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 20: New Tactics
After a long while of searching, Star was beginning to fear the worst, until someone spoke up.
"I think I found something we can use!..." Tucker said.
Star turned her head quickly.
"Show me!..." She said, wanting to see what he found.
Star and Sam ran to Tucker, who was currently checking under the bed.
"What did you find?..." Sam asked.
"Something under the bed..." Tucker answered as Star started sticking an arm under the bed, rifling around finding nothing.
"There's nothing there!..." Star said, sounding angry.
"Because I already took it..." Tucker said as he smiled and showed what he pulled out from under the bed.
It was an expensive looking briefcase that had been hidden there.
"It's a briefcase. I didn't think Colette was the type to own a briefcase..."Tucker said as he seemed a bit surprised and very suspicious after he found it.
"Yeah, that's totally not suspicious..." Sam said sarcastically, while Star grabbed the briefcase and tried to open it.
Thankfully, it wasn't locked and they soon saw that it was a gold plated laptop that had the initials CB engraved in fancy cursive.
"Jackpot!..." Star said, as she handed the laptop to Tucker.
The tech geek began to use his skills and searched for anything Colette has hidden.
The tech-obsessed teen began to search for any incriminating evidence hidden in Colette's laptop, being careful not to do anything that might backfire on them later.
Thankfully with Tucker's level of tech skills, getting through any firewalls on the laptop will be child's play for him.
It took seconds before someone broke the silence.
"Any problems finding who she sent Danny's secret to?..." Star asked, getting anxious despite the fact that there's no way Tucker would have problems hacking into Colette's computer.
"No hacking necessary. It turns out that she didn't log out of any of her accounts..." Tucker explained.
"Wait, for real?..." Sam asked, sounding surprised.
Tucker nodded.
"Yep. Look...her email, her bank accounts...she left it all open..." Tucker said as he gestured to them.
"Wow. Sometimes she's Vlad level cunning and sometimes she is Paulina level stupid. Its hard to keep track..." Sam muttered.
"For once, someone having Paulina level stupidity is a good thing..." Star said.
"Either way, we have to take her seriously whenever she switches back and forth between the two..."Sam muttered.
"Yeah. She's equally frustrating from both ends and that's putting it lightly..." Star said, while Tucker noticed something.
"HOLY COW, SHE'S SPENDING A LOT OF MONEY?!..." He exclaimed.
"Duh, what else is new?..." Star grunted.
"No, I mean A LOT OF MONEY! I'm talking VLAD level money!..." Tucker explained.
"Huh?..." Sam went.
"Come look..." He said as he pointed to something on the screen.
Star and Sam curiously walked over. Once Star saw the amount, her eyes widened.
Even Sam seemed shocked but true big number on the screen.
"What the heck?! Is this really in American or Yen?!..." Sam said, seeing the absurdly large amount.
"SHE'S SPENDING A FORTUNE!..."Star said, scratching the side of her head.
The Halloween costume that costed a small fortune a few months ago, now looked like chump change in a tip jar at a cafe compared to THIS!
"I know she is a spoiled brat and your mom and her skunk of a husband clearly spoil her rotten to absurd levels but even my parents wouldn't spend that much! Heck, they even put spending limits on my monthly allowance than even I am willing to admit is kinda reasonable compared to the other crazy things they have tried!..." Sam said as she saw the recent large purchases.
"I don't think Mom or Jean-Luc were the ones who gave her all that money. They freaked out when she went overboard on her Halloween costume. Remember?..." Star said as she noticed something.
At this moment, she just made a transaction and the amount of zeroes it came with made Tucker's head spin.
"Geez...I think whatever she just bought cost more than my parents mortgage..." Tucker commented as lifted his glasses to rub his eyes.
They all began speculating some possible explanation of what was going on.
Star did some math in her head as she noticed the amounts and dates on the screen. The last couple of days she's spent thousands of dollars and noticed that they were all sent from unusual sources.
"Weird...the last 3 large purchases are coming from Europe and some remote area. And is this some hidden Russian account? As far as I know, she doesn't have any account with foreign banks. What's she doing with all this money?..." Star wondered, growing more and more suspicious.
Tucker broadened the search in the laptop and discovered more large expenses that dated back a few months, even before moving to Amity Park. However, his focus was on the most recent purchases.
"I don't know but whatever it is, she's received four large deposits of money a few days ago and now she's spending it like there's no tomorrow..." Tucker explained.
"What's that one there?..." Star asked, pointing at one in particular.
"It looks like she bought a ticket to and from New York a few weeks ago..." Tucker said.
Hearing this, the two girls frowned and realized something. This secret info caused some gears to turn within the trio of teens.
"Why am I not surprised?! She actually did follow us all the way there!..." Star said, looking ready to break something again.
"Save it for her face there, bone breaker Blondie..." Sam said, holding her back.
Both girls decided to save all the anger for later and focused on what was really important right now.
"Who did she email Danny-Boo's secret too?!..." Star asked as Tucker worked his cyber-magic on the laptop.
He checked Colette's email and saw who they were. He also found 3 recent contacts.
