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.
Court
Chapter 10: Cross Examination
Danny and Star had been telling their story, while Valerie and Misty were speechless now.
"Seriously? That fruitloop actually had the nerve to show up to that trial?..."Valerie asked.
"For real?..."Misty asked.
"Yeah, apparently Klemper couldn't keep his mouth shut and Vlad, being the pain in the neck that he is, just couldn't resist trying to make things worse..."Danny said.
"No kidding. He's a total psycho. It's no surprise some people think he's related to Colette..."Star grumbled.
"Normally, I wouldn't even surprise me if there was some actual truth to that rumor but that would require him to want Suzette, someone who isn't my mom…and we all know that's not happening anytime soon..." Danny said.
"Suzette's lucky..."Jazz snarked.
"True. He's too busy trying to ruin other people's lives just because he can't let go of a 20-year grudge..."Tucker said.
Valerie and Misty looked disgusted upon hearing what the fruit loop had been up to.
"Geez, from what you guys told me, that guy really needs to get a hobby...or a girlfriend..."Misty added.
"I wish. He's too delusional and obsessed with my mom to even try. The thing he actually needs is a therapist..."Danny complained.
"And I'd pity any woman who'd actually settle for that creep. Honestly, who'd actually go for someone like him?..."Val asked, doubting any woman would have bad taste like that.
"Danny's aunt..."Tucker said not-so-helpfully.
"Seriously?..." Misty asked.
The ghost boy reluctantly sighed and nodded.
"Unfortunately, my aunt Alicia has REALLY bad taste in men. Good news, Vlad is more afraid of her than most people are about ghosts, so I don't think I have to worry about him becoming my uncle any time soon..." Danny said before shuddering at the mere thought of it.
"So, I guess some women really do have no taste in men..."Val commented.
"You said it..." Star said.
"Moving on. Like Danny said, that fruitloop showed up and as always, tried to make things worse..." Jazz said, as she decided to continue with the story.
Story
Danny cursed under his breath when he saw his archenemy show up.
"What are you doing here?!..."Danny shouted, angry to see the fruitloop here.
"How rude. Usually people greet others with a "hello", Little Badger..."Vlad said in a smug way, while Danny growled in anger.
"What the heck is Plasmius doing here?! I thought those files said Vlad hates Walker!..."Star whispered to Tucker.
"He does. I guess that he's here to make Danny look bad in front of your dad..." Tucker guessed.
Star figured that was the case as her father seemed surprised by the surprise visitors to the courtroom.
"Who is that?..."Johanthan asked as he whispered to his daughter.
"Danny's arch-enemy and major trouble for us..."Star said as the evil half-ghost floated inside.
"Plasmius? What are you doing here? You're not listed as either a witness, juror or suspect, so this matter does not concern you..."The judge observant said, sending him a suspicious glare.
"Oh, I heard that Daniel was being placed on trial today and I thought, why not watch him be made a fool off and hopefully help make it happen. Not that it would take much since, as they say, like father like son..."Vlad said, while the ghost boy sent him a glare.
"Plasmius, you weren't summoned to jury duty nor invited to witness this. Leave or be arrested, I don't need you here..."Walker said, about to use his guards to arrest him but the evil halfa thought fast.
"Now Walker...or would you prefer "prosecutor"? I don't really care. Though, I do believe that I could be a useful consultant to you in this case..."Vlad said, trying to act as an ally.
He then quickly whispered something to Walker.
"After all, you never know if...some additional "evidence" could suddenly show up...if you need it..."Vlad whispered quickly, getting the evil warden's attention.
"I ain't no fool, Plasmius. I know you never do anything without a motive. What do you want?..."Walker said.
"Oh, I'll just feel better knowing Daniel isn't causing trouble anymore...and I'm also wanting immunity for myself and should you feel the need to return the favor in the future by offering your assistance in future schemes... I wouldn't be against it..."Vlad whispered the last part.
"Figures..."Walker said.
"Anyway, just let me enjoy the show and I may be able to help if you hit a snag. You never know if you may need my help..."Vlad offered, getting the warden's attention.
Walker heard this and blinked as he considered this.
"Well, most of these idiots on jury duty are messing up and Plasmius hates Phantom too. Might be good to have some more ammunition against the punk if things go south..."Walker considered, before smirking.
"Alright, your honor. The prosecution requests permission for Vlad Plasmius to be present and serve as a witness if necessary..."Walker said, shocking the heroes.
"What?! No!..."Danny shouted.
"Granted..."The head observant said.
"What?! Why?! You guys gotta know that Vlad is a fruitloop and a total psycho!..."Sam shouted.
"Yeah, He's not a character witness! There is no way this fruitloop is qualified to speak at a poetry slam, much less a court case!..."Star tried to argue.
"Yeah, there is no way he can give any unbiased testimony!..."Jazz added.
"Normally, we wouldn't allow this, but the rules allow the prosecutor, in this case me, to summon additional witnesses if needed..."Walker said in a smug tone.
"Is that true?..."Star asked as she turned to her father.
"Unfortunately, it is. Rule number 54321. During any form of ghostly trial, the prosecutor is allowed to call forth and request more witnesses if they need it..."Johnathan said.
"Seriously?..."Danny complained, while Vlad looked smug.
"Well, it looks like I'm here to stay..."Vlad said as he ignored the glares his enemies were sending him.
