Disclaimer: All rights to characters, and locations in this story go to their respective owners; DC Comics, and Nickelodeon/Butch Hartman. The author of this story owns nothing; this story is for fun, not for money or profit of any kind.
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Chapter 4: Big Trouble in a Bigger City
The Fenton Family Assault Vehicle, or rather, the Fetnon Family RV, was rocketing down the highway. Danny was passed out in the back, bored out of his mind. Here, he had just gotten back from Gotham City helping Batman take down Freakshow, and now he was stuck with his parents and his sister on a road trip to Metropolis.
Hopefully, there would be no ghost trouble, and he could try to relax. Although the prospect of meeting Superman was cool, Danny just wanted to unwind. And visiting one of the largest cities in the world was not a good start! Jazz looked up from her book in sympathy at her little brother. Their parents were busy in the front with the map. "Danny," she said softly. "Try to relax! Last time I checked, there were no ghost in Metropolis! When was the last time you heard of Superman trading punches with Skulker?"
Danny sighed. "I suppose your right," he admitted. "I just hope there's no trouble, ghost or otherwise. I'm kind of a magnet. And not a chick-magnet!"
"Kids," shouted Jack. "We're here! And in record time, too!" Danny and Jazz looked out the window, and saw the Metropolis skyline come into view! "Oh, who am I kidding," Danny said. "This is pretty sweet!" As they pulled off the interstate, the skyscrapers seemed to go on forever. The City of Tomorrow was every bit as spectacular as one would think.
"Oh, isn't this city nice," commented Maddie, dreamily. Jack grinned. "It sure is," he said. "Remember when we took our honeymoon here?"
"You guys honeymooned here in Metropolis?" asked Jazz. "That's so romantic!" Danny gagged. "Ew," he said. "Change the channel!" Jazz swatted Danny upside the head.
Clark Kent, aka Kal-El of Krypton, mild-mannered reporter and super hero, was having a pleasant day, for once. He and his fellow reporter/wife, Lois Lane, were having breakfast at their favorite cafe. Clark pushed his glasses further up his nose as he looked over the menu. It was nice to have a quiet, slow day off for once. The two finally managed to ware down their boss, Perry White, into letting them have the same day off.
"So, Smallville," Lois said, using her pet nickname for Clark. "How have things been lately, at your 'other' job?"
Clark smirked, putting his menu down. "Quiet, for now," he replied. "I think our bald friend might be taking time off, too." He was referring to Lex Luthor, his long-time nemesis. The billionaire had been very quiet, actually. He was in the middle of a major business deal, and it was driving Lex crazy, trying to get the fine-print worked out. Clark chuckled at the thought of the criminal master mind sweating, and actually running his company, LexCorp, for once, instead of scheming for world domination.
"Good," Lois said. She couldn't stand Lex Luthor. "Have you heard from Kara, lately? She hasn't called in a while." Kara Zor-El was Clark's cousin from his doomed home planet of Krypton. Like Clark's parents, Kara's parents had sent their baby into space before Krypton imploded. Unfortunately, her pod had taken a longer course to reach Earth than Kal-El's. As such, she landed years after Clark had. Her pod had been programmed to implant a full Kryptonian education while she was in suspended hyper-sleep, as she grew inside. When she finally landed on Earth, she was already 19.
Clark had taken her to his Fortress of Solitude, and sorted everything out with his cousin, as her powers matured under Earth's yellow sun. Once she was a little more able to adapt to Earth, he sent her to live with his adopted parents, the Kents, for a couple of years, before she came to live with Clark and Lois. Powerful, smart, arrogant, and more than a little stubborn, Kara Zor-El, aka Karen Starr, had grown into a vibrant young woman. She became a hero, like Clark. But wanting to make a name for herself, rather than, in her words, mooch off of her cousin's legacy, she chose the name Power Girl, and refused to wear the symbol of the House of El, the large 'S' Superman wore on his chest. Now 25, Karen had moved to New York City, and was the owner of a small computer lab company called Starr-Ware Industries.
"She's doing great, last time we talked," Clark said. "She's been busy; she moved into a larger apartment. She said she's got a room mate, too. And she even has a cat!" Lois rolled her eyes at that. She didn't care for cats. Kara probably got a cat just to smite her beloved 'Aunt-Lois'.
