A Foreign Power Chapter Three
Danny was starting to fly away when his ghost sense went off. Looking around he scowled when he spotted which ghost was approaching.
"Skulker." Danny spat as the ghost phased out of a nearby tree. Danny took a better fighting position, while at the same time he glanced around for any signs of a trap.
"Whelp." Skulker said grinning thinly. "Heard that you were arrested. I'm kind of sorry to see that's not true."
"What, were you planning on hunting me if I was in jail? Do you want to end up in a cell next Vlad?" Danny asked. Backing up keeping he kept a distance between them as Skulker floated closer.
"Calm down whelp. I'm not here to fight, I just want to talk to you." Skulker said.
Danny was about to tell Skulker to fuck off, but changed his mind as he glanced at the house they were floating above. "Fine then, follow me." he said.
Leading Skulker away from the Dillers' house Danny was headed to a nearby park when his phone went off. Glancing back Danny answered only to hear his name called in a worried tone.
"Hey, Chief." Danny sighed glad it wasn't his parents calling, before telling her what was going on, and where they were headed.
…
By the time Danny and Skulker landed in the park, it was almost empty.
"So talk then." Danny said getting into a loose defensive stance.
"I said, I'm not here to fight whelp. I told you, I just came here to talk. Then I'll leave." Skulker said irritated.
"Really?" Danny asked in a disbelieving tone. "Then what do you want to talk about?" Danny asked still suspicious.
"I just wanted to see if it was true. Though I see now the rumors are false. You haven't killed anyone." Skulker said in a somewhat disappointed tone.
Danny's mouth dropped open as he gave Skulker a shocked sort of confused look.
"Oh, you didn't know?" Skulker said misinterpreting Danny's silence. "Rumor is that you killed some girl then attacked a cop to cover it up."
"What! I did not!" Danny yelled.
"But you did attack someone, someone… who wasn't a ghost." Skulker said smirking.
"No, there was a spirit." Danny said.
"Oh, the girl who died?" Skulker asked intrigued.
"Yeah, she was… She was just so angry; I could feel it." Danny said slightly shivering as he remembered the sensation.
"Feel? ...What did she look like?" Skulker asked after a moment.
"Why, looking for something to hunt?" Danny asked glancing around the park.
"Spirits aren't worth the effort. Just tell me, you don't have anything else to do." Skulker said irritated. Skulker followed his gaze and snarled when he spotted some local cops step out of the trees in anti-ghost gear.
Danny grinned as the right arm of Skulker's suit was shot, causing the hunter to spin. That was quickly followed by a net which pinned the ghost to a tree. While his backup got closer he turned off his phone which had been on speaker the entire time.
"You alright?" Ruiz asked Danny, who gave her a nod. "Good." she said turning to glare at Skulker.
"Skulker. Why are you really here?" SSgt Blake demanded. Flanking Ruiz his gun never left Skulker.
"I wasn't hunting the brat!" Skulker growled "I just wanted to know if he killed. Now, I know he didn't."
"I would never!" Danny snapped "If there is anyghost that would kill it'd be you! You asked about her spirit well I could see all the wounds from her… her death, and... Why did you want to know though? Did you do this? Did you kill Melinda!?" Danny demanded, while straight out glaring at Skulker.
"That's a good question." SSgt Blake said.
"I agree. Escort Skulker to the station. I would like to know if his interest, in this case, is just curiosity" Ruiz said.
"Please, I wouldn't waste my skills killing some human girl." Skulker said looking around at them with disgust. A moment later a chainsaw emerged from his suit and destroyed the net. As shots were fired Skulker true form was shot out of the suit and swiftly through the sky.
Danny flew after him, but lost sight when Skulker entered the clouds. Going back Danny pissed off mood subsided a bit as he sighed when he spotted his parents' vehicle driving towards him.
~ Page Break ~ (*) ~ Page Break ~
After Danny's meeting with Skulker in the park, his parents hadn't left him alone. Something he expressed his annoyance about during his therapy session.
