AN: Sorry it's late, folks. I've just finished the winter semester and hosted a friend in my room for the past few nights. There hasn't been much time to write. But, the only way I'm gonna get anywhere in this story is if I keep pushing myself, so here's the next chapter. It gave me a really hard time for some reason. Do tell if it sucks.
All characters belong to Bill Hartman and Billionfold Inc.
Long after the echo of the explosion had disappeared, Danny remained hidden in the ghostly green brush. Several hours of thought had done nothing to help his indecision. To go or not to go? To go now or go later? To approach head on or swing around from an unusual route?
It wasn't all strategy that trapped him in his own indecision. The endless stretch of swirling green was intimidating. Part of him missed the simplicity of Walker's prison. There was only so much that could go on in those walls – only so many ghosts that could get their hands on him. Out here… Dan wasn't the only thing he was afraid of. He almost wished he was back in his cell.
But here he was, lurking in the shadows of the Ghost Zone, sandwiched between a glowling green picker bush and some sort of fern. It was not the most comfortable place to be, not by a long shot.
Flashes of energy lit the distant sky, moving slowly off from the prison. The color was lost in the distance, leaving bright white flashes that lit up the darkness. There was no way to be sure, but it could be Dan. It was all Danny could think as he watched the power show flash and spark across the sky. They were moving away from the portal. It was now or never.
Danny shot down below the island to approach the portal carefully from an unusual route. He may not know a lot about strategy, but it seemed like the best idea even to him. He'd had enough near-death experiences for a lifetime – best to dodge the fighting and possible following as best possible.
As he moved carefully through the darkened Ghost Zone, eyes roaming the changed scenery, he imagined his homecoming. He pictured his friends' relieved eyes, his mother's teary smile, his father's bone-crushing hug, even his sister's sobbing embrace. It warmed the cockles of his heart for the first time since he'd been slammed into Walker's prison. He was so close, now. All he had to do was make it by Dan, then he could be home.
As he grew closer, Danny's mind flew to his family. Were they okay? Were they still looking for him? His mind supplied images of his sister and mother's teary eyes as they embraced him, his father's bone-crushing hug. He could imagine Tucker and Sam's faces clear as day as they ran forward to scream at him for disappearing without a word before they latched on, never to let go again.
All thoughts of Dan were pushed away by the hope in his heart and mind. Right now he didn't have the energy to spare pondering his enemy's next attack. He didn't think of the danger he might bring his family and friends by returning, or how his respite from Dan's attack would last only days, if not moments.
His innocent young mind valued hope so much more than caution.
Passing by Klemper's door, Danny couldn't help but smile. The portal would be visible any minute now. He was almost home. The strange new feeling of hope filled his chest and he struggled to contain his joy. His grin could have lit up half the Ghost Zone.
Then he found himself staring at the familiar pink flowered door that told him he'd gone too far. Danny nearly smacked himself in the head. He missed the portal. He was so hopeful and so happy that he'd completely missed his door home.
He turned round with an embarrassed grin and aimed himself for the portal.
But it wasn't there.
Danny's eyes widened, pressure in his chest increasing as he flew frantically forward, running his hands through the space where his portal home should have been. There was nothing, no indication that the space here had once been broken.
The halfa glanced around, scanning frantically for the familiar crack in space. Maybe he'd screwed up? He remembered coming by the creepy kid's room and Klemper's icy lair – it was supposed to be right here.
"Ghost Boy," a voice called, it's high pitch nearly lost on Danny's ears.
Danny spun toward the source, eyes narrowed as he searched the surrounding area. Amongst the doors was a dark shape, floating aimlessly in the shadows.
"Ghost Boy!" it called again, voice faint over the distance.
"What?" asked Danny, attention firmly caught as he drifted slowly toward it. He couldn't quite make out who or even what it was…
"It's not there," the figure answered. "Your portal is gone."
Danny's eyes widened, mind blanking in fear as he paused his approach.
"What do you mean?"
"Your portal is gone. There's no way for you to go home here," the voice explained. It's form remained unnaturally still, wavering only as it limply rode the energy of the Ghost Zone. "Help me, and I will show you another way out."
"No, it can't be gone. I must have made some mistake, I could have come the wrong way or maybe it got moved when the whole Zone went to—
"It's gone, Ghost Boy," the form called once more, jerking Danny from his blind horror.
"Who are you?" Danny asked, squishing his fear as best possible. His rational mind reared its ugly head and he suddenly needed to know if this was a threat. He needed to know if it was because of this ghost that he couldn't go home.
He drew closer, to the point where he could see more of the details on the ghost. He could practically touch the strange figure, but his mind couldn't grasp exactly what this thing was supposed to be.
The ghost laughed, squeaky voice echoing across the space.
"Do you not recognize me, Whelp?" it asked, the words strange in his squeaky voice.
Danny frowned, eyes struggling to reconcile the strange pile of wires and tubing before him.
"Skulker?"
"My suit has been damaged," the hunter replied, ignoring Danny's inquiry. "I cannot eject from it without assistance."
"And you want my assistance?" Danny asked, arms crossed. Even through the white terror of his situation, he felt oddly satisfied staring at the jumble of junk that had so recently been his tormentor. What little remorse he felt for the helpless entity was more that he had not done the damage himself.
"Assist me and I will take you to my employer's portal."
"And what makes you think his portal is still there?" Danny asked. "If my portal is….missing why would his still be there?" He tried not to think about the implications of the missing portals. It could be they'd just been moved, after all. Just knocked a few feet off to the right or something…
"My employer's portal was no accident. He knows how to properly stabilize the rift," the tinny voice informed Danny, it's believability not helped by its cartoonish lilt. "It will be there."
Danny glowered at the remains of Skulker, weighing his options. He would do anything to get home at this point. He was disturbed even by the idea that he was considering going with the hunter that had made his life a living hell for the last who knew how long.
But the other portal… he could still see his family in his mind's eye. They were waiting for him. He needed to get back to them.
Besides, what damage could Skulker possibly cause without his suit?