#ectopus

[daily-dose-of-danno]

Season 1, Episode 7 - Bitter Reunions

[skulkerdatabase]

A Glitch In Time Made Skulker A Cannibal

In Life Lessons, Skulker has a cage of ghosts, and talks about planning on feasting on one of them for dinner.

Here's the specific ghost he's looking at when he says that.

Meanwhile several years later in A Glitch In Time, it's established that ectopi used to be human.

Notice any similarities?

Tentacles. Jagged mouth. Even the lines under the eyes of Skulker's "dinner" resemble that of the ectopus drawn in A Glitch In Time, as well as the ectopi shown in the first episode of the show, Mystery Meat.

While the tentacles may be more realistic and less wispy, this does seem a lot more like an ectopus to me than a normal ghost octopus. It's the mouth that's most notable to me-- a real octopus's mouth is on its underside, and the specific placement (and jaggedness) of the mouth is what causes me to identify this blobby ghost as specifically an ectopus.

In conclusion, the comic A Glitch In Time retconned Skulker into being a cannibal. Or is it a cannibal when the thing you're eating has existed so long it's lost its humanity? Does Skulker even care?

Seeing as his main goal in the show is to skin a human child and hang said child's pelt up on his wall, I sincerely doubt he cares in the slightest.

This is probably an accident, as I doubt the writers of the comic remembered this one specific moment from Life Lessons, but despite that, it is entirely in-character.

[furiarossa]

Doctor Mad meets Madam; same prompt, two different worlds, two different Maddie Plasmius!

When, thanks to the interactions on Mad's presentation post on Tumblr, we spotted someone else that had an halfa Maddie AU going on too we already knew we wanted to make a little interaction between them (hope that's alright, her storyline is so intriguing)! These two would make a fearsome Evil Science team... RIP little ectopus.

Mad Plasmius (right) belongs to us, while Madam Plasmius was created by @lucifer-is-a-bag-of-dicks and we drew her with an heavy inspiration from @redrobin-detective's design for her! 

[Oh, and a lot more of our Danny Phantom fanarts: Here’s our tag!]

★ Instagram|Facebook|FurAffinity|Deviantart|Commission prices★

[dannimalsphantom]

Dantopus, 10 Years Later

'enjoy'

[capnportofficial]

how to avoid losing yourself to the abyss:

just don't do it. say no thanks.

the inevitable march of time cannot make your human consciousness fade away without your consent.

[grimdarq]

WAUGH MY LOVES

[currentfandomkick]

Hey so, masterlist here pt 4 of who knows how long. Angst below.

Danny was going to die. Again.

Thats the only answer to being pulled toward the lake.

“Get away from my son spook!”

The shot was far off. At least Dad tried. so did last dad. Still failed. PressureNoAirwhywhywhy

Taco clung harder and may as well be in his bones as he was flung through the air in the ectopus’ grasp.

Mom tried, but Topo pulled him into the ground. And kept going.

pressure-thickwater-noair. Noairnoairnoair.

He was thrashing. Taco didnt care. Only that it had him.

He Hates Taco, and will devour many in retribution. Later. When he gets out and is /saaaafe/

He thinks(?) they made it to the lake. He. He stopped processing things underground with the no breathing problem.

And began breathing wrongWrongWRONG

His lungs were not doing that for him, and his neck was working different and he /hatehatehated/ it.

Someone(Val) got a good shot in and Taco let him go.

His eyes Burned Green and he. Hey was floating in the air heaving water out of his lungs and shaking.

Red rubbed his back and didn’t ask about the green eyes.

“Danny, you good in there?”

“M, mayb, be.” He took a a few more breaths, letting Red drive him somewhere else.

“So, contamination got worse? Or are the eyes new?”

He could only manage a broken chuckle. “The g, gils are n, new. S, so was the t,tail.”

Val nodded in her gear and dropped him off to homesafecaredloved Mom and Dad.

“Danny, are you okay?”

Danny tried to smile. It came out wrong.

“Oh my baby,” Mom continued as she moved Danny about. “What happened?”

“Ph,Phantom g,got me o,out,” danny began. “C,can we go home?”

His parents nodded. “C,can i hav(e),ve one of,f the F,Fenton f,force f,fields?”

“Of course champ, we’re gonna keep you that spook as far from you as possible.”

Danny leaned against his parents. He just, he had gils. He may be turning into a merman or something.

He just wants his mom and dad. Is that too much?

Other parts here.

Tags @skulld3mort-1fan @theizzyof3malec3 @brattysleepyreader @sebas-nights @elidaweirdotaku0520 @bianca-hooks123 @the-autistic-spider @laurcad123

[elzifelzi]

PHANTOM

CHAPTER FIVE

Chapter 5:News of the Ghost boy

Vlad sat at his desk,doing work on his computer when he heard a faint knock on his door.

Vlad:Come in!

The door opened and Vlad was pleasantly surprised to see Damon walking through the doors.He welcomed him with a pleasant smile before gesturing for them to take a seat.

Vlad:”Damon! To what do I owe this visit?”

Damon:”Sorry for interrupting you Mr Masters,but I  wanted to discuss something with you about the recent ghost attacks at Amity university.”

Vlad:”It’s no problem at all!I just wish I'd known you were coming here sooner. I'd have prepared snacks.”

Damon lets out a light chuckle 

Damon:”There's no need for that, Sir.”

Vlad:”Now what was it you wanted to discuss with me?”

Damon:”It seems there was a 2nd ghost attack at Amity university yesterday after the one with Valerie.”

Vlad:”two attacks at a college without a supernatural background is very strange,how many ghosts were involved.”

Damon flips through his clipboard before arriving on the page he needed.

Damon:”3 ghosts in total.The one that attacked Valerie was some kind of ghost octopus,Then there was a 3 headed ghost dog and a male ghost teenager.”

Vlads mind instantly landed on Skulker he was fully aware that ectopus and the dog were Skulkers pets,He also knew that Skulker never took his pets off leash unless he needed them to retrieve or hunt down something for him.But what could Skulker want at a regular old college?What was there that could’ve been so important?Then his thoughts landed on the ghost boy.

Vlad:”Damon,tell me more about this ghost boy,have any of our units run into him before?”

Damon:”not to my knowledge,he seems like a completely new face on the scene and apparently he was involved with both attacks.”

Vlad:”That is very interesting,anything else? 

Damon:”Just one, Witnesses claim that the ghost boy fought and beat the dog in an attempt to protect them!Even Valerie admitted that when the ectopus had captured her he rescued her.”

Vlad:”This is very interesting. I'll have to talk to conduct more research on this but thank you for telling me.”

Damon:”Anytime sir,but with that said it’s time I left.”

With nothing else to say he waved him goodbye.He closed the door behind him and returned to his desk chair quietly.

Vlad:”You can come out now,I know you’re hiding here.”

On cue Skulker appeared out of thin air and approached his desk.

Skulker:”So that's the kind of fool you keep on your payroll? Laughable!”

Vlad snapped at him.

Vlad:”stop screwing with me Skulker!Why would you send YOUR pets to attack the school?!! Answer me!!”

Without a second thought Skulker seized the man by his throat.

Skulker:”You watch how you speak to me Masters!We may be partners but that won’t stop me from gutting you like a fish and mounting your head on my trophy wall!”

Vlad maintained a look of determination on his face, not wavering under Skulker's grip whatsoever.

Vlad:”Go ahead and try,you kill me and ghosts hunters will flood this office in seconds!You won’t have a chance!”

Skulker lets out a booming laugh.

Skulker:”We both know that you're fully capable of facing me head on if you wanted to..but if you did that'll give me more trouble than it's worth wouldn't?”

Vlad:”Don't test me Skulker!”

Skulker:”still keeping your true self hidden away? Pathetic.”

It appeared like Vlads eyes flashed Red for a brief moment but certainly that couldn't be the case.

Skulker lets out another laugh before releasing Vlad.

Skulker:”While it would be fun to go a few rounds with you For the time being I need you alive,be grateful. As for why my pets went to that school, it was to test that ghost child!”

Vlad takes a seat at his desk.

Vlad:”test him for what?What are you planning, Skulker?”

Skulker:”box ghost came to me the other night and told me that he fought against some teenaged ghost,apparently while the ghost couldn’t beat him he was able to land some hits on him which isn’t an easy feat.”

Vlad:”so,it was just a few hits. What's so special about that?”

Skulker:”I thought the same thing too until box ghost told me that this was relatively new and something else that I think would particularly interest you is that he was able to switch between ghost and human at will!”

Skulker's revelation knocked Vlad out of his seat onto the floor.

Vlad:”So this boy is a halfa!”

Skulker:”exactly,that fact alone was enough to pique my interest so I sent my pets to do reconnaissance.Seeing as they’re both destroyed I figure the boy has started getting used to his powers.As for how they ended up at a school I don’t know,my pets simply tracked down the scent the ghost boy left on box ghost and followed him there,however I’m willing to bet that the ghost boy attends that school.”

Skulker's voice was heavy,he was clearly angry at Dan for destroying his pets but he maintained his composure knowing full well that if you let his anger run wild it would most likely lead to an attack on the man in front of him.

Vlad:”This is alot to take in,if the boy can really transform from ghost to human at will then he could very well be exactly what we needed.”

Skulker:”That's why I came here to tell you.”

Vlad:”So how do we catch him?”

Skulker:”It's too early to put the boy down so I'm sending more creatures after him,afterall he won't be any good to us if he can't match up against my pets.”

