Episode #41

Transcripted by Dennis Dunjinman

--

PART TWO

 

Ugh. Like every single Season 3 episode uploaded on TurboNick, this episode is blacked-out at the commercial (there’s not even a break, the sound somewhat bleeds in from the last part). I can’t see a thing. Someone, namely, Skyechan the Editor, will have to fill this part in for Dennis. Thanks for all your help, Skyechan.

 

Can do.

 

Fade in to Danny Phantom’s face as he yells. He suddenly flies out of the shot.

 

Cut to a shot of Danny Phantom narrowly avoiding Vlad Plasmius’ fist as he slams down onto the blue vehicle Danny was just standing on.

 

Danny looks behind him as Vlad stands up on the car.

 

VLAD: What is it you young folks say?

 

Cut to a shot of Vlad’s face.

 

VLAD: “Don’t hate, (eyes widen and raises both eyebrows) congratulate”?

 

Now we’re clear. Resuming visual.

 

Cut to Danny. He turns around, breathing heavily and totally steamed.

 

Cut to Vlad.

 

VLAD: Aw, what do I care? (changes back to Vlad Masters) Go ahead and hate.

 

Vlad turns to the side as Shelley reports.

 

SHELLEY: (offscreen) And here he is now,--

 

Cut to Vlad from behind with Danny. Danny steps away as Shelley comes in leading a crowd of voters, Jack is holding a picket sign reading “Yay Vlad!” Shelley turns to her cameraman behind her and gestures to Vlad.

 

SHELLEY: --the new mayor-elect of Amity Park, Vlad Masters!

 

Shelley drops her hand and turns to Vlad. Everyone else raises their hands to cheer.

 

CROWD: Masters! Masters!

 

Cut to Danny in a crowd full of teenagers that are too young to vote. He turns in shock as all his classmates are cheering, too.

 

CROWD: Masters! Masters!

 

Cut to Vlad with an evil smile as the cheering continues throughout. Zoom in slowly.

 

Fade to a podium in front of City Hall. Vlad steps up to it. He raises two fingers on each hand while cheers are heard.

 

VLAD: Thank you!

 

Cut to an aerial shot of Vlad addressing a crowd with some signs and a couple news vans.

 

VLAD: Thank you one and all!

 

He puts down his arms and the crowd cheers again.

 

Cut to Maddie, Danny, Sam, Tucker and Jasmine, all of them very irked with Vlad’s election as mayor. Pan up as Jack steps in and puts his hand on his son’s head and on his wife’s shoulder, towering over them.

 

JACK: Huzzah! The Fentons are a heartbeat away from the mayor’s office! (becomes ambitious) Next stop, the White House,--

 

Jack leans back, taking a claustrophobic Danny with him.

 

JACK: --and I’m gonna be Vlad’s number two man!

 

Dennis would say it’s not likely that a mayor of a backwater city would become president easily, and overshadowing voters wouldn’t work as practice without the persuasion of a lot more ghosts. Usually the next logical step from “mayor” is “governor”. But Dennis technically lives in a township and we don’t have a one mayor but a few people on a town board that decide things. Meep!

 

Maddie looks incredulous.

 

MADDIE: Jack, you’re dreaming.

 

Cut to Jack, defensive.

 

JACK: Am not! Why, just this morning (smiles) he told me when he thinks of number two, he thinks of me.

 

This sounds like an innocent comment, and it likely is, but it can be taken as a tasteless potty joke. I’m not going to take it that way, I’ll let Jack dream.

 

Cut to Vlad on the podium.

 

VLAD: I’d like to take a moment now, if I may, to thank a very *special* person in my life.

 

Cut to Jack, Maddie on the side trying to stay away.

 

JACK: (putting his hands on his hips and speaking quietly) Oh, shucks, old buddy Vladdie, save it for my swearing in.

 

Cut to Vlad.

 

VLAD: Come on up here,--

 

He leans to his microphone menacingly, the shot narrowing on his face.

 

VLAD: --Danny Fenton.

 

Cut to the whole crowd with Jack, Maddie, Danny, Sam, Tucker and Jasmine at the front, all shocked. Danny zooms in for a close-up as the rest zooms out further away.

 

Cut to Danny’s friends and family, everyone but Jack looks at him with concern while cheering goes on in the background. Jack takes Danny’s shoulders and walks him forward a few steps then shoves him away.

 

Cut to Vlad standing in front of the podium with a mixed crowd of teens and adults standing. Danny is running up with the force of the shove, stopping in front of Vlad and looking with some fear. Vlad takes him by the shoulder and brings him closer, causing Danny to cringe.

 

Cut to Vlad holding a frightened Danny. The clock on City Hall reads 1:53.

 

VLAD: I’m rubbing your nose in this mess you made, Daniel, (leans in to him) doesn’t it smell yummy?

 

Vlad puts his hands on both Danny’s shoulders and turns him forward to address the crowd.

 

VLAD: It was this young man, who inspired me to pursue my true calling, politics.

 

Cut to the crowd. Jack, Maddie and Sam are at the front. Two picket signs read “Yay Vlad!” on blue and “Vote For Vlad” in red.

 

This shot bothers me due to a coloring error, Maddie’s sleeves are blue but they are supposed to be black from after the shoulder down.

 

VLAD: (offscreen) And for that, I owe him a debt.

 

Pan right across the crowd, showing Tucker and Jasmine, and another picket sign reading “Masters is the Master”.

 

VLAD: And I will pay it, by protecting him and *all* the precious children of Amity Park--

 

Cut to Vlad, proud.

 

VLAD: --from the biggest problem facing this town:--

 

Zoom in as he turns evil.

 

VLAD: --ghosts!

 

Cut to three teens at the front of the crowd, all cheering.

 

Cut to five more teens in a crowd, all cheering.

 

Cut to an aerial shot of Vlad and Danny at the podium with the crowd all cheering. Zoom out.

 

Cut to a wary Tucker and Sam in a crowd of happy people.

 

SAM: Uh-oh, I have a bad feeling about this.

 

Tucker turns to Sam, smiling.

 

TUCKER: Relax, Sam. (shrugs) So he’ll propose a couple of lame laws.

 

Close-up on Tucker.

 

TUCKER: How bad could it be?

