Inkaliber: Hey everyone! Welcome back! I…
BANG!
Meowth: So yer finally getting back to work on this one! We've been waitin' a whole month Chief! What took ya so long!?
Sabrina: Now Meowth, please calm down. He's been busy this whole time. He had college finals and a vacation.
Meowth: But he did da Jade 10 chapters! It ain't fair!
Inkaliber: Meowth, your feelings are valid but I need you to dial it back a bit. I couldn't publish much of anything this vacation. There wasn't as readily available internet.
Meowth: Still, you could have said something! Ya had us worried ya weren't gonna do dis one anymore!
Inkaliber: And I'm sorry for making you feel that way. I promise we'll talk more after the chapter is done.
Sabrina: Come on Meowth. I've started learning to bake with Marinette and I need a taste tester.
Meowth: Alright.
Inkaliber: Have fun! Anyway, I have a fun chapter prepared for you guys today. We'll be getting to it right after some reviews.
Gundoru- It'll be a bit longer before the details of that come to light, but it's a good idea to get snacks ready. I'm glad you like the team name.
Fregreg- You'll just have to wait and see if you're right or not. Both for the end bit and if Damian actually managed to stop Dick or not.
Fuyu_FoxWriter- Fanart is always welcome, especially when it's art of Scamp. I'm glad you're excited for that plot development. I've basically had a long break with my vacation so hopefully it counts, lol!
Speedykitten1643- It's your choice then, lol! I'm glad you liked the chapter. We'll have to wait and see what happens with that.
AnjaWritesFanfiction- I'm glad it sparks joy for ya!
ValorusPrime- You'll just have to wait and see, lol!
LunarCouncillor- Lol! It does look that way.
XxXNightcoreQueenXxX- Wiggle as much as you want! Lol!
The_Keeper_of_Worlds- He probably will, all things considered.
Classiccartoon27- I'm glad you find it intriguing. You're gonna have to wait for the answer to both questions.
OceanaMM- Lol! That sounds about right.
Blackchilloo- I'm glad you think so! I figured they'd be a pretty good pair. The plot is indeed getting pretty thick. It brings me great joy that you feel that way about the story. I'll do my best to keep up the good content.
deathfang1920- Lol! Please don't eat your pants no matter what the outcome is.
Crazy_Swedish_Viking- Thanks for all of the hearts!
Lilyofthestars- Thanks for all of the compliments! That would indeed be a funny image. We will see Danny and Cujo rather soon, if the title didn't give that away. We'll just have to see what Constantine can work up. I'll see what I can do for the rest of the stuff.
darknessslayer- Thanks for the heart!
Rocky- Well for this story she wants more than that. I'm not the only one to do this route.
Inkaliber: That's all of them, so let's get started! I don't own Miraculous, Danny Phantom, Marvel, DC, or any other series that show up here. I do own any original characters, concepts, creatures, and places that work their way into the story unless stated otherwise.
Username List
Miraculous Gamer Guild
Moderator:
Mousegirl15- Marinette (Mouse/Mari/Nettie)
GhostWatcher- Danny (Watcher/Ghost)
NightwingFan- Dick (Nightwing, Grayson)
GothamEcho- Barbara (Babs)
Paris People:
Mousegirl15- Marinette (Mouse/Mari/Nettie)
SeaMonkey- Kim (MK)
LadyTigress16- Juleka (Tigress/LadyT/Jules)
HoneyBee22- Chloe (Bee)
CyberPegasus- Max (Pegasus)
SpiderRose- Rose
Sk8terBunny – Alix (Sk8ter, Bunny)
HoundLover- Sabrina (Hound)
MajorScaless- Luka (Scaless)
DrumSkull- Ivan (Skull)
SmellyWolf10- Mylene (Wolf)
AresArt01- Nathaniel (Nath, Ares)
DJShell- Nino (DJ)
NekoModel- Adrien (Neko)
YuganaRyu- Kagami (Ryu)
Haunted Folks
GhostWatcher- Danny (Watcher/Ghost)
GQueen- Sam
BatTuck- Tucker (Tuck)
JazzyTime- Jazz (Blue)
Jay-Bird- Jason (Jay, Red Hood, Todd)
ValkyrieGray- Valerie (Val)
ShadowRider13- Johnny 13 (Rider)
KissyKitten- Kitty (Kitten)
Kids of America
NightwingFan- Dick (Nightwing, Grayson)
GothamEcho- Barbara (Babs)
BeastMan- Garfield (Beast/Gar)
Mr.R0bot0- Victor (Vic/Bot)
Starmoth03- Kori'ander/Starfire (Kori, Star, Moth)
EbonyRaven- Rachel Roth/Raven (Raven, Ebony, Rae)
WallMan- Wally
CoffeeLord- Tim (Red Robin)
TheCoolerKent- Connor
HelloMegan- M'Gann (Megan)
Tech Guru
GothamEcho- Barbara (Babs)
CyberPegasus- Max (Pegasus)
Mr.R0bot0- Victor (Vic/Bot)
CoffeeLord- Tim (Red Robin)
BatTuck- Tucker (Tuck)
Watchlist
GQueen- Sam
GhostWatchers
GhostWatcher- Danny (Watcher/Ghost)
GothQueen- Sam
BatTuck- Tucker (Tuck)
Miraculous Mysteries
BugFighter- Marinette (My Lady, Ladybug) & Tiki (Sugarcube)
Chataclysm- Adrien (Chat, Chat Noir) & Plagg
BeeFriend22- Chloe (Bee) & Pollen
Gotham Knights Communication
Oracle- Barbara (Babs)
DarkKnight- Bruce (Batman, B)
AgentA- Alfred (A)
Hood- Jason (Jay, Red Hood, Todd)
Robin- Damian (D, Robin)
Red- Tim (Red Robin)
Nightwing- Dick (Nightwing, Grayson)
Super Kids
BloodRobin- Damian (D, Robin)
Duckling- Jon
PhantomChild- Danielle (Dani, Ellie)
PinkDragoon- Haley
Bat Boys
MrHood- Jason (Jay, Red Hood, Todd)
Mini-Bruce- Damian (D, Robin)
CoffeeLord- Tim (Red Robin)
CircusBird- Dick (Nightwing, Grayson)
War Room
HoneyBee22- Chloe (Bee)
SeaMonkey- Kim (MK)
LadyTigress16- Juleka (Tigress/LadyT/Jules)
CyberPegasus- Max (Pegasus)
SpiderRose- Rose
Sk8terBunny – Alix (Sk8ter, Bunny)
HoundLover- Sabrina (Hound)
MajorScaless- Luka (Scaless)
GhostWatcher- Danny (Watcher/Ghost)
JazzyTime- Jazz (Blue)
NightwingFan- Dick (Nightwing, Grayson)
GothamEcho- Barbara (Babs)
BeastMan- Garfield (Beast/Gar)
Mr.R0bot0- Victor (Vic/Bot)
Starmoth03- Kori'ander/Starfire (Kori, Star, Moth)
EbonyRaven- Rachel Roth/Raven (Raven, Ebony, Rae)
Paranormal Paladins
Robin- Damian (D, Robin)
NeoSuperboy- Jon
Geist- Danielle (Dani, Ellie)
Ryuna- Haley
Nightwing- Dick (Nightwing, Grayson)
Raven- Rachel Roth/Raven
Other
BluePassion- Jazz (Blue)
Voices
"Talking."
'Thinking.'
"YELLING!"
"Author/Guest/High or demonic entity talking. Also, surprise at the end of a section."
"AUTHOR/GUEST/HIGH OR DEMONIC ENTITY YELLING!"
"Whispering."
"Author/Guest/High or demonic entity whispering."
Rand: Chat/text message
Rand: Chat/text message in irl sections
"Talking in game and out of character/Talking in flashback."
