A/N: Hope you're enjoying this story. Oh, there is that "IDNOAC" thing again. Here is Chapter 14!
His Own Worst Enemy—Chapter 14--Underminings
Earlier, meanwhile, the future Phantom and his poisoned and unwitting protégé have just stepped through the time portal, activating Tucker's silent alarm.
Right after the alarm has alerted him, Clockwork calls Tucker and then heads to where the time portal is; that is, of course, the main room.
Clockwork boldly steps into the room and as soon as he reaches it, challenges the evil ghost.
"Back to finish the job, I see!" The old ghost says. But when he sees how ill the youngest ghost with the now faintly glowing red eyes looks, however, he is taken aback and has to check his urge to gasp.
But the dark Phantom notices the Time Master's reaction and interrupts him. "Oh, don't bother!" He hisses. "You're doomed and I do not want to waste any of the gas on you! I only have just enough to get rid of all the ghosts."
"You fool!" Clockwork hisses back. "Don't you know that if you destroy all of us, that'll be the end of you?"
The older Phantom impatiently snorts, "You're bluffing, old man! You know my ruling both worlds is inevitable!"
Clockwork turns, and looking at the fifteen-year-old ghost, declares, "He'll stop you!"
This time, Dan Phantom's laugh is more brazen than edgy. "How? He's been poisoned! Poisoned with ectoradium! And you know what that is and what it means. Let's just say that he's now my unwilling and powerful servant! He will fulfill his own destiny and be as evil as I am! But don't worry. I will not have any rivals for total power. After he's done as I commanded, I'll make sure his last dose will be lethal for both of his halves!"
Clockwork stumbles at the shock, and the younger Danny shudders.
Not hesitating to seize the opportunity at seeing Clockwork's weakness, his foe utters, "But, of course, I won't be needing to waste any gas when I do this!" He thrusts a beam of red ectoplasmic energy at Clockwork. But just before it strikes him, a green energy shield materializes in front of the Time Ghost, protecting the old ghost from harm.
Whirling around, Dan Phantom gasps, "What the….?" It is then that he sees the smoke still billowing from Danny's hands and that the boy's eyes no longer glow red, but are now a dull red nestled in green halos.
The older Phantom hysterically commands, "You! Stop now!"
"Keep fighting, Danny! I believe in you!" Clockwork calls, but that is the last thing he says as this time he is zapped successfully by the evil Phantom, as Danny cannot break free from the last hypnotic command. Clockwork falls, but because Dan Phantom was momentarily unsettled, is only given a small blast.
"You little brat!" Dan Phantom screams, soaring right up to the boy and smacking him right on the face with the back of his hand.
The younger Phantom rights himself back up again, standing firmly, his red eyes glowing not from control this time, but in defiance.
Once again momentarily unnerved by this, the evil one can almost hear the teenager's thoughts, 'I felt your own doubt just now! You may have some control, but not all! I will never be like you! I won't give in and will fight you, even with my last breath!'
But the older Phantom quickly recovers his wits and answers those same thoughts. "Childish, useless talk! It doesn't matter what you think. You will not escape your fate! You will succumb to evil! And after that, you won't be a thorn in my side much longer, even with all your contempt!"
He infects the boy with another dose of the ectoradium spray, which quickly spreads over the teenager and, inadvertently, over Clockwork. Both of them now cough violently on the gas, and both collapse.
Looking at the senseless teen, Phantom utters, "That should do it! He's taken more than four times the dose that I used for any other ghost. How can it be that he is that resistive to it? But it's just as well. I won't need him much longer, and then I…"
Before he can continue, however, the wall he's standing next to implodes from the force of the blaster from the specter speeder. The wall slams into him, but does not touch Danny or Clockwork, who are all ready lying on the floor.
As the smoke from the blast clears, and seeing his still form, Sam frantically yells, "Danny!"
"And there's Clockwork!!" Tucker also yells when he sees the motionless old ghost.
Jazz lands the speeder and screams, "HURRY!"
Sam and Tucker jump out and rush over and rescue Danny. They then run to get Clockwork. Tucker doesn't even have time to close the door when Jazz quickly reverses the speeder, veers a hard left—which, by the way, helps Tucker to close the door—and jettisons away just as Dan Phantom is able to break out of the what's left of the blasted wall.
"It can't be!" The enraged ghost yells and instantly fires at the retreating spacecraft. He soars after it and fires again.
"Hurry, Tucker!" Sam shrieks, as she looks back and sees that the charging ghost is gaining.
"I'm going as fast as I can!" He yells back, punching feverishly on his PDA. "I got it!" He finally declares and a portal opens up just ahead of them. He then yells, "I made it so that it won't stay open long, so step on it, Jazz!"
Jazz instinctively obeys him, and is especially motivated when an energy bolt rivets the speeder.
The portal just ahead of them opens to its full diameter and then immediately starts to close, even though they have not yet reached it.
Jazz screams, "Tucker, you must have miscalculated!" But she adds more power anyway, and the ship charges toward the rapidly shrinking portal. Sam, Tucker and Jazz all shriek in terror and close their eyes, ready for the impact…..
…..that doesn't come, though from the loud scrapping sound they hear, they know that the outside gear of the specter speeder has just sheared off as it passes through the portal. The portal then closes immediately, leaving Danny's worst enemy on the other side.
"NOOO!" The dark Phantom screams, raising and shaking both of his clenched hands in the air.
And his howl of defeat echoes throughout the Ghost Zone.