A/N: Okay, this one really came down to the wire. I'm REALLY wanting to get one chapter done a month of this story while I reconfigure… well everything about my writing process following some life changes. The holidays obviously gave me a little less time to write than normal, and other personal issues gave me even less. Thankfully though, this managed to come together the day of my personal deadline. HOPEFULLY you'll get another chapter by the end of January, but I can't make any promises as of yet. Beyond that, I hope you enjoy this chapter as we have our Season 1 finale! There will probably be 2-3 interstitial Chapters before we start Season 2. You can guess what they are. Make sure to leave your comments and reviews! I read them all and want to hear your guys ideas for where to take the story, and what to do with certain parts of both Danny and Kim's stories.
A motorcycle engine roars as it travels down I-65, it's two ghostly riders enjoying their vacation from the ghost zone. Pulling off on an exit for a brief respite from the road, Kitty hopped off the bike.
"Well Johnny, we're officially about a hundred miles from Amity Park… why did we have to travel so far anyway?" Kitty asked, taking a moment and stretching, working out the stiffness from riding… assuming ghosts needed to do that. Maybe it was just psychosomatic for her.
"Just trying something new babe. Our 'home' in the human world is Amity Park after all… it's probably good for us to try someplace else. We've got a whole world to explore, and this way there's no chance of us running into someone we know. We can cut loose a bit." Johnny said as he kicked down his kickstand, standing up himself. "No Danny to tell us I can't lift us some drinks from the store over there."
Kitty turned and whacked him with her purse. "No Johnny! We said we weren't going to do that stuff anymore. We got a whole new shot, I don't want to ruin it." She said, fuming a bit. "We DID the whole being thugs and stealing stuff when we were alive… and we did it for 20 years whenever we had a chance to jump into the human world… Danny's given us a chance to be something else… to be better people. Don't you want to take that chance?"
Johnny sighed for a moment as he thought it over. Kitty was right, they'd done all this before, and… being someone good was something they'd never tried before. They'd never really seen the appeal. Good people got hurt. Good people got taken advantage of. But… that happened to bad people too. Johnny placed his hand to his chest, letting himself briefly remember his last moments. The truck horn, the sting of the rain on his face, and then the pressure that came from his handlebars skewering him. The memory of that haunted him, which was a phrase a ghost wouldn't use lightly. He knew Kitty didn't really remember it, since she had her face buried in his back when everything happened, using his body to block out the rain. She was lucky, she heard the horn and then it was just lights out, and that was a sacrifice Johnny would have made for her a million times over.
That memory though… it didn't hang over him like it used to. He and Danny had been friends for nearly a year now, and just… talking with someone who looked past the ghost part and saw you as a person… it was nice. Ghosts in the Zone were always obsessed with their own deaths, sharing HOW you died was something you only did with a CLOSE friend, but the specter of your death loomed over you. The ghosts who had died before were constantly hounded by the memories of their demise, while the ghosts who were born in the Zone simply didn't have the context. They would never experience death, it's something that doesn't exist for them. If they were 'killed' they would simply cease being. The same would happen to Johnny and Kitty should it ever occur… just nothing. Danny though… Danny was willing to listen. He understood what dying was like… but he also understood what living was like too.
"Alright… no shoplifting." Johnny caved. "Still, it's a good idea to see more of the world. Take a look online and see if there's anything cool to go see nearby."
Kitty shot him a smile as she pulled out her phone, looking through local events. "Oh, looks like there's some kind of Gothic Circus in Columbus." Kitty said idly reading through some of the reviews on it. "Dark, gloomy, a bit gross. Honestly, it sounds kind of up our alley."
Johnny dropped his head onto Kitty's shoulder, taking a look at it on her phone. "Circus Gothica huh? Sounds interesting if nothing else. Let's check it out."
"Come on! Close you stupid suitcase!" Danny grunted in frustration as the zipper to his luggage refused to close properly, Kim and Star chuckling at him as he fought with it.
"Superhero Phantom defeated by YKK zipper, more at 11." Star said, laughing as she watched him struggle with it. "How old is that thing anyway? Maybe you should just think about getting a new one."
"I would, if there was anything wrong with this one!" Danny said, pulling even more on the zipper, before stopping and checking if there was any cloth in its path, and then pulling again.
"Maybe you packed too much in it?" Kim suggested, pulling Danny's hands from the zipper. "We can take some stuff out and put it in a separate bag… not like we're at risk of filling the Specter Speeder to the brim." Kim said pulling the zipper open and seeing how much stuff was inside. "Yeah… you definitely overpacked. You've got like… 12 shirts in here. Why are you packing so much?"
"Well, we're heading to New York and Hawaii, I figured we'd be there a bit." Danny said with a shrug, letting Kim take over his packing. "You girls picked out those shirts anyway, did you not think I'd pack them all?"
"No, we picked out the 12 shirts for you to pick like… six." Star said, sighing a bit as she moved to help Kim unpack Danny's suitcase. "Why does this one have long sleeves? It's July!"
"In case I get cold?" Danny questioned.
"It's JULY, AND you have ghost powers. You don't get cold." Star said, rolling her eyes. "Have you never packed for a trip before?"
"No, not really. Jazz always micromanaged luggage so much she packed everything for me." Danny said with a shrug. "She's done Mom and Dad's luggage too since she turned 13 or so. Before then, Mom did all the luggage."