"YELLING IN GAME AND OUT OF CHARACTER/YELLING IN FLASHBACK!"
"Whispering in game and out of character/Whispering in flashback."
Amity Park, Illinois
Danny flew through the air as he chased down a ghost in a gaseous car. The specter used to be a road racer until he met his end in a terrible accident. Now he was forcing his way into every race he could undertake. This led to dangerous accidents as he would take anyone revving an engine as a sign someone was challenging him. As such, the Titans Dark were forced to chase him down at his favorite stomping grounds: the abandoned Paradise Mall.
Danny did the honors of actually chasing the racer ghost, quickly having to dodge a fiery blast meant to throw him off course. The enemy then tried to fire his attacks at nearby civilians, hoping to distract Danny with their safety. Thankfully Tucker was there to stop the attack with his suit, blocking each hit in spite of the heat. Jazz and Jason rode underneath the flying duo, Jazz on the back of the bike as she hugged the Gothamite closely. Danny readied his freezing eye beams as he got closer.
"Attacking civilians and drag racing are against the rules!" cried the ghostly hero. "Time to pull over, Buddy!" He fired the beans at the flaming ghost, the individual growling in anger.
"Ain't nobody stopping Buddy Backburner from racing!" roared the individual. "I'm dedicating this race to the lovely Ireen! I'll find you in this afterlife or the next life my racin' queen!" Danny narrowed his eyes as he repeatedly fired at the gas vehicle, nearly hitting it each time. He smirked as he sped up to be beside the rider.
"You sure that you don't wanna stop? Last call." He earned a snarl and a fire blast, dodging it effortlessly. "Your loss! See you on the ground!"
He stopped his movement as he stayed in place, allowing Buddy to move forward. The racer chuckled as he felt good about his victory, only to look forward and scream as he saw a glowing green net. He couldn't conjure up a fireball in time as his vehicle bounced off the object.
"Nooo!" The car bounced across the ground for a bit before it dissipated, leaving its driver to roll across the ground. Buddy groaned as he came to a stop, holding up a finger as he raised his hand. "Talk about a turf wipeout."
He pushed himself as he prepared to call on his power again, only to find an unopened trap pointed his way. The Titans Dark stood before him, ready for anything as he growled. "Do it! Send me back! I'll just keep coming back with a bigger and badder car! I'll be back Ireen!" Sam was about to pull the top off of the container, only for Danny to stop her.
"Danny, what's wrong?" questioned the girl. "Time to send him back to the Ghost Zone like everyone else." The boy held up his hands in order to stop Sam once again.
"Just give me a moment, alright?" requested the leader of the team. He didn't give Sam the time to properly respond as he approached the ghost racer. "Listen, Buddy, let's try talking this out. From what I heard on the street you were a nice person before your last race." The driver growled as he crossed his arms.
"Being nice is a weakness! Good people get hurt in street racing, so I'm the meanest out there!" Danny shook his head in denial as his smile remained.
"That didn't stop Ol' Buddy Abernackle, did it? You were such a great racer before a corrupt politician messed you over. You even raced legally for charities and were in line to join NASCAR someday. People still talk about you all around the city." Buddy growled at this as flames burned in his hands.
"So what if I did!? It still cost me in the biggest race of my life! I had the lead right in my hands but someone was having car trouble! I had to stop them from crashing but…" Danny sighed as he displayed a sad frown.
"The announcers thought you were causing trouble and a politician that wanted racing in Amity Park to stop capitalized on it. You lost everything and your girlfriend's parents wouldn't let you see her anymore. You died in a car crash after that, people only realizing the truth when the mayor's new parking lots that replaced the major stadiums began to fail. You were a hero that people betrayed because of what they saw." Buddy began to shake as he growled.
"It… it isn't fair! I followed all of the rules even when I did illegal racing after that penny pusher got what he wanted! I lost everything and people I was helping took the worst hits. And then Ireen… Oh Ireen, what have I been doing?"
The fiery ghost created a car seat out of gas as he sat down, grabbing at his head. "I've become worse than anyone I've ever met. Why am I so angry all the time!? I can't stop thinking about…" Danny made a pillar of ice to sit on as he rubbed the ghost's shoulders.
"Trust me. Becoming a ghost means your strongest attributes are gassed to the max, both the good and the bad. Your hatred and anger was just stronger than your good traits save for your love towards Ireen. You're a good person, Buddy, and I know that you can prove it to everyone if you just put the effort in." The fiery ghost sighed as he leaned forward, only for Jazz's phone to sing as she had it in her hands.
"And my good friend Kitty might have found you some motivation," stated the redhead. She pointed the device at Buddy, showing an image on the screen. "When she heard about you she just had to make sure she had the right person. Does this spicy minx remind you of anyone?" The ghost man immediately took the phone, looking over the screen intently.
"Ireen!" cried the specter. "That's my water cat! The monsoon that sweeps away my burning anger!" Jazz couldn't help but coo as she carefully took her device back. She then swapped the image to one of a diner surrounded by water with ghosts flying towards it.
"Well she and Kitty are at the Watering Hole Cafe in the Ghost Zone. She's been asking for 'her Buddy' for years. She never stopped loving you, Buddy. She's been looking for you all of this time." The car driver suddenly hopped up as his flames ignited in a pink flare.
"HANG ON WATER CAT! POPPA BLAZE IS COMING FOR YA!" He suddenly formed his car again, only this time it ignited into flames. It took off like a shot, disappearing into an explosion of fire as if he had crashed into thin air. Sam sighed in relief as she shook her head.
"That was way too close, Danny," groaned the goth girl. "He could have taken advantage of you to do some real damage." The team leader shook his head in denial.
"Having Johnny and Kitty on the team and in our group… really put things into perspective for me," revealed Danny. "I wanna try and figure out what's driving the more reasonable ghosts to see if I can help them be better. If Johnny and Kitty can turn over a new leaf, maybe there are others that can too. I already have a plan in place for Ember if I ever see her again." Jazz smiled as she nodded her head.
"Sounds like a mature and responsible way to handle it," accepted the redhead. "Just try to figure out the 'can be good' kind of ghosts from the 'put your pelt on a wall' ones. I'd rather not lose my baby bro. What do you think, Jay?" The Red Hood nodded his head as he crossed his arms.
"I agree," stated Jason. "It's the same with criminals. Some can be helped while others… let's just say if Batman wasn't breathing his no kill rule down my neck I'd have a bullet with their names on them. The point is, kindness pairs great with caution when dealing with enemies." Danny nodded his head, filing the details for later.
Jason then uncrossed his arms as he leaned forwards a bit. "Of course, you could have also thought about telling the others about Danielle a lot sooner." This caused the ghost boy to groan as he threw his hands in the air.
"How many times do I have to apologize to you guys!" cried Danny. "She wouldn't be able to stay here with Vlad causing issues anyway! He'd just grab her and melt her down to make another clone attempt! Sam, Tucker, you already knew about her!" Tucker held up his hands as he looked away.
"Don't bring us into this!" cried the geek. "You never told us she was a clone of you!" Sam nodded her head, her arms crossed. This made Danny grumble under his breath, looking away from his longtime friends. Jazz stepped towards him, a disappointed look on her face.
"Even if Vlad doesn't make her life hard, you should have told me Danielle exists," chastised the older sibling. "Clone or not, she's my family too. I have a right to know that my little cousin, or little sister in this case, exists." Danny frowned, realizing the error he made. Before he could say something in response, Jason winced with a bit of a hiss.
"Yeah it's more complicated than that," informed the Gothamite. "While she could be seen as a little sister, her DNA might actually be close enough to Danny's that she'd technically be his daughter." The others blinked at him, only to suddenly get up in his face.
