Truephan here: Hello again, everyone! And thank you so much again for all your reviews and support. It sure keeps us cool on these hot summer days! Heh-heh. And we hope you're having a great day and your summers are going well, too! Well, lookey here! Time for an update! Are you as worried about the hybrids as we are? Well, then, good, because this chapter is going to let you know how their doing and you can judge for yourselves if this brings your blood pressures down. But then again, why would we want you to do that? Heh-heh…And right before pearl gets the bullhorn, we want to thank Balshumet for letting us use her little sweetly evil nickname for Iluzisto. And, just for her, we let Danny say it for her. Thanks again, Balshumet! And thanks go out to Desiree Phantom for her review. We couldn't give her a PM but would like to thank her all the same! Hope to keep you excited and see you down below!
Pearl: Yay! Fun time again! Oh, and sorry for the day-late update. Totally my fault! Well, I don't have much to say, just enjoy the chapter and… take a deep breath… Or, two. Heh-heh….
Disclaimer: We do not own Danny Phantom.
Chapter 26: Take Two Breaths
Shortly after Danny fell unconscious in the cave, Skulker had immediately set to work. Not only did he still need to tend to Vlad, but he also was busy with other things.
Team Phantom, in the meantime, was clustered together and sitting several feet away from the cyborg ghost and the still senseless Vlad. They weren't that far from Danny, who was still out for the count, so they knew they could still whisper among themselves without disturbing Danny—or Skulker and Plasmius for that matter. They still had their Observant weapons, which they had already placed on the ground in front of them once they knew they had nothing to do at the moment but talk. They wanted to make sure their weapons were within reach should the Observants discover where they went.
"Man, I'm sure glad to get out of that place!" Tucker sighed, taking a bite of Danny's unfinished granola bar. He then lifted it up, offering some of it to Jazz and Sam, who promptly shook their heads in refusal.
"Yeah, me, too!" Jazz agreed. "That place gave me the major creeps."
Sam just kept quiet, listening to her friends while intermittently shooting side glances at Skulker to see what he was doing or glancing worriedly at Danny.
The three fell to silence for a few moments before Jazz noticed how skittish Sam was all this time. The red-head then glanced over at the cyborg ghost, too, before looking back at her friends and suggesting, "Shouldn't we ask Skulker if we can help?"
Half-listening to Jazz, Sam finally commented in a quiet, yet suspicious, voice, "Just what is he doing anyways?"
"Well, there's only one way to find out," Tucker remarked as he shoved the rest of the granola bar into his pants pocket and pulled himself off of the cold floor.
The girls watched as their male friend walked steadily toward the Ghost Hunter before slowing just a couple of feet from the ghost. They were thankful that they could still hear their short conversation, even if their voices echoed a little within this cave.
"Uh, is there anything we can do, Skulker?" Tucker tentatively asked.
"I work more efficiently by myself, pup," Skulker tersely said at first. "I will need to do a bit of preparations before we venture further."
Tucker paused, not sure what to say to that. But then he finally replied, "Uh, well, okay. If you need anything, please let us know."
Just as he turned to go, the cyborg ghost remarked less tersely, "Do not think your offer has gone unnoticed. But understand that I work much more quickly on my own."
Tucker bit his lower lip and nodded before he turned to go. He made his way back, glancing worriedly at his still unconscious best friend. He didn't like what he saw but still quickly rejoined the girls.
Just as he sat down, he whispered to his friends, "Could you hear what Skulker said?" When the girls nodded, he quietly added his real concern, "Do you think Danny will be all right? And now that I think about it, what was that medicine that Skulker said that Danny will need? Do you think it'll get rid of that thing?"
"I don't know, Tucker," Jazz replied, also keeping her voice low, and knowing what he meant when he said 'that thing'. All three had noticed the scarlet brands on both hybrids' foreheads ever since they first saw them, but of course they all were way too busy trying to escape rather than take the time to ask about them. And now that both of the hybrids were still unconscious, the three teens would still have to wait for any explanation.
Jazz then added, "But we all know something definitely happened to Danny physically besides that ugly thing on his forehead. But I know that something also happened mentally to him and I'm worried."
Once again, the trio fell silent.
Several moments later, Jazz said, "I wonder where we are?"
Pulling out his PDA, Tucker said a little excitedly, "Hey, I forgot that I can check on that!"
But Sam just grumbled, "As long as we get back home, who cares? I just wish we'd get going." She quickly glanced back at Skulker, Vlad and then Danny. She frowned when she could see that her best friend still had not stirred.
"Hey, Sam, I was just trying to help. I just thought it would be good to know where we are so we would know how long it would take us to get to, uh, wherever we're going," Tucker said a bit defensively before he frowned and looked back down at his PDA.
Sam's face fell before she apologized, "Sorry, Tucker, it's just that…"
Looking back up at her, Tucker gently cut her off, "Hey, it's okay, Sam. Honestly. I understand. I'm worried, too."
Sam smiled weakly at her friend before all of Team Phantom reflexively looked over to Danny again. He seemed to be comfortable, but he was very pale and he was sleeping very deeply. The trio glanced at each other once again. None of them had anything else to say for the time being.
The only things making any sounds in the next few minutes were the heavy breathing of both of the unconscious hybrids, the tapping of keys from Skulker and Tucker, and the sound of dripping water faintly echoing from somewhere deeper in this cave.
Finally, Tucker quietly cleared his voice and told the girls, "I think we're somewhere in the Rockies, and you know that means that we have a lot of ground to cover before we get home."
"And that means we have to depend on Skulker to get home," Sam grumbled.
"But you know," Tucker added, "Skulker might take Vlad to his chalet that's somewhere here in the Rockies."
"But he won't," Sam simply replied.
"How do you know that, Sam?" Jazz piped in. "Vlad is very hurt and this does qualify as an emergency of sorts."
Sam squared her chin, certain of her hunch. "Hello! Vlad's been mayor of Amity for a while now and don't you think he would always have whatever he needs in the place he's at the most? Then, that would be his home in Amity, not anywhere else."
"Well, that's a good point, Sam…" Jazz replied, relaxing a bit, "…especially since I can't remember the last time that snoopy news reporter, you know, that 'Lance' guy, said anything about Vlad going off to one of his other homes."
"Then we're safe to assume that we're going back to Amity?" Tucker asked.
The threesome glanced at each other in silence, nodding a bit to try to assure each other that they were right in their assumption, even when they still were unsure of it.
Finally, Sam looked over to Skulker. And seeing that the Ghost Hunter was now busy gathering what looked like scraps of debris and doing something to them, she said in a firm hush, "I think we should have Skulker drop us off at yours and Danny's house, Jazz."
"Why, Sam? Skulker says that Danny will need some medicine, so shouldn't we go to Vlad's house, especially when we'll still be in Amity?" Jazz said, slightly objecting.
Sam looked back at Skulker and then glanced at her senseless friend again. Even though she really partially agreed with Jazz, she bit her lower lip before replying, "I agree with you that Danny needs to rest, get some food and maybe even take some medicine. But most of all, he need to be safe!"
