Notes: I'm sorry... I apparently have a few stories in my head and now that I'm on vacation decided to write some.

Thanks for reading! Hope you like it :)

Backup

It had been the third time this month and Danny still couldn't explain what exactly was going on. He scanned once again the graded paper in front of him, which still seemed as unfamiliar as the red number plastered on it.

"Dude, you got a 94?" he heard Tucker's surprised voice next to him.

The teacher, who was still returning papers to other students, cleared his throat to get both boys' attention. "Mr. Foley, is there a problem with your grade?" he asked while raising an eyebrow, his tone challenging the teen to make the wrong comment.

Tucker shook his head and sat straight, leaving Danny alone to mull over the implications of the paper in his hands.

Upon further inspection, the blue-eyed boy noticed the essay was rather simple. It didn't go overboard with details on the topic it referred to, nor did it dwell into personal views from the writer. It was concise but still covered the minimum requirements Mr. Lancer always asked for. Technically speaking, anyone who had paid at least some attention to last week's lecture on Oedipus could have written that paper.

The only problem was he hadn't done it. In fact, he'd fallen asleep halfway through the tragic story and didn't even get a chance to begin the essay on what he already knew. Being the always-vigilant town hero resulted in irregular sleep patterns and a suffering school record.

To try to solve this matter, his friends and Jazz would help out with his schoolwork as much as possible. From tutoring the young half-ghost, to taking notes at school and giving him homework pointers, anything that would get him at least a passing grade without doing the work for him. He had outright rejected that kind of help before. And even if he had somehow been convinced to accept it, Danny's team also supported him during ghost fights and nightly patrols, which put them in the same academic dilemma sometimes.

Based on Tucker's inquiry and Sam's surprised look, Danny figured his friends hadn't been the ones helping him out this time, either. In fact, they had only managed a fair grade on their own reports. He thought that still was a pretty amazing effort, all things considered.

Jazz wouldn't have been able to finish his work and slip it in Mr. Lancer's office either. She was already focusing on her college applications and didn't have enough time left.

So, who was it? The answer terrified Danny since he knew nothing good could come out of free homework and grades. That immediately lead him to ask why this anonymous benefactor would help him. Blackmail? A favor? Did they know his secret? What!?

The rest of the hour went by while Danny tried to piece the puzzle together. Thinking about all the motives Mr. Lancer or any of his classmates could have, he became more worried and paranoid by the second.

He mentally erased Mr. Lancer from his suspect list on further consideration. He couldn't be the one writing his essays or book reports. This had happened also in both History and Chemistry. That didn't narrow it down enough, though. Since the A-list kids bullied the nerds into doing their homework, they could force them to do anyone else's work as well. He was only sure it was neither Valerie nor his friends since they were all too busy with the same extracurricular activities.

His thoughts swayed between finding his "ghostwriter", so to speak, and figuring out why anyone would do it in the first place. The prospect of having someone else outside of Team Phantom learning his secret began to fill him with dread. He knew he wasn't the most cautious person when it came to secret identities, but he was being more careful with when and where he transformed. He knew a slip in his powers could have thousands of explanations, but his transformation was the only dead giveaway. So how had he slipped in the past few weeks?

The bell rang, signaling the end of the class. Sighing in frustration at the lack of answers, Danny stood up, slung his backpack over his shoulder and headed to the door behind his friends.

"I'm glad to see this improvement in you, Mr. Fenton," Mr. Lancer said as the boy walked in front of his desk.

The young student didn't know how to respond, so he just mumbled an awkward thank you. He felt worse now that his teacher complimented him, feeling like he was cheating somehow.

"This is a nice change," the educator continued with a genuine smile. "If you keep it up for the next four assignments, you'll pass this class with a decent grade."

"I'll give it my best," Danny managed to respond, feigning a grin before catching up with his friends just outside the door.

"Let me guess," Sam questioned once they were out of Lancer's earshot. "Your anonymous assistant turned in another paper?"

The already stressed boy just sighed in frustration as the trio stopped at his locker. "Can you believe it? Not that I'm not grateful, but I feel like I'm lying about my grades now."

"C'mon, man..." Tucker interjected. "You always try to do your best at school and it's not fair that you're failing. With all the things you do, why shouldn't you get a break like this every now and then?"

Sam crossed her arms. "Uh, because it's wrong? Because Danny could get into trouble if the teachers find out?"

"Yeah, but how are we going to stop this from happening if we don't know who this person is? That's not Danny's fault."

The Fenton kid stopped paying attention to the discussion, which seemed to surface whenever they addressed this topic. While he agreed with Sam more, she still didn't fully understand what it really meant for him. Neither of his friends had experienced the whole incident with the CAT's.

