The hallways were empty. The cafeteria doors slammed shut behind Phantom, suddenly sealing off the noise of shouting students and splattering lunch trays.

The silence was eerie. The gray hallways echoed Phantom's footsteps as he walked. A lightbulb flickered out overhead.

It was his first time alone since he'd entered the mirror.

"Dash?"

A bathroom door slammed open to his left and Phantom flinched.

Dash leaned back against the door, smirking.

"Feel better after taking a dump?" Phantom said.

Dash scowled. "I wasn't- we can't even do that here!"

"If there's a will," Phantom said.

"Shut up." Dash pointed an accusing finger at him. "I've figured it out!

Phantom frowned at him.

Dash huffed impatiently. "Ask me what I figured out, man."

Phantom rubbed at his eyes. "That's okay," he said. "I think I'd rather get pelted with peas than-"

"You look like Fenton," Dash said. "You're practically his twin. I'd never gotten a close look at you before, but now it's obvious."

Phantom swallowed.

"It all makes sense now," Dash continued. "Your shitty personality, the jumpsuit- just like his parents!"

"Yeah, but-"

Squaring his shoulders, Dash proudly announced. "You're his grandpa!"

Phantom blinked. "Wha?"

"Don't even try to deny it!" Dash jabbed him in the chest. "You're a Fenton! Admit it."

Phantom took a deep breath. "Dash."

The idiot had a smug look on his face, arms crossed in front of him.

"Let's think about this for a second," Phantom said. "How old do I look to you?"

Dash frowned. "Uh… twelve?"

"Ouch. Okay close…" Phantom put his hands together. "So if I died at… twelve… how could I be anyone's grandpa?"

Dash opened his mouth.

He closed it.

Phantom giggled.

Dash glared at him. "Then you're his grandpa's brother!"

"You mean… his grand uncle?"

Dash snapped his fingers. "Yes," he exclaimed. "And it explains why Fenton supposedly has this- this connection with you."

"Uh huh," Phantom said. "That make you feel better?"

"Huh?"

"Let's say your right," Phantom said.

"So you admit it!"

"Sure." Phantom glanced around the deserted hallway and shivered. He had a feeling the quiet wouldn't last long. "Sure, what does it change?"

Dash sputtered. "It changes everything! Y-you… you're just, what, you got killed by your freaky family? Some weirdo science experiment gone wrong?"

Phantom flinched.

"And," Dash's leaned down, eyes wide. "And you help them fight ghosts? And Fenton-"

"What about Fenton?" Phantom growled.

"I'm just saying-"

"You don't get to say anything about him," Phantom said. "You torment him for years-"

Dash snorted. "You think I torment him?"

Phantom pushed Dash against the lockers hard enough to indent them. The metal groaned under them, the sound echoing around the room.

"Yes!" Phantom said. "You torment him!"

He was holding Dash up by his shirt in a way that was familiar.

"But the tables have turned," Phantom whispered.

There were eyes in the locker slits. They glowed green, the only color in this world. They giggled as Dash squirmed.

"He deserves it," Dash said. "He belongs here. Punish him."

"Wh-what?"

"That's what he gets for being a smart alec." Dash put a hand over his mouth, eyes wide, but the words continued. "He made me look stupid in front of everyone."

"Dash-"

"It's not my fault!" Dash screamed.

The bell rang and suddenly the hallway was flooded with students.

"Looks like we've got a tussle!" The Greaser kid floated up through the floor to stand directly beside them.

Phantom glared at him and slowly set Dash back down on his feet.

The kid lifted the collar on his leather jacket and shivered. "Whoo! You're gonna freeze me over with that death glare, kid."

"What are you doing?" The cheerleader came running from down the hall. "Stop it! Stop it!"

She froze, eyes wide, and stared at her hands. "You're terrible, Fenton. Just awful."

"Wh-what?" Phantom said.

Awful, awful, awful.

The bustle of walking students slowed to a halt. Everyone stared at him.

Phantom glanced back at Dash.

The guy met his gaze with wide eyes.

"S-so you lashed out because I… because Fenton would joke around. Tease you," Phantom murmured. "Okay fine. I get it. I think."

Dash kept his mouth shut.

"I'm not going to hit you!" Phantom said. "I just lost my cool for a second."

Still, Dash said nothing. And the crowd watching them collectively held its breath.

"I'm not like you," Phantom said. "I won't let my anger get the best of me. You don't deserve it. No one does."

It's too cold, someone whispered.

Phantom looked over the crowd of students again. They were still as statues.

The Greaser still had his hands on his collar, nervous grin frozen in place.

Frozen!

Phantom poked him in the nose.

The ghost was freezing.

The frost was hard to spot, everything was dimly lit and black and white, but when he looked closely…

He'd frozen everything.

"Wow, okay," Phantom said. "The ice powers are the hardest to control. I'd rather have, you know, flying."

He glanced at the ceiling. "Hey Universe! Can I make a trade?"

Silence.

Then:

Too cold

The Phantom child

Torture

Our punishment

Cold, cold, cold

Kick him out

Deserves it

It's cold!

Just like the rest

Trapped

We'll crack

Crack

Shatter

Phantom put his hands over his ears, but it did no good. The voices got louder.

Baby ghost

We'll shatter!

Forgive us

Too cold

The Phantom

Thaw

Mirror

The locker

Get out!

There were cracks in their faces. The students began to vibrate in place, like badly made toys, and a green light shone through the cracks.

The cheerleader shattered with a piercing scream.

"Shit! I didn't mean to-"

GET OUT

Phantom looked at the lockers, trying to remember which one Pointdexter had put the mirror in.

They all slammed open on their own and the mirror glowed like a beacon.

But Dash was still frozen.

Phantom picked him up and a dull crack sound had him glancing down. Dash's feet had been frozen to the ground.

They were still stuck to the ground.

"J-just his shoes," Phantom said.

But his legs ended in jagged stumps.

"It's not real!" Phantom said. "It's… it's not your real body. You're fine."

Dash didn't respond, still frozen with his eyes wide.

"It's fine, we're fine, everything's fine," Phantom chanted. He put Dash in the locker with the mirror, headfirst, and sighed in relief when it disappeared into a green portal.

Thaw us, Phantom, the ghosts whispered.

"Hopefully you'll melt when I leave," Phantom said.

Then he jumped through the mirror too.