I'm taking a slight break from crossovers for a bit for once. Yes, I really enjoy them, but I think you guys might have had enough with them for a bit. -looks at list- I'm considering what to do with them. One of the plots has already been adopted, so... -grins slightly-

Thanks for waiting and reviewing Plushiemon, Hordak's Pupil, KHFREAK14, Horselvr4evr123, dragon of spirits, nightwolf23, MutantLover09, NarutoxxAddict, pearl84, Nireena26, Wishes for Wings, Wishes. (for a life.)

12. Thunderous Issues

Danny released a long sigh and snapped his textbook shut, the thunder slowly rolling in the distance. Another thunderstorm was coming, and he couldn't help but wonder how much rain would come this time around. His paper on symbolism lay on his desk, a few words written out, but not enough to work an idea from. His head rested in his hand, a feeling of fatigue washing over his body. Danny hadn't gotten much sleep over the past couple of days, and the death of Valerie's father only a week ago didn't help matters much. Vlad had used almost every technique known to man to try and get her to go to his house, and she had refused every opportunity.

When Danny offered to her to stay over at his house, she didn't decline the offer.

Now a knocking was heard on the door, and Danny called out, "It's open!" The handle turned, and Valerie walked inside, looking exhausted beyond all belief.

She sat on Danny's bed and yawned, glancing out the window. "You hear it's supposed to rain tonight, Danny?"

He nodded, watching Valerie lean back on his bed and looked out the window himself. It was now 8:00 PM on Wednesday, and clouds were gathering above the city for a storm that night. "Yeah." He looked at Valerie, who seemed to have an aura of discontent around her. "About Vlad..."

The girl laughed dryly. "He's tried almost every trick in the book to try and get me back to his place. Says that I should go and live with him in a comfortable capital building rather than 'waste my time with commoners like Daniel.'" She ground her teeth in disgust. "I can't believe that no good, rotten bastard." Her voice began to get choked with emotion. "It's like he has a completely separate personality when he turns into that... that ghost. As if he no longer is really a human."

"He never was human," Danny interjected darkly. "He's just a creature of darkness from all I see right now." His eyes went back down to his paper, and he shook his head, laughing bitterly. "So you know about him now, too."

It wasn't an open ended question. Valerie nodded. "I just... I just can't believe this sort of thing is actually true. Vlad Masters is half a ghost like you?"

The male scratched his head and groaned wearily. "I just think it's crazy. How can a man with all that power use it to bring down his very own people?"

Neither teenager answered the question and listened to the rain begin to softly hit the window pane. More thunder rolled in the distance.

"So it's true," Sugaru whispered worriedly. "It's true he has revealed his identity to a human."

Yuan gave a small snarl and pushed himself away from the table. "And he killed someone doing it, too. Didn't he?"

The leader ran his fingers through his hair. "I don't understand it. How and why did he do such a thing? It wasn't even to Seraphim. It was to his friend, Valerie. Even then, Cherubim killed her father." He shook his head. "This is bad. The situation is becoming worse down in the human world, and even Clockwork admits there's no way he'd be able to stop anything short of a calamity in Amity Park with the state it's going into."

Saala watched the image of Danny inside the orb, struggling with his homework, and clicked her tongue. "He's worried about homework, too. That paper for Lancer is going to be the least of his worries come tomorrow."

There was a knocking on the door, and in walked another woman. She appeared to be in her late thirties, wearing a blue sort of egyptian linen dress. She looked like none of the council members, despite her high status in the city. Her blonde hair reach mid-back, a wreathe of fiery flowers on her head. Her violet eyes widened at the sight of the orb, voice urgent as she spoke. "It is chaos outside the temple walls. People are discovering the possibility of Cherubim coming back to Heaven City and finishing what he started."

Sugaru turned to Narcissa, the final member of the Fallen Angel Council. "Who started this 'rumor?'"

"One of the boys inside these walls. Their voice was heard over a crowd of people, and he just... he blurts it right out!" she stated, waving her hand. "Now the whole city knows, and there are riots going on out there. I told the boy what a mistake he had done, and he just wanted to brush it off for a moment."

