(IMPORTANT INFO INSIDE!) Opening A/N: Salutations! Great to have you guys back, now I have two things that you may find important that I would like to talk about in this A/N. One, the flow of chapters may slow down after this chapter. The reason for this is simple, I would like to take time to choose a theme and plot for each chapter now that we've gotten past the beginning stages of this fic. Two, I do plan on fleshing out the concert Danny is helping Ember plan, and that comes with an issue. Ember only has one song (two if you count the one in "girls night out"), so I would like you guys/gals to help pick songs that Ember (Or even Danny) should perform during that chapter (Or maybe even future chapters). You don't necessarily have to choose songs that are relevant to the time period (My fic takes place in June/July of 2007 if you do want to stick to the timeline) so don't be afraid to choose something newer! Anyway, thanks again and I really appreciate your support!
Chapter Synopsis - After his first trip into Ember's realm the day previous, he and the rock diva had agreed to meet in Amity to continue planning her comeback concert. Will the day go off without a hitch? Or will the two face unexpected issues along the way? Read and find out!
"Two quotation marks means speech or emphasis on a word."
'One quotation mark means thought.'
Italics mean heavy emphasis on a word or written/digital text.
Chapter V: Skulker's Return
Danny awakes to the sound of birds along with the feeling of the sun gently shining into his room. Unlike most days, he gets up out of bed with a smile, already full of energy. Before he had parted ways with Ember yesterday the two had agreed to meet in Amity Park this afternoon to continue discussing plans for her comeback concert, and to slowly open people up to the idea of having her around.
He still had a few hours before he had to meet up with her, but couldn't convince himself to go back to sleep or just lounge around until it was time for their meeting. Rising from his bed, he enters his bathroom and goes through his morning routine. Taking extra time to brush his teeth and adjust his messy mop of hair after exiting the shower.
'Maybe it's time for a new hairstyle?' He muses, his hands running through his long dark locks.
Walking out of the bathroom and over to his bed, a towel around his waist, he looks down at the folded clothes atop his blankets, noting the gentle glow emanating from them. He's happy to see his newly repaired "work" outfit. A note from his mother atop it, explaining that she had finally managed to repair them last night.
'Man, I was so annoyed when Technus ended up causing that dryer to destroy these, I hate wearing that old hazmat suit. Of course he just had to choose the one time I went to a laundromat to attack, didn't he? Either they have the best timing, or I have the worst luck, I only got to wear these clothes once!'
Wearing a renewed smile on his face, he walks over to his closet and looks through the clothing within. For his human form's outfit, Danny decides on a pair of light blue jeans, white socks, black boots, a white t-shirt with the sleeves cut off, and a short sleeve black button up that he throws on over it, keeping the buttons on it open.
Transforming into his undead persona, he strips off the classic Danny Phantom outfit and puts on the newly repaired one. A light gray sleeveless shirt with the iconic DP logo on the chest, a set of white fingerless combat gloves, a pair of black cargo pants, black socks, and white combat boots.
The clothing had been a sort of graduation gift from Tucker and his parents, stating that he had begun to outgrow the classic outfit, and in Tucker's words "it was long past time for a wardrobe upgrade". From what he had been told, the clothes were surprisingly difficult to make. Not in the traditional sense, before they were adjusted to work with his transformation, they were just normal clothes. Although through a combined effort from his highly intelligent best friend, and his ghost savvy mom and dad, they had managed to imbue the clothing with ecto-energy through trial and error. Which not only allowed them to transform with him, but also be more durable against ecto-based attacks.
Danny laughs at the memory of coming home to find the three of them defending themselves from haunted clothing after one of many failed attempts. 'Man, I can't believe they went through the trouble of doing this for me.'
He grabs his wallet from his desk and shoves it into his back pocket. Picking up his newly acquired Fenton Smartphone, he notes that he has three texts. One from each of his parents and one from Tucker.
Maddie Fenton - 08:27: Danny, don't forget to send a message to either your father or I if you plan on going back into the Ghost Zone or out on patrol. We love you.
He rolls his eyes at the unsurprising contents, Danny Fenton - 09:42: I won't mom. I actually plan on going out on patrol in a few minutes, and I'll be meeting up with Ember later on this afternoon. I love you guys too.
