DP409 The Haunting Hour pt1

The Haunting Hour
Title Screen Caption: "Let The Haunting Begin Again!"

(Vlad’s new mansion, in the basement lab, Vlad Plasmius stands at a console pressing buttons, a virtual Maddie approaches him)
Maddie: Substance contains DNA of both Daniel and an unknown human, Sweetie Cup.
Vlad: Have we tried containing the creature?
Maddie: Yes, but it is too strong. Somehow only sunlight harms it... and we are having thunderstorms this week.
Vlad: Hmm... I heard of this creature. I assumed it was an urban legend. If I’m right, it needs a host to survive. Why hasn’t it bonded with anyone?
Maddie: Perhaps it wishes to bond with its previous host, Honey Nut.
Vlad: I have an idea. (Pushes a button on his console; two metal doors open near him and something of a formless shape and see through eyes crawls out; the Dark-Shadow)
(Elmerton streets; someone is scurrying a trash can finding a half-eaten apple, he throws it away; it’s Ricky Johnson, with dirt on his left cheek and a dirty coat)
Ricky: Richard Johnson Jr., reduced to a street rat! (Finds a newspaper with a picture of Danny Phantom on it) I know who you are. One day... I’ll make you suffer for this! (Rips the newspaper in half)
(A police siren is heard behind him, he turns around to find a GIW police car; stepping out is his father, Chief of the GIW)
Chief J: Ricky... bout time. For a second there, I thought I’d have to pay someone to find your butt. No $2,000 reward for anyone, that’s good.
Ricky: (Stepping back) Stay away, pops.
Chief: How many times do I have to tell you? That “Haunting” thing was a stress delusion caused by hating the ghost boy too much.
Ricky: Why shouldn’t I hate him? He humiliated me! I just wanted payback, before the town had no idea I existed; now they hate me because of him! (This moment, a shadow from behind starts moving in closer...)
Chief: That’s it! (Grabs Ricky’s right arm) You’re coming whether either of us wants it or not!
(As Ricky tries to break free, the shadow lunges out of the ground and onto Ricky; slowly moving all over his body; in one instant, his arm becomes longer, black and more muscular; the Chief looks back to see his son now a monster; Haunting grabs his father by the neck and puts him head first into the trash can; he then walks over to the car and lifts it by the side, turning it upside down)
Haunting: (Laughing) The Haunting has returned! I knew it was no delusion! (Walks over the right brick wall and starts climbing it Spidey-style) Looks out Danny Boy... (Scene shifts upward to show Haunting’s face as he climbs up) Cause Haunting has returned to the land of the living... and making sure you leave it for good! (As he crawls, the black between his eyes covers the screen)
End of Opener</u></b>

(It’s supposed to be morning, but a thunderstorm has covered the sun, bringing Haunting protection from sunlight; Ricky walks down the street of central Amity Park, now clean and with clean looking clothes)
Ricky: If I’m right, she spends most time around here. (He walks into an alleyway and in that moment, a purple ghost net comes out of nowhere, trapping Ricky; from within the net we see his face smiling evilly) Bingo... (His eyes glow green and his teeth show vampire fangs) Time to show her who deserves the honor of Danny's destroyer.
(Out of nowhere now comes Valerie Gray in her ghost hunting outfit)
Valerie: (Putting her fist on her waist) Ricky Johnson. The 18 year-old who lied about Danny Phantom for revenge. Soon as I turn you in to your dad, I’ll collect the reward and go after Phantom myself, because I have what it takes, more than you do. (She pulls the net off and to her surprise and fear, she sees Haunting, roaring in her face with his tongue lashing out) Whoa! (Haunting grabs her by the neck and tosses her further down the alleyway; he sticks to the right wall with his feet and right hand)
Haunting: (About Danny) I want him dead more, Gray! That’s why I came to tell you. (Valerie gets up) It’s not that you’re not good enough... it’s that you’re too good to live with hate. (He starts wall crawling towards her) Oh yeah, I know all about you. You lost your popularity, I had none; you lost everything, I had nothing but lost more. My reasons are better than yours. Bottom line: I wanna kill the Phantom; you wanna kill the Phantom. Unlike you, I’d rip apart every man; woman, child, ghost etc. just to get rid of him. Stay away or I’ll have to literally eliminate the competition. (Valerie refuses to listen and aims her right arm blaster at him) Or, you’re dimwit of a genius daddy would have to pay for you like always. (Valerie gasps in fear) Understand?
