I do not own Danny Phantom or Extreme Ghostbusters. Their individual companies own those. This is a sequel to Unclogged Graves.
The morning passed by as Danny managed to scrap together enough breakfast. If there was a fast lesson anyone would learn at the firehouse, it was that Slimer loves food. So much he'll eat it right off the serving plate if it's left alone. Janine would normally put broccoli on the meals to ward him off, but she had run out last night, turning the table into a small battlefield.
"Next time, I'll just trap the slime ball for a minute before getting food." Danny laughed at his little joke. While annoying, the ghost wasn't near being so aggravating that he would do so.
Bored out of his mind, the ghost boy waited as the other ghostbusters came after a few lectures on ghosts. To his surprise, Kylie arrived before the others, still attending the classes with him and his sister, listening in and taking notes.
"I thought you were in college," Danny commented.
"And Professor Spengler is one of my teachers," Kylie remarked. She looked back with a dead expression, something the goths back in Amity Park lacked.
Not even his best friend Sam could give a face anywhere near that. Yet, it was strangely enticing for the ghost boy. However, he ignored the feeling as he focused on Egon's lecture. Or tried to, at least.
The goth girl studied the charts Egon put out, But that wasn't the only detail she was interested in. Kylie sometimes noticed Danny's posture, slackened and uninterested with his head in the clouds. It was peculiar for her, seeing as the boy completely understood Econ's summary of ectoplasm during his talk last night.
In her opinion, this brought her thoughts to the Fright Knight, an odd character. Given how she read about other spirits, a medieval knight seemed somehow out of place, given his name and aesthetics. That or the fact she was still missing details about the spirit, making a note on interrogating during their next encounter.
After a couple of hours of studying, Egon gave time off to allow Danny and Jazz to relax. It seemed he was certain no one would attend these lectures, he barely made any real plans.
Which meant another day staring out the window or watching tv. At least that's what the ghost boy thought as his sister pulled him away to leave the firehouse, but he was adamant about staying inside.
"Come on, Danny." Jazz pulled her brother away from the window. But the ghost boy was content where he was and held on to the spot.
"I said come on!" Jazz grunted as Kylie and Eduardo stopped what they were doing and watched them struggle. Soon Garrett and Roland joined in as they heard the commotion. They couldn't suppress their laughter as they watched the elder sister bear hugging her brother as she pulled.
"Danny! We're in New York. We can't just stay in the firehouse all day! Let's see the museums and all the culture!"
Danny looked out the window, where he saw a pigeon relieve itself on the windshield of a taxi. The Arabic driver scoffed as he shooed the bird with flavorful language Danny wouldn't repeat. Nearby, a woman was seen racing towards the cab as a man whistled and cat called her, but was ignored as she went on her way.
"Hmmm...yeah. I can see how I'm missing out," Danny snarked.
It took a while, but Jazz pried him off his spot with a little help from Slimer. She used the ghost's fear broccoli, promising to eat any of his if he helped her. The ghost slimed the window, making it too slippery for the ghost boy to hang on. With the sudden release, the two flew back, almost hitting Kylie and Janine as they walked over.
"Looks like Slimer made a new friend," Kylie smirked.
Danny gave a stale stare that asked about the seriousness of her statement. He got up from his sister as he waved his hands, trying to get the slime off him.
"Don't worry, it comes off with peanut butter," Kylie added. The guys in the room stifled a laugh as the ghost boy looked around.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Danny asked.
"It means she's joking," Garrett snickered, wheeling over with a wipe. "Just take one of these and the slime will come right off."
Danny wiped his hands, applying more pressure to peel the substance off. Fenton Ecto-Goo was nothing compared to the green slime ball's ooze, as it took a few good minutes till his hands started to feel clean. Next time, the ghost boy would just phase it off in the bathroom, giving Slimer a glare that made the ghost nervous.
"So, where to first?" Jazz asked with excitement, pulling out a map. She had the entire map of Manhattan marked and noted around destinations of interest.
