I know I havenât posted anything in over a year now, but now that Iâm back I wanted to make a few changes. Namely, I want to have this as a primary account, and since I canât swap accounts, Iâm starting a new one. Itâs still under the same name, and hereâs a link:
https://silverblood5.tumblr.com/
I only did one DannyMay here, and Iâm still interested in Danny Phantom, but Iâve got so many other interests too, and Iâm diving more into the fanart side of things rather than the fanfiction. If you like my work, come on over to my new blog for more because I will not be using this account again.
This is the start of a Soulmate AU I started about a year and a half ago. I never did anything with it, and itâs mostly world building, but Iâm sharing it anyway.
Soulmates were incredibly rare.
Only one in every few thousand babies were born with the defining words on their bodies.
Thatâs why whenever a newborn was found to bear these marks, it was usually an incredibly big deal.
The hospital staff were always excited to see an actual soulmate, and a lot were proud for having brought one into the world. Sometimes news outlets would be brought in, especially if it was the child of celebrities. But most of the time, the parents wouldnât allow it.
Soulmates were special and the words were generally private. Besides, since newborns couldnât fully appreciate what was so special about the words they were born with, it was usually the parentsâ job to get excited.
Soulmates meant guaranteed happiness and those who had found theirs were always some of the happiest people on the planet. Thatâs not to say that non-mated couples couldnât be just as happy, they definitely were, but soulmates had that added bonus of being literally born to be together.
No one understood the science behind soulmates; how they came to be, why some were born with the first words their soulmate would say to them imprinted on their skin and others werenât. But one thing was for certain; if you found the person who had matching words to correlate to your first conversation and you held onto them, you found utter joy in their very existence.
Of course, like all natural things in the world, soulmates didnât come with a guidebook, therefore everything everyone knew about them was speculation based on centuries of evidence. It was pretty solid, but there were still people who saw it as a waste of time. Some said it was just a coincidence, some said there wasnât anything special about them and that the idea of being happier with your soulmate, only came from the idea of soulmates themselves, a placebo effect, basically.
There were some who admired and envied soulmates; they got to know for certain who was right for them and were guaranteed by some unseen force since birth that they would find that person.
But there were also some who pitied them. Being a soulmate meant they were bound to one person and if they lost that person, they would never find another. Non-soulmates were not bound by such rules and could find that everlasting happiness in more than one person.
For Maddie and Jack Fenton, on the day their son was born, they felt confusion.
Excitement and joy were first, without a doubt. But once they actually looked at the words for what they were, they became confused. Because they couldnât read what it said.
It was not uncommon for soul marks to be written in a different language to the one they spoke. Whatever language the soulmate said their words in was echoed on the skin, so in the case of baby Daniel, everyone had first assumed his words were a language they didnât know. But once things had calmed down and the parents were able to try and figure it out, they realised they didnât recognise the figures.
They tried searching for answers on the internet, looking at thousands of different languages, but none of them matched the words on their babyâs left arm.
After a while, the parents admitted defeat. The joy they once felt was now hollow as the sad truth sunk in.
Their son had a soulmate, but no one could read his words.
Clockwork kept the growing smile to himself, trying not to give any reaction that he knew she was there. The young halfa crept closer, still invisible as if that would do any good. When she was but a metre away, Clockwork decided to break the silence.
âNo, Danielle. They are not here yet.â
Danielle huffed as she dropped the invisibility and landed on the floor with a soft thud. âI thought I almost had you that time.â She mumbled to herself.
Clockwork chuckled again, his amusement making Danielle blush. âSo, when are they gonna be here?â She asked, changing the subject.
The Ghost of Time turned from his screens and gestured towards the door as he started floating towards it. âVery shortly. We should go downstairs and prepare to greet them.â
The halfaâs eyes lit up with her body and she flew out the door and towards the stairs. Ever since theyâd found a way to safely and permanently stabilise her, Danielle had been alternating between bouts of energy where she used her powers non-stop, and moments of continued wariness from the past. Today, it was the former, mostly due to the fact that she was excited to see her siblings.
Daniel and Jasmine didnât visit as often as they would like. They tried to come every weekend, but with their busy lives it was more like every second weekend. Though Danielle was happy for every visit, glad that they were able to take the time regardless. Sheâd been a bit worried at first, that they would no longer see the need to involve themselves in her life after being taken in by Clockwork. She was ecstatic when heâd offered to be her guardian and give her a home, of course, but she didnât want to be left behind by her siblings.
Those fears were quickly erased though, as both older children made it abundantly clear that even if she had a new home far from them and they werenât able to see each other as much as they used to, they would still be family.
The two didnât have to wait long at the front of their lair for the Spectre Speeder to come into view and Danielle was twirling in excitement by the time they came to a stop at the tower. The moment the doors opened, and their visitors stepped out, they were both being squeezed by their youngest sister.
âHey Elliebean.â Danielle grinned, as she always did, at her brotherâs nickname for her.
âHowâve you been Elle?â Jasmine asked, smiling at the girl.
Danielle didnât attend a public school. They were still discussing whether or not she should or if she wanted to, but she still had a lot of gaps in her knowledge due to her lack of an education. Clockwork was filling in those gaps through their version of home schooling and once she was all caught up to what was expected of her age group, then she could decide how she wanted to further her education.
âAcing all your tests already.â Jazz sent her sister a proud look and held up her hand for a high five, âNice job.â
As Danielle reciprocated with a giggle, Daniel came up to Clockwork and gave him a hug. âHi Clockwork.â
âHello Daniel.â Clockwork held the boy tightly, âHow were your travels?â
Daniel shrugged as he left the hug, âUneventful. Seriously, not even Walker bothered us.â
âIâm pretty sure heâs given up.â Jazz smiled with a shrug.
âWell that is cause to celebrate.â Clockwork gestured to Danielle, âAnd Danielle has the perfect thing sheâs been wanting to show you two.â
At the reminder, Danielleâs face lit up, âCome on, I made cookies, you have to try them.â She dragged her laughing siblings inside, followed by a smiling Clockwork.
The Ghost of Time had never expected to have anything close to a family, but he thanked the Ancients every day for these kids.
Being the son of two ghost hunters, most people would assume that Danny knew a lot about ghosts. But Danny found it hard to believe when he wasnât even sure that his parents knew all that much about ghosts.
Danny had long since learned that his parents, no matter what they claimed, were not experts on the subject. So when those who had come across the ghost known as âPhantomâ claimed him to be much warmer than they expected a ghost to be, and his parents had said it was more than likely that ghosts didnât actually have a temperature and the surprise was due to the lack of cold, Danny kept an open mind about it.
Sure, he was proud of his parents for accepting other theories on ghosts instead of trying to fit them into everything they expected ghosts to be, but Danny didnât appreciate the theoretical side of science as much as his parents did. He preferred evidence and understanding over the endless theories based on hearsay.
So, he saved his opinions on whether or not Phantom had a temperature until he could actually meet the ghost. He just wasnât expecting to get the chance.
Despite the endless chatter about the elusive ghost, very few had really seen him, so Dannyâs first encounter with him was a bit of a shock to the boy.
Firstly, that was due to the circumstances surrounding their meeting involving a ghost dragon, something Danny had never seen or even thought possible before. He didnât get the chance to wonder how a ghost could be a dragon before its tail was striking the ground near where he stood. He would have been crushed by it if he werenât saved by a blur of black and white.
At first, he thought someone had pushed him out of the way, but the arms under his back and knees along with the pressure on his side let him know he had been picked up and carried. Judging from the speed the wind was hitting him from the other side, whoever was holding him was not human.
As the ghost slowed, Danny chanced a glance upwards, breath hitching as he recognised the few features everyone could agree described Phantom. Which werenât all that much to go off of anyway, since the insides of his hood were just pure shadow.
The next thing he registered reminded him of the rumours of warmth, because now he was feeling it for himself. Danny placed a hand over the ghostâs chest, as he looked for a safe place to put him presumably, and focused on the warmth he generated. He almost felt human at the touch, and for a moment, it felt like the steady pulse under the skin was more of a thumping than a thrumming.
Phantom must have noticed Dannyâs interest, because he pulled him away from his chest and set him down on the nearest safe patch of ground, flying off before Danny could even thank him.
Danny frowned after the ghost, noting the odd reaction. So not only did Phantom have a temperature similar to a humanâs, he was apparently conscious of it and didnât want people paying attention to it. Either that or he was trying to hide the beating heart in his chest.
The frown turned into a smile, as even though this brought up more questions, it did answer why Phantom tried to avoid people.
