CHAPTER 17: GOD EAT GOD, PART 1
Jesus Christ, claimed to be the one and only son of god, has been a name synonymous with peace, love and tolerance, preaching a universal message of pacifism and acceptance of all persons regardless of identity. It is a message that has been told many times before the conception of the mythological figure, and many times after, but no depictions of peace has been so popular as the virgin-born carpenter.
Over the years, however, like all religious icons, the figure has been perverted into a symbol of justification for the deepest and most unforgivable of atrocities; forcefully eloped with primitive and tribal notions meant to impose power over others not considered part of their own kind.
From the adoption of Christianity by many imperial nations, the claim of higher power has been the driving force of many countries to dominate their own citizens and the citizens of other lands, and expand their sphere of influence across the globe; achieving human goals and ideals packaged in a symbol claiming to be holy. The use of the religion has justified many acts since its very conception...
...and it is the one sole traits of the faith that has truly remained the same over the years.
In these days of the future, this religion has been officially disproven like every other with the discovery of the Ghost Zone, rendering its faith obsolete in the face of new evidence. But while it has nothing in the way of ambiguous concepts such as belief to support it any longer, its dogma and strength still is a force to be reckoned with, especially when under the threat of extinction.
Here in Old Amity Park, a select few members of the Christian faith, marrying their religion with politics to create a deadly mixture of Christofascism, keep well to the tradition of conquering lesser lands and destroying other religions to enforce their own upon other people...
...and they also keep well to the tradition of perverting the image of their lord and savior, unleashing a ghost in the form of Jesus Christ covered in army camouflage and firearms galore. The knowledge of how such a ghost could come into existence is beyond anyone's understanding of ghosts, but that is not the main focus of anyone within its vicinity at the moment.
For now, for the small commune of pagans that the ghost was released upon, their only concern is how to survive its attack.
"The homosexuals and the transsexuals, the pedophiles and spoilers of children, will be burned in the flames, for that is all they deserve! The communists and abortionists, the destructors of America, will perish in the fire, for they deserve no less! The liberated woman and the disobedient child, the insubordinates who have forgotten their place, will burn in the pits, for they deserve much worse! I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble." Jesus said.
Cocking back the lever on his AR-15, Jesus aimed it directly at the pagans, bringing out frightful yelps from his soon-to-be victims.
"BUT TAKE HEART! I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD!" Jesus shouted.
Pulling the trigger of the ectoplasmic assault rifle, Jesus began firing straight towards the pagan commune, laying waste to several targets with one single burst of fire. Attempting to flee from the fire of the attacking ghost of Jesus Christ, whoever was not immediately killed ran for safety, hoping they would survive the wrath of the weaponized symbol of faith.
Their hopes are not given much way to survive; what damage that the ghost in the form of Jesus does is compensated for by the army of Christofascists who had unleashed him, declaring war on the small commune for the simple crime that its followers had not accepted the same religion as them.
Among the scramble of scared people is also Danny Fenton, the man without a soul. Were he still in possession of his soul, he would be well aware that the attack on the commune is a complete evil, and he would be quick to change into his ghost form to battle the perverted image of Christ to save the communers.
But there is no longer a soul in his body, nor any powers to use against the threat, leaving him without the mental, physical, or metaphysical abilities to stop the attack. Instead, all that is left to the name of Danny Fenton is a living body, carrying in it no more knowledge than that of a pack animal or other unintelligent creature.
Even with that limitation, he still has enough reasoning to understand that the attack on the commune also poses a threat to him, driving him to run in search of a place to hide away from the violence. His flight brings him better luck than those fleeing from the assault of the Christofascists, making his way to a small piece of cover made of a collapsed tent.
Crawling beneath the downed tent, Danny kept a careful eye outside, ensuring that none of the invading force would come his way. All that came into his sight so far was the fleeing pagans, grabbing with them what other persons and possessions they could in hopes of saving them as well.
