Thank you so much for reviewing everyone! I don't know if I've thanked you so…there you go. This is my longest chapter yet, and we're nearing the end to. It took me a few weeks to write this, so I hope you enjoy.
Disclaimer: (I keep forgetting this) I don't own Danny Phantom, or anything related to him. He is property of Butch Hartman and the only thing I profit from is polishing my writing skills.
The city lies in ruins. Twisted steel and hills of cement and plaster litter the streets like modern art, crushed cars smoke and burn where they've crashed into buildings, shattering glass into the streets like ice. The smell is horrid, sometimes like cooked flesh, others times like gasoline, earth, rotten fruit; all depending on where you stand.
Vlad Plasmius stands over the carnage like a king. Ah yes, this is what he'd been waiting for, everything according to plan. He spins around and around atop a steeple, laughing as he watches the city burn below him. And this is only the beginning, he came here after the Fenton's, they were his primary targets; take care of Jack, exact your revenge and then, then take the world. After all, if the boy has nothing to fight for what does he care about the rest of those worthless mortals?
A minion floats up, twisted and shadowy in form it waits to be given its master's attention before speaking.
"We have cornered the targets. Two are dead." It says in a throaty, whispering growl.
"Jack!?" Vlad's happy attitude vanishes instantly.
"No." The minion says, "He has not been touched…as you commanded."
Vlad's smile returns. Yes, Jack's demise belongs to him. He'll rip Jack's heart out and give to Danny as a victory present. Perhaps he'll allow Maddie and Jazz to flee so they don't have to watch…perhaps not. Vlad pulls himself out of his reverie to address the lower demon.
"Lead me to them." He commands, the minion nods and turns heading in the direction of a large building still untouched by Vlad's conquest.
Danny's eyes snap open. Acid green points focus on the steel doors of Vlad's lab, Danny withdraws into the darker part of his prison. Someone is coming.
A loud clang rings through Vlad's lab, and another, and another. Then the door opens as easily as it always does, and two figures enter.
Jazz, dressed in a jumpsuit much like her mothers, wields a glowing green sledge hammer. Her eyes roam the room, taking in the sterile equipment, the smoothness and unnatural feeling of science. Beside her, Tucker Foley pulls out a flashlight, raking the room he finds a computer and instantly goes on the offense. He quickly moves over and plugs in his PDA typing quickly his eyes scan the screen in darts and flashes.
"Do you here that?" Jazz says.
"What?"
"Music." Jazz moves closer trying to see the screen over Tuckers head.
"It's all here," Tucker whispers, "Everything, from the day Vlad kidnapped Danny to…"
"To what?" Jazz hovers over Tucker, trying to see what he's discovered, but Tucker shuts the computer off with the push of a button, then ventures farther into the room almost rushing up to two pillars, glass pillars that glow; one blue, one green.
Jazz and Tucker split up, Jazz walks around to the blue pillar, she nearly screams as she realizes what floats inside.
"Danny…" she whispers. She places her hand on the glass and stares up at her brother, floating unconscious and naked in liquid oxygen like a lab rat in formaldehyde, supported by tubes and wires that feed him, monitor him, and keep him alive.
"Jazz," Tucker calls from the other side, "Jazz, get over here right now!"
She reluctantly dashes around and stops, dead in her tracks, her eyes wide as saucers as she stares up in horror at the green tube.
Somewhere near the top, half hidden by shadows, Danny Phantom floats. He quietly stares down at them, half smiling like the tiny angel that sits on his headstone back in Casper.
"Danny? Is-is it really you?" Jazz squeaks, taking a step forward, she simply can't believe this.
Danny floats down until he and his sister are eye to eye. Placing his hands against the glass he smiles wide at Jazz.
Jazz blinks at her brother.
"What did he do to you Danny?" He says nothing, only smiles happily at his sister, as if she had just come home from school or something.
"Hey," Tucker pushes Jazz out of the way, "What's your problem man! Don't you know what's going on? Your parents are fighting for their lives, Vlad's trying to take over the world, and the whole town thinks you're dead!"
Danny's happy expression vanishes, but he remains silent. He begins to float backwards into the tube. Jazz fights back tears, something is wrong with her brother, and there's no way to no what it is. Tucker's face is full of anger. He growls and suddenly throws his PDA across the room.
"Damn Danny, Sam's dead." Tucker yells; Jazz turns to stare at him wide eyed.
"But…" she turns back when she hears a soft thump on the glass behind her. Danny is pounding on the glass, punching it over and over. But no matter what he tries, nothing happens. Jazz realizes what's wrong, he's trapped.
