"Oh no, you don't get to leave this world with a smile." Freakshow thundered, his voice shaking the earth as he towered high above them. The gems in the gauntlet glowed blindingly, a massive hand that was twice the size of Danny swatting at him like he was nothing but a fly.
"That's so not fair." Sam scoffed, hating the way her voice still sounded so thick with emotion.
"He'll beat him," Tucker stated before he was sinking lower in his seat, hands grasping the safety bar warily. "I hope."
"Why wouldn't I smile?" Danny laughed, and it was something Sam hadn't heard in what felt like forever. "So what if you're the most powerful human on Earth?" Freakshow's hands clamped over the boy as Sam caught her breath, twisting in her seat as Danny phased through the gloves and popped back out like a jack in the box. "No matter whatcha do I'm half ghost and, uh, you're not."
Sam couldn't remember the last time she'd seen him so cocky. Confidence was bleeding out of him as he zoomed around Freakshow, easily dodging his attacks and taunting him mercilessly.
He had to have a plan with the way those green eyes were calculating every move the ringmaster made, but he also seemed to be having the time of his life. She knew he liked his powers, but with the enjoyment had come the heavy weight of responsibilities.
They had seen him play around with them and she had chided him more than once about not using them for the wrong things, but she'd never seen him act so carefree.
His body moved in the air with ease, a relaxed and almost bored expression on his face as Freakshow swung his staff only to have the halfa phase through it like it was nothing.
The roller coaster jerked, the ride slowing down as another long stretch led to the highest incline yet. Danny had managed to save them from the last two dangers, but she knew what was at the bottom of that final drop. She knew what it would mean if he didn't finish Freakshow soon.
"I'm the master of all reality!" Freakshow spat, thrusting out his hand as a blast of energy shot out of his palm that was aimed directly at the ghost boy as Danny smirked, folding his arms across his chest and easily sliding out of the way.
It was like night and day watching him compared to just a few minutes earlier. It was like any pain he felt, any grogginess and fear were all gone. How did he do that?
"Oh sure, but can you do this?" The halfa goaded, his body twisting almost painfully around the attack as he pretended to stifle a yawn.
Whatever he was doing it was obviously working because the crowd was losing it. Cheering and shouting overcame the stadium, chants of the boy's name egging him on as he pumped his fists in the air at them.
"What?" Freakshow gasped, turning around and glaring hatefully at the turned crowd that had been created by his own hand. "No! He's not the star of this circus! I am! Me!"
The psychotic man was losing his edge, rage burning in his eyes as he clenched the staff tighter, his shoulders tensing as Danny grinned, darting around in front of him and spinning through the air.
It was like watching a gymnast flying through the sky, cartwheels and handstands accompanying the boy's laughter as he turned intangible for a few moments before reappearing, a hard look settling in his eyes as he waved his hands about.
A laugh left him, but it was no longer filled with joviality. There was an edge to it and the cocky expression he'd worn had been replaced with one just as cold as his laugh.
"Ghost powers," He called, spinning around again. "Ghost energy," Ectoenergy pulsed around the boy, his hands glowing with power. "Ghost, ghost, ghost!" He yelled, firing a blast with each repeated word as he crossed his arms in a victorious manner.
The blasts he had sent flying struck Freakshow's oversized top hat, creating two eyes and a smile through the fabric as the Freak growled. The cheering grew louder, hollering and praise thrown towards the halfa as the boy waved mockingly, his picture displayed on every screen in the stadium.
"That's it!" Freakshow yelled, his foot stamping into the ground and sending shockwaves through the earth as the ride faltered, the tracks trembling as the ride crept forwards even slower, though it was already halfway up its ramp. "I will not be upstaged by a ghost!" He screamed, the man brimming with hatred as the crowd began to boo at him.
Clowns all over were rising to their feet, hands waving away the ringmaster and yelling for him to leave as Danny smirked again, shrugging his shoulders in an exaggerated manner.
"Uhm, half ghost, technically. But still way cooler than you." He scoffed, his gaze cutting for the first time towards the tracks as Sam gripped the side of the car tightly.
He had certainly made him angry enough, but what was his end goal? Sam could usually pick up on Danny's plans easily enough, often times coming up with them herself, but at the moment it seemed like he just wanted to piss him off, which he'd certainly succeeded at.
"Enough!" Freakshow shrieked, his hand swiping through the air and catching the halfa off guard. The sound of metal colliding with flesh was sickening and loud; the boy's body hurtling to the ground as Sam shoved herself up, grabbing Tucker's shoulder to keep steady.
"Danny!" She yelled, though she knew she was too high for him to hear as the boy lay motionless on the ground, his arm bent awkwardly beneath him and his face pressed into the dirt.
"Shit, that looks bad." Tucker murmured, leaning over the side of the car himself as Freakshow stood over him, his chest heaving as he clutched the staff tightly.
"Come on, get up. You have to get up." Sam urged, squeezing her friend's shoulder as the halfa groaned, his head shifting weakly though his eyes remained closed.
"I may be losing control of the crowd, but I control all reality. If you think being half ghost is so cool-" Freakshow paused, raising the gauntlet in the air as the gems flashed, colored light streaming out over the stadium as Sam shielded her eyes. "What do you think of me now that I'm all ghost?" He cackled, the light dying as Sam peeked over her arm.
