Slowly but surely we're getting there! We're getting there, I have such a fun time writing Lancer and Pointdexter- because they've got such a recognizable flair with their voices ~Cosmo


Sam stood outside the boy's lavatory on the first floor, one of the last sightings of Point Dexter. She was of the belief that some things should stay a mystery. Also, men were pretty gross. Aside from Point Dexter, the other horror stories of the first-floor world studies wing boy's bathroom included broken locks, graffiti- and well- you can imagine. She'd much rather keep a lookout.

The boys had switched off the overhead lights to make Sidney more comfortable. However, he didn't appear right away.

"Do you think he's still mad that you kicked him out of his locker?" Tucker leaned against the stall door.

Danny put his hands on his hips, "I mean- I figured he'd respect my boundaries for privacy."

"His specialty is possessing people."

Without a comeback, Fenton sighed. Sidney Pointdexter seemed to have a white knight complex. If no one stood up for the little guy, then who's to say how far the bigger guy would go. It was a valuable virtue- it just so happened Sidney dispensed lessons through piloting around the people he deemed were the problem. That particular brand of justice was… invasive. Danny had puppeted around people before. He didn't necessarily enjoy it as much as Pointdexter did.

The boys waited in silence. It wasn't like Sidney had other pressing engagements to attend to in the ghost zone.

Tuck lamented, "So… now what?"

"You should shove me," Danny replied

"Why?"

Teasingly, Danny grinned, "When will I ever give you another opportunity?"

Rearing back, Foley threw his weight onto Danny's chest. Fenton gripped one of the sink basins for stability. Holding his eyes shut, he didn't hear anything. He opened one eye, and Tucker stood there, now confused and another touch irritated. He opened his mouth to speak, only a grey light to emerge from his throat-

Snorting, 'Tucker' asked meekly, "Is this guy bothering you?"

"Sidney, you need to get a phone. It's gotta be easier to contact you than…" Danny gestured to Tucker's situation, "this."

Wringing his raptor posed hands, the spirit gave a nebbish wave of Foley's hand, "Hey there, daddio! If it isn't the ghost zone's most wanted."

Cringing, Danny powered through a smile.

It was true that Pointdexter, while one of the best overshadowers in the business, couldn't hold a solid form in the human world for long. He couldn't interact with human objects unless he was wearing a person. He was also perma-stuck in the 50s. He was very plainly stuck in a mirrored reflection of Casper High- it was super Pleasantville in there.

Unzipping his bag, Danny produced Sam's eyeshadow palette, which she chose to donate for this specific mission, "We don't have time for small talk, I know you're probably still peeved that I smashed your mirror-"

"Quite the opposite, actually." Sid finally popped out of Tucker, landing in a cracked mirror by a stall with a busted lock, "See, with all the glass here in the lavatory- a cat like myself gets some room to spread out."

Overshadowing the uninitiated tended to leave a nasty migraine. Tucker grabbed the sides of his head, "Danny, you're lucky I'm not trying to kill you too."

Putting his hand on his chin sympathetically, Dex offered, "What's got you all zorros and sorrows, me amigos? What's the tale nightingale? Feel free to bash my ears about it; I hardly get company who doesn't just come for the can."

Tucker started off with his question, "We wanted to learn more about you… and the natural ways ghosts can manifest in the human world. Do you know how the mirrors work?"

"It's quite simple. They're just doorways- though only some of them are locked. The truly perceptive, like yours truly can use all of them. I guess my sacrifice is that I'm not exactly… on the stick- power-wise, that is. Only the truly old or the truly weak can use the mirrors as freely as I can."

Danny muttered, "could Clockwork use the mirrors like you do?"

"You get a nosebleed? Of course, he can." Sidney chortled, "He hardly ever seems to leave that tower of his unless he wants to preach, don't know why he would. Walker is another oddity. Suppose it's because he's about a decade or so my senior. He's one of the best at overshadowing."

"Don't remind us." Tucker and Danny said in tandem.

