Hey everyone. Lord Pugsy here. I seem to have caused some confusion amongst a few of you when Paul called Danny 'Dan'. In no way, shape or form does Paul know anything about Dark Dan. How would he? It is not exactly a topic which gets spoken in front of others. He was just determined to rile Danny up as much as possible by calling him a name which is not his usual nickname or his actual name. Once again, I apologise for any confusion caused. Without further ado, here is the next chapter in A Phantom Apocalypse. I only own the story.

A deafening silence filled the Cafeteria as all eyes were on Paul and Danny; Paul, with a smug and triumphant look on his face, clearly not realising the can of worms he had just opened by calling Danny 'Dan'. Danny on the other hand, was just standing still with a look of pure shock etched across his face. Most of the people in the Cafeteria were flummoxed as to why Danny looked so stunned to be called 'Dan'.

Surely 'Dan' is just another nickname for him, they all thought together. Jazz, Sam and Tucker on the other hand, had a very different thought running through their heads.

Oh shit. The Fentons, Tucker, Sam, Valerie and Dash to a small extent, knew that Danny's obsession was to protect, and that you should never insult or challenge a ghost's obsession, and Paul, unknowingly, had just insulted Danny's in the worst possible way. That was when the humans first realised something was wrong. Danny's look of shock slowly turned to anger, then to rage. Within in ten seconds, Danny's expression was downright murderous, his whole frame shaking in fury. There was no gradual decrease in temperature like there usually would be when Danny got angry or upset this time. Ice instantly covered the floor, walls and ceiling, drinks froze and everyone could see their breath. Paul and his 'disciples' staggered back in fear; just as Sam, Tucker and Jazz moved forwards to calm the Halfa down, power exploded out of Danny, sending a whirlwind of energy in every direction, knocking whoever was standing unceremoniously to the floor. However, despite the chilling environmental changes, no one in the Cafeteria could have prepared themselves for the physical changes Danny was making. His toxic-green eyes turned blood-red; his white-hair slowly began to rise and shimmer, which could have given Ember's a run for her money. But what truly terrified the humans and two ghosts, were what was happening to Danny's teeth; his canines slowly began to elongate, ending in a point. The sudden growth spurt split Danny's gums, causing a trickle of green ectoplasm to run down the tooth and drip onto his chin, giving him an overall vampire-look. Now everyone, Paul the most, was cowering in fear; some had tried to escape but the sheer cold had frozen the doors, sealing them in. Somewhere deep within Danny's subconscious, he knew that he had to control himself before it was too late and he did something he would truly regret, but right now, that was a very small part. Just as he was planning on sending Paul to the Ghost Zone the hard way, he felt a chill running up both his arms. Looking down, he saw Krystal and Dani with their hands on his arms and using their ice powers to break his senses, their faces showing just how scared they were at the moment. That, combined with the coldness coursing through his body, was enough. The wind dropped as his fangs reduced, his hair calmed and his eyes melted back into their usual green. Slowly, the ice began to retract back into Danny's body; as more ice was absorbed, the more clearly Danny saw things. Once the room was back to how it was, albeit slightly resembling like a tornado had struck, Danny doubled over in pain. That much energy was only just about shy from how much he used when using his Ghostly Wail; white rings sprouted around his waist but were instantly supressed. Standing up straight, he regarded everyone in the room, not with rage or contempt, but with complete indifference. His eyes found Paul's, but when he spoke, it was for everyone to hear.

"Ghosts aren't the monsters." He said in a monotone, using his telekinesis to pick up the diary he had dropped when Paul entered the Cafeteria, holding it high for everyone to see. "Humans are." With that, he tossed the book across the table his family was sat at, sliding down until it fell into his father's lap. Next, he unclipped his radio and allowed it float a few inches above his hand; then, before everyone's eyes, it began to disassemble itself into hundreds of tiny pieces. The pieces suddenly lost their green glow and dropped to the floor. Giving the room one more look, Danny teleported away in a green flash.

There was a few minutes of dead silence before anyone decided to make a sound. Typically, that first person was Paul, who had managed to regain his composure quicker than most.

