AN: OK OK I said I would update weekly and it's been past a week, but I'm glad none of you called me out hehe. I'm sorry I've just been busy with stuff you probably don't care about. Here's chapter 6! Thank you for waiting!

Shoutout to the 42 of you who read the entire thing through! There's apparently a 1000 people who have seen this and that scares me haha. Enjoy!

Crossposted on AO3 under the same name.

~ Chapter 6 ~

Alarms blared loudly, although Danny couldn't tell if they were real or just a figure of his imagination. His vision clashed with red streams as the lights flickered on and off. Even with his supernatural vision, he couldn't make out anything in the darkness. Transforming quickly into his ghost half, he attempted to crawl across the floor, however, something constricted his movements.

The shards of glass dispersed on the ground pricked his skin when he rolled over onto his back, sending tiny, sharp pains to his spine. When the lights flickered on, he could make out an object enclosed around him, restricting his further actions. The usual cold sensation curled within his chest wasn't there, leaving him incapable of defending himself.

With the recurrent flickering, Danny finally noticed the large robotic figure in front of him. The ghost's flaming green hair roared behind his head and illuminated his face. His suit was complete with sturdy silver armor and several ghost weapons. His hollow eyes stared back at Danny while a grin curled across his face.

"Hello Welp. It's great to see you again." The ghost grumbled as he held Danny in a net. His entire body was scrunched inside of the woven web of string.

"Skulker." Danny muttered back. He didn't need this now. He was in the middle of figuring out what the fuck that blue mist was, and in had to come the bumbling 'Ghost Zone's Greatest Hunter'.

"Didn't think I'd find you in the human realm. But what was with that bright flash?" Skulker bellowed as he brought the net to his eye level. Right, Skulker didn't know about his human half and he almost gave himself away.

"Uh… just testing out a new power." Danny muttered while trying to wrench free. The net was dampening his spectral abilities and prohibiting him from escaping. "How did you find me anyways?"

"This is my haunt, Welp. You registered on my radar." His haunt? Did Skulker come here often? But how? Ghosts couldn't survive unless they figured out a way to maintain a stable portal to the ghost dimension. The portal served as an energy source and provided ghosts with the means necessary to carry out their daily functions. This dumbass could've never figured that out. However, Danny recalled the Box Ghost back at the mattress factory. That meant there had to be a portal nearby. But where? "But enough of the small talk. Tell me where Ember is." Skulker barked.

Shit.

"Y-you don't understand. I- " Danny was cut off as a wave of shock was sent through his body. The sensation traveled from the wisps of the net to the tips of his fingers, leaving his body scorching. It burned. The alarms continued to blare behind him. Danny gasped once the electrocution ended, leaving his heart hammering in his chest.

"According to my cameras, you were the last person to see her. Where. Is. She?" The look of longing on Skulker's face clenched Danny's heart in a way he couldn't describe. The poor ghost missed his partner, but Danny couldn't tell him what happened. Skulker wouldn't believe him anyway. He probably thought Danny did something horrible, which he in fact did, instead of his father forcing him to.

"Just, let me explain. I-" Danny floundered to speak, not sure what to say.

"Plasmius told me it all." Skulker interjected. Danny paled, his father told Skulker? Skulker didn't know Danny was Vlad's son, nor did any of the other ghosts. "You sick bastard. I knew letting you get close to her was a dumb move, but she begged me to let your friendship continue. You took pleasure in eradicating the only one who truly loved me…" he stopped momentarily, staring down at the floor. Slowly, his face became engrossed in rage, the corner of his lip rising to grimace "Now, you will pay." Skulker's voice had taken on a different tone- one filled with revenge. The ghost dropped the boy as he searched his armored arm for the perfect weapon.

Danny needed a way out fast. The net dampened his powers, leaving him with his fists as his only defense. There was no way out. Unless…

He hadn't mastered the power yet, but it was the only ability that would surely help him escape.

Inhaling and forcing his core to intertwine, Danny let loose a ghostly wail. The green echoes shattered the net, sending him to the ground and Skulker into a wall of lockers. The lockers were left with a large dent in the shape of the robotic ghost. He heard more mirrors fracture into several filaments, littering the sinks and ground. Danny finally transformed back and collapsed onto the ground, pieces of glass penetrating his pale skin.

His eyes fluttered to close, but he fought the urge of unconsciousness. The wail had drained what little strength he had after the net greatly reduced his powers Lifting himself up onto his knees, he noticed Skulker had disappeared, leaving behind a locker room completely destroyed. The lockers were dented and the stalls doors were ripped from their hinges. One of the three white, porcelain sinks was smashed beyond repair. A stream of water leaked from the bowl of one toilet, running onto the tiled floor. Great. How am I going to explain this to the school?