Contrary to what most would guess, other persons are what they attempt to save more than belongings, valuing the lives of others over material items, and even over their own lives, for a select few that braved to rescue some from active gunfire coming dangerously close to ending the life of someone hiding away behind an unwise choice of cover, averting a horrible and unwarranted death.
Under the protection of his limited cover, Danny is able to observe the violence and all attempts to escape it, watching the struggle of life and the force that drives them all to stay alive. It is an understandable and relatable concept that these people would want to save themselves, but why they wish to go out of their way to save others is a concept that is too far removed from him to understand.
The acts of kindness are ones of great curiosity to him, but what comes as even greater curiosity is the next course of action by the victimized pagans. No longer willing so easily to be victims to the Christofascists, the pagans began taking measures to defend their camp and launch a counteroffense.
With no deities or holy figures to speak of within pagainism, they cannot create nor call on any ghosts of their own to battle, but instead call on their undead commune members to fight on their behalf. The pagan ghosts all shared a sense of duty to defend the commune, but seemed to require the push of another force to make them attack the Christofascists, lingering about impatiently in wait of it.
One pagan drew a pentagram on the ground and stepped into it, guiding 5 others to stand on the points of the star within the circle; the needed 'push' for the ghosts coming at last for them. Waving about in a dance, the pagan in the center of the pentagram began to chant out invokations and commands out loud.
"Hail, guardians of the watchtower of the East! Powers of air, we invoke and call you! Hear our plea!" The pagans shouted.
The ghosts around the camp seemed to gain the full attention of the invocation, enticed under the call set forth by the group of magicians.
"Hail, guardians of the watchtower of the South! Powers of fire, we invoke and call you! Hear our plea!" The pagans shouted.
Listening to the invocation continue, the ghosts then seemed to become rallied up by the calls, feeling a sense of duty come to them and overtake all other emotions.
"Hail, guardians of the watchtower of the West! Powers of water, we invoke and call you! Hear our plea!" The pagans shouted.
As if eager recruits drafted into battle, the ghosts began to move side-by-side against one another, all keeping their eyes locked firmly on the ghost of Jesus Christ.
"Hail, guardians of the watchtower of the the North! Powers of earth, we invoke and call you! Hear our plea!" The pagans shouted.
Floating up from the ground, the ghosts began to grow in size, forming more frightful appearances; larger muscles began to appear on their astral forms, their imitation of hair began to grow longer, images of blunt weapons began to appear in their hands, and each ghost held a face carrying a look of anger and determination to fight upon it.
"Show us your power! Show us your glory! We pray to thee, we plea to thee, protect us! Save us!" The pagans shouted.
[Soundtrack Cue: Marilyn Manson - The Fight Song]
Empowered by the incantations spoken by their living commune members, the undead members took no more to panicking and evading the threat, but instead deciding to fight it head-on. Drawing out their weapons out, they advanced towards the ghost of Jesus Christ, aiming to destroy the religious figure and end the greatest threat to the commune.
Aiming his AR-15 to the pagan ghosts, Jesus pulled the trigger once again, opening fire on the incoming ghosts.
Taking full advantage of their spectral forms, the pagan ghosts dodged away from the incoming bullets, flying through the air where each ectoplasmic projectile would pass by them harmlessly. Keeping their own weapons held tight in their hands, they approached the ghost of Jesus Christ with full intent to use them on the enemy, showing no restraint in their attack.
Swinging their weapons towards Jesus, carrying images of objects like swords, maces, clubs, and other such melee weapons, the pagan ghosts began their attack, swinging their first attacks towards him. Alas, despite having a clear preference towards firearms, Jesus showed great enough skill in experience in hand-to-hand combat, dodging away the blades coming his way with ease.
Letting his rifle hang by its sling, Jesus pulled out a large combat knife, changing his tactics on the battle to properly face and defeat his enemies. Upon drawing out the knife, Jesus slashed away at the necks of two pagan ghosts, causing ectoplasm to pour from the metaphysical wounds on their necks.
