Thank you to everyone who reviewed! And a special treat in this chapter. Danny gets a JOB! :D Happy day! lol
Disclaimer: read the past chapters
Danny found himself thinking about Technus more and more over the next couple days. Nothing too big just small things about him. He wondered what kinds of foods he liked and if there were any he was allergic to. Danny was wondering if they had any personality traits that were similar besides their confidence. Now that Danny thought about his evil self was a tryanical overlord. Maybe that was a genetic trait, to want to take over the world. Danny hadn't repeated anything to his friends that Technus had told him out of respect for the other man. Not that he didn't still hate the ghost for frequently tring to take over the world/kill him. He just didnt want to go telling the guys personal life.
Danny felt a little better after talking to him. At least he could have a conversation with Technus that didnt involve a battle. Turns out when Technus is at home he seems like a pretty regular guy. Well, as regular as a ghost master of technology can get. Danny was sure he had a lab in the back some where where he masterminded his schemes for world domination. But what ghost didn't in the Ghost Zone?
Sam had pointed out a little flaw in his lie that Danny over looked. He'd told Technus that he was getting to know his enemies. That meant that he would have to interview his other foes as well to keep Technus from getting even more suspicious. That was going to be loads of fun. (Note the sarcasm).
"So who can you go talk to that won't try and waste you right off the bat?" Tucker asked, pulling up a list of their enemies on his PDA.
Danny thought for a moment, "Maybe Ember. Jonny 13 and I get along okay I could try talking to him... Poindexter is another maybe... Other than that there arent a lot of my enemies that only mildly hate me."
"Technus is smart. He'll catch on if you only talk to your Frienemies," Tucker noted.
"Frienemies?" Sam asked raising a brow at the geek.
"You know, not quite friends, not quite enemies. Frienemies." He explained.
Danny groaned, "Fine. We'll have to find one of my enemies that absolutely hates me and talk to them... Any ideas?"
"Nocturn?" Sam suggested with a shrug.
"I dont know where he lives." Danny said, falling backward to lay on his bed. He went over all of his past battles and thought of what ghosts he knew of that he would be willing to talk to. It had to be some one that he knew where they lived. Just walking around the Ghost Zone looking for them would never work.
"Walker"
Danny sat up and looked over at Sam with wide and confused eyes, "What?"
"Why not Walker? Everyone knows you two can't stand eachother. It would completely throw echnus off your trail." Sam explained.
"He tried to torture you Sam!" Danny said getting angry at the thought, "I won't take the risk of that happening again. And do you expect me to just walk into his prison?"
"Why not? It's not like he can catch you," Tucker chimed in, "Just stay human. He wont be able to arrest you or throw you out if he wanted to. Just hang around until he answers your questions."
"Harass a police officer..." Danny huffed, "Brilliant idea. As if he didnt have enough on me."
"What were the original charges anyway?" Sam asked. He never really explained to them exactly what happened in Walkers Prison.
"I was apparently: Causing a disturbance, loitering, trespassing, unauthorized survailence equipment and I had real world contraband. He tried to give me 1000 years for it." Danny grumbled crossing his arms. It was totally bogus.
There was a moment of silence then Sam said, "So he had every right to arrest you."
Tucker and Danny looked at her in shock. She had not just said that.
"Uh, Sam... Have you totally lost your mind?" Tucker asked.
"No. But since we've been saving he world for the better part of 3 years now I've gotten a better appreciation for the law. I don;t like it but I follow it more then we all used to." She said with a bite in her tone, "If Danny was really breaking the rules than Walker had very right to arrest him. Yeah, the sentence was pretty extreme but, unfortunately, that's the rules. All I'm saying is, if you're going to uphold the law you should probably follow it too."
Danny couldn't believe what he was hearing. His girlfriend was practically telling him to turn himself over to the ghost police.
"So, what, do I go turn myself in? I dont think so!" He snapped.