"Now do you see?" He asked, waving his arms in the general direction Danny had disappeared from as he began to pace around the room. "The Sinner has shown his true face. It is only a matter of time before he enacts his agenda, and it will be us who suffers the consequences. Only God can offer protection from his retribution. The Almighty's son himself was crucified because his message was not understood for what it was. Do not become the sacrifice that His son had to endure in the face of ignorance and pride. Join us, and you will have both God and Christ on your side to see this apocalypse through to the end, where we, like a phoenix rising from the ashes, will emerge reborn." Finishing his speech, Paul turned, only to come face-to-face with a very angry Valerie and Sam.

"God and Jesus may love you," Sam began, bunching her fist.

"But you're still an asshole." Valerie finished, mimicking the Goth's actions. Both girls drew their fists back and punched Paul squarely in the face, knocking him to the floor, unconscious. They turned to face the rest of the Cafeteria, who were looking at the girls wide-eyed.

"Would anyone else like to say something?" Valerie asked, danger evident in her voice; all the room shook their heads. Two of Paul's followers stepped forwards and hooked an arm under each of his, pulling him up so they could leave the room, followed closely by the rest of them. The last to leave turned back to glare at Sam and Valerie, and either out of sheer bravery or stupidity, he spoke.

"You will never be accepted into Heaven," he spat out. "The Almighty will never accept you into his divine embrace."

Deadly calm, Sam drew her ecto-pistol and aimed at the 'disciple's' head. "I'm Jewish." Wasting no time, he raced from the room, the door swinging shut behind him. "Now there's two people I want to shoot with this thing." She made no effort to hide her glare directed at David, who appeared to get the message as he turned to his soldiers.

"I think it's time we head to bed boys." He said, standing up, the soldiers following suit. "I think that's enough excitement for one night." Once the soldiers had left the Cafeteria, the other occupants of the room thought it best they do the same. After giving wary looks to Sam and Valerie, and to Dani and Krystal who had yet to leave, still in a stupor at what they had just witnessed, they slowly trickled out, leaving only the Fentons, Sam, Tucker, Valerie, Dash and the ghosts. Once again, silence filled the air.

"Well," Dash began, rubbing the back of his neck with the muzzle of his own ecto-blaster. "That was interesting."

"Would someone please explain to me what the hell just happened?" Demanded Maddie; her gaze turned to Jazz, Sam and Tucker. "I know for a fact that you three know. So spill it. Now." The three in question gave each other a solemn look.

"We can't Mom." Jazz said, her eyes becoming red. "It's not our place to tell."

Tucker nodded. "Danny wouldn't appreciate us telling you."

"I don't think we even know the full story." Sam said, earning more nods from Tucker and Jazz. "There was a big period of time when we weren't there."

"Weren't where?" Asked Valerie, but to no avail; the three teens had clammed up. Dani wasn't giving up however. She flew right up to Tucker's face, knowing that he would be the easiest to break out of the three; Krystal just stayed where she was, still too scared to move.

"Don't you dare shut us out." She said angrily. "Danny's my cousin, and I deserve to know what just happened to him. He isn't an angry person. Not by a long shot. Even when Vlad was taunting him, or planning to make his life miserable, he would only ever get annoyed or sarcastic. So why the hell did he change like that? He could have made Pariah or the Observants piss themselves." Surprisingly, Tucker held Dani's glare and gave her one of his own.

"No Dani." He said bluntly, his glare unwavering. "Danny may be your cousin, but he's my best friend and practically my brother. No amount of technology or meat in the world could force me to reveal his secrets without his permission." Giving Tucker a proud smile, Jazz and Sam turned and crossed their arms, giving everyone else a look which pretty much said the same thing. A plan began to form in Jack's mind as he looked at the book in his lap.

"Here's what we do." He started, turning to Dani. "You're our best bet of finding Danny. Find him, and talk to him." He then turned to Krystal. "Would you mind rounding up the other ghosts and have them meet us in the Chemistry Room? From the way Danny-boy looked at this book, and said 'humans', I think it's something we all need to discuss. We'll start when the Danny's are back. Mads?"

Maddie nodded in confirmation. "Sounds good Jack. Let's go."