Valerie: (Glares for a moment, then with sadness and anger lowers her arm) Yes...
Haunting: Good girl... (Haunting flies away, leaving a shamed Valerie; new scene of Haunting crouching on the edge of a building dissolves in, looking down at the city) Time to find that brat and replace "Danny" in the D of DP with Dead!
Vlad: (Off screen) Viciously seeking revenge? I think I’ve found a kindred spirit. (Haunting looks back and sees Vlad Plasmius standing behind him) Haunting, right? Allow me to introduce myself.
Haunting: No need, I know you through Danny’s memories. You found my shade.
Vlad: And let it go back to you, you owe me. (Vlad’s smile is replaced with slight fear when Haunting grabs his face)
Haunting: I owe you nothing! Unlike Danny Phantom, Haunting shows no honor or respect to anyone! (Let’s go and starts walking away from Vlad)
Vlad: Oh, surely as enemies of Daniel, we can work out an agreement.
Haunting: (Looking over his shoulder) Enemies? You, Skulker, Technus, Ember and all of those pitiful excuses of enemies respect Danny enough to hide his secret. (Turns around, points at Vlad) I on the other hand would blow it to the Earth if it means blowing his head off!
Vlad: Surely, if you help me, I’ll help you remove the shadow of its weaknesses... (Close up of his smiling face) like the sun.
Haunting: Weaknesses? (Ponders for a moment) I’m listening... (Vlad smiles)
(Fentonworks backyard; three stuffed Box Ghost dummies on sticks are in a row; someone fires an ice blast at the dummy in the far left; we see that person with blue smoke coming out of his hands, Danny Phantom)
Danny: (To an unseen person to his left) Your turn.
(Pan to the right, Dani Phantom extends her right arm and uses some force... until a small cold gust comes out of her hand)
Dani: Ah, man!
(Tucker hops over the fence, while Sam just opens the wooden door)
Tucker: Don’t worry, it took Danny months to learn that power, I bet you need more practice.
Dani: (Glaring; to Danny) Can I?
Danny: (Smiling) Sure. (Dani flies to behind Tucker and fires her little cold gust on his back, causing him to shiver uncontrollably; Dani giggles)
Sam: (To Danny) Shouldn’t we be going now? We have a field trip!
Danny: In a minute, while my cousin tortures Tucker with the cold.
(Meanwhile, within a room resembling an office; Vlad sits at the desk while Ricky sits in front in a chair)
Ricky: What do you want, old man?
Vlad: Simple... two things. (Maddie, Vlad’s cat, comes in, hopping on Vlad’s lap, and then she is petted by her owner) One: Don’t ever call me old man! Second... (Turns the screen on his table to Ricky, showing a huge UFO like object) The Solaris engine; it holds the power of the sun and generates its own sunlight for power. With these thunderstorms, you can walk out in broad daylight... well, if there was light.
Ricky: Fine... I’ll grab the engine. (Gets up and starts to walk to the door, but stops and looks over his shoulder) You better keep your end of the bargain, old man. (Transforms into Haunting and phases through the floor)
Vlad: Oh I hate him already. I’ll be glad to give him his... cure. (Laughs)
(Axion Labs with several school buses and crowds of kids outside it; inside the presentation room are rows of chairs with students sitting in them, Danny, Sam and Tucker sit together as Damon Gray walks onto the stage)
Damon: Thank you all for coming to learn of our fabulous new invention. I give you... (Points to the left; curtains pull away to reveal the device Vlad has shown Ricky in the earlier scene) The Solaris Engine! (Silence from students, cricket chirping) It collects energy from the sun and creates its own sunlight. (Silence; Valerie Gray in the front row quietly applauds; alarms go off) Was it something I said?
