Danny Phantom soared above Amity Park. Three nights ago he'd told those British guys to back off. Since then he hadn't seen either them or any ghosts. He was starting to think the threat was enough to get those guys and their Lord to back off. Then Mr Lupin appeared. It was enough to force Phantom into patrolling the city rather than Fenton walking around with his friends. What if Mr Lupin was with that "Dark Lord" person? Sam and Tucker hadn't liked the idea but Danny had to show that Lord guy he meant business.
He landed on a rooftop and shook his head. Maybe his friends were right. Maybe he was paranoid. Mr Lupin could just be a tourist and have nothing to do with those masked guys. He scanned the skyline of his hometown. It looked peaceful. Far more so than he was used to despite ghosts attacks having been at an all-time low for a fortnight now.
But then he saw it. A dark shape in the starry sky. Something flying high above the city. Danny scowled.
"Guys, I think I've spotted a ghost," Danny announced into his Fenton phone.
"Be careful dude. You got a thermos?" Tucker replied. Danny checked his belt.
"Yeah, I've got one. The ghost's above the city. If you see lights that's what it is," Danny answered and jumped into the sky. He flew quickly towards the shape and suddenly he began to feel upset and cold. He never felt cold. Not since he activated his ice core a few months back. The closer he got to the dark ghost, the colder he felt and the more depressed he got.
He charged his fist with his toxic green ghost ray.
"Hey! I'm warning you. Get lost before I suck you into a thermos!" Danny shouted. The dark figure turned to him. It was covered in black, flowing material constantly fluttering like it was underwater. Then Danny heard the figure take a rattling breath. He instantly felt weaker. The creature, because it wasn't a ghost Danny was certain, reached out a scabbed hand to him. The rattling breaths made him even weaker.
"It's sucking away my strength," Danny gasped. He turned and fled. He needed to know what he was dealing with before he could beat this. Being near it, it felt dangerous.
He sped for the ground. In the streets he'd have the advantage. Ghosts could go through buildings and he could hide as Fenton in an alley. That thing wasn't a ghost. He raced through the streets and phased through a warehouse. He slowed down, smirking at his ingenious move before crying out in alarm as another one of those creatures swooped down on him. He managed to dodge the second creature and zoomed down a dark alleyway and down a number of twisting roads before phasing through a dead end.
However as soon as he thought he'd lost the second creature, another creature, possibly the first, but could be a third, dove at him. Their rattling breaths chased him and as he fled, he became weaker and colder. He could almost hear his alternate self, cackling triumphantly. Smell the Nasty Burger burning, killing his loved ones. Those hopeless feelings rising in his chest as for a split second he lost everything.
Danny shook his head to rid himself of that memory. He had to escape these things chasing him. He swerved around a tight corner and phased through a house, turning invisible to avoid being labelled a peeping Tom or something. He cried out as he narrowly missed another creature. He turned to flee in the opposite direction but suddenly he was grabbed by a scabbed hand. He tried to turn intangible and escape but it didn't work. He couldn't shake their chilling grasp, so tight he knew he'd be left with bruises. Three kept him restrained. A fourth floated in front of him and lowered its hood. Danny's scream died in his throat at the sight of the creature's face. It's only features were eye-less sockets and a ghastly gaping hole for a mouth.
The rattling breaths surrounded him and the cold seeped into his very bones. He began to shiver and his evil self's laugh became louder and louder. He could hear the fire crackling now. Feel the tears on his cheeks. Suddenly a bright light filled his vision and a silvery wolf ran through the air. The scabbed creatures shrieked and fled. The wolf then circled Danny, gently guiding him to the ground and banishing the memory of the Nasty Burger explosion that Clockwork prevented. Danny didn't even notice Lupin running over to him as the light faded. He was still shivering and he felt sick to his stomach with grief and misery.
"Phantom!? Phantom?! Are you alright!?" Lupin shouted fearfully. The man fell to his knees beside Danny as he collapsed on the ground and began to silently cry. Lupin rummaged in his pocket and pulled out a foil package. He unwrapped it to reveal a block of cheap chocolate. The man bit his lip and put a tentative hand on Danny's shoulder. He gasped as he made contact.
