Bombshell
It was supposed to be a normal Saturday afternoon. Most teens would be either hanging out with friends, going on a family outing, or lock themselves in their rooms and waste the hours away playing video games. But for one Molly McGee, this was not one of those lazy days. No, this tween girl was on a mission. She had gotten wind of the knowledge that Bizmart, the mega corporation that took down whatever remained of the Davenport family business, were planning to bulldoze a forest filled with majestic woodland creatures to build a parking lot. Ever the activist, Molly would not let that slide.
Nor would her partner in crime, one Sam Manson. Also one to champion causes such as this, Sam was more than ready to make a stand alongside Molly. However, in this case, they were sitting down on chairs they had been tied to, because they had been caught by Bizmart Security, and taken to their office. In truth, this was but a distraction, as the other members of Team Ghost, as they called themselves, were occupied with objectives of their own. Another truth was that Molly could bust out at any time, owing to her new-found ghost abilities, matching those of her friend, one-time crush, and ghost powers teacher, Danny Fenton, boyfriend to Sam Manson. Molly, like Sam, was waiting for her opportunity. All she could do now was watch the security chief pace back and forth.
"So, let me see if I understand this correctly, Miss McGee, Miss Manson. You two thought it was a good idea to tie yourselves to trees directly in the path of industrial grade construction equipment, all so you can, what, prevent growth and progress?" the chief interrogated.
"What you call 'growth and progress', we call the senseless destruction of natural habitats and needless pollution!" Sam protested.
"How is it fair for you to destroy the homes of those poor, defenceless creatures for a parking lot?!" Molly added.
"If people like you had their way during the Industrial Revolution, we wouldn't have all the conveniences we have now," the chief rebutted.
"Yeah, and it's because of people like you that the planet's getting hotter every year. Climate change, look it up!" Sam spat back.
"Remind me again how you got to the construction site, or how you get to school every weekday," the chief retorted.
"Whatever, dude, we know the development permits are fake. You're not even allowed to build there, anyway," Molly countered. At this point, the chief rounded on Molly.
"Good luck proving it. Who is everyone going to believe? Me, or some meddling kids?" the chief menaced. Just then, he got a call on his phone. "What is it? What do you mean, the construction's off? What do you mean, the Feds have proof we forged the permits?! What do you mean, there's warrants out on all of us?!" the chief ranted. He wasn't wrong, as Sam and Molly could hear footsteps outside.
"I think that's our cue, Molly," Sam indicated.
"What cue?" the chief probed. Molly then delivered a swift but powerful kick to the chief's shin, then upper-kneed his chin. She then used her ghost powers to make herself intangible, easily breaking free from her restraints. This scared the chief's entourage. Sam, too, broke free from her chair, and the two girls started pounding on the security staff.
"Remind me to thank your Grandma Nin for those Muay Thai lessons," Sam quipped.
"Good for body, mind, and soul. These guys…..not so much," Molly joked as she and Sam looked over the beaten, bashed, and bruised bodies of their punching bags. "Certainly helps when you have super-strength too," Molly added.
"How are you girls so freakishly strong?" the chief winced.
"Human-ghost hybrid," Molly answered.
"I fought at Gravity Falls. Believe me, compared to that, you chumps are nothing," Sam derided. The two girls then retrieved the earpieces that the security staff confiscated from them when they were caught and spoke to their colleagues on the other end.
"Danny, nice job breaking into the CEO's office and getting the evidence while we played decoy," Sam praised.
"All in a day's work. Nice to not be fighting ghosts for a change," Danny replied. Danny, also being a human-ghost hybrid, had the job of searching the CEO's office while he was busy either dealing with Molly and Sam or hurrying the construction along for fear of getting busted. This allowed Danny ample time to find what he needed and show it to authorities that would listen to him.
"Ollie, what's new with the construction team?" Molly inquired.
"They backed off as soon as they learned the permits were forgeries. They are giving the Feds everything," Ollie updated. Ollie, his little sister June, and Darryl, Molly's little brother, had been charged with delaying the construction by any means necessary until they could prove the permits were fake. Once they had, it was easy for them to turn the crews around.