(The front wall behind the chairs is smashed from the top; a muscular figure stands in the dusty cloud; when our three heroes look up, Danny instantly recognizes this being)
Danny: No... (Haunting fully appears out of the smoke) It can’t be!
Damon: Everyone, single file out of the doors. (The students get up and make a break for it in large groups) or... all at once.
(During the crowds that are now outside, Danny stops Sam and Tucker to tell them something)
Danny: You guys go... I’ll stop Haunting.
Sam: By yourself?!
Tucker: (Pulls out his cell phone) I can call Danielle!
Danny: No... (Looks over his right shoulder and his eyes glow green) This is personal.
(Back inside, Haunting jumps onto the ground; the camera views Haunting by the face close up and he stands on all fours, his head tilted a bit to his right, smiling with his fanged mouth)
Haunting: Give me the engine... and I’ll leave enough of you to identify.
Damon: (To Valerie, who remained behind) Valerie, call the Guys in White.
Valerie: What about you, daddy?
Damon: I can’t let that... “Thing” get the engine! (Pulls out a ghost gun)
(Valerie makes a break for it, but not before one last glance of Haunting, crawling on all fours at the engine, before heading into a fire escape door)
(Damon aims the gun at Haunting, yet a blast of ice from that creature freezes the gun and hand in a chunk of ice, Haunting grabs him by the neck and lifts him up)
Haunting: Does a normal human like you think he can stop me?
Danny: (Off screen) Maybe he can’t, muscle head! (Haunting looks behind his right should to see Danny Phantom flying at him; exactly to feet away from Haunting, Danny’s ghost tail returns to being his legs as he kicks Haunting away, thus making release Damon, who runs away) But I can! I’ve done it before... (Makes a ghost charged fist) And so help me I’ll do it again!
Haunting: (Tapping his left trigger finger on the side of his head for every syllable he says next while crouching) I remember! (He stands up now making fists with his hands) That’s all I could think about frozen in the dark loneliness of Earth and outer space!
(Haunting fires a ghost ray from his left fist that Danny dodges, then Danny flies in directly at Haunting; Haunting then does something unknown and spits out a green slime that traps Danny and sticks him to the wall)
Danny: (Struggling to get free) Eww... What is this; an evil loogie? Wait, he couldn’t do these before? Has he gotten stronger than last time?
Haunting: (Pointing at Danny) No more sunlight to help you! This time, fate will not favor you like last time! This time... (Walks slowly towards Danny with his claws ready to slash, fear comes to Danny’s face) Haunting will not leave until he finishes the job... (Close up of Haunting as he smiles, the close up goes all the way to blackness of his forehead)
End of Chapter 1


(Danny is still trapped in the ectoplasmic “snot” as he tries to break out with Haunting now standing a foot away)
Haunting: Danny boy... (He bends down to speak to Danny) Your demise will make me... so happy. (Smiles with his tongue sticking out, hissing like a snake)
(Suddenly a blast pushes Haunting away from Danny; Danny looks to his right to see who fired that blast, its Valerie Gray in her hunting suit)
Valerie: Happy hour’s over, big mouth!
Danny: (Finally breaking free and standing up) Uh... thanks?
Haunting: I told you not to get in my way! Only my revenge is meant to happen, but now Danny will be sharing his fate with you! (Fires a ghost ray)
Valerie: (Dodging) I don’t care who wants revenge on who! It’s my job to protect Amity Park from monsters like you... and lately, I’ve realized not all monsters are just ghosts.