"Before I continue, exactly who are you and what exactly do you have against my client?..."Johnathan demanded to know, knowing this guy might be trouble.
Vlad seemed surprised to see Star's father here but figured that he could just take advantage of this and make things tougher for Danny.
"Oh, how rude of me. My name is Vlad-..."
"Masters..." Danny said, cutting him off and leaving both grown men momentarily silent.
"Yeah, that Vlad Masters. The mayor of Amity Park who won by overshadowing everyone into voting for him, a creep who made his fortune by robbing banks and stealing from legitimate business owners! He's also the biggest fruitloop on the planet!..." Danny said spitefully.
Vlad seemed shocked that Danny outed him like that, while Johnathan was speechless.
"THE MAYOR?!..."Johnathan said, shocked while Star and the others nodded, confirming that it's true.
"Daniel? Are you mad?! You do realize that I can-..."
"He already knows my secret identity, which means I don't have to care if he knows yours or not..." Danny said, while Vlad was speechless.
"Seriously?..."Vlad asked.
"Seriously..." Danny said and his friends and girlfriend nodded.
Vlad frowned.
"Fine. Whatever. At least now I don't have to watch what I say now. Not that it will matter soon..."Vlad said, while Star's father looked even more in shock now.
"Wait...seriously? That was true...the town's mayor is a ghost?..."Johnathan asked, stunned and felt a headache forming now. "No wonder I don't remember that election or who I voted for...especially since I was planning to vote for Montez's re-election for mayor..."Johnathan adds while Vlad frowned.
"I knew that there was a reason I didn't like you...and not just because your daughter is Daniel's little girlfriend who got in my way one too many times..."Vlad said, frowning at them.
"Yeah. Cool, we can start a club with shirts that say what garbage you are. With him on our side, you are toast..."Danny said, since in a way, it's Mr. Strong's turn to get in the evil halfa's way.
"You're overly confident, aren't you? Oh well, it's your funeral little badger. Or should I say his funeral?..."Vlad said, gesturing to the blonde lawyer.
"Are you threatening me?..." Johnathan asked, accusing him.
"Yes, I thought that was obvious. Well, it should be to someone who doesn't have Daniel's grades. It seems as if you spend more time with his idiot father than I realized..."Vlad said, while the ghost boy glared at him.
Johnathan also glared, but Vlad then smirked as he decided to mess with him a bit.
"I've heard that my mayoral staff say that you're one of the best lawyers in the state, if that's really the case then I hope you're good enough to put on a good show while trying to save this young man's life from an eternal prison sentence. Good Luck, you're going to need it..."Vlad said, before he floated to where the audience was.
"Now, I hope there will be no more distractions..."The head observant said.
"The mayor is a ghost...and apparently a criminal...I thought this day couldn't get any stranger..."Johanthan muttered.
"Again, we'll explain everything later. We really need your help here, Dad..." Star reminded her father.
Johnathan managed to ignore his shock from this development.
"Okay...let's get this over with..."He said, as the trial continued.
Present Time
"Man, I wish I could have been there to see the look on Vlad's face when you outed him like that..."Val said with a laugh.
"It was pretty funny..."Tucker said.
"Unfortunately, things only got crazier and crazier after Vlad showed up..."Sam said, as they continued with the story.
Back to the story
The trial continued and Johanthan was once again interrogating Danny's enemies who were part of the jury.
Right now, he was talking to Desiree who was called to the stand.
"So... Desiree? Is that your actual name? Because that name is a little too on the nose, and I'm certain it's of French ancestry..." Johnathan started.
"Just ask your questions regarding the case, little man..." Desiree snarled, while Star's father ignored that remark.
"Well... please tell me exactly what happened when you first met my client..." Johnathan said.
"Well... I was freed from a lamp, and I'm aware of how cliched that is, when I grated a girl's wish for more cotton candy. So I did a tidal wave of it..." Desiree said proudly.
"I remember that..." Star recalled being at the swap meet when it happened.
"I'm sorry. What? A tidal wave?..."Johnathan repeated, hoping that he heard that wrong.
Desiree nodded.
"Of course, she wanted it and her mother wouldn't get her any and the child said "I wish". I had to do something..."Desiree said, acting like she did nothing wrong.
"And...you didn't just think to give the girl one sample of it? You could have just given her a little bit? Why a tidal wave? You could have seriously hurt someone doing that, including the child who made that wish..." Johnathan argued, looking angry that she endangered so many people like that and for such a stupid reason.
Desiree shrugged.
"It was just cotton candy, so I don't know why everyone is making such a big deal out of just wanting to make sure she got what she wanted...just as Phantom's wimpy friend wanted powers..." Desiree defended herself.
"Hey!..."Tucker was offended.
"Wait, you have powers too?..." Johnathan asked, sounding surprised.
"Not anymore. Danny helped me g-..."
"Wait...actually..." Johnathan pointed to the seat Desiree was in. "I call Tucker Foley to the stand..."He said suddenly.
"Allowed..." The Judge said.
Walker gritted his teeth as Tucker took the seat.
"Now, please explain to me what happened, Mr. Foley..." Johnathan stood with hands behind his back.
"Long story short, I was feeling low when I'd been given the short end of the superhero stick after wearing a mascot costume and getting blasted by accident. I was jealous so I made a wish that I had powers like Danny, but things went out of control until Danny used one of his parents' inventions to separate my ghostly self from me. Which was the only time I was ever scared of looking at my own face..."Tucker said as he continued to give his side of the story.
