Chapter Text
Mr. Trent walks up to Mr. Lancer, “so I know you managed to get Phantom to come in as a guest speaker. How’d you manage that?”, and sits down in one of the available chairs.
Mr. Lancer sighs slightly to himself, “I’m the vice principal, I have my ways”, looking to the other teacher, “why?”.
Mr. Trent leans back and sips at his coffee, “I finished up with my lesson plans a bit earlier than really necessary, considering this segments on the law I figured ghost law might be something to tickle the youngsters' fancy”.
Mr. Lancer tilts his head and chuckles to himself slightly, anything ghost-related got the teen’s interests, “you’re not wrong. I’ll see what I can do”. Mr. Tent gets up and pats him on the shoulder, “thanks man. Sometimes I think making a ghost-specific course would be a good idea, you know?”.
Mr. Lancer tilts his head and hums noncommittally, the idea for a ghost course had been thrown around a few times. Not just within school meetings, but town meetings and talks with the mayor. Muttering to himself as Mr. Tent leaves and the door closes, “maybe someday”. Having Phantom in for talks was a good way to build up to that though. It might not be the best option for preparing and protecting the students but it was something.
Phantom seemed to have no problem doing it anyway. And Danny didn’t seem to either, even if Lancer has some serious mental questions about Danny’s relation to Phantom and his ability to contact the ghostly teen.
Mr. Lancer startles his class a bit by actually pausing in his lecture when Danny enters (late as he often is). None of the teachers really even bothered so much as missing a beat in teaching, simply glaring at or handing Danny a detention slip whenever he came in; not that they actually expected Danny to actually show up for said detention, but they had to maintain the pretence that they were punishing him. So Mr. Lancer pausing his lesson and actually acknowledging Danny verbally was a bit weird, “Daniel, you’re late. Can I have a word with you? Right now preferably”.
Pretty well the entire class -and Danny, if his facial expression is anything to go by- are thinking this is it. This is when the weirdest kid in school, who’s a bit of a delinquent, gets kicked out. When the school finally has had enough and just washes their hands of him. A couple of teens even muttering, “well shit”, and “poor Danny”, as he and Daniel walk outside the door.
Mr. Lancer only lets Danny wallow in foreboding for a few seconds before speaking up, “you’re not in trouble, Daniel. Not any more than usual anyway”, continuing as Danny visibly relaxes, “a college approached me rather recently inquiring if Phantom would be able and interested in teaching a class on ghost law. Considering you are the only viable and safe way to really contact him, I figured asking you would be the best course of action”.
Danny blinks a few times before tilting his head and humming a little. Arguably, right, humans knowing some aspects of ghost law would be beneficial, considering some actually applied to humans. But it was complicated, he didn’t fully grasp it yet, and it didn’t function like human law. Not to mention the fact that human law officially didn’t think ghosts had laws or rights, and thus weren’t affected by human law; aka the human government basically classed ghosts as entirely lawless. Letting humanity, or just a class worth of humans, know otherwise might be a good thing; especially when, again, some of it affected them which they would probably already know if their government hadn’t decided it wasn’t possible already. Course he couldn’t just talk about the shit that might possibly affect humans or would be helpful for humans to know, that would be kinda suspicious. So would this be a good idea? Maybe. Probably not actually. But doing things that aren’t really the best idea is kinda his thing. Shrugging a little, “I can’t say if he’ll be down to talk about that, but my folks definitely don’t know anything about Ghost Zone law. Like, at all. Ditto with the G.I.W.. Is there a specific reason for the class? I’ll still ask him regardless though”.
Mr. Lancer smiles a little, “good, and I can’t claim to be surprised. Something tells me that even if your parents knew ghost law was a thing they wouldn’t care. And it’s purely because Mr. Trent ran out of teaching material early”, smirking a little at Danny, “Casperhigh can’t just have a teacher teach nothing for a class, now can it”. Danny chuckles and smirks a little right back before nodding and the two head back into the classroom. Danny quickly making his way to his seat and pointedly ignoring the worried and pitying glances being sent his way.
Mr. Lancer, not wanting the class to be distracted, addresses their likely assumptions, “while Mr. Fenton has certainly violated much of school policy, he is not being removed from classes. There was simply a matter we needed to discuss and I couldn’t be sure he’d actually still be here by the end of class to talk about it then”. Multiple people laugh, including Danny (who predictably leaves class not even half an hour later to never return).
Tucker elbows Danny as they sit down with their lunch trays, “so I hear Lancer gave you a talking to”, and wiggles his eyebrows comically.
Danny snorts, “I think I’ll be able to claim ‘Phantom’s teaching liaison’ or maybe ‘ghost liaison’ as an official title soon here. Trent asked Lancer who asked me to ask Phantom if he’d be up for teaching a class on ghost law”.
Sam shakes her head as she fiddles with what’s passing as ‘salad’, “Phantom should demand to be on payroll”. Tucker blinks before looking excited and nodding rapidly at Danny with a full mouth.
