A/N: Hey, everybody! Truephan here. Are you ready for another chapter of Sid?
*Well, of course, they're ready, silly dearie, or else they wouldn't have dared to step into my parlor!*
Now why would you say something to get everyone all upset before the chapter has even begun, Ms. Hyde?
*Tsk-tsk, dearie! Don't tell me that you want them to think that this is one of those nauseating, fluffy chapters so full of sweetness that I'd get virtual tooth decay from it?*
Uh, you hardly have any teeth, Ms. Hyde…and the ones you have are, well, craggily!
*Don't confuse me with the facts or else I'll have to go to the extremes. Remember, I know where you live!*
*truephan gulps* Heh-heh, you're right! So, let's just forget about this whole thing, okay?
*Even the scary parts?*
Well, let's let the readers decide about that, okay? In any case, I think they're getting a little impatient to get on with the chapter *whispers an aside to the readers* Please tell her that you're getting a little impatient to get on with the chapter!... Hey, then, you see, Ms. Hyde? Here you go, readers! Enjoy!
Vlad muse: *raises eyebrow at Truephan and Ms. Hyde* For a moment I had believe Pearl and I were bad... I suppose I now stand corrected. Humph. And they call me fruitloop…
In any case, while I overshadow Pearl and call the nearest asylum for those two above, you all can entertain yourselves with this newest addition that testifies to my greatness!
*Gets smacked by Pearl* Really, you would think he'd learn. Ah, well. See you all at the bottom! And as Truephan said, enjoy!
Disclaimer: We do not own Danny Phantom.
Seeing is disBelieving—Chapter 7—Facing Reality and Unreality
Jazz, Sam and Tucker all screamed when the purplish-silver blur of light with the black needle thing suddenly covered up the Specter Speeder; and they were just as suddenly in total darkness.
The teens sat stunned at first, not believing what had happened. How was it that at one instant they had been trying to search for Danny with the Fenton Boomerang well into the early hours of the next day after his disappearance and in the next…
…they were somehow engulfed by what they guessed was some kind of large ghost thing?
If they still weren't so shocked, they might have felt relieved that at least they had seen enough of what had just now attacked them to know it wasn't the unknown purplish-silver blur of a creature that they had seen on Plasmius' spy bug, but rather, a purple-and-silver predator ghost, big enough to swallow the speeder whole. But it had come at them so fast that they didn't know what it was exactly…
Still, one thing they did know: the force of their capture knocked out the Specter Speeder's control system. And they could now suppose that their aircraft was facing the ghost's end. Indeed, the predator had successfully gotten its prey.
"Uh… did we just get eaten by a ghost?" Tucker gasped out, finally pushing out of his shock.
But before the girls could answer, a robotic voice projected from the console and announced, "Commencing emergency system back-up now."
An instant later, the lights on the console flickered on and then off, before slowly brightening as the power sluggishly surged into it. But the light never got brighter than a diffused flashlight and the three really couldn't see anything clearly.
"Now what are we going to do?" Jazz uttered in fear, trying to restart the ship without success.
"Give me a sec," Tucker answered as he groped in the shadows. His fingers fumbled on the buttons on the dully-lit console, but he found the right button right away all the same. He immediately pushed that button, and the cabin lights came on.
The three teens reflexively squinted their eyes in that relatively bright light as it illuminated them. But not a moment later, the ship rocked violently from side-to-side before jolting forward when the ghost's digestion process started up.
"Tucker, do something…else!" Sam demanded as she and her friends shifted uncontrollably in their chairs as the ship continued to jerk. And even though she was thankful for her seatbelt, she was more internally grateful to Jazz for insisting that they all strap themselves securely in before they had taken off.
"O-O-K-Kay!" Tucker yelled, his voice sounding as jerky as the Speeder's movement. With a very chagrinned frown, he pulled out his PDA and began to pound on it.
Almost instantaneously, a slender wired extension immediately popped out his little machine and snaked its way to a ready receptor on the console and plugged itself in. Tucker watched anxiously as the PDA's screen flipped madly as it commanded itself to link up with the Specter Speeder's computer.
Finally, a small square light on the PDA's screen blinked, prodding the boy to give it its next command. Tucker smiled at first with some hope, but then frowned and gasped—along with the girls—when the Speeder was jolted more violently this time.
But that wasn't all!
Purplish-green goo suddenly began to drip and ooze down the glass nose of the Speeder. When the sludge touched the window, it sizzled and the glass began to crack under the acidic assault. And then, the teens were suddenly aware of this smell—a very putrid smell.
"Hurry, Tucker!" Jazz demanded, frantically shifting to the 'reverse' command, again with no results.
"I'm trying!" he insisted, pulling in and then biting on his lower lip as he concentrated and frantically pounded commands on his little machine. After a few moments of this intensity, Tucker smiled in relief, pleased at his final plan.
But before he could execute the command to activate his program, the Speeder shuddered violently as it was pulled forward once more. This time its joints creaked in protest as the acid from the giant ghost's digestion system tore at it.
"Tucker!" Sam yelled.