Enduring a blow that would kill any living being, the ghosts felt the impact of the blade and pain associated with the attack, instilling in them a belief that they would die from the attack. Losing their belief in existence with the simple cut of a knife, the ghosts dissipated into ectoplasmic waste, losing their astral forms, and the material of their beings surrendering to become part of the larger cosmos.
Moving towards the next pagan ghosts in his way, Jesus began to slash away at his enemies with the knife, attempting to repeat the same attack on them. Being more careful than their now-nonexistent teammates, the pagan ghosts deflected away the slashes of the knife, successfully defending themselves against the counterattacks and continuing to exist long enough to keep up the fight.
Unable to continue the battle with a mere knife, Jesus holstered the weapon to retrieve one far more fitting for the battle at hand. Reaching to his belt, he pulled out a long sword from a scabbard; the sword itself in the shape of a crucifix, and the blade of the weapon burning aflame.
Attacking the pagan ghosts once again, Jesus, like the crusaders that had slain many in his name before, charged forward with the sword. Slashing away at the spectral forms of the pagan ghosts, Jesus began to overpower the ghosts and their weapons, advancing on the enemies still standing in his way.
Making a cut across the chest of one pagan ghost, Jesus inflicted a killing blow on it, destroying its spectral form and leaving it to dissipate into the cosmos. Advancing to the next, bashing its blunt weapon out of the way, he ended its unlife as well, sending it to oblivion with the undead already killed once again.
Continuing forward with his sword, Jesus mercilessly cut and slashed away at the ghosts, wading through the waves of enemies set his way without trouble. Undefeated in combat and untouchable by any enemy, his dominance over other religions is once again well-established, and one of the oldest rules in the battleground of ideas takes place:
Might makes right.
[Soundtrack Cue End]
And, in moments, the ghosts fighting for the pagan commune are defeated, leaving nothing in the way of defense for its people. Seeing the defeat suffered by the ghosts, and having no desire to join them in the lack of existence known as oblivion, the pagans made no more attempts to fight, but instead surrendered.
Bowing to their knees with their hands raised, the commune all unconditionally left themselves at the mercy of the Christofascists, hoping that their gesture would allow them life in a situation where continuing to live seemed near impossible. Marching into the commune, the Christofascists moved in with no more difficulty, with the commander of the brigade looking down on one surrendering pagan, lifting his gun to his head...
...but, despite previously showing full intent to end the lives of all present, did not pull the trigger. Instead, the commander threw the gun across the pagan's face in a slap, leaving a bright red mark resulting from the impact of his hand. Taking the blow without complaint, the pagan looked back to the commander Christofascist, his look greeted with a superior smile.
"Godless apostates. If you are cowardly enough to turn away from god, then you should have never feared us in the first place, shouldn't you? Or was all that running and screaming was nothing but a sign that you truly do fear our god, and your place in hell in reward for your ignorance of him?" The Christofascist asked.
Rather than reply to the question, the pagan responded by displaying his unstricken cheek, while reciting a verse from the Christofascist's supposed holy book.
"But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also." The pagan recited.
"Heh-heh. And what pagan blasphemy did you hear that crap from, boy?" The Christofascist asked.
"Matthew 5:39. The bible. The book you supposedly follow."
Offended by being outsmarted by someone outside his own religion, the Christofascist scowled at the pagan, kicking him to the ground in retaliation.
"So, you think you know our holy gospel better than us? Fine, then. You'll get to test your knowledge when we convert you and the rest of you heathens to the one true god, let you see the light at last. Take 'em away!" The Christofascist commanded.
Gathering up the surviving pagans, the army of Christofascists began escorting their prisoners back with them, leading them away to be subjugated and possibly even enslaved for the rest of their lives. Whether such a fate is preferable to death is a matter of personal opinion.
Danny Fenton, having witnessed the entire affair, has no opinion and is incapable of having his own opinion; his lack of a soul taking away his ability to process and define such moral questions. Like any animal lacking in any higher and sentient thoughts, his only goal is to keep himself alive, a task that he more than prepared to act on; running out from his cover and to anywhere else.
