You'll Be Screaming for More!

Chapter One: Lunch, Interrupted

"If you can't make a joke at a time like this, what's the point of living?" - Midnight Marked by Chloe Neill

"What about Technus?" Valerie asks.

"He mostly comes here to cause trouble," Sam says, "but sometimes he just wants to rant about whatever's going on in his life."

"Fortunately," Tucker adds, "he always kicks off with a monologue, so you'll know right away which it is."

Valerie hums in acknowledgement and jots that down in her notebook.

Once upon a time, Valerie Gray, a.k.a. the Red Huntress, was one of the most prominent ghost haters I've ever met. Then through a series of events too traumatic to get into, I almost destabilized in front of her and to stop this, I ended up switching from ghost-form to human-form. Also in front of her. After a long discussion about the fact that morality does exist among ghostkind, Valerie agreed to not only keep my secret but to be a little more lenient when it comes to ghosts.

Right now, Sam, Tucker, and I are seated with her outside the school during lunch, helping her decide which ghosts to fight and when. I'm relieved that my friends are willing to give her a chance.

"How 'bout the Box Ghost?" Valerie asks. "He seems more annoying than anything, but…"

I swallow a mouthful of fries. "Annoying, he is, but he's actually a pretty nice guy." Sam and Tucker give me strange looks but don't comment. I still haven't told them that Boxy is letting me use his Haunt as a safe haven from my ghost hunter parents (another series of events). Telling my friends would lead to a lot of questions I still don't want to answer. "Just give him a good kick in the seat if you catch him stealing anything."

"Gotcha. Now, I think I know the answer to this one, but I'm gonna ask anyway. Vlad Plasmius-"

"Shoot. Him. On. Sight."

Valerie, who is sitting next to me, leans away with wide eyes at the dangerous rumble of my voice and the possible bright green glow of my eyes. She turns to Sam and Tucker, who nod with very serious expressions.

Valerie recovers quickly and starts writing. "Yeah, that's what I thought."

Ah, Vladimir Masters. To the public eye, he is the kind and caring, if a bit aloof, mayor of our fair town of Amity Park. To the team - as in, me, Jazz, Sam, and Tucker - he is Vlad Plasmius, a half-ghost like myself. Only he uses his powers to get what he wants when he wants it, including the billions of dollars (not exaggerating) that he's stolen over the years. And, that barely scratches the surface.

A few weeks ago, Vlad attempted to poison my father, whom he hates but pretends to be best friends with, but my sister took the bait and wound up in the hospital. As if that wasn't bad enough, I got careless during a ghost fight and Jazz got covered in ectoplasm, which worsened her condition. My sister was on life support, I was addled by guilt, self-hatred, and a very unhappy core, and Vlad had the audacity to gloat about it. Even after getting a faceful of Ghostly Wail, the fruit loop just kept running his mouth.

Long story short, I snapped.

That's how I discovered something else I could do with my ice powers: freezing blood. And according to Frostbite, who is helping me learn to control it, it works with ectoplasm too. I still can't get the image of Vlad's human-form gagging and convulsing and covered in frost out of my mind. I flew him to the hospital right away, and the relief I felt when I learned he'd be alright was palpable. I may hate the guy, but the last thing I need is to add murder to my repertoire. Well, as a halfa, Vlad would have just become a full-ghost, but that's not the point.

Unfortunately, he told my father a different story, claiming that I'd only brought him to the hospital to save face and that I threatened his life if he told anyone what I did. Of course, Dad told Mom, Jazz, and me what Vlad told him. Jazz is always defending my ghost-self, and she knows I've been on edge more than ever since her coma, so Vlad's lie ended up being the last straw.

My sister had basically exploded, screaming about how Vlad was making it all up and Phantom would never do that and things of that nature. Our parents tried to calm her down, which only added fuel to the fire. Meanwhile, I just sat there, too numb to say anything.

