Thanks to YumeTakato, R.H.M.A.S.S, Tamarind djinni, Snickerer, Pterodactyl, Lady Jarine, and Coronadofwb.
Chapter 5: Realization
By now I think everyone knows that I don't own Danny Phantom. But I'm going to say it again anyway.
By the time the Fenton family, minus Jazz, arrived at the second Ghost Portal, Danny had explained the accident that had made him a halfa and answered all his parents' questions about ghosts, ghost powers, and all the unexplained occurrences over the last year (missing curfew regularly, constantly coming in injured, missing classes, setting off ghost detectors, and so forth). He'd even given demonstrations to show his willingness to cooperate with his parents. Danny tried to say as little as he could about Will Spirit and the "Wisconsin Ghost" and let his parents continue to believe both were full ghosts. He decided to tell them that Sam, Tucker, and Jazz knew, but that no one else did (again leaving out the issues of the other halfas).
Jack and Maddie Fenton were naturally stunned (but very proud) that their son was deliberately putting himself in danger for others and were slightly hurt that he hadn't told them before, especially after he became recognized as a hero. They finally understood why Danny Phantom was so often seen with Fenton products, and how he knew how to use them. Strangely, they were also less worried about Danny, now that they knew the reasons for his strange behaviour and his injuries. Overall, they were as accepting of him as Danny had hoped they would be, though the adjusting would continue for a few more days at least, and they were ready to "kick ghost butt" to get Will Spirit back.
Maddie steered the Specter Speeder into the green swirl that was the Plasmius Portal, slightly curious as to why a ghost would need a portal of his own, and how he'd managed to build one. She parked the vehicle in the middle of a lab that was very similar to her own (why does the Wisconsin Ghost need a lab full of anti-ghost weaponry?) and her husband and son climbed out.
"Mom, Dad, stay here," Danny ordered, grabbing the Ghost Crammer out of the Speeder's storage area. "I'm going to search this place for Spirit. Try not to touch anything. I don't know what some of this stuff does, and I don't want to find out either. If you hear fighting, then come and help, but don't wander off otherwise." Danny soared off, hoping that his parents didn't leave the lab and realize they were in Vlad's castle.
Maddie and Jack obeyed their son's command to remain in the lab, but they did poke around a little to look at the weapons, quickly realizing that a lot of the technology was more advanced than their own. While Jack was bouncing around like a kid in a candy shop and exclaiming about every object he saw, Maddie tried to memorize a few of the weapons so she could recreate them later, or at least capitalize on their sophistication. She noticed that a lot of the ectoguns bore the label "DALV." Interesting, especially considering who she suspected owned that company...
After about forty-five minutes, Danny returned to the lab looking uphappy.
"He's not here, guys. Sorry."
"Not here?" Maddie's eyebrows shot up. "Where else could the Ghost have him, Danny?"
"I don't know. He's not in this building or outside. I've checked everywhere."
"What about the Ghost Zone?"
"No. He's not stupid enough to keep him there. I'm pretty sure he's doing it to catch me, and the Zone's too easy to escape in."
"All right, then. We'll just go back home and see what we can find out about the Ghost. He may haunt somewhere else too." Danny chose not to mention Colorado for the moment. He'd cross that bridge when they came to it.
They climbed back into the Speeder and drove back into the Ghost Zone. Jack's excitement over the new weapons bubbled over, and his family listened to two hours of rhapsodizing on the way home. Danny dug a CD player out from under the seat and turned it on after the first hour.
---
Jazz Fenton was sitting at the kitchen table working on her latest psychology thesis when she heard the distinctive sound of the Specter Speeder in the basement. She dropped her pen and ran down the stairs two at a time.
"What do you think you're doing?" she yelled at her brother as she ran. "You should have at least let me know where you were going, Danny. You're just lucky Mom and Dad are ... right behind you! This isn't what it looks like!" Jazz started waving her arms frantically.
"Jazz, don't panic. They know." Danny tried to radiate calmness to show his older sister that everything was all right.
"They know?" she asked incredulously.
"Yes, Jasmine, we know." Maddie dropped a gun on the table. "Danny was going after Will Spirit and we wouldn't let him go alone, so he ended up telling us." Danny blushed.
"Going after Spirit?" Jazz raised her eyebrows at Danny. Something's happened to Lancer? Is that why he wasn't in school today?
