Chapter Six:
The Day That Never Comes, Part 6 Hello Stranger
Fenton Works
10:37 PM UTC
"Jazz tells me everything that happened, how I lost control over my powers, how I almost killed myself to get some of it back. How mortified she was to see me in the E.R.
"I couldn't believe what she said, but Val and Tuck were there. They told me the same story.
"I've done some stupid things in the past. That's how I became a superhero, but that… that didn't look like me at all. I see that now.
"The way they said I attacked them, like if I wanted their deaths, even though their ghosts… I just couldn't believe it.
"All of it because I thought myself better than them. I left my hubris cloud my judgment. I became arrogant while they looked for a way to outgrow me… I guess I got what I deserved."
Danny stares at his own reflection in his bathroom, remembering his battle with Technus and his crew.
The anger he fells makes him squeeze his fists so tight that he shakes in rage and shatters his mirror.
"I look at the past and I wonder 'when did this happen?' Then I think: 'if somebody had just warned me about this…' and then I remember Mr. M.
"Was this the threat he was talking about? Was this the war he mentioned or was it just the beginning of something bigger?"
10:43 PM UTC
"I look at the tv news… they say the danger's gone away… but I can see the fire still alight, burning into the streets. I know they're out there, waiting to finish the job.
"All of it felt almost like a nightmare. Something that I would never believe to be truth, but it is.
"And while I sit in my room, my foes are loose in the city, free to do as much chaos and havoc as they want and I can't stop them 'cause since I woke up in the hospital, I can feel how my powers are still… fluxing.
"Was this what Technus was up to? He wanted to kill me or cripple me in the process? Because if that was his plan… he succeed.
"Now I am for the first time in years, powerless. I hate to say it but if I want to stop him, I need to ask for help, but not from my friends or family… but from M… whoever the hell he is…"
Danny looks in desk the card number of that mysterious man. He kept the card not because he believed in his words, but because he feared they might be truth, because he deep down in his heart, he felt he might need his help.
The phone rings three times and hears the voice of a woman. Immediately he asks for Mr. M.
- M, are you there? It's me, Danny and… I need your help.
Center of Amity Park, Le Fantastique
10:52 PM UTC
- Can somebody please, tell me WHAT THE HELL ON EARTH are those ghosts doing in there?! – shouts agent K.
- Apparently… they're having dinner. – answers an operative.
- What?!
He savagely takes the binoculars of an agent to take a better look at the ghosts who where in fact, having dinner.
- Can somebody explain me why hasn't anybody called the central H.Q. in D.C.?!
- We've tried sir, but the dome made by the Fright Knight ghost is jamming all outcoming signals. We can't contact anyone outside the city.
- And what about the local H.Q.?
- It's located right outside the city limits, just a few feet away from where the dome falls.
- So it's also out of range. God-freaking-damn it!
- Even if we still could communicate, there is no one there, the place is empty. All the operatives left to fight that Fright Knight, so there is basically no one to communicate with in our headquarters.
- On the other hand the tv still works - blurted J.
K watches him with his head tilted and peeved.
And while the Guys in White try to solve their current situation, the ghosts discuss their next movement as well.
- I can't believe that stupid ghost kid got away… again! – yells Skulker, pounding the table with his new arm.
- Yeah, but not without having his butt kicked like he never had before – states Ember.
- You forget the part where he kicked our asses back, and almost kills us - pointed Spectra.
– You are right, we suck. Though I must say Technus that this new guitar you gave me it's really meant to rock. - She says with a big smile on her face. - Maybe if I get to play in front next time and not the background instead, we might get a better chance. Playing as groupie has never being my thing.
- I wouldn't say that - mumbles Skulker.
- What you talk about? I mean just look at you. You have a whole new armor that allows to steal all his energy, you got more firearms that the nazi empire and yet you are beaten by his dog.
- Watch your mouth Ember. You might have a big mouth, but is not enough to eat one of my plasma missiles.
