chpt 3
This all started with Fenton, showing up to class late, wearing makeup. Makeup. Of all things, that's what it took for her and Star to finally see the signs for what they actually were.
Abuse.
They had their suspicions before. The 'laziness' - tardies, failing grades, not to mention the limps in the hallways they knew Dash hadn't caused - it even explained his sudden seclusion from almost everyone else in the school. A couple months ago, at parent teacher conferences, Paulina remembers how... uncomfortable Fenton looked next to his parents. She had thought it was probably because his grades weren't the best but what if it was something more? Something deeper?
The loser used to hang out with other kids outside of Manson and Foley. Like Mikey, Lester, and Nathan.
Yet halfway through Freshman year, he had pushed them all away.
…
Even though they weren't necessarily enemies anymore - not like first and second year by any chance - it was going to be rather hard for them to gain his trust. In all honesty, she was surprised that she and Star were even agreeing to try and help in the first place. Two years ago, they wouldn't have given the loser a second thought.
But even they, at the cusp of High School knew that the hierarchy of the school was never going to last.
That, and Fenton's makeup job was absolutely horrendous.
So as second period was about to end, Star came up with a rather ingenious plan. To fix up Danny's makeup guise; if for nothing else but to show that they were.. there? That they could maybe help?
Paulina was on the balls of her feet a couple of minutes to the bell and up and out of the room the second it rang - Star hot on her heels.
They had made a beeline for Paulina's locker to grab some extra makeup supplies before turning back.
And Fenton was still there.
He had just been standing there, an empty bag lying on the floor in front of him with everything in it scattered across the ground.
But he didn't look like he was about to do anything about it; if anything, he seemed to be on an entirely different world altogether.
It was a sad - almost pitiful - sight.
Paulina shared a look with Star before they both leaned down and started picking up Danny's things. They could tell he was hurting, his breathing labored, jaw slightly clenched. Even his eyes had looked… foggy.
He fell over with a curse.
How had no one noticed? How long had it been going on? Was it really his parents or was it some other thing?
They had a hard time believing the boisterous Fenton's would do such a thing. Mr. Fenton seemed like a very nice (if not a little too bubbly) guy and Mrs. Fenton was always smiling.
Maybe it was the ghosts? But if that was the case, why wouldn't Danny tell anyone about it?
There were too many questions.
But instead of asking, they simply took him to the bathroom, intending to just fix his guise. But he freaked and they had to calm him down. He stated no questions and they had got to work.
When they were done, the two girls expected him to mumble a timid thanks or maybe say something sarcastic. But.. he broke down - actually cried.
Before then, the two cheerleaders realized they had never seen Fenton cry before… ever. Not when Dash would wail on him, not when Paulina had turned him down, not even during a ghost attack.
And the expression on his face was absolutely heartbreaking.
Not because his face scrunched up or his eyebrows creased, but because they hadn't.
Instead, his features were cold - frozen - as if he couldn't recognize the person in the mirror.
That expression, the bruises they covered up (the one around his neck looking suspiciously like a large hand), the bags under his eyes… But it was really the quiet whisper broken through his lips,"I don't want to do it anymore. I want my life back." that motivated the two of them to follow him when he practically stormed out into the hallway.
They ran into Dash on the way, the jock having been almost barreled over by Fenton two seconds before. But they didn't stop to explain things to him before continuing forward after the loser.
But instead of finding Fenton, they found something else. Outside one of the windows, Star caught sight of Phantom zooming past one of the hall windows quickly followed by the familiar hunter ghost - Skulker.
They didn't even hesitate.
The idea was to wait for Phantom to finish his fight up, then try to talk to him afterward about helping Fenton. The two girls were never known for their patience and having the ghost boy on their side was the simplest, easiest, fastest way to get Fenton out of whatever situation he was in.
But now that they were actually acting out that plan, it was quickly apparent that it wasn't gonna be that easy.
What started out as waiting to ask Phantom for his help turned into somehow trying to help the ghost boy himself.
Paulina clutched at the dashboard of Star's jeep while the car took a vicious turn towards the edge of Amity.
Everything had happened so fast.
