Author's Notes: Warning for these next two chapters is there's a bit of blood. More in the next chapter, this one is only a taste. The poll will be opened only until next Monday. There are three votes, and I will work on that. Just drop a review and I'll be eternally grateful. Telling me to update is redundant, you get the next chapter tomorrow. Also, this will be one more chapter then I thought in the beginning, mostly because it didn't really have an ending, but I hope you enjoy it.
Chapter Twenty-One
Blood Money
Danny felt at ease coming down the mountain. Telling someone, even if it was his substitute gym teacher for the summer was soothing. It at least felt like took some weight from his shoulders. He still wasn't going to tell his family. Neither would he tell his friends, not even Valerie. He'd rather not lose his only friend left because he had to admit he was half ghost to convince her, yes, he was dying. Hopefully she'd lose interest romantically in him before his death.
John had lost all pretense of being serious, and was completely relaxed now that Danny had forced himself back into his mortal form. He couldn't really see John all angsty, not even as teenager, he was just too full of happiness, like it's what made him so big. Danny had a brief image of a surely John with pimples and hardly three feet tall and painfully skinny.
"Hey, clue me in, what's so funny Danny?" asked John slapping him heartily on the shoulders. Danny winced and play glared at the man. John just continued to smile.
"I was trying to imagine you – depressed," said Danny with a shrug. John looked at him funny for a second and then seemed to consider it himself and chuckled himself.
"Kinda pathetic isn't it?" asked John still laughing. Danny smiled, and then paused just a second. A wisp of blue escaped his mouth. He followed it and shivered as a distinct gust of wind blew against them.
"Danny, something wrong?" not that John sounded any better off.
"Can we go see mom and dad?" asked Danny. Something wasn't sitting right. He didn't feel right. He knew that something was wrong and that probably meant that whatever had been stewing all summer with this ghost was probably come to a front. Danny sighed. He had wanted to fight on his own terms, at his time, he wanted the element of surprise, but he had taken all summer so the ghost probably got sick of waiting and decided to start it seriously on its own. How it did that was still to be seen.
"I think it would best if we saw Dr. Appar first. He might be able to help," said John grabbing Danny's arm. The teen raised an eyebrow.
"Can't he be overshadowed really easy?" asked Danny skeptically. "That'd be an easy way to get both of stabbed in the back."
"It's not like I can stop them from overshadowing me either," said John. "I'll just be able to fight it a little better."
Danny gave a man a look he hoped showed how impressed he was with that stunning analysis, emphasis on the sarcasm in the eyebrows. John sighed and shrugged.
"Well, maybe not take him along then. We'll face the ghost together after we make sure that your parents are alright, but Dr. Appar knows this place in and out, if there's anyone that will know how to go about getting to and destroying this guy once and for all," said John and glanced at Danny who was looking at the man in amusement. "Don't get me wrong kid. I'm no hero, but this ghost has making my life much harder than it should be. Facing him won't bring me, at this point, any closer to death than I already am."
"You think he's going to encourage you going. I mean, Dr. Appar seems to be set on me going, but if he thought you…" trailed off Danny; the man laughed and slapped him on the back. Danny knew there was a bruise there. He was sure that if he actual tried to look at his back it would be a nice shade of purple.
"Don't be silly kid. He'll insist on it now, I told him a long time ago that he only would start considering me a threat when I teamed up with someone. That'd be you kid. Now, let's see if the only two people to ever survive a haze dream are enough to take down the old fart," said the man joyfully. "Come on, here is his cabin now, all we need to do is face his might…"
"This doesn't feel right," said Danny stepping inside the cabin. A big hand gripped his shoulder and Danny allowed himself to be pushed back.
"Dr. Appar, we need to speak to… Danny go home and check on… better thought, just go to the main lodge, I'll see you there," John's voice was strained. It was dead serious and had a hint of panic of a man who would do something incredibly stupid if not given a firm shake to do what's right. Danny had a feeling that if whatever had happened to Dr. Appar had happened to his parents, Danny would never see the older man again.