"Lucky her," she teased. "I wish we could move into a larger place."
Clark looked startled. "What's wrong with our place?" he asked. Clark had never seen the point of living in a huge house. Having grown up on a humble farm in Kansas, he never had a taste for classy or lavish things. Money never held much interest for the Man of Steel. He made enough as a reporter, and was quite content with their current apartment.
Lois looked at her husband oddly. "What's wrong?" she repeated. "It's only got one bedroom, for starters! When we have company, where are they supposed to sleep? The kitchen? Remember when Kara lived with us? She had to sleep on the couch!"
Before Clark could answer, an unusual vehicle drove past, caught in traffic. It was a large, silver, tank-tread wheeled thing, with a stylized green "F" painted on the side. "What a weird vehicle," Lois commented. Clark frowned. It looked military. Using his X-Ray vision, he dared to peek inside. What he saw surprised him. A regular family.
His sensitive hearing picked up the conversations inside. "Oh, darn this traffic!" said the large man, who Clark assumed was the father. "Calm, down, honey," replied the mother. "If I remember right, the hotel was two blocks down." Clark looked over at the two teens in the back. "Oh, man," said the boy, who face-palmed. "I never realized how terrible a driver Dad is in a big City!" The young girl sitting next to him made a similar gesture. "Tell me about it," she grumbled. "I'm never going to complain about the bad drivers in Amity Park, again." Smiling, Clark turned his attention away, not seeing a threat from a family in a strange vehicle, although he did file it away in the back of his mind.
After checking in at the hotel, the Fenton's were out walking around the big city. They had stopped by the big Superman statue in the park nearby, and were checking out some of the stores for souvenirs. Looking at a snow globe of the Daily Planet, Danny's super hearing picked up something from a little ways away. It was someone screaming! He also picked up a low growl, and a large crash.
'Really?' Danny thought. He sighed, and nudged Jazz. "Hey, Jazz," he whispered. "I think I heard something. Cover for me?" Jazz glanced around. Maddie was window shopping, while Jack was buying a fudge platter.
"Leave it to me," Jazz whispered back. Danny nodded his thanks, and took off through the crowd. He ducked into an alley, and changed into his Phantom form!
Clark and Lois were walking home, when Clark's super hearing picked up something from several blocks away. Screaming! He also heard a deep growl, followed by what sounded like a wall breaking. He turned to Lois. "Trouble," he told her. Lois nodded; this was nothing new. Clark ducked into the alley, and in less than a second, Superman flew off towards the sound.
Danny Phantom arrived at the spot where the noise came from, the Metropolis City Bank. The front wall was caved in. Danny floated for a moment. What could cause this? "Hey!" A shout came from above. Danny looked up, and saw Superman himself hovering above him! "Whoa," Danny said in awe. Superman crossed his arms over his large chest. He wore all blue, with a long, bright red cape. He also wore matching red boots. On his waist was a red and yellow belt.
"Care to explain yourself, son?" Superman asked.
Danny blinked. "Wha-What?" he stammered. Superman raised an eyebrow and glanced at the demolished wall. "Oh," Danny said. "Whoa! What? No! Wait a minute! I didn't- No, way! Never! I didn't do this!"
Superman frowned at Danny's stammering. "Walls on banks just don't implode," he said.
Danny looked like he was about to freak. "You gotta believe me!" he shouted. "I just heard the crash and screams, and I came rushing over!" The two were eye-to-eye, when another low growl came from inside, causing the two heroes to glance toward the noise. More screams accompanied the growl. Sharing one more glance the two went to investigate.
Inside, the bank was shambles. Several people ran out of the other rooms, scared, but unharmed. A loud crash came from the vaults, and Danny and Superman rushed in to see a large, white haired, gray skinned monster of a man filling a bag with money. "Solomon Grundy," Superman exclaimed. The zombie slowly turned around, snarling. "What are you doing here?" Superman asked.
"Money," Grundy growled. "Lot's of it."
Danny looked unimpressed. "You know," he said. "You could have just made a withdrawl like a normal person. No need to make a scene if you're low on cash." Grundy snarled at the comment, before returning to his task. Superman flew forward, and grabbed Grundy, throwing him through the wall.