But now hopeful with his idea, the boy grinned at his two scared companions and said, "Okay, guys, brace yourselves! We're about to give this thing some ecto-heartburn!"
"What do you mean?" Jazz screamed in panic, reflexively holding her nose and coughing on the digestive fumes as they began to infiltrate their cabin.
But right then, an even louder crack erupted on the ship's glass nose.
"I don't care what you mean! Just do whatever your thinking and get us out of here!" Sam exclaimed as she watched the creature's gastric juices begin to rise around them.
He nodded weakly at Sam before uttering with a nervous gulp, "Okay, then, here goes nothing!"
He pushed the last command; and suddenly, an electric energy field formed and surrounded the outside of their ship, and the inside of their cabin was flooded with its brilliance.
The girls gasped in surprise, but then grinned at finally understanding what the teenage boy meant about giving the ghost 'heartburn.'
The purplish-green goo that had been sliding down the glass nose began to evaporate under the electrical charge, but when it did, more of its nauseating fumes eked through the small cracks where it had been.
The teens coughed and tried to fan the stench from their noses.
But an instant later, the ghost finally reacted to the sudden jolt to its system and the Speeder was tossed around within its cavity a lot like an air-filled balloon being batted around under the hands of playmates would.
The trio screamed at the wild, uncertain ride, but they were still held firmly in their seats by their belts. Suddenly, their ship, which was still facing towards the ghost's rear, lurched forward and more deeply into the ghost's gullet.
"Tucker! We're going the wrong way!" Jazz yelled out as she continued to hold on for dear life.
But before Tucker could say or do anything else, the ship just as suddenly jerked to a hard stop, and the electric field dissipated.
The teens reflexively looked through the glass nose to see why, and then wished they hadn't. Large, thick purple projections, looking like slimy eels, now oozed out of the eerie and silent shadows right in front of their ship and began to creep toward them.
"I'm going to try again!" Tucker yelled, taking advantage of the seemingly 'calm before the storm'. He increased the power command and the electrical field returned. He held firmly onto his PDA even as it grew hot and smoke began to bellow from it.
At first, the teens thought that maybe that was enough of a jolt to get them out of this mess since they could tell that the ghost had reacted to it. But then, to the teens' chagrin, the large, thick organ projections wrapped themselves around their ship.
And believing the ghost was just going to pull them closer to their doom, the teens screamed in fear when the ship began to shake in protest against the ghost's assault. However, within the next moment, the Speeder was pushed violently backward by the appendages, shooting the ship away from the deeper bowels of the ghost, not unlike a bullet fired out of a gun barrel.
Just a few seconds later, the once total blackness that had surrounded the Specter Speeder moments ago was now purple, green and black again. It was then that the trio realized that Tucker's plan had worked. The ghost had spit them out! They were outside the ghost, gliding to a stop!
The trio gasped when they finally saw the true form of their attacker. All along, they had been inside a purple-and-silver ghost angler fish! And the needle-like thing they had mistaken for what they saw on the Vlad's spy cam was in fact the giant fish's lighted-fishing-pole-like extension it used to lure its prey.
But knowing there was no time to waste, Jazz immediately pushed the 'start' button and smiled in relief when the ship responded. Not only had Tucker's idea worked, but it had jumped started the ship's control system.
As soon as Jazz was finished, Tucker immediately activated a key on his PDA, which dutifully disengaged its connection with the Speeder. The smoke dissipated and the temperature of his little machine finally returned to normal.
And even though she and her friends were still shocked to see where they had been and that they had been able to escape, Jazz followed up with a squeeze of the trigger on the control stick once Tucker was through. A large green ectoplasmic energy beam thrust from out of nose of the Specter Speeder and hit the ghost angler fish squarely.
It howled in pain. And now needing no other convincing that the Specter Speeder was no longer a menu option, the ghost creature twisted a full 180 degrees away from its former entrée and hurriedly soared away.
It was only then that the trio became aware of how rapidly they had been breathing under the stress of their ordeal, and how suddenly nauseated they all felt as well. They sat stunned—yet relieved—once more.
Tucker was the first to gain control of his vocal cords. Looking at the girls, he remarked, "Man, talk about your fish filet biting back!"
The girls cringed at the thought of food and Tucker cringed in apology, "Sorry, ladies. I don't think I'll be having seafood for a while, either!"
None of them wanted to think about it anymore, especially when they could all see the number the ghost fish had done on the speeder. The windows and some parts of the walls were cracked from the stomach acid. And from all the violent jolts, some of the circuitry and other external parts were damaged. But the most noticeable damage was one of the two thrusters, which was bellowing out black smoke. They must have blown it out in their need to escape the ghost.
Still, they needed to know exactly how bad it was. So, without a word, Tucker immediately ran a 'diagnostic' program on the PDA.
After a few minutes, he frowned in worry, and the girls knew the results were bad even before the boy said it.
"Oh, man! Part of the circuitry is fried!" Tucker exclaimed. "The left thruster is barely working. And worse, the speeder is critically low on power since I used so much of it trying to escape from that fish! I don't even think we have enough to get back to Danny's house, let alone make it to Skulker's!"