"Ok...It looks like she sent it to someone named Yolanda, Cartland and Dash's dog?!..." Tucker listed, before noticing the last one.
"Wait, what? That doesn't make sense..." He said confused.
"Let me see that!..." Star said, as she read the email address and gasped.
"I know that email address! It's Kwan's!..." She said, looking angrier and more hurt than before.
Like she was just betrayed, even if Kwan didn't mean much to her anymore. Even so, this filled her with a fiery rage that would melt the snow of Mt. Everest in seconds.
"Why would Kwan help Colette?! I mean...I know that he's a bully but he's not evil..." Tucker said, not understanding why the jock would do this to them.
"I'm with Tucker. I knew Kwan was a moron but...is he really that bad?..." Sam said, stunned to read this.
The brief time they hung out, Kwan was annoying but he wasn't so bad and made it clear that he just wanted to belong somewhere. But is he really one of Colette minions right now?
"Is he really capable of turning a blind eye to the wrongdoing of Colette's level? That just seems too far-fetched to me..."The goth thought.
The betrayed blonde snorted out her nose, almost like she exhaled fire.
"I don't know but we'll find out!..." Star said, still looking angry and bothered by how everything was processing so far.
"Copy the data, we'll track the other two down later..."Star ordered.
Tucker nodded, plugging a cable from his PDA into the laptop.
"Tracking their emails will have the info in a minute..." He said as he put it back, waiting in a relaxed fashion got the tracker to do it's thing.
However, Tucker's relaxed state was immediately interrupted as they heard the door open.
"Enfin... quelle journée ennuyeuse." A snooty man's voice was heard as the door slammed shut.
"Jean-Puke just came home!..." Sam warned.
"Crud!..." Star said, rushing for the lights, turning them off hiding under the bed.
Tucker hid under Colette's desk, leaving the PDA plugged in, while Sam hid behind the door. They heard the door open and her a snobby and annoyed sounding voice.
"Useless peasant leaving the door unlocked. Why that woman insists on hiring her instead of a proper nanny for my son I don't know..." Jean-Puke muttered.
Star heard this and rolled her eyes.
"Why do I get the feeling he's only saying that because he probably hit on her and Alyssa turned him down?..."Star thought as they kept listening.
They then heard another voice in...one that was female but was not her mothers'.
"Jean...sweetie. I can't enjoy this lovely little rendezvous all by myself..."Was heard.
"Coming, Mon cherie..." Jean Luc said, sounding flirtatious.
Star felt ice to down her spine and rage directed at her mother's husband.
"I knew it!..." Star hissed, looking furious.
"Star, as much as you wanna beat that cheating dirtbag up and as much as he deserves it, if we get caught, we'll be sent to juvie, even if we do prove Colette is the crook here..." Sam whispered harshly.
Star hated to admit it but she knew Sam was right. She can't confront Jean-Luc. Not yet anyway.
"Sorry, Mom..." Star thought, hating this.
The blonde however made a mental note to expose Jean-Puke's dirty laundry and how she and her friends deal with Colette.
"First gotta take care of the redheaded pest before taking care of the sleazy scumbag..."She thought, making a mental note to gather evidence against Jean-Puke.
Meanwhile
With Danny
"Someone put me out of my misery!..."He muttered, hating this.
He was still wearing the clothes that Colette had chosen for him and his hair was still coiffed, just like it was at that dreaded dinner with Star's grandma almost a month ago.
However, it was even worse since the only one here is Colette and the rich girl forced him to come here with her on a "date". It got even more sick as she continued to make plans for their "future".
"I was thinking that after we make the announcement at the party, you and I can go out to eat at a nice five star restaurant to celebrate. I know papa is against us but I can weigh him down..."Colette said.
"Celebrate what? Being stuck with you?..."Danny thought, not answering.
Colette saw his expression and frowned.
"Excuse me, but I'm being nice here! You better pay attention to me!..."Colette said in anger.
"Sorry..."Danny said, not sorry at all.
Colette frowned.
"I see that I still have to curb that attitude of yours...but that will be easy, especially once we wed..."She said.
"Wed?..."Danny asked, hating the sound of that.
"But of course, as I already told you...as zee future Monsiuer Bevier, you have certain responsibilities and obligations to me. The act of fathering my children someday is one of them, which you will do once you learn to behave..."She said, acting haughty.
"You're insane..."Danny said flatly.
Colette glared at that.
"Watch your tongue, in case you forgot, I am see one with all see cards unless you be a good little boy and do as your told..."Colette warned.
"This isn't how relationships work, Colette..."Danny said.
"You left me with no choice. Besides, you will see how wonderful we can be together..."Colette said arrogantly.
"When pigs fly, and not just the ghosts..."Danny thought, hating this.
Right now, he hoped something would distract her from him just long enough to give him peace of mind.
"I swear, I would much rather be in Walker's Prison than with this French menace, at least the prisoners in the Ghost Zone are better company than Colette will ever be..." He thought.
"Oh, Mon Amore. Time to hold hands again!~..." Colette said in a sing-song voice.
"I'd rather let a T-Rex bite it off. And before you ask, no, I don't have the ability to regrow limbs, I'm okay with letting it be digested..." Danny spat.
