Disclaimer: I wish I owned Danny Phantom! Desiree: -turns me into Butch Hartman- AHHHHHHHHH! CHANGE ME BACK CHANGE ME BACK! -is changed back-
When Danny said that Nico could talk a lot, he certainly wasn't kidding. Even after picking up the rest of the Fenton family, Nico still was the main voice. He didn't really talk about anything of specific interest. He almost talked to just hear himself talk. Vlad had ignored him and requested their table at the restaurant. Jack and Maddie next to Vlad and Nico, with Danny at the head of the table. Tucker was on the other side, across from Nico, with Sam next to him and Jazz. He stayed silent long enough for everybody to order their drinks, but Vlad interrupted the other before he could begin once the waitress had left.
"Nico, instead of rambling about nothing, I think Mr. Foley had a question for you," he spoke, looking at the menu instead of his partner. Nico blinked.
"Oh?" he seemed surprised. Tucker smiled and gave a light wave from his spot across the table at him.
"Yeah! I have lots of questions about some of the programs you wrote," Tucker began. "And some of the technology you developed. I heard you're one of the best in the world."
"Nico's got a natural talent for technology," Jack spoke up. Nico grinned at the praise. "He actually did most of the electrical wiring for the ghost portal prototype we made in college! The blueprints for the portal that we came up with are heavily based on the improvements and engineering Nico did."
"Really?" Sam questioned. Jazz was giving a small scowl at all the ghost talk, hiding her face behind the menu.
"Oh yeah! Jack, Vlad and I couldn't get the damned thing to work to save our lives," Maddie sighed at the memory. "Jack and I were ectobiologist majors, and Vlad's major was business. Not engineers. But Vlad knew Nico from their student club, and he convinced him to come help us out. He took the prototype portal to his dorm, and he brought it to Jack and Vlad's dorm the next day, working perfectly."
"What was wrong with it?" Danny questioned. Nico grinned.
"I had to clean out their filter. It had diet cola in it," Nico said, and Jack visibly flustered a bit. Tucker could only assume that the diet cola was his mistake. "And basically rebuild most of the structure to get it to wire and work properly. Gave me one hell of a nasty shock, but my engineering professor let me just use the portal as my final project for his class. I'm surprised you two were able to get your new portal going yourselves," Nico teased. "I was expecting a phone call asking me to fly out and fix a second portal." Maddie rolled her eyes, but smiled.
"Not gonna lie, we were about to," she admitted. "But we were able to deduce that we never properly hooked it up to the power source." Nico burst into laughter.
"How the hell did you two get funding to build that portal," Nico asked, but stated it as a joke. He glanced over the menu. "I already know what I want."
Tucker sat up straight as he felt a strong tingling in the back of his head. Spidey-sense.
"I need to use the restroom," he suddenly announced. Sam and Danny stole a glance at him. He gave a slight nod before excusing himself.
He fast-walked to the restroom. He opted for the family restroom, going inside and immediately going ghost. Tucker turned invisible and flew outside of the restaurant. There, in the parking lot, he saw the ghosts. Three oversized green, glowing rats, the side of a golden retriever, were running through the parking lot. They kept darting into cars, staying briefly before exiting and switching. Tucker narrowed his eyes suspiciously as he chased them.
"Hey!" he yelled. To his surprise, he was ignored in favor of rapid scurrying to another car. He continued to follow them. "HEY!"
Again, they ignored him. They finally came to a stop in a free parking space. They were on their hind claws, talking.
"I keep telling you, this must be the wrong place!" one of them argued.
"No, they must be here!" the other insisted. "This is where they were supposed to be!"
"Why are we even following them around? Let's just go to their house and wait for them to come home!" the third grumbled.
"I agree! Let's just ask for directions to the house!"
"Hey!" Tucker yelled once more. They all glanced at him.
"Let's ask him!" one spoke. Tucker stared.
"Ask me what?"
