Well, first I want to say hi to a few of the peeps that constantly read my stories (I'm not getting all of you, sorry. But please keep the reviews coming! I'll try and start replying to you more. Thanx!)
Cheerin4danny and Purrbaby: Well, I already basically have Deception written and on my computer. The sequel, however, is not going so quickly. So, I have about 20 more chappies that I can upload, about two a day if I can. :D So, get used to it, but also get used to the fact that during the next story, it may not be so quick.
LaBOBruen: I'm glad you like the idea. I wrote the first 6 chapters in one night...so that tells you how much I had it on my own mind. :D I don't think this would ever happen in the cartoons, but hey.
konijnemans: ;)
Mcrystal: I'm sorry I made you sick, but I'm glad you like the story. :hug: No, I wasn't sick at the time, but I normally have a good memory when it comes to things I feel.
And On With The STORY!
After a week of staying with his newly found mentor, Danny found himself spending more and more time in the training room. State of the art, no expense spared, Danny could change it from regular to ghost with the click of a button, and the transformation of the room was something to watch. Everything took on an eerie glow as the real world objects were replaced with objects from the ghost zone. According to Vlad, he'd had this room for the last three or four years, and constantly wanted to upgrade it.
As the days went on, though, training became more and more of an escape from his thoughts and his frustration. Not that he minded. If he thought on things too much, he knew he'd drive himself insane...and he did want to avoid that.
This morning, he growled at the punching bag he was hitting at the moment in human mode. He tried to remember back to his younger years, when he'd taken a few months of Karate before he had stopped going. He couldn't remember why, but what little he did remember, he used.
"Ah, you're already here," he heard the cool voice behind him. He gave the bag a few extra hard punches and turned to face him, folding his arms. "Excellent," Vlad walked over to the panel at the wall, and pushed a few buttons. Several robots that Danny had never seen before appeared. "I'm starting you on specialized training," he said as he walked over to his usual chair, tea in hand. "Today the only Ghost power you can use, is intangibility." He looked at Danny.
"Why?" Danny grabbed a towel and started to wipe his head.
"Because some situations will allow only ectoplasmic energy blasts. Some allow only invisibility, etc etc. The intangibility exercise is the first to start with because it can be useful in the ghost zone, and the real world." He picked up the paper that had been at the table, and pushed a button on the remote. "No flying either," he said as the robots sprang to life. They caught Danny totally unprepared, and knocked him several feet away. Vlad simply shook his head and continued reading while Danny got up, turned ghost, and proceeded to do his best to beat the stuffing out of the robots.
Neither noticed the invisible presence watching them.
It wasn't coincidence that took Jazz by Sam's house on the first day of spring break. After all, their first day of real research should prove useful...or they'll do something, I'm sure. "They'll probably come up with some sort of solution" Jazz smiled to herself as she turned the corner. The more she thought about it, the more she was convinced that Vlad Masters was, at least in some way, responsible for Danny's disappearance. It only made sense.
She turned onto Sam's street, having driven her brother's friend home several times, when she saw the Taxi pull up.
"Come on, Tucker," Sam appeared at her front door, and turned to yell back in the house. "The sooner we get there, the sooner we can get Danny back!" Jazz stared, unbelieving, as Sam carried a fairly small bag down her steps and threw it into the back seat of the Taxi.
"I'm coming!" Tucker said, carrying no less than three bags, heaping full.
"Why do you have to carry so much?" Sam rolled her eyes. He opened his mouth to reply, but spotted Jazz staring at them instead.
"Oh..." he said nervously, "Hi Jazz." Sam turned quickly, a nervous grin crossing her face as well.
"Where are you..." Jazz started, and then shook her head. "You know where Danny is, don't you?" She asked. Sam and Tucker both started stuttering a response, but she cut them off. "Please," she said softly, "Let me come."
"Honey, I'm really not sure about this," Maddie was saying over the phone, Jazz stuck between Sam and Tucker in the middle of the back seat.
"Don't worry mom, they just weren't able to get ahold of me, but I"ll be back in a few days."
"Well," she felt her mother giving in.
"Look, I'll call you every day. We're heading up to the Great Lakes area."
"And they're paying for everything?" Her mother asked.
"They...er...need a more responsible person to go along, or they'll get into major trouble." She saw Sam roll her eyes out of the corner of her eye. Tucker didn't seem to be listening at all though.
"Well, I guess it's okay," She said, "but if you don't call back every day, we're coming there after you."
"Thanks mom!" Jazz sighed with relief. "I promise! I love you!" She hung up the phone and grinned at Sam. "Thanks again," she said. "I didn't know you had this kind of money at your disposal..." she dropped off.
"Don't worry about it," Sam muttered. They drove the rest of the way to the airport in silence.