"He's been kidnapped," Danny reported dejectedly. "I thought I knew where he was, but I didn't."
"We're going to help Danny do research and find out where else he might be," Jack stated proudly. "We know he's not in Wisconsin."
"All right." Jazz sighed. "Should I call Sam and Tucker?"
"No. I'll do it." Danny headed upstairs to phone his friends while his mom logged on to the lab computer. Once he had hung up, Jazz cornered him.
"What do they know?"
"I'm Phantom. I'm the only halfa. Sam, Tucker, and you know about me. They know about the accident, and they've seen most of my powers. Oh, and the Wisconsin Ghost has a Portal and a lab."
"That's it?" Danny nodded. "They don't know it's Vlad?"
"Not unless they figured something out from the lab. I know they didn't leave it." Danny ran a hand through his hair. "I'm going to see what Mom's dug up. Send Sam and Tuck down when they get here."
---
A minute later, Danny was at his mother's elbow, trying to read the computer screen over her shoulder.
"I haven't found much, Danny," the brunette said apologetically. "There haven't been a lot of sightings. The only big one was at the reunion, though there've been a few around Amity Park. Honey, you said the Wisconsin Ghost was trying to catch you. Why?"
"He knows I'm really powerful and wants me to join him. And he refuses to take no for an answer."
"So you think he's got Will Spirit to lure you there?"
"Uh huh."
"So what's your plan?" Maddie asked, turning completely away from the keyboard to face her son. "You can't just fly in. He'll be ready for that."
"I don't have a plan yet. We need to know where L- Spirit is first."
"Who's Plasmius?" Maddie asked abruptly.
"Huh?" I didn't mention that, did I?
"I saw the name on a few of the things in that lab. How is it connected to the Wisconsin Ghost?" And why is DALV? she added to herself.
"That's just what he calls himself," Danny explained quickly.
The doorbell moaned and worried voices filtered down into the lab. A minute later, Sam and Tucker appeared on the stairs.
"Jazz filled us in," Tucker said. "What do you need us to do?"
"Take over the computer." Danny slipped easily into command mode. "Find out anything you can about where Plasmius might be. Sam, as soon as he has something, we're going to need transportation. Preferably something he won't see coming a mile away. I'm not going to assume he's got multiple Portals. Mom, we're going to need food and probably blankets too. Dad? Good, you're already gathering weapons."
Several minutes later, Tucker beckoned Danny over to the computer.
"Okay, dude, he's got three places. Wisconsin, Colorado, and New Mexico." He jabbed the screen. Danny blinked.
"New Mexico?"
"Yeah. Roswell."
Sam leaned over Tucker's other shoulder with a smirk. "Guess that explains the aliens. Danny, I've got us a stealth jet. That work?"
"A stealth jet?"
Sam stuck a finger in her ear and waggled it around. "Do I hear an echo in here?"
Danny ignored her. "Okay, Tuck. See if you can get satellite for those places. We can't afford to go to the wrong one and give him a heads-up."
"Already on it." Tucker tapped a few keys. "He's in Roswell."
"Print out the coordinates. You guys coming?"
"I'll see," said Sam, snapping open her phone again. Tucker shook his head.
"Can't, Danny. I've broken curfew too many times this month. I'll leave my phone on if you need me though."
Danny went to update his parents, and a few minutes later his friends came upstairs. Tucker handed him a sheaf of papers.
"I'm 'staying the night at the Fenton's,'" announced Sam. "The jet's waiting for us at the airfield."
Maddie blinked. The whole process from arrival home to departure had taken just over half an hour. She hadn't realized Danny was so good at taking charge. Mind you, he had been doing this for over a year. She wouldn't be surprised if he already had the beginnings of a plan as well. Then another thought crossed her mind that was nearly as unsettling as finding out about Danny.
Wait a minute, how did a fifteen year old girl manage to get a jet to Amity Park at this time of night?
"Listen up, Ghost Hunters!" Jack's voice boomed out into the kitchen. "We are going to rescue Will Spirit from the clutches of the evil Wisconsin Ghost in New Mexico (wonder how that works). He is known to be malicious and powerful, so we must prepare ourselves for a long and hard battle to save our friend. There is a chance that one or all of us may not be returning."
Jack sniffed and wiped his eyes. "To the Ghost Assault Vehicle!"
