Chapter Text
The ghosts were just as active, but they went through them quickly with Rin's help.
"I am the Box Ghost! Beware my cardboard boxes of doom!"
"This is the fifth time tonight!" Rin cried, already getting frustrated. "I can't believe Danny has to deal with you!"
"Phantom will never defeat me, the Box-" Boxy was cut off as Rin growled, his eyes turning to blue fire.
"Get in the thermos already."
The Box Ghost shrieked in fear of him, but wasn't able to escape the vortex of light that sucked him into the Fenton device.
"You know, if we want to actually catch the ghosts, please tone down on the demonic stuff. We don't want the ghosts running away." Sam eyed him.
"I can't help it! He is so annoying!" Rin cried.
"Danny has to put up with him every day," Tucker reminded the half demon.
"Remind me to have a small talk with Boxy before we throw him back into the Zone," Rin said.
"Why?" Jazz asked warily.
"I'll make sure he doesn't come back."
They all shivered. "Sure, Rin."
"I think that's all of them." Tucker smiled. "The tracker doesn't detect any ghost activity throughout the whole city."
"Thank god! Jeez, I feel really bad for Danny!" Rin cried.
"It's hard, but Danny does what he thinks is right." Jazz shrugged.
"Two words, hero complex." Sam laughed.
"I can already hear Danny protesting," Rin said jokingly.
"Well, we didn't have many difficult ghosts. Most of the time, Skulker is only out when Danny is around. The only other ghosts we had to face besides ectopusses and the Box Ghost was Technus, Johnny, Kitty, and Spectra," Jazz said.
"That woman can really get in your head." Rin frowned.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Sam asked hesitantly.
"Of course. It wasn't anything I haven't heard before. My insecurities and fears are things I've come to pass long ago. It hurt, but I wasn't vulnerable. I'm fine." Rin assured the goth.
"If you say so." Sam sighed.
"What time is it?" Jazz asked Tucker.
"About four in the morning," Tucker responded.
"I'll teleport you guys back home. You'll need the extra time to sleep." Rin smiled, and blue flames surrounded them all.
After Sam and Tucker were dropped off, Rin teleported them back to the Fenton house to drop off Jazz.
They appeared in her room, and Rin smiled at her, tail swaying. "See you!"
"Wait!" Jazz grabbed his arm. "I wanted to thank you. This whole time you've been looking out for my brother when I couldn't even if he didn't know it, and I can't thank you enough."
"There's nothing to thank," Rin said softly. "He's my friend, and trust me, I don't use that word lightly. Trust has and always will be an issue for me, but it seems you, your family, and Danny's friends are an exception."
"We'll miss you when you leave." Jazz stared at him.
"I'll miss you guys, too, but I've got a family back in my original universe. I can't just abandon them." Rin frowned.
"Nobody's asking you to."
Rin nodded and turned to her window, crouching on the ledge. "See you around, Jazz."
"See you around, Rin." She copied.
Rin leapt out of the window, morphing into a black wolf before he hit the ground, and exploded into blue fire once his paws touched the grass, vanishing.
"Show off," she muttered fondly.
Jazz smiled at Danny as he came down, the bags under his eyes gone and eyes brighter.
"Good morning, little brother," Jazz greeted.
"Morning, Jazz." Danny nodded towards her, a smile on his face.
"Did you sleep well?" She asked.
"Yeah. I went to bed around 3:30 PM after I got home, so I got about seventeen hours of sleep." Danny chuckled.
"I'm not surprised you slept that long. You've been awake for about a week straight. Are you feeling better?"
"Lots," Danny answered.
"Good. From now on, you'll let us help, alright?" Jazz eyes him, daring him to object.
Danny gulped at her expression. "Yeah."
"Good!" She cheered.
Danny sweat dropped at her mood swings.
"Now, hurry up. You only have half an hour to get to school." Jazz rushed him.
"Okay, okay." Danny laughed.
"Oh yeah, I don't think the Box Ghost will be back for a while," Jazz told him.
"Why?" Danny wondered curiously.
Jazz chuckled nervously. "Rin got irritated with him and well..."
Danny blanched. "Never mind. I have a feeling I don't want to know."
"No, no you don't."
"Hey, Danny." Sam and Tucker waved to him as they met up on the sidewalk.
"Hey, guys," Danny greeted.
"You feeling better, man?" Tucker asked.
"Like I told Jazz, I'm feeling a lot better. I guess Rin was right." Danny smiled.
"About?" Sam urged.
"I just realized I feel a lot less tense and stressed, less annoyed. I'm pretty sure I would have lashed out at someone sooner or later." Danny sighed.
"Duh. It's happened to me too many times." A voice cut in.
They all jumped to see Rin, casually standing there with a backpack strapped over his shoulder. "What?"
"When did you get here?" Tucker burst.
"I've been walking with you guys since Danny met up with you. I just decided now was the best time to speak up." Rin smiled innocently, but his eyes sparkled with mischief.
"You're very good at sneaking up on people," Sam said.
"I'm a demon, it's my specialty." Rin joked.
"Are demons good liars, too?" Danny asked.
"Yeah, but we can also sense them, so lying to me will do you no good. Keep that in mind." Rin smirked.