"Hmph!..." Colette went before holding her hand out in a demanding manner.
Knowing she won't take no for an answer, Danny reluctantly held her hand.
Back with Star
The blonde was still hiding in her hated step sister's room with her friends, making sure to stay as quiet as possible, the last thing they wanted was for Jean-Puke to find them before they completed their mission.
"We gotta find that data and any copies she made..."Star said, only to groan a realization hit her.
"Oh crud!.." She hissed quietly, but her friends heard her.
"What is it? Did you hear Jean Puke approaching?..."Sam asked.
"No... It's just...What if... she's on to us?..." Star asked with wide eyes. "I mean, she knows that we know he's Danny Phantom... so she might have put it somewhere he couldn't get near, which in turn would mean some place we can't reach..."She theorized.
"Don't think that. We came all this way and we're not giving up until we free Danny and clear our names!..." Sam said with determination.
"I hope so, Sam. Not just for our sake but also for Danny's..." Star said.
"Star, we have had worse jams than this..." Tucker said as he continued to work.
"The Ghostwriter... Spectra, your horrible grandma, they all tried to get in between you and Danny and every time you guys ended on top, don't let Colette get to your head, that's just what she wants. Don't give her the satisfaction, instead think of how you'll be punching her face once this is all over and more importantly, think of how you'll be with Danny, again after that brat is dealt with..."He said.
To say that Sam and Star were impressed with the techno-geek's serious speech would be an understatement, but he was right, if some of Danny's worst enemies couldn't get between them then neither would Colette.
"Thanks Tuck. I needed to hear that..." Star said sincerely.
"Don't mention it. That's what friends are for..." He replied.
"Something Colette clearly doesn't understand..." Sam added.
"True, she's incapable of being anything but being selfish..." Star said.
"Among other things, like how tacky her jewelry is during this season..." Tucker said.
Star sighed before she noticed something.
"Huh?..."She said as she checked the mattress and saw something sticking out.
She reached for it, finding something she pulled but it was stuck.
"What did you find?..." Tucker whispered.
"I don't know. It's under the bed, but I'm having some trouble with it..." She said, as she tried to yank it out but it wouldn't budge.
"It figures that little fake redheaded brat would hide something somewhere hard to get..." She thought, frustrated as she kept pulling but it was stuck.
"Come on budge, you stupid book..."She muttered.
She gave it one hard yank, pulling it out. She gave it a quick glance and instantly knew what it was.
"ALRIGHT!..."She exclaimed.
"Did you find the rest of her evil plan?..."Sam asked.
"No, something almost better..."Star said as she presented what it was to the goth girl.
It was a diary. Colette's diary, to be precise. Sam grinned, realizing what this means.
"This pleases me..."She said, smirking.
"Me too..."Star said, also smirking.
At that moment, Tuckers PDA dinged.
Sam, Star and Tucker got worried Jean-Puke would investigate and find them but thankfully he didn't seem to realize where it came from.
"Darn technology, always beeping over something..."Jean-Puke said while annoyed. "Apologies my dearest, let me walk to my office, there won't be any distractions on my end there..." He said.
"Of course..." Yolanda said with a giggle.
Star felt sick upon hearing that.
"This is the man my mother left us for?!..." She said, disgusted.
Star, Sam and Tucker waited until they heard a door open and shut before getting out of their hiding places.
Tucker unplugged his PDA and they quietly snuck out of the Bevier apartment, thankful that the two were now outside and managed to sneak out before any of the pent house security spotted them.
"That was too close for comfort..." Star said
"Yeah but at least I got the data..." Tucker said.
"Finally. We all done? Can we move on to the next step into clearing our names and possibly have Colette expelled from not just our school, but our town too..." Sam asked.
"The good news is I can track their IP addresses and we can delete the data..." Tucker said.
"Great..." Star said as she thought she could have her Danny boo back in no time.
"The bad news is I can't do it remotely. I have to connect to their computers directly..." Tucker said.
"Less great but still doable..." Star said.
"Well, let's get started..." Sam said. "We have a deadline before everything goes to heck... Emphasis on DEAD..."She said.
"Always with the sunny disposition. Eh, Sam?..." Tucker teased.
"So not the time, Tucker!..." Sam shouted.
"True. Just trying to lighten the mood..." Tucker said.
"Well, not the time to lighten anything..."Sam muttered.
"Let's just hurry up already. You can annoy each other later..."Star said, wanting to get this over and done with.
A little later
The trio soon left and went to Tucker's house.
There, in his room, he uploaded what he got from Colette's computer. That wasn't the only thing they took.
With Colette's diary, the teenaged trio now gained a huge advantage against the antagonist step sister.
Only one problem stood in their way now.
This diary is a lock and key combo but they managed to break into it thanks to Sam's wrist blaster. Once it was open, they began to read it.
Sam frowned.
"It's all in French!..."She muttered, not understanding anything written here.
"Luckily, I can speak and read French quite fluently..."Star said as she began reading and translating it.
Starting with the most recent entry.
