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datawyrms · 4 years

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Ectoplasmic Bonds

Dannymay2020 Day 30: Family

“AHA! I have found you, ghost child. You are no match for my peerless intellect!”

This was weird. Not the ranting and dramatic posing in midair, that was just Technus being the weird little boaster he was. The fact he was boasting at a park with no gadgets in sight was the confusing bit. He’d expected the Box ghost or some random animal when his ghost sense rudely interrupted his Saturday, not the tech crazed monologuer.

“I didn’t know we were playing hide and seek!” His hands glowed green, ready to blast the second his foe made a move. “I know a great place you can hide though!”

“Playing? No, we are not playing hide and seek!” the ghost crossed his arms, almost looking insulted. “We are playing BASIC HEALTH EDUCATION, for your feeble mind is clearly LACKING THIS DATA”

“Uh. What.” Danny blinked, eyebrow raising in bafflement. Blasting the ghost would probably be best, but he hadn’t even taken advantage of his blank stare.

Technus shook his head and tisked at him. “Your cousin let us know about your RECKLESS BEHAVIOUR, ghost child! It is a wonder that you haven’t collapsed!”

“My cou-Dani? Wait why would Dani be buddies with you?” the green glow snuffed out, brain struggling to figure out what was going on. Was it April first? Was this a really complicated distraction plot?

The green skinned ghost tisked again. “By being as reckless as you! Young and thinking you are invincible!”

Well that answered approximately nothing at all. Yet the ghost did seem to be serious, he was getting the distinct impression Technus was scolding him. For something. Maybe he was just having a weird dream. “I still have no idea what you’re babbling about.”

“Your education is LACKLUSTER, child! How can you not know you are starving yourself? You are more a ghost baby than a ghost child!”

“Well excuse me for not getting the ‘ghosts for dummies’ book!” he snapped back, wondering if he should go after the ghost for that baby comment.

“Ah, ah, I am not fighting a half starved toothpick! You put those fists down, child and listen to your elders!”

He was totally scolding him, what the heck. “Ghosts don’t eat, what are you even on about?”

Technus put his face in his hands. “The youth of today! So uneducated!” Yet when he looked back up he just seemed more determined. “Fear is all well and good child, but it is no replacement for ectoplasm! The state of your cousin was appalling!” He seemed to notice how Danny tensed at the mention of ‘cousin’ and continued. “She is FINE thanks to our cardboard enthusiast!”

“Well uh. Thanks for helping her out?”

“It was AVOIDABLE! If you were not so reckless in hanging around over here all the time! Do you WANT to start falling apart from lack of ectoplasm? It is distinctly UNGROOVY”

...Was he actually worried about the two half ghosts? Weird. “Errr no, I would not like to do that, thanks.” He had enough nightmares from just seeing it happen to the other clones.

“Then you must stop AVOIDING returning to the ghost zone! You have not come in over a month! Perhaps exhaustion is a thrill to you, but you take it to RIDICULOUS levels! The cousin was quite WORRIED for you, ghost child!”

Dani had managed to set Technus on him for...not going into the ghost zone. What. That was important? “I don’t think I have to-”

“YOU DO! Do you think ectoplasm will rain from the sky for you here? NUH UH. IT DOES NOT.” He seemed larger, looming over the teenager as he pointed at him. “You might have a big battery but it will still RUN OUT. Then no more RECKLESS ghost child!”

Why did he feel so embarrassed? Why was he even letting Technus of all people chew him out? “Okay, okay! I get it!”

“GOOD. Puddles are very BORING nemeses!” He glared at the jumpsuited teenager for a moment longer before vanishing, apparently planning to keep his word on a lack of fighting.

He really, really hoped all this was just a very dumb dream. People had definitely seen the encounter, it was pretty hard to overlook two ghosts yelling in a park in the middle of the day. Mom would probably call it proof that all his fights were staged, or something fun like that. Not that the truth of ‘he came to yell at me because I’m bad at being a ghost’ was much better.

Mom’s pondering at the table in the evening shot any hope square in the chest. “I suppose they do look similar, colour scheme wise. I’m not sure it’s any proof of a familial relation though, there’s no real reason for such relationships”

Jack nodded, scratching at his jaw before adding his thoughts. “Maybe new ghosts cling to older ones at first before separating off to do their own thing? Phantom’s got some electricity powers, doesn’t he?”

“He does, they do share the tendency to never stop talking as well, come to think of it.”

It was very difficult to not respond to that remark. He was not the kind of scenery chewer Technus was! This was going to be a looooong night.

“It’s just strange. They’ve never shown to have a friendly relationship before now. If they wanted to take the town for themselves it’d make more sense to let Phantom stay ill.”

“Even ghosts want to protect the young of their species?” Jack frowned “I didn’t think the spook was actually a young spirit though.”

“True. Technus might only call him a child because of his appearance. Yet it did look like a parent scolding a child, didn’t he complain about the youth?”

“Well if we can nab one of em, we can see if they share or have similar ectoplasmic signatures! It could be an instinctive thing if they’re ‘related’ that way.”

Danny worked to suppress a groan, rubbing at his forehead. Great. Now they thought Technus was his ghost dad. All his dated references were going to be way worse now! He so wasn’t like him! The second his friends found out it was going to be their new favourite joke.

He never did manage to figure out how to track Dani down, instead getting surprised by her with a tackling hello.

“Does this count as a ghost attack?” he asked, smirking as the the ghost snickered at the question.

“I dono, does it? You aren’t fleeing in terror.”

“Maybe I’m just an out of towner that doesn’t believe in ghosts“

Dani shrugged before landing, taking a few glances around before shifting back to her human form. “Then I guess I’m a ghost that doesn’t believe in ghosts either.”

“New outfit?”

“Yup! And it’s all mine,” her grin was infectious as she grabbed the edge of the thick purple hoodie, fiddling with the dark lining that seemed to have a scattering of stars. “I don’t even feel cold in the zone with this on.”

“You know you don’t have to live in the ghost zone, right? Jazz can probably make up some forgotten branch of the family you’re from, or something.”

“What, and join you in tip toeing around ghost hunters that love and hate you at the same time? No way cuz. If I wanted that, I’d be with Vlad.” she paused with a frown. “Well okay, it was fake love but you get it.”

