As the Hulk in Danny Phantom/DC/Young Justice

Two nights earlier, Samael had been doing his calculus homework when Danny phased through his bedroom wall, looking like he'd just lost a fight with a flamethrower.

"Okay," Samael said, setting down his pencil, "either Dad's ghost-powered toaster exploded again, or there's a story here."

"You know," Danny collapsed into the desk chair, still smoking slightly, "just once I'd like to have a normal patrol. Just some nice, simple ghost to fight. Maybe a friendly one?"

"Instead?"

"Instead, I got a medieval princess who turns into a dragon!" Danny threw his hands up, accidentally turning them invisible for a moment. "There I was, doing my usual sweep of the park, when I hear this voice wailing about going to a ball."

Something about that tickled at Samael's memory, but he couldn't quite place it.

"At first, I thought it was just some girl upset about a dance or something," Danny continued, trying to pat out a smoldering spot on his shirt. "So I flew down to check, and there's this ghost in a medieval dress, crying about how she 'has to go to the ball.'"

"And the dragon part?"

"I'm getting there! So I try to be nice, you know? Ask if she's okay. Next thing I know, she's screaming 'THOU CANNOT KEEP ME FROM THE BALL' and boom!" Danny gestured wildly. "Dragon! Like, huge dragon! With fire breath and everything!"

Samael leaned back, frowning. "That... sounds vaguely familiar somehow." He could swear he remembered such a ghost from the original show.

"Really? Because I could have used that information about an hour ago when I was dodging fire blasts! The weird part was this amulet she was wearing. During the fight, it got knocked off, and she immediately turned back to normal and vanished. But..."

"But?"

Danny rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "I kind of lost track of where the amulet fell. With all the fire and dodging and trying not to get eaten..."

"So there's a transformation-triggering magical item just lying around Amity Park?" Samael felt that nagging sense of forgotten importance again. "That seems... bad."

"You think?" Danny sighed, finally noticing his singed appearance. "Man, Mom's going to kill me if she sees these burn marks. Any chance I can borrow a shirt?"

"Sure, but Danny?" Samael tossed him a spare shirt. "Maybe we should try to find that amulet before-"

Their ghost senses activated simultaneously, cutting off the conversation. Another typical evening in the Fenton household. And another ghost to kick into the Zone.

-----------------------------------------

Now, two days later, that same amulet gleamed innocently around Paulina's neck as she approached Samael in the hallway. The sight of it made that nagging feeling of forgotten importance grow much, much stronger.

"So, Samael," Paulina smiled, touching the mysterious necklace, "about the Spring Formal..."

"The Spring Formal?" Samael repeated cautiously, watching the amulet's gem catch the fluorescent hallway lights. Every instinct told him this was about to go very wrong.

"Well," Paulina stepped closer, still playing with the necklace, "everyone's been talking about how you haven't asked anyone yet. And since I found this gorgeous accessory in my locker this morning..."

Danny appeared at his brother's side, eyes fixed on the amulet. "Uh, Paulina, that's a really... interesting necklace. Where exactly did you say you found it?"

"In my locker," she smiled, though her eyes narrowed slightly. "Why? Do you want to make something of it, Fenton?"

"No! No, just... curious?" Danny backed up a step. "Though maybe you should take it off? You know, to keep it safe?"

"Are you saying I can't take care of my own jewelry?" The amulet's gem began to pulse faintly.

Tucker, monitoring his PDA nearby, whispered, "Guys? I'm getting some weird energy readings..."

"What my brother means," Samael interjected smoothly, recognizing the warning signs of both ghostly and teenage drama about to collide, "is that it looks... valuable."

"Of course it's valuable!" Paulina snapped. "And stop avoiding the subject! Are you going to ask me to the formal or not?"

The amulet's pulsing increased, and that nagging memory in Samael's mind suddenly became clearer. Something about anger triggering the transformation...

"Look, Paulina," he started carefully, "maybe we should discuss this when you're feeling less—"

"Less what?" Her eyes flashed red. "Are you saying I'm too emotional?"

"Uh oh," Danny muttered. "Here we go..."

"I just meant-" Samael started, but Dash chose that exact moment to interrupt.

"Hey Paulina, if Fenton's too chicken to ask you to the formal, I'm always available!"

