Work Text:
In Edward’s time as Casper High’s English teacher, one thing became clear. The students may leave and change but the rumor mill stays. And as a teacher, you can’t ban it nor make it stop. You can just hope rumors about you – if there are any – don’t result in anything bad.
And, of course, that anything bad happens. Rare, as rumors die as soon as something new captures everyone’s attention, but some of the hardier rumors tend to have a kernel of truth. Edward hates when those emerge.
Figuring out that is the truth tends to be so difficult, like a riddle that works against you solving it.
Edward left his office as the vice principal and walked though the corridor. Eyes open to see the happenings of his school and ears attentive in case anything needs his attention.
“Have you ever noticed that the mayor and Fenton are kind of close?” a student asked one of the jocks.
The football player just answered, “Duh, Fenton was on the stage with the mayor. Mayor Masters seems to know the Doctors Fenton.”
Overhearing that, Edward nod. He saw the mayor stop by the school from time to time, talking to Daniel Fenton. Said boy never looked happy about these visits.
Another student told her friend in passing, “According to Rory, the mayor calls him ‘Little Badger’.”
“Really? Why? Are they related?” her friend answered. “I heard rumors he is his godfather or something?”
“No blood relation? But they look so similar.”
Edward reached his home room. His next English class starts soon. ‘Soon’ meaning after his next class. That English course, containing most if not all of his homeroom class, he knows for a fact most have a free period now. Considering they all are in Standard English and not advanced, he isn’t surprised most ditched to take a second foreign language as soon as they got their required language credits. Aside from Samantha Manson, who to her Jewish family’s horror, took German and continues the course. According to Helena Kaiser, their German teacher, Ms. Manson is fully aware why her family came to the US.
If Casper would have a school councilor, they would send her there, but after the incident with Penelope Spectra… they won’t risk it.
Then the student’s for the now starting Biology class came in.
Apparently some of them heard about the nickname calling between their mayor and their school mate.
“Dude, isn’t it weird as fuck that Mayor Masters calls him by a pet name?”
His friend shrugged. “Well, Fenton calls him Fruitloop in return, so I dunno.”
“Dave, don’t call it a pet name.” a third boy chimed in. “Now, on the topic of Fenton and the mayor, have you ever seen how the mayor interacts with the doctors?”
Stella Kaiser, better known as Star in the school, jumped in, “Yes. He looks so in love at her. Which is, ew, she is married.” Star thought. “Now that I think about it, he looked rather annoyed every time Jack Fenton was near him.”
“Like when?”
“Whenever Anti-ghost infrastructure gets inaugurated.” Star points out.
One of the boys groaned. “Does he need to hold a ceremony for everything?”
The lesson started and Edward started to teach them about dominant and recessive genes. Sometime into the lesson, a group of students whispered between then, not paying attention. Before he could tell them to focus, one of the guys asked, “Mr. Lancer, is being tall a recessive gene?”
“No, partly because there isn’t one singular gene for being tall. Multiple genes work together, but these groupings could be considered as dominant. Of course it depends if both parents carry the genes and even then, a recessive gene may decide a trait.” The trio wasn’t listening anymore.
One of them saying, rather loudly, “See? Dominant!”
“Doesn’t mean he is not the father.” his friend replied. “Now pipe down, Rowan.”
“Mr. Leeds, Mr. Murphy, what are you discussing about genes?”
A girl, who sat near the group, replied very annoyed, “The egg heads were discussing that rumor that Mayor Masters is Fenton’s father.”
“Come on, Clarissa! Just look at them! Daniel is not build like Dr. Fenton!” Rowan argued. “He is thin and short like the mayor. And both have blue eyes.”
“So do Daniel and his dad. And Daniel could hit a growth spurt.”
“By now? Doubt it.”
“Children! Stop talking about this.” he demanded from the class.
But the class was more interested in gossip. Especially when it relates to a ‘Class Clown’, even when the youngest Fenton isn’t intentionally a class clown.
“Are you implying she cheats on her husband?” Naomi, one of the feminists in the school, asked offended.
Clarissa shrugged, “To be fair, between a bachelor of the year and Jack Fenton, who won’t?”
“If so, she could have simply divorced him.” Flynn Murphy pointed out. “The Manson’s may act like it, but we aren’t in the 50s anymore, they can just divorce. And remarry.” Roman snickered at the jab at the Manson’s.
Edward demanded, again but this time louder, “Focus! Stop talking about things that aren’t your business!”
“But we talk about genes-”
“Detention, Rowan Leeds!”
“Oh, full named…”
Edward dropped himself onto the couch of the teacher’s lounge, only to feel Luis Garcia, the Chemistry Teacher, sit besides him. “Difficult lesson, Ed?”
He shrugged. “It devolved into a gossip session between the class. Topic this week, the connection between the Fenton’s and the mayor.”
