Danny Phantom Unlimited Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven:

The Day That Never Comes, Part 7 Dead End

11:21 PM UTC

Amity Park's Center

Danny breaks into the sky like a green bright shooting star, so fast that nobody would see him coming, landing on his right knee, fisting the ground with one hand.

- Wow… that… that was fast… like… "I've never been that fast" fast. Was that-?

- Mach 1? Yes.

- Awesome! Ok buddy, go look for whoever might need help here. Tell me what other wonders does this suit come with? What else can I do with it?

- it comes with a built in ghost tracker so you can find ghost away from you ghost sense range - said the operative system, opening a heads-up display in the lenses with an circle and arrows pointing at all directions looking for ghosts -, life support, body temperature control, multiple ghost hunting weapons and gadgets, and one of the best parts, you see those vambraces, the belt and the disc-pack in your back? They work with dimensional compression technology, extremely rare.

- And what does it do?

- In simple terms, you can store a massive amount items in them without being burden by the weight, shape or number. Just your left vambrace could store your entire house, the entire building, and the utility belt stores almost all your new weapons.

- Cool! And what's the touch screen for? - asked, while walking through the ruins of the city.

- A manual interface. It also has free roaming service and wi-fi.

- Yeah, that doesn't reek.

- Anything else you'd like to know on my functioning or you prefer learn more during battle?

- Yes. Mr. M said it or… you, or… whatever can, suppress or augment my ghost powers, how does that work?

- Ok, you see? This is you - said playing a video in the lenses-screen of Danny losing control of his powers - at the zenith of your power, this is you using your powers at a 100%, the problem is that your ghost core was broken. Bursting and releasing all your power at once.

- And that's a bad thing because…?

- It could kill you. All that energy contained in your body pounding to go out and then released at once. That's just to much for you to take, let alone for you to control it, not to mention that a broken ghost core is unstable, is like a ticking bomb, the more energy it releases the more it breaks, and if it does you might die.

- So what? You are like suppressing my power now?

- Yes, right now I'm focusing and redirecting most of that energy, that would otherwise outburst right back into you core so it can began to heal itself. Technically you are using 20% of all your power, which is as much power as your body can tolerate. But the good news is that you are now twice stronger than before since you only used a 10% of your true potential.

- How much can I use without losing control? How much is not deadly to me?

- 50% at most, but I wouldn't recommend that unless you need it.

- Well let's hope I don't have to.

As he approaches to the restaurant's doors, his ghost sense activates, forcing Danny to look around cautious, concentrating his ghost energy in his hands, but quickly he realizes he is alone. A heads-up display comes up, showing a red arrow in both lenses pointing at all directions, but the tracker also comes with nothing, there was no one there, the place was totally empty.

- It's like a ghost town without the ghosts. Gas, you said the goggles come with several functions. Does it have…?

- …the ability to see different kinds of EM spectrum? Yes.

- Excellent, then hit me with infrared.

- Fine, but I don't know what do you expect to find. The ghost scanner says you are the only ghost.

Immediately, Danny's white goggles glow blue, allowing him to see any kinds of heat and in that very second, he sees a red fist pouncing him in the face so hard that he's sent into the restaurant.

- Aaahh… you know, when I said "hit me" with infrared, I wasn't being literal.

- That wasn't me. It was… whatever the hell that is, and it also has company – points out G.A.S.P.E.R. while the restaurant fills in with pale skinned zombie-looking creatures, most of them wearing white high-tech armors while others just normal clothes.

The second they show up, a counter appears on the right corner of the right lens indicating the number of threats.

- Yeah, I can see that, I'd say a lot of company – he agreed while watching the number growing on the threats counter, going from twenty to thirty-six.

Rapidly, Danny tries to fly out of the restaurant, but those creatures seize him so fast that he couldn't even react and turn intangible.

- G.A.S.P.E.R., what the hell are those things? - asked in a struggle with those savage creatures.

- I don't know, but whatever they are the are not ghosts, otherwise the scanner would be crazy.

- They are like freaking zombies! - exclaimed writhing in a strive to break free - Gas, please tell me those aren't zombies - Danny said trying not to shit his new pants and phasing into the ground.

- Ok, those are not zombies.

- You don't sound convinced. - said showing up before them again - Why you don't sound convinced?