Vlad's goal had been to convince me that, no matter how hard I tried to show the world that ghosts can be good, my parents would never fully love me. He gave me a whole speech about it, even threw in some stuff about how no one could help me when "the worst of your development occurs," regarding my ghost-half. I was this close to giving in until he said that I would be better off staying with him. That's when I remembered that I was talking to a pathological liar and that everything he says is tailored to get him what he wants. I let him off the hook solely because I was too broken and angry to look at him any longer.

That part happened yesterday. The wound is still fresh.

But, I especially feel bad for Valerie, who is in a particularly awkward position. Not only did Vlad give her all her ghost-hunting equipment, but she also does ghost-related work for him on occasion. Turns out, she'd discovered his secret identity a few months ago and had been mostly keeping tabs on him since she can't just annihilate the mayor.

But since Vlad doesn't know that she knows, he won't be suspicious if she attacks his ghost-self.

My friends and I continue to educate Valerie on who she's allowed to attack (example: Skulker is fair game, but Ms. Mae is to be left alone) until…

"Hey, check it out," Dash Baxter - star football player, school bully, and general thorn in my side - shouts our way. "It's a Losers Anonymous meeting!"

Paulina Sanchez - head cheerleader, girl I used to have a crush on because she's so hot I kept forgetting how stuck-up she is, and the other general thorn in my side - grins at the taunt. "Dash, you can't shout things like that. Now everyone knows they're losers. Oh, wait. We already knew!"

Those two aren't the only ones who laugh. The four of us just sigh and/or scowl. We're used to this. Valerie mutters, "I can't believe I used to hang out with those jerks."

Just then, a cold breath bursts out of me, sending a faint blue wisp floating out of my mouth. A few seconds after my Ghost Sense appears, the ground shakes beneath us. Cracks form in the earth, and everyone not at my table panics as about two dozen glowing green rats the size of small dogs crawl out of the ground. Their jagged teeth nash and their beady red eyes are filled with malice.

"Ah, rats," I say because it was right there. Valerie starts to get up, but I hold her back. "Let me handle this. I had a terrible day yesterday, and I could use a stress reliever." Without waiting for a response, I duck under the table and say quietly, "I'm going ghost!"

My group covers any open spots as well as they can - not that anyone would be paying attention right now - and I summon the ice-cold white rings around my waist, letting them roll over me. Gone is the human with black hair, blue eyes, and a healthy complexion. In his place is a ghost with snow-white hair, neon green eyes that carry a faint glow, and withered, almost translucent skin.

I fly into the open and immediately use my Duplication ability. "They say three's a crowd," I quip, "but I say four's an army!"

"Really?" One copy says, unimpressed. "That's what you're going with?"

I point to it with a hard glare. "Hey, don't mock me. I'm you!" The other duplicates just laugh.

On that note, we split up and go after the rats. When I duplicate myself, it also creates multiples of whatever I have stored in pocketspace, pseudo-dimension that acts as an invisible backpack, so the copies have their own Fenton Thermoses on them. Good thing, because like with Earth rats, where there are two dozen, there are four dozen more.

I send two copies into the school itself, as I can see some ecto-rats through the window. The other one, I send behind the building. A quick mental check with it tells me that yep, there are rats there too, though not as many.

That leaves me in the courtyard. The biggest problem with ecto-rats is that not only are they big and plentiful, they're also more vicious than other ghouls - ghosts with little to no sentience. At least they can't fly or shoot ghost rays or anything, and they aren't smart enough to know that they can phase through stuff in the human realm. Now that would be a nightmare.

The students and handful of teachers scream and run away or leap on tables or cower under whatever cover they can find. I need to be careful or I could hurt someone in the chaos. Luckily, I got my aim from my mother.

Seeing that Valerie has pulled a small ecto-gun out of her backpack - with a cry of, "I'm guessing I can shoot these on sight, too!" - and is shooting the closest rats, I turn my focus elsewhere.

Six rats back the teachers against the fence surrounding the courtyard. I veer off to the side and fire a ghost ray, sending the rodents toppling over like dominoes. Before they can recover, I pull out my Fenton Thermos and suck them inside. No time to check on the teachers.

I shoot more beams at the rats that are scattered around or attacking people directly, sucking them into the Thermos one by one. Blood already speckles the courtyard, sending my core into overdrive. My Obsession is helping others, and seeing so many innocents get hurt removes all thoughts beyond save them.

