#wait until he finds out about valerie and danielle

[sadlynotthevoid]

Time traveler Kwan AU, anyone?

Just, Kwan who somehow got back in time from a meh future and now he has to go through highschool and everything again. Just, somehow, he accidentally found out that the weird little trio back at school that seemed quite off and always up to something were actually up to something.

Something like, covering the not so living status of Fenton and trying not to get anyone else dying—

—Wtf, guys??

Now he has to do something about it. Because, apparently, the only responsible adult around is the timetraveler 30-something guy of the same physical age than said teens.

[notoverjoyed]

It's a two chapter special! Since the archive was down when I wanted to post yesterday I have more to share today. No warnings until the last chapter, so enjoy! Chapters 2 and 3 below the cut for those who prefer tumblr.

Chapter 2: Hunger

Vlad is anything but refreshed, even after going to bed early the night before. Without any appointments this morning, he might have even slept in if he hadn’t woken up feeling starved.

He rolled out of bed and stood up, then almost fell down to the floor as his head swam with hunger. Grabbing his headboard to steady himself and wait for his vision to settle, he thought back to the previous evening. He hadn’t drunk anything more than water, not that alcohol would affect his half ghost body, so why then, is he so weak upon waking. Mere hunger couldn’t do this, could it?

“I wonder,” he murmurs.

Vlad slowly gets dressed in more casual clothes than he typically would, not feeling up to even pants that need buttoning. Once he’s decent, he wanders unsteadily down to his basement lab. He has a hypothesis to test.

Normally he would phase into the lab, but he installed a cleverly hidden human entrance on the off chance he didn’t have access to his powers. He chooses this latter entrance today, as his powers seem just a bit less present than usual. If his hypothesis is correct, that issue should soon be remedied.

The human entrance to his lab is rather dusty, having not seen much traffic since Ms. Valerie gray had left his employ in rather dramatic fashion. Vlad notes absently that he should take the time to clean it more often. That's not his primary concern, however. What he’s really focused on is reaching the stores of pure ectoplasm he has squirreled away for research purposes.

Reaching the lab, he winces as the motion activated light turns on when he walks through the door, seeming much brighter than usual. Squinting against the stinging pain, he strides as quickly as he can to the shining steel cabinet where the ectoplasm is stored and entering a code on the attached key pad. His hands are shaky, and the pad flashes red. Vlad scowls, muttering curses under his breath.

Vlad breathes slowly in through his nose and out through his mouth, and puts his other hand on the cabinet to steady himself. He tries again, the pad flashes green, and the cabinet door pops open with a soft release of air.

He opens the cabinet wide to expose the clear glass tubes glowing a pure bright green. Each was identical to the one next to it, so he picked one up at random and considered it. He’d run all sorts of experiments using ectoplasm, but had never considered ingesting it before. What would it taste like, he wondered.

Vlad unscrews the cap to the tube of ectoplasm and sniffs deeply, then his stomach clenches in response. He stops himself before chugging it though. He isn’t so uncouth as to forgo a glass just because he’s absolutely starving for the green liquid. Finding a glass from a drinks cupboard he has hidden away for long nights in the lab, he pours about half the tube into the glass. He takes one sip, then a gulp, then drains the glass in one long drink.

Immediately he feels restored. He breathes deeply, then exhales in satisfaction. He pours the rest of the tube into the glass and downs it for good measure then transforms and flies out of the lab to go about his day, happy to have solved this little issue so easily.

The lights in his lab shut off after a few minutes. In the dark space, the cabinet door remains cracked open for green light to seep out eerily. It shines across the lab to illuminate the closed eyes of the clones he’d grown anew after Daniel and Danielle destroyed their predecessors all those months ago.

Over the next day or so, Vlad finds that a drink of ectoplasm every few hours seems to restore his energy and stop his weight loss, but doesn't seem to be helping him recover what weight he’s already lost. Moreover, it takes only a few days for the effect to diminish with each dose, and the length of any effectiveness decreasing at the same rate.

“Blast it all!” he curses breathlessly as he wakes once more feeling lightheaded and weak. Just as he had a few days before, he dresses quickly and stumbles down to his lab in human form. There must be something missing from the pure ectoplasm that his body requires to sustain him.

He spends endless hours in the lab testing the reaction of ectoplasm with various chemicals and processes, and studies each concoction as carefully as he’s able with trembling hands. Time after time, he returns to the cabinet storing his supply of ectoplasm. If the search for a cure to his hunger doesn’t bear fruit soon, he will run out of both ectoplasm and the time needed to acquire more.

. . .

Vlad scowls down at the beaker of bubbling ectoplasm in front of him. He is downright ravenous. His hunger has taken over his every waking moment, but nothing seems to satisfy him. The ectoplasm worked. But not well enough. No matter what recipe he concocts, the hunger remains

He hisses and bends slightly at the waist as his stomach cramps. A bubble of fluid jumps from the beaker as he slams a fist on the table, sizzling inches from his hands. Vlad doesn’t notice. Whatever hope he’d had of finding a scientific solution grows dimmer with every moment.

Finally, the latest round of cramping passes, and he straightens slowly. He carefully makes his way to the closest lab stool and settles on it heavily.

“What is left to do?” he grinds out through clenched teeth. Vlad casts his eyes around the lab, hoping to see an additive he hadn’t yet tried, or a process he hadn’t yet put the ectoplasm through.

It’s clearly not just ectoplasm he craves, but all attempts to find the missing element have failed. His gaze passes over the cloning tubes, then stutters back. The pale body of the clones seems to stare back at him through closed eyelids. Accusing, and laughing, he imagines, much like young Daniel himself.

Vlad’s stomach lurches, and he yanks his gaze away.

Chapter 3: Denial

The heavy wooden doors to Vlad’s mansion creak open slowly, and a head of curly dark hair peeks inside. The head belongs to Valerie Gray, dressed in street clothes rather than her red huntress suit.

“Mayor Masters?” Valerie calls out cautiously. Her voice echoes in the silence of the foyer.

She’d tried calling, but there was no answer, and no return phone call. Even before she learned what he was, she’d never call him herself, much less visit the man unless invited, but he had been completely missing for days.

He hadn’t been seen at city hall, or any of the restaurants where he schmoozes with other rich people in town. With no word from Vlad himself, the local news had even been speculating. There were three separate attacks on downtown by what looked like baby Kaiju, yet she’d heard Lance Thunder mention “Missing Mayor Masters” at least twice on the morning weather report.

She hardly likes the man after the way he manipulated her, but she had to check, if only to make sure he wasn’t up to some plot.

It takes less than a minute for Valerie to be thoroughly spooked by the atmosphere of the mansion, so she activates her suit and walks carefully forward.

The eerie feeling haunting her makes it feel like whole hours are passing, but the heads up display in her suit shows only minutes have passed. She’s just passing past what she thinks is the kitchen when she hears a clatter.

She shivers as her adrenaline spikes, then settles into a careful focus. Ever so carefully, she nudges the door open to let a sliver of warm light through. She pushes it further to see fully inside, and sighs with relief.

“Fucking Masters” she mutters just low enough so that her helmet’s mic can’t pick up her words.

“Hey Mr. Masters, are you … alright?” Her voice trails as she gets a better look at him. This isn’t the confident and well dressed mayor the public sees, nor is it the more calculating scientist she knows from his lab. He’s sitting slumped in a chair and looks like, to put it gently, a mess.

“Who-,” Vlad starts to say, then his eyes snap towards her.

“Ms. Gray,” he says as he pushes one hand through his sweaty hair to move it out of his face. He straightens up with a badly concealed wince and a hand firmly planted on the back of the chair. “What a surprise to see you. I thought after our last encounter.”

Valerie scowls, reminded just how much she despises the man’s actions against Dani. Still, he looks sickly enough to temper her anger. Not knowing how to respond, she takes a moment to look around the room, and her confusion turns into outright worry.

Even without seeing Vlad’s kitchen before, she knows it would normally be nothing but spotless like the rest of his mansion, if not tastelessly decorated in Packer’s memorabilia. Instead, the sink is full of days old dirty dishes, and nearly every surface has some kind of food item strewn across it.

Some of it for a while it seems, as flies are hovering over an open package of lunch meat, and those bananas have ripened far past brown into a wilted black. Now intensely grateful that her helmet has filters, she speaks.

“You’ve been missing for days,” she says, scanning Vlad’s face for any sign of realization. He stares back at her with a strange, hungry look on his face.

On top of that hunger, Vlad pastes a weak smile. “Ah,” he says, “Well, you see, I’ve been ill.” A pause follows that statement, and Vlad continues. “I suppose my secretary hasn’t scheduled the appropriate announcements? I may have to let her go, what an absentminded woman she is.”

As he speaks, he leans more heavily on the chair, like his body is screaming at him to sit down, but he stays standing.

“Oookay,” Valerie says carefully. “But what could even make you sick-,” she starts to reply, but Vlad cuts her off.

“You should go,” he says in a single rushed breath, almost pained. His head bobs with another deep breath. “It might be contagious.”

“But-” she starts again.

“Go!” he says, his eyes flashing red. There’s desperation in his voice, she notes. She finds herself backing away slowly, never taking her eyes off the man. He doesn’t look away from her either, and suddenly she realized she can’t recall him even blinking through their whole conversation.

His gaze is still locked with her as the door swings closed between them. Valerie stares at the wood of the door for half a moment, then turns and walks toward the nearest exit she knows of. Her gait is quick, almost a jog, as if her body is trying to run away.

]

She lets her suit fall away as she bursts through the outside door into the sunlight. She doesn’t look back.

. . .

Back down in the lab, Vlad shudders and drops his gaze from where Valerie had been standing. The spike in hunger at seeing her in her armor… He couldn’t explain it. He hungers for ectoplasm yes, but Ms. Gray was hardly the strongest source of it in his lab, not with the remnants of his experiments scattered around.

Staring at the floor, he considers what he knows. Ectoplasm alone is no cure for his hunger. No ectoplasm based mixture, tincture, reaction, or anything has solved the problem either. The only difference between the ectoplasm in the lab and the ectoplasm in Valerie’s suit is that she’s wearing it…

No. That’s not right. The suit he gave her had been modified by Technus, and is now bonded more closely than any mere set of armor. Much like the ectoplasm a ghost is made of, the ectoplasm of her suit is bonded to her very will.

Before even finishing that thought, he staggers to the door leading to where he stores living specimens for experimentation. Surely he has an ectoplasm contaminated rabbit to test a theory on.

. . .

Some time later, he stumbles back into the main lab. He lets his hand drop from the door without closing it behind him, but does leave a bloody hand print on the door. He doesn’t seem to notice. His… experiment went rather more quickly than he intended. Maybe this is his solution; ectoplasm bonded to a willing being. He’s no butcher, but he can make do.

. . .

Less than an hour later he knows he will never be a butcher. His hunger rages more fiercely than ever. He can’t even bring himself to curse as he curls over the table top. He stares mindlessly ahead, eyes boring into the closed eyes of the clones still lying so peacefully in their pods.

[im-totally-not-an-alien-2]

I head of Danny is damian fic but wasn't able to find any so I do the next best thing. Ask someone what to give what it would be like. Imagine how that would happen. Like he was always put in the pit to heal and the chaos chard that brought him back. Like say when he was brought back there was a price he was put in another place his look was affected and he doesn't have a memory the that happen but they don't find him until later you can also have him being the ghost king. Another is that he was reincarnated in the past when he was brought back to life and everything happen the same. Whatever he remembers everything or little or not is up to you.

Ok! Here's some more Daniel and Damian are the same person aus i made up here and now just for yall!

1. Danny is the reincarnation of Damian from a different dimension and doesn't remember anything. The batfamily find thier way to Amity Park after thier attempts at reviving Damian failed and they discovered it was because he had been reborn into a different world.

The batfam keep trying to convince Danny to come home with them and ghost boy is so weirded out. (This is probably going to be angsty)

2. Danny and Damian are fused together after the batfam have a run in with Desiree and Tim said to Damian, "I wish you were nicer!" And she granted the wish by making Danny and Damian fuse.

Damian is a lot nicer now, but then again its not really his brother anymore is it?

3. Body swap au where Danny-In Damians body- doesn't even try to fake it and just runs away in the middle of the night. This is made easier by him still having his invisibility and intangibility powers. Sadly the entire batclan is out to capture and interrogate the teen they believe is thier youngest sibling

Damian is having a different problem. Hes been sworn to secrecy after Tucker, Sam and Clockwork all ganged up on him to explain how important it is that no one can know about the portal or the Infinity Realms and convinced him to sit tight and wait for Danny to get here in Damians body. Valerie takes the initiative and takes Phantoms place as main ghost hunter for a while and learns to appreciate everything Phantoms done for this city (she's exhausted)

Damian is actually impressed to learn Danny escaped the batfam so quickly and is continuing to evade them.

4. Danny is reincarnated as Damian and after being thrown into the Lazarus Pit and drowning in it, he's saved by Nightwing giving him CPR and when he wakes up he remembers everything and regains his powers.

5. Soulmate au where you and your destined one can be bodyswapped at any time once every three months. Your only saving grace is that you get a distinct feeling of warning three minutes before the swap occurs.

Needless to say, shenanigans ensue.

[thesoulspulse]

Regarding My Good Vlad AU (Re-imagined Timeline! FINALE ~ Part 1!)

I split this into it’s own section since the final two episodes in the series are critical, especially since the last one is a literal trashfire by itself. I don’t think there’s much worth saving in it but I’m going to give it a shot anyway!

Also, I kinda forgot I tried to salvage Dani’s existence in this AU too so I’ll be writing two different takes on what may have happened to her before getting to the overhaul of the series finale. And just fyi it looks like I’ll have to split this yet again too into one more part since the latter isn’t even half-way through a story arc and clearly needs its own dedicated post. But we’re nearly there now and then maybe I can get this out of my system for a while.

Good Vlad AU Timeline: https://thesoulspulse.tumblr.com/post/661878830618771456/regarding-my-good-vlad-au-alternate-timeline

Part 1: https://thesoulspulse.tumblr.com/post/667945950680104960/regarding-my-good-vlad-au-re-imagined-timeline

Part 2: https://thesoulspulse.tumblr.com/post/668078084027727872/regarding-my-good-vlad-au-re-imagined-timeline

Part 3: https://thesoulspulse.tumblr.com/post/668277176759664640/regarding-my-good-vlad-au-re-imagined-timeline

Alright, with that out of the way here’s Danielle’s portion of the series finale!

D-Stabilized (Dani Already/Being Adopted)

Ok, so to fix forgetting about trying to add her in this AU I’m going to back track a little and say that Vlad’s been hiding Danielle from the GIW and THAT’S why they trashed Vlad’s last mansion in Wisconsin during this version of “Eye for an Eye.” So this time the tip was that both Vlad and Danny’s family are accused of harboring a ghost fugitive, which is ironic since Vlad technically is since Danielle is a half-ghost clone created by a rogue agent.

So now, when Vlad decided to move to Amity Park it’s also to hide Danielle right under the noses of the GIW agent while also waiting for his chance to expose their crimes.

That said, in this version of events Danielle is probably getting restless and sick of hiding so she’s taken to sneaking out without Vlad’s knowledge to help her cousin fight ghosts. However, eventually she starts actually feeling sick and does her best to hide it from Vlad until it becomes clear something is seriously wrong.

Vlad of course runs some tests on her and finds the problem, she needs a mid-morph sample from Danny which shouldn’t be too hard to get. Unfortunately, since Danielle wasn’t home at the time Vlad couldn’t tell her this in person and is angry/concerned of course to find she’s not in her room.

What Vlad doesn’t know is that Danielle’s been discovered by her creator but only left alone until he can trap her and Danny at the same time. Not only that, but Valerie has made a bit of a name for herself in the ghost hunting community so this rogue agent reaches out to her and asks for help with a special mission.

Thankfully Valerie has gotten over most of her lingering issues with Danny Phantom and usually leaves him alone, so the agent has to play the part of “I’ve mended all my ways and want to help this poor unfortunate soul, but I’ll need help capturing her so we can give her the medical care she needs” to convince her to work with him.

Reluctantly she agrees if only for her dad’s sake since the guy promises a large enough reward that it’ll get Valerie and her dad out of their crappy apartment since Vlad was only willing to do so much for them when his main concern is Danny and his family.

What Valerie didn’t expect was to find out that Danielle is a ghost AND a human and after capturing her she says she can’t let her go for her own good and promises that the Guys in White are trying to help. Obviously Danielle panics and tries to convince Valerie how evil that guy is and that she needs to get back to Danny since he’s the only one she can trust because Vlad’s still kind of a stranger to her despite all he’s done for her plus she’s worried about exposing him because of his important job in this town.

While Valerie isn’t strictly Danny’s enemy, something compels her to challenge him for the first time in a while so she pretends to go along with Danielle’s request. She has no idea her upgrade from Technus has ghostly side effects that have slowly been making her more hostile towards ghosts again, especially Danny Phantom.

When Valerie springs her trap, something snaps her out of that weird battle lust when Danielle faints and falls right out of the sky, thankfully Danny catches her just in time. Angrily he demands to know what she did to Danielle but Valerie gets defensive and tells him “I didn’t do anything ghost punk, in fact, I let her go since I figured another ghost would know how to help her more than the Guys in White. I’m missing out on a nice reward thanks to you so you��re welcome. Now hurry up and help her before I change my mind and capture you both!”

Nodding, Danny reaches down to pick Danielle up when the Guys in White surround them which is really bad news. The guy from before does the whole “thanks for leading me straight to them” thing before ordering his men to move in.

Going against everything she stands for as a ghost hunter, Valerie defends the two ghosts and tries to give them enough time to escape, only to get arrested by them herself for assisting ghost fugitives.

Danny manages to get back to Vlad and explains the whole mess, insisting they need to rescue Valerie but strangely enough Vlad refuses, explaining, “Don’t be a fool my boy. That’s exactly what he wants you to do! She’s clearly being used as bait and right now we need to focus on stabilizing Danielle. They can’t do anything to Miss Gray since she’s a human and a civilian so as soon as I’ve finished coming up with a plan we’ll rescue her the old fashioned way. Until then, you’re not to do anything reckless.”

Infuriated Danny snaps, “Oh that’s rich coming from you fruitloop! We wouldn’t even be in this mess if you had taken better care of Dani! It’s your fault she ran off!”

Showing his angry eyes, Vlad replies coolly, “Do you think I haven’t been trying to keep her happy this entire time? I’m a busy man Daniel, and you and your family have always been my top priority. That’s the main reason why I accepted your request to welcome her into my home in the first place. But ultimately, if she refuses to acknowledge my efforts then I don’t see the point in wasting my time. And if Danielle is that unsatisfied with my care then she’s free to leave at any time. I won’t force her to stay with me if she’s that tired of me...” he seems hurt by the last part and then snaps bitterly, “If it has come to this then I’m not going to bother getting my hopes up that either of you will ever see me as more than an ally when all I want...is to be loved and to be part of a family. But I guess that’s too much to hope for, isn’t it?”

At a loss for words, Danny leaves Vlad alone in the lab for a bit without realizing Danielle was awake and heard the whole thing. She feels awful for making Vlad feel like she didn’t appreciate everything he’s done for her over the past few months but like this, there’s nothing she can do.

Meanwhile, distracted by his guilt for being a jerk to Vlad too, Danny is caught by the Guys in White and locked up in the same cell as Valerie after they discovered her battle suit has ghost tech integrated into it. She’s obviously scared, angry, and confused by all of this but that only gets worse when the room their in short circuits Danny’s powers and his secret is revealed.

They talk things out and Danny ends up telling her everything, even about Vlad since he’s the only one who can save them before anyone else finds out their secrets.

Despite feeling unsure about Danny now that she knows his secret, they team up to find a way out of this mess together.

Off screen, Vlad and Danielle have a heart to heart and team up too once she’s stabilized to rescue Valerie and Danny. There’s a big fight between them and the other GIW agents as their leader fills Valerie and Danny’s cell with some kind of gas to make them more...agreeable and get Danny ready for transport to a more secure location for further study, maybe even to make a better clone than Danielle ever was.

During all that, Danielle reappears in top form now thanks to Vlad’s help and she kicks that rogue agent’s sorry butt. The rest soon follow and the rescue is successful. Valerie is carried out by Danielle, and Danny is carried by Vlad and they regroup at his mansion.

Once the sedatives wear off Danny apologizes for being a selfish brat and thanks Vlad for everything, especially for saving Danielle. Meanwhile, Danielle admits she’s been selfish too and needs some time to find herself now that’s she’s stable, thanking Vlad and calling him dad before saying goodbye. He seems to understand though and hugs her, saying she’ll always have a place to return to there.

As for Valerie, she says she needs some time too to come to terms with all of this and Danny says, “For what it’s worth...I never stopped caring about you Valerie. We’ve fought a lot, and you used to drive me nuts too in a way...but you know, I still think you’re pretty amazing.”

Danny seems to be directing that at Vlad too who just smiles at them and adds, “I couldn’t agree more. While my intentions for making you a ghost hunter were admittedly rather selfish at first too, I truly believe you’ve exceeded my expectations. As such, if you’re willing I would like to officially offer you a job as Axion Lab’s official ghost hunter, I’ll give you an advance on your first paycheck even to help you and your father move into a nicer apartment. How does that sound?”

With a heavy sigh Valerie nods, “Fine, it sounds like a better deal than working for those government losers anyway. But lets just keep this professional ok? I need time to process that not only are you two half-ghost like Dani, but I might not be so human myself anymore...so I guess we’re not really that different after all.”

D-Stabilized (Dani NOT Adopted Yet)

Not much changes from the canon episode except that the rogue GIW agent hires Valerie to capture Danielle but this time pretends he’s trying to save his daughter that was “kidnapped” by an evil ghost.

Instead of being restless from being cooped up, since she flew off into the sunset in this version of the timeline after the events of “Kindred Spirits” Danielle eventually makes her way back to Amity Park and is searching for Danny to help her escape the replacement character for Vlad since he’s not evil.

Just like in the canon episode, Valerie is shocked to find out Danielle is half-ghost but still captures her anyway since he dad is trying to save the human girl she supposedly is overshadowing. Danielle tries to convince her otherwise, saying he’s lying and both parts of her are one person and the subject of Danny Phantom is brought up.

Before she can find out anything the Guys in White track her down and take Danielle into custody but something feels wrong about all this so Valerie decides to confront Danny Phantom about it before anything bad happens to the ghost girl.

After finding him and fighting briefly, Valerie stops when she remembers why she went looking for him to begin with and tells Danny his ‘spooky cousin’ was taken by the Guys in White and demands to know what’s going on between him and the government.

Of course this news freaks Danny out and he blurts out that she’s in real danger and they have to save her. Valerie points out that it could be a trap though but Danny doesn’t seem to care...

He does the smart thing though and tells Vlad what’s going on in a message, but the sad thing is it turns out his phone was bugged and the rogue agent hits the jackpot after hearing that Vlad Masters is a halfa too!

So then it becomes one of those scenarios where Danny is forced to choose between saving Danielle or saving Vlad’s secret from being exposed. Or it was going to be until Valerie realizes these agents aren’t trying to help anyone but themselves and takes Danny and Vlad’s side, tipping the scales in their favor since she believes Danielle is just a kid and didn’t do anything wrong, so it doesn’t matter if she’s a ghost or not.

Vlad also brings the ecto-dejecto Jack made and uses it to save Danielle since there’s no time to worry about getting a mid-morph sample from the original Danny which would have been a painful process anyway.

When the dust settles, their secret is safe from Valerie but she’s not thrilled about what the Guys in White seem to be up to and reluctantly agrees to work with them to put a stop to this once and for all.

As for the rogue agent, he totally underestimated how powerful Vlad is with his connections and his ghost powers and Vlad gets the man fired as a government agent and he loses all of his authority and leadership over like-minded agents who want to use ghosts as weapons of war.

Too bad this has the opposite effect and only motivates this former agent to try even harder to gain control of Danny and Vlad and to destroy Danielle for her treachery. Or better yet...now he wants to find out how they became half-ghost instead. Dun Dun DUN!!!

Meanwhile, Danny finally tells Vlad everything and asks if he’ll take Danielle in since she has nowhere else to go and he’s the only person who can keep her safe from the government. Of course Vlad agrees without hesitation and welcomes her home like a daughter so all’s well that ends well...for now!

And the best part is, Valerie and Danielle sort of develop a bond and decide to team up to fight ghosts from now on too on top of that.

[murphy-kitt]

Welcome to my blog! ✨

I’m Murphy, my pronouns are she/they. I’m asexual/aromatic. I love writing. I’m shy so sorry if I’m a bit awkward at times.

This blog is mainly focused on Danny Phantom content; one-shots, headcanons, fic ideas, or just the occasional random thought. Sometimes some JATP content might pop up.

Second account for reblogs or random stuff: @murphythedannydissolver

Feel free to drop into my asks at anytime.

I hope you enjoy your time here! :D

Below the cut are my fics, categorised with a summary.

Multichap Fics

Grave Consequences [AO3]

Amity Park decide to make a memorial in memory of Phantom, revealing some secrets along the way. Complete.

Beyond The Grave [AO3]

Danny knows he should be happy about the memorial, but with his parents coming closer to finding out his secret, it’s only so long until his body is found. Corpse AU. Sequel to Grave Consequences.

lie like a tombstone (yet secrets will bloom) [AO3]

Valerie finds Phantom’s body in the park. No One Knows AU. Corpse AU.

Lapse [AO3]

An AU in which Danny loses his memory every time he goes ghost and doesn’t know he’s Phantom.

take the secrets to the grave [AO3]

After Amity Park makes a fake funeral for Phantom, it’s not long before Danny’s web of lies begin unraveling. Corpse AU. No One Knows AU.

Forest Fires [AO3]

An AU where Maddie Fenton had a brother named Daniel who died in a lab accident aged 14, so takes up ghost hunting to one day find his spirit. She ends up mistaking Phantom as her brother’s ghost, when actually it’s her son. Misunderstanding AU.

beneath false pretences (we search in plain sight) [AO3]

Danny Fenton disappeared without a trace. Soon after, his family followed. Five years on, Sam Manson is determined to figure out why. Corpse AU.

play with fire [AO3]

Frustrated at Wes' attempts to reveal his identity, Danny decides to take matters into his own hands.

Oneshots / Short Fics

Angst

The Photograph [AO3]

Valerie finds a photograph belonging to Phantom when he was a human and questions him about it.

Dead Ember Of A Former (Pulse) [AO3]

Danny realises he doesn’t have a pulse.

Her Brother, The (Cold Case) [AO3]

Jazz finds out her brother’s identity and assumes the worst.

Memories [AO3]

Maddie thinks she knows who Phantom is. Misunderstanding AU.

Illusion [AO3]

Ghosts are dead, the figment of the past, yet Phantom’s eyes are filled with life.

Gravity [AO3]

Maddie enlists the help of Phantom to find her missing son, unaware he’s already dead. Full Ghost AU. No One Knows AU.

Shadows [AO3]

Phantom questions Maddie after their recent encounter leaves him confused. Part 2 to Misunderstanding AU.

Scars [AO3]

She feels she doesn’t even know who her own son is anymore. Identity Reveal.

Freedom [AO3]

Valerie captures Phantom, and with him, finds a video tape.

Frozen [AO3]

Is she really that bad a parent that her own son won’t call her Mom?

Creation [AO3]

Danny realises he doesn’t age and prepares to say goodbye to his family and friends.

Instinct [AO3]

She waits in the park, preparing for Phantom to arrive, ectogun in hand. Major Character Death.

Family [AO3]

Maddie and Jack question Phantom about their missing son. They weren’t expecting to learn that he’s dead. Identity Reveal. Part 2 to Gravity.

Ouija [AO3]

Danny is dead, and Sam and Tucker will do anything to get him back. Full Ghost AU.

Witching Hour [AO3]

On a ghosts deathday, they will reexperience their death. Unfortunately, it’s Danny’s first deathday, and no one ever told him this information.

Incinerate [AO3]

The last thing Jack expected to find when seeking out the lab for an intruder was his own son, bleeding and covered from head to toe in ectoplasm. Blood & Injury. Gore.

Mask [AO3]

Danny never really took a minute to consider what he looked like in Phantom form. He didn’t need to, not really. Danny’s HAZMAT has a hood AU.

red in tooth and claw (that’s your fatal flaw) [AO3]

Everyone finds out Wes was right in the worst way possible. Phic Phight. Identity Reveal.

Medium [AO3]

Jazz can see ghosts, and needs to help her brother pass on. 1/2.

Order [AO3]

The Fenton’s find out Phantom is a halfa and hunt him down in an attempt to fix him.

Purify [AO3]

With Phantom successfully captured in their lab after discovering he’s half ghost, Jack and Maddie begin to regret their decisions. Part 2 of Order.

hourglass of lies [AO3]

As the end of high school approaches, Danny is forced to make a decision before he loses his best friends forever. No One Knows. Reveal.

Fluff / Comfort

Penmanship [AO3]

She’d sworn she’d seen that writing somewhere, she just couldn’t place where. Part 2 to The Photograph. Identity Reveal.

Stars [AO3]

Danny has a new power to do with constellations.

Core [AO3]

Jack tries to work out what the mysterious humming that’s been bothering him for months is. Identity Reveal.

Candlelight [AO3]

While gathering the courage to talk to Danny about his secret, Jack reminisces over memories. Part 2 to Core.

Wings [AO3]

The A Listers meet Phantom’s pet ghost birb.

Cozy [AO3]

Jack finally learns his sons secret, and he’ll accept him no matter what. Part 3 to Core.

Blessing [AO3]

Danny and Maddie bake cookies together, and revelations are made. Partial Identity Reveal.

Insomnia [AO3]

After finding his son eating ghost cookies late at night, Jack learns things he didn’t think were possible. Part 2 to Blessing.

gifting stars [AO3]

It's Phantom's deathday, and Valerie wants to give him a gift.

Danny’s Breaking Point [AO3]

With the stress of keeping secrets from friends and family becoming too much, Danny reluctantly opens up to Ms Tetslaff.

Outsider POV

Not A Jock [AO3]

Phantom isn’t the perfect, flawless hero Dash thought he was.

Home [AO3]

No one knows where Phantom lives, but Amity Park will do all they can to make him feel welcome.

Doorway [AO3]

Phantom joins Amity Park’s Space Club, but no one remembers who he was. Part 2 to Home.

Neon [AO3]

There had always been something strange about Danny Fenton. Corpse AU. Suspense.

Glow [AO3]

A group of medics attempt to treat Phantom after a ghost fight leaves him seriously injured. Identity Reveal.

Seasons [AO3]

Sam and Tucker strive to help Phantom, unknowing of his real identity. No One Knows AU. Identity Reveal.

Teeth [AO3]

Phantom is upset, and Amity Park doesn’t know why.

Treat [AO3]

It was unexpected to say the least, when the Price family came upon Phantom raiding their Halloween candy outside the front porch.

Goo [AO3]

The last thing the medical team was expecting was for Phantom to turn human when treating his injuries. Part 2 to Glow. Identity Reveal.

Abyss [AO3]

A student in Caspar High manages to spot Danny’s eyes glowing green. From there onwards, rumours fly.

Contradicting Mindsets [AO3]

Jack finds his and Maddie’s research papers covered with correction in Danny’s writing. Phic Phight. Almost Reveal.

Despair [AO3]

Phantom is spotted on CCTV in the school library. Curious, Lancer decides to investigate.

Black Cat [AO3]

After noticing a classmate struggling with the death of her cat, Danny decides to anonymously help her complete an art project. Part 2 of Abyss.

Tabletop [AO3]

Angela Foley treats Phantom’s wounds. Injury.

Mystery & Suspense

Fog [AO3]

It’s sometimes so obvious that it hurts. How no one else notices it, she doesn't know. Identity Reveal.

Portal [AO3]

Danny can’t remember.

Mist [AO3]

Edward Lancer struggles to decipher the enigma that is Danny Fenton. Identity Reveal. Gore and Injury.

Hallway [AO3]

It was unexpected, to say the least when Phantom wandered into third period English class and fell asleep into Danny Fenton’s seat. Gore. Angst.

Scream [AO3]

While speculating about how Phantom is connected to their son, the Fenton’s learn something about the ghost boy.

digging to the root of the problem (this was a very bad idea) [AO3]

Assuming his parents have found out his secret, Danny plans a camping trip to the very woods in which he buried his body. The only issue, they don’t actually know. Corpse AU.

Humour & Crack

daydreaming of toast cannons and being a little shit [AO3]

Danny creates a twitter account for Phantom and trolls the crap out of everyone. 1/2 complete.

Danny Fenton - Cryptid Of Caspar High [AO3]

Caspar High discusses the enigma that is Danny Fenton through a series of twitter posts.

Extra Stuff

Midnight [AO3]

Jazz goes out to find her missing brother, and meets a ghost.

Brush With Death [AO3]

A series of one-shots coinciding with Grave Consequences. 5/6 complete.

Void [AO3]

It's class photo day at Caspar High, and of course Danny's ghostliness will interfere.

[flutteringdreams-matw]

Out of Time (15)

First/Last Read on AO3 Word Count: 6953

Previously: Dan went after Lancer but thankfully Danny flew in for the rescue. After their latest scrimmage, Lancer manages to save Danny and contact Tucker to put up the shield. Honestly - some very good friendship scenes with Tucker and Lancer.... with a semi-brutal fight in between. I suggest reading it before this.

Now: The final showdown? CW: Brutal fight, graphic descriptions of injuries, blood and ectoplasm up ahead. Please let me know what you think! Feel free to drop a reply or reblog whatever. Posting early cause I'm exhausted and will be equally so next week. Next chapter will be out on Sunday (link will be in the replies!)

Wind whipped at Danny's hair as he knelt on top of the last bits of his shield. He frowned, looking down at the glowing hand as it absorbed more energy. I have to do this he thought, watching his hand shake, the bruises on it a stark contrast to the ripped white gloves. Sighing, he pushed himself up; glancing at the last eighth of the shield that still protected the town. He closed his eyes, using the shield to look for his family in the chaos below. An image of Jazz, his Mom, Valerie and Vlad standing around talking greeted him. No sign of his Dad or Danielle. He wished he got to talk with them too. I'm still here, he thought to them. He sighed deeply, opening his eyes to scan the town. I'll come back.

A grim smile washed across his face as the Fenton Shield finally activated, pulsing through the town up and outward. It completed itself, protecting the town just inches below where he stood. They'll be safe now. He could hear the distant screeches of the shadows being pushed out of the town, the roars of the Far Frozen as they charged forward to the outskirts. He turned to the outer rim of the shield, scanning the skies for Ethelwulf and Sam. Eventually he found the large winged wolf spiralling through the air and cutting through the shadows, making them disappear. Ethelwulf stopped spinning and a small figure landed on his back. Danny chuckled fondly as the figure shot through five ghosts, making them explode and disappear. At least they're okay.

A roar of anger brought him out of his musings. His green eyes found Dan quickly; the future Phantom was clawing at the shield with vigour, red eyes burning with anger and destruction. Danny watched at a distance, stone faced, as Dan continued to attack the shield.

Danny had once asked Clockwork how he could face what he was. He had been naïve then- how could he not face him. All the guilt, fear and self-doubt he felt stemmed from how he saw his future.

A future that will never exist again.

Suddenly he felt determined, feeling green ecto-energy dance around his aura. He glared at the angry spectre, waiting in anticipation until Dan noticed him.

It didn't take long; Dan stopped his onslaught, turning slowly toward his younger self. Blue flames danced in the air as red eyes bore green. The dark clouds overhead swirled, rumbles of thunder off in the distance. On some level, Danny recognized the sign of an Ecto-Storm brewing.

Dan smiled crudely, looking across the shield to his prey. The hatred and loathing for the other almost suffocated them both.

They flew at each other at the same time, clashing with an explosion of green energy above the city.

:-=-:

"It was his idea," Tucker relayed, his breathing was laboured. "If Ethelwulf and Sam are out there, they're going after him. I-I didn't want to do it."

Maddie sighed, looking toward her companions with unease. Jazz sat aboard Valerie's sled, eyes darting over the mother's face for some kind of clue to what was going on. Valerie's expression was unreadable, looking forward to the town and pretending Plasmius didn't exist. The ghost in question looked above, a concerned frown directed at what was left of Danny's shield. "I know Tucker," she told him gently. "We're headed over to the edge now; get some of those Shadow Ghosts out of the way before going after him."

"I'll meet you there," Jack replied instantly. "Danielle and I can fight through the Northwest and meet you. Danny's not going in there alone."

Maddie smiled. "No, no he isn't" she agreed.

"Mrs. Fenton," Tucker started, and then paused. He sighed deeply before he continued. "Do you… do you have a thermos with you?"

