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Chapter Text

“Finally!” Danny shoved his books and hastily scribbled notes into his bag. He walked out the door with his two best friends. “I thought that class would never end!” 

“Yeah,” Tucker said. “And now we’re only a few minutes away from the sweet sweet release of lunch!”

“Don’t get your hopes up Tuck, I heard it’s corn dogs today.”

“Even better!”

“I still don’t know how you can stand that over-processed fake crap,”

“You’re one to talk, Miss I-Only-Eat-Tofu-Products.”

Danny smiled next to them, basking in the company of his friends. If only he could take this moment and stretch it out forever.

…If only he could catch a break from the constant ghost fights.

Or the mountain of tardy slips and half-finished assignments on his desk.

Or from stupid Dash, who’d pinned him against a locker every day this week.

If only he could fight back without revealing his secret. Without killing Dash in the process. If only he could get some friggin’ sleep for once. Or save everyone’s butts without them calling him a monster. Or-

The lights flickered above him.

“Woah there, Sparky.” Sam put a grounding hand on his shoulder.

“Yeah, we’re almost to the front of the lunch line.” Tucker said.

…

Danny tore into his food with gusto. Sam leaned away from Danny at the lunch table. “Jeez man, I didn’t expect to have two Tuckers today.”

Danny shrugged his shoulders. “The second I get some Me Time, another stupid ghost shows up. Gotta eat while I still can.” He shoved another bite of corn dog into his mouth.

“Maybe this time you’ll finally catch a break,” reassured Sam.

As if on cue, Danny’s ghost sense went off. He could feel it shiver up his spine and puff from his mouth. 

He knew he should check it out, but he really, REALLY didn’t want to. He took another bite of food. “Eh, it’s probably just Boxy. I’ll check it out if someone starts panicking.”

And of course, of course someone had to panic. He could hear a scream from below, shrill and frantic.

With a surge of anger, he shoved his tray forward. That would’ve called attention toward him, if it weren’t for all 13 of the halogen light fixtures exploding above the cafeteria.

More screams. More frustration flooding his veins. More of a need to get this over with.

While everyone was distracted by the shattered glass, he flung himself out of his seat and sank through the floor.

…

Danny could feel the electricity build up in his chest as he transformed. But instead of it stopping after a moment like usual, he could feel it continuing to build. Lightning bounced from his chest to his right hand and back again. It crackled along his spine. It made his head buzz and his core ache. 

Though he was invisible, the lights continued to flicker and die around him. Phantom silently stalked the halls, listening for the sound of a human in danger. 

A leaky faucet dripped in the room behind him. A skinny rat squeaked to his left. For a moment, the intercom picked up a signal from a nearby radio tower. 

“Take me to war, honey I dare you…”

There you are. He could hear begging on the other side of the utility room. He slipped through the wall and watched, still invisible. 

The human suspended in the air shivered, as though some part of her could sense the electricity buzzing in Phantom’s chest. 

As he suspected, it was the Box Ghost. But clearly this time, he’d escalated from stealing boxes, to threatening the maintenance worker that used those boxes. Boxy held the underpaid worker’s arm in his grasp, dangling her about six feet in the air.

The blue menace was going on some rant about how all containers boxy and square were his domain. Phantom tapped his clawed fingers, one by one, on the lockers below him. His jagged tail curled lazily down its edge. The human froze, suddenly aware of the new sound. But the spirit in overalls continued, unaware of the stalking predator behind him. 

When Boxy mentioned using what was inside the boxes to make sure she never touched his precious containers again, Phantom couldn’t take the pulsing in his chest any longer.

He dropped the invisibility. The human woman took one look at him and screamed. The Box Ghost turned around. He finally noticed Phantom, and froze like a statue.

What Phantom meant to say was, “I don’t have time for this.” What came out was a guttural growl that shook the locker doors.

What Phantom meant to say was, “Stay away from her.” What came out was a primal screech that burst the dim light above, like a watermelon hitting concrete.

Boxy dropped the woman.

Boxy also practically flung himself through the wall, screaming the whole way through.

Phantom gave chase.

He whipped through the halls. Vision blurred green in the corner of his eyes. To his credit, the Box Ghost was faster than he’d ever seen him. But Boxy didn’t usually need a reason to flee this quickly. 

The two burst onto the school grounds. Just a moment longer, and he’d catch his prey.

