Wow so apparently not many people really wanted any exposition for the background of my stories. I would like to mention though that the Intermission Chapters that I post aren't entirely connected to a single story as they stand as the background for almost every story I write, or at least any story that is connected to The Shadow War series.
Quick review time!
Azorawing - I'm glad you think it's good, I wanted to try and tell everybody some of the ideas I had for stories without saying it in an author's note. Not to mention how much I've been wanting to reveal more of the Dusk Brigade. And I'd rather do it in an intermission chapter rather than wait until the very end of Project Phantom.
16ckelmen -I wish to apologize more thoroughly here. I had no intention of insulting you in our private messaging chat. I merely wished to point out that some people wouldn't recognize that as a joke. But again I am truly sorry and I hope that you continue to enjoy my stories.
Penny Lu - I'm glad you liked it.
With all that said and done here is your regularly scheduled chapter of Blood Of The Phantom.
Chapter 03: The Snake & The Ghost
New York – Aunty Em's Garden Gnome Emporium
A groan was heard as some leaves rustled. Danny Fenton slowly stood up and looking around himself. On the ground he found a small note that read, 'Find Camp Half-Blood. Eternal Luck, Clockwork.' Danny stood there quietly for a moment before he grumbled to himself, "Stupid old stopwatch…"
Suddenly a scream pierced the night and he quickly transformed into his ghostly alter-ego Phantom. His ghost form had changed from his infamous Hazmat suit. Over an ornate black shirt with neon green accents, he wore what looked like a hooded white cloak, on the back of which his DP symbol was emblazoned proudly in black. He still wore his signature silver gloves and boots, but they appeared to be metallic now. His pants now resembled black jeans with a neon green belt with small pouches attached to it. He kept the hood of the cloak down though, preferring to feel the wind through his hair as he flew.
He quickly phased into the nearby building only to see… a lot of stone sculptures. Looking around he could easily see why someone would scream, the statues were, to put it simply, creepy. Each of them displayed all kinds of people posing in different ways. He floated over to what looked like a goat-man playing some kind of pipes, his eyes though was what caught his attention, they looked like he was terrified of something. Phantom felt a tugging in his mind and found a statue of three young looking girls. They looked like they were fighting something, but there was something strange about them… they felt alive.
"What are you doing here, dearie?" Phantom gave a start as he noticed the old woman behind him.
"Sorry, just admiring the um… artwork?" He then turned to woman, she was somewhat short wearing a large apron over a plain white blouse and blue jeans. On her head was a wrap, like she was ashamed of her hair in some way. "These statues are pretty interesting, these three feel alive to me for some reason…"
The woman's eyes widened for a split second before she relaxed her face once more. "Why thank you, I try my hardest to make my statues as alive as possible. I am Aunty Em and this is my store are you interested in buying something Mr…?"
"Phantom, and I'm not sure-"He paused as if he noticed something. "Do you hear something hissing?"
"Hissing? I'm afraid I don't, it could be the fryer but that's all the way on the other side of the store."
Phantom shook his head, "Nah, my enhanced hearing is powerful, but this is more distinctive. Like a bunch of angry snakes…" He stopped for a second. "And now it seems as if they are angrier."
"Oh dearie, you must be imagining things." She seemed shaken up, but concealed it pretty well. "Say would you be interested in posing for a photograph Mr. Phantom? I don't get many customers all the way out here, and the ones that do come are always welcome muses for my statues."
He stared at her startled for a second before he smiled. "Sure, most people don't really like my kind though. But please just call me Phantom. 'Mr.' makes me sound old."
"Oh nonsense. Though I'll have to ask you to stop floating. It's impossible to make a floating statue." Phantom followed Aunty Em trough the store until they reached a small clearing. "Okay then, if you could just do a small pose, then I can take the picture."
Phantom shrugged as he moved to a heroic position. When he noticed that the hissing that he'd been hearing seemed to get excited. And as Aunty Em removed her head wrap he figured out why she didn't have a camera. Bright evil green eyes flashed and for a moment he felt nothing. Detached from the world he slowly regained his senses and he was angry.
