Edit: 5/30/18: Next wave of grammar fixes and wording tweaks or some scenes altered to avoid cliches. Took out AN question and answer sections.
And now we get to see Dani at school some :)
Thanks, you all for the support! I hope you enjoy the chapter. :D
zzz- normal separation
ooo- dream or vision separation
Mental thoughts or distant speaking
"The difference between school and life? In school, you're taught a lesson and then given a test. In life, you're given a test that teaches you a lesson." ~ Tom Bodett
zzz
"I guess Vlad did a decent job of educating her." Tucker spoke.
"Yeah considering what could've happened. Eighth grade isn't bad for her age." Danny added.
"I've found myself wondering if Dash had repeated ninth grade multiple times," Sam spoke.
"Sam, I've known Dash almost as long as Tuck."
"I can dream, can't I?"
The three friends were sitting near City Hall a few days after the social worker's visit to the Fenton home. Valerie was working that day at the Nasty Burger and couldn't be there but told them to tell Dani how proud she was of her. Dani was legally Danny's sister now and she had just gotten her scores back to place her in the educational system. She would be going into eighth grade. Dani was talking excitedly to Danny's parents and sister at the moment.
"I never got to thank you Tuck," Danny spoke up.
"Psh, it's what I do."
"Now Amity just needs to welcome a new Phantom into their lives if you catch my drift. You know she'll want to be a part of Team Phantom and fight." Sam added.
"Yeah. I imagine she'll be fine. I'll still call her my cousin in Phantom form. I've already talked to her about that. When school starts back up, I'll tell her about what she can and can't do at school. You know, rules with using her powers," Danny replied.
"Right. I guess she'll have to make friends," Tucker spoke.
"I didn't think of that," Danny murmured.
"She'll have us until she finds someone." Sam nodded. "Casper Junior High is nearby. We share the same cafeteria and the picnic area outside for Lunch."
Their talk halted when Dani ran over.
"Danny! I'm going into eighth grade! I was terrified I was going to be put in like second grade with little kids!"
Danny laughed. "They would've probably let you home school until you caught up, but I'm real proud of you Dani. Now there's only a few things left to worry about." Danny glanced up at his parents and sister and gave a silent nod. "Follow me. See ya later Tuck, Sam." He leaned over and kissed Sam briefly.
"Have a safe flight guys and call us if you plan to patrol." Sam responded.
Danny nodded and led Dani away.
zzz
"Always make sure you're well-hidden when you transform. Don't use your powers for your own personal advantage. Don't damage too many buildings. Think before you do anything, you never know what kind of hint could rat us out."
Dani frowned and then pouted when they were halfway through the alleyway they'd gone down.
"Geez, now your acting like I don't have a brain."
Danny looked at her and sighed. "Sorry Dani. It's just really important."
Dani smirked and waved her hand. "No probs. I understand. Lead the way, bro." Dani smiled brightly after she'd said that. Then calmed. "Bro when Fenton, Cuz when Phantom."
Danny beamed. He positioned himself. "Ready?"
Dani smirked. "Ready."
"I'm going ghost!" The siblings shouted as bright rings of light formed around their waists and traveled up and down to turn them into their Phantom personas.
"I'm a bit nervous. I've never saved someone with my powers before. It was always just me trying to survive."
Danny smiled a little wistfully. "You saved me once from Vlad."
Dani paused and then smiled bashfully. "Yeah, forgot about that, but that wasn't with my powers I just pushed a release button."
"I didn't forget it though."
"Will they?"
"Some of them, but it's the right thing to do and that's all that matters."
Dani nodded. "Okay then let's zoom around. By the way, love the winter theme you gave Amity."
"Mind if you help me get rid of it when need be?"
"Eh, why not?"
The two siblings then shot into the air and started flying around the city. Dani got nervous as soon as she saw people looking at her in the air and pointing. Danny smiled over at her and held her hand to make her look at him.
"Don't worry about it. They're just curious."
He let go and grinned. "Race ya!" He then shot off at over a hundred and twenty miles per hour.
"Hey! Where are we even racing to? You, dork!" Dani laughed and shot off behind him.
The Phantoms were laughing and flipping through the air above Amity, dancing around and dodging many of the icy structures Danny had created. They halted when an icy wisp left their mouths.
"IIII AM THE BOX GHOOOOST! BEWARE MY CUBIC SHAPED BOXES OF DOOOOOM!" The Box Ghost had appeared in front of them and was hunching over and waggling his fingers as he made his entrance.
"Perfect timing. Dani, have you met the Box Ghost?"
"Uh… maybe once?"
"Good good… Let's start your lesson then. Dani, the Box Ghost." Dani looked down and saw the Box Ghost looking between the two Phantoms in confusion. Everyone on the street was watching too. "Box Ghost, Dani."
"Ghost boy-are you trying to deceive-me? She cannot be Danny- if YOU are Danny." The Box Ghost spoke up.
Dani smirked. "Hello Box Ghost. I'm Dani Phantom. Dani with an I. I want to introduce you to Mr. Thermos." She floated up to reveal Danny floating behind her with the thermos pointed at the specter.
"Noooo! You cannot contain me-in your-cylindrical container!" The Box Ghost yelled out as he was sucked into the thermos. Danny capped the thermos and high-fived Dani as she floated around and around Danny, laughing.
zzz
A week later. Casper Junior High.
The holiday break was finally over and school was back in session. Now that it was the beginning of January, the next date on the Fenton and friends' calendar was Danny's upcoming eighteenth birthday. Dani had been given some shopping money for Danny by Maddie or well… her mom, so there was that. She definitely wanted to get something nice for Danny.
