Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom or any of the characters. Danny Phantom is the sole property of Butch Hartman, Nickelodeon and Viacom International.
Theft
Chapter 4: More Shenanigans
Star was in the middle of jogging right now. She did her usual route for her jogs; the same one she usually does by herself or with Danny.
As she did so, her mind was on recent developments on her life. Namely, her father's upcoming proposal to Solene.
"If someone told me last year that I'd not only be dating a superhero AND that my dad would be getting married again, I probably would have laughed at them..."Star thought as she kept running.
She knew it was going to be a big change when her dad and Solene get married, but Star reminded herself it was a good thing, especially if it meant her dad will be happy.
The young blonde girl tried to look at all the positives here and there. Even if some small part of her wasn't completely sure about the whole process, but Star did her best to keep those thoughts to herself.
"Well...like I said earlier, this is for the best. And at least this means Dad won't be lonely after I move out for college. I can at least be happy about that..."She told herself, as she soon arrived at her neighborhood.
Now she had just finished to jog five miles and soon returned home.
"Five miles. I guess my standard record will do for now. I can always add more steps during the next patrol around town with Danny-boo..."She thought as she wiped her sweat with a towel.
"Star, is that you?..."Georgia was heard from the kitchen, having just finished her chores there.
"Hey, Georgia. Just did my daily jog. No personal records broken today, but I still managed my usually jogging routine..."Star answered.
"That's nice. I made some blueberry muffins if you want some. And they are low in sugar too..."Georgia said with a smile, as she offered her some of the delicious treat.
"You rock, Georgia!..."Star said as she smiled back as she took one.
"I know, Dearie. My mother always said that you can never go wrong with a blueberry muffin. It helps in 95% of your problems..."Georgia said with a giggle before she went back to her chores.
As Star ate her blueberry muffin, the blonde girl noticed the time and recalled she was expected somewhere today.
"Oh right. I better hurry. Don't want to be late..." Star said, as she finished her muffin and then went to get ready for a little visit.
Meanwhile
Stella's guest had arrived a while back after Stella managed to get Pierre to take his nap. Once he was asleep, she made sure not to be too loud. She then turned to her guest who bowed a moment.
"Good afternoon, Madame Bevier. Are you ready for your lesson? We have much to do..."A harsh sounding woman was heard, speaking in a gruff yet stern voice.
It was her new instructor, a fit looking woman named Bertha, who was here to train her. Stella, wearing a gi and having her hair tied back in a ponytail, nodded.
"Yes, I'll do my best..."Stella said as she began to follow her lesson and ready herself for any trouble.
"Then...let us begin with warmup..."Her instructor said, and the training began.
Later
About an hour had passed and Stella was exhausted.
She did the exercises and was now panting heavily and sweating profusely. She looked like she was just put through the wringer, but her instructor encouraged her not to call it quits yet. Albeit she did so in a stern way.
"Come on, Madame Bevier. You're not done yet!..."Her instructor said in a harsh tone, but Stella nodded.
"Okay, I can do this..."A tired but determined Stella said, since despite how sore she was feeling, she continued.
The private lesson continued for 30 more minutes before it ended and left Stella physically exhausted, and her martial arts/self-defense coach handed her a bottle of water.
"You're doing good so far for a beginner. At least you didn't fall this time..."Bertha said while her student drank the water.
"I can't believe that I actually managed to do two more rounds compared to last week..."Stella thought, tired but kind of proud of herself.
Once she was done, Stella wiped her mouth clean, not caring at the moment how un-ladylike it was.
"So, how was that?..."Stella asked in an insecure tone.
"A little better but we still have much to improve. Your palm strikes are still lacking in the strength development. You'll need to build some muscle in your thin looking arms if you ever hope knock someone on the floor. Right now, where you stand, I don't think you could handle an arm-wrestling challenge..."Her instructor said, not sugarcoating it but honestly admitted it wasn't the worst.
Stella sighed, her head falling back.
"At least I'm finally making some progress. That's something..."Stella thought, trying to be optimistic about her martial arts lesson.
Yes, she was taking martial art lessons for self-defense.
She has been doing this since she returned from New York, wanting to be more prepared for whatever dangerous creature might show up out of nowhere. She wanted to be able to do some more being involved and useful in a battle...especially after that incident with Power Surge.
Even just thinking about that creep made Stella push herself to into getting stronger and never get caught off guard like that ever again. Her aim with ghost weapons has improved a lot but she really needed to be ready in case something that doesn't require a laser got in her face. It's also why she trained harder at her skeet shooting to improve her again more. She didn't want to be defenseless like she felt back then, especially if she has to protect her daughter and Pierre.
She knew that she wouldn't be able to bare it if anything happened to either of them.
"This is for them. Remember that..."Stella had reminded herself multiple times during her training.
Now, her instructor began to pack up her standard fitness training equipment, getting ready to go.
"So, what time is that husband of yours going to be here?..."Bertha, asked.
"My husband will be back any minute now..."Stella said while Bertha frowned.
"Well, I guess our lesson can end today, Madame Bevier. No offense but I rather not feel the urge to deck someone that scrawny. I know men like him can be knocked out easily..."Her instructor said, and Stella sighed but knew her anger wasn't unwarranted.
"I'm sorry about for what happened last time..."The blonde woman said, looking ashamed about something.
Stella knew that Bertha didn't like Jean-Luc. After she started taking her first lessons, Jean-Luc found out and was very rude to her and even insulted Bertha to her face, claiming that she looks like a brute, much to the blonde woman's chagrin. It was so bad that Stella even gave her instructor a bonus as an apology and to make sure she didn't lose as a teacher.
Stella can still remember that encounter.
FLASHBACK
A few weeks ago
Stella had returned from New York several days ago and didn't want to be in another situation like that whenever a random ghost shows up.
So, she was taking a private self-defense lesson from one of the most highly recommended instructors in the city who thankfully had an opening available.
