Reality Trip

by DreamersTales

Based off of the double episode 'Reality Trip' which held a lot of untapped potential in my opinion. A closer look at the trio's cross country trip, and how Danny's family started to come to terms with his identity. Far more realism than in the show, with more gruesome looks at the characters and scenes, so viewers discretion advised. *Complete*

9. 9 - Bonus Chapter - Reactions

A/N

Normally I put notes at the end, but seeing as this is a special chapter, things are a little different. In this chapter I've written the reactions for Dash, Paulina, Mr. Lancer, and Valerie when they find out Danny Fenton is actually Danny Phantom. Each POV is separated, but they all mix together and I had fun overlapping a few pieces each time!

I hope you guys enjoy this special chapter, sorry for the delay, it took me longer than the others to write!

---

DASH BAXTER

-.-

The whole thing was lame. What was the point in going to school when there was only one day left and he wasn't even able to play football? He'd complained to Mr. Lancer and to the Coach, but no one seemed to care. That stupid concert setup was ruining his entire day, which meant he'd have to beat up twice as many losers to try and salvage it.

"Hey, Baxter!"

Kwan waved, flagging the blonde down as he walked onto the school yard.

"What are you so cheery about?"

Dash grumbled, shoving the boy's shoulder as he walked past.

"C'mon Dash, you still pissed about the football field? We can just go out behind the school and play."

"Whatever, it's not like it matters. Where are all the geeks today?"

He griped, flexing his fingers as he looked around.

"All inside, guess they're practicing for an assembly or something."

"Perfect, those losers won't know what hit them."

The boy laughed, slamming his hand against the palm of his other as a voice barked at them from the sidewalk.

"You boys need to be getting to class! And don't think I've forgotten about that report you still haven't given me, Kwan."

Mr. Lancer called, readjusting the bag on his shoulder as he glared at the two of them from where he stood.

"Right, of course! I have it in my locker, I'll just.. go and get it!"

Kwan sheepishly nodded, giving his friend a look before running into the school followed by the annoyed Vice Principal. Rolling his eyes, Dash tugged at his jacket and started towards the front doors, stopping when a dark haired girl caught his eye. Breaking into a grin, Dash sauntered over and placed a hand beside the girl's head against the wall and stared down at her.

"Hey, Paulina."

He greeted as the girl frowned.

"You're blocking my sun, Dash."

She complained, her accent making him smile more as he leaned closer.

"You are my sun, Sanchez."

"Ew, get away from me, creep."

She groaned, shoving her hands into his chest and pushing him away from her.

"Come on, Paulina, I'm just having fun with you, learn to take a joke."

"Learn to take a shower and then we'll talk."

She scoffed, rolling her eyes and turning her back on him.

"Hi, Dash!"

Glancing to his left, the boy stared at a blonde girl holding a couple of books, a bright smile on her face as she watched the two interact.

"Hey, Star." He muttered dismissively before turning back to the other. "So, what do you say, go to the concert with me?"

"As if. I told you before, I'm not interested."

"What, still trying to go after Phantom? What does he got that I don't?"

"He's a hero, something you're not."

"Hey, I'm a hero for the football team."

He boasted, puffing out his chest as the girl rolled her eyes again.

"Later."

She scoffed, pushing away from him and heading inside the building with Star trailing behind her.

Dash scowled, rolling his shoulders and looking around the schoolyard. His morning was massively sucking and he wanted to beat some loser up, but the one he wanted wasn't anywhere to be seen, unlike his friends who seemed to be waiting for him.

"Hey losers! Where's Fenturd?"

He shouted, catching the attention of the weird Goth girl and the loser tech boy standing next to a tree.

"Like I'd actually tell you, Baxter!"

The Goth shouted back, giving him a dirty look as the first bell rang.

"Screw this."

He muttered, striding inside the building and towards his locker. There was no way he was going to any of his classes, he was going to cut and go to Nasty Burger and then-

"Ah, Mr. Baxter. Retrieving an assignment?"

Looking up, Dash forced down a sarcastic retort at the sight of Mr. Lancer once more looming over him.

"Uhm, no Sir."

"Good, then you're headed to my class, I presume?"

"Uh, yeah, sure.."

He muttered, slouching as he followed the Vice Principle to his first period class.

-.-

Everything was so boring. Even when Fenton came stumbling inside the class behind his friends, everything just seemed to drag on and on.

Staring out the window, Dash yawned and rested his chin in his hand, fingers drumming softly against his desk. Lancer was droning on as usual, but he didn't care. What he cared about was the day being over and preparing for his summer. There were going to be so many dork's studying during summer school he was going to enjoy beating the snot out of when he came to practice.

The sound of someone coughing drew the boy's attention, Valerie Gray sitting two rows up and staring intently at Fenton and the Goth. He couldn't understand why she had such a stupid crush on that loser, he was a scrawny dweeb who was doing worse in class than he was, and even he had to admit he wasn't passing with any flying colors.

Besides, practically everyone in the school knew that Fenton and Manson had some weird loser romance going on so why did she even bother? She'd had a social standing at one point, but when her father lost his job he guessed her standards went down with it.

"Did anyone hear my question?" Lancer's voice boomed, jolting the boy from his thoughts as he stared at the front of the class, the teacher looking beyond frustrated as he scanned the room. "Anyone? Foley, what's the answer?"

Tucker obviously hadn't been paying attention either, the boy's eyes widening as he looked around anxiously. Dash watched in amusement as Valerie leaned forward half an inch and murmured in his ear before the boy was shouting out an answer.

"The Netherlands!"

The entire room erupted into snickering as Lancer's face turned a shade of scarlet and the man scowled.

"Sense and Sensibility, Foley! Does this look like Geography class to you?"

"I-I, well-"

"Were any of you paying attention at all?" He barked out as the room fell silent. "Fine, since no one is interested in learning anything from me today, I'll let you go for the remainder of the period," He began, cheering erupting as the man glared at every one of them. "Just make sure you pick up a Nasty Burger application on your way home today because that's what your future is going to look like without a decent education."

-.-

"Man this day went on forever!"

Dash complained, throwing the football to Kwan.

"At least it's over! You got any plans for vacation?"

Catching the ball, Dash turned it over a couple of times.

"Nah, told my old man I'd work with him a little."

Chucking it back, Kwan caught it and nodded.

"We're visiting my grandmother in two weeks. It's going to be weird, she doesn't like how "Americanized' I've become."

Catching the ball again, Dash snorted.

"What does that even mean?"

"I wish I knew. But until you see an old Asian woman give you a disapproving glare, you haven't understood true fear."

"Whatever, man." Dash shrugged, throwing the ball again. "All I know is this summer is going to be two months of chilling and relaxing and-"

"Danny!"

Turning at someone's voice shrieking, Dash glanced around as the sky shifted in color, the very life seeming to drain out of Amity Park as a cold chill sent a shudder through his body.

"Ah man, another ghost attack."

Kwan groaned, looking up as well as the same voice screamed again.

"Danny!"

Tracking the noise, Dash's eyes followed Sam Manson as she was carried through the air, the claws of a ghostly bat digging into her skin as it flew through the sky.

"Oh crap, they're picking off students!" Dash yelped, turning towards Kwan only to find the boy already running up ahead. "Great time to leave me, man."

He grumbled, starting off towards the field when another scream stopped him in his tracks.

"Get away!" Hesitating, Dash looked around before spotting Paulina hiding in a corner of the building, a disgusting creature hovering over her. "I'm too pretty to die!"

He started forward until his feet turning to lead as the creature looked his way, its eyes bleeding and protruding out of its head as the boy felt a chill run down his spine as he turned and ran the other way, trying to rid the demonic creature from his mind.

A blast sounded off behind him, and when he looked over his shoulder he saw Phantom hovering over her. Paulina had been right, hero material he was not.

-.-

"I'm surprised they're still doing this after the attack today."

Kwan sighed, leaning back on the bleachers and looking towards the stage.

"Do you think Phantom got the evite I sent him? I saved him a seat."

Paulina asked eagerly, resting a hand on the spot beside her as Dash scowled.

"He's a ghost, Sanchez, why would he like the same kind of music as us?"

"Because he's perfect and dreamy."

She smiled, staring off into space as the blonde frowned.

"Whatever. Why aren't they onstage yet?"

He complained, listening as people behind them groaned at having to move to make room for others. As the music picked up, people began stomping their feet and chanting the band's name, Dash's spirits lifting as he joined in with the shouting, cheering for the band to make their appearance.

As the curtains parted to reveal the stage, a giant egg sat in the center beneath a spotlight as the cheering grew louder. It was the band's personal touch, breaking free from an egg before every show.

Only as the egg cracked, the band wasn't revealed. Instead it spun around and displayed a horrifying maw, fangs dripping with bloody ectoplasm and eyes that gleamed angrily at the crowd. The cheering faded as a voice called out over the speakers.

"Are you kids ready to have a great summer?"

Cackling followed the voice before someone yelped and Dash looked around to see Sam and Tucker carried off towards the stage, this time by a ghoulish woman. Why they were always the ones to be taken he never understood, but he was glad it wasn't him in their position at that moment.

"Oh! Maybe Phantom will show up after all!"

Paulina gasped, clasping her hands together in excitement as Kwan shot him a confused look. Dash merely shrugged, the girl's fanatics beyond him as the voice spoke up again.

"Well, now that we have our guests of honor, all we need is a captive audience!"

On the stage beside a ghastly woman with spikes protruding from her skull was a shrimpy looking guy with pale skin and disturbing red eyes. With a wave of his hand, seatbelts appeared on the bleachers and wrapped around every member in the audience, pinning them to their seats.

"Hey, what the hell is this?"

Dash yelled, grabbing the belts while tugging and pulling at them to no avail.

"Shows over, Freakshow!"

"Oh! Phantom!"

Paulina squealed, clapping her hands together in glee as the ghost boy flew towards the man.

"Is it? I thought it had just begun!" In a single throw, the creepy man punched Phantom, sending the boy flying back into the crowd. "Time for the second act!"

Freakshow chortled, thrusting his hand to the drum kit as Dash stared in awe at the set transforming into a spiderlike creature.

"Wow, now that's pretty neat."

He mumbled, feeling Paulina's hand shove into his arm.

"He's trying to kill Phantom!"

"Yeah, I know, but that's kind of awesome do you see that? If I had that thing, I could pound so many losers!"

"Oh no!"