"So... these powers... they caused you to act more destructive, more dangerous with others?..." Johnathan asked, Tucker nodded in response.
"Yeah. Her magic was making me do a lot of nasty stuff. Instead of getting ghost powers like Danny's, I was turning INTO a ghost thanks to Desiree and her not-so helpful wishing granting magic. And worst of all, she made her flat out attack my own friend. I would have turned into a real monster if Danny hadn't saved me..." Tucker answered, while the genie ghost glared at him.
"OBJECTION!..." Walker called out. "Your Honor! Desiree's magic might have a habit of backfiring on the one who made the wish... but the punk's actions were all his own!..."He argued.
"You yourself said her magic had a habit of backfiring... who is to say she didn't intentionally make it so Mr. Foley would behave in a manner like that?..." Johnathan questioned.
"Ha! I just gave him powers...he simply acted out his actions from his own jealousy and resentment!..." Desiree insisted.
"Your Honor!..." Danny raised an arm. "I might be the defendant, but may I say something in defense of my friend?..."He requested.
"Allowed..." The Judge went, much to Walker's growing frustration.
"I just want to say that none of that would have happened had Desiree not been there. She willfully went around, granting wishes, and more than likely had to be there after she granted a wish that turned Paulina into an anime cat character for a minute or two..." Danny said.
"I can't help, but grant every wish I hear!..." Desiree defends herself.
"So...you have terrible impulse control?..." Johnathan grills her in a knowing manner.
"Hmm...that doesn't paint you in an innocent manner..." The Judge looked to Desiree.
The genie ghost glared at him and lost her temper.
"Ungrateful fools, I gave them what they wanted! I am not the one who dictates who does what with their wishes regardless of whoever I search to grant wishes in the first place! It's not my fault they give me room to come up with a different interpretation for the wishes!..." Desiree snapped, only to realize her mistake.
"Uh...I mean...I was only fulfilling the desires of the wish making within earshot, I had no choice...and it was Phantom's fault for making his friend feel less special in the first place. It wasn't my fault that he treats his friends so poorly and made them feel the need to wish such things..."She said innocently, but no one was buying it and she was soon lost to return to the jury.
"Objection. Danny is nothing but a great best friend. I just briefly lost confidence in myself at the time, and that doesn't change the fact that you manipulated me and nearly tried to make me destroy him..."Tucker said in defense as his best friend.
"I had only granted you power, it was your choice in how you used it..."Desiree denied.
"Roll the clip..."Danny said from his seat.
The orb showed the scene where Danny had confronted Desiree and how she refused to change Tucker back, showing no pity or remorse for her actions. Once done, Johnathan spoke up again.
"From what was seen, you can't grant wishes to undo previous wishes but otherwise must grant every wish you hear..."The lawyer said.
"That's right..."Desiree said.
"And from what we had seen, you clearly knew what you were doing and had no problem turning the boy into a monster..."The lawyer said.
"He wished to have powers, I simply wanted to make sure he was the more powerful of the two..."Desiree said.
"Oh wait...duh...I wish-..."Danny tried but was cut off.
"Nice try but don't even bother, Punk. I already made a wish with Desiree saying she can't grant any wishes that lets you escape from this trial or have you cheat at winning here..."Walker said, looking smug.
"So, we can't wish to escape. Darn...he's smarter than I thought..."Johnathan thought until he recalled Desiree had to grant EVERY wish she hears. "But not smart enough..."His thoughts finished.
"Your honor, may I have permission to do something rather unorthodox, but I do believe that it will help with the case?..."Johnathan asked.
"Proceed..."The head observant said, knowing what he was up to.
"What are you up to? I don't have all day..."Desiree said. "And I already stated that my wish granting abilities cannot counter with a previous wish..."She added, also feeling smug right now.
"So, you grant every wish you hear but can't counter another person's wish huh...well, then...I wish that you were absolutely honest with me and reveal your true intentions back then regarding your actions without twisting the facts in any way that makes you look better than you were and/or Danny Phantom look worse than he was. And did not use your powers to attack or redirect your words in a way that makes anyone guilty of something they aren't guilty of..."Johanthan said.
His words made Desiree gasp before growling.
"DARN IT!..."She yelled but gave up.
"Fine. Whatever, yes. Foley only wished to get ghost powers...but since his wish was just vague enough, I decided to just add a small twist to...make him a little more...unhinged...and monstrous...mostly to see how it would turn out and to get back at that Phantom brat for blasting me when we first met. There, you happy?..."Desiree confessed bitterly, while Walker looked livid.
"Desiree!..."He yelled at her.
"He said "I wish". You know that I can't refuse..."Desiree shouted as Johanthan looked smug.
"I simply wanted her to speak under oath..."He said with a hint of pride in his tone.
"Man, I'm good at my work..."He thought.
Desiree frowned as she was led back to the jury stand, muttering under her breath.
"I REALLY gotta find a way to stop granting every wish I hear..."She grumbled.
Walker growled but quickly thought of something.
"Your honor...the prosecution has no further questions and would like to move on with our next witness..."Walker said, hoping the next one would do a better job than Desiree.
"What's he doing now?..."Danny thought in anger, just knowing something bad is going to happen.
"Very well. Bring out your next witness..." The Head Overseer announced.
Walker ordered Desiree to show up.
"You messed up..."He said.
