Disclaimer: I own nothing from Danny Phantom

(Updated 12/26/2024)

Chapter 20: A Tough Pill To Swallow

"One should rather die than be betrayed. There is no deceit in death. It delivers precisely what it has promised. Betrayal, though ... betrayal is the willful slaughter of hope." ~ Steven Deitz

Danielle's POV

"Danielle? Time to wake up, little badger. Your brother is here and eager to see you," Vlad said, gently shaking my shoulder.

"Vlad? Hold on, wasn't I just..." I blinked up at him, still drowsy and disoriented. I rubbed my eyes, trying to shake off the grogginess, as he quickly filled me in on what had happened.

"Ah yes, you must be wondering how you got here. Well you see, when I went to find you after your flight took longer than expected, I discovered you asleep in the greenhouse. It would seem as though you were overpowered by the strong tranquilizing properties of the hybrid Blood Blossoms I grow in there to make medicine for my ghost half seeing as these blossoms react to ecto-energy just like their regular counterparts. If you had transformed back into your human form before approaching them, they probably wouldn't have affected you so quickly, but of course, you weren't aware of that at the time. I meant to warn you beforehand to steer clear of the greenhouse and inform you that I've been growing them for years, just to avoid any misunderstandings. Unfortunately, it seems to have completely slipped my mind—"

Shaking my head and standing up after pushing the blankets aside I shrugged. "It's okay, they didn't hurt me or anything, so stop worrying so much fruitloop. I was just surprised when I noticed something glowing in the greenhouse after hanging out by the pool for a while, so I went in to check it out—old habits die hard, you know? Anyway, let me just put my shoes back on, and I'll..."

But I completely lost track of what I was going to say the moment I saw Jace slowly opening the bedroom door behind Vlad and our eyes met. He must have been waiting just outside this whole time. Without hesitation, I dashed around Vlad and rushed to Jace, nearly tackling him to the ground as I tightly wrapped my arms around him. Vlad watched our exchange with a warm smile before quietly taking a seat at my desk, giving us a moment to ourselves.

A hard lump formed in my throat as I struggled to find the right words to tell Jace how much I've missed him as he held onto me just as tightly in return, almost as if he was afraid I'd disappear again if he let go. Jace must've been having the same problem I was too because he seemed so relieved to see me safe after everything we'd been through together that he couldn't say anything at first either. In fact, his embrace felt almost stifling warm to the point where I started to worry something might be wrong...

Concerned, I leaned in closer and rested my forehead against his as soon as he met my gaze then frowned and scolded, "Jeez, Jace, you're burning up! Why didn't you tell us you were sick? If we knew that I'm sure Vlad would have gone to meet you halfway."

"Yeah right, as if I was going to let anything stop me from getting to you, Dani," Jace smiled weakly, finally letting go and holding me at arms length. "But now that I know you're safe, I think I'll finally be able to get some rest."

With a sigh of relief, Jace's shoulders slumped and he continued wearily. "I'm sorry it took me so long to find you. Sam, Trish, and I looked everywhere for you back in Amity Park until it finally occurred to me that you might have come here to ask Vlad for help as a last resort. But don't worry, I already told them you made it here safely and seem to be alright for the most part so we'll worry about contacting them later. Oh, and I'm sorry for not telling you about the Freakshow problem sooner, but like I said before, we only found out about what he's been up to while we were out looking for you after I took the Spector Speeder. But as long as that creep can't come after you here, that's all that matters. I'm just so glad...so glad you're-"

Just then, Jace's knees buckled unexpectedly so I instinctively reached out to steady him, my heart skipping a beat when it happened. Right on cue, before I could freak out too much Vlad stood up and calmly interjected, "I think that's enough socializing for now; he needs to rest. I'll arrange for some medicine to be brought up to his room to help reduce the fever. And before you ask, Danielle, I did suggest he wait until tomorrow to see you when I noticed your brother looked a bit too pale. However, he was quite insistent on seeing you immediately and wouldn't heed my advice, much like you refused to when you first arrived, my dear."

It made sense, but I still felt guilty that Jace had made himself sick because of me. so I slung his arm over my shoulder so he didn't have to deal with the embarrassment of either of us carrying him bridal style or piggyback instead. It was a bit awkward navigating the hallway with him since he's much taller than I am, but I turned down Vlad's offer to carry him. This was the least I could do for Jace after he had saved me from our parents. Fortunately, the room Vlad had chosen for him wasn't too far from mine; in fact, it turned out to be the same one Jace had slept in during our last visit during the reunion. I must have completely forgotten about it until now.