Ignoring his comment, Paulina stretched against her bindings and pointed across the field to where the ghost boy was caught in an ectoplasm net, struggling to free himself.

"Look! Sam Manson is fighting back!"

Kwan pointed at the stage again, their attention divided as Dash watched the Goth throw a book at Freakshow's head.

"What are they, stupid? Leave the fighting to Phantom!"

Paulina grumbled, slumping back and folding her arms as the ghost boy broke free and flew towards the other two kids. In a quick jump, Freakshow and the three are in the air, barely seen from where the crowd sat eagerly watching.

"News chopper is here too."

Kwan pointed again, their gaze shifting to where the helicopter tried to move in closer to the fighting.

"We get ghost attacks all the time, why are they always trying to turn it into some story?"

"Didn't they blame the last one on too many work strikes?"

Kwan asked as Dash frowned.

"How should I know? I don't watch that lame stuff."

Distant screaming once again pulled at their attention, the seatbelts that had previously been holding them captive now releasing and disappearing altogether as Sam and Tucker fell to the stage in a heap. There was a collective inhale as there was no movement, and fear pricked at Dash's skin. But as the dust cleared and he could see Sam moving, he felt a breath of relief leave him despite himself.

"Look! Phantom!"

Paulina gasped, pointing as the ghost boy fell towards the stage at high speed before hitting dead center and sending pieces of wood flying up around him. People were standing to their feet and trying to see and Dash did the same as the ghost boy stood on shaking legs and looked around in a daze, barely appearing conscious.

Two rings of light appeared around Phantom's waist and moved up and down his body as yet another gasp overtook the entire stadium. The boy seemed unaware of what happened at first as he looked down, his body half covered in blood before he was looking up again, this time in fear.

"Uhm, no one saw that, right?"

There was a beat of silence, no one quite believing what their eyes were looking at before Dash heard his own voice speaking out from the crowd in disbelief.

"Danny Fenturd is Danny Phantom?"

He couldn't believe it, the scrawny loser that he messed with on a daily basis was the ghost boy who saved Amity Park all the time? He couldn't seem to close his gaping mouth as Paulina jumped up beside him, eyes wide and smile large on her face.

"And he's totally infatuated with me! That makes things so much easier, for me!"

She squealed, and Dash had to wonder if it was his imagination or not the way the boy on the stage looked ready to hurl. The quarterback watched as the kids and faculty moved in closer, encroaching on Fenton and his friends as if preparing to attack them.

Suddenly Manson and Foley's involvement in everything made sense, as did Fenton always being late and falling asleep in class. But he was a ghost? How was that even possible?

He felt like his mind was reeling, unable to mix the two different personas together. Fenton was a screw up, he wasn't athletic and he was barely pulling a D in most of his classes. He was also the football team's personal punching bag and favorite pastime. And yet he was also the ghost boy who was confident and had powers and saved their town almost every day from one or more ghost attacks?

The two just didn't make sense when lined up together. And yet he'd seen it with his own eyes, that transformation. But did that mean he was a ghost, or only half of one? Or was he even a ghost at all? Maybe he was something else, some kind of alien, hybrid mix.

"Nobody move!"

A powerful voice cut through the crowds murmuring as two men dressed in white suits hovered over the stage with jetpacks while aiming large guns at the trio.

"Are they going to take Fenton?"

Kwan murmured as Dash's mind reeled.

"No, they're not." He stated firmly, feeling a mixture of disgust and pride well up in him as he turned to face his friend. "Gather the rest of the team and get to the locker rooms, but don't draw attention to yourself."

"What, why?"

"Because we're helping those losers out, obviously."

He scoffed, shoving at the boys shoulder as Paulina grabbed his arm.

"Oh! I want to help him too!"

"Alright, but we have to be quiet about it."

Dash warned, prying her fingers off his arm as he slipped through the crowd and headed for the locker rooms. It was a smaller building off the side of the school and close to the football field. If they were able to slip away, then they'd be able to hide them away there. But would they get away was the question.

He'd seen Phantom- Fenton battle huge ghosts five times his size, but those looked like government guys, did he stand a chance against them with how beat up he'd looked? Plus, those guns were massive, and they seemed like the type to use them.

"They're coming!"

Paulina whispered hoarsely as she peered through the window where she'd been keeping watch.

"Cut the lights!"

He hissed, walking over to the window and watching as the trio made their way towards the building. He could tell they were talking, and as they stopped and Danny leaned back against the door, Dash murmured a quiet word before he pulled open the door and grabbed him, dragging him inside as Fenton let out a yelp. The half boy half ghost struggled against him, fighting to break free from the quarterback's tight grip as a hand smacked into Dash's face.

"Be quiet!"

Dash hissed as the door closed and he finally let go of the boy. Kwan flipped on the lights after making sure they were clear, and Dash stood proudly in front of the three of them as they realized they weren't in any danger. Snatching a towel from off a bench, Dash threw it towards Danny.

"Look alive, Fenton."

He stated, a smug smirk on his face as he glanced over the three of them. Up close he could see the damage that had been done from the fight they'd been in, scratches and cuts deep and bloody, though the half ghost had fared worse than the other two.

"Kinda hard when you're half dead, Dash."

Danny retorted, causing the group of jocks to laugh as a skeptical look crossed over the boy's face.

"You're funny, Fenton!"

Kwan chortled, nudging one of his buddies who nodded along as Dash rolled his eyes.

"Yeah.. So, you're helping me?"

Danny asked warily, looking over the faces of the football team careful as Dash stepped forwards.

"Well duh, you've only been helping us for like, ever."

He said as if the notion should be obvious. The boy seemed to be processing what he'd said, staring intently at the blonde as if he were waiting for him to punch him. And frankly, if he was anyone else he might've. Hell, he probably wouldn't have helped them at all.

But he'd been right about that whole saving them a bunch thing. With as many times as he'd beaten up Fenton, he was surprised he never retaliated with the powers he very obviously had. So in a way, he guessed he kinda owed him.

"Paulina Fenton! Hey! I can finally wrap my head around that idea!"

Paulina giggled, running over and planting a kiss to the boy's cheek and sealing his disbelief entirely as his hand fell from the bleeding cut on his arm and his eyes stared hard at the girl. Peering out the window again, Dash watched in the distance as the guys dressed in white looked around the area, hands ready on the large guns they carried.

"How are we supposed to get out of here? Those guys know you can't transform, so they know you're still nearby. It won't be long until they find us."

Sam pointed out, now holding the towel that was stained in a strange mixture of red and green blood.

"Leave that to us."

Dash boasted, puffing out his chest with pride as he made a signal to Kwan who excitedly disappeared into the back.

-.-

He had to admit, they looked pretty good. Although Foley really didn't have the same pep as the mascot usually did, it would be easy enough to fool the men out there.

"We should go, before they come in here and see you guys."

Dash warned, tossing a helmet at the ghost boy as Danny caught it easily. As the three of them finished getting ready, Kwan stood watch by one of the windows and made a motion when they were ready.

Striding to the door and glancing back to double check, Dash shut off the light and pulled open the door, marching outside with the football team and Paulina forming a line behind him, followed closely by the trio.

As they walked past the two men as inconspicuously as possible, Dash felt his breath hitching as they glanced their way before quickly losing interest in the group of kids that made their way past them. A few minutes later, once they were in the clear, Danny and Tucker were changing out of their disguises and handing them back to the jocks.

"Thanks for your help, Dash. I can't believe I'm about to say this but.. we couldn't have done this without you."

The ghost boy said, staring up at the blonde with a begrudging smile. Staring back at the scrawny raven haired boy, Dash could still barely believe he was actually Phantom. Even with bleeding cuts and haunted eyes, had he not seen the transformation for himself, he'd never have thought Fenton capable of such a thing.

"Just don't screw everything up, alright? Now that I know you're Phantom, you're actually a tiny bit cool." Dash muttered, folding his arms over his chest as the boy smirked, scratching the back of his head as he motioned behind him. "We'll keep them distracted for as long as possible."

He offered, watching as Danny beckoned for his friends.

"Thanks."

He nodded, the trio quickly disappearing into the trees as Kwan walked closer to Dash.

"How exactly are we going to do that?"

"We'll figure something out." Dash stated, feigning more confidence than he actually felt. "All we have to do is-"

"Is what?"

The sudden bellowing voice jolted the quarterback, his body whirling around and coming face to face with one of the men dressed in white.

"C-Clean the field." He stuttered out, clearing his throat before continuing. "As the home team, it's our responsibility to clean up after tonight."

He laughed nervously, hearing Kwan murmuring behind him.

"It is?"

Shooting his friend a dirty look, he heard the man in front of him grunt as the two exchanged a glance.

"Where's that cheerleader that was with you?"

The second man questioned, looking over the noticeably smaller group.

"I changed."

Paulina flashed a smile, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

"You know that ghost boy is dangerous, don't you? He's caused a lot of problems and we need to bring him in."

The first spoke slowly, keeping a hard look on Dash who struggled not to squirm. Was this how the kids he picked on felt?

"He's a hero to us."

Paulina shot back, crossing her arms and looking away as the second man sneered.

"He's a menace."

"Do any of you know where the ghost boy is?"

The first asked, his gaze never shifting from Dash who squared his shoulders and stared him in the eyes.

"We have no clue where he is."

Which was the truth, they helped them escape, but they had no idea where they would go.

"And even if we did, we'd never rat him out!"

Kwan spoke up as the group murmured their own defiance's against the two men.

"We don't have time for this. Freakshow has the Gauntlet and those kids know where the stones are."

The second man grumbled, his voice barely heard by Dash as the first shifted the gun in his hands and took a step closer to the teenager.

"One more time, son. Do you know where the Ghost Boy is?"

There's hesitation, Dash's eyes locked with ones that are nothing but dark hues hidden behind ridiculous sunglasses.

"Like I said, no clue." He said quietly, sending his own harsh glare their way as he pressed himself closer. "Doesn't matter anyway, if you couldn't grab them back there, what makes you think you'll stand a chance in finding them now?"

He asked, a triumphant smirk on his face as the man stared in silence before his gun was thrusting out, the butt of it striking the boy hard in the chest and knocking him to the ground, the air stolen from his lungs as he struggled to regain his breath. Kneeling down in front of the boy, the man's gun pressed against his arm as steely eyes gleamed from behind the dark frames.

"You think being smart is going to get you anywhere? I could arrest you for aiding and abetting."