"It-it's alright now. The dementors are gone. Here, eat this. You'll feel better," Lupin muttered frantically and shoved a large piece of chocolate in Danny's white gloved hand. Danny made no move to eat the chocolate, he hardly noticed Lupin fussing over him.
"Danny?! Danny!?" Sam screamed fearfully and ran over to him, glaring protectively at Lupin and pulled Danny into a hug.
"Danny, what happened?!" Sam exclaimed fearfully. Lupin blinked in shock at the appearance of the girl that was friends with Danny Fenton.
"It's alright. I drove off the dementors attacking him," Lupin attempted to soothe the girl and distressed halfa.
"Likely story. You did this! I saw that light!" Sam hissed. Lupin blinked and shook his head, confused by his need to explain himself and the situation to the girl. Possibly it was the shock of almost seeing Danny Phantom receiving a dementor's kiss.
"That was not what happened, miss?" Lupin began. Sam glowered at the wizard and tried to get Danny to his feet, but the boy was unresponsive. He was crying silently and shivering.
"Fix him!" Sam demanded.
"I gave him that chocolate. It will make him feel better. I promise. That light you saw, it drove off the dementors attacking him. I saved him!" Lupin retorted. Sam snatched the chocolate from Danny's hand, meeting no resistance.
"How do I know that this isn't poisoned?" Sam snarled, shaking the confectionary at him. Lupin stared at her. He gently took the chocolate from her hand and snapped a couple of squares off and put it in his mouth. He quickly ate it and handed it back to Sam.
"I didn't. I bought that today in a local shop. Try it yourself. I promise it won't hurt either of you, unless you have an allergy to chocolate. It will help him feel better," Lupin assured her.
Sam frowned at him before breaking off a square, glancing at Danny and ate the square herself. It was exactly as he said. Ordinary chocolate. She bit her lip worriedly before breaking off another piece and giving it to Danny. She gently coaxed the halfa into eating the chocolate. Once he swallowed the small amount of chocolate, his crying lessened and he began to feel a little better. His grief-stricken nausea eased. Sam instantly saw that the chocolate was helping and broke off another few pieces and handed them to Danny. Gradually the halfa regained his composure and he dried his eyes.
"What were those things?" he croaked emotionally.
"Dementors. Vile creatures that feed on happiness. You're fortunate I cast my patronus when I did Phantom. They almost kissed you. Here," Lupin answered and handed Danny the rest of the chocolate.
"Patronus?" Danny repeated shakily.
"That light that drove the dementors off," Lupin explained.
"It looked like a dog or a wolf," Danny mumbled as Sam broke a piece of chocolate off the slab for Danny. Lupin nodded.
"It did," he confirmed. He hated his patronus. A wolf for a werewolf. A mocking reminder of his condition.
Sam helped Danny to his feet.
"Where's Tuck?" Danny whispered, noticing the absence of his techno-geek friend.
"We split up when we saw you being chased by something. You were going so fast, it was nearly impossible to catch up," Sam answered.
"So you saw those⦠those things?" Danny asked softly. Sam shook her head.
"No, we just saw you flying down through the streets. At first, we thought you were chasing the ghost you spotted but then Tucker caught your face on a CCTV camera. You were scared," Sam explained, falling into a worried silence.
"Why were they chasing me?" Danny muttered, turning to Lupin hopefully. The wizard could see that the ghostly teen was shaken by the experience, and Lupin didn't blame him in the slightest.
"Perhaps, this can wait until you've gotten over this ordeal. I'm staying in a local hotel tonight. Come and find me tomorrow whenever you feel ready. I'll answer all your questions then. And I have a few of my own. If you'd prefer to meet elsewhere, then I'm more than happy to change the meeting place," Lupin suggested.
Danny nodded numbly and ignored Sam's concerned glance.
"Thanks Mr Lupin," Danny mumbled and started to stumble down the road, feeling too distraught to fly just yet. Sam gave Lupin one last glare before chasing after her friend. Lupin watched the teens leave before frowning.
"I don't recall introducing myself. How did he know I was called Lupin?" Lupin muttered with confusion before walking back to his hotel.
Scary huh?
Let me know what you think so far.
Until the next chapter.
