I am terribly, terribly sorry for the long wait, but work has caught up with me.
Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom.
Metanoia
Chapter 9
Sam stifled a yawn, running a hand through her freshly washed hair as she walked down the pavement leading out of her estate. She couldn't believe it was only Tuesday. Monday had felt like a whole week in itself. She and Tucker had been up late researching more information on Danny and Valerie, with hardly any degree of success. Curiosity was no longer an issue. The only thing spurring her on to discover Danny's secret was concern for her crush.
The Goth did not have a particularly high view of the government. For all she knew, Danny could have been used against his will, leading Sam back to her original question. Why would the government need Danny Fenton? What skills did her friend, or even Valerie Gray, possess that made them special?
She supposed she could see how Valerie Gray could be involved with the government. Few seventeen year olds were as adept in any form of martial art as Danny's best friend. Her age and delicate appearance gave her the advantage of constantly being underestimated, making her the ideal bodyguard. But while Valerie Gray was a ninth degree blackbelt, Danny Fenton was in every sense of the word, ordinary.
Sam frowned, frustrated with herself. She was missing something. It was nearly impossible to piece together a puzzle when the original image was unknown. What skills could Danny have acquired in the past three years that made him a prime candidate for government services? Whatever it was, she hoped that he would remain safe.
The Goth glanced at her watch. She had ample time to get to school.
Her parents had offered several times to arrange for her to be chauffeured to Amity High, but doing so would reveal her wealth to the rest of the school, a fact that Sam had tried to conceal since freshman year. They had also bought her a car, which she hardly ever used.
Sam had passed her driving test when she turned seventeen, but she didn't see why she should drive to school when she was perfectly capable of walking. It meant getting up early to arrive at school on time, but at least it helped her maintain her self-administered carbon quota. If the government refused to comply with the Kyoto Protocol, every individual was responsible for ensuring the embarrassingly high carbon emissions of the US were reduced.
She stopped, suddenly aware of a faint chill in the air, the beginnings of goose pimples forming on her pale skin. Was she being followed? And if she was, was her assailant ghost or human? She hastened her stride, hoping to lose her attacker, unable to dispel the uncomfortable prickling at the back of her neck.
Her quickened pace brought some relief, and Sam was beginning to wonder if it was lack of sleep that had caused her paranoia.
She jumped as a large, cold hand circled the circumference of her upper arm, refusing to appear intimidated as she suppressed the urge to scream.
"Come with me, girl." A malevolent voice snarled, dragging her towards him, and Sam was sure that she heard the metallic creaking of bolts coming from the direction of the ghost.
Sam nodded, attempting to appear docile and compliant as she attempted to figure out the location of her invisible assailant. She took two steps in his direction before lashing out, her foot connecting with something solid as she wrenched her arm from his grip.
The specter yelped, materialising in his surprise.
She spun, sprinting down the residential street as she searched for a means of escape from the hulking metal ghost pursuing her. Her only chance was to find a pathway that would lead back to her way to school. Hopefully then she would be able to conceal herself within a faceless crowd of students and commuters near the main road.
The Goth headed for a small turning at the end of the cul de sac, swearing under her breath as she heard the oscillating hum of the ghost's equipment just behind her as the specter gained in his pursuit. Her heavy combat boots skidded on the smooth pavement as she altered her course, narrowly avoiding a collision with several signposts on the deserted street.
She gasped for breath as she faltered, her muscles weary with fatigue as her leaden feet continued to pound on the rapidly lengthening stretch of road that seemed to go on forever. She pressed on, only to find herself faced with cold brick wall in a dead end. She was trapped.
Sam swore. She should have known better than to run blindly into an unfamiliar area. The ghost had obviously planned her capture. She drew a long breath, silently berating herself for her stupidity. She had gotten herself into the situation, and now she had to get herself out. Phantom wasn't around to protect her this time.
She spun on her heels, bracing herself for the worst as her pursuer casually approached her, assured that she had no means of escape.
