The Phone Call

So, it's me again. Danny Fenton… this is super weird… but here we go again.

So, I think you know the drill. by this point, you should know my whole deal… guy who gets super powers from an experimental portal that leads to a world filled with ghosts.

So, looks like I should probably fill you in on what happened since. Ember McLain, a villain of mine, who I just realized has always been super hot, well… we kissed. It was TOTALLY an accident, I swear. I used all caps for "totally", that's how serious I am.

So, it was also then we got hired to deal with what we thought was a ghost. Turns out it was this monster called the Wendigo.

Turns out he wasn't a spirit, but some kind of monster from some weird Lovecraft horror land. And he wanted me dead because I made the Earth intangible and left meat of people he… uh… took… free to fall to the Earth. We're not too sure how it worked, but maybe he used magic to store them or keep them fresh and that's why it didn't go intangible like the rest.

I thought he and his army of people he cursed were taken care of when a… ghost? Whatever. This guy named Achak helped us, using magic to keep him trapped.

But… somehow… a portal opened and led him to Amity Park.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot… there was this total babe named Nat who thought I was cute and funny. We totally connected, but her living in Canada made that hard for a long distance relationship. Kind of a bummer…

Anyway… the Wendigo came to Amity Park. He was so powerful that not even the lazily named "Danny Phantom Revenge Squad", with some of my most powerful enemies, couldn't hurt him with their powers.

To make a very dark story short, he cursed a lot of people, including my ex and my little sister, and was willing to hurt or even freeze people to death just to get back at me.

I won't lie… I got dark. I got… rageful. I wanted him to hurt, I wanted him to not be alive anymore.

I have never wanted to take a life, ever. Not even Vlad's life. Yet… maybe it's because I could see how completely irredeemable the Wendigo was, I made the conscious decision to do it.

I did it.

Pierced his ice heart, saw it melt, doused him lava with a power to create a portal, that I can't seem to reuse for some reason, threw a massive fireball at him, and watched a truck full of highly combustible condiments the FDA somehow approved explode… and that was it.

Overkill? Maybe… but necessary.

The town… no, the world was saved. I ended up celebrating my 15th birthday not long after.

I came to realize, especially after how she helped me out, that I wanted Ember to be my girlfriend. She said no.

I can understand her reasoning… I'm a hero, she's a villain… but she's fine with us flirting. Just last week, she and I fought before we made out for… uh… maybe I don't write down how long it was.

But more importantly, I was visited by Achak and those who were cursed. His daughter was among the many cursed to be a Wendigo… or revenant or pale crawler… whatever it was. Destroying the Wendigo freed her soul along with everyone else. Now they can rest in peace.

As for me… it's been 2 weeks since that incident. And right now… it's Saturday. I best get some fun stuff taken care of.

Danny had finished writing as he looked out the window.

"Well, Danielle's with her friends, Jazz is at some concert, Sam and Tucker have plans… guess I got the day to myself."

With that, he morphed and phased through the roof. He was ready to go until he saw some police cars in the distance. He figured he could help out.

Danny flew in the same path as them before he saw Ember at Becky's Music Mega Store. She was atop the building, playing her music and attracting a crowd once more.

She was just as evil as ever, but to Danny, she was also just as beautiful.

"It's a shame someone so pretty is also pretty evil." He said with an amused smile on his face as he landed behind her.

Ember turned around when she saw him. She then sent him a flirty smile.

"Hey Baby pop. Miss me?" Ember asked, sounding coy.

"Surprisingly, yes..." Danny responded. "Any chance we can put a pin on whatever trouble you're causing and go out for the day? I know a place that serves pretty good Thai food."

"As tempting as Pad See Ew is, I'm afraid I have to decline. But I know another way we can have some fun!" Ember said as she raised her guitar as a weapon.

With an eye roll and a playful smile, Danny put up his dukes.

The two begin to fight, yet didn't let that stop them from flirting with each other too. Ember swung her guitar, prompting Danny to catch with both hands.

"Y'know, if I knew then what I know now about you, I'd have asked you to use your love spell to make me fall for you." He said with a quippy smile.

"Flattery won't get you everywhere, Lover Boy. But it does get you on my goodside." Ember said as she pulled her guitar out.

Meanwhile

Sam arrived at the swap meet and brought Tucker with her. However, this isn't the usual stuff of hanging out with Danny or purchasing what they wanted.

No, they were hanging out with Kwan today.

