Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom or any of the characters. Danny Phantom is the sole property of Butch Hartman, Nickelodeon and Paramount global.
Blackmailed
Chapter 15: Danny's Burden
Team Phantom had just recruited Misty, asking for her magical help.
However, her memory spells were off the table, meaning they needed another solution. The teenagers were now outside, trying to think up their next step in their plan.
Misty had a few magical ideas while mentally playing out events in her head to determine how dangerous they were.
"Since we can't do anything to her to gain suspicion, shall I use something less destructive? Meaning no lightning? At least for now?..." Misty suggested, wondering if it's okay.
"Anything to help Danny..." Star said, worried about him.
"And clear our names..." Sam reminded, earning looks that made her frown at them.
"What? I know rescuing Danny is top priority but I just wanna make a quick reminder that I'm the only one in this group whose parents are dead set on sending to an all girl boarding school in London by next week if we don't fix things now!..." Sam reminded, pointing out her dilemma.
"We know Sam, but... priorities..." Jazz said, clearly valuing her brother's safety more.
"I just wish that we can talk to Danny but he is not answering his calls..." Tucker said as Star frowned.
"Knowing Colette, she probably either took his phone or is monitoring his calls to make sure that he can't get in contact with us..."Star said, knowing that is something she'd do.
"That's a text book case of domestic abuse, trying to isolate your victim and keep them from contact with other people..." Jazz said, enraged that such a person is near her brother.
"At least you live with Danny and can talk to him later at home if possible..." Tucker pointed out.
"Yeah, but knowing that witch, she is probably threatening something to keep him from talking to her..." Star said bitterly, thinking Colette would do such a thing.
Misty scowled upon hearing that.
"Again, didn't think I could hate her anymore than I already did but she's as awful as Wufong..." Misty said, reminded of how manipulative her ancestor and former teacher was.
A collective shiver traveled in Team Phantom, Misty had not been around long enough to see Colette's obsession firsthand. And hopefully, this would be the only time they would allow such actions to slip through the cracks.
It was then a sound was heard.
"What's that?..."Jazz asked.
"And why does the beep sound like an old 80's song...?" Misty asked, looking around.
Indeed, it sounded like something from the eighties rock, a song a certain old woman was a fan of.
"Its Roses and Blasters..." Sam said nonchalantly, as she revealed she was the source of that beep and pulled out a pager.
"Is that a pager? Why do you have that?..." Tucker asked.
"My grandma gave me this to let me know what's up. She is saying I gotta head back soon. My parents are starting to get suspicious and thinking I snuck out..." Sam said as she put the pager away.
"Okay, we will get you up to speed later..." Star said as Sam left for home to avoid further punishment.
Tucker shook his head in disapproval.
"Reduced to a relic of the 90's. Typical..." He said sadly as the remaining girls sent him looks.
"Is he for real?.." Misty asked.
"Yup..." Star went, the P popping again. "So... what spells do you have in mind?..." She began.
Misty began explaining. She pulled out the spell book and went straight to a special section of spatial disposition spells.
"I hope that Danny can hold on long enough..." Star thought, wishing she was with him right now.
Little did she know, he was trying to find a way out too.
Later
Sam was on her way home, deciding to take a short cut by running through a nearby alley.
"Great. My stupid parents had to start checking now. I just hope grandma can keep them occupied long enough for me to get back..." Sam thought, as she ran through an alley.
However, the goth girl was stopped as a voice froze her on point.
"Sam?..." Was heard.
Sam turned around and saw a familiar face.
"Christopher?!..."Sam exclaimed, glad it wasn't a cop.
If they found her, it was a one trip stop to London prematurely.
Since she was already in a bad mood, she inadvertently took it out on him.
"Chris! What the heck are you doing scaring me!?…"Sam yelled, as she looked ready to throttle the boy now.
"You? I'm not the one threatening to rip my head off!…"Christopher backed one foot away with his hands up.
Sam grumbled something he did not catch, but was ignored. She turned and began running.
"Look, sorry for snapping at you but I don't have time. I need to get home before my parents decide to ship me off to some boarding school…"She said, shocking the blonde boy.
"Why? What happened this time?…"He asked, sounding worried.
Sam had started running, but before she was out of range, she managed to say something.
"Can't tell you. Something happened with Danny and now everyone could be in trouble if we don't do something soon..."She said, as she kept running.
Chris pondered what that meant. Standing alone, he stared at the direction the goth girl left in. But he had a sinking feeling he should help.
He started running, trying to catch up with her.
"Anything I can do?..." Chris asked, barely managing to run at her same pace.
"Can you cast a memory erasing spell?..." Sam asked, as she did not stop.
"Funny, but no..." He said, thinking it was a joke.
Sam figured let him think it was a joke and continued.
"I don't really see how you can help... but..." Sam pondered.
