Chapter 11:
Confidence
Two seconds after Danny hiccuped, his parents burst through the back door. Thankfully, the surprise seemed to have coaxed another hiccup out of him, and Danny Fenton stood where his parents' most-hated enemy once had.
"I'M A-COMIN', DANNY-BOY!" Jack bellowed, running into the room. In his right hand, he clutched an ectopus. His wife ran in behind him, immediately noticing that their son was no longer in the floor. The boy's father was less attentive.
"DON'T WORRY, DAN-O! WE'LL MAKE THIS PUTRID PIECE OF PROTOPLASM SET YOU FREE, EVEN IF WE HAVE TO RIP IT APART, MOLECULE BY MOLECULE!"
"Jack, dear. It seems Danny's already found a way out of the floor."
Danny froze, trying to come up with an explanation. But, for some reason, the only thing his brain could process was the fact that his parents had actually manged to catch a ghost that was bigger than their toaster. Thankfully, his friends had already thought this through.
Jack looked around, taking in the scene for the first time, and deflated. "AWWW. BUT, I WANTED TO BE THE HERO." Suddenly, Team Phantom felt a little guilty.
"Y-you are!" Sam said hesitantly, thinking on her feet.
"Huh?" Tucker got an elbow for his question. Jazz had said it at the same time, and he wondered why she hadn't gotten the same treatment. But, with one meaningful look, he caught onto Sam's script-change.
"I mean, yeah." He started, slowly, rewriting the pre-prepared answers in his head. "I managed to use one of your inventions to turn the floor intangible, so Danny could get out," he finished, slightly more confident. (And, maybe a bit smug.)
"Really?" Maddie asked, surprised. "How did you manage that?"
"It was an accident, really. Tucker bumped it off of the table, and it just kinda happened." Sam pointed to one of Jack's unfinished inventions, sitting on the coffee table. "You're a hero, Mr. Fenton." She smiled. Jazz and Tucker joined in, Danny was still in his own world. Sam elbowed him. "A hero. Your dad's a hero." She emphasized, through gritted teeth.
"Uh. Yeah, Dad. Absolutely." The blue-eyed boy said, looking up at the big man.
Jack Fenton smiled, pulling the four kids into a bear-hug. "AWW. IT WAS NOTHIN'. I'LL HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW THAT HAPPENED, THOUGH. THAT'S NOT EVEN CLOSE TO WHAT IT'S SUPPOSED TO DO."
"What's it supposed to do?" Tucker asked, immediately regretting it. Apparently, it was another inter-dimensional portal, and Tucker was suddenly nervous about standing this close, remembering how the last one turned out. He tried to inch away, but Danny's dad pulled him over to blather on about it, some more.
Maddie had looked skeptical, until she saw her husband's smile. Oh, well. She and Jack would just have to work out how the machine had gotten Danny out, later. It was nice to see the man so proud. She let him go on for about ten minutes, before reminding him of the ectopus still in his grip. He started, looking at the floating, green creature drooping in his hand. Apparently, he had bored it to sleep, though the 'bored' part didn't register with him.
Jack was suddenly very excited. "A NEW INVENTION AND A CAPTURE! IN ONE DAY!? OH, I CAN'T WAIT TO TEST OUT MY NEW GADGETS! TO THE LAB, MADS!" He shouted, waking the (very confused) ectopus.
Was that ghost's nose running? Danny wondered, absently. Wait, do ectopuses even have noses? He shook his head, dislodging the thought. He was probably better off not knowing.
He watched, as his father ran off towards the basement-lab, tugging the ghost along behind him, by its tentacles. The big man looked like a hyperactive five-year-old with a balloon.
A giant, hyperactive five-year-old, with a glowing, green, semi-sentient balloon.
Danny smiled, watching his mom follow along behind him, now just as excited. Whatever just happened, he could worry about it later. Of all the times he'd had to lie to his parents, at least he hadn't had to today.
Whether he was being blasted by ghosts, sucked into a thermos, crushed by a bear-hug the size of Montana, or trying to get his head unstuck from the floorboards, his dad really was his hero.
*Hiccup* (Phantom)
This would all work out, somehow. He just knew it.
AN: Hey, everybody! :)
This one might be a teensy bit shorter, but they're all longer, from here on out :)
To the guest who commented: LOL XD Thanks, I was really trying to make it sound like him :) Jack's one of my favorite characters, partly because of his inventions' names :) Sounds an awful lot like my Dad, actually XD
As always,
God bless, and I hope you enjoyed :)
- Ellie