"Libby, Andrea, how's the hit piece coming?" Sam asked.
"All typed up and ready to publish. It should make national news by tomorrow morning," Libby notified.
"And I got the rumour mill spreading online. Trust me, these guys will be feeling the hate for weeks to come," Andrea added. Libby, Molly's bestie, and Andrea, Molly's girlfriend, had the role of spreading the news of Bizmart's misdeeds online and in the journalistic space.
"So much for retiring from the influencer game, love," Molly teased.
"I still have friends in the online space, love. Anyway, the sooner we're done here, the sooner we can all go home, and I can have you all to myself, baby corn," Andrea replied.
"If you two are done ogling each other, I'd like to get out of dodge before the Feds find us," Sam urged. Realising that the Feds would soon find the room they were in, Molly grabbed Sam and, while making them both intangible and invisible, flew out of there just in the nick of time. Sam was used to flying like this, because of how much time she spent with Danny, who was dutifully waiting for her outside, along with everyone else. Molly and Sam went to hug and kiss their respective lovers and gazed out at the police raid happening in front of them, while standing in the park next to the forest they just saved.
"Construction crew's gone home, all the Bizmart guys have been collared, and the Feds have enough evidence for a conviction on fraud charges. I'd say victory is ours," Ollie summarised.
"If the woodland creatures could talk, I'm sure they'd be thanking us," June added.
"Once again, the bloodhound of truth exposes the seedy underbelly of corporate America for all to see," Libby stated.
"I'm always up for sticking it to rich fat-cats, but now I'm thinking ice creams," Sam suggested, to which everyone agreed heartily. It was at this point Sam noticed Molly sitting on the park bench, panting heavily. "You OK?" Sam asked.
"I'm fine *pant* really. That fight *pant* took a lot out of me," Molly assured. Libby and Andrea were not convinced. This is the same girl that hosted half a Spirit Week's worth of events by herself. This is the same girl that voluntarily wakes up at 7am, even on weekends. This is the same girl who, according to her, ran on 'the power of friendship and didn't need sleep'.
"Well, those guys were twice our size. Fighting them would exhaust anyone, even hybrids. Come on, maybe some rocky road will get you your strength back," Sam interjected.
Elsewhere in Brighton, two girls emerged from an inter-dimensional portal of their own making. One was a brunette dressed up like a scientist with way too much time on their hands and was dragging a wheeled suitcase around. The other had jet-black hair, pale skin like she almost never got any natural sunlight and was dressed in all dark colours. They were making their way towards the McGee house, where their latest assignment was.
"It has been a while since we were last here," Amy, the scientist, reminisced.
"Yes, much has happened since then," Zella, the goth, replied.
"Most notably, the wraith Scratch has refused with his original body. Pity. I wanted to study him," Amy lamented.
"I doubt he would've consented without an exorbitant food bribe. Take heart, dear sister. Danny Phantom's still here," Zella gushed upon mentioning Danny. Amy did so as well.
"Yes, him. What I wouldn't give for a night alone in the lab with that…fascinating specimen," Amy said admiringly.
"I could take long shadow-walks with him all night," Zella added in a similar tone. Both girls fantasised about Danny for a hot minute before snapping out of it and returning to their task. They stepped up to the McGee's front porch, rang the doorbell, and Sharon, Molly's mother, answered. While Sharon had met the Sentinels before, that was months ago, and not under the best of circumstances.
"You two are part of that group of girls that helped us fight the Chairman, right? Before my daughter vanquished him?" Sharon recalled.
"You remember us? I suppose we would be hard to forget. After all, I was the one that had to tell you your daughter became a human-ghost hybrid after her exposure to spectral radiation. We never got introduced before. I'm Amy, and this is my sister Zella. There's something we need to discuss. May we come in?" Amy requested. Her curiosity piqued, Sharon let the two into her home. Questions were racing through her mind right now. What did these beings that called themselves Sentinels want? She thought that Molly was sufficiently well-protected after letting Danny and Sam hunker down in the house as live-in bodyguards. What else would Molly need in terms of security? As if to answer her question, Amy showed Sharon and Pete, Molly's father, video footage of what looked like a comic book battle between the child hero dressed all in pink and a winged creature ripped straight out of a Stephen King horror movie.
