Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom, Animaniacs or any of the characters. Danny Phantom is the sole property of Butch Hartman, Nickelodeon and Viacom International. Animaniacs is the property of Tom Ruegger and Warner Brothers.
Goin' KABOOM!
Chapter 38: From Bad to Worse
Danny was having a bad moment.
One moment, he had been battling Katie and her cousin in their monster forms...and WINNING...and then, as soon as his back is turned, Katie vanishes.
And it's not like she morphed back into her less dangerous human form either.
She wasn't anywhere in the remains of her house or even her own block for that matter.
"Katie!..."Danny called but there is no sign of her.
"Ironic, I've been wanting her to stay away from me for weeks and now I'm the one who's out looking for her..."He muttered as continued his search for the missing blonde girl.
He wasn't the only one searching, as Katie's parents were out frantically looking for her.. Mitch stayed behind to watch Tinker and tend to the unconscious Tiffany in case she wakes up.
Either way, no one saw any sign of Katie at all.
"KATIE!..."Mr. Kaboom shouted, not seeing her anywhere.
"Where are you?!..."Mrs. Kaboom shouted, fearing the worst.
Danny sighed as he soon landed in front of them, the worried parents looked worried as they approached him.
"Did you see her?..."Mrs. Kaboom asked, frantic.
Danny shook his head.
"No, and I'm guessing you guys didn't have any luck either..."He said as the parents looked very distressed.
"No. There's no sign of her, it's like she's vanished..."Mr. Kaboom said, looking scared.
And not just for the possibility that she might go on rampage in town...no, he also fears about her own well-being since this town is infested with ghosts, among other dangers.
"Maybe moving here wasn't the best idea..."He muttered, grabbing a handkerchief to wipe his seat forehead.
But that doesn't matter now, his daughter is missing and and there was no clue to her whereabouts. His wife, while worried, tried to come up with some ideas.
"We're gonna try and call the police...maybe they can find her or form a search party..."Mrs. Kaboom said, smiling a bit.
The ghost boy just sent her a flat look.
"And tell them what? To look for a ten foot tall monster, who also happens to be breaking curfew?..."Danny said sarcastically, only to backtrack when he saw the desperate, nearly hysterical look on the woman's face.
"W-Well, I dunno...maybe she's in her human form right now and easier to find!..."The mother said, on edge.
Danny saw that they were truly worried and distressed right now. He gave a worried face. Monster or not, no family should have to think about not seeing their own child again
"Nice going, Fenton..."He thought, feeling sorry for snapping at her.
"I'm sorry, that isn't helping..."He said, feeling guilty.
The couple looked at Danny for hope, as well as desperation.
"I...I know that our family has caused you trouble and you have nothing to gain for helping us but..."Mr. Kaboom paused and reached out to the ghost boy.
"I'll find her..."Danny said, grabbing the man's hand and shaking it. "Promise..."He vowed.
The Kaboom parents seemed grateful and more hopeful upon hearing that.
"You're a good guy, Danny Phantom. Not like some of the rumors we heard..."Mr. Kaboom said, meaning it.
Danny had an idea on what they were talking about but his mind wasn't on that. He needed to focus on finding Katie before anything bad happens.
"I'm gonna try and do an aerial search and maybe get some friends to help search. You two wait back at your house, or what's left of it, in case she comes back..."The ghost boy said as he took off, soaring into the skies.
But his trip was cut short as he spotted his friends not too far away. Landing nearby, he walked over to them, seeing the worry in their eyes.
"Guys..."The ghost boy called out.
"Danny, what happened?..."Sam asked, worried.
"Good news and bad news..."Danny began. "The good news is that I managed to beat Katie and Tiffany in a fight and I learned that if I manage to knock them out, they change back to normal..."He said, stating the facts.
"What's the bad news?..."Tucker asked, hiding in his hands, expecting the worst.
"Katie's missing..."Danny said, dropping any joy in his voice or face.
Everyone paused, blinking at their friend with tilted heads, blinking a bit.
"Wait...I'm lost...isn't that a good thing? Now you don't have to run away anymore..."Tucker said and Danny glared.
"This isn't a joke Tucker. Katie is missing, her folks are freaking out and there's a 99% chance that wherever she is, she can morph again and cause havoc on an unsuspecting area..."He said.
