FicWad

The Wielder
Chapter 6: Warning

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Casper High

It had been three days since the incident at the Nasty Burger and news about Danny Phantom’s new partner spread rapidly. The papers were always quick to report Danny’s exploits, even after he was taken off the list of public enemies. And an oversized dragon in the middle of downtown attracted plenty of reporters with cameras. Now Sam was officially in the mix. Rumors were already running wild. Some said she was a ghost, some said she was some kind of mutant, and there were even a few that said she was an alien. Even Danny’s parents got interested in it and started investigating. But it was doubtful they would find anything. Their specialty was ghosts, not supernatural relics. And luckily, nobody recognized her. The red hair and black eyes were enough to fool the masses.

But aside from the speculation over the origins of Amity Park’s latest supernatural fighter, there was also intrigue into her connection with Danny Phantom. They appeared fighting together so it was only logical people started making connections. One of the most popular was that she was the ‘ghostly lover’ of the ghost boy. Danny and Sam brushed that off of course, but given they were never too forward with the media, there was only gossip to go on. And reactions were varied.

“Oh my gosh, did you see this latest exposé?” exclaimed Paulina as she, Dash, and Kwan hung out near their lockers, “They say this new Witch Girl could be Danny Phantom’s girlfriend! His girlfriend?!”

“Calm down, Paulina. I think it’s cool!” said Dash, “The guy deserves a girlfriend. Especially one that wears an outfit that hot!”

“Yeah, I wouldn’t mind playing dragon with her!” said Kwan, giving Dash a high five.

Paulina responded by swatting them both with the paper. Then in a fit of overly dramatic tears, she ran off.

“You boys are jerks! Now the Ghost Boy will never be mine! Never!”

Paulina’s show didn’t go unnoticed. Along the way she passed Danny, Sam, and Tucker as they got their books from their lockers. While Danny was somewhat torn at her display, Sam didn’t care so much.

“Drama queen,” she scoffed.

“She should really stop reading the tabloids,” said Tucker as he picked up the paper she crumpled up and tossed along the way, “I mean seriously, a race of aliens living inside Mount Rushmore? How gullible do they think we are?”

Tucker was about to throw the paper in the trash, but like all curious readers the outlandish stories kept him hooked. He tried to resist. He couldn’t let this evil fabricated press grab hold of him. But there were limits to human endurance.

“Hmm…aliens huh?” he said, opening up the paper.

“Clearly gullible enough,” sighed Danny, “But seriously, it’s been only a few days and the Witch Girl is hot gossip.”

“I still wish they chose a better name,” said Sam as she opened her locker, “I mean seriously, Witch Girl?”

“At least it’s better than Inviso-Bill,” argued Danny.

“Whoever comes up with this stuff should have their head examined,” she said, grabbing the tabloid from Tucker.

“Hey! I wasn’t finished with that!”

“You’re brain will thank me later,” said Sam.

Using the Witchblade, she shredded the paper into tiny bits and tossed it in a nearby trashcan. It should have been a given that her new public image would have some rough patches. Already they were giving her stupid names and speculating where she came from. Not only that, they were making a connection between her and Danny. They were already calling her his girlfriend. So not only would they have to deal with scrutiny from friends and peers, now they had to deal with the press. It was like the world was conspiring to get them to confess their feelings when they were still working things out.

“So how much longer will this tabloid scrutiny last?” groaned Sam.

“Wish I could tell you, but I’m still waiting for mine to be over with,” sighed Danny.

“This is seriously messing with my attitudes towards freedom of the press.”

“You get used to it,” he said light-heartedly, “It comes with the territory of being a superhero.”

“Doesn’t make these stories any less annoying.”

“I know. Just look at them. They actually think you’re Danny Phantom’s girlfriend. Isn’t that crazy?”

“Yeah…crazy,” she said, her voice shifting slightly.

Danny and Sam fell silent, forced to look away to hide their blush. It had to be a major sign when wild tabloid stories had some truth to them. Even though they hadn’t gotten to that point just yet, that didn’t stop them from acting like it.

“Clueless,” sighed Tucker.

“Shut up, Tucker,” they said simultaneously, which only earned them another laugh.