Checking the message from his father next, he reads. Jack Fenton - 08:35: Hey Dan-O! This smartphone thing is incredible! Did you know it can correct your words if you spell them wrong? I wonder if that's some sort of ghost technology? Also, your mother told me to remind you to send a message to one of us if you plan on going back into the GZ or out on patrol. Love ya, son!
Danny smiles at his father's excited rambling. Danny Fenton - 09:43: Don't worry dad, I already read her message and let her know that I'll be going out on patrol soon, as well as meeting up with Ember later. Love you too.
Finally reaching the text from Tucker, he opens it. Tucker Foley - 06:02: Hey dude! Hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty of going ahead and programming everyone's contact information into your phone. Anyway, it should only take me a few days to convert the other smartphones into Fenton Smartphones. Don't worry about me taking time off my job as Mayor, I spent pretty much all of last night (and this morning) upgrading my Mayoral program software like I mentioned yesterday. Just send me a message if you need anything else. Also, we should definitely hang out soon, now that I have the time.
'So that's why the messages have the names next to them. Convenient.'
Danny Fenton - 09:45: Thanks Tuck! Glad to hear you managed to get your software updated. By the way, you don't have to rush to get those Fenton Smartphones done, whenever you get the time is fine. I'll be busy for a while planning a comeback concert for Ember in the meantime. (Completely brainwash free by the way.) That reminds me, I need to talk to you about that, with you being the mayor and all. I'm about to go out on patrol so you might see me out and about sometime today. Talk to you later, man.
'I'm glad Tucker finally managed to get his Mayor program up to date. The guy has a lot on his plate between taking online college classes, mayoral duties, and the software/tech repair business he runs. Hopefully now he'll have a little bit more time to himself.'
Stuffing the smartphone into his front pocket, he opens his bedroom window and launches himself out of it. Relishing the feeling of the wind rushing across his face and through his snow-white hair as he takes flight above the city.
Danny had spent nearly two hours patrolling above Amity Park. Taking a break every now and again to sit atop one of the many buildings and listen to the sounds of hustle and bustle. He enjoyed the sound of idle chatter that came from people walking to and from various destinations. And the sound of cars whooshing by never ceased to relax him. Actually, it wasn't uncommon for him to leave his bedroom window open and fall asleep to that very sound.
Pulling out his phone and checking the time, he notes that it's almost time to meet with Ember, so he should start making his way to the Nasty Burger. Putting the phone away, he leaps off the roof he's currently sat upon and takes to the air once more.
Only a few blocks away from his destination, a wisp of blue mist escapes his mouth. 'Oh come on, seriously?! Couldn't this have happened sooner?'
Danny pauses mid air and looks around for any potential sign of another phantasmic being nearby. There's no warning as a beam of ectoplasmic energy strikes him in the side, launching him through a billboard atop a nearby building.
"Ouch…" He groans, skidding to a stop along the rough gravel roof.
"Whelp! I see you have changed your attire. No matter, it won't stop me from finally taking your hide as a trophy!" His attacker taunts.
Danny looks up to see the robotic form of the self proclaimed "best hunter of the ghost zone". The sunlight glinting off the metal surface of his skin, the green flames of his hair and goatee whipping in the light breeze.
"Seriously Skulker? Could you not have done this earlier? I really don't have time for you right now." He complains.
"Oh, but of course not Whelp! I could not attack until my new toy was ready!" Skulker taunts with a menacing laugh.
'"New toy?" This can't be good.'
"Care to elaborate?" Danny asks, getting to his feet.
"Why would I use words to tell you what it does when I can just show you!" He says, a cannon deploying on his right arm.
Danny barely has time to react as a second beam of energy strikes him in the chest. Once again involuntarily launching him airborne, he skids along the roof, the tiny rocks biting into his skin. Coming to a stop he braces for the inevitable pain from the blast.
Surprisingly, the feeling never comes and he looks up to his attacker. "That's all you've got? Your "new toy" doesn't even do anything aside from make me go flying!" He says with a laugh.
"I would check again, Whelp." Skulker jeers with an evil smile gracing his metallic face.
