SURVIVING THE TITANS!
By: GhostAnn
Chapter Twenty-eight: Final Battle
"When I'm done with this world there will be nothing left but an undefeatable ghost army." Slade swatted the annoying ghost boys that had been sending feeble attacks at his face and chest sending them crashing to the ground. He sneered, irritated.
With vigor he blasted Raven out of the sky, only to have to shake an itch from his foot, sending Beast Boy flying back. The Phantom boy was seriously resisting his control, the human in him keeping his mind stable. He lifted his foot to stomp on the ghost, his mind rolling with rage. He couldn't get a reaction from the device when he tried to use it on Robin anymore. The ghostly boy wonder didn't exist as far as the contraption was concerned. Slade hovered at the core of the large body, his form enveloped in the green ethereal light of ectoplasum. Frustrated he glared down at the device in his hand. His plan had shattered in to unrecognizable shards because of Amity Parks infamous Danny Phantom. None of his plans had realized the implications of the boy's influence on the Titan's actions. It was strange. They were supposed to have finished him off quickly and easily erasing the threat, but that hadn't happened, and with so little data on the boy he didn't have the ability to plan for his impractical antics. He'd indulged Vlad not realizing that the old badger had known all along that Slade was greatly under estimating the boy. He'd felt the cheese head slip away moments earlier. He didn't care. The older half ghost was nearly as frustrating to wrap his head around as the boy beneath his ghostly foot.
Slade went over the plan again in his head trying to figure out exactly when things started to fall apart. After he and Vlad had made their arrangement they had immediately started plotting against each other. Both knew it, but both put up with it in order to hold out for the end result. If things hadn't have gone so array… His fist tightened and the device in his hand buckled slightly.
The robbery was supposed to bring the Titans out, away from the Phantom boy. They were supposed to get distracted by the presence of the Treo. Loss focus on Danny as he was mind washed into stilling for them. Eventually they would set it up so Phantom was caught in the act. The Titans would no doubt see him as a threat and either capture or kill him. Vlad was insistent on making sure the boy was unharmed, Slade didn't care either way, and he knew there would have been nothing the halfa could have done or said to convince the Titans of his innocence. Then, Vlad could do his bit with his stupid woman, and Slade would take that moment to turn the tables.
However, the Triplets were caught. He was only momentarily irritated at that, knowing they would want to know why the trio had been there. Not surprisingly the Titans started looking at Vlad. So close, and yet so obviously unaware of his involvement. He and Vlad had both expected it, they knew the chip would lead them to him. But again, that ghost boy ruined the equation by being there. Was that it? Was it then his plans started to fall apart? The moment that the Ghost Boy had unexpectedly helped them at the robbery. He growled.
He hadn't thought anything of it. Robin was not a trusting boy. He never suspected that an alliance could form under such a short meeting- He looked up as the thought struck him. That was it! They must have met more than he'd realized! But how- when?
He snarled as he was pelted with annoying blast, the power around him fluctuating but still strong. The blast were ineffective, but they were also distracting. He needed to figure this out. He had to uncover his mistake- it wouldn't happen again. He'd make sure of that. His eyes narrowed on Danny Phantom as the young ghost child started to rise to his feet. That was it. He didn't have to discover what went wrong if he just destroyed Phantom.
Danny's eyes went wide as the round red eyes of the ghostly entity that was Slade looked down at him. "Phantom." The being hissed.
Danny couldn't explain it, but he felt like he was suddenly being targeted. Slade's anger washed over him, as if it were physically manifesting. "Hey." Danny felt himself saying his voice working even through the fear. "I'm not sure we've met. You are?" The ghost roared and Danny's hair flew back as a charge filled the hands of the giant ghost. "A-social. Got it." Danny took a shaky step back. His heart was racing. His mind already worn trying to fight off the control that… was suddenly not there? He blinked. Had the masked man stopped trying to control him? He swallowed. The realization not much of a comfort at the moment.