 

Dennis assumes that Vlad, being nasty, would propose a bunch of laws she refers to as “orange-shirt laws”. Reason being that in 7th grade, her teacher once had a story about a ruler that was walking in a pumpkin patch one day, accidentally kicked his foot against a pumpkin in his path, and was so mad at this pumpkin that he ordered every single person wearing orange that day, like the pumpkin, to be executed. And Dennis was left as the only one on the days this lecture was used that wore a vibrant orange sweater, and therefore marked for death (she’s let it go, knowing it was just a playful example that was meant to show why systems of law shouldn’t make laws like those).

 

So, “orange-shirt laws” can umbrella any ridiculous and arbitrary law created by whim of a ruler because he has power and feels like using it for personal agendas. Like “all in the realm shall eat nothing but meat” and “everyone has to wear a red beret” are orange-shirt laws, too. Speaking of which, had Vlad made the law Dennis fell prey to, Jack would be the first on the cutting room floor. Talk about orange-shirting! Meep!

 

Cut to an aerial shot of Casper High.

 

TUCKER: (offscreen) NOOOOO!!

 

Cut to Lancer’s arms filled with technology, PDAs, cell phones, MP3 players, GPS, remotes, walkie talkies and laptops. He is walking.

 

VLAD: (voice-over) The Technus Act will ban all high-tech gear susceptible to ghost infiltration.

 

Cut to a classroom where Lancer, holding all that gear, is followed by Tucker, desperately clinging to Lancer’s leg and sliding on the floor as students watch him.

 

TUCKER: No. No. *No*!

 

Technus has been able in infiltrate lots of things, not just high-tech gear. He can infest entire garage sales of junk in addition to earphones, desktops, cars, house mainframes, cell phones and super computers, battle suits and satellites in space. And even Tucker had a Technus infiltration, but not for long (only long enough to transfer from Danny’s computer to Jack’s RV).

 

Still, in personal view, Dennis never liked having a lot of technology in school, especially for the kids that are constantly on cell phones and MP3s while texting in class. She believes that the anti-technology in school rule should be enforced better so students don’t feel like the rule has leniency. It’s gone to the point where no one cares when Dennis pulls out her cell just to look at the chronometer (because that’s mostly what she uses it for, besides having a line so her parents can contact her, she has no one else to call).

 

Cut to Sam, wearing a white T-Shirt with a red sweater vest and a tie with a blue skirt. She is holding her backpack strap as she walks.

 

VLAD: (voice-over) A strict dress code will guard against anything--

 

Zoom out to show all of Sam, wearing knee-high white socks as well.

 

VLAD: --dark and gothic,--

 

Sam scratches her butt.

 

VLAD: --which can attract ecto-unfriendlies.

 

Dennis doesn’t think that dark and gothic clothes attract ecto-unfriendlies, but while she thinks the uniform idea is a little extreme, she does like a nice dress code in place so kids can wear clothes the way they were meant to be worn, to keep them covered and warm, and to prevent offensive clothes in school (luckily in DP, due to its cartoon nature, everyone wears solid colors and simple designs instead of bad wording). Besides, if it covers Sam’s and every other girl’s midriff that always made Dennis go nuts, then she likes it. Who cares about your counter argument of “free-expression”? What are you expressing wearing clothes? I express a like of feeling loose and comfortable, warm, and simple, having lots of pocket space, and not showing off my skin. And you?

 

Cut to a playground with a slide and a pair of swinging swings, and the sun is shining, but it is empty.

 

VLAD: (voice-over) And in addition there will be a four P.M. curfew.

 

Extreme. At least in PE the curfew was a sensible 9:00. What do kids do after nine on school nights, besides extra homework or watching TV or talking to their friends on the Internet? There may be answers, but Dennis doesn’t know due to the fact she has few friends that take her places late at night.

 

Cut to a classroom where a teacher with gray hair, glasses and a green shirt is seen from behind at his desk holding a piece of paper to seven students wearing the uniform. He looks up and a red-haired boy with glasses raises his hand.

 

VLAD: (voice-over) Mandatory roll-call before and after classes.

 

We already have that. Well, before anyway. Why after?

 

Cut to lockers. Danny is slammed against them by a beefy arm.

 

VLAD: (voice-over) And heightened security--

 

Cut to Danny being pressed against a locker by a security guard with a billy club while a second one has his backpack and shakes it to dump its contents on the ground, inkling pencils, erasers, books, non-Fenton thermoses and the like.

 

VLAD: (voice-over) --to ensure the safety of *all* students.

 

This is not what Dennis defines as “safe”, but she knows the time some seniors timed a prank where they wrote in a bathroom to “blow up the school” on a date that was after all the seniors graduated early and the rest of the school still had classes, so everyone had to be examined by guards to enter and had to be escorted to travel in the hallways. Granted, security guards don’t seem to deter ghosts very well. Besides, this school runs ghost drills, right?

 

The security guard, satisfied, drops the bag as a miffed Danny looks at them. They leave Danny and walk off. Danny turns to his back and bends on his knees to pick it up while Sam walks up and Tucker, in dress code, is still clinging to Lancer’s leg and being dragged on the floor, as Lancer is still carrying his things.

 

TUCKER: No. No!

 

Tucker lets go and is left on the ground as Lancer walks away. Danny and Sam turn to him.

 

TUCKER: *No*!

 

Cut to Tucker on the floor.

 

TUCKER: For the record, dude, this reeks.

 

Cut to Danny, bent over as Sam looks to him.

 

SAM: And everybody thinks it’s *your* fault, Danny. (goes on the floor to help) Guilt by association with (holds up a blue book) Vlad.

 

Cut to the blue book in Sam’s hand. Danny takes it.

 

DANNY: Hey, I’m taking the biggest hit here!

 

Cut to Danny, Sam and Tucker on the floor. They all stand up, and Danny looks mad up at something while Tucker and Sam look as well.

 

DANNY: With all this surveillance--

 

Zoom out to reveal a camera watching them.

 

DANNY: --and restrictions--

 

Cut to a monochrome image of Danny in the camera view.

 

DANNY: --Vlad’s making sure that I can almost *never* go ghost.

 

Dennis is sorry to say that this is the norm for schools like hers. There are numerous hidden cameras in the hallways (but she does go to a school that has over 2,000 students), and all the cameras are linked to a single monitor in the counseling office (not the disciplinary office) where you can see everything and kids go there regularly. However, no one really minds the cameras even when they know they are there. Can’t Danny just duck into a bathroom or janitor’s closet like he always does? Bathrooms tend to be private, and closets are normally dark (but I guess darkness doesn’t matter if the transformation involves light). Wasn’t Danny even watching a camera monitor in MM to find the Lunch Lady’s meat trail?

