Broken Phantom

-Danny-

The room turned ice-cold instantly, frost spreading across the walls as silence engulfed us. I kept my eyes locked on Maddie and Jack, every ounce of fury I'd buried over the years bubbling to the surface. "What the hell are YOU DOING HERE?" My voice boomed, startling everyone.

The hunters froze, their weapons shaking slightly. Maddie stared at me, disbelief in her eyes. "H-H-how are you still alive?" Her voice trembled, and the way she raised her weapon toward me sent a wave of dark satisfaction through me.

I chuckled, lowering my head. "How am I alive? Well, no thanks to you assholes." My voice rose with each word, anger amplifying the vibrations in the room until the walls themselves were trembling.

All the hunters pointed their weapons at me now. "It's not possible! We saw you die! We saw you get vaporized!" Sam shouted, her voice cracking with a mixture of fear and confusion.

The class stood frozen in the corner, their wide eyes darting between the hunters and me. I took a step forward, my right hand beginning to rise. "Maybe I should return the favor and rip you apart," I said calmly.

"DANIEL JAMES NIGHTINGALE!" Jazz's voice cut through the tension, snapping me out of my rage. I stopped mid-step, turning to face her. Our eyes met, her steady gaze grounding me in a way nothing else could.

I sighed, releasing some of the anger that had threatened to consume me.

"I want an explanation… after I change," I muttered, spinning on my heel and leaving the room. Behind me, silence reigned, but I could feel their stares burning into my back.

Once the door closed behind me, I took a deep breath. I wasn't expecting to see them so soon. I could feel my rage rise before I forced my self to calm. They weren't worth it—not yet. But they would answer for everything.

I moved forward to get changed and cool down before having to deal with these people.

-Ellie-

When Danny stormed out of the room, the tension was so thick I could practically see it hanging in the air. Everyone just stood there, frozen. No one even dared to breathe until finally, someone exhaled loudly, and the room erupted.

"WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED?"

"WAS THAT REALLY DANNY?"

"WHAT'S HE DOING IN THE GHOST ZONE?"

Their questions flew at each other like wild arrows, none of them really hitting the mark. 

"MOBY DICK, EVERYONE, JUST CALM DOWN!" Mr. Lancer's shout finally silenced the chaos. His calm voice, though stern, made the panic settle slightly. He turned to us—me, Jazz, and Val. "One question at a time. I'm sure the girls can provide us with some answers."

I saw Val roll her eyes as she flopped onto the nearest sofa. "Sorry, Mr. Lancer, but it's not our place to answer," she said firmly.

"B-But is that really him?" Mickey's voice wavered, his eyes darting toward me like I held all the secrets of the universe.

I leaned into Jazz, sitting on her lap, and twirled my hair nonchalantly.

"Yeah, it's him," Jazz answered casually, her voice dripping with boredom. 

Her gaze sharpened, though, when it landed on Maddie and Jack. "But I'd tread lightly if I were you. He might act like everything's fine when he comes back, but he hasn't forgotten. And he will 'never' forgive you after what you've done. After everything you did." eyes shifted towards Tucker and Sam before moving back to the Fenton's. Her voice was steady, but the cold anger in her eyes was unmistakable.

"What do you mean?" Josh, one of the A-listers, asked nervously.

Jazz's lips pressed into a tight line. "They know what they did. And while it might be hypocritical, considering we begged him to let you guys off the hook, I'd have ripped you apart myself if I were him."

Val's voice cut in darkly, her tone sharp enough to make Maddie flinch.

"And why should we care about that… thing? He's not our son," Jack said, shocking the class into stunned silence.

I couldn't hold back anymore. "YOU DON'T DESERVE HIM ANYWAYS, HE IS TO GOOD FOR MONSTER'S LIKE YOU" My voice came out louder and angrier than I'd intended, but I couldn't help it. My fists clenched as I glared at them, wishing I could make them understand how much they'd hurt him.

Jazz's hand found its way to my hair again, her gentle touch calming me slightly. "Leave it, Dani. It's not our place to speak," she said quietly. I didn't like it, but I nodded reluctantly.

"But after what they did to Dad—" my voice broke, emotions spilling over.

