SetsuntaMew: Well, thanks for your kind words. I can't really say much without repeating myself either. ;-P
Alexa Daley: Me happy you like. Me continue now. :-D
tlegg11: To be fair, the only ep Sam didn't appear in was the one where we met Vlad. Also, it wasn't intentional to copy episodes that were centered on her.
Riverfox237: If you think is great, check out MoonHawke's series. It's wonderful. As for the plot being thought out... while I several "episodes" of the "series" plotted now, I was originally leaving this as a one shot. The overwhelming popularity forced me to do otherwise. I hope I continue to entertain.
Destiny's Call: Yep, that's Sam's name. As this is an alternate universe, I won't be following the show's lead and having halfas looked at more favorably in Amity Park as we saw in "Reign Storm," at least for now.
Kraven the Hunter: Okay, uber-geek mode: A wizard did it. Also, this is an alternate universe. Second, yes, dragon fights are fun. Third... she had it coming. ;-P
None: Yeah, why not. Danny can be a kinda corny guy. Obviously, so can I. ;-)
charizardag: Well, I wasn't really going for suspense, but if you'd like to see it that way, go ahead. This one doesn't have the dragon thing going on. And yes, Ember's going to be appearing in time, but not quite yet. Something needs to happen before she pops up.
Before we begin, I'd like to say that in a sense, the "Story by" credit for this episode is shared by AIM buddy/product tester "Kryten." He has some work on himself; check it out.
"You guys gonna be okay?"
"Besides the fact we turn into a rampaging, mindless beast whenever we're angry? Noooo, Tuck. We're fine." Sam muttered under her breath as she took another bite of her Nasty Burger salad. "Just... fine."
"Honestly, Tuck, why did you even bother asking...?" Danny added as he started to take a drink. Tucker shrugged, then looked disapprovingly at the boy's meal.
"A salad? Danny, what's happened you?"
"I happened," Sam smirked, pulling Danny close. The boy blushed.
"You've corrupted him, Sam! You're turning him into one of your own!" Tucker cried. "How could the world be so cruel?"
"Hey, I turned her blood to ectoplasm, she turned my diet to vegetarian. Fair trade off, I think."
"Uh," Sam said with a raised eyebrow, "I don't... quite think it is."
"Work with me, Sam..." Danny mumbled as he stabbed down another bite of salad. He was just opening his mouth when the air turned cold, and mist floated out his mouth. A quick glance to his left showed Sam also shivering with misty breath.
"Uh oh. Show time," Sam said as she turned to Danny. He nodded. "Tuck, you know the drill..." she continued as the two dove under the table. Tucker stood in front of the table, whistling as blue and purple light played under it for a moment. He felt a whoosh of cold air, then it vanished. His job down, Tucker nonchalantly sat down and returned to his Mega Nasty Burger Meal.
"You see anything, Sam?"
"No, not yet," the Goth halfa replied as she scanned the horizon. "Could we have had a false alarm?"
"Ghost sense usually doesn't malfunction..." Danny replied as he looked up and down the street. His eyebrows rose at the sight of a shop corner. "Hey, Sam... does old Mr. Corsetti usually let his pets run free on the street?"
"Not if he wants a city summons for pet endangerment..." Sam replied as she fell in next to him.
"I think we better see what's fishy," Danny said as he took flight.
"Okay, Danny... you don't get to do puns anymore," Sam shot back as she followed. "That was just terrible."
"Tremble, humans! Tremble before the array of animals at my command!"
Menagerie, lord sovereign of all ghost animals, laughed as patrons and pets fled the store, screaming. The massive ghost, muscles stretching out his white cloak, clucked his tongue as the last left. "Like a herd of whitetails," he scoffed. The store clear, Menagerie settled to the ground and turned away from the door to address his flock.
"And now, my children," he said to the spectral herd before him, "the time is nigh. Go forth, and make this city know the meaning of f--" His briefing was interrupted by a double-blast to the back. He went phasing through the wall into the next store, a clinic for stress victims. As hysterical screaming filled the air, he phased back into the pet store. He found two teenagers with snowy white hair rising from a crouching position with a determined look on their faces. A smile crossed his lips.