Yuan snickered. "Did you use force on him?"

Narcissa pulled out her scythe, a drop of blood hanging precariously on the tip. "I gave him a light scratch. Nothing more. Why? You guys act as if you don't know me."

"You're not around here enough," Saala mumbled under her breath. "Always busy trying to play hero."

The woman gave her fellow comrade a mild look. "And this is a bad thing because..."

Narcissa's superior gave her a glare. "Because while you run around playing hero, we are in here making decisions that affect the entire city! I think that's a perfectly good reason for you to be suspended from the council for some time!" She looked at Sugaru, bristling. "What do you think is right?"

"Narcissa is believing what she must do is right," the man responded quietly. "I cannot stop her from protecting the city where she resides. And it is not your place for you to criticize her in that matter."

Saala's jaw dropped for a moment before snapping it shut and casting an infuriated look at her fellow ally.

"All right, class," Mr. Lancer called over the din, thunder booming once again and rattling the windows. "Please get out your papers that you have been so diligently working on for the past couple of weeks. And that includes you, Ms. Sanchez."

Paulina Sanchez let out an audible groan with the rest of the class, and a shuffling of papers began. Students dug out their assignments and began passing them towards the front. Danny grimaced as he leaned back and took the papers from Valerie behind him. Sam noted this, concern unfurling on her face. "Are you okay?" she asked quietly.

He shrugged. "I'll live. Just a little bit tense in the back right now."

Sam didn't look as convinced as Danny tried to sound. She gave him a wary glance before turning back and getting the papers from behind her. Danny blinked at her and felt a sudden chill overcome him. Lightning flashed once again, and the lights went out in the whole building. Excited chatter arose in the room as the English teacher sighed in defeat. "The Things They Carried, people. It's only a power outage. The back up generator will activate at any moment, and we can resume class."

And so they waited. The talking died down after five minutes, and there was an eerie stillness in the room. Danny looked at Tucker on his side, who was watching the window with a glint of fear in his eyes. "Uh, dude?"

Danny cocked his head. "Tucker? You okay?"

"Someone's outside the room!" he told him, worried. "That's not a good thing!"

The window suddenly broke, and screams erupted throughout the whole classroom. A figure floated in the window, his eyes glinting maliciously as he flew in and landed in front of Danny. His lips unfurled into a sort of demented smirk. "Hello again, Daniel. Long time, no see."

With the billowing cape and all too familiar hair, Danny growled and stood up from his chair. Screams erupted again, cries and pleas of worry towards Danny. "You!" he spat as if something disgusting was in his mouth. "What are you doing here?!"

"Taking you away," Vlad Plasmius replied cheerfully, grabbing his hand and throwing him out the window.

Danny felt his skin hit the dirt, pieces of soil trying to pierce his skin. He heard more screams, willing himself to get up and taking a battle stance. The clouds had completely covered the skies now, the rain beating down relentlessly on him. He shook his head and growled at the thought of being unprepared for this sort of thing. Danny watched the figure swoop in on him and grab him by the arm once again, carrying him in the midst of the storm. Danny felt the hand let go and hit the muddy ground, exhaustion threatening to overtake him.

The sound of a soft landing barely made it to his ears as he looked up and pushed himself off the ground. A quick look around told him he was on the football field. He took a deep breath and yelled over the howling winds, "What do you want to accomplish by taking me here?!"

Plasmius didn't look like he was yelling, but the boy heard his voice clearly. "I want to test your skills again. Perhaps you have improved since our last little encounter together." His hands burned with magenta, his eyes wild. "Come now, Daniel! Test the power of Vlad Plasmius to that of a fifteen year old high school child!"

Danny cracked his fingers, two rings of light splitting and revealing Phantom, who looked extremely aggravated in the rain around him. Lightning flashed again, his hands sprouting emerald energy. Immediately, he fired off two ghost rays towards his foe, who jumped up and dodged them with chilling ease. Phantom gritted his teeth. Damn- Plasmius had gotten more alert of his attacks. He jumped up and thrust his hands out, firing another pure energy blast, and for a fleeting moment, he looked to have perhaps hit him.