Her name is Bertha, who made a living as a martial arts/self-defense instructor here in Amity Park, along with her twin sister, a woman named Helga, who happened to be a former drill sergeant who was also known for being a strong and well-known coach/instructor in town.
Stella struggled with her first lesson due to it being much more intense than the usual exercises she did to lose weight and watch her figure. However, she refused to give up.
"This is...for your...kids..."Stella thought as her lesson somehow managed to end and she was still standing...somehow.
That is when her husband returned home from his spa appointment.
"Hmm...what a waste of time. The tanning salons here are nothing compared to the high-class ones back home..."The rich man thought, as he yet had another reason not to like this town.
Jean-Luc entered his penthouse and was expecting to see the same scenery he has seen many times before. Once he did, he saw something that shocked him.
He saw that his current wife, Stella, was currently dressed in some martial arts gi and was sweating on their expensive silk rug and some tall and strong looking woman was nearby, which greatly shocked Jean-Luc.
"I think that's enough for today, Madame Bevier. Same time next week..."The instructor said, and Stella smiled despite her exhaustion and soreness from all the training she did.
"Yes, thank you for coming on such short notice. I understand that you are very busy and have a lot of clients..."Stella said, as she drank some water.
"True, but helping you helps spread the word about me and my sister's training business. I consider myself a decent instructor and my sister Helga isn't the only one who knows how to teach someone to stand up for themselves..."Bertha said, while Stella nodded as her husband seemed flabbergasted.
"Stella?!..."Jean-Luc finally said, snapping out of his shock and the blonde woman finally noticed that her current husband returned home.
"Oh, Darling, you're home..."Stella waved, while her husband still acted like he just witnessed something insane.
"Bertha, this is my husband Jean-Luc..."Stella said, like there was nothing unusual happening here.
"Greetings, Mr. Bevier. I must say...your wife may look delicate on the outside, but she had fierce determination of a tiger on the inside..."Bertha said to be polite and held her hand out for a handshake.
Jean-Luc snapped out of his shock but didn't shake her hand. He sent her a snobby look and looked disgusted at what he saw. He looked at Bertha and frowned when he realized that she was not only taller than him but was also very fit and even muscular for a woman. He frowned even more before turning to his wife.
"Stella, what is the meaning of this?! Who is this behemoth and why are the two of you perspiring on my property?!..."Jean-Luc said rudely.
Bertha frowned and angrily pulled away her hand and Stella looked mortified at her husband's rude response.
"Jean-Luc, don't be rude! This is Bertha. She's my new self-defense teacher. I told you that I would be taking classes since I was nearly kidnapped by those crazy ghosts in New York. I told you that I would be taking lessons during this time..." Stella explained.
"I don't recall you telling me any of that!..."Her husband denied.
"I told you that the day I returned home. I even let a voice message on the phone before the flight back home..."Stella said, trying to maintain her patience.
"I knew that I should have gone with you on that trip..." Jean-Luc groaned, not taking what she said about the incident in New York seriously at all.
Stella wondered if he was being serious or not, since it was difficult to tell in moments like this. Either way didn't matter right now though, because she was getting upset with him regardless.
Bertha was starting to get a little upset and then did her calming breathing exercises. She then reminded herself it wasn't worth getting into a fight with someone like this. Not to mention that she had another client to help and didn't want to waste more time on this sorry excuse of a man.
"Mrs. Bevier. I do need to go. I have a lot more clients to attend to..."Bertha said, though she sounded like she was ticked.
"Oh, right. I'll lead you outside and I'll pay you..."Stella said as she went to pay her and thank her again for all the training...as well as giving her a little extra as a bonus as a form of apology.
"Good riddance, you beastly women..."Jean-Luc scoffed, as his wife's self-defense instructor was about to leave.
Bertha heard this and glared at him.
"Scum!..."She said while Stella looked even more mortified now and kept apologizing to her...even when her current husband showed no sign of guilt or sympathy.
Once she was gone, Stella went back to her husband, arms crossed and looking angry.
"What?..."Jean-Luc said, while his wife frowned.
"You didn't have to be so rude to Bertha! She's my new instructor and she was highly recommended. She is one of the top ranked martial artists in her field and teaches self-defense to anyone willing to put in the effort and work into it. She's even made a name for herself in the martial arts community. I was lucky that she agreed to take me as a student! How could you act like that around her?!..."Stella said, trying to defend her instructor.
"NO! I forbid this!..."Jean-Luc shouted.
"Excuse moi?!..." Stella questioned angrily.
"I will not allow a wife of mine to act like one of those body builders!..."He snapped. "If you need protection, then hire a bodyguard! You know that we have more than enough money to afford it! It'd be a better use of money than that brute!..."Jean-Luc retorted.
"Jean-Luc, enough! Bertha is NOT a brute! She's one of the finest instructors in the city and I had to pull some string to get these private lessons. Especially since her sister Helga is already booked up with clients for the next sixth months. I need Bertha if I want any chance of being close as capable of defending my children like Maddie and Jack do. Why can't you understand that?..."Stella said, wanting to be a more capable mother like Maddie Fenton and also defending her self-defense coach.
The two began to argue again and it resulted in waking up a sleepy Pierre and making him cry.
"NOW LOOK AT WHAT YOU HAD DONE!..."Jean-Luc and Stella both snapped at each other, before Stella went to go check on their son.
All the while, her husband sent her a glare, making it absolutely clear that he does not and will not approve of her new "hobby".
"How ludicrous. Not only is she acting like a brute, but she couldn't even hire a COMELY instructor..."Jean-Luc thought in annoyance, as his wife went to calm down their crying son.
End of Flashback
Present Time
That was how it happened.
Jean-Luc didn't approve of her "new hobby" as he called it, even though she kept insisting it was a necessity for herself and their family's safety.
Anyway, her lesson for today is over and her instructor was currently reminding her to keep her awareness in check.
"Remember to practice your kicks and your palm strikes. I want you to be able to easily smash through wooden planks with these techniques by the time our training is done..."Bertha said, as she gave some demonstrations.
