[Third Person's PoV]
Location: Fenton Works
Date: January 14th
Time: 12: 20 PM
Batman stood before the giant portal that had caused Danny's mutation, his cape billowing slightly in the ventilation breeze. In his hands was an energy signature device, its screen glowing faintly in the dim light. His sharp eyes scanned the readings with precision.
"Ectoplasm…" Batman muttered, narrowing his eyes. His voice was low, tinged with intrigue and caution. "A new element to take into consideration."
The screen blinked violently, and the energy readings spiked off the charts. His eyebrows furrowed as the portal began to shimmer and pulse with renewed intensity. Suddenly, the unstable vortex solidified, spiraling into life with a roar of displaced air. Batman instinctively dropped into a defensive stance, his cape billowing as his hands hovered over his utility belt.
From the swirling green portal, a head poked out—a wizened old woman with green skin, her hair tied in a loose bun under a fishnet shawl. She peered around curiously, her ethereal form glowing faintly.
"Hello, dear…" the ghostly woman said softly, her voice almost grandmotherly. "What are you doing here?"
Batman's jaw tightened, his stance unwavering as he scrutinized her with suspicion. "I could ask you the same," he replied, his gravelly voice laced with authority.
"Oh, you know," the ghost said nonchalantly, waving a translucent hand. "Saw an opening and thought I'd poke my head in." She suddenly perked up, her eyes widening with delight as she turned her gaze to the side. "Oh, my stars—IT'S LUNCHTIME!"
Before Batman could react, she darted forward, phasing effortlessly through the wall.
"Wait!" he barked, lunging to intercept her, but his hands grasped nothing but air as she vanished from sight.
"Damn it," he muttered under his breath, sprinting up the stairs toward the rooftop. Reaching it, he saw the ghostly figure already far in the distance. Clicking his tongue in annoyance, Batman activated his communicator.
---
Location: Gotham Academy
Date: January 14th
Time: 12:25 PM
Danny stood in the cafeteria line, a lunch tray in his hands, his shoulders slouched from exhaustion. Behind him was Sam, and Tucker stood just ahead. Danny's muscles ached from the grueling training session the day before, making even holding the tray a challenge.
Tucker sighed, fishing a crumpled five-dollar bill from his pocket. "Man, all this can get me is a chicken sandwich. Talk about a school built for the rich."
"What are you talking about?" Sam chimed in. "The vegan options are pretty affordable."
Tucker gave her a deadpan look. "Do I look like a vegan?"
Danny yawned, trying to shake off his fatigue. "Don't worry, Tucker. I'll cover it. Bruce gave me an allowance."
Tucker's eyes lit up. "Really?! Wow, I almost forgot. Look at you, living the high life now." He nudged Danny playfully as the line moved forward.
Danny shook his head with a small smile. "Not really. If I blow it all, Bruce won't give me any more for the week. He's trying to teach me how to manage money."
Sam grinned. "Imagine that. Billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne teaching life lessons."
Tucker smirked. "If only he taught you how to score with the ladies, huh?"
Danny chuckled, shaking his head. "Now that's a lesson I wouldn't mind."
"Don't be gross," Sam scoffed, rolling her eyes.
Reaching the counter, Danny paid for Tucker's meal. Sam declined his offer to pay for hers, insisting she had it covered. They grabbed their food and headed for a table, but Danny stopped abruptly, his breath visible in a faint, icy blue wisp.
His eyes widened in alarm.
The Lunch lady ghost popped her head through the ceiling of the cafeteria and looked around with interest, she looked at Menu and her eyes nearly popped out of her head.
"I have to use the bathroom! Here hold this, don't eat it!" Danny said, handing his lunch towards Tucker and rushing out of the cafeteria, which earned him weird looks by both staff and students.
"WHAT THE HELL AM I LOOKING AT!?!" The Lunch lady exclaimed, as Danny ran out, looking at the menu.
The Lunch Lady Ghost's shrill voice echoed across the cafeteria, freezing everyone in their tracks. Her spectral form fully materialized as she hovered near the lunch counter, glaring at the menu with bulging, fiery green eyes. Her yellow-gloved arms shook with indignation as she read aloud, her voice growing louder with each word.
"GOURMET OPTIONS FOR THE RICH? AND WHAT ABOUT FOR THOSE THAT CAN'T AFFORD TO IT? THIS IS AN OUTRAGE!" she roared, her aura flaring bright green as the entire cafeteria seemed to shudder with her anger.
"Uh… is that a ghost?" one student stammered, clutching their tray.
"She's real?! Run!" screamed another, bolting from their seat.
The Lunch Lady's fury intensified as she glared at the plates and trays spread out across the room. "How dare they treat food—my food—this way! Such disrespect! SUCH INJUSTICE! LUNCH IS A MEAL EVERYONE SHOULD ENJOY0"
With a dramatic wave of her arm, she shouted, "RISE, MY DELICIOUS CHILDREN! TEACH THESE INGRATES A LESSON!"
At her command, chaos erupted. The food on every tray began to move, twitching and writhing unnaturally. Sandwiches sprang to life, flapping their bread like wings. Bowls of soup boiled over, sending steaming streams of broth snaking across tables like serpents. Slices of pizza shot into the air like frisbees, zooming around and narrowly missing students' heads.
