Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom or Scooby-Doo and the Ghoul School. I do not own the original story this is based on.
"Father!? What are you doing here!?" Phantasma asked the question without a thought, shocked that her father was at Casper High. While it was no surprise his hatred of boys near her, the ghost never attacked people directly like this unless prompted. It was mostly a glaring eye, even if boys were near the banshee. However, Danny was a special case, given how they were dating, but that was another matter since the ghost boy could defend himself.
But the strangest thing was how he didn't look at her, his daughter. He never said anything as he screamed and rampaged through the gym, destroying everything in his path.
"Father?" Phantasma asked again but saw no response. She felt frightened seeing her dad do nothing to acknowledge her made her curiosity turn to dangerous thoughts of disappointment. No matter how the ghostly father felt about the banshee's attendance in the dance, this was too much. But the ghoul had to shove that aside as she knew something had to be done.
"Uh, any particular reason your dad is attacking us?" Sam asked as she grabbed Phanty and pulled her away. The two ran from the dance floor, seeking shelter by the bleachers.
"I don't know." Phantasma stared at The Phantom. "He'd never do something like this. I mean, I could get married today, and I know the worst he'd do is attack the groom. But he'd never go after the guests."
The girls ducked as a stray blast went for the concessions table, knocking over the punch and snacks. It spilled everywhere into a mess that some panicking students slipped on.
"Aww...I actually liked that food too," Phanty whined.
"Phanty, I don't think this is the time for quips. That's Danny's thing," Sam replied. She blinked with Phantasma in unison as they realized something.
"Where's Danny!?" The girl spoke simultaneously as they looked around. Unbeknownst to everyone, the ghost boy was fast asleep in the halls, unable to wake up despite the commotion.
The girls were soon joined by Tucker and Velma, who were just as panicked as they were. Velma held onto her boyfriend, who wrapped an arm around her. The boy glanced at his friend with pleading eyes.
"Please tell me you remembered to bring some weapons," Tucker said. An ectoplasmic blast came close to hitting them, making him move in front of Velma. The screams of the students drowned his voice as they tried to find safety.
"The Divine Comedy! Students! Follow me!" Lancer yelled on a megaphone. He had everyone go to the exits, into the school building, but when he pushed the doors, they wouldn't budge. The students screamed as The Phantom lurched over, his body moving with stiff and gnarled jerks in mid-air.
Lancer got in front of the students, his arms out to protect as many as possible. The overweight teacher shivered in fear, trying to maintain courage against The Phantom.
Phantasma gasped, looking around with a glance at her phone. If Danny wasn't around, she'd have to stop her father. The only question is, would he listen?
Looking around, the banshee found the other buffet table, still intact with its tablecloth and refreshments. Going under, the ghoul readied her amulet but stopped as she saw a few of the students hiding underneath. The space was full, leaving Phanty to look around, and she had to hurry as she ran to the stage.
Or so she thought.
The Red Huntress and the Master's Blasters soared in from the holes in the wall with weapons out. The leader flew in on her jet board, summoning four cubic ecto-blasters to distract The Phantom as she zoomed in for a punch, shoving the specter away from the student body and faculty.
The Phantom snarled, twisting his head around like an owl as he glared back.
"Alright, ugly, time to—"
"Master's Blasters stop disaster!" the trio cried out, charging ahead with guns blazing in the gym lights. Their assault landed several hits on The Phantom, but it didn't do as much as they wanted. The ghost disappeared with a snarl, appearing behind Thrash and lifting him. Vid and Download could not react as their muscle was thrown at them, sending them into the bleachers with a crash.
"Hey, what gives? I thought this was supposed to be an easy one?" Download commented as Vid pushed Thrash off. She punched the big guy,
"Get it together, you idiots! Mayor Masters is already mad at us, and people aren't liking when we asked for payment after our last job!" Vid whispered, pulling the boys towards her. Shoving them away, she reached for her pistols, firing away at The Phantom.
Download and Thrash scoffed, bringing out their gear as they returned to the fight.
"It's not like you were stopping us," Download snarked.
"Yeah!" Thrash added with a dumb grunt.
Vid groaned. She did not have time to deal with this as this week had been terrible. The trio had been dealing with ghosts while pranked by the Warner Bros. with humiliating effects. She didn't even want to remember when the brothers and sister had messed with their pants, turning them into chicken suits. And that wasn't taking into account the ghosts they hadn't caught.