"There's the Halloween exhibit at the museum." Kylie held up a flyer. "And before you say anything, it's just not about pumpkins and costumes, but the various traditions that made up the holiday. From Celtic disguises to Egyptians digging up their ancestors."
The Fentons blinked, unsure of what the goth said was true. The latter sounded nothing like the holiday, but the former seemed too similar, if not interesting. The older sister seemed intrigued, but the same couldn't be said for her brother. However, it was better than nothing, so the trio agreed, walking to the exit.
Along the way, Eduardo stopped Kylie, giving her a miffed look.
"Since when do you hang out with them?" He asked.
"Hey, cut them some slack. They're only gonna be here for a week. Might as well talk to them," Kylie responded with a shrug.
The boy rubbed his goatee, pondering on that as he watched them leave. He could hear Garrett coughing out jealous, bringing his attention to his wheel-chaired comrade as they had a friendly argument.
Danny had never experienced a city like New York, but he immediately hated the subway. However, Jazz had insisted on using the train, saying something about its history, only to be warned that nobody uses the rail system because it's become more dangerous as they stepped on. Everyone onboard was acting shifty, expecting one bad turn as they kept to themselves.
Sadly, the ghost boy got the short end of the stick as he found his wallet had been pickpocketed and robbed of any cash on hand before its return. It made him make a mental note to make a digital wallet the second he got a card. Or at least hide his wallet better.
And the streets weren't any better, in his opinion, as there was litter everywhere when they exited, only to see cleaner roads as they neared the museum.
Jazz paid for their tickets, being given a card by her parents due to being a responsible sibling. She almost ran off, looking at the entrance as Danny and Kylie smirked.
"I take it she excites easily?" Kylie snarked.
"Depends. Would you start categorizing things with made-up names of your own?" Danny's voice held an equal amount of sarcasm.
Kylie nodded in approval as she led the way to the Halloween exhibit. There were many cultures involved that neither of the Fenton siblings knew about. Like how originally Jack-o-Lanterns were turnips instead of pumpkins or how the Irish homeless sang in front of houses during this time for a treat called soul cakes.
It certainly beat the museums back home, along with any Halloween sale. That's for sure. Not to mention everyone was out shopping at the last minute for costumes, a tradition many followed.
The trio went through the entrance of the Celtic section. The room had many displays with various outfits in the form of monsters and ghouls. To the ghost boy, all that was missing were the ginormous bags of candy.
"Wow, I'm sure looking at the first trick or treaters is something," Danny snarked. The horrifically stitched costumes barely did anything to impress him.
"Come on, Danny." Jazz elbowed her little brother. "There's definitely more to this that trick or treating. I'm sure it was just part of some ritual. Let's see what the plague says."
"This is a set of costumes made by Celtic tribes ages ago, where spirits and monsters were said to visit the mortal realm during Halloween. Anyone who encountered were said to have misfortune befallen on them, so the members of the tribe would wear these disguises to fool the monsters, saving their village and families from a terrible fate," Kylie explained. She did not glance at the plague as Jazz began reading. However, as the elder Fenton sibling studied the exhibit description, she gave a surprised face, proving the goth's lecture in less detail as she looked in amazement.
The siblings were impressed, stunned even, by Kylie's observation and correct analysis of the exhibit. Back home, goths wouldn't venture to the museum or anywhere else unless there were mentionings of darkness and despair. Danny and Jazz found this oddly refreshing, even though they spent time with a goth, Danny's best friend, Sam.
Kylie walkers over to another display as the Fentons stay behind. The room was partially empty, leaving the teens and a few other guests as they stared and studied.
Jazz glanced at her brother before making sure their gothic acquaintance was out of earshot, so to speak.
"So about last night." Jazz leaned in as she whispered. "How did you know that about ectoplasm?"
"I can feel it." Danny glanced at his sister, feeling insulted by her question.
