Here is chapter two! I have a few more written and will upload them soon!
I do not own Danny Phantom! Danny Phantom belongs to Butch Hartman. OC characters are mine.
Seth was waiting on the sidewalk outside of Bethany's home, casually scrolling through his phone. When he saw her walking out her front door, he pocketed his phone and smiled.
"Well, it's about time slow-poke!" He gave her a cheeky grin and she lightly punched him in the shoulder once she was next to him.
"Ha-Ha, you are hilarious." Bethany deadpanned. She was exhausted from her restless night and was struggling to find the energy to keep up with Seth's antics. He broadly smiled back to Bethany.
"Don't I know it!" The two lapsed into a comfortable silence as they walked. It was Saturday and they were heading to a local plant nursery for required community service hours by their school. She would have been grumpier if Seth wasn't going with her. Ten minutes later, they arrived at the nursery and were assigned a row of plants to pick weeds. The two stood side-by-side, occasionally nudging each other and exchanging playful smiles. After a time, Seth couldn't fight his curiosity anymore.
"So," he cleared his throat and dared a sidelong glance at his best friend. "I have a theory." Bethany continued pulling out weeds, making no move to face Seth.
"Mmhmm?"
"It's about Phantom…" Bethany abruptly pulled out a chunk of weeds and, consequently, a chunk of soil along with it. She frowned to herself. Seth continued on, gaining momentum.
"You see, I find it really odd that the people there are so okay with him disappearing. I mean it was obvious he was helping them, right? So there has to be someone else trying to get rid of him." He waved his hands around as he spoke, getting excited about this theory. Bethany continued pulled weeds, refusing to look over at Seth.
"So that had me thinking, who could-," suddenly a chill ran down Bethany's spine and her head snapped up just in time to see a box flying towards her. She grabbed Seth by the arm and yanked him down, watching as the box flew over their heads right where they had been standing. Slowly peeking over the row of plants, Bethany saw a blue figure floating a few rows in front of them, wearing overalls and a gray hat. He smiled maliciously at them and proceeded to raise his hands and shout, "Beware!" Just as he did so, another box came flying at them, causing Bethany to duck down again.
"Seth, I think it's a ghost! We need to move, now!" She began crawling towards the main building next to the outdoor rows of plants and Seth followed suit. His face was torn between excitement and fear. Boxes continued to fly overhead as they moved. Suddenly, the ghost was floating above them, cackling like a maniac.
"You two cannot escape my cardboard boxes of doom!" He summoned two more boxes and Bethany and Seth stood to make a break for it. They just made it behind the building's wall as the two boxes smashed into it. The pair bolted for the end of the room and flipped over a long table to hide behind. Panting, they sat with their backs to the outside, hoping the ghost wouldn't find them.
"What the hell…" Bethany whispered, still catching her breath. Seth only nodded in response. Seth peered over the table and saw the ghost looking around, a few boxes floating behind it.
"This is the second one this week. This never happens this far from Amity." He muttered.
"I told you they were evil." Bethany huffed, her anger growing. Seth was opened his mouth to respond when suddenly, a box flew over their hiding spot and crashed into the wall across from them. They both jumped and looked up to see the ghost floating above.
"You puny humans cannot defeat me! For I am the Box Ghost!" He raised his arms above his head again and something in Bethany snapped.
"What are you even doing here?" She spat angrily, surprising herself and Seth with the sudden outburst. The ghost seemed confused, as if the answer were obvious.
"It is no longer enjoyable in Amity Park, puny human. Now that he is locked up, we came here, for the next best thing!" Now it was Bethany's turn to look confused. What was he talking about, the next best thing? Just as the ghost summoned two more boxes, he was shot by a blast and slammed into the wall. The three of them were startled and looked back to the entrance of the building to find the source of the shot. Three men in white uniforms stood there, one holding a smoking weapon. It looked like a high-tech gun. The ghost clearly recognized them because a look of fear crossed his face and he fled through the roof. The men took off after him, leaving a stunned Bethany and Seth to sit in silence.
Their walk home later that day was full of tense silence, both teens lost in their own thoughts. By the time they reached Bethany's home, Seth hardly registered her leaving. He looked up with a confused expression and it took him a moment to remember where he was.