"You were surprising amusing to hunt," The ghost smirked, spreading his lips in a feral grin. "for a human."
He flexed his fingers, and Sam was repulsed to hear the dull cracking of metallic knuckles.
She curled her fingers into twin fists, her black painted fingernails digging into the palm of her hands as she felt the raw adrenaline pumping through her body, readying her for escape. Her hunter was already so certain that he had won, that he was sure to let his guard down, especially since his target was just a human girl.
"What do you want with me?" Sam challenged, and she was glad to hear that her voice failed to waver, despite the threat of imminent danger before her.
The specter chuckled, a hollow, unpleasant sound that reverberated across the small alley.
"What makes you think that I have any interest in you, child." The ghost drawled. "It is merely your affiliation with a certain ghost hunter that concerns me."
Sam's eyes narrowed. So the reason she had been tracked down was because of Phantom. If he thought that she would freely divulge information, he was wrong. Not that she knew anything about the ghost hunter, she reasoned. She could easily count the total number of occasions on which she had spoken to him on one hand. She had definitely been underestimated. Sooner or later, she would make her bid to escape.
"Tell me everything you know about Phantom." He demanded, roughly shoving her against the alley wall when she made no move to respond to his query for information. She suppressed a cry as a jolt of pain shot up her spine, refusing to display any sign of weakness in front of the ghost.
"I know nothing about him." Sam stated, raising her chin in defiance as she stood her ground against the specter.
"Liar." The ghost's eyes narrowed. He rapidly extended an arm, pinning her to the wall by the neck in a death grip, causing Sam to gasp wildly for breath as he obstructed her air passage. "I have seen you with with the halfa twice in the last week. Has he confided in you his weaknesses?"
The Goth stopped struggling in his grip, lapsing into a rebellious silence as she attempted to glare down the specter, a task made difficult by the tears of pain welling up in her eyes that she fought to suppress. She would not betray what little information she knew about Phantom to a deranged ghost.
The specter's roar of frustration was reward in itself.
Although she could understand why the specter was convinced she was lying. If he had truly been observing Phantom for the last week, he would have seen Phantom kiss her, and would probably assume the pair were in a relationship. Sam pursed her lips in a grim expression. She should have known better than to kiss a complete stranger. What had that jerk gotten her into? Never before had she been the victim of as many ghost attacks as she had been in the past two weeks.
"He is a fool to have chosen to ally himself with humans. A weak, transient species." He growled, tightening his grip around the Goth's neck for emphasis.
"What are the halfa's weaknesses?" He demanded again. "Do not defy me, little girl."
The ghost's eyebrows narrowed dangerously, and Sam could see that his patience was wearing thin as he refused to accept her ignorance.
"I don't even know what a halfa is." She hissed, clawing at the huge metal hand clamping around her lower jaw in a vice like grip. His hold was too strong for her to break.
The specter studied her, silently weighing and measuring his options with such an uncooperative captive, his cold glare shielded by her facade of indifference.
His towering form hunched over her as he bared his teeth in a feral snarl. She recoiled, revolted by the proximity of his face to hers. "If I were to hold you hostage, he is sure to come to your aid."
Sam met his gaze glare for glare, refusing to look away in what had ultimately resulted in a staring contest as his cold gaze bore through her vision.
She jumped as the ghost suddenly roared, startling her as he fell to his knees, nursing a blast wound on an injured shoulder. The sour, acrid smell of corroded metal filled the air where his attacker's blast had damaged his armor.
"Back again, Skulker?" The Red Hunter mocked, her ecto-blaster smoking. "I would have thought you'd be sick of getting beaten by now."
The Phantom materialised next to her, twin rays of ecto-blasts charging at his fists, and Sam could not deny that she was glad to see him. "Get away from her." He growled, his eyes flickering green with ectoplasmic energy.
The ghost known as Skulker surveyed the appearance of Phantom with interest, seemingly oblivious to the ghost hunter's protective rage.
"Now that you have appeared, I have no further interest in your little girlfriend." The specter waved a hand at Sam in dismissal.
