A/N: Wow, finally got this one up! Hope you like it!

Chapter Twenty-One

Trials One, Two, and Three:

Robotic Nightmare

"I call it Robotic Nightmare. All the robots around you are designed to destroy you. You need to find a way to destroy all of them, or risk wasting your precious time searching for the detonator that will send all of them in self-destruct, making you the automatic winner of the round."
"What if I don't make it? And what's this about time?"
"You have exactly three hours for the trial, Daniel, if you should not complete the task by then, the detonator for this round will go off and explode the robots and the surge of electrical power will kill Samantha. If you should fail to destroy every robot before the time runs out, then the same thing will occur."

Vlad's explanation rang in Danny's ears and he ran. These robots were built with every ghost weapon he'd ever thought possible. Rays, nets, darts, everything. He kept an eyes out for every single robot he'd encountered and tried to remember which did what. Each robot had one specific trait. Some could run fast. Others could shoot rays from all possible locations. Some stood still until any type of ghost energy came close to it, then it would attack. Others still could locate you quickly.

Danny quickly ran and hid behind a brick wall. There were dozens of brick walls littered about the Robotic Nightmare Trial. They were meant to help him stay away from the robots. Unfortunately, most had already been destroyed. Panting, he looked up at the giant screen. 2.43.23 hours left and counting. The loud bang of a robot shooting a ray at the brick wall startled him. He crouched down, peeking around the side of the brick wall only to be greeted by another blast. He quickly went back into hiding. He slumped against the wall, knees pulled up to his chest slightly.

"There's got to be some way out of this mess," he breathed. He looked around for anything that resembled a detonator. If he could just find it, he wouldn't have to worry about these stupid robots. He suddenly heard another blast against the brick wall and covered his head as small pieces of debris fell from the top of the wall. He looked up. The Jumper Robots were seated there, looking down at him with mechanical red eyes.

Jumper Robots were the smallest type of robots he'd encountered. They had mad skill at chasing after him despite their small size. Also, in advantage to being small and fast, these robots could jump amazing distances.

Danny quickly scrambled to get his feet beneath him and made a run for it. Jumper Robots were hard to defeat. They were made of a type of metal that couldn't be crushed, bent, or anything. Danny had a feeling they could only be melted. But how would be get a fire going in this place?

He quickly ran from the bots following him. They were starting to get a little faster and time was running out. He looked over his shoulder at them. He needed to find a way to lose them, but how? Vlad told him his powers were wearing out. That they would soon be gone just like that. But Jazz told him he could never quite take away his powers, only neutralize them for a certain amount of time. So all he had to do was buy his time. But with the clock running and Sam's life on the line, he couldn't risk it.

Danny rounded a corner and slipped jet fast and jet slick into a tent. Inside it was dark and cold. He could tell the place was pretty big too. Dim light filtered through tiny openings up on the tent's roof canopy, but not enough to get the place illuminated enough for him to see. Looking up, though, he could see the tightrope and a few other circus-like traits. "If I didn't know what was at stake I'd say this place was kind of creepy," he mumbled. He saw the flap of the tent open as some Jumpers casually walked in and scanned around. Danny could see their glowing red eyes in the darkness. It would only take them so log to find him.

He ran towards the long wood beam that held up the tent and was attached to the tightrope. There were two, of course, one at either end of the tightrope and each had some ladder-like pieces of metal attached so you could climb up. It was a risky choice, but it seemed to Danny the Jumpers wouldn't be able to get at him if he was at the top. And from the top he would be able to maybe get himself out of the tent too.

The Jumpers were quicker to find him than he thought though. They were soon on his tail, trying to climb up the ladder behind him. Danny quickened his pace and was soon at the top, facing the tightrope. He looked down as the Jumpers finally began to make their way up. He looked towards the tightrope and braced himself for whatever sudden idea might pop into his head. Glancing back at the jumpers, he did get an idea. Vlad didn't say what powers he didn't have anymore. If he could gather up enough ectoplasmic energy, he may be able to set this rope and the wooden beams on fire with ecto-flames. Crazy but good enough to give him a little hope.

He took one step onto the tightrope. Taking a deep breath, he put his arms out-stretched to give him a little more balance. He dared not look down, merely focused on the other end of the tightrope. You can do this, Fenton, he thought to himself.

He heard the moving of gears behind him and knew at once the Jumpers were on his tail already. And moving in quickly. He didn't let it take his focus. It could mean perfect death should he be distracted and fall because there was no net to catch him. His breath caught in his throat as a new weight climbed onto the rope. One of the Jumpers was also walking across! He tried his hardest to quicken his pace to get to the other side and fast!

