Fair warning: no I don't know how the police work, and especially not American police. Let's just say that any irregularities are because this is Amity Park, okay?

Chapter 15: Clean It Up

"We need to talk to detective Payton."

The woman behind the desk quirked an eyebrow at him, then glanced at the group behind him. "If you have a crime to report, you can speak to whichever officer is available."

"It's more complicated than that," Danny insisted. "It involves a case he was working on."

She opened her mouth again, clearly intending to shoo him away. Jazz cut her off, however. "It's really important, please. Can you just contact him and tell him that the Fentons want to talk with him."

The lady glared at them shortly, but complied. The call involved a brief back-and-forth, but once Payton had heard the words "Fenton" and "case" he seemed to have made up his mind.

Sighing, the woman at the desk put the phone down again. "He'll be here in a few moments."

"Thank you." Danny grinned, just a little too pleased with the small victory. Hey, he would take whatever he got right now. Any distraction from the upcoming conversation was more than welcome.

When Payton appeared he looked more than a little resigned at the sight of their group of teenagers. "I thought that the Fentons wanted to talk to me?"

"We're temporary stand-ins for his parents," Sam said with a shrug. "They're… occupied."

Payton sighed but, to his credit, didn't otherwise react. He simply led the four of them to an empty room so they could talk.

"What is this about, then? Because I'm guessing that the 'case' you wanted to talk about is yours?"

"Yeah," Danny confirmed with a nod. "We… We kind of left our some details."

"You are aware that it's illegal to lie to the police?" Payton crossed his arms, a mild glare send towards the teens.

"We didn't lie!" Sam exclaimed, throwing out her hands. "We just didn't tell the entire truth."

"Is that so?" Payton didn't look particularly convinced. Danny didn't really blame him. In fact, he kind of felt bad for the officer. His involvement in the case certainly made it a lot harder than it had any right to be. Ghosts, in general, made work for the police difficult.

"When we talked about my… ghostly nature," Danny started hesitantly, "we implied that my… more ghostly appearance was just a one time thing. It's not."

Payton nodded, now looking slightly more believing. "Is this related to your glowing green eyes during the confrontation with your parents?"

"Uh, yeah. I can trigger the whole transformation on command, but the glowing eyes happens for all sorts of reasons. Usually when I'm using my powers or when I'm experiencing really strong emotions." Danny shrugged. "I kind of… use my more 'ghostly' form as a disguise of sorts, so people don't recognize me."

"But what would you need a disguise for?" Payton squinted at him, suspicion clear on his face. "Nothing illegal, I hope?"

Danny snorted in response, leaning back in his chair. "Hardly," he said, before tapping into his powers to make his eyes glow on purpose. "Come on, it can't be that hard to figure out."

Payton scrutinized him for a few long moments, eyes gliding over him. Then the man sat forward, arms resting on the table. "You're saying that you are Phantom? Well, that certainly explains why you laughed when I said that if Phantom thought you were okay, it was probably safe to trust that judgment."

"What can I say, ghost hunting runs in the family." Danny smirked, a rather Phantom-like expression, to drive the point home.

The detective continued to eye him, then sighed. "You do realize that this isn't going to change the decisions we made last meeting, right?"

"Yeah," Danny agreed with a shrug. "I mean, I guess I'll try for college but if I can't get in I'll just work for my parents. I'm already following their footsteps as Phantom anyway, might as well give inventing a shot too."

Then his expression fell again. "But to get back to the original topic… I'm not just telling this for fun. It's a secret for a reason."

"Yes, I suppose it is," Payton agreed, sitting back again. "What is it then?"

Danny frowning, running through his options. Apparently he took too long, because Jazz spoke up. "He's not the only one. Not the only one with a human and ghost appearance, I mean."

"And you're telling me this because… you don't think they deserve their secret if you didn't get to keep yours?" Payton queried, cocking an eyebrow at him.

"No," Danny bit out. "I'm telling you because he's a jackass who uses his powers for bad purposes!" The vivid green light from his eyes flickered on the desk in front of him, but he ignored it. "He hurts people, he manipulates people! And he has gone too far!"

