[Third Person POV]
Danny was tapping his foot repeatedly beneath the lunch table. His arms were crossed so tightly that it looked like he was physically trying to hold in his frustration. Students around him were too wrapped up in their own lunches and chatter to notice, but Tucker and Sam—who had been watching him with growing concern—certainly did.
"Danny, I get that you're worried about Jazzy," Tucker said, speaking carefully between bites of his sandwich. He tilted his head, giving his best attempt at sounding reasonable. "We all understand that much. But why are you acting so impatient?"
Danny's foot stilled for a second before he huffed. "Because I'm waiting for the school day to be over with," he admitted, his voice tense. "I know what's going to happen. They'll probably meet up, and then they'll try to go out on a date—or at least, that's what I suspect. But this time, I'll be ready. I'll be transformed, lying in wait, and when the moment comes, I'll ambush them. Jazz won't even realize it's me, and I'll finally get the chance to beat Jamie and show her who he really is."
Sam raised a brow, leaning back in her seat. "Wait. I thought his name was Johnny?"
Danny rolled his eyes and waved a dismissive hand. "Ugh, Jamie, Johnny, same thing. Who cares? You know exactly who I'm talking about."
Before Sam could argue, Tucker's PDA emitted a sharp beep, drawing their attention instantly. The small device lit up in his hands, its screen flashing with warning symbols. Both Danny and Sam turned toward him in curiosity.
"Hm…" Tucker muttered, brows knitting together in slight apprehension. "Okay, so Danny, remember how your dad was messing around with the Ghost Portal and ended up unleashing that ghost parade the other day?"
Danny squinted suspiciously, his voice cautious. "…Yeah?"
"Well," Tucker continued, adjusting his glasses, "in case something like that ever happens again, I, uh, upgraded my PDA to detect unusual movement within the lab. You know, just as a precaution." He hesitated for a moment, then slowly slid the device across the table toward Danny. "And, uh… you might want to see this for yourself."
Danny picked it up, and the moment his eyes landed on the screen, his jaw nearly dropped. A grainy feed from one of Tucker's hacked security cameras showed Jazz walking side by side with Johnny—hand in hand. Worse, just a few seconds later, the two turned toward each other and hugged, Jazz resting her head briefly against Johnny's shoulder.
"WHAT?!" Danny's voice boomed through the cafeteria, startling nearby students. He shot up from his seat, slamming his palms down onto the table hard enough to rattle Tucker's tray. "That is way too far!!"
Sam tilted her head, deadpan as ever. "The fact that they're hugging?" she asked, a brow raised in mock seriousness. There was the faintest twitch at the corner of her mouth, like she was fighting not to laugh.
Danny whipped around to glare at her. "What? No! The fact that Jazz is skipping school! This is Jazz we're talking about! She once made Dad drive us through an actual snow blizzard just in case classes were still open. And guess what? They weren't. We were literally the only kids in the entire building!" He slapped his forehead, exasperated. "But that's not the point! Johnny is making her skip. He's corrupting her. And that's the final straw. Nobody—and I mean nobody—messes with my sister's education."
For a moment, silence hung between the three of them. Then Sam and Tucker glanced at each other, their lips twitching as they desperately tried not to burst out laughing. Danny's fiery declaration was completely earnest, and that just made it even funnier.
Before they could crack, Danny clenched his fists and bolted toward the exit. "That's it, I'm not sitting here another second. I've gotta stop this before it goes any further!"
"Danny, wait—!" Sam started, but he was already halfway across the cafeteria. With a groan, she grabbed her bag and followed, Tucker scrambling after both of them.
"Wait for us!!" they shouted in unison.
The trio hurried into a quiet, empty corridor, far from the prying eyes of their classmates. Danny didn't even slow down—he ducked into a secluded corner, his determination written all over his face. In a flash of light, his familiar rings of energy swept over his body, replacing his school clothes with the black-and-white jumpsuit of Danny Phantom. Without missing a beat, he grabbed Sam and Tucker, his hands tightening around their arms.
"Hang on," he said, his voice firm.
And then they vanished, phasing out of sight and sound. The three of them became intangible and invisible as Danny carried them and blasted through the air in a streak of light.
…
The air in the lab basement was still, broken only by the hum of glowing machines. Johnny stood across from Jazz, her hand gently enclosed in his. His smirk softened into something almost sincere as he leaned closer, his voice low and smooth.
"I know we just met, and things between us are moving fast," he said, his thumb brushing her knuckles. "But I can't help it, Jazz. I feel this… connection with you, something I've never felt with anyone else before."
Jazz's eyes shimmered, her composure slipping into a dreamy daze as she hung on every word. A warm blush crept across her face. "Oh, Johnny… I know exactly what you mean. I feel the same way."
A sly grin spread across Johnny's face as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. He flicked it open with a flourish, revealing a gold-and-green ring that caught the sterile lab lights and sparkled hypnotically.
"I want to give you something," he said, holding it up between two fingers. "Something that shows how serious I am about us. I hope it's not too much, but… I want to know if you'd officially be my girl."