"Right..."Stella said, nodding as her instructor kept giving her instructions and what she needed to practice on.
"Okay, I best be going now to my next client. And remember, I want you to keep practicing palm strikes at least twice a day until I'm here again on Tuesday for our next lesson..."Bertha said.
"Understood..."Stella said as she paid her and appreciated all the lessons that she's learned this today.
Bertha soon left the penthouse, taking her equipment with her.
Stella, not tired yet, decided to start her practice exercises and some of her breathing exercises too, as well as meditate.
A little later, her husband returned home and saw her in her martial arts gi again as she was once again practicing.
"Vhat are you doing?!..."Jean-Luc questioned with a furious look on his face.
"It's called the palm strike and I'm on my 20th..." Stella answered, as she continued.
"I meant what are you doing sweating and tiring yourself out like this again!..." Jean-Luc clarified.
"Dear... you know that I'm still taking a self-defense class, and I'm required to do exercises so that I don't lose anything I've done..." Stella explained.
Her husband frowned.
"You are STILL doing this? I thought you would come to your senses by now!..."Her husband said, irritated
Stella glared at that.
"I am perfectly fine, Dearest... You don't need to worry so much..."His wife said.
Stella continued doing her palm strikes and had no intention of stopping any of her martial arts/self-defense training anytime soon. Regardless of what her current husband says about it.
Her husband then saw where she was exercising and was now practicing her kicks around the room. While Stella was genuinely trying to improve her techniques, her husband just saw this as a waste of time and kept voicing his complaints.
"Why not redecorate? Since that carpet is ruined now!..."Jean-Luc said in a high pitch voice, seeing sweat on it.
"There's nothing wrong with the carpet and keep your voice down! Our son is taking a nap right now and I don't want us waking him up again like last time..."His wife argued.
Stella even pointed to the baby monitor that she placed on a table next to her and it shows a sound asleep baby Pierre tucked away in his crib. Her husband just remained stubborn and kept trying to discourage her newfound hobby.
"Stella...why would you waste time on this nonsense? It's not ladylike to brawl like a peasant or do things that make you sweaty like this in an outfit like that?..."He said, striking a nerve in his agitated wife.
"Jean-Luc! Women have every right to defend themselves if they feel the need to do so and this is a traditional gi that is worn by people learning martial arts. Plus, I need SOMETHING to do during the day that isn't shopping, planning parties or going to the beauty salon!..." Stella snapped, getting tired of her usual routine.
"But you love doing all that! Not any of this nonsense!..."Her husband said, not getting her point.
Stella got angry at what he just said.
"This is NOT nonsense, and I need MORE stuff to do than that!..."She said, trying hard not to lose her temper and not be too loud since she didn't want to accidentally wake her son up again.
"Also, I'm simply building a little muscle and learning new skills to help better prepare myself and others for whatever something unexpected happens. What's the problem?..." She asked, while her husband sent her a condescending look.
"The problem is you're acting like a savage, like that fat Fenton and his too good-looking but insane woman that is his wife..." Jean-Luc berates her.
"Don't talk about Jack and Maddie like that. Both of them are nice and actually helped me out during the trip to New York and a bunch of other times. Besides, they are showed me a side of parenting that I was sadly lacking, and they are good friends to me..."She said, somehow missing or just ignoring what her current husband said about Maddie.
Stella was busy remembering how both Maddie and Jack Fenton were defending their children and everyone else from those ghosts during that trip in New York and many other times here in Amity Park and it made her admire them a bit more than before. Especially when her Ex-husband Johnathan had learned how to defend their daughter Star with an anti-ghost tool.
Stella also learned how to use those weapons and tried to be useful during past ghost encounters, but she felt like she needed to do much more if she wanted to protect herself and her children. She just didn't understand why her husband wasn't seeing things from her point of view.
The two kept arguing for a while. Soon, the two blue bloods grew tired of it, both turning away and walking far from each other.
"Women..." Jean-Luc muttered, his words caused his wife's fists to be clenched.
"Men..."Stella muttered quietly. "Well...not all men..." She mentally added, before remembering about a certain ex-husband of hers who had been on her mind more than she cared to admit.
Even when she was training with Bertha. Not that Stella would ever admit it out loud to anyone.
Stella was feeling far more upset right now than before. She watched as her husband was about to leave and Stella crossed her arms. However, her eyes landed on their family portrait in the living room. The one that had her, Jean-Luc, Pierre and...Colette, dressed in their finest clothes and smiling and looking as if they were a perfect family.
Seeing this made Stella sigh and thought that she had to at least TRY and compromise with her husband.
"Jean-Luc...darling... Please, we shouldn't be fighting like this. We're a family. Let's at least negotiate for a compromise..."Stella said, trying to make up and compromise with him.
Her husband just stood in place and turned his head towards her slightly.
"Negotiate for a compromise? How so?..."Jean-Luc asked in an uncaring voice as his wife try to find some common ground with him.
"Join me. Maybe we could practice together. Something we could do to help could help us bond more in a couple and can help you stay in shape..."Stella suggested while her husband frowned harder.
"Pardon?! I happen to be in great shape!..."Jean-Luc said, offended.
"I didn't mean it like that, I just meant that a little more exercise can do a lot to help one's health. Plus, this is also a great way to deal with stress and can be relaxing...once you get used to it..."Stella tried, but her husband scoffed.
Little did Stella known, that Jean-Luc had no intention of fulfilling any of his part on whatever agreement his current wife came up with.
"A Bevier does not waste such unnecessary efforts nor waste time on stuff like this like some peasant! Especially when I already been born with a more than perfect appearance as it is!..."Her husband said harshly, refusing to even consider the idea.
"Perfect? As if..."Stella thought with a scoff, since while handsome, Jean-Luc has never really been all that muscular and barely did any exercise outside of what he deemed convenient for him.
Still, she kept trying to convince him of the benefits of their lessons.
