A/N - Had a bit of blockage, don't mind how crappy this chapter is XD But at least enjoy more action and a fruitloop? 8D

Chapter Seven: Dark of the Night

Danny Phantom flew over the dark skies of Amity Park. The Guys in White were still trying to figure out what was plastered on the wall. Trying fruitlessly to scrape some up for samples. He caught a glimpse of Tucker, Valerie, Star and Kwan all standing outside the Nasty Burger looking in the direction of the where he'd just come from. At least they were as far away from the weirdness as possible.

The rest of Amity Park seemed to be eerily quiet. The sudden cold had the residents locked away indoors. Even the usual kids who played an extra hour in the dark didn't want to be bothered to bundle up a bit to play.

The black and white clad teen floated on down to a small alleyway to morph back into his civilian form. As the cold rushed back into his living figure he ran down the street and up the stairs to his house. Finally, home - "Oh my god...it's not even safe here..." Danny muttered to himself in realization. He probably wouldn't get a lick of sleep tonight...no one home...even if his parents were here he'd find some comfort in that. No. It was better they weren't here. It was too dangerous.

Danny stuck his key in the doorknob, turned and pushed the door open to let himself inside. Right when he walked in his ghost sense went off. Jumping back, he instantly transformed into his ghost half and aimed his glowing green hand at the figure on his couch.

"Oh Daniel, good evening to you."

"You're shitting me." Danny's arm lowered to his side at the sight of Vlad Masters sitting there. On HIS couch. Crossing his legs as he held a glass of HIS tea. In HIS house. Filling HIS air with the funk of expensive rich people cologne.

This smug mother fucker.

The older man sat on the couch looking up to the young man smiling quite pleasantly at his irritated look. Danny slammed the door hard, making sure to lock every single lock on it, before letting himself morph back to his original form "You look comfortable."

Vlad shrugged simply. He took a sip of his tea before continuing "I've sat on more comfortable cactus's."

Danny was three steps away from just shoving that tea cup down Vlad's throat. He paused. No...he drove Sam away already. He drove away one thing that could have got him through this emotionally. He needed to know what Vlad knows right now. He had to just ignore the older man's fruity-loopness for now.

"I thought you had to invite vampires inside...at least that's how Buffy's universe goes." Danny rolled his eyes. He walked over to the couch across from Vlad and plopped down hard with a loud sigh. He sprawled out on the couch instantly feeling 40 times better.

Vlad didn't reply instead he studied the only other halfa in existence. He looked so so tired. Someone his age should be that tired or irritable...well Daniel was always quite irritable. That was besides the point. Over the last four years their relationship had, believe it or not, gotten better. Not to the point where they were friends or the like. The two just had a unofficial agreement. Favors getting tossed back and forth between the two.

That started after Vlad had ended his little 'mid life crisis' episodes. The awkward time frame where he decided to become the Mayor of Amity Park and beyond. Eventually he had truly gained interest in politics. They had become something more to him than just the battle of the richest. It was like a game. A game he could get into...risk...level up...score. That's how he learned that in order to be a good enough mayor he actually had to CARE about Amity Park. He started doing that and was looked on in a positive light. So positive that he was re-elected without cheating!

The older man still had his diabolical...it's just he was taking his sweet sweet time. No need to rush things. Vlad was a patient man. He would wait another 20 years to launch a scheme if needed. This isn't stopping him from trying to tinker with the ghost zone.

This is where Danny comes in.

Vlad would ask Danny to clean up his 'accidents'...in exchange Danny would ask Vlad to help him with really tough foes. Danny hated to help Vlad out and rather he'd clean up his own mess, but innocent people were normally involved. So he couldn't refuse anyway.

Plus the old man was in the loop. He managed to somehow know EVERYTHING that was going on ghost wise. He had plenty of ghost minions ease dropping in on the important conversations of the ghost zone. That was also when he stopped trying to flat out kill Jack Fenton. He still hated his guts in private..and openly. He still obviously loved Maddie Fenton. Flirted with her even when she would tell him to go screw himself. Danny was VERY suspicious of these things...another reason to keep the fruit loop close.

Danny turned his head to Vlad and just stared at him. Vlad looking extra fancy tonight. He was wearing a white suit instead of the usual dark one. It seemed to be a bit off to Danny. Unless the man had come back from an important meeting.

"So yeah, about that question."

"Go on." Vlad set down his tea. Giving his full attention to the other. He crossed his arms and smiled to him with that mocking smile Danny just wanted to rip off.

Fenton. CHILL. Getting smart to this guy does nothing but get him off.

Wow ew.

