Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom or any of the characters. Danny Phantom is the sole property of Butch Hartman, Nickelodeon and Paramount global.
Envied
Chapter 12: Drastic Measures
At Fenton Works
The ghost boy was home right now and recruited his sister and best friends to find out more information on their latest enemy.
He told them everything that he already knew about this latest enemy...which wasn't much...just that he's a Chinese Hopping vampire named Shi who has been targeting Star lately and is acting like he doesn't know him for some reason.
It was quite a conundrum to say the least.
Anyway, Star was home but since she placed the ghost shield to protect herself in case Shi tried to come and "visit" her during the night. With that, the members of Team Phantom were researching as fast as they could about the mysterious foe that seemed to pop out of nowhere.
"Come on...jiangshi's named Shi..."Danny muttered as he tried to look through one book but didn't find anything in particular regarding his newest enemy.
He then turned to his friends and sister, who were also neck deep in books or searching every part of the web for any information that they could gather.
"Come on Tucker, have you found anything about that Shi guy?..." Danny pleaded Tucker, who was searching the web on anything to do with jiangshi's.
"I'm searching the web as fast as I can Danny but you'd be surprise how many websites talk about Chinese folklore and these hopping vampires as you called it..."Tucker said as he was typing away. "Even so, I can't find anything in particular about this "Shi" guy..."He added, sounding frustrated.
"Me neither! Not even Mom and Dad's paranormal research books mention that name in any way!..."Jazz said as she had several stacks of them to her right, having read all of them already.
Danny looked distressed but refused to give up.
"Well, there has to be something! It's not like that guy appeared out of thin air!..."Danny said as he was even checking some of his parent's ghostly legends books, but still found nothing about that creepy, suspicious Chinese hopping vampire.
He still had no clue about who he is, where he came from and what his true motives are.
"GUYS! I THINK I FOUND SOMETHING!...."Sam said as she was reading the second edition of her "Gothic folklore and creepy urban legends" book.
"Really?!..."Danny exclaimed as he, Jazz and Tucker ran to see the book.
"You found out who that Shi guy is?..."Jazz asked but the goth shook her head.
"I can't find any legends with that guy's name in particular but I did find some interesting facts about jiangshi's in general..."Sam said as she had a whole chapter of them in her book.
"What's it say?..."Jazz asked, curious as the goth began to explain things.
"According to this, jiangshi's are a type of reanimated corpse in Chinese legends and folklore. It's name literally translates to "stiff corpse"..."Sam said as she read the book.
"Stiff corpse?..."Tucker said, looking creeped out.
"Well, that explains why he's so ugly..."Danny commented while the goth girl continued reading.
"Jiangshi's usually dress in a Chinese shroud that are litle the ones from the Qing Dynasty, and they move around by hopping with its arms outstretched, hence why they are sometimes called "Hopping Vampires"..."She continued reading out-loud.
"Wow, I wouldn't never guess..."Danny said sarcastically, as the girl rolled her eyes before she kept reading.
"They are said to be created when a person's soul fails to leave the body after they pass on, probably due to reasons in life..."Sam read out-loud... "And apparently, there are LOTS of ways to become one, according to this..."Sam said, as she showed an actual list of how jiangshi's are usually made.
And a lot of them are NOT family-friendly to say the least. With the exception of Sam, the other members of Team Phantom were kind of unnerved by some of them.
"Wow, that doesn't look good..."Tucker commented, actually disturbed by some of the stuff he had just read.
"And it's getting worse..."Sam said grimly upon reading something else.
"What? What's it say?!..."Danny asked, very anxious now.
"It says here that a jiangshi wastes their victims when they absorb their qi, or "life force"..."Sam said, horrifying the others upon hearing that.
"What?!..."Danny yelled in worry, while the goth girl nodded.
"Yeah, it says here that when it comes across a living thing, it will suck the life force out of them until there is nothing left. They also seem to do this at night, since during the day, it rests in a coffin or hides in dark places such as caves..."Sam explained.
"Well...at least now we know why their are called vampires..."Tucker said nervously, while Danny still looked upset to say the least.
"There is no way I'm letting that creep ANYWHERE near Star!..."Danny yelled protectively, very worried about her now.
