Phantom 2

CH.2: "I'm going…"

Tucker Foley looked at his watch in growing worry, the game was 10 minutes from starting and he couldn't save his spot forever. Sometimes it was difficult being the best friend of a superhero like Danny Fenton/ Danny Phantom. He was the one labeled geek and put in lockers constantly, while Danny and Sam were only name called. Tucker's hobbies revolved around playing his X-box, or fiddling with his PDA. It was a hopeless cause, for his best friend to attend a game ghost free, even for that matter to deny to his face that he had no feelings for Sam Manson! Tucker always felt like he was in the way of their romance, but even when he wasn't nothing happened. The roar of the crowd brought Tucker to his present crisis and then it got worse as some old geezer was heading towards the spot. My excuse about Danny can't hold forever, he thought desperately, I've got to find someone I know…but who?

"Dad you can't leave the game!" Tucker Foley turned his head and saw a girl in a white short shirt and short skirt and had fiery eyes, only one girl in school had that flare and it was Valerie! "We were supposed to-."

"I know Val, but work calls, I'll make it up to you on Saturday ok?" Valerie gave him a nod, but he knew there was no forgiveness because her eyes wouldn't meet his. He gave up on arguing and gave her a kiss on the cheek before leaving. Valerie looked down the stand seats and found one unoccupied. As she sat down and pulled out her finger glove she almost didn't notice Tucker Foley. That is until she saw him recognize her. The fire in her eyes before came back.

"Great, the only available seat in the stadium, and its next to computer geek. You weren't saving it for Fenton or Manson were you?" The clang of the bat meeting the ball interrupted Tucker's reply and the two teens were hooked on the image of the diamond field. Amity Park Ghosts had struck a homerun in the 1st half of the game! "Yeah, way to go Ghosts!"

"I never knew you liked baseball," Tucker said giving Valerie a skeptical look. It saddens me to think this, Tucker thought, but I'm glad in some ways Danny was tied up in his ghostly quests. One, if he had come Valerie wouldn't be here. Two, if he were here his chance of hearing Valerie yell out the team's name…probably would be scarce. "Well…since when?"

"Well I guess since 5, at first I didn't understand it, but then after a few games I…enjoyed it. But don't tell Fenton or Manson, if they knew they'd have a field day. You know Tucker, I never really talked about this so freely before…you know I hear there's a-."

"A game next week out of town, yeah I heard, this one is against the Grizzlies," Tucker said now forgetting about the game entirely. He was 14, his social life was zip at Casper High; in they eyes of the popular, but here he had Valerie. "You know Valerie we've been…ah talking for 5 minutes now, which if you think about it is the longest-."

"Tucker, as much as this has been…time consuming, I just don't see you as…my type. Don't take it the wrong way, I liked sharing my joy of the game with you, but…you're a techno geek. Your life revolves around electronics. You see, if we can't reach one topic we can both agree on-."

"Hey…if I'm a techno geek…then aren't you too?" Valerie gave a wild eyed stare and Tucker stared at her unflinching. "Your father worked around electronics…and like father like daughter you too are the techno geek." The game was over and as everyone climbed up the bleachers the only two left were Valerie and Tucker. "Hey Valerie…say something!"

"You…I…do you want to go to Chubby burger?" Tucker's jaw dropped and Valerie held out her hand. Suppressing the urge to sit there all night he put his hand in hers and followed her out of the stadium. "Tucker you are first to hit me with my association with my father, I guess I am a techno geek. Just remember…do not tell Manson and Fenton about-."

"Hey if the two of them can't tell my face that they have the hots for one another, then why should I tell them we ever met at a blissful game and had a nice friendly burger?" The night was young and Tucker and Valerie had a lot to talk about.

Danny Phantom had flown through the night sky intent on getting to the bottom of Plasmius's hidden agenda; the danger of him going ghost still burned in his head. The mansion was deserted as he phased through the roof and as he flew around he became more desperate. The golden light was over his midsection and his green eyes were darting left and right expecting Plasmius to blast him with an ecto blast. After an endless search he came to the ecto container chamber and there stood Vlad Masters. "Daniel, what a pleasant and unexpected surprise. I was just reading a book, but a visit from you is worth a rest for my weary eyes," he said wearily.

"Spare me the pleasantries Plasmius, what's with this golden light you put on me? Am I supposed to remain human until you acquire world power? Tell me Plasmius or this time you'll lose more then your fancy equipment and ghostly powers!" Danny's palm began to emanate a bright green sickly color and his face was bunched up in heated determination. Vlad took a step back and went into a ready pose. Two white rings formed at his midsection and as they worked their way up his body he became Plasmius. The blast Danny sent was blocked by his shield and his evil grin never left him.