"WHAT!?" cried the group. Red Hood nearly fell over from shock, huffing as he didn't expect the outburst to be so big. Danny actually shook as he gestured to the older guy.
"Um… please explain that to me," requested the leader. "How could she be my kid!?" Jason straightened himself as he did his best to regain his composure.
"The first Superboy, the clone one, was cloned from both the DNA of Superman AND Lex Luthor. By all accounts he was genetically Superman's son. Dani might be a failed direct clone, but she has enough of your DNA to carry your traits and your powers. By all accounts, if she had a second doner, she could legally be considered your child. It's a weird age difference, but the facts are still there."
Danny blinked multiple times, his mind feeling like it could explode at any moment. The fact that his clone, the girl he continuously called his cousin, could actually be his child was unnerving to him. He took a deep breath as he placed his hands together, tilting them towards the foreign vigilante.
"I am… not prepared to make that decision. I need time to think about it." Jason nodded his head in understanding, pointing at the boy.
"Don't wait too long. The longer you wait, the more complicated it becomes." Jazz pushed him a bit as she let a growl escape her throat.
"You better think long and hard on this, Danny!" roared the redhead. "You're too young to make me into an aunt, but I'll still support Dani regardless. Of course, you'll also be in big trouble for letting your OWN CHILD wander the continent aimlessly without a responsible adult. You'll also have to tell Juleka about her if you do make that decision." Danny nodded his head.
"I know and I will. Just… just meet me back at home. I'll see you guys in the morning." He took off into the night, nearly hitting a building on his way through. This was going to be a long night for him.
Next Day
Casper High
The day wore on at Casper High, the atmosphere being more dreary than usual. Danny was miserable the entire day, bags under his eyes. He couldn't stop thinking about the big reveal that Jason sent his way last night, memories of the few times he interacted with Danielle plaguing him. The very idea that someone he considered a sibling could actually be his child was jarring. It didn't affect his ability to pay attention in class, though he still felt tired throughout the day.
He opened his locker, groaning as the day was almost over. He put away the books from his previous class, grabbing the next one with a grunt. He closed his locker, only to be shocked as Alya was on the other side.
"Danny Fenton," greeted the girl. "The boy dubbed by the popular kids as the local loser, turned into a sudden hero by being able to make the top jock back off." Danny did his best to have a positive smile in spite of his sleep deprived state.
"I guess that's me," accepted the ghost boy. "You're the new girl. Alya, right? Heard you're really popular with the kids that run the school news board." The Parisian nodded her head in response, a small smirk on her face.
"Yup! I'm the newest member and quickly working up the ranks, though I do work with some amazing people. In any case, I'm pretty good at smelling a story when it's nearby. Right now, I have a suspicion you have a big connection to the biggest story in town." Danny looked away as he tried to not look suspicious.
"Really? And what's that?" The foreign girl held up a newspaper depicting Titans Dark in the midst of a fight with Skulker, pointing directly at the image of Phantom.
"Phantom has reportedly been seen with Fenton Works tech when fighting ghosts. Wayne Tech suddenly buys technology from Fenton Works for ecto research. Now all of a sudden the Red Hood, a Gotham antihero associated with Batman, comes to Amity Park to join Phantom in a team known as Titans Dark. Someone had to be supplying Phantom with Fenton Tech back in the day." Danny shrugged in response to this notion.
"What can I say? My parents are lousy ghost hunters but their tech apparently works." He crossed his arms as he looked her in the eye. "Why do you care anyway? I can't tell if you're trying to get my family in trouble or if you have some other motive."
He watched Alya frown as he leaned forwards a bit. "A lot of adults here say that Phantom is a menace, the same goes for his team now. I personally don't have a problem so long as he's doing good. You've got me wondering what your opinion is." The girl remained silent for a moment, only for her expression to sadden as she sighed.
"Look, I made a lot of mistakes in my life. A recent one cost me some important relationships and made my dreams harder to reach. I know I can't really get back to where I was or make up for what I've done, but I'm trying to be better now. It's why I want to help Phantom get out of this legal problem he's in. Unlike heroes back home, he isn't beloved by all and he definitely didn't have much support until recently."
She gestured to the paper again, a small smile on her face. "I want to give Phantom good publicity by providing the school with real, truthful news of what's going on. I'm hoping to do the same when I graduate. I'm not doing it for money or for fame. I want to do this to show my support for someone who's doing good in this world, and to bring a little more truth to the world."
She put the paper away as she nodded her head. "I understand if you don't trust me. I know they usually exaggerate things, but I've seen enough American High School dramas to understand what people are willing to do to be popular. Just… if you have anything on Phantom let me know." She began to walk away, only for Danny to smile lightly as he tilted his head.
"You didn't hear it from me, but Titans Dark usually patrols downtown on quiet nights." The foreign girl stopped as she looked back at him, watching him nod. "I sometimes see them when I need to walk to clear my head. If I see someone like Paulina bothering them and find out you told them, you'll never hear anything from me again." The way her smile turned into a smirk was actually reassuring as she nodded her head.
"I'd have to hear something in the first place… Thanks." Alya then walked down the hall, a slight pep in her step. Danny waited until she was out of sight before he let loose a sigh. He rubbed the back of his head as he chuckled.
"I hope she doesn't have any bad habits when it comes to following superheroes." He dropped his arm as he nodded his head. "Still, she's doing a lot better. Marinette will be thrilled to hear it later. Now to get this last class done with and…" The sound of metal being bashed caused his frown to immediately drop.
"Where's my homework, Nerd!" roared the voice of Dash. Danny turned around to see the bully with his fist against a locker, one of the usual nerdy victims cowering in front of him. "If I don't turn it in, I could lose my spot on the team! I'll clobber you if you don't hand it over!" The nerd quickly shuffled through his bookbag before handing out a stapled set of papers.
"Right here!" cried the boy. "Just let me go!" Dash quickly took the paper before reading it over, shocking everyone around him. Even Danny, in his tired state, couldn't help but widen his eyes at the scene. The bully growled as he used his free hand to lift the nerd up by his shirt.
"I can't turn this in! There are too many big words! They'll know I didn't write it! Are you trying to get me kicked off the team!?" His victim quickly waved his hands in an attempt to dissuade the idea.
"Y…you said you wanted it to sound good! Those are words anyone could easily look up online! It's an A grade paper even a C-student could produce! I promise it's good!" The boy's plea clearly wasn't working as Dash clenched his fist tighter, only for a zap to shock the brute.
Dash dropped both his victim and the paper as he gasped, the nerd running away. The bully turned around, growling as he saw Tucker with his arms crossed. It looked like he had never noticed the muscular development of the Techno-Geek before, his eyes widening in shock as he looked the guy up and down. An intense standoff occurred between them, the glare in Tucker's eye sending chills down the backs of those who didn't know him well. The electric boy clicked his teeth as he shook his head.
"Just take your paper and go, Dash," ordered Tucker. "Jamie never lies about the quality of his work. I'm sure he put words in there a football player would use. It's not like the school doesn't give A-Listers a pass in almost every situation anyways, especially if you did good in a game." This only caused Dash to growl as he clenched his fists.
"In case you haven't heard, Foley, Coach is on my case this time!" roared the quarterback. "Unless the Principal decides to say something, I ain't getting away with nothing this time! These are supposed to be the best years of my life but you and your freak friends keep getting in the way! You should stay on the bottom where you belong!" Tucker clenched his own fists as he growled, actually looking bigger as he raised his shoulders.
"Life doesn't work like it does in high school, Dash. I'm here working my butt off to get good grades to make a better life for myself while you keep saying this is your peak. The world is run by people who actually know what the heck they're doing, something most A-Listers clearly don't have the brains to actually do. People who actually have a brain to think for themselves end up leaving the A-Listers anyway. If you actually took time to learn and cut the partying back, maybe you'd actually get somewhere in life."
