Chapter 5: Escape the Williams' House

Inside Fenton Works, Jack and Maddie were slowly peeking out the dungeon with the Stockades. It was dead quiet, no indication of life, current or after, was present.

With a relieved sigh, Jack stepped out.

"What a relief… I think he's gone." Jack said.

Maddie stepped out, shaking her head in disapproval.

"You'd think he'd spend his time dealing with actual crooks." Maddie said with her arms crossed.

"I know. Ol' Carlson James Boyle really has it in for us..." Jack said.

"Hopefully he's over it by now. We'll have to send a check later to pay for it..." Maddie said.

"Maybe now we can-"

Before Jack could finish, something happened. They both heard the sound of loud banging on the door and how fast it was.

"I KNOW THAT YOU BOTH ARE STILL IN THERE! I CAN SEE YOUR OVERSIZED RV IN THE DRIVEWAY! STEP OUT RIGHT NOW!" The police chief shouted from outside.

Jack stepped back into the doorway to the dungeon in defeat, realizing that they still had to hide.

"Looks like there's no crime for once..." He whispered to his wife, hoping to delay the inevitable a little longer.

"If you don't open up right now, I'll-" Chief Boyle was cut off as he heard a buzzing from his radio.

"Chief." A woman's voice on the other side went.

Boyle sucked in some air and picked up the radio, pressing the button.

"Yes?" He went, trying to sound as calm as he could.

"We have a bit of a noise disturbance going on. Some have reported inhuman sounds and a group of people floated out of the house." The voice said.

"I'll check it out, send me at least 4 officers for backup and keep the SWAT team on call just in case. And have one of their cruisers pick me up on the way." He said before hanging up, going back to glaring at the door. "I'LL BE BACK AND YOU BETTER BE READY TO SPEAK UP!"

With that, he stormed off.

Inside the Williams' House

"So… they're still in there, huh?" Erin asks, scratching the side of her head as she stands up.

Team Phantom mentally wished she were still unconscious. They had to find a way to save the William sisters, and at the same time, avoid having Erin find out about Danny's secret.

Worst timing ever… Danny thought, frustrated that he can't just morph with her around.

"So this is the work of an actual ghost..." Erin said, feeling worried, horrified and also strangely fascinated by this whole experience.

"Uh, what's someone who faked some ghosts think she can do?" Sam questioned rudely.

Jazz ribbed her for her crack.

"What do we do?" Star asked, keeping it low to avoid Erin hearing her.

"We should cause a distraction to try and lure bird brain out..." Tucker suggested.

"How?" Sam asked.

"I dunno... maybe fake a fire...or find a giant ghost cat to eat her..." Tucker suggested.

"Let's leave that as a plan B..." Danny said, not wanting to resort to that yet.

"Can we even convince a giant cat ghost to come here?" Sam suggested.

Star shook her head.

"I don't think that will work inside here..."She said.

"I'm open to any suggestions right about now..." Danny said.

"We should get our gear...we did bring it here for a reason..." Tucker suggested.

"That would be a good idea...except for the fact we gave then to Alyssa, who put it in a closet, a closet in the same room where Big Bird is holding Georgia and Alyssa hostage..." Star reminded, pointing to the very room they need to access.

"I hate irony..." Sam said bitterly.

"If you guys are talking about that stuff you guys brought in, I think I have an idea on how to get to it and get those two out..." Erin said

This causes the teens to look at her in surprise.

"You do?" Danny asked.

Erin nodded.

"Yeah...but first, we need some...live bait..." She said, having a certain someone in mind.

5 minutes later.

Erin had finished explaining her idea to them.

"Awesome... risky but it might work...and that creep will get scared out of his mind in the process..." Star said, smirking darkly.

"But we don't know where he is..." Tucker said.

"Oh no worries, he can't get far without his car keys...and I have them..." Erin said.

Erin led them to a closet under the stairs. She opened the door and there, inside, a pathetic looking Myrtles was curled into a ball and rocking back and forth. He just now noticed them.

"Close it! Before it comes looking for me!" He shouted, scared out of his mind.

The teens saw this and were not impressed.

"What a baby..." Star said.

"And I thought Dash was a coward..." Danny said, not impressed by the pathetic display.

"You should have seen him when we were trying to "uncover" the abandoned Silver mansion, whose so-called ghosts were just a bunch of raccoons that took up the chimney. He pretty much chickened out when he actually thought it might have been haunted..." Erin said, shaking her head in disapproval.

"What do you want? Can't you see I'm hiding!" Myrtles shouted.

"Too bad, we ain't done with you yet..." Star said in a bossy way..

"No chance!" Myrtles shouted, making it clear he was refusing by clinging to the wall.

He tried to close the door but Sam blocked it with her boot.

"I don't think so. Danny, Tucker, Star, Jazz...Grab him!" The goth girl ordered.

