"Alright people, remember: Finals next week," Sam said to the class as she stowed her laptop in her bag. Having realized that most of her professors never used the textbooks they told her to buy, she'd taken to leaving them in her dorm. This made plenty of extra room in her bag, which she primarily used to make her ghost hunting equipment more accessible. "Be ready for anything."
Several students looked at each other, evidently worried. "Uh, Professor," Caleb said first, "What did you say was going to be on the Final, again?"
It had been almost two months since her demonstration, and the class had really come together as a result of it. She'd been put in front of a hearing for it but, after considering all the facts (like how she'd somehow had the clout to bring in a massive, unrestrained werewolf ghost for a tiny demonstration) her punishment for it was waived "in light of Professor Manson's unique expertise, on condition that she refrain from further shocking demonstrations without consulting the board first."
"Well," Sam replied after a moment, "I thought I'd bring in another old friend," she smirked. A nervous rustle swept the room, "I'm kidding!" she said, holding her hands up soothingly, "Jeez, people, relax. Written test, remember? Just the stuff in the slides. I think I remembered to upload them..."
Somewhat panicked, she started to pull out her laptop again when Caleb said quickly, "You did, they're all there."
"Alright, cool, thanks," she said, pushing her laptop back into her bag. The rest of the class was standing, bags over their shoulders, still facing her to see if she had anything else to say. "Anyway, like I said earlier, focus is going to be on the Ghost Zone and Ghost Culture, since I decided to keep the individual ghosts section light, so be sure to stu—"
A deafening claxon went off in the corner, startling everyone. Over the PA system, an automated voice said, loud enough to hear over the continuing claxon:
"ALL STUDENTS, REPORT TO THE NEAREST GHOST SHELTER. A CATEGORY '5' GHOST HAS BEEN SPOTTED WITHIN TWENTY MILES OF CAMPUS. REPEAT: ALL STUDENTS, REPORT TO THE NEAREST GHOST SHELTER. A CATEGORY '5' GHOST HAS BEEN SPOTTED WITHIN TWENTY MILES OF CAMPUS."
Sam was already in motion. Pointing at Katsuo, Alex, and Kat, she shouted over the still-blaring claxon, "YOU THREE! GET THEM," she pointed at the rest of the class, all of whom were looking toward her, "TO THE GHOST SHELTER UNDER THE MAINS BUILDING."
Once all three nodded their understanding, Sam hitched her bag tightly over her shoulder so that it hung down the other side, then sprinted up the steps and out the door.
ooooo
"Wait a minute," Brianna began, only to be nudged toward the opposite door by Kat.
"Hurry up!" Kat shouted. Alex and Katsuo were directing the other two thirds of the class into line behind her.
"But did she just leave us here?!" Brianna shrieked, panicked. "Isn't she some sort of amazing ghost hunter or something? Shouldn't she be protecting us?!"
"She is, you idiot," Kat said from in front of her. Leading the way through the hallways and out onto the grounds, Kat continued, "What do you think catching ghosts does for you, protect the polish on your Mercedes?"
Caleb thought this a great idea for a product he could sell.
Other frenzied classes funneled in behind them. All over campus, skittish-looking security guards carrying bulky ghost rifles searched the skies, grounds, and buildings for signs of ghosts, all formed up into loose corridors funneling classes to the nearest ghost shelters.
The Trio's group headed for the large brick Mains building; an old bell tower perched at the top and an angled clay tile roof falling to either side. Kat searched for any glimpse of Professor Manson between the guards. Exasperated, she said, "Where is she?!"
Unexpectedly, she received an answer. Katsuo's grey-clad arm pointed between two guards. "There," he said.
And Kat saw her. Professor Manson was running full speed across the grass, looking up and around her.
Then Kat thought she heard something, a voice shouting something…
ooooo
"BLUE FOUR," Danny shouted at the top of his lungs, hoping she'd hear him over all the noise of the frightened students.
She did and, just like they'd practiced, she reached her hand up, palm back, and jumped, all in one motion.
At that exact moment, Danny reached out and grabbed her arm, turning them intangible in an instant to save her shoulder.
Breathing heavily she said, "And from behind, into the blue we go!"
"That was Danny Phantom," an excited whisper said behind Kat. The group, despite Alex's urging at the back, stopped in shock. The whisper went up all around them, from every class, and Kat couldn't help but share in their amazement.
She had been maybe a hundred yards from Danny Phantom…
ooooo
Katsuo looked around impatiently. Finally, seeing that Kat had become too distracted, he shouted loudly, "Kiite Kudosai!" getting his class's attention. "We have to keep moving!"