Maddie's voice cut through the air, sharp and demanding. "Who the hell are you, anyway?" She glared at her, but she ignored her entirely.

The room fell silent again, everyone lost in their own thoughts. It wasn't just Maddie and Jack—Sam, Tucker, and even the rest of the class were all wondering the same thing: 'What exactly had they done?'

-Val POV-

The air was suffocating, even after Danny left. My patience with these people was wearing thin—especially the hunters. They were so clueless about the damage they'd caused, not just to Danny but to everyone who cared about him.

The hurt they inflicted on Danny was not something good parents would have ever been able to do and while Danny had refrained from talking about what he went through when they had him. 

She and Jazz were able to infiltrate the GIW a week after Danny's escape to delete the data they had and destroy as much as they could before the GIW had time to rebuild the damage he caused.

What they found were things that still haunted her to imagine, and to think these people would do such thing to the same boy they raised for more than a decade. Despicable.

When Danny finally came back into the room, the air shifted. He was different, stronger—a far cry from the boy they remembered. His presence filled the room, demanding attention and respect. The class stared, some in shock, others in awe. 

She could somewhat understand what they felt because even she sometimes was surprised at the change in the boy she became friends with those years ago. The freckles now on his face that lit up when he was feeling happy or angry. The subtle glint of fangs when he spoke, the black-green skull ring on his finger, and the sword I now carried.

Star's sudden rush toward him caught everyone off guard. She threw her arms around him, sobbing openly, and what shocked them more was the way Danny smiled and hugged her back.

"Hey, Star," he said, his voice softer than I'd heard it all day.

"I missed you so much," she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion. Tears sparkled in her eyes as she pulled back to look at him. "We thought you were dead. They told us you were taken."

He grinned, brushing a stray tear from her cheek. "Don't worry, I'm fine. You don't have to worry about me anymore."

She playful punched on his arm bringing a chuckle out of him. "I didn't know you missed me this much," he teased.

Kwan approached next, greeting Danny like an old friend. It was… surprising to watch. She could see they were really surprised by Danny's change, no doubt remembering the past Danny, but this Danny—powerful, confident,—was someone that matched the twink they knew before.

-Danny-

"Long time no see, Danny," Kwan said as he approached, his usual confidence tinged with something like relief.

"Kwan!" I replied with genuine warmth. "What's up, man?" I gave him a quick handshake, glad to see a familiar face that didn't fill me with annoyance and rage.

"Why the hell are you talking to Fenturd?" Dash snapped, his voice dripping with the same arrogance I remembered.

"Nice to see you too, Dash," I said with a dismissive shrug, barely sparing him a glance.

Lancer cleared his throat, drawing my attention. "Daniel, it's good to see you again. I had no idea you were close to these two," he said, gesturing toward Star and Kwan.

"Nice to see you too, Mr. Lancer," I replied, offering him a small smile. He'd always tried to help me, even when things were at their worst. "After freshman year, I started hanging out with them whenever Sam and Tucker were busy or not around. We just… clicked."

"So," I said, turning to Star and Kwan with a smirk, "Val tells me you two are dating now. Finally got the courage to ask her out, huh?"

Kwan flushed and laughed nervously. "Shut up. Can't say you were any better when you asked Sam out."

I pouted, crossing my arms. "Do you have to bring that up every time we talk?"

"You practiced for two weeks straight!" Star burst out laughing.

"Hey, you can't blame me! If she'd said no, it could've destroyed our friendship," I protested.

A small voice interrupted our banter. "Daddy, can I go play with Cujo?" Dani asked, tugging at my sleeve. 

"Sure, princess, just stay close. We might be leaving soon," I said, ruffling her hair. She dashed out of the room, her excitement infectious.

I turned back to Jazz and Val, my voice hardening. "Now, what the hell are they doing here?" I gestured toward Maddie and Jack.

Jazz and Val seemed to share a look before Val sighed.

"The school thought it would be a "wonderful idea" to bring students to the Ghost Zone for a field trip," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

I ran a hand through my hair, sighing deeply. "I've been gone for three years, and stupidity has replaced reasoning. What were they thinking? And of all the days to come…" I muttered, the timing of it all weighing heavily on me. 

