Tsk, tsk. After two weeks and a day, I would've thought there would be ten reviews. Six is good too, don't get me wrong. It's just that a lot of work went into that chapter and even if all the ten reviews said was "Okay," that would've been fine with me too. (Sigh) Maybe that's why this one has a cliffie. You've been warned. Oh, and I'm not too good with battle scenes, so cut me a little slack.
Here are the quotes from the previous chapter.
1.) "You odd manifestation of post-human consciousness!"
2.) "Hello, Danny Fenton, Danny Phantom? Ever notice the similarities? Jazz did."
3.) "You know, if I had any human emotions left, I would find this little reunion absolutely hilarious." (I think the actual last word is touching, but otherwise correct. ((Shrug))
4.) "Because I'm worth it."
5.) "Which, by the way, is really weird." (Not entirely sure on this one)
Disclaimer: Gee, I'm not old enough for starters. Two, I'm female. Do I really have to keep proving I don't own them?
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Chapter VII: Defeat and Despair
"Ember!"
Dan dove toward the ground, intent on catching the falling specter. He didn't know why, but something in him didn't want anything to happen to the fiery ghost. He caught her about twenty feet off the ground. Gently, he floated down and laid her on the pavement.
"I'll be all right," groaned Ember. Her side had a nasty gash that was bleeding green. Dan tore off a piece of his cape and wound it around her midriff. She grinned weakly at him.
"No emotions, huh?" she asked. "Why'd your eyes turn green for a second?"
Dan ignored her and gently picked her up and put her in a safer position. Without another word, he launched into the air, intent on continuing his assault. But Ember was right. Why had his eyes turned green? He had felt them shift. Ember must've seen them when he shouted to her.
"What's the matter, Dan?" asked a taunting voice. His emotions once again raging through him, Dan snarled and flew toward the source. Danny easily moved to the side. "Human emotions got your tongue?"
Dan's hands glowed with green power. He unleashed a furious barrage at Danny, who simply ducked and dodged every one of them, shooting a few of his own blue bursts as well. A shot from behind got Dan's attention.
"Now, now," said Vlad, fangs bared in a smirk. "Didn't anyone ever tell you to play nice?" He teleported away from the barrage of ecto-energy heading his way and reappeared next to Danny. "Guess not."
"Well, what did you expect?" said Danny conversationally, ducking another blast. "He is our ghost halves combined. He's not exactly a nice guy."
"True," said Vlad, "But I would never think of being with Ember, of all people. Or ghosts," he added casually. "He must get that from your side." Vlad put up a pink shield as Dan threw high-powered orbs at him.
Danny grimaced, then laughed. "Yeah, but he gets his obsessions from your side."
Dan was now blind with rage. They were taunting him! But he could remedy that quickly. "You two are important, but I can severely injure you two and get the same results. My creation in this timeline." He took a deep breath.
Danny grinned. He fell for it. Danny also inhaled, while Vlad turned intangible. The Wail from Dan met Danny's in midair, but Danny had put extra power in his. Every single drop of energy Danny had in his body was now dedicated to the Wail, and it pushed forward, forcing Dan's back on him. Dan slammed into the ground, weaker than the last time Danny had hit him like that. Danny turned human, but Vlad caught him just in time, and quickly brought him to his parents.
Lois grinned as she and Sam walked up to the unconscious ghost. "You know, Sam, if he wasn't a ghost, I'd really be tempted to kick him where it hurts."
Sam rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't mind doing that to him either, but did you see how he reacted to Ember?"
Lois snorted. "Yeah, those two were all over each other like…" Her eyes widened as she caught the implications. "Like Clark and me." She stared at Dan, then whipped back to face Sam. "That's just crazy!"
"Yeah, but true." Sam held up her Thermos. "Will you or shall I?"
Lois laughed. "Go ahead."
Sam pointed the Thermos at Dan, just as he woke up.
"NOOO!" he shouted as he was sucked in.
"Dan!" shrieked another voice. Ember had recovered enough to fly and was riding her guitar toward them. Without hesitation, Sam swung her Thermos around, and sucked Ember in too. She capped it quickly.
"We won't have to worry about them breaking out anytime soon," she said to Lois. "Mr. and Mrs. Fenton found a new material to build the Thermoses from. It's ten times stronger than the previous metal."
Lois contemplated her Thermos and held it out for Sam to take. Sam, however, waved it off.
