There was one week where I got so busy with life that I didn't post a chapter. Hopefully my posting this chapter now instead of next week kinda makes up for it. ~Ms. Oregano
xxxxxx
"Well...doesn't this make for an interesting reunion," Dark Danny said.
Older Sam pushed younger Danny back, and older Tucker ran to help Tara up on her feet, leaving the two older Dannys to square off.
"The me I would've been," Dark Danny said. "How does it feel, living the life of the suburban dad? A life of mediocrity?"
"You and I have different definitions of mediocrity," older Danny said.
There was a tense silence between them.
Dark Danny's face contorted once again.
"You could've had it all," Dark Danny yelled. "We could've had it all! Everything! This world! Your world! You could've had nations bent at the knee! No one would underestimate us ever again!"
"I did get it all. Everything I've ever wanted," older Danny said calmly. "It's you who wants this. Not me."
"I. Am. A. Part. Of. You!"
"No. When you fused yourself with Vlad, you merged with his goals, too. His ambitions. You've lost any part of me you once had, even ever so briefly."
Dark Danny grinned widely, madly. "I wouldn't act so holier-than-thou if I were you. I think you forget who has the power here."
With that, he shot a bright white beam from his hand at the golden cage above him. The light engulfed the cage for an instant, and the terrifying sound of metal exploding rang in the room. When the light faded, the cage was gone, not even a feather left. The group stood motionless, mouths agape at the obliteration they had just witnessed.
"I have powers no one has ever seen before. A new-found strength that came from a combination of these tools-" he pointed to the Crown of Fire and showed the Ring of Rage on his finger, "-and a fury that you gave me."
His black hair wildly flickered like fire.
"What was it like, almost three decades of tranquility, knowing I was left to rot inside of that thermos? Did you get a laugh out of the thought of my solitary confinement? Did you enjoy yourself? Did you?"
His eyes grew darker and heavier, and his flaming hair soared to the ceiling.
"DID YOU?"
Younger Danny saw this as a moment of opportunity and escaped from older Sam's grasp.
"Danny, what are you-"
With a yell, he flew towards Dark Danny, punching him straight in the solar plexus with an energy strike.
Dark Danny only moved a few steps backwards.
He chuckled at younger Danny's disbelief. "That won't work on me this time around." He pushed Danny with both hands and sent Danny soaring back to the wall where his friends were stuck.
"Danny!" they yelled as he fell to the floor.
Dark Danny looked over at older Danny, who was using his body to shield older Sam.
"Now this is interesting...why are you so protective of her?"
He formed an ecto-rope and lasso'd it over older Danny. The rope caught him, and Dark Danny yanked him to a side wall, leaving older Sam open.
"What are you hiding?" Dark Danny said, squinting over at her.
Suddenly, his eyes widened. He stood up straighter and slowly walked over to her.
"Get away from her!" older Danny screamed.
Older Sam looked around for anything she could use as a weapon and settled for throwing a large broken piece of wall at him. Dark Danny swatted it away like a pesky fly and continued.
Once he got to her, he put his hand on her belly. His mouth dropped, then turned into a sinister smile.
"You're pregnant."
"What? Again?!" younger Sam shouted. "Are you kidding me? Wasn't two enough? I can feel my uterus squeezing just thinking about it!"
"No, no...this is good," Dark Danny said.
He grabbed older Sam by the wrist.
"Ow!" she screamed.
"Sometimes, plans change for the better. I will keep you alive...and raise this child to be my second-in-command. You can only trust family, after all."
"You couldn't give this child the love they deserve. You have no ability to love."
"I don't have to love them. You'll do that for me. I just have to get them to see the world my way."
"No…"
"Mom!" Tara screamed.
"And what's this?" Dark Danny said, squinting at the choker hanging around older Sam's neck. He cradled the pendant in his hand, turning it this way and that.
"That's no ordinary necklace."
With inhuman speed, he zoomed over to older Danny and choked him against the wall with his outer forearm. Without a single arm free to protect himself or push Dark Danny away, all he could do was struggle to breathe under the pressure.
"Dad!" Tara yelled louder.
"Daddy!" Megan screeched.
"What is that?" Dark Danny screamed in older Danny's face. "What is that radiation?"
"Stop!" older Sam shouted.
Dark Danny turned his head a full 180 degrees to look at older Sam. Older Danny tried his best to shake his head at his wife.
"It's Clockwork's technology. It'll keep me alive if anything happens…"
"To your younger self."
He released his hold on older Danny, leaving him struggling to normalize his breathing.
"Yes. How did you realize…"
"New powers beyond your wildest dreams. Heightened sensitivity, love."
"Don't call me that."
"Better get used to it now that you'll be my new queen."
"Don't you dare touch her again."
Dark Danny spun around to where he heard the voice. Younger Danny was now upright.
"Oh yeah?" Dark Danny said with a sneer.
Older Sam screamed as he yanked her back against his chest. One arm coiled itself around her neck, and the other hand revved up an ecto-blast directly upon her forehead.
"If you want to make sure nothing happens to her, you'll transform into a human right now."
Older Sam used all of her strength to rip him off of her, but to no avail.
"Accept your fate, or I'll deliver the baby myself while she's in a coma!"
"Danny, no!" older Sam screamed.
Younger Danny began to break out into cold sweat. He squeezed his eyes shut as he tried to think clearly amidst all of the screams around him.
"Don't do it, Danny!"
"He's just trying to make you an open target!"
"He'll try to kill you!"
"Mama!"
"Mommy!"
"I won't let you hurt her," younger Danny whispered.
"And why?" Dark Danny insisted. "Why is that?"
"No, Danny!"
"Because I love her!"
"DANNY!" younger Sam screamed as loud as she could.
But it was too late. Younger Danny dejectedly transformed back into his human self. Dark Danny let go of older Sam and made his ecto-blast shot directly at younger Danny. His head hit the back of the wall, and the last thing he heard before his mind disappeared into the darkness were Sam's bloodcurdling screams.