"Fenton." Danny clutched his arms tighter around his head.
"Daniel?" the speaker said sharper.
"Please just 5 more minutes." He groaned.
Someone snickered.
"WAKE UP NOW."
He jumped up, wide-eyed. He was in...his classroom?
"Where-? Wasn't I?" He stuttered. He didn't hear the laughter of his classmates, too confused by surroundings.
"I'll let you be excused this time. You earned a B on your test so no detention." Mr. Lancer walked past him with somewhat of a satisfied smirk. Danny saw this. He was actually shocked. For once Lancer didn't yell at him for sleeping like he usually did. Okay, actually he did, but didn't ask him to stay after school. Weird.
He rubbed his dark hair and his eyes. He glanced his eyes at Sam and Tucker who were busy scribbling things on paper to kill time. He looked at the clock, it was 3 p.m. He remembered always being anxious for the bell to signal that time of the day when it was nearing to go home, the anxiety vanished from his stomach.
Sam passed a note to him, and thus Danny took it quietly.
"Let's go chill at the park, you earned it!" Cheerful and black and purple ink was scribbled on the note.
Danny smiled. He made a nod to her.
Then a headache struck. Images flashed, but they were all so fast he couldn't comprehend what he was looking at, but horrible images, some had blood in them..Danny grunted and flinched.
What was that?
The same anxiety returned, but he took deep breaths, and after 5 minutes, he felt better. The bell finally rung. He passed it off. He felt so good right now. For the first time in months, maybe years. He didn't know why exactly.
Little was he unaware that he finished eating the carcass of the ghost rabbit, sucking his finger-tips.
"Ah, so good." His voice reverberated the sound of two people talking at once.
Evil Phantom now held his full control on his newly required vessel. It was his. The former owner even had given full consent and now nothing could stand in his way.
"Still, as much as the meal was nice, I should wash up." He wiped his mouth.
He went outside. The full view of the night sky was now shown. He spotted an old water well. He dipped his blood-stained hands and splattered the water on his face. He wasn't too sure what had happened to Danny right now, but for now he didn't care. He won. But just a little more time, and eventually the former owner would disappear into numbing despair. That's how it worked.
He raised his nose and sniffed, and growled. His red and green eyes flickered with irritation.
"They'll be here soon..."
Back at Vlad's mansion, it was 10 am, and the day after the trio arrived. They were still surprised they didn't have to fight, much less stay the night. However the only ones who barely slept were Sam and Tucker. Sam stopped by Jazz's room, only to find it empty and bed untouched. She was wondered slightly if the elder Fenton was alright but shrugged it off.
"Do you guys have any steak, or bacon?" Tucker asked the ghost maids eagerly.
The two who were serving the guests nodded and he gave them in detail of what he wanted, and they were off.
"Miss? what would you like this morning?" One asked Sam, who just walked in the dining room, rubbing her eyes.
"Just fruit please." She said simply.
"Yes, maa'm." The ghost replied gingerly. She was slightly weary of Sam, since she appeared to be the least friendly of the other two guests. But nodded and went to work.
"Hey! Did you sleep?" Tucker asked curious.
"Somewhat. Have you seen Jazz?" Sam mumbled, and took a seat.
"No, not yet." Tucker replied, playing around on his PDA.
Sam yawned, and then raised her eyebrows in confusion. Was she still with Vlad, and was talking to him the whole night? Must have been super important. After a few minutes of silence, dazing out and doing nothing, their food came on carts with the maids. Tucker, like a child did a giddy clap.
They didn't expect Jazz to be behind, fully dressed and she appeared.
"Morning Jazz! Where were you this whole time?" Tucker stuffed his mouth with food, not even considering using manners and Sam rolled her eyes at him.
Jazz just stared tiredly and blankly. She sat down and stared at her plate. Sam and Tucker looked at each other worriedly. Then Sam made a gesture with her hands, it was a subtle hint that she and the boys made up by crossing their fingers together and upwards. It meant "they need time alone."
Jazz would sigh from time to time and rub at her arm cast. The other two just ate quietly. The what came out of the older sisters mouth almost made them choke,
"We have to capture Danny and kill him." She said dryly and unemotional.
Sam dropped her half-eaten apple and eyes widened, gaping at her. Tucker nervously and slowly swallowed his food. Sam then furiously stood and planted her hands on the table, making the silverware clang.
"What did you just say?." She growled.
Jazz only made a side glance at her, and continued;
"I was with Vlad all night, arguing with him. He told me there's no cure for Ghost Hunger or diseases of ghosts. The only thing he did offer to help was, find him, he'll take a sample of the illness from his blood so he can subdue it, and make sure it doesn't infect other ghosts."
Sam fumed and walked to her seat, and roughly pulled her up by her shirt. She was not fazed by this one bit.
"HEY HEY! Sam, calm down-!" Tucker pleaded, but he went unheard.
"And you're going to believe him, just like that? That's not like you Jasmine. The Jasmine I know, annoying, nosy, and caring wouldn't give in to some horse-crud lie like that." She spat.