It was clear that Dash was getting angrier by the second but Tucker didn't pay it any mind, gesturing to the papers on the floor. "Just take the paper and get to class before the period bell rings. You know Mrs. Amira doesn't take late work. Unless that's supposed to go directly to the coach." Danny decided to interject before things could get ugly, picking up the report himself.
"Dash, stop before you make things worse for yourself," advised the hidden hero. His bully turned towards him, fury burning in his eyes. "A B on the paper should have you keep your place on the football team. You still have your dignity, so try to keep it." Dash growled as he clenched his fists, only for the alarm to go off.
He finally got the message as he yanked the paper from Danny's grasp, scrunching it a bit as he left. The ghost boy groaned as he shook his head, beginning to walk alongside Tucker on the way to class. He unfortunately had the same class as the bully, the bigger teen seeming content to glare at the back of his head the whole time. The more he felt the eyes on him, the more irritated he became. He was considering using a bathroom break to just fly away, only for the end bell to ring.
He picked up his bag as he rushed out the door, being the first one out. He weaved through the crowd of students as he returned to his locker, collecting the rest of his books as fast as possible. Danny nearly slammed the door shut, only for it to hang open a bit. He heard a voice trying to talk with him, but he was too focused on the path forward as he tried to get out of the building. He was so hyper focused on his feet that he missed the leg that was stuck out, tripping on it as he fell over.
"That's for earlier, Fenton!" roared the annoying voice of Dash. The ghost hero quickly used his powers to catch himself before he hit the floor, waiting until he was close enough to keep from arousing suspicion. He lowered to the ground as he turned around, being met with Dash and a few members of the football team.
"Real mature, Dash. Catching a guy when he's distracted and not in the mood. Gold star. Are you done already?" The blonde bully pounded his fist into his palm as he smirked.
"Oh, you'll wish I was when we're done with you. I lost some serious cred ever since you pulled that cheap shot in the cafeteria. Then you got me in trouble with Coach. I'm gonna make you hurt so bad you'll leave Casper High for good!" Danny felt his anger rise as he shot up, shocking the athletes as he growled.
"Oh grow up! I don't have time for you and your stupid vendetta! I'm already having a bad day so get out of my face or…" An intrigued whistle cut through the air, making Danny stop in place. He slowly turned around, watching as one of the jocks picked a phone up off the ground.
"Dude!" cried the Asian boy. Danny quickly felt at his pockets in order to confirm that it wasn't his phone, only to pale as he found his pockets empty. The football player scanned his lock screen up and down in interest. "Fenton's got a babe as his wallpaper! He's even taking a selfie with her!"
The athlete turned the phone to display it to the others, revealing one of the pictures Danny and Juleka took together that day they got together. "Man, I didn't know you could pull a girl other than Manson! She's hot!" Danny tried to grab his phone back, only for Dash to nearly shove him to the ground as he barged through. The blonde took the phone, looking over the picture.
"Fenton, get a babe?" questioned the bully. "Yeah right! I bet you he just got a picture with her to get some cred. She's not even got a nice figure like Paulina." The ghost boy suddenly felt something inside him jerk, as if a cord was beginning to fray.
"Take that back," growled the boy. Other kids in the area had begun to gather around, interested in what was going on. "Paulina can't hold a candle to her. Give me my phone back right now." This did not produce the outcome he wanted as Dash waved his phone over his head.
"Or what? You don't got the nerve or the strength to take me. Maybe I'll get a nerd to open it for me so that I can see what's got you so riled up." The cord jerked again, Danny's eyes gaining a slight glow to them. The Asian jock couldn't help but look concerned as he placed his hand on Dash's shoulder.
"Dude, I know we get back at people all the time but don't you think this is a little much?" questioned the boy. The other jocks looked shocked at this question, as if none of them had ever said anything before. "Even Fenton has to have someone out there that wants him. That just means one less person going after Paulina anyway." Dash glared back at his companion as he growled.
"Shut it, Kwan!" He looked at the phone once again, sounding his disgust as he held it out. "You're probably right though. Must be something wrong with her if she's with Fenton of all losers. She looks French so she's probably some plain nerd under all the makeup."
Danny's breath was going cold, the area around his mouth fogging up a bit. Tucker, Sam, and Valerie made their way through the crowd to try and reach him when they realized what was about to happen. "Beg for it, Fenton. Maybe I'll give it back and forget your little girlfriend. Given that she probably likes you, she's probably forgettable anyway."
The cord finally snapped, taking Danny's cool with it. The resounding slam that followed left everyone shocked, the phone popping up in the air a bit. Dash fell on the ground, crying out in pain as he grabbed his jaw. The bully growled as if he were prepared to bring revenge on his victim, only to let loose a small cry of fear as he scooted backwards. The hidden ghost caught his phone midair, the cold aura he was giving off and his glowing irises scaring Dash.
"If you ever, EVER, insult my girlfriend again I will unleash a cold Hell upon you. Every frustration, every comeuppance I didn't unleash, and every ounce of karma you deserve. It will all come crashing down like an avalanche and crush you. Now, for the last time, get out of my sight." He watched the bully scramble to his feet before running away in fear. The rest of the football team followed after him, Kwan looking almost apologetic.
Danny pushed his way through the crowd, not bothering to see where the others were. He stuffed his phone in his pocket so that no one else would see the picture of him and Juleka. He was so focused on his task that he bumped into someone rather large. He slowly looked up, only to sigh in exasperation as he was standing in front of the vice principal. The man crossed his arms, an enraged look on his face.
"Daniel James Fenton," growled the man. "Fighting in school, are we? You are in deep trouble." Danny wasn't even given a chance to say anything as he was dragged along. A familiar figure was seen in the mirror he hung in his locker before it was shut by a janitor.
Titans Dark Manor
Danny huffed as he sat on the couch, listening in as Jazz was on call with the school. His parents had picked him up after he got a grilling from the principal for the fight. He tried to explain the situation to them, but they were lost in their own world again. It didn't matter to them that Dash was taunting him with his phone, only that he was beginning to become a delinquent. If Jazz and Jason hadn't been at Fenton Works to pick him up and explain things to the parents, the boy would have been grounded and back in his old room. His reminiscing was cut off by the sound of his sister growling, causing him to look her way.
"I swear that school is run by stupid, greedy people!" roared the redhead. "Of course they try to make Dash out to be the good guy! They wanna make sure their 'precious quarterback' doesn't have anything bad happen to him! I swear if there were any other schools in the area…" Jason suddenly began to rub her shoulders, causing her to moan in pleasure.
"Chill out there, Blue," requested the Red Hood. "Being angry is my thing. Only thing we can do now is deal with what happened and keep an eye out for something we can call the school board on. They can only get away with so much." Jazz leaned into the big guy a bit as she smiled, only to blush as she walked away from his reach.
"You're right! I just need to relax." She took a deep breath, quickly turning towards Danny as she frowned. "You, mister, need to avoid needless violence." The boy growled at her as he crossed his arms, looking away.
"Not my fault Dash caught me at a bad time and insulted my girl," huffed Danny. "I'm already losing sleep trying to understand this 'Sister or Daughter' stuff between me and Danielle. Then he decides to be an idiot and bully someone to make his paper before nearly attacking Tucker. I was wound up tighter than a rope holding a cruise ship and…" Jason nodded his head as he walked over.
"You finally snapped to kick the jerk's Asterisk," began the Gothamite. He grumbled at the magical censorship before shaking his head. "I know what it's like to feel rage when something you care about is insulted or in danger. I've put criminals in the hospital for hurting my family before. Listen to me on this because it's gonna sound pretty hypocritical coming from me."