"Yeah… that tracks." Kim said with a huff as she pulled out six of the shirts. She then took a look at the pants. "You packed 12 shirts but only 3 pants?"
"I mean, you wear pants more than once." Danny said.
"Yeah, but not 4 times between washes…. You didn't even pack any shorts!" Kim said incredulously.
"I get it! I'm not good at packing. Just help me finish this up." Danny said, as they finally managed to both properly balance out Danny's luggage, and get the suitcase closed.
"Good, now that'll be ready for when we leave next week." Kim said with a smile as she sat down on the bed.
"I'm still surprised your Dad gave the okay for you and Danny to go on this trip… given his 'No boys' rule." Star said, sitting next to her.
"So… he technically doesn't know Danny is going. He knows that I'm recruiting people for the team, and that Phantom will be with me when we DO the recruitment, but he doesn't know Phantom is Danny, or that we are travelling together. Mom does though, she's okay with everything." Kim said, flushing a bit.
"Still can't believe your Mom found out Danny was Phantom." Star said, kicking her feet a bit. "I don't think I could ever tell my mom about it."
"Ann kind of just was in the right places at the right time to get the information to put it together. Her being at Wisconsin AND the conference definitely made it easier on her. I suppose I'm surprised her dad hasn't figured it out. He IS a genius after all." Danny said, moving the suitcase to a corner of the room.
"Dad's super smart… but not the most observant. It's a skillset thing. Mom's a surgeon, but she did general practice for a bit too, sometimes that's about noticing what's wrong with a patient that they aren't telling you. Dad only has to notice mistakes in calculations and chemistry, which is a different thing." Kim said, shrugging. "I'm not sure how he'll take it to be honest. We'll definitely have to tell him SOME day, I just don't know when."
"You're right… it's not like it's something I can hide from him forever." Danny said, sighing. "I worry he'll get so mad that we 'lied' to him for so long he won't let me see you anymore."
"Fat chance of that happening. Mom will line him out, and even if she wouldn't, he wouldn't step on my happiness like that. I love you, Danny, and he knows that. He's just not HAPPY about it." Kim said, chuckling.
"Love you too Kim. Love you as well, Star." Danny said, leaning in and giving them both a quick kiss. As he pulled away, his phone buzzed in his pocket. "Huh, Sam wants to call." Danny answered the phone. "Hello?"
"Hey, Danny! Listen, there's a circus in town and we NEED to go see it." Sam said over the line.
"A circus? Also, Sam, you're on speaker, Kim and Star are here." Danny said, as he sat the phone down between them.
"Oh, hey girls. But yeah, a circus, but not just ANY circus, this is Circus Gothica." Sam said, her enthusiasm evident through the phone line.
"I take it this is a gothy thing?" Star asked.
"Yep! It's supposedly a bunch of circus-adjacent acts, but with a big dark filter over the thing. You know how much that's right up my alley. Tucker and Valerie already agreed to go with me. You three should come too!" Sam exclaimed.
"Well… I guess it's something. You ask the others too?" Danny asked.
"Couldn't get in contact with Sammy, Alex, or Clover, I guess they're OM or something." Sam said, using the shorthand they'd developed for when the Spies were away On Mission. "Ron's still in Bahia Bay. He sent me a postcard."
"Yeah, I just got mine yesterday." Kim said, a bit surprised that Sam got one too. "You two must be getting pretty close."
"Look, we've just been hanging out when the rest of you are being lovey-dovey." Sam said, Danny could HEAR the eyeroll in her voice. "You guys going to come or what?"
"How pricey are tickets?" Danny asked, he had a good amount of allowance saved up, and he knew both Kim and Star did too, but he and Kim also had their trip coming up. Global Justice was paying for their food and expenses while they were gone, but weren't going to pick up the tab for souvenirs.
"$20 a person for the basic ticket. I think there's like, a VIP ticket that comes with backstage and a t-shirt, but I didn't spring for that." Sam said. "Tuck and Valerie just got basic tickets."
"Well, that's doable." Danny said, and Kim and Star nodded. "We going tonight?"
"Yep! I think the show starts at 9, so meet us at Nasty Burger at 7 so we can grab dinner beforehand?" Sam said, obvious excitement in her voice. Danny was happy, he really didn't get to do much with Sam recently, hero work and his girlfriends had eaten into his time he used to spend with Tucker and Sam.
"Sounds like a plan, see you then." Danny said, before hanging up. "Well, looks like we've got plans tonight."
"And you didn't invite me along, Babypop?" Ember asked as she floated up through the floor, stepping up behind Danny and wrapping her arms around him.
"Didn't think you'd be in the human world today." Danny said, turning around and giving her a brief kiss. "You can come if you want, I'm sure Sam won't care too much."
"I would… but… have you heard from Johnny or Kitty recently?" Ember asked, concern in her voice.
"No… last time I did was game night last month." Danny said, referencing the monthly game night he and Ember had with Johnny and Kitty. Kitty turned out to be a massive board game nut, and now that she had people other than just Johnny to play with her, she demanded they play. It was good fun, so Danny never felt bothered.
"They said they were heading into the human world for a little vacation. I expected they'd be back in a week or something, or that Kitty would text me a picture of wherever they were… but I haven't heard from them in two weeks." Ember said, wringing her hands a bit. "I know there's not MUCH on this side of the portal that can hurt them, but… well I'm worried."