At the moment, she was walking through the halls of Casper Junior High, about to start her first day of school, ever. She was wearing one of her newest outfits, which was a light blue hoodie and jeans with her blue sneakers. Her new mom had also taken her shopping as soon as the papers had been accepted and she'd become a Fenton.
She had her books in her arms and was heading towards Earth Science class.
zzz
It was Lunch now and Dani had actually enjoyed the classes she'd had so far. She'd been mostly quiet and not talked to anyone, but her mood brightened when she spotted Danny, Sam, Tucker, and Valerie at their typical table. She started to hurry over with her bag lunch that her mom had packed her.
"Hey Kwan, I just got a Danny Phantom piece from TheEidolon the other day."
"That's awesome, Dash my man."
"Oof!" Dani yelped and fell to her butt when she bumped into Dash on the way there. Her bag struck the ground and tipped, spilling some of her things.
"Watch where you're going, girlie! Dang a stupid middle schooler bumping into me?"
"Leave her alone Dash!"
Dash turned and saw Danny and his friends standing behind him and Kwan.
"And why should I do that, Fenturd!?"
Dani's cheeks immediately turned red with anger and she leapt up. "Don't call my brother names! You big creep!" She then kicked Dash in the shin, hard. Dash yelped and took a couple steps back to glare at her.
"The heck! Since when do you have another sister, Fenton?"
"Since over Christmas break. We adopted her. She's distant family from Arkansas. So, I'll say it again, leave her alone."
Dash smirked. "So now you've got a hick in your family!"
"Oh yeah!" Dani growled. She pulled back her fist and Dash chuckled. Danny rushed between them.
"No Dani, don't. He isn't worth that, just leave it be. Is your lunch okay?" Danny asked. Dani immediately calmed down and bent to pick up her lunch.
"Yeah, everything's still clean."
"Good. Come on let's sit down." Danny offered. Sam was glaring at Dash with Valerie while Tucker was trying to act somewhat invisible.
"Are you ignoring me, Fenton?"
Dani giggled. "Did you hear something, Danny?"
"Why no Dani, I didn't"
Danny smiled and stood up before putting a hand on Dani's shoulder to walk her over to the table.
"This isn't over, Fenton. You're going to regret messing with me."
Dani whipped her head around to glare at Dash. "Threatening little girls now? How brave of you."
Dash stuttered and then growled. "I meant your geek brother, squirt!" He then turned and marched away with Kwan.
"Good one, Dani." Danny chuckled. Dani smiled brightly and sat at the table with Danny and his friends. She swung her legs as she started to eat her lunch.
"And they actually went along with that?" Sam asked, returning to the talk the group had been having before Dani had arrived.
Danny laughed. "Yeah, we went into the Fright Knight's place and put Christmas decorations all in it. Youngblood found it funnier than Johnny did, until Fright Knight noticed and got really angry."
"What are you talking about?" Dani asked and cocked her head.
Danny smirked. "Me, Youngblood, and Johnny played a prank on the Fright Knight. He goes along with the Christmas truce, but he's even more of a scrooge than I was before. He hides in his castle and doesn't talk to anyone. Johnny says it's an ego thing since he's supposed to be Mr. Halloween."
Dani laughed. "He needs to get over that." Danny almost didn't hear her when she spoke under her breath. "Christmas is my favorite holiday… now."
The friends continued to talk and enjoy their time until the warning bell rang. Lancer had been on Lunch watch that day and had almost stepped in when Dash and Danny had raised their voices at each other but had decided against it. Recently it had seemed that Dash was not as keen on being as physical with Danny and the teacher wasn't sure why. He was glad for it though, since he'd always been suspicious of Dash's explanations of altercations he'd been blamed for in the past. There was often never any proof to support either the bullies' stories or the victims' tales and the school board was often telling the faculty to try and refrain from getting the jocks in too much trouble. Casper didn't have many sports teams and the school didn't want to lose attendance to the games and events due to poor performance without its best players present. The situation at Casper really was a crying shame and Lancer was often disturbed by it, which is why sometime during Danny's Sophomore year, he'd started trying to act more outwardly approachable. Perhaps he couldn't stop the bullying, but he could be there as a shoulder to lean on so to speak.
What was really on Lancer's mind at the moment though was Danny's new young sister. She certainly did look like she was from the family or at least related, though she did have an eerie resemblance to Danny in particular. What was really peculiar to Lancer though was that Danny Phantom's cousin had come into town as well according to the news and gossip. Her name was also Dani, spelled with an I. It hadn't been much to think Danny Fenton and Danny Phantom both were named Danny, but it was a strange coincidence that Dani Fenton and Dani Phantom shared the same name as well. What sort of connection was there between the Phantoms and the Fentons? It was really the first time Lancer had thought there was some kind of connection between the living and dead teens other than seeing Tucker and Sam help Phantom at times. He had mostly chalked that up to teens helping the town hero because he was popular. Lancer thought all of these things through, though his train of thought never even went down the road that the Fentons and Phantoms could be one and the same. On the flip side, he did start to wonder if the connection he was theorizing about had something to do with why Danny's behavior had changed way back in Freshman year. The possible connection was just another mystery the teacher swore to figure out.
zzz
Dani ran through the halls to get her things for last class. As she turned a corner to get to her locker, she almost bumped into a young man with a head of white hair.
"Whoa, Danny! What are you doing here?" She spouted before even looking more carefully.
"Danny? Uh, my name's Ashton, but Ash is fine."
Dani looked up and blinked in confusion. Indeed, the young man wasn't Danny in Phantom form. He was only a half a head taller than her and would reach Danny's chin with his height. He had hazel eyes, an army green t-shirt with a black stripe at the bottom of it, jeans, and brown sneakers, but the thing that was hard to not look at was his white hair.