"Keep it," she said. "You might need it if you ever run into a malevolent ghost someday."
They walked toward the crowd of familiar faces. But they weren't happy faces. Sam felt her stomach drop, and as Lois saw Superman's face, he shook his head.
Danny was lying in the GAV, completely still. His face was stark white, and he was barely breathing.
"Danny!" said Sam, rushing forward.
"He won't wake up," said a solemn voice. Sam turned to see Valerie, her hunting gear retracted and her sitting in the front passenger seat. Valerie's head was bowed, and Sam saw silent tears running down her face. Sam scooted around Danny to the driver's seat.
"Why?" Valerie suddenly burst. "Why didn't he tell me? I've been hunting my best friend since the beginning. All those times he could've taken me out, and this is why he didn't."
"Valerie, why did you come back? You and Tucker were supposed to head back and tell Mr. Lancer where we were," Sam said.
"I know," said Valerie, sniffing, "but I wanted to come back, be in the fight, you know? I ditched Tucker when we stopped to use the restrooms, and I doubled back." She looked up. "I got here, just as Danny started that Wail thing." Valerie started as a gloved hand was put on hers. Vlad kneeled down beside her.
"Valerie," he said softly. "It's my fault you're in this predicament."
"What do you mean?" said Valerie. "It's not like you gave me the weapons."
Vlad bowed his head. "But I did, child. Just…not like this."
Valerie took in Vlad's appearance, and set her mind to working. If a ghost with fangs had given her ghost weapons, she surely would've noticed. "But it was Vlad Masters who gave me my stuff."
"Correct," said Vlad.
"But…" she glanced at the still form of Danny. "If Danny's Phantom, then that would mean that you're…" she gasped. "Mr. Masters?" she whispered.
Vlad nodded, ashamed. "The accident happened in college," he said quietly. "At first I blamed Jack for it, but now I realize that if I hadn't been standing in front of that machine, I wouldn't have gotten blasted." Vlad's face grew pensive. "I guess, in a way, I knew there would be an accident, and that I would be in the way. I suppose I have only myself to blame."
Maddie chose that moment to speak up. "We need to get him to the hospital. Valerie, Plasmius, and Superman, if you can, I suggest you fly. Jack'll be able to keep up." Valerie nodded and Superman straightened.
"I'll be able to," Superman said reassuringly.
"I'll fly with you," said Lois. She knew he could fly at high speeds with her if she kept close to his aura.
Vlad looked at everyone else, and shook his head. "I've overstayed my welcome. I'll leave now. Daniel…" he stopped, "Danny…will know how to contact me if he needs me." He drew his cape around him, and teleported out before another word could be said, leaving everyone else in shock for a few seconds.
"I'll stay in the back with Danny," volunteered Sam, breaking the silence.
Maddie nodded, her face white. "All right, let's go." Her voice was hoarse.
Five minutes later, Sam was wishing she hadn't had such a heavy breakfast. Jack swerved around cars, the lights and sirens on the GAV screeching wildly.
Sam gripped Danny's hand harder, trying not to cry, but failing. "Come back, Danny. Come back to me."
He didn't respond.
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What, you thought Dan would be defeated and everything would be all right? Okay, so I'm looking to squeeze another chapter out of this story, but hey, it's great for the drama. Anyway, my muses are off playing at my homepage, so it's just me. Hope they're back by Friday though. I've got an exam then. Scratch that. I've got tests Friday, Monday, and Tuesday. Extreme joy. Dontcha just love college?
Thanks to those who were gracious enough to review:
Cylon One, Quacked Lurker, Sunshine Silverjojo, Splout, pottersparky, Oraman Asturi, lily fae, phantomfreek, ghostlover15, dragongirl k, Yami-chan and Unrealistic, CRESCENT-MOON-89101112, egyptianqueen777, Sasia93, Lady Elyn the druid of Serria, Kaji Blaze the Crimson Serafin, Saphira Arya Potter, Flame of Chaos, and dragon-game.
So, chapter eight will be coming as soon as it's finished. The rate of typing I do is equal to the amount of reviews I receive. (Hint, hint.) And will somebody please pick a plotbunny? I hate to do this, but if one doesn't get chosen by the time chapter eight goes up, say, in a week or two, then I won't update. I'm not holding the story hostage; I'm just desperate to get rid of one. Please? I have several Danny Phantom stories and even Harry Potter stories if you fancy those. See ya in the reviews.