He suppressed that train of thought as soon as it came. Instead, he continued filling his mental list of suspects, as he glanced around the hall. His eyes fell on Nathan opening his locker, which revealed several pictures of Valerie taped to it. He was smart enough and shared the same classes with Danny. Still, he doubted Nathan would do anything nice for him after Danny "stole Valerie from him", as the redhead once put it.

Just then, Dash walked in front of him with a hurried pace, fuming in anger. He continued his way towards a locker almost at the end of the hall, where Mikey had just finished pulling out his books. Kwan and Matt were close behind the quarterback as some kind of backup. Not that they needed that much brute force to beat up the smaller kid. The mere thought of it made Danny tense.

He felt sorry for his classmate and tried to silently help him whenever he had the chance. Sure, Mikey wasn't bullied as often as Danny was, but he still had to take a lot of abuse from the A-list kids and save them from flunking their classes. He was a likely suspect, Danny realized, but he doubted Mikey had any time left to help him out unless someone from the popular kids had forced him to.

"Right, Danny?" Sam's voice stressed the question, as if trying to get her friend back in the loop.

"I, uh, kinda got distracted," the boy replied in all honesty, giving them a sheepish smile. "What were you saying?"

Danny kept staring at the action a few feet behind Sam but tried to pay more attention to what his friend was saying. "I said we could try asking other kids in class what their grades were. No one would sacrifice a 94 for a lower grade, right?"

"Right," he answered absentmindedly. Dash was now pushing Mikey against his locker, holding his shirt by the collar with his fist.

Tucker followed his gaze and realized what had gotten Danny so distracted. "Oh, man, seems like Dash got some beef with Mikey."

"Huh?" Sam exclaimed, turning her violet eyes to what her two companions were looking at. "That doesn't look like his regular bullying routine."

Danny kept his fists clenched, his knuckles almost white. He hated the way the jocks abused their power and how they took their frustrations against more defenseless kids. That's why he would usually take their cruelty without giving it a second thought. After all, being bullied was nothing compared to what he had to endure in ghost fights. So if becoming their usual target took the brunt off his peers, he was more than happy to oblige.

He took his books out of the locker, holding them in his hands instead of putting them into his backpack. "Tripping act?" he asked his friends, who shared a concerned look.

"I don't think that's such a good idea right now," Tuck replied, pushing his glasses and shooting a worried look at his best friend. "He's really pissed off, Danny."

"Makes me wonder what that is all about," Sam muttered.

Before they could do anything, the trio stood frozen on their spot as Dash yelled something at Mikey and proceeded to shove the boy into his locker. Kwan and Matt banged against the metallic door to stress their victim even more. The jocks then walked back where they came from. Once Dash noticed Danny staring at him, he pushed the scrawny kid with his shoulder, knocking him against the metal storage units behind him. "Mind your own business, Fen-toast!" he growled but otherwise left them alone.

Danny regained his balance and glanced at Mikey's prison. Since everyone else in the hall was already out of sight, it would take a while for anyone to help his classmate out of that cramped space. Not turning to look at his friends, he walked to where the boy was trapped.

"Hey, uh, are you all right?" he asked before he could start fidgeting with the lock's combination without using his powers. That was more Sam's specialty.

He heard a sigh coming from inside. "Do I have to answer that?" the small and defeated voice echoed.

"Don't worry, we'll get you out of there in no time," he reassured Mikey once Sam caught up and pressed her ear against the cold metallic surface.

A soft click from the lock allowed them to finally open the small door, revealing a disheveled boy inside. He tried to climb out carefully but soon fell to the floor, bringing several books and papers down with him. Tucker gave the bullied teen a hand and helped him up, while Danny and Sam began to pick up the scattered material.

"Thanks," Mikey mumbled, still ashamed of the whole situation.

Tuck gave him a sad and knowing look. "Dash got a bad grade, huh?" he asked, figuring that could be the only explanation for the quarterback's outburst a couple of minutes ago.

The redhead snorted and straightened his hair and glasses. "I guess you could say that," he answered vaguely.

Danny only half-listened to their exchange, staring at a piece of paper in deep thought and confusion. It was today's Biology homework, with a name that didn't belong to Mikey written on it. Daniel J. Fenton, he read.

Of course, it made perfect sense! Mikey already knew how to write like him, even using the same kind of fonts and styles. After all, Danny's short-lived experience as an A-list kid also meant he didn't have to worry about his homework since Mikey had been assigned as his "personal nerd". He now had to figure out what the other kid's motives could be.

