Seeing Double

Rebound - Part 1

They were in the locker room.

"I can't just ignore him," Dash said. "He's always provoking me."

Kwan always had to take his sweet time in the shower after practice. He was barely toweling off while Dash waited, eyes averted.

"Uh, he doesn't do anything much," Kwan said. "I know you have a history, but-"

"We don't have a history," Dash grumbled.

He stood against his locker with his arms crossed while Kwan got dressed.

"I just don't see what the big deal is." Kwan dressed quickly, probably noticing the way Dash was tapping his foot. "And Paulina says-"

"She's full of shit." Dash slammed the door open on their way it, it smacked a band geek who'd been walking by.

Kwan snickered, but Dash didn't react. He didn't give a shit about the band nerds anymore.

He quickened his pace, angrier somehow, and Kwan struggled to keep up.

"I think it makes sense," Kwan said. "His parents-"

"It makes the opposite of sense," Dash said. "It makes, uh..."

"Nonsense?"

They both frowned.

"Look, Phantom wouldn't want anything to do with the Fentons." Dash started to tally reasons on one hand. "They build nothing but ghost weapons-"

"Didn't they also make that cool force field thingy?"

Dash plowed on as if he hadn't spoken. "They're always ranting about ghosts as if they've got rabies or something-"

"Well, there was that fire-"

"And Phantom saved everyone!" Dash said. "He was carrying people out and-"

"Preaching to the choir dude." Kwan used his hand to shade his eyes as they stepped out of the school. "Look, it's just her theory. And unless you can prove her wrong-"

"Just look at his smug face and-"

"Unless you can prove her wrong," Kwan repeated. "You've got to lay off."

Dash kicked a soda can under a car and didn't respond.

"Forget about Fenton." Kwan unlocked his car. "Let's do something fun."

Dash paused before getting in the passenger seat. He patted all his pockets; pants, jacket, backpack- big zippers and little. "Fuck, I left my phone."

"Aw man." Kwan re-locked his car, closing the drivers side door as if to go back into the school with him.

"Nah, man you go on," Dash said. "I'll catch another ride."

He jogged back towards the school, fully aware that his phone had been in his inner jacket pocket all along.

oOo

If Paulina was right Dash wanted to get to the bottom of it himself. Knowing her, she'd try to seduce the answers out of Fenton.

He'd rather beat it out of him.

Phantom was more than just a hero. He was...

Dash wanted the chance to talk to him. Though it seemed crazy to imagine a badass like him hanging around with humans, apparently Paulina had gotten that opportunity.

It was just twice, she'd said, and she'd glanced down and blushed as if-

Well, Paulina got every guy she wanted. Even the super guys, apparently.

He managed to grab Fenton before he'd made it out of the building and he unceremoniously picked him up, slinging him over his shoulder.

Manson put up a fuss, following and punching Dash on the back. Fenton kicked, flailing around and not doing much damage.

He ignored their yammering (he'd timed this perfectly, the teachers were all in a staff meeting on the second floor) and stuffed Fenton into a random locker.

~bul~ly~

"... violation of basic human rights and dignity," Manson was saying. "If you think you're untouchable just because you're a football star-"

"Can it, Manson." Dash slammed his shoulder into the locker door, bending the metal inwards and making Fenton yelp.

~buuul~ly~

She paled.

"I have serious business with Fenturd today," Dash said. "You want him back in one piece? Tell him there's just one thing I wanna know."

"I can hear you just fine, Dash!" Fenton groaned. "The hell do you want?"

Dash grinned. This was the most Fenton had said to him all month.

But before he could get started on his interrogation, Manson jumped on his back.

At first he tried to just shake her off- a little hesitant to hurt girls, even weirdo ones- but she just wouldn't budge.

Dash had no choice.

~bully!~

Something in the back of his head was bothering him, but Dash ignored it. He slammed his back against the locker. He could hear the air leaving her lungs in a huff and he winced, but it got the job done. She fell off him.

~BULLY~

Dash flinched, looking from her to the locker Fenton was in.

She'd landed on the floor, but she was in between them now.

Fenton's baby blue eyes were staring through the cracks. "Sam! Sam, are you okay?"

She was shaky, but she stood back up.

"Look, I just have a simple question." Dash took a step back from her, hands raised.

She glared at him and then spun around, grabbing the latch to the locker Fenton was trapped in.

"Don't let him out yet!" Dash grabbed her arms and she shook him off. "Just stay out of the way!"

He pushed her aside and she flew.

She fell.

~BULLY~

Dash wasn't trying to hurt her, he just wanted Fenton. She was always in the fucking way!

"Sam!" Fenton pounded on the locker door. "Sam! Is she okay? Sam!"

He'd accidentally knocked her out.

His head was pounding.

~BULLY~BULLY~BULLY~

"She's fine!" Dash said. "Forget about her for a second."

"I can't see her." Fenton had always had such huge goddamn eyes. They were all Dash could see through the locker slits.

He'd never seen them like this before. Teary.

Wait, no, he had. In elementary school.

It had been so easy to make him cry back then.

It had filled him with pride, watching tears stream down his face. Dash felt an echo of that pride now, but there was also something else.

His ears were ringing.

~you will learn to cry~

"L-look," Dash said. "Paulina thinks you have a way to contact Phantom."

"Jesus fucking christ, Dash!" Fenton was banging on the locker door again. He managed to undo some of the dent in it. "You're such a fucking asshole..."

Fenton kept talking, but Dash couldn't hear what else he was saying.

The ringing in his ears had gotten too loud.

~you will be pushed and kicked~you will be bullied~

Then Dash blacked out.