“Too well.” he shrugged, trying to ignore the rush of irritation from his parents being compared to that absolute fruit loop. “What did you drop by for then? Seeing as you sent Technus after me last time. Which I’m still mad about.”

“Oh you know, catch up with Val, enjoy some sunlight. Nothing big.” she rolled her eyes “I didn’t send him after you! I just mentioned to Boxy how you don’t go to the ghost zone much and I guess he spread it around?”

“Well thanks to that people think Technus is my dad!”

“What, he’s not?” she burst out laughing from the other half ghost’s full body shudder, ducking the half hearted snowball thrown her way.

“Oh you think it’s funny now, just wait until they start saying it about you too.”

“Nope, still funny! Besides, I already got a ghost dad.”

“You what.” he stared, but she didn’t seem to be kidding.

“Well after the whole Boxy making sure I didn’t drop dead from lack of ectoplasm thing a lot of ghosts kinda felt bad for me?” the dismissive wave of her hand seemed a bit forced. “Way easier to deal with over there than with humans. They knew I didn’t really have a place that was mine so they let me stick around for awhile.”

“I guess that was nice of them. You sure it isn’t some trick?”

“You worry too much cuz. You really think I wouldn’t have been super suspicious at first? Already did that once!” her glare made him blush, rubbing the back of his neck. Stupid question, of course she’d be careful after Vlad. “Being a clone with no papers is way easier in the ghost zone, so spending most of my time there just makes sense.”

“Yeah, I guess it is,” He couldn’t imagine wanting to live in that green chaotic world, but he actually had a decent amount going for him on this side. Dani...didn’t.

“So yeah, basically got adopted by Nocturn. He helped me figure out the design, it’s reversible.”

“Wait wait NOCTURN? The guy who tried to put everyone to sleep to take over the world? That one?!” he sputtered, only causing his clone to laugh again.

“Yeah? Everyone likes to try and see how powerful they can be sometimes, did you take it personally?”

“Yeah a little! People could have been hurt! And he dumped me on a random rock in the ghost zone! Then tried to kill me!”

“Everyone tries to kill you.”

“Like that makes it better?! He’s a nutcase!”

“Or maybe you’ve only actually met him once? Everyone wants to try messing with Amity Park at one point. It’s just a thing to try, since you never really seriously hurt anyone.”

“Now you make it sound like the ghost attacks are my fault.” he muttered, quickly realizing Dani didn’t care if he wasn’t exactly a fan of the dream ghost.

“Well they’d come anyway because the human world is cool. Some of them are totally only coming to try stealing the town from you though, sorry cuz.” she shrugged again “Oh! Noc’s pretty impressed by your ice attacks by the way, but he’s still pretty sure Frostbite could help with a few things.”

She nicknamed him! “Noted. Uh. Maybe tell him not to do the whole take over the world and kill me thing again?”

“He won’t. One, I consider you family. Two, watching and learning from dreams is more his thing. The take over the world bit was more of a ‘sure why not give it a go’.”

She seemed so relaxed, even while his mind was yelling that she couldn’t be safe around a ghost like that. Yet she was the one who mostly lived in the ghost zone. She probably would know a lot of his foes better than he actually did...though it still rankled. “Well I’m glad you found more family over there. But I’m not inviting him for lunches.”

“You’ll have to be the one to come visit sometime! You have no idea how scared some ghosts are of you, it’s hilarious. They don’t know you’re a total dork.” She perked up when he stopped crossing his arms.

“Hey, that just makes you dork squared ya know.”

“I don’t think that’s how it works.”

“Sure it does. Or not. I’d have to ask Tuck.” he managed to keep smiling, trying not to think too hard about why he’d be considered terrifying to ghosts.

“Or you could ask your daddy” her smirk was vicious as he let out an offended squawk, flinging another snowball after her.

“Don’t even joke about that!”

“Tooooo late! Bye cuz!” her laugh was warm and carefree as she fled from her flustered cousin, vanishing as she darted behind a large bush.

Probably off to go find Valerie now then before headed back home. Still, it was good to know she had a home to go to now. Even if it was with some ghosts he usually had to beat up. Family reunions would be a whole lot messier if she kept that up. Though really, she deserved any kindness she got.

He still wasn’t going to forgive her for the Technus thing though. He was going to need to brush up on dream and sleep puns for proper retaliation.

#dannymay2020 #Danny Phantom #technus #dani phantom #Maddie Fenton #jack fenton #my stuff #brain: ghost adoption #brain also- DANI gets NOT GARBAGE FAM #because srsly she needs some #never have nightmares again with dream control dad #that's probably a plus #HOW IS IT THE30TH

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phantomphangphucker · 4 years

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Ectober Day 30: Gathering - The Fright In Halloween

Of course ghosts should celebrate freaking Halloween. The fact that they don’t in the show is a goddamn insult. And it turns out that Danny is a scary son of a corpse.

Danny walks into his room to see the FrightKnight, of all ghosts, just...standing there. Danny tilts his head, “um, hello? Can I help you?”.

The FrightKnight seems as if he’s smiling, “seasons greetings Phantom!”.

Danny blinks, “it’s...not the Christmas truce yet”.

The FrightKnight looks slightly offended, nodding and grumbling to himself, “I figured Phantom would be unawares. Which is precisely why I had to come personally”, nodding again and looking to Danny. Who’s really tempted to point out that he can quite easily hear everything he said. FrightKnight speaking to Danny again, “I’m here to formally invite you to the Halloween Rapine!”.

Danny tilts his head and smirks, of course there was some ghost celebration on Halloween. And honestly, he immediately loves how utterly cliche and spooky that is. “Tell me no more, I’m down. Whatever weird shit this is, it’s weird shit I’m doing”.

The FrightKnight seemingly smiles as Wulf pops his head over and onto the window frame, tongue lolling out.

Danny beams, “Wulf! Good to see ya buddy”. Wulf grins devilishly and slashes through the air, making a portal.

Danny points at the FrightKnight as the three walk through the portal, “I will be so very disappointed if this is just trick-or-treating. I expect better from ghosties”.

The FrightKnight laughs, “we share plenty with the mortals”, grinning almost cruelly, “we are tricky things after all”. Danny gives a matching devilish grin. Tricks and jokes were right up his alley. So long as they didn’t harm after all.