"But that still doesn't explain WHY he is targeting her specifically..."Jazz pointed out.
"Maybe he's into blondes or something..."Tucker guessed, only to get looks from the others. "I'm just spit-ballling here..."He said.
"If he likes her, he has a funny way of showing it..." Danny said, frowning.
"If my theory is right, he's gonna have a place to lay low, like a Western vampire. Especially since it says that they don't go out during the day time since they are weak during that time..."Sam said.
"The we got to find his little hiding place…" Danny said in a suspicious tone. "Is there anything there we can use against that creep?..."He asked.
Sam smirked.
"Good news...there is a whole page her about jiangshis and their weaknesses..."She said as she presented it to her friend.
Danny saw it and smirked.
"This pleases me..."He said as he and the others began to read up on it, hoping for an answer.
After about half an hour, it got really late and Sam and Tucker had to leave due to curfew. Danny wanted to research more but his mother told him to go to bed now.
The ghost boy did as he was told...after taking Sam's book with him and reading it under the covers with a flashlight. It wasn't because he liked the book or anything, but because that he was so worried about Star and he had to find as much information on this enemy as he could.
"I hope that Star is okay. This can't go on..."Danny thought as he kept secretly reading the book and learning more about his foe and the possible weaknesses he may have.
After reading everything that he could about the Chinese hopping vampire's species and their details, the ghost boy uneasily went to bed. He was still worried about his one true love and hoping that she will be alright.
The next day
It was Monday morning and Team Phantom could barely even focus on school due to being constantly on the look out for Shi.
Good news, it seems that he might not come after Star during the day time given the information they gathered, but the ghost boy still stood next to his girlfriend, more so than usual.
"Danny, while I love the extra attention...you need to loosen up a bit..."Star said during lunch time, since her man seemed tense.
"I can't! He could be anywhere!..."He said, looking around and acting paranoid.
His girlfriend sighed.
She knew that he was trying to protect her and she appreciates it, but she doesn't want him to overwork or stress himself out here too.
"Boo, I appreciate your concern but I'll be fine. That creepy vampire or whatever he is suppose to be has to sleep too, I think. So, I doubt he's gonna show up at this hour..."Star said. "Plus, I'm sure that he can't handle both Danny Phantom and his Starlight kicking his butt..."She said, winking at him.
Danny noticed that she was unusually carefree in this situation and couldn't stop himself from commenting on it.
"You know...most people would be freaked out if a vampire is after them...even a Chinese hopping one who looks like a college freshman with pale skin..."He said., while his girlfriend just shrugged.
"We've been attacked by ghosts practically every day and we can handle them. I sincerely doubt this jiangshi is gonna be any harder than them. Besides, like I said, I trust that we got this..."She said sweetly.
Danny was happy that she was so confident in his ability to protect her but he was still worried.
"I'm still not leaving your side unless it's to go to the bathroom..."The ghost boy said stubbornly.
Star smiled.
"Fine by me, as long as we can at least do this while you insist on staying..."The blonde girl said as she held his face and kissed him on the lips.
Danny calmed down a bit and smiled.
"I can TOTALLY live with this..."He said, grinning.
"Me too..."Star said, giggling.
The ghost boy smiled at her, before he and Star kissed again. However, he was still worried about this jiangshi and whatever he had planned.
"Whatever he tries, I'll be ready for him..."Danny thought as he remained by Star's side all throughout lunch and the entire school day, keeping a watchful eye on his girlfriend.
Later
In Elmerton
Misty had returned home as soon as the bell rang, feeling ecstatic and impatient for her plans to move forward.
Her mom is still at work, Max is at soccer practice and Lao Lao is currently visiting a friend. Misty was suppose to be at her violin lessons today but thanks to some spells from her book, she managed to get them "rescheduled" for another day without her mother's knowledge.
"I'll remember that spell whenever I wanna stay out late..."Misty mused as she went home and was now in the basement.
Shi was already there, with a pan frying as he was working on the special sauce that was being made for Danny.
"Hey, Shi. How's the sauce coming along?..."Misty asked, sounding eager.
