Chapter Text
“Why don’t you just hang out in your lair?” Ember asked after her most recent concert.
After a few confrontations, Danny and Ember came to an understanding. The result was that Ember could hold concerts in the living world, as long as she complied with some rules Danny set. As a side effect, they became acquaintances and later friends, to the point Danny and the rest of team Phantom started to hang out with her and her crew after the concerts.
Which was good, because Team Phantom needed spots to discuss their doings. Sure, the Nasty Burger is a classic, but it is a public space. Sam’s parents don’t welcome Danny (and Tucker to a lesser extend than Danny), Val’s home is too inconveniently placed in Elmerton and Wes’ home also harbors Wes’ older brother, who won’t leave the alone for long, as Kyle is convinced them suddenly being friends with Wes spells trouble in some form.
And FentonWorks? It’s just common sense that discussing one friend in the group being a half ghost can’t end well long term.
Ember continued while tuning her guitar, “You learned how to open portals, right? Sounds like a convenient hang out spot to me.”
Danny blinked. “I don’t have a lair.” he said.
Ember stopped what she was doing, “But you need to have one! Every ghost does!”
“But I’m a half ghost.” Danny pointed out.
She shook her head, “Nah, dipstick. You may be a halfa, but aside from looking less dead, you’re very much a ghost. So I think you have a lair.”
Her drummer added with a shrug, “Even if it is a bit different, considerin’ ya half-assed to die.”
“What Josh said.” Ember agreed.
Sam then asked, hand on chin, “How to ghosts – freshly died ones – know they have a lair? And how do they find it?”
Josh shared, “Oh, that is easy peasy! Us ghosts feel a pull to our lair. Even ones who never set foot into it.”
“Oh, this explains how Klemper found his despite being high from that Fenton Chemical last week!” Tucker realized.
“Listen, the next time you’re in the Ghost Zone,”, Ember said, “, try to sense if you feel a pull to somewhere and follow it. Maybe you got a lair waiting for you.” She added with a smirk, “If you got one, I want to see it. Even if it is probably something nerdy like an observatory or something.”
“Then again your lair depends on a ghost’s power level.” Josh added. “Could be something lame if you’re on the weaker side.”
“Weaker side?!” Ember raised an eye brow. “Didn’t Dipstick beat Pariah Dark?”
“With a mecha suit.” Josh just shrugged.
“And Vortex, Undergrowth, Nocturne.” Tucker counted.
“See? His lair should slap in some way.” Ember decided.
Danny didn’t wait to look for it when he just happened to be in the Zone. His friends and him just stole the Specter Speeder and explored. Sam controlled the vehicle and Danny flew around on the outside. Albeit from time to time he flew in.
“I sense nothing.” Danny simply said before flying out again and zooming around the speeder. This continued for a few hours, until they reached an area near Long Now. That is, Long Now would be nearby if Clockwork wants to be found. Then he just drifted into one direction, instinctively.
Sam and Tucker just followed him until they found a purple door just floating around on a tiny floating rock, as if the piece of land was a door mat. Said door was adorned with posters and a sign reading ‘Keep out!’. A typical teen door.
Danny was about to reach for the door knob, but snapped out of it. Instead, he just flew into the Speeder.
“I think this is it.” he said bewildered. “Looks like she was right.”
“Ember won’t live that down. She likes being right.”
“So do you, Sam.” Tucker pointed out. “Danny, open that door. I want to see it.” Danny just nod and flew back to the door before he opened it.
He was greeted with darkness as Sam joined him on the rook. Tucker, still in the speeder as the door mat rock isn’t big enough for three, could see the pitch black innards of the lair. “Is this a sign of depression?”, he joked awkwardly.
Danny just rolled his eyes and stepped in, reaching for something near the entrance. With a click, light came. He found a light switch.
The lair, it turns out, was just the ultimate teen cave.
It was a room, featuring a loft, a TV set and some bean bags and a kitchenette with a fridge made from ice. There were also two doors, one under the loft and one lone door near the kitchenette. The prior lead to… a bath room.
Sam and Tucker walked in, both nodding approvingly. “Now you just need to learn how to make portals leading here, then we are set.”
Tucker added, “We need to test if tech works in here. I say we add a microwave and a gaming console.”
“I think I could organize us a kicker table.” Sam said, already scheming.
A few weeks later, after Ember’s most recent concert ended, Danny didn’t skip a beat and dragged her and Josh to his lair.
“Woah!” Josh voiced, eyeing the music box Sam organized. “Sick!”
“Eh.” Ember said. “It is alright, but a man cave? I expected more from you. Like, you kicked Pariah Dark’s butt! You’re strong! Yet your lair is so lame! Even Josh’s lair has more going on!”
“Mine has a Hookah bar.” he bragged proudly.
Danny just shrugged. “I kinda like that it is so chill. After all, the lair will be mainly used as a hang out spot.”
Tucker added, “Technology works here, we can upgrade this place.”
“I’m already organizing us a sound bar for the gaming corner.” Sam joined in.
“Eh,”, Ember voiced, looking around utterly bored. “Nah, his lair just sucks.”
After a while, Ember and Josh left. With them gone, Danny opened the second door, revealing a stair case leading to an observatory. As he ascended the stairs, Tucker and Sam followed him.
“Why again do we keep this space a secret?” Tucker wondered.
“Remember what she said, the lair reflects the ghost’s powers. She dates Skulker, Skulker works for Vlad.”, Danny reminded him. “I’ll prefer if Vlad continues to underestimate my powers.”