A/N: I swear, next chapter faster. Really. Probably

Disclaimer: Danny Phantom copyright Nickelodeon, Federator, and Viacom, created by Butch Hartman.

Action is eloquence – William Shakespeare

Danielle and Youngblood stood in line in front of their usual game store, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible. They both had grown to hate the constant attention they received for being members of Team Phantom, and thus tried to minimize. Thankfully the youngest Fenton wasn't as famous as the rest of her family and thus could easily fly under the radar, while Youngblood opted for a regular t-shirt and blue jeans than his usual pirate garb, topped with a red baseball cap. He was still obviously a ghost, though these days ghosts weren't an uncommon sight in Amity Park.

"I don't see why I had to come," Parrot moaned, stretching his bony wings.

"Because we're physically connected and you have to be within a hundred feet of me at all times," the boy reminded, tipping a bag of candy over his mouth to let the candies fall in.

"That going to be awkward when you hit puberty," the bird muttered.

"Why?"

"Oh nothing," Parrot replied, glancing away.

Danielle was on her portable game system, playing some fantasy game that Youngblood didn't care about. After felling another monster, she looked up at her comrade. "I still say this is a waste of time. We already had this game, shouldn't we be training or something?"

"Yeah, that's your problem. You're talking about training. On a Saturday. During summer vacation. Just relax, would you?"

"I just don't want us to get caught off guard," she sighed, returning to her game.

"Would you relax? Ever since we defeated Vlad, things have been pretty quiet. Sure, Vortex attacked last week, but with him caught every ghost your brother's ever had a problem with are either dead or in jail. I think things are going to be pretty boring around here from now on."

Miles away, Valerie Grey slammed against the cold metal wall of the Ghost Prison, thankful that her suit had been given the upgrades necessary to prevent any major damage. Wasting no time, she summoned her three gun blocks and fired on her target, one she intended to destroy, one she had hoped she would never have to see again.

Vlad Plasmius summoned a shield that easily blocked the attack, then countered with a beam that struck the girl in the stomach, sending her further back, causing the wall to dent behind her. He likely would have fired again if it hadn't been for Ember hitting him with the most powerful flames she could muster. Unfortunately Vlad had expected her, and had managed to fly straight upward, dragging his former pawn with him. Then, turning for the momentum, he tossed her directly at her comrade, causing the two of them to crash into each other, landing in a heap on the floor.

Emotionlessly, Plasmius powered up both of his hands with ectoblast, preparing to hit the two with everything he had.

Fortunately, at that very moment something happened. One of Vlad's first acts had been to knock out the power generators that made the building phase-proof. It had been to allow him and his men to navigate the building more effectively, but it also meant his enemies could as well. Which is how Danny phased through the floor and let loose a ghostly wail. Caught off-guard by the attack, Vlad was knocked off his feet and sent flying through the air and into another steel wall. The elder half-ghost moaned as he peeled himself off the wall, shaking his head and trying to get his bearings straight. Fortunately, before this could happen, several large vines phased through the wall and wrapped around him, trapping him within their grip. Sam phased through the wall after them, smiling at her accomplishment.

She didn't get to celebrate long. Vlad struggled against his restraints, and despite Sam's best efforts, he broke free soon after, burning through the vines with some difficulty. Almost immediately he grabbed the girl, enclosing his fist over her face, and then pushing it back roughly against the wall. Seeing this, Danny flew toward his old rival at full speed, intending to beat them senseless. This time, however, Vlad saw him coming and responded by twisting his head a full 180 degrees, firing beams of ectoplasmic energy out of his eyes. His aim was true, striking the teenager in the chest and pushing him back with far more force than Danny remembered. He eventually managed to ground himself and began flying toward him again, only be knocked back, this time by his girlfriend, who had been literally thrown straight at him.

The two teenagers quickly rose to their feet, and their mutual relief soon joined by Ember and Valerie. The four members of Team Phantom look at the hated half ghost. "What's wrong, Vlad?" Danny challenged. "No bragging about how much more powerful you are? No clever little threats at me or my father?"

Vlad's response, oddly enough, wasn't a response. His face didn't change from a blank stare. His two glowing red eyes stared at him, bit without any anger, arrogance, or any of the other traits Danny had come to associate with him. They just stared, no expression readable.

After five seconds of no response, the team was beginning to wonder if he had fallen asleep with his eyes open. This thought didn't last long, as in a split second Vlad's arm was pointing forward, firing off a beam of ectoplasmic energy. The group scattered, with Ember dodging forward and striking him with her fist, which was coated in her ghostly flame. She continued with a volley of punches at an impressive speed until Plasmius caught her arm, then twisted it behind her back, causing her to whirl around and scream in pain. He them grabbed the back of her head and rammed her into the steel wall, leaving another dent in the wall. With her dazed, Vlad let her drop to the floor. He then lifted his foot, preparing to stomp down on her.

She was saved at the last moment by Sam, who stealthily wrapped her vines around his other leg, yanking him off his balance and onto the floor, back first. She then flew above them and drove four of her vines, filed into points, at his chest.

Much to her surprise, Vlad leaned to one side, avoiding the attack, then fired an ectoblast directly at her face. His aim was accurate, and she was pushed off of him.

As this was going on, Danny pulled Valerie aside. "How powerful is he? Do you have a readout?"