Danny's eyebrows crinkle in confusion, but checks over his body. 'Well, I'm not melting. I still have all my limbs.' Then his blood runs cold, as if his ice core had transformed all of his blood. Skulker's weapon did do something other than send him airborne. Standing atop the rooftop wasn't Danny Phantom but normal, human, Danny Fenton.
A normal ecto-blast races towards him, and Danny is able to avoid it, if only just narrowly. The impact causing the small pebbles to go flying, showering him in the rubble. He wills himself to change back, and is momentarily caught off guard as it works.
Letting out a sigh of relief, his gaze hardens. Anger begins to fill his veins as he glares at Skulker. 'He's one of the very few who have actually tried to kill me. And now he's found a way to forcibly transform me back into my human self?! I have to end this quickly.'
Danny lets out a growl as he races towards his adversary. "Seems like your "new toy" doesn't work as advertised."
"What?! I was sure the calculations were correct!" Skulker shouts, too surprised that the Halfa had managed to transform back to launch another attack in time.
'Good thing I don't have to hold back if I'm fighting a robot.' Danny thinks darkly.
Getting up close and personal, he rips the mystery weapon from Skulker's arm and crushes it within his grasp. Phasing through the robot, Danny wraps his legs around Skulker's torso from behind and his arms around his head/neck in a typical sleeper hold.
The hunter only laughs in response. "You can't choke out an inanimate form, Whelp!" Skulker's large arms struggle to reach Danny's position on his back.
Danny smirks as he tightens his hold on the head of his enemy as he begins pulling upwards with all of his strength. Fully intent on removing it from the rest of the body. "And you can't make this form phase to get me off since it's not your real body!"
"What are you doing?! Cease this at once!" Skulker shouts.
"Not a chance, Tin Can!" Danny grits out, redoubling his efforts.
The metallic cranium groans at the strain, bolts and screws flying from the area between it and the torso. Danny lets out a yell as he finally manages to pry the head off. Throwing the remaining frame to the roof he had been strewn upon not long ago, he reaches inside the head until he finds what he's looking for, tossing the now empty fake skull to the side as well.
He looks down at the tiny green form in his hand with utter disdain. "You know, you are one of the only ghosts to ever try and actually off me. It's really getting old, and I'm starting to think I should return the favor." Danny growls, his hand tightening ever so slightly.
Skulker's tiny red eyes go wide with fear, his mouth dropping open in shock. "No, please! Don't crush me!" He pleads.
Letting out a sigh, Danny responds. "You are so very lucky that I'm not like my despicable alter ego. Get out of here, and don't come back!" He shouts, throwing the tiny ghost at a natural portal he spots far above in the sky.
'That must be how he got here in the first place.'
"This isn't over Whelp! I will return, and I will make the effects of my weapon permanent!" His tiny voice shrieks out as it flies into the distance. The portal collapsing shut behind him as he enters it.
"Thank goodness for that portal, I have no idea what I would've done with him otherwise. I forgot to bring the thermos with me." He mutters to himself.
"Damn Babypop, I didn't think you had it in you." A teasing voice says behind him.
Danny Phantom, savior of Human and Ghostkind, for the second time in two days lets out a surprised scream that can be heard for miles.
The voice lets out a cackle. "Didn't think you had that in you either."
He turns to see Ember floating on her guitar, dressed in her iconic black outfit. "What is it with ghostly women wanting to turn me into a full ghost via heart attack?" Danny grumbles. "What are you doing here anyway? I thought we were going to meet at the Nasty Burger."
"Aww, aren't you happy to see me? And we were, like fifteen minutes ago." She offers with a shrug. "I figured you got held up, so I decided to come enjoy the show. Who else managed to give you a scare?"
"Kitty. Yesterday when I was in the GZ looking for you." He responds.
"Haha!" Ember guffaws. "Kitty is like, the least stealthy person I've ever met, alive or dead. How did she manage to sneak up on you of all people?"
"It doesn't matter." He murmured. "How long have you been there?"
"Just long enough to watch you tear his head off. Nice touch by the way." She compliments.
"Thanks, took me long enough to figure out I didn't have to hold back on a robot." Danny says.
"Wait, wait, wait. Back up a minute. You mean to tell me that you hold back in your fights?" Ember asks, disbelieving.
