Disclaimer: I own what's mine.
Chapter 29. Resurrection
The morning sun graced Jump City with a kiss of warm radiance. Danny Fenton, accompanied by Samantha Manson, stepped out of the hotel elevator together-hand in hand. The two silently made their way into the hotel lobby, he waved to his parents who were at the moment having a very heated debate with Mr. Lancer. Danny spotted Tucker who waved at the couple with a big grin on his face.
"Always knew you two would end up together!" He chirped.
Danny resisted the urge to protest Tucker's statement, but it was true. Him and Sam were meant for one another.
"What's going on?" Sam asked glancing towards debating adults.
"After the events of what went on the night before, Lancer thinks it's time to call the trip off and send everyone home."
"And how are my parents involved?" Danny inquired.
"They're trying to reassure him that everything has been taken care of, that there's no need to send everyone packing. But from the looks of it, Lancer's not buying it. Actually feel sorry for the guy, he got spooked pretty bad."
"Along with everyone else in the building!" Sam added.
Danny felt a cold shiver run down his spine, just the thought of what had happened that night in the heart of the dark forest brought back horrifying images of destruction and chaos. All of a sudden it felt as if the Ghost King had ingested him once again. But he felt the warmth of Sam against him and the feeling quickly faded away-for now.
"Truth be told, more and more I'm liking the sound of going home." Danny said truthfully.
Danny's head snapped up as a thought hit him, "Have you guys seen my sister?"
Dash took a seat by Jazz inside the Fenton Ghost Assault Vehicle, incredibly, Jazz's father managed to station the tank of a vehicle inside of the hotel's parking lot…for a small fee of course. The two looked down at the floor, not saying anything for a few seconds.
"Do you really think I can make something of myself?" Dash broke the silence.
Jazz looked up at him, "Actually do something with my life, I mean."
"There's still time Dash," She answered.
"But do you think I can?"
"Why is my opinion so important to you?"
"Well…it…just is."
"Danny said you had a thing for me."
Dash felt as if someone just sucker punched him in the gut. He felt his face flush red. When I get out of here, ghost or no ghost, you're dead Fenton!
Jazz giggled when she saw Dash's expression, it was so childlike and-adorable.
"So, I guess the secret's out." Dash said sadly, Jazz would certainly reject him now.
"It never was a secret Dash, whenever I've seen you, I've always noticed you had an attraction towards me."
"I never told you because-"
"You thought I'd turn you away." She finished for him.
"Yeah."
Jazz was silent for a second, "Dash, academically speaking you are one of the worst students I have ever seen, you can be arrogant and obnoxious at times, and you seem to have major anger issues, not to mention you've been picking on my brother ever since he arrived in high school."
Dash felt himself sink deeper and deeper into his chair as Jazz went down a seemingly endless list of his character flaws. He grinded his teeth together as he waited for the moment she would confront him for the loser he was and walk out of his life for good. Jazz's eyes softened, a smile curled up on her lips.
"But you did risk your life yesterday to save the world, and from what Tucker was telling me you willingly stowed away just to see if there was anything you can do to help out."
Dash felt himself cringe, so Tucker had squealed as well. When him and Jazz were finished here, Dash swore that he would throw both Tucker and Danny off the plane while they were flying home.
"So I guess that all that bravery has to count for something." She finished.
"So what? Do you want me gone or not?" Dash asked, the pressure was killing him.
"No, I want you to get your grades up first, then, just maybe we can continue a form of relationship-friendship or otherwise."
She gave him a wink and got out of her seat, Dash heard the side door open. The brawny teen sat still for a moment, she really did like him.
Danny, now free from Sam and Tucker, walked freely down the block. He wanted to take one last glimpse at the city which he had met new allies and had had the adventure of a lifetime before taking off for Amity Park.
I'll be back someday. Danny promised himself.
Suddenly, Danny felt a chill in his bones, his breath was ice cold there was a spirit nearby. Danny looked wildly in all directions, trying to identify the source of the energy signature. An enormous tremor shook the sidewalk, streetlights were knocked over, trees were uprooted, and people took cover wherever they could. Danny leapt back to avoid be crushed by a falling streetlight. Suddenly Danny noticed that street ahead of him seemed to be cracking, the tar was being pushed upward as if something was trying to break free.
The block now free of people, Danny readied himself for whatever it was. Suddenly, the creature finally burst from the ground. It was huge; over forty feet tall, supported by a four-legged reptilian abdomen complete with tail with a human-like torso-a centaur of sorts. One of the creature's arms ended in a head of a dragon, the head snarled when it saw Danny and revealed sharp fangs. It was then Danny heard an all too familiar voice.
"Hybrid, I have come for your soul."
No. No.
The Ghost King had returned.