Maddie frowned at the question and then mouthed the word 'thermos' to Jazz. Jazz gave her a quizzical look before holding up the object in question. Valerie bristled as she looked in their direction. Plasmius' concerned frown now looked to Maddie. "Yes, Jazz does."

"If… if you see Danny, suck him in," Tucker said quickly, guilt bubbling through his voice. Maddie made a noise of protest but Tucker cut across her. "He's hurt - he's hurt bad Mrs. F. We need to get him back to FentonWorks and I'm not confident my shield will let him in without being in there."

Maddie paled at his words.

Jazz frowned worriedly. "Mom, what is it? What's wrong?"

"How bad," Jack whispered. Maddie couldn't find her voice.

"Like he should have keeled over five hours ago bad."

"Danielle said something happened to his core," Jack said worriedly. "Mads, you have Plasmius there right? He may know."

Violet eyes glanced in Plasmius' direction. "What's wrong with his core?"

Jazz gasped, Valerie's eyes narrowed as Vlad looked sombrely at the woman. "I don't know," he replied softly. "But he's stuck as Phantom for the time being. His core energy is keeping him there."

Maddie gasped softly, hearing Tucker swear and Jack make a pained noise.

The shield shook as something attacked it overhead. Maddie pursed her lips as she looked above. "What are Ecto-Enhancers?" she asked the half-ghost, bringing her eyes back to him in the process. She barely heard Tucker's brief explanation to Jack.

Vlad frowned at the question before looking exasperated. "He didn't tell you?" he asked instead. He sighed when a glare met his eyes. "Basically a power up of energy - I gave them to Daniel so he could heal faster if he needed to. He's taken at least one. It's working, albeit slowly."

Maddie frowned, running through calculations in her head. Valerie scowled in his direction.

"Didn't you also say that Phantom was flying into battle while juiced up?"

Plasmius flinched under the hard glare Jazz and Maddie gave him. "They're not steroids girl; they're like an energy drink. I'm sure you've frequented them with your extra-curriculars." Valerie growled in response. "But yes, he is."

Maddie sighed, locking eyes with Jazz worriedly. "You know him best Jazz. What's his next move?"

Jazz frowned in thought. "He's going back out there," she said. "Like I said, Dan's jealous of Phantom - meaning Dan's going to be acting irrationally." Her eyes widened. "We need to focus on the shadows Mom; I think with the amount of duplication and shadows his mind is weakening. He's definitely slowing down. If Danny can outsmart him, he might have a chance."

Maddie nodded in consent, looking toward the perimeter of the Fenton Shield again. She glanced at Plasmius. "Will he hold out until then?"

Plasmius scoffed. "If I know anything about that boy, he won't back down easily," he said with fond bitterness. "If we act quickly, he'll be more likely to succeed."

Valerie watched their reactions slowly, fully realizing that she did not know as much as she thought she did. The Fentons had a truce with Phantom, they knew about Vlad but they all can't care about this ghost that much?

"Fine! Destroy ghosts! But can you really take part in destroying a human?"

Her eyes widened at the memory, gaze resting on Mrs. Fenton and Jazz with a thoughtful frown. Did they know he was half human too?

"Hey! What about the Fentons?! Phantom had asked her.

Valerie laughed, inspecting one of her weapons. "Are you kidding?! Before your truce, they couldn't catch a ghost if it was living under their own roof!"

The ghost boy's eyes furrowed slightly, a small twinkle in his eye before he responded. "True."

"We'll find our boy," Maddie vowed softly to Jack on the line. "We'll find Danny."

Valerie's eyes widened further, a small gasp escaping her lips as her eyes darted upward. She called him Danny, she thought widely. The pieces clicked quickly in her mind, guilt and horror rising within her.

Where's he running off to all the time?

"You really risked your neck to save that Fenton kid." Valerie found herself smiling at her Dad's comment. "Yeah. I like him a lot. Maybe even enough to give up ghost hunting."

It was eating her to say it, Danny didn't deserve this. "I've had a lot of fun these last few days, but my life's way too complicated right now for us to be anything other than... friends." He stammered out in disbelief before she pushed through. "There's something important I have to do and I don't want you to get hurt because of it." She wasn't going to let Danny Phantom ruin anyone else's life.

"Are you kidding?! Before your truce, they couldn't catch a ghost if it was living under their own roof!"

I know you, don't I?

A huge explosion of green energy made them all jump, eyes glued to the sky above them. "Danny…?" Valerie breathed. Danny Fenton. Danny Phantom. Guilt filled her chest, realizing for the first time how wrong she had been.

She barely heard Jazz whisper his name behind her. The world as at a standstill, her green eyes watching as two figures clashed overhead.

"Valerie?" She jumped, looking down to Jazz's worried face. The red head's eyes scanned Valerie's face, grimly noticing the silent distress the teen hunter was in. Jazz sighed, shaking her head. "Let's go."

:-=-:

Sam landed gracefully on Ethelwulf's back, watching as more of the shadows explode with a satisfied smirk. "Nice catch Ethelwulf," she said to the ghost. She felt his laugh before she heard it.

"Nice shooting," he replied back. His yellow eye looked back toward her. "The shield's up." An unspoken request passed between them; the ghost flew upward, gliding in the air as Sam looked behind them. Four shadow ghosts gaining on their tail. She made move to shoot, but with a battle cry Skulker crashed into two of them, dragging them below. She shot at the other two as Ethelwulf levelled himself in the air.

Her eyes darted over the shield, anxiously searching until she found him. "Danny," she breathed, relaxing as she saw him standing above the shield. Ethelwulf looked down hastily, yellow eyes scanning the shield below also. "He's okay!"

"Sam," Ethelwulf replied seriously. "He's not alone."

The girl stiffened, skimming the shield again until she saw the other ghost at the shield. Dan and Danny were staring at each other, the air thick with tension as they watched the other's move. Sam frowned as thunder rumbled overhead. He wouldn't…

"I will do whatever it takes to protect the people I care about."

Sam's breath hitched in her throat. He would. "We need to get down there," she said hurriedly. Ethelwulf dove as a reply. Sam grabbed his fur tightly, silently willing him to go faster. He obliged, just as both Phantoms took flight, ecto-blasts at the ready. "No!" she cried, watching with dread as they collided, the shockwaves of the collision blowing back and blocking them from interfering. Ethelwulf grunted, black wings flapping against the wind and stopping him from losing control.

"I'm alright," he assured before Sam got to ask. His normally calm voice was tight with anger. They watched from above as both Danny and Dan flew at each other, equally matched as they traded blows.

The Phantoms moved quickly, neither seemed to notice when an ecto-blast struck their bodies. They rushed forward, both trying to inflict some blow to weaken the other.

Ethelwulf frowned as blue electricity hit into a blue flamed punch. "I don't think he can keep this up for much longer."

Sam bit her lip, watching anxiously as they finally bounced back, floating with chests heaving. Ethelwulf was right; they needed to stop this soon…before… "Can you get close to them?"

Ethelwulf turned his head to her. "I can try, but the amount of power they're using will make it difficult. It's going to be a bumpy ride."

Sam charged the bazooka and turned on her wrist ray. "Let's do this."

Ethelwulf charged with a roar, attempting to get closer as the shockwaves pushed back again. Sam braced herself, taking aim at Dan. Suddenly, they were bombarded by the shadow ghosts, blocking their path as they lunged. Sam gasped, extending her arm and firing her wrist ray, hitting a few. Ethelwulf dove, attempting to lose them but they followed, their low screeches of anger echoing under the explosions of the Phantoms. Sam fired wildly, ignoring how her stomach turned at the sudden descent and speed. They needed to get to Danny.

Ethelwulf glided in the air, growling before he charged for the ghosts again, waves of ecto-energy flying back against them. Sam hit the remaining and soon they were free of them. She let out a small sigh of relief before she turned, coming face to face with more of the shadows. "I'm all about the dark and creepy," Sam yelled frustrated as she fired. "But this is getting ridiculous!"

Ethelwulf and Sam readied themselves before hearing a whine of a guitar, two guitar chords and watched as two giant fists rammed into their nearest foes. Sam looked up and recognized Ember's fiery blue hair, smiling smugly above her.

"Can't let you have all the fun," she said, turning her guitar dial up idly. "Besides, I want some pay back. That clown isn't the only one with an army!" Ember whistled, and up flew many of the ghosts hiding in Amity; Sam recognized Box Ghost, Dora, Wulf as they charged too. She looked up at the floating ghost and nodded in thanks. Ember scowled, scanning the crowd. "Just get the ghost kid - I don't do 'I owe yous'!"

She didn't need to be told twice. "Let's go," Sam muttered to the wolf ghost. He raced upward again, towards the top of the shield as the she heard the crackling electricity of the ecto-blasts. Then all too suddenly, it stopped. Sam paled at the eerie quiet it left behind. Ethelwulf reached the top not long after to find no trace of either Phantom. "Ethelwulf…" Sam said, trailing off.

An explosion away from the city caught both of their attentions. Sam frowned, watching the brilliant green light up the forest, bringing down some of the trees. "They teleported," Ethelwulf said quietly.

They stayed only a moment longer, watching the Far Frozen soldiers race out into battle before they took off after the Phantoms.

:-=-:

He didn't realize they had teleported until his back crashed into a tree.

Danny gasped as he shot upward, dodging a glowing green hand as it swiped from where he once was. A snarl from behind him was the only indication that he was being followed. Danny's hand lit up in green, wildly throwing ecto-blasts at Dan as he flew faster, white hair whipping back.

A ball of blue flames narrowly missed him, making the teen hiss involuntarily as he started to zigzag. Eventually he flipped in the air, his hands a blue-white as two electrical ice blasts aimed directly at Dan hit his mark. Both Phantoms stopped, glaring at each other from across the sky.

Their battles were nothing compared to the sheer desperation to win that currently encompassed every ounce of their bodies. Out of breath, Danny quickly assessed Dan; the evil Phantom was panting, red eyes manic with repressed rage. His suit was tattered, revealing small injuries that he got through their scuffle. Some part of him felt relieved that Dan no longer had the upper hand. Green eyes glanced briefly to the flash of green lightning above, frowning slightly as Dan smiled. Dammit.

Danny barely had time to throw up a hasty shield as Dan teleported in front of him. In one quick movement, the older Phantom punched straight into Danny's shield, pushing the boy backward in the air as it broke. Wasting little time, Dan's hand glowed green with small knives of ecto-energy, stabbing the boys injured leg as he pulled Danny toward the ground. Dan's hand moved down his leg, a trail of ectoplasm in its wake.

Danny bit back scream as Dan brought them toward the ground at an alarming speed. Ignoring all logic, his right eye turned blue, releasing a small ectoplasmic pulse from his core. Dan cried out, letting go as both Phantoms losing control in the air. Shaking his head, Danny regained his bearings, flying at Dan with icicles at the ready. One managed to pierce Dan's shoulder, the older howling in pain. The icicle melted just as Danny tackled him to the ground.

Danny staggered upright, faltering as he stood on his bad leg. He managed to roll further from the downed evil ghost, trying and failing to stand again.

Dan was faster on his feet; he groaned but flew up. He hovered as red eyes darting around looking for his prey. Once found, Dan threw his arm outwards and blasted Danny into the trees behind him with a yelp. The impact of the boy hitting the last tree broke it as he slid lower to the ground.

He tried to voice a small ow, but winced heavily as a set of sparks danced through him. He moved as quickly as he could, grimacing again as he tried to stand. He needed to keep moving, he needed to find Sam and Ethelwulf, he needed -

"There you are." Dan's voice fluttered from above him.

He needed to fight.

Breathing heavily, Danny gripped the tree trunk as he pulled himself upright. Taking inventory of his powers, he realized with disdain that he couldn't keep this up much longer. He had seen what would happen next; he was out of time.

Thunder and lightning rumbled through the sky as Danny met Dan's glare. "You told them." Dan stated coldly.

"I thought we were over that," Danny said sardonically, running his hand through his hair. He winced slightly as he touched a new bruise forming. "Remember - the part where you threw me like a Frisbee into the school?"

Dan growled in response. More lightning above them. Danny frowned, watching the lightning move through the clouds. It was different than last time.

"What's so different about you, Danny?" Dan asked darkly. "Why did Clockwork try so hard for you? Why do our parents get to accept you?"

He was slightly taken aback at the question, brow furrowing as too many thoughts crossed his mind at once.

Dan scoffed at the lack of an answer. "You're still the same selfish asshole that I was," he said. "They died because of you."

Danny had heard it all before - it had been a running commentary in his mind for the better part of a year… and yet something in Dan's tone had him shaking his head. "No," he replied in a low voice. It was a simple answer, and as soon as he said it, there was none of the guilt or anger for himself left in him from the alternate timeline. Dan's face contorted in rage as more lightning streaked across the sky. "No."

Before Dan could react, Danny teleported; disappearing from Dan's wrath to get some sort of distance away. He dropped out of the air, faltering again and took inventory in his surroundings. He had reappeared in the destroyed clearing from their first battle earlier in the day. It's far enough.

Danny heard Dan's roar over the thunder that rumbled overhead. He braced himself, ignoring the throbbing pain of his left leg as he planted himself in place just as Ethelwulf taught him. Dan landed across from him with force, creating a crater around him.

"I'm not done with you boy," Dan snarled, red eyes glowing menacingly. "I want to know what makes you so special that you changed my destiny?"

"Your Vlad is showing," Danny sassed before he could stop himself. "Destiny? Really? You made a choice dumbass. I made different ones." His green eyes glowed in retaliation. "We're not the same, not anymore."

Something in Dan broke. "YOU DON'T DESERVE THIS!" he roared, green ecto-energy whipping up around him. Green eyes snapped at Dan's feet, finally confirming that Dan's Ecto-Storm was coming. "What are you anyway? Human."

Danny's eyes narrowed, feeling his own deep raw energy itching to be released too. This was his last card left to play, and if he timed it right, he could finish this.

"So you're saying raw energy is basically a bomb waiting to go off at any point?"

If it didn't finish him first.

"Actually," Danny said coolly, watching as Dan's entire body shake with emotion. "Yeah, I am. And my friends? My family? They're alive because of it."

An inhumane growl escaped Dan's throat, red eyes shining brightly as green energy whipped around him. Danny's face was grim as he watched Dan's Ecto-Storm finally manifest, interacting with the clouds above. Dan's body was encased in the swirling vortex of energy, his animalistic noises becoming more feral as a red version of the Phantom emblem appeared at his feet. Violent whips of energy tore trees from roots around. Red eyes found green and with a yell released strong waves of energy toward the boy.

Danny was ready for the attack - his right eye turned blue; emblem appeared at his feet in a burst of light, a large shield blocking the onslaught.

:-=-:

Tucker swallowed as the he watched the screens helplessly. Danny and Dan had disappeared into the forest again, the large mass of ecto-energy following. He saw the signs, and hoped desperately for two things; for Danny not to be so stupid, and for Danny to be the one actually creating the storm. The alternative was too scary to imagine.

Clockwork grunted, gripping his staff as the entire lab turned toward him. Tucker frowned, abandoning the console to head toward the Time Master. "What is it?" he asked. When Clockwork made no inclination to answer, Tucker sighed. "It's Danny isn't it? He's the one stopping time?"

Clockwork looked up, red eyes glancing over the teen like he was seeing him for the first time. "We're nearing the paradox," he said gravely, nodding his head. "I can no longer see the present, only the past. The effects of the Time Medallion are affecting him now."

Another flash of light appeared on the screen. Tucker didn't look at it, teal green eyes staring into Clockwork's. "How long?" Tucker asked evenly.

Clockwork did glance at the screen, watching as some of the buttons stopped flashing and then continue at random intervals now that Tucker wasn't at the console. Time was stopping at random.

"Now."

:-=-:

The lightning made it difficult for them to follow by air. Ethelwulf dove into the forest, flying through the trees as he scanned the area for either Phantom.

Sam was stiff on his back, doing the same. She looked up at more of the green lightning danced across the sky. "Ethelwulf," she whispered. Danny wouldn't use the Ecto-Storm like this… would he?

"It's not his," Ethelwulf said quietly.

Her fear only grew at his confirmation. "Dan - Dan has it too!?"

"Clockwork had said Dan used in the last clash these two had," he explained quickly. "Though never to this extent. I'm sure Danny's wail surprised him enough catch him off guard. Danny has the element of surprise again."

Sam bit her lip. "He's hurt."

Ethelwulf flew faster. "I know," he replied. He glanced at her briefly. "I told him I would not let him die. We need to get to him before -"

A giant swirling mass of ecto-energy interrupted him, stopping them in their tracks. Sam gasped as an Ecto-Storm appeared before them.

"Shit," Sam bit out. She reloaded a Fenton Bazooka hastily, watching as power whipped around them. "Ethelwulf we have to hurry."

The wolf ghost took off again.

:-=-:

"NO!" Dan bellowed, shaken as he watched his younger self push back against the attack. Danny ignored him, stopping the raw energy from attacking. "How!?" His disbelief fuelled his anger, which in turn fuelled the attack more.

Danny grunted, pushing back against the attack as lightning tried to strike him from the sky. Everything hurt. Everything. The raw energy that now flooded him was only just holding Dan at bay. Focus he told himself. Focus on that line between life and death. Find the balance. Electricity sparked from his shield as he poured energy back into it. If he wanted to survive, he needed to remember his training.

"You can't have this power!" he heard Dan yell over the strong crackles of electricity and howls of the wind. "This is mine. You don't get to have it all!"

Was this what Clockwork warned me of? He thought, ignoring the now burning pain from his side; old wounds started to open again. Is this all I can do? Danny shook his head, gritting his teeth. No, he could do more. He had to do more.

He was tired – run ragged from the day's fights. Danny couldn't let Dan win - it wasn't an option.

Promise me you'll win.

Sam's voice echoed in his mind, reminding him of his promise. She had asked him to come back alive.

He had to try.

Danny let his own powers push outward, feeling not only raw but core energy expend out of him. His aura glowed, ecto-energy swirling around his feet now as it encased him. With his Ecto-Storm released – pain shot through Danny's entire being as electricity from his core mixed in. He faltered slightly before digging in his heels, releasing his own streams of raw blue-white energy toward Dan. He still had control - he could still win.

"The things you need to fight for? That makes you more dangerous too." Ethelwulf had told him that… it was time he believed it.

Their attacks clashed in the middle, both streams of energy pushing back against the other as both Phantoms fought for dominance. Dan was lost in a sea of rage, snarling madly at the young teen with such malice. Danny kept his attack focused, pushing forward, sheer determination and will driving him far beyond his limit.

"Danny!"

Focus broken for a slight moment, he turned at the fear filled voice as Sam and Ethelwulf flew forward from the cover of trees. Even from a distance, Danny could see the terror on her face.

Unfortunately, so did Dan. With a wicked smile, he turned, arm outstretched in their direction. A wave of blue flames and green ecto-energy flew toward them. Ethelwulf stopped advancing, bringing his wings together and shielding them both from the onslaught. Dan laughed, a twist between sadistic and manic laughter as his powers grew, anger and resentment pushing the storm outward toward the town.

Danny's eyes darted to Amity Park, to Ethelwulf and Sam and then back to his older self. Dan had lost sense of control, fully engulfed in the ecstasy of his raw energy. There was no way her could protect them all.

Danny felt himself fading, knees threatening to buckle. I can't win this he thought hopelessly.

You can.

The world slowed drastically, the ecto-energy dancing in the wind. Danny knees gave way, chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. He looked up and a translucent figure of himself - his human self - stood before him, smiling gently.

"You can do this," Fenton assured. His Ecto-Storm still flowed outward, beautifully painting the world around them with blue, white and green light in slow motion. "What do you want from all this?"

Sam had asked him the same thing earlier. "I can't… I'm not enough…" he said breathlessly. He shook his head. I'm going to die.

Fenton scoffed. "You are," he said fiercely. "You're just afraid to admit it. Danny, you have the power to stop this. You've had it for a year now. You can finally end this." A translucent hand reached out to him. "So let me ask you again: what do we want?"

Danny stared at the offered hand, his mind racing. Fenton looked slighted bemused, watching his counterpart with mismatched eyes. He didn't fear Dan. He didn't even fear himself.

Danny feared power - and what that power would do to him.

To move forward, he needed to embrace Ecto-Storm.

A look of purpose washed across his face as he grabbed the hand, staggering upright. Thoughts of Frostbite and his people, Ethelwulf, Clockwork, Jazz, his parents, Tucker and Sam filled him to the brim, one common theme shaking him to his core. What did he want?

Phantom and Fenton both turned toward Dan, eyes narrowing in determination. "Ready?" he asked Fenton, thinking back to their conversation in his bedroom.

His human half nodded, a small grim smile on his face. "Ready." He confirmed.

Their eyes glowed as time started again. Fenton disappeared, leaving Danny alone within the Ecto-Storm of his own creation. He let his powers flow freely, giving in to the instinctive use of his power, the one he never felt ready to use. His eyes glanced over to Ethelwulf's determined yellow eyes, protecting him and Sam from the onslaught of the ghosts. His shield was holding. Briefly, his blue- green eyes managed to find a pair of fearful violet eyes behind the shield. I'm sorry.

Dan roared, getting the younger Phantom's attention once more. Dan took off in the air, flying at Danny's Ecto-Storm with drive. Danny felt the will of Dan attempting to get to him; slicing through his attack with force. Danny pushed back, watching as Dan's Ecto-Storm battle with his; fire and ice trying to hurt the other.

Danny felt something stir in his core, painfully reminding him of the first time he used this power. He was afraid then; he wasn't anymore. His pupils disappeared, blue and green ecto-energy shining brightly as electricity and ice joined the battle, pushing his emblem outward to rival Dan's. The older Phantom clawed at Danny, beyond reason as he attempted to get to the teen. Blue flames danced at his feet as the two storms started to merge.

What did he want?

Dan made it through Danny's defences, flying to the centre with a vengeful smile. Danny's breathing was too loud in his ears now, realizing it was time.

To see his friends and family alive.

To win.

Danny's eyes shone brightly as the world turned white.

Scorching heat and bitter cold danced around them…

Dan's shocked face just as he reached Danny, arm reaching for the boy's chest…

…The world exploded in pain…

…An explosion…

…Darkness…

:-=-:

Sam gasped, bringing her hands up to shield herself from the bright white light. The explosion pulsed outward, levelling trees and sent small shockwaves throughout the area. Ethelwulf sunk to the ground, breathing hard as the explosion died down.

"Ethelwulf!" Sam cried, looking at the large black wolf.

"I'm alright," he replied, yellow eyes finding her worried ones. "Are you?" She nodded, silently marvelled at Ethelwulf's power to still have his shield around them. "Good," he said softly, standing slowly. "That's …" The ghost trailed off, looking away from her to the destruction beyond her.

Sam followed his gaze, gasping slightly. Debris was everywhere, Sam noticed, as she watched the remnants of the Ecto-Storm disappear. The ground was broken, split apart from the raw power from the fight, the tree trunks cracked and half and blue fire patches danced around large figures of non-melted ice. Sam's eyes scanned the battlefield before she saw it; Danny's emblem, still alight, was shrinking slowly... but her best friend was nowhere in sight.

Dan's red emblem was completely gone.

"Danny," Sam whispered, dread settling into the pit of her stomach. She started running long before she realized Ethelwulf was calling her back. "Danny!" she yelled, hoping he would answer. Her voice echoed in the eerie silence. Sam ran, jumping over tree trunks, occasionally tripping over roots as she tried to find him. It took a few minutes, but she found him just as his emblem finally disappeared.

She paused for a moment, horrified as she took in his appearance from a few feet away.

Danny, still miraculously in his ghost form, lay on his side, limbs askew. Even from this far away, she could see the amount of sickly green ectoplasm that he was covered in. Swallowing the bile in her throat, Sam continued running, faster from before. Once close, she skidded on her knees, slowing her speed and scrambled to him. "Danny," she croaked, eyes wide and disbelief.

He was worse than the last time she saw him. There was a nasty bruise on the side of his head; multiple small cuts up and down his body that made his skin seem even more other worldly than normal. The purple handprint bruise on his neck was more visible now, burned and varying shades of blue. His jumpsuit was ripped across his left shoulder, which appeared to come out of his socket, showed magnificent bruises and large burns from an earlier fight. His left leg was covered in ectoplasm, long gashes from his calf to his knee.

He was barely breathing.

Anything the ecto-enhancer managed to heal had reversed in the last fight. Sam looked down, alarmed at that realization and instinctively put her hands on Danny's side. The injury had reopened, gushing large amounts of ectoplasm. He shuddered beneath her, wheezing erratically.

"Come on Danny, stay with me!" Sam said to him hysterically. She brought one of her hands to his face, smearing it with his own ectoplasm. "You aren't dying today – you promised." No answer. "Eth-" Sam tried to yell, coming out in a half sob. Sam took a deep breath, swallowing the lump in her throat before she tried again. "Ethelwulf!" Sam yelled desperately. She felt a rush of air as Ethelwulf flew to her, hovering slightly before landing.

"Danny," he said gravely, concerned yellow eyes taking in his appearance before coming closer.

Sam paid him no mind as he started inspecting his lower body. "Danny, come on," she said worriedly, trying to rouse the boy in front of her. His face scrunched, shallow wheezing breaths becoming more pronounced. His eyes fluttered, opening ever so slightly.

Sam sighed as she looked down at his electric green eyes. "Thank goodness," she breathed. Her smile fell when she realized his eyes weren't registering her. "Danny?" The fear came back to her in full force in that moment. "Danny, can you hear me? You did it, it's over." The girl turned to Ethelwulf helplessly. "Help him! We can't –" her voice broke in a dry sob as she finally realized the gravity of the situation through her shock.

"We're going to need to move him," Ethelwulf said quickly, curling his body around the two teens. "Sam, keep pressure on that wound, we need to keep him as Phantom for as long as we can. He's losing too much ectoplasm; if he transforms and it turns to blood, I'm not sure if I can save him."

Sam's eyes widened but nodded, holding her hands tighter against his wound. Danny made a raw, strangled noise as he continued to wheeze through the pain. The white ring of light appeared at his waist but sputtered out of existence quickly.

"Hang on!" Ethelwulf said, glowing in a golden light. The next thing Sam realized, they were over Amity Park on Danny's shield staring down the Ghost Shield. He closed his eyes and sighed. "We need to take down the shield!"

Sam shook her head. "No, they were supposed to put his ecto-signature in it," Sam said distractedly. "We don't have time." Danny's arm fell onto his shield limply, the ring of light appearing again at his waist, lingering over him. It didn't move. "Danny no!" she yelled, turning his face toward her. "Hold on okay? Just-Just a little more."

Ethelwulf growled. "I can't teleport us in – it means that they're blocking one of our ecto-signatures. Last I heard, they still couldn't separate Danny's from the Dark Phantom's."

Sam looked down at Danny, swallowing in temporary relief as Danny managed to make his transformation stop again. Green sparks attacked his chest. "Tucker," Sam muttered, eyes widening. She kept one hand on Danny's wound while the other dug into the pocket of her jumpsuit. Crying out triumphantly, Sam found the Fenton phone she pocketed as she left the city. She stuffed it in her ear quickly, ignoring that it wasn't comfortable and moved her hand back to Danny's wound. She pressed down on in firmly, another strangled gasp escaping his lips. "Tucker!" she shouted into the small device.

"Sam!?" Tucker's surprised and relieved voice crackled in her ear. "Thank God! You took your damn time! If it wasn't for Danny-"

"Not now Tuck!" Sam said, cutting him off. "I need you to drop the Ghost Shield."

"Drop it?" he asked. A brief pause before Tucker pressed on. "Do you have Danny?"

Sam turned her gaze back to the boy in front of her. His blinks were slow. "He's… It's bad Tuck" Sam admitted, voice raw. "We need to get back to Fentonworks. Ethelwulf is standing by to teleport us."

"On it," was Tucker's determined reply. "It'll take me a few minutes. We'll be sitting ducks for Dan's forces, so be careful. We don't have Danny's shield like last time."

"As fast as you can Tuck," Sam urged. Ethelwulf nodded in understanding from her words. "Come on Danny," she whispered comfortingly to him. Another strangled noise came through his mouth. "A little longer. Then you can drop the shield. We'll be home soon, okay? Just stay Ghost for a little longer."

Danny shuddered again, closing his eyes. The wheezing became worse and Sam frowned.

"Ancients," Ethelwulf swore quietly. The word slipped out of his mouth like dirt. "Sam!"

Sam looked up in confusion and gasped. Before them, Danny's shield slowly started to repair itself, green electricity flowing through the solid parts of the shield before connecting. She looked down quickly, eyes glued to his hand on top of his shield. It shimmered green through his ripped gloves, green sparks moving through his forearm.

"Sam? What's going on?" Tucker asked anxiously through the Fenton phone.

"Dammit! Danny stop!" Sam pleaded, ignoring her friend in her ear. "Save your energy… please. You're hurt. Don't do this!" The shield continued to repair itself; he couldn't hear her. Sam swore. "Tucker, how much longer?"

"You should see it coming down any second," The teen replied swiftly. Sam could hear the determination in his voice. She wasn't the only one worried.

Danny's hand went limp as the shield finished repairing itself. Blue sparks now wracked the middle of his frame before they disappeared.

Sam only had to wait a very short second before she saw the signs of the ghost shield coming down. She breathed out a sigh of relief as she turned back to the half-ghost in front of her. Her relieved sigh turned to a startled gasp as she watched Danny's white hair turn slowly black and parts of his jumpsuit turning into his regular street clothes. "Ethelwulf!" Sam called to ghost in alarm. Green ectoplasm that stained her hands had turned red gradually and started gushing through her fingers; she hadn't realized the change. There was no ring, no flash of light as he reverted back. Danny Phantom seemingly faded away, leaving the body of Danny Fenton in his place.

"No…. nononono." Tucker's voice rambled through her ear. "Danny, no, stay with me okay?" She tried to get a rise out the friend currently bleeding out in front of her. He gave no inclination he heard her.

Ethelwulf was at their side quickly and with another flash of gold light, the smell of the Fenton's lab greeted Sam's nose. She blocked out the world around her; only focused on keeping pressure on Danny's wounds. She didn't have nearly enough hands; there was so much blood now. She very briefly heard Ethelwulf's cries for something, a flurry of movement as ghosts rushed forward. Lots of rushed whispers, a few barked orders, more blood on her hands. Suddenly, someone was pulling her off him.

"Get off me!" She said, fighting whoever was pulling her off the boy. She managed to elbow them in the gut but they didn't even cry out. "He's bleeding! I have to help -"

"Sam," Tucker's low voice was in her ear. She stopped; turned to lock eyes with her other best friend. Taking his chance, Tucker dragged her away, nodding to someone before swallowing. He looked like he was going to be sick. "Sam - they need to restart his heart."

What.

Sam looked at him with wide eyes, disbelieving his words. She turned back to Danny's lifeless form being hovered over by Ethelwulf in his guise of Dr. Cliff, Frostbite and a few other members of the Far Frozen. At some point, they put a mask over Danny's face to give him air. Ethelwulf's hands were alight with ecto-energy as he put them on the boy's chest. Danny convulsed on the floor for a second, before returning to being completely limp.

She couldn't look away. There was more flurry of activity around him; Ethelwulf charged his hands again, Danny's body arching upward in the air, falling back to the ground.

Ethelwulf brought two fingers to the boy's neck, a grim look over his face. "Where's that stretcher!?" Ethelwulf yelled, the hazel eyes of Dr. Cliff turning more yellow as he grew frustrated.

"There!" Frostbite yelled, watching another one of his followers fly over intangibly with a rolling bed. The ghost flew through the floor and made it tangible under Danny. All ghosts, led by Ethelwulf, pushed the unconscious Danny toward the Fenton infirmary, leaving the stricken friends staring at a pool of Danny's blood.

[goldenchan-fx2thepeacock]

Don’t Go Running Off Into Danger, Even If I Do pt 2

So, I have no clue what a publishing schedule is. So here, have more of this dumb fic at 11 pm. FUCK SLEEP! SLEEP IS FOR THE WEAK!

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Chapter 2

Danny and Jazz managed to finish just in time to put everything away before their parents got home. He’d actually managed to have a ghost free night. But the peace wasn’t going to last. And this wasn’t about ghosts. He got slammed into his locker.  “Hey look, it’s Fenturd. What’s with the dumb picture of Phantom? You’ll never be on his level,” Dash said and laughter broke out. Danny groaned. At least they didn’t know he was trans. He’d be beaten twice as much if they knew. The locker door closed and locked.  “Seriously Dash? I have to get to class!” He yelled through the metal.  “Whatever Fentina. No one cares! Oh hey, it’s fresh meat!” Dash went away from Danny’s locker. Danny had found out a way to make it so he could open his locker from the inside without it being outerwardly compromised. He jumped out. It was those kids from last night.  “Leave them alone Dash. They haven’t even been here for a day yet. The rules are that newbies get a probation period,” Danny crossed his arms.  “I don’t know Fentoenail. Would you like to take their beating?” Dash mocked him. Danny sighed. He’d have to do this.  “Any day,” 

Danny regretted everything. Dash had hit him twice as hard as normal and his locker trick wasn’t working. Everything hurt. He was going to miss Lancer’s class. At least his ghost sense wasn’t going off or something. Lancer wouldn’t miss him. Suddenly, his locker opened and he tumbled out. He yelped. “Are you okay?” The girl twin said.  “No worse than what I’m used to,” Danny brushed himself off.  “You didn’t have to do that,” The boy twin told Danny. “Yeah, I kinda did. The probation period is sacred. Dash knows that,” “Probation period?” The boy said. “A rule we made up last year. If Dash really wants to break it, I take the beating instead. Fenton gets to take the beating so the new kids don’t have to,”  “That’s not fair. You should report him,” “Nah, he threw like four perfect throws last night and is exempt from punishment,”  “Football?” The boy gave Danny a knowing look.  “Danielle- I mean Daniel Fenton to the main office,” The loud speaker said. “Oh come on! At least it was probably just a misread,” Danny was fuming. The beating plus being deadnamed was getting on his nerves. “We have to head there too,” The girl said. Danny shrugged and let them follow him.

Lancer called them all in at once. “Sup Lancer. Can I help you?” Danny leaned against the wall. “Mr Fenton. You and I both know that you need to show me more respect. W-what happened to you?” Lancer looked up from his papers. “Just a certain football star. Nothing I can’t handle. He broke the probation period,” “That’s a rule between students. I have no need to enforce it,” Lancer sighed. “I have no clue why you of all people were chosen for this, but you are too be Mr and Ms Pines guide around the school,” “Jazz not good enough for you? Had to pick the ‘slacker’ Fenton?” “Daniel, mind your tone. Jazz is our top student,”  “We all know I’m destined to fail in life. Can I get their timetables?” “Yes of course. Listen Danny, both you and I know you’re capable of better grades. I don’t understand why you don’t try,” Danny wasn’t in the mood for Lancer’s pep talks.  “I’ve got more important things to worry about,” Danny grabbed the papers and stalked off with the Pines Twins on his heels.  “Why didn’t he do anything about Dash?” the boy asked. “He has no reason to. Not like I’m about to ask,” Danny handed them their timetables. He’d seen that the girl was named Mabel and the boy Mason. “We’ll start with your classes Mason,”  “I prefer Dipper,” “I’m not calling you by a dumb nickname. Let’s go,” Danny growled.

Just as he was about to lead Mason to his first class, a royal pain in his ass showed up. “Daniel! I require your assistance, little badger,” “It’s bound to be another plan to get in my mom’s pants. Go away,”  “Now, don’t be like that. I’m the mayor after all. You should be honored,” “Plasmius, shut your goddamn mouth. I. Don’t. Give. A. Fuck,” Danny said so that only Vlad could hear.  “Well, something’s got you in a tizzy. I’ll ask later. I should tell you though, it’s about Danielle,” “What did you do to Dani?” Fury. Wait, he had to get the kids to class.  “Nothing. It wasn’t me. You should ask your ghost hunter girlfriend,” Vlad grinned. Fucking Valerie.  “Come on kids. You’ve got to get to class,” Danny ignored Plasmius. Valerie was going to die. 

