Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom.

Destroyed or Be Destroyed

Chapter 3 – Choice

Vlad stumbled backwards nearly tripping over the curb. His face showed both shock and fear as he moved to compose himself. Danny approached his eyes glowing redder with each passing second. "You, you, you will pay for what you did," he spoke with resolve and hate.

Vlad finally able to get his fears under control stood to his full height using his ghost powers to gain an inch or two. "What's the matter Daniel? I though you would be happy, I know it pained you to watch that girl date," Vlad spoke with his oily voice circling around Danny who had frozen at the mention of Sam.

Inwardly Vlad smiled at the reaction he was getting thinking to himself, "This is going to be easier than I thought." Danny's head was hung in thought as the villain approached. "You know she never returned your feelings for her. She only toyed with you; seeing how many hoops you would jump through," he said as he placed his arms around Danny's shoulders. "Now come with me and we can take over this pathetic planet."

Danny remained still, a battle taking place within his heart and head over what he should do next. He looked up at Vlad a malevolent smile fixing on the other halfa. A slight chuckle escaped from his lips as her turned to face Vlad. "You're not worthy of ruling this world, Vlad. Not to mention living in it," his smiled faded replaced by a look of utter contempt.

Before Vlad had a chance to react to his change in attitude a fist slammed into his gut. He wrenched over arms wrapped tightly around his stomach, blood dripping down from his mouth. Vlad straitened up looking at Danny with equal hatred. "You are going to pay for that," he spoke with anger as he flexed the muscles in his fists.

Shooting up into the air Danny unleashed a quick succession of ecto-blasts that rained down at Vlad's location throwing up chucks of concrete and dirt. As the dust begins to clear Danny can see Vlad on the ground covered in dirt and pieces of debris.

Vlad groaned from the pain as he moved to stand. He had managed to erect a shield, but not before several of the shots had made contact. "My, that was much more powerful than usual," he thought to himself as he brushed the dirt off his clothing.

Danny continued to float high above the scene forming twin ecto-blasts ready to fire as soon as he target stood back up. "Tell me," Danny yelled down," Is the great Plasimus really giving up that easily."

"My Daniel, a bit over confident aren't we," was all Danny heard before a powerful blast slammed him into the side of a building. The blinding pain was almost enough to render him unconscious. Danny winced as a sharp stabbing back ripped its way across his back.

Using the pain of lose Danny steeled himself against the pain in his side and back. With blinding speed he shot towards Vlad fists glowing green with energy. Just as he was going to make contact with Vlad's face a sharp blow from underneath caused him to fall back towards the ground. Danny slammed into the roof of the Ops center with enough force to collapse the roof. Looking up he could make out three separate and distinct forms.

"Now," the three said in unison, "you have to make a choice. You will either join with us or parish."

"This is hopeless," Danny thought to himself as he inhaled roughly causing the pain in his side to sting. "Sam, I should have protected you. I should have been there for you," Danny continued to mentally berate himself for his actions taking the full blame upon himself.

Danny sat up leaning his head against the wall, desperately trying to catch his breath. "Sam I should have told you how I really felt. I should have told you that I love you," he commented to himself. He reached out grabbing a hold of a piece of the roof and using it to pull himself into a standing position.

Vlad listed as the young boy whined to himself. He pulled himself back into a single body and continued to float high above the young halfa. "Prefect," he thought to himself, "The boy is as good as mine." He crossed his arms across his chest and looked downward a wicked and confident smile playing on his lips.

The blame continued to build and build as Danny blamed him self for every mistake he had ever made. For every time Sam, Tucker, or even Valerie had been injured during a fight. He blamed himself for his parents' problems and for Jazz's. Sam, he just could not quit picturing her perfect image in his head. He loved her so much that is caused him physical pain to even be around her, but he did it everyday; because if he didn't he would die from the loss the gapping void her absence would leave in his heart. He felt as if his blood would drain out; that is how he felt know. His whole world was collapsing around him. Sure he still had his parents and Jazz, but Sam was gone. He knew it was wrong for him to govern his life around the existence and happiness of another, but this was Sam. She wasn't just another girl, she was the girl the only girl as far as Danny was concerned and had lost her. He had lost her in more ways than one and probably more ways than he wished to remember. As Danny's thoughts continued to rage on inside his head twin streams of tears poured down from his eyes mixing with the dirt and forming mud on his jump suit.

A small voice from the back of Danny's head began to speak up, "No, losing your friends was not your fault. You are not the one that took them away. He was the one that did that. He killed them." He could feel his anger begin to boil once again, the pain of loss that had been devouring his soul becoming blinding anger and rage. His eyes once again flared from green to blood red. Ecto-energy was crackling all around him as his anger at Vlad continued to race; toward what end he did not know. All he knew was that one way or another Vlad Plasimus was going to die.