A ghost with a human heart wasnât exactly normal, after all.
Someone had taken a photo of Phantom and two other ghosts, Johnny and Kitty they were later identified as, sitting on a rooftop doing the strangest of things.
They were eating food.
Of course, people went nuts over this. No one had thought a ghost was even capable of eating food. Especially the Fentons, who just could not fathom the idea. After a few days to get over their shock, the two ghost hunters came out and managed to flag down Phantom during one of his flights about town.
Intrigued that they werenât trying to shoot him for once, Phantom had lowered to the ground to hear them out.
That was the first time the Fentons had an interaction with ghosts that didnât involve violence. It was also the day they learned how different and complicated ghosts really were.
The change that came next came as a surprise to a lot of people, but after finding out their teen hero needed food and realising he had no way of buying any, some places offered their services to him and any other ghost who needed it, free of charge.
There were a few bumps here and there and things they needed to work around before it could be considered a stable practice, but it was progress. The Nasty Burger was the first establishment to find a healthy balance, which, considering how that came to be, was not a surprise. It turned out that Phantom loved their food, and was a frequent customer once they started their, âGhosts get a free meal a dayâ campaign. He never missed a single day, and with the place already being a popular teen hang out and teens being his biggest fans, plus the owner being a huge supporter of Phantomâs, his feedback was often asked for and given.
Some ghosts required more food than others, and for a while they tried to find a way to fairly determine how much food which ghosts got. There were people who complained that the ghosts were being fed at all, saying that they didnât pay and even with the restrictions it felt unfair. Until Phantom brought up the fact that itâs not like ghosts could have jobs to earn money, and the owner had an epiphany.
A reward system started soon after that. It started with little jobs, ghosts who fixed their dishwasher or provided power in a blackout were given extra food as payment. Then there were bigger things and more routine things until some ghosts had legitimate jobs, working for the Nasty Burger. Ember provided entertainment some nights, without the hypnotism of course, and Sidney started working at the register, as it turned out, he was great with people and money. When those situations came up, the ghosts transitioned into being given actual pay like any of their other workers. It was the most human any ghost had been treated in that town and it was in a fast food diner.
It was a difficult change that received a lot of ridicule from those who werenât as accepting of ghosts, but those involved felt it was all worth it when Phantom came in one night to see his friends hard at work in a ghost accepting environment and nearly cried with joy.
The success of the Nasty Burgerâs integration of ghosts inspired other businesses to try a hand at it. Several months later found numerous businesses opening their doors to ghosts, both as customers and workers.
There was still a lot of work to do before ghosts could be considered a part of society, but itâs closer than anyone thought they could get, which gave them motivation to try.
The Fenton household wasnât always a safe place to be. Specifically, the lab in their basement. With all the experiments, inventions and weapons being made and tested there, explosions had become common place in the home. It was expected and the parents had developed a lot of safeguards and rules for their safety over time.
All their work was kept in the safety of the labâs reinforced steel walls, there was an automatic sprinkler system and all the necessary equipment in case of fire. They had an emergency exit that led into their backyard, emergency radios and an alarm that automatically alerted the fire department in case of a serious incident where those inside were unable to contact them themselves.
But just because they were prepared for these situations, did not mean disaster could not strike.
Maddie and Jack had just finished the prototype for their newest invention; a portable ghost portal that opened a temporary rift between dimensions wherever it was activated. Danny and Jazz were in the lab too, hiding behind a bulkhead with their parents as it was activated for the first time.
It might have been too much power, or the proximity to another stable portal, but the device had overloaded. It exploded, the shockwave enough to crack the wall behind it and even the bulkhead creaked momentarily.
After a moment of silence, the four made their way out to assess the damage. If any of them had bothered to look up, they would have noticed the crack had reached a supporting beam along the roof. The sound of creaking metal was what drew their attention upwards, but by then it was too late to move. They could only scream as the beam collapsed, a sizable chunk of concrete falling with it.
Three members of the family scrambled to hold onto each other as the roof fell around them. It took them a second to realise they felt no pain, and the roof really did fall around them.
A shimmering of green surrounded the small area around them, and three pairs of eyes looked up at the sound of a groan to find the fourth member of their family leaning over top of them. Danny was holding the beam upon which rested the cement chunk with his bare hands, the shimmering green seeming to extend from them as it fell around them in a dome shape.
When everything stopped moving, their youngest slowly started to stand. Shifting rocks and metal could be heard over Dannyâs strained groans as he moved upwards, the dome growing in size the higher he stood. Once he was standing upright, the dome shimmered out of existence, and Danny gave one final push to the beam, sending it to the floor and away from his family.
The family that stared at him in shock as he panted for breath above them. When Danny finally looked at them, he froze and paled at their stares. After a moment, he visibly forced down his panic and asked in a shaky voice if they were alright.
They each nodded mutely. Jazz was the first to snap out of it. âH-how⊠how did you do that?â
âIâm uh⊠stronger than I look?â
âYou made a shield.â Maddie stated. Dannyâs flinch snapped some life back into her and she stood to face him. âYou made a shield.â She repeated.
Danny looked at the ground when he nodded, as if he were ashamed or scared.
âAnd the strength required to lift that cement chunk.â Jack piped in, equal parts disbelief and excitement. âThatâs- itâs- Thatâs notâŠâ He looked at his son with wide eyes, âThatâs not humanly possible.â
This time, when he flinched, he also stepped back.
âDanny?â Maddie called out comfortingly. âDanny, itâs okay.â She watched her son relax slightly at those words, looking up to meet her eyes. âItâs okay.â She reaffirmed with a smile. The mother cautiously reached out a hand, making sure Danny was comfortable before she laid it on his shoulder.
She sighed with relief when he didnât flinch again. âNow, how long have you been able to doâŠâ She gestured at the circle around them that held no debris and the large beam and cement block that sat at the side, âThis?â
Paulina mumbled angrily to herself as she walked down the hall. Finally, she could go to lunch. She couldnât believe she had to waste half of her lunch period on some stupid computer error. At least the assignment was in now and she wouldnât have to worry about it again.
As she walked through the halls, the unmistakeable sounds of hitching breath and crying teen reached her ears. Though Paulina wouldnât have minded some gossip, she really just wanted to go to lunch and not deal with some crying loser. But she grimaced as she realised the sounds were coming from the hall she needed to walk through to get to the cafeteria.
Hoping that she could just pass by without being noticed, Paulina slowly turned the corner, but froze once she realised who it was.
It was the Fenton boy. The one with the crazy parents that ran around in garish jumpsuits claiming to be hunting ghosts. She didnât know his first name, only knowing âFentonâ from the family and the obscene nicknames Dash always came up with.
Paulina didnât know him personally, nor did she know him well, but she did know that he had two friends. There was the tech nerd who was always naming his tech, she knew even less about him than she did Fenton, but she knew the other one well.
Sam Manson, the goth freak that was always making out like she was better than Paulina. Unfortunately, their parents were friends, and that meant the two were forced to spend time together whenever their parents met up. They generally maintained their distance at school though, and no one knew they knew each other outside of school. She was pretty sure even her friends didnât know. Which was fine by Paulina, and she had no intentions of changing that.
But she did know how close the three were, and it confused her that they werenât here to comfort their distressed friend. Maybe they got into a fight? But with her impression of their friendship, she didnât think it would be so bad to get to this point. Honestly, he was crying like the world was ending or something.
Her curiosity got the best of her, and after looking around to make sure there was no one here to see her talking to this loser, she called out to him.
âFenton?â
Her voice surprised him apparently, because his head shot up and he immediately locked eyes with her. Whatever expression she expected him to have on his face, it was not the mixture of shock and hope she found.
âP-Paulina?â Okay, this is creepy. Sheâd had people look at her with reverence before, but Fenton looked like he was afraid sheâd disappear.
âYeah?â Seriously, the almost crazed look was freaking her out. âWhat the hellâs up with you? Why are you acting so weird?â
That seemed to make him realise what he was doing as he winced and drew back into himself, though his eyes kept flicking back to her. âSorry⊠You⊠You know who I am?â He sounded pathetically hopeful, and she focused on that rather than the desperation that came off him.
âDonât act like it makes you special or anything.â She said, rolling her eyes, âPeople only know you âcause youâre a Fenton. Youâre still a loser.â
For some reason, that made him chuckle. It sounded off, but it was still there. âIâll take it.â He whispered.
