A Daniel X Fanfiction

by Sakura Martinez

Author's Notes:

Thanks for the reviews and thank you for sticking with this fanfic. Here's the twenty-second chapter. Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer:

I do not own Daniel X, or the characters in that story. James Patterson own the rights for them. What I do own is the idea of this fanfic.

Summary:

Daniel has long accepted what has happened to his friends Dana, Willy, Emma and Joe. But when he is suddenly ambushed by Number 2's second-in-command, Number 13, the young Alien Hunter finds a big surprise waiting for him.

Daniel X: Game Over

Chapter Twenty-Two

We found ourselves in the middle of the ocean. Our landing in this new stage was as ungraceful as possible, all of us falling right into the water. It was a good thing that we all knew how to swim otherwise one of us would have, without a doubt, had drowned. We were bobbing up and down the ocean, like buoys when this huge ship came sailing in. None of us saw it before it appeared but it was a good thing that whoever was in the ship saw us.

The ship was large and it reminded me of the Black Pearl from that Johnny Depp movie. It was like a ghost ship. And I thought that it was, at first. After all, none of us saw it coming. We were all on-guard even as life preservers were thrown at us and we were fished out of the water and into the deck. Once we were finished coughing up all the ocean water that had almost drowned us, all four of us stood and faced the crew of the ship, and their captain.

I was expecting to see eye-patch-wearing, rum-smelling, one-hand-is-a-hook-one-foot-is-a-stub group of people. But the ones who encircled us were not like that. They were dressed in crisp, white sailor outfits and were clean-shaven. And, they were humanoid-looking aliens. And the way they spoke immediately told me that they weren't pirates at all. There were no "Argghs" or "Mateys", not even the usual greeting: "Ahoy, Landlubbers".

"Are you children, okay?" That was the greeting that the captain of the ship, a bearded, old man with sharp eyes, blue skin, gills, and a beak for a mouth.

"Y-yeah," I managed to answer for all of us as I took a glance at my drang. We really did look like we were okay. Well, compared to the alternative.

"You kids surprised us when you fall out of the sky like that," the captain went on, his voice was watery and nasally. "When players enter this level, they usually do so by coming out of that door over there." At that the captain pointed at a trap door not too far from where the door leading to the cabin was. "Strange..."

"Believe us, sir," Joe said as he shook his hair, splaying water all around him, "we would have loved to get into this stage through there instead of being dumped into the ocean."

The captain laugh and some of the crew members chuckled.

"So, tell us, who are you people," Willy asked as he began to check his weapons.

His action alarmed the crew members and the captain stared at him like he was a threat. I can't blame them, though. The way Willy spoke and the way he was checking on his weapons made him look like he was one, cocky terrorist ready to blow anyone's head off should they just even dare to look at him.

With caution in his voice and in the way he spoke, the captain answered, "We are, like you, players of The Game. Unfortunately, the rules Void has given us makes it impossible for us to leave this ship—which, also, happens to be our spaceship. I am Undinogh and we are a race of alien species known as Undines. Now, may I ask, who you kids are?"

"My name is Daniel," I took the initiative to introduce us. "These are my friends, Willy, Emma, and Joe."

A murmur rippled through the gathered crowd. I could hear some of them asking: "Did he say 'Daniel'?", then another one went, "Could it be?". I looked over at Emma, Willy, and Joe, confusion evident on the look in my face. They were just as confused though and when they met my gaze they shrugged, indicating they didn't know what was going on as well.

The captain, Undinogh, frowned. "Did you say you're name is Daniel?"

"That's right," I nodded, Don't tell me they'll say that I can't be Daniel. That I'm supposed to be dead. I've had it with that.

The captain then looked at his shipmates, his crew, and nodded before turning his attention back at us. "We've heard a great deal about you, Alien Hunter. Though, we have never dreamed that we may one day meet with you. It is an honor to be in the presence of the one who destroyed Ergent Seth. We have waited a long time for justice to be served. You have our eternal gratitude, Daniel X."

