By lunch, Danny was a larger reck than he usually was. Vlad had stolen the objects, that he knew that much. But it was what he was planning that threw him off. Last time that fruit loop had gotten hold of the Skeleton Key, he unleashed Pariah Dark, an evil so ancient he made the Observants look like preschoolers. But the thermos... Danny's stomach churned horribly, an uneasy feeling settling over him. What did he plan to do with the thermos? How did Vlad even know about the thermos? Only ClockWork, the Observants, Jazz, Tucker and Sam knew.

Something wasn't right here. There was something else intervening, but what, he wasn't quite sure.

When the bell rang for lunch, he darted out of Math for the cafeteria, where Tucker and Sam were already sitting at their usual table in the back, far away from the A-listers.

He collapsed onto the bench, watching from the corner of his eye, to see Atalanta, Lou, and Wyatt enter the cafeteria. If possible, they looked more worn down than he did.

Perhaps the worst was Atalanta, which he wasn't expecting. He didn't know her, but he could tell she was one of those people who very rarely ever gave up. Yet as she walked, she looked like the only thing she wanted to do was give up. Succumb into death, close her eyes and not awake every again. Not as a ghost, just as pure obliviousness.

He didn't notice it at first, it was as if she was wearing a facade... A mask, just like he did.

Danny shook his head, sighing tiredly, facing his best friends.

"So," said Tucker, grinning. "Wanna come to my place and play Doom?"

"Yes," smirked Sam. "That way I can whip all your asses into shape!"

The techno-geek crossed his arms over his chest, grumbling to himself.

Danny sighed, rubbing the bags under his eyes. "I dunno, Tuck-"

"Oh, c'mon, man!" he cried, "Are you going to let my butt get kicked by Sam alone?"

He sighed, his shoulder slumping. "Fine," he agreed. "As long as Technus isn't involved."

"Nope," they agreed, grinning.

When Sam peered over Danny's shoulder, and her smirk melted away and turned into a deep scowl. As Paulina strutted up to them. Why is it it's always the popular slut girls who strut? Why is it nobody else? Must be slutty girl problems.

"What do you want now, Paulina?" the goth sneered.

The Latino's pretty face twisted into a sneer, "Nothing you would know about, freak."

Danny stiffened, Sam's eyes narrowed, and Tucker whistled gleefully. "Someone's gonna get it!"

Paulina turned towards Danny, winking, and grinning. "So, Danny-"

"Uh, Paulina?" he scooted backwards, "Are you okay?" he paused, "Or possessed again?"

"No, silly," she giggled. "I just want to talk with you," she smiled, batting her eyelashes. Sam's scowled turned deeper.

"Um, actually-"

"You-will-come-with-me," she hissed.

Danny's eyes glazed over, "Yes, ma'am," he said absently. Tucker got up behind him, in the same trance.

Paulina sneered at him, "Not you, mortal." Tucker sat down instantly. He suddenly shook his head, clearing his thoughts. What the-?

"Hey!" shouted Sam, growling. "You have no-right to treat my friends like that, Barbie!"

She scoffed, rolling her eyes, and examining her nails that were painted turquoise. "Just stay out of something for once, Manson." Sam's eyes became distant and she quieted down. "Well, Danny-" she smiled at him.

"Um..."

Paulina grabbed his wrist and dragged him out of the cafeteria. The halfa shot his friends an I''ve-got-this look. While everyone else in the school whispered to each other. What was the Queen Been of Casper High doing with Casper's biggest loser?

Wyatt and Lou watched silently with wide eyes, as Paulina dragged Fenton out of the cafeteria to the back door of the school by his wrist. Lou shoved a spoonful of potatoes (or at least she thought it was potatoes) into her mouth, and Wyatt poked Atalanta in the back, who had taken to sleeping with her head on the table.

Her head snapped up, "Wha-?" Wyatt pointed to Paulina and Fenton, "Oh." her eyes widened.

The trio of demigods jumped out of their seats and bolted towards the 'Queen Bee' and 'loser'. They twisted and turned through the Casper High's corridors, ducking and weaving between students to keep up.