"Leave him alone!" Paulina screamed, dropping down beside the quarterback as delicate hands wrapped around his arm. "We don't know where they went!"

"You helped them escape, didn't you?"

The man asked, focusing a hard glare on Paulina now as Dash wheezed out his next breath.

"Yeah, we did, because you were going to hurt him!"

"Pualina.."

Dash shook his head, freezing as the gun pressed against his arm.

"Stop it!" She yelled, scowling at him as she flipped her hair back. "They probably went back to his family's weird house, Fenton Works."

She spat out, turning her head and glowering at the ground as the men exchanged a look.

"Let's go."

The first barked, standing up and turning his back on the kids. As they walked away from the group, Dash grimaced and bit back a groan.

"Why'd you tell them that?"

He muttered, sitting up slowly as the girl frowned.

"Don't they have like, those crazy contraptions and stuff all over that house to protect them?"

She asked, standing up as he did as his arm wrapped around his chest.

"Yeah, I guess."

"They'll be fine. Phantom won't go down without a fight." She said firmly, a worried look flashing across her face before she's staring judgmentally at him. "But you, you couldn't protect yourself from a flea."

It's meant to be an insult, but there's no vigor in her words. Looking around their group, every face pale and eyes on the ground, Dash swallowed past the lump in his throat. None of them really stood a chance against those guys. But they'd offered the trio a little bit of time to make a plan, and maybe they wouldn't go back to his home.

"They better be alright," He muttered, staring at where they'd disappeared. "The losers."

---

PAULINA SANCHEZ

-.-

She had to look perfect. In fact, she had to look better than perfect. Straightening her pink crop top and clipping the barrette in her hair, she picked up a newspaper clipping and smiled at it.

Would Phantom go to the concert? Would she see him there, maybe even have a few minutes alone with him? She sighed dreamily, setting the picture of the ghost boy down and glancing over her reflection carefully. It was the last day of school and she couldn't afford even a single hair out of place.

"Paulina! It's time to go!"

Her mother called from down the stairs as a small pout formed on the girls lips. If she saw him today, she was determined to talk to him. She was tired of all the back and forth. She was meant to be with him, she knew she was.

-.-

She daydreamed about him a lot. She imagined him doing some form of ghostly patrol near the school and spotting her down there. She pictured him smiling and drifting down behind her and his voice surprising her out of her thoughts. She liked to think that he'd sweep her up and take her into the sky with him.

She had visions of him taking her away from all the annoyances of school and pathetic losers and taking her somewhere special, some place that would just be their spot. He'd lean in closer and he would take her hand, and then he would say-

"Hey, Paulina."

Blinking, the girl looked up and scowled at the jock standing over her, his hand next to her head as he smiled, waiting for her response.

"You're blocking my sun."

She said coolly, watching his smirk grow wider.

"You are my sun, Sanchez."

"Ew, get away from me, creep."

She grimaced, shoving her hands into his chest and pushing him away from her, her daydream now shattered to bits because of him.

"Come on, Paulina, I'm just having fun with you, learn to take a joke."

He complained as she rolled her eyes.

"Learn to take a shower, then we'll talk."

Turning her back to him, she heard her friend's voice speak up.

"Hi, Dash."

"Hey, Star." The jock muttered dismissively before turning back to Paulina. "So, what do you say, go to the concert with me?"

"As if," She scoffed, flipping her hair over her shoulder and glaring at him. "I told you before, I'm not interested."

"What, still trying to go after Phantom? What does he got that I don't?"

He asked, lifting his arms out as the girl rolled her eyes again and took a step away from him.

"He's a hero, something you're not."

She sneered, turning her nose up at him as he took on an offended look.

"Hey, I'm a hero for the football team."

He stated, the defense a poor one as she shoved away from him and walked past Star.

"Later."

She called, walking inside the building with her friend following close behind.

"Dash is like, so hot."

Star swooned, clutching her books tighter to her chest as Paulina scoffed.

"He's a jerk; I don't know why you're obsessed with him."

"I-I'm not obsessed!"

She cried, horrified eyes looking around as Paulina shot her a pointed glare.

"Don't be such a loser, Star. You can do better than Dash Baxter."

She huffed, marching into the classroom and setting her things down and getting settled before looking out the window while letting her mind wander back to her daydream.

Phantom was so much better than Dash was. Sure, Dash was cute. And he was popular which was like, totally essential. But he was a jerk, and Phantom, he was kind. He cared about the people and about saving them. Not that she particularly did, but he always made sure she was safe, and that's what she really cared about.

Paulina finally looked up when she heard snickering, eyes drifting to the doorway where Danny Fenton and his two strange friends came stumbling inside the room, the black haired boy looking as if he hadn't slept in a week.

She watched the three for a moment before her eyes shifted back to the window, staring at the bright sky above. Danny was obsessed with her, thought everything she did was perfect. Why couldn't Phantom be the same? She thought he liked her, but he never stuck around for very long.

Why couldn't he see that they would be so great together? She was beautiful, smart, popular. And he was a hero. The hero always got with the girl like her. So why was he wasting his time doing whatever it was he did instead of spending that time with her?

Paulina stared at the front where Mr. Lancer talked endlessly about some boring book written by some boring dead guy as usual and frowned. Why did no one seem to care that she was deep in thought over something important? Everyone was so selfish and self-absorbed; they just didn't care about anyone around them, especially her.

"Did anyone hear my question?"

Lancer's voice suddenly echoed, jolting the girl as she sat up straighter. Focusing on the teacher, she noted the red blotches on his face, the anger making him even more unattractive than usual. She could easily tell he'd never been popular in school either.

"Anyone? Foley, what's the answer?"

He demanded, calling out the techno loser as his phone suddenly dropped into his lap and wide eyes were staring at the teacher. Paulina watched as Valerie leaned forward from her seat behind him and murmured something in his ear before the boy sat up and shouted out an answer.

"The Netherlands!"

The room immediately erupted into chuckling as the boy's face reddened and Lancer glowered at the front of the room.

"Sense and Sensibility, Foley! Does this look like Geography class to you?"

He questioned, his hand falling hard against his desk as he sighed.

"I-I, well-"

"Were any of you paying attention at all?"

He asked sharply, looking around the room as everyone fell silent and Paulina's eyes fell to her books. She had better things to do than listen to his drawl about old authors.

"Fine, since no one is interested in learning anything from me today, I'll let you go for the remainder of the period," He'd began, eyes wandering around the room as the students began to cheer. "Just make sure you pick up a Nasty Burger application on your way home today because that's what your future is going to look like without a decent education."

-.-

"What are your plans for the summer?"

Star asked, shoving her books inside her locker and turning to her friend as Paulina smirked.

"We're going to the beach, like always. What else is there to do? I refuse to stay in this town during the break."

She said smugly, walking to the front with Star trailing quickly behind as usual.

"Are you going to invite Phantom to the concert?"

She prodded, catching up to the girl and glancing over at her as Paulina pouted.

"I tried, but every time he's around he's always off fighting some ghost. Why can't they let him just spend some time with me!"

She groaned, stamping her foot on the ground as she looked across the field, spotting some of the football players throwing a ball back and forth and Fenton and his friends walking home.

"Does the sky look darker to you?"

Surveying the horizon, the previously bright cerulean hues were shifting to a deep midnight blue before Paulina's very eyes.

"Does it look like I care? I'm going back inside before it starts raining and it messes up my hair."

She scoffed, turning around and starting back inside before someone's scream stopped her.

"Danny!" Looking over her shoulder, she tried to find the source of the yell before she spotted Sam Manson rising higher in the air, a ghosts talons grasping tightly to her arms. "Danny!"

She screamed again, struggling against the ghost as Paulina stumbled back, shouts coming from numerous students now as they ran from the sudden ghost threat. Starting to run from the school, Paulina looked over her shoulder briefly, finding Star nowhere to be seen before she's turning back and a scream is echoing out of her.

Hovering right in front of her face was the most nightmarish creature squawking in a threatening tone, the fowl's eyes bulging from its skull while ectoplasmic blood dripped from its eyes as it moved in closer to her.

"Get away!" She shrieked, stumbling back into a corner of the building as she covered her face, her eyes closing tightly. "I'm too pretty to die!"

She screamed, her body shaking as she found herself hoping for the one person she knew could save her. She could feel the bird moving in closer, a freezing chill washing over her slight frame as a sudden blast echoed in her ears and she found herself looking up, eyes meeting glowing green as Phantom hovered over her, a triumphant smile on his face.

"Thank you, ghost boy!" She shouted, a wide grin rising to her face as she waved her hand at him. "I love you!"

The ghost displayed a strangely familiar dorky grin, his eyes locked onto hers as the Goth screamed again, her voice getting further away.

"Danny!"

The ghost boy's eyes drifted to the sky, worry scrawled across his face as another scream from a different student distracted him yet again and he flew off to handle the crisis.

Standing frozen, Paulina watched him fly away, her smile fading into a frown. He was always leaving, always helping other people. And she liked that about him, liked that he was a hero. But he couldn't take two seconds to talk to her? To say hello? He took the time to talk to others; everyone knew that he had a weird partnership with Tucker and that awful Goth. So what did they have that she didn't?

-.-

"Move!"

Paulina hissed, shoving at Star until there was an open seat between them on the bleachers. Shifting her attention eagerly towards the stage, the students were all waiting anxiously for the concert to begin. Looking to her left where Dash and Kwan were talking, she leaned a little closer.

"Do you think Phantom got the evite I sent him? I saved him a seat!"

She said eagerly, watching as Dash stared blankly at her.

"He's a ghost, Sanchez. Why would he like the same music as us?"

"Because he's perfect and dreamy."

She sighed, clasping her hands together and staring at the empty seat, already imagining him sitting there beside her.

"Whatever. Why aren't they on stage yet?"

Dash complained, leaning forwards as if doing so meant he could see where exactly the musicians were. As the crowd began to chant the band's name, Dash and Kwan loudly joined in while Paulina's foot tapped impatiently as she glanced to the empty seat yet again.

He would come, wouldn't he? She wasn't sure where else to send the invite too except for his fan page, but surely he would see it. After all, he liked her, didn't he? Of course he did, she was perfect for him. So where was he?

The cheering grew louder and Paulina focused her attention onto the stage, watching as the curtains pulled away and the giant egg stood on the platform. She secretly loved that part, where they would burst out of the egg and start the intro to their first song. But something was wrong this time.