My friends cry out. Rats are closing in on them. Sam is kicking and punching any that get too close. Tucker is trying to keep one from stealing his burger because he's like that. Valerie is so desperate that she reaches for her wristband to activate her Red Huntress gear in public, but a rat jumps her before she can.

A primal growl, almost roar rips out of me as I fly in to help. Remembering my training, I let the bitter cold seep into my free hand and touch each ecto-rat in turn. I watch with a twisted, Obsession-fueled pleasure as they collapse and shiver, letting out pathetic squeals. Their ectoplasm isn't completely frozen, but it's cold enough that the ecto-rats' movements are slow and heavy. I suck them into the Thermos before they can thaw. Wait until I tell Frostbite about this!

At this point, the copy who flew behind the school disappears, having cleared out its area.

My friends are startled and scuffed up, but assure me that they aren't seriously hurt. Despite that, I place my fingers over the deep scratches on Tucker's cheek and use my new healing powers to fix him up. He thanks me as I fly back into the fray. Almost done.

The A-listers are quickly becoming crowded. Dash and Kwan are wielding tree branches and are fighting off ecto-rats as well as they can, while Star and Paulina are hiding under the table.

I tuck the Thermos under my arm and, using finger guns for added flare, I fire off some more ghost rays, knocking rats away one by one. I descend a little and suck all of my targets into the Thermos.

"Phantom," Paulina calls, "look out!"

As soon as she says that, pain shoots through my arm. A rat had jumped up and sank its teeth into my arm. I can actually feel its teeth on my bone! Glowing green goo leaks out over my sleeve and into the rat's mouth, not that the little shit seems to care.

"Okay," I snarl. "You're just an asshole!"

Suddenly, a red beam blasts the rat off of me. Miraculously, I didn't lose part of my arm after that, though there's a gaping hole in my sleeve. Valerie stands a safe distance away with her ecto-gun still aimed. She sees people staring at her and holds up the gun, awkwardly explaining, "It's not mine. I just found it."

I am immensely grateful that she "just found it." I suck up the pest who bit me, trying to push through the pain. Ectoplasm pours out of my wound, but thankfully that was the last of the rats on my end. I mentally check in with my remaining copies. They'd disappeared without me noticing, but I key into their memories and see that they took care of everything in the building.

I want to sink to the grass in relief as my core purrs, satisfied by my actions, but my job isn't done yet. "Someone call 9-1-1," I command. "I have healing powers now, but I can only use them so much."

I see a few of the less injured pull out their phones, and I get to work. I consider throwing out some more duplicates, but I want to save my energy for the Healing Touch.

My Ghost Sense goes off again. Unless something obvious appears, I don't have time to worry about it.

I start with the A-listers because they're the closest. Dash and Kwan seem mostly okay, but when Star and Paulina crawl out of hiding, I notice that Paulina has a long gash on her shoulder. She picked the wrong day to wear an expensive-looking white blouse. I kneel down beside her. Despite her hatred of Danny Fenton, she has a massive crush on Danny Phantom, so I'm surprised to see how green she looks. It makes sense once I realize that she's staring at my wound.

As I touch her shoulder, my hand glowing yellow as the soft warmth flows through me and into Paulina's injury, sealing it up in an instant, she points to my other arm. "Thank you, but…shouldn't you…take care of that?"

"I can't use the Healing Touch on myself," I say. "I've tried. It doesn't work." I rise and take her hand - there's the blush I was expecting - and help her to her feet. "Ghosts heal fast. I'll be fine." What I don't say is that the wound should be gone a few minutes after I switch back to human-form.

Dash, who hates Fenton but idolizes Phantom, says to me. "Come on. At least tie a tourniquet around it."

Not missing a beat, Paulina removes her bloody blouse, leaving her in a light gray tank top. "Here, use this," she says, holding out the blouse. "It's ruined anyway."

Star speaks for the first time, placing her hand on Paulina's now-healed shoulder. "But, Paulina, you just bought that."

