Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter, but I have to start working on "Danny in Jump City". Hopefully, this will satisfy you for a little while, since it's longer than any of the others, I think. Sorry I'm not very good at updating.
Immediately after Travis made his statement, he started looking nervous. Danny, Sam, and Tucker looked irritated, but William waited patiently, knowing his cousin's quirks.
"Okay, here's what happened." said Travis. "You, Mr. Baxter, stole the money and tried to frame Danny."
"That's ridiculous!" said Mr. Lancer. "Dash is a star student."
"You're kidding, you can't be that blind." said Sam. "It figures that the Vice-Principal always stands by the football kids, no matter what."
"Can we just get back to the case here?" asked William. "Travis, why don't you mention how you knew Danny was innocent?"
"It's quite simple." said Travis. "Danny would not have access to the money unless he was part of the sophomore student council. As he obviously isn't, he couldn't access it, even if he knew where it was. After all, it was under lock and key, if I guess correctly, Mr. Lancer."
"Yes, you're right." said Mr. Lancer. "Go on."
"You can't believe these losers, can you?" asked Dash pleadingly.
"I'm going to hear him out." he replied. "He's made a good point."
"Okay, the first thing that indicated that Danny was innocent was the lock on his locker." said Travis. "I noticed that when he spun it, it landed on 7, but when the lunch bell rang and he opened it, it was on 17, thus giving me the indication that somebody has tampered with it."
"I still don't quite see…"
"Which brings me to my next point. Jasmine, being an honor student, asked the teachers who was let out during periods 3 and 4. Dash Baxter was one of them. Out of 43 people let out during that time, only 2 people have access to the treasury. That made me think beyond any doubt that Mr. Baxter was guilty. He had a motive, after all, and this was personal. Not to mention that Danny was not excused for any reason, since he has a reputation for being a troublemaker." )Sam and Tucker glared at Dash)
"Shut up, Loser!" Dash yelled. "Mr. Lancer, don't believe this guy. He's making up stories."
"I'm not so sure, Mr. Baxter." he replied. "He's asking some interesting questions."
"Well, this should be it." said Tucker. "You can go ahead and suspend him now."
"Not yet." said Sam. "He's still got more, I'm sure."
"However, there is more evidence to incriminate him." said Travis. "During 3rd period, Mr. Baxter is in room 206 for World History and was excused from 11:27 to 11:31 to go to the restroom. I walked both briskly and slowly from there back to room 206, and even taking into account time needed to go poop (Tucker snickered, but silenced by Sam's glare) he could easily be back by 11:29.
"However, Danny's locker was farther away. I walked from there back to room 206, both slowly and briskly, and it was close to a perfect match, taking about 4 minutes.
"But there's one last thing I need to mention. Mr. Lancer, is it not true that you often let Mr. Baxter into the counselor's office, sometimes unsupervised?"
"Yes, that's true." said Mr. Lancer.
"And how long was he left by himself when he visited?"
"He went there yesterday to ask for help with his homework. It's not exactly unusual."
"You got him now, Travis!" exclaimed Sam. "Score one for the little guys!"
"Thanks, Travis." said Danny.
"We're not done." said William. "Save it."
"If I could continue?" asked Travis. "He was likely planning this for days. He probably found Danny's locker combination, wrote it down so he wouldn't forget it and framed Danny for petty theft. Okay, that's it."
"Your jock status isn't going to save you this time." said Danny, and the rest of them grinned.
"Mr. Baxter, I would like to talk to you alone." said Mr. Lancer. "Mr. Fenton, if you and your friends were so kind to leave the room…"
They left, everyone grinning. Dash was in for it and would be suspended at least.
"Thank you, Travis." said Danny. "Without you, I'd be in a holding cell, waiting for trial."
"You still got it, Travis." said William. "Who feels like celebrating?"
However, The Order of the Phoenix were in serious trouble. Half of their members have fallen. Their enemies could simply go right through spells. They were dressed in green muggle police suits for reasons unknown to them.
"Avada Kedavra!" Ron shouted, taking down one of their enemies. Amazingly, however, he got up and continued fighting.
"How the hell did Potter create servants that the killing curse can do nothing against?" asked Snape.
"You mean the new dark lord?" said their leader. He was dressed in a white suit and tie, and had green eyes. "After your group dies, he will be next."
"Who are you?" asked Tonks, trying to get up.
"Name's Walker, wizards." said the figure. "I am your judge, executioner, jury executioner, jailer, and if necessary, your executioner." (Couldn't resist)
"You said executioner three times." said Moody. "Not known for speaking skills, are you?"
"I like that part of the job." Walker replied. "And I enjoy this even more."
The Order fought to the fullest, but their enemies were more powerful than themselves and even the unforgivable curses could not bring them down. Over half of them had fallen, 2 dead, while Walker was laughing.
"I think these things are ghosts, but not a kind we know." said Hermione. "Let's see if these work. Spector Zerstörer!"
