Saturday morning at Fenton Works usually meant dodging experimental ghost-hunting equipment and trying to eat breakfast without it coming to life. Today, however, brought a different challenge.
"Family training day!" Jack announced at the breakfast table, brandishing what looked like a modified tennis racket. "Time to teach you kids how to hunt ghosts like real Fentons!"
Samael nearly choked on his protein shake (specially formulated by Jazz to help manage his enhanced metabolism). Danny turned partially invisible under the table, while Jazz's psychology textbook dropped from her suddenly nerveless fingers.
"That's... thoughtful, Dad," Jazz managed, "but we have studying to do and-"
"Nonsense!" Jack beamed. "Your mother and I have set up a complete ghost-hunting obstacle course in the backyard! With real ecto-weapons!"
"Real weapons?" Samael asked, feeling the familiar warmth starting to build. The glass in his hand began to creak ominously.
He really loved his parents, wished he could tell them their situation, but with their great hate of ghosts, thinking them ectoplasmic scum that are echo's of the living - despite knowing the show - he couldn't risk telling them.
For Danny's safety more than anything. This was reality now, and this world is a lot more different than the original.
"Of course!" Maddie entered, carrying what appeared to be child-sized hazmat suits. "How else will you learn to protect yourselves from ghost attacks? Like that strange incident at the school carnival yesterday..."
Danny and Samael shared a panicked look. This was going to be a very long Saturday.
The Fenton backyard had been transformed into what looked like a military training ground designed by someone who'd watched too many sci-fi movies. Glowing obstacles, automated ecto-blasters, and what appeared to be a mechanical ghost dummy on a zip line filled the space.
"First up," Jack announced, "target practice!"
"Dad," Samael said carefully, eyeing an ecto-gun that was definitely not approved for civilian use, "maybe we should start with something less... lethal?"
"Don't worry, son! These are all perfectly safe! Mostly." Jack patted the nearest weapon. "Besides, with those new muscles of yours, you'll have no problem handling the recoil!"
Danny, who had been struggling to maintain visibility, whispered, "At least they're not making us wear the hazmat suits yet."
"Actually," Maddie called, approaching with the suits, "safety first!"
Jazz jumped in, "Mom, considering the ambient temperature and the potential for heat exhaustion-"
"Oh no, I've thought of that!" Maddie beamed. "These are the new temperature-regulated models. They'll keep you cool while you learn to blast ghosts!"
Samael felt his control slipping as his mother approached with a suit that would definitely reveal his transformed state if he got angry. The protein shake glass finally gave up its fight against his grip.
"Samael!" Jazz exclaimed, deliberately drawing attention to the broken glass. "You're bleeding!"
He wasn't, of course – his enhanced durability prevented that – but the distraction worked.
"Great ghost of Einstein!" Jack rushed over. "Quick, to the Fenton First Aid Kit!"
"I'll help him," Jazz said quickly. "You two start setting up the... um, ghost dummy?"
"Good idea, Jazz-princess! Danny, want to help calibrate the auto-targeting system?"
Danny, who had just managed to become fully visible again, paled slightly. "The what now?"
Inside the kitchen, Jazz pretended to clean up the broken glass while Samael leaned against the counter, taking deep breaths.
"We need a plan," she whispered. "If they make you wear that suit and something triggers a transformation..."
"I know," Samael growled, his voice deepening slightly before he caught himself. "And Danny can barely maintain visibility as it is. One hit from those ecto-blasters and..."
A yelp from the backyard interrupted them. They rushed to the window to see Danny dodging automated fire while Jack enthusiastically adjusted the targeting parameters.
"Too slow, Danny-boy! A real ghost would be much faster!"
"If he only knew," Jazz muttered, watching Danny "accidentally" trip to avoid showing his actual agility.
"INITIATING LEVEL TWO!" Maddie called out, pressing buttons on a remote control.
The mechanical ghost dummy suddenly sparked to life, zipping around on its line while spraying harmless but highly visible ecto-goo everywhere.
