Danny Phantom - The Next Chapter

The Calm Before the Storm

Amity Park was no stranger to ghosts, and it had dealt with an invading ghost army once before, but this time there was no gunfire, no screaming in panic, no mounting defence. No, this time the entire city was ominously quiet as streams of ghosts phased through the walls of FentonWorks and assembled to hover over the city. Their eerie glows mirrored that of the night-time city, creating a strange mirror that seemed to perfectly encapsulate the nature of Amity. The skeletal army floated in neat rows in their various battalions while the yeti of the Far Frozen loitered on the ground, taking the time to relax and prepare themselves in their own way. The rest of the ghosts that Danny had brought were the most unruly of the bunch, jostling at each other and generally making themselves nuisances. But a stern word or pointed glare from Danny had then grumbling but staying put and away from the civilians of the city.

The Ops Centre was in full danger mode, each of its satellite dishes receiving a constant stream of news to alert them the moment the half-ghosts resurfaced. Weapons were being primed all along its surface, and even the Spectre Speeder, RV, and ATVs were being tricked out with the latest anti-ghost equipment.

Everyone was adorned in brand new suits that glowed with anti-ghost measures while strategically placed steel plates would protect anything vital from physical damage. Danny glanced down at his own new additions, adjusting the bracers his mom insisted he wear. Whenever he needed them, they would release a pulse of ecto-energy that would strike anything within a few feet of him and push them away, giving him a moment in dire circumstances to recover. He had insisted Dani get the new and improved Fenton Charger, now with a greater capacity and she was eager to test it out. At Danny's waist, a new belt had been added. Maddie had explained she'd she'd working on it ever since he became the new Ghost King. It was a kind of moderator that would help keep his enhanced powers in check by shedding any excess that was building up, keeping it from redirecting inwards and melting him from the inside. Or something loke that; he wasn't in a hurry to find out what might actually happen. This also had the convenient side effect of causing an aura of energy around him that would cause discomfort at the very least to anything that got too close. At the worst, it would vaporise any lesser ghost that got caught in it. He hadn't wanted to accept the armour plating his dad had pushed onto him, but there was no arguing with his parents this time. Even when he insisted he'd be far more mobile and therefore safer without it, they weren't taking no for an answer. He adjusted the chest plate agitatedly, disliking the added weight. He could still turn intangible and invisible just fine, he just wished he had more time to get used to it.

A loud whistle caught his attention and he glanced down to the pavement where a group of people were approaching FentonWorks. The yeti had stopped them but Danny was relieved to see they weren't being aggressive.

He quickly descended from his overhead vantage point and found Dash along with what had become the civilian ghost defence of Amity Park gathered behind him.

'Yo, Fenton,' Dash greeted him, 'Were you planning on skipping town without us?'

'Sorry, guys, but that kinda was the plan,' he admitted.

There was a chorus of outrage as the group lifted their weapons to emphasize their readiness to fight. Danny raised placatingly.

'Look, I'm sorry but this time is just going to be too dangerous,' he continued, 'And not just for me, but for Amity Park as well. We're going up against actual, military trained half-ghosts that can do most of the things I can do. My family is lucky I'm taking them with me. But more to the point, we're taking every ghost weapon and piece of defensive equipment we've got. And that means the rest of the city is hoping to be undefended. And given the leader of these guys has a personal grudge against me, I wouldn't be surprised if he came back here to get revenge. I need you all to stay here and keep the city safe.'