An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Bait and Switch, a Danny Phantom fanfiction written for Invisobang 2025
Summary: Danny finds the note on his bed around the same time as Valerie realizes Star is missing. Getting kidnapped by a random ghost wasn’t on Star’s bucket list, but even once it’s clear she’s bait to draw in the Red Huntress and Phantom, something still doesn’t add up. After all, she’s no more important to them than the next person—right?
Rating: K+/Teen
Warnings: kidnapping, threats of violence/harm (more so than actual violence), manipulation
Relationships: Valerie Gray & Star, Danny Fenton & Valerie Gray
Characters: Star, Valerie Gray, Danny Fenton, Original Ghost Character
Additional Tags: Identity Reveal, Trapped in the Ghost Zone, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Reluctant Truce, Ecto-Contaminated Valerie Gray, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence
I was paired with some fantastic artists, @mysteryhat21 and @paxopalotls, whose artwork will show up later in the fic. (I'll update this post with links once they're up.)
Teaser below the cut!
The beastly ghost had not given Star its name. To be fair, she hadn’t asked for it, but that wasn’t exactly a priority right now.
Star tipped her head back as much as she could, trying to see past the purplish red foliage and into the green of what passed for sky here in the Ghost Zone. As before, there were only a few patches in the canopy; there was no wind here to stir the branches, or at least there wasn’t at the moment, and the ghost boy hadn’t conveniently shown up to rescue her.
Okay, fine, maybe asking wouldn’t get her incinerated on the spot.
Star looked back to the troll of a ghost, who was currently sitting on the stump of the tree it had recently felled with alarmingly few swipes of its onyx claws and was whittling what looked like elongated vampire stakes out of the branches.
There were at least ten at its feet already.
“Hey,” she called, hoping the interruption wouldn’t end with her having a stake in her own heart. “Why am I here?”
She wasn’t even sure at this point if it spoke English. It might not be able to understand her. It had probably grabbed her by mistake. Yeah, that had to be it. It had been looking for someone else, had found her, thought it had had the right person, and it didn’t. She just needed to figure out how to communicate that, and maybe it would take her back. She’d pretty much settle for anywhere in the state right now; it didn’t have to be Amity Park.
This would be a lot easier if she could use her hands.
Or if she actually knew any amount of sign language. Any sign language.
Even that nerd language Foley pulled out at random moments might have helped her, had she known any of it.
Deep red eyes met hers, vivid as iron-rich blood, and a shudder ran through her at the obvious intelligence within them.
The ghost’s lip curled, revealing more teeth than the two lower fangs she’d seen previously. “Bait.”
The ghost’s voice was deep. Gruff, a bit gravelly, not exactly guttural. It didn’t even sound like it—he, maybe? They? She? Star didn’t know and wasn’t keen on asking ever, let alone right now; the ghost might not even have a concept of gender she understood—it didn’t even sound like they had an accent, not to her ears.
…which was deeply unfortunate, as that made it far less likely that she’d misheard them. “What?”
Just started Assassin’s Creed Unity last night and honestly it’s really fun so far ngl I almost cried when baby Arno saw his dad dead on the floor the poor baby ;-;
I am obsessed with @skalidra’s More Chances Than Deserved fic verse. I love everything about it so I just. had to draw something. I might draw more. aaaaaaa.
last book: currently reading... uhh don't look at my book pile I'm definitely only reading one book right now & that's The White Fox Chronicles by Gary Paulsen because the cover is cool as fuck
last movie: Sonic 3 (HOLY SHITTTTT!!!!)
last tv show: The Lion Guard (just finished T-T holy shit)
last thing I searched: watchtlg I mean disneyplus. obviously
favourite colour: green
sweet/savory/spicy: savory
relationship status: single (aromantic)
looking forward to: having the house to myself this week. actually I changed by mind. I'm looking forward to the next chapter of Things That Bleed
current obsession: despite everything, it's still Danny Phantom
tagging @spookberry @somedecrepitcryptid-main @another-shameless-fangirl @bus-noises @sumrallmind @things-i-cannot-do-in-amitypark & whoever is seeing this on their dash :3
Last book: Star Wars Medstar I: Battle Surgeons A Clone Wars Novel (I have yet to finish it)
Last movie: Lord of The Rings
Last tv show: Lego Ninjago (binge watching it and currently on season 4 I believe)
Last thing I searched: The Fox and The Hound (had forgotten Copper’s name)
Favorite color: it changes constantly but it’s frequently a shade of Blue or Green
Sweet/savory/spicy: you’re really making me choose ;-; I’ll have to go with savory…
Relationship status: Single (sadly, though I’m not looking for a relationship at the moment after the last heart break I want to be more confident in myself before trying again)
Looking forward to: puppy :D
Current obsession: coming up with and fixing the holes in the history and lore in the book I’m writing!!! (Ninjago too ngl)
titsay
jacobvanloon
kaledo-art
snowghoul
dededos
andulkaphoto
vaporwave
