WIZARDS IN PHANTOM CITY
CHAPTER NINE: THE NEXT MOVE
"No wonder she couldn't flash out of the Ghost Zone! The lab is covered in plastic!" Justin bellowed as the group of teens came down the lab stairs.
"So? What's that got to do with anything?" Tucker asked, walking over to the computer desk.
"Wizard magic can't effect plastic, it's like a buffer. With the lab coated in plastic it's blocking Alex's magic and not letting her flash back." Justin explained, putting a hand on the plastic as if to see if it was really there.
"Why would your parents do this anyway? Just to put plastic over all the walls seems weird even for them." Harper asked Jazz, who shrugged.
"Not sure but this is definitely someone's doing. My parents wouldn't have done this unless someone told them to. And they would have to tell them something like 'Ghosts are easier to contain in plastic' or 'Plastic is resistant to Ectoplasm' for them to do this." Jazz replied, looking around confused.
"Maybe we can just get it off? It was light enough for someone to lift and put it on, right?" Max suggested as he knocked on the plastic, testing its strength.
"Max. You do know the plastic would have to be nailed to the walls for it to not fall off, right?" Justin explained carefully. Max nodded. "Then we can't just lift the plastic off!" Justin snapped. Max just shrugged.
"Okay, well whoever did this has to be reasonably close with your parents for them to trust their word, right?" Harper questioned Jazz.
"They'd have to have been in the lab before too." Justin supplied.
"Let's not forget the most obvious thing; they were here when Danny and Alex went through that portal. Otherwise it would be like locking it just to piss of the Fenton's." Tucker informed them. They all nodded, almost forgetting that part.
"Also, they'd have to be aware of the supernatural beyond Ghosts." Tucker continued.
"How do you figure that?" Max questioned the Tech-geek.
"Well we can safely say that whoever locked the portal and whoever's idea it was to magic-proof the lab was one-and-the-same, right?" Tucker started and received various nods, so he continued. "Well they'd have to know about Alex being a wizard, or at the very least of wizard's existence, to be tricky enough to coat the lab in plastic. If not then this is the worst coincidence ever." Tucker explained.
"He's right. And they'd have had to be aware of wizard's weaknesses. It's only been hours since they went in there, right? You're brother went in with Alex this morning after his fight with that dragon? So they had to know about their existence even before they discovered Alex to do that." Justin supplied but also looking at Jazz for confirmation.
"Yeah, he went to check on one of his friends and I guess Alex wanted to go. So it was sealed between then and when I came down at two in the afternoon." Jazz confirmed.
"And it's only six now, so that makes four hours locked. A lot can happen in four hours." Harper said nervously. Jazz gasped.
"She's right," Jazz started. "If it was Vlad, like we're all thinking he'd have done it to buy time. Time to make his next move." Jazz realized, causing everyone else to gasp, realizing she was right.
"We have to move fast. Justin, help Tucker with the lock. Max, go find your parents and stall them before they realize Alex is missing. Harper, call Alex and let her in on what's happening. I'm going to go call Sam. She deserves to know what's happening." Jazz ordered.
Everyone jumped into action immediately.
Justin scrambled over to the desk Tucker sat at and pulled up another chair and the duo began discussing possible codes.
Max bit everyone good luck before bolting up the stairs and out the front door with a loud 'smack' to find Jerry and Teresa.
Harper pulled out her phone and speed-dialed 1 for Alex and let it ring.
Jazz whipped out her phone and dialed Sam's number from memory and waited, tapping her foot impatiently.
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"How am I not cold anymore?" Alex asked.
The duo had finally arrived at the Far Frozen and was flying over the tundra at a little more than a leisurely pace. Alex, who wasn't immune to temperature, was complaining she was freezing. Which she very well could have been considering she was only in a thin and loose blue shirt with another pair or white jeans and her boots.
Then Danny's green eyes flashed an icy blue, different from his human form, and she wasn't cold anymore. She shot Danny a confused look, telling him to explain and Danny chuckled.
"I just used my ice powers to redirect the cold air around you, forcing it away before it hit you. Like a force-field against the cold air." Danny explained.
"What about you? How are you not cold?" Alex continued to question.
"I have an ice-core, which is like a human heart, so I'm used to it. Any weather doesn't really bother me actually, except Vortex. I could wear my t-shirt year-round." Danny explained again.
"What I wouldn't give to never be bothered by weather again." Alex muttered but Danny heard it anyway.
"I could help with that. My ice powers usually cool Sam and Tuck down pretty well. I never did this with them though; I think this is relatively new." Danny told her.
It was true; Danny's ice powers were a better way to cool off than just ordinary swimming. Last summer when it was 90 and above Danny had turned his room into a winter-wonderland with snow and all, making for a very exciting time. And a snowman with the 'DP' logo but that's a story for another time.