"Well I guess I could never expect Skulker to keep anything to himself, but I don't give away my plans for free young Daniel. Follow me…and do keep up, I mean it's not like your life depends on it or anything," he said before flying through the gate to the ghost zone. Danny found he had no choice and entered the ghostly realm finding Plasmius in a middle of a door filled abyss. "You're probably asking yourself why I'm here when I'm plaqued with a golden light? Legends say the golden light chooses one half ghost every millennium. I chose to open it too early, so instead of me it chose you. Now you're asking yourself about going ghost aren't you?"

"Well…yeah," Danny said crossing his arms. Plasmius shot open a door and inside was a room filled with rotating platforms and on the farthest was a silver wrist watch. "So you want me to race through this obstacle course and retrieve that silver watch to ensure that when I go ghost I don't harm anyone?" Plasmius nodded his head and Danny shrugged his shoulders, what have I got to lose? Taking a few deep breaths he eyed the target ahead and with a jump his legs disappeared to a wisp and with his fists out in front he zoomed ahead. The platforms moved in rotational fashion and Danny slid through by phasing. The next sets were lined up and Danny got his legs back. Lucky Dash isn't here, Danny thought with a grin.

"Daniel do try to come out in one piece, it'd be a shame if the only one to fight was Skulker," Plasmius said with a toothy smile. Danny shook his head at that and after taking a step back leaped onto the platform with a scream. His muscles were burning after each land and when he landed on the last one his face was on the cool surface of it.

"Now…all I…got to do is…crawl under…that wire…" Danny said under slow timed breaths. Getting up to his knees he began a slow rate crawl under an invisible ghost wire and now faced the watch that he had worked so hard to get. "There Plasmius…now what do I do?"

"Well done Daniel, now don't panic…but if you want be my guest," and as Danny did he faced a huge ghost monster with 10 arms. Huge green drops of saliva rained down on him and since Danny was tired he was almost drowned in the river. He tried his hardest to keep himself in his ghost form and the creature took one giant steps towards him. Danny fired off a weak ecto blast and blew off the two lowest arms. The creature began to lower its head and Danny took to the sky shooting off ecto blasts out the 8 other arms. They fell off and within 2 minutes Danny had the arms severed off and all that was left was the finishing blow. Speeding towards the head he let it have an uppercut that sent it onto its back and with his hand up Danny released another ecto blast into its stomach.

"Ok Plasmius…I have the watch," Danny said while standing over his killed enemy, "and now you will tell me how to activate the watch!" Plasmius thought it over then with his gloved hand made a clockwise motion. Danny did and the watch snapped sending a gold beam up his other arm. His teeth chattered together and he felt himself lower an inch. "Hey this-?"

"Daniel, it appears yet again you fell for my trick, but do not worry," he said eyeing the young teen, "as long as you stay Danny Fenton you won't be injured. You did kill that beast, so I'll release you from this prison." A bright painful purple beam hit him full on and sent him screaming out through the gate. "One more step to getting rid of my deadly enemy, only one more left to get rid of him!"

"Darn it, Plasmius tricked me again, not only that but now I have to remain my normal self to avoid inflicting pain on myself. I might as well give up being Danny Phantom, though I've seen Superman 2 enough to know the consequences. Well I'm not going to listen to you Plasmius, not if my life depended on it!" With that he flew from the mansion and over Amity Park determined more then before. A cry arose and Danny took a nosedive past an apartment building and many wide eyed teenagers. Skulker was chasing a girl of about 10 and as he neared Skulker the silver beam acted. It cut his ghost speed and he fell back a pace. Soon he was on his stomach and the familiar lights appeared revealing his white shirt and blue jeans. "That isn't going to help me," he said miserably. Biting his tongue he tried to rid the pain in his whole body and with knees buckling said, "I'm going-." The gold light kicked in sending him into a brick wall in the alley and sent him down.

"You are a sight for sore eyes whelp, but I have evil ghost duties to fulfill. It would be nice to blast your tiresome form to the ghost abyss, but Plasmius seems to be doing nicely with this gold silver trinket thing. Farewell ghost kid, I hope I never see your ugly face again in my realm." Skulker soared out of the alleyway leaving Danny to lick his wounds. Danny's back ached and his pain never ceased, with no struggle he fell down…content in his dark gloomy surroundings.