The sight in front of her was sickening, a chill running through her body though she could not look away. Freakshow's shadow fell over the stadium, massive leathery wings curled in around him as he stared down at the fallen boy.
His body was the same tinted hue that all ghosts were, thin flesh pulled taught over his bones as three blood red eyes darted around hungrily. White fangs several inches long protruded from his mouth while oily black saliva dripped from them as he grinned over his prey.
"Do I strike fear into your heart?" He wailed, the wings snapping open as four arms shot out, three of them displaying daggered claws while the fourth still wore the gauntlet.
"That's sick and wrong." Tucker grimaced, grabbing ahold of Sam's elbow as she sunk back into her seat, bile threatening to rise up her throat.
Across the Freak's chest were two eyes set deep into his skin, the color tinted yellow with thin crimson veins crisscrossing over them. Even worse though was the mouth set below them, a gaping hole filled with rows of blood coated teeth that gnashed together as he hovered over Danny.
"Do you see how I am the master of all; human and ghost?" He cackled out of both mouths, each of the four fists simultaneously clenching as he glared triumphantly over the boy.
"I think.." Danny spoke sluggishly, his voice amplified over the speakers as the pictures on the screens changed to his broken form as he struggled to sit up. "..this just got.. a lot easier.."
In one fluid motion the arm that had been twisted beneath the boy came free and in his hand was the Fenton Thermos.
"Oh my God." Sam whispered, suddenly laughing aloud as the halfa's eyes shifted to a brighter green.
Twisting off the cap and pointing it up at the Freak, the ringmaster's expression changed, a wave of light grabbing ahold of his ectoenergy as his body shuddered.
"What?" He yelled, the ghost fighting against the pull as Danny held his gaze, a hard look crossing his face as he held the thermos up closer.
"No, no! No!" Freakshow shrieked, turning and throwing himself into the air in an attempt to break free. But it was too late, the energy of the thermos dragging the ghost inch by inch into its grasp as heavy hands grappled at the earth. "You can't do this! I am the master of all reality!"
"Not anymore." Danny stated coolly as the ghost was drawn in faster, the edges of his wings sucked inside as he screamed, his body contorting and shrinking until he had been fully contained.
With a pop, the gauntlet broke free and fell to the ground in a heap as Danny slammed the lid of the thermos down and tightened it with a slight shake of his head. "Sucker."
"He did it, he did it!" Sam yelled, shaking Tucker's arm as the boy grinned.
"I knew he could do it! I knew-" His words cut off as their ride jerked, Sam's eyes turning forwards as the cars balanced precariously on the top of the final drop. At the bottom of the fall was the pool of acid, an enormous vat just waiting for them as the ride teetered dangerously.
"Not good." Tucker murmured, shrinking back into his seat.
"Danny.. Danny!" Sam yelled, her head turning back to the ground where Danny Fenton sat breathing.
It was the first time she'd noticed the mix of green and red blood smeared across his face, the first time she'd spotted the giant tear in his sleeve and the way his shoulder was awkwardly propped. His arm was discolored and the pain on his face was immense.
She knew he was exhausted beyond belief, but they weren't done yet because with the worst timing ever, the ride dropped.
The world around her slowed, green eyes lifting and meeting her gaze as his face turned horrorstruck, the boy scrambling to his knees as Sam felt tears gathering in her eyes. But she was no longer screaming, no longer panicking like those she heard behind her.
All she could do was smile. It was weak and strained and God she felt like her face was going to crack. But he was okay. The threat was gone, and Danny was alive. In the end, they'd won. After everything that happened, at least there was a silver lining.
Sam's eyes fell shut and her body shook as Tucker intertwined his fingers with hers. Danny wasn't going to reach them in time, and they both knew it.
Wind ripped back Sam's hair and she felt the moment the coaster flew off the tracks, the feeling of flying through the air one she was familiar with.
The crash happened only a moment later and it felt like she was being slammed into a brick wall. It wasn't as painful as she thought it would be as her head sunk under the liquid and her lungs screamed for air that had been knocked out of her upon impact.
Everything was dark and cloudy and pain spiked through her chest so badly she would have wondered if she'd injured her ribs. But she didn't, because what was the point? She wasn't going to live for much longer to care; she could already feel the darkness closing in and Tucker's hand had pulled away from hers.
But even though it felt unfair and she had so much more of her life waiting for her, at least Danny was alive. And the fact that those bright green eyes were the last thing she saw made everything just a little bit less crushing as she sunk with the weight of the cars.
A/N
I was initially going to do more in this chapter, but I decided the rest of what happens I want to be in Danny's POV, so, here you go! Sorry, I couldn't resist one final cliffhanger before the completion of this story!
Also I have to say that it was incredibly difficult to write a roller coaster ride that lasted a thousand freakin years. Like come on, it was like five minutes long in that episode. The longest ride I've ever been on lasted what, a minute? Maybe? Movie magic I guess cause they totes would have been dead already lol.
Hope you guys enjoyed, please leave me a comment or a review, I live for the notifications and I'd love to hear your thoughts! The final chapter should be up in a few days, perhaps even on the one year mark of when I first published it! That would be cool ^-^