It had been two years since Danny Phantom had revealed that he was actually Danny Fenton, and even after that time, the Ghost Zone was still a place that held much mystery. The map that had been started when he and his two comrades were fourteen had been expanded on in a great many ways. They had found the lairs of more of their arch enemies – Ember, Johnny 13, and Spectra to name a few. Like Skulker, Walker, the Fright Knight and Pariah Dark, they had carved out their own floating 'islands' inside the Ghost Zone.
Even so, there were many more places still unexplored. Thus, the three of them made sure to get together once a week – typically a Sunday night – to take the Specter Speeder through the portal and continue mapping out the Zone. Sure, they probably could have just as easily gone to Frostbite and asked to make a copy of his map, but it wasn't just about mapping. No, it was also a way for the three of them to have some time together. Tucker's duties as Mayor kept him busy most of the time outside of school, and while Danny and Sam had been solidly in a relationship for the last two years, it was still nice to have an excuse to get away that nobody would give them grief about.
Today they were going deeper than they had gone in quite some time. A new corner of the ghost zone that they had yet to explore.
"Any idea what might be there?"
"No clue, Tuck." Danny shrugged as he flew point, "But the energy readings are off the charts. Higher levels than Walker's Prison usually has, even with a full guest list."
"Strange that we never noticed it until now, don't you think?" Sam asked as she looked over the readouts. "Careful, Danny. We're getting close. It should be just past those rocks up ahead."
"Right." Danny nodded slightly as he looked ahead. "You guys hang back. I'm going to get closer and check things out."
As the Speeder slowed to a crawl, Danny shot off ahead, moving behind one of the larger floating rocks. Just as he was about to move around it, an ecto-ray shot over the rock and he ducked down.
"Whoa!" He glanced up over his shoulder toward the top of the rock again, then moved around the side of it, peeking around it carefully. What he saw made him furrow his brows in confusion. There stood Walker on what appeared to be a beach, with a full compliment of his guards around him – as if they were storming the beach at Normandy on D-Day. "What the heck is going on...?"
Moving from rock to rock, Danny moved closer, trying to get a better look. The floating island looked like a stereotypical desert island, something akin to what Robinson Crusoe would have found himself on. Yet, on closer inspection one might have guessed that Captain Hook had called the Brethren Court together. On the opposite side of the island was what seemed to be a port city on the edge of a natural harbor. Docked there were a few old sailing ships – including Young Blood's pirate ship.
"That answers how he got his ship fixed up a couple years back." Danny said to himself, then tapped his earpiece. The goggles he wore linked into the Specter Speeder's displays. "You guys getting this?"
"Crystal clear, Danny." Tucker answered.
"Looks like an old picture of Port Royal." Sam said as she looked at the display, focused for the moment on the port city. "Like it was before the earthquake."
"Before what earthquake?" Danny asked curiously.
"Back in the 1600's, a huge earthquake dropped half the city into the ocean. If you go there today you can dive on some of it still. My parents went there last year during summer, remember?"
"How can I forget?" Danny grinned a bit, "They seemed to call every hour to make sure you were okay."
"I hope that's not all you remember..." Sam said with a sly grin.
"Guys... I'm right here, y'know..." Tucker deadpanned, and his two friends chuckled.
"Any idea what Walker is up to?" Sam asked, changing the subject.
"I'm not quite sure..." Danny said as he refocused. "Looks like an invasion."
"Going after who?" Tucker asked, "Young Blood? Seems like an awful lot just for him."
"With how everyone keeps improving, it's hard to say. By now, Young Blood might be a competent pirate. We have no idea what all he does in the Ghost Zone." Danny reminded them, then added, "Granted, I have my doubts too. We haven't seen Young Blood in a while, but he hadn't changed the last time we saw him."
Suddenly there was what sounded like the shot of a cannon followed by screams, and Danny's eyes went wide as he looked over the beach. A crater marked it now, in the middle of a formation of guards. Half of them had been taken out by the blast; vanished. The rest had been fried by what looked like a wave of electricity. Seeing that, Danny brought out the directional microphone and pointed it toward the beach to see if he could pick up what was being said.
Out from the vegetation stepped someone dressed as a pirate captain – though the man was obviously not Young Blood. He could easily stand as tall as Walker, perhaps a little taller, and had not the slightest bit of childishness about him. He was an adult, though he looked just barely old enough to drink. The long coat, tricorn, and other various pirate clothing fit him well. His hair was trimmed, and he carried himself like the commander of a vessel should be expected to. The thumb of his right hand was hooked in his coat pocket – his left hand had swept his coat back slightly, and rested on the hilt of a cutlass.
"Von Krieg!" Walker bellowed, "You're coming with us! For crimes committed since arrival, including, but not limited to-"
"Blah blah blah..." Captain Von Krieg rolled his eyes, the hand coming up from his pocket to make the 'mouth moving' motion. "I've heard it before, Walker." He smirked, looking over the assembled forces on his beach. "I see you've brought more men this time." He quirked a brow, tapping his chin. "Do you really think they'll be enough?"