He threw the pleasurable thoughts of blasting Vlad's stupid face to smithereens and sat up straight, looking to the older man seriously. Vlad was taken a bit back by the sudden change in the younger boy's posture and overall attitude. "Today I was attacked by something...non-ghost."

The boy waited for Vlad's reaction, but the other just looked at him to continue.

"It was like...some weird darkness goop. My blasts didn't phase him at all, it was just this terrible darkness creeper. It even spoke to me." Danny shivered a bit recalling the memory, his gaze turned to the top of the dark stairs. Which now looked absolutely frightening.

"Like this?" Vlad had pulled out his iPhone while Danny spoke. He held up the phone for Danny to see. The boy got off the couch and walked over to get a closer look. It was a picture of the scene he just left! The hardened goo on the white wall.

"How did you get th-You're the mayor." Danny asked and answered his own question in one go. "I was just there. The wall...it had words on it."

"I didn't know that." Vlad put away his phone in quite a quick maneuver, not taking his curious gaze off Danny "What did it say?"

Danny opened his mouth to speak, but slowly closed it and looked away.

Vlad clapped his hands. "Good job, Daniel. Good job."

"Vlad, that thing almost killed me in my bathtub! I was freaked out!" Danny spat out accidentally.

He did NOT mean to say that either. Was his mental filter broken today?

"Are you alright?" Vlad stood up and placed a hand on Danny's arm. Danny looked to him confused. Though the other's gaze looked...concerned. He looked into the darker blue eyes for a moment until his common sense kicked back in.

Danny shook off Vlad's arm in disgust. "Don't...touch me. I'm okay."

Vlad only smiled as he took back his own hand "I already have people on it as we speak. I have no idea when I'll find anything useful, but when I do I shall contact you instantly."

"Thanks." Danny said as he stood there just looking at Vlad...then looking to the darkness upstairs...he should probably try to make a run for Tucker's house. Yeah running at Tucker's house seemed logical right now.

"And Daniel..." Danny's eyes widened when he saw Vlad had managed to stand right in front of Danny without him even noticing the elder ghost. He looked up into the dark eyes a bit nervous at how close they were. "If you need someone to talk to, I am here for you."

Danny couldn't help but blush a tad bit. Mainly because Vlad was breathing right on his face which would have probably been a grosser feeling if Vlad's breath didn't smell so impossibly fresh. Fenton, get your shit together...LIKE NOW!

"I...yeah...I'm fine. Go. You have a city to run!" Danny insisted. He walked past the older halfa right to the door. Opening it for him to be on his way. "You don't want to be caught hanging out with the son of the Fenton family." He smiled a bit strained.

"Alright, enjoy your night, little badger. I will be in touch." Vlad said looking the teen over before making his way out. He had other things to do. Apparently whatever shook the boy up tonight closed him off even more than usual. This had meant he had to really dig into this mess. Whatever was after Danny like this sure could be after him too.

Of course Vlad was thinking of his well being! He is Vlad Masters after all. that aspect about the old man had not changed.

"Oh wait Vlad!"

The silver haired man had just made it down to the sidewalk before Turning his name. Suddenly his eyes opened wide as he just managed to dodge something thrown right in the direction of his face. The flying object landed in the street behind him with a crack. Catching his breath at the sudden rush of adrenaline, he looked over in the street to see...it was the teacup he had been drinking out of.

"Yeah don't want my mom to catch 'fruit-loop-is' from ya. Say hi to your cat for me!" Danny beamed brightly before slamming the door and locking it back up again.

"THAT'S MY SISTER'S CAT YOU NUTTER BUTTER!" Vlad hollered from outside in complete anger. Danny laughing at the old man at his expense. This is exactly what he gets for barging into his house and basically calling him an idiot for forgetting the writings on the wall. It's not his fault he was having his like 5th heart attack of the day at that moment. Though he really regret not paying attention to it.

Danny was basically standing at the door laughing for a good three minutes until he was sure Vlad had flown away to his stupid rich house. He simply stood there satisfied...until he turned and saw that the only light on in the house was the living room light and he was all alone.

He had forgotten what he was just carelessly laughing about.

"Okay Fenton...okay...you're okay..." Danny's back pressed against the locked door, slowly sliding down to the ground. The teen sat there on the ground, his arms to his chest, his eyes wandering around. It was dark upstairs...it was dark in the kitchen...it was dark in that corner...he even manged to notice how dark it was under the couches.

"I am being so ridiculous right now."

RING

"WAAAAAAH!" Danny wailed out, damn near about to use his ghostly wail into the air. It was jut his house phone. Of course. He collected himself as he got to his feet and quickly headed over to the house phone and picked it up. "Hello?"