 

Cut to Tucker.

 

TUCKER: That might be a good thing.

 

He holds up a newspaper, the Amity Park Chronicle, with a picture of Danny Phantom covered by a “do not!” symbol. The headline reads “PHANTOM GO HOME!”

 

I’d like to interject that Danny Phantom does indeed live here in Amity Park (and I’m sure a certain number of harmless ghosts that want to be left alone do as well), so you’re not telling him to “go home” but to “get out of town away from you home”, which is just mean, but ghosts don’t have the same rights as humans on Earth.

 

Cut to the paper.

 

TUCKER: Looks like you’re paranorma non grata again.

 

Pun on “persona non grata” meaning “an unwelcome person”. In this case, “an unwelcome ghost”.

 

Cut to Danny with Sam behind him.

 

SAM: Vlad’s claiming that Danny Phantom’s presence may be more of an (shrugs) *invitation* to ghosts (puts her arms down) than a deterrent!

 

Danny looks to Sam.

 

DANNY: Which we all know is an absolute load.

 

Pan right as he turns to the right, determined.

 

DANNY: With me out of the picture, ghosts will be on the loose--

 

Zoom in.

 

DANNY: --all over town!

 

Fade to a purple wall. A pair of dice roll onscreen, showing up snake eyes.

 

Cut to three white ghosts that look like people wearing bedsheets save for their red eyes, floating in an alley by the light of a full moon. The one in the center raises its arms and cheers, “Yeah!”. The one on the left holds up a wad of cash, which the one in the center takes. Suddenly, police siren goes off.

 

Cut to an aerial shot of the ghosts in the alley by a dumpster. A pair of headlights shine on them, and they cover their eyes with their hands.

 

Cut to Agents K and O of the Guys in White holding up guns that are powering up. Zoom out to reveal them at the head of a formation of five more men behind them, and a black car behind them as well.

 

Cut to the three ghosts, raising their stubby arms and panicking.

 

Cut to a newspaper spinning onscreen. When it stops, it shows the paper is the Amity Park Journal, and the headline reads “DICE GAME BUSTED! GHOSTS INVOLVED” showcasing a picture of three ghosts holding up arms with hands and two agents with guns in the foreground pointing them at the ghosts.

 

Cut to another paper spinning. Once again it is the Amity Park Journal, this one reading “GHOST CAUGHT SELLING STOLEN GOODS” showing a picture of another white bedsheet type ghost being held in place by the two agents, with a fridge and a couple of TVs behind them.

 

Cut to another paper spinning, but this one is an Amity Park Angle. It headlines “VLAD’S SQUAD STRIKES AGAIN! TAX EVADING GHOSTS CAUGHT” and shows a picture beneath of a white bedsheet ghost being held by Agent K outside a garage while Agent O drives a pick-up truck holding a fridge, two TVs and a satellite dish in the bed of the truck.

 

Cut to a newspaper spinning, an Amity Park Chronicle, showing five bedsheet ghosts holding their arms onto bars in a jail-cell cage. The headline reads “BOO-YA! VLAD CLEANS TOWN”.

 

Cut to a fifth headline spinning, this one an Amity Park News, showing Vlad Masters’s face next to four ghosts bound together in a conical formation by ropes. The headline reads “GHOST MASTERS!”

 

Zoom out as the paper appears as a newsstand as part of a tied stack in front of the magazine racks. Tucker, Danny and Sam are watching.

 

SAM: Boy, Vlad’s PR machine is really trumping up all these ghost battles.

 

Cut to Tucker in the foreground looking at Sam and Danny. Sam turns to Danny, who looks at Sam.

 

DANNY: (jaded) All those phony attacks were staged.

 

Of course they were! Not only were those the same ghosts every time, but the situations all looked more like standard classic criminal busting in the Jazz Age with present-day technology, and the ghosts weren’t even putting up a fight or escaping by using intangibility! You call that a ghost battle? Feh. And the GIW were using a black car to arrest the dice ghosts.

 

Danny turns to Tucker.

 

DANNY: Vlad’s convincing everyone that they don’t *need* me anymore.

 

Tucker smiles, and Danny and Sam are surprised.

 

TUCKER: But on the bright side,--

 

Pan left a little as he turns around.

 

TUCKER: --at least Vlad’s rebuilding our hangout!

 

Tucker gasps.

 

Cut to Sam, Danny and Tucker from behind. Pan up to reveal that the new restaurant is now called “McMasters Bistro” with a giant Vlad head on top. Red and yellow balloons are tied to the roof.

 

Cut to the big Vlad head of McMasters between the balloons.

 

DANNY: (offscreen) McMaster’s?

 

It’s a strange thing that they call this fast-food restaurant a bistro. In Dennis’s town, there’s an ordinance in place that prevents any fast-food restaurants from being built, so all the fast-food places are in neighboring suburbs. I think that the name “bistro” is just a fancy name for “burger joint”, and if this were Dennis’s town I don’t know if they’d be fooled into letting it be built there.

 

Pan down to show banners in the windows reading “GRAND OPENING”. Teens are crowded on either side of the path inside, and a bouncer in a black suit is guarding the door. A boy in a blue hat and a yellow sweater walks up, only to be stopped by the bouncer and pushed back away until the teen runs off by himself. Danny, Tucker and Sam walk up.

 

Cut to the doors, both with “M” in the windows. As Danny walks up to open the door, the bouncer’s arm waves in front of him and stops him. Danny turns to look.

 

Cut to the bouncer.

 

BOUNCER: Can I help you?

 

He leans in, reflecting the image of Danny in both his lenses.

 

BOUNCER: To leave?

 

Cut to the street as the trio is screaming as they are flung onto it and tumble across it.

 

Cut to the trio landing on their backs and arms, Danny is pointed away but Tucker and Sam are pointed forward. They grunt in pain as they look up.

 

BOUNCER: (offscreen) There are no teenagers--

 

Danny turns to look.

 

BOUNCER: --allowed here!

 

Cut to the trio, standing up in outrage.

 

DANNY: What?! You can’t be serious!