"Colette doesn't see him with us as much...so maybe..." She thought, seeing a potential ally.
"I'll consider it. Right now, time is NOT on my side..."Sam said.
With that, she left, nodding to Christopher that she'll contact him later. Albeit she was afraid she wouldn't have a chance to in the near future.
As she kept running, Christopher now stood alone. He was processing what was happening and he still couldn't believe it.
"What the neck is going on here?..."He wondered, worried about the goth girl whom he had a soft spot for.
Elsewhere
Star was on her way home, having to split from the team due to it getting late.
Jazz promised she would try and talk with Danny but Star wondered if that would be of any she knew her step sister was likely threatening Danny into keeping quiet and probably had some way of keeping an eye on him.
"That witch!..."She mumbled under her breath.
Star had just returned home, exhaustion oozing off her entire body. She felt gravity increase with each step.
However, the only thing that felt heavier was the thought of what Colette was doing to her beloved.
"I hope Danny isn't suffering too much. For Colette's sake, she better not try anything funnier than she's doing or I'll make sure to rip, tear, and rearrange her internal organs...Is it bad I don't feel anything thinking that?..." She thought, anger building within her.
She wanted to contact her boyfriend, who was no doubt probably under surveillance and being tortured by her stepsister so far.
The more she thought about, the angrier she got as her shoulders raised. This meant she had to get creative. Good thing she has a vivid imagination, or this would be hard.
"If she so much as touches ONE fair on his head, she will never walk straight again!..." She grumbled, fists clenching as she walked into her home.
Just in time, as her parents were in the middle of talking.
"Star, sweetie, is that you?..."Jonathan said upon seeing her.
'There you are..."Came the voice of Stella.
"We were wondering where you went..." Stella said while her daughter didn't look at them.
"Sorry... I've been busy..."Star said vaguely.
"Doing what? Anything to do with your...situation..." Stella asked, and her daughter nodded.
"Yeah, and I have a lead on who did it..." Star said, surprising them.
"Really? Who?..." Johnathan asked.
"Yes, who is the rotten little criminal that deserves to be locked up?..." Stella asked.
"Its Colette..." Star said flatly.
Stella paused, eyes wide but shook her head.
"Star, not this again. We have been over this..." Stella said, upset.
Star frowned.
"Why am I NOT surprised this is her reaction?..." She thought in disappointment, before turning to her father.
"Dad, it's Colette. I know it..."Star huffed through her mental exhaustion, almost on the edge of collapsing.
She tried to explain her hunch and the clues she gathered, thought she had to omit some stuff, like the issue with Danny due to not wanting to risk his secret.
Johnathan sighed with a hand on his head. He knew this true already, certain his daughter had found something to connect the step-sibling, if only minuet. However, his eye went to Stella, who wore a small frown.
"Star, I swear. You'd blame your sister for anything!..."Stella said, upsetting her daughter.
"Mom..."Star began to respond, but her mother continued.
"I know that you two don't get along but she couldn't have done anything. I know where she was the whole time. I keep telling you, she's innocent..."Stella insisted, while her daughter rolled her eyes.
"As innocent as that scorpion with the frog..."Star mumbled, while her mother gasped and got even more defensive now.
"ESTELLE!..." Stella shouted.
"Don't call me that! I can't believe that after all this time, you are still siding with that little witch!..." Star shouted, angry and incredulous with her mother.
"I am not siding with anyone. I am merely stating facts that Colette couldn't have done it since she was-..."
"Oh, stop being so naive, Mom. Anyone can fake an alibi, I should know and you should too..." Star said, glaring at her.
Stella tried to argue but Star got into her face.
"Mom, did the last six months slip your mind?! You know that Colette has made it her life's goal to ruin my life! She always is trying Danny from me and act innocent about it. And that's only the tip of the iceberg!..." Star reminded her.
Stella cringed at that as she tried to come up with an argument for that.
"Look, I know that Colette's behavior has been unacceptable lately..." Stella began.
"That's putting it mildly. Your son is better behaved than her..." Jonathan muttered.
"Not helping!..." Stella snapped.
"Not lying..." Jonathan argued.
"And I'm not lying when I say that rotten, wannabe home wrecker is going to lose teeth if she's caught. She is nothing but a lying, scheming words I can't say in front of an adult monster..." Star said while her mother crossed her arms.
"Enough. I don't want to hear such silly accusations, especially since all evidence proves Colette's innocence..."The blonde woman said stubbornly.
"For now..."Johnathan grumbled, his words were not as silent as he thought as his ex-wife glared at him.
"Well... I say she's innocent. If anything happens before Star's party to prove Colette's guilty, you get to say "I told you so" as much as you want..."Stella said with arms crossed.
"You're on..." Johnathan said.
Star heard this and groaned. She felt a migraine forming and honestly, her birthday party was the last thing she wanted to think about right now.