He shifted nervously under her gaze. He knew what she was looking at. He sighed. "Yes, it's my natural hair color. I used to have really nice dark brown hair, but I have achromotrichia. My hair started to grey when I was ten."
Dani looked at his face and smiled. "It's like snow, pure snow."
Ash's face seemed surprised. "You don't think I look like an old man or that I'm trying to copy Danny Phantom or something?"
Dani had to hold back a giggle at the thought of someone trying to pose as her brother. "No, I trust you. If you say you have ache-motrsha-"
"Achromotrichia."
"Right, that, then I believe ya. Besides, white hair's pretty unique."
Ash grinned. "You never told me your name."
"Danielle, but everyone calls me Dani with an I."
Ash opened his mouth to speak when the final bell rang. Both kids whipped their heads around.
"Dang it! I'm going to be late!" They yelled out at the same time and started to run. After a moment they realized they were running the same way.
"You have English with Mrs. Bethany?" Ash asked.
"Yeah, you?"
"Yep, sweet."
The two students made their way to class and weren't late enough to get a detention, especially since Dani allowed Ash to say he was showing the new student around. They sat down next to each other for class.
It was halfway through class that Dani felt a cold breath of air fly from her throat. She glanced out the window and saw Danny fly past after getting blasted by… a missile from Skulker. Mrs. Bethany and the students all gasped as she ushered them away. The new ghost alarms for the school, started to blare. After all the ghost activity around the school the last few years and especially after the strange accounts from the campers and people that went to Eerie, though most said their memories were simply nightmares, the school board had decided to commission the Fentons to set up a ghost alarm system in the school. It had been completed over the winter break. Maddie and Jack had been unable to have the alarm not trip from Danny or Dani's ecto-signatures; the good news was that it only tripped for them when they transformed into their ghost forms. Dani didn't get the chance to slip away before everyone from Casper High and Casper Junior High was herded into the gym. She spotted Sam, Tucker, and Valerie talking to each other quietly. Dani jogged over to them and Ash followed cautiously behind.
"Sam!" Dani called out.
Sam and the others looked over and saw Dani jogging towards them with a stranger behind her.
"What happened?" Dani asked. She saw Sam glance behind her and Dani turned to see Ash standing there awkwardly.
"Uh, sorry. Do you want me to go?" Ash asked.
Dani bit her lip and looked around. "I uh, need to go to the little girl's room. Stay with them. I'll be back soon." She then darted off.
"But they won't let you!" Ash called out and scratched his head.
"She's pretty good at sneaking by," Sam spoke up.
Ash turned and looked at the three people he had been left with. "How does she know you guys anyway?"
"We're her older brother's friends." Tucker answered as he typed on his PDA, unbeknownst to Ash, trying to hack into Skulker's mainframe. Valerie was watching him work closely.
"Oh. Where is he?"
Tucker stuttered. "He uh also went to the bathroom?"
Sam facepalmed.
"But there are ghosts out there!"
"Phantom's got this. The school does this so they won't get sued or something." Sam expressed.
Tucker looked up from his PDA after cursing and whispering something to Valerie. He turned back to Ash, changing his demeanor from frustrated to mischievous.
"So, you showing Dani around the school? Why's that?"
Ash cocked his head. "Uh, well she didn't make fun of my hair, so that's a plus."
"I mean… no other reason?" Tucker asked.
Sam glanced over at Tucker in suspicion while Valerie did the same.
"What do you…" Ash's cheeks suddenly got pink. "Wait! No, you've got the wrong idea!"
Valerie rolled her eyes and pulled Tucker's beret down over the techno geek's eyes.
"Ignore him." Sam grumbled before glancing out the window of the gym, where the sky was able to show through, with slight worry.
zzz
Dani phased out of the girl's bathroom to get outside of the school, only to see Danny locked hand to hand with Skulker in midair.
"This is much better Ghost Child. This is a thrilling hunt!"
"Geez, can't you make up your mind, Skulker?" Danny snapped back.
Dani grunted and shot forward, slinging an ecto-disc of energy at Skulker. He shouted in pain and shoved Danny away, to turn and see who'd attacked.
"Who dares interfere with Skulker during the hunt?"
"I do, bonehead!" Dani retorted. Skulker saw her floating in front of him with her white hair drifting slightly and her eyes and fists glowing green.
"You're that clone. The clone Plasmius made. So, there are three halfas. I guess that means I need to collect every one of you, eventually." Skulker finished with a predatory smile.
"Over my dead body!" Danny growled.
Skulker smirked. "Isn't that the point?"
Skulker aimed one arm at Danny and one at Dani and fired two separate rockets. They darted away to dodge the rockets, only for them to follow.
Dani!
Whoa, Danny is that you?
Yeah, listen. We need to fly at each other.
Are you nuts? We'll blow each other both to smithereens!
Not if we turn at the same time.
Oh, playing chicken with rockets?
Yep.
Gotcha, let's go!
Danny shut off the communication and spun to start flying towards Dani as she did the same. At the last minute, Danny banked left and Dani banked right and the rockets crashed into each other. Dani yelped when a bit of shrapnel cut through the back of her thigh. Skulker reacted quickly to her distress and fired a net at her. She screamed when it wrapped around her and she started to fall.
During this time, Dash and most of the other kids in Casper had opened the gym doors to the outside to watch the battle, despite all the teachers trying to stop them. Both students and teachers were distracted from their struggle when the new Phantom girl started to fall.
Before Dani had been hit, the Fentons had pulled up in their RV; Jazz was with them since her break from collage wasn't quite over. Unfortunately, the Guys in White also pulled up and reacted quicker than the Fentons.