"Let's spook this freak," Vid said as she fired her pistols. Download backed her up with a disc launcher, allowing Thrash to close in with his ectogauntlets.
With all his power and experience, the Phantom fired a powerful blast at the ghost hunters. He overpowered the shots fired but received a face full of fists from the big guy.
Thrash smiled, readying another punch, but found his face grasped by a ghostly hand. He was lifted and swung above The Phantom's head, finally stopped as the boy turned green. The ride wasn't over as Thrash was thrown into the other buffet table, causing everyone underneath to find themselves in great pain. Those students, safe from the impact, ran as fast as possible.
The gruesome ghost snarled as he floated over. The Red Huntress fired a barrage of rockets to keep him at bay, but the attack proved too weak as the spirit crept towards Thrash and the guests.
"Alright, time for the heavy artillery," Red Huntress said. Slamming her hands together, the nanotech in her suit formed a large cannon. Charging a powerful beam, the girl looked at Vid and Download.
"Don't just stand there! Hold him off while I take him down!" She said.
The two Master's Blasters frowned but nodded reluctantly. But as they charged, they brought out everything, hoping to stop this ghost. But charging forward, someone else had decided to intervene.
"Enough!" Came a voice, echoing in the gym. Everyone paused, save for Red Huntress still charging, to see Phantasma, still in human form, holding her arms out in front of The Phantom.
"The History of Tom Jones! What are you doing?!" Lancer yelled. Many shared the same idea as they watched the girl stand up to the ghost, missing the true context of the situation.
"This isn't right. I've seen the ghosts attack people but never like this! Why are you doing this!? You have to know this is wrong on different levels!"
Those were Phantasma's words, but her heart was asking why her father acted like this. Through her eyes, the disguised banshee asked this to her father, who twitched and contorted in place. The parent and child almost shed tears as the pink glow in The Phantom's eyes diminished.
"R-run," The Phantom choked out. He almost looked free, but the glow was coming back. "N-not me-e do-ing this..."
Phantasma dropped her arms, wanting to reach out to her father, but the ghost was enveloped in a pink aura. The ghost snarled as his body returned to snapping at the joints with movement.
All the while, Red Huntress had fully charged her beam but hesitated. Phanty was within the blast radius, making her in danger as well.
"Vid! Download!" Valerie yelled, but the two didn't listen as they began firing.
Despite the attack, the pink glow around The Phantom filled as he turned and charged at the two, drawing their fire away like a moving bullseye. The moment was instantaneous for the banshee as she saw Valerie fire the beam between the hunters and the ghost. The blast knocked everyone back, sending the ghost towards the wall.
The Red Huntress zoomed towards the Master's Blasters, scowling at them for endangering Phanty with their selfish barrage. She would have scolded them had The Phantom not yelled from his spot.
"Alright! Surround him and take him down!" Valerie commanded as she and Masters Blasters aimed and fired.
The concentration of their blasts would eradicate most ghosts, but she figured this would knock The Phantom out. But as they attempted to end the fight, a pink shield surrounded The Phantom, protecting him. The Red Huntress stared angrily as she focused the suit's energy for higher output. However, the shield stood firm against their combined attack, forcing them to stop.
"What the heck is this?" Valerie yelled, ceasing her beam. The same couldn't be said for the Master's Blasters, who kept blasting away.
Within the shield, The Phantom got up. His eyes glowed a fierce pink as his arms waved. The barrier glowed brighter as it expanded, forming spikes.
The ghost fighters continued their assault as Phanty watched in terror.
"Father, enough! " She yelled again, drowned out by the screams of the gym. No one could hear her, but that seemed to be a good thing as now there were places to hide. Going under a table, the banshee activated her amulet, turning back into ghost form. Flying through the air invisibly, she looked around for anything she could do.
She soon saw her dad's eyes glow bright red, and he now had a pained look on his face. If only there was a way to soothe him, and that's when she had an idea.
Flying to the microphone, the ghoul took the equipment above the stage and began singing softly. Her voice started low but gained weight through the speakers, focusing her powers as she remained hidden from sight.
The gym soon began to calm down as the banshee's siren song relieved the tensions. Even Valerie found herself enjoying the peaceful notes.
"Where is that coming from?" Valerie asked. Tapping her helmet, she looked around and found Phanty's ectoplasmic signature.
The Phantom shed tears as the music continued, listening to his daughter's voice. He recognized it, feeling pride at how strong she had gotten. But it wasn't enough to quell him as he started moving.