And with nothing left to say,Skulker left.

To be continued….

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8

Decided to drop this chapter early because it's hella short anyway so you can sorta just think of it as an extension of the last one..do enjoy and I hope you keep reading😁

[unnamedcookiecat]

Danny thought today was going to be a calm day. No ghost fights, well maybe some but easy ones at least. Summer was slowly coming up so the days were getting hotter. Sam thought it the best time to get ice cream. He remembers what brought up the whole thought to begin with.

They were hanging at the park just after the last small fry was souped. Another ectopus making havoc with the local town. Thank every ancient that his parents are out of town for the weekend. It was too hot that his ice barely cooled anything. Sam and Tucker meet up not long after he puts the cap on the thermos.

"Man, it's hot today. I can't wait to chill back at home. The air conditioner will be heaven." Tucker complained as he shook the collar of his shirt. Sam huffed as she pushed the sweating teen away. "Pft, how about we all get ice cream?" Danny hummed before shrugging. "I don't see why not, it's a pretty hot day. Might help."

Tucker cracked a smirk before elbowing Danny. "Can you even eat as a ghost? Bet you some nasty fries you can't eat the most ungodly ice cream combo." Danny transformed back to his human form before nudging Tucker back. "Oh yeah, I bet you my next nasty burger I so can too" Sam dead paned at them, "Boys, boys. I know you're both pretty, but how do you expect to get ice cream without any money?" Tucker looked over at Sam with pleading eyes. "Oh, come on Sam! Can you please get us ice cream? Please, please, please, pl-"

Danny looks at the two and shakes his head. "I can pay for some ice cream. Mom and dad left me and Jazz something for food over the weekend." Sam sighs, "Fine, but I'll get most of them." She jabs a finger into Tucker's chest. "That means you are buying your own tho." Tucker waved his hand. "Pff, I get it. But we gotta see if Danny can still eat as a ghost. And my bet of course!" Danny rolls his eyes. "You're on dude."

________Time Skip___________

Once more a ghost Danny and his friends all sit in his living room. Ice cream tubs sit strune about still in grocery bags. Tucker found a limited addition bacon flavored ice cream. Sam bought a mix of popular and strange ice creams. She was eating chocolate ice cream as tucker put three of the weirdest combos together.

Danny sat waiting. "You done yet dude?" Tucker chuckled as he finished fully mixing it. "Yeah, here!" He said as she thrust the bowl in Danny's face. Danny takes one look at the green ice cream and shrugs. It wasn't the most pleasant thing he ate, but it's not half bad. With a sharp grin he finished the ice cream in three bites. Thank the ancients for ghost powers.

"Aww, man." Danny chuckled at Tucker. "Better luck next time dude. I've eaten worse." "That's still not fair, you didn't even get a brain freeze!" Sam growns, "Did you forget he has ice powers?" Tucker crossed his arms with a huff. "Noo."

"I wonder what would happen if ectoplasm was mixed in?" Danny broke in curiously. "What?" He looked up. "Dude, that's gross" Tucker murmured with a grossed out expression.

Sam humes. "Well, You kinda need it to live too. Maybe we can try to make it into ice cream some other time." Danny smiled softly. "Guess we can test that some other time. Pass me the mint chip tho." Sam complied.

___________________________________

Welp, this is the short blurbo I promised. Hope y'all like it. I tried my best.

[fangirlwriting-stories]

Brighter Days Ahead

Summary: No One Knows AU Part 30, Everyone looks to what's coming next. (Final Part!)

Author's Note: Hey, thanks so much for reading my accidental stumbling into the Danny Phantom fandom!  I hope you enjoyed it, I know I sure did!  It was originally just going to be a one shot based on a fic that really inspired me, and then it kind of evolved into something else, and then I just had a thought one day like “hey I wonder if Vlad can get Sam and Tucker to hunt Danny as Phantom while knowing it’s him.  That would be a really fucked up thing for him to try to do.  I wonder if I can make it work.”  And it turns out I could!

Also, something else I learned while I was writing this story is that… I need more of it?  Like this did not nearly satisfy the itch I didn’t even know I had.  So, if you liked this “Vlad takes advantage of a no one knows au situation” story, you’ve got more coming your way!  It’ll be a little different from this one, and I can’t promise when it’ll be posted, but I’m having a lot of fun planning and writing the first parts of it, and I'm going to post what I've written whether I actually end up finishing it or not (it is a monster of an idea).  Either way, I hope you enjoyed this story, and thanks so much for reading!

...

Danny sucks the ectopus into the Fenton thermos and lets out a little whoop, spinning to face Valerie.

“Ha!  That’s six for me!”

“Oh please, I helped you with that one, it’s a half point for each of us,” Valerie says.

“No, it’s in my thermos, that means it’s mine,” Danny says, shaking his thermos back and forth.  “Those are the rules.”

“Oh are they?  So if I do this,” Valerie says, and before Danny can react, she flies forward and kicks the thermos from Danny’s hand, catching it easily.  “Does that mean it’s mine?”

“Hey!”

“Hey, lovebirds, six o’clock!” Jazz’s voice comes over their earpieces, and both of them spin around to find another ectopus coming towards them.

Valerie tosses Danny his thermos back, and raises her gun, firing it and knocking the ghost back a couple feet to give Danny time to fire up the thermos and suck it inside.

“Ha!” he says again, spinning back to Valerie.  “And that makes seven!”

“Wha— I did all the work that time!”

“I am gonna have to give that one to her, Danny,” Jazz says, and Danny glares down at where she’s standing on the ground below them.

“Traitor!” he calls.

“In all honesty, I think there’s just one left,” Jazz says, looking down at the list she’s been keeping.  “Mom and Dad’s containment unit had 24 ghosts in it, and your thermos has six of them and Valerie’s has five.”

“Uh, that only makes twelve,” Valerie says.

“Oh yes, sorry, I have eleven of them in here,” Jazz says, gesturing to her own thermos without looking up.  “Maybe if you spent less time flirting and more time chasing ghosts, we’d have all of them by now.”

“Oh no way you have eleven ghosts in there,” Danny says, crossing his arms.

Jazz gives him a look and holds up her list, which has all ghosts accounted for except for the snake ghost, difficult to find because it’s the size of an actual snake.

“See now that’s not even fair,” Valerie says.

“Honestly, you can’t just get in the way of our competition like that,” Danny says.

“Sorry, I can’t hear you over the fact of my definite win,” Jazz says, shooting them a smug smile.  “I’m gonna take these guys home, have fun competing for second place.”

And with that, she turns and drives off on her scooter, and Danny sticks his tongue out after her.

“You want to just get this last one together?” Valerie says.

“If we can even find the thing,” Danny says.  “But sure.”

They both turn and start a route towards the places they haven’t checked yet, scanning the ground and sky as they go.  Unfortunately, snake or not, it’s still a ghost, and it can still fly.

After a bit of time and no snake appearing, though, Danny turns to face Valerie.

“Hey,” he says, “I’ve been wanting to ask you something.”

Valerie turns to face him.  “Yeah?”

Danny can’t read her face under the mask, which he’s pretty sure he’s not going to enjoy during this conversation.

He takes a deep breath and presses forward anyway.

“So, Sam and Tucker and I are having a movie night this Saturday,” he says.  “Sam rented this supervillain crossover movie we were looking forward to but never got to see.”

“Okay?” Valerie says, confusion evident in her voice.

“Would you want to come?” Danny asks.

“Uh,” Valerie says, instantly sounding uncomfortable.  “I don’t know.  I mean, I don’t know if I’ll have all the necessary context.”

“Valerie,” Danny says.  “I really think you guys should talk.”

Valerie sighs and pulls her hood off, turning to face him.  Her face shows more uncertainty than discomfort, like he thought.  “We probably should,” she admits.  “I just… don’t know how to start.  And they kind of remind me of… things I don’t like to think about.  But…”

She trails off, but she doesn’t seem like she’s done, so Danny doesn’t say anything while she thinks.

“But we do have too much in common to just never talk,” Valerie says finally.  She looks over at him, and Danny’s glad that he doesn’t see a ton of guilt in her face, like he did after he first told her everything.

“Does it have to be before Saturday?” Valerie asks, turning to face him.

“No, not if you don’t want it to,” Danny says.  “I can do the movie night thing with just them.  I just don’t want to keep my girlfriend and my best friends separate forever unless I have to.”

“I don’t think you’ll have to,” Valerie says.

Danny smiles a little at her, and Valerie smiles back.

“Okay.  I’ll at least try and talk to them before Saturday,” Valerie says.  “And I’ll let you know how it goes.”

“Thanks Val,” Danny says.  “Oh, and by the way?”

“Yeah?”

Danny points his thermos at the snake ghost that appeared in the corner of his eye a second ago and fires it up, sucking the ghost inside.

“Second place!” he calls, grinning back at Valerie.

“Wha— hey!  You cheated, asshole!”

Danny gives his best imitation of an evil cackle and starts flying back towards his house, with Valerie following quickly behind on her board.

…

Valerie, once she considers the idea enough, doesn’t want to wait too long to talk to Sam and Tucker.  For one thing, she wants answers herself.  She’s also pretty sure she can use Saturday as something to kick her butt into gear.  If she has a deadline she has to give, it’s a good way to force herself to find them and talk to them.  Besides, her space thing only applies to Danny.  She doesn’t owe anything to other people who have hurt him.