"Just as we thought. Phantom! Stand down!" Agent K shouted and shot a gun at Danny. Two tethers of ghost-proof rope wrapped around his wrists and yanked him to the ground. Dani hit the earth moments after.
"You take care of entity number two, Agent O," Agent K spoke.
"Understood." Agent O walked forward and pointed a different kind of weapon at Dani. She was groaning and just snapping out of her daze from the fall. She saw the gun pointed at her and panicked. She started crawling backwards, away from the Agent the best she could with the net still around her but flinched in pain when some ectoplasm poured from the wound on her leg.
"Stay away from my cousin!" Danny shouted and pulled against the bindings, making Agent K use all his strength to restrain him. Ultimately, he had to use a certain retractable spear modification to also anchor the gun into the ground to pull against Danny and his tethers.
Skulker was a bit aggravated and unnerved by the Agents' intrusion but continued at a distance to try and hunt, though he wasn't happy with the Agents 'aiding' his endeavors, even indirectly so.
"Stop struggling, ghost!" Agent K growled.
Danny could hear the other weapon Agent O had charging up. His other family had decided to intervene then, but they'd made the decision a bit too late and Danny knew it. He screamed in pain when electro-dart from Skulker's rifle found itself in his right shoulder blade. Electricity rippled across his body and he caught another glimpse of Dani and Agent O out of the corner of his eye. The clone and her origin's eyes locked for a single heartbeat.
Everyone stopped dead in their tracks when Danny's screaming turned into a furious howl of rage. His eyes slowly started to turn orange in the irises, his canines became slightly more pointed but not larger, his hair started to become less material and almost flame like, though keeping the same shape, and the white parts of his HAZMAT suit started to dim in brightness and almost fade to a darker grey. The bindings on his wrists snapped and the dart in his back exploded and fell out. Skulker realized he needed to leave since everything had gone south for his chance at a fair hunt and so he darted off using his jetpack. The Ghost boy in that state wouldn't be a challenge, hunt wise; it would go against his recent desire to hunt more human like entities with higher intellect. The Ghost boy was no better than an animal at the moment. At least earlier he'd gotten Technus to increase the defenses in his robotic body so it was harder for the Foley child to interfere in the future. The day wasn't wasted for him.
Danny shot forward like a rocket, coated in flames. He was in front of the gun aimed at Dani when it fired. It wasn't their best weapon so it merely burned his stomach and the suit there, hardly hurting him. Agent O gasped in surprise and slight fear.
Danny paused and made his irises and pupils grow smaller in anger. "Don't come any closer. I'm protecting my cousin. If you threaten her safety… I will attack." Those who knew Phantom was Fenton, flinched at the small wicked smile that came to his face as though he hoped they would actually attack.
"You all are ecto-plasmic scum that must be destroyed." Agent O aimed his weapon at Danny's chest after jumping and backing up a few yards when he'd been surprised by Danny's new appearance.
Danny growled. "Bad mistake." He suddenly split into four copies of himself, two facing Agent O and two facing Agent K, still protectively guarding Dani, who was looking at her wound on her leg now that she had pulled herself out of the net.
The two facing Agent K growled as one drew on its cold core and the second on it's hot core. They unleashed fire and ice each upon him. Agent K dodged and rolled before running over to take a position by his partner.
The two copies that had been facing Agent K turned and all four Dannys focused on both Agents now.
"Turn back… I'm… warning you." The agents didn't seem to notice Danny's eyes pulsing between majorly orange and green branching colors in his irises.
Sam jumped out from the crowd. "You idiots! He's trying to not hurt you! Don't push him more than you have!"
"Seriously guys! He's having trouble NOT hurting you!" Tucker yelled out and grit his teeth.
Agent K completely ignored them both and fired a blast of energy from his newest gun he'd pulled out, which was more powerful. It struck one of the copies, luckily for him, hitting the original. The blast struck Danny's left shoulder and forced him back a step. He howled in pain before he turned back to face the Agents. His suit was torn down to where his heart was, showing a, to most, strangely fleshy colored shoulder and upper chest on that side. Ghosts shouldn't look that human, should they? Danny pulled all his duplicates back to himself as glowing green ectoplasm dripped down his front.
"Once entity one is down, move forward to exterminate the ectoplasmic entity two." Agent K spoke.
"Affirmative." Agent O replied.
Danny snapped. His eyes, even his pupils and sclera, glowed orange fully and his once human fingers morphed slightly to look almost like claws. If he had been in control, he would've felt the access to his cold core get blocked off temporarily in this state. He launched himself at the Agents with an animalistic fury, ignoring any threat that could come to his human side should he be struck while heading towards them.
What everyone heard in their minds at that moment, no one would dare mention aloud. Whispers of a young man's voice, to most there, sounding familiar and to only a few knowing why that was.
DEstRoy… HuRT… HAtE Me. WhY? HeLp. PAiN. CoUSiN… FriENdS. HOmE… AmITy… HuMAn… GHOst… PleASe dOn'T hATe mE…
At the last moment, Dani gave a cry of pain and effort and launched herself from the ground, locking her arms around Danny's arms and chest. Fortunately, she was able to knock him down, dodging the blasts that flew past where he'd been.
"Stop! Danny please, stop!" Dani cried out. "You'll hate yourself if you hurt them, don't! Cool down! Don't let your hot core burn out of control!"
Danny thrashed under her as the Agents patiently waited for their guns to charge back up. Dani was having to use every ounce of her strength to hold him even if she could only do it for a few more moments. Then she felt it. A rumbling in his chest almost more like a vibrating chord of a guitar. He was glaring at the agents and she felt him take a deep breath.
"MOVE!" Dani shouted as loud as she could.