Grundy shoved Superman away, and stood up, snarling. "Grundy kill you," he growled. Danny flew up and shot a ghost ray, causing the behemoth to double over, shocked at feeling pain. "Boy hurt Grundy?" the zombie asked in disbelief. Danny grinned. His ghost energy must be able to affect Grundy more than fists. Solomon Grundy then bellowed, charging at Danny, pulling a butcher knife from his back. "Grundy kill!"
Danny turned intangible, the beasts blows passing harmlessly through him, much to Danny's relief. "Hey, Grundy! Pick on someone your own size!" Superman shot his heat vision at Grundy, burning off part of his tattered jacket. The smell of the zombie was over-whelming! Like rotting meat! Grundy grunted. Turning slowly to the Man of Steel, he said, "Grundy's boss say show Cape Man glowing rock!"
Grundy reached into his pocket, and pulled out a small, brightly glowing green rock. Superman winced upon seeing the rock. "Unnh," he groaned, falling to one knee. "Kryptonite... Where did... you get that, Grundy?"
Danny gasped as he saw Superman go down. "Not on my watch," he said. Danny then flew up, and grabbed the Kryptonite from Grundy. Danny focused his energy into the rock, reducing it to ash.
The effects of the Kryptonite leaving him, Superman stood up. Grundy took a step back. "Uh-oh," he said. Frowning, Superman launched himself at Grundy, giving him an uppercut so massive, it blew Grundy several stories into the air. As Grundy came back down, Danny shot him with several more blasts of his ghost rays, leaving Grundy crumpled in a heap.
Superman came up behind Danny. "Sorry I wrongly accused you, kid," he apologized.
Danny shrugged. "No problem," he said. "I'm used to that sort of thing by now. And the name is Danny Phantom, not 'Kid'."
Superman smirked. "Of course," he said. "Danny it is. So, what brings you to Metropolis I've never seen you around here, before."
Danny rubbed his neck, shyly. He couldn't believe he was talking to Superman! "Uh...," he started.
Superman held up a hand. "Before you answer, let's talk somewhere a little more private," he said, taking off. Danny noticed the large group of people and police officers arriving on the scene.
"What about Grundy? And where did he get Kryptonite from?" he asked, catching up to Superman, who had landed on the roof of the Daily Planet building.
"The police can handle him," Superman answered. "Grundy and I have tangled before. My guess is, he got it from Lex Luthor. He's the only one of my enemies who isn't in jail that has access to the money to get it. Thanks for your help with the Kryptonite, by the way. I've never seen some of those powers before."
"You're welcome," Danny replied, floating up to him. "I'm, uh, not your run of the mill superhero. I'm a ghost."
Superman looked a bit taken aback by that. "A ghost, huh?" he replied. "Well, you're pretty lively for a ghost."
Danny chuckled at Superman's response to meeting a ghost. "And you're pretty lively, compared to Batman," he replied. "He was all doom and gloom, when I met him."
Superman looked thoughtful. "So," he said. "You've met the Dark Knight, too? I'll admit, he's not the most open person in the world. But he's not so bad, once you get to know him. Anyway, you were about to tell me why you've come to Metropolis."
Danny nodded. "Oh, yeah," he said. "I was actually here on a vacation, of sorts. Then, I heard the screams, and I couldn't just sit by, doing nothing."
Superman nodded, impressed. Maybe the kid was alright, after all. "Well, then," he said, smiling. "Don't let me keep you from your vacation any longer." Superman held out his large hand. "I hope I count on your help again, someday."
Danny was floored. He shook Superman's hand, gratefully. "Count on it, sir," he said.
Superman grinned. "Actually," he said. "My friends call me Kal." Danny beamed. Superman actually called him a friend! Before he could say anything, a large shadow suddenly loomed over the city, appearing as if out of no-where. Looking up in awe at the city-sized ship, Danny asked, "What is that?"
Superman was equally shocked, before realizing who the ship belonged to. "Brainiac," he growled.
All across the world, similar ships began to appear. Across every language, a transmission was broadcast. "Attention, people of Earth," came a steady, robotic voice. "Your world now belongs to Brainiac. I have located specific areas of useful knowledge. These, I shall assimilate. Of course, some... unneeded information, such as human life, will inevitably be assimilated, as well. These shall be eliminated. Your way of life is at it's end. Attempting to defend yourselves will only hasten your own destruction. In the end, all shall belong to Brainiac."
