Chapter 10: Suffer
- The Forest -
Danny clenched his fists and took one step towards the fallen angel. Hadriel retreated a step, his eyes wide with fear. Logic was lost to the fallen angel, but the animal instinct to survive told him to flee.
I have been looking for you Danny Phantom.
I am the reason you love that girl so much.
Memories flooded Danny's mind. Memories of a friend that he had lost all because of this monster in front of him. He would make this creature suffer! He would make him pay!
Is it the world you are trying to save from the darkness or is it her?
I suppose I have time for one last song.
Draconum's voice echoed in his head. He would never hear that voice again. At least not in this life. Slowly Danny raised one hand toward Hadriel and a massive bolt of green flame exploded toward the ex-angel. Hadriel dodged and the bolt blasted apart what was left of the forest behind him. The black winged man slowly turned back to face Danny. The look of rage had been replaced by a look of pure terror.
No, boy, this is how it begins.
We are soul bound, you and I.
Danny's eyes burned with green fire. He lunged at Hadriel his hands lashing out as if they were claws. The dark angel back peddled attempting to dodge, but Danny was too fast. One flaming hand scrapped across the man's chest and left a massive rip in his flesh. Hadriel screamed in agony as Danny's other hand slashed across his arm leaving a wound that looked it had been caused by an axe.
I will live my life free of the darkness at last.
This is my gift to you, young one, to repay your gift to me.
Hadriel fell back onto the ground with Danny glaring down at him. If Hadriel had a soul it would of been burned to cinders by the hate in Danny's eyes. As it was Hadriel simply felt the animalistic need to escape a predator, a predator that seemed intent on killing him in the most painful way possible. The ex-angel struggled to his feet and looked around wildly attempting to locate an escape. Danny appeared in front of him and grabbed his throat. The man screamed at the burning touch. Danny just smiled.
I stopped by for a visit, looks like I had good timing too.
I owe you a debt that I can never repay, not if I lived ten times as long as I have now.
Danny threw the angel away, firing another fiery blast at the man before he even hit the ground. The blast torn into the wretched creature's leg and instantly vaporised it. What had once been screams for mercy became animal like howls of pain. Hadriel suddenly sat bolt upright and lashed out with his hand in a familiar way. Shadows sprang up from the ground all around and snaked around Danny. He could feel blood run as the shadows cut into his skin, but he didn't care. He had lost a part of himself and nothing would stop him from making this monster pay.
If you are certain then I suppose...
What are you doing here young ones?
Danny roared. That was the only way to describe it. An inhuman shriek that echoed away from him. What he intended to be a Ghostly Wail came out as a deafening explosion that shook the ground around him and torn the shadows holding him to pieces. The wounds on his body that the shadows inflicted began to heal immediately. Even the holes in his suit began to mend.
Something pulsed in his hand and when he looked at it a pool of darkness swirled in his fingers. The pool began to shift until after only a few seconds the Shadow Fang's black hilt was clutched in his fist. He could feel the sword's anger as if it were a part of him. It hungered for the life of the one that had slain it's master and Danny was all too willing to give it just that. Danny slowly turned his blazing gaze back to Hadriel who was attempting to crawl away on all three of his remaining limbs.
Hold on hatchlings! I'll show you what real flying is!
When you are with me nothing will ever harm you.
Danny began walking slowly toward the struggling ex-angel. He felt the sword pulse hungrily in his hand. Hadriel gave an animal growl, like a corner dog, and rolled onto his back facing Danny. He raised his hand and a blast of dark energy shot out of it straight for the ghost boy. Danny didn't even blink or slow, he just raised Draconum's sword and grinned evilly as it drank in all of the blast's energy. He was now standing right over Hadriel who squirmed beneath his gaze as if it caused him physical pain.
Perhaps, just perhaps, I can inspire joy instead of fear.
I don't think it will be so easy this time.
Danny stabbed the sword down at the man and smirked as the blade sank into and right through Hadriel's shoulder pinning him to the ground. He could feel the fallen angel's life being drained by the sword. Danny twisted the hilt. It wasn't enough, he hadn't suffered enough yet. Nothing would ever be enough!
Hadriel's screams no longer even resembled a human being or any living thing for that matter. They sounded like some kind of monster from an entirely different world. Danny yanked the blade out of the ex-angel's shoulder and kicked him in the side shattering each and every rib. He knew Ember was watching him, he could sense her. He even knew she was scared of him at the moment, but right then it didn't matter.
