Dizgirl: I'M BACK! Yes siree, this ain't no joke! So straight on to business. THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS! You people shower me with love and I thank you so much! You guys get an extra long chapter as a prize! YAY! Yes, we're starting to get into the meat of the story now. So hope you like it and enjoy and love!


Troubled Humans, Troublesome Ghosts

Jack fiddled with the inside of one of the Fenton bazookas, pulling out multi-colored wires until they piled around him and trailed onto the living room floor. For some reason this gun had shorted out on him when he had attempted to use it. Instead of blasting the ghost he was hunting, the device had tried to backfire on him! Luckily, the bazooka had missed actually hitting him. Otherwise he would have had an unpleasant visit to the Ghost Zone.

Since it was most likely a wiring problem, he had decided to reconfigure the whole gun, giving it some new features along with the usual portal-creating-ecto-blast. Unfortunately the gun was proving more difficult to untangle than he originally thought. He really should've labeled some of these wires when he first made it….

Just as he managed to separate the first wire from the bunch, the doorbell rang. Looking up, he frowned. "Honey! Door!"

"I'm not falling for that one again," Maddie called from the kitchen, where he could hear the sound of clinking dishes and the muted hum of the TV. "You're closer, you get it!"

"But I—"

"—can fix the bazooka later," she answered for him. From the tone in her voice, Jack knew that arguing would get him nowhere. Sighing, he stood up, the wires spilling from his lap.

"Alright," he grumbled. Then, realizing that the door could mean a visitor that he could babble to about ghosts (or something equally as exciting), he grinned and bounded for the door with his bazooka still in hand. He pulled the door open so fast that the hinges creaked in protest, but all thoughts of reinforcing them disappeared from his mind as he realized who their visitor was.

"Vladdy! What are you doing here?" Jack greeted his friend loudly. He swung the bazooka up onto his shoulder, oblivious to the uneasy look Vlad gave the machine.

"What, can't I visit an old college friend for no apparent reason?" he asked calmly with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Well of course you can!" Jack answered, still grinning himself. "Come on in!" He moved to the side and Vlad slid past him, careful not to touch any of the random wires that hung like vines down Jack's shoulders.

"Maddie, look who's here!" he bellowed. Maddie peeked her head around the corner, her amethyst eyes widening in surprise.

"Vlad…" she said, giving him a strained smile. "How…nice to see you."

"Ah, Maddie, you grow more beautiful each time I see you," Vlad replied, walking quickly towards her. Jack swung the door shut and followed after his friend.

"Well, thank you. What's the occasion?"

"Actually I have a business venture I need to attend to here. Since I'm staying in town for a few days I knew I would have to visit my ghost-hunting friends," he explained, glancing around at the living room. She nodded.

"Well if you're here for a few days, then where are you staying?"

"At the Flying Dutch—" before he could finish, Jack interrupted him.

"—You can't stay at a hotel! Come stay here with us!"

"Jack…" Maddie warned him.

"Oh, I wouldn't want to impose," Vlad assured her.

"Nonsense, a friend of the Fentons is always welcome in our home!" Jack insisted. "We have that guest room upstairs and it will be great to spend some time together—just like back in college!"

"But he's on a business trip, honey. He won't have time for socializing," Maddie pointed out.

"Well, I could extend the trip a few days…" neither of the Fentons saw the smirk that flashed across Vlad's face.

"That's a great idea! Then you can help me redo the Fenton Bazooka!" Jack brandished the gutted weapon high in the air. Suddenly the machine whirred loudly and a blast shot out from the back towards the sofa behind him. The couch shuddered as a swirling green vortex appeared between its cushions and ripped it apart, sucking the remains into the portal. Silence followed as all three adults gaped at the empty spot where the couch had rested.

"Heh heh…guess I forgot to unplug the ectoplasmic energy thingy," Jack grinned sheepishly. Maddie grimaced, pulling the weapon from Jack's unsteady grip and resting it on the coffee table.