Tucker backed away and fled behind Jazz, who nodded in understanding. They knew that he had a point and Katie is still their responsibility. They can't just leave things as they are.
Sam, on the other hand, wasn't looking forward to finding that troublesome blonde girl who was obsessed with Danny...but on the other hand, she also knew that it's too risky to leave her by herself, since anything could set her off.
"So, what do we do?..."She asked.
"Search for her, check every place she could be.."Danny answered as he handed them some extra Fenton Phones.
"Look around for anything suspicious. We'll start with the usual areas. That should hold a clue at least..."Danny answered as he handed them some extra Fenton Phones.
"I'm gonna look for her in the air. You guys let me know if you see either version of her...and no matter what...DON'T MAKE HER ANGRY!..."He said, emphasizing the last part with urgency.
"I'm ending this little game as soon as I find her..."He said, determined but also strangely calmer.
His older sister blinked as she noticed his sudden change in attitude, as well as his determination. She couldn't help but make a comment on it.
"Danny, I can't help but notice that you're being pretty calm and...I dunno...better..."Jazz stopped as she saw her brother seemed less tense now.
His posture was more confident with a straighter back and the boy seemed less stressed.
"You're on top of things about this search party. Even after facing both Katie and Tiffany together in a fight..."The red head pointed out. "Did something happen?…"She asked.
Danny looked at his sister, scratching his face as he pondered. He paused when he heard that and realized she had a point. His sister was spot on, and the ghost boy did feel lighter for some reason, even if he's not sure why.
"You know, after punching one out, things have felt better..."He said, sighing. "I mean...they're dangerous but so were a lot of my other enemies and I wasn't afraid of them. I don't even remember why I was so scared in the first place..."He said and Jazz pondered about it.
"I mean, after everything that's happened with Katie, it just felt good when I beat up her cousin…"Danny said before blinked as he saw Jazz's stare. "That came out wrong…"He muttered.
"Actually, I don't think it did…"Jazz cut him off with a hand over the boy's mouth. "Maybe it was just psychological relief..."She suggested.
"What do you mean?..."Danny asked, curious.
"Think about it, Katie's unpredictable. She was an unfamiliar element due to not being a ghost and you not knowing what she was truly capable of at the time was very stressful due to her temper and not knowing the whole story about her. There's also the fact that you get pretty weak-kneed around girls in general and Katie's boldness probably was too much for you to handle, even without her monsters powers being in the equation..."Jazz pointed out and her brother frowned at that but didn't argue.
"Your point?..."The ghost boy asked.
"I think that the fear you had been feeling was just psychological, given all the circumstances. I think meeting a pretty girl, dealing with all her love obsession, and then finding out she was a monster, all your hormones just went into overdrive, causing immense psychological stress that you just piled on before you got so overwhelmed that you didn't know what to do about the situation. But it seems that upon facing her and her cousin in their beastly forms, you experienced some sort of catharsis, which is probably what made you've cut off the idea that the girl was a threat in the first place. In short, your mind just got a huge stress relief and retaliation..."Jazz said in her usual, brainy way.
"Can you say that again in English?..."Danny snarked and his sister rolled her eyes.
"In layman terms, you made Katie scary in your mind and now you made her un-scary..."Jazz clarified. "I'm guessing all that fear and stress stopped because in your mind, she seemed invincible. But if you stood up to her and defeated her cousin as a monster, then everything was released because you broke that mental image…so, now it seems like you're not as afraid to deal with her anymore..."She said, like it was obvious.
Her brother paused for a bit, letting that sink in. He nodded, increasing his pace as he came to terms with everything.
"Wow...wow...Wow!...Oh my gosh! WOW!..."Danny said as held his head. "I'm finally over her stupid powers and her lovey-dovey attitude!? YES!..."He said, looking relieved.
The ghost boy flew into the air, loop de looping before grounding himself again. His friends then got his attention again.
"Uh...we still have to find her and figure out how to stop her rampages before she either destroys the town because of a broken nail or tries to make you marry her, remember..."Tucker pointed out, only to receive a glare from the others.
"Hey, I'm just stating facts..."The boy said.
Danny saw his point but he felt more confident and less afraid of the thought of facing the cursed girl again.
"Alright. Like I said, I'll search in the sky, you guys search for her on foot and let me know if you find anything..."He said, being serious.