"I'm sorry...I don't...I don't understand, why are you thanking me?" I asked, that was not something I thought he would say, "We should be the one thanking you for letting us board your ship."

"Ergent Seth destroyed our home planet. Many of our kinsmen died waging war against him in hopes of salvaging Unoqualia. But Ergent Seth was just too powerful for us. All we could do was flee. He was the reason why we are trapped her now. If he hadn't come to Unoqualia then we would all still be living peacefully with our families." One of the shipmates said, he was a little bit shorty than the rest.

A murmur of agreement erupted after that.

"You have given Seth what we could not give him—punishment and death. For that we are eternally grateful and are in your debt." Undinogh bowed his head, the other Undines followed shortly after that.

I was surprised. No one, well, apart from the Alparians, had thanked me for what I had done. Protecting earth and the outer realms was my job—something that I inherited from my parents when they were killed. I had thought that I didn't mind whether I was appreciated by the humans that I defended or not. What had mattered to me was that they were kept safe and I was able to defeat the aliens on The List, working my way up to The Prayer. I suppose that was why I felt a bubble of joy within me when the Undines thanked me. It made me feel that I had, indeed, done a big difference. That with every battle I survived, with every alien outlaw I had crossed-out of the list, the sacrifices I have done were worth it.

"You and your friends are our guest of honor," Undinogh said, "Let us know how we could be of service."

"Well, thanks, I guess," I said, scratching the back of my neck. "We just want to beat this game, you know. And find a friend of ours."

"A friend of yours?" he asked.

Emma nodded, "She's an Alparian just like us. Blond, with sapphire-colored eyes. Did she, by any chance, came through here?"

"I'm sorry to say that we have not met any Alparians apart from your group, however, if you would like, I will send some of my men to look in the island." Undinogh replied.

"If it wouldn't be too much trouble," Emma said, thanking the captain as he ordered one of the Undines to do just that. The Undine nodded, not asking any question before he jumped into the ocean and swam like a dolphin. I didn't know how far the island was or where it was, all I could say was that it must be pretty far since my drang and I weren't able to see it from the ship.

"Now that that is settled, perhaps I can help you with something else," Undinogh said as he walked towards another door, motioning us to follow him.

We did.

The door led to the captain's cabin where stacks of maps, sea charts, books, and a large compass sat on top of a wooden table; bookshelves lined up the wall. Another door was at the other end of the room, which I guess would lead to the captain's sleeping quarters.

"I do not mean to pry, Daniel X, but tell me, how does one Alien Hunter such as you found himself inside Void's game?" Undinogh asked once we were all settled in.

"I was ambushed back in Terra Firma while I was out looking for Number Two," I replied. "The List didn't say anything about a sidekick so I thought I was fighting against a lone alien outlaw. I should have been more careful."

"I am glad that you understand that now," the captain said, "There aren't that many Alien Hunters left in the Outer Worlds. I had the privilege of meeting a couple of them in my lifetime, you being the eighth. They were all Alparians such as yourselves. Powerful and quite capable. I assume that you and your friends are aiming to be that sort of Alien Hunters in the future."

"Provided that we get out of this mess," Willy voiced out.

"Who were these Alien Hunters you speak of, Undinogh?" Joe asked.

"I have long forgotten their names. Us Undines don't have the same kind of memory as Alparians, after all. However, I believe Daniel would know about two of the three I could remember, having just met them a couple of years ago." Undinogh paused. It seemed like he enjoyed putting us at the edge of our seats. "Altrelda and Graff, Daniel's parents as well as another Alien Hunter, Khadagh."

"You've met my mother and father?" I was astounded.

Undinogh nodded, a wistful look on his face, "They were the ones who helped us when our ship crashed on Terra Firma. Who would have thought that I would have the honor of meeting their son? I certainly didn't think so."

The usual pang of sadness and loss entered my heart—something that usually happens when I am told about my parents—which, in itself is a rare occurrence. But, like always, I shook the sadness away. It was not the time to be all emotional and mope around.