So, she settles on Thursday afternoon, as a way to have a little bit of time before Saturday, and finds Sam and Tucker in the cafeteria at lunchtime, which is where Danny said they’d probably be.  She’ll miss her normal lunch time in the library with Danny and Jazz, but she really does need to talk to Tucker and Sam.

So Valerie finds Sam and Tucker sitting at the table, both looking a little bit too casual and like they’re having an okay time.  So she walks right up and sits down next to Sam, startling them both into looking at her.

“Danny invited me to your Saturday movie night thing,” she says.

Tucker blinks at her.  “Oh,” he says.  “Okay.  Do you guys have room for one more?”  He angles the last question at Sam, who nods.

“We can get some extra popcorn too, if you want it,” she says to Valerie.

“Sure,” Valerie says.  “But that’s actually not why I’m here.”

“I figured,” Tucker says.  “Are we talking, then?”

“We have to do it sooner or later,” Valerie says.  “I know a classroom that’s always empty at this time.”

So they relocate to the classroom Valerie used to have lunch with Danny in.  Valerie leans back against a desk, and Tucker does the same to the one across from her.  Sam sits on top of one and starts fidgeting with a wrist ray she’s wearing, that looks ghost-weapon in nature.

Valerie was worried that once she got here she wouldn’t know where to start, but the first thing that comes to mind doesn’t take much effort to come up with.

“So I hear Vlad screwed you over too,” she says.

Tucker smiles a little bit.  “Yeah,” he says.  “I guess that’s one way to put it.”

Valerie looks at him for a little longer, then looks over at Sam too, who hasn’t looked up at her yet.  She gives them both a couple seconds to say something else, and then decides she needs too many answers to wait longer.

“Did he send you guys the suits anonymously too?” she asks.

Tucker shakes his head.  “No,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck.  “He, uh, pretended to save us from the vampire ghost that was also him, and then pinned the blame on Danny, and said Danny was trying to kill us.  And then said he’d teach us how to hunt him first.”

Valerie thinks about that for a second, then nods.  “Yeah, that sounds like something he’d do,” she says.  “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry you got tangled up in everything.”

“I’m sorry we didn’t tell you who we were or what we thought was going on,” Tucker says.

“No,” Valerie says instantly.  “No, I’m glad you didn’t.  I… I would have believed you.  In the beginning.”

“Not at the end though,” Sam says, finally looking up at her.  “Not by the time I tried to tell you.”

Valerie doesn’t say anything, because she honestly doesn’t know.  She figured after the fact that that’s probably what Sam was trying to tell her when she asked to talk, but she doesn’t know how she would have reacted then.  Yeah, she was starting to question things, but she didn’t have the full realization of how much she had to learn until she heard the truth from Danny himself.  She doesn’t know what she would have thought if she heard it from Sam and Tucker first.  She doesn’t really want to think about it.

So instead, after a second, she says instead, “You know, you’re not completely at fault.  Even if you are at fault for a lot of it.”

Sam looks down at the desk again like she doesn’t believe her, so Valerie continues.

“Seriously.  Some of it is on the asshole who knew he could manipulate you and so decided to do that.”

Tucker nods slightly like he knows, but Sam still doesn’t look back up.

“You’re not the only one who did stuff you regret, you know,” Valerie says quietly, leaning back against the desk behind her.  “I hurt Danny a lot too.”

“You haven’t known him since you were 8,” Sam snaps suddenly.  “It’s different.”

“Yeah,” Valerie agrees.  “It is.  I’m just saying.  If you ever want to talk.  We don’t have to do this waiting game every time.  You know you’re not totally alone in this, right?”

“I know,” Tucker says.  He looks over at Sam, and after a long, long pause, Sam nods shortly.

“Good,” Valerie says.  “I’ll see you on Saturday, then.”

“See you,” Sam mutters, and Tucker gives her a small smile.  Valerie gives him a nod and smile back and heads out, giving the two of them some space they look like they need.

She still isn’t positive how she feels about them, but they have exactly the stuff in common that she thought they’d have in common, and it might help all of them just to have people around they can vent about Vlad to.  That might be worth it all on its own.  Either way, she’s willing to stick around to find out.  And trying to just have fun at this movie thing Saturday doesn’t sound like the worst place to start.

…

“Thanks for the ride, Jazz,” Danny says as she pulls to a stop in front of Sam’s house.

“No problem,” Jazz says.  “It’s on my way.  Plus Mom and Dad would get suspicious if you said you weren’t going to need a ride.”

“On your way where?” Valerie asks from the backseat.  “I didn’t realize you were going somewhere too.”

“She’s got a ghost psychology club meeting tonight,” Danny says, glancing back.  “It’s getting pretty popular.  I think she’s getting a big head.”

“Oh please,” Jazz says, shoving him towards the door.  “Not like mine could get bigger than yours.  Go hang out with those friends of yours who’ve tried to kill you.”

“You said you’d stop calling them that,” Danny says, but he opens the side door and climbs out, Valerie doing the same a second later.

“I’ll be back to get you in a couple hours,” Jazz says.

“Thanks,” Danny calls, and he gives her a wave as he shuts the door.  Jazz waves back as she drives away.

“Okay so basically,” Valerie continues as they walk towards the front door.  “These are three supervillains who are fighting each other?”

“Yep,” Danny says.  He’s been filling her in on the context behind what they’re watching since Valerie told him she was definitely going to come.  He doesn’t know as much as Sam definitely does, but he knows enough so Valerie won’t be totally lost.

“It’s probably just going to be a lot of cheesy action scenes,” he says.  “You won’t strictly need the context to enjoy it.  Oh, and uh, one last thing entirely unrelated to movies?”

“Yeah?”

“Sam’s parents won’t like you, don’t even try.  It’s not you, they don’t like anyone.”

Valerie raises her eyebrows, but just says, “Noted.”

With that, Danny knocks on the door.  Thankfully, it’s not a either of the Manson parents, but Sam that pulls the door open.

“Hey,” she says, with a smile that looks mostly genuine (and a little scared, but they both decided not to acknowledge that part).

“You guys are late,” Sam says with a smile.  She’s clearly aiming for a casual joke, so Danny decides to help her out.

“I blame Jazz, she drives slow,” he says, smiling back as he walks inside.  He waits to make sure Valerie makes it in before reaching out and pulling the door shut after them.

“Smart, blaming it on the person who isn’t here and can’t defend themselves,” Valerie says.

“That’s just how I roll,” Danny says, grinning at her.  He turns back to Sam a second later.  “Do you need any more help with the popcorn?”

Sam shakes her head.  “It’s done.  Just gotta carry it downstairs.”

“We’ll help you out,” Danny says, including Valerie by virtue of her not knowing where Sam’s basement is.  So instead, they all walk towards Sam’s kitchen, where, surprisingly, there’s no sign of her parents, just four tubs of popcorn on the stove.

Sam seems to see Danny’s question in his face, because she says, “They’re taking Grandma out to eat.  It’s just us.”

“They’re giving you the house to yourself?” Danny asks in bafflement.

Sam shrugs.  “I think they’re trying to go a little easier on me,” she says.

“I didn’t realize they’d go that easy on you,” Danny says.

“Does this mean I don’t get to meet the parents who hate everyone?” Valerie asks, picking up one of the tubs of popcorn.

Sam smirks a little at her.  “Sorry,” she says.  “You don’t get two more people to hate you tonight.”

Valerie shakes her head in disappointment.  “Damn.”

“Come on,” Sam says, picking up two of the popcorn tubs and letting Danny grab the last one.  “Tucker’s waiting downstairs.”

Tucker is finishing setting up Sam’s massive sound system when they get down there, and he brightens when he glances over and sees them holding popcorn.

“Okay Sam your turn,” he says, walking over and taking one of the popcorn tubs right out of her hands.

Sam gives him a deadpan look, but lets him go sit on the couch, taking up half the space, and goes to finish setting up the movie.

Danny sets one of the tubs of popcorn down on the other end of the couch, then turns to Sam.

“Hey, which one’s yours?” he calls.

“Tucker’s got it,” Sam says, without looking away from the screen.

Tucker, who’s about to shove popcorn in his mouth, immediately drops it with a noise of disgust, and Sam and Danny both laugh.

“You could have warned me!” Tucker exclaims, setting the popcorn down on the ground.

“Sam uses vegan butter,” Danny explains to Valerie.

“It doesn’t taste different in the slightest,” Sam says, finishing with the TV and walking back to the couch.  She sets the non-vegan tub down and picks up her own, then glances at Tucker.  “Move your feet.”

Tucker does, and then Sam plops down next to him and puts her feet in his lap.

Valerie settles down at the other end of the couch, and Danny picks up his popcorn and sits in the spot next to her, resulting in Valerie immediately sliding up to his side and leaning her head on his shoulder.  Danny wraps an arm around her shoulders and leans into her too.

��Alright,” Sam says.  She turns the TV on, where the movie is already set up.  “Who’s ready for this?” she raises an eyebrow at Tucker.  “You’re not gonna run out of the room like a chicken, right?”

Tucker gives her a look, but then shrugs.  “I’ve seen scarier things.”

“That’s an opinion,” Sam says, hitting “play” on the movie.

“Oh, that’s right, you weren’t there when I found Vlad’s poems about Mrs Fenton.”

“Wait, really?” Valerie asks, wrinkling her nose.

“Ugh, yeah I believe it,” Danny says.  “He’s always been really creepy about her.”

