PHANTOM FORCE, Goin' Ghost Retold

by DarkShadowGames451

DP AU! Mass X-over! It's been a year since the accident, and Daniel Fenton has found a balance between his teenage life and secret life as a superpowered ghost hunter with the help of his older sister. But he will face new challenges and greater threats with new friends and allies while discovering his destiny as a liminal halfa. But will it all be enough to save the world?

10. Vol 4, Issue 1

Wakeman Residence, Tremorton, PA

It was the first of October, a Saturday. Downstairs in the Wakeman household, Nora Wakeman had a record player spinning a vinyl of her favorite kind of music; swing jazz. While enjoying the music and reminiscing about a simpler time, the roboticist/physicist took her time, packing various lab equipment lying around. When all that she wanted was packed inside of a large tool kit, she attempted to pick it up.

Unfortunately, this caused Nora to crack her back.

"Ow! Ugh! Oooh, I've got to remember that I'm not a spring chicken anymore…" The scientist moaned, rubbing her back before popping it back into place. "Ah, much better."

The woman walked to her record player and took the need off of the vinyl, stopping the music.

"XJ-9!" Nora called out but got no response. "XJ-9, come down! We have to start packing, and I can't carry the luggage by myself!"

When she didn't get a response after two more calls, Nora sighed and muttered, "Teenagers… They have no respect, I swear…"

She marched upstairs and walked up to her creation's door, then announced, "Alright, I'm coming in!"

Opening the door, Nora was introduced to a pink and magenta-colored bedroom with a dresser, a circular bedroom big enough for a teenage girl to lay in, and several desks littered with devices such as cassettes, alarms, and items like books. At least six television monitors were hooked up on various corners of the walls. Next to the bed was a nightstand with a traditional sixties lamp.

Sitting on the bed seemed to be a petite fair-skinned teenage girl who looked at least sixteen years old with a staggering tall height of six feet and six inches. She had scarlet-colored hair tied into two large pigtails, hazel eyes, freckles on her face, and rosy cheeks. Currently, she wears a black shirt with Danny Phantom's logo on it, blue denim jeans, and socks on.

Nora, noticing this, then observed the wall and found posters of Phantom plastered next to her boy band posters, magazines with his face on the cover, and a flag with a logo hung up on the wall. This was when the inventor found what her enthusiastic creation had been glued to.

It was Danny Phantom, in a recording of him battling one of his many spectral enemies, which happened to be Skulker. One look into the girl's inspired eyes caused the older woman's heart to melt.

'...Oh, I can't be mad at her. It's only natural that a girl like her to yearn for a connection with a kindred spirit.' Nora thought.

The girl, weirdly named XJ-9, turned to her creator, only to jolt up and nearly hit the ceiling.

The girl turned to her creator and said, "Geez, Mom! You scared me!"

Nora placed her hands on her hips and said, "You wouldn't have been scared if you were paying attention, young lady."

"You were calling me?" XJ-9 inquired. "I had no idea."

"I was shouting from the basement for two minutes, XJ-9! Two. You should have heard that the first time I called you." Said Nora.

The girl furrowed her thin eyebrows, saying, "Mom, my name is Jenny."

Ignoring her creation's comment, Nora stated, "Could you just come downstairs? I'm having trouble packing equipment and I'll need extra hands with the luggage."

"...Luggage? Oh my gosh, it's October already!?" Jenny realized.

In a red blur, Jenny changed her attire by going through the closet and dresser, then raced downstairs, leaving her mother behind.

"...She forgot that we're heading to Illinois, didn't she," Nora understood.

The glasses-wearing woman chuckled to herself at the antics of her creation.

"I guess I can't complain if it gets some pressure off my back," Nora said before walking out of the bedroom and closing the door.

---

Downtown, Amity Park, IL

Valerie Josephine Gray wasn't a stranger to humiliation. Of course, she had once participated in it, being on both ends. Originally, she grew up in a privileged lifestyle thanks to her father lavishing her with trips, hundreds of dollars of spending money, and the sort. Of course, this compensated for a lack of a maternal presence in her life.

But that all changed once the incident with Cujo and Phantom had occurred and Damon lost his job. She'd lost her home, moved into the ghetto of Elmerton, had to adjust to living in a shitty apartment, Paulina had cast her out of the A-Listers, and Star, a person she had believed was a legitimate friend, had abandoned her with the rest of her so-called besties.

This forced her to take a look at her life a bit more seriously. Sure, Valerie had gained a hatred towards Spirits and was manipulated into becoming a ghost huntress by Vlad Masters with Danny Phantom being the focal point of her fury, but it made her a hard worker, and learned to closely observe a person's character before choosing to socialize with them.

Thankfully, things did turn around for the girl as soon as she and her father discovered Phantom's secret. Not only did her father win the lawsuit against Axion Lab's former executives, but he also managed to get his job back, and then a promotion. This didn't give her the excuse to quit her job at the Nasty Burger.

No, that came earlier today. After getting harassed by the local teens while in the Nasty Burger mascot, she absolutely lost it, both at the teens and her boss. Once the teens ran, her boss came to reprimand her, only for Valerie to quit on the spot.

Seething, knowing that her father would be upset for throwing her job so recklessly, Valerie sulked in an alleyway. Fortunately for her, her wristwatch detected a ghost's presence up the street.

Making sure cameras weren't watching her, her Ghost Huntress suit materialized along with her hoverboard. She flew toward the Spirit, which happened to be a large glowing green eel. When it stopped attacking a nearby flea market and focused its sights on her, the two commenced their battle.

…Well, it wasn't a battle. It was more like a one-sided therapy session consisting of the Ghost Eel fleeing for its afterlife while the Ghost Huntress unleashed her wrath with a volley of blasts from her anti-ecto Bazooka. Once it was damaged enough, Valerie captured it with the Axion Labs brand Fenton Thermos with a sigh of relief.

While floating with her hoverboard, the Ghost Huntress thought, '...I might have thrown out that stupid ass job, but it feels good to do my thing out in the field. Hopefully, Daddy will understand.'

With that, the Ghost Huntress flew over to the abandoned hospital's parking lot where nobody occupied. Alone, she then dematerialized her suit safely, now in her civilian attire.

Just then, Valerie heard her phone ringing.

"I bet that's him right now," Valerie said as she looked at her flip phone. "Here goes…"

She opened her phone and pressed the answer key to talk into it.

"Hello?"

"'ello, sweetheart. It's been a while." A vibrate femininely British voice spoke in a sweet tone.

Valerie's heart stopped for a moment. This was her mother, Constance "Connie" Gray, the woman who chose her career over her and her father.

Taking a deep breath, Valerie collected herself and calmly greeted the woman over the phone, "...Hey, Mom. How's work?"

"Oh, you know it's been busy in the office. Genius Magazine can be a bit demanding, but it's rewarding when I find the right story." Said Connie. "But enough about that, I heard that you moved back to Amity Park after the court settled."

Valerie's brows furrowed.

"Dad told you about that, huh…" Valerie asked, still watching her tone to conceal her bitterness.

"He only told me bits and pieces, but I read the rest in Amity Park Daily online." Her mother explained. "The web grows farther and faster every year. It's almost scary."

"Ain't no lie about that," Valerie agreed, staying cordial with her mother.

"I was so worried, about the sudden ghost attacks and your struggles. I'm so happy the two of you are back on your feet, darling." The woman expressed warmly with sincerity.

'Yeah, no thanks to you.' The teenage girl thought to herself.

"Thanks, you don't have to worry about me. I can take care of myself. 'Sides, Daddy's treating me well, and I got some folks from school looking out for me." Valerie assured.

"...R-Right," Connie said, having a wavering undertone. "By the way, I have some exciting news!"

Valerie had a blank expression on her face. She knew this couldn't be good.

"...News? What news?" Valerie questioned, dreading the answer.

"I managed to arrange some time off of work during the holiday. That means I can spend Christmas and New Year's in Amity Park with you!"

"W-Wait, you're coming to Amity Park?" Valerie questioned. "Aren't you based in the Tri-City district, though?"

Mistaking her daughter's tone as excitement, Connie said, "I know, isn't it great? I cannot wait to see you again!"

"...Where will you be staying?" Asked Valerie, collecting herself again.

"Alongside booking a round-trip ticket from Tri-City Airlines, I've always booked a hotel room near your father's address." Connie expressed. "But we can talk about the details another time. My break is almost over."

'...Typical.' Valerie thought, rolling her eyes.

"Alright."

"I'll talk to you later, darling. Love you."

"I know," Valerie muttered before ending the call and letting out a frustrated sigh. "...Well, there goes a decent holiday break. Why does she bother to be involved in my life now?"

With that, Valerie walked off, then walked away from the alley, heading toward the direction of her house.

---

Bucky's Music Mega Store, Amity Park, IL

Ghost hunting being harder than what it seemed would be an understatement. No civilian didn't know this better than Jack and Maddie Fenton. While both are physically capable fighters, if it wasn't for their pride, they'd admit that they were better researchers than they were ghost hunters.

After all, they were the world's leading experts on spirits and had successfully built the first manmade portal to the spiritual realm.

Currently, they were doing their best to battle a ghost and were suffering a disadvantage.

Why?

The spirit that they had confronted was Technus, or specifically, Technus 2.0. The cackling Gamma Class Poltergeist was a tall green-skinned male with black shades with a flowing white mullet. He had a muscular build to him, contrasting his original mad doctor look from his weaker form. He wore a long black coat with three green buttons and pockets, a black belt with a rectangular belt buckle, and a silver cape that covered his shoulders and was held closed at the neck. He also wears black boots and green gloves.