Instead of coming out of the egg, it cracked and revealed a disgusting mouth filled with daggered teeth that dripped ectoplasm and eyes that stared hungrily out at the crowd. The cheering faded to silence as the speaker crackled and a voice shouted out into the crowd.

"Are you kids ready to have a great summer?"

She doesn't recognize the voice, but when someone yelped behind her, she turned to see Sam and Tucker in the hands of a ghostly woman, spikes protruding in a disgusting fashion from her head. They always seemed to be the ones that the ghosts went after, but then the realization hit her and she was clasping her hands together with an excited squeal.

"Oh! Maybe Phantom will show up after all!"

The voice interrupted again, laughter hidden behind his words.

"Well, now that we have our guests of honor, all we need is a captive audience!"

Standing beside the fluorescent apparition with way too many tattoos stood a dwarfish man with red colored eyes and a freakish grin. Thrusting his hand out, straps that resembled seat belts appeared on the bleachers and wrapped tightly around each person, affectively forcing them into their seats.

"Hey, what the hell is this?"

Dash demanded, struggling against the binding.

"Show's over, Freakshow!"

"Oh, Phantom!"

Paulina cheered, clapping her hands together as she leaned forward in her seat, eyes glued to the ghost boy as he flew towards the man. She wondered if after all this if he would ever take her flying up in the sky like that. Was it magical? She whole heartedly believed it was.

"Is it? I thought it had just begun!"

The dwarf cackled, pulling back his fist and slamming it into the ghost boys jaw, sending Phantom hurtling back to crash into the bleachers. Paulina covered her mouth with her hands, staring wide eyed at where the boy had gone, fear prickling her skin. Phantom never let anyone get hurt in these fights, but she'd never seen him take a beating, either.

"Time for the second act!"

Freakshow laughed, aiming his hand at the bands drum kit. A colored glow washed over it and transformed the stationary item into an arachnid, the metal and plastic twisting into a horrific concoction that creaked with every step.

"Wow, now that's pretty neat."

She heard Dash mumble beside her as she glared at him, her hand shoving as hard as she could into his arm.

"He's trying to kill Phantom!"

She yelled, as if the point wasn't obvious enough from the fight happening in front of their very eyes.

"Yeah, I know, but that's kind of awesome do you see that? If I had that thing, I could pound so many losers!"

She barely registered his comment as she watched Phantom fly back yet again, his limbs caught in an ectoplasmic net.

"Oh no!"

She cried, straining to break free from the belt holding her back. He couldn't stay down, could he?

"Look," Kwan yelled, pointing back towards the stage. "Sam Manson is fighting back!"

Paulina watched with a mild, mild, amount of awe as the Goth threw a book at the ring leaders head in an attempt to distract him.

"What are they, stupid? Leave the fighting to Phantom!"

Paulina scoffed, glancing around nervously in case anyone had seen her eagerly watching as she slumped in her seat and turned back to where the Ghost boy was still struggling to free himself. Why would he need any help from anyone else? He was capable of handling it himself if they'd only leave him be to do it.

"News chopper is here too."

Kwan spoke again as a helicopter hovered near the action and was reporting live on the fight taking place at the high school.

"We get ghost attacks all the time, why are they always trying to turn it into some story?"

Dash grumbled, staring at the craft in annoyance as Paulina quickly ran her hands through her hair, straightening any loose strands that might have been out of place.

"Didn't they blame the last one on too many work strikes?"

Kwan asked, causing both Dash and Paulina to look over at him. Who even bothered to watch the news? It's not like it ever held anything useful.

"How should I know? I don't watch that lame stuff."

Dash scoffed as distant screaming grew louder around them. Paulina glanced up to the sky, watching with her jaw dropped as Sam and Tucker fell to the stage, crashing into a heap on the platform.

There's a collective inhale as no one dared to move, Paulina barely even noticing that the seatbelt that had been holding her down was now gone. But where was Phantom? Looking around, she heard Dash let out a soft breath, and as she looked over she spotted Sam moving slowly. Which sure, was great. The Goth would live to annoy her another day. But where was-

"Phantom!"

Bright blue eyes followed the ghost boy's descent as his body hurtled towards the platform, hitting dead center and sending pieces of wood flying up around him. With her heart in her throat, Paulina was rising to her feet, desperate to see what had happened to her hero.

Through the dust that began to settle, Phantom was rising on shaking legs, a dazed expression on his face as he stood swaying before two strange rings of light appeared around his middle. In a single movement, the two rings traveled up and down over the boy's body, transforming Phantom from his torn up jumpsuit to that of jeans and a red and white t-shirt.

The entire crowd fell silent as the black haired boy steadied himself, piercing blue eyes looking out at the crowd before glancing down at himself, his body covered in a strange mixture of red and green blood. His confused expression morphed into one of fear and disbelief as his head jerked back up and words were stammering past his lips.

"Uhm, no one saw that, right?"

There was a beat of silence, no one quite believing what their eyes were showing them as Paulina struggled to contain her excitement. Phantom was Fenton. Danny Fenton. She didn't know how, and she really didn't care why. But standing on that stage was Danny Fenton, and he was Phantom.

"Danny Fenturd is Danny Phantom?"

Dash exclaimed, the shock unbearable anymore as the crowd began to clamor, the first voice having broken the silence and allowing others to follow quickly in its wake. Paulina could barely contain her excitement, her heart racing as she stared at the unkempt and disheveled boy staring at the crowd in horror.

"And he's totally infatuated with me! Which makes things so much easier, for me!"

She squealed, lighting up even more as bright blue eyes landed on her, staring into her soul for a fleeting moment before Sam and Tucker were rising and standing in front of the beat up individual as the students and faculty began to move in closer, wanting a better look at the half ghost, half human who had saved them.

Paulina started to inch closer too, desperate to speak to him. How was he a ghost? How did he have such amazing powers? When would be the perfect date for their wedding? She had to admit though, he looked nauseas. He wavered on his feet, and he shrunk away from the crowd as if wishing he could flee. But why? Now that everyone knew, he was going to be crazy popular, just like her! They were going to be the perfect power couple, she just knew it.

"Nobody move!"

A commanding voice cut through the chatter as two men dressed in white suits holding large guns hovered over the crowd, glaring hatefully at Phantom- at Danny.

"Are they going to take Fenton?"

Kwan whispered, and Paulina felt her heart plummet. They couldn't take him, could they? Just because the government stuck their nose in everyone else's business didn't mean it belonged there. Especially not after she'd just found her soul mate.

"No, they're not." Dash muttered, his hands closing into fists as he frowned in thought. "Gather the rest of the team and get to the locker rooms, but don't draw attention to yourself."

He directed as Kwan hesitated, confusion scrawled across his face.

"What, why?"

"Because we're helping those losers out, obviously."

Dash rolled his eyes, shoving his hand into the boys arm as Paulina pushed closer to the jock, eyes wide and voice excited.

"Oh! I want to help him too!"

She would show him she was just as capable of being a hero, even if it meant having to tolerate that awful Goth and techno geek.

"Alright, but we have to be quiet about it."

He warned, prying her fingers off his arm before making his way through the crowds and towards the locker rooms.

"As if I can't be quiet."

The girl scoffed, flipping her hair over her shoulder and following after him, ignored entirely by everyone else. Normally she'd be furious about such a thing, especially when she looked as good as she did right then. But this was about Phantom- about Danny. And well, she'd benefit from this in the long run with him she was sure.

Following after Dash to a small building set aside from the field, Paulina scrunched up her nose in distaste at the smell as she stepped inside. Did no one know how to clean the place? It reeked of sweat and desperation.

Standing close to the door as lookout, Paulina stared out the window and waited impatiently for any sign of the three. Those guys in white, aside from their very obvious lack of taste in clothes and ridiculous desire to where sunglasses at night, looked harmless enough. But then again, if they were government, would Danny even stand a chance against them? And what if they actually meant to use those guns as more than just a threat?

Pressing her forehead against the glass, Paulina let out a small breath that fogged up the pane before fading away. Danny Fenton. Danny Phantom. Less mystery, more dorkiness. But he was Phantom, and Phantom was him. So she could overlook his awful friends, couldn't she?

And surely after hanging out with her for a while, he'd forget about them anyway. After all, who would need those losers when they could hang out with the popular crowd? Glancing back up again, Paulina spotted the trio running in their direction.

"They're coming!"

"Cut the lights!"

Dash hissed, the lights shutting off at his command as he crept closer to Paulina. They seemed to be discussing something outside, but as Danny leaned back against the door, Dash whispered a quiet word before the door was opening and he was dragging them inside.

Danny let out a yelp as he struggled to fight back, and the scuffling of feet and grouched words grew louder before Dash was hissing out a single "Be quiet!" Closing the door quickly once all three were inside, Kwan flipped the lights back on as the football team and Paulina stood in front of the banged up trio.

Up close, the half ghost looked even worse than he had on the stage. He was pale and had dark circles beneath his eyes, and the blood that continued to drip down his arm was a strange shade of crimson and fluorescent green mixed together in a gory fashion.

"Look alive, Fenton!"

Dash grinned, tossing a towel towards the boy as he caught it in midair, a confused expression clouding his features. Paulina had seen a lot of interactions between the two boys, but this was the first time he had ever not seemed pathetic in comparison to the quarterback.

"Kinda hard when you're half dead, Dash."

The boy retorted, the words leaving his mouth as his two friends exchanged a glance.

"You're funny, Fenton!"

Kwan laughed, bobbing his head up and down with another jock as the girl forced back a scowl. They were acting like idiots; didn't they realize he didn't care about any of them but her? The half ghost glanced around warily, as if expecting to be mobbed any moment as he held the towel against his arm.

"Yeah.. so, you're helping me?"

There's skepticism in his voice, and as Dash stepped forward the boy seemed to flinch, waiting for a punch he was sure had to be coming.

"Well duh, you've only been helping us for like, ever."

Dash scoffed, as if the very statement was unneeded. Ignoring the rest of them, Paulina ran forward finally, unable to wait any longer as she pressed her lips against the boy's pale cheek.

"Paulina Fenton! Hey! I can finally wrap my head around that idea!"

As she pulled away, she watched his hand fall from his arm, eyes staring hard and unblinking at her as she smiled sweetly. His skin had been clammy and frigid, the lack of warmth strange against her lips. But he was half ghost, so, she really should have expected it.