Danny's eyebrows shot up at that. It WAS really out of character for Kitty to not text Ember, and while it was possible they were just busy on their vacation, it was pretty out of character for them to just go off grid like that. Even Johnny was pretty good about responding to messages if he was sent one. "That's definitely something… did they mention where they were going or anything?"
"Nope, said they didn't know where they were going. Just wanted it to be a total surprise for themselves, no plan, just road." Ember said, frowning a bit. "I don't know what to do. I can't exactly go look for them since I don't know where they would have gone, but I don't feel like I can just sit here and do nothing."
"It's alright." Danny said, holding her a bit. "Like you said, the list of people on THIS side of the portal who can take them on? Very small. I'll let everyone know to keep an eye out, and maybe see if Wade or Tucker can trace one of their phones. I doubt Kitty would let that thing get too far from her."
"Thanks Babypop. I think I'll try and hit a few spots they might go to, just to make sure." Ember leaned in and kissed him again. "You're a good man, babypop, I'm glad you're MY man."
"You share Ember, don't forget." Star said, chuckling.
"Technically I don't. You three are Danny's girlfriends, I'm dating Phantom." Ember stuck her tongue out. "You guys have fun at your circus. Let me know if you see or hear from them. I'll keep you updated on my end." With that, Ember flew off through the ceiling.
Circus Gothica was certainly a strange sight to see as they entered, the circus being set up near the railyard where their train was waiting. In many ways, it looked like someone had taken a regular circus and stole all of its color away, leaving only black and grey in its place.
"Oh god! I'm just so excited." Sam said, almost giddy as she looked around, the happiness she was expressing completely opposite the gloomy mood set by their surroundings. "A whole event devoted to the gothic and the macabre? It's like paradise."
"If you say so Sam." Danny said, chuckling a bit as he stepped around a spilled drink cup that smelled suspiciously like someone had spiked it.
"Thanks for gearing up appropriately too, guys, it means a lot." Sam said, gesturing to the black outfits everyone was wearing. They were mostly just black t-shirts and dark jeans, but for Star, who pretty much never wore dark colors, it was a departure from their normal looks. Tucker had even swapped his red beret for a black beanie with a Punisher logo, and wore a fake earring.
"When in Rome, I guess." Kim said, rolling her eyes playfully. Kim's hair was probably the most colorful thing IN the group at the moment.
"Oh hey! Here's the list of acts under the big top." Star said, directing their attention toward a nearby sign. "Ugh… some of these are kind of gross. Torture wheel? No thanks."
"Oh, a motorcycle daredevil, that's pretty exciting." Kim said, pointing out what they were billing as the big spectacle act.
"See, there's fun stuff for you guys too." Sam said, still giddy with excitement over the atmosphere.
"We're already here and bought tickets, Sam. You don't need to try and sell us anymore than you already have." Danny chuckled, as they looked down the rest of the list. Sword swallowing, knife throwing, a chainsaw juggler. Normal carnie stuff, but just given that extra gothic edge. Really all that separated this from a normal carnival was the aesthetic… and the clientele.
"I just hope there aren't any clowns. Normal happy clowns give me the creeps, I'd hate to see what some doom and gloom goth one will do to me." Tucker said, shivering a bit.
Valerie wrapped her arm around him. "I'll keep you safe from the scary clowns, big boy." She teased, getting a laugh from everyone.
Just after sunset, torches burn all through the circus grounds as they call for everyone to start filing into the big top for the main event. The group takes their seats, Star and Kim sitting either side of Danny, while Sam sits in the middle of their group. Sam is all but shaking in excitement, and Danny is certainly very happy that Sam is enjoying herself. The goth thing was something that did genuinely make Sam happy, and the dark and macabre atmosphere of Circus Gothica seemed to fill Sam with as much joy as a normal circus would fill a child.
A chilling theme began to play over the loudspeakers, as lights suddenly went out, and Danny could immediately smell fog fluid, a single light turned on in the darkness as the engine of a motorcycle roared, the high-beam the only illumination in the room. The rider circled the ring, his headlight a spotlight on the crowd as the fog began to twirl into a vortex. The lights slowly ramped up, as the vortex took clearer and clearer form, and, from a platform that must have risen under the cover of darkness, a pale, bald man in a dark mockery of a ringmaster uniform stepped out wielding a staff with a large red crystal ball at the end that seemed to glow in the dim light.
"Ladies… gentlemen… creatures of the night. Have you come to kick back? Relax? Have the cares of the world blown away by a fun and enjoyable night at the circus?" The ringmaster asked, his voice calm and controlled as it filled the big top through the loudspeakers.
"NO!" Came the response from the audience, a deep threatening tone that rocked the very ground they were on. It was all Danny could do to not cover his ears at the noise. Star had let go of his hand to cover hers.
"Then you've come to the right place! I am Freakshow, and THIS is Circus Gothica! Come on out my freaks, give the people a taste of what is to come tonight." Freakshow said, gesturing forward with his staff, which seemed to glow slightly as he did so… a trick of the light? Some LEDs controlled in the handle? Danny didn't know… but he felt, strange… compelled.
Danny didn't even notice himself standing up before Kim grabbed his hand, raising an eyebrow at him. "Where are you going? The show is just starting." She asked.
Danny shook his head, coming to his senses. "No idea… just… stood up." He said, sitting back down.
"You feeling okay?" Kim asked, lightly rubbing his arm.