 

Cut to the bouncer as he points behind him with a finger. Pan right as he is pointing to a sign with a silhouette of Danny in a “do not!” sign.

 

Cut to the “no Danny” sign.

 

Cut to McMaster’s Bistro, with the teens crowded around the path, and the bouncer on the sidewalk talking to the trio, pointing at them.

 

BOUNCER: Now, beat it! All youse kids!

 

Dennis had a discussion in class about the rights of businesses to refuse service to select groups. While the teacher admitted that he did not know about those laws very well, he did say that privately-owned organizations were allowed the right to refuse service or enlisting of certain groups they found that weren’t appropriate clientele. So while Dennis may say that yes, it is legal for them to forbid teens into the restaurant (which can pose a problem as younger kids that grow to be teens won’t be allowed inside a place they once were for six full years). However, since the primary source of customers is teens, this would cause a major dent in the profit margin of this business.

 

Cut to Dash, Paulina and Kwan walking away to the street.

 

DASH: This is all your fault,--

 

Pan left to reveal the trio, and Dash turns to them as he walks off.

 

DASH: --Fenedict Arnold! You’re responsible for this lousy mayor!

 

Tucker and Sam look to the side as Danny just looks down.

 

Dennis only learned so much about Benedict Arnold during the American Revolution, but I heard that he was actually a great general and that his efforts in the early battles really did aid the Patriot cause much. The deal is that she reads that Arnold betrayed the colonials after other generals took credit for his work and his problems started compounding, so he took control of a fort, and unsuccessfully tried to hand it over to the British, but failed to do so. Weird, isn’t it?

 

Cut to Danny.

 

DANNY: Okay, I really feel like crud now. (looks determined) There’s only one thing left to do.

 

Zoom in.

 

DANNY: I’m going gho--

 

Zoom out to reveal Tucker and Sam on either side of him.

 

SAM: Wait!

 

Danny turns to Sam as she points and waves a finger to the side.

 

Close-up on Danny, who turns to look.

 

Cut to the side of the restaurant. Zoom in to reveal a camera hanging off the top, beeping and moving.

 

TUCKER: (offscreen) No worries.

 

Cut to Tucker and Danny. Tucker is putting on a blue headband over his red beret, then smears black paint lines on his cheeks.

 

TUCKER: Vlad took away my tech,--

 

Pan right to Danny and Sam as Tucker runs off.

 

TUCEKR: --so I’m taking his!

 

A great reason to go on the warpath!

 

Danny and Sam exchange glances.

 

Cut to the camera. When it moves, Tucker’s arms reach in and take it.

 

Cut to Tucker holding the camera, his feet pressed against the ceiling. He pries it off, and crashes to the ground bringing up dust and rubble.

 

Cut to Tucker, sitting on the ground and rubbing his head. He gives a thumbs-up.

 

TUCKER: Go ahead, dude.

 

Tucker turns his head. Pan right to the disconnected camera with a red wire protruding from it. Tucker snuggles up to it.

 

TUCKER: (sultry) Hello, special new friend!

 

Cut to Danny and Sam. Danny runs forward, pan right as he does.

 

Cut to a blue action background. Danny runs in and then lies prone in the air as if flying, transforming to Danny Phantom in mid-flight with a ghostly tail. He turns intangible and flies off.

 

Cut to the wall of the restaurant. Danny phases inside.

 

Cut to Vlad in his office. He is sitting in a red manager chair with red curtains in the window behind him. He is writing on papers on his desk, with a placard reading “VLAD” on it and a pencil cup. The bookshelf next to him has some random books, a few items, and a clock that reads 10:30, but it’s likely broken anyway. Pan right to a portrait of Vlad over a red couch with yellow pillows. Danny pokes his head in, turns to the other side, flying in fully and resuming color.

 

Cut to Vlad still writing and not looking up.

 

VLAD: Daniel.

 

Close-up on Vlad with an evil look.

 

VLAD: I had a feeling you’d come.

 

Cut to Danny, putting a hand on his head and another on his head.

 

DANNY: Look, this goes against *everything* I stand for, (straightens, trying to find the strength for this) but--

 

Cut to Danny.

 

DANNY: --I’m (opens his eyes after hesitating, looking regretful) sorry I played those stupid pranks on you.

 

Cut to Vlad in the foreground, happy as Danny apologizes, spreading his arms.

 

DANNY: And I’m hoping you’ll accept my apology, (puts his hands on his hips strongly) and stop making things miserable (stands up straight, crossing his arms) for me and my friends.

 

Cut to Danny and Vlad in the office. Danny leans in, smiling as he offers his hand.

 

DANNY: Truce?

 

This is what you did in BR, Danny. However, the circumstances are not the same. Because Vlad has all the chips, you have no bargaining power to call a truce with. He can keep his war on and you are still relatively powerless to stop him.

 

Cut to Vlad, looking at Danny’s hand. He holds up his pencil in his two hands.

 

VLAD: How nice, a gentleman’s handshake.

 

Close-up on Vlad.

 

VLAD: But you forget, (starts getting mad) where you and I are concerned--

 

Cut to Vlad, leaning forward in his seat, zooming out to reveal a scared Danny.

 

VLAD: --I AM *NO* GENTLEMAN!

 

Cut to Danny, annoyed Vlad didn’t comply.

 

DANNY: Oh, come on! (leans back and raises his arms) Can you even pretend to have a heart? (points at himself with his thumb) I’m making an effort here!

 

Cut to an angry Vlad popping up on a red action background.

 

VLAD: I know!

 

The background fades to the office.

 

VLAD: And even though the apology is a *welcome* departure from your usual childish arrogance, it belies a greater truth!

 

Zoom out to show Vlad pointing his arm at a scared Danny floating in the foreground.

 

VLAD: You had this coming!

 

It is unfortunate that I know where Vlad’s coming from. I don’t necessarily agree, though. See, while Dennis is at her core a good person, her heart hardened over time due to the fact that kids with childish arrogance have given Dennis numerous apologies over the years, but never fulfilled them. See, her definition of “apology” means that if someone is truly sorry for what they did, they should promise not to repeat it. While Danny I’m sure is being remotely sincere about this (he won’t pull childish pranks, but he might stop Vlad if he has an evil scheme running), Dennis has had experiences where the apologizer had said “sorry”, but then deliberately did the same thing the next day, and said “sorry” again. She actually has a hard time forgiving because of this and she doesn’t know if it’ll happen again. And yes, if given the power, she would do a large amount of bad things to get even. This is why she tries to avoid power whenever possible.