"And who is he, then?" Payton seemed genuinely intrigued. Apparently Danny's rant had convinced him to at least play along.

"In human form or ghost form?" Tucker piped up. "Because he looks drastically different and he has no problem flaunting that fact."

"In his ghost form he calls himself Plasmius." Sam crossed her arms. "But the public usually calls him the Wisconsin Ghost, I believe."

"The blue skinned vampire ghost?" Payton frowned. "I've heard of him, yes. Known to cause problems, picks fights with… Phantom." The last word he said more quietly, realization of Phantom really being a 16 year old apparently striking him.

"That's him," Danny confirmed. "His human form is also well-known. Old family friend of my parents, current mayor of the town…"

Payton grunted. "You're saying that the Vlad Masters is a ghost like you?"

"How do you think he won the election?" Jazz questioned with a scoff. "He didn't stand a chance until he overshadowed most of the voters."

"And that's just one of many sketchy things he has done with his powers." Tucker's jaw visibly tightened at the thought of everything the man had done. Of what he had tried to do to him. Danny was glad for friends like these. "Stealing money, overshadowing business rivals to take over their companies, attempted murder of Jack Fenton…"

"Kidnapping Maddie Fenton, twice. Kidnapping Danny at least that often, including trapping him in ghost-proof bindings and electrocuting him," Sam continued. "Sending potentially dangerous ghosts to Amity Park, in the hopes to either kill Jack or hurt Danny."

"And that's not even to mention that he tried to clone me," Danny joined in. Then with a grimace, he added, "And emotionally abusing the one clone that survived. Well, as far as a ghost can survive, of course."

Payton blinked, apparently stunned by the information overload. Then the last part processed, and he frowned. "He cloned you?"

"Not very successfully, but yes." Danny shrugged, a faux casual air about him. "She didn't quite come out right, and she wasn't stable. But she's with my parents now, and we managed to save her."

"Which is also why they're not here," Tucker explained, leaning on Danny's shoulder. "Hence Sam and I as the replacement parents."

Payton remained quiet for a few moments. Then he sighed. "You are aware of how bat-shit insane this sounds?"

"Welcome to my life," Danny said with a snort. "Or, well, you know what I mean."

"We can't just take your word for all of this," Payton insisted. "It sounds… Well, it sounds too bizarre to come up with, but that doesn't mean that it's true."

"And we can provide you with whatever proof you need." Sam glowered at him. "We just need your assurance that you're gonna look into it, and that you'll do your best to arrest Vlad."

Payton sighed, looking like he was very much regretting his involvement in this case. Again. "Of course. That's literally my job, miss Manson. Although I do wonder how you expect us to arrest and contain a ghost."

"Inventions to restrict his powers exist," Tucker supplied. "You can probably move to arrest him the normal way, since he won't be expecting you to know. Use some ghost-proof cuffs and you'll have him before he realizes."

"Fine. It's a deal. I'll need all evidence you have of his crimes, including witness reports," Payton instructed, looking like he was trying to get back in control of the situation.

Danny nodded, then pulled out his phone. "I'll call the Red Huntress. She was one of the people Vlad manipulated, and he straight-up tried to hire her to catch the clone when she escaped."

Looking he was going to regret asking, Payton nonetheless asked. "I thought the Red Huntress didn't like Phantom? Or ghosts in general?"

"Misunderstanding," Danny explained, waving Payton's concern off with his hand. "We got everything figured out, and she knows of both my identities."

"Of course," Payton groaned. "And I'm guessing you know who she is, then?"

"We all do." Sam grinned at the clearly overworked detective.

The detective only groaned, but didn't say anything. Danny figured he had a pretty good idea of what the agent was feeling like.

But it was for a good cause.

It took a few days to gather all the evidence the police required. The witness reports alone took a considerable chunk of time, considering the sheer amount of people in Amity Park alone that knew about Vlad's shady business. Aside from the Fentons (all five of them) and Sam and Tucker, Valerie also had to be included.

And sadly, that was easier said than done, as she needed to reveal her identity for the report to count. After all, a judge wouldn't just accept the statement of a masked vigilante that no one knew.