He did not, however, step away from Sam. The ghost was not stupid, Danny realised, even through his fury. He knew that he could not take both Phantom and the Red Hunter. The moment he left Sam's side, he would be open to both ghost hunter's line of fire. By using Sam as a shield, he had ensured the engagement would be limited to hand to hand combat in the enclosed space of the alley, raising the odds in his favour.
"I have heard much about you, ghost child." The hunter drawled circling Phantom menacingly. "You have gained quite the reputation as a hunter."
"I'd like to say the same for you," The ghost hunter replied, his voice inundated with satire. "but unfortunately I can't."
The ghost chuckled, brushing away the insult as he cracked his knuckles menacingly. "Mock me all you want, halfa. Your insults will not save you from capture."
The Red Hunter snorted, favouring her partner with a significant look as she noted the wild flickering of his green eyes. "He's all yours." She said, crossing her arms.
Phantom responded by grimly adjusting his gloves.
"Given your reputation, you are slighter than I had anticipated." The ghost studied his prey, smirking in satisfaction. "Although the fact that you are unique more than makes up for it."
"Unique?" Phantom repeated. "Don't tell me you haven't heard of the other like me." The ghost hunter mocked, cocking an eyebrow. "You're probably terrified of the very thought of having to cross him in battle."
"The reputation of Vlad Plasmius precedes him." Skulker admitted grudgingly. "But no matter. I shall have you, a worthy centerpiece in my collection."
"And if I refuse?" Danny challenged, knowing anger would get him nowhere. Sam could get injured in the crossfire if he were to rely purely on brute force. "What makes you think I'll be any easier to capture than Vlad?"
"Do you know who I am, boy?" The hunter smirked.
"Skulker. Specter ID C8640-468Q. Collector of all paranormal entities rare. The self proclaimed 'Ghost Zone's Greatest Hunter'." Phantom recited, as though quoting from a database.
"Uses ectoplasmic weaponry to enhance his limited abilities. A moderate threat." He finished, eyeing the ghost with amusement. The Red Hunter stifled a laugh.
"Moderate?" The specter roared. "I am the most powerful ghost you shall ever meet, you pathetic halfa. You will pay dearly for your insolence." He snarled, activating the ecto-blasters attached to his battle suit.
By the time Skulker had fired two shots towards his direction, Phantom had disappeared, materialising in the air above Sam.
"I have changed my mind." Skulker growled, rising after Phantom. "Your insolence shall be your destruction. I shall rest your pelt at the foot of my bed!"
Sam raised her eyebrows, impressed by the simple brilliance of Phantom's plan. By mocking Skulker, Phantom had managed to goad the specter into shooting at him and leaving her side, taking the fight to the air where she was out of danger.
She looked up, observing as the ghost fired wildly at Phantom, who evaded the blasts with ease.
"I've never seen Phantom angry before." The Red Hunter acknowledged, as the pair regarded the aerial battle taking place above them. From the manner in which she said it, Sam could tell that underneath the ghost hunter's mask, she was grinning. "This is going to be good."
Phantom, satisfied that they were far enough from the his partner and Sam, extended his hand towards the paranormal hunter, familiar green energy surrounding his palm as he channeled every ounce of his righteous fury at Skulker. He could physically sense the cackling energy leaving his form, bombarding the ghost's armor with the ectoplasmic energy conceived from his anger, immobilising the specter in the air.
The ghost, sensing disaster, attempted to escape the Phantom's hold over him, his struggling only succeeding in heightening Danny's rage.
Skulker had threatened Sam. That in itself was inexcusable. He had never meant for his involvement with her to put her in any danger. It was a mistake he would never make again.
He abruptly clenched his fist, and the ghost's armor exploded with a resounding blast so strong that the entire battle suit disintegrated, seemingly ceasing to exist from the raw power it was subjected to. The Goth squinted in response to the bright light, envious of the Red Hunter's visor that protected her eyes.
