happened. The lights in Lady Death's mask turned from red to green and as Sam began to fall she dove off the platform, catching him with one arm and somehow grabbing hold of the wire swinging them both safely to the ground.

Sam was almost hyperventilating by the time they made it to the ground, Dani's arm wrapped around him. She released him and the wire, one hand going to her head.

"Dani don't scare me like that." Her hand in her hair was decorated with what looked like green lightning, she wasn't wearing any gloves. Sam hadn't noticed it until now, up this close to her it was obvious, it stretched up her arm and around her shoulder. Her fingers flexed in her hair and her eyes flashed from the usual green to red as she leaned closer to him.

"How should I scare you?" A hand came down on her shoulder and Freakshow smiled at him as the crowd cheered.

"Consider that a warning boy." He said smiling for the crowd as he steered Dani away from Sam. Tanya raced up to him.

"What the actual fuck Sam! Can you stop messing around and help me look for Dani?"

"That was Dani, under the mask. Freakshow is controlling her. That staff, it's got some kind of ghost controlling power. We need to help her! Come on!" Sam, still shaking, grabbed Tanya's hand and led her out of the tent after Freakshow. Unfortunately his rescue plan was cut short by the protest happening outside. Sam was forced to march home. The minute he got there though he rushed to his room and slammed the door, locking it behind him and rushing to his computer. He was in luck Tanya was on, but when she answered the video call she looked grim.

"Are you watching the news?" She asked without preamble. Sam shook his head, snatching up the remote from his bedside table and turning on his TV. Local news coverage was showing a live police chase and blurry though the footage was their quarry was clear; Dani Phantom was laughing at the head of a group of unfamiliar ghosts, all decked out in jewels and holding bags full of money. As Sam watched, his heart dropping through the floor as Dani turned midair and fired a blast at the pursuing cop cars. Some part of her must have been conscious though because she aimed for the tires, sending the car skidding to a halt rather than firing at the officer driving. Her red eyes gleamed at the camera before she vanished. Sam swore.

Dev rolled his shoulders readjusting the ice pack on his neck. He'd gotten a minor case of whiplash from the disastrous chase with Phantom and her new crew last night. But something about it wasn't sitting right. He'd called Angelica to his office and she came frowning.

"What did you need?" She asked looking concerned. Dev raised an eyebrow.

"I need you to confirm something for me but you look like you've got something on your mind. Everything ok?" He asked.

Angelica shrugged. "My daughter's been acting odd since yesterday. Not possessed odd, just more on edge than I'm used to. She'll talk to me when she's ready. What did I need to confirm?"

"When you met Phantom, what color were her eyes?" Angelica blinked at his question.

"Green. Why?" Dev put his head in his hands, swearing under his breath.

"This information doesn't leave this room." He stated sitting back up. She nodded. "I don't think that was Phantom last night."

"Why?"

"One, robbing banks doesn't fit her MO. The only thing she's done wrong so far is that mess at City Hall, and the more I talk to people about that the less sense it makes. The Mayor not remembering a damn thing from around midnight that night until after the meeting is bad enough but I have at least six other people in the same boat, most of them teens from Casper High. One even claims that the ghost girl saved her life twice." He sighed. "We know now that possession has a physical effect on people."

"Red eyes, lack of sleep, long periods of time without eating with no adverse effects until after the ghost… vacates the premises, and long gaps in memory." Angelica rattled off. Dev nodded.

"Phantom's eyes were red last night." He stated and Angelica sat forward.

"What?" He nodded.

"Exactly. From your description, and the fuzzy ass footage we've managed to get of her up until now she's always had green eyes. Up until last night, which is the only time she's also been seen breaking any kind of law. Aside from City Hall."

"But can a ghost even get possessed?" Angelica asked and Dev shrugged.

"No clue. I've been calling the Fenton's all night but no one's answered." There was a knock at Dev's office door. "Come in!" He called. The station's secretary, Patricia, stuck her head into the room.

"Dev, you're the police liaison to the Fenton's right?" She asked. He rolled his eyes, it wasn't a title he'd wanted but no one else in the precinct had wanted the job and he was already looking for Phantom.

"Yeah, why?"

"Because they're here."

He stood. "Probably about what happened last night. Thanks for your help Angelica."

"Come see me about that shoulder when you're done for the day. I'll see if I can help out." He nodded to her and headed out into the bullpen and out front, following Patricia. Jack and Maddie Fenton were there. Jack was pacing, Maddie had an arm wrapped around a girl who could only be her eldest daughter Jazz. Why had they brought her? They never brought the kids to the precinct.

"Mr. Fenton, nice to see you again. How can I help you?" Dev asked with slightly forced politeness. He was far too tired and sore to brief the Fentons on everything that had happened last night. Jack turned to him and Dev was surprised to find tears in the mans eyes.

"Officer Dev, my daughter Dani is missing." He said in a small voice.