"Dear diary...I am sick and tired of Danny ignoring me and giving all his attention and love to Estelle. I have tried everything I could think of to make him love me and yet nothing worked...until now. I managed to find what I needed in order to finally steal him away from my little sister. Apparently, he is Danny Phantom and with all the proof I have on video, he has no choice but to love me now. I know that what I am doing isn't very nice, but he has left me with no choice. However, once he sees how wonderful it is to be with me, he will thank me for freeing him from Estelle...I am sure I will make him love me by the time it is time for us to get married, at least. In the end, he will see that this is all for his own good..."Was written there.
Star nearly tore the diary to shreds upon reading that, practically snarling.
"She really IS sick!..."Sam said in anger and in disgust.
"Oh all the rotten things! And how dare she act like she's the victim here!..."Star whispered, wishing that Colette was here to deck her.
"At least now, we have something on her...and an excuse to want to give her head trauma..."Sam said in a hinting way.
Star realized what she meant and smirked, liking the idea.
"Yeah, we got some good dirt on her. True, we can't exactly use this specific entry since we'd be exposing Danny's secret if we show the adults. But there is some good dirt on another page here...and I bet there is more if you read any more of this... "Star said.
"Still, what if she has a backup for us on knowing Danny's secret?..."Star considered.
"If she really did, she would've definitely rubbed it in our faces already, especially yours..." Sam pointed out.
"True...but now we can use this as leverage..." Star said, ready to save her boyfriend.
The girls continued to read the rest of the despicable girl's diary and soon found what they were looking for.
"Jackpot!..."They both said as Tucker found the IP address.
Elsewhere
With Colette
The fake redhead was still on her "date" with Danny.
And by that, she was bossing him around, nagging him and talking about their "future" together, all of which got on the ghost boy's nerves.
"I was thinking that after our one year anniversary, we will travel to Paris to celebrate. Perhaps even stop by England and Greece for a tiny bit..."Colette said, having full intentions of moving back to Paris in the future.
"Over my dead body...well I guess half dead body...the other half..." Danny thought, not answering.
Colette continued to spout nonsense.
"It is best if you brush up on your French. You will need it for when we move to France in the future..." Colette said.
"Fat chance of that happening..."Danny under his breath, while Colette didn't seem to notice.
"It is best if you do as you're told and follow the standards I have set for you if you ever hope to fit in and out shine zee rest of the elites. The Bevier name and status in France depends on that..."She said, speaking like she was stating an everyday fact.
"What an egomaniac!..."Danny thought as she kept spouting nonsense.
"You will see how wonderful my patience and generosity can be..."Colette said arrogantly.
"I have serious doubts about that..." Danny thought, frowning at her.
Things got worse as Colette got a certain look in her eye.
"I feel like we need another moment to ourselves..." She said as she wrapped her arms around him again.
Danny flinched, hating this but it got worse as she fluttered her eyes at him.
"Let's start with this..." She said, puckering her lips at him.
"Someone save me!..." He thought, shutting his eyes to block it out.
Thankfully, before she could kiss him Colette's phone started ringing. Colette stopped what she was doing and Danny sighed in relief.
"Thank you!..." He thought as his self proclaimed girlfriend answered her phone.
"Bonjour..."She said, sounding annoyed.
"Colette, it's Star. Don't hang up..."She said quickly.
"Estelle? What is it? I am in the middle of a date right now!..."Colette said, annoyed.
"Yeah, with MY boyfriend..."Star said.
"He is MY boyfriend now. Now tell me what do you want before I block this number..."Colette said.
"Oh, just that I have something I'd like to talk to you about this amazing new book I've been reading lately..." Star said.
"What nonsense are you spouting?..." Colette demanded.
Colette was a bit baffled by this and was deciding whether to hang up or tell her stepsister off before she could hang up on her. That was before she heard Star say something that was shockingly familiar to the rich French girl.
"You found what you needed, right? Like with finding shoes that fit your dainty feet or an ex who somehow was dumb enough to take you back after being your damaged goods..." Star said, though before she could continue, Colette got annoyed.
"Quit talking in riddles and don't call me on this number again, you idiotic Plouc!..."She said impatiently, rudely hanging up and blocking the number.
"Was that Star?..."Danny asked, but Colette got angry.
"Never say that name again! YOU ARE MINE! GET IT?!..." Colette snapped at him.
Danny was actually taken back by her demented tone, but Colette regained her composure.
"I apologize for yelling, Darling...but you know that you should not speak of that woman again. You have me and not her, and that is to be your only concern..." Colette said cheerfully now.
"For now..." Danny grumbled under his breath.
"What was that, Mon Amore?..." Colette asked, with some edge in her tone.
"Nothing..." Danny lied.
"Now, where were we?..." Colette said, as she tried to kiss him again.
However, miraculously, Danny's phone rang this time.
"Yes!.." He thought as he pulled away before she could kiss him.
"Sorry, gotta answer this..." Danny said and Colette got upset.
"Who is important on the phone that you are not paying attention to moi?! It better not be Estelle or those peons you use to call your friends!..." Colette said, annoyed.
"It's my parents..." Danny said flatly.
Colette heard this and huffed.
"Fine. Make it quick!..." She said, sounding impatient.
"Seriously, she thinks it's A crime to talk to my own parents?!..." He thought, as he answered.