"No! I'm sure I know where it is!" the other argued. The other stared intently at him. The first rat sighed, and he scampered over to Tucker on all fours, standing back on two when he reached him. Tucker slowly descended to stand on the blacktop.
"We are on a search and destroy mission," the rat began. Tucker immediately winced a bit. "Do you have any idea where FentonWorks is?"
"FentonWorks? Like, Jack and Maddie Fenton?" Tucker was bewildered.
"Ha! Told ya he'd be able to tell you where it was!" Tucker narrowed his eyes, and he threw a punch at the ghost rat. The rat was able to dodge it.
"Big mistake, kid."
The rat launched for him. Tucker grabbed him by the fur and swung around, throwing him at one of his friends, sending the two toppling away. The third ran for him, being deflected by a strong kick.
"I got things to do," Tucker said simply. He reached for the thermos on his belt loop, unhooking it and uncapping it. He aimed it for the two he sent away first, sucking them up before sucking up the third. He recapped it, frowning. Why did they want the Fentons?
"So, don't think you're off the hook, Mr. Fenton," Sam lightly scolded Danny as she closed his bedroom door behind her. The adults (and Jazz, who thought herself to be an adult) chatting loudly downstairs were now heavily muffled. Tucker had already claimed the computer chair as his seat, Danny immediately sprawling out on his bed.
"Whatcha mean?" the goth asked lazily as he rolled onto his stomach, grabbing a pillow to tuck under his chest. Sam went to her favorite spot, an oversized bean bag, getting cozy.
"Dr. Spectra," she said bluntly. "What's up with her?" Danny sighed, burying his face into his pillow for a moment.
"I just...I dunno if she's helping," he explained, voice muffled before he raised his head to meet his friends' curious gazes. "I never feel any better after talking to her. I...I actually feel kinda worse." He sighed. "When I leave her office, I feel so freaking, like, just, drained, ya know? Today I was actually just so tired from our session that I needed a nap."
"I mean...Jazz did say that sometimes it gets worse before it gets better," Sam said slowly, but she didn't sound convinced.
"But also, isn't it common to like, therapist shop?" Tucker spoke up. "Maybe she's just not the right therapist for you, man."
Tucker exchanged a glance with Sam, who was stealing a look from him. They were both burning to ask the same question, and they were silently debating who would be the one to actually bring it up. After an unspoken exchange, Sam was the one who asked.
"Danny...what kind of things are you two talking about?" Sam asked. Danny was quiet for a while.
"Well...we talked a lot about my depression and my hospital stay over the summer," he said slowly. Tucker felt guilt knotting up in his stomach. "I...I brought up...the guilt." Danny was focused on picking at a loose thread on his bed. "How...how much I think about it and just that...like just how much it weighs me down. And we talked about how it was my fault and-"
"NO," Tucker immediately half-yelled. Danny jumped a bit, staring at him, Sam joining him. "Danny, it's not your fault." Danny bit his lower lip.
"Tucker's right," Sam backed him up. "It's not your fault at all. You have no reason to blame yourself or think that you're at fault for this."
"B-but I-I," Danny's voice was wavering hard. "I told Tucker go inside to fix it. Dr. Spectra agreed that I-"
"You know what, Dr. Spectra's full of shit if she's telling you that you're to blame for something she can't even fully understand," Sam cut him off, making a face. "What else has she told you?" Danny shifted, a bit uncomfortable.
"Uh…" he took a few moments to collect his thoughts and himself. When he spoke, his voice seemed to have steadied a bit. "I brought up you two, and she said that you guys just...sounded like the sweetest couple. And we talked a bit, and I...I brought up how I don't really like anybody, like I don't have any crushes or anything. And like, s-she a-asked how much of a third wheel I felt like with you guys, and I-I honestly really don't, but by the time we finished talking, I just really began to feel that way. It's just so hard to explain, but I just...I don't think she's making me feel any better. I have an appointment with her next week."
"I'm not sure if you should be seeing her," Tucker blurted out. "I think you should find a new therapist. Something's off about her. My session with her was weird too. Like, I walked away with it feeling just...off and terrible." Danny looked concerned.
