Chapter 26: Tunnel Vision
Danny Fenton was enjoying his ride towards University. He was driving towards a tunnel, believing nothing could happen to him. He entered the tunnel and, several hours later, had yet to leave it.
The next day, at the Kingdom of Zoravia, Princess Natasha was receiving lessons from private tutors when a maid interrupted said lessons. "My sincere apologies, Your Highness, but His Majesty, King Carl, has requested your presence at the throne room."
Lessons remained interrupted as Princess Natasha met her parents at the throne room. "Did you call me, father?" She asked. She was more formal in some cases than in others.
"Yes, Natasha." King Carl replied and motioned for the guards inside the throne room to guard the outside perimeter. "Danny Fenton has been reported missing."
"Oh, no!" Natasha exclaimed in horror. "What happened?"
"He entered a tunnel and never came out of it." King Carl explained.
"Wait a minute." Natasha asked. "Who had that kind of surveillance on him?"
"Oleg." King Carl answered.
"Were you spying on Danny, Dad?" Natasha asked.
"He's your boyfriend and I am your father, Natasha." King Carl replied. "Do the math."
"Anyway, I hope you're not telling me this and expecting me to do nothing." Natasha said.
"You may go help him." King Carl replied. "If caught, we can play it as an over concerned girlfriend. I'll send you the data and you will meet Oleg there."
"Understood." Natasha replied.
Princess Natasha took a plane to America the same way she did the first time she flew to Zoravia, Illinois. "Nice to see you again, Natasha." Oleg said. "Or should I call you "Your Highness" after all the time we've lost contact?"
"We're still friends, Oleg." Natasha replied with a smile. "You still may call me Natasha."
With that settled, the two spies entered the tunnel to look for clues. They eventually noticed a trap door big enough to take Danny's car. It led them to a secret base that had been deserted. As they kept looking for clues, Oleg found a piece of white fabric.
At a nearby secret base, the Guys in White were performing experiments on Danny. "Why're you guys doing this to me?" Danny asked. "Hasn't it been made clear I'm not a bad guy?"
"A ghost is a ghost." Operative O said.
"Even if we must act under the table." Operative K added.
"You're saying too much, Operative K." Operative O scolded his partner.
"It's not like the ghost will ever have a chance to tell anybody, Operative O." Operative K argued and then noticed something on Operative O's suit. "In your place, I would be more concerned with that rip on your coat."
"Well observed, Operative K." Operative O conceded. "I'll get a new coat."
"And I'll help you." Operative K replied and both left, giving Natasha and Oleg enough time to show up and free Danny. "Thank you, Natasha and Oleg." Danny said after the three of them were away from the place.
"Don't mention it, Danny." Natasha replied.
"Literally, Danny." Oleg added. "Don't."
"We're not supposed to be here." Natasha explained. "If you ever go public with this, don't reveal who helped you. If you don't, there's no need to worry since it's unlikely the Guys in White know our identities."
"And even if he knew, they couldn't press charges without confessing what they did to you anyway." Oleg added.
After that conversation ended, Danny flew to his home in campus and, after coming up with an explanation for what happened, settled in and phoned his parents. "Don't those Guys in White have any shame?" Jack asked. "It's one thing to do that to actual ghosts but you're a human with ghost powers."
"Thanks, Dad." Danny replied. "I guess."
"Don't mention it, son." Jack replied. "By the way, your mother wants to talk to you."
"Sure thing, Dad." Danny replied.
"Danny, are you alright?" Maddie asked in despair. "I can bake you some cookies."
"Good luck trying to send them before Dad eats them, Mom." Danny replied.
"Come on, Danny, your father's not that..." Maddie tried to argue but then thought it over. "I'll see what I can do, son."
"Thank you, Mom." Danny said.
"You're welcome." Maddie replied. "Now, are you settling in?"
The next day, Agent Alpha was berating Operatives O and K. "Let me see if I understood that right." Agent Alpha said. "The both of you know Danny Phantom is considered a hero and that his status as a human with ghost powers instead of being an actual ghost exempts him from the Ecto-Containment Act and yet you TRIED TO CAPTURE HIM FOR EXPERIMENTS?"
"Uh, yes?" Operative O said.
"The both of you not only wasted money on some illicit activity but Operative O lost a coat?" Agent Alpha asked in anger.
"I already had the coat deducted from my paycheck, Sir." Operative O argued like that made everything right.
"Anyway, I think I now know who to transfer to our Death Valley headquarters." Agent Alpha commented.
"U-u-us?" Operative K asked while trembling in fear.
"No, Operative K." Agent Alpha answered. "Just you." Operative O was relieved until Agent Alpha added "Operative O is going to the North Pole."
"Why?" Operative O asked in despair.
"Because I want the two of you as far away from each other as possible and nobody at South Pole wanted either of you there." Agent Alpha explained.
"But, what if I'm eaten by polar bears, Sir?" Operative O asked.
"They'll have an indigestion." Agent Alpha bluntly replied. "Now, if you excuse me, I'm trying to figure out something very important I seem to be forgetting."
Meanwhile, a car fell to a trap door inside a tunnel.
End chapter
Answer to Leonardo (Guest): Muita gente odeia os A-Listers.