"Well, well. The ghost children of Amity Park. You two have quite a reputation in the Ghost Zone. Before I skin you, I must say its an honor to meet you."
"Sorry, pal, but that's Skulker's shtick," Danny replied as he unleashed a volley of plasma into Menagerie's face. The ghost growled in annoyed pain, clawing at his face. He glared at his attackers.
"Why, you..."
"Care for some more to wash it down?" Sam replied as she shot a plasma ball in between the ghost's eyes. He roared again.
"You are tough prey. But... you are prey. Herd, attack!" Menagerie screamed. At his command, a large anaconda lunged out and ensnared the two. The teenagers squirmed as the creature tightened its coils around them. "A pity," Menagerie smirked as he pet the serpent. "You come all this way to fight me, and now you're my friend's squeeze toy. Appetizer too, probably. Anacondas like a fresh kill."
"That movie was STUPID," Sam growled, her eyes an iris less green. With a burst of energy, she suddenly broke free of the creature, taking Danny with her.
"Thanks for the save," Danny said as they took up a new position.
"You can thank me by taking me to Dawn of the Femme Fatales tonight," Sam replied with a sly grin.
"Ergh. Now I wish I was still having my lungs crushed by the snake," Danny moaned. Sam shot him a glare before they were tackled a large wolf. "Nice doggy," the boy responded, "why don't you go play FETCH!" On the last word, the two kicked the dog off and clear across town. The defeated ghost whined as he flew away. Menagerie blinked, surprised they were still alive.
"Aw, did we disappoint you?" Sam asked mockingly as they got back up. "I'd do something from the Matrix, but it has been so overdone..."
"I see Evergreen and Bubonic's claims of your snide attitude are correct, children," the man growled. "I also see that, for now, you have defeated me and my herd. But, rest assured, I shall have my revenge. And when I do... it shall be your end."
"You know what's even older than Matrix stuff? Idle supervillian threats," Danny smirked as he crossed his arms. Menagerie roared, then vanished, taking his flock with him. The threat over, Danny and Sam gently landed.
"Well, that was fun," Sam said as they reverted.
"Yeah, we should do it again sometime soon," Danny added.
"I'll try to remember to pencil it, ghost boy," Sam shot back slyly. "Now, let's get back to lunch and talk about the mo--" She paused, then looked at one of her boot heels. She growled, and began scraping at it with a piece of broken wood.
"Feel my pain with the ghost dog, Sam," Danny smirked. "Feel my pain."
"Oh, I'll make you feel pain if you don't shut up," Sam shot back as she threw the wood over her shoulder. "We're still seein' that movie."
"Be still, my gore-loving heart," Danny teased her as they walked back to Nasty Burger. Under his breath, he quietly groaned.
"...and then he vanished," Sam finished as the trio walked down the sidewalk after lunch.
"A tour-de-force, if you ask me," Tucker said snidely.
"Certainly wasn't one of the more exciting battles we've had recently," Danny replied. "It was almost t--"
"Danny, I swear, if you finish that sentence, I'll punch you," Sam snapped. "You know what happens when that's said."
"Oh, right. Sorry," the boy mumbled as he blushed.
"You better be," Sam added with the hint of a smile. Danny was about to open his mouth when a meowing came from the alley beside them. Curious, the trio peeked inside to see a small, lonely kitten.
"Aww," Sam cooed, "it must have been one of the escapees from the pet store." She gently scooped the animal up. "You probably don't have a name, do you lil' guy? And the store's closed by now, let alone in ruins... I'll take you home and bring you back tomorrow, okay?" The kitten seemed to smile, and licked her cheek. The teenager giggled and pet the small cat.
"Does Danny have some competition now, Sam?" Tucker joked as he shot his friend an evil eye. Danny crossed his arms in a huff, glaring daggers into him.
"Of course not, Tuck. Don't even joke like that," Sam replied. "He's just gonna be a brief guest a Casa de Manson. Now, I don't know about you, boys, but we have a study session to get to. Come along, Merv," she finished.
"'Merv'?" Danny asked incredulously.
"Yeah, what the heck kinda name is that?" Tucker blinked.
"I'unno," Sam shrugged, "he just looks like a Merv." With that, the four walked for Sam's house.
"...so, the Martians are in fact Wells' allegory for British imperialism in the nineteenth century?" Danny asked.