"Hello..." Danny answered.
"Danny, we need you to come home now. It's getting late. May I remind you of your curfew?..." Maddie was heard on the other end of the phone.
"Oh, sure Mom. I'll be home soon..." Danny said while Colette sent him a glare.
"Good, we need to regroup and try and help Jazz...in a way that won't catch Chief Boyle's attention...again..." Maddie said, sounding like another incident just occurred.
"Well, that's the end of that. Though I guess I should be grateful it doesn't sound like they got arrested again..." The ghost boy thought.
Danny hung up, while Colette sent him a disapproving look.
"Excuse moi? I did not say you can leave yet, we are still on a date!..." She said, hands on her hips.
Green eyes glared at the ghost boy. The girl invaded his personal space as her hands grabbed him by the collar.
"When did I say you could go home?!…"She exclaimed.
Danny sent her a flat look, finding it ridiculous that she would try and forbid even this.
"Uh…never..."He sassed.
Colette looked angry, but Danny cut her off.
"You do realize that they are my parents and I still live under their roof, right? I'm only 15, and by law, they still have more say than you do when I go home…"He pointed out.
"If I don't go home, they are gonna get worried and come looking for me. And you know they are prone to assuming ghosts are the cause and will shoot first and ask questions later..." Danny added.
Colette heard this and pouted.
She was angry that their time together would be cut short now, but she understood his logic. She also recalled how trigger happy Danny's parents are and recalled the last time she was almost an unwitting target of theirs when they were in New York.
"Ugh! Fine! You may leave but I am expecting a call from you when you arrive at home and again later tonight..." She said begrudgingly.
Danny didn't want to, but he knew that he had no choice. He reluctantly nodded.
"I also expect to see you at 7:00AM on the dot tomorrow and do not even think of being late. Now, go home and I'll see you in our dreams…"Colette ordered the ghost boy.
"Except in my dreams, you're screaming in agony!…"Danny mentally hissed, as he endured an unwanted kiss from her.
Once he was freed, he took off for her as soon as he could.
"So sick! Like kissing a rusty barbed wire! I can't wait until I can kiss my Starlight again!..." He thought as he rubbed his lips, planning to use A LOT of mouthwash when he got home.
All the while, he missed his REAL girlfriend and friends, and wished he was with them right now.
Later
Colette had arrived to her penthouse in Polter Heights.
She had just stepped inside the penthouse, humming a merry tune to herself. There was a skip to her step as she twirled with a smile.
"Tres Bien! Everything is falling into place…"She said in a sing-song. "And once I set everything in stone, all will be perfect!..."She thought to herself.
As she walked, she noticed a certain note on the door to her fathers office and read.
"Just stepped out for a last minute meeting. Will be back late tonight..." Was written in French.
Her stupid stepmother would assume it was a legit business meeting, but Colette knew what it really meant.
"I just hope he doesn't do something stupid and I have to deal with another diaper stainer..." She thought, rolling her eyes.
Walking up the stairs, the girl went straight to her room. She was so happy, her eyes were shut just to contain herself.
Reaching out for the doorknob, her hand grasped air as she blindly searched to enter her room. Upon opening her eyes, all joy crackled and plummeted like stones as she saw the door practically torn off its hinges.
And what was worse, her room looked like a tornado rampaged inside, almost like it was armed to each wind.
Her bed was smashed into the ground, her dresses torn, the laptop missing, possibly in the same state as the competent destroyed desk. Mirrors were shattered, and her plushies were all dead with fluff spilling out. Even her previous portraits were ruined too!
"Sacre bleu!…"Colette screamed as she ran to her belongings.
"What happened? Did one of these ghosts do this?…"She exclaimed.
Taking out her phone, she snapped photos of the chaos and began to jump to conclusions.
"I'll have to punish Mon Amore for this. He should know better than to let anything happen to my room…"She said.
"Maybe he just knows you deserve it…"Star said, leaning on the borders of the entrance.
With a smug smile, she looked around, admiring the destruction with pride but nothing was as savory as seeing her step-sister's face.
Colette was choking on air as her face paled, eyes dilated, and hand twitched. The frozen witch stayed that way long enough for the blonde girl to snap a picture.
"What a surprise that a so-called Plouc is here, you chienne!..."Star said, causing Colette to gasp at the insult.
"What are you doing here?! And what did you do to my room?! Papa!..." Colette screamed, momentarily forgetting a certain detail.
"Don't even bother, that skunk isn't here. He is probably out with one of his little floozies! As for why I am here, you blocked my number and we need to talk! NOW!..." Star said in an acidic voice.
The spoiled brat glared at that, looking like she was willing to lunge at her and claw her. That possibility just seemed way too unlikely to actually happen.
Even so, Colette began yelling and spouting accusations.
"How dare you break into my home and destroy my room! I can have you arrested for this!..."Colette snapped.
"After what you have been up to, you actually have the audacity to even try to play the victim right now..."Star said, disgusted with her blatant hypocrisy but not surprised by it to be honest.
"I shouldn't be surprised. I thought this line would best exemplify the summary: "I managed to find what I needed in order to finally steal him away from my little sister..." Star said.