Just before his flight could gain any ground or progress, the butt of a rifle landed on the back of his head, knocking him to the ground and at the mercy of the Christofascists. Taking notice of his casual and modern clothing, those who subdued Danny realized he was not truly one of the pagans they sought to conquer, taking in more of their attention and curiosity.
"Hold it. This one's not like the rest." One Christofascist said.
"So what? Maybe he was a newbie or a convert. He goes with the rest." Another Christofascist said.
"Why bother? He doesn't look like he's getting up anytime soon, and I'm not bothering to carry him. Let's just shoot him here." A different Christofascist said.
The Christofascist suggesting Danny's life be ended aimed his rifle to his head with the intent to consummate the idea, only to have his rifle swatted aside in by one of his comrades before able to pull the trigger. As the Christofascist who saved Danny's life moved to turn over his body, the one who sought to end his life voiced his compaints regarding the motion to save his life.
"Hey, what are you doing?" The Christofascist asked.
"Wait. Don't you see who this is?" The other Christofascist asked.
The group all leaned in to see Danny's face, instantly recognizing him as the world-famous Danny Fenton.
"It's... It's him! But... what's he doing down here? He never comes to Old Amity Park." One Christofascist said.
"I don't know, but this is definitely interesting. You think we should take him to the priest?" Another Christofascist asked.
"Yeah. I've got a real good feeling that he wants to see him again." A different Christofascist said.
Upon agreeing to return the fallen hero to their master, the group of Christofascists carefully picked Danny up, carrying him along to load him into one of their vehicles, ensuring he would be kept separate from the rest of the prisoners collected. Victorious over the dominated minor religion, the army began their making their way back to their home, eager to give their leader their newfound treasure.
The unfortunate Danny is unable to know what lies in wait for him, on account of lost consciousness and spirit, but they would be of no use to him here anyway.
Religion can often serve as a means of uniting force for people, giving people of different races and backgrounds to come together and congregate under a specific set of beliefs; a shared dream that all members can participate in. However, in that newfound unity, there can also be separation from others unwilling to share the faith, putting mankind at odds with itself under the guise of uniting it under one belief.
Such is the case with the states of Israel and Palestine; two nations carrying the directly opposing beliefs of Judaism and Islam. The countries themselves were founded decades ago after European influence and imperialism, but the bad blood shared runs thicker and deeper than water.
On the surface, the two religions have no real distinct differences from one another in practice; both claim heritage from a prophet named Abraham and share many of the same religious figures, not unlike how the Greeks and Romans often appropriated aspects of one another.
The few differences shared, however, are more than enough to put them at odds with one another, culminating into the troubles of Israel and Palestine today and now.
With Israel's war fueled on by endless support from the West, killing and claiming land in a conquest identifiable as nothing but ethnic cleansing, and dismissing any and all criticism towards as antisemitism, the battle between the two nations has already seen a winner in sight, rendering the war nothing more than another imperial skirmish for more land and influence.
But the dominance of one god over the region has been dethroned with the arrival of another, once answering to the name of Danny Phantom.
Moments ago, the opposing forces of the IDF and Hamas were in the midst of an active firefight with one another. The next, they were both mutually attacked by rains of ectoplasmic fire coming down on both, wiping out significant forces of both fighters before either could fully acknowledge the extent of damage done, but still had enough time to realize the perpetrator was not either of the two sides.
The answer to that question was made far more obvious to them both, signified by the image of Dark Danny floating in the sky above them. Their respective superstitions lead them both to assume the figure is Satan himself coming to lay judgement on the two, raining deadly hellfire on them for their sins.
They are incorrect regarding the reason for why Dark Danny is present to attack, but they are most definitely correct regarding his intent to destroy them both, as he demonstrated with the next blasts of ectoplasmic energy shot down on them. Burning soldiers to ash, blowing up vehicles, and even melting tanks, they are given all the evidence in the world to realize that he has come to lay waste upon them...