"What is…" Danny almost wished he could faze through the man and do as the man had suggested. "My parents!"
Danny was off as fast as a shot towards his cabin. His heart felt as if it was in his throat in panic. He tried to worry only about his parents, but that only replaced them with… How long had he just stared? Long enough. Much longer than it had actually felt and the image to stick there. The former living room had been a painted in red. Blood had been spattered everywhere. The walls being painted white were streaked red and a few places looked as if bloody hands had run across it. The couch was ripped by claws and darkened in places with clumps of something squishy looking covered the same deep red. The rug was drenched and flesh and a few blood soaked bones could be seen.
Danny ran to the side of one of the cabins and threw up. It looked as if the good doctor had been completely destroyed. Pieces of his body exploding over the room after torture that left his blood a new color for the living room. He'd never thought he'd see anything like that. It was like a bomb had gone off, and Danny wondered if it really was Dr. Appar because there wasn't anything that was actually identifiable in that room.
The halfa stumbled into his cabin. He hoped to God that his parents hadn't met the same end. He had no idea what he would do if the ghost had killed his parents. Certainly he wouldn't just let the ghosts who killed his parents cajole him into their service for a few more shaky years of life. Revenge always does have a place in a person's heart after all. And Danny had the power to carry through with any killing it required, and not enough life to regret it afterwards.
"Mom, dad!" called Danny running into the building. He searched everywhere, up and down. Nothing, the cabin was eerily quiet. That was either good or bad. Everyone could just be out doing whatever they do at the resort; it wasn't like anyone would actually spend their entire summer indoors in such a beautiful place. Tucker at least went to inside to be with friends. But, they could just never show up again. There could be a body area somewhere in the woods where the ghosts struck, someone would just come across their sticky remains, or they could just be lost. Danny thankfully made it to the bathroom to worship the porcelain God before whatever was left in his stomach met the fresh air.
"Danny," Valerie, and she wounded scarred.
"Val, are you alright?" asked Danny coming up to her and gripping her tight by the elbows.
"Yeah, I heard you yelling," said Valerie and played with a folded piece of paper in her hands. "Danny, do you know what's going on? I've looked everywhere but I can't find anyone. I was supposed to be back at my job half an hour ago. But Susan wasn't here with lunch, but there was stuff as if she started. I looked around. I can't find anyone anywhere. I just came back and was planning to find Dr. Appar's address when I found another note."
"Another note? What do they say?" asked Danny. Valerie looked uncertain.
"They tell us what happened to our friends," said John coming through the door wiping a hand across his mouth. "And sweetheart, you don't want to go see the good doctor. Not going to be much help where he is now."
"What?" Valerie's voice was shaky. "I mean, I knew ghosts were evil. I hunted them where I came from. But known of them killed anyone to my knowledge."
"Most don't," said John. "From what I've heard from the few experts I talked to before their own deaths, it takes a truly powerful ghost to be able to kill. Especially through the means he's been using."
"So what? What does he think that capturing everyone will do?" asked Valerie shakily.
"He hopes to lure out and kill the only two who have survived the haze dream," said John.
"Why not kill, well, you two like he does everyone else?" asked Valerie and then blushed. "Not that I'm not happy you're both alive."
"Because, he's tried that and failed. Now he has to lure us to him. He won't leave his hiddey-hole, he's at his most powerful in there. His flunkies have lost in a fight against him, and since he's killed most of the underlings and taken at least one of the lives of his two main ghosts he won't dare anymore. So a face to face confrontation," said John sounding very eager to get started.
"Are you two insane?" asked Valerie.
"He'll kill them if we don't," said Danny self-assuredly. "We have to at least try."
"No you don't," said Valerie gently gripping him and giving him the most pathetic look. "You don't even know how to fight ghosts; you're one of the most clumsy people I've met. You won't last five seconds."
"As flattering as that is," said John with a touch of dark humor. "There's a reason the ghost tried and failed to kill your friend, don't sell him short."
"Val, it's not as if my parents actually took time to do something not ghost related. Believe me, as long as the ghosts didn't look hard enough there will be plenty ghost hunting weapons around, and while my parents can't make them work with shit I tend to have the magic touch," said Danny with a smile. "Don't worry we'll be fine."