The spirit floated above them in the middle of the afternoon. The Amity Park Police Department had obstructed an entire block to give the Fentons some room to do their work, however, the couple struggled against the spirit due to his main power being the ability to control technology.

Technus laughed maniacally, saying, "FOOLS! DO YOU BELIEVE THAT YOUR SUBPAR SKILLS AND YOUR ABYSMAL ANTI-GHOST DEVICES ARE ENOUGH TO BEAT ME? THE MASTER OF ALL TECHNOLOGY!?"

Technus was suddenly bombarded by a beam that left him unable to move temporarily.

"HUH? I CANNOT MOVE! WHAT IN BLAZES IS GOING ON!?" Technus bellowed.

"I'll tell you what's going on, you ghastly ghoul!" Jack said, getting Technus' attention.

Jack Fenton, wearing his orange mask and blue goggles, held out the fob to the Fenton Family Ghost Assault Vehicle while saying, "The newly installed Fenton Specter Suspending Gun is fully operational and it's working like a charm! Light 'em up, Maddie!"

Maddie, wearing her blue mask and red goggles, holding her Fenton Bazooka, aimed at Technus.

"Eat Fenton Bazooka, ghost scum!" The woman fired, shooting rounds at the spirit.

To their credit, the Fentons' strategy managed to hit Technus a few times, causing him to shout in pain. But this only got them so far. With little effort, Technus spawned his lightning rod and set electrical sparks toward the Ghost Assault vehicle, destroying the Specter Suspending Gun.

"No!" Jack shouted. "I just finished building that!"

"HM? I'M SENSING SOME MAJOR CIRCUITRY COMING FROM THOSE JUMPSUITS OF YOURS!" Technus stated before channeling ectoplasmic energy from his left hand.

With his powers, Jack and Maddie felt their bodies tightening up, causing them to stiffen as the techno spirit shoved them to the side of their vehicle.

"M-Maddie!" Jack shouted. "He's got us bound! B-But how!?"

"J-Jack! I-It's too strong!" Maddie grunted. "H-He must have a telep-pathic sway on machines!"

"LIKE I SAID, I AM TECHNUS, MASTER OF ALL TECHNOLOGY!" The Poltergeist bellowed as he brought his lightning rod to his right hand while holding the Fentons in place. "NOW, TO DEAL THE FINAL BLOW!"

Jack and Maddie looked at each other. Neither of them said a word, but the solemn expressions that they exchanged said it all.

I love you.

Before they were fried to death, a green reflective Ghost Shield formed around them as the rod sent a current of electrical energy. This bounced off the shield and hit Technus, sending him flying to a nearby truck that was empty.

The two ghost hunters were left shocked, wondering how a Ghost Shield spawned when neither of them was at the control panel in the GAV. Much to their surprise and irritation, the figures revealed themselves as Danny Phantom, who dropped the shield when he became visible.

"PHANTOM!" Both Jack and Maddie exclaimed.

"Seriously, guys? Out of all of the Ghosts you throw yourselves at, you decided to pick a fight with Technus?" Phantom questioned, giving them sass.

Jack immediately took out an ecto-hand gun, ready to blast the ghost boy to bits of ectoplasm, but Maddie grabbed her husband's wrist.

"Jack, don't! The executive order!" Maddie reminded her, prompting the large man to growl in frustration before putting the gun down.

The woman then glared at Danny Phantom, saying, "You're in the way, Phantom! Step aside!"

The white-haired teen gave her a half-lidded glance, then said, "Ma'am, believe it or not, I mean this in no disrespect. You guys are not capable of handling a fight like this."

"Excuse me!?" Maddie shouted with Jack also glaring at Phantom.

If he was in his human form, Danny would be quivering at his parents. Fortunately, Danny Phantom was in his element while in Ghost mode. He stood with confidence, something that slowly translated into his human form throughout his first year.

"Look, I may not have been the best student when I was alive, but he's a gadget Ghost. You guys build and use ghost gadgets. I'm sure you can do the math from there." Phantom quipped.

"If I had the Ghost Gauntlets in my size, I'd pop that little mouth of yours, smart alec," Maddie hissed.

Danny inwardly flinched at her tone, still remembering that he was mouthing off to his mother.

Jack and Maddie stepped aside just as Technus flew out of the destroyed truck. Danny flew up to confront Technus, ready to fight.

"AH! GHOST CHILD, I WAS WONDERING WHEN YOU'D SHOW UP! IF YOU WERE A TAD LATE, YOU AND THE GIRL WOULD HAVE BECOME ORPH-" Technus stated.

Technus' sentence was cut short by Phantom uppercutting to a billboard on top of a nearby building. Just then, Phantom flew toward him with his hands burning with fiery ectoplasm.

"Let's stop right there and get to the action!" Danny Phantom said, preparing for an ectoplasmic energy blast.

"VERY WELL!" Technus agreed before firing his own ecto-ray toward Danny.

Danny Phantom created a shield, but the blast pushed him downward toward the street. The ghost kid rolled onto the ground before sticking into a crouch position.

He watched Technus float several feet away from him.

"What, no armor today?" Danny Phantom questioned.

"I WON'T BE NEEDING ONE TO DEAL WITH THE LIKES OF YOU…" Technus declared before grabbing a piece of paper that flew along the wind.

What he saw was a picture of Alfred Molina as Doc Ock from Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 2 (2004).

"...HEY! I DIG THIS GUY'S STYLE! I'LL TAKE IT AND MAKE IT MY OWN!"

Technus conjured his ectoplasmic-based electricity to create an electromagnetic field with his two hands. From there, Technus started collecting miscellaneous devices, stripped them into smaller components, and then circled them around his spectral body. These components then started to reconstruct into four black mechanical arms that resembled that of a cephalopod with three-digit multi-use claws. The back of Technus managed to have an apparatus on his back where the claws are connected.

Phantom, the Fentons, and the police, and bystanders that stood as close as they could to watch the spectacle felt their lips part in astonishment, as Technus stood with his four mechanical arms, towering over everybody.

"He just constructed them with no effort!" Said Maddie, both intrigued yet envious at the same time.

"Incredible," Jack said, fascinated at the Poltergeist's abilities.

"BEHOLD, MY LATEST CREATION! THE ANTI-PHANTOM CEPHALO-BATTLEPACK!" Technus presented before laughing maniacally.

"...Oh, you've got to be kidding me." Danny Phantom muttered in disbelief.

Technus lunged at Danny, using his metal arms to try and stab him through the chest, Phantom avoided it, then tried to hit him with several ectoplasmic energy blasts. Technus's arms emitted ectoplasmic energy and generated a temporary shield.

"Aw, seriously!?" Danny complained.

"DO YOU LIKE THEM? THEY CAN GENERATE GHOST SHIELDS FROM MY UNIQUE SPECTRAL SIGNATURE!" Technus boasted. "THAT'S NOT ALL, THOUGH! CHECK THIS OUT!"

Danny Phantom found himself being sent into the GAV after taking an ecto-electrical blast from two of Technus' mechanical arms. This left a large dent on the side of the vehicle, much to Jack's ire.

"My ride!" Jack screamed, holding his hands on his head. "You menace! It'll take months to fix that!"

Phantom got up, rubbing his back as he bitterly muttered, "...Ugh! Everybody's a critic."

The ghost boy jumped back into Technus' proximity, and then began to engage in hand-to-hand combat. Thanks to his enhanced spectral body, Phantom took minimal damage while parrying and blocking strikes from the Poltergeist's mechanical arms. He dealt a few jabs and kicks while swinging on the arms, using them as leverage. However, there were times when the arms did swat him away or struck Danny's face, sending him staggering back.

At this point, Channel 4 and Action News had arrived and televised the action that was unfolding.

Onlookers, including the Fentons, the civilians, and some of the police officers watched in awe. If it wasn't for the fact that the situation could prove to be dangerous, they'd believe that the battle that took place would be part of a movie scene.

In the physical confrontation, Technus tried to cut Phantom into ribbons by taking the claws of his mechanical arms and spinning them like they were buzzsaws. Danny evaded them by backflipping, then weaving around them in the air by flying.

"HAHAHAHA! I'M HAVING THE TIME OF MY AFTERLIFE!" The manic scientist Spirit cackled while continuing to lunge his mechanical arms at Danny Phantom.

"Really! Glad that one of us is enjoying this!" Phantom quipped, using spheres made of ectoplasmic energy to counter the mechanical arms. "You know, the amusement park is always looking for part-timers! You'd fit right in!"

Phantom swung on one arm and kicked Technus in the face. This sent him against the wall of the music store, irritating the Spirit.

As a response, Technus took chucks from off of the building's surface and chucked it at Phantom. Danny responded by firing eye lasers made of ectoplasmic energy to reduce the amount of debris flying to ensure the safety of civilians.

"That was some fancy pitching there, Mark Buehrle." Phantom joked, floating above Technus. "Are you trying to join the White Sox or something?"

"YOUR FAILED ATTEMPTS AT HUMOR WILL NOT SPARE YOU FROM MY WRATH, WHELP!" Technus said, aiming to gouge Phantom's beating heart out with one of his mechanical arms.

As Phantom continued evading, Technus tried crushing him on the floor with his mechanical arms.

'...Okay, what's with these guys!? First, Freakshow pulls a Mysterio then goes full Egyptian God Sandman with a magic scepter, and now Technus decides to go all Doc Ock on me!' Danny ranted in his mind. 'Maybe putting some pressure would catch him off guard!'

Phantom took into the air, then made three more copies. Together, they each stuck out their right hands and concentrated four individual ectoplasmic blasts into one larger beam.

Seeing this, Technus generated another Ghost Shield to protect himself. At first, it was holding on rather effectively, but Technus found himself struggling to maintain it due to the amplification of ecto-energy exuding from Phantom and his clone's joint attack.

