Set Alight

Chapter 25

He's too busy gloating to sense me.

Soon after waking, I'd invisibly sought out Vlad, finding him in the lab where Danny, Jack and Ellie are. Danny's face is white, and he's gasping painfully. I still can't see his wounds, as they're now wrapped heavily in bandages, though not well. Jack and Ellie are still unharmed, as far as I can see.

Vlad has moved everyone into this room to see what he'd done. And he's gloating. He's laughing, as Lindsey's face screws up into hatred and Ashton's face blanches and Sam screams for her husband--my real dad.

I focus on what he's saying, trying to block out the scene.

"...er loyalty is mine, Daniel! And you thought that by taking her into your domain you would buy it! I raised her! She's mine. You lost."

"What are you trying to do, Plasmius?" Every word is a struggle, and he gasps between them.

"Oh, what I'm always trying to do. Take over the Ghost Zone and declare myself King."

"The Council..."

"That silly little Council you've made? They won't let me? Hilarious! I've got you! I have that ice teddy bear, and the anti-social freak you call the Keeper of Knowledge! Who else'll stop me? The six-armed Keeper of Chaos? I trapped her in her own box! And Walker..."

Realization dawns on Danny. "He... He was with you... all along...?"

"Ah, you're learning."

I float closer. Danny's eyes widen a fraction of an inch as a small puff of cold air comes out of his mouth, but he wisely keeps his eyes on Vlad.

"The other ghosts..."

He smiles. Big. "Glad you brought them up." He waves a remote and clicks it dramatically. A large machine whirs. Large prongs retract from the ceiling, each with a different glowing item. Danny gasps.

"No..."

At the center of it all sits Walker, his hands on glowing green balls that sit at the end of the arm rests, his eyes glowing bright with power.

Danny's eyes narrow. "I knew... knew I shouldn't have trusted you..."

"My boy, that was always your mistake..." Vlad smirks. "Determining your allies before their loyalty was factored in."

Walker gives the cruelest smile I've ever seen. "The Ghost Zone's chaos dictates the rules. You broke them, punk. Plasmius will restore it."

"Ghosts are ghosts--" Danny heaves a breath. "Because they failed in life... Most obsessions... aren't fulfillable.... I established peace for those who are trapped... searching for what can't.... Be found."

Vlad and Walker exchange looks before laughing hysterically. "I can see how you became ruler! People will believe anything if you say it like that! Ah, but Daniel, your mouth was always your only useful weapon. And a weapon that can easily be disarmed." Vlad, after his monologue, flips a switch.

Electricity surges and Danny lets out a scream of pure agony. Vlad switches it off with a sick smile.

"How can you talk when you're busy screaming?"

"You filthy piece of--" Sam's insult is cut off with a shriek of pain. Everyone else jerks, trying to get away, when Vlad starts it up for everyone.

"Let it begin," he chuckles.

Walker consents and his machine sparks. But all I can see are the screams, and suddenly my hand is on the switch and it's pushing down.

The screams turn into pants and gasps as Vlad whirls, trying to find the source of this. He does.

"Show yourself..." I switch off my intangibility at my fire's instruction. She knows now that I've made a mistake but still have the element of surprise. "... Emma."

My eyes flash briefly with gold fire. "What are you doing?" I demand.

He obviously hadn't expected me, and I can see him struggling for a lie. "I... Emma, you must understand that they aren't human anymore..."

"You don't see us torturing anyone," snaps Sam. I glance at her, uneasy, but not for reasons Vlad thinks. I'm not wavering in my loyalty (as it belongs solely to the Phantoms) but I'm in worry that Sam will blow my cover too soon.

"Emma." His voice is stern now. "Don't listen to-"

"Dad." Danny flinches. "Please. My loyalty will never change. And I don't care what you do..." Vlad gives an almost imperceptible smug glance at Danny. "Unless what you do is mess with my family." He whips around, shocked.

I smirk, and my fire explodes out of me.

Walker creates a shield of ectoplasm around him, barely sparing a glance. My fire avoids the pods but smashes into Vlad like a wall, sending him into the actual wall.

I slam on the release button. They collapse to the ground, weak from the electricity. Vlad stands, completely burned-free, snarling.

I need out. It's just me, and I can't take on Vlad and whatever the Zone Walker has up his sleeve. I glance around. They need to get out because I can't carry them and fight off Vlad.

Unless...

Vlad's fire rips out of him, needy and searing. I throw up my own and it slams into his mercilessly. The heat is almost unbearable, and I can see it on the Phantoms' faces.

This is tactless. I need a plan. I need time to think!

Sovaĝa Fajro, I call. She responds with what seems to be a grunt. Good Justice is just as well as bad. I'll use my ectoplasm so you can use your fire. Please! Somebody in this room must have some unpaid good karma!

I can feel her smirk as I feel the sudden halt in fire power as she draws inward to enact justice.

I pull at my ectoplasm. It's too sticky for my taste, but I use it anyway. It glows in my hand and shoots out, through the fire wall.

"Out of fire so soon?" The fire evaporates. My face falls. He'd dodged. "Very well!"

I use Danny's technique to form a shield as Vlad's ray barrels toward me. I'm blasted back, my feet digging painfully into the ground.

Wildfire. I don't reply but acknowledge her briefly. Justice is blind. Realization dawns. No. No, no!

Justice without me! Justice without!!

You're my host. You must be present. Split your attention.

I'm too new! I cry. Without me, without!

You'll still be blind.

I must be able to use my powers!

As you wish. I will enact justice.

As Vlad rears for another attack, and my hands glow with unspent but dwindling ectoplasm, Sovaĝa Fajro, the only hope we have, takes my vision away.