Sorry this is late - first week at college. I'll keep trying to work on this at least once a day, though.
Review replies;
Night-Waker: Well, if you need a pep talk, why not get it from Captain America? Thanks for reading!
Autobot-Outcast: Oh, indubitably. Thanks for the review!
TweenisodeOrange: Yep, about the same here. ;) Thanks for reviewing!
Zim'sMostLoyalServant: Yeah, Tony's being a little hypocritical here. Thanks very much!
LightandDarkness Warrior: Eh, you were close enough. :) Thanks!
SOLmaster: The poor fellow's not had a good day at all, has he? Danke schon!
coxal14: Dang straight he isn't! :D Thank ye!
Chapter Eleven: The Truth
The streets of Amity Park were deserted.
Danny, Sam and Tucker walked through the wrecked streets in silence as darkness fell around them. The sides of the roads were lined with rubble, wrecked cars and the occasional destroyed military vehicle.
The Guys in White's counterattack had clearly failed disastrously, and by the silence on the wind, all resistance in Amity Park had ceased.
"Danny, you're gonna have to tell us what he told you," said Sam.
Danny didn't reply, turning a bend as if walking in a dream.
Casper High was at the end of the street, which was blocked by a downed attack helicopter. It was scorched, but not on fire.
"Danny, we can't help you unless you talk to us," snapped Sam.
Danny ignored her, climbing onto the helicopter. He looked over at Casper High, his eyes narrowing.
"Dude, come on!" exclaimed Tucker, "You've gotta snap out of this..."
"...ghosts," interrupted Danny, "In there."
There was a long silence.
"Friendly ghosts?" asked Tucker, hopefully.
"Only one way to find out," shrugged Danny.
He jumped down from the helicopter and strode over to the school doors. Sam and Tucker hurried after him.
The doors were locked, so Danny knocked on them.
"...unoccupied!" a voice called, unconvincingly.
Danny rolled his eyes.
"Mr. Lancer, it's me, Danny."
There was a creak as the door opened slightly. An eye peered out.
Then the door flung open with great force, slamming Tucker in the face.
"Mr. Fenton! Ms. Manson!" Mr. Lancer exclaimed, "The Picture of Dorian Grey, you look like you've been hit by a tank!"
"I'm here too, Mr. Lancer," mumbled Tucker, pulling himself off the ground.
"Oh, right, Mr. Foley," nodded Lancer, "I apologise. Now get inside, before they find you!"
He dragged Danny in by the collar. Sam and Tucker looked at each other, shrugged, and followed him in.
Jimmy, Tony, Atkinson, Fury, Hill, Thourrel and Gidley were standing on the bridge of the Valiant, looking over a holographic map of Amity Park.
"...two dozen Harrier GR.10s – specialised aircraft, you'll see – plus fighter coverage from SHIELD F-35Cs and UNIT Eurofighters," Gidley nodded, reading off from a list, "We have roughly a battalion worth of infantry if we pool all our commands together, light armour and a platoon of Challengers aboard Valiant, which we can airlift to Amity aboard..."
"Major Gidley, not all of us have an encyclopaedic knowledge of military hardware," grumbled Thourrel, "Get to the point, man!"
"We have enough air and ground forces to support the plan for about three hours, if we go all out," said Gidley, "We can't guarantee we'll be able to get to the portal."
"And with Stark and Neutron?" quizzed Atkinson, "With Ms. Wakeman? With the younger Phantom?"
"It's still not looking good, sir," replied Gidley.
There was a long silence.
"Well, everyone here knows what they're getting into," said Atkinson, grimly.
He turned to Tony.
"Mr. Stark, take Thourrel and Mr. Neutron to the lab," he ordered, "There are components from RERE's attempt at anti-ghost weapon – it's called Project Titan. Do what you like with them, but have it done within two hours."
"You want me to build a highly sophisticated combat suit in two hours?" asked Tony.
"Yes."
"Sure, no problem," shrugged Tony.
Down in the hangar, Steve was sitting next to Timmy.
"So, what's the problem?" he asked.
"I'm useless," grunted Timmy.
"What makes you think that?" said Steve.
"Look at me," snapped Timmy, "I'm short, I'm weak and I'm dumb as rocks. If I didn't have fai-holograms, I'd be nothing."
He sighed and looked at his feet.
"Maybe if I wasn't so terrible, Fletcher would still be here," he muttered.
"Fletcher knew what he was getting into," reminded Steve.
"It doesn't make it better," sighed Timmy.
"No," nodded Steve, "It doesn't."
There was a long silence.
"You couldn't have done anything," said Steve, "No-one could have."
"You could have," snapped Timmy, "You're a super-solider..."
"...and I've lost people too," interrupted Steve, "People who were...very close to me. People I wish to God I could have saved."
He sighed and shook his head.
"But you can't let it tear you up," he added, "You have to keep going. It's what they'd want. And if you can do that, then you've got all the strength you need."
He smiled a little.
"Besides," he finished, "You don't need to be a genius to be smart. Just be a little...creative."
"Captain Rogers and Mr. Turner to the bridge, Captain Rogers and Mr. Turner to the bridge."
Steve looked up as the PA system sounded.
"You need any more time to..."
"Go ahead," replied Timmy, smiling a little, "I'll be right there. I've got a couple of favours to call in."
Steve nodded and ran out the door.
Timmy crossed his arms as Cosmo, Wanda and Poof changed out of their disguises.
