Per the Usual

No matter what anyone tells you, never try to separate what is real and what was in your dreams when you wake up, because, take it from me, the best you end up with is a headache. Then again, you couldn't blame me.

I was, after all, in a bag.

So headache and all, I started screaming. I admit, it wasn't exactly the most heroic thing to do, but I wasn't into the heroics right then and there. There wasn't any movement other than the men (I'm guessing here) making sure I was pinned down. I would have said that it was a better idea just to gag me, tie my wrists, and blindfold me, but I'm guessing bagging me was hitting two birds with one stone.

Hint: two birds.

Meaning the third one, gagging me, was left unattended.

After a good amount of time screaming, I finally heard some voices.

"He's not stopping."

"Why is he even awake? I told you to -"

"Shh! He is awake."

"Then shut him up."

I wanted to stop screaming; I really did. From what I learned, I was lucky to be alive. Well, 'lucky to be alive' took things to extremes, but 'shut him up' made me believe in the worst. So I tried to stop screaming, but every time I tried, something would spook me and I'd yelp. And then, of course, it went back to full blown screams when a needle intruded in my person space (bag?). They were trying to kill me! But it was awfully hard to avoid a needle when in a bag. It kept approaching me, but, suddenly, the arm the needle was closest to… well… disappeared, and the needle went straight on through without effect. My eyes widened. A smile slowly crept on to my face the longer he tried to stick the needle in.

"He's using his powers, sir, what do we do?"

The minute I heard the question, I was ecstatic. Daniel Fenton: 1 Kidnapping-Guys-in-White: 0

Well, maybe Daniel Fenton: 1 Kidnapping-Guys-in-White: 1

Because, you know, they did kidnap me.

In my moment of 'hurrah', I didn't notice that I had become human (for lack of better words) again. I'd say I didn't notice they jabbed the needle in me, but how couldn't I? It was cold and hurt. A. Lot. I felt woozy and decided to silence my screams and die in dignity.

Okay, so I didn't die. Because I was pretty sure a school head administration office wasn't heaven. But, who knows. I could have gone to hell. Well, at least I was out of the bag.

Heh. If I ever got home, my new 'cats out of the bag' would be 'Danny's out of the bag'. Not that anyone would care. Unless the idea humiliated me. Then maybe they would care.

I was being distracted. So far, I'd turned into a half-ghost creature, gotten kidnapped, drugged and sacked, and now I was in my most favorite place in the world: school. Or somewhere that looks like it. It would be beyond me for why I would be kidnapped and taken here. I scanned the room, looking for an escape to realize I wasn't alone. Well, there went my chances.

An older woman in black heels and hair in a ponytail (which was not a good look for her) walked over to the desk (presumably hers) in front of me.

"Oh good. You're awake," she said in a surprisingly young voice, "I'm Ms. Rector. These delightful men over there are Rick and Tony."

I looked over at the two men with a glare. "Delightful" my ectoplasm.

Ms. Wreck-tor saw my display and cleared her throat.

"From what we have discovered, Daniel, was that you have abilities outside of the natural human central." I squirmed when I heard this. Not. Good. But how did a school have anything to do with cutting me to pieces to dissecting my body parts? Unless this was an everyday thing for the school science lab."

"Daniel," Ms. Wreck-tor leaned in closer "we are not here to hurt you. I admit, the way we handled you was… inhumane, but we never know what the new student will do with their powers."

Student? Powers? I looked at her, slowly but surely connecting the dots.

"So… I'm in a school with other freaks like me," I said slowly.

Ms. Wreck-tor sighed, "Not freaks, Daniel. And my name is Ms. Rector, spelled R-E-C-T-O-R. I "wreck" nothing."

I swallowed. So she could read my mind. I'm guessing in a school of not-freaks, a mind-reading principal would be handy.

Ms. Rector sighed and pulled out some files.

"Are these accurate?"

I looked down to find every school record, birth certificate, web site admission, email, and… death certificate? I looked up.