Paulina frowned at him. There was something strange going on. âWhere are your friends.â
He curled in on himself and looked like he was about to cry again. She was just starting to think it was a fight when he spoke again, âThey donât know who I am.â
âWhat?â She asked, disbelieving. She must have misheard because that didnât make any sense.
âThey canât remember me. I thought they were just mad âcause of what I said yesterday, but they really donât. They donât know who I am.â
Paulina stared at the boy as he started crying again. This didnât make any sense. How could close friends just forget each other? Things didnât work that way.
âThat makes no sense at all, Fenton. People donât just forget somebody. Itâs probably just some dumb misunderstanding.â Though even as she said it, there was some part of her that couldnât believe it. How could you misunderstand somebody that badly? And the way he reacted when she said his name still put her on edge. Itâs like he was glad anyone knew who he was.
âBelieve me, if that were the case I wouldnât complain. Iâve never wanted to be an idiot more in my life.â He chuckled wetly. âBut they were serious.â
Paulina growled in frustration as she dug through her bag. She wanted to get away from this enigma, but she also wanted to make sense of it all. She threw him a small packet of tissues she kept as an emergency. âThere. Your face is a mess.â
He looked between them and her like he couldnât believe she would do such a thing. âThank you.â He said quietly as he opened it.
âIâm going to lunch now.â Paulina ignored the brief look of panic on his face before he reigned it in. She could tell he didnât want to be alone, but she couldnât stand to be here any longer. âIâm talking to your friends later to get to the bottom of this.â She said before she could stop herself. Sure, she wanted answers, but that didnât mean letting Fenton know about it.
âYou-you are!?â He gave her a look of pure shock.
Paulina crossed her arms with a huff. âI donât like it when I donât know things. And I donât understand this at all.â
ââŠThank you.â Paulina blinked, surprised at the words. Fenton was giving her a small grateful smile.
âIâm not doing it for you.â She narrowed her eyes.
His smile dimmed a little. He looked so fragile and it was starting to annoy her. âI know. But, thank you.â
She didnât know how to react to that, so instead she asked him a question. âWhatâs your name?â
Fenton blinked at her, confused. âWhat?â
Paulina rolled her eyes, âYour name, loser. I only know your last one.â
âOh, uhâŠâ He looked surprised, and she supposed she didnât blame him. Itâs not like sheâd asked before. âItâs Danny.â
With that, she nodded and walked away. He didnât call out to her and she didnât look back. She went straight to the cafeteria to enjoy what was left of her lunch period.
As she walked over to her table, Paulinaâs eyes scanned the room, easily finding the two she was looking for. They were sitting in a back corner, alone, and didnât seem concerned at all by their missing friend. She wanted to ask her friends if sheâd missed anything between the trio but didnât want to seem interested if there was nothing to say. There was no reason to worry though, as Star quickly brought it up anyway.
âDid anyone else notice what happened with Fenton earlier?â
Dash rolled his eyes and looked like he was going to say something along the lines of, âwho caresâ, but Paulina stepped in before he could.
âNo. What was it?â She maintained an air of bored curiosity, not letting anyone know she was actually interested. She didnât want anyone to know about her conversation with Fenton until she got the rest of the story.
âI only caught the last bit of it, but his friends looked like they were about to attack him. Then he got this real sad look on his face and just stared at them for a while. He ran off not long after that.â
Paulina shrugged, âProbably got into an argument or something. Did you hear what they were talking about?â
Star waved a dismissive hand in her direction, âNah, I wasnât close enough.â
Paulina hummed, and moved the conversation onto something else before they could get suspicious. It didnât really do much to answer her suspicions, which meant she still had to talk to the two losers.
Her chance didnât come until the change over to the second period after lunch. She cornered them at Samâs locker and since she had to change her books, they had little choice but to listen to her.
âSo, I hear you two developed sudden amnesia.â Samâs annoyance and the nerdâs wariness turned to confusion at the one statement. âWhat? Did you forget who I am too?â She asked condescendingly.
And the annoyance was back. âWhat are you talking about?â
âIâm talking about the rumour that you two are such lousy friends youâd pretend your own friend doesnât even exist.â There was no such rumour, but she hoped getting a rise out of Sam would get her the truth and she didnât want anyone to know sheâd talked to Fenton. Heâd probably tell them anyway, once this whole thing blows over, but she wasnât going to be the one to admit it.
âAgain, what are you talking about? Thatâs sounds like something youâd do, not us.â
âOh, so whole thing with Danny was a misunderstanding?â She asked sardonically, not even hiding her glee at the word choice. She was going to hold this over the goth for a very long time.
âWho?â
The question shocked Paulina, though she tried not to let it show. Even though Fenton had seemed certain heâd been forgotten, Paulina hadnât fully believed it.
âWait. Is this about that guy who came up to us before?â Paulina could say what she wanted to about nerds, at least they were smart.
âBlack hair, blue eyes, hideous red and white T-Shirt?â Paulina asked nonchalantly, even as a strange fear began to rise in her chest.
The glare Sam gave her for the barb was nowhere near as venomous as it should be for insulting her friend. âYeah, thatâs him. What do you know him or something?â
She stared. It was all she could do. âThey really did forget him.â Paulina couldnât believe this. Everything Fenton said was true. His friends had completely forgotten who he was.
Sam must have had enough of the silence because she scoffed. âWe donât have time for this. Come on, Tuck.â
âDanny Fenton.â Paulina said before they could get away. They paused and looked at her with confusion. âYour best friend. The three of you have been inseparable for years.â She reminded, hoping to jog their memories. This was really starting to freak her out and she had to wonder if sheâd stepped into an alternate universe or something because none of this made any sense.
âHeâs a Fenton?â Sam asked, but beyond her confusion she gave no indication that the other statements meant anything to her.
âThat would actually explain it.â The tech geek said thoughtfully, he frowned as she and Sam looked at him for clarification. âIf heâs anything like his parents, the crazy is probably genetic or something. It would explain why he thought we were friends, and the little freak out he had.â
Sam nodded thoughtfully, easily agreeing to the statement to Paulinaâs disbelief. If there were any doubt in her mind about this whole thing, any thought that maybe these losers were just trying to mess with her, it went out the window at the geekâs statement. Whenever someone bullied Fenton for his parents, these two stood by and defended him. Because of their friendship, they knew all the Fentons, and would not tolerate anything negative said about them. Sometimes, they were even more defensive of them than their own son was.
Her thoughts were put to a halt when Sam gave her a condescending look of pity. âAnd let me guess, you believed whatever sob story he spun you.â She scoffed, but Paulina gave no reaction, âYou need to stop believing everything you hear Paulina.â
And she walked away, dragging the tech geek with her. Paulina still hadnât moved, too much in shock to. If anyone noticed her standing frozen by the lockers and not going anywhere, they didnât say anything to snap her out of it or warn her sheâd be late to class. She was left to sort through all the confusing information sheâd gathered as the halls emptied until there was no one but her.
Her and Danny that is.
The sniffling brought her out of it, making her look up and catch his eye. His presence, and the fact that he was, once again, crying were all she needed to know that he had been listening in. Having his friends forget he existed must have been painful enough for him, but hearing them say he and his family were crazy would just hurt even more.
Paulina made no move to comfort him. They werenât close and she was still confused as to how this could happen in the first place. She had no idea what to do. She didnât know if she even should do something. It wasnât her responsibility, she only wanted to get to the bottom of whatever was going on. She now knew that theyâd truly forgotten him. That was the truth and she got it. Did she really want to go further? Did she want to find out the why and the how? Was this really something she wanted to get into?
She didnât have to. They werenât her friends. Danny wasnât her friend. Â She could walk away now and forget this ever happened.
But could she?
What if this wasnât a one-time thing? What if other people started forgetting things? And would her curiosity really let this lie?
âPaulina?â
She looked at Danny, teary eyed and giving her a look of cautious hope.
Could she really let him go through this on his own?
Paulina sighed. She didnât want to help a loser with anything, but this was serious, not only for him but for everyone. They needed to figure this out. Whatever strange and unexplainable thing happened to his friends could happen again, and right now they were the only ones that knew about it.
She didnât like it, but she couldnât do nothing.
Paulina pulled out a pen from her bag and ripped out a piece of paper, writing her address on it. âHere.â She thrust it towards Fenton who jumped and took it cautiously. âCome to my place after school so we can try to figure this whole mess out. And donât tell anyone Iâm doing this, got it?â
Dannyâs mouth hung open as he stared at the paper, not quite believing it was real. He looked at her, with eyes so full of hope she squirmed. âYou-youâre going to h-help me?â
âYouâre still a loser, donât forget that.â She snapped, âBut if something is making people forget things, we need to know about it.â
She didnât look at him, and he didnât say anything for a few long moments. Eventually, he shifted to put the paper in his pocket.
