Danny hovered in the chilly night air, his breath visible even in his ghostly form as the sudden choo choo of a train broke the silence. His glowing green eyes scanned the scene below, and his jaw nearly dropped when he spotted an old-fashioned steam train sitting in the middle of the city. It hissed and let out steam, the metal shining under the dim streetlights.
The train wasn't on any tracks—it simply existed, defying logic. Even stranger, people were coming out of their homes, drawn to it like moths to a flame. From children clutching stuffed animals to elderly men leaning on canes, they shuffled toward the train, their eyes glazed as if in a trance.
"What the fuck is this?" Danny muttered, narrowing his eyes as he descended toward the scene. "The Polar Express or the Galactic Express?" He tried to lighten his own mood with the joke, but his gut churned with unease. This wasn't right.
As he approached the train, a deep, gravelly voice barked out. "Hey, hey! This is the expressway to Beast Zone, and you're not on the list, so scram!"
Danny turned to see a ghost—hulking, muscular, and armed to the teeth. The specter wore a hunter's uniform, a shotgun slung across his back, knives strapped to his legs, and pistols holstered on each hip. His hardened expression made it clear he wasn't about to let anyone through without authorization.
Danny crossed his arms. "Oh, then I guess I'll have to talk to your manager."
The ghost narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth to reply, but Danny wasn't in the mood to wait. "He is allowed," Danny quipped and socked the ghost square in the jaw. The hunter staggered, but before he could retaliate, Danny wrapped him in an ectoplasmic rope, yanking him forward.
"You've been downgraded to cargo," Danny said coldly before summoning his ghostly sword. With a quick, decisive strike, he pierced the ghost's core and absorbed his essence, feeling a small surge of power course through him.
However, as Danny turned his attention to the train, he quickly realized the real challenge. The train itself seemed impervious to his attacks. He threw everything he had at it—ectoblasts, ghostly punches, and even a powerful Rasengan he'd picked up from Naruto—but nothing left so much as a scratch on its shimmering exterior.
"This thing's indestructible," Danny muttered, frustration bubbling in his chest. He flew to the train's door, trying to stop the hypnotized humans from boarding. The task became a race against time as more and more people approached the train, their expressions blank and their movements mechanical.
Danny worked tirelessly, pulling people away from the train and gently laying them on the pavement. He threw out the few passengers who had already made it inside, hoping to break their trance. It was exhausting, and as the minutes ticked by, he could feel the strain wearing on him.
Then, with a low rumble, the train began to stir. Its whistle blew, signaling departure, and before Danny could even attempt to intervene again, the entire train shimmered and disappeared into a swirling portal. The sudden silence was deafening.
Danny hovered in the empty street, his fists clenched. "Damn it," he muttered. He hated feeling powerless, and this encounter had reminded him just how much more he needed to grow.
"I need more power," Danny said to himself, determination hardening his resolve.
As he floated back into the night sky, Danny couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that this was only the beginning. The Beast Zone train, and whatever it represented, was a problem that wouldn't go away easily.
'I need more power or soon more trouble will pop up. I should check the list and hunt down the ghosts in the human world during the day.' Danny thought as unlike the ghosts he could still use his weapons to damage them.
Danny groggily woke up to the sound of the school bell ringing, his eyes barely open as he stretched in his seat. The previous night's events had taken a toll on his energy levels, and Naruto's constant barrage of advice didn't help either. He yawned and rubbed his eyes, muttering to himself, "Happy Sleep Time is my favorite class!"
His gaze lazily drifted toward Sam, who was sitting next to him, looking amused at his disheveled state. "Hey, Sam," Danny started, his voice still thick with sleep, "I just had this crazy dream where we all live in a world where crimes and other such problems were solved by the police... and not by teenagers and costumed heroes. Imagine how messed up that would be."
"Pretty messed up, Danny," Sam replied dryly, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips as she shook her head at his antics.
Danny smirked, looking over to Tucker, who was busy fiddling with his calculator, clearly distracted. "So, what happened in class today, Sam?" he asked, fully aware that Tucker's attention was completely on his latest "discovery."
"Well," Sam began, clearly entertained by Tucker's antics, "Tucker learned how to write 'boobies' on his calculator."
"I am a sorcerer!" Tucker declared with pride, showing off his calculator to the group like it was some kind of magical artifact.
Danny let out a laugh, "Classic Tucker. And what else?"
Sam rolled her eyes but grinned. "The teacher told us that a dangerous criminal escaped from prison today."
Danny raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Really? What did he do? Murder? Robbery?"
Sam shook her head, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Much worse. He posted an anime parody on the Internet."
Danny's eyes widened in mock horror. "Jesus! That is the single worst thing a person could possibly do!"
Sam nodded solemnly. "Yeah, they're even thinking about bringing back the death penalty."
Danny looked at her like she had just handed him the most absurd thing he'd heard all day. "Man, all this talk about capital punishment is making me hungry. Let's go to a fast food restaurant."
Tucker perked up, clearly on the same wavelength. "Yeah! Food sounds way better than talking about criminals."
Sam, however, wasn't as convinced. "I don't know, Danny, it might be kinda dangerous out there." Her eyes narrowed, obviously worried about the state of the city—especially with things like criminal escapes happening.
Danny shot her a mischievous grin. "Don't be a bitch, bitch," he teased, nudging her playfully. "It's just a fast food run. What could go wrong?"