"I think I'll deal with that later," she told him softly, her tone strained again. Vlad, who had jumped back as soon the machine had triggered, straightened his jacket casually.

"It's never boring with you Jack," he said, a hint of mockery in his tone.

"Sorry," Jack murmured to Maddie. She shook her head.

"We can finally get a new set," she replied, smiling briefly. "One without ectoplasmic stains and burns. For now, why don't you come sit down in the kitchen, Vlad?"

"That sounds wonderful," Vlad followed her into the kitchen and took a seat at the table. Jack copied him as Maddie picked up a towel. The small television on the counter was turned to the news and the screen changed from a nervous Lance Thunder back to Tiffany Snow. She smiled cheekily at the camera.

In other news, gardeners are baffled by extensive plant damage throughout the city's park. Vandalism is suspected though many claim that there was ghostly activity—

Maddie pushed the off button and went over to the sink. She picked up a sopping wet dish and turned to the men as she dried it.

"If you want to, you're welcome here Vlad," she offered finally, breaking the silence. "We're a little busy with our work but if you don't mind that…."

"No worries at all, I'll be in and out enough myself," Vlad replied. "I am very grateful for the offer. The Flying Dutchman is…a little over the top for my tastes."

"You know that they say the place is haunted?" Jack cut in, excitement back at the prospect of talking about ghosts. "I can't wait to test out our newest bazookas on the place!"

"We are not testing those new bazookas any time soon," Maddie told him firmly. She frowned and glanced towards the living room. "Not until we work out all the bugs at least."

"Knowing you, Maddie, I'm sure they'll be fixed in no time," Vlad stated confidently. As Jack launched into a plan to scour the hotel for ghosts, Vlad smirked to himself, the wheels churning in his mind.

"But a few more 'bugs' would certainly work out in my favor."


Raimee walked down the steps from the school's front entrance and started the trek home. She was far enough away that she could take the bus, but between Chaos's offers to fly her there and a bad experience with bus bullies back in junior high, she hardly ever did. Wondering whether or not her dad would be home this early, she unconsciously rubbed the back of her head.

'Is your head okay?' Chaos instantly asked.

'Yes, Chaos, it is. Just like it has been the other hundred times you've asked me that yesterday and today,' Raimee thought, rolling her eyes. 'I told you I didn't have to go to the nurse. I don't even have a concussion.'

'Yeah, well sorry for caring.'

'No, I'm glad you care really, just not so much. Besides, if you really care you could do all my history and English homework for me.'

'Uh, not happening,' Chaos replied. 'Me and essays don't work well together.'

'Essays and I,' Raimee corrected her impishly.

'See what I mean?'

'Yeah, yeah, but it would've been great if you were actually a famous dead author instead of an infamous dead troublemaker.'

'Ooh…I like the sound of that! Chaos, the infamous dead troublemaker, strikes again!'

'Strikes what?' Raimee asked bemusedly. She turned down her street, and made her way towards her apartment.

'Uh...'

'Right, well while you figure that out…' she trailed off as she recognized her father's car in the parking lot to the side of the complex. 'Great, Dad's home.'

'Have you guys made up yet?'

'Not really. Normally I'd just let it slide but his stubbornness is really starting to get to me,' Raimee answered as she walked up the stairs.

'You know you're being just as stubborn as he is, right?' Chaos joked. Raimee didn't reply to that, but paused outside her apartment door. Her forehead crinkled as she frowned.

'Chaos, I think there's a ghost nearby…'

'Hey, no changing the subject!'

'No seriously,' Raimee focused her mind and felt a glimmer of ghost energy on the edge of her senses.

'I think there might be…' she stopped as the glimmer disappeared. 'Or not…?'

'Do you want me to go after it? Maybe it's the Phantom dude!' Chaos thought hopefully.

'Don't bother. I might have imagined it anyway; y'know, any reason to get out of a heart-to-heart with my dad.'