"I'm pretty sure I am. No idea what that was all about." Danny said, before waving it off. "Maybe I'm just on edge. This place is as dark and creepy as the ghost zone, and the ringmaster there is almost as pale as Walker. Maybe I'm just Pavloving myself to feeling anxious."
"If you say so, babe." Kim said, giving him a quizzical look before turning back to the center.
From a passage, carnies poured out in droves, gothic clowns, men with grey skin and piercings galore, a woman wheeling herself around on what could only be described as a torture device, and an acrobat who cartwheeled, flipped, and tumbled through the crowd before landing by the daredevil.
Acts passed by one by one, Danny finding himself enraptured by the whole thing much more than he thought he would, and he found himself hanging on Freakshow's every word. The time came for the big finale, and Freakshow looked VERY pleased with himself. "And now, my fellow freaks and malcontents, we have our final act. We shall watch as our very own Shadowman attempts to jump through this flaming ring, and catch our lovely Ms. Danger as she jumps from the trapeze!" Freakshow announced, as the rider and his bike roared once more into the ring. The rider was dressed in all black, an unsurprising get-up given the clientele, and covered in chrome spikes and studs. His helmet was full-faced, giving no hints to his identity at all, and was purely matte black. From the top of the trapeze, Ms. Danger struck a stunning figure. She was in what could best be described as a leather gimp suit that covered her entire body, with stark white mesh that existed over her eyes and mouth, that gave her a look not too dissimilar to Venom of Marvel Comics. Freakshow pulled a match from his pocket, striking it and tossing it onto the large ring in the center of the arena, igniting it in a brilliant orange glow, one of the few specks of color in their entire tent.
The engine of the bike roared as he circled the ring a few times, before revving one final time and driving straight towards the ramp. On the aproach, Ms. Danger began to swing from the trapeze, before letting go. At one moment, the two were in air, Shadowman passing through the ring of fire and extending his hand towards Ms. Danger. She grasped his hand and the pair slid her into place on the back of the motorcycle in the instant before landing, the creak of the suspension catching their weight as the bike turned and skidded, landing perpendicular to how it started. The pair raised their hands and waved as the crowd roared in excitement.
"And there we have it! We thank you all for watching our show, please… do come again." Freakshow said, his staff once more glowing an ominous red.
"Come… again…" Danny said subconsciously, before Kim looked over to him.
"What'd you say Danny?" She asked, not really able to hear him over the chattering crowd.
"Uh…. we should come again. It was fun." Danny said, trying to make sense of his thoughts. He HAD enjoyed the show, certainly… but even HE didn't really think he'd need to see it again… why did he feel so compelled to?
"Maybe you and Sam can, I think this scene is a bit too… grim for Star and I." Kim said, gesturing over to Star who seemed like she was struggling a bit.
"Yeah… sorry Danny… I can't do this again. Too dark, too scary… and that torture wheel act gave me the heebie jeebies." Star said, shivering a bit at the memory.
The walk home from the circus was greeted by a warm wind, summer was well and truly underway in Amity Park, and this July was a scorcher in ways others hadn't been. Even though it was nearly midnight, the air was still a pretty warm 65 Fahrenheit, and the air was humid from a rainstorm they'd had the previous day. All in all, it was a lovely night to walk home. Danny had no idea why he still felt so on edge though.
"Those acts were so cool! Did you see how easily that one girl managed to get that torture wheel to move? Incredible!" Sam gushed, still brimming with excitement over the whole thing. She was a creature of the night, this was understandable, while the rest of them had their energy starting to blag a bit, hers was at the top of her game.
A shiver ran up Danny's spine as the telltale blue mist exited his mouth, he froze for a moment as it did so, and Kim and Star turned to look at him. "Ghost?" They asked in unison.
"Ghost." Danny confirmed glancing around. His eyes locked on three figures in cloaks on the roof of a nearby jewelry store, and his eyes narrowed. "Looks like someone's getting greedy. I'll take care of this, you guys head on. I'll see you tomorrow and let you know how this went."
Everyone nodded, confident in Danny's ability to handle this as they walked on, as Danny transformed and phased through the window of the store. "Alright Organization Thirteen, cloaks are way out of fashion… and something tells me you all aren't here for some late night browsing."
The largest of the three figures rushed forward and slammed his shoulder into Danny, sending him into the wall. Danny glanced up as he pulled himself out of the small crater of drywall he was in and saw a very familiar face staring back at him. Red eyes showing no signs of the normal mischievous teasing he was used to seeing in them. "Johnny? What… I thought you didn't do this anymore?" Danny asked, confused. While Danny had never seen Johnny steal anything, he and Kitty had talked about their escapades a few times in the past as they discussed their lives both before and after the accident. Danny knew Johnny was no saint… but he and Kitty had promised they gave up this life.
Another one of the trio pulled down their hood, revealing a figure Danny hadn't seen before. She was certainly someone Sam could have an interesting conversation with, her face covered in piercings, and her hair styled into several tall spikes with large gaps between. Everything a catholic mother would point at and scream. As the woman shrugged her cloak off, the comparisons continued. She wore a leather corset and bikini bottoms, with every inch of her ectoplasm green skin covered in tattoos in all shapes, all certainly gothic in theme. Bats, Skulls, spiders, and other nasty things adorned her skin, and she glared at him. With a raise of her hand, the tattoos began to peel themselves off of her body, before launching themselves towards Danny, animating as they did so.
