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1. The Fight
The last ghost Valerie wants to encounter tonight is Phantom. But as luck has shown her over the past year, nothing ever goes her way.
Valerie initiates the blaster on her wrist, pressing buttons on her keyboard to get a clear target. He's perched on a large tree branch, knees tucked to his chest.
It is quite a peaceful night, Valerie thinks. Clouds like cotton wool stretch across a canvas of evening hues of yellow and blue. Not a bad place to stay and watch the sunset.
But of course, Phantom can’t even give her that.
Quick shot. Get it done.
She lines up the sight with his back and prepares to shoot. For once, it’ll be easy. No stupid cocky quips or escaping her grasp.
“Red.”
Dammit.
“You can’t ever make it easy, can you?” She grits, adjusting aim as he floats off of the tree and down to the ground. As if defying gravity is a normal, mundane task, and not something that makes her spine prickle.
Phantom is powerful. She’s seen what he’s capable of, destroying her life, tearing her suit to shreds in the courtyard at Caspar High.
“Come on then, do it.” He grins with that stupid cocky smirk. She hates the way his eyes crinkle at the corners, goading her on. Phantom folds his arms, legs now turning into a smoky pennant that wavers excitedly.
“You bet I will.” Valerie grits, narrowing her eyes. She moves her foot to activate the jet on the hoverboard.
As expected, as predictable as ever, Phantom is off. She'll give him this — he’s fast.
Valerie kicks at the throttle, the hoverboard roaring to life as it tears across the park. Plants and paths blurs into colourful streaks as she leans forward. Phantom dives between the trees.
“Get back here!” She shouts, firing a blast that singes the bark of an oak just inches from his shoulder. A spatter of disturbed birds erupt into the sky.
Phantom twists midair, turning intangible as he glides cleaning through a large birch tree. “You’re gonna have to try harder than that, Red!”
“I am trying, damn ghost!” She retorts, swerving sharply to avoid low hanging branches and leaves. A sharp grating sound makes her wince as a branch scrapes against her suit.
Great. More future problems.
By the time she’s entered a clearing in the forest, Phantom has already soared above the treeline and into the sky. He does a few loops, waving his arms about.
Of course this is a game to him.
Valerie grits her teeth and accelerates upwards, the board whining as she does so. There’s no doubt a large scrape across her suit, the last thing she needs is the hoverboard to go faulty.
Phantom loops around again and closer to the trees. But this time she predicts correctly, and fires.
It misses. Because, of course.
“Almost got me!” A taunting laugh.
“Shut up!”
She rockets after him, swooping downwards to intercept the canopy again. Valerie aims her blaster, ready to fire a third time.
But by the time she infiltrates through branches and leaves again, he’s gone.
No flicker of black and white.
Nothing.
“Phantom?” Valerie skids to a stop, the hoverboard wobbling slightly. Her eyes scan for any sign of him, anger seeping in her tone, “Don’t you dare—“
Nothing but the breeze rustling leaves.
She quickly toggles the ectoscanner on her visor, searching for any indication of an ecto-signature. Widens the range to outside the park and nearby streets. Absolutely nothing.
“Stupid ghost kid.” Valerie grits.
It really shouldn’t surprise her now. How many times has she come close to capturing or blasting Phantom, just for him to vanish? It’s one of the things that make him simultaneously so frustrating and intriguing. No other ghost can just vanish. Even in invisibility, there’ll still be a trace.
Right when she nearly has him — so close, he’s gone.
Valerie sighs and detracts her suit, feet thumping on the grass as she lands somewhat gracefully.
The tracker stays on though, always does.
A precaution. (Even if another ghost appeared, she’s too worn down to even attempt another chase).
Her gaze lingers where Phantom had been mere moments ago, brash and teasing her. This stupid, endless chase. What’s the point?
A constant back and forth, over and over. There’s never a victory. Just the same deep pit of dissatisfaction and embarrassment of being defeated by a ghost.
“I’m so tired of this.” She mutters.
But nothing will change.
Tomorrow she’ll be here, chasing him all over again.
2. The Admiration
Valerie doesn’t think she’ll ever understand Amity Park’s admiration for Phantom. Especially Caspar High.
Sure, it’s kind of understandable that amongst all the constant ghost fights that upheave the town, people try and scrabble for some sort of hope. And unfortunately that’s in the form of a ghost who acts like a hero.