Thankfully she trusted Danny's judgment (and, of course, the judgments of his friends and Jazz) and allowed Payton and his team to know. They were… less than pleased to discover that she, too, was a teenager.

Knowing that it had been Vlad who pushed her into ghost hunting in the first place… Well, that eased their moods a little. Besides, she and Phantom now worked together – and they trusted Danny to keep the people of Amity safe. From ghosts, at least. Human crime… Well, that was their job.

Additionally, there was some trouble with Dani's witness reports. Law wasn't exactly made with cloning in mind. Legally, Danielle Fenton didn't exist.

But then, neither did ghosts.

And Amity Park… Amity Park was used to dealing with the unusual. The impossible. The non-existent.

So, really. Having a ghost and a clone of said ghost testify for the crimes of another ghost… It wasn't that far out of there.

Most of the people involved who knew enough about the case to know that three of the people involved were ghosts… Well, they were just glad that the ghosts were solving their issues like normal people. Instead of, you know, blasting each other to bits on the streets.

When Danny first heard people mention it, it had been some of the other officers of Payton's team. People who knew he was a ghost, but who hadn't been told about his Phantom alter-ego. He immediately thought back of all the times he and Vlad had brawled and burst into laughter.

The officers looked at him like he had gone crazy, eyebrows raised. Between giggles, Danny managed to explain himself. "You- You really don't know the half of it."

That hadn't really explained anything to the cops, but Payton coaxed them back to work before they could question Danny. The detective attempted to glare the boy into behaving himself, but failed once more. Now that he knew what the boy had faced off against, he wasn't surprised.

Finally enough evidence had been gathered. The cops set out, armed with anti-ghost weaponry and ghost-proof cuffs. A cell had been prepared beforehand, covered by a ghost shield provided by FentonWorks. A special one, they assured, which would hold even the most powerful and skilled of ghosts.

Payton double-checked his gear. Then he gave the start signal, allowing his officers to pour into the mansion.

Within minutes the team returned, guiding Vlad Masters in their middle. The man was dressed, as always, in an impeccable suit. He frowned at Payton when his guides stopped him in front of the detective.

"Sir, with all due respect, but what on Earth is happening here?"

Payton offered the man a lopsided smile. Then in one swift movement he cuffed Vlad's wrists together, preventing his escape.

"Vlad Masters, also known as Vlad Plasmius, you are under arrest for… Well, for a lot of crimes." His smile grew a little wider, a little more genuine. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can be used against you in court."

Vlad's eyes widened, his gaze shifting between his bound wrists and the police officers surrounding them. Payton ignored him, continuing with his whole rights speech.

"Wait, no," Vlad pleaded. "You must be mistaken- I have never heard of a name like 'Plasmius' before."

"Save it for court." Payton shoved the man forward, towards the van that would transport him. Several officers, all armed with ectoplasmic weaponry, would ride with him. The cuffs should prevent him from using his powers to escape, but better safe than sorry.

Then he turned towards the rest of the officers still waiting. He inclined his head towards the mansion that stood before them, looming in the approaching dark.

"Well then, let's see how many sketchy things we can find in here. Sources say that he has an underground lab hidden, like some kind of supervillain." He grinned at the crowd of police. "First one to find and enter it without disturbing actual evidence gets a reward."

He clapped his hands together. "Ready, set. Go!"

And then the officers were off, leaving Payton to observe. The boy had been right. Arresting Vlad had been easy, as the man hadn't expected them in the slightest.

How clever he thought himself. What a sham.

The Summer vacation hadn't done much to calm Casper High's rumor mill. The turbulent arrest of ex-mayor Vlad Masters right after the start of said vacation had spurred on all rumors. Not much was known about it, but that didn't stop the teenagers. They whittled away, discovered the smallest details. Any slip-ups were gladly accepted and brought into the rumors.

So it wasn't much of a surprise that they discovered that Danny Fenton had been involved as well. Not as a perpetrator, oh no.

As a victim.

Which, of course, combined well with the previous rumors of him being a ghost. It didn't take long for the first theories to emerge, suggesting that Vlad was his killer. That he had played a critical role in the death of Danny Fenton.