But a blast hit him in the back. He turned around and saw who had fired.
From his gauntlet, Thrash had a small cannon fixed in, readying to fire again.
"That's for throwing me!" Thrash growled, slamming his fists together. The result was the shot going off, hitting himself, but the boy was never one for using his brains.
The Phantom growled at him, angry as the pink aura came back. He tried to fight it, but could barely move against it.
"I must...flee," The Phantom said to himself.
"Don't even bother, ghost scum," Was heard as two men aimed their weapons. Operatives O and K of the Guys in White appeared, readying the final shot.
"And when did you get here?" Valerie demanded. She and the Master's Blasters had been fighting the ghost for a while and could have used the backup earlier.
No response was given as the Guys in White pulled out a device and threw it at it. It was a simple, white patch with nanotech circuitry that flew like a disc. The Phantom snarled as it landed on his chest, depleting his ectoplasmic energy as he fell to the ground.
Phantasma gasped in horror, phasing through the stage as she saw Download contain her father in his gauntlet. Her father, The Phantom, one of the most powerful ghosts she knew, had been captured and contained by humans. It was like something out of the scary stories her father would tell her as a child, only it wasn't a dream.
"Father..." Phantasma croaked from afar. She would have done something, but her presence still set off scanners. Before anyone could notice, the banshee hid behind under an empty table and transformed back with her amulet.
But she didn't notice how one pair of eyes had been watching her the entire time.
Gathering herself, she rejoined Sam, Tucker, and Velma, watching as the authorities began containing the gym for any spectral residue.
Phantasma soon left the gym, wishing she could do more for her dad. But life wasn't fair, leaving her to sulk as the doors seemed to unlock now. Walking down the hallway, the darkness and silence soothed her soul. However, she couldn't even brood for long until she saw something.
Or rather someone lying on the floor.
"Danny!" Phanty shrieked as she rushed over to him.
He was on the ground, knocked out and snoring with some drool in his mouth.
The banshee dropped her jaw, wondering how he could sleep through that attack while she promptly clinched herself and leaned down. Her face veered closer as her lips almost touched his.
She backed away and opted for a slap, too tortured by what happened for a kiss.
"Wake up!"Phanty cried out.
Danny woke up with a jolt, sitting up straight as he rubbed his cheek, much to her relief. Though he was still sleepy, stretching and yawning as he got up.
"You're okay!" Phantasma shed tears as she began smothering him in kisses.
"Uh, Phanty...not that I mind this but why do you look so sad?" Danny asked while the ghoul nuzzled him.
"Where were you?!" Phantasma cried out. She grabbed Danny by the collar and shook him. She didn't stop as she explained the events.
After finally releasing her boyfriend and letting him process everything, she watched as the ghost boy turned invisible and phased into the gym. The banshee followed, but both were shocked to see the scene.
The gym was a mess as parents came in, seen cuddling their children. The news vans rushed in as police and the Fenton's received details from the Master's Blasters and Guys in White. But the most disturbing feature was Mayor Masters, who was at the hole The Phantom entered, where reporters had gathered.
"Oh no," Danny said, knowing what was going on. He took Phantasma up to the roof, where the couple watched the press conference with The Phantom being brought to a special car for transport.
"When you appointed me mayor, I had assured you that nothing would happen to this town! What happened was a tragedy: a school dance attacked by a ghost!" Vlad pointed to the containment unit holding The Phantom. "But as I have assured you tonight, my team can handle any ghost that threatens this fair town! And under my leadership, that will continue!"
The crowd cheered, applauding the man and the Master's Blasters. Valerie watched from the shadows. She had been asked to join Masters but declined.
A large shot of ectoplasmic energy proved her right as the master and blasters were knocked out of the way. Looking up, the girl saw Vlad Plasmius floating in the sky.
Danny growled at the ghost but still felt the effects of whatever the vultures drugged him with as he slumped on Phantasma's shoulder.
"Danny! Wake up! This is no time to ooze!" Phanty shook the boy awake.
The ghost boy woke up as he did everything to stay awake. Whatever was used to knock him out had lingering effects. All he could do besides watch was doze off, even when things turned for the worst.
"You fools think you can stop us!?" Plasmius cried out. He made copies of himself, shooting down the Guys in White as they brandished their weapons. The ghost floated down next to the vehicle. "I can assure you, this is only the beginning! By the time I'm done, you won't know what hits you until it's too late!"