"What do you mean, Sam?" Tucker asked, now getting more concerned when he could see the gravity on his female best friend's face.
Jazz, too, focused more on the raven-haired girl.
"Don't you get it?" Sam began in a hush, grabbing another quick glance at Skulker to make sure he was still busy before turning back to her two friends. "The moment Skulker gets Plasmius back to his home, our truce will be over and Danny will be fair game to Skulker again."
"I think you're wrong, Sam," Jazz began before her female friend firmly, yet quietly, cut her off.
"Hear me out, Jazz. Skulker is Plasmius' ally, not ours. Don't you remember how he almost wasted us at first when we tried to get him to talk to us and how hard it was to convince him to help us? And even after that, remember how we had to be careful what we said to him while we were trying to look for Danny?"
"Like you said, that was 'at first', Sam," Jazz countered. "None of us trusted the other then. But in the end, he came through for us."
"He 'came through for us' because of Plasmius, not because of Danny or any of us," Sam insisted. "Somehow, he needed us or else I don't think he would have been so 'cooperative'—if you want to call it that."
"But…He was beginning to grow on me," Jazz sadly added. "In fact, I don't even want to call him 'Ghost X' anymore."
Tucker and Sam smiled weakly at her comment before Tucker spoke up. "Hey, I understand how you feel, Jazz. I was sorta beginning to like him, too, since we all got to see a side of Skulker that we never saw before. And it would be great to have him as an ally. But honestly, Jazz, I have to agree with Sam on this one. After all, we have a history with him. And even though I think we all got the feeling that Skulker keeps his word, I also think he was keeping his word all this while for Plasmius' sake… And once Plasmius is completely safe, that would be the end of it."
"But what if Danny needs that medicine like Skulker said?" Jazz persisted.
Sam and Tucker paused. That was a good point.
But Sam replied with determination, "Since when did Skulker become a doctor? And how do we know whether Danny needs any kind of medicine? Maybe that's the way Skulker wants to lure Danny into another trap—his! Oh, and let's not forget that Vlad's Danny's arch-enemy. How do we know Vlad would even want to help Danny now that he's not forced to get along?"
The trio fell into silence again, uncertain on what to do now.
Just then, however, Danny groaned and started to stir.
The threesome immediately hurried to and then knelt next to him.
Jazz gently grabbed one of her brother's hands and quietly asked, "Danny? It's me, Jazz. How are you feeling?"
Danny struggled to open his eyes. But even when he finally did, he was having a hard time focusing on the three teens around him. He finally managed to say, "Terrible." But his word was slurred.
Tucker frowned but nevertheless kept his voice low enough for Skulker not to hear, "Dude, Skulker wants to take us all to Vlad's place to get you some medicine."
"No!" Danny definitely said, his voice a bit stronger. "I want to go home, guys. All I need is some more rest and some food, and I want to do that at home."
The young hybrid now understood the saying, 'there's no place like home'. He was so homesick that he just wanted to be in his bed, in his house, where things were familiar again and he felt safe…
Team Phantom briefly glanced at each other. They were partially relieved that Danny had made the decision for them after all.
Still, Jazz replied, "Are you sure, little brother? You still don't look like you feel well."
"Yeah, I'm sure, Jazz. Please," he replied, feeling light-headed once more.
"But what if…?" Jazz began, only to see that her brother had drifted out of consciousness again.
The alert teens looked at each other again before Sam quietly but firmly said, "We all heard him. We have to get Skulker to take us to your house, Jazz."
Jazz bit her lower lip, glancing between her brother and her two friends. She finally said, "Okay, guys, we'll go home."
At least Sam breathed a sigh of relief even as she unconsciously reached for Danny's other hand and squeezed it a little.
But just then, Skulker loudly cleared his throat. Sam quickly pulled her hand away from Danny's and looked up at the ghost.
"I know where we are, whelps, and Plasmius should be well enough to travel now that his wound has stopped bleeding. I have also made some makeshift stretchers to carry him and the Ghost Boy in our next leg of travel. And we will be heading to Plasmius' home in Amity Park since the supplies he will need are there. I suggest we go," the Ghost Hunter said almost casually.
Although all three teens were relieved with the news that they were going to Amity after all, Sam immediately got up from Danny's side and stepped forward, along with her friends.
"All right, Skulker, we agree, but…" Sam began, only for her to stop when she felt someone grab and gently squeeze her upper arm. She turned and looked at Jazz. The Goth girl knew from Jazz's face as well as from her gentle nudge that the older teen wanted Sam to let her handled this. Sam frowned slightly but then silently nodded in agreement.
Skulker, meanwhile, hitched one of his eyebrows up in surprise and slight suspicion at the pair's silent exchange before he asked, "But what?"
"Skulker," Jazz gently began, "We just wanted you to know how much we appreciated your helping us all this time, and…"
The cyborg ghost suddenly interrupted her, "No appreciation is needed. And what does this have to do with leaving?"
"Nothing, really, but we wanted to let you know that. But, we also would like to ask you for another favor," Jazz continued, carefully choosing her words and keeping her tone as steady as possible.
Skulker raised one of his eyebrows in even more suspicion this time as he tersely replied, "Which is….?"
"If it's not too much trouble," she began, "would you mind just dropping us all off at Danny's and my house? We, uhm, were talking about it and think that Danny will be alright as long as he just gets some more rest and some food. He even told us that himself a few minutes ago when he woke up for a moment. Not that we don't appreciate your offer to get Danny some medicine, you know." She ended with a weak, yet encouraging, smile.
Skulker studied her and the other two human teens' faces for a moment. He also could smell their apprehension….and something else. He frowned as he thought a moment about it. He really had given his word that he would get the Ghost Boy some medicine. Still, the way they smelled was undeniable and he then realized that he really couldn't blame them for not trusting him now. Maybe he should feel the same way—only, he didn't really want to feel like he should…
Still, the ghost said, "Your home is on the way. Very well, then. I will bring you there. And it is time to go."
This time, the threesome relaxed and quickly helped Skulker place Danny and Vlad on those makeshift stretchers that the Ghost Hunter had made. They readied themselves, including keeping hold of the remaining Observant weapons.
And then they were on their way; though all along the way to Amity Park, the foursome did not exchange any words.
The three teens then tensed a bit when they could see the outskirts of Amity Park. They were almost home! And finally, they could see the tacky roof of Fenton Works. In no time, Skulker had phased through the roof until he reached Danny's room. And then he left the three teens standing on the floor right after he had deposited Danny on his bed.
"Thank you again, Skulker," Jazz sincerely said.
"Yeah, dude," Tucker added with a weak, though honest, smile.
Sam just nodded, even though Skulker could tell that it, too, was a genuine gesture of thanks on her part.
Skulker eyed them all a moment before he turned away from them without a word; turned himself and Vlad, who was still secure on his makeshift stretcher, intangible; and then carefully soared upward and out of Fenton Works, heading towards his employer's home here in this town just twenty minutes away.