The smallest ghost Sam had ever seen fell to the ground, whimpering in pain. She was surprised to realise that the specter had survived the blast, given its size. Ghosts certainly were difficult to destroy. It struggled to its feet, casting wary looks towards Phantom's direction as it contemplated escape.
"You have not seen the last of me, child." The diminutive ghost snarled, knowing it had been outmatched.
"New power?" The Red Hunter asked, curiosity evident as she handed him her thermos.
"No." The Phantom shook his head in reply. "I'd just never used so much of it before." He activated the containment function with practiced ease, capturing the ghost in a bright vortex of light.
His partner nodded in response, a thoughtful expression on her features.
He turned to Sam, his concern evident. "You okay?"
"Yeah." She replied, massaging her tender jaw.
"Are you sure?" He asked. "That bastard pretty rough with you."
"I'm fine." She insisted, resisting his attempts to support her.
"Stop worrying, Phantom." The Red Hunter laughed. "She said she's fine."
He backed off and folded his arms as Sam helped herself to her feet.
"You don't do very much on the job, do you Red?" He teased, changing the subject in an attempt to include Sam in their conversation.
"You offered to patrol with me." The Red Hunter berated, folding her arms. "It's hardly my fault that you chose to lose your temper like an over possessive boyfriend." She deftly caught the thermos he tossed in her direction, attaching it to her utility belt.
The Phantom rolled his eyes, and Sam could have sworn she heard a raspberry being blown under his partner's helmet. She never would have thought the pair of ghost hunters were this immature.
The Red Hunter swore as she checked the time on her communicator. "I'm going to be late if I don't get going soon."
"I'll see you later." The Phantom said, grinning. "I'll escort this one in case she gets into any more trouble." He added, gesturing towards Sam.
Sam crossed her arms, indignant. She was about to retort in response when the Red Hunter noticed the acrimonious expression on her face, and laughed.
"He's insufferable, isn't he?"
Sam nodded in response, faux sullenness on her features. "Tell me about it."
"I just can't win, can I?" The Phantom held up his hands in mock surrender. "Although most people would call it chivalry."
"Maybe if you stopped being so cocky, you wouldn't have to." His partner absently jibed in return, keying in a security code to lock the thermos.
"Cut me some slack, Red." He protested. "I'm just trying to be nice."
Sam failed to suppress her derisive snort, causing the Phantom to favour both girls with an indignant look in objection. He was ignored on both counts.
"When have you ever been nice, Phantom?" The Red Hunter challenged, planting a fist on her hips.
Her partner pouted, feigning hurt, and Valerie was astonished at how the widening of his magnetic green eyes distinctly reminded her of the familiar puppy dog expression Danny would inflict on her whenever she teased him, or when he wanted to get his way. Who would have thought her jerk of a partner would ever succumb to using such a pathetic gesture to make her feel guilty.
She was glad for the presence of her helmet which masked her surprise. The last thing she needed was to be caught staring at Phantom, although she could not consider the sudden widening of his bright green eyes unfamiliar in any manner. With the extent of his ego, he would probably assume that she was into him, and would never let her live it down. As irrefutably gorgeous as her partner was, Valerie Gray had her eye on someone else.
Danny must have told him about her soft spot for cute guys with forlorn expressions. It sucked that the Phantom had found a way to escape her insults, although it would do the ghost hunter good to hang around her friend. Maybe Danny could help deflate her partner's ridiculous ego. Also, perhaps Phantom would encourage Danny to stand up for himself. The boy was too nice for his own good. The number of times she had rescued him from Dash Baxter in the past few weeks was getting ridiculous.
The Red Hunter sighed, giving in. She took no heed to her partner's protests as she roughly tousled his shocking white hair in an almost affectionate gesture.
"I'll see you around, pretty boy." She teased, as she mounted her jet sled, ascending over their heads. "Unlike you, some of us actually have commitments other than ghost hunting."
The ghost hunter laughed as he ran a gloved hand through his messy hair. "Catch you later Red!" He yelled after her disappearing figure.
