A/N: Well, since the previous chap received such positive reviews, I decided to start on the next one. Shadow Element 13 started this one for me so let the show begin!
Devlin walked into school sulking. The previous day he had told Danielle the truth about him being Fang.
Unfortunately it hadn't gone so well.
Flashback…
Both he and Danielle had gotten away from the scene when too many people came to check it out. They didn't need the unwanted attention or suspicion. Once people arrived, all they would find would be the large bat-shaped crater and a large hole in the building that led into the music room. Fangula had flown away to allow Devlin and Danielle some privacy.
He then told her the whole story when it all started several nights ago. She listened, silently, as he explained how Fangula granted him the armor, the power as well as telling her about the Fangires.
The first thing she asked him after he finished was, "Why didn't you tell me about this?" She didn't look all that happy. In fact, she looked downright disappointed that he hadn't trusted her with this secret. He frowned. He didn't like it whenever Danielle became upset. When that happened he would fund a way to cheer her up. Unfortunately, he couldn't find any other way accept by telling her the whole truth.
"Alright, for the record, Fangula told me not to," Devlin said, trying to justify his reasons. He then realized that he should've found a better excuse when he saw her frown deepen.
"You could've convinced him and talk to me anyways," Danielle said. "I mean, I'm your girlfriend! There's supposed to be trust between us!" She crossed her arms and turned away.
"Danielle, I…"
"Please, just go."
"But-"
"Just go!" Danielle said, "I'll talk to you tomorrow. I need time to think about all this."
…End Flashback
She had asked him to leave, telling him that she needed time to accept all this new information. He had gone home and argued with Fangula, blaming him for this but then they both had run out of things to say and come to an understanding. It still didn't fix things between him and Danielle, however.
It was now the next day and he was wondering whether or not she was ready to talk to him. He was slightly surprised to see a large group of students gathered around a small section of lockers. He saw several girls holding fashion magazines and several guys with dazed looks on their faces, like they had just seen an angel. Not paying attention, he accidentally bumped into someone. He stepped back slightly and looked at the person he bumped into. He had stringy white hair that went down to his shoulders, parting in front of his face. He wore a black shirt and jeans, covered by a long black trench coat. "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention," Devlin apologized.
"…" the man stayed quiet. He turned and looked at Devlin. His eyes were a dark blue, like the night sky. "You need not apologize," he said in an empty voice. He then turned and walked away as if nothing had happened. Devlin blinked. He knew nearly everyone in the school but this guy…he seemed new. White hair wasn't exactly normal unless you had it dyed or were a ghost.
Devlin met Danielle at her locker. She seemed fine but looks were often deceiving. His frown deepened slightly when he saw that Danny was with her as well. He couldn't handle any criticism from Danny now. He just hoped Danielle hadn't told him, which was actually quite a gamble seeing as the two of them were so close. Danny saw him and whispered something to Danielle. Devlin didn't try to eavesdrop, allowing them privacy before Danny walked away. Devlin then approached Danielle.
"Good morning," Devlin greeted.
"Hey," Danielle responded, her voice monotone. Devlin cringed. That sounded something he would hear from his brother.
"You're looking fine this morning," he said. Danielle didn't respond with a smile.
"I didn't tell anyone if that's what you're asking," Danielle said. She then asked, "Where's Fangy?"
"I left him at home," Devlin said and then reached into his pocket to pull out a red elaborately designed whistle. "He did give me this though. He said it could call him when needed."
"That's nice."
Awkward silence.
"So, what now?" Devlin asked, hesitantly.
Danielle looked him in the eye, "You lied to me, Devlin. You kept secrets from me." She narrowed her eyes, causing him to gulp. "I thought we promised each other to have no secrets between us."
Devlin wanted to tell her again that it had been Fangula's idea but kept his mouth shut. That excuse wasn't going to work. He couldn't blame it wholly on the vampire. He had partly agreed to it.
"I need to know why you did it, in your own words," Danielle said, wanting to know the truth from him. "Please."
Devlin looked down to the floor. He tried to think of an answer.
"Thought so," Danielle sighed. "I'll see you in class." She then walked off.
Devlin leaned against the lockers, sighing depressingly. His relationship with Danielle was probably over by now. Why did he have to agree to keep his identity as Masked Rider Fang a secret from her?
"Hey, are you alright?" he heard a gentle female voice with a British accent ask him, filled with concern. He looked up to see who'd asked him. It was a girl about his age or close to it with short blonde hair and deep blue eyes and was very attractive, physically. She was wearing a tight red t-shirt and a black pleated skirt. She looked a little stunned when she saw his face and blushed a little.
"I'm fine," he said as he stood up straight. He didn't need anything from his locker since he had what he needed for his first class in his bag. He didn't feel like talking with anyone at the moment so he turned to leave.
"Um…I sorta need some help," she said. "Um…Can you tell me how to get to my first class?" He turned to look at her. He couldn't refuse a request like that from a lady. It would be ungentlemanly.
"May I see your schedule?" he said. The girl nodded and reached into the front pocket of her backpack and pulled it out. He scanned it. "Well, that's convenient," he said. "You have the same homeroom as mine."
"Really?" the girl beamed. "That's great!"
"You might as well come with me," Devlin said. "I'm Devlin Amakusa," he introduced himself.
"Seras McDowell," the girl said, extending a hand. He took it and gave it a shake. The girl smiled.