"Having fun yet!?" All Danny Phantoms stated at once.

The pressure of the beam that intercepted the shield proved too much for Technus to handle. It pushed him toward the store's wall and made Technus violently slam against it before everything was enveloped in smoke.

Danny Phantom, spawning a wrist-mounted Fenton Thermos out of the nanotech belt Damon Gray made, floated closer to where Technus was supposed to. Unfortunately, he was baited into a trap as one mechanical arm launched out of the smoke and grabbed the snow-white-haired teenager by the leg.

Phantom was then slammed against any hard surface Technus could find, whether it was the concrete, the surface of buildings around, nearby police cars, or the Fenton Family Ghost Assault Vehicle. Onlookers watched the violent display, with many adults having to shield the eyes of the children that were present beside their parents, aunts, uncles, and/or authority figures.

Even the Fentons looked disturbed at the sight despite their own views on former public enemy number one. ghost or not, he was the spirit of a child. A child who died young.

Come to think of it, the ghost hunters subconsciously decided that he would have been around their son's age, though reminded themselves that Phantom was a spirit. Nothing more.

Once Technus was done, he tossed Phantom in the air, then caught the ghost boy by wrapping a mechanical arm around his torso. The boy sustained a considerable amount of battle damage with rips on his suit and scraps on his face and chest.

Danny struggled to get out, but noticed that Technus spectral energy started to spike as his arms' aura bled a red hue.

'...Oh, crud. Is this Technus' Madness?' Phantom realized before his ribs started to get crushed by Technus' mechanical arm.

Danny's struggles turned into pain as he groaned loudly for everybody to hear, making their stomachs churn.

"GOT ANYTHING ELSE TO SAY, BOY?" Technus taunted. "GO ON! SAY SOMETHING FUNNY! SPEAK!"

"...Y-You l-look like a…n-new age y-youth pastor…" Danny Phantom croaked, only for Technus' hold to tighten further.

"YOU CONTINUE TO TEST MY PATIENCE!" Technus warned, taking another of his mechanical arms and channeled his Ghost Stinger into it. "LET'S SEE HOW MUCH PUNISHMENT YOU CAN TAKE!"

Once the claw pressed on Phantom's chest, Technus began electrocuting his younger foe, grinning at the sight of the screaming teenager. Once a full minute has passed, Technus took the charged arm off of the boy, allowing him a bit of relief.

"HAD ENOUGH YET?" Technus mocked, taking in the smell of smoking flesh from his spectral nostrils.

"Argh…D-Did you have to crush my ribs and shock me?" Phantom whined.

"YES, I ENJOYED THAT PART!" Technus said with a big smile.

"O-Okay, then let's cool things down a bit!" Danny Phantom said as his eyes flashed icy blue.

"WHAT!?" Screamed Technus.

In a flash of light blue, Phantom's aura shifted as his spectral energy manifested his freeze power. With this, Phantom froze the mechanical arm that held him while firing the power through his eyes to freeze the other arm that was electrocuting him. He shattered both metal arms with his normal ecto-rays, then flew behind Technus. In a shift motion, Phantom severed the other two arms from the apparatus and struck Technus with one of them, sending him to a street light.

Phantom glared at his foe, throwing the metal arm he ripped off aside while his eyes glowed bright green. Just as Technus got up, the ghost boy lunged for a punch laced with his freeze power. But Technus was quick to catch his punch, refraining from showing discomfort of his left hand quickly being covered in frost.

"CRYOKINETIC POWERS? IMPRESSIVE!" Technus genuinely complimented before kicking the ghost boy into a mailbox.

This time, Danny got up as Technus floated above his foe.

"I'LL ADMIT, YOU'VE GOTTEN MUCH STRONGER THAN I IMAGINED YOU GET IN A YEAR WITH OUR ABILITIES! BUT YOU STILL CARRY A GLARING WEAKNESS THAT SEPARATES YOU FROM THE REST OF US," Technus stated before turning to an apartment building next to the music store they were fighting in front of.

"W-Wait, what are you-?"

With his right hand, Technus summoned a lightning rod and fired a bot toward the apartment, causing a fire that rapidly spread around the building. This prompted the people to react in a panic, including the Fentons gasped in horror.

"...YOUR HUMAN EMOTIONS!" Technus declared, watching the building burn with glee.

"NO!" Phantom shouted.

Technus grinned at his victory, saying, "IT SEEMS THAT YOU GOT YOUR WORK CUT OUT FOR YOU, HERO. WE'LL SETTLE THIS ANOTHER TIME. WHAT DO YOU KIDS SAY THESE DAYS? OH! CATCH YOU ON THE FLIPSIDE, HOMEBOY! HAHAHAHAHA!"

With that, Technus began ecto-electricity while traveling through the city cables to make his escape.

"TECHNUS, WAIT!" Phantom said but failed to react fast enough. "...Damn it!"

He let Technus get away. And now, there were people in danger. All of this because he had turned on the Fenton Portal.

'...It's never gonna get easier, will it?' Phantom inquired to himself.

Danny Phantom's thoughts shifted to the burning building as people barged out of the apartment, frantically running for their lives. The ghost boy flew to the area as he checked on the physical state of the civilians.

"Is everybody okay?" The ghost kid questioned.

He got some mixed responses. Some people responded positively, stating that they were as well as they could. Others scrutinized Phantom, blaming him for the current conditions. Regardless, Phantom inspected their conditions, and aside from a few burn marks, they were relatively fine.

That's all that matters.

However, a scream toward the front of the burning building caught Danny's attention.

"LET ME GO! LET ME GO! I HAVE TO GO BACK UP THERE RIGHT NOW!" A distraught black haired woman said while a police officer held her down with Jack Fenton helped.

"Ma'am, please calm down and refrain from taking such drastic actions." The police chief advised. "We're doing everything we can."

"DON'T YOU TELL ME TO CALM DOWN!" The woman shouted back. "GET THE HELL OUT OF MY WAY!"

"Dear, I understand how you feel. The Fire Department is on their way, so endangering yourself won't help your-" Maddie tried to console, only for the chief of police to spot Phantom.

"-You, Ghost Kid!" The burly and gruff man said, approaching the teenager with the others watching. "Where did the other one go!?"

"Gone for now," Phantom explained before looking over to the distraught woman. "Excuse me, what's the problem?"

Before Jack, Maddie, or any of the police could, the woman ran up to Phantom and implored him, "I-I live on the top floor! It happened so fast! I-I was being shoved and couldn't get to him in time! PLEASE, SAVE MY BABY!"

Without hesitation, Phantom turned intangible and flew into the burning building, which was on the verge of collapse.

Jack then turned to the chief of police and asked, "You're gonna trust that spook?"

"If the department can learn to tolerate you, I think can make some exceptions." The chief of police stated.

The mother clasped her hands together, praying to God that her child would be spared. Maddie stood beside the woman as support while wondering what game was Phantom playing, pretending to be a hero.

Everybody watched, waiting for the return of the Phantom of Amity Park and the child of the distraught dark-haired mother. At this point, the firefighters had pulled up with at least two trucks, ready to begin their work once the crisis was averted.

Many were on bated breath, praying that a miracle or divine intervention could save an innocent child's life. Strangely enough, the flames began to die a bit, but not completely, leaving the majority of the fumes to result from the smoke and the burning of the building itself.

Within less than twenty seconds, Phantom phased out of the building, carrying a two-year-old boy in overalls while holding him in a baby blue blanket. Seeing this heroic scene prompted the crowd watching to thunder with a round of applause from their heroic Spirit.

Danny handed the young mother her baby boy back, saying, "Your baby's alright, ma'am."

"Mommy!" The toddler cried out, holding his arms to reach his mother.

"KENNY!" The woman shouted, quickly embracing the black-haired boy.

"Oh, thank God! Thank you! My baby's safe!" She cried before thanking the Phantom. "Thank you so much!"

Phantom gave the woman a sincere smile. The boy, who glanced at the ghost boy, waved at him. Danny, feeling his spirits raised, waved back before taking to the skies and disappearing just as quickly.

The Fentons were left speechless. They nearly got killed, Phantom had to rescue them, then he intervened, damaged their vehicle, lost their target, and yet his heroic acts stole the hearts of the city they've spent years trying to prove their achievements had substance to.

It was humiliating, especially to Jack.

A few minutes later, after reporting to the police their side of the investigation, Jack and Maddie sat on a bench by the store fifteen feet away from the GAV.

"...That accursed piece of ecto-slime!" Jack growled. "We did most of the work and that glory ghoul still gets the credit! If it wasn't for that damned Executive Order, I oughta-"

"-Jack, honey, give it a rest," Maddie said with a wry smile, rubbing the man's back.

The man's shoulders slumped as he sighed.

"...You're right, babe. I'm sorry that I got worked up so much. It's just this whole thing that is hard to swallow, you know?" Jack explained. "We're at the peak of our careers. We did what we've sought to prove in our twenties, and then some. We're hunting real ghosts, and our devices have opened up a booming market! …And yet people still can't seem to get past what our name was before our big break."

Maddie silently nodded, understanding her husband's emotions.

"...Then that menace swoops in and easily wins these people over!" Jack said, clenching his fists. "...I don't even get it! Did people forget that the kid's a ghost? The one that robbed stores and attacked Mayor Montez last year? Why are we still joking while the Ghost Kid is celebrated as if he didn't cause thousands of dollars of property damage!? It's absurd!"

"I know, Jack. This whole thing about the ghost boy being labeled a hero by the town majority is baffling to me as well." Maddie said in a calmer tone while agreeing with her husband. "I'm not too hot about all of this either."