"That's not what I meant. I just mean that maybe you should think about it from Walkers point of view. You broke the law and then you broke out of his prison. You're a felon in his eyes. Maybe you should find some kind of compromise with him." Sam suggested, "Maybe comunity service of some kind? Then you can do what you have to to and get out."
Danny groaned loudly and fell onto his bed again, "So in other words I go in and apologize to a guy who tried to turn my whole town against me and torture my girlfriend."
"Well, while you do that, I'll stay right here," Tucker said with a frown, "There's no way I'm going to prison."
Danny sighed, "Even if I did suggest that. Walker would never go for it."
"Do you want to fool Technus or not?"Sam asked, putting her hands on her hips.
"Can't I just talk to Skulker instead?" Danny whined.
"Sure. Right after he peels your skin from the bone," His girlfriend retorted sarcastically.
Danny ouldnt believe he was considering this. He felt even worse about it when they were approaching the giant gates of the Prison. He was telling himself over and over that he could do this but he couldnt bring himself to believe it. When the guards saw him and Sam, Danny told them he was here to see the warden. Assuming he was there to turn himself in, they escorted him and the goth girl to Walker's office. Danny stayed in ghost mode so he wouldnt look like a coward.
At first Walker thought it was all some kind of joke. He made his joke about Danny finally turning himself in and Danny made sure to tell him otherwise. Slowly the sadistic warden's smirk faded as Danny, with much of Sam's help, explained the situation to him. The white skinned man began to frown as the idea of 'comunity service' was brought up. Danny kept looking over to Sam to get the same reasuring smile each time. She for some reason had more confidence in him that he did himself. All of this trouble just to fool Technus... He had better appreciate all of this trouble when Danny finally had the nerve to tell him the truth. So, they continued to talk to Walker about the fact that Danny had indeed broken the rules and was willing to admit he was wrong for a little bit of slack from the other ghost. They were answered every now and then by hums and nods with the occasional thoughtful noise. Once they were done talking they stopped to give the Warden some space to speak.
"Well, you see, now I find my self in a very unique position, kid," Walker said, perching himself on the edge of his desk, "You come to me, pleading guilting to all of your previous crimes and offer to work for me in exchange for your sentence... I just can't help but wonder... Why?"
Danny stopped his hands from shaking as he spoke, "I have some stuff going on in my life right now and I feel the need to get to know my, er, enemies a little betetr. I think it will help me to do my job better." He totally pulled that excuse out of his ass but it sounded well enough.
"I see..." Walker nodded once then drawled out, "Well, it just so happens that recently I lost one of my patrol units in a riot so I have a position open... But I dont see any good reason why I should give it to you. You've been nothin but a thorn in my side since day one."
Danny swallowed, "That's okay. I can just leave then."
As he stood to leave he was pushed back int his seat by the ghost, "Hold up there, son. I didnt say you could go."
Danny frowned up at Walker questioningly as the much older ghost walked around them in a circle. Danny felt like an antelope being stalked by a lion.
"I'll tell you what," Walker started, looking down his nose at the boy. He'd ignored Sam the entire time. "In exchange for the thousand years I sentenced you, I'll give you a job as a patrol officer around the Ghost Zone. You do good and I'll knock some time off of your sentence. And you're free to go home after you're done with your shift."
Danny sat up strait and eyed Walker, "But I thought the job was going to cancel out the sentence!"
"What? So you can quit the job later and be free of all charges. I dont think so," Walker frowned, "I'll keep the charges against you around in case you decide to break the deal. That way if you do I can haul you in and you can do the time like every one else."
Danny hated to admit it but that was actually a pretty good deal. That job basically made him a Ghost Zone hall monitor. Piece of cake. He looked over to Sam who shrugged her shoulders.
"It's your call Danny. We could walk out of here now if we need to." She whispered.
"Something tells me that wouldn't go over well." Danny looked back to the warden, "Fine. I'll do it. I'll be able to come in after school."
Walker smirked, "Good. I'll have your uniform ready when you get here."
Danny groaned, "Uniform? Seriously?"