He tried to keep the revealing piece of information quiet but Sam had already noticed what was on his hands. She looked between her friend and the assignment. "So he's-" she began to whisper but Danny hushed the girl, getting up instead with the books and crumpled papers in his hands.

"Why don't you guys head to class while I finish helping Mikey out?" Danny questioned, but his friends already knew it was more a command than a suggestion.

"Sure," the goth girl exclaimed, grabbing Tuck's arm in the process. "We'll see you in class, Danny." The techno-geek seemed confused, but Sam whispered something to him as they both walked away from the two other boys. They glanced back for a moment but didn't stop their pace.

Now that the two were alone, Danny gave Mikey back his belongings, keeping the Bio homework on the top. "Is there anything I should know?" he asked as he tapped his index finger next to his name on the cover, making the straight-A student flinch.

"Uh, I... I..." he stuttered, at a complete loss of words, looking like a deer caught in the headlights.

"You're the one turning in all my papers, aren't you?" Danny asked, already aware of the answer, only to get the confirmation he needed. "Why would you do that?"

Green eyes couldn't meet Danny's confused look, staring at the paper in his hands instead. He looked cornered and even smaller than he already was. "I just want to help you pass high school," he whispered.

This took the teenaged superhero aback. "You what?"

Mikey seemed to debate with himself for a second, fidgeting in his place. "I-I... I know we'll never be close, Danny, but I wanted to-to help from the sidelines," he replied in all honesty, in part relieved by the confession.

The half-ghost was paler than usual, not liking the conclusions he got from his classmate's words. "What are you talking about?" he asked, trying to hide his panic from the other teen.

Mikey sighed as he set his books back in their place, avoiding any eye contact in the process. "Do you know why the bullies love shoving us so much into our lockers? Because it's one of the most humiliating experiences ever. You end up sitting on your lunch sometimes, wrinkling your books and homework. You even have to endure the banging against the doors. But worst of all, you have to figure a way out of there."

Danny was beyond baffled and didn't know where Mikey was getting at, so he let him continue.

"You have to wait sometimes for one or two periods until one of your friends shows up. Either that or you yell for help, because it's impossible to open a locker from the inside. Trust me, my friends and I have been trying to figure out a mechanism to make it easier to escape."

Danny didn't like where this explanation was going, his stomach doing a nasty flip at the revelation. He couldn't have been that stupid...

"But you... you managed to get free without any help whatsoever. I saw the whole thing. You tripped into Dash and saved me from that fate, so I stayed back to help you once the coast was clear. But you didn't need any help. You opened the door and climbed out as if nothing had happened. You know how many days I spent trying to find a logical explanation?" He paused as if to let the words sink in. "And then I started paying more attention."

Danny cleared his throat, a dry sensation present on his mouth as he opened it. "Listen, I don't know what kind of things you think you found out, but I can explain," he all but pleaded. He resisted letting his secret out without a fight.

"I didn't want you to know, Danny," Mikey continued, ignoring his classmate's comment. "Trust me. I didn't want this to become a burden. I just wanted to give you a break after all those times you've saved us."

He was panicking. The half-ghost felt his heart thumping fast and loud in his ears. How could he have been so stupid and careless? For all he knew, all of Mikey's friends could be aware of his secret. And if this had been going on for so long, chances were they already had all the evidence they needed to prove it. Mikey had been recording a lot of things lately for the yearbook committee, so what if he has something more incriminating on video? All color drained from his face and he thought he would faint.

Danny ran a hand through his hair and tried to find some comfort in the soft pull. "I think you've got the wrong idea. I haven't saved anyone," he lied in one last attempt to keep his secret safe.

Mikey put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Please, don't worry. I understand why you don't want anyone to know. That's why I haven't told a single soul of what you're doing."

He wasn't sure if he should be relieved or intimidated by Mikey's confident stance. It was as if he already knew all the facts and had everything sorted out. It seemed nothing would be able to convince him otherwise. Danny was at a complete loss of what to do in this case. Already too many people knew the truth. What if others started piecing all the evidence together? How much longer was his secret safe from the world?

"May I ask you just one thing?" Mikey's voice interrupted. When Danny stared at him speechless, he took it as a sign to continue. "Why do you do it?"

"What?"

"I mean... it's not your job to protect us. You can also get hurt. So why do you do it?"

Danny hesitated. He didn't want to admit anything by responding. He could try keeping a lower profile. Maybe he could use the Fenton Ghost Catcher to trick Mikey into thinking he was wrong. Superheroes always came with all kinds of weird solutions in comic books to keep their identities hidden.

"Do you know that what you're doing is cheating?" he countered instead.