"Wait!" Jazz waves her arms to get her brothers attention. "Get back, I can do it." Danny scrutinizes her face for a moment, nods and moves back, though it won't really matter whether he moves or not he's only a ghost after all.
Jazz presses a button on her sledge hammer, causing it to glow brighter. She heaves it at the glass tube; the first strike spider webs the glass. The second and the cylinder cracks and chips, the third and the entire tube shatters; raining shards down on Jazz and Tucker.
Danny smiles once again as the green liquid holding him hostage flows out of the chamber. He lightly shakes the green liquid from his snow white hair, then turns and dives into the blue tube; phasing through it to detach his body from the tubes and wires and then pulling him out as well.
Danny lays his body down gently; Jazz kneels to take her brother's dark haired head in her lap. She gently strokes his hair as she laughs nervously. Danny kneels beside her.
"Everything will be okay," Jazz says "Wont it Danny?" She looks up at the ghostly version of her brother, his thin frame, pale skin and hair, and the darkness that's settled in his acid green eyes. He's so sad, she realizes too late.
"Danny…" He looks up at her, not daring to touch his physical body, and presses his lips together in nervous way. Slowly, he holds up one hand to his sister, waiting patiently for her to take it.
Scared, Jazz takes Danny's hand. Suddenly she can see everything. How Vlad slipped into Danny's room one night and used a machine to kidnap him, how Vlad separated Phantom from Fenton, the numerous rescue attempts by other ghosts and the final obliteration of Skulker by Vlad all leading up to this exact moment. Jazz sees it all, as if she'd been there. She understands suddenly why Danny hasn't said a word…and why he doesn't want to go back, no matter how much he loves his family.
Tears well up in Jazz Fenton's eyes as everything comes into focus, she lets go of Danny Phantoms hand and hug the body of her brother.
"Oh…oh, no. I'm so sorry Danny I- I'm so sorry." Danny grimaces slightly, an obvious attempt at an apology, he knows he probably shouldn't have shown her everything but at least she knows now. He doesn't have to keep it all locked up inside.
"I can't believe this." Jazz and Danny look up from the floor to see Tucker fuming. His face is split between glaring at the two people staring at him and glaring at some invisible computer screen.
"Vlad's chasing them down Jazz. He's got both your parents cornered near the library…They're dead Danny, if you don't do anything right now, they're both dead." The scathing tone in Tuckers voice wipes any mirth from Danny's face. He stares up at Tucker, then at Jazz and finally down at his body. Sighing, he stands up and becomes transparent, twisting and phasing down into his body.
Jazz gasps as her brother's body and soul merge back together. Danny's body, which had been continuously cooling for the past few minutes, suddenly gasps and grows warm. Danny opens his eyes, pale blue orbs that seem as haunted as Danny Phantom's. Slowly, he pulls himself up, with Jazz's help. And growls slightly as his muscles protest. While they have atrophied somewhat Vlad's machinery has kept them in an almost perfect condition. He would Danny realizes contemptuously.
With a fluid movement Danny pulls himself to his feet, and then promptly staggers. Jazz jumps to help him but he gently pushes her away. He closes his eyes again in concentration, a flash of blue later and he's Danny Phantom again.
He's grown since the day of the accident, no longer a scrawny freshman, long limned and inexperienced. His uniform has changed too, though there's no explanation for it. A white sleeveless jumpsuit, the collar of which reach far up his neck, black boots and heavy gauntlets, and a large DP emblazoned over his chest. In addition black bands wrap around his upper arms and legs.
Danny smiles softly at Jazz, wrapping her in a hug to let her know he's okay. He nods to Tucker turning to take off in the direction he already knows Vlad's waiting for him at.
"Wait!" Danny turns back, Jazz is crying and she holds out the glowing green sledge hammer like a scepter.
"Mom made it." She manages to choke out. "You, you'll probably need it…out there." Danny reluctantly takes the weapon in his hands, it actually glows brighter. He smiles at her, passing along something he'd forgotten to show her before. He takes off quickly, phasing through the ceiling.
Jazz blinks, processing her brother's farewell; she smiles happily and spins around to grin at Tucker.
"He knew Tuck," she exclaims "He knew everything; he knows Sam's not dead!"
Well, that was fun! Did you really think I'd kill Sam? Only a few chapters left now so let's get on to the battle!
Reviews (especially long constructive ones) are always loved (short ones are loved too).