Chapter 2: (B) Back To School

School….fucking...school! How the hell did I forget that this was going to be a thing. Was I too blinded with the thought of being a super cool unstoppable half-dead hero that I didn't realize I would still have to stare down the face of my worst enemy every single day. I didn't even get to test out my powers or anything. After getting zapped, I could barely move without my soul feeling like it was on fire. Was this how OG Danny felt when he got his powers? Not to mention he had to go through it at least twice.

Honestly, I'm kind of worried that I've screwed things up with Sam and Tucker already. I didn't realize it at the time, but from what Tuck told me on the way to school, I wouldn't stop shaking and doing this weird giggle even after we left the basement. I don't exactly...remember everything that happened, after I got to my room I passed out and now everything is kind of blurry. Obviously I tried to ask about the finer details, but they both seemed hesitant to talk about it.

I wasn't that worried at first but as the day has progressed I noticed they seemed to get less tense. It wasn't that noticeable because I didn't know them personally until just yesterday but comparing how they treated me when they picked me up for school to now is like night and day. I was in the middle of 4th period when I decided I couldn't wait until school was over to finally start testing my new powers.

Nonchalantly I began to softly tap my finger against the desk while thinking. Okay, how the hell is this supposed to work. I very clearly got the powers but how to activate or control them is the question. The one power I could use right now, or at least try to, that wouldn't cause a scene would probably be my intangibility. Disappearing from my seat while in the middle of class would probably cause a stir so invisibility is quickly out. Shooting out lasers I shouldn't even have to explain.

My finger. I don't even have to turn my entire body intangible, just my finger. I assume my powers work on Ecto-Energy right? Since it's a type of energy, maybe I could feel it out. So, closing my eyes I begin to focus on moving a hidden power inside of me. The seconds passed and the clock ticked yet...nothing was working. Seconds turned and into minutes and while the minutes didn't turn into hours by god it sure felt like it.

"Mr. Fenton!" I hear and my eyes shoot open to take a look at the teacher I've basically been ignoring all class, my search gets interrupted, and Mr. Lancer does not look happy. "I understand that the tale of Moby-Dick is soothing, but I would appreciate it if you didn't treat it as a bedtime story. Please pay attention." And with that, I was promptly ignored again while I heard snickers and giggle from the children around me. It was a little embarrassing but I couldn't find it within myself to care that much.

This school is seriously understaffed. Out of the 4 subjects I've been 'taught' today, 2 of them have had him as the teacher. What's worse is, I doubt this is the last time I'm going to see him today. While I don't really appreciate the interruption, I don't seem to be getting very far with that method, so I might as well use it as an opportunity to try another one.

Through the very first episode of Danny Phantom, I remember our boy using his powers by mistake, so I'm obviously doing something wrong. This isn't supposed to be hard, I'm just overthinking it. The powers obviously responded to his emotions, but I don't want to go through random bursts of awkward situations my abilities can cause. I want control. Maybe I'm not exactly overthinking, but just thinking too much down the wrong path.

I close my eyes once more, this time intent on just finding the energy instead of guiding it. I quickly found myself in my pseudo-meditation zone and results were instant. It wasn't really in any specific part of my body, but just sort of everywhere inside of me. I could feel this...weird feeling traveling throughout me. My thoughts turned to trying to force the energy to my finger again but I stopped myself.

I was thinking about this wrong again. It was obviously already there, I could feel it. Just like it was everywhere else. I just had to use it. How though? I don't know what I'm doing wrong, and I don't really have a trainer to tell me. I could always call Vlad and receive training from him but I'm not really sure how I feel about the Fruit Loop. Besides, OG Danny didn't really need help with the basics. Maybe...maybe I just have to want-

It stopped. The tapping stopped. I look down at the desk and watch my index finger, still moving methodically up and down, but instead of making contact with the desk, it phased right through it. I tried to not make a scene, but the massive smile on my face couldn't be hidden. If anyone saw me right now, I would without a doubt look looney, who the hell could be so happy at school? But I couldn't find it within myself to care.

My attention was fully focused on the process, I just couldn't believe my eyes. I was really doing it. I was really making my finger intangible. I only realised several minutes passed when I noticed something. I was getting tired, not too bad nor did I feel like I was going to pass out, but it was very noticeable. It was an odd feeling, because I was so excited it contrasted heavily with the fatigue.

So I stopped messing around and began testing. I turned it off with but a simple thought and focused on the newfound energy within me. Reactivating the ability, I watched with fascination that the ecto in my finger sort of...depleted a bit, but nothing else happened. Even after a full minute passed. This didn't make any sense. I was obviously using the energy more than this before. Or maybe…

I slowly phase my finger through the table and realize my mistake. Intangibility had an activation cost, but didn't actually drain anything more as long as it's not being in use. Interestingly enough, I stuck the appendix in and left it there, and it reacted like I thought it would the first time. It was still low, but now using the ability was actively draining me. After a while, I stop the process and begin to focus within myself.

There, I noticed even more fascinating things about my new power. It seems the energy passively regenerates but that's not the important part. The moment I started my meditation without any other distraction, I noticed that the regeneration practically doubled in speed. I was seemingly topped off within a single minute. If I can figure out how much energy I have, what each of my abilities cost, and the variants of each I could treat this as a game and give numerical values to each.

I would never have to guess how much fight I have left, and can judge a situation whether to fight or retreat. After all, although everything sure looked like a cartoon, I live here now, and I don't think I have OG Danny's protag powers that'll help me survive everything. Fighting ghosts are dangerous, and I have no interest in becoming a full ghost anytime soon. Before I could begin more testing however, the bell rang.