At lunch, he purposefully turned into Phantom and waited for Valerie on top of the school. She took no time at all. “What. Did. You. Do. To. Dani,” He glared at her.  “I didn’t do anything to her! You’re going down ghost!” “Am I really?” Danny was pissed. She wasn’t getting any mercy today. He teleported behind her.  “What the... HOW?” “Where is she?!” He growled. “What do you care? She’s always off on her own,”  “Does it look like I care Valerie?!”  “How did you know?!” “I know more than you seem to think. Tell me where Dani is. NOW!” He froze her feet. She looked terrified.  “What’s wrong with you!? Why do you care so much about her? Ghosts don’t have feelings,” Danny lost it at that point. The laughter was dark. Hollow. Horrible. Val’s terror was visible.  “Don’t have feelings? DON’T HAVE FEELINGS? FUCK YOU! I’M SO TIRED OF ALL THIS!” “Phantom, calm down,” Val was terrified. Danny wasn’t done. The rings were threatening to come down and expose him to her.  “So you admit this is real? Would you like to know how it feels to die Val? How it feels to live on the line between life and death? Wait, I can’t do that! You don’t have a deactivated portal in your basement that I can make you turn on while your inside. I don’t have a stupid jumpsuit with your dad’s face on it so I can take off the that sticker. You don’t have parents that threaten to rip you apart molecule by molecule for just exsisting! You don’t have to see a future where you become evil because you cheated on one test and your family all died! Can you even begin to comprehend what I go through? Ever been cloned? And forced to do something incredibly painful so that one clone can get fixed and watch another get lied too? And that’s just the brunt of it Valerie. Keep telling me how I don’t feel. How I’m nothing!” Danny screamed at ice engulfed their feet. Val’s eyes went wide.  “D-Danny?” She said quietly. “Congratulations! You aren’t as niave as the rest of Amity Park! How does it feel?” He’d snapped. “Calm down! I’ll tell you where Dani is!” She shrieked. That hollow laugh came back. But instead of an angry rant afterwards, he just sunk to his knees and screamed. It wasn’t a wail. It was a scream of pain. Of being done with the world.  “I can’t do this anymore,” He sobbed and the rings went down. All that was left now was a beaten, broken Danny Fenton.  “You should change back. I’ll take you to Dani,” Danny nodded and followed her.  “Sorry I broke down. I’m just sick of people telling me that I can’t feel. That all ghosts can’t feel. You don’t even bother talking to us, ya know?” “Ghosts lie,” “And so do people! I’ve talked to the ghosts. Listened to them. Heard their stories. I protect people, but I protect them too!” “How do you know those aren’t just acts?” “Cause they make sense. I’d have the same response if it was me. If my parents burned down the place I was in because I got caught being gay,” “I’m confused,” “Ember. I told her I wouldn’t tell anyone. But you need to know that they all have reasons for being the way they are. Skulker’s family was hunted, so now he hunts to prove his strength,” “Maybe we should talk to you more,”  “Maybe you should. No one asks to die,” “But your parents say that ghosts don’t remember their lives. They’re the leading experts,”  “That’s like putting a ten year old in a room of babies. They’re the expert by default in that situation, but an adult would be the expert the moment they walked in,” “Why don’t we know about that,” “Dying is traumatizing. Even half dying is traumatizing. It’s taboo to mention it unless you’re told. No one explains it until they’re ready. And talking about a life before that is almost wrong,” “How did you learn?” “Skulker told me during the Christmas Truce. Ember told me one day when she just wanted to be left alone, but I did too. I guess things end up working out in weird ways,” “The Christmas Truce?” “On Christmas Eve and Christmas, ghosts have a truce. No one is allowed to fight anyone that day. The Ghost Writer broke the truce and Walker got to haul him off in just means,” “We really know nothing about ghosts, do we?” “No, you don’t. They even have a party. I got invited last year. Skulker let me make the star! It took me weeks to get it right,” Danny smiled at the memory. He’d made a scale model of a blue giant that went through it’s life stages.  “So there’s a whole society?” “A government. Systems. Main rules. Taboos. Just cause we’re ghosts, doesn’t mean we don’t have a system,” “I’m sorry,” “What?” Danny nearly froze. “I’m sorry that I made so many assumptions. I never should’ve chased you or any ghost like that,” “Keep them out of Amity Park and send them back to the Zone. Most ghosts forget that living is dangerous, so they just rampage. I keep trying to talk sense into them, but they’re pretty stubborn,”  “What about the dog?” “Dog? You mean Cujo? I was trying to stop him from trashing Axiom. He was trying to get a toy. I’m sorry that recked your life Val,” “My life? Wrecked? When compared to you, my life is a dream. It’s not like I died,” “I guess you’ve got a point,”

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Thanks for reading. I just like fics where Val finds out, and this one seemed like an okay place to stick it. Dani is fine. I’ll fill you in on that next chapter, but I should get some sleep.

[kinglazrus]

Until Death Do We Part

Truce gift for @anthropwashere! Sorry I'm late, but I hope the wait was worth it!

Summary: For someone who fights ghosts, literal dead people, on a near-daily basis, you would think Danny could handle death better than this. He faces mortality every day, every time he goes ghost. So why can't he face this? Why is this any different than any other day? Because it was his Valerie, and he saw it, and he couldn't stop it. Because it was his fault.

(links to ffn and ao3 on my bio)

Warnings: gore and blood, panic attacks, murder

Word count: 24011

By the time the ambulance arrives, Valerie is already dead. The fight is over, Spectra and Bertrand long gone, and Danny—in human form—cradles her head in his lap. He doesn't know who called the ambulance, or when. Everything after Valerie's fall is a blur. He remembers a scream, his own most likely, and Spectra's victorious cackle, but not her retreat. The citizens had fled at some point near the start of the battle. How long was he holding her before someone returned, saw what happened?

After years of dealing with ghosts, the people of Amity Park had formed a simple routine. Run from the fight, don't get in the way or put yourself in danger, wait for the noises to end, wait a few minutes more, then trickle out of hiding once you know it's safe. The entire city knows the choreography by heart, follows every step with military precision. It's one of the main reasons no one has died during a ghost attack before. At least, until now.

The ambulance's wailing sirens cut out abruptly. Danny barely registers their absence, focused entirely on Valerie's face. If he lets himself get distracted, he might be tempted to look lower, at the wound that took her life a gaping mess of blood and shredded organs in the middle of her chest, covered by his jacket. Don't look at it. Don't think about it. Keep your eyes up.

People talk about peace in death, but he only sees agony on her face. Blood smears her lips, fills her mouth. Her wide eyes stare up at him, dull and empty. Shaking, Danny passes a hand over her eyes, trying to close them. As soon as he removes his hand, her eyelids slide back open. He tries again. They still don't close.

One of the paramedics comes up to him and puts a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, kid. It's not... it's not like the movies. That's not how it works." The paramedic glances back at her partner, a helpless look passing between them.

"I called dispatch," her partner says, speaking softly, but still loud enough for Danny to hear. "Coroner's on the way."

She nods, then turns her attention back on Danny. "I'm sorry but you need to let her go."

Danny squeezes his eyes shut and sobs. Oh, god. Oh, god. He doesn't know what to do. He can't let her go, can't leave her, but she won't stop looking at him with those dead, accusing eyes. Another sob tears through him, and another, each cry ripping him to smaller and smaller pieces. He presses a hand to his mouth, clamping down hard as if he can force the sobs back down his throat if he pushes hard enough.

Belatedly, he notices the taste of copper on his tongue. Danny scrambles away from Valerie, her head dropping with a thump that makes the paramedics wince, and barely makes it two feet before his stomach heaves and he pukes in the street. A hand rubs his back; a soft voice whispers empty reassurances. When Danny finishes puking, wiping his mouth on his sleeve and gasping for breath, he leans back on his heels and looks up at a paramedic. Blinking through his tears, Danny catches her nameplate, C. Vaughan.

"Hey, you're okay," she says.

Danny stares at her incredulously. Okay? How is any of this okay? Valerie is dead. His mind is still reeling. Despite seeing it happen, some part of him can't believe it's real. Someone died during a ghost attack. Not just someone, but Valerie. And she wasn't killed by any old ghost, either. Nothing is okay, and it never will be again.

Because Danny Phantom killed Valerie Gray.

—

It takes nearly twenty minutes for the coroner to arrive. That whole time, Danny refuses to move or even talk. He doesn't approach Valerie's body again, but he can't walk away either. A handful of cops—he's not sure when they arrived—have set up a perimeter around the scene, keeping curious onlookers back. Looking over the line of people crowding against the police tape, disgust swells in Danny's gut. They're treating it like a show, pointing and whispering. Danny, grinding his teeth, glares at them, wanting nothing more than to blast them down the street.

In the throng, he catches a glimpse of Lance Thunder's perfectly coiffed hair.

The scrape of boots on asphalt pulls his gaze from the reporter, and he looks to his right. Vaughan approaches him, a water bottle and a cloth in her hand. She offers both to him. "You should get yourself cleaned up."

Danny stares at the offering blankly.

"Unless you want me to do it for you?"

At eighteen years old, Danny's entire face goes red at the thought of someone cleaning him like that. He snatches the items from Vaughan's hands, soaks the cloth in water, and scrubs at his cheeks. By now, the blood has long since dried, dark red streaks stretching across his cheeks. He remembers how warm it felt when it first splattered across his face.

Danny flinches, hands freezing. It takes him a moment to compose himself, shoving the sensation to the back of his mind, before he finishes scrubbing.

"Careful, or else you'll start peeling for skin off." Vaughan laughs weakly at her joke.

Danny doesn't even crack a smile. His face still feels dirty, but the cloth is more pink than white now, and it doesn't seem to be getting any darker, so he must have gotten all of it. Unsure of what to do with them, he offers the cloth and bottle back to Vaughan.

She takes them, then sits on the curb beside him. Her presence is neither comforting nor annoying, she's just there, a warm body next to him, soaking in his misery.

"It's never easy, finding a body," she says.

Danny holds back a snort. Right. Finding. As if he didn't watch it happen. As if it wasn’t all his fault.

"You're the Fenton boy, right?"

"One and only, last I checked."

"Marty called your parents." She nods toward the ambulance. For a second, Danny thinks she means her partner, the other paramedic, and he's confused about why they would call his parents. But then he realizes she's motioning to the cop standing beside her partner. Every few seconds, Marty the Cop glances his way. "I told him to back off for a bit, but he's gonna ask you a few questions about what happened before you can go."

Danny frowns. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because you just found a dead body, and that's a horrible experience to go through, but it also means a bunch of strangers are going to ask you questions about what happened, and I think you should know what's happening before you get into it."

"I didn't find her."

Vaughan raises an eyebrow. "But dispatch said–"

"I was there. I was with her. We were friends."

Vaughan goes silent. She closes her eyes and breathes deeply, letting it out slowly. "Oh," she says, packing so much emotion into one soft syllable. Pity, distress, world-weary exhaustion. A hint of anger. Hearing it makes Danny flinch, leaves him winded as if she punched him. Just another ache on top of all his growing bruises. He gets the feeling he's not the first kid she's had to deal with who watched someone die, and he probably won't be the last.

"Yeah," he says.

"Was that your jacket on her?"

Danny nods.

"That was a good thing you did. I can't imagine what's going through your head right now, but I think she would have been happy to have someone with her at the end."

Bracing his elbows on his knees, Danny clutches his head. Vaughan's trying to comfort him, but he finds no solace in her words. She has no idea what she's talking about. The look in Valerie's eyes at the end, seething even as the light drained out of them. His presence brought her no comfort, and he won't be forgetting that any time soon.

Vaughan nudges Danny. "Marty incoming."

He looks up and sees the cop approaching them, beady eyes narrowed on Danny. Marty the Cop keeps a hand on his belt, fingers drumming against his thigh. Inches away from his stun gun, Danny notes. Real quality cops in Amity Park, he thinks.

"Daniel Fenton?" Marty asks.

"No."

"Funny. I know your parents, and I hope you'll be a lot easier to deal with than they are."

"Marty!" Vaughan hisses. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Hey, just saying. You know how the Fentons are."

"Have some compassion you heathen."

Marty rolls his eyes. "Daniel. We don't have a procedure for something like this, but I'm gonna need you to come down to the station so I can get a statement. Your parents," he sneers, "will meet us there."

"But Valerie..." Danny trails off. The coroner already has her in a body bag on a stretcher. They're in the middle of loading her into the van, taking her away. Danny watches, numb. A protest nearly rises to his lips, but he holds it back. What does he think that's going to do? They can't leave her in the street, and he can't sit here forever. She's gone and nothing's going to change that.

Marty taps his foot impatiently, staring down at Danny.

Danny waits until the coroner slams the van's back door before answering. "Okay. Let's go."

—

The interrogation room is cold, the metal table raising goosebumps along Danny's arm as he leans against it. Marty brought him here "for privacy." Danny thinks the guy just hates his parents and wants to see him squirm. Danny relishes in disappointing him, far too numb to react to the sombre setting.

"Name?" Marty asks.

"Daniel James Fenton." Danny answers.

"How did you find the deceased?"

"I– I was there. I watched the fight. Um." Danny scrambles for an explanation. "I got stuck in the street, and I saw it."

"Can you describe what happened to me?"

"She and Phantom were fighting some ghosts. I didn't see exactly, but something happened, and Valerie fell off her board. And she–"

"Are you confirming the deceased's identity?"

Danny stares at Marty, confused. The cop had to see her face. She hadn't been wearing her visor when it happened, her head exposed for anyone to see. A good few seconds pass before Danny realizes his mistake. To Marty, Valerie wasn't anybody, just a face behind a mask. Only now does it dawn on him that none of those bystanders were looking at Valerie Gray, a high school student killed tragically. When they saw the body, they saw Red Huntress, a local hero brought down by a foe.

"Yeah. Her name is Valerie Gray. She's a senior at Casper High." Danny says.

Marty's eyes widen minutely. "Your relationship with her?"

Danny starts to say friends, then stops. Would she call him a friend now? He settles on, "Classmates. We were classmates."

Before Danny's eyes, Marty's whole demeanour changes. "Shit, kid," he says. He frowns and rubs his eyes, sighing in a way that makes Danny think of Vaughan. "I'm sorry. You shouldn't have had to see that, and I shouldn't have– just, sorry. I know it must be hard, but can you tell me what happened?"

Danny spares a moment to collect himself. "She, uh. Something happened and she fell, and one of the ghosts. They, it could shapeshift. And it st–stabbed her." Danny swallows, trying to wash away the bitter taste the lie leaves in his mouth. He almost wants Marty to call him out on it, point out the way his fingers twitch or how his gaze jumps around the room as a subtle tell.

Tell me I'm lying, Danny thinks. Make me tell the truth. To his disappointment, Marty just hums and writes Danny's words in his notepad.

"I'm sorry I had to bring you down here," Marty says when he finishes. "Your parents should be here by now."

Danny nods.

Marty doesn't move, staring intently at the table.

"Are we... are we done?" Danny asks.

"Huh?" Marty looks up. "Oh. Yeah, you can go." He still doesn't move.

"Okay..." Danny stands up, shoving his chair back. The metal legs screech on the concrete floor, but Marty doesn't react beyond a reflexive wince. On his way out of the room, Danny hears Marty mutter.

"A high school senior? Damn."

Danny doesn't stick around after that, quickening his steps and hurrying out to the bullpen. As he nears, he hears a commotion, raised voices.

"Where's our son?"

"Sir, he's just being questioned right now."

"Questioned? What for? He's not a criminal."

"It's the procedure, please, sit down."

"It's ghosts is what it is, and that's our business!"

At the end of the hall, Danny lurches to a stop. "Dad!"

Jack turns toward his voice and beams. "Danny!" He puts down the cop he was harassing, setting them back on the floor. Danny's surprised no one tried to cuff his dad for that stunt. Then again, Jack is a good foot taller than the tallest person here, and at least twice as wide. He engulfs Danny in a crushing hug, thick arms wrapped around his shoulders. "They told us something happened with a ghost and the Red Huntress."

"What were you doing out of school, young man?" Maddie scolds from behind Jack. "You can't afford another tardy."

"Valerie's dead," Danny says.

Danny can't see his parent's faces, not with his own pressed against Jack's chest, but he feels Jack tense and hears Maddie gasp.

"Oh, sweetie. That poor girl." Maddie's hand finds its way to Danny's head, brushing his hair softly. "I'm so sorry. What happened?"

"There was a ghost–"

"A ghost!" Jack releases Danny and steps back, pumping his fists. "Damn ghosts! Which one did it? We gotta get 'em, Mads."

"Of course, dear. But perhaps we should take Danny home first?" Maddie gives Jack's arm a placating pat and tilts her head towards Danny.

"Please?" Danny's voice is soft and pleading to his ears. All he wants right now is to collapse in bed and shut everything out for a few hours. He'd take days if he could manage it, but with his family, tough luck. A part of him hopes no one tells Jazz any time soon, at least not until he's unconscious.

They head out to the RV, Maddie and Jack claiming the front seat while Danny curls up in the back, thankful for the meagre amount of solitude it provides him. His parents' murmuring voices wash over him, lulling him into a daze as they drive—Maddie at the wheel, thank god.

Danny barely believes Valerie's gone. He glances out the window, half expecting to see her streaking across the sky on her board, a blur of black and red. Not even an hour ago, they were exchanging taunts and banter as they beat Spectra and Bertrand back. Neither ghost was much of a fighter. Together, he and Valerie should have taken them, easy, but all their guns and ectoblasts couldn't stop the mental hits from catching them. Out of all his enemies, Danny's never feared anyone like he fears Spectra.

Pariah Dark and Dan? They might be three times his size and ten times as strong, but he knows how to fight ghosts like them. A well-placed hit, a lucky shot, and victory is his. But Spectra? She leaves scars so much deeper than any ecto-burn, ripping him open and dragging every flaw to the surface. Too weak, too pathetic, too confused to fight against her, she overwhelms him more often than not. And now... every taunt she's ever tossed his way comes to mind.

I'm sure you're only half the monster your parents think you are.

Everyone's afraid of being weak, but I've never seen someone meet those expectations so well!

Not everyone is cut out to be the hero.

Turns out, Spectra was right all along.

—

Maddie pulls up outside Fenton Works, idles long enough for Danny to step out of the RV, then peels out with the sound of shrieking treads. "Let's get that ghost, baby!" Jack bellows. And then they're gone, around the corner and out of sight.

Watching the dust settle over the road once more, Danny isn't sure what to feel. He's pretty sure that normal parents wouldn't just leave their freshly grieving son at home alone so they can go hunt ghosts, but when have his parents ever been normal? At this point, Danny doesn't think he could function with regular parents. Growing up, he wished Maddie and Jack were less Fenton, but after nearly two decades, Danny knows how to deal with Fentons. He knows how to be alone when his parents set out seeking vengeance on the local spectres.

Danny heads inside, kicking off his shoes at the door, and instinctively goes to set down his backpack, until he remembers it's still at school, probably in Lancer's classroom. Unless Sam or Tucker grabbed it for him. He flexes his empty hand before letting his arm drop to his side. It's Friday, anyway. He has all weekend to get his backpack back, no matter where it ends up.

Danny goes straight to his bedroom, flopping onto his bed. He should change out of his clothes, still smeared with Valerie's blood, but he doesn't have the energy for it. The thought of getting up and digging through his drawers makes his limbs heavy. But sleeping in the shirt Valerie bled out on... that thought has Danny lurching out of bed. He fumbles about in his laundry basket, grabbing a hoodie and a pair of sweatpants. In seconds, he's stripped off the bloody clothes and dressed himself in, at least relatively, clean new ones.

The bloody clothes get shoved under his bed. Out of sight, out of mind. And right now he wants to be out of here. A few hours of sleep where everything else can just fade away sounds great right about now. Finally, Danny slips into bed, pulling his covers up to his chin, and lets sleep take him.

—

Snow crunches under his boots. The afternoon sun glints off the sparkling surface, nearly blinding him. He has to squint and shade his eyes to see properly. Even then, it hurts. Danny shivers, drawing his arms in close. He puffs out frosty clouds with every breath, crystals of ice hanging in the air for a moment before they melt, droplets falling to the ground.

Scanning his surroundings, he tries to find some kind of marker. A building, a sign. He'd even take a tree, anything that isn't snow. But no such luck. It's a flat white field in every direction, stretching well into the horizon.

"Great," he mutters. Of course, he's lost. He can't even remember how he got here. Flying, maybe. Chasing a ghost. Looking down at himself, he sees his familiar white and black jumpsuit, so he already went ghost.

Danny shivers again, his whole body trembling. His jumpsuit might be great against hazardous ectoplasmic materials, but the black boots and gloves, designed for lab work, provide little warmth. His fingers and toes are already numb. The heavyweight fabric making up the rest of the suit is a little better, but not much. He can't remember the last time he felt this cold. Not since before he got his ice powers, at least. Back then, it felt like a blizzard raged within him, full of furious winds and freezing air.

This feels like sinking into the bottom of a frozen lake, where there's nothing to feel but cold and crushed.

"I can't stay here," he says, receiving no answer. Not surprising. Who would answer him out here? Sighing, he gives the horizon another speculative glance and picks a random direction. No matter what way he goes, he has to find civilization eventually, especially if he flies.

Danny takes off into the air, makes it two feet up, then plummets back down and faceplants in the snow.

It takes him a moment to realize what happened. When he does, he jerks his head back, spitting out snow, and stares at the imprint of his face in the ground. Glancing at his chest, he checks again to make sure he's in ghost form. Jumpsuit? Check. Ghostly aura? He can't tell, thanks to all the snow. Even the white of his jumpsuit blends into the field. If anyone is out there, all they would see of him are the black pricks of his boots and gloves.

Pushing himself back to his feet, Danny tries again. And again. And again. Each time earns him the same result, a moment of weightlessness at the apex of his jump, followed by a lurch as he drops back down. After the fifth try, Danny finally admits it. He can't fly. If he wants to go anywhere, it has to be on foot. Dreading the trek ahead, he sets off.

With every step, the cold digs in a little more, sinking its sharp claws into his chest. Breathing hurts. Every inhale he feels ice coating his mouth. Every exhale, crystals sting as they drag across his tongue. Blood wells in his mouth, tinting the mist leaving his mouth pink.

Still, Danny presses on. He can't tell how long he walks for. The sun stays rooted to its place in the sky, almost directly above him, shining pale and blue. He's gotten used to staring at the bright snow, at least, able to keep his eyes open without them hurting, so that's a bonus. Squinting into the distance, Danny finally sees something. It glitters, bright and blue, although that might be the sunlight. Either way, it brings a relieved grin to Danny's face. Bolstered, he takes off running.

At first, it looks like a giant mass, but the closer he gets, the better he can make it out. Spires of ice, hundreds of them, protruding from the earth, like a giant's icy fingers poking through the grave. They sharpen into needle-thin claws at the tips, far above his head.

Danny slows when he reaches the first one. It's as thick as the Fenton RV and taller than any building in Amity Park. He can't help but feel awed, tipping his head back as he stares up to the top. Something tells him this isn't a natural formation. He looks at it and sees an awesome display of power.

"Jealous?" a voice whispers in his ear.

Danny spins toward the noise, but the space beside him is empty. He backs away, eyeing the open air with suspicion. "Who said that?"

Something rushes at his left side. He stumbles back, bumping against the ice, and nearly tumbles into the snow. "Who's there?"

"Imagine what you could do with this kind of strength."

Danny swings at the voice. It cackles and flies away out of reach, but not fast enough for him to miss completely. His knuckles skim something, telling him this isn't in his head. It's real. It's real and he can fight it.

"Just let it out, you'll feel better."

Danny snarls and lunges after the voice. He chases it through the spires, spitting curses and swinging his fists. Every hit misses, but he gets tantalizingly close, feeling cloth and skin brush his knuckles more than once. He loses himself deeper and deeper into the maze, kicking up snow, slipping on the ice.

All the while, the voice taunts him.

"If only you had this power. No one could stand up to you, could they? But you're just so weak."

"I'm not weak!"

Stale breath wafts across his face. Danny recoils, lips curling in disgust at the smell. The figure, inches from him yet still unseen, whispers, "Then why couldn't you save her?"

"Shut up! Shut up! Leave. Me. Aloooooooooooo–" Danny's cry pierces the air. It reverberates throughout the icy maze, shaking spires and cracking the ground beneath his feet. Jagged fissures split the ice, shattering the spires into pieces. All around him, they fall in chunks, smashing against the ground.

The wail echoes long after his breath runs out and the spires have crumbled, leaving him in a field of ruin. He gasps, hungry for air, chest tight and mouth numb. Something drips off his lips. Red drops litter the snow at his feet. Reaching up, he touches his mouth and his fingers come away bloody. It spills down his chin rivulets, fills up his mouth and lungs until he's drowning in it. Choking, Danny stumbles forward. His foot catches on a chunk of ice and he falls forward, barely catching himself on his hands. Blood sprays from his mouth.

"Pathetic."

Danny raises his head. Everything's blurry, but he can just make out Spectra's dark form in front of him.

"No wonder you died," she sneers. Turning her head, she glances at something off to the side.

Danny follows her gaze and sees a single spire still standing, this one far shorter than the others were. He swallows, struggles to take a breath. It comes out raspy and wet. Pushing through the agony, he crawls forward until the spire is inches away. The white of his jumpsuit is stained red, looking more like Valerie's old suit than his. Reaching out, Danny lays his hand on the spire. His reflection doesn't reach back.

Trapped in the ice, lips blue from the cold, Valerie opens her eyes.

—

Danny's head is thrumming when he wakes. The room spins. Blood rushes in his ears. He feels his heart beating against his temple, his chest, his throat. It takes a good minute for everything to settle down, leaving him flushed and dizzy. He throws an arm over his eyes, the fading image of Valerie's glare piercing the darkness.

It was just a dream.

Danny scrubs his face and pushes himself upright, sparing a glance at his alarm clock. Nearly eight a.m. He slept through the whole afternoon and night, and yet exhaustion still drags at him. Too bad, he won't be sleeping again any time soon. Not if that's what waits for him.

As his pounding heart finally quiets, slowing to a steady pace, he hears a soft buzzing. Danny's head swivels, his gaze searching the room for the source. It must be his phone, but he left that at school with his backpack yesterday. And yet, there it is, sitting just inside his bedroom, leaning against the wall by the door. His friends must have brought it for him after all.

He grabs his backpack and digs through the main pouch, finding his phone soon enough. Sam's name appears at the top of the screen. He hesitates before hitting the answer button.

"Hey, Sam," he says.

"Danny! I wasn't sure if you'd be awake. When you didn't come back to school, we thought you had gotten hurt during your fight, and we couldn't call you to check."

"Not quite, I guess." Danny makes a noise, not quite a laugh, less than a groan.

"No one answered the door when I dropped off your bag, so I left it in the flowerbed and texted Jazz. I just found out what happened."

"Oh."

"Yeah. Um, Tucker's with me, actually. Hold on."

Sam goes silent for a moment. As she's distracted, Danny sets his backpack on the floor again and backs up to his bed, dropping on the mattress with a bounce.

"Okay, it's on speaker."

"Hey, Danny," Tucker says.

"I texted him as soon as I heard. We're on our way over now, but I thought we'd call first. See if you were, you know. Okay."

"I'm–" Danny falters. Of course he's not okay; how could Sam even ask that? What does she expect him to say? I saw Valerie die, and it's all my fault, but sure, I'm great! "No, Sam. I'm not."

"Man, I'm sorry you were alone. We should have gone with you," Tucker says.

Danny pales. "No! Oh, god, Tuck, no." He runs the scenario through his head. Sam and Tucker by his side when it happened. Sam and Tucker dead, just like Valerie. If not dead, then... witnesses to his lowest moment. He wouldn't be able to look them in the eyes if they had been there. He's not sure he can look them in the eyes now. "It's better for you that you weren't there."

"But not for you! We should have asked if you needed our help before you left. Maybe we could have–"

"No. You couldn't have known, Tuck. Look, I thought it was the Box Ghost or something, not..." Danny presses a hand to his eyes and takes a sharp breath through his nose. "It doesn't matter. It happened. She's gone."

In the silence that follows, Danny perfectly pictures Sam and Tucker trading worried looks.

"Danny." Sam takes over. "It must have been horrible."

"Yeah, it was." He can practically hear Sam grimacing at that.

"It must have been horrible," she repeats. "It shouldn't have happened. And you never should have seen it. We're still sorry we couldn't be there for you."

Danny squeezes his eyes shut. Why, why are they apologizing? Why are they being nice? They should be screaming at him for letting Valerie die. Four years of ghost fighting and he loses someone now when he's supposed to be at his best, his strongest. Not only couldn't he save her, but he's also the reason she's dead. If anything, Sam and Tucker should have been there in his place, then Valerie would have survived.

"Guys, it's... it's fine."

"No, it isn't. We can talk when we get there if you want to. It might help."

"Actually, I think I want to be alone right now." Guilt pricks Danny's heart, but he means it. He doesn't want to talk about it, and if they're just going to pity him, then he doesn't want his friends with him. At least not right now. "Maybe tomorrow or something."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I just. Need time to myself, to process," he says.

"Okay, if that's what you need."

"Just don't shut us out, okay, man?" Tucker says.

Danny nods, then remembers they can't see him and promises just as much. "I'll be okay."

Sam and Tucker say their goodbyes, neither of them sounding confident. Danny hangs up before they can apologize to him or offer any more condolences. He doesn't deserve their pity.

Tossing his phone away, he stays rooted to the spot for a moment, trying to swallow down the tightness in his throat. It doesn't help much. Instead, pressure builds behind his eyes, and no matter how much he tries to fight it, the tears come unbidden. He cries quietly, biting his tongue to stay silent, like a child fighting not to be heard. He doesn't hear the usual clangs and bangs signalling his parents' presence—perhaps they're out hunting for Valerie's killer once again, unaware he lies in their own home—but Jazz could be here; it was the weekend. He doesn't want her to hear him and come knocking on his door.

So, he turns and falls onto his side, shoving his face into his comforter, and makes as little noise as possible as his entire body shakes. Jazz says crying is supposed to make you feel better, once you're done feeling terrible. Somehow, he can't imagine any good feelings coming from this. The tears stop soon enough, leaving him with a pounding headache, puffy eyes, and, just as predicted, feeling no better than before.

As he struggles to pull himself together, rubbing the tear tracks from his face, he hears footsteps outside his door. He pauses, holding his breath, hoping they will pass by.

They don't. A light knock comes.

"Danny?" Jazz whispers, her voice soft enough that he can barely hear her through the door. For one terrifying moment, he thinks he heard her after all, but then she goes on. "Are you awake?"

He doesn't answer.

Jazz waits for another second or two, then leaves. Danny lets out the breath he was holding and sags in relief. He will have to talk to her eventually, but for now, he wants to be alone. Assured that he will get his wish, for a little while longer at least, he crawls back into bed. With the nightmare fresh on his mind, he has no plans to fall asleep again, and settles on staring at his phone, grabbing it from where he tossed it away by his pillow. Today is a day for being numb.

—

Danny stays in his room all day. At noon, Jazz comes around again, knocking on his door and asking to be let in. He turns her away.

"I just want to be by myself right now," he tells her.

She gives in easily enough. "Okay, that's fine. But don't forget to eat. I'm going to the library and I'll be back later."

"I won't forget," Danny says. And he doesn't. He thinks about it, a lot, but he doesn't have the energy to go downstairs and raid the fridge for food. There might be something in the cupboard, some crackers he can snack on with little effort, but even then, the prospect of heading all the way downstairs stops him. One day of wallowing won't hurt. He's gone longer without food the few times he's gotten stuck in the deepest parts of the Ghost Zone.

Sam and Tucker send him a few texts throughout the day. Word has spread fast about Friday's events. Practically the whole town now knows that Valerie Gray was the Red Huntress, and that Fenton boy was there when she died.

Danny doesn't like Amity's rumour mill, never has. More often than not, the churning gears spew out harsh words about his family. He's heard everything from jabs at his father's intelligence—completely incorrect, Danny would like to see anyone else design a ghost portal—to sly suggestions about Danny's parentage—thanks, Vlad, for gleefully fuelling those—to whispers about how neglectful his parents supposedly are. He can't entirely argue against that last one, but he still doesn't like to hear it.

Horror fills him at what things they might be saying on Valerie's death.

As night approaches and Jazz returns home, Danny has barely moved from his bed. He got up once to go to the bathroom and ended up huddled on the bathroom floor for a good hour, afraid to look in the mirror, plagued by visions from his nightmare. Jazz knocks on his door again, and, again, he feigns sleep, pulling the covers up over his head. Good thing, because this time, instead of walking away when he doesn't respond, she opens the door and peeks inside.

"Oh, Danny," she says. Danny struggles to keep his breathing even as she walks closer, her steps signalled only by the creaking of his floorboards. The bed dips when she sits on the other side, at his back. Her hand rests on his hair, nearly making him flinch.

"I hope you know I'm here for you. It's only been a day, but don't lock yourself away in here. It won't make you feel any better."

He wonders why she's saying all this when he's asleep, as far as she knows. If he hadn't been awake, her words would mean nothing to him. He scowls into his pillow, suddenly decided that they do mean nothing to him. If this is her version of helping, comforting him when he isn't even awake to hear it, then he doesn't want her help. Danny's glad when she leaves.

Sometime later, he's not sure how long, Maddie and Jack come home, too. They make far more noise, or Jack does, stomping around downstairs, grumbling his disappointment at catching no ghosts. They come to check on him, too, but unlike Jazz, they stay at his door, saying nothing, slipping away when they realize he's 'sleeping'.

Danny almost laughs. Sleeping, right. Every time he closes his eyes, he sees Valerie falling, hears her scream. Relives the moment over and over again with Spectra's laughter echoing in his ears. If these are the kinds of things plaguing him while awake, he doesn't want to know what else lies waiting in his nightmares, especially after last night. He sits in his room, curled on his bed, and stares at nothing. More than once, he hears Jack and Maddie groaning about the ghost they failed to catch.

"We'll get them, Mads. Don't you worry. No rotten ghost can escape the Fentons for long!"

"That poor girl. It was only a matter of time before something like this happened."

Then why didn't you try and stop it? a traitorous part of Danny's mind whispers. If you knew, why didn't you save her?

A more rational thought breaks through the bitter hisses. And what could they have done? Hunted ghosts more than they already do? Built a permanent containment system so Danny could keep his enemies locked away forever? Put a shield around all of Amity Park to keep the ghosts out?

Yes.

Danny stairs up at his ceiling, blinking slowly as he ponders that revelation. Yes, they could have. If they thought ghosts were so dangerous, if they expected someone to die at their hands eventually, then they should have done something, anything, to stop it. Make something to ward ghosts away, arm citizens with protective gear and weapons, close the fucking portal. They had so many options and they did nothing.

Danny has never hated his parents before. Been mad at them? Yes. Embarrassed by them? Definitely. But hated them? The feeling is so foreign, yet it rushes quickly to fill his entire being, a burning rage that has him clenching and unclenching his fists, holding back a blast of ectoplasm. Furious accusations ring through his head. Why didn't you; how couldn't you; you could have stopped this!

They could have stopped it.

They could have stopped him.

Danny chokes on bitter laughter. It's not funny, but he can't help it. His parents are putting in all this effort to find Valerie's killer, but little do they know, he's living right above their heads. Maybe if they looked at him with the same accusing eye they cast on Jazz whenever she acts a little out of the ordinary, they could have prevented Valerie's death long ago.

He resists the urge to call out, "I'm here! Come get me!" As much as he wants them to turn their weapons on him, the image fills him with terror. It's bad enough staring at them from the bad end of a barrel in ghost mode, but doing it as a human? Telling them he had killed someone? He wants someone to hate him, to scream at him, but at the same time, he can't stand seeing the betrayal in their eyes, realizing that he'd been a ghost all along, the one thing they hate above all else.

Danny whimpers. This is pathetic; he's pathetic. Forget hating his parents, he doesn't think he's ever hated himself this much before. But it still doesn't matter, because it won't bring Valerie back.

—

There's a shadow in Danny's room. He finds it the second day after Valerie's death, when he's nearing forty-eight hours of no sleep. He hasn't tried since yesterday, too afraid of his nightmares, occupying himself with his phone instead. Hell, he even picked up his textbook at one point, when playing games got too boring.

He hasn't eaten yet, despite Jazz's efforts, and barely had anything to drink. Stomach cramps come and go, but the headache stays with him, a combination of dehydration and exhaustion as the fortieth hour without sleep slips by. It's no surprise, then, that he doesn't notice the shadow right away, not until it's solid enough to block out the glow-in-the-dark stars on his wall even though he stares right at it. Each cluster of stars, lovingly placed by his hand, forms a constellation. Together, they mimic the night sky, as well as plastic stars in a square room can mimic the infinite expanse of space. Danny knows the patterns by heart, can trace them with his eyes closed. When he sees two of Cepheus' stars are gone, he realizes something's wrong.

Dragging himself out of his trance, he rubs his eyes, scratchy and dry from staying open so long. It takes a moment for his eyes to adjust, and even then, he has to strain to see... something. It doesn't look like much; a dark cloud blending into the shadows of his room. The shape isn't human, or even ghostly. Just there.

