[Third Person POV]
Danny was slumped over his desk during the last period of the school day, head buried in his folded arms. Dark bags sagged beneath his eyes, and a faint line of drool slid down from the corner of his mouth. His breathing was slow, steady, the rhythm of someone who hadn't just nodded off for a quick nap, but someone who had surrendered to sheer exhaustion.
Sam didn't look much better. Her pale face and arms was dotted with band-aids from their encounter with ghost last night, and though she had tried to hide her fatigue with makeup, her half-lidded eyes betrayed her. Her head kept bobbing forward, jerking back up again as she stubbornly fought against sleep.
Tucker, on the other hand, had lost the battle completely. His chin rested against his palm, eyes closed, his chest rising and falling in slow, shallow breaths. For a brief moment, he looked peaceful. Then—THUNK!—his chin slipped off his arm, his forehead cracking against the desk at the exact moment the bell rang.
"ACHH!!" Tucker yelped, clutching his head, eyes watering. The sharp sting brought him back to reality, but not in the way he wanted.
The three of them had stayed up all night fighting and recapturing all the ghosts that had escaped, and since they didn't want to leave Danny to do it all by himself they joined him. By the time they had finally finished, the sun had already risen, and the nightmare of school had begun. None of them had so much as blinked at their pillows.
Dragging themselves out of their seats, they shuffled toward their lockers like zombies, every step heavy.
"I don't know about you guys," Tucker groaned as he opened his locker door, his voice cracking from fatigue, "but the second I get home, I'm collapsing into a coma and not waking up until… oh, I dunno… a hundred years later."
Danny shoved his head halfway into his locker, his voice muffled. "I'm going to sleep like a dead person."
That earned a weak snort from Sam and a tired chuckle from Tucker as they slammed their lockers shut after they finished grabbing what they needed. For a fleeting second, it almost felt normal.
Then—
"AAAAAHHH!"
The scream cut through the hallway like a blade. The three of them froze, eyes snapping wide open despite the haze of exhaustion. Without another word, they bolted toward the sound, Danny slamming his locker shut behind him as he sprinted to catch up.
They burst through the school's front doors and were met with chaos. Students were scattering in every direction, screaming, their voices blending into one panicked chorus. Out in the street, an eighteen-wheeler truck barreled forward, its massive tires skidding as the truck jerked unnaturally from side to side.
Danny's breath frosted in the air. His stomach dropped. Behind the wheel wasn't a driver at all—it was Johnny's shadow, its inky-black body twisted in a mockery of human form, jerking the wheel violently back and forth.
The truck swerved, metal groaning. That was when Danny saw it: stacked high in the trailer were heavy logs, their chains snapping under the strain. One massive log came loose, launching into the air. It bounced against the asphalt, tumbling wildly forward.
Danny followed its deadly trajectory—and his blood ran cold.
Jazz.
She was standing on the sidewalk just up ahead, waiting for their parents. She turned, eyes wide, frozen like a deer in headlights as the massive log thundered straight toward her.
"JAZZ!!" Danny's voice cracked, his chest seizing with panic. He didn't care about the dozens of students around them. He didn't care if the entire school saw. Glowing white rings formed around his waist, ready to split apart—
But then—
VROOOOM!
A roar of a motorcycle cut through the chaos. From the blur of smoke and screeching tires, Johnny skidded into view, his bike tilting dangerously as he raced alongside the sidewalk. In one fluid motion, he scooped Jazz up into his arms, pulling her onto the bike just seconds before the log smashed into the exact spot she had been standing.
The ground shook. Dust and splinters exploded into the air. Jazz clung to Johnny, breathless and trembling as the danger passed in an instant.
Johnny slowed just long enough to circle back toward the truck, then pulled over behind it on the side of the street to not be seen. He set Jazz gently on her feet, greeting her with a charming smile.
"You okay, doll?" he asked, his tone smooth as silk.
Jazz pressed a hand against her chest, still shaken, her breaths coming fast. Her face flushed faintly as she stammered, "Y-Yeah. I… I think so."
Johnny leaned back, giving a soft sigh as though he were the most gallant man alive. "Look at you, poor thing—you're shaking." Reaching into his leather jacket, he pulled out a scarf and, without missing a beat, draped it gently around her neck. He adjusted it with care, fingers lingering. "I know it isn't much… but it should reassure you that you're safe now."