…

“Do you think he’ll call for backup this time?” Tucker asked.

“No idea. He’s getting pretty good at handling things on his own now,” Sam replied.

The two shrugged and raised their forks to their mouths. And then they heard it. 

A powerful, bestial roar shook the floor. 

They froze, locking eyes with each other.

…

“Come on, come on,” Tucker muttered. His hands shook so much he could barely put in the combination. Tucker jumped as Sam kicked his door open. And then her own. 

Grabbing her Fenton Ray Gun and Anti-Creep Stick, she called out. “Take your crap and go!”

Tucker had to sprint to catch up.

…

They had to pivot twice to keep following the source. The original roar came from downstairs. Then a second, more terrified scream carried itself up the hall, and out the front door. 

Sam burst through the doors first, then Tucker. Both simultaneously froze in horror. 

There was that primal screech again, like a charging lightning bolt. And its source was like nothing they’d ever seen before. 

A specter of massive proportions whipped around, chasing a comparatively tiny blue figure. The ghost, cloaked in the stark blackness of space, reached out again. Its acid-green eyes were slits, matching the toxic color of the lightning sparking up and down its body.  

Tucker frantically looked around. “Where’s Danny?”

Sam didn’t know. She couldn’t find the friendly hero anywhere. She didn’t want to admit it. But Tucker could see it written all over her face. What if that thing got to him before they did?

One thing was for certain: they had to get rid of that monster before it hurt anyone else. 

…

Danny could barely think. All he could remember was that the little blue bug in front of him was encroaching on his domain. Hurting his people. He didn’t remember how. He just remembered he needed to get rid of it. If only it would stop moving. 

He stretched his arm forward. Lightning cracked his chest open and leapt down his pale arm. The bolt of energy only barely missed its target. The blue bug's annoying screams renewed. Screw this. He outflew it, whipped around, and circled it until it had nowhere to go. 

Phantom opened his mouth, rushing forward. He wondered if the bug’s head would burst like a Gusher if he closed his jaws around it. 

But before the deed could be done, something seared into his side. He He screeched in pain and whipped around, looking for the offender. 

But none could be found. Not the usual ones. No creeps in white. No ghostly metallic hunter. His dearest friends stood on the steps of the school. Phantom knew what he had to do.

…

Sam had just pulled the trigger on the Fenton Ray Gun, right before the beast tried divorcing someone’s head from their spine.

The target landed, and the creature screamed. Then its gaze locked onto them.

Their eyes widened. 

Sam took in the pallid white flames on top of its head. And the insignia on its chest, almost concealed by the glowing energy surrounding it. And the glowing scar on his white claws. And oh, oh no. It can’t be. 

“Is that…?” Tucker asked.

And again, Sam couldn’t bring herself to confirm it. But she knew it. That’s him. That’s Danny. That’s Danny Fenton and she just shot her friend and he’s coming for her he’s comingrightnow-

She could feel Tucker freezing next to her as the monster- as her friend - rushed at them, an intense look in his glowing green eyes. Phantom reached out. The two humans turned to run.

But it was no use. Phantom grabbed them both and they rose up, up, up until they were taller than their school.

And then- oh. Oh. They were set down gently on the roof. Phantom took one last look at them, as if to make sure they were safe, before he shot off again.

Tucker and Sam ran to the edge, watching as Phantom wildly looked around. But the Box Ghost was long gone. Another primal scream of frustration shook the windows of the school, and Phantom once more dissolved into the ground.

…

Time passed, and a human Danny finally made it back to the lunchroom. But his friends weren’t there. He pulled out his phone to try to text them, but then a hazy image came to mind. Whoops. They’re probably stuck up there somehow. He checked the time (five whole minutes left of lunch!), snagged what was left of his corn dog, and he was out the door again.

He traveled up two flights of stairs until he reached the roof access. Another memory flashed in his mind.

The Box Ghost hovered in an almost-empty utility room.  

He put the two memory bits together and assumed he was the one that put his friends on the roof.

His friends were still safe, at least. But they were discussing something in hushed tones. They jumped and turned to greet Danny as he opened the door. 

They looked happy to see him. A little too happy. 

Danny brushed away a sinking feeling in his chest and walked toward them. “There you guys are!” He reached out, and they flinched at his touch. 

They flinched. 