âThank you, Paulina. Iâll see you after school.â
She nodded, âWe should get to class now.â She avoided his grateful smile as they climbed to the next floor together.
Jazz stared at the red numbers in silence. Her eyes were wide open as she listened out for any sounds. Theyâd all gone to bed hours ago, but she needed to make sure. She couldnât risk getting caught.
3:27 a.m.
She was itching with the desire to move. It had to be long enough. Pulling back the blankets, Jazz slowly stepped out, still in her day clothes. She tiptoed to her door in socks and eased it open, making sure to lift it slightly as she did to avoid the creaking noise it normally made.
Walking down the hallway and stairs, Jazz made sure to avoid all the creaky boards and keep her footsteps as light as possible. She wouldnât wake her parents with this amount of noise, but she had no way of knowing if Danny was home or out fighting ghosts. The extra care she was taking to not be heard was to avoid his enhanced hearing picking up on what she was doing.
She couldnât let Danny find out. She might have been doing this for him, but he wouldnât be happy if he knew what she was planning.
Ever since sheâd been in the know of his secret, Jazz had been asking him about when he was going to tell their parents. He couldnât hide it from them forever, no matter how hesitant he was. What Jazz didnât understand was âwhyâ. If he was afraid they wouldnât accept him as a ghost, she could understand that. They werenât fond of ghosts in any way, but Danny was insistent that they would still love him, still treat him the same way. That they would be able to get past their hatred of ghosts if they knew the truth. But he still wouldnât tell them.
The only conclusion Jazz could come to, was that despite all his optimism, he wasnât sure how theyâd react. And honestly, she wasnât either.
Sheâd tried pushing, telling him that it was better to know and have it all in the open than let things go on like this. The longer it was hidden, the more it would hurt when it came out. And what if they found out through other means, came to the wrong conclusion, or did something theyâd always regret once they knew Phantom as their own son?
Danny hadnât appreciated her questions. Heâd snapped at her to leave it alone and he flew out of the room.
They hadnât talked about it since then, and Jazz thought that would be the end of the topic for a while longer.
But a few days later, during a fight at the school, their parents had managed to get close to Phantom, and their mother had shot him in the back.
Jazzâs heart had nearly stopped when she saw her brother fall from the sky. He got up quickly, and prepared to fight back, but he froze when he saw who had shot him.
Jazz would never forget the heartbroken look on his face.
He left the fight before they could hurt him further and she hadnât seen him again until after school, when their parents lectured him about using a ghost attack to skip the rest of school. Danny didnât make eye contact with any of them, making their parents quickly catch on that something was wrong. Their dad asked him if anything was wrong and gave him, what was supposed to be, a comforting pat on the back. Danny had winced and ran to his room without a word.
Jazz called his friends and confirmed that theyâd already bandaged his back before deciding to leave him alone, knowing he wouldnât be in any mood to talk to her.
It was during dinner that night, when Danny was still hiding in his room and their parents were talking about howâd theyâd managed to hit Phantom earlier that Jazz made her decision.
She would respect Dannyâs wishes to not tell them until he was ready, but she would not let them keep hurting her brother.
The door to the lab locked behind her with a click, and she breathed a little easier knowing the room was soundproof. Down the stairs she went straight to the weapons vault, turning on the light and looking out at the sea of weapons with a determined expression.
Grabbing the first gun off the rack she took a deep breath and aimed it at the second one. With such a close shot, it burst apart immediately.
Jazz stepped back, gasping. The recoil, sudden noise, and the destruction before her snapped her mind into focus and what she was doing fully hit her.
She was destroying her parentsâ weapons.
With the reality of it in front of her, doubt started to creep in.
Was this really a smart decision? Sure, sheâd be protecting Danny but not all ghosts were him. Some did want to hurt people, and they could. These weapons didnât just cause harm, they were a means of protection. But if her parents didnât know the difference, should they really be allowed to keep them?
Besides, these things werenât cheap, and they took a lot of time to make. This was her parentsâ work, the stuff theyâd spent years of their lives on.
Jazz closed her eyes and steadied her breathing. No, sheâd already gone through these thoughts when she made her decision. She wouldnât destroy everything. The weapons were her only target. The shields, detectors, deflectors, thermoses, anything useful that could protect people and not cause great harm to ghosts, would all be staying. She wouldnât even destroy all the weapons, sheâd keep a few in her room in case of emergencies.
As for everything else, her parents needed to learn a lesson. They couldnât keep hurting every ghost because they were ghosts, and they couldnât keep hurting Danny.
Her mind was already made up, she couldnât let fear or doubt stop her now.
Taking another breath, she destroyed the next one, and the next one, and the next one. Adrenaline kicked in and Jazz could feel relief bloom in her chest as she fell into a rhythm. After a while the shooting wasnât enough, and she left to get a sledgehammer from the workstation.
Jazz swung with all her might, breaking everything in her sight. She might have worried at how much she was enjoying the destruction if she didnât feel lighter with every hit. It was powerful and freeing. Soon it wasnât just about protecting Danny or any other innocent ghost, she was taking out all her frustrations and anger at everything her parents had done. They let ghost hunting rule their lives, they left the lab unlocked leading to Danny coming down and getting hurt by the portal, they didnât listen to anyone, certainly not their own children, about anything. They caused public damage on a day to day basis, shot at or attacked anyone they thought was a ghost or overshadowed without thinking twice or looking for proof, leading to several people ending up in a hospital, they never considered how much their actions hurt others. This was for every time they hurt someone, whether they meant to or not. For every time they embarrassed her, broke a promise, or did something that could have been avoided had they just listened.
There were tears pouring down her face as she smashed into yet another weapon. Sharp pieces of metal and plastic went flying, cutting her arms and face. Splatters of ectoplasm burned her skin. Her arms were tiring as she repeatedly bashed the same weapon over and over.
But she was laughing too.
It felt liberating to destroy it all. Using brute force to smash it to pieces. It was therapeutic in a way.
By the time she reached the end and there were only a handful of weapons left, Jazz was smiling freely. Sheâd deal with the backlash later; it probably wouldnât take long for her parents to figure out who did this with the destruction being clearly human and only so many people who had access to the vault. Maybe she would care when that happened, but in that moment, Jazz had never felt lighter.
Danny used to wonder why Phantom hid his face. Heâs a ghost, so itâs not like he had an identity to protect. Yet he was never seen without his hood up or fabric over the lower half of his face.
There were a lot of theories, ranging from âheâs shyâ to âheâs covering the scars of a face mutilated by deathâ.
But it wasnât until after his portal accident, where he became half ghost, did he start to think of other options.
Danny wasnât entirely sure when he decided to do it. Heâd helped in a few ghost fights here and there, only to protect others and he never stepped into the actual fight. No one had ever seen him, not even the ghosts. But there were rumours of him, another ghost helping from the shadows.
It happened shortly after he realised he could change his ghostly appearance. Heâd gotten a bit more involved in a fight than he usually did, still not enough to be seen, but enough to be noticed. When Phantom cornered him in a bid to get answers, Danny made the split-second decision to form a dark blue visor over the upper part of his face. His ghostly appearance was already pretty different from his human one, the changes in colour and glowing scars on the left side of his face shouldâve been enough to deter any similarities at first glance, and itâs not like Phantom had seen him as Danny. But the visor added something a little bit extra that made him feel a bit more comfortable in turning around.
Phantom looked surprised at first, and it was only at that moment, face to face with the only other ghost who wore a mask, did the thought come to Danny.
Everyone always said Phantom acted a bit more human than any other ghost theyâd seen, and the speculation about Dannyâs ghost half wondered if he were a similar ghost to Phantom. The fact that he was always around made people wonder if he lived in Amity Park, and he covered his face just like Danny.
Phantom was glad that Danny realised not to talk about his scars. He wouldnât know what to do if he started asking questions.
But even if he didnât bring it up, it didnât mean they wouldnât be reminded of it again.
It happened about a month later. Phantom was in Dannyâs room, playing video games with the boy. They were both having so much fun, they didnât realise when it started to get late, or when it started raining.
The sudden rumbling of thunder snapped Phantom to attention, quickly followed by a bright flash he saw from the corner of his eye. Phantom hadnât realised how tense he was or how heavy his breathing had become until he heard the sound of something scraping. Jolted to awareness, he watched Danny close his second curtain and pull out some spare blankets from his cupboard. When he noticed Phantom was watching him, he gave him a sad smile.