Jazz appeared a little dazed as the purple scarf around her neck shimmered faintly, glowing for a heartbeat before fading. A rosy blush spread across her cheeks, and she let out a small, nervous giggle. "I-I wasn't trembling because I was cold, silly… it was just the nerves."
Johnny leaned casually against his motorcycle, a picture of confidence, his smirk almost rehearsed. "I know," he replied smoothly, his voice low and charming. "But hey—at least I managed to get a smile out of you. Distracted your mind from what just happened, didn't I?"
Jazz lifted the scarf higher to her nose, hiding the deep flush that was overtaking her entire face. Behind the soft wool, a smile tugged at her lips, betraying her embarrassment.
Sam and Tucker, watching from the sidelines, let out simultaneous sighs of relief. Jazz was safe. The crisis was over. But their relief was short-lived.
They stiffened at the sound of heavy, uneven breathing beside them. Slowly, as if dreading what they would find, they turned their heads toward Danny.
His fists were trembling at his sides, jaw clenched so tightly the muscles in his face stood out in sharp ridges. His chest rose and fell with each labored breath, every exhale releasing faint wisps of cold mist. And his eyes—his eyes blazed with a neon green glow, brighter and angrier than either of them had ever seen.
Sam and Tucker's hearts skipped a beat.
"Uh oh."
Panicked, Tucker whipped his hat off and shoved it over Danny's glowing eyes, while he and Sam scrambled to stand in front of him, blocking the view from anyone nearby.
"Dude, calm down!" Tucker hissed in a rush. "Your eyes are glowing—like seriously glowing. People are gonna notice!"
"Danny," Sam said quickly, her tone sharp but soothing, "your sister's fine. Jazz is okay. She wasn't hurt. She got saved at the last second—"
But the words didn't reach him. Danny's hand shot forward and pushed them both aside as with a strong force. His stride was purposeful, his every step radiating cold, simmering rage.
Sam and Tucker stumbled, staring after him in horror.
"…Aw crud," they muttered together, exchanging a look of dread. They had never—ever—seen Danny like this before.
Danny marched toward the wreckage. Up ahead, he caught a flicker of motion as Shadow slithered free from the truck's cab, melting seamlessly back into Johnny's form.
Meanwhile, Jazz, still flustered, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and offered a shy smile. "I'm Jasmine," she said softly. "But… my friends call me Jazz." She extended her hand, tentative but genuine.
Johnny took it smoothly, bowing his head with a roguish grin. His lips brushed her knuckles as he murmured, "Jasmine, huh? What a beautiful name. It suits you perfectly. You look as radiant as the flower, and your voice is as soothing as the music. I like it."
Jazz's face burned crimson. "Oh, stop it…" she mumbled, pulling her hand back, utterly embarrassed.
Johnny leaned back, smirk widening as he opened his mouth. "I'm—"
"Dead."
The single word cut through the air like a blade, dripping venom.
Danny yanked Jazz back behind him with one arm. His other fist crackled with raw ecto-energy, blazing with green light. His snarl was low and animalistic, his voice layered with a faint, ghostly distortion.
"That's what you are."
Before Johnny could react, Danny's fist collided with his face.
CRACK!
The punch detonated like a cannon blast, sending Johnny flying off his motorcycle. Blood sprayed into the air as he was hurled backward, smashing into the cobblestone wall with an earth-shaking impact. The stone exploded around him, burying him in rubble and dust.
"DANNY!!" Jazz screamed, eyes wide with shock as she reached out, grabbing his shoulder in an attempt to hold him back. But he shrugged her off with a violent twist, his blood boiling, his fury unstoppable.
Stalking forward, Danny reached into the debris and dragged Johnny out by his collar, lifting him as though he weighed nothing. His eyes burned brighter, neon flames against the shadows.
"Put my sister in danger again," Danny snarled, each word laced with the faint echoes of his ghostly wail. The sound was unnatural, vibrating through the air. "And I'll rip you apart!"
His words slammed into Johnny like physical blows, each syllable a force that made him wince and flinch. Dust clung to Johnny's torn jacket, blood running down the corner of his mouth as Danny pulled him closer, so close their faces nearly touched.
Danny's voice dropped to a low, guttural growl, his rage distilled into pure threat. "Molecule. By molecule."
The glow from Danny's eyes washed across Johnny's features, illuminating the tremor that ran through his gaze. For the first time in a long while, Johnny looked frightened.
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