Chapter 1
Danny opened his eyes, finding he had fallen asleep on his desk again while trying to catch up on school work. He hoped ninth grade wasn't going to be this much work, but he wanted to keep his grades up so he might have a chance one day to get into NASA. He stretched his back, gaining a few pops, before getting out of his chair. Starting for the door, he glanced out the window only to notice night had fallen. Stepping instead towards the window, he pulled up the curtain and was surprised not to see the neighborhood he had grown up in but instead only one other house. The house across the street was now a single story brick house with a large yard. Looking down the street, he saw woods took up most of the neighborhood, giving it a country vibe. Not quite Spittoon County, but in between that and Amity Park.
"Dad!?" Danny called, turning away from the window. He hurried down stairs to find his father running up from the basement. Smoke followed the man as he coughed and waved away what still surrounded him.
"It's okay, son," Jack said, smiling as his lungs cleared. "Just had a misfire with the portal."
"Then where are we?" Danny asked, rolling his eyes. His parents have been working on that stupid portal for as long as he could remember but he didn't remember it changing the neighborhood.
Jack rushed over to the window, letting out a whistle at what he saw. "Um, okay. Maybe that was more than just a misfire."
"Dad! Mom! What's going on?" a young male voice called out.
"Whatever it was, it's your fault," a young female voice said, the male letting out a grunt as if he was just pushed.
"Kids?" Danny asked, looking at Jack as the man turned around to face the kitchen doorway.
Jack took a tentative step towards the kitchen, putting out a hand to hold back Danny. Danny looked around his father's large orange form and saw a boy and girl about his own age step out of the kitchen.
"Grandpa, what happened?" the boy asked. "Where's Mom and Dad?"
"Grandpa?" Danny echoed, studying the two. The boy had shaggy purple hair and purple eyes while the girl had green hair pulled up in pigtails and matching green eyes. He could tell the two were at least siblings and could be twins.
"Shut up, Jackson," the girl ordered, eyeing the boy. "Remember what Clockwork told us."
"What, it's just Grandpa and Andy," Jackson defended.
"What years was it?" Jack asked.
"Two thousand twenty-six," the girl informed. She pointed at Danny and asked, "You're not Andy, are you?"
Danny shook his head. "Name's Danny."
The boy's purple eyes widened, almost with a glow. "You're-"
The girl quickly slapped a hand over Jackson's mouth to silence him. Her face squished into disgust as she took her hand back and held it out. "Ew! You licked me!"
She wiped her hand against her jeans as he said, "Serves you right."
"Who are you? And how'd you get inside?" Danny asked, stepping aside Jack to stand beside the man. "And where are we?"
"I'm Misty and this is my brother, Jackson," Misty said, giving a look at her hand before wiping it once more on her jeans.
"This is our house," Jackson informed. "We were in the lab with Mom and Dad but they had to leave."
"Next thing we knew, there was smoke and ectoplasm coming out of the portal," Misty continued for her brother. "We heard you," she looked at Jack, "making your way out and followed you but my por-" she cut herself off before saying, "I tripped and it took us a bit to find the stairs."
Jackson gave her a glance but kept his mouth shut.
"We're not in Amity Park, I know that," Misty continued, looking at her hand as she slowly made a fist. Danny thought he saw purple energy crackle around her hand but as soon as he saw it, it disappeared.
"Danny, keep an eye on those two," Jack ordered, pulling out a flashlight from one pocket and the Fenton Ghost Finder out of another. He turned back to face the window and said, "I'm gonna look around the house and find out where we are." He turned back to the three and added, "Don't leave Fenton Works."
"Dad," Danny started, unsure about being in charge of the two weird looking kids.
"Danny, I'm trusting you," Jack said, kneeling so he was closer to Danny's height. He placed the hand holding the flashlight on Danny's shoulder, getting him to look his father in the eyes. "Keep them safe. Once I close the door, activate the house security. I've got the remote so I'll be able to get back in. This is serious, you got that?"
"Yes sir," Danny said, giving the man a nod.
Jack turned to face the siblings as he rose to his feet, letting go of Danny's shoulder. "Be careful. You've already told us too much."
"Yes sir," Jackson said, looking through his shaggy purple bangs.
"Sorry, Gr-" Misty caught herself, putting her hand over her mouth.
Jack gave the three one last look before turning towards the door. He activated the Fenton Ghost Finder and pulled open the door.
Danny watched the large man drop down a few feet before pulling the door closed behind himself. Danny turned to the wall under the stairs and pressed the button hidden there to activate the Fenton Security System. A green shield quickly covered the outside, shining green in through the windows. Danny stepped over to the picture window, looking out at the dark street, and pulled the blinds down. He poked his finger through to make an opening and found his father walking around the house with both devices waging in both hands.
"Why didn't you tell the truth," Jackson whispered. "Your power's messed up again."
"Jackson, shush!" Misty ordered.
Danny let the blinds go and turned around, trying to pretend he didn't hear them but still curious. "So, how old are you two?" he asked.
"Twelve," Misty offered. "We're twins."
"How old are you?" Jackson asked, sounding accusatory as he pointed.
"Fourteen," Danny offered.
"And you get everyone to call you Danny?" Jackson asked.
"What, do I go by Dan or something?" Danny asked with a laugh. Not waiting for an answer, as much as he wanted one, he instead asked, "Do you wanna dig out a game? We can't play any video games right now, but I've got board games."
"Do you have that space game?" Misty asked with a smile. "The one that has poor Pluto cards."
"Poor Pluto?" Danny echoed.
"I think Pluto's still a planet," Jackson whispered sidelong to his sister.
Danny tucked that tidbit of knowledge aside before asking, "You mean Trivia Adventure? I mean, the questions are out dated, even to me."
"That's what makes the game so fun," Jackson said.
"I just like the space theme," Misty said.
"Well, if you'll clear off the table, I'll get the game," Danny offered, internally cringing as he realized he sounded like Jazz.
"I'll do it faster," Jackson announced, turning around quick on his heal to run back into the kitchen.
"Don't break anything," Misty said, looking up at Danny a moment. She added in a quieter voice, "He's got butterfingers. Has since we've turned ten."
"You might wanna go help him, then," Danny offered.
"Off to Planet Quizzar!" Misty announced, pointing a finger high in the air as she turned around.
Danny watched her step through the kitchen doorway as Jackson carried off the table Maddie's flower vase. He ran up the stairs to his bedroom and pulled open the closet to find the old game. He found it sitting on the top shelf and rolled over his computer chair to pull it down.
He quickly made it back down stairs and was about to announced himself to the twins when he stopped just out of sight in the living room.
"I can't, Jackson," Misty was saying, on the verge of tears. "Something's wrong with this place, like there's no ectoplasm anywhere."
"Misty," Jackson tried.
"We can't transform, we can't use our powers," Misty said, her voice muffled. "And Dad's too young. He hasn't even had the accident yet."
"Maybe they'll notice we're gone back home," Jackson offered. "They're bound to notice we're missing."
"Sorry that took so long!" Danny announced, forcing a smile on his face as he stepped into the kitchen. He sat the box down and saw Misty already sitting in a chair, rubbing at an eye with an equally forced smile, and her brother standing behind her. "You already know how to play, right?"
"Yeah," Jackson said, not able to force a smile but sat down beside his sister.