"What are we going to do?" Jazz asked, troubled.
But Sam further questioned, "Can you fix it, Tucker?"
The boy shook his head. "This goes beyond my area of expertise, Sam. But…"
"What?" both girls urgently asked.
"I'm almost sure the speeder has some kind of back-up power," Tucker replied, typing furiously on his PDA. "It's still going to be damaged, but if we can get the back-up power up and running, it might be enough for us to get to Skulker's and even let us use some of the weapons. But…"
"But, what?" Sam and Jazz repeated, this time flustered with the boy's usage of the word.
Tucker jumped a bit in reaction to the emotions he could feel evaporating off of the girls. Still, he kept typing a bit more until he had double-checked his calculations. "It's going to take at least a few hours. And that's not good when we're out in the open," Tucker told them, finally looking from his PDA and staring at the girls with worry.
The trio remained quiet for a few minutes. But then Jazz finally sighed and was the first to speak up.
"I think the best option is to find a place to hide while you can get the back-up power up, Tucker. Do we have enough power to at least make it to the nearest island or shelf?"
Tucker nodded.
Sam frowned, clearly unhappy with their delay. But she also knew they had no other choice.
And seeing everyone was in agreement, even if they didn't voice it, Jazz took the wheel this time while Tucker turned his attention back to his PDA and hooked it back up with the speeder's computer.
They soon made it to the nearest island, and set down the speeder between two large enough boulders, hiding it from any possible hostile eyes.
"Okay, here we go," Tucker muttered after a long moment of silence. "I'm going to switch the speeder to secondary power, but the whole system is going to go down for a few hours, so that it can recharge the battery cells."
The boy paused and looked up at the girls. "Are you guys ready? Uh, I'm about to leave us in the dark…"
Sam and Jazz nodded. And though they were hardly scared of the dark, their current surroundings were not the most comforting, even for the goth girl.
"Yeah, do it," Sam said, while Jazz nodded.
Tucker looked back at his PDA and with a few more commands, he then said, "System shut down in three, two…"
With a dying 'hum', the speeder finished the count for the boy and its motor and lights all went off, leaving the kids in the dark, save for the ominous green glow coming through the windows from their surroundings.
The three looked around, clearly trying to think of what to do for the next few hours. Not even Tucker knew what to do since his PDA was hooked with the speeder, so he couldn't use it for anything but what he was doing right now…
"Uh… we could tell ghost stories?" Tucker suddenly suggested. But when the girls stared back dryly, he blushed and said, "Yeah, maybe not."
But now that it was so quiet and dark, the trio suddenly began to realize how exhausted they were. They had been running around all day, trying to find Danny. And they had barely eaten anything, so they were also running low on energy.
"What time is it, Tucker?" Jazz asked, barely squelching a yawn.
"Four in the morning?" Tucker asked, but he wasn't able to hold back his own yawn.
And as if contagious, Sam suddenly joined him, only to blush.
They didn't want to admit they were tired, especially when they were all so worried about Danny and didn't want to rest until they found him. But their physical bodies were not in agreement with their minds and hearts.
"Look," Jazz said with a sigh. "Maybe we should try to get some rest. We aren't going anywhere for a while anyways."
"Sleep? In this place?" Tucker asked, cringing.
"Yeah. You both know I love all that's dark and gloomy, but even I have second thoughts about closing my eyes in here," Sam added with a frown.
"We're hidden. We'll be fine, you two. Now, seriously. We need to get some rest. The last thing we need is to face Ghost X—I mean, Skulker—with murky minds."
The younger kids didn't say anything, but they did yawn again. And this time, Jazz joined them. The three smiled helplessly at one another, before finally getting a bit more comfortable in their seats.
However, as they stared out at the green atmosphere peaking between the boulders hiding them, worried frowns fell on their faces as their thoughts drifted to Danny. And with nothing to do but wait, their fear for their friend and brother clenched at their hearts.
"I hope Danny's okay," Sam suddenly whispered.
"Me, too," Jazz and Tucker replied at the same time.
The trio didn't say anymore after that. And in spite of their worry, the three eventually gave into their exhausted bodies…
Five hours later, when Tucker's PDA started to beep and the speeder's lights came back on, the kids jolted awake.
It only took them a second or two to remember where they were and what they were doing.
Tucker gasped as he jumped out of his seat, slightly disoriented by how quickly he had woken up. But he readily checked his PDA and with a grin, he exclaimed, "Yes!"
The girls jumped in their seats again, still drowsy themselves. But then the two quickly asked, "It's working?"
Tucker replied by commanding the speeder's computer to start up the engines.
The girls grinned at the sound.
As he unhooked his PDA from the speeder's computer, Tucker said, "It looks like the Speeder is down to sixty percent of its power. So, I'm not sure how long it's going to hold out. But I think we can roll with it for now."
"That's good enough for me. So, let's get going again," Jazz replied, taking the wheel again and strapping her seatbelt.
The two younger teens nodded and also fastened theirs.
"And guys?" Jazz added. And when she had their undivided attention, she said, "Let's keep all six eyes open for anything else like that fish, okay?"