I could see that Jace was having a hard time keeping his balance, but he managed to mumble, "Sorry about this. I thought a quick nap in the Specter Speeder would do the trick, but honestly, I've been feeling pretty dizzy since our call earlier. I didn't even realize I was sick."

"It's fine," I smiled warmly, casting a quick glance at Vlad before focusing back on Jace. "I'm just glad you made it here in one piece too and no one tried to follow you."

Wincing, Jace let out a nervous laugh before confessing, "Well... about that, someone actually did try to follow me, but luckily I caught on just in time. It turns out Sam and Trish decided to sneak into the back of the Specter Speeder while I wasn't paying attention because they want to see you too. Honestly—" he paused to cough lightly into his fist, then resumed after regaining his breath, "—you have the weirdest friends, Dani. They're so stubborn, but at least it shows they care about—"

Interrupted by another coughing fit, we finally reached his room, and I gently helped him sit on the edge of the bed. Not long after another one of Vlad's ghost employee's that I didn't recognize walked in. She was disguised as a human, carrying a pitcher of water and some medicine on a serving tray. To my surprise, she looked like an ordinary housekeeper—slightly taller than me, with thick, curly brown hair and striking emerald green eyes. She seemed to be around Vlad's age too, at least in terms of human years.

Thankfully I already knew that the rest of the staff who work here in the castle are ghosts so when my ghost sense went off right before she entered the room after pushing it open with her hip I didn't snap into battle mode, which would have been embarrassing. Vlad must've sent for her while I was I was preoccupied with carrying my brother. After that I couldn't help but think, damn, he really doesn't waste any time, does he? I swear Vlad's always one step ahead of me so I'm definitely glad he's on our side now.

I was taken aback though when she the moment she finally spoke it was in a thick Scottish accent while graciously offering Jace a glass of water after receiving a nod of approval from Vlad. "There you go, boyo. Is there anything else I can get for you? If you're feeling hungry, I can always nip down to the kitchen."

Still feeling a bit disoriented, Jace took the medicine, finished the glass, and handed it back to her. In response to her question though he answered unsurely. "No, thank you. I bought some snacks earlier to tide me over during the trip and I think I would rather sleep this whole fever thing off. But I appreciate you asking."

"Of course, it's no bother at all," she said, curtsying effortlessly while skillfully balancing the tray in one hand.

Turning to Vlad, she curtsied once more, and asked if he had any additional instructions. After exchanging a knowing glance with me, Vlad replied with assurance, "Since Danielle will likely be here for some time to care for her brother before returning to her own quarters, it would be wonderful if you could check in on them occasionally throughout the night, Isla."

"Understood sir," Isla answered with a smile, casting me a quick sidelong glance and then snuck in a playful wink that caught me off guard...

That's when it suddenly occurred to me that Isla's only the second ghost I've met so far that works for Vlad if you exclude those three vultures, who by the way I haven't seen since I got here. Well, ok and the ghost chef whose name I haven't quite caught yet unfortunately. I'll have to remember to ask him next time. Technically, Skulker works for Vlad too, but it's more of a mutual understanding slash business arrangement according to him. Anyways, Vlad was right to assume I wanted to take care of Jace so after Isla left I briefly excused myself to the bathroom to get a towel wet to help Jace cool down a bit.

Speaking of which, by the time I returned with the towel, Jace was already sound asleep. And when I watched Vlad tuck him in, I felt reassured by his kind gesture, especially since this is probably the same way he's been tucking me into bed too. He does it with such tenderness and care that I sometimes forget how cold and ruthless he can be. Yet, despite that side of him, Vlad treats Jace and me as if we're already part of his family, like we're his own children. Witnessing this gentler side of him made me feel guilty for doubting him because he kept the Freakshow situation from me. But now I understand why Vlad had to do it, it was to prevent me from, well, freaking out. Sure, we've had our disagreements, but at the end of the day, Vlad's a hell of a lot more attentive than my parents. In fact, I could easily see him becoming an amazing dad someday if it weren't for—

You're no daughter of mine! Get out! Just GET OUT! My Dani would never betray us or destroy our life's work like this! You're not her! You're not Dani! I refuse to accept it! Now get out of my sight you MONSTER and NEVER come back! If I EVER see you here again I'll destroy you too just like you've destroyed our family! I froze, my mother's frantic and venomous words echoing in my mind.

