This is in response to a story challenge given by Writer's Obsession. Their original challenge was called "Hero on Strike" but when I was reading it suddenly this song popped into my head. It probably had everything to do with the direction I went with it.=^-^=

Ch. 1 - There Goes My Hero

Danny landed in his room frustrated beyond belief. "That's it! I've had it!" He grabbed his hair in frustration as he paced his room still in Phantom form. With his parents still out hunting he didn't have much to worry about in his house. "Not only the shirts, but now they chant while I protect them!? Do they even realize the damage that ghost could have caused if I hadn't been keeping it from heading downtown!? Did they even care!?" With how things had been lately, it was pretty unlikely. There had always been plenty of people in town that hated him. His parents were the obvious ones, but then most of the adults were on their side. It seemed his biggest fans were the kids... until they weren't. He didn't even know where the shirts came from, but the new Anti-Phantom shirts were all over town now. At home he dealt with his parents hatred, and now even at school. He was starting to feel backed into a corner, but now he finally made up his mind.

Maybe it was all the built up frustration talking, but if he heard one more lecture about his supposed lack of responsibility while carrying the lives of everyone in town on a daily basis, he'd probably box their teeth in on impulse. He whipped out his phone and started a party line with Sam and Tuck. "Yo dude, you okay? I just saw a viral vid of what went down." Tucker asked with a tired worry. He'd always be worried about his best friend, but Danny could tell they were getting just as tired of things as he was.

"They're just being ungrateful as ever." Sam snapped.

"Like you even have to tell me, and that's what I wanted to talk to you guys about." He let out a sigh before starting. "I'm going to give them what they want."

"Huh?" He heard both of his friends respond in confusion.

"I mean it's what they want anyway."

"Hold up dude, you mean leave?"

Danny shook his head though the action was hard to follow with the call being audio only. "Not leave, not as Fenton anyway. I just mean Phantom. If they don't want me around then Phantom doesn't need to go out of his way right?"

"I get where you're coming from Danny, but seriously? They might not care, but we know what would happen if you didn't do anything." Sam countered with an uneasy tone. She really couldn't blame him, but still.

"I know but with how things are going, I can't keep it up. I've almost been caught twice in the last week because the people around me got in the way. I'm sure Skulker would love a second change and so would my parents. I'm just being realistic." He then sat down on his bed and finally changed back. "Besides, I'm exhausted. I can't remember the last time I wasn't exhausted, plus I'm one bad grade away from flunking at least 2 classes this semester." He held his head in his hand while keeping the phone close. "And I know you guys aren't sporting perfect grades either. It's gotten harder for you guys too." He heard silence on the other end which only proved him right. "I know it sounds selfish... but..."

"It's okay dude."

"Is it...?" Danny questioned thinking about how his decision could affect the city.

"Danny, you're the least selfish person I know." Sam declared strongly through the phone. "I mean, don't get me wrong, you've done plenty of selfish things in your life, but this? You know what, take a look at this picture I'm sending you." Danny lifted his head and looked at the message he'd just received. An image appeared showing several of the civilians wearing the Anti-Phantom shirts all posing around his latest fight scene. The caption was clear as day. "Phantom Failure Strikes Again." With that one image Danny's guilt of seconds ago evaporated into anger. "As far as I can see, they don't care about any ghost destruction but yours. Take that out and everyone should be happy right?" She reasoned with spite in her tone.

"Makes sense to me." Danny quickly agreed still glaring at the picture. "I'm not the only ghost hunter in town anyway, but I'm the only one they want gone."

"True that dude." Tucker chimed in.

"Alright then, it's decided. Team Phantom is on vacation for the foreseeable future." The halfa laid back on his bed looking at the clock. It was well past his curfew, but he wasn't worried. No, he didn't plan to worry about breaking curfew for awhile. "Night guys." He ended with a relaxed tone before placing his phone on the nightstand.

Day 1

Even though he'd gone to bed late, he'd had much more sleep than usual. His ghost sense had gone off twice, but after the initial impulse to get up and going he'd settled back into his sheets. He'd already made up his mind after all. He got ready in a flash, a habit he'd picked up because he was usually late. He could have even made the bus once he'd finished his breakfast, but who wanted to be crammed in that? He slunk into an ally and transformed on the spot. He flew invisibly to school with ample time to spare. "This morning is going pretty good." He mused to himself with a whistle in his tone. And it was... until he saw the first kid with an Anti-Phantom shirt. He balled his fists at his side, but resisted the urge to go anywhere with it.

"Morning Danny." Tucker greeted having just gotten off his bus. He was usually the first one to school of the three.

"Hey Tuck."

His friend gave a whistle. "You know what? I think those bags under your eyes are lighter than before. How much sleep did you get?"

"About 6 hours." Danny bragged with a stretch. "It's been awhile since I could say that huh?" Tucker nodded with a smile at how relaxed his friend looked now. He seemed tense when he first saw him, but loose now. "Anyway, I'm hoping today will be a good start for my extended vacation." He declared knowing Tucker would get what he meant.