"Never thought we'd ever do this again. Heck, why are we doing this?" Tucker asked, recalling the last time they spent any time with him.

"I told you...to show he can have friends not Dash or Paulina..." Sam answered. "Besides, he said that he canceled a thing with Dash, so at least he won't be there..." She pointed out.

"Still haunted by Dash wanting to eat him, huh?" Tucker asks.

"Yeah. I still worry about when I looked at you like you were a burrito." Sam muttered in regret.

"Wait, you did what?" Tucker asks.

"Oh look, here they are!" Sam went, pointing ahead.

"They?" Tucker asks.

Before them was indeed Kwan, with someone behind him.

"Hey, Sam! Tucker!" Kwan went, a reluctant Star behind him.

"Star?" Tucker asks.

"Yeah, hi…" She went, looking nervous as she avoided eye contact.

"So… let's see what they got for sale today." Kwan went happily, not seeing the slight distress on everyone else's faces.

As he walked ahead, Sam looked at Tucker, who looked unsure of this.

"He's trying…" She said.

Back to Danny

After about 10 minutes, Ember decided that they had had enough excitement, at least for now.

Ember stretched her back a bit as she felt satisfied.

"This was fun, Baby Pop...but I should go..." Ember said.

"Really?" Danny asks. "It was actually getting fun."

"Sorry, but I gotta get to it. I wanna get my ticket for a front-row seat." Ember said.

"Front-row seat?" Danny asks.

"You're not going?" Ember asks.

"Going to where?" Danny asks with a hint of interest.

Ember raised an eyebrow before it dawned on her.

"Oh right… you probably never heard. Once every year or so, the Observants banish a soul so wicked that it doesn't deserve to be free to the Unworld." Ember explained.

"The Unworld? I think I've heard of that place." Danny said.

"It's pretty much the bad place I'm sure everyone keeps saying that idiot jock at your school is going to." Ember said.

"So… you guys get tickets to see that?" Danny asks, surprised to hear that's a thing.

"I hear this year it's the soul of someone so evil that they're gonna throw a massive party for banishing his soul." Ember said.

"I see…" Danny said before Ember suddenly got closer and kissed his cheek.

"Later, Baby Pop." Ember went, bidding goodbye.

Danny, though flustered from the kiss, waved to her.

Ember was soon gone and Danny sighed at her absence.

"Girls like her are pretty fun...but not someone to bring home to Mom and Dad.." He said.

He turned around and started to hover back home.

Maybe I should go to this banishing thing? Hmm… no. That doesn't exactly sound like something I'd want to do. It sounds like an execution. He thought.

At the swap meet

"Oh cool!" Kwan went, looking through some cooking books. "My mom's been looking for a recipe for cheese souffle."

As that went on, Star stood a few feet back, looking left and right as if hoping for someone. Sam noticed this.

"What's her deal?" She asks under her breath.

The boys didn't hear her as one had a question on his mind.

"So...is anything going on with Dash?" Tucker asked.

Kwan looked uncomfortable talking about it before deciding to answer Tucker's question.

"Honestly, it's kind of hard to be alone with him. I know he didn't mean it because he was cursed or something, but...it's kinda freaky hanging out with a guy who talked about how gross he'd be about eating me...and doesn't realize how freaky it is to act like it never happened..."

"I kinda get it." Tucker went, eyes darting to Sam, who admitted he looked at him like eating him earlier.

Sam coughed to try and ignore the discomfort of the situation as she stepped back. Seeing Star at her side, Sam did her best to avoid speaking with her.

"So, where is Danny?" Star asked.

That got Sam's attention.

"He had a thing… Why?" Sam asked.

"No reason..." Star said, reacting a little too quickly.

Sam raised an eyebrow at this, wondering what she was up to.

If she makes another insult at his expense, she's losing that super long hair of hers. She thought.

Meanwhile, at Fenton Works

Most of the Fenton Family were home right now, enjoying a rare carefree afternoon. Jack and Maddie were watching television.

Danny was in the kitchen, making a smoothie. He looked a bit crestfallen.

"Why of all girls I had to get cupid's biggest arrow for Ember is so beyond me that it's in space." He muttered.

That's when he heard someone go through the back door.

"I'm home." Danielle went, walking in and seeing her brother. "Sup?"

"Hey..." He said weakly as she walked closer.

"I saw on the news you and Ember were on top of that music store. I'm guessing it was one part fighting, another part flirting, right?" Danielle asks.