And so when the school year started, against all odds… The rumors hadn't died off. Quite the opposite. Even more people than before believed that the boy, now in his final year of school, was a ghost.

So they kept their eyes open for his arrival.

Eventually, their wait was rewarded. The doors of the school opened, and in the opening he stood.

Lanky, with unbrushed but shiny black hair. Icy blue eyes that, ironically, sparkled with life. A surprisingly healthy gloss to his pale skin. A playful but kind smile on his face. For once, he looked well-rested. No bags under his eyes.

Perhaps… Perhaps Vlad Masters really had been responsible for his death. Perhaps Danny Fenton could finally rest easy, knowing that the man was finally arrested.

His outfit was much like the usual.

The girl he had his arm wrapped around… much less so.

She, unlike Danny, looked uncertain. Shaky. A red beanie sat perched on her head, but messy black hair still spilled out of it.

Her eyes, blue as the skies, glanced around the entrance hall with vigor. She looked guarded, like she was expecting someone to suddenly attack her.

She had her hands stuck in the pockets of her oversized blue hoodie. A crease in her brow suggested, however, that said hands were clenched into fists.

Standing right next to Danny Fenton, it was very very clear that she looked almost exactly like him. A little younger, perhaps, but undeniably identical.

The crowd parted the let the two through. But they remained nearby, hovering around the two. Waiting. Watching.

In the end, it was Dash Baxter who decided that he'd had enough. He stepped forward, breaking from the line and into the circle of personal space that had been granted to Danny and his… whoever she was.

"Hey Fenton," he bit, stressing the last name of the ghostly teen. "Who's this?"

"Oh hey Dash," Danny greeted as he turned to face the other boy. He pulled the girl next to him a little closer to his side, drawing a displeased hiss from her. "This is Danielle, or Dani."

"With an i," the girl muttered under her breath, barely audible.

"Okaaay." Dash frowned, looking between the two. "That still didn't answer my question of who she is."

"Oh, right." Danny flapped his free hand. "She's my dead sister."

Dash froze up, and sharp intakes of breath could be heard from everywhere in the crowd. "She's your what?"

"My dead sister," Danny repeated, finally releasing the girl to reach towards his locker. Then he looked over his shoulder at the crowd and grinned.

And stuck his arm right through the still closed locker door.

"Funny how that works, huh?" he said, with his arm still waving through his locker. He looked like was searching for something without being able to see it.

Dani, meanwhile, seemed to have gotten over her nerves. She leaned back against the lockers, standing right next to Danny. She was still eyeing the crowd, however, a little warily.

Soft mutters could be heard from the crowd, but no one had a real response. Sure, everyone had been convinced that Danny was a ghost. Hell, Dash had even seen the boy go intangible before.

But this was undeniable proof. And it was a lot less feeble than a whiffed punch by a jock.

Finally Dash got his thoughts back in order, though. "So why's she here now?"

"Well," Danny hummed as he finally pulled his arm out of the locker again. Held in his hand were several books for school. "You guys all knew I was a ghost anyway, so she didn't have to hide anymore."

He turned back to face his once-bully with a lopsided grin on his face. Then he shrugged. "Besides, where else is a ghost going to get an education?"

The title from "Family" by Mother Mother. And so it ends, huh? 15 chapters and 50.000 words later, my first proper multi-chapter ends. And jeez, it sure was a learning experience. I started writing it in November, and finished it at the start of March - although I have been tweaking the chapters before posting them, too. Just picking off the last typos and making small corrections, you know?

But, whooh. It's really exciting to have this all posted now! All your comments and support has been astounding, and I hope that the last chapter lived up to your expectations! Personally I'm really happy with it, all things considered. But I've definitely learned some new things about multi-chapters that I'll use to make the next ones even better! And speaking of which...

My next weekly updates will start going up on Saturday, not Wednesday. So next week on Saturday, the third chapter of What a Nice Surprise will go up!
After that, the weekly updates will persist - and after WaNS ends, I'll start posting Weirdward on a weekly basis instead. So I've got weekly DP fics until the end of the year - and isn't that a scary thought?