Thanks once more to everyone reading this (although I'm sure you're getting sick of hearing it)! It's here! Another chapter! Will wonders ever cease?
Apparently not. From now on I'm going to try to do weekly updates every Friday. Let's see how that goes.
To those of you that have checked out my profile recently or have me on Author Alert, you might have noticed I've started another story. Please don't murder me in my sleep! This story does have a plot planned (however loosely) and it will be finished! Expect ten chapters after this one. The only thing to worry about is when it will be finished. I'll try to have it done before the school year starts. In the meantime, why not go check out my other story? It's an Animorphs fic taking place in a dystopian AU (no knowledge of the books needed).
I apologize for the shameless self-promotion (but seriously, go take a look).
I'd also like to apologize for any terrible banter in this or any other chapters. I don't think it's my strong suit.
Please continue to send requests for ghosts you'd like to see. Unfortunately, most of the really powerful ghosts (Fright Night, Undergrowth, etc.) that people have been requesting would overpower the story if I put them in, so I'll save any requests of that nature for later (a sequel, maybe?). You're welcome to keep requesting them, but for now, I'm really looking to see which of the more common ghosts you guys would like to see more of - Ember? Skulker? Desiree? Please let me know if there's anyone you'd like to see more of, ghost or otherwise.
I do not own Hanna is Not a Boy's Name or Danny Phantom.
Chapter Eight - They're Following Me!
"Let me get this straight - they were at the mall?" Tucker asks Danny. It's the next day, and the three sit in the crowded lunchroom, counting on the noise generated by surrounding tables to mask their conversation.
"Yeah," Danny says.
"Any idea what they were doing there?" Sam asks.
"Not a clue. All I know is one minute I'm fighting Technus, the next I see that Hanna guy cowering under a table," Danny says.
"Cowering? Really?" Tucker asks.
"If only they would cower from Phantom, instead of chasing me and asking questions," Danny says.
At that moment, the doors to the cafeteria burst open.
Danny turns away from the door and puts his head down on the table, covering it with his arms.
"Please tell me it's not them," he says.
Sam and Tucker raise themselves off their seats to get a better view of who opened the doors.
"Wish I could do that," Sam says.
"Please tell me you're joking," Danny moans.
"Nope," Tucker says.
Danny sits up and turns in his seat to see the door. Sure enough, there stand the five paranormal investigators.
"Okay, how have they not found Phantom yet? Because they're clearly following me," Danny says.
"I don't think they are," Sam says.
"Well, why else would they be here?" Danny asks.
"I'm not sure," Sam says. "Maybe they heard about all the ghost attacks we get here."
"No, they're following me," Danny says.
"Really? Then why are they all the way across the room?" Sam asks. Danny turns his head to look, and sure enough, the paranormal investigators show no signs of even coming close to where Danny sits, instead splitting up and talking to seemingly random people in the cafeteria. The girl with blue hair streaks is talking to Star and a couple of other popular girls, the tall guy is deep in conversation with the woman behind the lunch counter, Hanna is chatting with a couple of nerds, and the kid and the pale guy are questioning the lunchroom attendant. None of them are even looking at the trio with anything more than passing glances.
"Or maybe they're not following me," Danny says.
"See?" Sam says. "You were just being paranoid."
"Yeah, I guess," Danny says reluctantly.
"Dude, those guys are only here because we get attacked by ghosts so much," Tucker says. "And there's no ghost attacking, so you have nothing to worry about."
A wisp of blueish fog escapes Danny's mouth.
"Thanks for jinxing it, Tucker," Danny says.
Tucker knows better than to say anything.
The lights fade, changing the appearance of the room, throwing it into a dark, eerie color scheme. Danny grabs a Fenton Thermos from his backpack and slides under the table, allowing the blue-white rings of light to sweep over him and transform him into Danny Phantom, but then he waits to see which ghost will appear, and where. Will it be Skulker? Ember? Technus again?
Turns out all of his guesses are wrong. Descending through the ceiling of the cafeteria, holding his arms above his head and trying desperately to look menacing, is the Box Ghost.
"Beware, for I am the Box Ghost, controller of all containers cardboard and square!" he shouts, then he hangs in midair for a moment, waiting to see if anyone starts screaming, or running, or even acting nervous, but no one other than the paranormal investigators even acknowledges that he's entered the room. Hanna and his gang stare up at the ghost, then the tall one nudges Hanna and says something to him. Hanna pulls out a marker and scrawls something on his palm.
"What could possibly be so important that you have to write it down in the middle of a ghost attack?" Danny wonders. "It may only be the Box Ghost, but still."
Danny decides to stay under the table and watch for now. After all, it's just the Box Ghost; it's not like anyone will get hurt.
Stupid, Danny thinks. I can't think like that. I can't become him.
The encounter with Dan, his evil older self, is still fresh in Danny's mind, and now he can't help but wonder which choices could lead him to become that; he's pretty sure abandoning people to a ghost is somewhere on that road, even if the people are trying to figure out his secret. He prepares to leave the area under the table only to see Hanna's palm filling with glowing pink smoke. Danny watches in astonishment as Hanna points his hand at the Box Ghost and the smoke solidifies into a beam of fluid power that arcs towards the Box Ghost and knocks him into the wall.
"What the - " Danny says as he watches the Box Ghost smack into the wall. His eyes find Hanna's hand, still smoking with pink energy. Hanna looks nervous as he realizes that every student in the cafeteria is now looking at him. Danny takes this opportunity to fly out from underneath the table and join the Box Ghost in the air.
"Your pink beams of pain are merely a temporary inconvenience!" the Box Ghost shouts. "I will take over the world with my mighty cardboard minions despite the agony inflicted by your weapon!" No one pays him any attention except Danny.
"That actually hurt?" Danny asks. If the paranormal investigators have a weapon that could hurt a ghost, why hadn't they just shot Phantom out of the sky and questioned him before? And how did they even get a ghost weapon in the first place? The only people in town that make ghost hunting gear that actually works are his parents, but they'd never made anything remotely similar to what Hanna has. Had it come from another group of ghost hunters, like the Guys in White?
"I am as surprised as you are," the Box Ghost says, wincing at the memory of the pain. He steels his face against the pain and tries to look terrifying. Key word: tries.
"Despite the pain, I will still take over the world, and you, childlike pain-wielder, shall be the first to taste my corrugated fury! Your pink rays will not stop me!"
Danny rolls his eyes, but this is something he definitely has to deal with. The last thing he needs is for the Box Ghost to go around attacking people. Danny holds the Thermos in front of him, pointed at the oblivious Box Ghost, holding it with one hand while his other rests on the cap, ready to pull it off.
"Bet I know something that'll stop you!" Danny shouts, and the attention of everyone in the room shifts from Hanna to Danny.
"It's the ghost boy!" Paulina cries, so excited she jumps out of her seat, sending her chair to the floor. Danny ignores her as he quickly uncaps the Thermos. The Box Ghost turns towards Danny only to see the beam of blue light coming for him. He's sucked in before he can even say anything.
Danny is suddenly aware that not only are all the students in the cafeteria looking at him, but Hanna and the rest of the paranormal investigators are too. Hanna begins walking through the cafeteria, coming closer and closer to Phantom. Danny caps the Thermos and flies through the ceiling before Hanna can reach him. He drops into the front yard of the school behind a tree and turns back into Danny Fenton. He re-enters the school and walks into the cafeteria while everyone's backs are turned, joining Sam and Tucker at the table while the paranormal investigators just stand there, staring at the ceiling.
Danny smiles as the investigators leave the cafeteria, knowing that they're only getting farther away from Phantom.