Thanks to YumeTakato, Snickerer, and Tamarind djinni.
Chapter 2: Suspicion
I own only one thing on the following list: The Brooklyn Bridge, a jet, the Dresden Codex, an Egyptian mummy, Danny Phantom, a cat. Any guesses?
"I don't understand, William," Principal Ishiyama sighed as she sat behind her desk and looked at the aging man on the opposite side of it. "You're one of the most dedicated teachers at this school. You've never had an absence or a late the entire time we've known each other, but now you miss entire classes and leave them unattended for long periods. Honestly, you're almost as bad as that Fenton boy. I'm worried about you, too. You're tired, distracted, constantly injured, and losing weight. I'm not buying the 'flu' excuse you've been using for the past four months. You need to get this looked at."
Despite his age, Lancer squirmed. How did one react to this sort of thing? What would Danny do? After what seemed like ages, he spoke.
"Beth, I'm fine, really. It's a family thing. I didn't want to bring it up before because my students come before myself. It'll pass, I promise." As he fought the urge to loosen his collar, Lancer mentally rolled his eyes at himself. Now I'm getting too good at lying. There's no chance that this is going to end this century.
"Well, for your sake and mine, William, I hope it does. We need you at this school." The middle-aged woman smiled pointedly at him over clasped hands. "I trust you can make it to your room alone? I have a meeting."
Lancer nodded, muttered another apology, and left the principal's office. Let's hope that satisfies her for a while, he groaned inwardly. I don't know how much longer I'll be able to lie convincingly.
He had almost made it back to his classroom when something flashed across his inner eye and he stumbled into a water fountain, to the amusement of the students passing by at that moment. All he managed to register was an oppressing sense of darkness punctuated by a sudden flash of light.
As quickly as it came, it was gone. Lancer noticed the students grouped around him and nudging each other, and snapped at them for loitering before continuing the rest of the way to his room, where he collapsed at his desk. He began massaging his temples and worrying about the momentary blackout.
---
Danny arrived home, dropped his backpack by the door, kicked off his shoes, and made a beeline for the refrigerator, completely missing the kitchen table covered in ectoweapons and the jumpsuit-clad brunette standing beside it with folded arms. He managed to open the fridge and grab a soda before completely absorbing his surroundings. He froze and plastered a smile on his face.
"Hi, Mom!" he said happily. "Invent anything new today?"
"No, dear," Maddie answered in a similar tone with an edge on it. "One of Jazz's friends is staying the night, so I decided to tidy up a little, and then I noticed your room was a little messy." Danny's eyes widened.
"Youdidn'tcleanitdidyou?" Maddie continued as if she hadn't heard him.
"Do you want to know what I found at the bottom of your laundry basket?"
"Five bucks?" Danny smiled with weak hope.
"This!" She held up a Jack-o'-Nine-Tails. "And then I found a Fenton Fisher behind the mirror. And then I got curious, and I found the rest of this" she gestured at the table "in various places around your room. Mind telling me why you've got an arsenal stashed up there that we didn't know about?"
"Um, there's no easy way to say this," stalled Danny, "but I'm, I'm, er, keeping them for a friend. He doesn't have anywhere to store them, so I said he could use my room."
"Phantom." It wasn't a question. It was an accusation. "You're friends with Phantom. That's where you go running off to all the time, isn't it? And why we keep picking up ectosignatures in your room?"
"Yeah!" Why didn't I think of that before?
"Why didn't you tell your father and me?" She had reverted back to "normal mother" mode and was now looking at him with a concerned expression.
"You guys were trying to capture him," Danny told her. "He's my friend. I didn't want him to get hurt and I knew he was helping the town. I figured you'd try to use me as bait or something."
"Oh, sweetie, we'd never do that," his mother said quickly, then became frank. "Well, not the bait part at least. But it's all right now, because we've made up with Phantom. Didn't he tell you?"
"I think he might have mentioned something," Danny mumbled sullenly.
"Well, tell him it's been two weeks since the party and we're still waiting for his visit."
"Okay. But he's a pretty busy ghost," Danny said evasively. "I don't know if he'll be able fit you into his schedule."
At that moment, the floor shook violently and there was a shout of "Eurekaaaargh!" followed by a series of crashes and a plume of violent green smoke.
"Oh no. I suppose I'd better go see what's happened to your father." Maddie headed down to the basement, grabbing a gas mask as she went. Danny quickly gathered up his supply of stolen weaponry. Was she getting closer to the truth about Phantom? And how on earth had she managed to find both sets of Fenton Phones?