Paulina burst out of the backdoor of the school by the dumpster, crinkling her nose slightly at the smell. Danny stared at her gobsmacked for a second. "Paulina, what the-?"

The Latino shoved him into the wall forcefully with her shoulder. Danny smacked into the brick wall, groaning, and slumping to the ground. He had experienced a lot worse, but she had caught him by surprise.

She bared her teeth that had become vampire fangs, her fork tongue whipped at him. "Your time is up, son of-"

The door burst open and Atalanta, Wyatt, and Lou hurried out. Atalanta was clutching a pocket-sized flashlight in her hand, Wyatt was holding a slingshot, and Lou was gripping a dagger in her hand.

Danny's eyes widened, What is going on?! he wanted to scream. Paulina hissed and they watched as she transformed.

Okay, Danny had seen a lot of crazy things, but this was crossing the line. Like, by a lot.

Paulina's tan melted away, leaving chalk white skin. Her sharp teeth suddenly became sharper, her eyes had become blood red, and her dark hair sparked into white-hot flames. Everything that had made her pretty, had vanished.

"A vampire," he muttered, then he noticed her legs, and he wanted to laugh. "A vampire with-"

She screeched loudly, "Don't mention the legs!"

One leg was furry with brown skin like a donkey's, while the other was a metal prosthetic.

Wyatt stepped blenched, "No thanks," he said, his voice rising in pitch.

Atalanta raised her head, tilting her chin. "Empousai," she snarled.

Danny was done with his life. Paulina; a vampire with donkey legs?

Ah, frick no.

And to think, he named all of his passwords after her... Dammit.

Argghhhhh...

Normally, he would've been up on his feet, going ghost already, and fighting. But what Atalanta, Lou, and Wyatt did next- was enough to even freak him out.

Atalanta clicked the flashlight and instead of a weak beam of light floating threw the snow, there was a loud SHINK! and a golden bronze sword sprang from the mini flashlight. No, wait, it was the mini flashlight. The sword glowed in the winter light, passing ominously over her face, and making the scar on her cheek look evil.

Danny scooted backward, swallowing. Fear wrapped around his heart. He had a bad encounter with glowing swords.

Lou's cat green eyes flitted around nervously. She gripped the danger in her hand tighter. And Wyatt- still holding a slingshot- reached into his backpack and pulled out a pouch that looked like it was filled with rocks.

He groaned to myself. Normal people would be screaming about how in the name of ClockWork they produced a bunch of weapons, but Danny wasn't normal.

Ha!

Funny how you'd think that.

Paulina's fiery hair flickered, she eyed their weapons up-and-down and laughed, throwing her head back. I had once thought that laugh was beautiful, but now it sent shudders down my back. "Four vs one," she raised an eyebrow, flaunting a dazzling grin that normally would've made me melt or my pants turn intangible. "If you were counting the scum," she sneered in my direction.

"Scum?" he asked, miffed. She sneered, ignoring me. Again. Even as a monster she ignores me?!

"You're out numbered." said Lou, her voice was full of confidence, but her face was uneasy and confronted into fear. Her breath curled out of her mouth which looked like her own ghost sense. Her green eyes pierced through that thing that was Danny's former heart throb.

He wanted to shout: No! This is my job! I can't allow you guys to get hurt! He needed to go-ghost, but he couldn't do it in their presence.

Think, Fenton- THINK! Danny thought desperately, smacking his forehead with his palm.

"Ow," complained the ghost boy in minor pain which quickly faded.

Ghost powers, ghost powers... Uhm... There is no way out of this without exposing my secret, is there? Uh..

He was dragged out of his thoughts as an earsplitting screech cut through the winter of Amity Park. Danny jumped, his head swiveling to the others. Atalanta and Lou and Wyatt circled around Paulina in a circle, who smirked, holding up her palms and two balls of white-hot flames burst from her hands. He jumped back, leaning closer onto the back of my school's wall. His heart pounded with fear.

Atalanta and Wyatt stood close to each other like they knew how each other fought, but were still learning. And Lou circled out of place, like she didn't quite know what to do. Not because she couldn't think by herself, but because she didn't know the strategy.

