As the Hulk in Danny Phantom/DC/Young Justice

The halls of Casper High buzzed with the usual morning chaos, but there was a new topic of discussion among the students. Specifically, about Samael Fenton's unexpected physical transformation over the past week.

"Have you seen him?" Paulina asked Star as they stood by their lockers. "It's like he grew even more muscular overnight. And that new workout gear he's wearing..."

She trailed off as Samael walked past, the tight-fitting athletic clothes (specially designed by Sam to accommodate potential transformations) doing little to hide his enhanced physique.

The ghost accident had affected his base form too, making him naturally stronger and more built than before.

"Morning, Samael," Paulina called out, flashing her most winning smile. "That's an interesting new look."

Samael nodded politely but kept walking, focusing on controlling the constant simmer of anger beneath his skin.

Jazz had warned him that heightened emotions could trigger a transformation, and Paulina's attention was definitely triggering... something.

"He's been working out with me," Dash jumped in, though everyone knew it wasn't true. "Right, Fenton?"

"Sure, Dash," Samael muttered, reaching his locker where Danny was struggling to remain fully visible.

"You okay?" Danny whispered, noting his brother's tense shoulders. "You've got that 'about to go green' look."

"Fine," Samael growled softly. "Just tired of all the attention."

"Speaking of attention," Tucker appeared beside them, PDA in hand as always, "Paulina's heading this way again. Your heart rate's already elevated, big guy. Maybe we should..."

"Samael!" Paulina's voice cut through the hallway chatter. "I'm having a pool party this weekend. You should totally come! I bet you'd look amazing in swim..."

She stopped as Samael's locker door crumpled slightly under his grip.

"Thanks," he managed through clenched teeth, "but I'm busy. Family stuff."

"Oh," she pouted, placing a hand on his arm. "Maybe next time then? Your muscles are so..."

"He said no," Jazz intervened, suddenly appearing with her psychology books. "Come on, Sammy, we have that... thing to discuss."

"Don't call me..." Samael started, but let himself be led away, leaving behind a disappointed Paulina and a slightly dented locker.

"Deep breaths," Jazz instructed as they headed toward a quieter hallway. "Remember, emotional control is key."

"Easy for you to say," Samael muttered. "You're not the one who might turn into a giant green rage monster because the most popular girl in school won't stop touching your biceps."

"Could be worse," Danny said, floating slightly before catching himself. "At least you're not phasing through chairs every time Paulina walks by."

PE class proved particularly challenging. Coach Tetslaff had organized a dodgeball game, and Samael found himself the center of unwanted attention once again.

"Fenton!" the coach bellowed. "Whatever workout regime you're on, keep it up! Never seen such development in a sophomore!"

The other students whispered among themselves as Samael tried to stay focused on the game without using too much of his enhanced strength.

Every throw had to be carefully controlled – one slip could send a ball through the gymnasium wall.

"Hey, Samael," Paulina called from the sidelines, having already been eliminated. "Maybe you could show me some exercise tips sometime?"

The dodgeball in his hand started to compress dangerously.

"Incoming!" Danny's warning came just in time as Dash launched a ball at Samael's head, clearly trying to prove something.

Samael caught it one-handed, perhaps a bit too easily. The rubber squeaked under his grip as he fought down the urge to throw it back at full strength.

"Dude," Tucker whispered from nearby, "your eyes are starting to glow. Maybe ask for a bathroom break?"

"I'm fine," Samael growled, though he could feel the familiar warmth building under his skin.

"Wow, such quick reflexes too!" Paulina's voice carried across the gym. "You know, the football team could really use someone like you..."

"That's it!" Sam interrupted, deliberately throwing a ball at Paulina, missing her by inches. "Oops, my aim must be off."

"Manson!" Coach Tetslaff blew her whistle. "No targeting spectators! Five laps around the gym!"

As Sam jogged past, she muttered, "You're welcome. Now go cool off before you Hulk out in front of everyone."

Samael handed the slightly crushed dodgeball to Tucker and headed for the door. "Coach, need a minute!"

"Make it quick, Fenton! We're not done seeing what that new physique of yours can do!"

In the locker room, Samael braced himself against the sink, staring at his reflection. His eyes had indeed started to glow green, and his muscles seemed to be expanding slightly even without full transformation.

"You know," Danny said, phasing through the wall, "we could always tell people you're having an allergic reaction to Dad's latest experiment. Might explain the sudden changes."

"Great," Samael muttered. "Then Mom will want to run tests, and Dad will try to cure me with some new invention, and..."

His grip cracked the porcelain sink.

"Right," Danny backed away slightly. "Bad suggestion. But hey, at least Dash isn't bullying me anymore. Too busy trying to figure out your 'workout secrets.'"

Samael managed a small smile at that. At least some good had come from this mess.