âWant to build a blanket fort?â
âUmmâŠâ Phantom flicked anxious eyes between the covered window, Danny and the door. âI should⊠see if your parents are done in the lab. Go back to the Ghost Zone.â He knew that wasnât the case, no matter how much he hoped. The Fentons were in the process of installing new ghost proof blast doors over the portal, as well as a DNA lock so only the family could open them. It was going to be a long process and Phantom knew from what heâd overheard that they would be no where near done at this point in time.
Danny knew that too, because he frowned at the ghost. âThey wonât be done for a long time yet. Come on, we can build the fort over the bed and watch movies on my laptop.â
Phantom wouldâve argued further, he didnât want to be here when there was a storm, but he realised what Danny was trying to do. The closed curtains and blanket fort would keep the lightning well out of his sight, and the movies were a distraction for his mind and senses.
Even now, Danny was still respecting his wishes not to talk about it, but he recognised Phantomâs fear for what it was and was trying to help him through it. Phantom felt the gratitude for his only friend increase.
He gave Danny a shaky smile, âYeah, okay.â
They moved some of the furniture around, turning Dannyâs room into a mess purely for the sake of building a giant fort around the bed. It was messy, considering they were trying to build it quickly and Phantom froze in terror whenever he heard or saw flashes from the storm. Danny said nothing during those times, only slowing his movements so as not to startle the ghost, and sometimes placing a comforting hand on his shoulder until he relaxed again. Phantom appreciated it.
Eventually they had a simple fort built, blankets held up by the dresser, table and chairs and weighted with whatever they could find. It was a small fit inside, encompassing the bed but low enough over their heads that they brushed the blankets if they sat up straight. But it was cosy and relaxing.
The two boys curled up on the bed surrounded by more blankets and pillows, the only light coming from the laptop in front of them. With the thicker blankets on the sides facing the windows, any flashes of lightning were impossible to see, calming Phantom even further.
Danny gave his gaming headphones to Phantom and the earbuds to himself, using an adapter to plug both in. With the added blocking of sound the headphones gave him, along with the raised volume of the movie, the sounds of the storm were muted enough for Phantom to block it out.
It took until halfway through the first movie for him to relax enough to lean into his friend. He accepted the arm that wrapped around him and they both became comfortable against the pile of pillows and cushions Danny stole from the living room.
âThank you.â He murmured to Danny. The squeeze on his shoulder was enough to know he was heard.
Maybe Danny shouldnât have run. But what else was he supposed to do? Just stand there and listen? Go to the nurseâs office like they suggested and just listen to everyone tell him heâs crazy?
He didnât want to think he was crazy. He knew what they were saying wasnât true. But what explanation was there?
He thought they were just angry at first, they had every right to be, but he knew his friends werenât that petty. When Danny had walked up to his two best and only friends in the whole world, fully willing to apologise for the things heâd said the day before, he expected them to still be upset. But he wasnât expecting them to look at him like theyâd never seen him before. To say that they had no clue who he was and that he must have gotten the wrong people.
Danny had been mad at first, thinking they were upset enough to pretend they didnât know him. He tried to talk them out of it, saying that it was far too childish for them to do, but when they kept insisting they didnât know him he snapped.
They were allowed to be mad at him, but this was taking it too far. He told them to knock it off, got angry with them. Sam snapped back, saying he shouldnât be taking his issues out on them. Danny, thinking sheâd finally dropped the act, wilted and apologised again. He was just mad at his family; he didnât mean it when he said he wished theyâd leave him alone.
But Sam wasnât happy with this. She kept insisting they had no idea what he was talking about and behind the anger he could see her confusion. Thatâs when Danny finally started to realise something was wrong.
Heâd crumbled, asking if they really didnât know who he was, and the answer he got tore his heart to shreds.
They didnât know him.
They truly didnât know who he was.
His best friends, looking at him like he was some sort of stranger.
Like he hadnât known them for years, shared all of his secrets with, told everything to and did everything with.
Theyâd forgotten him.
He didnât understand why.
He couldnât.
None of it made any sense. How could they just forget him like that? What had happened between their last conversation and this one that had caused this? Was it because he said he wanted to be alone? Was the universe actually answering his wish in the worst way possible? If that were true, then he wanted to take it back. He didnât mean it when he said it and he certainly regretted it now.
He didnât want to be alone.
They must have noticed his heartbreak because Samâs fury slowly died down. They asked if he was okay, if heâd hit his head or something. They suggested he go to the nurseâs office, and thatâs when Danny bolted.
Unable to handle the sight of his once friends treating him like a fragile stranger, looking at him with no recognition in their eyes. He ran until he couldnât breathe, which admittedly wasnât far, but it got him away from everyone. He was pretty sure Samâs shouting had drawn attention to the others in the hall, and he wondered how much they knew. If theyâd forgotten him too or if they recognised him and the people he used to be friends with. He wondered if any of them would believe him if he told them. If any of them would care.
Probably not. There was a reason Sam and Tucker were his only friends. They were the only people in this school who cared about him, and now they were gone.
Danny curled into a tight ball. He was alone in a hallway, leaning against the lockers. Heâd sat down in this spot after a few minutes of aimless wandering because it was abandoned. Everyone would have gone to the cafeteria by now for lunch, leaving him about an hour of time alone to panic.
Not that he wanted it. Being alone was the absolute last thing Danny wanted at that moment, but he had little choice.
It hit him just then how lonely he truly was.
His parents had been spending all their time working on some portal to the ghost dimension, the main source of his frustration in his argument with his friends. Danny didnât believe in the paranormal, and his parents spending all their time on something that would never work was anger-inducing for their youngest child. The town already thought them insane, but with word spreading of their obsession to build some magic portal to the ghost world, ridicule for the Fenton family was at an all-time high.
Yesterday had been their first test, and while Danny hoped the failure would knock some sense into their heads, he found himself frustrated beyond belief when it seemingly did what it was supposed to. A bright green swirling mass had formed in the gateway they built, looking exactly like what one would expect a portal to another dimension would look like. It had only been for a few sparse moments, but it was enough to reinvigorate his parentsâ desire to complete the thing and create a stable portal.
If Danny were any less inclined to being mad at his parents, he may have taken a moment to wonder at the impossible sight he had seen. But he was mad, so he wrote it off as a mirage type thing due to the severe brightness and heat coming off the amount of electricity that powered it. It was a trick of the eye, nothing more.
But his parents had been so happy with it, they locked themselves in the basement to perform more tests, basically becoming ghosts themselves in the Fenton household.
Jazz had likewise made herself scarce. Sheâd been spending all her time at school or the library or wherever else she went that wasnât home. She had a reputation to maintain as the normal one of the family after all. And she made it clear that being seen with any of them was a nuisance sheâd rather avoid. So, Danny had seen very little of sister in recent weeks, leaving him with one less person to rely on.
Honestly, it was as if he was only person in the house at times. There were some days where he could go the entire day without seeing any of them.
So, all he had were his friends. And he must have angered the universe the same time he angered them, because now he didnât have them either.
Danny sobbed as he realised how alone he truly was.
He didnât have any other friends, everyone else in the school already treated him like he didnât exist, or that his existence was an offence to them. He wasnât close with any of his teachers or neighbours or anyone in the town really.
Five people were all he had in this world. And heâd lost every single one of them.
A family that didnât care to acknowledge him and friends whoâd lost their memories.
Danny had been forced to resist the temptation of blood before.
But never like this.
It was entirely unfair, and the worst combination of bad luck Danny had ever had to endure.
Because of course the one person to follow him into a dangerous situation was someone he cared for, and of course he had to get hurt, forcing Danny to carry his bleeding unconscious body somewhere safe.
And of course the injured person had to be a hybrid. His mixture of human and ghost blood was tempting enough as it was, having him pressed against his body as the blood oozed from his chest and arm was driving him insane. Combined with the fact that Danny hadnât had any blood for almost a week, pushing it even for him, it was near torture for him to ignore.
But he had to push through. DJ was losing blood fast and he hadnât so much as twitched in a while. There was only one place he could go. With his once blue eyes now blood red, anyone who saw him would know he was a vampire. His only option for both their safety was finding DJâs friends, which was why he was making his way towards the school where he had seen them last. He hoped he could find them fast, and that they didnât attack him on sight. They knew their friend had been hanging out with a vampire, but they didnât know it was him. DJ may have trusted them with his own secret, but Danny wasnât quite ready to let anyone else know there was a vampire in the school.