 

Cut to Danny, leaning forward as he pleads.

 

DANNY: But--!

 

Cut to Vlad, lifting a fist in fury.

 

VLAD: No buts! (puts his hands to his chest) Trust me when I tell you that (points forward) your life has just begun to become (curls his fingers for emphasis) a relentless nightmare (clenches his fists and vibrates them) beyond your feeble imagination--

 

Close-up on Vlad, panning right as he leans forward to shout.

 

VLAD: --and one thing further!

 

Cut to Danny, floating with fear. Zoom in slowly.

 

VLAD: (offscreen) When I said this place is off-limits to teens--

 

Cut to Vlad.

 

VLAD: --that includes--

 

Pan right as Vlad leans in to Danny.

 

VLAD: --*ghost* teens!

 

Cut to a red button on Vlad’s desk. He presses it, and an alarm klaxon sounds. Zoom out to reveal an angry Vlad looking at a frightened Danny in the foreground. Pan right as Danny turns around suddenly.

 

Cut to the door. It reads “DALV SRETSAM”, or Vlad Masters reflected. Agents K and O walk in holding ecto-rifles.

 

Cut to Danny popping up on a turquoise action background, gasping. The background fades to the office as he crouches down, panning left as he takes flight away passing over a pleased Vlad. The clock on the wall now reads 12:00.

 

Cut to Agents K and O in the office. They aim their guns to power them up, panning up as they shoot blue beams from them.

 

Cut to a dumpster outside. The brick wall blows a cloud of blue smoke and rubble as Danny Phantom bursts out of it, panning left as he lands on his back in front of a concerned Tucker and Sam. He grunts in pain and is left smoldering.

 

TUCKER: So,--

 

Cut to Tucker and Sam. Tucker smiles optimistically.

 

TUCKER: --how’d that go?

 

Cut to Danny lying on the ground by Tucker’s feet. He changes back to Danny Fenton, being out of energy, groaning. He barely gets up with his hands.

 

Cut to Tucker and Sam as Danny stands up, depressed.

 

DANNY: This reeks. (looks to the side, really depressed) I’m ruined.

 

Cut to an aerial shot of Tucker and Sam looking at Danny. Danny spreads his arms in desperation.

 

DANNY: My ghost career is over, (raises both his arms to one side) my school career is over!

 

Cut to Danny, gesturing his palms to his chest.

 

DANNY: Every kid at Casper hates me.

 

Danny looks up, thinking about that. He puts down his arms.

 

DANNY: More than usual.

 

They don’t “hate” you usually. It’s more of an apathetic dislike. They don’t really care about you, so you’re somewhat invisible on the radar. They only hate you because of your association to Vlad.

 

Cut to a crowd of totally irritated teens.

 

SAM: Yeah…

 

Zoom out to show Sam looking at them with an opportunity in mind.

 

SAM: But I’ll bet they hate Vlad (turns to the side, looking back) even more.

 

Sam turns and runs off.

 

SAM: I’ve got an idea.

 

Fade to Casper High. Pan right to show a crowd of teens in front of a picnic table, where Tucker and Sam are standing in front of it with three white picket signs. Danny is standing on the table with a red picket sign.

 

DASH: Let me get this straight,--

 

Cut to the teens looking at Tucker, Sam and Danny on the table with the signs, Dash is at the front.

 

DASH: --you’re leading a protest against your *buddy*, the mayor?

 

Cut to Danny, standing above the crowd of teens to address them.

 

DANNY: Trust me. (puts out a palm) He’s no buddy of mine. (turns to the right and points) Or yours. (shrugs) He’s just using us!

 

Cut to Sam with Danny standing behind her.

 

SAM: But the people have the power to make a change!

 

Cut to Tucker. Danny stands on the bench behind him.

 

TUCKER: Right. (lifts a sign a little, putting a fist to his chest) We can take back this town--

 

He lifts his blue picket sign reading “TAKE BACK THE NASTY!”.

 

TUCKER: --one Nasty Burger at a time!

 

Pan right to Sam, who lifts a white sign reading “DO YOU WANT LIES WITH THAT BURGER?” in red text.

 

Cut to Danny, determined.

 

DANNY: So what do you say?

 

He picks up a red sign reading McMASTERS NO GREAT SHAKES!”

 

DANNY: Are you with us?

 

Cut to the crowd of teens with Dash, Kwan and Paulina at the front and center. Everyone raises their arms to cheer, “Yeah!”

 

Cut to Danny holding up his sign while Tucker and Sam stand below him. They all look to each other, knowing this is good.

 

Fade to a TV coverage, where Shelley Makamoto is reporting on a rampant protest by McMasters.

 

SHELLEY: It’s a chaotic scene here at McMaster’s!

 

The TV cuts to a shot of irate teens next to the bistro ranting and raising picket signs.

 

SHELLEY: (offscreen) As irate Casper High students--

 

Zoom out to reveal Jack and Maddie watching this on the TV on their kitchen counter. Maddie’s hood is up.

 

SHELLEY: (offscreen) --protest the eatery’s no-teenager policy.

 

Maddie turns to Jack.

 

MADDIE: We better get down there, Jack!

 

Jack turns to Maddie.

 

JACK: Right! Gotta protect Vlad’s investment!

 

Cut to Maddie, really mad.

 

MADDIE: I mean to protect our *kids*?

 

Cut to Jack, off-set by this.

 

JACK: Oh, yeah. That too. (smiles, pointing up a finger) And maybe get a Vladdie meal to go!

 

Cut to McMaster’s Bistro. Pan right to the crowd of angry teens holding up picket signs and chanting. Tucker and Sam are at the front.

 

CROWD: Fries not lies! Fries not lies!

 

Cut to Sam and Tucker, who both smile.

 

SAM: This is so--

 

The crowd chants again throughout, and Sam and Tucker pump their signs.

 

SAM: --cool! This protest is *bound* to rattle Vlad’s cage!

 

Pan left as Sam turns to no one.

 

SAM: Right, Danny?

 

Sam is a bit surprised that Danny isn’t there. She turns back to Tucker.

 

SAM: Where’s Danny?

 

Tucker considers an answer.

 

TUCKER: He must be taking a break.

 

Cut to Tucker, smiling as he puts down his sign.

