Green Eyes on the Prize
byline: Anubis C. Soundwave
7. The harder they fall...
Dash plants a chaste kiss on Sam's lips as Sam wakes.
Sam blinks, then stretches. "You know," she says, "the princess is supposed to kiss the frog."
"Yeah," says Dash with a thin smile, "but you're hardly a princess, Manson. Anyway," he continues, exiting Bethea's SUV, "we'd better move before Gray mauls us both."
"You two can make cross-clique kissy-faces on your own time!" bellows Valerie. "We have work to do!"
"I was just waking 'Sleeping Goth-y'," snorts Dash. "Get over yourself, Gray."
Sam steps out of the SUV, noting a black and silver minivan alongside the Peach Creek High bus, Shane and Bethea's SUVs, and the FFAV. "Looks like we have some new arrivals," she says.
"Jazz called to check on Fenton," says Dash, "and it snowballed to that." He points at Jack, clad in a large bath towel, rubbing his cheek as Maddie scowls at him-then abruptly kisses him.
"Love hurts, I guess," quips Sam.
"It sure as hell hurt Mr. Fenton," says Dash, brushing his hand along Sam's shoulder.
Sam trembles briefly, blushing as she inches away from Dash. "You still taste like failure, by the way," she says quizzically.
"And you still taste like geek," Dash retorts, sticking out his tongue, "but I won't hold that against you."
"Let's just get the sacrifical blood in place, champ," says Sam.
Dash nods, then takes Sam's hand in his, stroking the back of her hand with his thumb. He gazes into Sam's eyes.
Sam stares at Dash.
"Don't take this the wrong way, Manson," Dash says, "but I'd like to figure out what exactly is between us. Hopefully," he continues, "it's just a wall, but...be careful anyway. I want to harass and tempt you with cheeseburgers when school starts back up." Dash releases Sam's hand and walks away; towards the Peach Creek High football team, Virgil, Maddie, and Jack.
Sam touches her chin, then briefly brushes her fingers over her lips; she shakes her head, then heads over to Bethea, Damon, Shane, Mary Jane, and Jazz...standing with Vlad.
"Why do you keep fightin' me, boy?" says Jackie, looming over the Phantom.
"Biologically, I'm a Fenton," smirks the Phantom, "so ghost-hunting is in the blood. As for my ghostly half," he continues, standing, "if I accept the logic that there aren't any coincidences, then I was born to fight assholes like you."
"My roots are set real deep here," says Jackie. "Your power won't be enough."
The Phantom stares down at the ground a moment, then unleashes a Ghostly Wail on Jackie.
Jackie trembles from the attack, then smirks. "Not a bad little yelp from you, boy," he says. "But I've got some pipes, too." Jackie fires back his own, stronger Ghostly Wail.
The Phantom collapses; he drops to his knees and clutches his ears. His power is amplified by all of the ghosts here, he seethes. Barrineau's drawing his strength from the souls of the people he enslaved.
"You see, boy?" Jackie sneers as he pulls out his whip. "I done trained them good, beyond death even." He hits the Phantom with his whip.
The Phantom stifles a cry, glaring at Jackie in defiance. "Do your worst," he spits.
"If you insist," Jackie snickers. He whips the Phantom repeatedly.
Jack, back in his orange hazmat jumpsuit, opens the gate to Barrineau Plantation. "Since you all insist on helping me," he says dourly, scowling at Damon, "let me show you what you're all up against."
The group witnesses the Phantom, writhing in pain as Jackie flogs the ghostly hero with his whip.
Dash's eyes widen. "Gimme a Fenton Thermos!" he spits at Jack, Maddie, and Jazz.
"It won't work on Jackie!" says Jack.
"Just do it!" orders Dash.
Jazz tosses Dash a Thermos.
Dash charges at Jackie, signalling the football team. "Cover me!" he demands.
One player scratches his head. "He ain't even on our team," he says.
"Dude," says Virgil, "let him call the plays."
Dash uses the Thermos on the Phantom, depriving Jackie of his victim.
