So here is Chapter 13. You can thank the weather for this one. School was supposed to start back up today, but….snow has prevented such a return, therefore I've been up since 5:30 am EST (That's 2:30 am for my friends on the west coast), typing away just for you. Enjoy.
Chapter 13
Tucker was of the opinion that the best place to start the hunt for Dark Dan was where Danny had last seen him. Valerie felt it was absurd that they were even looking for him, that if they just made themselves visible in the Ghost Zone, like a bird with a wounded wing, he would find them. But, they had tried Valerie's idea and everyone was becoming impatient and worried.
Unfortunately showing up at Vlad's empty lab wasn't much help either. They knew he hadn't gone back to the Fenton's if he had, Maddie would have alerted them. So, where did he go?
"Maybe he decided to give up," Tucker said hopefully. Danny gave him a look that said he thought Tucker was crazy and Valerie shook her head.
"Maybe he's watching us and waiting," She said. "Maybe he's trying to figure out our plans?"
"No," Danny said as he examined the lab. "He wouldn't wait. He'd just attack."
"Uh, Danny?" Tucker asked. "He can't like…detect your presence or follow some ghostly trail you might leave can he?"
"I don't know," Danny answered as he rubbed the back of his neck. "It's possible I guess. Why?"
"Oh man!" Valerie said as she covered her mouth with her hand. She looked at Tucker. "The princess."
Tucker paled and looked at Danny. Danny's stomach began to knot as he watched Tucker processing what Valerie had said. "When the princess found us in the Speeder before, she lead us all over the place. We back tracked a lot. She must have known he could follow our trail."
"Sam and Jazz!" Danny yelled then, yet again flew through the portal. Tucker and Valerie jumped in the Speeder and barely managed to catch up with him.
"Do you think he's gonna find them?" Valerie asked Tucker.
"Yeah," Tucker said, his tone was one of defeat. "I think so.
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As soon as Jazz was satisfied that Sam didn't have a concussion, she let the Goth girl lie down and close her eyes. Sam said she was tired, but not because of her injury, but because of all the emotional ups and downs she'd been through. Jazz could certainly understand. She was kind of glad that Sam wanted to sleep, if she stayed awake Jazz would have felt the need for an in depth discussion and at the moment, she was feeling pretty weary. She could do with a few moments of silence.
Princess remained by the window and was so still that Jazz doubted that she was really there at all. This was a good opportunity to catch up with her studying. She slipped a small book out of her pocket and sat down to immerse herself in knowledge. But then there was a knock on the door.
A knock on the door? Jazz froze and looked at the princess. She wasn't moving. Someone or something knocked on the door again. Jazz put her book down and walked to the window and looked out. She couldn't see anything. She waved her hand in front of Princess' face, but she was in some sort of trance.
The knock sounded again. Jazz walked quietly to the door and held her breath as she put her ear against it. She could hear nothing. "Who is it?" she finally asked.
"It's me Jazz!" Came a voice from the other side. "It's Danny."
"Danny?" Jazz asked. "Why are you out there? Why don't you just come in?"
"Because the princess did something to the door." Danny called. "I can't enter unless you let me in. Let me in quick! Before it's too late."
Jazz hesitated for a moment then opened the door just a crack. Suddenly she was pushed back with a great woosh and muffled a cry as Dark Dan stood in the door way looking down at her. Grinning evilly.
"You were always rather gullible Jazz," he said slowly as he advanced into the room and looked around. "Did they leave you here all alone?"
Jazz said nothing. There was nothing to say. She didn't believe that it was possible to reason with this creature. She stepped back and watched as he looked over at Sam who remained blissfully unaware of his presence.
"So," Dark Dan said as he turned back to Jazz. "You have no knowledgeable little tidbits to bestow upon me. Nothing wise to say before I blast you out of existence."
Fear filled Jazz's eyes and his grin grew. It was better that she didn't speak. It made it easier, not that it was hard. He did wish that she would play along with the game a little bit. Cry and beg at the very least.
"You know," Dark Dan started, deciding that he was going to have his fun, that he wasn't going to let this girl take away the pleasure of her emotional anguish. "Had you told Danny you knew about his secret sooner, this may not have happened to me. This is all your fault Jazz."
"No it's not!" Jazz said in indignation. "It's not my fault! I'm not responsible for anything you've done. I refuse to take the blame!" She folded her arms across her chest and turned her back to Dark Dan. "Just do what you came to do. I don't want to play your games."
"But I want you to play my game Jazz," Dark Dan said ever so softly. "I like to see the lengths people will go to for the love of Danny."
Jazz turned on him. "I love my brother. I always have and always will. There is nothing you can do to change that. My only regret is I'm not going to be around to see him kick your sorry little butt into oblivion!"
"That's the Jazz I know," Dan said as he advanced ever closer. Jazz refused to move. "You were always willing to face your future with eyes open."
Jazz sighed and closed her eyes. "I won't give you the pleasure of seeing that then," She turned her back to him again. Then paused. "Dan?"