"It's called a Marauder. They're our opposites. They have the same powers and abilities that we do, only they have no restraints. They can, and will, kill to achieve their ends. That girl you see there was part of a protection detail for another Valkyrie Keeper and was just barely able to get out of that confrontation alive," Zella explained.
"The Chief, the Court of Ancients, our bosses, and Homeworld Security all agree. The current protections need upgrading. That's where we come in, because if one of those things does come after Molly McGee, I fear not even Danny Phantom will be able to protect her," Amy added.
"So Chief Annie assigned us to help Danny protect Molly from the Marauders," Zella concluded.
"We'll welcome all the help we can get, but there's one problem; we have no more living space. Danny and Sam already took the guest room," Pete responded.
"No worries, we have that covered, plus upkeep won't be a problem. We Sentinels are very self-sufficient," Amy assured.
"I'm almost afraid to ask, but where will you be staying?" Sharon inquired.
"In your backyard. Don't worry, we brought our own accommodation," Amy answered. The four of them went into the backyard, where Amy produced a small model shed from her suitcase. As she put it down on the ground and everyone backed away, the model shed grew in size until it became a normal garden shed to anyone looking. Pete and Sharon, while they thought the rapidly growing building was a nice trick, noticed something a little off.
"That seems a bit small for just the two of you," Pete observed.
"Take a look inside," Amy gestured for them to open the door and see for themselves what their new living arrangements would be like. Once Pete and Sharon did get a look in, they couldn't believe what they saw. Pete had to do a couple circuits around the shed to double-check that he wasn't being pranked.
"Just…..how?!" Pete asked in astonishment.
"Better question; where are Molly and her friends now?" Zella probed. Sharon then showed Amy and Zella the article that just went live about Bizmart.
"Knowing them, at the ice cream parlour, celebrating another hard-earned victory," Sharon responded. Amy read through it with a smile on her face.
"Oh, this is so making the Chief's day," Amy quipped.
At the ice cream parlour, Team Ghost were chowing down on their preferred flavours. Molly did indeed get rocky road, while Andrea had chocolate chip, Libby helped herself to vanilla topped with sprinkles and chocolate sauce, Ollie settled for mint, June went for strawberry, Danny tried neopolitan, Sam had raspberry, and Darryl had a sundae topped with a cherry.
"Another day, another forest saved," Sam commented. Andrea was monitoring the unfolding story on her phone. The updates came flooding in. Already, boycotts and protests were hurting Bizmart's bottom line, and the icing on the cake was the authorities getting involved.
"Oh, juicy. The Feds are doing a deep dive into Bizmart's dealings," Andrea updated. This made Sam cackle with laughter.
"I sense arrest warrants coming down his door," Sam said with a tinge of hope.
"This is too funny. The CEO tried to make a run for it, but his car tyres got slashed and someone spray-painted 'animal murderer' on his bonnet," Andrea added. Danny looked cheekily at Sam.
"You sure you didn't take a diversion on the way to the construction site?" Danny teased.
"Hey, my activism draws the line at petty acts of vandalism. Molly and I were nowhere near that place. Right, Molly?" Sam rebutted.
"Us heroes need to use our powers responsibly. I am above the actions of a juvenile delinquent. That being said, he really did have that coming," Molly affirmed.
"Don't look at me, either. I was with June the whole time," Darryl piped up, although he did have to suppress a laugh about the situation.
"While that is true in this case, we did agree that I would not provide alibis for you," June stated.
"For which the McGee family thanks you," Molly replied. Molly then took another bite of her rocky road, at that point she felt a sharp pain in her head.
"Brain freeze, Molly?" Libby observed.
"You could say that," Molly responded.
"Must be some really cold ice cream if it only took a few bites to ice your head. You sure you didn't headbutt a guy too hard?" Libby inquired.
"It's fine, I'll just take some aspirin when I get home," Molly dismissed. Just then, her phone rang. Thankful for the excuse to avoid this uncomfortable conversation, Molly answered. "Hello? Really, they're back? OK, we'll be right there. Thanks for the call, mother," Molly spoke then hung up.