Reaching over to his bedside table, Danny switches on his lamp. Soft orange light fills the room, illuminating the corner. The shadow is still there.

"He–" Danny's voice cracks. He swallows, grimacing at how dry it is. It's been a while since he had something to drink, or eat for that matter. "Hello?" he tries again, once it doesn't hurt to talk.

Anyone else might feel ridiculous talking to a cloud, but Danny's had entire conversations with less. You get used to that sort of thing when you talk to ghosts more than living people.

The cloud doesn't respond or react in any way. Hesitantly, Danny scratches ghost off the list of possibilities. Some kind of Ghost Zone anomaly? Not impossible, considering he lives ten feet above one of the only stable ghost portals in existence. A ghost messing with him? His ghost sense didn't go off, but it only works when an actual ghost is nearby, not an offshoot of their powers.

He can only think of one thing ghost-related that might show itself to him now of all times. He doesn't want to feel hope, but it swells in his chest anyway, bubbling up his throat until a single name bursts from his lips. "Valerie?"

The shadow quivers.

Danny clambers off his bed. "Valerie? Is it really you?"

When he gets close, the temperature plummets. A shiver seizes him, cold fingers curling around his spine.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to!"

Something cracks. Danny cries out as pain shoots up his back. He crumples, falling to the floor. It burns the same way sticking your hand in a bowl of ice water burns. He thinks he might shatter any second.

The shadow drifts closer.

"Stay back!" Danny shouts. Rolling onto his stomach, he crawls away, each movement sending searing pain up his back. Fighting back gasps of pain, he manages to drag himself up with his bed and turns on the shadow, still formless, but he has no doubts about its identity now. Valerie's hateful gaze stares out from the darkness.

Danny flees. It hurts, both running from her and just running. Every step feels like someone is driving a dagger deeper and deeper into his back, but he doesn't stop. He darts down the hall to Jazz's room and bangs on her door. Going ghost doesn't even cross his mind. He just needs someone else to see, needs to know this isn't all in his head.

"Jazz!" he shouts quietly.

Jazz rips the door open, a relieved look on her face. "You're out of your room." She takes in his panicked expression and turns serious. "What happened?"

Danny grabs her hand without saying anything and drags her to his room. "Look in the corner."

Jazz stops just in front of his door, glancing back at him; Danny has to prod her back to get her to step forward. She peeks her head in first, moving slow and deliberate. A few more steps and she slips into the darkness of his room. Danny bites his lip, afraid to go after her, slumping against the wall instead. Standing up hurts. Moving hurts. Everything hurts. He tries to slide down to the floor, but that hurts, too, and he resigns himself to standing perfectly still, waiting for Jazz's reaction.

She sticks her head out of his doorway. Rather than looking shocked like he expected, she stares at him with worry. "There's nothing here."

"What?" Danny jerks forward, biting back a wince of pain. Shooing Jazz back, he takes her place, clinging to the doorframe as he leans inside. The corner of his room is empty. A quick scan reveals no shadows out of place. "But..."

"Danny, are you okay? You haven't come out of your room in two days; that's not healthy. Have you been eating?" Jazz raises a hand to his forehead, but he flinches away from her touch.

"It was Valerie. I saw Valerie's ghost."

"Did you ghost sense go off?"

"Well, no. Not really. But it was her!"

Danny hates the way Jazz stares at him, a trace of a frown on her lips, her gaze critical, judging him, analyzing every twitch.

"Danny, you're distraught."

"No shit I'm distraught! Valerie's haunting me, apparently!" And she should. She has every right.

"Is she haunting you, or are you haunted by her?" Jazz asks.

Danny reels away from her, scowling. "What?"

"You're exhausted. You haven't been eating. Have you even changed your clothes since yesterday? Of course, you're thinking about Valerie, but you need to think about yourself, too." She reaches out again.

This time, Danny slaps her hand away, staring at her in disbelief. His lips curl back in a snarl. "That's not what this is. Jazz, I killed Valerie!"

"I know it feels like that, but it's not your fault. Just because you couldn't save her doesn't mean you did it."

"You don't know what you're talking about."

"I do, Danny. Stop shouting, you're gonna wake Mom and Dad."

"No, I'm not shouting. You're not listening to me!

"Danny!"

His chest heaves. Breathing through his nose, Danny struggles to contain himself. The hall goes deathly quiet without their voices to fill it.

Jazz's face crumples. She rubs her eyes, wet and on the verge of tears, and stretches toward him once more, but gives up. Her hand hovers for a moment, then drops limp at her side. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled. But you need to sleep. You've been in her room alone for too long. Have you even talked to Sam or Tucker today?"

He meant to. He honestly did, having promised the day before to see them today. But when the time came, he couldn't bring himself to do it. He ignored their texts and calls

"Get some sleep. You'll feel better after, and then we can talk tomorrow, okay?" Jazz says.

Tomorrow. He has school tomorrow, doesn't he?

"Goodnight, Danny." But Jazz doesn't leave right away. She shuffles her feet, contemplating something. Before Danny can react, she pulls him into a hug and kisses his forehead. "I love you, little brother."

She lingers for another second, then slips by him and heads back to her room. It isn't until Danny hears the sound of her door closing that he realizes she was waiting for him to say it back. Guilt rushes through him, briefly. He could go say it now, but... he doesn't. He trudges toward his bed instead, pausing just before he reaches int. Turning his head, he peers over his shoulder. The corner is still empty. His gaze slides to the tall mirror beside his desk, leaning against the wall rather than hanging from it.

Slowly, and with shaking hands, he pulls up his hoodie to expose his lower back. There's no mark. It doesn't hurt anymore, either, stopping sometime while he was shouting at Jazz. He didn't even notice.

Danny shakes his head.  "You're just seeing things. You're tired. It's been... rough." Valerie's bloody torso flashes through his mind. He hunches forward, a shudder running through his body. "Fuck." He grabs his head, tangled hair catching on his fingers. His scalp stings as his nails dig in, but he doesn't care.

Eventually, he lays down, too tired to hold himself upright. He still tries to fight against sleep's tempting hold, gripping his arms so tight it hurts, clinging to the pain to keep him awake. No matter what, he won't let himself fall asleep.

—

Shards of ice slice his tongue and lips as he breathes. In, out, they glide across his mouth until all he can taste is blood, the shards slowly shredding his throat. He tries to grip his chest but finds a gaping wound instead, wider than his fist. Inside, his heart thumps weakly. One of his lungs, ripped open and slowly filling with blood, sags through the hole. Blood and gore spill down his chest, staining the snow all around him. All at once, he's drowning and bleeding out. Which one will kill him first? He doesn't know.

The lonely spire looms ahead of him, Valerie still trapped inside. She's wearing his jumpsuit. Looking down, Danny sees he's wearing hers. Or maybe he's Valerie, and Danny is the one caught in the ice. Drowning, bleeding, freezing to death.

"Why didn't you save me?" Valerie asks the reflection.

He gurgles in response. Unable to move, he watches, helpless, as his heart stops beating.

—

Danny jerks upright so fast that he tumbles out of bed, smacking his face on the hardwood floor. He barely registers the pain, too busy pressing his hands to his chest. The panic doesn't fade until he feels his pounding heart, strong and steady. There's no hole in his chest, no blood in his lungs. He swallows, pressing a hand against his mouth.

It was just a dream. He fell asleep on accident, that's all. He's fine. He's not hurt. There's no blood. Right as he finishes that thought, he notices the scarlet splatter on his floor.

Danny's stomach lurches. Scrambling to his feet, he rushes to the bathroom, kicking the door shut behind him. He barely makes it to the toilet before his stomach heaves, acid burning his throat as it makes its way up. There's nothing in his stomach to throw up, but that doesn't stop the heaves from coming, dry wretches tearing at his throat. Nearly a minute passes before Danny finally stops, able to catch his breath at last. Blood and bile swirl in the water and the sight of it almost has him throwing up again. He looks away from the bowl and scoots back to the wall, unable to take the smell, but unable to stand. His legs tremble too hard.

Shaking fingers rise to his mouth and touch his lips. No ice. No cuts. The only taste on his tongue is vomit. Danny swallows, and the motion makes his nose ache. Wincing, he raises his hand a little higher. His nose is bleeding, not his mouth. He swallows again and rubs his nose on his arm, leaving a bright red streak behind.

Danny can't bear to look at it. He's used to blood, especially his own after fighting for so many years. But right now it makes his stomach churn. It makes him think of that fight, of Valerie and watching her fall. He swallows again and breathes, heavy, through his mouth. His nose feels stuffed and warm, and it's definitely still bleeding. Rather than taking care of it right away, he closes his eyes and shudders. It happened so fast. He barely had time to move, much less to try and catch her. By the time he realized what was happening, it was already too late. He saw her body plummeting, and then...

Phantom blood sprays across Danny's face, hot and thick. He jerks back, thumping his head against the wall. His cheeks grow warm. Blood drips from his nose onto his lips, and the taste of copper fills his mouth. Valerie's blood is everywhere. On the ground, on him. Soaking into his gloves and staining his face. Danny wheezes, struggling to take in air. His chest heaves, and he can feel his body going through the motions, but it's like the air disappears somewhere between his mouth and his lungs. No matter how much he gasps and gulps, it's never enough. His lungs burn. His head aches. The bathroom tiles are slick and red, and the whole room tilts around him.

Fighting back a sob, Danny crawls forward. He grabs the counter and drags himself up. His legs, quivering, barely hold him, but it's enough. He fumbles with the sink tap, twisting it hard and nearly yanking it off the faucet. Over and over, he splashes water across his face. Scrubbing around his nose hurts, but he keeps going, rubbing furiously to get rid of all the blood. He doesn't stop until the water, on the coldest setting, makes him shiver. By then, the front of his shirt is soaked, and his hair is dripping wet.

Leaning over the sink, Danny takes a moment to breathe. It comes easier now, the air finally reaching where it's supposed to go, although his face still hurts. After a moment, he looks up at his reflection. His nose is a little red, but there's no more blood on his face.

Danny's cheeks flush. It was never Valerie's blood, just his own. He feels ridiculous, embarrassed, for getting so panicked over a bloody nose. Shifting his gaze to the floor, he sees only a few small spots on the tiles, not the seeping puddle that plagued his imagination.

"You're being stupid, Fenton," Danny says. "And now you're talking to yourself. Like an idiot."

He washes his face one more time, using warmer water and less frantic movements, as if that erases the panic he felt moments ago. Cleaning up his mess doesn't take long. Wipe away the spots on the floor with a few squares of toilet paper; toss that in the toilet and flush it away, along with the vomit. A quick swipe with the hand towel takes care of the water on the counter. He squeezes out his hair and strips off his shirt, too, bundling it up in the towel, and chucks both in the hamper. He's too exhausted to clean the blood out of it now, especially with the prospect of school looming over him. Maybe he'll get to it later. Or, worse comes to worst, he can just throw it away if the blood won't come out.

Before leaving the bathroom, he presses his ear to the door, listening for movement outside. He can't hear his parents. Chances are they already left, out for ghostly blood in the pre-dawn hours. It doesn't sound like Jazz is home, either. It is Monday, and she likes to leave early for college, spending the whole day on campus to focus on her work.

Holding his breath, he eases the door open and peers into the hall. Empty. He almost smiles, thankful no one was home to hear his breakdown, and shoves the door open the rest of the way.

Jazz stands on the other side of it, arms crossed. "Danny. We need to talk."

He grimaces. "Do we?"

"I could hear." She gives the bathroom a pointed look, a flash of guilt passing over her face; it's gone soon enough, almost too fast for Danny to catch it. "Whatever you're doing to yourself, you can't keep doing it. Hiding away and keeping everything locked up won't help.

Danny opens his mouth, then closes it. What do you say to someone who heard something so private when you didn't want them to? "You were listening?" Immediately, he decides that was the wrong thing to say. As soon as the words leave his lips, Jazz's shoulders sag and she gives him a pitying smile. He should have played dumb.

"It's okay to cry. You saw something terrible, and you're hurting. I'd be more worried if you didn't cry. But don't think I forgot what happened last night.  You're allowed to be alone, of course, but shutting everyone out isn't healthy. Especially not if you're... seeing Valerie." She wrings her hands, a familiar nervous habit. She does it every time she's about to launch into one of her psycho-babble spiels and isn't sure if it's welcome or not. Well, it isn't.

Danny's eyes narrow. "Unhealthy?"

"Personal space is good, but total solitude after a traumatic experience can be damaging. I don't want you to be alone."

"Unhealthy?" he repeats. "I think ki– I think watching Val-Val-Valerie." He swallows down the stutter, cursing how much his body still shakes. His mind, a jumbled mess, can barely string two words together, much less deal with Jazz right now. "I think that watching Valerie fall. To her death. Is unhealthy. You know? I think that's a little fucked up, don't you?"

Jazz steps closer, reaching out, but seems to think better about it a second later, drawing her hands back. "Danny, just listen to yourself. If you need time, that's okay, but don't forget that I'm here for you."

"It hasn't even been two days!"

Jazz flinches away from his shout.

"I'll be fine." Danny lowers his voice but keeps the hard edge in his tone. "Just let me deal with it however I want to. If I want to talk, I'll talk to you, okay?"

"Danny, don't be like this."

"You're gonna be late for class, Jazz. And so am I." Danny turns away from her. "I have to go get ready."

She steps after him, but Danny doesn't turn back, shutting his bedroom door and locking it behind him. He hears Jazz make a distressed noise, halfway between a whine and a groan. After a moment, she thumps down the stairs. The front door doesn't open, meaning she's still in the house, but Danny will take what he can get. If he leaves quick enough, it won't matter.

He dresses fast, replacing his sweatpants with a pair of jeans, but keeps his hoodie on. He hasn't taken that off for three days, now, but it smells fine to him. And it's dark enough that you can't see the blood from his nose.

Danny scrubs his eyes. He may have preferred not sleeping at all, but he can't deny that he needed rest. Although, he at least would have liked to choose to sleep. Last, he remembers from the night before, he had no intentions of falling asleep. Danny frowns. Why didn't he want to sleep? Besides the obvious nightmares. Wasn't there another reason?

He runs his hand over his upper arm, gently brushes the bruises there, struggling to remember why he did it in the first place. He presses one of the purpling spots, wincing at the way it throbs, then freezes. The shadow.

Danny's head snaps up and he zeroes in on the corner of his room. It's empty. Cepheus' constellation meets his gaze unbroken. In an instant, he wilts with relief, shoulders slumping and head dipping down. He must have imagined the whole thing, exhausted as he was. Thank god. Now is not a good time for strange shadows in his room.

He gladly shoves the entire debacle into the back of his mind and rushes out of the house before Jazz can catch him again.

—

Danny miscalculated. Avoiding Jazz is easy, thanks to school. Not that he wants to go in the first place, but he can't afford to skip, and there's no way Jazz would protest against him going, not with his bad grades. So, school doesn't have Jazz. But school does have Sam and Tucker, who Danny has been ignoring.

Peeking at his phone, Danny winces at the overwhelming amount of missed calls and unanswered texts. He feels guilty for not answering them, but... he didn't want to. He just wanted to sit in his dark room and forget. Even now, that's all he wants. If it weren't for Jazz and his already disappointing attendance record, he would still be at Fenton Works, curled up on his bed. Which probably isn't good. His sister is a psych major, he knows harmful behaviour when he sees it. Primarily because Jazz points his harmful behaviours out all the time. You throw yourself into danger too much. You're stretching yourself too thin. You need to take a break.

He sneers at the sidewalk. Right. A break. Because that would have kept Valerie alive. Not that Danny's presence did anything to save her, either. He bites the inside of his cheek, not hard enough to draw blood—he doesn't want that taste back in his mouth for a long time—but enough to be distracting, cutting off that thought before it can go any further.

Don't think about it. Don't think about it. Valerie's gone and that's it. There's nothing more to it. She's gone and she's not coming back. For someone who fights ghosts, literal dead people, on a near-daily basis, you would think Danny could handle death better than this. He knows most of his enemies were once living, breathing people who died in tragic ways. Danny was once a living, breathing person who died in a tragic way. He just skipped out on the "stop breathing" part of things.

He faces mortality every day, every time he goes ghost. So why can't he face this? Why is this any different than any other day?

Because it was his friend, and he saw it, and he couldn't stop it. Because it was his fault.

Danny cups his mouth and chokes on a sob. He doesn't want to do this here, in the middle of the street. Or at all, if he could just not. But apparently, the rest of him thinks this a great time to breakdown, because the tears come unbidden, spilling over his cheeks. Ducking his head, he hurries forward. The faster he gets to school, the faster he can lock himself in the bathroom, or the janitor's closet, or anywhere without prying eyes.

The tears blur his vision, turning his feet into red smudges against the grey sidewalk. He doesn't dare lift his head, just in case anyone sees him. Thankfully, he doesn't need to watch where he's going to make his way to school. After four years, the route from Fenton Works to Casper High is firmly etched into his brain

Danny wipes some of the tears away with his sleeve when he reaches the school grounds, pausing to compose himself as much as he can. After a few deep breaths and swallowed sobs,  he feels well enough to storm the student body. With any luck, he can hold himself together long enough to make it to the bathroom.

Before he can step from the sidewalk onto the schoolyard, someone grabs Danny and pulls him aside. Stunned, it takes him a moment to realize what has happened, even as Tucker's arms wrap tightly around him.

"Dude, we've been so worried." Tucker squeezes Danny tighter. His voice is thick and watery. "Jazz said you wouldn't come out of your room, and you wouldn't answer our texts. Just– god, it must have been so awful. Man, I can't imagine."

Finally, Danny registers what's happening. Tucker's hugging him, and crying into his shoulder. This is bad. Tucker shouldn't be doing that. Tucker is... Tucker is good, and Danny did something horrible. Tucker shouldn't be comforting him.

"I­–" Danny falters. Inside, he's screaming. Say it. Say it's your fault. Make him hate you. You deserve it. "Tuck, you–"

He can't say it. Instead, Danny reaches up, grabbing Tucker's arms, and carefully pulls them off his shoulders. He steps back, squeezing Tucker's wrists once, before letting go and looking away.

"I'm okay. You, I know you liked her. And she was our friend. How are you?" Danny asks.

"Dude. You liked her too, and you were actually there. You're not okay."

Danny bites his lip, unsure how to respond to that. It's true, but he deserves this. Tucker doesn't. "But you­–"

"Guys!" Sam—when did she even get there?—cuts him off. "Just be sad together, okay?"

Danny glances at her, then away, then back again, shocked. Her eyes are red. In all the years they've known each other, he can't remember ever seeing Sam cry, even when she broke her ankle fighting Technus that one time. The most she did then was swear up a storm before punching the ghost barehanded. It didn't exactly do much to Technus, but Sam looked damn proud of herself afterward.

Right now, she looks downright distraught. Danny wonders how many of her tears were for him, and how many were for Valerie. They may not have gotten along a lot of the time, but they were still friends. He hopes she cried for Valerie more, although he'd rather she not cry at all. He doesn't know what to do when a girl cries

"But," Sam shares a glance with Tucker, one Danny doesn't like, "seriously, Danny. Are you okay? We heard how it went down."

Danny pales. Did they know? How? By the time anyone else arrived, he already had Valerie in his lap, her skin cold as ice.

"It was Spectra and Bertrand, right?" Tucker says. "They said that one of them... well, they..." He motions vaguely around his torso.

"Tucker!" Sam slaps his hands down.

Danny looks away again, hiding the relieved look on his face. They don't know. Guilt and shame quickly wash the relief away. He should tell them. Or Valerie's dad. Danny rubs his eyes, a new tension pressing down on him. He hadn't even thought of Valerie's dad.

Did Marty the Cop call him? He must have, after Danny left. By then, Mr. Gray may have already seen the news. God, that must have been horrible, turning on the TV to see Lance Thunder reporting his daughter's death before he even knew about it. Although Sam and Tucker hadn't known until the day after. Maybe Mr. Gray remained ignorant, too, until Marty could break the news gently. He hopes so.

"Danny?" Tucker reaches out and touches Danny's shoulder.

Danny steps away. For a moment, he's glad he's not looking Tucker's way. He doesn't want to see the hurt expression on his best friend's face.

"I'm okay," Danny says because he doesn't know what else to say.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

He shakes his head, perhaps a little too aggressively.

"It might help," Tucker presses. "Doesn't Jazz say–"

"Fuck what Jazz says."

Tucker and Sam recoil at the harsh words. Danny feels another stab of guilt but doesn't apologize. It's only been three days and he's already such a mess. The thing in his room yesterday, the nightmare, his panic attack in the bathroom this morning. That’s what it was, wasn't it? A panic attack? He's had them before, but not like that. Usually, he feels empty and distant, like there's a gaping hole growing inside him, slowly swallowing him up. This time, Valerie's the one with the hole in her chest, and it's left Danny a shaking mess.

"You don't have to tell us anything," Sam says. Her tone is soft and understanding, as if she understands any part of what Danny's going through. "But if you ever want to talk about it, we're here for you."

"I don't," Danny says. "I can't. Just drop it, please?"

Sam and Tucker share another look, just as bad as the last, but say no more. A small mercy in Danny's eyes. He gives them an hour at most before they bring it up again, and that's being generous.

"Okay. But I'm sorry we weren't there," Tucker says.

An hour was very generous.

"It doesn't matter now. It's better you weren't there." Danny runs a hand through his hair, only able to meet Tucker's sad stare for a moment. He still wishes he had made it into the school before Sam and Tucker found him, but their little confrontation drove back his tears, at least. Now, he can't quite figure out what he's feeling. Sad? Yes. Guilty? Always. A little angry, too, but he doesn't know why. His friends haven't done anything bad.

A sourness fills Danny's mouth, making his lips pucker. Bitter feelings squirm through him, like a worm eating its way through an apple. He can't control it, but he's constantly aware of its wriggling presence. Talk about being a bad apple.

"Class is gonna start soon. Let's just go inside." Danny turns his back on them and sets off, ignoring the sting behind his eyes. The faster this day gets over with, the better. Then again, he's not looking forward to sleep tonight. He should go for a long flight instead, or maybe dip into the Ghost Zone to visit his allies, as few as they are. Anything to keep him from having more nightmares.

Danny keeps his head ducked as they walk. Sam and Tucker fall into step beside him, their elbows brushing his from time to time. He doesn't pull away, but only because the hallway is cramped and there's nowhere for him to pull away to. Eager to escape the crush of teenage bodies, he heads straight for Lancer's classroom, skipping a visit to his locker even though there are books inside that he needs. His only plans for class today are to duck his head and get through it without any more crying, and books won't help with that.

Sam and Tucker stick with him, much to his disappointment. He hoped they would break away and stop at their lockers, giving him a short reprieve from their presence. Unfortunately for him, they seem content without their books for now, or they already grabbed them before Danny arrived. The last thought doesn't sit well with him. It means they were lying in wait outside the school for his arrival. While he knows they worry about him, he doesn't enjoy falling into traps, no matter how emotionally supportive they're meant to be.

The halls are still full, thrumming with chatter, by the time they reach Lancer's classroom. It will be a good few minutes before the warning bell rings, so most students haven't bothered moving away from their lockers, instead gathering in tight-knit groups. Before stepping into the classroom, Danny pauses, lifting his hand, and gives the hall a once over. He's not surprised by what he sees. Curious, pitying eyes staring at him. Hands cupped around mouths, carrying whispers between friends. Valerie's name floats in the air.

"Did you hear­–"

"–found her­–"

"Totally gutted."

"–the Red Huntress all along."

Danny looks away all too quickly, their stares too heavy for him, and hurries into the shelter of Lancer's classroom.

Lancer looks up when they enter, his eyes widening in surprise. "Mr. Fenton?" His chair squeals when he pushes away from his desk too quickly.

"Yeah?" Danny shuffles his feet. Lancer has this way of looking at Danny like he knows much more than he should. It sets him on edge on the best days. Right now, it makes Danny's heart pound, each thump beating out a damning he-knows, he-knows, he-knows.

"You're here?"

"Uh..." Danny glances at the clock. "I know I'm earlier than usual."

"No, no, I mean." Lancer shakes his head. "Are you...?" He looks between Sam and Tucker. "May I speak to Mr. Fenton alone?"

Danny hopes his nod doesn't look as eager as it feels.

Lancer waits until Sam and Tucker leave, closing the door behind them, before turning to Danny.

"Daniel," he starts, then hesitates, which is never a good sign. "How are you?"

Danny opens his mouth, the words I'm fine already resting on his tongue. At the last moment, he pauses. Lancer looks concerned, yes, with his furrowed brows and tight frown, but it's different from how everyone else has looked at him. Not like Jazz trying to tell him how feels and what he should do. Not like Sam and Tucker pretending they understand when they don't. A far cry from his parents, who have barely spent two minutes with him since it happened.

Lancer doesn't elaborate, doesn't try to placate him. Doesn't offer shallow words of comfort. He simply asks.

"I–I'm, I'm not okay," Danny says.

Lancer nods as if he expected this. He probably did. "I saw on the news that you found her. You went through something traumatic, and I can't begin to understand that. Am I right to assume you aren't ready to talk about it?"

Words fail him, his tongue weighed down by relief. He nods vigorously instead.

"I thought as much. With that in mind, no one would fault you for not coming to school today."

Danny's mind goes blank. He stares at Lancer, blinking owlishly, as confusion fills his gaze.

"Your mental health is more important than school," Lancer goes on when Danny doesn't say anything. "I can speak to the other faculty members about your absence. And if you want to take a few more days, you can have your parents call the school. I'll make sure this doesn’t affect your grades."

Grades are the last thing on Danny's mind right now. "I can really do that?"

"After the Storm, Mr. Fenton, of course you can." Lancer sounds as surprised as Danny feels. "Mental health days are important. I've spoken to your parents about them a few times at parent-teacher conferences. Have they never mentioned it?"

"No."

Lancer frowns. "Well. You know about them now."

Danny stares down at his feet, amazed. He can just... not come to school if he isn't feeling well? And not just because he's injured or sick? And Mr. Lancer is encouraging it? Danny looks over his shoulder, catching Sam and Tucker spying through the classroom window. They offer him shaky smiles and hesitant waves.

Danny turns back to Lancer. "I really don't have to be at school today? Or tomorrow?"

"Or even the week. Not if you aren't ready for it. Some people might tell you otherwise, but as your vice principal, I fully endorse taking time off after such an experience. Should I tell the other teachers you'll be absent today?"

"Yes! Please, yes. I can't be here right now. It's... too much." Surprisingly, admitting that doesn't make Danny feel weak.

"Would you like me to call your parents to pick you up?"

"Mr. Lancer, I'm eighteen. I don't need my parents to pick me up."

"Whether you're eighteen or eight-hundred, it helps to have someone with you when you're dealing with something like this. Seeing as Jasmine should be in class, and both your friends are here, I think your parents suffice."

"Jazz is at home, actually," Danny says, leaping at the excuse. "No class today. Her professor is out. I'd rather walk home, but she'll be there, so it's okay."

Lancer purses his lips, then nods. "Alright, I'll let everyone know. Please take care of yourself, Daniel."

"Thank you, Mr. Lancer, I will." Danny rushes out of the classroom, eager to leave the school grounds before the bell rings. He brushes past Sam and Tucker on his way out.

"Hey, Danny, wait!" Tucker calls after him.

Danny doesn't want to stop, but he also doesn't want to be an ass, so he slows down instead, letting Tucker catch up. Sam stays back by Lancer's door.

"Where are you going?" Tucker asks as he falls into step with Danny.

"Home. Lancer said I could take a mental health day."

"Oh." Tucker falters. Danny doesn't wait for him, forcing Tucker to jog to catch up again. "Do you need one?"

Danny glares at him.

"Sorry, that was. Right. Yeah. Of course." Tucker flushes. "I mean, you said you were okay, and I want to believe you dude, but if you need a mental health day... Well, you know."

"Tucker." Danny finally stops, only inches from the front door. "Can you do something for me?"

"Yeah?" Tucker smiles.

"Leave me alone. No offence, but I need to be alone right now. It's hard."

Tucker's smile shatters. "Oh. Uh, yeah. Sure thing, man. I get it. Just don't take too long, okay? I'm worried."

Danny smiles, eyes empty and mouth wide. "Everyone is." With those final words, he leaves the school, and Tucker, behind.

—

Instead of going home, Danny wanders. He has no particular destination in mind, only knows he doesn't want to go home yet. Something is refreshing about walking aimlessly through Amity Park. By now, he's more used to seeing the streets from above rather than ground level. Everything looks familiar, but a little off from what he knows.

It reminds him of fourth grade when he missed the bus one day and his dad had to drive him to school. They took the most direct route, complete with hairpin turns and broken speed limits, arriving at the school well before Danny's bus did. But for Danny, the strangest thing about that day was seeing the school from a different angle.

Normally, the bus drove along the main street in front of the school, pulling into the drop-off zone by the doors. Jack drove Danny around the back, skirting around the soccer field, and pulled up alongside the school around the corner from the drop-off. That side of the school, facing the side street, was opposite the playground. As a fourth-grader, Danny had no reason to go to this side of the school. He almost didn't recognize the building when his dad pulled up, distracted by the unfamiliar windows and the narrow wedge of grass between the wall and the sidewalk.

Seeing Amity Park from the ground makes Danny think of that day. Everything is recognizable, but foreign at the same time. Outside ghost hunting, he doesn't have a reason to explore most of the city besides his usual haunts. Trying to navigate the familiar streets from an unfamiliar angle provides a welcoming distraction as he searches for landmarks he knows. Antennas on rooftops, billboards looming overhead, cornices encasing the highest floors.

Danny is eying a fresco on top of a stout three-storey building, unsure if he's seen it before or not, when his ghost sense goes off. The shiver seizes him for a moment, and he has to push down a wave of panic. He’s not sleeping, it's just a ghost. There's no reason to panic. He berates himself for being scared of something less tangible than the freaking Box Ghost. A simple nightmare is far from the scariest thing he's seen over the years; but, for some reason, it affects him in a way no ghost ever has.

Danny shakes his head. The ghost. Focus on the actual threat. A quick scan of the street to make sure no one's watching, then he dives into the closest alley, ducking behind a dumpster. Not the most glamourous place to transform, but it works.

"Going ghost!" he calls, pumping himself up. The transformation rings spark around his waist, quickly growing to their full size, and split apart with a sizzling hiss. His jumpsuit overtakes his everyday clothes as the rings spread. The rings rise above his shoulders, passing over his raised fists. Bloodstained gloves appear on his hands.

The world goes grey around him, his vision tunnelling. Danny gapes at his gloves. Blood. Valerie's blood. It's everywhere. On his gloves, his chest, his face. Seeping across the ice. Danny drops to his knees, gripping his head as the alley fades around him. Spears of ice circle him. Valerie's body lies in front of him, twitching. Blood bubbles from her mouth as she struggles to breathe, a futile effort thanks to the hole in her lungs.

Danny tries to staunch the flow, so panicked he drops his transformation, but it's not helping. The wound stretches wider than his palms. He presses too hard, his hands slipping in the blood. His palm touches something firm but it’s neither flesh nor bone. It thumps. Danny jerks back, yanking his hand out of Valerie's wound.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry!" he cries. His tears are lost in her blood. He never knew people had so much blood in them, but now it's everywhere, and all Danny sees is red.

He meets her dull gaze, watches her eyes fluttering. Valerie's lips move, but no sound comes out, barely even the wheeze of air. Blood bubbles at the corner of her lips. She chokes and bleeds out all at once, and Danny can't do anything but hold her.

—

Hunched over on the asphalt, Danny hacks and coughs, clutching his stomach as bile dribbles from his lips. Valerie is gone, was never there in the first place. He lets out a soft cry of pain, all thoughts of the ghost abandoned. This is all so wrong. Things were never supposed to turn out this way, and now, Danny can't even transform without panicking.

"Valerie." Danny's voice cracks as he sobs into the pavement, the rough ground pressing against his forehead. The alley reeks of garbage and vomit. His whole body hurts. It feels like he's being torn apart inside, and that's still only half the pain Valerie must have felt. She deserved so much better.

Distantly, Danny hears the wail of the Fenton RV, the sound of the rumbling engine filling up every crack and crevice of the street. His mother's voice echoes over the loudspeaker. "You ectoplasmic evil-doer! Suffer for what you did to that poor girl!"

A voice in Danny's mind hisses, I am.

He rolls onto his side, unable to stay hunched over his own sick puddle, but too weak to do anything more. A traitorous part of him thinks maybe he should have talked to Jazz after all, but a louder, more insistent part screams no. She can never know what he did. None of them can. They should hate him, but he can never tell them why. He couldn't live with himself if they knew. He can barely live with himself now.

Danny listens to his mother scream at the ghost, silently hoping that, whoever it is, they escape his parents' clutches safe and sound. He hears the boom of the Fenton bazooka, but no cries of victory or shouts of pain. Small mercies.

A shiver runs through him. Something black flickers in the corner of his vision. Danny thinks he's about to fall unconscious, familiar with the dark spots that often precede it. The flickering doesn't stop.

Danny's breath catches in his throat. Achingly slow, he turns his head to the mouth of the alley. The shadow hovers there, and it's slowly drifting closer. Danny tries to scramble back, but his trembling arms can't hold his weight. His shivers grow stronger, making his teeth chatter and his fingers go numb. He hugs himself, fighting back the chill as the shadow approaches, but it forces its way through him. A puff of glowing blue hair leaves his mouth.

"Oh, wow! The ghost boy, cowering before the power of corrugated cardboard vengeance!"

Danny starts and twists toward the intruder. The Box Ghost—of course it's the Box Ghost—is poking his head out of the wall, smiling gleefully down at Danny. He comes through all the way, revealing the Fenton RV's overhead speaker in his arms. At least that explains where his mother's voice has gone.

"That's not cardboard. And it's barely square," Danny wheezes. His gaze flickers back to the alley's entranceway. The shadow is gone.

"Well, it's mine now and you can't have it back." The Box Ghost sticks out his tongue and raises the speaker above his head. But rather than chucking it at Danny, he sets it on his shoulder and floats closer. A strange look crosses his face, one Danny can't immediately decipher. The Box Ghost's brow pinches and his eyes narrow, lips pressed into a firm line.

He's being serious, Danny realizes.

"Something awful happened, didn't it?" the Box Ghost asks.

"What?"

"Only something great and terrible could bring down the sworn enemy of me, the Box Ghost!" He lowers his voice to a more conversational volume. "And not everyone gets haunted by such twisted shadows."

Danny snorts. "That's awfully philosophic coming from you. I'm surprised you didn't squeeze a portent about the glory of boxes in there."

The Box Ghost simply frowns. "You are a strange child. I hope your shadow leaves soon so I may battle you again, at full strength! As all rivals do!"

"Wait, what?" Danny sits up. "What do you mean?"

"Farewell, weirdo!"

"Wait!" Danny shouts, but the Box Ghost is already gone. Danny stares after him, bewildered. "It's real?" The empty alley provides no answer. Danny draws his knees in close and cranes his neck, inspecting the alley. Nothing stands out. No shadows where they shouldn't be. No hidden wraiths. But the Box Ghost's words nag at him. The shadow is real after all.

One sighting he can brush off as exhaustion. Two he can blame on the mental stress. But the Box Ghost knowing it's there without seeing it? He couldn't ignore that. Maybe only real ghosts could see it, see her. She could be anywhere, and Danny wouldn't know.

He scrambles to his feet and backs against the wall. The back of his neck prickles, but he can't tell if it's real or his mind playing tricks over him, tripped into overdrive by his panic attack and the Box Ghost's unsettling words. As he scans the alley once more, something shifts in the corner of his eye. Danny peels away from the wall, jumping into a ready pose, fists raised, feet apart, fully prepared to fight.

A plastic bag. A plastic bag stuck under the dumpster, fluttering quietly in the rank alley breeze. Danny flushes and lowers his fist. If a damn grocery bag is enough to set him on edge, then he's really losing it. It's not even noon yet, but he thinks he's had enough of his walk for today. Getting some real sleep might do him some good, nightmares be damned. Or he could raid the medicine cabinet for some sleeping pills when he gets home. There might be some leftover from his dad's last prescription.

Plan set, Danny shuffles out of the alley. He barely makes it three steps along the sidewalk before the Fenton RV comes ripping around the corner. A tangle of sparking wires rests over the windshield, marking where the speaker had sat before the Box Ghost tore it out. Maddie stands on the roof, defying all laws of physics as she stays firmly rooted despite how erratic Jack drives. A Fenton Bazooka rests on her shoulder, the barrel smoking.

"We might need to circle the block again, honey. I don't see it," she shouts down to Jack.

Danny ducks behind a nearby mailbox, hoping his parents don't see him, but it's futile. From her place on the RV, Maddie has a perfect view of the street. When she turns toward Danny, he catches the exact moment she sees him, her grip on the bazooka slackening. She stomps on the roof of the RV, then braces herself as Jack slams on the brakes.