The other two nodded again. No argument there.
Still on the second day of their capture, Danny, in human form, couldn't help but groan as he finally came to…
How long had it been since their 'hearing' with the Observants' High Tribunal? But the boy's muddled mind couldn't be so sure, especially when time seemed to have stopped right after Plasmius and he had been brought back to their cells, since Iluzisto had not hesitated to follow-up the Observants' little hearing with his own brand of 'persuasive' interrogation.
Or, specifically, zapping both hybrids with the electric collars for what seemed for hours as punishment for their misbehavior during the hearing.
Danny cringed again, now sure he had passed out from that. But then, he reflexively rubbed his neck. It was still sore from all that jolting; and his stomach still ached from the lack of food—and water. Honestly, the way it was going, his 'execution by painfully-forced silence-with-starvation' would happen way before any trial could even begin to treat him unfairly. Of course, by what happened at the hearing, it looked like he would be going through that dumb trial no matter what.
The boy sighed. But then with a sudden thought, he lifted his head up. And ignoring the pain that shot through his neck, he glanced over to where Plasmius was.
Vlad was still there and, like Danny, still in human form. The man was lying on his back with one of his hands draped over his forehead. And by the way his hand lightly clenched and unclenched, he further knew Vlad wasn't unconscious, like he had just been…
Feeling a little satisfied with that, the boy lay his head back down and grinned. So much for Plasmius being a genius! By the fact that he was still here, he obviously hadn't figured a way out of this mess yet. Otherwise, Danny was sure that he would not have hesitated to escape and just leave him behind to take all the blame for this whole thing. And although it really shouldn't please Danny, he could couldn't help but think how it served the man right. Maybe this would teach Plasmius that he can't always control everything!
But Danny's smug thought quickly vanished when his empty stomach burned again, reminding him how there was still the issue of needing something to eat and drink...
And as his mind cleared even more, he remembered he had bigger problems than Plasmius' ego. There was that…other issue with…
Clockwork!
Danny groaned again. Maybe he had imagined all that at the hearing? He still couldn't believe it! Clockwork would never…betray him!
But then… why did the Time Master agree to be the prosecutor? They had given him the option to decline and he didn't! Why? He had no answer to that, of course.
Danny bit his lip with the conflicting emotions swirling inside him. But his thoughts were soon interrupted by a loud sound coming from the far side of the hallway directly in front of his cell.
He pulled himself quickly off the bed, groaning and stumbling a little when he did. However, he then just as quickly gritted his teeth and stood up more squarely. This time, he managed to stay strong for a second, that is, until his legs began to shake under him again.
But not wanting to be found on the ground, he made himself walk over to the bars and grabbed them tightly in irritation—and to help support him in his stand. He was determined not to let them see him this weak!
Vlad, on the other hand, removed his hand from over his face and rolled his eyes in annoyance at the sight of the nearing guard and some Observant that had been at the briefing. He knew he should wonder what the Observant was doing here, but he still had a blasted headache from Iluzisto torturing him a while ago.
Unlike the boy, who had passed out, he had stayed awake for the duration. Eventually, though, Iluzisto had stopped. Vlad figured the spirit got bored once he was too drained to even scream anymore and Daniel had already passed out.
Pushing away the thoughts and the rising urge for vengeance—-he would definitely think of the latter at another moment—Vlad slowly sat up, but stayed where he was, frowning deeply in irritation as he watched the Observant and guard stop a few feet from his and the boy's cells.
"Hello… prisoners 485 and 484," the Observant said calmly, while the guard just kept quiet.
Vlad and Danny just further narrowed their eyes in response.
But ignoring it, the Observant continued, "You two might remember me from the briefing…"
"Yeah, because your eyeball-of-a-face is so memorable," Danny interrupted sarcastically.
And actually finding the boy's retort quiet amusing, Vlad quickly added with a leer, "Yes, your features just stood right out at us amongst all the other pathetic nitwits sitting beside you."
The Observant quickly narrowed his eye at the half-ghosts when they looked at each other and smirked how each had insulted him.
But then, the Observant suddenly scoffed and forebodingly said, "We'll see how long your quick tongues hold out under Prison Head Iluzisto's care…"
Vlad and Danny frowned again with the obvious threat.
But then the Observant suddenly pulled out a sphere from his cloak as he arrogantly said, "I suppose I will need to give you inferior creatures my name… I'm Okulo. I am the Observants' liaison in this jail. In other words, I am who monitors Iluzisto's work here. And just as I am obligated under law to notify the High Council of your well-being, I am also the one who reports to them of your…misdeeds. So, I highly recommend you start showing me proper respect as well as more cooperation."
Vlad and Danny scoffed at the spirit's words, but didn't say anything.
"Now, I am also responsible for making sure each prisoner is presentable before they stand before the reputable High Council… That is why I am here at the moment…" Okulo informed them as he raised the glowing sphere in his hands and aimed it towards the half-ghosts.
Vlad and Danny instantly tensed. But before they could do anything, a beam of light suddenly engulfed the both of them and they jolted. But then they cried out in pain when they felt like an iron had just touched their foreheads.
