Charizardag: Thank you for your comments. Actually, there's a lot of Danny/Sam fluff in this episode, but it doesn't last the whole way through, unfortunately.
GhostsRule: Well, thank you for saying that! As for Danny and Sam's health... yeah, that's the price of keeping their hometown safe from ecotplasmic baddies. They don't really get beaten up in this episode, as something is going to happen.
Uru Baen: Danny was about to say the fight was almost too easy. It's a stereotype that whenever something says that, something will go wrong soon after. Sam told him that to prevent the jinx; as you could see, she failed.
In our next episode, a new enemy takes something dear from our young heroes, leaving them to make the best of it and two friends trying to keep it that way...
"Oh, you two were a pushover! I can't see why you're so feared..."
Mystic, the ghost of a young magician who paid with her life for attempting an illusion too soon, laughed as the infamous ghost children of Amity Park struggled in a box used for the standby magic trick of sawing a person in half.
"Shut up," they groaned.
"I think not. You know what comes next, don't you?" she replied as a saw appeared in her hands. With a grin, she began to slowly saw her way through the wood.
"Wow, we're not very good at this sometimes, huh?" Sam asked dryly.
"You have your days both ways," Danny replied as the saw descended towards them. "Ironically, we're gonna need a magical trick of our in a few minutes if we want to come out of this in one piece..."
"Who said anything about cutting you in half?" Mystic said with mock confusion. After a moment, she returned to her sawing. Danny and Sam winced, feeling the sawdust collect on their stomachs. Finally, the saw ate its way through the wood, and it began to slice into their pinned bodies. The expected torrent of sharp pain sinking through them didn't come, but there was still an icy, almost draining feel to it. Finally, the saw passed through their bodies and the box, and it sprung open. Wasting no time, the young halfas flung the box open.
"All right, you Houdini wannabe," Sam growled as they floated upwards. "You're about to see a few magic tricks of our o--" Her threat was cut off by rings of purple and green light; the two reverted humans fell to the stage with a pained grunt.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" Mystic cried as if she were addressing an audience. "Our 'volunteers' have just had their powers rendered inert!" She paused, grinning at the horrified look on Danny and Sam's faces. "Oh, but don't worry, they'll be back in twenty-four hours. Unfortunately... I highly doubt they'll be around to see that, since some of their... fans are going to come for an encore. Ta ta, kids!" With that, she and the ghostly magic show vanished. Silence fell over the duo.
"You think she really...?" Sam finally asked.
"Try it," Danny interrupted. Sam nodded, and closed her eyes. She opened one, and looked down, seeing her black T and green skirt.
"Uh oh," she said. "What about you, Danny?" Danny also closed his eyes; nothing happened.
"Okay, we have a really big problem, Sam..." the boy muttered, looking at his gloveless hands.
"No, really? I find the thought of everyone from Ember to Skulker coming after us very soothing..." Sam replied, crossing her arms.
"We better find Tuck," Danny said thoughtfully. He paused. "Kinda... lonely not hearing your thoughts anymore, Sam..."
"Same here," the teenager replied with a pained sigh. Danny gave her a comforting pat on the back, and the two raced off to find their friend.
"What do you mean, your powers are gone?" Tucker said, stunned.
"You heard us, Tuck. This weird magician lady ran some kinda saw through us, and we lost our ability to go ghost for twenty-four hours," Sam repeated.
"And you... didn't think of avoiding the saw," Tucker replied.
"We were strapped in one of those 'sawing lady' boxes," Danny said.
"Oh, one of those? That trick's kinda cool," Tucker grinned.
"...no they're not," Danny and Sam muttered.
"Oh, right, the whole 'you're sitting ducks for you enemies' thing."
"Yeah, that," Sam said.
"Well... don't worry, guys. Think of it as a... vacation."
"To where, Deathwishastan?" Danny shot back.
"That's a little much," Tucker replied with a raised eyebrow. "Look, it's the weekend... just enjoy yourselves, okay?"
"With a giant target on our backs?" Sam said. "Not very relaxing."
"You'll be fine," Tucker insisted with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Really. Go see a movie, hang out in Danny's room, stuff like that."
"Well... I would like to go to a movie," Danny mused.
"And we could use sometime to chill," Sam added. "Okay, we'll do it. Thanks, Tuck!" With that, they headed off.
