Dizgirl: So I had this dream a while back and I started writing it but then life got in the way and I haven't really worked on it until tonight. But look, I finished it! Yay! I struggled with this one a bit because I had to make it make sense (since dream logic hardly ever makes complete sense in real life). And it took a while but I have to say I'm rather proud of the end result. I hope you enjoy and love it too! Oh, and if there are errors or stuff that doesn't make sense, tell me kay? Ah well, enjoy and love anyways right?
Can You Last?
"As a ghost I can do this all day, Daniel," Vlad taunted, his voice echoing through the empty aisles. Danny remained where he was crouched behind a display of the newest Dumpty Humpty CD, trying to catch his breath. Each gasp stabbed his lungs like a knife and sucked a little more of his remaining energy away. How much longer he could last without his ghost powers even he couldn't decide. Judging by the sweat pouring down his back and the numbness seeping up his legs it couldn't be much longer.
'If only I had one of Dad's ghost weapons. Then I would be able to wipe that smirk off his face!' he thought vehemently. Unfortunately, the only weapons he normally carried with him were the thermos and his mom's lipstick that acted as a miniature laser. Both were now with Sam and Tucker for when they escaped Vlad and his ghost minions throughout the store. That had been before he had lost his ghost powers to the Plasmius Maximus…again. The plan had worked and his two friends were long gone, but now he was defenseless.
"How much longer can you last?" Vlad continued, chuckling. The young teen stiffened; he was getting closer. Taking a deep breath, he jumped up and sprinted down the closest aisle, hoping Vlad hadn't noticed his latest attempt to evade him. A bright magenta blast over his right shoulder was Danny's answer. He ducked behind a large bin of giant exercise balls, cursing his bad luck.
Still breathing heavily he looked around for something to use as a weapon or possibly an escape he hadn't discovered yet. Vlad had already sealed the obvious exits from the Target after the handful of customers and employees had fled. Sam and Tucker had left through an air vent shortly after that, but Vlad thwarted Danny's every effort to join them. Now he had nowhere to go and little energy left to use. Even if he had access to his ghost half he probably didn't have the strength to use it. He'd either have to battle his way out as a human or wait for Team Phantom to come up with a rescue plan.
Quiet footsteps brought Danny's attention back to the present. He tried to silence his noisy breathing but his tired body hungrily craved the oxygen. Closing his eyes briefly he pictured the layout of a normal Target store. At the moment he was towards the back on the left side of the building, far away from the public entrance and where Vlad's underlings were. Vlad had followed him—forced him more like it—into this area of the store, taunting him the whole way. And now he was coming up behind Danny, slowly walking towards his poor hiding spot. Any second he'd appear to Danny's right and take him who knew where. He was not going down, not when he could still keep running.
Jumping up for what seemed the fiftieth time that night, Danny stumbled towards the toy section of the store, hoping to find better hiding spots and maybe a way to escape. More blasts followed him but not a single one hit. Danny growled within his head, breathing too hard to actually make a noise. The fruitloop was mocking him, chasing him around the store like a trapped animal that had escaped from its cage until he gave in. But he would not give in!
Danny skidded around a corner, almost ramming his shoulder into a display of robotic action figures, and dashed down a new empty aisle. His shoes hardly had a grip on the slick white linoleum, which nearly sent him falling several times. He kept moving forward, though, ignoring the cramp on his left side and numbness in his fingers and feet. He had to keep going. He couldn't stop or Vlad would get him. Who knew what cracked up plans the older halfa had for him this time?
Finally, after searching the rows, Danny found a small niche between two huge crates full of unpacked school supplies for the upcoming fall. He collapsed between them and wiped the sweat from his forehead, realizing with surprise that he was trembling from exertion and feeling lightheaded. He attempted to slow his breathing but his lungs were out of control, still trying to maintain his elevated heart rate. The rapid pounding resonated throughout his body, making the desperate situation all the more real. How long could he last?