Sam felt the beginnings of a rush of jealousy bubbling in the pit of her stomach at the recent companionable exchange between the ghost hunters. How could she hope to compete with someone like the Red Hunter? She could not deny that she wished she could talk to Phantom as easily as the Red Hunter, envious of how comfortable the pair were with each other. Conversation between the pair seemed so natural, and the pair had probably saved each other's lives on numerous occasions, resulting in their explicit trust in the other both in and out of battle.
She frowned, disgusted with herself. First she had been jealous of Valerie, when she had thought her friend had been in a non existent relationship with Danny, and now she was jealous of the Red Hunter, just because she seemed close to Phantom, a player that she had previously decided was not worth her time.
She looked away from the Red Hunter's retreating figure, only to have her line of vision interrupted by the Phantom's now familiar jawline. Her eyes flickered, redirecting her gaze towards his disorienting green eyes.
"Uh, hey." He greeted, rubbing the back of his neck, and Sam was made aware how painfully awkward the situation seemed.
"Hi." She replied, flushing as she willed the earth below her to cave in and engulf her so she could escape further embarrassment. Or better yet, a ghost attack that he had to leave to attend to.
Somehow, the several feet that separated them did not seem enough, and Sam could not suppress the urge to turn and run away before she did something she truly regretted. She wasn't used to people like him, separate from the rest of society. To him, the kiss they had shared on her balcony might have been complete normalcy, but Sam was unaccustomed to making out with total strangers.
Why hadn't the Phantom left as well? Sam had a sinking feeling that he was about to try and extract the second half of his 'payment' from her. More disconcertingly, Sam wasn't sure if she would refuse it from him. As much as she tried to deny it, she could not quell the abrupt, fierce longing to close the distance between them, to pick up where they had left off the previous weekend. The quicksilver transition of her emotions surprised even herself, when just a moment ago she had hoped never to see him again as long as she lived.
She forced her eyes for the nth time in minutes to avert their gaze from his lips, willing to think of something vaguely diplomatic to say to salvage the rapidly fraying situation.
Phantom simply was not healthy for her sanity.
The ghost hunter, on the other hand, seemed to be feeling absolutely none of the discomfort she had subjected herself to. He casually leaned himself against the wall behind him, once again running a gloved hand through his messy white hair.
"Did you miss me?" He grinned, cocking an eyebrow and Sam was unsure whether the feeling in the pit of her stomach was that of anticipation for his touch or wariness in case he did try anything.
"In your dreams." She retorted, folding her arms, on guard against any advances Phantom might decide to pull.
To Sam's complete surprise, the ghost hunter took a step back, eying her in an almost guilty manner, the serious expression on his face reminding Sam of the look he had given her when preparing for combat with the spectral wolves.
"Look, about Friday night." He started. "That was completely inappropriate and I should have known better than to mess around with civilians."
Sam realised that she was staring and promptly closed her gaping mouth. Had the Phantom just apologised to her?
"Is that an apology?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah." He replied, looking her straight in the eyes, and Sam felt her respect for him grow. At least he wasn't a coward. She was surprised to discover that his eyes looked a different shade of green in the daylight, contrasting strongly with the rest of his striking features.
Sam was suddenly aware of every sinew in his hardened physique that she had failed to notice in the faint moonlight of their last encounter. She flushed, looking away as she berated herself for inappropriate thoughts forming in her mind. He was apologising for making out with her, and there she was, ogling him. She had absolutely no sense of propriety. She pushed her hair out of her face. What was wrong with her?
The Phantom took her aversion to make eye contact with him as a rejection of his apology.
"You don't have to forgive me." He clarified. "I just thought I'd tell you that I'm sorry. I was way out of line."
He turned to leave. And although Sam knew it would be best to leave things that way, she could not help but call after him.
"Did you really think," She began, smirking as she folded her arms. "that you would have gotten away with kissing me if I hadn't consented?"
"Red said the same thing." He conceded, facing her. "But I wasn't sure."
"She was right." Sam replied, planting a fist on her hips. "You should listen to her more."
