Thanks to YumeTakato, Shadow Crystal Mage, Quacked Lurker, Snickerer, Clones-for-Breakfast, and Sasia93.Anyone else who wants to see their name up here should review.
Chapter 5: Demons
Danny Phantom non est meus, et non erat.
Several days later, not much had changed in Amity Park. People were still becoming more and more ghostlike, but this was voluntary now, since the Fentons had made their Ghost Catcher available to the public. Having ghostly attributes had become a fad and a sign of support for the town heroes, especially among the teenage population, many of whom were flagrantly violating the outdoors ban in order to strengthen their traits. Everyone who'd kept their ectoplasm was now publicly and proudly using their ghost powers as well. They were too caught up in everything to notice that Phantom and Spirit had disappeared from the Amity Park scene. Among the people who'd gone through the Ghost Catcher were the Fentons, who felt the ectoplasm was interfering with their objectivity, and the Mayor.
It was Aster who finally saw the ghost, his dark blue robes whipping around him as he surveyed the town with a vicious grin on his thin face. His posture reminded the hippie of every other villain he'd seen, so Aster decided to investigate further. It wasn't like he was putting his existence at risk since he simply absorbed ectoplasm in all forms thanks to his necklace, and whatever information he could get would please Team Phantom, and earn him emotions to boot. Aster flew up to where the evil-looking ghost was gloating above the clouds.
"Hey, man. Nice view from up here, huh?" The grey ghost turned his head slowly to glare at Aster with small red eyes. His stare barely fazed the hippie, who continued chattering blithely.
"So, you enjoying all the groovy people here? I am." The ghost continued glaring. Aster tried a different tack.
"So, what's your major power, man? You look like you've probably got something wicked, know what I mean?" The ghost curled a thin lip at that, revealing pointed yellowing teeth. He spoke in a flat, deadly tenor.
"You're annoying." The hippie grinned wider.
"So I hear." Aster shrugged. "So, you gonna tell me or not? I promise I won't tell a living soul." He placed a hand on the left side of his chest for emphasis.
"Look," he continued, "you can hit me with your biggest blast if I break it."
"You tell me your power first," the second ghost sneered.
"Okay. I can teleport."
"That's it?"
"Yup. That's it!" Aster beamed happily and pointed at the figure before him. "Your turn."
"Very well. I don't see you being able to stop me, so I'll tell you." The ghost dropped his voice down an ominous octave. "Any ectoplasm I generate can infiltrate humans and replace their molecules."
"So that's why all those cats are turning green." Aster tried to sound surprised even though he already pretty much knew that piece of information. "What's that do for you, though?"
"The more ectoplasm they absorb, the less normal matter they have. And all that matter goes to me."
"So you're trying to become human or something?"
"No, not human. Just as powerful as these halfas I've heard of. I'm almost there, so you'd better keep your word." Aster gulped.
"Look, man, I'm no fink." He raised his arms in defensive protest. "Gives me bad karma, see? Hey, you got a handle? I'm Aster."
"It's Cyclone. Now leave." Cyclone's dark voice dripped poison.
"'Kay, man. Don't get yourself in a knot about it. I'm goin'." Aster started to fly off, then seemed to think of something and turned around again. "Hey, you ever hear of this cat called Plasmius?"
A blot of ruby ectoplasm shot at him and Aster narrowly avoided it.
"Okay, I'll take that as a no. Later, man!" Aster pulled himself into a sharp dive and headed back to Amity Park.
---
Meanwhile, Danny Fenton, Sam Manson, Tucker Foley, and Valerie Gray were currently sitting down to lunch in the Casper High Cafeteria. They'd successfully made it through another morning of keeping Danny's secret in the face of obsessive bullying, and all four teens were exhausted.
"Guys," Danny said as he collapsed onto a bench. "I don't think I can keep this up much longer. It's a strain just to be human." He sighed. "Maybe it wouldn't be so bad just to go ghost and stay that way for a while. It's not like I'm Public Enemy No. 1 anymore."
"Dude, you can't be serious," Tucker answered. "What if you never change back?"
"You don't listen to the Fentons, do you, Tucker?" Valerie, skin and hair tinged green, asked. "They said there's still going to be human in him for a few more days. We defeat this ghost, and it'll be fine."