"But Jean-Luc, if you just gave it a chance, I am sure that-..."She was then cut off when her husband spoke up.
"Stella, enough! I am not going to waste my precious time on something so worthless just to sweat amongst the common people. And I refuse to encourage your latest phase!..."Jean-Luc said, offending his wife.
"A PHASE?!..."Stella exclaimed, but her husband kept berating her.
"You heard me! I have indulged you long enough, but this is where I cross the line! I already had to go through the embarrassment of my only daughter disgracing our family name! I will not have my wife humiliate me to by acting so ridiculous too!..."Jean-Luc said.
"Ridiculous?! Humiliate?! What is your problem?! Many women today take self-defense classes all the time and I am not doing anything wrong. I'm trying to learn to defend myself and our kids in case something bad happens again!..."Stella argued, not wanting to risk being in a situation like that again.
"You are setting a bad example for our son. I need him to learn to become the perfect gentleman and a proper Bevier, especially since I have to make sure his education is spotless and prepare him for taking over the family business...and making sure he doesn't make a mockery of our family like his disgraced sister did..."Jean-Luc argued.
Stella was upset to hear that but also confused.
"What are you talking about? Pierre is still too little for pre-school and not old enough to-..."Stella tried.
"I am talking about his future. He is already on the waiting list for the same academy that I and Colette had attended back in Paris. It's the perfect place that will educate him on how a true Bevier should behave and prepare him to one day attend a prestigious university, such as expected of a Bevier. And I will also make sure that he starts on other lessons as soon as he is old enough to walk and speak properly in order to make him a proper successor to my family's business, such as learning foreign languages, fine art, etiquette, piano lessons, making sure he reads only the proper literature that is worthy for a blueblood, walking with completely perfect posture and making sure he will be with the right kind of peers who won't be bad influences on him...and to make sure that he doesn't make the same foolish choices his sister made and avoid people like your daughter's beau..."Jean-Luc said in a rather controlling way.
Stella didn't like hearing that, and briefly thought back to her own childhood before she shook that thought away. She didn't like how her husband was acting and tried to defend her son and also her daughter's boyfriend.
"But Pierre is just a baby, and you can't put so much pressure on him like that! And what do you mean about avoid people like Danny? He's a perfectly nice young man and what's this about a school in Paris?..."Stella asked, not liking what he just said.
Her husband just looked at her like she just said something foolish.
"Do not forget that I only agreed to stay in this filthy hovel called Amity Park ONE YEAR! ONE! And look what happened?! My daughter was made a fool of by that peasant and our family have become laughingstocks like no other. Even some of my business partners have walked away. I have A LOT of damage control to do and favors to take advantage of just to get the bare minimum of clients to make sure we don't lose our current lifestyle. The only fix is to go back home and to properly educate my son into making sure he doesn't embarrass us too!..."Jean-Luc said, voicing his anger.
Stella got upset and tried to defend her son.
"What Colette did was awful but...but we can't just go back to Paris so soon! Star and I are still in a VERY fragile state in our relationship and Pierre is just a baby. He's far too young to learn all that stuff you mentioned. He's just a child and needs more time to just have fun and enjoy his childhood. Also, I don't think it's right to put so much pressure on him and-..."
"That is not my problem. I never wanted to move to his rotten town, but I am a man of my word. That is the only reason why I kept my promise to you, Stella and I expect you to do the same. Once the year is up, The Bevier family will return to our true home and Pierre's education will begin and be under my watch..."Jean-Luc said, making it clear that he won't change his mind on this topic.
Stella wanted to argue more but her husband just turned around and walked away, mumbling something about needing to get to a meeting.
After Jean-Luc left for his business meeting, Stella took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down.
"Remember what Dr. Shen said...take a deep breath and let it go. Don't let your negative emotions drive you away from what you're working towards..."Stella thought, trying to remain patient.
It was then she heard her son waking up from his nap and calling for her attention.
"Mama!..."Pierre's voice was heard, along with some crying.
"Right...I need to check on Pierre..." Stella said, as she quickly came to her baby boy's cries.
Stella quickly tidied herself up before waking into Pierre's bedroom.
"I'll be right there, Angel..."Stella said, as she went to check on her son and tried to focus on caring for him.
Her mind went back to what Jean-Luc said and all the things he has planned for their son's future. Stella didn't like what her husband said, and she was worried for her child's future. She saw her son innocently looking at her and Stella sighed and tried to smile and be optimistic.
"Pierre...your Papa is acting silly right now...but don't worry. Mama will talk to him again later and I will make everything better. I promise..."Stella said, as she held him gently in her arms.
Her son was too young to understand her, but Stella wanted to keep that promise and she was sure that things will be fine.
"Jean-Luc is just upset about what happened with Colette. Once he calms down, I'll get him to see reason, I'm sure. Everything will be fine. Everything IS fine!..."The blonde woman thought to herself, before she turned her attention back to making her son happy.
"Okay, Pierre. My little prince. You and Mama are going to have a really fun day together. We'll play any game you want..."Stella said as she held her son in her arms and he laughed happily.
"Yes...yes we are. We are going to have so much fun. Wouldn't that be just grand?..."Stella said as she hugged him and began to dote on her precious baby boy.
"Fun, fun..."Pierre said, with a giggle as his mother smiled.
About half an hour later
Stella was now dressed her in usual green dress and was currently with her son.
She fed him, doted on him and they had been playing together too.
They were currently playing peek-a-boo together.
"Peek-a-boo!..."Stella said, and her son giggled happily and clapped his hands.
Seeing this made Stella smile and her heart melt, most of her negative feelings earlier were gone now as she just focused on paying attention to her son who needed her.
The two continued to play for a few more minutes. That is when the doorbell rang.
"Coming..."Stella said in a sing song voice, as she went to answer the door but also kept an eye on Pierre who was now playing with one of his toys.
Once she did, she saw that it was her biological daughter Star.
"Hi Mom..." Star greeted.
