"This isn't sustainable."
"But what can we do? We don't have the firepower to stop a force this big."
"Our only hope is to wait for someone to notice that we're gone."
Danny felt his migraine growing amid the din of voices.
"How many hits can the shield take?"
"What's powering this shield anyway?"
"No one believed us when we said there were ghosts in the city before! You heard the ghost, there's no one coming for us!"
"Order, order," Vlad called out. Danny rubbed his temples until his migraine was a dull ache. There were far too many people stuffed inside his house. Since Fentonworks used ectoplasm to run the house, it was currently the only building in town with electricity. So, naturally, the pompous mayor had decided to hold meetings in their living room.
Seeing the citizens settle down, Vlad continued. "There are a lot of questions, and the longer we take to settle down, the longer it'll take to create a plan. Frank, how is rewiring the emergency alert system going?"
Frank, a man in a neon orange vest stood up, his hands holding a hard hat. "Sir, we successfully rewired the controls so that the sirens are connected to the shield. If the ghosts get through, the city will be notified."
"Excellent work, Frank. Linda, please give us an update on the electricity."
A burly lady in gloves and overalls stood up from one of the folding chairs that crowded the room. "We have collected all the available generators and have placed them in our utility vans, but there's nothing that can be done until we can see what the monsters did to the power plant outside."
Danny winced at her harsh tone. This whole invasion had taken all his PR efforts and ran them through the Lunch Lady's meat grinder.
Vlad simply nodded. His expression was unreadable but his confident stance called for respect. "Right. We'll use the generators for Amity General Hospital until we can work on sending a squad to the power plant." His tone left no room for argument.
As Vlad talked, Danny couldn't hold back a glare. Ever since the attack a week ago, the jerk had been tight-lipped about the whole situation. Danny remembered the day they had held the frontlines together while his friends got everyone to safety. Once the clear had been given, the man completely ditched Danny, leaving him to deal with the Red Huntress and the skeletal army alone, all while figuring out how he would get into the shield without anyone seeing him transform. When he finally found the billionaire, he was sitting at his house sipping tea. He even had the nerve to say, "You should work on your feints, you're not fooling anyone."
Danny narrowed his eyes as he watched the man take control of the room. He's probably enjoying this whole situation.
"Madeline, how's the shield holding up?"
Danny watched his mother stand up. "Based on our daily attack readings, our power supply for the shield will last a couple more days."
"Days?!" a person shouted.
"A couple?!" another shouted.
"Why don't we use the generators to power the shield? The people in the hospitals won't live anyway," another exclaimed.
"To hell they won't!" another yelled, standing up with raised fists.
"The shield is generated from a limited supply of ecto energy, not electricity," Maddie cut in before the conversation could escalate. "When we fight ghosts we also collect energy. Our hope was to capture a few to use as a power source, but we've been having a security problem…"
"Why when I get my hands on that ghost boy…" Jack grumbled darkly next to her.
"So you're saying that if we catch a ghost, we can use it to power the shield?" someone asked. Maddie smiled and nodded at the question.
"But what does it do to the ghost?" Jazz spoke up from across the room.
"Who cares?" one person yelled, receiving a round of cheers, while others gave Jazz a reproachful glare for interrupting their meeting.
"Jazz, honey. It doesn't matter what it does to the ghosts; they can't feel anything," Maddie responded exasperatedly. Her daughter had been questioning their practices since last summer, and while she was happy that her daughter was finally showing an interest in their work, she was tired of having to repeat herself.
"It's almost eight and that bastard's about to announce his demands again. We need to wrap this up," a man interjected.
Danny scoffed and left the room. He had heard enough. Quietly opening the door, he made his exit.
Feeling the cool night breeze, Danny let out a breath he had been holding. The muffled noise on the other side of the door tried to worm its way back into a headache, but Danny shrugged it off and began flying over the rubble-filled street.
Amity wasn't built for earthquakes and the rift had measured a seven on the Richter scale. Danny continued his flight around the boundary of the shield. So far there hadn't been a breach, but the sight of the army surrounding the entire border was unnerving. Echoes of the evening's announcement resounded throughout the town. It was the same message that had been proclaimed each night for the past week.
" Citizens of Amity Park. This is your new king speaking. I have surrounded all entryways and exits. There is no escape."