"Mom, since you clearly won't listen to reason then I see no further point in addressing something so obvious that neon signs are saying to a woman in denial. And about the party? I've been thinking and right now, things are too stressful for me to celebrate-..."
"One, I am NOT in denial and I resent that remark. And two, I'm sorry Star but that's not possible to cancel at this point..."Stella said as she held a hand up.
"I know things have been bad, but you needs this. A party is a great way to shake off anything bothering you. Nothing will go wrong on your birthday...plus, we already sent out invitations and can't get our deposits back for the reservation..."She smiled sheepishly at that one.
"Of course..." Star grumbled as she walked away.
Stella would have approached her, but Johnathan blocked her path.
"I don't think even I can talk her out of what she's feeling. Just leave her be, she'll feel better later... hopefully..." He said, though even he sounded unsure.
Upstairs
Star went to her room in a fit of anger and frustration. She slammed the door shut and huffed before slouching in tiredness.
"Stupid Mom, how can she still be so gullible?..." Star complained as she laid on her bed and threw a pillow in frustration.
However, she spotted a nearby photo that reminded her of her current heartbreaking predicament and who she wanted to see in person soon.
"Danny..." She whispered in sadness, despair and displeasure.
She could only hope Misty or the others could find an answer that would solve their problem, lest she loses Danny. No matter how much she hated herself for asking for the literal witch's help.
Though to her, Colette is the biggest witch of them all.
"There has to be a way to get rid of her for good..." She said, hoping to find that solution once the more immediate solution was given.
She just wished she could hear from Danny, to hear he's doing okay and will be with her soon.
"I need to see you...Danny-Boo. I love you..." She whispered, missing him.
She held her hands together, wishing it was Danny's hand she was holding right now. She was unaware he felt the same way right now.
The Next Morning
It was Thursday.
It wasn't just any Thursday either. It was the day before Star's birthday party. It was also the final countdown for Danny Fenton to search for anything to help free his friends of their frame-ups before the start of almost permanent damage could be dealt.
Things were not looking so great, which wasn't a good sign since today was also the day before Colette would make her big announcement. The weather wasn't looking any better from the way it looked as gloomy as a few certain teenagers feel right now.
Danny was alone at school, hiding from someone. Not from Dash or other bullies, but from someone even worse, much worse. Someone that made the ghost boy almost want to disappear at the moment.
"This better be one of Nocturn's nightmares...nah, even he wouldn't be this cruel..." He thought, hiding in the janitor's closet.
As he peeked out, he saw she was nowhere in sight.
He took a breath of relief, but not as much relief as he wanted to feel.
It was worse than he thought with Colette knowing his identity. Even worse, Star, Sam, Tucker, and Val were still not here to help him, since they weren't even allowed on school grounds, including Star, who was still under suspension.
Worse still, it would be difficult for them to sneak over here. Dull or not, Casper high faculty was on high alert for the group, in case of foretold "acts of revenge."
Since he was innocent of the crimes, this meant he would be on watch due to his affiliation with them. All because of Collette, no doubt, thanks to some calls made by her parents. That or she forged their signatures on the paper to agree.
And the worst part is that going invisible would not help. Now, he's dealing with her on his own, thanks to her machinations.
"It's days like these I wish I didn't join Star that night her mom visited..." He thought, hating this.
To add insult to injury, he was wearing the clothes that Colette chose for him, and his hair was styled the same way when he had dinner at the country club with Star's grandparents...much to his dismay.
"Suddenly, being kidnapped to father Misty's kid so her ancestor to take over the world is the second worst thing I've been through..."He thought in misery.
Sure he looked like a whole new man with a stylish and elegant appearance, but he felt dead inside like a little girl's dress-up doll that's been hollowed out and ripped of any sense of his former self. Now he felt like the cowboy doll with his voice box removed. As in having the most important part taken away.
These clothes were expensive but also uncomfortable and chafing, the tie that's been strangling him the moment he put it on but it was nothing compared to how people were reacting.
Danny's unwanted new looked gained a lot of attention at Casper High.
Reactions were varied; some kids sent him weird looks, confused expressions, and one in particular had something to say.
"Fenton? Oh man, I hardly recognize you with that new look of yours. HA! Looks like someone's trying out for auditions for dork of the year!..." Dash said when he saw him.
Danny frowned long enough for Dash to stop laughing.
"Dash, I hate this look more than you do..." He grumbled, confusing the jock.
"Wait... what?..." Dash asked, not expecting that reaction.
Danny ignored him as he kept waiting for who he had to obey for now.
Dash simply left, unsure how to react to this. Danny clearly unaffected by his taunt as he usually is made his brain hurt.
"That's one problem solved, at least..." Danny said, hoping for more good luck.
But bullies were the least of his concerns. He continued walking down the school hallway and felt more like a show dog with every footstep.