“Yeah, I spared all of you,” Tucker says.  “You owe me.”

“I’ll owe you more if you’re quiet and let the movie play,” Sam says.

Tucker sticks his tongue out, but turns to watch the movie.  Danny smiles fondly at them for a moment and then casts an equally fond glance over at Valerie.

Valerie sees him looking and faces him.  “What?” she whispers curiously.

“Nothing,” Danny whispers back, leaning further into her side and looking towards the movie.  Valerie does the same a second later.

And though it’s not long before she turns to him and starts asking about the context of what’s happening, Danny doesn’t mind too much, because he’s not paying much attention to the movie before that either.

Instead, he’s deciding that even if things are far from normal yet, he likes the way they’re heading.  And if telling people he’s Phantom keeps working out like this at the end of whatever else comes his way, he’ll probably be alright after all.

[daily-dose-of-danno]

Season 1, Episode 7 - Bitter Reunions

[emberdew]

Be More Ghost Chapter 9: Sync Up

Summary:

A Be More Chill AU where Danny gets a Super Quantum Intel Unit Processor (or Squip) to help him become cool and win over Valerie, but things don't really go as planned.

Masterpost | AO3 Link | Word Count: 2,126

Still not gonna be the cool guy, but maybe not so left out. Of all the characters at school I might be the one who the story’s about now that someone’s helping me out.

Danny jolted awake the next morning, eyes flashing green before settling back to blue as he looked around his empty bedroom. Despite all the strange things Danny had experienced in his half-life so far, it was still hard to believe all the stuff from yesterday had actually happened.

“Hello?” Danny tapped the side of his head. Where was the Squip? “Are you on? Helloooo?”

“Danny?” Jack called through Danny’s shut bedroom door. “Who are you talking to? Is there a ghost???”

“No ghost, Dad!” Danny quickly reassured. He didn’t want his dad breaking down his bedroom door. Again. “Just talking to myself, I guess.”

Danny got up and felt a shiver as his ghost sense went off. 

“Ugh, really?” Danny raised his fists into his transformation stance. “I’m going gho-”

He was interrupted by a sharp poke in his back. “Ow!”

What are you doing? Squip-Phantom said with a disapproving tone from behind him. Danny turned around to face the Squip and saw it had its arms crossed.

“Uh, going to stop whatever ghost is around?” Danny pointed his thumb toward the window. He didn’t see any ghost there, but he felt with his lingering ghost sense like a chill at the back of his throat that it was still nearby. “It’s kinda my responsibility and stuff.” 

Aren’t your parents ghost hunters? Or what about that huntress girl you’re so infatuated with? Why not let them handle it?

Danny glanced out the window again. Sure, it felt like this ghost wasn’t that strong so probably some other hunter could handle it, but he always felt better if he checked himself.

He shook his head. “I have to go.”

You can’t lie to me Danny, I’m inside your brain. You don’t have to go, you just want to. Go get dressed instead. The Squip gestured to the shopping bag Danny had ended up dropping next to his bed last night. 

Danny’s door opened and Jack poked his head in. Predictably, he was wearing an orange jumpsuit. 

“Almost ready, son? I’ve got prototype number three of the Fenton Freezer done! If you have time before ya leave for school I can give you a demonstration!”

Danny just nodded, and Jack closed the door again.

That’s the source of your genetic material? Squip-Phantom looked unimpressed.

“Yeah, that’s my dad,” Danny pulled on his Chip Skylark shirt, a green plaid button-up, and some dark-colored jeans from the back of his closet. 

Hmm. Squip-Phantom took in his outfit, then grabbed a baseball cap and put it on Danny’s head. It nodded its approval and Danny left his room. 

On his way to the bathroom, Jazz stopped him after she took a look at his outfit. “What’s with this? Did you split yourself again?”

It was a fair question since he was wearing the same button-up and cap that “Fun Danny” had worn when he used the Fenton Ghost Catcher to split his human and ghost halves several months ago. Danny definitely did not want his sister psychoanalyzing his choice to follow the directions of a computer he had put in his brain, so he couldn’t tell her the truth.

“Nope, just uh, trying a new look.” Danny shrugged and walked past her into the bathroom and shut the door so he wouldn’t have to explain further. Hopefully he could avoid Jazz cornering him about it later, but knowing how nosey his sister could be, he was just postponing the inevitable.

After finishing his morning routine, Danny snuck past the kitchen to avoid any more conversations with his sister or his dad and walked out the front door. Around the corner from his house, he saw Valerie in her ghost hunting gear sucking up an ectopus with her red thermos. So apparently the Squip had been right about someone else being able to handle the ghost attack earlier.

Of course I was right Danny. You really have to trust me, Squip-Phantom said, which startled Danny. He hadn’t noticed when the Squip had started floating by his side. 

“Yeah, I get it,” Danny conceded. Squip-Phantom hadn’t steered him wrong yet, so he really should be following its directions. 

Danny walked into an empty alleyway and went ghost. As Phantom flew towards the school, he was wary that the Red Huntress was still close enough that he would trigger her sensors, but it turned out she had already flown far enough away on her hoverboard that he was safe. 

“Well, I might not be the cool guy,” Phantom mused, “but maybe now I won’t be so left out.”

With the Squip there to help him, maybe school wouldn’t be so bad today. When he saw Tucker he could tell him all about it. And they could text Sam while she was on vacation to tell her she was wrong and that getting a Squip was a great idea, actually.

Phantom landed in an empty spot near the school and detransformed. As Danny walked into the building, Squip-Phantom floated by his side and started to explain how having a Squip works.

I’m a learning computer, Danny. With every interaction, I evolve, Squip-Phantom waved its hand at the students in the hallway, simply walk and observe. 

Danny looked around the hall and saw the A-Listers were chatting by their lockers. 

“What’s up bro, nice kicks!” Kwan said as he fist-bumped Dash as a greeting. Both jocks were wearing their usual red letterman jackets. Dash’s new tennis shoes did look pretty nice. 

“Shut up dude!” Dash blushed slightly, which surprised Danny. “Are we gonna hang after school today?”

“Ask me later, yeah?” Kwan said while looking at his phone. Dash got out his phone too.

“We’ll sync up!” Dash and Kwan both agreed.

This one participates in sports and clubs to avoid the feeling that deep down he’ll never be good enough, Squip-Phantom said, pointing to Dash. 

“But Dash is popular!” Danny was confused. Dash couldn’t be insecure, right? But if the Squip said it was true then maybe it was, despite how unbelievable it seemed.

Those facts are not mutually exclusive. The Squip directed Danny to listen in on another conversation, this time between Paulina and Star. 

“I’m shook, I’m blah, I’m just-” Paulina started.

“There, there,” Star patted Paulina’s shoulder.

“Star!” 

“I’m sorry.” 

“It’s not fair!” Paulina clenched her fists. Danny wondered what was going on that was making Paulina so distressed.

“Yeah!” Star agreed.

“I know.” Paulina nodded and both girls started tapping on their phones in sync.

That one is obsessed with status because she’s afraid of losing it, Squip-Phantom said as it pointed to Paulina. 

“Paulina isn’t scared of anything!” Again, Danny found the Squip’s assessment of the A-Lister hard to believe. But Paulina did look kind of stressed right now.

Everyone is scared of something, Danny, Squip-Phantom said. The most dangerous people are the ones who pretend they’re not. 

Danny considered this as he watched Ashley walk up to the two A-Listers. 

“Paulina!” Ashley waved to get her attention. Paulina reluctantly looked up from her phone. “Guess who I saw at the mall last night?” Ashley paused for a second for emphasis, “with Dash!” 

That immediately caught Paulina’s attention. She took a step closer to Ashley.

“I want details.” 

Ashley uses gossip to get attention from her peers but as soon she shares it, they ignore her. Squip-Phantom gestured as Ashley talked to Paulina for a bit before Paulina went back to looking at her phone. 

“That’s sad.” Danny watched as Ashley walked away dejectedly. Danny didn’t know Ashley that well, but he felt kind of bad for her. “What should I do?”

You should ignore her.

“Yo! Freak!” Kwan slapped Danny’s back, which made him jump. “Where’s my money?”

Up up, down down, left right, A.

Danny barely had time to register that Squip-Phantom had said a cheat code out loud before he felt a jolt in his head that made him wince.

“Ahh!” Danny and Kwan both cried out at the sudden headache. Kwan recovered first and his eyes lit up with realization.

“You got one?” 

“Yes!” Danny said. Then he remembered that he was supposed to have paid Kwan for the Squip. “Sorry I didn’t go through you.”

“Danny, this is awesome!” Kwan gently punched Danny’s shoulder in excitement. Then it seemed like his excitement faded as he thought about it some more. “I mean, yeah, I could use the money.” Kwan kicked the ground awkwardly. “‘Cause things are kinda… rough at home. If you know what I’m sayin’.”

Danny had no clue what Kwan was talking about. But then Squip-Phantom waved its hand to get Danny’s attention and mimed drinking something and it sort of made sense.

“Yeah, uh, my dad,” Danny tried not to cringe at the lie, “...drinks too.”

It seemed like Kwan bought it since he immediately perked up.

“Yo, frickin’ Dads, right?” Kwan shook his head slightly as he frowned. “He usually passes out by nine!” Kwan’s mood seemed to shift again and he smiled at Danny. “You should come over and play Xbox!”

Kwan tapped the side of his head as he started walking away. “You know, with a Squip the only controller you need is your mind!” He waved and Danny waved back.