"At least I'm not alone with that opinion." Jack with a grateful smile. "...Maybe this EO that the UN slapped us with is getting to me. …I don't know what he's up to or what this world is coming to these days, but I don't trust that ghost kid one bit."

"This won't last forever. It may be a while, but we'll get our chance." Maddie said. "Now come on. We have to get home to the kids."

"Give me a minute to breathe, dear. I'm gonna need it." Jack said.

The redheaded woman nodded before walking back to the Ghost Assault Vehicle. Jack stood alone with his thoughts. He thought about walking to the cornerstone to see if they had a supply of fudge pudding to cheer him up. He was about to walk toward that direction when he spotted a piece of material from on the floor.

"...What the-?"

Upon further inspection, Jack recognized the piece of assumably fabric material as a piece of Danny Phantom's jumpsuit.

"...Holy smokes! This must have come off during his battle with the gadget ghost!" Jack excitedly stated, only for his face to drop when he noticed something off about it. "Wait… this is… I have to get to the lab!"

Overcome with newly found vigor for scientific study, he placed the material in a small plastic bag, placed the bag in his pocket, then jogged back the vehicle to drive home.

---

Fenton Works, Amity Park, IL

Sunday came and went, allowing Monday to come and for another school week to arrive. Danny, fully clothed, walked downstairs with the intent to eat breakfast. He was slightly hunched back due to the damage he took from yesterday's fight with Technus, but he put on a brave face to avoid suspicion. Looking at the emptiness of the kitchen, Danny glanced out the window and noticed that the Ghost Assault Vehicle was missing.

"...They must have gone somewhere. Maybe they wanted to perform an early patrol or something." Danny assumed before going to pour him a bowl of cereal and milk.

Once his breakfast had been made, Danny listened to his older sister quickly descend down the stairs with an enthusiasm that he hadn't heard in a long time.

"Morning Danny!" Jazz said in her brother's direction, practically skipping to the front door.

"Uh…good morning?" Danny greeted, raising an eyebrow out of curiosity toward his sister's upbeat nature.

'...What's up with her? Did another edition of Genius Magazine arrive?' The Alpha Human questioned.

The raven-haired boy watched his ginger sister go outside, only to hear a loud girly squeal that was out of character for Jazz.

Jazz came back inside of the house, shouted excitedly, "It's here, it's here, it's here, it's here!"

Danny eyed a brown rectangular package in Jazz's hands as he watched hop like a child who was excited to go to their favorite amusement park.

Wanting to quench his curiosity, Danny asked, "What's in the package that got you all giddy?"

"I'm glad you asked, Little Brother," Jazz said as she tore off the packaging and used a box opener. "My Kimmunicator finally came in the mail today!"

"What? Don't you mean a communicator?" Danny corrected.

"No, it's called a KIM-municator." Said Jazz. "It's named after a friend of mine who lives in Colorado."

"Alright? Why get this again? Don't you have a phone?" Asked Danny.

"She sent me one as a better means to talk to her without blowing up the phone bill." Jazz stated. "I mean, it has a video call function!"

"It does? That's awesome!" Danny exclaimed. "That's, like, some James Bond type of gadgetry!"

"You can thank her tech friend for that. Speaking of which, I'm going to have to give her a thank you present when I get the chance. For now, I'll have to wait until we see her during next month's trip."

"We are?" Danny queried, surprised at how casually she brought this up.

"Uh…duh. Kim lives in Middleton." Jazz said as if it was obvious. "Why is it a shock? You've met her before."

"I have?" Danny said, at a loss.

Realizing how confused her brother was, Jazz thought about it and lightly palmed her forehead.

"Oh, right. I guess it would be a while ago for you, given how young you were," Jazz said with a sheepish smile. "Dad called in a favor from one of his old college friends who studied at the Middleton Institute of Science and Technology in Colorado. He hooked Dad up for a program for kids one summer. I think it was called the Rocket Boosters Open House."

"Oh, yeah! Right, I remember that! I think there was a monkey that works as an astronaut over at their space center." Danny thought aloud.

"See, you remember! Anyway, that friend who hosts the Rocket Boosters Open House in the Middleton Space Center is Kim's dad." Jazz explained.

"That's so cool! Hey, maybe we'll see them at the LAUNCH Conference," Danny suggested.

"I'd bet you'd want that," Jazz coyly winked. "Just so you know, Kim's single, and she's quite the looker."

Danny blushed, but shook his head and said, "Jazz! Come on, you know I don't have time for that stuff!"

Jazz giggled, "Relax, Danny. I'm joking! Besides, Kimmy's dad might threaten to send you into a black hole if you look at her funny."

That immediately made Danny pale.

'...Could Spirits even survive in a black hole? …I don't even want to know.' Danny thought as he refocused.

"Anyway, she also gave it to me for organization purposes." Jazz added. "With it, I can streamline tasks like looking for colleges or time placement for studying for the C.A.T."

Danny's mind froze before he mentally groaned.

'...Man, I forgot! The C.A.T. is this month! I should have prepared better last year. This time, I'll make the time to study, Ghosts or no Ghosts.' Danny deliberated with determination.

Danny glanced at the blue and black device, mentally comparing it to Tucker's various PDAs.

"It just looks like a moderately fancy PDA to me," Danny commented.

Jazz rolled her eyes, then said, "It's custom-made for a reason, Danny. And you better not tell Tucker!"

"Relax, Sis. I know how jealous he could get when it comes to stuff like this." Danny said, waving her off nonchalantly.

Jazz blinked before remembering something. "Oh yeah, here."

Danny watched as Jazz fished a small note from her pocket and handed it to him.

"What's this?" Danny questioned while taking the piece of paper.

"It's from Sam," Jazz explained, causing Danny to stop breathing. "She said it's for Phantom."

Danny slightly deflated, then goes to read the note. His eyes furrowed, which didn't go unnoticed by his elder sister. He clenched the note in his left hand, making a fist.

"Hey, she doesn't control you. Whatever it is Sam wants, you don't have to go through with it." Jazz said in a supportive manner, trying to protect her brother.

"...No," Danny said in a low tone, shaking his head. "If she wants to meet Phantom, she'll meet him."

"This is ridiculous! Why humor her after all that she's putting you through?" Jazz questioned, frustrated at the whole "Sam situation".

"You know how she is when she gets like this, Jazz," Danny said with a pained tone. "I don't like how she's acting no more than you or Tucker, but I hurt her first. She's not going to talk it out with Danny Fenton, so…"

"...You're looking for answers as Danny Phantom." Jazz realized.

Danny nodded silently.

The ginger smiled at her brother's plan, proud of how far he's come in information gathering.

"Good thinking, Little Brother. But what you might find, you may not like." Jazz warned Danny. "...I don't want you to get hurt."

"Jazz, I've been in pain for over a year. At this point, I need to know where I stand with Sam moving forward." Danny said, making Jazz taken aback as to how mature he's gotten in a year.

A solemn gaze appeared in Jazz's eyes. Her brother's face, once holding a bright innocence, has been replaced with a darkened but complex expression that showed a sense of maturity beyond his years despite being fifteen.

While pride was evident in her chest, Jazz inwardly mourned the loss of her happy little brother that was excited for his high school life. She longed for that side of Danny to return, but knew it was too late to reclaim it.

And for that, she resented Sam for that.

"Danny, do you still have Sam's number?" Jazz asked with a heavy heart.

"...Uh, yeah. Though, she blocked me." Danny awkwardly revealed.

"Give it to me. I'll relay Phantom's message to her." Jazz said, prompting Danny to agree.

Soon enough, Jazz would help her brother tie up loose ends and find a way to a better piece of mind.

---

Casper High, Amity Park, IL

It was another day in school. Meaning, there were more opportunities for Danny to be antagonized, and many of his social enemies didn't waste any time to put the boy who had stirred up turbulence within the social scene "back in his place", so to speak.

Dash, Dale, and especially Kwan all had taken their shots and made it their mission to make Danny crack under pressure. In classes he shared with Dale, he endured juvenile provocations only read in books like S. E. Hinton's The Outsiders like wads of chewed-up paper shot from a straw and paper airplanes with hateful/explicitly hurtful jabs toward his looks or personal life. With Dash, Danny had to avoid him due to the blonde muscle head trying to wail at him for failing his biology quiz by losing him in the gym under the bleachers. As for Kwan, Danny dealt with smaller microaggressions which started on the day Star dumped him and progressed and became more violent over time. This included in tripping Danny, slapping the boy's head while he drank from the water fountain, knocking his books out of his hand, and shoving him against a locker.

And since Paulina and her string of girlfriends (minus Star, oddly enough) were present or passing by, they would loudly laugh at the younger Fenton to amplify the humiliation. But much to the aggravation of these bullies, Danny upheld his morals and was the bigger person by walking away.

Of course, when the selective bullying started, Danny warned his friends not to do anything. After all, it didn't matter whether or not the teachers saw this. Unless their names were Principal Ishiyama or Ms. Tetslaff, the faculty would protect the privilege of gifted students in the name of "tradition and school spirit" - a fancier term for preserving the funds they secured from the wealthier and influential parents/guardians that wish to keep up appearances of the responsible American citizen. As frustrating as things were, Mason, Valerie, and Pacifica reluctantly agreed, given that things didn't begin so perversely.

However, Danny's annoyance bled into his ghostly side, and it caused his obsessive nature to protect people to surface. This prompted Danny to tell his friends to steer away from him to avoid dragging them into his mess. Mason and Valerie were the most vocal being against it, but Danny managed to convince them in the end.

Right now, the hoodie-wearing Fenton was walking in the hallways of the school when he heard an audible scream-fest from across the hall. Following the sounds out of curiosity, he noticed a large crowd mostly composed of girls gathering from the girls' restroom.