The Red Hunter paused, glancing at the numbers her helmet's visor was displaying. Not as powerful as when he wore the Crown, but more powerful than before he put it on. We can take him at this level."

"Think just three of us will be enough? One of us should be helping the guards make sure no one else escapes."

Valerie grimaced. She understood the unspoken order there, but she was reluctant. Her grudge against Vlad still continued, and tearing her away from her chance at payback made her unhappy. Still, she couldn't deny the wisdom in Danny's plan.

"Fine. I'll go make sure no one gets out. But give him a few slugs for me."

"Can do," Danny said as his companion flew off. He turned back to the action in time to see his girlfriend get an ectoblast to the face.

Vlad attempted to rise, only to be slammed down by Danny. Not giving his hated rival any chance to react, he struck the ex-billionaire with a flurry of punches. Plasmius was initially stunned, but even through all the pain he was able to get his bearings together and get in a punch of his own.

Danny fell back, his jaw now in pain from where he had been struck. Before he knew what was happening, he suddenly found himself up against the wall, held by his uniform by Plasmius, while his free hand reared back, fingers clenched into a fist.

Danny brought up his arm to block a punch...a punch that never came.

It took him a moment to realize that. He looked at him, involuntarily lowering his arms. For the first time since the fight began, Vlad had a readable expression. It appeared for only a moment, then disappeared so quickly that Danny hadn't been sure it happened at all. It wasn't arrogant supremacy, or violent rage, or a wicked smile.

For a brief second, Vlad Plasmius looked sad. Regretful. Mournful.

And then he actually threw the punch.

Danny hit the ground, his head ringing from the blow he had just taken. He fell to the floor, and was so disoriented that he didn't notice Plasmius raising up his foot to stomp him into the ground.

And then, he hesitated again. And then, he did something Danny did not expect.

He turned around and flew off, so abruptly that had any member of Team Phantom had not been recovering, they probably still wouldn't have followed out of complete bewilderment.

Valerie rushed into the dining hall to discover that Vlad was not acting alone.

Skeleton Ghosts, the same kind that had served Youngblood and Pariah were present. And they were wearing the most peculiar uniforms.

Some wore the uniforms of British Redcoats and carried what appeared to be old fashioned muskets, straight out of the 1700s. Others wore furs and carried large wooden clubs. Some were covered in medieval armor and carried swords, lances, and maces. Most disturbingly, some wore the uniforms of the SS, carrying ghostly versions of automated weapons.

The guards were doing a fairly successful job of holding them off, but it seemed most of the prisoners had already escaped. Not wasting any time, he flew towards one of the guards, getting a shot off on a knight that tried to take a swing at her.

"What happened to the prisoners?"

"Those ghosts led them outside, into the exercise yard. We tried to stop them, but they were too well organized."

"Hold things off here," she instructed, already turning to the yard, "I'll see if I can stop the escapees." With that, she flew off, leaving the guards to continue the battle.

It didn't take long to reach the outdoors, where a number of very disturbing this filled Valerie's visions. First off were the prisoners, still collared, much to her relief. She also saw several more of the skeleton soldiers, who were herding the prisoners somewhere. That somewhere was a large green portal, one that Valerie concluded must lead to the Ghost Zone.

"Oh no you don't!" she yelled, flying forward with her guns ready, hoping to find some way of shutting it down.

She didn't get the chance. Two skeletons, a caveman and a pirate, leapt onto her and dragged her to the ground. Caught off guard, she couldn't do much more than struggle before she was struck in the stomach by a stone club.

Had she not been wearing body armor, the attack would have been devastating. With its protection, it merely knocked the wind out of her. That attack was followed up by a club to the head, which she felt even through her thick helmet.

Getting her bearings together at last, Valerie managed to roll out from under the pair, but not without feeling a sharp pain across her arm from the pirate's cutlass. Still, in one fluid movement she pulled herself up in a crouching position, pulling out a smaller ecto-pistol and firing two shots at both her opponents. They were weak attacks, but they served their purpose as distractions, allowing her to summon her gun blocks and fire more devastating shots.

Smiling at her accomplishment, she turned back to the portal.

She was promptly greeted by a bullet to the stomach.

A skeleton dressed in an SS uniform lowered his smoking pistol as Valerie fell to the ground, in an intense amount of pain. Wordlessly, he turned back to the portal, where the last of the prisoners was being directed through. No order was given, but one wasn't needed. The skeletons all turned toward the portal themselves, and silently flew through.

Valerie lay on the ground, breathing heavily. Her helmet continued to give her readouts. The bullet had been slowed greatly by the armor. She'd live if she got medical attention soon. Still, the pain was unbearable. She wanted it to end.

Her mind raced. The soldier's gun looked like an average pistol. It should not have been able to pierce her armor so effectively. Her father had double- and triple-checked all of her equipment, making sure it was absolutely safe for the hobby he couldn't talk her daughter out of. He had told her that, theoretically, a bullet should merely knock the wind out of her. How could one hurt her this badly?

Then, suddenly, Vlad was there, standing over her, looking down with the same blank expression.

Instantly she was flooded with anger and fear. Her body moved despite the pain, she needed to get an ectogun out, something she could use against the man who would surely kill her.

And then, Vlad lowered his head and shut his eyes.

Valerie froze.

Then Vlad was gone, flying through the portal after the small army just as Danny, Sam, and Ember made the scene.