"Well yeah?" He responds while rubbing his neck. "I don't want to actually hurt any of you guys. I definitely don't want to end up exorcizing any of you by accident. Well, except maybe the ones who actually want to fully ghost me."
The rocker looks on in astonishment. Danny claims to have been holding back, and still managed to beat some of the toughest ghosts across the Ghost Zone. That thought is oddly terrifying.
"I'm starting to think it was a good idea to get off your bad side." She states.
"You're only just now starting to think that? Ember, you wound me." Danny says, a hand over his heart.
"Shut up, dipshit!" Ember says with a small laugh. "Come on, don't we have a burger joint to get to?"
"Yeah, yeah, let's get going. That concert isn't going to plan itself after all." He says, taking to the air next to her.
"The Phantom Revolution isn't going to plan itself either." The name makes Danny groan.
"Can you please stop calling it that?" He pleads
"Not a chance!" Ember denies, her statement accompanied by a small laugh. "What did Skulker want anyway, just his monthly attempt to skin you?"
"Yeah, but this time he had something new, something that actually scares me." He admits.
"Something that scares you? That doesn't sound too comforting, Babypop." She responds.
"Trust me, it's not a comforting thought.. He had some sort of cannon that could force me back into my human form." Danny explains.
"He WHAT?!" She exclaims, coming to a dead stop. "That's not good, Phantom. What would you have done if he hit you with that while you were flying?"
He can only shrug in response. "Hope to change back before I went splat I guess. Then again, I didn't even notice I had changed back in the first place."
"Only you can get that lucky." Ember grumbles.
"By the way, my friends call me Danny, not "Phantom"." He says.
She looks up in surprise, her blue ponytail whipping at the motion. "You consider me a friend? Even after all the shit I've done and said?"
"After yesterday why wouldn't I? Besides, you weren't the only one who said some pretty hurtful stuff over the years. I have the feeling that what I know about you isn't something you tell others freely. On top of that, the stuff I talked about isn't well known either. So yeah, I consider you a friend." He supplies. "I mean, you don't plan on blasting me or whacking me with your guitar anymore… do you?"
"No, not unless you piss me off." Ember responds with a sly smile, giving him a playful shove.
"I'll take what I can get in this case." Danny shoots back as they resume their flight.
The white and red sign of the Nasty Burger soon comes into view, and the two slowly start to descend upon their target. Once reaching the ground, Danny transforms back into his human form and Ember hops off her guitar, strapping it to her back.
He enters the restaurant and holds the door open for the girl behind him. "Aww, what a gentleman." She coos, sarcastically. "Thanks."
Danny rolls his eyes, a small smile on his face. "What do you want? I'll order for us and you can go ahead and grab a seat wherever you want."
"What, you don't think I can order for myself?" She asks challengingly.
"What? No, I never said that. I just don't imagine you have any cash, and I don't think they've started accepting ghost currency here." He responds.
Ember's cheeks gain a light pink hue. "Uh.. no, I don't have any money."
"Don't worry about it." Danny says, waving her off. "Like I said, just let me know what you want and I'll order for us both. I can definitely afford it."
"Just a cheeseburger and fries will be fine. Ooh, and a vanilla milkshake!" She requests, giddily.
"Got it, I'll find you in a minute, yeah?"
"Sure." She responds with a nod.
As he stands in line, he can see the curious, but not entirely fearful, looks that Ember is attracting. He figures that the fact he isn't actively trying to fight with her is a contributing factor. Pulling his wallet from his pocket he orders, and pays for, their meal. He stands off to the side, awaiting the order.
"Danny?" A voice calls from behind him. His body tenses and for the second time that day, his blood runs cold. He turns and comes face to face with the last person he wanted to see.
"Sam?" He asks, his voice barely audible.
Ending A/N: MUAHAHAHAHA! Another cliffhanger! (I'm sorry). Whooo boy. This chapter just wouldn't stop. I hope it doesn't seem like I crammed too much into it, after all it is almost a full 1k words more than my normal chapters (Authors Notes included). Anyway WE HAVE MORE DRAMA INBOUND! Also, thoughts on Skulker's new toy? Hope you guys enjoyed and I'll see ya next time. I hope you have a wonderful day! -DraconicAnarkhy