Once they were sure that Skulker was gone, Jazz sadly said, "We should have trusted him."
"Maybe. But his loyalty is to Plasmius first," Sam firmly reiterated.
Jazz and Tucker looked at their friend. Even though deep down they knew she was right, they were still a bit saddened with the loss of what could have been a wonderful friendship with Skulker.
Sam bit the inside of her lower lip before suddenly walking toward the nearby window so that they could not see her face fall in regret as well. Even though she knew she was right, she somehow gotten vibes from what her two friends had felt and really agreed. It would have been a plus to have some kind of alliance with such a brave, honorable and loyal ghost as Skulker…
It was about ten in the morning the next day when Vlad finally regained consciousness. But when waking up also included realizing that he was in pain, he began to prefer being back in the dream world, where he could easily ignore his aching body and embrace that dream that he was back home, sleeping on his bed that cost ridiculously enough to really be made of clouds…
However, when his mind and body began to realize that he was indeed laying on something as soft, he forced his eyes open with a gasp of alarm. He quickly sat up, only to regret it and hiss as he gripped his chest when a biting pain shot through his muscles there. He lowered his blurry gaze and his eyebrows creased with uncertainty as he stared at his unclothed chest which was wrapped in white gauze.
He slowly looked up and stared around at what first were foreign surroundings. But then, they grew familiar once his blurry vision became more focused. He was… in his room—in his mansion in Amity Park.
But… he couldn't believe it. Hadn't he been trapped in some jail cell under the Observants orders with a demented illusionist spirit as his warden?
So… How was he home?
Unless…..Had that all been a horrible nightmare?
But a deeper pain, suddenly throbbing from inside his chest quickly made him realize that that hadn't been any nightmare. It had been real. And his… painful dormant core was solid proof.
Then, did that mean he was trapped in an illusion again? Was Iluzisto messing with him?
Vlad narrowed his eyes a bit, his body tensing as he continued to look around with a still murky mind, though it was still alert enough for him to be suspicious.
Suddenly, his door opened and he almost jumped out of his bed. But when he saw his closest ally walk in, the man froze again.
Skulker frowned at the wary look on his employer's face; but deciding to break the sudden silence, the hunter cleared his throat and said, "I was beginning to wonder if you would ever wake… Are you alright?" he added, a bit troubled by his employer's odd behavior.
Vlad stared at the hunter for another moment before swallowing against his dry throat and then at last speaking up; but the only thing he could think of saying was, "I'm… home."
Skulker raised an eyebrow. "Yes…I brought you to your Amity Park abode."
"But I was…," Vlad began again, but then suddenly, covered his face with his hands and groaned. He just took in even breaths for a moment as he willed his mind to fully clear; and when it finally did, his memories also returned to fully clarity.
Vlad quickly lowered his hands and stared back at Skulker, just as abruptly asking, "Daniel?"
Skulker searched his employer's face for a second, unsure if he was truly seeing worry in the man's expression. Since when did Plasmius care about the whelp? But then again, he had to remember that his employer had been locked up with the Ghost Boy for some days now; so perhaps, something grew between them while they were there…
Skulker couldn't help but suddenly remember the Ghost Boy's sister and friends and his time with them. But when he felt a strange stirring in his chest, he quickly squashed his thoughts and at last replied, "He is at his own home. The whelp's friends and sister insisted to take him to their own abode. I simply respected their wishes."
Vlad scoffed lightly, but not really at Skulker's response. He just couldn't believe they had escaped. When they had been trapped in that hallway, he had been certain they were all done for, even before he got knocked out. Their escape was so unbelievable that part of him was still warning him that this might be just another illusion.
Vlad's eyebrows creased as he inspected his wrapped chest before he glanced back at the hunter and asked, "How did you do it? How did you and those children manage to break into that fortress, find us, and get us all out alive?"
A smirk slowly curled on Skulker's lips as he crossed his arms and leaned on the door's frame. "I am the Ghost Zone's Greatest Hunter. And the whelp's helpers are a headstrong and determined bunch. It was hardly an effort."
Vlad's own lips curved upward as he realized that this couldn't possibly be an illusion—no one could replicate his ally's egotism and quirks.
The billionaire shook his head a bit before lightly chuckling. "Ah, yes…How could I forget…? How fortunate, then, are Daniel and I…"
Skulker frowned a bit this time as he asked, confused, "For escaping?"
Vlad shook his head. "No… We're fortune to have such loyal…friends."
The hunter's eyebrows shot up. Wait. Had Plasmius just called him a…?
"Excuse me, sir, sorry to interrupt," a third voice said from the doorway, and both Skulker and Vlad looked in its direction.
"Derek?" Vlad questioned, confused. What was his butler doing here? He was sure he had sent them away to his castle in Wisconsin after Iluzisto appeared, posing enough threat for him to be concerned for his staff's safety.
"I took the liberty of calling your staff back, Plasmius," Skulker explained, guessing what the man was thinking. "I do not think you would like anything I could prepare you for nourishment, so I was certain they would do a better job with that…"
Vlad finally noticed that his butler had a roller table with him with three covered dishes on it. At that moment, the billionaire suddenly remembered how starved he was.
But there was one thing he wanted more than food right now…
"Leave it, Derek. Thank you," Vlad calmly ordered his ghostly butler before he moved to stand from the bed.
Derek left the trolley in his employer's room before he disappeared.
Meanwhile, Skulker watched as Plasmius held a hand against his chest and slowly got to his feet.
Resisting the odd urge to offer the man help, Skulker instead said, "You got a serious injury from the guard's weapon. It was a level nine weapon, after all… I wrapped up the wound; but… I am certain you will know how to treat it better."
Vlad just nodded as he moved towards his closet to get a change of clothes. He wasn't as concerned for the injury to his chest as he was concerned for his damaged core, which was probably why the injury on his chest wasn't healing as fast as it should have been…
Skulker suddenly cleared his throat and said, "Well, I will take my leave. I have repairs to make to my lair thanks to that spirit Iluzisto."
But the mention of the spirit quickly stopped Vlad dead in his tracks, and he tensed as he recalled something.
"Today was our execution…," the man whispered before he quickly looked at his closet's door length mirror and saw the bright red numbers still on his forehead. He pressed a hand against it, feeling his dread begin to swell. He had thought this brand would disappear once they were out of the Observant's realm…
He was clearly wrong.
But there was one other thing that now worried Vlad more:
They had escaped, but nothing was to say that Iluzisto and the Observants would not come after him and Daniel and try to recapture them so as to make sure their dark fate would be upon them. In fact, it was almost certain they would come for them once the Observants became aware of their escape.
Vlad focused on his core and tried to stir it, only to gasp in pain and grip his chest.
This time, Skulker took a step forward and asked with concern, "Plasmius?"
"I-I have to raise the ghost shields," Vlad breathed out. "The Observants and that wretched illusionist spirit will not allow me and Daniel to escape from their clutches this easily. I need to take precautions, at least until I can figure out how to fix my damaged core."
"Damaged core?" Skulker asked, now truly worried. "How did that happen?"