This also meant that Danny had to stay home for a few days. Not that had stopped him from doing his school work as he was able to skype in. Though any idea of slacking off was eliminated.
On the plus side, the hovering parents meant that his schoolwork was done a lot quicker, which gave him some extra time during the day. This increased with the fact that he wasn't allowed to go out patrolling either. Other than the patrolling Danny didn't mind. To make up for the limitations his parents had him help out in the lab. Danny also went over a few defensive moves with his mother and friends, and just had his friends over in general. He also was able to finish his books Clockwork gave him. From them, he thought that he had found the answer, but he remembered that he was dealing with a new spirit.
…
On Thursday, Danny was allowed to go back to school. The stares the other students gave him bothered him a bit, so he left during lunch.
Getting home, Danny was surprised that no one else was there. After fixing himself some lunch Danny heard some barking along with someone shouting his name. Looking out the window Danny spotted Ember floating there with a pissed off look, well out of Cujo's reach.
Ember was sort of Dana's friend. Danny didn't understand why, but they had connected during one of Dana's trips to the Ghost Zone. So as long as she didn't harm his sister, Danny had no real problem.
"What going on Ember?" Danny asked as he came to a stop beside Cujo. Under Cujo's shadow Ember began to shuffle uncomfortably. Rolling his eyes Danny patted Cujo on the head causing him to revert to his puppy form. "Well?"
"Did you lock up my boyfriend?" Ember asked gaining confidence now that the guard dog was no longer a threat.
"What!" Danny responded feeling bit confused. "You're dating Skulker again? Why?"
"That's not any of your business, he's not hunting you. So did you lock up my boyfriend or not?
"No, why would you think I did that?" Danny asked.
"Because I have seen him since he left to visit you." Ember replied in an accusing tone.
"Haven't seen him? Do you even know why he came to visit me?" Danny asked him mood souring.
"Yeah, some bullshit about you killing a girl." Ember said.
"By Clockwork! Everyghost doesn't really think…?!" Then Danny ran a hand through his hair as he sighed tiredly.
"So someone did die." Ember said.
"Yeah, a girl named Melinda. I found her spirit floating over her body." Danny explained.
"Ooh, harsh!" Ember winced in pity for the spirit.
"Yeah… You know what, this isn't a conversation that we should be having in front of my house. If you follow my rules you can come on in." Danny said.
"Yeah I know them." Ember replied. Flying forward Ember made herself comfortable in Danny's living room. Looking around she smirked when she noticed that the rest of his family wasn't home at the moment.
Giving her an exasperated look Danny grabbed some of his mother's specially made ghost cookies and made some tea. Danny didn't use to be a tea drinker, but he had learned a bit more than fighting this past year. Accompanying Clockwork around Danny learned that ghosts could be calmed by certain plants, and some were rather tasty.
Now he had a ghost guest every once in a while ever since he had become officially became Clockwork's Student, he kept a box of them alway in the house. Another perk from knowing about this tea meant that there had been far fewer ghost fights, and he was almost respected by most of his old enemies. Still, the tea was a good plan, as Ember's eyes lit up when she spied the treats.
"So I told Skulker about Melinda, and he left." Danny said as he took a cup for himself. "Are you sure he's missing?"
"Yeah, he came back from visiting you and said something about going through his old journals. Then he headed out again, but now I can't find him."
"That's… weird. What were the journals about?"
"Different types of things he's hunted. I think he wrote an entire journal dedicated to you. What? You should take that as a compliment. It's not as if he's hunting you anymore since the agreement. Well, at least not in your territory." Ember said as Danny gave her deadpanned look.
"Do you think he might hunt Melinda?" Danny asked.
"No! You said she's a spirit. That's just... ugh! Just no!" Ember said clearly disgusted by the idea.
"Good, though I'm trying to find her. Maybe I can help her, or at least find out who did this." Danny said causing a concerned look to cross Ember's face.
"Be careful how you go about that Phantom. You know lingering spirits are... sensitive. Even most of us ghosts have never talked about our death, but she might tell you if she wants to bring her killer to justice."
