HOME | DD

Description
Danny Phantom looked upon the work below him, and found it good.

No...more than good.  Magnificent.

The Annual Amity Park Street Fair was a tradition among those who lived in the little town.  Once a year, people of all kinds could forget their troubles and have a good time at the fair.  There were rides to be ridden, games to be played, and prizes to win.  It was just the thing to brighten the spirits–no pun intended–of a town that had fallen on bad fortune nowadays.

And now, thanks to the gracious sponsorship of a certain Wisconsin-based multi-billionaire, the fair would be even more grandiose than it usually was.  Even now, giant, state-of-the-art Ferris wheels, shooting galleries, and vomit-inducing Graviton rides were being set up in the center of the park, where the fair took place every year.

Truly it was marvelous.  One couldn't ask for a better view.

Although...Danny could.

You see, it was hard to enjoy this sort of view while you were being blasted at by a girl in a high-tech nanobot suit that had been chasing you for six miles ever since eight in the morning.

"Get back here!" Valerie shouted at her fleeing quarry.  "Get back here so I can blast you!"

As the ghost-hunter unleashed another barrage of violet ecto-fire from her wrist-gun, Danny silently regretted getting up early that morning.  He had wanted to sit on the rooftop to the clocktower, which overlooked the entire fair being set up.  But he hadn't counted on his friend-slash-foe patrolling the area and seeing him as a threat.

Danny wove around Valerie's fire, the violet beams whizzing past his black-and-white hazmat uniform.  This was getting too close for comfort.  He had to prevent this fight from doing any more damage.

"Will you get off my case already?!" he shouted at his pursuer.  "What did I do to you?!"

Valerie shot back, "You exist!"

Even from his faraway flight point, Danny could see the sneer on the girl's face as she chased him.  To even imagine that he and her could be good friends seemed preposterous at times.

And yet that was true.  Even as their alter-egos fought one another repeatedly over the last few months, at the same time their human selves had become very good friends.  At one time, the two had even considered becoming more than that.  But, eventually, Valerie's self-appointed duty to eradicate ghosts won out, and a deeper relationship could never be.

This was why Valerie's words stung so much.  Because the two of them would always be enemies, as long as Danny Phantom existed.  Nothing would change that.

Burying such musings in the deep recesses of his mind, Danny turned his flight path around, heading straight for Valerie through her firestorm of ecto-bolts.  Seeing her not as the girl he once pined for, but as an enemy, he launched a blast of his own ghostly energy straight at her nanotech jet-sled.

The ray hit home, the glider split in two, and Valerie was sent catapulting through the air and down into the forested area of the park.  A sickening splintering sound could be heard by Danny; most likely the girl was crashing through some trees or something of the like.  Hopefully, the armor would protect her from serious harm.

"Whew..." Danny panted.  "Now to find a safe place to hide..."

Looking around briefly, the ghost-boy spied a nearby tent that had been set up for the fair.  Most likely a closed ride, or something being constructed.  Just as Valerie had conjured another flying device, Danny had landed behind the tent, and two pale rings passed along his body.  Almost instantly, the black-and-white hazmat suit with the "DP" monogram disappeared, giving way to a white and red t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers.  His hair changed from white to black, his eyes from green to blue.  Now, he was effectively concealed as Danny Fenton.

Valerie flew overhead, looking around for where Danny Phantom might have gone.  Then, when she was satisfied with appearances, she flew away.

Danny sighed, walking around the back of the tent and thinking about what had just transpired.  It was nothing new–Valerie had been chasing him for several months, practically at the same time he had become half-ghost.  Things had only gotten harder, too, when she received an upgrade when her original gear was destroyed a couple of months ago.  Danny never knew where the upgrade had come from, but it had, without a doubt, increased her power to a point where she was on par with her nemesis.

Just another thing that's driving us to the brink... he thought.

As Danny was walking along, lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice the person he bumped into.  He reeled back, half expecting a fight, when he saw a tall, well-built African-American man with kind eyes that twinkled out from a set of glasses.  He wore casual businesswear, and sported a thick moustache above his thin mouth.