"What did Mum want?" Darryl probed. Molly then gestured for everyone to lean in closer so no-one else could hear.
"The Sentinels are at the house. Mum wants us over there ASAP," Molly answered.
"Sentinels? You mean those angel women that helped you fight the Chairman?" Ollie queried.
"The very same. Two of them just showed up at the door," Molly clarified.
"Oh, lovely. Them again," Sam groaned. She had heard about how the Sentinels ogled Danny. She even had to hear about one of them bleeping loudly about how 'she wouldn't mind sharing or getting in between Danny and Sam'. It was safe to say Sam did not have a high opinion of these beings. Danny just shuffled around nervously. If you had told Danny two or three years ago that a sisterhood of angel women had the hots for him, he would be ecstatic. But now he had a serious girlfriend and wanted nothing more, so the prospect of being stared at and adored by these powerful, ageless beings, left him with a sense of dread.
"I think I can handle it as long as Delilah's not there. I am not the kind to agree to a 'three-person thing'," Danny resolved.
"Do I even want to know?" Libby asked rhetorically.
"No," everyone else said at once.
"You would think angels would have purer thoughts than that. It should be fascinating to meet and engage with these Sentinels," June mused.
"I'll tolerate their presence, so long as their 'engagements' don't involve my boyfriend," Sam said.
"We shouldn't keep them waiting for long. Let's finish up and go," Molly resolved. Team Ghost ate their dairy products, paid the bill, and set off for the McGee House. The walk to Molly's house from the parlour was a short one, so Molly didn't exhaust herself any further. Still, Libby was deep in thought about recent observations. Molly's shortness of breath, and spontaneous headaches that she suspected had nothing to do with ice cream, led her to formulate the hypothesis that something was seriously wrong, but without additional data, this was hard to say for certain. Libby resolved to continue silently observing Molly for any more signs of serious illness. If she kept a diary, the answer would soon reveal itself. They arrived at the McGee house to find Amy and Zella waiting for them. Sam instinctively stepped in front of Danny to shield him from their gazing eyes.
"Hold on, let me try to remember. Amy, and Zella, right?" Molly recalled.
"Hi Molly, good to see you again. We were just bringing your parents up to speed," Amy replied.
"In short, the enemies we're up against are far stronger than we thought. The Chief assigned us to be your additional security detail, among other things," Zella explained.
"Isn't Danny enough? He did go toe-to-toe with the Ghost Realm's strongest tyrant, after all," Sam scoffed.
"If you saw what we saw, you'd welcome them in as well. We're not just facing dark sorcerers, we're dealing with, what did you call them? Marauders? Your dark opposites?" Pete recollected.
"Yes, malevolent beings with the same powers and abilities that we have, hence our presence. Experience has shown that we're the only ones that can stand against them. Poor Gretel is lucky to be alive. If the Chief hadn't been there….well, best not to think about it," Amy replied.
"I see, well, we McGees are very welcoming, but we have no more guest rooms," Molly observed.
"No worries. Why don't we show you where we'll be staying," Amy and Zella then brought Molly, Libby, and Andrea to the backyard. They then pointed out the shed that Amy and Zella had brought with them and grew in the corner.
"You're going to stay in that?" Andrea remarked.
"What's wrong with it?" Zella inquired.
"Not to be rude, but it looks like it can barely fit one of you," Molly said tactfully. Rather than be offended, Amy and Zella merely laughed this off.
"Have a look inside," Amy then invited the three girls inside, and they could not believe what they saw. Instead of a shed, the interior looked like a typical medium-sized New York apartment, complete with a kitchen, bedrooms, and even a bathroom. There was even a small lab off to the side for Amy to work in.
"Wait, it's bigger on the inside?" Molly realised.
"Yep. Transcendental dimensions at work. It was inspired by this British sci-fi show that's been running since the 60's. I've been keeping up with it and Ncuti Gatwa is killing it in the role," Amy replied.
"I'm more of a Peter Capaldi girl. Something about his demeanour is just so enticing to me," Zella added.