 

TUCKER: But I’ll tell you who is here!

 

Pan right as he turns with satisfaction.

 

TUCKER: The mayor himself!

 

Cut to the side of McMasters. A black limousine drives up with the front license plate “MAYOR”, panning right as it turns the corner and parks in front of the crowd of teens where Sam and Tucker are at the front.

 

Cut to the door of the limousine. It opens, revealing Vlad’s legs stepping out, and a radio is visible on the side. Pan up to Vlad’s top, his arms tucked behind his back. He walks toward the camera.

 

Cut to Vlad approaching the crowd of teens with Sam and Tucker at the front, as he tries to calmly resolve this matter.

 

VLAD: (clasps his hands together) Now, now, children. I’m sure we can reach some sort of an understanding here.

 

Close-up on Sam.

 

SAM: We’re *not* children. (arches her eyebrows) So stop treating us that way.

 

We’re adolescents. We’re essentially future adults. And we take responsibility. At least, we should and we are doing so now. So what if we’re still considered young whippersnappers by you old men? Yeah, we may still be kids, but we’re as good as adults as well.

 

Cut to Vlad from behind looking at Tucker and Sam as the crowd of teens starts to pump and cheer. Pan left to Danny on the roof of McMasters, his knees bent, overseeing all this as good news.

 

DANNY: Just what I’d hoped for. (turns away from the action) Now it’s time to blow Vlad’s game once and for all.

 

A ring forms around Danny’s waist as he transforms into Danny Phantom.

 

Cut to Vlad with his arms crossed as he is standing in front of his vehicle.

 

JACK: (offscreen) Never fear, Vladdie!

 

Vlad looks to the left self-consciously. Pan left as Jack and Maddie run up.

 

JACK: We’re here to scoop up the small fry.

 

Cut to Vlad, apathetically annoyed. Jack pops up next to him.

 

JACK: Which reminds me, (puts up his hands to show a size gesture) Ever thought about super-sizing those Vladdie meals?

 

Jack puts down his arms, looking as if he knows Vlad’s not happy. Vlad lifts his fingers and wiggles them in exasperation.

 

VLAD: Oh, for the love of--

 

Vlad stops there. Cut to Sam holding up a protest sign. Vlad walks in leaning to her, his palms out as he desperately tries to make peace.

 

VLAD: Come on now, (makes air quotes) “dudes”.

 

He points his fingers to either side and rolls his arms.

 

VLAD: Can we rap about this? (leans to Sam and spreads his arms) Open up a meaningful dialogue?

 

Vlad, this is a tip that Mr. Lancer never seems to get. Colloquialisms don’t work when used by adults to relate to the young people. Then again, talking like an old person does off-set the youth vote. “But I’m sure that my shrewd counter-move has put the skids to his teenage hijinks” is very old-man like. I guess there’s just no way to win.

 

Vlad and Sam turn to the back as Danny Phantom drops in into a ready stance. Sam smiles, but Vlad is a little off-set.

 

DANNY: How about I open something up?

 

Cut to Danny, standing up.

 

DANNY: Like a big can of worms?

 

Cut to a shocked Jack popping up on a purple action background.

 

JACK: It’s the ghost kid!

 

Zoom out as the background fades to normal and Maddie is standing by Jack. Jack reaches into his pocket and takes out an ecto-handgun, panning right as he dashes forward.

 

Cut to Danny Phantom, a little scared as Jack runs in and trains the gun at his head, letting it power up.

 

Cut to the gun, pointing at Danny. Vlad reaches in and takes the barrel of the gun, removing it from Jack’s hands and both of them retracting from the shot.

 

VLAD: Just a moment.

 

Vlad leans in to Danny, wrapping an arm around his shoulder.

 

VLAD: We’re all friends here, hmm? (looks back) Let the lad have his say.

 

Vlad removes his arm from Danny’s shoulder. Danny is confused.

 

DANNY: Uh, (disbelieving) really? Okay, (leans toward Vlad) then I’ll give it to ya straight.

 

Pan right as Danny turns, removing Vlad from the shot as he points at him.

 

DANNY: The mayor is a phony!

 

“He’s been spreading lies about me! I’m a good person and I’m on your side, and he’s been ruining my reputation! He tells me to go home, but I live here! He says I’m an invitation to ghosts, but I’m the one that’s been keeping them away for so long! All of you people are direct witnesses of this! Don’t believe everything you read in the papers!”

 

Cut to an aerial shot of Danny pointing to a calm, collected Vlad while addressing the crowd.

 

DANNY: And he’s hiding a secret that would shock you all!

 

Cut to Shelley Makamoto with a camera person with a red hat, a white shirt with the number 4 on it, and a white mustache. The cameraman activates his camera and puts it on his shoulder to start filming.

 

DANNY: (offscreen) It’s time for the whole world to know.

 

Cut to Danny standing in front of Vlad, seen through a camera that is recording.

 

DANNY: Vlad Masters is really--

 

So foul-smelling even monsters don’t want to eat him. A repulsive slimeball. Disgusting. Illiterate. A fuddy-duddy fool. Fatter than the queen of sea cows. A communist. Oilier than oil fields of Texas and Alaska combined. Slower than a sloth covered in molasses. A pain in the neck. A figurehead, like a puppet. Uselessly takes up space and eats donuts. Annoying. Dishonest as a pathological liar. Lazy as a lotus-eater. Imbecilic. A feckless namby-pamby. A waste excretion of an ill animal. Need Dennis go on with her colorful insults?

 

Danny and Vlad look up as someone finishes for him.

 

VLAD: (offscreen) The most feared nemesis in the entire Ghost Realm!

 

Cut to Tucker and Sam in the crowd of protesters. They look and gasp through their teeth, as the sky is now purple.

 

Pan up to show Vlad Plasmius floating above them, crossing his arms.

 

Cut to Vlad Masters. He lifts his fists in acting.

 

VLAD: Oh, dear! (puts his hands on his face) It’s a clearly evil (smiles, lifting his fists) yet devastatingly handsome ghost villain! (puts his hands on his face again, falsely panicking) Whatever shall we do?

 

Vlad, don’t flatter yourself.

 

Cut to Vlad Plasmius, floating in the sky holding up a finger. Pan down as he lets out a pink energy blast.

 

Cut to Star and an African-American boy in a red sweater and a doo-rag at the side of the restaurant. They part directions as the blast hits between them but causes no damage.