"Are you okay?" he asked. Tucker nodded.
"Y-yeah, just...I walked away feeling as if you thought that I was a terrible person, and that now that I'm…" Tucker didn't say the words, but his friends both gave a slight knowing nod. "That you both just...wouldn't want to hang with me anymore."
"That's crazy!" Sam exclaimed. "We love being around you."
"Yeah!" Danny quickly added. "You're our best friend. The half-ghost thing is quite honestly the coolest shit I've ever seen. No matter what happened to you, you'd always be our friend." A sense of relief washed over Tucker, and he grinned.
"Thanks," he said softly.
"Dr. Spectra sounds like a hack," Sam announced. "I agree with Tucker. I don't think you should see her next week."
"Yeah, we can help you find a new therapist," Tucker agreed. Danny gave a small smile.
"I'm...sure Jazz probably can help me find something too," he replied. He shifted, moving to pull himself so he sat cross legged on his bed, hugging the pillow. "But enough of that. Did you get the ghost from earlier?"
Tucker nodded, and he moved to pull the thermos from his backpack. He held it up for his friends to see.
"I'll sneak down and empty it before I go," he promised. "But there was something weird about the encounter. Like, it was three ghost rats, like really big ones, and they were...like...dude, they were looking for your parents." Danny gave him a weird look.
"My parents?" he echoed. "My parents hunt ghosts."
"Well, would make sense for a ghost want to hunt them then, I guess?" Sam shrugged. Danny shot her a brief Look. "Hey, it makes sense is all I'm saying!"
"Did they say anything as to why?" Danny asked. Tucker shook his head no.
"Nah, man. They were just confused on where to find them before I caught them," he replied. Danny frowned.
"That kinda sounds like they were just kind of hired goons," Danny replied.
"Yeah, I was going to say something like that, that they sounded like they weren't doing it because they had a personal grudge. But what ghost would have a grudge against your parents?" Sam asked. Danny shrugged. "I mean, besides in general. Your parents do hunt and study them."
"My parents have never really properly caught a ghost, just been able to collect samples," Danny frowned. "So I'm not sure what ghost would send somebody after them."
"Maybe a human sent them?" Tucker suggested. His friends gave him an odd look. "I mean, isn't it more likely that your parents have human rivals? Like maybe fellow ghost hunters or something?"
"Yeah, but why would they work with ghosts if they're fellow ghost hunters?" Sam questioned.
"I dunno. Maybe it's kind of like a buddy cop thing where they team up with criminals to catch a bigger criminal?"
"Ma...y...be?" Sam seemed unsure. She groaned as a ringtone played out. "I think I have to go," she grumbled, reaching into her pocket for a pastel purple and green phone. "Mm, yup." She answered the call. "Hey, Mom...I'm at Danny's…" A long, annoyed sighed. "Yeah, Mom. I'm fine...Yes I know you how feel about the Fentons...Yeah, Tucker's here too...Mom stop...Mo-om!...Mom it's not that late...Yes ma'am...I'll be home soon, I'm out the door now...Mmm love you too. Bye Mom." Sam groaned in annoyance as she hung up. "It's not even eight!" she complained. "But I gotta go."
"Yeah, I should probably get home too before it's too late," Tucker mused, glancing at his watch.
"Wanna walk together?" Sam questioned, standing up as she shoved her phone back into her pocket. Tucker waved a hand.
"Nah, I should empty the ghosts into the Ghost Zone before I go. Gonna exit then just sneak back inside as Tucker Ghouly. I have three rat ghosts and Sidney in here, and I don't want it to like, overflow or something," he explained.
"Sounds good," Sam replied cheerfully, going to the door. "I'll text you guys when I'm home. Bye!"
"If you can afford to stick around, I can fly you home," Tucker offered.
"I'll take a rain check until you stop flying into billboards," she teased. Tucker flushed red.
"One time!" he cried out.