"I try." The Phantom grinned.
"Obviously not hard enough." She retorted. "You two seem close."
"Red's a friend." He elucidated shortly. "She doesn't think of me as anything else."
"So you and the Red Hunter," She began, unsure as to how to phrase her awkward query, but encouraged by the female ghost hunter's lack of interest in Phantom. "you were never..."
"Yeah." Phantom replied, almost apologetically, and Sam was taken aback by how uncomfortable he seemed. "We were."
"Oh. Right." Sam flushed, as she realised the implications of her question. What business had she inquiring into his social life? He probably thought she was some stupid fan girl like Paulina. It wasn't like she was looking for a relationship with him.
"That ghost called you a halfa." Sam asked, redirecting the conversation. "What does it mean?"
"No idea." Danny replied, feigning ignorance.
Sam nodded. Although she was certain he was concealing the truth from her, in light of her recent embarrassment, she thought it wise not to pursue the matter. After all, she was hardly interested in Phantom's secrets. But perhaps the ghost hunter could help unravel the mystery surrounding her other crush.
"Do you know someone called Danny Fenton?" She chanced.
The Phantom shrugged, adjusting his gloves. "I've heard of him."
"What do you mean, you've heard of him?" Her eyes narrowed. "Is he in the business?"
"What business?" He asked, confused.
"Is Danny a ghost hunter?" She clarified bluntly.
The white haired boy blinked, unable to mask his surprise. "What makes you think Danny Fenton is capable of ghost hunting?"
"You know nothing about Danny." The Goth parried, folding her arms. "His parents were both ghost hunters. Without that suit of yours he is probably just as adept at capturing ghosts as you are."
He laughed, and Sam was perturbed to find that there was no malice in the gesture, as his eyes conveyed a positive, yet unreadable expression that she immediately realised was genuine. "Do you really think so?"
"Yeah, I do." She raised her chin in defiance. "In fact, the technology in that suit of yours should not be constrained to such elitist use." She protested. "Think how much the quality of human life would be improved if your suit's blueprints were shared with the rest of the world."
The Phantom ran a gloved hand through his shocking white hair. "No comment."
"At least try to speak to your superior. Mister Masters, isn't it?" She pressed on.
"How did you get that name?" The ghost hunter asked, and Sam could see that he was seriously taken aback.
"Danny told me." She replied, raising an eyebrow.
She found herself unexpectedly relishing gaining the upper hand against Phantom, especially after their unexpected kiss on the balcony where he had managed to rob every ounce of verbal finesse from her being. Even then he had been self assured, even to the extent of arrogance.
Seeing him surprised at how much she knew filled Sam with a delicious, intoxicating sense of power. Although she hadn't quite instilled the same degree of speechlessness on him, it was retribution enough for her own embarrassing bewilderment the weekend before.
"Of course he did." Phantom sighed, running a hand through his snow white hair. "It was too much to ask that you wouldn't connect the dots."
"Did you think I was stupid?" She challenged, raising her eyebrows.
"Sam." He said, raising his palms in a condescending manner to avoid aggravating her again. "I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do about it."
She crossed her arms, unconvinced, although silently impressed that he had remembered her name. Perhaps he wasn't half as bad as she had thought. "And why not?"
"This technology is a result of an accident." He explained. "We can't recreate the conditions required. And even if we could, I doubt there's anyone in the world that is willing to go through what I did to get there."
"What does that mean?" She questioned, uncertainty evident in her voice.
"It can't be taken off." He stated simply, and Sam was curious to realise that there was no bitterness in his statement.
"Oh, god. It's not surgically grafted to your skin is it?" Sam asked in concern, raising a hand to her lips.
"Kind of." He replied, shrugging.
"So you're stuck like this for the rest of your life?" She demanded, horrified. "How could you let them do this to you?"
He shrugged again, his jaw set in a familiar expression of determination Sam could have sworn she had seen somewhere else before. "Like I said, it was an accident. There's no one to blame."