Maddie pulls her goggles down. "Danny, sweetie, what are you doing here? Don't you have school?"

"Uh, I, I'm," Danny stutters. It's the first time he's seen his parents since the police station. They look the same as ever, which he should have expected, but somehow, he thought they would be different the next time he saw them. Glaring at him from the bad end of a bazooka, perhaps. But instead of raising the gun and pointing it at him, Maddie sets the bazooka down and hops off the RV.

Danny doesn't want to tell the truth. Right now, Maddie and Jack are acting the same as they always do, and he didn't realize how much he needed that until now. When he looks at them, he sees the familiar level of parental concern they always bear, which is minimal at best. Thinking about it, that's pretty terrible, isn't it? He watched one of his friends die, and instead of staying at home and comforting him, his parents are out hunting ghosts.

Danny wavers between anger and appreciation. His parents aren't bad, but they aren't good either, are they? He doesn't want them pestering him like everyone else is, but maybe he would at least like them to try. To act as if they care. He knows they do, they do, and it's stupid being mad about something he wants, but he's mad anyway.

Maybe it's Valerie's ghost, or the two panic attacks in one day, but something makes Danny glare up at his mom and say, "Well, I've been a little fucked up since I got Valerie killed, so I decided not to go to school." Acid fills the words as he spits them out, begging for a reaction. He gets one, but not the one he wants.

Maddie steps closer and wraps her arms around Danny. "Oh, sweetie, you should have told us. Does the school know? Do we need to call them?"

Danny squirms out of his mother's grasp. "What?"

"Would helping us catch the ghost that did this make you feel better? Your father and I have been looking ever since we heard," she continues.

"Did you even hear what I said?"

"I know. We should have brought you with us from the start, but we thought you might want some time alone first. She was such a nice girl."

"Mom. I swore. I skipped school. Valerie's dead because of me!"

Maddie drags him into another hug. "Oh, sweetie. I know it feels like that, doesn't it? But just because you couldn't save her, that doesn't mean it's your fault. You were with her at the end, and that must have meant so much to her."

This time, Danny doesn't pull away, too stunned to think of moving. She should be shouting at him, scolding him, not coddling him like some kid. How can she hear him say that and think he's exaggerating?

Jack leans out the RV window, smiling sadly at the pair. "Want us to drive you home, kiddo?"

Danny bites his tongue. Briefly, he considers turning down the offer, but his legs are shaking again, and his mom's hand running through his hair brings him back to sick days in elementary school when she would sit with him all day and watch cartoons. Danny melts, although his anger doesn't disappear; it slinks away to a dark cave, giving up on the fight for now.

"I want to go home," he says.

Maddie hums, shifting her hold from a hug to an arm over his shoulder, and guides him into the RV.

"It'll get better," Jack says.

Danny doesn't answer, curling up on the backseat with his arms around his knees. When he looks out the window, he spots a blurry form in the alley. As they pull away, Danny watches the shadow until it's out of sight. A question forms in his mind.

"Mom, how long does it take for a ghost to form?"

Maddie turns in her seat. "What brought this on?"

Eyes downcast, Danny shrugs.

Maddie hums in understanding. "Well, it depends. Not everyone that dies becomes a ghost. We've done some studies of how long it takes a spectral mass to reach conscious levels after first recording its presence. So far, it can take anywhere from a few seconds to up to a week."

"And until then?" Danny presses.

"We've only managed to properly record one spectre's creation process from beginning to end. But from our notes, they appear to take a lesser non-corporeal form that barely even registers on our instruments until they're strong enough to manifest. Until then, they can't do much. We barely even saw the ghost until it manifested." Maddie smiles at Danny, in a manner that she probably meant as reassuring, but just looks sorry to him. "I hope this helped."

"Yeah." Danny nods. "Yeah, it does."

—

Danny doesn't check for the shadow when he gets home. It might be there, but he doesn't care to check. He refuses to acknowledge it. Instead, he raids his parents' medicine cabinet, finds the sleeping pills, and takes two before collapsing on his bed.

—

Valerie glares at him from within her icy prison. Danny knows it's a dream this time, and he thinks it's a little uncreative of his subconscious to give him the same one three times in a row. He doesn't think sleeping pills can affect his dreams, but he feels calmer this time. Or maybe that's just because Valerie is doing what no one else will: hate him.

"I don't want to be a ghost," she says.

"You're not. You're just dead." Lies. All lies. He knows who the shadow is, just hopes he's wrong.

"How do you know?"

Danny looks down at his lap, unsure how to answer. Ghosts exist for a lot of reasons. Not all of them were once people and not every person who dies becomes a ghost. The ones who do usually have something they wanted to live for. Fame, desire, glory. Boxes. Some part of their mind chose to stay, clinging to that one thing they wanted and couldn't get.

"You would never choose this," he finally says. "You hate ghosts. There's nothing you could want that would make you stay."

Valerie sneers. Her teeth are stained red. "What could anyone want enough for this? Why would anyone choose this?"

"I did."

"No. You didn't want to die; there's a difference. I didn't want to die either. But you took that away from me, didn't you?" Valerie looks down at Danny's hands. Following her gaze, he sees her heart resting on his palm. It beats, barely. Blood seeps from the torn aortas and soaks into his gloves. Holding a heart doesn't feel like he thought it would. Whenever Danny thinks of organs, he thinks of softy, squishy tissue, easy to pierce and crush, but Valerie's heart is a firm bundle of muscle.

Danny squeezes.

Valerie gasps, her hand shooting up to her chest, but there's nothing there, only an empty hole. She slams her fist against the ice. "Give it back!"

Danny tries, he does. His whole body shakes with effort as he tries to push his hand forward, returning what's Valerie's, but his arm won't budge. His hand squeezes tighter.

Valerie gasps and falls forward, both hands to her chest now, scratching and scraping. Her fingers hook around the hole and tug, tearing it open wider. "Stop it! Give it back!" she cries.

"I can't, I'm sorry!" Danny grabs his defiant arm in his other hand and pushes, but the frozen limb barely shakes. "I didn't mean it, Valerie. You have to believe me. I'm sorry. I'm sorry!"

Ice creeps along Danny's arm, stretching over his fingers. Beautiful frost ferns grow across Valerie's heart, tinged pink from her blood. He tries to pull them back, shoving his core down deep inside himself where the snow and ice can't hurt anyone, but it's too late. The ice overtakes her heart. Danny's hand clenches one more time. The heart shatters.

Valerie screams. Her shriek pierces the air, shattering her prison of ice. Danny slaps his hands over his ears, trying to block out the noise, but it rings inside his head, bouncing around his skull, stabbing his brain with a thousand tiny needles until blood leaks from his eyes, his nose, his ears. He screams with her, raw and hoarse until the shrieking stops and silence rings out.

—

Danny wakes up cold. Not even an hour has passed since he went to sleep. So much for the sleeping pills.

Despite wearing his warmest hoodie, he shivers. His foggy breath clouds the air in front of him, but it lacks the pale glow of his ghost sense. Instead, it's accompanied by a bone-deep chill that stings his teeth when he inhales.

In the corner of the room, the shadow hovers, darker than the previous night.

—

At sunrise, the shadow fades before Danny's eyes. It takes the pervasive cold with it, leaving him uncomfortably warm, swathed in a pile of blankets that hadn't helped fight off his chills. His eyes burn, but he has no desire to go back to sleep. Moving slowly, he climbs out of bed, stretching his cramped muscles. The blankets slide off his shoulders, leaving him in the same sweater and jeans as the previous day. The thought of changing doesn't even cross his mind.

Danny checks the back alley through his bedroom window and finds that his parents are home today. Other than mild surprise, it stirs no strong emotions in Danny.

A knock at his door pulls his attention from the alleyway. He drums his fingers on the windowsill, pursing his lips as he debates whether or not he should answer.

"Danny? Are you awake?" Jazz's voice is pitched with worry.

Sighing, Danny turns from the window, leaning back against the sill, and answers. "I'm awake."

The doorknob turns. Jazz pushes it open a crack, her bright blue eyes peering through the narrow opening. Danny jerks his head, not quite a nod, but a welcome, nonetheless. Jazz swings the door open and shuffles inside, nudging it closed behind her.

"I'm sorry about yesterday," she says. "I shouldn't have pushed you." Danny remains silent as she takes a seat on his bed. She picks at the pile of blankets, eyeing the unruffled comforter beneath them. "Did you sleep last night?"

"I was in bed," he says.

Lips pursed, Jazz scrutinizes Danny's clothes. "You wore that yesterday, too."

"It's still clean."

"Danny. I don't want to cross any boundaries–"

"Then don't."

"–but it's only been a few days, and this is concerning behaviour. I'm not expecting you to instantly bounce back, but I'd hoped you would at least come and talk to me if it was this bad."

"Jazz. Do you know how often I don't sleep because of ghosts? This isn't that different. And so what if I'm wearing the same jeans? I only have, like, three pairs that aren't ripped or stained."

Jazz starts wringing her hands. "It can take weeks to accept a traumatic event. I don't want you to lose yourself denying what happened. It was horrible, but ignoring it won't change that. Talking will. You have me, and Tucker and Sam. Letting out what you're feeling to people you trust can help. And keeping a routine! It's important to stay grounded with regular habits. Things like not sleeping, not eating, wearing the same clothes over and over. They're signs of you slipping into negative behaviour."

"God, Jazz, you make it sound like I'm some kind of drug addict or something. You want me to talk? Fine! We were fighting Spectra, and Valerie fell off her board, and she got skewered like an ecto-weenie at a bonfire. Is that what you wanted to hear?"

Jazz goes completely white. "Danny, no! That's not what I meant."

"Well, it's what you're getting. I'm going to school." He strides past her.

"You can't be serious!"

"See you later, Jazz." Danny slams the front door behind him.

—

He doesn't go to school. Lancer gave him a free pass to skip and he's going to milk that for all it's worth. It's not milking it when you actually need it, his thoughts whisper. Shut up, Danny hisses back.

With yesterday's events fresh on his mind, he doesn't want to go for a walk, either. He slinks around the side of the house and crouches beside the bushes, out of sight from the street and the front door. The dirt is dry and the bushes browning even though it's not even summer yet. Danny's parents might be great at inventing things, but they're shit at taking care of their yard. Not that Danny cares. The bushes provide just enough cover for him to see without being seen, and he only plans on sitting here for a couple of minutes, or however long it takes for Jazz to leave for school.

Danny turns his phone over in his hands. It buzzes a couple of times. Probably Jazz trying to shove more of her opinions down his throat. He debates the pros and cons of checking the messages now or later. Either way, he doesn't intend to answer, so it doesn't matter. Relenting, he flips his phone over and checks the notifications.

The message isn't from Jazz, and not Sam or Tucker either. It's from Valerie.

Danny's blood runs cold. It's not possible. She's dead. She's gone. But she's not.

| Val Is this Daniel Fenton? The contact says Space Boy

Danny blinks as he reads the actual message. He nearly laughs. Space Boy? That was his name on Valerie’s phone? He wipes his thumb across the corner of his eyes before opening his phone and typing out a brief yes.

| Val This is Valerie's father. I'd like to talk to you after school if possible

Danny ducks his head, tapping the phone against his chin. He thought about talking to Mr. Gray, but he hadn't been serious. Of all the people he could see right now, Damon Gray is at the bottom of the list. But it doesn't look like Jazz is leaving any time soon, and he doesn't want to sit in the flowerbed forever.

Before he can regret it, he texts Mr. Gray back.

| You I can talk now. I'm omw

—

The bus ride from Fenton Works to the Gray's apartment in Elmerton takes twenty minutes. Danny sits at the back and stares out the window the whole time. The landscape turns grey and dusty as they cross the river into Elmerton, malls and office buildings replaced by warehouses and empty lots.

The Gray's apartment building lies on the edge of the warehouse district. Despite Mr. Gray's job prospects steadily improving over time, they never moved out of the cramped apartment that carried them through their darkest days.

Mr. Gray answers the door before Danny can even knock.

Danny lowers his raised arm. "Um, hi."

Mr. Gray looks as bad as Danny expected. He hasn't shaved in a few days, and his eyes are dry and red. Danny thinks he must have been crying before he arrived

"Hello, Danny." Mr. Gray steps aside to let Danny in.

They move to the dining room, where Mr. Gray sits at the head of the table, and Danny takes the opposite chair.

"Did Marty tell you?" Danny asks, seeking some reassurance in all this madness.

"Who?"

"Never mind."

"You were there for her."

Danny clenches his teeth and nods. He knows what Mr. Gray is about to say and looks away before he does.

"Thank you."

Danny stiffens. This is so wrong. "You shouldn't."

"I'm sorry?"

"You shouldn't thank me."

"You don't understand. I let her put on the suit every day even though I knew it was dangerous. If I ever tried to stop her, I know she would have done it behind my back. But still. I should have stopped her. I let this happen."

"No!" Danny shouts. He jumps to his feet, slamming his hands on the table. "No, you didn't. No one could stop Valerie when she wanted something, and... and it's my fault. Not yours."

Mr. Gray shakes his head, rising from his seat. "Danny, you made sure my daughter wasn't alone at the end. They told me how she died. There was nothing you could have done to save her."

"Mr. Gray, I didn't just find her. I was there. I'm–" Danny squeezes his eyes shut. "I'm Danny Phantom."

Mr. Gray doesn't answer. The only thing Danny can hear is the ticking of the clock. Eventually, Danny opens his eyes. Mr. Gray stands frozen on the other side of the table, gaping at Danny.

"You..." he falters. "You're..."

"I can't... show you. I haven't been able to transform since, well, since. But I am," Danny says.

Mr. Gray drops back into his chair. He looks up at Danny, then down, then up again. "You?" He runs a hand over his head.

"Mr. Gray?" Danny asks.

"Hold on." Mr. Gray cups his hand over his mouth, muttering under his breath, too low for Danny to hear. His wide eyes dart back and forth across the table. It looks like his whole world is falling apart before his eyes.

With nothing else to do, Danny lowers himself back into his seat. He waits, patiently, for Mr. Gray to finish processing, looking about the apartment for some kind of distraction. Nothing much has changed since the last time Danny was here, nearly a year ago. There's a picture of Valerie and her mom hanging on the wall by the clock. Both of them are smiling widely. It should be a happy picture, but all Danny sees are ghosts that will haunt Mr. Gray forever.

"She really liked you. Did you know that?" Mr. Gray asks.

It takes some effort to tear his gaze from the photo, but Danny eventually looks back to Mr. Gray. "Yeah. I really liked her, too. For a while."

"She hated you, too."

Danny nods.

Mr. Gray sighs, sounding as exhausted as Danny feels. "Being Danny Phantom doesn't make any of this your fault. She might have started ghost hunting to get you, but it ended up meaning so much to her. I'm sure that, with or without you, she would have found her way to it somehow."

Danny bites his lip. He knows what he wants to say, but once he does, there's no going back. Over Mr. Gray's shoulder, he notices a dark spot in the living room, one that wasn't there before. Valerie.

"That's not all. Mr. Gray, there's something you need to know about how Valerie died."

—

An hour later, Danny steps out of the apartment. Mr. Gray closes the door behind him without a word. By now, they've said everything they need to. Danny slumps against the wall and inhales sharply through his nose. He holds it for a second, trying to keep himself together even as the shaking starts. He only manages for a few seconds before he breaks. The tears flow freely down his face as he gasps, sinking to his knees in the middle of the hall.

Rocking back and forth, he wails into the floor. He lets out every pent up emotion in his cries; frustration, anger, sadness, guilt. They fill him up, suffocate him, steal his air, then leave in ragged gasps. He cries until his throat hurts and his tears blind him. He cries until he has no more tears left to spill.

—

Danny calls Tucker that night, around midnight. They haven't spoken since Danny ditched school, and  Tucker hasn't even sent him any texts or left any messages—although Sam had. It looks like he took Danny's request to leave him alone to heart. Danny refuses to feel guilty for it, but he also needs to talk to someone, and Tucker is always the first person he thinks of during these times.

Jazz was gone to class by the time Danny got back from Mr. Gray's, and he brushed her off when she got home earlier that evening. His parents, to Danny's complete lack of surprise, have gone back to being their usual negligent selves, putting ghost hunting before their mourning child.

Danny is constantly aware of Valerie now, finding her lurking around every corner, hovering at the edge of his vision, taunting him. He doesn't know what to do. So he calls Tucker.

"What would you do if I did something really bad?" Danny asks as soon as Tucker answers the phone.

"Hello, Danny."

"What would you do?"

Tucker sighs. "I thought you wanted me to leave you alone."

"Tucker. I'm being serious, come on."

Tucker remains silent. A day ago, it might not have bothered Danny at all, but now it makes him squirm. He needs to hear Tucker's answer.

"Okay. I'm sorry, happy?"

"No."

"Why not? I apologized."

"Because you're being a dick, Danny! You're not the only one who lost Valerie, okay? I thought you got that, but I guess I was wrong. I'm sorry I couldn't be there, and I'm sorry you had to see that, but I'm hurting too. I have no idea what's going on with you right now, but going through something shitty doesn't give you a free pass to be an asshole." Tucker's voice cracks.

Guilt twists Danny's gut. In seconds, Tucker might start crying, and it will be all his fault. But he needs to know.

"Valerie is haunting me," Danny says.

"What?"

"I've been having nightmares, and ever since she died, there's been this shadow in my room. I thought it was all in my head, but then I ran into the Box Ghost yesterday, and he mentioned something about a shadow? I asked my parents and they saw a ghost form like that once."

The line stays silent. It stretches on so long Danny thinks Tucker might have hung up, until he hears a shaky sigh.

"Are you sure?"

Danny glances at the shadow. "I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know? Is it a ghost?"

"I don't know. I thought I was just seeing things, but then the Box Ghost, and what my mom said. I'm just, I'm stressed, man. Sleeping's hard, and it makes my ghost sense all weird."

"Weird how?"

"Like," Danny kneads his chest, grimacing, "like there's a block of ice in my chest. It's heavy and cold."

"Are you sure you aren't just... sad? And tired? I want to believe you, man, but Valerie as a ghost? And you just said you're not sleeping. Remember that one time you didn't sleep for, like, four days and you started seeing things?" Tucker dips into a whisper. "Are you sure you just don't want her to be gone?"

"Tucker, listen to me. I know I'm not seeing things. I'm looking at it right now! And the Box ghost said–."

"The Box Ghost says he'll rule the world with cardboard. Look, dude. I want to believe you, but you're not okay, man."

Danny scowls. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"So you're not denying it?"

"Are you going to answer my question?"

"Are you going to apologize?"

Danny doesn't answer.

"We just lost Valerie, man. Don't do this to us."

Danny closes his eyes as Tucker starts crying. He doesn't wail like Valerie did in Danny's nightmares, or gasp and sob like Danny so many times over the past couple of days. Tucker cries quietly, his voice wobbly, breaths short. He cries like he doesn't want anyone to see.

"I shouldn't have called."

"Dude, no. Wait. I'm sorry."

"I just made you sad. And it's not helping. I should just– never mind. I'm sorry, Tuck. I'm so sorry."

"No, you didn't do anything. I'm just sad, man. Of course, I am. But god, you. You were actually there. You’re allowed– okay, you're not allowed to be a dick, but I shouldn't be a dick either. If you just talked to us­–"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"You should."

"It's fine."

"It's not. Dude, it's not okay."

"Can you just fucking drop it? Whatever, it doesn't matter. Sorry I called. I'll just deal with this on my own."

"Danny, I'm sorry. Please don't–"

Danny hangs up and tosses his phone onto the bed. Calling Tucker was a mistake. It accomplished nothing, except making Tucker mad, and cry. Danny squeezes his eyes shut, lowering his head as his throat tightens. He's so tired of crying. It's a miracle he hasn't dehydrated by now. At some point, he has to run out of tears, right? No one can cry forever. Jazz always says crying makes you feel better, once you're done feeling terrible.

He almost felt good after visiting Mr. Gray. But it didn't take long for the dark feelings to return after he left. Now, he just feels worse and worse each time.

Tipping onto his side, he buries his face in his comforter and gasps. It hurts, tears at his throats, makes the cold in his chest swell and fill his lungs. "Valerie. I'm sorry."

The room grows colder.

—

"I saw your dad." It's the first thing Danny says when he finds himself before the spire again. The snow glistens pure and wide. The ice shines untouched by blood. Valerie's so close to him now, like she's on the other side of a window. The ice warps her image, blurring her edges and tinting her blue, but still. She's almost herself.

"I know," she says.

"Were you listening?"

Valerie reaches out, laying her palm on the ice. It cracks beneath her touch. "Yes."

"And?"

"It doesn't change much, does it?"

Danny lowers his gaze. He knows what he feels, what he did, no matter what Damon says. At this point, nothing can quell the guilt that swirls in Danny's blood. It seeps through him, poisoning his every thought.

"No, it doesn't," he says.

Valerie nods, satisfied, and pulls away from the ice. "Good. As long as you know."

—

Jazz knocks at his door, rapping persistently. He wonders if her knuckles ever get sore when she does that because it's been a good thirty seconds since she started. Apparently, she's resorting to the "annoying older sister" method, since the "therapist older sister" tactic didn't work so well.

Does she know about Danny's disaster of a call with Tucker last night? Danny's friends are, tentatively, Jazz's friends, too, at least when it comes to ghostly things and Danny's health. He wouldn't put it past Tucker to message Jazz, let her know what happened.

Danny swallows before calling out, "What?" His voice still comes out hoarse, probably because he hasn't had anything to drink for a good day and a half, which would explain the headache, too.  But he's very busy right now having a staring contest with the increasingly tangible figure in the corner of his room. He didn't bother sleeping last night. Between the nightmares and Valerie's ghost, he would take the ghost.

Tucker's words from last night echo through his head. Are you sure you just don't want her to be gone?

Of course, he doesn't watch Valerie to be gone. But having her ghost isn't the same as having her, and the last few days have proven Valerie's ghost is no good to Danny. Still, he watched her all night, hoping for some flicker of familiarity. A flash of her headband, the dark brown of her eyes, the soft clinking of her bracelets. Proof his dreams aren't a lie. He got nothing. He's still not sure if he wants to see something.

"Danny?"

He blinks. The corner is empty now. Danny turns his head, his stiff neck cracking, and finally notices Jazz standing inside his bedroom. He doesn't remember her entering. He stopped paying attention entirely after he answered her. Had she said anything, or did she take his question as a welcome?

Danny licks his cracked lips. "What?" he repeats.

"Tucker called me a couple of minutes ago."

Danny keeps his expression carefully blank, but inside he panics. Tucker told her. He told her everything. She's going to tell him he's seeing things again, or give him those pitying eyes, or try and tell him this is all a psychosomatic reaction to losing a dear friend.

"There's a memorial for Valerie at Casper High today. He thought you might want to go," she says.

Danny's spiralling thoughts stutter and fizzle out. "A memorial?"

"Some of your classmates wanted to pay their respects. They’ve been planning it for the past couple of days." Jazz sits down on the edge of Danny's bed. Her fingers grip the hem of her sweater, holding back from reaching out. "Do you want to go?"

Danny keeps his gaze down but thinks about the now vacant corner of his bedroom. Staring at Valerie's maybe-ghost all day can't be good for him, as much as he hates to admit it. He groans and rubs his eyes. Agreeing with Jazz is never a good sign.

"Yeah." He drags his hand down his face, letting his arm drop into his lap. Going to school won't be fun, but he will regret it if he doesn't. "I'll go."

Jazz beams. "Put on something clean and I'll drive you."

"This is clean. Relatively."

"Put on something you didn't wear yesterday. You're not getting in my car until you do."

Danny sticks his tongue out at Jazz as she leaves. He's tempted to ignore her command and roll out of bed in what he's wearing, but knowing Jazz, she meant what she said, and she will leave him at home if he doesn't change into something fresh. And Danny doesn't feel like walking to school. Before, he would have flown to school, but he doesn't even entertain the idea now.

With a weary sigh, Danny crawls out of bed and heads for his dresser.

—

The Red Huntress stares down at the auditorium from the projector screen. It's a nice shot, taken during one of her patrols. She stands straight on her board, one hand shading her eyes, the other loosely holding her blaster. Sunlight glints off her visor, masking most of her face, except the part shaded by her hand. With the visor's tint, it's near impossible to tell those are Valerie's eyes unless you know. And Danny has always known.

Even though it's just a picture, Danny can't meet her gaze for long, turning his head and staring down instead. He steps away from the auditorium doors, letting others through. A few whispers float over his head, Valerie's name paired with his, mumbles about his presence at her death, his absence at school. Maybe he should have stayed home after all.

Danny waits until the stream of students thins before raising his head and peeking into the room. About half the seats are full, most of them toward the back. Waiting might have been a mistake. Now, he can't slip unnoticed into the back row as he planned. Danny bites his lip, wondering if he could stand at the back, or if he should leave. He shuffles his feet, turning down the hall toward the entrance.

A few stranglers are still making their way toward the auditorium, some students and a handful of teachers. Lancer walks with them, nudging some freshmen along.

"We didn't know her," one of them mutters.

"I mean, she was the Red Huntress," the other says. "She was kind of badass."

"She was a student who risked her life and died tragically. Be respectful," Lancer chides. The freshmen, cowed, scurry ahead and disappear through the doorway. Lancer, pinching the bridge of his nose, shakes his head and sighs. Danny can't remember ever seeing him so weary. Lancer drops his hands and finally spots Danny.

"Mr. Fenton, you came." His smile is weak but welcoming. "How are you?"

"Not much better."

Lancer nods. "Not surprising. Am I right to assume you won't be attending class after the memorial? It only covers part of the first period."

"Actually... I think I might go." On the way over, Danny told Jazz he could walk home after, and he didn't bring his backpack with him. Until this moment, he had no intentions of sticking around longer than necessary. Ironically, at least Danny sees it that way, it's Lancer's lack of judgement that convinces him to try and stick it out for the rest of the day.

"You know, Mr. Fenton. I'm proud of you." Lancer smiles again. "Remember, you don't have to stay if it gets too much but good on you for trying."

Danny smiles back, although with far less confidence. He waits for Lancer to go on ahead before slipping into the auditorium himself. From the top of the stairs, he has a good view of the entire room. The entire student body doesn't quite fill up the seats, leaving gaps here and there between grades and friends groups. He was right that all the seats at the back are taken, for the most part. A few empty spots peek out at him, but they're all much too close to other people.

Hugging himself, he readies for the long march down the steps to the front of the room, the only place with ample seating far from anyone else. He gives the back rows one last, hopeful glance. Nearly everyone is settled, friends hunched together, trading whispers or staring at their phones, although one figure off to the left is standing. And waving their arms.

"Danny!"

And calling his name?

The dim lighting makes it hard to see, forcing Danny to squint and shuffle closer, until he finally recognizes Sam. Tucker sits to her left, a single space between them, and their backpacks occupy the seats on either side of them, creating a thin barrier between them and the next students.

Tension bleeds out of Danny's shoulders. Without a second thought, he squeezes his way down the row, using his intangibility more than once to slip through long legs and jutting knees. A few people grumble their annoyance, but otherwise, no one calls him on it.

"Jazz texted and said you were coming," Sam says when Danny's close enough.

"I didn't want to miss it." Danny slips by Sam, claiming the middle seat. "Tucker?"

Tucker only spares him a glance before looking forward again.

"Thanks for letting me know. And... sorry. About yesterday."

For one stubborn moment, Tucker says nothing, and Danny thinks it's too late, he ruined their friendship. But then Tucker beams and grabs Danny, yanking him close.

"Dude, I'm so sorry. I was a dick, too. I'm glad you came."

Danny returns the hug, wrapping his arms around Tucker's shoulders and squeezing tight. It feels good, warm. Even if it doesn't erase anything from the past few days, it's still nice to hug his best friend.

"Oh, what the hell," Sam says. She flops onto Danny's back, draping her arms around him and Tucker. "Thanks for not shutting us out, Danny."

Just like that, the good feeling vanishes. The way Sam talks, it sounds like she thinks he's going to talk now, about everything. Everyone says he should, but after his parents, he's not so sure it will go well.

"Uh, yeah. Glad to be back," Danny says. It's only a partial lie.

They separate soon enough, settling into their seats just in time for Principal Ishiyama to walk on stage. As Ishiyama approaches the podium, the auditorium falls silent. Not that there had been much noise in the first place. A few muttering voices. Whispers here and there. It seems the whole school agrees now isn't a time for idle chatter.

"Students." Ishiyama's voice echoes from the speakers. "As I'm sure you know, we've experienced a great tragedy this last week. Valerie Gray, one of your classmates, maybe even your friend, died in a ghost attack. Despite dealing with ghosts for years, we've never lost someone to them before, and her passing came as a great shock.

"None of us knew, but Ms. Gray was a hero. Only now, after her death, have we learned about how much she did for us. She put her life on the line every day to keep the city safe, fighting valiantly for us. Today, we would like to honour that with a moment of silence, and a few words from her friends."

Ishiyama bows her head, signalling the start of the silence. Around the room, a decent number of students follow her lead, but even more sink down into their seats, as if they're settling in for a nap. Danny's glare hardens when he sees this, thinking of the freshmen from before. How many people in this room actually knew Valerie? How many are mourning the Red Huntress rather than the girl behind the helmet?

He thought coming to the memorial might make him feel, well, not better, but less bad. A little closer to okay. Instead, looking out over the gathered students, his stomach twists. This is a free pass out of class for most of them. They don't care, don't know, and they don't want to. Danny seethes, grinding his teeth as hot anger builds inside him.

Ishiyama breaks the silence before he can boil over. "Thank you. Before the first student comes up here, I'd like to remind everyone that a grief counsellor will be on the premises during school hours for the next week. If you need someone to talk to, he will be here. Your teachers will be here. Valerie was a bright girl and a friend to us all. Her death is a tragedy, and it has affected many of you in different ways. Don't be afraid to seek help when you need it."

Sam nudges Danny at Ishiyama's last word, shooting him a small smile. He can't return it.

Below, Star makes her way on stage, replacing Ishiyama at the podium. Danny immediately tunes her out when she starts speaking. The longer he's here, the more he realizes this is a waste of time and he shouldn't have come at all. He grips his armrests, squeezing the hard plastic as a distraction. It doesn't help as well as he hoped. He takes to scanning the room, dragging his gaze up and down the aisles, catching every sign of disrespect. A kid on his phone. Friends with their heads pressed together, talking softly. A dark silhouette standing halfway up the stairs.

The armrests crack in Danny's grip.

"Whoa, Danny. Are you okay?" Sam asks.

Danny barely hears her, all his attention on the ghost. Valerie's ghost. It looks more like a shadow than ever, with well-defined edges a strong, humanoid figure. He can almost see Valerie in it. But it still doesn't set off his ghost sense, not properly. A pinprick of cold pierces the heat in his chest, spreading quickly. Goosebumps raise along his arms and his breath carries the faintest trace of fog.

"Hey, uh, Danny? Can you maybe stop making it cold?" Sam whispers.

"It's not me," he says.

"Dude, I don't see anyone else with ice powers here," Tucker says.

Danny risks looking away, shooting Tucker an incredulous look, and points toward the aisle. "You don't see it?"

Tucker leans forward, following Danny's finger. "No, man. See what?"

Danny looks back and nearly jumps out of the seat. She's closer, further up the staircase, standing at the end of their aisle. The numbing cold has spread through his entire body by now. He can barely feel his fingers. His teeth chatter.

The shadow leaps forward.

Danny shoots to his feet, crying out in surprise. Heads whip toward him, but he barely registers them. The shadow leaps again. Danny bolts. He books it down the row, kicking a few knees, nearly tripping several times. Indignant shouts and raised voices follow him as he bursts out of the auditorium. He doesn't check over his shoulder, just keeps running. The cold seeps through his bones, sinks into his core. He feels himself sinking deeper and deeper into an icy abyss.

Moving on instinct, he dashes through the halls until he reaches the locker room. He dives into a shower stall, nearly ripping the tap out of the wall as he turns the water on to the hottest setting. It spews from the showerhead piping-hot, turning his skin red the moment it hits. It burns but the cold still won't go away. Danny tips his head up, opens his mouth, and swallows the water. It scalds his tongue and throat, burning all the way down, but the cold overwhelms it much too quickly.

He doesn't want to step out, not when the water hasn't done its job yet, but his skin is bright red and tender, minutes away from blistering. He forces himself out of the shower without turning it off, stumbling through the door and practically throwing himself against the nearest sink. Hunched over the basin, he swallows down the bile rising in his throat. Somehow, he manages not to throw up, a small victory for a hellish day. Once he's sure he won't be puking any time soon, even though his stomach still feels queasy, he splashes water against his face and looks up.

Blue lips. Pale skin. Face bloody and full of despair. In the mirror, Valerie looms over his shoulder.

Danny whips around, shoes slipping on the wet tiles as he tries to back away. The edge of the sink digs into his back. There's nowhere for him to go, Valerie's pale shade looming inches from him. An arm, or a trail of black mist that resembles one, reaches out toward him. It touches his chest.

Nothing happens.

"You're not whole yet," Danny realizes. It's only been five days since Valerie died.

The shadow ripples. Twisted tendrils burst forth, shooting toward him. They strike his chest and disappear in puffs of smoke, able to touch him but too weak to hurt him. Valerie shrieks. Her voice scrapes against Danny's ears, filling his head and bouncing around his brain, but it doesn't hurt. The lights flicker. The mirrors shatter. The tiles under their feet crack and still, Danny remains untouched. His disappointment overwhelms his relief, crashing through him in waves.

He pushes off the sink and reaches out, stopping inches away from her. "You can't touch me. Yet."

Valerie ripples again. Her form flickers, then she's gone.

Danny runs all the way home.

—

The ice is already broken by the time Danny's dream starts. He called them nightmares at first, but now, they're more like warnings. Promises, even.

Valerie crawls closer. Danny is not afraid.

"Danny," she says, her voice soft and calm, carrying no echoes of pain. She stops in front of him and lifts a cold finger to his chin, pushing his head up.

"Yes?" Danny matches her tone, just as soft, just as smooth. He can't help it. Something about the way she looks at him, the way she speaks. It makes him think everything will be okay.

"I know why I stayed." There's no trace of forgiveness in her gaze, but for some reason, he finds it more comforting than unsettling. As if she understands what he's thinking. She's the only one who knows what he deserves.

"Why?" Danny asks, but he already knows the answer.

"Wait for me," she says.

"I will," he answers.

—

Danny does not go back to school. He locks himself in his room, turns off his phone, and refuses to let anyone in. He made a promise and he's going to keep it. It's the one thing he can do for Valerie, after all. Give her what she wants.

One sleepless night later, on the seventh day after Valerie dies, her ghost manifests in Danny's room.

—

Danny swallows a cry of pain as Bertrand smacks him into the pavement. His great bear claws leave deep gouges across Danny's chest, the wounds leaking ectoplasm. He grits his teeth but doesn't worry. With his abilities, they will be healed by the end of the fight. Which he hopes comes soon. He's missing fourth period with Lancer right now, which isn't a big deal, but he has a math test next class, and he cannot afford another zero.

"Having a little trouble, ghost boy?"

A relieved grin stretches across Danny's face at the sight of Valerie flying overhead. "I don't know, I think I've got it handled." Planting his hands on asphalt, he flips himself up and out of the way of Bertrand's next swipe.

"Doesn't look like that from up here," Valerie says.

"Well, you could always come down and help me then. Prove how much stronger you are." Danny wastes a moment to wink and nearly gets taken out for it. Bertrand roars and pounces toward him. Danny barely leaps out of the way in time.

"Geez, I know you're unbearable, but this is ridiculous."

"Not quite." Spectra's melodic voice easily carries down the street. "I think pathetic is more accurate for your display, Phantom."

Danny scowls. "Shut up, I don't care what you think!"

Valerie swoops down while Spectra's distracted, her blaster spitting bullets faster than Danny can think. Spectra's eyes widen and she drops through the pavement, intangible, to avoid the fire. Danny doesn't have time to watch for her return, trusting Valerie to keep an eye out while he tackles Bertrand again.

The stuffy butler has shifted from a bear into a snake. Venom drips from his fangs and sizzles on the pavement.

"That's not fair," Danny whines.

"Ssssso what?" Bertrand hisses. He coils then jumps.

"Whoa!" Danny grabs his head and yanks it out of Bertrand's path, his neck turning to pale vapour.

"Phantom!" Valerie shouts. "Get your head back on and fight seriously!"

"You don't think I look good like this?" Danny pouts, tossing his head from one hand to the other. Everything blurs and he stumbles. "Okay, wow. Don't do that again." He shoves his head back on, struggling to steady himself as the street spins around him.

