I joined the Ecto-Implosion DP event this year :D I wrote a fic for mercury-lurks' picture. ww w. tumblr mercury-lurks/766909818839711744/heres-my-piece-for-ecto-implosion-i-had-a

(possible trigger warnings: fic includes some blood, violence, and school bullying)

Chapter One: Like Returning to a Graveyard of Missed Chances

"This is as much my second chance as it is yours." Vlad had his hands clasped behind his back, gazing at Phantom from over one shoulder. His frown was mixed with an awkward kindness and the uncertainty of how to express it.

Phantom maintained a blank glare through a heavy black fringe, waiting for the Cheesehead to make his point.

"It will take time to renovate the mansion. Until then... it may be a good idea to be around friends and family."

Phantom could feel his expression slip, eyes widening in shock.

"...Regain some lost relationships."

"No," Phantom said, unconsciously shaking his head. It would not be a good idea at all.

He wasn't their Danny anymore. He'd been replaced, a long time ago.

Vlad unlocked the unfamiliar front door, a sullen version of Daniel at his side with hands buried in his pockets, and a pair of disguised ghosts behind them carrying the boxes.

Vlad stepped inside and held the door open. "Just sit them down anywhere," he said with a vague wave at the empty space. Then added, "Carefully."

A lot of his priceless memorabilia had been lost when his mansion had exploded, and then when it'd been demolished just before his run for mayor. There was no reason to lose anything else.

Vlad did a double-take as he watched the ghosts set down their boxes and return for more. "And use the door!"

He didn't need anyone realizing he and his acquaintances were anything but human.

If he had discerned Amity Park's current stance on ghosts sooner... But that was neither here nor there.

Once the ghosts stopped phasing through the wall, unloading the boxes went quickly, and soon everything was inside and Vlad was dismissing the ghosts.

After they vanished from the foyer, Vlad turned his eyes to his new ward, who was leaning against a wall with his arms crossed, a bored frown on his face.

"Well, my boy, the boxes are labeled; let's start by taking them to the correct rooms?" Vlad gave a brief smile, hoping to get across some form of optimistic outlook and camaraderie.

The boy responded with nothing more than a one-shouldered shrug.

...There would be other opportunities for bonding, he reminded himself. For now, he would focus on the task at hand.

Most of the new furniture would arrive the next day, but a few small display tables and display cases were among the day's boxes, and so, Vlad would start with those.

He flew through the dining room wall with a display case, and noticed the boy putting down a box, letting go a few inches from the floor.

Vlad winced as the glass contents jingled.

The boy turned and stomped through the door.

While Vlad was adjusting the case's position against the wall, the boy returned with another box, again letting it drop.

His poor antique glassware.

Vlad pinched his nose. "Could you perhaps be a little more gentle?"

"If you want me to help, this is how I'm doing it," he said with a sneer. There was a challenge in his eyes.

Vlad sighed. He'd told himself he would change for the better. That he would make an effort to be kind. "You may instead take a walk while I continue unpacking." He gave a shooing gesture.

The boy's mouth pulled downward at the suggestion. Apparently he was not happy with that option, either.

Vlad decided to further explain his reasoning. "You obviously don't enjoy my company at the moment. And, seeing as we'll be residing here for at least the next few weeks, it would be good to find places to spend leisure time." Vlad waved a hand. "Go entertain yourself. Or consider this research, if you wish."

"Fine!" And off he stormed.

The boy was still so angry.

He didn't regret taking him in. What had happened to him had been mostly Vlad's fault, after all. Vlad had a lot to make up for, even if part of it had been the actions of an alternate version of himself.

...He truly wanted the boy to be happy.

Phantom opened the front door, and saw shelves along the wall already decorated in green and gold, with Vlad in the middle of the floor unpacking boxes, discarded packing paper scattered around him.

Vlad glanced up, before returning to the box in front of him, focused on picking bits of paper and Styrofoam off a football helmet. "You were gone longer than expected—have you found something interesting?"

Phantom frowned, absently rubbing his thumb across a mostly-healed finger. That was one way of putting it. "Someone saw me using ghost powers. So I had to deal with him."

Vlad sighed. "Daniel—"

"It's Phantom."

"Yes... I did change it in the forgeries. Phantom, then. You can't just go around murdering the townspeople."

Phantom scowled. "He was still able to walk afterward."

The image of the person slowly getting away, through a haze of red, entered Phantom's mind. He clamped down on the memory. Vlad, of all people, didn't need to know his business.

"Do I need to overshadow anyone?" Vlad put down the helmet and rubbed his forehead as though warding off a headache. "We don't need any attention raised."

"No." Phantom looked away, still frowning. Vlad's assumptions shouldn't bother him. "I have the situation under control."

That guy wasn't going to tell anyone.

"Well, if—" Vlad cut himself off as he looked up at Phantom. "What have you done to your pants?"

Phantom glanced down at the holes in his black pants, before looking again at Vlad. "Maybe I like them this way."

Vlad set the box on his lap aside with enough force to rattle its contents. "I am not buying you more clothes if you're only going to ruin them."