"See, Tuck, Val agrees with me."
"Do not. I'm just defending the Fentons. I still think you guys should just let me blast the spook. I've got the equipment and the training…."
"And the obsession," Tucker mumbled, then ducked as Val shot a pair of rays at him.
"Hey!" said Sam, with just a trace of feeling, "as much as I'd love to see a fight right now, and I mean that in the best possible way, maybe we'd better worry about that." She pointed at a blonde, green-skinned jock with red eyes and prominent fangs who'd just proudly entered the canteen. Danny groaned.
"I can't take another session with Dash." He cradled his head in his hands. "If he goes after me again, I'm fighting back. I don't care."
"Danny!" hissed Sam. "You can't!"
"I said if, Sam," Danny answered tensely. He stood up and started to make his way towards the opposite side of the cafeteria. Unfortunately, Dash noticed him anyway.
"Hey, look guys, it's Fen-tongue! You know, I think I've been going about this all wrong. I wonder what happens to geeks when I do this?" He sent an ectoblast at Danny, throwing him into a stack of trays. "Whatsa matter, loser? Can't fight back? Didn't get any powers?" He sent another blast at Danny, pushing him back down onto the floor. The cafeteria laughed and Danny pulled himself up, glaring, to face the bully.
"F.Y.I., Dash, I did get powers. And I think it's about time I used them."
"Danny, no!"
Sam ran forward to restrain her boyfriend, but he'd already summoned an ectoblast of his own and sent it in Dash's direction. It hit the jock square on his chest and sent him crashing into the A-list table. Three hundred heads watched his trajectory, then snapped back to Danny, stunned that he had actually fought back and had powers he hadn't shown. Three hundred heads watched in shock as a band of white light that had appeared at Danny's waist split apart despite the boy's obvious attempt at resistance. The two halves began moving in opposite directions and three seconds later, half the school had witnessed their classmate's complete transformation into Danny Phantom.
Surprisingly, it was Dash who spoke first from where he lay on the floor.
"F-Fenton?"
"Yeah. Now you know." Danny looked up into the faces of the crowd. "I'm Phantom. I got my powers in an accident two years ago. It's like what you guys have, just a lot more. I know you'll be acting different around me now, but I'd like it if you kept it under control. Spirit and I are trying to stop a difficult ghost right now, and a lot of pestering is just going to get in the way."
His words broke the dazed spell and most of the Phantom Fan Club began running towards him, their obsession with him taking control of their actions. Sam leapt in front of Danny and conjured a shield to keep them at bay. She turned to Danny questioningly.
"Okay, what now?"
"We go somewhere to talk this out, and let the rest of the Team know. When I say go, drop the shield, Sam." He grabbed Sam's spare wrist and Valerie's gun hand. "Tuck, you've got intangibility, so you're taking yourself. Go!"
Sam dropped the shield, the fangirls surged, and Danny pulled his friends down into the meat locker, collapsing onto a crate of pork sausages.
"Are you sure you can't change back?" Sam asked.
Danny tried, and failed. "Yep. Just like we thought."
"We'll protect you, Danny," said Tucker, picking himself up from a smashed container of pre-made meatloaf. "Whatever happens, we're there for you, dude."
"I just hope we can stop that ghost before the press gets too into this," Val said, pulling an ectogun out of somewhere. (No one knew how she kept them hidden, really.) "And before he does any more damage to everyone. This is getting out of control."
"Agreed. You're going to have to field questions from everyone at school," Sam warned.
"I know." Danny sighed. "I've just got to compose my thoughts. At least they like me now, mostly."
The four teens stiffened as they heard footsteps on the stairs. When a girl dressing in pink turned a corner into their view, Danny stood up to face her, uncertain. Paulina walked up to the group, but stopped at a distance.
"You've been Phantom the whole time?" she asked.
"Yeah." The halfa stood up and blushed uncomfortably.
"You wanted to join your own fan club?"
"No," Danny said emphatically. "My archenemy wanted me to. He was trying to tear my support group apart."
"Oh." Paulina looked downcast for a moment, before perking up and asking, "Do you need help?"
"Help?"