"Hello, sorceress. It is almost done..."Shi said, keeping an eye on the pan.
"I still don't understand why it takes 12 hours to make some sauce and fried rice..."Misty said, confused as the paranormal chef kept working on it.
"You can't rush perfection, young sorceress..."Shi said. "As a chef, I take my time to make sure all my meals are absolutely exquisite. Besides, I did say it needed to be perfected before we could use it..."He said with a shrug.
"Whatever..."Misty said.
"I could use aid, with some onions..."Shi said, sounding more like an order.
"Fine..."Misty said as she went to get them.
She brought a couple of them and Shi quickly added them to the sauce, after chopping them up. He then mixed it within the sauce and looked proud as it was nearly done now.
"There...now it needs to simmer..."Shi said, smiling and looking like a proud cook.
"Wow, he really was a chef..."Misty thought as her minion kept at it.
"You know... I bet if this sauce will entice your beloved soon, I know recipes involving noodles and chicken that would do well..." Shi offered.
"Really? You think that'd work?..."Misty asked, looking excited.
"Of course... the way to one's heart is through the stomach... at least that's what I overheard some westerners say in the past..." Shi said.
"Danny's heart... would be mine..." Misty said out loud in bliss as her eyes started to glow green.
Her minion noticed this and continued to tell her things that she wanted to hear.
"Yes, I do believe so...but do you not fear this Star will respond well to your plan?..."Shi asked, while his master snapped out of her daydream and huffed at the mere mention of the other girl.
"She's just gonna have to accept it. Danny is gonna be mine now and she's gonna have to live with it..." Misty said, seeing her and Danny as fate.
"She's quite stubborn… almost… admirably..."Shi said with a strange smile forming on his face.
"Huh?..."Misty asked in confusion, while her minion flinched and tried to save face.
"I mean… let us hope she finds another, so she doesn't get any ideas about trying to take that boy back..." Shi said quickly, while the teen sorceress scoffed.
"Oh please, cheerleaders like her have tons of guys all lined up to date them. I wouldn't be surprise if she already gets a new guy on her arm the day after she and Danny break it off..."Misty said dismissively.
"Maybe sooner..."Shi said silently, smirking as his master was helping him with his own plans.
"Still, this beats whatever it is she's making..."Misty said as she helped stir the sauce, knowing Star is making a sweater for Danny.
"Of course... unless..."Shi said, before purposely pausing.
''Unless what?..."Misty asked, while her minion smirked to himself, knowing that he has her attention now.
"Unless she retaliates and makes something that he likes far more...and that act could rekindle the boys affection for her if you're not careful..." Shi suggested, grinning to himself when he could see the spike of jealousy within the girl, just from the expression on her face.
Hearing that, Misty scowled, the glow in her eyes getting brighter. Shi saw this and decided to add more fuel to the fire.
"I mean...yes, my sauce is very delicious and should be enough to win that boy over...but...that girl is very beautiful and desirable, not to mention that she was still born into a wealthy and respected family, as well as talented and resourceful from what I have seen. Any man would desire a female like that..."He said, smirking as he continued. "To be honest, if she TRULY wanted him back...well, I will admit that it probably wouldn't take much for her to win him back if she really wanted him back..."The jiangshi said, grinning as he watched the teenage girl's expressions go from worried, to jealous and even angry, before she eventually calmed down.
However, her eyes were still flashing green as she turned to him. There was an unhappy look on her face as she began making orders again.
"Quick change of strategy! I need to make sure that she gets it that Danny's not hers anymore as soon as he eats this...and to stay away from him too!..." Misty said, sounding jealous and possessive.
Shi was silently enjoying the girl's antics before saying the following words.
"Perhaps I can bring her here so you confront her… once it's done? To get her to understand that she has lost and that she cannot interfere anymore..."He said, smirking as the girl was like putty in his hands.
Misty was pondering before she nodded and smiled.
"Good idea..."She said as she thought he was helping her.
Shi smirked and thought of what he had planned.
"It seems that my own loneliness will be over soon..."He thought, happy that things seem to be going his way now.
He was then distracted by the scent of the sauce and smiled.
"Oh... there it is..." He said proudly, smelling it with glee.