"Alright." Danny nodded. "Will you keep an ear out and let me know if anyone spots her?"
"Sure, but if she attacks you for asking a stupid question you're on your own." Ember said.
"Thanks." Danny said somewhat sarcastically.
~ Page Break ~ (*) ~ Page Break ~
After that visit from Ember the weekend rolled around, so Danny invited Sam and Tucker over. It would just be the three of them since Dana had to study at her tutor's house, Jazz had planned to at the library, and his parents planned to be in the lab all day.
So now Danny was losing a game of Doom against Tucker. Not that Danny had been trying very hard to win in the first place. Too much on his mind plus Sam was late again. What was going on with her? Danny could tell that something was bothering her but what?
"Hey guys, I'm here!" Danny heard as he turned to see Sam entering the doorway. Smiling Danny got up to hug her. "Are you alright?" he asked casting a worried eye over her as he wondered what caused her to be late.
"Sure, fine." Sam said pulling away as she made her way further into the house. "So, what are we doing?"
"Movie and game mara…" Tucker said before launching into a coughing fit.
"Tucker you alright there?" Danny asked giving him a glass of water.
"Yeah, just something that's going around." Tucker said giving a slight glare at Sam.
"Just because I was sick, doesn't mean you got this cold from me." She said rolling her eyes.
"You were sick? Why didn't you tell me?" Danny asked looking at his girlfriend with suspicion.
"It was for only a couple of days." Sam said trying to ease his worries.
"Sam…" Danny said softly.
"Don't Sam me. You were away studying with Clockwork and by the time you got back I was all better. I just didn't want to worry you about something that was already over." Sam shrugged.
"Still, I would have liked to know. So Tucker, how long have you been sick?" Danny asked.
"A little over two days." Tucker said.
"You'd get better faster if you had some veggie soup." Sam muttered inciting Trucker to glare even harder at her. He started to say something when he started coughing again.
"Maybe we should take Tucker home." Danny suggested.
"Yeah, you're right." Sam said looking concerned.
"No, I'm fine. Just give me a few minutes." Tucker said in between coughs.
"Only if you lay down." Danny said.
"Fine." Tucker agreed.
After Tucker laid down Sam and Danny hurried around cleaning up, but since the day had was still early there wasn't much to do. Though Danny had just placed the last item away when there was a knock at the door. Since Sam was closer she answered it. Opening she smiled as she spotted Ruiz standing there, but glared at Detective Janks standing beside her.
"Hey Chief, what's going on?" Sam asked as Danny came up behind her.
"Do mind if we come in? I have a few more questions, and Janks has something to say." Ruiz said casting a cool glaze at Janks.
"Sure, come on in." Danny said as both he and Sam stepped aside to let them in.
"Thanks. Are your parents down in the lab?"
"Yeah." Danny said. "Want some coffee? I don't think my mom finished the pot."
"No thanks kid. Janks, I'll be back in a bit." she said looking at him coldly.
Janks ducked his head embarrassed as Ruiz disappeared into the house.
"Well?" Sam asked leaning against the door with her arms crossed smugly.
"I came to apologize." Janks said looking troubled.
"Yeah, Chief made that clear. Hey Danny, Detective Jerk wants to apologize!" Sam said causing Janks's eye twitched.
"Sam! Be nice." Danny muttered to Sam who just huffed and looked away.
"I shouldn't have shoved you like that. I was... out of control." Janks continued as his hands balled into tight fists.
"There's no need for you to apologize. You were possessed." Danny said.
"I'll make sure that it never happens again." Janks said through gritted teeth.
Danny stepped forward to place a comforting hand on Janks's shoulder, but a look from Janks stopped him in his tracks.
"Sorry, I just don't feel like being touched right now." Janks said.
"That's fine." Danny said giving Janks a smile.
"So instead why don't you tell me what you kids have been up to today." Janks suggested
"You want to know about our day?" Sam asked looking at Janks confused.
"...Yes."