If they saw him walking up to them the way he was, he wouldnât blame them for attacking first, asking questions later. His kind didnât have a great reputation in this town and from what DJ said they werenât exactly fond of him being friends with one.
The universe must have taken pity on him for everything else he was forced to endure, because he found the two near the back of the school, in the spot hidden by trees that DJ had showed him a while ago. He stumbled into the small area, letting his appearance bring attention to them because talking would hurt too much. His throat burned. However, when they levelled a glare at him after noticing their friend and prepared to attack as he knew they would, he was able to push a single harsh word past his lips.
âHelp.â
Danny immediately pushed the boy into their arms, barely making sure they had a good hold on him before launching himself back towards the trees with a speed humans couldnât hope to reach.
Tucker pulled out the first aid kit with a cry of his friendâs name and quickly set to work on tending to his injuries. Sam though, kept her eyes on him, wariness, fear and realisation in them.
âDanny?â She asked, as though she couldnât believe it despite the evidence. âYouâre the vampire?â
âSc-scratch.â He rasped, ignoring the question and pointing at DJ. His breathing was coming easier with the meagre distance, but he could no longer ignore how hungry he was.
DJâs friends examined the wound, eyes widening at the claw marks that spread across his chest and upper arms. They knew what it was and why it was worrying. Some vampires had claws, and more often than not the claws had poison in them.
âWe need to call his dad.â Tucker informed his friend worriedly. Sam nodded, pulling out her phone to do so, she looked back at where Danny stood, prepared to warn him to get out before the man arrived.
And he had every right to be. Ever since ghosts became a much more known thing in their town, Phantom had been able to interact with people other than Jazz and in his own body. Most notably being Jazzâs younger brother Danny, whom Phantom had developed a hopeless crush on not long after being introduced to him through Jazz.
Danny didnât know that the ghost heâd shared a few conversations with was actually sharing a body with his sister, and therefore, shared the same memories of those interactions. And in fact, the awkwardness that stemmed from that is one of the main reasons Phantom had been trying not to interact with the boy.
But he hadnât been counting on Danny seeking him out. And the chance to be able to interact with Danny as his own person had been too good to pass up, even if it did strengthen his crush.
Something Jazz had very conflicting emotions about.
Especially when, during a conversation earlier that day, Phantom had offered to take Danny on a flight later that night without thought. Jazz had immediately started lecturing him, but the hesitant yet hopeful response Danny gave knocked down half of her grievances on the spot.
But that didnât mean she was going to let Phantom go without some ground rules. Or embarrassing him first.
âYouâre not allowed to hold him in any way more intimate than necessary.â She listed, making Phantom blush even as he checked his appearance in the mirror.
âO-okay. Thatâs fair.â
âYouâre not allowed to kiss him.â
âI w-wasnât thinki-!â
âKeep your emotions in your corner and Iâll stay in mine until this whole thing is over.â
Phantom let out a shaky breath. That would be the hard part. âIâll do my best.â It was all he could promise.
It seemed to satisfy Jazz enough though, because she continued. âAnd above all else, make sure he has a good time.â
Phantom blinked, not expecting the rule but not surprised by it either. âI will.â He said, âI hope, at least.â
Jazz sighed in his mind and levelled all the seriousness she could at him. âIf you mess up anything tonight, I will never forgive you and I promise it will be hell.â
Phantom gulped at the threat. He knew she meant it.
 Knocking on Dannyâs window, Phantom tried his best to calm the racing of his core. It would need to be at reasonable levels or Danny would feel it when he⊠heldâŠ
Oh. Shit. Itâs going faster again.
He felt Jazz give him the equivalent of an eye roll and a comforting pat on the back. Her reactions were limited, tucked away in her safe spot of their shared consciousness as she was, but he was grateful for the awkward support before she would try to bury herself deeper.
âTryâ, because, as theyâd learned, they could be pulled to the front of the mind more easily if the other was feeling emotional distress. And given the state Phantom was in, Jazz would be in for a hell of a tug-o-war game tonight.
Phantomâs thoughts completely froze when Danny opened the window, greeting the ghost with a bright grin that reflected the excitement he felt.
âPhantom, you came!â
He grinned back, âOf course. Iâve been looking forward to this.â He tilted his head as he looked at the boy. âWere you expecting me not to come?â
Danny blushed and rubbed the back of his neck, âI was worried that something might come up and you wouldnât be able to make it.â
Phantom smiled at the shy admission, âWell, Iâm glad nothing did. Are you ready?â
After a bit of awkwardness in trying to find the best way to hold Danny, they settled on a side by side position where Dannyâs arms were around Phantomâs neck as the ghost held onto his waist. Less than a minute from there, they were flying high above the city and giggling in euphoria.
âSo, what do you think?â Phantom asked the human that clung to him tightly.
âThis is amazing!â Danny laughed. âHow high can you go?â
âUntil the oxygen runs out, I guess. Wanna go?â
âYes!â
Phantom laughed at the enthusiasm and brought the two of them high above the clouds. He stopped before they could get too high, not wanting to actually take Danny to the point his oxygen ran out (and his too. Sharing a body with a human made things like breathing necessary). But Danny didnât even notice, too caught up in staring at the stars in wonder.
âIâve never seen them so clearly before. Itâs like theyâre all around us.â While Danny continued to turn his head in all directions to take in the sky, Phantom never once took his eyes off the boy in his arms. He was so entranced by the sight of his crush; he didnât fully register when Danny eventually looked down and smirked. âHey Phantom?â The ghost hummed, âHow do you feel about free falling?â
âI do it all the time.â Phantom answered easily. âI love how itâŠâ He looked at Danny, seeing how wild his grin really was. âNo.â He said simply.
âPleeeaaasse.â
âItâs reckless.â
âYou just said you do it all the time.â
âIâm a ghost. I can fly.â
âItâs not like you wonât catch me.â
âOf course, I will. But what if something hits you on the way down? Like a bird or a plane?â
âPretty sure youâd see a plane coming.â
Phantom sighed. It was hard to dissuade the boy when his own resolve was crumbling. He did love free falling, and he really wanted to share the experience with Danny. âOkay, fine.â
No sooner had he said it was Danny laughing and enveloping him in a tight hug. âThank you!â
The ghost laughed back, and just to scare the apparent daredevil in his arms, he allowed his body to return to the laws of gravity. Dannyâs grip tightened automatically at the sensation of falling but he lifted his head with a grin as they tilted upside down. He started laughing as they broke through the clouds, Phantom joining him as he began to pull back after a cursory glance at their surroundings. Grinning widely, Phantom let go of Danny, watching as he spun and laughed falling through the sky.
There was no fear at all in him, and Phantomâs core thrummed at the trust that was being shown to him by this action. After a long moment of just falling, the two came face to face again and for a while, they just stared. Both of them had a soft smile on their face as they gazed at each other.
Phantom was the one to move first, reaching out to hold Danny as he slowed them to a stop and righted them. The tops of the tallest buildings were still a fair way away from them, but Phantom wasnât taking any risks.
Dannyâs smile widened, âThat was the best.â He said breathlessly.
Euphoria bubbled in his entire being and came out in giddy laughter. Taking in his crush, red faced and hair messy from the wind while beaming at him with pure delight, Phantom decided the flight had turned out even better than he had hoped.
Telling his parents that he saw a ghost outside worked perfectly. They told him to stay indoors and not let anyone in until they got back and then they were gone.
Danny let out a huge breath when the door closed. âDanny. You can come out now.â He looked around until his new friend became visible again. He smiled at Ghost Danny and gestured to the kitchen when he smiled back. âCome on. The basementâs this way.â
He led Ghost Danny through to the back of the kitchen where the big metal door stood. âThis is the door I was telling you about.â Danny pointed up to the control panel in the wall next to it. âIt doesnât have a handle, but they use that to get in.â
Before Danny could suggest bringing a chair over to get higher, Ghost Danny had put one of his hands through the door.
âWoah!â He stared at the spot where the ghostâs hand disappeared with awe. âThat is so cool!â
Ghost Danny giggled. âMaybe I can open it from the inside?â
Dannyâs eyes lit up at the suggestion. âOh yeah! It has a handle on the inside.â Danny watched his friend walk through the door like it wasnât there. He grinned when he heard the click and it swung open.
âI did it!â Ghost Danny beamed.
âHigh-five!â He held up his hand for a high-five, but his smile fell when his friend looked at it with confusion.
