Hello! Welcome to my side blog. My main one is under Tinycoded360. On this side blog, I'll be posting fanfiction and other pieces of work that don't have any g/t in it. It's just a way to organize my stuff :D
I just got done binge watching the Widow's Bay tv show on Apple +. Fantastic show. Especially if you like paranormal horror mystery shows. Reminds me allot of From. (another great show). Well anyway decided i wanted to go back through and record my thoughts on each episode and post my theories for the people of the internet. So, this will have spoilers. (and maybe get more people to watch it 👀)
Plot of first episode: An isolated coastal town faces a modernization push. Mayor Tom Loftis drives a high-stakes tourism initiative. Dense fog rolls in, triggering ancient curse warnings from locals and mysterious disappearances that threaten civic order.
funny things that i caught on the second watch:
there's bunch of tiny funny things that are sprinkled throughout the show. it's just something so out of place with it having a flipped over car in a calendar that's supposed to be wolf themed 🤣(which i guess is the point, even the 'normal' things are not right, something's off.)
The whole part when the journalist for the New York times is in the historical society building, where it tells all the horrible things that's has happened in this town. And Tom is just trying so hard to impress this guy and pretend this town is normal and no bad things happen and it's all just a bunch of stories.
Journalist: But that article right there says there was, immediate cannibalism.
Tom: no no no (stares at article) it says it took four days. See not immediate.
Ok on to my thoughts and notes so........ spoilers.
Episodes opens up: Sailor named Shep goes missing. Town folk (think he was taken by the evil fog) Tom is not believing this stuff and is in deep denial. (which is great for us watching cause it doesn't right off the bat seem supernatural, like it could be something normal or a reasonable explanation) I personally hate it when they tease supernatural and then it's just explained as black mold or something normal like that, so i was rooting for the supernatural cause.
Things to note for future theory:
the earthquake is the first in 20 years.
at the historical society it's mentioned that there was teeth here????? like i guess allot if it was mentioned in historical text. like where they just laying on the ground? how much?? it's a brief mention and stupid tom interrupts this. (i for one want to know more!!)
Also there is debate on if there was 42 or 43 original settlers??? there is a story there, don't know what. Tom again is trying to avoid all talk of the supernatural or bad stories around the journalist. so we just get crumbs of info.
Also mentioned were witch trials. that they were caught and burned. I have many questions???
the cannibalism in the church. the people got trapped there because of a deadly storm in 1786. (took them four days, so they waited XD)
mentioned later: Tom is telling Dale (one of his workers.) to show the journalist a good time and show them the highlights of the town. Dale asks if he should show him the old hospital. Tom is like no you know that. (like it's a horrible idea and don't ask stupid questions.) Then Rosemary (another worker, she's a funny one, and color blind i guess) says: its safe to drive by the old hospital but just don't stop there. (what???? I have questions)
Also of note there is no cell reception on this island. no wifi or it's crap reception. 😔
A siren is mentioned. Tom says it's from the 1940s. ( i feel like whenever a date is mentioned it's important) Wyck is wanting Tom to go full lock down. Because of the haunted fog.
When you first meet Wyck it feels like he's the old superstitious, conspiracy nut. (he is the best by the way, i'll be pissed if this show kills him off)
Wyck basically tells tom that you turn into a weird zombie like creature if the fog takes you and that the earth quake and the fog are signs that this cursed island is waking up.
Shep Clark walks in and collapses and is taken to the hospital.
There is a mention of weird age to physical appearance. I thought at first watch that it was a joke or call back to something else. Like earlier Tom was being a prick to Patricia. He had said she didn't need to worry about the boogie man SK cause it only went after teens and she was like 40. She got pissed at the time.
Right. Patricia as a teenager was attacked by a serial killer called the boogieman. She was the only survivor of these attacks. (this is important later.)
anyway the weird age thing. Patricia is talking to shep (who is out cold from drugs) saying her biological age is 28. Then Tom enters and she leaves. Tom looks at Sheps medical chat and it says he is 37. and this guy looks old old. So, i don't know this place is draining people causing physical aging. or if that was a joke on the doctors part. Idk.
then comes the moment when it confirmed this was going down the real supernatural road! (a great moment for me)
Look at those creepy white zombie eyes. any way Tom gets attacked by Creepy zombie guy and then Shep the zombie falls over dead, and nobody else saw this moment but Tom lol.
later there is a part at the restraunt where this worker goes out to take a smoke, and says oh look at that fog. I for sure that she wasn't coming back (she does come back later, so she's ok lol)
Tom and the journalist is having dinner and Tom is on edge! (i would be to) Tom keeps looking out side at the creepy fog. like it's gonna get in and kill everyone.
The journalist mentioned he's talked to the townsfolk and is fascinated by all the stories and superstition. He mentions that people believe that if you were born on the island you can't leave. (this is really important!) like how one person died of a stroke a day after stepping foot on the mainland, and another that died a month later. (after watching the other episodes i do believe this to be true) I do think that it's interesting that there is a delay in this, it gives just enough doubt on it being untrue to some.
Any way he excuses himself to make a call to check in on his son Evan. (The safety of his son is Tom's main priority above all else. In fact i think he's pushing so hard for this tourism, so his son has something to do. Because deep down Tom believes the supernatural stuff happening is true, he's just in denial and is pushing it down and acting like everything is normal. I think he knows that his son will die if he leaves the island.)
Tom was not born on the island and can leave anytime. Tom does say Evan has been to the mainland but i think he's lying. to seem normal.
Lights go out, and people are trying to leave. Tom freaks out cause he is worried that they will die. Of course when he has his big moment of trying to warn people the lights come back on and nothing bad happens. He just looks crazy. The journalist is like oh i see you wanted to be like Salem. and then tells Tom it's a nice town and they don't need the gimmick.
-then of course gotta mention that creepy chair, underground somewhere. The episode ends with a shot panning down deep underground to this creepy looking room. placed right infront of some creepy looking doors, like an offering for something (i'll touch on THAT later)
It's a good show!
I'll make another post on the next episode kinda just listing on things i've noticed and things i'm gonna use in a final theory kind of thing :D
“This is just my rotten Fenton luck.” Danny muttered as he dodged a punch from his possessed captain. Danny side stepped a vine that was trying to wrap around him. This one was glowing silver. There are multiple vines trying to pin him down or slam him into walls. Some glowed red, some blue, some silver and some purple. As far as Danny could tell, these vines were controlled by each of the ghost collectives. At least the purple one wasn’t joining in the fight. Danny glanced at the possessed form of Mccoy; he was just lying on the ground doing nothing.
“I hope he’s ok….oh Fudge nugget!” Danny mumbled then shouted as he blasted another vine, that was trying to wrap around him. This one a red one that exploded into green goo. The Red flowers growing on the cave walls pulsed and more vines started rapidly growing to replace the damaged ones.
The plant pods containing the other crew pulsed as it drew energy from them.
*At least I don’t have to hold back with the vines……* Danny thought. He wished he could just punch these ghosts that were possessing Don, Mccoy and the Captains, but he’d risk seriously hurting them or worse.
If he couldn't fight at full strength, he'd have to be smarter.
"We're going to drain you dry, ghost child," Silver hissed through Kirk's lips.
Danny stood his ground, his green eyes flashing brighter as he raised his chin.
"You don't need to do this," Danny said, his voice steadier than he felt. His gangly limbs tensed, ready to move at the slightest provocation. "I can help you stabilize in the Infinity Realm—the Ghost Zone. You could properly form your cores there, maybe even de-merge some of your collective."
For a brief moment, the possessed body of Don hesitated, the red glow in his eyes flickering with what might have been interest.
"Red, don't listen to him," Silver growled through Kirk's mouth. “He’s trying to distract us because he’s week and knows he’s losing.”
"You were all individuals once. Don't you want that again? To have your own thoughts, your own existence?" Danny pressed.
"Enough talk," Blue snarled, and lunged.
Danny dodged sideways, his reflexes quick. Captain Hernandez’ s fist crashed into the wall where Danny's head had been a moment before, leaving a dent behind. Danny dropped and rolled, coming up behind the possessed female captain. He delivered a light tap—just enough force to send Hernandez stumbling but not enough to cause real damage.
"I don't want to hurt you." Danny called out, leaping backward as Kirk's body swung at him with inhuman strength.
Silver laughed, the sound all wrong coming from Kirk's throat. "You just don’t want to hurt your friends, Your compassion makes you weak."
The three possessed bodies coordinated their attack, coming at Danny from different angles. He phased through the first blow, letting the Hades captain's fist pass harmlessly through his intangible form. But Red anticipated this, using Don's body to grab a gigantic rock and hurl it at Danny, right where Danny was rematerializing.
The rock caught Danny across the shoulder, sending him sprawling. He recovered quickly, flipping back to his feet with a grimace. It was nothing really, he had worse. Far worse.
"You know what your problem is?" Danny asked, firing a low-powered ecto-blast that knocked Kirk's body back a few steps without causing injury. "You're greedy and selfish. I could help you; nobody has to get hurt. I'm trying to find a solution."
Blue hissed through Hernandez's teeth and charged again. Danny sidestepped, grabbed Hernandez's arm, and used the momentum to pin the possessed captain against the wall.
Before Danny could do anything else, something wrapped around his waist from behind, constricting like a vice.
Glowing blue vines had snaked across the floor and wrapped themselves around his middle, squeezing tight enough to force the air from his lungs. Danny tried to phase free, but the vines glowed brighter, somehow negating his intangibility.
"Damn, ghost plants." Danny gasped, struggling against the constriction.
The vines yanked him backward, tearing him away from Hernandez and slamming him into the opposite wall hard enough to send cracks on the surface. Stars burst in Danny's vision as his head snapped back against the hard rock surface. The vines held him pinned as the three possessed crew members advanced, their movements more confident now that he was restrained.
Danny struggled against the vines, feeling them tighten with each movement. His ribs creaked under the pressure. He summoned his ecto-energy, focusing it into his hands, but the vines seemed to absorb the power, glowing brighter with each attempt. The pods that filled the room shuddered again as if the vines were using them as fuel.
Just as Silver reached out with Kirk's hand, aiming for Danny's throat, something unexpected happened. The Purple vines, shot across the room like living whips. They slammed into the three possessed crew members with surprising force, knocking them away from Danny.
The silver vines around Danny's waist suddenly loosened as something disrupted their connection to the ghost collective. Danny didn't waste the opportunity. He charged his hands with green energy and blasted the vines apart, freeing himself with a burst of power that left his palms smoking.
Across the cavern, more purple vines were wrapping around the possessed bodies, restraining them with surprising effectiveness. Danny followed the trail of these new vines to their source and felt his eyes widen in shock.
Dr. McCoy stood at the other end of the space, his face contorted with effort and concentration. The purple vines emerged from purple flowered plants near his feet, responding to his movements like extensions of his own limbs. But unlike the other possessed crew members, McCoy's eyes weren't glowing with ghostly light—they were clear and focused, filled with his usual irritable determination.
"McCoy?" Danny called out, uncertain whether he was seeing the real doctor or another possession trick.
The doctor's eyes briefly met Danny's, and he gave a short, frustrated nod. "Don't just stand there gawking, kid! I can't hold them forever!"
The possessed crew fought against their purple restraints, and Danny could see the vines beginning to strain. Red and Blue broke free first, using their hosts' bodies to tear away from the purple vines and redirect their own plant growths toward McCoy.
"No!" Danny shouted, launching himself forward as glowing red and blue vines shot toward the doctor.
McCoy, showing surprising agility for a man his age, commanded his purple vines to form a shield in front of him. The ghostly plants collided with a flash of spectral energy, tangling together in midair like wrestling serpents.
"How are you doing that?" Danny asked.
"The kids’ told me how.” McCoy growled, his fingers twitching as he directed the purple vines. "I might not be fully ghost free right now…. but I’m free enough.”
Danny looked at McCoy, understanding dawning. "The purple collective........they're letting you be in control?"