"Phantom needs it more than I do," Paulina says indignantly. "Besides, I got it on clearance. It only cost me two hundred bucks."

"That's a clearance price?" I know she's rich, but where does this woman shop?

These people with too much money don't comment. Dash takes the blouse with a thanks, and I cringe as he rips the clean sleeve off of that over-priced pile of fabric. As he ties it around my still-bleeding arm, I can't help but marvel at the fact that the people who beat me up and/or criticize me every chance they get are now selflessly tending to my wounds. It's a mix of gratitude and a fight-or-flight adrenaline. Just a strange feeling over all.

(I wonder if this will leave a scar on my human-self like the cut on my side that my parents gave me.)

As Kwan walks up to us, putting his phone away and saying that the paramedics should be here soon, my friends see what's happening and run up to us.

Having finished the tourniquet, Dash steps in front of me with his fists at his sides. "Piss off, losers!" He snarls, stopping my friends, who glare in response. "Phantom doesn't need your help."

I grit my teeth in the start of a growl. Paulina misinterprets my reaction and snaps at my friends, "Yeah, you'll just get his wound infected."

"They just want to help," I retort firmly. Dash and Paulina stare at me in shock at my tone. Just to rub it in, I phase through Dash's body, feeling a twinge of amusement as his grunt of discomfort, and assure my friends, "I'm okay. Really."

"Are you sure- Phantom?" Tucker adds at the last minute.

No one notices the almost-slip-up. "Positive," I say then clear my throat and try to act more like I'm talking to strangers. "If you folks want to help, maybe you can head inside and tend to the injured in there." My Ghost Sense off goes again, and I almost tell them to forget it. Instead, I add, "But, be on the lookout for stragglers."

Valerie holds up her gun with a wink. "We got it covered."

I watch the three of them sprint into the school and pray that there aren't any rats left-

I smack my forehead. "Oh no," I groan.

"What's wrong?" Kwan asks.

"I just realized I missed a golden opportunity to make a Ratatouille joke."

No one knows what to say to that.

The Healing Touch works by transferring my own energy into someone else; in other words, my own life force is drained a little every time I use it. My energy restores itself after a time, but I can't use the Healing Touch too much without a break. A small, quick fix? No problem. A bunch of open wounds of various severities? Not a fun time.

The ambulances arrive after only a few minutes, but I'm already dizzy. When I first got my healing power, I used it to cure Jazz while she was comatose from poison and ecto-contamination. Let's just say that if I hadn't switched to human-form when I did, I might not be here right now. Even then, I was out cold for about two hours.

I sit at one of the tables, trying to get my bearings, while the doctors head inside the school since I'd already taken care of everyone in the courtyard. One doctor had offered to bandage my arm, but I told him that ghosts heal faster than humans and my arm was already feeling better (it wasn't).

I should sneak away to switch forms to speed up my healing process, but I just had another bout of Ghost Sense, so I know that something is close by. And, I know it's not the spirit - a ghost who used to be a living creature in the human realm - who just phased through the wall and is flying my way. My Ghost Sense only works on ghosts whom I don't expect to see in my day-to-day life.

Eileen Merryweather - Ms. Mae during school hours - used to masquerade as a human teacher. When she got outed, which was partly my fault, she got to keep her teaching job because she'd never given anyone a reason not to trust her. It goes deeper for me because she helped me master my Duplication power so that I could keep up with my studies and still fight ghosts. We became pretty close during that time.

But if you asked me if I thought of her as anything beyond a close friend…I would totally deny it.

She sits beside me. "I heard you got bitten." She reaches into pocketspace and pulls out a first-aid kit. "I've got ghost supplies. May I?"

I hold out my bad arm, too light-headed to speak. She gingerly unties the makeshift tourniquet and cleans and numbs the wound before applying stitches. This is the second time in as many weeks that I've needed stitches because I didn't want to switch forms. I hope it doesn't become a habit.