"What do you mean, Mr. Fen—" Lancer began, but I cut him off with a sharp glare.

"First off, it's Nightingale, or Danny but not Fenton. Second, today is a… special time in the Zone. All the portals to Earth close for about two to three days."

"WHAT?!" The class erupted in panic.

"Wh-Wh-What do you mean, closed?" Mickey stammered, his voice shaking as he dared to ask the question everyone else was too afraid to.

I leaned against the wall, crossing my arms.

"It's exactly what I said. Twice a year, the Zone experiences a unique phenomenon where all portals leading to Earth seal themselves for two to three days. And, unlucky for you, today just happens to be one of those days."

The room exploded into chaos again. I ignored the noise, walking to a mini fridge and grabbing a drink. Twisting the cap off, I took a long sip, trying to tune them out.

"That's a lie!" Maddie's shrill voice cut through the noise like nails on a chalkboard. "

He's lying to us. These… abominations do nothing but deceive and manipulate, waiting for the perfect moment to strike!".

I turned my head slowly to face her, my patience wearing thin. "After everything you've done, you have the audacity tocall me a liar?" My voice was low and steady, but the room seemed to grow colder again.

I forced myself to take a deep breath, for now keeping the storm inside me at bay.

Dash, predictably, decided to run his mouth. "Yeah, why should we believe you, Fenturd?"

I didn't bother looking at him, but my voice carried enough venom to silence him.

"Don't ever call me that." My eyes flashed green for a split second, and he immediately backed off, his bravado crumbling.

I sighed again, tired of the same old arguments. "Believe me or don't. It's your choice. But it's not my problem."

I shrugged and flopped down onto a couch, taking another sip of my drink.

Maddie crossed her arms, glaring daggers at me. "Well, I'm not staying in this 'thing's' house."

I smirked, enjoying her discomfort. "Then, by all means, have fun outside. I'm sure you brought enough gear to survive out there for a few days, right?"

My smile was mockingly sweet, and the class watched, stunned, as Maddie faltered, realizing the truth.

They hadn't prepared for this.

Before anyone else could chime in, my phone rang. I pulled it out and answered. 

"Yo, flame face, what's up? …She wants us back already? …Yeah, I get it. I'll be there soon." I hung up and called out, "Ellie! Time to go!"

Jazz's brows furrowed. "What's wrong, Danny?"

I sighed, running a hand through my hair again. "The Acropolis. I haven't been there since I came here, and she's worried. Looks like I need to check in."

Dani ran back into the room, clutching a bag with Cujo padding along beside her.

"Is it time already?" she asked, her eyes shining with excitement.

He couldn't help the way his heart and body seemed to relax at seeing his Precious little girl all like this.

While she might look 8 to 10 physically, mentally she was only 4 and that seemed to be showing more after he had taken her to Frostbite to help with her Destabilizing issue.

He had been able to fix her up but said that until she was mentally the same age as her body she wouldn't age. 

"Yeah, princess. Did you pack everything?"

She gave me an exaggerated nod. "Yep! Everything's ready."

I grabbed my sword from where I'd left it on the couch and glanced at the group of humans still staring at me.

"What about us?" Jamie, if he remembered, one of the neutral students, asked cautiously.

I pretended to think, tapping my chin. "Well… I 'could' leave you here for dead…" Gasps echoed through the room, and I couldn't help the smirk that tugged at my lips. "…Or I could take you with me."

"Danny," Jazz warned, narrowing her eyes at me.

"Fine," I relented, holding my hands up in mock surrender. "They can come. But if 'those two'"—I jabbed a finger toward Maddie and Jack—"pull so much as a trigger, they'll regret ever stepping into my Realm."My tone was ice-cold, and I didn't wait for a response.

Before leaving, I turned to Sam and Tucker. For the first time, my expression softened.

"By the way, it's good to see you two again." My voice carried genuine warmth, throwing them off balance.

I unsheathed my sword, its crystalline blade shimmering as green energy danced along its surface, forming intricate patterns. The sheer beauty of the weapon left the room mesmerized, even envious.

"Let's go," I said firmly. With one clean slash, I tore a rift into the air, revealing a swirling portal large enough for all of us to pass through.