Danny knew this face well.  It was Damon Gray, Security Director of Axion Labs and Valerie's father.

"Danny," Damon said, sounding pleasantly surprised.  "I didn't expect you were here."

"I didn't really expect to be here, Mr. Gray," Danny replied.

"Well then," Damon said, "since you're here, you can help us set up some of the booths.  That is, if you want."

"Oh, I don't think–"

"Hi, Daddy!" came a young woman's voice.

Valerie Gray had emerged from behind one of the booths, a bruise evident on her right arm.  Danny winced at the injury–she hadn't come from their little scrap completely unscathed.

"Hey there, sweetie," Damon replied, hugging Valerie.  "So, are you ready to test out the rides?"

"Test out the rides?" Danny asked.

"Yes," Damon said.  "Since I work with our sponsor for this fair, Valerie gets to test out the new version of the Graviton."

"Exactly," Valerie added.  "Seeya, Danny!"

Danny waved at the girl as she walked towards the shining saucer-shaped ride.  It made him think of the time they spent together as friends.  The time that actually seemed to nullify their violent existence with one another.

"Seeya, Val."  His voice was almost a whisper as he walked away.

~~~~~~~~~~

From the shadows of a large red and black tent, the tall man was effectively concealed from the boy's sight.

His dull emerald eyes shone brightly as he watched the boy slink away, his head hung low.  He was apparently depressed about something.  Something already known by the man.

Retreating farther into his tent without a sound, the tall man sat down at a table and withdrew a simple deck of playing cards from a holster on his hip.  Setting the deck out on the table, he drew a single, solitary card from the top.  In the dim light of the tent, it showed a five of diamonds.

He stared at the card a very long time.

"Well, well..."  His voice was deep, echoing, and cavernous, with a trace of accent.  "The boy is worried about his identity..."

He drew another card, revealing a five of swords.

"A weakness that will lead to his defeat..."

The tall man grinned, his eyes taking on a distinctly red cast.

"...and to my victory."

He chuckled lightly, his voice echoing in the darkness...

~~~~~~~~~~

(Roll intro)

He's a Phantom...

Description
Danny Phantom looked upon the work below him, and found it good.

No...more than good.  Magnificent.

The Annual Amity Park Street Fair was a tradition among those who lived in the little town.  Once a year, people of all kinds could forget their troubles and have a good time at the fair.  There were rides to be ridden, games to be played, and prizes to win.  It was just the thing to brighten the spirits–no pun intended–of a town that had fallen on bad fortune nowadays.

And now, thanks to the gracious sponsorship of a certain Wisconsin-based multi-billionaire, the fair would be even more grandiose than it usually was.  Even now, giant, state-of-the-art Ferris wheels, shooting galleries, and vomit-inducing Graviton rides were being set up in the center of the park, where the fair took place every year.

Truly it was marvelous.  One couldn't ask for a better view.

Although...Danny could.

You see, it was hard to enjoy this sort of view while you were being blasted at by a girl in a high-tech nanobot suit that had been chasing you for six miles ever since eight in the morning.

"Get back here!" Valerie shouted at her fleeing quarry.  "Get back here so I can blast you!"

As the ghost-hunter unleashed another barrage of violet ecto-fire from her wrist-gun, Danny silently regretted getting up early that morning.  He had wanted to sit on the rooftop to the clocktower, which overlooked the entire fair being set up.  But he hadn't counted on his friend-slash-foe patrolling the area and seeing him as a threat.

Danny wove around Valerie's fire, the violet beams whizzing past his black-and-white hazmat uniform.  This was getting too close for comfort.  He had to prevent this fight from doing any more damage.

"Will you get off my case already?!" he shouted at his pursuer.  "What did I do to you?!"

Valerie shot back, "You exist!"

Even from his faraway flight point, Danny could see the sneer on the girl's face as she chased him.  To even imagine that he and her could be good friends seemed preposterous at times.

And yet that was true.  Even as their alter-egos fought one another repeatedly over the last few months, at the same time their human selves had become very good friends.  At one time, the two had even considered becoming more than that.  But, eventually, Valerie's self-appointed duty to eradicate ghosts won out, and a deeper relationship could never be.