Clenching the damp cloth in my hand, I focused on my breathing to regain my composure. I could feel my ghost powers stirring in response to the emotional turmoil, but I couldn't let that happen—not here, not now, when my brother needed me. Getting upset won't change anything. We're here now, and the life we had in Amity Park is behind us, whether I like it or not. At least we have Vlad with us, so we're not in this alone anymore.

As I opened my eyes to find Vlad's arms around me, sensing that I was on the verge of another meltdown, I took a deep breath to calm my nerves and said. "Vlad, you really don't need to do this. I'll be fine in a minute. I just didn't expect Jace to show up here with a fever, and I can't shake the feeling that it's my fault. It...brings back unpleasant memories of what I went through. But this isn't my fault, right? I haven't done anything wrong. Even though my parents don't understand what it means to be half-ghost and have chosen to reject that part of me, I still have so many other people in my life who love and accept me—like you, my brother, and my friends. Which means I'm not alone."

I was mostly saying the last part to reassure myself, but nonetheless, Vlad nodded and replied with confidence, "Exactly, none of this is your fault, little badger. And don't worry, I promise to take good care of Jason as well. And now that you two are both here I hope you can finally find solace in the fact that I will do everything in my power to give you both a better life here with me from now on. I will do my utmost to provide everything you two could ever need. But before I get ahead of myself—which, as you know, I tend to do—let's focus on helping Jason get better first, and we can work on the rest later, alright?"

"Sounds like a plan," I nodded, glancing over at Jace then down at my hand. Groaning when I noticed the small towel I grabbed earlier had gone stiff after I accidentally froze it with my new ice powers, I grumbled. "Damn it, looks like I need to go grab another towel. Oh and before I forget, thanks for carrying me back inside earlier and waking me up as soon as Jace made it here. But next time, could you give me a heads-up about things like those strange ghost roses and other odd plants you've been growing around the castle? I'd like to avoid making a mistake like that again."

"Duly noted," Vlad replied with a warm smile, finally releasing his hold on me. But then he unexpectedly leaned down a second later to kiss my forehead afterward, adding with a sly smirk, "Try not to stay up too late, Danielle. Your brother needs his rest just as much as you do so I recommend not spending the whole night fussing over him. I've already asked Isla to look after Jason in your absence if he needs anything during the night, since she doesn't require sleep like the rest of us. We can't have you exhausting yourself again, especially now that you're finally on the mend. We need you ready to discuss our plans for training together once we've dealt with your parents and Freakshow."

Caught in a whirlwind of conflicting emotions as he spoke, I could only blush and rub my forehead while shooting him a dirty look and promised Vlad I'd go to bed as soon as I was ready. Satisfied with my answer, he wished me goodnight and vanished in a swirl of pink mist, completely ignoring the door which he could have just used like a normal person. That fruitloop, I know he only kissed me on the forehead as payback for the peck I gave him on the cheek the other day, but this strange dynamic between us is still tough for me to describe, let alone comprehend. Sometimes Vlad drives me up the wall, but then there are moments like this when I can't help but feel a soft spot for him. I can tell he's genuinely trying his best to ensure we're happy and healthy, even if it means going a little overboard.

However, whenever Vlad lets his anger get the better of him or mentions wanting revenge, he still comes across as incredibly ruthless and cruel. This raises a red flag in my mind, and I instinctively feel the need to protect my parents, even now. So I have to remind myself that, unlike when we first met, Vlad isn't planning on sending his ghost henchmen after them—at least, not that I know of. His only plan seems to be taking our parents to court to—

"Is he gone?" Jace suddenly asked, opening one eye as I stood there, blinking at him in surprise.

"Jace? I thought you were asleep!" I whispered back, remembering at the last minute I still needed to grab a fresh towel so I added. "Hang on, I'll be right back."

I set the frozen towel aside and picked up a fresh one, wetting it before coming back. Folding the towel a few times, I placed it gently on Jace's forehead, brushing back his red hair. He smiled at me, reached out to take my hand, and said, "Thanks, Dani. I'm really glad to see you back to your old self. And sorry for putting on that act just now, but I wanted to talk to you alone for a few minutes. Is that ok?"

I shook my head and smiled as I replied, "When you put it that way, how could I possibly say no? But since you're not faking being sick I still want try and do whatever I can to help you feel better..."