"Hi, Star darling. How is my beautiful daughter today?..."Stella went, happy to see her.
"Pretty great. Got an A on my biology test and pretty much memorized my new cheer maneuvers from cheer practice..." Star said, making sure now to mention her father's plans or about recent events that she knew her mom still wasn't ready to talk about.
Plus, even if her parents are getting along again, she promised her father she'd keep quiet. Plus, she doubted her mother would be able to keep it a secret if she knew.
"How wonderful but I'm not surprise. You did inherent talent from my side of the family..."Stella said, smiling at her daughter.
"Sure Mom, but I'm not totally sure how pageants and figure skating skills add to my cheerleading talent..." Star pointed out.
"You're assuming that I wasn't also a cheerleader during my high school years when I was your age. Except I was the cheer captain then. I have the pictures and trophies at your grandpa's house to prove it..."Stella said, much to Star's slight shock.
"Huh...so I guess Nana Joy wasn't the only other cheerleader in the family then..."Star thought, but that is when a certain little someone else gained her attention.
"Star...big sister...Star..."Pierre said happily, as he walked towards her in a somewhat clumsy but adorable way.
Star smiled as she picked him up and hugged him.
"Hi Pierre. Big sister missed you..." Star said as she kissed his forehead and hugged him, making him giggle happily.
"Star...sister...play..."Pierre said excitedly, while his favorite sister began to coo and dote on him.
"Oh, we're going to have the best day together. Just you and me, baby brother..." Star said, as she hugged him again.
"Excuse me?..."Stella asked, confused.
Star blinked.
"Mom...you told me that you had some meeting at the country club this afternoon and since Alyssa is going to be working a shift around that time, you asked me to spend the day with Pierre. Remember?..."Star reminded.
Stella recalled that she did ask her that over a week ago, then immediately recalled which meeting her daughter meant.
"Oh...right...silly me. Must have slipped my mind..."Stella said sheepishly as her daughter kept cooing to her baby brother, making it clear that she was happy to be here.
Star then gathered everything she need to look after her baby brother for the next few hours.
A few minutes later
Star, now having the stroller, diaper bag and everything else she needs in order to take her baby brother to her house and babysit him.
Mostly because Jean-Luc tends to work from home and Star did NOT want to risk running into him again and have him ruin her day by being anywhere near that man.
"Okay, baby bro... looks like it's just me and you for now, unless Danny-boo just so happens to drop by my house by mere chance. Oh, we're going to have fun together today..."Star said, looking down at her baby bro and quietly whispering the middle part to him.
Pierre smiled happily, while their mother was about to be preoccupied with her country club meeting but also wanted to spend a little more time with her children before leaving for her meeting.
"Star...you know...I do appreciate your help with this...but if you don't want to-..."Stella began.
"Mom, it's no trouble at all. You know I love spending time with Pierre. I'm happy to babysit him today, so you don't have to worry about anything..."Star said, misunderstanding what her mother was trying to say.
The blonde woman saw that Star was sincere and nodded.
"Right...I'll drop you both off at your house before I head to the country club..."Stella said, grabbing her purse.
Once all three were ready, they all headed to Stella's limo, and the chauffeur Jenkins drove off.
Elsewhere
In the supposedly abandoned warehouse, Donovan and his friends training continued.
Despite what one might expect, they actually got the hang of using their weapons much faster than Vlad anticipated and they genuinely were having fun here.
"YAHOO! THIS! IS! SO! AWESOME!..."Theodore cheered, having hit another bullseye.
"I wonder if I can use this to destroy one of our old boss's car? Maybe all of our old boss's cars? Not just their cars but those oh-so fancy offices of theirs too..."Donovan considered, also wanting revenge for having to work for those guys who fired them.
"Just be glad that we're actually getting paid for this. I can't wait to show my mom how wrong she was about me and rub it in her face..."Vivian said, looking thrilled.
Soon, their new boss appeared and was mildly surprised with what he sees. Surprised as in pleased.
"Well, I am glad to see that you three have settle into your brand-new occupation..."Vlad said.
"Was there ever any doubt? After all, the three of us are the prime examples of what it means to be elite..."Donovan said smugly.
Vlad frowned.
"Right..."He said as he immediately knew which amongst these three had the biggest ego that Vlad could easily manipulate.
"I'll be rid of that one first if he proves to be incompetent..." He thought.
"Anyway, we only have one final test to do and then you are ready for your first real job..."Vlad said.
"Whatever it is, we're ready for it..."Donovan said, as he held his blaster with a grin on his face.
"Bring it!..."Vivian said, smirking.
"Yeah, let's go!..."Theodore said, grinning widely as he imagined how famous they'll become and how many girls will want to talk to him again.
"I like that attitude. Anyway, you three have mastered using your weapons and your aim has improved tremendously. However. we need to test your sneaking and infiltration skills..."Vlad said.
"Why that?..."Vivian asked.
"Your job is to become the new town heroes and master ghost hunters. To do that, we need you three to master stealth and how to corner any ghost you find. And to do it quickly and efficiently. But don't worry. The next test you three will be built participating in will be a perfect way to help you with that, which will help you gain experience in battling real ghosts..."Vlad said as continued turning the gears in his mind as his scheme was perfectly going the way he pictured it.
Vlad told them all about their final test and what they would have to do, all while making sure they practice stealth and not get caught...as he wanted their reveal to be a surprise.
"I will give you a few hours to practice and prepare yourselves. While I get my tech experts to ready the...VR equipment..."Vlad said, as he already plotting how to improve their skills in mind.
"This is going to be easier than pretending to be nice to the teachers at school..."Donovan said, smirking. "I can't wait until I see the look on Dad's face once he sees me become a full-fledge hero and he'll have no choice but to give me my money back..."He said, already celebrating his accomplishments prematurely in his mind.
"I can't wait until hundreds of people start cheering my name as the savior of this small town and we get interviewed on the news. We're going to become famous. I wonder if we might even get a movie deal and maybe even a toy deal too..."Vivian said, seeing this as a way to reclaim her former wealth and even gain some fame too.