Aunty Em stared at her new masterpiece relieved. She had no idea what that boy was but he was getting too close to the truth, and she did not want to waste another five years reforming like when that stupid son of Poseidon had decapitated her.
She then stared in horror as the hands and eyes of her new prize began to glow a deadly green. The same green in her own eyes. Suddenly the stone exploded out from the boy as he glowed a blinding white and floated into the air. "You know, I've fought a Cerberus, multiple flying octopuses, a mechanized hunter, and even the fabled spirit of Halloween. But you are the first snake person I've ever met."
Her eyes glazed over in fury as she realized turning him into stone wouldn't do anything. She lunged at him, hoping to rake out those glowing eyes of his. Only to be surprised when she passed right through him.
"Looks like you've never fought a ghost before. This should be fun." He smirked as he vanished from sight. "You know with all those snakes on your head, I can't help but wonder at how hard it must be to brush that unruly hair of yours."
She roared in fury as she lunged at a random spot in the air, only to fall to the ground in a heap.
"On second thought, after getting a closer look. You don't do anything to that catastrophe on your head at all!" Another roar of anger, another missed lunge. "Wow someone has anger issues doesn't she?"
Phantom suddenly appeared at the top of a giant statue that looked suspiciously like the Minotaur. "Tell me something boy, why are you here?" She hissed out every single word, trying to conquer her anger in vain.
"Me? I was just passing through. You were the one trying to turn me into a lawn ornament." He leaped off the statue and floated above her. "And no offence, but you're a horrible artist."
She screeched as she tried leaping and clawing at the air above her, trying to reach Phantom who just calmly rose a little higher into the air. Before his eyes began to glow an ever brighter green. "Sorry but this fight is getting boring!"
His hands glowed green as a green beam shot out and hit Medusa in the chest, burning her flesh. She roared in pain before she attempted to lunge at him again, only to receive an even bigger blast to the chest. She screeched as she faded into gold dust.
Phantom raised an eyebrow, "Okay, dust people is new." He then looked around the emporium noticing the many statues around the place before giving a sad sigh. He focused on a small part of his mind and felt a few faint life signatures in the area. He moved closer to the nearest one only to see a squirrel munching on a French fry, he shook his head and moved on. The next life signature was strange, when he found it, it looked like a statue of a small tree, but the life signature felt humanoid. Regardless he placed his hands on the statue and poured some of his energy into it, focusing on turning it intangible. A small girl fell out of the tree statue as the statue crumbled into dust. He gently picked her up and moved her towards some seats in the back of the store.
The next life signature felt like it was fading, so with a little reluctance he turned a statue that looked suspiciously like a harpy intangible. Gold dust flew out of the statue before fading away into the air. He shook his head in wonderment as he moved on. He finally arrived at the statues of the three girls he saw earlier, he felt that their life signature was stronger but still strained. He quickly turned them intangible and caught the three of them as their statues crumbled. He brought them to the back of the store where the small girl was sleeping peacefully now, and waited.
New York City – Mount Olympus – Temple of Artemis
Artemis stood pacing with an angry expression on her face, her thoughts drifted to one of her newest huntresses. The gift she bestowed upon her huntresses promised immortality, and near full immunity to diseases. The only way her huntresses died was in battle or by breaking their oaths. Yet her newest huntress was dying of some unknown illness. Reluctantly she had gone to her brother for his medical expertise, but he was at a loss with her. There was nothing he could do for her. They eventually decided to give her nectar and ambrosia, in an attempt to cure her. And it had worked for a while, but now it was barely having any effect.
And now she had to deal with Clockwork as well. She hadn't done well in that battle against Pariah and now that demigod was being brought back here. She sighed sadly thinking to herself. 'Why did he have to come back? Why now?'
New York – Aunty Em's Garden Gnome Emporium
Sabrina Gold, was by nature not a calm person, so when she finally woke up in an unfamiliar place having no memory of how she got there, she reached for her bow and arrow, only to give a start when she realized they weren't on her back.