But he had just recently discovered he could keep someone immune to the elements when Aragon hit him with fire, the second time, earlier that day. He had used this same technique and it put a force field of cold air around him, protecting him from the heat. So he figured it he put a force field of cold air around Alex, it would keep the cold off her. And it did.
"That's pretty cool. You would think-" Alex started, but was cut off by her cellphone ringing. She looked confused and turned to Danny, who shrugged.
She pulled it out of her pocket and answered the phone, noticing it was Harper just by the ringtone alone.
"Hey, what's up?" Alex started.
"Alex, are you okay?" Harper started worriedly.
"I'm fine, why?" She said to Harper, before she turned to Danny. "Who knew I'd get reception this far? This place has better cell-service than The Substation." Alex commented, earning a chuckle from Danny.
"Okay well, have we got a story for you." Harper started, before launching into everything that's happened since they gathered in Danny's room.
"So you know everything?" Danny asked Harper, who was now on speaker.
"Everything. Justin, Max and I know you and Vlad are halfas, that you're Phantom and Plasmius and Tucker and Jazz know that you guys are wizards and about the competition and everything." Harper revealed, getting a sigh out of Danny and Alex.
"Any luck on finding out who closed the portal?" Danny questioned. Harper sighed.
"We think Vlad. He's someone your parents trust and would cover the lab in plastic if he mentioned it, he's been to the lab before, he could have been there when you left because maybe you just didn't notice and he probably knew about wizards before we showed up." Harper explained.
It made sense. Jack and Maddie would coat the lab in plastic if Vlad told them something stupid like 'Ghosts can't phase through plastic'. Vlad was familiar with the layout of the Fenton household. Vlad could have been lurking in the shadows or invisible when Alex flashed in and just remained silent.
"I'll be willing to bet if he was there he was about to go after her too. It would be very un-Vlad for him not to." Fenton mused.
"I bet he only hesitated when we got there. Then he waited to see how it would play out." Phantom continued.
"He's working on a plan right now. He knows we're still stuck here and he doesn't know Tucker, Jazz, Justin, Max and Harper would reveal everything so soon." Fenton realized.
"He's counting on the secrets to keep everything separated. Now that there's no secret we're figuring it out. Vlad knew from the second he learned Alex was a wizard that her family was and was counting on that to keep us trapped here." Phantom noted, with Fenton nodding along.
"But if he knew Alex's family were all wizards then why would he lock her in here and leave them alone if he thinks wizards are a threat to his plan?" Fenton asked, thinking deeply.
Both Fenton and Phantom gasped in sync, coming to the same conclusion, causing Danny to immediately blurt out his inner thoughts.
"Vlad locked us in here. He locked us in here to buy time for his next move." Danny told Alex and Harper slowly, as if making sure they were on the same page.
"We've established that-" Harper started but was cut off.
"His next move is you guys, the Russo family. The family of wizards. And I think I know what for." Danny interrupted.
"Us? Why?" Alex asked startled.
"No. Not you, Alex. If he wanted you he wouldn't have locked you in here. He's going to use you're family as bait for me." Danny explained.
"Save explanations for later when we're all here. I have to go, Jazz is giving new instructions. Stay safe." Harper said before the line went dead.
"Jazz giving instructions? She can really step up when she has to." Danny commented with a proud smile. Alex smiled back at the halfa, enjoying the moment.
"Great One! You have returned!" A familiar voice, to Danny at least, shouted from not too far away.
Danny and Alex looked down to see the Ice Yeti known as Frostbite standing right outside a village and waving his right hand up at Danny, who smiled in return. Danny began his decent and he and Alex landed gently in the snow, but that didn't make either of them make a move to pull away their still attached hands.
"Glad I wear boots all the time or I'd be really screwed." Alex joked looking down at the snow that she was sinking in. Danny noticed she was starting to rub her arms a bit.
"Still cold?" He asked and received a nod. He concentrated on putting a stronger bubble of air around her, using cold to keep the cold away if you will, and she immediately stopped rubbing her arms and shivering.
"Thanks." Alex said, smiling at him. Danny gave her a smile back, meaning 'no problem', before he turned to Frostbite.
"I told you I'd be back." Danny joked, smiling sheepishly.
"I have a feeling its not to learn a new trick, though. Am I correct?" Frostbite questioned with a large grin. Danny sighed.
"We're kind of stuck here. Someone –Vlad- locked the portal behind us and now we can't get it open." Danny explained, with Alex fake coughing "Vlad" after "someone".
"Why did you not just take Plasmius' portal? His is open majority of the time." Frostbite replied, questioning Danny.
"Because he locked mine so I'd be stuck here and he wouldn't be stupid enough to leave his open." Danny replied, before pausing. "Would he?"