Yes, I know about strategies. Why are you people so surprised when I say something smart?

Paulina screeched again and they all cringed. Danny covered his ears, wincing. He pushed himself up with his hands, wobbly standing up. He didn't have gloves on, so his bare hands scraped against the concrete that was dotted with snow. His head spun and my eyes swam in and out of vision.

Danny groaned, stumbling and clutching his stomach. He leaned on the dumpster, clutching on the brim to the point his knuckles turned white. He felt sick, like something was stirring in side of him. Like a power that I hadn't touched in a long, long time.

I wouldn't stand on the sidelines, I couldn't. But he couldn't do anything but watch helplessly as Atalanta, Lou and Wyatt sacrificed themselves by fighting Paulina.

Paulina blasted a ball of fire in Atalanta's direction. She back-flipped, flattening to the ground on her stomach as the fireball hurtled over her head. It landed on the snow behind her, melting away some of it, but proving no huge threat. Paulina's blood red eyes flickered with anger, as she put out her other flame.

Atalanta stabbed her sword into the snow and used it like a pole jumper to kick Paulina in the chin. The vampire was sent flying backwards, right into Lou's path. She attempted to stab her in the back, but she ducked. Paulina's well-manicured hands grew long sharp talons faster than lightning, and swiped at Lou, as she ducked. Her nails sliced off some of her hair, but Lou didn't notice and swept the vampire with donkey legs off her feet, which couldn't have been easy.

She landed with a loud oomph! onto the ground, growling dangerously, as a small rock hit her on the nose. "Hey!" she complained, her blood red eyes flashing in irritation. Paulina snarled, turning towards Wyatt who had his slingshot pulled back, ready to fire. The vampire laughed cruelly, I shuddered. "A slingshot? That is insulting to me, son of Apollo."

I award you, my friend, for either stupidity or courage.

A volley of small rocks smacked Paulina in the face, each rewarded with various shouts and curse words. But eventually, she got pounced on him before he could react, his 'hero-complex' as Sam called it, urged Danny to rush over and push him out of the way. But Lou beat me to it, instead of Wyatt getting pounced, it was her.

She screamed as Paulina's knife-like talons pierced into each of her shoulders. That gave me a surge of energy.

"Hey!" Danny called, standing up straighter, and squaring his shoulders. His Phantom confidence leaked into Fenton's weak one, "Leave her alone, donkey legs!" another puff curled out of his mouth, sending a shiver down his back.

Paulina's head whipped towards him, Danny swallowed. Nice going, Fenton, he congratulated himself sarcastically. You just angered a creature that could kill you within seconds when you can't use your ghost powers.

Her red eyes danced with flames, "DONKEY LEGS?!" she screeched.

That distraction was enough time for Atalanta to knock Paulina off of Lou with her shoulder. The vampire-or-whatever-the-fuck-she-was tumbled in the snow, her flaming hair melting it and turning it into puddles of water around her.

Atalanta held her hand out for Lou, who took it, stumbling to her feet. Blood gushed from her shoulders, both of us winced. If hd had done more... Danny blinked, snapped out of my thoughts by Wyatt's alarmed: "Hey, guys! A little help would be nice!" cry.

We whirled around to face Wyatt and Paulina who began hand-to-hand combat fighting. Paulina grinned manically, she knew she was at an advantage. Wyatt looked uneasy like he wasn't used to short distance fighting. His backpack was shredded and ripped, tossed to the ground. His slingshot was deserted on the ground and come to think of it, there was a weird slingshot-shape in Paulina's forehead.

Wyatt threw a punch at her face, she blocked it with one of those weird X-things- what? Just because he fought a lot, doesn't mean he knows what the skills are. Geez.

Paulina kicked him in his gut with her metal donkey hoove, sending him flying backwards into a car. We winced in sympathy, and jumped as the car alarm exploded into annoying BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!s.

Wyatt groaned, slumping to the ground. Danny knew it was cruel, but how can you not almost laugh at a Wyatt-shaped dent?

"Hey!" shouted Atalanta, smoke curling out of her mouth, and before Paulina could even react a sword was driven threw her stomach.

