Danny Phantom last of us
chapter 2
"Enough already Tess, it's been like 20 minutes now and all you've been going on about is Kate's photo. Maybe I can find you a quiet place to work out your frustrations, maybe go back and set the two up on a date."
Tess shifted uncomfortably at Danny's words. The trip between the two zones outside had been uneventful. The only upside is Tess found a couple bottles of alcohol and a med kit.
The only awkward was then they had to pass. Trish and her group going the other way. The mutual respect for fellow smugglers succeeded kept it from being a disaster
Now back on the street in the other district heading to Dash
"Hey can you help me out, Tess?'
"Later."
"Tess."
"Later, Zach."
Tess stormed off away from Zach. He shrugged at Danny as he passed, then returned to his standing around.)
"Maybe we should have found what he wanted?"
Tess shook her head.
"Trust me, Danny if he has something important to say he would've started with it or would've gone out of his way to find us. He's probably waiting around, hoping for scraps. People with business gets to the point."
Danny realized that Tess had a valid point.
"Okay."
They passed cages with some dogs in. They barked as Tess and Danny drew closer. Danny would love to try and get one. They were good for defense against humans and infected. They also did wonders in improving your mood. In a pinch they make a good meal. The guy selling them caught Danny staring and shook his head.
"Sorry, Danny. Just sold the last one. Try again later."
They were about to turn down an alley to cut across to the warehouse where Dish was, when Danny was suddenly pulled to the side by Tess. She motioned upward with her head.
"Up high. Now."
Without questioning, Danny quickly pulled Tess up the fire escape and they tiptoe around the edge the buildings looking down on the clearing of the alleys. Danny gestured to Tess, noticing the five thugs guarding it.
"Damn ambush."
Tess decided to go for the stealthier approach, taking one of her newly acquires bottles of alcohol and constructing a Molotov cocktail with some rags. She threw it towards the guards. Their shrieks pierced the air, then all was silent.
A minute later, Danny and Tess searched the now dispatched guards.
"Excellent three clips, a revolver and med kit."
"You know this means they are more guarding him; he might have an army."
Danny mentioned that checking his new gun, and loading it
Tess made sure her gun was loaded, just in case they got into a compromising situation.
"We'll deal with it. Let's go left. All right, keep it quiet and deadly."
A few minutes later, only the captain of the guard remained.
(Who is speaking here? Tess or Danny? Might want to include an action to demonstrate it)
"Kwan, long time no see old buddy, I can't believe you're still picking up after Dish. I mean, I figured after high school you moved away and grew a backbone." Danny try to be cheerful as possible. He's always had a good relationship with Kwan unlike his asshole best friend
Kwan had a sneer on his face. He also realized Danny and his friend had the drop on him.
"From what Danny told me, back in school you were a stand-up guy. And later you went to college and Mary had a family. I respect the fact you stood by your best friend, but you know as much as I know that Dish is a self-destructive jerk. He's pissed off a lot of people, both Marlene and Victoria are after him. You know what that means. Blood is in the water. You know we right you know me and Danny. Trust us, walk away now."
Danny looked around silently, realizing he was in over his head here. Danny remembers that Kwan was always known as a gentle giant at school, but with time he became bigger and stronger.
Short of emptying the clip into him, if it comes down to physical confrontation, he would demolish Danny and Tess. Danny winced at that thought.
"Dash is my only friend and family I have left. He's obviously falling apart and with the fireflies and that gang, he's as good as dead. What can I do now and where do I got now?" Kwan shrugged sadly a man obviously conflicted
Danny leaned back against the wall, not knowing how to answer Kwan's desperate question.
"The crew you had protecting Dish is gone. How long until people realize he's gone and you're connected to him? They'll come after you to get what he owes them on principle, thinking you're an easy mark." Danny pushed the words towards Kwan like a hammer hitting a nail
Kwan moved against the wall with his shoulders back like to move the world was crashing down on him
"Okay, so if I agree with you, what do I do then? I need some kind of proof that things can get better, that there's still hope if you will." Kwan mimicked quietly for soft voice
Tess shrugged for moment then advanced forward, closing the distance between them. She motioned for Danny to bring down his weapon.
