Disclaimer: Neither I or ZK Chromedragozoid own Danny Phantom which is owned by Butch Hartman and Bleach is totally owned by Tite Kubo. Shadow and Ryan is under ZK's little thumb though. Resonik is mine. The concept of the Mask is whoever owns the Jackie Chan Adventures is their's. Pioneer owns Zinv and Kazuki Yougsta.
Chapter 2: Darkness Returns
Meanwhile in Wisconsin…
A man in a black Armani suit sat on his small throne looking at the army that was displayed before him. They were a collection of his creations, allies, Hollows and Arrancars.
To his side was a man with white messy hair with a face that almost resembled a snake. He wore mostly a white kimono with his Zanpakuto poking out of his clothes. He seemed to be overtly happy for some reason that gave the man in Armani shivers every time he looked at him.
The Hollow soon reported to the snake like man and the man in Armani. "The duo that fought against us, their strength was nothing more compared to the vice captains, except for the Vizard that attacked us which we have no idea yet, but we were attacked by the Shinigami…"
"How did those Japanese fools find out about us?" the man in Armani wondered aloud as he looked to his ally he was forced to accept.
"Don't look at me Vlad. I'm not apart of those fools." The snaky looking man told his fellow ally. "Describe the Shinigami."
"One was a tall for a Shinigami with red hair…" The Hollow started to say but was interrupted.
"Ichigo Kurosaki…I wonder what brought him and that little girlfriend of his to your 'test subject'?" The man in white asked Vlad.
"Hmmm…I think we could use this to our advantage…Danny has a friend that has been hanging on to him and the girl that this Ichigo is with…" Vlad told his ally.
"What is that word in your language?" The man in white asked. "Subterfuge? But we should tread carefully to avoid the wrath of Ichigo's girlfriend's brother."
"Why should we worry about that Gin?"
Amity Park, Park (Strange isn't it?)
The Limo pulled in as the three stepped out and tried to look for Danny and his friends, who were sitting underneath a tree looking over their books. Apparently school was a harsh mistress to those who couldn't escape yet.
There was a sudden winced feeling when Ichigo and Rukia saw this as they remembered that they had something of that nature to do as well. Desmond didn't really see it as he grabbed his guitar out of the car. If they were going to hang out with Danny, they might as well get comfortable.
(A/N Ant: Music Selection is the Theme to 'Angel')
Someone around started playing a violin but with a sound that was mournful. For some unknown reason…Desmond started providing the guitar part of the song like it blended well with it or it just belonged to the song.
When it was finished the two had gathered a crowd. People were cheering and at least some underwear signed with a note saying 'I'll see you sometime lover boy…Paullina." That ended up on top of Desmond's head. He rolled his eyes and groaned.
If looks could kill a man, Desmond was dead already by Danny. Danny was glaring at Desmond. Sam sighed.
Rukia picked up on this and smiled evilly…out of the times she had ever seen this sort of situation was from magazines. She should have realized that this wasn't one of her better ideas.
Ichigo just took a breath and looked at the text that Danny was studying, which was on the Americans' discovery of Japan. He looked curiously at the book which pretty much said what had happened, except for a few minor details here and there.
"You know this could be a lot easier if someone could help you a bit." Ichigo said sitting on next to Danny.
"You know we are all here." Sam spoke up as Rukia sat beside her.
"I could use some help trying to teach Rukia some things about America." Ichigo told her casually as Rukia walked over and knocked Ichigo's head.
"Hmm…Maybe I can use that as a good motivational device." Sam mused aloud as she smiled evilly at Danny.
"Ichigo why couldn't you do that when she was out of range?" Danny asked his new found friend.
"Gawd, RUKIA YOU BITCH!" Ichigo yelled as he got up and shook his fist as she was smiling with her dumb smile.
"Boy I could use some popcorn right now…" Desmond muttered as he watched the scene.