Sofia Kassi, their Polish teacher, chimed in with the question, “Did they theorize that Madeline Fenton cheated? That he is Daniel Fenton’s father?”
Edward looked at her surprised. Sofia normally kept out of rumors. “Yes, how do you know?”
She just said, “Two students asked Jasmine this morning if she is Masters’ kid as well.”
“Right, she is in your course.” he muttered.
“Let’s hope this is true and not what Eileen had overheard.” Simon, one of the history teachers and teacher responsible for the school’s news letter, stated.
“What do you mean?”
Simon said, “Edward, I know you worry a lot about Fenton – which, fair, he is a magnet for bad things to happen – but did you ever notice… well… his closeness to the mayor?”
Sofia added, “Like, when he opened our new school library, for his whole speech, he was touching Daniel in one way or another.” She added, “And Jasmine was very angered by this.”
Their colleagues nod. “Kid looked uncomfortable.” Ivana Tetslaff added, “Sure, could have been for being a center of attention, after all Masters said he decided to sponsor us because Daniel attends, but the kid tried to get away from him specifically.”
“In general, that focus Masters puts on him… now that we talk about it… it becomes iffy.”
“It is iffy, Simon.” Luis added. “Do you think…” His sentence tapered off, not being finished.
But Edward knew what Luis meant.
Due to repeated tardies and skipped classes, the Fenton Parents were invited to another teacher-parent talk. For once both attended.
As soon as the pair walked in, Madeline Fenton asked, “Mr. Lancer? Is something wrong? You don’t look well.”
It was true. His hair was disheveled and his tie and shirt somewhat sweaty and undone. He was stressed as the rumor, the theory, the worry had gotten to him. Edward sighed. “Please sit down, I need to come to the point. I can;t waste time about a topic of this nature.”
Jack Fenton asked, “Oh… is Danny getting expelled?”
His wife added, “Him and Jazz are still in school, in the library, we can fetch him if it is about an expulsion. Shouldn’t he be here for that talk?”
Edward shook his head. “No, not that. It is just, it came to our attention… we observed that… how should I phrase that?”
“Mr. Lancer, what is going on?” Madeline asked worried.
He sighed, “After reviewing past events, it came to our attention that your son may be, well, being groomed.”
“Groomed?”
“A potential predator may be targeting Daniel.” Edward spoke.
“Who?” Madeline snapped in a tone he only heard her aim at ghosts she despised.
“Mayor Masters-”
“Vladdie would never! We’ve been friends since college!” Jack defended. “He is the kid’s god father!”
“Mr. Fenton, statistically speaking, rapists, murders and groomers are oftentimes people from the victim’s social circles.” Edward explained. “The fact is, Daniel had been the center of attention for multiple of the mayor’s speeches. Including ones held at our school. Multiple eye witnesses confirmed your son had been highly uncomfortable. According to our Polish Teacher Mrs. Kassi, your daughter confirmed Daniel tried to get away from him that day.”
“That was just Daniel’s shyness. He isn’t a fan of speeches.” Jack pointed out.
“Mayor Masters has been seen multiple times stopping by our school just to speak with Daniel. In fact we have recordings of this.” Edward told them and took out a school laptop to them. He showed them recordings. “The sound is useless due to the distance but I hope the video itself suffices.”
He turned the laptop to them, allowing them to watch.
The material showed Daniel and his friends walk out of school, stopping at the flag pole and talk. Soon after, the mayoral limo stopped by and a window lowered, Vlad Masters peaking out.
He talked to Daniel, who crossed his arms. Their words couldn’t be heard.
Vlad then opened the door and grabbed Daniel by his arm, but his friends pulled him away.
They could hear distorted yelling, ‘Leave me alone, Vlad!’
Madeline hit pause. “We heard enough.”
Her husband just kept silent, eyes trained on the screen.
“Was that all?” Madeline asked.
He shook his head. “Nothing changes about his skipping, being late and sleeping in class, however his grades had gotten better, so I can’t think of anything that could be of use. “ Edward added, “And your attention should be on this.” Ed gestured to the laptop.
Madeline told him, “I will end this. You should have told us sooner. It sounds like the school was aware for a while about this.”
He didn’t argue. “Yes, we could have done better.”
“Isn’t it weird that a millionaire out of state sponsors your school just because of one student?”
“Yes.”
The pair left and Edward sighed.
Jazz and Danny watched from the stair case. Their father acts weird, their mom is furious yet clingy to Danny, yet she invited Vlad. An enigma that needs solving.
They saw their dad sitting on the couch deflated and their mom pacing in the living room.
Jazz just mused, “I wonder if they heard of that rumor?”
“Which rumor?” Danny asked, “That my bladder detects ghosts?”
She shook her head. “Not that one. Some idiots asked me today if mom cheated with Vlad on dad… they kinda think he is our, well, at least your biological dad.”