But as quick as the light had come, it vanished. And while Danny stumbled backwards, Vlad jolted to his feet, both momentarily blinded by the light while they both gripped at their burning heads.
But because they couldn't see at the moment, neither of the hybrids saw something glowing on his forehead, nor did they see the odd glow then fade back under their skin…
"You will continue to see me from time to time. Until then, I will take my leave," Okulo said, while the hybrids blinked back the spots from their eyes.
With that, the Observant and the guard left, leaving behind the two startled hybrids.
The two breathed heavily for a moment as the odd pain slowly died down to a throbbing headache…
"W-What the heck was that?" Danny questioned, holding a hand to his forehead, while rubbing his eyes one last time with the other and finally regaining his sight again.
Vlad didn't reply right away. Instead, he squeezed his eyes again and gripped at his head. But worried that the Observant had done something to him, he ignored his throbbing head and looked down at himself. But then, he just as quickly turned into Plasmius and inspected himself again.
But he found nothing off with either of his forms.
Vlad's suddenly worried eyes snapped up to look at Danny, and seeing nothing wrong with the boy, either, the man finally answered, "I don't know."
Danny could only stare fearfully back at the man.
But before they could think of the odd occurrence anymore, they heard the hall door in the distance open and they quickly looked out past the cell bars at the sound of muffled voices. And soon, they saw three familiar beings come into view.
Vlad and Danny never took their eyes off of Iluzisto, Clockwork, and their supposed defense lawyer as they moved toward them. But the raven-haired boy was particularly irked by how friendly Clockwork seemed to be with the other two….
On the other hand, Clockwork, Iluzisto, and Spektanto were so busy with their little conversation that none of them had even noticed the boy glaring disapprovingly at all three.
Finally, Clockwork did glance upward once, and his eyes met squarely with Danny's. The spirit noticed the boy's anger; but the boy could only read 'neutrality' within the Time Master's scarlet eyes.
Clockwork could also see how disheveled and drained Danny looked. But then, the Time Master nonchalantly broke away from their gaze and turned his attention back to the defense lawyer.
But Danny's attention chased after Clockwork's and ended up at that Observant. The boy could tell how nervous his 'lawyer' obviously looked.
In fact, Danny didn't know that that was the reason why Iluzisto and Clockwork were even here. The Observant had refused to come here to speak to his two 'clients' unless he was protected from the hybrids. Even assurances by Iluzisto that the two humans were helpless in their restraining devices weren't enough to satisfy the skittish lawyer. And so, the two other spirits had told him that they would accompany him.
Danny twisted back to look at Vlad and finally realized the man was also closely watching their new audience. But Vlad was now standing at that invisible barrier separating him from the boy's cell.
At last, the three spirits stopped in front of Danny's cell door and Iluzisto growled, "Stand back!"
Danny steeled himself and obliged the illusionist ghost, hoping that no one saw that he had lost his balance a little when he had backed away from the door. But he dared not go sit down; so, instead, he locked his knees, determined not to let on to these ghosts how much he wanted to do just that.
However, when Iluzisto and Spektanto entered his cell, the teen frowned in disgust when then, without so much as a second thought, his 'defense lawyer' did help himself to Danny's bed and sat down upon it.
"Comfortable?" the teen questioned dryly.
"No, not really," Spektanto replied off-handedly as he looked through some kind of briefcase he had been holding this whole time. But then glancing up at Iluzisto, he questioned, "What are these prisoners' numbers? I can't recall."
Iluzisto almost seemed to smirk with his eye at the appalled stares Danny and Vlad gave their defense lawyer. But the illusionist calmly raised his staff at the hybrids and the two suddenly gasped when they felt their foreheads suddenly burn again and they reflexively grabbed at them.
"Oh. '485' and '484'," Spektanto muttered and quickly scribbled it down on some papers he had taken out.
Vlad frowned in confusion, not understanding how the spirit suddenly knew their prison numbers. But when he suddenly heard Danny gasp, the man snapped his attention to the boy, only to find the teen staring back at him in horror.
"V-Vlad, there's—there's," the teen stuttered on his words, while pointing at the man's head.
But Vlad knew exactly what Daniel meant because he saw the same thing on the child's forehead.
And they suddenly knew what Okulo had done to them with that odd flash of light.
He had branded their prisoner numbers on their foreheads and they could now see it glowing a ghostly white on each other.
But before the hybrids could get pass their horror and disbelief, Iluzisto focused on Danny and right afterward, his silvery-blue eye glanced at Vlad, before he addressed both of them, "As you know, crossbreeds, this is your defense lawyer, Spektanto. You have five minutes to confer with him!"
The Prison Head then abruptly raised his black staff again and the invisible shield dissolved, allowing Vlad to enter the cell where Spektanto and Danny were.
Without another word, Iluzisto turned to go; but before he left Danny's cell, he smirked to himself. He already anticipated the crossbreeds' response.
"WHAT?" both Danny and Vlad blurted out. But then, they grabbed their foreheads again, and continued in one voice once more, "And what is this on my forehead?"