Danielle was already in her seat but Devlin hadn't arrived yet. Luckily, Lancer was running late too so that if he did arrive late, which was doubtful since he was always punctual, he wouldn't get a detention slip.
Danielle didn't tell Danny about Devlin being Fang but she did tell him that Marla had been one of those monsters and that Fang had saved her. When he asked her if he knew who Fang really was, she shook her head. She hated lying to her brother but she had promised Devlin.
She hated having secrets between the two of them and he was almost always honest with her. He did tell her that keeping secrets was like second nature to members of his family. They were a family of paranormal creatures one would never have thought existed. With that in mind, Danielle admitted that she might have been a little hasty, but she was justified since Devlin had been keeping such an important secret for so long without even hinting that he might tell her. She had met his parents and siblings and they all approved of her relationship with Devlin.
Devlin, from what she could tell, was very different in contrast to the rest of his family. He wasn't cold like his brother and father or overly energetic and cheery like his mother and sister. It was like he was a bit of both. Maybe it was because he was the youngest.
Out of the corner of her eye, Danielle could spy her rival, Claire Brewster, gossiping with her posse. Claire was a pretty girl with tanned skin and stylish blonde hair which bounced whenever she walked. Her eyes were a beautiful blue color. She was also filthy rich and made sure everyone knew it. Her looks and wealth won her a seat at the Popular Table and the A-List. Claire was also a spoiled brat who insulted and was condescending towards those beneath her and Danielle was one of them. Danielle disliked her since day one and Devlin shared the same sentiment. Claire was also after Devlin, which was pretty obvious as she had made several after-school appointments with him to fix her makeup. He couldn't refuse and she did pay well. Luckily for Danielle, Devlin didn't like Claire either. She giggled in amusement once she remembered the few pranks Devlin had played on Claire using his potions.
The door opened and Devlin smiled when she saw Devlin enter. That smile turned into a frown when she saw him chatting with another girl. When the girl entered, the entire class fell silent.
Claire broke that silence, "OH MY GOD! IT'S SERAS McDOWELL!!" Nearly everyone crowded around them, with an exception of Danielle who was frowning and glaring at the new girl with glowing green eyes.
"Explain?" Devlin asked as he was surrounded along with Seras.
"I'm actually a teen model," Seras said, chuckling slightly. She pointed at her picture on the cover of the magazine Claire had in her hand.
"Ah, I see," Devlin nodded. He had been wondering why she seemed so familiar.
"Sign my magazine!"
"Go out with me!"
"Wanna be best friends?"
A lot of those offers were being screamed out. Devlin didn't like it and he couldn't really use his powers or potions, could he?
Danielle, without anyone noticing, managed to slip out of her seat and turn invisible and intangible, flying through the wall and out into the hallway. She found the fire alarm and then promptly flipped the switch.
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!
With the bell ringing, the students instantly began flooding into the halls and out the front doors. As they all got outside, Devlin took a point underneath one of the trees in the yard.
"What's the trouble, bubble?" asked a female voice.
Devlin looked up and found himself looking at Seras. She seemed calm about what she had just gone through. She must have been used to being mobbed by fans.
"Personal problems," Devlin replied. He didn't think talking about his problems with Danielle would be appropriate with someone he just met.
"Ah, girlfriend then," Seras nodded with a smile.
Devlin blinked and turned to the new girl. Was she psychic or something? Devlin forced himself to calm down before responding, "And how would you know about that?"
"Your expression," Seras answered. "Only a guy with girlfriend problems could look as down as you." She then sat down with him. "Want to talk about it?"
"Not really," Devlin sighed, fixing his glasses. "Long story short: we had a fight."
"Ah, say no more," Seras nodded in understanding. She then saw someone and called, "Tamashii! Over here!" Devlin followed her gaze and saw the same white haired youth he'd bumped into. Devlin blinked slightly. Seras knew this guy.
"Hey, Seras," Tamashii said as he walked over, his voice empty even when addressing a friend. He took notice of Devlin. "Who's your new friend?"
"This is Devlin," Seras said, smiling cheerfully.
"Hello," Tamashii greeted.
"Same to you," Devlin nodded. He stood up and shook hands with Tamashii. For some reason, Tamashii seemed strangely familiar to him.
Back with Danielle, she was watching this from afar with Tucker, Sam and Danny. Tucker seemed impressed and said, "Wow, he's sitting with Seras Mc Dowell! That lucky dog!" Danielle glared at him with her teeth gritted. He gulped.
"Who does that girl think she is?" Danielle growled. She maybe mad at Devlin, but it didn't mean they were going to break up. Breaking up…that thought scared her. She loved Devlin, she knew that and he knew that. She was just upset since he was keeping secrets from her.
"Danielle, calm down," Danny said. Seeing Danielle's look of complete jealousy reminded him of when he'd been jealous of another kid named Gregor. Fortunately, Sam didn't but into Gregor's fake Goth routine and it was revealed he was really named Elliot and was from Michigan. Danny knew that jealousy made people do crazy things like purposely turning on the fire alarm as a prank. It didn't take a genius to know that Danielle was the one who did it.
"Why are you mad at him anyway?" Sam asked. Danny, herself, and Tucker were all still in the dark about Devlin's true identity as Fang. Danielle did promise herself that she would keep it a secret. She knew he had a good reason. She just wanted for him to tell her what it was.
"Just a small disagreement," Danielle said, lying a little. "It's nothing, really."
"If it's nothing, then why are you still mad at him?"