"-FUCK YOU! I DON'T NEED YOU OR YOUR FAKE LITTLE GROUP ANYWAY!" A shrill voice echoed throughout the halls.

'What's going on in there? …Wait, that sounds like Star.' Danny thought to himself. 'What the hell's going on in there?'

Once he was close enough, Star came out of the restroom with tears streaming from her face and a burning red face fixated in a seething rage, not unlike her breakup with Kwan.

'Oh man… Looks like she's going through the wringer these days.' Danny thought, pitying the blonde. 'Wait, did she just leave the A-Listers!?'

From out of the restroom, a disgusted Paulina shouted, "GONORREA DE FEA! DON'T COME CRAWLING BACK EITHER, GRINGA DE ÑERO!"

From there Danny began to pick up whispers from the horde of second-class students.

"Did you see that?"

"Yeah, it finally happened."

"I never thought that Paulina would do it…"

"But she did the same thing to Valerie last year."

"Yeah, but I didn't think she'd ditch the satellite like that. Like, weren't they friends since forever?"

"You know how it is with her clique. Besides, I heard that her parents split, and so did her dad's paycheck."

"Ooh, and she threw Kwan to the side after that? That doesn't look good on her part."

"...Oh no." Danny whispered, before turning to tail the blonde, completely ditching lunch and mentally reminding himself to make it up to his friends later.

Little did Danny know, an invisible Sidney Poindexter silently followed him, wanting to see what the halfa was planning to do.

Danny eventually found Star up the stairs to the school roof. While climbing each step, the boy felt a knot in his stomach, making his anxiety rise.

'...Why is she going up here?' Danny questioned.

When he made it to the top, he felt a cool breeze flow through his hair that eventually made his hoodie fall. The boy gasped when he saw what the sniffling blonde was.

Star stood emotionally drained, teetering off the ledge with a soulless gaze pointing downwards.

Every fiber of his being, both Fenton's and Phantom's mind and body screamed for him to move. And so, he did.

Star's mind was blank. Her family was falling apart, her boyfriend had been unfaithful, and now her so-called friends had abandoned her. Her social status was left in shambles, and she had nobody to turn to. To Star, her life was over and she was never going to get it back.

Consumed by dark thoughts, she allowed herself to take the final plunge. With one foot forward, she planned to take her last step and accept her fate…

…Only to be stopped by a warm hand that reached out to the girl.

"STAR, DON'T!"

The former popular girl turned to find a hoodless Danny Fenton holding her back.

"FENTON?!" Star exclaimed, not being able to fathom where he came from and how he followed her up to the roof so quickly. "Where the fuck-!? Let go of me!"

"I-I can't do that, Star!" Danny said, knowing how ill-equipped he was in handling the situation, but still trying his best.

"I'm not asking, you freak! I said let go!" Star growled, trying to yank her wrist back, but Danny wasn't having it.

"No! I won't let you do this to yourself!" Danny said, projecting his voice a bit.

"PISS OFF!" Screeched the feisty blonde.

Star tried kicking Danny in the shin, but Danny endured it and pulled her away from the ledge.

However, he put a little too much force on the pull and caused her to fall on top of him. The two quickly forgot their current predicament as they recognized the awkward position they were in. The two apologized to each other about it before averting their eyes elsewhere on the floor of the school roof.

Danny was the first to speak after a minute of long silence.

"...I heard what happened," Danny admitted, making Star tense up. "Is it true? Did you leave Paulina and them?"

"And so what if it's true? What's it to you?" Star hissed. "You come here to gloat?"

"Why would I do that? You're hurting." Danny retorted with eyes filled with pity.

"I don't need your pity! Especially not from the school's biggest loser!" Star shot back.

"I know you don't need pity, but you do need a person," Danny said, keeping calm.

"What I want is to be left alone!" Star shouted, feeling tears pouring from her tear ducts. "Now go away!"

"That's the last thing you need right now," Danny said in a tender tone. "And I think you know that, too."

"...You're not going to leave, are you?" Star said, agitated yet perplexed at the boy in front of her.

Danny shook his head, saying, "Until I know that you'll be okay, I'm staying here as long as it takes."

"You'll be late to class," Star said, trying to persuade him otherwise.

"Detention is nothing new to me, Star." Danny pointed out.

"Lancer will rat you out to your parents," Star added.

"It wouldn't be the first time… Still, better than to let…that, happen," Danny stated.

"For Christ's sake, Fenton! You're not my fucking parents, you're not responsible for me! Why the hell do you care what happens to me or my life!?" Star shouted.

"Because I just do," Danny answered in a calm and soft tone. "I've seen you in my neighborhood since we were in elementary school. We may not be friends and have never exactly gotten along, but in some fashion, you've been a part of my life for a long time. If something happened to you right now, I wouldn't be able to live with myself knowing that I could have done something but didn't."

Star felt her mouth open, then felt her words choke and die. There was nothing she could say that could dismantle what he told her. It was if Danny was killing her rude nature with a genuine kindness so rich, that it felt palpable to the blonde. And she couldn't understand why he was being like this after all the years she spent making fun of Danny and his friends.

This caused guilt to overflow, prompting Star to break down and ugly cry into her hands.

Danny didn't say anything. He simply let her express her emotions and waited for Star to collect herself. Midway, he made an invisible clone and it handed him some piece of tissue. He gave this to Star, who accepted them and used them to clean her face and hands off.

Once she calmed down, she steadied her breath and said, "...F-Fento-, no, Danny, I'm sorry."

"Star, you have nothing to apologize fo-"

"-Don't. I-I'm a horrible person, and I know it." Star admitted with guilt etched in her voice. "All I wanted was to fit in, so I followed the in-crowd. It's always been like that since my dad's big promotion eight years ago."

"...I figured as much." Danny deduced. "You and Kwan were so different back in first grade."

Star sighed, saying, "It was a simpler time. Back when we didn't have to care about who was dating what or who did what."

"Yeah. All we cared about was playing in the yard, sneaking snacks into class, and swapping trading cards with other kids." Danny reminisced. "Hey, do you still make necklaces and bracelets out of beads?"

Star lightly gasped, then blushed as she asked, "...H-How told you that?"

Danny chuckled and said, "Relax, I'm still the biggest loser in school. I don't really talk to anybody besides my friends and sister."

Star bit her lip, but lightly laughed it off, saying, "I can't believe you still remember old stuff like that… You didn't hear this from me, but I still dabble in it from time to time."

"That's cool. There's nothing wrong with a hobby," Danny said.

"Yeah, unless your name is Paulina." Star bitterly spat.

'Yikes, she's going to turn into another Sam at this rate.' Danny thought to himself.

"...I accept your apology." The raven-haired boy said. "...If you're comfortable with it, may I ask what happened in the girl's restroom?"

"That fucking skank is what happened!" Star hissed, causing Danny to wince. "She was so sure I'd follow her every whim, she tried to convince me to get back with Kwan's cheating ass!"

"Wait, what? After everything that happened last month?" Danny asked, flabbergasted.

"It must have been that idiot's ploy, but Paulina thought as her number two that I should get the band back together to save face or some stupid shit like that! It's been enough that I have trust issues at home after Dad…It doesn't matter. The point is, I wasn't going to take back a cheater!"

"That's when the fight started," Danny assumed.

"She tried everything she could to convince me, but I told her that I could see whoever I wanted. Then that bitch tried to hook me up with another guy from the basketball team, but I told her I wasn't having it and to back off. That's where the bitch pulled the rank shit on me to control me."

'...And I was attracted to that? If someone like Paulina knew my secret… I'm glad I dodged that bullet.' The Alpha Human thought to himself.

"...She threatened to give you the boot." Danny realized.

"And I told her that she didn't need to. So, I left her voluntarily." Star said with a mixture of bitterness and resentment. "...I can't believe I wasted my childhood with such a stuck-up bitch!"

"You said it yourself, you wanted to fit in." Danny reminded her. "I know how that feels, but I never managed to get accepted by you guys. Just Tucker and Sam."

"Well, that's a given. The whole town thought your parents were a bunch of crazies." Star said, prompting Danny to give her a half lidded glance.

Smacking her lips, Star said, "Don't give me that look, Fenton. Nobody believed that ghosts existed. Everybody believed they were crazy. At some point, you and your sister had to have believed it too."

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure our grandparents thought the same thing about us getting to the moon. And what happened again? Oh, right! President Kennedy Max Tennyson taking that first step for mankind on live television." Danny said in a dry tone.

"Look, all that I'm saying is that we thought they were crazy, and you were the son of crazies. I'm not saying what we did was right or fair, but that makes you stick out like a sore thumb for the wrong reasons. And if that wasn't bad enough, your sister was rare enough to look like your mom and somehow bypassed getting picked on by having the best grades in the school's history. I know you're not a terrible guy or a bad-looking one, but you're about as bland as plain rice."

"Yeah, I know. I've been waking up in the morning for most of my life with that fact seared into the back of my mind." Danny said in a monotone, sending a chill down Star's spine. "That's why I gave up trying to be like you and stopped caring about being popular right before Freshman year. My only regret is that I ever got Paulina as a date of any kind."

"I guess we have something in common," Star murmured before the pair fell into silence again, looking at the view of the town.

This time, after two minutes of silence, Star broke it with a question.

"...Do you really know him?" Star suddenly asked. "Phantom, I mean."

Danny remained silent for a moment, then carefully answered, "...You can say that."

"So it's true. You help him, right?" Star asked. "That's why you would come in later or leave during random periods in school."

Danny didn't look at her, but said, "My parents wouldn't understand. He helps people, and it gets hard for him. They gave me access to their lab, so I let him borrow a few things to do my part. I kept my distance from Sam and Tucker so they don't get involved and get hurt because of me."

