Disclaimer: I wish I owned Danny Phantom! Desiree: -turns me into Butch Hartman- AHHHHHHHHH! CHANGE ME BACK CHANGE ME BACK! -is changed back-
Mild note before we jump back on into this! The ship is changing.
As I was planning out and plotting and making changes, I just was really struggling to find that spark between Tucker and Sam. It was feeling very forced and cliche. Especially considering that Danny and Tucker are kind of...clicking really well, and while I had different plans for Danny, I feel like Danny and Tucker have a much better chemistry going already than Sam and Tucker. I'm really sorry if you were legitimately here for the ship, but I'd rather make this change rather than force chemistry that's not really working in a way that feels natural. I really like Tucker/Sam as a ship, but in this story, it's just not seeming to be a fitting setting for a story about them. So it's changing to Danny/Tucker.
"Rise and shine!" Sam chirped loudly and happily. Tucker's eyes barely opened when he felt Sam plop on the floor in between him and Danny. He heard Danny make a surprised "oof!" as she landed. "Come on! We're leaving for the convention in an hour!"
"Wake me up in 55 minutes," Danny grumbled, and he rolled over. Tucker glanced over to see his friend pull his sleeping bag over his head. Sam rolled onto her back before shifting to sit on him. "Get off me!"
"Come on, come on!" Sam replied, lightly bouncing. Danny's hand came out of the sleeping bag to push her off.
"Don't jump me, I'm up," Tucker said, sitting up with a sigh as he cracked his joints. Sam, as her normal morning self, was already showered, dressed and probably ate breakfast and did ten pages worth of math homework too. "Danny, you showering first?" The response was just the deep breathing of the goth having fallen back asleep. "Guess it's me."
"Danny, wake up!" Sam scowled, and she knelt next to him. She began shaking him, causing Danny to whine loudly. Tucker smirked in amusement as he crawled out of his sleeping bag. He left it there for now as he dug through his bag for his clothes and bathroom items.
"Sam, fuck off," Danny complained, and he shifted to sink deeper into his sleeping bag.
"Danny, I didn't just come wake you guys up for fun." She paused. "Okay, partly for fun. But there's something going on downstairs. Something ghostly."
"I know they look scary, but they're just ghost radiation hot dogs, it's part of some science experiment related to ghost hunger," Danny grumbled. His sleeping bag shifted as he rolled.
"No, no, I mean like, something else," Sam replied.
"What's up?" Tucker questioned, glancing back to her as he neatly piled his clothes for the day.
"After I got ready, I went downstairs to get some breakfast, and your mom showed me the plants! They said I could help them set up for the lecture this morning! Oh my god guys, they're so beautiful!"
Danny groaned in annoyance, and Tucker chuckled. He gathered his things for a shower, leaving Danny alone to listen to Sam's excited chatter.
"Come on, come on!" Danny chattered excitedly as he skipped a few steps into the main room. The convention was held at a fancy hotel and convention center. Tucker chuckled.
"Chill, Danny," he told him. The goth ignored him, slipping Sam's backpack off to pull out her camera, rushing towards a display. "You're worse than Sam right now."
"Tucker, look!" he pointed out a display of brightly glowing scanners. Tucker eyed them uneasily. Maybe this convention...wasn't such a good idea.
"We should meet back up with Sam and your folks," Tucker suggested. "Maybe they'll need more help setting up for the lecture. It's gonna start in less than a half hour."
"Sam'll kill us if we don't get pictures and get some research books or info or such for her though. You know that nerd," Danny smiled. His arm gestured to the wide array of supplies, samples, research, workshops and more. "Plus, she's right, Tuck. This is such a good chance to find out more things. Things we could never find online or-or in a textbook!"
"You're a nerd too," he lightly teased, and Danny rolled his eyes. He took a picture of the scanner display before moving on.
A large display, almost set up like a store. Random objects were laid out, each protected by a glass case. Danny took a picture of a doll, and Tucker came up next to him. He began to study the objects. They were all very common daily objects. A doll, a hand mirror, a lamp, a typewriter. He raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"What are these?" he questioned the older woman running the shop, pointing down at the lamp.