---
Tucker said goodbye to Danny, Sam, and the Fentons beside the Assault Vehicle, and wished them luck, mostly out of politeness and habit. He knew that Danny could probably pull off the rescue on his own, and having backup would just make it go quicker and easier. If one thing was certain, it was that Vlad was not going to have a very good night.
As Tucker was walking home along the quiet streets of Amity Park, he heard a voice behind him.
"Hey, Tucker, wait up!" The boy turned to see Valerie Gray running towards him.
"What are you doing out at this time of night, Val?" Hunting ghosts, I bet.
"I, um, had some errands to run," Val said nervously. "So how come Danny isn't with you?"
"He had some things he had to take care of," Tucker told her.
"Real-ly. Like what?"
"Homework. Family. Chores. You know, things." Oh, what the heck. Danny did say that Val wanted in on the action from time to time. I'm going to get it tomorrow though. "Actually, Val, Danny and his parents went on a ghost hunt with Phantom just now. I think they were headed to the airport."
"Did they? The airport? Oh, would you look at the time? See ya, Tucker!" Valerie pelted off.
Tucker grinned. I really don't want to be Vlad tonight.
---
Sam's stealth jet was flying over Iowa, its passengers grouped around a table trying to sort out their battle plan. Danny had just spread out a map of New Mexico. He stabbed it with a finger.
"Okay, so here's where we land. It should be about a ten minute walk to our destination. Unfortunately, there's going to be pretty high security, and it'll be mobilized as soon as they notice the plane. I have no idea what we're going to be up against, so we're going to have to be on our guard, weapons out. I'll see you guys inside safely, and then head off." Danny pulled out the papers Tucker had given him again.
"Wait a minute, he gave us floor plans?!" Tuck, you're a genius. "This should come in handy. Sam, see if you can find any evidence of a secret room anywhere. That's where Spirit's going to be."
High security? Secret rooms? Why do I get the feeling he's not telling us everything? Maddie Fenton was beginning to get dangerously curious.
"Danny! Found something here, on the first floor."
"Perfect. Let me have a look."
---
An hour later, Jack had talked Jazz and Maddie into a game of Ghost Rummy to pass the time and Sam had taken Danny aside into a corner of the jet.
"What were you thinking? Don't you think they're going to notice something once we get inside?" she hissed. "Or that they might be getting suspicious already? I mean, what would the Wisconsin Ghost be doing with a lab and a Ghost Portal? Or a mansion in New Mexico?"
"What was I supposed to tell them? You can't come to New Mexico, but it's totally fine that you came to Wisconsin?"
"You shouldn't have brought them there either! You know how paranoid Vlad is about being found out, especially by your mom."
"Relax, Sam." Danny smiled to reassure the goth. "They've been angry at Vlad ever since he showed up at the mall. You've seen them in action when they're defending their family. Not something you want to get on the wrong side of. Trust me."
---
As they were landing, Danny made sure that everyone was armed and ready. The moment they touched down, Jack activated a ghost shield around the plane, so the pilot wouldn't be attacked. The rescue team jumped out and started walking cautiously forwards. Once they were outside the shield, Danny went ghost and flew up into the air to find out where Vlad's place was. He came down quickly.
"Straight ahead guys."
They walked for about seven minutes without anything happening. Then Danny's watch started beeping. He looked skyward.
"Nooo, she didn't," he muttered.
"What? A ghost?" Jack readied his guns.
"Valerie," said Sam. And sure enough, the red-clad girl was descending in front of them on her jet board.
"Tucker told me you were going hunting without me, Phantom. Didn't wanna miss the action." The sled retracted into her heels and the face behind the tinted face shield became puzzled. "Hey, I thought he said Danny was with you too?"
"Someone has to guard the plane." Danny was suddenly terse, hoping his parents would understand that he didn't want Val to know his secret. Luckily, they did.
"Why are we here?" Val demanded.
"Spirit's been kidnapped." Valerie nodded. The group continued forward silently, and Danny fell into thought.
This is too easy. Either he knows we're here and wants us to make it there in one piece, or whatever goons he's hired to guard this place are several ufos short of an invasion. Let's hope it's the second one.
They slipped around the floodlights and Danny phased them through the wall.
"Val, you go with Jazz and Sam. They know what to do. Good luck, guys." Danny went invisible and flew off. Now, where's Vlad?