"You will never live it down," Sam chuckled, and Danny snickered as the nerd opened the door, stepping outside and leaving the door open as she went down the stairs. The boys could hear her give a cheerful goodbye to the Fentons and their guests before the front door opening and closing faintly.
"...Hey Tuck?" Danny broke a silence. Tucker turned his attention to him, giving a "hm?" to acknowledge him. "...I'm not intruding on you and Sam, right?" Tucker shook his head, and he moved to scoot the computer chair closer to him.
"Dude, Sam and I are just friends. Your friends," he assured him, giving a smile. "And if, for whatever reason, Sam and I do hook up, or if Sam and I hook up with other people, that will never mean that you're not still our friend. You're our best friend. We love hanging out with you. Getting a girlfriend's not going to change that." Danny seemed visibly relieved. "Look, whatever Dr. Spectra's been telling you, it's crap. She's a bad therapist. Sam and I care a lot about you, and we're going to be there for you no matter what." Danny grinned.
"You guys are the best," he told him.
"Damn right we right," Tucker joked, rolling backwards a bit in the chair. He stood up from it. "Alright, I'm gonna make my exit then Tucker Ghouly's gonna break in and empty the ghosts," he replied. "See you tomorrow, man."
"Later!" Danny chirped. He stood up from the bed. "I'll go down with you, I'm gonna hang out with Vlad for a bit."
"Cool." Tucker and Danny shuffled down the stairs together. "Bye Mr. Fenton, Mrs. Fenton!" Tucker called out as he went to the front door. He poked his head into the living room as Danny passed him to go inside. The adults (and Jazz) were drinking coffee and tea and chatting, minus Nico. Tucker could only assume that he was already in the guest bedroom, sleeping. "You too, Jazz. Great meeting you Mr. Masters."
"Oh, bye Tucker!" Maddie replied with a light wave. "Walk home, safe."
"Good to meet you," Vlad replied politely. The others said their polite goodbyes as Tucker slipped outside.
The teen walked a block before ducking into an alleyway. After a quick change, he flew back. He invisibly went through the front door. He could hear the family still chatting casually before he went towards the basement door. Tucker phased through the ceiling of the lab, and stopped abruptly, completely taken aback by the sight before him.
A ghost. It was a green-skinned ghost with a shaved undercut but long, braided snow-white hair pulled back in a ponytail. He was in a black lab coat, black boots and a white cape and matching white gloves, staring at the portal with sunglassed eyes. Intently, as if studying it, and mumbling to himself. Tucker couldn't make out what he was saying.
"Going in or out?"
"This is grown-up business, kid. Run along," he replied, not even removing his attention from his focus; the portal. The ghost put out a hand to touch it, running it down the side until he came to a closed electrical box. He popped it open.
"What are you doing?"
The ghost snapped his attention to him, peering over his sunglasses at him. Tucker could see red eyes staring at him, and he felt a light chill at the ghost slowly grew an interested smirk as he seemed to almost recognize him.
"Oh, I've been graced by the presence of the great Tucker Ghouly," he said almost mockingly. Tucker winced. He turned his full body towards him, ignoring the portal.
"You...you know me?" Tucker hesitantly asked, clutching the thermos tighter in his hands. The ghost laughed heartily as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"Know you?" The ghost once more looked over his sunglasses at the other, eyes sparkling. "Of course I know you."
The ghost jerked forward a bit, floating closer. Tucker floated back a bit, but soon stopped. No, he had to stand his ground. He stared up as the ghost came closer and closer until he was right in front of him, looking down.
"You're the little ghost boy who uses his powers for goooood," he teased, giving a small snicker. He leaned down so he was eye-level with Tucker for a moment. He felt a nervous sweatdrop forming as the ghost stared intensely at him before giving a sharp-toothed grin. "How quaint." He stood straight again, floating back a bit. Tucker exhaled a breath he didn't realize he had been keeping in, but stiffened as the ghost began to circle him. He gave a hum, looking over his sunglasses at the thermos. "So, aren't you going to try and shove me into your ridiculous thermos?" Tucker winced.