Meanwhile, on the Outskirts of Amity Park
"Ah yes, it is almost completed…after all this time. I'll be able to cause the breakdown that my younger counter part shall suffer so that I'll come to pass." A voice dripped in malice mused as he watched as his minions continued their work.
Yes, Dan or Dark Danny Phantom was back and he wasn't going to take his younger self lightly this time. He built a machine that could do what he hoped: cause the mental break down that Danny would suffer. He was dressed in his white and black costume that swelled with evil with his white hair that was stalked upwards in flames.
"Yes it's almost time….Ach!" He gasped as he felt that something was being ripped out of him.
Back at the Park…
After listening the alterations that took about ten minutes and one bag of popcorn brought by a guy who listened to the plea of Desmond, it was time for study again as the group took out their literature books to read 'The Tell Tale Heart' by Edgar Allen Poe for their short story assignment and for their novel assignments. It was 'Hamlet' by William Shakespeare to the disappointment of Sam and the somewhat satisfaction of Ichigo.
The man that was looking at the group, and had given Desmond the popcorn, was a man with slicked back black hair. He had brown eyes and was wearing a black business suit and slacks.
He amused himself as he watched Rukia as she tried her best to understand the material and language that Shakespeare used. Ichigo looked over her shoulder and told her what each one meant as she grew to learn what the phrases meant.
Danny was having a harder time with it, considering how much he didn't pay attention to class for lack of sleep he had fighting ghosts the night before. Sam was helping him out though as she helped 'translate' what phrases meant what.
Tucker was focusing on his math as the others were busy expanding their minds.
Then Ryan once again showed up as he took notice of the new comer who was busy amusing himself at the display of this new development.
"Say who's that guy?" Ryan asked the group bringing them out of their focus of their studies to the man in black.
"Who me? I'm just a guy looking at such great students, although today is a weekend." The man in black said as he patted his violin case.
"Could you please move to someplace else…you might be some kind of…"
"Oh, alright. Oh by the way…That Hamlet assignment is due on Monday." He told them as he moved himself to another location…preferably a football field, away with a pair of binoculars.
As that mystery guy left, a dumb stupor fell across the faces of the group. That guy must have been the new teacher that assigned them that.
The group was put of their stupor when a large amount of spiritual pressure with a unique signature came. It wasn't some kind of Hollow though it was very familiar to Danny. It was a feeling that Danny would rather forget about.
"Not him… anybody but him…" Danny said quivering in fear.
Ichigo, Rukia and Ryan also picked it up as well…It was definitely similar to Danny but it was like a dark shroud of evil wrapped in malice.
"What the hell?" Ichigo questioned as Sam and Tucker stood with Danny. Ichigo only faced with his 'dark side' only once and he had gotten lucky.
Ryan felt it must have been that monster that came around a few months ago and almost destroyed the town.
Rukia was in disbelief as she felt it…It was a bad spirit but it should not have been able to become this bad without becoming a Hollow but then again, like Mrs. Fenton told them, the ghost here are 'safe' from becoming Hollows because of the Ghost Zone.
Desmond was passive and cool…This thing wasn't scaring him by any right. After fighting mirror monsters, this was just another thing that could be taken down.
"Well hello my goody-two-shoes self." Dan told his younger self as he came to a stop in the air. "Why don't you introduce me to your new friends so I can recall when I kill them?"
"Ichigo, Desmond, Ryan, Rukia, Sam, Tucker…Get out of here." Danny told his friends as he proceeded to power up with his eyes glowing.
His six friends took his advice (although some of the others left to change) and soon it was only Dan and Danny alone.
In a flash of light Danny became his alter ego and got into a battle ready position.
"How did you get out of the Clockwork's possession?"
"I didn't sit and pout in that thermos you stuck me in. I found all sorts of new tricks and wanted to show you when I came back to finish what I started." Dan told his younger counterpart.
"Too bad we're here." A voice called out as Oni appeared with Ichigo and Rukia, who were in their Shinigami uniforms and masks on.