Danny then took off, wanting to find Katie as fast as possible, return her to her family and end this entire ordeal between them once and for all.
Later
About 15 minutes had passed and Danny still didn't see any sign of his hopefully future ex-girlfriend.
He flew at high speeds, searching for Katie. She was most likely still in monster form, which made things odd as she was nowhere in sight.
"Any sign of her yet?..."Danny asked as he talked into the Fenton phones.
"None yet, man. She's not by the mall..."Tucker said, on his end.
"She's not by the park..."Jazz said on her end.
"Or the Nasty Burger. But a few littler bugs are..."Sam said, muttering the last part on her end.
"Sam, focus. We got to find Katie, you can pick up litter AFTER we make sure she doesn't go "Kaboom" again..."The boy said, sounding irritated.
"Alright, geez..."Sam said on her end while Danny tried to ignore her complaining.
He groaned and felt his frustration and worries grow.
"Ok, how the heck could a ten-foot-tall screaming monster girl disappear into thin air?..."Danny wondered.
"The same way you're about to..."Came a voice.
Danny turned around to see nothing, but suddenly felt something pull him in by force.
"W-WHAT THE-..."Danny let out and soon realized he was being sucked into a THERMOS.
A Fenton thermos and it was sucking HIM inside of it.
"Are you kicking me?!..."Danny shouted as he soon found himself trapped inside his own device, and it was just as dark and cramped as he remembered.
He then heard voices and laughter from the outside.
"Oh goody, we caught him!..."One voice cheered.
"Indeed, we did. Now onward to the next step of my plan..."Anther voice said, this one sounding more ambitious.
Danny had a bad feeling about this as he felt himself being carried away by some unknown enemy, and for some unknown plan too.
"This day just keeps getting better and better..."Danny thought sarcastically, worried about what might happen next.
With Danny
The ghost boy was soon released from the thermos and he shook his head.
"Man...what happened?..."He groaned, massing his shoulder to relieve a cramp,since that thermos had been just as uncomfortable as he remembered.
However, he realized that he wasn't out of danger yet.
He saw himself constrained in a giant glass container in the middle of an abandoned warehouse. He glanced for anything unusual and found rows of advanced equipment.
"Hello Phantom, at last we meet..."Was heard.
Danny looked around but saw no one, but knew this was a classic bad guy capture. He frowned, growing suspicious.
"Where are you?! Show yourself?!..."Danny demanded, still not seeing anyone.
"Down here!..."An impatient voice was heard.
Danny looked down and, to his surprise, saw who had ambushed him. It looked like two white mice, like the standard kinds labs use for experiments. One was thin with blue eyes and a goofy smile on its face, while the other was smaller, with a bigger head, red eyes and a mean look on his face.
He knew that they can't be ghosts since they didn't trigger his ghost sense but he still didn't let his guard down around them, since they CAPTURED him.
"Uh, hi...mind explaining who you are...and WHAT you two are?..."Danny asked, sounding curious while the little mice then began to introduce themselves.
"We are genetically altered lab mice who wish to prove our mousey worth in our quest to take over the world. I am The Brain and this is Pinky..."The Brain said in his usual tone, dancing his fingers together as he walked along the container.
"Hello!..."Pinky waved.
Danny blinked at that.
"Okay, you're being pretty honest and upfront from the start..."The ghost boy said, causing Brain to blink.
"Wait...you mean? Do mean to tell me that you actually believe me, right off the bat?..."Brain asked, confused and disbelieving.
The ghost boy raised a brow at his reaction.
"And why wouldn't I? You are talking mice and I'm trapped in here, while you seem to know what you're doing..."Danny said with a serious tone.
"Why would I not take you seriously?..."He added.
For a moment, Brain smiled, as he seemed to be genuinely happy to hear what the ghost boy said. Finding his reaction to be a welcoming change of pace from what he's used to.
"It's just that...usually...people either think I'm joking when I say that or assume they're on a prank show. It's rather annoying..."Brain said, rubbing his head from the headache building.
Danny sent him a confused look, wondering if he's kidding or not.
"Who'd be stupid enough to think that THIS would be a joke? You just kidnapped me and unless you guys are really, REALLY organic looking robots or ghosts who I somehow can't sense, I have no reason to not to believe that you are talking lab animals. Again, I ask who's stupid enough not to at least think you might be telling the truth?..."Danny questioned, pretty much used to stuff like this at this point.