“Ugh, I don’t know if I should be disgusted or be insulted on mom’s behalf.” he replied.
“You disgusted, I insulted.” Jazz said, “I nearly punched that idiot.”
“Or that.”
The bell than rang and Vlad came in, only to be slapped by their mom.
“Madeline, my dear-”
She then pulled an ecto gun on Vlad.
“Did she figure out he’s Plasmius?” Danny whispered to his sister.
“In case she did, the go-bag’s on the northern corner of the roof.” Jazz replied.
“Vlad, are you grooming Danny?” she asked angered.
“What?” Danny and Vlad asked at the same time.
Danny then walked down the stairs and said, “Well, he touches me more than I would like-”
Before he could finish the sentence, his mom pulled the trigger and a blast hit Vlad chest-first. As Vlad hit the ground, he transformed. A reflex from his body to allow his other half to heal his human side. At least, they figured, Danny’s works like that.
“The Wisconsin Ghost!” Jack yelled. “Wait, how? That doesn’t-”
“Look like possession?” Vlad said, “Because it isn’t, fool.”
“What is it then, spook.” Maddie demanded, gun aimed.
Vlad simply said, weirdly calm for Danny, “Remember my accident? It gave me the ability to switch between human and ghost. I am what ghosts refer as a halfa.” He then added with a smirk, “And so is young Daniel. His accident also rendered him a halfa.”
“Danny, run!” Jazz yelled. Danny nod and flew though the house, coming out by the roof.
Danny floated over a corn field somewhere in Illinois. He waited for an answer from his clone. Part of their plan was, if he needed to leave Amity Park, he’ll tag along with Dani. His phone rang, but the number wasn’t of Dani’s burner phone, nor an unknown number. It was Jazz’ number.
“Jazz?”
‘Danny! Return to Amity Park. Wrong alarm.’ she told him.
“But you…”
‘After they captured Vlad, I explained to them what had happened. They don’t hate you for being Phantom-’ She was interrupted by Jack, ‘We’re sorry, Danno!’ Jazz continued, ‘Apparently them knowing Phantom is you changed their mind. They still hate Vlad, though.’
“What about mom’s grooming accusation.”
‘Yeah, that one is a whoosie. We better explain that in person.’ Jazz said, ‘Now return.’
“Good thing I am still in Illinois.”
As he returned, he floated as Phantom into the house, only to be tackle hugged by his mom. “Still need air, mom!” he shocked.
She let go. “Of course, I was just so worried.”
“So… we got you killed.” Jack stated.
Danny turned back, “No! I mean, maybe? No one is sure if halfas are actually half dead or aren’t just humans with powers. I mean, oh, forget it.” He took a deep breath. “The point is, I am not angry or mad at you. It was an accident. Caused by me… not your fault.”
“Still…”
Danny tried to change the topic. “What about Vlad?”
“He got souped.” Jazz said, holding up a Fenton Thermos.
“I meant about the grooming.” Danny clarified.
His mom sighed and explained their talk with Lancer.
“I mean… I can see how it could look like that without context.” Danny admitted. “And I meant what I said. He constantly had his hands on my shoulders.”
“Grooming isn’t even the wrong term. While Vlad wasn’t grooming Danny in a predatory way, he was trying to make him his evil apprentice.” Jazz explained. “And son. Erk. “
Danny agreed with a disgusted face of his own. “What now?”
“What now what?”
“Well, Vlad is the mayor. It would be odd if he just vanishes.” Danny pointed out.
Maddie sighed. “That is a worry for tomorrow. Now, about these Go-Bags…”
Then, a phone rang. Danny’s phone rang. “Oh, now she calls!”
“Who?” Jack asked.
“My clone!” He accepted the call and left the living room.
“Clone?!” Maddie gasped.
Jazz sighed. “Vlad tried to clone Danny. For a short while he kinda gave up on making Danny his son. Somehow the only somewhat stable clone is a girl. We call her Dani. Dani with an I, D-a-n-i.”
“Where is she? It sounds like Vlad isn’t…”
“Vlad tries to kill her, so she is in hiding. Dani loves to travel.” Jazz explained. “Danny and Dani call each other cousin, but we kinda see her as a younger sister. Eh… physically she is around nine? Ten? Mentally, she is one.”
“In that case, bring her here!” Maddie demanded, “I don’t think it is good for her to be out there alone.”
“Okay, but I doubt she agrees. Dani avoids Amity Park, considering…” Jazz gestured to the Thermos containing Fruitloop.
A day later, Dani arrived at the Fenton House.
“Oh! She is precious!” Maddie cheered as she hugged Dani. Said clone being surprised.
Dani just voiced, “Huh. Why again didn’t you tell them earlier?”
Danny rubbed his neck, “Wrong assumptions. So… wanna stay?”
“I made fudge!” Jack announced.
“Mm, sure. Now, what is fudge?”