Chapter 8

When the light faded, they saw nothing. It was hard to tell if they were relieved or more tensed by this. Sam bit her lip nervously and looked at Mr. Lancer in alarm. She knew Danny had escaped. Lancer's eyes locked with Sam's and she could feel that he knew that too.

"He escaped!" Dash yelled, stating the obvious. Conversation started to spread through the teens like wildfire. Everyone was deeply upset; finally the conversation grew so loud that Lancer could hardly concentrate.

"SILENCE!" he yelled, and all communication ceased from the mouths of the teens. All eyes focused on the tired old teacher.

"We need to pull back the troops." He said, his tone worried. "Danny now knows where the hide out is, and that could be bad news for everyone. Especially Ms. Manson. Also, see if we can locate that dagger he wants so badly. We need to use every opportunity we can. Dash, Kwan, protect Miss Manson with your lives." With that, Lancer ran out of the room, followed by several other students.

Dash held his gun uneasily as he looked over at Sam's form in the bed. He looked back to see Kwan's eyes meeting his.

"Talk to her." Kwan said. "She need's that right now."

"I'm no good at that type of stuff." Dash snarled at him, his arms crossed, and eyes closed. Silence was all he heard to that statement. He opened his own eyes to see Kwan staring at him with a hard face.

" I know you're angry at Fen-Masters, about Paulina, but she's not the one who killed her." Kwan told Dash. "She's hurting as much as you."

Dash's posture weakened, thinking about Paulina. They had been going steady ever since the war started. Then the day came when Danny Masters killed his…girlfriend, his only love. He turned his head to see the girl lying on the bed, a tear streaming down her face. She was trying to hide it from view of her guards. But they both saw it. Kwan shoved Dash up to her bed.

"Look, Sam.." Dash said. It felt weird saying the girl's name. He had always thought of her as the Goth friend to Fentina and Foley. Ever since this war started, everyone had changed from the high school traditions. "I'm sorry.. about, you know. He's a jerk now. I don't think Fenton's in there anymore."

" I know." Came her icy reply. She turned to him and her violet eyes shone with anger. " I know he's not coming back." She acted as if he wasn't even in the room anymore. "So I will destroy him, I wont just kill him, I will destroy him."

Dash blinked and stepped back, afraid of this girl's rage. "Calm down Sam. You can't let him get to you like this. You deserve better."

The anger seemed to fade from her eyes briefly. "I'm sorry about Paulina." She said quietly and looked down. Dash blinked.

What is she? Bipolar? He thought with confusion. Paulina's mood never shifted this much. "It's okay. Besides, she's not gone..she's a ghost, but I haven't found her yet."

" I just wish I could go back in time, stop Danny from going into that portal and Vlad carrying him off, filling his head with all that evil." She shuddered.

Dash closed his eyes. "Yeah, I had no idea he could turn into this.. monster." Dash had no other word's to describe Danny now.

"The other Danny mentioned his world was different. It's actually normal there." She felt a small smile form on her lips. "I'd love to be there."

"Yeah." He had no opinion about the new Fenton after the encounter he had with the boy.

Both remained in their own worlds, wishing, and hoping for what was never meant to be.

"Keep running kids!" Maddie yelled, her voice commanding them to move faster. Jazz and Danny were somewhat ahead of her, their legs desperately trying to move more. Their muscles were already screaming for them to stop though. The ground around them shook as they ran through the desert landscape between the castle and the city.

Maddie could hear Vlad's rage from where she was running. They had to make it to the city. They had to go back to the underground lair. Her thoughts were cut short when she saw Danny's foot step on a piece of land, and see two sharp pieces of green plasma clench into his ankle, holding him in place. An anguished cry escaped his lungs and he collapsed to one knee, frantically trying to pull his leg from the animal trap he was captured in. The pain was intense. He could see green blood sliding down his boot. Jazz and Maddie were instantly at the boy's side. Both kept trying to pry his leg from the vicious trap.

After a few minutes Danny slumped his shoulders. "It's no use, go.. run, before he gets you guys."

"No! I wont lose another brother!" Jazz's turquoise eyes flashed into his green ones. "Not to that monster!"

" I wont lose you either sweetie. Not that I have you back." Maddie said stubbornly and both continued to try to pry the trap open. Danny knew only the Jaws of Life could open it now. He sat back, propped up by his arms. The pain in his leg was increasing. He could hear Vlad's rage building and coming towards them. Finally, Jazz pulled out a gadget that resembled a light saber. She slammed it into the trap. It instantly broke, revealing a gaping wound in Danny's leg.

Hurriedly, the two women helped Danny up and swung one arm around each of their shoulders. They ran as fast as they could with Danny's leg being as hurt as it was. He clearly looked in pain every time he tried to put his foot on the ground. He ended up having to hop the rest of the way, grasping for the two women as support.

"Don't worry Danny, were almost there." Jazz said, as she made a weak smile at him. What she saw made her eyes go wide. Danny was turning much paler than any normal ghost should. His eyes were almost closed as they continued and he was slowing down dramatically. They were practically dragging him.

Jazz met her mother's eyes. "Mom he isn't going to make it!"

Maddie's maternal instincts kicked in aggressively, she would not give up this boy. Never. He picked up the nearly unconscious boy and swung his upper body over her shoulder. She held his legs steady against her and started to run as much as she could, Jazz followed at her side.

The last thing Danny saw before he slipped into unconsciousness was an angry dust storm, closing in on them all.

Tucker ducked to avoid a plasma blast from a nearby ghost. He pulled out a Fenton Fisher and cast it out to the ghost. It latched onto its shirt and Tucker grinned, giving the fisher a tug. The ghost had been unprepared for this and was sent spinning foreword, the fishing line being wrapped around its body as it got closer. Tucker took a graceful bow until he heard a voice from behind him.