":They don't have a prayer," Tucker said under his breath as he waved back.
"So... whatcha wanna do..."
"I'unno," Danny shrugged as he and his squeeze hung upside down over his bed. "You wanna watch TV or something?"
"Why not."
Danny felt for his remote, grabbed it, and turned it on.
"Tell me when you like what you see," the boy called as he surfed.
"Bleah, nothing but infomercials and educational stuff," Sam said sticking our her tongue. "Danny, you need to get actual TV."
"My parents can't afford DirecTV or Tivo, they need to pay for the next Fenton Ghost Thingie."
"Darn," Sam said in pity.
"Tell me about it."
Above the idling teenagers, an invisible portal opened above Danny's bed. A head poked out of it, hair blazing and eyes glowing.
"The ghost children are powerless," Skulker said as he charged a weapon. "Shame it won't be in battle that I destroy them, but I will destroy them nonetheless." Grinning, he dove towards the unsuspecting teenagers... and bounced off an invisible wall away from them. "What in..." he muttered. He tried again to reach his prey, but they weren't even noticing him. "Why aren't you cowering in fear!" he screamed.
"I hate Geico ads," Sam said, turning her head to Danny's.
"Yeah, me too," the boy replied. Skulker growled in rage, and vanished. Seconds later, Tucker burst in, clutching a small device. "You okay, Tuck?" Danny asked, flipping himself over. "You look spooked."
"Yeah, I'm fine, just... wanted to see if the, uh, TV was working up here," he stammered. "It's out downstairs."
"Why are you watching TV at Danny's house... and what's that?" Sam asked, pointing to the device in her friend's hand. Tucker hemmed.
"Uh, it's a new remote/PDA fusion device. It's really cool. Uh, bye!" he added before slamming the door.
"Tucker's kinda odd sometimes," Danny said to himself.
"Oh, Danny, be nice!" Sam scolded.
"Just sayin', Sam..."
"Say it nicer next time."
"Yes ma'am," Danny groaned, rolling his eyes.
"Well, that oughta keep 'em safe for now," Tucker said to himself as he looked at Jack Fenton's beta self-contained ghost shield. He had found it rummaging amongst the elder Fentons' lab downstairs. Of course, Danny and Sam weren't going to sit in his room for the rest of their downtime; he'd need more equipment. Making sure no one was looking, he descended down the stairs. He began pawing through the various doodads on the tables, looking for something, anything, that could help...
"Tucker, what are you doing down here..." Startled, the boy whipped around to see Jazz leaning against the railing, arms crossed.
"Oh! Hi, Jazz... um, I was just looking for, uh, stuff I left down here when Dr. Fenton was showing off his new stuff... I'll leave soon..."
"Is this about Danny and Sam?" the older teenager pressed.
"No, of course not!" Tucker insisted, returning to his digging.
"Tucker... I know." Jazz couldn't help but giggle to herself when Tucker went rigid. He slowly turned.
"What do you mean... you know?"
"That my little brother and his girlfriend can turn into ghosts and fight them? Yeah, I've known about Danny since I nearly got fried on Spirit Day, and Sam was just a matter of time... jeez, at least Clark Kent had glasses!" Jazz groaned. "So..." she continued as she walked over to him, "you better tell me what's going on with them."
"Okay, um... Danny and Sam had a run in with this ghost that took away their powers for the next twenty-four odd hours, and they have a rogue's gallery of villains... so, we kinda need to keep them alive."
"Where are they right now?" Jazz said, horrified.
"Danny's room. They're shielded right now... but they're not gonna stay there forever. We need to tag along." As Jazz nodded, they heard the clunk of Sam's boots descending the stairs. They ran up to the living room. "Oh, and Jazz?"
"Yeah?"
"Don't tell 'em you know," Tucker urged. Jazz smiled.
"I've already pledged to wait until he's ready. Don't worry about it." Tucker smiled back, and the two ran up to see the suspended halfas reaching the foyer.
"We're goin' out for pizza," Sam said. "Wanna come with?"
"Yes, yes, of course!" Jazz cried. "I mean, uh, I'll drive."
"...kay," Danny and Sam replied, eyebrows raised.
"So, that's a large vegetarian's delight, a personal meat lover's, and a personal cheese? Right, I'll get that for you in a few minutes."
"Thanks," Tucker replied as he handed the waiter the menus. "So, guys," he asked his friends casually, "what are you up to today?"
