Chapter Seven
Tucker watched Vlad pace around with nervous excitement. He knew that the evil ghost hybrid was upset that he failed to capture Sam as well, but he knew Danny would come after Tucker and then he'd have his opportunity. Tucker had given him a few choice words, but Vlad hadn't been interested in listening to Tucker's warnings.
Tucker wasn't scared, too badly. He was pretty sure that Vlad wouldn't do anything to hurt him, yet anyway. The only thing that bothered him was that he'd lost his PDA. He really, really needed his PDA. Then there was Princess. She kept coming over to him and telling him how much she wanted to go to the ball. He wished he had a Fenton Thermos almost as much as he wanted his PDA, he wasn't sure who he would use it on first. While the Princess ghost was annoying, she was pretty harmless, so it probably would be Vlad he'd trap.
Tucker was fiddling with his watch when he noticed Vlad tense and look around expectantly. He walked over to Tucker and whispered, "He's here!"
"And you were expecting he'd call first?" Tucker asked lamely, wishing he could think up a better line at the spur of the moment.
"Daniel," Vlad called as he transitioned into his ghost form. "I know you're there my boy. Just show yourself and let's get this over with, or I send your friend here into the Ghost Zone…permanently"
Danny appeared floating just a mere few feet away from Vlad. He just stayed there, smiling manically at Vlad. "You called me here. You got what you wanted. Now you have to pay the price!" Vlad jumped up just as Danny fired an ectoplasmic blast.
"You're trying to kill me now?" Vlad asked. "You're becoming much more like me every day Daniel." Danny ignored him and flew after him, saying nothing.
Tucker had to duck a few times as objects were hurled around the area. He looked around for a safer place to watch the fight between Danny and Vlad and cursed himself again that he'd dropped his PDA.
"Looking for this?" asked a voice behind him.
Tucker screamed like a girl as he turned around and came face to face with Sam who was holding out his PDA. "Thanks," he said feeling a little more at ease and a little embarrassed. He watched Danny and Vlad fighting for a moment. "Shouldn't we be getting out of here?" he asked.
"And go where?" Sam replied. "There is no where to go. We have to wait." She handed him the Fenton Thermos as well. And informed him that Jazz was waiting on the other side of the garden.
"What's she doing here?" Tucker asked. They hardly needed Jazz to stand and witness everything. Tucker was there with his PDA recording the whole event.
Sam laughed then ducked down as Vlad flew close. "She seems to think that Danny and I can't function properly without you and I, so she came to be the voice of reason."
Vlad caught sight of Tucker and Sam and grinned evilly. Things were working out so much better than he planned. He swooped down and before either of the two friends knew what was going on and grabbed Sam. Tucker tried to catch her feet as Vlad swooped her up in the air, kicking and screaming, but he missed. What was he hoping to do anyway? It wasn't like he'd do anything but fly along with them.
"Stop fighting or I'll drop you," Vlad warned.
"Let me go you asshole!" Sam ordered as she continued to struggle.
"I don't think that would be advisable Miss Manson," Vlad said as he indicated the height they were now flying at. Sam looked down and closed her eyes. She hated heights. When she was flying with Danny it wasn't a problem. She felt safe with him, but with Vlad she began to feel sick.
Danny swooped back around and stopped in his tracks when he saw Sam being hoisted up in the air by Vlad. If his blood could have run colder at that point it would have been frozen to ice. Of course he'd also do anything Vlad asked of him, as long as he let Sam go safe and sound. He flew around trying to assess the situation. He knew what Vlad would require in order to release Sam, and even then he couldn't be trusted to keep his word.
Vlad landed back down on the ground, keeping a tight hold on Sam who was now struggling to get away from Vlad for all she was worth. "Let me go you stupid son of a b.."
Vlad jerked Sam's arm behind her, causing her to wince in pain. "Now, now Miss Manson, that is no way for a young lady of refinement to talk."
Danny landed several feet from the two. "Let her go!" he called to Vlad. "Your fight is with me. Not her."