She slams her locker shut with a resounding thud, avoiding the temptation to rip off the trail of posters stuck down the corridors. It’s something to do with the Phantom Fan Club.
Something she’s never encountered (and never will) with a six-foot pole. An hour, heck — ten minutes, of Paulina fangirling over that scum would leave her sick to the stomach.
“Hey, Val.” She’s caught out by Danny approaching, giving her a friendly wave.
The instant relief she feels is almost embarrassing.
“Danny!” She grins back, feeling a flush pattern on her cheeks and ears. They’ve been dating for months and yet, Valerie still feels caught out at how lucky she is.
“How are you?” He offers her a small smile, hands adjusting the straps on his bag. “Want to meet up after school to discuss the dance?”
Her heart feels like a thousand fireworks exploding again, just like when he first asked her out.
“Of-Of course!” Valerie squeezes her hands together, wincing at the squeal her voice breaks off in.
“So…” Danny leans against the locker, kicking a foot out. “What’s up? You looked…distracted.”
“I—I just…” Valerie stammers off, looking at her feet. How can she talk to him about anything ghost related? Or, even worse, Red Huntress related?
Sure Danny is a Fenton and no doubt knows his way around things, but he’s absolutely terrified of ghosts. Even mentioning one by name and he’s on edge, always looking around.
If he knew she was a ghost hunter? Well. She doesn’t dare think.
“I don’t know.” Valerie gives him a quick glance. His eyes are narrowed, mouth quirked in concern.
“You don’t know?” He quirks a brow, amused.
“I mean…” Valerie gestures to a poster of Phantom. No taking it back now. “How do you feel about all this ghost stuff in Caspar?”
“What, the fights? I mean, yeah, I get pretty sick of them—“
“No, not that. It’s…this admiration. People worship Phantom as if he’s some sort of hero, and he’s not!”
“Oh.” Whatever reaction she was expecting from Danny, it’s not the brief flash of hurt that quickly disappears.
“Surely you don’t see it too? Your parents-“
”My parents are often wrong about a lot of things.” Danny says in a sharp tone that she’s not heard before. “Just ‘cause they’re ghost hunters doesn’t mean they know everything about ghosts.”
”And you do?” The quip slips out, and Valerie regrets it instantly.
“I—“ Danny scrunches his shoulders before shaking his head. “I didn’t say that.”
He adjusts his weight off the locker, jabbing a hand in the direction of homeroom.
”I’m gonna go now.” His tone is something she can’t read. “See you after school.”
Valerie’s stomach plummets. Stupid words. She knows how sensitive Danny is about his fear of ghosts. The A Listers already harass him enough for it.
And now she’s gone and done it too. Shame her own boyfriend for a very valid, understandable fear. The ghosts are powerful.
Though her fights with Phantom are frequent enough to feel routine now, she’s always aware of the underlying danger. He could do a lot more damage than what he does.
Yet…the hesitation doesn’t add up. The hurt upon Danny’s face.
Why does he feel hurt when she mentions ghosts? She could counter it as his fear becoming apparent, but that doesn’t make sense.
Maybe Danny is equally as worried as her about people admiring ghosts, putting them on pedestals? That if this worshipping continues, ghosts will seep further into everyday life?
Valerie looks at the poster of Phantom, green eyes piercing back to her.
How does Danny think his parents are wrong? They’re leading ectoscientists and their research holds very strong evidence, which Valerie has experienced firsthand. The malevolence, violence and destruction.
Unless…the thought makes her heart sink .
Unless Danny thinks Phantom is a hero too.
Bile rises in her throat. Her Danny, sweet and kind and gentle. Of course he’ll see the good in anyone.
I won’t let you manipulate him. She glares at the poster, and in one swift movement, tears Phantom’s picture cleanly in half.
3. The Grave
Valerie goes to the one place that offers her reassurance in difficult times. A place of multiple one-sided conversations and confessions.
She winces as she kneels, the morning condensation in the grass clinging to her knees. The plastic wrap around the daffodils in her hand crinkles squeakily.
“…Hey, mom.” Her voice is hoarse. Definitely not from the aftermath of yesterday.
The stone doesn’t answer, obviously. Just sits there, a simple marble carving with her mother’s name and a daffodil engraving.
”I think I messed up.” She looks to the flowers. “Like, really badly.”
It wouldn’t be the first time she’s confessed big things to her mom at the graveside. She was the first one to ‘find out’ about her hunting pastime, long before her dad did.