Jack and Maddie went into action immediately and yanked the Agents out of the line of fire. They and Sam and Tucker shouted for everyone to cover their ears as Danny's Ghostly Wail burst from his lungs and started echoing in the air, filling the area around them with a sad, sorrowful and angry sound. The concrete where the agents had been, broke and buckled and several windows in the buildings nearby shattered. Some people started to cry due to the emotion in the attack while others were grinding their teeth in pain. When the sounds quieted down and the attack slowly ended, Danny was still trying to break out of Dani's grasp. Then a moment of quiet later, everyone started to get up or out from behind their hiding places. Danny stopped moving and let out a large exhale.
"That's it, breathe, Danny."
His hair became more tangible and his canines were no longer prominent; his suit and fingers slowly morphed back to normal. He opened his green eyes and immediately saw the destruction in front of him.
"Don't worry you didn't hurt anyone. I didn't let cha cuz." Dani was sitting behind him.
Danny looked at her and then glanced at the ground now that he was standing on. He glanced around at the busted windows, broken concrete and fear in peoples' faces. Finally, he looked up at everyone who was staring at him. The agents were getting up and trying to dust off their white suits. "I'm sorry…" His eyes seemed to dim before he then faded from sight. They saw Dani sigh sadly and fade from view as well.
Agent K spoke into his communicator. "Assignment, failed. Returning to base."
Maddie Fenton was staring at the two men with a very uncommon scowl on her face. She couldn't stop thinking how these two men had pushed her boy so far as to lose control for a bit. Skulker had started it, but the ghost had been wise enough to back off, while these men hadn't. It was almost like they were looking for trouble.
Both parents were also looking at the destruction that their son's Wail had caused. They'd seen it a few times since they'd learned his secret, but only in the Ghost Zone. To see it used on human materials and see the destruction afterwards... was different.
The agents soon drove away in their own vehicle, leaving Amity to clean up the mess they'd indirectly caused.
zzz
Danny and Dani had come back for the last five minutes of the last class of the day. They hadn't missed much since there was only ten minutes left after the ghost attack. Danny had given Dani something to wrap her leg wound with until they could get home and he'd dressed his shoulder and stomach.
Dani got to say goodbye to Ash for the day before following Danny and his friends to get home. Danny was very silent, while Sam was trying to comfort him about his outburst. It turned out that with the low amount of ghost issues, he hadn't been meditating much because he hadn't been stressed. He'd fed his hot core with rage like Hakan had warned against. From that day on, Danny swore to keep on the ball about his meditating.
Danny and Dani split up from Danny's friends to go home after that and Danny was surprised at how calm his parents were about seeing him like he'd been. Jack smiled sadly at his son and Maddie kept hugging him and telling him he'd done nothing wrong. They both smiled when they learned there was something he could do to minimize the chance of that happening again. Danny and Dani both got their wounds treated better before the family settled down for dinner.
Dani fell asleep before her head hit the pillow that night. What a tiring first day of school.
zzz
Danny's birthday. The Mall.
Danny's birthday had finally rolled around. He was lucky to have it fall on a Saturday, so he invited his friends to hang out at the Mall and mess around in the arcade and food court. Dani, Sam, Tucker, Valerie, Mikey, Brandon, Norman, and Lester ended up coming and the group went about talking and playing different games in the arcade.
At the moment, practically everyone was watching a match of Zombie Fighter Five happen between Danny and Sam. The others were shouting and encouraging them both until Sam was able to squeak by and land the last hit.
"Ah man!" Danny exclaimed and Sam cheered in victory. Danny laughed and grinned at Sam. "How is it that you manage to do everything so well?"
Sam smirked, trying to hide the slight blush that came to her cheeks. "I have my ways."
The crew eventually took a break from the arcade and had something to eat in the food court. Danny received his presents from his friends and sister while they were there which consisted mostly of some video games and CDs. It was there though that things took a turn for the worst, because Dash, Kwan, Paulina, Star, Megan, Tyson, and Alroy all were walking about the Mall and spotted Danny and his friends from a floor above.
"Hey look, Dash. It's Fenton," Alroy spoke up and everyone looked over the railing.
"Tch, what are all the geeks and nerds doing together, having a convention?" Megan asked.
Kwan perked up. "Wait, isn't today Fenton's birthday?"
Dash snapped his head over to look at Kwan as a cruel smile crept onto his face. "Oh, this is perfect. This is my chance."
"What is it, man?" Tyson asked.
"What better day to get revenge on a dude, than the guy's birthday when all his friends are there?" Dash questioned.
Paulina smiled. She looked down at her nails. "This should be fun."
Megan smiled and the jocks all grinned at each other. Star was staring down at Danny and the others with a frown on her face. Kwan glanced over and saw Star's face. He found he wasn't grinning anymore.
"Okay, huddle up guys, here's the plan." Dash motioned and all four jocks huddled together and the girls found seats to watch whatever was to come.
Danny and his friends were walking past the fountain when it happened. Oh, if only Danny had a human sense too.
"Wait wait, now you're saying the turkey came to life?" Mikey asked. Brandon's eyes were wide in awe while Mikey and Norman seemed more skeptical.
"It happens a lot with all the ectoplasm my parents work with. Dad forgets which things go in which fridge. It's fine though, I-" Whatever Danny was going to say was cut off as Dash suddenly jumped out from beside the fountain and wrapped both his arms around Danny's arms and chest, crushing him and keeping him from moving. Danny's group halted in shock.
Kwan snatched a nearby bucket that a Janitor had been in the middle of using and tossed it to Tyson who flipped it and slammed it over Danny's head, spilling filthy water all over him. Dash then squatted quickly and pantsed Danny before shoving him towards the fountain. Alroy was there and held out his leg causing Danny to trip over it and face plant into the water.