"I think we're gonna go to a movie, take a walk, do an all night horror movie a thon," Danny mused.
"I want zombies," Sam interjected.
"Well, sure, okay," Danny shrugged.
"Well that sounds pretty good..." Jazz nodded. "It nice to just spend sometime with your close friend and a-a-a-a..." She trailed off as a portal opened directly behind Danny and Sam; a grinning ghost reached out to throttle them from behind. Quickly, Jazz brought up a cylindrical device, and zapped the invader. It screamed, and the portal closed.
"What are you trying to do, change the channel?" Sam asked, nodding vaguely towards a mounted TV. "Where'd you two get those things, anyway?"
"...somewhere," Jazz said defensively, hiding the device. "I can't believe I would ever be thankful Mom and Dad invented ghost-seeing contact lenses," she thought to herself. Anxious minutes passed until the pizzas arrived; Jazz and Tucker were barely nibbling at theirs.
"Aren't you hungry?" Danny asked between bites, confused.
"I like to savor the pizza, you know, the melted cheese and... eep!" His horrified eyes looked upwards to see the Box Ghost, laughing, about to crush his friends with a box of anvils. He quickly activated the ghost shield, and the box phased harmlessly through the floor. The Box Ghost cursed, and faded away.
"'Eep?' What the heck is 'eep,'" Sam asked, slightly annoyed. "You two have been acting really strange today, you know that?"
"Strange is normal in this town," Jazz said dismissively.
"Okay, true," Sam added, sipping her soda. "Welp, I'm full."
"Me too. I think we're gonna take that walk now," Danny added he took his girlfriend's hand and nuzzled her. Sam giggled and nuzzled him back. "We'll see you after the movie?"he asked as they left the parlor.
"Sure, sure!" Tucker called out. A beat passed.
"Okay, let's follow them," Jazz whispered as she left the money on the table. Tucker nodded, and they ran off.
"It's such a nice day..." Sam breathed, looping her arm around Danny's.
"If it weren't for the fact we're utterly helpless, I'd agree," he replied.
"You worry too much, Danny," Sam teased as she kissed him. "Let's just enjoy the day, all right?"
"Fine, fine," Danny sighed. They continued their stroll the park as yet another portal opened nearby. A female stuck her head out.
"I'd have preferred they were in my forest," Evergreen muttered, "but this will have to do." She slipped out and began to slowly approach the unknowing teenagers, her talons outstretched. Just as she was about so slash them across the back, Jazz came barreling out of the bushes, sucked her into a thermos, and somersaulted across the rest of the path. She smacked into a tree, causing her to yelp. The two turned to see Jazz rising out of the brush, rubbing her head.
"Uh, birdwatching!" she said, pointing up at the tree. Somewhat annoyed, the two shrugged and continued their walk. Her vision had just started to clear when she saw the Aragon dragon standing aways in front of them, mouth open. Just as she was diving for the two lovers, Tucker jumped up, activating the shield as he zapped the dragon with another thermos. They stopped as they saw him standing in the brush.
"...you birdwatching too?" Danny asked, a little irritated.
"Look, Tuck, I don't mean to be rude, but this is, like, the only me time we've had in the past few months... I'd kinda like it to be special," Sam asked politely.
"Oh, yeah, I know. I'll go away now." Tipping his beret, Tucker dove back into the brush. Thanking him, Danny and Sam left the park for the cinema.
"I think we're annoying them," Tucker sighed as Jazz raced up to him.
"Yeah, they're not going to be liking this tagging along anymore," the older teenager agreed. "Still, they're sitting ducks... we'll just have to keep following them.
"Darn right," Tucker nodded. "C'mon, I think they're going to the movies."
"Yeah, two for Bride of Chaotica?"
"Sure... you're lucky, last two for the film," the ticket seller replied as she handed them the tickets. "I'm sure you can still get decent seats if you hurry."
"Oh, thanks," Danny replied. "So, anyone good in this?" he asked Sam as they headed for the theater.
"Kate Mulgrew and Robbie McNeil from Voyager," Sam said.
"I thought you didn't like that show..." Danny answered, confused.
"Danny m'boy, after the Enterprise finale, Voyager looks like Deep Space 9," Sam insisted.
"Yeah, please don't get started on that again..." Danny begged as they went in to the theater. Just as they were entering, two very agitated voices sounded.