Danny groaned as he laid on the floor. His head felt like someone had smashed it against the pavement, preventing him from using his common sense and escaping before someone found him. The blaring alarms didn't help his migraine either. He could barely move, let alone open his eyes.

"Dude! Are you ok?" A familiar voice echoed. Cracking an eye open, Danny saw Tuck stood by the entrance with his mouth dropped in shock. He ran towards the injured boy while being careful to not step on any large shards of glass. Tuck helped Danny sit up by grabbing him by the armpits. The scrawny boy was surprisingly strong, although Danny was also quite lightweight due to his ghost-half. Tuck stared at Danny, eyes roaming his maimed skin. Small tears of blood wept from his exposed legs. His skin was covered in a light layer of ash from the electrocution. "Was it a ghost?!"

"A what?!" Danny shouted over the deafening alarms. How did Tuck know about ghosts? Had his father exposed him to the world? Did he know Danny was half-ghost? His head swam in questions, attempting to stay afloat amidst the vast sea of confusion. His vision was blurry with black spots and he felt like collapsing into a nice slumber.

"A ghost. Those are the ghost alarms." Tuck said pointing to the red warning signal in the corner. Danny's eyes could barely follow the direction of Tuck's finger. "Ghost attacks are common here. Unfortunately, you experienced one first hand." he paused while sizing the halfa up once again. "Man, you look terrible." Tuck finally responded as he grabbed Danny's arm and placed it over his shoulder. Danny let out a moan when he stood up. His steps felt sluggish and he felt his vision tilt sideways. "Let's get you to the nurse."

"No!" Danny slurred a little too quickly. He couldn't go to the nurse. His body was different than humans in several ways. His body normalities were considered abnormal. Going to the nurse meant getting exposed, and he didn't need that. "I-I just need to get cleaned up, its fine. I'm f-fine." he said reassuringly more for himself than for Tuck.

"Dude, no way. You have to go to the nurse. Unless… your scared of the nurse?" Tuck turned to look at Danny questioningly, although he had a smile on his face. Danny could barely comprehend his words, let alone his expression. "Don't worry. I am too. Truth be told, I was going to have Sam carry you to the nurse. But if you're afraid-"

"Yes. Yes I hate nurses." Danny took the first cover story he could get. It wasn't a complete lie, he truly was afraid of going to the nurse in fear of someone discovering that he wasn't fully human. Tuck nodded in reply and swiped the floor of glass with his shoe. He set Danny down and went to grab paper towels. While Tuck wasn't looking, Danny intangibly phased the pieces of glass out of his body and swept them aside. The alarms finally shut off, and the room returned to silence.

Danny stood up shakily, using the wall beside him for support. His muscles felt weak from the electrocution, but he knew that he would heal in a few minutes. In fact, he already felt better, especially with the silence. The small cuts on his legs had already sealed shut, unnoticeable other than the streaks of dried blood on his legs.

"Dude sit down. You look like you just died." Tuck shouted as he headed over with a stack of wet paper towels. Danny paled slightly at the mention of his death. Tuck didn't know, did he? He wouldn't help me if I wasn't entirely human, right?

"I'm fine." Danny deadpanned, leaning against the wall. Tuck handed over the wet paper towels and Danny began scrubbing his legs of the blood.

"You've said that twice. I don't know man, you should go to the nurse." Tuck doubted his new acquaintance's claims, considering just moments ago he looked ready to pass out. Danny shook his head, insisting he stay. "You're lucky I got here when I did."

"Did you see the ghost?" Danny asked. What if Tuck saw Skulker talking to him? Or what if he saw him using his powers? He was surely doomed if Tuck had seen anything from the encounter.

"Nope. But from the looks of this room, it looks like it was a big one. What did it look like?" Tuck asked. Danny didn't know if he should reply. Would Tuck recognize the ghost if he described it?

"Uh… grey. Like a robot. Green hair. I really didn't have time to get a good look at it since I was dodging his shots." Danny said as he tried to keep the details to a minimum. Hopefully, Tuck wouldn't recognize Skulker.

"You mean Skulker?" Tuck asked. Danny tried not to let his jaw drop. How did he know? Is Tuck a ghost expert? "He's a regular in Amity. Although the Fenton's always handle him. They're late today." Who were the Fentons? And the school had ghost sensors? If he went ghost, would the alarms go off? "What did Skulker do by the way?"