"I beg to differ," Vlad said. "This girl here has caused me no end of trouble." He caressed her hair. "Isn't that right sweetheart." He laughed as Sam kicked at him, but was unable to make any of her blows connect. Danny swooped closer and Vlad pulled Sam up in front of him.
"You're a coward Vlad," Danny accused. He walked a little closer, making brief eye contact with Sam. She tried to relax and convey to Danny not to worry. She was going to be just fine. His own expression seemed to be telling her that he wouldn't let anything happen to her, that they'd get out of this situation. Vlad flew up in the air again, still holding on to Sam he took her higher and higher and higher until they were too high for Sam to even consider struggling. She closed her eyes tight and held her breath. Danny was floating not too far away. "Say good bye to your boyfriend," Vlad whispered in her ear then let go. Sam screamed and flailed around for something to hold on to as she felt herself falling to the ground. Danny started to go after her but Vlad tackled Danny and they were both sent skidding through the air. Danny tried frantically to get away but Vlad had him trapped. Danny looked down and could see Sam laying on the ground. Danny tried to get closer but still he couldn't get away from Vlad.
"She's gone now," Vlad said in a demented voice. "You failed your little girlfriend Daniel. What kind of hero are you? What kind of friend are you?"
Danny snapped. His shift into rage was so swift that Vlad barely had time to register the red eyes before he was hit in the stomach and sent tumbling across the sky. Vlad tumbled down further and Danny attacked again. Vlad was laughing. He was getting just what he wanted. Danny was angry, but he hadn't let go of his human side yet.
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Sam felt a wave of shock wash over her as Vlad looked into her eyes then let go. Fear took over as she fell. "It's not the fall that will kill you," Vlad had said to her before he as let go. "but the sudden stop." She screamed out for Danny to help her and then, everything went dark.
Jazz and Tucker crept over slowly to where Sam had fallen. They heard Danny emit a howl of rage and then saw a tremendous flash of light. They knew Danny was attacking Vlad the didn't need to witness the fight.
"Is she dead?" Tucker asked. He was afraid to move too close as well. He was afraid of what he would see. Not that he could see much with his eye blurred by tears. Jazz couldn't say one way or the other she couldn't bring herself to get close enough to check either. They jumped as they heard Danny using the ghostly wail against Vlad. Jazz was just about to steel herself to move forward when Vlad crash landed at her feet. She took several steps back as Vlad stood and looked around. Danny zoomed up behind Vlad and grabbed him. Before anything else could be said, Danny disappeared inside Vlad's home, taking Vlad with him.
"Ghost Zone," said Tucker as they watched the two enemies disappear. Jazz didn't say anything as she gathered her composure together and walked over to Sam. She bit herself as she knelt down and touched the Goth girl's pale face. Tucker knew there was no way anyone could survive a fall like that, but hope sprang up in the form of his heart beating in his throat, hope that Sam was some how all right.
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"There's no point in fighting me," Vlad said to Danny as they stood face to face in the Ghost Zone. "You'll never be able to defeat me."
"Don't be so sure of that," Danny growled as he advanced on Vlad.
Vlad put up his hands to stop him. "Don't you see Daniel. By resisting me you put all of your family in danger. You've already lost one friend because of your stubborn refusal to do as I command." Danny narrowed his glowing eyes at Vlad and tried ignore the sharp stab of pain that was lancing though his heart. Sam. There was no way she'd survive a fall like that. And he couldn't save her.
"It is a great liability to have friends," Vlad said in a smug tone. "You're better off without them Daniel. But then again, you will lose them. You'll have to watch helpless as I take them away one by one."
"I don't think so Plasimus," Danny said he wanted to attack but he was too busy with his inner struggle between good an evil. The release of his human side promised to relieve the horror of losing Sam. The wave of pain that rocked Danny at the mere thought that Sam was gone nearly sent him to his knees.
"I'm really sorry you had to lose the girl first," Vlad said in a voice filled with mock pity. "I understand she was particularly special to you." The rage that flamed to life in Danny's eyes almost frightened Vlad, but he was confidant that he could control Daniel.