- Because I don't know if they're zombies or not. I can't get any clear reading on those things. They are emanating some sort signal that's messing up with my scanners.

- Well you can be sure of something now, I just shit my pants.

- I can tell you, those creatures are in a state of decay, like a rotting body. That makes them even harder to read, so… I'll take a while to figure out what they truly are, but it would be a fair guess to say that they are zombies. – In that moment something incredible happens before them. Those zombie-like monsters go ghost, with green energy rings, taking a more ghostly appearance, with green skin and huge fangs, horns and claws; making the suit's ghost tracker go crazy. – Ok, now it'll take me a little longer to figure out what they are, but still I have my money on zombies.

- I'd say more like zombie-ghosts, or ghost-zombies – states Danny as these "zombie-ghosts" attack him.

Using twice the power he expected, Danny blasted off the head of the first ghost zombie that jumped on him.

- Wow, that's power. But still, ghost-zombies? Like… "ghozbies"? When did my life turn into a parody of The Walking Dead? – asks Danny sarcastically, kicking one of them in the face so hard he blows its head. - I mean really, how can there even be ghost-zombies in the first place? How is that? Was it a ghost that got bitten by a zombie, or a zombie that stood in a ghost portal and…?

And then he remembers the portal down the bridge, the secret lab and the how he and his team faced creatures like these that day.

- Oh shit.

Danny tries to fly out of the building but the ghost-zombies quickly grab him and toss him on the floor. Danny fights them holding nothing back, taking off every jaw he pounds and smashing their heads on the floor and the walls, but no matter how much he fights them, the number just keeps growing. For each one of them he takes down, at least three appear from nowhere.

– Gas, where the hell do these things come from?! - asks Danny fighting and trying to avoid being bitten by them.

- It would appear they have been here for some time now. Probably an ambush?

- Really? What makes you say that? – says Danny sarcastically, kicking another one of them in the face.

Realizing that there were too many to fight with his fists, Danny generates a repulsion field, releasing enough energy to tear them apart molecule by molecule leaving nothing but a few bodies.

- About the degeneration I spoke before. These "ghosts zombies hybrids", they're damaged on a cellular level. Each single cell of their bodies was dying, rooting like a real corpse, but that wasn't by natural causes, it was because of this - said showing a window in his lenses with an image of the creatures bloodstream -. See those little metallic things?

- Let me guess. They're nano bots.

- Exactly, that's what caused the interference, the nanobots are emanating some sort of radio signal, and they were also radiating ecto-energy into their cells. It would appear they were meant to turn humans into half ghosts like you

- But something when awfully wrong and they turned into zombie ghosts instead of humans ghosts. But still, it appears he found a good use for them. Now, why would he waste his time creating flawed ghosts-hybrids? – wonders young Danny while taking a close look at some ghosts-zombie remains. - This isn't really his style. The nano bots part sound like him. He is a psycho-techno geek, but the whole creating hybrids and using zombies thing? He is not a crazy geneticist, that is not his thing. Besides, he lives in the ghost zone, surrounded by ghosts. Do you think he already lost the little sanity he had?

- It sounds plausible.

- Tell me Technus, have you already gone totally crazy or you are just trying some new stuff? – He asks Technus, getting on his feet with his ghost sense emanating.

- You think I'm crazy, child? – utters Technus, showing up from behind with his teammates. – Only that shows how little your thinking and your vision is. And for the record, these are not common ghosts.

- We know. They're your sick and heinous attempts of replicating me.

- Speaking in plural? Looks like he is gone crazy too – states Ember.

- Aaah, so you know what they are, but do you know the whole story?

- No, and…

- Do you wanna know what I've been up to this last two years, child?

- No, but I feel that you're gonna tell me anyway.

- I've been trying to create a ghost-hybrid of my own by all possible means to create an army of human-ghosts. Unfortunately the conversion process still has some bugs I need to work out, and these specimens rather than being the perfect combination of human and ghost DNA like you, are nothing but abomination, much better than my first attempts though, and even these mishaps are still useful to me. And soon the city and its inhabitants shall be the firsts hybrids of my armada, that when I get what I came to look for.