"Alright. The book actually sounds smart, oui, but don't bother me with your stupidity..."She said impatiently.
"You're the stupid one! You'd have to be stupid to think I'd take this sitting down!..."Star said, deciding to spell it out for her.
Before the fake redheaded snob could verbally retaliate, she noticed something very familiar in her stepsister's hands.
Colette gasped in horror.
"THAT'S MY DIARY!..."She exclaimed. "HOW DID YOU GET IT?!..."She demanded.
"Wouldn't you like to know?..."Star said, looking smug now.
"And before you ask, Sam and I already made copies. Dozens of them, for every single page...including the page of what happened last September, the day mom and your dad was out of the country for a trip and left you home alone...and despite what they told you, you invited over one of your past boyfriends Francois Dubois and -..." She began, but her bratty step sister panicked now.
"STOP!..."Colette screamed, looking horrified now.
"Did you tell Papa and Mama about that?!..."She asked, worried.
"Not yet, but I will. Now tell me where that video and all those copies are and surrender Danny or I will make sure that all your dirty little secrets will be posted on the internet, and I will make sure that Mom and Jean-Puke are the first to see them! Especially the one last September with Francois, along with all of your other little dates with Philippe, Darius, Jean-Henri, Lorenzo, Claude, Adrien, Clarence, Thomas, Aidan and Gabriel!..."Star threatened.
Colette gulped and realized she was in big trouble now.
"If Mama and papa find out about that...I'll be grounded until college..."She said in dismay.
Even the rotten French girl understood that she was stuck between a rock and a hard place right now. The wicked stepsister only had one trick left to pull during this situation...bluff her way out of it.
Though, she also considered her options and realized that the odds seem to still be in her favor, albeit only marginally. Even so, she decided to go with her gut and try to gamble right now.
"You know what, I don't care.…"Colette said, her face twisted into a malicious grin.
With the most spiteful grin, the predatory girl gave off a look of pure, apathetic lunacy. Her green eyes were as wide as saucers that revealed more emotions than intended.
For the first time, she actually looked like the villain she had always been.
It was unnerving, making Star step back, reaching for the ectosaber in her pocket. Her wicked step sister just continued to gloat and lord her superiority over her hated step sister again.
The spoiled brat marched to the angry blonde girl, having a supercilious expression on her face.
"But you forget, Estelle. The odds are still in my favor..."Colette said, as she walked over with a lurch.
"You might think that this might affect me, but its significant to deal with if it means keeping my victory..."Colette said, her expression not changing.
"Victory?!..."Star exclaimed.
"Yes, my victory. Let me spell it out for you...I...Won…Danny is mine. Things will be in proper order, and this competition of our has its victor…"She said.
"Competition?…"Star asked.
"Oui. One that has declared zee winner..."Colette said, still smirking.
The world paused at the fake redhead's words.
"All this is just a game to her?!..."
Stars could not believe those words after all the trouble she had to go through because of this rotten apple.
It was official, Vlad had been overthrown as the creepiest stalker. At least he had something more compared to the phony redhead, but that was on hold.
"You mean all this is over some 'competition' we never had?! What is wrong with you?! This was never a game or contest! I'd say you're pure evil, but now, you're just beyond vapid!…"Star challenged her step-sister, leaning into the girl's personal space.
"Doesn't matter…I won. Danny is mine, now and forever. As long as he behaves as a good boy and you stay out of our way!…"Colette threatened.
And it worked.
"You actually thought ahead?!…"Star shivered, jolting back.
Could Colette actually be scary?
Yes, and more.
The evil fake redhead continued to make her threat loud and clear.
"Just know this, Estelle. You can show some things in my diary and true, Papa and Mama might scold me and ground me for a while, but I have gotten used to that now. But remember if you show them anything about THIS incident, you would also be revealing Danny's secret. And you don't want that, do you?..." She said, knowing she hit the nail on the head.
Star was silent but soon realized she had a point. All the pages that mention Colette's latest schemes also mentioned Danny's secret in some way.
"What? You didn't think I thought ahead. Well, you always were an example of what people say about dimwitted blondes!..." Colette mocked, enraging her step sister even more.
"Why you..." Star hissed, looking ready to deck her now but her step sister still didn't look intimidated.
"Silence, peon! I am talking now! As for your little threat...well... true, I might get punished...but it is still NOTHING compared to what Danny would go through if his secret is out...and what you and your stupid friends will go through too. I already ruined their lives once...and believe me when I say...I have the means to do much, MUCH worse and I vill if any of you try to cross me again or go near Mon Danny! Do NOT give me an excuse to ruin you further... if you know what is good for you..."She said in a dark tone.
Star was livid, but also appalled too. She always knew that Colette was a terrible person and she was convinced that she was pretty crazy too...but right noe, she was convinced that she wasn't even human at this point.
"I can't believe it but I think you really are no different than Beatrice..."Star said, almost horrified.
Colette smirked at that.
"Merci..." She said, still smirking in that unnerving way.
"And one more thing. Danny isn't the only one who I have any dirt on. Do you think it was just his secret that I used to tame him?..." Colette mocked.