Star quieted down, then thought to herself, '...He may have been dense, but you don't deserve him, Manson.'

"...I don't know what's happening at home, or how bad you had it as an A-Lister. Hell, I can't tell you that I've sunk to the exact bottom that you're in. But I know what it's like to be alone, like your whole life is falling apart and you don't know how to pick up the pieces." Danny said, standing up. "I've been there. I can't promise you that the pain will go away, but I can tell that in time, things will get better."

"How?" Star questioned, still hesitant about Danny's claims.

"Because I'm not gonna leave you alone," Danny said, offering a hand with a smile. "Will you let me help you?"

Star looked at his face, then his hand. She would have never imagined that the biggest loser was giving her, the second meanest girl and former popular girl the time of day. Then again, Danny Fenton had been giving Casper High surprise after surprise this year. He was far from the dorky silent wimp of the yesteryears they've shared.

Not that she'd admit it out loud, she kind of dug this assertive yet thoughtful side to him.

Star took Danny's hand, allowing him to help her up as she quietly said, "...Okay."

Danny, realizing how close he was to the blonde, cleared his throat awkwardly and said, "A-Anyway, we better get out of here before-"

"Mr. Fenton! Ms. Lynn!"

Danny and Star turned to see Mr. Lancer with his arms crossed.

"Mr. Lancer, we-" Star tried to talk, only for the man to hold up his hand.

"-I don't even want to know why the two of you are up here when the last lunch bell rang ten minutes ago. I expect both of you to come and see me after class for detention." Mr. Lancer said as he turned his back on them. "Now come along before you miss any more of your invaluable lectures."

Both Star and Danny groaned as the two walked together behind the bald overweight vice principal. Though, remembering Danny's words made Star think that being stuck together wasn't so bad after all.

Little did they know, Sidney Pointdexter had watched the entire situation, then thought to himself, '...Maybe, just maybe there could be change.'

---

Study Room, Library, Casper High

Soon enough, it was nearing the end of the day. Students who had study periods returned to the newly constructed library to resume their time to go over material for the last period or for future classes within the ongoing week.

Danny managed to get in touch with his friends and apologize for his absence at lunch. He took this time during study period to explain what happened during lunch. Needless to say, every single one of them was disturbed at the events.

"...And that's how I landed detention with Star." Danny finished, looking wary as ever.

"...I know that you told me how Casper High Union School District is twisted, but this is a new breed of twisted." Said Mason.

Pacifica scowled and said, "This is what happens when a school digs too deep into the pockets of dirty old money. My family was in it for generations in Gravity Falls. I wouldn't be surprised if most of the parents of these letterman douchebags and cheerleading skanks are suckling from the school's funding along with the teachers."

"It certainly would explain the janky budget last year," Valerie huffed before turning soft as she looked at Danny. "...How is she, DJ?"

"Star? I managed to calm her down from the emotional hysteria, so that's a good sign. Still, I never imagined she would…" Danny trailed off before shaking off the darker thoughts. "I'm surprised Spectra hadn't been around here with all of the drama and misery that's been around."

"I want that bitch to come around." Valerie grumbled in an aggressive manner. "She wouldn't know what hit her."

"I'm kind of surprised you're asking about Star, all things considered," Mason told Valerie.

"Just because I had a falling out with her doesn't mean I'm completely heartless," Valerie insisted defensively. "She was my best friend once,"

"That's fair," Mason nodded.

"I convinced her to swap phone numbers with me. I have a feeling that she's gonna need somebody to talk to now more than ever." Danny explained.

"See, if it wasn't for your extracurricular activities, I'd think you were a player." Mason jested, causing Pacifica to slightly snort while Valerie rolled her eyes.

"Dude, the chick literally went through the reasons why I was at the bottom of the social hierarchy without flinching." Danny said in a dead tone. "If anything, I'm the played, not a player."

"...Yup, that sounds like Star." Valerie agreed.

"Steering the topic back on track, you made a good call." Pacifica said with a grateful smile. "That little entourage of toxic idiots wouldn't do her any good in the long run, anyway."

"Yeah. I guess that proves that powers don't make the hero." Mason stated. "Danny Phantom may be the town's hero now, but Danny Fenton saved someone's life today."

"And you guys would have done the same if it wasn't me," Danny said with a goofy smile.

"Sure, but you were there at the right place, at the right time." Valerie pointed with a smile before turning serious. "...Just don't let her get too close, okay?"

Danny understood what she insinuated and agreed.

'She's right. I can't let my enemies use her to get to me.' Danny reminded himself mentally.

"Let's give the heavy stuff a rest," Mason advised with a sigh. "There are other things to talk about, like this test thing that's going on and I want us to choose a couple of days when we're all free to study together for it."

"Right. I think they call it the Career Aptitude Test, or whatever here." Pacifica recalled.

"Do they call it something else in Oregon?" Asked Valerie.

"For Oregon, we take the OAKS test, or the Oregon Assessment of Knowledge and Skills test." Pacifica mentioned.

"In California, it's simply called the California Standards Tests, or the CST." Mason added. "It's all the same, really."

"Let's start the conversation here, then continue it tomorrow morning. I'd love to stay and chat after school, but I'm pretty sure my parents will be expecting me home, and I doubt they're gonna be happy with me getting detention." Danny suggested.

"Why not just speak up about what happened? Why do you continue to let everybody walk all over you?" Pacifica questioned.

"Thank you!" Valerie exclaimed, but not loud enough to get chastised by the librarian.

Danny smiled solemnly and said, "Don't you think I've tried that before? It never did me any good. Besides, I'm trying to be like my parents."

"...Wait, I thought you don't want to be a ghost hunter." Said Mason.

"I don't, that's not what I mean. My parents get laughed at and ridiculed all the time, but they never let it get to them. They kept doing what they love to do with the same passion, and it eventually put them on the map; two underappreciated geniuses that become world's leading ghost experts. I want to be like that. So I figured if I learned from them and stayed true to myself, maybe I can achieve my dream job like them."

"I mean, that's mature in all, but there's a difference between walking away and letting somebody treat you like a wallflower." Valerie pointed out.

"I'm not a wallflower. I just don't care anymore at this point." Danny said with a dead tone in his voice. "I mean, the whole school saw me lose my pants when I just started out with my powers, then watched me get slapped by Sam and dunked on me for the rest of the year about it. If people want to make up rumors about me, let them talk up a storm. I only get physical when someone is stupid enough to pick a fight with you guys while I'm around."

Mason chuckled, "...Spoken like a true superhero. I'm so proud!"

Valerie rolled her eyes and bitterly mumbled, "...You should have at least decked Kwan's bitch-ass in the face."

"Hm…I think he's grown a spine." Pacifica said, satisfied with Danny's new attitude. "But there's always room for improvement."

"Always." Danny agreed. "And I'll aim to be better."

"Good. Now, let's talk scheduling." Pacifica stated. "That's one of my strong suits."

With that, the four friends began planning out their days to study for the C.A.T. test.

---

Nasty Burger, Amity Park, IL

"...So it's decided," Paulina said matter of fact, sitting on a table across from Dash and Kwan. "Star is no longer one of us, right?"

This was a tough decision to make. Surprisingly enough, it wasn't for Paulina, or Dash. They didn't find her particularly interesting. Sure, they knew for a long time and she's been with their clique since all of their parents were a part of their social group; Paulina's father, Jaime owning a couple of hotel chains within the United States and in Cuba, Dash's father, Paul, owning several local gyms, Kwan's parents, Jun and Hana, who grew their spa business from South Korea and expanded it to the United States.

Star's father, Derek Lynn, in comparison to the rest, was merely a mere white collared worker for the Amity Park Chronicle who got his big break and became the editor-in-chief of that newspaper while Star's mother, Katelyn Estelle Astray, owned a lawyer firm.

All of these people went to Casper High, mingled, and made each other one of their connections. However, Star's fall from grace did not start with her, but with her parents. Particularly, Derek Lynn of the Amity Park Chronicle. As it turned out, the man had an affair with his female secretary as a means to give her special treatment and raises on the job. Once an internal investigation was launched regarding Derek's misconduct, it led to a lawsuit against Amity Park Chronicle for their inability to enforce work policy of banning relationships between superiors and subordinates, a lawsuit against the secretary for alienation of affection from Kate, and a swift divorce from Kate to Derek for his role in the dissolution of their marriage. Star, obviously, was affected by this but held everything together and used the town's focus on ghosts to avoid being the talk of the town.

But that didn't last long.

Soon enough, Kwan ended up cheating on her and the rest of the events came ahead.

Speaking of Kwan Lee, he fought for Star's spot the hardest. Regardless of his temptation for power following his ascension into popularity, he's always loved and cared for the blonde spitfire. Her fiery personality contrasted his softer one, and she appreciated his love for poetry and thoughtful demeanor just as he loved her creativity.

But both knew the game they were playing when on the top. It was a fight to stay relevant, and both aimed to stay in the game with each other to the end. And it seemed like her namesake, the blonde's popularity burned out over time. Kwan had lost her, and she lost her spot in the A-Listers.

It was a cruel twist of fate, a fate that he had a hand at causing to the girl.

"Uh huh," Dash nodded to his girlfriend. "Never liked her anyway."

"Kwan?" Paulina asked, looking at the brooding Korean American. "Are you still crying over her? Come on, chico. She's left you. There are plenty of other girls lining up to take her place."

The boy remained silent for a moment with a sullen and pained expression. He looked at the table, not bothering to eye his best friend or his friend's girlfriend.

"Kwan…Kwan!" Paulina called, eventually snapping her fingers to get him to make eye contact with the queen bee. "Hey!"

"...What?" Kwan gritted.