"Yeah, and hopefully the start of a detention free one." Tucker added in with a partial sigh. Him and Sam had really been racking them up covering for Danny, not to say Danny didn't get more.

"That's the plan. By the way, we don't have a test today do we? I know there's one this week."

Tucker shook his head. "No but it's tomorrow. Lancer's testing us on the Crucible. Did you get any of it read?"

Danny let out a sigh. "No, but with a ghost free afternoon, hopefully I can read enough of it to pass."

"Pass what?" Sam asked walking up on the boys.

"Oh, hey Sam. Tucker was just telling me we had a test on the Crucible tomorrow."

Sam raised a brow. "Oh, pass that? Easy. I did my Honors English essay on that one. Best grade I've gotten all semester." She bragged much to Danny's pleasure.

"Then study session at your place?" Tucker proposed while Danny nodded wanting to ask the same thing.

Sam looked unsure. "I don't know, my parents might get on my case." She informed before her expression morphed to a smile. "Like I care. Sounds like fun." Both boys pumped their fists before following her into the building.

"So it didn't go off once all day?" Tucker asked flipping open his text book from a beanbag chair.

"Nope, and I find it crazy. The first day nothing bothers me is the first day I would have done nothing about it."

"Well the law of probability dictates?" Sam stated only to receive a minor glare from both boys. "Oh right, you guys didn't enjoy that test..."

"Anyway, back to what I was saying before though." Tucker started again. "Did you notice when Lancer started giving you the evil eye? It was about halfway through the period."

Danny gave a passive nod as he found his page. "Yeah I noticed. It probably had something to do with the fact I didn't ask to leave for any reason. It's been almost two weeks since that's happened." He chuckled a bit. "He was probably ready to shoot me down or something."

"Probably, now turn to page 367. The first part of the story is important because of all the set up. We can highlight that and the end, while summarizing the middle. Lancer shouldn't be too picky about that as long as you get the characters right."

Danny started making a list. "Okay so character list."

"We're not done until you can tell me who each character is in 5 seconds or less." Both boys groaned at that. About an hour into studying Danny's ghost sense went off. He dropped his pencil and moved to stand up before stopping on one knee. "Danny?" Sam questioned as he silently cursed himself.

He looked out the window, and took a deep calming breath. "It's nothing. So which Putnam was it?" He tried to concentrate back on the story.

"He's the cheater right? The one that girl was all over?" Tucker cringed thinking about the situation.

Sam smirked though her distaste was obvious. "Yeah, and then there's his wife." Sam added in.

"I know I said this before, but doesn't this remind you guys of the time Sam almost-"

"Yes, burned at the stake. Funny Danny." Sam rolled her eyes. "But that's not what it's trying to emulate..." She got a confused expression from the halfa. "You know, copy? The Red Scare was going on at the time this was published. People were ready to sell out their neighbors if they thought for a second they were Russian. It was thought ignoring something like that was unpatriotic." The goth explained to the boys. Tucker looked like was writing every word she said while Danny's attention was at the window again. "Danny, if you're that worried-"

"No Sam, it's fine, just a habit now." He defended with a minorly tense tone.

"If you're sure..."

"Of course he's sure." Tucker defended as he strung an arm over his friend's shoulder. "He has better things to do than do anything for Phantom haters right?" Danny gave a nod though Tucker's uneasiness showed when Danny did so. Both his friends were worried he'd soon regret his choice, but they also supported him. One ghost free day at school wasn't enough to make them forget how they treated Phantom.

Day 2

Danny couldn't believe how much sleep he'd gotten that night. His ghost sense only went off once, but it didn't get him up too long. He eventually woke up just before his alarm. He had a few minutes, but he already felt awake. "I guess all those nights with next to no sleep, make a few more hours feel rested." He muttered with a yawn. It was trailed by a surprising chill down his spine he could help springing up at. He turned and placed a foot on his bed ready to transform before he remembered. "Damn... I gotta break this habit." He scolded himself and started to get ready.

He was surprised his sister wasn't there that morning, but her school load was pretty hectic since the semester began. She was spending her first year of college close by and making up for it with an internship. His parents were, of course, in the lab like most of the week. He pulled out his notes after breakfast and looked them over even as he flew to school. He was only a minute out before his ghost sense went off again.

"Ha Ha! I knew you would come to capture me, the Box Ghost!" The obnoxious laugh only made Danny groan as he slowed down.

"Not now..."

"Of course you would dread facing my square and mostly cube shaped might!"

The halfa stopped dead and shook his head. Normally he'd make quick work of the idiot, but he'd made a decision and he had to stand by it. "Okay look Box Ghost." The ghost seemed confused by Danny's tone, and the fact he hadn't moved to attack. "Do whatever you want."

"Of course I... Wait what?"

Danny gave a shrug and held up his notes. "I'm not kidding. Do what you want. Stay away from me, my friends Tucker and Sam, and of course my sister. Otherwise I don't care." He then checked the time on his phone. "So if that works for you I got a test to prep for."