"What do you mean, that movie's sold out!" Jazz snapped.
"I mean what I mean. And I don't like the tone, young lady," the seller sniffed. "You'll have to choose another movie."
"Okay, fine... we'll see, uh... what still has tickets?" Jazz asked, calmly.
"Fuzzy Buzzy Bear and the Mean Old Cheat."
"...I can't believe I'm saying this..." the carrot top muttered to herself. "Fine, I'll take two for that..." she continued, sliding the woman the money.
"Two for that it is... and no theater hopping," she growled in warning. Jazz snatched up the tickets and ran into the foyer, Tucker following.
"I don't suppose we have anything that can make us invisible, do we?" Tucker asked with a sigh.
"I think this thing does that... I hope," Jazz gulped. She brought the two of them into a secluded corner and activated the device. They felt a shudder, and turned to regard each other.
"I don't see you..." Tucker told her.
"And I you. Let's get in there."
"Wow, this is like, the campiest B-flick ever."
"Er, yeah... kinda why I wanted to see it. Sorry, Danny," Sam blushed.
"Ah, it's fine..." he assured her. He put his hand on hers, and the two became bright red with a nervous giggle. Danny put his arm around her as she pecked him on the cheek and snuggled up against him. Obviously, they didn't notice yet another portal opening above them, or the psychotic lawman looking down upon them.
"You two are goin' away for a long, long time..." Walker hissed as he reached for their shirt collars. He recoiled as his fingers hit an invisible shield above them. Confused and annoyed, Walker floated around, trying to grab the two in other ways. The teenagers were utterly oblivious, too busy making out to notice someone they couldn't sense anyway. Shaking his fists in frustration, Walker retreated to the Ghost Zone empty handed.
"I am so glad that thing works..." Jazz breathed.
"Hey, did you just hear your sister?" Sam asked, pushing herself gently from Danny's mouth. "I could have sworn..."
"She wouldn't be caught dead in a movie like this," Danny assured her. "Now, you should totally make out with that Danny Fenton kid," he grinned.
"I totally think I should," Sam smirked back as they resumed.
"I totally think I'm gonna hurl," Tucker thought to himself.
It was with tremendous relief on the part of Jazz and Tucker when Danny and Sam returned to the Fenton household for their movie-marathon. As soon as they arrived, Jazz flicked on the house's ghost shield.
"There... you're finally safe," she panted, sliding down against a wall.
"Safe from what?" Danny asked, a note of nervousness in his voice.
"Uh..." Jazz hemmed.
"Danny, let's just watch our movies, okay?" Sam asked, patting her boy gently on the chest. He mumbled in agreement and the two curled up on the couch with the classic Dawn of the Dead.
"All we have to do now is keep the shield on for the next eleven hours, and they'll be alright," Tucker whispered.
"Well, good... we gonna take turns keeping watch, or..."
"The shield's working, they should be okay for now... but if you want, I'll take first watch," Tucker suggested. Jazz nodded, and began to doze off just out of sight from her little brother and his girl. Tucker managed to stay awake for a while, mostly thanks to his friends' reactions to the movies, but he too began to fade away...
"Well, that was fun," Danny said as he switched the last DVD off.
"Sure was. It's morning," Sam observed, pointing out a window.
"Oh yeah... want to go out for breakfast, then? Hopefully by the time we're done, we'll be back to normal."
"Sure, as long as it isn't a Nasty omelet... those things scare me," Sam replied as she followed Danny our the door. Not sure if Jazz was still asleep, he closed it quietly. He took a deep breath and smiled as the cool morning air filled his lungs.
"Great morning, huh?" Sam said as she did the same.
"Yup," the boy replied as they walked down the steps and down the street. "It's mornings like these where, well, you're just in a good mood about the day."
"Oh, it certainly is, Daniel my boy," a voice replied as the two were jerked off their feet from behind. Their squirming slowed as Plasmius phased into view.
"Oh, great," Sam mumbled.
"Why, I do believe dear Samantha isn't happy to see me! A pity."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Leggo, Bela Lugosi."
"No, we're going to have a little game, kids. It's called 'Getting my main adversaries out of my hair when they're weak and helpless.'"
"I don't suppose we can skip that..." Danny growled, forming fists.