"Is. She. Out." Paulina said with a colder tone. "Sí? Or no?"

"...Fine. She's out." Kwan projected loud enough for the two popular kids to hear. "Happy now?"

Paulina smirked, saying, "Very. Then it's official. Star is blacklisted. She's as good as hopeless, anyway. Even if she begs, we're not taking her back anytime soon."

"Hey buddy, I know what would make you feel better. Lynn's pops' dirty laundry and going broke may be an issue, but we all know who the real problem is." Dash said, trying to fuel Kwan's anger and direct it at one person.

"...Fenton." Kwan growled, feeling his knuckles turn white as he clenched his fists hard.

"¡Correcto mundo!" Dash said with a mischievous grin. "That loser's been strutting around the school like he owns the damn thing. And that new attitude of his is getting on my fucking nerves."

"Tell me about it. Like, okay, he's gotten taller and started working out. So what? He's never been shit. That's why me and the goth geek dumped his ass." Paulina chimed in.

"Yeah, he's messing with the order of shit, acting like we didn't know him from first grade or something!" Dash added. "He's gotta be made an example of."

"Shit, I'd lay his ass out if you don't mind,"

Dash, Kwan, and Paulina turned around to see Dale Jenkins walking to their table.

"Dale, where the hell have you been? It's been three hours!" Dash said, giving the black quarterback hassle.

"Damn Baxter, chill! I told you I had a shift at the Abyss right after school." Dale reminded Dash. "You know how long the bus ride was from downtown to this Nasty Burger."

"Lay off him Dash," Kwan said before turning to Dale. "You said you'd beat Fenton, huh?"

"Shit, I can take him any day of the week." Dale said with confidence. "Freaky-ass Fenton ain't got nothing on me."

"Bullshit," Kwan firmly said while crossing his arms, causing Paulina, Dale, and Dash to look at him in shock

"The fuck you mean, Lee!? Fenton can't fight. I'd beat his ass right now if he was here!" Dale exclaimed.

"Yeah, stop messing around like that!" Paulina said, smacking her lips.

"Shut up!" Kwan shouted, causing both Paulina and Dale to be quiet.

The asian turned to Dale and said, "You just transferred here from Go City this year, so I don't expect you to get it. I knew Fenton since first grade, and I've been boxing since I was eleven so I know a fighter moves. I'm no pro, but I'm no amateur either. When I charged at Fenton that day, I saw how he moved. It was different."

Kwan turned to Dash and said, "Dash, that's not the same kid you used to throw in lockers. Try that shit if you like, but you're gonna get knocked out cold."

"Man, you're overreacting." Dale said, rolling his eyes.

"I agree. I mean, isn't he, like, juicing or something?" Paulina questioned.

"Ha! Freaky Fenton being a druggy? Man, that would be a trip." Dash chuckled. "His dorky parents would never hear the end of it."

"Shut up!" Dale groaned. "I've seen and been around drug addicts. The slums in Go City have all kinds of people hooked up with so many types of shit on the streets, you can tell by just looking at them. Fenton may be a freak and a loser, but I know a clean square when I see one."

"Whatever, man." Dash scoffed. "Somebody's gotta put that loser back in his place. That's all I'm saying."

"I'm pretty sure we tried everything outside of wailing on him directly," Kwan said. "He hasn't budged a bit."

"Then why not take him to the back of the school and jump Fenton?" Dale said as if it's the obvious thing. "He can't handle a three-on-one. We did that and stomped folks out in my neighborhood."

Before anybody could answer, Paulina clapped her hands together to get the boys' attention.

She smirked while saying, "Boys, you're going about this all wrong. If you want to get under that loser's skin, you don't use him to set an example. You use his friends, both old and new."

Paulina then grabbed her purse and took out pictures of Tucker and Mason, setting them on the table.

"Oh shit! Mamasita's got a plan, eh?" Dale said with a smile.

"Mhm~" Paulina winked. "Here's what you boys are gonna do,"

With that, a devious scheme was being planned in real time. One that would affect the future as they knew it.

---

Isaac Amity Memorial Park, Amity Park, IL

Saying that Samantha Rebecca Manson was nervous was an understatement. Somehow, through Jazz, of all people, she scored a chance to meet the town's hero. Her hero!

She could remember feeling her heart nearly leap out of her body through her throat. This made the girl scramble to her dresser and scour her wardrobe to find the right outfit. If there was one thing that she agreed with her parents, it's the notion that most of the time, first impression was the most important.

She decided halfway to ditch the extravagant gothic dress since it soured her taste after yesteryear's fall formal, and go for a more casual approach that wasn't either out there, but was still a captivating, yet gothic look.

Currently, Sam let her hair down, ditching the small ponytail to show off her more feminine side. Since the side of her hair grew out, she went with a bob cut that went down to her upper back, it was no longer dyed. Instead, the tips of her hair were dyed a light lavender to fit her standard color scheme. She retained a similar colored lipstick and a slightly darker violet eyeshadow. For clothing, she had on a custom-made Danny Phantom logo choker, a violet sweater, black high-waisted denim jean shorts, violet stockings, and black high boots.

While the city streetlights were on, the area was mostly illuminated by the pale light of the full moon. Her heart tumbled under the anxiety as she wondered whether the ghost boy was going to come or not.

She checked her phone for the time, wondering, "Come on, come on! It's getting late, and the wait is killing me! Where is he!?"

"Where's who?" A familiar voice from behind her asked.

Sam let out a squeak as she turned around to punch whoever creeped up behind her. But what spooked her was that she ended up punching air, for Danny Fenton used his spectral body to make a hole in his chest, leaving negative space.

Sam blinked, trying not to freak out as Phantom smiled and waved at her.

"Hi," Phantom greeted politely.

"Oh.. O-Oh shit, I'm so sorry!" Sam apologized, reeling her hand out of where his chest was supposed to be, which allowed Phantom to revert it back into its original state. "I thought you were some weirdo and-"

"Relax, it's no harm done…. Sorry for the silly prank. I didn't think about you reacting that way." Phantom said, rubbing the back of his neck rather shyly.

"It's cool. I'm just… you know, excited that you got my note and all." Sam said, trying to keep her demeanor calm and not devolve into another one of the ghost boy's raving fangirls from Paulina's fan club. "I half expected to get stood up, to be honest."

Phantom felt himself blush, not used to seeing Sam looking so…pretty. That's when we were reminded of the fall formal, and that blush instantly left him.

'...Damn it. If only things were different… No, Fenton. You're here for answers, not long for what could have been if you stayed normal.' Danny reminded himself in his mind. 'Besides, she hates your guts.'

"Are there ghosts haunting you or your family?" Phantom questioned, worrying about his (ex) friend's safety.

"No, we're fine. No paranormal activities my way." Sam denied it with confidence.

"Then why have you gone through the trouble of meeting up with a dead kid late at night?" Phantom inquired, raising an eyebrow while crossing his arms.

"You're not just some dead kid!" Sam blurted out before her face burned bright red, turning timid.

'...I haven't seen Sam act like this since first grade.' Phantom thought, inwardly flustered. 'I better tread carefully if I want any answers.'

Phantom floated to a nearby bench, sat on one end, and then motioned Sam to join him on the opposite side. She eagerly obliged, silently.

The two sat on the bench, neither looking at each other. She began the next conversation in a lame manner.

"I'm Sam, by the way." Sam introduced herself.

"R-Right. I'm a Phantom, but my friends call me Danny." Phantom half-joked.

"...I think Phantom's way cooler," Sam said, causing the two to blush before looking away again.

So… uh, what's it like being…you know, you?" Sam asked.

Phantom dryly snorted at this, causing Sam to feel insecure.

"S-Sorry. Stupid question,"

Phantom heard the dejected tone in Sam's voice and backpedaled.

"It's not, I swear. It's just that, well, being dead isn't what it's cracked up to be. Especially when stuck in limbo." Phantom honestly explained.

"You don't say? Seeing your battle against that weirdo Freakshow and Technus left me at the edge of my couch." Sam revealed.

"You did?" Phantom questioned.

It was Sam's turn to raise an eyebrow.

"Uh, duh. Both battles were live," Sam reminded the ghost boy. "But I get it. Though, why fight your own kind and be a hero to living people if it's so hard?"

"...Say, do you know about the first man-made portal to the spirit world?" Phantom suddenly asked Sam.

"I think so. If memory serves me correctly, I read about it in an article last year that featured the Fentons." Sam recalled. "I think they were the ones who built the thing."

Phantom nodded, then said, "Yeah, they did. …I was one of the first spirits to come out of it."

"...Wait, you came from their portal?" Sam inquired. "But why leave the spirit world?"

"Because I felt obligated." Phantom clarified, twisting lies with truths. "I couldn't stop them from coming to the living world. I was weak back then. That's why I needed the Fentons' technology. So, I decided to help the living by sending all spirits back to the spirit world, regardless of how weak I was."

Sam brightly at this answer.

"...I knew it!" She said, feeling vindicated. "You are here to protect us!"

Phantom smiled as he watched Sam sigh.

The girl said, "If only everybody could see that…"

Phantom chuckled as he told Sam, "I do have help from time to time, so it's not a problem for me."

Sam's face scrunched up as she bitterly said, "Right. Dann-, Fenton's your little helper."

Phantom winced at Sam's scowl, thinking, 'Remember, Fenton. Tread carefully…'

Looking away, he cleared his throat and asked, "...Seems like you got a lot on your mind. Wanna talk about it?"

At first, Sam was hesitant. She didn't want their encounter to turn into a venting session but felt her heart melt when his soft glowing green eyes melted her barriers.

"...It's just not fair!" Sam started in an exasperated tone. "Everything is shit for me and I can't do a damn thing about it! My parents want to turn me into something else, kids at school won't leave me alone because they learned I'm rich, and I only have one real friend left!"