"Phantom!" Valerie shrieks in annoyance.

"Yeah, yeah!" Danny twists away from Bertrand's sneak attack, grabbing the ghost’s fang as he shoots by. Yanking hard, Danny swings Bertrand around and slams his head into the ground. "Good snake, nice snake!"

Bertrand writhes, bucking wildly under Danny's grip. He struggles to keep a firm holds on him, but then Bertrand opens his mouth wide and snaps down. Yelping, Danny lurches away, yanking his hand back just in time. He flies up to Valerie and takes to scanning the street with her.

"No sign of Spectra?"

"I can take care of her myself," Valerie snaps.

"Sure, but a little help never hurt, right?"

Through her visor, Valerie's eyes narrowed. "Fine."

"Oh, now this is interesting."

Both ghost hunters stiffen. Danny turns, pressing his back against Valerie's, and searches for Spectra. He can't see her. Neither can Valerie, judging by the soft curses under her breath.

"You don't care what I think, but you care what she thinks, don't you?" Spectra asks.

Danny bristles. "So what?"

"Does she think you're strong? Or weak? Do you want to protect her?"

"I don't need anyone to protect me!" Valerie shouts. Under her breath, she says to Danny, "We can't stay together. We won't find her this way, and we still have her crony. You take the ground, I'll take the sky."

"Shouldn't the ghost take the sky?" Danny whispers back.

"Just do it!"

He rolls his eyes, but complies anyway, dropping back to the street.

"Back for more ssso sssoon?" Bertrand asks.

"I didn't get enough of your pretty face the first time," Danny says. "Those fangs are a real good look on you."

"Ssstop ssstalling."

"Stop being so ugly."

"Real original."

"Bertrand!" Spectra snaps. She sounds closer now, too close for Danny's liking. "Get the girl. I'll deal with our little meal."

"Um, ew?"

A bright green disk flies at Danny out of nowhere. He barely sees it before it hits, exploding against his chest and blasting him back. Danny groans when he hits the ground, carefully patting his chest for injuries. The gouges from Bertrand were nearly healed, but now they're seeping ectoplasm once again.

Above him, Bertrand has changed into a giant wasp. He zips about Valerie, trying to catch her with his stinger. She's too fast for him, but, likewise, he's too fast for her. None of their hits are landing, and they're playing an endless game of chase.

Spectra rises from the ground beside him, her hands glowing. "You might want to focus on me."

Danny scrambles back, disks of ectoplasm exploding behind him. Ectoplasm lights his fists, and he swings, aiming for Spectra's face. She ducks away cackling.

"Do you ever give up?" he shouts.

"Why would I when you make it so easy?" Spectra laughs behind her hand. "I can only think of a few things worse than an abomination like yourself."

Danny falters. Don't let her get to you, he tells himself. "Oh yeah, like what?"

"The only thing worse than an abomination is a weak one. And that's what she thinks you are, weak."

"That's a lie!"

"Really? Then why did she send you down here to take care of my little assistant, while she kept watch above, searching for me?"

Danny can't help it. He slips, falls for it, lets the ectoplasm coating his hands fizzle out as he glances up at Valerie. She's still caught in her game of cat and mouse with Bertrand, but in the midst of her fight, she keeps glancing down, at Danny and Spectra. Watching out for him? Or watching to see if he can do it? If he needs help?

"N-no, you're lying." He knows Spectra lies. She never tells the truth, always twists other people's words and actions for her own gain, but...

"Look at you!" Spectra's not even poised to fight now, standing completely relaxed with a hand on her hip. "Pathetic! You couldn't take us on your own. She had to come help you, and you still can't beat me."

"Liar!" Danny whips and ectoblast at her. It shoots through the air, a blazing green star. Spectra's quick to counter, breaking his attack with a blast of her own. They explode when they meet, a cascade of light and ectoplasm.

"See? Weak. You can't do anything with powers like this?"

"Then what about this?" Danny thrusts his arm out. Ice races across the ground, encasing Spectra's feet. It creeps up her legs until nearly her entire body is coated in it, but all she does is laugh and clap.

"Oh, that's a fun trick. But it doesn't do much, does it?" A swipe of her hand and the ice melts and cracks. She shoots into the air, her aura glowing brighter as she gathers her power. "You're only proving me right, dear. You should just give up."

"Shut up." The temperature around Danny plummets, frost creeping across the pavement. His breath fogs the air.

Spectra goes on. "You can't expect to protect anyone like this. A freak, a loser, and a joke of a hero! You've hit all three!"

Behind Spectra, far above their heads, Bertrand splits into a swarm of wasps and rushes Valerie. He knocks her off her board, and she plummets with a scream.

Danny sees. He sees but he doesn't think. Spectra's taunting words pound in his ears, fill up his head, shove all other thoughts aside and blind him.

"I said. Shut! Up!" He bellows and stomps his feet. A wave of power bursts off him, razor-sharp icicles spewing from the ground, taller than Danny. Spectra easily dodges, flying up out of harm's way as she cackles with glee.

Too late, Danny realizes his mistake.

"Valerie!" he screams, echoing her cry, as he lunges toward her, but it's too late.

An icicle rips through her with a sickening squelch. Her blood sprays across Danny's face, seeping into his eyes and mouth. It's all he can see and taste. Her body hits the ground with a thud, nearly torn in two. Her heart beats against the open air. One of her lungs lays on the ground beside her, shredded to pieces.

Danny drops to his knees. He can't breathe. He can't think. Valerie, Valerie, VALERIE! A scream of agony tears from his throat as his world shatters around him.

—

Valerie doesn't look all that different in death. She wears her Huntress suit, although ferns of frost curl along her abdomen, spewing from a gape black void in her side. Pale blue overtakes the red. Her hair glows orange. Not bad, as far as ghost forms go.

"I always knew you were bad." Her voice carries an echo that swells and fills the room. "I knew you were evil. All ghosts are. And you made me one of them. Danny," Valerie's stoic expression splinters, "how could you?"

"I'm sorry," Danny says, because there's nothing else he can say, nothing that will make up for this. He reaches out to her, but she recoils, lips curling in disgust.

"I never wanted to turn into this. It hurts." Her voice breaks. A wet sob chokes her words. Like she's still drowning in her own blood, forever.

"I know. God, I know. It never stops. It's like your broken inside." Danny grabs his hair and tugs. "There's a void and nothing ever fills it. I didn't mean it, Valerie, I didn't! But I killed you, and I­– I'm sorry! If I could take it back, if I could trade places with you, I would. You know I would."

"I know."

"If I could do anything to make better..." Danny lowers his head, shame and regret pressing him down.

Valerie reaches for him. Just like in his dream, she grabs his chin and slowly lifts his head, forcing him to look at her. "Danny."

He knows. He knows. He knows what she's going to say, what she's going to do. He's known all along, since that first nightmare. Maybe he's been ignoring it, or hoping for it. Either way, he won't stop her. He deserves it.

She lays her other hand on his chest, ice gathering in her palm. "Die for me."

—

When Mr. Gray finishes crying, he wipes his eyes and slumps into his chair. "So." The words cracks as it comes out. He pauses to swallow a few times, shuddering visibly. "So. That's how it happened."

Danny keeps his eyes downcast. He knows what's coming next. The screaming, the yelling, the accusations. He will take all of it, already agrees with Mr. Gray even though the man hasn't said a word. It's just a matter of seconds, now.

"You­–" MR. Gray starts.

Say it. Say I killed her. Call me a murderer.

"It wasn't your fault."

Danny nearly chokes on his surprise. "What?"

"It was. An accident. You were manipulated, tricked. It wasn't your fault, Danny. I don't want you to think it was."

Danny's mind reels. This can't be happening. Surely, he's hearing Mr. Gray wrong, making up a fantasy in his head, but no. Valerie's father doesn't hate him. The one person who has any right to, other than Valerie. And he... forgives Danny.

"And if I know my daughter, she wouldn't blame you either."

As Danny gets up to leave, only one thought runs through his head. Then you didn't know her very well.

—

It doesn't hurt as much as he thought it would. The impact feels like a punch, a burst of searing pain, then he's gone.

And then he's not. He's in his room, floating on one side of his bed. Valerie stands across from them. Between him, his body sits, held upright by the spear of ice jutting through his chest. Valerie apparently had some shred of mercy left in her. The spear went right through Danny's heart.

The wound is still fresh, still bleeding, dripping down his body's chest. Seconds or days to manifest, Danny's mom said. Isn't he a lucky one?

Valerie eyes him over his dead body, and he follows her stare. In the middle of his chest, swirling frost creeps out of a black void. They match. How poetic.

"You're not gone," Danny says, lifting his gaze back to Valerie.

"No. And you stayed."

"Yeah."

She doesn't move away, and neither does he. They can't, not without the other following. They have haunted each other for so long, Danny stalking her in life, Valerie hunting him in death. Now, it seems, they're stuck together at a stalemate, neither one willing to move first. They're dead now, though, so that doesn't matter. They have all the time in the world.

[mischiefandspirits]

Doppelgänger (11/?)

Previously on Doppelgänger ~ Masterlist ~ Next time on Doppelgänger

Danny, Sam, and Tucker were just 14 when they took a look inside the portal Danny’s parents had built. From there, everything changed. They woke up with white hair, green skin, and powers they could learn to control. They were hybrids, halfas.

They were the hero Doppelgänger.

{Life Lessons, Part 3}

The two ghosts led Valerie through the Ghost Zone in a weaving path. They were going at a pace slower than she was used to when dealing with them, but still fast enough that Danny had to hold on to keep from falling off.

“You okay?” she asked when his grip tightened during a turn.

“Yeah, just not used to it.”

“Maybe I should take you flying with me some time,” she said, glancing back at him and was pleased to see his smile.

“Sounds fun.”

The trip was thankfully short and soon enough Valerie was following the ghosts through a swirling vortex, coming out in the Fentons’ lab.

“Last stop, home,” Danny joked as he hopped down.

“What was that?”

All four teens froze at the voice before the ghosts darted through the walls and Valerie retracted her suit. A moment later, Danny’s parents came running down the stairs.

“Danny!” his mom shrieked when she saw them and the two adults swooped in to hug him. “We’ve been so worried! Are you okay? Did that awful ghost hurt you?”

“I’m-Mom, I’m-I’m okay! I-Dad, I can’t breath!”

The two pulled away and his mom held him at arm’s length to look him over. “You’re sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine, mom. Really.”

She didn’t look convinced, but turned to the other teen. “Valerie Gray, right? Are you okay?”

“Uh, yes ma’am,” she said, blinking. “Um, how did you know…”

“Your boss saw you and Danny get attacked and called it in,” Mrs. Fenton explained. “We tried to track it, but we found out this morning that it managed to get back to the zone somehow without using our portal. We were just preparing the speeder so we could come find you.”

“But you managed to escape on your own,” Mr. Fenton said, slapping Danny on the back hard enough that he stumbled forward. “That’s our boy!”

“The ghost didn’t hurt you?” Mrs. Fenton asked, looking Valerie over as she’d done Danny.

“No. He was some sort of collector or something. He just stuck us in a cage, like zoo animals,” Danny said.

“Well, I suppose that’s better than the alternative. I still want to be sure, though. Jack, why don’t you call Damon and the police and tell them the kids are back.”

“Yes, dear.” Mr. Fenton ruffled Danny’s hair then ran upstairs.

Mrs. Fenton checked them both thoroughly for injuries then grabbed what she referred to as a first aid kit, but turned out to be a large toolbox full of medical equipment. She used it to check their eyes, lungs, and heart before measuring any ectoplasmic radiation they were giving off.

“A 0.3er,” she read off after scanning Valerie. When she saw the girl’s curious expression, she explained, “Lower than I would have thought, which is good. It’s a completely healthy reading. It also means the atmospheric ecto-rad level of the Ghost Zone might be lower than we were expecting.” She then turned to Danny and scanned him. “A 1.18er.”

“Is that bad?” Valerie asked, worried.

Danny shook his head. “I run hotter than most. My whole family does, really, but I got into an accident a few months back so I run even hotter. That’s not much higher than my usual.”

“We don’t start worrying until a person’s ecto-rad level reaches 1.5er,” Mrs. Fenton added. “That’s when ectoplasm starts to negatively affect a human’s body.”

“Mom, Mr. Gray is here,” Danny’s sister said, poking her head in. Her eyes widened. “Danny!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Danny gave a pleased sigh as he cuddled up between his partners.

“Sorry it took us so long to find you,” Sam said, squeezing him.

He kissed her cheek. “It’s not your fault. Besides, it was kind of fun tormenting Skulker. I think he was actually tempted to send us back towards the end there.”

“Only you would think annoying the crud out of the homicidal ghost keeping you prisoner was a good idea,” Tucker chuckled, nuzzling into his neck.

“That’s why you love me!” Danny nuzzled him back. “How did you guys find us?”

“Someone found video footage of Skulker going through that random portal on their CCTV camera and turned it over to the police,” Sam explained. “Jazz told us when they were bringing in your parents to see the video so we were able to come along invisibly.”

“Weird as it is, Jazz is probably the hero this time,” Tucker said. “She also got you and Val an A on your baby assignment.”

“Wait, seriously?”

“Yeah, she came by that night and told us you were missing, then took both sacks with her. Said something about giving us time to process.”

“Which was good because we were up all night trying to find you.”

“Then the next morning after she gave us ours back she went to Tetslaff and explained what had happened. We don’t know what she said, but she turned in the sack and when Tetslaff handed out grades, she said you’d get As for trusting someone so responsible and mature to babysit for you.”

“Wow, score one for teacher’s pet Jazz. Maybe we should bring her in on the secret.”

“You’re kidding, right?” Sam snorted.

“She’s even more overprotective of you than you are of anyone. She’d never leave us alone,” Tucker huffed.

Danny’s nose scrunched up as he remembered how Jazz had hovered over him for two months after his parents had accidentally left him at the Christmas tree lot when he was six. “Yeah, okay, that’s fair. I’ll have to do something nice for Jazz, though. So how’d you guys do on the baby thing anyways?”

Sam smirked. “Well, I got an A.”

Tucker grumbled something and pressed further into Danny’s neck.

{The Million Dollar Ghost}

“Thanks for covering for me, Sam,” Danny said as he scrubbed ectoplasm off the lab’s floor. “There’s no way I’d have been able to get my chores done with all the extra work Lancer assigned me.”

“It’s fine. As long as we cover the next poetry night.”

“I will.”

“Did we charge the bazooka already?”

“Yes, Mom.”

“Did we change the ecto-filtrator?”

Danny paused then went to do just that.

“We’d be lost without us,” Sam chuckled. “Did we talk to our dad about showing up at school?”

“Jazz and Mom were taking care of it when -”

“GUYS!”

“Tuck?”

“Volume!”

“Did you hear?” Tucker said, thankfully quieter.

“Hear what?”

“Turn on the tv! Amity news!”

“We’re on patrol,” Sam said as Danny went to the lab’s tv.

“Switching to FaceTime.”

“-etent, non-Jack Fenton ghost hunters in Amity Park has never been more obvious,” the news anchor was saying while footage of his dad’s attack on Lancer played. It switched back to the anchor and she continued. “Luckily a mysterious benefactor has offered a million-dollar bounty on the head of Amity Park’s most famous ghost and invited the world’s best-known ghost hunters to track her down.”

Danny’s jaw dropped as a picture of Tucker in ghost form appeared onscreen. “What?”

“Who on earth would place a bounty on us?”

“Besides Valerie, but we know she doesn’t have that kind of money,” Tucker added.

“Valerie wants to hunt us down herself, same for my parents,” Danny said. Then laughed. “Oh man, my dad is going to go crazy when he hears about this.”

“Dude, this is serious.”

“Aren't we worried? These are the best-known ghost hunters in the world!”

“Sam, they’re the best-known, they’re not the best,” he scoffed. “Trust me, I grew up around these people so I have a pretty good idea who’s going to show up. It will be great.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“We’ll admit, they don’t look threatening,” the trio said, watching the gathering of ghost hunters from atop a nearby building. “It’s actually kind of sad.”

“Tell me about it.” The trio flinched and turned to Valerie as she landed next to them.

“Hey. Hi. You here for the bounty?”

“Lucky for you, no.” She sat down on the edge next to them. “I don’t trust this bounty thing. I’m here for the same reason as you, the show. Danny said his dad would be here to show up the out-of-towners.”

The four watched as the Fenton parents ran over a pair of ATVs.

“And that’s only half the show.”

“What do you mean?”

“SAVE DOPPELGÄNGER!”

The four turned to see a horde of teenagers marching into the Nasty Burger parking lot, all waving signs saying things like, “Protect the ghost boy!”, “Freedom for the ghost girl!”, and even just their name or picture. Paulina and Dash were at the head of the charge with fierce looks on their faces.

“I found out the popular kids at my school were organizing a protest against the bounty.”

“Well, don’t we feel special.”

“Apparently Paulina and Dash, the most popular sophomores, both have crushes on you.”

“Yikes. Wow. We don’t know if we should be flattered or creeped out.”

“You’re dead. It’s creepy.”

“Rude. Do they think we’re a guy or a girl?”

“Dash is adamant you’re a girl. Probably to soothe his poor straight heart. Paulina thought you were a guy, but I think my friend Star said something to her after I let it slip you might be non-binary because she’s been using they pronouns lately.”

“That’s… more forward-thinking than I assumed she could be. Given she’s the popular type.”

“She’s bi. As long as you weren’t femme, she would have been game.”

“Oh.”

“She’s still in the closet, so don’t say anything to anyone.”

“We won’t.”

Screams sounded over the arguing and the four looked back to the crowd to see a trio of bird ghosts dive-bombing the hunters.

“Those are Plasmius’s vultures. Should have known he was behind this whole thing.”

“Plasmius,” Valerie asked.

“A fruit loop of a ghost.”

“Let me guess, he hates you too?”

“Worse, he wants us as his kid. Tried to kill our dad and kidnapped our mom once.”

“Seriously?”

“Unfortunately. Do you mind taking care of this? The out-of-towners are idiots, but we’d rather not test the Fentons.”

She shrugged and climbed to her feet. They watched her drop down and start firing on the birds until a voice sounded behind them.

“Not going to lend your father a hand, Daniel?”

The trio turned to see Vlad floating behind them.

“Wow, you look even stupider than we sai-remember. You do realize the modern interpretation of vampires is a hot person, right?”

“I see you’ve been working on your duplication then,” he said with a scowl. “You do realize you don’t have to talk together, don’t you ?”

“You do realize there are better uses for your time than bothering a teenager, don’t you? Shouldn't you be getting home to the love of your life? Oh, that’s right! Our dad married the love of your life. We’re trying to watch the show, do you mind?”

Vlad scowled and fired on them.

“Should we really be teasing the older, stronger half-ghost? Well, we do outnumber him.”

Vlad split in three.

“Now we don’t.”

Sam raised a shield around her and Tucker while he grabbed onto the GAV’s controls and used it to fire on Vlad. Meanwhile, Danny put his speed to use diving around the three Vlad’s.

“You’ve gotten better,” one Vlad said as Danny curled around his blast, a bit of frustration leaking into his voice.

“And you’ve gotten worse,” they said.

Was it just Danny or were the Vlad’s slower and weaker than usual? Did duplication cut their power?

Interesting, and good to know for Sam.

A green blast flew by and Danny looked down to see they’d gotten the hunters’ attention.

Danny turned back to the Vlads and fired at the one closest to him. A pink blast joined his and the Vlad disappeared.

“Your stalker?” Valerie asked.

“Yup.”

“I believe that’s my cue to leave,” a Vlad said and they teleported away.

“And ours,” the trio said as a few more of the hunters’ blasts flew past them.

Valerie turned her blaster towards Danny, who raised his hands. “Thought you weren’t going for the bounty.”

“I’m not. This is for me.”

Sam and Tucker shot away as Danny flew down towards the crowd, distracting all the hunters and waving at their fans before he dove straight into the ground. He came up in an alley where his partners were waiting and all three transformed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I knew there was something sketchy about this mess,” Valerie said as she looked over her pistol. “I didn’t think a ghost would be the one placing the bounty though.”

“Ghost?” Danny said, coming back over with a now-empty thermos.

“Yeah, some enemy of the ghost kid. They said he wants them as his kid, but I don’t even know how that works for ghosts.”

“No clue. Maybe he’s just insane.”

“Probably.”

Valerie’s phone went off and she pulled it out. “There’s an attack downtown.”

He leaned in as she brought up a live feed.

A large, t-rex-looking ghost was stomping through the street. Sam and Tucker were already there, firing on its head. The hunters, Danny’s parents included, could be seen chasing them in the background.

“You going to join them?” Danny asked, pulling back and grabbing Valerie’s grenade launcher. His partners looked like they had it and they’d give him a call if they didn’t.

“And risk getting into another ghost discussion with those pathetic excuses for hunters? Pass.”

“You should see them at one of the conventions.”

The two worked in silence until Danny’s ghost sense went off and a device on the counter next to them started beeping.

“Ghost?” Danny grabbed it and checked it. “It shouldn’t be picking up the fight from here.”

Valerie loaded the cartridge back into her pistol while Danny grabbed the only other operational weapons on the table, the thermos and Fenton Ghost Gloves.

The vultures flew through the ceiling, then froze. “You should not be here.”

Valerie blasted all three in the face.

Danny grabbed one in one hand and sucked the second into the thermos with the other before they could recover. The third dodged around another blast from Valerie, only for the Jack o' Nine Tails to come shooting out of the stairs and wrap around it.

Jazz slammed it into the floor as she came into the lab. “You guys okay?”

“We’re fine,” Danny said, sucking the last two into the thermos. “You?”

“Fine. I was just heading into the kitchen to grab a snack and saw them flying by.” She watched as Danny went to empty the thermos, then turned to Valerie. “What are you guys doing down here?”

“Well now, isn’t this a surprise?”

The teens looked up to see Vlad hovering over the lab.

“Great, another uninvited guest,” Danny groaned.

The ghost turned to him in shock. “Daniel?”

He raised an eyebrow. “Do I know you?”

Valerie shot Vlad before he could do anything else.

Jazz tried to grab him with the nine tails, but he caught it out of the air and yanked it away from her. Danny used the distraction to punch him in the back. He smirked down at the gauntlets when the older halfa was sent into the wall.

Valerie slid up to his side as Jazz grabbed the Fenton Foamer off a table and blasted Vlad. “Trade you.”

Knowing from personal -- bruising -- experience that Valerie was better at hand-to-hand, Danny passed her the gauntlets and took the pistol.

The kids didn’t give Vlad a chance to breathe, switching quickly between Valerie beating him into the ground and the Fentons shooting him out of the air. Soon enough, Danny was opening the portal so Valerie could toss him through.

“And don’t come back!” he yelled before shutting it. He turned and smiled at Valerie before meeting Jazz’s eyes. “Mom and Dad never hear of this?”

“Agreed.”

[ghostgothgeek]

Stuck.

Wasn’t planning on posting anything for DannyMay except I realized one of my WIPs literally has the same title as the theme for today, so here we are. 

2.3k. Rated T for swearing. FFN || AO3

On a list of ways Vlad Masters could spend his day, he certainly never had “get stuck in an elevator with Samantha Manson” on it. 

The day had started like any other; there was a ghost convention in town. Ghost hunters from all over the world came to the infamously haunted Amity Park in hopes of seeing a ghost, but seeing the new inventions from the Fentons (who were a big deal in the ghost hunter realm) and sharing their enthusiasm about ghosts with others would be satisfactory enough. (They really hoped to see a ghost, though.)

Jack and Maddie Fenton had dragged their children to the convention this year, happy they didn’t have to travel halfway across the world and their children could join them this time. They wanted Jazz and Danny to experience what they had dedicated their lives to, and to support the presentation of their newest invention. Jazz naturally brought a thick book with her to read, and a notebook for detailing her people watching (and psychoanalysis of said people). Misery loves company, so Danny managed to convince his friends into coming along and keeping an eye out. If a ghost showed up, he wouldn’t exactly be able to transform into Danny Phantom at a convention filled with ghost hunters and all their new weapons. 

Vlad had shown up to keep up with appearances, and to see what pricey new inventions he could buy for Valerie. Surely, Daniel would know how to handle his parents’ weapons, but not weapons made across seas. Most importantly, though, Vlad had shown up for Maddie Fenton. 

Vlad glanced around at all of the new inventions, paying close attention to the specifications of the weapons in case he encountered any as Plasmius. He checked his watch. Only ten minutes until the Fenton’s presentation. He wouldn’t want to miss out on the opportunity to stare at Maddie for an hour and watch Jack make a fool of himself. Vlad smiled to himself as he pressed the button to call the elevator. Maybe if Jack embarrassed them enough, Maddie would finally come running to him instead. 

Meanwhile, Danny and his friends were walking the convention floor. Tucker was occupied with a game on his phone, as usual. Sam was on a mission to find the most dangerous looking weapon, and Danny was just trying to keep an eye on things. Sam excused herself to go to the restroom before the Fentons’ big presentation, telling Danny and Tucker she would meet them there. Once her bladder was empty and her lipstick was reapplied, she headed for the elevator and tapped her foot impatiently as she waited. 

It finally arrived, and Sam started walking towards the inside until she saw Vlad Masters was already occupying the elevator. She contemplated just walking up the five flights of stairs but decided the elevator would be faster and easier. “Why hello, Samantha,” Vlad slyly greeted. She sighed as she stepped inside and turned her back towards Vlad, ignoring him and pressing the elevator button repeatedly in hopes that it would make the elevator move faster. 

The elevator started moving and Sam switched to chipping some of the black paint off her fingernails when all of the sudden, the elevator stopped. It was way too soon to have gone up five floors already. “Uh oh,” she noted and tried pressing the elevator button again with no success. 

“Oh, look what you did.” Vlad groaned irritatedly and pressed the call button. He waited through several rings before accepting the fact that this convention center was severely understaffed. He would have to remember to do something about that. “Well, it was nice seeing one of Daniel’s young friends, but I’m afraid I can’t stay and chat.”

“Hey! At least have the common courtesy to phase me out, too.” Sam glared at him, seeing he was about ready to ditch her when she added, “Just imagine how grateful Mrs. Fenton would be if you saved one of her son’s friends from imminent boredom.” 

Vlad considered the offer, pursing his lips and deciding it would put him in good faith with the Fenton Family if he helped Daniel’s pathetic goth friend. He completely forgot about the fact that he wouldn’t even be able to tell Maddie exactly how he helped the dark child, but that wasn’t important right now. “Very well,” he grabbed her arm and was about to transform into his ghostly counterpart until he noticed a camera built into the corner of the elevator, with the little red light on signaling it was recording and pointing directly at him. He sighed and let her go. He could try to find a way to find the footage and destroy it, but he couldn’t risk getting caught at a ghost convention, of all things. Not to mention, there was likely a ghost shield up.

Sam followed his gaze when he let go of her arm and sighed, “great.” She slid down the elevator wall to sit on the floor, pulling her phone out and texting Danny in hopes he could find some way to get her out. Vlad pulled his phone out as well, and shut his eyes in annoyance as he discovered it was dead. Sam’s phone pinged and she read the message, sighing in defeat and putting her phone back into her pocket. “Danny said they are aware the elevator is stuck and are waiting for the maintenance guy to come back from his lunch break and fix it. It may be awhile.” She adjusted herself on the floor so she was at least remotely comfortable. It could take ten minutes or it could take two hours for them to be rescued. 

After a few minutes of silence, Vlad smirked and spoke up. “Well, since you’re here and are forced to listen, how about we discuss how you can convince Daniel to be on my side and-” 

Sam cut him off and stood up. “You’ve got to be shitting me. Danny will never want to join you! He thinks you’re creepy, which you are. I mean, you want to marry his mom and have him be your child? That’s weird. You’re a grown-ass man, you need to get over this shit already. Mrs. Fenton won’t leave her husband, especially for you. You are a moron to think otherwise.” 

Vlad stared at the girl wide-eyed for a moment before opening his mouth to speak, but she beat him to it. 

“Honestly, you’re so pathetic. You hurt and fight with Danny, who is old enough to be your child. Do you really have nothing better to do with your life? Don’t you have anyone else your own age to pick on? Because fixating on a child is just gross. And, you can’t even fight him yourself! No, you choose another child to do it for you. Lame.” She rolled her eyes at him. 

Vlad didn’t know what to say. He was shocked into oblivion. 

“Really, you don’t have anything better to do with your time or money? Do you know how much good you could do if you donated money to charities and organizations benefiting the environment? Instead, you choose to dress up like a vampire and be an asshole. Like Mrs. Fenton or any woman would fall for a guy like that. Plus, your whole vampire look? It’s so corny. Believe me, I’ve seen my fair share of vampire movies and read up enough to know they wouldn’t dress so stupidly. A cape? Really? Are you seven?” 

“I-”

“You really need some hobbies. I mean, what have you even done with your life since you got ghost powers, aside from preying on and manipulating children and trying to grossly seduce a married woman who has zero interest in you? Seriously, get a life. Also, please actually stop with the whole vampire thing, you’re ruining it for me.” She sat down once again and smirked at Vlad’s agape mouth. She had the opportunity, she was going to take it.

“I mean, you aren’t terrifying or gruesome at all,” she continued, “you’re half dead and you aren’t even scary or even vaguely threatening. I’m sure more people are afraid of me than they are of you. I honestly don’t see why some of the ghosts in the Ghost Zone tolerate you; they certainly don’t respect you.” Sam picked at a scab on her arm.

“But...I’m scary! People respect me!” Vlad interjected. 

“People only pretend to respect you because you’re the mayor, and you only won that by cheating. And ghosts don’t give two shits about you, the ghost who released Pariah Dark then fled at any hint of a challenge. Danny had to clean up your mess. Honestly, so pathetic.” Sam shook her head and watched as she flicked her scab across to Vlad, who flinched, and watched fresh blood rise to the injury. “And you are far from scary. My mom is more terrifying. And she’s a small woman who wears pink. Seriously, people see her coming and they move in the opposite direction. Oh gross, I guess that’s one thing I have in common with my mom…” She trailed off and made a face.

“I’ll have you know, Vlad Masters is well respected in the state of Wisconsin and Plasmius is feared in the ghost zone!” 

“Survey says...no.” Sam whipped out her pocket knife from her boot and started carving some doodle into the floor. Vlad stared at the girl with wide eyes. What kind of fourteen-year-old girl carries a knife around to doodle?! “Danny beats you all the time and he’s younger than you. You’ve even been half ghost longer! Danny is less experienced and he still whoops your ass, seriously why are you so cocky?” She pointed the knife at him and he grimaced. “You’re just a pathetic little man-child who throws tantrums when he can’t get what he wants,” she rolled her eyes and finished with a “seriously go fuck yourself”. 

Danny was pacing by the elevator door. It’s been 45 minutes and there’s no telling what Vlad could be doing to Sam in an enclosed space! She didn’t even have many weapons on her. He knows she’s tough and can hold her own but still! Vlad had been looking for every opportunity to get back at Danny, and holding Sam as a hostage would be a very good way of doing so.

“Come on, man he wouldn’t be stupid enough to pull something at a ghost convention,” Tucker started confidently, “er...right?” 

Danny groaned, “I don’t know! I wouldn’t put it past him. God, if he hurts her, I swear-” 

“I got it!” Some random maintenance guy pried open the elevator doors with a crowbar and stuck his arm inside to assist.

“Finally!” Danny ran over to the elevator and breathed a sigh of relief when he heard Sam scolding the man for touching her. At least she was alive. 

The man quickly backed away and Sam popped her head out of the elevator, which was stuck between floors. “Hey Danny, hold this for a sec,” she tossed him her switchblade, which he fumbled in his hands and miraculously caught without stabbing himself or anyone else, as she climbed out of the elevator. She grabbed her knife and stored it back in her boot. 

“Did he hurt you? Are you hurt? Tell me what he did I’ll-” 

Sam ignored Danny’s questioning and she glared at the maintenance guy who was backing away slowly from her. “‘I got it’ my ass,” she mocked the man, “the only way you were even able to get a crowbar in the gap is because I made you one with my knife.” 

“SAM!” Danny started shaking her, “are you okay?!” He looked at her arm where it was lightly bleeding. “You’re bleeding!”

“Stop. SHAKING. ME!” Sam shook him back until he cut it out. “I’m fine, this is from the other day with the Box Ghost. Vlad didn’t touch me.” 

“Speaking of Vlad, is he still in there?” Tucker glanced back at the elevator. 

After a few moments, out came Vlad Masters, looking as pale as a...well, you know. He was visibly shaken and looked quite disturbed. Once his feet were on solid ground, he took a deep breath and composed himself. When his eyes caught the lavender ones of the goth, he flinched. Sam smirked, while Danny and Tucker each raised an eyebrow. 

“Are you alright, Mayor Masters?” 

“God, Sam, what did you do to him?” Tucker quipped. 

“Nothing! We just had a nice little chat is all…” Sam crossed her arms over her chest. 

“I’m perfectly fine! I kept the child calm while-” Vlad tried explaining himself but with one look at Sam and one look at him, it was pretty clear who was shaken up about the whole thing. She cocked an eyebrow at him, as if to say “try me”. “I, uh, I’m fine. I gotta get going, lots of things to do…goodbye, Daniel. Daniel’s friend...Miss Manson, I’m so glad we came to an understanding-” 

Sam lunged for him and he ran in the opposite direction. Danny gently held her back with one of his arms, “jeeze Sam, and to think I was worried about you in there.” He chuckled.

“You were worried about me?” Sam challenged. 

Danny blushed, “I mean...we both, Tucker and I, worried, you know.” 

Tucker laughed as Danny babbled, “Okay, but really, Sam. What did you do to him? He looks like he’s going to throw up!” 

“Or shit his pants…” Danny added. 

“Or cry…” Tucker continued. 

“Funny,” she said sarcastically. Sam shrugged, “I just talked to him, gave him some of my Sam Manson charm.” 

“Oh god.”

“Poor guy.”

[darks-ink]

To Be

Did someone order post-reveal fluff?

Prompt: With his secret revealed, Danny has to wear inhibitors to school. Most days they're fine if not irritating, but when they get damaged in a chemistry lab everyone's desperate to see his powers before the inhibitors are repaired. Even teachers make a point to ask for "favors" while Danny's allowed to go all out. Prompt by: @wastefulreverie Word count: 3,474

[AO3] [FFN] [more Phic Phight fics]

---

“It’s broken,” Maddie reported. On the surface, her voice sounded sorry, but Danny could hear the relief underneath. It surprised him every time. How his parents continued to love him, despite the revelation of his half-ghost nature.

“Can it be fixed?” Principal Ishiyama folded her hands together, staring down Maddie. She didn’t even try to look at Danny. “You know the rules, Mrs. Fenton.”

“Doctor Fenton,” Maddie corrected, sharply. “And, yes, I am well aware. Jack and I will take it home to fix it, but there are limits to even our skills. It will take a few days, depending on the damage.”

Principal Ishiyama huffed, then nodded, jerkily. “Very well. Daniel will have to stay home and make up the lost work later.”

“What?” He jerked in his chair. “Why?”

“Because your inhibitors are broken,” Ishiyama explained, slowly, like she was talking to a child. Or a stupid ghost hybrid, apparently. “And it is against school rules for ghosts to enter the school without inhibitors.”

“But that’s so unfair! It’s not even my fault that it’s broken!” Danny felt his core stir up in his chest, and forced himself to calm down. Flashing his eyes at her would only make it worse. “It’s only a few days, I can behave myself!”

A hand landed on his shoulder, and his mom shot him a comforting look. She turned back to Ishiyama. “Look, Principal. Jack and I have listened to your strict rules on Danny’s power usage in the school. We’ve built him the inhibitors, just so he can continue to come. I will not, however, force him to stay home because one of the other kids damaged the devices.”

“Dangerous ghosts are not allowed in the school,” Ishiyama repeated, her tone forced. “Without the inhibitors—”

“Danny is not just a ghost, nor is he innately dangerous,” Maddie corrected, her eyes narrowing. “I will not let you punish him for another's actions.”

Principal Ishiyama stared back, her eyes narrowed as well. After a few moments, she said, “Fine. He can continue to attend without the inhibitors, but! If we receive any reports of him using his powers within the school, especially in a potentially dangerous context, he will be punished. Is this understood?”

“Yes, principal Ishiyama.” Danny shot her his most innocent smile. “I’ll be good.”

“Sure you will,” she said, entirely unconvinced. Her expression could not be more skeptical. “Mrs— Doctor Fenton, please let us know when the inhibitors are fixed and ready for use again. Was that all?”

“Yes, it was.” Maddie stood up, tucking the broken inhibitors into a pocket on her belt. “Danny, let’s go.”