Danny wondered if controlling a video game with his Squip would feel different from using his ghost powers to go inside a video game like he had with Doomed in the past. Maybe he could try it with Kwan later. Wait, since when was he such good friends with Kwan?

Danny looked around, and it seemed like everyone in the hallway had also noticed the strange interaction.

“Kwan and Danny are chill now?” Ashley said as she typed away at her phone, already spreading the gossip around the school.

“Looks like Fenton’s killin’,” Dash said with a surprised look on his face.

“What’s the deal with that?” Mr. Lancer muttered to himself as he walked into his classroom.

“What was that about?” Danny looked back at Squip-Phantom, just as confused as everyone else.

I synced with his Squip. Now his desires are compatible with your own, Squip-Phantom explained. 

“So that makes him act like we’re friends?” 

What is friendship but a bond between two people? Squip-Phantom shrugged. Now you and Kwan have a bond, it’s just digital.

Danny nodded. That did make some sense. As he rounded the corner on his way to his first class, Danny thought he saw Tucker’s signature red beret in the crowd.

“Oh, Tucker-” Danny cut himself off as he realized Tucker actually wasn’t there. Weird.

“Hola, Danny!” Star tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention. Danny’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Oh, Star!” 

“I’m digging this new look,” Star said, gesturing to his outfit. “Hella retro and muy coolio,” she paused for a second, “that was Spanish. Paulina’s trying to teach me!”

“Sí,” Danny replied in Spanish.

“See what?” Star said, not understanding. Danny just laughed it off.

“Uh, how was Phantom Phroyo?”

“Scary! Apparently, the ecto-lime flavor has real ectoplasm in it! That’s like, not edible for humans so I don’t know who thought it was a good idea for phroyo.”

Danny made a mental note to check that out later. His parents had always made ecto-contaminated food but he had actually started enjoying it after he became half-ghost, so ecto-lime phroyo with real ectoplasm sounded good to him. Before he could respond, Paulina came up to them and started pulling Star away.

“Star! Vámonos!”

“Sorry, bye!” Star waved as she and Paulina walked further down the hall.

“Let’s sync up!” Danny said as he waved back. Star nodded and Danny turned back to Squip-Phantom, who was still by his side.

You see, Danny? Life is not unlike a video game, Squip-Phantom waved its hand in the air as it explained, and in a video game success requires just two things: good hand-eye coordination… And a cheat code!

The rest of the school day passed without anything notable happening. Danny did have to deal with a ghost attack- a giant ghost penguin- that took up the whole lunch period, but he was able to snack between classes afterward.

“All in all, a not-too-heinous day,” Danny muttered as he walked to the classroom where the ghost hunting club met. 

He was actually feeling pretty good for once and he was excited to see Valerie again. With his Squip, he was sure to win Valerie over and they would start dating again! So yeah, today was going pretty well and Danny was hoping it would just get better.

[scarletsaphire]

hello I am here to politely request more Gray Ghost

This is heavily based on the song In the Name Of Love by Martin Garrix and Bebe Rexha. Highly recommended great gray ghost vibes.

“Are you sure that dating is a good idea?” Valerie inhaled sharply through her nose at Danny’s words, immediately pushing down the sting of rejection. She doesn’t hide it very well, as Danny takes one look before he continues, panicked. “I don’t mean it like that! I just. Don’t know if its a good idea?”

“If you don’t like me, you can just say that,” she mumbles. She moves to turn away, but Danny grabs her wrist before she can.

“It’s not that! I do like you, and I would like to date you. I’m just worried that uh.” Danny’s face is beat red, and he lowers his voice until he’s mumbling as well. “I just don’t want something bad to happen.”

Valerie feels the sting of rejection fade slightly. “Like what?” she asks, slipping her wrist out of Danny’s grasp to properly hold her hand.

He looks down at it, face turning even redder. “I don’t know. I…” he trails off, looking towards the ground where he kicks at a loose piece of pavement. “I think you’re wonderful, and I don’t want to lose you.”

The last remnants of rejection turn to joy at his confession, and Valerie smiles softly at him, pulling him down to sit on the curb. “That’s why I’m asking you out, Danny. I think you’re wonderful too, and I like you a lot.”

He looks up at her so quickly she’s afraid he might have hurt his neck. “You do?”

She rolls her eyes. “Yea, I do. I’m pretty sure that’s a prerequisite to asking someone out on a date, you know?”

“Oh, right,” Danny says. He chuckles nervously, scratching at the back of his neck in the way he always does when he’s embarrassed. It’s adorable.

Valerie bites her lip and thinks over her next words carefully. “I don’t want to lose you either, you know. But I think we could really be good together, and if we don’t take that chance, we’ll be losing whatever we could have been. I’m willing to risk it, if you are.”

Danny meets her eyes, and she’s lost in the bright, deep blue, just like the last dozen times she’s seen them. He doesn’t answer for a minute, thinking so hard she can practically see the gears turning in his head. Finally, his face relaxes, and she gives her hand, which is still clasped in his slightly sweaty one, a gentle squeeze. “I think that I’d like that.”

—

“Are you busy tonight?” Danny asks, and Valerie jumps, hitting her hand against the locker door. “I’m sorry!” Danny says, grabbing it quickly and looking it over. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Valerie laughs. “Yea, yea, you never do.” She moves to take her hand away and finish emptying her locker, but Danny stops her. “Danny, I’m fine, you don’t need to worry about it.”

Danny smirks at her. He maintains eye contact with her as he brings her hand to his lips and gently kisses her knuckles. “There. Now you’re fine.” He lets her hand go.

Valerie flicks him in the arm. “Sap. I’m free tonight, after my shift. Why?”

“It’s supposed to be super clear then, and we should be able to see Venus without a telescope or anything. I was wondering if you’d like to go stargazing with me?”

“I think I should be able to,” she says slowly, thinking over her plans for the night. She was working until 9, and had told her father to expect her home around 11, for patrol. But she’d patrolled yesterday, and she so rarely found anything more troublesome than an ectopus. Surely, Phantom could handle Amity by himself for a few hours?

Danny smiled, bouncing so fast with excitement he might as well have been floating. “Great! I can meet you at the Nasty Burger after your shift and we can walk to the park?”

Valerie slammed her locker shut and lifted her backpack over her shoulder. “Actually, why don’t I pick you up? On the corner of Main and Jekyll?”

“Sounds good to me!” Danny agreed instantly. Then he paused in his bouncing. “But why?”

“You’ll see,” Valerie said. She hurried off down the hall, ignoring Danny’s shouted questions as she left his line of sight.

—

Valerie had her whole shift to worry about what she was planning on doing. She’d been thinking about telling Danny about her being Red Huntress for months now; there just never seemed to be a good time to do it. As nervous as she was about it, she was still certain this was the right time, if only because she needed to know what he looked like surrounded by the stars he loved so much.

Every customer in her ear piece, every load of french fries into the fryer, every tap of a key on the computer system, made her more and more jittery, both from stress and excitement. The second that the clock hit 9 Valerie was clocked out and changing out of her uniform at record speeds. She had scarcely made it behind the dumpster in the back before she was in her Red Huntress suit, soaring away on her hoverboard to the meeting place.

Sure enough, Danny stood in the dark, staring intently down the road in the direction of the Nasty Burger. Valerie floated down as gently as she could manage, getting to be a good seven feet off the ground before Danny turned to look at her. His face slackened in shock, his mouth falling open as he saw her.

She lifted back her visor and smiled at him. “What are you waiting for, Danny? Do you want to see the stars or not?” She held out her hand to him, and he took it without a second thought, stepping up on her hoverboard. He stood in front of her, with her arms wrapped around his torso to keep him secure. “I hope you’re not afraid of heights!” She called. Whatever his answer was, it was lost to the wind as they took to the skies.

Before long, the two of them found themselves floating high above the trees in Amity Park Park, sitting with their legs dangling off the side of the hoverboard and an endless expanse of night sky unbroken above them. Valerie drew her eyes away from the stars, turning them to Danny, and was surprised to see him looking at her in turn.

“Danny?” she asked, concerned. “Is something wrong?” Danny didn’t break her gaze, didn’t answer her question, just stared at her, thinking. “I know its a lot, and I’m sorry I never told you. I didn’t mean to go behind your back with all of this,” she said, panic settling in her chest. She should have thought this over more; of course he wouldn’t just accept this without a thought, she’s been keeping huge, life changing secrets from him!

“What if,” Danny said slowly. “I said this wasn’t the first time I’d been this high up?”

“What?” she asked, confused.

“Not in a plane or anything,” Danny continued. “But flying. Like this. What if I said it wasn’t my first time?”

“Well,” Valerie said, picking apart his words. They seemed so random, but they had to be leading somewhere. “I guess I’d ask when you were? And how?”

Danny hummed, and broke eye contact, looking up at the stars. “And if you didn’t like the answer?”

“I don’t understand,” Valerie said.

“What if I had the answer to that question, but it was one you hated? The type of answer that changed everything, that made you question everything you think you know?” Danny still didn’t look at her, sitting so still it didn’t even look like he was breathing. “Would you still want to know it?”

Valerie took a deep breath, the cold air stinging her nose, her lungs. “If it has to do with you, then yes. I want to know everything about you.”

Danny met her gaze that time, but what she saw was not the beautiful blue that she could get lost in for hours. Danny’s eyes were a burning, glowing green, so vibrant that they illuminated her hoverboard. “It’s not the first time I’ve been up this high. It’s not even the first time I’ve been up here with you.”