Danny’s not even surprised that whatever is held at FrightKnight’s castle. Only acknowledging that fact with a wider smirk. As they dramatically enter. FrightKnight swishing his cape, Wulf howling, and Danny screaming, “THE GHOST WITH THE MOST IS HERE SPOOKY BABIES!!!”, repeatedly raising his eyebrows dramatically.

Skulker shakes his head with a smile before clapping Danny on the back, “you’re indeed here whelp, now we can finally call whatever friends you happen to have. Those snow yeti’s I believe”.

Danny snickers, “my worshipers? Yeah they’re definitely friends”, looking around as Skulker screws up his face, unsure if Phantom is being serious or not. Danny can see most of his frenemies along with others that are clearly friends with his frenemies. And then...there’s the Box Ghost. Chuckling Danny turns his head back to Skulker, “so what? Me being here will just what? Ghostly ping my friends?”.

Ember snorts and elbows him, “that’s exactly what happens dipstick. So long as they’re in the Zone, they get the call”.

Danny frowns, “well that just won’t do. I’m positive one is firmly not in the Zone”.

Skulker beams, “surely I can hunter them down!”. Wulf nods eagerly and steps up.

Danny actually cackles, “good luck with that one! I’m pretty sure none of you have ever met the other Phantom. Her names Dani, with an ‘i’. Smells the same as me Wulf. But a girl. And Skulker, while I don’t honestly mind the hunting me. If you hunt her, I will skin and eat you. Find her fine, with Wulf. But maybe expect to get your ass kicked by a one-year-old twelve-year-old”, smiling happily at their confused faces, “last time I saw her she punched Vlad in the face. And last I heard she was in New York stealing apples and tricking people into thinking she didn’t have hands”.

Skulker laughs, “oh we are getting her. Not going to question how there’s another Phantom”. Wulf grins and makes a portal, the two leaving.

Ember elbows him again, “you have a daughter?”.

“Technically, she’s Vlad’s”, Ember coughs and chokes slightly at this while Danny continues, “but she’s made from my genetics. So technically, I do”.

Ember shakes her head, “the weirdest things happen to you”.

Danny sighs happily, “I know. It’s great”.

A couple seconds later the Far Frozen enter looking like the tough warriors they are. Scowls on their faces and most with weapons on their belts.

Kitty and Johnny, wrapped up in each other, wander over to Danny. Kitty speaking, “I don’t think I’ve ever actually seen the Yeti ghosts. Scary friends you got”.

Danny just smirks as FrostBite notices him, wide grin breaking out and ears perking. The group of yeti’s follow after him as they all come up and bow before Danny. While all of Danny’s frenemies blink and gape. FrostBite stands, shaking Danny’s hand as he speaks, “it is splendid to see you again Great One! I am unsurprised one such as you is enjoying Halloween Rapine. I do hope it lives up to any expectations you may have”.

Danny chuckles, “I have no clue what’s happening other than ticks and my friends will be showing. I’m already amused”.

ColdStep beams, ears perking up, “you are far too easy to please, but I expect no less from the mighty saviour”.

Danny goes about making friendly with all of them. Receiving plenty of cheer, compliments and bits of devotion. While Johnny whispers to Kitty, “the brat wasn’t kidding. He has worshipers”.

Ember shakes her head, “how did that even happen?”.

Danny chuckles, hands behind his head, as he wanders over to the three, “now that would be telling, wouldn’t it?”.

Not even three seconds later everyone but Danny jumps from a booming voice, “where is he!?!”. Danny spinning his head around with a large grin. Shouting, “Pandora!”, quickly walking towards her and spotting Dorathea slightly behind her, “and Dora! It’s great to see you. How have you two been?”.

Pandora claps him on the shoulder hard but fond, while the Box Ghost promptly hinds behind the Ghost Writer. Pandora’s voice quieter but still booming, “I have been well! And I’m sure you have been busy as ever!”.

Danny chuckles and nods as Dora hugs him tightly, tucking her head under his chin, “Prince Phantom, it’s been too long”.

Danny pats her back, “any length is too long. Your kingdoms been well?”. while the ghosts within ear shoot are, once again, gapping.

Ember giving Danny a questioning look as Dora pulls away, still clinging to his hands. Danny chuckles and looks at Ember, “I’m something of an adoptive brother to Queen Dora here. The rest of you best call her Dorathea”. Dora quickly hugging him again before composing herself into the form of a proper queen and sending a curt nod to the group.

Pandora laughs, “you have truly splendid company! How is lady Phantom?”.

Danny shrugs but points up at her, “no clue but I bet she’ll show now”.

And as if on queue, some seriously wondering if this was planned.

Dani, very obviously related to Danny and a Phantom, comes flying through a portal screaming, “THE MINI GHOST WITH THE MOST IS HERE BITCHES!”. Skulker looking disheveled and a little dented while Wulf is snickering.

Skulker points at Danny, “your child is a menace, Phantom”. Both Phantom’s smirk at that.

Danny points at Dani, “that was, almost, my line you little shit! What were you doing when they showed?”.

Dani digs in her pocket and pulls out an avocado, “stealing avocado’s”. Danny chuckles with a smile, “never change, never change”.

Danny walks to Skulker as Dani catches up with Pandora. Smirking at the hunter, “got beat up?”.

Skulker points at him, “menace. Who’s her mom anyway? Are you even dating?”.

Danny taps his chin and chuckles, “well, technically, the ‘mom’ builds and creates the child, the ‘dad’ just provides genetics. So Vlad is”.

Skulker spits out the drink he had nabbed, “is that serious?”.

Danny smirks, “she’s not related to him but yes. He made her”, patting Skulkers startled arm, “have fun with that knowledge”.

Danny wanders over to the drink table, taking a wine glass of fuchsia ectoplasm and swirling it. The FrightKnight next to him looks around and gives a curt nod, “you have more plentiful allies than expected Phantom”.

Danny chuckles, “not everyone’s here actually. I highly doubt Amorpho counts as a friend but there is one who is definitely not here. But they’ll be on time. They always are”.

The LunchLady coughs, “you are on pleasant terms with that one? The shape-shifter?”.

Danny wiggles his hand in the air, “that’s questionable. We’ve got an agreement, a truce of sorts. Same goes with Nocturne actually”.

FrightKnight nods, “you have strong friends and truces”.

Danny only smiles wildly as a voice sounds from behind them, “indeed he does”.