"You're coming with me, Punk. You and every other soul involved with Project Lazarus."
"Two things, Walker." Von Krieg scowled, "First, don't call me punk. I'm older than you." The slightest of smirks touched his lips before he continued. "Second... how do you know about Project Lazarus?"
"Wouldn't you like to know?" Walker smirked.
Von Krieg deadpanned. "The Observants told you, didn't they?"
Walker was silent for a moment, jaw clenched, then replied with: "It doesn't matter who told me, it doesn't change that I'm taking you in!"
"Yup. It was the Observants." Von Krieg grinned, "Might wanna practice not reacting to things like that – but then, you were probably just some truant officer in life, right?"
At that, Walker snarled, having heard enough. "Don't just float there;" he began, addressing his guards. "GET HIM!" He shouted, pointing toward the ghostly pirate captain.
The ghost guards immediately formed their ranks, shields up, and began to advance toward the lone pirate. Captain Von Krieg simply smirked and inspected the nails on his right hand.
As the guards drew closer, he spoke loudly, but didn't look up. "Nikolai, if you please?"
Suddenly there was movement in the beach sand as hatches popped open and cannons raised up, fully automated ecto-beam cannons at that, and they began locking onto their targets. As they charged up, electrical energy swirled around the muzzles of the cannons. A moment later they fired, each one discharging a ball of energy that was wrapped with electrical power as it left the barrel. Just like the first shot, these wreaked havoc on the forces that were moving in on them – wiping out or disabling vast numbers of the guards.
Those that were left unhindered began to quickly regroup to try and continue their advance, but he was ready once again.
The Captain grinned. "In the immortal words of Bon Scott – LET THERE BE ROCK!"
At that command, the ends of the cannons reformed as speakers, and almost immediately there was what sounded like a riff on an electric guitar. From each cannon sprang a coil of purple energy that expanded as it neared the guards. When it finally hit it slammed them like a shockwave, blasting the entire contingent back. Walker blinked, looking around at what remained of his guards; his entire force in shambles within a couple minutes – or less.
"That's not possible! You're a pirate, not some technology wizard!" Walked said as he looked around, baffled by the ease of his defeat.
"Maybe he isn't... but I am." Came a familiar voice. Out from the vegetation stepped Technus, with what looked to be a wrist-mounted control unit for the island's defensive cannons.
"You're working with him?!" Walked shouted, the scowled as he figured the next bit. "And I suppose the music was provided by the McLain girl?"
As if on cue, a swirl of aqua flames appeared and vanished, leaving Ember in place, wearing the pirate outfit that she'd worn when allied with Young Blood. "Sit on it, Creep."
Technus and Ember flanking the Captain, the pirate crossed his arms and quirked his brow. Glancing to each of them, he gave a small smile. "Nice work, you two. Real class act." Then he focused on Walker again. "Now, do I have to kick your butt, or are you smart enough to leave?"
Walker scowled at the three of them, then looked around to his guards. "Fall back!" Then he looked toward the trio. "I'll be back. And next time, all three of you are getting cells in my prison." With that, he turned to head off with his guards, walking behind them.
The Captain looked cross, then abruptly grinned and looked to Ember. "Ember, you gorgeous, wicked thing you... mind playing him out?"
Ember grinned wickedly and adjusted the nob on her guitar. "Love to..." And with one powerful strum, her guitar's fist-shaped attack was let fly, blasting Walker off the island along with his other guards. The trio watched them go, and then each took their various teleportation methods back to city on the other side of the island – Captain Von Krieg's being what looked like a lightning bolt.
After the show was over, Danny raced back to the Specter Speeder. "I just saw what I think I saw, right?"
"You mean Walker's goons getting creamed?" Tucker asked, and Danny nodded blankly, "Yeah, you saw that, alright. We even have a recording if you think you missed something."
"Ember, Technus, Young Blood, and this new guy? All working together? This can't be good." Danny said, running a hand through his hair.
"What I'm working is what that 'Project Lazarus' is... or was..." Sam trailed for a moment, "If the Observants brought Walker in over it, I'm willing to bet it's not good."
"I wonder why they didn't take it to Clockwork." Danny said, "They seem to bug him when they want something done. Especially if they want someone stopped."
"Maybe he told them where to get off." Tucker shrugged, "I mean let's face it, he can control time – I have the feeling he has better things to do than their dirty work."
Danny and Sam nodded. Then Sam's watch began to beep.
"Alright, guys – it's ten o'clock. We should probably head back. Maybe we can get some research in before we crash for the night." She said as she looked to the other two. A moment later, the three of them were headed back toward the Fenton Portal; each of them wondering who the new ghost was, and why he had picked the allies that he had.