"Good choices, but I've always been a Jodie Whittaker fan. Not only was she revolutionary as the first woman to take the role, but she was also like the ultimate enhappifier," Molly argued.
"True, the hot blonde was my bi-awakening. I was so rooting for her and Yaz. But I think all of us here know who we'd really love to go travelling through time and space with. It is a known fact that the Doctor got hotter when they reached double digits," Andrea put forth her opinion, which made Molly, Libby, Andrea, Amy, and Zella gush over Doctor number ten.
"David Tennant," Molly, Libby, Andrea, Amy, and Zella pined.
"Though a case could be made for Matt Smith," Molly added.
"Only if he ditched the bow tie," Andrea rebuffed.
"All that said, I will always be grateful to Christopher Eccleston. He brought the show back from limbo. He may have been a one-season wonder, but his legacy will forever live on," Amy said.
"Oh yeah, too true," everyone replied at once.
"Thank you, oh Northern Star," Zella said gratefully.
"I've always been more of a classics girl. It is one of my life goals to own one of Tom Baker's scarves," Libby asserted.
"Morgan can knit you a decent replica, if that helps," Zella offered.
"Nah, it wouldn't be the same," Libby declined.
"True. Anyway, to get back on track, there is another reason why I'm here. The Chief is worried the Malefic Order wants the Chairman's robe. Now that is has been set free, she fears the Order may capture and bind it to their will. You haven't seen it around, have you?" Zella inquired.
"Not since Scratch sent it away, no," Molly replied.
"I see. Maybe Danny could help me look," Zella said, hoping to get some alone time with the boy.
"Yeah, don't ask him around Sam. She's pretty protective of him," Libby shot down.
"Can he at least give us leads? Or get in touch with his ghost contacts?" Amy probed.
"We'll ask. In the meantime, dinner's almost ready," Andrea urged Molly and Libby to let the Sentinels settle into their rooms.
"Oh right, it's pizza night. Don't wanna miss that. You girls want slices, I'm sure Mum will save you some," Molly invited. Not one to turn down the ultimate dish, Zella went after them. Amy, however, hung back. When she was sure Molly had left the room, Amy went into her lab and poured over her monitors.
"Computer, compile all bio readings taken from the subject known as 'Molly McGee' from time index 524 to 543," Amy instructed.
"Readings compiled," the computer complied.
"Compare readings to those taken from approximately five months ago," Amy guided. Her monitor then showed a side-by-side comparison of bio readings taken from when Molly first got her powers up until the present point in time. All throughout their conversation, Amy had subtly scanned Molly. Her other mission was to monitor Molly's health. The Chief had concerns about the spectral radiation she absorbed in the Ghost Realm's Depths of Despair. No human should've survived being exposed to radiation that pure. Molly did have a little tolerance, due to her proximity to Scratch while he was a ghost, but by all accounts, Molly should be dead. Initially, her survival had been put down to the Valkyrie Spirit residing within her, but even their power, as great as it is, has limits. However, when Amy observed the two sets of readings side-by-side, the situation became much graver than she could've possibly imagined.
"How did I miss that? Computer, what's her time frame?" Amy asked.
"At the current rate of mutation, Molly McGee will be terminated in six to eight months," the computer calculated. Amy was mortified to hear this prognosis. She had personally assured the McGees that the spectral radiation Molly had in her body, the substance that gave her ghost powers, would not be strong enough to kill her. How could she face Pete and Sharon McGee now? Where did she go wrong? Was she so focused on the short term, that she failed to consider long term effects of Molly's experience? Amy knew the longer she dwelled on this, the less time she had to work on a counter-measure to Molly's sickness.
"Can this be delayed?" Amy queried.
"Extrapolating. Calculations complete. Further mutation can be avoided with the immediate cessation of Molly's ghost abilities," the computer hypothesised.
"So, she can't go ghost because her own powers are killing her. Can she be saved?" Amy concluded.
"Unable to postulate. Key data is missing," the computer responded.
