Chapter Text
The alarm clock blared, cutting through the stillness of Danny Fenton’s bedroom. Danny Fenton rolled over in bed and groaned at the screech of his alarm clock. His hand waved, slapping it, silencing it on the third try. The glowing red numbers read 6:05 AM. He’d gotten maybe three hours of sleep, tops. He cracked open one eye, squinting at the bright red digits. He laid there for a moment, face buried in his pillow, body aching in a way that only fighting ghosts at 2 a.m. could explain. Danny peeled himself out of bed, limbs heavy and sluggish.
In the bathroom, the mirror did him no favors. His skin was paler than usual, his black hair messy, sticking out like he'd been electrocuted, and under his eyes. Purple shadows deep enough to speak volumes about last night's sleep. “Looking good, Danny,” he muttered, voice flat and laced with sarcasm. A splash of cold water, then a little styling gel. Just enough to make his hair look presentable. He brushed his teeth, then hesitated by the sink.
He normally didn’t care what he looked like. It’s he didn’t want to look like he’d rolled out of a grave. The memory still made him flinch, even though it had happened two years ago. Now he was a junior, standing at 5'10". Danny rooted around in his closet and chose his cleanest jeans, black sneakers, and a plain, dark gray T-shirt, which he layered under his light gray hoodie. He ran a hand through his hair one last time, squinted in the mirror, and nodded to himself. “Not dead,” he confirmed.
Downstairs, he made a beeline for the kitchen, the faint smell of metal and ozone drifting up from the lab. He grabbed two waffles from the freezer, popped them into the toaster, then leaned on the counter, sipping a Monster energy drink while staring blankly into space. His phone buzzed with an email from Lancer reading, 'Field Trip to Ghost Zone Tomorrow at 8:00 am. Make sure to pack. Meet in room 1621. Wear sturdy shoes. No metal jewelry. Danny sighed. He looked at his toaster waffle as it popped up. He folded one in half with some peanut butter anyway and took a bite. “Okay, I'm going to school now,” he shouted out loud enough for his parents to hear from the lab. “Have a nice day at school, Danny,” Maddie answered back and went back to work.
Danny stepped out into the cool morning air; hoodie zipped halfway, waffle in hand, and bag slung lazily over one shoulder. He yawned into his sleeve as he walked with a slouch toward Tucker’s house—just a few blocks away. Tucker was already waiting on the porch, fiddling with his PDA and wearing his usual red beret, a long-sleeve yellow shirt, and cargo pants. “You look like death,” Tucker said cheerfully as Danny approached. “Thanks,” Danny sarcastically muttered, taking another bite of his waffle sandwich. "Three hours of sleep. You?” Tucker smirked. “I went to bed at a responsible midnight after building a firewall strong enough to keep Skulker out of my D&D party. Priorities, man.” The two bumped fists and continued walking. “You ready for the field trip?” Tucker asked. “Make sure to pack a Thermos for emergencies?” Danny rolled his eyes. “I’m trying not to think about how many ways this could go wrong. That alone is a bad omen“.
They turned the corner toward Sam’s street. Her house stood out like always—gothic architecture, and a black iron gate. Danny rang the bell, and after a good 6 seconds, Sam walked out. “Morning, weirdos,” she said dryly, stepping outside. Sam eyed him. “You did something with your hair”, “I just combed it,” he said flatly. "You tried to look presentable,” she snorted. “I won't pry“. Danny just nodded, walking ahead as they started towards school.
Behind him, Sam and Tucker exchanged glances but said nothing. Not yet. They had a long day ahead.