"Danny!" An oh so familiar voice chirped on the other side of the phone.

Danny's eyes widened with joy "Jazz? Jazz HI!" He breathed out in excitement.

Jazz laughed through the phone. It had been ages since she called home. Hearing the voice of his big sister just made everything 20 times better. She sounded very well and happy...and her speech sounded a bit snobbier. She was a Yale student.

"How are ya, bro? Not throwing any parties while Mom and Dad are away right?"

Danny rolled his eyes as he walked into the kitchen, turning on the light switch...nothing. He smiled and headed right to the fridge. "Of course not. What abut you? You're a collage student that's what you guys are supposed to be famous for!"

Danny's anxiety faded out of existence thanks to the comfort of Jazz. She wasn't physically there, but the way they talked and caught up on things, the girl might well have been sitting right in the living room. Their conversation went on until 3am. That whole time Danny went upstairs, changed his clothes, got comfortable on the couch while staring at old TV shows as he rambled on to his sister...mostly about the past.

He wasn't going to tell his sister about what happened today. No way that was off limits. The girl had much more important things to worry about, like her future. Jazz was destined a future thanks to her genius. There was no way he would let her give it up for ghost fighting. Danny wondered if he were ever going to make it to NASA. Would he ever get close enough to his dreams like Jazz was doing right now? He also wouldn't speak with his sister about these uncertainties. Instead he let her go on and talk about herself, her new friends, her boyfriend - whom Danny wants to meet asap! - and her schooling.

Eventually Danny had hit empty and fallen asleep on the redhead in mid conversation. Jazz woke him up and made him get off and go to bed. Claiming that school project - which Danny happily vented about Dash and Paulina - was much more important. Danny barely remembered properly saying 'goodnight' and 'love you' to Jazz before letting himself fall into the comforting embrace of sleep on his couch. The TV played being the only source of light in the house. He hadn't remembered turning off any of the lights...and he sure didn't remember the cold chill he gotten from a dark figure looming over his exhausted form.

The trio walked down the street very quietly. Not a peep was said from any of them. Dash walking the closet to the street, Sam in the middle, and Paulina at the end. Sam wondered why the two weren't talking to one another. They usually ignored her, but this was insane. The only reason why she didn't leave them was because Danny wanted her to make sure they were safe.

Sam didn't exactly mind the silence. She was tossed in a whirlpool of thoughts. Danny was the one who broke it off with her and he thinks he can put moves on her like that? As many times as she wanted to put obvious moves on him she held back. Because he dumped her. Well it was more like - 'an agreement of breaking up' - but Danny started it! He wanted this. Not her. Men. Men are such...indecisive beings.

Maybe she should talk to that bartender at the goth club who hits on her every time she's spotted. Malice was her name? She seems nice...and like someone with a good head on their shoulders. A woman who knows what she wants. Sam's mind was pretty open to do something like find love in another woman. She's goth. You have to have an open mind to be into that.

Then again, Sam always thought this way when she was mad at a guy. She did like guys! After Danny, she didn't just stop dating like he seemed to have. She is a human. Sex is apart of her nature. She had to have something. So it could just be a phase...that's why there's college. Experimenting and all...

Eventually they reached Dash's house. Dash REALLY didn't want to leave the girls to walk out by themselves - but Paulina lived closer and Sam would be with her. Sam was tough for a girl so there was no way anyone would dare try to step up to them. If they did...the goth would make waste of them. He was more concerned they'd kill each other off in the dark...but they were serious about the project. So if any killing would be done it would be AFTER everything is done. With a wave, Dash went on in his home. Leaving Paulina and Sam to walk by themselves down the street.

The two walked on pretty fast...but it felt so slow. It was quiet still. Paulina checked her phone every now and then, while Sam was still in her own thoughts.

"What exactly happened back there?" Paulina's voice pieced the silence between the two.

Sam turned to her immediately and exploded "It was between me and Danny! Can you not be so nosy?"

Silence.

"I was talking about the gooey stuff." Paulina said as if un-phased by the shorter girl's anger.

"Oh right..." Sam retreated, folding her arms as he gaze found her feet. "Sorry I didn't mean to assume that."

"I was curious about that too but I was sure you weren't going to tell me." Paulina admitted with a shrug. "But apology accepted, I guess."

"You guess?"

"You might snap at me about something else later so yeah..." Paulina looked to her sternly "I guess I'm sorry."

Sam could not hold back. There was no one there to hold her back. Not Danny. Not Dash. It was between her and this bitch and now was her time to tell Paulina off. The pale teen turned and stopped dead in front of Paulina. "You know, I never did ANYTHING to you!"