Vlad growled when Iluzisto just chuckled in response, while Danny scowled, not believing they had just been branded like freakin' dairy cattle!
Spektanto startled at the combined outburst and shuddered in fright. After all, he had already seen how hostile his clients were.
Iluzisto merely continued to float out of Danny's cell, locking the door behind him. He and Clockwork then went a little away from the cell and began conversing once more while they waited for Spektanto to finish.
Having finally composed himself as best as he could, the Observant said with precise manners, "I am the Appointed Defender. As you know, my name is Spektanto, which means 'viewer' in your language."
"Well, it sure doesn't mean 'Spectacular' after your little act at our hearing," Vlad growled, irritated at the irrelevancy of what the ghost's name meant. "And what is the meaning of this that we only have five minutes with you when those insignificant buffoons out there may very well give us eternity if you fail?"
"Yeah, and who the heck gave that Okulo guy the right to give me a tattoo? I'm still underage, you know!" Danny snapped, his hands coiling at his sides.
Spektanto snorted, looking at the boy's forehead. "It's normal protocol, Danny Phantom. We need to be able to clearly distinguish each prisoner in some way, after all. And as for your question, Vlad Plasmius, I do not make the rules. I only abide by them; which, I suggest, is my first advice to you both. You simply will not help your case if you keep speaking out of turn during the trial!"
"As if you care to help us at all!" Danny spat back. "And, seriously? You Observants are so dense that you can't tell your prisoners apart unless they have a freakin barcode on their foreheads?"
"Of course not, Daniel. They have no sense of individuality," Vlad added in a sneer.
Feeling the anger radiating off his clients, Spektanto squirmed nervously before meekly replying to the two, "At least it's only three numbers. I have seen prisoners with four!"
Danny just stared at his defense lawyer. Was this dude serious? Suddenly, the boy just knew that this Observant was not only a jerk, but the dumbest creature alive. But then scoffing in disgust, he muttered mostly to himself, "I can't deal with all this crud right now."
Vlad raised a surprised eyebrow when the boy suddenly turned towards the cell door.
But although the teen had left in part to avoid punching their defense lawyer, he had also suddenly wanted to hear what Clockwork and Iluzisto were talking about. Hearing their conversation had to be more productive than wasting all of his five minutes with the clown sitting on his bed at the moment.
However, not wanting to let on that he was listening to Clockwork and Iluzisto's chat, the teen turned his back to the jail bars, pretending to use—well, in reality, he was using—them as a support. But his real intention, of course, was to eavesdrop on the two ghosts outside his cell.
Vlad, however, seemed to finally catch onto what the boy was up to, and his surprised look then melded into a strange little smirk that honestly creeped Danny out.
Still, the teen just crossed his arms and frowned quietly back at the older hybrid, though his ears were honed in on Clockwork and Iluzisto.
Meanwhile, having ignored the younger hybrid's retreat all together, Spektanto responded as calmly as he could muster, "Again, I do not make the rules. I only abide by them. I will do what I can to defend you."
"And how exactly do you propose you will do that?" Vlad challenged, turning his attention back to his lawyer.
"Well, I have not fully prepared…" the Observant quietly began.
"WHAT?" Vlad gasped, and Danny momentarily pulled away from his eavesdropping and focused back on the billionaire and Spektanto.
The older hybrid continued, "Are you joshing? I'm about to be forced into a trial that will forever affect my life, and you have the gall to tell me that you're unprepared? I demand another lawyer!"
Danny frowned, perturbed as much as Vlad; but he didn't want to miss the other—and possibly—more important conversation. He immediately turned his head a bit to the right to give his ear better range and tuned into the other two ghosts right away…
"I see that the half-ghosts look a little…atypical," the younger form of Clockwork said, no emotion coloring his voice at all. "Are you making sure that you're not only limiting, but that you're also attending, to their…needs?"
"I know my orders, Clockwork. They will get their nourishment when—forgive me—the time comes," Iluzisto replied with a touch of sarcasm.
"No offence taken," the old Clockwork casually said.
"In any case," Iluzisto readily continued, "what I do or do not do for the crossbreeds isn't your business. If you want it to be, then perhaps you should switch jobs with Okulo."
"I'm not interested," Clockwork answered dismissively. "And I am aware that it is not my business. I just want to make sure that the half-ghosts will be fully ready when I present my case to the High Council."
"And what does one thing have to do with another? What concern of it is yours what their condition is?" the Prison Head asked in suspicion. "You are the prosecutor. Their physical condition will not impede your part in this trial in any way."
The adult Clockwork raised a very tiny corner of his mouth and coolly replied, "As I said, their condition is of no concern to me. I simply have a job to do and want to do it with the proper results. If the half-ghosts are too weak to even speak, how am I going to carry out any future interrogations with them? I will be unable to win this trial if the High Council nulls my accusations because they find there are… irregularities." Clockwork hitched an eyebrow as he then questioned, "Besides, I am sure you would not want a mistrial because the two half-ghosts were in no condition all along to understand the proceedings, would you?"