"Shut up, I had no idea he'd do that..."Desiree said. "The wishes I grant that end up causing trouble are the fault of the wisher, not the genie..."She insisted, but the ghost warden refused to listen.
"You want to keep our deal, then you better grant me my next wish with no backfire. Got it..."Walker said as he made his wish.
"First, you aren't granting anyone else's wishes in regard to this case beside mine until this trial is over...and also..."Walker whispered the rest of his wish to the evil genie ghost.
"Oh great, now what?..."Danny questioned under his breath.
"So, you wish it, so...oh, you know the rest..."Desiree said, as she used her magic to summon another ghost here.
This time it was Behemoth and Johnathan was stunned by the sight of the beastly ghost monster.
"GGGRRRRROOOOAAAARRRHHH!..."Behemoth roared but was restrained by Walker's guards.
"Who is that?..."Star asked, unfamiliar with this ghost.
"The Behemoth… not the one you're thinking, that's just what people call it. He's the one that guarded Pariah Dark's key..."Danny said.
"How did you know that?..."Jazz asked out loud.
"Frostbite told me about him. He said that this ghost used to be the guardian of the Skeleton Key to Pariah Dark's sarcophagus, until Vlad stole it from him and...well...I'm sure you can guess the rest..."Danny said, while Behemoth roared even louder and the ghost guards kept trying to subdue him.
"Don't show fear...don't show fear..."Johnathan thought as he tried to maintain his composure.
"Behemoth?..."Walker questioned.
"You asked for someone to be our next witness and testify against the boy. You didn't say who exactly, remember?..."Desiree said.
"Right?..."Johanthan said, snapping out of it while the beast was taken to the stand.
"So...Mr...Behemoth? Is that your name? How exactly do you know my client and could you give us your unbiased testimony on Danny's character?..."Johnathan asked.
The Behemoth stared at Danny and tilted his head in confusion, since the two had never actually met one another until today. However, Behemoth didn't respond as he was expected to. Instead, he belched loudly.
"Gross!..."Danny and Star all said, but it didn't end there.
The Behemoth ghost didn't even try to answer Johnathan's question, he just kept roaring and snarling.
"Wait...can he even speak?..."Johnathan asked.
"He can't..."The head observant said, expecting this to happen.
"What?!..."Walker exclaimed and glared at Desiree.
"How was I supposed to know? It's not like Behemoth ever comes to the Christmas parties due to his job… or that he's a giant monster ape with four arms and a snake bottom..."Desiree countered as the warden's fist clenched and looked like he was having a migraine right now.
"Smart move… get someone who doesn't talk to testify..." Danny snarked.
Walker gritted his teeth before turning his attention to Desiree.
"Make him talk!..." He ordered.
Desiree rolled her eyes and used her power, aiming at his mouth.
"There? It'll last until he leaves the room…" She said.
"So… Behemoth?" Johnathan asks as he gets its attention. "How-..."
"Meat…" Behemoth growled.
Everyone paused.
"Huh?..." Johnathan went.
"BURP!…" Behemoth went as he stared around. "LIKE-A-ROCK… SMELL BAD…"
"Oh dear…" The Judge went. "He's not capable of speech… granting it just translates it to the closest thing… not proper speech..." The judge's gavel slammed. "The Behemoth is not a reliable witness. Dismissed!..."He ordered.
The Behemoth disappeared. The Observants rolled their eyes at Walker, none pleasant with this.
"Pull off something like that again, Walker… and we'll dismiss the case entirely!..." One of them said.
Walker slowly turns his head, sounding like rock being dragged on cement, and glares angrily as Desiree. Her response was an unamused scowl.
"...well what'd you expect? He'd start quoting Shakespeare?!..." She questioned.
"I knew the big beast couldn't talk, but I didn't think it couldn't understand us! Why didn't you tell me?!..."Walker snapped at her and they began to argue.
"Reminder, I grant wishes. I don't read minds..."Desiree retorted.
Walker snorted angrily as his fist slammed into the table.
"Aaaaargh!..."Walker snapped at her and they began to argue.
Danny couldn't help but snicker.
"Looks like Walker is losing control on his side. Nice..."He said.
"Let's not get overconfident yet, Boo. This trial isn't over by a longshot..."Star said.
Danny nodded. She was right. This had yet to end.
Later
The interrogations continued, and unfortunately, thanks to Walker's wish, Johanthan couldn't just wish the other ghosts to confess too, so he had to continue with the interrogations.
Now, the next witness was called Aragon.
Suddenly, a savage grin appeared on the goth girls face as she could already predict how this would turn out.
"Hey Desiree, I wish I had some popcorn. Organic. And I wish that it wasn't poisonous or make any weird or unexpected side effects..."Sam wished, being smart with her wording of her wish.
"So, you have wished it, so it shall be..." Desiree snapped her fingers and granted a bucket of popcorn appeared in Sam's lap.
"Same here. And the exact same wish that Sam just did..."Tucker said and Desiree sighed.
"So, you...oh whatever..."Desiree granted, just snapping her fingers and the same happened.
"Hey, what about my wish from earlier!..."Walker yelled.
"You just wished that I don't grant any wishes in regard to the case. This doesn't count..."Desiree said with a flat look on her face.
"I hope you at least poisoned that popcorn..." Spectra grumbled.
"You heard their wishes, I couldn't..." The genie ghost replied, just wanting this trial over and done with already.