”Y'know my boyfriend Danny? Well at school, they’re putting up these posters of Phantom for the school club. And I told him I thought it was bad people admiring a ghost like that…” She trails off, adjusting to cross her legs.
”But, like, he didn’t agree? I don’t know. He just went really quiet and looked hurt. I know he’s terrified of ghosts, so it doesn’t make sense why he’d feel like that. Does he think Phantom’s a hero?”
“Are my ears burning?”
Valerie barely suppresses a groan of frustration. She looks over her right shoulder, and who else but Phantom? He’s sat with his back to the adjoining stone, legs splayed out infront of him.
“What are you doing here?” She asks, not even bothering to leave the annoyance out of her voice.
How does he even know she’s here?
“I was flying overhead.” Phantom shrugs, as if that has any relevance to his presence. “Thought you looked like you could do with some company?”
“I don’t need any company. I’m fine.” Valerie points towards the gravestone. “Can’t you wait till later for a chase, ghost?”
That’s what he has to be here for, right?
“Who says I’m here for a fight?” He snarks back, gesturing around them. “If you forgot, I’m dead.”
Valerie feels her face flush. For some reason until now, it hadn’t computed why a ghost might be in a cemetery for other reasons than to harass her.
“Are you buried here?” She blurts, wincing.
“No!” Phantom jolts upright, shaking his head. “My body’s buried…somewhere else.”
He looks towards her mom’s stone, no doubt making some sort of conclusion in his mind. The silence is awkward. She doesn’t exactly want to confess boyfriend troubles with her mom, when the exact topic of contention is sat beside her.
”I’m sorry about your mom.” Phantom grimaces, looking down at his hands.
”It’s fine. It’s been years.” She shrugs halfheartedly. It’s not completely fine, so to speak, but the grief isn’t as heavy now.
“How old were you when she…?”
”Eight.”
Why is she disclosing this to a ghost?
“How old were you?”
Phantom freezes, eyes broad. She’s not stupid. She knows Phantom has to be around her age - though the Fenton’s have theorised that’s just a disguise to garner sympathy.
Personally, with how brash Phantom can be, she’s leaning towards them being wrong on that stance. He acts like any teenage boy at Caspar would.
”I was fourteen.” Phantom finally responds. She’s surprised he did at all.
“Were you…from here? Amity Park?”
”Yeah!” Phantom grins. “I grew up here. My family’s still around.”
Valerie barely suppresses a shiver of disgust. If Phantom his family is around, then he must still visit, right?
His poor family. Tormented enough by the loss of their family member, only to have him return wrong.
Valerie doesn’t know what she’d do if her mom returned as a ghost. Some would see it as a second chance, but she can’t imagine it like that. Then again her mom was kind, good. She wouldn’t turn into that.
”Do you want to cause them more pain?” She says mid-thought.
”What?” Phantom blinks.
”You staying around Amity. You’re dead. Do you think your family wants a constant reminder?”
”What—what do you mean?”
She turns and faces him fully.
”You’re dead Phantom. All ghosts — they’re stuck. You’re stuck in Amity Park thinking your family wants to see what you’ve turned into.”
”What I’ve turned into?” The ghost echoes, wiping a hand across his face quickly, blinking. “I stay here because this is my home!”
”No it’s not.” She grits, “You belong in the zone, where all the other ghosts do. Maybe then you’ll stop tormenting your family. And me.”
”Geez, real kind, Red!” Phantom springs up, his legs now a ghostly tail. “Just when I think something might change, it’s back to square one. Why do I bother?”
Just as sudden as he appeared, the ghost is gone.
Valerie sighs, facing back to her mother’s grave.
The daffodils, in their plastic wrapping, look wilted now.
4. The Realisation
It’s a ghost fight. Same as any other. Some big incident that her and Phantom have begrudgingly teamed up to contain.
The ghost is long defeated, leaving the cleanup.
Her throat is hoarse, heart pounding. The hoverboard is working overtime to still power on, and she mentally prays it won’t falter.
Valerie coughs, trying not to splutter. She needs to get back inside the apartment block.
Smoke billows out the windows, soot running black down bricks. People scattered outside, civilians screaming and paramedics. Sirens blaring.
She’s relieved to be so high up. Away from it.
“That’s everyone out!” Someone official-looking in a hi-viz shouts through a megaphone. She lets herself relax. Slightly.