Tucker, ever the calculator wizard, adjusted his device and muttered, "Now it just says 'boobs.'" He chuckled at his success, clearly pleased with himself.
As the conversation continued, they were joined by Paulina, Star, and Dash, who strolled over with an air of curiosity. Paulina, as usual, looked as if she were above the antics, but even she couldn't help but be slightly entertained. "So, is this how you bond with each other?" she asked, glancing from Danny to Sam and Tucker. "If so, it was quite amusing."
Star, who had been silently observing, chimed in. "It was hilarious! And I would love to see you guys play around like that more."
Dash, standing a little straighter, looked at Danny with an almost formal air. "Sir, may I have permission to accompany you?"
Danny gave him a confused look for a moment before grinning. "Sure, Dash. We'll even let you join our 'boobies' calculator club if you want." He nudged Sam with a wink, the joke only growing more ridiculous as their group continued to get bigger and louder.
The group made their way into Burger World, and as always, Tucker couldn't help but announce their arrival with his usual flair. "Here we are at Burger World!" he declared with dramatic enthusiasm, even though they'd been there countless times.
"Yeah, Tucker, you really don't have to announce it every time we go somewhere new," Sam muttered, clearly over his antics.
Tucker didn't skip a beat. "Here we are at sidewalk!" he added, earning a groan from Sam.
As they walked inside, they were greeted by two familiar faces in their Burger World uniforms. Tristan, the tall jock with brown hair, gave them a big smile, while Alice, the girl with tanned skin and tight clothes, flashed them an equally cheerful greeting. Danny couldn't help but give Alice a lingering look—she definitely stood out in her uniform, and he wasn't the only one who noticed.
"Wait, you guys are working here?" Sam raised an eyebrow, her voice dripping with disbelief. "Talk about undignified."
"I have plenty of dignity!" Tristan retorted, clearly offended.
Before the conversation could continue, an older voice called from the back. "Taylor!"
"Yes, sir?" Tristan responded.
"Some old lady made a mess in the bathroom. I need you to clean it up," came the order.
"Can I use a mop this time?" Tristan asked hopefully.
"What does this look like, a mop store? Use your shirt like always!" the manager shot back.
"Thanks, Obama," Tristan muttered, clearly resigned to his fate.
The group couldn't help but laugh at the scene, the casual back-and-forth making the atmosphere in the restaurant feel unexpectedly lighthearted. As they took a seat at an empty table, they noticed how much fun the manager seemed to have while working with his staff.
"Here we are at table!" Tucker exclaimed, once again taking his role as tour guide a little too seriously.
Sam rolled her eyes, but she was smiling despite herself. "I just can't get over how good Alice looks in her uniform," Dash commented, his voice a little too impressed for Sam's liking.
"Yeah, it's slightly less revealing than her regular clothes," Sam muttered under her breath as she sat down beside Danny. Paulina sat on Danny's left, looking comfortable and happy, while Star squeezed herself into the already-crowded space. Star seemed to consider sitting on Danny's lap for a second but thought better of it, knowing that would probably start a battle royale.
As they settled in, Alice brought over their food, though her expression was far from friendly. "Here's your food! I hope you like ketchup!" she said, her tone almost aggressive as she glared at Dash, who was trying his best to avoid eye contact.
"Actually, I have an allergy that causes me to go into anaphylactic—" Dash started, but Alice didn't seem to care, her attitude only growing more intense.
"What did you do?" Danny whispered to Dash, using his enhanced hearing so only Dash could hear.
"Nothing," Dash muttered, clearly confused by Alice's hostility.
"Yummy! Lots and lots of ketchup! Remember to tip your waitress!" Alice added with a sharp tone, clearly still annoyed with Dash.
Danny smirked at his friend's misfortune. "I give the God 10%, why should I give you 18?" he joked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"That's pretty fucked up, Danny," Tucker chimed in, clearly amused.
"Pretty fucked up, Tucks," Danny agreed.
"Why you workin' here, anyway, Alice?" Paulina asked, her voice warm as she wrapped her hand around Danny's, ignoring the drama unfolding at the table. She was content with him by her side, though the chaos from the others wasn't exactly ideal.
"I'm trying to raise enough money to become a famous dancer in New York Cit-ayyyyy!" Alice replied with exaggerated enthusiasm. "With this job, it should only take about 75 years!"
"Thanks, Obama," Tristan muttered from the register, his voice filled with dry humor.
"Yeah, and who wouldn't want to pay to see a beautiful woman shakin' her money maker?" Tucker added, giving Alice an exaggerated wink.
"Ah, that torments my Obelisk," Danny muttered under his breath, though his words were aimed more at himself than anyone else.
"You are much better than I thought, Dash," Danny teased.
"You too, sir. I must have been blind to these traits," Dash responded with mock seriousness.
"Oh, you make me blush, but do continue," Danny said, playing along, his grin wide.
"Heh, I think we can get along well, sir," Dash replied with a smile.
"You really enjoy doing that?" Danny asked, still amused.
"It gets the job done," Dash said with a shrug, clearly enjoying the banter.
As the conversation continued, Star suddenly grabbed Danny's face, pulling him toward her before kissing him deeply. The action caught everyone off guard, almost causing an impromptu battle royale at the table. Danny had to quickly restrain the girls with a few long, breath-stealing kisses, trying to keep things under control.
"All in a day's work," Danny said with a grin, clearly unbothered by the chaos he had just navigated.
The rest of the group burst into laughter, but for Danny, it was just another normal, chaotic day with his friends.