"Surely, I would not," Iluzisto said with even more sarcasm. "But I am beginning to think that you seem a little too eager to please the Observants this time when we both know that you have your own history of doing quite the opposite. I don't buy that you have willingly agreed to play prosecutor in their little trial just because you suddenly want to be a good employee—which is why I am suspicious of your motive behind your seeming unconcern about the well-being of the crossbreeds."
"You are free to think as you like," the old form of Clockwork insisted, unceremoniously waving his time staff. "Like I said, I have a job to do and I have my own standards on how well it should be done. But, perhaps, you would do wise to keep in mind how adamant our employers are about order and propriety. I don't care how well you do your job, but they might… "
"Very well," the Prison Head said, still suspicious of the Time Master. "I will attend to their…'needs'."
Momentarily closing his blue eyes, Danny smiled in relief. Maybe Clockwork wasn't against him!
The young Clockwork then replied in a steady voice, "Then, I am glad we understand each other on this issue. Besides, I would not want you to waste time…"
"What are you talking about, Clockwork?" his companion challenged, his silvery-blue pupil suddenly turning red with renewed suspicion.
Clockwork glanced briefly at Danny before turning his attention back to Iluzisto, his expression as emotionless as ever as he continued, ""You know all too well that Time is my main concern and business, Iluzisto; and when it is wasted, I have little patience. The truth is, I find this whole affair an unacceptable waste of time. That's why I agreed to take part in this trial. I am going to make sure this goes by as quickly as possible… which is why you and I ultimately have the same goal…"
"Is that so?" Iluzisto asked, still sounding distrusting, but now interested.
"You might not be able to see the future as I can, Iluzisto," Clockwork answered, a hint of a smirk on his lips, "but you are a spirit of vision. We both know this trial is just delaying these half-ghosts' inevitable fate. So, why not spare 'time' in all this by simply getting it over with?"
Danny instantly tensed. He wasn't sure what the Master of Time was talking about, but he was starting to get a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.
"Enough of your cryptic time words and references, Clockwork!" Iluzisto hissed. "What exactly are you insinuating?"
"I am merely insinuating that it benefits the time stream that you do your job well, which is why I am inclined to aid you. You see, though you enjoy your work here as Prison Head in more ways than one, those half-ghosts over there are not like anything you have handled in the past. They are quite special, Iluzisto..."
"You do not have to tell me that. I already know," Iluzisto protested.
"I had no doubt of that," the oldest Clockwork coolly replied. "But, if you wish to do your job well, you have to know that the two hybrids will not be easily broken on any level unless you know their weaknesses."
Danny immediately frowned in further worry, but continued to listen.
Iluzisto's eye flared in even more interest and suspicion. Still, he replied, "You of all know how 'well' I've done my duties. So, why do you believe knowing these 'weakness' will benefit me? Or, rather, why do I get the impression that your sudden interest to 'aid me' has to do with these crossbreeds' supposed weaknesses?"
The young form of Clockwork casually answered the ghost, "As I said, my loyalty is to Time itself and I'll do what I must to protect it. But being that I am currently the prosecutor in this case, then it is also my job to know my opponents' strengths and weaknesses. And if necessary, use their weaknesses to win the case. Simple—and legal— tactics, as you well enough know, Iluzisto. Therefore, for the sake of Time—so that it is not only preserved, but will, in fact, be expedited—I can tell you precisely what their weaknesses are, if you wish."
This time, Danny twisted around to face Iluzisto and Clockwork. And firmly grasping the bars in front of him, he gasped in complete shock, "WHAT?"
Everyone in the vicinity instantly stopped each of their conversations and looked at the young hybrid.
But Danny didn't care at this point that all eyes were on him and yelled out, "You're not REALLY going to do that, Clockwork, are you?"
"Oh, confound it, Daniel, what are you blathering about?" Vlad asked in irritation. But of course, the older hybrid had been involved in his own little squabble with their 'lawyer' and was in a very foul mood at this point.
Danny turned back to the older hybrid and with unquestionable chagrin on his face, reported, "Clockwork's going to tell Iluzisto our weaknesses!"
"Weakness?" Vlad uttered, in both bewilderment and indignation. But then, he quickly regained his composure and demanded, "Now, what is the meaning of this? And who the blazes told you I have weaknesses, you time freak?"
Clockwork did not respond to either hybrid and merely turned his attention back to Iluzisto and continued with their conversation. But this time, the Time Master made sure that the level of his voice—though it was still very much in control—was high enough so everyone in the area could now clearly hear him. "As I was saying, Master Prison Head, I will not let time be wasted by delaying the inevitable. The half-ghosts' weaknesses are quite simple. And it is just as ridiculously easy to use them. In fact, I think it is a most desirable strategy to start with the younger half-ghost. Once you are successful in breaking him, then it will be only a matter of an insignificant amount of time to break the older one."
Danny stared back at the Time Master, frozen in shock. His throat had suddenly tightened with so much dread that he could not object at the moment.
But Vlad objected once more, though he was having a more difficult time controlling his voice now that he was having a creeping sense of dread as well. "I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. But this sort of thing can't be proper."