He nodded, getting up from the chair.

Wow. His mom really had fought Ishiyama to let him continue to go to school, even without the inhibitors. And he’d been thinking that it had been their idea to equip him with those things.

---

Valerie looked up when he sat down in his usual seat, quirking an eyebrow. “Danny! I thought you weren’t allowed to come to class without the inhibitors?”

“Mom thought it was stupid to punish me if their destruction wasn’t my fault.” He shrugged, putting down his stuff. “Principal Ishiyama tried to argue but Mom looked ready to fight her and, well. Ishiyama wasn’t ready to fight a 9th degree black belt over my presence here.”

Valerie snorted. “That’s fair. I’m a pretty good fighter and even I would think twice about challenging your mom.”

“Yeah, exactly.” He leaned back in his chair to wait for class to actually start. “It’ll probably only be a few days before the inhibitors are fixed again, unfortunately.”

“You don’t like them, right?” Valerie’s fingers twitched around the bracelet on her wrist. He made a mental note to have someone check that thing out; he didn’t trust Technus’ tech.

“They’re alright, usually,” he answered her, putting away his previous thought. “A little irritating sometimes, but fine most of the time. I just don’t like, y’know, the implication. I get that my powers are scary, but at least I don’t use them to hurt or bully anyone.”

Her eyes dropped back to her wristband. “…Yeah.”

“Val, you know I wasn’t talking about that.” He nudged her with his foot. “Seriously, it’s fine. I was talking about the jocks. Nobody is telling them to wear restraints so they can’t punch anybody.”

“Unfortunately, that’s also true,” she acknowledged. “Morning, Tucker.”

Tucker grumbled a response, dropping heavily into this seat.

“Wow, you’re in a mood today.” Danny quirked an eyebrow at him. “What’s wrong, Tuck?”

“It’s— Don’t worry about it.” He flapped a dismissive hand, pulling his phone out of his pocket to demonstrate. “My phone’s charger broke, I think, or I didn’t plug it in right or something. It’s all out of battery.”

“That’s rough, buddy. Maybe someone has a charger you could borrow?” He reached over to pat Tucker on the shoulder. “If not, I can charge it for you after school.”

“Yeah, you— Wait.” Tucker grabbed Danny’s hand, suddenly, holding it out for inspection. “Your inhibitors are broken. Why can’t you charge my phone now?”

Danny made a face at him. “I’m still not allowed to use my powers in the school, Tuck. The only reason why Ishiyama didn’t force me to stay home until the inhibitors are fixed again is because Mom was about three seconds away from throwing down.”

“Ah, come on, nobody will care.” Tucker shoved his phone into Danny’s chest. “Please?”

“If I get in trouble I’m siccing my mom on you,” Danny assured Tucker, taking the phone. “Just know that.”

Tucker nodded, grinning.

“You’re a bad influence!” Valerie tacked on from Danny’s other side. “But also, I definitely wanna see this, Fenton!”

“The worst,” he repeated, rolling his eyes. He held the phone carefully between his hands, coaxing his core into releasing a little energy. Charging electronic devices was tricky; he had to find the right balance between too much power, and too little.

And to hold back on the ecto. That was also a very important part. No one wanted another incident like the possessed toaster.

Bright blue sparks danced over his fingers. Jumped from the digits to the device held in-between them. The phone’s screen lit up, suddenly, displaying a rapidly filling battery.

Danny waited until the battery passed 80% before stopping the electricity. He held onto the phone for a moment longer, until he was sure that it wouldn’t shock Tucker.

“Make sure it’s charged next time,” he said as he handed the phone back. “Once the inhibitors are fixed again, I won’t be able to charge it for you.”

“I know, I know.” Tucker rolled his eyes, taking the phone. “Thanks, though. You’re a lifesaver.”

---

“Mr. Fenton?” the reedy voice of Mr. Falluca asked, and Danny jerked to awareness. Him, almost falling asleep in class? No sir!

“Yeah?” he replied, rubbing through his eyes. “Sorry, what did you ask?”

“Nothing yet,” the teacher assured him, smiling in a way that instantly unnerved Danny. “But I was wondering if you could offer us a hand?”

Instant paranoia. “Uh, maybe? With what?”

“I was hoping you could help me with a demonstration,” Falluca started explaining, gesturing to the front of the classroom. “We don’t have any equipment for a large experiment, but I have everything I need to a demonstration… except for a bunsen burner.”

“Okay…” Danny said, slowly. “Um. Mr. Falluca, are you aware of the fact that I’m still not allowed to use my ghost powers in the school, even if I’m not wearing my inhibitors?”

Falluca started nodding before Danny had even finished talking. “Yes, of course I know, Mr. Fenton. But the inhibitors got damaged during my class, and I should’ve noticed and interfered long before it came to that. Consider the free use of your powers in my classroom an apology of sorts.”

“What about the other students? Won’t they tell Ishiyama, or Lancer, or something?”

“Nonsense, Danny. They love Phantom to bits,” Falluca dismissed. “Besides, I will say that it’s fine. Even if one of them tells the principal, well. It’s my word against theirs, isn’t it?”

Well, he could hardly argue with that. “If you’re sure, Mr. Falluca.”

Danny was promptly led to the front of the classroom, with Mr. Falluca briefly explaining what they were going to do, and how hot the flames would have to be. It all sounded fairly doable.

They waited until the bell had rung and everyone had found their seats. Mr. Falluca cleared his throat, and the class silenced.

“First off, I’m sorry to say that today’s experiment has been canceled due to safety concerns. The accident yesterday unfortunately spooked my fellow teachers. Instead I’ve put together a demonstration, so you’ll have some form of practicum to match with the theory.”

Mr. Falluca gestured over at Danny. “Now, while I have the materials, I do not have the equipment. Mr. Fenton will help me demonstrate. I expect you all to behave, and not to go running off to inform the principal about this, yes?”

“Yes, Mr. Falluca!” the class chimed back, loud and enthusiastic. Danny’s core hiccuped with startled joy.

“Very good. Mr. Fenton?” Falluca turned to look at him. “The floor is yours. Shift whenever you’re ready.”

Danny nodded, tugging on his core. Light flashed, and a few of his classmates gasped as he transformed.

“Ready,” he said, tugging on the hem of his gloves. He could handle his own flames just fine, but the heated glass? Nah, he needed protection for that stuff.

“Alright. For today’s lesson, we will be focusing on chemical reactions based on heat.” Falluca ducked below his desk, then came up again holding a large bag of sugar. “This will be our material for this test: regular sugar. When sugar gets heated, what happens to it?”

A few glances were exchanged among the students, but no one raised their hands.

“No one knows?” Falluca prodded. “I’ll pick someone to answer, then. Star?”

She jerked to awareness. “Um. It burns?”

“Eventually, yes, but before that, something else happens. Anyone else?”

Complete silence.

Mr. Falluca frowned. “Hm. Well, let’s see if you can figure it out during the demonstration. I’ll put some of the sugar in a spoon, which Danny can heat.”

The teacher shook some of the sugar into a spoon, handing it to Danny afterwards. “Slowly build up the heat, please.”

“Gotcha.” He took the spoon in his left hand, carefully holding on to the far end, and raised his right hand underneath the scooping end. Gently coaxed his core into producing heat.

A small but bright green flame formed in the palm of his right hand, directly underneath the spoon.

Danny angled the spoon a little, so the class could see the sugar on the inside. And then, slowly but surely, ramped up the heat. The sugar warmed up, its color shifting into a warm brown.

“Is it… turning into caramel?” Valerie asked, drawing Danny’s attention away from the spoon again. Huh. Was it? Falluca hadn’t actually told him what it would do.

“Correct, Miss Gray!” Falluca clapped his hands together, cheerily. “Sugar, when heated, caramelizes. Normally, I would say that you’re free to have a taste, but I’m not sure if that would be a good idea now, Danny?”

“Probably not,” he agreed, keeping up the flame. “This level of ecto-contamination isn’t actually dangerous, but it won’t taste good, especially if you’re not used to eating it. And it might make you feel queasy.”

Mr. Falluca nodded along. “Yes, I figured as much. Sorry, kids, no free caramel today! Danny, thank you for your help. You may return to your seat.”

He nodded, extinguishing the flame, and placing the hot spoon onto the desk. Having done all that, he let himself shift back to human, and walked back to his seat.

“Now,” Mr. Falluca started, “As for the science behind this…”

---

Danny had remained wary the rest of the day, but it seemed that the rest of the class had stayed true to their word. Ishiyama didn’t come complain to him, not during any of the lessons after chemistry or during lunch.

He rolled his shoulder, hearing his spine click repeatedly. Next to him, Tucker shivered and grimaced.

“Dude, do you really have to do that?”

“Nah.” Danny shrugged, then rolled his other shoulder. “But I wanna.”

Tucker glared at him, then flinched, turning towards the teacher. Mrs. Tetslaff was growling, but apparently not at them.

“Mr. Baxter, your showboating as landed another ball stuck in the rafters. How do you think we’ll get it back, hm?”

Dash shrugged, seemingly caught somewhere between meeting her gaze and cowering from it. “It’s no big deal.”

“No?” Tetslaff gritted back. “Why, are you gonna fly up there and fetch it for us?”

Danny knew what was coming even before Dash pointed at him.

Ah, yep, there it was. Right on time, buddy.

“Danny can do it, can’t he? Fly up there and get it for us?”

Tetslaff followed the finger, and Danny straightened up under her hard stare. “Hm.”

“Uh, I’m actually not allowed to use my powers in the school,” Danny tried. Nudged Tucker. “Right, Tuck?”

“Yes, yeah, exactly.” Tucker nodded along, like the good friend he was. “Buuuut…”

“No one will care, Fenton,” Tetslaff agreed, gesturing him over. “I’ve got your back.”

Well… he supposed that if it was fine with Falluca, it would be unfair not to help Tetslaff too. Right?

“I’ll have to shift,” he pointed out. “That okay?”

“Just go, scrawny.” She stepped back, half-turning. To stop the light from blinding her, maybe?

He nodded, already reaching out to his core. It woke, whirring more powerfully, releasing ghostly power into his system. Light flashed, rings haloing over his body, until he was left in his ghost form.

“Whereabouts is it?” Danny asked, craning his head up. With his enhanced vision he could see the rafters just fine, but chances were that the ball was wedged somewhere behind a beam.

“Right up here,” Dash said, pointing, and, ah. Danny had almost forgotten that the guy was also here. “Should be a pretty straight line.”

“Alright, I’ll… go get it, I guess.” Danny let gravity fade away, slowly lifting off of the ground. When no one tried stopping him, he let himself fly properly.

It was hard not to notice that almost everyone had stopped moving in the gym, though. All staring up at him and whispering, hushed.

Danny bit his lip, doing his best to focus on grabbing the ball. Whatever they were saying, he didn’t want to hear.

He halted, having leveled out with the rafters. Now where was that ball that Dash had gotten… ah! There it was.

And… stuck, apparently. Danny wrapped both of his hands around it, tugging, but it wouldn’t let go. He could’ve tried pulling harder, probably, but he was afraid of using too much power and destroying it entirely.

He bit his lip. How…

Oh, duh.

With his hands still on the ball, Danny forced it intangible. Pulled it out from its place behind the beam with ease.

“Got it!” he called down, holding out the now-tangible ball. “But, uh… There’s a few more up here, I think?”

“So that’s where all my balls keep disappearing to!” Tetslaff grunted so loudly that even Danny could hear it. “Drop that ball, Fenton, and go get the rest!”

“Gotcha!” He released the ball, watching it plummet down. Dash caught it before it hit the ground, though, raising a thumb’s up in Danny’s direction.

Ugh, weird. He still hadn’t gotten over Dash’s… everything, after the reveal.

It was better than getting beat up, he supposed, but just… weird. He’d gotten so used to all the normal stuff that the changes were throwing him off.

Actually, maybe that was why he was still so reluctantly to trust everyone with his ghost powers. Not a secret anymore, but he still kept it like one.

The fact that Ishiyama had outlawed it helped on that end too, admittedly.

Danny shook the thoughts off, floating over to another ball stuck in the rafters. Well, no point in worrying about all that, right? Fretting never helped anyone.

He grabbed onto the ball, tugging it loose with ease. Looking down to make sure it wouldn’t hit anyone, he released it. It hit the ground with a pleasing rubbery noise, bouncing off to the side.

A quick glance around led him to a third ball, but after that the rafters seemed clear.

“That was the last of them, I think,” he shouted down to Tetslaff.

“Good job, Fenton!” she yelled back, sticking up a thumb. “Now get down here and show us that athleticism of yours!”

Well. Couldn’t win them all, could you?

---

Valerie appeared to be mashing her head into her locker door. Danny paused, hesitantly, then crept closer. “Are you alright, Val?”

“Peachy,” she grumbled back, not taking her head off of the metal surface. “I broke my lock and now I can’t open my locker anymore.”

“Ah…” Well, that explained it. “Can’t you get it fixed, or replaced, or something?”

“Yeah, but that’ll take a bit.” She lifted her head, finally. “I can’t leave all this stuff overnight.”

Oh, she had her ghost hunting gear in there, huh? “Oh, you have that stuff in there, gotcha.”

She was staring at him, now. “Say, Danny…”

“I don’t think I like that tone of voice,” he said, frowning at her. “What are you doing, Val?”

“Can’t you…” She blinked at him, big watery eyes. Oof, he thought she’d outgrown the cutesy pretense. “Phase it out for me? I mean, you charged Tucker’s PDA, and I’m your friend too… right?”

“Now you’re playing dirty,” he grumbled, rolling his eyes. “Ugh, fine, but you’ll have to cover for me.”

Valerie nodded, swapping places with him so she stood facing the hallway. Her back pressed against his own, warm and solid with muscle.

He took a deep breath, pulling on his core once more. Tingles ran through his arm, turning the limb cold and see-through.

Danny phased his arm through the locker, carefully feeling around for Valerie’s bag. It wasn’t that hard; there was limited space in a locker, after all. His fingers grasped onto the tough fabric, before he pulled it out. His arm, and the bag, returned to their solid state.

“Thanks, Danny.” Valerie took the bag from him again, bumping him gently. “You’re a lifesaver.”

“Yeah, well. Don’t mention it.” He grinned back. “Literally, or Ishiyama will kill me.”

She snorted, swinging the backpack onto her back. “Yeah, I gotcha. See you tomorrow.”

---

Danny walked into the classroom, nodding at Mr. Lancer.

“Ah, Mr. Fenton,” the teacher greeted him. “I was about to ask you for your help, but I see your inhibitors were fixed sooner than predicted.”

“Uh.” Danny paused, looking down at the bracelets around his wrists. “Yeah, I mean. They’re not up to 100% functionality, but… Wait. Why?”

“Us teachers, we had planned on giving you ample opportunity to use your powers while you could,” he explained, lowering his voice so no one else could overhear. Danny crept a little closer. “But we had planned on spreading it out a little, since we thought we had a few days.”

Danny blinked at him, surprised. “But… If you’re all okay with my powers, why do I still have to wear the inhibitors?”

“Principal Ishiyama is in charge, I’m afraid.” Lancer smiled, ruefully. “And even if we had more of a say in the matter, I’m afraid that our students’ parents are very vocal about allowing a ‘potentially dangerous’ ghost in the school.”

“Right,” Danny said, stomach plummeting. “I… of course.”

“It’s needlessly cruel, and untrue as well, but I’m afraid there’s nothing we can do about it.” Lancer patted his shoulder. “Listen, Danny. Just know that we, the teachers and the students, will always support you. We know you, the real you. Don’t mind those others too much, okay?”

He nodded. “Yeah, I… yeah. Thanks, Mr. Lancer.”

“Always.” Lancer gestured over to the classroom as a whole. “Better get seated now, Danny. And if you ever run into trouble…”

“I know who to ask.” Danny’s core chirped in his chest, and he smiled at Lancer. “Thanks.”

He walked back to his seat, sitting down between Sam and Tucker.

“What was that about?” Tucker asked, leaning closer. “You in trouble?”

“The opposite,” Danny admitted with a laugh. “Apparently all the teachers banded together to let me use my powers while the inhibitors were broken, but they got fixed faster than they’d expected.”

“Wow, really.” Sam blinked, turning to look at Lancer. “I didn’t expect them to be willing to rebel against Ishiyama like that.”

“Yeah,” Danny said, his core rumbling loud and pleased in his chest. “It keeps surprising me, too.”

[kaiyaps]

Blood

They called it the vessel, just so because it was a vessel of destruction. It had killed so many people across their fair country. Leaving naught in it’s wake, save for a blood stained ground. Avarice was young and heeded the warnings of the adults in the village. She stayed indoors when it got past suppertime, she didn’t stray far from the house when she played during the day and always locked her bedroom door. One night she awoke to a horrible sound, a woman was screaming, then silence. Another scream, most likely a man, silence again. Closer, she recognised Miss Callaway, her neighbour, voice talking, then silence, a short scream and silence again. She quietly left her bed and made it like her mother had said to do when you get out of bed. She could hear more voices now, the village was waking up. She hid under the bedframe her blanket hanging over the side, obscuring her from view. She was clutching the doll her mother had made her, fashioned after the duchess governing their province. She could hear her parents talking now, suddenly she heard her mother scream, silence, her father started to say something in a quiet voice she’d never heard him use before then, silence. To her surprise nothing tried to open her door, she didn’t have to climb out the window like her father had said to do. She hated climbing out the window her legs would dangle and she scraped her knees last time. The screaming and silence pattern continued long into the night, until the silence was no longer interrupted. Avarice did as any good girl would do in her situation, she went to bed and slept until morning.

When the sun woke her the next day she had briefly forgotten the events of the previous night. Still rubbing her sleepy eyes she wandered into the kitchen and found it was covered completely in blood. The fireplace, the pots, her mothers favourite apron. Everything was drenched in sticky congealing blood. It smelt awful and she decided to go outside to get some fresh air. This did not help as the morning sun was warming the blood all over the ground in the village, it smelt worse than what was in her kitchen. Feeling overwhelmed she trotted past the village square her feet sticking to the ground as she went out to the paddocks where Mr. Baltimore’s sheep were. They bleated expectantly at her, there was no hay stack for them to munch on this morning. She remembers hearing Mrs. Baltimore shouting last night. She pet the sheep until they realised she wasn’t going to feed them and scattered about the paddock nibbling on what was left of the spring grass. She picked at the grass, hungry but not wanting to go back into the kitchen. Fly’s were starting to collect around her feet and she decided to walk down to the small river next to Mr. Baltimore’s farm. She dipped them in the water and watched the blood float down the stream in translucent ribbons. Once they were clean she wiped them with her nightdress and sat by the bank throwing peddles. She was still hungry. From across the paddock she could hear shouting, normally she would stay away because it was probably the school boys making a ruckus. But she was bored and hungry so followed the voices. Eventually she stood on the outskirts of the village again, dreading the smell of blood. However it did not dissuade her for long. She marched along the street the blood having dried more now, until she saw a collection of armoured men, knights she realised, on horseback. One of them noticed her and pointed, all the men stood to attention and drew their weapons, they were aimed her. Why? she thought, knights were meant to protect little girls. The one that had noticed her dismounted at the order of one of the fancier looking knights, he had a flag on his spear. The knight approached her slowly weapon still pointing at her, she stood still and didn’t move. When he got close enough she spoke.

“I’m hungry.” She stated hoping he would understand her predicament, to punctuate this her stomach growled. The knight stopped moving and looked back at his friends, they were talking amongst themselves.

“Hungry for what?” One of them shouted, he was shorter than the others. She smiled.

“Breakfast, I have eggs and milk.” She replied, the knights started talking again and lowered their weapons, she could hear bits of their conversation now that they had stopped whispering.

“Well they didn’t say it could talk, or that it looked like a little girl.” There was another little girl? There was only little boys in her village, she got excited.

“Can I meet her? I’m sure we’d be fast friends!” The knights stopped talking for a moment then a couple of them chuckled.

“Fast friends, more like fast dinner.” One of the older knights muttered.

“We should probably search for more survivors before we move on, this-” He pointed at Avarice.

“-hasn’t happened before, we can question her about what she saw at the Duchess’ Manor.” Avarice started jumping up and down, she’d never met the Duchess, only her stories from her mother.

“I would like that very much! I want to tell the Duchess about my doll.” The knight closest to her removed his helmet so she could see his face, it was a her. Her expression was soft as she kneeled down in front of Avarice.

“Alright but first we need your name, I’m Valery.” The knight held out her armoured hand.

“I’m Avarice nice to meet you!” She took the offered hand with hers and shook it vigorously earning a chuckle out of Valery.

The knights spent around an hour looking for other people in the village but found no one, it wasn’t a surprise, What was though, was Avarice.

“Why was she spared? It’s killed girls her age before why is she different?” Avarice was on the back of the lady knight’s horse and was playing with her doll, Valery had retrieved it from her bedroom upon request.

“I don’t know Daniel, I saw her room too, her door was untouched it hadn’t even tried to enter.” Valery replied. She had given Avarice some rations to chew on which the girl had devoured surprisingly quickly.

“Halt, I smell iron.” The knights horses all stopped and it was true, Avarice could smell that familiar scent. She held her nose.

“Proceed with caution, it’s never been active during the day but we must remain vigilant.” They resumed pace the smell growing stronger until they rounded a fork in the road. Before them was a near identical sight to Avarice’s village. The ground once again stained red, the only living creatures were curious foxes and birds. Attracted by the smell of blood but confused by the lack meat. However, unlike last time, they saw a figure standing in the square. It was motionless and hard to make out it’s details as it was exuding a blinding white. The knights froze.

“By god, is that it?” The older knight whispered, they waited in tense silence. It didn’t move and gave no indication it would. Suddenly Avarice noticed a chicken wandering near the horses. She loved chickens and wiggled free of her seat on the horse, her legs dangling off the side of the saddle. “Oh no.” she said it’s just like the window, before she fell and felt a sharp stinging sensation in her knee. The noise snapped Valery’s attention to her.

“Avarice no!” She whispered loudly but the thing had already started moving towards them. Valery dismounted immediately scooping up the little girl in her arms. The other knights made a defensive line preparing for the worst.

“Run!” Was all they heard as they both sprinted into the forest lining the village, Valery knew in her heart it was in vain, her fears cemented when she heard her comrades screams. They didn’t make it far before Valery’s hand was ripped from Avarice’s and the little girl was blinded by something. She wiped her eyes seeing that light tearing into what was Valery, all the while she shouted why at it until she couldn’t any longer. Avarice walked closer to it and felt something wrap around her throat, it wasn’t painful.

“Did you care for them?” It asked her in a voice like thunder, Avarice didn’t know what it meant.

“Who?” She asked honestly.

“Who else child?, your parents, village, those knights and this one.” It replied holding up the torn figure of Valery. Avarice thought for a moment, her mother said she cared for her and she would say it, but Avarice also said she cared for other people, people she didn’t know well. They always seemed upset when she’d say that however. Her mother explained only special people could be cared for, but she cared about everyone then.

“You are as I thought, without.” It said, and suddenly the body of Valery disappeared in a bright flash, more blood fell to the ground.

“Farewell, Peccatum.” It’s voice rolled that last word around like the rumble from a rain cloud. And just like it had done to Valery, it vanished, leaving Avarice alone again, and again she wasn’t scared, just hungry.

Commentary: This piece was intended for the week 3 ‘Role of the Reader’ task. My intention with this piece was to present a trope that I personally hate. People with Autism (like me) find it difficult sometimes to grasp the concept of empathy and so I created Avarice, her name literally meaning sin or greed. In my understanding of what I wrote, I made it so the ‘vessel’ didn’t need to kill her because she didn’t care about people in the way people cared about her. The vessel, as I the Author wrote, was intended to be perceived as the desire to hurt people through their bonds with others. There was a reason it would kill one person at a time. An example being Avarice’s mother who is killed and then she can hear her father talking and he is killed shortly after. The Vessel wanted things to see it kill the things they cared about. After killing her parents it didn’t understand why it couldn’t sense fear in Avarice and left her to continue onto the next town. Even when Avarice watched the Vessel kill Valery she doesn’t grasp the situation. Which was supposed to mirror the trope of Autistic children not feeling for the ones they should love. Which is blatantly untrue. I didn’t enjoy and still don’t enjoy the trope so it was interesting to write something I hate seeing in media.

[ghostsray]

Ch10: Corruption

(first - prev - next) (ao3)

"I don't get it," Kwan said from his seat at the A-listers table. "That mayor's kid only showed up for half a week and then suddenly disappeared."

Paulina shrugged. "He was homeschooled, wasn't he? Maybe he has, like, social anxiety or something. I mean, he barely talked to anyone on those days he was here."

"Still, I wonder how he's doing," Star said. "Do you think he got in trouble for that rumor about Vlad and the Fentons?"

Dash snorted. "As if either of Fenton's parents would hook up with Masters. His kid's probably just crying at home for being such a loser."

While the A-listers talked among themselves, our trio of friends sat several tables over. Maybe it was ghost-powered enhanced senses, but Danny was able to hear their conversation over the bustle of the school cafeteria. He looked down at his tray, but he didn't feel very hungry at the moment.

Sam paused from her salad to look at him. "Still worried?"

Danny bit his lip. "It's just, I haven't seen or heard from Niel ever since..."

He didn't need to continue. He had told his friends about what happened, and they knew what he was referring to.

"Dang," Tucker said. "I mean, we all knew that Vlad sucked, but it's sad that Niel had to find out that way." He looked at Sam and asked, "You haven't heard from him, either?"

She shook her head. "Nothing. Not even a text."

"You guys text?"

"Used to, apparently."

Danny shifted in his seat. "Maybe I should check in on Vlad's mansion. Niel could be in trouble."

"I doubt it," Sam said. "Vlad wouldn't hurt Niel after being so public about his so-called "adoption" of him. It would ruin his image."

Danny had to admit, that did make sense. Still...he couldn't shake how terrified Niel had seemed when he dropped by his basement with a melting Danielle in tow. Niel had disappeared into the portal after that, and Danny hadn't seen him since.

He wanted to share these thoughts with his friends, but he was stopped when a sudden cold gripped at his spine before escaping through his mouth in a puff of blue mist. The mist wasn't as easily visible to humans as it was to ghosts and half-ghosts, but Sam and Tucker had grown to recognize the stiffness in Danny's back that always accompanied his ghost sense.

"Go," Sam told him. "We'll think of a way to cover for you if you take long."

Danny nodded. He cast a quick glance over the cafeteria. As usual, nobody paid any attention to the three losers, and the ghost he sensed didn't appear to be in this room. Danny left his seat and sprinted outside.

Once in the hallway, he let his ghost sense puff out again and watched as it wisped down the hallway and around a corner. He'd gotten good at controlling his ghost sense into letting him know where the ghost was with more precision. He followed the blue mist until he stopped when the tingling in his spine grew alarming. The ghost was nearby.

He turned his head around. The hallway was empty, but the entrance to the biology lab stood next to him. Cautiously, he opened the door an inch and peeked inside, then threw it wide open when he saw the figure slumped on the floor against one wall.

"Dani?" he said, because that was whom his mind first went to when he saw the pool of ectoplasm growing from the ghost. But after a closer look, he determined that whoever it was definitely wasn't Danielle.

Then the ghost raised its molten face, and Danny inhaled sharply and said, "Niel?"

It was him, all right. The clone he had been worrying over just a few seconds ago...and seeing how he looked, Danny had a feeling that his worrying was justified.

Danny landed on his knees next to the boy and asked, "What happened?"

Niel looked terrible, both because of the whole melting thing and because he was crying. He was sniffling and blinking teary eyes as he said, "I didn't know what to do. I didn't want to trust Vlad."

"Vlad..." Danny cursed and said, "You were supposed to be his prime clone. If he saw you destabilizing and knew you were imperfect--"

Niel shook his head. "He promised he can fix me."

"What? Then why didn't you let him?"

"I--" His eyes released more tears and one of his hands turned completely into goo as he said, "I don't know."

Danny wanted to know what happened, but he figured now was not the time for questions. "It's fine. The Ecto-Dejecto worked for Dani, so it'll probably work for you, too." He hesitated and asked, "Can you stand?"

Niel tried to push himself up. His limbs wobbled before he slipped on his own ectoplasm and dropped back down. So that was a no. Danny wrapped his arm under Niel's arms, ignoring how slippery he was, and hoisted him up.

Danny knew class was about to start soon, but it seemed that he would be skipping...again. That sucked, considering how many credits he had to make up for, but Niel's problem was much more important at the moment. He was just about to go ghost and carry them both home when the whine of an ecto-gun suddenly grabbed his attention.

He turned to the door and widened his eyes before hurriedly pushing Niel behind him and greeting, "Val!"

Valerie stood in the doorway, ecto-gun in hand. She raised an eyebrow. It was pretty obvious that she could still see Niel despite Danny's weak effort to hide him. "Why are you helping a ghost?" she asked.

"Ghost? What ghost?" Danny said with a nervous chuckle. He sent Niel a glare, silently telling him, Why aren't you turning invisible?!

Too late, Valerie had already seen him. "Danny..."

Danny sighed. He raised one hand in a placating gesture and said, "Look, he's not harming anyone. He's hurt."

"I wouldn't be so sure," Valerie replied with narrowed eyes. "His ecto-level reading is off the charts."

Was it? That seemed strange, considering how weak Niel appeared, but he supposed it would make sense for him to have inherited Phantom's overpoweredness.

"Anyway, aren't you supposed to be super terrified of ghosts or something?" Valerie pointed out, looking at Danny weirdly. "Or do you always run away from ghost encounters just because?

"Oh, um..." He chuckled again and rubbed his neck, trying furiously to think of a valid excuse. "Uh..." He pointed accusingly at her and shouted, "You're a ghost hunter!"

Valerie's eyes widened before she hid her gun behind her back and said with a nervous smile, "Of course not! I'm just carrying around a gun for safety. You know how often this school gets attacked by ghosts."

"Uh huh. If it was for self-defense, then why did you seek the ghost out instead of letting Phantom take care of him?"

"Phantom is a ghost, too. I don't trust him."

"So you are a ghost hunter!"

"And you're not terrified of ghosts!"

Both of them looked sheepish as they realized they had no way of backing themselves up.

They might have stood there awkwardly forever if Valerie's eyes hadn't drifted to the wall behind Danny. She cursed and exclaimed, "Great! The ghost got away!"

Danny turned around and found that Niel was gone. Additionally, there was a vaguely Niel-shaped coating of ectoplasm on the wall where he may have phased through. Danny was relieved that Niel got away from Valerie, but he really hoped he was okay.

Valerie walked until she stood in front of the wall, unobstructed by Danny's view. While she wasn't looking at him, Danny took this opportunity to run out the lab. Valerie's head whipped around as she heard him sprint.

She called out his name, but Danny was already down the hallway. He hid in the nearest broom closet he could find and transformed. Invisible, Phantom flew out the school and began searching for Niel.

Turns out that wasn't very hard. All he had to do was follow the trail of ectoplasm that led down the street. Danny's gut twisted. He really, really hoped Niel was okay.

Danny followed the trail until he stopped in front of the Nasty Burger a couple of blocks away. Niel was hiding behind a shrub in the parking lot. Danny was so relieved when he saw him that he let out a deep breath.

Niel flinched in surprise and started looking around frantically before Danny dropped his invisibility with a chuckle. "It's okay, it's just me! Jeez, I know you had to get away from Val, but you didn't have to travel this far."

Niel didn't reply. He averted his gaze from Danny and curled up, bringing his knees to his chest. Even though it was just Danny, his eyes still had that haunted look to them, and he was shivering--which didn't do much good for his melting.

Danny knew he needed to calm Niel down before he stressed himself into a puddle of goo. He gently landed next to the clone and said, "Wanna talk?"

Danny almost expected him to keep quiet, but Niel answered, "What is there to talk about other than the fact that my life utterly sucks?"

Okay, so Niel was going through some problems. He could see that. He cracked a smile and said, "Hey, join the club. My life--or half-life, at least--sucks, too."

He meant that as a joke to lift the mood, but he realized too late that it probably wasn't what Niel needed to hear. The other boy glared at him and said, "Your life sucks? You have a family who loves you, best friends, Sam probably likes you--"

"What?"

"--and you don't have a homicidal maniac for a dad!"

After that angry response, Niel buried his face into his arms and continued to sob. Okay. So Danny probably needed to approach this with gentle sympathy, and not stupid jokes.

"I mean...have you met my dad?" Dammit Danny why do you have to suck at comforting people. He really wished Jazz were here instead. She was at college, although it was Friday, so she'd probably be visiting home that day. If only she were here sooner.

Niel lifted his head long enough to glare at him, and Danny sighed and admitted, "No, you're right. Your dad is much worse than my parents." He frowned as a realization dawned on him, and he said, "Wait, I thought you hated my parents."

Whatever he said, it wasn't the right thing. Niel clenched his jaw and balled his hands (or hand and a half, considering one of them was little more than a blob of ectoplasm at this point) into fists. "I don't know! I don't..."

"Hey, dude, it's cool," Danny said quickly. He tried to rub Niel's back for comfort--that was what Jazz always did to him whenever he had a mental breakdown--but when he touched his body, he instantly recoiled as a shock went through his fingers. A static shock? Wait, but Niel was in ghost form. That didn't make sense.

Niel brushed him off and messily stood up, fist(s) by his sides. "I'm just...so sick of everything! I was supposed to be made to replace you, you know, but I get nothing from your perfect life."

Danny froze and let out a nervous chuckle. "You don't, like...actually care about replacing me, though. Right?" He stood beside him and added, "By the way, I wasn't kidding when I said my life sucked. Sure, your life may seem terrible right now, but nobody's life is perfect..."

"Shut up!" Niel shouted and thrust a hand in Danny's direction. Danny had just enough time to duck and dodge Niel's ecto-beam--wait, no, that wasn't an ecto-beam. That was...a bolt of lightning? The lightning hit the restaurant building behind Danny, and he heard several things crack and people scream. He turned around and saw that the windows had burst. Smoke was billowing out, and Danny was pretty sure that wasn't from the cooking.

Danny turned back to stare at Niel, but the boy didn't seem shocked or guilty from what he'd done. He didn't seem anything at all, actually. His eyes were distant, unseeing. His chest still heaved, which did nothing to stop his gradual liquefaction.

Oh god oh frick. Danny wanted to slap Niel in the face multiple times, but he had to save those inside the restaurant. He zoomed toward the building and peeked in through the broken glass.

Thankfully, due to the time of day--when most people were at school or working--there weren't many people inside. Those who were there were rushing out the door. They reached the outdoor safely without his help, and Danny was just about to accept that he wasn't needed when a flame grew with a roar in front of him. He stumbled back and landed on his butt before picking himself up again.

Now that he noticed it, all the lights inside the building had burst and were sending sparks across the room, many of which caught on wooden furniture and gave birth to fire. The sprinkler system must have still been broken from the last ghost fight, though he didn't know if that would have helped anyway.

The smoke blowing at him was suffocating. He covered his mouth and nose with a gloved hand and backed away. He was in ghost form; he knew he didn't need to breathe. A small part of his brain that spoke in Jazz's voice told him his suffocation was purely psychological, but that didn't make him any less reluctant to breathe the fire in.

His eyes stung. He blinked furiously as the sight before him sunk in. He was at the Nasty Burger. The Nasty Burger was on fire. He was at the Nasty Burger, and the Nasty Burger was on fire. A numb paralysis spread through his body and squeezed his chest and he still couldn't breathe. He was at the Nasty Burger, the Nasty Burger was on fire, his friends and family were dead and his older self was laughing menacingly, eyes flaring red and fangs glinting in the fire--

No. No! Danny had to physically shake his head to shove that memory away. Dan wasn't here! His alternate future self was trapped safely inside a thermos in Clockwork's lair. His friends and family were alive. The Nasty Burger still hadn't blown up. Clockwork erased that timeline!

Or did he?

Danny focused his eyes and saw Niel still standing in the same spot, still staring at the fire dazedly. His eyes were flaring red, his mouth was open slightly to reveal his fangs. His skin was blue and his cape billowed and his hair seemed to wisp at the edges like it was made of fire.

Danny told himself that Niel wasn't Dan. But how could he be sure he won't turn into him? Niel was already jealous of Danny's life; how could he be sure that the clone won't take his place then proceed to do the same decisions Danny had done in that dark timeline? How could he know that Niel won't become corrupted?

"Not him," Danny found himself mumbling. "Please. Not him."

Niel must have heard him, because he turned his head slightly toward him with a frown, like he was just beginning to wake. Another roar came from the building as the fire ate through the walls, and Niel blinked and suddenly jolted awake from his stupor. His eyes finally focused on the image before him, and they widened. Had he done that? he seemed to wonder.