The halfa then flew off without even waiting for a response, leaving the Box Ghost at a loss for words. "Hey wait..." By the time the halfa arrived on campus the ghost was far out of his mind; not that it was very hard since it was the Box Ghost.

"Pencils down." Lancer announced as several clatters rang out. His eyes quickly sharpened on one of the students still writing and he crossed his arms. "I said pencils down Mr. Fenton."

Danny looked up with minor worry. "Uh sorry Mr. Lancer, I was just... writing my name?"

The English teacher didn't buy it and approached the student's desk. He looked down at the half written name in minor curiosity. "Forgetting to write your name is something I'd expect in middle school Mr. Fenton. Hurry up." A few students around him chuckled, but it didn't go very far. "Alright class, these will be handed back Friday. For some of you that may feel rather quick considering this test may make or break your grade," He looked at Danny when he said that. "But much like you, I want to enjoy the long weekend without work."

As if on cue, the bell rang for lunch and the students shuffled out. "So the test?" Sam asked already waiting for her two friends in the hall.

"I think I got it all straight. That critical reading question at the end was the hardest part."

Tucker wore a cocky grin. "Oh yeah? I went right through it. That test was easy man. I made sure I looked over everything I wrote yesterday."

"You mean after you wrote everything Sam said?" Danny corrected with a teasing brow raised.

"It's not cheating you know." Tucker countered in feigned insult.

"Alright boys, let's just go. I'm glad the test went well though." She lead the way down to the lunch room.

As soon as Danny went through the doors his ghost sense went off and a mild groan left his lips. "Great..." He turned to look towards the line and took note of a familiar green woman around the counter. "I had a feeling..."

"Who? Box Ghost?" Sam wondered not having noticed Lunch Lady yet.

"No, but she's just as crazy." He then took a breath and headed towards the line. It was short at the moment since most students who noticed her freaked and ran off. There was no doubt any second she would spark a massive panic, but Danny decided to head it off. "Hey Lunch Lady?"

"Yes deary?" She answered with a grandmotherly tone.

"Look, I know you want to spread doom with meat and... whatever else they have back there, but you think I could get my lunch first? Feel free to go nuts after."

She looked at him in confusion. "Are you not prepared for my fresh baked FURY!?" She raged at the end before snapping back to kindly.

Danny rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Nope. I just want lunch. I don't plan to ask you for anything else let alone get in your way." The Lunch Lady looked at him with a befuddled expression. Danny took her lack of action as a good sign and picked what he wanted from the counter before moving on. Tucker slid in after sheepishly grabbing his own hoping to get through before she snapped out of it.

It didn't really take long. Danny had only just sat down at the table Sam held for them outside before the screaming really started. He could hear windows shattering from being hit with food, and it only merited a passing glance from the halfa. 'Wouldn't matter even if I had stopped her' He thought to himself. 'Only thing that would've changed is I wouldn't have gotten lunch.' And with that thought he kept eating hoping to finish before the school had a ghost evacuation. As Sam and Tuck watched his lack of interest they were a bit worried. At least before he'd been inclined to help. Now, he didn't look like he was even making an effort to stop himself. "Come on guys it's the Lunch Lady. Unless they have a severe food allergy I doubt there will be any casualties." He reasoned at his friends' worried expressions.

Tucker's face relaxed a bit. "Right, I mean even that time she had Sam, she was only trying to get you to eat meat."

Sam shuttered and knocked him on the arm. "Shut it Tuck."

Later that night Danny walked through the living room while his parents seemed glued to the TV. "The incident eventually resulted in the school being evacuated. No serious injuries were reported, but the cafeteria was destroyed, and school officials will be going over an alternative food plan in the mean time."

Jack gestured to the screen. "Just look at that. Another ghost fight at the school. That Phantom kid just can't help himself can he?" Danny flinched at the mention right at the foot of the stairs. "He'd save us all some trouble if he just let us capture him. At least then he'd be useful, right Mads?"

His mother looked skeptical. "Well I agree with you on the second point but, I still haven't come across any evidence he was at this fight."

Jack scoffed at the logic. "Come on Maddie. Since when does Phantom skip out on a fight at the school? How else could the cafeteria end up that way?"

Maddie still seemed unsure but she nodded her head anyway. "You do have a point Jack. He probably was there, we just didn't get a shot of him this time."

Danny turned away from them while glaring daggers in the stairs. 'Even when he didn't show up they blamed him!?' He ground his teeth to choke back the snap he was tempted to throw at them. The last thing he need was to give himself away after deciding to bow out of the hero gig. It would be much easier just to let it go. That didn't stop him from almost stomping up the stairs or yelling his frustrations into a pillow, however. "If there was any justice, they'd be begging me to come back by now." Of course the school cafeteria was the biggest attack since he'd stopped fighting them. It was only a matter of time though, before a real ghost reared its head.

Thank you for reading, and please comment. I appreciate any feedback you can give.=^-^=