Danny turns around and smiles at ClockWork, “timely as ever”, looking at the FrightKnight, “which means everyone is indeed here”.

While the FrightKnight is rather confused. He knew most ghosts. Not knowing of lady Phantom made sense, being not a normal or full ghost. But this one, “and who might you be?”.

ClockWork smirks and picks up their own glass of ectoplasm, floating around to be in better view of everyone, “I am a many plentiful thing. Everything you never want anyone to be. Hands on a clock going round and round forever, counting down everything’s existence”.

Technus, who had been walking by, pulls a face, “you have strange friends ghost child”.

Danny blinks at the technology ghost, “sweet Ancients, no monologuing? You sick?”.

Technus blinks, “I’m not doing any evil plots? No reason”.

Danny mouths, ‘wow’. While ClockWork smirks, watching FrostBite side-eyeing them all the while.

FrostBite stands before ClockWork before bowing, “I have seen you in riddles and myths Ancient one. The Great One has mighty alliances”.

ClockWork pats the yetis head, “ever so much more. I do believe I mentor him quite well”. Half the room freezes at that, having not known Phantom actually had a ghost guardian.

FrostBite manages to bow deeper, “then it is an even greater honour to met you”, before standing and nodding his head at Danny, “I feel I should have expected as much, yet you always surprise”.

Danny chuckles, “always will”.

The FrightKnight comes to stand more stiff and before ClockWork, “are you truly an Ancient?”.

Pretty well everyone had gathered around, curious and stunned. None had so much as seen an Ancient ghost.

ClockWork grins, “that I am and more. I am the first. Mortals know me a Father Time and The Norns most commonly. I am ClockWork, master and guardian of time. I have seen every action taken, every word spoken, every choice made. In the past, in the current, and in every possible future there will ever be”.

Danny throws an arm around ClockWork, who shifts into an old man, “the McTimeDaddy! They’re grrrrrrrreat!”.

Ember blinks and mutters, “our opponents are dead, very very dead”.

Danny snorts and points at her, “every fucker here is dead”.

Ember glares, “you know what I mean dipstick”.

“Well, I surely don’t know what you mean by ‘opponents’”.

The FrightKnight nods strongly, “ghosts gather in teams with those they are friendly, and as humans go around for treats, we go around for tricks”.

Kitty blows a bubblegum bubble, making a point to not react to ClockWork shifting into a child as she speaks, “be scary Danny. The gathering with the most scares under their belt wins. You can only actually hit ghosts who have hit you though, so its usually really hands-off”.

Danny smirks, damn well knowing no ghosts really thought him capable of being a scary mother fucker. But Dan got his shit from somewhere and it firmly wasn’t Vlad. “So prank and spread generalised terror to other ghosts? Act out on that ghostly nature, that yes, I absolutely have noticed is stronger closer to Halloween. And everyone hits me so I guess it’s free willy for me”.

Everyone nods while Skulker speaks, “and our first hit is Plasmius-”.

Danny snorts, “Plasmius has friends?”. Quite a few chuckle while Skulker shakes his head, “he’s alone. But well, everyone hates him and he owes me money”.

Danny nods, “fair enough”, while Dani comes up, “I’m skipping that one then. I want nothing to do with Murder Father”.

Danny snorts, “sticking with that title?”.

“He tried to destroy me so it works. Fucking prick”.

Danny, in mock shock, “who taught you to speak like that?”.

Dani grins goofily, “you did!”.

Danny smiles fondly and proud, “damn fucking right I did, you weird-ass daughter of a corpse”.

ClockWork shakes their head with a fond smile, “you have brutalised that phrase to the point it’s almost unrecognisable”, patting Dani’s head and floating in their child form in front of her, “I’ll stay behind with you. Vladimir has no place knowing Daniel’s true mentor”.

Danny chuckles as Dani and ClockWork descend into tale-telling. Before he walks with Skulker and the others to fly to Vlad’s mansion.

Vlad, firmly expecting to get messed with as he was every year, is hardly phased by the floating plates or moaning or random snarls or feral animals chomping at him or eyeballs appearing on things.

Danny watches from afar with Skulker, “he’s really used to this shit I see. I know y’all fuckers probably mean this as a ‘show me how it’s done’ but I’ve got a leg up on this fucker”. Skulker side-eyes Danny slightly, not really believing him. But shrugs, “just don’t embarrass yourself, that’s the opposite of the point”.

Danny snickers, “just know this. I’m not actually injured”. Skulker is honestly more confused because Danny being hurt would not scare anyone actually.

Meanwhile, Danny flies off and duplicates himself. Hiding his duplicates in various parts of the house and, having finally pick up a particular skill of Dan’s, sets them into varying states of seemingly melting into or being ectoplasmic goo. Plastering every face with looks of agony and horror.

Letting the first one seep ectoplasm down from the roof to splash onto Vlad’s desk next to his hand. Vlad rolls his eyes but stills as what looks like Phantoms very gooey melted hand lands on the desk. Promptly screaming like a little girl. Danny snickering, that didn’t take long.

Vlad backs off and heads to the bathroom, fully intending to splash his face with water to make sure he’s not dreaming. Only for a barely intact and crying Phantom head and shoulders to fall out from in the mirror, it’s face slamming into the sink and spattering ectoplasm on Vlad, who stumbles back and falls on his ass.

Vlad looks up as he scrambles to stand, trying to avoid the sight of sink Phantom foaming and overflowing from the sink, making a mess on the floor. Only to scramble faster as a stretched out dissolving Danny torso melts down from the ceiling, splattering to the floor just after he scampers off.

Skulker is firmly gaping from his spot on the hill, impressed and...disturbed. Barely having half the mind to hit record on his binoculars to prove the screams. No one had ever gotten Vlad in years. Watching as another partly melted Phantom staggers down a hall Vlad was hurrying past only to explode. Sending the head flying into the hallway Vlad was in. Vlad turning his head and gagging as the eye flies out and nearly hits him.

Vlad turns to go down into his lab, firmly wanting to make sure there isn’t any experiments going, only to stager down into a goddamn pool of ectoplasm and melting Phantoms. One grabbing onto his rob sleeve making Vlad pass out.

Danny sends away the duplicates and hovers above the unconscious Vlad, “whelp that was exactly as expected. Always is”.

