A/N: Next chapter! Here we go!
Turnabout to Revenge
Chapter 20 – Danny Fenton
February 7th, 11:18 PM
I groaned softly, waking up slightly to the sudden shill running though my body. Pulling my blankets around me more, I tried to fall back asleep.
Another chill shot through me, and I opened my eyes in time to see my breath.
It wasn't a random chill; it was my ghost sense. I groaned slightly, pushing the blanket off in a sluggish way. I was still exhausted, and REALLY didn't feel like deal with this.
(Can I call Valerie and ask her to handle this…?) I thought sluggishly. I pushed myself up to stand next to the bed, when all of a sudden, there was a scream.
It came from INSIDE the house!
Instantly wide awake, I turned ghost and shot through the wall separating my room from the guest room, only to see Maya being kidnapped.
By Phoenix.
"Wha?" I gasped, before shaking my head and following. My moment of hesitation gave them a far head start. I could have easily caught up, and I would have, but just as I went to, I noticed a glint of reflected moonlight near Maya's neck.
He, or, more correctly, the ghost overshadowing him, was holding a knife to her neck!
Phoenix suddenly dove towards the woods and, when getting closer, I could see that it was right towards a bridge. The same one Phoenix and Dahlia had been on yesterday.
"We're going to play a little game," I heard Phoenix say, putting Maya down. I hesitated, watching. I didn't know what was about to happen, but I could tell it wouldn't be good. "You don't have to step onto the bridge at all if you don't want to." He let go of Maya and walked out onto the bridge, stopping in the middle and turning to face Maya.
"Phoenix will be in the middle of the bridge!" Phoenix yelled, throwing the knife over the side. I watched as it dropped into the ravine before turning back to the man. His foot turned intangible and sank through one of the wooden planks, turning tangible once it had sunk down to the ankle. I winced, knowing how painful that was.
"And he will be trapped!" Phoenix called again, just before the ghost overshadowing him left his body. Phoenix fell to his knees in pain, but I was staring at the ghost.
It was Dahlia. Butterflies appeared around her, catching on fire.
"The rules are simple, Maya. You can choose to save him from the burning bridge. Or watch him plummet to his death.
"Your choice."
The butterflies rammed themselves into the bridge, and it immediately caught fire. Dahlia flew up, off of the bridge, watching with almost a gleeful expression.
I wanted to take care of her, but I couldn't take my eyes off of the bridge. Maya stood on the bank, staring at Phoenix for a few minute. She then frowned, determination crossing her features, and darted forward onto the old wood.
"NO! MAYA! GO BACK!" Phoenix yelled, frantically pulling at his foot.
"I won't leave you!" Maya yelled back, before stumbling as one of the ropes snapped. I frowned and dove, swooping down through the flames and grabbing Maya, who was closer.
"Whoa! Wait! Phoenix!" she cried.
"I'll get him!" I told her, putting her on the bank before shooting down the bridge. Phoenix, seeing me, held out his hand, a smile of relief crossing his face.
SNAP!
The other rope broke, sending sparks flying into the air, and the bridge disappeared from below me.
SNA-SNAP!
The ropes broke again near the other bank, the weight of the swinging bridge being too much for the weakened ropes. The bridge plummeted towards the river below.
"PHOENIX!" Maya screamed.
"NO!" I yelled, diving after it. I wasn't fast enough, however, and the entire structure, with Phoenix still stuck on it, hit the surface of the swift moving, narrow river. I quickly looked around, trying to find some sign of him, when I was suddenly blind-sided. I was thrown into the side of the rock wall with a grunt.
"Uh-uh, Danny. I'm not going to let you rescue Feenie," Dahlia said, floating over the river. I clenched my teeth, glaring at her.
"You'll pay for that," I said darkly. She looked at me curiously.
"Oh? You were friends with him, weren't you?" she asked. Rather than answer, however, I shot towards her, my hands glowing a brilliant green. Before she could react, I punched her, hard, sending her flying back. I didn't relent though, continuing to attack her.
Dahlia kept backing up, trying to protect herself from my attacks, but she was taken off guard by the ferocity. Finally, though, she dove backwards, turning intangible and going through the rock wall. I waited for a moment before turning back towards the river, searching for any sign of Phoenix.
A sick feeling of dread filled my stomach when I didn't see him, and my failure weighed heavily on me.
Two years ago, Phoenix had saved my life. I wasn't naïve; I knew being tried as an adult, if found guilty, I wouldn't have gotten a life sentence.
It would have been the death penalty.
But now, when the tables were turned, I failed. I couldn't save his life. I let him fall.
Just then, a butterfly fluttered in front of my face. I quickly looked up, only to find myself surrounded. There must have been at least fifty of them, fluttering around me.
"You let yourself get distracted," Dahlia said, floating in front of me, just outside of where the butterflies were. I glared at her for a moment before looking at the butterflies again, letting my hands glow green.
As once, they all burst into flame. I gasped, the heat taking my breath away, and the butterflies grew closer. I looked around, thinking fast and trying to find a way to escape.
There was one way…
I closed my eyes, focusing my ice powers. Rather than channeling it to my hands, I let it build and build until my body couldn't contain it anymore, then released it.
The ice shot out of me in all directions, hitting every single one of the butterflies.
The fire melted the ice before it hit the butterflies, but the water was just as effective in extinguishing the flames.
Before the butterflies had a chance to recover, I shot through their ranks and into the air, away from them, gasping for air.
(Oh yeah… fire needs oxygen… which means there wasn't any in there…) I thought, before looking around for Dahlia, finally catching my breath. She was floating close by, a look of pure fury on her face.
"It's over, Dahlia," I said, taking a deep breath, filling my lungs to full capacity, and unleashing my most powerful attack.
The Ghostly Wail.
I could feel my energy slowly draining. Three years with this power, and it still drained my energy.
But it was useful. The sound wave slammed into Dahlia like a wrecking ball, flinging her backwards into the opposite cliff wall. I watched her through narrowed eyes, waiting until I thought he was sufficiently weakened, before cutting off the Wail. Panting, I pulled the Fenton Thermos off of my back, pulled off the cap, and pointed it at the woman, activating it. She screamed as she was sucked into the Thermos, the sound only being cut off when I replaced the cap.
Then, using the last of the energy I had, I flew straight up, back to where Maya waited, and fell to my knees in front of her, reverting back to my human half.
"Danny? Where's Nick?" Maya asked, her voice trembling. I winced like she physically hit me.
"I… I'm sorry…" I said, looking down.
"No…"
…
A/N: Two more chapters! At least Dahlia is defeated…
But what happened to Phoenix!?