She heard a quiet mumble from Sam to Tucker but ignored it, staring back at the raven haired boy in excitement and awe as Sam marched over and yanked the towel from the boy's hand and pressed it firmly against his cut, making him flinch and blink a couple of times.

"Thanks, uhm, for the save and all."

He said, looking past Paulina as the girl fought the pout off her face. She hated that stupid Goth, they were having a moment and she totally ruined it. Her hand twitched and her mind wandered to whether or not she could manage to pull him into the back before Sam's irritating lilt is once against distracting her.

"How are we supposed to get out of here? Those guys know you can't transform, so they know you're still nearby. It won't be long until they find us."

Blinking once Paulina started to speak, her hand reaching towards Danny as Dash stepped away from the window and puffed out his chest with a smug expression on his face.

"Leave that to us."

-.-

He looked hot. She wasn't sure when exactly Danny had started looking so cute, but he really was. He stood off to the side speaking with his friends, the football uniform large on his sleight frame, and yet he was still attractive.

His hair was messy, as it usually was, but every time he looked over at her, those blue eyes would sparkle and she would find herself imagining them turning green as he scooped her up and carried her away. The two of them would laugh together about the other people who weren't dating a ghost hero, and then they'd land somewhere where people could see them but not interrupt and he would lean in and they would kiss and-

"We should go, before they come in here and see you guys."

Dash spoke, tossing a helmet towards the ghost boy who caught it easily and hefted it in his hands. Forcing her eyes away from the boy, she shifted them to the Goth who stood staring at herself in disgust.

"I want that back by Monday," Paulina snapped, studying her with a sneer. "Minus the Goth sweat."

"We don't sweat, we simmer!"

Sam practically shouted, the sudden anger fueling the smaller girl as she pushed herself towards Paulina, hands balled into fists before Danny jumped forward, his hands grabbing at Sam's arms and pulling her closer to him, muttering something Paulina couldn't quite make out. Whatever it was though it did the trick, calming the girl down as she snatched up the pompoms and tugged her skirt down in annoyance.

Dash stood by the door, looking back and checking that everyone was ready before he shut off the light and tugged it open, striding outside with a line of jocks behind him, followed by Paulina, and the trio behind her.

They walked as quickly yet as inconspicuously as possible past the guys, the two men glancing over briefly and studying the group before returning to a conversation they seemed to be having, causing a soft sigh of relief to leave the girl as they hurried on.

After a few minutes of fast walking, the group was in the clear and Paulina watched the two boys quickly shed their disguises and hand them back to the jocks as the two groups separated.

"Thanks for your help, Dash. I can't believe I'm about to say this but.. we couldn't have done this without you."

Danny offered the quarterback a small smile and Dash crossed his arms, looking the boy up and down critically.

"Just don't screw everything up, alright? Now that I know you're Phantom, you're actually a tiny bit cool." Paulina smiled herself, waiting to meet the hero's eye once again before he left, waiting for him to say something to her, thank her for the big part she played in his rescue as well. "We'll keep them distracted as long as possible."

Dash motioned behind him as Danny nodded his head.

"Thanks."

He remarked, glancing at his two friends before they turned and headed deeper into the woods as the smile Paulina wore fell. Not a single thank you to her? She loaned that Goth her uniform. Her uniform. Did they not care about how sacred that was?

"How exactly are we going to do that?"

She heard Kwan ask as she folded her arms over her chest and scowled at the ground. Why was Sam always getting in the way of things? She was the one meant to be with Phantom not her.

"We'll figure something out." Dash shrugged. "All we have to do is-"

"Is what?"

A thundering voice demanded as Paulina jumped, turning her head and staring at the two men in shock.

"C-Clean the field." Dash stammered out, obviously caught off guard as he cleared his throat before speaking again. "As the home team, it's our responsibility to clean up after tonight."

He laughed nervously as Kwan spoke up behind him.

"It is?"

Dash turned, shooting his friend a dirty look as the two guys in white glanced at each.

"Where's that cheerleader that was with you?"

One of them asked, making a careful sweep over their noticeably smaller group.

"I changed."

Paulina heard herself say as she flipped her hair over her shoulder and flashed them a fake smile. She couldn't help it, even though she hated his friends, she still wanted to help him however she could. She supposed that was what love did to a person.

"You know that ghost boy is dangerous, don't you? He's caused a lot of problems and we need to bring him in."

The first man spoke slowly, a hard gaze firm on Dash as the boy's body twitched, his eyes locked with the man's.

"He's a hero to us."

Paulina snapped, glaring at the two as the second man sneered.

"He's a menace."

"Do any of you know where the ghost boy is?"

The first asked, never shifting his gaze away from Dash as the jock straightened his form and stared hard back.

"We have no idea where he is."

He shot back, his voice strong and clear now as Paulina watched quietly. Were they even allowed to do this? To question them like this?

"And even if we did, we'd never rat him out!"

Kwan informed them as the rest of the group murmured their own defiance's towards the men.

"We don't have time for this. Freakshow has the Gauntlet and those kids know where the stones are."

The second man grumbled, glaring directly at Paulina as the first took a step closer to Dash, adjusting the gun in his hands in a threatening manner as the girl's breath caught in her throat.

"One more time, son. Do you know where the ghost boy is?"

He asked slowly, his voice impossibly low as Paulina watched Dash move his face closer.

"Like I said, no clue," Smirking now, the blonde kept talking. "Doesn't matter anyway, if you couldn't grab them back there, what makes you think you'll stand a chance in finding them now?"

The first man fumed silently, his fingers tapping his gun a couple of times before he is thrusting it out in a fast and hard motion, the butt of it catching Dash square in the chest and forcing the boy to his knees as he struggled to regain the air that had been knocked out of him.

"You think being smart is going to get you anywhere? I could arrest you for aiding and abetting."

He prodded quietly while kneeling down as Paulina pushed herself forwards, anger surging through her.

"Leave him alone!" She cried out, dropping down beside the jock and wrapping her hands around his arm while casting the man a hateful glare. "We don't know where they went!"

"You helped them escape, didn't you?"

He questioned as Paulina swallowed thickly, wondering briefly if she insulted him in Spanish if he'd even understand her.

"Yeah, we did, because you were going to hurt him!"

"Paulina.."

Dash murmured, his voice hoarse as he shook his head, the man in white pressing the gun firmly against the boys arm as Paulina leaned forward.

"Stop it!" She yelled, glaring at him through his stupid sunglasses as she shoved her hair back. "They probably went back to his family's weird house, Fenton Works."

She spat out, glaring at the ground as she felt the man move away.

"Let's go."

He muttered, standing up as Paulina glared angrily at his back as the two men disappeared the same way they'd come.

"Why'd you tell them that?"

Dash muttered, sitting up with a grimace as she let go of his arm and sat back, a pout displayed on her lips. Was no one ever going to thank her for anything she did to help?

"Don't they have like, those crazy contraptions and stuff all over that house to protect them?"

She asked, watching as he started to stand.

"Yeah, I guess."

He admitted, his arm wrapping around his chest defensively.

"They'll be fine. Phantom won't go down without a fight."

She asserted, though the worry that was building within her put her off. He was a kid, just like the rest of them. If they didn't stand a chance against those guys, how could they? But, she'd also seen Phantom- Danny, take on ghosts way bigger than him, so he'd be fine, wouldn't he?

"But you, you couldn't protect yourself from a flea."

It's meant to be an insult, something to ease the tension of what happened, but there's no hate in her words, and everyone can tell.

"They better be alright," Dash murmured, looking around at his friends who all wore the same pallor expressions. "The losers."

---

MR. LANCER

-.-

He would never be over it. Every day he knew what he was walking into and yet it always surprised him. It never failed, not when he'd look at those papers and realize just how stupid all of them were. He'd tried his best, he really had. But none of them cared, none of them tried except for a select few. And even then, did a B really count as trying?

Dropping the paper with Fenton's name on it, Lancer sighed heavily and ran his hands down his face. Another F, another call to the boy's parents. On occasion he would manage a D, and every once in a blue moon he'd seen the boy pull a C.

But recently, he'd not even been trying to stay out of trouble. He was sleeping in class, he was showing up late or leaving early. And there seemed to be no getting through to him, either. It irritated him to no end. How could he not care about his future? Did it not matter that he might end up with no degree, no job, and living on the street someday because he couldn't afford a decent living?

He'd taught Jasmine, he'd never had any troubles with her except for her being a know it all. But she'd been brilliant, and when he'd heard another Fenton would be in his class well, he'd been overjoyed. Finally, another student who would put their best effort into what they did and strive to be the greatest.

But oh, had he not been prepared for the ultimate slacker that was one Daniel Fenton. Ever since the semester started he'd been fighting with that boy constantly. Just who did he think he was? Did he think he was too good for all of it? That he could actually get by without an education? It frustrated him every single day.

Pushing away from his desk, he stacked the papers off to the side and glanced at the clock. He still had time before the day started, so he would go outside and relish the fact that today was the last day he'd have to tolerate any of them before the summer began. And he was going to enjoy his summer.

Him and mother, perhaps they would take a trip somewhere. Maybe to the beach or the mountains. Somewhere he wouldn't have to think about kids for a while.

Walking outside of the building and inhaling deeply the fresh air, the man smiled. Those kids thought the last day of school was exciting for them? Teachers loved it more, he was sure. Clasping his hands behind his back and walking around the building, he looked up at the clouds and practically grinned.

A trip, and maybe he'd even indulge in the collectors editions of his favorite books. After the last few months, he deserved something nice. And he wasn't going to-

"Perfect! Those losers won't know what hit them!"

Looking over at two of boys from the football team, his smile vanished. Kwan and Baxter were another two of his less than average students. Far less. In fact, the only reason they hadn't been cut from the team due to those grades was because of the principle. He'd tried, of course, but after arguments and threats and some of the worst parent teacher conferences of his life, he'd stopped trying.

"You boys need to be getting to class! And don't think I've forgotten about that report you still haven't given me, Kwan."

He called from the sidewalk, readjusting his bag as the two froze, their eyes finding him as Kwan stammered something out before running off, leaving Baxter holding a football by himself. Following after the Asian student, the teacher looked down at his watch before peering inside his classroom.

A few students had already gone inside and were talking in various groups, and seated in the middle was Valerie Gray, her body slumped against her desk and her head turned to stare out the window.