"But you're so weak. There's no way…" Danny tried not to be too pissed at what the girl had just said. It wasn't as if he was known for being the strongest in school. Not with him being one of the bullies favorite victims.
"My parents are quacks, their portal is not, I can fight ghosts, I've just never fought at this level before," said Danny with smile. Valerie frowned at him.
"This isn't a video game Danny, this is your life!" said Valerie, the paper ripped under her fingers a little.
"I know that. I also know that if I don't do something everyone I care about is going to be gone. I won't let that happen," he met her eyes. Their face only an inch apart. She looked so worried. He wouldn't stay behind and wait this out, it wasn't in his nature, plus he had taken on an army of ghosts and come out battered but alive. How would this be any different?
"Fine, but I'm coming with you," said Valerie, she looked too serious for Danny to feel comfortable.
"No," said Danny. Valerie's face fell and a determined line pulled her lips tight.
"Excuse me?" she demanded. Danny could hear her daring him to say that again. Of course he couldn't have her come along. This wasn't her fight. She could easily get killed and that wasn't a chance that Danny was willing to take. He had to find away to keep her from going.
"You're not going, this isn't your fight. Not your family or friends," said Danny with hard eyes. "This ghost has left you alone. It doesn't see you as a threat and if we don't succeed it's better if it stays that way."
"No way, I'm going to prove to that hothead that he shouldn't have just written me off just because I was a girl, or whatever, because I can be damn scary when I want," said Valerie glaring at Danny. "You don't think I didn't bring my own equipment did you?"
"You're not coming with us," said Danny.
"And how are you going to stop me?" demanded Valerie getting right in his face. "I'm not going to lose the person I love because he's gone macho and got himself killed."
"Valerie," said Danny sadly taking her bigger hands in his own. "Valerie…"
"Yes Danny?" asked Valerie leaning into him. Danny took that time to quickly push her into the bathroom behind her. He closed the door firmly and thanked his stars that, for some reason, there was no window in that bathroom. It meant that when he melted the lock and the metal to the door there was no second way to get out. Now all he had to hope was someone thought to check the cabin before she starved to death, but not soon enough to get caught in the fight.
"You sure that was smart?" asked John looking in morbid fascination as interesting phrases filtered into the living room as Valerie pounded and cursed in the bathroom.
"Yeah, she'll be safer there," said Danny, when she did get out and he was still alive he was going to get quite a collection of new bruises.
"So, where's this equipment you were talking about?" asked John with a greedy glint in his eyes.
"This way," Danny dragged out all the ghost 'Fenton' named weapons from the various places that his parents had modeled after their own house and set them in front of John. He quickly had made six or seven smaller items disappear on his person and started to look at the bigger stuff with reverence. He glanced at Danny who was just sitting watching him go through it all on the kitchen table.
"Aren't you going to take any of this stuff?" asked John, sweeping a hand over the gadgets. Danny shook his head.
"Nope, all I need is this," said Danny.
"A thermos?" asked John with a raised eyebrow.
"It captures ghosts, if I get the chieftain in this I can take him home to deposit to well, either Clockwork or Walker," said Danny hoping Clockwork would just take the pest off him. Dealing with Walker was always more trouble than it was worth.
"Alright, not sure what that means but I'll take your word for it," said the giant with a grin. "No what does this little guy do?"
"That gives you full body armor and will strip a ghost molecule by molecule until it can be safely caught and sent back where it belongs," said Danny clipping the thermos away.
"Cool, you sure about this? One of these things could come of use," said John spreading his arms to show off all the stuff. Danny chuckled.
"I'm sure John, I've always found that relying on my own skills worked better," assured Danny. John shrugged.
"Whatever floats your boat. Now, let's go, we've got friends to save," said John leading the way out the door. Danny rolled his eyes at the man's theatrics but followed obediently.