"Ice," he said, then turned to Danny seriously and shouted, "Use your ice!"

Danny didn't hear him. He was having his own little breakdown when Niel placed a goopy hand on his shoulder and brought him back to the real world. Danny flinched and shoved Niel away. Niel looked hurt, but Danny didn't care. Away, he wanted to stay away from that, that ghost--

Wait. What had he said? Ice? Danny wanted to slap himself and laugh at the same time. Of course, he had ice powers now! He didn't have them when he first faced off against Dan, but he did have them now. He could put out the fire before the whole place exploded.

Oh shoot the place could explode. Danny rushed inside, through the thick smoke and fire. He summoned his ice powers to the surface and began to freeze everything in sight. He may or may not have used a little more ice than necessary, but his goal was reached; the fires were put out. Just to be extra sure, he made certain that the vat of Nasty Sauce was cool, along with any heater or chemical that could have exploded in heat, before he finally allowed himself to slump in relief and floated back outside.

As soon as he made it out, he was tackled by Niel's melting form, whose ectoplasm was splattered all over Danny as he hugged him. Danny's first instinct was to go absolutely still, but then Niel sobbed and said, "I'm sorry! I didn't know what I was doing. I didn't mean to!"

Once Danny got over his shock, he brought his hand to Niel's back. Rubbing it didn't yield great results, considering how goopy and sticky Niel's body was, so Danny just patted him gently and said, "It's okay. No one got hurt."

Niel sniffled and pulled away. Seeing him, Danny was filled with immense guilt. How could he possibly have even considered that Niel could be Dan? Dan would never feel bad about what he had done. There was no way Niel could become corrupted enough into becoming a genocidal murderer. He was too sad, and too small.

Also, he was currently turning into a puddle. Danny probably ought to do something about that. "Hey, come on. We still need to get to my parents' lab to fix you up," Danny told him.

Niel nodded wordlessly. He let Danny do his best to hold him in his dissolving form, and the half-ghost carried them both to Fentonworks, the frozen-over restaurant shrinking behind them as they left.

[ladylynse]

Part II of this Dani-centric fic!

-|-

Danielle sucked in a breath through clenched teeth, clutching her right shoulder tightly.

She’d always thought she’d return to Amity Park under happier circumstances than these, that she’d come just to visit rather than because she had no one else to turn to for help.

But this wasn’t something she could treat herself.

She’d stayed in ghost mode for as long as she could, but the pain was more excruciating. It seemed to…eat at her from the inside, burning and burrowing deeper into her flesh. It wasn’t a bullet, and turning intangible earned her no relief. She’d thought she’d just sustained a wound from some sort of laser weapon.

The constant pain made her question that.

The constant pain, and the fact that the shooters had been the Guys in White. She’d managed to avoid them more often than not, but she’d crossed paths with them often enough to know that they were no longer a threat to laugh off. But even with that knowledge, they’d gotten better than she’d given them credit for.

Apparently.

Dani, who was currently leaning against the side of a building she’d crashed into not ten minutes before, tried to convince herself she had to start walking. Flight was really no longer an option, and she was, frankly, lucky she’d made it this far. She couldn’t maintain her ghost form, and flight in human form was too draining, especially now.

She pulled her toque off her head and pressed it to her wound. It was starting to bleed now, reinforcing the fact that this wasn’t an ordinary laser wound (as ordinary as laser wounds could be, anyway), and that she needed treatment of some sort sooner rather than later.

Now would be a good time to have a cell phone or money for a pay phone with a phonebook on hand, providing she could find one, but she had neither. If she could avoid it, she didn’t want to resort to knocking on doors and begging to use someone’s phone, not when she couldn’t think straight enough to recall Danny’s number.

It was summer holidays, so Danny wouldn’t be in school, but it also meant he might not be home. But surely someone would be, right, even if Danny was out with his friends? She could come up with some story, some excuse to wait for him or for whoever greeted her to contact him in the first place.

True, she didn’t know how to find his place when she wasn’t flying, but it couldn’t be that hard, could it? Anybody she asked would know. Even if it weren’t for the fact that the Fentons were the town’s ghost hunters, their house didn’t exactly blend in.

But she’d never find him unless she started moving.

Danielle groaned and forced herself to move, stumbling a bit but managing to keep her balance. Falling right now would not be good, because getting up would be extremely painful. But she had to get to Danny somehow, and that knowledge kept her going. If she could at least get to a part of town she recognized from ground level, she might be able to find her way from there. Maybe.

For the most part, Dani kept her head down and avoided looking at anyone. She just walked, ignoring everyone else and, as she’d expected, being ignored in return. She didn’t see any second glances she might have gotten, didn’t hear any sudden questions about her well being. She just focused on keeping on her feet and keeping her feet moving forward.

She didn’t stop until someone caught her arm, and then she realized that she’d heard her name being called. Glancing over, she saw none other than Valerie Gray.

Valerie Gray, the girl who had become the Red Huntress, the Hunter Girl, the one who had, in one future, discovered that the ghost she’d hunted down with a single-minded vengeance was actually her friend, Danny Fenton, and had accepted it.

Danielle, to her knowledge, had changed that future, but she hoped Valerie’s reaction would be the same.

If the past was anything to go by, it would be; Valerie had helped her, the girl who was part ghost, at Danny Phantom’s behest. Though Dani didn’t expect it would be particularly easy for her to reconcile everything, she was sure Valerie would forgive Danny—and more importantly, herself—when she learned the truth.

“Dani?” Valerie whispered as Dani swayed on her feet. “What happened?” She was staring at Danielle’s shoulder.

Dani swallowed. “Got…shot with…something,” she answered finally. “Guys…in White.”

“You need help,” Valerie said bluntly.

Danielle tried for a weak smile that may have come out like a grimace. “Yeah.”

Valerie stared at her for a moment longer. Then, “I don’t know if Phantom can help you.”

“I’ve…gotta try.”

Valerie’s lips thinned. “I’m gonna take you to the Fentons.”

Danielle blinked. “What?” Of all the things she’d thought Valerie might say, that one had never crossed her mind.

“They might be ghost hunters,” Valerie said, “but they’re the only ones besides Vlad who would have the technology and the know-how to treat you, and I don’t want to take you to Vlad any more than you want to go there.”

Valerie evidently took Dani’s silence for the agreement that it was, for she pulled Danielle with her into an alley before calling out her suit. She helped Dani up onto her jet sled and, when Dani admitted that she was ready, told her to hold on before taking off.

Danielle had definitely had more pleasant flights, since despite Valerie’s relatively slow speed, the pain emanating from Dani’s wound just increased until the throbbing was nigh on unbearable. But she did her best to ignore it, and she had her good arm clamped tightly around Valerie’s waist to keep steady.

It still felt like an eternity before FentonWorks came into view, however, and an eon until Valerie finally landed and Danielle could stumble off the sled and collapse onto the ground. Her toque was gone, and the stain on her shirt had spread, but she didn’t think the wound was bleeding too badly now.

Not by her standards, anyway.

“You’re shaking,” Valerie observed, crouching down beside her.

“I just…need a…minute,” Dani insisted, gritting her teeth as the pain flared up again. Her right arm was numb, and she almost wished the sensation would spread to her shoulder, just so it wouldn’t hurt anymore.

Valerie helped her to her feet, and Dani leaned on her heavily. She tried blinking the spots away from her eyes, but they weren’t going anywhere. More spots just came to join the first ones, and by the time they were at the Fentons’ door, Danielle could hardly see anything at all.

But she had to hold on until Danny got here, until she could explain. She had to.

“Hi, Mrs. Fenton!” Valerie. When had she knocked? When had the door even opened?

“Valerie? Who’s this? What happened? Was it ghosts?”

“Hunters,” Danielle managed as Valerie pulled her forward. She hissed when Maddie Fenton tried to support her from the other side. At some point, she lost track of the conversation, lost track of whatever lie Valerie was spinning for the Fentons, and soon after that, she lost her tenuous grip on consciousness entirely.

XXXXXXX

Danielle groaned and blinked before squeezing her eyes tightly shut again. It was too bright. And her head was pounding in time with her heart, and her shoulder felt like someone had taken a shot at it.

Nothing new, then.

Cool hands helping her up, then, “Easy now; you don’t want to overdo it.”

Dani opened her eyes more cautiously now, and she managed it without her head swimming. Danny’s mother stood before her, dressed in her ever-recognizable blue HAZMAT suit that Danielle knew better from Vlad’s hologram programs than from her brief times in Amity Park.

Maddie looked much nicer in person.

“I’m Maddie Fenton, sweetie. Valerie said your name was Danielle?”

Dani nodded mutely, unable to keep from darting glances at her surroundings. A nearby bench of scalpels and needles caught her eye, and she had to remind herself, sternly, that this wasn’t Vlad’s lab. She wasn’t back there, and she certainly hadn’t been caught by the Guys in White. It was just Danny’s parents.

Just his parents.

She’d been in their house before. She’d even been in their lab before. It was no different now that she was in the lab with the ghost hunter, right? All those tools she saw—especially the ones she couldn’t name—weren’t for dissection. Not for dissecting her, anyway.

She was safe.

She had to be safe.

“From what I understand,” Maddie was saying, “you were over by Elmerton when you ran into the Guys in White and were caught in the crossfire. Is that correct?”

It was close enough, so Dani nodded again. She still didn’t trust herself to speak.

“Jack—my husband—went to investigate. We’re ghost hunters, honey. Paranormal experts. That’s why Valerie brought you to us: we have a better chance of understanding what affect the weapon had on you than someone at the hospital.”

“You’re the famous Fentons,” Dani whispered.

Maddie smiled. “Only in certain circles, I’m afraid. But you needn’t worry; paranormal studies may have been my focus, but I am competent in the medical field as well. You’re in good hands.”

It was just Maddie Fenton, Vlad’s college sweetheart. The Maddie program was based off this woman. So why was it that now, once Dani was finally meeting her face to face, all she could focus on was Danny’s remarks that his mother was a much better ghost hunter than his father?

And that she was on a cold, stainless steel table in the lab, mere inches away from a variety of tools that could be used to tear her apart, armed with the knowledge that if she looked just a little bit different, the woman in front of her would be smiling for a very different reason as she advanced on her?

Maybe coming to Danny wasn’t such a good idea after all.

Then again, she hadn’t had any other choice. No good ones, at any rate. “My shoulder….”

“I’ve done the best I can,” Maddie said, “but I’d like you to stay here until I’m confident time is all you’ll need to see that shoulder as good as new. Ecto-weapons don’t normally have such an effect on humans, but the Guys in White have become more desperate and their tactics more extreme. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that they are compromising the safety of innocent bystanders.”

She didn’t know. It was perfectly fine. She didn’t know. Danielle had nothing to worry about.

Except for, possibly, the whole ‘staying here’ part—because as much as Dani would love it, she couldn’t.

She could understand how Danny managed to live under the same roof as ghost hunters. They were his family; they loved him, and he loved them. It was enough to suppress the shivers that would otherwise run down his spine, the tingling sense of danger that raises the hairs on the back of the neck, and the feeling of dread that settles in the stomach.

But this wasn’t her house, and it wasn’t her family, and she couldn’t rid herself of the feeling that she should get out before they discovered her.

Coming when they were all asleep was one thing; when they were awake and in easy reach of weapons? That was something else entirely.

She’d learned to avoid being vulnerable like this, and it was hard to pretend that it was her shoulder that worried her the most right now.

“I’ve dressed your wound and I don’t think it will get infected, but I’m afraid you aren’t out of the woods yet.” Maddie paused. “Do you know what they hit you with?”

Danielle shook her head. “Not really. Some kind of laser gun thing, I guess. I’ve never seen it before.”

Maddie raised an eyebrow. “Unless you cross paths with the Guys in White often, I wouldn’t expect you to recognize it.”

Dani bit her lip. “I meet them more often than you’d think,” she confessed. If she was going to spin a lie, she needed to tell a good portion of the truth. “I want to be a ghost hunter. So I…. Look, you’re going to say it’s dangerous. I know you are. But I’m not going to learn anything unless I get out in the field.”

“You sought them out?”

The surprise in Maddie’s voice was clear, and Danielle knew that was one assumption she’d have to correct. “No. I was…going after a ghost, and they turned up. I lost my own weapon in the scuffle. It’s not much, anyway. Something similar to your ecto-guns that I tried making myself. I was going to field test it, and….” She trailed off. “I never got the chance.”

“You took a weapon out into the field before testing it?”

Dani flinched, wishing Maddie didn’t sound quite so incredulous. But being thought a foolish girl was infinitely better than the truth. “I couldn’t just keep teaching myself based on theory. I needed practical experience. Finding a ghost was the best way to get it. I was headed to Amity Park but saw some before I reached it.”

Maddie’s earlier frown had returned, completely replacing her surprise. “You’re by yourself?” Danielle hesitated a beat too long, and Maddie’s frown deepened. “You’re not running away?”

“I don’t have any parents,” Dani mumbled, tearing her eyes away from Maddie’s searching gaze and wondering how she could possibly change the topic.

Maddie sighed and put a hand on Danielle’s good arm. “Honey, I know life can be difficult, but whoever is taking care of you loves you very much. I’m sure they’re worried sick about you. We’ll just call to let them know you’re spending a few days here, all right?”

So much for sticking to as much of the truth as possible. Danielle sighed. “I was staying with my cousin,” she said, not offering an explanation about her parents. Maddie could make her own assumptions. “I’ll call him. He’ll understand.”

Danny’s cell phone number was the only one she had memorized besides Vlad’s.

Maddie fixed her with a searching gaze, and Dani found it difficult not to squirm. “This isn’t the first time this sort of thing has happened.”

Dani started to shrug before a shooting pain stopped her, and she settled for twirling one finger in a circle on her leg. “I get a lot of free reign. He trusts me.”

“He’s your guardian, then.”

Danielle didn’t correct her. It was better that she didn’t. She didn’t know what would happen if Maddie decided to play the Good Samaritan. What would she think if she realized the girl who sat before her had no records? That she was living a lie? That she didn’t officially exist?

That she didn’t belong to anyone, didn’t belong anywhere?

“Tell me the number and I’ll call him.” Dani’s head shot up, and Maddie added, “I’m perfectly capable of leaving a message if he’s not home.”

“No,” Danielle insisted immediately. “I’ll do it.” Having dealt with enough adults to know that she’d have to have a better argument for Maddie to concede, Dani added, “He won’t be as alarmed if I talk to him. I’m feeling better now. He’ll be able to hear that. He won’t worry as much.”

As Dani had anticipated, it worked. Maddie relented, finally bringing her a cordless handset, and Danielle lost no time in phoning Danny’s number. He didn’t pick up—the phone went straight to voicemail—but that worked out better for her. “Hey, cuz,” she said once the tone had sounded. “I just thought I should let you know I’ll be crashing in Amity Park for a few days. It’s fine. I’m with friends. I’ll call you later. Bye.”

Maddie arched an eyebrow. “No explanation?”

Danielle smiled sheepishly. “Not in a message. He does worry.” She handed the phone back, hoping Maddie wouldn’t ask any more questions about this.

Or hit re-dial.

But all Maddie did was put the phone down on a workbench and turn back to Dani, eyeing her shoulder again. “It’s seeping. I’ll have to change the dressing.”

Dani’s smile this time was a rather weak one. “Thanks for patching me up.”

Maddie sighed. “It’s little trouble, but I wish I didn’t have to in the first place. What you were doing was dangerous, Danielle. Promise me you won’t do it again.”

For a brief moment, Dani wondered if this is what having a mother was like.

It felt…nice.

And it made the thought of lying to her again even worse. Danielle settled for a small shake of her head. “I can’t.”

“You can,” Maddie countered, producing some gauze and a roll of tape. “It’s not simply a matter of being more careful, Danielle. I understand being eager, but you cannot let that eclipse your common sense. You should never have tried to face a ghost by yourself, especially with a homemade weapon you haven’t previously tested in a safe environment. When the Guys in White turned up, you should have gotten out of there. And you always need to remember to watch your back.”

“I know. I’m sorry.”

Maddie frowned. “Sweetie, I’m not looking for an apology. This is important. You aren’t invincible, and you could have been seriously hurt. As it is, I think you’ll have to keep your arm in a sling for the next few days. Every time you move, you’re aggravating the wound. You need to give it a chance to heal.”

She shouldn’t need to. It should be well on its way to healing already. But Maddie didn’t know that. She didn’t know how quickly Danielle normally healed. She didn’t know that the fact that the shooters had been the Guys in White meant that this situation was much worse than it appeared to be.

Because while Danielle had, at times, wished she had no powers or anything else that set her apart, wished her history was uninteresting and unremarkable, the fact remained that she was not and would never be an ordinary girl.

“I will,” Dani whispered. “I promise.” She wasn’t sure what Maddie had already done, but whatever the ministrations had been, they’d been effective. She was no longer in agony. She was pained, but not to the point that she couldn’t think.

It was, she imagined, as if she were a normal girl and this a normal wound.

It wasn’t a pretence she could keep up forever, but it would be nice while it lasted, for all that she wouldn’t care for the shattering point.

After a few more minutes of fussing, Danielle’s arm was safely in a sling, and Maddie had brought her upstairs to the kitchen table to get something to eat. Danny’s father was still out, presumably searching for any sign of the ghosts or the Guys in White that Danielle claimed to have run into. She hoped that, when he returned without finding a trace, they wouldn’t question all the holes in her story.

She suspected that was wishful thinking, though.

“You don’t mind grilled cheese, do you, sweetie?”

Dani smiled. “That’s fine, thanks.” A larger part of her than she cared to admit loved this feeling of being fussed over. Vlad had never fussed over her. She’d spent her time trying to please him; he’d spent his time trying to create the perfect clone. But she hadn’t seen that until later. She hadn’t realized he’d thought her a mistake. She’d loved him and thought he returned the feeling, and then when she’d found out he’d only been using her....

Then, when she’d realized that he wanted no record of his mistakes anywhere, that the best thing for her was to melt her down….

She’d gotten very good at putting up walls, at not getting attached. She knew how easily the life she built for herself could be torn away and she could be left with nothing. She knew what it was like to be abandoned. She knew how simple it was to exist in the shadows, being too afraid to risk darting into the light.

But she liked this feeling of not having to be by herself, this feeling that she could depend on someone. Maddie was a ghost hunter, yes. But she was Danny’s mother, and her mothering instincts had come out in full force. And Dani relished that.

Maybe it was because she was no longer in the lab. Maybe it was because Maddie didn’t seem as much like a ghost hunter when she wasn’t down there under harsh fluorescent light with sharp, glinting tools. Or maybe it was because Danielle couldn’t help but wish she had a real family. A real home. A real life.

Danielle wasn’t sure how long she was lost in her thoughts, but she was startled out of them when Maddie put a plate in front of her. The sandwich was cut into quarters—something easier to handle, Dani realized. Maddie poured her a glass of water as well, adding, “I’d offer you milk, but I’m afraid Jack put it a bit too close to the ectoplasm samples. It’s harmless, as far as we can tell, but it’s not something I’m willing to offer guests.”

Maddie was smiling, a clear indication that she was trying to get Danielle to relax by sharing this tidbit of information. She was trying to get her to laugh. Trying to get her to feel more comfortable, if not comfortable enough to share information in return.

All she’d achieved was to firmly remind Danielle that this was Danny’s family, not hers.

She was just a guest.

Guests were temporary.

Danielle reached for a section of sandwich. “Thanks,” she said again. She took a bite, savouring both the simple delight of a warm, freely offered meal and the fact that, with her mouth full, Maddie wouldn’t expect her to answer any questions.

It worked out well, all things considered.

But Danielle should have known that her luck was too similar to Danny’s for this to last.

In the end, all it took was one word to shatter the tentative reality she’d built. One single word. It was all so simple, and then…it wasn’t.

Because then, Danny came home, walked into the kitchen as he rambled something off to Maddie about the happy reprieve of ghost activity they were experiencing, caught sight of her, stopped short, and said, incredulously, “Danielle?”

3XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Danielle, Maddie decided, was a sweet little girl on the whole. She was polite and considerate of her guardian, and she was respectful while in another’s house. But while Maddie had expected some secrecy—she certainly hadn’t expected to hear the girl’s life story—she had thought she’d hear a bit more than she did.

Valerie had said next to nothing about her. She was a friend. She was interested in ghosts. She had, by her own admission, run into the Guys in White and become a victim of friendly fire.

But Maddie had learned much more about her current houseguest by observing her than through any of the answers she’d managed to get to her questions.

Danielle wasn’t shy so much as guarded. She was wary, and more nervous in a lab setting than she let on to the unschooled eye. For all that someone was looking after her, she had the look of someone who had spent far too much time on her own.

She looked like a kid who had run away too many times.

Maddie suspected, though her heart ached to think it, why Danielle—Dani, Valerie had said—had said she didn’t have any parents. It wasn’t that she had been orphaned and finally taken in by her cousin; it was that her parents had not been deemed fit to take care of her.

Maddie knew both she and Jack were guilty of being caught up in their work, but they did not neglect their children.

And they certainly did nothing that would even qualify as—

Well.

She couldn’t quite say that.

Before they’d known that Danny was Phantom, they’d done…. They’d done horrible, unforgivable things. The only saving grace was that they had never had the opportunity, in their ignorance, to go too far. Danny insisted that he was fine, of course. That it was all right, because they hadn’t known, and now that they did, they’d stopped.

But she’d overheard him talking to Jazz a bit more often than she would have expected, considering they were both teenagers. She’d never heard what they’d said—she couldn’t bring herself to eavesdrop after everything that had happened, and she didn’t need a lecture from Jazz on respecting Danny’s privacy and his right to silence, to telling them on his own terms in his own time, if she was caught at it—but there was no mistaking the muffled murmurs from behind Jazz’s closed door.

That was how she could tell when Danny went to Jazz: the meeting took place in her room. If the reverse was true, it was typically in Danny’s room.

And, if Danny wasn’t feeling up to a lecture from his older sister, the conversations were always a good deal louder.

She’d heard snatches of one or two from down in the lab.

But Danny’s case was unique. Danielle’s, unfortunately, might not be.

[dailyaudiobible]

11/26/2020 DAB Transcript

Daniel 2:24-3:30, 1 Peter 4:7-5:14, Psalms 119:81-96, Proverbs 28:15-16

Today is the 26th day of November welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I’m Brian it is great to be here with you. It's great to be here with you any day and every day, and today it’s great to be here with you. Happy Thanksgiving to those of you here in the United States but happy Thanksgiving to everybody of those of you anywhere in the world. Happy Thanksgiving. It's Thanksgiving Day, which is a national holiday here in the United States where we…where we…we give thanks and practice gratitude. And today also happens to be my daughter China's birthday. So, happy birthday China. She…she won't be having another birthday before becoming a mother as we all know. And I think we’re all pretty excited about that, but happy birthday China. So, it is great to be here with you today and we gather here every day for one particular purpose, and that is to allow God's word to just wash over us and speak to us. And, so, let's dive in. We’re reading from the New International Version this week. We began the book of Daniel yesterday and we talked about that. And we talked about how it's…it’s got kind of a front half and a back half. It's not like split down the middle or anything. There's not like a part one or a part two, but the first part of the story is the story of Daniel. And, so, we learned about Daniel being exiled and then King Nebuchadnezzar having a dream that he was demanding that his…his wise people interpret. The catch was the king wasn't willing to tell what the dream was. Like in order to know that his…his wise people were actually wise people turned…turned into…tuned into the spiritual world he wanted them to tell him what he dreamed and then tell him what the interpretation of the dream was. And there was a back and forth about that until the king decided to kill all the wise people, which was going to kill Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And, so, they went to prayer and God has given the answer. And as we begin our reading today Daniel will go before the king. Daniel chapter 2 verse 24 through 3 verse 30 today.

Prayer:

Thank You, Father for Your word. And on this day that, at least all around me, it is a day aimed at gratitude, a day of giving thanks, a day of understanding that without Your hand before us no path is getting cleared, we’re just moving in circles. And, so, we offer thanksgiving. We are giving You thanks for Your presence in our lives, for Your kindness, for Your care, for Your compassion, for Your goodness. We thank You. And we thank You for such a wonderful unspeakable gift, the gift of each other, that You have given us each other. And we make a mess of that and we often don't see it has a gift, but at its core if we can get over ourselves, if we can get beyond our own egos and desires and cravings and demands, underneath it all, it would be horrible to be on this planet alone, it would be so lonely. You have given us each other and we are thankful for that gift. And since…since China's birthday falls on Thanksgiving, we thank You for her and all that her life has meant and represented not only in our own family, but all around the world. We thank You for that. Come Holy Spirit today as we…as we try to live into gratitude and thanks. Lead our steps, lead our words, lead our deeds, lead our thoughts we pray. In Jesus name we ask. Amen.

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If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, you can do that at dailyaudiobible.com as well and a heart full of gratitude on a day of Thanksgiving is all I can say. Thank you with all of my heart. Thank you for your partnership. There is a link on the homepage. If you’re using the Daily Audio Bible app you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner or the mailing address, if that is your preference, is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.

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And that's it for today but happy Thanksgiving everybody. Even if you’re not here in the United States have a happy Thanksgiving there’s never a wrong time to have a heart of gratitude and a thankful posture. So, happy Thanksgiving. That is it for today. I’m Brian I love you I'm thankful for you and I'll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Community Prayer and Praise:

Hi this is Saved by His Grace and Happy Valley. I’m calling in for Duane from Wisconsin who has been so faithful as long as I can remember, calling in and first of all giving praise to God the Father and then Duane prays specifically for sons and daughters that we have called in worrying about. And now he needs us. His son Nicholas is getting out of jail and needs a place to stay. Duane isn’t sure he’ll be able to stay with him and his wife. And, so, family please join me in prayer. Dear heavenly Father I know You love Your child Duane from Wisconsin. He is so faithful to You and he has been so faithful in praying for the sons and daughters of so many and his own sons are in crisis. Please, please look down on him and act in his behalf and on behalf of his son Nicholas and his other son, I can’t think of his name, but I know You know it and Duane knows it. Please bless this family. Let them feel Your peace. Let them know that even a sparrow doesn’t fall to the ground without You noticing and You will surely lift up Duane and his family and the sons.

Hey guys this is Sonny from Florida and I just wanted to call in for Asherah, Sheer Joy in Alabama. I just want to pray for her in regards to, yeah, just the loneliness that she’s facing. Father God I want to pay for Asherah Sheer Joy. I just pray that she would not feel alone in Alabama. I pray that she would have godly brothers and sisters in Christ to make her feel at home, make her feel that she has a family because she does Lord. She has a family in Christ. So Lord I just pray that You would provide the people in her life to help her in her walk and make her feel loved and known and that she might as a result just turn to You Lord more and more and just see how good You are and how much You are always there for her and I pray that in Jesus name. And I also want to lift up mama bear from Southern California, her brother who has stage IV stomach cancer. Father God I just pray for her brother, I pray for healing Lord. I pray for a miraculous healing. Lord You’re willing and able. You can and You want to. Lord You’re a God of healing. So, Father, God I pray for a miraculous healing and her brother stomach. I pray that the cancer will be gone, and I pray that he would come to know You as a result and that just many people come to know You that Your name will be glorified. God, we pray we pray in faith that she would heal because You can and You’re willing Lord and I pray that in the authority of the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. Hey guys just an update. My wife Amanda is doing well with her chemo and we pray that she just continues to do well as she continues chemo. Thank you, guys. I love you. Bye.

Hello everyone, this is Candace from Oregon. I want you to join me please, please and prayers right now for our beloved Duane from Wisconsin. Dear Lord, thank you so much for Duane from Wisconsin who has prayed over us time and again so faithfully and believed for us. And we want to do the same back for him Lord. It sounds like it was quite the surprise that his son has been released and…from…from incarceration and will need…need to…well he’s asked if he can live with…with Duane and his wife. So, Lord give them incredible insight, wisdom and ability to support and uphold their son in all the right ways and none of the long mornings. Lord, we need wisdom that really only you have. Would you give Duane and his wife unconditional love, unbelievable wisdom and strength and creativity and patience? And I pray that their son would have a new life and a new way forward found in Jesus Christ. And we ask all of this in Jesus’ name.

My wife Kate from St. Simons Allen Georgia has been bed bound for three months with 24 seven nausea dizziness and fainting. Many tests have not revealed any answers. I’m asking for prayers for healing and comfort for her and strength for her spirit. She has been a follower of DAB since the beginning. Thank you.

Hello Daily Audio Bible friends this is Valerie from Cape Spring Arkansas and I had called in on October concerning my 36-year-old son, the one in respiratory therapy school who is very suicidal and doesn’t feel like life is worth living. Anyway, my prayer request was played October 19th and, you know, he did so much better after that. You know, I was just so thrilled but now he’s really having trouble again and he is just not doing well at all. He’s talking about jumping off a cliff or just going out in the woods and killing himself and making everyone think he’s missing. And he talks about this all the time and you mothers out there that put up with this, you know how heart wrenching this is for a mom. So, I would appreciate your prayers too as his mother. And I thank you for all your prayers for him. I know there’s hope for him at the end of the tunnel. Thank you all so much. And I appreciate the Daily Audio Bible so much. It’s just helped me tremendously with my life.

[dpjustified]

Bingo #5

(disclaimer: fanfic not headcanon)

(#5 Themes: Tucker punches Vlad, Vengeful Babes platonic version don’t kill me, Ghost Hunger with Vlad instead, and Dissection)

Dani growled at the man in front of her from her prison cell.

He was dressed in a suit, as usual, and was eating a steak. This steak, however, was different in that it was glowing green.

“Ah,” the man said, exposing his fangs. “Are you hungry? I’m sorry, want a taste?”

He cut a square and walked over to the cell, sticking it through the bars. She knocked it away in disgust.

“How can you eat ghosts, Vlad? When did this...happen to you?”

“It’s no different than normal meat, my darling little badger.” For some reason, he started calling her that again. He hadn’t since...she called him Father.

A crumpled form in the corner spoke up. “What are you doing this for? Let us go!”

“Ah, Valerie. Don’t worry, I have no interest in human meat. You should try this too. Fresh from the hunt. This ghost had the power to switch human body parts. It was no friend of yours. In fact, I only eat predators these days.”

“A...” Dani took a moment to throw up.

Valerie exclaimed, “You eat humanoids?”

“Like I said, it’s perfectly normal. You don’t know what you’re missing. The taste of it on your tongue, the exuberance you feel, the power flowing in your veins-” Vlad was simply glowing until Valerie cut him off.

“I don’t care if you get a power up from these things or not. You’ve gone too far, Vlad. And you can’t kidnap us, people will find you!”

He snapped his finger and a ghostly clone pushed Valerie from behind right into the bars.

“Are they, really? Vlad reached through the bars and stroked her chin. “Maybe for you, my dear, but not for this street urchin. And besides, didn’t you two barge into my house talking about how you wanted revenge? After all I did to help you with your revenge, Valerie, I’m hurt.” He turned to Dani. “You should be grateful you get to live in the first place, Danielle. I made you.”

Dani wiped her mouth and went right up to the bars to stare him down, even though her courage was shrinking with each passing second. “Technically, without stealing Danny’s DNA you wouldn’t have been able to make me in the first place. And I was never the one you wanted. I was a mistake. Somehow you made a girl instead, and all the boys kept dying because they were less stable than I am. Than I...was before Danny saved me. We’re here to severe this bond, Vlad. And yet, you’re doing even worse things. Do you even have a heart anymore?”

“Ah, yes, of course I do. You know, this tears me apart more than you know. I’m doing this for your sakes, ladies. And I’ve always had such sympathy for you, my daughter.”

“I am not your da-”

“Unloved, unappreciated, without a home. We’re more alike than you know. And yes, if you can’t come to my side alive, then I shall have to kill you. I’ve always been curious about how your meat tastes.” Vlad wiped the drool from his mouth and Dani shuddered.

“Wait!” Valerie said, pushing away Vlad’s clone to wrap Dani in her arms. “I won’t let you do this. I am her family. Danny and his friends are also her family. She is not alone. Don’t you dare lie to her.”

Dani sobbed. After being on the streets for a few months, she had run into Valerie again, who insisted she stay with Valerie and her dad. It didn’t take long to convince him either. She was officially Valerie’s sister. But what Vlad did to warp her mind all this time, she couldn’t escape from it and frequently locked herself in her room to escape. Valerie thought confronting Vlad and giving him a good pounding would set Dani free. But this...was such a mistake. Did eating ghosts make Vlad stronger?

“Are you even half human anymore?” Dani cried to him.

Vlad looked down at himself and then back up. “Looks like it.”

“But, you have claws, and fangs, even in your normal form! Are you addicted? You’ve got to fight it!”

He reached over with one clawed hand before gripping it with the other. “Ah, that’s the problem. Once you start you can’t stop. Anyway, it’s time.”

“No!” Valerie cried. “I won’t let you.”

She got up as Vlad’s clone approached. She wrestled the clone before another one appeared, throwing her back and pounding her with fists.

“Leave her alone!” Dani cried, blasting at the clone. It blocked with a shield. The other clone pushed her down and kicked her until she coughed up blood. Then she felt a prick in her arm. Soon her vision blurred.

“Don’t worry,” Vlad said. “You won’t lose consciousness, but I have dulled the pain. I’m not heartless, honest.”

“Leave her...” She heard Valerie’s groans as a clone picked her up and put her on a table. With a shock, she was forcefully turned into her ghost form.

Vlad stood over her, leering with a sick look on his face while picking up a scalpel.

“What shall I have first...I suppose I’ll start here.”

She could only watch as he slit her upper arm. It was surreal, watching herself bleed without much but a dull sensation in her head.

It was only when he started slicing muscle that she screamed. He punched her.

Then, all of a sudden, arms reached behind Vlad and snapped on a belt.

Vlad elbowed behind him, and tried to tug it off. He looked low on energy.

“Who?” Vlad whirled around. “Why didn’t the security system notify me? Daniel? I thought I took care of you-”

“It was your plan, wasn’t it?” said Tucker, who looked a little scared standing there, even though he adopted a power stance. “Drugging Danny. He’d been sleeping all day. I’m so glad Valerie at least left a message on his phone, but no, no one counts on  me, do they. And by the way, your security is a joke.”

“T-Tucker...” She could barely hear Valerie’s voice from the cell. “You...”

“Yes, I, Tech genius, has arrived! And I thought ahead too. I’m aware of what I can and can’t do. And right now, I can beat you.”

Vlad struggled to get up. His fangs and claws were still present. “Oh yeah? You and what army? You admitted to me that Danny Phantom is out of order, didn’t you. What can you, a spineless, no powered, geek, do to me?”

Tucker stared. “I can do this, you piece of trash!” He punched Vlad with enough force to knock him down. Vlad tried to sit up, but Tucker got on top of him and pounded him again, and again, and again.

“Don’t touch my friends, and don’t touch my Dani!”

“...My?” She managed to say.

“Hey, you’re cute. You didn’t know? I’ve been hitting on you for a while. But don’t reject me right now.”

She looked down from her position to see Vlad’s face unrecognizable. It was satisfying.

Valerie hobbled over to them. “Finally, with the clones gone I could pick the lock. Dani, you’re hurt!” Valerie grabbed a tablecloth and wrapped her arm in it.

“Oh, don’t worry Val, I’ll heal.” She tried to laugh.

Tucker and Valerie unbuckled her from the table and then fought over who was going to carry her. Tucker eventually relented and let Valerie have the honors.

She smiled. Before this, she didn’t really know how loved she was.

When they were moving to leave, a ghost in a fedora came out of the portal.

“You rang?” said Walker, staring right at Tucker.

Tucker pointed to the sorry state of Vlad on the floor. “Isn’t this guy committing some ghost crimes or something that you can take him in for?”

After eyeing the room, including the trash can full of rotting ghost corpses, and the presence of the transformation ghosts have when they become cannibalistic, he nodded. “Sure he is. Thank you for the report. We’ll have to take him in for intense rehabilitation. Once we drain him of his powers, he’s looking at a 5000 year life sentence.” With his powers, Walker generated a chain that wrapped around Vlad, then he dragged him into the Ghost Zone. He poked his head out of the portal again briefly. “Make sure you follow the rules, stay out of trouble, and eat your dinner on time.” Walker then left.

“Well, well, well,” Tucker said, facing Valerie who now had Dani on her back. “This is why you never should go anywhere without having a backup plan, wouldn’t you say.”

“Oh boy,” Valerie said, rolling her eyes. “I sure learned something today. And how did you call Walker anyway.”

“Oh, after some misunderstandings, apparently he’s my grandfather?”

Valerie blinked. “O...kay. Now let’s get home before my dad finds out.”

Dani managed a smile. “I love you guys.”

I really, really am loved, aren’t I?

(What, did you like it?)