AN: Warning: Some content may be somewhat sensitive. Proceed with caution, please, and know I'm here to talk to anybody know needs it for any reason.
I apologize once again for not updating at all last week, nor being able to make up for it this week either. I don't know if I'll actually "make up" for it, though. if I ever finish a chapter before Wednesday, then I'll post it then and do two in one week. If not, then I hope you guys aren't upset with me for it. This chapter is kind of short, especially for what I owe you after missing. I just didn't have the time or inspiration, but I don't think it turned out too bad. XD I hope you enjoy!~
Dani stiffened for a moment at the voice, pinpointing it immediately despite only having heard it once. She then began trying to get away from the shadowy ghost, but the effects hit her before she could. Sadness, loneliness, and even some self-hate slammed into her all at once as Spectra started to glow from absorbing her emotions. Having not experienced it before, it shocked Dani by just how strong it was, causing her to hang limp as her thoughts ran rampant.
'I need to get away from her!'
"Why? And how? You she's too strong for you. She's almost too hard for Danny to beat. No way can you do it." the snide part of her brain argued, sounding hopeless.
'Because she's sucking the life out of me! That's why! And I can get away from her at least! I have people to help me fight her. I can get Jazz.'
"So what if she's sucking the life out of you? It's not much of a life anyway. You're just a freaky little copy clone of Danny. You can never measure up to him, you know. He saved the whole world. What can you do? You're not even as good as Jazz is. She's a genius and the perfect sister." Dani felt the weight of the words echo through her skull, but she didn't know how to stop it. Spectra still had a tight hold on her and was drawing out all her positive thoughts and emotions.
"And you can't do anything about it, either. Why don't you just let her kill you? It would be easier for Danny. After all, everything you are is just a constant reminder of Vlad to him." Dani froze at that thought and felt herself frown for a moment before white-hot anger filled her. She opened her eyes, realizing for the first time she had closed them, and started kicking her legs and fighting against Spectra's hold on her.
"Let. Go. Of. Me!" she half-yelled at her, trying to shove her way out of Spectra's grip.
"Now, why would I do that?~ You're perfectly delicious!~" she replied, but it wasn't as easy-sounding as the last one with Dani fighting. Dani squirmed for a few more seconds before getting an idea. She knew Danny had done this before, but she wasn't sure how and didn't know if she could do it, too. She stopped moving for a moment and closed her eyes to focus, honing in on the center of her abilities. She began breathing at the slowest she possibly could in ghost form while concentrating, willing her power to build up. After several moments, she could barely keep it in but did so as she focused on her anger.
She let that build to until she literally couldn't anymore. She yelled, all her anger put into the scream as all her power goes out from all sides. Spectra shrieked in pain and was forced several feet back by the successful Ghostly Repulsion. Dani panted for a moment but was fine again soon, her power levels already almost back to normal. She hadn't expected that, and apparently Spectra hadn't either as she leapt at Dani again just to get slammed with an ectoblast. Spectra hissed at Dani and attacked again, dodging better and going at her mercilessly.
The two continue their green-lit tango for several minutes, Dani slowly losing her temporary advantage slip more and more as Spectra healed rapidly from the shock the Repulsion had thrown through her. Dani was beginning to see more about her fighting style, though. It surprised her considering Danny didn't even really know her actual fighting style. Out of the two, Danny was easier to distract with his emotions, so it never surprised Dani there that he hadn't been able to pay enough attention for her pattern. She hadn't really thought about herself being able to see it, though, considering how many weaknesses she knows she has. Particularly anything to deal with Vlad and copies.
Thinking about this as she avoided and returned blasts caused something to occur to Dani. She goes invisible, moving from her spot and allowing herself a moment to think. Spectra wasn't seeming like how Danny had described her to, either. Danny had told her Spectra was always very cunning, never coming straight at you and trying to manipulate you until you couldn't take it. Since Dani had broken free, Spectra hadn't said a single word, though. Plus, she was attacking Dani left and right with barely a breath for either of them. The combination surely could mean only one thing. Spectra had some sort of plan.