Jackie glowers at Dash. "Baxter," he seethes, "you low-bred piece of nigger-loving shit."
"Whatever, dude," Dash smirks as the Peach Creek High football team forms into an offensive line in front of him. "I'll be thinking of you when I cram your scrawny little descendant into a locker."
Danny, inside the Thermos, chuckles ruefully. Somehow, he muses, I think I got pulled out of the frying pan and into the fire.
Jackie grins. "Rugby, eh?" he says. "I remember my halcyon youth in Harvard well."
"'Rugby'?" mutters a tackle.
"Something like that," says Dash, rolling his eyes as he hands the Thermos to the guard to hike.
"I was a whipping post," scoffs Danny, "and now I'm a football. I have a fucked-up life. Spider-Man never had to deal with shit like this-and he had Flash Thompson as a school nemesis."
Jackie cracks his whip, and the ghosts of the slaves of Barrineau Plantation appear as a mass, in rugby defense formation around Jackie.
The Thermos is hiked; Dash fakes a lateral pass to a running back, instead throwing a Hail Mary pass to Shane.
Jackie fumes. "That isn't proper rugby form!" he spits.
"We don't play rugby round these parts, Jackie!" sneers Shane.
"Exactly," adds Dash. "We play American-style football with a forward pass here in the land of the free and the home of the brave."
"Where everyone is free, you son of a bitch!" says Valerie, punctuating her comment with a Fenton Gauntlet-enhanced punch.
"Who gave your daughter the Gauntlets to attach to her suit?" Jack asks Damon quizzically as Shane and Bethea take the Thermos to safety.
Damon shrugs.
"I did," says Maddie.
"Are you still angry?" asks Jack sheepishly.
"Ghost-hunting is a family affair," says Maddie curtly, touching Jack's beard while glancing at Vlad in irritation.
Vlad cradles and pets a football.
Virgil notes the football. "Dude," he says, "Knute Rockne?"
"None shall touch my Knute Rockne-autographed ball!" glowers Vlad, guarding the football jealously. "Never again."
"Mom held his football hostage with a letter opener to make him drive us here from Wisconsin," explains Jazz.
"And you're shaving this as soon as we get home, hon," Maddie continues. "You look like a mountain man."
"Yes, ma'am. Though at least I'm a clean mountain man," grins Jack.
"I have to say, Jack," chuckles Damon, "that Valerie couldn't contain herself."
Shane gives Bethea the Thermos.
"Go on back and help your cousin, Shane," says Bethea.
Shane nods. "I owe Dash a lot," he says.
"He'll be sure to collect," chuckles Bethea. "He ain't that dense."
Shane snickers at this, then leaves.
After a moment, Bethea looks around to make sure she was alone, then releases Danny from the Thermos.
Danny emerges on his hands and knees, trembling in pain and humiliation as he rises to his feet. "When I heal," he spits, "I'm going to nail this bastard."
"I guess I was wrong about him hurtin' his only begotten," muses Bethea.
Danny starts to open his mouth, but Bethea touches the halfa's lips.
"Don't try to shit me, Danny Fenton," smiles Bethea. "Your hair and eyes have changed, but you got the same floofy white boy hair."
"That simply means that I'm a white kid," says Danny, resuming his Phantom persona.
"I've also got spiritual powers," says Bethea, placing hands on Danny's wounds as she speeds along Danny's healing.
"Wonder what will happen," sighs Danny as he reverts to normal, "when Valerie puts two and two together."
"Hopefully, by that time," says Bethea, "the both of you will be mature enough that Valerie can look past the outward forms, and see you for who you really are."
"I guess the first thing to do, then," says Danny, "is to put an end to the asshole taking a dump on my bloodline's good name."
Bethea nods. She and Danny head back to Barrineau Plantation, Danny changing into the Phantom.
"This is starting to look like a bad Dragon Ball Z episode," says Tucker as Valerie repeatedly punches Jackie.
Jackie seethes, then his eyes glow red. "I have never been so accosted by a nigger," he spits, "not even uppity bitches like you."
