Chapter 5: The Pen
"Ugh…" Danny's eyes opened up. "What the-"
He found himself looking at a wall, as he was being restrained on some kind of examination table that was upright. His head moved around, seeing someone at a table to his left, drawing. It was then he noticed that person had a spider on his head.
He would have moved, but found something binding him. Angry, he looked down and saw something green yet surprisingly thin wrapped around him. He tried his best to get up, but found it was holding on tightly.
He continued trying to break free before someone placed a hand on his face.
"You're awake, I see…" Shade said.
Shade giggles as Danny tries to move his face away from her hand.
"Look… Shade, was it? I don't know how… close you are to comic book me, but I have a girlfriend here." Danny said.
"As if that matters…" Shade scoffed.
"It does to me." Danny said flatly.
"Well... she's not here right now, ya know." Shade said before inching close and kissing him. "Mmm…"
"Business before pleasure, Shade." Misery Vex ordered.
Hearing her master, Shade pulled away and bowed. Danny glared at Shade, not that she saw this.
"Apologies, Mistress…" She said respectfully.
"Go… make sure to load up on the comics." Misery ordered.
Once Shade nodded and left, that meant Danny was now with the evil woman.
"Any chance you're gonna tell me what this green stuff I'm wrapped in?" Danny questioned.
"If you must know, it's the webs of my spiders. Assuming you're not much of a genius, a spider's webs are as strong as steel, my spiders are far more powerful. I figured there was enough ecto-energy to keep you here." She said.
"Okay… I gotta ask. What are you?" Danny questioned. "I mean… you don't trigger my ghost sense, the Thermos had no effect on you, and you somehow are made of ink."
Misery Vex scoffed at his curiosity.
"If it will make you cease your insistent talking…" She looked at the man at the table. "You! Get up and show him the pen!"
The hypnotized man did as ordered, getting up and revealing the pen.
It was an old fashioned, black with a red stripe circling the center and with a silver tip,. Danny then noticed it had a green skull on the side.
"A pen? Wait, who is that?" Danny asked.
"I see Shade was correct in that you have never read the comic. This man-thing is Ben Silver, the artist of the comic. The pen you see is magic." Misery states.
"Magic? A magic pen?" Danny asked.
"Indeed. It granted us the gift of life…" She said before glaring down at Danny. "And I intend to keep it that way! That is what you're here for… the presence of a ghost like yourself is needed. You see… this is what we needed the ink for, so that it never runs out, but we need you to act as a sort of battery recharger. Just keeping you here should suffice… Soon, we will be free from the pages of the comic and take this world for ourselves." Misery said.
"I am so not going to let that happen. My girlfriend and friends will come for me." Danny said.
"Oh, careful what you wish for, Danny Phantom." Misery said before laughing sinisterly as she left the room.
Danny was left alone, struggling as he tried to break free.
At Fenton Works
Star had just arrived to Danny's house. Since his parents were still out, she took this chance to borrow the Specter Speeder to help find Danny.
As she hops in, someone knocks on the side, alerting her of their presence.
"What are you doing?" Sam asks.
Star pulls back before recognizing that it was Sam and Tucker.
Star sighs in relief and pulls the hood of her disguise off.
"I'm going into the Ghost Zone, see if my hunch is right." She said.
"Without us?" Tucker asks.
"You two were busy discussing who had the better idea, all because Sam suggested a second-in-command and Tucker's suddenly opposing criticism just because I told him his comic sucks." Star said.
"That's not true!" Tucker insisted. "I totally think I should be second-in-command! Besides… there is nothing wrong with my comic book." He finished with his arms crossed.
Star rolled her eyes.
"Okay… while you act like an entitled creator and rant about people not accepting your vision on social media… I'm going to save my boyfriend!" She insisted as she shut the door.
"How did you even get here in the first place?" Tucker asks, recalling she just disappeared.
"Jazz gave me a lift! I filled her in on what happened, she filled me in and told me I can use this thing as long as I bring it back before Danny's parents come back!" Star responded.
"Do you even know how to fly that thing?!" Sam called out.
"Can't be that hard! Besides, Danny used it to get us home when we got lost in the Ghost Zone, remember? I'm sure I can handle it." Star insisted as she took the controls.
Unfortunately, she pressed the wrong button and the Specter Speeder suddenly went back and forth very fast. Each time it hit something, Star was heard screaming. It happened several times and knocked over some equipment before she pushed the button again and it finally stopped.