"My, my aren't we brave? But this is a private party." Dan told the newcomers in mock surprise.
"Did someone say 'party'?" Someone said in a gravely peppy voice.
"Now this is getting ridiculous…I'm here and Danny calls in four others?" Dan asked aloud with a bored face.
"We didn't get called in…We're here for your burial." Ichigo stated as he unsheathed Zangetsu.
"I'm a little surprised that you didn't hear about me," Oni pouted as he used his vision to locate the mysterious newcomer. Whoever it was, he hid his spirit pressure well.
"Me…I just came for the enjoyment of seeing you my dear evil one become a Hollow." The voice said as Dan Phantom looked in shock on his face as he tried to shake off the feeling that this guy had looked into his soul. "You are afraid of going back those weeks ago that you didn't even know what was going on with you. You see, as a ghost who has unfinished business, you start thinking malevolent thoughts that will lead you to your down fall. Now, you are at a point in which that won't work and you are becoming something that is a hideous stain on your soul."
"Who are you?" Dan asked with an angry glare towards the voice.
"Me…I'm a Demon but one who's not afraid of you," said the owner of the voice, coming out behind a tree wearing black clothes that was composed of combat boots, black jeans, two holsters with guns and bullets, two ammo belts that had various capsules, and a large sword on his back with a katanas on both hips. He wore a black shirt underneath the ammo belts and a feather duster but what really was the thing that set him off was his face. His face was white with two lighting bolts on the sides of his cheeks; his fangs curved outwards and he had amber eyes that were clear with conviction. "The name's Resonik, Bitch!"
"Never heard of you." Dan told the demon.
"Like I said…I'm just here to hear your plan that is so great and to see become a problem that I'm here to solve." Resonik told him as he reached for his desert eagles with specially designed bullets underneath his coat.
"Well, let's get this party started….Dark Phantom Robo…Activate and kill the citizens of Amity Park starting with Sam Manson." Dan said into a wrist mechanism on his wrist as a robot similar to Technus' body when he first manifested came out with a bluish sheen.
"You guys take down Dan…I'm going Robot Hunting." Resonik told them vanishing from sight in an instant.
"He'll not succeed…But as for you…Let's play..." Dan told the small group as he fired a ecto-blast.
They soon split up and took defensive positions.
"GETSUGA TENSHO!" Ichigo's Zangetsu fired a streak of energy towards Dan who put up a ecto-shield, which broke on impact.
Dan growled in anger at such a feat…Never before has anyone broken it besides Danny with the Ghostly Wail.
"You are going to pay for that boy."
"My turn….Sodeno Shirayuki (Sleeve of White Snow)." Rukia told the boys as she said her shi kai release on her zanpaktou and it changed into a sword that appeared to be the same as the sealed form but it was white…pure white with a oval like kanj on the hiltand a white ribbon.
"Pretty…but useless." Dan remarked as he fired another ecto-blast at her, which Ichigo promptly stopped.
"Baka, I didn't need your help." Rukia told Ichigo as she used a 'shupo' and appeared underneath Dan and slashed with Sodeno Shirayuki in a circle and got off it as she said her attack "Tsukshiro (Pale Moon)!"
A pillar of white light shone as Dan was feeling…COLD! He then took notice of the ice that was forming and flew out of the perimeter of the attack.
"That was cold you bitch!" Dan told her as he didn't notice the attack from behind him from Ryan and his sword until he dodged left…"Nice try fool but I'm still one step ahead."
Dan didn't notice the slim form of Danny as he fired two ecto-blasts to Dan's back. "Two bad you weren't two steps ahead."
Downtown
One might say that having a ghost destroying the city was a cause for alarm…Amity Park was to a point that it would be a common occurrence.
This was not one of those times…The Robot smashed cars and buildings.
On top of city hall, Resonik awaited the beast of technology.
"I wish I could change my mind but I'm the only one who can lessen the damage that is being done." Resonik said to himself as he focused his mind on summoning... "I summon from twin worlds: Kazuki Yotsuka and his counterpart Zinv."