"What photos do you have of me?! Spill it!..." Star demanded, raising a fist.
"Not telling and if you attack me like a barbarian again, the security guards will be notified and arrest you, and you will have another criminal charge against you. And how do you think that peasant father will react if he finds out you have been arrested? I don't care but it will just make the other "crimes" you have been accused of much more believable ..." Colette said, looking at her nails with a smirk.
Star couldn't stand this. Her fists were clenched and she nearly shook in rage, looking like she was about to explode any moment.
"I hate you!..." Star said, looking at her with so much loathing.
Colette just had the audacity to send her a smug look.
"Tell me something I don't already know..." She said, still sounding smug.
"You really have gone too far this time!. You can't handle the idea of me being happy so you find some ways of ruining my life!..." Star yelled.
"Oui, like I haven't done that before..." Colette scoffed, not caring.
"I know about New York! And I have proof!..." Star shouted.
Colette rolled her eyes.
"Like I care. Your mother might be against it but Papa doesn't mind me going on my little trips. He loves me..." Colette said, arms crossed.
"I also know about your stupid dads little side piece! And I'm telling my mom! Don't think I won't!..." Star warned.
"And what? Papa will probably just replace her just like he did with all the others. Belles-mères come and go and your mother is just another fool who is charmed by the Beviers, just like any other woman who falls for my Papa and should consider themselves lucky he even bothered to even give them any of his attention. It's not my fault she was stupid enough to think she was anything special but I guess it is true what they say... Like mother, like daughter..." Colette said, being very disrespectful.
Star looked ready to throttle her and actually approach her to do that, but Colette held out her hand and sent her an unintimidated and domineering look.
"Just keep in mind, ma petite sœur...if I go down, you and all those little losers will go down with me..." She said in a menacing way, making her threat clear.
"The day will finally come where I win, for good. And just you wait...come tomorrow and the next day…you vill finally learn your place. And just wait for my big surprise tomorrow for Danny. It will indeed be something special..." She said, still with that twisted look on her face.
Star didn't falter or flinch, she simply stared down her evil step sister and stood her ground.
"You won't get away with this Colette. I WILL save Danny from you and you will get what is coming to you!..." Star said, glaring at her intensely.
Colette merely giggled fiendishly at that.
"Oh poor, naive Estelle. You still seem to childishly believe that the so-called "good guys" win and that the people you think are zee bad guys...like for example, moi... should be the ones to lose. It is so pathetic and ignorant. It is time you learn...I always get what I want in the end. And it is high time you accepted that you have been beaten. After all, only one of us is destined for greatness in everything. Can you guess which one of us it is? I will give you a hint…It is the one who does not have a simple peasant of a father, and did not spend years in such a town that makes even backwater cities look pleasant by comparison. And the other is destined to fall to their knees and have their faces at the winners feet. I shall always be the superior one of us two...and you best to learn your place, Half peasant!..." Colette said, while Star was struggling not to strangle her right now.
"Since you do have my diary and I don't want to deal with any other annoyance tonight, I will give you one minute to leave my home and I won't rat you out to Papa or your mother. But that is where my generosity ends. You are no longer allowed on my property and if I even THINK you are trying to contact Danny, I will make sure the police are made aware of this...even at the price of Papa seeing what is in my diary..." she said.
"Zee clock iz ticking..." Colette said impatiently, pointing at the time on her phone.
Star growled and punched a nearby wall, leaving a dent.
Colette seemed unfazed by it.
"If that is an attempt to intimidate me, it failed. If Mon Amore threats couldn't scare me, you have no chance..." Colette said.
"And you just wasted ten seconds...you now have 50...49...48...47...46..." Colette counted the time.
Star growled but left the apartment, loudly slamming the door shut.
Colette rolled her eyes at that.
"Such a drama queen. Vhatever. Best call that worthless peasant maid to come here and clean all this up before Papa or that woman come home..." Colette said, dialing a certain number on her phone.
Outside
With Star
The blonde girl left Polter Heights, unable to believe what just happened.
She left the penthouse and was now in a nearby alley, taking her frustration out on a discarded trash can.
"I can't believe it! I thought that she'd fold like a towel after I told her about the diary and copies but she wouldn't even do that! AHHH!..." Star said as she angrily punched the trash can, leaving a big dent in it.
The blonde girl was breathing deeply, almost hyperventilating over how her latest tactic didn't work out like she had planned.
She hated to admit it but Colette did make a point. While her secrets were bad, the worst her parents might do is just ground her but the ones that could actually incriminate her...she can't use them without exposing Danny and them...which is what Colette planned all along just in case.
It was clear that she thought ahead to either cover her tracks and to take as many people down with her if she falls. It was almost Vlad level scary how strategic she was being.
After this, she is practically Vlad level scary now, and it was far worse than it sounded.
"I can't let her get away with this. I gotta save Danny!..." Star thought, feeling desperate now.
Cupping her chin in thought, Star looked to her feet as she walked.
"I gotta talk to the others and talk about plan B..." She thought.
She knew that she needed to meet with her friends and the others and go over their options again.
They needed to do something fast before tomorrow and before whatever Colette has planned.