"This rocks! Maybe some celebrities will try to hook up with us to gain some of our endless fame?..."Theodore asks, excited for the change to get his old life back and some more material gains from this seemingly cool new job.
"Now that we're going to be town heroes and have our faces be known across the world. I think we might need some codenames. Something trending and that can easily be marketable..."Donovan said, as he eyed the device Vlad had given him earlier to capture ghosts.
"I already know what mine will be. Just call me Thrash..."Theodore, or Thrash said, grinning wildly as he posed for an imaginary photographer.
"Since I was already planning on becoming famous before our lives got ruined, I kind of like Vid like a stage name..."Vivian/Vid said as she already imagined toys and merchandise she can profit off of.
"As for me, as the new LEADER of our little group, it's only fitting I get the cooler sounding name..."Donovan said smugly.
"Who said you're going to be the leader? It's your fault we lost our money and our past jobs in the first place!..."Vivian argued.
"BECAUSE I SAID SO, THAT'S WHY!..."Donovan argued.
"What if one of us wants it?..." Thrash asked.
"You think you can look as good in front of a camera as I do?..." Donovan asks smugly.
Thrash glared at him, and Vid looked offended.
"Just in case you forgot, I happen to be the only one of us who actually has been around real stars like Dumpty Humpty before and the camera loves me! Plus, at least I'm not the one who's actually wearing a lame baseball hat to hide his hair with his new suit..."Vid said in a snobby manner.
Donovan's face turned red and glared.
"SHUT UP! I'm the one who's led this trio!..."He snapped.
The redhead rolled her eyes, not wanting to continue with this pointless argument.
"Fine, whatever. Have it your way, that just mean less work for me anyway..."Vivian/Vid said as she went back to making plans for how to take advantage of her upcoming fame and success.
"Now...I need a name that's cool...something catchy, super marketable and that trend well with people our age...and totally perfect for me. Maybe Dropkick or-..."Donovan was cut off when Theodore suddenly spoke up.
"Download!..."Theodore said while Donovan and Vivian were staring at him.
"Download?..."They both asked.
"Yep, it's the perfect name for you, Dude..."Thrash said.
Donovan wanted to argue, but actually thought it over and actually really liked the sound of the nickname.
"Huh...Download...saying it out loud...I kind of like it..."Donovan said, liking the sound of it.
Vivian rolled her eyes.
"I guess it's not the dumbest sounding name out there..."She said, as she looked at a nearby mirror and fixed her hair to a new style that she felt best suited her new ghost hunting armor, including covering one of her eyes with her bang since she thought it made her look cooler.
She didn't really care what the other two idiots were going to call themselves, since she was too busy planning on ways to make her own name more known widespread across the world after they become heroes, while Theodore/Thrash pulled out a marker and drew a giant T on his chest.
"I just got to stick around here long enough until Mom and Dad give me my money back. And maybe find a way to bank of this "hero" thing. Maybe get my own TV Show...Vid's Master's Blasters. I like the sound of that..."The sole female ghost hunter of the group thought, already imagining all the money and fame that she believes is just around the corner.
The trio of rookie ghost hunters went back to their training and getting ready for their "final test".
Unaware of what risks that they are taking, while dancing in the palm of Vlad's scheming hands.
Back with Star
Star was now at her house. Her dad was at work and Georgia was cleaning the attic right now, and Star was now with her precious baby brother.
They were currently playing a game right now.
"Rrr...roar..."Star playfully let out as she held Pierre's favorite toy tiger, making the baby laugh.
"Rrr...I'm a tiger...I'm a tiger in the jungle...Grrr...Roar..."Star growled playfully while the baby clapped.
"Rawr..."Pierre cheered happily and roared as he tried to imitate the noise.
"That's right Pierre, tigers roar. Good, you're such a smart little guy..."Star praised as she making more tiger sounds and doing a cartoonish voice, making him laugh more.
They continued to play like this for a few more minutes, having fun together.
Thankfully she didn't have much to worry about boring her little baby brother since he rarely get bored around her. Especially when her superhero boyfriend is around to help Star babysit her little brother.
"Star...tiger...roar...hahaha..."Pierre said cheerfully as he held his toy tiger and tossed it in the air, giggling every time it landed on the ground.
Star just smiled at him.
"He's such a cutie. Hard to believe that he's actually related to that jerk and his witch daughter..."Star thought, just relieved Pierre didn't take after them.
There was a knock on the door and Star got up.
"One second..."Star said as she placed Pierre in his play pen before she went to answer the door.
Once she did, she saw Danny there, along with Jazz, Tucker and Sam.
"Hey Starlight..." Danny greeted.
"Danny-Boo..."Star said, happy to see him and their friends here.
Out of habit, Star immediately hugged her boyfriend and kissed his cheek, before remembering that she was supposed to be babysitting right now.
"Guys, not that I'm not happy to see you all, but what are you all doing here?..."The blonde girl asked.
"We were going to hang out together today, remember? Mega movie marathon and then patrol around town tonight..." Danny answered.
"Oh Boo. I'm so sorry, I forgot. I promised Mom that I'd take care of Pierre for this afternoon while she's at the country club..." Star said, as she pointed to the baby who was in the play pen.
Pierre saw the other teens and smiled.
"Star...Danny...Hi..."Pierre waved.
Danny and the others laughed.
"Hey Pierre..."Danny went as he greeted the little baby boy.
"Danny...play..."Pierre let out with a giggle as he reached for him, making the teens laugh.
Danny picked him up and held him, making funny faces that made the little boy laugh more.
"Aww, he's so adorable..."Sam couldn't help but point out.
Sam then noticed that the other teens stared at the goth girl as if she grew a third eye on her forehead.
"What? I can like cute stuff too. I don't express it out as much..."Sam defended herself, while the others simply shrugged their shoulders.