"What? You don't like the deal now?" Walker asked with a humored tone. Danny could tell that the warden was going to have a lot of fun with this arrangement. But hey, it kept the guy off Danny's back and Technus off of his trail until he was ready to tell him the truth. Right now telling Technus the truth was looking really appealing.
Regardless of how uncomfortable that whole situation was Danny felt pretty accomplished when he went home that night. He;d managed to work out a deal with Walker and practially get his slate wiped clean. Not bad for one nights work. Things might start looking up.
That is... Until his ghost sence went off the next morning.
Danny was sitting in english when the that oh so familiar whisp of smoke flew from his mouth. He raised his hand to be excused and quickly left the class room. He hurried down the hall and out of the school doors. There he could see Technus laughing maniacly as usual with computers and other electronic equipment floating around him. Of course, it had to be Technus. For once Danny would have liked to see the Box Ghost.
"I'm goin ghost!" He cried and transformed dramatically into Danny Phantom.
He pushed off the ground and flew towards the tch-ghost. He fired a warning shot to get Technus' attention.
"Aren't you a little old to be hanging out at a High School?"Danny asked, unleashing his banted like always. He was certainly more comfortable talking to the ghost like this than in casual conversation.
"Yes. I am." Technus admitted, "But I'll never get too old for this!"
With a swing of his arm, one of the computers flew fast at Danny, Causing him to lurch to the side to get out of it's way. 'Phantom fired an ecto blast to destroy the device as it circled back around for a second strike. He turned to the elder ghost with a glare. Technus was wearing his usual grin. Danny flew at him, fists first. With all the strength he had he grabbed the ghost and dragged him away from the school so no kids would be hurt. He didnt want to seriously hurt the guy he just wanted him some where else. Technus shouted in surprise and yanked on the boys arms to pull himself free. Danny felt Technbus unleash one of his electrical attacks and was brutally shocked. Unfortunately Technus wasn't aware that Danny wasn't wanting to hurt him. He involuntarily released the techno-villian and tumbled backward and landed in a founted in the park below them.
Danny sat up and shook some of the water from his head, his medium length hair now plastered to his head. Danny pushed his bangs from his eyes to see the green skinned ghost man floating a few feet above him.
"You really should tie that hair of yours back," Technus pointed out jokingly, "You'd be able to see better."
"I can see just fine," Danny said rising out of the spraying water, "But what I cna;t see is why you would bother stealing school computers. Those things arelike 5 years old!"
"Out of date or not, they will serve my puroses," Technus announced, "And soon, all of the technologuy of the world will be in my command."
"You really should get new virus software because you are seriously messed up in the head!" Danny said before firing a blast of his ice powers at the older ghost, hoping that would keep him at bay.
Technus put up a green shield in front of him to protect himself. Then a blast hit him from behind, knocking him into his own shield. Danny looked around to see who had shot him and saw his bother with a bazooka just below them. Danny gaped as she prepared to take another shot.
"Mom wait!" He shouted, flying down to her.
"Just a minute sweety. This will only take a second." She said happily to him, "I powered up the Fenton Bazooka to do more serious damage. Taking him down should be a snap."
Danny watched as Technus shook of the shock of the blast and looked over at them. he charged up his own attack and was prepared to unleash it at any given moment. The halfa was torn between his dislike for the ghost and not wanting his mom to waste him. His eyes snapped back to the large gun when he heard the laser charging.
"Say goodbye, ghost!" Maddie said as she took aim.
"NO!"
The woman barely managed to pull up before she fired. Danny had put himself in front of the Bazooka to prevent her from firing. He knew his mom wouldnt hit him.
"Danny what on earth has gotten into you?" His mother asked narrowing her eys at him through her goggles.
Danny looked over his shoulder at the clearly confused Technus. He sighed and looked back at his mom almost sadly. He spoke only loud enough for his mom to hear him.
"He's my real father.."
Woop!
And don't worry. The Walker thing happened for a reason. It wasn't just filler.