The bucket came off as Danny resurfaced. Dash grabbed the back of his head by his hair.
"Told you, you'd regret it, Fenton!" Dash then laughed and kicked Danny in the back, forcing him to dunk into the water a second time. The jocks then walked off laughing. It wasn't until they were gone and Danny had stumbled out of the fountain, with blood pouring from his nose that the others were able to snap from their shock.
Sam rushed forward as Danny finished pulling up his wet jeans. "Danny, God! Are you okay?"
Danny tried to wipe under his nose and noticed he was bleeding there. It must've happened when his nose had slammed into the bucket and the floor of the fountain. He glanced up at Sam with a slightly irritated look on his face.
"Sorry, standard question." Sam reached him and pulled a hanky from her spider bag.
"Sham, I myghht get youwr hanky dwirty." Danny mumbled out with his injured nose.
"Danny it's fine."
Danny nodded and started to try and stop the blood.
"They're barbarians is what they are." Norman muttered.
"I cannot believe this!" Valerie cried out in anger.
Tucker was standing at Danny's other side. "Sorry I didn't film it or anything, dude."
Brandon was glancing at the ground with slight shame, thinking that Dash had become so much harder on Danny because of him. Mikey was shaking his head sadly and Lester was frowning.
"Hey where's Dani?" Valerie asked suddenly.
Danny looked up from the hanky and scanned the area, making some blood ooze out of his nose again. "Dani? Swhit. She's gowing to follow thewm."
Tucker rose his eyebrow in amusement. "Now that, I wish I could record."
Valerie shook her head. "I'll go get her. Sam you make him sit. He'll be dizzy from a nose bleed like that."
She walked off as the rest sat down to help Danny, who was still dirty, wet, and bleeding. The old Janitor walked up, the only random bystander that hadn't moved on or had the courage in the first place to even do or say anything.
"Are you alright, son? That was a nasty trick those boys pulled."
Danny glanced up at the man and nodded. His nose wasn't as clogged anymore since his enhanced healing had started to work. "More of a damaged pride than anything."
The Janitor smiled at Sam and nodded towards Danny. "Good character in that one."
Sam squeezed Danny's arm to make him look down at her. "I know."
zzz
Dani slunk through the people passing her by. She was sneakily trying to chase after Dash and his goons and do… well she wasn't sure, but something. She saw them meet up with a few girls and two of them actually laughed about Danny's experience. They had been watching it like a funny cartoon!
Dani growled from where she was watching them, behind a planter. She started thinking about what she could do for pay back when a hand rested on her shoulder.
"Leave them be. They really aren't worth it. They've never done something like this, but still come back to Danny. He needs you. Don't give them your time." Dani watched the jocks and girls walk away and turned to glare up at Valerie's face.
"So, we do nothing? That's not fair!" Dani snapped.
Valerie frowned. "No. It's not."
"Whose side are you on!? You should be helping me!"
Valerie's face turned angry. "Don't you think I want to? If I could, I'd beat every one of their butts into next Tuesday!" She relaxed. "But I've realized, mostly through Danny and his close friends that things aren't only about revenge… or settling a score. We have responsibilities that are more important than getting back at those jerks."
Dani frowned and slowly nodded. She then took off running back towards Danny with Valerie walking quickly behind. Danny almost didn't get to react when Dani hugged him tight.
"Nice job." Tucker spoke to Valerie. She glanced at him and smiled, before he grabbed her hand gently. The action actually caused Valerie to blush which in turn made Tucker's cheeks, pink. Sam glanced over at Tucker with a teasing smirk on her face and he scowled at her. Lester was glancing over at Valerie and Tucker with a small frown on his face. It had been rumored that Tucker and Valerie had been more chummy than normal and now Lester could see it was true.
"You're okay, right Danny?" Dani mumbled into Danny's shoulder.
He paused and placed a hand on her back and rubbed it. "Yeah, Dani. I'm just fine. I don't get as mad about it like I used to."
"You just tell me if you want me to kick their butts." Danny chuckled at her.
"I'll keep that in mind, sis."
The group of teens started on their way home then. The sun was already down when Danny, Sam, Tucker, and Dani walked inside FentonWorks. Maddie came to the door with a smile on her face but halted when she saw how damp Danny still was and the dried bits of blood under his nose.
"Danny!" Maddie cried out and move forward. "What happened, sweetheart?"
"Dash happened!" Dani growled out she shook her head and ran past Maddie to get up to her room.
"Is Dani okay?" Jazz asked, popping her head out of the kitchen. She saw Danny then. "Danny! What ghost was it this time?"
Danny rolled his eyes. "Dash is no ghost, but I'm starting to wonder if he's human." Sam smirked. Danny looked at his sister and mother. "Dani's just dealing with the idea that she can't go beat him up for me. She's never had to control herself like this before."
Maddie nodded and ushered Danny closer. She then nodded to Sam and Tucker. "Be safe walking home you two. Thanks for being such good friends to my boy, actually, to all my kids."
Danny rolled his eyes but smiled against his will, while Sam and Tucker say goodbye and left.
"Danny, how long has Dash been bullying you?" Maddie asked quietly.
"Since I think middle school, why?"
"Haven't you ever said something to your teachers?"
"Yeah, but Dash is their star quarterback, they won't do anything to him unless he like broke my leg or something. Besides it's pretty much impossible for him to hurt me anymore."
Jazz stepped closer. "Physically, yes, mentally? He can still hurt you Danny."
Danny laughed a bit bitterly and shook his head. "Mental attacks? Dash doesn't have a clue how to do that effectively."
Jazz sat on the other side of Danny once he was seated on the couch, while Maddie got up to go and get something to wipe Danny's face with.