"Oh, right, uh bye Beth. I'll see you," He awkwardly waved and continued on his way, leaving a very confused Bethany to watch him go. Seth was not one to be quiet after big events like a ghost attack. He seemed off somehow. Shrugging off her curiosity, she made her way inside her house and into the kitchen. Her parents were at the table eating homemade sandwiches for lunch. They were sweaty from doing yard work, the standard Saturday activity, and they had dirt and grass stains on their clothes. She greeted them and went to find the sandwich they undoubtedly made for her. All she found on the island was various ingredients lying out, but no sandwich. Confused, she turned back to her parents.
"Uh, hey, did you forget about me? Where's my food? Or did dad already eat it all?" She smirked at her father but the smile slowly faded when she noticed her parents' confused expressions. They were looking at her like they had no idea who she was. Bethany shifted her feet, suddenly very uncomfortable. Her father closed his eyes and slapped his forehead.
"Oh, gosh, duh! How did I forget?" He stood up to make her lunch with a dazed expression, clearly shocked that he managed to forget a basic weekend ritual. Her mom seemed to come too as well, shaking her head at herself.
"Gosh, sorry Beth! The sun must be getting to us…" She mussed to herself. This was all starting to feel very eerie. First, Seth barely registered Bethany's house and now her parents? Something was very wrong. She decided to try something else.
"So there was a ghost at the plant nursery today. Seth and I saw it." Her mom looked up, still seeming confused.
"What is a ghost doing all the way out here?" Bethany shrugged, still unnerved by the lack of concern. Her parents should be asking question after question, ensuring she was all right. Instead, they treated it like any other small talk. Her father handed her the finished sandwich and sat back down at the table. His usual banter missing. Something was wrong, and Bethany began to feel very uneasy about this whole situation.
"I'm going to eat in my room," She stated and began backing out of the kitchen. Her parents continued eating and hardly noticed, only muttering an "okay" as she left. Making her way upstairs to her room, Bethany began to wonder if maybe she was going insane, or if that interaction had really just happened.
Valerie swiped her key card and the door unlocked and slid open. She stepping inside and stood in front of the agent's desk, awaiting her instructions. Agent K casual looked up from the file he was reviewing, smiling as he saw his employee.
"Ah, yes, hello Valerie. I'm assuming you're here because you talked to Agent M?"
"Yes, sir. What is it you need me to do?" Valerie clenched and unclenched her fists, losing patience with her superior. Ever since Danny had been captured, interacting with her boss was about as enjoyable as having teeth pulled. Agent K set down the folder containing the file and took off his dark glasses to set them on his desk, his dark eyes scanning Valerie, calculating.
"Yes, well, it seems our plan is almost complete. However, there has been a slight complication. I need you to do some digging." He gazed at Valerie, measuring her reactions.
"Digging for what, exactly?" She held steady, preparing for anything the Agent might say.
"It seems that Daniel has mentioned something a few times now. He keeps asking 'where she is' and 'what did you do with her'. When probing further, he just keeps asking those same things, claiming we should know what he is talking about. We are worried about his pressing concern. This person could be a threat to our operation."
"And you want me to figure out who he is talking about?" Valerie stood with confusion written on her face. She knew that Sam was safe in Amity and Dani was instructed to stay clear of the area, for fear of her capture as well. Jazz and Danny's parents were also fine, Valerie had spoken with them just yesterday. Agent K smiled, an expression of approval crossing his face.
"I knew I liked having you work for me." Valerie internally cringed at his praise, wishing she could punch him right then and there. However, a more pressing thought stopped her from acting on that desire.
"Wait, if you expect me to find out who he means, then does that mean you want me to talk to him directly?"
"Yes, however we will be outside of the room listening in on the conversation. For security reasons of course." He nonchalantly folded his hands and awaited her response. Valerie shifted her stance, weighing her options.
"With all due respect sir, that is exactly what Danny would expect. If you hope to get more information from him, you need to let me go in alone." Agent K's expression was emotionless, clearly deciding how much he trusted his top employee. Finally, he let out a breath and eyed Valerie warily.
"I understand and of course you are right. I have been hesitant to initiate contact between you two because of your familiar history." Valerie fidgeted slightly, uncomfortable with his analysis.
"Yes, however I am loyal to the GIW. I made that clear when I stayed with you after finding out about Danny's secret and his capture." Agent K nodded to himself, pleased with her response.
"Very well. I will set up the exchange." Valerie nodded and left the office, already determining the fastest route to Sam's home.