An hour later, after a fruitless search, a dejected Dani returned to the school and entered the Chemistry Room to find that everyone was already there. Dani miserably shook her head as she floated over to sit on a stool next to Ember, who, uncharacteristically, raised an arm and brought the youngest Halfa into a hug.

"Chin up kiddo." She said. "Baby-pop just needs some cooling off. He'll be back in no time."

"You didn't see him Ember." Dani said quietly. "Danny snapped; physically and emotionally by the looks of it. And the look he gave us before he left. It was cold and dead. It wasn't Danny." With that, she became silent as she stared at the ground. Ember, on the other hand, was giving the humans of the group a look which clearly said 'I told you so'. Whilst most of the humans, minus Sam who hadn't been present during that conversation, looked down in guilt, Jazz put on her game face.

"Ember's right," she began, garnering everyone's attention. "Danny just needs some time to get his emotions in check. We can't worry about that now; we've got bigger things to discuss."

"I take it it's about that mystery book Danny was reading from in the meeting?" Maddie asked.

Jazz nodded in affirmation. "I've only read a few pages in, but now I understand why Danny called humans 'monsters'. It's the diary of some scientist called Doctor Fitz-Simmons."

Sam gasped. "That's the name of the guy whose room we inspected back in Glendale. Danny must have taken it after Beth and I had gone back down to the lobby." After a quick recount, everyone was eying the book.

"Why would he take it?" Johnny asked, mirroring what the rest of the group were thinking.

Sam shrugged. "The guy's room was practically overflowing with books and loose sheets of papers and notes, but Danny said right at the beginning that something was off about it. Maybe he thought the diary was of some value or interest."

"It is." Jazz deadpanned, before casting a wary look at the ghosts in the room. "But when I finish telling you guys, you may wish I hadn't. Especially you five." Jazz finished, gesturing to the ghosts in the room.

"Why?" Kitty asked. "What's in the book?"

Jazz sighed, opening the diary. "The answers to the end of the world."

August Fifteenth:

I always knew from a very young age that this world of ours was teeming with mysteries. As humans, we take it upon ourselves to root out such mysteries and seek the answers to them. We can't explain it; we're just compelled to do so. It's in our nature to learn the unknown. That's why, when I saw that chunk of celestial rock sat in front of me, I just knew that the world had presented the human race with yet another mystery. One I was determined to solve. I could scarcely believe it when the military guys set it down on my desk. They had actually managed to retrieve a fragment of the asteroid which nearly destroyed our beautiful planet. It didn't take long for our scanners to register the rock as Ectoranium; something very deadly to ghosts. No wonder that Plasmius ghost couldn't touch the thing. It was incredible; who knew what scientific breakthroughs we could learn through studying this rock. Tomorrow, my team and I will get to work.

August Sixteenth:

Unbelievable! It's composition is nothing like what we could have possibly imagined. None of us could hypothesise how it came into being. The only explanation that seemed even remotely possible was that a natural portal had opened up in the vast expanses of space and a large chunk of rock from the Ghost Zone passed through it, closing up behind it at some point in history. Wow. Look at me. Writing about a Realm which, until a year ago, no believed existed. It wasn't until a family in Illinois called the Fentons invented a portal which allowed access to it. But never mind. Those white-suited imbeciles had already tried to fathom its wonders but to no avail. That will have to remain a mystery for a little while longer. We have more important business to attend to for the time being.

August Twenty-Seventh:

We've hit a dead end. There is nothing about this stupid rock that we can learn. When it comes right down to it, from what we can tell, the only difference between this rock and every other stupid rock out there is that it's green. We've had NASA's top geologists looking at this thing. We've had mineralogists, petrologists, stratigraphers and even palaeontologists; anyone who might know anything about rocks. Heck, we even brought in a volcanologist; just to see if it could be a massive chunk of hardened lava. Every single one of them has come up with the same conclusion as we have. They don't have a fucking clue either. I can't even begin to describe how infuriating it is not knowing. I have waited my entire life for an opportunity such as this to fall into my possession. And now, the people upstairs are threatening to cut our funding unless we discover something. I have to do it. I will not go back to that wretched school and face those insufferable children and staff. They spurned my genius. I'll show them. I'll show all them.

