Author's Notes: Thank you to all who reviewed my fic.

ArmoredSoul: I'm glad to see you that you still haven't given up on your mission to give Plasmius his just desserts and glad you are so engrossed in the story.

Shiva the Sarcastic: I am the master of the unexpected, you should know that more than anyone else my friend. Glad you like the fic.

Chibi-Nek0: I'm glad you like my story and hope you continue reading it.

Chapter XI: Trouble's Close at Hand

Jack Skellington

"Do you really think it's him Jack," the mayor asked nervously as made our through the town to the fiend's lair in hopes of finding Danny.

"Would you rather it be Pariah Dark," I told him with a smile that instantly shut him up.

While we walking, I heard a sound like a motorbike in the distance, "someone's coming," I said as I pushed the mayor behind a tree.

Soon a man in his early 20s with grayish skin, dirty blonde hair, green eyes and wearing a gray jacket and a charm necklace came zooming towards us on a bike. "I may not have been able to stop the ladies but I am not going to let you squares interfere," he said as he blocked our path.

"Young man as mayor of this town, I order you to let us pass," the mayor said trying to sound official and intimidating.

"You don't scare me pops, Shadow Sic'em," he said as a Shadow Ghost appeared and started charging at us.

"Jack what do we do," the mayor said cowering behind as the shadow reared up and growled.

"I'll take care of this," I told him as I took a deep breath and let a shriek so blood-curdling it would it even frighten the Devil himself.

The shadow paused for a moment before retreating back to its master.

"You'll pay for that," the shadow's master hissed as he raised his hand let out an energy blast at us but I managed to duck behind a nearby tree and dodge it. "Ha! Take that!" the man said triumphantly, not knowing how wrong he is.

I had leapt up on the branches and ambushed him, "Who are you working for?" I asked him as I pulled him off his bike and pinned him to the ground.

"I'll never tell you," he spat as broke free.

"I'll ask you one last time, who are you working for," I said as I contorted my face into a horrible sneer and let out a scream that even made the mayor retreat behind me.

The man stared at a second before saying with trembling voice, "Okay, I was sent here by a man named Vlad Plasmius. He told me to prevent the boy's friends from finding him," he said shaking with fear.

"Is this 'Vlad Plasmius' in league with Lock, Shock, and Barrel?" I asked him menacingly hoping for a straight answer.

"Look man, I don't know who this 'Lock, Shock, and Barrel' are but all I know is that Vlad sais I was to keep Danny Phantom's friends from finding him, so he won't blab to anyone about what Plasmius did to him," he stuttered nervously as I let him go.

"Go, don't let me catch you in this town EVER again, get it," I growled at him.

"Got it," he gulped as he jumped up, got on his motorbike and left for parts unknown.

"Come on, Danny still needs us," I tell the mayor as we take off again hoping Danny is still safe.

Vlad

"Maddie…Jack, I am sorry to say that young Daniel is no more. He was killed while trying to run from a ghost. Apparently, one of Jack's inventions blew up while he was trying to operate it," I said looking into a mirror practicing what I was going to say to Daniel's parents when I go to visit them. Hopefully, Maddie will be so distraught over the 'news' (it was a lie, but who cares) that she will dump Jack and come racing into my arms.

While I was staring at my reflection, a button on my desk started to light up, "It seems as is if Johnny has something to report back to us," I told my cat as I walked over to the desk and pressed the button. "Yes," I say smiling with glee.

"Vlad this is Johnny, I wasn't able to stop the kids friend but I don't think that will be a problem though. This skeleton dude I ran into said that someone named Lock, Shock, and Barrel has him. I don't think he'll be our problem anytime soon," he said happily.

"Well that is good, keep me informed of anymore developments," I tell him as I sign off and walk back to the mirror. "That is the power of positive thinking, Maddie. You wish for something long enough and it comes true," I tell my cat as I smile at the fact that my beloved will soon be with me forever.

Lock

I watched as the transformation was taking place. Already his hands had turned to flippers and bugs now comprised a good deal of his body.

"You won't get away with this," he spat as he fought to break free but only succeeded in pulling his arm out of its socket. "Hey my arm," he screamed as he gazed at his arm lying beside him.

Soon, bugs began to pour out of the severed limb and marched to the Halfa's socket until they formed a new arm for the boy.

"What are you doing to me," he demanded to know as he watched his arm reform but the bugs didn't stop there. They soon crawled up his neck and face. "Get these things off me," he shouted as he rubbed his chin on his costume to hoping to get rid of the bugs, but to no avail. He panicked as they begin to creep into his mouth and tried to spit them out.

"Don't fight it," I tell him as he turns his head in disgust as the bugs continued to get in his mouth faster than he could spit them out. His green eyes flashed with anger as he sneered at me until his face was almost covered in bugs. Soon, our master will return and take his place as the true King of Halloween.

Sam

"Where are you taking us Sally?" I ask we race through the land in search of Danny.

This place is amazing it's like Goth heaven with all its twisting buildings, old graveyards, and spiral hills. However we have little time to take in the scenery as Danny could in terrible danger and it was up us to stop whoever had him.

"To their hideout," she said as we continued to run for several miles until we reached what looked like a rotten tree house with a cage for an elevator.

"How are we going to get down there," Jazz said as she looked down the chasm uneasily, "I don't think that cage can support the three of us," she told Sally nervously.

"we'll have to slide down the cable," she said as she jumped to the rope and slid down somewhat. "Come on hurry," she said as Jazz followed suit leaving only me on the other said.

"Are you okay?" Jazz asks as she noticed the expression of terror on my face. I am terrified of heights and thought of jumping across a pit paralyzed with fear.

"Yeah," I said as took a deep breath and looked at the rope, "This is for Danny," I told myself as I closed my eyes and made the leap. I sighed in relief as I could feel the rope in my hands and slid down along with Sally and Jazz to rescue Danny.