"You guessed right. And before you point out how dumb it is to try and date your enemy, even she thinks I should meet someone more human, despite the fact that she plans to make me her king if she takes over the world." Danny said, eyes on his smoothie being made.

"She's not wrong." Danielle said before looking at the blender. "What are you doing, exactly?"

"Making a smoothie. Want one?" Danny offered.

"What kind?" Danielle asked with interest..

"A chocolate and strawberry one. I'm also thinking of bacon and cheese later." Danny answered.

"Huh… I ate weirder, so sure." Danielle went.

Just then, Danny heard the landline ringing.

"I got it!" He went, going to answer.

Danielle looked to the blender with some interest as Jazz entered. Seeing what Danielle was looking at, Jazz cringed.

"Please tell me he's not trying to give you kiwi fudge." She said.

"Nope. Chocolate and strawberry." Danielle went, Jazz looking relieved. "Thought I might try that after bacon and cheese."

"GAH!" Jazz went with a disgusted look.

Maddie, having entered the kitchen, heard this and shook her head.

"I knew I shouldn't have given him and his father that guy's night…" She said in disapproval.

"Mom?" Danny went, getting everyone's attention. "Your sister's on the phone!"

Hearing that got Maddie questioning.

"Alicia? I haven't heard from here since the reunion." She went as she walked towards her son. "I'm coming."

"What do you think she wants?" Danielle asks, having not had a positive experience with her.

"No idea." Danny said as he reunited with his sisters.

Maddie then picked up the phone.

On the other side

Alicia was in a hotel, tapping her foot impatiently.

"Alicia?" She heard on the other side. This brought a smile to her face.

"Maddie!" She went.

"What's going on? Where are you? Danny said it was a long distance call." Maddie said.

"I'm in France, remember? I told you I'd be taking an international trip to do some hunting overseas." Alicia said with a smile.

"Oh. Well, to what do I owe this unexpected call?" Maddie asks.

"Oh, just wantin' to talk to my favorite sister." Alicia went.

"I'm your only sister." Maddie pointed out.

"Which auto-matic-cally makes you my favorite. So…" Alicia went, trying to sound pleasant. "How are them kids? And Jack? Still got them toys?"

"... what do you want, Alicia? You never compliment Jack unless you want something." Maddie went in a knowing, unamused tone, with a look on her face to match.

Alicia looked around, despite being alone in her hotel, keeping her voice low.

"Maddie… I found somethin', buried in a mountain that was found after that whole ghosty Earth thing. I can't talk about it over the phone… but can y'all come here… next week if not today?" Alicia asks.

"To France?! Are you out of your mind?!" Maddie asks.

"But sister… I need you and your… equipment. Something… interesting happened." Alicia whispered eagerly.

On the Fenton's side

Maddie raised an eyebrow at this. Looking at her family, they looked lost on what's going on.

Her kids were silent as Jack, who was now eating a bowl of ice cream, looked displeased to hear of his least favorite in-law.

Curiosity getting to her, Maddie went back to the phone.

"What did you find that's so important that you need me to come?" Maddie asks.

"I told you, I won't talk about it over the phone. You come on over to Paris, France, so I can take you to… whad they call it? Mount Moose-Shed? Mount Mouchet! …take you to Mount Mouchet… and see."

"Bu-"

"Just ask your boy's ex in the dark clothes… if she's ever heard… of the Beast… of Gevaudan." Alicia went before hanging up.

Maddie looked to the phone in mild confusion.

"So?" Jack asks as he steps closer. "What'd your sister have to say?"

"The Beast of Gevaudan…" Maddie answered, earning no response from a room of people who don't know what that is.

In the Ghost Zone

Inside the lair of the Observants was a room, walls almost endless as they had shelves. On those shelves were glass containers shaped like pills. Inside those shelves were a strange, inky darkness.

One Observants hovered close to one of them.

"We've put you on the back for long enough. In one week, you will go to the point of no return. Your crimes will finally be answered…" He said.

Inside the container was a pair of red eyes in that inky darkness, which squinted in anger.

Part 3 of Vs The Paranormal.

Special thanks to Flower Princess11.

Also, now is the time to say this. For 2024, I will not be doing new stories unless they're either sequels, special occasions, or I finish an older story first.

Anyway, it's still 2023 where I am, so I wish you all a happy new year and may 2024 see a positive outcome for so many of us.