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Lunch period brought its own challenges. After the meat ghost incident, the cafeteria had been repaired, but Samael could still see the marks where his transformed state had left impressions in the floor.

"Here," Jazz said, sliding a protein-heavy lunch tray in front of him. "Sam did some research. Apparently, your increased muscle mass requires more calories now."

"Great," Samael muttered, noting how the plastic fork looked tiny in his hand. "Another reminder of how freakish this is getting."

"It's not freakish," Jazz insisted, pulling out her notebook. "It's fascinating! The way your base form has adapted to accommodate the transformation's energy requirements-"

"Jazz," Danny interrupted, his hand briefly phasing through his sandwich, "maybe less scientific observation, more normal lunch?"

Before Jazz could respond, Paulina's group settled at the nearby table, positioning themselves with a clear view of Samael.

"You know," Paulina said loudly enough to carry, "I heard the new clothing store at the mall has a great selection of athletic wear. Perfect for showing off... certain assets."

Star giggled. "Too bad some people hide under such baggy clothes."

Samael's fork bent in half.

"Deep breaths," Tucker whispered, monitoring his readings. "Your ectoplasmic levels are spiking again."

"I know!" Samael growled, his voice dropping dangerously low. The table creaked under his tightening grip.

Sam, who'd been watching the situation deteriorate, suddenly stood up. "Hey, Paulina! Remember that meat monster from last week? Interesting how it seemed especially attracted to designer clothes..."

Paulina paled slightly, her attention diverted. "You wouldn't..."

"Just saying," Sam smiled innocently. "Meat stains are so hard to get out of silk."

As Paulina's group hastily relocated, Jazz gave Sam an approving nod. "Nice intervention."

"Yeah, well," Sam sat back down, "we can't have him going green every time someone flirts with him. Though..." she smirked, "it is kind of entertaining watching Paulina try so hard."

"Not helping," Samael grumbled, though the immediate danger of transformation had passed.

"Look on the bright side," Danny offered. "At least you're not dealing with what I am." He pointed to Dash's table, where the jock was trying to discretely copy his homework while attempting to look tough.

"No," Tucker chimed in, still monitoring his PDA, "he's just dealing with being Casper High's most eligible bachelor who might accidentally tear the school in half if someone asks him to prom."

The second fork of the day met its demise in Samael's grip.

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Chemistry class should have been simple enough. Samael had always been good with sciences – a trait inherited from both parents, minus their obsession with ghosts. But today's lab partner assignments threw a wrench in his careful control.

"And finally," Mr. Falluca announced, "Samael Fenton and Paulina Sanchez."

Tucker winced sympathetically from his station with Star. "Dude's blood pressure just spiked."

"This is bad," Danny whispered to Sam. "Like, potentially 'explaining-to-the-school-board-why-the-lab-is-green' bad."

Paulina sashayed over to Samael's station, flipping her hair. "Lucky us, partner! You can do all the heavy lifting, and I'll... supervise."

The beaker Samael was holding developed hairline cracks.

"Today's experiment," Mr. Falluca continued, "requires careful measurement and gentle handling of volatile compounds. Remember, too much pressure could cause..."

A crash from the back of the room interrupted him. Dash had dropped his test tube, creating a small smoke cloud.

"BAXTER! What did I say about gentle handling?"

While Mr. Falluca dealt with Dash's mess, Paulina leaned closer to Samael, ostensibly reading the instructions. "You know, chemistry is all about... attraction."

The beaker finally gave up its fight against Samael's grip.

"Oh!" Jazz called out from her station, deliberately knocking over a container of harmless saline. "Clumsy me! Samael, could you help clean this up? You know, with those... paper towels... by the door?"

"Right," Samael managed through clenched teeth, recognizing his sister's rescue attempt. "Paper towels. Important."

He made it to the hallway just as his eyes started glowing green, Jazz close behind.

"That's it," he growled, his voice deepening. "I'm dropping chemistry."

"No, you're not," Jazz said firmly. "You're learning to control this. Now, breathe with me. In through the nose..."

"Jazz, I swear, if you start another breathing exercise..."

"Would you prefer I psychoanalyze your reaction to female attention instead?"

The green faded slightly from his eyes as he shot her an exasperated look. "...fine. Breathing it is."

From inside the classroom, they could hear Paulina asking Mr. Falluca if she could switch partners, claiming the broken beaker made her "nervous about working with someone so strong."

"See?" Jazz smiled. "Problems have a way of solving themselves. Now, ready to go back in? Without destroying the lab equipment?"

Samael took one final deep breath. "Yeah. But next time, I'm requesting Tucker as my lab partner."

"Deal. Though you might want to work on your grip strength first, Sammy. That's the third beaker this week."

"Don't call me Sammy." he retorted with a warm smile.