Sam felt a surging rush of affection towards the ghost hunter at his plight. Perhaps he wasn't as much of a jerk as she had originally thought.
It was then she noticed an uncanny resemblance between Phantom and Danny. The contours of their nose and jaw were almost identical, drawing her attention to their unnaturally coloured eyes. Even the way their messy hair fell over their face was scarily similar. Apart from the differences in hair and eye colour and demeanor, they could have been twins.
"Doesn't it bother you?" She asked, stepping towards him, until there was barely a foot between them. She grasped his gloved hand with hers in a comforting gesture, ignoring the pleasurable tingling up her spine at even the slightest contact between them. She silently wished her bare skin could graze his own, instead of the smooth hazmat of his stealth suit.
He smiled to convince her, making no effort to release his hand from her grasp. "It used to, but not anymore."
"Is the suit powered by your emotions?" She asked. "When you got really angry just now, your eyes started flickering."
He shrugged once again in reply, slightly embarrassed of how protective he was of her.
"How about the Red Hunter?" She queried in concern. "Can she take her suit off?"
"Yeah." He enunciated, his lips curving into a smirk. "Hers definitely comes off."
Sam blinked in surprise, taken aback by his abruptly lascivious insinuation, well aware that the Phantom had intentionally drawn the conversation away from matters concerning ghost hunting. Even so, she retaliated by roughly punching him on the arm.
"That was a joke." He protested, rubbing his sore shoulder.
"You've got a crap sense of humour." She glared, unable to quell her once again rising feelings of jealousy towards the Red Hunter.
The female ghost hunter was smart, attractive, and deadly, not to mention ample in certain assets Sam herself unfortunately lacked. Even though the Red Hunter and Phantom were not currently in a relationship, the pair were undoubtedly close, evident from the amount of banter that was exchanged between the two. If Phantom had been attracted to his partner in the past, there was no way that the ghost hunter could be genuinely interested in her. She and the Red Hunter were polar opposites.
"You're jealous." He teased, kicking up an eyebrow.
"I'm not." She denied fervently, cursing her pale complexion for betraying her blush.
What was wrong with her? Hadn't she decided to forget about Phantom and pursue a relationship with Danny? There was nothing that Phantom had that Danny didn't, apart from a ridiculously large ego.
Why couldn't she just make up her mind? Sam prided herself above the idle capriciousness of other girls such as Paulina. The choice was simple. Phantom was a jerk, Danny wasn't. With Danny, she could hope for a relationship that would last more than a week.
The Phantom smirked in reply, but did not contradict her denial.
"You're going to be be late for school at this rate." He quipped, changing the subject.
"Who's fault is that?" She glared, rubbing her bruised back.
Without waiting for her consent, he once again scooped her into his arms, teleporting them to the crowded driveway outside the school, two feet away from Lancer who was exiting his car.
Sam started, surprised that no one in the busy driveway seemed to have noticed their abrupt materialisation. She glanced at Phantom in confusion as the vice principal walked right past them.
"They can't see us." He whispered in her ear, the tickle of his cold breath sending pleasant shivers down her spine. "Do you need me to take you in the school?" He asked, levitating to a discrete corner where they could materialise.
"I'll be fine." She insisted, releasing herself from his increasingly familiar grip. "I'm already late."
"We'll talk some other time, then." He grinned, disappearing in a bright flash of light just as the late bell rung.
She groaned in annoyance, dashing towards the entrance of the school, nearly colliding with another latecomer.
"Hey Sam!" A flustered Valerie Grey greeted, sprinting through the now empty driveway.
The pair entered their registration classroom, ignoring the disapproving glare of Lancer and the raised eyebrows of amusement from their peers. Tucker caught her eye and grinned.
"Ghost attack." Valerie lied fluently, slumping onto her seat.
Their tutor favoured them with a small nod, accepting their excuse.
Sam followed suit, glad for the opportunity to catch her breath. She glanced at Danny's empty seat.