The amulet's glow intensified as Paulina whirled on Dash. "CHICKEN? You think I need a backup date? That I'm not good enough for-" Her voice suddenly took on an otherworldly echo. "FOR ANYONE TO APPRECIATE?"

"Everyone clear the hallway!" Jazz appeared, somehow maintaining her calm therapist voice despite the situation. "This is clearly a manifestation of social pressure and unresolved-"

"NOT NOW, JAZZ!" both Fenton brothers shouted as Paulina's form began to shift and grow.

Students scattered as green scales erupted across Paulina's skin, her designer clothes tearing as wings burst from her back. The hallway's fluorescent lights flickered ominously.

"I MUST GO TO THE BALL!" The dragon that had once been Paulina roared, her tail smashing several lockers. "WITH A DATE OF MY CHOOSING!"

Tucker's PDA sparked and died. "Okay, that's definitely the same energy signature as the ghost princess from the park!"

"You think?" Danny ducked as a burst of flame scorched the ceiling. "Samael, maybe you should-"

"Not unless absolutely necessary," Samael growled, feeling the familiar warmth building under his skin but fighting to maintain control. "The hallway's barely big enough for one transformed teenager."

The dragon fixed its glowing red eyes on Samael. "YOU WILL TAKE ME TO THE FORMAL!"

"Is this really the time to be worried about dates?" he asked, backing away slowly. "Maybe we should discuss this when you're less... scaly?"

"THOU DARE REJECT ME?"

"I'm starting to see why the ghost princess had trouble getting dates," Danny muttered, going ghost behind an overturned trash can.

"NONE SHALL DENY ME!" Dragon-Paulina's tail whipped through the air, sending lockers flying. Students pressed themselves against the walls, phones out to record what they probably assumed was another strange Amity Park occurrence.

"Hey, scale-face!" Danny called out, floating near the ceiling. "Pretty sure destroying the school isn't going to get you a date!"

The dragon turned its massive head toward him. "THE GHOST BOY! YOU TRIED TO KEEP ME FROM THE BALL BEFORE!"

'Huh, seems there is some memory transfer or something.' Samael thought to himself.

"Actually, I tried to help, but someone got a little hot-headed!" Danny dodged another flame blast. "Get it? Because of the fire breath?"

"Dude," Tucker groaned from behind an overturned table, "maybe save the puns for when we're not about to be barbecued?"

Samael watched the exchange, his muscles trembling with the effort of not transforming. "Jazz, any ideas?"

"Well," his sister consulted her psychology notes, somehow maintaining academic calm, "considering the amulet seems to amplify emotional responses, particularly regarding social acceptance and validation-"

"The short version!" Both brothers called out as Dragon-Paulina's tail nearly took out a water fountain.

"We need to get the amulet off her!" Jazz shouted. "But carefully! The last thing we need is two angry transformed teens destroying the school!"

"I HEARD THAT!" Dragon-Paulina turned back to Samael. "YOU THINK I'M NOT GOOD ENOUGH? THAT I'M JUST SOME SHALLOW POPULAR GIRL?"

"I never said-" Samael started.

"SILENCE! IF I CANNOT HAVE A DATE WITH YOU, THEN NO ONE SHALL GO TO THE FORMAL!"

Her massive claws ripped through the 'Spring Formal' poster, along with a good chunk of the wall behind it.

"Okay," Danny flew closer to his brother. "New plan?"

"Danny," Samael called out, watching Dragon-Paulina demolish another row of lockers, "I need you to keep her contained for a minute."

"Easy for you to say!" Danny created another shield as flames licked past him. "You're not the one playing aerial tag with Puff the Magic Dragon!"

"Just trust me on this!" Samael stepped forward, raising his voice. "Paulina! We need to talk!"

The dragon whirled around, smoke curling from her nostrils. "NOW YOU WISH TO SPEAK? AFTER IGNORING ME FOR WEEKS?"

"I wasn't ignoring you," he replied calmly, standing his ground. "I was making a choice. There's a difference."

"A CHOICE?" Her tail smashed through a display case. "TO REJECT ME? IN FRONT OF EVERYONE?"

Tucker whispered urgently from behind an overturned table, "Her energy readings are all over the place, but they spike every time someone mentions rejection!"