The other boy shrugged, as if it were an obvious thing to answer. "Other kids do it all the time, even right under the teachers' noses, and they don't get into trouble. Compared to the others, you do deserve better grades. I've seen you work hard and try your best. I wouldn't call it cheating when it's the right thing to do."

This took Danny by surprise. "No, it's not."

"What do you mean it's not?"

Danny exhaled tiredly. "Listen, I'm not exactly happy with my grades either, but I don't take the easy way out. You think I haven't had tons of opportunities to steal tests or answers? Do you know why I don't do it? Because that's not who I am." He was the good guy and good guys didn't take shortcuts. Good guys worked hard and struggled sometimes. He knew firsthand what could happen if he indulged in petty solutions to those struggles. His alternate future reminded him every day of it.

Mikey seemed baffled. "I guess I never saw it that way. I thought you would be okay with it."

"Why would I ever be okay with cheating?" Danny yelled. He was horrified by how his classmate had gotten such a wrong idea of him. Wasn't he singing his praises just seconds before?

"Because you're already lying all the time," the boy replied, cringing once he finished his sentence. "I-I didn't... mean..."

The hall went dead silent. Lights began to flicker as the temperature suddenly dropped a few degrees. Time moved painstakingly slow and the whole atmosphere sent a shiver down Mikey's spine. He didn't know what was going on, but he felt scared all of a sudden as his instincts told him to run as far away as possible.

Cold blue eyes pierced through him in a mixture of hurt and outrage. "Do you know why I lie?" Danny asked in a low tone, chilling the boy even further. The shorter kid didn't respond. "It's to protect people from getting hurt, including myself. Because sometimes they just won't understand the truth and whatever judgment they'll make can rip someone apart from the inside. In my case, maybe even literally."

The redhead flinched. "Then w-w-why do you do it?" he questioned again. "If it's such a weight on your shoulders, why keep saving us from the bullies?"

Danny furrowed his brow and gaped at Mikey, thinking he must've heard the other boy wrong. "The bullies?" he managed to say.

Mikey pushed his glasses against his nose. He didn't understand Fenton's sudden confusion. "Uh, yeah, why would you still pretend to trip and be helpless just to keep us safe? If it's so dangerous to you, why don't you just stop?"

The chill surrounding them began to recede, making the hall return to a more comfortable temperature and lighting. Danny opened his mouth to say something but no sound came out. A wide smile appeared on his lips and all of a sudden he began to laugh hysterically.

His classmate didn't know what was so funny or why Danny had such an abrupt change in moods. Was it bold of him to question his motives and practically suggest it would be better if he stopped? He knew if Dash found out Fenton had discovered a way out of the lockers, he would get a major whooping from the jock to keep him from telling anyone. He knew if any of the teachers believed Danny was provoking Dash, he would be suspended for aggression, even if he did it to keep other kids safe from the bully. It wasn't so ridiculous to think it wasn't worth it. That's why Mikey wanted to understand his reasons for doing something as careless as that.

Danny began calming down, his hands placed on his stomach as he tried to recover his breath. Once he regained his composure, he faced Mikey with a much friendlier look. "Sorry, I just... I thought- never mind, heh." He sighed and became a bit more serious. "I can handle it. That's why I do it. I've found out that if you're able to do something, you should do the best you can with your abilities to help others and always try to do the right thing."

Mikey frowned. "Then why can't I use my ability to help you pass your classes?"

The other boy seemed to consider this for a second and then smiled. "How about if you help me study instead? Jazz is focused on her college applications and can't help me right now, and my friends are kinda busy with... other things. But if you can tutor me every once in a while, that would be awesome."

"That won't guarantee you'll get a good grade," Mikey pointed out.

Danny shrugged. "If I'm not earning it, it's not a good grade anyway. Do we have a deal?" he asked and offered his hand.

Mikey began to think about other ways he would be able to help his savior now that he knew. Tons of ideas, materials, and tutoring techniques came to mind. "You have a deal, mister," he said as he shook his hand, sealing the agreement.

The bell was about to ring and they had to hurry to Biology class, which reminded Danny... "I'll be taking this, then." He grabbed the paper with his name from Mikey's hands and tore it apart before tossing it in the nearest trashcan. This made the redheaded boy cringe, but he knew it was for the best.

As the two boys hurried to class, Mikey had one more question burning in his head. "You'll have to show me the device you use to open the lockers."

His classmate turned and gave him a sly grin, his eyes reflecting oddly the lights. "That's a trade secret."

Mikey glanced at him in confusion but didn't say anything else. Whatever it was, maybe it wasn't wise to push the kid who could handle Dash's bullying with such ease.