Trailing off again as tears welled up in my eyes again, I struggled to hold them back and blurted out, "I feel like shit, Jace. I really messed up and I can't believe mom and dad hate me so much. I tried so hard to be the person they wanted me to be that I lost sight of everything else. I know in my heart that I can never go back to Amity Park, but hearing that some mind-controlling jerk is tearing the place apart to find me makes me want to rush back and stop him. Isn't that what heroes do? We stop the bad guy, make all the hard choices, and what does it get us in the end...? Only pain and lies piled on top of lies.

"Nothing could have hurt me more than what Mom and Dad said that night though. It shattered the small hope I had that they would ever accept me for who I am and revealed their true feelings about ghosts. To them, all ghosts are evil—unfeeling monsters that need to be eradicated. And they treated you like I had given you rabies or something and decided that the only way to 'fix you' was by getting rid of me. They loved me just enough to spare my life in that moment, Jace, but that's all it was! How am I supposed to move past this overwhelming feeling of emptiness and bitterness I feel towards them after the crappy way they've treated me my entire life? How horrible they were to me even before the accident?"

Gently lifting his hand from mine, Jace used his thumb to wipe away my tears. "Dani," he said, "I want you to know that it's going to take time for things to improve. But Vlad, your friends, and I are all here to support you through this. We want to do everything we can to help. Right now, the best thing you can do is allow yourself to be a little selfish and prioritize your own needs. You've already taken a step in that direction by coming here on your own to see Vlad, especially considering the trust issues you had with him before. That's why I wanted to talk to you alone. I need to know what really happened between you and Vlad at the reunion. Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be able to ask about anything else tonight beyond that because this headache is really kicking my ass."

Once he withdrew his hand, I offered a faint, understanding smile and said, "I hear you. I had a pretty bad one myself the other day so I know how draining they can be. Actually, here, let me try something..."

Jace gave me a curious look as I removed the towel from his forehead and placed my hand there instead. I then began to deliberately channel my cold energy into him, effectively transforming myself into a human ice pack. As long as I maintained my focus, it was a lot easier for me to control my new ice powers. My unusual strategy seemed to be working when Jace's eyes fluttered closed and he sighed in contentment, muttering. "Wow, that feels amazing. Have you always been able to do that?"

"No, I only found out about my ice powers recently when I accidentally froze a big part of the hallway on the other side of the castle. Speaking of which, how long have you known? About my ghost powers, I mean," I asked, careful to keep the energy in my hand from getting too cold.

"Since the Spectra thing," Jace admitted. "I didn't want to tell you until you wanted to tell me. It's your secret."

"Well, it's our secret now." I smiled, mentally bracing myself before finally sharing the whole story about what happened between me and Vlad before everything changed and he showed me a side of himself that I had only briefly glimpsed before—a side that had experienced the same betrayal from our parents, endured years of silent suffering, and felt isolated in a world that seemed indifferent to it all. But then we found each other, discovering a connection that rekindled a hope we had long abandoned: the acceptance of someone who actually understands what it means to be different from everyone else.

Vlad's POV

I won't deny that when I witnessed the two siblings embracing, I felt a pang of envy for the beautiful friendship they shared, almost to the point of mild jealousy over their bond. The truth is, Jason has spent his entire life growing up with Danielle, while I've only had the chance to get to know my little badger for just over a week. Our initial conversation during the reunion was brief, and since then, I've mostly observed her from afar. I'm confident that as time goes on, Danielle and I will grow closer, and in many ways, we already have—I just need to spend more time with her.

There are certain things about our powers that Jason will never fully grasp regardless of their closeness, which I'll admit on a more selfish note brings me great comfort. I want to have something unique with Danielle that no one else can share, something that will forge a special bond just for us. Fortunately, I already have that through our shared ghost powers. Although it's also true I've been growing increasingly fascinated by her abilities, which are not only powerful and wild but also strangely pure. It's remarkable to think she has only been a hybrid for about six months...

Clearly, we're both eager to learn more about each other and explore her capabilities. However, I have a few other priorities that need my attention now that we've successfully navigated the major challenge of bringing Jason here safely. I must give Jason credit; when he puts his mind to it, he can be just as clever and resourceful as Danielle. When I took the initiative to empty the Spector Speeder of the items he had retrieved from Fenton Works for his and his sister's safety, I was surprised by how many of their parents' inventions he managed to acquire. For obvious reasons, I have no intention of using any of these items, but there's no harm in at least looking, is there? And if there happens to be something there that I could potentially reverse engineer to use against Jack and Maddie, well, I might just have to reconsider my stance on improving them with that goal in mind.

