[Danny Fenton's POV]
As much as I wanted to focus on spending more time with my family, I just couldn't stop doing what I do best.
Ghost hunting.
I told myself over and over again that I would take a break, that I would finally slow down and try to enjoy the lost time I missed with my family. I tried turning a blind eye whenever Sam or Tucker called to report a ghost sighting, forcing myself to pretend it wasn't my responsibility. I tried to put my priorities in order, to convince myself that family dinners, game nights, and quiet evenings were what mattered most.
But no matter how much I tried, I couldn't ignore it. My conscience wouldn't let me. Because the truth is—this is important too.
It's more than just a job now. It's become a part of me, stitched into the fabric of my everyday life. Ghost hunting isn't just what I do—it's who I am. If I look the other way when something happens, if people get hurt—or worse, killed—when I could have stepped in and stopped it, then that blood is on my hands.
And I don't want to be the kind of person that does nothing when they could have. I won't be. That's not who I am, and it's not who I want to become. If I did that, I wouldn't just be letting the world down—I'd be letting down everyone who ever believed in me. My parents. Jazz. Sam. Tucker. Even Bruce and Dick. But most importantly… I'd be disappointing myself.
"Danny! There's a ghost attacking the Radio Tower!" Tucker's voice crackled through my earpiece, urgent and panicked.
I clenched my fists. That was all the motivation I needed. "I'm on it!"
The moment the words left my mouth, I shot into the sky. The city blurred beneath me as I rocketed forward, the wind whipping past my face. Neon lights streaked together, and in seconds, I reached the tower.
A giant, spectral gorilla—its body glowing with sickly green ectoplasm—was scaling the side of the tower like it was a ladder. In one massive hand, it clutched a screaming radio host, dangling him dozens of stories above the ground. The ape roared, baring jagged teeth, spit spraying from its gaping maw.
"Not on my watch."
I didn't waste time. I pulled back my fist, poured every ounce of momentum into it, and slammed my knuckles into the ghost's face before it even had time to react. The impact cracked through the air like thunder, and the giant beast was knocked away from the tower, forced to release its hostage.
The man screamed as he plummeted, arms flailing. My heart lurched, but my body moved before my mind caught up. I dove, cutting through the wind like a bullet, and caught him just before he hit the ground. His legs buckled the moment I set him down, and he collapsed in shock, shaking too hard to stand.
Above us, the gorilla roared again, an ear-splitting sound that rattled the windows nearby. The pavement trembled as the monster leapt high into the air, its massive fist raised like a wrecking ball. It was aiming straight for me.
But instead of panicking, I smirked. Calmly, I reached across my chest, pulled the strap aside, and revealed my trusty Fenton Thermos.
"Say cheese… Or rather Bananas"
I aimed. The ghost barreled down like a meteor—straight into the swirling beam of energy that sucked it inside, howling in fury before disappearing completely. I twirled the Thermos around my finger with a cocky flourish, then blew across the steaming top like it was a gun barrel.
"Danny Phantom: 1. Donkey Kong: 0."
I let out a tired sigh, pressing my earpiece. "How many does that make tonight?"
Tucker's voice came back, hesitant and uncertain. "So far… ten. Dude, have ghosts always been this active? Because this is starting to feel insane."
I frowned. He wasn't wrong. The sudden surge in activity had been nagging at me too. Something about it didn't feel right.
Before I could answer, Sam's strained voice cut through, tight with exhaustion. "Make that eleven… Danny, I could really use your help. I don't know how much longer I can hold out."
My stomach tightened.
"I'm on my way."
Before leaving, I turned toward the terrified radio host. He was still trembling. I gave him a reassuring smile and a quick two-fingered salute.
"Don't worry, man. Not all ghosts around here are bad."
Then I shot back into the air, pushing myself faster. As a ghost, the wind didn't slow me down, so I tore across the city in a blur, my chest burning with urgency.
When I reached Sam, the sight made my heart twist. She was on a rooftop, on her knees, her hands stretched out as glowing purple ropes of energy pinned a massive green vulture to the ground. The bird screeched furiously, thrashing its wings, but Sam held her ground. Blood trickled from her nose, scratches covered her arms, and her breaths came in ragged gasps.
I swooped in and fired the Thermos. The ghost was sucked inside in an instant, leaving Sam collapsing to her hands and knees, trembling with exhaustion.
"My magic constructs… they're stronger now," she panted, her voice weak but laced with pride. "I took down a ghost… all on my own."
"You overdid it, Sam." The words came out harsher than I intended, but I couldn't help it. Seeing her like this—bloody, worn out, and barely holding herself upright—made my chest ache with worry.
But she only looked up at me, grinning despite her exhaustion. "The only reason I look like this is because holding a construct takes a ton of mental strength. But otherwise… I've definitely improved."
I sighed, shaking my head. She was impossible. And maybe there was something wrong with me, because even battered and bloodied, with determination blazing in her eyes, she looked… beautiful.
Although I won't deny it—Sam had definitely improved since gaining her magic nearly two weeks ago. Every day, her control became sharper, her magic became stronger, her endurance longer.