Danielle remained silent. She watched as Devlin and Seras talked and felt a pain in her heart. Was this what she wanted?
Principal Ishiyama then walked out with a megaphone, calling out the students' attention. "It was a false alarm! Apparently someone thought it'd be funny to pull the fire alarm!" Danielle looked nervous. "Well, this student will face dire consequences when we find out who it is. Now, return to your classes." The students all groaned as they all went back into the building.
Devlin again was crammed between the students as he walked back into the school. While he was walking, he spied Danielle among the numerous people. Deciding that it would be rude to say nothing after what she did, he slipped through the crowds towards her.
Danielle gasped when she felt someone's hand on her shoulder, but the warmth her heart radiated at the touch was enough to tell her who it was. It was all she could do not to shiver when he felt Devlin's breath on her ear.
"Thank you," Devlin whispered in her ear. "I owe you one."
"You sure do," Danielle nodded. She turned to gaze at Devlin with half-lidded eyes. "Make sure you're ready to collect to."
Devlin was a little taken back by her words, but it did give him hope. If Danielle was willing to accept thanks and acknowledge favors, then he might be on the road to forgiveness already.
Danny passed by Devlin and gave the young dhampir a death glare, angry because of what he was putting Danielle through. He continued walking and passed Tamashii. As he passed the white haired youth, his ghost sense went off. He looked around, waiting for one of his many enemies, or the Box Ghost, to jump out, but nothing happened. He cast a glance over to Tamashii; did he set off the ghost sense?
After several classes, lunch period soon came. Danielle was sitting at one of the outside tables, waiting for Devlin. It was really a very beautiful day to eat outside. Up until now, Danielle and Devlin hadn't gotten the chance to talk, even in between classes. He was busy showing Seras around the school and helping her to fit in. Honestly, what did Devlin see in that girl?
"You seem jealous, my dear," Danielle heard a voice and gasped. She looked around for the source. "Down here." She peaked under the table to see Fangula, hanging upside down by digging his clawed feet into the underside of the table.
"Fangula, what are you doing here?" she whispered.
"Well, to be honest, I wished to apologize on Devlin's behalf," Fangula said. "It was true when he said that it was my idea that he should keep this a secret."
"Even from me?" Danielle asked, receiving a nod from Fangula. "Why?"
"Well, it's because you and your brother are both more used to handling ghosts. Fangires are different."
"Devlin told me that Fangires are like vampires," Danielle said, remembering the conversation from yesterday. "Are they?"
"More or less," Fangula confirmed, although vaguely. "Like vampires they feed on humans only they drain all of the victim's life energy."
"Why?" Danielle asked.
"It allows them to assume human form so that they can blend in. Fangires are not like regular vampires since they can also walk in the day," Fangula explained.
"How did Devlin get roped into this?" Danielle asked.
"You should ask him yourself," Fangula said. "He's coming right over." Danielle blinked and sat up properly to see Devlin walking over holding his lunch tray…with Seras! They were talking and laughing! Danielle gritted her teeth and squeezed her fork. Her teeth were grinding back and forth. She could hear what they were laughing about.
"No way!" Seras giggled. She didn't even notice all the eyes on her and Devlin. "You actually dyed his hair purple? How?"
"It's a secret," Devlin winked. They then sat down at the table. "Good afternoon, Danielle," he greeted, tipping his hat.
"Hey," Danielle grumbled. Devlin blinked. She was okay before. What was wrong now?
"Oh, you're Danielle," Seras realized. "Devlin here has told me a lot about you."
Danielle blinked. "He…has?" She looked at the boy who shrugged.
"Oh, he simply couldn't stop talking about his girlfriend," Seras smiled. "I have to agree that Dev here is one handsome catch." Devlin blushed at the compliment. "And word in the school is that Devlin here is one of the best makeup artists."
"He's not just one of the best, he's at the top of the class," spoke a voice Danielle didn't want to hear as Claire and her posse walked over. The spoiled girl winked at Devlin who shivered in disgust. "Hey, Devvy."
"Hello to you too, Claire," Devlin said, trying not to look too unfriendly. He didn't like Claire much. He just tolerated her since she was one of his clients. "You wish for another appointment?"
"Oh, thanks for asking, but not today," Claire said as she looked at Seras. "Why don't you two sit with us at the A-List table? There's enough room there."
Seras shook her head, smiling, "Um…no thanks." Claire blinked.
"Huh?"
"I think I'd rather sit here with Dev and Danielle," Seras said. "Thanks for asking though."
Claire huffed and turned away with her posse following. Seras blinked.
"What's her problem?" Seras asked Danielle.
"Oh, she's just a spoiled rich brat who thinks everyone should bow down to her," Danielle summarized.
"And, unfortunately, she's one of my clients," Devlin frowned. "So, tell us, what is a teen model like you doing here in Amity Park?"
"Oh, just needed a change of scenery," Seras said. "With all the ghosts sighting it seems like an exciting town."
"Normal people would steer away from here," Danielle commented.
"Well then I'm not normal, luv," Seras giggled. "And I want to catch a glimpse of Danny Phantom." Both Danielle and Devlin shared knowing smiles. "He's a hero! I mean, he's totally awesome!"
"I don't know about that," Devlin shrugged. "He's heroic, I guess."
"And he is a hero," Danielle said, "And someone this town can count on, well most of them at least."
"Well, all I can say that Danny Phantom would make my stay here an interesting one," Seras said as she raised her cup. "Cheers!"