Danny swatted at the tattoos, but they managed to avoid his clumsy blows. Fed up with the annoyance, Danny gathered his energy, willing his ectoplasmic powers towards the center of his body before releasing, sending a shockwave that knocked Johnny, Tattoo Lady, and the mystery third figure away from him. Danny watched as Johnny's body slammed into one of the jewelry cases, and the alarm began to sound. The shockwave also knocked the hood off the third member, and Danny's fears were realized as he found Kitty beneath the veil. Just as Johnny's mischievousness was lost from his eyes, Kitty's friendliness was gone from hers. The trio turned intangible and invisible, before flying away.
Danny sighed as he glanced about the room, trying to put his head on straight… why would Kitty and Johnny DO this? They'd promised… and they seemed to genuinely love their new lives… why go back to who they were? Danny flew out of the jewelry store, making sure to send a text to his police handler at Global Justice. They had been instrumental in making sure that Phantom was seen as an official Superhero, and not just some kind of ghost menace. Something that had been very necessary following Walker's attempted smear campaign.
Landing in his room, he grabbed his cell phone again, gazing at the screen and trying to steady his breathing. He had so many questions and concerns… but there was one person who needed to know this even more than he did. Danny dialed Ember's number.
"Not like you to just call without texting first, Babypop. What's up?" Ember asked from the other end of the line.
"Good news and bad news." Danny started, taking a breath before continuing. "I found Johnny and Kitty… they were robbing a jewelry store with some other ghost. Johnny attacked me directly, but never said anything. Didn't even really look like he recognized me."
"That's… you sure it was them Babypop?" Ember asked, and Danny could hear the anxiety in her voice.
"As sure as I can be. Only ghost I know that could shapeshift like that would be Bertram… and he's definitely more talkative, and definitely not likely to get out from under Spectra's boot." Danny said, sitting down on his bed as he shifted back to his human form.
Silence came down the other end of the phone line for a bit. "I've heard about some stuff that could control ghosts… I'll look into someone who may know more. Kitty promised they were giving this stuff up, and I KNOW she was happier for doing so. Ghosts don't have friends like we do Danny, Kitty and I were exceptions, and now that we have you guys, it'll be hard to give it up… I don't believe they'd do this without SOMETHING else happening." Ember replied… and Danny could tell that she was twirling a strand of her fire hair as she was thinking, it was something she always did, and Danny didn't have to see her to know it was happening. "Thanks for letting me know, Babypop. Keep me updated if you see them again."
"Will do. Talk to you later, Ember." Danny said, before ending the call. He sat his phone on the bed again, before leaning back. What was he going to do about this?
Nightly ghost patrols were something that had been put in rotation long ago. While Danny was always on call for the heavy stuff, most of the ghost escapees from the ghost zone were well within the capabilities for Sam, Tucker, Valerie, Jack, Maddie, Jazz, and Star to handle without Danny's intervention. As such, normally two people were assigned patrol routes to divvy up the load, making sure no one was completely swamped with ghost patrols. Teams were always made up of two members, a Heavy and a support. Jack, Maddie, Valerie, and Danny were the four heavies, and Sam, Tucker, Jazz, and Star ran support. It was a good system that had worked well for them in the past, and had reduced the amount Danny specifically needed to be out in the field doing the work of chasing down every rogue ghost squirrel. Tonight though, the team was out in full, with Kim even stepping in, a rarity given her normal full schedule dealing with the normal supervillains of the world. Wade and Technus were running overwatch over the city, keeping an eye out for wherever the ghostly cloaked thieves may be.
"Got activity." Wade called out over their communication network. "Silent alarm tripped at the Amity Park Savings and Loan. Security cameras outside and in the lobby showed no sign of entry. Whoever did this came through a non-traditional way. Sounds ghostly."
"On it Wade. What teams are closest?" Danny called out, immediately shooting towards the Bank.
"Kim, Star, Sam,Tucker, and Valerie are within two blocks. You guys meet up there too." Wade called out, receiving affirmatives on the other end of the line.
As Danny phased into the bank, he saw Johnny, Kitty, and the tattooed ghost emptying drawers full of cash into large duffle bags. Danny's eyes narrowed. "Johnny! Kitty! Snap out of… whatever this is! You guys gave this up! You said you weren't doing this anymore." Danny called out, trying to reason with them. "I don't WANT to fight you, but I will."
"Then we'll fight." Johnny's voice came out, but it wasn't the smug confidence Danny was used to, it was a low, rumbling sound nearly devoid of emotion. It was many things, but it wasn't Johnny. Johnny rushed forward, shoulder checking Danny into the wall as the tattooed ghost raised her arms, two sleeves of tattoos shooting off of her and slamming into Danny over and over, a dozen baseball sized gothic images slamming into him as Johnny kept him pinned. Danny shot his fist forward, aiming for Johnny's gut. He connected, a pained grown escaping the unlucky ghost, but Johnny only staggered back a bit. Danny was about to press the advantage when a large metal shelf suddenly fell over, slamming into the back of Danny's head.
"Gah!" Danny screamed as his vision blurred for a second. Right… Johnny's unlucky… but Johnny said it didn't work on people he was weaker than… did he get a power boost? It wasn't Friday the 13th… Danny looked around… and noticed the broken mirror he had been slammed into. Typical.