"I'll tell you at another moment," Vlad said dismissingly as he forced himself to move and head towards his room's exit. But just as he got there, another jolt of pain came from his chest, followed by a wave of weakness.
The billionaire staggered forward, and would have fallen face first if Skulker hadn't grabbed one of his arms to steady him.
Skulker studied his employer before seriously saying, "I think you should rest, Plasmius."
Vlad pulled his arm from Skulker's hold, his frustration and pride returning as he answered, "I'll be fine, Skulker! And in any case, I do not have time to rest! I need—"
"I insist," Skulker cut him off. "I will take care of the shields for you. And anything else if you will allow me. After all, I have no true hurry to return home. The repairs are not that… urgent."
It was Vlad's turn to look surprised by the hunter's remark. Was Skulker actually concerned for him?
Too stunned to argue, Vlad just nodded.
Skulker nodded back before turning and floating off to get the shields up and the rest of the ghost security. Suddenly, the hunter's determination to aid his ally was stronger than ever. Perhaps it was because deep down he knew he wasn't just helping his ally anymore, but… a friend. The idea was foreign to him, but he did not want to think about it at the moment. All Skulker knew was that he had a new task to fulfill.
Besides, Plasmius was too weak to protect himself from any possible attempts of an attack from the Observants. It was only honorable of the hunter to stay with his employer and protect him until he could do it himself…
Meanwhile, Vlad stared after Skulker. He would have thanked the hunter if he wasn't so surprised by his… care. But then again, 'thank you' would never express how grateful the billionaire truly was for all Skulker had just done and was doing for him…
Vlad smiled a bit as he muttered to himself, "Perhaps I should have mentioned how fitting that new suit looks on him…"
With a huff of amusement, the man turned and returned to his closet. He picked out something comfortable before heading into his bathroom.
He paused as he looked at his grand Jacuzzi.
"At last…," he said with an exhale. He had been dying for a real bath—and for once, he planned on taking his time…
After his bath— during which the man had been careful to keep his bandages dry—Vlad had sat down to eat his breakfast in his room. He usually preferred the dining room, but he was too tired and hungry to tread the distance. The billionaire always knew his cook was an excellent chef, but the food he had prepared him today was twice as good to his taste buds after eating gray glowing mush these past days and starving most of the time in that horrible jail.
It was amazing how a bath and proper nourishment could lift someone's energy and spirit. Vlad wanted to go back to bed and just sleep for the rest of the day; but he was aware that he still had very pressing matters to which to attend.
One, he needed to call the mayoral office and let everyone know he was back and was alright.
Also…, as he thought of his own problems, he couldn't help but remember Daniel—and his friends and sister, too, he supposed.
Daniel and he had been missing for days, and Vlad had to wonder how Danny planned on covering that up. And he was almost certain that the boy's 'helpers', as Skulker called them, had not been to school or to their house in those days, either…
Vlad really shouldn't care, but…
The man sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose before he headed into his office. He went over to his desk chair and turned on his computer before reaching a little further to the left and picking up a control.
He turned on the small flat television mounted on the wall in front of him and switched it to the local news…
Vlad frowned when he realized that there was an actual TV crew just outside his mansion, talking about his disappearance…
Well, that wasn't good. But at least the news did not seem aware yet of Daniel and his friends and sister's absences… If they knew, that would make matters worse.
Vlad could not have anyone making any assumptions, or worse, connections with his disappearance and Daniel's…, especially if the Guys-in-White were now snooping around and suspecting 'something ghostly' was involved in all this…
No, he had to do something now before things got worse…
Vlad turned his gaze from the TV after a few more minutes before he focused on his computer and pulled up his phone directory.
With a sigh and a hand pressed against his chest, Vlad picked up his phone, muttering to himself, "I suppose it falls on me to do damage control, then…"
It was now almost noon over at Fenton Works, and all that while, Danny slept with Sam and Tucker keeping watch over him.
None of the kids was aware that at this same moment, the Observants had been impatiently waiting for Iluzisto and the hybrids' arrival to carry out their execution. The Observants had yet to know that the ones who would end up being doomed were them…
Meanwhile, the two best friends had been also quietly discussing what was going to happen next.
Now that they were a bit relieved to get Danny home, Sam and Tucker had time to be worried about something else: their parents. They had been able to convince them before they left for the Ghost Zone to find Skulker that they had a huge project at school and that they would be spending a few days at Danny's to finish it up. Of course, it took some extra convincing on Sam's part, but with Jazz to back up their story to their folks, her parents and Tucker's parents had agreed. Furthermore, Sam and Tucker had been sure to check in with them by phone during breaks from Skulker and their investigating Danny's whereabouts at Vlad's mansion. Not only that, they had also covered their bases at school, too, so that the office wouldn't be calling their parents about any absences. They were pleasantly surprised that Tucker was able to program his PDA to mimic each of their—and even Jazz's—parents' voices when they called in with the story that they all had the flu. Still, they hadn't expected to be this overdue with going home and with school, especially when they had not been able to call their parents anymore while they had been on their rescue mission. So, although their parents were aware that they would be absent, Sam and Tucker were sure their parents had to be at the very least displeased by their lack of calls in the last few days…
But in the end, they agreed that they just didn't have time to worry much more about it until Danny was well enough for all of them to figure a way out of this mess. After all, they both also agreed that they didn't think they were completely through with the Observants just because they had escaped. Sure, they were momentarily protected since Tucker had made sure that the ghost shield around Fenton Works was activated and they still had their Observant weapons, which they kept ready in a corner of Danny's room—just in case. But until Iluzisto was out of the picture, they felt that they were still not out of the stew. And that was why they needed Danny to get well. They all had to figure out what their next step would be.
In the meantime, Jazz was busy cleaning up after their meal which she had fixed and brought to everyone upstairs. Tucker had been especially grateful for the food and they all had quietly eaten their meals by Danny's side. Jazz was also worried about their long absence, but not as much as her friends. Sam and Tucker had already told her about the story they gave to the school and she thought it would fly.
As for Jazz and Danny, luckily their parents had called a couple of days ago and left a message on their answering machine to let Danny and her know that they were going to attend the several day-long workshops that had not been in the original brochure but had been announced during their regular event. They said they would not be returning for a few more days, which meant they wouldn't be home for another two more days. So that snag was covered on this end.
Still, Jazz was more worried about how her brother was doing than anything else. He still had not awoken even when they all tried to get him to do that to eat. And now she was beginning to think that they should have gone to Vlad's for that medicine. Nevertheless, since she didn't want to freak out about that, she kept herself busy with all this cleaning. She sighed when she had just finished. She didn't know which was worse: all the dangers she, her friends and Danny had faced in the Ghost Zone and the Realm Beyond Time—or cold, hard reality!
But before she could mull that over any more, she heard her name being called.
"Jazz! Come here!" Tucker yelled from on top of the stairs.
Jazz hurried up the stairs and met the boy half-way up.
"Danny's awake and he wants something to eat!" Tucker excitedly informed her.