'Alright…' Chaos grumbled disappointedly.

Raimee sighed, entering her home and trudging down the hallway. As she passed the kitchen, she noticed her dad sitting at the table with a laptop in front of him. Hoping that maybe he was too involved with work to notice she was there, she quietly slipped past the room.

"Raimee," Mr. Perkings called out. Wincing, she turned around and planted herself in the archway.

"Hi Dad," she greeted him quietly. Awkward silence fell between them as both struggled to find the right thing to say.

'Chaos, want to leave us alone for a moment?' Raimee asked her silently.

'Sure, I'll be in your room,' Chaos slipped out of her body and flew invisibly down the hallway.

"Ray, I'm sorry for getting…upset with you," her father finally said, looking down at his laptop and pushing it away. "I know that you miss your mother and you want to use your gift to feel closer to her—"

"—Dad, it's not that," Raimee interrupted him, mentally sighing. "I would still want to learn about ghosts even if she was still alive."

"Which is exactly why you need to stay away from them. Your mother is gone because she kept sensing ghosts and running after them."

"You were fine with it when I was little," Raimee countered sullenly, shrugging her backpack off onto the ground.

"Yes, and then it happened," he muttered darkly. She blinked, her irritation evaporating as she was struck by the sudden sense of déjà vu. Hadn't she just told Chaos that the other day?

"Yeah, one ghost out of a million," Raimee echoed Chaos's reply slowly. How had she ended up so much like her dad? Mr. Perkings frowned.

"One ghost is enough," he stated. "I don't want to fight with you, Ray, but you can't get involved with ghost stuff. Not here, not now, not ever."

"And what if I can't help it, huh?" Raimee asked, her temper flaring up again. He was basically telling her to cut ties with Chaos and half of herself, and that would never happen. "Do you know where you moved us? Amity Park! That's like asking for ghost stuff to just come out screaming at you!"

"Well unfortunately that's where my work moved," he answered tersely, standing up from the table. "Believe me I would rather find us a place devoid of anything that is even possibly related to ectoplasm, but I'm doing the best I can!"

"But what if I like it here? What if I actually found a place where I can be myself more than anywhere else?" Raimee argued. "People don't look at you funny when you wear ghost stuff or carry around books about ghosts!" Except Danny Fenton maybe, she corrected herself silently.

"And do you know what the crime rates are here? We've lived here almost two weeks and I've seen more damage on buildings and roads than anywhere else I've ever visited!" Raimee glared at the linoleum floor, frustrated tears pricking her eyes.

"Forget it," she mumbled. "It's not like you understand." She turned down the hallway towards her room where Chaos's energy glowed.

"Raimee…" her father called after her.

"No!" She slammed her door behind her and flung herself onto her bed. Burying her head in her pillow she gave a muffled scream. After a few minutes, Chaos landed on the bed next to her.

"Didn't go so hot, huh? If you want me to, I can go beat him up or something," Chaos offered. Raimee snorted, and rolled over so she could face her ghostly friend.

"Thanks, but you probably shouldn't. He'll know I'm involved with ghosts then," she told her wryly, wiping her cheeks. Chaos shrugged.

"Tch, whatever you want."

"What I want?" Raimee repeated softly. Her green eyes scanned her ceiling covered in glow-in-the-dark stars. "I want my mom. I want to not have to hide you all the time. I want to talk to my dad without arguing. I want…" she trailed off and sighed.

"I don't think you can get all those things," Chaos whispered, staring out her window.

"I know, but sometimes I just really wish my dad could understand my gift, you know?" Raimee shifted her gaze onto her friend.

"Yeah…" Chaos agreed, the corner of her mouth turning up into a small smile. "But I don't' think that's happening any time soon."

"Unfortunately," Raimee sighed.

Outside her room, Brian Perkings sat down heavily at the kitchen table. Running a hand through his hair, he exhaled slowly and turned towards his laptop. He didn't notice the swirl of magenta behind him as a woman appeared, a large grin on her face. Twirling her hands in the air she murmured to herself soundlessly.