Everyone stared in horror as Plasmius ripped open the car and released The Phantom from his prison. The ghost turned to the vampiric ghost and bowed.
Jack and Maddie Fenton brought out their weapons but were blasted out of their hands. They watched as Plasmius's smoking hand gripped, conjuring a shield in front of him.
"If you think that was bad, imagine what I have planned next," Vlad Plasmius said with a wicked cackle. He took his cape and covered himself and The Phantom, disappearing in a swirl of pink energy. Everyone stood in shock, with a handful glaring at where the ghosts once were.
Vlad Masters smiled to himself. He glanced upward, noticing Danny and Phantasma's glares, knowing they could not do a thing without causing a ruckus.
Red Huntress never took her eyes off the mayor, knowing more was going on but kept her mouth shut. Without proof, all her words were dust in the wind. She got on her board and left, sending a glance at her father in the crowd.
Danny, Valerie, Phantasma, and a few others knew this would be the beginning.
The mayor cackled to himself at Vlad's mansion as he phased into his lab. There, The Phantom was chained up with Plasmius and the Fright Knight, who was holding a gem.
"Seems our little test was successful," Plasmius noted as Masters disappeared in rings of black light. "I admit, after the last time I tried to take the stone, I thought you would be angry with me."
Vlad turned to the knight. The latter seemed indifferent, holding up the gem attached to a thread.
"We have our deal, and this time the Soul Stealer Gem stays with me!" The Fright Knight said, his voice booming despite being at room level.
"Well, now. It seems the soul stealer gem's powers were more fruitful that intended." Vlad smiled wickedly as he poked the stone. He glanced at The Phantom, who snarled and contorted.
With Vlad's suggestion, the Fright Knight channeled his ghostly energy into the amulet.
The Phantom's eyes returned to their normal ectoplasmic color. He moved around, feeling the restraints on him, and then failed in vain attempts to free himself.
"Hmmm...so that's why ghosts rattle chains." Vlad looked on with mild intrigue.
"You! You'll pay for this!" The Phantom attempted to reach out. Vlad walked into his personal space, taunting him.
"Now, Mr. Phantom, I don't think you understand our little...agreement."
"Agreement! I told you I'd never attack the school, even if the boy was taking my daughter there, I'd never endanger her or innocent people like that!"
Vlad smiled, pulling out his phone and unlocking it. He brought up the web browser and showed him charts.
"Thanks to your outburst, my polls are through the roof. So you're gonna keep this up," Vlad said.
The Phantom spat on the halfa, growling in protest. Plasmius simply chuckled, phasing the spit off him.
"You know, if you don't like attacking public spaces, I could always let you vent your anger out on someone." Vlad leaned in with a dark expression. "Or I could. I do believe your daughter has had enough of me. I could always have a nice chat, maybe even bring you. What do you say?"
Vlad backed away at the same pace The Phantom lunged at him. The spirit was furious, but he could do nothing. The Fright Knight wakes over with his boots rattling on the floor, staring the ghost into submission.
"That's more like it." Vlad turned away, his cape circling as he flew up. "Now get some rest. I've got plans for you."
Feeling helpless as he saw the ghost leave, The Phantom growled. He'd gladly trade it away for all his strength to undo what he did tonight. He may hate Danny, but he acknowledged the joy the ghost boy was bringing into Phantasma's afterlife.
Shedding a tear, he waited in the cellar, listening to his thoughts as the chains relaxed.
This was a long time coming, but I'm glad to update this fic. Anyway, The Phantom is now an unwilling pawn in Vlad's plan, but we won't be able to see it for a while.
Special Thanks! to Flower Princess11 for all her help!
Reviews:
RonaldM40196867: Can't say which is my favorite. Yes and No, you'll see soon. There will be no sequel. This fic will encompass Danny and Phantasma's love life in whole.
Luiz4200: No, but Scrappy is another matter which will be brought to light in later chapters.
Jebest4781: Thanks!
Mizugami18: How about another one?
danifan3000: 1) Paulina still has her looks at times. Plus, she has other ways of keeping her position, but more on that in future chapters. 2) Thanks!
LockAndKey989: Yes and No.
Fantom(Guest): Interesting idea...
Jay The Average Fanboy: 1) That's mainly because I forgot. It's a small detail to me. 2) Yes, I made sure to add it this chapter. 3) Maybe...
ZoomedIn: Thanks for the consecutive reviews! I'm glad you're enjoying this!
Guest: How's this?