They all watched as Star's father began to interrogate the next person on the stand.
Former Prince Aragon.
"So, Aragon..."Johanthan began.
"Prince..." Aragon corrected. "I might be deposed no thanks to that whelp ghost boy, but I am still royalty..."He insisted.
"Right of course..." Johnathan said, not caring.
"And so, it begins..."Sam thought as she continued watching this train wreck of a witness go on.
After watching the events from the orb, the lawyer tried to control his emotions. Having seen the events already, he tried to control himself as he continued his interrogation.
"So...you kidnapped...a TEENAGER...and wanted her to marry you?!..." Johnathan asks, while holding back his desire to attack him.
Especially since his own daughter had been in that pageant and had things been differently that time, Aragon probably would have targeted her as well.
"It's not like I wanted her for her good looks or personality. Hardly. If I cared about that, I'd have picked someone else, but I just needed a bride to confirm my status. It didn't matter who it was..." Aragon crossed his arms.
"How flattering..." Sam muttered sarcastically.
Johnathan frowned, looking at him in anger and disgust before he continued to interrogate him.
"You took a girl, one who is not of legal age, against her will to be your bride? And you think you're the innocent one?..." Johnathan said, barely resisting the urge to punch this ghost.
"Hmph! I am a prince! I see no reason why I should be punished for that meddlesome boy's interference!..." Aragon rudely said, not realizing he was getting on more people's nerves right now.
"Putting Danny's involvement in those events aside for now, let's talk about your actions. While things were different in your time, in the 21st century kidnapping and forcing a girl into marriage is illegal. If we were in Amity Park right now, you'd already be trialed as guilty and arrested by now!..."Johnathan said, glaring at him.
"I am royalty, those laws mean nothing but to inconvenience us..."Aragon said, glaring at him.
"Exactly how old are you? And by that I mean what age were you before you...uh...became a ghost?..."Johanthan asked, feeling the need to establish the fact.
"I have been a ghost for 1,600 years but I was only 17 in human years before a disease hit my kingdom and wiped out many, myself included..."Aragon said, not seeing his point.
"Too bad you came back as a ghost..."Sam said, glaring at him.
Aragon glared back at her. He would have yelled at her, but Star's father spoke up again.
"Since these ghosts obviously don't care about harming innocent humans and disregard the law of the human world. I gotta think of a new strategy..."Johnathan thought, before he spoke.
"You claim that Danny Phantom, my client was contracted by you to act in a matchmaker position that he planted a spy into your stronghold who instigated a coup that placed your sister in charge of your kingdom as a puppet ruler. Did I get all that right?..."Johnathan asked flatly, already knowing that's rubbish since they had seen the events from what happened.
"That is correct..." Aragon said dismissively.
"But from what we just witnessed, Danny hadn't even met you or realized what your sister and you were up to, and you tried to use that beauty pageant to literally find a bride..."Johnathan said.
"I am royalty. I shouldn't even bother talking to that peasant whelp. Commoners should just follow my will and be grateful to witness my presence..."Aragon said dismissively, getting glares from others.
"I'm grateful that Dora is the one in charge and rebuilding that kingdom for the better and you're a has-been..."Danny muttered.
"SILENCE, COMMONNER WHELP!..."Aragon shout, before he was restrained by the court guards.
Star's father glared at him but decided to just continue with his questions.
"Now, why exactly did you want a bride anyway? And why a human bride specifically?..."Johnathan demanded.
"No other ghost has one and I, Prince Aragon, always have the best of everything. Ghost wenches are one ha'penny per dozen, and unfortunately Phantom's brain is clearly addled. Not only did he pick the homeliest looking one for me, but he even chose to court one just as unappealing for himself..."Aragon said, while Sam sent him a dirty glare.
As did all the other females in the courtroom glared at him, including the ones from the jury.
"Remind me to punch that guy after this trial is over..." Spectra said in fury and her friends nodded.
"Have you looked in a mirror?! You look like you belong in a lame B-movie people watch because they have nothing better to do!..."Sam growled.
"That's putting it mildly..." Star said, glaring.
"Silence you unsightly wenches! I am your better and deserve to be treated as the king I am!..."Aragon snarled, looking furious and refusing to see himself in the wrong.
"This guy is even worse than Jean-Puke..."Johnathan thought in anger and disgust before continuing.
"This guy even makes Dash seem charming in comparison..." Jazz muttered in disgust of this ex-prince, glad she never tried out for that beauty pageant.
"I never noticed until now, but this guy is basically a ghost version of Toadman..."Star muttered in disgust.
Her father was starting to lose his patience and continued with his interrogation.
"Prince Aragon. You claim that you had been the ruler of your realm in the ghost zone since the dark ages...1600 years to be precise?..."Johnathan asked.
"Indeed. I was and should still be the rightful ruler, until I was UNJUSTLY deposed..."Aragon said.
"And your realm had lived like it was the dark ages during that entire time...which means you had used all the rules and tradition from that era for your realm and applied it to everyone who lived there, including yourself?..."Johnathan asked, wanting to test his theory.
"Of course, don't be daft you fool. Of course, the laws remained the same from back when my subjects and I were alive. What point is there in you bringing up such useless facts..."Aragon said, not seeing that he was digging his own grave now.
"I see. Well then, if you claim it to be true and lawful by your realm's standards...well, I have some more questions to ask..."The lawyer began.
