Chapter Twenty Two - Walking a Line
"This is ridiculous," Valerie groaned, "This guy literally broke Danny's neck in front of me."They had gone to the Ops Center after a very long explanation to a quiet Danielle who had sat on Danny's bed after he collapsed as his throat was. The plan had been for her to bring the security ghost here, but that had been hours ago. In fact, Jack and Damon were fast asleep in the Op chairs. The three women sat on the floor in a triangle, watching the scanner. "We can't really hold grudges on anything that happens," Jazz explained, pointing a slice of cold pizza at Val. "With overshadowing and ghost obsessions, things tend to get complicated quickly. We've all beaten him up on occasion. Okay… well, not me, but I've put him in a thermos way too many times.""Don't remind me…" Valerie grumbled, looking away. Maddie's eyes looked distant as she looked out the window, "So Amity is his haunt?""It's his home. It's more than his haunt," Jazz gave a smile."That's why he is not happy when we go on trips," Maddie speculated. "He does have some ghost tendencies."Jazz finished her bite, "Ghosts are not bad, just a bit… excessive. And, Danny is human too.""I know that, I saw his blood analysis. I saw him transform," Maddie looked at the ectosignature reader. "I could have killed him with that dart. It should have…""He'll be okay," Jazz reassured. "If he is able to transform, he can heal back. It just is going to take some time.""This shouldn't have happened at all," Maddie whispered quietly. Valerie didn't know what she meant by that. Danny becoming a ghost? Is Vlad going through a breakdown? The dart is making Danny sick? Danny being injured?Looking down, Valerie saw an approaching ectosignature. "Guys, we have someone coming this way," Valerie stood and pulled on her suit.She didn't need to as Danielle stopped midair and waved in human form. The shield pulsed as Jazz hit a button. "That is a weird shield. Thanks for turning off the electricity," Danielle smiled as she appeared beside Val. The young girl blushed as she looked at Jazz and Maddie, "Uh… nice to meet you. I'm Danielle, but you can call me Dani, with an…""No," Maddie cut her off, and Valerie saw Danielle's small smile slip entirely from her face. "I'm sorry, but I can't call you Dani."Danielle slid behind Val as Jazz huffed and walked forward before leaning down and hugging Danielle. "Ignore her…""No, I get it," Danielle murmured, apparently swallowing back some tears. "How about Ellie then?"Maddie nodded, "That will be fine.""Where's the Warden?" Valerie asked after a few tense moments of silence. Slapping her face, the girl groaned, "He was surprisingly easy to pursue, but then Cujo got us here. Walker saw Wulf and went after him, and then Cujo went after Walker. Now I can't find anyone so I came here.""So three ghosts are running around Amity right now?" Valerie asked in annoyance."Well, no, Walker has all of his crew with him," Ellie grinned. "That should make them easier to find, though.""Let's let them sleep," Maddie motioned to the pair of fathers who were still sound asleep. "Let's go to the GAV and take a drive with the reader. We should be able to find them quickly."Danielle followed closely behind Valerie as they descended the stairs. "I'm sorry I can't do much to help heal him," Ellie murmured quietly. "I don't know how to heal my human side as well as him.""It's okay," Jazz gave the young girl a smile. "Can he actually regrow limbs?" Maddie asked skeptically."No clue!" Ellie chirped brightly. "If anyone can, he can. He spends more time healing than any other ghost in existence. Even doctor ghosts turn to spectral physiology after a couple of years or so.""Ghost doctors?" Maddie asked as she climbed in the GAV."Yeah, not all of them are like house on haunted hill crazy. Danny is friends with a bunch in the Zone. Good thing, too, because I would not like to figure out my ice core like Danny did," Ellie laughed. "Not good to have a human body freeze solid.""Danny has an ice core?" Maddie asked in surprised. "But with electricity…""How ghost die doesn't determine our cores." Ellie shrugged, "Although all ghosts tend to have some control over what caused their deaths other let it become their obsession.""What's your obsession?" Jazz asked as she looked up from the device, "If you don't mind me asking.""Mine's traveling," Ellie grinned. "Space, the Bahamas, you name it. The Zone is the best! So many ghosts are obsessed with the time and placed they died that it feels sorta like time travel. I mean Val, you saw Queen Dorathea's castle. How many people can say they went on a quest with Arthur's knights. Well, this gal has!""Danny's obsession is protecting Amity, right?" Val asked."Uh…" Ellie looked uncomfortable as she looked away. "Not Amity, no, he is just obsessed with protecting in general. Ghosts, humans, other halfas. Not many ghosts have such a broad obsession. And usually, protection obsessed ghosts don't survive long… especially ones obsessed