Undinogh seemed to have sensed that it was also not the time to reminisce about the past because he, too, shook his head, "Anyways, this level is a lot different than the other levels—or so we've been told by the other players who have come across this stage of the game. We don't usually help other players but since you are Alparians, and since it is you, Daniel X, then we would like to make an exception."

"But won't you get in trouble with Void?" Emma asked, worrying for our new-found (probable) allies.

"Do not worry about that, young Alparian," Undinogh waved his hand as if to dismiss such a thought, "We have long been trying to find a way to show Void that we are rebelling against him but...up until now, we couldn't find a lasting way to do so. But with your group, should you get out of this game, I firmly believe that you will deliver the justice that all of us deserve and that with your help we will all be free from this madness. It is a risk that we Undines are willing to take."

"Okay, then what are we supposed to do in this stage?" I asked, not willing to let the opportunity go.

"You must maneuver this ship to the center of the ocean." Undinogh said a-matter-of-factly.

"The center...of the ocean?" all of us asked in unison. I looked over at my companions, there was no way we all misheard the Undine.

Undinogh nodded, "The ocean we are in right now is like the desert. If you don't know what you're doing, you won't get anywhere at all. There is no way to tell where you are, no landmarks. Those who managed to get to the center of the ocean, well, most of them only managed to do so out of sheer luck. We didn't help them out so some of them chose to go the hard way, into the island. But that is not the way you would want to take."

"So, how are we supposed to find this 'center of the ocean'? Do you have a map?" Joe asked.

"No. No maps. That's one rule we can't break." was the answer, "What we do have, and what I can give you is a compass."

"A compass? How would that help in finding the center?" Willy asked.

"This is not just any ordinary compass, it's one of the most valuable technology that our people have." Undinogh said as he took a circular-shaped item from his pocket and placed it in the middle of the table. "That...is the compass. It will direct you to the center of any place—desert, planet, ocean, sea, city, galaxy or even the universe. I cannot tell you what makes it do that, that is a secret of our people. But, with this compass you will be able to finish this stage. I will give this compass to you, Daniel and hope that it would be useful."

"It will be. I'm sure one of us can get this ship moving," I nodded my thanks as I took hold of the compass. It was smooth and it felt warm to my skin. "But, how do we use this?"

As soon as that question was out of my mouth, Undinogh began to teach us how to use the said navigational device. He told us that all we had to do is hold it in front of us and it will guide us to the center, straight and true. Then he reminded us that the person who must hold the compass must not have anything else on his or her mind. That he or she must be focused solely on finding the center, otherwise, it will not work and the energy coming from the bearer of the compass—our navigator—would battle with the energy that the compass was releasing and the energy coming from the center.

As soon as he explained the compass to us, he left us telling us to rest and to talk to him once we were ready to depart. We said our thanks, telling him that we will as soon as we hear anything from the Undine that he sent to check up on the island. And with that, we were once again by ourselves.

"You're really like a celebrity now, Daniel," Joe laughed once we were all alone. "Who would have thought that even Undines would know about you and would be indebted to you, too."

"Yeah," whistled Willy, "it really makes me that much more curious as to how you managed to defeat Ergent Seth. I mean, come on, you haven't even told us what your power is."

I laughed, albeit nervously.

"Come on, Daniel. Spill it," Emma chimed in.

"You guys wouldn't believe me if I told you," I answered, not meaning to be all-mysterious. I wasn't lying either. "It's kind of something you have to see to believe."

"Try us," Joe said, "Although, I already have a bit of info regarding your powers. The power of the snooping around and hacking and all that, you know."

I nodded. But, even if I wanted to tell them, I was cautious. I didn't know who could be listening, plotting my downfall or whatever. So, I just answered them in a way that only those who really know my mom and dad—know them beyond their "work"—would know about. I know for a fact that my parents didn't showcase every bit of their powers to others. Only a handful of people, and aliens—most of them outlaws who no longer have the capability to tell others about it, what with them being dead and all—knew the full extent of my parents' abilities.