"Nope. Let's be off," Vlad replied. With that, he lifted the teenagers off and flew for the outskirts of the city, laughing about his coming triumph.
Jazz's eyes fluttered open as the laughing died away. They opened wide in horror when she realized what she was protecting was gone.
"Tucker, Tucker! Wake up!" she cried, shaking him. The boy sputtered, wiping drool from his face, muttering "what, what" over and over.
"Danny and Sam are gone! And I heard evil laughing just now..." she said as she ran down the stairs and outside. She gasped as she saw Vlad carrying his prey out of sight. She ran back into the house.
"This tall, thin ghost just grabbed them! He's flying away with them!" Jazz cried. "We have to hurry!" Calming, she opened a closet and curtly threw him a small orange jumpsuit.
"Suit up."
"Welcome to the reunion, kids... I'm sure you know everyone?"
"How could we forget," Sam grumbled as she struggled with her ropes. She and Danny were tied fast to a tree, surrounded by just about every ghost they had ever fought. "So, what is this, 'pin the plasma blast on the halfas?'"
"More like an execution," Walker drawled. "You two don't need a trial, we already know you're guilty."
"You're the jerks that keep coming to Earth," Danny spat.
"And it'll be a lot more fun without you two around," Ember grinned as she tuned her guitar. "Shame... I was hoping we could have some fun together soon."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Sam asked.
"Would someone please gag the little brats so we can continue?" Vlad sighed with a yawn. On his order, two vultures stuffed wads of cloth into their mouth. "Much better. Now then, since so many want to kill you and you're so small, weak, and rare... we're just going to shoot you at the same time and take whatever's left as trophies."
"I want the skulls," Skulker insisted.
"...yes, quite," Vlad replied with a raised eyebrow. "Anyway, any last words, kids?" he scoffed. He smirked as the two screamed in muffles and struggled against their ropes. "I have a feeling we should be glad we can't understand you. Now then, on the count of three... one..."
Vlad grinned as the anger quickly drained from Danny and Sam's faces.
"Two..."
His smile grew as the teens grabbed the other's hand, eyes tearing.
"T--" Before he could give the order, a blast hit him in the back, sending him sprawling to the ground. The other ghosts whirled to see the Specter Speeder tearing through their ranks. Two jumpsuited forms commando rolled out and began to fire at the spectral invaders.
"Jazz? Tuck?" the two muffled through their gags. They blinked as the two cut holes through the ghostly army, Jazz shooting and Tucker capturing.
"Guys, we should hurry..." Mystic urged, looking at a nearby clock.
"Minions, grab them!" Vlad yelled as he stumbled to his feet. His vultures grabbed the two fighters and held them aloft. "This is most infuriating, Jasmine," Vlad sighed, clucking his tongue. "How can I vaporize your little brother and his girlfriend if you come barging in like this?"
"I am so going to get you for this..." Jazz hissed.
"I think not. Ladies and gentlemen... perhaps some pinata practice is in order before the main event..."
"I really don't think that's wise..." Mystic begged.
"Oh, be quiet, girl!" Vlad snapped. "We'll get to the brats soon enough..."
"You're too late," the young magician whimpered.
"What do you mean we're t-- oh, snackerdoodles," Vlad muttered as he realized what she meant. Danny and Sam twitched for a moment. They blinked in confusion before smiling. They quickly phased free of their restraints and transformed.
"Hurting my best friend? That just makes me mad," Sam said as she floated upwards above the crowd.
"Yeah, I'm not thrilled that Jazz is touchy-feely, but I don't like it when arch enemies threaten my family," Danny added as he joined her. Without another word, the restored halfas tore mercilessly through the assembled ghosts, who cried out in horror and fled to the Ghost Zone. It ended with the teenagers uppercutting Vlad, flinging him upside down against a wall blocks away.
"I hate you two so much," he calmly said before phasing back home. Their job done, Danny and Sam floated back to their friends.
"You okay?" Sam asked as she helped Tucker up.
"Sorta..." Tucker said, dazed.
"Thanks for the save... I mean, who would know all those ghosts would try to kill us of all people!" Danny gushed as he helped his sister up.
"Buh," Jazz mumbled. "Are you two okay?"
"Except for nearly being murdered, we feel great!" Sam grinned. "That day off was wonderful... speaking of which, you two look terrible. You should get one too."
Tucker and Jazz looked at each other and keeled over with a loud groan.