Devlin and Danielle raised their own cups so they could tap them together and make a toast, "Cheers!"
Tamashii sat alone under a tree, far from the others. Unfortunately, it wasn't far enough as Dash and his group decided to "initiate" the new kid… Poor Dash.
There were several flashes in the studio. Likewise there were the sounds of people talking which alerted anyone who was there that they weren't alone. In the main room, there was a woman who was strikingly beautiful sitting on a stool in provocative clothing. She was beautiful and had a large smile on her face which revealed sparkling white teeth. Obviously, she was a person who took great pride in how she looked.
The flashes were coming from a camera where the photographer was capturing her image on film. He had short brown hair which was expertly groomed. He was wearing a white shirt with a black vest and black pants. The camera he was holding was very professional looking as he snapped picture after picture of the woman in front of him.
"My dear, you a definitely model material," the man laughed.
"You think so?" asked the woman as she continued to smile. "I always wanted to be one."
"You're a shoe in," the man replied, sounding friendly. "When you're in one of my photographs, you're as good as immortalized."
"Oh yay!" the woman cheered.
The photographer continued to take pictures. As he did so, the woman found it increasingly harder to see since the flashes were making sparkles appear in front of her eyes. As more flashes appeared, she could have sworn that she could see the photographer's body beginning to change. She couldn't tell because of her sight being wonky. As she was about to try and tell him to stop for a moment, she felt two punctures dig into her back.
Then…she fell into the dark void.
Devlin, Seras, and Danielle looked up when they began to hear people chanting "Fight, fight, fight!" The three looked at each other and decided to check it out. 'I really hope it isn't who I think it is,' thought Seras worriedly. The trio arrived to see a large group of students circling around Dash and… "Tamashii?" said Seras, confused.
Dash circled Tamashii, who simply stood there, completely calm. Dash threw a punch at Tamashii who easily dodged the punch. Despite the chanting, it wasn't much of a fight. Dash would attack Tamashii, who would easily dodge, making Dash loom like a fool. Dash, becoming irritated, threw another punch at Tamashii, but Tamashii dodged and used his momentum to trip Dash backwards. Dash ended up landing face up on the ground, looking at Tamashii. Tamashii was looking down at Dash, and the jock gulped. Tamashii's eyes looked even darker down, and his pupils were narrowed, giving his eyes an animalistic look. Dash looked like he was about to wet his pants. Suddenly, someone poured a bottle of all over Tamashii's head. Tamashii turned around and saw who had done it. He had short white hair and dark brown eyes. He was wearing a white shirt under a brown sports jacket and black slacks.
"Oh, no," groaned Seras.
"You know him?" asked Devlin.
"Unfortunately," answered Seras.
"Jeez man, we gotta cool down that fire before you burn down the whole school," said the man.
"Bunshichi…" muttered Tamashii.
Devlin blinked. Bunshichi had white hair too. Quite an interesting bunch of people had come to Casper High. It reminded him of the people his brother and sister would collect as friends and allies. With Valerie, Ryan and Ember gone, Team Phantom needed new members. Of course, Devlin wouldn't really consider himself an official member. He would rather hang himself before considering himself a member of Danny's team and taking orders from him. And, besides, he simply couldn't trust his secrets with just about anyone, could he?
Tamashii looked down on Dash and kneeled down. He placed a finger directly between Dash's eyes to not only intimidate the bully but also keep him down. Tamashii warned, "Listen good, Dashy…if you wanna live a whole lot longer you better stop this bullying gig, because honestly you can go too far and make someone snap and shoot people with a sniper gun." He then stood up and walked away from the crowd.
Bunshichi chuckled as he said to the crowd, "Alright, people, nothing more to see here. The fight is over!" The crowd dispersed and Dash's teammates helped him up. Dash cast Tamashii's back a glare but then gulped when Tamashii turned around and glared back. Tamashii then went back to his tree to take a nap.
Bunshichi then noticed that Seras was among the crowd and went over to greet her, "Hey, Seras!" He grinned and then saw both Danielle and Devlin. "Who're your new friends?"
"Devlin and Danielle," Seras introduced. "Dev, Danielle, this is my comedic friend Bunshichi Tawara."
Bunshichi waved his hand around and bowed, "It's a pleasure to meet the both of you." Danielle giggled at the gentlemanly bow while Devlin just quirked an eyebrow. Standing up straight, Bunshichi said, "Well, I better get back to my lunch." He patted his stomach for emphasis. "Need my fuel!" He then turned and walked over to another table where his lunch tray was sitting. Fortunately, it hadn't been touched.
Seras then smiled at Devlin, which irked Danielle slightly. This girl claimed that she just wanted to be friends, but did she have to smile at her boyfriend like that. "So, Devlin, you got time for another appointment?"
Checking his PDA, Devlin nodded, "Well, fortunately for today I have no appointments." He asked Seras, "Why?"
"Well, I got a photo shoot later at 5, and I want you to do my makeup." Seras dug into her pocket and gave him a card. "The address is right there and so is my number underneath." Devlin flipped it over to see Seras' phone number. "Gimme a call, OK?"
Devlin slipped the card into his pocket and tipped his newsboy cap, "Luv, I think you can say I am officially hired as your makeup artist." Danielle gasped.
"But, Devlin-!" Danielle began to protest.
"Oh, you can come too!" Seras said with a giggle. "I don't mind!" She then waved her fingers at them, "Well, ta-ta!" She walked over towards Tamashii. Maybe she wanted to scold him for getting into a fight.