"You'd be surprised how many think that. It seems that-..."Brain said, before shaking his head. "Enough of that, I have a plan to enact and you're gonna help me..."He said.
The ghost boy remained cautious around this mutated rodent and his goofy sidekick.
"So we're gonna start with the plan now, right, Brain?..."Pinky said in a goofy way. "And remember, after this, you said we could finally go and see the cheese king..."Pinky said, jumping up and down.
"Let's take over the world first, Pinky..."The smaller rodent said, impatient.
Danny didn't want to ask the obvious weird question and just focused on what was happening right now.
"Why did you capture me? And how did you two even get that thermos in the first place. Only the Fentons make that...explain yourselves, and please keep it short, I got a crazy blonde, hopefully soon to be ex-girlfriend to find before she destroys half a city, which hopefully she hasn't done already before either of you two little rats had to interrupt my day..."Danny said impatiently.
Brain frowned at his attitude, irritated by it.
"Rude boy, I'll make sure you pay for that later...but since you will play a key role in my plan, I suppose I can let you know..."Brain said, walking up to a projector.
He jumped on the as he pointed to Pinky to man the slides.
"Pinky, first slide!..."Brain ordered.
"Aye Aye, Captain Brain..."Pinky said in a goofy way before doing as he was told.
Soon, Danny saw the first of many slides that was being projected onto a wall, while the little lab mouse began going on and on about whatever his evil plan is.
"Now, try to pay attention, ghost boy...as I said, our goal is to take over the world and we wish to use this ghost catching technology, as well as ghosts to do so. We had learn of this device...this "thermos" as you call it and...acquired it from...some new scientific accomplices who have unknowingly inspired the next step of my plan..."Brain said.
"You STOLE this thermos from Fenton Works, didn't you?..."Danny accused, feeling upset that they broke into his house and took his parents technology.
Brain hated the accusation, even if it was true.
"Technically true but I'll compensate them after I rule the world..."Brain waved off, like it's no big deal.
"So, you said you stole the thermos to catch ghosts to take over the world...I'm sorry but how do you expect to do that and why did you guys capture me?..."Danny demanded.
"You're an inquisitive one but I'll answer...I had heard a great deal about you, ghost boy. You are strong for a ghost and that is useful to my plans..."Brain said as he continued to explain his plot. "You see... In theory, ghosts have been able to possess and control others form the inside without anyone knowing the difference. So my plan is simple—" Pinky changed the slide as Brain continued. "—I'm going to implant a mind control chip in your skull, controlling you as you overshadow various leaders of the world, creating a network of puppet leaders, all of whom will answer only to me!…"Brain said dramatically, and if this were a cartoon, a flash of lightning would appear to give him a more "villainous look".
The slide show ended as Pinky got off the projector, clapping his friend.
"Wonderfully well said, Brain!..."Pinky applauded.
"Thank you, Pinky..."The brainy rodent said as the two walked back, staring at an intrigued Danny.
"Wow…I'm actually impressed…"Danny said, since that's actually pretty clever compared to the usual villain plots he has heard.
"Thank you. It's rather nice to hear a compliment. You have no idea how much thought I put into these plans…"Brain said as he bowed, feeling confident that this would work out.
The ghost boy, however, decided to cut things short and get right to the point.
"There's just one flaw in your grand plan…"Danny smirked, about to show these little villains just what they are up against.
Pinky and Brain glanced at each then to the slides. Staring back at Danny, they gave a curious look.
"And that would be?…"Brain asked, not liking the look the ghost boy was giving him.
Danny just sent them a "let me show you" look before he phased through the glass cage, smirking as he landed in front of the mice.
"You didn't ghost proof this thing…"Danny said, stating the obvious.
Brain, in his all his planning, slapped his head as he saw everything fall apart again.
"There's always that ONE detail!..."Brain bemoaned, kicking himself for such an oversight.
Pinky patted him on the back in sympathy, trying his best to comfort his friend
"There, there Brain. We all forget things sometimes. Just like how I always forget to take out the trash or check and see if I left the TV on back at the lab..."He said, trying to make his friend feel better...and failed.