"The boy learns," the reclining Sam answered.
"Personally, I think imperialism would have been cooler if the British actually DID have tripods," Tucker said matter-of-factly. Sam shot into a sitting position.
"Imperialism isn't cool, Tucker!" Sam snapped. "It leads to the death and mistreatment of millions of people, no matter who's doing it or who it's being done to!"
"Sam, please calm down," Danny pleaded as he gently grasped her shoulder. "You're, uh, scaring Merv there." The girl turned to see the kitten turning uneasily in his sleep on her bed. Sam blushed and sat back down.
"I'm sorry, Tucker. I just thought it was an extremely ignorant thing to say."
"Okay, I'm sorry," Tucker replied. His eyes widened slightly. "I think you two have company," he added, pointing to their misting mouths. "The Time Machine will have to wait 'til later..."
"Oh, I'm so disappointed," Danny groaned sarcastically as the two transformed. Tucker was just starting to reply when an odd movement caught his eye between his friends. Merv had suddenly sat up, eyes bright red. It shuddered, flickered, then reappeared with two heads, hissing. The halfas looked at their friend, confused.
"Uh, Tuck?" Sam asked. "Is... there something w--" The girl never finished as Merv dove upon them. His small size belied his strength; the two were flung in a belly flop to the floor. The two heads sank into their glowing flesh, causing them to scream.
"Get it off!" Danny screamed to Tucker. Panicking, the teen grabbed a copy of Things to Come and swatted the cat off. "Merv" growled a deep growl, then fled out of the window into the night. Their attacker removed, Danny and Sam staggered to their feet, groggy.
"Are you two okay?" Tucker asked. "You look ill."
"No, we're okay, Tuck," Danny hissed as he rubbed at the wound in his arm. "It was only a flesh wound," he said with a blush. The two shifted back to normal, then gasped. Blood was oozing rapidly out of two small, neat holes in their arms. Tucker, his jaw dropped, was frozen in place.
"Don't just stand there, get us something to stop the bleeding!" Sam cried. Tucker, shaken out of his daze, ran into her bathroom, and returned with large medical wraps. The wounded teenagers quickly wrapped their arms.
"I've never had a ghost that actually BIT me like that..." Danny muttered.
"Me neither. And I feel kinda beat. What was that thing?" Sam asked, looking at her open window. "It ran off."
"I don't know, but I think we've had enough Black Smoke and Morlocks for today, thanks," Danny responded as he kicked the books away. "We have a real health problem on our hands." With that, the two looped arms around Tucker, phased, and flew out of Sam's room for an animal hunt.
"You see anything yet, Tuck?"
"Not yet, guys... not yet," Tucker responded as scanned the dark Amity Park streets below. "Looks like Garfield's hid himself pretty well. I mean, he could be anywhere. In an alley, under a bench, behind a billboard..." He looked up, trailing off. "...falling upon us from a building," he gulped.
"Falling upon us from a building?" Sam asked. "What do you mean by th--" It felt to the halfas as if a sea of sandbags were crashing down upon them. They dropped Tucker and plummeted to the ground; luckily they had been flying over an awning, so their passenger had a comparatively soft landing. Tucker jumped down and ran to his friends, who were flailing under what was now a massive, two headed lion. Desperate, Tucker started smacking the beast upside a head with his book bag. Wailing in angry pain, the ghostly feline slunk into the shadows. Tucker looked down at his friends, who were looking very, very ill. He helped them to feet as they moaned softly.
"Guys, we have a serious problem here..." Tucker said.
"No, really?" Danny gasped. "Having a ghost that's growing in size and power trying to tear us to shreds? Doesn't seem too bad to me..."
"Well, at least we have that new thermos your dad's been working on," Tucker said as he pulled a larger thermos from his bag. "You can even program it to hit certain targets. This thing should hold onto ol' Bill D. Cat."
"I sure hope so," Sam replied weakly as she massaged her paling forehead. "Why is that thing growing?"
"A rare mix of feed... human flesh and ectoplasm," a voice sneered from the darkness. The three turned to see Menagerie phasing out a building.
"What's this guy's name, Seigfred? Roy?" Tucker hissed to his friends. The ghost glowered.