"These are haunted objects," she explained. She stepped forward, grasping her hands together before moving her hands to emphasis the lamp. "Take this genie's lamp. It belongs to the ghost of a harem girl."
"Oh?" Danny spoke curiously. He lowered her camera to study the lamp. It was bright shade of pink with gold, jewels adorning it. "It's beautiful," he admired.
"And it's haunted?" Tucker questioned. The woman nodded.
"The legends say that the harem girl won the heart of a sultan. He loved her, promised her her heart's desires. Her own castle full of loyal servants, her own kingdom, all the riches her had," the woman spoke. Tucker glanced over to see that Danny had taken out Sam's trusty notebook, the one she had already designated as being for collecting information on ghosts. Her camera was hanging around his neck, and he was writing down what the woman said to him. "But unfortunately, the harem girl was cast away by the sultan's jealous wife. She was forced to roam the desert until she died of a broken heart. Legend say that she haunts the bottle and that she now spends her time as a ghostly apparition granting the wishes of others."
"That's so sad," Danny softly replied. He cocked her head as he stared at the bottle, putting his fingers against the glass. "What was her name?"
The woman paused, thinking for a moment.
"I believe her name was Desiree," she answered.
"Poor Desiree," Danny said. He stared at the bottle for a bit longer before taking his hand off it. "Oh, uh, thank you." The woman nodded, and Tucker lightly jerked his head to signal his friend to come on.
A tingling feeling began to bother Tucker once more at the back of his head. His spidey sense...They really needed to rename that. That had to be like, copyrighted. He stopped, looking around for any signs of ghostly activity. From an actual ghost, that is. Danny quickly stopped too, turning back to look at him with a raised eyebrow.
"What's up?" he asked. A look of realization hit him, and Danny leaned into him a bit. "Spectral sense?" Tucker blinked.
"What?" he asked. Danny flushed a bit.
"Oh, uh. I mean, it's not really a spidey sense. You're not sensing danger," Danny explained. "You're sensing ghosts. Spirits, specters. So, spectral sense?" Tucker nodded thoughtfully.
"Spectral sense...I like it," he smiled. Danny shifted to dig into the backpack, and he soon pulled out a ghost blaster.
"Looks like Sam wasn't shitting when she said she came prepared," he mused. He handed it to Tucker. "Here." Tucker hesitantly took it.
"Dude, I don't have a thermos," he reminded him. Tucker glanced into the bag. "Unless you brought another one?"
"No, the first one was a prototype," Danny explained, and his features twisted up in distress as he dug through Sam's bag. "And I haven't had the time to make a new one yet. But, uh, dude you're smart. You can figure something out." Tucker hummed softly, discouraged. The tingling feeling was growing stronger.
"The ghost's getting closer, I gotta go," he said. Danny nodded, and he gestured to the bathroom. Tucker immediately fast-walked inside, and he went ghost. Invisibility, he phased out of the bathrooms and began to search the back rooms.
He went slowly, carefully, keeping his eyes peels not just for the ghost in question, but any hunters. God...what was he doing? This was so dangerous. Any moment now, and a ghost alarm could go off and totally screw him.
A flash of green caught his eye. He snapped to see the same ghostly rats from before running down a hallway away from the main convention area, and he grinned. Tucker took immediate chase as he turned visible.
"Hey! Lab rats!" Tucker called out.
Unlike before, the rats said nothing, and they continued to run. Tucker narrowed his eyes as he continued to zoom after them, clutching the blaster tight in his hands. They ran straight through a door, and Tucker followed suit, only to pause.
An empty laundry room. There were no maids in sight, and none of the machines appeared to be actively washing anything. The room was also dark, and he blinked, quickly adjusting to the low light. Tucker floated to the ground, landing softly on his feet as he began to fumble for a light switch. The lights lazily flickered before turning on, the room exposing nothing in sight.
"Where did you go?" Tucker asked himself. His memory shot to his dad, and he immediately straightened his posture and held the blaster up. He began to walk slowly and steadily like he had seen the man do many times before as he cleared rooms.