September Third:

Success! We've done it. I can't believe how stupid we'd been; how stupid I'd been. We were so caught up in how the asteroid was formed by dissecting and taking samples from it, we never actually bothered to see what would happen if we added things to it. Through luck in its purest form, one of my colleagues sneezed on it, covering it in nasal mucus. Right before we could give him a tongue-lashing to end all tongue-lashings, something amazing happened. The rock began to glow. We could scarcely believe it. Putting it under the microscope, we saw the asteroid fragment fighting and killing the micro-organisms in the mucus, leaving no trace of it behind. Needless to say, we were very excited today. Tomorrow, we'll be trying various other fluids and recording the findings.

September Eighth:

We've run out of things for it to fight. For the first couple of days after the sneezing incident, the excitement in the lab was palpable. This rock was literally fighting and killing off infections; far more efficiently and quickly than any form of antibiotics. If we could somehow harness this capability, we could produce far superior medicines which could combat the most vicious of illnesses and diseases. Smallpox, AIDS, HIV, the Ebola Virus, tumours cancers; all could be stopped. But we've been denied permission to actually test these illnesses. For some reason, the administrators don't want us to get too ahead of ourselves. A load of bull if you ask me. They're just afraid. They could never be scientists. A true scientist knows that, for the betterment of mankind, risks have to be taken in order for that to happen. And as God as my witness, I will not let a bunch of bureaucratic, pencil-pushing suits stop us from making probably the greatest scientific discovery, this world has ever seen. My team can do it. So it's a good thing I've got a plan in mind.

September Twelfth:

Our plan was almost ruined before it even began. A few of the guards caught onto what we were doing. It shouldn't have surprised me if I'm completely honest with myself. We're scientists, not spies. Low key isn't really our thing. We may be intellectuals, but we're about as sly as a pack of rabid elephants. But some higher power must have been looking out for us when we were found out; the guards were just as interested in the rock as we were. They actually offered to cover up our discrepancies when needed. Things are beginning to look up.

September Fifteenth:

Those guards are the epitome of a blessing. They ran interference, they deleted security tapes and even helped us smuggle in samples. You know, it's funny really. I've been going over how they found out about us over and over again. I know we're not the most careful bunch in the world, but I still don't see how they caught us. We don't even remember seeing these guards until the day they caught us. Oh well. As my old pa used to say, never look a gift horse in the mouth.

September Sixteenth:

There's something off about the guards. I know they're supposed to be guarding and looking out for us, but they're literally breathing down our necks twenty-four-seven. We questioned them about it this morning, but they just smiled and said that 'we have to make sure we get everything for our superiors'. During lunch this sparked a wildfire of stories about who their superiors are. We all agreed that it had to be someone high up in the White House; you just didn't have a high-tech, secret lab devoted to studying one piece of space rock for someone as menial as the Boy Scouts. However, that's where similarities ended. Options such as the Environmental Protection Agency and Homeland Security were thrown around; both feasible options, but I have a suspicious feeling it wasn't them. I can't really describe the feeling I have about them. I just feel like that it's someone far higher up. Perhaps not the President himself, but someone very close to him. I feel stupid for even thinking that, but the nagging feeling just won't go away.

September Eighteenth:

Something's wrong. Something's very, very wrong. Harper is sick, and we don't know what's wrong with him. It's put everyone, including me, on edge. He's showing all the symptoms of the flu, but it's like they've all been magnified tenfold. The guards aren't helping either. All they said when they looked him over at breakfast was that he just needs rest and he'll be right as rain tomorrow. We put him back to bed and carried on with our experiments.

September Nineteenth:

They took Harper in the night. Now Jackson and Grace are ill; exactly the same as Harper. They're terrified they'll be the next ones to disappear. Even the guards aren't looking so hot anymore. They even drew their guns on us when we questioned where Harper had gone. Something is definitely going on, and I have a sneaking suspicion that our mysterious space rock is the cause of it all. I daren't say anything though. Things are already crazy enough without me adding more to the mix.