"There's a plate for him in the refrigerator. And I also made some extra sandwiches," Jazz replied, also now both excited and relieved.
"I'll go and get it, okay?" Tucker offered, passing her and flying down the stairs so quickly that the older girl didn't even have time to respond.
Jazz hurried the rest of her way to her brother's room.
Sam was already by Danny's side, helping him to sit up and propping pillows behind him by the time Jazz had come in.
"Danny!" Jazz said with relief in her voice. "Welcome back!"
He smiled weakly but didn't say anything even when Jazz came up and gave him a brief hug.
In no time, Tucker arrived with four large sandwiches, chips and a large glass of juice.
"Thanks, Tuck!" Danny said hoarsely as he grabbed one of the sandwiches and began to slowly and carefully eat.
Tucker, meanwhile, took one of the extra sandwiches that Jazz had made and started to eat that one as the girls silently looked on.
Finally, Danny was through and he said, "I'm already feeling better. Thanks, guys. Those had to be the best sandwiches I've ever had! …But, uh, how did I get here?"
"Skulker brought us here after you told us you wanted to go home, remember?" Sam replied.
Danny frowned in thought before he said, "No, I don't remember that. The last thing I remember was being in some kind of cave and eating a few bites of one of Tucker's granola bars. But, I'm glad I did end up here because I really needed the rest." He chuckled slightly as he added, "In fact, I almost feel like I've been bumming on some kind of tropical island!"
Tucker grinned slightly, now that he was more relieved and he pointed out, "Well, up to now, you had been asleep or something for over fourteen hours, considering we returned late last night and it's already noon now."
"I have?" Danny said with a slight gasp before he chuckled slightly once more, "Man, that's way more than I get on a regular 'after-ghost-fighting' night."
This time, Sam smiled weakly in relief, but she was still worried about her friend since he was still a little pale.
But Jazz was also frowning in concern and said, "Are you sure you're all right, little brother? Skulker did say that you needed some kind of medicine."
Danny paused in thought. He thought he felt okay. Sure, he still had a slightly nagging pain where his central core was, but he didn't think it was all that bad; and since he had been in ghost form when Iluzisto had run him through with the needle part of his weapon, the teen had no serious physical injuries in his human form from it, either. So, he shrugged it off and replied, "Well, I don't feel like I need anything. And you know that I heal pretty quickly."
This time, his sister and friends smiled a bit more now that Danny was sounding stronger and more like himself.
Danny noticed the worry fall off of their faces and he said, "Okay, now that's settled, I want to know everything that happened to you guys and how you knew how and where to look for me, how you even got into the Realm Beyond Time and then into the Observants' fortress—everything!"
"And we want to know everything that happened to you in that putrid place, too, dude," Tucker chimed in.
Suddenly, Danny's face scrunched up with the painful memory of his being first attacked and then ending up at Vlad's….Vlad!
Right away Danny blurted out, "Vlad! How's Vlad? Is he all right?"
At first, the others jumped at his outburst.
But then, Sam frowned in irritation and said, "We don't know and honestly, I don't care. We saw enough to know that he kept you at his house at the beginning of this whole mess. And I don't think it was because he was being hospitable."
Danny winced a bit at the bitterness in his friend's voice. But, of course, she was right. Still, he replied, "Yeah, even though you're right about that, Sam; in the end, Iluzisto wanted and captured both of us. And I really wouldn't have been able to hold out at all against Iluzisto or escape without Vlad. So, I hope he's all right."
His sister and friends didn't say anything to that, since they had mixed emotions about that. After all, they had to admit that if Vlad hadn't been taken in the first place, they would never have gotten Skulker's help. And they didn't doubt Danny's word that he might not have been able to get through all that mess with Iluzisto without some help—even if it had to be with Vlad's help. Not only that, they also had to admit that they barely survived getting attacked themselves by Iluzisto at Skulker's Island, or getting through all those obstacles in the Ghost Zone. So, they probably wouldn't have survived without Skulker's help. So, maybe Danny had a point.
After those few minutes of silence on all of their parts, Danny finally asked, "So, where do you want to start talking about everything?"
"How about the very beginning, little brother?" Jazz gently said with a slight smile. "So, that would mean that you would go first, of course."
Danny nodded and as soon as Team Phantom had sat down, he began to tell them the beginning of his story.
And as they listened to the young hybrid, their eyes unconsciously widened at all of the emotions twisting inside of them as Danny's harrowing experience unfolded.
But it was probably even harder for Danny to relive everything. In fact, at times he would hesitate to tell them certain things—things that his friends and sister could tell had been hard for their half-ghost friend. And some things had been so hard that Danny just wouldn't go into detail, but he still told them.
Finally, after an hour or so, it was Jazz, Sam and Tucker's turn to pick up where Danny left off. And now Danny in turn felt a whirlwind of different emotions as well when he heard how much the three went through for him….
"...So, after getting past that shield, thanks to the Infi-Map, we made it to the Realm Beyond Time," Jazz finished, having been 'assigned' to tell this part of their story .
Danny's eyebrows heightened. "I don't know what to be more surprised about: That the Infi-Map could carry you all; or, that crazy timeless barrier that 'attacked' you."
"Yeah, but the crazy starts after we got past that shield," Sam began, only to be interrupted when something unexpected happened.
Danny suddenly gasped in severe pain and clutched at his chest and his forehead.
His companions startled right away after noticing his reaction, and gasped at something even more alarming…
"What's wrong, Danny?" Jazz blurted out.
"I-I don't know," He breathed out, closing his eyes. His forehead and core were burning!
It took a few minutes, but the pain subdued and he opened his eyes again. Lowering his hand from his head, though he kept a hand on his throbbing chest, he regarded his sister and friends, who had moved closer and were staring at him with apprehension again.
"That... That was weird," Danny muttered, looking both perplexed and concerned himself. "I was feeling great one moment and then I felt all this pain and weakness without any warning. But now that I think of it, I'm still hungry." His frown deepened as he added, "Maybe all I need is something to eat..."
"But that doesn't explain that!" Sam said, pointing to her friend's forehead.
"What?" Danny asked his eyes widening when he saw Sam's reaction, and finally realized that his friends and sister also looked alarmed by something.
"D-Dude," Tucker began. "That red number on your forehead is glowing!"
Danny jumped up out of bed and ran over to the mirror over his bureau. He gulped when he saw the red '485' that Okulo had embedded into his forehead was indeed glowing…..But then, just like that, it stopped!
Even though Danny didn't feel that that was good news, he calmed a bit and remarked, "Well, it stopped glowing. Maybe now that we're here in the Real World, it will do crazy things. Not that it's not crazy enough that I still have it, thanks to that putrid Observant Okulo I told you about."
The other three teens frowned in sympathy with him, though none of them knew what to say about it. It didn't matter to them that Danny had to carry that reminder of all his horrible experiences in the Realm Beyond Time; but they still felt sorry for him that he did.
"Let me get you something else to eat, dude," Tucker finally said. "Maybe that'll make you feel better after all." He then smiled sheepishly and added, "Besides, I'm still a little hungry myself."