...but the reason why is nothing so trivial as for their what they had done in their pasts, or for following the 'wrong' religion.
He does it simply because he wants to.
For nearly half an hour does Dark Danny's rampage go on, firing ectoplasmic blasts of energy at any living entity standing in his way. Unopposed he goes about his indiscriminate attack, destroying any opposition standing in his way. Entire platoons and battalions are laid waste to and tanks and other vehicles are blown to pieces and tossed about like toys, swatted aside like inconveniences rather than serious threats.
The two armies, united as one for the first time in human history, come together to fight the common enemy, firing whatever projectile they still hold in their possession at it. Each and every attack sent towards the ghost, whether a small bullet or large tank round, do nothing but pass through him harmlessly, making their resistance against him embarrassingly ineffectual against Dark Danny.
Eventually, the battle is brought to an end, with every soldier in the battlefield left dead and gone after the destruction is finally over, save for one lone Israeli soldier who managed to survive the entire affair. After watching his entire side of the conflict wiped out along with the enemy they were set to fight, suffering only a broken leg during the entire affair.
The injury, light in comparison to the others who have suffered, is still enough to hinder his escape from the scene. Crawling out from the carnage and destruction, he does not care where he crawls to; all he concerns himself with is getting somewhere else, and being somewhere safe against the destructive force.
He does not manage to crawl far until Dark Danny located the lone soldier, landing himself directly in front of the downed Israeli. Acting on instinct, the Israeli soldier reached for his sidearm, pulling it out and pointing it at the ghost. Firing concentrated ectoplasmic beams from his eyes, Dark Danny melted the weapon in the soldier's hand, forcing him to drop it.
Crawling back in retreat from Dark Danny, the soldier is not killed by him, but instead observed with passing interest. Slowly stepping closer to the soldier with every inch of progress moved, Dark Danny's walk made the soldier stop in his own retreat, leaving him to lean back and wait for what the ghost would do to him.
And, having the soldier at his mercy, Dark Danny chose not to attack, but instead speak to him.
"It all seems pointless now, doesn't it?" Dark Danny asked.
The question brought no verbal answer from the soldier, but instead a look of terrified confusion.
"What's the matter? You speak English, don't you?" Dark Danny asked.
The soldier then replied with a quick nod, trying to pacify the specter as quickly as possible.
"Then you understand what I asked. I asked you, 'It all seems pointless now, doesn't it?'" Dark Danny asked.
"Wh-What are you talking about?" The soldier asked.
"You know what I'm talking about. Going off into war and killing so many people for your petty little beliefs. Just like everyone else here was fighting for. What exactly did you think was going to happen if you successfully managed to kill every person in this little slice of Earth except yourselves? Did you think that holy savior was going to come to Earth at last and take you all away to your eternal paradise? That you'd actually be rewarded for all your efforts?"
"Please... Don't hurt me... I-"
"Oh, so now you're starting to understand what you've actually done to other human beings? Putting them at your mercy because to show them that your god's better than theirs? 'I bet my dad can beat up your dad'? How utterly pathetic and stupid such actions seem when you find yourself on the receiving end of it? I'm not judging you for killing these people, mind you, their lives meant just as little as yours. What I'm so appalled by is your presumption that you seem to think your god is actually real, when you have to go through such lengths just to prove it. You keep saying your god is on your side with everything you do, leading you to do and get away with anything you want, like you're trying to pass off the buck or excuse yourself of any wrongdoing."
"Please... I don't want to die..."
"Another example. If you really believed that you were in the right, you'd be happy to die for your god, so you can see him as quickly as possible. You wouldn't be afraid at all. You'd be happy to go home at last, according to your logic. But, here's your chance, and you're scared out of your mind. You have to know at least on some level that you're wrong. That you were duped. Sold out. Suckered. Bamboozled."
"Please... Sir... Please..."