Danny paused, carefully studying their faces. To Sam’s credit, her face had already smoothed over into a neutral expression. But Tucker had always been an open book. Which was exactly why he was carefully studying any space Danny wasn’t in.

Danny sighed, leading them down the stairs. 

“Hey Danny,” Sam said. Her tone was artificially even. “Sorry we didn’t get to you in time. We would’ve helped earlier if we could.” 

“Yeah, ditto,” Tucker said. “By the way, what happened back there? We missed it.” His tone was also forcefully casual, but he couldn’t keep all the tension from his voice.

“Eh, y’know, not much. Just Boxy again. Probably just wanted to steal boxes or something.”

“Probably?” Sam asked. 

“Yeah, it’s kinda hazy. Must’ve been too boring to remember.”

He couldn’t see it, but he could feel it. His friends exchanged a look behind his back.

What is going on?

He realized he didn’t want the answer to that question.

A flood of memory overtook him. Boxy holds some poor woman feet above the air. Phantom can feel his body change as his anger grows. He starts to see the Box Ghost as less of a person and more like prey. He has to keep it from flying away. He has to-

Danny felt sick. But the memories kept coming. When Danny flies towards them, they shrink away. They flinch. Surely they don’t…?

Danny stopped. He heard the shuffling feet behind him halt, too. 

He turned toward his friends. “You flinched.” 

Tucker’s eyebrow twitched. “What do you mean?”

“Back there,” Danny said, “and up on the roof. You acted like I was gonna burn you.”

The two exchanged another glance. 

“You guys know I’d never hurt you…right?”

“Of course,” came Tucker’s hurried response.

“We know you’re trying your best, Danny,” Sam said. But she was watching him carefully, as though he was some trapped animal in a corner. 

Danny raked his fingers through his hair. He looked down, unable to meet their gaze. The frantic buzzing in his chest was back again, but for an entirely different reason. “I’d never hurt you! Or anyone in this town! So why-” he looked back up at them, “-do you keep acting like I will?”

Danny could feel his chest tighten. Every time he tried slowing his breaths, they increased in pace.

“Well, can you blame us?” Tucker says. He opened and closed his fists. Sam gave him a death glare, but that didn’t stop the words from coming out. “Did you even see how you looked back there?”

Irritation replaced panic. Danny’s fingers twitched. “No, Tucker, I didn’t. Mirrors don’t work on me, remember?”

“Well I’ll tell you-” 

Sam tried to put her hands over Tucker’s mouth. “Let’s discuss this later-”

Danny stared at Tucker. “What did I look like?” Danny knew he didn’t want the answer to this question either, but screw that he needed to know. 

Tucker made some noise of exasperation before exploding. “You seriously have no idea?? You turned into a giant MONSTER and then you DRAGGED US INTO THE SKY! What were we supposed to think??”

Danny’s emotions swelled like a water balloon attached to a hose. He tried to stop the flow, but the rubber split anyway. “I’d never hurt you! Never! You of all people have to know that!” 

Instinctively, he stepped forward. 

No, not again.

They flinched. 

Danny stepped back.

Sam’s expression crumpled. She reached out, apologizing. Tucker had his head turned, fists closed, shaking. 

“No, I’m sorry,” Danny said. “I…I can’t.”

In an instant, he could feel his world melt around him. He couldn’t be here. He couldn’t hurt them again. 

Sam called out his name. Tucker finally looked at him, regret painting his face. 

But they were too late. 

Danny sank through the floor. 

Chapter Text

For like the fifth time today, Danny found himself invisibly floating through the halls of the school. He finally had a reason to stay in class; no doubt Boxy would alert the entire Ghost Zone to the new threat by day’s end.

But he couldn’t go to class. He couldn’t pretend everything was fine. He could barely hold it together as it was. Each time his distress flared, the lightning splitting his chest shocked him. The static buzzed through his nasal cavity and behind his eyes.

He could revert to his human form again, but he suspected the pressure pushing behind his ribs would still split him open. At least this way, there wouldn’t be much lasting damage.

Danny wandered around aimlessly. Part of his mind told him it was patrol time, though he knew he had no reason for it. Any foes were likely long gone by now, cowering somewhere in the Ghost Zone. 

