Howdy, ya'll! Yet another slow update because of…never mind. Hopefully now that Slade's newly discovered plot is unfolding, more reviews will come. If you read this fic, review. I'll update sooner.

But enough of my mindless babbling. Here's Chapter 10! I own nothing and no one!

Never Easy

Chapter Ten: Racing the Clock

Danny Fenton, a.k.a. Danny Phantom, found himself in a state of extreme urgency and panic as he approached Fenton Works. He then phased underground and kept flying until he was inside the basement of Fenton Works, where the portal was. He had recapped the approaching danger as well as where he believed Slade's lair to be to Robin as fast as he could over his communicator, and he had promised that the Titans would be there ASAP.

As he flew through the Fenton Portal and into the Ghost Zone, Danny knew that his options were scarce. There had been no time to notify his family and friends of the upcoming danger, and his powers were due to start shutting down in less than half an hour. All he had to help him were the Titans. He knew they were great allies that gave him a decent chance at survival as well as victory, but who knew what Slade may have planned if they got there.

"If they got there." That was another problem. Danny was sure Slade's new set-up was in the Ghost Zone, but he had no clue where it actually was.

Knowing he was running short on time, Danny said to himself, "Better just ask random ghosts where Slade's lair might be."

Up ahead, he saw a familiar figure. It was the same one that vandalized a newcomer's lair just a few days ago.

"Box Ghost!" Danny barked.

The goofy ghost turned around and saw the ghost boy. He instantly developed a pathetically dramatic attitude as he yelled, "Beware! I am the Box Ghost! And I…"

He was cut off as Danny had suddenly grabbed him by his shirt collar and held him up.

Looking quite scared, the Box Ghost muttered, "This seems oddly familiar."

"Listen!" Danny commanded, "You, and about everyone else in both worlds are in danger. I need to know, and I have no idea why I'm asking you this: have you seen a creepy guy wearing armor and a mask that shows only one eye?"

The Box Ghost stammered, "I-I-Indeed, I have." He regained his usual goofy manner and called out, "And I went about sabotaging his lair, emptying all the marvelous boxes of their…"

Again, he was cut off as Danny shouted, "I don't care about some stupid boxes! Just tell me where this lair of his is!"

He gulped first, and then pointed a finger in one direction, "You will find it in a large black building at least a mile down. Can you please release me?"

Danny quickly released his grip on the scared goof and zoomed off in that direction, shouting back, "I'll thank you later, provided I survive!"

As he flew towards his destination, Danny said to himself, "I can probably rely on Raven to sense me. They can find me that way."

Danny tried hard to focus as he saw a large black building coming up in front of him. It certainly didn't look abandoned: fresh steel doors, paned windows, etc. Danny recognized Slade's lairs, having spent a week living in one.

Knowing he couldn't phase through objects as Danny Phantom in the Ghost Zone, he temporarily changed back into Danny Fenton in front of the door and walked through it.

Once inside, Danny quickly checked his watch. 2:40.

He looked around and saw that he was in a very large room. Boxes and other types of debris were lined up along the walls, leaving much wide open space inside the room.

Danny gasped as he felt the blue mist escaping his mouth.

He got an intense look in his eyes as he stated, "I thought Slade would have something for me to try and slow me down."

In the blink of an eye, ghosts had appeared, surrounding Danny all throughout the room. A few of which, he had seen throughout the last couple of days, one of which, he saw over a month ago, and one of which, he hadn't seen for months.

They consisted of Johnny 13 and Kitty on his motorcycle, Walker and his many henchmen, Desiree, Spectra, and Bertrand. Danny noticed that they were all wearing gold rings of the same design on their left ring finger.

Danny pointed to all of them, "I sent all of you back to the Ghost Zone."

Spectra smiled and replied, "And we were all ordered to gather here after you did."

Danny scowled, "Slade's the one who ordered you all to attack me at different times. Just so I could defeat you and send you back here, where you would all come together where he told you to and attack me all at once."

Johnny answered back, "Got that right, punk. All for revenge on you."

Looking somewhat unimpressed, Danny said, "Look, I don't know if you guys know, but you all are going to start losing your power: not just me."

"I must contradict you at this moment, Danny," Slade's voice came, echoing throughout the room.

Danny growled, and then asked in confusion, "What are you talking about?"

"Those rings they have on their finger. I forgot to mention that they make whoever wears them unaffected by the powers of the solar eclipse."

He sighed in frustration, "Whatever. It's not like they can hurt me when I'm in…"

The ghost boy didn't finish as Johnny suddenly kicked out. Danny was shocked to see the kick hit him and knock him down!

Danny sat up, stammering, "How did…?"

Slade answered coldly, "They let them hurt humans as well. Quite amazing what you can find in a few simple ancient scrolls. And if you wanted to phase through the walls, they came from the real world. Only the door is from here. You'll have to fight them to get to me, young man. Good luck."

Danny heard the microphone Slade was obviously speaking into as he snapped, "Leave it to Slade to find ways for me to waste precious time. Going ghost!"