 

Cut back to Plasmius. He turns the other way and thrusts out his palm to charge another shot, panning down to the right as he does.

 

Cut to two adults on a different side of the restaurant, a man in a white shirt and a beard and a woman with blonde hair and a pink shirt. Pan up as they part directions as the blast misses them and causes no damage. The woman runs past in a man with a white-collar shirt and a woman in a blue tank top and a blonde ponytail with glasses on her forehead. They run as the next blast blows a giant hole in the wall behind them, leaving it smoldering.

 

Cut to Masters, pleased.

 

VLAD: Check and mate, Daniel.

 

Pan right to Danny in a ready stance as people run and scream in the background. He bends down, panning up as he takes flight.

 

Cut to Plasmius from behind in the foreground as Danny flies up to meet him.

 

DANNY: All right, you carbon copy freak! (points to Vlad) I’m taking you down!

 

Cut to Plasmius, his arms crossed confidently.

 

VLAD: I don’t think so. Remember, I’m merely a single duplication (lifts a finger) and still far more powerful than you.

 

Pan left as Vlad punctuates this by pointing his finger and shooting a pink ectoplasmic ghost ray.

 

Cut to Danny, not knowing what to do. He is hit by the ray and is flung back, screaming in pain.

 

Cut to Masters by the restaurant as Danny is flung back, his back crashing into a wall, he grunts in pain. Vlad looks up at him.

 

VLAD: Ooh, I’ll bet that hurt.

 

Danny opens his eyes and flies off.

 

VLAD: At least I hope it did.

 

Cut to the sky as Danny flies up. He puts his arms back to charge a green ball of energy, panning right as he chucks it forward in an energy blast, grunting with effort.

 

Cut to Plasmius, floating and ready. He covers himself with his cape and spins in the air, creating a large pink tornado. Zoom out as the ball of energy makes it toward the vortex but is deflected into many rays off the cone. The tornado rages on toward the left.

 

No one told me Vlad was an airbender. But then again, no one told us Danny was a waterbender. What comes next, earthbending? We’ve already got enough firebenders on this show.

 

Cut to a crowd of adults by three cars, a red, blue and yellow one. They all run and scream as the tornado rages in and flips the cars over, the yellow one flipping into the foreground.

 

Cut to Danny in the air, yelling “Yipe!” as he turns to fly away from the tornado that swirls up to him.

 

Cut to Danny from the front as he flails, being sucked into the vortex and screaming. Pan left as he is kicked back out, he goes screaming again.

 

Cut to Danny, being flung back over the street, panning left as the teens look up at him, and the adults standing by Vlad’s limousine until Danny crashes into a window of McMasters.

 

Cut to the tornado. It vanishes, leaving nothing but a pleased Plasmuis. He flies off.

 

Cut to the crowd by McMasters and the limousine. The window Danny crashed into is smoldering. Plasmius swoops in to crash through the other, so both are symmetrically broken.

 

Cut to Masters in front of a crowd of teens.

 

VLAD: See? Danny Phantom attracts the worst of what the Ghost World has to offer!

 

He turns to the crowd clenching a fist as he points to the left with his other hand.

 

VLAD: And he’s virtually powerless to stop them!

 

Cut to a bar table with stools inside McMasters. Condiments, cups of coffee and tea, plates, a piece of toast, and various pieces of silverware are on the table. Pan right as Danny slides head-first on his stomach on the table, knocking everything off and getting covered in condiment stains. He crashes on the floor, leaving a brown condiment puddle there. He quickly gets up and lets the condiments drip off. Then he stands and takes flight.

 

Cut to Plasmius inside the bistro with a giant mess on the floor. Adults outside have their hands pressed to the window looking in. Danny flies to pummel Vlad but Vlad gives him a quick uppercut, panning up to send Danny into the ceiling. Vlad flies up to follow.

 

Cut to an aerial shot of McMasters from behind. Pan right as Danny crashes through the roof and screams as he is flung away.

 

Cut to the purple sky. Danny flies up and stops as Vlad floats up in and grabs Danny by the neck, Danny putting his hands on Vlad’s glove.

 

And that’s the Danny Phantom neck-hold for this episode.

 

Cut to Danny. He struggles to break free.

 

DANNY: Let go of me!

 

Pan right to Plasmius, gleeful.

 

VLAD: Oh, I will. In just a few seconds. (turns to look down) Watch and learn.

 

Cut to a crowd of people standing behind Vlad’s limousine. Pan right to Vlad with his hands on his hips as Jack, Maddie and a couple more teens look at him.

 

VLAD: I see that I’m forced to take matters into my own--

 

Cut to Vlad.

 

VLAD: --more capable hands.

 

Vlad takes out Jack’s handgun. He holds it out and powers it up, holding his arm with his free hand.

 

VLAD: Stand down, fiend!

 

Close-up on Vlad.

 

VLAD: There’s a new mayor in town, (smiles) and his name is Vlad Masters!

 

Cut to a crowd of adults with Jack and Maddie at the front. All turn to look up and gasp.

 

Cut to Masters from behind pointing his gun up at Plasmius who is holding Danny by the neck. Plasmius lets go of Danny and turns to Masters.

 

VLAD: (acting melodramatically) Oh no!

 

Cut to Plasmius with Danny floating behind him, not knowing what’s going on.

 

VLAD: Please don’t hurt me, Mayor Masters, (clasps his hands together to beg) I beg of you!

 

Plasmius turns back to Danny to gloat for a second. Pan right as he flies away.

 

Cut to Masters being witnessed by a crowd as he stands on the sidewalk with the gun. He points it down as Plasmius drops in front of Masters on bended knee, begging.

 

VLAD: Please, take pity on me,--

 

Cut to Plasmius begging at gunpoint.

 

VLAD: --I’m but a poor, dumb ghost! (covers his eyes and cries) I can’t help being bad!

 

Cut to Masters holding the gun, watched by witnesses.

 

VLAD: Which is exactly why I’m taking you down!

 

The antenna end of the gun starts to charge up and glow green.

 

Cut to Danny, popping up in the air.

 

DANNY: What?! (arches his eyebrows, understanding this) He’s gonna zap his own clone to make himself look good!

 

Danny stops, getting an idea.

 

DANNY: Unless…he does just the opposite!

 

Cut to Danny in the air.

 

DANNY: I got an idea.