While Phantom was inwardly hurt about the last comment, he asked, "I thought you had two friends."

"Well, you thought wrong." Sam bitterly stated. "Your little helper and I are no longer friends. He's dead to me."

"...Why? What did he do to you?" Asked Phantom, feigning ignorance.

"Of course, he was too scared to tell you anything," Sam scoffed. "He friend-zoned me in front of the school in a formal meeting held last fall. It was embarrassing."

"...O-Oh. Uh, sorry that happened to you. That must have hurt a lot." Phantom said with guilt evident in his voice.

"Don't apologize. You did nothing wrong," Sam reassured the ghost boy. "...It's my fault for falling for a clueless moron that only likes a pretty face."

Phantom looked down on the floor, knowing that Sam still stewed in anger about his mistake. But surely she could understand that it was that. A simple clarification would have to do some good, right?

…Right?

Giving it a go, Danny weakly suggested, "...M-Maybe the guy didn't mean any harm. Have you t-tried talking to him about it?"

Sam snorted, saying, "You're kidding right? I mean, it's one thing bailing on me and Tucker, my current and only friend right now. He could have told us and we would have understood. Hell, we could have all helped you together! …But no. He just leaves randomly without a second thought. By the time he comes back, he always has the shittiest excuse ever to throw at us."

"That's…fair." Phantom managed to choke out, swallowing the criticism despite how much he was hurting on the inside.

'...But I was trying to protect you from that life!' Danny screamed inside of his mind.

"But, I'd say that's more irritating and suspicious than something worth frothing over," Sam admitted, shaking her head. "I want you to paint a picture of this scenario. Imagine…liking a person since, well, forever. You don't know when or how you started, but you know that you like this person. This person is a person that you know and spend time with. They can also be very dense, and any obvious sign that you give them is the equivalent of screaming at a brick wall-"

'-I wasn't THAT dense! I had a feeling about it in eighth grade, you were throwing mixed signals at me! And how was I supposed to know what real feelings are when I'm a kid just like you!?' Phantom wanted to retort but remained outwardly calm.

"-Now, imagine the same dense person that you've been doing the pick-me dance for years suddenly turning their head toward a shallow trainwreck that masquerades as a Madonna of sorts. Sure, you try to get them away from that witch, but they just can't seem to think without their raging hormones coming into play. But they jump at the witch despite your warnings, only to be thrown away like yesterday's trash. That's what happened to Danny Fenton before the final slow dance."

Phantom remained silent, stewing in his maelstrom of mixed emotions.

"...And you know what's the worst part about it all?" Sam rhetorically questioned. "That shallow witch was only being his date because she thought that we were dating because wanted to steal Danny to spite both of us. I apologize for acting out against her, and that CUNT was using him! Yet, I'm the fucking rebound, the second choice and still wasn't enough for him. …I could never be enough for him."

Hearing the last bit broke Danny's heart.

'...Is this how I've been making her feel this whole time?' Danny began to fathom. 'Oh my God, I've shot her self-esteem! What have I done?'

Phantom suddenly whispered, "I didn't know you felt that way…"

"Well, I wouldn't expect you to. We've just met tonight," Sam said nonchalantly, causing her to witness Danny Phantom lower his head in shame.

The sullenness and bitterness of Sam Manson diminished for a moment as she noticed Phantom's forlorn posture.

"...Dude, are you alright? You kind of look more torn up than I'm angry about it." Sam questioned, concerned about him.

This reminded Phantom that he wasn't Fenton right now, and fixed himself.

"...You guys could fix things, right? It's not like talking to him is out of the question?" Phantom questioned, trying to see if there was hope for reconciliation.

"I don't see the point in it. Whoever that guy is with the name Fenton, he's far removed from the Danny I knew. I don't want some stranger in my life, I want my friend." Sam strictly stated.

"What makes him so different now?" Phantom questioned.

"Danny was my world," Sam admitted, taking the boy by surprise. "Growing up, outside of my grandma, the only thing I would look forward to is school because he would be there. The only thing that kept me going was him. Not some flaky, shallow, asshole that you wouldn't know when he'd ditch you, but the kind and goofy little boy that would pay attention to his friends."

The goth sighed and said, "Things made sense to me back then; school, friends, learning, home, and homework. Being with my friends was the highlight of my childhood. Sure, learning how screwed up the world sucked ass with shit like animal slaughter, pollution, or global warming, but I never thought that my world would change so drastically."

"...And to make matters worse, I'm down to a friend, and that asshole had the nerve to start replacing us and try to move like nothing happened!" Sam growled. "So yeah, I have no reason to talk to that guy."

Phantom's mind froze at this, not only feeling stunned at her words but a tinge of anger at the insinuation she had put on him without even knowing. Then a twisted thought came into Danny's mind.

Phantom asked, "Hey… if Fenton were to leave his new friends behind, would you reconsider that last sentence?"

Sam paused, then said, "...You know what, that would be a promising start,"

"Start?" Phantom whispered, feeling his throat dry up like a drought.

"Mhm," Sam said with an air of entitlement. "I'm not gonna let anybody just hang out with me, and he's not getting off the hook that easily. I'd reconsider only if he drops the macho act he's fronting around, gets rid of those bad influences that are around him, and comes to his senses."

Phantom was at a loss for words. It was like his entire body became numb, no longer being able to feel anything.

'...Does she even know what she told me? Heard how she sounded when saying all of this?' Danny wondered. 'Is this the same girl I met in kindergarten?'

The ghost boy snapped out of his frozen state as Sam nonchalantly stated, "...I doubt that'll ever happen. He's too clueless to understand what's the problem, and I'm done giving out hints."

Sam mentally wondered, 'Why can't I find people who get me? Is someone willing to, out there? Will I ever be accepted? Will somebody…stay for once?'

Her thoughts were interrupted by Phantom, who numbly nodded and said, "...I get it."

Sam flashed him a brilliant smile, making the boy churn in his stomach.

"Thanks," She said. "You're a great listener."

Sam then commented by saying, "You know, I feel a lot lighter with everything out in the open. It's like-"

"-Clearing the air?" Phantom said w, finishing the sentence with a twist of tragic irony. "Yeah, I figured."

'...Everything is so clear.' Phantom mentally droned as he stiffly nodded.

"You know, you're different than any other ghost." Sam pointed out. "I can't put my finger on it, but you feel…alive somehow. Human, even."

"I was a human, you know..." Phantom told Sam, sounding a bit distant.

Sam heard this, and then became disheartened.

"H-Hey, what was wrong?" Asked the goth vegan, "Was it something I said?"

Phantom got up from the bench, looking away from the goth.

"...It's getting late, Sam. I should take you home now." Phantom said in a low tone.

"Wait a minute! We still have time!" Sam protested, only to let out a squeak when she was suddenly scooped up in Phantom's muscular yet slim arms.

"Hold on tight," Phantom advised. "If you feel like screaming, look at me."

Without warning, Sam was whisked away into the night sky by the Phantom of Amity Park, traveling to heights she never thought she would experience in the arms of her hero.

When she was about to panic from looking down below, Sam stared at him. At Danny Phantom's heroic face. Her mesmerized expression turned into a stare with longing eyes.

Phantom was something special to her, and for once, let the hormones kick in and silently pined for her new crush.

However, Sam snapped out of her love daze when the ghost boy spoke to her.

"Sam,"

"Y-Yeah, what's up?"

Taking a deep breath, Phantom revealed, "...I died in a lab accident last year-"

This revelation had Sam taken aback, never thinking that he'd tell her something so personal.

"-I'm never going to get the chance to live a normal life. Even though I was weak, I chose to protect humans because my family still lives here. And I'll keep doing it, whether this town recognizes me or not. You may not believe it, but I think change is only what you make of it."

Sam was left silent for the remainder of the flight. Once they made it to Sam's street, she pointed to the balcony of her room where the windows were open. This allowed him to land safely before putting the goth girl down.

"...Not bad for your first flight," Phantom complimented with a smile, albeit under the pretense of a semi-upbeat hero.

"Thanks for the ride, Ghost Boy. You're amazing." Sam said as she noticed the symbol while placing her right hand on his chest.

"...You know, I was wondering about the logo," Sam softly questioned, rubbing the center of Phantom's chest. "It's got style and I love the taste, but where did it come from?"

Phantom gave her a genuine solemn smile, then explained through half-truths, "Oh, this old thing? My memory's a bit hazy. Still getting used to the "being dead" thing. An old friend gave me a sketch when I was in middle school. One day, the image came into my mind, so I added it to my suit. I don't remember her name, but I remember that she meant the world to me."

When he finished the answer, Phantom took Sam's hand off of his chest gently.

"...I better go," Danny Phantom whispered, turning away to try and leave.

Feeling bold, Sam told him to wait while grabbing his wrist.

He turned back and was about to ask what the matter was when Phantom felt Sam's lips pressed against her for a few seconds. This shocked him in ways Danny couldn't fathom.

These seconds went from being the pleasurable moments of his life to becoming some of the most devastating moments of clarity in his life.

…His romantic interest in Sam Manson had died tonight, and now he was left with fractured pieces of his heart and friendship to pick up.

When she parted from Phantom, Sam blushed while saying, "That was for saving my grandma. And for keeping us safe… Goodnight, Phantom."

Sam turned around, quickly entered her room, and shut the balcony.

Phantom's numb sensation was suddenly replaced by something else. There was a mix of relief, emptiness, and a strange sense of acceptance.

Now that he knew Sam's true emotions, Phantom simply floated back up, and then disappeared into the night. When he returned home, he had slept like a rock with empty thoughts.

To Be Continued…