with helping humans. It doesn't end well. The ghosts in the Zone have been trying to get Danny to abandon Earth for ages or just seeing how long he will last. The betting pool is drying up since it has been so long.""They were betting on Danny dying?!" Jazz gasped. "That is so typical…""Actually fading, for some anyways, others thought he would go full ghost by now. As you can see, human bodies are hard to keep safe in a ghost fight," Ellie poked her cheek for emphasis."Full ghost?" Maddie asked from behind the steering wheel."Well, yeah, an ectoplasm arm is just a part of an ectoplasm body," Ellie shrugged, "Kinda like a duplicate you have direct control of.""I think I found Walker," Jazz called, "Make a right on 13th street."They turned, and the group froze. In front of them was Walker and his crew fighting a giant Cujo and Wolf. Valerie swore as Danielle let her rings turn her into her ghost form. The group of girls jumped as Maddie jumped from the driver seat. She was out of the GAV and running towards Walker before they could blink."Hey you!" Maddie shouted to the warden, making Valerie cringe as the Fenton aimed a blaster at the person Danny had sent to help them. "Why am I not surprised that it is you that is a ghost enforcing the law?""She knows him?!" Ellie asked, floating beside Valerie."Mad Cat!" Walker turned and pulled his cigar from his mouth. "Good ta' see you.""Mom?" Jazz asked in confusion. "You know Walker?"Maddie holstered her gun, "He's my granddad, your great grandfather. Never took off that hat."Walker floated closer and laughed, "You can't expect people to obey you if you don't wear a hat.""Uh, Grandpa?" Jazz interjected, "Can you let Cujo and Wulf go.""No can do Sunshine," Walker took a drag of his cigar. "Both have fled countless times to the human world to avoid capture. It is time they face consequences.""Look, I understand that, but we really need your help. Uh, great grandpa?" Jazz added hopefully."Sunshine, I've been trying to get that punk to stay in the Ghost Zone since I met him. First my prison, then trying to turn this town against him, but he wouldn't see reason. I'm here because despite everything, he has done a great job of keeping ghosts in the Zone," Walker flicked his cigar. "And no one disobeys the law. Plasmius was told not to meddle in cores, and he has for the last time. And then I'm taking all of these ghosts to the Ghost Zone where they belong. Since that kid isn't here anymore, I'm done letting ghosts have any reign up here.""But Cujo…" Jazz looked to where the dog whimpered as an electric collar was placed on him."Jazz, Sweety," Maddie placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "He is just a ghost dog.""Don't worry, Sunshine," Walker grinned. "Cujo is a top-notch security dog. He'll be happier working for my prison."Valerie froze, and her hands fell to her sides. If Danny had a protection obsession and Walker knew about it, then he was trying to recruit Danny just like Cujo. In some twisted way, Walker was protecting Danny from fading by keeping him in the Zone. Valerie decided all Fentons were crazy at that moment, even the fully dead ones."We just need to go get Vlad then," Maddie stated as Wulf and Cujo vanished with some guards. "Mad Cat, I'm afraid I already went to speak to the lawbreaker. He has turned tail and fled," Walker frowned. "He is a slippery one, but don't worry, I'll make sure he ends up in my prison.""He ran?!" Valerie looked down at the ectosignature reader, and sure enough, the mansion was now missing the two large dots that had been present."Sir, you need to see this," a ghost officer called. Curious Val followed the group to a small group of ghosts huddled in the street. The group was tense. Walker froze, "How?"Blood blossoms," Maddie gasped as everyone spotted the black and red flowers. "Those have not been seen since the witch hunts," Walker frowned. "Don't get any closer," he ordered his men, "They will drain your core of energy. Let's head back to the Zone." He turned to Maddie, "If that scum returns, open your portal. I'll station some men at its location. Stay safe, kid," he ruffled Ellie's hair."Thanks, granddad," Maddie responded before the ghosts just vanished in a green mist. Valerie sneezed as they walked back to the GAV."What now?" Valerie asked once they were in the vehicle. "I don't trust Vlad to stay away.""He probably is going to lick his wounds," Jazz frowned. "He wasn't going to try to fight Walker right now.""We can't expose him with the ectosignature reader. It will expose Danny and Ellie as well," Valerie frowned. "We focus on figuring out the blood blossoms and Ellie's problem. Look for Vlad and keep him away from Danny," Maddie responded. @RubixDH47As a fellow upholder of the law, Walker respected Danny a fair amount, though he still had a ways to go. Lucky for him, Walker was more than willing to lend the young hero a helping hand.@MystyRust
Walker attacks amity park and maddie recognizes her father/ grandfather/ancestor