October Third:

What have we done? The lab is gone, the rock is gone…my friends are gone. I don't know what happened; I still don't. I'm currently writing from a rundown dockyard; hiding. I don't know who I can trust. There was a fire. A terrible fire. And an explosion. I wasn't even in the room when it happened, but I felt the tremor and I could smell the smoke. I ran as fast as I could to the lab, but there was nothing I could do. I could see them all burning. Rachel, Tyler, Steven, Ali, Steph, Thalia…Oh Thalia. She was so beautiful, and kind, and passionate and extraordinary. I was planning on asking her out to dinner once we were finished with the asteroid fragment. But now she's gone. They're all gone. I don't even know what happened to the rock. Vaporised in the explosion for all I know and care. I ran as fast as I could, desperate to get away. But there was something else. Something else in the fire. It could have just been the heat playing tricks on me, but I swear I saw, things, running from that building at the same time as me. Through the flames, they looked humanoid; I have no grand illusions that they were alien test-subjects. I can only just about get my head around the reality of ghosts on this plane of existence; extra-terrestrial beings are a bit too much for the time being. But the way they moved. They just didn't seem human enough.

October Fifth:

Shit, shit, shit, shit. I killed him. I can't believe I killed him. Surely no one can blame me. He was just, running, at me. It was clear as day that he was insane. He was about to kill me. I had to do something. I had to defend myself. Oh my God…I killed Harper. I hadn't seen him since those guards took him away, but there he was. It was Harper, but it also wasn't Harper. There was something wrong with his face; it was covered in pustules, there was a chunk missing from his cheek, but it was his eyes that terrified me. They were dark, and hungry. Vaguely I heard people screaming in the city, but I was too transfixed on Harper to pay much attention. Then he just lunged at me. Next thing I knew, he's got a meat hook lodged in his head, and I'm covered in his blood. About ten seconds after that, I threw up everything in my stomach and then just continued to retch for a few minutes. Tonight, when I turned on the news, I saw other incidences of people who looked as ill as Harper, attacking people left, right and centre. But what caused my jaw to drop was when the news anchor said that these 'ill' people were biting otherpeople. Then, just to make matters worse, those who were bitten, somehow, became ill themselves. Just what the hell is happening?

October Eleventh:

Los Angeles is gone. People are running riot in the street. Things are everywhere. Not a day or night goes by when I don't hear shooting or people screaming. I have to go. I have to get out of this city. Travel east as far as possible. There's nothing left for me here, or anyone for that fact. There is mass hysteria. No one knows what's happening…no one but me. I think I've known since the day Harper first got sick what had happened; I just didn't want to admit it. It makes me feel sick to my stomach that my team and I had done this. The stuff we were putting into that rock wasn't right. We didn't even test to see what was happening inside of it when we pumped all those diseases and infections into it. Somehow, all of them combined have caused some kind of deadly infection which is causing anybody who is bitten to turn into some kind of diseased cannibal. This morning, over a very pitiful breakfast of cold beans, due to the electricity finally giving out, the word 'Zombie' sprang into my head. I'm not even sure where it came from. As a scientist, if I had heard someone else say 'Zombie', I would laugh in their faces at its absurdity. But now, I'm not so sure. Well, whatever they're called, they're dangerous. Tomorrow. Tomorrow is the day I leave. Maybe there are some places east of here which are safe.

September First:

I had forgotten I even had this diary. It's been a year since it all happened. A whole year since the world went to shit. The Infected, which seems to be the most popular name for them, are everywhere. It took me the better part of a year to get to a place where I could feel some semblance of safety. As luck would have it, a few days after I stumbled into Illinois, I came across the hotel I'm currently staying in a town called Glendale. A group of nearly a hundred people are holed up here. There's no electricity, but I've made do without it for twelve months. It won't kill me. There are plenty of other things outside that are more than willing to do that. I've also managed to get myself quite the impressive suite. I stole some supplies to make notes on and a map which I used to trace the spread of the infection. But that was over two months ago now. Day by day, I feel a bit more of my sanity ebb away. A little piece of me dies with each passing week. I find myself doubting my chances of survival. I miss my friends; my friends who I lived and worked with. I had no family to speak of. My friends were my family, and my work was my life. I often dream of them. Just sitting around, drinking camomile tea from glass beakers we boiled over Bunsen burners, talking about our aspirations and enjoying each other's company. I think what hurts the most, more than actually starting the end of days, was the fact that I could have avoided it. If I had taken more care, and not let my ego take control, then they all might be alive today. I could have gone to that ballgame with Tyler and Steph. I could have taken Thalia out on a date. Who knows what might have happened between us. I think this must be my punishment. To be the last one remaining, cursed never to move on. I never did find out who sent those guards; their mystery plagues me to this day. I'm glad I found this old thing, but I don't think I'll be writing in it anymore. There's no real reason for me to put off what I need to do any longer. It's only a matter of time before these walls fall. There are rumours that there is a school in Amity Park which is safe from the Infected, but you'd have to be a fool to believe in such stories. None of us are safe. There's no such word as 'safe' anymore.