Kitty got in on the action and slammed her fists down onto the back of his head, knocking him to the floor. The tattooed ghost then summoned all of her tattoos and began to form long chains with them, binding the disoriented Danny. "Freakshow will have a good time with you… Phantom." She spoke, before turning to the others. "Leave the money, we have our prize." With that, the trio phased through the roof, dragging the disoriented Danny with them.
Kim, Star, Sam, Tucker, and Valerie arrived just in time to watch them fly off with Danny. Valerie clicked her heels and summoned her hoverboard. "I'm heading after him! I can catch up!" She said, about to blast off, when she felt something grab her hand. A dark figure, amorphous with sharp teeth and green eyes appeared, making a growling noise. Valerie screeched for a second, before pointing her blaster at it.
"Wait!" Star called out, pushing the blaster away. "That's Johnny's shadow. Even if he's acting weird, it doesn't mean we can just blast Shadow."
Shadow nodded, letting go and raising his hands up in surrender.
"Shadow, what's going on? Why are Johnny and Kitty doing this?" Kim asked, confused.
Shadow gestured a bit, unable to speak. The group looked at him oddly, and Shadow sighed. He made a motion for a phone. Tucker handed him his, and Shadow typed out a message. "Johnny and Kitty being controlled by Freakshow. Can't control me directly, only Johnny can."
"So they ARE being mind controlled." Kim said, as Shadow vigorously nodded. "If he's controlling Johnny though, can't he just have Johnny control you?"
Shadow quickly typed another message. "Doesn't know about me. Was in Johnny's shadow, saw him do bad things again. Know he doesn't WANT to do them. Needed to get help. They want to control Phantom."
"That's why they kidnapped him then." Sam said, running through it in her head. "I bet that's why they came to Amity Park in the first place. Aside from this place being ghost central, the world's most FAMOUS ghost is from here."
"And that's REALLY bad isn't it guys? Leaving out the fact that Danny is our friend… can we even take him, Johnny, Kitty, and that other ghost lady on?" Tucker asked, and the reality set in. There was a REASON that Danny always had to be on call for ghost hunts… lots of ghosts were just too strong for the regular humans to take care of.
"Wade, tell everyone to regroup at Fentonworks… things just got much worse." Kim said over her Kimmunicator.
The Ops Center at Fentonworks had always been theoretically capable of acting as a war room. The large table and easy storage access to supplies were designed with that idea in mind after all, but even during construction, Jack and Maddie had never really thought they'd use it for that. It seems that was wrong though. Shadow and Technus floated near a whiteboard while everyone else sat down, Jazz nervously wringing her hands.
"So." Kim started, trying to gather her thoughts. "We have to work under the assumption that Danny is under mind control right now. This is BAD. If it was JUST Danny… I'm pretty sure we could take him on. Danny's good, but he doesn't have a ton of experience fighting multiple opponents at once. He has sparring experience with Johnny and Shadow, but that's still only two attackers. We have multiple, and our win condition would just be getting him in a Thermos… Johnny, Kitty, and this other ghost change that."
"I did some research through the ghosts I know. I believe this tattooed individual is known as Lydia. She's a former living ghost, like myself, Johnny, and Kitty. Power estimates put her as stronger than Kitty, but weaker than Johnny, although without Shadow, she might be stronger than Johnny." Technus said, pulling up an image of Lydia from his archives. "Not too much is known about her. She appears to have never revealed any personal information to other ghosts, and appears to spend most of her time outside the Zone."
"So we're working with an unknown. We know how Danny and Johnny fight, obviously. How much do we know about how Kitty fights?" Maddie asked.
"We have a list of Kitty's abilities, including her Banishing Kiss, but Kitty very much is not a fighter. I'm reasonably confident in each of your abilities to disable her." Technus said. "As a ghost, she is inherently faster than each of you, but she's inexperienced in fighting, each of you have been fighting ghosts or supervillains for nearly a year now. Your capabilities are more than adequate to subdue her."
"Assuming Danny, Johnny, Lydia would let us single her out." Tucker pointed out. "I would struggle to think that Johnny would let anyone hurt Kitty, even under mind control."
"That's true… aren't they supposedly bound together?" Star asked. "It's kind of romantic, but inconvenient right now."
"This is a concern. Johnny without Shadow I believe is someone we can defeat though. Genuinely… I believe Danny is far and away the biggest threat. I've been observing his battles, trying to gain a sense of where his limits might be… and I haven't found any." Technus said, pulling up some video footage from a few weeks ago, when Danny lifted the massive radio tower on FIGHT island. "Prior to last month, I would have said that this feat of strength is beyond what Danny was capable of. Our testing put Danny's strength in roughly the 10-15 ton range. While I do not know the specific composition of this radio tower, similar ones are in the 300 ton range. If it had perhaps been a tenth that weight, I would assume that I was merely underestimating Danny's peak output… to be nearly an order of magnitude off means that I was working with flawed assumptions. Many ghosts find themselves growing stronger as they age, and as they work with their purpose, a version of the Fentons' former 'obsession' theory. Just as my powers seem to increase as I work with technology, Danny's powers seem to increase as he performs heroic acts. It seems he rises to the occasion. As such… if he maintains his power even when doing non-heroic acts… I believe he might be becoming too strong for merely us to handle."
"Wait, didn't you just say you've gotten stronger working with tech? Couldn't we just load you into that super suit Kim used at Halloween? Wouldn't that put you somewhere near Danny's power?" Tucker asked.
