I don't own Danny Phantom. Butch Hartman does. I do own this story, though.
It had been a few hours the Fentons had been down in the lab. A trashcan full to the brim with crumpled up balls of paper sat next to their table, some of the balls hanging out on the floor next to the bin. Maddie groaned.
"So, which one did we just cross off?" She muttered, placing her face on the table. Jack sighed as he threw another ball of paper toward the trash.
"Ninja." He said, exasperated. His wife sat up.
"I just don't get it! We've gone through so many scenarios- none of which fit the bill! What's left?" She shouted, throwing her arms up in the air. She grunted. "Maybe he's just slacking off." Jack shook his head.
"No, I wouldn't think so. There's got to be a reason why he keeps disappearing...Wait a second." He said, standing up. "What if he was...A ghost hunter? I mean, he's a Fenton. He has ghost hunting in his blood. And considering the number of ghosts this town has..." He said, tapping a finger on his chin. Maddie blinked.
"That's actually not too crazy. But...How would he not be noticed by anyone? Someone could tell it was him." She said, writing it down. "This has a few holes...While I know he has access to ghost hunting technology...He doesn't look like he has the muscles needed to do it. And, he'd have more cuts and bruises. Once again, super-healing would be needed to hide those from us." She said. "But still, this is one of the closest answers we got. I want to work on it a little more."
"Gotcha. So..." Jack said, drumming his fingers on the table. "He has gotten more muscular in the last couple of months. But as far as we know, he doesn't really work out." He said. Maddie was about to say something, before the room began to flash green, and an alert system sounded.
"Ghost alert. Ghost alert. There are two ghosts outside the house, near the roof of the Ops Center." It's blank, emotionless voice rang. Jack sprang up.
"Quick, Mads! Grab the Fenton Fear Finder in case it's the ghost kid!"
Danny paced in his room. He had tried to get his mind off being stuck in the house by playing video games- which he tried, but he was too distracted. He didn't know how long he had been pacing- he was wondering what his parents needed him for. Usually when they said they needed help, they instantly told them what they wanted the kids to do. But it was silent. Jazz had talked to him a few times, but neither could tell what was going on- which was a feeling he dreaded.
He gasped as a blue mist escaped his mouth, chilling his throat and mouth slightly as it exited. The blue-tinged air dissipated, and he groaned. He stuck his head out the window to see what ghost it was. He couldn't see what it was from there. Mentally cursing the fact he might get caught for being gone, he went ghost without a word and flew up and out, to see the Box Ghost hanging over the roof, staring at some various technology up on it. Danny slapped a hand to his face.
"Oh for- Don't you have anything better to do than be a nuisance?" He snapped, making the Box Ghost turn around. Boxy grinned 'evilly'.
"I am the Box Ghost! And I will have nothing better to do than pester you! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAAA!" He laughed. Danny rolled his eyes.
"Wow, the 'muahaha' is new. How long did it take to perfect that to sound not pathetic enough to make me laugh?" He said. The Box Ghost stopped.
"Uh..." He began to count on his fingers. Danny didn't say a thing, and just pulled out the thermos, sucking the ghost in.
"THIS NOT THE LAST YOU WILL SEE OF ME!" He shouted, being sucked in. The boy rolled his eyes again as he capped the thermos.
"Yes, and with each waking time, I don't think you can get more annoying. Each time I'm proven horribly, horribly wrong." He sighed, irritated. Why was it he who was always the one who was bothered?
"FREEZE, SPOOK!" He heard behind him. He jumped and froze, turning to see his parents with ecto-guns pointed at him, with a strange new device in Jack's hand.
As Maddie and Jack got up the stairs to the rooftop, they peeked and saw the ghost boy and a short, portly blue ghost. The ghost boy looked only exasperated, while the blue one was being cocky. Jack was about to jump in, but Maddie stopped him, just to observe the two.
"I am the Box Ghost! And I will have nothing better to do than pester you! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAAA!" The blue ghost laughed. The boy rolled his eyes.
"Wow, the 'muahaha' is new. How long did it take to perfect that to sound not pathetic enough to make me laugh?" He said back. Both ghost hunters mentally noted this was probably a ghost the boy fought often. The other ghost stopped.
"Uh..." He said, counting on his fingers. The ghost kid didn't say any more, and sucked him in using a- Fenton Thermos? Jack stared, enraged by it. He must've stolen it! Maddie wasn't any happier, but nudged him to keep him calm.
"THIS NOT THE LAST YOU WILL SEE OF ME!" The ghost shouted, Danny quickly capping the thermos, rolling his eyes again.
"Yes, and with each waking time, I don't think you can get more annoying. Each time I'm proven horribly, horribly wrong." He said. Maddie quickly gave a signal to go forth to Jack, who jumped out as soon as he could.
"FREEZE, SPOOK!" He shouted. Danny jumped and turned. His eyes flickered between his parents and the device. He smiled weakly.
"Uh-uh, good...Day, folks. Am I disturbing you? 'Cause I'll go- ah!" He shouted as Jack ignored him and directed the invention at him, the light coming and giving him a small jolt. He stared at it.
"Wh-what was that?" He asked nervously. Maddie snorted.
"None of your business, ghost. You'll find out soon. As for now, you're coming with us." She said, pulling out some cuffs. Danny grinned weakly.
"Uh...No thanks, kaybyegottago." He said, phasing through the floor. As he landed back in his room, he changed back to not be detected. He thought about the thing his parents had.
"What...Was that? Wait a second, I felt that same shock earlier, but I wrote it off as my imagination. Think, Fenton. What could that be?" He talked aloud to himself, pacing again.
Both parents had instantly dashed toward where Danny had stood a moment ago, but he had disappeared from sight by the time they reached the point. Maddie snarled.
"Thinks he can get away that easy? Well, we'll know where he's hiding in-" She stopped at seeing the ghost detector have zero ghosts on radar. "Drat." She muttered. "Oh well. Once we have his fears, we can figure out how to get him. Jack, what does the Fear Finder say?" She asked, turning to Jack. But his stare was directed down at the screen, blank and unblinking. Maddie raised an eyebrow.
"Jack?" She asked, waving a hand in front of his face. He woke up from his trance, and slowly looked at Maddie.
"Mads, you should have a look at this." He said. His wife gazed over the screen, staring at the information with a gasp.
It read that Daniel Phantom had the fears/phobias of becoming evil or losing ones he cares about through death.