This time, it had some effect. One of Walker's henchmen screamed in pain. 2 more shots and it collapsed. However, there were at least a dozen left and only 5 of the order were still standing. Walker's main man attacked Ron and Hermione, firing ecto-blasts, almost getting through their shields.
"No one's going to save you now, wizard scum, not even Danny Phantom." said Walker.
"Danny Phantom?" Moody growled in confusion, trying to keep his dignity while being held up by a ghost.
"Better known to you as Inviso-Bill, or as he is known to us, the destroyer." Walker explained. "He's public enemy number 1 and yet he still does not give up, even destroying the greatest threat of the ghost zone, Pariah Dark."
Ron and Hermione let Walker continue, thinking of a plan to escape. Another one of his henchmen went down, and they put up a shield to protect from any other attacks. However, attacks from three persistent ghosts broke through the shield and disarmed them. They were hoisted up to face Walker.
"I'm sure Plasmius will take an interest in you two." said Walker. "It'll be interesting to see if magical blood in enhance our power."
"Thanks again, Travis." said Maddie. "Glad to know my son is innocent."
"So what happened to that Son of a Bitch who framed him?" asked Jack, shocking the kids. It was a rare occasion that Jack swore.
"He got 3 days suspension and was kicked off the football team." said Sam.
"Nice to know some people still get what they deserve," said William. "You may want to hold off on the praising, though. Travis seems like he's about to collapse."
Travis was blushing furiously, not used to this kind of attention. None the less, he grinned.
"So what can you tell about them?" asked Jazz.
"Obviously, they're obsessive about ghosts." said Travis. "But they don't have much of a life other than that; the bed hasn't been slept in for at least 2 days. And the only thing they wear is jumpsuits. Also… Oh, god."
"What is it?" asked Jazz in concern.
"Nothing, I just spaced out for a moment." Travis lied. He knew that if he told them what he had seen, nobody would believe him. "Anyway, you keep your money in the coffeepot, Mr. Fenton once was a stage wrestler, and the last thing I can tell for the moment is that Ms. Fenton was once in the Army, and became a master sergeant."
"How do you know all of that?" asked Maddie.
"I've given up trying to figure out." said William.
"There was an old army uniform in the lab, probably as decoration." Travis explained. "The insignia had 5 stripes but without any sort of sign in the center."
"I have to admit, that is amazing." said Jack. "Want to come downstairs and get a closer look at our inventions?"
After they went down, Jazz decided to add her two cents. "He's probably the only one who's actually interested in what they do."
"Don't you ever get jealous?" Sam asked William.
"Not anymore." said William. "I've learned not to for reasons that I'd rather not state."
"So what do we do now?" asked Tucker.
"I'm up for playing doomed Version 2.3." said Danny. "Anyone interested?"
"Sure, I'll give it a shot." replied William. He, Danny, and Tucker went up into Danny's room to play the latest updated game, while Jazz decided to go through her psychology books again.
After a while, however, the cousins decided to go home. Danny and the others waved them goodbye. "Well, they seem like pleasant people." said Tucker.
"Don't judge too quickly." Sam warned. "We've only known them for a few days."
"Can't you give anyone the benefit of the doubt?" asked Danny.
"If I did, I'd be friends with that snob Paulina." said Sam, hoping her friends would not drool over them again.
"The latest update on the downtown battle is now in." said a news announcer. The trio saw ghosts and what looked like wizards fighting it out. Danny immediately recognized Walker and his men. Tucker and Sam offered to go, but Danny declined. This was something he'd have to do alone.
Hermione knew they were finished. Potter didn't have to raise a finger to cripple the order now. They tried their best, but they just weren't powerful enough.
That is, until Walker was kicked aside by Inviso-Bill. They were about to fall, but he managed to catch them in time. They breathed a sigh of relief and realized that this could be the one they were looking for.
How can that be possible, though? Hermione's rational side argued. He's a ghost; he doesn't walk both worlds.
By this time, Walker had recovered and was pressing the attack. His men had come to assist, but Inviso-Bill was ready. He sucked one of them into a mysterious containment device, which made the others more cautious of him.
"Phantom." said Walker. "Only you would save magical scum such as them."
"What are you talking about?" he replied.
"They are the sworn enemies of all ghosts and you have committed the greatest crime imaginable."
The battle began, even more intense than before. Phantom was almost overwhelmed with attacks from 8 different fronts at once. His shield barely held against his attacks. However, he immediately gained Ron and Hermione's respect, since he was risking a lot to help them, if Walker was telling the truth.
"We better get the others out of here." said Hermione, turning on their Portkeys. The others were gone, but for some reason, they could not turn their eyes from the battle. Inviso-Bill, or Phantom, was a skilled and strong fighter, much more so than any of them.
Nonetheless, Walker and his men had numerical superiority and were not about to back down. "You see, punk, you cannot beat me." said Walker. "As punishment for aiding and abetting our most hated enemy, death is the only one appropriate sentence. It's a shame that you're only half ghost, else you would join us."