"They're mostly children. They're scared. They don't want to hurt anyone else." McCoy said, grimacing with effort as he used the vines to deflect another energy blast. “Now are you just gonna float there or—"
A blast of silver energy cut through the air between them, forcing Danny to dodge sideways. Kirk's body was on its feet again, hands glowing with concentrated ecto-energy as Silver prepared another attack.
"PURPLE! You pathetic weaklings! Weak, stupid children! We should have absorbed you cycles ago!" Silver shouted.
The ghosts possessing Don and the Hades captain launched their own attacks, their vines shooting forward in coordination with Silver's energy blasts. Danny created an ecto-shield, protecting himself and McCoy from the barrage.
"This isn't working," Danny said, watching as Silver advanced. "They're too strong together, and we can't fight them without hurting the crew."
McCoy's purple vines lashed out again, but they were losing strength against the combined assault of the other ghost collectives. "Got any better ideas?"
"Actually, yeah," Danny said, dropping his shield as he faced Kirk's advancing form. "Keep them busy. I'm going in."
"Going in?" McCoy repeated, confusion clear on his face. "What the hell does that—"
But Danny was already moving, flying directly at Kirk's possessed body at full speed. Instead of attacking, he turned intangible.
Read the rest on ao3!
Future Ghost - Chapter 15 - Stargazer360 - Star Trek: The Original Series [Archive of Our Own]
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Preview:
McCoy opened his eyes to the golden light of a Georgia sunset. Tall grass swayed in a gentle breeze, tickling his outstretched palms as he lay on his back. He was in a field with a barn and old playground in the near distance. For the first time in what felt like years, Leonard McCoy felt at peace.
"Daddy! I found you!" A small voice called out, followed by the sound of running feet.
McCoy sat up just in time to catch the six-year-old bundle of energy that launched herself into his arms. Joanna's dark hair was pulled into uneven pigtails, and her overalls were stained with grass and dirt.
"Will you play with me?" she asked, pulling back to look at him with those serious brown eyes that could convince him to do just about anything. "Mom never plays hide and seek right. She always finds me too fast."
McCoy chuckled. Setting her down and standing up. "Alright, darlin'. I'll count to twenty, and you hide."
Joanna's face lit up, and she bounced on her toes. "Count slow! And keep your eyes closed tight!"
"Eyes closed tight, darlin." McCoy covering his eyes with his hands. "One...two...three..."
He listened to the sound of Joanna's delighted giggle as she ran off to hide. And for a moment, he tried to remember how he'd gotten here.
*I’m supposed to be somewhere…...somewhere important. A ship? * The thought slipped away like water through his fingers, and he shrugged it off. *Doesn’t matter…. can’t be more important than Joanna. *
The great equalizer, as some point out, rich or poor, regardless of religion, or species.
Life fights tooth and nail, rages against this truth.
“Not I,” they say. “Not yet! I have more time!”
But all must face Death, even the stars that light the inky black of the universe.
It’s what comes after.....that’s the true mystery. No one really knows.
But within the cycle of life and death, there is a strange phenomenon. When a death is so violent, traumatic, saturated with high emotions, or simply there was enough ecto contamination in the environment.....a ghost forms.
If the ghost is lucky, it’s formed in an environment rich with ecto energy, or they are pulled into the infinity realm to thrive and grow.
Others aren’t as lucky. Some dwindle down to an echo of what they once were.
Others become trapped as a weak spirit, too weak to interact or be seen by the living. Forever trapped in the place where they died.
But what happens when an entire civilization on a planet dies at once?
The locals of the once-thriving planet were like any pre-wrap civilization. A world struggling to get along. Struggling to grow past their hate for each other. A very difficult task. The rich and greedy of the world easily gained positions of power, and pitted the poor and working class against each other. They’d use war as a tool to get richer. It was all a game for those on top.
One War would be their last. A weapon was created. A bio-engineered plague. It had fallen into the wrong hands-- deployed in a way where everyone was infected.
The disease was far more deadly and far more infectious than its creators intended.
But it did its job, what it was designed to do. To kill.
The plague ravaged the population.....only to die with the last person.
But a curious anomaly occurred: the mass of painful death in a short amount of time resulted in thousands of ghosts. But the planet had a low source of ecto energy. Causing them to start to fade and dissipate. In a desperate bid to survive even in this state, the ghosts latched on to each other.
Souls attached themselves to like-minded souls.
Thousands of souls from the children of the world merged into a glowing mass of purple.
The lazy and ignorant merged into a glowing blue mass.
The hard-working and those who suffered greatly in life merge into a giant glowing red mass, bigger than the rest.
And lastly, the power hungry and greedy merged together, forming a glowing Silver mass. Much smaller than the rest.
Merging is dangerous business for a ghost. Left too long, they become one. All experience and memory shared. Never to de-merge. But it was their best shot at survival to share their energy.
But their hunger grew. With their combined ghostly energies, they were able to grow a flower. At first, this brought anger and confusion. What good was a flower to them?
But this flower wasn’t any ordinary plant. It glowed with ghostly silver light. It soon branched out, covering the land with its vines. And then it did the most interesting thing. It started to suck the life force out of the living plants and animals… feeding it back to the ghosts.
Century after century went by. And the ghost hunger grew. Demanding more energy. The flower took more and more, slowly depleting the other life on the planet.
Read the rest here:
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
“What! Right now?” Mark asked into the Fenton phones. “Well, ok then. We’ll keep an eye out for this……wolf man?”
Mark closed the phone connection and then turned to Danny. “Mitch says we need to suit up and look for a werewolf outside….this Wulf guy?”
“Wulf is the best! He’ll get us home.” Danny exclaimed.
“Right…..where you going to let me just find out he was like this werewolf thing or where you going to tell me at any point?” Mark asked.
“Huh, honestly that just slipped my mind…..like ghosts can be whatever form that fits them best….I don’t know his backstory, but I didn’t think it was important.” Danny said with a shrug.
“Not important, he says, Mark mumbled with a roll of his eyes. “You know what, I don’t care if it’s the loc ness monster that shows up…as long as we can get off this rock, I’ll be happy.”
Mark and Danny stood anxiously on the Martian surface, looking around for any sign of another person or portal.
“So what do these portals look like again?” Mark asked Danny.
“You can’t miss them….well, unless one opens up in front of you and like you just stumble through….then I guess you can miss it.” Danny said with a laugh.
“Real helpful kid,” Mark replied sarcastically.
"So you ready to see a werewolf?” Danny asked with a grin.
Before Mark could reply, the fabric of reality seemed to ripple before them. A portal tore open, and Mark's eyes widened as a werewolf-like figure stepped through – Wulf.
"When you said werewolf, I gotta admit, I wasn’t expecting more wolf than man,” Mark whispered to Danny. Trying not to offend their rescuer, Mark turned to the wolf man. “You must be Wulf. Thank you for this.” Mark said while reaching out a hand for a handshake.
Wulf said something in Esperanto, then sniffed at Mark's offered hand, but instead of shaking it as expected, the wolfman, instead, gave Mark’s helmet a big lick in greeting.
“AH, oh god, I mean thank you….I think. Danny, this is a good sign, right?”
Danny just gave him a mischievous grin. “I don’t know, hard to tell.”
“DANNY,” Mark yelled, as Wulf started to cover his face plate with slobber.
“Arlight alright! Wulf, can you get us out of here?” Danny asked his friend.
Wulf nodded, backing away from Mark and Danny, then pulling his sharp claws through the air, forming a new portal. Mark stared in awe and a bit of trepidation at the glowing green tears.
Together, they all stepped through the portal and into the Ghost Zone.
Upon entering, Mark was struck by the awe and amazement of the alien environment surrounding them. The sky was an otherworldly mix of green, purple, and blue, and flowing green substance filled the air. Floating doors and islands dotted the landscape.
"Wow," Mark breathed, unable to tear his eyes away from the scene before him. "This is incredible."
“Look! It’s the speeder!” Danny pointed towards a small shuttlecraft hovering nearby.
Wulf and Danny helped Mark fly towards the speeder. Once they were close enough, the side door opened, and they were pulled inside.
Mitch pulled Mark into a relieved hug.
Danny immediately found himself enveloped in a hug by his two best friends in the world.
Danny froze when he saw Jack. He glanced up shyly, his heart racing in fear of rejection.
"Dad?" he whispered hesitantly.
Danny found himself pulled into a bear hug.
“Danny! I’m sorry for everything!” Jack exclaimed. At these words, Danny allowed himself to relax and lean into his father's hold.
“You’re not mad?”
“Mad! No, never. I’m proud of you…. I wish you had told us, but I’m happy you’re ok.” Jack said.
Danny felt his eyes tear up. “You mean you don’t want to tear me apart molecule by molecule?”
Jack's face fell. “I’m sorry I ever said that…..I’d never do that to you.”
Danny blinked away tears and looked to see how Mark was faring. Mark was being looked over by the doctors on board.
His Dad let him go, but hovered nearby protectively, along with Sam and Tucker. Danny was introduced to Mitch, Agent Nelson, and the two Medics. The two medics soon started pestering Danny about his own health. Soon, both Mark and Danny were getting a check-up. Danny tried to weasel his way out of it, but his dad kept giving helpful advice on what to look for, health-wise, for ghosts and theorizing what Danny would need as a half ghost.
Mitch took the pilot seat to plot their way back home. Danny sat snug in a blanket between Sam and Tucker. He realized things wouldn’t be the same now. Earth knew of the zone now. And likely would want to visit and study it. Danny tried not to think about it too much as he dozed off. But he knew he’d probably have to be the one to play ambassador. Jack sat nearby by making sure nobody bothered the teens. Danny let himself fall into a light doze. He was just thankful no other ghost had decided to attack the speeder. He hoped his luck didn’t turn on him yet.
After much deliberation and negotiation with the Fentons, a plan was concocted. Simple on the surface but still dangerous. NASA working with both the US government and the Fenton’s came up with a plan to enter the ghost zone and mount a rescue attempt.
Standing in the Fenton’s basement Teddy Sanders and Vincent Kapoor stared in amazement at the work of mad science. The swirling green energy in the center of the portal made the hairs on their arms stand up.
“This shouldn’t be possible,” Kapoor mumbled.
“Well, it is……and it’s going to change everything. Not to mention saving us a ton of money.” Teddy commented.
Before them, the Fenton’s were yapping on and on about the science behind their portal to a group of NASA scientists. As well as showing off the Spector speeder. The ship that was going to be used for this rescue mission.
“This is still dangerous…...we’re going to enter a new dimension. An alien dimension.” Teddy grumbled.
“Remember this is the most cost-effective way. And the quickest if they’re to be believed.” Kapoor pointed out, “But I don’t like that we’re sending teenagers in.” Kapoor said with a frown.
“They’re the only ones that have been in the zone. And we need them to guide us, to this ally, this Wulf guy.” Sanders said with a sigh.
The group they were sending in, consisted of Sam and Tucker to guide them and navigate the zone. Jack Fenton and Mitch Henderson pilot. And Agent Nelson to represent the US government. As well as two trained medics. They’d keep in contact through the Fenton’s radio. The Fenton’s also provided specialized cameras to record and take readings on the speeder. Normal tech would malfunction in the zone. The Fenton’s inventions were of great interest to both NASA and the government.
****
Mitch Henderson's knuckles whitened against the controls of the speeder as it sliced through the Ghost Zone's eerie atmosphere. The fluorescent green mist parted like curtains before them, revealing floating islands and spiraling doorways suspended in the void.
Jack Fenton sat in the back of the speeder; he kept yelling out GHOST! Every time they went past a citizen of the zone. It took Tucker and Sam to remind him that they weren’t here to capture anything.
Agent Nelson shifted nervously in his seat. He tried to focus on recording what he could. He had volunteered for this. But being here felt unnatural. Like they didn’t belong here.
Sam sat in the copilot's seat, giving tips and directions to Mitch as they traveled deeper into the zone.
The speeder rocked suddenly, caught in a swirling stream of spectral energy. Mitch compensated with practiced precision.
Tucker sat hunched over a tablet, fingers flying across the screen. "I've got the coordinates of Wulf's usual territory. Two more kilometers in that direction."