- You WHAT?! – yells Danny furious with his eyes glowing so intensively, almost blazing through his slanted lenses. His face even takes a devilish appearance because of it. - You turned humans into these monsters!? What have you done? Why would you even do that for? Why would you want to have army of hybrids?

- Isn't obvious? It took me a while to realized how linked our worlds are, that they have always been and will be one and the same, just like you. And to conquer just one, would be like conquering neither. And to seize control over both worlds I needed an army from both worlds.

- Ooooh… You are so FUCKING dead!

- Ah-ah. Watch your mouth child. Just because we're rated PG 13 doesn't mean we can swear all the time.

- You're gonna pay for this – yells flying as fast as he can, with his fists charged with ecto-energy – and for breaking the fourth wall for no reason.

Danny punches Technus out of the restaurant through the roof, so fast that none of his partners were able to react until he was floating in front of them.

Using his full strength, Danny delivers a roundhouse kick to Skulker in the face the second he pounced on him.

Moving in circle, he dodges the blade of Ember's double edged axe-guitar and blasts her in the chest.

- All right freaks, which one of you is up for a second round?

Unexpectedly, a cold shiver goes down Danny's spine warning him about Spectra's incoming attack from behind, and so does his tracker, just in time to gracefully elude her nail claws, circling her and hitting her shoulders, knocking her to the ground.

"Hell yeah! I'm moving much faster than them, faster than I ever did in my life. It's almost like watching them in slow motion. And my strength? I never thought I had so much power in my body, and this is just the top of the iceberg.

"I guess this is how they felt when they were kicking my ass. But now I've leveled the game with this suit and it's time for some payback."

- Not so tough now that I don't have any pain for you to feed, eh?

From the corner of his eyes, he sees a green sword coming at him. He instinctively block it with his left forearm.

The blade of the sword strongly rubs against Danny's metallic forearm guard generating green sparks.

- A sword? That's so last millennium. Everything is about ghost rays now – states Danny blasting the Fright Knight in the face. – You see?

- As a matter of fact… I think I do!

The Fright Knight buttered, assailing Danny with a powerful optic ghost ray with enough power to blow the roof. Instinctively, he shields himself with a repulsion field instead of simple ghost shield defecting the attack.

A pink anti-ghost ray from Skulker touches Danny's hair.

"Ok, think this through, the suit makes me twice stronger than usual, but he still knows all of my movements and tactics. So… I gotta use some new tricks. But first I gotta break their unit. Get rid of their numeric edge, 'cause let's face, even with this suit I can't deal with all of them at once, not again. And even if I can I don't wanna push my luck."

- Ok, let's take this outside, Skulker!

Moving swiftly, he takes Skulker by the tail throwing him out of the restaurant, flying after him at full speed.

Concentrating and solidifying his energy in his hands, Danny starts throwing ecto-energy shurikens at Skulker, but he manages to dodge them all as he flies towards Danny, releasing an energy chain from the top of his hand to bound him.

- You think that just because you got a new outfit too you can deal with us? Not unless you unleash all that unlimited power you have, and you can't do that without dying.

- You think I need my head in fire to be unleashed?! - Danny breaks the chain with no effort, grabbing Skulker's head to knee it repeatedly. – Next time you should put a nose on this face so I can break it. Maybe one like Kevin Bacon's nose.

In that moment, a plasma canon emerges from Skulker's chest and shoots Danny at close range, severely hurting him. Then, Skulker punches Danny in the stomach.

- Getting slow too soon, kiddo.

- And you're getting old Skulker.

Danny grabs Skulker's arm and quickly twists it.

- What's the matter? You can take a dog ripping off your arm but not a simple arm twist?

- I'll show you…

- No, you won't – Danny claims blinding him with an intense light coming from his eyes.

Skulker moves backward with his hands in his eyes, roaring enraged, waiting for his eyes to adjust.

- Dude, you fell with the same trick three times in the same day. I can't believe that for a moment I got to think of you as real threat.

- You stupid child. I am Skulker, the apex of apex predators! I-

- You are hanging way too much with Technus - claims surrounding him with ten clones.

The Danny's attack him suddenly from all directions, easily overcoming him.

"Looks like he wasn't programmed to fight ten Danny's at the same time. Good thing I never overused my form duplication. Let's see for how long they can keep him busy."