Danny had listened to Vlad, his heart filling with hatred with each word he had uttered. It was true. If he could just let go of his human side the awful searing pain would cease. He could then take vengeance on Vlad. He'd torture him for an eternity, and then he'd torture him more. Vlad wanted to command the Ghost Zone and the world, but when Danny was finished with him, all Vlad would have command of was perhaps his ability to speak, but then again, maybe not.
"That's right Daniel," Vlad whispered in a smooth soothing tone. "You want to kill me don't you? You hate me…don't you? Let the rage encompass you. Let go of the pain. You know you want to. Destroy me Daniel!"
"I'm not going to destroy you Vlad,' Danny said. Something about his voice had changed, become darker and more menacing, it was enough to give Vlad pause and a few second thoughts about what he'd done. "I'm going to rule you."
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Jazz knelt down close to Sam. She hesitated for a moment then touched the Goth's face. "Sam," she whispered softly. "I'm so sorry." Jazz jumped as Sam's eyes flew open, they glowing a ghostly green.
She sat up and looked at Jazz and Tucker, smiled slightly and said. "I want to go to the ball."
"The ball?" Jazz squeaked. "What ball?"
"Princess?" Tucker asked. He began to feel very angry. He knew ghosts were heartless, but this was down right cruel.
Princess stood and dusted Sam off. She continued to smile slightly at Jazz and Tucker. "I couldn't let her die," she finally said. "I just couldn't. She has too many beautiful pink dresses." Tucker and Jazz looked from the princess ghost to each other. Both their mouths were hanging open in shock.
"But," stuttered Jazz, her eyes going wide. "She fell. We saw her fall."
Princess nodded. "But it's not the fall that kills you."
"It's the sudden stop!" Tucker said. "Get out of her!" he ordered the ghost. Let us talk to Sam.
Sam, but not Sam shook her head. "I'm afraid I can't do that right now," she said. "Your friend isn't in a conscious state. I can feel her there, but she's blanked out." Tucker gave Jazz a worried look.
"We need to get out of here," Jazz said looking around warily. "But how are we going to get home."
"I'll take you," Answered the princess. "Through the Ghost Zone. But you must promise me to take me to the pink dresses. I so long to wear a pink dress."
"Sam's gonna kill us." Tucker warned Jazz.
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Jack Fenton was bending over his workbench trying to sodder a few stubborn wires of his latest ghost hunting device when Jazz, Tucker and Sam, but not Sam appeared through the Ghost Portal. He looked up and then fell backward off his chair. "Maddie!" he yelled. "We've got ghosts, and they look like Jazz, Tucker and Sam!"
Maddie came rushing down the stairs frantically. "Ghosts?" She questioned then came face to face with the trio. "Where's Danny?" she asked.
"What do you mean where's Danny?" said Jack as he grabbed the Fenton Thermos. "We need to fight these ghosts!"
"We're not ghosts Dad," Jazz told him. "We were umm..kidnapped!"
"kidnapped?" Maddie said frantically. "By who?"
"An evil, evil ghost," answered Tucker. "He still has Danny."
"And he still won't take me to the ball," said Sam, but not Sam. Tucker put his hand over his mouth to keep from laughing and Jazz punched him in the arm.
"An evil ghost has Danny!" Maddie exclaimed as she grabbed a hold of Jack.
"Don't worry Honey!" Jack boomed. "We'll rescue our boy!"
"But how?" Maddie asked as she gestured to the Ghost Portal. Jack had just put up his finger to say something when Plasimus flew out from the portal and bounced around the room like a ping pong ball on fire.
"Ooo!" said Jack once Vlad came to a stop and floated just above he and Maddie, "That is a particularly nasty one!"
"Give us back our son!" Maddie demanded as she stood, grabbed a wrench and advanced on the ghost, as if she would be able to exact some kind of harm on him.
Vlad floated up above her reach and said as the ground began to shake, "I don't think that's going to be possible."
"What's happening?" Jazz asked as she Tucker and Sam, who was not Sam took cover under a table.
"Danny's coming," Tucker whispered. "And he's not happy."
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The first thing they heard was the roaring as the room shaking intensified. The pressure in the room became almost unbearable as Danny exploded from the portal. His appearance was that of someone gone completely mad. His eyes were red, his skin paler and even his hair seemed to be whiter.
