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"Now where are you?" Danny floats through the decrepit news station turned labyrinth, squinting through the magical darkness currently clouding his vision. He could have sworn he passed the same sound booth twice already, but it's hard to tell when a freaky ghost news anchor keeps switching up the floor plan like it's a game.
And what right did this guy even have?!?
It started off with the local celebrities. This guy's rumor mill segment on the news skyrocketing their ratings all the while making some damning accusations (if true) mixed in with petty level generic bullshit to lessen the blow (and the accountability). And at first Danny thought it was fucking hilarious! The guy's segments on Vlad were always in good humor, but then he had a whole 'conspiracy segment' played off as a joke about how he somehow fudged the election results, which Danny, and only Danny (and Sam and Tuck) knew was true.
It was like the guy was just itching for the information to come to him in the form of confessions from the pressure he was putting on some of these celebrities.
Danny had honestly overlooked almost everything that wasn't about 'Vlad Master's lonely cat owner routine', and for a while he'd only really cared to hear whispers of the rumors during passing time in Casper High's halls.
But then it moved to less celebrity level.
It seemed to Danny that nearly everyone was on edge if they had a secret, but thankfully, anyone his age was completely off the hook. On one hand, it was a relief to not have to worry about his secret being spilled somehow- he knows he was God awful with going ghost in the middle of busy streets at the beginning. But on the other hand, it meant half the school was tuning in every day to see which new gossip would be dropped.
Danny had fallen in with it!
Who didn't want to hear speculation about the mayor's deep dark secrets and possible embezzlement? It was comedy gold to him, hilarious to the boy!
Until the new host started talking about the ghosts.
Until the new host knew things that a normal human shouldn't.
Until the host 'speculated' about Phantom's obsession and gotten it right.
They always phrased everything ambiguously- in a way that lets the viewer draw their own conclusions and absolves the host of any libel or slander charges.
It was good TV, even if it was a edging bit too close to creepy territory.
But he hadn't expected the ghosts featured on the host's show to rage about their secrets being broadcast, always taking it out on Danny as the only outlet for shit as innocuous as one of Johnny and Kitty's breakups or Skulker's relationship troubles. (How the host even KNEW about this was a mystery)
And Danny sighs in annoyance. If anything about the background check Tucker had run, this guy was 100% a ghost fucking with his town, and that meant he had to punch the asshole back into the Zone.
And if that was the case, couldn't this guy wait until after he was done with his homework before inciting Danny's rogues gallery to rage in the streets? He has way better things to do than babysit the Box Ghost after his fuck ups are broadcast for all of Amity to see.
As he wanders the abandoned TV station (how had they not noticed an abandoned TV station on the outskirts of town?!) he could only hope that this ghost wouldn't be like Spectra.
After a few more minutes of aimlessly levitating about, he spots the end of the hallway! The only way out though, is a door labeled garishly with 'The Quizz Show', complete with a tiny 'on-air' light blinking above it.
It could be a trap, but at the moment Danny was running out of ideas for how to send this jerk back through the portal.
As he reaches for the handle that isn't there, he sees a poster of the host next to the door and grimaces. It's a poster done in the style of a promo for the type of daytime talkshows his dad watches, complete with the host ginning (too widely) ear-to-ear. How nobody noticed this guy's ghostliness makes Danny worry about the survival instincts of Amity as a whole.
"Who does he think he is, Dr. Phil??" Danny says to nobody.
"Please! That old coot wishes he were as hot as me! My left heel has more charm than he's has in his entire shitty body!" the ghost's voice echoes through the hall, the door finally slamming open with a thud.
"You know, it's not really all that hard to be more charming than a guy who's only recognizable trait anymore is funny reaction images." Danny responds, hesitant to walk through the door.
"Hilarious!" the voice chuckles. "C'mon Phantom, you can't be late for your interview, now can you? You're my top story, my special guest. C'mon think of the ratings, kid!!"
Danny flies through, fists clenched in determination. He's gotta to put a stop to this ghost's chaos before curfew. "Please, everyone knows these fists are rated E for everyone."
"Snappy comebacks? Oh the audience will adore you- 'specially the teen demographic." the voice comments. "Think of your fans, kid!"
Danny opens the door to blinding lights and a hissing, almost TV-static like cheer from an audience that probably isn't there, not if the abandoned station was any indication. The ghostly news... well talk show host sits in a comfortable looking chair, hair pushed back and eyes gleaming dangerously as he holds a notebook in his lap and a cane in one hand.