The ghost boy could almost feel his own dignity getting buried alive.
"This just might be the worst day of my life..." Danny said, knowing that this was only the beginning.
And that came with the silky venom that sang to him.
"Mon amore!..."Was heard.
Danny flinched and became invisible. Colette arrived and found he was absent. She looked around and frowned, wanting to see him before a thought crossed her mind.
"Darling...I want to speak to you...and I believe that its in your best interests to be visible...yours and your friends..." She said in a threatening way.
Danny heard this and groaned.
"Why is she so smart? How does someone who doesn't check her own homework be this smart? Why couldn't she be the same cliched girl Paulina is?..." He thought as he regained visibility.
Colette smiled upon seeing him.
"Bonjour darling..." She said as she eyed his appearance.
She was pleased with what she saw.
"Just as I thought, I knew zhat zhee today red cashmere sweater would look fabulous on you. You look so handsome in it..." She said, gushing with joy and congratulating herself for her great sense of fashion decisions for him.
"And I feel itchy like a dog covered in fleas and without a flea collar..." Danny complained, scratching his sides from the uncomfortable clothing he's wearing.
"Being stylish is not about comfort, Mon amore. I learned to adapt..." Colette said, unsympathetic to his discomfort.
"You will learn to get used to it and to like it..." She said, enjoying the control she had over him.
"Highly unlikely..." Danny muttered as he tried to scratch another itch he felt.
"Stop scratching. It is uncouth. Just endure it and soon enough this vill feel naturally.." Colette ordered, pointing at his clothes as if she cared more for them than his well being.
Still, she went back to "flirting" with him almost immediately.
"Such a good feeling. This material on you..." She said, rubbing a hand on the cashmere covered chest.
The ghost boy simply glared at the fake redhead, but his best to act civil...for now at least.
He begrudgingly obeyed, even though parts of his torso had small itching sensations.
The ghost boy halted his scratching, putting his hand in his pocket.
"So, anything else on the agenda besides this? Any other degrading task do you want me to do now?..." Danny snarked.
Colette just smiled, ignoring his attitude and as her eyes feasted.
"So handsome~..." She thought in admiration before she went onto business.
She did indeed have such tasks, deciding to give him instructions.
"Nothing at the moment, other than what we agreed to, Mon Amore. We will announce our relationship at the party as planned...but for now...I want to be alone with you..." She said while Danny sneered.
"And just like that, my worst day ever just worsened itself. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'd rather be hit on by Ember..." He grumbled, finding even her company greater than Colette's.
Thankfully the rotten rich girl was far to preoccupied with her own thoughts to pay any attention to what the ghost boy just said.
"We have just a few days until my birthday party. And so much to do..."Colette said, trying to decide on what to do first.
Danny frowned, mentally wishing for any ghost to antagonize him right now.
"Yeah, you know...Why don't you tackle all that? I don't want to, uh...disturb your thought process..." Danny said, as he tried to make a quick escape for himself.
However, Colette blocked his path and wasn't going to let him get away that easily.
"Non. I do believe that we an agreement to up hold. One that involves you doing vhat I vant, And right now, that means being alone, together...less someone has to suffer..." She said, smirking a wicked grin.
"You call this an agreement, but I call it for what it really is. Blackmail..." He responded, clearly unhappy with this arrangement.
"Regardless of that. You're going to be compliant or else, and I'm gonna be your new and much more beautiful, fashionable and lovely girlfriend! You vill love me whether you like it and start enjoying this...or else!..." She declared, not wanting to hear any more complaints from him.
The ghost boy fully understood what the "or else" part really meant and complied for his friends sake. He had to keep quiet for now, while trying to see any cracks in this contract as he sighed.
"I'll be glad when school is done for the day and I'll be back home with nothing to do..." Danny muttered, trying his best to remain calm.
Colette, however, and remembered that there was something important that she wanted to get with him first. And that is the part she was waiting for.
"Non, since After school you and I shall go shopping together. And then to arrange for your lessons to begin soon..." She declared.
"Lessons?!..."Danny shouted.
"But of course, darling. I love you, but you have much to learn if I am going to make you a proper gentleman worthy of moi..." Colette said as she readjusted his tie.
An act that only made the ghost boy feel even more uncomfortable with. Colette didn't care as she continued to carry on with discussing plans.
"You will be taught everything that is truly necessary in life and high society. This will include everything ...specifically etiquette lessons, elocution lessons, posture lessons, chivalry lessons, chess lessons, waltz lessons since you need to be a good dancer if you are going to be seen at parties with me...you will also be taking music lessons since every gentleman that's worth their weight in gold must know how to play at least ONE instrument. You will also be educated in the finer aspects of culture, especially artworks and music. I will need to provide a list of ACCEPTABLE foods to eat and programming to watch, and we are cutting you off from the rocking and rolling noise you call music. You will also need a PROPER hairdresser and tailor to improve your style, but I already have someone in mind and I shall cover the charges, consider it as an act of love from me. Be grateful I am doing this. And last, but certainly not least, you must know how speak like an elitist with great pride, just like me..." She said, listing off everything like she rehearsed the whole thing before.