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In the basement of Vlad's lab, there was nothing stirring. Until Kelmper's head poked through the open Ghost Portal.
"I'm gonna make friends!" Kelmper cried, flying through and phasing through the walls.
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"Who cares? We're here now we may as well ask." Alex cut in, nudging Danny.
"I'm sorry, I don't believe we've met. I am Frostbite, leader of the Far Frozen and the Great One's humble servant. And you are?" Frostbite introduced, sticking out his hand generously.
"I'm Alex Russo. Are you guys Polar Bears or something? And who is 'Great One'?" Alex replied, shaking Frostbite's hand. Both Danny and Frostbite chuckled, for different reasons.
"They aren't Polar Bears, Alex. They're more Yetis' than anything. And great Yetis' at that." Danny said with a laugh. Alex nodded and blushed a bit out of embarrassment.
"And 'Great One' is your friend over there. Honestly, Great One, do you not make anyone treat you with respect?" Frostbite revealed, before turning to Danny.
"Explain. Now." Alex ordered, giving a pointed glare at Danny. She didn't like to be 'out of the loop' with anything and she had a feeling she was missing something big.
"Well that's a funny story." Danny began, flinching at her tone, as he rubbed the back of his neck nervously.
He showed no fear of becoming Skulker's pelt, A GIW experiment or Nocturne's nightmares but there was no way he was going up against an angry Alex. His father, Lancer, surprisingly Vlad and even Clockwork had all told him at one point or another 'hell hath no fury like a woman's scorn' and Danny had a feeling Alex's was worse than normal considering she had magic powers.
"Let's go. If you really want to know they have a place where it'll be easier to explain." Danny said with a sigh.
He went to go grab her hand, but he remembered they never let go of each other's hands in the first place and just turned around instead. In fact, he turned around so fast he missed Alex's blush to which she was extremely grateful.
Danny, Alex and Frostbite walked in silence toward the cave Frostbite had first shown Danny and his friends on his first time here. Once there, Danny began to explain, but he was cut off.
"Great One? I was wondering if maybe-" Frostbite started unsure. Danny saw where it was going and smiled, relaxed back onto the ground next to Alex, and taking her hand once more.
"Sure you can tell it, Frostbite." Danny replied easily. Alex grinned at the way the Yetis' face lit up.
"It started long ago, before you, before him, and before many…" Frostbite started, pointing at Alex then Danny as they both smiled.
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"Okay we've established that the passcode isn't," Justin paused to look at his and Tucker's notepad of scribbled, and failed, suggestions. "Vlad & Maddie Masters, RIP Jack Fenton, Little Badger, Packers, Cheese-head, Daniel Plasmius or Butter Biscuits." Justin read aloud, causing Tucker to sigh.
"He's gotten better. Usually anything of his would have opened by now." Tucker complained.
"And I haven't managed to do anything other than piss off Sam. She says she's leaving her aunts early now and on her way back." Jazz complained.
"Why is that bad?" Harper questioned after spending 5 minutes tapping on the plastic and seeing if it covered the entire room.
"She's gotten really annoying. She used to be cool but lately she just fusses over Danny and yells at us all." Jazz explained in a confused manor.
"Yeah. She flips out whenever Danny gets hurt and thinks it happened because she wasn't there to yell at him the entire fight. Sam freaks out when Danny's fighting by himself even if it's only a low-level Ghost when Danny is almost the highest." Tucker supplied, moping a bit.
"That must be hard." Justin tried to sympathize. But he couldn't, he knew, because that had never happened to him.
"She's going to be upset you all know. She was way too content with just us." Jazz mentioned, motioning to her and Tucker, Danny being implied also.
Tucker knew Jazz was right. Sam was extremely defensive of anyone who got to close to their secret and she wouldn't be happy with their inside information being told to four more people. And even angrier that Alex was one of those people. Sam was already jealous of Alex and Danny's closeness before, now though, she'd be like a piranha refusing to let go of what it thought of as its own.
"Anyway," Jazz started, "Tucker, take Harper to City Hall and question Vlad nonchalantly. Act like it's for an assignment but dig for anything that could help us." Jazz ordered. Harper nodded and moved to Tucker's side, but didn't leave yet knowing Jazz wasn't finished. "Justin you're coming with me while we go wait for Sam. I'll need you there in case anything happens." She finished.
"Got it. Let's go Tuck." Harper said, followed by her and Tucker barreling up the stairs of the lab.
"Okay now we go wait for Sam. Be on the lookout for anything suspicious." Jazz reminded as she and Justin left the lab.
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"…And now once again, The Great One must rise up against the King." Frostbite finished dramatically.
"Oh, come on! You are so over-dramatic!" Danny argued, his face formed a scowl. Alex chuckled.