He’d love to go anywhere but here, flee to the forest and let out everything at once. But he worried that if he did, he’d never find his way back. He’d be stuck like this. He’d be stuck as a-

He realized with a jolt he’d ended up in the boys’ bathroom. The line of mirrors reflected a ghoulish figure back at him. Instead of the usual sight (a pure white silhouette of a boy with glowing green pupils), his reflection had taken on a frenetic, staticky outline. Attached to the green pupils were nerves. Dozens upon dozens of nerves that criss-crossed inside the silhouette. They tangled in his chest and split down his arms. The outline of his hair was jagged and fiery, disobeying the law of gravity.

If the image in the mirror was different, then that meant-

Danny looked down at himself. Sure enough, he looked almost as beastly as he did boyish. White gloves had been replaced by pale claws, fading out to inky blackness. His suit and legs were no more, just a jagged, electrified tail that wrapped itself around the bathroom stalls. He could barely see the insignia on his chest. The one that showed everyone he was a hero. A protector. Instead, strands of lightning burst outward, pulsing green and white down to his fingers.

No wonder all of Amity Park feared him.

Was this the real him?

All along, could people see what was really under the silly little costume and friendly persona?

All he knew was that he had to get out of here. 

Any time he saw a person walking down the halls, he’d instinctively go in the opposite direction. It didn’t matter if they couldn’t see him. He could practically feel the hairs on the back of their neck stand on end. He could see them shiver and walk a little faster. 

And so he continued, letting his subconscious take him somewhere far away from the living.

Danny found himself in an empty classroom. It looked like it hadn’t been used in 50 years. Dust blanketed every horizontal surface. Desks lay scattered and rotting haphazardly on the floor. 

Finally convinced he could be alone, he let out a frustrated growl. His claws raked through his fiery white hair, sending flickers of light scattering around the room. Though he couldn’t let it all out for fear of setting something on fire, it felt good to let the electricity roll across his body.

“What’s eatin’ ya, kid?”

Danny’s gaze snapped to the side.

“Woah there Sparky, didn’t mean to scare you.” Sidney Poindexter, clothed in shades of gray, lounged on top of a desk.

Danny squinted. Sidney wasn’t inching backwards, or shying away from his intense gaze. “...Why aren’t you scared?”

“Uh, do you want me to be?”

“No!” Danny hastily replied.

“Then what’s the holdup?”

Danny gave him one good, long look. “...Haven’t you noticed? I look like-” He gestured wildly at himself. “-THIS.”

“...Again, what’s the holdup?”

The words pushed on the back of his mouth. Danny twitched as another flash of energy arced across his back. “...It’s nothing.”

“Doesn’t look like nothing, Danny.”

Upon hearing his name, something shifted. He let out an almost frantic laugh. “You don’t know the half of it.”

“Then fill me in, buster. It ain’t like I’m gettin’ any deader.”

Danny gave Poindexter one last look. If he really wanted to, he could just leave without another word. Make good on his plan to get lost in the forest and scream until there was nothing left.

But instead, he allowed the words to spill from his mouth. “Well, I’m kinda going through a lot right now. In case you couldn’t tell.” He rolled his eyes.

Danny continued, talking Sidney through the events of the day, the week, the month. He complained about juggling the responsibilities of his ghost and human halves. He ranted about Dash, and how he didn’t know how much longer he could get pushed around before he fried that stupid jock and buried his body somewhere they’d never find-

Danny shot a sheepish look at Sid. “Sorry.”

“Honestly kid, I know the feeling. Just don’t let it become a reality.”

Danny gave a nervous laugh, floating back and forth as he continued. “All this would be fine, if I could just catch a break. All I need is one day off. Just one! But I can’t. I’ve got tests to study for and an entire town to protect. And do they ever show a little gratitude? NO! They’re all- They see me as-”

Danny huffed. Try as he might, the pressure was building up again. “They see me as a monster. ” 

The side of his fist hit the wall. A spark of energy crawled into the light outlet, surging the ancient lightbulb above him. For a moment, the bulb gave off a flicker of light. Acid green billowed out behind the glass before the whole thing exploded.

“Agh!” Danny yelled. “See what I mean? I can never catch a friggin’ break!” All at once, the feeling drained out of him. He slumped against the wall. 

Sidney inched closer.

