Danny Phantom - The Next Chapter

Toeing the Line

‘She’s actually picking up on it really quickly,’ Jazz was saying as she and Danny made their leisurely way down the street. It was nearing 9PM and they were taking their regular rounds at a slower than usual pace to try to catch up with everything that had been going on.

‘Really?’ he replied, ‘I never really took Danielle for a reader.’

‘Well she is now. I got some sci-fi books out for her at the library and she’s really loving them so far. They’re just short stories but perfect for her reading level right now. I’m starting to think that with the way she’s progressing she might have a chance at enrolling in public school.’

Danny frowned. ‘Is that a good idea? I mean with her powers do you think she can keep them under control? School can be kind of a stressful place. And even though she’s not really keeping it a secret she’s not exactly announcing her powers to the world right now.’

‘I think she can handle it,’ Jazz said, ‘She still has a bit of time before she catches up to her age group but she’s got her powers pretty under control.’

‘I just don’t want her to get in trouble.’
Jazz snickered and he glanced over at her. ‘What?’

‘Nothing. It’s just that you’re starting to sound like me.’

Danny groaned. ‘Is this what it was like for you? God, now I feel really bad for the way I acted with you.’

Jazz laughed and gave him a playful shove. ‘Welcome to big sibling-hood.’

Danny rolled his eyes but grinned at her. Now that Jazz was starting to get closer to Danielle and Danny was more aware of how she was feeling, they had gotten even closer, opening up more about their thoughts and worries. And if he was being honest, despite her teasing, he appreciated the fact that she was able to relate to the way he was feeling with Danielle and how to be a good older sibling. It was a novel experience for him, and it made him more aware of how often Jazz had stepped in to cover for him, or to offer her support no matter the situation.

They rounded the corner and Danny jumped as his Ghost Sense went off. It wasn’t unexpected; they were approaching one of the local cemeteries and he often came across more benign ghosts going about their evenings. Most of them didn’t bother anyone, and were often pleased when someone approached for them to talk to. Danny tried to come by every few days or so to make sure they didn’t get bored and let any destructive tendencies manifest.

‘Danny Phantom!’

They paused as one such ghost approached, waving his arms wildly as if his glowing form wasn’t enough to catch their attention.

‘Hey, Stan,’ Danny said, ‘What’s going on?’

Stan was one such benign ghost. A former construction worker, he would chatter on for hours about the various projects popping up all over the city and how he would improve them. He was harmless, but tonight his face was contorted into what could only be described as helpless anger.

‘They ruined my grave!’ Stan exclaimed, floating to a stop before them. ‘I tried to stop them but they just laughed! You have to get them for me, they have to pay!’

‘Woah, slow down!’ Danny said, ‘What happened with your grave?’

In response, Stan turned and shot away deeper into the cemetery, forcing Danny and Jazz to run after him. By the time they caught up, Stan was hovering over his grave that had been covered in spray paint tagging, obscuring the words carved into the stone.

‘Oh, Stan,’ Jazz mumbled, giving him a sympathetic look.

‘And it’s not just mine!’

The ghost gestured down the row of headstones where even more tagging was littered along their surfaces and Danny glowered in anger. To most of the ghosts in these cemeteries, he had become a de facto caretaker, making sure things were kept neat and tidy, and the visitors were respectful. He even carried messages between the dead and their living loved ones from time to time. So any damage to the cemetery felt personal.