"Without precedent, we wouldn't know where to start. Alright, we'll pack it in for now and resume tomorrow," Amy resolved. She powered down the monitors before allowing herself a moment of distress. "How am I gonna fix this?" Amy wondered.
Meanwhile, at the dinner table, everyone was tucking in to delicious pizza. Team Ghost had finished telling their heroic tale of how they stopped Bizmart from committing environmental vandalism and brought them down on a grand scale by spreading the news everywhere they could, while Zella told them about her mission to find the Chairman's robe. Danny was intrigued by this development.
"Last time I spoke to Skulker, he was having a tough time restoring order to the Ghost Realm. He said some robed weirdo vanquished what remained of the Ghost Council shortly after we left. Since Scratch forfeited the Chairman's robe, the place has been leaderless and chaotic ever since," Danny exposited.
"I see. I should probably limit my shadow-walks there, then. Still, the robe needs to be found, preferably by us," Zella replied.
"You don't need to worry about Jinx. My family has her under lock and key in the basement," Ollie assured. Since Jinx's failed bid to take over the human world after she claimed the Chairman's robe, the Chen family have locked away the containment unit Jinx had been confined in the deepest, darkest corner of their basement. She makes the occasional noise, but nothing too alarming. Additional defence mechanisms had been put in place in the unlikely event of her escape.
"I still think Delilah should've vanquished her," Zella stated.
"What's done is done, we can't change the past. Besides, it all worked out well, in the end, right?" Sharon diverted.
"Of course but toppling Jinx and leaving nothing in her place was careless. Scratch should've stuck around long enough to form a new government before rejoining his Earth body. It's why we Sentinels have the rules that we do. It's why we couldn't move against Andrias or Belos, despite us wanting to very much," Zella responded.
"Enough of the dour stuff. Pizza night is for smiles and gorging. Molly, you've only had one slice. Grab some more before Darryl scarfs it all," Andrea pressed. As much as Molly would want to stuff her face with pizza, this time, she did not have much of an appetite. She managed one slice and a side of potato wedges, but that was it. This, Libby noted, was another item to the list of Molly's strange symptoms.
"Yeah, Molls, where'd your appetite go?" Darryl asked. Just then, Amy came into the dining room with a sad look on her face.
"I…..might have an answer to that," Amy interjected. Zella knew this tone. Something was wrong, and it was serious. She also knew from experience that Amy was beating herself up for something.
"It's OK, sister. Please, tell us," Zella encouraged. Amy sighed heavily before speaking again.
"Do you remember me telling you that Molly would be fine after we retrieved her from the Depths of Despair? I….I was wrong. I failed to consider the long term. Zella told you her mission, now I should tell you mine. The Chief sent me to watch for any health concerns regarding Molly. I took readings from her and….I'm so sorry! I should've seen this coming! I know I could have! I'm supposed to be smarter than this!" Amy broke down, leading Zella to get up from her seat and embrace Amy in a comforting hug.
"When you're ready, give it to us straight," Pete said bluntly. After Amy had calmed down enough, she faced everyone.
"There is one human condition that is similar to what Molly is going through right now. There's no easy way to say this, so I'll just come out with it. Molly, you have cancer," Amy revealed. The mood in the room changed from cheerful and merry, to shock and horror. "You have half a year at most," Amy added.
Author's note: Well, that reveal will go down in my writing days as one of the hardest things I've ever written. I've touched on dark subjects before, but this is a whole new level. There is something I should address. For those wondering why Molly is with Andrea instead of Ollie like in canon, I coupled them up when I wrote 'A Ghostly Guardian' way back in 2022. My justification for this was I read somewhere that either Bill or Bob (I can't remember which) said 'you can ship whatever you want, just don't expect it to happen'. I took that as an invitation, and free real estate. How was I supposed to know 'A Grand Gesture' would end like that? When that episode aired, I was faced with a dilemma. Should I break up Molly and Andrea and stick to the source material or just go with what I wrote? I chose the latter, because the former was just plain mean, plus it's a fan story. I can do what I want. For those wondering why Molly has ghost powers and has Danny Phantom living with her, again, see the previous story. The usual disclaimers, I own nothing. All properties belong to their respective owners. Enjoy.