Danny and Tucker each grabbed a leg of a flailing Myrtles and dragged him out of the closet. Star and Jazz wrapped their arms respectively around the two to help them pull him out.

"NO! LET ME GO! I DON'T WANNA DIE! I DON'T WANNA DIE!" Myrtles shouted as the teens dragged him out of the closet.

Erin smiled at the sight of this.

Payback really is worth the wait… She thought, taking some comfort from the whole experience.

Alyssa and Georgia were still trapped and at the mercy of La Lechuza, who was drawing a circle on the floor around the two.

"Almost done..." La Lechuza said, eyes squinting in anticipation.

"Why are you even doing this? Is this really necessary? Can't you...I don't know...fly away like most ghosts do and go to that ghost zone that Danny's parents told me about? Why do you have to perform some ritual?" Georgia asked, not understanding and also hoping to buy some time.

La Lechuza scowled at her.

"If I could just easily fly away from this wretched home, I would have by now! I am only partially free right now...But unfortunately, part of my energy is still bound to that accursed statue that your foul ancestor trapped me inside of! I cannot go far without it." She said, looking bitter and angry.

"Then why don't you just take it with you? Or smash it on the ground or something?" Georgia asks.

"Because I cannot touch it… that was part of the spell!" La Lechuza went.

"And the reason why you're telling us this is…?" Alyssa asked.

As if to make her more uncomfortable, La Lechuza chuckled darkly.

"In order to free myself, I need to perform a special ritual that will free me from my prison and restore my power. Though it will involve using all of your life energy but as you humans say… I will drain your souls..." La Lechuza said smugly.

Georgia and Alyssa gasped in horror.

"You won't get away with this!" Georgia shouted.

"Ridiculous, you both don't even have any magic like your ancestor and he barely managed to defeat me the first time. I highly doubt that either of you feeble women will be able to do anything close to a threat to me... " La Lechuza pointed out smugly.

She resumed drawing the circle around them, intending to drain them.

"This is so stupid, this is never gonna work!" Myrtles whined, sweating and shaking.

Danny glared at him for his blatant cowardice.

"Shut up! This is your fault that Woodsy the Owl in there is endangering two innocent women. Now man up, and even I see the irony of me saying that to you..." Danny said as they both got in place for Erin's plan.

"I still don 't see why you have to do this. Just one would do..." Erin said.

"Oh please, we both know we can't say he won't mess up or run away. Someone here has to make sure that he doesn't chicken out..." Danny said.

Erin pondered what he said.

"You know, you're pretty sharp for a high school student...way more than some so-called man who acts suave and brave to impress the ladies..." Erin said.

"I can hear you, ya know!" Myrtles snapped.

"I know..." Erin said with a mocking smile.

As Myrtles was being forced to do his part, the rest of Team Phantom was looking for an opening of some kind.

"I see a small hole." Star said, pointing at something above her head.

"Boost me up..." Sam said, trying to reach it.

Jazz and Tucker helped lift her up to reach it.

"Go Sam..." Jazz said.

"Hurry up, I'm not used to anything heavier than my PDA..." Tucker complained as he struggled to hold her up.

Sam ignored him and managed to peek through the furniture to see what La Lechuza was up to.

"Estas almas son mías, usa su energía para liberarme de mi tas almas son mías, usa su energía para liberarme de mi maldición." La Lechuza chanted.

"I've seen that before in a book at the Skulk & Lurk. It's a spell used by evil spirits to drain humans of their life energy…" She explained as she returned to the floor.

"Wait… what?" Star asked in horror.

"What's it doing that for?" Tucker asks.

"Doesn't matter… what does it mean in order to stop it and saving them!" Star shouted as she pointed to Myrtles. "Do it, coward!"

She pointed angrily ahead as Myrtles gulped loudly. He was sweating, his knees were buckling and he looked like he was about to wet his pants right now as he was forced into the role of bait.

"S-So… that ugly bird thing is gone?! Thank goodness!" Myrtles went loudly.

La Lechuza stopped in place upon hearing that. She turned her head, facing the barrier she made.

"Keep going…" Danny whispered.

Myrtles quietly refused, but a swift kick from Danny forced him to continue.

"I mean...that big, fat, ugly crow is completely afraid to show its beak around me..." He stammered, trying to act like he wasn't scared out of his wits right now.

La Lechuza rolled her eyes as her head turned back to face the circle it was finishing.

"Are they serious? Do they really think I'd fall for such an obvious distraction plot?" She asked out loud.

Alyssa and Georgia both wondered what the others were up to right now.

After a moment of silence, nothing happened.

"Darn… she's caught on. I don't think she's coming out." Erin said.

As everyone else looked disappointed, Myrtles laughed in relief.

"Thank you!" He went, looking upward.

"Heartless jerk…" Star snarled at him, and raised a fist to force him to continue.

Myrtles didn't want to, just everyone else did the same but he figured nothing he'd say would get to that bird.