Jason pointed to Danny as the ghost boy looked his way. "You have to get that anger under control. When you snap like that, you do things you wouldn't have done in the first place. You become someone that you won't end up liking when it's all said and done. This is coming from the guy who snapped after death and still hates himself."
He noticed the looks the duo was giving him, causing him to clear his throat. "The point is, save that anger for people that actually deserve it. You don't wanna be angry all of the time. It's a life of misery." Danny could only sigh at this as he nodded his head.
"Alright. I get it. I'll try to blow off some steam. Can I go now?" Jason looked at him for a moment, only to cross his arms as he nodded his head.
"Oh you can go alright, but I'm using an executive order. You're not going on patrol tonight. You're gonna actually get some rest and stay here. You may be the team leader but you aren't the head of this household. Now go get some sleep."
Danny could only huff in response as he stood up, stomping to his room. Jason remained in place, taking a moment to cool off. He suddenly felt daggers being glared into him, causing him to turn around. He couldn't help but chuckle nervously as he saw the way Jazz was looking at him. "...I'm not getting away with that comment about hating myself, am I?"
Inside his room, Danny could be found lying on his bed. He was trying to let go of the pressure built up inside of him, but it just kept eating at him. Everything began to pile up on him again, causing him to toss and turn. He sat up with a plan to get some drink, only for his ghost senses to go off. He clenched his fists as he growled.
"Hello misplaced aggression." He changed forms as he flew through the floor, making sure not to set off any alarms. His senses were telling him the unknown signature was in the lab, causing him to fly deeper and deeper. He soon reached the desired floor, surprised as the lights were cut off. The only light came from the active portal, the swirling green energy left wide open.
He clenched his fists as he tried to find the source, only for green ropes to suddenly be wrapped around him. "Hey! Let me go! You're so getting it when I…" His words were cut off as he was pulled towards the portal, screaming as he disappeared into the swirling ectoplasm.
Upon reaching the other side, the portal closed behind him. He growled as he rolled across the ground of the opening zone, wriggling in his confines. He looked towards his would-be opponents, only to raise one of his brows in confusion. "Guys? What the heck are you doing?"
The group before him consisted of Poindexter, Kitty, and Johnny. They were also accompanied by a girl ghost with pale-white skin, glowing green eyes, and fiery blue hair that was pulled back in a ponytail and had two locks framing her face. She was wearing a black choker around her neck, a black leather one-shoulder crop-top, a long glove that covers most of her right arm, a black bracelet on her left arm, a pair of what appear to be skin-tight black rubber/latex trousers, a silver belt, and skull boots. Her lips were colored purple by lipstick and black lines that stretched from her eyes seemed to be applied by some form of makeup. In her hands was a pink guitar with a flame motif, even accented by blue flame designs.
The boy recognized her as Ember McLain, a rocker ghost and the girl he had mentioned to Sam last night. He wriggled around in the ropes as he tried to point to the ghost. "Why did you guys tie me up, and why's Ember here? Is this some kind of ghost cult initiation or something?" Poindexter suddenly smiled as he held his hands together.
"Ooh!" cried the geek ghost. "We could start a club! I'll bring snacks and everything!" No one gave him the response he wanted, causing him to grow sheepish as he poked his fingers together. "Or not." Johnny rolled his eyes as he began to untie Danny.
"Poindexter here told us what happened at your school," informed the biker. "From what he says your bully was insulting your girl and you snapped. I can respect a man who stands up for his girl, especially when he's not feeling his best. If you get expelled or anything, you're always welcome to work on bikes with me." Kitty huffed as she crossed her arms, watching as Danny stood up.
"He is not gonna be expelled!" roared the girlfriend ghost. "If he does, we'll haunt that school until they have to hire new staff." Danny finally felt a chuckle leave him as he shook his head.
"Let's not give the Guys in White something to shoot at, Kitty," requested the halfa. "The point of dragging me in here, please? I'm not in the mood to talk about my problems right now. If that's all this is, I'm going back to my bed." Ember suddenly stood up from her seated position as she strapped her guitar over her back.
"Listen here, Babypop," grumbled the rocker. "I didn't let Kitty drag me out here for you to be a buzzkill. They told me you were needing a tour of the Zone's best places to visit because you were feeling down. If I'm stuck doing this then you're gonna have to commit." Kitty held her hands together as she took a deep breath.
"The point is, we want to give you a chance to experience the good of our world to help you feel better," reiterated the biker girl. Danny turned towards her as Johnny draped an arm over her shoulders. "It's the best we could think of to help cheer you up, especially since you'd probably be in trouble if you're seen out and about in the human world. There's a bit of a ghostly celebration going on so there's no violence or trouble today, making it the perfect day for us to just hang out and see things." Her boyfriend nodded his head as he grinned.
"It's the Spectral Aurora tonight, the brightest lights in all of the Infinite Realms," informed the guy. "It happens once every three years and today's the day it arrives. We can even take pictures that you can send to your girl. What do ya say?" Danny thought over everything for a moment, only to sigh as he nodded his head.
"Well, if there's no fighting today then I guess I could give it a go," accepted the ghost boy. "Where are we going? No offense, Poindexter, but I'd rather not see Casper High right now." The geek ghost nodded his head at this, understanding where the halfa was coming from. Ember smirked as she stretched a bit, earning Danny's attention.
"Well, we could always show you the Fire Fields," offered the rocker. "I know you're more of an ice core ghost but it's a pretty fun place. There's also the Star Cove, a small ghost realm where I sometimes play my guitar. I always took you for a space nut." Danny smirked as he nodded his head.
"Let's look at what we can do while I'm here. Time still flows normally and I need to get some sleep at some point." The group of ghosts immediately took off into the air, Johnny and Kitty getting on the grease monkey's motorcycle in order to keep up. They took a while to reach their first destination, even passing the portal that led to Fenton Works. What Danny would soon learn was that this little trip would not disappoint him in the slightest.
They first reached the Fire Fields, the place living up to its name with molten craters that sometimes spat fire. Danny felt a bit weird there, but he quickly got used to it as they had fun with some fiery fish ghosts. One of them tried to eat Ember's hair, the girl roaring as she threw it off. The others couldn't help but laugh as more of the creatures kept leaping at her. To ensure that they kept with the rules of the holiday, the group moved on to another spot.
They visited various spots on their sporadic road trip. They swam in a purple sea while watching pirate ghosts party on their boats, Danny finding a nice looking set of rings that were lost in the water. They then took time to cool off in the Far Frozen, throwing snowballs around while Ember sat to the side with some hot chocolate. None of them understood where she got the beverage but they eventually were all able to enjoy some themselves. After that they just took time to fly around a ghostly city that was similar to New York.
Danny smiled as he took in the city air, dodging a flying car as it honked at him. He soon saw a group of ghost kids floating around, one of them playing a flute. His mind began to go back to his own problem, only for another memory to hit him like a truck. He actually saw the world around him change as he began to hallucinate a circus. Two kids were running around the big top area while a little boy with glowing green eyes was learning to play an ocarina with someone. The one with glowing eyes began to play a note, only for a truck to ram through the illusion as it blew its horn.
"MOVE!" cried the voice of Johnny. Danny found himself pushed out of the way by Ember, both of them narrowly avoiding the incoming traffic. He was caught by Johnny's Shadow, the group bringing him down to what could be considered street level. He sat down on a park bench as he took time to breathe. Kitty was instantly at his side as she rubbed his shoulders.
"Danny, that was way too close!" cried the green haired girl. Once the boy's breathing was back to normal, she quickly popped him on the back of the head. "You aren't even close to being ready to be a full ghost! That truck could have killed your living body!" Danny grumbled at the screaming as he rubbed the back of his head, Poindexter putting his hands in his pockets.
