"HehehehehahahahaaAHAHAHAHAH!" Bill began laughing. It was quiet at first, but soon swelled to an insane crescendo. 

"Checkmate!" He yelled, yanking on Danny's hand. 

With a strange, sucking, falling feeling, Danny felt himself jolt awake and disconnect from his body. He cartwheeled through the air. 

This was wrong! He felt like... like a ghost of a ghost. 

"What did you do to me?" he shouted, surging back up to his limp body. Terror clutched his heart as he tried to re-enter. But he just passed right through. He couldn't overshadow?

His body stirred, sat up, and opened its eyes. They were yellow with slitted pupils. 

"Oh it just hurts to be this good!" Danny... no Bill, said.

"All it takes is a sleepless night and a fake out mimic and it'll bring even the great Danny Phantom to his knees! Oh don't worry, I'll hold up my end of the deal," he said, an unnatural smile stretching Danny's face.

"Your little Shifter? Already puffed back into mist. And I'll definitely give your powers an upgrade!"

Bill spun in place and swept a burning arc through the trees with a ghost ray. Birds took flight into the summer air. He laughed and began shooting the flock down, one by one.

"What are you doing?" Danny yelled.

"A little target practice before I really go to town," Bill laughed, shooting a ray straight through Danny's insubstantial form. 

"Now let's think about portals. I think it's only fitting that we give old Fordsy a chance to play with portals again, don't you?"

"No!" Danny shouted, forcing himself back into his body. But it was like trying to climb up a greased slide. Bill shrugged him off carelessly.

"Eh, suit yourself. I'm sure you'll have a lot of fun friends to keep you company soon!"

Bill leapt from the tower and sped over the forest toward the town. Danny raced after him. He couldn't go fast enough!

.........................................................................

"Whew!" Dipper sighed, collapsing back into a kitchen chair. "I'm just so glad we don't have to deal with another half ghost zooming around the town."

"Yeah. There's only one for me," Mabel sighed dreamily.

Dipper rolled his eyes, but gave a tired smile. He poured a huge bowl of cereal and began to crunch it down. 

"Well with that out of the way, we can-"

Danny burst through the kitchen wall. Dipper jumped, sloshing cereal all over the floor. He relaxed when he saw who it was though. 

"Danny! Hey, good news man. That Stratus Shifter won't be able to use your powers after all. You're home free."

"You got that right Pine Tree," Danny replied. 

Dipper's heart dropped as he finally looked at Danny's eyes.