"So you have wished it, so shall it be…"


Danny waved goodbye to Sam and Tucker as they each split towards their respective homes. School had been its usual monotonous pain in the neck as Lancer droned on about Shakespeare and Danny continued to watch Raimee like a hawk. Unfortunately, nothing out of the ordinary happened and the new ghost didn't show up even once. Most of the time he would take this as a sign that he was overreacting—as Jazz and his friends insisted—but there was something about the new girl that really bothered him. It was like a prickling on the back of his neck, an instinctual warning that reminded him vaguely of his ghost sense.

Sighing heavily to himself, Danny trudged up the stairs to his home. Whatever it was that made Raimee so odd would have to wait for now. He was grounded and that meant going straight to his room and doing homework (while secretly talking to Sam and Tucker on the computer if he was lucky). With a shove, Danny opened the door and walked in his house only to freeze mid-step.

On a chair where their mysteriously missing couch usually stood sat Vlad Masters. Danny gaped at his archenemy who was chatting away with Maddie as she was working on one of the Fenton Bazookas. Both looked up at his noisy entrance.

"Danny! How was your day?" Maddie asked cheerfully.

"Um…okay," Danny replied, staring at Vlad. Until now, he silently added. Why does he always pop up out of nowhere?!

"Ah, Daniel, so nice of you to join us," Vlad greeted him.

"What are you doing here?"

"Danny, be nice," Maddie warned him, pulling out a new tangle of wires and slowly separating them.

"It's perfectly fine, Maddie. My visit is a bit of a surprise," Vlad said jovially. "I just happen to have a business deal in town and I have to visit my favorite ghost-hunting family while I'm here."

"Of course," Danny muttered, well aware that Vlad would hear the remark. The older halfa smirked.

"It's not like I've come to tear your family apart, dear boy!" He chuckled and Maddie quickly joined in. Danny narrowed his eyes, frowning, but he knew he couldn't say anything right there with his mom in the room. Sending a mistrustful glare towards Vlad he started up the stairs.

I hate it when he does that, Danny thought heatedly. Just gives away his plans because he thinks I can't do anything about it. Well we'll see about that! He entered his messy room and dropped his backpack on his bed. He pulled out his Fenton Thermos from the bag, pausing. With a devious grin he shook it a few times. Sure, the Box Ghost, Technus, and other ghosts currently within it weren't the cause of his frustration but a little misplaced aggression went a long ways.

He left his room and retraced his steps down the stairs and into the living room. His mom had disappeared and he guessed that meant she was in the kitchen. Sending another suspicious frown at Vlad, who only sneered in response, Danny turned towards the kitchen. There was no point asking what he was up to when he had already stated it before. He continued to jiggle the thermos from side to side, imagining that Vlad was the one trapped inside it, when the older halfa spoke up.

"Fond of soup, Daniel?" Pausing in the entrance to the kitchen, Danny rolled his eyes. So much for ignoring him.

"Not really. I was about to dump it," he replied shortly, then smiling he added, "Too much pork and long-winded speeches for my taste." Vlad stood and walked over to Danny who slipped into a defensive position.

"Calm down. I'm not here to play your little games," he said dismissively.

"Yeah right; you're up to something," Danny snapped back.

"Contrary to what your teenage ego likes to think, not all of my matters concern you."

"If they concern my family they do!" Vlad smirked and snatched the thermos out of Danny's hands faster than he could react.

"I'll be taking this," he said.

"Hey! Give that back!"

"What's going on?" Both halfas froze as Maddie closed the lab door behind her, a quizzical expression on her face.

"Oh nothing. Just asking young Daniel here if he should be playing with your ghost-hunting weapons when he could be doing his homework," Vlad answered her smoothly.

"But the thermos…" Danny struggled to come up with an excuse for why he needed the thermos that didn't actually involve ghost-hunting.