"That was awesome, and I'm talking the classic awesome that's not a good thing," stated the out of date kid. "There's no way you wouldn't have seen that coming. He honked three times. What's got your knickers in a twist?" The halfa gave his companions a chance to gather around him, sighing as he nodded his head.
"I… I just have so much going on right now. I'm trying to understand my ghost powers more, especially after my core evolved. I'm dealing with a long distance relationship with Juleka, which is going well, but I already miss her so much and school isn't making it easy to visit her. Vlad's causing trouble again and I have to keep my eye open for where he'll strike next. To top it all off I gotta figure out if my clone is supposed to be my sibling or my child, which already has my head in a mess!" Everyone's eyes widened in shock at that last outburst, Kitty clenching her fists.
"I'm sorry WHAT!?" roared the ghost girl. "Since when did you have a clone!? And she's supposed to be your kid!? You better start explaining that one Danny!" The halfa suddenly stood up as he gestured to the group.
"Oh you wanna know? Plasmius, dear old Vlad, decided that if he couldn't have me as a son, he'd make a new me instead. After many tries he managed to make an unstable clone named Danielle, a girl with an attitude to match who she came from. He tricked her into helping him capture me to fix the problem with the promise of stabilizing her, only to try and melt her down to have more ectoplasm to make more clones."
He began to walk back and forth, ice forming around him to make the ground he was walking on. "I saved her and she went to live her own life, but Vlad wasn't done yet. He made my friend Val think Dani was an evil ghost to have her captured. I nearly lost her a second time until I was able to get Val to help me free her. Danielle gets stabilized and goes off to continue her life on the road and get away from Vlad."
A ghost car nearly slipped on his ice as he floated upwards a bit, causing a snow storm to begin blowing. "Now, years later, I learned from one of my teammates that clones can either be seen as siblings or as children of their donors. You'd think that I could just say sibling and be done with it, but I'm actually starting to want Dani as a daughter. I'm a B grade student who was recently C grade! How am I supposed to take care of a child that's two years younger than I am!?"
He took deep breaths as he tried to get his powers under control, the sound of an ocarina playing in his head. He floated back down as he swapped to deep breathing, Ember surprisingly being the one to shoulder him. "Is it wrong for me to want to be a dad when I haven't even graduated high school yet? I can barely handle the idea of my folks finding out my identity. Imagine what they'd do if they found out I have a clone that's supposed to be my child." Kitty soothed him as she rubbed the top of his head.
"Easy, Danny," cooed the girl. "Just breathe. You're safe here with us for now. Relax and soak everything in." Danny took one more deep breath, Johnny cracking his knuckles.
"Might be a bad time to ask but does anyone else wanna crack Plasmius a new one once today's over?" questioned the biker. "He's breaking some major Ghost Zone rules with all this clone business." The halfa of the group looked confused by this, only for Ember to pipe up.
"Babypop, ghosts reproduce by giving up parts of themselves to make something new," revealed the rocker. "Their aspects come together to form a new being. To forcefully take the essence of another ghost without their consent is forbidden. It's a rule that the Ancients put in place, preceding the rule of Pariah Dark." Danny frowned as he crossed his arms.
"Well Vlad broke that rule and somehow only made Dani with my mid-morph DNA," revealed the ghost boy. "I don't know how he did it, but it worked." Poindexter rubbed the back of his head in confusion.
"Gosh," gasped the ghostly school boy. "That's a lot to unpack. Once a ghost is formed only magic can set right what is missing. Well, unless you wanna do things the living would consider evil." Kitty glared at Poindexter before helping Danny back into the park seat.
"While it is very early in your life and afterlife, there's nothing wrong with wanting kids in your life," reassured the ghost girl. "Believe me, after a little longer to see if he's genuine, I'll be making one with Johnny at some point. We'll even exchange essence in the living way." Johnny blushed green as he looked away, Shadow elbowing him while snickering.
"SHUT UP SHADOW!" roared the biker. "I'm just… thinking!" Kitty rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms under her chest.
"The point is, if you want to have a parental bond with Dani then I don't see the problem. You're in the ghost zone, alone with your ghostly friends and Ember. She's close to being a friend but you two haven't really talked about it yet. If you have something you want to say, you can scream it to the rooftops here. On our unliving honor we won't tell anyone anything you don't want to be heard."
Danny blushed from the mention of such intimate activities, trying to think things over. The more he began to think for himself, the more his blush disappeared. He sat up a bit as he began to let these thoughts run wild.
"...I wanna be a dad to Danielle," began the boy. "I wanna be able to live in a home with her, Juleka, and three kids of our own. We'll keep Cujo as our pet dog and give him his own little dog house to sleep in. I'll have ghost friends over more without having to worry about Mom and Dad coming in and trying to bust them. Oh and don't get me started on Mom and Dad!"
He suddenly stood up again, clenching his fists. "I love them but they've been getting worse and worse over the past few years. Before I couldn't stand people insulting Dad, especially calling him an idiot. Now I can't help but feel like he AND Mom just make things worse! They don't even do things normal parents would do anymore!"
He gestured to his head before ruffling his hair. "I can't even get a haircut without Mom being the one to do it! I don't even want to cut it in some weird pattern or make some ridiculous statement! I just wanna keep it short and not have my hair hanging over my face!" Ember suddenly got in the spirit of the moment as she pointed at the halfa.
"Dang straight, Babypop!" cried the rocker. "That ain't normal or right! You can't control your hair like we can! You're basically stuck with the top of a beak hanging over your face!" Now in a cycle of emotionally feeding off of each other, Danny grabbed at the spot on his hair.
"You know what? I'm getting a haircut! If she hates it I'll just live with it! I'm a young adult who can make decisions on how to keep his stinking hair!" Johnny grinned as he nodded his head.
"I know just the guy," informed the biker. "He's here in town. Some ghosts want to have their hair look a certain way but can't get it looking nice. He's literally a barber ghost so he can fix any head of hair." Poindexter grinned as he twisted his bowtie a bit.
"I could use a new 'do myself!" cheered the monochrome ghost. "Let's shake a leg and get a move on!" The more modern group rolled their eyes before they followed Johnny around town. It took them a while with ghostly traffic, but they finally reached a ghostly barbershop. Johnny pushed the door open, allowing the group to watch as some tools flew around the area.
"Hey Blobbio! I've got some customers for ya!" A purple blob suddenly stopped in the midst of removing ectoplasm from a comb, turning towards the group. It had a pair of fat human arms, a face in the region one would expect a head to be in, and a handlebar mustache on its stomach. The being suddenly sounded its interest as it tossed the comb, the object sticking into the wall.
"Johnny darling!" cheered the specter in a masculine voice. "Your locks look as good as the day I first cut them!" His smile disappeared as he pointed towards the biker. "I told you to rinse it with Ecto Clear Number 6!" The biker chuckled nervously as he rubbed the back of his head.
"I ran out of the stuff and couldn't find where it's made. But hey! I brought you two new clients. One of them is the famous Phantom." The blob gasped in delight as Danny raised his hand.
"Phantom!? You should have told me! I would have done my hair sooner!" He suddenly pulled at himself, making the mass of his body flow upwards. It took the form of flowing locks, now looking like a skinny barber in an apron.
He gestured to Danny as he grinned. "Welcome, Monsieur Phantom! I never thought the locks of a Halfa would grace my shop! Have a seat!" Danny hesitantly moved towards one of the seats, Poindexter sitting in one next to him.
"I'm getting my hair cut too!" cheered the monochrome ghost. "I want something fly to impress the kids in my class!" Blobbio quickly shook his head in denial as he approached Danny.
"Oh no Darling. I'm afraid there's nothing I could do to go with that form. It already fits so well. Get a new outfit and come back later." Poindexter sighed in disappointment as he hopped out of the chair, crossing his arms in annoyance.