Now Gray, there was the top student in his class. She actually gave a damn about her homework and assignments. He'd heard in the teachers' lounge that her father had been struggling, and of course he'd seen the original story about it on the news. But she seemed to be bouncing back, slowly but surely. At the very least, her grades hadn't dropped even once.

He was about to walk inside when Kwan sped past him, apologizing hastily before sliding into his seat and digging out a notebook, quickly scrawling what Lancer assumed was his paper inside it. Heaving a sigh, he stopped, counting his students briefly before turning and walking back down the halls and towards the front doors of the building.

It was only a few minutes until class started, and he was still missing six of his students. Walking past Paulina Sanchez and Star, he ticked off two, and focused on the four that were left. The four that were always left.

Walking onto the grounds, he moved slowly, surveying the various trees and the tables that were left unattended by the students who were actually inside. Pausing, he heard someone snickering and as he turned, he spotted three of his missing pupils standing in the yard talking. Walking closer, he watched as Fenton began moving backwards, talking in an animated fashion to his friends.

"-and done with and hope Lancer doesn't bore us to death on our last day."

The boy laughed as the man stopped, casting a disapproving glare at the trio as Sam Manson and Tucker Foley halted, their eyes widening as they met his harsh gaze.

"Uh, Danny-"

Sam began, grimacing as the boy stumbled back and bumped into the teacher, his body whirling around as wide blue eyes stared up at the vice principle in surprise.

"Mr. Fenton, how nice to see you actually bothered to show up today."

He spoke dryly, watching the sheepish expression that crawled across the boy's face as he scratched the back of his neck nervously.

"Mr. Lancer! I-I didn't see you there."

He stuttered, backing closer to his friends as the teacher scowled down at him.

"Obviously." He looked in annoyance towards the other two whose eyes quickly shifted away from his. "Ms. Manson, Mr. Foley. The bell is about to ring, and you wouldn't want to be late for my boring class."

"We were just headed there! Right now actually! Right, Sam?"

Tucker quickly forced out, his hands falling on Sam's shoulders as she nodded along with him.

"Yeah! C'mon, Danny."

She urged, grabbing the boy's sleeve and tugging him behind them as they hurried towards the school.

Rolling his eyes, Lancer pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. Manson was another decent student, but hanging out with those two was a poor decision on her part.

Trudging inside the building after them, he stopped again when he found his last missing student at his locker, shoving items hastily inside his backpack.

"Ah, Mr. Baxter. Retrieving an assignment?"

He'd caught the boy off guard, the quarterback turning and staring up at his teacher.

"Uhm, no Sir."

"Good, then you're headed to my class, I presume?"

He saw the boy visibly wince, tugging at his backpack once before replying.

"Uh, yeah, sure.."

Turning around and marching back to his classroom, he tallied up his students again and noted the three still missing despite his previous encounter. Dash meandered towards his seat in the back, slouching down and glaring out the window as the teacher shook his head.

Just as the bell rang, Manson, Foley, and Fenton stumbled into the classroom, quickly finding their seats as the man began his lecture, counting down the minutes along with his students.

He was only fifteen minutes into his spiel when he noticed the lack of attention anyone had for him. Even Valerie, who would normally be taking notes, or Manson who would at the very least be staring in his direction, weren't paying attention. He paused in the middle of his sentence, waiting for someone to look at him and wonder why he'd cut off so abruptly, but no one did.

"No one is even listening to me."

He muttered, drumming his fingers on his desk as his eyes scanned the room before finally falling on Fenton, the boy once more half asleep in his classroom. Feeling his eye twitch, the man crossed his arms over his chest as the last straw broke.

"Who is the author of this novel that we've been discussing?" He asked, spotting two girls in the back on their phones, and another reading what appeared to be a comic book. "Did anyone hear my question?" He demanded, watching as multiple children jumped in their seats, wide eyes from all over turning to finally stare at him as he fumed. "Anyone?" No one spoke up, and his eyes darted to the one person who had yet to look up from his distraction. "Foley, what's the answer?"

He ordered, watching as the boy dropped his phone in his lap and stared up with eyes that resembled those of a deer caught in headlights. He stammered a couple of times, obviously trying to figure out what could've possibly been asked, when Valerie Gray shifted in her seat and the boy perked up.

"The Netherlands!"

He shouted out as the classroom erupted into snickering and Lancer felt his soul leave his body. These kids were so stupid it actually hurt.

"Sense and Sensibility, Foley! Does this look like Geography class to you?"

"I-I, well-"

"Were any of you paying attention at all?" He barked out, eyeing everyone slowly as the room fell into complete silence. "Fine, since no one is interested in learning anything from me today, I'll let you go for the remainder of the period," He began, casting his eyes over everyone in the room as they began to cheer. "Just make sure you pick up a Nasty Burger application on your way home today because that's what your future is going to look like without a decent education."

-.-

He should've known how long the day was going to be. The first and the last day of the semester was always the worst. The kids dreaded being there on the first day, and it was filled with getting to know everyone and setting up the curriculum and trying to peg who the trouble makers would be.

And on the last day the kids were anxious about going on break, about not having to worry about school or teachers or getting up early. They never did their homework on either day, so he never really bothered to give any out. It would only disappoint him more and really, there was only so much he could take.

Flipping a paper over into the stack beside him, he picked up an essay from Manson and read it over halfheartedly. He couldn't really complain about the kid's not paying attention, he'd barely gotten through his last two classes without losing his mind. Now if he could only finish the papers and send them out, he could get back to dreaming about his vacation.

He'd decided to leave the town for as long as he could. He didn't want to run into any students or aggravated parents or coworkers that would feel the need to talk endlessly about their own plans.

Pulling out a marker and circling a few paragraphs and underlining a word, he wrote the final grade at the top and set the paper aside before reviewing the next one. Leaning back in his chair and yawning, his eyes skimmed over the scrawled words and half-finished thoughts of Kwan before dropping the paper and rubbing at his eyes. It was getting dark, so maybe he'd get more work done at home where- Wait. Dark outside?

Sitting up and looking towards the window, the sky was onyx black, a stark difference from the bright blue it had been just an hour earlier. Only it wasn't even evening yet, so why was it so dark? Shivering as a cold chill hit him, a scowl settled on his face as he rose and looked outside, staring at the empty field before a group of kids ran past screaming.

"Damn ghosts."

He murmured, running a hand across his neck as he rolled his shoulder. He'd stayed in this town because it was peaceful. And it had always been, until the Fenton's and their ridiculous ghost hunting shenanigans got in the way and screwed everything up for the rest of them. Now their town was haunted by ghosts on a daily basis.

Granted, it was rare for permanent damage to be done to anything or anyone, mainly thanks to that ghost kid. Now Phantom seemed like a teenager Lancer could deal with. He was responsible, took care of his problems, as well as saved the town constantly. If only some of his students could behave the same way.

Walking away from the window as a bright blast lit up the world behind him, he began packing the papers and his laptop into his bag. Mother would be waiting for him at home, and he hated to be late because of another silly ghost attack.

So he decided to go out the back and avoid the rest of the faculty and the ghost altogether. If he was lucky, no one would pester him about that concert either, and he'd be left alone in peace to plan his vacation.

-.-

"Mother, I'm home."

The man called, closing the door with a heavy sigh as he dropped his bag to the ground and stretched out his arms.

"Mother?" He questioned, walking into the living room and looking at the chair she usually sat in, only to find it empty. "Bingo night."

He said aloud, realizing he wasn't going to see his mother until quite a bit later, which really, was fine by him. Collapsing into his own chair and turning on the television for background noise, he flipped through a book he'd been reading and half listened to the drone of a reporter talking about the attack on the school earlier and the concert that would be starting soon.

He looked up at one point as the sound of a cheering crowd got to be too loud, and he turned it down before returning to his book. Just as Lancer was beginning to become immersed again a shrill tone echoed from his television.

Glancing up, he stared at the screen which displayed a red banner and the words 'breaking news' on it. Lowering his book and turning it up again, he watched as a young woman took the screen.

"This is Natalia Morgan reporting from Amity Park high school where it seems another ghost attack has broken out by the same ghost as earlier. Only this time, she's not alone. Accompanied by a man who calls himself 'Freakshow' they have taken the audience captive in the stadium."

The camera shifted to a view of the stadium's bleachers, the students in attendance held down by thick leather straps.

"We've got sightings of Amity Park's own ghost hero, Phantom, currently on the scene! Let's watch and see how the fight goes down."

The camera moved again to find the ghost boy, his black and white suit a blur as he sped towards the stage only to be sent hurtling backwards into the crowd, Lancer wincing at the crash.

"This town will never be normal."

He sighed, placing his book on the table beside his chair and rising, making his way into the kitchen as he began to pull out his leftovers from his meal the night before. Scooping the pasta onto a plate, he set it in the microwave as the reporters voice droned on from the other room.

"It appears as though Phantom might have bit off more than he can chew this time, I'm really not sure if he'll break free from this one."

Rolling his eyes, he pushed a couple of buttons and watched as the food spun around in the machine.

"Just once I'd like an evening without a ghost attack to worry about. Colorado doesn't have problems like these, they're normal."

He muttered to himself, a hand running down his face as the pitch of the woman's voice rose.

"Two students who were taken captive earlier are now fighting back, no, I'm not sure about their names but they're in the air and they're falling!"

Moving back into the other room, sharp eyes watched intently as two familiar kids and the ghost boy himself clung desperately to a man's arm in midair.

"Manson? Foley?"

His voice barked out as if they could hear him, his food forgotten as he moved forwards to turn up the television so nothing could be missed.

"We've gotten reports that the two student's names are Samantha Manson and Tucker Foley."

"What are you kids doing?"

Lancer gaped, watching as the three of them flew up into the air again before falling and grabbing ahold of some strange, metal looking gauntlet. The microwave let out a long beep as his head turned, distracted briefly as a gasp overtook the crowd and he was looking back in horror as Sam and Tucker fell to the stage, landing in a heap on the wood.

"No." He breathed, reaching for his phone and punching in a number. He was about to call when he saw Sam moving, her head tilting as she sat up slowly, followed by a groan from Foley. "Oh God, oh you're okay."

He murmured, a hand covering his mouth as he let out a slow breath, the adrenaline slowing as he watched the ghost boy hurtling towards the stage next. He was going at a faster speed than the others, and as he hit, pieces of wood broke and flew up around him as the camera zoomed in.