"It was never about actually serving any real higher power. You're just another cog in a greater machine, intent on staying the most influential and most well-known and respected power in the world. The winner in history. What you think is waiting for you on the other side isn't there. I've been to the other side. There's nothing there for you. But what is there would shake their heads at your pathetic conquests. They've been in the same position you are now, and they know it was all a waste. But I look down on it for completely different reasons. I'm not someone who lingers around and mopes about their lost life like they would. I see more potential in being free. I can do anything I want on Earth. Here, I'm the one true god."
Upon completing his thought, Dark Danny raised his hand to the soldier, preparing another ectoplasmic blast to fire on him, causing the poor soldier to cower away in fear.
"No...! Please...! No...! Please, god... Save me...!" The soldier pleaded
"Enough begging for your god. He's not there. He never was. No one ever was. There is no man in the sky but me." Dark Danny said.
Firing his ectoplasmic blast at last, the soldier's body was completely destroyed by Dark Danny's blast, ending his life in an instant.
The recollection leaves the eyes of Demon Phantom, returning his conscious mind back to the present, away from when he had gone under a name referring to his past self. In some show of irony, he is now forced to guise himself as the same former self he sought to separate himself from by taking a new name altogether, as well as having (supposedly) killed him before.
Now, alongside his newfound undead comrades, all residing in the bodies of the recently-deceased Fenton family, they are at the forefront of his new plans to overtake the world. Previously putting a permanent end to a holy war, using the influence of the President of the United States that Danny Fenton had, he has facilitated another war, this time using it against one specific religion.
The religion he has chosen to attack now is the mystic and mysterious belief known as Voodoo, striking it at its birthplace in the land of Haiti.
Originally claimed by the Spanish Empire by the infamous colonizer Christopher Columbus, it was soon handed off to the French, who had soon populated it with slaves imported in from Africa. Putting their unwitting work force on plantations for sugarcane and other goods, it became extremely profitable for France and useful for the rest of Europe and soon America.
In between long hours of forced labor, the slaves would pass the time with religious congregations, usually held at night. Despite being held under the boot of Catholicism, the slaves still retained many rites and rituals from the religions of their African tribes, appropriating concepts and ideas into a mishmash of beliefs that would eventually be called Voodoo.
Despite having no real deities or dogma to speak of, being little more than a smorgasbord of practices and rituals meant for higher purposes, it still exists as a religion, citing its practicies as actions in service or hoping for the servitude of spirits known as loa, the most powerful of which is the snake spirit of Damballah.
It has often been dismissed or misportrayed by the likes of Hollywood as a kind of black magic meant to raise the dead, creating the myth of the living dead creature known as the zombie. In reality, it has served little more than a harmless folk religion like many others, save for the occasional sacrifice of a chicken or other animal.
In an age where belief can indeed have dire consequences, however, the myths are no longer mere laughing matters to scoff at, as they are put to use to create their own deity. After centuries of dominance from other countries and countless natural disasters, the country of Haiti has had enough of their troubles and put together what little money it has to create their own god, using the same technology that created Danny Phantom.
And it is for that reason which the country has become the victim today.
[Soundtrack Cue: KMFDM - Money (Death Before Taxes Mix)]
As arranged with his talks with President Foley, Demon Phantom is not at the front lines of the battle; that privilege instead goes to the honor to the American military branch known as the Ecto Corps, moving into attack with weapons specially designed by Fenton Works for hunting ghosts.
Coming under fire by Haitian troops, the weapons are quickly demonstrated no only to be effective against the undead, but the living as well. Firing ectoplasmic blasts of energy equally as destructive as that of a ghost's blast of hellfire, military might has never been stronger than it has been with the aide of Fenton Works.
Demon Phantom and his comrades all watch the weapons in use and how the army uses them, taking note for their own purposes later.
In response to the army advancing on their research center for their own project, the Haitian army responded back to the invading force in full, firing back with assault rifles and other small arms fire to ward off the American forces. Their will to fight is strong, and their firepower is more than enough to ward off any attacker, making them more than a likely candidate to be winners in this fight...