It was true. He had even checked the sewer system.
"I have taken your city and brought it to my domain. No one knows you are gone, and no one is coming to help you."
Also true. Danny tried to block out the words but guilt does not like being ignored. It ravaged through Danny, bringing self-doubt with it. When Danny had kicked the sword out of the ground, he unwittingly had opened the rift that had swallowed Amity Park into the ghost zone.
" Your freedom is now mine. Your land belongs to me. I own this city and everyone in it."
That added anger into the mixture of his emotions. He was no one's property.
"Surrender and be spared. Fight and die. It's your choice."
Danny dropped from the sky and walked the rest of the way. He continued walking until the only thing standing between him and the king's vast army was the green transparent shield. This is what the other ghosts were fleeing from- total subjugation. Regret filled him as he thought of all the ghosts he had closed the portal on. I am a true Fenton, he thought sardonically. Act first, ask questions never. He stopped his self-deprecating thoughts when he noticed a familiar face.
"Boxy," Danny called quietly, standing in front of his old adversary. The Box Ghost made no indication that he had heard. His gaze stared blankly ahead. There were no obnoxious belts or wiggly fingers. All emotions were gone. Danny looked at the portly ghost next to him. Though he was semi-transparent, Danny could still see the wrinkled laughter lines on his face. But not all emotions are lost. Seeing the sea of faces, he spotted a young female. A single tear trailed down her blank face. Neither are the ghosts, he added, feeling his core pulse. These ghosts were being forced to do the king's bidding. They weren't allowed to rebel against him and they had no say in the matter.
He turned back to the Box Ghost. "I'll get you out of this," he vowed with a clenched fist. Spinning around, he stormed through the street as he thought of his options. Danny hated to admit it, but he was severely uninformed, and the only person with a semblance of an idea was an evil prick who held his cards close. Danny groaned aloud. Out of all the villains he faced on a daily basis, he was stuck with the one with a secret agenda. At least with Skulker, he could get a straight answer instead of an insult to himself or his father.
Out of the corner of his eye, Danny caught sight of something glowing. On a normal night, this wouldn't have given Danny a reason for pause. However, in a darkened city that had no power, there was no reason for a light to be on. Peering into the alleyway, Danny tried to find the source of the light. He shifted boxes and bins and couldn't find the source until it jumped into his face.
"Woah!" he exclaimed as a blob ghost bounced off his nose and onto the dumpster. Three more ghosts jumped out to play.
"Hello there, I forgot that you're still here," Danny greeted with a smile. He watched the ghosts with mild surprise as they continued to dance around the alley, occasionally using him as a backboard.
"But if you're here…" he pondered out loud, until it hit him. "Ugh, why didn't I think of this sooner!" He knew the ghost shield prevented ghosts from coming inside, but he hadn't thought of the fact that there had been ghosts already inside when the shield turned on. He kicked himself for not realizing sooner, especially since Wulf's portal was very close to his house. They must've hid when the siege started. Looking around, Danny tried to think about where a ghost would hide. Somewhere to satiate their obsession while they waited . An idea surfaced and Danny flew in the air, hoping the place he was headed was within a two mile radius of his home.
Seeing his destination, he smiled inwardly and landed in front of the store. He phased through the door of Blaze Hunting Gear Shop hesitantly, not wanting to startle anyone who might be inside.
"Hello?" he called out, walking around the dark, empty store. The only light was coming from his glowing skin. "Skulker?" Silence. "Look man, I know you're in here." He had spotted the metal man flying out of Wulf's portal the day the army had arrived. Alright, Skulker, you give me no choice, he thought, giving it one last ditch effort. "If this is about never being good enough to catch me, your aim has been improving."
Danny barely had time to dodge the projectile before it hit his head. Feeling the rush of wind pass over him as he ducked made him second guess his plan. Perhaps getting one of the few ghosts that would help him all riled up wasn't the best plan to gain information.
Standing upright, Danny spotted the ax embedded in the support beam behind him. He gave a shaky laugh, "See? You're improv-ah!"
Danny took a step back to avoid another projectile, only to feel his ankle catch on rope. Too late did Danny realize that it was a trap. Feeling the rope pull him upside down in the air, Danny regretted his decisions.
"How's that for aim, whelp?" Skulker's voice gloated. He made himself visible and smirked at Danny.