"You can feel it?" Jazz asked, a little too loud.
Neither the brother nor sister noticed that they drew attention from their guest. Kylie glanced their way, wondering what they meant. She didn't move, staring at the exhibit. That was an odd statement and very peculiar as she listened in.
Danny nodded absent-mindedly.
"When you've dealt with ectoplasm like us, you don't?" Danny said. He turned toward his sister with a dead stare. "How many times have mom and dad's inventions blown up? And how many times have we been covered in the stuff?"
Jazz shivered, holding her sides at the many memories.
"Just please tell me if I ever go to prom, they won't have that in the living room," Jazz said, not liking the idea of being crowned the queen of slime at the dance.
Danny chuckled, not saying a word as he moved to another room. Jazz pestered him, wanting an oral comment to make herself feel better, particularly because she was picturing herself in a slime dress. Kylie followed, intrigued by the duo. There was a lot more to them than appearances.
Egon Spengler had been a Ghostbuster since the beginning years ago. He had encountered many spirits and specters, chronicling the various entities in his database and scientific mind. The scientific method had always helped him whenever a problem arose, but this time he was at a crossroads as he searched on the internet for anything related to the Fright Knight.
While the marvel of the internet allowed high-speed research, there wasn't much on the Fright Knight. For the most part, the man found links to Halloween costumes and medieval sites.
Janine came by with Slimer as she checked on him. She knew how involved Egon could get with his research and figured coming in now and then helped.
"Find anything?" Janine asked.
"Just one. A book titled The Chronicles of the Fright Knight." Egon pressed his hand on the screen as he studied the hardcover, inspecting the picture. After adjusting his glasses, he shook his head. "Looks more like a work of fiction."
"It could be a lead. Remember R. N. Kline's ghosts?" Janine asked.
"Yes, the Vathek, spectral forms who enter the realm of the living through the act of writing. Maybe there's something more to it. But what was keeping this ghost from appearing?" Egon looked at the screen, reviewing articles as he crossed-referenced with other tabs open. "It was written centuries ago by a Edgar Showenhower, and it barely sold any copies, even today, with only a handful remaining."
"We'll, maybe it was like a Christmas Carol, where it was actually true. You were there yourself, remember?"
The two blinked, realizing how much sense that made. Egon began typing away as he searched for a copy of the book. The most obvious sites, such as eBay and Amazon, had no results for anyone selling a copy or at a reasonable price. Such was a price for buying items off the internet from complete strangers.
"It seems that any copy available would have to come a steep price." Egon leaned back in his chair. He took off his glasses and rubbed his forehead for a moment in distress. "What am I gonna do? I don't have that kind of money."
"In this economy, who does?" Janine walked over and put her hands on his shoulders. She hated seeing the man like this, out of place and stuck in a corner. "You know, maybe a walk might do you good." The woman received a stare for her words. "I mean it. Egon, you barely leave the firehouse and now we have a new ghost on our hands. I doubt anything you do here will help you come close to buying the book."
"I could sell something." Egon's words were drier than the Sahara desert.
"And how long would that take? Not to mention we'd have to see if anyone buys it."
The scientist mulled over the woman's words. Nodding, he got up and looked out the window.
"You may have a point. I guess in this case, getting out of the firehouse might do me some good," Egon said, shaking his head in disbelief. "I can't believe I just said that."
"Too late!" Janine grabbed the man by the arms and pulled. Though the scientist resisted, the woman's persistence came through as she dragged him to the door.
It was Slimer for the help again, greasing anything Egon reached out for as they left the firehouse. The slimy ghost saluted them as he flew off to scour something to eat.
As the doors closed, a pair of ghostly goblins went into the headquarters, fiddling around as the PKE meters detected them. But no one would notice as they finished their deed and left.
After the museum, Jazz wanted to look around more. She asked Kylie about Time Square, surprised to hear an actual answer as the goth told her directions.