The clones beat Skulker using their full strength, having the edge at the beginning of the fight, till he decides to take back pulling out his energy claws and starts stabbing them in the stomach, chest and head, one by one until there was only three clones left. He fights two of them unable to strike them, forgetting about the third clone that blasts him in the back using both hands to create a white ghost ray, sending him far away from the restaurant.

- Ok, that's one less… - the real Danny says floating above the racked restaurant, absorbing his two clones - for a while. Just five to go. But I can't just break in like that, this time I need a real plan. Let's see, Technus said their weapons had a short-life battery and Ember was the power source. So I have to get rid of her first before she starts playing her empowering music, but even though Spectra can feed on my pain and Skulker still has the energy he absorbed from me and the medieval duo doesn't really need her. Her energy is a bonus for them. So I guess it's ladies first - said Danny with his next movement decided.

Swiftly, the Fright Knight hurls a massive energy wave at Danny who rapidly dodges the attack only to become the prey of a herd of Technus' hybrids who easily put him back on the ground.

The threats counter indicates a number of 23 ghost-zombies.

- Ok guys, if you can hear me, I'm deeply sorry for this.

Danny kicks the hybrids he had atop enhancing his kick with his ghost energy and blasts the ones holding his arms, getting back on his feet generating a repulsion field, killing all of them.

The threats counter reads: " 23 Threats Eradicated. 4 Threats Left behind the subject" as his ghost sense streams out of his mouth.

- Four threats left? I thought there were just twenty-three…? Ooooh… right, them.

A sonic wave from Ember's guitar hits him in the back. Quickly he gets kicked in the face by Spectra, hitting one of the tables left in the place.

- What's this? Female solidarity?

- You can say that – answer both at the same time.

- You know I would love to fight you both but I have a schedule to keep. Tell me Gas, does this utility belt have that can be useful here? – He asks to in G.A.S.P.E.R. his head

- Yes it does.

A list of all the gadgets in his belt appears on his lenses.

– Oh, detonation cord, I love the sound of that.

In a quick hand movement, he produces an intense white glint from his hands that blinds Ember and Spectra, and pulls out a long metallic black rope from his belt very fast. Eagerly, he flies around them and ties them with it.

- You know, I think you girls are really bound to each other. Actually I think you make a really cute couple… you know, if we oblivious the fact that you are a cougar - said to Spectra - and you have a real need for attention - said to Ember. - But well, we all got issues.

Ember and Spectra wring in a vainly attempt to break free growling at him.

Danny cuts the rope's link from his belt, swings it and throws them away of the wrecked restaurant with all his strength. Seconds later the rope that binds them explodes.

"2 Threats Eradicated" reads his threat counter.

- You know, when you said you'll break their unity, I didn't think you'll be throwing them away like this.

- Well, what do you expect from me? I'm making this plan as I march, I'm improvising here. Besides, I like to keep it simple. Now, where is that stupid attempt of king and the rejected cast member from Sleepy Hollow? – asks, seeking around in the remains of the restaurant with is scanners and his infrared vision. And right away he gets struck in the face by Aragon's tail.

- You know, of all the peasants I have beheaded you shall be the one I enjoy the most.

-Ok, first of all I'm not sure you said it the right way - said on the floor fixing his broken nose -, and secondly, it ain't happening! - Danny phases into the ground and assaults Aragon from beneath with a bright blue ghost ray. – He seems much smaller now, just what I need, a size shifting dragon. Just hope he can't get even bigger than before. How much of this explosive cord do I have left?

- About 300 miles.

- Oh, I so love it.

The Fright Knight attacks him with a ghost ray from his sword as soon as Danny gets solid again.

– Ah, you do realize that you are fighting with a dragon here? – asks as he removes the wall chunks off his back. – I mean, you are a knight. You should fight him and not me instead, like, you are natural enemies.

- I admit this alliance with that scaled scum has me nauseated, but the sole idea of thrusting my sword though your heart as you exhale your last painful and mournful breathe… it makes up for anything – states as he approaches to Danny wielding his shield and brandishing his sword bursting in green flames. – Any last word, ghost kid?

- Gad! Gad! Gad! Gad's the only thing I can think of… Uh… you won't recite a poem about killing me or something?

- There's a time for reciting poems and a time for fists. As far as I am concerned, this was the latter.