"Ha! I knew you were here," Danny shouted with triumph.
"Way to go, metalhead, now the dipstick will never leave." Ember appeared and thumped Skulker on the back of the head.
"Why did the bully come and find us? Is he going to send us to the king?" Poindexter was bending over, looking at Danny's face with a scared frown.
"I'm the bully?! You tried to take over my body, you creep!" Danny cried, flailing his arms from his upside down position.
Poindexter crossed his arms, releasing a petulant 'hmph'.
Danny shook his head and looked at the others. "I'm not looking for a fight- all I want are answers. Who is this king, anyway? Why is he attacking Amity Park?"
The ghosts shifted uneasily, exchanging glances. Finally, Ember relented. "He should know."
Skulker scowled but didn't argue. He pulled out a machete and effortlessly sliced the rope that was holding Phantom. Danny fell ungracefully on the ground. Seeing the group move further into the store, he followed skeptically.
"Wow, you've really made yourself at home," Danny deadpanned, taking in the twinkle of fairy lights and the gentle glow of an electric campfire. Several ghosts surrounded the fire, using blown up rafts as chairs. Someone handed him a thermos filled with coffee. "Seriously?" he asked dryly.
"What's the punk doing here?" Walker growled. At the familiar surly tone, Danny finally realized that the crowd huddled around the fire was full of the ghosts he fought on a frequent basis.
"I could ask you the same thing, seeing as this is my town," he shot back, crossing his arms.
"Easy now, we don't need a kerfuffle!" Sidney placated, making his way between the pair.
With a huff, Danny prepared to give a retort, but stopped when a friendly face made her way up to greet him. "Sir Danny," Dora acknowledged with a grim smile. "I wish we were meeting in happier times."
"Cut the pleasantries, and answer my question," Walker interjected angrily. He rounded on Skulker. "Why's the punk here?"
"Let him be," Johnny complained from his place on a pink inner tube. He had an arm around Kitty who glared at Walker for his childishness.
Danny ignored them both and pushed Poindexter out of the way. "You owe me answers." Looking at each of the ghosts, he continued. "You all owe me answers. I'm tired of being in the dark. Tell me about this king of yours."
"He's not our king, whelp," Skulker growled, causing Danny to roll his eyes.
"Then whose king is this 'Ghost King?'" he asked mockingly, using hand quotations to emphasize his point. Skulker narrowed his eyes, ready to strangle the irritating twerp, but all attention shifted as a small voice interjected.
"He's a tyrant," Dora stated quietly. Turning away, she returned to her place by the artificial flames.
Danny turned red, feeling guilty at his derisive tone. Sliding past a fuming Walker, he knelt down in front of Dora and looked her in the eye. "I did not mean to make fun of the situation, but I'm in the dark here. Who is this guy?"
Dora met his gaze soberly. Her eyes held centuries worth of pain and turmoil. "You're so young," she spoke finally, before staring at everyone else. "You're all so young."
Danny widened his eyes, and stood. Looking at the other ghosts he asked, "You guys don't know who he is either?" The feeling of disappointment crept in. The only reason he had sought them out was because he thought the ghosts would know who this king was.
Skulker scowled at the implication. "We know enough to bide our time, kid."
Danny frowned. "You mean hide." He couldn't help but feel like this was all a waste of time.
Skulker clenched his fists. "I am not a coward," he seethed.
"But," Ember interjected with a frown of her own, "we know when it is best to lay low. We like how things are now, and from what I've heard about Pariah…" she trailed off, before looking Danny in the eye. He saw in them the fear she was so desperately trying to hide, as it would contradict her confident punk rock persona.
Danny tried to shake the feeling of her piercing gaze. "So his name is Pariah," he concluded, turning back to Dora. She was the only source of information at the moment, and he was not going to let go of this opportunity, no matter how little knowledge he gained by it.
Dora nodded. "Pariah Dark. The most vicious and cruel ghost to ever haunt the Infinite Realms." She hugged her arms with a shiver.
"Some say that in his human life he was a sadistic ruler. Drunk with power, he sought to conquer and destroy every nation until he was the supreme emperor of Earth," Ember supplied.
"While others believed he never was human, but was a being born from the Realm itself- from man's bloodthirst and greed," Kitty continued.