For what he prayed wasn't the last time, Danny transformed into Danny Phantom with an intense scowl imprinted on his face.

As the first of his foes moved in, Walker's henchmen, Danny shot upward. He was about to fire a round of ectoplasmic waves, but was ambushed from behind as Desiree threw her rope at him, tying around him and throwing him straight at the wall, where he slid down.

Danny looked up and saw Spectra throwing her own blasts at him. He quickly projected his dome and was unaffected.

Struggling to get on the offensive, Danny fired ghost rays all over the place. He saw Bertrand and Desiree get hit for sure, but he didn't have time to check to see who else had been hit. He was on a mission.

Danny flew up high to survey the entire room. Everyone else flew up and tried to land a blow to the ghost boy.

Keeping his moves steady, Danny flew around, over, under, and in between his enemies as they tried to strike. He heard them hitting each other a few times and couldn't help but smile at that.

Finally, he found himself flying towards a door at the back of the room, with no one guarding it. Knowing he could phase through the walls in ghost form since they came from the real world, he started to phase through…when a pair of long stretchy arms grabbed his legs and throw him backward.

Danny saw that Bertrand had become a blob and had stretched his arms out to grab him as he kept himself up in the air.

He said to himself, "Got to get through that door somehow. Oh, why aren't they here yet?"

From above, Kitty had jumped off her boyfriend's motorcycle and struck Danny on top of his head with her feet. She drove the half-ghost down to the ground.

She then taunted, "You should really learn to stop talking to yourself."

Danny wanted to use his ghostly wail, but that would probably be ill-advised. Besides, he wasn't sure he could get it off anyway, not being in entirely top form.

Instead, he unleashed an aural blast, blowing Kitty off of him. But in front of him was Johnny, who was riding his motorcycle right at him.

Thinking fast, Danny fired a ghost ray at the motorcycle as he jumped back up, but Johnny jumped off at the last second, leaving his ride to get struck and knocked at the wall.

Floating in the air, Johnny ordered, "Shadow, go!"

Johnny let his bad-luck shadow fly out and at Danny in an attempt to punch him. Danny dodged the attack, but Walker then gave him a hard kick in the ribs, winding him for a few seconds.

Knowing time was fast running out on him, Danny's heart began to race as he frantically flew back towards the door he had tried to get through earlier.

But Walker's henchmen flew down and stood in the doorway. Danny fired a ghost ray, but they quickly brought out their nightsticks and swung, knocking Danny's ray back at him. He dodged quickly to avoid it.

Desiree flew at him from behind in an attempt to grab him, but Danny quickly sensed her coming and turned around in a flash, nailing a hard punch right to her jaw. She stumbled backward and was dazed.

But Danny had no time to appreciate this as Shadow flew back at him. Danny fired a ghost ray at it, but it merely went through its shadowy figure. Danny tried to fly away, but Shadow quickly grabbed him by the legs and trapped him inside of its body.

Danny struggled to get free, but couldn't break away.

He heard laughs coming, directed at him. They were laughing at him.

He felt angry as Walker sneered, "Any last words, ghost kid?"

But just then, a huge colorful ship burst through one of the walls. Inside five sections were the five people Danny had been hoping would find him in the current situation he was in.

The Teen Titans jumped out of their seats and into the room, with Robin lashing out at Walker, "How about your last words instead?"

Danny grinned as he powered up a bright ghost ray. Light being Shadow's weakness, Danny blasted him away, freeing himself and leaving Shadow in small segments, which quickly reformed.

Danny then shouted out to his allies, "Boy, am I glad to see you guys!"

Beast Boy responded, "Well, dude, you did call us."

Slade's voice came back over the microphone, "The Teen Titans. Why am I not surprised?"

Robin growled, "Slade. Probably because we always come to stop you."

Beast Boy then piped up, "Boy, did you pick the wrong time to start destroying cities. I had to miss Clash of the Planets to come here, and…"

The shapeshifter was interrupted as Raven elbowed him with a small whisper, "Stop doing that."

Pretending he hadn't heard Beast Boy and Raven speak, Slade said, "It's quite touching that you would come and help out your new friend, but I'm afraid that you're too late."

The Titans looked shocked while Danny gasped and checked his watch. 2:59. He heard a few ticks, and then it changed to 3:00.

Outside, the normally green sky that glowed throughout the Ghost Zone began to change to blood-red.

And out in the real world, the moon began to cover everybody's view of the Sun. The sky which was as blue as Danny's human eyes and currently without clouds also began to glow blood-red, the same color of the sky that Danny had seen in his recent dreams. Everyone looked on in awe, unaware of the upcoming danger.

And in Slade's lair, Danny suddenly started feeling dizzy as he held his head, which throbbed painfully.

Uh oh! The time of Danny's power loss is now, and with only the Titans as his allies, can they fight off his enemies and Slade before 3:30 and he starts destroying cities? Well, unfortunately for you, only I know.

But you'll all know soon enough! Review, and Chapter 11 will be up soon!