Danny looked appalled and overwhelmed by all the outrageously demanding tasks for his "educational benefit".
"Ouch, sounds like school but so much worse!..." Danny muttered, immediately wanting to reject every single one of these ideas she had planned for him.
The ghost boy knew that he didn't have much choice on the situation he was currently stuck in.
"Its official, this is the worst thing life had thrown at me..." He thought bitterly.
With an eye roll, he decided to speak up.
"Anything else, your majesty?..." Danny asked sarcastically.
"I am going to consider that as a term of endearment...and yes..." She said as the fake redhead searched for something in her designer bag.
Colette brought out a rolled up list. Almost cartoonishly, it unrolled to the floor as she brought up the first item.
Danny's jaw almost dropped to the floor.
"How the heck can you make a list taller than you?…"He quipped, but Colette ignored him and began to read her list.
"Règle un: No talking unless it is to compliment me or command the commoners…"She began.
"Yeah…that's stupid and what the heck is a regle?…"Danny asked.
"That is not a compliment…"Colette stared deadpan at her boy. "But I will let that be, for now. It is—how you say—rule in French, which brings me to règle deux: you shall learn to speak in proper French…"She added.
"Proper French?…Yeah, not gonna happen. I'm barely passing Spanish. Not to mention that a B- is the highest grade I got on English…" Danny waved his hand.
His arm was met with a slap from a ruler the fake redhead pulled out.
"Règle trois: Any breaking of the rules will result in punishment. And not the fun kind…"Colette said, glaring at him.
Danny would swear he saw a dark, dangerous gleam in the girl's eyes. He shuddered in horror, wishing there was a ghost to vent on.
"Right now, I shall slap lovingly with a ruler, but if you do not know your place, I will have to replace it…"She said,.like a threat.
"Great—ow!…"That earned the ghost boy another slap.
He glared at her, while Colette had the nerve to send him a haughty smirk.
"Don't worry, Mon amore. Soon in time, you will be a proper gentleman. Which brings up règle quatre: you will learn proper etiquette, just as I said earlier. So sit up straight…"She said, like a command.
The ruler came back, hitting the boy. He straightened quickly. The hits were annoying at worst, but he did not say a word. Anything he said or do could be used against him, just like a court. Except this one was in a zoo, with Colette as the alpha in their den.
"Règle cinq…"She continued and the ghost boy groaned internally.
Danny was between a rock and a hard place.
This was going to take all day, and possibly longer to forget when this is all over as well.
Danny desperately needed something to get him away from the crazy French girl. Anything would do, even his life in danger.
But if nothing is done about this soon, then he might just reach his breaking point by the end of the day.
He also wanted to be with his friends and Star. He missed them and desired to be with them.
He wanted to Jazz when she came home last night but Colette forced him to be quiet and Danny had felt paranoid that she either bugged his house or would be spying on him or sent someone else to do so.
He wouldn't put it passed her, so he had to keep his mouth shut but he did still miss talking to his sister, friends and especially Star.
"I should call them. Let them know what's going on and tell them about the copies of the junk she's blackmailing all of us with… "He thought, only to stop upon remembering Colette will be monitoring his calls.
Meaning that he can't just sneak away, quickly walk up and talk to them without the fake redhead noticing something.
He was at a loss of what to do.
"There's gotta be a way to get to Star and explain everything…"Danny paused, taking every moment of freedom to figure out a way to form a plan.
The ghost boy will need to find some other way to communicate with Star and his friends. Someway that not even the fake redhead would ever bother herself to check on.
"I need to find a way to talk with then without her knowing. Maybe… I should talk to someone else, someone she doesn't know…" He considered as the spoiled brat waved her hand near his face to get his attention.
Règles vingt-trois: Never feed me anything with nuts on them due to my allergies. If I break out, I will make sure you work hard to redeem yourself..." She said with a stern look on her face.
The ghost boy halted his thought process and reluctantly turned his head to face the fake redhead who still hasn't listed off 1/8th of that ridiculously long list yet. The last one that she spoke mentioned never gifting her any cheat latex for some reason.
Now, she was calming down.
"Now I do believe that we have 20 minutes before class starts...which means we have twenty minutes to enjoy each others company..." Colette said in a coy way.
"Right, enjoy..." Danny said sarcastically as he rolled his eyed in annoyance.
Colette wrapped her arms around him and Danny felt like a boa constrictor was about to his face bitten by a poisonous cold blooded creature.
And in some ways, he wasn't far off.