âWhatâs âhigh-fiveâ?â He scrunched his eyebrows as he said it.
âItâs a thing you do when someone does a good job.â He shrugged and reached for Ghost Dannyâs hand, âItâs like this.â He smacked their hands together and watched some of the confusion go away.
âOh, so likeâŠâ Ghost Danny held his hand up, and Danny did the same with a grin. They shared a small high-five that made him laugh joyfully.
âYeah! You did it! That deserves another high-five.â
Ghost Danny giggled, and the high-five was much more enthusiastic this time.
âI like it.â He said, âItâs fun.â
Danny smiled broadly; glad he could teach his new friend something. He grabbed Ghost Dannyâs hand and led him down the stairs into his parentsâ lab, âCome on. We need to hurry before they come back.â
In the lab, Danny could tell that his friend was scared. There were all kinds of inventions in the room that his parents used to hunt ghosts. They held hands all the way to the closed Ghost Portal at the end of the room.
âHere it is!â He declared, then frowned at the doors covering it. âNow we just have to open these doors.â
âDo you know how?â Ghost Danny asked quietly.
Danny looked around the room with concentration. âIâve seen my dad open it before. He pushed a button. Aha!â Like the door to the basement, there was a control panel in the wall next to the doors. He stood on his tippy-toes to reach the button and pressed it. The doors slid open with a hiss and the room filled with bright green light. âI did it!â He cheered.
Ghost Danny giggled and held up his hand again, âHigh-five?â
Danny grinned and met him half-way. He was so proud of his friend for learning so quickly.
After sticking his head in the green portal, Ghost Danny came out with a grin. âIt worked! Itâs the Ghost Zone!â
Danny laughed, happy for his friend. âCan you find your way home now?â
Ghost Danny nodded happily and flew at Danny to tackle him in a hug. âThank you sooo much, Danny!â
âYouâre welcome.â Danny giggled, âYouâre my friend, so Iâm happy to help.â
âIâve never had a friend before.â He sighed and hugged Danny tighter, âIâm gonna miss you.â
Dannyâs eyes opened in alarm, âMiss me!? Wait!â He pulled back to look at Ghost Danny. âYou wonât be coming back?â
Even as he said it, Danny realised it was true. Ghost Danny was a ghost, and hunters like his parents would try to catch him if they found him.
âIt isnât safe. And my Dad wonât let me leave for a while after he finds out I snuck out.â His friend said sadly.
âWell, what if I visit you?â Danny asked. It surprised his friend, but he shook his head.
âYou donât know anything about the Ghost Zone. You could get lost like me. And not a lot of ghosts like humans either.â
Danny pouted, âThis isnât fair. I donât want to never see you again.â
Ghost Danny looked just as sad as he felt, but then his face brightened and filled with determination. âIâll come back one day.â He said, âWhen Iâm older and Dadâll let me.â
âAre you sure?â Danny asked. He wanted to see his friend again, but he didnât want him to get caught.
But Ghost Danny gave him such a sure look that it made Danny start to smile with hope.
âI promise, Iâll come back one day, Danny. And you canât break a promise.â
Danny never liked movie nights at Samâs. Because then that meant she got to pick what they watched. And of course, they were all horror movies. Which he hated.
The only enjoyable thing about this particular night of suffering, was that Phantom had agreed to join them.
And he was sitting next to Danny.
The grin and discreet thumbs up Tucker threw him when no one else was looking, was proof enough to Danny that he wasnât hiding his blush as well as he thought he was. Or maybe Tucker just knew how giddy his friend would feel by Phantomâs seating choice, since he knew about Dannyâs crush.
Danny thought he had been hiding it very well, but Tucker had been his best friend since they were five and there was no fooling him. Though he was pretty sure Sam had no idea and he kind of wanted to keep it that way. The less people who knew, the less of a chance there was that Phantom could find out. Not that he thought his friends would out him, but they may try to play matchmaker and Danny wasnât sure he could survive the embarrassment of their version of âsubtletyâ. It was a miracle Tucker hadnât done anything drastic enough to call any attention yet. Just going out of his way to leave them alone and complimenting Danny.
But it seemed he was stepping up his game on movie night because he kept encouraging Samâs choices and now Danny was using all of his willpower not to curl into Phantom like the frightened soul he was.
It was all for naught though, when a particularly unexpected jump-scare made his whole body jump, and Phantom automatically reached out to hold his hand, making Danny lean into his shoulder.
He froze after a moment, realising what heâd done, and leaned back quickly when he felt Phantom tense up under his cheek. âSorry!â He squeaked.
Before he could fully pull away in embarrassment, Phantomâs hand tightened around his own. âItâs okay.â He whispered, to not alert their friends who were still immersed in the movie. He shifted in his spot and pulled his legs up, so he was facing Danny. âItâs alright. I noticed you jumping a little before too. Not a big fan of scary movies?â He gave Danny a little grin that had his blush deepening and he was glad the room was dark.
âNo, not really.â He answered, avoiding his eyes. Though, it probably wasnât smart because his gaze fell on their still clasped hands and he almost squeaked again.
Phantom must have noticed too because he started running his thumb over the back of Dannyâs hand so gently, he thought he might melt.
âI donât like horror much either.â Phantom whispered. Danny snuck a glance up and saw that Phantom was looking at their hands. âBut this helps me. Would you mind if I held on a little longer?â
Words fell out of Dannyâs mouth before he could even begin to think them through, âYou can hold on as long as you like.â
It was Phantomâs wide green eyes staring back at him that made him realise what he said. Dannyâs face burned as he looked at his knees, âI-I mean, no, I donât mind, itâs fine.â
He was silent for a moment and Danny wondered if heâd screwed up when Phantom squeezed his hand again and leaned closer to his ear to whisper, âThank you.â
Dannyâs blush didnât go away, but he did shift a little to get more comfortable with the hand holding position. He bit his lip and looked up at Phantom shyly. If this was alright, thenâŠ
âC-can I...?â He nodded his head towards Phantomâs shoulder, wondering if he was pushing it.
But Phantom smiled sweetly and nodded. âYeah. Itâs alright.â He relaxed against the back of the lounge and Danny leaned over to rest on his shoulder.
It was surprisingly comfortable. Phantomâs shoulder wasnât bony or at a height that hurt Dannyâs neck. He found himself relaxing easily, and the comforting presence and squeeze on his hand made the movies much easier to deal with.
For the first time, Danny actually enjoyed Samâs horror movie night.
Thankfully, the Fentons ghost hunting tech was less advanced in the past and sneaking into their home was easier than it had ever been. Without their modified warning system or ghost shield, Phantom was able to sneak in using all the blind spots they hadnât discovered yet.
He only hoped he wasnât so far in the past that they didnât have a working ghost portal yet. That would really throw a wrench into his plans to get back to his own time. Still though, he had to wonder why he had to find Clockwork on his own. Surely if he werenât meant to be here, the time ghost would have already intervened. Right?
There was no one in the main floor of the house, so Phantom headed straight for the basement. Once inside, he froze at the sound of an unearthly screech. It sounded primal, and hurt, and Phantom knew it had to be a ghost.
Phantom ground his teeth together. Normally, he would rush in to save whatever poor ghost had been captured by the Fentons, but he couldnât risk any changes to the past. He tried to tell himself that this had already happened, and there was nothing he could do, but before he could work up the courage to go in and look for the ghost portal, he heard another scream.
This one sounding like a human child.
âDonât let your fear control you, Danny. Thatâs what it wants.â Maddieâs stern voice spoke up.
Phantomâs core thrummed in confusion and fear, and he turned the corner to investigate the lab before he knew what he was doing.
In the middle of the lab was a large glass cage, it was long and took up a huge amount of space. Maddie and Jack stood to the side and observed the cage like the cold scientists they were. Inside was the screeching ghost, back facing Phantom and looking at something on the other side of the long box that was out of his vision.
The ghost lunged with the same animalistic screech that sounded very wrong to Phantomâs ears, and a small figure slid under the floating form. Phantom immediately recognised the other person in the cage as a child, and a moment later, he realised who the child was.
âDanny?â He whispered to himself in disbelief. Phantom watched the pre-teen version of his rival stand and fire a blast from his gun that just barely grazed the ghostâs shoulder. The ghost ignored the blast, and several more that did a better job of hitting it, as it quickly lunged back at the younger Danny.
Now with a better view of the ghost, Phantom almost gasped at the sight of them. Mottled green and grey skin, flaming wisps of red hair, solid black eyes and foaming mouth open in a snarl, showing off too big fangs. There was something wrong with this ghost. Something so very wrong.