"Ouch…" They went as they stopped covering their eyes.
"Ugh…" Star went as she shook her head to clear her thoughts. She then sheepishly looked to the two. "Okay… I may need… help on this… Just help me with this and we can try your ideas next. Humor me, okay?"
5 Minutes Later
With Tucker at the helm, the three flew into the Ghost Zone, in the direction of the Ghost Writer's home.
As they flew into the Ghost Zone, Star shuddered between Sam and Tucker.
"What? Too much for you?" Sam joked.
"Last two times I was here, I was being hunted by Skulker or turned into a swan. Excuse me if being here makes me uncomfortable..." Star complained.
Sam's smile dropped, realizing this was not something to make fun of.
"Far enough... so, we close to the Ghost Writer's place?"
"Here we are!" Tucker said as they arrived.
They saw three GZPD officers standing outside the front door. Surprised, the three still walked up to the door.
"Uh... we're here for the Ghost Writer?" Star went.
The three nodded before one extended his arm.
"No outside food or drinks." He said to Tucker.
"But I wasn't gonna-"
"NO outside food or drinks." He repeated.
Pouting, Tucker pulled out a bag of potato chips and a smaller bag of cookies and handed them over. The officer continued motioning for more and Tucker gave up a bottle of soda.
Nodding, the middle officer opened the door.
"Come with me." He said.
Once they followed, the other two officers were left.
"So... wanna share?" The officer holding the food asked.
"I'm watching my figure." The other said.
"We're ghosts..." His partner pointed out.
"Still watching." He repeated.
"Fine... more for me." The officer said before flying off.
Inside
The Ghost Writer was carrying some book and set them down. He picked up two books and was about to put them on his shelf when a loud knock caused him to drop those same books on the floor.
"You have visitors!" The officer said as they entered his study.
The three saw him, the Ghost Writer, being interrupted from organizing books as he scowled at them.
"Oh... it's you three." He muttered.
"Were you expecting someone else?" Star asked, still on edge from the last time she saw him.
"My ex... but that's never happening. What do you three want?" He asked.
"Uh... what's with the security?" Sam asked.
"Ever since the Observants made Walker change his rules, instead of arresting me for breaking out, they decided to take Shelley's suggestion and put me under house arrest. I'm not allowed to leave until next Valentine's day... now what do you want?!" He asked.
"We wanna know if you're the one who's making ghosts from a comic book attack Danny." Star said with arms crossed.
The Ghost Writer scoffed.
"I don't do comics... I'm a literary author." He said as he turned around and resumed putting books back.
"How do we know for sure if he's the one? I mean, he makes his stuff with a typewriter." Sam pointed out.
"Right, I don't think we've ever heard of him using a pen." Tucker adds.
Hearing that, the Ghost Writer's eyes widened in horror as he turned around fast, dropping a book.
"Pen? What pen?" He asked urgently.
"Uh... one of the fake ghosts mentioned something about a magic pen." Sam reminds.
"And, did these beings appear to be made of ink?" Ghost Writer asks.
"Uh... yes?" Tucker responded.
After that, Ghost Writer starts pulling his hair in a panic.
"OH NO! I KNEW IT! I KNEW IT!" He then ran to his desk and held up a picture on it to his face furiously. "Randy! You idiot! I knew you'd screw this up!" He shouted.
"Uh... who's Randy?" Tucker asked.
"My half-brother. Never mind that, if I'm right, then it seems to be the same pen he was supposed to have destroyed!"
"Destroyed? What do you mean?" Star asked.
The Ghost Writer sighed.
"It's like this. 10 years ago, I had gotten my hands on an ancient magic pen that was from the Ghost King's era. I heard of its amazing power but didn't bother reading the instructions, all I knew is that it made writing easier. With but a thought, all the words I wanted were to end up on the page and, if I changed my mind, it'd change with magic... it was amazing!" He said.
"So... what was the problem?" Tucker asked, earning annoyed looks from everyone in the room.
"Be patient, boy! I'm getting there..." He snapped before smiling again. "It was amazing..." His smile dropped. "But one day... I got bored and drew a bear monster for fun. Then I decided to add illustrations to my book about a bear in the woods who ate people." The teens sent him looks but he ignored them. "Then one day... after I drew about 50 images of the bear in the book... it came to life and tried to eat me!" He shouted.
"Wait, so... the pen makes drawings come to life?" Sam asked.
"So, did the artists behind the comic find the pen?" Tucker questioned.