"Come out, come out, little clone~ You don't want me to have to draw you out," Spectra taunted, hovering as if she was about to dive towards the street where people were watching the battle. Dani snapped herself back to visibility and launched herself towards Spectra, landing a punch in her gut.
Just as Dani backed up a bit, someone yelped from somewhere behind and below her. She turned to look out of reflex but regretted it as Spectra rammed into her, football tackle style. The shadowy ghost gained speed and partially let gravity take hold, causing herself and the winded Dani to plummet towards the ground. Dani started getting her breath back just before she hit the street, pain ripping through her as she went straight through the blacktop and grass and cement, hitting water and steel floor hard as she went into the sewer. She sat up, clutching her head as the world spun before her eyes. She closed them, hoping it would get better as she healed. From the screaming pain in her chest, she knew several ribs had to be broken and her head was likely concussed.
From the injuries, she wasn't aware enough to realize she wasn't alone until she was being smashed in the head. She slumped and felt herself slipping into unconsciousness. Just before she fell to the blackness, she heard someone shout her name. It was surely just her imagination, though. Danny was far away, right?
*Danny*
Danny starts toward his cousin/sister but is stopped as he's grabbed by the ankle and drug straight down. He jerks his foot free, snapping the glowing rope of hardened ectoplasm and whirling around to see Bertrand in his ninja form. The older ghost starts dramatically twirling his nunchucks and leaps towards Danny. The halfa facepalms and turns intangible, wondering why Bertrand was trying a move he had failed at before. Danny lets himself become corporeal again and shoots an ectoblast at Bertrand, who manages to dodge.
Bertrand avoids it yet again and the two begin to fight fully, no longer restricted. The battle becomes heated quickly, neither side gaining the upper hand while Bertrand keeps up a stream of insults and Danny smarts off right back to him. It continues until a while later when Bertrand suddenly grins and darts downward, straight past Danny. The halfa whips around to see why, and gasps as he sees Spectra and Dani heading towards the street. Bertrand phases through the ground, back into the sewer and Danny takes off, hoping to reach the falling pair before Dani hits the street.
She crashes through the blacktop well before Danny gets there, a loud splash echoing up to him. He kicks his speed up a notch but is slammed in the side, throwing him off course and causing him to land on the grass in a roll. He stops when he hits the wall, upside-down and in a heap. He untangles himself and dives through the ground in the direction of the sewer, reaching it just in time to see Dani get knocked unconscious by Bertrand. Danny freezes for a millisecond then attacks the shapeshifting ghost, throwing in as much power as he can in retaliation. He gets pulled off of Bertrand by Spectra, causing him to begin struggling against her as well. He manages to glimpse behind her to see Dani slumped and her head bleeding.
"DANI!" he calls, hoping she's fine. Spectra lobs him against the sewer wall. He feels his head crack against it, but he brushes it off as he gets up and throws blasts at both of them. He lands the hits then focuses his energy, changing it, closing his eyes for a moment, and opening them again to reveal their ice blue hue as he shoves his hands forward, freezing the sewer water around the two full ghosts but being careful not to extend it toward Dani. They get caught in it and start trying to pull themselves free. Spectra shoots an ectoblast towards Danny, but he sidesteps it and freezes more of them, blocking ice up to their torsos and floating in front of them.
"WHAT the heck is your problem?!" Danny shouts at the trapped ghosts. Spectra hisses at him.
"You've messed with my plans far too many times, halfa brat. There's only so much misery you can take, and I plan on making you reach past that point," she tells him, voice sickly sweet. Danny narrows his eyes at her, fists clenching.
"Listen up, Spectra. You and your midget assistant-"
"Hey!"
"-have twenty seconds to tell me where Jazz is, or I Wail both of you while you're still frozen." Danny's stomach drops as both ghosts grin at each other.
Cliffhanger is cliffhanger. XD Sorry it's a cliffy, but I wanted to get it up before ten and it wouldn't have been if I tried to press on for the night. I hope it wasn't awful. F, F, & R!~