Valerie couldn’t have kept her eyes open even if she tried, as a flash of bright light emanated from Danny. She rubbed the spots out of her eyes, and then rubbed them again as she tried to figure out what she was seeing. Danny’s familiar figure had been replaced with a different figure, one just as familiar, if for very different reasons. The ghosts green eyes, the same green she had seen Danny with only moments prior, had once again drifted to the stars.

“What?” she asked, not able to speak over a whisper.

“There was an accident,” he said, and now that the answer had been placed in her lap she couldn’t help but recognize just how similar their voices were. Just how similar their everything was. “In freshman year. I died, but I didn’t do it right. I’m half ghost, and half human.”

This time it was Valerie who was slack jawed. Danny let her gather her thoughts. “I tried to end you.” The words were forced out, every syllable choked as if it hurt to say. In many ways, it did.

“I know you did. I’ve known its been you the whole time,” Danny said, and Valerie was left reeling again from that knowledge.

“But, why?” she asked finally. “If you knew it was me, why did you go out with me? Fuck, why did you try and be my friend?”

“I meant what I said. I think you’re wonderful, and you were trying to help,” Danny said. “It’s why I was worried it wouldn’t end well. I didn’t know what you would think about all of this.”

“I think,” Valerie said. It took effort to keep her voice even, but she managed. “I think that we’re both horrible at being honest.” Danny’s laughter echoed in the night, the haunting echo of a ghost. Normally that echoed chilled her, but it was still Danny’s laugh underneath it all. Danny’s laugh, which had never failed to lift her spirits. Now was not an exception. “No more secrets?” Valerie lifted her hand, pinky finger extended.

Danny looked over, and his smile wasn’t the one of glee he had worn earlier that day, but it was soft, and hopeful, and fit beautifully on his face. “No more secrets.” He looped his pinky finger around hers, locking their promise in place. His hands were ice cold. Valerie didn’t let go.

—-

Valerie didn’t bother trying to find the spare key for Fentonworks under the mat. Before she’d even started up the stairs she had an ectoblaster in her hand. By the time she made it to the top of the stairs the door handle was melted off, and she barreled in the house without breaking her momentum.

She careened through the house at top speed, slamming into walls instead of bothering to change course manually. She’d wasted too many seconds already; she couldn’t afford to be late.

She jumped down the steps to the basement, taking as many as she could at once without badly injuring herself. Even still her knees ached at the impact, but she didn’t slow down. She didn’t slow down until the Dr.’s Fenton came into view, each in their customary color coded jumpsuits, with additional surgery masks on their faces. “Stop!” she shouted, though it came out as more of a sob. “Don’t hurt him!”

Jack and Maddie shared a confused look. “Valerie, what are you doing here?” Maddie asked. Valerie didn’t answer, dashing between the two scientists to stand between them and Phantom, who was strapped to the table. “Valerie Gray, you get away from it! It’s dangerous!”

“He,” Valerie snarled. “is your son!” She didn’t bother looking at their confused faces, her full attention on Danny. He wasn’t hurt too badly, at least not for his standards. He was even still conscious, if only barely, his eyes rolled back in his head. “Danny, can you hear me?”

“Val?” he slurred, trying to turn his head towards her and failing.

“It’s me, Danny.” She fumbled at the mechanisms restraining him. “I’m gonna get you out of here, but I need you to go back to human. Can you do that for me?”

Danny squeezed his eyes the rest of the way shut as he focused. The start of his transformation rings appeared at his waist, but they sputtered out before anything could happen. “Can’t.”

Jack’s hand closed around Valerie’s wrist, firm yet gentle. “Valerie, you can’t be down here, its dangerous. I don’t know what you think it is, but its a ghost. They’re dangerous.”

“I know how dangerous ghosts can be,” she said, wrenching her arm free from Jack’s grip. “I’ve been fighting them with you for years.” She let her suit emerge, everything but the visor. “You know me, you know I’m a good ghost hunter. You’ve trusted me to help defend you in fights. So trust me now.” She pointed at Danny behind her. “That is your son, and you are hurting him. You need to let him go.”

Maddie and Jack stared at her, Jack’s shock clear on his face while Maddie had her eyes narrowed, assessing the situation. Finally, Maddie nodded her head, and moved towards the bed.

“If you’re wrong about this, we’ll be letting a dangerous creature back out into the world,” Maddie said as she worked to deactivate the restraints, Valerie hovering behind her. “But if you’re right, then we will never be able to live with ourselves.”

The restraints popped open, setting Danny free. This time, the rings didn’t petter out.

[emdeerm]

Oh, God. Actually competent people are coming and they know what they are doing.

Danny will be annoyed when he first sees more people in white suits at first, "Great, more clean freaks after my head." But I think he'll start to be a lot more nervous when he sees that they are actually a lot more competent. It could even be shown like this:

Phantom is chasing a ghost, maybe it's the Ectopus or one of his regular rogues, or something, and his target gets captured by the new GIW. It was done swiftly and cleanly. He is now terrified for:

a) The captured Ghost

b) Himself

Cause oh Ancients, that's very bad.

His team and him could go on the whole extraction mission for that Ghost after and even succeed, all the while the agents are trying to get the young protector to stop for a second and talk. Nope, not listening to you all!

All agents see is that while capturing a Ghost to lure the protector works, the damage to their machines that happens when the protector is trying to save someone is not worth the risk. Some of them now have to go and be decontaminated due to ectoplasm being everywhere.

------

On a separate note, I think they'd help Valerie. Her family suffered from Ghosts a lot and that's why Vlad was able to take advantage of her. They could do something about the financial side or even employment.

Vlad... idk yet. They definitely, at some point, see a very malicious and strong Ghost that keeps bothering the protector and would probably try and help the young one. Maybe they learn that he is still half alive in the process and are floored. Like, what do you do in this situation???

Or! Or!

Vlad could get caught, get detransformed, reveal that he is a halfa (but in a "I'm the victim, help, that Ghost Boy is the mean one blah blah blah" way) and they just don't buy it. Tf you mean? We saw what you do, the Boy is using self defence most of the time, while you, Mr. Vlad, are in some hot water now.

____

Is this after the AGIT? Cause that be hilarious.

Well, almost.

There are 2 Valeries....

The Worst Branch in the Country

The GIW knows Amity Park is a huge fraud. The “most haunted city in the US”, really? They’ve been checking the place out for decades with nary a peep aside from that couple of crazy scientists that moved into town around twenty years prior.

Because of this, the town became a punishment duty. One of their agents causes trouble? They get put in time out and sent to work for a while in Amity Park. Let those idiots chase after pointless rumors while the actually competent agents work with the more important ghosts. The reports back from the town get barely more than a cursory glance before getting tossed in the shredder.

…Which really came back to bite them when ghosts did actually start to show up, and they didn’t realize until after the Amity Park branch had royally screwed up the situation.

Fuck, they really hope this doesn’t start a war.

Optional DPxDC addition: they call in the Justice League Dark for help with negotiation and taking down their rogue members

[currentfandomkick]

Back-ish.

Took a bit to finish this as Work Hell and exhaustion (and editing for format ReasonsTM)

Enjoy, and let me know if there’s anything in particular you want explored next, and i’ll see if i can add it to the list for the drabbles (the characters hijack everything so no guarantees)

Masterpost Here

Contrary to popular belief, Skulker is good at his job.

He knows how to craft a perfect trap, how to hunt virtually every type of ghost, and has succeeded every time with enough persistence. The halfa was proving an excellent challenge and reminder that hunting took time and planning.

The issue was he also knew his prey was being hunted by another, and this one’s motives were unknown. This ectopus made it clear that it intends to drown the whelp in either form, and that. That annoyed Skulker.

He followed the rules of hunting. Do not go after pregnant entities, or those capable of during their respective spawning season(s). Only hunt what is permitted. Always release your prey if they are endangered, but you may take something to commemorate the event.

Skulker’s choice was the halfa’s first pelt. He’d grow a new one in a year or so, and it would give the halfa time to acclimate to the zone rather than guarding the portal and the whole of Amity so viciously.

But this Ectopus ignored the rules of engaging with the halfa—only treat Phantom and Fenton as the same person when the “ghost hunting”parents were not around. No need to put the child at risk long term.

Halfas were extinct in the realms far longer than most were certain of, a few reigns before Pariah at least. And Skulker was well aware most of the ghosts and Neverborn he interacted with were born well into the Age of Anarchy as Ghost Writer and the record keepers were so fond of calling it.

And it was only after Pariah’s ‘sleep’ began that the liminal population declined on the Living’s side. Apparently species like Sampson’s took quite the hit, most no longer existing. Sampson was one of two Purpler Back Gorillas alive.

Understandably, the liminal gorilla was frustrated. Non-liminals failed to comprehend ghost speak, their culture was almost dead due lack of population and they were treated more like a lab rat than a person.

That was before encountering the first liminal—admittedly halfas pushed the limits of liminality—she’d found existed besides herself. The whelp’s understanding of the language was basic, but he hasn’t had his first shedding yet nor did he seem to interact with other liminals often either.

Skulker was not idiotic enough to ignore the Whelp’s need for his ghost parent’s protection. It was the issue of getting Sampson around Amity to protect the whelp from this “Taco” ectopus that was an issue.

He made sure to bring a fruit basket from the Realms, and included a shedding from a birdlike entity.

Sampson snarled until he left the offering.

