Tech Guy
Danny struggled against the glowing rope wrapped around his torso, frustrated that all attempts to phase through it were failing. Above his head green sparks were flying as beams of ecto-energy collided with the only thing standing between him and certain doom- a shield Tucker had managed to project from some modified Fenton-tech at the last moment. Danny ceased his wiggling for a brief second, mentally noting that he needed to thank Tucker for saving his skin later.
"Hey Tuck! Think you got any other magical gadgets left in your bag? Preferably something that can cut through this?" Danny asked hopefully.
"Ahh, there he goes ordering his little sidekick around again!" Spectra purred above them. She clasped her clawed hands together, her eyes gleaming behind her sunglasses. "Doesn't it feel amazing to be wanted by the savior of Amity Park, Tucker?" She sneered.
Tucker looked up from his upturned bag, gadgets and school supplies strewn about. He pointedly ignored the ghost and turned to Danny. "Dude, I don't think I can cut it with anything here!"
"Oh, not so helpful after all?" Spectra frowned, feigning disappointment.
"Shut up, will you!" Tucker hissed under his breath.
"Dude, don't respond to her!" Danny warned. He cringed as he watched Spectra's sharp grin widen, realizing that did indeed sound like an order.
Bertrand suddenly appeared at Spectra's heels, his beady eyes gleaming with delight. "Ohh, he's got the tech guy with him today, no goth girl? This will be a breeze." His body shifted, transforming into some kind of beast with razor sharp claws. He pounced, landing on top of the shield surrounding Danny and Tucker and began tearing at it with his claws. Danny started to panic as he watched the shield flicker.
"TUCKER!" He yelled.
"I know, I'm working on it!" Tucker shot back, his fingers flying as he attempted to rewire a small ecto-gun.
"My, my, wouldn't this be a more interesting fight if the human one was more competent?" Spectra mused. "Or maybe if he wasn't a powerless weakling." She added thoughtfully.
Bertrand continued to tear at the weakening shield, but he had begun to look rather bored. "Yeah…" He frowned. "At least the girl can fight decently and aim a gun."
Danny watched as Tucker faltered, the gun nearly sliding from his hands.
"Tucker…" he warned. "They're just trying to distract you!"
"Oh Danny, I think if I really wanted to upset the boy, we would have won by now, don't you think?" Spectra spat out. She lowered her face, and hovered closer to the two of them. Her eyes met Danny's and he wished dearly to be out of that stupid rope. "How about this?" She began slyly. "Tucker, is it?"
Tucker tried to avoid meeting her gaze and focus on his task. "Aww, don't ignore me. Just because you're used to being ignored doesn't mean that I am."
He said nothing in response, but unwillingly flinched.
"Oh, hit a nerve, did I? Do you not like being at the beck and call of someone far superior and more deserving of recognition than you? I figured it would be the highlight of your sad, puny little life." She said sweetly. "Figured it made you feel important."
Tucker scowled and swiveled to meet her now, the disassembled gun lying still in his hands. "I am important!" He shot back.
"Yes, I suppose you are important after all…who else is Danny supposed to copy off of when he misses school? If you died he'd have to go through the effort of convincing some other dweeb to let him copy their homework. Who knows, maybe they would make a better sidekick too!"
Danny watched in horror as Tucker's shoulders slumped, Spectra's own aura brightening by the second. "Tuck! Don't listen! You are so much more important than that!" Tucker turned to look at Danny, his eyes dull and glazed over.
"You don't have to pretend, Danny!" Spectra laughed. "Even Tucker knows his place!" At that moment, the shield finally dissolved under Bertrand's clawing and he pounced over Tucker and straight to Danny.
"Tucker!" Danny yelled. No response. "TUCKER!"
"Why are you yelling, boy? He's too weak to do anything. I think Spectra barely even tried this time!" Bertrand growled. He stalked closer to Danny as he struggled, as if he had all the time in the world.
"They're right." Tucker whispered. The gun lay useless in his lap, a few wires still hanging loose. "I can't do anything. I'm useless."
"Tucker!" Danny begged. "Don't listen to them. Don't you EVER listen to them! You save my butt all the time and you can do it again!" He watched in horror as Bertrand finally pounced on top of him, and he rolled to protect his vulnerable front.
A claw just barely swiped his side when he felt heat against his cheek as Bertrand was forcibly flung away from him. Danny opened his eyes to see Tucker standing above him, holding the gun he had been working on, the end still smoking. "How's that for good aim?" He spat at the shapeshifter.
Danny beamed at his friend, relief flooding through him. An angry shriek broke him out of his good mood though, and he watched as a very pissed Spectra flew towards the two of them.
"Uh, Tuck?" He began.
"Already on it." Tucker turned a dial and aimed the gun at Danny, but this time the powerful ray was focused into a thin laser beam which cut through the rope like butter. The rope fell in pieces around him, and Danny shot off to meet Spectra in the air.
Tucker slumped to his knees, emotionally drained and stressed. He laid on the soft grass and watched Danny fight an enraged Spectra. "Oh I'm so glad that part is not my job." He mumbled. He closed his eyes for perhaps ten minutes at most, before he felt someone nudge his foot.
He opened his eyes and looked up at Danny, who was back in human form and roughed up a bit, but otherwise okay. "Tuck…I know I never say it enough but-"
"No, no, it's cool dude." Tucker began. "Really, I almost messed it all up today, you don't need to thank me."
"No. I do. You're much more important than you realize and…I couldn't do any of this without you."
Tucker smiled wryly. "Because I'm your tech guy?" He asked.
"No." Danny said. "Because you're my friend." Tucker fell silent at that, but he pat the ground next to him and Danny happily plopped down, exhausted. The two boys watched the setting sun together, silent but enjoying the other's presence. Neither one had anything else to say on the matter.