Lancer was directly in front of the television set as he watched the dust settle and Phantom rising slowly. He looked awful, bloodied and beaten and dazed. The ghost boy's eyes peered around for a moment, not seeming all the way there before two grainy rings appeared around his midsection and moved up and down, changing the ghost from his jumpsuit into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.

White hair changed to black and green eyes shifted to a familiar blue. His dazed expression still remained, and it's one Lancer had seen on more than one occasion when having to wake a sleeping student up from his mid class nap.

"Fenton?"

His world is spinning as blue eyes widen, fear crossing over the boy's face as he stammered something out Lancer couldn't hear. Daniel Fenton was the ghost boy. Daniel Fenton, the slacker, the lazy student, the tarty trouble maker, he was Amity Park's hero?

Backing up, he dropped into his chair and stared in shock at the television, the reporter speaking in an anxious voice as the cameras zoomed out and displayed the student body approaching the stage in a mass wave.

How could Daniel Fenton be a ghost? He knew his parents did some weird shit, and there was more than one occasion he'd not called them in solely because he didn't want to deal with them. But how was it possible? Did they experiment on their own child? The thought sickened him, but he couldn't come up with any other reasonable answer.

But suddenly, so many things made sense. The bags constantly under Danny's eyes, all the times he fell asleep in class. He'd read the news articles, Phantom handled ghost attacks into all hours of the night. The failing grades, the lackluster papers. His tardiness, his pure disregard for any of the rules that were set.

He was living an entirely different life on the side. The boy was fourteen years old. Fourteen, and he had the weight of the town on his shoulders. Who thought that was remotely okay at all? Did his sister even know? Obviously his friends knew, but who else?

Blinking a couple of times, he watched as two men partially blocked the camera, the barrel of a gun aimed at Fenton before the feed cut off abruptly and Lancer was left staring at the inside of a studio.

What the hell had happened? He knew there were different groups trying to put a stop to Phantom, though he had no idea as to why. The kid had saved the town dozens of times, and had saved hundreds of lives over the past few months.

Phantom, Fenton. A child. His student. He'd seen the beatings Phantom took, he'd seen the stories and the news reports. No wonder the boy was always tired and looked half dead. God, he was half dead. Or was he entirely dead? Was he a full ghost, or only part?

His head was swimming, and as he made his way back into the kitchen he avoided the microwave altogether and went straight for the liquor cabinet. Pulling out a bottle of scotch, he poured some into a glass and downed it quickly, before pouring a second. Now he really had seen it all.

---

VALERIE GRAY

-.-

"I don't care why you did it, I told you not too and you disobeyed, so you're grounded!"

"That's not fair! Its summer!"

"Maybe next time I tell you to leave something alone, you'll listen."

Rolling her eyes as she turned the music up louder, Valerie tugged on her backpack strap and walked faster towards the school building. Her father had been totally unfair about the other night. She had a responsibility to her job, why couldn't he see that? It wasn't like she went joyriding like other kids, she didn't even do drugs.

But catching ghosts, especially Phantom, was her purpose she knew it was. She had all the tech, and she was always safe about it. At least she tried to be. He just didn't understand the drive she had to get the job done.

She'd never let her grades drop, she still helped out her grandmother, and damnit she deserved some credit for how well she'd handled his job situation, because that had affected her just as much as it had him.

As she walked into the school yard, various groups of students were hanging around talking with each other, but she bypassed all of them. She didn't have as many friends anymore, not after being shunned by the 'populars' and left in the dirt.

Walking inside the building and towards her locker, her eyes flickered over to the one down and across the way, eyes lingering on the empty space. She did that every morning, like some stupid ritual. And she knew every single time he wouldn't be there, Danny was always late. It was like his thing. Late, uncoordinated, and dorky.

Dropping her gaze and messing with her lock, her teeth caught ahold of her bottom lip. He was all of those things, and yet she still had feelings for him. She'd been the one to end it, she was well aware of that. But that didn't mean she didn't still care. He was different from all the other guys. He was sincere and fun and kind've a goofball but he was cute, too.

Everyone made fun of him for being a loser just because he wasn't athletic, and he really had just terrible grades. But he was kind, and even though Sam Manson was totally judgmental, his friends weren't too terrible either.

Opening her locker and stuffing a couple of her books inside, she pulled out a notebook and closed the door. She was always here early, but today especially so. She wanted out of the house, wanted to avoid speaking to her father. She wasn't even allowed at the concert after trying to sneak out.

"We can watch it together at home."

He'd said, but that was the lamest thing ever. Maybe she could convince him over the summer that what she was doing really was important. Not just to her, but to Amity Park as a whole. Phantom was a menace, trouble and danger followed him everywhere he went but no one else could see that.

The news painted him as a hero, the students idolized him, and the people clapped when he flew by. But she'd seen the real him. The one who caused trouble and then tried to fix it just to make himself seem caring and helpful. She'd seen him hurt people and destroy things. He was a nuisance and he had to be stopped. Vlad Masters believed in her, so why couldn't her own father?

Sliding into her seat in the empty classroom, she slowly unpacked her bag, setting her notebook and pencil on the desk before changing the song playing in her ears. She sat like that for a while, listening to music and thinking.

One day, she'd be the town's true hero. The best ghost hunter in the world even. She'd upgrade her tech, her suit would be even more fabulous, and Phantom would be brought down by her own two hands.

As students began filing into the room she pulled the ear buds out and stuffed them in her pocket, watching as Dash Baxter trudged inside followed soon after by Danny, Tucker, and Sam right as the bell went off.

Her eyes trailed after the black haired boy, watching his tired frame slouch down in his seat. She'd wondered about that often. She'd met his family once before, and they had seemed, nice? Not cruel, at the very least. So she didn't think they were the cause of his problems. Not like a lot of other people thought.

But she did wonder if he'd gotten mixed up in their strange ghost experiments from time to time. For months now he'd been tired and only half there, like his mind was somewhere else entirely. Not that she could really blame him, so was hers half the time. But that only made her more suspicious, because if she was like that in her ghost hunting, why was he?

But then again, she liked that about him. The mystery, the intrigue. The crazy, weird weapons his parents made. In fact, if things hadn't-

"Did anyone hear my question?" Mr. Lancer's roaring voice jolted the girl back to reality, blinking once as she stared up at the man who was glaring in frustration at his class. "Anyone? Foley, what's the answer?"

She could hear the boy in front of her stuttering, trying to come up with anything suitable for the question that was asked as the girl leaned forwards a fraction.

"The Netherlands."

She whispered, watching as the boy perked up and yelled out the answer.

"The Netherlands!"

The entire class cracked up, the response seeming to dawn on the boy as he slouched back down, the back of his neck turning a shade darker as Valerie hid a smirk. Okay, maybe she wasn't as much of a fan of Danny's friends as she wanted to believe.

"Sense and Sensibility, Foley! Does this look like Geography class to you?"

Mr. Lancer exclaimed, his hand falling on his desk as he scowled at the students.

"I-I, well-"

"Were any of you paying attention at all?"

He demanded, and Valerie found her gaze shifting to her desk. Did he really expect anyone to be able to focus today? It was the last day of school, and for most that meant excitement and freedom. Unfortunately for her, it meant two weeks locked behind her bedroom door trying to figure out more ways of escaping her father's smothering concern.

"Fine, since no one is interested in learning anything from me today, I'll let you go for the remainder of the period,"

There's cheering as kids shift in their seats and began packing away their things, Valerie's eyes moving to Danny who looked over at Sam with a smile. He used to smile at her like that.

"Just make sure you pick up a Nasty Burger application on your way home today because that's what your future is going to look like without a decent education."

-.-

Most of the students had bolted the second the bell rang, but she'd taken the opportunity to stick around, finish her notes, and try to sneak into the lab. From her last ghost encounter, she'd managed to snag some ectoplasm, and she wanted to test it.

If she could figure out a way to make weapons like the Fenton's did, where they actually harnessed and used ectoenergy, then maybe she'd stand a better chance against some of the other ghosts that frequented their town.

She waited until the teachers were gone before she darted inside, grabbing the essentials and moving to the furthest table away from the door, hiding as much out of sight as she could.

She felt her phone vibrate in her pocket but ignored it, already knowing it was her father checking up on her. She'd told him she would have after school work, which would give her about half an hour before he really started to pester her.

She worked carefully, taking small amounts of the ectoplasm and placing it in various petri dishes before placing a tiny amount on a slide and looking at it under the microscope. If she could get a decent grasp on the molecular biology of it, she'd stand a better chance of making a working weapon.

She'd wanted to go to Vlad Masters for help, but something about that guy put her off. He was creepy, and strangely fascinated with Phantom. Not that she could really say she was any different, she wanted nothing more than to get her hands on the ghost boy and personally put an end to his reign in Amity Park.

Pulling away from the microscope and jotting down a note, she went to take the next sample when a loud crash made her jump in her seat, eyes darting frantically to the window. She hadn't realized the daylight fading from the room, but outside it looked like the dead of night.

Getting up and walking to the large pane, Valerie stared out at the sheer chaos in the school yard. Kids were running in panic away from apparitions of different creatures, bats and birds and snakes nipping at heels and pulling at hair.

She heard a shrill scream, and a blast of ectoplasm flashed in the sky before she began shoving her samples into her bag and taking off through the halls. She didn't have her suit and she didn't have her hover board, but that wouldn't stop her. People were in danger and she knew she could help them. Besides, she still had ten minutes before he showed up.

Students were pushing past her as she neared the doors, seeking safety inside the building that they'd previously sought to escape from as she shoved away from them, the freezing chill from the sudden shift in temperature making her shudder.

Most of the students had evacuated the school yard, though she could see Paulina Sanchez waving frantically up at the sky. Tilting her head to follow the girl's gaze, she spotted the ghost boy zipping through the air after two figures carried by more of the glowing specters.

Slinging her bag up over her shoulder, she started after them on foot, taking quick steps across the yard before the loud drone of a car's horn had dread filling her stomach. She shouldn't turn, she shouldn't turn, she shouldn't-

"Valerie Gray, get in this car right now!"

Turning to look over her shoulder, she saw her father next to the curb staring angrily at her, his hand resting on the car horn in a silent threat as her hands tightened into fists. Why did he have to do that? Why did he have to ruin everything?

"Valerie, get in this car or you're grounded until next summer!"

He yelled out the window, his tone serious as her entire body slumped and she trudged to the vehicle.

"What were you thinking young lady?" He started in the moment she slid into the front seat, dropping her bag at her feet and tugging her seatbelt in place. "Didn't I tell you to come home right after school? You're testing your limits, Val."