Mitch guided the speeder deeper into the Ghost Zone. They flew past floating chunks of earth suspended in the void. Some held twisted trees with blue leaves; others contained fragments of buildings that appeared to be from different time periods. Doors of various shapes and sizes drifted by—some ornate and ancient, others sleek and modern, all leading to places unknown.
"When we get there…..let me and Tucker do the talking, he knows us,” Sam said with a pointed glare at the adults around her.
“Loud and clear,” Mitch said with a mock salute.
Mitch eased the speeder down to the edge of an island. It appeared to be a fragment of forest, with gnarled trees whose leaves shimmered with an unnatural blue luminescence.
As the speeder settled onto the spectral soil, the engines humming down to silence, an unsettling stillness fell over the group. Outside, the ambient glow of the Ghost Zone cast long, shifting shadows.
“Ok Listen up! Me and Tucker are going to go out there, he’ll listen to us, I don’t need anyone here shooting him or something.” Sam said with a pointed look at Jack Fenton.
“I don’t think you should be going out there alone….. You're just kids.” Jack argued, crossing his arms over his chest.
“We’ve done this a bunch of times Mr. Fenton,” Sam said with a glare.
“What if a ghost attacks you? I won’t let you two go out there alone.”
“UGH! WHATEVER……but no shooting at him. GOT IT?” Sam demanded.
“Only if need to,” Jack replied. But he pocketed his ecto gun.
Mitch volunteered to stay on the ship. He watched through the front view window, as Jack, Sam, Tucker, and Nelson disappeared between the foliage.
About fifteen minutes later, Mitch’s eyes widened as he watched what he could only describe as a werewolf, complete with torn clothing follow the group back into the clearing. He stared at the glow coming off this creature, and his sharp teeth and claws.
The group walked back to the speeder and reclaimed their seats. Mitch watched as Wulf floated up into the air and hovered in front of the speeder. The wolfman made a gesture beckoning him to follow.
As Sam sat down and clicked her seat belt into place, she turned to him. “Wulf said he can make the portal, but he has to be in the correct spot. I guess somehow he can sense it. But he said he can open a doorway.”
“He can do that?” Mitch asked.
“Ghosts have a diverse set of skills and supernatural abilities.” Jack pipped up getting ready to launch into a lecture about it.
“Can all ghosts do this? Can Danny?” Agent Nelson asked, interrupting Jack.
“No, Danny can’t, at least right now……. he’s been developing different ones….” Tucker replied.
“Not every ghost can do the same thing…..yeah they have similar abilities, like common ones I guess, like flying and invisibility but then they have like special abilities, that are less common,” Sam answered. “But Danny can tell you all about that. Right now we have to focus. So follow Wulf.”
As they followed Wulf, they came upon a gigantic body of water. It glowed the same green as everything in the zone.
A massive shadow passed over the speeder. Wulf let out a low growl, a warning sound.
Wulf dodged out of the way as a gigantic maw closed around where he once was.
“Oh my god!” Sam whispered.
Before them was something long dead. A massive mosasaur, its coloring was vibrant, it had purple, green, and black scales. Its solid glowing green eyes locked on to the speeder. It let out a roar as it turned, it opened its mouth wide, ready to bite down on the speeder and try to swallow it whole.
Mitch yanked the controls hard to port, the speeder banking sharply as the Mosasour's jaws snapped shut on empty air where they had been seconds before. The creature's eyes tracked them, unblinking and calculating – not the mindless aggression of a beast, a hungry intelligence lurked behind its eyes.
"Hold on!" Mitch shouted, sending the speeder into a dive that pressed them all back into their seats.
The Mosasaur followed. It was gaining on them, the distance between predator and prey shrinking with each passing second.
"We can't outrun it," Jack said, already unbuckling his harness and moving toward the rear of the speeder.
Jack reached for a weapon rack mounted on the wall. His hands closed around the familiar grip of the Fenton Bazooka, its weight reassuring in his palms.
Wulf leapt at the ancient dino; his claws extended as he tore deeply into the creature's giant eye.
The Mosasaur roared in pain, shaking its head and body trying to knock the wolf man off.
Wulf getting dislodged from the creature's head, dodged again as the mosasaur tried to snap its jaws around him. Wulf lunged again and slashed at the creature's snout as it lunged, drawing more blood – a viscous, glowing fluid that floated away in globules blobs.
The Mosasaur recoiled before lunging again with renewed fury. Wulf twisted in mid-air, narrowly avoiding the snap of jaws that could have severed him in two. His claws raked along the creature's flank, peeling back scales and exposing the ghostly flesh beneath.
From the speeder, Jack watched the battle unfold, the Fenton Bazooka humming as it charged to full power. He opened the side hatch, taking careful aim.
He watched Wulf and the Mosasaur circle each other in a deadly dance. "I need a clear shot."
Once Jack had his opening he aimed and fired, the beam of concentrated ectoplasmic energy striking the Mosasaur’s eye, in an explosion. The creature shrieked in pain and rage.
"Hey, ugly!" Jack shouted, firing, again and again, each blast forcing the Mosasaur back. "Get lost you ghost scum!”
Wulf had dodged out of the way of Jack’s shots. The ghost wolf's eyes narrowed in determination, and he lunged forward once more, this time aiming for the Mosasaur’s soft underbelly.
The creature twisted away, but not fast enough to avoid Wulf's claws entirely. A long gash opened along its side, spilling more of that strange, glowing fluid into the ether. The Mosasaur roared again, its tail lashing out and catching Wulf in the chest, sending him tumbling backward through the ghost zone.
Jack seized the opportunity, aiming and firing directly into the creature's wound. The Mosasaur convulsed, its body thrashing in agony.
Wulf had recovered now and was circling back, his eyes locked on the Mosasaur with predatory focus.
The Mosasaur growled but decided this prey wasn’t worth it. It began to retreat, its massive body turning and then diving down towards the ecto river below.
The Mosasaur reached the river's edge and, with one final hateful glance back at its pursuers, dove beneath the surface. The luminous fluid parted with a splash. Droplets hanging suspended before slowly drifting back to rejoin the flow.
Wulf halted at the river's edge, his chest heaving from exertion. He watched the spot where the Mosasaur had disappeared, ensuring it would not return.
Seeing that the dino wasn’t going to continue the fight, Wulf turned to the speeder. “This is the place.” He said in Esperanto, which Tucker translated for everyone else.
With a grunt of effort, Wulf plunged his claws into what appeared to be empty space. The ghost zone shuddered around them. Wulf's muscles strained as he pulled his claws apart, tearing open a hole in the fabric of existence.
The tear widened, edges ragged and flickering with energy that crackled like lightning.
Wulf pointed to the portal he made. “Mars.”
Jack stared into the portal, to think it was that simple to get to another planet. Just walk through. And boom you’re on an alien planet. An alien plant where his boy was waiting for rescue.
"Ok, Ok that’s good.” Mitch mumbled. “we’ll prepared to go through then.”
Wulf held up a paw. “I go; I go get. You stay.” Wulf said in broken English. Before anyone could object the wolf man turned and dove into the portal.
“Wait!” Mitch tried to object, but seeing that their guide had left, he slumped into his seat. “Well great! Now what?”
“I guess we wait, he’ll get Danny and Mr. Watney. Then we can go home.” Sam said.
4 months ago, in this same forest, she had found him, crawling away from her in the falling snow. Shivering body numb with frostbite, her heart ached as she knew her presence was scarier than any natural disaster to him.
4 months ago, he wouldn't even look at her, even as she brought him to the safety and warmth of her home, trust was hard.
4 months ago, he thought he was going to die, alone, with wings stolen and body broken.
And now, She was getting dragged through the spring forest by her finger to meet his parents.
Watney's face as he leaned forward, his eyes fixed intently on Danny.
"Look, kid," Mark said, his voice gentle but firm, "I get why you're scared. But keeping this secret...it's not protecting you like you think it is. NASA can help better if they know the truth."
Danny's fingers tightened around the edge of his cot, his knuckles turning white. He wanted to argue, to defend the walls he'd built around his secret identity, but Mark's words hit too close to home.
Mark continued, "Think about it. If NASA and your parents knew the truth, they could actually help you. No more running from the GIW. No more dodging your parents' ghost-hunting tech."
Danny's stomach churned at the thought. He could almost hear his mother's voice, see the look of horror on her face if she knew what he really was. Half-ghost. An abomination in her eyes.
"But what if they reject me?" Danny whispered, his voice barely audible. "What if they think I'm... a freak?"
Mark's expression softened. "Danny, they're your parents. They love you. And NASA? They’ve been dreaming of a day to meet someone like you.”
Danny imagined a world where he didn't have to hide, where he could use his powers openly to help people. But then the image of cold lab tables and government experiments flashed through his mind, making him shudder.
"I don't know, Mark," Danny said, running a hand through his messy black hair.
Mark nodded, "I get it, but if more people knew, they could step in and stop those who are trying to hurt you.”
Danny stood up, pacing the small confines of the Hab. He thought of Sam and Tucker, how they'd accepted him without hesitation. Could his parents do the same?
"Maybe you're right," Danny admitted.
Mark held up the Fenton phone, getting ready for their call with NASA.
"I'm doing this," Danny said, more to himself than to Mark. "No more secrets. No more running."
Mark placed a reassuring hand on Danny's shoulder. "You've got this, kid. Remember, I'm right here with you."
Danny took a deep breath, steadying himself. "Okay. Let's do it."
With trembling fingers, he hit the NASA contact and sent the signal through to Earth.
"What if they reject me?" he whispered, his voice cracking.
Mark squeezed his shoulder. "Then they don't deserve you. And I got your back."
Before Danny could respond with anything else, the connection went through.
“Ground control, how’s are our Martians doing?”
“Everying things good up here, especially since I was able to talk to my crew,” Mark replied, with some bite to his words.
Teddy sighed on the other end. “Please understand it was to protect against high hopes…..but I’m glad you where able to connect to the Ares 3. It’s good to know the Fenton phones can reach them. I wasn’t sure if they could actually connect anywhere.”
“Yeah, I’m keeping this phone, it’s mine now.” Mark replied. Mark probably wouldn’t be allowed to keep the phone, but he could try. Maybe Danny could hook him up later.
“I actually have something to say.” Danny spoke up. He felt like he could faint. This was it.
Danny's heart raced as he continued, his voice trembling slightly. "I'm... I'm not just Danny Phantom. I'm also Danny Fenton."
"Two years ago, I had an accident in our ghost portal. It infused me with ghost DNA, giving me ghost powers. I became half-ghost, half-human. The Guys in White captured me and a nature ghost portal opened, and that’s how I ended up on Mars.”
"I know it sounds crazy," Danny said, he continued, speaking more to his parents, than to NASA or the world, he hated he couldn’t see their reaction. “I've been hiding it because I was scared. Scared of what you'd think, scared of being hunted."
Maddie Fenton was the first to speak, her voice tight with emotion. "That’s... that's impossible. You can't be... you’re not Danny, you’re not my boy!”
Jack’s voice came in next. “Ghosts are evil, manipulative creatures. That’s what you’re doing, just trying to trick us!”
Danny felt a pang in his chest at their words. He'd expected disbelief, but it still hurt. "I’m telling the truth!”
Suddenly, Sam's voice cut through the tension. "It's true, Mr. and Mrs. Fenton. We've known for a while. Danny's been using his powers to protect Amity Park."
Tucker chimed in. "Yeah, he's a hero! He's saved the town more times than we can count."
Jazz's voice was heard next. "Mom, Dad, I know it's hard to believe, but it's true. I've seen Danny transform with my own eyes. He's still our Danny, just with some... extras."
Danny waited on the other line with bated breath. There was a long pause.
"But... but how?" Maddie whispered, her voice barely audible. "Our own son... a ghost? All this time?"
Jack’s voice was colored with horror. “But I’ve shot at you…..captured you…..hurt you…..”
Teddy Sanders cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention. "We've suspected something unusual about Danny, and suspected Phantom was the same as Danny Fenton. I'm glad you felt comfortable enough to tell us the truth, son." Teddy avoided mentioning that they just recently figured that out.