"Jazz?"
"I'm sorry," She said softly. "I'm sorry this happened to you. I'm sorry you had to go through all the pain. I'm so sorry. I…I want you to know that I forgive you. For everything that happened, I forgive you." She turned and faced him for what she figured would be the a last time and looked into his angry face.
"Tears Jazz?" Dan asked then laughed. "Are you crying tears for me?"
"No," Jazz said. "I'm crying tears for my brother who lost so much and as a result created you. I would never cry for you!"
Dark Dan grabbed her by the back of the neck. "Nothing for me and everything for him! This is his fault! Why does he deserve so much?"
"Because he's done so much!" Jazz yelled back defiantly.
Dark Dan's face filled with anger and hate. He turned and threw Jazz out the door and into the Ghost Zone. He slammed the door behind her then turned and looked at the princess, who still had not moved and was still looking out the window. Jazz was an infuriating creature. Why did he just throw her into the Ghost Zone? Why didn't he just dispatch her and be done with it?
"Because I want to break her too," Dan told himself. "I want to break her and make her see everyone suffer." He wondered where Tucker and Valerie were. They were the first on his list after all. It didn't matter though. A very pleasant diversion presented itself in the form of Goth girl Sam Mason. Danny Fenton's girlfriend. He transformed himself into the form of Danny, then smiled wickedly and walked toward the bed. He looked down at her face. This was the long ago lost Sam. Dark Dan remembered her with stinging pain and unrequited love in the weakest of his moments. He considered it a travesty that Danny should have had his chance and won her heart. He reached out and touched the bruising on her face and she stirred.
"Let me sleep Danny," she mumbled. "I don't want to fight anymore ghosts."
"You'll never have to fight another ghost again Sam," he said in a slow malignant tone as he lightly caressed her hair. "I can assure you of that.
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"No no!" Jack boomed as he pushed Vlad away from the ghost portal and turned the dial. "You have it calibrated all wrong!"
"It needs to be this way!" Vlad growled as he reached back over and changed the setting on the portal. "Otherwise everyone might just mesh together and you'll have a nasty, nasty mess."
"No!" Jack said again as he changed the setting yet again. "If you do it that way the field will weaken and one of the ghosts might escape! We need to make sure they remained contained."
"And then you risk losing your son!" Vlad yelled as he changed the setting on the dial again. "Maddie would you talk some sense into this buffoon!"
"Now boys," Maddie said as she walked over and surveyed the settings on the portal. "There is no need to fight about this. I'm sure there is a compromise."
"No!" Vlad said forcefully. "There is no compromise. Look at it Maddie and you'll see what I mean."
"Buffoon?" Jack roared. "What do you mean by buffoon?"
"I mean you're an idiot!" Vlad answered. "A big. Fat. Idiot!" Jack moved to attack Vlad but Maddie stepped in between them.
"I'm afraid Vlad's right," Maddie said and sighed.
Jack gave his wife a stunned look. "What?"
Vlad smiled. "I am?" he asked happily.
"Yes!" Maddie said as she surveyed the dials by the portal. "I think Vlad has the calibrations correct on this dial, but this other gauge. All wrong." She changed the setting slightly then turned and smiled at the two men. "See all fixed. No need to fight." She patted Jack on the shoulder then walked away. "All we need now is for Danny to send that creep through the portal!"
"You think I'm Fat?" Jack asked Vlad. Vlad sighed and covered his face with one hand.
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"Help!" Jazz screamed as she floated in the Zone. Dark Dan had thrown her so hard that she ended up pretty far from the big green door on the princess' tower.
"Come on!" Jazz yelled. "There has to be someone out here. I'm Danny Phantom's sister for goodness sake. Surely you'd come out to try to get a piece of me!" She spun upside down so that her hair was floating above her head.
Suddenly a pair of feet appeared in front of her. She looked up to see the evil smile of a green flamed haired skull.
"Hi!" Jazz said. "My name is Jazz Fenton. I'm Danny's sister. I could use a little help please." Skulker spun her to float in the other direction and gazed at her sardonically.
"I know you!" Jazz continued cheerfully. "You're Mr. Skulker. Danny told me all about you!"
"If that's so," Skulker said. "Than you are aware that the whelp and I are not exactly on friendly terms."
Jazz laughed nervously, "But I'm in a just a little bit of trouble here and I could use some help."
"Just a little bit of trouble," Skulker said then laughed. "Little girl, it looks like you are in a lot of trouble. You're coming with me!"
"No!" Jazz screamed as Skulker grabbed hold of her and they flew away.
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Danny flew pushed himself to fly faster and faster as he sped in the direction of what he hoped was the princesses' tower. He was sure that Dark Dan would completely obliterate Jazz and Sam, and he couldn't bear the thought of losing either of them.