Screams filled the cafeteria as students scrambled to dodge the rampaging food. Tucker dropped Danny's tray in panic as Danny's mashed potatoes morphed into a gooey, sentient blob that launched itself at his face.
"HELP! IT'S IN MY HAIR!" Tucker yelled, flailing wildly.
Sam grabbed a napkin dispenser and started swatting at the flying pizza slices. "This is exactly why I don't eat processed food!" she shouted, ducking as a rogue apple pie splattered against the wall behind her.
---
Dick Grayson crouched low beneath a cafeteria table, his sharp eyes fixed on the exit. His mind raced as he observed the chaos unfolding around him. His lips pressed into a thin line, but his thoughts betrayed his calm exterior.
"Did he sense her?" he wondered, his gaze darting to Danny's retreating figure. The realization hit him hard, and his eyes widened. "That idiot… He doesn't have any field experience."
---
Danny Fenton faced the door of the cramped stall. He took a deep breath, his lips curling into a sly smirk. "I'm going ghost," he muttered.
A bright white ring appeared around his waist, glowing like molten energy as it began to split, traveling in opposite directions. As it passed over his body, his everyday clothes transformed into sleek black-and-white spandex emblazoned with a bold "D" on his chest. His once-black hair turned stark white, and when he opened his eyes, they gleamed with an intense, ghostly green light.
He let out a small chuckle, finding the situation amusing. "If only my first official transformation wasn't in a bathroom cubicle... But hey, beggars can't be choosers."
Without wasting another second, Danny phased through the stall, his body becoming intangible as he flew out of the bathroom and straight back into the cafeteria.
---
Location: Gotham Academy Cafeteria
Chaos had erupted in the cafeteria. Students screamed and scrambled for cover as the ghostly Lunch Lady hovered in midair, her hands glowing with a fierce, green energy. Tables and trays had been overturned, and food splattered across the walls as the ghost ranted about the injustice of overpriced cafeteria meals.
Danny streaked into the room, his fist cocked back. "Hey, Lunch Lady!" he called, his voice cutting through the noise like a blade.
The ghost spun to face him, her eyes narrowing in fury.
Danny grinned. "Here's a menu just for you—a knuckle sandwich!"
With a burst of speed, his fist connected with the Lunch Lady's face, sending her flying backward through the air.
POW!
She tumbled end over end before catching herself, her glowing green aura flaring brighter with rage.
From his spot under the table, Dick pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned in frustration. "Ughhh… That was so cringe. Not only did he announce his presence during a sneak attack, but he actually said 'knuckle sandwich'…" He shook his head. "This is painful to watch."
The Lunch Lady straightened herself in the air, her expression twisting into a snarl. "Don't try to stop me, Ghost Boy! Just like they've put a price on food that should be for everyone, they will pay!"
She raised her hands, and the green energy around them intensified. The entire cafeteria trembled as trays, plates, and piles of discarded food levitated into the air, merging into a monstrous creation. With a guttural roar, the creature took shape—a grotesque, towering amalgamation of various foods, its body dripping with slime-like gravy and mashed potatoes, its arms made of slabs of meat and bread.
"ROOOOOAAAAAR!" the food monster bellowed, sending globs of slimy food flying in all directions.
The students and staff who hadn't already fled screamed in terror, cowering behind overturned tables.
"What are you all still doing here?! Run while I distract it!" Danny shouted, hovering in midair and glaring at the crowd like they were idiots.
But Danny had made a rookie mistake. Rule number one of a fight: never take your eyes off the enemy.
The food monster's massive arm swung like a battering ram, slamming into Danny with the force of a freight train. He was sent hurtling across the room, crashing into the wall with a deafening CRUNCH. Dust and rubble rained down as his body was buried beneath the debris.
The monster turned its glowing green eyes back to the cowering students, preparing to attack.
Suddenly, the rubble exploded outward as Danny surged forward, tackling the creature away from the crowd. His fists glowed with ectoplasmic energy as he landed blow after blow. "GO!" he roared at the onlookers, his voice filled with urgency. A small cut appeared on his lip, but instead of blood, a bright green ectoplasmic glow seeped from the wound.
At the cafeteria doors, Dick sprang into action, throwing them open wide. "Everyone out! Follow me!" he barked, his voice commanding and sharp.
The crowd didn't need to be told twice. They bolted for the exit, sparing only a few nervous glances back as they saw Danny darting through the air, blasting green rays from his hands. The cafeteria looked like a warzone, with trays and food splattering everywhere as Danny weaved through the monster's attacks.
He twisted his torso at impossible angles, dodging a barrage of nacho ninja stars. When a mass of mashed potatoes came hurtling toward him, he turned intangible, letting the goo pass harmlessly through his body. In retaliation, he charged a glowing green blast in his hands and fired it directly at the creature's torso, punching a gaping hole through its stomach.
For a moment, Danny hovered in the air, catching his breath. Then the hole reformed, the creature regenerating in seconds.
Danny groaned, slumping slightly in midair. "Of course it regenerates. Why can't ghost fights ever be simple? And why does this have to happen during my lunch break?"
He cracked his knuckles, green energy sparking between his fingers as he prepared for round two.
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