Sam and Danny exchanged a look before Danny shrugged. "You ever heard of Doom?" he asked.
Janks gave them a blank look.
"It's a game." Sam explained.
"...Oh." Janks said as his eyes flickered towards the lab for a moment.
"Have you been playing all morning?" Janks asked.
"Why?" Sam asked.
"It's just a question." Janks gritted.
"…I was here. Why do you ask?" Danny said after a moment seeing nothing incriminating about his answer.
"Can you prove that?" Janks asked.
"Yes, I can. And again, why?" Danny asked again.
"No reason." Jacks said looking a bit nervous. "And again, sorry about the loss of control. I need to head out now." He said hurrying away from the house.
"That was weird." Sam said.
"Yeah, it was. Hold on I'm going to check this out." Danny said changing forms.
"Good idea, but I'm coming too." Sam said grabbing onto Danny's arm.
"Sure." Danny said turning them both invisible. Janks hadn't left yet and they could listen to him through the car's cracked open window.
"The ghost kid says he was here all morning." Janks said into his phone.
"..."
Danny couldn't hear what the other person on the phone said back.
"No, I can't question him further, I'm on thin ice as it is."
"..."
"Yeah, the second dead girl was another fan of the ghost kid."
~ Page Break ~ (*) ~ Page Break ~
Danny's knees went weak and only Sam managed to keep him on his feet. Quickly she pulled Danny away from the car. "It's not your fault." She said hugging him. She could see how this news was affecting his obsession. Somehow they needed to find out who was doing this, or this would end of destroying him.
"I know… it just, if I had been out there instead of playing around, maybe…" Danny whispered.
"Then maybe you could have been killed as well. Danny, we don't know who's doing this. Let the police handle this. I'm willing to bet that's what Ruiz came over to talk about. She's going to want to talk to you."
"Yeah only to ask me if I've been out and about!" Danny snapped.
"Danny, you know she's not like that." Sam said quietly.
"Yeah, but that doesn't mean that I want to talk to her! This is my town and she doesn't even trust me enough to tell me that someone else had died!" Danny
"You fight ghosts, not killers." Sam said.
"Fine." Danny sighed "Just… I'll talk to her later."
Sam was right, but sometimes he needed to do more than fight the ghosts. This was his territory, and being unable to protect his town was hurting him. Glancing out the window they saw that Janks was no longer on the phone.
"Now let's get Tucker home before Detective Jerk comes back to ask more questions." Sam said.
Danny agreed.
…
About ten minutes later…
"Man, Tucker really is sick." Danny noted as they slipped Tucker into his bed. Unfortunately, Tucker's parents weren't home, but Sam sent them a message letting them know what was going on.
"Yeah if he gets any worse I'm taking him to the hospital." Sam said as Tucker moaned rolling to his side; he didn't wake up though.
"Good luck with that. He might just will himself better to avoid that place." Danny joked trying to lighten the mood.
"Well, either way at least he'll get better." Sam laughed until Tucker moaned again. Worried she placed her hand on his forehead.
"You should head out." Sam said after a moment.
"Sam?"
"I'll watch him, but if you stay you might get sick too, and I don't think you need that right now."
"What about you?" Danny asked.
"I'll be fine, Tucker probably did catch this cold from me so I won't get it again. So I'll stay until his parents get home. Heh, maybe I'll even be able to feed him some veggie soup." she smirked.
"Alright." Danny said giving her a kiss. "It's about time I check up with the other ghosts in town. Maybe one of them saw something this time."
"Danny?"
"Don't worry I'm not going to get into trouble I just want to find out if any of the ghosts know something that might help find who's this."
"You're going to look for ghost and you think you won't get into trouble. Yeah right." Sam scoffed. "Just please be careful. Janks has never liked you. So you know... be careful."
"Will do Sam." he said giving her a quick kiss goodbye. Smiling he changed forms and flew away.
