WARNING: This is chapter is rated PG 13 it really isn't that uch, just a few innuendos for tenagers
Chapter 0:
Where everything started
I never knew fame, or popularity in my life. It existed to me only through magazines and television shows as a very distant land, a different world far, far away from me, or it was until I became Danny Phantom, the (half) ghost hero of Amity Park, its phantom guardian. As Danny Fenton, I was ignored by everyone, overlooked, sometimes even by my own parents, as evidenced by their inability to notice I was a ghost living under their own roof. But as Danny Phantom, I was seen, hated and loved, feared and hailed by many. For all ironic purposes intended, I was a ghost that couldn't escape from the spotlight, and in time my fame became a sort of a suffocating nuisance with lousy ass names.
When I saved the world and I showed my face, both of them to everyone. When I showed people who I truly was, what I truly am, I knew I will never keep both lives separated again and I couldn't escape from that suffocating world I so wanted to know once and that I became to dislike sometime, and the truth is after a few months as a world wide known celebrity/everyone's favorite hero and savior of the world, I came to realize that… fame is fucking awesome!
Sure, it sucked the big one to be famous only as Danny Phantom and being chased by the news and everyone every time I showed my ghost face around, and even more when I was haunted, not by ghosts but by paparazzi as both Danny Fenton and Danny Phantom, but after a few months of getting the rock star treatment, getting into the V.I.P. section of every place I'd go, the most expensive suits with no charge in the most expensive hotels and even free stuff just for doing advertising of it, I can say that is the best thing that has ever happened to me second to getting my ghost powers. Sam is the third best thing that has ever happened to me, but she can't know that, she thinks she is the first one.
A few years ago if I got lucky enough to go to a party, no one would notice me, but now I walk into the club like if own the damn thing, like if I gotta a big cock, (not that I don't have it, but I'm the only one who knows that) and everyone looks at me. Wherever I go I'm the center of attention and it feels great.
But the best part of a having public identity is not that I'm now bigger than Charlie Sheen, and larger than life, or the appearances in several talk shows. Not even the fact that I got a movie of my live -and convinced the producers to use Christopher Nolan and not Michael Bay instead, as the director or even worst, the guy that made the Last Airbender movie. I mean Bay alone could make my life look like an Alien vs Predator movie- but the fact that now I can do a better job as a hero, not only hunting ghosts threats with my friends and family, but hunting down human threats with the local police, hunting criminals and cleaning the streets, keeping the city safe from more than just ghosts.
Now that people knows I'm a human and a ghost I can not only intervene in ghost affairs but also in human affairs as well. Even the government has requested my help several times. I even worked with the secret service and saved Obama's life twice. How cool is that? Lem'me tell you, is really cool. I'm inarguably the greatest hero ever.
Even now, my team that now includes Dani and Valerie, who has finally forgiven me for the whole ghost dog incident that got her father fired from his job at Axion Labs, and I are helping the local police to crack a bank robbery case, committed recently during an awful riot on the west side of the city.
The police got a hint on a group of men that worked near the bank, in different local stores and restaurants, with a long felony record and connection with some of the guys that started the riot all the other side of the city, setting buildings on fire and destroying houses and business shops when the robbery happened. The riot is believed to be a diversion used to draw the attention of every police officer in town so they could act with no men in blue there to stop them, and take note that I'm legally forced to say is "believed" even when they have no doubt of it.
In theory, this guys that meet in jail (another proof that the system works), studied the bank routine, security and everything they needed to know to break in at the right time -something they never did at school, apparently- and when the riot started, they went missing, stole the bank, take the awfully large amount of 30.000.000 $, throw away their weapons and then go back to work like if nothing happened.
Police got warrants to look for the money in their shit ass apartments in the worst part of the city, but of course, they weren't stupid enough to save the money where they would look first, and their riot starting buddies won't talk since they did it only out of the pleasure of destroying private property and they are all homeless, and they have no place to hide that awful amount of money.
Any other police department would work harder and dig deeper to find the treasure, but we don't really have that kind of case that often for them to know what to do next and any other department wouldn't have a friendly neighborhood phantom at a phone call distance.
That's when me and my team came in. When the thieves were at the police station I overshadowed one of them to infiltrate their little organization and lead them to where the money is hiding. That was a week ago and now I'm tired of being inside this asshole all the time. This is so far the longest time I overshadowed anyone and if I don't get some intel on the money soon I'll start cracking skulls to get it, just like the old school… maybe Sam is right. I've been watching way too many noir movies.
Luckily for them, today is pay time, which means their leader is gonna give us a little cut of the money.
- All right animals, listen up - Well, he isn't the kindest leader ever, that's for sure - there is a change of plans now.