Danny blinked, surprise, momentarily overriding his anxiety. "You... you knew?"
Vincent Kapoor’s voice came through the phone. "Not exactly, but we had our suspicions."
“Danny I’m so sorry!” Maddie spoke. Danny could tell she was on the verge of crying.
“I should have told you sooner!” Danny said, trying to offer comfort to his parents, even after everything.
*****
Once the call ended, Teddy turned to Vincent. "We need to get ahead of this. The kid's going to need some serious PR support."
Vincent nodded, then gestured towards the Fentons. "First things first. We need to have a word with the parents."
They approached Jack and Maddie, who still looked shell-shocked. Vincent's voice was gentle but firm. "Mr. and Mrs. Fenton, I know this is a lot to process, but we need to discuss something crucial. The hunting... it can't continue.."
Jack's usual jovial demeanor crumbled, replaced by a look of pure anguish. "I... I can't believe it. We're supposed to protect him, and instead..."
Vincent seized the moment, his voice lowering. "There's more. The GIW... they've hurt Danny before. And they'll likely try again."
Maddie’s eyes hardened. "They won't touch him again. We'll make sure of it."
Jack nodded vigorously, his large hands clenching into fists. "Nobody hurts our boy. Ghost, human, or anything in between."
******
In a dimly lit conference room, Agent K slammed his fist on the table, his pristine white suit a stark contrast to the darkness surrounding him. "Gentlemen, the situation has escalated. The Phantom boy has gone public, and we're losing control of the narrative, and it’s worse than ever." He spat the next words. “A Hybrid.” He shook his head in disgust. “It’s an abomination to nature.”
Agent O leaned forward, his sunglasses reflecting the flickering screens displaying social media feeds. "The public's reaction is mixed. Some are calling for acceptance, others for extermination. We need to act fast."
"Agreed," K growled. "If the government won't see reason, we'll have to take matters into our own hands. The Ghost Zone must be destroyed, at any cost, we can’t allow them to keep infecting the people of earth. We’ll have to destroy Amity as well, it’s infected, the people are contaminated……beyond saving."
Meanwhile, in his opulent mansion, Vlad Masters paced furiously, his expensive shoes wearing a path in the plush carpet. His eyes, glowing an unnatural red, were fixed on the television screen where Danny's face was plastered across every news channel.
"Butter biscuits!" he snarled, hurling a crystal glass against the wall. It shattered, much like his carefully laid plans. "That foolish boy! Does he have any idea what he's done?"
Vlad's mind raced, calculating the ramifications of Danny's revelation. His leverage, his carefully crafted blackmail, all gone in an instant. He could feel his control slipping away, and it filled him with a rage that threatened to consume him.
"No," he muttered, forcing himself to take deep breaths. "I won't let this be the end. I've come too far, sacrificed too much."
Vlad's eyes narrowed as he settled into his high-backed leather chair, fingers steepled beneath his chin. "I must act swiftly," he mused aloud, his voice a low, menacing purr. "If Daniel lets slip about my... condition, everything I've built will crumble."
He swiveled to face his computer, fingers flying across the keyboard. "Perhaps it's time to remind young Daniel of the consequences of crossing Vlad Plasmius."
Vlad scrolled through his own files and blueprints of ghost tech. “Perhaps it’s time to silence him forever……finish what the portal started. I can always get a new heir, with my dear Madeline.”
The NASA conference room buzzed with an undercurrent of tension as Jack and Maddie Fenton burst through the door, arms laden with an assortment of bizarre contraptions. Teddy Sanders suppressed a wince, exchanging a glance with Vincent Kapoor.
"Behold, the Fenton Ghost Decimator!" Jack bellowed, brandishing what looked like a strange high-tech leaf blower. "Guaranteed to reduce any spectral entity to ectoplasmic goo!"
Maddie beamed, her goggles glinting with a special type of madness. "And this little beauty," she added, holding up a compact device, "is the Ecto-Disruptor. It scrambles a ghost's molecular structure."
Kapoor leaned towards Teddy, whispering, "Are we sure these people are... stable?"
Teddy forced a smile. "They're experts in their field, Vincent."
As the Fentons launched into their demonstration, Teddy's unease grew. The technology was undeniably advanced - far beyond anything NASA had encountered. But the ethical implications were troubling.
Jack aimed the Decimator at a potted plant, which promptly burst into flames. "Oops! Wrong setting!"
Maddie rushed to extinguish the fire, laughing nervously. "It's usually more precise. We're still working out some kinks."
Kapoor pinched the bridge of his nose. "Mr. and Mrs. Fenton, while your inventions are... impressive, I'm concerned about their potential for harm……when we were recommended your expertise, I was hoping for more on the diplomacy front with these beings."
Jack waved dismissively. "Harm? Ghosts aren't alive, my good man! They're ectoplasmic scum that need to be eradicated!"
Maddie's eyes gleamed with a fervor that made Teddy's skin crawl. "Oh, if we could just get our hands on that ghost boy... The things we could learn by taking him apart molecule by molecule!"
Kapoor stood abruptly, his usually calm demeanor cracking. "That is absolutely out of the question. Phantom is not to be harmed under any circumstances."
"The ghost boy is manipulating you!" Maddie hissed. "He's not capable of real emotions. It's all an act!"
Teddy raised his hands, silencing the room. "Mr. and Mrs. Fenton, I understand your expertise in ghost-related matters. However, I need to make something very clear." He met their eyes firmly. "We are treating this as first contact with an alien species. Phantom will be afforded all the rights and protections that entails."
The Fentons deflated visibly, exchanging frustrated glances.
Maddie fumed at this. *If I didn’t need to find Danny, I’d blast that ghost boy as soon as I can* Maddie thought to herself. The only reason they had taken this deal was because the US government had afforded a good amount of money, and a promise to help them find their boy. All they had to do was play nice with NASA and let the government have access to their technology and portal. Now she didn’t mind sharing her work, it was about time people took them seriously. But she did get the feeling if she refused the government would have just taken it, claiming it to be a matter of national security.
Kapoor leaned forward, his brow furrowed. "About this ghost portal. You built it in your basement?"
"Sure did!" Jack beamed. "Punched a hole right through the fabric of our dimension!"
Kapoor's jaw dropped. "That's... that's incredible. And incredibly dangerous! Do you have any idea of the safety protocols you've violated?"
Maddie waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, we take precautions."
"Like what?" Kapoor pressed.
Jack scratched his head. "Well, we keep the Fenton Anti-Creep Stick nearby."
Maddie patted her husband’s arm in fondness. “we also keep our home heavily armed with anti-ghost technology.”
“I’ve read up on Amity, aren’t they attacked almost every day?” Kapoor asked.
“Amity is the most haunted city in America, it’s why we chose it. I doubt it has any connection.” Maddie defended.
Teddy massaged his temples, feeling a headache coming on. These people were brilliant, but their methods were beyond unorthodox. At least the teens had been more sensible and better yet helpful. Quickly getting them up to speed and even providing a way to contact Phantom and Mark on Mars.
Which is why Teddy had decided to let the four teens stay. He was very impressed with how Sam and Jazz even had the forethought to go directly to the president for help. He had a hunch they would be a better source for ghost-related matters.
"Sooooo," Sam interrupted Jack Fentons long rant on how evil ghosts were, "we've been inside the Ghost Zone and the citizens of the zone are nothing like that."
The room fell silent.
Jazz nodded. "We used the Specter Speeder."
"Which is?” Kapoor asked.
“It’s like a shuttlecraft, it can travel through the zone, and it can probably even go to space,” Tucker answered.
Kapoor turned to Jack and Maddie. “You built a craft capable of traversing dimensions and the vacuum of space?"
"Well, yeah," Maddie said. "It was just a fun weekend project."
Tucker spoke up. "The Ghost Zone isn't what you think. It has its own civilization, laws, even culture, they are like us, some bad some good, and everything in between."
Sam nodded emphatically. "Phantom isn't some mindless or evil entity.”
“Have you been to this zone, Mr. and Mrs. Fenton?” Teddy asked.
“Well, no……that would be dangerous,” Maddie replied.
Kapoor turned to the Fentons, his voice rising. "You've never even been to this other dimension? Yet you cling to theories formed before your portal was operational?"
Jack puffed out his chest. "Now see here-"
"Perhaps," Kapoor pressed, "your assumptions about ghosts – about Phantom – could be wrong?"
Teddy watched the argument unfold. The teens clearly knew more than they were letting on. And their connection to Phantom... There were pieces to this puzzle he was still missing, but he could place what those pieces were.
"Look," Mitch Henderson said, his voice cutting through the heated debate, "I don't care about ghost zones or alien civilizations. All I care about is getting Mark Watney home safely. If that means working with ghosts, aliens, or whatever Phantom is, so be it."
He turned to Jack and Maddie, his displeasure evident. "But I won't stand for how you're talking about the kid. Alien or ghost, he's still a person."
Maddie opened her mouth to protest, but Teddy cut her off. "Agreed, Mitch. Let's focus on the task at hand, which is how to get them home.”
******
In the main control room of NASA, Teddy had the Fenton flip phone connected to some speakers. This conversation would be broadcast live to the public and the world.
As the connection crackled to life, Mark's voice filled the room. "Houston, we have a problem. And by problem, I mean I'm still stuck on Mars with a ghost kid."
Danny's echoey voice followed. "Hey, I resent that. I'm great company."
Teddy spoke. "Gentlemen, we're working on bringing you both home. The Fentons are here to assist with their expertise."
There was a pause before Mark spoke again. "Does my crew know I'm alive?"
"No, not yet. We wanted to ensure we had a viable rescue plan before-"
"That's bullshit!" Mark exploded. "They think I'm dead! How could you-"
"Mark," Teddy cut in, his tone sharp, “I need to remind you that this is live right now, so watch the language.”
“Oh fuck that!” Mark snarked back.
Teddy sighed, feeling the weight of his decisions. "We were trying to get you home first, Mark. We didn't want to give them false hope."
"False hope?" Mark's voice cracked. "They think I'm dead! They deserve better than that."
Mitch nodded, his eyes meeting Teddy's. "He's right. We should have told them sooner." He turned to Tucker, an idea forming. "Kid, you're good with tech, right? Think you could help with that?"
Tucker grinned, already pulling out his PDA. "Piece of cake. Give me five minutes, and Mark can be chatting with his crew directly. Those Fenton phones can connect anywhere."
Teddy Sanders cleared his throat, his gaze sweeping across the room before settling on the communication device. "Phantom, we're about to open the floor to some questions from the public. Remember, this is being broadcast live worldwide."
Danny's voice echoed through the speakers, a hint of nervousness evident. "Okay, I'm ready."
Teddy scanned the tablet in his hands. "First question: 'What exactly is the Ghost Zone, and how does it relate to our world?'"
There was a brief pause before Danny responded, "The Ghost Zone is like... a parallel dimension. It’s tied to our world. And it’s where ghosts live. It's vast, with floating islands and doors that lead to different realms."
Teddy nodded, moving on. "Next: 'Why did you initially claim to be an alien?'"
Danny's voice wavered slightly. "I... I was scared. I didn't know how people would react to a ghost, and well its technically not a lie, the ghosts from the zone are alive, just different than humans.”
As Teddy read through more questions, Jack and Maddie Fenton exchanged glances, their expressions hardening. Jack's meaty hand clenched into a fist, while Maddie's eyes narrowed behind her goggles.
"'What's your favorite food?'" Teddy continued, attempting to lighten the mood.
A soft chuckle came through the speakers. "Honestly? I really miss my mom's cookies right now."
Maddie didn’t buy it. *Look at him try to manipulate us*
Suddenly, Jack pushed forward “Ghost boy, while back, you were caught stealing from stores, there’s footage of you robbing, care to explain that?”
"I was under mind control! I would never-"
"Lies!" Maddie spat. "You don't have us fooled, Phantom. We know what you really are - a monster!"