I try to will the speckles out of my vision by focusing on the woman next to me. Eileen usually sticks to her human disguise during school hours, but I guess the ghost-threat made her forego it. Eileen is roughly six inches taller than me and is thin enough that she'd look emaciated as a human. She sports white (not caucasian) skin, very long black hair, and eyes that are entirely red and wears a simple gray dress that's tattered at the bottom and hangs past where her feet would be. That and the fact that she is almost always floating leads me to believe that she doesn't have legs.

By the time Eileen's finished my stitches, my head's stopped swimming though I still feel weak. "All set," she says, putting the kit away. "You've been using your Healing Touch, right? Do you want me to sit with you until you recover?"

Yes. "No, I'm okay. Maybe go inside and see if anyone needs help."

"Alright." She puts a hand on my shoulder. "But, if you need anything, don't hesitate to come find me."

"Okay. Thanks, Mom."

"Sure thing." Eileen floats off the bench then turns around and stares at me with amusement and…something else. "Did you just call me 'mom?'"

Oh God. I just called my teacher "Mom." I've become that student! "Uh, no!" I say, a harsh blush spreading over my face. "I-I said Mae. As in Ms. Mae! Which is the name you use when teaching. And, since we're at school, it-it seemed appropriate to call you-" Eileen has her hand over her mouth, covering a laugh. I throw my hands in the air. "I've been draining my life energy, lady! Cut me some slack!"

Eileen giggles and ruffles my hair. "You're not the first student to call me 'Mom,' and I don't think you'll be the last."

She flies away, and I sit with my head in my hands, mortified. Mom. I called her Mom. Fortunately, I don't think anyone heard me. Thank God no one knows she's my homeroom and history teacher. Regardless, everyone knows she's at least my friend, so it would still be embarrassing.

And yet…it feels oddly right.

My Ghost Sense goes off again, stopping me from having to analyze that. I shoot to my feet and instantly regret doing so when the world starts spinning. I slap a hand on my head and blink away more speckles. That Healing Touch really packs a wallop.

When my vision clears, I notice Dash and Paulina a short distance away with their heads together, whispering to each other and casting glances my way. I'm used to people staring at and talking about me - in both forms - but this is different. It's kind of funny, actually; if I were a human, they wouldn't be so nervous about approaching me.

A little grin pulls at my lips. Since no ghost has made itself known yet, I decide to play around. "Hey, you two." Dash and Paulina freeze. "It's kind of hard to talk to you when you're way over there." They look like they've been caught with their hands in the cookie jar as they walk toward me. I meet them halfway and spread out my arms in a slight bow. "Well, you obviously wanna chat, and here I am."

Paulina speaks first. "We just wanted to see if you were okay."

"Yeah," Dash adds. "You looked kind of rough for a second there."

"So?" I say. "Why do you care?" They frown at my tone, and I remember that they don't hate me in this form. "Sorry. That came out meaner than I wanted it to. My healing powers take a lot out of me. That's why I was sitting there. I'm feeling better now though." They relax a little. I sheepishly rub the back of my neck. "And, thanks again for the tourniquet. That really helped. Too bad about the blouse, though," I add to Paulina. "If it's any consolation, you do look good in that tank top."

A wide grin spreads over Paulina's face, and she strikes a pose that juts out her breasts. Eyes up, Phantom. Eyes up. "Oh, thanks! And, don't worry about the blouse. Like I said, it was only two hundred dollars." Only two hundred dollars. "I know it's a little tacky to shop off the clearance rack, but sometimes something just catches your eye."

Having no response, I turn to Dash for help. He just shrugs and says, "I don't get it either."

Paulina sighs and puts her hands on her hips. "You men are all the same, aren't you?"

My Ghost Sense goes off again, and I decide that enough is enough. I spin around and scan the area. "Okay, I know you're there. If you're another rat, I'm shipping you back to Paris! Hey, I got to use the joke!"

My joy is diminished when the bushes rustle.

I let my hands heat up and glow green in preparation. "We can do this the easy way, or we can do this the hard way." I've always wanted to say that. "Come out, and I won't have to make the decision for you."

Whatever is in the bushes let out a loud half-groan half-sigh. I catch a glimpse of a camera lens before the ghost himself appears, whining, "What is the world coming to when a man can't film someone without their consent?"