The two mice then heard someone's throat clearing. They gulped as they glanced up at the ghost boy, wondering when the pain would begin.
Pinky and Brain clung to each other, realizing that the tables had been turned now.
"Please be gentle..."Pinky said as he and Brain braced themselves for whatever happens.
Danny rolled his eyes and simply grab them up to stare at them from eye level. He decided to be upfront with them, since he didn't have any more time to waste.
"I'm not going to hurt either of you two, mostly since I have a friend who'd never let me hear the end of it for hurting animals...even if they are mutated lab rats who kidnapped me and probably have it coming..."He said as he held them in the palm of his hand.
Pinky smiled, already at ease while The Brain just sent him a suspicions look.
"Poit! Oh goody, and I thought we were in trouble for a moment. Narf!..."Pinky said in a goofy way while his friend just kept frowning.
"So, you AREN'T going to attack us?..."The hyper intelligent rodent asked cautiously.
"Not unless I have to..."Danny said, while he went to the important matter at hand.
"Now, have either of you little rats had seen either a huge, hulking green monster with anger issues or even just a cute looking but crazy blonde girl in a blue sweater and pink pants, maybe rampaging around these parts?..."Danny asked, hoping they knew something.
"Sadly, I've been too preoccupied with my plan to notice anything else…"Brain said as he shrugged.
His sidekick however, said something that neither really expected him to say right now.
"Ya know...that kind of reminds me of that big green monster I saw being swept away by that vampire earlier today..."Pinky said in his ditzy way.
Danny stopped upon hearing that while Brain looked annoyed.
"Pinky, now is not the time for your tangent day dreams. I told that watching too many of those insipid monster movies would rot what little mind you have left..."Brain said as he was about to bop him.
However, Danny had desperate look on his face all of sudden as he got closer to Pinky, getting his attention.
"Did you say a VAMPIRE took some monster away?..."Danny asked, kneeling to Pinky's eye level. "Describe the vampire?..."He demanded, getting a bad feeling about this.
"Oh, uh...let's see..."Pinky paused as he tried to remember.
"He was this tall, with hair, two arms, two legs...oh and I think he had a beard and I saw he had a cool cape..."Pinky said, not so helpfully.
Danny looked annoyed, angry and impatient.
"That's not what I mean!..."He snapped at him, thinking he was mocking him.
Brain however, decided to clarify things.
"He's not trying to annoy you...Pinky is just that thick, whether he means to be or not..."Brain said as he dragged a hand down his face.
The ghost boy sighed, not having any time for this. He had to find Katie and he needed to be sure his hunch is right.
"Well, give me more details, now! And don't leave anything out!..."Danny demanded.
Pinky thought about it more, even twirling his tail a bit as he tried to remember what had happened, having to rely on the memories that were within his questionable gray matter.
"Okay, let's se...hmm...Oh, I remember, he was blue...with black hair in the most outrageous hair style I had even seen and he had black boots and gloves and he had worn white...and well past Labor day, too. Big fashion "don't", I must say..."The little mouse said and Danny's eyes widened as he knew EXACTLY who he was talking about now.
"PLASMIUS!..."Danny said, now knowing who took Katie.
"Gesundheit..."Pinky said, thinking Danny just sneezed.
The ghost boy shook his head.
"No...Plasmius...VLAD PLASMIUS! He's my arch enemy and the world's biggest fruitloop..."Danny said, hating this.
"Hmmm. Doesn't sound very tasty…"Pinky remarked., thinking he was talking about food.
Danny and Brian ignored, the latter was surprised his friend had seen such a key detail.
"Pinky! Why didn't you say anything?…"Brain demanded, looking mad.
"I did, but you chalked it off like I was having a fantasy…"Pinky reminded.
"Unbelievable.."The smaller rodent muttered, slapping himself again.
Brain bemoaned at how today was going. He turned to Danny who was thinking the following.
"Vlad captured Katie. That must mean he knows about her curse...and what she's capable of..."Danny thought, hating this.
Katie is already enough trouble for him and Vlad already made his life difficult by making her fall more in love with him. Now, it seems he decided to kick it up a notch.
Whatever he plans to do with her now, he just knows that it's not good and that the sooner he finds them, the better.
He then turned to the lab mice, one of them smiling and now humming some sort of pop tune, while the other was still bitter that his plan just blew up in his face.