Two more steps from him sent the Jumper off balance and it fell to the floor, smashing into many pieces from impact. Danny blinked. He'd thought they were indestructible. Yet that one had fallen and got destroyed. Did how they fell and from how far up affect their destruction? He kept going, taking careful steps even while the other Jumper took his fallen companion's place on the rope.

Danny replayed the Jumper's fall in his mind several times as he took more steps across the wobbly rope. It had fallen on it's head. It had shattered then, into different pieces of metal. Surely this was the answer. But he'd have to get to the other side before trying to get these guys to fall.

About ten or ninemore steps 'til he got to the other end and the small platform would keep him up. But just then, the rope began to get a little shaky. Danny tried to keep his balance, but his arms waved too much, sending him even more off balance.

"Ah!" he shouted, completely losing his footing and falling. His eyes widened as he fell. It felt to him as if it were going in slow motion. He saw every detail with perfect frames of movement. The jumpers were holding tightly to the rope, not falling. He on the other hand had slid off to one side. His hand shot out towards the rope, hoping to grab hold.

His fingers caught it just in time. But they were slipping. Danny reached up with his other hand, grasping the rope tightly in his hands. He would have to make his way to the other side of the tightrope like this if he were to survive this one.

Danny hung there for dear life itself. He wouldn't be able to just go on like that, he knew, especially with the Jumper closing in on him. He let go with one hand and grabbed the rope again with it, but on the other side opposite his other hand. Now facing the Jumper, he swung back and forth, slowly at first, to build some momentum. His legs finally reaching the rope and he caught the rope with his ankle. He moved his leg so that his knee was hooked. Okay. So far, so good. The Jumper was still closing in and time was still running out. He had to move quickly.

With his knee hooked to the rope, he brought up one arm and hooked it just the same way except he used his whole arm. Using all his strength, he pulled himself into a right-side up position on the rope. But he wasn't out of the danger zone just yet. He hooked both ankles together and bent his leg at the knee so it would hang down and his ankles would still be on the rope. He couldn't stand back up, but at least he could get to the other side much easier.

He pulled himself to cover the remaining distance on the rope. In his head he could picture the clock running out and Sam being shocked to death. He pushed the thoughts aside. He couldn't afford to doubt himself. This was the exact type of scenario Vlad would have wanted. Him to be so frustrated he would just give up just like that. Well not yet Vlad. Not yet.

Danny finally got the other side, crawling onto the small platform and sitting up and against the wooden beam. He saw that the Jumpers were all on the tightrope now. He scowled at them, trying to catch his breath still. "You guys are going down," he said. He gathered up all the energy he could possibly gather and put his hand on the rope. At once his hand began to glow green, the signs of his powers still being there but lying dormant, waiting for the correct time to show up. The rope erupted into green flames on the spot, the fire traveling all the way to the other beam and going down it. Danny could still get off this beam because it hadn't caught the fire. He smirked wickedly as the Jumpers began to incinerate slightly. They fell to the ground, breaking into many pieces of still flaming metal.

Danny took one last breath and made his way down the beam. Some Jumpers down, still more to go. But he was sure he knew where the detonator was. Her was positive.

The clock flashed at him again. This time it read 0.48.43 hours left and still running. Danny had destroyed as many robots as possible but it seemed the army would never end. "Quick, Daniel, time is running out and you are nowhere near finishing yet." Vlad's voice echoed through the carnival-like scene.

Danny destroyed theBeam Robot he'd been fighting. These robots were much bigger than the Jumpers he'd been challenged by before. But luckily they were much easier to defeat. These guys used beams and their long, blade-like arms to fight. But Danny knew that the way to defeat them was by punching deep into their midsection. That's where the 'heart' of the robot was located. Breaking that sent them into self-destruct mode.

He had destroyed, so far, all ten of the Jumpers, all thirty of the Side-liners, which were much like the Beams but more active and had more weapons, and nearly all of the Beams. The Beams were great in numbers though. Not mention they seemed to be able to repair themselves when damaged. Danny had actually been battling against this particular Beam for nearly twenty minutes. The others were easier to defeat though he'd only gotten through ten of them. Their were at least fifty left to go. If those fights when like this one he would surely run out of time. He'd been searching around for the detonator, but couldn't find. He was sure it was hiding from him. Literally.

Danny left behind the debris of the Beam and searched for the detonator again. It kept moving around, trying to hide itself, but he was sure he'd find it soon enough and set it off. Vlad had spoken to him many times, but Danny always refused to speak to him back. It seemed useless since all Vlad did was try to distract him. He was not worth Danny's time let alone Sam's time.