"N-nothing really. Just tried to hit me with an ec- some gun. He hit the glass and it shattered. I tripped and this happened." Danny said gesturing towards his legs. Tuck nodded, although he his expression displayed something of skepticism. His stutter had caused suspicion in the African American boy.

"Shouldn't you remove the glass pieces in your skin? And- is this ash?" Tuck ran his finger along Danny's arm and accumulated a small clump of a black substance.

"I really don't remember. It all happened too fast, I'm sorry. I just need a shower." Danny tried to change the subject. Tuck nodded in reply and showed Danny to the shower. He could walk on his own now, although he fumbled all the while. The white and red gym uniform that clung loosely to his figure was a mess, partially torn and partially burnt.

While Danny quickly rinsed himself of the dirt, Tuck went into the locker supervisors room and grabbed another uniform for Danny. Danny redressed and dried his hair, just in time to hear someone enter the locker room.

"Anyone in he- woah! Mad's it was a big one!" a large voice bellowed through the room. Tuck and Danny tiptoed past the lockers and over to the couple holding large bazookas. Peeking over the corner, Tuck whispered towards Danny explaining that it was the Fentons. The two walked out into the open once they realized the coast was clear. Once they noticed the boys, they immediately aimed at them, ready to shoot down any threat.

Tuck held his hands up as if he were caught by the police and Danny slowly followed suit. "We took shelter here when we heard the alarms go off. We were just going to leave. But I think Skulker was here." Tuck mustered up a cover story with little give way to his lies. A slim woman in a dark turquoise hazmat suit switched her gaze between the two, before lowering her weapon and removing her goggles.

"I'm sorry boys. Are you alright?" Her motherly tone was sweet, but determined. Her larger partner, who was clad in an orange hazmat suit, was scoping around the stalls, sizing up the destruction.

"We're fine." Danny replied instead of Tuck. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he recognized the couple, but he couldn't place a name on their features. His memory was hazy, but he brushed off the thought. His mind was distrustful anyway; it never led him to the correct course of action.

"Great! Please return back to class then. Walk slowly, there's glass everywhere." The woman replied gleefully while she turned back to her partner. The two boys nodded in response and scurried out to the gymnasium.

"You feeling ok man? You should skip the rest of gym if you need to." Tuck asked as they walked through the gym and towards the class. Mrs. Tetslaff blew her whistle as the students tossed around a basketball. Dash passed the orange ball towards some Asian kid.

"I'm refreshed now. I'll be fine." Danny said reassuringly. He truly felt better, thanks to his advanced healing ability. Although, he had yet to figure out what the blue breath had been. That's what had brought him to the locker room in the first place.

"That's the fourth time you've said fine."

"Shut up." Danny muttered as Tuck chuckled. Tuck joined the rest of class, but before Danny could, he was stopped in his tracks.

"Masters!" Mrs. Tetslaff called out for him and he raced to her, hoping he wasn't in big trouble. "Where've you been? Class is half over!" She yelled at him. Compared to her, Danny looked like a small child.

"The ghost alarms went off and I hid. I'm new to this uh- ghost stuff, so I didn't know what wa going on or when to come out." He nervously spoke as he rubbed his neck. He tried to make his behavior look ordinary, instead of overconfident and cocky. However, he wasn't the slightest bit afraid of the brawny gym coach.

"Fine. Next time, you come back here." Mrs. Tetslaff said as she pointed to the ground. She accepted his excuse and advised him to join the rest of the class. Nodding, he joined Tuck and Sam who were bouncing a ball back and forth at the back of the gym. They didn't engage with the rest of the class, making them appear like outcasts, which was perfect for his situation. No one would recognize his sudden disappearance in two weeks. Come to think of it, it was better if he left before his previous plan, since Skulker had found him and eventually would let his father know.

"Ouch. Ghost attack on the first day. Are you alright?" Sam asked as he approached the two. She threw the ball towards him and he caught it with ease. He sent it back towards her. Tuck must have updated Sam with whatever happened in the locker rooms.

"I'm fine." Danny said.

"Five." Tuck quirked.

"Be quiet." Danny muttered under his breath.

"You both are pussies." Sam retorted.

"Excuse me?" Danny was confused about her insult.

"Scared of the nurse? Some harmless old lady with bandaids?" She chuckled as she spun the basketball on her finger.

"Hehe, yea." Danny said, awed by the spinning sphere at the tip of her finger. She had great skill with the ball.

They continued to throw the basketball back and forth for another 10 minutes while conversing about past ghost attacks. Danny pretended to know nothing near the topic of ghosts while Sam and Tuck rambled on about Amity's typical haunters. Apparently Amity Park had a history of being ridiculed for its false claim of ghosts. Even going as far as to stage fake ghost attacks every once in a while. However, the citizens of the town knew the truth: ghosts were real and they were harming the city. The town received less government funding than it should with all the property damage, so the taxes were higher to compensate for the lack of funding. Danny had personal experience with ghosts first hand, although he didn't let the other two know.