"But one thing everyone could agree on was that there was no escape from Pariah's terrible reign. His obsession was to conquer both the living and the dead until there was nothing left but ruins," Dora finished morbidly.
A silence fell amongst the group as they each fell into thought.
Danny furrowed his brow confused. "You're saying that Pariah might not have ever been human? How is that even possible?"
Johnny scoffed. "What do you think Shadow is?"
Danny paused as he had never really given it a thought. "An extension of your core? You do have worse luck than 13 cats breaking a mirror under a giant ladder," he commented with a sheepish smile. He knew he was riling the ghost up, but couldn't leave the low hanging fruit.
Kitty muttered, "Well, he isn't wrong."
"Shadow's a friend, runt, but he's also the embodiment of bad luck," Johnny answered sourly. A frown spread across his face.
"Er," Sidney coughed, and shifted uneasily when the attention turned to him. Pushing up his spectacles, he nervously continued. "A shared idea, or high concentration of a strong emotion, if hit with enough ectoplasm, could create a sentient creature in the Realms."
"Woah." This new information was reshaping Danny's whole understanding of ghosts and the realm.
"A phenomenon that Pariah used to strengthen his forces," Dora added bitterly.
"What do you mean?" Danny asked.
Dora tightened her grip on her arms. "During his reign, Pariah was ruthless to his people. We were in a state of constant fear. Fear was the source of every action. We feared his cruel hand so we forged weapons and provided food for his army. We feared the penalty of defying his rule so we followed his unfair curfew and paid his exorbitant taxes. We feared dying, but in turn, we feared remaining here under his rule for all eternity," she explained with a note of sorrow. "So strong were these emotions that vile creatures sprang forth from them." Dora shuddered. "And since the king was the source of all this fear, the creatures were bound to him. They followed his command and he used them to spread his reign."
Danny felt the unease in the air. Everyone was listening with morbid curiosity. They both wanted her to continue, but feared what she had to say. "What were they?" he asked for the group, prompting her to continue.
"Dementors," Dora whispered back. She fell into a silence which spread throughout the group. The familiarity of the word bugged Danny, and he racked his brain trying to remember where he had heard that word before.
"I thought they were a myth," Walker grunted. "Beings said to feed off misery and instill fear in others. I've always thought they'd be good for my prison."
"That's demented, you asshole," Ember spat, remembering her time in his jailhouse. Thinking about a being created from fear guarding her cell caused a shiver to go down her spine.
"But they are used in a prison," Danny said suddenly, finally recalling Jazz's horrified expression as she told him her findings. "A prison in London."
The ghosts around him froze with the news.
"They're still around?" Kitty asked with a pale face.
"N-No, that can't be. The ancients destroyed them," Dora replied shakily, not wanting to believe an alternative.
"Well, are there any other ghost-like beings that induce fear?" he asked. Silence filled the air. "Then it has to be them."
"If the kid is right and they are overseas," Skulker began, "the king's forces are weaker than they were during his reign."
Danny looked up at him seriously. "Are you saying we have an advantage?"
"Don't start this again," Ember groaned, pinching her nose. "Baby Pop's riled enough as it is."
Danny frowned. "I have a name you all insist on ignoring."
Ember scowled. "I'll call you whatever I want, dipstick," she spat. "Especially when you're suggesting we go toe-to-toe with the strongest ghost in the zone and his giant army!"
"How was Pariah defeated before?" Danny asked, ignoring her outburst.
Skulker scratched his flaming chin. "Legend says the ancients came together and trapped him in a sarcophagus, condemning him to an eternal sleep." Dora nodded in confirmation. "It can only be opened using a particular key. A key which is said to be in the lair of a fearsome behemoth."
"Someone must have taken it and let the king out," Poindexter hypothesized.
"Ugh, who would do that?!" Danny flailed exasperatedly. He then released a loaded sigh. Complaining about it wouldn't turn back time. "Why can't we grab the sarcophagus and get the ancients to stick him back in?"
"We can't even leave this dome without hundreds of ghosts coming after us, welp," Skulker stated dryly.
"Not to mention there are no more ancients," Kitty replied. "They faded years ago. Except for Clockwork, that is."
Watching Phantom's hopeful expression at the mention of his friend/mentor, Walker was quick to say, "The stopwatch won't help us, punk. His rulebook has a strict hands-off policy."