"Well, I inherited most of my parents' powers," I told them, giving them a knowing smile and a look that told them not to blurt anything out. We didn't know who was listening in. "Most of them are still developing but, yeah...my dad's is more dominant than my mom's."

Willy whistled, "Dang!"

"That makes sense," Joe nodded, as if he had guessed that much which, I was starting to think he did manage to do. Guess right, I mean.

"Still, that's pretty rare. Rarer than our powers." Emma noted. "Not everyone gets to have powers from both sides of their family. I guess that's what you get when your parents are both powerful Alparians."

"I guess," I shrugged. I didn't really know how powerful my parents were. Even though they took me with them to Terra Firma—to Earth—they didn't really bring me along. There was no take-your-kids-to-work day for us. So, all the stories about how strong my parents were, how great Alien Hunters they were, how cool they were—all of those things I knew about them outside of the house were second-hand knowledge.

"So, what now?" I asked, wanting to change the subject. I was still, after all, pissed at not being able to use my powers. "Do you guys think we can trust Undinogh?"

Willy shrugged as a thoughtful expression crossed Emma's face as she asked, "Why? Don't you think we should?"

"It's not really a matter of trusting him or not, it's obvious that he is using us...or, at least, Daniel, in order to have revenge against Void and Number 2." Joe said, combing his hair with his hand. "We don't have a choice either but to believe what he says about the center of the ocean and the compass. At the same time, we have to be careful with the Undines."

Willy nodded, "Undinogh may not have said it, but it's obvious that he made a contract with you—one that you accepted when you took the compass."

"A contract?" As soon as I asked that question, I remembered a fraction of what I had read about the Undines and I cursed. "I should have remembered sooner!"

Emma, surprising me, asked, "What is it? What contract are you guys talking about?"

"An agreement with the Undines," Joe supplied the answer, "Don't tell me you forgot that part about the Undines, too. The Undines like to make agreements—pacts, contracts, you know, stuff like that. They don't give you something or help you out without getting something out of it, too. Even though Undinogh practically worships the ground that Daniel walks on, he's still an Undine and he still made a contract with Daniel. Unless Daniel wants to have to answer to the wrath of the Undines, he would have to go through with the pact he made."

"Which is?" Emma asked.

"Dealing with Void. Which is another way of saying killing Void," I answered with a sigh, not that I don't intend to do that. I did want Void to pay for what he did. Still, it was such a bother landing in the middle of a contract with the Undine.

"Shouldn't the contract be nulled if Daniel didn't remember about it beforehand?" Willy asked, it was a valid question.

"No," I sighed, "That's the way Undines work."

Night came and still the Undine that Undinogh sent to look for Dana in the island hadn't returned. And, because we have told the captain that we would take the helm and journey to the center of the ocean as soon as his men had returned, tha meant we had to wait for who-knows-how-much-longer.

It was a quiet night, the crew members and the captain himself had already retreated to their quarters. My friends were also resting in the bunker that Undinogh had provided for us after we declined his offer to stay in his own cabin. I was already in a contract just by taking the compass, I didn't want to bury myself in any more unnecessary contracts by accepting anything else from the captain.

As I stood in the crow's nest, I was began to remember the fragments of the dream—the world that, according to Joe, Dana had forced my consciousness into. And, as I remembered, I understood why they had a hard time pulling me back. It was my ideal world. A space and time that I wished for constantly but I know would be one wish that was never going to come true. I really had to come to terms with the fact that my parents were never going to come back, that the only way I could be with them was if I recreate them from my memory or if I die and go to that place where souls were supposed to go to—which, as much as I want to see my family again, I don't want to die yet to do so. I am, after all, still young.

Heat crept up my skin as I remembered the kisses that I shared with Dana in that place. Kisses that felt so real.