Stepping up to the front of the group, he led the class quickly forward, Kat following him while Alex kept the back from falling behind.
Before they knew it, they were being directed frantically past a heavy steel door into a vast, concrete shelter underneath the Mains building. There were vents every few feet on both the ceiling and walls, and dozens of large televisions strung up all along where the walls met the ceiling. Blanketing the ground was a soft, springy, mattress-like carpet.
Next to Katsuo, Kat was looking around in wonder. Then he heard her whisper, "So this is why they hiked up tuition…"
ooooo
"So what are we dealing with?!" Sam shouted over the sound of the wind.
"Not sure," Danny replied from above her, "But Category 5's are huge. You remember that one that showed up in Cleveland?"
Sam shivered. "Oh yeah, I do. Took me a week to get my breath back. So. Much. Running."
As the two passed over the mountains, the sound of honking cars, tearing metal, and crumbling concrete reached their ears.
Then they saw it.
Looking down, mouth hanging open, Danny said, "Did you have any plans for this week?"
Sam replied, awe in her voice, "Breathing, apparently."
ooooo
"Look at that monster!"
"It's HUGE!"
"We are so screwed!"
"This is Carol Whiting, Action News," the woman on the TVs said, the volume loud enough to be heard over the panicking students. Thankfully, someone had been smart enough to mount speakers in the ceiling, so her voice didn't come from a hundred different places. "We are in the midst of a major ghost attack, and police forces have yet to gain any sort of control over the situation."
The helicopter shot of the ghost shifted to one from a cameraman on the ground. It panned frantically over the chaos, and the sight of a cop in riot gear holding a ghost gun quickly changed into one of said cop getting blown back by a shockwave as a massive ghost foot crashed down nearby.
"Colorado's finest have thus far been unable—" Ms. Whiting put a hand to her ear, "Wait a moment, this is breaking news." She listened intently, a wide smile spreading over her immaculate face. "Yes, it's confirmed! Danny Phantom has arrived to help!"
Again, she put her hand to her ear, "We have just received live footage of his arrival!"
The video cut to a city street, several streetlights flickering and several crushed cars languishing along the sides of the road. A collective gasp went through the room as Danny swept through the dark, Sam hanging from his arms.
"I told you," Kat hissed to Brianna.
The amassed students watched as Danny dropped her to the ground, her feet hitting the asphalt. She rolled to absorb the impact and then rose to stand beside the floating form of Danny Phantom in one smooth motion.
ooooo
Sam and Danny stared up at the ghost. "How do you want to do this?" Sam asked, never taking her eyes off it.
"Well," he began, "I figure we could use the Maddie Miniature Modulator, switch the polarity to amplify, and combine it with my ghostly wail."
"Might weaken it enough to get it into the thermos," Sam agreed, "Good idea." Looking down from the ghost slightly, she pointed, "If you get us to the top of that building, we should have a clear line to it. Maybe avoid causing mass devastation."
"Agreed," Danny nodded, rising up. Sam raised her arms and he grabbed them, lifting them upwards.
"Isn't she in my biology class?"
"She's in my English class!"
"She bought coffee from me once!"
"I gave her my pencil once!"
"What's she doing there?"
Katsuo was uncharacteristically excited. He had already seen the steel in her. He'd seen the respect and friendship she'd earned from the Wulf ghost. Seen how she hadn't startled at his roar or shied away from his teeth and claws.
Now, he thought, he was to see her fire. The sort of fire that could make such creatures afraid of its heat. The sort of fire that could make them flee at the sight of it.
The sort of fire that could ignite the world.
ooooo
Kat and Alex watched the nearest screen. Rather, Alex watched, and Kat tried desperately to see over the crowd. Noticing her frantic jumping, Alex reached down, picked her tiny, thin form up, and put her on his back like a child.
After getting over the initial surprise, Kat thanked him, and stared avidly at the screen.
The camera seemed to have lost Danny and Professor Manson, and the anchorwoman was jabbering on about chaos and confusion. Waiting, hoping, Kat watched it anyway.
Then a sound overpowered the anchorwoman, so much so that the anchorwoman covered her ears against it. It sounded like it had nearly burst the microphones, but once they'd gotten control of the volume again, Kat could hear the sound properly.
It was a wail.
ooooo
"TOO MUCH!" Sam shouted, covering her Fenton Phones with her hands, which were evidently overpowered by Danny's amplified Ghostly Wail. Flipping the switch, she deactivated the Maddie Miniature Modulator on her wrist. She still didn't know how he'd managed to stuff it and all the other weapons into his backpack.