"There was a ghost attack, what was I supposed to do?"

She grumbled, turning to the door and staring out the window as he pulled away from the school.

"What were you supposed to do? You were supposed to come home like I told you too. You have got to stop it with this insane obsession you have with these ghosts! You're going to get yourself hurt one of these days."

"Not if you gave me back my suit."

She muttered under her breath, though judging from the sharp intake of breath from her father, she got the sense he had heard her.

"That suit is just one of the issues. Don't you understand what all this is doing to you?"

"What's it doing to me, dad?" She scoffed, turning to glare at him. "It's a hobby alright? You have hobbies! My grades haven't fallen, I help out around the house and when I can find part time jobs, I do those too! What more do you want from me? That makes me happy don't you get that?"

"Valerie it's dangerous and you can't seem to understand that. You were almost killed once already that I know about, but who knows what else you're hiding from me? Look I know it's been hard, I know that without your mom you-"

"Don't bring her into this. Don't do that."

She cut him off, all the fight and anger leaving her voice as she looked away again, refusing to say another word.

"Val.."

He trailed off, a weary sigh leading into the sound of tires across pavement and the occasional clicking of the blinkers as the tense silence stretched on. Yeah, her summer was starting off just great.

-.-

"Are you sure?"

"For the eighth time, yeah, I'm sure."

She called through her door, staring up at her ceiling in disgust as his footsteps disappeared down the hall. What was the point in watching the concert on TV? The cool thing about it was going to see them live with friends. Not that she actually had any friends anymore, but that was beside the point.

She was pathetic enough as it was; she didn't need to be 'watching a concert on TV with her dad' kind of pathetic. Besides, she was pretty sure he was only offering so he could keep an eye on her.

Moving her hand across her comforter she turned her head to stare at the laptop on her desk, the screen saver moving slowly across the screen. At this point she might as well get the summer assignments out of the way since she would have nothing else to do for the next couple of weeks.

"Stupid ghosts."

She grumbled, sitting up and grabbing her bag, tugging it up next to her and digging out her notebook and the container of ectoplasm she'd shoved in. The lid hadn't been fully sealed in her haste earlier, and as her hand wrapped around the dish she grimaced at the green goo that coated her skin.

"Oh, gross! Gross, gross, gross!"

She gagged, jumping up and running into her bathroom to wash it off. It wasn't as if she could accurately test it now, not with lint and paper bits and her DNA all over it. Watching as the fluorescent goop washed down her drain, she moved her fingers under the warm water slowly.

What was she going to do once the two weeks were up? Her father had locked her suit away, and though she'd already picked the lock and hacked into the security system on multiple occasions, she knew she couldn't keep getting away with it. Maybe she could convince him? No, she doubted that. After what happened to her mother, he hated letting her do anything even remotely dangerous.

Shutting off the water and walking back into her bedroom, she slid into her chair and moved her mouse, watching as her screen brightened and the fan in her computer sped up. Going to her search engine and typing in the news station, she pulled up the live feed from the concert and turned off the sound.

Moving the window to the side, she pulled up another search bar and began looking up the necessary details for one of her assignments. She looked over occasionally, watching the cheering crowds and the camera panning over the stage while waiting for the band to appear.

It wasn't even that she liked Dumpty Humpty, but the fact that he hadn't let her go that had made her mad. He always chose the worst times to punish her. Getting up to retrieve her notebook from her bed, she looked inside her bag and grimaced at residual ectoplasm that had seeped into the sides and stained the fabric a disgusting shade of green.

She took a few minutes to remove the rest of the items before carrying the bag into her bathroom and trying to scrub out the spot. It wasn't like they could afford to get her a new bag right now anyway, and there was no way she was putting anything back in it until that stuff was gone.

By the time she was done and had left the bag to dry, the camera was on the crowd once more. She turned to begin typing again before her eyes flickered back to the feed, the cheering having died down and the crowd looking.. worried? Turning up the sound and making it fill the screen, her eyes widened at the fight now happening in front of her.

"-captive earlier are now fighting back, no, I'm not sure about their names but they're in the air and they're falling!"

The reporter sounded worried as Valerie watched Sam and Tucker fall through the air before latching onto a strange man's metal arm as he hovered in the sky.

"What the hell? Get closer!"

She urged the camera, the picture poor on her screen as she leaned forward, spotting the ghost boy dangling from the man's arm too. He looked creepy, that guy. With bright red eyes she could see even from that distance and a disgusting scowl.

"We've gotten reports that the two student's names are Sam Manson and Tucker Foley."

The reporter's voice was back as Valerie gripped her desk. Why were they involved? Why were those two always involved whenever a ghost attack happened? They rarely ran, and were almost always at the heart of every fight. Did they have a death wish, or were they just obsessed with the ghost boy like Paulina? And why was it their parents never said anything about them getting involved in such dangerous things?

She minimized the screen to scroll through the live comments when a gasp from the feed grabbed her attention, her body half rising from her chair as Sam and Tucker fell through the air again, this time falling into a heap onto the stage.

"No.."

She gasped, her breath hitching as her heart raced. She may not have liked Sam, and Tucker was a little weirdo, but they didn't deserve..

"Please.."

She whispered, the camera frozen on the two of them as Sam sat up slowly and Tucker let out a low groan. Sitting back in her chair, her hand covered her mouth as she breathed slowly, working to calm her racing heart.

Two ghost attacks in one day, maybe this would be enough to show her father that Amity Park needed her. Though knowing him, after watching the two fall from the sky he would just lock her in her room and start homeschooling her instead.

She'd just starting to regain her breath when the camera panned to the ghost boy, following his own descent as he fell, crashing hard into the platform where splintered pieces of wood flew up around him.

Valerie watched intently, eyes scanning for any movement as the ghost boy slowly stood and the camera zoomed in. He looked awful, his body beaten and bruised with blood dripping from different injuries. And as the camera grew closer he seemed dazed, his body swaying as if he were barely standing.

She hated him with everything in her, but there was the smallest twinge of sympathy as she watched.

She expected him to fly away, or wait for cheering. What she didn't expect were two rings of light to appear around his body, moving up and down simultaneously and changing the ghost boy's jumpsuit into familiar jeans and t-shirt.

Snow white hair changed to pure black, and weary green eyes shifted to a sparkling, albeit pained, blue. Valerie was out of her chair and stumbling back from the screen, watching as the boy blinked a couple of times and came to his senses, looking around the stadium in confusion and fear.

"Uhm, no one saw that, right?"

"Oh my God, Danny." She whispered, her heart in her throat as she shook her head over and over. "Danny.. You're Danny.. You're.. No. No!"

She yelled, her hands running through her hair as she stared hard at the screen, tears burning her eyes. How? How was that possible? How was Danny the ghost boy? How? All the times she tried to stop him, tried to kill him. Oh God.

She'd given up Danny to hunt the ghost boy, and he knew that. Oh God, oh God he'd helped her as Phantom before. He'd protected her. Tried to convince her he was on her side and she refused to believe him. She thought he was a menace. She wanted to destroy him.

Her heart beat faster, a sick feeling rising in her chest. She'd dated a ghost. She'd kissed a ghost. But he was Danny. So.. Not a full ghost? She'd always thought it was weird how the boy was always cold. When she'd hold his hand he would just give her that awkward little laugh and say how he was meant to be a lizard living in Arizona.

All the times he'd randomly disappeared. It all started to make sense. Sam and Tucker.. no wonder they were always involved, they helped him. Which meant they knew. They knew Danny was a ghost. Danny was a ghost. Daniel Fenton was a ghost.

Was that why Vlad Masters was so obsessed with him? But wait, his parents were always trying to hunt Phantom down, so that meant they didn't know. How could they not know their son was a ghost? Or at the very least half of one. He seemed human. His heart beat, he had a pulse. He had feelings and he got anxious and nervous and he'd dated her and she'd seen pictures of him as a kid but.. How? How was any of that possible?

Really looking at the computer now, the camera had zoomed out, showing the mass of students and faculty flocking the stage as Sam and Tucker pushed Danny behind them in an effort to protect him. Danny was Phantom, and Phantom was Danny. She couldn't get her head around it.

But as two men partially blocked the cameras and the sight of a gun on Danny hit Valerie, she's was no longer thinking, only acting on impulse as she grabbed her phone, watching as the camera faded to black and the picture changed to a man in a studio. Shoving the device in her pocket she bolted down the stairs two at a time and already had the front door partially open when her father's voice brought her to a halt.

"And where do you think you're going?"

Cursing quietly, she looked over her shoulder and met his prying eyes.

"Dad, you've gotta let me go. I can't explain it right now but Danny needs my help."

She watched as his expression softened, the man walking closer to her before his hand is above her head and he was pushing the door closed.

"I saw."

"So you know I have to go!"

"Valerie, those men, they were with the government. Right now, there's nothing you can do for him."

"Dad I have to go!"

She pleaded as she gripped the doorknob tighter.

"Valerie, I need you to listen to me, really listen." Bending down, his hands rested on her shoulders as he moved her to face him. "Whatever Danny is, whatever is going on, you cannot get involved. Those men are not to be messed with, do you understand me? They won't hurt him, and I'm sure his parents are being called right now to go with him. I know you want to help but Val, there's not anything you can do. He'd be gone before you even got there."

"But-"

"Valerie, please. I promise you that the minute things are sorted you can see him. But you have to trust me right now and do as I say. Stay here and let things play out."

More tears burned in the girl's eyes as she looked away, jaw locking as his hands pulled away from her. Without another word she trudged up the stairs back to her room. She knew what he said was true, there was no way she'd get there in time to meet him, or help him.

Pulling out her phone and dialing a number, she held it to her ear before closing her bedroom door, listing to the phone ring. But she still wanted answers, and not knowing was going to kill her. So she was going to call the one person who could tell her what the hell was going on.

"Mr. Master's? It's Valerie Gray, we need to talk."

---

A/N

Wow that took so many different turns and it took waaaaaay longer to write than I'd anticipated. I'm not really sure I captured everyone's characters perfectly, but it was fun writing everyone's different personalities. I could've gone a lot more in depth with things but I really didn't have the mental fortitude right now, so maybe I'll edit the chapter at the end of things. Hopefully updates will be a bit more frequent now, but until then I hope you guys liked this bonus chapter! Any reviews are always super welcome and appreciated as well!