"If so, then it's clear Randy's bumbling idea that tossing the pen into the human world isn't the same as making sure it was destroyed…" The Ghost Writer grumbled.
"These ghosts couldn't've been around for very long, we'd have known about them." Star points out.
"I myself wondered why the bear didn't show up until days after my first drawing. That's when I looked at the instructions. Turns out... the more something is drawn with the pen, the more likely it will turn real." Ghost Writer answered.
"So, the more they were drawn, the sooner they turn real?" Sam asks before directing her attention to another. "Star, how many issues have they been in?"
"Misery Vex is the most recurring bad guy, appearing in issue 7. The other four are behind her, and she's appeared in at least 35 issues in volume one." Star explained.
"That's gotta be it. They must've found the pen and used it during the entire run." Tucker reasoned.
"But they came from a comic about Danny Phantom. Shouldn't there be another Danny?" Star asked.
"The pen can't recreate something that already exists. I can't, say, create a version of my ex-girlfriend who still loves me with it because she already exists." The Ghost Writer answered.
"You said it can bring the drawings to life. Does that include if the drawn character has powers?" Sam asks.
"Yup... the bear had a fire breath. In retrospect, I should've kept my idea of wielding a giant hammer, since I didn't have fire insurance at the time." Ghost Writer grumbled at that last part.
"Wait... Misery Vex has the power to make spiders that attach to the head and make people her slaves. She must have attached them to the crew and is using them to keep making comics... that might explain why the art near the end of volume one looked so... wonky." Star said.
"Then you'll have to find this Misery Vex and stop her." Ghost Writer said.
"How do we stop her?" Sam asks.
"Three ways. One is for the pen to run out of ink. The second is to keep a ghost away from the pen, as it's power is not endless but the residual energy a ghost gives off can keep it from going out." Ghost Writer explains.
"Okay, they've been taking ink and kidnapped Danny, which means they must be aware of those two weaknesses." Star said.
"The more the drawing is present, the more aware of the pen's power it becomes." Ghost Writer says.
"And what's the last one?" Sam asks.
"Destroy the pen. Once it's gone, its magic is gone and the beings return to ink." Ghost Writer answered.
"Okay, now we know what to do… but we gotta find Danny!" Sam said.
"I'll look up all the comic shops, since they were using them to distribute the comics and art that was probably by the pen." Tucker insisted.
"No! We look for factories, like she said!" Sam insisted.
As the two glared at each other, Star cleared her throat to get their attention.
"Actually! I spoke with Jazz and she had an idea… those hypnotized guys were using trucks, right? They'd need to stop for gas unless they were all in one place, easy to go to…"
"Like?" Sam questioned.
"I remember some time ago… My dad got hired to defend some guy when some workers at a truck stop wanted to sue their boss for poor payment. That truck stop is not far out of town, but close enough." Star explains.
"I… guess that could work?" Sam admits.
"Well, do you know the way?" Tucker asks.
Star nodded before diverting her attention to the Ghost Writer.
"Thank you…" She said, being grateful despite his past actions.
"Sure… whatever, now go." He said sternly.
Saying nothing else, Team Phantom began to head out.
Now, they had to find Danny.
"Come on, we have a hero and a world to save!" Star said.
Tucker and Sam nodded, both still not happy their ideas aren't in use but knowing Danny took top priority.
Once they were gone, Ghost Writer sighed in relief.
"Finally…" He said as he resumed putting his books away. "Let's see… this is J, so it goes…" He heard a crunch, making him flinch. Turning his head, he saw the officer who took the snacks watching, eating a chip. "Couldn't you eat that outside?"
"Nuh-uh… it's my turn to watch you." He said as he took another bite.
"Typical…" Ghost Writer grumbled.
Special thanks to Flower princess11.
And now we know what these beings are, ink monsters given life by a magic pen.
And now, on to save Danny!
PS, this might be a shorter story, just so I can get other things people have been asking me about done.
Invader Johnny: They'll need to remember their priorities.
Luiz4200: This story is based on said episode.
pokemon fan 1991: Yup.
RonaldM40196867: Probably Swarm, since I like the idea of forming into numerous animals, whether bugs or birds or the like, as a means of travel for a villain.
Leonardo: I aim to. It's... okay. I like the look, just not the tone. Supergirl, for example, comes off as a rude meathead and just strikes me as a younger Shego, which makes sense she's the same actress.
hmilles02: Thanks.