Blobbio nodded his head as he spun a blade around. "How do you want it, Darling!? I can lengthen it, shorten it, or even change it to reflect the element of your core." Danny narrowed his brow in interest, nodding his head slowly.
"I want it shortened to a nice cut, but having it reflect my core a bit would be nice," accepted the ghost boy. "It won't show up in my human form, right?" The big ghost shook his head in acceptance.
"I assure you that your hair will do exactly what you want it to. I have never worked on a halfa before so I can't be entirely sure if your human hair will be affected." Danny nodded his head as he looked towards the mirror, seeing his ghost friends and Ember nod their heads.
"Alright. I wouldn't mind letting more of myself be seen. Just please try to make it subtle." The barber ghost chuckled in glee as he looked over the boy. He hummed as he rubbed his blobby fingers through the hair in question, his form turning green.
"First I need to check the quality of the hair. It is quite possible that I'll need to make it grow out more to give you the best quality work I can." Danny hummed in agreement, not wanting to interrupt the spirit's work. Blobbio suddenly leaned on him, getting a closer look at his scalp. Johnny began to grow a frown of concern as he held up his hand.
"Everything alright dude?" questioned the biker. "I've never seen you so focused on someone's hair before." The barber didn't respond as he grabbed at a spot between Danny's hair. He pulled at it, removing it as his client huffed in shock. He rubbed it around in his fingers, only to drop it with a gasp of his own.
"Who ruined your hair like this!? There's dried, congealed ectoplasm in here! It's even damaging your scalp! I'm surprised you have any hair left!" Danny's eyes widened as he looked towards the ghost.
"What!?" cried the halfa. "I didn't know that was up there!" Blobbio growled as his body boiled a bit.
"Normally I don't insult competition, but you should stop going to the dresser who does your hair! Some of this looks like it's over twelve years old!" Danny's eyes widened like saucers, looking towards the mirror as he thought over everything. His mind was once again running with thoughts as he held his hands together. Kitty took a few steps forward, feeling a need to recover the mood.
"Can you fix it?" questioned the girl. "That can't be healthy." Blobbio looked over it, sighing as he nodded his head.
"I can but it would require a full recovery session. Your core would undoubtedly supercharge the hair. The most subtle I could make it is translating it into the natural flow of your hair. I can only do it if you allow it, Darling." Danny kept his eyes on his reflection, stowing away his thoughts for the time being.
"Just… just do what you need to," requested the boy. "This is the new me, after all. I just hope the charge won't be too big. I'd rather not give up my mortal soul." Blobbio suddenly began to chuckle holding a hand to his mouth as his purple glow returned.
"You make me laugh, Phantom! No one pays me for my work! The ghostly energy from the discarded hair suffices! Just relax and let Blobbio save the life of your luscious hair." Danny nodded his head, remaining still as a massive cloth was draped around his neck.
Blobbio then grabbed at his head, turning red as he muttered in an echoing voice. His client couldn't help but grip at the arms of his chair, feeling like his hair was being pulled out of his head. Bit by bit strands of gooey, mucky ectoplasm were pulled from his head. Each one caused a memory to flash in his head. After almost a minute of pulling, the goop finally snapped away from the boy's body.
So too did the pain disappear, Danny's eyes glowing as he felt like his core was expelling energy. As Blobbio continued to pull at the mass, long hair began to flow freely after it. The new hair was still attached to the scalp, cold winds flowing off of it. The barber quickly cut away the point where the hair met the goop, actually dropping it on the ground to where burning roaches could eat it away. "Now to begin the proper operation!"
He began to work on the boy's hair, combing at some points and cutting at others. He actually ate any hairs that came off, leaving his floor clean. Danny couldn't care less as his eyes were focused on themselves in the mirror. For the first time in his life, aside from his concerns and pains, his mind felt clearer than it ever had. The world around him shifted as he felt his mind become separate from his form.
He was now standing in the middle of a circus, people walking around. The world was colored in whites, blacks, greens, and blues instead of the usual colors one would expect. He watched children run around as he walked through, parents and other family members doing their best to keep up. He soon saw a big top, being drawn there as he literally walked through anyone in his way. He finally reached the tent, frowning as he looked it up and down.
"This feels familiar, but I can't put my finger on it. Why am I remembering this?" He was about to walk in, only for a wall of fire to get in his way. "What the…!?" The fire pulsed at him, causing him to cry out as he was pulled out of the area.
"And done!" Danny couldn't help but gasp as he was brought back to his ghostly form, his eyes focusing once again. "My finest work yet!" The hero stood up as the cloth floated off of him, resting his hands on the reflective surface. He looked up, getting a better view of the new look.
He was surprised to find that his hair was rather curly, much different from the straightness he was used to seeing. His ice horns actually grew out to be longer, having a black core to them. He gently touched his hair, watching as snow and ice flew off of it. It actually moved around on his command, becoming rigid and straight at one point then flat and snowy at another. He couldn't help but whistle as it returned to its natural state.
"Now that's cool." His friends groaned at the pun, Blobbio chortling as he found it rather humorous. Danny turned towards the ghost as he nodded his head. "Thank you." The barber grinned as he shook his head.
"No, thank you. To work on a legend's hair and save it from disappearing forever is a reward all in itself. You can control it for now, though you will have to make return visits. Rest assured that my establishment is a no violence zone so there should be no attempts on you here." The halfa nodded his head in gratitude.
"I'll try to remember that." A bell suddenly rang outside, catching everyone's attention. Johnny grinned as he nodded his head.
"It's time for the Spectral Aurora!" cheered the biker. "Come on, Danny! We've got to get to Star Cove! It's the best place to see it go down!" The ghost boy smirked at this, a small blizzard flowing around him as his hair waved in excitement.
"Let's fly then! Thanks again, Blobbio!" The group flew out of the building, the blob ghost quickly floating out as he flipped a sign to say the place was closed. As they continued onwards, Danny continued to feel more free than ever before. Snow actually fell around him as he performed a few loops in the air.
"Hey Babypop!" cried the voice of Ember. "Love that you're enjoying the new hair, but we're here!" Danny returned to flying normally as he rejoined the others, gasping at the sight of the place. The area was in an eternal night, small orbs similar to stars floating everywhere. The group touched down on the beach, a few of the orbs floating around across the water.
Danny immediately sat in the sand, his eyes fixated on the area above them. Ember sat on a large stone, pulling out her guitar as she began to strum it. The others took to looking around the beach, Poindexter running around as he seemingly angered one of the orbs. Ember smiled as she looked to the floating orbs in the sky. "This is my favorite view in the Infinite Realms."
Danny looked back towards her as she took a moment to tune her instrument. "It reminds me of my old life, when I would sit on the roof of my home. I always dreamed I'd be big enough of a star to be up there with them. Guess dreams don't transcend the afterlife, do they?" Danny shook his head as he smiled.
"You know, your song is a hot selling CD in Amity Park." The ghost rocker looked at him, stopping her work. "I even sent some copies to my friends and my girlfriend. If you didn't try to hypnotize people you would have had a lot of fans." Ember smirked as she looked away.
"Yeah well no one liked me enough back in my day for me to have the confidence to try." She suddenly looked up as she began to think over her words. "I actually had a Pen Pal in my school's program that loved rock and roll. He would always say nice and encouraging things, but I couldn't bring myself to try out of fear that he was messing with me." The halfa immediately shot up as he shook his head.
"Ember, you're a great musician and an even better singer. I can guarantee you've got the stuff to be up there with the likes of Jagged Stone. He's a pretty famous rocker in Paris. The point is, you can't push yourself down just because some idiots got under your skin."
Ember actually giggled at the boy's compliments, looking away. Danny suddenly remembered something as he stood before the rocker. "I have this deal going on with Kitty and Johnny. So long as they keep from causing trouble without good reason, I leave them alone when they come to the mortal realm. It was part of what led us to be really good friends."