"Now, Samael," Jack turned toward the house, "your turn! Let's see what those muscles can do against a class two spectral entity!"
"I can't," Samael managed through clenched teeth. "My... hand..."
"Nonsense! A true Fenton fights through the pain! Why, I once wrestled a ghost bear with three broken ribs and a sprained ankle!"
"Actually, dear," Maddie corrected, "that was a regular bear, and you were wearing the Fenton Anti-Ghost Armor."
"Same difference! Now come on, son! Show us what you're made of!"
Danny, covered in green goo but thankfully still visible, shot his brother a panicked look. The automated blasters were still firing, and the dummy was getting more erratic.
Just as Samael was about to be forced into the backyard training ground, Sam's voice crackled through their Fenton Phones.
"GHOST ALERT!" she announced, mimicking the report's tone perfectly. "MASSIVE SPECTRAL ACTIVITY AT THE ELMERTON MALL!"
Jack's attention immediately shifted. "A real ghost? Maddie, get the Fenton Bazooka!"
"Already on it, dear!" Maddie rushed inside, passing Samael and Jazz. "Kids, stay here where it's safe. We'll continue training after we catch this one!"
"But Mom," Jazz called after her, hiding a smile, "what about the valuable hands-on experience?"
"Another time, sweetie!" Maddie emerged with an arsenal of weapons. "This could be dangerous! Jack, I'm reading multiple signatures!"
"To the Fenton RV!" Jack bounded toward the vehicle, ghost-hunting equipment rattling. "This could be the breakthrough we've been waiting for!"
They watched their parents speed away, sirens blaring and Jack's excited voice fading into the distance.
"Sam?" Danny asked through his Fenton Phones, wiping ecto-goo from his face.
"You're welcome," she replied smugly. "Tucker's got them chasing sensor ghosts all over the mall's security system. Should keep them busy for a few hours."
"You're a lifesaver," Samael said, finally feeling the transformation urge subside. "Though we probably shouldn't make this a regular solution."
"Why not?" Tucker chimed in. "I'm getting really good at ghost signature simulations. Did you hear how excited your dad got about the 'class four spectral anomaly' in the food court?"
Jazz was already dismantling the training course. "Because eventually they'll realize something's wrong with all these false alarms. We need a better long-term strategy."
"Great," Danny sighed, turning intangible to let the remaining goo fall through him. "More strategy sessions. Can't we just enjoy our Saturday?"
"After we clean up Dad's 'perfectly safe' obstacle course," Samael muttered, carefully picking up a sparking ecto-blaster. "Though I have to admit, some of this stuff might actually be useful if we can figure out how to use it without exposing ourselves."
"Or triggering any... colorful transformations," Jazz added pointedly.
Both brothers groaned at her attempt at humor.
"Next time," Danny suggested, "maybe we just say we joined a study group?"
"Right," Sam's voice dripped with sarcasm through the Fenton Phones. "Because your parents will totally believe you voluntarily joined a study group on Saturday morning."
"Well, since we've got an unexpected free afternoon," Tucker's voice crackled through the phones, "anyone up for some actual training? The warehouse district is empty on weekends."
"After nearly hulking out in my parents' backyard?" Samael picked up another piece of equipment. "Maybe we should take a break from-"
His ghost sense flared with sudden heat, just as Danny's breath turned visible.
"Oh come on!" Danny exclaimed, immediately going ghost. "Can't we have one normal Saturday?"
A familiar mechanical laugh echoed from above. "Normal is boring, whelp!"
"Skulker?" Jazz looked up in surprise. "Didn't we just trap you in the thermos last week?"
"Your primitive containment device cannot hold the Ghost Zone's greatest hunter!" Skulker announced, his armor now sporting various upgrades. "And this time, I came prepared for both prey!"
Samael felt the familiar anger rising as multiple weapons emerged from Skulker's suit. "You really didn't learn your lesson about hunting my brother, did you?"
