126Chapter 1: Goin' Ghost
On the West Coast is Amity Park, a town plagued by ghosts. But not the usual ghost, these are much closer to comic book supervillains. And there is nobody better to deal with them than a superhero. One named Danny Phantom.
His real name is Danny Fenton. He was always seen as a loser due to his choice of best friends and his parents' odd choice of profession, ghost hunting. One of their inventions, the Fenton Ghost Portal, wasn't working. But when Danny took a look inside of it, everything changed. His body was infused with ecto-energy, allowing him to transform into a superhero, dedicated to defending the people of the living world from ghosts. With his two best friends, and later his sister, he sets out to keep his home safe.
On the East Coast is New York City, a well known city with a magical secret. For ages, this city has had creatures of mysticism living in secret. In the world, there is a dragon in each country, acting as their protector to ensure humans do not discover their existence. And only in modern times is there one in the United States, the American Dragon.
His real name is Jake Long. From his mother's side of the family, he's from a long line of dragons. The dragons became shapeshifters, changing into humans, hiding amongst them to protect magical creatures. Jake, as the first American Dragon, was different among them. He chose to let his two best friends know his identity. With the help of them, his grandfather and sidekick Fu-Dog, Jake was ready to handle anything that came his way.
That's when it all happened…
It was one week after the defeat of the Dark Dragon did Jake discover when he returned home something was wrong.
There was a theft.
And so, when he went to the museum, he did find one eye-witness who saw the perpetrator.
Jake new secret locations of certain magical creatures, with one particular who is perched on the building in front of the museum where it happened.
He found a spot to do his thing.
"Dragon Up!"
In that instant, Jake was engulfed in flames and, in his place, stood a 10 foot red dragon.
He was the American Dragon.
And he flew to the top of the building, where the gargoyle he was looking for.
Said gargoyle took notice of the red dragon now in his view.
"Hey, Jake…" He greeted him.
"Yo." Jake said. "There was a theft from the museum. Rumor is eyewitnesses saw something fly away. You see anything?"
"I did… it was one them uh…" The gargoyle thought before the word came to his mind. "... halfas."
Jake, unfamiliar with that term, gave a lost look.
"Half-a-wha?"
"There's this rumor that there are people who are half-ghost and half-humans living on the other side of the country." The gargoyle said. "In a place called… uh… something Park."
"You for real?" Jake asked, in complete disbelief. "Ghosts are one thing, but humans who are part ghost? That ain't possible!"
"Says the American Dragon… talkin' to a gargoyle." The gargoyle pointed out with his hands at his hips.
"Okay, fair point…" Jake conceded. "So, where'd he go, G?"
"He flew off, heading West. He's probably halfway there by now…" The gargoyle said.
"Dang…" It was then Jake noticed something. "Wait, you said a halfa. Meaning more than one? So… which one?"
The gargoyle strained, trying to think.
"Eh… don't remember. I think his last name starts with a P…" The gargoyle said.
Jake got to thinking.
"Maybe Fu can give me an idea…"
In Amity Park, Danny Fenton was enjoying this Saturday. Sam and Tucker were with their families, something the former hated, so he had the day all to himself.
His parents were out hunting a ghost at an upscale restaurant, while Jazz was on a date with someone.
So, he decided to have the house all to himself.
"Okay… doors are closed… ghost shield up… portal off for the day…" Danny said. He then looked at the living room television and smiled. "Now…"
He sat on the couch and turned the television on.
It was a movie of a giant three-headed dragon destroying Japan. Then a familiar giant reptile approached the dragon and the two fought.
Danny grinned.
All day, no ghosts, no threats… all fun.
"We interrupt this program to bring you a special report." The voice of Lance Thunder went as the news report went.
Danny frowned.
"Stupid Murphy's law…" He muttered in annoyance.
"We're reporting to you live!" Lance Thunder said. "Above city hall is a bizarre golden light, shooting into the sky. Having seen too many movies that have giant sky beams, this reporter has some concerns over what's to happen…"
Danny rose brow and realized what could be happening.
"Plasmius must be up to something." Danny sighed loudly. "So much for my day off…"
He got up and went to turn off the ghost shield.
Let's do this fast… He thought.
"I'm goin' ghost!"
Danny Fenton now morphed into Danny Phantom. With that, he flew through the walls thanks to intangibility and headed toward city hall.
At City Hall, Vlad Plasmius realized he made a mistake using the skull's power too soon.
"Oh dear…" Vlad said. "Just when I had locked in his coordinates. I must remember to remain in be prepared when he's unleashed…"
However, his plot is foiled when a certain someone flew in and took the skull.
"Whatever you're up to, Plasmius, it ends now!" Danny said as he took the skull and flew away.
Vlad, seeing Danny flying away, shook his fists and flew after him.
"Bring that back, Daniel!" Vlad demanded.
He started firing at Danny, who kept motioning left and right to avoid the attacks.
As he flew, Danny took notice of the odd object in his hands.