"Now everyone, welcome to the set, the illustrious savior of ghost and human kind alike, Danny Phantom!" the host shouts and the crowd goes wild. Danny sheepishly walks onto the stage and floats a bit of a distance from this ghost, trying to look confident, but the cameras pointing at him (which he hopes aren't actually real or rolling) are making it difficult.
"Welcome, welcome- I'm the host of this show, Quizz, and I'm honestly surprised you've decided to grace me with your presence, kid. What finally brings ya here?"
"Yeah, yeah don't suck up to me, you know why I'm here as well as I do," he crosses his arms and refuses to take the seat offered to him.
"Please, kid, enlighten me. I assume you're here to give me the interview of the century, but if there's another reason you've spent two hours trying to find me in my haunt, please go ahead 'n elaborate." the host grins devilishly, but Danny has seen more evil looks from the Box Ghost.
"Oh drop the act! You and I both know you're manipulating Amity Park and trash talking everyone and anyone you can get information on. Even worse, you're making the other ghosts rampage through the streets just to get ratings! How can you not know why I'm here when there's been an extra dozen ghost attacks since you started hacking into the local news broadcasts!!"
"Hey, it's not hackin' if I can do it with the press of a button!" Quizz retaliates and rolls their eyes. "And nothin' I'm doin' is illegal. The morning news is loving the extra ratings!! I'm doin' them a favor and satiatin' my curiosity all at once," they shrug and grin smugly. "'Sides it ain't my fault if the ghosts are gettin' their undies in a twist 'cuz I'm sharing what's pretty much common knowledge that any smart person can gain just by observin' em."
"Dude, do you have like... any friends? No seriously how do any of the other ghosts tolerate you if you're like this??" Danny questions in disbelief.
Quizz just shrugs in response. "Hey if one of 'em is cheatin' on their partner the other deserves to know. And Boxy's good for ratings."
"Yeah I doubt any of the other ghosts even tolerate you, holy shit."
"Kid, you ain't the person doin' the interview, I am." they start, sitting forward in their chair. Their red eyes nearly swirl with excitement. "Now for my first question; is it true that you're a new ghost? One that's less than a year dead?"
Danny shudders at the directness of the question. "Uh, no comment?"
"Alright then, this one is less of, 'who is Phantom' and more of 'rumors about Phantom's accomplishments. So how was it that you and another human were able to defeat the infamously horrible Spectra, not once but twice while she was actively feeding on the emotions of those in this town?" their eyes stare directly into his soul and Danny freezes before his brow furrows and he nearly snarls.
"Dude what part of 'no comment' and 'I am here to kick your butt' do you not understand??" an ecto blast charges in his hand and Quizz scoffs.
"Damn, was hopin' somethin' outta left field like that woulda gotten an answer, even in rage. You're good, too good." The host ghost stands from their chair, book vanishing into nothing as they brandish their cane. It twirls in their hand elegantly and Danny notices the never-there crowd's static hissing. "You sure you wanna go this route? If you answer some questions I'm willin' to up and bounce, pinky promise."
Danny thinks for a moment, but sees the gleam of hunger in their eyes when they mention questions. Did this guy have some sort of information Obsession??
"No way! It's already nine pm and my curfew is in half an hour. Fighting is the easiest way to do this, especially since you'd blab my secrets to the whole town, even if you didn't record me." he takes a fighting stance and Quizz sighs deeply.
"Damn, and here I thought I was givin' a good compromise. So be it then, I'm not one for fightin' but I did go n' fuck with your sleep schedule, so it's only fair for you to come beat my ass back to the portal seein' as I'm not gonna leave without a scoop." Their staff slides into place and they grin sharply as they press the button on the top of it with an audible buzz.
The station shakes as the walls change and the studio set is shrouded in a weird blue-black haze, the shadows moving in a way that makes Danny's head hurt and the only source of light are the host ghost's gleaming hellfire coal red eyes.
"Well this isn't gonna be easy, but I gotta make it quick!" He launches himself towards Quizz only for the other ghost to vanish and reappear in a shadow behind him.
"You can say that again, kid." they reply as they smack him into a wall with their cane. "Don't forget I've got a home field advantage here."
"Dammit." Danny hisses.
This was definitely gonna make him late for curfew.