"Perhaps, if we had the suit again it would be a boon… but if I were to fall under the control of this Freakshow as well, you would be even more in danger. I believe it to be best if I sit this one out entirely." Technus said. "I will prepare your equipment and monitor from here… and inform Global Justice should the worst occur."
"I guess we should call that in anyway, if nothing else, I need to see if they'll lend me the Centurion project again." Kim said, plugging her Kimmunicator into the Ops Center communication console. "KP to GJ, access Tango-Three-Three-Niner-Possible."
"Ms. Possible, this is Dr. Director, status on members listening in?" Dr. Director said from the other end.
"Trusted members, Sam Manson, Star Lett, Tucker Foley, Maddelyn Fenton, Jack Fenton, Jasmine Fenton, Valerie Grey, and Nicolai Technus. Associate Shadow 13." Kim said, sighing. "Shadow 13 is Ghost Associate Johnny 13's Shadow, a separate being."
"Understood, what seems to be the issue?" Dr. Director asked, as her face appeared on the big screen.
"Danny's been compromised. The ringmaster of Circus Gothica appears to be able to somehow mind control ghosts. Johnny 13 and Kitty, alongside another ghost we suspect is called Lydia are working for him. Johnny and Kitty from Danny's original report are acting out of character. I've met them multiple times director, I consider them good friends… I don't think they'd be doing this of their own free will." Kim said, trying to explain the situation to Dr. Director.
"I trust your judgement on this. Can you elaborate some more on the situation as a whole?" Dr. Director asked. Kim explained everything from the previous night's encounter with the ghosts at the jewelry store, the previous encounter at the Savings and Loan, and what Shadow had informed them about Freakshow's plans. "Phantom being compromised is a major concern. These thefts seem familiar. Agent LaSalle, run the path of the crime spree WOOHP is investigating against the travel path of Circus Gothica." Dr. Director commanded, looking offscreen to someone.
"87% match. Variations within 50 miles of locations, within expected parameters of ghost travel." Agent LaSalle reported back.
"Noted. I'll have Jerry tell the Spies to report back to Amity Park ASAP. They have been investigating a crime spree that matches the description of your ghost thieves… you may need their help if it comes to blows against Phantom." Dr. Director said, her head resting in her hands. "Assuming this gets resolved… we're going to hasten the recruitment of the additional members of your team, I would certainly feel a lot better if I had more resources for if one of you went rogue."
"Understood Dr. Director." Kim said, blowing a breath of air. Sammy, Alex, and Clover suddenly make this fight MUCH more winnable. The four of them could probably take down Danny. "Requesting the Centurion Project, I know it's still in the testing phases, but it'd be VERY helpful if it came to blows against Danny."
"Impossible at this time. The suit is currently in total disassembly. A testing run on a new power supply system resulted in overheating that melted several components. We have no functioning unit available." Dr. Director said. "It's a very unfortunate time, but I believe you will not need it. WOOHP has given us immense data on various mind control methods individuals have used, you and Samantha should be capable of snapping him out of any mind control he is held under. Strong emotional reactions and actions you would never willingly take are things that are most likely to break mind control. Phantom's psychological profile indicates that purposefully causing his friends harm is a strong revulsion. Even if the mind control IS strong enough to make him fight you, he certainly won't be going all out."
"Lets hope you're right, Director." Kim said with a sigh. "Requesting end transmission."
"Approved. Good luck Ms. Possible. Expect the Spies within the hour." Dr. Director said.
"Having the Spies here is definitely going to make up for not having the Centurion Project." Kim said, sighing. "I would have liked having them both, but I'm pretty confident in our ability to subdue Danny between the four of us. That'd leave the other two to the rest of you."
"I believe that's within acceptable parameters if you maintain a level head." Technus said, as he began preparing equipment. "We'll go with weapons more designed to subdue than destroy. Even under mind control, these are still Johnny and Kitty. They are our friends."
"Speaking of… who is going to tell Ember?" Tucker asked, causing everyone's heads to shoot up.
"We need to tell her to stay away, definitely." Star said, shaking her head. "She's stronger than Johnny by a wide margin, enough to put up a REALLY good fight against Danny. If she gets turned… I don't know if we stand a chance."
"My estimations put chances of victory against a corrupted Danny, Johnny, Kitty, and Lydia at roughly 60%, 70% with the Spies present… against them and Ember? I believe we drop to 20%." Technus stated, a tone of melancholy in his voice. "If Ember can properly weaponize her music against you? 0%. I believe it will be good to inform her to stay away for the time being."
Star picked up her cellphone and called Ember. "Ember, it's Star. We've got really bad news. The same thing that is controlling Johnny and Kitty has probably gotten Danny. We're going to go try and get him, but you need to stay away. We can't risk you getting mind controlled too." Star said over the line. There was some response, before Star added. "We've got to go finish battle plans… we'll tell you what happened after. See you soon." With that, Star hung up. "I guess we wait for the Spies, fill them in, and gear up."
Sammy, Alex, and Clover arrived within the hour as anticipated, and wasted no time gearing up out of the Fenton arsenal. The looks on everyone's faces were clear, you did NOT mess with their friends and get away with it.
