It's exactly one year from the time I last updated. I feel so bad for leaving you all for so long. Please forgive me. I promise nto to do it again. Never ever.

Disclaimer: The plot is mine and no one else can have it! I like it too much. BUt Butch can have his characters back anytime.

Chapter 8

Jazmine Fenton was not a violent person. She didn't enjoy the thought of war. But she believed in what Danny was doing, and since their father was still in jail and their mother had disappeared, she'd felt responsible for taking care of Danny even if he was the designated leader of their group. So she helped out with the cooking, cleaning, and healing the sick even though the latter was a constant reminder that they were risking their lives and she could lose her brother at any moment also.

So when the scout, Jazz recalled his name was Anthony, came running inside and yelled out what most everyone had been dreading to hear, Jazz stopped breathing. She didn't move, the fear paralyzing her for a moment

Jazz watched from her spot in front of Danny's door as the frenzied mess unfolded. People started running around, yelling out about Vlad's army to those that may not have heard. There was a swarm for Tucker's lab, people grabbing whatever Solars and canisters they could get. Tucker had done a good job in keeping everyone equipped while still keeping a fair supply in case it was needed. Without him there, it was a free-for-all.

Jazz finally snapped out of her fear and had taken four steps towards the lab when she heard Danny's "door" being pulled back and he stepped out. He still looked rather haggard but he didn't show it as he looked around for five seconds, assessing the situation. He then cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled out, his voice somehow being carried out for everyone to hear it.

"HOLD IT!"

The silence was tangible. Everyone turned from what they were doing and gave Danny their full attention. Jazz was impressed on the amount of respect everyone had for her brother when quite a few of them were twice Danny's age.

"We are not going to panic!" Danny glanced over at Anthony who was still standing near the exit. "How far away are they?"

"A-about five miles away. But they came into the country from the north and they're not heading for the capital, Danny. They're heading for us."

"For us? But that would mean….. Crap! Jazz; go regulate the equipment out to everyone since Tucker's not here. I want everyone to empty their pockets and give what you took back to Jazz, understand!"

"What's the point," someone yelled. "If they know where we are then we're doomed anyway? We should be able to defend ourselves for as long as possible."

"No one is dying yet! And, if I can help it, then-"

"And what if you can't help it, Daniel?"

Everyone's faces turned upward to watch as someone materialized, hovering above the cavern. But this someone was sneering down at them with fanged teeth, had black hair that stood up straight in a rather good likeness of demonic horns, and had blue skin.

A second later, twenty Solars were pointing up at the ghost with the special canisters made by Maddie Fenton.

"Oh dear me," the ghost mocked. "Really, Daniel, is this all the people you've persuaded over to your side? People are just so suspicious nowadays, aren't they?"

"Stop talking," Danny ordered. "How do you know me?"

"Don't tell me you've forgotten your old family friend already."

Danny heard Jazz gasp. "That voice…." And then his eyes widened as the realization came to him also.

"…Vlad?"

"Ah, you do remember." Vlad descended a bit, the guns still trained on him. Though, everyone was paying more attention to Danny and his conversation.

"What…..happened?"

Vlad's smirk widened. "The same thing that's happening to you."

Vlad swept his arm out and a large stream of magenta ectoplasm shot out towards the others watching. Those that didn't have to dive out of the way fired, but Vlad turned intangible and swooped down and out of the way. Danny, momentarily having forgotten about the threat in his astonishment, raised his gun to fire, but Vlad turned tangible again and knocked the weapon out of his hands and grabbed his shirt and raised him up into the air, using Danny as a shield.

Danny glared back at Vlad's sneering face, letting himself dangle. "What are you doing!"

"If you're so keen on learning what happened, Daniel, I thought I'd give you a first-hand glimpse."

And everyone watched as both of them disappeared in a puff of magenta smoke.



"Mr. Fenton, you're okay!" Tucker ran over, helping as best he could as Jack Fenton stumbled to his feet, bracing himself against the wall.

Jack chuckled grimly. "Oh, I'm all right. At the time, my offense wasn't as severe as it is now. Kept me locked up here because they feared I would go and aid Danny's cause. They don't have any right, really. Danny's got them really spooked."

Tucker nodded. "Yeah. How are you?"

"I'm all right, really, Tucker. I'm just getting old." The statement was an understatement. Jack looked years older than what he really was. "So, Tucker," Jack leaned in close. "Danny isn't….."

"He's fine, Mr. Fenton. They only got me because I did something stupid."

"Ah. Sorry to hear that. When's your sentence?"

"Tomorrow morning, I think."