"It all started 10 years ago. Ghosts just suddenly started showing up, although no one knows how or from where they are coming." Tuck said as he tossed the ball over to Danny.

"That's crazy. But, just out of nowhere?" Danny asked passing the ball to Sam.

"Yea. We've gotten used to the attacks. You will too. We get to be trained to use weapons once we're eighteen." Sam said with excitement. The glint in her eyes suggested she oddly desired to hold a weapon. Danny knew Sam was different than the other girls, not just looks but personality too. Her likings and style was quite apparent when she stood next to other girls.

"Well that's something to look forward to." Danny said shrugging. Mrs. Tetslaff blew her whistle and called the class over. Once she explained tomorrow's agenda, she sent the students off to their respective locker rooms.

Most of the boys stopped right when they entered the locker room, gazing at the terror they had marginally avoided. The janitor was currently fixing up the sink and stall doors. It seemed as if he had already sweeped the floor of the million glass shards. Danny and Tuck quickly went to their lockers and changed into their original clothes. As they finished up, the bell rang, signifying the start of passing time until their next class. The boys shut their lockers, grabbed their backpacks, and exited the class.

"Next, it's my favorite part of the day: lunch." Tuck said rubbing his stomach. Danny also felt a rumble originating from his stomach. Hurling up what little breakfast he ate had left him hungry.

The cafeteria was just as bland as the school with its white porcelain tiles and light blue walls. Danny followed Tuck to the queue other students stood in, including Sam. She was reading a black book, although Danny couldn't see the title. Her spider backpack was slung loosely over her shoulder.

"What're you reading Sam?" Tuck asked as if reading Danny's mind.

Without looking up from her book, she replied "Dummies Guide to Ghosts. It's a work of the Fentons."

Danny was puzzled as to why she would read a book on ghosts, or why the Fentons were so important here. He'd heard the couple mentioned several times, but he didn't understand what was so special about them. "By the way, who are the Fentons?"

Sam and Tucker swiveled to look at Danny like he had asked the dumbest question possible. Although somewhere in his memory he recognized the Fentons, it must have been a coincidence. He'd never met or heard of the Fentons in his life, how would he recognize them?

"Dude. You must've have heard of the Fentons. Their an international sensation. Were you living under a rock in New York?" Tuck exclaimed. He wasn't living under a rock, per say. Just captivated by a murderous father who completely ruined my life to the point where I can't do anything without nervously contemplating my actions.

"Uh- no?" Danny finally said.

"Their the only spectral scientists worldwide. There's no one in their field, except them. Their also the only ones who keep this city free of ghosts. And their my parents." A tall, slim girl said in front of them. She had hip length auburn hair that was pushed back with a turquoise headband. She wore a long sleeve black top with turquoise pants that matched that of her headband. Danny could see the resemblance between this girl and the female Fenton. "I'm Jasmine, or Jazz, by the way. And you're…?" she said extending her hand.

"Danny. Uh Daniel Masters." he said shaking her hand. She suddenly stopped, looking at him intently.

"Masters? You mean… are you related to Vlad Masters?" She asked questioningly, finally returning his hand to his side. Danny's eyes widened as shock overwhelmed his being. She knew his father? No way this was a coincidence. Did she know everything? What if she knew about him - that he's half-ghost. He needed to get out. Now.

"Uh, what? You know… Vlad?" he said feeling the sudden urge to flee. It would look way too suspicious. He needed to get out of this conversation now.

"What do you mean? Everyone knows Vlad Masters. The billionaire. Although my parents and Vlad were colleagues, so he visits sometimes." Jazz said. The feeling of anxiousness curled in his stomach, suggesting something was wrong. His father was nationally famous? No way, he hardly left the house let alone visited others. However, he was exceptionally wealthy, yet Danny never knew how he had accumulated much money. It was possible that he could have duplicated himself in order to leave, oh shit. Daniel knew nothing about his father and he was learning more from others than himself.

"No. I'm not related to him." Danny anxiously negated. If Jazz knew Vlad, maybe Jazz knew about the torture he went through everyday. However, that was highly unlikely considering his father would never expose him like that.

"Dude, but you've got to be related." Tuck asked disbelievingly.

"Uh…" Danny didn't know how Tuck could've figured it out. Was his acting slipping?

"Look at the rolex on your wrist. Those things cost a fortune. Your rich." Sam said sighing. She didn't seem swayed by his supposed wealth.