I wonder how my Dana would react when I manage to call on her again and she sees that part of my memory? I thought to myself, remembering how many times the Dana that I recreate from my imagination could read my mind. That's going to be awkward.

I suppose I was tired, since I don't know what happened next. One minute I was imagining how that conversation was going to turn out, the next, I was no longer on the ship. I was somewhere else.

It was the same beach that I had found myself in my past dreams. The place where I got to talk with the "other" me. But, this time, that wasn't the person who was waiting for me.

"D-Dana?" I gasped, taking a step back. I didn't know which Dana this was, if this was the Dana that I had been with for the past years—aka, the Dana of my memory and imagination—or the Dana that had tried to kill me because Void ordered her to—aka, the real Dana.

She turned around, and sure enough it was Dana. The real Dana—which, I could tell, since she wasn't smiling at me like we haven't seen each other in ages. Instead, she looked at me like I was a piece of a puzzle that she didn't quite honestly knew how to use or where to fit it in.

"Why am I here?" She asked, looking at me suspiciously like I had anything to do with it. "Where is 'here', anyway?"

"I should be the one asking you that," I answered. "They told me everything when I woke up. They told me you...tried to kill me. Why?"

The look she gave me was one that told me it was a stupid question to ask, one that I should have already known the answer to. "Because Void ordered me to. Because of who you are. A threat to me and to Master Void."

"M-Master?" I stuttered. Did she really just call him that? "Why the hell are you calling him that? Void's...he's not..." I shook my head, "Wait, what do you mean I'm a threat to you? I've never been a threat to you Dana, and I never will be. Regardless of what you tried to do to me, I have no intention of harming you...I can't say the same thing about Void, though. Him I want to rip apart for what he's done."

She frowned, but stayed where she was standing. Which both bothered me and made me feel at ease at the same time.

At least she isn't trying to kill me right now...

A moment of silence passed between us before she finally spoke, "Why is it that you look at me and talk to me like you know me?"

"Because I do," came my answer, "At least, I think I do. It's been a long time since we last saw each other, Dana. But, there's not a moment that I wished—"

"Stop it," she said, shaking her head. "How can that be possible? I keep asking myself that question. How can you know me? We've never met! We—"

"We have met, Dana!" I countered. What had Void done to you? "Don't you remember? We were together when we were kids! You, me, Emma, Willy, and Joe. Don't tell me you've forgotten all of that!"

"I don't know what you're talking about," he shouted back. "I came here looking, hoping for answers but you're just confusing me even more!"

"I am not trying to confuse you. I'm trying to give you what you want—answers! And," I paused, taking a breath. "I want you to come back to us. It doesn't matter what you've done, Dana. You're still part of our drang."

There was a look in Dana's face that I couldn't place. But before I could argue my point, before I can prove to her that I am not out to mess with her mind and that she really was the one doing that to me, before I could speak to her some more, make her remember and figure out what happened to her and where she is, Dana vanished. There were no special effects, no puff of smoke, no powerful gust of wind, or whatever. She just...disappeared. And I found myself back at the crow's nest, like nothing happened.

But something had definitely happened. It was either I unwittingly called Dana to that place—wherever that place was—or she had called me.

I didn't have the answers but, instead of making me feel at a lost or make me feel hopeless, I felt fired-up. I was going to get Dana back. I'm going to make her remember who I am, no matter what and I am going to make Void pay for what he had done to her to make her forget about me.

Wait for me, Dana. I'm going to get you back to normal. I promise.

To be continued...

Post Author's Notes:

And that wraps it up for this chapter. For anyone wondering about updates, don't worry, as I have said before I already have a schedule for it. I even added a little calendar on my blog to keep us all updated on the schedule. Also, the other fanfic(s) I would be working on would not hamper the updates so you guys don't have to worry about that. After all, I am writing this fanfic (or I wrote this fanfic) while I am still working on my book (which, would be published next year) and this fanfic is almost done, too.

Anyways, don't forget to review and I'll see you all on the next update! Until then, Ciao!