I suppose this is goodbye hatchlings.
Goodbye, Danny...
Danny was suddenly aware that Ember was running at him. He didn't know how he knew just that he did. He raised Draconum's sword high into the air intending to finish Hadriel off before she could stop him. He grinned and brought the blade down with all his strength.
Something stopped his finishing slash. A hand was wrapped tightly around his wrist. Danny snarled in a feral manner and attempted to yank his hand free, but the grip tighten until it was nearly painful.Something popped in his wrist, but Danny hardly flinched deciding that he would simply have to use his other hand to finish the job.
Danny looked up at the interloper. Silver and golden armor shined in the dim forest light. Two white wings beat the air slowly as the woman landed. She had long red hair and bright emerald green eyes. Another angel. She was staring hard at him though not in an unkind manner, more like she was searching for something. Her face looked familiar for some reason though Danny didn't know why and at that moment he didn't particularly care. He growled in fury and pulled away. The women released him and he stumbled backwards, running right into Ember.
Ember caught him around the waist and managed to some how keep them both standing. She started to try to say something to him, but was cut short by the sound of beating wings. Another angel, this one a young man, landed next to woman and glanced down at Hadriel. The fallen angel was frantically trying to scramble away from both Danny and the two new comers, but he ha barely managed to move three inches. The man's calm face turned into a scowl of disgust and he looked away from Hadriel to gaze at Danny.
"What are you doing, Danny Phantom?" The woman asked softly.
"Get out of my way or I will kill you too!" Danny snarled and attempted to move towards the pair.
"Danny, no!" Ember begged and wrapped her arms around him from behind. Something inside of him relaxed at her touch, but the need to kill the fallen angel still remain.
"So you will kill this pathetic creature as your very first act of wielding his power? I doubt very much Draconum would want you to become a killer Danny Phantom." The man said.
Danny growled. "What?"
"Do you really think he would want you to do this? Hadriel is already cursed with a fate worse then death, do you really think you can give him a better punishment?" The woman asked.
"Yes!" Danny snarled, but something in his mind told him that wasn't true.
The man sighed. "Why? What would you accomplish by killing him? Would it ease something in your heart perhaps? Or is it revenge that you would strike him down for?"
"He will pay!" Danny snarled never taking his eyes off of Hadriel, "I will make him suffer! I will make pay!!"
"Do you really think this is what Draconum wanted you to do with his power? To kill this creature?" The women asked again pointing at Hadriel.
"Of course!" Danny wasn't really sure what power the angels were talking about, but then again he really didn't care.
"Then you do not know my brother nearly as well as we thought you did." The man said with a light smile.
Danny stared at them. Brother? All thoughts of claiming vengeance vanished. "What did you say?"
"Errsinor deal with Hadriel would you." The woman ordered. The young man nodded and turned to the insane angel on the ground with a look a distaste.
"Not that I hate you or anything Hadriel," Errisnor said smugly, "but you got exactly what you deserve. Now don't move or I might just decide to kill you myself."
Hadriel growled some more and attempted to swing at Danny with his sword even though there was no way it would reach. The woman snagged the blade out of Hadriel's hand and it turn from black back to it's original blazing white color.
"You don't deserve to carrier this blade any more." She said simply. Causing Hadriel to laugh insanely. The woman frowned in annoyance.
Errsinor began to chant and green runes surrounded Hadriel. The runes began to pulse and slowly a green crystal like substance began to grow around Hadriel's feet. It grew until his legs were completely covered, then hes chest, then finally it reached his neck.
Hadriel just laughed. He laughed until it covered his mouth and completely enveloped his head. Even then the mocking laughter remained in his eyes and his mouth was turned up in an evil smile.
Draconum's younger brother smirked at his handy work. He glanced the crystal over then nodded.
"That should keep him stuck for a very, very long time. If we send someone to repair the spell ever few centuries it should hold him forever." He said happily turning back to Danny and Ember.
The woman nodded and also turned her attention back to Danny and Ember. "We need to talk..."
- The Void -
The four prophets looked at each other. The image in the Orb of Sight showed Danny standing protectively over the still knocked out Sam and Tucker while talking with two white winged figures. They had foreseen this and they all knew what they had to do.
"Is it time?" Rage asked expectantly.
"Yes." Replied the ever emotionless Sin.
"Then let us go. The young lord will have need of us." Envy said.
"Yes." Sin replied again.
The four figures vanished in flashes of blue light...