He then left with his master, ready for the next step of this plot.
Later
At the Strong residence
Star had returned home as soon as the bell rang, wanting to finish up the last bit of the sweater that she had left...and she did so, much to her joy.
Her dad was at work and Georgia was out grocery shopping, leaving Star home alone for the moment. The blonde girl was elated, since she finally finished making her sweater and she immediately called Danny over so he see and try it on.
She also turned off the ghost shield since it was day-time and also because it needed to recharge due to being turned on all night.
Anyway, the ghost boy soon arrived to her house...and so did the rest of Team Phantom.
He didn't want them to come, but in Sam's own words, she "wouldn't miss this for all the tofu soy melts in the world." Tucker and Jazz were also eager to see the end result of Star's "labor of love" for the ghost boy.
Star didn't seem to notice or care. She was so excited to finally make the sweater that she just ran up and showed it off to her boyfriend, smiling widely as she presented it to him.
"Here it is! I just finished less than half an hour ago!..."She said in excitement as she held it out.
Danny smiled at her but on the inside, he cringed when he saw the outfit.
It was mostly purple and orange all around, along with A LOT more vibrant colors and none of them really meshed well together. Even worse, it was still showing strands and strings sticking out, especially given the fact that Star only worked on it for about two days and it was showing as some parts were unfinished or that she really rushed through the process.
The blonde girl didn't seem to notice as she kept innocently smiling and expected a word from her loving boyfriend.
"Wow...Star...uh...you seriously made this in just 2 days?..."Danny asked, forcing a smile.
"Uh huh! I just finished and I just couldn't wait to see the look on your face when I showed you..."Star said, smiling widely.
"Me neither..."Sam smirked, snickering to herself at her friend's predicament.
"And I thought her sewing skills were bad already..."Jazz whispered, recalling those disguises they wore the last time they dealt with Nocturn.
Star, while having a good fashion sense, didn't seem to notice or see how ugly and too unorganized the color scheme was in the sweater she made. Apparently, she was too excited from being able to finish anything at all, that she just presented it to her boyfriend and was seeking approval.
"Come on, try it on! I've been waiting days to see how this would look on you!..."Star insisted, still looking eager and she was apparently oblivious of what they were all thinking about the sweater.
"Alright..."Danny chuckled nervously as he put the sweater on and showed it to his girlfriend.
Once on, he felt less than proud, but he couldn't say that out-loud. All the while, his girlfriend just might one day give him a run for his money on the title of "clueless one".
"Well, at least it's not as itchy as it looks..."He thought as his friends started laughing and snickering at his expense.
"AHAHAHAHA! He looks like a kindergartener's drawing!..."Tucker laughed, pointing at his friend.
Danny frowned and responded by swinging one of the overly long sleeves and slapping Tucker with it. It didn't stop the techno geek's snickering though.
"Don't listen to him. I think you look very cute. Besides, what does he know about fashion, anyway?..."Star asked, gesturing to her work while Tucker seemed offended by what she said.
"I definitely know that this might be the best day of my life..."Sam snarked, happy to have some ammunition against Danny if she ever needs it.
"Mine too..."Jazz said as she and the goth girl high-fived each other.
"Where is a ghost when I need one?!..."The ghost boy thought, wanting a distraction here from this.
Little did he know, one was watching and he was a lot closer than he thought.
It was Shi, who came here by orders of Misty. He also gave her a view of what was happening.
"There they are. And look at that tacky thing. I can't believe she'd give him THAT stupid thing of all things! I guess she doesn't have too good taste after all..." Misty said, annoyed.
"Okay, now we-..." She heard snickering and noticing her view was bobbing as if something was happening to her witness
. She realized what this was and felt annoyed.
"Are you laughing at him?..."Misty demanded, while her minion tried to look innocent.
"Maybe..." Shi snickered.
Misty looked irritated while her minion shrugged.
"Don't give me that look, can you really blame me for finding this funny? After all the things that I've seen in my lifetime, that is by far the most hilarious thing that I've ever lead my eyes upon!..." Shi said, as he tried to justify himself while laughing silently.
His master rolled her eyes, deciding to get this over with.