When I laid eyes on the prototype of the belt Jason referred to as the Spector Deflector though, I knew I had to act quickly. This particular device was already confirmed to function like the Blood Blossoms that Maddie had recently acquired, which she planned to cultivate outside their home to harm any ghost that approached, just as they had done to Danielle. Without hesitation, I reduced both the prototype and its unfinished blueprint to a charred heap of ash and molten metal. Fortunately, the remaining items were primarily focused on self-defense against ghosts rather than to outright do much harm. As I carefully sifted through the blueprints and various items, I was astonished to discover one that could weaken a ghost and revert it to its most basic form, stripping away their disguises and powers. Jason must have kept this particular device, known as the Ghost Peeler, close to him in the front of the Spector Speeder to protect himself as well.

I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the absurd names of the devices listed on the blueprints. They definitely had Jack's signature dramatic flair, so Maddie must have let him name most of them after they completed each invention together. Besides the Spector Speeder and the Fenton Ghost Peeler, I discovered a variety of gadgets in Jason's stash he must have only taken with him to prevent them from being used against Danielle. These included several tracking devices, one of which resembled a boomerang, various ghost-catching tools like Dani Phantom's infamous thermos, nets, and other ghost-proof traps. To top it off, there was even a seemingly ordinary baseball bat labeled "Fenton Anti-Creep Stick," which I'll admit did get a good chuckle out of me...

In the end, Jason wisely took only the items he could easily carry, and he had the foresight to grab the blueprints as well, preventing Jack and Maddie from easily recreating them. Unfortunately, I suspect Maddie has memorized at least some of the designs, so there's a slight chance they could still be replicated in their parents' lab. As for Jack, I'm not worried at all; he has the memory of a goldfish and he should consider himself lucky to even remember his own name half the time. I'm relieved that Jason took all these devices out of Fenton Works, as it lessens the risk of them being used on Danielle, particularly when she was so vulnerable after her prolonged exposure to so many Blood Blossoms. As skilled as she is, I'm sure that had Danielle not come to me when she did, her parents may have easily caught her. The thought of the cruel experiments they could have inflicted on her in an effort to eliminate her ghost half—viewing it as an infection or parasite—is unsettling to say the least.

After carefully storing the remaining devices for safekeeping, I was about to stack the blueprints together to put away as well when I noticed that one had two pages stuck together. With some effort, I managed to peel them apart, my face contorting in disgust as I discovered old gum had partially ripped the paper. Fortunately, there was no critical information on that section, so it wasn't a complete loss. But when I actually read what was written on the extra blueprint, I was taken aback by the thought of anyone willingly using such a vile device. It was called an Ecto-Converter, and according to the document, it was designed to harness ectoplasm as an energy source by capturing ghosts to extract energy directly from them...

"My God, how can anyone be so cruel as to inflict such torture on any sentient being, ghost or not?! No creature, not even an animal, deserves to be treated this way! I was right all along, Jack and Maddie—you two are the true villains!" I snarled, furiously tearing the blueprints apart and igniting the fragments in my hands with a vivid electric pink flame, watching the pitiful embers that remained drift down to the ground.

While it would undoubtedly be advantageous to develop a method for converting ecto-energy into a reliable power source for emergencies, similar to a generator, the proposed approach is simply too abhorrent for me to even consider. I know for a fact that there is an abundance of raw ambient energy in the Ghost Zone that could easily provide the ectoplasmic power they're looking for, provided they could figure out how to tap into it. There should never have been any reason to assume the only way to get that power is to capture some poor soul to squeeze enough power out of them to save a few miles on gasoline! How could anyone inflict such suffering on a ghost without a shred of compassion or remorse, all while it screams in agony within such a device? No, creating something like this is clearly a conscious choice, and the very thought of it makes me sick.

Wiping the last traces of soot from my gloves, I refocused on the task at hand and powered up my supercomputer to analyze the data I had collected about Freakshow and his minions, as well as the evidence I was building against Jack and Maddie for court. To get a clearer picture of what both parties were currently up to, I decided to start with Danielle's parents. I then accessed my hidden spy camera feeds, strategically placed around Fenton Works. I had kept these on standby as a last resort for peering inside Fenton Works for Danielle's sake. To assist, I had deployed a few small robots designed to resemble insects, serving as my 'fly on the wall'—though, to be honest, they looked more like beetles.