Everyone in the Chemistry Room just looked at one another as Jazz finished talking. No one had spoken, or interrupted her; they had been sucked in as soon as the asteroid was mentioned. All manner of emotions had made themselves known during the reading: confusion, anger, sadness and understanding. Despite this, only one emotion was running through the Ghost Rocker's head: anger.

"I can't believe it." She said, breaking the silence. "All the shit and misery and torment we've had to put up with since the humans discovered the infection had traces of ectoplasm in it, and for what? The fucking thing was made by humans!" Her rage was reflected in her hair, which had grown and was now singeing the ceiling with blue flames. No one could justify arguing against her. All of them knew how much hassle the ghosts had to face on a daily basis, and that would probably remain the case.

"Ember-." Tucker started before Ember cut him off.

"Foley," she began menacingly. "If the next words to come out of your mouth are 'calm down', I'm going to strike your testicles with my guitar so hard that it'll make you sing soprano for a week." Tucker smartly closed his mouth. The other humans in the room were doing the same; they did not want to incur Ember's wrath. especially not when she had a genuine reason to be angry. The ghosts on the other hand were still staring at the diary in Jazz's hands, speechless at its revelations.

"No more help." Johnny said suddenly, startling Kitty who had been leaning against him who was still in a stupor.

"Come again?" Dash asked, confused. Everyone else, on the other hand, knew exactly what he was saying.

"No more help," he said again, his voice hardening. "You don't get any help from us five again. Danny's made his opinion loud and clear, and I plan on following it. This school doesn't get any ghostly help. Not until every single human in this place gets down on their hands and knees and begs."

"Now Johnny," said a shocked Maddie. "Don't you think that's going a bit far?"

"No." Dani said, standing up. "If anything, he hasn't gone far enough. For the past year, we have been dumped on, resented and attacked. We have done nothing but help people since we got trapped here. Johnny's right. No more help from ghosts; humans are on their own."

"What are you saying Dani?" Valerie asked. "Remember, you're human too." The youngest Halfa rounded on her.

"I wish I wasn't." She snarled, surprising the humans. "Being human used to mean being kind, warm and compassionate. I had my doubts about the human race when Vlad first created me; I was suddenly in a world raged by war and famine and people killing others all over the place. But thanks to Danny, my faith in mankind was restored. Traveling the world, I also met people who were nice. But now, I hear this. Ghosts may like to torment and destroy a little bit, but we pale in comparison to humans. Danny was right; humans are the monsters." With that, she rocketed out of the room, followed closely by an equally angered Johnny, carrying a still stunned Kitty. Krystal had yet to make a sound, but after looking at the diary again, her soft features hardened and she too flew out of the room, leaving only Ember, who had managed to calm her hair down so it wasn't blazing as much. She began to float a few inches off the floor and faced the rest of the group.

"I told you Danny would be a force to be reckoned with. And only those three seem to fully comprehend what that means," she said, gesturing to Jazz, Sam and Tucker who had yet to say anything. "And you can bet that he will have the same opinion as Johnny, but that might not be enough. Even if everybody in this place apologises to him, short of getting rid of Paul, I don't think Baby-pop will be coming back anytime soon." With that, she flew off too, leaving seven ashamed and saddened humans in her wake. All seven were thinking along the same lines as each other.

What are we going to do now?

Once again, I hope you enjoyed this latest instalment and continue to read on. Should there be anything that you would particularly like to see happen, please feel free Review an idea or Private Message me. Until next time.

Lord Pugsy.