From the ground a seal appeared. It was a circle that was decorated with six other circles on it that had a symbol that was in the design that had a side ways bracket intersected by an upside-down 'y'.
Up from that seal a large mecha surfaced. It was a grayish color builtto like like a heavy armoredsamurai with green jewels in its armor and a red jewel in its golden breast plate. Gold streams linked outside the mecha to it with one connecting to its mouth region and head region where there was only one eye aperture. What also separated it from other mecha was the long pony tail on the end. On its abdomenthe insignia it borewas the same as the seal where it was summoned from.
"Ok can anybody tell me why I was brought out of training?" A young teenage voice broadcasted from the vessel.
"Uh…I'm Resonik and I summoned you to conduct battle against this other robot to keep the insurance cost down and your time here will last for only six hours at least." Resonik told the young pilot.
"Mitzuki is going to shoot me." The voice groaned as he took his position and skated quickly to the enemy robot. With a quick movement he grabbed the head of the robot and he started crushing it… while one hand was still on its head while all parts of the robot were slowly being crushed.
Soon what was left of Dan's weapon was nothing more than a pile of scrap metal.
"Say, go to these coordinates and I'll meet you there later." Resonik told the robot as he dashed off to go and help out against Dan.
Back at the Park…
The group had Dan down. He was covered on all sides unable to get up unless he wanted to get cut.
"Nice to see someone like you get trashed after all the evil you did." Danny remarked as he charged his hand.
"Don't you mean 'you were going to do'?" Dan spat back. you stop doing that?" Danny yelled out of frustration.
"I used...Ack…." Dan was going to say when he had an attack again but this time he started to develop a hole in his torso. He had gotten a little larger about to where he was around seven feet tall. His costume became tattered and battle ridden. A white mask appeared on his face and it looked skeletal in appearance while he retained his glowing red eyes.
In an unrecognizable voice he spoke in a deeper one enriched with malice that made Ichigo remember Byakuya and The Grandfisher Hollow. Compared to Dan, he made the twolook like school girls.
"Dammit, I'm late." Resonik said to himself as he arrived and took out his Desert Eagles and loaded two clips withbullets that hadcrimson tips
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! Don't you know guns won't harm something like me?" The new Hollow Dan asked Resonik as the other took aim with both pistols.
"Of course…they're regular Desert Eagles…I'm using a different payload though…" Resonik told him as he open fire with both guns as it fired what appeared to be electrical in nature that hit Dan with good results.
"Arrrr." Dan growled as a light shown from above as Danny tried to fly up and catch the now overly versatile and powerful Hollow but was stopped by its light.
"You can't follow him Phantom…He's a part of the Hollows now." Rukia told him as Resonik put away his pistols.
"You kids head home…I've got to make some plans." Resonik said as he disappeared into shadow once more.
That left an odd silence fell across the small group as they couldn't figure out why a demon would get involved and the new threat that a Hollow Dan would make.
Later that afternoon…At the Safe house
Rukia and Ichigo were sitting on a couch in the living room with Desmond as they told of the events of what happened. Desmond wasn't expecting the arrival of this evil version of Danny much less him being a Hollow.
What really threw him was a Demon that was helping them out with the armory on him. It was unusual to have a demon even on the side of light; except for maybe himself, a vampire in Toronto and a guy in Los Angeles who was a vampire imbued with a soul.
"So there was a demon involved…and what I've seen on the news it summoned a large robot with what looked like telekinesis." Desmond mused. "But what's really throwing me for a loop was the fact that he used guns and actually harmed him."
"Why does that surprise you?" Rukia asked as she looked up from her drawing of a chappie.
"Usually a Demon relies on his own power not on the devices he does own…but what I'm really wanted to find out is why an Oni mask Demon would want to help good or much less summon heroes." Desmond told thembefore hedrew in a breath. "Oni mask demons were demons that had been sealed into masks by Japanese wizards to seal their power unless one puts one onhis/her face, the wearer then slowly looses their control and gives in to the power of the mask. They had the power to summon powerful ninjas called Shadowkahn except for this mask which puzzles me more. There were ten masks in all but I need to do some research on this to give you guys complete information."
