Chapter 4: The Elevator and the Air Shaft

When the gang lost Skulker, they found themselves in an elevator which Valerie had managed to pry open thanks to her blackbelt

"Great. MY Nightmare 36" Sam said sarcastically before looking down at herself. "Well…not completely"

"What's missing?" Valerie asked

"The pink floral dress" Sam said

Valerie tried so hard not to laugh at the mental image, but it was very difficult

"Wait a minute" Danny said looking up at an air shaft. "Don't air shafts normally lead OUT of a building?"

"Yeah" Valerie said understanding where he was going with this. "Okay…since I'm probably the strongest I'll boost Danny up"

"Why me?" Danny asked

"Well, you're not exactly Mr. Macho and can fit through that shaft."

"Neither are Sam and Tucker" he argued

"No, but with ghost hunting parents, you're probably stronger than those two" Valerie said pointing at Sam and Tucker. "And we're going to need you to pull us up"

Danny turned to his friends for them to back up his lack of muscles. However, a lot had happened between the Presidential Fitness Exam and now and his friends had seen him lift cars (in ghost form, but apparently THAT little detail didn't matter).

"Fine" Danny sighed

Sam walked over next to Valerie and cupped her hands the way the African American girl was. The two girls smiled at each other to indicate that they were going to work together, no sabotage, despite past differences whether it was the fact that Valerie had tried to kill Danny on numerous occasions or the fact that there was a time when they were both crushing on the same boy.

Danny placed a foot into Sam's hands and pushed off to put his other into Valerie's arms. The two girls lifted the halfa up onto their shoulders and he was able to reach the shaft.

"Got it" Danny said as he lifted the grate at the ceiling. He then clung onto the roof of the elevator and pushed himself up.

Then, his shirt got caught

"Ah Nuts" Danny groaned

"What's wrong?" Tucker asked wishing his cameras were in working order so he could get a picture of the two teen girls with their arms up trying to keep Danny up there.

"My shirt's caught!" Danny said trying to untangle it

"Danny! Forget the damned shirt!" Sam said. "When'd you put on so much weight?"

Valerie felt Danny shift his weight over to his crush. She couldn't help but to crack a smirk. Every so often the two would act more like BFFs than BF/GF wannabes

Danny then forgot the shirt and pulled himself up.

RIIIIIIIIIIPPPP

"Man! This was my favorite shirt!" Danny complained

"I'm sure you have more in your closet" Valerie said

Goodness knows she's seen him wearing it so many times he HAD to have others

"Who's next?" Danny asked once he got his bearings

Sam went next, then Tucker, and lastly Valerie, because she could jump

"There's the air shaft" Tucker said pointing

Luckily, the shaft wasn't too far up. Just as far as the escape hatch had been.

"Let's do this" Danny sighed

The girls got back into position and Danny was lifted. He pushed up the grate and tried to slide in.

However, he found himself relatively stuck. Luckily, it wasn't by much.

"Try taking off the shirt!" Tucker called seeing the problem

"No way!" Danny argued. He knew what was under the shirt now and he did NOT need those girls seeing it. Or a jealous-prone Tucker

"Danny. I know you're not proud of your lack of body tone, but suck it up!" Tucker said

The next thing Tucker knew, the torn white shirt was on his head. By the time he removed it, Danny was in the shaft.

"Okay, maybe this WASN'T a good idea" Danny's voice came. "I can't turn around"

"In that case," Valerie said with a smirk. "Sam. You're up"

Tucker couldn't help it. He HAD to laugh as Sam saw right through Valerie's plan

"I vote we let Tucker go next" Sam said seeing a flaw in Valerie's plan. "I'm NOT letting him look up my skirt as we crawl down a ventilation shaft"

"Should have let you gone in first" Valerie said with a smirk. "Then Danny."

"I'm still here!" Danny said in the shaft "I'll tell you what! You three decide on an order of entry, and I'll go figure out the path."

"You just don't want anyone starring at your rear!" Tucker accused

Danny had to admit that Tucker's accusation was true, but not out loud. This would also give him the excuse to wait the remaining time until he could go from shirt-less to wearing a hazmat suit and just tell Valerie that Danny Phantom flew Danny Fenton home to get a shirt.

Of course that meant he would have to fake a cold, but sacrifices are sacrifices.

And he only had…35 minutes

TBC