"This bitch," says Valerie, "was born to destroy you."
The slave ghosts mutter to themselves, a few of the ghosts grinning in admiration.
"Hold her down!" Jackie orders the other ghosts. "I'm fixin' to teach this gal a lesson."
Shuddering, the mass of slave ghosts reluctantly obey Jackie, taking hold of Valerie.
"Make her kneel," grins Jackie crudely as he knocks aside Dash and the football team with a wave of spectral power.
Valerie struggles to remain standing, but the slave ghosts force her to her knees.
"Girl," says Jackie coldly as he prepares his whip, "this is simply the lot of all those who are bound by-and labor under-the curse of Canaan." Jackie starts to whip Valerie...
...except Tucker takes hold of Jackie's whip hand, his eyes glowing bright green behind his glasses. Virgil, his eyes red instead of brown, grip Jackie's other hand.
"What're you boys doin'!?" demands Jackie.
"I've been waiting a mighty long time for this moment, Mr. Barrineau," says Tucker, controlled civil anger and outrage in his voice.
"Mr. Aldridge...?" whispers a slave ghost.
"He inside that boy," hisses another ghost.
"That's right," says Aldridge-Tucker. "Through him, I've got my tongue back. I can see again. And I've got my testicles again!"
Oh, he's a Foley, all right, snorts Valerie mentally. Aldridge chose the right fool to overshadow.
"You cut off a brother's nuts, Jackie," sneers Virgil. "Even for a cracker, you is straight-up fool to think we wouldn't seek revenge for that shit alone!"
Jackie struggles against the pair of Foleys. "Demetrius," he spits. "You is out of line, boy."
"No!" counters Demetrius-Virgil; he turns to the slave ghosts still holding Valerie. "What's the matter with ya'll!?" he demands. "There's only one of his big cracker ass, and about eighty or ninety of you. Just 'cause ya'll couldn't learn to read back in the day don't mean ya'll can't count!"
The slave ghosts grumble amongst themselves, some beginning to release their grip on Valerie.
Jackie snickers, then howls out a piercing Ghostly Wail, causing the slave ghosts pain and forcing Aldridge and Demetrius out of their hosts as Tucker and Virgil clutch their ears to shut out the Wail. Valerie also puts her hands over her ears.
"As you niggers only understand the fine and eloquent language of pain," says Jackie after ending the Wail, "it will be my pleasure to stand and deliver it."
"The bigger pain they are," roars the Phantom, hitting Jackie in the chest with an ecto blast, "the harder they fall!"
Jackie trembles, but remains standing. "Boy," he grins, "that might have ended me, if I had ever died...!"
The Phantom's eyes widen in shock and realization. "That fire you started...never killed you..!?" he balks.
"That's right," says Jackie as his hair turns white and his eyes turn green. "I'm just like you, in so many ways."
Vlad slips away from the crowd of onlookers.
"Let me go!" Valerie demands of the slave ghosts. "Let me fight for you."
"Ain't nobody can beat Ol' Jackie," groans a ghost.
Plasmius appears in the sky. "I can beat him," he counters. "Considering who he looks like," he continues, glancing at Jack, "it would be my immense pleasure."
"You're helping me?" wonders the Phantom.
"Just like I held your hand when we fought Pariah Dark, my boy," smirks Plasmius. He fires a red ecto blast at Jackie.
Jackie grins ghoulishly at Plasmius and the Phantom, then pulls out a pair of nine-tail whips and flogs both halfas without mercy.
A slave ghost shrieks as Plasmius and the Phantom plummet to the ground.
"I cannot die!" crows Jackie. "Ain't none of you fixin' to steal my property from me."
"Why won't you fight?" cries Valerie, sorrow in her eyes as she looks to the slave ghosts restraining her. "Or let me fight if you don't think you can."
"Gal," sneers Jackie, brandishing a nine-tail whip, "those niggers know who got the whip hand of them. Nobody escapes me," he continues, laughing maniacally as he flogs Plasmius and the Phantom again, "alive or even dead."