She took a deep breath before she spoke. "Danny, is there something you're still not telling us? Something that's a real battle you're in the midst of?"
Danny paused and looked up at her before he shook his head slowly.
"We… we heard it you know?"
Danny stiffened. "Heard… what?"
"When you lost control the other day. I think the inhibitions of your telepathic powers wore down. I'm pretty certain everyone could hear your thoughts. You didn't reveal anything about Fenton… just that Phantom has a lot of stuff on his mind."
Danny quivered slightly and as his mother returned from the kitchen and reached to help wipe his face. Danny flinched away, going intangible at the same time. He got up, went invisible too and spoke. "I'm just going to take a shower, thanks anyways, mom."
After a moment, he was gone.
"What do you think is bothering him, Jazz?" Maddie asked.
Jazz shook her head. "Something bad. He's pretty open with Sam and Tucker and even they didn't have a clue when I asked them not too long ago. But my best guess is it has something to do with Dark Phantom. I don't know what though…"
Maddie noticed her eldest daughter pause. The mother asked Jazz something she'd been wondering. "Jazz?"
"Yeah mom?"
"Has Danny ever looked like that before? You know... the orange eyes... the claws?" Maddie subconsciously rubbed her hands together. She wouldn't tell her son that his appearance had scared her, since she and Jack had wanted to do anything they could to not push Danny away ever again.
"Actually... I don't think so. Maybe it has something to do with his hot core being built upon..."
"Hakan told him that rage can do that, right?"
"Recently, I guess Danny's been mostly balanced emotionally... other than being stressed about protecting everyone and being a teenager at the same time. Telling you guys helped him a lot. Meditation can help like Hakan mentioned..." Jazz frowned in thought and Maddie could practically see the gears turning in her daughter's head.
"Jazz?"
"Mmmm... maybe..." Jazz glanced up at her mother. "Clockwork told Danny that he can still turn evil, just like anyone. Maybe... that's what Danny would become, what he'd look like, if he fed into his anger for too long. I can only guess something similar would also happen if he fed his cold core too much as well. My theory is that ghosts are very similar to humans emotionally, but because they actually are partially formed from the energy that make up emotions, they actually visually change based on the emotions they fuel themselves with. Some can change form quickly using this kind of manipulation, while others do it slowly over time or spontaneously."
Maddie smiled brightly at her daughter's deductive abilities. "That is certainly an interesting theory and it makes sense."
Jazz smiled slightly and nodded. "I mean I'm studying psychology so I have to contemplate these kinds of things in regards to ghosts and humans both. It's funny. The more I've learned about ghosts through Danny and my own experience, the less different they really seem from humans. They're anatomy is quite different, minus Halfas, but in almost every other way, they mirror humans and actually blatantly show truths about mankind itself and the way we treat each other. It spirals into a vastly complicated ethical talk." Jazz flinched and laughed nervously. "I'm babbling, aren't I?"
"That's fine sweetie. I mean I'm certain me and your father have done more than our fair share." Maddie smiled and placed her hand on Jazz's. She paused and realized something. "Jazz?"
"What mom?"
"What does Dan Phantom even look like? I don't think Danny told me and your father."
Jazz perked up in surprise. "Really?" She furrowed her brows in thought. "Why would he not mention that? It would be important if somehow, he escaped or something. He's a very dangerous ghost."
Maddie frowned. "How odd."
Jazz sighed and glanced at her mom. "I think that might be a clue behind what's bothering him. He's knows he lost control. Maybe... for some reason... he hasn't been fully honest with us about Dan."
"Why not?"
"I don't know for sure. Just the fact that he didn't mention to you what Dan looked like. I'm sensing a bit of shame from those actions. He still feels responsible. He feels guilt."
"Should we sit him down? Should we try and help him talk it out?"
Jazz ran a hand through her hair. "At this point it could be risky. His psyche would either cause him to break down and tell us or he might isolate himself further if he decides in his mind that there's some fear or distrust coming from us. It would probably be best to wait some. Maybe... with time, he'll tell us. Only if it gets really bad should we try and fully intervene."
"I don't like waiting around while my baby boy is hurting inside."
"I know mom. I know."
Maddie patted her daughter on the shoulder and the two sat in silence after that.
zzz
Danny was sitting on his bed, rubbing his head dry with a towel. He'd just gotten cleaned up and his nose was still a bit sore. He tossed the towel into his hamper and laid on his bed. A wisp of cold air came from his mouth and he tensed before transforming and looking around. He knew his parents had deactivated the ghost monitors in the house until they could figure out a way to filter out his and Dani's signature when they transformed in Fenton Works.
"Danny?"
Danny looked around and found himself face to face with Sidney Poindexter.
"Sydney? Why are you here?" Danny then asked suspiciously. He was surprised to see Sidney look down sadly.
"Oh, well you see-"
"Ah ha!"
"Oof!"
Danny blinked when he saw Dani on top of Sidney in her Phantom form.
"I got him Danny! Get the thermos!"
Danny picked up his sister carefully by the back of her suit. "Let's see what he has to say first. You interrupted him, sis."
Dani blinked. "Oh oops."
Sidney glanced between the two Phantoms before he sighed and sat up.
"I saw what those kids did to you, Danny. You were right, they were the bullies. I didn't realize…"
Danny smiled sadly and shook his head. "It… it doesn't matter. I don't need to fight back anymore. I've forgotten all those feelings of needing those people to like me or something. A bloody nose doesn't hurt."
Dani frowned. "Dash needs to get another hobby instead of continuing to torture you! It's not fair. You may be a hero but heroes can hurt too!"