They headed down the street. A few people were walking around, all with hushed voices. Everyone seemed to realize that was something was wrong. Shop keepers would only meet their eyes for the barely a second before turning away. It was very eerie, it was as if they all knew what the two were up to. As if they could feel a bomb was going to go off and just didn't want to get involved, because what they wanted was unlikely to ever happen. Great amount of support there. The inspiration really had him sure that he'd be able to save his friends. Maybe he should try to ditch John.
"Don't even think about it kid," said John as they approached a trail marked red. No one ever used it, Danny had, but that was only because most of the little ghosts could be found meandering around the trail.
"Is this the way?" asked Danny, shifting uncomfortably.
"Yup, and we'll be splitting half way up," said John as they started their way in.
"Why?" asked Danny, that didn't sound very reliable. Wouldn't it be better if they faced it all together? At least that way there was a chance they could defeat the ghosts. While Danny could defeat the two ghosts, it tended to take a lot out of him, and this chieftain didn't sound like a pushover. If he fought those two alone there was very little chance he'd be any use against the chieftain.
"It wouldn't be wise to charge in banner flying. We have a better chance of getting in unnoticed if we split up and attack from the side," said John.
"You sure?" asked Danny.
"Always worked best when Isabella decided to get a little too interested in my death," said John with a chuckle. "Plus stealth will us to at least reach inside. They probably won't have the place too guarded yet. If there's one thing that he takes for granted it's his strength and power. He'll have them waiting in the main part of the cave most likely. Though there is a chance that he set up traps to catch us. Plus, whenever I had my dream I never saw you at my side, did you see me?"
"No, but what does that have to do with anything?" asked Danny looking at the man oddly.
"Ah, those dreams are rumored to show a person exactly how they would have gone about confronting and defeating the chieftain. Which would have been useful if it didn't have the bad habit of killing said people," said John with a chuckle. "Now come on, we have a little bit of a hike before we split up."
"Do you actually believe we'll win?" asked Danny skeptically.
"If we play our cards right I think we have the chance of at least giving him a little bit of hell," said John with a smile. "And I'll definitely looking to kill him, or capture him as it would be, because of all the pain and suffering he forced me through."
"But you don't think we'll actually win," clarified Danny. John flinched.
"Listen, I know you're used to fighting ghosts and all that jazz. But I don't think you've gone up against someone this powerful. He kills, no one has been able to stand against him and only the two of us have about as much chance defeating him as you have of spontaneously sprouting a beard," said John still looking jolly. Danny glared at the man.
"I've faced a ghost that killed people before. Sure he wasn't targeting me. That would have been suicide, but I almost, well I didn't save them I had help…" Danny trailed off and John was looking at him as if he had just proven his point. "I defeated the ghost that claimed to have ruled the ghost world. He must have done some atrocious things because he was sealed away."
"Then how did you defeat him if he was already caught? Were you asked to transport him or something?" asked John. Danny groaned, now he was just confusing the older man.
"He was released, obviously," said Danny rolling his eyes and then sighed. "He won't win, not without a huge fight. Going in thinking we're going to die is going to get us killed. Where's your bravery? We need to save them, not condemn us with them. That defeats the point."
"No, that saves us the pain from grieving because we're dead also. Saves everyone else from mourning since they're dead to," said John and Danny just stared at him.
"We're saving him, not going on a suicide mission," said Danny giving the man a dead look. John chuckled.
"Well, if you're sure. Then I say we stick to the plan since this way since the dream is supposed to show the way to defeat them. I haven't seen it all, but I've had more dreams which means I've seen more," said John with a grin.
"I thought you hadn't seen me," pointed out Danny.
"Ah, but I have seen your family and friends," said John. "Fate's a bitch that way."
"I don't think it's fate," said Danny with a little reserve. "But if you're sure than we might as well try it your way."
"That's the spirit," said John with a forced smile. "Especially since we're here."
"I thought it was a cave, this is just where the path splits," said Danny looking from one red marked trail to the other.
"And if you had been paying any attention at the beginning of this beautiful hike you would know that we're splitting up," said John with reserved humor.
"Now?" asked Danny.
"Yup, see you in inside," said the big man and then his smile faded. "Be careful."