"Ghouly."
Tucker immediately did a 180 to face the voice. He froze, lump in his throat before narrowing his eyes. He held up the Fenton blaster to the other.
"You!" he said accusingly. The ghost held his arms up in surrender.
"I come in peace," he told him. Tucker didn't lower his weapon. "I actually came to apologize. I wanna talk."
Tucker clearly looked surprised, but he kept the blaster trained on the ghost. He stared at him suspiciously. The other made no moves towards him, instead simply floating in front of him peacefully as the hands dropped to his side.
"Then start talking," Tucker finally told him, keeping his tone angry and fixed. The other ghost didn't seem fazed by this at all. He simply nodded.
"We got off on the wrong foot," the ghost spoke calmly and even. "Let me introduce myself. I go by Technomancer."
The ghost floated a bit closer, and Tucker took a step back. Technomancer chuckled a bit.
"Listen, I don't typically trust people who knock me out and steal from me," Tucker replied. The ghost's expression darkened angrily.
"You were playing with a dangerous fire, it was best you stepped back," Technomancer threatened. "But you know, we're honestly very much alike." Tucker couldn't help but snort in amusement.
"Yeah right. What do I have in common with you? You were doing something sketchy in FentonWorks, I saw you!" Tucker accused.
"You should stop poking your nose into other people's businesses," the voice was low, chilling. It almost felt as if the entire room grew colder, and Tucker lightly shivered. "I have personal business with FentonWorks. Don't intervene."
"I'm not going to let you hurt the Fentons," Tucker said firmly. He squared his shoulders a bit more, puffing his chest out to seem bigger. "They mean a lot to me." Technomancer raised an eyebrow at him.
"Look, Ghouly. You're a good kid. Trying to protect people, be a hero." The ghost slowly began to float around him, the labcoat fluttering lightly. Tucker refused to let the ghost get behind him, and he slowly turned as Technomancer did. The ecto-blaster remained trained on him, but the other seemed to not be bothered by it at all. "But you should know something."
"What's that? You gonna try and feed me lies about the Fentons?" Tucker asked. His eyes stayed locked on the ghost, but he made no violent or threatening movements. "Why should I trust a ghost?"
Red eyes glared at him over the sunglasses, and Tucker's breath hitched in his throat. The ghost had fully stopped to stare a him.
"Because you're a lot like me, you know," Technomancer's replies seemed to always come cryptically. "I've been watching you. Keeping tabs." Oh, that wasn't creepy at all, and Tucker flinched. "Ever since I heard about your existence. And you're a lot. Like. Me." Technomancer snapped his fingers, giving a genuine grin. "Smart. Talented. Full of potential. Much to offer to the world of science and electrical technology. Ghouly...scientists like us...engineers like us...people like us...we need to stick together."
Tucker's eyes rolled a bit as he thought hard for a moment, letting the words replay in his hand. His eyes lit up in confusion as the message hit him.
"Wait, are you asking me to join you or something?" Tucker was absolutely floored. Especially when Technomancer's grin grew wider, and he gave a nod.
"Precisely."
Tucker nearly let his arm drop, but he caught himself before he did. He kept the blaster trained on Technomancer as he tried to process this. A ghost wanted Tucker to...join him?
"Um...what exactly would I be joining?" he asked.
"I'm glad you asked!" Technomancer boomed excitedly, making Tucker flinch. "I have...a personal issue with the Fentons. But it's not just the Fentons."
Technomancer seemed to get a bit antsy, cracking his knuckles as he began to pace in front of Tucker.
"It's the entire world. People take credit for my work, my inventions, my genius. All the time. I was always just another faceless drone who did some programming. I'm known but compared to...I'm nothing. I'm nothing, and it's unfair. Technology-illiterate fools who can barely open emails call and berate me for the tiniest of errors within thousands of lines of code that I write and test while they get all this praise for the features that work. I'm sick of them. All of them. Especially since...Hm. I want people to look at my work and know it, understand it, but most of all, know that it's my work and respect me for it," Technomancer explained, with every word growing more and more visibly agitated. Tucker silently waited for him to continue. "And to begin, I want all those who have ever crossed me and taken credit for my work to perish. Including and especially the Fentons. They've taken so much of my work, and they made me like this." Tucker's eyes widened.
