I don't own Danny Phantom or Grossology. They are owned by their respective companies. Though Joe Gutchern is an original character.
Joe Gutchern flew through the air as he studied Ringworm City. The setting was becoming gross and filthier by the minute. But that was not what concerned him. His pain, while still persisting, was much calmer. And more importantly, since he could now think properly, the ghost felt a larger sense of presence. It was as if his every being was spreading out, encompassing everything.
"Hmmmm...interesting," Gutchern thought out loud.
Danny, Ty, and Abby were now sailing with Lab Rat in his blimp. The gagologist was typing away on the computer as he brought up several charts on the monitors.
Danny was busy cleaning himself off with a nearby decontamination shower. He had phased off greasy slime when he ran into the armpit of Sloppy Joe but could barely wash off the embarrassment of being covered in the bodily grease. It was like he was swimming in goo or felt like the time he bunched a booger ghost. It gave a jab in his heart as the substance reminded him of when his dad's inventions exploded in ectoplasm.
Mom...Dad...
The ghost boy shook his head and gathered his thoughts for more important ideas, like a stopping Gutchern.
He walked up to the monitors as he took a spot beside Abby.
"You alright?" She asked.
"I'll be fine. Take more than some slime to stop me."
"You have experience?" Lab Rat teased as he typed away on the computer. He pulled up a map of the city. It was divided between blotches and patches of red, painting most of it. His tone dropped as he spoke. "This is bad."
"The virus is getting worse," Ty added grimly.
"And our ghostly Joe holds the cure."
"What about Danny?" Ty pointed with his thumb. "He's a ghost."
"Yes, but I need the ectoplasmic sample where the virus originated from to properly cure anyone. If I don't..." Lab Rat let his words hang. The room turned somber for a moment.
"Don't finish that." Ty waved off.
The Heroes all looked pretty defeated right now. They were worried that as bad as things seem now, if they didn't do something about the two Joe's soon, things would worsen. If that was even possible.
Lab Rat took a deep breath before wiping his frown off. He replaced it with a smile as he bought out some equipment.
"Then it's time we even the odds."
"What do you mean?"
"Here." Lab Rat threw a green slime suit at Danny, mask and all. "I think it's time you had one of these."
Danny, while comfortable with his hazmat suit, put on the new layer. It was tighter but also came with a mask. It was like a sleek plate that covered the mouth and nose.
"It'll help with Gutchern. You may be the strongest, but Gutchern's smell is something else. It's time we even the odds."
"I couldn't agree more," Danny said beneath the mask. He slammed his fist into an open palm as he got a feel for the suit. His powers acted up as white rings came forth and changed the suit's color scheme to his ghostly form. Any green leftover highlighted the black and white.
Ty and Abby went wide-eye as they gave him a once over. Abby was particularly gazing at how the new suit helped give more definition to the boy's body.
"You...work out?" Abby stared with a blush. The mask gave emphasis to the boy's eyes. His piercing, glowing green eyes.
Danny rose a brow as he glanced at his arms and noticed he had more muscle than he thought. "No, but I have been fighting ghosts for more than a year." He looked at his chest. "This suit doesn't make me look differtrent? I mean you two wear the...same thing..."
Danny stared at Ty and Abby, mainly on the latter. While the girl was cute, a thought that didn't escape the ghost boy's mind, he now took the time to really look at her. She was not the most beautiful girl in her school, but she did have a good physique, evident from fighting crime, as gross as it is here. Abby blushed as she felt the boy's eyes on her.
The two blushed as if noticing each other for the first time. Abby wore a nervous smile as Danny gulped. The two locked eyes.
"Ahem!" Danny and Abby now glance at Ty, who's wearing a large smirk with Lab Rat. "If you are done admiring each other, then i think we may need to figure our next step."
"And you might the same mask I gave Danny. They're the new improved gag-mask with built in stinkalizer." Lab Rat tossed the new model towards the grossologists. "My design."
"Nice!" Ty said, eagerly putting on the mask. Abby did the same.
"So what's the plan?" Danny asked grimly.
"First we find the Joe's," Ty said, typing away at the console. "And then we'll figure out the rest."
Hermès, sitting on Lab Rat's shoulder, looked out the window. He jumped off, squeaking loudly as he called for the teens to take a look. Lab Rat walked over to pick him up but stopped as he saw the view.
"Uh...guys," Lab Rat shivered. "You may want to look at this."
Joe Gutchern had been through a lot these past few days. Right now, he was calm as he glanced around. The city was looking more and more infected as everyone sheltered themselves indoors.
Well, everyone but Sloppy Joe. The man was giddy like a child, making an angel in the scummy filth.
"He he he!" the sloppy man guffawed. "Isn't this great, Joe? The whole town's a filthy, stinky mess!"
"It's...nice." Gutchern is distant in thought.
"What's the matter?"
"It's just...that I never thought about what I'd do when I got home." Gutchern spoke distantly. He could remember the city, back in his day, but many other memories were blank. It gave him an empty feeling as the layers of his filth, garbage, and thrown away bodily fluids dripped to the ground. The silence was heartwrenching.
"Not even to see your folks?"
"...I don't know where they are..."