"Plasimus!" he yelled in a voice which caused everyone in the room to shudder. "You are going down. Now!"
"You're going to have to catch me," Vlad said as he took off out of the basement and up the stairs. Danny followed roaring as he went.
"To the assault Vehicle!" Jack yelled. "We'll follow them and make them give our Danny back."
Jazz grabbed Tucker and Sam by the arm and followed her parents into the assault vehicle. They stowed away in the back where the princess pouted.
"When am I going to get my pink dresses?" She asked.
Tucker shot Sam, but not Sam an annoyed look. "Listen," he said. "If we make it out alive I'm sure Sam will gladly give you every pink dress she ever owned."
"Oh goody!" Princess clapped then stopped and looked at Tucker, "And when she does. Will you take me to the ball?" Tucker rolled his eyes. The Princess sure had a one track mind.
"Danny is evil. Isn't he?" Jazz asked as her parent's assault vehicle rolled down the street chasing after Danny and Vlad Plasimus.
"I don't know," Tucker answered. "He certainly looked evil."
"He looked mad." The princess said as she removed Sam's boots. "Does someone have to be evil to be mad?"
Tucker and Jazz looked at each other for a moment. "I hope not," they said together.
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Vlad began to feel slightly afraid for the first time since he hatched his wicked plan. He hadn't been expected Danny to fight so hard to let go. He hadn't expected this much rage. He ducked down as Danny shot him with another round of ectoplasmic blasts then cursed to himself as he saw something red darting from the corner of his vision.
"Valerie" he groaned. That was all he needed. He could barely keep himself together fighting against Danny. Then again he could use Valerie to catch a break. The only problem was that Vlad was sure Danny could decimate Valerie without even a second thought. The girl just wasn't ready for such a force, and Vlad wasn't ready to dispose of her yet, he still might have some use for her.
"All right ghost boy!" Valerie announced, "You're going down and your friend is going with you" Danny turned his attention from Vlad to Valerie. She took a gasp in shock as he began advancing on her. Something was different about the ghost boy. Something menacing was peering out of his eyes. Something that terrified her deeply. She almost dropped her plasma gun and ran. But she wasn't a quitter. She lifted up the ray to shoot, but another ghost darted in front of her to shield her. She thought she could recognize him, but wasn't able to get a good look at his form. She looked past the ghost between her and Danny just as Danny opened his mouth and let loose with a ghostly wail. Valerie lost footing on her hover board and crashed to the ground. Vlad landed not too far away from her. Before she could stand he reached out and touched her head and she tumbled to the ground, unconscious.
"Trying to spare her?" Danny asked as he landed beside Vlad who had just laid Valerie on the ground. "It's no use. As soon as I've finished with you. I'm going after her."
"You need to let go of your human side Daniel," Vlad growled. "It will do you no good to hold on to it."
"I think it's doing me a lot of good!" Danny answered then jumped forward to attack Vlad Plasimus. Danny wasn't about to let go of the pain. He was feeding off of it. It was making him stronger. He would be a fool to let go of the anger and the anguish. If he let go he would be letting go of Sam. He'd never let go of Sam.
Vlad knew he was in trouble. He had to get out of there. Fast. Regroup. Come up with another plan. "Listen to me, Daniel," he said as he backed up. "You wouldn't want to hurt your dear old Vlad would you?"
"Oh yes I would," Danny answered. Most defiantly he would. It was at that very moment that the Fenton Family Assault Vehicle zoomed into sight and skidded to a halt. Jack, Maddie, Tucker and Jazz all piled out. Danny had just about turned his attention back to Vlad when he saw her. Vlad himself took the opportunity to escape, flying as far away as he possibly good.
"Sam?" Danny said feeling himself go weak with relief. "Is that really you?" He was aware of his parents preparing to capture him so he flew toward Sam as fast as he could, grabbing on to Tucker for good measure and flying away.
"What about me?" Jazz yelled at Danny in frustration, but he didn't look back.
"He got away!" Jack bellowed in frustration.
"And he took Sam and Tucker with him!" Maddie added.
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