"What the hell are you guys doing?!" Dash cursed from the back seat. "God damnit Star, turn around!"
"Nobody asked you to come along Dash!"
Another large boom shook the ground outside. They could see Phantom smash the other ghost into the pavement before being kicked away himself, crashing into a large traffic light.
Paulina physically cringed.
The ghosts weren't holding anything back, exchanging blows like animals fighting over the last scrap of food.
She'd never seen it this bad.
The ghost boy looked so… bloody and frenzied.
Dash let out a series of curse words from the back as Star made another sharp turn.
- Clang -
"What was that?"
Paulina decided to ignore the slight panic in Dash's voice and looked down at her feet. The sound had come from Fenton's bag (which she had grabbed).
The familiarity of the clang had her opening it.
Inside was a gleaming soup can and a slick silver blaster - both devices accented green. She remembered them from the time all of Amity's adults were kidnapped by the Young ghost and his Parrot. She clasped a hand around the soup can, hesitant but determined. Paulina beamed. They could do this - could help the ghost boy. "It's the thermos thing and a Fenton blaster!"
"Yes!" Star replied ecstatically, but her enthusiasm was cut short, "- whoa!" The blonde swerved off the road, avoiding a tall lamp post that had nearly fallen on top of the jeep. The change from pavement to the rocky terrain of Amity Park's small forest jarred them, rattling the car. They drifted to a stop.
All the AListers leaned forward to look up at the two fighting ghosts. The hunter had Phantom held up by the neck, saying something most likely frightening. A small blade snuck out of the ghost's other hand, slowly poking into the hero's stomach. They all audibly gasped.
Paulina heard Dash practically fling himself to the car door, opening it up and running out into the danger zone.
"What is he doing?!" Star exclaimed, jamming the car into park and getting out as well. Paulina had half a mind to grab the blaster and Thermos before she stumbled after them.
Up in the air, the big mechanical ghost was grinning maliciously. Phantom's eyes were distant, legs losing their fever. Then, as if a switch had gone off, power erupted from him in a blinding flash. The villain ghost screamed in rage and Phantom fell to the ground, hacking with a hand around his throat.
Skulker cradled his arm that was now hardly attached to his body, ectoplasm squirted out of cables and cords like mock arteries and muscle. Small chunks of ice coated the outside of the injury.
"You insufferable little-!"
"Leave him alone!" Dash bellowed, body shaking, unlike his voice.
Surprisingly though, the hunter didn't even bat an eye towards them, instead he shot down and punched Phantom square in the face. The hero collapsed, crying out when the large metal boot slammed into his back.
Star yelled out profanities.
" I'm going to skin you alive! "
In a flurry of movement by thec hero Skulker was sent off into the trees and Phantom was limping up to them. His expression solid, angry, but so frenzied it was worrying.
"What's wrong with you guys?! Get- *cough* -o-out of here ! "
"Wait!" Paulina.
"No -"
Paulina shoved the thermos in his arms, guilt slamming into her when the hero winced. She hesitated slightly before exclaiming, "You probably need this!"
Phantom's eyes widened, looking at her without really truly seeing. "Please -" He grunted. "go."
He left behind a small puddle of ectoplasm with his departure. The cheerleader couldn't tear her eyes away from the glowing blood, swirling with a sickening type of beauty.
A loud crackling boom came from behind the trees.
The sound had them all flinching back.
"Oh god.."
Star had her mouth covered by her hands. Shook decorated their features. Another boom. Dash was barely able to grab Paulina before she ran off towards the fight again. "P-Paulina, stop. We've gotta.. gotta get out of here."
"But - I -"
A shrill scream of pain echoed around them.
"Ghost boy! -"
"Wait we can't go -!"
"Watch me!"
Everything moved so fast. Her and Star had run back into the fray and past the trees - Paulina about tripped and fell over the thermos - it having ended up on the ground somehow. She picked it up with shaking fingers. Star had almost run into her, hitting her back with an oompf before they both took in the scene. Phantom was encased in a crackling net, writhing in pain among fluorescent green sparks. Skulker was cackling, a crazed grin on his face and manic look in his eyes.