~ Page Break ~ (*) ~ Page Break ~
Flying through the town Danny kept carefully out of sight of the police cruising through the town. Needing to talk to some ghosts Danny was headed to one of the parts of town the most of the ghosts stayed. Most people would think that it would be the town graveyard. Since in this town every resident had a guaranteed spot, they could be buried in for free. But no, Ghosts did not like hanging out in the same place as their remains. It may come from them distancing themselves from their past life, or it might be the fact that no ghost could touch their own dead body.
Instead, most ghosts liked to hang around The Garden. A place of life where ghosts could remain with a pattern that didn't change. Yet as he was headed there Danny came across the new crime scene. Keeping his distance from the workers Danny tried to sense any ghosts in the area. It took a moment, but Danny could feel someone not too far from the crime scene. Moving carefully Danny peaked around a corner hoping that it was a ghost he was on good terms with.
'Damn it!' Danny thought.
A glowing figure was moving down the sidewalk, but and it was flickering. 'Great.' Danny thought. Looks like he had found the latest victim, or at least her spirit. A flash of anger passed through Danny that led to a feeling of grief as he recognized her. It was Star, Paulina's second in command.
Remembering what happened last time Danny approached this new spirit with his thermos already uncapped. The best thing to do now would be to take this spirit to a different location where she couldn't affect the population as Melinda did. Then maybe he could get her to tell him who her killer was.
Swooping down Danny blasted Star off her feet and sucked her into the thermos immediately. As the thermos shook in his hand Danny wondered for a moment if she would escape when the thermos went still. Taking her to his home Danny found it empty for the moment. Going down to the lab he placed Star in the new cage his parents had made over the week.
Noticing that his parents weren't home, he pulled out his phone only to realize embarrassed that it was off. Turning it on he looked with a wince as there were several messages waiting for him. Flying out the house Danny called his mom to find out where to met up with them. Yet as the phone rang on his mother's end, his ghost sense went off.
"Danny where are you?" he heard his mother ask in a worried tone.
"Just got home. Sam and I had to take Tucker home, he not doing so well." Danny answered as he cast a wary eye around, Danny wondered who it was. Turning the corner he was shocked to see Melinda leaning against his family's ghost shield, only to turn around and stare at him.
"Hold, on Mom. I'm going to have to call you back." Danny said.
"What?!"
"Sorry Melinda's here, I can't let her get away." he said before hanging up despite his mother's protests.
She looked different than she had a week ago. Sure Melinda was still flickering, but instead of being translucent her skin had taken on a dark red color. In a way, it sort of reminded Danny of blood. However though he had met plenty of ghosts with red eyes, but never a ghost with red skin. Danny stared at this horrifying scene, but looked away when her wounds started to drip ectoplasm.
"Hey, Melinda." Danny called out keeping his distance. "Where have you been?" he asked not really expecting an answer.
Melinda didn't say anything she just moved closer though Danny was surprised when she didn't float up to him. After a moment of nothing happening Danny aimed his thermos and had to lean back in shock when Melinda leaped at him with a snarl.
Danny's eyes widened at the unexpected leap but was able to drop quickly. As Melinda pass over him, Danny grabbed her by the arm and slammed her into the ground. When Melinda kept moving he hit her with a blast of ectoplasm to her legs.
"Huh." Danny said when Melinda stood up looking unaffected. In fact, the next few blasts barely moved her back.
"Well so much for an easy takedown." Danny muttered to himself. Going on the offense Danny rushed towards Melinda and blocked a swipe at his face while almost simultaneously punching her in the gut, then face. She went down again, and again she tried to get back up. Danny didn't let her though as he hit her again causing her to go still.
Popping open his thermos Danny felt another ghost coming closer, but he ignored it determined to lock up Melinda. By the time the lid was closed the other ghost had closed in. Danny turned to see Skulker staring at his thermos.
"Skulker, what do you want now? You know your girlfriend is looking for you." Danny said taking the moment to catch his breath. For some reason, he was starting to breathe heavily and felt tired.
"Never mind that ghost child. Did it injure you?" Skulker asked in a surprisingly worried tone.
