Author's Note: After this one more chapter! I'm very excited. I do not own Danny, Ember, Sam, Tucker, Jazz, or Clockwork. I do however own Echo as he is my OC. The idea for this story came from a challenge posted by TheBlueVampireQueenOfAbiland. Here's chapter 10. I hope you like it!
A Helping Hand: Chapter Ten
(The Ghost Zone)
Echo wings flapped at a steady pace. His arms were crossed and a wicked smile played across his lips. "Are you ready to face you're fate Phantom?"
Danny floated up until he was level with his enemy, turning only once to make sure Ember, Sam, Jazz, and Tucker had all gotten inside. "I have had enough of you for twelve lifetimes."
"Oh. My poor heart." Grinning Echo clutched his chest in mock pain. "You really know how to hurt a ghost."
Danny's fists glowed bright green. "Oh you have no idea just how right you are." He flew forward, pushing himself to his top speed. Echo leaned in and with a mighty flap of his wings raced towards Danny.
It was a big game of chicken and Echo knew that because of his own size, strength, and power he would win. Danny realized this as well. At the last possible second he veered down and flipped onto his back. His hands shot powerful bolts of ectoplasmic energy straight into Echo's torso.
The ghost-bat turned around, winded from the barrage he just received. Four spines grew from his chest and fired themselves towards Danny. However Danny wasn't going to give him a chance to recover. He formed a ghost shield around himself and shot forward at Echo. The spines impacted with the shield and shattered harmlessly around it. Using his shield as a battering ram he smashed into Echo causing the ghost to twirl backwards through the air.
Echo's wings rotated in their sockets trying to get a purchase on the air. They flared open and slowed his descent but Danny was ready for this. Two ice beams impacted his wings causing them to freeze over and him to fall from the sky in a slightly comical fashion.
As he fell Danny started pouring energy into his fists which both now shone a bright and blinding green light. Echo smashed into the ground and looked up just in time to see Danny's hands aimed directly at him. Instead of just releasing the energy, Danny pushed it out. The beam of light fell like a hammer and impacted with terrifying force. Danny heard Echo's screams of pain while rubble and dust blew out from where his beam hit. Finally Danny ended the attack as he no longer could hear Echo's screams.
Danny panted as he watched the dust clear. "I have to make sure…" He thought to himself.
Suddenly the bat-ghost's voice echoed out into the air. It was almost a whisper but it terrified Danny more than any battle cry he had ever heard. "My turn."
Echo was a blur. Before Danny could even react he had cleared the space between them and had firmly planting his fist into Danny's chest. A globule of blood flew from Danny's mouth and he clutched his chest in pain. Echo twisted in midair and smashed the back of his fist into Danny's back. Danny yelped in pain as he fell, the bat-ghost close behind him. As he spun through the air, Danny saw what was coming towards him. He stopped spinning but flew backwards as he fired an ice beam to freeze Echo's torso.
As Danny flew off to get a little distance between them, Echo's wings strained attempting to keep the weight aloft. He yelled in anger and fired spines from his chest effectively shattering the ice. The spines flew at Danny who proceeded to shoot them out of the air with blasts of ecto-energy.
While Danny was preoccupied with the spines, Echo had flown behind him. Just as he finished shooting the last one out of the air Danny felt fingers wrap around his neck. He struggled against the pressure as he was forced to turn and face his enemy. Echo sneered and began to squeeze, fully intending on crushing Danny's neck. "Any last words before your ghost half is all that is left?"
Three large purple fists drove into Echo's side causing him to release his grip on Danny and smash into a nearby rocky wall. "Stay away from my boyfriend!" Ember yelled. She floated over to Danny who was coughing up green blood. "Hey. You alright?"
Danny coughed again but as he healed he managed to get out. "Leave…Not safe…"
"Not gonna happen baby-pop. That ghost nearly killed you and I'm not letting you do this alone." She looked at him and smiled a little then turned to face Echo who was pulling himself out of the rubble. Danny watched her for a second, then he smiled and nodded accepting the fact that she wasn't going to back down from this.
Echo was in a bit of a daze. Whoever hit him had hit him hard. He looked up and saw two ghosts. Danny and a new one who appeared to be a woman. He snarled and thought. "Boyfriend? Ah he has a little ghost of his own. How sweet. It will be interesting to see how he reacts when I rip her apart."
Echo's wings flared and Danny whispered to Ember. "He's fast so be ready." He shot forward and stretched his claws out in an attempt to gut them both. Danny and Ember split apart allowing him to pass in between them. As he did Danny hit him with bolts of energy while Ember fired smaller musical fists from the bridge of her guitar. All of their attacks broadsided Echo as his wings stretched out for an abrupt stop.
He turned towards them with energy still steaming off of his chest from the hits he had just endured. Echo's wings folded around him and all his muscles seemed to strain. Then they quickly unfurled and with an angry roar, dozens of spines flew from his chest straight towards the two of them.
Without thinking Danny hurled himself in front of Ember and activated his shield. The spines dove for them both and hammered the dome of energy. He struggled to keep it up as the last two hit it and shattered. Danny released the energy feeling a little dazed from his effort. Ember put her hand on his shoulder to steady him. Then out of the corner of her eye she saw him coming.
"Danny look out!" She said trying to push him out of the way. Before she could he got yanked away from her. Echo had his head in his grasp holding him at arm's length.
"Get back Ember!" He managed to say as Echo started squeezing once again.
"No don't hurt him!" She yelled at Echo totally forgetting everything that was happening as she watched Danny cry out in pain.