Sloppy Joe was silent, scratching the back of his neck. He felt terrible for his friend and pondered what he could do, watching the infection grow. The city was becoming a grotesque abomination, yet now, it seemed empty. The man thought back to a similar event when he flooded the place with garbage. Only this time, he thought about what to do next.
The grossologists were nowhere to be seen, and the Joe's were winning. Lance Boil was nowhere to be found, but the Joe's didn't care.
Things were finally going their way for once. Yet something still felt off, especially to Gutchern. It was nagging at him so much that he could swear that hear like a slowly growing noise of footsteps heading their way. Which it actually was.
"Hey, what's that sound?" Sloppy put a hand to his ear. Soon the two saw the walking plague of the infection coming.
The grombies lurched and moaned as they grew closer. The Joe's pressed their backs as they were encircled. Well, Sloppy did as Gutchern stared. The ghost was feeling powerful and more so by the second.
Anyone who didn't run from the sight passed out from fear and exhaustion or the smell. Some messed their trousers as they watched.
"What are they doing?" Gutchern asked.
"No clue. I thought for sure they'd eat our brains or something."
"Can they do that?" Gutchern was utterly confused, as was Sloppy Joe.
Sloppy Joe shrugged. He had only seen so many movies, but most of them had brain-eating. Though none of those zombies were as gross as the grombies.
The Joe's were growing concerned about how they would get out of this mess. Until one of the grombies tried to the sounds coming from its mouth into coherent words.
"Ma...master..."
The Joe's looked at each other. They heard right as the grombies pointed to Gutchern. They were saying master, now chanting it. The word master echoed in the streets as the brain-dead, plague-covered citizens waved their arms.
It was a disgusting wave of something. The citizens weren't all there, evident by the blank look in their eyes.
"Hey, they think you're the boss," Sloppy Joe said, his mouth forming a broad and plague-ridden smile.
"The boss?" Gutchern stared at the grombies. His bile and garbage layered face made the same twisted expression of happiness. He felt something else brew up inside him. He wasn't sure what it was, but he liked this feeling. "Yes...the boss."
"The big cheese." Sloppy Joe started to grin.
"Hmmm...maybe...I could do things my way," Gutchern said with interest. It was then, he saw the grossologists' blimp coming towards him.
Survivors grouped up in whatever places they could be safe. The students of Ringworm High had secured the school. The location was a reasonable distance away as they watched sky-scraping towers show layers of puss and other such substances. Many had broken in as they ran from downtown or other locations like the mall. It had been one of the few places untouched by the plague.
"Like ew. What kind of gross loser did this?" Paige asked, creeping away from the window she was looking from. She handed a pair of binoculars to her posse, done looking through them. The girl had appointed herself leader, using her credit as the student council president.
No one objected, but many were scared beyond belief. There had been gross crimes, but nothing like this before. Although there was that one time garbage rained down on the city spewing from geyser everywhere and when bats, owls, and other nocturnal creatures flooded the air when the sky was blacked out.
Out of everyone there, one was not as pant-wettingly scared. It was Pinkeye, who wore a cocky grin.
"Relax everyone," he said in a calming voice. "I'm sure Danny Phantom will take of everything. He has the local grossologists to help him."
"If this is like your stupid gossip about Ty and Abby again I swear—"
"—Relax. Ty and Abby are—"
"No one needs to hear of your lame gossip!" Paige pushed the boy down. She and the others were having none of his words.
Pinkeye got up and slinked towards a dark corner. The boy then wore a dark grin, speaking in a more condescending tone.
"I'd be carful if I were you, Paige. Who knows when the infection will come for us."
Wrong words to say as Paige went to harm the boy. Whether physically or verbally, no one knew as her posse held her back. The students were now more frightened. Two, in particular, were staring out the window: Naomi and her portly classmate Andy.
They ignored the chaos around them as they kept vigilance on the city.
"They'll be alright," Andy said quietly to a more worrying Naomi. "They got Danny Phantom."
The girl hadn't left the window since the beginning. She gave a weak smile and whispered.
"Ty...be careful."
Keeping things short and sweet as things are greasing up for a big fight. And with a Danny now slime-suited up, he's ready. Expect the next chapter soon. Let me know what you think, and have a great day!
Special Thanks! to Jay The Average Fanboy for all his help!
Reviews:
RonaldM40196867: Ty and Abby love gross things. That's why they're grossologists. I'm well aware of the pairings. The series was based off the books. They were a series called Grossology, hence the title. Also, this is Canadian, so I'm not sure Hollywood has anything to do with it. Inspiration mainly takes from Danny Phantom, Grossology, and the anime Panty and Stocking. The latter was used for the design of Joe Gutchern. There probably will be a sequel, provided I get to it. A pet? No.
Jay The Average Fanboy: In order of reviews, your answers: Yes. I saw a video on YouTube. Abby would find Cujo cute, but the ghost dog would chase Hermès. Yes, it was very funny. Kid Rot will not be appearing in this fic. As a romantic rival, he'd see Danny as that. Next invention with Hermès? You'll see. As for the girls... it depends on your option of tolerance. I mean, a guy will tolerate a girl if she's appealing in design. Probably Paulina, but Paige can be helpful to heroes as well.