"What are you even talking about!?" Tucker demanded to know. Technomancer kept his back to him, saying nothing for a while.
After a moment, Technomancer turned to him, and in his hand, he held the Fenton thermos.
"Think about my offer, Ghouly. I have much I can teach you if you join me. Become my apprentice. Take you under my wing, teach you to control your powers, everything I know. You and I are much alike, and people like us...we need to stick together." Technomancer stared intently at Tucker, and the young half-ghost remained silent. "I'll be making my first move soon, Ghouly. React wisely, whether you do something or nothing." Technomancer held the thermos up, and he tossed it to him.
Tucker's hand shot up, and he easily taught the FentonWorks invention. He turned it in his hand before glancing up, only to see the other ghost had fully disappeared. A cold shiver ran through him, and he turned human. What did he mean by all that? He shoved the blaster and thermos into his pockets before moving to find his friend.
The presentation was starting any minute now. Tucker jogged into the conference room, and he saw the Fentons on the stage. They, along with Sam, were sitting off to the side with a wheeling cart. The cart was full of plants, blooming healthily with a visible green glow to them. Maddie was showing something to Sam on a piece of paper as she eagerly listened. Tucker scanned the seats and locked eyes with Danny, who was waving him over. The goth quickly moved Sam's bag as Tucker slipped into the newly freed seat.
"Hey!" Tucker greeted.
"Hey, did you find the ghost?" Danny asked. Tucker shook his head, and he produced the Fenton thermos, offering it to Danny. His eyes widened, and he snatched it. "Dude! What-?"
"I ran into that ghost again, the one I saw in your basement," Tucker explained in a hushed tone. Danny shoved the thermos into Sam's backpack, digging through for the ghost notebook and a pen.
"Dude, tell me what happened," Danny insisted. Tucker glanced at the stage.
"I can tell details later, but basically, the ghost said his name was Technomancer, and he's definitely got it out for your parents," Tucker said. Danny stared at him in shock.
"W...what? Why? I mean, like, my parents have never dissected a ghost, they're more about plants and such," Danny was absolutely baffled, and Tucker didn't blame him.
"He-he said something about Fentons stealing credit for his work?" Tucker tried to think back on the conversation. Danny's eyes narrowed angrily. "And I think the dude implied that your parents straight up killed him." The anger dropped, replaced with more confusion.
"Least we know the dude died of a drug overdose, cause he's clearly on something," Danny scowled. He had only written down the ghost's name, and nothing else. "My parents have never stolen any work from anybody. Or killed anybody."
"I know, dude, that's just what this guy thinks," Tucker clarified with a shrug of his shoulders. "What I'm worried about is that he said he wanted me to join him. And that he was making his first move today, and that I need to figure out how I'm gonna react."
"By kicking his butt, obviously! You can't let him hurt anybody!" Danny insisted.
"Of course," Tucker assured him. "I just, I wish I knew what he was planning."
The backfeed of a microphone distracted the duo, and they looked at the stage. A balding older man was at the microphone, holding up a piece of paper for his own reference.
"Hello, hello!" he greeted warmly. "I'd like to thank you all for coming! If you're staying here, let me be the first…"
"I hate intro speakers," Danny grumbled next to Tucker, slouching in his seat. His head shifted to rest against Tucker's shoulder, and the halfa gave a half smile. He patted his friend's cheek, but Danny continued to grumpily scowled.
"Oh, I shouldn't praddle on for too much more," the man finally chuckled. "So let me hand the floor over to Dr. Jack Fenton and Dr. Maddie Fenton!"
A polite round of applause erupted as Jack stepped forward to take the microphone from the man. Jack smiled warmly at him.