Teddy quickly turned the conversation back to Phantom by asking more questions. He was doing damage control. After all not everyone in the public liked the idea of ghosts or aliens.
After a few more questions he quickly cut the connection.
Teddy gave Mr. and Mrs. Fenton a stern look. "We don't need that kind of talk. It's irresponsible and could incite violence."
Maddie huffed, crossing her arms. "The public should be upset about this. That... thing is dangerous!"
******
Back on Mars the connection cut out.
Danny's luminous green eyes dimmed, and he slumped against the wall of the Hab, sliding down until he sat on the cold floor.
"They... they really think I'm a monster," Danny whispered, his voice cracking.
Mark knelt beside him, placing a comforting hand on Danny's shoulder. "Hey, kid. Don't let it get to you. They don't know what they're talking about."
Danny looked up, his eyes brimming with tears. "But they're my parents, Mark. They don't know it's me, but... it still hurts."
Mark sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Look, I'm no expert on ghost-human hybrids or whatever, but I do know one thing: those two are idiots for not recognizing their own son. I mean, come on! Your voice is practically the same, just with a cool echo effect."
A weak chuckle escaped Danny's lips. "Yeah, I guess. It's just... I've always hoped they'd see past the ghost thing, you know? That they'd realize I'm not evil."
"Well, they're just idiots and fools." Mark said. "And hey, at least we know NASA's got your back.”
Danny nodded. "Yeah, that was pretty great.”
Back on Earth after everyone went home. Kapoor asked Teddy to meet him in his office before they called it a night.
In Kapoor’s office, two photographs lay side by side on the desk. Teddy Sanders felt his heart skip a beat as he stared at the images, his mind reeling with disbelief.
"What did you want to show me?" Teddy asked.
Kapoor gestured to the photos. "Take a look at these photos, Teddy. One is of Danny Phantom, our ghost boy on Mars. The other is Danny Fenton, son of Maddie and Jack Fenton."
Teddy's eyes darted between the two images, his face growing paler by the second. The resemblance was uncanny, almost impossible to deny. He shook his head, willing it not to be true. "No, this can't be right."
Teddy picked up the photos, bringing them closer to his face. He scrutinized every detail, looking for any discrepancy that might disprove the alarming theory forming in his mind. But the more he looked, the more certain he became. While the hair color, and eye color were different, the face structure and everything else was the same. If these were in black and white, they would be mistaken as the same person.
"This should be impossible... right?" Teddy looked at Kapoor, “One is a human and one is clearly not!”
Kapoor shrugged, his expression grim. "At this rate, Teddy, anything is possible. Besides don’t you know, ghosts are basically souls right? Besides maybe it’s possible to be both. We may call them ghosts, but I think alien is a better term. Anyway, the Fenton kid went missing around the time Phantom showed up on Mars. Or at least, he hasn't been seen since then."
Teddy let his mind wander into deep thought. *If this was true, it would change everything. *
"But wouldn't they notice?" Teddy asked. "They're his parents, for God's sake."
Kapoor's response was matter-of-fact. "They might be geniuses, Teddy, but they're still strangely oblivious. It's not outside the realm of possibility."
Teddy set the photos back on Kapoor's desk. He took a deep breath.
"Vincent," he said, his voice low and tense, "we need to keep this quiet. For now."
Kapoor raised an eyebrow. "For once I agree.”
Teddy nodded. "But I want you to keep digging. There are clearly questions that need to be answered." He ran a hand through his hair, his political instincts warring with his conscience. "If this gets out before we understand what's really going on, it could be catastrophic."
"Agreed," Kapoor replied.
Teddy paced the office. "You know," he said, almost to himself, "I've had a feeling those teens were hiding something. The way they act, the things they say... it all makes a disturbing kind of sense now."
"What are you thinking?" Kapoor asked, leaning forward.
Teddy stopped pacing and locked eyes with Kapoor. "I'm thinking we don’t have all the pieces to this puzzle.”
Back inside the safety of the HAB, Danny's fingers trembled as he unwrapped the small package attached to the boomerang. His breath caught as he pulled out a silver flip phone, with glowing green accents. It was a Fenton flip phone, inspired by the Fenton phone earpiece. It was one of the ones Tucker had gotten his hands on. Tucker had modified it, made it better, this phone could send signals through the zone and connect anywhere.
Attached to them was a note, its edges crinkled from the journey. Danny’s eyes widened as he read the words:
*Dear Phantom, we made allies in DC and NASA, we got your back.
-Team Phantom. *
"Fenton Phones," he whispered.
He looked up, meeting Mark Watney’s curious gaze. Mark was leaning against the metal counter, his arms crossed, his expression a blend of confusion and interest.
“Are you telling me, that a boomerang delivered you a phone?” Mark asked, his voice laced with bewilderment.
Danny held up the Fenton phones, a shaky smile spreading across his face. “It’s… it’s a way to talk to Earth. We can contact NASA, tell them we’re alive—”
“Hold on, hold on.” Mark pushed himself off the counter, taking a step closer. His voice was laced with disbelief. “You’re telling me that little thing can just… call Earth? From Mars?”
Danny nodded, his excitement growing despite the lingering fear in his chest. “Not just Earth. Anywhere. It’s a Fenton phone. My parents… they built these. Well, my best friend Tucker modified them, so they can—”
"Okay, hold up," Mark said, raising his hands. "First, that boomerang thing. How the hell did it find you on Mars?"
Danny chuckled nervously, running a hand through his hair. "It's, uh, one of my parents' inventions. It's locked onto my signature, so it can find me anywhere. My sister used to use it to track me down when I was out... late."
Mark's eyebrows shot up. "Your parents invented a boomerang that can cross space? So they build a portal in their basement, and super phones……are you sure they’re not mad scientist plotting to take over the world?”
A nervous laugh escaped Danny. “No no no no……They just want to hunt ghosts.”
Mark raised a concerned eyebrow. “Right…..”
“And the phones?” Mark asked, moving on. “How do they work?”
Danny’s smile widened, a spark of pride igniting in his chest. “These… they use the Zone. You know, the ghost zone? Tucker figured out how to modify them so they can tap into it. It’s like… a shortcut through dimensions. They can connect to anyone, anywhere, as long as they’re linked to the right frequency.”
Mark’s eyes narrowed. “Huh…..I bet NASA would love to take that apart.”
“Look it has NASA in the contacts, my friends must have talked to them,” Danny exclaimed.
“So… we can call NASA. Right now?” Mark asked, a slow smile spreading across his face.
Danny nodded, a mix of excitement and apprehension churning in his stomach. This was their chance to get help, but it also meant facing questions he wasn't sure he was ready to answer.
"Yeah," he said softly. "We can call NASA."
Mark noticed Danny’s apprehension, his voice steady. “You don’t have to tell them everything, Danny. Not right away. But we need to do this. We need to let them know we’re alive.”
Danny swallowed hard, “Yeah, let’s do it.”
Danny took a deep breath. "Here goes nothing," he muttered, activating the device.
The phone crackled to life. Then, a voice, smooth and polished, filled the small space. "This is NASA control, Teddy Sanders speaking. To whoever is calling... welcome back."
Relief washed over Danny like a wave. He glanced at Mark, whose eyes lit up with hope. "Teddy? It's Mark Watney. Our young friend is here too," Mark announced his voice firm.
A moment of stunned silence followed, then an explosion of cheers erupted from the other end.
"Well, I’ll be damned it worked…..And it’s Danny Phantom correct? We’ve been hearing a lot about you.”
Danny paled slightly and fidgeted with his hands. *How much do they know…. * He thought to himself. “Yeah, that’s right……sorry about earlier.”
"While we wish you had been honest from the start, we understand your situation. We know about GIW, Danny," Teddy said, his tone reassuring. "You're under the protection of the U.S. government and the UN. You're safe now."
Relief washed over Danny, but uncertainty lingered. “Can I ask how you found out?” Danny asked. He already knew or could guess from the note that was left, but he had to figure out how much they knew.
"Friends from Amity. Persistent ones," Teddy replied. "They stood up for you, Danny. First contact, and we're glad some humans had your back."
The words soothed Danny. They didn't know everything. His secret, his half-human truth, was still safe. His sister, his friends—they hadn’t spilled the beans.
Wanting to move the conversation away from himself, Danny spoke up with an idea.
"Mr. Sanders," he began, his voice steadier than he felt, "I might have an idea about getting us home without NASA sending another ship."
There was a beat of silence before Teddy responded. "Go on, Danny."
"I have... friends in the Ghost Zone," Danny explained, choosing his words carefully. "They might be able to open a portal to Mars. My friends in Amity Park can help coordinate."
Mark's eyebrows shot up, but he remained silent, letting Danny continue.
"It's not a guarantee," Danny added hastily, "but it could be worth exploring."
"Fascinating," Teddy murmured. "We'll certainly look into that option. For now, let's wrap this up. We'll schedule daily calls to work on these plans."
“And Danny, NASA and well the World is very interested in learning more about you, Danny. Tomorrow, we'd like to ask you more questions about your species and the Ghost Zone. We're also planning to open up public questions from around the world."
Danny's stomach churned. "Public questions?" he echoed weakly.
"Yes," Teddy confirmed. "And Danny, before we go, I should mention that we've hired the Fentons to assist with the technical aspects and access to the Ghost Zone."
Danny's breath caught in his throat. His parents? Involved?
"I understand you and the Fentons didn't get along," Teddy continued, oblivious to Danny's internal panic. "But I assure you, they won't harm you. You have our protection."
Danny nodded, then remembered Teddy couldn't see him. "Understood."
“Good, now can you hand the phone to Mark, there’s a few more things we’d like to discuss with him before we end this call.”
“Oh! Yeah of course!” Danny fumbled with the phone but handed it to Mark. Mark pressed the phone off speakerphone to talk.
Danny fidgeted as he caught Mark's side of the conversation. He listened to Mark talk about rations, his potato Farm, other communication options, and requests to contact his crewmates.
As the call ended, Danny slumped against the wall of the Hab, his mind reeling. Public questions? His parents? He looked at Mark, who was watching him with concern.
"You okay, kid?" Mark asked softly.
Danny shook his head, his voice barely a whisper. "I don't know if I can do this."
*****
Back on Earth, Vlad Masters stood at the window of his mayoral office, his fists clenched tightly behind his back.
"Mr. Masters," a gruff voice interrupted his brooding. "We have a few more questions."
Vlad turned, his face instantly morphing into a mask of genial concern. "Of course, Agent Johnson. I'm here to help in any way I can."
The FBI agent's eyes narrowed. "You're saying you had no knowledge of the Fentons' basement portal?"
Vlad chuckled, spreading his hands innocently. "A doorway to another dimension? In their basement? I assure you, if I had known our ghost problem was caused by this thing, I would have alerted the proper authorities immediately."
"And the Guys in White?" Agent Johnson pressed. "You claim you didn't know they weren't a legitimate government agency?"
Vlad's smile faltered for a microsecond before he recovered. "I'm as shocked as you are. I believed I was letting the authorities do their job."
As the agent scribbled in his notebook, Vlad's thoughts churned. That infuriating little badger, Daniel. All this attention, all this scrutiny – it was his fault. Vlad had worked for years to keep his own half-ghost nature hidden, to manipulate events from the shadows. And now, because of one reckless teenager...
“Hmmm….we’ll need to do an in-depth investigation, you understand Mr. Mayor?”
Vlad's eye twitched, but he maintained his composure. "Of course," he said smoothly. "I have nothing to hide. Just let me know what you need.”
“Good, we’ll be in touch.”
As the agents filed out of his office, Vlad's façade crumbled. His eyes flashed a dangerous red for a moment before he reined in his ghostly nature. He stalked to his desk, sinking into the plush leather chair.
"Oh, Daniel," he murmured, a cruel smile twisting his lips. "You have no idea what you've started. When you return – and you will return – I'll make sure you regret ever setting foot on that miserable red planet."
*****
President Alfred Davis paced the Oval Office. He paused at the window, gazing out at the manicured White House lawn. The phone on his desk chirped.
"Mr. President," Agent Nelson’s voice crackled through the speaker. "We have a situation."