Danielle watched her go with the worm of worry still wriggling in her gut. She turned to Devlin who had his usual neutral gaze on his face.
"She seems friendly with you," the halfa girl commented coolly.
"No more than anyone else." Devlin shrugged. He could sense the worry in her voice. He decided to nip this in the bud before it got out of hand.
"Are you going to accept the job?" Danielle pressed.
"A job is a job," Devlin answered. "Besides, this would be good for a portfolio if I wanted to turn professional." He turned to look at who he hoped was still his girlfriend. "And what about you? Are you going to be at her shoot?"
"Definitely!" Danielle nodded sharply. Someone had to make sure that Seras didn't try anything with HER man. Devlin would be faithful, but other girls could sink pretty low if they wanted a guy like him. "I've never been to a real photo shoot before."
Devlin nodded. This would be his first professional job. He was used to having appointments for his fellow students or even some older women who had heard of his talent and was in need of getting ready for a date. This would be the first time his work would be viewed by industry professionals.
"Good, then you can be my assistant like always," Devlin said. He then said, "And, Danielle, I'm really sorry about keeping secrets from you. I promise not to do it again." Danielle then kissed him on the cheek, earning a smile from him. She smiled back.
"Good, I'll hold you to that promise," Danielle said as the bell rang. "We should get going or we'll be late."
"After school I should stock up on my supplies," Devlin said. If this was going to be his first professional job for the resume he was preparing, he might as well go and get the high-grade stuff. That stuff didn't come cheap but Devlin could afford it. Being from a rich family had its perks.
Meanwhile, Tamashii was talking with Seras. He told her, "You know what you have to do?"
Seras nodded, "Draw him out and finish him off."
Tamashii sighed, "And call for backup. You're not ready to go solo."
"Oh, don't worry," Seras smiled. "I won't be alone."
Topper admired the mansion and smiled. "Hm…a bit of a mess but I don't think it would be too difficult to mend for the lord." Fangula flew over and landed on his shoulder. "Ah, My Lord. I was just talking about you."
"Well, about this whole 'Lord' stuff," Fangula said, reluctantly, "You won't be solely serving me."
"Your partner," Topper guessed.
"He's your master now too, Top Hat," Fangula confirmed, "You better tell this to the others as well."
"I don't think Lobo would appreciate it," Topper sighed, "Gillian and Francis may be open to the idea, but Lobo is…"
"Give me 10 minutes with him and everything will be fine. In the meantime this place needs to look presentable as my…our new home."
"Won't take more than a week," Topper said. "Did you…?"
"Made a few phone calls and the payment is one the way," Fangula said. "I need you to be my face when you talk to those construction workers."
Topper nodded and then snapped his fingers. A cup of tea appeared in his hand before he took a sip. "My Lord, consider this task done."
The final bell rang, letting the students out. Danielle came out with her brother and his friends.
"You're going to a photo shoot?" Danny asked Danielle. "A real photo shoot?"
"Yeah!" Danielle grinned. "Seras invited me."
"And hired Devlin to do her makeup," Tucker pointed out, smiling. "Man, he's one lucky dude!" Tucker was one of the males in the school who wanted to spend time with Seras. That girl was fine!
"So, where's Devlin anyway?" Danny asked.
"Oh, he had this one appointment," Danielle said. "He told me he'd meet me out here in a few minutes."
Danny frowned. As much as he knew Devlin loved his sister, it still worried him that Devlin may turn out to be unfaithful. He really didn't seem to trust the youngest Amakusa sibling around Danielle. Maybe it was because he was being overprotective or something.
"Thought you were mad at him," Danny said.
"We were able to smooth things out," Danielle said. "He apologized too and promised he'd never do it again and you know how he keeps his promises."
"I do, unfortunately," Danny said, remembering when Devlin would promise to get him back for a prank and he did. Trying to get the purple dye out hadn't been easy.
Shortly afterwards, Devlin walked out of the school, carrying his makeup case and violin case, along with his backpack on. Danielle walked over and said, "That was quick."
"Comes with the practice," Devlin said as Danielle took the makeup case. "Now, we're off."
"Where are you two going?" Danny said. Danielle had told him the photo shoot was at 5. This was too early.
"Oh, just stocking up on my supplies," Devlin said. "I'm running out you see." He then waved, "Ciao!"
"See you later, Danny!" Danielle smiled as Devlin slung his arm around her shoulders. "Tell mom and dad I might be home late."
"Just remember to call!" Danny said as the couple walked away. He was about to slip away when Sam grabbed his arm. "What?"
"Oh, no, you're not spying on them this time, Danny!" Sam scolded. "You promised me that you'll come to my poetry recital with me, today."
"Oh…" Danny paled, realizing that he'd almost forgotten his plans. "Um…can we…?"
"And no rain checks!" Sam snapped. "Now, let's go!" She dragged him along and Danny knew that he shouldn't try and slip away. He wouldn't be able to handle Sam's wrath, ghost powers or not.
Tucker stood alone, "Hey, what am I supposed to do for the rest of the day?"
The photo shoot itself was being held inside a studio that Seras' manager had set up. He was busy chatting on the phone while numerous other hands were busy setting up a library scene.
"Woah," Danielle blinked as she entered along with Devlin. She was holding his violin case for him. "This is what happens at a photo shoot?"
"Yep," a new voice confirmed. "The actual shoot itself can be a lot longer."