Her fellow huntresses were just as confused, only unlike their friend they were much calmer. They all turned towards a small nymph as she uttered a long yawn. She looked surprised for a second before she spoke, "Hello! Are you the ones who saved me?"
Sabrina answered stunned, "Uh… no. What exactly happened?"
"Well I don't know how you got here, but I was attacked by Medusa when I smelled something amazing… How am I not stone?"
"That would be me." The three girls and one nymph turned towards the speaker as they observed a glowing boy floating above a table. "Could someone explain to me how none of you were shocked at the mention of a woman with snake hair? I mean I've seen some pretty weird things but none of those things have ever been flesh and blood."
Sabrina narrowed her eyes, "Shut it boy. We don't have to answer any of your idiotic questions!"
He sighed as he raised his hands. "Sorry if I've offended you Ms. Irritable. All I did was get you out of that stone."
Sabrina bristled but one of the other huntresses looked at him curiously. "What do you mean?"
Phantom then recounted the tale of how he arrived and his fight with Medusa. "Oh, and my name's Phantom by the way."
The nymph ran up to him and smiled. "My name is Honey, I'm a nymph. It's nice to meet you!"
The boy raised his eyebrows at her words. "Nymphs are real?"
Sabrina laughed at his cluelessness, "That's right boy, all the old Greek legends are true. The gods of Olympus still exist to this day."
He scratched the back of his head for a moment before he shrugged. "I guess I shouldn't be too surprised I guess. After all I did meet Pandora before." He paused for a second, before he asked, "Would any of you happen to know how to get to a Camp Half-Blood by any chance?"
The third huntress responded, "Sure but why do you need to go there?"
"I was told to find it by my mentor. Supposedly he'll tell me why when I get there."
The huntress gave a brief smile before Sabrina glared at her. She then turned back to Phantom and said, "It's on Long Island just past Half-Blood Hill. But monsters can't get in there." She smirked at Phantom's confusion before he shook his head.
"Who said I was a monster? I'm a ghost… though I've seen some ghost monsters."
"You can't be a ghost! Ghosts are only shades! They can't do anything, let only kill Medusa."
Phantom suddenly shot forward, floating a foot away from Sabrina's face as his eyes narrowed. "I am a ghost. I am not from around here. And who are you to denounce my existence?"
Sabrina involuntarily took a step back before she responded. "I am Sabrina Gold, one of Lady Artemis' Huntresses! And you pathetic male, are beneath us!" She pointed her finger accusingly at Phantom as if challenging him.
Phantom then turned away from her and floated a few feet closer to the ceiling. "Of all the people I rescue, it has to be a bunch of sexists…" He shook his head, "Whatever, if you could point me in the right direction, I'll leave you be."
Honey then pointed towards the north-east, "You can find it in that direction."
Phantom then smiled at her before saying, "Thanks! Oh and if any of you are interested, old snakey has a room behind the cash register that's filled with weapons. Personally, I don't really use weapons but hey, if you want 'em you can have them." With that last remark Phantom vanished from view as he headed towards the ceiling.
The two unnamed huntresses turned towards each other as he disappeared, "Well he was nice."
Sabrina turned towards them and shouted, "How can you say that? He's a male, they're all evil!"
Honey then reached over to Sabrina and gently pulled on the back of her shirt. As Sabrina turned towards her, Honey said, "He let us all out of the stone. How can he be evil if he did that?"
Sabrina didn't say anything as she walked towards the cash register, hoping to get her bow back from Medusa's armory.
I'd love to know what everyone thinks of the fight scene as I'm not really used to writing them, and since in Danny Phantom, Danny usually uses a lot of witty banter I wanted to try and represent that here. I would probably try to have more serious fights where the characters tend to stand on mostly equal footing... But Danny can turn intangible so yeah... Not really sure what monsters will stand a chance against him. The furies should probably be able to touch him since they work for Hades. But the Minotaur, Cyclops, and Telekhines are physical fighters so they don't really seem to stand a chance against him. So I'd love to hear everyone's opinions on this.
With that being said I'll see you all tomorrow for another chapter of Phantom Spell!