"Now if you had done things according to the rules of your realm's era, then tell me for the record, what was the agreed upon bride price?..."Johnathan asked, wanting to use his own backwards traditions against him.
"The what?..."Aragon asked, looking confused.
So was everyone else.
"Such a thing may be outdated in Amity Park, but you insist that your land follows the rules from when you were still alive. Then if your realm is just like how everything was during the dark ages, and you followed all the rules and traditions from that era, then you must have also followed the same marriage rules and traditions, including the bride price, which is somewhat similar to a dowry. The bride price which you agreed upon with Miss Manson's parents to have her as your wife, who in turn gave you the dowry as part of the negotiations you claimed Danny Fenton organized on your behalf..."Johnathan said.
Aragon just frowned and started yelling again.
"There were no negotiations. I am royalty, I do not lower myself to speak to peasants. They should be grateful that I even considered having that awful girl as my bride...Aragon rebutted
"Geez, and I thought Plasmius has an ego..."Star muttered.
"They both do..."Danny said, glaring at the ghostly so-called prince.
Evil had a habit of being evil. Regardless of if said evil had the smarts to match their wickedness, which Aragon did not.
Johnathan, however, paid no mind to that as he continued to interrogate the evil former ghost prince.
"Yet that's not what you claim, which is very different from the truth and what we witnessed. You coerced a member of your royal house, your sister, to infiltrate another realm and through deception sorcery and subterfuge deceive what could be viewed as the knight of Amity Park into betrothing a fellow knight on to you along with sending warriors sworn to your house to do unprovoked harm to my client and still you claim to be the innocent party in all of this. From the viewpoint of the laws of your era, you're a liar and an oath breaker and have given false testimony before the Observants..." Johnathan said, surprising everyone.
"Dad?..." Star asked, surprised to hear him talk like that.
Aragon was sweating nervously and tried to make up excuses.
"I don't speak false testimony on that whelp, nor his companions. They are no knights..." Aragon protested, but Johnathan had an argument ready for this.
"False. According to the laws of the ghost zone, article 1430...page thirty thousand paragraph 12...any being who stands in the defense of the innocent outside of the role of the constabulary shall henceforth be seen as the knights of said realm...ergo Danny phantom and his team are the nobility of Amity Park serving in stewardship as knights...at least according to the rules..."Johanthan said.
"Objection! Those rules were written centuries ago during the Middle Ages!..."Walker argued.
"And yet they were never abolished or removed from the rule book, meaning they still apply today..."Johnathan said with a smirk.
Walker wanted to argue but the judge spoke up.
"Here is right, so technically speaking, Danny Phantom and his team, at least according to that rule, are knights for Amity Park...technically speaking at least..."He said, while Walker growled.
However, Star's father wasn't done yet and seemed to be on a roll right now.
"Also, through your deception and theft you knowingly and effectively declared war on the realm of Amity Park and as the aggrieved part owe to Lady Sam Manson, where had you succeeded, she would have suffered an eternity of thralldom, she could demand from you a weregild whether be it your coffers or your life in thralldom to her. Yet here you are, giving false testimony in a place that values lawful rules and justice..."Johanthan said to Aragon, who was blanching now.
Danny leaned back to Tucker.
"I don't speak ren faire geek, are we still winning?..." The ghost boy asked.
"Why are you asking me?..."Tucker asked.
"Because your aunt and uncle work at a Renaissance fair and always talk about this kind of stuff at family gatherings..."Sam pointed out.
"Oh yeah. Well...I'm not following all the dark ages jargon, but going by the way the prince scaleless is sweating...Star's dad is showing no mercy..."Tucker answered.
And he was right as Aragon lost his temper and was hostile again and started screaming after Star's dad said the following.
In other words, you broke the law that applies to both today's world, as well as the law from your own era as well..."Johanthan said, secretly smug while the evil former prince kept shouting at him.
"I did nothing wrong! I am the rightful ruler of my realm, and I can do whatever I want! My word is the law! It is my right by birth that all who stand in my way should kneel!..."He shouted and had he had his amulet, he would have turned into a dragon right now.
"No, you can't. Even if you had ruled your realm, you still must abide by the laws of the Ghost Zone and you are no exception to them. All realms are part of the ghost zone, and no one is above the law..." The Observants declared, while Aragon glared at him.
"Silence! The King doesn't acknowledge your authority! If I had my amulet, I would crush you in my claws!..."Aragon said, only making him look worse now.
"Your witness, prosecutor..." Johnathan said looking smugly to Walker heading back over the defense.
Star went to speak to her father, who had sat down for a moment.
"Dad, that was awesome but how'd you know all that medieval stuff?..." She asked.
"My roommate in college was a medieval history major and we quizzed each other during exam times. Last I heard from him was working as a historical consultant for a movie with that one actress you like...Eloise something or other..."Her father explained.
"Well, you certainly gave us quite a show there with Aragon. Not that he didn't have it coming..."Sam said as she finished her popcorn just in time to see Aragon have a meltdown as the guards tried to restrain him and drag him back to jury sitting. However, Aragon was so uncooperative that the court guards had no choice but to escort him into the backroom to better restrain him.
"I'm happy to help, but please tell me you're working on a plan to get out of this..."Johnathan asked.
"Harder to do now that Vlad's here but keep stalling for a bit longer..." Danny whispered quickly.
Johnathan nodded.
"I do what I can for now..." He said, as he refocuses on the trial.
