Tucker was getting worried.
That was the understatement of the year. Tucker was getting really worried.
Danny hadn't answered his phone in two days, and after the first day it started going straight to voice mail, that wasn't like him. Danny never let his phone leave his sight. Yelling at him through the home phone speaker wasn't doing anything either. Finally deciding enough was enough he left the warmth of his home and comfort of his computer and trudged to the Fenton household, after telling his mother of course. He wasn't going to go through that again.
When he got to the house, he didn't even bother knocking, fishing for his keys he found the one that fit into the door and pushed it open slowly, sticking his head in.
"Danny?" he said, stepping in and closing the door behind him. "Sam?"
The house was lit and he took of his coat and scarf, hanging them on the wall he walked into the living room.
"Where are they?" he muttered to himself, looking down at the coffee table he noticed the note Danny had left for Sam. "Ghost? This hasn't been moved..." Tucker rushed to the yellow kitchen, sticking his head in before moving quickly to the basement door, he called down to them, listening only to be met with nothing. He slammed the heavy door and ran up the stairs, throwing Danny's bedroom door open he gasped when he saw Phantom passed out on the carpet near his closet.
"Dude!" Tucker ran to him, scared to touch him. The only good part of this situation was that when he fainted he hadn't reverted back to Fenton. If he had, Danny would surely be dead, his lack of necessity for air and blood as Phantom is what would keep him alive.
"Tucker..." Danny muttered, moving his arm.
"Danny, dude, don't move. What happened? Where's Sam?" Danny groaned, and turned so he was laying on his back. "Don't switch back." Danny nodded and settled into the floor, trying not to concentrate on his broken ribs. "Where's Sam, Danny? Who took her?" Danny was silent. "Did she leave on her own?" Danny shook his head. "A ghost took her?"
Danny nodded, "Nnn..."
"Nn? Norm?" Danny shook his head. "No?"
"Nn..." Tucker waited, "Nathair." Danny muttered, sighing, Tucker gasped.
"Nathair took her? He was here? He came back?" He asked, becoming frantic. "He did this to you?"
"Please," he asked, "Help me up," Danny said, lifting his arms.
"No, dude, you need to stay right there, I'll get you a pillow."
"Give me the phone, call Jazz." Danny winced, gripping his side. Tucker jumped to his feet, running to Danny's bed to get a pillow, before moving back to his wounded friend, carefully setting the pillow under his head.
"Don't switch back," Tucker said again, wiping his hands on his jeans and going back to the kitchen to get the cordless phone, dialing Jazz's number as he ran back up the stairs.
When he heard the phone click on the other end he didn't even bother letting her say hello.
"Jazz! Come home. Nathair came back, he took Sam. Danny's hurt bad." Tucker yelled quickly, he heard her stutter on the other end, processing what he just told her.
"What?" she asked, sounding confused.
"Nathair took Sam," Tucker said slower, "He hurt Danny real bad."
"Put Danny on." she said, her tone suddenly serious. Tucker went to his knees on the floor, putting the receiver up to his friend's ear.
"Jazz," he whispered. "He took her. I couldn't stop him." Danny felt tears stinging the corner's of his eyes and took a deep breath, pushing them back. "Please, come home."
"Danny, I-" she was quiet. "The snow Danny, no flight is going to let me leave right now." Tucker watched as Danny's eyes closed tighter and he threw a spandex covered arm over them, sighing shakily. "I wish I could, Danny. Please, everything will work out."
"What am I going to do?" he asked, not caring that his voice cracked. He was so frustrated. How could he let this happen again? Sam didn't deserve any of this. He heard Jazz sniffle on the other end.
"I don't know," she whispered. "How badly are you hurt?"
Danny sighed, composing himself before speaking again. "He got my ribs again, I don't know how many, and I probably have a concussion."
"You've been out for two days, dude." Tucker said quietly. Danny's eyes shot open and he stared blankly at his friend. "I've been trying to call you for two days. I was really worried, I guess I had a good reason." Danny felt his heart speed up.
Two days? This wasn't possible. He needed to get Sam. Sam has been with Nathair for two days. She probably thought that he didn't care about her.
"Danny?" Jazz's voice on the other end.
"Get me up." He said, leaning up on his elbows, Tucker dropped the phone, shifting to a crouching position his arms out around Danny ready to help him if he were to fall.
"What are you talking abou-" Tucker's eyes were wide and he gasped when his friend barked at him.
"Get me up, Tucker!" Danny's eyes flashed brighter and Tucker closed his mouth as Danny leaned over, grabbing his arm and hoisting himself up. "I have to go get her," he said, not looking Tucker in the eye.
"You're insane," Tucker yelled, concerned. "How do you expect to help anyone like this?" Danny put his hands on his knees, his eyes screwed shut, shuttering as he began to switch back to Fenton. The halos froze at his abdomen, a little of his white shirt peaking through and Tucker watched with amazement as Danny willed them back, keeping himself as Phantom.
"I have to try." He muttered, lifting his head, leaving Tucker the only option of staring as Danny crouched lower, reminding Tucker of a cat, and then pounced into the air, zooming out of his room and down the stairs to the basement.
Tucker knew he would never catch up with his half-ghost friend, and didn't bother. He instead leaned down and picked up the concerned yelling phone, holding it away from his ear until it fell silent.
"Your brother is insane."
As Danny flew through the Ghost Zone he tried not to let his eyes close. If he hadn't gone out for two days then he probably would have Sam back, and he definitely would be better off. How was it that when you were passed out for two days you felt more tired? Pushing through it he pressed forward, avoiding any obstacles that came his way. He couldn't really remember where Nathair lived in the Ghost Zone and paused in his flight.
He needed to go talk to someone that knew. Someone that could help him.
Racking his wounded brain to come up with a familiar face in this wasteland, the slots finally landed on Clockwork. Clockwork would steer him in the right direction.
Regaining his speed he changed his course and set out for Clockworks lair, as he passed his all to familiar markers he began to feel heavy.
He closed his eyes tightly, slowing, sighing, then opened them again, forcing himself back to full speed.
Before he could react to it, his eyes rolled back and he fell. When he hit the rock slab beneath him he groaned, giving in, letting his head rest on the concrete.
Why was this happening? Why was this happening?
Why was this happening?