Then Phantom’s suddenly on the pavement, a small bundle in his arms. A girl. He’s waving his arms, shouting for help for someone to do something.
The paramedics swarm quickly, the help almost instantaneously. Phantom gets shoved back, hands still splayed out, green eyes watching everything.
Then there’s nothing. Silence.
The girl is gone.
Phantom leaps forward again, restrained by another paramedic.
He just happens to look up at the sky, and for a moment, his eyes catch with Valerie.
He’s crying. Smoke staining his white hair, green eyes glowing and bleary.
She doesn’t think the image will ever leave her mind. Valerie feels her stomach drop, equal guilt and regret.
For the first time, she’s not looking at her enemy.
5. The Dance
The dance was meant to fix everything. She was meant to be able to see Danny, apologise, and start again. A fun, relaxed evening where she can do normal teenage things and be stupid.
Instead, the gym smells faintly like smoke.
Valerie stands in the middle of it, her once-yellow kitten heels crunching over broken plastic cups and torn and damp paper decorations. Streamers hang in saddened ringlets from the banners. All of the tables are overturned and scattered.
One of the banners (‘Spring Fling’) has been torn straight through the middle.
“Go figures.” She grits, tugging up her dress up from being jammed into a piece of warped metal. “Stupid ghosts.”
It’s always the ghosts. They can’t even let her have one measly night.
And now she doesn’t know where Danny is either. Probably petrified, still recovering from shock. He probably never wants to speak with her again. The thought makes her want to hide away in a darkened corner.
But the words don’t land like they usually do. Not since she saw Phantom crying. It’s not the same anymore.
Valerie exhales, staring up at the clock on the wall. Barely eight. The dance wouldn’t even be halfway finished by now.
A flash of black and white cuts across the far wall.
“If you’re here to start round two—“
“Relax.” Phantom’s green eyes illuminate the gym. He floats further towards her, out of the shadows. No dramatic entrance. His brow is furrowed, no smirk this time.
His eyes take in the ruins around them.
“Man, they really went all out this year, huh?”
“You’re late.”
“Huh?”
Valerie quirks a brow. “If you want to ruin anything, you’re too late. Another ghost already did it for you.”
”No, I’m not here for that.”
”Then why are you here?” The same question she asks him every-time he shows up.
Phantom shrugs his shoulders, drifting a little closer to her. Garbage and ruined decorations crackle underfoot as he settles onto the floor.
”Same reason anyone shows up to a dance.” He quips. “Music. Maybe the questionable punch.”
“Everyone’s gone.” She says bluntly.
Silence. Phantom’s expression turns into something unreadable, a small pitiful smile.
“You look like you didn’t get your night.”
The reminder of failing Danny feels like a stab to the chest.
”I don’t need sympathy—“
“I know,” he cuts in quickly, holding up a hand. “You don’t need anything. You’ve made that pretty clear.”
He hesitates, then extends a gloved hand anyway. An invitation.
Valerie stares at it.
”Still,” Phantom’s voice is quiet, “Seems kinda unfair.”
”You think dancing fixes things?” Valerie ignores the thought of how hypocritical that is — expecting a dance to fix her relationship with Danny.
”Nope. Pretty sure it fixes nothing.” the ghost shakes his head.
”Then why—“
“‘Cause sometimes, you gotta have one good moment.” He interrupts, “And that’s better than nothing, right?”
Her eyes avert down to his hand. The glow around it wavers.
Her sworn enemy. The ghost tormenting her and ruining her life at every turn.
But, also the ghost who had cried when he couldn’t save someone.
Valerie’s chest tightens.
”This doesn’t change anything,” she insists, but there’s no usual malice behind it.
”Wouldn’t dream of it,” Phantom replies, though something unreadable marrs his expression.
Then slowly, Valerie reaches out. She falters for half a second, before settling her hands into his.
His hands are cold, yet solid.
He pulls her in close — not too close — but just enough to start a slow awkward sway amongst the mess in the gym.
”You better not trip me.” Valerie snarks, looking up at him.
For a sudden second, his face seems hauntingly familiar. Now that Phantom’s not being a show-off or brash, something else has settled.
A calm, gentle expression. It makes her heart ache for something she can’t name.
”Of course I wouldn’t.” He assures, quiet, peaceful.
Just like Danny—
But Valerie erases the thought, and just lets herself relax in his hold.
For once, she doesn’t need to think about anything.