Later
The trial continued and now Johnathan was interrogating the Box Ghost of all people.
"Now... Mister... uh... Box Ghost? Was it?..."Johnathan asked.
"Yeah, I AM THE BOX GHOST. MASTER OF ALL THINGS CARDBOARD AND SQUARE. MY GOAL IS TO LIBERATE ALL MY PRECIOUS CUBE LIKE GOODIES ALL AROUND THE WORLD!..."The Box Ghost said dramatically and as he summoned boxes out of nowhere.
Johnathan just blinked.
"Seriously? What's so scary about boxes?..."He thought as he turned to Danny and Star.
"Yeah, he's always like that. And he NEVER shuts up..."Danny said.
"Yeah. And apparently, he doesn't have an off button..."Star said while frowning.
"Silence! You do well to respect the Box Ghost! If not, beware!..."Box Ghost said, getting on everyone's nerves.
Johnathan blinked, before turning to his daughter and her friends.
"So, he's an idiot?..."He asked quickly.
"Pretty much yeah..."Danny, Star, Tucker and Sam all said, and even all the ghosts in the jury and audience nodded.
"And honestly, calling him an enemy is an overstatement..."Danny said.
"Yeah, most of the time we just ignore him..." Tucker said.
"Honestly, the only time he was ever a threat was when he stole Pandora's box and that didn't last long..."Danny said.
"Pandora? As in the Greek myth? THAT Pandora?" Johnathan asked.
"Yeah, she's actually one of the few friendly ghosts we know..."Danny said as Johnathan was feeling like he had an existential crisis.
"First a genie, now a figure of Greek mythology? What next? Dracula?..."Johnathan muttered.
"A blood sucker would be an improvement to this... patience sucker..."Sam said.
"Hey! I have feelings too, ya know..." The Box Ghost complained but was ignored.
"Right..."Johnathan said before he continued.
"Now, Mr. Box Ghost. Am I correct when I say you are one of Danny's enemies?..."Johnathan asked.
"Yes, for I, the Box Ghost, am Phantom's most feared and dangerous foe..."Box Ghost said dramatically.
"He's not..."Danny said.
"Not even close..."Star said.
"Definitely not..." Ember said while the Box Ghost frowned.
"Hey! I try my best!..."Box Ghost argued.
"No one wants you to try..."Danny said as the Box ghost looked offended.
"Rude..."The Box Ghost muttered angrily.
"Moving on...from what I saw from the orb of observations...It seems to me your pick fights with people and harasses them. Danny was justified in fighting you in self defense for not leaving him alone..." Johnathan said.
"That is true..." The judge said, seeing that there was no conceivable way for the Box Ghost to look like the victim.
"But...I...um..."Box ghost paused, wanting to say something. "I only did all that because during every haunting I've done was to defend the defenseless boxes from being abused by the humans of the living world!..." The box ghost explained, which only confused everyone in the courtroom, except the Lunch Lady ghost.
Johanthan internally rolled his eyes before he just flat out asked a question that most of this court room probably had wondered for a while now.
"Also, care to explain WHY boxes are so important to you? No offense, but I am just curious..."Johnathan asked.
"When I was alive, I had worked at a shipping company and was the best employee there. I took pride in my work. I never took one sick day or vacation away from my beloved job, I even hold the record of most boxes delivered in a single day that still holds true today!..."Box Ghost said, sounding proud.
"So, he developed an obsession with boxes of all things because of his job from his days when he was alive. Noted..." Jazz said.
"Figures..." Danny muttered.
The Box Ghost heard all of that, feeling insulted by their tone.
"Silence! My origins are of no concern to any of you! Now let us continue our battle of words in this courtroom!.." Box Ghost said, getting on everyone's nerves again.
"Moron…" The rest of the jury muttered.
Danny cringed at the Box Ghost's consistent habit of being arguably more overly dramatic than Technus. Johanthan, however, kept a neutral expression on his face as he continued to do his own job.
"Very well then...if the images we've all seen from the orb are accurate, then it is clear to me that you, Mr. Box Ghost have been the instigator of nearly every encounter you've had with my client. In which, my client has only been responding to every fight that you started with reasonable defensive measures and Danny cannot be charged with any crimes in that regard..."Johnathan said.
"Wait, really?..."The Box ghost asked, and the blonde lawyer nodded.
"Also, I've noticed that almost all of your attacks on my client have happened within Amity Park, meaning that under the state of laws that are stated within of town you Mr. Box Ghost would be committed for several petty crimes and a harassment lawsuit, and even if they were pathetically ineffective, you did technically attempt to physically harm others, which is bad enough...especially when my client is still a kid, and you are clearly an adult. In that regard, no COMPETENT jury would see you as innocent and you would be punished to the full extent of the law back in Amity Park..."Johnathan said in a flat tone, which not even Walker could disagree with, much to his chagrin.
Box Ghost blinked, rendered speechless for once at what the lawyer said before he finally spoke up.
"... Wow, you're right. You are good..." The Box Ghost left the stand and headed back to the jury.
The other ghosts glare at him for barely putting up a fight.
"Seriously?..." Ember asked out loud.
"He's not wrong. And the observants always know if someone is lying..." The Box Ghost shrugged.
"True, they do. And Phantom's got a handsome lawyer, so I wasn't expecting much for you Box Ghost..."Spectra said, before her eyes landed on Johnathan again.