But little did any of the group know was that the reason Danny had reacted in pain and weakness and the brand had been glowing all of a sudden was because at that moment, the Observants had just finished completing their Ceremonio de Ekzekuto, which activated their spell with Timeless Magic…
Tucker was back a very short time later and then Danny felt a little better after eating more.
Once everyone was satisfied that Danny's being hungry must have been what was mostly bothering him, they resumed their conversation about everything that had happened to them; but like a lot of conversations, the group didn't go in perfect order of the events they were relaying since they were all asking each other questions and going on tangents at times. They would, of course, get back to where they had left off, but they still skipped bits and pieces of the entire story.
So, somehow they had skipped those very pieces and were now talking about when Team Phantom and Skulker had ended up in Iluzisto's room.
Sam and Jazz were giving Danny the details when Tucker suddenly blurted out, "That's right!"
He smiled sheepishly when the others had jumped at his outburst before adding, "Sorry, guys! But I just remembered something! I want to tell you about those three 'Real World' items I found in the drawer of that jerk's bedside table."
The others waited for him to continue; but before he did, Danny said, "One of Sam's bracelets and Jazz's headbands, and a piece of your shirt, Tucker…"
"Yeah! How did you know?" Tucker asked, amazed.
Danny swallowed a lump down and replied, "Because that was how Iluzisto—or I should call him Ilu-sicko—convinced me that he had…killed…you guys. I knew he went after you after…."
He stopped a moment, his heart burning with a mixture of sorrow and hate at the memory of…Clockwork telling Iluzisto the way that the spirit could mentally break him. Still, he swallowed down another lump and continued, "Like I was saying, I knew he was going to try to kill you after Clockwork told him where to find you."
"Clockwork?" all three of his companions blurted out, stunned. They couldn't believe what Danny just said…Somehow, that couldn't be right. They were sure that Clockwork had… But their thoughts were interrupted when Danny continued to speak, and since they knew he was still very upset about this, they wanted to listen to him first.
"Iluzisto was gone for a while but when he later returned, he showed me those things and they were all still….bloody —and wet. And since I almost lost my mind after all that torture he put me through before, I had no problem believing him when he said he had killed you. Especially when he had created the mother of all illusions and I saw and… could actually feel your cold bodies. I didn't know how he was able to do that—make it all seem so real and yet still be an illusion, that is—but he could."
The three others shuddered at the thought, especially when they remembered losing those items—with some pain.
But then, Danny suddenly gasped, feeling more intense pain and weakness all of the sudden.
His friends frowned with more worry and alarm as they rushed over to Danny.
"Are you okay, dude?" Tucker anxiously asked.
"I-I don't know," his friend replied, grasping his chest again. "Can we please just stop talking for a while?"
Jazz, Sam, and Tucker nodded and sat back down.
All four were silent for several minutes.
But all that while, Jazz and her friends bit their lower lips in worry when they could see by the way Danny was breathing that he was in pain.
"Danny, are you…?" Jazz began, only to be rudely cut off by her brother…
"I already said I don't know, Jazz! Just let me rest a bit more, will ya?" he barely panted out.
The truth was he was probably more worried than his friends, because deep down, he knew at least partly what was wrong. His core. Vlad had warned him, and now Danny was almost certain that Iluzisto had at last seriously—if not permanently—damaged his ghost core. The teen had hoped all this rest would have helped it recover, but... he was just getting worse now. And... Vlad wasn't even around to ask him what to do about it...
"But I just—" Jazz added, hurt by his response, only to turn to the gentle pressure on her arm.
"Maybe we need to let him get more rest, Jazz," Sam gently whispered, squeezing Jazz's arm just a bit more to show her support. "You know it's not like him to be this harsh. Maybe he's more tired than we all thought."
But neither Sam or Danny were totally right.
With the collar off, Danny had been recuperating rather well physically up to then because of the dynamic nature of his central core. But now, there were still those other reasons why Danny was actually weakening. The main reason was that the Observants' curse was now working its mischief on him, countering his already damaged central core's ability to heal properly. Still, if it could be considered 'lucky', the spell worked more slowly on half-ghosts, so its… deadly effects would not be as obvious—at first. But even then, it didn't help that the mental wounds of all his experiences from this whole affair were being picked open over and over again during all that time he had brought it all up with his friends and sister before this latest painful bout.
Still, even when recalling his disturbing experience had continued to cause him mental pain, it had helped Danny a little to talk to his closest companions about it. True, this terrible experience would always remain with him, but he knew he was strong enough to move on from it. And with his loved ones at his side, he was further sure he would be alright.
Nevertheless, with the spell's activation and with everything still so fresh in his mind, he was fatiguing more quickly—and now having more pain—in the last few minutes, and it wasn't letting up. And even though he was trying to stay alert, he was not doing a good job of it.
Jazz, Sam and Tucker shared a glance with each other at how Danny was acting. They knew that he was struggling to keep his eyes open, even when he hadn't noticed that or that he was quickly losing his train of thought. That was enough for Team Phantom. They weren't going to try to talk about anything else with him right now or try to keep him awake since it looked like it was becoming harder and harder for him to do that anyways.
But Team Phantom all knew how stubborn their half-ghost friend was—even when he was cranky. Underneath, they all agreed after all he went through, they could give him a lot of slack. So, they took it upon themselves to 'trick' Danny into getting more rest.
With a yawn, Jazz gently said, "Man, who thought retelling everything to each other could be so exhausting? Um, Danny? Would you mind if we left you alone now and got a bit of sleep ourselves…? We haven't been able to do that much yet…"
Danny, who had still been a bit out of it, jolted a little and creased his eyebrows at his sister, trying to comprehend what she was saying to him. It was so weird. He had woken up, feeling so much better and growing stronger the more he talked to his sister and friends; but then, suddenly, he was feeling sluggish again and just… weak.
"Danny?" Sam hesitantly asked when her friend didn't respond. She was willing to risk any verbal barb if it assured her that he was alright.
"Oh, uh… yeah. Whatever. I'll be fine," Danny quickly said, though he wasn't sure what he had just agreed to.
Jazz, Sam, and Tucker seemed reluctant to go now, but they knew Danny would not totally rest until they left.
"Well, we'll be close by if you need us, okay, Danny?" Sam said with a sad smile, while Jazz and Tucker nodded.
"Sorry, guys," Danny said, finally comprehending that he had been rude. "It's just that…"
"Hey, it's okay, dude," Tucker said, quietly interrupting his friend. "We get it. Besides, we're pretty beat ourselves."
Danny smiled back and settled back on his bed. "Yeah, okay. Thanks, guys…"
He barely watched them go before he closed his eyes with a sigh. He was so tired, but still so happy to be home. In the back of his mind, he knew this mess was far from being cleaned up, but... it felt nice to have the chance to just… take a breath of relief….
"So, that weapon Iluzisto has truly has the ability to penetrate a ghost's core and siphon off its energy?" Skulker asked, clearly disturbed.