Danny rubs his neck and shrugs a bit awkwardly, “and what? Demand to be paid upfront like this is some kind of hit? Have teach come with a briefcase of cash as compensation for assassinating boredom? Maybe have Fan take his shares as the middleman?”.
Tucker swallows and laughs, “dude, technically this is illegal. Pan’s not a certified teacher and is wanted internationally by the US government. Ancients, the school can’t even officially release the location or date beforehand because someone might try to actually assassinate Pan. This absolutely is an information drug trade. It’s also between two dimensions where one basically has destroy on sight orders for the other”, Tucker tilts his head and laughs a bit more, “the three of us are basically running an informational black market. Providing the spookies with weapons info and general intel, and the mortals with cultural intel”.
Sam hums, “ghost information black market. Illegal, shady, dangerous, oddly ominous-sounding, and gives the finger to the government; I approve”.
Sam leans forward and whispers suspiciously, “and it is your job to broker alliances and truces right under the noses of the higher-ups. Gradually turn the people against the white suits and start political unrest towards the anti-ecto acts”.
Tucker smirks, “face it Danny. You’re a political crime lord, a knowledge broker”.
Danny shrugs, “eh, liaison’s less wordy”.
Sam smirks, “and makes it sound less illegal. The white suits absolutely would try you for treason”, pointing at Danny, “and ghosts are horrible gossips, not to mention Pan’s got CW in his back pocket. Pan’s got an army of informants basically. So if someone needs to know something, you’re ‘the guy’”.
Danny huffs, “Pan’s King. Knowing’s the job”.
Sam rolls her eyes as she finishes up her ‘food’, “human leaders usually don’t know shit, Danny. Even when they do know, it’s limited and just their own country. Pan has access to everything”.
Tucker smirks as they get up, “not to mention how much information comes from living with the enemy. Straight up espionage”, elbowing Danny, “anyway, I say do it. Keep these mortal fools from accidentally breaking ghost law or some shit”.
Sam nods with a conspiratory smirk, “an informed public, is a dangerous public”.
Danny huffs, well aware he arguably knows too much and pretty well is the be all end all of both government and law in the Ghost Realm. Not to mention what he is officially doesn’t exist. Snorting and muttering mostly to himself, “Ancients, I’m the men in black trope”. Both his friends smirk at him before they go their separate ways.
Danny, feeling a bit like a little bastard, decided to just quietly sip coffee (in Phantom form) in Mr. Trent’s living room and just wait for the guy to turn around from the stove and notice him. From the smell of it, the teach was making some seriously chocolaty brownies.
This, to Danny’s barely hidden amusement, results in Mr. Trent practically throwing the pan of brownies at the ceiling and shrieking when he notices the ghost. Danny chuckles, “spooked ya, huh?”, shrugging and sipping his coffee, “you’d think with ghosts tendency to just pop up outta nowhere, people would be less startled by us doing just that”.
Mr. Trent collects himself and walks over, offering a brownie -which Danny promptly takes- as he responds, “how’d you know where I live”, shaking his head, “I’ll take it you’re up for playing teacher again?”.
Danny smirks and speaks nonchalantly without looking to the guy, “I know where everyone lives”, before looking up at him from his spot on the couch, “why not. Can’t follow laws if you don’t know ‘em. And this might avoid some human doing something bad and winding up in ghost jail or, like, starting a war”.
Mr. Trent blinks, “ghost law applies to humans?”. He looks both concerned and a bit befuddled.
Danny shrugs and downs the rest of his coffee before floating up, “some yeah. Ghost hunters of the past have just been incompetent enough to not stumble on something they shouldn’t. Mortals are getting better, and your government accidentally instigating a war or a hunter getting arrested by the Observants, would probably not help relations between the races”.
Mr. Trent coughs, “yeah, why don’t we already know these laws? And maybe it would be best to have the police chief sit in on class then”.
Danny rolls his eyes, “most hunters don’t think ghosts are intelligent enough for any kind of government, nonetheless laws. Ditto for the G.I.W. except they’re actually worse. We wouldn’t be believed or taken seriously if we did try telling y’all. Plus, ignorance of the law is no excuse. If you’re gonna deal with ghosts or go to our world, just like going to another country, trying to learn about our laws is kinda your responsibility”, muttering to himself, “which the government is really crapping the bed on”.
Mr. Trent nods, “so we need to take the initiative”.
“Sure. Let’s go with that”, really, with the laws that did apply to humans it really didn’t matter if they knew or not. Some might break them purely because they did know and humans would be punished regardless of whether they knew the law or not. Shrugging again, “so, when’s this class?”.
“It’s the first after lunch. Room A two”. Mr. Trent sort of just stands there and stares at the thin air for a beat after Phantom said, “cool”, and flew through the ceiling. Something tells him this was going to be a far less relaxing and straightforward of a class than he’d hoped.