The trainyard was eerily quiet as the Fenton Family Assault Vehicle pulled up, everyone hopping out, armed to the teeth with ectoplasmic weaponry and ready for a fight. Sam stepped her way up to the nearest train car, climbing up the ladder with an ecto-rifle strapped on her back. Opening a hatch up top, she could see large collections of gems, cash, and other valuables. "Yeah… Freakshow definitely was using the Circus as a cover-up for these thefts… there's no way they are making this much bank off of $20 a ticket." Sam grumbled, before turning around and seeing Freakshow behind her.
"While you would be correct that the tickets wouldn't pay for all this, I do draw the line at saying my Circus was just a cover up." Freakshow said, glaring down at her. "Circus Gothica is a family tradition, and is very successful. My relatives lacked vision though, we had real magic, a staff with the ability to control ghosts, and all they wanted to use it for was to entertain the masses." Freakshow paused, raising his staff as Johnny, Kitty, Lydia, and Danny appeared by him. "They were so blind to the possibilities. An army of undead, who can be anywhere, can open any door, hide from any security, and possess anyone? That is power far beyond what should be used only to run a circus. Seize them." Freakshow commanded, as Johnny, Kitty, Danny, and Lydia began to corral everyone into a circle, standing at each of the four corners. "I see you really brought in the calvary for this little adventure. Amity Park's most famous ghost hunters? Kim Possible? The mysterious agents from FIGHT? Truly, I would be scared… if I hadn't taken the time to do some… additional recruitment."
More ghosts poured from the train cars. One that was a little person, another that was a massive tower of muscle and a woman who seemed to be able to stretch and contort. Alongside those were several dozen ghost animals, bears, tigers, and even an elephant. Eventually the group found themselves completely surrounded, and totally outmatched.
"You won't get away with this Freakshow! You'll have two massive organizations over your head even if you manage to escape tonight. They'll get you eventually." Kim said, glaring at him while she attempted to work out some kind of escape plan. She glanced over at Sammy, hoping the intelligent spy would have some kind of idea of what to do.
"Your face is going to be all over every news site in the world. Your information has already been sent everywhere, you'll be on the run forever!" Sammy said, trying to intimidate him with the information.
"Then I suppose I have nothing to lose then, I've always been a circus performer. On the run is how I live my life! And now to end yours. Minions, get them." Freakshow said, as Lydia and the animals began to advance. Johnny, Kitty, and Danny though seemed to struggle. "Minions, I said to get them."
"No… won't… hurt… them." Danny manage to spit out through gritted teeth, his mind fighting against the mind control.
"No. I OWN you. You will do what I say!" Freakshow said, shoving the staff forward.
"Keep fighting it Babypop!" Came a familiar voice, as Ember appeared, creating a shockwave that knocked the animal ghosts back.
"Ember! What are you doing here? We told you not to come!" Kim said, looking incredulously at the ghost rocker.
"And let this maniac control my Babypop? Ain't no way." Ember said, before glaring up at Freakshow, flying up. "Drop the mind control act bub, or you're going to find out just how hard I can rock your world, and NOT in a fun way."
"How about… no. I didn't know Ember McClane was a ghost… but you'll make an excellent addition to my show." Freakshow said, pointing his staff toward Ember. "Come here newest minion, you're almost as sweet a prize as Phantom."
Freakshow's staff glowed as Ember floated up to him, everyone watching in fear. With Ember added to the mind controlled ghost, the situation had quickly gone from bleak to hopeless.
Ember stood next to Freakshow, looking into his eyes… before kneeing him in the gut and pulling the staff from his hands. "Lesson one bub, there is NO ONE who can tell me what to do." Ember said, before pointing the staff towards everyone else. "You aren't controlled by the staff anymore." She commanded, as Johnny, Kitty, and Danny shook their heads and came back to their senses.
"What? But.. how? How are you not under my control?" Freakshow asked as he held his stomach.
"Call that the Spirit of Rebellion baby. There's only one man who can tell me what to do, and that's only because I let him sometimes." Ember said, blowing a kiss to Danny. "Well, you all are the ones he was mind controlling. I'll let you get your licks in first."
Danny and Johnny needed no further prompting, flying up to where Freakshow was doubled over. Lydia flew up with them, putting her hands on their chests. "Let me have him first boys… I've been under his control longer than anyone else."
"Be my guest." Johnny said, stepping back as Lydia moved up, grabbing Freakshow by the collar and lifting him up.
Lydia smirked in his face, before turning him and herself invisible, and flying away.
"What? That… Why would she do that?" Johnny asked looking around and trying to find them. "Phantom, your sense tell you where they are?"
"Sorry Johnny, the sense only tells me if there's a ghost nearby, and there are, but you're one of them, that's all the info I get." Danny said, as he touched down nearby. "I guess maybe she was working for him willingly."
"Just great, he's going to get away with all this." Clover said, rolling her eyes.
"Well… not totally." Jazz pointed out. "We have his staff, so no more controlling ghosts, and his train here has all or most of his loot. He's got Lydia… but that's pretty much it. Plus Global Justice knows his name and face… they'll find and arrest him eventually."
"I guess you're right… but what are we going to do with this staff?" Danny asked, gesturing to the staff Ember was holding. "I definitely don't want to just have this thing lying around the house, it's too close to a ghost portal."
"Well… this IS a magical artifact… and we do know someone who specializes in dealing with the protection of magical creatures." Kim said, glancing at the staff.
"You think we should take this thing to the American Dragon?" Danny asked, looking over to it as well.
"That's exactly what I'm saying." Kim said, nodding.