"I heard that boy. I am Menagerie, controller of the ghost animal kingdom. Your little friends defeated me in a scuffle we had earlier. I am here merely to take revenge on that defeat, and rid us ghosts of them once and for all."
"So, you're mauling them with Tigger's brother on steroids?" Tucker asked, cocking an eyebrow in confusion.
"...sure," Menagerie replied, somewhat annoyed. "No, what its been doing is feeding off your unique genetic makeup," he continued looking at Danny and Sam. "While it's been gnawing at you, it's also been draining your powers. The more it drains, the more powerful it becomes, and less powerful you become, obviously. I suppose you feel rather beat right now?"
"Been better," they rasped weakly.
"Well, no matter. My friend has fed well enough," Menagerie replied, pointing down the street. The three turned slightly to see a massive elephant-sized, two-headed lion standing before them, roaring. "Now he's going to finish you off, and absorb the rest of your powers. And with the ghost children dead and me holding the most powerful ghost creature imaginable, both the Ghost Zone and Earth will be shaking before me!" the ghost finished.
"Crazy fruit loop," Danny muttered. Menagerie scoffed.
"Please, my boy. You're already in no condition to fight me. My little friend will make painlessly quick work of you and your girlfriend. Well... painless for him, anyway," he smiled.
"I'm not going to let you hurt them anymore," Tucker said defiantly.
"Oh, don't worry, four eyes," Menagerie scoffed. "You can have your little friends back... once my friend's finished digesting them, anyway."
"That's just disgusting," Sam glowered.
"No, that's just life, girl. Predator and prey, you understand." He nodded to the massive beast. "Finish them." Almost nodding in acknowledgment, the lion growled quietly and slowly advanced upon them, licking its chops.
"Tucker, get out of here and safe yourself. They're only after us," Danny hissed in pain and exhaustion.
"You must be crazy," he replied as he half-dragged them away.
"Tucker, please," Sam added.
"I'm not leaving you to become human Kibbles n' Bits," the bereted one replied in resolve.
"Well, unfortunately, we're going to be making the decision for you," Sam replied. Before Tucker could ask for clarification, the two whirled and glued him fast in a sphere of purple and green energies. The boy pounded at it, muffled curses and pleas streaming out of his mouth. Danny and Sam backed away, stumbling slightly. They'd had such a beating, they just wanted to sleep... The dreamy thought was pushed aside as the beast pounced. Snapping out of it as best they could, they took flight. The lion easily swatted them out of the sky. Grunting, the teenagers were flung down the street, skidding to a stop. An exhausted groan came out of them as their eyes started to roll back and their bodies began to revert.
"Now now, we can't have that," Menagerie scolded. Two jellyfish briefly came out of nowhere and shocked them awake, putting them back in ghost mode. They staggered to their feet and prepared to face the slowly moving predator.
"Last stand moments were always fun," Sam whispered. "Of course, I always fantasized there'd be, like, a gazillion demons and, well, ironically enough, a dragon." Danny heaved a small chuckled at her quip.
"Well, let's go to work then," he responded as they charged the beast, weakened plasma balls flying.
Although they hadn't noticed yet, their momentary semi-reversion had disrupted the bubble around Tucker. He quickly ran out of its remains and raced down the street. He stared in horror as the massive beast quickly knocked the two down and started trying to work them down feet first. Danny and Sam threw everything they had at the respective faces on the beast, but to no avail. He was now close enough to see the sweat poring out of them as they strained to get away, human and ghost strength straining... and the dawning realization on their faces that they were losing the battle.
"I wish I had a camera," Menagerie drawled, sitting on a trashcan as he watched. "This is quite an entertaining show."
"Yeah, well, entertain this," Tucker said as he activated the smaller Fenton thermos. Menagerie whirled around, muttering "what?" before he began to be sucked into the device. He smirked at the boy as he vanished.
"Perhaps you defeated me... but it's far too late for your little friends!" Menagerie called out as he fell silent. Clamping the thermos shut, Tucker looked up to see nothing but his friends' hands and heads sticking out of the beast's maws. Tucker panicked, debating what to do. If he zapped this thing with the thermos, it'd likely take his "prey" with them, and Danny and Sam would be as good as dead. He needed to get them away now, as quick as he could without risking-- Realization dawned on his face. He quickly grabbed the newer model thermos and took aim on the scene before him, praying the machine would work.