Danny shrugged nonchalantly. "Will do."
Rin snarled silently as he watched Dash pick on Mikey.
He could pick on Rin. Hell, he could pick on Danny, but they could take it! Normal humans couldn't, and Rin was disgusted that anyone would treat another one of their kind like that for no good reason.
"Leave him alone, Dash." Rin hissed.
All heads that were watching the show turned to look at Rin. Sam and Tucker looked worried.
Of all the times for Danny to have sensed a ghost! Sam and Tucker hoped Danny would get back soon before Rin lashed out.
"Why should I? Who are you to tell me what to do?" Dash laughed, shoving Mikey against the lockers again.
"What kind of human being treats another human like they're trash? Are you really such a jerk that you'd stoop to picking on kids smaller than you to get a pride boost? It's pathetic and just plain disgusting. Back the hell off, or so help me, I'll make you," Rin threatened.
"You're just as weak as all of the losers, Okumura." Dash sneered. "You don't even fight back when I pummel you. What makes you think this time will be any different?"
"Rin..." Sam warned, but the half demon didn't listen.
"I let you. I let you hit me, I let you beat me up because I can take it. All of these other kids that you enjoy hurting, they can't! If you don't back off and move on, I'll show you what pain really feels like." Rin growled, heat burning beneath his skin.
Dash laughed and smirked, grabbing Mikey by the throat and bashed him against the lockers, Mikey crying out.
"Rin, no!" Tucker cried, but it was too late.
Rin snarled inhumanly, lunging at Dash so fast, he was a blur.
Dash crashed to the floor, dropping Mikey as Rin tackled him, growling.
"How does it feel to be the one getting beat up?!" Rin barked, punching Dash, earning a crack from the boy's nose as blood gushed out.
Dash cried out in pain, holding his nose. Rin merely scowled, dragging the bully to his feet and kicking him in the gut, sending him into a row of lockers roughly.
Just when Rin was about to lung again, a voice cried out, "Stop! I'm fine!"
It wasn't Sam, nor Tucker. It was, surprisingly enough, Mikey.
The small geek stared at him, and Rin knew that anyone else would have been terrified. The kid was, but he held his ground well. Rin guessed it was because Mikey knew Rin wouldn't hurt him.
"You can stop. I'm fine, alright? Just...stop, please." Mikey begged.
"You have bruises on your neck, Mikey." Rin hissed.
Mikey flinched, but repeated, "I'm fine."
Rin took a few deep breaths and nodded. "I'm sorry if I scared you, Mikey."
"I'm grateful for the help, but you went too far," Mikey said.
Rin nodded, but Mr. Lancer's voice cut through the sea of shocked students. "Lord of the Flies, what is going on here?!"
Everyone parted, and when Lancer saw Dash all beat, unconscious and bloodied, he frowned and rushed to check the quarterback. "Kwan, call 911. He's got a broken nose and ribs."
Kwan shakily nodded and rushed off.
"Who did this?" Lancer scanned the students, but stopped his gaze on Rin, who glared at the limp blonde with a burning hatred, hands bloody.
"Rin Okumura, to the principal's office. Now!" Lancer barked.
Rin's expression hardened, but stepped forward, ready to head toward his punishment.
"Wait! Rin was only trying to help me!" Mikey cried out.
"What do you mean?" Lancer asked.
"Dash had me pinned to the lockers by my throat, and Rin stopped him! See!" Mikey's words flew from his lips, pointing to his bruised neck.
Mr. Lancer sighed. "As true as that may be, Rin still severely injured a student. If he's got enough internal damage, he might be charged for attempted murder."
Rin shook his head. "I lost it, Mikey. Nothing excuses my behavior. I'll take any punishment you dish out."
"Nathan, can you take Mikey to the nurse?" Mr. Lancer asked, and Nathan nodded.
Nathan helped Mikey up and led him to the office, away from the crowd.
Meanwhile, Danny discreetly appeared beside Sam and Tucker looking at the scene. "What happened?"
"Long story short, Dash was picking on Mikey, Rin lost it, and now Dash is being sent to the hospital. Rin's in big trouble," Sam explained.
Danny frowned. "That's not good..."
"If you were getting a second opinion, I'd say Dash had it coming." Tucker shrugged.
"Agreed." Sam scowled.
"What are we going to do?" Tucker asked.
"We help Rin. What else?" Danny said.
"Rin..." Lizzy sighed.
"He had it coming! I'm sorry, Lizzy, but he deserved it! That's probably not even a fraction of what he's done to the other kids all together!" Rin defended.
"I believe you, Rin, but your temper is out of control. You need to learn to calm down." Lizzy's eyes stared into his blue ones.
"I can, usually. I've been off lately. It's not an excuse for my behavior, but I think I'm getting homesick, as dumb as it sounds," Rin confessed.
Lizzy smiled sadly. "Don't worry, Rin. You'll get home. I know you will. Just be patient. For now, try to keep your anger in check, alright? I don't need you getting yourself exposed."
"I know, Lizzy." Rin nodded.
"I worry about you, Rin. Stop making me worry." Lizzy laughed.
"No promises." Rin smiled softly.