"You find a new mission. Everyone eventually has to build new family. Clean out your crew supplies and get out of Dodge. No one who has a grape with Dash will bother chasing you down."
Kwan posture seems to improve immensely like he finally seeing the light at end of a very long tunnel
Danny takes a step forward.
"This is your new start man. Get rid of this baggage that's holding you down and become better. You know me I've given Dash more chances than anyone, but he's going down one way or another."
Kwan steps back a sadly excepting over his face. He knows full well. Danny history with his former friend. Danny had more reasons than any one of crush dish, if she's finally ready to end them. This is the end of the line. Kwan had these thoughts crushing from his head
"You're so right, Danny, California. I can try getting there. Last I heard, my cousin and aunt made it out there before all this. I just don't know."
Tess new reassurance was needed so she tentatively walks up to Kwan and puts a hand on his arm, reassurance. After a moment Tess moves more frantically the effect on Kwan was immediate as she start to focus on her attentively.
If Danny had paid close attention he was asked the obvious question where's Tess other hand, and what was it doing.
"Let's talk in private. Okay I think I know what you need as a form of reassurance."
Tess motioned for Danny to wait by the door as her and Kwan went inside small office.
15 min. later
Kwan left after his consultation with Tess. He decided as a bonus, he would close doors of the warehouse as well as disarming Dish
"How does that help?"
Tess stood up, pulling on her blue jeans and fastening them up. She'd already re-adjusted her shirt and pulled her jacket back on and was now putting on her boots.
"Dish is a coward. He only keeps like 2 rounds in his gun He afraid to shoot himself and the doors limited his escape. He only has one way out. One of us will chase him right into the other, and once in the alley behind his warehouse, he's boxed in and we got him."
smash crash bang
"Hello Dish."
The years have not kind former football star his blonde hair. Now long and jagged probably fit body seemed pudgy looked out of place is blue jeans T-shirt and his varsity high school sports jacket. His piercing blue eyes scanned the alley looking for a way out. As he tried to catch his breath
Dish squirms on the ground after being clotheslined by Danny. He squirms and spits out blood and a few teeth.
"Hey, Fenton, what are you think you're doing? I'm in a list top of the food chain you nothing. No your place nerd geek loser"
"I think we hit him too hard, he thinks he's still back high school."
"Very funny. After all these years Dish you are still using high school status as your biggest bragging point, look at you, man. You are still wearing your football team jacket. I don't know whether to laugh or cry" Danny said the most mocking way possible
Tess looked confused for a moment, standing back and watching the exchange
"a list, is what they called the rich popular football stars and cheerleaders in my high school that got preferential treatment because of it was supposed to base on performance and skill for nearly everyone I know should've been in a list ironically none of them. The sad thing is, that was years ago before the outbreak. "Danny mentions these past facts in the unimportant way possible
Tess shook their head. Obviously fatigued that this is not side tracked by high school crap. In retaliation her attitude hardened to their quarry
Danny retaliates by kicking Dish in the nose.
"The guns." Danny mentioned nonchalantly
"We want them." Tess followed up angrily
"You see..." Quarry. Try to I was way out of his fate
Tess seemed to clean her boots on Dish's ribs, Danny swore he could hear then cracking as she hit him. Dish winces harshly for a few minutes.
"All right, look, it's complicated..." Dish squirms as he tried to weasel his way out of this
Danny proceeded to curb stomp him.
"It's not that complicated when our guns?" Tess followed up firmly the fire in her voice
"I sold them I didn't have a choice"
Dish straightened up a little thinking his line has stopped the beasts that are attacking him
"Who did you sell them to?" Tess looks completely angry that she questions her quarry
Tess moved close, squeezing Dish's throat.
