Seeing Double

Duet With Myself - Part 8

He'd never been backstage at a concert before, but Danny knew enough to guess that there were supposed to be people back here.

A ghostly concert doesn't need a sound crew, he supposed.

There was an area to the side where he had a perfect view of the stage where no one could see him. Ember and her band were sort of sideways to him and he was aware that turning their heads even slightly would give him away.

But he wasn't defenceless. Danny felt the dragon amulet under his shirt. Though he still wasn't sure how to activate it, he felt safer knowing it was an option. Plus ecto blasters.

So he stood at the ready while the music ghosted around him. Waiting for his part.

oOo

Phantom regretted letting Sam take charge of their game plan. Especially since she decided (at the last second!) that the giant Ember McLain cut out needed to be climbed. Who did she think she was? King Kong?

"Just catch me if I fall," she'd said.

"What if I'm too far away?!"

"Then I won't fall," she deadpanned. "Don't worry about it."

So he was glancing over at the cut out, nervously primed.

"Keep your eyes on the prize Phantom," Sam said through the Fenton phones.

"You can see me?"

"Dude, you're invisible," she said. "But I can feel your gaze."

"Gross, that's like something out of a bad teen romance novel," Fenton said.

"Ew, it is!" Sam said. "Look what you did, Phantom."

Phantom hovered over the crowd and tried to think light and not too cold thoughts. This was not the time for fritzing powers.

"I found Jazz in the crowd," he said. "She really did come with Tucker."

Silence over the coms. Then, "Okay the ropes are secure. Go visible."

oOo

Phantom looked like some kind of disco ball. He'd finally figured out how to activate ghost shields on command. The crowd cheered at the "special effects" and Ember danced around like it was part of the choreography.

Danny stood with the thermos aimed at the ghostly band members. He wanted to start already, but Sam said it was better to wait until she distracted the crowd. They're her battery, she'd said. Wait until she's at her weakest.

When they were playing Doomed with Tucker Sam was more than just a tank. She was also their best strategist.

So he waited and tried not to picture her falling to her death. He wished he had a view of her the way he did of Phantom.

oOo

The crowd was pissed. Drawing a mustache on Ember McClain was worse than blasphemy. It was treason. (Wait, was there a difference? He should have paid more attention in history)

Ember tried to get their attention back by raising the volume, but Fenton took out her band. She was a solo artist now and half as effective.

He expected to see her pulled into the thermos along with them at any second.

But he wasn't paying attention to the stage anymore. The crowd was converging around the Ember cut out and rocking it off its Foundation. It tilted and Sam was dangled over the crowd on her rope like a pinata.

He flew towards her.

oOo

"You little sneak!" Ember spat. "What did you do with my band?"

"The same I'm gonna do to you," Fenton said. He aimed the thermos, but she screeched so loudly his hands automatically went to his ears.

He had dropped the thermos.

Ember was fast. She grabbed his head and her hands were so much colder than Phantom's had ever been. He froze up and she yanked at his Fenton phones.

"Worst earbuds ever," she said. "Let's sing you a new song. You feelin' the love tonight?"

oOo

He had Sam cradled in his arms and was trying to figure out how to adjust her into a less embarrassing position without dropping her.

Ember was still on stage. The music was gone, but she grabbed the mic.

"Who wants an encore?" She shouted.

At first it seemed like she was alone, but Fenton stepped out from behind her and smiled up at them.

"What's he doing?" Sam said.

Fenton waved at them. Then he jumped off stage. Like he suddenly decided he wanted to try crowd surfing.

That would have been fine and dandy but the crowd had shifted, they were all bunched up towards the cardboard cut out. The floor directly in front of the stage was empty.

And then it was on fire.

oOo

He knew Phantom would catch him. He knew it!

But he'd forgotten about Sam.

"Get away from him," Danny told her. "He doesn't need you."

It was the worst kind of group hug.

"Um there isn't anywhere for me to go," she said. "What's wrong with you?"

He wouldn't let her drape herself all over Phantom. It wasn't right. Phantom was his.

So he pushed her off.

oOo

It was hard enough flying with two passengers. Dodging Ember's guitar beams added to the difficulties.

Phantom couldn't get the ghost shields to work! He knew by now that his powers were linked to his emotions, but he couldn't remember what he was supposed to feel to shield himself.

Or maybe he was just too distracted. Fenton had wrapped his legs around him as well as his arms and he kissed Phantom on the neck. On the cheek. On the ear.

He didn't know how he was supposed to feel about that. Now wasn't the time for-for... for whatever he was trying to do!

Then Fenton pushed Sam and Phantom scrambled to catch her.

"Aw, can't we be alone together?" Fenton whispered. His lips were still pressed against Phantom's ear.

"Are you crazy?" Phantom sputtered. "We can't just let her fall!"

"You need to land!" Sam said. "Let's get on the roof."

"But Ember-"

"We've weakened her, we can come back in a bit," Sam said.

So he flew them through the ceiling and was relieved to set them both on their feet.

"Okay, what the fuck Danny," she said. "What's going through your head?"

"I've decided I don't want to share." Fenton put his arm around Phantom's shoulder. "So just go away, yeah?"

Phantom stared at him. "Huh?"