Both Devlin and Danielle turned around to see Seras standing behind them with a smile on her face. She was wearing some kind of school uniform, but it seemed a little more for catching attention rather than being a standard uniform, especially with the short skirt that showed off her legs.
"Hello, Seras," Devlin nodded. "I see we're on time."
"Early even," Seras nodded. She then smiled at Danielle. "Nice to see you again, Danielle."
"Likewise," Danielle nodded. She then took in Seras' uniform. "So what kind of shoot is this anyway?"
"Oh," Seras nodded as she looked down at her clothes. "Just some clothes shots. I'll be changing clothes a lot. This is just for the beginning."
"Well, I guess now should be the time for me to do your makeup, right?' Devlin said, raising his makeup case. "We just got a fresh supply today and I was hoping to try them on you."
"OK!" Seras chirped.
"But…I may need to ask you a few questions, at least concerning skin allergies," Devlin said. He didn't want to damage her skin if his makeup caused any sort of allergic reaction and/or side effect. It would ruin his reputation and future career.
Seras shook her head and calmly said, "I don't have any skin allergies."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive."
That put Devlin's mind at ease. "Alright, so let's head to the dressing room. Danielle, you wanna come along?"
Danielle didn't want to miss out on this. She wanted so much to see what a real dressing room at a photo shoot looked like. "Sure!" This also gave her the chance to keep an eye on Seras. She didn't exactly trust the teen model around Devlin. She didn't want to leave him alone with her.
In the dressing room, Devlin and Danielle could see a simple vanity mirror with light bulbs equipped around it as well as a small stool. Devlin knew this was going to be one of his most important jobs and instructed for Seras to sit down. However, they were interrupted before he could start.
"Who are these people?" the man asked. He had short brown hair which was expertly groomed. He was wearing a white shirt with a black vest and black pants. The camera he was holding was very professional looking and not to mention expensive. It wasn't exactly Smart Brain but Devlin had to admit that it was almost as good. "I should call for security!"
"Eddie!" Seras snapped. "These are my friends and Devlin here," she gestured towards Devlin, "Is doing my makeup."
"But, Ms. McDowell, we already have a professional makeup artist prepared for you," 'Eddie' stated as he gave Devlin a look. "You don't need an amateur."
Devlin seemed to take offence to being called an amateur, "Mister…"
"Sherman!" Eddie snapped.
"Yes, Mister Sherman," Devlin hissed. "I am not exactly what you would call an amateur."
"If I haven't heard of you, then you are."
"Well, here's my resume then," Devlin said as he pulled out a sheet of paper. "And tell me again if I'm not good enough."
Eddie glanced at the paper and his eyes widened. He asked, "You worked for Emiko Narukawa Hasuma?"
"Well, yes," Devlin smirked. "It was at one of her shows. You see, she's a friend of my parents' and since she knew of my talent she decided to hire me for the day."
Eddie frowned. "Very well, just don't mess it up!" He tossed the resume back at Devlin who caught it. Eddie then turned around and walked away.
"What a jerk," Danielle frowned.
"Oh, he's always like that, or so I've heard," Seras said. "High strung and all that."
"Not to mention snobbish," Devlin added in his own two cents. He then smiled at Seras. "So…shall we?"
Seras sat down and closed her eyes. "Surprise me then."
Both Devlin and Danielle got to work, with Devlin applying the makeup and Danielle giving him what he needed when instructed.
Topper smirked as he tipped his hat to the construction foreman that he had been negotiating with. His talent for making deals was still as sharp as ever. Once he was far enough away, he lifted his hat slightly, allowing Fangula to fly out so he could flap next to his friend.
"A true artist," Fangula laughed. "Your talent amazes me."
"You flatter me, My Lord," Topper smiled. "Still, sometimes I surprise myself with my own abilities."
"You and your ego," Fangula sighed. He then took a slight moment of silence before he turned back to Topper. "So, about my debt…"
"Eager are we?" Topper smiled. He slipped his hand inside his hat and pulled out a scroll. He took a moment to unroll it before checking it. It was written in red ink with numerous names and numbers. Most of them were names of people and the numbers what they owed. "Let me see."
Fangula flapped impatiently as he waited for the supernatural being to finish his reading. It was something that annoyed the metal bat to no end, but he learnt to deal with it over the years. Topper was a professional and knew what he was doing.
"Here we are," Topper smiled. His eyes were trained on Fangula's name. It was like he was seeing something beyond the words. "Well, it has taken you some time to get started, but you're finally beginning to pay off what you owe. Still, you still need ninety-seven more before you're all paid up. I still have yet to receive those three though."
"I've been trying to find them," Fangula sighed. "But the boy has placed them somewhere and won't tell me where. I have them though!"
"Which is why I added them to your payment," Topper nodded. "I'm not completely heartless after all. Now soulless, that's something else entirely."
"Undoubtedly," Fangula nodded, "Especially since you were the one who sold that spell used to seal me to those warlocks."
"They could pay the price," Topper shrugged. "You know I'm not fond of servicing heroes, but one needs gold. Even in hell these days. Besides, it's not as if you're trapped. There's tons of leeway for you."
"I do prefer to have my old body back, Top Hat," Fangula hissed, annoyed. "There's so much I wish to do!"
"Patience is a virtue, My Lord," Topper said.
"Since when have you ever been virtuous?"
"Touché."