"Who?"
Danny pulled out his gun, threatening Dish with a motion that suggested he would shoot him without mercy. Fear began to creep into Dish's eyes as he realized the seriousness of the situation.
"The fireflies, I owed them. I had no choice."
Tess shakes her head.
"You chose badly; you chose the wrong team. Now your goanna makes it right."
Dish turns to Danny, terror in his eyes, his voice desperate.
"Danny, I know you. Your good guy. Don't do this. Think about that creepy chick or your hot sister. You think they would approve of this?"
Dish frantically tried to persuade them. He focuses on pursuing Danny, the man on his knees clutching at straws this save his life.
"What about that younger dark-haired girl Danielle. You were so sweet on it. Could you look her in the face if you did this?"
Dish frantically begged for his life, not realizing his information was out of date by years and he had just pushed Danny's buttons. What was worse was that Danny caught the fleeting look on Dish's face when he mentioned Danielle. That wasn't the look of someone begging for their life, it was a look of desire, "she's hot and I want her". It made Danny's blood boil. He spat at Dish.
"You and Paulina are cut from the same cloth. Why do I keep giving all you chance when you screw up my life and the people I care about?"
Tess tried to stabilize situation. She moved her hands to Danny's shoulder, try to give a comforting gesture.
Danny stepped forward standing tall, years of frustration finally coming to the surface. Danny's face hardened, the look on his face says one word enough.
He quickly pulled his gun and shot Dish in the head, killing him. A great moment of release washed over Danny's face, like years of crap have finally been dumped off his shoulders. Tess ran a hand tiredly through her hair.
"Okay, I respect why did that Danny, but we need to get our merchandise back. How are we supposed to get our guns now?"
"We find a firefly."
A voice behind them caused them to spin around.
"You won't have to look far."
Marlene hobbles into the alley behind them, anguish on her face as she holds her obviously wounded side. Blood oozed from her wound, staining her clothing. She looks around the small alleyway, confusion on her face.
"Where is Dish?"
Tess moved back to reveal Dish body. Marlene's emotions of anger were obvious and she opened up with a fury as she leaned against the wall.
"I need that fucker alive."
Tess shrugged indifferently.
"He gave you something that was not his to give. We need those guns back."
Marlene's face moved, they could almost track her as she went over her options. A box Canyon of sorts.
Danny and Tess had seen that stance dozens of times when negotiating with people.
"That's let's cut a deal. You want them back. You got earned them. You pay for them; I can't just give it to you for free."
Tess sighed.
"What you want? Ration cards, alcohol, hell I'll even get you some time with women."
Danny felt like he had been punched in the chest and leant back against a wall in the small alleyway. The shock of how desperate Tess was finally hit him. She almost never trades that last thing, it's one of the few lines she wouldn't be willing to cross trade wise.
"I don't give a crap about any of that, I'm thinking you're pretty desperate for these. What I need is something smuggled of the city."
"Technically we got a deal, but I need to confirm you have them considering the situation. Of course."
Marlene sighs tiredly, running her fingers through her hair.
"Fine follow me."
After several minutes of crossing the city endlessly, Marlene led them to door, which they pushed open.
As soon as they enter the room, Danny found himself on his back. Danny winces as he sits up and notices the young girl holding a knife on his associate. Marlene sauntered into the room and collapsed into a chair. It creaks under the sudden weight.
Danny thought he was hallucinating. It couldn't be. His voice came out half strangled.
"Danielle?"
The girl scowled at him, pressing the knife further into Tess's neck, confusion spreading across her face.
"You move an inch, I kill you. What are you doing here?"
Marlene coughed, a small trickle of blood coming from her mouth. A fleeting look of worry passed across Ellie's eyes when she saw the state Marlene was in, before she remembers we are here. She clamped down on it, her eyes steely once more. She tightened her hold on her knife.
