Plasmius was stretched out on the execution block, Walker standing over him, ready to thrust the glowing spear into his core and obliterate the halfa's very existence.
Which seemed rather premature, since the Observants hadn't even rendered a verdict yet.
The single-eyed ghosts were going on and on "crimes" this and "abomination" that. Honestly, he hadn't done anything that bad in months! In fact, due to their new truce, Daniel had been very good at keeping him in line.
Where was that blasted boy anyway? He'd taken one look at the so-called jury of Plasmius' "peers" and hauled out of the Ghost Zone for something or another. Probably to celebrate finally being rid of his nemesis.
"After much deliberation," spoke one Observant loudly, voice echoing in the expansive room, "we find the accused gui-"
"Hold it!"
Phantom skidded to a stop in front of Plasmius and Walker, the warden scowling. Whether it was because he would have to wait a few moments longer to execute someone, or because of the real-world contraband Phantom had, once again, brought into the Ghost Zone.
"What does the accursed halfa have to say?" the Observant snarled. A few others echoed the sentiment, each voice overlapping into an enraged crescendo.
"Hey, shut up!" Phantom glared, clutching the pink carrier to his chest. He glared until the Observants had simmered down to an irritated grumbling. "You guys said that I couldn't be a witness to how Plasmius changed 'cause he could have brainwashed me, or overshadowed me somehow, or something. I don't know, I wasn't paying attention."
"You know how to inspire my confidence in you, boy," Plasmius grumbled into the green-stained stone he was strapped face-first to.
"Shut up, frootloop. Anyway, I thought, you know, animals are pretty dumb. I've never heard of an animal getting brainwashed or being possessed. Not even Cujo – he's just the ghost of a dog!"
A murmuring spread through the Observants like a wave. When none actively objected, Danny held out the carrier. "So, I figured if an animal can think this idiot is a good guy, doesn't that mean he innocent? Ish?"
"... You have one chance," granted the loudest Observant.
"Awesome!" Danny set the carrier on the ground next to Walker, smirking up at the tall ghost who was seething at the blatant rule-breaking. But this was Plasmius' trial, and he was willing to let this temporarily slide in order to enjoy an execution. The young boy opened the mesh grating, floating over the carrier to poke his face into it, crooning sweetly, "Hey little girl. You wanna see your daddy?"
Inside, Maddie shivered, eyes wide and ears flat. She was pulled into a tiny ball as far away from the door to her carrier as possible. The scent of the supernatural surrounded her, the acrid stench permeating the very air she was trying to breathe.
She had been curled up on Vlad's bed, waiting for the man to come home and feed her. He'd been gone for so long that she'd fallen asleep, curled into a tight ball. Then, out of nowhere, ice-cold hands had grabbed her, stuffed her into her carrier, and then suddenly...
This.
Glowing green eyes peered down at her, a goofy smile above them. The boy, one she was slowly beginning to recognize even as his scent fluctuated just as Vlad's did, reached in with one white glove. She growled low in her chest, swatting with freshly sharpened claws.
Danny yelped, withdrawing his hand and automatically pressing his oozing hand to his mouth. Vibrant green ectoplasm dripped down his palm and Vlad found himself smirking, despite his own dire situation.
Good girl, Maddie, he thought.
"Stupid cat," Danny grumbled. He looked at his hand, already healed and the glove stitched back together, and grabbed the carrier, turning it on its side to dump out the terrified animal.
Maddie was huffing, deep breaths that were anything but calming. She looked around with slit pupils, taking in the movement of Observants as they leaned in closely. Her lips pulled back in a resounding hiss that made the ghosts step back in what could almost be fear.
"Daniel, you be nice to Maddie!" Vlad insisted, his poor cat with her fur completely on end and tail puffed out more than he'd ever seen before.
At the sound of the man's voice, one ear twitched up, swiveling in his direction. Despite the fear coursing through her, he had always been there to comfort and feed. Slowly, carefully, she moved her tense body one paw at a time. She didn't take her eyes off the large, flowing creatures that were staring intently at her, hissing and swatting any time one came too close. As soon as Vlad's scent was nearby, she risked a glance in his direction.
The Observants were intrigued as the sharp, noisy thing hopped up onto Plasmius' prone body, curling up directly over his core. A deep, angry noise began in it's throat and it yowled loudly at Walker until he took a step away. Once all the ghosts were far enough away from it, a soft, almost relaxing, rumbling began to emanate from it's body.
"See!" Phantom pointed to the display, watching as Maddie dug her claws deep enough into Plasmius' cape to leave little tears in the cloth. "See how much more relaxed she looks! She totally trusts the guy! That means he'd got some good in him, somewhere!"
Whispers filled the room, a hissing not unlike Maddie's anger, as the Observants were forced to agree. None wanted to speak it, however, as all had been looking forward to ridding themselves of one of their two main nuisances.
"The halfa is..." The Observant lingered for so long, Danny actually looked around for Clockwork. "Correct. As the creature has found solace in Plasmius' presence, we are forced to admit that he may not be completely and utterly evil."
"Great! So trial's over, let's go!" Phantom rushed over to Plasmius, snatching Maddie up by the scruff of her neck and snapping the older man's chains.
"Hold it, punk," Walker snarled. He gave Maddie a wary look as she growled again, but he stuck a long finger in Phantom's face. "This is the second time you've brought in real-world contraband. And it's time you finally paid for it."
"I would absolutely love to, Walker – you know how much I love prison food – but Plasmius, Maddie, and I have to get home. Like, now!"
The warden reached out to grab Phantom by the collar of his suit, only for his hand to go through a puff of pink mist.
"Do not fear, Walker," the Observant said as Walker angrily swung the spear through where the two halfas had once been. "You will have another chance soon enough."