The FrightKnight and FrostBite coming to float next to Danny. FrostBite caps Danny’s shoulder, “remind me to never encourage you to scare me”.

Danny chuckles, “wouldn't dream of it Frosty”.

The FrightKnight shakes his head at Danny, “why did you even need my help with Halloween last year?”.

Danny waves him off, “I was younger then. Plus, I do this to Vlad once every few months or so. He thinks they’re nightmares”.

Ember sticks her head through the ceiling, “not that I’m complaining, but why?????”.

Danny points at her but glares down at Vlad, “so that the idea of cloning me will forever haunt him and be his worst fucking nightmare. In short, intentional traumatisation as revenge”.

The FrightKnight nods, rather impressed, “I’m guessing he did try cloning you and they all melted?”.

Danny grunts as they all fly out through the ceiling and head back, “all but one, but he wanted that one to melt”.

Ember grumbles, “that asshole. Mini Phantom’s adorable”.

Danny points at her aggressively as they land back in the Nightmare Castle, “damn fucking straight”.

ClockWork smiles at the group while Dani’s off stuffing her face, turning her head and a hand a-hundred and eighty degrees, waving and smiling. Multiple other ghosts jerking slightly.

Danny shakes his head and walks over, “you're doing wrong. You’re missing the neck-snapping sound and you’re supposed to grin maliciously”. ClockWork grimaces slightly at Danny using his, creatively named, ‘murder voice’ A.K.A. Dan’s deep evil sounding voice, Danny speaking, “it also helps to say”, deep voice, “hello Dani”.

Technus screws up his face, seriously wondering why that particular tone was deeply unnerving.

Skulker grunts, “menace”, and holds up his binoculars, pointing at the Box Ghost who, like usual, was forced to be the scorekeeper, because he couldn’t scare for a damn. Skulker speaking, “we got five, goddamn five, on Vlad”.

Danny points at him, “that was all me Skulkie”. Skulker nods, not even bothering to deny that after the crap Phantom pulled.

The FrightKnight looks around and nods, “our next hit is an actual gathering. Walker’s”. Pretty well everyone grins maliciously at that.

Danny points, “his ‘gathering’ is just his goons and Bullet ain’t it?”. Danny chuckles at everyone’s nods.

Danny smirks and wanders to a room with a mirror as everyone else busy with getting this or that ready. Popping out and basically polishing his fangs, this was a great excuse to have the massive bastards out. Knowing full well only ClockWork had actually seen them. Was way too easy to hurt himself if he kept them out in fights. Ruffling his hair to make his tapered ears more noticeable, before tapping his chin. Floating out and over to ClockWork, testing his elbow on the elderly looking ghost, “question. Will the Observants assault me if I pull a Dan? Seeing as I know you know I’ve got that whole transform into any version or age of myself thing down?”.

ClockWork smirks almost cruelly, “sur-”, they don’t even get to finish as screaming from the Observants fills the Zone. Two suddenly appearing in front of Danny. One pointing at him, “absolutely not”.

Danny smirks, “so that's a yes then? Great”, clapping the Observant who was the one in charge of watching him, as every ghost had their own Observant, “I appreciate your support”, the Observant shrieks in annoyance and the two just leave.

The Box Ghost shrugs, “counts”, and adds one more scream.

Danny and ClockWork smile, Danny speaking, “actually, add about ten thousand”. Looking at ClockWork, who says, “eleven thousand and eight”.

Danny blinks and grins, “wow, that many still haven’t gone numb to my shit?”. While everyone else looks at him.

Skulker muttering as he walks over, “you caused that loud screaming?”.

Danny smirks, “I traumatised the Observants too. That and I’m also horrifyingly difficult to them”.

ClockWork nods at Skulker, “they glimpsed the future without proper context. Believed the apocalypse was happening-”. Danny cuts in, “again”. ClockWork picks back up, “-technically never. But, that’s what you get for viewing in passing and with only an eye for futures not presents. It is our present and past that gives us our meaning and definition”.

FrostBite comes up laughing, “though I’m sure time-travel messes with that some!”.

Danny grins, “oh you have no idea. Least I ain’t traumatised by it”, before scooting off to be alone.

Skulker wants to ask what the Zone Phantom did to traumatise the Observants of all ghosts, as a whole, but he also firmly doesn’t want to engage with the Ancient Time Ghost.

Meanwhile, Danny snaps his fingers dramatically and transforms into an adult version of his full ghost self. Only difference between this form and Dan is the lack of red eyes and slightly greener skin. Skin hardly mattered, eyes well, Danny smirks down at the little set of red contacts that weren’t there before, promptly putting them in. Even if it’s was extremely weird and hard to do that with fucking claws and fucking eight-feet tall.

Doing poses and makes faces at the mirror. He firmly wasn’t Dan but he was at least attempting to play the part, minus gratuitous mass murder, for today. Spinning around and swishing the cape, “oh fuck yeah, let’s kill this shit”. Screwing up his face and laughing, that sounded fucking weird with his murder voice.

Dora walks over to Dani, “lady Phantom, what is Prince Phantom endeavouring?”.

Dani giggles, “putting on a costume, sorta”.

Kitty shakes her head, “how human. That sort of thing hardly phases ghosts, he does know that right?”.

Dani snickers, “oh he’s doing it like how Amorpho does it. Very ghostly”.

Johnny blinks and leans over Kitty’s shoulder, “the little punk can shape-shift??? Since when?”.

ColdStep laughs, “who knows? I’ve never seen it myself. Same as his wail. There are things the great one can do that he seldom does”.

Johnny is a little thrown by the whole ‘great one’ thing but it’s whatever, some yetis want to worship the brat, fine. While Skulker walks over hurriedly, wanting any new information on his favourite prey, “wail? Are you saying that Danny’s scream is an attack?”.

ClockWork, far more interested in being a startling bastard than food, claps Skulker on the shoulder, “indeed. It can destroy weaker ghosts and level cities. You all highly underestimate him. I am his guardian because I am the only ghost he can’t destroy should he choose”.

Skulker pulls a face and coughs, “I find that very difficult to believe”. Only to jump from one of the doors getting kicked open dramatically.

Everyone turns their heads, full well knowing that was Phantom and his dramatics. Everyone gaping or sputtering utterly confused, a couple basically shrieking, “FUCKING ANCIENTS!”, before looking at the one Ancient present awkwardly. As Danny stomps through the door, flames in his footprints, and a cruel smirk on a downright threatening face.

