Portals 2: A Thief's Curse

Attacked

"Are you kidding me?" Danny Fenton leaned against the hood of a car, an eyebrow raised as a van skidded to a park down the block from Fenton Works. The side read "Repair Guys in White." The driver side door was thrown open and a man jumped out, his white blazer and black tie shoddily hidden under a set of overalls.

The man marched down the block and rapped his knuckles against the door, standing at attention on the door stoop.

Danny cocked his head. "Can I help you?"

The man turned on his heel and frowned. "Are you the principal homeowner?"

"Principal—" He scrunched up his nose. "What if I am?"

"We are here to replace the burst pipe in this home's basement." The man said in an overly-rehearsed tone.

"I see." Danny choked back a laugh. "What if I said there wasn't a burst pipe?"

He paled. "You are wrong?"

"Are we off script?" Danny laughed in earnest. "Come on, I'm waiting on my girlfriend, I can't do this right now."

"I must repair the burst pipe," the man repeated.

"Don't you know Fenton Works is haunted?"

"I have come prepared." He pulled a lunchbox off his belt.

"You brought lunch?"

"No, it is a trap, modeled after the thermos Danny Phantom carries around. Any ghost that comes near will be captured and dissected molecule by molecule in our lab." The man stopped. "I mean, in our repair shop."

"Of course." Danny rubbed his chin. "Molecule by molecule, huh? It's been a while since I heard that."

"So are you the principal homeowner?"

Danny spread his arms. "Do I look like the principal homeowner?"

The man blanched. "I guess not." He tried the doorknob. "Do you know where the homeowners are?" He turned back, but Danny had vanished. He glanced up and down the street, but the boy had vanished. Frowning, he pounded on the door again, then squealed as a gloved hand closed around his ankle. The man jumped down the porch steps, raced back to his van, and tore off down the street as Danny Phantom floated out of the concrete porch, cackling as he turned tangible again.

"Oh, wait until I tell Tuck about this," he mused aloud, then glanced back as the front door's lock clicked.

"What's happening? What's haunted?" Jack Fenton threw open the door, catching Danny in the face and sending him crashing against the building's outer brick.

"I am," Danny mumbled, dazed.

"Danny boy!" Jack peeled Danny off the wall and wrapped him in a hug. "I'm sorry, did I hurt you?"

"No, it's cool, Dad. I should know better than to stand behind a door with you around." He rubbed his face and shook his head as he stared at his silver gloves. "Jeez, I don't know if this will ever be normal."

"So what was haunted?" Jack glanced around. "Where's the ghost?"

"I'm right here." Danny pressed a hand to the logo on his chest. "I was just trying to scare away a Guy in White."

"You shouldn't have to do that." Jack somehow pulled an ectoblaster from inside his skin tight orange jumpsuit. "I'll take care of him. No government agent is going to lay a hand on my son!"

"I've dealt with it already, Dad." Danny tossed his head back as the silver ring traveled up his form, then landed on the porch with ease. "I'm fine."