"Um, these are all right. Except for this one," I handed her back the death certificate, "I'm pretty sure didn't die in a fire."

Ms. Rector gave me a sad smile, "Oh, but you did. You see, Daniel, you can't be 'alive' in this society. Your last name and profile will have to change, along with school records and birth certificates," her smile turned dry, "Welcome, Daniel Phantom, to the Academy of the Supernaturally Gifted."

I just sat there for a while, even after Ms. Rector said she was leaving to retrieve my dorm mate. In a strange, ridiculous way, Ms. Rector was right. I was dead. Half dead. But that wasn't what she meant. She meant my death in the way of 'you can attend your own funeral' dead.

Ms. Rector returned with a blabbering kid I could have sworn I remembered on her heels. He was holding a device that I couldn't define. He was just looking at it. No pen or anything of the sort. Now, I didn't know what the device was doing, but it was weird.

"Mr. Phantom, this is Mr. Tucker File. He will be your dorm mate until you graduate. He possesses technology-based telepathic skills-" Ms. Rector was cut off from saying more by Tucker.

"And super good looks."

Ms. Rector looked at the scrawny (not that I could say anything much better about myself) puffed-out chest of Tucker and back to me.

"Eh… good luck."

With that we were pushed out the door and Tucker lead me to out dorm.

"So? What powers do you have? You heard Ms. Rector tell you mine, but I don't have any idea what yours is. Is it something tech related? Because that would be awesome! The two super powered geeks of the school rooming together…" Tucker seemed to want to go on, but I took his silence to my advantage.

"Actually, I'm half… ghost. I think." I really wasn't sure, "Ms. Rector didn't tell me anything."

Tucker looked at me, "Really? She went into a whole rant about me. She did to Sam too. I'm pretty sure she's obsessed with everyone's powers. She really likes us to 'be prepared'. Wonder why she didn't say anything to you?"

I shrugged uninterested in whether or not Ms. Rector wanted me to know the full extent of my powers. My powers. It was still weird to think about.

"So… since Ms. Rector didn't say anything about your powers, do you wanna try them out?" Tucker asked.

"I don't know. Honestly, I want to think about something else."

I was going to take Tucker's silence as an understanding. I thought back to when he first walked in. I couldn't help but remember him from somewhere. I tried to think. Tucker wasn't exactly a common name. Tucker, Tucker, Tucker…

Wait.

No. It couldn't be that Tucker. That Tucker was… dead.

Oh.

Well.

I couldn't be positive. Well, Tucker was pretty anxious to talk.

"So, what was your last name before you got here?" I asked.

Tucker looked at me as if I'd asked him if he could tell me how many numbers was in pi.

"We aren't supposed to talk about that!" Tucker exclaimed.

I shrugged.

"Okay, then. I'll guess. Is it… Foley?" I guessed.

Tucker's eyes widened.

"Shh!"

He quickly found our room and shoved us in it.

"You can't talk about that kind of stuff. Didn't you read the rule book?" He asked.

I growled, "No! I didn't get anything to help me with anything! So far, all I know is that I have powers, I'm going to this school for who-knows-how-long, my family thinks I'm dead, and, I'll even go far enough to say I've been kidnapped!"

I was nearing hysterics. I was normally and pretty laid-back guy, but this was different. Very different. Tucker (whose last name used to be and should rightfully be Foley) tried not to look shock.

"Chill dude. I-I'll lend you my rule book."

I didn't say anything, only nodding. While he went into the drawers, I looked around. The room was a pale blue color. Apparently, Tucker used to have this place to himself until I came, because there were only two beds. Well, I supposed since you could regulate the amount of people who retained powers every year, it was best to have it that way. My bed (presumably) was all white. Tucker's, on the opposite side of the room (east if the door was south) was a navy green comforter with blue pillows. I wondered how he got them. Maybe the school let us out at one point to some shop or something like that. I'd have to ask.

