As promised, violent battle scene coming up. I'm so happy about it. Finally, some real damage.
Disclaimer: I only own the violent battle scene!
The Eternal Slumber Party
Valerie took in the scene faster then the eye could blink. Five ghosts to the right, only two she recognized, Kitty and Johnny 13. Three others she couldn't place. One ghost floating to the left, a bit slow, was the box ghost. All with blue streaks marking them as enemies. Valerie immediately gave the trigger of her gun a three second squeeze, targeting the box ghost. The water smacked him in the chest, but Valerie had already turned to the right and only caught it out of the corner of her eye.
Phantom shot at Kitty, and she dived to the ground to avoid being hit. Valerie saw Johnny raising his water gun, aiming at Phantom. At the same time, Phantom's blast hit the ghost behind Kitty, taking to total threat from six to four. Valerie pushed the trigger continuously, jerking it from right below the first ghost to just above Johnny. The resulting fan of water hit all but one of the ghosts, the one in the back. The ghost, a girl with long, dark hair, shot at Phantom, hitting him in the head. The ghost yelled in triumph, but before Phantom could go down Valerie shot the offending ghost girl. The girl sat down but the one in front stood back up. Even if Phantom had only been down a second, the people he'd hit could still get up. Valerie remedied that by shooting the unnamed ghost again. Now thoroughly wet, the ghost slumped back down.
"Thanks." Phantom said to Valerie.
"Don't mention it." She replied, then saw Ember hurtling towards them, victim of a powerful water blast. "Seriously, don't mention it. Just duck!" Valerie grabbed his collar and yanked him down behind the couch, the waterlogged Ember flying over their heads, just nicking the ends of Phantom's hair. Ember crashed into the wall, her flaming hair dimming and shrinking before bursting back into full flare.
"Who hit you, Ember?" Phantom hissed, glancing over the edge of the couch.
"Spectra." Ember spluttered, spitting water. Phantom looked at her funny.
"Spectra? She's not a kid."
Ember sighed. "She's doing marriage counseling. That was enough misery to get her to a teenage state. She's about thirteen, so we had to let her in."
Phantom scowled. "Remind me to kick her butt later for setting foot in Amity Park." He commented to Valerie. Valerie just blinked, confused. Wasn't the school councilor's name Spectra? Well, before she quit. And what was that about misery?
"What do you mean by-" Valerie began, but Phantom cut her off. "No time. Charge!"
Phantom vaulted over the couch, doing a summersault through the air and landing square on his feet. A shot of water came from around the corner, targeting Phantom. Valerie leaped, doing a handspring and pushing the couch onto it's corner. She twisted, and spun the couch like a top, just barely keeping her balance. She flipped, pushing the overbalanced piece of furniture in front of Phantom. She landed in a crouch, snapping her head up just as the water hit the couch. It teetered on the edge for a moment, before plopping down, small end to the ground. Phantom glanced up.
"Thanks."
"Don't mention it." Valerie shot to the edge of the room, flattening herself against the wall. She peeked around the corner, and saw her guidance councilor. . . or what her guidance councilor would look like if she was thirteen. She was dressed in a T-shirt and jeans rather than her usual business suit. And under her eyes. . .
"Green streaks." Valerie whispered to Danny. "Another team."
Spectra shot out of the hallway. She passed right by Valerie, not even noticing She walked, step by step, over to the couch where Danny was hiding.
"Come on out, Phantom." She said.
Valerie noticed Youngblood stepping out from behind a coffee table. He glanced at her and silently pointed at Spectra. Valerie nodded and held up three fingers. Then two. Then one. Then she mouthed the word 'go'.
Youngblood dashed forwards, yelling. What is with kids screaming at the top of their lungs in these fights? Valerie wondered. Then she jumped into battle, shouting loudly. She shot, almost nailing Spectra, but she pulled up her water gun and blocked the spray with it. Youngblood floated right up to Spectra and stuck his tongue out at her. Spectra didn't bat an eye. Youngblood sighed and shot her full in the face.
"Teenager, maybe. Age-wise. But an actual kid? I don't think so." He said.
Valerie looked at him, confused. Now that the danger was gone, she could ask about the things that were bothering her. And, boy, did she intend to.
"What do you mean? Why can't she see you?"
Phantom poked his head out from behind the couch. "Lemmie explain. Spectra gets her power from people being miserable, and she uses the misery to become younger. Youngblood, here-" Phantom pointed at Youngblood, who gave an exaggerated bow, "Can only be seen by the young. Or, you could be less literal and say that he can only be seen by kids. Spectra may look thirteen now, but she's still an adult at heart. Thus, she can't see Youngblood."
Valerie nodded. It made sense. But Phantom kept going, oblivious to the fact that she got it already.
"He had everyone thinking I was going crazy by only showing up when there were no other kids around."
Youngblood sniggered. "He was all like, 'I'm not crazy!', and then I'd poke him, and he'd go like, 'And will you quit poking me!', and everyone would stare at him."
Phantom smirked. "And I still beat you."
Youngblood pouted. "You cheated."
"Convincing Jazz to act her age is not cheating. It's simply calling in backup."
Valerie was confused again. "Wait. . . Jazz?" She felt her natural distrust of Phantom returning. Jazz was Danny's older sister. Was phantom trying to get at Valerie through the Fentons?
Phantom didn't notice the suspicious look she shot at him, still talking. "Yeah, Jazz. The Fenton's kid. She was on a camping trip, I was chasing Pee-Wee here, we kinda met up halfway through the wilderness. She couldn't see him, and-"
Valerie could see that the facts weren't fitting up. She quickly interrupted him. "But you said all kids could see him. Why couldn't she?" Valerie watched Phantom's face for signs that he was fibbing, but found none as he explained.
"Yeah, Jazz is a kid, but she doesn't think she's a kid. Have you heard her talk?" Phantom began a pitch-perfect imitation of Jazz. "'I'm sixteen. Physically. But mentally, I'm an adult.' Honestly, it was no wonder she couldn't see him."
Valerie nodded, but something else began bothering her. "How did you get her to see him?"
Phantom's smirk grew. "I annoyed her into throwing a temper tantrum. Then we both beat up Youngblood." Phantom widened his eyes and imitated Youngblood. "'It's not like you can stick me in jail, or something'. 'Actually, it's exactly like I can stick you in jail, or something'."
Youngblood glared. "Why you-"
"'Don't call me kid! I'm mature beyond me years! Thbbt'!" Youngblood let out a little scream and chased after Phantom, running around and around the couch.
"I can't imagine how you possibly got Jazz to throw a temper tantrum." Valerie said dryly.
Me: Ha-ha! LOL! Youngblood is ticked!
Youngblood: That's not funny!
Me: Yeah it is.
Youngblood: Is not.
Me: Is too.
Youngblood: Is not.
Me: Is too.
Youngblood: Is not.
Me: Is too.
Youngblood: I'll admit it's funny if you hurry up on the chapter where I cream Phantom.
Me: You can't. There's a truce on.
Youngblood: Aw man! Hey. . . wait a minute. *gets evil smile* Can you get rid of the truce for me?
Me: No. I also can't get right on the next chapter, because I got enough votes to write the next chapter of Misunderstandings. No votes for my other poll, though. The one about Warmhearted Wraith 2.
Youngblood: You can't really complain about that. That poll wasn't up 'cuz the other one was.
Me: Go away or I'll make you kiss Valerie in the next chapter.
Youngblood: Oh no! COOTIES! *runs away*
Me: Wow, that threat works on both of them!