"Ellie, calm down they're going to help us, and trust me I know them."
The girl reluctantly pulled the knife back from Tess's neck, but was still on guard.
Danny now had a good look at the girl. She was roughly around five 'four, with long black hair down to her waist and piercing blue eyes. She's wearing tight blue jeans probably a size too small, hiking boots and a blue hoodie, with a beanie on her head. Also with her is an oversized green backpack. The outfit does nothing to hide the start of puberty and it is impossible not to notice the start of the curves and her chest. Danny estimated she was between 12 to 14 years old, give or take.
An annoyed voice caused Danny to break his thought. Ellie stared back at him, an unimpressed look on her face.
"Hey creep. If you're done eye molesting me, care to join the conversation?"
Her attitude was unsurprising. Kids need to get tough forget dead in this new world. The smarter ones also learned when to keep their mouth shut. Danny quickly considered then force itself the focus on the conversation at hand
"They are going to take you the rest of the way."
Ellie turned to Marlene, shaking her head in disbelief.
"No way, Marlene that was not the plan. You were going to take me."
"I'm in no condition, I need to get patched up a headquarters. You need to go now."
"I guess that's okay, but..."
Ellie trails off. When she finally got a good look at Danny, obvious shock covered her face. She was poor at hiding it.
"Not him, he doesn't have what it takes anymore."
Marlene looked slightly confused, not understanding what the girl was talking about.
"How about you two stay here and talk it out. I'll settle business up with Tess."
Tess and Marlene left the angry girl and a confused Danny behind. Ellie paced nervously, keeping a nice distance from Danny at all times.
"What's with those two, for old friends they acted cold to each other Danny, right? And by the way what your stake in this?"
Danny was noticeably surprised the girl was actually talking to him.
Danny shrugs uncontrollably wondering how we should approach this.
"If I had to guess by the reactions they say those two dated for a while way back when. Which wouldn't surprise me. As for us, someone sold your friends stuff that belong to us. We want it back, but we had to settle up the difference, hence this job"
Ellie looked down disheartened as Danny settled himself on the couch.
"So you just mercenaries, I heard things about your crew. I expected you be something noble."
"It is what it is kid! We going to be here for a while. It's almost curfew, so let's just lay low."
"What am I supposed to do?"
Danny sighed from the endless questioning. All he wanted to do was sleep. It had been a long day by any account.
"I don't know; whatever a 12-year-old does with free time. Play games, change outfits, read porn, I don't know. Just stay in the room and keep quiet. I'm going to get some sleep."
Ellie face contracted with the blatant wording of being spoken down to. If it wasn't for the fact they need to keep the noise level down, she probably would've screamed in rage and beat Danny. Noise attracted the wrong type of people, infected or worse.
Ellie took a few cleansing deep breaths and then answered calmly.
"For the record, I'm 14 not 12. I don't play games, who has enough wardrobe to change outfits anyways and lastly, unless you willing to assist, we can forget porn. Let's be honest, I probably know more in that regards than an old cranky ghost like you."
Ellie smiled smugly turned away from Danny placing both her hands behind her back standing up straightly walking away the make note to swinging her hips, pushing up rear. The way her friend Riley showed her once. A small glance over her shoulder. Her awkward attack had succeeded on Danny
"Great, just great Danny. Now, young girls are trying to mess you up. I guess no one innocent anymore in this world."
To Danny's relief, Ellie sat down and found something else to amuse herself with other than taunting him.
Danny thought about his new companion. She is so much like Danielle, but also rude and insolent. She's also playful just like his Sarah. Great Spirit sisters, knowing his luck.
Is that what his sweet Danielle would have grown up to be in this kind world? Would Sarah have?
Restless sleep took over Danny as this thought plagued his mind.
Chapter ending
it is not obvious Ellie is having fun trying to torment Danny she's using any weapon. She can wield
from the banter to inappropriate remarks. Obviously she knows something about Danny?
But what is it?