"Yes. You know, like protection or fighters or someone to stop the rest of the club from attacking you? I've got control over almost everyone, you know."
"Thanks," Danny replied gratefully. "I'm not sure what we'll need, but thanks. You don't want me for yourself?" Paulina thought for a moment and shook her head.
"You're Sam's. I still think Phantom's hot and all, but Fenton's never really been my type, and since you're the same person..."
"Okay." Danny sounded relieved. "Look, I've got to tell my parents what's happened. Val, can you get in touch with Spirit?"
Val nodded and pulled out a cell phone, as did Danny. They headed off to opposite ends of the meat locker, leaving Sam, Tucker, and Paulina alone for the moment. The three of them stood around awkwardly for a minute or so before Paulina pressed for details and the others explained. She had a right to know, a little, since she was somewhat friends with the group now.
---
The telephone rang in Lancer's apartment and Cathy, hands dripping wet, answered. The voice on the other line sounded nervous and panicked.
"Cathy, can you come over to the office? We've got a problem."
"I'm doing the dishes."
"Leave them. This is more important."
"All right, I'll..."
Click.
Cathy sighed and set the tea towel down on the counter. Then she shut her eyes and visualized the entrance to Lancer's office. When she opened them again, she was standing outside it. Cathy smiled proudly. That was the furthest she'd teleported all week. She'd be sad to see the power go. It had some great possibilities she hadn't exploited yet.
A bell rang as Cathy opened the door to the office and stepped inside. The Hispanic secretary, Helena, looked up from her computer screen angrily, not welcoming the disturbance. She now had a slight lavender tint to her skin and hair, and had altered her wardrobe to accent it. Scattered across her desk were photographs, newspaper clippings, figurines, and other memorabilia, all featuring Will Spirit.
So Will wasn't being paranoid about her. Cathy glared at Helena. "I'm here to see Will."
"Fine, honey. Just go right in."
Cathy did, and stopped dead in the doorway.
"Shut the door!" Spirit demanded. He was sitting glumly in Lancer's desk, cradling his head in his hands.
"What happened?" Cathy asked, approaching the ghost. "I thought you said..."
"I know. I went intangible to get something out of the desk, not thinking, and then suddenly I couldn't control the transformation. I'm stuck."
"That is a problem. Well, the town's supportive so it shouldn't be that bad." Cathy sat down on the corner of his desk.
"What about Helena?" Lancer asked. "She's not the only one who's become obsessed with Spirit either. And then there's Danny..." The phone rang and Lancer answered.
"Hello?" There was muffled squawking on the other end, Lancer managed to interject a "me too," and then the phone clicked off. Lancer groaned.
"Danny's stuck too. That was Valerie."
"And that means the moment Dani uses her powers..."
"Let's just hope she doesn't. I should probably call an emergency meeting, get out a press release..."
Cathy grabbed Lancer's desk phone. "I'll call the Fentons. Get started on that release. It's Lancer's job to do it, after all."
"Right. This feels a little surreal."
"That's because it is." Cathy dialed the Fentons, who answered immediately. "Maddie, we've got a problem... Yes, how did you know?"
---
While the halfas were dealing with personal issues, Aster had found the person he was looking for right where he'd expected him to be — a forgotten corner of the public library.
"Writer! Baby! How's it goin', man?"
"Just fine," the scholar answered tersely. "What do you want? You're not my friend."
"I ran into the ghost," Aster answered, "and I promised I wouldn't tell a living soul."
"So you came to me?" Aster nodded. "Well, I suppose that's logical. Then I'll tell Will?" Another nod, then Aster spoke.
"Name's Cyclone. He's doing it to become a halfa, and it's working. Grey skin, red eyes, yellow teeth, blue robes, thinks I'm harmless." The Ghost Writer set his lips together and gave a curt nod.
"Thank you." The bespectacled ghost rose into the air. "I'm going to find Will. Make yourself useful." He went through the ceiling. Aster brought his eyes back down and sighed. There wasn't anything he could do to make himself useful. Well, other than tell Danny, but Aster didn't break promises.
Aster grinned. If he couldn't be useful, he was going to do the next best thing. He went invisible and, whistling, went to find the librarian.