Jazz gasped, her hands shooting to her mouth. "A ring!" Her eyes glowed with naive delight. "You want to go steady with me? That's so rare in a guy! Yes, Johnny, yes! I accept!"
She leaned in with a look of unguarded affection—
"Hold it right there, mister!!"
The basement door slammed open with a bang. Jack and Maddie Fenton stormed down the stairs, their boots pounding against the metal steps. Maddie didn't hesitate—she lunged, tackling Jazz out of Johnny's reach, sending both mother and daughter sprawling across the floor.
"You punk!" Jack thundered, pointing an accusing finger at Johnny. His face turned red as his fists balled up tight. "No one proposes to my daughter without my approval!"
Before Maddie or Jazz could react, Jack swung his massive fist in Johnny's direction. But Johnny smirked, leaning out of the way with casual ease. In one swift move, he snatched Jack's arm mid-swing, twisted it, and used Jack's own momentum to hurl him across the lab. Jack crashed into the far wall with a thud that rattled the equipment.
"Jack!" Maddie shouted in horror, scrambling to her feet. Jazz quickly stood as well, brushing dust from her clothes.
"What are you doing?!" Jazz snapped, her voice trembling with anger.
"Stopping you from making a mistake," Maddie shot back sharply. "Danny warned us about you sneaking unauthorized people down here! You know it's against the rules."
"Danny, ugh!" Jazz threw her hands up, her voice rising louder than Maddie had ever heard from her. "But he brings Sam and Tucker down here all the time and you two don't say a word!"
The accusation caught Maddie off guard. Her daughter was opinionated, yes, but never had she openly yelled like this. Maddie blinked, stunned into silence.
"That's different," she finally stammered. "We've known Sam and Tucker since they were little. But this boy? We don't know a single thing about him—other than the fact that he just attacked your father! He's bad for you, Jazz. Look at what he's doing!"
Johnny flexed his hands, his calm demeanor cracking into irritation. His knuckles popped audibly as he glared at Jack, who was pulling himself off the floor. "Alright, old man. You're starting to get on my nerves. And I still haven't paid you back for scratching my ride."
Jack eyes narrowing. He chuckled darkly, puffing out his chest. "You've got guts, kid. I'll give you that. But you're messing with the wrong family."
Before he could charge, a flash of white light flared at the top of the stairs. Danny's voice rang out like a battle cry:
"Come here, Johnny boy!!"
Danny rocketed into the basement, spectral rings still fading from his body. His arms stretched out, legs tucked up, his fist blazing with ecto-energy. Johnny spun toward the movement, but too late. Danny's glowing punch connected squarely with his jaw, snapping his head to the side and sending him sprawling across the ground in a roll.
"Nice!!" Jack bellowed proudly, pumping a fist even as Sam and Tucker rushed to help him stand.
Jazz whirled around, her face pale with shock. "What is wrong with all of you?!" she cried, tears welling in her eyes. "You're ruining everything!"
Johnny staggered back to his feet, rubbing his jaw. His grin was gone, replaced by a furious scowl. "You know what? Forget this—I'm out of here."
Danny stepped forward, his eyes glowing, voice low and dangerous. "Like hell I'm letting you leave."
Johnny's own eyes narrowed. "You don't get a choice, brat."
"Let's see about that!" Danny lunged—
But before anyone noticed, Johnny's shadow stretched across the floor, coiling like a serpent. Black, ghostly hands erupted from it, wrapping around Danny's ankle.
"Wha—?!" Danny yelped as his legs flew out from under him. He slammed face-first into the floor with a painful thud. "Ow…" He rubbed his forehead, glaring back at the shadows just as they slipped into the ground again.
Seizing the distraction, Johnny bolted up the stairs. Jazz's sobs followed after him. "Look what you did!" she shouted at her family, her face red and streaked with tears. "I finally had something good in my life, and you couldn't let me have it! Now he's gone—and I'll never forgive you! Ever!"
The words pierced the room like knives. Jack, Maddie, Danny, Sam, and Tucker all froze, their protests dying in their throats.
And then, over the silence, came a thunderous roar—the growl of a motorcycle engine.
Every head snapped toward the stairs just as Johnny's spectral bike tore back into the basement, wheels sparking against the floor. He skidded to a stop directly in front of Jazz, holding out a hand with a daring grin.
"Come on, babe! Your family will never understand us. So forget them—we'll make our own happiness!"
"Johnny… you came back for me!" Jazz gasped, her expression breaking into relief.
"Did you really think I'd leave without you?" he said, his voice softening just enough. "Now hop on. Let's get out of here."
Without hesitation, Jazz grabbed his hand and leapt onto the bike behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist.
"Jazz, no!!" Maddie shouted, launching forward—
But the engine roared, drowning out her voice. Johnny twisted the throttle, the bike's wheels screeching as they spun. In a blur of smoke and sparks, they shot back up the stairs, disappearing in an instant.
The lab fell silent, the family and friends left behind staring at the empty staircase with their mouths hanging open. None of them could quite process what had just happened.
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Ps. I know you guys are impatient but the next chapter in my patreon chapter i believe is the part where everything goes back to normal