Danny sighed. “Y’know, sometimes, I really, really hate my job. I used to be good at it. Get in, kick ghost butt, save human butt, and get out before I get peeled. I was even pretty good at ignoring all the crowds of people that wanted me dead. -Well- deader than usual.” He closed his eyes. “But then today, Sam and Tucker…They looked at me the same way everyone else does. They were scared of me.” 

Danny threw up his hands. “And it’s not like I can even blame them. I mean, not even an hour ago I tried to bite Boxy’s head off! Literally!” He stopped, almost too afraid to glance at Sidney.

Sidney stayed silent through the entirety of Danny’s rant. The look in his eyes wasn’t one of fear or anxiousness, but of understanding. “Everyone fears what they don’t understand.” Sidney snorted. “Why do you think people wanted me dead?”

Danny felt another shift. He sat on the desk across from Sid, crossing his legs. His Lichtenberg figures no longer sparked with a vengeance. “What do you mean?”

Sidney gave him a rueful smile. “In case you couldn’t tell,” he gestured wryly to himself, “I’ve always been different. You had the jocks that could throw a football straight into orbit, and the society girls who ruled the school. …And then there was me. And I only had one thing going.” 

Poindexter raised an eyebrow at Danny. “Wanna take a gander what it was?”

“Your smarts?” Danny asked.

“Bingo.” Sidney grinned. “I was the nerd. The one who could solve any equation, fix any appliance, win any trivia game.” He gave a self-satisfied smirk and uncrossed his legs. “Everyone at that school knew where I’d end up. I was some twiggy kid now, but one day I’d climb the corporate ladder. I’d become their boss. After they graduated, that whole school would have to answer to me. ” 

Sid’s face fell. “‘Course, it didn’t help that I got a big head about it. When smarts is all you have, you’ll splay it out for the whole world to see, just to be someone worth mentioning.” 

He sighed. “And that’s how it started. I became well-acquainted with the inside of my locker. I got picked on and picked apart. Every move I made, every word I spoke was criticized. Heck, I was even featured in some pretty embarrassing rumors.”

Sidney paused, staring at the ceiling. “I wish I knew back then what I know now. I wasn’t picked on because I was weak, I got picked on because of others’ weakness. Because they themselves were insecure. They couldn’t understand how their lives would look after their little high school bubble popped. They felt the shifting of the totem pole, and feared ending up on the bottom.”

Danny realized he could feel the fabric of his suit and gloves resting on his thighs. He rubbed the material, listening intently to the ghostly boy in front of him. 

“The point is, Danny, we’re both different. We’ve both got sides to us that others don’t understand. And the solution isn’t to hide what makes us different, but to accept it. Own it. People are gonna get it, or they won’t. And some don’t get it ‘till later.”

“But what if they never get it?” Danny fiddled with a loose thread on his pants.

“Your friends will come around soon. They just need some time to understand. I’ve seen the way they look out for you, they’re good kids.” Sid smiled warmly at Danny. “And they know you’re a good egg, too. If you weren’t, you wouldn’t be here. You wouldn’t be Phantom.”

Danny grinned back. “Who knew a dusty old codger like you could be so emotionally intelligent,” he joked. 

Sidney threw back his head, laughing. He leaned forward. “Hey, Sparky, I just wanna be here for you. You make the afterlife a lot less boring.”

“Happy to help,” Danny said.

“Ditto. You helped me find myself way back when, so I wanted to return the favor.”

Danny sighed, more content than he’d been all day. But there was just one more thing buzzing in the back of his brain. 

He looked down at himself. The "DP" insignia on his suit glowed as brightly as ever. He had fingers and feet once more, clad in slick gloves and heavy boots.

“Hey Sid?”

“Yeah?”

“How, uh…how did you get me to stop looking like… I mean, how did you get me back to normal?” He scratched the back of his neck.

“That was all you, kiddo. All I did was provide an outlet.”

“You sure, man? I have no idea what happened.”

“Really? I thought you knew already.”

“...Knew what?”

Sidney stared at him. “Surely you’ve noticed by now. Ghosts choose how they look based on their perception of their identity.”

Danny’s eyes widened. 

Sidney continued. “Most of us have a pretty fixed idea of who we are. Until some kid floats into our life and broadens our perspective.” He winked at Danny. “But you’re a halfa. And a young one, at that! The sky’s the limit for you. You get to reinvent yourself every day.” Sidney stared into the distance and chuckled. “Heck, I remember when you first showed up. Your hazmat suit was so baggy it looked like it was trying to eat you!”