"Danny, you know you shouldn't play around with our technology, especially if we haven't trained you yet," Maddie reprimanded him. Danny stifled an eye roll at the irony. "Besides, Vlad's right, you need to go do your homework. You're still grounded remember."

"But I—"

"No buts. I've had enough of those today already," Maddie stated firmly.

"Okay," Danny grumbled, scowling at Vlad who was smiling triumphantly. He spun around and marched up the stairs to his room, fully intending to tell Sam and Tucker about this latest development in his chaotic life. I'll figure out what he's up to somehow, him and Raimee both.


The stars shone brightly among the wispy clouds that wandered around the sky. Among them, the moon was almost full and its white light bathed the city below. Danny sighed, stretching his arms above his head as he took in the peaceful view. Everything felt calmer at this time of night, especially when he could enjoy it from high up in the sky away from all his troubles—at least all the non-ghostly kind. There was still his nightly patrol to do. Grinning, he did a flip in the air and started his usual route around the city.

Though he was grounded—and his parents would kill him if they knew he was out right now—Danny just had to leave his house for a few hours. Vlad had stayed over Friday night and had stuck around the whole next day, constantly taunting Danny and making cracks about his dad. It had made him so angry at one point, he had almost blasted Vlad while his mom was in the room! Luckily, Jazz had interfered and had guided the conversation to safer ground before either halfa made a move they would later regret.

The most annoying part of it all was that Vlad kept mentioning that he was there on a business trip, yet he never left the house once. Danny knew it had to be a cover up for his true intentions and whatever they were wouldn't be good for his family. Vlad had said it flat out; he was there to mess with his parents. Again. But what could Danny do until Vlad made his first move? Unless of course he already did and he hadn't noticed it yet…

Growling in frustration, Danny picked up speed and raced across the night sky. After the rush of ghosts this past week, things had finally started to slow down…if you didn't count his arch enemy living in his house or the strange new ghost at school. Danny rolled his eyes. Life just loved throwing everything at him at once.

Speaking of ghosts, he thought as a flash of red light below caught his attention. His breath misted in front of him and Danny smirked. Hello misplaced aggression…which was something he seemed to have a lot of lately. He dived into the trees of the city park where he had seen the ectoplasmic ray and searched for the source. The sound of ecto-blasts meeting wood and dirt along with muffled grunts led him to a clearing where the wishing fountain stood. There, above the splashing water was the ghost girl from school.

She had her back turned to Danny, oblivious to him watching her systematically destroy a tree with ruby red energy that sparked and sizzled from her fingertips and palms. She was muttering under her breath and he was only able to catch the words, "stupid aura" before she abruptly turned around and met his gaze. Her annoyed expression instantly melted into a predatory smile.

"Ghost dude!" she called to him, red energy crackling in her hands. "So you do appear in other places than the school. I was starting to wonder if you died there and were stuck."

"My name is Danny Phantom and yeah, I go everywhere," he replied, crossing his arms. "What's the matter with you? Got a problem with trees? Don't tell me one of them killed you." Her eyes flickered to the crumbling oak before looking back at him.

"Nah, it took a lot more than that to take me down! I just needed a punching bag." Danny couldn't help but smirk at the idea of Sam seeing what the ghost was doing. She'd flip and demand that Danny fight just to protect the innocent trees.

"So you decided on a tree?"

"What else is there to fight here? A girl's gotta practice!" Suddenly the ghost smiled, her eyes narrowing. "Of course a sparring partner is always better…" Danny instantly caught her drift. Good thing he brought a thermos along.

"Battle junky?" he joked.

"Completely," the girl answered, pulling her fists into a fighting position. "You?" He shrugged.

"Comes with the job," he said.

"Then show me whatchya got, dude!" She rocketed forward and Danny was forced to drop below her, surprised by her sudden speed. Icy green energy sparked to life around his hands and he shot off several ecto-blasts at her exposed abdomen. She turned intangible and responded in kind, showering him in red ectoplasm. Danny dodged the attack, hissing as a stray blast glanced off his shoulder.