"So other than finding all this out we have to deal with a Vizard, a Halfa who I'm finding to be a pretty decent guy, a trigger happy ghost hunter who has it out for one very likeable Halfa and might target Shinigami, Hollows, who has control over the hollows and this fusion of powers of a Hollow and an evil version of the Halfa thatI like…We're going to deal with all that?" Ichigo asked then it became a rant.
"Yes very much so. Although, we still have me yet I haven't been much help lately." Desmond told them as he went off to get changed for the evening. "I'm going to be heading out for tonight so you guys can head back into town."
"Where should we go Ichigo?" Rukia asked him as she went to get her jacket.
"I want to get a different opinion from Valerie. Smart Brain wants her and I want to know why a trigger happy person like her who doesn't understand ghosts needs to be with them." Ichigo told her as he grabbed his jacket.
The Amity Park History Museum
Once more in the costume of Red-X, Desmond headed over to the Museum to go and get a book and to have Danny come after him. On his way, he began thinking.
He wanted to see a little more of his potential and see if he can force him back and surprise him a little more. He disabled the security system and made his way down to the offices where someone should have a book on Japanese Demonology.
He found what he was looking for and then headed for a random jewel that was practically worthless to anyone and awaited the coming of Danny, who arrived just shortly after.
"What're you doing here?' Danny demanded from Red-X. Red-X just shrugged dejectedly…He's going to need more training…Thank God we have Genkai on our payroll.
"I'm a thief, kid," Red-X crossed his arms, "I came here to Amity Park Museum to steal something…something powerful."
"Well, you're not getting it!" Danny flew at X. Of course, X avoided Danny's air born tackle by melding with the shadows on the floor, causing Danny to smash into a display case. The museum's alarm should have blared, but it was…quiet. "Huh, where are the alarms?"
Red-X reappeared, "I disarmed the security system before I snuck in, just in case I ran into you, kid," Red-X yawned, "All I had to do was wait until you saw me sneak in so that we could talk face to face."
Danny floated up and narrowed his eyes at X, "About what?" Danny was suspicious of the thief in the white skull mask, but at least he could get some answers.
"You see…Phantom was it? Well…let's just say I've been…observing you."
"You mean stalking me."
"Stalk, observe, watch…whatever you may call it kid," Red-X leaned against a wall and produced an X-Blade, "You have a somewhat bad reputation and I can help you with that, kid."
"Thanks, but no thanks," Danny dismissed, "I don't associate with criminals."
"Criminal? Me?" Red-X said mockingly, "Kid, I'm may be a criminal, but I'm not a threat," Red-X leapt up and flipped, standing on the ceiling like he was standing on the floor, "Just a guy looking for thrills, harmless fun, and what better fun than taking what he wants."
"Well, I'm still taking you down," Danny powered up an ecto-blast, but Red-X shot out a glob of Xinothium that coated both of Danny's hands and legs. "Hey!"
"Like I said kid," Red-X said as he landed back on the ground, "Xinothium is an unstable compound. You can't even phase out of it." Danny turned intangible, proving X's point, "See what I mean?"
"What do you want?" Danny asked again.
"Just looking out for number one," Red-X answered as he walked up to Danny. Danny tensed up since Red-X's skull mask reminded him of the ones those Hollow things wore. "Nothing more, nothing less," Red-X balanced the X-Blade on his index finger. "So do yourself a favor and stay out of my way kid," With a flick of his wrist, he cut off the Xinothium coating Danny's hands and legs, "Later!" Red-X saluted and turns to disappear when Danny stood up with his aura glowing very bright green.