Danny watched him leave. He was surprised to barely hear John move away. Apparently the big guy could be quiet when he wanted to be. Scarily quiet in fact. Shaking his head Danny started his trek up the trail. He ended up walking for a good twenty minutes before he even started to get anywhere. The trees were becoming more malformed and smaller. Rocks slipped under his feet but he tried to stay steady. He needed to get to his friends and find the entrance. He almost broke out in tears when he finally saw the dark opening at the end of the marks on the rocks.
A cold breeze flew the trees. Danny walked carefully over the jagged stones. His hands slipped over the rocks. He looked into the dark cave, breath stuck in his throat momentarily. Looking down into a puddle he noted that he was in ghost form. Looking back into the cave, Danny took a deep breath before heading in. He had to go in. The fate of the world rested on him. God, why couldn't it be someone else, anyone else? This was supposed to be the time he spent with family.
The cave was damp and cold. The walls were covered in moss and slime, which made it hard for him to walk. He wished he could use his ghost powers, but the best he could do was his ghost form. If he did anything else, it would alert the chieftain or his cronies, and the hope he had of saving everyone would be lost. Danny took another hesitant step. He couldn't remember a time he had ever been more scared. What would happen if they were killed? Would he become psychotic, and even knowing the consequences have his ghost half separated from his human? God—no, no he couldn't think about that. Pushing the thought from his mind he headed on his way through the cave. He had to be careful. The way was treacherous, and he banged his legs up trying to get just this far through the cave. It was one of those places that only extreme cave goers dared. There were too many places from someone to twist or break their legs for it to be for an amateur.
He hoped Valerie was alright. He had locked her in the bathroom after all. He hoped someone would find her when this was all done if he was killed. He clamped his hands over his mouth, as he slipped down the rocks. He almost cried out as he slipped down; his legs getting scratched and bumped as they straightened trying to stop his fall down the steep hill. Just as he was getting his wits about him, his head went up and down, and knock hard against a jutting rock.
He surfaced from the icy depths a second later, wincing at the stabbing pain pounding in his head. He carefully made his way through the water using his the glow from his body to make sure not to bump into any sharp jutting rock, which with his luck, would show up the second his attention slipped. The water rippled gently around him, and Danny tried to just think about swimming forward. Not the fact that this was cold mountain water which had probably melted or something like that and now was trying to cramp his muscles and make him sink like a rock to the bottom. Was it possible for him to drown in ghost form?
Finally Danny half dragged, half tumbled onto the dry rock, water tumbling off him onto it. Sighing he rolled and finally stood up and leaned against a larger boulder rubbing his bleeding leg and trying to ignore the pounding headache. Great, he hadn't even made it to the fight yet and he was injured. This wasn't going to end well, he just knew it.
It was a relief when he saw a faint light in front of him as he continued his path through the cave. A high pitched cackle met his ears. It sounded like the woman cat ghost. Had that same tint of insanity at the very least. He slowly made his way through the cave. It was damp and cold and he just wanted this to begin so that the pain would fade into the background with the adrenaline of a real fight. He could almost feel the blood rushing red and green in his veins, straining for a fight.
He made sure that he was quiet walking to the entrance. A huge hallow was inside lit by a couple of torches. There stood the two cat ghosts. Isabella looked to be toying with Tucker and Gymy sat dejectedly in the middle of the room. His entire family, his friends, and even Charles was hung up by chains to the wall by their hands, their toes hardly touching the rock floor. Everyone was in various states, Tucker was almost naked from the waist up and a dark trail ran down his face. Sam was fine and so were Susan and Jazz just a looked little pissed. Jack had a black eye and Maddie seemed to be having trouble breathing. Charles was a little cut up and they all looked a little confused and scared.
Danny huffed and looked around, trying to find where the chieftain. He couldn't find a trace of him anywhere in the open space. He looked around and saw another head poking from a passage way on the other side. John met his eyes and smiled with a wave. Danny cocked his head in question. John looked at the two ghosts, sized them up, and looked back at Danny. It was time to fight.