"Aw, it's cute when you get upset." Alex pointed out, still chuckling. Danny's face went from scowling to embarrass.
"He's just being modest. He doesn't realize how much bravery and strength it took to even attempt to take on Pariah Dark." Frostbite argued, rolling his eyes at Danny's attempts to brush it off.
"Now I know what Lady Danielle meant when she said you didn't accept praise." Frostbite muttered good-naturedly but the hybrid heard anyway.
"When was Danielle here?" Danny asked his interest peaked.
He had told Frostbite of his relation to Danielle, so if she was ever in need of a place to stay she could always count on the Far Frozen but he didn't know how often she actually used it.
"She stayed here last night and went on a trip with the guards earlier. She should return shortly if you wish to see her." Frostbite informed him with a grin, which Danny returned.
Frostbite grinned wider at the halfas reaction. He knew how important the little Phantom was to The Great One.
"Who's Danielle?" Alex questioned the two ghosts.
"Danielle is the result of Vlad's failed cloning attempt I told you about. I thought Jazz told you about her?" Danny replied.
"She didn't tell me much. Just that Vlad cloned you in an attempt to get the perfect half-ghost son and that they all failed and melted into goo except one. She did tell me that she was a girl and two years younger than you but that's it." Alex informed Danny, who shrugged.
"Her name is Danielle. Danielle Phantom." Danny told her. Frostbite smiled silently at the mention of the ghost girl.
"Like your name in this form?" Alex asked, motioning to Danny's white hair.
Danny hesitated. He almost told her that he, mentally at least, referred to himself as 'Danny Phantom' more than 'Danny Fenton' anymore. He thought it was probably due to his recent act of referring to his parents as 'Maddie and Jack' rather than 'Mom and Dad' but he couldn't be sure. He felt more at peace and natural in ghost mode or in the Ghost Zone than he ever did on Earth for a while. Almost. No need to let anyone else knows that, so he just smiled and nodded.
"You can't refer to yourself as 'Phantom' all the time without someone finding out. What's the big deal anyway?" His 'Phantom' conscious said.
"It's a huge deal. I basically renounced my own last name without anyone knowing because I feel blocked off from everyone else. That's actually why our name is 'Phantom'. Because that's all we were before, it's what we are now and what we'll always be." His 'Fenton' conscious replied.
"That actually doesn't sound bad. Being 'Phantom' forever, I mean. Nobody else would know but it'd be there all the same." Phantom gave his input. Fenton just smiled.
"So, Great One, would you like the Infi-map now?" Frostbite questioned, even though he knew the answer.
"No." Danny replied, just like Frostbite predicted. But it shocked Alex.
"No?" Alex parroted, confused.
"No. Not until Danielle gets back." Danny explained further. Alex broke into a grin at the thought of meeting the little Phantom.
"She shall return shortly, Great One. Until then would you both like to come outside and watch the ability I will be showing you?" Frostbite asked, looking at Danny.
"You got it, Frostbite. What am I going to learn? Ice weaponry? Ice grenades? A Hail storm?" Danny questioned, the last one jokingly. But it would be cool.
"You'll see. Now come, let's get going." Frostbite replied mysteriously, ushering Danny and Alex out of the cave with the poorly drawn story of Danny's battle with Pariah.
"Geez, this is the most excited I've seen you since I first showed up here, Frostbite. Do you have some news or something?" Danny questioned.
"Forgive me for sounding like Master Clockwork but all in time Great One, all in time." Frostbite cryptically replied, earning a scowl from the halfa and an eye roll from the wizard.
"If you say so, Frostbite." Danny gave in, annoyed.
So Frostbite led the duo out of the cave and back out into the bone-chilling winds of the Far Frozen, preparing to speak when everything came to a halt.
Danny and Frostbite stiffened, the other yeti's all looked towards their leader and savior, everything went stone quiet, the wind stopped slamming into everything and the snow stopped falling. Danny and the yetis didn't move, just looked straight ahead, unblinking.
"Danny? Frostbite? What's happening?" Alex questioned quietly, not wanting to disturb the peace. Danny snapped out of it first.
"The Sarcophagus of Forever Sleep. It's almost broken completely down." Danny whispered gravely. The other ghosts nodded.
"And that means…" Alex trailed off, leaving Danny to finish for her.
"Pariah Dark is almost free."
How was this chapter? Danielle is informally introduced, Sam is almost back, Danny is onto Vlad and Vlad is planning as this happens.
Next chapter; Danielle appears, Danny learns from Frostbite, Danny and Alex leave the Far Frozen with Danielle, Tucker and Harper question Vlad, Sam comes back and Vlad makes his next move.
Exciting future chapter right? Tell me what Danny and Danielle's relationship should be (sisterly or daughterly) in the reviews or PM me. Popular vote wins! Don't forget to review!