"Not on my watch," Superman said. He took off at full speed towards the ship, only to be blasted back to the ground by an energy field. Grunting, Superman got back up. "So," he said. "Brainiac has learned. Great."
Danny flew down to Superman. "What do we do now?" he asked the Man of Steel.
Superman regarded him grimly. "We need to get as many people to safety as we can," he said. "Get as many people away from libraries, schools, hospitals, office buildings, government facilities, television and radio stations, and laboratories as fast as we can. Those are what Brainiac will be targeting first, and attempt to bottle them. Try to get people into places like Hotels, or down into sewers if you have to. Brainiac will ignore those places. For now."
Danny nodded. "Then what are we waiting for?" he asked. "Let's get to work!" The two flew off, funneling people away from buildings that Brainiac was targeting. This was a tall order, but the two heroes convinced the police to assist them, making it a little easier. According to Superman, they had planned, on some level, for something like this. "Freeze, spook!" came an unexpected shout behind Danny.
'Crap,' Danny thought. 'I forgot about my parents! And Jazz!'
Danny swung around to see his parents leveling their ghost weapons at him! "Taking advantage of an alien invasion to spread your chaos?" Jack questioned. "You ghosts make me sick!"
Maddie glared as she pointed her bazooka at Danny's head. "Prepare to be atomized, Phantom," she said.
"Mom! Dad! No!" Jazz slid in between their parents and Danny. "This isn't the time for this! We're being invaded!"
"Outta the way, Jazzy-pants," Jack said. "This punk must have done something with Danny! He's been missing all morning! Funny, how Phantom shows up when Metropolis is being invaded. After we take care of Phantom, we'll find your brother, and get the heck out of town."
Danny took a shuddering breath, his mind racing. He had to do something to get his family to safety. He then knew what he had to do.
Taking a deep breath, he landed on the ground, and pushed Jazz out of the way. "I know this may be hard to believe," he said, slowly, his voice shaking nervously. "But I am your son." Danny let the two rings of light travel the length of his body, leaving Danny Fenton in his place.
Jack and Maddie gasped, and dropped their guns. "But how-? When did-? A trick-? Did we-?" The two were asking questions at the same time.
"Guys!" Danny shouted. "Alien Invasion! Remember?"
Jack shook his head. "Danny," he said softly, crouching down to his son. "Why didn't you tell us? We would have understood!"
Jazz scoffed. "Oh, I don't know," she said. "How about all the times you guys talked about ripping him apart, molecule-by-molecule?"
Their parents looked at each other, sheepishly. Maddie then pulled her son into a hug. "Oh, my boy," she said. "I can't tell you how sorry we are! You must have been terrified!"
"You guys should be sorry," Jazz scolded. "Since he got his powers, Danny has been doing nothing but good! And you guys have treated his super hero side as a villain!"
Jack lowered his head, guilty. "I know," he said. "But, Danny, I just want you to know, your mother and I will support your superhero stuff from here on out. Whatever you need, we'll do what we can."
Danny couldn't be more shocked. Happy! But shocked. He couldn't believe they accepted him! He held his parents in a big hug. "Thanks, guys," he said. Then, an explosion ended the family moment.
"Oh, yeah," Jack said. "Alien invasion."
Danny looked around. "Guys," he said. "I gotta help Superman stop this!"
Jack and Maddie glanced at each other. "Alright, Danny" Maddie said. "What do you need us to do?"
Danny shook his head, still having trouble believing his parents were on his side. "I need you guys to get somewhere safe," he explained. "And try to help get people to safety. Try and get them away from libraries, schools, and hospitals; Superman said Brainiac will be going after places of knowledge first."
Jack nodded. "You got it, son!" he exclaimed.
Maddie hugged Danny once more. "Be safe, Danny," she whispered.
Danny returned the hug. "You, too," he said. With that, Danny shouted, "I'm going Ghost!" The two bright rings appeared again, and he returned to his Phantom form. Giving one more smile to his family, he blasted off, making a sonic boom.
"Oh, MAN, that is cool!" Jack explained. "I can't believe my son is a superhero!"
Maddie grabbed her husband's arm. "Jack, focus," she ordered. "Come on, Jazz! There are people that need help! Jack! Go get the Fenton Family Assault Vehicle!"
The battle for Earth had begun.