Maddie scowls as she takes out an ecto rifle. Jazz hands Jack an ecto launcher.
"Ready, honey?" asks Jack, grim.
"We've got work to do, hon," says Maddie.
The Fenton couple nods, then charge at Jackie.
Jackie sends out a ring of spectral fire, forcing Jack and Maddie back.
Mom! Dad! trembles Danny mentally. As the Phantom, he turns to the slave ghosts. "Listen," he says to the ghosts quietly, "as she's his descendant, you can lend Valerie Gray your strength."
"It won't work," says a ghost. "Damon done try that before."
"Seems like Jackie's too genre savvy, ghost," smirks Valerie.
"This is the most civil conversation we've ever had," grins the Phantom wryly.
"I want to kick your cute, scrawny ass for separate reasons," says Valerie. "And I will deny calling you 'cute' until my dying day."
"Hopefully we'll die of old age together," says the Phantom, winking at Valerie.
Valerie trembles, blushing slightly under the Phantom's gaze. "Don't get any crazy ideas, ghost!" she fumes. "We just have a common enemy at the moment."
"Fair enough, Miss Gray," says the Phantom.
Plasmius shakes as he nurses his wounds.
"Get going," the Phantom hisses to Plasmius. "You can barely sustain your ghost form."
"I warned you...didn't I...?" grins Plasmius ruefully.
"You forget whose son I actually am," says the Phantom, returning the grin. "You can help us more as a human than as a ghost."
"I leave this matter...to you, then..." says Plasmius as he vanishes.
Vlad, inside the makeshift shower, reverts to human form and collapses from his wounds.
Jazz notes the commotion; seeing Vlad prone on the ground, she takes out a first aid kit and bandages Vlad's wounds.
Vlad looks up at Jazz, stroking her cheek. "An angel of mercy," he sighs, "who looks so much like her mother."
"Don't start getting attracted to me," warns Jazz. "I'm young enough to be your daughter."
"Had your mother married me like she was supposed to," smirks Vlad, "you would be my daughter, and you wouldn't have Jackson Barrineau, a contemptible piece of aged halfa shit, in your family tree."
"You have a daughter that you tried to kill," counters Jazz, tying a bandage tightly.
Vlad winces. "The little ingrate betrayed me," he scowls.
"Only after you tried to kill her," says Jazz.
"Don't annoy me with details, child," pouts Vlad. He slips on a black Axion hazmat suit to cover his wounds as Damon and Shane approach him and Jazz.
"Mr. Masters," says Damon, "do you have any ideas on dousing that flame?"
"I'd say, Mr. Gray," says Vlad with a rueful smirk, "that it's time to deploy the scapegoat." He looks to Shane.
Shane pinches the bridge of his nose. "Dash is gonna maul me," he says, "but we don't have a choice."
"Especially if Jackie is still alive," adds Damon.
"I'm on it," says Shane.
"You don't have to do this," says Dash to Sam, glowering at Shane.
"You're a voracious omnivore," counters Sam, "which means you eat meat. You can't carry the sacrificial offering," she continues, placing the blood bags into an earthenware bowl.
"But that's my sacrificial offering!" balks Dash.
"And Shane couldn't locate a sheep or goat to carry your blood into that," says Sam, pointing sharply at the chaos inside Barrineau Plantation, "on short notice. Besides," she continues, "I'm Jewish. It's my people's job to be the scapegoat."
"I thought you all were the chosen people," scoffs Dash.
"Your precious 'Baby Jesus' was a Jew, remember?" quips Sam. "A lousy one, but we still have to claim him."
"Manson..." begins Dash.
Sam briefly kisses Dash. "I'll be back," she grins after breaking the kiss. "Someone has to point out your stupidity when school starts." She leaves with the bowl and blood bags.
Dash glares at Shane. "You told me that was a last resort," he says.
"We're at that point," says Shane. "We can't let Barrineau run free."
"If anything happens to her, Shane," says Dash, sullen, "I won't forgive you." Dash walks off.
NEXT: A cleansing of souls.