Devlin and Danielle stood and watched the photo shoot go underway. Despite being a total jerk, Eddie sure knew what he was doing. His camera flashed as Seras posed in the clothes she was instructed to wear. Currently it was a beautiful evening dress that Danielle could picture herself in. Devlin could sense what she was feeling. It was a bit of envy and a bit of amazement at seeing Seras doing her job. She did earn her title as one of the top teen models in the world.
"Okay, that's a wrap, people," Eddie said. "We'll do more shots tomorrow." The other members of the crew started to pack up. "Oh, and Seras, can you stay for a moment?"
"OK, Eddie," Seras smiled and said to Devlin and Danielle. "You guys mind waiting outside for a few minutes." Eddie seemed to frown at that, which Devlin noticed for just a second. Something felt really off about that photographer.
"Sure, no problem," Devlin said as he picked up his things and led Danielle outside. The door closed behind them, leaving Seras and Eddie alone in the studio.
"You are simply amazing, Seras," Eddie complimented. "Your beauty is simply breathtaking."
Seras blushed at the praise. "Oh, thanks!"
"It was good that I was able to immortalize your beauty on film," Eddie said, smiling as he held his camera. "You'll be forever remembered."
"Is that all?" Seras said. "My friends are kinda waiting for me."
Eddie grabbed her hand. "Why the rush? I was hoping to have you for dinner." Eddie's eyes glowed.
Seras' eyes widened as she watched Eddie's body change into a blue humanoid resembling a horse with sharp fangs in its jaws. She muttered, "Can't be…"
"Cheers," the Horse Fangire said as he prepared to feed.
Outside, Devlin and Danielle could hear gunshots coming from inside the studio. They knew trouble when they heard it.
"Go and see if she's alright!" Devlin said to Danielle who then changed into her Ghost Mode, Danni Phantom, before she phased through the wall. Devlin dug into his pocket and took out the whistle Fangula had given him. "Let's hope you work…" He then placed it to his lips and blew.
As Fangula and Topper were conversing, the sealed vampire froze as his eyes widened. Topper could tell what was going on.
"The boy's calling you," Topper said.
"It seems like it," Fangula nodded. "I have to go. See you later!" Fangula then flew away towards the source of the whistling he'd heard. It was silent to most creatures but not to him. His hearing could pick up on the frequency.
"Well, it looks like another may be added," Topper said as he looked at the scroll again.
The Fangire stumbled backwards as a smoking bullet was lodged in his chest. He whinnied and hissed at his would-be victim. "Who are you, you bitch?" he demanded.
Seras stood, holding a Glock 18C pistol aimed right at the Fangire. She then said, eyes narrowed and determined, "Someone who feels that your kind should be eradicated." She then recited her group's motto. "God has erred by letting monsters like you roam free. I shall rectify it!" She pulled the trigger and fired her bullets at the Fangire who leapt over them. Seras gasped as she attempted to shoot but he kicked her hard in the chest with his hoof-like feet, causing her to drop her gun. He then grabbed her throat and pinned her against the wall.
"This would've been painless, but now I should make it as painful as possible," the Horse Fangire said before letting his jaws open wide.
Suddenly, a green blast of energy smashed into him, sending him crashing into another wall. Seras blinked when she saw Danni Phantom, shimmering into visibility. "Phantom?" Phantom was a girl?
"Well, sorta," Danni said as she floated over to Seras. "I'm related to him. You can say we're like siblings."
"Oh, well thanks for the help," Seras said as she picked her gun up. "Now it's time we finish this."
Danni cast a look at the closed door. She was hoping that Devlin would come in and help.
"Good, you're finally here," Devlin said as he saw Fangula flying towards him. "Where were you?"
"I had some business to attend to," Fangula said before Devlin grabbed him after rolling up his sleeve.
"Well, we have business here too," Devlin said before pressing Fangula against his exposed forearm. Fangula bit down and once again Devlin felt the rush of power as the markings of his Orphenoch form appeared on his skin. The ghostly chains wrapped around his waist, materializing into a blood red belt. He then spoke out the command that he'd heard being used by some people he knew.
"Henshin!" he called out before attaching Fangula to the belt, upside down, as Fangula grabbed onto the perch in front and hanged onto it.
"Wake Up!" both of them called out as the chains wrapped around them like a steel cocoon before swelling up shattering like glass. The change now complete, Fang then rushed towards the door and slammed his shoulder into it.
As the Fangire was making its move towards the two females, the door suddenly flew open as Fang dashed into the room, grabbing the Fangire and dragging him towards the window before they both fell through it, shattering the glass.
Seras exclaimed, "Who the heck was that!?"
Danni smiled and said, "A friend."
The Fangire and Rider both landed on the streets below before the Rider threw a punch that sent the Fangire slamming into a wall. The Horse Fangire glared at Fang and asked, angrily, "Who are you!?" He received no answer as Fang stared back silently. Annoyed, the Fangire charged but Fang was quick and leapt onto a nearby car's roof before jumping onto the Fangire to throw a punch. The Fangire dodged and charged but Fang grabbed the Fangire's shoulders and kneed the Fangire in the stomach, twice, before throwing him over his own shoulders as he fell backwards. Fang then got back to his feet and threw another punch only for the Fangire to sidestep and move behind him before grabbing him under his arms. The Fangire then ran towards a car with Fang to smash him against it but Fang diverged from the path towards a nearby loading ramp.
With a simple flip, Fang flipped over the Fangire and hooked his legs on a steel bar hanging over the ramp. The dhampir was now upside-down and facing the surprised Fangire. Fang used this to his advantage as he laid several punches to his opponent's face. The Horse Fangire stumbled backwards as Fang leaped off his perch and back to the ground.