Davis's jaw clenched. "Don't tell me—"
"I'm afraid so, sir. The GIW agents have escaped custody."
The President's fist came down hard on his desk. "How in God's name did that happen? We had them under lock and key!"
"We're still investigating, but preliminary reports suggest some kind of... unconventional technology was used, and likely another mole."
Davis pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache coming on. "This is exactly what we don't need right now. With the whole world watching us, waiting to see how we handle first contact with an alien species, and these loose cannons are out there..."
"Sir?" Agent Nelson prompted.
Davis straightened, his resolve hardening. "Double the security detail on the Fenton family. And get me Teddy Sanders at NASA. We need to warn them about this development."
They hit a solid surface with a jarring impact. Danny had managed to pull on his power just enough to slow their fall. Danny had his arms wrapped around Mark's middle.
Mark let out a groan, and Danny quickly scrambled off the botanist.
“Are you Ok? I’m so so so sorry! I don’t know what came over me!”
“I’m fine kid, nothing broken…...at least I think nothing broken.” Mark groaned. He rolled over onto all fours. Mark looked down in puzzlement, they were on solid ice, but the strangest thing was the green glow that lit up the cavern they had fallen into. The source of it seemed to be the frozen water itself.
“OH SHIT!” Mark exclaimed, scrambling away until his back hit the solid wall of rock. His eyes widened behind his visor.
Right below them was a gigantic gaping maw. With rows of sharp teeth, opened wide to welcome them in.
If not for the solid ice beneath their feet they would have fallen right into the open mouth of the beast. Of course, that would be if it was still alive. And not frozen in a lake of ice.
Mark gasped. "Is that...a dinosaur?"
“That’s so cool! And it’s ectoplasm! The water is infused with it!” Danny felt a strange tickling at the back of his throat, his ghost sense almost triggering but not quite yet. *It doesn’t feel like a ghost…. maybe it’s just the water.*
Then Danny laughed nervously. "It's dead, totally preserved in the ice. Wow, I think it's like an alien Mosasaur! How cool is that?" His inner science geek trumped his fear.
“Well of course it’s dead…. what else would it be?” Mark asked.
“Well, that long in ectoplasm could have turned it into a ghost or reanimated, but it’s not moving so…..it’s dead.”
“hmmm—right, I keep forgetting about that ghost stuff,” Mark said, eyeing the frozen beast below them.
“So this water must be what I was sensing! It’s infused with ectoplasm! My core’s already absorbing it!”
The pull from his core intensified, beckoning him deeper. Danny squinted into the depths of the glowing water. He felt the familiar pull of a zone portal. "There might even be a small ghost portal at the bottom. I need to get down there and check it out."
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Mark said with concern. “It’s frozen alien water down there, it’s too dangerous kid.”
“I’ll be fine, and I can absorb more ecto that way, and get us out of here faster. Besides, I don’t think that’s all the way frozen. That dino is floating a bit, I think there’s only a couple of inches of ice, it must be warming up from the zone or something.”
“I still don’t like it….but I guess you do need to collect some of this stuff, for later.” Mark unhooked a container from his pack and handed it to Danny.
“Thanks! I’ll be quick promise! Besides if the portal is big enough we can take a shortcut to Earth through the zone.” Danny said.
“I still don’t like it, this place gives me the creeps, but if we get home faster…..”
“Mark! I’ll be fine! Promise!”
Danny descended through the icy layers, phasing deeper and deeper as the ethereal glow of ectoplasm swirled around him. The cold seeped into his bones, but the pull from his core urged him forward, an insistent tug that he couldn't ignore. His core drank up the energy around it. Danny let himself change into his ghost form. He still had the space suit Mark had given him, and the protective helmet on, but now Danny had the extra strength of his ghost form as well.
As Danny sank further, the ice began to thin, giving way to a vast expanse of shimmering, unfrozen ectoplasm. It rippled and pulsed with an otherworldly energy. Danny was thankful that he didn’t need to breathe in this form.
Danny passed the ancient creature on his way down. He stared in awe, it was perfectly preserved, although on the skinny side, one could tell it had clearly starved. But other than that, if he didn’t know any better, he might mistake it for being alive.
Above, Mark paced anxiously on the frozen surface, his heart pounding as he watched Danny's form fade into the depths. "Be careful down there!" he called out, his voice echoing in the cavernous space.
And there, at the very bottom, Danny spotted it—a tiny ghost portal, no larger than a dinner plate, swirling with an ethereal mist. *Drat! It’s too small to push through* Danny thought. He could feel the warmth coming from the portal. *I was right! That must be what’s warming this place*
*I bet I could squeeze through if I really wanted to….but I don’t know if I could get Mark through.* Danny uncapped the container and allowed the ecto-water to fill it.
While Danny was lost in thought, the massive, frozen form of the Mosasaur shifted, its ancient bones creaking and groaning as it stirred to life. Sluggish at first, it slowly turned its massive head towards Danny, jaw hanging open to reveal rows of jagged teeth.
"Danny, watch out!" Mark's scream pierced the silence, his fists pounding against the ice above in a desperate attempt to warn his friend. Frantically, he pounded on the surface with his fists, his breath fogging up his visor as he watched in horror. The mosasaur, long believed to be a frozen relic, twitched its massive tail, and the creature's eyes flickered open, revealing the dull gleam of hunger within.
But the Mosasaur paid no heed to the frantic prey above, its predatory gaze fixed solely on the smaller, more accessible target below. It lunged forward, its gaping maw ready to ensnare its first meal in eons.
Engrossed in his discovery, Danny paid no mind to the change of the water around him.
Oblivious to the impending danger, Danny continued to study the tiny ghost portal. He estimated its circumference, mentally measuring his own form against it. If he could just amplify his powers, maybe, just maybe, he could stretch the portal wide enough to slip both him and Mark through.
It wasn't until the shadow loomed over him, engulfing the glowing ectoplasm and casting a chill even colder than the surrounding ice, that Danny finally sensed something amiss. He turned, and for the first time, witnessed the mosasaur in motion—a prehistoric predator brought to life, its gaping maw a dark abyss hungry for its long-awaited feast.
Time seemed to slow as the ancient predator closed in, its massive jaws poised to snap shut around him.
The massive jaws snapped shut around Danny, engulfing him in darkness. Panic surged through his body as he realized he couldn't phase through the creature's flesh. This was no ordinary dinosaur. But it didn’t feel like a ghost….not a full one anyway.
"Oh, come on!" Danny grunted, straining against the mosasaur's powerful muscles. His arms trembled as he pushed upward, desperately trying to pry the mouth open. "I did not come all the way to Mars just to become dino chow!"
The mosasaur's annoyance was palpable as it attempted to crush its prey.
Danny's heart raced. He had to act fast. Summoning his ghostly energy, he formed a glowing green orb in his palm. "Sorry, big guy," he muttered, "but you picked the wrong snack!"
With a yell, Danny unleashed the ecto-blast directly into the creature's mouth. The mosasaur's head jerked back violently, its jaws opening wide as it roared in pain. Danny tumbled out.
But his relief was short-lived. The enraged mosasaur lunged forward again. Danny barely managed to dodge, feeling the rush of water as the massive jaws snapped shut inches from his face.
He propelled himself through the water, narrowly avoiding another bite.
Danny's muscles burned as he pushed himself to swim faster, constantly changing direction to throw off his pursuer.
"You want me?" he called out, a hint of his usual bravado returning. "Then come and get me, you prehistoric popsicle!" Not that the animal could hear him, but it boosted his confidence to say. The words rang around the inside of his helmet.
As the chase intensified, Danny felt a familiar tingle coursing through his body. The ecto-energy around him was palpable, seeping into his very being. A surge of power flooded his senses, and he knew it was time to turn the tables.
"Alright, big guy," Danny muttered, his eyes glowing an intense blue. "Let's see how you like the cold!"
With a swift turn, Danny faced the charging mosasaur. He summoned every ounce of his ice powers, channeling the absorbed ecto-energy. A blast of frigid energy erupted from his hands, instantly freezing the water around them and encasing the prehistoric beast in a thick layer of ice.
Danny floated closer to the now-frozen mosasaur, its massive form suspended in mid-lunge. He placed a hand on its snout, a pang of guilt washing over him.
"Sorry, buddy," he said softly, patting the icy nose. "I know you were just doing what comes naturally, but I can't be dinosaur chow today."
Danny's brow furrowed as he examined the creature. "Man, I hate leaving you like this. It's not your fault you're some freaky ghost-dino hybrid." He sighed, his shoulders slumping.
Just as Danny was about to turn away, a faint glow caught his eye. His heart raced as he watched the mosasaur's eyes begin to pulse with an eerie, familiar light.
"Oh no," he whispered, eyes widening in disbelief. "You've got to be kidding me!"
Danny's mind raced as he watched the mosasaur's eyes pulse with ecto-energy. He knew he had only moments before the creature broke free.
"Think, Fenton, think!" he muttered, scanning the underwater cavern. His gaze landed on the small ghost portal near the bottom. A desperate plan formed in his mind.
With renewed determination, Danny shot towards the portal. He placed his hands on its swirling edges, concentrating hard. "Come on, come on," he grunted, pouring his energy into the portal. Slowly, it began to expand.
Behind him, the ice cracked ominously. Danny glanced back, seeing the mosasaur's tail beginning to break free. "Just a little more," he urged himself, pushing harder.
The portal grew to an enormous size, easily large enough for the creature. Danny heard a final crack.
At the last second, Danny veered away. The creature, unable to change course, plunged through the swirling vortex.
Danny's relief was short-lived as the portal suddenly collapsed, snapping shut. He stared at the empty space where it had been, his heart sinking.
"Well, there goes our ticket home," he sighed, swimming towards the surface. As he phased through the ice, he saw Mark's worried face peering down at him.
Before Danny could say a word, Mark pulled him into a tight hug. "Are you alright?" Mark asked, his voice thick with concern as he looked Danny over.
Danny managed a weak smile. "I'm fine. Trust me, I've dealt with worse."
Mark's relief was palpable. Danny sighed, "Bad news, though. We can't use the portal. It... closed."
To Danny's surprise, Mark shook his head. "That's okay. We'll figure something out." He paused, studying Danny's face. "You good to get us out of this pit?"
Danny nodded, grateful for Mark's understanding. With his container full of ecto energy and with the dino gone, he could easily come back for more if needed.
Danny took a deep breath, willing his powers to cooperate. "Alright, here we go," he said, floating upwards and gently grasping Mark under his arms. With a burst of energy, they soared out of the icy pit and back onto the rust-colored Martian surface.
As Danny set Mark down, he heard the astronaut mumbling to himself. "Nobody at NASA is ever going to believe we met a Martian dino. Not in a million years."
Danny couldn't help but chuckle.
They made their way back to the rover, Danny's legs still a bit wobbly from the encounter. As Mark started to climb in, Danny hesitated.
"You know, I could fly us back," he offered. "It'd be faster, and we wouldn't have to worry about the terrain."
Mark shook his head firmly. "No way, kid. You need to rest after that ordeal. Hop in and take it easy for a bit."
Danny wanted to protest, but the fatigue hitting him made Mark's suggestion sound pretty good. He slid into the passenger seat, his eyes already growing heavy as Mark started the engine.
"Thanks," Danny murmured, settling in for the ride. As they bumped along the Martian landscape, he found himself wondering about home, about his family. Did they know he was missing? Were they looking for him? The gentle rocking of the rover lulled him into a light doze, his mind drifting between Earth and Mars.
Before he knew it, they were back at the Hab. Danny shook off his drowsiness, determined to help Mark unload the Pathfinder.
"What the-" he started to say, when something metallic whizzed past his ear. Before he could react, it swung around and smacked him square on the helmet, the force knocking him flat on his back.
"Danny!" Mark shouted, rushing over. "Are you okay?"
Dazed, Danny sat up slowly. "Yeah, I think so. What was that?"
Mark bent down, picking up the object that had struck Danny. His brow furrowed in confusion as he examined it.