Danny stopped, the wail ceased, and he floated down, breathing heavily. "What happened? Where'd it go?"
Sam shook her head, reaching back over her head into Danny's backpack.
ooooo
The students, teachers, and staff in the bunker cheered at the helicopter footage of the ghost bursting into hundreds upon hundreds of pieces. Maybe thousands of them.
Kat, Alex, Katsuo, and the rest of their class, however, looked at each other, worried.
Unlike the rest of the students, they knew that a ghost couldn't be killed; which should have been common knowledge, but they'd all found such things couldn't be relied on in real life.
"The question is…" Caleb said after a moment, loud enough to be heard over the cheering.
"Where did the pieces go?" Katsuo finished grimly.
The bunker's attention was drawn back to the screens as the anchorwoman's cheer was replaced with a shriek of fear.
ooooo
Bob Richmond had studied for two solid years to become a news cameraman. He'd worked tirelessly to perfect the steady run, the running focus, and the perfect visual composition, hoping to one day get a job at a major domestic news outlet.
He wasn't some hardened journalist, going out into a warzone for a story. He'd signed on with Action News to follow car chases, hostage rescue, and fire department calls. Normal, interesting, safe footage.
As dozens of green, flying ghosts swarmed through the streets, picking up anything and anyone they saw, Bob couldn't help but feel that a regular warzone with regular guns sounded pretty sweet at the moment.
His attached reporter had gotten lost somewhere, which in his mind was no real loss (the pompous prick). But he had enough professionalism to keep his camera rolling, feeding a steady stream of footage back to the studio. He didn't know that they were rolling that footage on the air as he hid. He'd lost his headset somewhere in the mad dash to his hiding place.
He just hoped that he survived… whatever the hell this was.
ooooo
"Danny, there's no way we can fight all of these things one by one!" Sam shouted from the middle of a large intersection, tall buildings on all sides and dozens of swooping ghosts limiting her view of Danny above. She shot a ghost back with the rifle in her hand, then reached out and shot another with her wrist ray. "We need to get them all together again!"
"Are you crazy!" Danny shouted back, firing off ghost rays left and right, occasionally using an ice blast to take a few ghosts out of the action for a few seconds. He was distantly aware of the helicopter still hovering above them. "They'll form back up and we'll never be able to get them apart again! That ghostly wail nearly tore down a whole block!"
"Not if we split them up until the last second!" Sam shouted, just before she got knocked back twenty feet into the wall of one of the buildings. Struggling for breath, Sam watched through tearing eyes as the offending ghost moved in for the kill.
She gave it a Fenton Assault Rifle blast straight to the face for its trouble.
Danny looked down at her as she got back up, then shouted, still fighting off a swarm of ghosts, "Divide-and-Conquer? Can we do it with just the two of us?"
"Don't really see any other option!" she shouted. She fired off shot after shot from her wrist rays, letting her Fenton AR hang from its strap at her side. Ghost after ghost fell back, only to be immediately replaced by another, and another, and another. "We're going to tire out eventually, and then this place'll be as good as gone regardless!"
"Dang it! If we only had Jazz and Tucker here!" Danny shouted back. Fighting back several more ghosts, he said, "Right! Let's do it!"
Danny curled up, concentrated, and sent out a Repulsion Sphere, blasting the swarm of ghosts away long enough for him to swoop down toward Sam. She was still focused on firing at her own gathering of ghosts, so Danny used one of the code phrases they'd set up for hectic fights.
"BLUE THREE," he shouted. Sam instantly reached up, her left palm facing to her right, and Danny swooped down and grabbed her, lifting her into the sky.
ooooo
"The fighting continues all over the city as ghosts engage law enforcement in a one-sided battle," Ms. Whiting was saying over the TV. While she spoke, footage rolled of several squads of police ghost-hunters getting knocked out, carried off, or blasted back all over the city.
The bunker had gone quiet again, many people holding their hands over their mouths in horror.
"Meanwhile," Ms. Whiting said as the footage changed to the helicopter cam, "Danny Phantom and his unnamed female companion continue to put up the strongest fight, but even they seem to be struggling against sheer numbers."
Kat worried, Alex watched, and Katsuo observed. Each had their own thoughts as the footage showed Danny and Sam fighting a dozen ghosts each, holding them back but accomplishing little else. Then they saw Danny pause and curl up, the ghosts around him trying to take advantage, only to be forced back by some expanding sphere of ghostly energy.
He then swooped down and grabbed Sam, and the two disappeared, just like they'd done earlier on campus.