Opportunity, Part 6

Enigmas drop eventually. But that doesn't mean you'll like the truth one bit.

Quote:

"The day we lose our need for dreams is the day the human race forfeits its soul. But the day we will lose our need for deceit will be a joyous one indeed."

It had been a drill repeated many times. Danny's eyes narrowed, as blue orbs became green, and silver, illuminous spikes replaced the raven.

But the young hybrid was still caught by surprise when something extremely icy grasped his wrist.

Jerking around, it was already too late.

"Eyyyaauughhh!"

Danny had been hoisted straight into the air, a gasp sliding from his throat as two pairs of crimson eyes greeted his own green.

Tentacles roped themselves like steel cables over a stunned ghost boy's wrists, who scowled in response as he delivered a crushing swing-back kick to the astounded

Creature.

Then happily duplicated it on the other.

"Let GO!"

The ghost boy wheeled about in midair, heart racing.

Well. He hadn't been expecting that-he could say it in the smallest context. Eyes desperately scanning the perimeter, he hovered uncertainly over the gelatinous puddles of goo.

"The ecto-pusses….those were two of the first ghosts I fought!"

"And they're not alone, punk!"

And all Danny saw before the blinding white stripe of agony was an array of green and black…

(&*^O:IL???

Stunned. Then, a shriek tore from him as the entire wiring of the net encasing him exploded into full electric fury.

Danny's eyes frantically traveled upwards…

…straight into the eyes of one of the ghosts he'd hoped to never see again.

Skulker's eyes flashed, fangs glinted in the dim moonlight offered by a nearby window.

The flames that were his hair curled and licked at a metallic skull as Skulker's grin only became broader.

The teenager's mouth dropped.

"Skulker?"

Expression becoming fierce, eyes glinting, the net fell aside like a array of uncooked spaghetti as Danny phased through it, allowing his body to become tangible once again as he landed with a resounding thunk on the floor….

Before leaping forwards with a grunt and kicking the astonished Hunter straight in the ribs, and knocking him straight into a series of old furnaces.

"Oof!"

The bewildered hybrid stared at the Hunter, arm thrusting forward, foot thrusting back in familiar battle sequence.

"How'd…how'd you get back into your ecto-skeleton? What are you doing here?!"

The Ghost Hunter only managed a smirk, wiping his lip with a slight swab from the back of his hand as he pulled something from his belt, eyeing Danny with a look of manic intensity.

"All excellent questions."

And then, with a flick of his wrist, he sent the little cube skirting across the floor.

It looked like a demonic impression of a rubix cube.

"CATCH!"

~*~

Only later did Danny realize that Skulker had been talking to the cube-and not the hybrid himself.

But there was no need for a voice command, especially once the cube captured Danny's parsubtomic energy signature.

It reacted too quickly for Danny to even flutter away. In an array of black iron, Danny found his legs buckling quickly as they were swept up-

-into a sitting position on the floor, encased in emerald steel.

The Ghost Boy's eyes widened, heart now pounding in his ears as he attempted to phase from the cube's suffocating grip.

To his astonishment, it happened when he tried once again.

And again.

And again. Danny's began to desperately kick at the steel-but the walls did not yield, nor move.

"H-Hey! I-I can't phase out of this! It's disrupting my-"

Skulker's eyes glittered with malicious pleasure.

"And that's not ALL it does."

With a well satisfied chuckle, he pressed the control he had been longing to slip his thumb on once this whole idiotic barrage began-!

Danny's scream tore even seconds before the box fully erupted into an electrical storm of sparks.

Fire.

Fire, coursing in his body, ectoplasm-no, blood….

Ectoplasm, blood, ectop-

In a flurry of sparks, Danny's wraith side faltered, faded-

….and disappeared altogether once the young's boy humanity-tux and all-came back with full fury, eyes fluttering, insides clenching as they-!

Torso and limbs trapped in a barricade, the raven studded head fell with a clunk to the metal….

…only to have an emerald, graying hand seize him by the scruff of his neck, the dazed eyes rolling as they glazedly attempted to fix upon anything in the blurring frenzy-

But they found something to lock onto, alright, once Skulker's wrist spliced open-

….to reveal a glowing blade, cold metal pressed against the trembling flesh of Danny's neck, very human, very potent, and still very much alive pulse underneath it.

Still very alive…

For now.

Danny swallowed with some difficulty; his mouth had gone extremely dry.

"….uh….a…aheheh….the…er…..glowing blade is new."

Skulker's eyes shone.

"You like it?" he asked eagerly, admiring his reflection in the scythe's distorted angle.

"I've had some upgrades!"

His voice had fallen to a purr as Danny swallowed, heart pounding desperately like a captive bird underneath his ribs.

"Now…."

"ENOUGH!"