"It's... a boomerang?" Mark said, bewildered. "With some kind of package tied to it." *What the hell! Where the fuck did this come from? *
Danny's eyes widened in recognition. "Wait, let me see that!"
As Mark handed it over, Danny's heart raced. *NO WAY…..it’s the boo-merang!*
Above and Beyond Chapter 13: Potato's and Field Trip
Danny sat across from Mark, his legs bouncing nervously. He still wasn’t a hundred percent on board with telling NASA about the true nature of what he was. Regardless of how many times Mark said he’d be safe.
"We've got to contact NASA," Mark said, running a hand through his hair. “But how, is the question, it's not exactly like we can pick up a phone and call home from here."
Danny's fists clenched involuntarily. “Are you sure, it’s a good idea to tell them what I am?”
Mark paused and looked over at Danny. “Ideally yes. But….I guess there’s no harm in telling them later. As long as there are no more secrets with me? Got that Kiddo?” Mark asked leveling Danny with a serious look.
Danny felt the tension leave his body. “Of Course! Promise……no more secrets!”
“Hmmm good……but Danny, they will have to know at some point.”
Danny looked away. “Okay.” He mumbled softly.
Mark patted Danny on the back trying to comfort the teen. “Hey, I promise, no harm will come to you, got it?”
Danny shrugged his shoulders. “Yeah, I know.”
Mark clapped his hands together. “Well, that’s settled, we just have to figure out rations until rescue and well get rescue to come.”
“I could eat less….I’d be fine……or if I have to I could get away with nothing…..”
Mark held up a hand interrupting Danny. “No no no, none of that. I’m not starving a teen in my care.” Mark looked Danny in the eye. “Do you need food to function?”
“Well, I can—
“Nope! Wrong answer, do you need it?”
“But I can go without!!”
“You’re not getting it Kiddo, I don’t care if you can go without for a month…...if we can help it we’re not starting off like that.” Mark pulled Danny into a sideways hug.
“I don’t want that unnecessary self-sacrificing attitude, ok?”
“But what if we have too little?”
“If we must, we’ll cut rations, but it’s important you keep your strength too. We must have each other’s backs up here. If you need something, you have to communicate that and not hide something cause you think you’re doing me a favor. That’s not helping, ok?”
“Okay,” Danny said still looking conflicted. “But just so you know, I could go without for a while.”
“How long is awhile?”
“Um….” Danny paused in thought and nervously rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, I don’t actually know, but in theory, I should be ok, I could probably go without for a week or probably a month.”
Mark gave Danny a deadpan stare. “So, you’re telling me, you can go without food for a whole month, something you’ve never done….”
“Well…. when you put it like that…. but I could!”
“Danny, kiddo, I feel like we’re going in circles here. Do you need to eat?”
“Well yeah, but if needed I can go without.”
“So can I! Humans can go up to a month without food!” Mark argued back. “Look we’re not at that point. We’ll take our challenges one step at a time, got it.”
“Okay…” Danny relented.
“Well now that, THAT self-sacrificing convo’s out of the way,” Mark said. “Let's take stock of said rations.”
Danny watched as Mark took note of the food supplies.
"I got an idea! Potatoes!" Mark exclaimed; his enthusiasm palpable. "We can grow potatoes right here in the Hab.”
Danny's face contorted into confusion. "Potatoes? How are we gonna do that?”
Mark began pulling out equipment and explaining the process. "We'll use Martian soil, treat it with our own... shall we say, organic matter, and I’ll do the mathy math to get water and create a perfect environment for potato growth."
“I can use my ghost powers, just let me know what you need.”
“Which I’d love to know more about, but be careful I don’t want you to pass out, you still need that ghost fuel right?”
Danny’s shoulders slumped at the reminder. “I promise not to over-extent! I just want to help.”
“OH, I promise, you’ll help.” Mark gave Danny a mischievous grin.
“Wait….what do you mean by Organic matter? Please tell me you don't mean what I think you mean."
Mark laughed, clearly enjoying Danny's discomfort. "Welcome to Space Survival 101, kid. Nothing goes to waste here."
Danny face palmed, he was definitely not looking forward to that.
*****
Danny lay curled up on a bunk. With a blanket draped over him. He had used some of his powers in potato farming. Forming a shield when there was a slight explosion in making water. Which had greatly surprised Mark and impressed the botanist. But it had left him drained, he really needed to get more ectoplasm. But they had managed to plant some potatoes and now only time could tell if they took.
Danny was jolted from his thoughts by Mark handing him a plate of food.
Danny’s objection died on the tip of his tongue at the look Mark gave him.
“Eh, eh eh, none of that now, eat.”
Danny took the food, it was from one of the MRE packets. As Danny took a bite, that’s when he realized his hunger. He didn’t mind the quality and scarfed down his food.
Mark gave him a knowing look but didn’t comment on it, choosing not to bring up their past argument.
“That shield was really cool, what other things can you do?”
Danny paused between bites. “Lots of stuff, I can fly, go invisible, intangible, ghost rays, shields,” Danny listed off ticking up a finger with each one. “Lof stuff, sometimes I get new powers so it’s hard to keep track of everything.”
Mark gave a long whistle. “That’s really awesome, you’ll have to show me when you feel up to it.”
Danny ducked his head bashfully, not used to an adult thinking his abilities were cool and not an abomination or a threat to crush. “Sure!”
"Okay, so potato farm is a go, but we need to figure out how to contact Earth." Mark said changing the subject.
"I've been thinking, once we do get contact, I have some ideas about how to get home….faster that is. Faster than waiting for a return ship.” Danny explained. "We could use the ghost zone, it's this parallel dimension. I have some allies there, that could open a portal, they might be able to open one to Mars….”
Mark's brow shot up in surprise. “Portal? You mentioned the ghost zone before….and that your parents built one?” Mark pushed down the anger he felt at the poor safety measures Danny’s parents had.
“Portals happen all the time….at least in Amity they did. Yeah, my parents have a stable one in their basement…...it’s just a matter of getting them to help.”
“You don’t think they’ll help?”
“Well, they don’t know about me…… they want to tear my ghost half apart ‘molecule by molecule’, so that’ll be the hard part.”
“You mentioned earlier that they hunt you…. that’s messed up kid.” What Mark didn’t say was the choice words he had for this kid’s parents. “You do realize that we’d have to tell them…. the truth, and tell NASA the truth if we went that route.”
Danny looked down at his plate of food. “I know. But it would be worth it…. if we can get home sooner.”
Mark gave Danny a soft smile. “I know that’s hard. But I’ll have your back.”
“Thanks, Mark.”
Mark’s face lit up. "I think I know how we can establish initial contact with NASA. Ever heard of the Pathfinder mission?"
Danny perked up. “Yeah, I have! Isn’t it buried?”
“Yep! We can dig it up and get it working again, we might be able to use its communication systems." Mark explained.
"That... could work," Danny said slowly. "But how do we find it?”
Mark grinned. "Well, I have the information on where It’s buried. I have a few ideas on how to make the tip there. And with your... unique abilities, I think we've got a real shot at this."
Danny nodded, feeling hopeful. “I’ll do whatever I can to help.”
“Danny, can you still sense where that ecto Deposit is?”
Danny blinked at the change of subject. “If I focus, I can a bit.”
“Good if it’s close, we might be able to stop by on the way, or at least scout it out.”
“You don’t have to do—
“Shhhh, yes I do, it’s something you need, we’ll find a way to get it.”
Danny let it go, he felt a strange sense of belonging. He couldn’t remember the last time an adult went out of their way for him.
*****
The Martian sun hung low on the horizon, casting long shadows across the excavation site. Danny and Mark stood side by side, their eyes fixed on the partially unearthed form of Pathfinder. It had taken them weeks to get out here. With Danny helping Mark and using his ghost powers to help. Granted after each use Danny felt weaker and weaker.
It took them hours to hitch the pathfinder to their rover. On the long journey back to the hab. Danny jerked to attention at the strong sense of ecto energy. He didn’t know why he didn’t feel it before.
“Mark STOP!”
Mark stopped the rover in surprise.
“It’s there! It’s really close!” Danny said while pointing to a nearby mountain range.
Mark paused. “Are you sure?”
“Positive! I can almost taste it!” Danny replied. “I guess we can come back, or if it’s too far that’s ok.”
“No wait,” Mark said. Mark turned the rover in the direction Danny indicated. “We can at least scout. See if we can get it today, if not we can come back, you need this.”
******
Danny and Mark stood at the yawning mouth of the cave, their figures casting long shadows across the barren landscape. Danny's feet felt rooted to the ground, an inexplicable force tugging at his core, urging him forward. It was in there somewhere. Danny just wanted to bolt on in, but Mark's hand on his shoulder held him back.
“We can’t stay long. Are you sure it’s in there?” Mark asked.
“Yes! It’s pulling me, like a magnet. My core, it's sensing ectoplasm nearby."
“is it far though? Danny, we don’t know how deep this cave is. We can come back and start mapping it out, we don’t want to get lost.”
Danny turned sharply to face Mark. "I’ll be quick. I’ll be back before you know it. I can just phase through the rock!”
“Kid, you’ve been using your powers constantly, what if they fail you before you get what you need? I promise we’ll come back.”
As Mark turned and tried to guide Danny back with him. The teen pulled away from his grip. The thought of turning away from the fuel that his body needed was too much. Danny bolted deeper into the cave. Instinct taking over and overriding all other thoughts.
“Fuck! DANNY!” Mark took chase, but the halfa was much faster than him. Mark turned on his flashlight, the one attached to his helmet. He plunged into the dark cave system.
Mark cursed as he spotted Danny. The teen was crawling down a narrow hole. Mark grabbed the teens’ scrawny legs. “Danny stop! We could get lost!”
“It’s down there! I need it!”
Mark grunted surprised at the strength of the teen.
Mark cursed as the kid kicked him and got free.
Mark scrambled onto his hands and knees, managing to push his upper body through the hole, he grabbed Danny’s legs again. The hole was at a slant, But the slides were smooth, if they weren’t careful, they’d both slide down into the unknown.
Mark could feel the weird sensation of Danny trying to phase through his gripe. Mark cursed realizing he was right, the kid was running on empty. Mark was afraid, that if he let the teen out of his sight, the kid wouldn't be able to get back.
“Shit, Danny! Stop fighting me!” Mark could feel his lower half being dragged further into the hole.
Mark cursed as he felt Danny slide deeper, and then get heavy in his grip. Mark’s eyes widened as he realized that the hole had tapered off into a long drop. Danny was dangling over a dark abyss. Mark flung one hand onto the side of the hole, keeping one arm curled around the teen’s legs. He tried to push his body back to the opening. Mark's feet frantically shifted trying to get friction.
“Aw shit!!!! Mark felt the forward momentum of a fall.
Danny and Mark plunged into darkness, falling, falling, and falling.
Danny came back to himself at Mark's yell. Danny turned his body and grabbed Mark. Danny tried with all his might to flash into his ghost form and fly. *OH GOD I MESSED UP* Danny thought to himself. Danny found that he could not summon his powers. The best he could do was pull with all his might at his core and try to slow their descent with a weak float.
Danny squeezed his eyes shut. *I’m so stupid, how could I let this happen…I don’t know what came over me! *
Danny felt Mark's arms circle him back. Mark turned his body, so he’d take the brunt of the fall, and keep the teen protected. Danny was too focused on trying to float or fly to notice.
Teddy strode down the hallway. Beside him, Venkat kept pace, though his gait held less urgency.
"Look, Venkat," Teddy said, voice clipped, “the logistics are going to be a nightmare if we don’t outline every detail now. The President’s backing us, but it feels more like a publicity stunt. I swear he wants to dissect that alien child on Mars.”
"Or maybe he wants to save it," Venkat replied, his tone calm as ever. “You’re assuming the kid is dead. What if it's still alive? We can’t just write it off.”
"It’s likely we’re just recovering two corpses," Teddy muttered. "Even if the child is alive, how long can it possibly survive up there?"
"We should at least do it to bring Watney home," he replied evenly. "His family deserves that closure."