Danny slumped. He was right of course; Clockwork had even mentioned it the last time he saw him.
"Well, then we'll stick him back in ourselves," he replied, shoving his emotions aside.
The ghosts took a minute to stare at him before busting out in laughter.
Danny tried to shout above the noise. "My parents can lower the shield and we can avoid the army by using their Specter Speeder," he explained over the laughing ghosts. Seeing that no one was listening, he frowned and waited for the ghosts to quiet down. Once they did, he continued. "The speeder is effective, even ask Walker." His lips twitched as he watched the warden's face drop at the mention of his latest jailhouse riot.
"Its effectiveness won't matter if it's noticed. Its capability to go through rocks and buildings won't help it when it's torn to pieces by the ghost king himself," Walker countered.
"Besides, even if we do get on board with this, what makes you think the humans will help us?" Ember asked, unconvinced.
"All they do is chase us out of town," Johnny added angrily. He turned his glare to Danny. "And you usually help them do it."
"Only when you endanger people's lives," Danny defended. "Which you do on a weekly basis!"
"But, you use your powers to torment that blonde classmate," Sidney pointed out.
"That's different! And it was one time!" Danny exclaimed indignantly. He was not appreciating this impromptu team up.
"The way I see it, you're using your powers for some fun and maybe a little payback. Why can't we do the same?" Ember retorted, arms crossed.
"How did this even turn into criticizing me?! We have a freaking army at our doors. Is this really the time for petty bickering?!"
"Fine, but if you think we'd help those ignorant fools for a minute, you're out of your mind. Humans have caused just as much harm to us as we do to them," Kitty stated. "Just look at those ghost hunters wearing white suits." Danny winced. She made a good point with that one. In their latest attempt to eradicate all the ghosts, the Guys in White (GiW) had almost destroyed the ghost zone.
"They're clearly not following the rules of combat, kid. How do we know they won't stab us in the back?" Walker asked seriously. Danny hesitated in his rebuttal. Walker made another good point. It would be so like his parents to pretend they were on his side before unleashing some ghost hunting device. He looked away disheartened. How was he supposed to help everyone, when no one wanted to work together?
Feeling a hand on his shoulder, Danny looked up. "Sir Danny, we all know you want to help stop Pariah Dark's invasion. It's in your nature to help those in need- ghosts and humans alike." No one argued her point. "But your humans do not see us the same way. Ignoring that fact would be a risk that not only endangers your humans' lives, but also our afterlives."
Dora's words sank in and Danny slumped. "So you won't help me?" The looks he received were answer enough. "Fine," he spat, turning away from the group. He stalked toward the exit. "I'll just have to do this myself."
"Their anger is blinding them. You should have heard them, Sam. They want to hunt blobs and use them as a power source," Jazz angrily recounted on the phone. "To quote my darling mother, 'It's what they deserve if they choose to attack us.'"
"That's vile! How did Danny take it?"
"He left before the meeting finished. Hopefully he's flying to get his mind off it," she answered quietly as she peered downstairs to see if the stragglers had finally left. She was distracted by the concern on her parents' faces.
"Is he still there?" she heard Jack ask.
"Yes. He's just staring at us," Maddie commented with a scowl. She dropped the curtain and turned to her husband. "Why isn't he attacking?"
"Maybe the king ordered him to stand guard?" Jack hypothesized. Jazz, her curiosity piqued, whispered a quick farewell to Sam and made her way downstairs.
"Should we strike first?" Jack asked, picking up the Fenton Bazooka.
Maddie took a moment to think. "His power could help us keep the shield up." Jazz swallowed thickly. This didn't bode well for whoever was outside. She quickened her pace until she was in front of the window. Peering outside, the color left her face.
What is he- "He's not looking for a fight!" Jazz sputtered. A little warning would have been nice, Danny! She thought in a panic. "He probably just wants to talk to you."
"We shall see," Maddie said menacingly. She opened the door and took aim. As she walked down the steps, she kept her gun trained on the ghost but did not shoot. "What do you want, spook?" she asked callously. She would never admit it, but she was unnerved by the ghost's calm demeanor, instead of his usual mischievous one. Jack and Jazz followed behind her.