Amity Park Plaza Hotel – Vlad and Kenneth

Vlad wiped the sweat off his forehead as he finished installing the last of the power cells that would power his fleet of machines. Several days of hard work and constant pandering to Kenneth’s impatience was almost over. Even for a half-ghost, it was exhausting. Ever since Irons heard about the so-called Witch Girl in the news he was intent on getting these machines ready ahead of schedule. He didn’t understand the intricacies of transferring supernatural energy from one being to another. One slip up and they could both be fried. But nothing would dissuade him at this point. And besides, his impatience gave Vlad a chance to put in a few extra fail-safes.

As much as he wanted what Kenneth was offering, Vlad was not so naïve to think that he wasn’t capable of screwing him over. Kenneth Irons was a cut-throat businessman just like him. If there was an opportunity to get away with something, he would take it. That meant it was up to him to make sure that if he dared to cross him, he would pay the price.

“How close are we, Vlad?” asked Kenneth as he walked in with a newspaper and some coffee.

“Almost there,” he said, “You’ll be happy to know that the power cells are in place. Now all that’s left is to calibrate the transference mechanism.”

“And how long will that take?”

“It should be finished by tonight so if I were you, I’d have my reward ready. And since you’ve pushed me to finish ahead of schedule, I might require some minor compensation.”

Kenneth groaned. There was no such thing as ‘minor’ compensation to Vlad Masters. He always demanded more. It was one of his defining traits that showed he hadn’t been born into riches. He usurped them.

“I’ll pay it,” said Kenneth grudgingly, “Just be ready. I plan on bringing the girl in very soon.”

“And just how are you planning to do that?” said Vlad skeptically, “You said the power of the Witchblade grows the longer its attached to the wielder and that Nottingham fool already failed once at bring them in. What makes you so certain you’ll be successful this time?”

Kenneth scoffed. Vlad may have been brilliant in ghostly matters, but a brilliant tactician he was not.

“That’s your problem, Masters. Your only solutions involve force. But as my father always said, why use force when deceit works so much better?”

Vlad looked at him strangely. He wasn’t sure what he meant by that, but the look on his face said he definitely had a plan.

“Just make sure the machine is ready by tonight,” said Kenneth strongly, “I’ll bring the Manson girl in. I’ve already taken the necessary measures.”

Amity Park – Park

“RRRRRAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

The all too familiar sound of a giant ghost monster echoed through the park as it stomped and slashed anything in its wake. It had been a few hours since school let out and Danny, Tucker, and Sam were just passing by on their way home when the creature shot out from a nearby sewer growling and snarling menacingly at innocent bystanders. It was nearly 30 feet tall, had a crocodile-like face, lizard-like scales, and an array of sharp teeth that would have put a Great White Shark to shame. Naturally, Danny and Sam sprang into action and began fighting it. But it wouldn’t go down quietly.

“Whoa!” exclaimed Sam as she blocked another slash with a hastily formed shield, “I don’t know which is worse the claws or the sewer smell!”

The creature then swiped its tale at her, sending her flying against a tree.

“Ugh…definitely the claws,” she groaned.

“Hold on, Sam! I’ll slow it down!” yelled Danny as he swooped in from above.

Taking aim with his ice blasts, Danny unleashed a beam of intense cold that hit the reptilian creature. It let out a loud roar, thrashing wildly as ice formed around its limbs and froze it into place. Now immobilized, Sam picked herself up and took aim.

“I’m normally against cruelty to animals, but this time I’ll make an exception!”

She took aim and fired a concentrated burst of energy that hit the monster head on, knocking it back hard and effectively taking the fight out of the massive creature. It let out a feeble growl as it lay on its side, struggling to get up. But Danny wouldn’t give it a chance and finished the job by freezing it in place with ice.

“That ought to hold it,” said Danny triumphantly, “Now where’s Tucker with the thermos?”

As if on cue, Tucker emerged from over the hill short of breath with the thermos in hand. He was panting hard, clearly sounding out of shape for someone without superpowers.

“Next time…don’t leave the thermos in your locker,” he said breathlessly.

“You need to get in shape, Tucker,” said Sam as she caught the thermos.

“Easy for you to say! You guys have superpowers!”