“I have news about your son. He is ill,” Skulker began.

Sampson growled ill???Howexplain

“Likely the overhunting from Taco the Ectopus, as the whelp calls them, but there may be other causes. He’s rather old now to not have undergone his first shedding—don’t look at me like that we both know he is—and is experiencing soul form regression. there are those in the Realms who can help.”

Sampson beat her chest. yesHelphow?

“We need to bring him to Realm’s doctors. He may need to reside in his haunt, or require treatment of a number of things. I am not certain, but this Taco may require independent capture and containment. The doctors will know better,” Skulker admitted.

goNOW

“… yes we can go once we have the whelp—does his core have a particular sensation attached to it?”

ColdbigHugemoving

“I’ll let the doctors know when we arrive. Do you want to bring him in his small form, or one of his usual two?”

smallEasycarry

“He should be headed to the aquarium tonight, shall I set up the blob ghost perimeter?” It was the easiest way to monitor one’s prey and lire away competition… and confirm whether or not this “Taco” is targeting the whelp personally or as an ecto source.

He’s hoping the latter, but has a sinking feeling it will be the former. And he will have to hide the stupid finned brat in his prosthetic…

He should see if his girlfriend or her friends don’t mind helping him distract the intruder from the whelp.

Johnny and Kitty are rather fond of their ex. And Ember is insistent on setting up more playdates between her frightmate Youngblood and the whelp. Something about them being ‘same font different hat’ that he didn’t quite get. Oh well, if it didn’t involve animals, weapons, tactics or hunting he rarely gave it much thought in life, let alone his afterlife.

With Sampson’s (terrifying) blessing, Skulker got to work.

Masterpost Here

Tags: @skulld3mort-1fan @theizzyof3malec3 @brattysleepyreader @sebas-nights @elidaweirdotaku0520 @bianca-hooks123 @the-autistic-spider @laurcad123 @just-lurking-here-dont-mind-meh @atinygracie @stars-obsession-pit @wanderwithwings @aibhilin-atibeka

[elzifelzi]

PHANTOM

CHAPTER FOUR

Chapter 4:MASTERS INC

Having gotten his fill from teasing Danny,Tucker and the new hero finally decided to discuss Dan's abrupt exit from the class over lunch.

Tucker:”So why’d you storm out of class so quickly. Was it ghost related?”

Dan nodded in response and then proceeded to stare blankly into space as he waited for Tucker to finish his meal. With his stomach now filled, He returned his attention to the topic at hand.

Tucker:”what happened?”

Dan: “I was talking to Sam when all of a sudden this gust of like blue smoke came out of my mouth.I didn’t know what it was and didn’t want to risk my powers going haywire during class so I dipped.”

Tucker:”So what was it?”

Dan scratched his head, still completely unsure of the answer to that question.

Dan:”That’s the thing, I’m not exactly sure.. I think it’s supposed to be like a signal to let me know that a ghost is near….”

Tucker quickly pulled out a notebook and began taking down everything that Danny told him.

Tucker:”So it's some kind of ghost sense?”

Dan: “I think so, anyways I ran into the bathroom and it happened again! then this ghost octopus came out of nowhere and attacked me!”

Tucker: An ectopus You mean?”

Dan “heh that's what i called it.”

They both grinned at each other.

Tucker:”niceeee!”

He returned back to his notes.

Tucker:”So this ghost just jumped you? That was random.”

Dan shook his head.

Dan:”no I don’t think it was….”

Tucker:”What do you mean?”

Dan leaned in closer to Tucker in an attempt to prevent others from hearing their conversation.

Dan:”Well when the box ghost showed up THAT was random!As far as he knew he just found 2 regular teens to kill but with this it felt like the ghost was LOOKING for me..”

Tucker:”You think someone sent that ghost after you?”

Dan nodded in response.

Tucker:”But who would do that?The box ghost maybe?”

Dan:”beats me!But whoever it is is bound to send more ghosts my way..”

Tucker:”which means you gotta stay ready so you don't have to get ready.��

Dan nodded in agreement.

Their conversation eventually reached a halt when the girl that Danny saved from the ghost earlier walked into the room. She scanned the cafeteria for a seat until her eyes locked on to Tucker who was also staring at her. She mouthed the words “can I sit with you” and not wanting things to seem awkward he casually waved her over,she walked to their table and took a seat next to Tucker looking very relieved.The girl in question was of average height with an athletic build She had dark skin and wears her dark brown hair in voluminous curls. Her outfit consisted of a yellow dress over a black top, paired with green pants and purple sneakers. She accessories with a yellow headband, hoop earrings, and multiple rings bracelets on her wrists.

????:”Thanks a lot,I was super relieved when I saw you. I don't really know anyone here and I didn’t want to sit byself.”

Tucker:”It's no problem at all..you remember Danny..”

He gestured to his friend who was currently fighting for his life to stay awake

The girl turned towards Dan and gave him a strange look before giving him a friendly smile.

????:”Hey Danny, it's been awhile.”

Dan gave her a very confused look which made her realize that he did not remember who she was.

Dan:”Do I know you?”

Tucker jabbed his arm.

Tucker:”Dude this is Valerie remember from High School ?”

Dan:”ohh yeahhhhhh nice to see you again.”

Valerie raised an eyebrow at him.

Valerie:”likewise.”

Their previous encounter in halls flashed in Dan's mind and as he was still a bit salty about it he simply offered her a final nod of recognition before burying his face back into his desk much to Valerie's confusion.

Valerie:”umm is he alright?”

Tucker:”yeah he’s just sleepy is all.”

Valere:”sure he is…”

Valerie, not buying his excuse but not caring enough to pry, chose to ignore Dan and press on with her and Tucker's conversation.

Tucker:”I thought your family moved from Amity after High School,what brings you back?”

Valerie:”My dad got a new job here and he hasn't been the same since my mom died so I didn't wanna leave him alone.”

Tucker:”oh I'm sorry about that.”

Valerie's face dropped for a brief moment before she regained her composure and flashes Tucker a half hearted smile.

Valerie:”Don't be..”

Tucker placed a hand on her shoulders.

Tucker:”Well if it's any consolation I'm glad that you're back..”

He gives her a warm welcoming smile and she responds back in kind.

Tucker:”So how's It feel being back in amity again?”

Valerie:”like i never left..,though half an hour ago I was attacked by two ghosts..”

Dan:”attacked!??”

Dan leapt up from the table, offended that Valerie thought his attempt at rescuing her was an  attack.However after realizing how wild his outburst was he quickly calmed back down in his seat.

Dan:”Uhh sorry,I was just surprised.”

Valerie:”I get it,ghost attacks are a serious thing ..”

Tucker:”What did the ghosts look like?”

Valerie:”One was a gooey green octopus and the other was some scrawny guy with blue skin and a black hoodie.”

Tucker turned to Danny who mouthed the words it's not what it looks like while Valerie wasn’t paying attention.

Dan:”Are you sure that scrawny ghost guy attacked you? Maybe he was trying to help you…”

Valerie crossed her arms and looked at Dan like he spoke an alien tongue.

Valerie:”Please! Only reason a ghost like that would help me is so that he’d get first crack at me! All these ghosts think the Same!”

Dan:”I see….”

Realizing she couldn’t be reasoned with, he went right back to napping on the table while Tucker attempted to change the conversation.

Tucker:”Soo uh,Valerie... I was wondering if you’re not doing anything later if you’d want to...uh do an activity together..for old times sake?”

Valerie lets out a small chuckle.

Valerie:”an activity?”

Tucker:”yeah…unno if you want to.”

Valerie:”That sounds Fun! but I’ve got to meet my Dad later today, sorry. But how about another day?”

Tucker perked up like a puppy being tossed a stick.

Tucker:”sure!”

Valerie rummages through her book bag for a while before pulling out a pen,then she writes down her number on a piece of paper and hands it to tucker

Valerie:This is my new number, gimme a call sometime..

Tucker nods in response and almost simultaneously Valerie's phone goes off.

Valerie:”It’s my dad, I should probably get going.”

Tucker:”Aight,see you around?”

She smiles at him.

Valerie:”Count on it! And Nice seeing you again Danny!”

Without raising his head Dan gave her a thumbs up and waved her goodbye. Valerie waved  them goodbye one last time and headed out.As soon as she leaves Dan raises his head and flashes Tucker a sinister grin.

Dan:”do an activity?”

A blush Spreads on Tucker's face.

Tucker:”shut up!”

Dan:”hanging out with your failed Highschool crush?not a good idea.”

Tucker:”What, are you jealous?Valerie and I  are just friends?”

Dan raised his hands in defeat.

Dan:”Whatever you say man?”

Dan:”So it seems like Valerie really hates ghosts!Me especially…”

Almost immediately after saying that, Dan's ghost sense goes off and Skulker's 3 headed dog bursts through the door sending everyone running out in a panic.The dog sniffed around for a moment before setting its sights on Dan.

Dan:”And it looks like she’s not the only one!”

Tucker:”Hurry up and change!!”

Dan:”I can’t do it with all these people here!!:

Tucker:”just… duck under the Table or something!”

Dan let out a loud sigh then quickly transformed under the table and Emerged through it as Phantom. Luckily in all the commotion no one noticed that “Danny Fenton” was missing.

Dan:”Alright, you giant,ghost,dog monster thing! You’re dealing with me now!”

Having found its target the ravenous beast pounced on Dan and attempted to bite his head off.He struggled to get away as the carnivorous monster's drool began dripping all over his body.