"For one, I'd like it if you didn't point that thing at me," Phantom replied evenly. Despite his peaceful stance, his mind was tense and focused. He didn't want to start a fight.
His words had the opposite effect. Maddie cocked her gun and spat, "Not gonna happen, ghost." Jazz sent him a concerned look, but he ignored it, preparing for what he had to say. It was now or never.
"Your town is surrounded," he began, only to stop when Jack pointed the bazooka at him.
"Is that a threat?!" he yelled.
"Only a fact," Phantom replied, trying to keep his tone steady. He couldn't lose momentum before he got his point out. "Pariah's army will not stop until his siege is successful and Amity Park is subjugated." He paused to let the information sink in.
"Why do you speak of your king so informally? Quite chummy with him, are we?" Maddie asked with sarcasm. Danny inwardly cringed. He did not like that Vlad's extended stay was rubbing off on her.
"Never met the guy," Phantom replied with a shrug. His mother couldn't look away from his intense gaze. "But the other ghosts hate him. That army out there is made of ghosts he's trapped to force to do his bidding." Seeing that his parents were listening, he continued. "The ghosts in here, we don't want that to happen to us, but the only way to stop him is to put him back where he came from." He met their gaze expectantly. "In order to do that, we'll need your help."
Maddie narrowed her eyes but didn't speak. Danny took this as a good sign and forged on. "We'll need the specter speeder to avoid being noticed and we'll need you to drop the shield so that we can get through-"
A nasty laugh cut through his proposal. Maddie Fenton grabbed her waist with her empty hand while she laughed. "I knew it would be something like this," she sneered.
Danny's long-held composure quickly dissolved into confusion. "What are you talking about?"
"Though, I must applaud you and the other ghosts' ability to group together. You're even going so far as to suggest you have a social construct," she went on as if he hadn't spoken.
"But we do have social constructs," Phantom countered with a frown.
Maddie held up a hand, "Save it, ghost. I'm not interested in hearing about your made-up society." She gave him a pointed look. "We already know what drives your kind, and it isn't climbing up the social ladder."
Danny narrowed his eyes, guessing where she was going. "Just malcontent," he concluded for her.
Maddie smirked knowingly. "Can't fool us."
Phantom kept his glare on her as he tried to come up with a different strategy. "If you don't like the idea of helping us, then we can trade. We need your equipment, and you need our energy to power your shield."
Jack stepped forward. "And what makes you think we'd give you the opportunity to destroy the only defense we have against you?"
Phantom couldn't take it anymore. "We're on the same side here!" he shouted. "Why can't you see that?"
"That's only what you want us to think, spook," Jack spat. "You guys only have one need and that is to fulfill your obsession. Well, we won't help you!"
Danny's anger mounted as the conversation ran in circles. How was it that his scientist parents could be so narrow minded? Seeing Phantom's fists clenched, Maddie and Jack tightened their grips on their weapons.
Sensing the conversation about to fall to ruin, Jazz took action. "Mom, Dad. Why can't we trust Invisobill? It couldn't hurt," she suggested meekly.
Her parents ignored her. "Get inside, Jazz, while your father and I handle this," Maddie ordered sternly.
"I'm offering you my help," Phantom stated angrily. "You humans don't stand a chance against Pariah Dark and you still refuse to work with me! And for what? because of your bias? If you can't think of your own safety, then think of your children's!" He pointed an angry finger at Jazz. "Would you risk their safety for your lousy pride?" You already did when your son died in the portal, Danny added bitterly in his head. Seeing his parents' unwavering glares, he hid his hurt feelings behind a wall of apathy. "Then they deserve better," he finished. Maddie pulled the trigger, but Phantom was already gone.
Danny pulled his hood over his head to block out the looming emerald sky. Dark thoughts muddled his brain as loneliness enveloped him. Both humans and ghosts had refused to help him, even if it meant losing their lives.
He shouldered past a couple. Why anyone was up at this hour was beyond him. He would be home in bed if he wasn't so upset with the people who lived there. With nowhere to go, Danny walked aimlessly down the road.
"Danny, wait up!" a voice called from behind.
Turning around, Danny spotted Valerie Gray running his way.
"Hey, Val. What's up?" he asked curiously, waiting until she caught up to continue walking.
"Are you on your way home?" she asked between breaths.
No. "Yeah," he replied slowly.