"So, why are you here anyway?" Danny called out, diving below another ray of ecto energy and sending two of his own towards where the girl floated above.

"What? I can't check out a new town once in a while?" she called back, evading the attack and his question easily.

"Not if you're causing trouble," Danny flew up until he was even with her. She placed her hands on her hips.

"What's wrong with a little chaos? It makes everything better."

"Not for those that have to deal with it."

"Tch, why deal? Go along with the ride and watch everyone else freak out! That's what makes chaos fun," she grinned.

"So what, you're the ghost of chaos?" Danny quipped with a smirk of his own.

"You've got it ghost dude! It's my name, game, and claim to fame!"

"Catchy," he commented, charging up his energy and jumping forward to attack. "But do you have something to back up that big mouth?" Chaos scowled, throwing up a shield at the last second. Danny bounced off it, tumbling over in the air until he could right himself.

"Who you calling big mouth, dude? I've seen you fly around here like you own the place!"

"That's because I'm protecting this town from ghosts like you!" Danny threw a condensed sphere of ectoplasm at Chaos who dived under the blast.

"Hey, I haven't done anything yet! I'm just here to kill some time," Chaos snapped back. "So how 'bout you get a little taste of my power with my Chaos Sparks!" Her fingertips glowed red and she flung out her hands, sending the small sparks racing towards Danny. He ducked under the swarm and flew closer to his opponent, laughing

"What? That's all you got? Doesn't look very chaotic to me!" Her smile returned.

"Sometimes the best kind of chaos is the subtle kind," she replied. "Have fun with them and I'll catch you later, ghost dude!" She twisted around in the air and disappeared into the sky.

"Have fun with…?" he wondered out loud when the hairs on the back of his neck rose up. Turning around, he gasped and took off at full speed. "Oh crud!" The sparks had turned in mid air like mini boomerangs and were now heading straight for him!

Danny twisted his body up and flipped over before diving for the ground, hoping to shake off the pinpoints of energy. The red swarm of lights continued to follow him so he phased through the grass below. He floated through the dirt for a few feet and then jumped out, turning around to see if that did the trick. He groaned as the sparks flocked toward him.

"Aw come on!" he griped, pulling more emerald energy into his fists. He sent a volley of blasts at the sparks. The two energies met and for a second Danny thought that they had cancelled each other out. Instead the ectoplasm seemed to explode on impact, sending Danny soaring through the air and into the trees.

Caught unprepared, he didn't turn intangible in time. Tree branches and leaves slapped and snapped around him, scraping up his arms and face. He finally managed to stop his momentum, but moaned as his exposed skin stung painfully.

"Oww…" Danny floated up and glanced around for any sign of more deadly red lights. Then he examined his newest wounds. "Most of these should heal within a day, but this one…" He softly prodded at a large cut across his left forearm, wincing.

"Yeah, that's gonna take some explaining." Danny sighed and cautiously looked around before taking off. "But first, finish my patrol, maybe catch that Chaos ghost, and go home."


The door to the Fenton's basement lab opened with a low creak that Vlad knew was too quiet to wake up any of the sleeping family members above. He descended the stairs quickly, holding the thermos he had taken from Danny the day before in one hand. At the bottom, he switched on the lights and scanned the lab for any unwanted company.

As soon as he was sure the room was deserted, he transformed into his ghost half. Then, he twisted the cap off the thermos and ejected its contents. The Box Ghost, Technus, the remains of some large ghost animal, and a flock of glowing birds spilled out onto the lab floor. Before the specters could reorient themselves, he grabbed one of the working Fenton bazookas on a nearby desk and pegged each ghost in the room except for one.

"Technus," he greeted calmly, letting the gun drop back onto the desk with a clatter. The technological ghost shook his head a little and faced the halfa.