- You're right that is the dog's mouth - replied Spectra.
Immediately, they both started growling at each other.
- Skulker, Spectra, as much as I'd like to see which one you has the most powerful body ever created by me, I cannot let you tear each other apart, not while we still have work to do. And by work I mean, create a situation that forces Danny Phantom to go out and play hero again, regardless of how little control he has over his powers now.
- And of what good is that supposed to be? You heard the kid, his power is unlimited now, he could turn my whole body into goo if he has the chance, or turn this whole dome into a snow dome. He could unleash a third ice age in here
- If he has the chance. Can't you see? All that power as unlimited as it is, is just too much power for him to handle. He had no control over it whatsoever. Such was the burden he had to disrupt it to regain control again.
- Wait, you said they're disrupted, that's means right now, he is in his most vulnerable state since he is powerless, he is more vulnerable than ever before - points out Ember.
- Exactly my child, you finally use your brain for something. So if you ask me of what good is that supposed to be, I'd say it's not going to be of any good for him.
- But even now it wouldn't last that much since they could burst again at any second - replied Spectra.
- Then I suggest we don't waste one more second in talking.
- And how do you pretend we finish our job? – asks Aragon.
- Luckily for you, I've foreseen you failing as you always have, not this form though - said, keeping oblivious to them that their weapons are prototypes. - I knew there was the possibility of it. So I prepared a backup plan.
- And what is that supposed to be? – Ember inquired curious.
- You'll know in its due time. For now let's just say it will blow your minds. But of course, I will need some extra hands to do the job.
11: 06 PM UTC
Fenton Works
Danny wakes up in his chair by the knocking in his window, and quickly notices a packet in his bed with a tag with his address written and the words: "From a good friend, to a friend in need. I believe this will suit your current needs."
- This "will suit" my needs? A suit will suit my need? Well, that makes Tucker the second worst joker I've ever meet - says taking out his new suit. - Ok… this is going to be juicy… - states Danny looking at the jumpsuit that came in the packet.
Danny floats up to the Emergency Oops Center, and puts on the new suit. It was incredibly light and soft to touch and it had the same color scheme that his old jumpsuit had before his accident, but with some minor differences.
When putting on the new suit he could feel it was different. The way it covered his body from toe to head, the mask it had, all of it felt almost like if it was a part of him.
- Shoulder pads? I like it. It fells really cozy, – states looking at them and the black lines that go all along his arms, coming from the collar of his suit, which now was v-pointed, to his gloves, and putting on his cowl which was opened at the top so his hair could stay out. The mask also had a pair of goggles, with eyes made of black flat lenses made of one-way glass, with insect-like design, which seem to act along with his face, making facial changes according to his actions and expressions.
– Not that I don't like it but is a little too late for a masks party to me. My identity is public knowledge, the whole world knows who I am. And what do I need the goggles for?
- The flight goggles of the Phantom Hunter suit Mark III comes with a wide array of applications that Mr. M founds useful for the user, Danny Phantom – says a computer voice inside his ear.
- Wow. Who said that?
- This is the Phantom Hunter suit Mark III interface program.
- Interface program?
- More specifically, your G.O.S.
- A gos? – asks Danny, confused.
- It stands for Ghostly Operative System.
- Great, like the Iron Cat armor. Now I have an actual voice in my head. Because my life wasn't crazy enough. And just to be clear, what am I supposed to call you?
- This unit code name is G.A.S.P.E.R.
- Wow, another non imaginative name from Mr. M. And here I thought my dad was lame for names.
- G.A.S.P.E.R. stands for Ghostly and Artificial Survival Program Experienced in Retrieval, or rescue if you prefer.
- You know what means? That somebody really wanted your initials to spell out G.A.S.P.E.R. And I don't like the word rescue, by the way.
- There is a manual you must listen to, before you use me. It will give you a hand on the most basic function of me.