Dan:”Bad dog! Get down.”

He tried to push the beast away and in the process another green blast just like the one he accidently used on an ectopus, came out of his palm and blasted the dog into a nearby wall much to Dan's surprise.

Dan:”Huh,I’d forgotten that I could do that!”

Now free from the beast's clutches, Dan was ready to launch his counterattack.He fired a barrage of ecto blasts at the dog and then followed up with a swift 3 kick combo to each of its heads coupled with a fierce barrage of punches to the dogs torso!Now that the beast was completely disoriented from his last attack,Dan took the opportunity to seize the ghost by its tail.

Dan:I hope this works!

Mustering up all his strength Dan began spinning the ghost around the entire cafeteria before finally slamming it down face first into the ground!

Dan: “had enough yet!”

The dog whimpered in pain but it wasn’t beaten yet.It quickly stood up and began growling and Barking at Dan.

Dan:”I guess not!”

Gripping the tail even tighter Dan spun the creature around even quicker than before then he slammed the beast into the ground with so much force that it splattered everywhere.The crowd watching the fight stared at the scene in awe before erupting into cheers and applause.

Dan:”oh..shit!I can’t change back here……”

He signaled for Tucker to meet him back home and after waving to the crowd, became invisible and ran off

After leaving the boys at the Mess Hall, Valerie drove for 15 minutes to her dad's new workplace. She eventually arrived at a pristine white skyscraper with the words Masters Inc (Axium Labs) written at the front. Masters Inc founded and owned by Vlad Masters is the world's leading technological and ghost research facility they specialize in not only studying the supernatural but also developing weapons and gadgets to help combat it,by selling their inventions to other smaller companies Vlad Masters has managed to become the richest man in the world.

Outside the building she sees two men deeply engrossed in their conversation one was a tall and well built African American man with short black hair and a very thick moustache. He wore a white dress shirt with black slacks and shoes and a white lab coat. The other was a slightly older tall thin caucasian man with long grey hair tied into a ponytail and a goatee,he had blue eyes and wore a black 2 piece suit and black dress shoes. Valerie immediately recognized them as her father and Vlad Masters who was her fathers new boss.

????:”Hello Mr Masters, thank you for meeting me on such short notice.”

Vlad shakes his hands.

Vlad:”It’s no trouble at all Damon, I’m grateful to help you out with anything you may need while at Masters Inc.”

Damon: “Thank you Mr Masters…”

Vlad:”The pleasure is all mine and please call me Vlad.”

Damon:”Well alright Vlad.”

Vlad:”Well now that the pleasantries are out of the way. What did you need from me Damon?”

Damon: “Well first I'd like to say what an honor it is to work for a man of your caliber and also I was hoping for your insight on 2 of our current experiments.”

Vlad:which ones?

Damon: “The mark 0 ghost hunting suit and retractable glider.”

Vlad:”ahh yes the hunter prototypes?”

Damon nods.

Damon:”Yessir, while all tests with the AI prove successful the suit itself still seems very unsafe for human tests,we haven't found a way to successfully cool the suits' internal machinery so the risk of the suit overheating and hurting the pilot is still very high.”

Vlad strokes his goatee

Vlad:”and you all determined this after attempting human testing?”

Damon:”No sir ,after learning of the risks noone on the team is brave enough to even go near it.”

Vlad:”hmm i suppose we'll have to postpone human testing until we know the suit is 100% safe Then.”

Damon nods.

Damon:”Yes, I think that would be best.”

Vlad claps his hands together in joy.

Vlad:”Now that that's taken care of, I sense that there's another reason that you wanted me here?”

Damon nervously clears his throat and then proceeds to answer Vlads question.

Damon:”I’ve installed the anti ghost countermeasures that you’ve asked for in your office.Now the only way for a ghost to get in or out is with your say so..”

Vlad:”Excellent! Thank you very much.”

Damon:”umm sir,if you don’t mind me asking.Why do you need this? This building is already secured top to bottom so this simply seems redundant.”

Vlad lets out a forced cough before continuing to speak.

Vlad:”Well seeing as I will be at this office for just a little while longer I figured there should be extra precautions Better safe than sorry I always say!”

Damon didn't buy the man's explanation one bit but far be it for him to question his boss.

Damon:”err right….”

Vlad:”Is that all?”

He said as his calm and kind demeanor slowly grew a bit more impatient.

Damon:”err there’s just one more thing..”

Vlad:”What is it?”

Damon glanced over at Valerie who was watching them from a distance.

Damon:”See, today was my daughter's first day at Amity University and since I was always too busy to spend any time with her back at my last lab  I promised her that…..”

Vlad, who already knew where the conversation was going, stopped Damon partway.

Vlad:”You promised her that you’d celebrate her first day of university with her?”

Damon nods.

Vlad:”So you want to leave the lab earlier?”

Damon nods once again.

Vlad:”Sure…”

Damon:”really!?”

The excitement in his voice could be heard by everyone present in the area.

Vlad:”Of course! I know how important family is afterall!”

Damon:”Thank you Mr Masters I truly appreciate it!”

He vigorously shakes Vlads hand in excitement.

Vlad:”It’s no problem Damon and you simply must introduce her to me one of these days!”

Damon:”Why not now,she's right there?”

Damon gestures for Valerie to come over.

Damon:”Valerie, I'd like you to meet Vlad masters.”

Vlad:”So this beautiful young woman is your daughter!?”

Valerie's cheeks turn bright red and Vlads comments and while she attempts to hide it it doesn’t go unnoticed especially by Vlad.

She extends her hand to Vlad which he gingerly accepts.

Valerie:”It's good to meet you Mr Masters.”

Vlad:”oh shush with the Mr Masters nonsense,call me Vlad! And The pleasure is all mine Valerie!”

Vlad then releases  her hand and adjusts his suit; he glanced down and a green stain on Valerie's sleeve caught his eye.

Vlad:”Valerie, if you don't mind me asking what that peculiar stain is on your shirt?”

Valerie:”oh this, I had some ghost trouble at school today and some got on me.”

Damon: “a ghost at school,oh my god are you alright?”

The concern in his voice seemed almost haunting and Valerie not wanting her dad to over worry did her best to calm him down.

Valerie:”I'm fine I'm fine,those ghosts know better than to mess with me anyway!”

Vlad caught wind of the determination in the young girl's eyes and seemed pleased with it.

Vlad:”Why, you seem very sure of yourself,you think you can go toe to toe With one of these ghosts?”

Valerie nods.

Valerie:”damn straight I do!”

Vlad erupts into laughter. 

Vlad:”Excellent!”

He turns to Damon

Vlad:”You've raised a very strong young lady,you should be very proud.

Damon:”I certainly am sir.”

A prideful grin plastered on his face.

Vlad:”You know Valerie, a fierce ,hardworking and motivated young lady like yourself would be a perfect fit for our Junior Ghost Hunters program.”

Valerie's eyes light up.

Valerie:”You really think so?”

Vlad nods.

Vlad:”Of course!we're always looking for young promising candidates and we'd love to have you on board.That is, if it's ok with your father?”

He looks over at Damon expectantly then Valerie follows suit.

Valerie:”Pleaaaaaaaassseeee Daddy.”

Vlad:”yes please daddy.”

They didn't have to do much convincing before Damon finally agreed, prompting both Vlad and Valerie to chair in triumph.

Vlad:”splendid,you begin on Monday just come over once your classes are done.”

Valerie:”Yes sir!”

The trio chat for a bit longer until their conversation eventually reaches a natural close.

Vlad:”well i would love to stay and chat some more but I must get going,Damon if you need anything do not hesitate to ask.”

Damon nods.

Damon:”Of course sir!”

He waves Damon and Valerie goodbye and then takes the elevator to the 11th floor where his office is located.The interior of his office was truly a marvel to behold;portraits of vlad as far as the eye could see,a massive glass window that gave Vlad an overlook of the entire city and in front of that window was a large mahogany desk with the name Mr Masters written on a gold plate in front of it. Vlad stepped into the room and was immediately greated by an eerie presence.

????:You’re late!!

A dark figure appeared out of nowhere to face Vlad.

Vlad:”And you shouldn’t even be here Skulker,how did you manage to get past the anti-ecto grid?”

Skulker:”my arm has a built in ecto cloaker,getting in here was child's play!”

Vlad:”What do you want?”

Skulker:”Brought you what you requested!”

He drops what appears to be an ice shard in Vlads hands much to his surprise.

Vlad:”Is this..?”

Skulker:”an eternal ice core from the land of the far frozen.”

Vlad:”how did you manage to get this?”

The figure lets out a menacing raspy laugh.

Skulker:”Let's just say,I have my methods!”

Vlad:”I should expect nothing less from a hunter of your caliber! I suppose a payment is in order…”

He reaches into his desk drawer and pulls out a black metal box.

Vlad: “an ecto nullifier guaranteed to neutralize any ghost's powers for 6 hours.”

Skulker:”Pleasure doing business with you Mr Masters!”

Then he vanished without any further words leaving Vlad standing there admiring the gift he had just received.

Vlad:”This is exactly what the Hunter suits need, now I just need someone to test out the suit.”

His mind immediately flashes to Valerie.

Vlad:”oh…well that's not a bad idea at all.”

To be continued….

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8

Thanks for reading ☺️we got introduced to more important people in Vlad and Valerie so can't wait to see how the story unfolds.

Next Chapter drops in a few days.