Echo ignored her but smiled as his eyes glowed red. "You are mine." His fangs grew in anticipation of his meal.
"NOOOO!" Ember screamed snapping out of her stupor. She hit a power chord on her guitar and a shockwave of sound hit Echo in the chest. He screeched in pain as the wave smashed into his chest and clutched his ears dropping his prize.
He turned his attention towards Ember and grabbed her. In one swift motion he slammed her against a rock wall and growled. "You are going to pay dearly for that."
Despite the terror building up inside her Ember actually got a very good look at Echo up close. His face was very close to a humans. The biggest differences being his protruding fangs, large ears, and red eyes. But as she stared into those two blood red jewels of hatred she realized something. "He doesn't have any pupils."
Danny grabbed onto Echo's back and with an amazing feat of strength pulled the huge creature off of his girlfriend. Echo was so surprised he didn't have time to react as Danny tossed the ghost-bat.
Ember floated in place thinking about what she had realized. "No pupils… But that doesn't make any sense. He would barely be able to see without pupils… So how..." A look of realization came over her face as Danny continued pummeling his enemy. It suddenly all made sense. Why he had those huge ears. How he heard Danny's scream from that far off earlier when he was injured. Why he clutched his ears in pain instead of his chest when Ember hit him with that sound wave.
"Danny!" She yelled at him as he double kicked Echo in the chest sending him flying away. He looked up at Ember and she said. "His weakness is sound! He sees by listening!" He looked at her a little strangely at first then a look of realization came over at him as his mind pieced together the same thing hers had.
He smiled at her but his expression changed quickly to that of terror. Danny jumped into the air and flew towards her. "Ember you have to move now!"
Ember turned just in time to see Echo tackle her. He ripped Embers guitar from her and threw it at Danny who couldn't stop in time as it slammed into him and broke. He turned Ember around so her back was against his chest. His right arm held her firmly in a headlock. She kicked and punched and attempted to ghost through but he was so powerful she couldn't even do that. He squeezed her tighter.
"Gah. It hurts so much!" She cried out.
Danny had recovered and was flying back towards them. "Let her go you son of a bitch!"
Echo smiled at this and thought. "What a fantastic idea." Suddenly a spine ripped its way through Embers chest. Green ectoplasm spurted from her chest as her eyes bulged out in pain and terror. She could hear Echo's insane laughter from behind her.
"EMBER!" Danny yelled as Echo released her letting her plummet to the ground. He flew after her and managed to catch her before she hit. He gingerly set her down and started talking in a fast and panicking voice. "It's gonna be ok Ember. We… we're gonna get this thing out of you and…and you're gonna be fine."
He held her head gingerly as she reached up and touched his face. "Danny… It's ok." She smiled at him as the ectoplasm seeped out of her wound. "You got me to do something I… I didn't think I could ever do again." She leaned forward, straining against the pain. Her hand grabbed onto his shoulder as she pulled her lips up to his ear. Ember whispered. "You made me love again."
Her eyes closed and she fell limp in his arms. Danny's eyes were filled with tears. His voice cracked as he said. "Ember?...Ember!..." The tears spilt freely from his eyes as he hugged her.
"Oh what a stirring eulogy." Echo mocked as he landed next to the grieving ghost boy. "I always cry at funerals." He tore a spike from his chest and raised it above Danny. "Especially when there are two in one day." His arm came down.
Danny's eyes opened and glowed green with rage. "No."
He turned around and with every last bit of energy he had left unleashed his ghostly wail. Echo screeched in pain, dropping the spike as he flew backwards and hit the rock wall. Danny stood, continuing his barrage and walking forward at the same time.
Echo clutched his ears and wrapped himself in his wing. They glowed green showing that he was using his ghost shield to take the brunt of Danny's attack. A white halo of light appeared out of Danny's midsection and started transforming his body. But the rings stopped halfway up his chest and at his knees. Danny slowly forced them back together until they disappeared. "No. Not yet. He is going to pay first."
With these words Danny pulled from the same burst of energy he had used when he blasted himself and Echo apart. It could only be accessed through one emotion. It wasn't pain, hate, love, desire, or need. It was loss. The same energy that appeared when Danny thought he was going to lose his friends and family, appeared again when he lost the girl he… loved.
Danny's attack increased in power. The waves stated coming faster and at a higher frequency. They changed from green, to a bright green, and then to white. They crushed and crumpled Echo's shielded wings. The last thing Echo thought as his shield broke and his wings were torn to shreds was. "Impossible." Then the waves smashed into him. He screamed as his body was ripped apart and the pieces destroyed.
Danny released his attack, and he fell to the ground. Exhaustion took over and he transformed back into his human form. On his hands and knees he crawled to Ember's body.
Echo was no more. The place where he had stood was almost completely destroyed. But it brought Danny no comfort as he cradled Ember. The tears were back and falling freely from his cheeks.
Sam, Tucker, and Jazz had all come outside when they saw Echo was defeated. Now they stood around Danny, completely unsure of what to do. Jazz's eyes dripped tears for her little brother and the loss he was going through. Tucker's hand was on her shoulder, comforting her as he watched his best friend mourn. Even Sam, who never truly wanted to believe that Ember and Danny were together, felt grief as she realized the ghost girl died for him.
Danny grieved on the outside but inside his mind raced. Trying to find a way, any way that he could fix this. But nothing he thought of would have worked. Finally his brain hit it. The one being that could change all this. Give him a second chance. Give him the chance to save Ember.
He looked up into the sky of the ghost zone, inhaled deeply, and with all the strength he could muster yelled long and loud into the night. "CLOOOOCKWOOOORK!"