"On the contrary," Skulker grinned, "I learned exactly how to push your buttons, beast-ghost!"
A missile launched directly at Danny, who barely managed to dodge. Another shot straight at Jazz.
The transformation was instant.
"METAL MAN NEVER LEARN!" Samael's massive green form burst through what remained of his clothes. "SAMAEL TEACH AGAIN!"
"Sam, Tucker," Jazz called into her Fenton Phones while diving behind a lawn ornament, "we need a distraction ready in case Mom and Dad decide to check on us!"
"On it!" Tucker replied. "Creating more ghost signatures at the mall now!"
Skulker launched another barrage of weapons, this time specifically targeting Jazz. "Yes! Let your rage grow, beast-ghost! Show me your true power!"
"TINY GHOST MAKE BIG MISTAKE!" Samael bounded forward, each leap leaving craters in the yard. "NO ONE THREATEN SISTER!"
Danny flew overhead, firing ectoblasts at Skulker's jetpack. "Dude, seriously? You just got your armor rebuilt and you're already asking for another smashing?"
"This time is different, whelp!" Skulker's armor began glowing with a strange energy. "I've studied your brother's transformation. The angrier he gets..."
"The stronger he gets!" Danny finished, finally understanding. "Jazz, he's trying to make Samael lose control completely!"
"SAMAEL ALREADY KNOW THAT!" His massive green fist barely missed Skulker as the hunter ghost dodged. "SAMAEL NOT STUPID!"
"Could've fooled me," Skulker taunted, firing more missiles at Jazz. "Look how easily you devolve into this primitive state!"
Each near-miss at Jazz made Samael grow larger, his attacks becoming more ferocious but less controlled. The backyard was rapidly becoming a disaster zone.
"Guys?" Sam's voice crackled through the Fenton Phones. "Your parents just left the mall. You've got maybe ten minutes!"
"Samael!" Jazz called out, ducking behind what remained of the ghost training equipment. "He's manipulating you! Remember your breathing exercises!"
"NO TIME FOR BREATHING!" Samael roared, ripping up a section of fence to throw at Skulker. "METAL MAN MUST BE SMASHED!"
"That's right," Skulker grinned, his armor pulsing with energy. "Channel that rage. Let it consume you!"
Danny flew between them, trying to reason with his brother. "He's absorbing your anger somehow! The more you lose control-"
"The more powerful I become!" Skulker's armor grew slightly, taking on a greenish tinge. "Your rage feeds my new upgrades!"
"Seven minutes!" Tucker warned through the phones. "And I'm picking up weird energy readings from Skulker's suit!"
Jazz's eyes widened with understanding. "Sammy, listen to me! Your anger isn't helping – it's exactly what he wants! Remember what we practiced: control through awareness!"
Something in her words seemed to reach him. Samael paused, his massive form still trembling with rage but his eyes showing a glimmer of recognition.
"That's it," Jazz encouraged. "You're not just strength. You're my brilliant brother who helps me organize my psychology books. Who tutors Danny in math. Who's stronger because he chooses to be!"
"NO!" Skulker fired more missiles, but this time at the Fenton Works sign. "Don't listen to her! Stay angry! Stay-"
"Samael... choose," Danny said softly, floating near his brother's head. "Not what he wants. What you want."
The massive green figure stood still for a moment, breathing deeply. When he spoke, his voice was still deep but clearer:
"Samael... choose... control."
"No, no, NO!" Skulker's armor began to flicker as Samael fought for control, the rage still burning hot beneath the surface as he sent an attack towards Jazz once more, that Danny timely saved her from. "Where's the mindless beast? The uncontrollable fury?"
"STILL HERE!" Samael roared, his attempts at control slipping with each word. "SAMAEL TRY CONTROL... BUT METAL MAN MAKE... SAMAEL... SO... ANGRY!"
His size began increasing again, the brief moment of clarity lost to rising fury. The yard's destruction accelerated as his massive fists slammed into the ground.