Half ghost? Ron thought in confusion. It looks like he's the one we're looking for.
Harry had figured out the Order's objective. He, too, was sending forces to America in order to establish a firm support group when it came time to invade them. Inviso-Bill was their target and it would be quite a fight.
"So he wishes to defy me as well?" asked Harry to himself. "Let's see if he fares any better than that pathetic excuse for a wizard, Dumbledore."
He was watching the fight through a magical projector and was quite intrigued. Harry had decided to send a dozen elite Shadows in addition to a squad of dementors to destroy a second threat. It was a risky move, but necessary to learn whether or not he was a threat.
He had performed a ritual that tripled his power, but he could not absorb any more in his current form. He would have to adjust it, become 10 times what Voldemort was. All that it would take him was time.
Only 3 of Walker's henchmen, in addition to Walker himself, were still standing. However, over 20 buildings were destroyed or damaged and there was no way to know if there were any casualties. Danny was getting worn down and knew he had to find some way to beat them.
However, it didn't look possible as his enemies surrounded him. He tried to put up a shield, but was too weak to do so. Danny's ghostly wail was likely to destroy them… and several blocks with them. So that was not an option.
"Spector Zerstörer!" Ron and Hermione yelled, shocking Walker badly. It gave Danny a chance and he sucked another of his goons in the Thermos. He was injured, though, and was not fighting at full capacity. Still, Walker was occupied by those two which meant he was in less danger.
Another of the ghosts went down, courtesy of an ecto-grenade. "It figures I'd find you here, Phantom." said Valerie. "You haven't changed at all, have you?"
"Hello, I'm trying to save the town." Danny replied. "And I'm going to do it with or without you. By the way, those two could use your help."
A quick glance told Valerie he was telling the truth. She flew off to deal with Walker while Danny still had 5 goons to take care of. I wonder if my ghostly wail can hit a smaller area? He thought. Well, I've got no choice but to find out.
He tried the experiment and surprisingly, it worked. Within seconds, 2 more went down and he sucked them into the Thermos. However, he knew it was not going to work a second time so he put up a shield and hid behind it.
"Typical, Phantom." one of them said. "You talk a lot, but you're nothing but a coward."
"You're one to talk." he retorted. "You need several guys to beat one ghost. It looks like we do have different versions of pathetic."
Unfortunately for him, he transformed back into a human. Hoping their were no cameras around, he got up tried to go ghost but was pinned against the wall by the guards… only to watch them being tackled by a pair of animals.
Danny recognized one of them as the dog that the black ghosts were after during the last attack. The other one, however, looked like a blanco version of Wulf. They fought with the three guards, taking them out in about 30 seconds.
And that just left Walker. He and Valerie were evenly matched, but he could not get away long enough to destroy his targets. When the others joined in, including Danny who had recovered slightly, he realized that he was outmatched.
"This isn't over, scum." said Walker. "We'll finish this." I have what I came for, in any case.
Danny collapsed, in addition to the two others.
"Wizards?" asked Vlad. "You're sure?"
"There is no doubt in my mind." said Skulker. "You witnessed the battle."
"True, and young Daniel has committed the worst crime under ghost law, yet he is ignorant of this fact." said Vlad. "It'll be interesting to see how this plays out."
"I am required to destroy him at any cost, as are any ghosts that come in contact with him."
"Tell me, why do you hate them the way you do?"
"Take a look in the history books and legends. Wizards are responsible for millions of deaths, even among their own. They must be completely destroyed." Skulker was worried that Vlad would punish him for his disrespect, but he merely nodded.
"Is there any possible redemption?"
"There is one way, but no ghost will attempt it."
"From what I have seen of young Daniel, I would not be surprised if he is capable of destroying such a large threat. Is there anything more you know of the current events?"
"Spectra has revealed that Wizarding Britain is in a civil war, and that the dark lord may become the most powerful wizard in existence, greater than even Merlin."
"In any case, what does a ghost have to do from redemption?"
"They must liberate fellow ghosts from a deadly threat, muggle or wizard. In other words, he will have to kill his own parents."
"Thank you, Skulker." So Daniel had made enemies. It would only be a matter of time before he was forced to come to him, and since the Fentons were well-known among ghosts, he would have to destroy them, Or at least his father. Vlad knew that while Maddie was the greater threat, no one would dare make an attempt on her life as long as he existed.
Soon he would have a family once more.
The voice laughed yet again. He had no idea where he had ended up, but it mattered little. No one would dare fight him, except for Danny, and he was apparently thousands of miles away. Escaping had taken some effect, but once he recovered, it was quite simple. His so-called guardian could do nothing.
Revenge would be his. It was only a matter of time.
I hope that was enough. The chapter's close to 3000 words. Just push the review button and tell me what you think. Fair warning, However: I'll be changing my pen name pretty soon.