"Why should I care how? He's not my brother anymore, he's a ghost, a monstrosity..he's gone Samantha." She said monotone.
Sam literally felt like she was pulled apart and stabbed with hundreds of knives after she said that. Her world turned grey, eyes darkened from the cruelty of her words.
"Jazz, this isn't you! Just yesterday you told us you were going to do everything you could to help him! What happened?!" She pulled Jazz's face closer, and a tear rolled down her face.
She made no reply, and only glared at Sam with annoyance. The furious goth shook her and held onto Jazz's shirt. "You're no better. You just disowned your own flesh and blood." She snarled.
But then Sam thought she was imagining it, she saw a flicker of green light in her eyes, then after that Jazz blinked, confusion was replaced from the unsympathetic look she had moments ago,
"Augh, let go of me." She commanded, she grunted and blinked more.
Sam did so and went back to her seat.
"Even if you've given up, I won't. Danny, ghost, monster, or no monster, he needs us. We're going to be there for him until the end." She spat and glared, and lightly banged the table once more. Now she was finished letting out her anger.
For several minutes Sam gnawed at her breakfast not giving any eye contact to the other two. Too angry. Tucker was smart enough to no to piss her off further. He'd known her well enough when she's in a state of anger it was best to leave her in her thoughts.
"Ahh, there you three are!" A forced, jolly voice echoed into the dining room.
Sam and Tucker glanced at their welcomer; Vlad. He appeared still dressed in his fancy suit, arms tucked behind his back. Jazz didn't bat an eye but stared at her empty plate. Vlad saw this and snapped loudly to get the ghost maids attention,
"Ladies, fetch some water for Ms. Fenton here and eggs and toast." He ordered.
"Yes, sir." They replied and left immediately.
Vlad walked further down the table and took his own seat and poured himself some wine. Still keeping his usual composure and smirk on.
"I assure you children, I'm just as disheartened to give you the news. Jazmine here has already told you. No cure to help Daniel."
Sam scoffed, and mumbled under her breath; "Yeah, right." She could see that false sense of empathy from a mile away.
Vlad ignored her.
"I will fetch Skulker to bring him here unharmed and have him quarantined. Then I will get to work from there when he manages to capture him." He explained.
Tucker let out an exhale, a very loud one, "Whew, that's a relief, I thought big bad Hunter was going to kill him."
"Amusing, really." Vlad replied dryly.
Jazz shook her head, an idea just hit her faster than a shooting star flying across the galaxy.
"Vlad, tell me: is Skulker here right now, or has he already went to search for Danny?" She sat up straighter, full eyes on the older half ghost.
Her question caught Sam's attention by surprise,
"Not quite yet. He's coming in, oh, 10 seconds from now." Vlad announced.
Sure enough, the mass of a metal body slipped through the ceiling, and the familiar scowl of Skulker appeared, he solidified himself and stood next to Vlad.
"I'm leaving. I found his location: He's in the Rocky Mountains. 50 kilometers from Amity Park. And a pain as usual the whelp is." He reported.
"Excellent, you may go." Vlad said firmly. The sounds of Skulker's rockets were about to launch when suddenly,
"Wait!" Jazz shouted, and stood up from her seat, "Can I ask you something, Skulker?"
"What, human?" Skulker glared at her.
Jazz bent down and pulled out something from her purse.
"Here." She tossed it to him.
He didn't need a warning and could sense what was coming at him, and effortlessly caught it with his black-gloved hand, and opened his palm. Confused, he stared at it.
"What's this?"He growled.
"If you can't catch Danny and all your traps fail, please, use that." She begged and instructed, "It's a sedative my parents created."
Skulker only frowned at her and raised a brow. "I don't take orders from a mere human-"
Vlad grabbed his thick metal arm, and did a deathly red glare at him, showing his ghost eyes.
"Do as she says or I'll rip you apart right here, right now." Vlad hissed, the three teens could've sworn it became so much colder in the air. They could sense his bloodthirsty aura. Tucker scooted down from his seat and only peered with his head out, shivering.
Despite the threat, Skulker only sighed and gave in.
"Fine, Masters." He looked back at Jazz, "You better pray this thing works, or I'll hunt you myself."
"That won't be necessary." Vlad assured her.
With that, Skulker went intangible and flew into the wall, and vanished. Everyone in the room let out a breath. Relief washed over them like a ocean wave.
Tucker sighed, "Wow. Skulk must've been a huge pleasure to have in class." He chuckled nervously.
Sam stared at Jazz, confused, yet astounded. There she was, smiling to herself, a light showed on her face, her red hair streaked more vibrancy than it did a few minutes before, and eating her toast.
She was so nonchalant about Danny before, what's going on? and then gives aid to Skulker? Sam's lips started to curve into a smile herself. She must've regained hope. Good for her. I just hope she keeps it that way.
I had fun with this chapter, re-edited it twice and having a setup for the fight ahead with Virus Danny and Skulker! PLEASE Review!