"That doesn't mean I'm related to Vlad Masters. I've never even heard that name in my life." Danny said as he crossed his arms. He looked convincingly like he was saying the truth, however in reality he was just acting. He didn't want anyone connecting him to his father, but someone already had, although he denied their accusation. Running away was the best option this time.

"Dude. You're still loaded aren't you?" Tuck asked excitingly. Danny didn't understand Tuck's slang, as most of his vocabulary was outside modern terminology.

"I don't know what that means." Danny said perplexed.

"He's asking if your rich." Jazz clarified for Danny. He shook his head, he didn't need people thinking he was wealthy. That would only foster further questions.

"So who are your parents? They've got to have some standing if you've got this watch." Sam asked flipping a page in her book.

"Benjamin and Isabella Masters. I doubt you'd know who they are. They work in the business field." Danny said recalling the names he had typed in his application from to the school.

"My parent's and I know just about everyone in this town. Show me a picture and I guarantee I can recognize them." Sam said. How would she know everyone in the town? It seemed to be oppose her free-flowing, apathetic personality.

"Where would I have a picture?"

"On your phone."

"I don't have a phone."

"WHAT?!" Tuck yelled as the entire cafeteria turned to look at the commotion. Sam glared at them and the students returned back to their activities. "How do you not have a phone? Your rich and you don't have a phone?!" Tuck's hands flailed in the air as his mouth was open in shock.

"First off, I'm not rich. Second, Father never let me have a phone. He thinks they corrupt minds." Danny said. Although that was partially true, Danny had asked Vlad for a phone when he was 11 since all the kids his age had one. He received three lashings for that.

"He's definitely a rich kid. He just said father." Sam whispered towards Jazz. Jazz nodded in return. Danny thought of mentioning he wasn't rich once again, but they finally reached the food. Today's lunch was spaghetti and meatballs, however the lunch didn't seem all that edible. Handing the elderly cashier lady some cash, Danny followed the other three and sat down at a round table in the far corner of the cafeteria.

"Do you mind if I join you guys for today?" Jazz asked placing her tray down.

"If you wanna risk your social standing, go right ahead and sit with the outcasts." she said sarcastically. Jazz rolled her eyes and took a seat right next to Danny. She nudged her food with her fork, as if contemplating whether to eat it or not. Danny was doing the same. The food looked and smelled nothing compared to the dishes the chef cooked back at the mansion. However, Danny was starving and at least eating something tonight would be better than nothing at all. Taking a bite of the spaghetti, he almost gagged. The sauce had no flavor and the pasta was undercooked. The meatballs were also stale with no seasoning.

"Where did you move in?" Jazz asked beside him. Danny didn't know how to reply. Since the town was so small, she could know just about every street name there is. And if he made one up that didn't exist, they would instantly figure out he's lying.

"I haven't memorized the address yet, so quite frankly, I don't know. All I know is that I live in a suburban neighborhood at the edge of town."

"Oh yea, I heard about a family moving in there." Tuck said. "Those houses aren't the greatest for a rich kid like you."

"I'm not rich. And I won't be here long, it's just temporary."

"You're gonna be leaving us? How could you?!" Tucker mocked while placing the back of his hand on his forehead as if he were a damsel in distress. Jazz let out a light chuckle at the display.

"Probably by winter break, maybe earlier than that." Danny said twirling his pasta with a fork. He dubiously took another bite of the pasta and chewed.

"Wow. That's only two weeks away." Sam said munching on a sandwich with only a lettuce leaf inside. She had set down her book to focus on eating her lunch.

"Yea. We move a lot so I'm used to the quick friendships." Danny lied. He'd never had a friend before, other than Ember. But he ruined any chances with the rockstar ghost. If only he'd escaped before releasing Ember from the thermos.

Sighing, he was interrupted in his thoughts by a deep voice.

"Masturd! You're going to pay for today morning!" the voice rang out across the cafeteria. Realizing who it belonged to, Danny groaned. Closing his eyes and exhaling, he stood up.

Turning around and opening his eyes, he was met face to face with a blonde jock who was currently jamming his fist into his palm as a sign of intimidation. The look of rage encapsulated his face while Danny felt the need to smile cockily. He was doomed for sure.

"Hello Dash."

AN: YAYAYAYAY. Did you like it? Am I moving too fast? Did I explain with enough detail? Sometimes I don't do that and it bothers me lol. This was also one of the longer chapters so yeet. Anyone have a guess as to what's going to happen? Please leave feedback because it always helps a struggling writer! Suggestions, recommendations, or critiques are accepted!