"Oh good. I'm headed there, too," she replied pleasantly. "I heard Mr. Masters was staying with your family since his house in Polterheights is outside of the shield." Danny grimaced. Though he had been secretly wishing for the destruction of the mayor's ridiculously extravagant mansion, he didn't want to spend one more night with his archnemesis sleeping across the room from him in Harry's bed.
"He is, but last I heard he was checking out the generators with the electrical crew." Danny wasn't sure if Jazz had just sent him that text to get him to come home, but he didn't mention that to Valerie.
"At this hour? Talk about dedication," she muttered. The pair continued in a comfortable silence.
Despite Valerie walking next to him, Danny couldn't get rid of the sense of loneliness. Knowing that Valerie would turn on him the second she knew he was Phantom didn't help his feelings.
"The day the army attacked, I saw Invisobill and the Red Huntress fighting together." Valerie tensed, but Danny pretended not to notice.
"Why are you bringing this up?" she stammered. "And if you were out there, how did you manage to get inside the shield before the army surrounded it?"
"Because it was the first time a ghost and a human fought together in Amity Park," he stated simply, ignoring her second question. Wistfully, he added, "It was nice to see."
Valerie frowned. "She was probably only using him to defeat a common enemy," she defended, crossing her arms. "She knows that all ghosts are evil."
Danny took a sharp turn down an alley, causing Valerie to run to catch up.
"You really think so?" Danny asked. "Then what about the ghosts that were fleeing for their lives? You had to have seen it too. They were everywhere. Why didn't they join the masses in taking this place over?"
"They wanted Amity for themselves," Valerie argued, not sounding convinced herself.
Danny suddenly stopped, causing Valerie to bump into him. Following his gaze down the alley, she saw a faint green glow coming from around a corner. She took out an ectogun. "Danny, hide!" she hissed.
"Relax, Val," he laughed, walking forward. Valerie tightened her grip as she watched her friend calmly walk around the corner and out of sight. Cursing softly, she followed him. Pointing her gun as soon as she rounded the corner, Valerie faltered.
Hues of blue, green and magenta swirled together in a kaleidoscope of harmony. Small ghosts, no larger than tennis balls, danced together to a song only they could hear. Their joyous display made Valerie think of Pan and his satyrs partaking in the endless celebration.
Valerie lowered her gun. "What is this?" she asked in awe.
"Ghosts," Danny replied next to her. "Your evil, heartless ghosts. They've been here for months now."
Valerie took her gaze away from the ghosts and looked at her friend. "Danny," she began cautiously.
Danny met her gaze. "I've talked to my parents, Val. They say that we only have a couple of days before the shield breaks. When it does, you will need to make a choice. You can cling to your grudge for the rest of your life and kill every ghost you meet because of your false sense of justice, or you can acknowledge that not all ghosts are out to get you. Some just want to live in peace," he gestured to the playing ghosts. "They have done nothing wrong, Valerie. They want to live here in peace with us. Why not give them a chance? Set aside your differences. I know I will." Danny took a minute to watch the ghosts before walking away.
Valerie watched Danny leave with a troubled expression. How could he, of all people, say that ghosts were not here to cause harm? She looked back at the playful blobs doubtfully. "Danny, wait." Seeing him pause and look back she hesitated, not wanting him to leave, but not knowing what to say. "Here," she said, handing him a ring. "Mr. Masters gave that to me the day the skeletons came. He told me to hold on to it and then went off to organize a defense group. Do you mind giving it back to him for me?"
"Vlad gave this to you?" Danny asked curiously, as he eyed the ring suspiciously. It was heavy, not only in his hand, but in his core as well.
This was not a normal ring.
"No problem," Danny replied, looking up.
Valerie shifted uneasily, "And Danny? If the shield does break, make sure you get somewhere safe."
Danny gave her a smirk that hid his true emotions. "You know me, Val. Running and hiding is my expertise."
.
.
A/N - Bad news: this was late. Good news: The rest of the Pariah Dark arc is already written and just needs a proofread. This whole arc was originally a small 500 word section and now its over 5000. I went through a post apocalyptic world phase and felt inspired to expand this section and wanted to write everything before posting in case I needed to make any changes. I hope you enjoy!
Thanks for all the comments and likes! I'm really bad at responding, but your feedback gives me life!