Rolling her eyes, Sam captured the creature in the Fenton Thermos and sealed it shut. They then made sure nobody was looking and powered down. It seemed like a quiet afternoon was a lot to ask for them. Why all these creatures kept getting out was anybody’s guess. Ever since Vlad moved his operations to Amity Park the number of attacks seemed to be increasing. Either he was behind them or leaving the task of stopping them up to them. Both were probably partially true.

“So much for a quiet afternoon in the park,” sighed Sam.

“Told you…we’d have better luck…at the arcade,” said Tucker, still catching his breath.

“Since when has that made a difference?” said Danny, “These things tend to find us wherever we go.”

“At least there’s two of us now,” added Sam, “So you up for a movie and a pizza?”

“Can’t I catch my breath first?” whined Tucker.

“Boy you are out of shape,” chuckled Danny.

The three friends made their leave, hoping this was the last they had seen of giant ghost monsters for the day. But monsters weren’t their only concern. Ian Nottingham was still watching their every move and at long last he would have his chance at revenge.

Kenneth called him earlier and told him that the machine was nearly ready. All they had to do was get the girl and the Witchblade. Based on what he just saw that was no small task. She and the ghost boy just took out a 30-foot-monster without much of a struggle. Force was clearly a risky option. But Irons had given him detailed instructions that would get around that. As much as he would have liked another shot at that girl, he would get his chance soon enough.

Ian impatiently waited by a corner as they neared his position. They were still going on about mindless adolescent musings. It was times like this he wished he was back dealing with the mob.

“You know, I think I’m really getting used to the idea of being the wielder of the Witchblade,” said Sam as she looked over the bracelet that concealed the ancient weapon, “I feel it chose me for a reason.”

“Well Frostbite did say it was alive. Guess it has a thing for vegetarian Goths who fight ghosts in their spare time,” commented Danny.

“Sounds picky,” said Tucker, “No wonder it only chooses women.”

“Since I just fought a giant ghost monster I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that. But seriously, I really feel a connection with this thing. I can’t explain it, but…”

It was at this point Ian stepped in.

“That connection will be the death of you,” he said, stepping out from the corner.

Danny, Sam, and Tucker each fell back, immediately recognizing him as the stranger who attacked them.

“You!” exclaimed Sam, forming the Witchblade gauntlet over her arm, “What do you want?! Looking for a rematch?”

“Easy Miss Manson, put that away. I’m not here to fight,” he said.

“And we should believe you, why?” said Danny, his eyes flashing bright green.

“Because I have information about that Witchblade you need to know.”

That got their attention. There was so much about this man that seemed menacing, but he was nothing if not serious. Any guy who wielded a sword like he did was proof enough of that. And the look in his eye was telling. It was enough to get Sam to take it seriously.

“Wait…” she said, stepping in front of Danny and confronting the man directly, “Just who are you anyways? And why are you so interested in the Witchblade?”

Ian remained calm and poised, taking a deep breath as he put his master’s plan into action.

“My name is Ian Nottingham,” he said respectfully, “I am an associate of Kenneth Irons.”

“Irons? You mean the rich guy who brought that exhibit to the museum?” said Tucker.

“The very same. And as I’m sure you figured out already, the Witchblade was part of that exhibit. In fact, Mr. Irons considers it his crown jewel. You have no idea how long he dedicated himself to finding that relic. His father began the search and he finished it. He believed in the legends surrounding the Witchblade. He knows more about it than anybody, which is why you must come with me!”

“Hold on, Mr. Nottingham,” said Danny, still very much suspicious of this man, “Sam’s not going anywhere until you tell us the truth! Just what kind of power are we dealing with anyways?”

“A very ancient one,” he replied ominously, “A power that is traced back to a time when the two primal forces, the Darkness and the Angelus, were in a constant state of conflict. They were the ones that spawned the Witchblade. And it was that power that brought balance to an otherwise chaotic world.”

“We know that already!” said Sam impatiently, “Tell us a part of the legend we haven’t heard!”

“I’m sure you already know the basics. The Witchblade attaches itself to a female wielder and together they use the power within to maintain the balance. But the merge between Witchblade and wielder has an unfortunate side-effect…one that inevitably drives the wielder mad and leads her to an untimely death.”

Sam’s expression paled. Death was a pretty big side-effect. Mad was right up there with it. Looking down at the gauntlet that was fused to her arm, she felt an ominous sense of dread. It made her sick to her stomach. One of her greatest fears from the moment this thing merged with her was that it would somehow drive her mad. This man seemed to confirm it.