Slowly Danny stood up allowing his power to wash over him like a warm blanket. He welcomed the detachment that it brought with it as it penetrated his body and soul. Calming his heart and removing those pesky feelings of mercy and compassion. He could feel the power pulse in place of his heart beat, each time growing stronger and stronger.

Vlad watched on in new found horror as the power erupted out of the younger halfa. He was not sure what had caused the power spike in the young boy, but he was sure that he didn't like the reasons. For the first time since Danny had stood up he caught his eyes. They had been red before, but a dull red. Now they were the color of blood, piercing to the point that he could swear his was being destroyed from the inside out.

Slowly Danny floated up till he was at eye level with Vlad. He watched with great satisfaction as the older halfa tried in vain to keep his fear from showing. "Now you are to pay for their lives," Danny spoke softly the threat carried in his voice slamming into Vlad, "each and every one of them."

Vlad's eyes widened in terror as Danny smiled a look of pure evil. Vlad through up his arms in a defensive manner as Danny unleashed a ghostly wail. The energy of the attack picked at his skin ripping away the clothing and starting to take its toll on the skin underneath. The wail died down and Vlad cupped his arms trying to quell the pain.

Danny smiled at the obvious pain he had inflicted on Vlad. Glad that he was finally getting what he deserved. Raising his arms above his head and throwing them back down he unleashed a wall of ice shards at Vlad; creating thousands of cuts. "How do you feel know," he asked leaning towards the now frail looking ghost. "Are you sure that you are strong enough to rule the world? Seems to me that you are nothing more than a sniveling little boy that believes him self to be some all powerful being."

Vlad's anger rose at what Danny was saying. He straightened himself up and glared at the younger boy, "How dare you presume to speak to me like that; you little child. I am your better in life and certainly in battle," he yelled towards Danny his voice filled with anger and hate. "And I will finally show you how pathetic you really are," he commanded as he fired a quick series of ecto-blasts straight into Danny's open chest. The younger halfa never had the time to react as the blast erupted into his chest.

Smoke filled the area between them as Vlad continued to fire volley after volley into Danny's chest. After several minutes of firing he relaxed to wait and see what damage he had reeked on boy. As air began to clear Danny's form came into view; Vlad waited for the blood soaked form of his opponent to appear. "No," he yelled stumbling backward, "This can't be, it's just not possible."

"Ah, but it can be," Danny retorted unleashing a wave of ice freezing Vlad within a solid brick of ice only his head sticking out the top. He dropped like a lead weight crashing to the ground with tremendous force. "Now, I will finally be rid of you. You are now longer going to hurt innocent people," Danny stated in a calm and collected voice.

Out of nowhere a second Danny appeared holding a small rifle looking object. Danny took the weapons from his clone and pointed it at Vlad a smile tracing his face. "This," he began, "is the Fenton Spectral Stripper. It will permanently remove your ghost powers."

Vlad's eyes widened at the weapon in front of him. "You're not going to kill me," he asked the weakness evident in his voice.

"No, I may hate you for taking Sam away from me, but I refuse to become my evil self," Danny answered pulling the trigger. Vlad yelled as the yellow beam stripped him of his ecto-DNA leaving only Vlad Masters where Vlad Plasimus once stood. Danny raised his hand towards Vlad, the older man cowering before him. The ice holding him in place quickly melted. "Now leave here," Danny commanded lacing his voice with an unspoken threat, "and never return."

Danny continued to float while Vlad ran as fast as he could away from him. Once he disappeared off the horizon Danny dropped to the ground with a thud. Tears flooded out of his eyes as he cried; allowing all the pent up rage and sadness to come pouring out of him.

"I sorry Sam," Danny cried to himself, "I should have told you that I loved you. I should have never been scared of ruining our friendship. I should been there for you, I should have just opened my eyes and seen what was standing right in front of me."

Danny continued to sob allowing everything to pour out of him.

Danny jerked as a hand touched his shoulder, he eyes widened in fear of who was standing behind him. He jumped up into the sky reading ecto-blasts to defend against the attacker. As his vision began to clear the figure came into view. The young girl was standing smiling up at him her amethyst eyes looking up at him pleading with him to come back down.

Sam?

AN: I would once again like to thank my beta readers: Writergirl713, Flarey Phoenix, and Catgirlversion3.0otako. You girl's are wonderful. So, can anyone guess what is up with Sam? Let me know what you think so far. And those of you who read and don't leave a review, please leave one.