Chapter 10: Fenton Lightning – Part 2

"And that's it, Natasha." Danny said during his phone call. "In spite of what happened in Zoravia, Dad's entering yet another race."

"Sounds like he could've been a professional race car driver, Danny." Natasha commented.

"With the way he drives, he faces less danger fighting ghosts than he does racing." Danny replied, not liking the idea of his father driving anything professionally.

"Well, I'll trust your judgement since you've seen him drive way more often than I ever did." Natasha said.

"Consider yourself lucky." Danny replied. "Anyway, are you coming to watch it?"

"Sorry, Danny." Natasha replied. "The O'Briens want their sons and me to keep up our studies so no leaving Zoravia, Illinois for me."

"Okay, Natasha." Danny sadly replied and they ended their conversation.

Later that day, Jack and the other race car drivers did test laps to determine their starting positions. The Red Huntress was flying nearby to make sure no ghost would harm the racers. "Who does that vigilante think she is, Operative O?" Guy in White K asked his partner.

"Good question, Operative K." Operative O replied. "She should leave ghost hunting to professionals like us."

"Not that she couldn't do a better job than the Fentons." Operative K commented.

"Hey!" A random spectator commented. "Where were you guys when the Fentons helped defend Amity Park from that ghost attack that exposed the existence of ghosts to us; or that time Pariah Dark invaded Amity Park and most of us realized Danny Phantom is a hero? Sure, like you, they mistakenly believe Phantom to be a villain but at least they do more to help than you do."

"Ma'am, please calm yourself." Operative O said.

The qualifier ended and Jack got to start in the second position. He lost to Baron Von X by 0.001s. "You might have won this battle, Baron, but you won't be so lucky during the race." Jack declared.

"Yeah, I'll be luckier!" Baron Von X replied.

"Wow!" Jack was impressed. "Good comeback."

Vlad then made an announcement. "And that ends the qualifier, ladies and gentlemen!" The Mayor said. "All of you may leave now and don't forget to be back for the race tomorrow."

After everyone left, Vlad returned to his manor, where he pushed a button to summon Skulker. "What can I do for you, Plasmius?" The Ghost Zone's self-proclaimed greatest hunter asked upon entering Vlad's personal office.

"Skulker, tonight you will raid the factory that makes the oaf's favorite fudge so he'll rush to the rescue." Vlad instructed the hunter. "Once he bites the bait, you will either destroy the oaf or at the very least make him too tired to properly race tomorrow."

'I can't believe I'm working for such a petty character.' Skulker thought in dismay. 'At least I can use the whelp's father as bait.' "Yes, Sir." He replied.

"Good." Vlad commented. "You may leave now." He said and Skulker obeyed. He then picked up his (sister's) cat Maddie. "You're not thinking I'm petty, are you, Maddie?"

"Meow." Maddie the cat replied.

"I knew you'd agree with me." Vlad commented. Unbeknownst to him, two holo-Maddies were witnessing the whole 'conversation'.

"So pathetic." The first one said.

"No wonder one of us left him for that holo-Jack." The other one replied.

That night, after Danny's curfew time, his parents received a phone call. "A ghost attack where?" Jack Fenton asked in anger. "I'm going to save you, fudge!"

"Where are you going, Jack?" His wife asked.

"The factory that makes my favorite fudge is being attacked!" Jack exclaimed in horror. "I must do something!"

He drove away without waiting for Maddie. Danny decided to fly after him but Jack was faster driving than Danny flying. Upon arriving, Jack drove by the factory, as in making a hole on the wall with his car. "Freeze, ghost!" Jack demanded as he drew a bazooka.

"You and which army will stop me from destroying all of this fudge?" Skulker defiantly asked.

"I don't need an army to stop you, ghost!" Jack replied as he defeated Skulker as easily as he did back when it seemed Jack's son Danny was in danger.

"I knew he couldn't defeat you but I expected him to put up more of a challenge." Jack heard someone comment and, looking around, he saw Vlad Plasmius. "Plasmius?" Jack asked in anger. "Do you have anything to do with it?"