"That whippersnapper thwarted my plans yet again! I shall make him pay for—"

"—And you will," Vlad interrupted him, effectively cutting off what was sure to be an hour long rant. "In fact, I have a proposal to make."

"What's this? You want to make a deal with me, Technus? What could you have that I could possibly want!"

"Perhaps a few moments not resting inside one of the boy's thermoses for starters," Vlad tersely replied, already losing patience with the ghost. "I need someone to mess with the Fenton's weaponry when it is around Jack Fenton. Though I can do this myself, I have other matters of concern. Are you willing to do that for me?"

"And what would I get out of it?" Technus asked, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"Oh I'm sure an arrangement can be reached if you manage to pull this off."

"I, Technus, master of all electronics, am of course able to perform such a simple request!"

"Then I will ensure that you are rewarded," Vlad promised him. "Make sure they only malfunction around the oaf and not anyone else. Also, do not let Daniel sense you or the deal is off."

"That will be difficult when I am in his own house," Technus commented, finally being direct at the prospect of a reward. Vlad's lip curled as two dark rings of light burst to life around him.

"Oh I'll keep him thoroughly distracted."


Danny phased through his front door and quietly dropped to the floor. He listened carefully to the darkened house for a few moments, waiting to see if everyone was asleep. When all he could hear were the distant rumbles of his dad's snoring and the ticking of a clock on the wall, he finally relaxed.

"Whew, no angry lectures tonight," he whispered in relief. He glanced down at the cut on his arm, grimacing as it continued to bleed slowly. "And no awkward questions either." With a sigh, he let himself transform back into his human half, wondering how quickly he could clean himself up and get to bed.

Just as he turned towards the stairs, his mind fully occupied by the thought of sleep, the scrapping of a swinging door alerted him to a presence in the kitchen. Danny froze as the slim figure of Vlad appeared in the living room, his profile outlined by the glow of the appliances behind him.

"What were you doing down there?" Danny hissed, his eyes glowing green. Vlad paused, slight surprise showing on his now lit face. A sly smile quickly replaced it as his blue eyes swept over Danny's scratched up arms and messy hair.

"Sneaking out while we're grounded?" Vlad countered, sidestepping the question. Danny narrowed his eyes, changing into his ghost half again. With his focus completely on Vlad, he didn't notice the cold mist escaping from his mouth.

"Only to catch ghosts like you," he whispered fiercely.

"Are you going to fight me right here in your own house?" Vlad sauntered closer to where he stood. Danny scowled, but he didn't attack. Fighting the older halfa now could easily wake his family up and make a whole mess of trouble for him. But…at the same time he would like to actually fight someone since his search for Chaos or any other ghosts tonight had proved fruitless. And Vlad had really been asking for today.

"You know what? Yeah, I am!" Danny lunged at Vlad, who turned intangible, sending the teen crashing into the floor behind him.

"Oh please, Daniel, you call that an attack?" Vlad mocked, transforming into Plasmius. Danny growled under his breath, ignoring the shiver that slid down his spine. He jumped up, his hands glowing, and swung at the older halfa again.

"Maybe that's all I need to defeat you!" he replied as he slammed one fist towards Plasmius, who blocked it with a cupped hand. They exchanged several blows, each of Danny's attacks blocked by his opponent. Just as Danny decided to resort to an actual ecto-blast, Vlad grabbed both of his fists and tossed him into the wall. Stunned by the impact, Danny paused and shook his head to clear his vision.

"I wouldn't use your little ecto-ray inside, Daniel. You'll wake up your parents," Plasmius warned him, smirking. "And then they would know about your little outing tonight…" The threat hung in the air and Danny grimaced. His parents would be furious.

He glanced to his left, up the stairs, where his parent's room was, torn between finishing the fight and leaving it for tomorrow. Something on the wall caught his eye, distracting him. It was the button to the Fenton Emergency system! Danny grinned as a plan quickly formed in his head. He turned back to where Plasmius floated.