They pounced on the child, holding him down with clawed hands, and proceeded to screech in his face. They leaned in to possibly bite into Dannyâs face, but the young hunter reached up with an ecto-laced knife to slash into the ghostâs abdomen. The pain from the wound made them rear back and howl and Danny was able to kick them off. He was tackled again as he tried to stand, this time from behind as he was facing away when he stood, and he hit the ground with a groan. The scream that the child made when the ghost clawed deep into his back had Phantom struggling to hold himself back as he darted his eyes between the younger Danny and his parents.
Why werenât they doing anything to stop this!?
Why were they just watching it? What was wrong with this ghost? And why was Danny in the cage with them?
All of a sudden, the ghost started shaking and screaming, a light on the metal collar they wore turned on. Normally, Phantom would have been horrified to see someone get electrocuted, but at that moment he was only glad they were no longer hurting the kid.
Jack stepped into the cage and the ghost disappeared in a whirl of the containment device he held. With the fight over, Maddie stepped in and crouched to observe her sonâs back. The shirt was well and truly ruined, and several long lines of red peeked through, already dripping blood freely.
âIt doesnât look infected, but we canât be too sure.â She stood without helping Danny up in any way. âGet into the safety shower. We need to scrub you down.â Danny looked up at her with wide eyes at the order.
âD-do I have to? You said it didnât look infected.â He asked hopefully as he slowly stood, wincing the whole way.
âEven so, itâs safer to clean it before we bandage it. I know you donât like the process, but you wonât be able to reach your back properly. Though, if it makes you feel more comfortable, you can keep your pants on.â
Going by the expression on Dannyâs face, that would make him feel more comfortable, though it quickly fell into a chastised frown when his mother spoke again.
âBut this wouldnât be necessary had you been able to follow your basic training. Honestly, Danny, you should know better by now to not turn your back on a ghost.â
âI know. Iâm sorry, Mom, I wasnât thinking.â Danny lifted his hand as if he were going to rub the back of his neck, something Phantom knew his older self often did when he was uncomfortable, but winced and lowered the hand before it got there.
Seeing the action, his mother finally remembered the injury and led the way to the safety shower in the corner. âYouâre quick on your feet Danny, but you let your fear control you way too much.â
Phantom could only stare, still in shock over the events. Getting over fear in a fight like that was easier said than done. Even Phantom was afraid of that ghost. They were tainted and twisted and wrong. He wondered what happened to them to make them that way. Though considering the Fentonâs were involved that was probably half the answer already.
Now that things were calmer, Phantom started paying a bit more attention to what was being said. He didnât know that his rival had been afraid of ghosts when he was younger. Though with an experience like that, he couldnât say he blamed the kid. This was his training?
âYou want to protect people, donât you?â Maddie asked as Danny tried to remove his ruined shirt. He couldnât do it, so she grabbed a pair of latex gloves and some scissors. âTo protect them from ghosts?â
âOf course, I do.â Danny stopped moving as his mother cut the shirt off. âI want to be a ghost hunter so I can keep people safe from ghosts.â
Phantom stared at the younger version of his rival. Danny Fenton had been a ghost hunter for longer than Phantom had been in Amity Park. But he had always been one of the best, a constant thorn in Phantomâs side. He was a Fenton, raised a ghost hunter, and just as much of a monster as his parents. But Phantom had never thought to wonder why.
âWell, you canât protect anyone if youâre afraid.â Maddie continued, breaking Phantomâs thought process. âYouâll make mistakes like this if you arenât thinking clearly, and only put yourself in danger. We wonât always be there to protect you if a ghost gets the upper hand. Thatâs why you need to train more. Do you understand?â
âYes, Mom, I understand.â Danny stepped into the shower.
âBut donât worry too much about it, kiddo.â Jack piped in cheerfully, âWeâll work more on your techniques before you fight a ghost again. Your aim could use a little work.â
If Danny was going to say anything in response, he lost his chance when the shower started up. Maddie had an extra hose she had turned up to a high pressure and was washing down Dannyâs back. Phantom only watched Dannyâs muscles clench at the pressure on his fresh open wounds for a moment before he decided heâd seen enough. He flew intangibly through the blast doors that hadnât been ghost proofed yet, and he was in GZ open air.
He sighed and started the flight to the Clocktower. For once, he was glad it was so far away, it gave him plenty of time to think about what he had just witnessed.
First, there was the ghost. They were twisted beyond any form of recognition and Phantom knew that the Fentons had to have done something to them. But this was several years in the past, and Phantom had never seen anything like this before. It worried him that they could away with something like this for so long.
And then there was Danny. Who couldnât have been more than 12 years old, locked in a cage with a feral ghost while his parents watched and gave minimal advice. And the severe lack of worry from them when Danny was hurt had Phantom seething. They behaved so clinically in response to his injury, worrying more about a possible infection than if he was alright. The proper treatment of his wounds aside, it was as if they didnât care at all. There was no asking if he were okay, no apologies for putting him in that situation in the first place, no reassurances that it would be okay other than no visible signs of infection. They didnât try to help him up, didnât express worry or concern, they didnât even save the lectures until after theyâd patched him up! Maddie just went straight into scolding him for turning his back on the ghost, and Jack was already talking about the next time he would be put in the cage with a twisted being who clearly wanted to kill him.
Despite not being able to, Phantom felt as though he might throw up. This was Dannyâs training. The training his parents were putting him through so that he would one day be a ghost hunter like them. A ghost hunter that he wanted to be so he could protect people from the ghosts like the one they made him fight.
A sudden memory resurfaced in Phantomâs mind, one shortly after heâd met the youngest Fenton for the first time.
âStop it with the act already! I know what you are!â
If that corrupted facsimile was Dannyâs first and only impression of a ghost before being allowed in the field, was it any wonder that he thought all ghosts were evil and monstrous beings?
This was wrong. It was all so wrong, and Phantom needed answers now. He never liked Danny, and heâd never seen the family interact outside of working together to take down some innocent ghost, but this was not what he expected. He needed to get back to his time and talk to Danny, now.
Danny, who had been expecting the reaction, began arguing his point before Phantom had even finished speaking. âIâll stick to the sidelines and wonât run off. You wonât have to worry about me Phantom, I promise.â
Phantom was shaking his head, âNo, you need to stay here and recover.â
âI need to be out there to help you if you need me.â
âSam and Tuck are helping me tonight. Thereâs nothing you can say that will convince me to let you come too.â
âCome on, please?â Danny tried using puppy eyes. He didnât use them often, but his boyfriend almost always caved in when he did.
Almost always.
âNo. You are staying home and that is final.â Though Phantomâs voice was strong, he was avoiding Dannyâs eyes.
Danny tried to lean in to catch the ghostâs eyes, but Phantom wasnât having it. Eventually, Danny sighed in defeat. Maybe threats will work.
âIf you donât let me come, you know Iâll just sneak out to join you.â
That got Phantomâs attention, and Danny was just thinking he had won when Phantom smirked and opened his mouth. âJazz!â He shouted before Danny could stop him.
âWhat are you doing!?â Danny asked, panicked as he looked between his closed door and the ghost in front of him.
âGetting you a babysitter.â
âI donât need a babysitter!â Danny protested just as the door opened.
âWhatâs this about a babysitter?â Jazz asked, amused.
âHi Jazz.â Phantom greeted. âCan you make sure Danny doesnât try to leave and join our patrol tonight?â
âSure, I can keep an eye on him.â Danny didnât think she had any right to look so smug and amused by the request.
âPhantom, come on.â Danny refused to think he was whining as he tried one last time. âIâll stay out of the way and leave the big stuff to you and the others.â
âNo, Iâm not letting you on patrol in your condition.â
Danny didnât know whether to be offended or disbelieving at Phantomâs statement. âIn my condi- Phantom, itâs just a broken arm!â
âAnd you will not be allowed back on patrol until it is healed.â Phantom pointed at the cast with an air of finality.
âWhat!?â Danny ignored his sisterâs poorly hidden laughter and glared at his boyfriend. âPhantom, that isnât fair!â
Phantom shrugged, as though it didnât matter to him, but his grin spoke of his enjoyment. âI think itâs plenty fair.â He leaned in for a quick kiss before Danny could stop him. âNow, you stay here with Jazz, and Iâll be back to check on you after patrol.â
With a quick goodbye to Jazz, Phantom was flying out the window before Danny could think to shout at him again.