Phantom sneered. "Jumpsuits are more my style anyhow."

"And watch those red eyes. It was probably that sort of careless use of power that drew a witness."

That went too far, anger flaring within him. "I'll use my powers however I please!" Phantom shouted.

Vlad flashed his own red eyes at Phantom in warning. "Not. Outside."

Phantom stomped up the stairs.

Danny sat hunched over his desk, left hand in his hair, ignoring the sounds of chatter around him as he tried to finish last night's homework before class started.

He scribbled in a quick answer on the worksheet, wondering if a squinting teacher would give him the benefit of the doubt.

Though it was more likely points would be taken off for illegibility.

He almost didn't notice the classroom door opening.

"Attention. Class."

The murmur of conversation faded.

Danny blinked and looked up.

"We have a new student today. Everyone say hello to Mr. Thomas Masters." Lancer turned to the side, gesturing with his arm.

Danny followed the hand toward the shadows by the door.

Where a teen in all black was standing, hands buried in his pockets. He had long hair, fading to white at the ends, and wore a frown that communicated he'd rather be anywhere else.

It was like seeing himself, but, at the same time, seeing a stranger. Someone who wore Danny's face, but wore it differently.

His future self. Or alternate self. Who Danny was happy had gotten a second chance.

Clockwork had told him Phantom had merged with Vlad's clone, but it was different seeing him with his own eyes.

There were a few whispers around the room. Danny heard 'Fenton' said, as well as 'mayor's kid?'.

"Pick anywhere to sit, Thomas," Lancer said with a smile.

"It's just 'Tom'," Phantom muttered. His eyes scanned the room, pausing briefly on Danny's own, and on an empty desk close by, before sliding away.

Phantom walked to the opposite end of the room and sat down.

Like he didn't want anything to do with Danny, or Sam and Tucker.

As the bell rang for lunch, Danny shared a look and then a firm nod with his friends.

The subject of their conversation was already leaving the room.

He hurried after the retreating Phantom before he could disappear into the crowd, reaching around a few people to tug on the sleeve of his hoodie. "Hey."

Phantom stopped and turned his gaze to him, taking a step toward the wall to get out of the traffic.

Phantom was a little taller than him, Danny noticed.

"Uh, hey, do you want to eat lunch with us?" Danny nodded toward Sam and Tucker, who were waiting by the classroom door.

Phantom might've seemed standoffish earlier, but he was still a version of Danny. One that probably missed hanging out with his own Sam and Tucker.

For a moment, Danny thought he saw Phantom's expression soften, eyes searching Danny's face almost hesitantly. Like he might agree.

"Hey, Masked-Turd!" Dash's voice called from somewhere in the distance.

Phantom's face pulled into a fierce glare, eyes flashing red.

And Danny was reminded that Phantom was also part Vlad.

"I have other things to do," Phantom growled, bumping Danny's shoulder as he walked away.

Danny wondered if he should try again. If he should go after him and try to convince him.

"Wait..." Danny said, taking a step to follow him.

But Sam and Tucker took hold of Danny's arms and led him back toward the cafeteria.

"Hey, if he doesn't want to, then he doesn't want to," Sam said, glaring into thin air.

Danny and his friends agreed to give it another try.

If nothing else, the three of them were curious to hear how Phantom had ended up at Casper High.

Danny just... hadn't expected school to let out before they got that other try.

In the crowded hallway, Danny spotted Phantom's distinctive black and white hair.

The guy sure was quick. He kept leaving classrooms as soon as the bell rang, making it hard to catch up with him. This was their last chance for the day.

"Ph—" Danny stopped himself. "Tom!"

Phantom tensed at hearing the name, then stopped by some lockers to give Danny a blank frown.

It was weird not being able to tell what his reflection was thinking. But he pushed on. "Do you want to hang out with us?"

Tucker added in, "We're going to the Internet Café to play Doomed: Redone For."

Mentioning that was probably a good idea. Sam and Tucker did say Phantom had played video games with them back when he'd pretended to be Danny. And he probably hasn't played the new Doomed game yet.

But there was no change to Phantom's expression. "Can't. Detention."

"You have detention on your first day?" Sam asked incredulously.

Phantom shrugged one shoulder. Then turned to leave.

"Hey, wait," Danny said and walked after him, Sam and Tucker following. "How did you end up in Amity Park?" Phantom didn't slow down, and Danny had to work at keeping with him in the crowd. "I thought you were going to stay with Vlad in Wisconsin."

Phantom's frown deepened. "Mansion's in ruins. Something about not having bothered to rebuild after the last time."

Danny winced a bit, remembering siccing the Guys in White on Vlad for a prank, and it ending with Vlad as mayor.

Unless something else had happened to the mansion since then. But that was the last time it'd been Danny's fault.

Phantom said, "If it were up to me, I wouldn't be here at all."

Author's Note:

I hope you like it :)

(please let me know if you noticed any typos or etc., and I like reading reviews if you want to share your thoughts)

I'm planning on there being three chapters.