Paulina picked up on the others intentions "You came up to me and called me shallow! I didn't even care about your existence before then!"

"I was just defending my friend! You were going to rip him to shreds!" Sam shot.

"News flash! You threw him at me." Paulina said with her arms on her hips. "Yeah I saw you throwing him at me! Telling him to go talk to me!"

Sam's eyes widened. She thought back - she did tell Danny...to go exercise his week knees - Aha! "Then why did you tell me you only wanted to steal Danny away because you thought he was my boyfriend?"

It was Paulina's turn to be surprised. Her arms fell to her sides. Trying to think up something to say...anything to counter but found nothing.

Sam just stood there waiting for the other girl to find a good excuse. Which there wasn't any except she was just a shallow little bitch. That was it...it made her look even worse now that she knew there was nothing between her and Danny at that moment in time. That was her being a mind playing creep.

"Exactly." Sam smiled in triumph. She turned away from Paulina, happy she knew the REAL truth. Paulina was a brat. End of story.

"Wait Sam!" Paulina shouted as he reached forward and grabbed Sam back by her arm. "It's not...It wasn't like..."

Sam turned and looked to her intensely "Get off me, now."

SMASH

Sam and Paulina looked up and saw that a street light at the end of the black busted. The two stayed quiet, looking back at each other. Paulina's hand still grasping onto Sam's arm she decided to continue.

"I won't get off. I wasn't being sha-"

CRACK

The street light next to it blasted off as well.

"Then what Paulina?" Asked Sam, the goth feeling her heartbeat increase by the obvious paranormal happening around them.

BAM

Another street light exploded. The light under Sam and Paulina, and the rest up the street, were the only ones on.

"I WAS TRYING TO PLAY MATCHMAKER GODDAMNIT!" Paulina screamed out in pure terror. The familiar chills of danger sinking into her bones. The chills that shook her entire core when a ghost was near.

Sam would have been taken back by that but she was too busy taken back by the dark black figure that seemed to form in the darkness behind Paulina. Sam's purple painted lips parted and opened wide at the new creature. It wasn't a ghosts. Ghosts were not usually this terrifying.

"RUN!" Sam maneuvered her hand so that she held onto Paulina's wrist instead of the other way around. She pulled the other girl to start running but was stopped by her painfully loud scream. Sam turned and the creature had caught Paulina by the hair, pulling the raven looks into the darkness.

"What the hell is with you bitches pulling my goddamn hair? Get off!" Paulina screamed in anger more than fear. She threw her hand back to attack but when she turned to hit she caught a glimpse of her captor. A dark figure, an obviously female silhouette with bright orange eyes. Sam was about to say Spectra but no...this was even creepier than Spectra and that seemed impossible only 5 minutes ago. Paulina just stared up at the thing, her green fiery eyes lost it's spark instantly. Her resistance toward the creature ceased to exist.

"Such beautiful women. I don't think I've been this close to humans in centuries..." She spoke in a dark lustful tone of voice. A cross between a succubus and a sex hotline girl it seemed. "Come with me into the darkness beautiful conquers. Beauties such as yourselves should not be forced to fight. No no..."

Sam kept her grip on Paulina as the creature spoke. Her amethyst eyes stayed focused on the black silhouette before her, trying hard to not let fear be shown in her face. That slipped up right quick when the creature stuck it's other hand out. The hand stretched like rubber toward her. So quick it wrapped itself around Sam's free hand that she didn't have a chance to evade it. She merely let out a holler of shock.

"...you two should come with me. You don't deserve to see the end." The creature smiled evilly with only it's bright orange eyes.

"Let GO!" Sam cried in terror. Her wrist was being yanked at by the gooey substance wrapped around it, while her hand stayed gripped on Paulina's wrist...which she now noticed the creature was pulling in the shell shocked Paulina as well. She could let go of Paulina. She could let go and try to find something in her backpack to attack. Sadly everything in there was anti-ghost. This bitch was not a ghost.

If she let go, the thing would have Paulina...but right now it looked like she was about to have two for one. "PAULINA!" Sam cried desperately. Her boots trying hard to keep steady on the cement. "PAULINA SNAP OUT OF IT!"

Paulina barely heard Sam's cries for attention. Fear had her. Whatever this thing was, it was able to tear Paulina's resistance apart with ease. She couldn't fight this thing. What was the point? It was a powerful thing. Powerfully terrifying. She was only human for Christ sake...

"PAULINA PLEASE!" Sam screamed at the top of her lungs. Trying to get out of the gooey grasp at the same time trying to pull Paulina away from the darkness. At that moment the light under them blast out. It was dark. So dark. Sam's breath stopped, unintentionally holding it for she was terrified that something was going to pierce through her chest and her heart would explode into pieces.