"I can't find it!" Danny said to himself, more than a little panicked. He turned and looked back at the Speeder. He could see Tucker and Valerie inside, watching him. He took a deep breath. Jazz would have a homing device in her hazmat suit. The speeder would be able to pick it up. He turned back around in time to see something flying off in the distance. It was getting closer and closer. Danny braced himself and then opened his mouth in shock when Skulker flew by carrying Jazz.
"Daaaannnny?" Jazz yelled. "Heeeelllllp!" Danny flew after Jazz. Yelling at Skulker who laughed as he flew. Danny didn't hesitate. He wondered how Skulker came to be in possession of his sister and worried even more for Sam.
"Skulker!" Danny yelled as he caught up with the hunter. "What do you think you're doing?"
"Why I'm only helping the young lady," Skulker said innocently as he smiled at Danny. Jazz kicked and clawed at Skulker yelling for him to let her go. He did.
"Helping? How?" Danny asked.
"I found her floating out in the Zone, crying for help," Skulker answered. "So here I am helping her!"
"Dan!" Jazz yelled. "He's got Sam! Danny!"
"Can you lead be back?" Danny asked Skulker as he tried to remain calm. "To where you found her. Please?"
Skulker surveyed Danny for a moment. Danny's panic level was rising, fast. Skulker looked to the Speeder then flew over and delivered Jazz to Valerie and Tucker. He flew back over to Danny. "I will take you there," he said. "But remember boy. You owe me. Big."
"Fine!" Danny yelled. "I owe you! Now hurry!" Skulker nodded and then they were off.
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Sam felt the hand on her head and opened her eyes slowly. "Danny?" she asked as she looked at him and blinked. "What are you doing back? Is everything all right?" Her head was still aching and she felt a little disoriented.
Danny said nothing. He only looked at her. Sam sat up and put her arms around him and hugged him tight. "It doesn't matter why you're here," Sam said as she cuddled her face into his neck. "I'm just glad you are. I really don't feel so well."
Dan froze in bewilderment. A hug? He couldn't remember the last time he'd been willfully touched by a human. He was unsure how to react. Should he return the embrace? Should he reveal himself? Suddenly his brain became clouded over with emotion and he thought, it wouldn't hurt this once, just this once and he tentatively put his arms around the girl and held her gently. He felt her sigh against his neck and he clenched his fists. His seeds of hatred for Danny planted themselves ever deeper in his soul. The boy had love, admiration, friends and family. It was wrong. It wasn't supposed to be this way. Danny was supposed to be swimming in grief, guilt and pain, just as he was. Dark Dan was about to let go of Sam and reveal himself to her. Her fear and panic would infect her life. Oh yes he intended on letting her live. He would keep her with him always, she would become his slave and someday, she would love him and despise the human Danny. He smiled to himself. Something was tickling the back of his neck. He let go of Sam who, was still not quite aware of anything, and turned to find a big grinning dragon staring down at him.
"Must protect Sam." The dragon said. "Must always protect Sam!" Dark Dan jumped and threw a blast at the dragon who dodged easily. Sam screamed and the dragon hit Dark Dan with it's tale sending him careening through the green door.
"Don't hurt Danny!" Sam screamed, still not realizing that she had been tricked and Dark Dan was in her presence.
"Must protect Sam," The dragon chanted then flew off after Dark Dan before he could get his wits about him again and re-enter the room. Sam who was a little shaky and dizzy ran to the window. She was shocked when she saw the dragon fighting with Dark Dan.
"Dan?" She said to herself then shivered. "Wait!" she said then shuddered. Just who had been holding her? It wasn't Danny. "Eww Eww Eww!" she yelled she brushed off her arms. "That's just wrong!"
She looked around and wondered where Jazz was. Had Dark Dan…. "No," Sam whispered she refused to believe that Jazz had been killed by this creature. She knew very well where Princess was. The amulet was missing from the table and she was outside fighting Dan, at peril to her own self.
"Must protect Sam!" The ghost dragon chanted over and over again as it attacked Dark Dan. Dark Dan was now evading it's hits and was preparing to move in for the kill. He'd dealt with this ghost before. He knew it's weak points.
"Silly obsessive creature," he yelled and prepared a large blast, but something hit him before he could release it. A green blast at the back of his head. He turned in time to see Danny approaching.
"Ha!" he said. "How did I know you were going to show up and try to ruin everything?"
"I'm going to kick you into oblivion!" Danny yelled. "I'm sick of you Dan. I've had enough."
Dark Dan laughed. "Then come get me boy!"
"No!" Danny yelled. "You! You come get me!" With that Danny flew. Dark Dan didn't give him a moment of head start. He went after him immediately.
Tucker pushed a button on the Speeder. "Maddie? Jack? Vlad? I hope you're all ready. They're on their way!" Tucker took a deep breath and hoped they'd heard him and were ready. He looked at Valerie who took his hand.
"I hope this works," She said. Tucker nodded.
"Lets get Sam and get out of here," Jazz said as she moved to get out of her chair.
She sat back down as the dragon's face came close to the window and said. "Me want to dance with prince!" Everyone but Tucker started laughing.
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Now I'm going back to bed. Good night.