"You know for a goth, you're more...darkness and smarts than usual," Danny commented, eyeing the girl with a raised brow. He never saw a child of the dark, as goths called themselves back in Amity Park, in broad daylight going anywhere or knowing where they were.
"If you mean I'm not one of those wannabe goths who latches to darkness in order to rebel against my parents, assert some form of individuality, or just try to stand out by wearing black, then yes." Kylie turned to the siblings with a neutral face, giving off a mysterious vibe. "I don't study the occult in order to conform to a subculture, I do it because I like it."
The goth girl walked down the street. Danny and Jazz, now completely intrigued, followed along. The ghost boy now wondered more about Kylie and soon thought about the other ghostbusters. Maybe when they got back, he might be able to stir up a conversation.
But his thoughts were put on hold as he gasped, feeling a blue wisp leave his mouth. It looks like Danny Phantom was needed, even if the Ghostbusters lived here. The ghost boy couldn't be gnome a cry of help, which he heard down the street.
A grotesque, overweight ghost appeared with mouths for his head, hands, and stomach. Each sported a pair of thin greenish teeth that were more plague than enamel. It smashed the window of a nearby delicatessen and feasted on everything, including the counter. The customers ran as the employees backed away. One reached for his phone, paralyzed in fear as the spirit roared like a lion.
"Please tell me you have portable ghost gear in you," Jazz said. She turned green as the ghost's mouths spilled drool with each bite, chewing loudly with its jaws open.
"I was gonna ask the same to you. Danny, do you—where's Danny?" Kylie turned to see the ghost boy had disappeared.
Jazz looked to her side and realized her brother had left to transform. She gave a nervous smile as she thought up an excuse, a rather difficult task since Kylie was smarter than the average person.
Back at the firehouse, Roland tinkered away at the Ecto-1. He had always made daily inspections to ensure the car was in tip-top shape, a task everyone was silently grateful for. Coming from underneath, the boy grabbed a rag and wiped his hands.
"Well, the oil will need changing soon, but other than that, we're all good to go," Roland said, throwing the dirty rag aside. He looked up the fire escape, where the other ghostbusters had been waiting.
"Great. Now we just need a call." Garrett had been killing time throwing chips into his mouth. If Slimer had eaten them mid-air, they mostly fell to the ground.
Eduardo was busy napping. Waking up with a snore, the boy looked to the entrance before checking on the time.
"Are you sure you're not...jealous?" Garrett teased.
"About what?" Eduardo crossed his arms.
Roland rolled his eyes as he walked up, going to the couch for some reading.
Nobody knew the trouble they were in. From afar, The Fright Knight watched the firehouse with quiet focus. He turned invisible, phasing inside as he looked at everyone inside. However, his presence set off the equipment, making the PKE meters go off the charts.
All the beeping and other sounds brought the boys' attention as they checked the meters.
"Please tell me your testing the meters," Eduardo begged.
"I already did that this morning," Roland answered as he walked over. Tapping the machines, sweat started to trickle down his skin. His grimacing face matched Eduardo's as Garrett looked ready for a fight.
"Looks like the spook wants to bring the fight to us," Garrett said excitedly. He cracked his knuckles, going for the stairs as he wheeled down. The boy was always up for a challenge, be it ghosts or climbing the steps with only his muscles and wheelchair.
The others soon followed as they geared up and ran out the door. Staring across the street, the trio met the Fright Knight on his steed.
The two forces readied themselves as two ghosts watched from above.
And now the Fright Knight is looking for round two. Hope Danny and Kylie can make it after their ghost. Looks like more is developing between everyone, but there are ghosts to fight for now.
Special Thanks! to Jay The Average Fanboy for all his help!
Reviews:
RonaldM40196867: I like all the ghostbusters. He might not be able to, but they will learn. No.
danifan3000: No, the Fright Knight is just that powerful.
Luiz4200: Maybe.
Ironchef13(Guest): They know nothing about the Fright Knight. He never said anything about himself.