- How so?
- We'll have to split the money in little parts now instead of the big parts we had planned.
- How little?
-Only two thousands a month until the cops get off our backs.
- And where is the money.
- Is right where we bury it, you piece of animal.
- …
- At my family mausoleum! We bury it there, because it's the only place I own that police won't be able to search if they catch us. Not only because they won't get a warrant to dig out my parent's graves without a good reason but because they're too stupid to think of that. God, you get stupider every day.
- And that's all I needed to hear - I said getting out of that stinky body.
As soon as they see me getting out of their partner's body, they get out their guns and point at me as soon the body hits the ground. But it doesn't matter, their going down because nobody steals in my city and gets away with it.
Specially not now that they got suckerpunched by a fourteen years old girl-me and my sister.
God, they were like ninjas!
As soon they pointed at me, Jazz used the Fenton Smoke bombs to blind them and Dani punched the white out of them in the middle of the chaos. Is a little Redounding if you ask me, but it was time for my sis' to make the plan and I wasn't gonna argue her plan with her, maybe she saw some irony on this. Besides, I came to learn you don't argue with a woman, and the animals didn't even know they get knocked out by a girl.
As soon as the smoke cleared I got the address for the leader's family mausoleum from Tucker and flied to the police station to get the money out.
My good action of the day makes it to the news like only a few of the several cases I had helped to solve over this past year and a half. I guess the cops don't want people to think they need a seventeen years old kid to do their jobs, but is what happens that night what burned this day so bad and deep into my memory.
It started when I was watching a movie with Sam, Dani, Tuck and Jazz to celebrate our little victory. Valerie called in the emergency line… ok, it's just my iGhost's second, but is the one with free roaming service, so it must has been something we really needed to talk, and indeed it was.
- Look who finally answers his phone. I've been trying to reach you for ours - she said.
- Sorry. I spend the whole day in the bathroom.
- Trying to wash the glory off?
- I tried. Didn't work. What are you calling for?
- Ok, how do I put it to you? You know your father's ghost portal?
- What's up with it?
- I think I found its long lost father.
- Val, what do you mean? - I asked, some of the guys in the theater tried to shh me. - Shhh you, this is important.
- I was on patrol, looking for ghosts as always, there's being the rumor that they're kidnapping people from Amity and Elmerton lately, and when I headed home I found something down the bridge between Amity Park and Elmerton that you really need to see.
- Why? What is it?
- Big and bad, like in really big bad news. You better bring the whole crew with you.
- What is it? - asked Sam upset for Valerie's call, as well as for having her in the Phantom Team.
- She said she just found something big and bad down the bridge and we need to see that immediately.
Taking the Specter Speeder, we meet with Val in thirty minutes. Thirty minutes during which Sam did nothing but complaining about Valerie being a member of the team -this being one of the thing I hate the most about her, how she complains about everything but that awful food she eats- but as much as I love her, I don't care what she says, Val is an excellent ghost hunter, and she became my best girl friend since we became a couple, I mean somebody had to take that place and who better than a girl I actually like and I prefer to have as a friend and not as an enemy?
When we get to the meeting point she shows us a giant rock down the bridge.
- Is that what you had to shows us? A giant rock? How is that bad new? - asked Sam enraged and confused.
- Is not a real rock you genius. Is a hologram. Look.
She savagely pulled her by the arm walking though the rock on the wall. We all followed her with no hesitation, not even Tucker who thought they might be having a cat fight on the other side, and a part of me wished for the same.
- Wow! You weren't kidding when you said you had big bad news.
Right there before us there was the biggest ghost portal we've all ever seen. Almost a hundred sixty foot height with a black and green frame.
I immediately knew that whoever made this portal had certainly no good intentions. With this portal…
-… anyone could move an entire army from the ghost zone to the human world.
- What? - asked me all at once.
- Think of it. What else could you use such a big portal other than for transporting an army into the human world?
- Don't you think that's exaggerated? - Asked Valerie.
Is there when I remembered the words of that shady man that remind me of the Invader Zim show said:"… there is an invisible war going on right now, a secret war. Sides are being made. And this war is bound to reach our world sooner or later…"
- The secret war - I drawled.
- The what? - asked Jazz.
- What do you mean?
- You mumbled something there.
- No I didn't.
- Danny are you holding something from us? - inquired Sam.
- I got nothing to hide. I'm transparent like lemon jelly.
- Leaving your mumbling aside, do you really think that this is meant to move an army? I mean the only ghosts that have an army are Pariah Dark and Nocturne, and none of them have either the skills to build one or the need, for that matter.
- Yeah, you're right. I'm probably letting myself get influenced by "The Expendables" movie we just saw. - I lied. I don't know why, not even today, but I lied through my teeth.