"Where's Danny?" She mouthed silently at Tucker. He shrugged in reply. She was amused to discover that the Red Hunter's autograph was now the wallpaper for his PDA. Sam shook her head at him, incredulous as Tucker subjected her to one of the most stupid grins she had ever seen from him her entire life.
Valerie too, noticed her best friend's absence. "Have you two seen Danny?" She asked, leaning across his empty desk. She noticed the background on Tucker's PDA, and flushed.
"That's your wallpaper?" She asked, disbelieving. Tucker nodded, the grin still plastered on his face.
"I can't decide if that's sweet or pathetic." She stated, raising an eyebrow.
"Pathetic?" The techno geek repeated in mock indignance, drawing himself up to his full height. "How could I, Tucker Foley, ever be pathetic?"
"Easily." Valerie smirked.
Sam frowned, leaving the pair to bicker. Could Danny's absence have something to do with his secret? She pushed her dark hair out of her face, dismissing the idea. If it did, Valerie would know where Danny was. Unless her query regarding his whereabouts was also part of their deceit. How deep did the deception run? And how was all of this linked with his and Valerie's government involvement? Somehow, despite the evidence, Sam still could not see Danny working for the government in any way.
And what had Phantom meant, saying they would talk some other time? Did he mean to see her again? If the ghost hunter had decided to pursue a relationship with her, it was going to make Sam's love life a lot more complicated than it already was. Why did both of her crushes always insist on leaving her so uncertain about everything?
She was just about to pack up, readying herself for their first lesson of the day when Danny burst into the classroom, out of breath. "Sorry I'm late." He gasped.
"Mister Fenton." Lancer enunciated through gritted teeth. "Kindly explain how you've managed to render yourself so absurdly late."
"I-uh, ghost attack?" He chanced, grinning sheepishly.
The vice principal shook his head in disapproval, but accepted Danny's apology. If the school was not short on money, he would have long since invested in a lie detector to put an end to such ridiculous excuses.
"I'll let you off this time." Lancer said, favouring the agent with a dirty look as he sunk into his seat apologetically, somehow managing to trip over an adjacent chair in the process.
Sam shook her head, laughing as she caught his eye. Danny Fenton was definitely not government material.
Author's Notes: First of all, I would like to apologise for the huge amount of time I left my dear readers hanging. Although I am incredibly busy with school at the moment, it was no excuse to fail to update for almost a month. I am truly sorry I made you wait, and I hope I haven't put any of you off!
I will say no more, apart from the fact that the next few chapters will definitely hold some unexpected surprises;)
Many thanks to my wonderful reviewers:
BlueMyst19, YellowQueen, vladimir's disease, cariadiorarua, SoulcatSpirit, vlad snuffles, Wushukatiesparks, raven luvah, Koccinelle, kia, Pieling, CharmedNightSkye and Black January for their lovely, encouraging words of support. I truly do appreciate hearing what you think!
I also would like to take this opportunity to thank all the lovely people that have favourited me:
bloodrainanitta, Black January, BlueMyst19, ChibiSamisala, KILLERGRIM23, Kuro Tori, Lessien Sharpwind, Pterodactyl, Purple Mystic, Sam Fenton, Sasia93, Straying Life, Yuleen75, Zilleniose, blindyourears, lightanddarklove, phantom-willow217, sapphiestar, soaring-bright-flame, twilightgal, vlad snuffles, Angel Baby1, CharmedNightSkye, Ember518, Joan, Laughing Hyena, Morgruth, Nanyxa, RyuuMahou, Wushu, rmedinap24192, whirlgirl, lunerfox, irksome one, hydraling110, hotnspicey, eternalLament43, Evil Long Penname Having Individual EndJessica01, Henshi-anichan, Ketsurui, Shuuraj, Maffeoel and Summers Rage. I am honoured that you have displayed such interest in Metanoia!:)
Lastly, I would like to thank the wonderful BlueMyst19 for being my beta. I don't know what I'd do without you to calm me down.
Thank you for reading, and I do hope that I have entertained you in some way or another! Kindly do read and review.
Hugs and kisses,
Twisted Creampuff