But alas, he was wrong. As soon as he stopped his attack, the smoke clearing as best as it could, Phantom heard an inarticulate scream and gasped as Plasmius landed a magenta filled fist to his face. A yell of terror erupted from his vocal chords, and he was sent spiraling downwards again. Pain surged through his body as he tried to slow his descent towards the earth, closing his eyes and focusing as best as he could. 'C'mon, Phantom,' he thought. 'You're going to let this killer get away with everything he's ever done?'

Shoot.

Phantom braced himself and put his feet facing the ground, shooting up towards Plasmius suddenly and clenching his fist. Phantom landed a punch square to the stomach, and the hybrid was sent flying upwards towards the ominous clouds. He swore mildly under his breath and looked from where the boy had sent him. "Ah, very good, Daniel!" he taunted, his hands no longer glowing. "You seem to have actually learned something!"

"I learned everything because of you!" the teenager snarled back over the sound of thunder. "It's all your fault, you... you..."

Plasmius watched the boy trip over his own words carefully. He was indeed growing more powerful as the days went on. Little by little, he was turning more into the angel he was destined to be. Did it worry him? Oh, yes. Yes, it did.

He was busy contemplating over this when Phantom let out a yell and managed to get a ghost ray into his chest. Plasmius went flying back and cursed at himself for not being more careful. Steadying himself, he glared daggers down at the teenager and made a beeline right for him, hands outstretched. "You think you can defeat me today, dear boy?"

"I know I can!" Phantom growled, his hands no longer glowing. "I will beat you today!"

With this, he threw himself for the older male and connected with his stomach. Phantom flipped him over and began to skyrocket downwards. Towards the ground they fell, Phantom willing himself to go faster and faster so the impact would be more painful for the mayor of the city. His hands found Plasmius' chest, and he pushed down with all his energy, hoping and praying it would cause some pain to the hybrid. There was a disgusting THUD moments later, and Phantom flew off the man in the opposite direction. His body hit mud, and he closed his eyes, panting in relief. He was alive- sore as hell, but alive. And feeling a lot better.

Plasmius, on the other hand...

Phantom felt his body being pulled up by a hand that grabbed his neck. He winced slightly and opened his eyes, freezing at the sight.

The older male was smiling like a madman once again, one hand clutching his source for oxygen, the other balled up in a tight fist. "Do you really believe that was enough to hurt me?" he drawled, his voice growing softer and softer, but with more intensity each passing second. "A little bit of dirt and water? If you're looking for pain, Daniel, you're doing it all the wrong way." He brought his fist back, his eyes burning. "You've got to make it hurt like death."

The hand came forward, crashing right with his face again. Phantom felt his nose crack, blood suddenly pooling out in massive amounts. He cried out in pain, the cry turning into a yell, the yell morphing into a scream. Never had he felt so much power and pain in his whole life. Plasmius seemed to grin with immense pleasure at the sight of seeing the hybrid in pain. "See what I mean?"

Phantom's legs suddenly flailed widely, his foot connecting with the private area of the evil tyrant that gripped his neck. Plasmius howled, releasing Phantom to the ground and doubling over in agony. The boy watched in stunned horror as two wings seemed to begin to protrude from the older man's back. He backed away slowly when feathers suddenly materialized out of nowhere, and the wings disappeared. He felt tears stream down his face, pain washing over him like a never ending ocean wave. What the heck was that?

What was...?

Plasmius stood up painfully. "Damnit!" he snarled to himself. "What happened to me? Why did I nearly...?"

Phantom said nothing. He merely lay there in the mud, two rings of light splitting down again, feeling his world plunge into darkness.

Oh, now I give you more questions. Bad Shiny, bad! -hit with Anti-Creep Stick- I think I deserved that. Anyways, we're nearing the end. Chapters 13-15, then the epilogue. Kind of weird to think about, actually. Anyways, as cheeky as it sounds, I managed to make Gaia avatars of what the council looks like. If you want to tell, just say the word or something! Anyways, sorry for the wait again, and feel free to review this chapter. Thanks for reading!