Danny walks over to ClockWork, Dora, Skulker, Johnny, Kitty, ColdStep, and Dani. ColdStep has to actually look up at Danny, ears flicking back and down, “great one? What is this? It is....very unpleasant”.

While Danny stares down and crosses his arms at Skulker, who sputters, “o-okay, I b-believe it”. Johnny grumbles, “what kind of shape-shifting even is this?”.

Danny smirks cruelly, “I am the madness that lurks, violent instincts of mass destruction and brutalisation. Because you haven’t a clue that sanity can be nullified. The one who tears at flesh like snakes”, flicking out his forked tongue and giving a slight hiss.

Skulker stares, those are some serious fangs and the fucks up with the tongue?, “oh fuck me. This is horrifying”. Ember comes up and pokes one of Danny’s massive biceps, “Zone, they’re real. How???”.

Danny shrugs, dropping the whole ‘evil thing’, murder voice staying because of the form making it the ‘natural’ voice, “simply put, I can transform to any state or age of myself. This is full ghost and 24”, snickering, “and red contacts”.

Kitty blinks, “this is how you’d look if your human half died? Just older?”.

Danny nods, “and this”, transforming to his current age full ghost self, the same as young Dan minus the eyes of course and slight skin tone change, “this is current age”, sticking out and flicking his tongue at her before changing back to the older form.

The Box Ghost floats over slowly, “FEARSOME PHANTOM! THE BOX GHOST APPROVES!”.

Danny squints at him, “see you, you’re useful cause nothing fucking scares you”, smirking and giving an exaggerated mocking shrug, “but I'm sure if I take a hand or two as a sssssnack, you might learn a lesson”, chuckling darkly, “or two”.

The Box Ghosts backs up slightly, while Danny laughs loudly. Danny turns his head to The FrightKnight, who’s now a bit shorter than him, “so when we doing this shit? Do some bone-cracking?”, Danny holds up an arm and uses body manipulation to ‘snap’ it, sound included.

Ember looks from Danny’s to the ground, and grins maliciously, “Walker is very very dead”, pointing at Danny, “don't you dare say it”.

“Oh but it’s...inevitable”. ClockWork glares at Danny for that one.

The FrightKnight looks around seems to be smiling, nodding curtly, “LET US RISE!”, before everyone’s flies out followings the FrightKnight’s lead.

Walker, like Vlad, expects to get messed with constantly. Such is the price of trying to achieve some order in this damn place. He knew well enough to hide his rule book but firmly gapes as a purple cloaked ghost seemingly just floats past carrying it like a library book. Flying out after the thief, never noticing the bulky black and white ghost slink into his office. Danny chuckles, sneaking was harder with the bigger form but that wasn’t what Dan did. Brute force didn’t scare Walker though, which is probably why Dan just flat-out destroyed him; instead of handicapping him. Danny was just going to be a dick and creepy.

Cackling as he leaves harsh claw marks strategically. Filling the guys' drawers with blood, this was not one of the way he ever imagined his massive stockpiling of supplement blood, invaded of severe injury, would be useful. Ember floats next to him after hooking up distortion speakers to release barely audible out of beat taps and whispers, “why do you just so happen to have massive amounts of blood and ectoplasm lying around?”.

Danny chuckles darkly, “what can I say? I like to collect beautiful things and I do so love a good bloodbath”.

Ember backs off slightly, “you know, scaring us is counterproductive. Fucking Ancients, where has this side of you been hiding?”.

Danny stands up and looks around. The place looked suitably disgusting and battered, especially is precious chair. Side-eyeing Ember, “underneath the flesh-bag I shockingly failed to mangle”, shrugging, “and y’all have seen this side, just less concentrated. My true enemies are more familiar with ‘goddamn body horror bastard Danny’. Y’all usually get goofy Danny”.

Ember shakes her head as they leave and hide in a nearby cell, “I think I'm content with goofy dipstick”, chuckling, “you know, everyone thought you’d be a weak link. Invited more for your friends”.

Danny chuckles quietly, “well that’s a mistake best corrected. Slowly...with a smile”.

Ember looks at his toothy grin with slight worry, “uh, teach our foes that lesson. Also, you wind up with massive fangs”.

Danny cackles quietly at that, “oh they’ve already come in this size”.

She coughs, “seriously?”, shaking her head at his nodding, “then I guess it’s you who has to grow into them”. Both go quiet as a pissed off Walker starts walking over.

Walker pauses and looks around at the dents and scratches in hall and shakes his head. Subtle was more effective on him but he wasn’t going to let that show. Marking up his prison definitely bugged him.

Ember smirks over noticing Walker is walking a bit stiffer, well damn. She practically has to sit on Danny’s shoulder to fit in their hiding spot, neither being able to phase through walls here. She’s tempted to give him shit for that but Walker might hear.

Walker opens his door and stares, growling at the destruction. Stomping to grab his baton and firmly ignoring the occasional screams from his goons, opening the drawer to find it full of blood. Gritting out, “Phantom”, no one else would have such disrespect and access to human things. Though this was a bit off and disgusting, even for that punk.

Danny smirks over hearing his name, whispering to Ember, “nothing bugs him more than being wrong and the unknown”.

Ember’s got no clue how Danny’s going to achieve that, when Walker clearly knew he was involved. While Danny stands and lets out a deep, heavily reverberating cackle. Which she absolutely shivers from, because damn, part of her is really not looking forward to him ever actually having this voice. She’s assuming the harshness of it is why the sound makes her throat ache.

Walker whips around, that was not Phantom’s voice and he did not like it. Who else could it be though. Sticking his head out the door, only for a massive hand to grab his throat and slam him into the wall.

Groaning and blinking to see a face that seems straight out of his nightmares inches from his own. Snarling with massive fangs in the edge of Walker’s vision. Walker can’t really move and chokes out, “who-who are you?”, trying to keep the waver out of his voice.

Danny tilts his head, rolls his eyes exaggeratedly and cackles; before snapping his teeth right in front of Walker’s eyes. Laughing then, “oh I’m just a silly little thing. Just a pussy cat who’s found a little string”.

Walker gulps and can feel in move near painfully past the ghost's hand.