"He doesn't particularly need his weapon to steal other's energies, but, yes... it can do that," Vlad muttered as he stood in front of a bench in his private lab, mixing a few glowing substances.
Skulker picked up one of the glowing test tubes, lighting up his hand with blue energy before infusing the test tube with the stabilizing ectoplasm. He watched with some fascination as the bright glow in the substance dimmed a bit once it had been bathed within the calmer energy in his hand. However, just as he then gave the evenly-glowing tube to Vlad, he asked tentatively, "And… you think this will repair your core, Plasmius? I know it's helpful for physical injuries, but a damaged core… From my experience, that's impossible to fix."
"In full ghosts, yes," Vlad replied with a tired sigh. "But… with my and the boy's unique cores, well, they naturally can repair themselves; so I hope to boost my core with enough of this purified energy and this healing substance to help my core recover enough for it to do the rest… At least, it is what I hope will happen…"
Skulker seemed unsure. It wasn't like his employer to 'test' things on himself that he wasn't completely sure would work. But it showed how desperate Plasmius was to heal his core, because they both knew that unless he could do so, the man was a sitting duck.
"Did you expand the Ghost Shield's radius like I asked?" Vlad suddenly questioned.
Skulker nodded. "Yes, I did. Amity Park is now completely protected. I just hope that this shield works on spirits, too…."
"It does," Vlad replied as he cut open a leaf from his best healing plant—'The Ives Ghost Plant'—and carefully suctioned the sticky white fluid within the thick leaf into a syringe.
"When Iluzisto first attacked Daniel and I," he continued, "I used this specific shield—impenetrable to even teleportation—and Iluzisto could not penetrate it. So, it should now buy us at least a couple hours…"
Skulker remained silent this time and just continued to watch his employer mix things. It was already past noon. And although Plasmius looked better after eating, changing, and washing up, the hunter could see and smell he was not doing as well as he was acting. For one, he suspected by the fact that the man constantly gripped his chest from pain that the wound was still not healed when it should have been by now; and his employer was very pale and his blue eyes were dimmed, too.
Skulker had also noticed the man wasn't even using his own blue energy. It was why Skulker was here helping. The healing antidote his employer was making required stabilization, and it had to be stabilized with blue energy—something his employer could easily do. Yet, he wouldn't do it now. And that only confirmed Skulker's suspicions:
Plasmius' core was so damaged that he could not even bring it out of dormancy without it causing him severe pain.
But Skulker said nothing. And instead, he just decided to help. In all the while, they had been talking here and there about what happened. But they didn't share much of 'their story' of the past few days; and instead focused mostly on speaking about Iluzisto and the Observants and trying to exchange as much information about them as they could. After all, they needed to be ready to confront their enemies.
And although Skulker knew this wasn't his fight per se and that he really had finished his obligation with Plasmius after he had rescued him, the Ghost Hunter couldn't just up and leave right now. And that was because his loyalty to his greatest ally was stirred, now replacing any sense of obligation he once had, especially when Plasmius was as hurt and weak as he was.
So, although Vlad had not asked him and Skulker had not voiced it, the hunter had vowed to himself to see this through with his employer—come what may.
Oh, and there was one other reason why Skulker was sticking around…
"Plasmius?" Skulker called to him suddenly.
Vlad blinked rapidly and looked up at his ally, asking, "What?"
Skulker resisted the urge to roll his eyes and took the vial in his employer's hand and exchanged it for the other one still on the stand on the table.
"You picked up the vial with the pure concentration. You want the diluted version for this antidote, correct?" the hunter asked.
Vlad looked down at the new vial in his hand before slowly nodding. "…Yes, thank you," he muttered before grabbing a dropper and adding a few drops of the pure Ives Ghost Plant to the diluted version of the antidote Skulker had just given him.
Skulker shook his head. Honestly, at this rate his employer was going to kill himself if he didn't watch carefully everything he was doing.
The hunter could tell the man was exhausted. In fact, Skulker had been surprised Plasmius had even come down to the lab. He had thought the man would stay in bed and rest. But… his employer had always been stubborn, especially when he had serious matters over his head… And speaking of which…
"Out of curiosity, How did you explain your disappearance to the humans and ghost hunters in white?" Skulker asked.
Vlad raised an eyebrow, the question surprising him coming from the hunter. Usually, the ghost hardly cared about things like that.
But what Vlad didn't know was that Skulker was trying to keep him focused as well, and the hunter had already discovered that talking helped the man keep alert.
Vlad sighed again before answering, "It was simple. I called the mayoral office and told them that I was indeed attacked by a strong ghost at my home here, but that I was able to get away. I further told them I will be staying at my Wisconsin home until my 'good friends the Fentons' return and can give my home a proper inspection for any ghost contaminants. I ordered them to feed the press that I am simply on vacation for the time being and that the attack on my home was nothing to worry over."
Skulker raised an eyebrow. "But what of the ghost barrier around the town? Will the humans not be concerned about it, especially after their 'leader' got attacked by a strong ghost in his own abode?"
Vlad shrugged. "I explained the Ghost Shield surrounding Amity is a standard precautionary drill. Ghost attacks occur all the time here, Skulker. Its citizens are used to seeing these sorts of shields. In fact, it makes them feel safe when they do see them; so I know no one is really worried or suspects anything out of the ordinary. I further ordered the Guys-in-White to close all investigation since I will have the Fentons take over on their return."
Skulker's eyes widened a bit in surprise. "You can do that? I mean, call off those ghost hunters in white?"
Vlad smirked for the first time in a while. "Of course. Who do you think pays for their funding? The government hardly gives them enough to justify all their latest upgrades lately. Yes, those fools are wrapped around my finger, Skulker. They do as I say. And right now, I do not need their noses in this mess. At least for as long as I can help it, because if Iluzisto returns and he is spotted by these ghost hunters, then not even I will be able to stop them from interfering and then people will be concerned and even panic. That is why I asked you to expand the shield's radius to cover all the town. I need to keep Iluzisto and those Observants out of Amity Park for as long as possible…"
"Well, that covers almost all possible entrances into this town. And I know you have locked down your portal here, but… there is one other portal that could be used as an entryway, Plasmius…," Skulker said seriously.
Vlad frowned, knowing what portal his ally meant. "Yes… and I will have to deal with that as soon as I get my core repaired… Until then, I need this town oblivious to the impending threat of these spirits. And with 'Mayor Masters' away, it means Plasmius has free rein to do what needs to be done… I also took a few more precautions and tied some loose ends before they could become a problem. So, for now, everything is in order…Except for this…," Vlad added, lifting up the vial in his hand and inspecting it…
"Does it need more blue energy?" Skulker questioned.
Vlad slowly shook his head. "No… it needs stability, but not too much that its effects are not strong enough for its intended purposes. I suppose I should run some tests on this before I…"
But whatever the older hybrid was going to say was cut off when he suddenly felt a sharp pain against his forehead and he hissed as he gripped his head with his free hand.
"Plasmius!" Skulker exclaimed when the man staggered backwards.