"Not this time!" Danny yelled as ectoplasmic energies gathered in his hand then stretched three feet before stopping. It then solidified into a dark green blade that at the tip split into a strange end that looked almost like a flame. The hilt of it was decorated with black and Green jewels with his insignia on the hand guard. "I'm bringing you in."
Suffice to say, Red-X looked to Danny with a wide eyed expression under his mask. Danny must have figured that a zanpakuto was an extension of a Shinigami's spirit energy when it was actually their soul's blade and he decided to make one himself…too bad it was still only in its sealed form.
Danny charged Red-X with all the speed he could muster but was unable to stop Red-X again who sidestepped and knocked Danny down with a swift chop to the back.
"Like I said; 'Later' loser." Red-X told Danny as he then disappeared.
"Dang it!" Danny cursed. "He got away again!"
"Did I kid?" Red-X taunted as he reappeared Danny before kicking him in the back, "Catch me if you can!" he flew up and phased through the ceiling. Danny picked himself up and went after the thief.
Red-X flew through the night's sky. He looked over his shoulder and smirked as Danny gave chase. "So…he's chasing me. Good." He looked forward, "Now for the next test." X turned around and fired shadow blasts and X-blasts at Danny in tandem. Danny dodged each and every blast, countering with his own ecto-blasts.
"Is that the best you got?" Red-X taunted, "You couldn't hit the broad side of a ghost dragon!" Danny blasted again and missed, "Hurry, hurry, hurry! X marks the spot kid!" This got Danny mad and the halfa flew faster, tackling Red-X in the air. They phased right through a billboard and landed on top of a roof. They faced each other.
"Okay, give back what you took and I'll drop you off at the police," Danny said.
Red-X took out the book and looked back and forth between it and Danny. He replaced the book into his cape, "Pass," and then fired an X-blast. Danny learnt his lesson and dodged it, knowing how much damage it could cause. Danny delivered a flying kick into Red-X's midsection before delivering an uppercut. Red-X grabbed Danny's arm and executed a jumping heel kick into Danny's chin before elbowing him in the chest, knocking the wind out of him. Danny produced the ecto-blade again and held it in front of him. Red-X, intrigued, extended his hand and produced an X-blade before lacing it with shadow energy that solidified into a sharp black sword. Danny charged and Red-X did too, only to be interrupted by a pink ecto-blast. Danny looked up and saw Valerie, clad in her upgraded black and red ghost hunting suit, riding her glider.
"Okay ghost kid, this time I won't miss!" she aimed and was about to fire, only to have an X-blade knock her weapon out of her hands. She glared down and saw Red-X. "Okay! Who are you?"
"If I wanted you to know that, would I be wearing a mask?" he countered. He fired an X-blast at Val, hitting her glider. She crashed down on the roof. The glider shrank into her suit as she pulled out a few anti-ghost bombs and threw them at X.
"That'll teach you!" Val yelled.
"Will it?" Red-X threw several globs of Xinothium at the bombs, covering them. The bombs short circuited and became duds. Valerie gasped.
"What did you do?"
"This!" he threw his X-tapes at her, pinning her arms to her sides and legs together. The tape then shocked her with electricity, knocking her out. She fell to the ground. "Now that that's taken car-Oof!" He got knocked down by Danny. Danny grabbed X's mask, but the thief smacked the halfa's hand away.
"No touching the mask!" he phased through the roof and flew up behind Danny, knocking him down with a sucker punch. Danny did a sweep kick under X, but X jumped over it. Red-X remained in the air and narrowed his eyes at Danny. "Y'know kid, you got a lot of potential."
"Thanks, but no thanks!" Danny shot an ecto-blast and Red-X turned into shadows, allowing the blast to pass through him.
"Of course, you still haven't figured THAT out," Red-X mocked, taking out an X-bomb, "Later!" he threw it down and there was bright red flash. Danny shielded his eyes and Red-X was gone. Danny sighed and went over to Valerie, whose suit had deactivated. He picked her up and flew into the air.
Desmond took off his mask and watched as Danny flew away, "Soon Danny…very soon."