Haunting: No job is worth facing me! I’ll rip that suit apart with you in it! (Suddenly, from above, Danny Phantom fires a ghost ray at Haunting; Haunting screeches in anger, though not from pain, but anger that Danny is still alive; pan to the wall behind Haunting, we see a robotic bug of Vlad’s that is watching; new scene of Vlad Masters watching this from his computer)
Vlad: I knew this would happen... (Pushes a button on his desk and speaks into it) Skulker, stop skulking and tell that fool to finish the job.
(Back to the battle, Haunting throws Valerie into the chairs while he turns around, grabbing Danny by the neck and lifts him)
Danny: Valerie! He reacts to... sunlight!
Valerie: (Getting up) I got just the thing! (Pushes a button on her wrist that activates a black cylindrical object on her right shoulder) Solar lantern, normally used to brighten places, but I amplify it... (The light fires like a small laser, hitting Haunting in the back, causing him to scream and let go off Danny; Haunting turns around steps away in pain; suddenly an arrow hits the lantern, destroying it; Danny looks up to see the marksman who fired, Skulker)
Skulker: (To Haunting) You have your orders, so do them.
Haunting: I don’t take orders from anyone, not even Plasmius!
Danny: (Looks away in thought) Vlad... (Suddenly a metal arm grabs his shoulder and lifts him)
Skulker: I will always have time for this... (Suddenly a huge black hand pulls Skulker by the head and into his face)
Haunting: Your time ended before it ever started! You lay a finger on him before I exterminate him... I’ll make sure that finger is all that’s left of you! (Skulker shows some fear, especially when Haunting throws him into the chairs, Haunting grabs the engine, but not before looking over his shoulder to speak to Danny) This isn’t over... (Lifts it and flies away, going intangible; Skulker soon follows)
Danny: Count on it.
Valerie: (Aiming her arm blaster at Danny) Alright Phantom, how did Ricky Johnson-
Danny: (Interrupting her and walking away) Not in the mood. (Valerie just watches in confusion as he leaves)
(Vlad’s office; Haunting puts down the engine)
Haunting: My side of the deal is paid... now my reward!
Vlad: Ah yes... It seems your obsession with wasting Daniel clouds your control over yourself... (Smiles) So I’ll do it for you. (Pushes a button on his desk that launches something from the wall that wraps around Haunting by the neck)
Haunting: (Grabbing the leash) What is this?!
Vlad: A shock collar... I was saving it for Daniel, but you’ll do. It releases 30,000 megavolts, enough to kill a human. But this Dark-Shadow of yours will protect... though it still hurts. You serve me now. Go take a break.
Haunting: Fine idea, I’ll break you; since Haunting obeys no one! (Vlad pulls out a remote with a red button that causes the collar to activate, shocking Haunting) Okay, I accept you as my master! (The shocking ends; Haunting reverts back to Ricky and walks to the door) You better save that remote Vlad, because when you drop your guard... just know I added your name to my revenge list. (Walks out the door)
Vlad: (Stands erect) You can quit skulking now... (Skulker walks out from nowhere, wearing an arm cast and a bandage around his head)
Skulker: That monster almost did worst to me!
Vlad: I’m still keeping an eye on him. (Smiles) He’s a powerful pawn and ally... (Shows his seriousness when he stops smiling) But his obsession with revenge on Danny Phantom is stronger and more evil than any enemy that boy has ever encountered.
(Speaking of Danny; Casper High, the three walk down the halls, Danny looking very scared)
Sam: Danny, will you relax?
Danny: How can I? Haunting is back and still wants revenge. (Thunderstorm lightning hits the school causing black out inside; scream are heard; we see the eyes of Tucker and Sam, Sam’s eyes look happy)
Sam: Ah, my favorite part of a storm. (The light comes back and all students have run out, except Sam and Tucker; Danny is nowhere to be seen) Ah man.
Tucker: Danny? (The locker behind them opens; Danny crawls out and gets up, Tucker laughs) Danny, are you suddenly afraid of the dark?