"Thank you, Dr. Burnson," he chirped. "Today my wife and I are going to be discussing with you today a very interesting topic that rarely gets brought up. Ectoplasm based botany and the properties they hold that can help shape the way we make our anti-ghost technology."
Jack opened his mouth with a grin, as if to begin another sentence, only to stop. The grin quickly faded, and he began to shake. Danny got off Tucker, straightening as he began to slowly rise from his chair in worry. Tucker's attention was grabbed too as the shaking became more violent.
"He's having a seizure," Danny's voice came out hysterical with worry.
Dread pooled Tucker's stomach as that tingling came, and he noticed Mr. Fenton beginning to glow. Murmurs of concern were coming from the crowd, a few people standing up and several cellphones being pulled out. The glow grew brighter, and Jack soon convulsed hard, the microphone dropping.
"No," Tucker whispered, and he immediately stood. He could feel Danny's stare on him. "It's a ghost."
An inhuman, horrific shrieking came from Jack, sparking a crowd full of fearful screams in return. Panic broke out, and Tucker wrapped his arms around Danny, pulling him tightly to him as he turned them both intangible. The crowd phased through them, no care or concern to the oddity as they watched Maddie try to rush to Jack. Sam's hands were shakily dialing on the phone and yelling into a phone.
Danny bucked and forced himself out of Tucker's grasp to run for his dad as the man fell to his knees and began to bash his head onto the floor. Tucker's knees buckled, wanting to run with him but he forced his legs to go the opposite way. The second he was out of sight, he transformed and was back within seconds.
Within that time, a pool of blood was formed around the floor where Jack's head repeatedly hit it. His wife and son were desperately grabbing at his jumpsuit, trying to get him to stop, but he proved to be strong, and their arms were jerked forward with every downward bash. The man's face was bloody and already bruising, a nose already clearly broken. Tucker felt himself shake with rage, and he immediately had a massive guess on what was going on.
"Technomancer!" he screamed, and Jack's body stopped. Despite the bloody face, he could see Jack's eyes, but they were glowing red and staring coldly at him.
Tucker backed up a bit before clenching his fists. He flew straight for the family, holding his elbow up. He turned intangible, flying right through Jack. His elbow still made contact with something hard and tangible. Something that was hiding within Jack.
They flew together through a wall, and soon, Tucker jerked to a stop. Technomancer continued to fly back a few feet before catching himself, and the ghost turned his focus on him. Tucker swallowed nervously, but to his surprise, the ghost made no immediate move to attack.
Instead, he chuckled.
"I gotta say. You're impressing me," Technomancer replied. Tucker felt his entire body shake as the adrenaline continued to fuel him but he was given no attacks to block.
And how could he attack? This guy was so much stronger. So much faster...more powerful. Tucker continued to shake as he anxiously waited for anything. Technomancer just stared at him, as if thinking deeply. And finally the ghost spoke.
"I should have given you more time to think on my offer," he mused.
"Why the hell were you trying to kill Mr. Fenton!?" Tucker yelled. The ghost ignored his question, and he simply hummed to himself.
"I'll overlook this. But remember this, Tucker Ghouly." The words were icy cold, and Tucker felt a final shiver before his emotions just dropped into his stomach. "It's best to consider your options before you act so rashly to protect people like the Fentons." Technomancer reached into the inner pocket of his lab coat, pulling out what appeared to be a green card in between his middle and index finger. "You and I...we're better than these pathetic humans, and we're stronger than any ghost can possibly imagine. Think about it. And reach out to me once you've made a proper decision."
He flung the card to Tucker, who fumbled to catch it. He looked the card over. It was a green business card with a distinct electronic feel to it. In it engraved in raised gold lettering was TECHNOMANCER, as well as a series of numbers. However, it wasn't a phone number. Phone numbers didn't have that many numbers.
Tucker raised his head to ask another question, but the ghost was gone. He fell to his knees on the ground, shaking a bit as he turned human. What the hell was he getting himself into? How was he ever supposed to beat a guy like him? And how was he expecting him to just betray the Fentons-The Fentons.
Tucker shoved the card into his pocket, and he began to rush to find his way back to the Fentons.