Jack sighed. "I wish I could do something to help. But prison doesn't exactly keep you in shape. But, Tucker, how is Danny?"

"Danny? Oh, you know, he's fine. Or, at least, I think he is. He went out and after two days I went looking for him. Got myself caught then."

"Two days? But Danny could have been caught in that time."

"You hear about any executions? I think they would have been celebrating if they'd gotten someone as notorious as Danny."

"No." Jack sat down on the floor. "I haven't seen him since that one night when he broke everyone out."

"You saw him then? But then why didn't he bust you out with the rest of us?"

"Oh, believe me, he tried. I was the first cell he came, too. Told him to go save the others first. Danny always did think with his heart."

"But that doesn't mean you couldn't have escaped with us. We could have used you."

"Used me how? What exactly are you doing?"

"We're….we've set up a place in Apparition's Cliffs."

"That place is inhabitable. What are you doing there?"

"We went there because it was inhabitable. No one but us would even look at it. And somehow Vlad took notice of us. We've been fighting his men. It's better than Vlad bringing his whole army on Amity. But now the Royal Army has suddenly taken more interest in us."

"That's tough luck. How are Maddie and Jazz?"

Tucker swallowed, mouth becoming very dry. "Jazz…..Jazz is doing fine. Danny wouldn't let anything bad happen to her."

"That's my boy! And Maddie?"

Tucker opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

"Jack eyes furrowed together in worry. "Don't…..don't tell me she's dead. Tucker?"

"We don't know."

"You don't know! How could you not know!"

Tucker cringed. "She disappeared. It was right before Danny busted everyone out. Jazz says she went to bed one night and wasn't there the next."

Jack sat there in total silence. Finally, he picked one thing to say. "I should have gone with Danny when I had the chance."

Some part of Tucker wanted to agree, but he just shook his head. "Hey, if you'd gone. I'd be stuck all alone here without your company."

"I could have done something……"

"You're doing something now, Mr. Fenton."



Jazz checked her medical kits for the fifteenth time. This was the first time she'd been outside and actually participating in the fighting. But that wasn't what had her nerves shot. She'd been bombarded with questions ever since Danny and Vlad had disappeared.

And she didn't blame them in the least. They'd thought their enemy was some aristocrat from another country, not a ghost. And besides the powers, so had Jazz. But what they had seen today…….Jazz shook her head to clear it.

But the cause was the same, even if the enemy had been unclear until now. No one had refused to fight. But Jazz was facing a whole different problem.

Now that Danny had disappeared, everyone was looking to her for leadership. And she had no idea what she was doing. So she'd gone to Sam. Why she thought Sam would help her with this was uncertain, but she was the only one else there that knew of Danny's secret. And Sam had taken on the job remarkably well. All she had done was ask Jazz to choose four people that she felt were good fighters and she then did the rest.

They'd split up into four groups. And with that decision, had divided all of the equipment four ways also. It was just easier than personally handing out something to everyone.

Sam's logic that they knew the layout of the land better than Vlad's army had been the basis of her plan. The four groups had gone out and stationed themselves at different points and hitting Vlad's army from all sides since they were so outnumbered. Jazz had her doubts about the plan, but she couldn't think of any reason why to stay in the base and if they were going to have to face Vlad's army, they would do the brave thing and meet it. She wouldn't tarnish everything Danny had tried to do by running away.

"Ready, Jazz?"

Jazz looked up at Luke, their group's leader, and gave him a small smile. "Not really."

"Don't worry. You're here as our nurse of sorts. I know how inexperienced you are with this. But do you have your equipment just in case?

Jazz nodded and gestured to her pocket where her extra canisters where. "Got them."

"All right, everyone! We're south of Vlad's route and the sun's setting in a few hours. Keep to the shadows. Let's go!"



"Sam, stop it!"

Sam stopped her anxious pacing to look over at Chal and the rest of their group, somewhat embarrassed. Heaving a sigh, she sat down with the others.

"Continue, Anthony," Tom, their leader, said.

Anthony had always been a scout for the Danny. He was only seventeen and had joined with his father. As a scout, he'd hadn't had much experience fighting, but he we keeping his cool far better than Sam had expected.

"The main route that Vlad's men are taking separates up ahead. The two roads that come out of it are just a little tight to fit the whole army, so I'm predicting they'll split there. The two roads join back further down anyway. They won't turn down this small path at all, but that doesn't mean they wouldn't be able to spot us standing here either."