"Not unless I do this!" Danny smashed his hand into the glass surrounding the button, two white rings quickly reverting him back to his safer human side. Sirens blasted to life above them and flashing lights cast a red glow across the room. Vlad looked up in alarm as two mechanical arms ending in neon green claws shot from the walls. He avoided one of them only to be caught by the other, which promptly threw him across the room.

Danny couldn't help but laugh at the shocked expression on Plasmius's face as a group of ecto-guns dropped from the ceiling and aimed at him. His chuckles disappeared as Vlad sent a barrage of ecto-blasts at the guns. A few flew towards Danny and he threw his hands over his head instinctively. Fortunately, a giant translucent shield in the shape of Jack Fenton's head popped up from the ground in front of him, blocking the attack.

"Danny!" Maddie and Jack were practically falling down the stairs in their attempt to reach their son. Danny hid a smile behind a fake look of terror.

"Mom! Dad! The Wisconsin ghost attacked me!" he cried, pointing at where Plasmius was struggling against one of the giant claws.

"What!? The Wisconsin ghost!?" His parents turned towards Vlad only to see him destroy the claw with a surge of ectoplasmic energy. As soon as he broke free, he phased through the nearest wall. The sirens and flashing lights abruptly stopped as the ghostly threat disappeared.

"Danny!" Maddie threw her arms around her son. "Are you all right? Did the ghost do anything to you? Why was he here? Why were you downstairs? Wha—"

"Mom! I'm okay!" he reassured her. "I…I was just getting a drink of water when he suddenly appeared in…uh…the kitchen. So then I activated the emergency system." Danny was glad his hesitations would sound like distress instead of lies.

"That's my boy! Send that evil ghost packing! Serves him right for trying to get a Fenton in his own house!" Jack boasted happily, pounding Danny on the back. "You make your old man proud!"

"Uh, thanks Dad," Danny said, wincing slightly. His mom noticed his grimace and she quickly examined him for injuries. When she spotted his arm, she gasped.

"Danny, your arm!" He looked down to see that the long cut from his stint with the Chaos Sparks was now one of the many down his left arm. It took him a moment to realize that the new ones were made by breaking the glass box that protected the button.

"Oh, uh…I didn't think to use the hammer," Danny explained, not needing to act out his surprise. They weren't horribly painful, but the blood made it look a lot worse than it felt.

"We'll need to clean this up right away," Maddie told him. "Let's get the first aid kit." Danny followed his mom towards the kitchen. It was amazing how well his plan had worked out. Not only did his parents not find out that he was out on patrol, but Vlad was beaten without Danny even touching him! And now he wouldn't even have to make excuses for his original injuries.

"Are you hurt anywhere else?" his mother questioned as he sat down at the kitchen table.

"No," he answered, grateful for the chance to finally rest. He yawned widely.

"Don't you worry, son," Jack said confidently as he entered the room. "That Wisconsin ghost is long gone and he won't bother you ever again!" Danny smiled but it faded quickly. He knew that Vlad was probably back in the guest bedroom already. The house may be able to keep Plasmius out, but nothing prevented Vlad Masters from staying there.

"I sure hope so," Danny murmured as his mother brought out a bottle of rubbing alcohol. But I doubt it.


Dizgirl: Ho ho ho! And doubt he should! Heh...please tell me if I made any mistakes in here!

Related to this lovely fic, I have some pictures I've made of the characters on deviantart. The links are below! Technically the second has a spoiler for an idea I have for a sequel to this (I know, I know. I'm thinking WAY ahead...) but it does show you all my OCs in this fic too! Remember to remove the spaces please. Oh and check out my profile for some future DP fic ideas I have (yes, more wistful thinking). I want to know whatchya think!

http: /dizappearingirl. deviantart. com/art/PGT-Entry-Pictures-78622959

http: /dizappearingirl. deviantart. com/art/MMFC-Facemaker-Style-84969513