"Just get Star! I'll check on the sauce!..."Misty said as she headed to check on her secret weapon.
Once she was gone, Shi looked into the window and saw the blonde girl who was beaming at the dark haired boy in the ridiculous sweater.
He was momentarily distracted, as if he was enjoying the view.
"She reminds me of Meilin…" He said fondly, as he kept staring.
He then recalled his orders and his real intent. He knew that he had to get back to work now.
"You'll have your Danny, girl... but I have plans of my own for his beloved..."He thought as he got closer.
Inside
Danny, now wearing Star's sweater, was trying his best to smile as he tried to please his loving girlfriend.
"You look amazing..."Star said, beaming.
"Uh...if you say so..."Danny said, unsure and not having the heart to tell her how he really feels about it.
His friends kept snickering and poking fun at him. Danny glared at them and tried to think of something. However, before anything could happen, his ghost sense went off.
"Yes!..." He went in relief before calling Star's presence. "I mean... oh no... a ghost..." He said with fake concern.
"Here, now?..." Star asked. "If only the ghost shield didn't need to recharge now..."She muttered under her breath.
"I better... take this off... so... it doesn't get torn..." Danny suggested, really wanting an excuse to lose it.
"You should just show up in that, the ghost would probably die again from laughter..."Tucker said, laughing.
"That settles it... that is my new portrait of you on my phone..."Sam said with a mocking smile.
"Like I said, don't listen to them. They wouldn't know fashion if it came up and grabbed them..."Star said, crossing her arms.
However, something came inside and grabbed her...quite roughly to say the least.
"HEY!..."Star yelled before she saw who it was.
"Hello again, young maiden..."Shi said as he smiled.
Star gasped in horror and anger.
"You again?!..."She yelled, while the Chinese hopping vampire grinned at her.
"I see that you remember me..."Shi said, looking smug.
"Believe me, I'd love to forget you!..."Star snarked, trying to break free.
"Oh... you'll be wrong on that very soon..." He said.
"Not a chance!..."She said and tried to reach for her saber.
However, the vampire managed to knock the saber out of Star's hand. The blonde girl struggled and tried to reach for it, but he kept her too far.
"Let me go!..."Star yelled as she struggled in his hands.
"Not happening! I think a little nap will do you some good..."Shi said as he smiled.
He placed a hand on her head and, after it emitted pink energy, it knocked her out.
"Get away from her!" Sam called out as she and the others aimed their weapons at him.
"Oh, please. I'm not getting caught off guard again..."He said.
Shi waved his hand and released a mist that caused some of the human teens to suddenly stick to a wall.
"Hey!..."Jazz yelled.
"What the?!..."Tucker yelled.
"I didn't know that jiangshi's could do that..."Sam exclaimed, since she didn't read that in the book.
"Let's just say I'm not your average jiangshi..."Shi said arrogantly, while a certain dark haired boy had enough.
"And soon you're gonna be a jiangshi with it's teeth knocked out! Now let her go, you creep!..."Danny yelled.
"HA! The one on the overly colorful garbs is ordering me around! If your plan was to blind me, it almost worked! You look more like a flower than a warrior!..."Jiangshi scoffed.
Danny frowned and took the sweater off.
"One second..." He said before going to morph.
He changed into his iconic ghost form and flew into the air.
"Okay, you Nosferatu reject! Let my Starlight go right this second and MAYBE I won't kick your butt all the way across the great wall of China!..."Danny said in a threatening manner.
To his surprise, the Chinese vampire actually seemed surprised by what he just witness, if his expression is anything to go by.
"What?! You?! You're that ghost boy?!..."Shi exclaimed, looking truly lost here.
Danny blinked, noticing Shi's attitude and was kind of at a loss to say the least.
"Uh... you didn't know that? Half the Ghost Zone knows that... even the parts I've never been to yet..." He said, wondering what is up.
Shi was at a loss, questioning what happened.
"But why would she tell me not to hurt you if fighting Danny Phantom was-..." Suddenly, it hit him. "Wait... she doesn't know about this... She doesn't know the truth..." He said, smiling darkly as ideas formed in his mind.