"No," Samael continued, his voice steady despite the warmth of his own transformation urging release. "To wait until someone asks me because they actually want to go with me, not because it's expected."

The dragon paused, head tilting. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN?"

"Come on, Paulina, you're smarter than this. You're the most popular girl in school. You could have any date you want."

"THEN WHY NOT YOU?" A smaller burst of flame punctuated her words.

"Because I want someone who sees me as more than just the guy who got mysteriously buff this semester," he took another step forward. "And I think you deserve someone who wants you for more than your popularity too."

Dragon-Paulina's wings lowered slightly. "BUT... THE FORMAL..."

"Will still happen," Samael assured her. "And we can talk about it like normal people. Without property damage or fire breath. What do you say?"

"YOU WOULD... ACTUALLY CONSIDER...?"

"I would consider having a real conversation about it," he was close enough now to see the amulet glowing at her throat. "But first, that necklace really doesn't match your scales."

"My... scales?" The dragon's fierce expression turned almost comically confused.

"Besides," he reached up carefully, "green is more my color, don't you think?"

With one smooth motion, he unclasped the amulet. The transformation reversed in a flash of light, leaving Paulina swaying slightly in the debris-strewn hallway.

"What... what just happened?" she blinked, looking around at the destruction. "Were we just talking about the formal?"

Mr. Lancer's voice boomed from the end of the hall: "GREAT GATSBY! What happened to my school?"

"Ghost attack!" Jazz stepped forward smoothly, her practiced explanation ready. "Some kind of... dragon entity! It must have been drawn to the formal preparations!"

"Yeah!" Danny, now safely invisible, called from somewhere near the ceiling. "The ghost boy tried to stop it!"

Paulina continued to sway, nearly falling if not for Samael catching her.

"Miss Sanchez," Mr. Lancer pinched the bridge of his nose, "perhaps you should visit the nurse. You seem... disoriented."

"I'll take her," Star volunteered, emerging from behind a partially melted water fountain.

As they walked away, Paulina turned back to Samael. "So... about that conversation?"

"Later," he promised, carefully pocketing the amulet. "When things are less... chaotic."

Once Paulina was safely out of earshot, Tucker emerged from his hiding spot, new PDA already analyzing data. "Dude, that was smooth. Especially the part about the scales matching."

"I can't believe that worked," Danny landed beside them, turning visible again. "Usually when someone transforms around here, it ends with a lot more property damage."

"STUDENTS!" Mr. Lancer called out, still surveying the destruction. "Unless anyone wants to explain exactly what happened here, I suggest you all head to your next classes. Assuming their rooms are still intact."

"So," Sam appeared, looking amused, "does this mean you're actually going to the formal with Paulina?"

Samael held up the amulet. "I think we have more important things to worry about. Like returning this to its original owner before she decides to crash the formal herself."

"Great," Danny sighed. "Another trip to the Ghost Zone. Think the dragon princess takes rain checks on ball invitations?"

-------------------------------------

As they gathered in the Fenton lab after school, the amulet glowed ominously on the workbench.

"Okay," Jazz consulted her notes, "what do we know about this ghost princess? Besides her apparent fondness for formal dances and breathing fire?"

"Not much," Danny admitted, floating near the portal controls. "She kept yelling about going to some ball, turned into a dragon when I said I couldn't help, then vanished when the amulet came off."

Tucker typed rapidly on his PDA. "According to these readings, the amulet's power seems tied to emotional states. Kind of like..." he glanced cautiously at Samael, "...other transformations we know about."

"Great," Samael muttered, keeping his distance from the artifact. "Just what we need. Another anger-triggered transformation device."

"At least yours is built-in," Sam picked up the amulet carefully. "But how do we find one ghost princess in the entire Ghost Zone?"

"Actually," Danny brightened, "I might have an idea. Remember that ghost we met last week? The one obsessed with boxes?"

"The Box Ghost?" Jazz raised an eyebrow. "How is he going to help?"

"He mentioned something about a ghost princess throwing a fit because she couldn't attend some fancy ghost ball. Said the whole Ghost Zone was talking about it."

"So we're going to trust directions from a ghost whose greatest achievement is terrorizing the school's storage room?" Sam asked skeptically.