Fang dashed forward and lay a kick into the Horse Fangire's throat. The unholy creature choked on air as he stumbled back further, letting himself press against the wall of the studio.
"Here's your chance!" Fangula cried from his position.
"Right," Fang nodded as he walked towards the stunned Fangire.
Seras and Danni ran into the open air before landing their gazes on the battle. Danni could barely hold in her cheer for Devlin. Now that they were over the fact he kept it a secret, she wanted to cheer for him. Seras on the other hand was gob-smacked. She knew about Fangires, but they were way beyond human strengths. Now the Fangire that was about to kill her was struggling to breathe and was leaning against a wall.
"Who is this guy?" Seras whispered in shock.
"Release the Chains!" Fang called, letting the enchanted chains that kept his right leg armor closed loosen. The sky darkened.
Fang kicked into the air, shattering the chains and letting the red wings of his armored boot unfold. He then leaped high up into the air before twisting and aiming directly at the recovering Fangire.
"DARK MOON BREAK!!" Fang roared as he shot down at the Fangire like a bullet.
He impacted against the Fangire with enough force to create a bat-shaped crater in the wall the Fangire had been leaning against. The Fangire roared in pain as Fang's symbol was engraved in his chest. Cracks slowly began to creep all over his body. There was a flash of light before the Fangire's body shattered, releasing the soul inside. As soon as that happened, the sky turned back to normal.
"No!" Seras cried as she watched the soul begin to make a break for freedom. Danni instantly turned her attention to her in confusion. Did she know about a Fangire's soul?
Fangula was quick to react. He leaped off of Fang's belt and flapped towards the escaping soul. Fangula was faster as he chomped the soul and took it into himself. He flapped over to Fang before spitting the new stone into his hand.
"Another one for the collection!" Fangula cheered. Fang nodded in acknowledgement before turning around and walking away.
"Hey, wait!" Seras shouted out at Fang. Fang didn't stop walking as he turned a corner. Seras quickly took out a small digital camera and took a quick snapshot of Fang. Her friends would definitely want to hear about this. She then turned to look at Danni Phantom, hoping to get a picture of her too. Unfortunately, the female halfa had vanished too. Seras frowned but then looked at the camera in her hand. "Gotta tell Tamashii and the others."
"Seras!" Seras heard someone call and turned to her left to see Devlin and Danielle running towards her. She smiled and shouted to them.
"Hey, guys!" Seras waved.
"Are you okay?" Danielle asked. "I mean, we heard a gunshot but when we checked it out you were gone."
"Oh, I'm just fine," Seras grinned. Her tummy rumbled and she blushed. "So, are you guys hungry?"
Seras, Devlin and Danielle stood outside of a building. "Café Mal d'Amour? I saw this building before. You work here?" Devlin asked.
"Yep," Seras answered. "Doing an average day's work helps give my life at least some feeling of normalcy," answered Seras as she opened the door. "We just opened today but we haven't gotten any new customers yet." The three teens walked into the café and saw some interesting things. One, there were only four other people there. Two, Bunshichi was there, asleep in one of the booths. Three, there was a couple sitting at another booth making out. And finally, Tamashii was sitting on the stage, strumming a guitar.
Tamashii looked up as Seras, Devlin and Danielle walked in. He placed his guitar on the ground and stood up. "Hey, Seras," said Tamashii. The couple that was making out stopped and looked at the three teens.
"Having fun, Chiaki?" asked Seras with a slight smirk. The girl blushed and straitened out her shirt. She had short brown hair and black eyes. She was wearing a dark blue shirt and tight fitting jeans.
"Hi, Seras-chan," she said with a smile. The man she had been making out with was African-American, with dark brown eyes and black hair in dreadlocks. He was very muscular and had a piercing on his lower lip. He was wearing jeans and a white buttoned shirt with dog tags around his neck. "Bob and I were just having a little fun."
"Hey, Seras, who're your friends?" asked Bob.
"This is Devlin and Danielle. They're my new classmates at Casper High," she said.
Bob waved at them. "Hey, I'm Bob Makihara and this is my girlfriend Chiaki Shizuka," he said, introducing himself and the girl. They then looked at Tamashii as he carried a bottle of water over to Bunshichi. "Here we go again…" muttered Bob.
Tamashii opened the water and poured it all over Bunshichi's head. "Wake up, baka. You're drooling."
"That's not drool, you ass! That's the water you just poured on me!" shouted Bunshichi.
"I don't care. We have customers so get your lazy ass up and get to work. Chiaki, you and Bob can have the rest of the day off. I'll handle the cooking." He looked at Devlin and Danielle. "Sit wherever you like and feel free to order whatever you like as well."
Both Devlin and Danielle sat at one of the empty tables where a couple of menus had been laid out for them. She then asked him, "So, you saw this place before."
"I did, yesterday," he replied with a slight nod. "I was actually hoping to bring you here often once it opens."
"I see," Danielle said, admiring the place. "I like it already."
"So, are you two ready to order?" Seras asked, now wearing an apron and holding a notepad. "And welcome to Café Mal d'Amour."
OK, a new chap. The Slayers may just find out about Fang here and aren't sure if he's to be trusted. Well, Topper is working behind the scenes now. Wonder what is Fangula paying for here? Also, thanks to Ten Faced Paladin and Shadow Element 13 for their lovely input.