Danny licks up the side of Walker’s face, “it’ssssss been a while. You going to stay down like a good little mutt this time? or do I have to tear your skull out through your metaphorical intestines”, Danny rubs together his thumb and pointer finger with a nonchalant smirk, “not that I would mind. It was quite...delectable last time”, chuckling as he cups and pinches Walker’s cheeks and chin, Danny was probably enjoying this a little to much, “but of course you don’t remember that. What a perfect excuse to play this little...game again”.

Danny tosses Walker down the hall and rolls his eyes exaggeratedly as he shuffled across the ground to get away, mouth gabbing all the while. Danny chuckles, “what? Cat got your tongue. Why don’t I take a peek and check?”, walking towards him with flames licking his feet and footsteps, crawling up the walls, “who could blame me if I happen to tear it out by mistake?”, Danny shrugs.

Walker is making something close to a terrified whine when Ember pops up behind him covered in ectoplasm and pretends to vomit on him, seeing that and thinking this random ghost had damn murdered her, Walker flat-out shrieks. Flying out of the hallway and getting splattered in ectoplasm in the process.

Danny still feeling rather vengeful, stalks out after Walker with an amused smirk. Ember grimacing at him as he goes. Danny chuckles and drags his claws across bars and makes loud painful scrapping noises across the walls, “oh come now, I just want to play? Don’t you know how to have a little fun?”. Multiple totality m that spot him immediately start screaming.

Danny kicks open the door to the cafeteria, where he can smell Walker, and lets ecto-flames burst out from behind him. Pandora gapes at the scene for a second, but Walker spots that and is officially convinced that this ghost is not part of their group. About to go on the attack before the ghost coats the entire damn room in flames and cackles loudly. Walker passes out.

Bullet, seeing this crap from afar shakes his head, “nope. I don’t get paid enough for this shit”.

Danny frowns deeply and throws up his hand, “ah come on!”, slouching over severely and letting his arms dangle before lift a hand and snapping his claws, all the ecto-flames going out instantly.

Ember walks up and pokes Danny, who straightens up, “dipstick. I am seriously glad you aren’t our opponent. The absolute fuck?”.

Pandora’s voice booms amongst more screaming goons, being chased off by snakes and monster heads, “I’m quite impressed actually! Even if your look seems to make all my joints ache”.

Danny tilts his head wondering if all the ghosts had a bodily memory of the shit Dan did. Looking to ClockWork with a raised eyebrow, who’s terrorising a few goons with ticking nosies and random perpetually spinning gears. ClockWork gives him a little nod. Whelp, that’s pretty fucked up. But whatever, he’s past his Dan issues.

Danny smiles over the Lunch-Lady terrifying the Zone out goon with chuckle legs. Poindexter is just floating around people ominously and fake bleeding. Dora is pulling the whole dragon eyes and tongue; which Danny beams over. Danny launches near here and slams his claws against the ground next to goons head, baring his teeth wide and letting his tongue lashing at the air; his loudly all the while. The goon passes out. Danny and Dora glance at each other and exchange toothy grins and little thumbs up.

As they all set to head out, fully amused and satisfied with their terrorising, Ember elbows him, “seriously, what the fuck. I though you legit lost it and we’re going to murder him. Which is weird Phantom. You licked him? Why???”.

Danny shrugs, “see that I found pretty funny. Licky licky”, sticking his tongue out and snickering at it, “I just can’t take the tongue seriously. It’s so silly”.

Multiple ghosts grunt, “gonna disagree”.

While Danny points around at different ghosts, “plus, you try watching your shit around humans constantly. The very simplest shit is insanely off and creepy to them. Can’t even growl. So yeah, the being fearsome shit gets pent up”.

The FrightKnight instantly nods, made perfect sense. Slamming a hand on his sword, “then you need Halloweens Rapine even more”.

Danny shrugs, “probably”.

Not even eleven minutes after they get back they get raided themselves. It’s the harpy clans from The Blazes Cross. Danny just snarls at, makes ‘come hither’ motions at, or starts acting like a cat stalking prey, any who genuinely try to startle him. Shaking his head at Poindexter shrieking and batting wildly at the air. But snorting and laughing at Skulker doing the same. By the time all the Harpies have left around half the group had gotten startled enough to make something resembling a scream.

Danny punches the Box Ghost lightly, “I might be nearly as hard to scare as you I think”.

Skulker shakes his head, “of course you are, we expected that. Considering how used to being stalked or ghosts cropping up randomly you are. Not to mention getting beat up or seeing things you’ve never seen before”.

Johnny nods and leans against a wall, “you’ve probably seen shit no one else ever has”, either that everyone looks to ClockWork. Someone no one else had ever truly seen or met. ClockWork bows ever so slightly in response.

Kitty points at ClockWork, “you and the Observants have an unfair advantage with this technically. Since you know what people will do before they do it. If I’m guessing your powers right”.

Danny chuckles, “sometimes the best scares are the ones that stalk. The thing slowly dragging itself across the ground to chase you into a spiral of constant paranoia, till your mind begins to splint and crack at the seams. Consciousness and sanity pulled too taught till it snaps, nothing left but horror and absolution. Only then it springs, shredding your being till you match your hollowed-out shell of a mind”, waving his clawed hand lazily in the air, “I recommend going for the intestines. They’re the showiest”.

Technus blinks, “did you just monologue us? About drawn-out murder of all things? A villainous monologue?”, Technus grins and wipes away a proud tear.

The Box Ghost nods, “YOU COULD CERTAINLY BE ENTIRELY FEARSOME IF YOU TRIED! NOT AS FEARSOME AS THE MIGHTY BOX GHOST OF COURSE!”. Multiple ghosts shake their heads at him. Ember crosses her arms after she grabbed some snacks, “well I for one am glad you’re not a so-called bad guy”.

ClockWork nods, “that is indeed a future or present you should never seek to see nor truly know”.

Johnny’s shadow instantly starts laughing and Betrax, a friend of Kitty, snickers into her hand, “Phantom? Evil? Ridiculous”.

Danny rubs his neck and shrugs a little, “you’re faith in me is nice but misplaced. ClockWork isn’t my guardian in the traditional sense”.

ClockWork, deciding to be a little shit, freezes Danny and bops him on the nose with their scythe, “indeed. It’s my duty to destroy him should certain things ever come to pass”, shrugging and unfreezing Danny, spinning their scythe, “now of course I never would let it”.