Ember looked towards him, her frown displaying her desire for him to get to the point. "I consider you as one of the more reasonable ghosts, so I'd like to give you that same chance." She quickly raised her brow at him, clearly scrutinizing him.
"Just like that? You better not be messing with me, Dipstick." Danny shook his head in denial before holding out his hand.
"You can tour as much as you want and sell your music. Just don't try to hypnotize people like last time. You deserve to have a chance to shine because life took your music away too soon. Like Jagged Stone says, 'rock and roll stops for no one.' What do you say?"
Ember looked at his hand, trying to decide whether she could trust him or not. Her expression slowly softened as she played a few notes on her guitar. She huffed as she gripped the extremity, sending a glare at the boy.
"No funny business. I'll make you go deaf if you're lying to me." The duo released each other as the floating orbs began to part in the sky. Even the ones on the ground moved around, the one chasing Poindexter ending its assault to join its companions. Kitty squealed in excitement as she and Johnny sat down on his motorcycle.
"It's happening!" cheered the ghost girl. "We got here just in time!" The group looked up towards the rest of the Ghost Zone, watching as a light began to pierce the darkness of the artificial night. An aurora began to flow across the way, the color being eerily green.
It then began to swap between different colors that Danny had seen ghosts use in their abilities. It spiraled around like a ribbon, doing things that auroras aren't known for doing. Figures were also depicted in the lights, one of them being a humanoid creature with massive horns and a long tail. The ghost boy watched with a sparkle in his eye as more shadows depicted a knight and a tiger walking together. The aurora continued on for almost an hour, Kitty getting a picture as it reached the apex of its brightness. Danny couldn't help but sigh as he imagined Juleka sitting right next to him, Danielle in her lap.
"Next time, I'm bringing Juleka and Dani here." His friends looked towards him, smiling as they saw him with a snow statue of said girls. "That way they can see this too. That would make everything perfect." The others nodded, Kitty taking another picture.
Casper High
Everyone in the hall couldn't help but take a second glance, shocked by the sight before them. Danny walked through the halls, nervous at what people would think. His hair was still curly like in his ghost form, though it remained black and could not be controlled. It had some blue sparkles in it, though they looked more like natural highlights than anything else. Some people were smiling at him while some of the A-Lister crowd looked at him the same way one would glare at a menace.
The boy opened his locker, putting away books that he wouldn't need for the first few classes. He saw Poindexter sending him a thumbs up in the mirror, smiling as he nodded his head. He closed his locker door, only to be met by the surprised face of Kwan.
"Yo Fenton," greeted the football player. "You finally got rid of the beak on your head. It looks nice. I…" Danny rolled his eyes as he walked around the big guy.
"Whatever you want, Kwan, I'm not doing it just because you butter me up," denied the ghost boy. "I have to get to class." He was suddenly grabbed by the shoulder, though it wasn't a painful hold like he'd expect it to be.
"Wait! I just wanna talk. Please." Danny huffed at this as he turned around, only to notice the sad frown on Kwan's face. He slowly nodded his head as he leaned against a locker door.
"I'll give you 'til the bell rings. Go." The Asian jock nodded his head in understanding.
"I know that the A-List gets a lot of hate from other kids in school, but I wanted to apologize for what happened yesterday." Danny's eyes widened, not expecting any apology at all. "The football team has a bit of a bro code. We dig at each other and others all we want, but never mess with another man's girl. Not all of them follow it but it's still a general rule."
Kwan grabbed at the center of his jersey as he looked down. "Dash followed that rule for a long time until yesterday. I usually follow his lead but I had to draw the line there. It wasn't right because I could tell your girl was real and beautiful. In all honesty I can't help but admit you found yourself a good one, even if I was kinda rooting for you and Manson to get together."
Danny rolled his eyes again, though this time a smile was beginning to form. "The team has been giving Dash heck after I slipped what happened to them, same with the other guys who stood by and did nothing. I know it doesn't make up for what happened, but apologizing is all I can really do without causing you even more trouble. I…" The bell suddenly rang, causing the boy to shut up.
"Time's up. We need to get to class." Danny turned around again, only to smile back at Kwan. "If the other A-Listers give you trouble, you can always talk with us. We don't have a popularity requirement or any big social rules."
He noticed the shocked look Kwan was giving him as he nodded his head. "All we care about is hanging out with good people and helping those in need. The world's too full of jerks for us to not do something good. Everyone knows where we sit at lunch so don't hesitate to swing by if you need to." He walked away from the area, leaving Kwan to pump his fist in success.
"I've got an invite to the Fenton table! Score! Sounds like it's easy access! I gotta tell Star!" He quickly walked off, pretending like nothing happened.
As this was going on, Danny reached his first classroom. He saw Dash inside, though the quarterback quickly hid his face away in fear. The ghost boy groaned as he walked inside, feeling so many eyes on him. He walked halfway across the room before his teacher stood up. The man crossed his arms as he looked at the troublemaker.
"I heard about your fight yesterday, Danny," informed Mr. Lancer. The ghost boy could only look away as he waited for the scolding he knew was coming. "You always had trouble before, but never did I think you'd attack another student. If the football team lost the game last night the Principal would have had you suspended with a threat of expulsion. However, your sister and several other students called in to tell the truth of what happened that day."
Danny looked a bit surprised as the teacher nodded his head with a sigh. "I can't condone violence on school grounds, or anywhere for that matter, but it was agreed that Dash went beyond normal bullying behavior. He is already spending detention with the Vice Principal to hopefully correct his actions as of late. You will have detention with me for the rest of the week, where you can reflect on how you can better handle such situations in the future. In the event that a… situation comes up you can make up any hours you miss next week."
He then gestured to the boy's seat as he smiled softly. "Take your seat for now. Class will begin soon." Danny eyed Mr. Lancer oddly before making his way towards the seat. "Oh, and Danny?"
The boy looked back as he saw the teacher's smile. "I may not condone violence, but that was a rather nice punch." Danny couldn't help but smile at this, feeling like things were beginning to turn around.
Inkaliber: That's all folks! Danny shows off how he's trying to give more ghosts a chance to be good before knocking Dash on his butt for insulting Juleka. He takes some time to cool off as he's pulled into the Ghost Zone by his ghostly friends. Ember is even brought along for the ride, beginning her road to becoming a member of the friend group. Danny eventually comes to a decision of how he wants his relationship with Ellie to go as well as his own life, getting a new haircut to symbolize this.
Meowth: I just got back from tryin' cookies, which are delicious by the way. I saw that point with the hair thing and them Fenton folks has some explainin' to do! Yer making it sound like he's been snatched up like we used ta do wit' Pikachu.
Inkaliber: Well believe what you want. In any case, this chapter has been a long time in the making. I know I published some Jade 10 chapters, but I just couldn't get this one where I wanted it in time. The stress of getting a good grade in order to graduate was already making things hard enough. I'm lucky I got any Jade 10 chapters done at all.
Meowth: Guess I can't blame ya fer that. Ya still could have done another short chapter ta tide people over ya know. Woulda liked ta be doin' this last year.
Inkaliber: I understand, Meowth. Why don't you end us off today? That sound good?
Meowth: Eh! Not really. Just glad ta have ya back. Hopefully you get to work on more o' dis now.
Inkaliber: We'll see what happens with the job hunt. I gotta get to work on that too. In any case, I need to end the chapter. There's a lot of work to do for Chan in Bellwood and only so long to do it. Ehem!
What did you guys think of the chapter? Did you like how Danny handled the ghost fight? How about Danny's new haircut? What kind of excitement awaits the Amity park group around the corner? Let me know what you think down below, and I'll try to respond ASAP. This is Inkaliber, signing out.