Gasping, her eyes widened with horror. She clawed at the Atalanta's bronze sword, trying to push it out. Atalanta's redwood eyes were angry like they held all the world's anger, and the air around us became stiff. She slowly pulled out the sword from Paulina's stomach as if to prove a point. The vampire gasped, crumpling into a pile of golden dust.

Danny spluttered, "What- but-"

Atalanta helped Wyatt up, who was groaning, holding his throbbing head in one hand, and stumbling to his feet, muttering dazed curses. While Lou walked over to me, smiling sympathetically, covering her wounds with her hands. Blood soaked onto her hands, but if she noticed she didn't say anything. "Look, Danny. You have ADHD and dyslexia, right?"

"Yes," I admitted. "But what does that-"

"Look, Fenton-," Atalanta began.

"-Why can't you just call me by me name, Brave?" he snapped, growling, and clenching his fists.

Her eyes flickered, "Oh- so, you really wanna go there, Fenton?" she growled.

Danny balled my fists up, her presence was only making me more angry. As if something was pushing me to become mad at her. "Bring it-"

"Uh, guys," warned Wyatt, his voice wavering, staring at the spot Paulina had turned to dust. Lou's head snapped to the spot and she gasped, covering her mouth with her hands, and smearing blood onto her chin, her eyes wide with fear. The car's annoying alarm faded into the background.

"Not now, Sunny Boy," growled Atalanta, her eyes full of flames or at least that's what it looked like. She got into my face, pointing her sword at my throat, but that didn't scare me like she expected.

"Um, Atalanta," Lou said. "You should really-"

"Oh," he laughed dryly at the girl with redwood eyes. "Bring it on!"

The tip of her sword touched Danny's neck. "ATALANTA!" Wyatt and Lou shouted alarmed, pointing to something in the corner of my eye. Their heads swiveled to where they were pointing to.

Atalanta 's eyes widenned in terror. Danny felt his jaw go slack.

The golden pile of dust that was Paulina had begun to swirl together like a tornado. The tornado began to take shape, a tall girl's with an hourglass figure. We all took a step back in stunned horror as Paulina's reformed monster appeared.

"Ata," Wyatt's voice was tight with fear. "How-"

"I don't know," she whispered terrified, slipping out of my grip. "I don't- this has never-"

The golden dust hardened into a form, glowing blood red eyes burned through the dust, and the vampire with donkey legs was standing in front of us. Her fiery hair was brighter and she looked angrier.

"Run?" squeaked Lou, mist blew out of her mouth.

"Are you kidding me?" asked Danny, "We can't just-"

Paulina growled, a ball of flame sparked in her hand, and she fired at Atalanta. She yelped, ducking, as the fire ball flew over her head, right into the car that was dented. The explosion sent us flying, sprawling apart and groaning in pain.

Car pieces rained around them like a free-for-all. Danny groaned as his head smacked into a nearby tree. He slumped to the ground, rubbing his throbbing temple. Fffffffffrrrrrriiiiiiiccccccckkkkk.

Danny groaned again, his ears ringing, and his vision swimming in and out of vision. The sound of the explosion still played in my mind and in my fuzzy state, I heard Atalanta agree: "RUN!" scooping up her flashlight-sword (which would've surprised me if I didn't fight ghosts). They bolted across the school's parking lot. Lou and Wyatt closely behind them.

Danny thought things couldn't get any stranger or worse, but of course a puff of blue smoke curled out of his mouth, and this time it wasn't his breath.

{Oml, I did something other than school work. This whole school year I've been so caught up in things that I've barely been able to write and it kills me. The school year is almost over, we've just begun testing and honestly, my grades should be the thing that I care about the most at the moment, but I'm so tired of running out of time to write and update and reupload. But here you guys go.
Originally, half of this chapter on Wattpad was in Danny's POV, but I decided to edit it and continue doing third person. Also, I feel like a lot of people forget canon Ares children can mess with people's emotions, pushing or nudging them to be angry like Ares did do Percy in the Lightning Thief.
If you have any questions, theories, or observations feel free to DM me or comment. I don't bite :).

-Book117Worm
Ellie}