You can watch as I beat myself at the bottom.
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Abby struggled frantically, but she was gripped harder until she could feel the claws of the vultures.
"Abby," Jake whispered, "stop it."
"Are you insane?!" she hissed. "You want us to be captured?"
"No, but I bet you anything that their boss is Vlad. Isn't that who we're trying to find?"
"Not as captives!" She struggled again.
"Then at least wait until we can see the place."
She pouted, but agreed. Soon enough, the mansion was visible. The twins exchanged a look. Abby started up her squirming again, this time swinging up to kick the face of her captor. He squawked and let go. The girl changed in mid-air, floating up to face the rest of them.
The lead vulture growled. "Clever. But vould you rather beat us, or save this pathetic little human?"
Jake was dropped.
It wasn't a choice for Abby. As she rushed down toward him, Jake almost wished she would have chased after the birds instead. However, if he landed perfectly on the street, completely unharmed, it would sort of blow his secret.
She caught him a few feet from the ground. Jake glared at the birds, a look his sister didn't catch because of their position. He let a small, controlled ghost ray escape from the tip of his pointer finger, nipping the birds. The sound of the squawking put a tiny smirk on his face.
"Thanks, Abby," he said once they were on the ground.
"C'mon," she replied, "let's go find Vlad. He won't be expecting us now that the bird-brains have probably told him we escaped."
And they were off again.
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"That was weird," Danny muttered. "I can't believe Skulker just took off like that. I didn't even have time to suck him inside the thermos!"
"And there wasn't a single claim that he was going to get your pelt," Tucker agreed.
"Yeah, well…" Danny started as he reached into his pocket. Suddenly, he looked alarmed. "Hey! The picture's gone!"
"Which means Skulker must have stolen it," Sam concluded. "And that means he was probably working for Vlad."
"So what should we do now?" Tucker mused.
Danny sighed. "I guess we should go stop Vlad before whatever plan he's cooking up is put into action."
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A familiar trio of ghastly green vultures entered an advanced lab through the ceiling, all of them worried, but hiding it well. They didn't know what to expect of their employer's temper. When he found out they didn't bring back the ghost children…
"So, seeing as you have come back empty-handed, may I assume that you failed me yet again?" a voice boomed from behind them. The birds cringed. Yes, he was angry.
"Vell, you see…" the head bird started.
"I don't want to hear whatever literally bird-brained excuse you have. Go! That is, if you value your after-lives," Vlad Plasmius growled.
Feeling the intended threat, the vultures nervously scattered. Nothing was worse than an angry Plasmius. Except maybe an angry Phantom. A very angry Phantom.
The second they were out of sight, Plasmius slammed his fist into a piece of machinery, lucky that it didn't break with the force he exerted. "Blast those brats! I expected they would come quietly, seeing it as the only way to find me and what I am positive they are searching for. Is it possible they are planning something? My older self did say that the boy was quite the schemer…"
"Plasmius."
Vlad turned to see his faithful henchman, Skulker.
"Yes, Skulker?"
"The whelp was distracted as promised and I was easily able to point out the other brats to those vultures, but Phantom dropped something I thought you may have some interest in." The robot held a small paper rectangle out.
Briskly, Vlad took it to examine its contents. "Bah, it's just some silly photos. Although, I am shocked to see how much these two look like their father. The boy could be his duplicate if not for the difference in eye color and choice in hair style. Hm…now I am extremely anxious to meet these two." Not taking his eyes off of the picture, Vlad waved his hand in the direction of the mechanical ghost. "Skulker, you are dismissed."
A loud crash answered him.
Startled, the man turned toward the source. Skulker laid in a corner, appearing as barely more than a heap of metal. Beside him floated a not-very-happy Abby Phantom and, leaning against a wall, a smirking Jake Fenton.
Abby landed. "Give us back the thermos," she demanded. "Or do you want to end up like your buddy over there?"
The man laughed in her face, secretly hiding the photo in his suit. "You really are like Daniel. I can imagine those same words coming from him."