Danny chuckled. “Haha yeah, that was pretty awkward.”

“But now look at you, hot rod! You’re stylish!”

It was true, he realized. Somewhere along the way, his Phantom form had gone from “Nuclear Technician” to a more casual outfit, with a short-sleeve tee hanging over a long-sleeved one, and baggy cargo pants befitting a sleep-deprived teen. 

Wait a minute. Danny laughed, oddly relieved. “Of course!”

Poindexter’s grin widened, eagerly listening.

“So that’s why…y’know, that happened today. I’ve always wanted to help people. Be a hero. And I thought I had to look the part, too. But lately, I’ve noticed…people don’t really want me to be a hero. It doesn’t matter how heroic I look, how friendly I act. All they see is an evil ghost.” Danny sighed. “So when today happened, I just sorta ran out of energy for theatrics. If everyone’s gonna see me as a monster, why bother hiding it, right?”

“Bingo Bango.”

“And I still don’t know if that’s really me , but at least I know why it happened.”

“It is you, though.”

Danny’s smile froze.

“But it’s not all of you.” Sidney leaned forward. “It’s the scariest feeling in the world, having all that rage boiling in ya. But we all have it, I think. You know I did, at least.”

Danny shuddered. He still sometimes dreamed of slowly shifting nooses and banging locker doors. “Yeah.” He quirked his head. “How’d you get rid of your anger, anyway? You’re pretty chill these days.”

“Same way as you. I didn’t really get rid of it, I just found an outlet. Talkin' to you back then, it helped me figure out the real reason I was angry.”

Sidney suddenly looked like an invisible lightbulb had appeared over his head. “Speaking of outlets…I wanna show you something.” 

He pointed to the teacher’s desk. “In that drawer there- yeah, there- is a box of lightbulbs. Grab ‘em.”

Danny did as he was told. He was directed to screw in a new lightbulb. (In doing so, he cooked up a dozen new “How many ghosts does it take to screw in a lightbulb” jokes.) He was then asked to phase between the wall. Danny obliged, soon spotting what Poindexter was referring to.

“Did ya find the right cords?” Sid’s voice was muffled, given Danny’s head was halfway through a brick wall.

“Yeah,” Danny called out.

“Keep going up until you find a burned bit.”

After a moment, he found the spot. It was right before the wires popped out of the ceiling. 

“Give that baby a good surge. Just enough it melts the wires together.”

Careful not to overdo it, he let electricity flow from his fingertips. Sure enough, the plastic around the wires bubbled and congealed, and the metal sautered together.

“Okay, now for some tricky bits. Take that long wire and connect it to the green one. That’s the main power source.”

“Done.”

“Okay, now turn on the light.”

Danny floated down, and flipped the switch. 

Warm light bloomed into the room.

The ghost boys grinned at each other.

“I knew you could do it.” Sidney beamed. “Y’know, that light hasn’t worked in 40 years.”

Danny ogled at him. “But I made the bulb explode like 10 minutes ago!”

“Of course it did, you were the power source.”

“Oh, duh.”

Sidney snorted, amused. He pushed his glasses higher on his face. “After I started haunting this room, the humans stopped using it. And then a few years later, they disconnected the power here.” 

“Huh,” Danny said. He'd never even known this place existed, let alone had so much history to it. Maybe he should start exploring more of the forgotten corners of the school.

“But thanks to you, Sparky, I got my light back!”

Danny suddenly felt like hiding behind his shirt. “Aw come on man, I couldn’t have done it without your help.”

“And neither could I, without your unique powers.” Sidney slapped Danny’s back. “And if you ever wanna visit this lonely ol’ fogey again, I’ll be around.”

“I’ll keep that in mind!” Danny beamed.

Suddenly, he heard his name. He heard it again, from a deeper register. The calls were muffled, but unmistakable. He could feel a spark of anxiety pop in his chest. 

Sidney nodded at him. “You got this. I think they're ready to understand, now.”

Danny nodded back, steeling his resolve. “I’ll tell you how it went later, Egg Cream”

“I’m counting on it, Sparky.” He pointed at Danny. “And we’ll workshop better nicknames for me later, too!” 

Danny laughed. “Sure thing!”

And for the last time that day, Danny sank through the floor.