Activating the nearest bot, I commanded it to enter via voice command, watching as it zipped through the closest opening, which turned out to be a mouse hole leading into the kitchen. Fortunately, luck was on my side; Jack and Maddie were already there, sitting at the table with glum expressions that filled me with satisfaction. This was far more gratifying than any revenge I could have enacted on you, Jack Fenton. And Maddie, if only you had recognized what truly mattered, this situation could have been avoided. Unfortunately, you've only brought this upon yourself, I thought with a cruel smirk as I observed them staring at their plates of untouched food.

Looking torn between his hunger and concern for his wife, Jack glanced at Maddie and urged, "Mads, you really need to eat something. I don't want you to get sick. We need our strength to find Jace and... well, you know..."

Coward! You can't even bring yourself to say your own daughter's name out loud, you arrogant bastard! I blanched, forcing myself to keep watching the rest of their interaction unfold.

This time, I didn't even bother to correct my old habit of swearing with baked goods like my mother taught me. Because the way I see it, I feel completely justified in calling him out for being a bastard after everything Jack has put me and Danielle through! Right now, the only thing stopping me from teleporting over there to give them a piece of my mind is the satisfaction of imagining all the ways I'll make them realize just how powerless they truly are. Once I'm done here, though, I'm definitely heading to the training room to take out some frustration on a few Jack-shaped targets...

"I know, but I still can't believe this. Our own daughter has been sharing her body with that ghost girl all this time, and we had no idea. We've been sheltering that... creature under our roof while Dani has been forced to coexist with it ever since the accident. Oh Jack, what have we done? Can we really save Dani by doing any of this? Is there any chance we can get rid of that ghost so she can return to being my little baby girl again and forgive me for all the awful things I've said?" Maddie asked, her voice trembling and tears welling in her eyes.

"Sure we will!" Jack said, attempting to sound assured as he raised his arms and flexed his muscles. "Once we show Vladdy that we're not the bad guys, he'll be on our side because he cares about Dani just as much as we do. And I'm sure Jace will come around once he once he understands that we never intended to hurt her; we were just trying to get rid of that awful spook that's been taking advantage of Dani. She's the one who turned her against us, but we'll get her back! We're Fenton's! And Fenton's stick together no matter what!"

"No," Maddie spat, her voice laced with bitterness. "Vlad made it abundantly clear that he's not on our side, and honestly, I can't blame him. We let this happen, Jack. We put Dani in danger by exposing her to ghosts in the first place and now we're paying the price for it, just like Vlad did because of the mistake we made that hurt him two decades ago. Now Jace is threatening to call the police and tell them we nearly pointed our weapons at our sixteen-year-old daughter if we continue searching for him. That ghost girl must have gotten to him as well. We can't let Jace caught up in the middle of all of this; we need to find a way to help him see the truth, and the only way to do that is..."

Trailing off when their doorbell rang, Jack and Maddie exchanged glances, and I switched to an external camera, my frustration mounting as two police officers obstructed my view just when I was about to uncover something significant. To my surprise, they had two reasons for their visit: first, to provide Jack and Maddie with an update on the situation regarding their 'missing' children, and second, to deliver a message from the chief of police requesting their assistance in addressing the ghost attacks. With Dani Phantom missing, the officers were finally forced to acknowledge how much the town had relied on her protection, despite Walker's attempts to portray her as the villain. It's high time they realized that everyone in Amity Park owes their very lives to Danielle. Yet, I remained vigilant, observing Jack and Maddie with the patience of a seasoned predator as they wove their web of deception around the two officers, concocting yet another excuse for why they couldn't offer assistance until the police located their missing children. This left both parties at an impasse.

Now is the ideal moment to present them with an alternative candidate who is fully equipped to handle their ghost issue. Unlike Jack and Maddie, this individual has my FULL support, namely one Vallen Gray. I've been anticipating the perfect opportunity to set him on a a collision course with Freakshow to confront him and his minions, and it appears that the time has finally come...

Since my vultures are already positioned as my spies among the ranks of the ghosts under control—being expendable unlike Skulker and lacking sufficient knowledge about me or Danielle to pose a threat, even if they eventually succumb to Freakshow's hypnotic orb—this is the ideal moment to provide Vallen with a compelling enough reason to finally get directly involved. In simple terms, I can offer him what he has been searching for along with the identity of the mastermind behind the ghost thefts in Amity Park: the assurance that his dear friend Dani Fenton is currently safe and sound in the care of the one and only Vlad Masters.