Her scowl deepened. "Last chance, Plasmius."
"Abigail Fenton, do you think you can threaten me? When I hold all of the cards?"
In her anger, she charged at him full throttle. He simply stepped aside, letting her fly past. He was taunting her. To add insult to injury—or, in this case, injury to insult---he threw an ecto-blast after her to propel her into a machine.
"To tell you the truth, I'm disappointed. I'd been told that I should be expecting two ghost brats." At this, Plasmius cast a backward glance over his shoulder at Jake as if to signal his knowledge of the younger boy's secret. The man was a little surprised that the teen hadn't moved, choosing instead to glare at the man. That said, he was outright stunned when an unexplained force hit him in the stomach and sent him pounding into a wall. Confused, he rose and looked to the spot where he had previously been standing. A new ghost floated there, looking menacing with his arms crossed and red eyes burning. A quick glance to the side revealed the young male Fenton fading away into thin air. His astonishment immediately turned to anger. A duplicate! That sneaky little…!
"It's about time!" Abby called irritably, now up and ready to fight.
"It's not my fault I just got here!" he argued.
"Whatever, just help me beat this creep," she ordered.
Plasmius tried desperately to put up a calm aura as he stood. "I'll take it you are the infamous Shadow character I have heard so much about. Last I heard, you two weren't on the same side. Why start now?"
"Because," Abby answered, firing up a ghost ray while Shadow did the same, "now there's a common enemy!" Both blasts were fired. Plasmius teleported away from the spot, reappearing behind them. He smacked the two across the room before they knew what hit them. Angered, Shadow threw out a ghost zapper. Plasmius ducked behind a machine and the attack effectively sizzled out.
"I was told about that little trick, too. It can track a ghost anywhere except behind something real, correct?" the elder hybrid informed.
Shadow's eyes narrowed. What didn't this guy know?
"Is that so? But can you stop every trick?" Abby asked, charging her hand with green energy. She fired an ectoblast, which whizzed right by the man's head.
"Someone needs to work on her aim," Plasmius commented, not seeing that, behind him, the glowing orb was swinging around until it was headed in the opposite direction. It slammed into him, knocking him forward with a scream.
"When did you learn to do that?" Shadow asked her incredulously, have never seen even their Dad use that one before.
"Yesterday. I was planning on getting you with it, but this was more important. Now let's get him before he recovers!" They turned to look at the man, but he was up already. "Too late."
"Two against one hardly seems fair. Let's even the odds, shall we?" Plasmius sneered, creating a copy of himself. Both Plasmius' shot toward the twins. Both scarcely jumped out of the way. Shadow turned, preparing another ghost zapper, only to find Plasmius had his arm around his sister's neck, her struggling in vain. "Now, now. You wouldn't hurt dear, sweet Abigail, would you?" The boy lowered his attack in defeat. The billionaire's fanged smile widened. "I thought not."
Without warning, an explosion shook the ground. The shock waves sent all three half-ghosts sprawling in different directions. Abby and Shadow both landed hard with a thud, each behind a piece of machinery and hidden from view. That came in handy when they were both forced back into their human forms, looking rather frazzled. Plasmius, however, landed in full view. Sorely, he looked up just in time to see a figure descend from the dust.
"No one's going to be getting hurt except you."
And so, young Danny Phantom was added to the mix.
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Just so you know, Abby's attack doesn't track ghosts. She can just change its flight course…which is almost as good.
I know, Abby's being very Mary-Sue right now and I'm downsizing her again. The only thing that I can promise is that she shows a bit more to her character and acts more maturely in the last chapter.
I will also point out that Jake is the twin who is more into planning and thinking ahead. That's part of the reason why he sounds so smart all the time and Abby looks llike an idiot. The only thing that I can promise with him is that, when the big battle comes, he's not going to be Mr. I'm-Strong-And-I-Can-Do-Anything. Don't worry, he'll be getting beaten plenty.
So, just stick with me on it, okay guys? I'm trying to make this the best I can.