The nerd rambled absentmindedly, pacing around the bathroom from mirror to mirror, "Then, of course, there's the mysterious case of one Desiree… she's older than dirt, but since she's cursed and that's a whole other-" He noticed how confused his audience was.

"Meanwhile, back at the ranch; why are you fellas askin' me?"

"Curiosity, mostly." Tucker leaned against the wall, wondering if it was obvious that he was uncomfortable.

Picking the center mirror between Danny and Tucker, Pointdexter drummed his fingers against the glass, turning the interrogation around, "It wouldn't happen to be about a certain knife that went missing last week?"

"Knife?" Danny spun around.

"Walker's been goin' nuts trying to find one of his toys from his collection." the ghost picked at the gap in his buck teeth. Broccoli apparently lodged its way into his face. A Gross sucking sound echoed off the tile.

The boys shuddered. Moving away from the wall to keep a close eye on Pointdexter- a ghost is still a ghost after all.

"Seems to think you had something to do with it, halfa."

"I didn't-!" Danny shouted.

Dex flinched, losing his nerve when he realized he didn't have the firepower to back up the claims. He mollified, "I'm no squealer- I wouldn't tell, even if you did."

"I haven't seen Walker's knife." Fenton reiterated, "Is that why everyone's been so stirred up?"

"He's even got outside help, agitating the gravel. The very top of paranormal authority. All Combing Amity Park for it. Apparently, It was a very precious thing, that knife. Belonged to some, ancient- whosamawhatits- one of those- Kurosawa types."

Tucker supposed that was the least offensive term Sid could use to describe an Asian person. He rolled his eyes.

Dexter gave a warning, "I wouldn't want to be you right now halfa, you're in more of a hot seat than Macarthur."

"I know!" Danny snapped, yelling- his voice cracking, "I know- I'm constantly in danger. My worst enemy is on my Dad's emergency contact list. Do you think I'm that stupid not to know-?"

Tucker and the ghost backed away in shock.

"I-" Danny swallowed, "I know… I know I'm in danger. Everyone I love is in danger. Because I couldn't stay dead. I've never fought because I wanted to. I fought to keep everyone I know safe. At any moment, they could be in trouble because of me! I fight for them because not everyone gets second chances." He panted, touching, no, pulling at the center of his shirt- the phantom repeated, "Not everyone gets second chances like me, Sidney."

"That's why I'm asking you to listen to me."

Dexter nodded, still staggering from the sudden outburst. He nodded with a new sense of fear and responsibility for his fellow ghost. Producing Sam's eyeshadow palette, he put it onto the sink, nudging it forward.

"Oh my…" The spirit uttered. Inspecting it, pushing his glasses further onto his nose. He hadn't seen such colors in his neck of the woods. Not any as sparkly either.

Danny pleaded, gesturing to the makeup box, "we're asking you- we're begging you really because there's a threat in Amity Park that I can't handle by myself. We need you to keep an eye on this guy we know- Because I have a hunch, he might know something about Walker's missing knife."

The spirit studied the box for a moment, where all that could be heard was Tucker's breathing and the leaky sinks of the boy's lavatory.

"If not me, for the good of the ghost zone…" Danny urged, "Think about it if you were the one to bring back the knife to Walker- I'd bet he'd deputize you or give you whatever you wanted most in the whole world."

Sincerely the nerd reached his invisible hand from the mirror- toward Fenton, "Aw, I don't need none of that- I'd do it for you because we're- why- we're pals, right?"

Danny turned his hand intangible, shaking Dexter's thin wrist, "... yeah- yeah Sid, we're- we're pals."

Yanking the thinner boy from the mirror, the phantom continued his white lie, "And I'm counting on you to make things right."

"Of course!" Sidney picked up the mirror from the sink, and with a flash of grey light, the box was heading straight for the floor- Tucker's reflexes kicked in and caught it.

"Say does that stacked subterranean own this little powder box?" Sidney queried, "wouldn't mind bein' in the passion pit with her, pardon the locker room talk-"

Tucker looked at Danny with equal parts concern and exasperation.

Meanwhile, Danny couldn't meet his eyes.