"FALL BACK! FALL BACK!" Lancer's voice could be heard through the bullhorn he was using.

Tucker turned to Jack, then yelled. "FALL BACK! NOW!" With that he began to run with Jack at his heels. As the two ran, with Jack sort of flying, they looked around as the other people of the resistance joined them. Soon a large crowd of them formed, all running for that certain manhole. Soon they found it and people started to pile in. Tucker heard a thundering noise and stared up in horror. A huge cloud of sand was coming towards the town at a high speed. He felt his insides tighten dramatically.

"Oh crud." He muttered. Jack had seen it now too and his eyes were as wide as saucers.

"Down now!" Tucker ordered, snapped out of his trance to the others staring dumbfounded at the thing that could cause their deaths. The small group snapped out of their trance and started to file down. Jack phased down and Tucker was about to go down when he saw two strange figures within the dust. He narrowed his eyes to get a better look at them, he soon saw Mrs. Fenton, Jazz and an unconscious Danny in his mom's arms. Tucker ran towards them.

"Mrs. Fenton! Jazz! What's wrong-" He was cut off by Maddie.

"No time!" She shoved her son into Tucker's arms and all got to the manhole. Jazz went down first, and Maddie went down to her waist, before holding out her arms for Tucker to give her Danny. Tucker did and Maddie went fully down. Tucker jumped inside, slamming the manhole on top of him as the sandstorm hit from above. Everyone knew they were far from safe.

They all ran for the wall that was now open. They all ran into it and Tucker was the last in before it closed on a fierce sandstorm, with red eyes.

Everyone let out a breath of relief. Most of the kids were breathing hard from the marathon they had to run. Maddie set her son down gently on a nearby couch. She looked around. "We need someone to get over here to help him!" Tucker jumped up, followed by Jazz, they got supplies to wrap up Danny's wound. When that was finished Maddie sat down next to her son, stroking his hair carefully. She couldn't believe this son from another dimension ended up here.

"Maddie?" When she heard the voice, she froze in mid-stroke and stared into the eyes of her long dead husband.

"Jack?" It came out as a strangled whisper. "You're.."

" A ghost, I know." Jack said with a slight grin. "Slightly ironic, huh? I become the thing I hate."

Maddie had tears streaming down her face, she ran to him and put her arms around his ghost body. He felt as solid as he was alive. The two hugged each other for a long time. Jazz felt a smile form on her face. She ran over and hugged them both as well. The smile's on both of their faces were priceless. After the hugging had ended, Jack turned and saw the form of his son lying on the couch. His eye's widened, and his mind careened back to the day when Danny killed him. He felt the glow around him turn red. This frightened Maddie and Jazz and both stepped back, then everyone looked to where he was looking.

Danny was lying there helpless. Jack was now forming a plasma blast in his hand.

"Jack no!" Maddie screamed and grabbed his arm, yanking it back with all her strength. He merely phased through her grip.

"Stay out of this Maddie…That boy killed me. He is no longer our son, no matter what you believe." Jack walked towards the boy, the blast glowing a blood red color and his eyes turning the same. Jack Fenton had just unwillingly crossed to another side, a side he would have never crossed before now.

"No! Dad stop!" Jazz stepped in front of her father. "That's not Masters! Its Danny-" Before she could finish, Jack shoved her into her mother's arms.

"Enough of this foolishness, we need to destroy him before he causes anymore pain." Jack grabbed a hold of Danny by his collar, pulling him up. Danny's body followed like a rag-doll. The dark hair brushing against his forehead as Jack looked on his slumbering face.

"Dad no!" Jazz yelled and tried to struggle from her mother's grasp, but Maddie held her daughter tight in shock.

Horror filled Tucker's face. He only had one shot to stop Jack. "Mr. Fenton! No! That's not our Danny! He's.."

But Jack wouldn't listen, he held back his hand, ready for a blow. At that same time, Danny groaned and started to awaken. His blue eyes slowly started to open, they only opened halfway. But he was able to make out the figure in front of him.

"Dad?" he whispered. As he looked into his father's eyes, Jack froze. His eyes started to water.

"Danny?" his father choked out. The red within him disappeared, his eyes turned to normal. He no longer held a red ball of plasma, instead he was holding Danny tight to him. By now Danny was mostly awake. For a brief moment, he thought he was back home. But his hopes faded when he saw the similar dressed people as before. He saw the ghostly figure hugging him. He gasped and pulled away to look into his dead father's eyes.

His jaw was slightly open. "They told me..you…I…." he turned away from his father. "I'm so sorry.."

Uncomfortable silence filled the air. Jack was thinking deeply, which is something he didn't do often. Danny's sadness made him feel guilty. The boy shouldn't be sad, he should be happy.

So Jack put on the goofiest smile he could muster and said, "Don't feel bad Danny, It's probably just my luck to become what I hate. Actually now it isn't so bad."

Danny felt a smile tug at his lips. But he couldn't help feeling guilty about saying such harsh words to his parents at home. He knew he was right, it just. He shook his head to clear his thoughts.

Jack looked at Danny. "So, um. How did you-"

Danny smiled. "Ill explain."

It seemed like for the millionth time, Danny explained how he got into the world. He hesitantly pulled out the dagger to show everyone. Jack twitched. Danny quickly put it back in his pocket and stared at the people surrounding him in awe.

He felt unsteady and sat down after explaining. The wound had left him terribly weak. He saw the worried look on his family's faces. He smiled.

"Don't worry about me, I just need some rest."

But there was no time to rest, for that moment, Dash and Kwan rushed in, both having bruises on their faces.

"Sam is gone!" Dash yelled.