The Return of the Phantom

Pilot Part 1

Prologue

In the dim light, metal beams bent drastically out of shape, lay strewn on the ground. Chunks of concrete, fallen from the ceiling, scattered the landscape. It was a scene of great disaster, of ruin, of defeat. But also one of victory.

The grand centerpiece of destruction was the destroyed ghost portal. Once the pinnacle of Fenton Works, it was now unrecognizable. Still steaming from only minutes before running normally, half of it was crushed by a thick sheet of metal. Other parts were randomly melting into green ooze, hissing and bubbling. It was a sad sight. But also one of victory.

But the only thing Danny Fenton felt was numbness, when gazing around him. On either side of him stood his not only team-mates but also his best friends, Tucker Foley and Sam Manson. Tuck's beanie was askew, filled with holes. His glasses were bent out of shape, and he was holding them in his hands, nervously fidgeting them between his fingers. Sam's lavender eyes were wide, taking in and observing every crack, torn fabric, and smashed memorabilia that had once been Fenton Works. She showed little emotion. And Danny contemplated all this destruction, floating a few feet off of the ground, a emanating a faint glow.

They had won. At a terrible cost.

Facing his two friends, the first words out his mouth were: "I'm glad it's gone." Both of his friends looked at him questioningly, then stared back at the ruins.

Sam was the first to protest: "Danny-"

Interrupting, Tuck put a hand on her shoulder. "No, he's right. It's finally over."

"What do you mean?"

Danny drifted downward, his feet now touching the floor. "The portal has been the bane of our existence for years," he quietly explained. "It was time for it to go."

Sam shook her head. "I understand it was the only way, but don't you realize what this means? Our only way to the Ghost Zone; it's gone. It was everything we've ever done, stood for, and now it's over. The blueprints, the portal, it's all gone. It will never come back."

Tuck removed his hand from Sam's shoulder, crouching down to pick something up. It was a piece of the Specter Deflector, the green bulb in the center cracked. Looking down at it, he delicately traced a finger over the cracks.

"Maybe it's a sign." he stated. "Maybe it's time for us to move on."

"You can't just say that Tuck!" Sam protested. "For us, maybe, but what about Danny?" She glanced back at Danny, who looked at her, and he lowered his gaze. Sam's eyes widened in shock. "You'd be willing to, to give up half of yourself, just like that?" She snapped.

Danny's eyes narrowed. "I'm not just defined by halves." At this remark, he transformed back into his human self, a light blue glowing ring briefly enclosing his body. His black hair, pale skin, and blue eyes were a sharp contrast to his tanned, muscular, white-haired and green-eyed ghost form. "I'm still me, whether I appear as a ghost or not."

Sam rolled her eyes, but he noticed that she was tearing up. Slowly, as if he were cornering a frightened animal, he circled her with his arms. She stiffened, then relaxed into his embrace. Her long dark hair, normally put half up in a small ponytail on top of her head, had come undone, cascading onto her shoulders, covering the torn fabric and cuts. Danny had never seen her this vulnerable in a long time.

"Sam," he whispered into her ear, "Things have always been changing. It's time to start a new chapter in our lives. It's what we've been waiting for." Sam squeezed her eyes shut, letting out a sob. "What will never change it that we're always going to stand together."