This was why Valerie's words stung so much.  Because the two of them would always be enemies, as long as Danny Phantom existed.  Nothing would change that.

Burying such musings in the deep recesses of his mind, Danny turned his flight path around, heading straight for Valerie through her firestorm of ecto-bolts.  Seeing her not as the girl he once pined for, but as an enemy, he launched a blast of his own ghostly energy straight at her nanotech jet-sled.

The ray hit home, the glider split in two, and Valerie was sent catapulting through the air and down into the forested area of the park.  A sickening splintering sound could be heard by Danny; most likely the girl was crashing through some trees or something of the like.  Hopefully, the armor would protect her from serious harm.

"Whew..." Danny panted.  "Now to find a safe place to hide..."

Looking around briefly, the ghost-boy spied a nearby tent that had been set up for the fair.  Most likely a closed ride, or something being constructed.  Just as Valerie had conjured another flying device, Danny had landed behind the tent, and two pale rings passed along his body.  Almost instantly, the black-and-white hazmat suit with the "DP" monogram disappeared, giving way to a white and red t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers.  His hair changed from white to black, his eyes from green to blue.  Now, he was effectively concealed as Danny Fenton.

Valerie flew overhead, looking around for where Danny Phantom might have gone.  Then, when she was satisfied with appearances, she flew away.

Danny sighed, walking around the back of the tent and thinking about what had just transpired.  It was nothing new–Valerie had been chasing him for several months, practically at the same time he had become half-ghost.  Things had only gotten harder, too, when she received an upgrade when her original gear was destroyed a couple of months ago.  Danny never knew where the upgrade had come from, but it had, without a doubt, increased her power to a point where she was on par with her nemesis.

Just another thing that's driving us to the brink... he thought.

As Danny was walking along, lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice the person he bumped into.  He reeled back, half expecting a fight, when he saw a tall, well-built African-American man with kind eyes that twinkled out from a set of glasses.  He wore casual businesswear, and sported a thick moustache above his thin mouth.

Danny knew this face well.  It was Damon Gray, Security Director of Axion Labs and Valerie's father.

"Danny," Damon said, sounding pleasantly surprised.  "I didn't expect you were here."

"I didn't really expect to be here, Mr. Gray," Danny replied.

"Well then," Damon said, "since you're here, you can help us set up some of the booths.  That is, if you want."

"Oh, I don't think–"

"Hi, Daddy!" came a young woman's voice.

Valerie Gray had emerged from behind one of the booths, a bruise evident on her right arm.  Danny winced at the injury–she hadn't come from their little scrap completely unscathed.

"Hey there, sweetie," Damon replied, hugging Valerie.  "So, are you ready to test out the rides?"

"Test out the rides?" Danny asked.

"Yes," Damon said.  "Since I work with our sponsor for this fair, Valerie gets to test out the new version of the Graviton."

"Exactly," Valerie added.  "Seeya, Danny!"

Danny waved at the girl as she walked towards the shining saucer-shaped ride.  It made him think of the time they spent together as friends.  The time that actually seemed to nullify their violent existence with one another.

"Seeya, Val."  His voice was almost a whisper as he walked away.

~~~~~~~~~~

From the shadows of a large red and black tent, the tall man was effectively concealed from the boy's sight.

His dull emerald eyes shone brightly as he watched the boy slink away, his head hung low.  He was apparently depressed about something.  Something already known by the man.

Retreating farther into his tent without a sound, the tall man sat down at a table and withdrew a simple deck of playing cards from a holster on his hip.  Setting the deck out on the table, he drew a single, solitary card from the top.  In the dim light of the tent, it showed a five of diamonds.

He stared at the card a very long time.

"Well, well..."  His voice was deep, echoing, and cavernous, with a trace of accent.  "The boy is worried about his identity..."

He drew another card, revealing a five of swords.

"A weakness that will lead to his defeat..."

The tall man grinned, his eyes taking on a distinctly red cast.

"...and to my victory."

He chuckled lightly, his voice echoing in the darkness...

~~~~~~~~~~

(Roll intro)

He's a Phantom...