...but America, as it always has, possesses the superior firepower and greater manpower, able to overtake any country they so please for whatever reason they desire. It has been the case for many nations in the Middle East, and it is the same for one of its Central American neighbors, to fulfill greater geopolitical ambitions.
For every firearm that the Haitians possessed, the American forces possessed twice as many, and twice as powerful. Downing many enemies standing in their way, the American Ecto Corps advance forward towards the Haitian research center, standing almost completely unopposed to the home forces trying to keep their own land protected from an outside force.
The attempt to keep out the invading force is almost comically ineffective; instantly are the Haitian troops put down, and standing little opposition to the American forces that have come to their country. Any force against the Ecto Corps begins now to dwindle to nothing, leaving the country and its own Danny Phantom project soon to be in the hands of America.
Observing closely the scenario Demon Phantom does, watching not only the tactics of the Ecto Corps to take note of their developed military tactics and weapons, but also taking personal enjoyment out of the violence unfolding before his eyes. At the risk of breaking his disguise as Danny Phantom, he began to smile at the sight of destruction of his design playing out for him.
But what makes him smile most is that he knows that this is just the beginning.
[Soundtrack Cue End]
Soon, the skirmish comes to an end, leaving the entire area at the mercy of the Ecto Corps. What Haitian troops are not killed are pushed into submission and surrender, failing to defend their country and leaving it to the interests of America and, by extension, the rest of the Western world.
Successfully securing the area, the Ecto Corps' commander approached Demon Phantom and his comrades to inform of their victory, greeting them with a salute.
"Mr. Phantom. The area's been secured and all threats neutralized. We can escort you inside the research center to assess the situation." The commander said.
"Excellent. Take us inside." Demon Phantom said.
Led inside the Haitian research center, the group of ghosts are given a spectacle of human technology accomplished with little resources, resembling a poor man's version of Fenton Works, but just as impressive in what has been accomplished on such a small budget.
In addition to the abundant scientific equipment present in the small center, there also were present many decorations and fetishes pertaining to Voodoo, making the laboratory also double as a humfo, a 'Voodoo Church'. The idea of blending science and religion in such a way would seem blasphemous to many, especially a house claiming to be holy to its religion being a poor, unkept area like this...
...but Demon Phantom cares not for the human implications of the building and what is contained in it. His sole focus is to gain a full understanding of how far human beings have come with their understanding of the afterlife, and how far the advancement of knowledge has brought them.
Stepping up to a recreation of a Ghost Portal, Demon Phantom and his comrades meet with Ecto Corps soldiers holding down a Haitian scientist and test subject.
"This one's a scientist that was working on the project, called 'Project Damballah', the other's the test subject." The commander said.
After hearing the commander's explanation of the military project, Demon Phantom stepped to the scientist, choosing to address him directly.
"What exactly was the goal of this project?" Demon Phantom asked.
An Ecto Corps soldier translated the question from Creole, soon receiving a reply from the scientist, then translating it for Demon Phantom and the rest.
"The goal was to bring to life the most powerful of the loa, Damballah, to protect our country from outside forces from taking us over. We have been under the thumb of many white nations before, by either ruling force or financial aide, and we will be a strong nation at last." The translator repeated.
"And how were you planning on doing that?" Demon Phantom asked.
Once again, the soldier translated the question, translating back the response from the scientist.
"We have done extensive psychological training on the test subject to be the incarnation of Damballah. When he was to step into the Ghost Portal, it was to grant him the same powers that you, Danny Phantom, had, but in the form of the great loa instead." The translator repeated.
Intrigued by the concept brought forth by the scientist, Demon Phantom took interest in seeing the device in action, interested to see whether such a feat would be possible or not. Turning to the translator directly this time, addressing both him and the Ecto Corps commander, he spoke out his command to see it in action.
"Tell him to set it up and start the experiment. I want to see it in action." Demon Phantom commanded.