Danny didn't care for this. He needs to find Katie...and he might just found some accomplices to do so.
"I need to find Katie quickly before Plasmius does whatever he's planning!…"Danny said as he looked at the mice. "And you're gonna help me!…"He stated.
"And why should I do that? I have to go back to planning to take over the world. Why should I help you find some monster...or girl...or whatever it is that you are after?..."Brain asked, annoyed at the moment.
Danny leaned into the mouse's personal space. His nose was centimeters away from the rodent's forehead, his narrow eyes glowing brightly.
"Because my friend ISN'T here and you DID kidnap and tried to take over the world...even if you failed, I COULD still kick your little butts and she probably won't know...now, do you really want to test me and keep in mind...I have had a VERY stressful last few weeks, dealing with a bunch of craziness that could have drove anyone else to seek therapy...so, I ask again: do you REALLY wanna try and test me right now?..."Danny asked, his eyes glowing in a menacing way.
Brain realized the vast power difference between them and that this ghost boy really seems to have a short temper...and that it probably won't end well for him if he tries and provoke him again.
The little lab mouse sighed in defeat, realizing he has no way out of this that won't result in pain or more trouble for him.
"Fine…"Brain grumbled as he turned and walked to his equipment as Pinky followed. "But I am curious. Who exactly is this Vlad Plasmius?..."The brain said, scratching his chin.
"Vlad is another ghost with plans of power. He's kinda drifted into taking over the world too, except he's spent time getting rich, making connections, and even fixed an election once..."Danny said and Brain's eyes widened.
"Wait, seriously?!..."Brain said, looking upset and even jealous.
"Yep, and face it. Who do you think is a bigger threat when it comes to taking over the world? A rich and deranged fruitloop with 20 years of experience with power and all the money, connections and political influence to back him up...or a little rat with a big head and only one goofy sidekick helping him out?..."Danny said, getting under the rodent's skin.
"I am a lab MOUSE! Not a rat!..."Brain said, insulted and scowling at that remark.
"Sorry..."Danny said, not really sorry at all.
Brain paced himself back and forth as he pondered about this. He stopped and crossed his arms. He pouted, angry at finding out about competition with an edge.
"Zort! It looks like Mr. Plasmius might actually beat you to taking over the world, Brain…"Pinky commented.
Brain frowned harder, hating that his friend had a point...for once.
Although, it went against his better judgment to trust someone he just met but with very little options left at his disposal, the Brain refused to accept this new competition for total world domination.
The more he heard about this Vlad Plasmius, the more he didn't like him. This older half ghost certainly sounded like a much bigger threat to him and he hated that. He didn't want any rivals to taking over the world, so taking down this man was top priority.
And besides, all he had to do was find him, Danny would obviously do the rest.
"You are rather stubborn, but I'll help you, at least until I've rid the world of a rival in my plot to taking over the world..."Brain said.
"Whatever, just get to finding the guy..."Danny said, rolling his eyes.
He then grabbed the two mice and phased them out of the warehouse that they brought him to, bringing them with him as he tried to find his friends and sister to regroup.
One thing that is certain, things were getting zanier by the minute.
To be continued-
Next time on Goin' KABOOM!
Genius and Insane
AN: Special thanks for Jay The Average Fanboy, BeConfuzzled Writer and NeoMark for their assistance this chapter. You guys rock :)
REPLIES to my loyal and totally awesome reviewer:
Menatron the Angel of Ideas: :)
Wiseguy2415: :)
RonaldM40196867:
1) No spoilers. We have to wait and see.
2) I hope that this chapter answers that question ;)
Invader Johnny: How's this?
Danifan3000: Well, they ALMOST got away with their plan..but as shown here, Brain let out an important detail and now the tables had been turned.
Kombatant88: Thank you :)
Luiz4200:We shall see what happens.
Jebest4781: Thank you :)
LockAndKey989:
Yeah, they could have tried more but you have to understand things from their point of view, they had tried quite a few times to convince Katie the truth and failed each time, so they ended up thinking it would be pointless to keep trying after their past attempts ended up in failure and their evidence keeps getting destroyed. Yes, it's no excuse but they just felt that way.
Nickoo cp: Yeah, it looks like things could get crazier.
:) I hope you enjoyed this! Remember to read and review :)