“No…” said Danny, looking over at Sam and then back at Ian, “You’re lying! How do we know you’re telling the truth?!”

“Just look at what happened to the Witchblade’s past wielders. Cleopatra, one of the earliest wielders committed suicide. Joan of Arc, who said many times that she heard voices, was burnt at the stake. It’s how the Witchblade works. First it merges with the wielder and bonds with her until she comes to trust it. For a time, she might even feel a kinship with it.”

Sam gulped at that. She had just told her friends about how she was growing fond of the Witchblade. Did that mean it was starting to take over? Was it just false comfort so it could weaken her to the point where it could take advantage of her? Ian wasn’t done yet and she had a feeling it would only get worse.

“Then it takes over, driving her mad until she is eventually consumed. It starts as just a voice, but then it grows. You may not feel it now, but soon the person you are will be overwhelmed by the Witchblade. To it you’re just a shell…a vessel for it to use its power. And once it takes control, it’ll kill everybody you care about. The Witchblade knows no compassion. It’ll take everything…your spirit, your soul, and your free will. It’ll use you as it has used countless others.”

Sam, Danny, and Tucker fell silent. They were in such a state of shock and dread no words could possibly articulate what they were feeling right now. Danny moved closer to Sam, watching as she placed her other hand over the gauntlet. Even though there was so much about this man that didn’t seem trustworthy, who’s to say there wasn’t some truth to his words? Frostbite had told them from the beginning that information about the Witchblade was scarce. Maybe this was the reason why.

“In other words…if I keep the Witchblade I’ll lose everything?” said Sam in a mute tone.

“Yes,” affirmed Ian, “As the Witchblade takes over, many will fall…starting with the ones you care for most. And I know you don’t want that.”

“No…I don’t,” she said, looking at Danny and Tucker intently, “Is there a way to stop it?”

Ian’s expression shifted. He always maintained an emotionless poise, but for the sake of earning this girl’s trust he moved closer in a show of compassion.

“That I don’t know. When the Witchblade saw you, it must have triggered the energy within. That’s why it sought you out. Kenneth sent me after it in hopes of preventing it from merging with another wielder, but as you already know I was too late. I thought I could fight to get it off. But the Witchblade had other ideas.”

“No kidding,” said Tucker, the memories of that fight still hanging strong, “Does that mean the merge is permanent?”

“If it was, why would I bother confronting you again?” quipped Ian, “The way I see it, you have two choices Miss Manson. You could either ignore my warning and go about your life until you’re driven mad by the Witchblade and kill everybody you care about or you could come with me and let Mr. Irons help. The choice is yours, but I warn you not to take it lightly. There are more lives at stake than just your own.”

It didn’t leave Sam with many options. The thought of her going crazy and killing her friends didn’t sit well with her for a second. Her friends were the most important part of her life. She couldn’t bear the thought of her turning on them. There was no way she could live with that sort of thing. She swallowed hard, holding back tears as she looked back at Danny. He looked just as concerned. He didn’t want to lose her any more than she wanted to lose him. If there was any truth to what this man was saying, it was worth taking seriously.

“So what’s it going to be?” asked Ian, “Are you going to come with me or are you going to accept the fate of all wielders?”

“Never was one for the whole fate thing,” she muttered, “Fine, I’ll come with you. Are you sure this Irons guy can come up with a way to get this thing off of me?”

“He’s already figured that out,” he assured, “Just come with me and I promise it’ll be over by tonight. You’ll be back to hanging out with your friends and fighting ghosts in no time.”

“Good enough for me,” said Sam, staring bitterly at the gauntlet.

She was ready to accept this man at his word. These revelations helped make sense of a few things like how it found her and why he was after her that first day. That didn’t mean it was true, but it didn’t mean it was false either. Perhaps this Kenneth Irons could help her. He was after all the man who found the Witchblade. If there was anybody who do something about this thing it was him. Danny, however, wasn’t so convinced.

“Wait…” said Danny, grabbing Sam by the shoulder, “I’m coming with you.”

“Danny, you heard the man. The closer you are to me the better the chances are you’ll get hurt!” said Sam strongly.