I sat down on my bed. I couldn't unpack anything; I didn't have clothes. So I just sat there, watching the sun. It was noon, from what I could tell, meaning I had been away for at least 12 hours. I had a feeling it would be more. A lot more. Tucker eventually stood in front of me, holding out a booklet.

"Sorry it took so long to find. I put all of the information in my PDA when I got it." Tucker said.

I nodded and took a look at the booklet.

"This must have taken a long time to put it into that." I said.

"Actually, I have tech-based-"

"Telepathic skills. Sorry, I forgot." under my breath I added, "It's not exactly every day you find out that you're going to a school with people with superpowers."

Tucker seemed to have heard it and bristled, but I pretended not to notice, reading the booklet.

"Just read the basic rules. The rest will take you forever to read." Tucker suggested.

I nodded to show that I heard and flipped to the back of the booklet (back. Why the back?) to read the 'basic rules'.

"Okay, rule number one: never question authority. Push, I'm sure that's never happened. Rule two: No using your powers against anyone during school. And my opinion still stands. Rule three-"

"Dude, I've read it," Tucker said from his bed across the room, "You can read it yourself."

I sighed and continued to read it in my head.

Rule three: Talk of the life you had before attending this school should be kept to a minimum. Rule four: Do not leave school grounds unless authorized. Rule five: The most important rule: No sharing previous surnames. Violation of these rules can lead to varying consequences.

I looked up at Tucker.

"These rules are ridiculous."

Tucker looked up from his PDA and shrugged.

"I dunno. They aren't that bad. You get to go off campus sometimes. And, really, they're pretty lax about everything else."

I sighed and decided that, since this was my only option, I would converse with Tucker.

"So, uh, did you, by any chance, go to Casper High?" I asked.

Tucker looked at me and thought for a moment.

"I guess that isn't against the rules. I did, actually. Did you?"

"Yup. I'm surprised you don't recognize me. Everyone knew me," I flopped onto my bed and looked at the ceiling, "And not in the good way either."

Tucker hummed a yes.

"Well, if you know me, I wasn't exactly the greatest either." Tucker admitted.

I laughed, "Yeah, I know. Weren't you shoved into an electrical outlet or something?"

Tucker glared at me from the corner of my eye.

"No. It was a telephone wire. And it was how I got my powers."

I cringed.

"Ouch."

Tucker smiled a bit and sat up on his bed, while I followed suit.

"I'm guessing turning half-ghost hurt too. I mean, you're half dead, so pretty much, half you of died."

I snickered; it actually sounded pretty funny when you thought about it.

"Hey, I remember you now! You're the kid with ghost hunting parents!" Tucker's eyes widened, "Man, they were weird."

Great. Even the weird thought I was weird. Well, not me exactly, but close enough. I felt my stomach growl, and I remembered I hadn't eaten since lunch that day. Not to mention it was school food. I hoped this school food was better.

I looked up. "Um, is there any food I could have..?"

Tucker jumped up from his bed.

"Say no more! We'll go down to the best meatloaf you have ever tasted. It's been luch for a while. I bet Sam's waiting. Let's go!"

I was all in for it and followed Tucker out the door.

"Cool." So… food. It was a start. I'd have to take Tucker up on the offer of trying out my powers. "Also, who is Sam?"

Tucker shrugged, "She's a friend. You can meet her sometime. But I have to warn you, she kinda strange."

I had to snort at that. What wasn't?

A/N: Much longer than last chapter. Much. So… this wasn't great, but it had some action (or better described as events). I haven't had this problem in a very long time, but I have this '5 review minimum policy'. Thanks!

So here's some Q and A that could pop up in reviews.

Q: Will Vlad be in this?

A: Yes.

Q: Why didn't Danny just completely go intangible?

A: Because that would mean he'd fall out of the car.

That's all I can think of now, but rest assured I've got a plan for everything mentioned in this chapter.

~ Sam