- You know, I couldn't agree with you any more. Let's go fisting! Ok, that came up wrong.

In a fast movement they hurl at each other. Danny's fist glow green and smolder as he punches the Fright Knight in the face, dodging his blade.

He punches the Fright Knight again in the ribs and the stomach. This one punches him back even harder and knees him in the jaw with all his strength.

- Is that it? – Asks Danny getting on his feet with his hands burning in ghost energy and his mouth bleeding ectoplasm.

- Indeed! – Aragon emerges from above crushing him against the floor with his claws glowing white.

- Damn it, I can't go intangible! Fuck! I forgot you can do that now.

- Yeah, what a greater irony than a ghost that gets touched by another ghost.

- …Ok… I so don't like what you said and I think it's an innuendo for something I so don't want to be part of. If I could only…

Danny tries to break free but the dragon's grasp was even stronger now.

- You got stronger again?

- Yea. Who knew the armor made by this stupid craftsman works better… when I take a less ominous form - explains taking his dragon-hybrid from, strangling Danny with his claw.

- You might not be so ominous now but you're still uglier than hell - Danny joked striving to breathe. - And I know how to counter your little trick - claimed turning into a blue fog one more time.

But the moment he materializes he gets struck in the back by the Fright Knight, and falls on his knees.

His eyes glow behind the slanted eyes of the mask as he roars at them in pain and rage.

- I love when he throws us those spooky eyes - laughed the Fright Knight.

Furious, he bustles and strikes Aragon in the face with an uppercut, making use of all his strength and eagerly blasts the Fright Knight with a powerful streaming green plasma ray from his eyes, intensified by the convex form of the lenses.

- Great! I've never been able to do this before - said to his enemy. - If having a broken core means getting new powers, I guess ot doesn't look so bad, got it? "Look" so bad.

- God, suppress me now - muttered Gas in awe for such a bad joke.

- You fool. I'll show you what real power looks like - blurted the Fright Knight, getting on his feet despite the attack.

This one fights back with his own ghost ray vision.

Both forces struggle to overcome each other, but equal in power, the struggle was tight.

Rising his claws, Aragon attacks Danny in the back with his ghost stinger rendering him and easy pray for the Fright Knight's rays.

Victim of a powerful ghost stinger and a devastating ghost ray, Danny falls on his knees, roaring in pain. His goggles screen fill with static.

Concentrating his ghost energy in the form of burning plasma balls in his hands, Danny scorches Aragon's arm, and tosses him at his partner in crime.

- Ha, you got burned!

Moving hastily and completely healed, he attacks Danny with his razor sharp wings cutting the titanium nano-fiber and liquid diamond fabric of his suit with relative ease, leaving a shallow scratch in the titanium-daimond alloy chest piece.

- Wow. Ok, you got some seriously sharp wings, you know that? - pointed out with his suit regenerating itself. - But I got an amazing self-regenerative suit! Sweet!

- Hey Danny, look at this - said G.A.S.P.E.R.

- What?

- His wing, it lost it sharp when he cut the suit - said amplifying the image of Aragon's right wing on a microscopic level while analyzing his wings. - It appears his are made of organic metal but they don't have the same regenerative qualities than the rest of his body, or the suit or Skulker's armor. They're more like… dead tissue. Which sounds redounding since he is a ghost.

- So what? You are saying that if he cuts the suit enough times his wings are going to lose their sharp edge? - he asked dodging the Fright Knight and Aragon's blows.

- It sounds like a plan to me, sir. A very risky one if I must say.

- Which means it will work. All right, let's do this!

A barrage of energy waves comes from the Fright Knight, but he quickly dodges them, only to get stricken in the chest by Aragon and tossed around the walls. His strength was too much for Danny despite being twice stronger and he had to get him to use his wings on him to take away his edge.

- Ok, my turn - he yelled grabbing his arms and kicking his face with his steel boots getting free of his grasp. - Is that all you got? You know, I thought you were going to be a real threat this time, but the best thing you did was cutting my suit, and you couldn't even do that right. My suit is mocking you.

- You dare… to insult ME?!

- Yes… I sure do - mocked Danny looking at a live scan of his brain. - "Ha, dragon's brain the same as lizard's brain chemistry, equal to little thinking and a lot of anger to play him with." Come at me! See what happens! - yelled with open arms, waiting for his onslaught.