Maybe I haven't lost the habit of keeping secrets from people like I did when I had a secret identity. But the question I cared the most was: was it possible that what that man said was true? Even if he wasn't an ally as he said, is it possible that there is an invisible war going on? A secret war I haven't heard anything about? Or was it just my imagination?
- I say we should go in. - Said Danielle.
- What? Are you insane or suicidal? - asked Val.
- If we wanna know what this portal is for we have to walk into the other side. Besides think of all the cool stuff there is on the other side.
- Last time I heard those words I became a halfa and I almost died in the process.
- Danny is right. We shouldn't go in - said Jazz.
- I didn't mean that. What I meant to say is that is a bad idea and that's exactly why we should go in. That's what this team is all about, isn't is? Bad ideas everywhere. - they all stared at us, I almost could felt them judging our sanity. - Oh, fuck it. I'm the leader. I say we go in, we go in, period. This ain't no democracy.
- That was double negative - Sam said.
- Just walk in.
We all walked into the ghost portal, much against our better judgment. I could only imagine their thoughts saying she is definitely his clone, they're so the same and they're so suicidal. If I didn't know myself better I would actually say I'm suicidal, all the crazy things I've done that could easily kill me and I keep doing them. I felt so proud my little clone/cous', walking into the danger and the unknown with no fear or hesitation, just like me.
Once on the other side, we saw a ghost lab built in a cave with another smaller ghost portal, incubator machines like the ones Vlad used to clone me and several diagrams of ghost animals, ghosts and human physiology, and string theory equations I could recognize, don't ask why or how. The lab was empty but not abandoned. As people that lives with scientist Jazz and I could tell it was recently used to conduct experiments.
- Somebody's been doing experiments here - I said.
In that moment my ghost sense and Dani's sense came out, giving us the chills. Words were hissed from our back by more that one person.
- Yes… somebody's being doing experiments here… some ghastly… experiments…
- Guys, I take what I said back. We shouldn't have walked in - said Dani with fright in her voice.
When we turn around, we all get scared shitless when we see the awful group of zombie-looking ghosts behind us.
Instinctively, Dani and I go ghost and I got this recurrent thought I've had since she joined our team eight months ago: I'm such a hot chick… don't say anyone I thought that.
- Look at them… They are the originals… the firsts… - hissed who seemed to be their leader pointing at us.
- The originals?
- The first? The first what? The first not anime character to have white hair?
- Danny, we've talked about this. Reality, fiction - said Jazz.
The zombie-looking ghosts hurled at us. We fought back and overpower them easily. They couldn't even take ghost ray in the leg or a punch in the face without turning into ghost goo or losing the head, but they we're to many and they seemed to be keep growing in number and the quickly outnumbered us. Rapidly, Val, Dani and I joined our ghost shields into one blue and green dome to keep them back.
- Ok now what, oh great and brave leader? - asked me Val with derision.
- Hey don't you talk to him like that, I'm the only one who's right to do that. - yelled Sam. - What now you great leader?!
- Ok, this is the plan. Jazz is gonna tell us the plan. C'mon sis', what's the plan?
- Why should I be the one with a plan?
- Ok, you got nothing. I guess being a college girl a year earlier doesn't mean you're always prepared. Anyone else wanna try?
- What if we move with the ghost shield out of the lab? - asked Tuck.
- That's so stupid it might actually work - I said.
- Right. Because the last time we did something stupid it worked out for the best - countered Sam sarcastically.
Slowly, we started lifting and moving the ghost shield only inches from the ground, with the ghosts pounding it to get in but after a few steps we realized it was to hard to do it with all of them hitting at the same time.
- Ok, this isn't working, new plan.
- Why don't you use your ghostly wail?
- That would work, if it wasn't because I can't. I got ghost nodules for my excessive use of it and I haven't completely healed from surgery.
- I thought you healed faster than humans. In a matter of seconds, you said - scolded me Sam.
- Well sometimes I can't, ok.
- I think is not his ghostly wail what caused the nodules - said Valerie. - Too bad we can't put them down again.
In that moment I knew what I had to do. The answers was in my hands all along.
- Everybody, get close.
I tapped the ground with my hands and spread my ghost energy out of the dome, all over the floor to turn it intangible and make the ghosts phase and fall into it.
My plan worked out, much to my surprise, since I didn't think it would work on ghosts.
- Why couldn't you do that since the beginning? - asked Sam.
- Why do you have to bitch about everything?
- Hey, don't turn this into me…
Sam get interrupted by a computer voice saying: "Intruder alert, self destruction in T-minus five, four…"
- I gotta stop doing stupid thing.