"Mustn't...keep...breakfast...down..." He thought, trying his best not to barf on the spot.
Even though every last one of his cells felt sick from just being near this psycho French girl. He was not kidding. The ghost boy felt sickeningly ill from simply being around the rich French psychopath who made herself less desirable each second.
"What I won't give for someone seeking revenge on me right now..." He thought as he cringed as he felt her lips on his cheek.
Before she could reach his mouth, Danny's ghost sense went off and he saw it as his salvation.
"GHOST! Oh no, a ghost is nearby. I need to take care of it as soon as possible!..." Danny said as he tried to escape while he still has this perfect excuse to work with.
Colette grabbed his arm and angrily demanded that he didn't run from her.
"Excuse moi? I did not say you could leave!..." She said, still wanting to go through 1/4th of her list of rules and to start kissing too..
"Colette, there is a GHOST around! And its my JOB to stop them from causing any damage to my hometown or hurt anyone within it. Besides if I don't go deal with it now then there's a very good chance that this ghost might come to attack YOU or haunt your dad. Do you want that?..." He pointed out, knowing that she is very much more concerned with her own safety than anyone else's.
Colette pouted but saw his point.
"Very well, but hurry back..." She ordered, before placing another kiss on Danny's cheek.
Danny wiped his cheek and ran behind a tree and changed forms.
He took off and soared into the air, Wanting to get as much distance away from the fake redhead as possible.
Colette watched him fly off with mild fascination, recalling she had a superhero under her thrall.
"May as well call in some French tutors that I can also bribe into checking an eye on him. The best morally compromised french tutors money can buy..." She said, as she makes plans for when she isn't around him.
The crazy rich French girl felt pretty confident that she has everything under her complete control.
So much so that she was spending more money into grooming the ghost boy into her version of the perfect boyfriend/trophy. Perhaps more money than she reasonably should, but the fake redhead convinced herself that this was a future investment that was going to be worth the expense.
"I'll need to plan ahead for our summers together too..." She said, making a mental note for that later.
She made plans and phone calls, as she waited for her "boyfriend" to return.
With Danny
The ghost boy was now facing Skulker, here to hurt/challenge the ghost boy for the hundredth time this year.
Only this time his random appearance couldn't have been more well timed for Danny as a convenient distraction.
"I've returned to hunt you down and claim your pelt as my hunting trophy, whelp!..." Skulker said as he had some of his weapons try to get a lock on his hunting target.
He readied his arm blade. Boosting the rocket engines on his back to charge at the ghost boy. The ghost boy saw the iron hunter ghost launching right at him and brace himself for the impact.
"Part of me hopes this lasts forever... another part of me wants him to win, so I don't have to go back... the other part wants to be with Star, and that part is screaming the loudest..." Danny thought.
"Can you bother me some other time? Preferably never?!..." Danny questioned, while trying to make this exchange of banter seem real as it can be.
"Looks like someone's been forgetting that a hunter never stops hunting down his prey..." Skulker said.
Danny was mildly happy to see Skulker, once again here for his hide.
While the hunter was not welcomed, the ghost boy needed something to keep him away from his "girlfriend"/slave driver, and ghost fighting was the only thing he could do to vent his frustration.
"You have no idea how helpful to me you're being right now, Bone Head..." Danny thought, seeing this as an opportunity to hit two birds with one stone.
"Y'know what? You being here is a good thing. I can take my aggression out on you since the Box Ghost isn't here..." Danny said.
"Don't mock me!..." Skulker's said, as he fired but Danny dodged him.
"I can't help but notice you're spending time away from your mate. Something happened?…"Skulker taunted.
"Doesn't concern you.!.." Danny snapped, already in a bad mood.
Skulker's saw this reaction and decided to taunt him further.
"Maybe I should pay her a visit and see how you react…And to see how well they can handle themselves without you to protect them?..." The hunter ghost said, just to get under his skin.
Danny stared at the hunter's smile. It was wicked and blood-boiling as it intensified his rage. The thought of Skulker attacking Star…
However, something he said gave Danny an idea.
"Wait a second! That's perfect!…"Danny shouted with the metaphorical light bulb in his head lighting up.
That was NOT the reaction hunter g, to say the least.
"I'm sorry…did I miss something?…"Skulker asked with a blank face as Danny grabbed him by the collar and flew high into the sky.
He pushed the hunter through the air. This still had to look like a fight, or Colette would get suspicious. Right now, this was his best bet.
"Go to Star and give her this message…"He said, feeling a bit awkward for asking one of his enemies for help.
"Why should I do this?…"Skulker's demanded, wondering if he has gone crazy.
"I…honestly thought there was some respect or weird bro code thing that would trump the fight. Right now, I have worse problems than you and—..."
"Just tell me. I'm your foe, not a mailman…"Skulker said in irritation.