“I’ll risk it. Besides, I’d like to meet this Irons guy. Because no offense, Mr. Nottingham sir, but I don’t trust you.”

Ian scoffed. This boy was trying to sound tough, but he was fourteen for crying out loud. Never-the-less, he had to deal with him. He was this girl’s best friend. At least this way he wouldn’t have to hunt him down to get his revenge on him.

“Fine, I’ll let you come with us. Kenneth told me one of you might follow anyhow. Teenagers are stubborn like that.”

“Comment on our wild youth later. Can we just get this over with already?” said Sam impatiently, “Where is this guy anyways?”

“Not far,” assured Ian, “He’s been working out of a pent house at the Amity Park Plaza Hotel. I’ll call and let him know we’re coming.”

“Good, because I need to have a word alone with my friends,” said Danny.

While Ian took out his cell phone and called his master, Danny led Sam and Tucker out of hearing distance from this man. As worried as he was for Sam, they couldn’t just take this guy at his word. What he described was dangerous, but that didn’t mean his intentions were good. For that reason, they had to make plans of their own.

“What are you doing, Danny? This guy my be our only hope!” said Sam under her breath.

“I don’t trust him, Sam. What if he’s not telling the truth?” replied Danny, “Even if the Witchblade is dangerous, how do we know this Irons guy won’t make things worse?”

“If you’ve got a way to prove it I’d love to hear it,” she said.

“I don’t, but it couldn’t hurt to double check,” said Danny, “Tucker, you still have that footage from Sam’s training?”

“Yeah why? You’re not thinking of making a video at a time like this, right?”

“No, but it might come in handy. I want you to gather everything you can and take it to Jazz. Tell her to find out everything she can on the Witchblade. Go to the library, the museum…anywhere you can get more information. If there’s any truth to what this Ian guy is saying I want to make sure.”

“What makes you think she’ll find something we haven’t?” asked Sam.

“She’s an uptight, detail-oriented, bookworm who once spent three hours researching the history of taxidermy. If anybody can find something we overlooked, it’s her.”

Nobody argued with that. Jazz may not have been the best at fighting ghost or coming up with good names, but she definitely knew a thing or two about research. This ancient legend seemed right up her alley. And if she did uncover something, they trusted her word more than they trusted Ian.

“Okay, but what do we do if we find something?” asked Tucker.

“Call me on my cell as soon as possible,” said Danny, “Hopefully it won’t be too late.”

“That’s not very reassuring,” muttered Sam.

“Don’t worry. I won’t let anyone or anything hurt you. That’s a promise.”

That got her to smile and even blush a little. Danny smiled back. This was a difficult choice for her. She didn’t know what to believe about the Witchblade. It came into her life so suddenly and just like his ghost powers, she struggled with it. She helped him during the difficult times he faced. It was only fair that he return the favor.

“Be careful you guys,” said Tucker, “I don’t know who this Irons guy is, but if Mr. Happy over there is anything like him I’d watch out.”

“Believe me, Tucker, I’m not taking this lightly,” said Sam, “I…I just have to know the truth. One way or another I’m gonna find out. I just hope I don’t regret this when I do.”

With his gear in hand, Tucker waved goodbye and ran off towards the Fenton Works where he hoped Jazz wasn’t busy working on extra credit again. Mythology and legends weren’t his expertise, but for Sam’s sake he would get a crash course in the subject. He trusted Danny to watch over her. It was Ian Nottingham and that boss of his that he worried about.

While Danny and his friends discussed their course of action, Ian let his master know that everything was going according to plan. It happened just as he predicted it would. It wasn’t as exhilarating as combat, but it got the job done.

“So she took the bait?”

“Yes, she doesn’t suspect a thing. Very nice use of a little white lie.”

“In my line of work such skills are necessary. Just make sure she doesn’t get any second thoughts. And if that boyfriend of hers gets in the way…you know what to do.”

“Yes, master. You can count on me,” said Ian, “We’ll be at the hotel in an hour.”

“I’ll be waiting.”

Upon closing his phone, Ian turned to the two teens who were now waiting anxiously for him. They still looked at him with great suspicion, but he could care less. He just needed them to believe him for a little bit longer. Then Kenneth will have his relic and he would have his revenge.

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Up next: Secrets are revealed as Sam and the Witchblade confront Kenneth Irons.