"I...No," Tucker replied, clutching it tighter as he held it to his chest protectively. "I...I'm just dropping something off. I don't wanna fight you," he replied. The ghost chuckled.
"No. No you don't." The ghost floated lazily backwards, again towards the portal. For a foolish moment, Tucker assumed it was over. The ghost was doing his work for him by going into the Ghost Zone, and he'd soon be free to empty the thermos. He gave another toothy grin, a larger one. He uncrossed his arms, holding his fists up. They began to glow a bright green, and Tucker stared intently. He fired an ectoblast at him. Tucker scrambled, managing to dodge.
"Whoa!" Tucker panicked. The ghost laughed with amusement, shooting again. His hands jerked as the thermos was ripped from his hands, clanking noises echoing as it tumbled towards the back of the lab.
"You can't even do ectoblasts yet, child?" he asked. Tucker glanced at his hands. Could he do that? He hurriedly lifted his hands to the other ghost, palms facing him and beginning to sweat anxious bullets as he tried to force a ghost power he didn't even realize was a possibility. The ghost laughed harder at his attempts. "What's the matter, whippersnapper?" The ghost moved his hands to finger guns, chuckling at he shot at him with the index fingers in a flurry of bullet-sized blasts. Tucker couldn't dodge them all, his reflexes tested as he avoided what he could. Each hit stung and burned. He had to pull himself together.
Tucker rushed at the ghost to throw a punch. Smack! Tucker flinched in pain as his fist made contact with a solid green shield. He stared at the ghost through the transparent color, wide-eyed.
"How are you doing this?" Tucker gasped, pulling his hand back and grabbing the wrist.
"Years, and years of practice and experiments," the ghost smirked at him, his voice beginning to echo as a copy of the ghost appeared off to the left of him. Tucker turned sharply to see properly. Anxiety rose as he noticed a third copy further to the left, almost behind him. He spun, noticing a fourth. They closed in.
Tucker screamed at all four fired blasts at him, and by the time it was over, he had fallen face-first to the floor. Tucker pulled himself to his elbows, looking up at the ghost through blurred vision. He couldn't tell if the ghost pulled his duplicates back to him or not before he slowly rested his head back on the floor, and his eyes closed, falling unconscious. The second he did, his rings travelled over him, and he turned back. The ghost's face dropped in complete shock.
He stood on the floor of the lab, kneeling near the fallen human. He nudged at Tucker, humming curiously.
"So the Foley boy...is the new ghost running around town," he mused to himself, giving a malicious grin as he knelt next to him. He stood straight as black rings transformed him, revealing Nico. "Well...for once I'm speechless."
Tucker woke up with a jerked startle. His heart was racing, and he felt sweaty. He blinked, looking around in the dark and felt around for his phone. He found it nearby him, and he glanced at the time. It was two in the morning, and he had several missed messages from his friends. Where was he?
He used the flashlight to light up the area around him as he sat up. He was in his room. In his bed, still in his clothes from the day prior. When did he come home? The last thing he remembered…
Tucker shivered as he remembered the ghost from the night prior. Who was he? He was so powerful...so much more powerful than any other ghost he had ever met. It scared him. Was he supposed to be able to do all of those cool other things too? Was it even real? It had to be real. But if it was real, why did he let him live? He surely had to turn back when he became human. How and why would a ghost take him home? Or was he just hit so hard that he just didn't remember waking up and walking home?
He laid back, closing his eyes. He shifted to put his phone back on the nightstand. He'd...message his friends back later and figure it out in the morning.
Some brief clarification for the confused: I made Technus the half-ghost arch enemy in this. This is going to be because it'll make a lot more narrative sense later on considering how I've changed the roles of the main trio. Vlad's role in this story is basically being like Sam's grandma for Danny: The cool relative that helps him get away with stuff and that he can confide in. Also...I'm so sorry for all the lack of action...it should pick up soon...pls don't leave, I'm trying to build up to it and set up a lot of stuff.