OOM: Phantom Planet

[ami_imperfect]

It's a pissed off female halfa that steps through the Milliways entrance to Amity Park.

Her world is in danger. Her city is in danger (although, technically, she lives in Milliways). Her friends are in danger. Her family is in danger. Danny is being an idiot, and is in danger.

And they think she's going to stay behind in Milliways while all of this is going on?

Obviously, they don't know Dani Phantom too well, do they?

Comments

[a1enzo]

Well, we're just gonna have to fix that.

"How're we supposed to get into the Ghost Zone?" Enzo asks. "Jazz said your—the Fentons' portal was busted. Do we just fly around looking for a natural one?"

[ami_imperfect]

Dani shakes her head.

"Nope. We're going to use Vlad's."

[a1enzo]

Enzo's surprised expression slowly morphs into a smirk. "That sounds totally fair."

[ami_imperfect]

"I know, right?"

And it is, totally fair. Like, poetic justice-type of fair.

"Come on; Vlad's lab is this way."

[a1enzo]

Enzo streaks through the air after her as lowly mortals point and stare—they're in a hurry, and the time for keeping a low profile has well and truly passed.

[ami_imperfect]

Seriously; low profile? What low profile?

Dani says nothing as she flies in front of Enzo, leading the way to Vlad's lair mansion. Mentally she crosses her fingers that his lab here is in pretty much the same place it was back in Colorado.

[a1enzo]

Enzo is likewise silent; he's enjoying the view concentrating on the impending task.

(And, okay, maybe waving to a few gaping civilians.)

Looks like they're arriving, though, because the houses in this neighbourhood are huge.

[ami_imperfect]

"There it is," Dani calls to Enzo, pointing to Vlad's manor. There's no mistaking it; the opulence of the place just screams Vlad Masters.

[a1enzo]

The gold MAYOR'S MANSION sign on the front gate is a tip-off, too.

"It doesn't look like an evil lair."

[a1enzo]

"Duuuude..." At last, he gets to see the Ghost Zone! (Pity about the circumstances.)

It looks a good deal like all the artists' depictions of the Web he's seen, but instead of headache-inducing reds, it's all green and dark purple, and the light is heavy on the ultraviolet. Also, the Web isn't full of islands and mysterious, floating doors.

[ami_imperfect]

And it's not full of ghosts, either.

"Careful," Dani cautions Enzo. "The ghosts here don't take too kindly to strangers just waltzing - or flying - in. Be ready for anything."

[a1enzo]

Of course, right now, the Ghost Zone doesn't look too full of ghosts, either. Enzo's pretty sure it's not normally this sparse.

"I guess Danny's doing okay with the ghost-collecting thing..."

[ami_imperfect]

"I hope so," Dani murmurs under her breath.

She's got a bad feeling about this, and it's not her ghost sense this time.

[amity_npc]

* * * * * *
It's been going surprisingly well. The Fenton Flyer is fast for something that's ordinarily a blimp gondola, the Infi-Map is more helpful than any road map, and he's scooping up ghosts like there's no tomorrow (which is the idea). The net's about full, in fact, and the temporary Antarctic portal is in sight.

"Awesome! I think this is gonna work—"

That is, of course, the exact moment that the Flyer shudders and an ALERT starts flashing and beeping, as one of the engines flames out. It's followed by the other, and then the net is shot through where it's attached to the ship and all the ghosts swarm out—

"Auto-eject." "What? Aaaah!" Danny cries as his seat is shot out of the Flyer, which continues, unpiloted, on its trajectory toward the portal. He phases out of his seatbelt, letting the seat shoot through him, and stares after the ship, and a small part of his mind with no sense of priorities is thinking I am going to be in so much trouble when Dad finds out...

And then he's surrounded. He had been worried that he hadn't caught enough, but how can that be when he's being glared at by what seems like every freaking ghost in the Zone?

Skulker blows the smoke away from the barrel of his blaster. "We warned you once, ghost-brat!"

"Wait! Lemme explain!" he cries, backing away, but there's nowhere to back to; he's shoved back into the center of the ring. "Our worlds are linked!" Another shove. "If mine goes, yours goes too! I have a plan!"

That's when they start to attack.

[ami_imperfect]

And that's when two younger halfas who shouldn't even be there finally catch up with their quarry.

Dani gasps and pulls up short when she sees the ring of ghosts beating up on her 'brother'. But surprise is soon burned away by pure anger, and Dani breaks away from Enzo and flies towards the other ghosts.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!"

Her cry is punctuated by an ecto-blast, for good measure.

[a1enzo]

Enzo hesitates only a moment longer, and then he's right behind her, gathering energy around his hands. This is bad...

[amity_npc]

Danny, and a number of the ghosts menacing him, look up sharply at her shout.

"Danielle?! What are you doing heyargh!" He screams as he takes another blast to the back, then one in the side. He manages to form a shield-bubble, but it doesn't look like it's going to last.

A few ghosts break away from the ring and fly toward the younger children, grinning toothily.

[fryertuck]

Inside the Antarctic research station, Tucker brightens as the sensors pick up the Fenton Flyer's approach. "He's coming back!"

A cheer erupts from the assembled scientists (along with family, friends, and a few extra-persistent newspersons) as the Flyer emerges from the portal, but the cheer turns to gasps and horrified stares as the craft careens out of control, almost hitting the observation deck, and crashes explosively into the side of an iceberg.

[ilovebearbert]

Jazz stares in horror, her mind unable to process what she's seeing.

"Danny!"

[bringnewjokes]

A figure pushes her way through the crowd of onlookers - it's Sam - to run to the window and peer out.

"No! He...he can't be...!"

[fryertuck]

Before Tucker can do anything more than look shocked, the bleep of the radar draws his attention to what, although he hates to admit it, is the greater concern.

"It's coming!"

[passthefudge]

The sensors are arrayed all over the world, to pick up the asteroid wherever its approach. It's clear across the globe and there's no sign of it in the sky here, but screens are all anyone needs to see.

"Listen." Jack Fenton puts his arms around the shoulders of his wife and daughter. "I just want you all to know that... I love you... and I'm so proud of each and every one of you for trying your best."

[ilovebearbert]

Struggling to keep her grief in check, Jazz places a hand on her father's. "We love you too, Dad."

[notjustcookies]

"At least we're all together," Maddie added, with tears in her eyes.

[ilovebearbert]

The emotions in her mom's voice are too much for Jazz, and she starts to dissolve into tears. "I... oh, Mom. There's something you need to know."

And she looks over at "Danny", who is conspicuously absent from the Fenton Family Group Hug.