"Just a scratch. Now if you excuse me this girl has a date with my parents. We'll find out who killed her then it's to the Ghost Zone with her." Danny snarked.
"NO! Whatever you do, don't release that thing!" Skulker protested.
"What why not?" Danny asked confused.
"Whelp... That's not a spirit. Destroy it now or send it on! But do it now!" Skulker demanded.
"What's going on?" Danny asked looking warily at the thermos in his hand.
"Phantom… She's a..." Skulker stated to say when the thermos shook violently forcing Danny to hold it with both hands. Danny watched in disbelief as the thermos began to rust and bend before Melinda escaped through a new crack in the side.
"Oh Shit!" Skulker cursed backing away as Melinda floated in front of them growling and pissed off.
"Great she's out." Danny groaned as he sunk back into a fighting stance. What would it take to keep Melinda down, and more importantly how was he going to capture her now without a working thermos?
"Oh no you don't!" Skulker said grabbing Danny from behind. Before Danny could protest Skulker was flying them away as fast as he could.
"Hey, let me go Skulker!" Danny said struggling to get free.
"No, as much as I dislike you, I will not leave my prey to a wraith."
"She's what? That's not possible!" Danny said just as a scream came from the area the wraith was in. Jabbing Skulker in the gut with an elbow Danny finally freed himself. Skulker tried to grab Danny again but Danny was able to dodge and quickly flew towards the sound despite Skulker's protests.
"What the hell!" Danny exclaimed arriving back on the scene. He had expected for people to run away Melinda since she was a strange spirit. He even thought that she might attack a few people and destroy part of the town, but he never thought he would come across the sight of a spirit or whatever she was, eating one of the town's citizens like there was no tomorrow.
Melinda stopped after she devoured the heart only to turn her sights on another person.
"Phantom! Help Me!" the man pleaded turning to run towards him. Barely blocking a slash at the man's neck Danny realized with a dawning horror that she was faster than before. Reacting quickly Danny blasted Melinda away from him giving himself some breathing room.
Melinda growled in pain, but was back at Danny scratching and clawing at him. Danny managed to block most of the attack; however, her nails dug in as she slashed across his chest. Danny to screamed in pain as his new wounds burned. He still needed to fight, but he found himself staggering through the air. Danny closed in and stabbed Melinda in the chest before blasting her from the inside. This move blasted them apart from each other, sending Danny backward and into the river. Sinking slowly to the bottom Danny wondered if he had won.
…
The next thing Danny knew someone was dragging him dragging him out of the water. Sputtering and coughing up water it took time Danny to realize that someone was yelling at him.
"Phantom you must get up!"
"Wha...?" Danny asked still out of it, then he remembered. Wobbly, somehow Danny made it to the sky. Listening to the distant screams, and sirens it wasn't hard to figure out Melinda's location. Racing there Danny found her eating another victim despite her being shot repeatedly for the local force.
Flying forward Danny ignored the shouts for him to stay back as he wrapped his hands around her neck. Pulled Melinda off her victim he slammed her into the ground. Casting a sad glance that the unmoving body Danny realized in shock that it was Desiree. What was left of her was staring aimlessly past him, before what was left of her body dissolved into a shapeless ectoplasm.
As the horror passed a wave of dark anger flowed through Danny instead. Turning to face this wraith Danny wailed. As Danny screamed something in his wail changed. Instead of just being a powerful wind, ice flew as well, freezing and shredding everything it touched. When Danny finally ran out of power the wraith stood frozen.
Before Danny could move forward to mash her, the remains of Melinda began to melt away. Just before she was completely gone Danny caught a glimpse of girl Melinda had been. Her anger finally gone as a horrified clarity filled her eyes. The next moment she collapsed to her knees in a wrack of sobs as she stared at her shaking blood cover hands. Then she was gone with just a little puddle of ectoplasm remaining. Only then did Danny collapse, knowing that this time the fight really was over.
.
So there is chapter three. Any ideas about who the killer might be? Please leave a review if you think you have a clue, or just to let me know what you think. Until next time.
~ Zeakagirl