Danny sighed, before he telling his mechanical menace the abridged version of his current situation.
"Ok, look. The short version is, I'm being blackmailed with the dirt Colette has on me and all my friends, as well as Star. And if don't do what she says then she'll do something even worse with the dirt she has on my friends. She has it somewhere, with copies. Tell the guys to search for that dirt and destroy every last copy..."Danny explained as they flew through a billboard.
Skulker nodded, grabbing the boy by the arms as he locked the tow in a throw Danny into a field of trees then transformed his metal hand into a sledge hammer and tackled the ghost boy in the woods.
Danny pushed him off while flying deeper in the woods so that no one with spot them from a blasting ghostly ice energy into creativity ice walls that seem random at first, but were actually providing extra cover.
As far people could potentially see, it was a fight and nothing more.
But instead of hammering the half ghost hero, Skulker simply destroyed a random tree for the loud sound of hitting something hard. The mechanical hunter then put away his weapons and walked up to the ghost boy.
"You're honestly SERIOUS about asking for my help?..." Skulker asked, almost disbelieving it.
"No, I'm joking. Yes, I'm serious. I've never been more serious in my life! Unfortunately. If I wasn't, then I would busted out the Fenton Thermos by now!..." Danny said flatly with an eyeroll and a scowl.
"Alright, I get it. Now, give me the long story..."Skulker said.
"Like I said...that witch with hair extensions is blackmailing me using whatever she did to frame my friends at school, using doctored evidence As if its not bad enough, she said she has copies safely tucked away like I said before. Plus, she is totally trying to de-Danny-fy me! It's a real nightmare. She is pretty much trying to take away my identity and honestly...part of me is HAPPY you showed up since dealing with you is better than dealing with her..." He said, shuddering at the fashion don't she was forced to wear.
"You mean if I don't help, you won't even be worthy prey anymore!?..."Skulker gasped. "All these months I put into obtaining your pelt, wasted. For nothing...And that's not counting what this could mean for everything else too..."He shouted.
Danny was silent for a moment, then nodded his head in agreement and hoped that they were both on the same page.
"Uh... yeah! Exactly! I won't be able to fight back... which means even if you waste me, everyone will say it's because I've basically been declawed, meaning you only won because I was made less dangerous and everyone will say you won thanks to a handicap..." Danny said, getting under his skin.
Hearing that made Skulker so angry that he snorted steam.
"Not on my watch! Fine...I will do this..in exchange for your pelt..." Skulker's said.
"How about we wait for an actual fight later, and a fight worth remembering instead? I will also throw in some Fenton gear from my parents arsenal..." Danny offered.
Skulker raised a brow, but conceded.
"Hmm...well, yeah...I can't exactly take pride in claiming victory if you aren't willing to put up a fight. And I could use this opportunity to eliminate any distractions from claiming your skin. that and I need some new material for my traps and weapons..."He admitted.
"Fine, but don't tell anyone in the Ghost Zone or else I'll skewer you like a kebab, understand?..." Skulker threatened.
"That's still is less painful than going shopping with Colette..." Danny said, unfazed.
Skulker seemed surprised by that reaction and leaned in. He had one eye opened wider in interest.
"So, the rumors are true? She is THAT bad?..." He asked.
"Whatever you are thinking, multiply by two and then square it..." Danny said.
He was never one for using math in these fights, but there was no better way to explain.
"Ouch..." Skulker said, almost pitying him now.
"Alright then. I'll agree to help you for now, and I'll relay the message. I'll be back by tomorrow at most for our fight. Hopefully there won't be anymore disturbing distractions by then. Afterwards, the hunt presumes where it left off and I try to separate your head from your body..."He added.
"Thanks...I think..."Danny said, still in slight disbelief that Skulker of all ghosts is helping him at his time of need.
"Don't forget. Respect or not, I'm still gonna skin you alive after I win..."Skulker's said.
"Again, still less painful than what Colette has planned for me. Not to mention less annoying..." Danny said, even willing to being used by Kitty to make her motorcycle obsessed boyfriend jealous again at this point.
"Just don't forget our deal, ghost child. I don't plan to be your messenger every time something happens..." Skulker said, making sure that this arrangement between them is crystal clear.
Danny nodded. He had full confidence that would not happen, but it was nice knowing his enemies respected his rights more than the slave driver he had to appease.
"Somehow it feels less sporting when you don't reject my threat of skinning your pelt. So, you want me to pass on a message to your friends and beloved..." Skulker said with slight dissatisfaction written on his metallic face
Danny nodded, not enjoying this arrangement either.
"Exactly. So I need you to find Star, tell her everything, and possibly more. I'll let you know..."Danny explained.
Skulker now started to assume that he was about to regret agreeing to help his enemy. His only interest was just to remove anything that would make Danny less worthy of being a decoration on his wall.