"I don't know which is worse...the sound of that ugly thing squawking...or the sight of those ugly feathers that are better fitted for a feather duster..." Myrtles said, laughing his head off as he leaned a hand on the wall.

That did it, La Lechuza turned her head around completely and her eyes glowed a menacing red. She screeched, her anger controlling her right now.

She shot forward and cared not what was in the way, breaking down her barrier and destroying a lot of furniture as she appeared before them and was now glaring hatefully at the so-called ghost hunter. Myrtles stopped his laughter, slowly turning his head to see the giant owl glaring with murderous intent.

"DID YOU JUST INSULT MY MIGHTY, GLORIOUS PLUMAGE, YOU TINY LITTLE RODENT OF A MAN?!" She screeched out, looking ready to tear him apart right now.

Myrtles was now sweating a lot and felt his entire body began to shake like an earthquake.

"I'M OUT OF HERE!" He shouted as he ran away in terror.

"Get back here, you insignificant worm! So I can peel your skin off!" La Lechuza said before she chased after him.

While La Lechuza was distracted, Star and the others ran over to Georgia and Alyssa.

"Georgia, we got you two..."Star said, as she freed her housekeeper.

"Star! How are you-..." Georgia tried but was cut off.

"We don't have time to chat, we gotta get out of here before Big Bird comes back..."Sam said, as she and Tucker helped free Alyssa by pushing the furniture on them off.

"Thanks..." Alyssa said, grateful.

"Thank us later, just run..."Tucker said as they just noticed how eerily quiet it is. "Uh… why do I not hear screeching or girlish screaming?"

"I'll find that coward later… after I complete the ritual!" La Lechuza shouted

"Get the stuff!" Star said.

"On it!" Sam said as she ran to the closet and grabbed the nearest box she saw. "Found them!"

"Finally! Hurry!" Tucker said.

Sam ran to them, carrying the box with her.

As they made a break for it, Danny stopped in his tracks.

"Wait…"

"What are you doing, Boo?" Star asks.

"Myrtles is still here." Danny pointed out.

"So?" Star asks, not caring for his fate.

"Star… he's a total coward, a cheat and a shameless flirt… but he's still human. I kind of have to save him…" Danny said as he motioned for her to go. "Go, I'll wait for the assist."

Though reluctant, Star nodded and headed out the door.

Danny went to find a spot to go ghost as all of them went through the door. All of them were on the ground, gasping for air.

Tucker got on his knees, looking back.

"I don't get it... why didn't it follow us out?"

"It will once it's had Myrtles for dinner..." Sam answered.

"No it won't..." Georgia said.

"What do you mean?" Sam asks.

"That thing said it was still bonded to the statue. It said our ancestor's spell makes it so it can't touch that thing without hurting itself. It wanted to drain us of our life energy, enough to smash it and be free from it. Otherwise... it can't be away from it." She answered.

"Wait..." Alyssa said, having noticed something, or more accurately, the absence of someone. "Where's Danny?"

"He must still be inside!" Georgia exclaimed in horror.

Although those under 18 knew Danny would be fine as he had fewer prying eyes, they knew the adults would try searching for him.

"No worries! I managed to snag this in time!" Sam said as she held up the box.

"Our gear!" Star went.

"Now we can fight back!" Jazz went.

"Georgia? Alyssa? Can we please use this equipment on the ghost now?" Star asks.

"Well.. that thing has already smashed about 75% of the inside... no point in not going in guns blazing now." Alyssa said with a sigh.

"Go ahead..." Georgia went.

"Awesome!" Sam went as she opened the box. "Let's take it down with-" Her grin faded upon seeing something in the box. "... a... pair of maracas?"

The inside of the box was in fact not their weaponry, but several items. These included said maracas, a trumpet, an old baseball, a hat and a pair of sandals.

"Oh... I think you grabbed the wrong box. This thing's full of junk I wanted to sell online." Alyssa said.

"Way to go…" Star, Jazz and Tucker said in unison with flat voices.

"Ugh..." Sam went, slouching and hitting herself in the forehead with her palm.

New chapter with thanks to Flower princess11.

3 more to go, keeping this one short.

Also, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom comes out tomorrow... expect some delays.

RonaldM40196867: I do. Probably. Dunno... I like Kindred Spirits, but mostly for good ideas that the series didn't commit to after. Nope. Nope, good luck with that. Danny.

Jebest4781: Thanks.

danifan3000: 1. Not sure... some people live in denial. 2. Try using google translate. That's how I got translations.

Tiamat Dragoness: I just HAD to use that scene.

Invader Johnny: Glad to see you understand Spanish :)

Luiz4200: Indeed.

JDF Legacier Morphicon: Not sure. Then again, it's a spirit so it might just borrow aspects of different species.

Leonardo: Hmm... ask FP11.

CZS4: Nope.