A few moments later
Next was Ember who called to the stand, and this was the easiest witness Johnathan had yet.
They had watched the events of what happened during her first encounter with Danny...and Star unintentionally broke a pen that had been on the table when she saw how Danny had been under a love spell and how he had been broken-hearted.
And exactly WHAT she needed to do in order to break the spell.
"Ugh! I did not need to see that..."Jazz said, looking disgusted.
"Look, I did what I had to do to save the world...not that I enjoyed it. I got nightmares for weeks after that!..."Sam defended, still disgusted by what she had to do back then.
"I know that, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. Especially the part where Danny made goo-goo eyes at you!.." Star said, not even noticing the broken pen in her hand.
"Uh...Star...you know that was just a spell. The one I love is you..." Danny said, nervous.
"I know...we weren't even dating back then yet, but I still don't like it..." Star said, unintentionally breaking a second pen without even realizing it.
Johnathan saw that and sighed.
"Times like this, she is just like how her mother was back in the day..."He thought before he continued.
Johnathan shook his head, since he couldn't afford to get distracted about the past at a crucial time like this. He quickly got his head back in on the current situation and refocused his attention to the trial and current witness.
"So could you repeat that and remember you're under oath...my client had nothing to do with your attempts to take over the world and only tried to stop you. Is that true?..."Johanthan
"Yep..." Ember admitted, as she casually looking at her nails. "Almost managed it too, except I didn't know the goth was wearing tech that filtered out ghost frequencies. I just thought they were just some kind of cyber goth earrings. Oh well hindsight and all that..."She said with a shrug.
"Why did you want to take over the world? You had a very successful music career? Wouldn't taking over the music world be enough?..."Johnathan flat out asked.
"Felt like it. Plus, I can do so much better than some lame adults who are in charge now..." Ember said, going as far as to lean back in her chair and placing her feet on the podium table.
"She's lying under oath..."Walker yelled.
"You know I can't lie under oath; the cyclops here will figure it out one way or the other. I'm just saying what I really feel out loud..."Ember said.
"She is correct. Also, we do not enjoy that name..."The judge Observant said, annoyed by that nickname.
"Whatever, I don't care..." Ember said with a shrug, not caring.
"No further questions, your honor...Miss. McLain thank you for your honesty..."Johnathan said as he sat down.
"The most honest witness I ever questioned is a supervillainess...irony..."Johnathan thought, sighing.
He tried to remain calm and focus on this insane trial as it continued.
Present Time
"Wow...I gotta say, your dad really is a good lawyer ..."Val said.
"Really good..."Misty said.
"He's the best ..."Star said, looking proud.
"Yeah, he certainly knows how to think on his feet..." Jazz complimented.
"I'll say. He was in a room surrounded with ghosts who wanted to destroy all of us, and he still managed to keep himself together and tried to do his job. Gotta respect that..."Tucker added.
"Unfortunately, Vlad and Walker had some tricks up their sleeves and all my enemies still wanted to make me look like the bad guy ..."Danny said.
"So, what else happened?..."Val asked, really wanting to know more.
Danny was about to continue with the story, but something happened that got their attention.
"GHOSTS!..." The sound of people shouting could be heard from outside with other loud noises accompanying it.
"Oh wonderful, what now?..." Danny complained.
They soon saw a pack of ghost sharks being chased down by none other than Maddie Fenton in the Fenton Family Ghost Assault Vehicle as she hunted down the ghost sharks with similar determination that she shows from the tennis tournament.
"Should we just let Mom and Dad handle it?..."Jazz asked quickly.
Then soon heard the sounds of blasts and stuff breaking and the team all sighed.
"Nope. I'd better get involved before Chief Boyle does..."Danny said, as he changed into his ghost form and went to deal with this crisis before it got worse.
-To be continued-
Next time on Court
Cross Examination II
A/N(1): I dedicate this chapter to my family, my friends and my love for God :)
A/N(2): Special thanks to 61394, Jay The Average Fanboy, Luiz4200 and NeoMark for all their help. You guys rock :)
REPLIES to my loyal and totally awesome reviewers:
Jebest4781: Thanks :)
CMR Rosa: Thank you for the suggestions. I will see what I can do.
Invader Johnny: Yeah.
SuperSonicBros123: Thanks for the suggestions. I will see what I can do.
RonaldM40196867: Thanks.
Here are my responses to your questions:
1) Sorry, no spoilers. I guess that we will have to wait and see what happens.
2) Sorry, no spoilers. I guess that we will have to wait and see what happens.
3) Her parents took it down as part of her punishment.
4) Sorry, no spoilers. I guess that we will have to wait and see what happens.
5) Well, since her real name was never mentioned in the show, I just thought of that name.
Luiz4200: I don't think they ever met during that time.
JDF Legacier Morphicon: Thank you :)
Here are my responses to your questions:
1) I don't think Wufong could control that, even if he tried.
2) Not really.
3) Johnathan might not have experienced the same things and while some things might have changed, I think he still could have remained the hardworking person he is today.
4) Star's dad is usually out of town or working while Star is at school or at her extracurricular activities.
5) Pardon?
Happy Holidays.
Guest: I plan on working on that story again in the future.
Scooter2: My story "Luckier In Love" is a redemption fic for Kitty, though Johnny stays a bad guy.
Phantom Fan 21: Yeah.
:) I hope you enjoyed this! Remember to read and review :)