"Actually, it is," Spektanto quickly pointed out. "In fact,…"
"You stay out of this!" Vlad spat back before turning back to Clockwork.
But before he could continue to object, Iluzisto activated the restraining device around the older hybrid's neck, and he yelled in pain, his knees buckling immediately afterward.
"You may have the audacity to interrupt the Tribunal proceedings, crossbreed, but you will not interrupt mine!" the Prison Head jeered. He turned back to Clockwork and calmly said, "Proceed, Time Master."
Danny's eyes widened more in terror as each word passed the Time Master's lips…
"Of course," young Clockwork replied. "The timeline has shown without a doubt that the key to breaking Danny Phantom is to eliminate his loved ones—all of them."
This time, Vlad's blue eyes widened in alarm. That would include Maddie! But he was still in so much pain from his last jolt; he couldn't push his words out. But his whole body tensed up with the news, and he cried out with a frustrated yell.
And knowing the Time Master was referring to his dark alternate future, Danny finally was able to choke out, "NO, CLOCKWORK!"
But he was instantly answered with a jolt to his neck from his restraining device. He screamed in pain, and with his head spinning from the jolt, fell to his knees. He stayed in that crumpled position, panting and tugging at the device.
"Silence!" Iluzisto seethed at the two crossbreeds. But when he looked at their faces—and especially the way the younger crossbreed had reacted— he had no doubt. The Time Master had told him the truth. This was the key.
But the adult Clockwork interrupted the Prison Head's thoughts. "In fact, for the sake of Time once more, I can tell you that at this precise moment, three of the youngest of those very creatures that the younger half-ghost holds dear are currently in the Ghost Zone. They are trying to track his whereabouts…And they are succeeding."
Danny's mind raced with the Time Master's words. He must be talking about Sam, Tucker and Jazz! He pulled himself off the ground using the cell bars for support. Then, he leaned against the bars and continued to listen in both shock and horror.
"By the time you get to them, they will be at a place called 'Skulker's Island', which is easy enough to find. Taking advantage of this knowledge now will also be strategic. Then, I will tell you where to find his parents…" Clockwork added, this time looking specifically at Vlad.
But the man could only stare back at the Time Master in horror.
As for Danny, he was still reeling with the news of his friends and sister's going to Skulker's. But why they were didn't matter right now. He was terrified for them!
But that fear was quickly replaced by his grit and a surge of strength. He suddenly yelled once more, "Don't you dare go near them! I don't care if they put me on trial ten times, if you so much as look at them, I swear I'll—"
The boy screamed in anguish as he was jolted once more. Though his head was spinning wilder than ever, Danny pulled himself up once more with the cell bars and lashed out at them through the slats of the bars at the two ghosts just outside his reach.
But in spite of his bravado, he didn't know how much longer he could hold out, since he had been in his human form this entire time.
Vlad, too, finally pulled himself up and fearing for Maddie, yelled, "And that goes double for me! Mark my words. I will get out and I will—"
However, Iluzisto quickly punished him before he could finish his threat. And Vlad screamed when this shock was even stronger than the last, and fell to his knees again.
"Your five minutes are up! And I will not warn you again, crossbreed," Iluzisto seethed with pure anger.
"Let me out of here!" Spektanto demanded, now completely frightened by the reactions of his 'clients'—and the Prison Head.
Iluzisto grunted in irritation, but immediately unlocked and opened the door.
This was Danny's chance. Just as Spektanto's body floated past him, he pushed his own body into the Observant, using him as a shield.
Spektanto screamed as he was then shoved into Iluzisto and the two fell in a heap on the ground.
Once he passed the cell doorway, Danny charged right at Clockwork. Angry and anguished, Danny's fists immediately swung at his mentor with all the strength he had left.
Unfortunately, he had not even made two full blows to the Time Master when a large electrical charge was sent through his restraining device. And as Iluzisto quickly got to his feet, he doubled the voltage on the collar and that was more than enough to send the boy's mind whirling into unconsciousness.
But just before total darkness consumed his heart and mind, Danny's last thoughts were of his now certainty that Clockwork had callously betrayed him.
"Clockwork…How could you?" his words echoed in his mind before he knew no more.
Truephan here: Well, my anxiety level just when up a few notches, has yours? Good— just what we wanted….I mean, that's bad. Bad. Yeah, bad. In fact, bad Clockwork, bad Spektanto, bad Okulo and bad Iluzisto. Yeah. Bad. But isn't 'bad' still the new 'good'? Anyways, until next time, and don't forget to push that little green button. It's great therapy for high anxiety levels!
Vlad muse: For the record, the branding thing was not my idea. I was highly against it when Pearl suggested it. But, of course, Truephan readily approved it and well….
Pearl: Hey! Don't blame that on us! You and Ms. Hydes are the crazy ones!
Vlad muse: Again, says the girl who speaks to a figment of her imagination.
Pearl: *pouts* I'm just going to ignore you now. So, heh-heh! I hope you guys liked this chapter. And you can bet things are going to go downhill even more before they go up! In any case, let us know what you guys think!
Ta for now! Oh, and Dawning of the Sun should be up fairly soon… *winks*