"Skulker was acting on my orders, you big oaf." Vlad replied.

"Then you will pay for it, you fudge hater." Jack declared and chased Plasmius, who was using duplicates to tire Jack out until Danny caught up with them and got their attention by hitting Plasmius with a ghostly beam.

"You two together?" Vlad asked. "Again? I'm leaving."

"Are you okay, Jack?" Danny asked, taking as much joy from calling his father by name as he did back when Vlad tried to steal the Fenton Ghost Portal.

"Phantom, can we agree we both already had too much for a night and leave peacefully?" Jack proposed, sounding more annoyed than angry at Danny Phantom's presence.

"It'll be my pleasure, Jack." Danny replied and vanished.

The next day, Jack Fenton was still rested enough to race. He and Baron Von X were racing neck to neck and it was impossible to tell who would win. As they crossed the finish line, they were so close it was necessary to use a slow motion reply to tell who won. It was Jack.

"Congratulations, Fenton." Baron Von X said at the podium.

"Thank you, Baron." Jack replied. Since Baron Von X was being gracious in defeat, Jack decided to be magnanimous in victory.

After the ceremony ended, Jack decided to take his family to his favorite pizza place to celebrate. To Danny's relief, Jack didn't invite Vlad since he wanted to keep people from think the Mayor was playing favorites. "Dad, would you please pass the ketchup?" Danny asked.

"Sure thing, son!" Jack eagerly replied.

"Kids, your father and I have been talking about how to use his prize." Maddie said. "What do you think about a hundred-thousand-dollar college fund for each of you?"

"Awesome!" Danny exclaimed.

"I'll likely get a scholarship but I'll accept the money as well, Mom." Jazz calmly answered.

"I'm still investing on fudge, right?" Jack asked his wife with a pleading tone.

"Of course, dear." Maddie answered. "But save some for more anti-ghost weaponry."

"My pleasure, Mads." Jack answered.

"I hope nobody from Harvard is watching this." Jazz commented to her brother.

"There's still Brown University, Jazz." Danny joked.

"Don't even joke with it, little brother." Jazz glared at Danny for that remark.

"I don't understand why Brown University has such a bad reputation in spite of being…" Danny started saying but then felt his ghost sense. "Uh-oh."

"BEWARE!" The Box Ghost said as he showed up. "I am the Box Ghost…"

"Ghost!" Jack screamed and drew a weapon. Maddie did the same and the both of them started chasing the Box Ghost.

Jazz lowered her head in shame. "I've changed my mind, little brother." She told Danny. "You may joke about Brown University."

After Jack and Maddie sucked the Box Ghost into a Fenton Thermos, the Fentons were approached by the manager. "Thank you for saving my restaurant from that ghost, Mr. and Mrs. Fenton." The manager said. "Tonight, your family's dessert will be on the house."

'Thank you, Box ghost.' Danny thought.

"Even with that praise, I still would rather not be seen here." Jazz commented.

"And miss the free dessert?" Danny asked. "You must be kidding."

The next day, Danny and Natasha were enjoying a date at the Turquoise Palace Water Park. "So, that ghost you and your friends dismiss as a joke showed up during your celebration and your family got free desserts for it?" Natasha asked and Danny nodded. "Awesome!"

"My parents also decided to give my sister and me one hundred thousand dollars each as a college fund." Danny replied and then approached Natasha's ear to whisper. "Which courses do you suggest a potential Royal consort to take?"

"Just take whatever you think will help with your chosen career regardless of the possibility of it happening, Danny." Natasha answered. "If my parents really cared about it to that point, they'd have given their own suggestions the first time you met them."

"Duly noted, Princess." Danny mock saluted his girlfriend.

Natasha giggled and they heard Danny's cell phone ring. "Tucker?"

"Danny, Jazz told me about your new college fund." Tucker said. "If you need a tutor during your college days, I'm available. Assuming we'll attend the same University, of course."

"Ha. Ha. Very funny, Tucker." Danny sarcastically replied.

End chapter

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