"Favours?" asked Wanda.
"Yeah," nodded Timmy, "I just had a thought – I'm pretty sure Jorgen owes me."
Danny, Sam and Tucker had been escorted to the English class, and were now standing somewhat awkwardly in the middle of the room – right between the A-List and Vlad Masters, who was talking in hushed tones with Damon and a suited man Danny didn't recognise. Spongebob and Sandy had beat them there, and were sitting in the corner – Danny had gotten a few odd looks when he had been greeted by them.
Lancer was at the front of the class, watching an old TV.
"...we can now confirm Elmerton has fallen," the man on screen was saying, "The Guys in White have been decisively defeated, and US Marines and National Guardsmen are being pushed away from the outskirts of town. Evacuation appear to no longer be possible. We'll take you to Lance Thunder on the ground in the Marine ca..."
The screen turned to static.
"There is nothing you can do to save yourselves."
The Warlord's face, cast in shadow, appeared on screen. Somebody screamed.
"Your armies are vanquished. Resistance. Is. Pointless."
Lancer pressed frantically at the remote, but nothing happened.
"Pray to your gods...for what good it will do," continued the Warlord, "In the end, you are totally...lost. This Earth shall be cleansed of all intelligent life."
The Warlord narrowed his eyes.
"The Age of Humanity is over."
The television promptly exploded. Dash squealed and jumped back.
Kwan raised an arm.
"Mr. Lancer?" he asked, "Seeing that we're all gonna die, can I get an exemption on my essay?"
"I'm sick of this."
Danny walked to the front of the class.
"Is this how it all ends?" he demanded, "Do we just sit here cowering until he kills us all? Or do we fight back?!"
"With what?" demanded Dash.
"We'll make our own ghost hunting weapons," replied Danny, "We find the ghosts, we team up with them, and we close that portal!"
"And if we can't do it?" asked Star, crossing her arms.
"Then at least we tried something," said Danny, "You, suit guy! Where are the ghosts?"
"There are no ghosts in Casper..." began the suited man.
"Coulson, we can trust him, he's a good kid," snapped Damon.
Coulson paused, then nodded.
"They're gathered in the gym," he said.
"Thanks Mr. Grey," grinned Danny, "Now, who's with me? Who wants to fight?!"
"Why should we follow you, Fenturd?" spat Dash, "Come on! You're just a scrawny little dork with loser parents! Since when can a coward like you fight?"
"You take that back, Baxter," snarled Sam.
"See! He's letting his girlfriend fight his battles for-"
"You're right."
All eyes turned to Danny, who was staring straight at Dash.
"Why should you follow Danny Fenton?" he said, "Well, Dash..."
He clenched his fists and changed forms. Damon, Dash and the rest of the A-List recoiled in shock, Sam and Tucker's jaws dropped, and Vlad and Coulson raised eyebrows.
"...you'd be surprised," finished Danny.
"I knew it," grunted Lancer.
"Now, I'm gonna ask again," said Danny, "Who's with me?"
He raised a fist in the air.
Sam and Tucker raised theirs almost immediately, followed by Spongebob and Sandy. Vlad sighed heavy and raised his, followed by Damon and Coulson. Then, one by one, everyone else in the room lifted their fists, until only Dash was left.
"...well, this is the most awkward moment of my life," muttered Dash, uncomfortably raising his fist.
"Great," nodded Danny, "Tucker, Mikey, get to the science labs and build something we can use. Dash, Kwan, whip everyone into shape – and yes, that means you, Paulina. Vlad, come with me, we need to talk to the ghosts."
"What is this stuff?"
Jack, Maddie, Sergeant Hoffman and a younger marine were climbing through some rubble, heading across town in search of any citizens left in the ruins. The marine was poking his rifle at a wall covered in green fungi.
"You ever read H. G. Wells, son?" asked Hoffman, "You ever hear the term 'red weed?'"
The marine shook his head.
"They're terraforming us, private," said Hoffman, "Changing the world to suit their needs. It's not invasion, it's colonisation. Now stand up straight or I'll terraform your..."
"What do you think of Danny Phantom?" Maddie asked out loud.
"Phantom?" said the marine, enthusiastically, "The guy's a hero! We need more people like him!"
"He's a ghost," snorted Jack, "He's just manipulating public opinion for his own gain! I mean, he keeps trying to turn people against Vlad, for Pete's sake..."
"I've always been leery of vigilantes," grunted Hoffman, "But Phantom's done a lot. I'd say he's alright in my book."
"Why'd you ask, Mads?" asked Jack.
"Just...thinking out loud," replied Maddie, quietly.
They climbed over a pile of rubble and found themselves looking over the Amity Park Museum. The roof had been torn away, and had landed in pieces on the next-door building.
"Well, nobody's in there," said Hoffman, "Nowhere to hide. Still, might be something we can use in there."
He turned around.
"Mr. Fenton, Mrs. Fenton, move on Casper," he snapped, "Private Pyle and I will delve through that mess."
"...my name's not..."
"Shut up, Pyle."
The two marines jumped down from the rubble and started heading to the museum. Jack looked around the wreckage, shaking his head.
"Danny and Jazz," he muttered, "Do you think they're still out there?"
Maddie put a hand on his shoulder.
"They're Fentons, Jack," she replied, "They'll handle themselves just fine."
AN: War of the Worlds reference for the win!