Whatever it is, she knows that it CANNOT be good.
Later
Jazz, Val and Misty were still on their respective side missions.
This one in particular was to procure some unique ingredients, while also keeping tabs on both Danny and especially Colette on their whereabouts.
Since Danny went home and was temporarily free from that brat, they decided to continue with their own respective tasks. Ember was also here.
"So exactly what's the plan here now?..." Misty asked.
"You said you needed to get some ingredients for whatever hocus pocus spell you plan on using on that French menace, right?..." Ember asked.
"... Yeah. If Star can't find the data, this could help us either get the info out of Colette herself or reveal how she framed everyone..." Misty nodded.
"Although the latter part is gonna require some pretty weird ingredients. Some of which even I am not completely sure where to start looking for..." Misty said, recalling what ingredients are needed to make a certain spell that has had her puzzled for months.
"Some of the ingredients are in the Ghost Zone. Ergo, you, me, The Ghost Huntress and Phantom's sister are going to have to search for them and I think that if we split the list in half we can cover more ground..." The Ghostly Diva said.
"Not that I don't see a flaw in your logic, Ember..." Jazz said.
"After all... Time is of the essence but it's just that uh... How do I say this kindly?..." She asked.
"We are still not sure if we can totally trust you." Valerie said bluntly. "So how do we know you're really going to help us and not leave us for dead at the first chance you get?..." She accused her.
The Ghostly Diva rolled her eyes in annoyance.
"Because as I said before, I want Phantom to fight me and I hate that spoiled brat like you all do..." Ember retorted.
"And as much as we all have the same goal in mind, I want Babypop far away from that delusional little monster. Now we can either waste crucial time here in the basement and fight amongst each other or and I can't stress this enough, you three can push away and lock whatever distrust you have for me for the time being and get started on our scavenger hunt! The sooner we take that French menace down, the better!..." Ember said while the other females couldn't argue against it.
"PING!..."
Jazz heard her phone going off and read a text she just received from Star, gasping in shock.
"What's the matter, Jazz?..." Val asked, sounding worried.
"Star just sent me some information and a heads up..." The redhead said. "Long story short, she just talked to Colette..." She revealed.
"Oh this does not bode well..." Misty said.
"And...?..." She asked.
"We gotta get moving..." Jazz said quickly. "Star said that Colette has a 'big surprise' for her birthday... I don't like the sound of that..." She said, even more worried now.
All the remaining girls didn't like it either, which also meant that this four women mix mash of a team had to hurry.
"Ok, we wasted enough time!..." Ember said. "Red Huntress, you're with me, while Misty and Jazz get your butts on that flying contraption!..." She ordered.
"Hey, wait a minute!..." Valerie said evenly. "Who died and made you the boss?..." She snapped.
This caused Ember to send Val a slightly offended look for the backhanded comment the ghost hunter just made.
"Ok, first of all I'm already dead..." Ember said bluntly. "Second of all, raise your hand if you know most of the Ghost Zone like the back of your hand..." She retorted.
Valerie, Misty and Jazz didn't do so.
"Thought so..." Ember said.
"Now, look, let's split the list of ingredients in half! You two nitwits will go to one side while The Red Huntress and I will go to the other and we will reunite here by the end of the day..." Ember said.
The trio nodded and got ready, Valerie got her ghost hunting suit out while Misty and Jazz got inside the Fenton Specter Speeder.
The girls entered the Ghost Zone with one goal in mind.
To save Danny from the spoiled monster who is just getting more unhinged.
-To be continued-
Next time on Blackmailed
Betrayals and Confrontations
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, 61394, Invader Johnny and Luiz4200 all their help. You guys rock :)
REPLIES to my loyal and totally awesome reviewer:
Fiction Realm: I guess that we will have to wait and see what happens.
Jebest4781 and SuperSonicBros123: Thank you :)
Danifan3000: Sorry, no spoilers. I guess that we will have to wait and see what happens.
Invader Johnny: Sorry, no spoilers. I guess that we will have to wait and see what happens.
Guardian1989: How is this so far?
61394: :)
Phantom Fan 21: Well said, but I think you meant Colette.
RonaldM40196867:
1) She wants trying to kill her but she did want to ruin her hair.
2) I think this chapter shows how low she thinks of them.
3) Probably.
4) Not yet.
5) Hard to say.
6) Maybe. Hard to say.
7) Thanks for the suggestion. I will consider it.
8) Thanks for the suggestion. I will consider it.
9) Thanks for the suggestion. I will consider it.
10) Sorry, no spoilers. I guess that we will have to wait and see what happens.
Pokemon fan 1991: Thank you :)
Luiz4200: I guess that we will have to wait and see what happens.
JDF Legacier Morphicon: Thank you and well said.
Bob the mammoth: Well said.
Commander M3: Sorry, no spoilers. I guess that we will have to wait and see what happens.
CZS4: I guess that we will have to wait and see what happens.
Guest(1): How is this so far?
Guest(2): Sorry, no spoilers. I guess that we will have to wait and see what happens.
RandomAnonymous: How is this so far?
Rock1030: How is this so far?
:) I hope you enjoyed this! Remember to read and review :)