The hunter moved forward and grabbed the vial from the man's hand, just as he collapsed on the ground. Skulker would have grabbed his employer first, but he was sure Plasmius preferred him to save the antidote than to keep him from a small fall.
Nevertheless, Skulker quickly put the vial back on the stand and quickly squatted in front of his employer. But the hunter readily gasped at what he saw.
"Plasmius! Those red numbers on your forehead are burning brighter!" Skulker exclaimed. Although it had been an awkward conversation, the hunter had previously asked his employer about the numbers; so Skulker already knew that the Observants had branded them on his employer. But not only had the numbers not gone away after they had left the Realm Beyond Time, but now they were glowing brightly and were causing his employer pain!
Vlad didn't have to see that his ally was right; he could feel the numbers pulsing and burning painfully on his head. But just when he thought the pain would last forever, it began to fade, just as the bright glow also faded again.
"What was that?" Skulker blurted out.
Vlad closed his eyes, this time gripping his chest as he whispered, "I don't know… but…"
Skulker's eyes widened when he saw a red stain slowly growing larger on his employer's white button-up shirt…
"Plasmius…, your wound is bleeding again…," Skulker said seriously, pointing down at the man's chest.
Vlad looked down, and when he saw the stain, he cursed. He must have aggravated the wound with his fall. But it should have been healed by now!
And instead, he felt weaker. He had been feeling a lot better after eating and bathing and his long rest last night, but… it was like he was suddenly back to square one!
And what bothered him more was his core. Even when it was dormant, it was still hurting. And with the strange glow from the brand on his head, his core was throbbing even more painfully.
He couldn't stand this anymore…
"Skulker, help me," Vlad quietly ordered.
The hunter was a bit surprised by that request, but still helped the man to his feet. Vlad moved over to the work bench with Skulker's help and grabbed the vial, while supporting his weight on the table with his free hand.
With a weak exhale, Vlad then ordered, "I-In the left cabinet at the end where I keep my medical supplies, there are some syringes and needles. Could you bring me one of each, please?"
Skulker frowned, but still went to get those things. However, when he came back and handed the items to his employer and further saw what Plasmius was doing, the hunter could not keep quiet anymore and fearfully questioned, "Plasmius, you are not planning on injecting that into yourself, are you? You have not properly tested it!"
"I've used these substances before, Skulker," Vlad muttered as he filled the syringe with a specific amount of the antidote he had just made.
"Yes, but not in that large dosage or in that concentration! At least test it on a sample of your ghost blood, first!" Skulker replied, his voice louder than necessary with his growing dread.
"I can't, Skulker!" Vlad suddenly snapped. "I cannot morph! My core is so damaged I cannot even change, so how am I going to acquire a sample of my ghost blood? This will work, alright? It… It has to…" Vlad added more quietly.
Skulker stared unsurely at the glowing syringe as his employer added the needle.
"Well, at least lay down before doing this, Plasmius…," Skulker muttered seriously. But when he got a strange look from his employer, he added, "I mean, in case it's too strong. You would not want to aggravate your wound even more, correct?"
Vlad stared at his ally for a moment, but then nodded. "Yes, I suppose you are right..."
But when Plasmius still didn't move from where he was supporting himself on the bench, Skulker realized why and muttered, "Then, let's go…"
Vlad wasn't someone that liked showing weakness to others, especially those that he was supposed to be superior to. And yet, as Skulker allowed him to support his weight on him as they returned back to his room, Vlad didn't feel as awkward or as 'weak' as he had expected. Actually, it was nice to have someone helping him for once…
Much like Daniel had…
They eventually made it to the older hybrid's room and after changing his shirt and bandaging the wound on his chest once more, Vlad finally got into bed. He could barely keep his eyes open by now and even with his mind as murky as it was once more, it troubled him how fast he was suddenly declining again.
He was so out of it that Skulker had had no choice but to be the one to administer the 'antidote'. From their previous conversation, Skulker knew that this would only be dose one of three—if this worked, that is. His employer had made the antidote to be injected in three doses because of how strong it was.
"Just be aware I have never done this before," Skulker muttered to his employer nervously.
Vlad smiled weakly at him and teased, "W-What? Is the Ghost Zone's Greatest Hunter afraid of pinching someone with a needle?"
"No, I'm just questioning both our sanities at the moment—you for wanting to go through with this, and me for helping you go through with this," Skulker replied seriously before sighing and injecting the serum into the man's shoulder.
The result was instant: a green hue lit up the man's body and he clenched his teeth as he felt the ghostly antidote course through his veins and travel all the way to his core. The painful numbing sensation was not surprising to the older hybrid, since he knew it was the effect of the Ives Ghost Plant; but it was still horribly uncomfortable.
By the time it was over, the man's face was perspiring in a cold sweat and he looked even paler.
"Are you alright?" Skulker asked tentatively, though he was as tense as ever, since for a moment, he had thought he had killed his employer…
"Well, it's… strong," Vlad panted out, but he added with a small smile, "but it has helped the pain in my chest. I-I think this might just work…"
"I guess we won't know until you take the other two doses…," Skulker muttered.
Vlad just nodded, feeling his body now begging him to rest. And seeing that, the hunter sighed and said, "I will go clean up the lab and keep a look out while you rest…"
The older hybrid didn't reply this time, so Skulker just turned and floated out; but just as he was about to leave, his employer stopped him…
"Skulker?" he called quietly.
"Yes?" the hunter replied, turning slightly towards Plasmius.
"…The suit looks good…Very fitting...," Vlad complimented above a whisper; in spite of his tiredness, there was a slightly amused warmth blanketing his voice…
Skulker's lips curled up. "Thanks… I like it, too," he replied before he turned and finally left his employer to rest and enjoy this small breath of relaxation…
Skulker knew that Plasmius—and even the whelp—needed it.
Truephan here: Hope you enjoyed this chapter even if it wasn't full of action. *pouts*. Darn! But, heh, we can't expect action out of a pair of curse-laden, central core-injured hybrids, now can we? We do have to give them some time to rest or they would be instant toast—and you know how Danny hates toast! *permission to groan*. Hey, I had to throw some humor in here since this chapter was just taking two breaths here! Hahaha! I'll shut up now! Please share your thoughts with us. And since FF does not Twitter, you'll just have to push that blue button below and twitter us there! OK, NOW I'll shut up! Thanks for all your support! *Ms. Hyde gags truephan*
Pearl: Heh-heh! Someone is pun-happy today! But you know what they say, 'one or two puns a day keeps the boring doctor away'…. *gets slapped by Vlad muse* Ouch! Okay, geez! Sorry, being 'pun-happy' is contagious!
Vlad muse: The only thing contagious here is your abnormality.
Pearl: Ha! Vlad muse is making puns now, too! Ha-ha! *avoids ecto-blast* Okay, I'll stop! Un, time to get serious. So, as Truephan said, thanks for your everyone's support and we await your responses and puns! Yes, today, Truphan and I declare it 'pun day'! XD
Until next time, dear readers!