"Anway, Mom's meeting is supposed to last the whole afternoon. I'm sorry, I thought it was tomorrow that we had plans..." Star apologized, now knowing how her mother must have felt earlier today.
"No worries. You know that we all love Pierre too. We don't mind letting him hang with us..." Danny said, as he placed the child back in his playpen.
"Is it really no trouble?..." Star asked, wanting to be sure that they didn't mind.
Sam and Tucker seemed more than accepting of this small change in their plans and nodded.
"I'm cool with it..."Tucker said with a shrug.
"Same. Besides, if anyone is going to be with him a whole afternoon while your mom is at her meeting, I rather it be us than Jean-Puke. No way I'm going to let a helpless kid be exposed to his bad influence..."Sam said, not wanting to risk Pierre becoming anything like his lousy father or Colette.
"Thanks guys..."Star said before she turned to her baby brother.
"Do you hear that, Pierre? You get to spend all day with Big sister Star, Danny and our friends? Doesn't that sound like fun?..." Star said in a cooing baby way as she held her little brother who laughed and cheered.
"Play, play..."Pierre giggled as he waddled around his playpen out of baby-like excitement.
"Remember this little trick, Pierre?..." Danny said as he even used his powers to make entertain Pierra with images of snowflakes and snowmen, after making sure neither Georgia nor Star's dad was nearby.
Pierre saw this and giggled.
"Danny...fly...fly...Phan...tom...fly..."The little boy said, still giggling.
Their friends heard this and neither of them could hide their snickering after heard that.
"Phantom...snow...freezy..."Pierre giggled as he wanted to play with the snow, which Star only allowed after he was wearing his winter wear and mittens to make sure he wasn't cold, which was coincidentally in her mom's diaper bag.
"Why did your mom leave that there again?..."Tucker asked.
"Before she moved back, my mom was the kind of woman who'd fly off to Hawaii or any popular ski resorts during the weekend at the drop of the hat and she'd always take Pierre with her. I guess that she made a habit of taking any kind of clothes out of habit..." Star explained, as her baby half-brother played with the snowball.
"Danny...freezy...ghost...fun..."Pierre said with more laughter, as he threw the snowball in the air and it landed on the ground, making him laugh more.
"Aw, watch out, Danny. Someone figured out your secret...but I think this one can be reasoned with..."Sam said, walking over and got face to face with Pierre.
"Don't tell anyone, okay pal?..."Sam said, as put a finger to her lips and made a "shh" sound in a playful way.
"Shhh..." Pierre copied, before giggling and did it again.
Even Sam with her gothic nature couldn't help but smile at this baby's displays of cuteness. Which the others noticed and couldn't help but tease her a bit.
"Aw, looks like Pierre just managed to win over Sam Manson, resident goth kid of Casper High..." Star said with amusement.
"Hilarious..."Sam said with an eye roll, while Tucker chuckled before he realized something.
"Should we really be so relaxed and nonchalant about the ghost stuff around him? Especially considered what happened a while back?..."Tucker questioned.
"Relax, he's not even two years old yet. Even if he does know about my secret, it's not like he can tell anyone and even if he did, I doubt anyone would take him seriously..." Danny said, as the little toddler continued playing with the snowball until it melted in his tiny hands.
Danny quickly noticed this and immediately made another one for the toddler to play with, which made Pierre cheer happily and kept laughing.
The teenagers soon began to hang out together, as well as playing with the little baby boy, while also figuring out what to watch, which is also age appropriate for Pierre.
As they continued to dote on the young child, all of them were unaware that a certain friend of theirs was facing her own problems right now.
Meanwhile
Valerie had just finished her shift at the Nasty Burger and left. It was a long shift with a busy crowd but she somehow managed to get through it.
"Just a few more years and then I'll be in college and hopefully get a better job by then. At least that scholarship from Eleanor will help a bit..."She thought, trying to be optimistic.
After she left the fast-food restaurant, she donned on her ghost hunting gear and soon went to a certain location to meet her "boss".
Or rather, one seriously crazed up fruitloop who tricked her into doing his dirty work for a long time, and who still didn't know she was now wise to him and his rotten plans.
"I can't believe that Fruitloop has the nerve to talk to me, and after all this time!..."Val thought in anger, as she kept flying on her hovercraft.
As she had finished her shift, she got a message from him telling him to meet at the mayor's office. The red huntress knew that he was up to something, and she was worried.
"Whatever his new plan is, I'm going to make sure that he fails..."Val thought, eyes narrowing as she soon arrived at her destination.
The mayor's office.
Once she was inside, wearing her upgraded ghost hunting suit, the mayor of Amity Park greeted her with a phony smile on his face.
"Hello, Valerie. Nice to see you again..."Vlad said in a false friendly way.
"Hey there. Happy to be here. It's been a while, Mr. Mayor..."She said, using all her acting skills and willpower to not show her true anger and negative feelings right now by plastering a fake smile on her face.
Her ghost hunting "mentor" smirked as he spoke to her.
"Right. Sorry that I haven't been able to talk to you in a while. I had...things to do..."Vlad said with a slight frown on his face, before he plastered another fake smile and continued.
"Anyway, I have a new assignment for you..."He said.
"What is it?..."Val asked, wanting to get to the point.
She knew whatever he wanted; it can't be good. So, she would make sure Danny, and the others would know what he's up to.
Vlad pressed some buttons that was on his desk and soon a holographic image appeared with what looked to be a green glowing rock.
"What is that?..."Val asked, being cautious right now.
"It is called Ectoranium. It's one of the rarest materials in the universe. It's rumored to have anti-ghost elements that could be useful when dealing with ghosts. They are even stronger than Blood Blossoms and your thermos. It can actually destroy ghosts if they so much as get in direct contact with it for too long..."Vlad explained, thinking she still had a vendetta against Danny Phantom.
"It can destroy ghosts?!..."Val gasped and Vlad misunderstood her reaction.
"Yes. I have reason to believe that there might be some located here on Earth. In this location to be more precise..."Vlad said as a map appeared on the holographic screen now.