- Yes, you do - she agreed. The first time we agreed in months.
Dani and I pushed all our energy into the ghost shield. The whole place explodes with all its secrets burned and buried deep down in the debris of that cave and the ghost portal, both of them got destroyed, just like all the experiments that took place in that cave.
We flied through all the ghost zone till we found the Fenton Portal and came back to the bridge the next day looking for some answers, but the only thing we got was a bunch of parking tickets in the Specter Speeder.
We split into two teams. Val, Dani and me came back to the cave in the ghost zone to search for any clue in the debris while Jazz, Sam and Tucker look down the bridge.
- You know what would be really cool? - I asked.
- If you say Dani and making out, I swear you're lose a hand.
- Ok, you know what else would be really cool?
- Danny, we've talked about this. Reality, porn - exclaimed Dani in anticipation to my joke.
- You are really tying my hands here.
- Good.
- Got anything?
- No.
- Not even ghost rat shit - replied Val.
- What about the others?
- The same.
Meanwhile, down the bridge.
- I can't believe you leave Danny alone with Val - said Tuck.
- Why?
- You kidding? Your relationship is been on rough path since you started dating and you leave his ex who still has the hots for him alone with him?
- What?! They're not- They never dated, not for real and Dani is with them. Besides, we're not gonna break up for a couple of fights. Couples do that all the time.
- Maybe. But she doesn't complain as much as you do.
- We are fine!… - yelled with hesitation in her voice. - You are a mean little imp.
- Yeah. You'd believe that's because my parent don't love me but they do, and a lot.
- We got nothing Danny - said Jazz through the Fenton Headphones.
- Ok.
After that we tried to find some answers in the ghost zone, interrogating every ghost we could, asking about secret labs or secret wars, that one I did it on my own, but we came empty handed and eventually we focused in other problems and assume this was just an old lab with failed experiments from Vlad, with failed clones that kept the lab working waiting for their master. After all, they called me and Dani the "originals" and the incubator machines look similar to the ones where Dani was born, only but made of crystal.
But deep down a part of me had its doubts about that theory, and thought that it actually belonged to someone else. Maybe. I guess I'll never know what did they mean when they said that place was used for ghastly experiments, who was behind them or what were they for.
Epilogue: What Technus made.
The Ghost Zone, Remains of the Secret Ghost Lab.
18 months after Phantom Planet, Monday 12, 01:24 A.M. UTC
Technus walks into the ruins of his now not so secret lab with his new allies.
For over a year this facility has been his private headquarter, seat of numerous ghost experiments.
In this place Technus had ideas like he has never had before, created weapons that only his mind could design and his hands could create, he made inventions like no others and conducted terrible experiments, ghastly ghost experiments that would be considered, well… inhuman.
And now, all of his ideas, all his progress, his weapons and experiments were lost, buried deep in the wrack.
- Well, I guess there is just one question left now, who left main frame open?!
- Let me handle that - Ember said to Skulker - It's all Skulker's fault!
- Precisely, my-WHAT?!
- He went out to look I don't know what, and when he came back he went to do god knows what with Spectra in his room.
- Exactly, wait WHAT?! - Spectra said.
- Don't act like if you two don't what I'm talking about. Even Spooky here can tell you two have an affair - says pointing at Fright Knight.
- And I must assume that after you finished your hunting mission you left the door open?! - yelled Technus.
- Well… I… left the holo-rock on.
- The hologram is ALWAYS ON! Months, almost two years of preparation, of experiments, and progress are now lost. My experiments, my plans of invasion, my weapons, my army, everything is lost and now that damn kid might or might not know about our plans, because you went to give it to her good?
- No. They're lost because I gave it to her hard - said with a smile on his face. Skulker and Spectra giggled at the same time while Ember circle her eyes. - You're not laughing. I'm guessing you don't found that funny - said stopping his giggling.
- You two are lucky that I have backups of all my intel, plans and experiments in my brain and more of my specimens in my house lab where my most important project is safe. Unfortunately, this will most likely set up a red flag.
- Does this mean a delay on our plan?
- Quite the opposite, Penny. This unexpected exposure, regardless of whether if they have any idea of what happened here or not, means that we have to expedite things.
Technus opens a ghost portal to his house lab, to show them his greatest and most dangerous creation of all. A device that would most certainly mean the end of the human world as they know it.
- Wow, now I see why you didn't want to throw last year Christmas's party.
Skulker and all of his teammates were impressed by the colossal, mechanical monstrosity that was being built up before them. A massive machine made of steel, designed to bring the end of human race and materialize Technus' dream.
- If you found it impressive now, wait for it to be over and see what it does. Now prepare for the day that never comes is closer, closer than you think.