Teddy just grunted, his mind already leaping ahead to the impending meeting. He pushed the door open to his office, his mind already formulating a response.
The words died in his throat.
A teenage boy sat casually in Teddy's chair, feet propped up on the polished desk.
Teddy's mouth fell open, his hand instinctively reaching for the phone to call security. But Venkat held up a forestalling hand, curiosity glinting in his dark gaze.
"Can we help you, son?" Venkat asked mildly.
The boy smiled, supremely unconcerned. "In fact, I'm here to help you," he replied. "My name's Wes. Now please sit down. We have a lot to discuss."
Teddy bristled at the audacity of this teenage intruder, but Venkat put a calming hand on his arm.
"Let's hear him out," Venkat murmured.
"I know you're planning a retrieval mission to Mars," Wes began without preamble. "To bring back Mark Watney's body and the alien child."
Teddy stiffened, "I'm not your enemy, Mr. Sanders. In fact, I aim to help NASA...and to save my friend."
Venkat's gaze sharpened. "You know the alien?"
"His name is Danny," Wes replied evenly. "And he's still alive up there." His youthful face was grave.
Teddy scowled, distrustful of the boy's inside knowledge. But Venkat leaned forward intently.
"How can you be certain Danny's alive?" he pressed.
Movement behind the two adults startled them. Another Teen moved behind them.
Tucker moved swiftly, and with a soft click, he shut the office door, his eyes never leaving Teddy and Venkat.
"Gentlemen," Tucker said, his voice low and steady, "I understand this is... unexpected. But I implore you to hear us out before you do anything rash."
“And who are you?” Venkat asked.
“My name is Tucker…. Foley. Wes and I have information that's crucial to your Mars mission. Information you can't afford to ignore."
Venkat stepped forward, his scientific curiosity piqued. "What kind of information?"
Teddy shot him a warning glance.
"I don't know what you two think you're doing," Teddy said, fighting to keep his voice level. But you have exactly thirty seconds to explain yourselves before I call security."
Tucker raised his hands in a placating gesture. “The alien child is from Earth. I’ve known him since forever, and it all started in a town called Amity Park.”
"Go on," Teddy commanded, his fingers still hovering over his phone.
******
Jazz crept through the ventilation shaft, moving as silently as possible. The metal walls pressed in around her, but she kept her breathing steady. She had to reach Sam and get her away from the President and his agents.
Up ahead, Jazz heard voices - the meeting was still in progress. Gripping her ecto-blaster, she paused above the vent cover. It was now or never. With a swift kick, Jazz knocked the cover loose and dropped into the office in a crouch.
Chaos erupted. Agents shouted in alarm, scrambling for their weapons. Jazz fired a wide stun beam, dropping all of the agents except for one. The blast left them immobilized but unharmed.
"Sorry to crash the party," she quipped, her voice tight with tension.
Only Agent Nelson remained standing, having swiftly positioned himself between the intruder and President Davis.
"Sam!" Jazz called out, her eyes widening at the sight of her miniaturized friend.
"Jazz, I'm fine!" Sam yelled from Nelson's grip. "I had it under control!"
Jazz's jaw dropped. "Under control? You're three inches tall!"
"That's not the point!" Sam huffed indignantly.
Agent Nelson's voice cut through their bickering. "Drop the weapon. Now." His gun was trained steadily on Jazz.
Jazz froze, her mind racing. This isn't how it was supposed to go. She slowly lowered the stun gun, knowing she was outmatched.
"Smart move," Nelson growled, he deposited Sam on the President's desk before turning back to the new prisoner. He snatched the stun gun and cuffed Jazz in one fluid motion.
"Wait." President Davis's voice rang out, laced with intrigue. "Don't take her away just yet. I want to hear what she has to say."
"Sir, she's a threat!" Nelson protested, glancing nervously between his boss and Jazz.
"She's also a guest now." Davis’s voice held an authority that silenced the room. He didn’t really care what she had to say, what he really wanted was access to the technology she had, granted he could have his agents interrogate it out of her, but if he played nice maybe she’d just give him what he wanted.
Jazz's heart pounded. This was her chance. Nelson began to search her, removing various devices including the Fenton Thermos.
"You're a guest here now," Davis said, motioning for Nelson to remove the cuffs. "I'm very interested in learning more about this technology of yours."
Jazz rubbed her wrists, her mind whirling. Jazz watched Nelson warily. The agent confiscated her utility belt and other gadgets. She hadn't expected the President to be so... receptive.
Agent Nelson kneeled to check on his fallen comrades. "They're alive, Mr. President," he reported his voice tight with professional concern. "Just stunned, as far as I can tell."
President Davis nodded, his eyes never leaving Jazz. "Get them medical attention. And have backup standing by."
As Nelson radioed for assistance, Jazz took a deep breath. This was her moment. "Mr. President, My name is Jazz Fenton, and I know this is going to sound crazy, but please hear me out." She paused, gauging his reaction. Davis leaned forward, his expression a mix of skepticism and curiosity.
"For the past year, a government organization called the GIW has been terrorizing my hometown, Amity Park," Jazz continued. "They've labeled citizens as non-human because of a specific type of radiation present in the area."
Davis's eyebrows shot up. "Radiation?"
"It's non-deadly," Jazz quickly clarified. "It's tied to a portal – a gateway to another dimension."
The President's expression shifted from curiosity to disbelief. Jazz's heart sank. *He thinks I'm insane, she thought. But I have to keep going.*
"We've been in contact with beings from this other dimension," she pressed on. "Some are hostile, yes, but there's one – Danny Phantom – who's been protecting us. And he's the one on Mars right now."
"That's quite a claim," Davis said, his tone carefully neutral. "How can you be certain?"
Jazz met his gaze steadily. "The pictures, sir. They match perfectly."
As the words left her mouth, Jazz silently prayed she'd said enough to keep the President's interest. Everything hinged on this moment – Danny's fate, and the future of Amity Park.
President Davis leaned back in his chair, his fingers steepled beneath his chin. The room fell into a tense silence as he mulled over Jazz's words. His eyes, sharp and calculating, never left her face.
"I'll be frank, Miss Fenton," he finally said, his voice low and measured. "This is a lot to process. But I'm not dismissing it outright."
Jazz's heart leapt. She hadn't expected instant belief, but this was a start.
Davis continued, "If what you're saying is true, it has... significant implications. Both politically and for national security." He paused, a slight smile tugging at his lips. "And I must admit, the prospect of first contact with a new species is intriguing."
"Mr. President," Jazz said, seizing the moment, "I know it's a lot to ask, but Danny Phantom needs protection. And the GIW needs to be investigated. They're operating without oversight, using government funds for what amounts to a witch hunt."
Davis's eyes narrowed at that. "Unauthorized operations and misuse of funds? That I take very seriously."
"Alright," he said at last. "I'm willing to grant protection to this Danny Phantom and look into the GIW's activities. But I want something in return."
Jazz tensed. "What exactly, sir?"
"Access to this technology you've demonstrated," he gestured to the stunner and shrink ray. "And I want to be the first to establish formal contact with these... beings from the other dimension."
Jazz hesitated. "I can agree to that, Mr. President. But you need to understand – The GIW and others have labeled them as ghosts as none beings. But that’s not true, they have their own culture, their own world. They're people, in their own right, and deserve respect."
Davis nodded waving his hand flippantly dismissing her. "Noted. And this portal you mentioned – I want to see it. The security implications alone..."
"I understand," Jazz said. "And speaking of the tech, I can put you in touch with my parents. They're the ones who developed it.” Jazz paused in thought biting her lip. “But be warned, their beliefs might not align with the truth about these beings, it’s honestly really bigoted.”
"Bigoted?" Davis raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “That’s a strong word.”
"Yeah, well, they’ve got their prejudices," she admitted, biting her lip. “Just keep that in mind when you talk to them. It’s important to approach this with an open mind.”
"Noted," he replied, shifting his attention to Agent Nelson, who stood near the door. “Well I suppose you can re-grow your friend. Let’s clear a path then. I want to see this growth ray in action.”
Nelson's nodded, “You got it, sir.” He walked forward and picked up the shrink ray from the president’s desk, and scooped up Sam as well. He placed Sam down on the carpet and reluctantly handed it to Sam. Sam grinned and pointed it at herself. Pressing the trigger to grow herself and the device.
A flash of light enveloped the small figure, and in an instant, the tiny teen began to grow.
******
The shrill ring of the telephone pierced the somber silence of the Fenton household. Jack Fenton, his hulking frame slumped over the kitchen table, jerked upright, knocking over a half-empty mug of cold coffee and a pile of missing person flyers with Danny’s face on them.
"I'll get it!" Maddie called from the living room, her voice strained with forced cheerfulness.
Jack rubbed his bleary eyes, listening to his wife's voice grow increasingly bewildered.
"Yes, this is Maddie Fenton... The CIA? I... I don't understand..."
He lumbered to his feet, crossing to the doorway just as Maddie lowered the phone, her violet eyes wide with shock.
"Jack," she whispered, "it's about Danny Phantom. They want our help to bring him home from... Mars?"
Jack's jaw dropped. His initial excitement faltered as his worry for his son set in. " We need to focus on finding our Danny."
Maddie's expression hardened. "They said if we cooperate, they'll assist in the search for our son." She paused, conflict evident in her furrowed brow. "Jack, this could be our chance to finally capture that ghost boy!"
Jack's face lit up. “We can finally tear that ghost boy apart molecule by molecule!”
Maddie rolled her eyes. “Unfortunately, they said we can’t do any invasive study or harmful study on it.”
“Aw, but it can’t feel.” Jack pouted.
Maddie sighed, her shoulders sagging. "I know, I know. But think of the recognition, the funding! We could expand our research, develop better ghost-hunting tech..."
Jack Brightened again.
"There's more," she continued, her voice lowering. "They... they want to take control of our portal. Said it's a 'matter of national security'."
Jack's face flushed red with indignation. "What?! That's our life's work! How dare they—"
"I know, dear," Maddie cut in, placing a calming hand on his arm. "But maybe... maybe they have a point. We never considered the wider implications of having a doorway to another dimension in our basement."
Jack deflated slightly, torn between his pride as an inventor and the weight of responsibility. "I suppose.......they said they’d help us find our boy, right?”
Maddie's eyes glistened with unshed tears. "We have to believe this will help, Jack. Maybe... maybe this is how we find him. We have to try."
Maddie lifted the phone back to her ear to continue the conversation with the agent.
A complex mix of emotions washed over Maddie. “What?! What do you mean she’s there?!!!” She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. "Can I speak with her?"
Jack leaned in to try to hear the voice on the other side.
"Of course. One moment."
"Mom?" Jazz's voice crackled through the line, a mix of defiance and uncertainty.
"Jasmine Fenton," Maddie began, her voice stern but wavering. "What on earth were you thinking?"
"I had to do something, Mom," Jazz replied, her tone growing more confident. "Someone had to stand up for Phantom, to tell the truth about what's been happening in Amity Park."
Maddie's free hand clenched into a fist. Of course, Jazz was defending that ghost boy. "Sweetie, you don't understand the danger—"
"No, Mom," Jazz interrupted. "You don't understand. Phantom isn't what you think he is. He's been protecting us, all of us, for years."
“Jazzy pazzy! What are you doing there?” Jack exclaimed.
"We'll discuss this when you get home, young lady," Maddie said, trying to maintain her authoritative tone. "For now... just... be careful, okay?"
As she hung up the phone, Maddie turned to Jack, her emotions a tumultuous storm. "Our little girl," she whispered, "she's in Washington, Jack. She's been helping with all of this."
Jack's eyes widened, a grin spreading across his face. "That's my Jazz-princess! Always knew she had it in her to be a ghost hunter!"
Maddie shook her head. "That ghost boy must be messing with her head. It filled it with nonsense. She’s doing this to protect it.”
Jack pulled Maddie into a hug. “We’ll set this all right and capture that abomination, so it can’t get our kids. We’ll show them it’s just a monster, it doesn’t feel. I bet they’ll let us cut into it once they see the truth.”