"Okay," Tom added in as Anthony finished. "I think we're all in agreement that this is going to be a sneak attack. I think the best way to accomplish this is to come at them from two different sides. That means some will stay here and some will go up on top to pick them off from above.

"Up top," Chal echoed. "But it'll be easy to spot us from up there."

"It'll be all right," Tom assured. "I'll take Anthony with me. That'll leave Garth with you guys."

Garth, the group's fifth and final member, was a seasoned warrior that had once been apart of the Royal Army before he'd had an accident and injured his right leg. Sam didn't know him very well because he kept mostly to himself. He hadn't said a word so far, and now only nodded to Tom.

"Good. Anthony and I will mostly be at the advantage to take out the ghosts that are hovering over the men. That'll leave the soldiers to you. Good luck to you all." And with that, Tom and Anthony set off down the small path to find a better place to climb up.

Sam waited in silence with the others. She felt like pacing more to ease some of the tension off, but a little fear in the back of her mind worried that it would, in some way, alert them to where they were.

A little fear? She was surprised she could think coherent sentences. She'd never fought anything before, never used a weapon, she was even opposed to violence. Yet here she was. This had been her choice, she had ran away to do this exact thing, to fight in a war that not many believed in. This was the consequence.

"All right, get ready." Sam jumped at the voice, reaching for her weapon. It had been Garth to say it, his voice a deep baritone. "Weapons out and ready?" They both nodded. "On my signal. Five….four….." There was a shout from somewhere to the north and a weapon shot was fired, followed by many more. "Now!"

Garth and Chal surged out of the niche, Sam following hesitantly behind. Luckily, the noise had distracted the army as well, their faces turned away towards it, some of the ghosts floating over to see what had caused it. Some of the men in the front had barely turned forward when Garth plowed into them. The men, falling into the ones behind them and causing the army to experience a large bout of confusion and people tried to retain their balance and help others from falling. Those in the front that hadn't been hit turned to shoot at the intruder, but were being shot down by Chal who had stopped a few feet away.

A second later, there were more yells in the middle of the army as Tom and Anthony opened fired.

But their advantage was all but wasted now as the army realized what was going on and began to fight back. The ghosts that had gone to check out the disturbance were already coming back.

Solar fire could be heard everywhere, but it was unclear whether it was from someone close by, or a place where another group had attacked Vlad's men. Sam raised her Solar, pointing at them, but had yet to shoot. There were just so many of them. And she would be taking another person's life. But her group was depending on her for help.

"Look out!" Chal shoved Sam out of the way, throwing himself into a tumble to escape enemy fire himself. His hand that wasn't holding his Solar was shoved down into a pocket to retrieve his spare one, turning to shoot with both, slowing the shots coming their way considerably.

"Thanks," Sam whispered.

"Save my butt and will be even. But that means you have to actually fight back." And then Chal was sprinting off, both weapons still in hand.

The message might have been rather insensitive and clipped, but Sam didn't take offense. He was right. She had to stop worrying. This was to save her home. Standing up, Sam ran into the fray with him.

Her first shot hit someone in the hip, the next completely missed her target as she was still adjusting to the weapon. But the next hit someone in the ear and he was quickly picked off by one of Garth's shots. In this small, compact path, it was hard for Vlad's men to get a clear shot if they weren't near the actual fighting. Chal rammed into a soldier near her as the guy had turned to fire at Garth, shooting him in the back when the soldier stumbled. He winced, though, as a shot grazed his leg. He looked over, his gun swinging over towards where the shot had come from, to hear the ominous click that meant he was out of shots. He paled and then the guy went down from a shot to the head from above. He glanced up for a miniscule second to see Tom wave down at him, before taking aim at someone else.

The next thing Chal heard was a painful gasp behind him, and he watched a soldier fall to the ground dead. Sam winked at him as she passed. "Now we're even."



And a mile away on a ridge, General Lancer squinted into the looking glass he held. It was obvious a battle was going on, but by whom? Most of the men wore red, the color of an army he wasn't familiar with, and there was a sparse few that wore the everyday clothes of the Resistance. Scanning the battle, his eyes widened as he passed over an individual. Most of the Resistance wore light color, white shirts to fight against the day's heat here. But he'd spotted someone that was oddly dressed in mostly black, and on further inspection the person was identified immediately.

"Stonewall Jackson! Get down there, men! Lady Samantha is being shot at!"

The fight scene is short, but it's supposed to be that way. I mean, it wasn't going to be the pinnacle fight scene in the story, at least. But I hope I at least did it justice.

And I have at least two more chapters, maybe three, before I end this. So you all can just ponder what I have up my sleeve. :P

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Faith's melody