"Take as long as you like, Daniel," Vlad said, his voice still far enough away that Danny felt temporarily safe. "I have no need to rush." Danny scowled at the space in front of him. Of course he didn't need to rush. Vlad had nothing else to do except count his money and create plots to capture him and kill his father. Like Danny had said so often before, the older man was one seriously crazed up fruitloop. 'Who knows what he's doing,' Danny added angrily. He could make fun of Vlad all he wanted but he couldn't deny that his archenemy was good. It was mainly luck that had saved him in their previous battles. 'Luck I don't seem to have…'
A crash to his right jarred Danny from his thoughts, making him jump and hit one of the crates. Silently rubbing his shoulder, he listened for the culprit. Quiet cursing reached his ears and Danny grinned appreciatively. It sounded like Vlad was not as patient as he claimed. The smile slowly disappeared though when he realized how close the crash had been. 'Time to move.'
Danny struggled to his feet, still panting and trembling. His vision blurred temporarily and he swayed, feeling even more lightheaded than before. Taking a deep breath, he exhaled noisily and waited as the bright spots disappeared from his eyes. Then, he took off running down the aisle to his left, aiming for the clothing department within the store. There were plenty of hiding spots among the racks of clothes and there might be away for him to break out through the front. His stomach leapt at the thought of finally escaping this nightmare.
Jumping over a fallen pile of paper towel rolls, Danny glanced behind him to see if Plasmius was following. 'Aw crap!' he thought as the glowing form of his archenemy came into view from the aisle he had just left. 'Can't he just leave me alone?!' The sly grin on Vlad's face was answer enough and Danny doubled his efforts. But he was still losing ground. There was no way he'd make it to the clothes racks.
He paused, thinking quickly, before disappearing down the row to his left. Racing past basketballs and tennis rackets, Danny concentrated on forcing his lungs to continue breathing. His vision spun, sending the off-white shelves on both sides spiraling around him. He staggered around the corner and fought against his legs' desire to collapse. 'Gotta keep going…keep going!' he reminded himself.
Vlad's low chuckling sent a thrill of fear through Danny and kept him moving. 'Not here…not now!' He struggled to keep his momentum and managed to turn down the next aisle. If he could confuse Vlad maybe he could buy himself more time. Maybe Team Phantom would be here soon. Maybe he would make it…maybe he wouldn't. His breaths were short and sharp, slicing his chest each time he inhaled. The surrounding brightly-colored camping equipment blurred and spun, disorienting him. Danny blinked several times and jogged down the aisle and into the next without pausing to check the older halfa's position. But despite the numbness creeping up his body, he could still hear Vlad's steady footsteps directly behind him.
Danny broke into a labored sprint, not bothering to see where he was headed. Desperation clawed at his insides, making his frantic heartbeat and erratic breathing deafening. The footsteps didn't fade. He glanced up in time to see a large shelf full of sports equipment loom above him. Too late he realized he needed to turn to the right or left. With a muffled thud and noisy clanging Danny ran into the metal shelf and fell back, sprawling out on the linoleum floor.
He closed his eyes, utterly exhausted. Even the hysterical voice in his head screaming that Vlad would get him if he didn't move couldn't persuade him to stand up. What was the point? More running and hiding? How much more of that could he do? His body was pushed way past the point most humans could take. Actually, he was probably still conscious only because he was half ghost. And his senses were slowly failing one by one. His chest didn't even hurt where it had crashed into the shelf and he couldn't feel his legs at all. A small noise reminded him he wasn't alone.
"Though he is far below me when it comes to level of power, Skulker does have useful advice every once in a while," Plasmius stated behind Danny, his steady voice barely containing his triumph. "He is the "greatest hunter" in the Ghost Zone after all." Danny's lungs burned and it was hard to concentrate on the words Vlad was speaking when each breath shot through him like icy fire.
"He once told me that there are several ways to capture a prey without permanently damaging it that require little energy from the hunter," Vlad continued, oblivious to Danny's semi-conscious state. "Though all his ideas were worth remembering one in particular stood out in my mind. He said that if possible the hunter should try to corner his prey until it had nowhere left to hide, until all it could do was run itself into the ground as it tried to escape the hunter. I believe you might know this concept better as a 'you can run but you can't hide' scenario."
Two gloved hands grabbed Danny roughly by the shoulders and half-lifted him off the ground. He hung limp and numb, not bothering to fight the tight grip or the blackness creeping in around him. In fact, he welcomed the darkness as his only escape. When he awoke, he could try to fight but not now. He would run from Vlad for a little longer. Ominous laughter filled his ears as he disappeared into unconsciousness.