"Which means... I can use this..."Shi said, smirking darkly.
"She? Who are you talking about?!..."Danny asked while the Chinese hopping vampire still held the unconscious Star.
"It doesn't matter. You won't be around to find out anyway!..."Shi said as he tried to make a break for it.
Danny began to charge up his energy in a fighting stance, but Shi held Star up as a shield.
"One falls move and this pretty little thing gets less pretty!..."Shi threatened.
Danny stopped, but sent the vampire a dirty look.
"You are such a coward!..."Danny yelled.
"Like I care about the opinion of a scrawny ghost-human freak with puny arms!..."Shi shouted.
"Wait...what's wrong with my arms?!..."Danny asked, but he had been distracted for that moment, allowing Shi to kick him.
Danny was ready to blast upon getting back up, but Shi using the unconscious girl he loves made him stop.
"Who are you working with and why do they want Star?!..."Danny demanded, wanting to get to the bottom of that.
"I won't even bother to tell you but let's just say that she wants her out of the way… but I have different plans for her…" Shi said.
"What plans?!..."Danny yelled, glaring at him.
"Oh... let's just say that she won't have to worry about making dinner plans tonight..."Shi said in a mocking way, while Danny glared at him.
"Let her go right now!..."Danny yelled, ready to tear this creep apart.
"You are SO annoying! Powers or no powers, I do not understand why she desires you so much!..."Shi muttered, almost sounding bitter about something.
He then noticed the time and realized that he has a plan to get back to. The ghost boy kept yelling at him.
"I said let her go!..."He shouted as he tried to charge at the vampire, who easily dodged him.
"It doesn't matter what you say, freak. You and this maiden will never see each other again..."The jiangshi said as he smiled evilly.
Before Danny could do anything, the jiangshi suddenly glowed green and before he could save Star, a bright light flashed, nearly blinding the ghost boy.
"My eyes!..."Danny yelled as he tried to shield them.
Once the blinding flash of light ended, Danny regained his sight and tried to look around.
Danny soon saw that Shi was gone...and so was Star!
"Oh man, STAR!..."Danny yelled in horror and worry as his girlfriend was gone now.
The jiangshi kidnapped her and to parts unknown. His Starlight is gone now!
Oh no!
-To be continued-
Next time on Envied
Green With Envy
A/N(1): I dedicate this chapter to my family, my friends and my love for God :)
A/N(2): Special thanks to NeoMark, BeConfuzzled Writer and Jay The Average Fanboy for helping with this chapter. You guys rock! :)
REPLIES to my loyal and totally awesome reviewer:
RonaldM40196867:
1) That will be revealed in the next chapter.
2) Sorry, no spoilers.
3) How's this so far?
4) Yes :)
Invader Johnny:We shall see what happens.
Jebest4781: Thank you :)
Jay The Average Fanboy: Thank you :)
Here are my responses to your questions:
1) She lives in Elmerton, the same neighborhood Valerie lives in.
2) She's still learning.
3) Sorry, no spoilers.
4) I assume that he has already passed on.
5) No.
6) I haven't seen it yet.
7) I am not sure.
8) I guess some can be interesting.
9) Dinosaur.
10) Sorry, no comment.
11) It's a hobby for her.
12) Sorry, no spoilers.
13) I got some help from some friends of mine.
14) Unlikely.
15) In Amity Park.
16) Spiderman.
17) I guess it's a tie between Power Rangers Dino charge and Power Rangers Ninja Steel.
18) I haven't seen it yet.
19) The 2003 version.
20) Sorry, no comment.
21) I guess she really wanted a nice, honest guy that she can have a happy, stable relationship with.
22) Who knows?
23) She doesn't attend Casper High. She attends Poil High.
24) That will be revealed soon enough.
25) I got some help from some friends of mine.
Hmilles02: Thank you :)
Here are my responses to your questions:
1) Not really.
2) Hmm...I'll think about it.
3) Interesting.
4) I have thought it might be interesting.
5) Sorry, but there just can't be Danny Phantom without Danny in it.
Anonymous 26: Thank you :)
Saberwolf335: Thank you :)
:) I hope you enjoyed this! Remember to read and review :)