Suddenly, the Fenton's parents' voices echoed from upstairs.

"Kids!" Maddie called down. "Is everyone ready for family game night?"

The siblings shared a panicked look.

"I forgot about game night," Jazz groaned. "Last time Dad tried to combine Monopoly with ghost hunting..."

"New plan," Danny decided. "We'll have to look for the princess tomorrow. But someone needs to keep the amulet safe until then."

All eyes turned to Samael.

"Oh no," he backed away. "I am not keeping the anger-activated transformation jewelry."

"Think about it," Jazz reasoned. "You're the only one who might be able to handle it if something goes wrong. Plus, you've already shown you can stay calm under pressure."

"Yeah," Tucker grinned, "you really dragon-ed that situation at school today!"

Everyone groaned at the pun.

"KIDS!" Jack's voice boomed closer. "I've modified the Monopoly pieces to detect spectral activity!"

"Fine," Samael carefully pocketed the amulet. "But if I end up breathing fire during family game night, I'm blaming all of you."

"Could be worse," Danny shrugged, transforming back to human form. "Remember when Dad tried to make the Operation game ghost-powered?"

They headed upstairs to find the living room transformed into what looked like a cross between a board game tournament and a ghost hunting command center. Jack stood proudly beside the modified game board, which now glowed faintly green.

"Look, kids!" he beamed. "The houses detect ectoplasmic energy, and the hotels shoot tiny ghost rays!"

"Fascinating, dear," Maddie adjusted some settings on the dice, which appeared to be smoking slightly. "Though maybe we should lower the power on the 'Go to Jail' square? It left a scorch mark last time."

As they settled around the board, Samael could feel the amulet's weight in his pocket. Tucker, monitoring his PDA under the table, gave him a thumbs up – readings normal, for now.

"I'll be the ghost hunter piece!" Jack announced, holding up what looked like a miniature version of himself with working weapons.

"Dad," Jazz started carefully, "maybe we should play without the combat features this time? Remember what happened to the ceiling last week?"

"But Jazzerincess, how else will we practice our ghost hunting skills during family bonding time?"

The game proceeded with predictable chaos. Danny kept accidentally phasing through his chair whenever the dice exploded, while Samael had to concentrate on not crushing the metallic game pieces every time his father's miniature shot at his token.

"Ha!" Jack celebrated landing on Boardwalk. "Time to build a ghost-detecting hotel!"

"Speaking of ghosts," Maddie looked up from adjusting her jumpsuit's weapons, "any of you kids know anything about that dragon attack at school today?"

Five teenagers froze mid-play.

The dice clattered across the board, glowing brighter with each tumble. Danny tried to suppress his ghost energy while Samael focused on keeping the amulet's power contained through sheer willpower.

"Hmm," Jack frowned at the glowing dice. "That's odd. The readings are stronger than usual."

"Maybe it's picking up residual energy from the lab?" Jazz suggested quickly. "All those experiments must leave some trace..."

"Or it could be the ghost-powered hotels interfering," Tucker added, discretely monitoring both brothers' energy levels on his PDA.

"Nonsense!" Jack declared. "These dice are calibrated to ignore background ghost energy! This is something stronger, something..." He pulled out a larger ghost detector. "Something right at this table!"

"Jack, dear," Maddie intervened, "maybe we should finish the game before starting another investigation? It's getting late, and the children have school tomorrow."

The amulet pulsed again, and Samael felt his temperature rising. "Actually, I'm not feeling great. Might need to call it a night."

"But son, we haven't even gotten to test the new Chance cards! They shoot mini ghost portals!"

"Mini ghost portals?" Danny squeaked, accidentally turning his hand invisible under the table. "In the living room?"

"Of course!" Jack beamed. "What could possibly go wrong?"

As if on cue, one of the hotels exploded in a shower of green sparks.

"I'll get the fire extinguisher," Maddie sighed, heading for the kitchen.

"Quick game break!" Jazz announced, practically pushing her brothers toward the stairs. "We should all... prepare for tomorrow's school day! Very important tests coming up!"

"But the readings..." Jack protested, waving his detector around.

"Goodnight!" all five teenagers called out, racing upstairs before any more ghost-detecting game pieces could expose them.