Danny: No! (Obviously the seriousness shows on Danny’s face as Tucker stops smiling) It’s just that every time I enter a dark place... I keep thinking he’s going to be there, ready to rip my head off or something. (Danny walks away; Sam and Tucker both look worried)
Sam: Haunting's here... (Tucker screams quickly and jumps into the locker, slamming it closed; Sam smiles) Couldn't help it...
(Hours later in Fentonworks; Jack is in the kitchen fixing up something)
Jack: (To Danielle in the living room, who watches television) How spicy do you want your noodles?!
Danielle: (Sitting on the sofa) Very! (Sees something in the news the makes her gasp)
Shelly Makamoto: (On the news) And this was the scene earlier at Axion, as (A shot of Danny battling Haunting is shown) Danny Phantom battled with a bizarre creature that resembled Danny Phantom as he was... (Shot of the Dark-Shadow Danny is shown) months ago, whether is a connection or not is unknown. The creature calls itself “Haunting”.
Danielle: What the heck? (Doorbell rings) I’ll get it! (She opens the door and freezes in fear when she sees who it is)
Ricky: Fenton here?
Danielle: NO... No he’s not!
(They are both distracted at them moment by the news, showing Axion Labs, where several cars, parents and students are)
Shelly: And we are live with Axion as the parents complaining how a ghost attack occurred and harmed their children. (The Fenton RV drives into the scene, coming out is Maddie with Danny; back to the two, Ricky smiles evilly)
Ricky: It’s amazing how informative the news is nowadays. (Leaves)
Danielle: Uh oh... (Slams the door close and runs up the stairs, we see a “Going ghost” flash, Jack walks in with a bowl of pasta)
Jack: I made it spicy! (Notices Danielle is gone) Danielle? (Short pause) Ah well... (Sits on the couch) More for me! (Pulls out the fork and eats some pasta, then creams with fire coming out of his mouth for a second, then sighs in relief and eats another mouthful of pasta)
(Ricky is then seen walking down the street; from his left we see him by the side walking as he is then blocked out of our view by a passing trailer truck, then as it passes, Haunting stands where Ricky just was, then flies upwards)
(Axion labs; outside, dissolve to inside; several parents and their children crowd to Damon Gray, who stands in the middle with his daughter, Valerie; Maddie walks up pushing Danny by his shoulders)
Maddie: Explain, Mr. Gray, how a ghost managed to get past your ghost proof walls and get away with the Solaris Engine, arguably the most powerful source of energy on Earth?
Damon: I assure you, Mrs. Fenton, we had no idea this would happen.
Chief of GIW: (Off Screen) I would have assured more! (The entire crowd turns around to see Chief Johnson of the GIW walking in through the double doors and walk straight up to Damon) If your daughter had called us instead of some incompetent hunter who makes Jack Fenton look like a master... (Valerie growls) That creature would be a goner now! Licking its wounds in the Ghost Zone.
Damon: I’m sorry... (In a bit of anger) Both my daughter and the hunter have little tolerance for greedy bottom feeders!
Chief: Bottom?! How dare you refer to me as that!
Valerie: Look, sir. That “creature” wasn’t as much of ghost as it looked. It was...
Chief: (To Valerie, in a rude tone) I’m sorry, but was I talking to you?! Besides, I know exactly who that thing was. I must say, I’m not surprised my son would be pathetic enough to try and be a ghost.
Damon: That thing was your son?!
Maddie: (Giggles) Impossible... humans can’t have ghost powers.
Chief: (Still rude) Says the woman married to one of the biggest idiots on Earth.
Maddie: How dare you-
Chief: Call me daring. (To the other parents in the room) I doubt any of you could handle a ghost like that any better than Jack can and he's a fool. You are all worthless except for us to be paid to help you! (Everyone in the room now glares at him)
Mrs. Manson: Excuse me... (Walking up behind him is Mrs. Manson) How dare you speak to us in this manner!
Mr. Foley: (Also behind him) Yeah, just because your head off a government team-
Chief: It’s not that- It makes me feel good. I was a bit of a bully in my day.