Aragon flies and assails him using his wings, striking and slaying him with all his strength.

Slay after slay, slash after slash… every cut was more deepless than the other. And with every attack his wings would lose more and more sharp until he realized he couldn't cut him anymore.

- Oooh, check it out. Somebody lost his edge by cutting through titanium nano-fiber fabric bounded with an alloy of regenerative techno-organic metals malleable diamond-hard liquid crystals.

- Don't forget the titanium-daimond chest piece - remind him Gas.

- And a titanium-daimond chest plate. Now all you got is your little dragon fire.

- I got more than that!

Flying at full speed, he strikes him in the chest taking his wind out.

The suit's fabric and the chest armor plating protect him from the worst part of the attack, Danny could still feel the terrible and devastating punch of the dragon king. The overwhelming force breaks the wall behind him and with a second blow he is sent through the wall.

- I say is time we get this done - he claimed assuming his dragon form.

- I agree.

Getting his air back, he seizes him hastily, getting inside the ruins of the restaurant, dealing dreadful blows that would prove lethal on other opponents but that can barely harm Aragon.

Using his tail, he bundles his neck and throws him at the Fright Knight.

- Be glad little champion. Not all of my foes get to die by my edge of blade – states walking towards Danny holding up his sword. - In fact, this honor is even greater as you get to be the first victim of my new blade, the first soul I shred with my new Soul Shredder!

"Damn it Danny, think, think, think. I can't dodge his sword forever, and even if I could, I can't fight with Aragon, not now he knows how to use his new power. Unless…"

Thinking faster than he has never done before, Danny finds a solution for his situation, and at the last second he pulls Aragon by the tail and uses him as a shield. The second the Soul Shredder gashes Aragon's body, he suffers the same fate of everyone who feels the stinger of the Fright Knight's blade. He is sent to a dimension he all his worst fears come to life.

The Fright Knight raises his sword over his head one more time thanking Danny for sparing him the need of doing it later, and swings it aiming for Danny's heart with no lateness, seeking for his demise, but his blade is hold still over the head of his prey.

With staggering reflexes, Danny grips the Soul Shredder in mid air with both hands, much to the Fright Knight surprise.

The two of them struggle with all the strength of their muscles, but Danny can scarcely hold the sword away from him as his foe barely strives for it to gash his flesh and slay his heart.

- It certainly brings some memories, doesn't child?

- Memories? Sure, the frost time I fought you. How could I forget that. If I only had a pumpkin near.

-But look around you! There aren't any pumpkins here to spare your life – states drawing his sword nearer to Danny's chest, forcing him to kneel down. - There is nothing to save you.

Pushing even harder the Fright Knight's sword gets closer to Danny's body.

Tensing his muscles, Danny uses his ghost stinger on the Soul Shredder, releasing such amount of electricity that not only the Fright Knight was unable to withstand it but also short-circuited his shield causing it to explode.

- Looks like you should stay in the old school. Honestly it suits you better.

- I'll admit it… You are a braver warrior than I ever thought you were – states the Fright Knight, wounded and lying on his knees. - But we both know that it was not me who affrights you. No, that who lurks in the darkest corners of your sleep, appalling your heart, and twisting your dreams into dreadful nightmares every night is someone closer to you, isn't? – Danny presses his fist angrily emanating ghost energy. – Someone you care deep inside your heart, but you refuse to believe what your dreams tell you, and what you've seen with your own eyes – the Fright Knight chuckles painfully, holding his ribs. – Denial is the greatest lie we can ever tell to ourselves, and the best way to run away from the fear and the truth, but you can only run away so much until you fall and finally realize that you never ran away indeed and that you never stand a chance of escaping, that you were always in the same place.

Rageful, Danny fires a white ghost ray at the Fright Knight, but he escapes in a herd or bats, teleporting away from him.

- Can I know what was all that about? – asks G.A.S.P.E.R.

- Not your problem - answered angrily - And most important, where is Technus?! Last time I fought them, he was there to watch me lose, but now he is not even here to do that. Like if he is not the one who wants my head the most.

- Maybe he's doing something else

- Like what?

When thinking what was Technus up to, his thoughts are abruptly interrupted by the roar of thunders.