The last scream had done it for Paulina. She snapped out of her stupor. Snapped out of the overwhelming feeling of helplessness and without thinking twice used her free hand to dig inside that huge purse of hers. Her hands already familiar with the interior of the purse and grabbed exactly what she needed. In her grasp was an actual kitchen knife. A kitchen knife right out of a knife holder. She sunk the knife right into the creature with a primitive scream.

For a moment there was just silence...and darkness.

Paulina looked up to the orange eyes, slowly feeling the confidence leak out of her. Sam looked up int the eyes as well. The grip on the other girl's wrist was probably cutting off her circulation by now, but that didn't matter at the moment.

The darkness was suddenly eaten away by a bright light that shone on their attacker's chest. The knife was glowing a blinding white that made the girls inch away at it. The creature howled in pure pain at the attack. The screech was so inhuman. It damned near ripped their eardrums apart.

"You are the conquers are you? This isn't over ladies! I will get you all...I will kill you all for this!" She warned in a tone mixed with anger and pain.

She was gone.

The pole lights flicked back to life in front of their eyes. No signs that they had been busted out at all. The only darkness was the simple darkness of the night. The girls stood there breathing in the much clearer air around them. Paulina looked to Sam. Sam looked back to her. They stared at each other for a few moments. Watching each others sweat glasses faces in the faux light above them.

"Uh...I can't feel.." Paulina shook her captured wrist, still held tight in Sam's grasp.

Sam's quickly let go and threw her hands in the air in defense "Oh yeah...sorry.."

Paulina couldn't help but laugh a bit as she took back her wrist and gently rubbed it "That wasn't..a ghost right?"

Sam shook her head "No, definitely not."

"She id that...the wall...the good. She did that." Paulina said surely. She was reminded of the knife and turned around to see it was lying on the ground. Covered in goo. "Yeah." She added again.

"We really should just go home and talk about it later." Said Sam. This was bad. VERY bad. She manged to get Paulina thrown into this mess? No...Paulina saved them. Somehow Paulina saved them. But how? Was the message on the wall not just for Danny, her, or possibly Tucker? How can it be? Things like that always revolved around the three of them...even Valerie at times...but why Paulina? How Paulina? Hopefully...Danny was finding out.

BEEP BEEP!

"AHHHHHH!" Paulina and Sam screamed out in surprise at the same time. Unconsciously throwing their arms around each other as they looked to the source.

"Do...you two need a ride or am I interrupting?" Star's green eyes looked up from the driver's windows curiously at the two girls hugging. Kwan was relaxing in the passenger side, looking at them hug but more in a perverted way. "Please don't say I'm interrupting." The blonde deadpanned.

"No! Ride please, Star, RIDE!" Paulina grabbed Sam's arm and pulled her toward the white car. Knowing Sam would protest if asked for a ride from Star. Why she cared about Sam's well being right now? Well they almost kinda died...or something. She wasn't going to let the girl wander home alone...Sam wasn't going to let her go home alone in the first place.

Sam would have protested any other time but screw that. Danny wasn't around to save her if needed. She was hopelessly powerless - though it was bugging the hell out of her how she was saved by Paulina - so she wasn't skipping out on a chance for a safe ride home. Even if she had to put up with the funk of Star's Britney Spears perfume.

"Dash called us. He said you were walking home, Paulina, so we were driving around to see if we could find you and give you a lift." Star informed Paulina when the two climbed in the back. Once the door shut, Star continued on down the road. Kwan turned in his seat to take a look at the two.

"You guys alright? You look like you'd seen a ghost." Kwan asked in his upbeat tone of voice. Smiling at the girls who looked like they'd seen far worse than something they saw n the regular.

Sam forced a smile to him "Yeah, it was a wacky ghost. Nothing new."

"Very wacky..." Paulina repeated with a sigh, her eyes falling to her lap. Well this was obviously turning into a secret. A secret between her and Manson. Really?

"Alright, Sam where exactly do you live?" Star blurted out in a rush. As if she didn't really wanna ask, which she didn't. She honestly didn't want the other in the car in the first place. Now that she'd just been attacked by a ghost, her presence was even more nerve racking than usual. Foley didn't even mange to attract a ghost in the three hours they were together...of COURSE this girl would.

The blonde thanked the gods that Danny Fenton wasn't there at least. The freak was a ghost magnet!

Sam noticed the tone in Star's voice, but ignored it. A ride was a damn ride. With any luck they're drive off a cliff. "Three blocks ahead."

As always, review and let me know what you think! ^.^