Danny just chuckles and shakes his head, Skulker points are Danny, “see that is why you basically can’t be startled or scared”, shrugging with a slight smirk, “but I guess we all do have our dark sides”.

Danny points at him, “mine is vantablack”.

The FrightKnight looks around and, sensing the time, nods, “we've done extremely well. Getting the Observants pretty well guarantees our win. So it’s about time for the final hora! The mortals!”.

Both Dani and Danny blink, “excuse?”.

Kitty waves off his slight growl, “not your humans you, currently oversized, protective bastard”.

Danny looks at ClockWork, “is this even actually okay?”.

ClockWork nods, “outside of Amity and with Technus taking out the camera, yes. Though it is rather late, surely it is quite the time for you to lazy about”, Danny easily gets the message of ‘you’ll probably kill someone if you put in any real effort’ as ClockWork winks.

The FrightKnight chuckles slightly, “with mortals lazy works. So easily frightened”.

ClockWork nods, “they have quite the ingrained fear and horror towards that which reads as predatory. Especially some being that has been predatory to them once before. Unremembered or not”. Again the message of ‘everyone is going to be terrified of you because they subconsciously remember you violently murdering them’ is very obvious.

Danny nods slightly nervously as they head out to the human world via Wulf’s portal.

Danny floats next to the FrightKnight, “so hows this work? Oh frightful one?”.

Chuckling slightly, “we lurk, move things around, making strange noises, stare from dark corners. No actual attacking”.

Danny smiles, good then, harmless and this explains all the myths about ghosts.

Kitty shakes her head at Danny, “your oversized will have a hard time of that. Be hard to lurk or slink”.

Danny grins maliciously, “you forget. I know humans far better”, Danny leans he’s head of the ledge of a building roof, cackling deep and reverberating down at the street. The other ghosts raising their eyebrows as every human in earshot jerks to a stop, looks around in nervous paranoia, and then speed walks out of the area.

Danny points at the few ghosts who were around him, the rest all throughout the town causing mischief, “ClockWork meant something with what he said earlier. Every human that exists is subconsciously terrified of me, if I behave a certain way”, shrugging, “my cackle especially”.

Everyone squints at him disbelievingly as they all head out. Danny hopping down into an alleyway. Deciding to sit down, cross his ankles, have a cup of ecto-coffee, and read the newspaper; he just lets his ghostly aura out fully. Letting it carry cackles and ghosts of the feeling of his claws and teeth. Having to move spots every so often as the area clears out people. Everyone else getting very confused by the strange behaviour of the humans. Poindexter eventually happening upon Danny sipping at his coffee, “are you not try at all buster?”.

Danny lifts his head and sniffs the air, “actually I’ll have to move again soon here. Scared all the humans off with my presence”. Poindexter chuckles but indeed follows Danny as he floats up above a building. Soon to be joined by Kitty and Johnny.

Johnny shakes his head, “most have run home, but the rest seem to be gathering in the centre of town. Weird living creatures”.

Danny tilts his head and mentally maps every spot he had been before snorting. He had been accidentally herding them. Grinning maliciously, “a little corral of lambs”.

Johnny rolls his eyes, “at least you’re putting in some effort. Though we can hardly get these humans when they’re all gathered like this”.

“Course, safety in numbers. The same thing sheep do when stalked by a wolf. And if you sick the wolf inside a room with a hundred sheep, the wolf will die. But get a monster, and what the sheep do doesn’t even matter. They are nothing and they know it”. All three squint at him before following after him as he floats to the centre of town.

The four spots most of the other ghosts from their group. Skulker is shaking his head in annoyance, “what are we supposed to do with this? It’s well lit, crowded and noisy”.

Danny rubs his neck, “eh my fault. Unintentionally stalked and herded them. Easier to pick off crowds. Not for this of course”.

Danny looks around at the others, all trying to be creepy. Some working but mostly people just take comfort in the bright lights and close people. Danny looks down and smirks cruelly, he wasn’t going to mess this night up for everyone and, well, he just really wants to be a scary bastard ghost right now okay? Letting his ghostly aura fully out but sending it to circle around the humans, in ever-increasingly tight circles.

Skulker raises an eyebrow, “why are they bundling together so heavily?”.

Danny chuckles, “if you push a bunch of humans together enough, you get panic. They’re reacting to my ghostly aura”.

Everyone raises at least one eyebrow so Danny coils his aura thick and heavy around them. Watching as their faces drop and they all look at Danny with deep concern.

Ember muttering, “your aura is...it’s....there’s not really a word for this but it’s...not fun and very sharp”.

Danny points at her, “the word you’re looking for is predatory. My aura is all fangs, and teeth, and claws. It’s not a threat or a warning, but a promise of suffering should you cross it”.

Kitty grumbles, “who knew Phantom could be such an ominous bastard”.

Everyone watching as Danny floats to crouch on a light post in the very centre, the light bulb creaking and blinking out while his cape draped down. The light going out allows for all the other lights to cast shadows and light all over Danny. Not enough to truly make out anything more than the outline. Instantly the humans scatter, booking it back to their homes, none daring to look back to the thing that just screamed wrong and danger and death.

The other ghosts coming to float around Danny, highly confused. While Danny nods curtly, “well, anything more than that and someone might keel over”.

Multiple ghosts shake their head, while Skulker pats Danny shoulder, “whelp. I’m impressed and confused. Since the nights pretty well over, i heard you have a scream power?”.

Danny looks around, searches the sky to make sure it’s clear, then nods before tilting his head back and fucking wailing his Ghostly Wail.

Everyone who isn’t one of Danny’s true friends, and Dani, jumps or jerks, a couple even swearing. The air itself seeming to shake from the power of it alone.

Danny stops before it threatens to make him transform back human. Looking around and smirking, “my ‘lets fuck shit up’ power. Reserved for desperate times”.

Johnny mutters, “damn well better be”. As they all head back.

Everyone hangs around the castle until the results come in around one a.m. The FrightKnight handing out the bags of winners chocolate. Danny snickering at his, back in his normal Phantom form, “treats after the trick. Nice”. Most of the other ghosts in the Zone chalking up the FrightKnight’s gatherings win due to the FrightKnight himself, not thinking anything of Phantom.

End.

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