"A gold skull? What's this for?" He asked before looking back. "Not like I can ask the fruitloop…"
He decided he would get this away from Vlad before trying to figure his archenemy's plan.
Danny decided to phase through a building, but Vlad followed.
"You can't escape me, Daniel!" Vlad was shouting, terrifying some people in the apartments that he passed along the way. However, once he got through the building, he saw Danny was nowhere to be seen. He gritted his teeth. "For crying out loud!"
Danny Phantom was still in the building, watching his archenemy express annoyance as he slipped away.
He looked to the gold skull in his hands as he thought.
What the heck does Plasmius want with this thing?
As he flew, he couldn't help but feel a strange energy from it.
"Shénme?!" The sound of an old man in his electronics shop went.
Canal Street Electronics is the shop owned by Luon Lao Shi, the grandfather of Jake Long. He was the Chinese Dragon, as well as the trainer of the American Dragon. And his grandson just told him what had happened.
"It's true, Gramps." Jake went. "All I get is that it was a gold skull. What would some ghost want with a gold paint job?"
"That ain't paint, Kid." Fu Dog said. "The skull belonged to the first Egyptian Dragon…" He said.
"Say whaa?" Jake went.
"Pharoah Graha, the first Egyptian Dragon…" Lao Shi said. "He was also among the most powerful…"
"Rumor is he was also the first to fall to the Dark Dragon." Fu said.
Jake almost fell back from hearing that.
"Yo, for real?!"
"For real, kid." Fu said.
"Supposedly, the Dark Dragon had cursed his skull upon defeating him." Lao Shi continued. "Whatever this mystery spirit wants with it, it cannot be good."
"Yo, but is what I hear true? There are humans who are half-ghost?" Jake asked.
"Such a creature was never heard of… until recently." Lao Shi explained.
"Supposedly, there are two, maybe three, humans who were exposed to some weird gizmos that tapped into the Ghost Zone." Fu Dog explained.
"The what?" Jake asked.
"The Ghost Zone." Lao Shi said as he pulled out a scroll. "Some would consider it to be purgatory, or limbo." He opened the scroll, revealing a drawing of the Ghost Zone. "If these humans have indeed somehow been enhanced by the energies of a place even the dragons have never been able to reach, at least alive, then one of them must be the culprit."
"Where are they?" Jake asked. "I can fly over there and-"
"They're usually seen on the other side of the country, in a place called Amity Park." Fu Dog said.
"Amity Park…" Jake pondered. "That sounds familiar…"
"It has been on the news for some time, regarding a young man named… David? Derek? Dimitri?" Lao Shi had trouble remembering the name.
"I think it's… Danny… yeah…" Fu Dog said. "Danny Phantom!"
"Danny Phantom?" Jake asked before thinking out loud. "The gargoyle said it was someone with a last name that begins with P. He must have done it…"
"What would he need with the skull?" Fu Dog asked.
"You must find out, Young Dragon." Lao Shi told his grandson sternly.
"Yo, no worries… I got this!" Jake said.
"You'll have a shot, Kid." Fu Dog said as he held up a newspaper. "From what I read, that skull isn't the only thing of value there to anyone with more mystical interests…"
"What is it?" Jake asked.
"Pharoah Graha had a staff with him at the time of his demise…" Lao Shi said. "Whatever intent the Dark Dragon had… requires that staff."
Hearing this, Jake took on a serious look.
Without his friends to give him a hand, Danny was forced to rely on a web search to find out what exactly he's found. He was in his room, alone, with the shield up, as he got his answer.
"Okay… according to this… this is the gold skull of a pharaoh named Graha…" His eyes widened in shock. "Oh… gross! Vlad stole someone's skull?" He winched, but then took notice of more of what it said. "Legend says it has magic powers? Well… whatever powers they have, I'm not letting him use them." He got up and morphed. "New York City is too far for me… but I think I recall a portal in the Ghost Zone that leads there…" He said. "I can ask Frostbite for directions…"
Danny phased through his floor, heading to the portal.
He was unaware a Plasmius Bug was watching.
In his basement laboratory, Vlad gritted his teeth in anger at what he was seeing.
"Daniel is going to return the skull!" Vlad said as he shook his fists. "Well… we can't have that, now can we?"
"Yes… we can…" A dark voice went.
Vlad jumped in surprise before looking back.
What was there was a floating blue fire, with red eyes.
"Oh… it's you…" Vlad went.
"Yes… me… the one you reached out to when you broke the barrier to make contact with…" The voice went. "Let the boy do just that…"
Vlad raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"Why exactly?"
"First of all, you did not steal the staff I require. Second… if that boy is really as powerful as you say he is… then he will be perfect."
"How so?" Vlad asked.
The eyes squinted to indicate the figure was smiling.
"You'll find out…"
Based on the Death Battle episode I waited years for.
This is sort of an expanded adaptation of the episode, with backstory of what the skull was, why it was stolen, and why Danny and Jake were so willing to kill each other.
But what's Vlad up to? And who was he talking to? You'll have to find out.