 

Danny turns intangible and flies downward.

 

Cut to Masters about to zap a begging Plasmius with all the people looking on at this. Danny flies into Plasmius’s back.

 

Cut to Plasmius. He struggles and glows green for a second, cringing, then leans back with his tongue sticking out of his mouth, then presses his fists to his forehead doubled over, until he stops glowing altogether.

 

Close-up on Plasmius. He smiles defiantly as his eyes flash green.

 

VLAD: (overshadowed) Go ahead. Do your worst.

 

Cut to Masters from behind, turning as Plasmius takes flight, leaving a wave of white in his wake on the street.

 

Cut to a red-eyed Plasmius flying up in the air with his arms out wide, panning left as he does a backwards right-angle loop flying back down.

 

Cut to a crowd of teens, all gasping. They cover their heads as green-eyed Plasmius swoops over them to the left. Masters walks in with his charged up handgun.

 

Cut to a first-person-shooter view of Masters with the charged handgun as Plasmius flies into the shot, panning right to McMasters as Plasmius flies toward the limousine, Master’s hand following his rogue clone.

 

Cut to Masters as he fires the gun, panning left as a stream of green energy zaps out.

 

Cut to the parked limousine. Plasmius ducks behind it. The green bolt zaps the car and causes it to explode in a cloud of green smoke and parts fly everywhere.

 

Cut to Jack and Maddie with Sam and Masters running, panning right as they do. Pan past them to the smoking cloud by McMasters.

 

Cut to Vlad, Jack, Maddie and two other adults as they pop into the shot to survey the damage. Zoom out to reveal Danny Fenton, on his head and knees with his butt in the air, lying injured in the damage. Smoke is still billowing and his pants are torn on each thigh.

 

Cut to the adults with Sam as Danny struggles to get up into the shot. His sleeve is torn, his hair is disheveled, and there are scrapes on his face. He is also smoldering.

 

DANNY: What? What happened?

 

He stops smoldering and begins to sadden for dramatic effect.

 

DANNY: I’m just a helpless, impressionable teenager, (shifts to the sides) who was minding my own business, when--

 

Pan right to Tucker and Sam as Danny smiles and winks.

 

DANNY: --*boom*!

 

Cut to Sam. She smiles. Then she lifts her fists in false concern.

 

SAM: Oh my gosh! (turns and points her arm behind her) The mayor shot Danny!

 

Pan right to Tucker, who begins crying and lifting his hands to his chin.

 

TUCKER: He zapped an innocent kid!

 

Cut to five adults and teens, including Jack and Maddie. They all turn with scathing looks.

 

Cut to an outraged Vlad in the center of three unhappy adults.

 

VLAD: What?! (struggles awkwardly as the chatter begins) I- (gets mad) No! (claps his fingers together to correct himself) I mean--

 

Vlad is helpless to save face as everyone points and wags fingers and complains about him.

 

Cut to Danny, smoldering as he looks up from the ground with his torn clothes and bruised face. Sam is in the crowd of teens behind him. Maddie and Jack run in to hold and comfort him.

 

JACK AND MADDIE: Danny! Danny, are you all right?

 

Maddie snuggles her face to her son in concern as Danny smiles.

 

MADDIE: Oh, my baby.

 

Cut to Vlad with his hands clasped, desperately pleading while everyone around him gives him a nasty look.

 

VLAD: Please, I-I-I can (parts his palms) explain!

 

Vlad looks down, miffed. Pan down to the right to Danny, in Maddie’s arms, smiling with cheesy victory.

 

Fade to City Hall. The clock reads 3:07. Zoom in.

 

VLAD: (offscreen) By popular decree,--

 

Fade to Vlad from behind standing at a podium while teens and camera men watch. Tucker, Sam and Danny stand behind him. Zoom in slowly.

 

VLAD: --I hereby, rescind all previous--

 

Cut to Vlad at the podium, reluctantly holding up a blue pen and signing a paper.

 

VLAD: --anti-ghost restrictions.

 

He holds up the document, reading “VLAD” and it has a blue ribbon on it to be official.

 

Cut to a crowd of teens. Many raise their arms to cheer, but others clap as well.

 

Cut to the trio, all clapping.

 

DANNY: I’ve gotta admit, (looks to his friends) he’s good.

 

Sam looks to Danny.

 

SAM: Yeah, he’s good.

 

Close-up on Sam, turning to the left.

 

SAM: But *you* were better.

 

Cut to Tucker, clapping.

 

TUCKER: Yeah! (turns to the left) Taking that blast forced Vlad to save his image by getting rid of those stupid laws.

 

Tucker turns, lifting his PDA.

 

TUCKER: And making the world safe for sweet technology again!

 

Tucker kisses the screen of his PDA.

 

Cut o Vlad by the podium, in a good mood. He has an easel by him with a red cloth on top of it.

 

VLAD: In addition, (puts his hand on the red cover) I’m going to (removes it, revealing a picture of the Nasty Burger underneath) rebuild the Nasty Burger.

 

Cut to the picture of the Nasty Burger.

 

VLAD: (offscreen) Teens welcome.

 

Cut to Vlad, holding his jacket collar.

 

VLAD: Who’s your favorite mayor now?

 

Cut back to the teen crowd as they all cheer once again.

 

Cut to the trio, all of them with their arms crossed.

 

SAM: Wow. A little self-serving,--

 

Cut to Sam.

 

SAM: --but another victory for our side. (looks to the left) All in all, Danny, (turns her head and closes her eyes) I’d call it a draw.

 

Cut to Danny, somewhat unsatisfied.

 

DANNY: Yeah, I guess. (arches his eyebrows) There’s only one problem with that, though.

 

Cut to Vlad with his arms wrapped around Star and Hannah with a red-haired boy in a green hat and a red shirt. Three cameras come into the shot to take photos. The trio is far away, observing this.

 

DANNY: Whenever there’s a draw…

 

Cut to Danny.

 

DANNY: There’s *bound* to be a rematch.

 

Don’t worry. That’s going to come sooner than you think. In the next episode, IR. Or after that in ToT. No need to Chinese Water-Torture yourself into panicking when it will come.

 

Danny looks to the side as a half-split forms, showing Vlad’s eager face on purple looking at him.

 

Iris out on both faces.

 

-End Title Card Screen-

END PART TWO

---

END EYE FOR AN EYE

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~