"Sorry guys, this is gonna be close..." Looking away, Tucker pressed the activation button just as his friends vanished, and a searing light filled the street as his target was sucked away.
"Ooh... where are we?" Sam asked, groggy.
"I dunno," Danny replied. "It's kinda cold and misty," he continued. The boy put his hand against a wall. "I can't phase out," he told Sam.
"Me neither," the female halfa called back as she tried. "Must be some kinda ghost forcefield or something." She paused. "You don't think that thing ate us, do you?" she gulped
"Probably not," Danny replied. "I doubt it has a stomach made of metal. Jeez... this a pretty lousy time to do this, but I'm so exhausted..." he yawned, settling to the bottom of their confinement. Sam tried to urge him to stay alert, but she was too drawn to the relative comfort of the bottom and Danny's warm body. Their eyes fluttered shut as they finally drifted away...
"Guys? Can you hear me? Guys?"
Groaning, Danny and Sam sat up, rubbing their eyes. They found themselves in Sam's room, lying on her bed. Tucker was sitting next to them.
"Tuck...?" Danny managed. "How did you..."
"You guys okay?" Tucker interrupted.
"Aside from our five alarm headaches," Sam growled as she rubbed her temples. "Tucker, how did we get from being lunch to my room..."
"Uh, yeah, about that. I kinda finished off the ghost monster after I got you two out of the way."
"You got us away from that thing?" Sam asked, confounded. "How the heck did you manage that?"
"Oh, no biggie... I merely, uh, sucked you into the new thermos," he answered, hurrying through the sentence at a low voice. His friends immediately jumped off the bed, shocked.
"You did what!" they cried in unison.
"Look, I panicked, okay? You were getting your butts kicked and you were about to get killed, and I felt so helpless... I knew I needed to get you away from that thing, and I just did that, all right?"
"Why didn't you just... zap the lion, Tuck," Danny asked.
"You'd have been pulled down with it. And the new thermos only works on smaller ghosts at the moment. And frankly... you two are pretty small."
"We're no bigger than you," they shot back.
"Point taken. But, I think the important thing is that you're alive and looking a heck of a lot better. I guess you got stabilized by that thing. Sorry that I had to do it that way, I hope you're not too upset," he mumbled with a blush and hanging his head. His friends gave him a confused look as they walked up to him.
"Upset? Tuck, you saved our lives!" Sam cried as she put a hand on his shoulder. "How could we possibly be upset at you for that?"
"Yeah... you did good, man," Danny smiled as he looped his arm around Tucker's shoulders. The boy smiled and nodded his thanks.
"So, how did you know we wouldn't be hurt or even killed by this thing?" Sam asked as she held up their salvation. "I mean, I imagine it wouldn't be pretty if we suddenly changed back in here..."
"Actually, I didn't know if it would or wouldn't," Tucker confessed. Danny and Sam blinked.
"Uh... huh..." Sam answered, nodding slightly on each word.
"Well, I guess it's like the movies... it works perfectly when you need it to," Danny quipped with a grin.
"Ah, movies. That reminds me. Oh, Danny..." Sam singsonged, "Remember what we were gonna do last night?" she continued as she looped an arm around his. Danny's eyes widened, and he gulped.
"Uh, Tuck, you better let us beat the lion up..." he sputtered.
"It's already in the Ghost Zone," Tucker shrugged with a small smile.
"What about studying for the test?" Danny tried.
"It's a week away," his friend replied. Danny now felt him being dragged away; the teenager doing so was giggling her head off.
"Tucker! Don't leave me alone to the Femme Fatales!" the boy cried.
"I think you're already stuck with one," Tucker smirked as Sam glommed him close and pivoted him to face her.
"Resistance is futile, Danny," she quipped, giving him a giddy smile.
"When you're like this? Yeah. All right, all right," he sighed with a small smile. Danny took her hand and led her down the stairs. Tucker smiled.
"Young love," he quipped. His smile faded slightly. "I don't know whether I should be revealed or envious of not having to deal with that." With that, he pocketed the new thermos and let himself out of the mansion.