- Manual? I don't have time to read.
- I said listen, not read. Now, for a short introduction say one, for a long introduction say two. If you want to hear again the options say dial.
- Yeah… I'm gonna go with one.
- Hello Daniel - said Mr. M's voice -, this is a recording so there is no need to answer. This suit you are wearing was created with nano technology - he started to explain -. The titanium nano-fiber of the suit's fabric is bounded with an alloy of other regenerative techno-organic metals developed in the New Millennium Foundation and laced with malleable diamond-hard liquid crystals, all of it designed to offer the ultimate body protection. It will not only protect your body from high impact force trauma, extreme temperatures, firearms and other forms of damage, but it also will cover the "blind points" of your powers. Each individual "cell" of the suit works as an individual machine that memorizes your body form, changes and muscular memory, working along with your powers, adjusting to every change of shape or movement you make and it ensures you'd be only one capable of using it. To access the rest of the functions and gadgets you must first upgrade the suit.
- For that, you first must go ghost - said G.A.S.P.E.R.
- I don't think I can. My powers have been fluxing, they are… they are broken, ok - Danny admitted with grief.
- Don't worry, M knows about your ghost core problem. He's thought about that. He knows everything.
- Ok. Leaving aside how creepy that is… I have no other choice but to trust you. I'm going ghost - he yells morphing, and in the process, the colors of the costume reverse, with the suit becoming black and white just like his usual jumpsuit. - Hey, I did it! Now, I think you said something about an upgrade?
- Downloading upgrades. Installing updates.
In that moment, blue energy rings, similar to his transformation rings, appear bringing forth high tech vambraces, a white and slightly pointed utility belt with his DP symbol around his waist and other notable changes.
- Now, this I like it… I mean mmmm… I look good, I mean really good. Hey everyone, come and see how I look! - said looking at the details and changes of his new suit: a silver disk-pack on his back, metallic triangular plates on top of his hands, black steel-toed white boots, a thin chest piece made of an alloy of titanium and diamond within the suit's layers which makes him look like he has pectorals and a six-pack, and black and ash-gray armor plating on the legs, knees and shoulders. Also the flat lenses of his goggles became plano-convex lenses, and the white parts of his suit and his symbol were now white glowing. A blue circuit board-like gleam quickly rises and disappears in the black parts of the suit. - But I need more than that if I want to win this time. What else can the suit do?
- The suit is equipped with the ultimate stealth technology, it hides you from any other kind of tracking form or technique such as IR vision, ghost detectors and smell. In other words, you will not only be invisible and odorless you'll be undetectable by radar. But its main function is to control and stabilize your powers and your ghost core, helping you gain control over them again, control in ways you could have never imagined. Through the neural interface, it will connect with you to stabilize, augment or suppress them to levels that you can tolerate and/or handle, though it could change depending on how much power you require for the situation. But remember that while it seems that the suit makes you stronger, it is still your own power, your own strength, and the suit only suppresses the exceeding energy of your outbursts, so you must be careful on how much you use.
- Wait what?
- The suit's neural interface is now integrated into your nervous system. Into your skin. And so am I.
- Now, this feels good - said as feeling how his powers stop fluxing and become stable again -, not the part of having a ghost program attached to my body, but feeling I'm in control again. I even feel a bit stronger now, much stronger - he exulted with a wide smile -. Ok, let's try this new suit. But first… Hey buddy, you're up for a night walk? - he asks Cujo who often sleeps upstairs.
His dog licks his face as a sign of agreement.
– Ok then let's go for it. Prepare Ghastly Six, 'cause I'm not only going, I'm going on shining and shining like brand new!
Prepared to fight his enemies, Danny flies right to the city's center where they await for him, phasing through the roof.
Taking high, he flies faster than he has ever done before, leaving a green and white stele of energy behind him, coming directly from his ghost tail, and breaking the sound barrier with no effort.