"This is your demise halfa!" The ghost practically screamed down at Phantom, voice shrill with a mechanical screech.
Star held onto the latinas shoulders as they froze in fear at the sight of the hunter.
Before either girls could do anything, Dash came up behind them, taking in the scene before ripping the thermos out of Paulina grasp and running closer to the ghost.
"I said leave him alone!"
"Dash-!"
The ghost whipped towards them, noticing the thermos only too late. The blonde had already opened the device, the whirl of its mechanics releasing a blue light before it began to pull.
"NO!"
Skulkers effort was great but not enough, the pull too great. Once trapped in the beam of the device it didn't take long. Within a minute the ghost was contained in the device, Dash clasping the lock on the side to keep it that way.
….
The silence was almost foreign in the aftermath of the fight.
A groan followed by a sizzling sound.
"Phantom!"
The ghost boy was still in the net, the cords digging painfully into skin, his gasps for breath as puzzling as it was distressing. The jock instinctively went to grab at the net to pull it off of him - it only caused the hero to gasp, pressing into the wounds on his body.
"Stop! Back up Dash, that's not helping!"
"Well sorry! I don't see you doing anything!"
The tips of his white hair was dripping green - face swollen and disheveled.
His shoulder was bent back unnaturally. It looked dislocated - severely so.
"Use your pocket knife, cut the ropes."
Dash shook his head at his own forgetfulness, pulling the knife out and cutting through the first couple rows if rope.
Phantoms glowing green eyes rolled up and his body fell limp.
They all froze.
Two bright halos split apart Phantom's body. The ratty, bloody white hair turned black. The torn, scorched jumpsuit turned into a sickenly familiar NASA hoodie and jeans.
They all blinked - frozen - in the cold, arctic water that had just been drenched on them.
Phantom.
Fenton.
Danny.
From his crouched position, Dash inhaled sharply, vaguely noticing the girls had done the same.
This was… this was impossible.
This.. - this was big.
They stood there in silence; with only the haggled sound of the ghost boy's - Danny's - breathing.
The hero's chest was shuttering, body trembling and twisted in pain even in unconsciousness. He was pale - so pale - practically as white as a sheet with such a thick layer of sweat coating his skin he looked almost dowey.
Then the fluorescent green liquid pooling under him started turning red.
"Cut him out." Paulina demanded. Her voice is uncharacteristically small. "Get him out."
Dash didn't hesitate and continued slicing at the glowing rope and flinging the excess away like it had personally offended him. The second the hole was big enough, he carefully dragged the hero out onto the grass.
Fenton's head lolled lifelessly, pale face scrunching up with the movement and his breath stuttered again.
"Wha - what are.." Star started softly. "What're we gonna do?"
"I don't know.." The jock hovered over Fenton, trying to track the injuries, not knowing where to start. "He - it - this isn't - this is- " He took a deep breath. "He needs a hospital or something."
"No!" Paulina suddenly shouted, startling them all. "W-we - no, we can't."
"And why the fuck not?!"
"He's a ghost."
"What the fuck, no he's not."
"He - he is?"
"I don't know what he is."
They all fell silent.
"Manson and Foley." Paulina stated. "They know. They have to know."
Dash and Star shared a look.
"Ok, ok, ok - lets call them. That's- that's what we should do."
"Ok."
"I don't have their number."
"I have Foleys -!" Star spoke up, voice rising in pitch, like she had just grasped exactly what was happening. She turned to take off in the direction of the jeep; still speaking as she did. "We had to work on a group assignment a couple months ago - I'll go grab my phone!"
Dash huffed in his stress, shifting Danny in his arms, a complicated look on his face.
His idol, and his victim, lie limp and helpless before him. This was wrong - so, so wrong. He regretted ever following the girls outta the school.
"Lets get him to the car." The jocks voice was quiet, disturbingly shakey. He handed the latina the thermos, who took it cautiously but with no complaint. Dash carefully put his arm under Fenton's legs and lifted him with more care than Paulina had ever seen him use.
Not a sound came out of the hero.
Her eyes teared up as they made the treak back to the jeep.
Everything was so - so wrong.