"That's near Lake Eerie..."Val thought, having been familiar with the location since that is where Danielle is staying.
"This rare material is very valuable, not just in monetary value but also in its potential on a scientific level. I will also pay you handsomely for whatever you find for me. A few thousand a pound should do..."Vlad said, sitting back as he watched her react.
"So... think you can handle it?..."Vlad asked, while his trainee ghost hunter was still looking at the holographic image with a stunned look on her face.
Val was still processing what she just learned. All she was told was processing in her head.
A few months ago, before she learned Vlad's secret, she would have jumped at this chance and not ask any questions. But she was smarter now and she knew that whatever this Fruitloop wanted these anti-ghost rocks for, it can't be good.
"If what he said is true, then Danny's life is in danger...and if he goes near Lake Eerie, so will Danielle!..."Val thought, but realized her "employer" asked her a question and was expecting an answer.
The red huntress cleared her throat and tried to act enthusiastic about this whole mess.
"Don't worry, Mr. Masters. If there is any ectoranium there, I'll find it!..."Val said, making a mental note to tell her friends about this as soon as she can.
"Wonderful. Now, I do have a meeting to get to. Please inform me by dinner tonight if you find it..."Vlad waved goodbye, watching her go.
Valerie soon left, unaware of the suspicious glare that her boss sent her.
He already knew where to find Ectoranium and was already in the process of how to use it. However, he just wanted to be sure if his young protégé was still on his side or not.
If not, it would be the perfect means to dealing with her...and he already had her replacements chosen.
"Let's see if she does what I expect her to..."Vlad thought, unaware of the young girl's thoughts.
"Lying, rotten psychopath. I don't know what he wants that ectoranium stuff for, but there is no way I'm not going to let him get it. I'd better tell the others and fast..."Valerie thought in distrust, as she flew away from the mayor's office on her hoverboard as she knew she needed to inform her friends.
Unknown to the red huntress, in another dimension, things were quite troublesome for some certain individuals who had ice powers.
Meanwhile
In The Ghost Zone
It was a typical day at the Far Frozen
Frostbite and his people were in the middle of training and protecting their frozen wasteland from any potential intruders.
The chief of the Far Frozen stepped out of his hut and admired the lovely day in their realm.
"Such a fine day. The snow is freshly fallen, the lakes are perfectly frozen solid. The security defense is currently being upgraded with our engineer's latest improvements..."Frostbite said, smiling.
"And the sky is filled with missiles, and we have ships full of intruders heading right for us..."His second in command, Blizzard, said absent mindedly.
"Reminds me of the days when I..."Frostbite paused once he registered what he just said. "Wait...WHAT?! MISSILES? INTRUDERS?!..."He yelled and soon he and his warriors saw that was indeed happening and so did his second in command once he realized what he just said.
A bunch of missiles appeared and even destroyed one of their watch towers. Then several ships with Plasmius's symbol pointing downward on the side.
"We're under attack! Warriors, stand your ground and protect our lands! Don't let them near the Infi-map!..."Frostbite said as he and his warriors all grabbed their respective spears and charged for battle.
The ships landed and what looked to be robotic soldiers that thar vaguely resembled Plasmius appeared, firing at the Far Frozen's warriors who did their best to defend their home.
As the ghostly yetis fought off the invaders to protect their land and their precious Infi-map, a certain evil half-ghost was watching from a distance.
"This is even better than I expected..."The wicked man thought as the next step of his plan was about to being.
Especially as his new pawns did their job more effectively than his first pawn...And all he had to do was make them think that they were in a simulation for their final test.
"What fools..."Vlad thought, as his evil scheme continued.
-To be continued-
Next time on Theft
Vlad's Mission
A/N(1): I dedicate this chapter to my family, my friends and my love for God :)
A/N(2): Special thanks for NeoMark, BeConFuzzled Writer, 61394, Jay The Average Fanboy and Luiz4200 for their help. You guys rock :)
REPLIES to my loyal and totally awesome reviewers:
RonaldM40196867:
1) Vlad wanted to use them in his latest evil plot.
2) Sorry, no spoilers. I guess that we will have to wait and see what happens.
3) I see your point.
4) Mostly because Team Phantom think it's not necessary anymore and also because Colette's gets zits every time that she tries to reveal Danny's secret.
5) Thanks for the suggestions.
6) Right.
7) He would have, but Danny and the others already planned on taking Colette to court once they proved to everyone her crimes.
8) Thanks for the suggestion, I will see what I can do.
9) Kwan wasn't punished since Danny and the others explained that he was forced to help Colette and proved that he helped them reveal her crimes.
10) Thanks for the suggestion, I will see what I can do.
11) Right.
12) I think they did testify but I wanted to focus on everyone showing proof of Colette's crimes during the trial.
13) I guess that we will have to wait and see what happens.
14) Sorry, no spoilers. I guess that we will have to wait and see what happens.
15 ) Thanks for the suggestion. I will see what I can do.
16) Thanks for the suggestion. I will see what I can do.
17) Thanks for the suggestion. I will see what I can do.
18) Right, even Donovan sees that Danny doesn't like Colette, but he mostly sees Colette as pathetic for "wasting her time with a peasant" as he would say it.
19) Thanks for the suggestion. I will see what I can do.
20) Right.
Fiction Realm: Yeah.
Jebest4781: Thank you :)
Luiz4200: Thanks for the suggestion. I will see what I can do.
Danifan3000: Sorry, no spoilers. I guess that we will have to wait and see what happens.
Invader Johnny: I guess that we will have to wait and see what happens.
Rock1030: How is this so far?
NightShadow2955: Sorry, no spoilers. I guess that we will have to wait and see what happens.
Guest: I guess that we will have to wait and see what happens.
Reddy: Sorry, no spoilers. I guess that we will have to wait and see what happens.
Scooter2: I guess that we will have to wait and see what happens.
:) I hope you enjoyed this! Remember to read and review :)