But it wasn't just her. I'd noticed changes in myself too. Ever since that trip, my ectoplasmic constructs had grown far easier to form and maintain. Shapes that once required focus and effort now came to me almost instinctively. I couldn't shake the suspicion that it was tied to our bond that was recreated with the Lantern ring.
I was still turning those thoughts over in my head when Tucker's voice exploded in my earpiece.
"DANNY! BEAR! GHOST BEAR! HELP PLEASE!!"
My head snapped up, eyes wide. "What—seriously?!" I groaned, throwing my hands into the air as I soared through the night. "Just what is going on tonight?! Why are there so many ghosts all of a sudden?!"
It had been relentless, one after another, like the city had turned into some twisted amusement park for restless spirits. My chest tightened. A question I'd been avoiding clawed its way back into my head: Had I been neglecting my duties too much? Was this sudden surge a consequence of me pulling back, trying to live more like a normal teenager?
…
[Third Person POV]
"Open! Close! Open! Close! Open! Close!" Jack Fenton cheered like a kid at Christmas as he pressed his thumb repeatedly against the control panel of his newest invention.
Beside him, Maddie watched with fond exasperation, while Jazz stood with her arms folded, studying the mechanism. Each press of Jack's thumb triggered the Ghost Portal behind them to slam open with a whoosh of energy, then shut with a metallic clank. Over and over again, the cycle repeated.
"Thanks to this Genetic Lock," Jack announced proudly, "only those whose DNA has been registered can open the portal to the Ghost Zone. That means no one that's not authorized would be able to open the portal! Like so—Open! Close! Open!"
The heavy portal yawned wide and slammed shut again, rattling the equipment nearby. Jack's grin only grew wider with each repetition.
Neither he, Maddie, nor Jazz noticed the ghost that slipped free with every opening. Each time the portal cracked open, faint silhouettes phased through the ceiling, unnoticed, streaming upward into the night sky above Amity Park.
"Where's Danny? I'm sure he'd love this!" Jack said, not pausing even once in his enthusiastic button pressing.
Jazz stiffened. "Danny is, uh… spending the night at Tucker's. Doing… absolutely none ghost-related stuff," she said quickly, trying to sound casual.
"Aw, bummer," Jack muttered, though his hand didn't leave the panel. "He's missing history in the making!"
Maddie glanced at Jazz, her sharp eyes narrowing slightly, but said nothing.
…
Meanwhile, inside the Ghost Zone, a very different scene was unfolding.
A line of ghosts stretched endlessly before the portal, the glowing mass winding into the misty horizon like a spectral highway with no end in sight. Some spirits muttered impatiently, others groaned or jeered, but all of them had their eyes fixed on the one door that led to the world of the living.
Cutting through the line on a roaring motorcycle, Johnny 13 tore past the waiting crowd, Kitty clinging tightly behind him. Her wild green hair whipped in the wind as she shouted over the engine.
"Johnny, I don't think that portal is safe! Look at it—it's unstable!"
Johnny glanced back with his usual smirk, his chin-length wheat-colored hair brushing his pale cheek. "Don't worry, Kitty. I got this. Just have a little faith, babe."
He snapped his fingers. "Shadow! Hold the portal!"
At his command, his inky black shadow peeled away from his body, glowing with eerie green eyes. It slithered toward the gateway, wrapping around the edges of the portal and forcing it open wider, holding the unstable rift just barely steady.
With a cocky grin, Johnny revved the motorcycle and blasted forward, cutting straight through the queue of ghosts like they were nothing more than background noise. He and Kitty rocketed toward the trembling gateway.
But the shadow couldn't hold forever. The moment Johnny cleared the portal, the black tendrils snapped back, the opening slamming like a guillotine—right as Kitty tried to follow.
"Kitty!" Johnny shouted, skidding to a stop between worlds.
She hadn't made it through. Her form flickered in limbo, her body glitching like a broken hologram.
"I told you it was dangerous, Johnny!" she snapped, her voice warping with static. Her hands clutched her stomach as she grimaced in pain. "I can't hold onto this form out here… You're gonna have to do something!"
"What is it, babe? Tell me what I gotta do!"
Kitty's trembling hands reached up. She pulled off her purple scarf, slipped out of her red jacket, and slid a green-and-golden ring from her finger. Her clothes pulsed faintly with her ectoplasmic energy.
"I infused my essence into these. If you can get a girl from the other side to wear them, I should be able to hitch a ride. I'll… take over their body."
Johnny's eyes hardened. "You got it. Leave it all to me."
He stuffed the items securely inside his coat and sped out into the human world, tires screeching as the bike burst through unseen by the Fenton family, who were still busy with Jack's demonstration.
The gust of wind from his sudden arrival made Maddie turn her head briefly, but when she saw nothing, she shook it off.
Hidden behind one of Jack's larger contraptions, Johnny crouched low, eyes scanning the room. His gaze fell on Jazz, her red hair glinting in the lab lights. She stood tall, her expression sharp, her eyes filled with intelligence.
Johnny's breath caught for a moment, his smirk softening into something different.
"I think I already found the one…" he whispered with a grin.
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A/N: For those that will complain this is what will lead everyone into Gotham setting up the stage for the finally of this arc