"By the way, could you also tell Star that I desperately miss her and hope to hold her in my arms soon rather than later as quickly as possible..." Danny said, wanting his message to his girlfriend to get sent to her as fast as possible.
"Do I look like one of Cupid's errand boys to you?!..." Skulker's said, very upset of being asked to send a heartfelt message to his enemy's beloved.
"Come on Skulker, have a heart. This is super important to me that Starlight hears this! Colette made me dump her in the worst way possible and made me say I don't love her to her face..." He said, glaring at the thought.
"Wait, she did?..." Skulker asked, stunned to hear that.
"Yeah, she forced me to talk like that and break her heart..." Danny said, recalling the devastating look on Star's face when he said those awful words that made the inside of his mouth taste foul.
"Well, that's extreme. And I thought Spectra could be cruel..." Skulker said, raising an eyebrow.
"I'm surprised you of all people would think that..." Danny said.
"Don't get me wrong, I don't care about you or your girlfriend but even I think that was needlessly cruel. And my ex desiring you didn't make me go to such length..." Skulker said, showing some standards.
"Good to hear that. I need her to know I never meant any of what I said. Just let her know I want to be with her soon..." Danny said, wondering what his REAL girlfriend and their friends might be doing right now.
A slightly inaudible grumble of displeasure came from Skulker.
Skulker didn't want to speak those overly emotional stuff that Danny told him to repeat to his Starlight. So the hunter ghost simply made the ghost speak into his recording faction built in his armor. Since there was no way that the proud hunter going to repeat any of that willingly.
"I am not repeating whatever cutesy words you two use. I'm also not giving either of you a kiss if one expresses a desire to send it..."He warned.
"Duly noted... and appreciated..." Danny said as he made the recording before noticing something.
It was almost time for class and he got a text from Colette demanding him to finish up...which meant he had to end the fight.
"Gotta go...and thanks again..." Danny said.
"Again...don't get the wrong idea..." Skulker's said.
Danny nodded, before he had to continue his act.
Kicking the ghost hunter, he watched as Skulker flew off, shaking his fist and swearing revenge to make things look normal.
While there was hope, the flight back was long and arduous. Yet Colette had to be happy...for now.
Said psycho was now in front of him, tapping her foot impatiently.
"Vhat took you so long?!..." Colette demanded, arms crossed.
"Sorry, I had to deal with Skulker. He is a ghost who is always hunting me and trying to skin me alive to decorate his house..." Danny said and Colette's eyes widened.
"That's...disturbing..." She said, looking unnerved.
"Well...we can both agree on that at least..." Danny mumbled.
Colette waved it off and went back to being "romantic" with him.
"Well, he is gone now...and we are together again...with a minute to spare before class. How lucky for us..." Colette said, and the ghost boy cringed.
"Yeah, lucky..." Danny said, mentally adding "bad luck" in his mind..
"Maybe I should have let him skewer me..." He thought as he reluctantly let her hug him, even though he felt sickeningly ill from simply being around the rich French psycho.
He just had to wait... for now.
And hope that Skulker's keeps his word and Star would receive the message.
-To be continued-
Next time on Blackmailed
OPERATION: Contact
A/N(1): I dedicate this chapter to my family, my friends and my love for God :)
A/N(2): Special thanks to NeoMark, BCW, Jay the average Fanboy and Luiz4200 all their help. You guys rock :)
REPLIES to my loyal and totally awesome reviewer:
RonaldM40196867:
1) Probably.
2) I guess that we will have to wait and see what happens.
3) I guess that we will have to wait and see what happens.
4) I will think about it.
5) 2012 TMNT Ralph versus Rise Raph.
Danifan3000:
1) I guess that we will have to wait and see what happens.
2) I guess that we will have to wait and see what happens.
Guardian1989: I guess that we will have to wait and see what happens.
Invader Johnny: Yeah.
Luiz4200: Yeah.
Thunderdragon453: I guess that we will have to wait and see what happens.
Pokemon fan 1991, NightShadow2955 and Jebest4781: Thank you :)
Cybirddude:
1) That will be answered later on.
2) I see Colette as a hateful and judgemental person. She likely would have mocked Star and her partner more than anything.
3) I see Colette as a hateful and judgemental person. She likely would have mocked Star and her partner more than anything.
4) I see Colette as a hateful and judgemental person. She likely would have mocked Star and her partner more than anything.
CZS4: I guess that we will have to wait and see what happens.
JDF Legacier Morphicon: Thank you :)
Here are my responses to your questions:
1) Frostbite, Clockwork or Pandora as queen regnant of the Ghost Zone.
2) Not really.
3) He is a bit too young for that but he did once dream of marrying her.
4) She likely would have learned the language but otherwise I don't think her personality would have changed much.
5) I will think about it.
:) I hope you enjoyed this! Remember to read and review :)