As he rounded a second corner, Danny thought he saw something silver-colored quickly speed around a corner ahead of him. His eyes widened, then a smirk found its way onto his face, curving his lips into a wicked smile. He raced towards the figure. Once he'd caught up, though, he was blocked by another dozen of Beams. Danny sped into a stop and ran the other way. These guys were bad news when they banded together like that. But it only raised his suspicions of the fact that he'd finally caught up to the detonator.

"I don't have time for you guys!" Danny shouted, stopped at a dead end and turning to the Beams. He backed up until he was against the wall. He was going to have to fight. "I seriously don't have time," he mumbled, scanning each robotic face and each detail. To his right were less Beams. If he could destroy enough and send enough into self-destruct mode, then they were set off the others with the vibrations they'd give off. It was a perfect plan, but it needed revising. He was going to have to choose the more powerful Beam from the group and position him between the rest.

His eyes finally landed on the little stand not to far off to his right. Danny would have to destroy two of the Beams to get there, but a new plan was already forming. If fire could set off the Jumpers, then it could do the same to the Beams. It was only logical.

He made a run for it. Just as he had expected, the two Beams to one side formed an obstacle between him at that stand. He thrust both arms back and brought them forward and into the Beams with great force. He was surprised he had the strength to go through gear and metal. The Beams were sent into self-destruct. One other beam that was next to the to exploding ones was caught in the frenzy and exploded as well. Danny smirked a little bit as he reached the stand. He crouched down and yanked one leg off the stand, breaking it into a jagged end and sending the items on the stand cascading down as it fell.

Danny gathered up his energy, which he'd been saving, and the piece of wood lit into flames. "Three, two, one," Danny counted down as the Beams neared him. He through the plank of wood with as much strength as he could towards the most powerful Beam he could see. The plank of wood stuck deep into the Beam's self-destruct section and it exploded, sending Danny flying backwards, him lifting from the ground and being thrown back by the force.

Danny hit hard against another brick wall that hadn't been destroyed just yet. He heard a soft scuttling sound, then the sound of loud beeping. He paid no mind to the scuttling and sent his gaze right up to the source of the loud beeping. "Danny!" Sam screamed. She wasn't too far off so he could hear her voice. "The clock!"

Danny's eyes wandered to the screen above Sam's head. 0.25.2 hours left and counting. He had to find that detonator before the time ran out!

Getting to his feet, he tried to locate the sound of the scuttling above the sound of the numbers on the screen counting down. Time was running out. He had to hurry or else! His eyes wandered frantically towards the source, but couldn't pin-point it. He looked back at the screen. Time was still going. This detonator had to be near him somewhere!

His breathing quickened. His heartbeat sped. His mind was sending thoughts spurring through his head. Next thing you know his vision began to blur with the tears he thought to never shed until the end.

Danny shook his head. No! Now was not the time to lose control! Think! You saw it just a minute ago! Where? he thought to himself. He wiped the tears away with the back of his hand quickly. His green eyes searched through the darkened corners of every tent and stand. His ears focused on the sound andmuted the count down and the sound of his thoughts.

There it was again. A silver blur. This time his eyes caught the image; his ears caught the sound. He threw himself to his right, hoping to catch the silver being. He just barely caught it, grasping one robotic leg in his hand. "Got ya!" he said.

"Danny!" the voice reminded him that time was running. He looked at the clock. The numbers were red and still counting down: 0.9.1. He found his breathing quicken again as he quickly sat up and pulled the small, Jumper-like robot to him. It squirmed and struggled, but he paid it no mind. His senses focused on the buttons on the robots metal surface. They had letters on them. It was a code!

Okay, what would someone as complicated as Vlad Plasmius think to put as a code? he asked himself. His eyes flicked from the buttons to the clock. Each time the buttons seemed to become more jumbled. He blinked and took a deep breath. "Here goes everything!" he shouted and pressed in the code.

His eyes shut tight, waiting for the end. But he only got the sound of explosions in response and the sound of the beeping stopping. Beads of sweat had formed on his forehead during this time. Then silence. He slowly opened his eyes. Everything was intact. He quickly went on one knee and looked towards the clock. 0.1.0

He sighed and slumped back down. Danny laid down, arms out-stretched, eyes closed, chest heaving with each struggled breath. He did it. One minute from the end, but the first round was done.

But Round Two would just begin.

E/N: I hope it wasn't too boring. This took me nearlytwo hoursto think up. I'm exhausted.

--Airamé Phantom