"Four minutes!" Sam warned. "And your parents are taking the shortcut through downtown!"
"Danny," Jazz called out, dodging debris, "the thermos!"
"On it!" Danny dove into the house, phasing through walls.
"Yes, YES!" Skulker's armor sparked with renewed energy. "Let your rage fuel me! Let it-"
"METAL MAN TALK TOO MUCH!" Samael's massive hand closed around Skulker's suit, crushing components as his anger peaked. "SAMAEL NOT JUST ANGRY... SAMAEL FURIOUS!"
The mechanical ghost's armor crackled with power even as it crumpled, feeding off Samael's overwhelming rage. But the energy intake proved too much, causing systems to overload and short-circuit.
"The calculations!" Skulker cried as his suit began to spark violently. "Too much power! Too much-"
Danny returned with the thermos just as Skulker's armor exploded from the overload, revealing his tiny true form.
"Three minutes!" Tucker's voice was urgent. "And your yard looks like a war zone!"
"TINY GHOST GO BACK IN TINY PRISON!" Samael growled, still fully enraged as Danny activated the thermos.
"This isn't over!" Skulker squeaked as he was pulled in. "I'll return! I'll-"
The thermos sealed with a click, but Samael's rage was still in full force, his massive form leaving deeper impressions in the already devastated yard.
"Two minutes!" Sam and Tucker chorused.
"Sammy," Jazz said cautiously, "we need to calm down now..."
"NOT SAMMY!" He roared, though his size finally began to decrease, more from exhaustion than control. "SAMAEL... still... angry..."
"One minute!" Tucker's warning came as Samael finally returned to human form, though his eyes still glowed dangerously green.
"The yard," Danny gasped, looking at the devastation. Craters dotted the lawn, the fence was partially destroyed, and the ghost training equipment lay in ruins. "Mom's going to kill us!"
Jazz's mind raced. "Quick! Danny, turn the training dummies intangible and sink them into the ground. Sam, Tucker, we need a cover story!"
"Already on it!" Sam replied. "Creating a false ghost alert about a rampaging spectral bulldozer in the area!"
Samael, still trembling with residual rage, grabbed what remained of the larger equipment, his enhanced strength letting him toss it through the basement window into the lab.
"Thirty seconds!" Tucker called out. "I can see the Fenton RV turning onto your street!"
"Danny, the craters!" Jazz directed while gathering scattered papers.
"I'm trying!" Danny flew around, using his ice powers to fill the holes, but his aim was still shaky. "But I can't make them look natural!"
"MOVE!" Samael growled, his voice still rough as he stomped on the ice-filled craters, the impact spreading the dirt more naturally, if violently.
The Fenton RV's sirens became audible in the distance.
"Ten seconds! Nine! Eight!"
Jazz shoved the last piece of broken equipment behind a bush just as their parents' vehicle screeched to a halt in front of the house.
"Kids!" Maddie called out, jumping from the RV. "Are you okay? We got reports of ghost activity in the area!"
"We're fine, Mom," Jazz said quickly, positioning herself to block the worst of the yard damage. "Just... practicing! Like you wanted!"
Jack bounded up, covered in mall food court debris. "That's the spirit! Though something seems different about the yard..."
"Ghost gardening!" Danny blurted out. "We were... practicing ghost gardening techniques! For... camouflage!"
Behind them, Samael's eyes finally stopped glowing, though his fists remained clenched.
"That's my boy!" Jack beamed. "Always thinking tactically! Now, who wants to hear about the ghost chase at the mall? The food court will never be the same!"
As their parents launched into an animated story about their wild ghost hunt, the siblings shared a look. They'd survived another close call, but how long could they keep this up?
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(Author note: Jack and Maddie are a lot like the show for now, but eventually, I will show their smarts and logical thinking more. Since currently, they have full trust in their kids, and well, Ghosts make anything possible.
So yeah, hope you all enjoyed the chapter, and I hope to see you all later,
Bye!)