Danny smirked and rubbed his sister's hair on her head. "I'm not so sure anymore. Sidney was right to punish me then… I don't want to be the kind of person, not now, not ever. I don't want to be that monster that protected you the other day."
Dani's eyes narrowed in frustration. "You're not a monster! A monster wouldn't have protected me. A monster would've killed those agents and laughed, not warned them several times to go away. Danny you're a hero, my hero. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you. Period."
Danny hugged Dani close. "And I could've killed them trying to keep you safe. Period. So, thank you."
Sidney frowned. "You've been even protecting your own bullies."
Danny looked Poindexter in the eyes. "Yeah, you just caught me on an off day."
Sidney nodded. "Well that's why I came. I suppose I wanted to say I was sorry. I was also wanting to extend-"
"GHOST! Don't worry kids, daddy's coming!"
Jack burst through Danny's door with Maddie right behind him. "We heard a couple yells, are you kids okay?"
"Gotcha, spook!" Jack barked and pointed a bazooka at Sydney.
"Wait dad!" Danny yelped and jumped in front of Sydney. Sydney's eyes widened both from Danny's act to protect him and also when Jack started to lower his gun.
"A friend, Danno?"
Danny smirked. "Now he is." He glanced over his shoulder at Sydney, who smiled.
"Hot dog! Absotively-posolutely! Your parents know that your the-?"
"The Halfa, yeah. They know about Dani too."
Sydney sighed. "Phew now maybe we can try and be more civilized, hm?"
Danny looked at Sydney with a deadpan look on his face.
"Well a good portion of us at least."
"My parents are learning who in the Zone is decent and who can barely be reasoned with."
"I see. That's very good. People with any speck of intelligence can show compassion and understanding." Sydney harrumphed.
"By the way Sydney. I'm sorry for what you suffered through in your life."
Sydney blinked and slowly, he answered. "Really, ya mean it?"
Danny nodded. "Over time, I've just started to see more and more how complicated things can be. So yeah, I'm sorry."
Sydney smiled and nodded solemnly. "Thanks, Danny. I'm sorry for picking on you. I was just worried that another halfa would use their powers for evil."
Danny smiled. "I understand."
"I just don't understand why the Observants don't like you but almost ignore Plasmius. Maybe he made a deal with Walker or something."
Danny grimaced slightly at the mention of the Observants. "Walker has connections with the Observants?"
"Walker's been bending the rules for the last century or so. That started around the time that the Observants started getting shady."
"Wow." Danny frowned. "I knew the Observants were annoying and tended to prefer the easy way out of things, but I didn't know they were willing to let Walker's actions slide."
"Corruption is a phenomenon that exists in both our worlds as shameful of a truth as that is. Be careful, Danny. I don't want Walker to catch you and take you to the ghostly gallows, okay?"
"Whoa wait, what's the ghostly gallows?" Dani asked and looked at her older brother.
Danny's face darkened slightly. "It's a hangman's noose that works on ghosts. It ends their time in this plane of existence and sends them to judgement immediately. At least that's what I've heard."
"Walker's pride and joy, about seventy years ago the Observants gave him permission to use it for law and order." Sydney mumbled. "The only other object in the ghost zone with that kind of power is the Scythe of the Reaper himself."
Jack and Maddie paled slightly and Maddie spoke. "Do you mean the Grim Reaper? As in the Grim Reaper?"
Danny rubbed the back of his head. "I've never met him-"
"Most haven't. They say he doesn't speak. No one knows his face, or what's under his cloak. However most simply call him Reaper since the rumors say he doesn't like being called Grim."
"Clockwork says that he has spared people of their suffering so he's not always bringing despair with the death he brings. I think Clockwork had his Scythe for a while for some reason." Danny added and scratched his cheek.
"I've got to skedaddle. It was nice talking things through, Danny and uh Dani… oh and Mr. and Mrs. Fenton." Sydney nodded and adjusted his glasses kindly. "I think you can count me and the rest of my crew from the fifties area to be your allies, maybe only a few don't like halfas and would leave us."
"Why hate a halfa?" Dani asked.
"Some ghosts feel cheated that halfas have both a human life as well as the power that comes with being a ghost. Usually it's a trade at death, not a chance to get all the above."
"Oh," Dani answered and shuffled her feet in slight awkwardness.
"Later gators!" Sydney smiled and then slipped through the floor to no doubt head back towards the portal in the basement.
The four Fentons blinked and then sighed almost in unison.
"Hey where's Jazz?" Danny asked suddenly.
Maddie smiled. "She's getting some last-minute things from the store. She's heading back to college in the morning."
"Oh, what time is she leaving? I wanna make sure to say bye." Danny replied.
"Oh, me too, me too!" Dani shouted.
"Jack smiled and hugged his wife from the side as Maddie spoke. "Tomorrow about an hour before you two normally wake up for school."
Danny nodded. "Alright, I guess I'm heading to bed then."
Dani smiled and started walking to exit the door to Danny's room before their parents. "Unless a ghost shows up."
"Right."
Jack grinned. "Make sure you two tell us!"
With that, the Fentons went to bed... except one. Danny Fenton sat quietly on his bed, after his family had left his room, with his eyes glowing green before closing them and starting to meditate.
So, what did you think of Dani's first day of school? Oh, and Ash, what did you think of Ash? I just feel Dani needs to have at least one friend her age. Also, what do you think about Dani meeting one other friend eventually? Is one friend her age enough? I'm thinking about not including the other person I made... idk. I DO NOT want to add too many OCs to the story (other than the unnamed students of Casper High when the field trip comes around) (P.S. I wasn't trying to reference Ash from my Pokemon stories, but once I'd decided Ash's appearance as an OC in this story and even him having white hair... I thought the name Ash would be cool.)
Thanks guys for everything!
~NoSignal