Dash: (Jumping out of the crowd) Yeah!
Chief: I would even prank the idiot quarterbacks.
Dash: (Angrily) Boo!
Chief: (Walking back up to Valerie) Back to the topic... I don’t care if it is my son; he was a trouble maker anyway.
(Speaking of Ricky, or Haunting; he is flying above several buildings now, heading up to Axion Labs.)
Haunting: Bingo!
(Back inside; Chief still continues)
Chief J: While some idiots would blame this on Danny Phantom, others, like myself, could see how is really to blame. I don’t care if he’s my kid, he-
(He is interrupted when something breaks down from the roof, Haunting, landing right in front of Chief)
Haunting: Why if it isn’t my old man! (He grabs him when Chief makes a break for it by the leg and lifts him) The perfect practice dummy! (Turns his head to see Danny walking backwards away from him) Ah and here’s the grand prize! (Turns around and spits another blast of his greenish ectoplasmic goop that traps Danny to the wall) Boy, do I feel like a winner! (Lifts his father and is ready to throw him across the room; but stops to speak to the crowd, who is gasping) This is the part where you all run away...
(Listening to him, everyone screams and makes a break for it out the doors and even the windows)
(Haunting is ready to strike his father, until a red light from a Fenton Bazooka held by Maddie Fenton appears on his chest)
Maddie: Drop him. (Pulls out the lipstick laser from her side pouch and throws it Valerie; to Valerie) Use it to free Danny. (To Haunting) I don’t know what this is about, but it ends here.
(Valerie runs towards Danny and uses the small blaster on the sides of the slime to free him)
Valerie: For a not so great hunter, your mom makes cool gadgets.
Danny: (Taking slight offense) Ahem...
Valerie: Get some water when you get out. (Danny glares)
Maddie: Ricky, please drop him. I can tell you two need some father-son counseling, but you need to drop him, or I will fire.
Chief: (Scared out of his mind) Yeah, Rick... D-Do-Don’t hurt me... Y-Y-You always meant the world to me! F-FF-Forget that rejecting the $2,000 reward for finding you! (Haunting lets go, reverting back into Ricky, the chief runs; while passing Maddie) Stay away from him, Fenton! (Runs out)
(While this happens, Valerie finally cuts through and frees Danny as he jumps out of his slimy trap)
Valerie: Run, Danny. Your mom can handle this... with a little help.
Danny: Okay, I’ll run... (Runs out through the back door behind them) but not before Haunting and I have a little rematch... (Eyes glow green)
(Back inside)
Maddie: I don’t know what happened to you, or how you can do this, but you can’t get away with it.
Ricky: Destiny has chosen me to claim revenge on Danny Phantom, because all of his foes are too pathetic to do the job. They are too busy with other idiot plans and a useless conscience.
Valerie: You think hurting innocent lives make you special?!
Ricky: Innocent or guilty; human or ghost. I don’t care who it is, all will suffer if I don’t claim revenge on- (He looks up in surprise to see just the ghost he was looking for, hovering above them) DANNY PHANTOM!!! (Snarling in rage, Ricky transforms into Haunting and flies at Danny at full speed, with his mouth open and his tongue lashing out)
(Outside Axion Labs is a parking lot, off-screen crash; the lot is now totaled when out the sky is Danny Phantom crashing into a blue Mazda-like card as Haunting lands in front a few feet away; Haunting grabs a nearby red Camaro-like car by the front and lifts it, swinging it back by his right, screaming in anger and throws it at Danny)
(Danny flies up fast before any injuries occur from the car and fires a ghost ray at Haunting; Haunting fires his own ray, while growling, with his left fist and the two blasts collide, unfortunately, Haunting fired a blast that pushes back Danny’s attack while still hitting its prime target, Danny; Danny falls onto the ground)
Haunting: (Walks up to Danny and lifts his left leg) Bye-bye! (Laughs evilly as the camera shows from below his foot as it comes smashing down on it)
End of Chapter 2