"Phantom!" Starfire yelled as the blast was hurled toward him, Danny threw up his hands a quick shield going up. First thing he felt was the heat, as the sound of his ghost shield cracking reached his ears. The blast shattered his weak defense and Danny screamed as the power enveloped him.
Swooping in with a blast from her rocket's, Valerie killed the attack. Slade shook his hands and glared up at her before glaring back down at the scorched ground. An annoying ghost boy missing from the destruction. It was time to finish this.
Black magic unwrapped from Danny as Raven set him on the ground. The boy was breathing hard holding his right arm. His body covered in scorch marks and scratches. "You okay?" Raven asked.
"I'll be fine." Danny said. "Is it me, or are we having no effect on this guy?"
Cyborg slid back blasting at the ghost, a large green gorilla-d Beast Boy flew back as he was kicked away, again. Starfire flew in complex patterns as she sent blast after blast at the ghost. Robin flew in for quick and sharp attacks only to have to retreat from Slade's counter swing. Raven sighed. "He's replenishing his power quicker than we can cause damage."
"Doesn't that basically mean we're wasting our energy attacking like this?" Danny asked.
Raven watched as all of her Teem was sent flying back with one flex of Slade's power. "What choice do we have?" She asked.
Danny looked around, he knew that sometimes when the cards were stacked against him, his environment provided exactly what he needed. "RUN!" Beast Boy raced past the two of them. Danny looked up watching in shock as Slade unleashed a large ecto ray that he zig-zagged across the unrecognizable garden they fought in. He flew up into the air, opposite of the way Raven flew as they dodged the attack. The energy cut through the building behind them, and Danny stared in horror as it began to crumble. "Mom! Dad!" He cried as he watched his parents began to fall with the crumbling walls. Shooting forward he raced to catch them. He grabbed his Dad by the shoulders and went for his mom, but as a large part of the wall fell between them Danny lost sight of her. Hovering for a moment he finally flew him to the ground, worried about his mother. "Mom!" He called. Looking around in panic. His father was leaning against the wall cradling his head. "D- Jack!" Danny shook his dad. "Did you see where Maddie fell?"
Jack looked up his eyes wide, before he shook his head, lowering his gaze. Danny growled looking back at the destructive ghost, his eyes glowing a dangerous neon green.
Vlad pulled to a sudden stop, the lack of the controlling tendrils that threatened to take over his mind caught him off guard. He turned off the engine and placed his head in his hand. Now that his thoughts were clear he couldn't believe he'd left. Were his faculties so weak that he failed to recall that he was not only leaving behind his lovely Maddie, but his ambition too? He could hardly believe that he would turn and run so easily. That Slade. He'd really done a number on him.
Scowling out the window he found himself caught in a dilemma. He knew Danny would never let any harm come to Maddie. It really would be wise for him to cut his losses and plan to plot another day. Yet, there was also the issue of pride. He felt ashamed, but more so he felt a fiery anger. There was no way in hell that he was going to let anyone get away with twisting his emotions and his mind like that.
Phasing out of the car he flew back to his mansion. As he came up on the battle he saw Slade cut across the destroyed garden with a lazier attack. As he watched the ray cut through his mansion he only felt a slight twinge of annoyance. However when he saw Maddie falling, his heart stopped.
Vlad swooped in landing next to Danny. "How could you rescue that oaf instead of saving Maddie!?" He growled at the boy, however he didn't get a response as Danny shot off with a sudden burst, and a yell. "I can't believe you!" Vlad snarled spinning around, planning to vent some of his rage on Jack Fenton. But, to his surprise, the man was not laying against the wall where Danny had left him. Instead Jack was racing out into the field of battle his Fenton Bazooka razed over his shoulder, yelling an indistinguishable battle cry.
Vlad sneered before jumping up into the air. Glaring daggers at his so called partner in crime.
Maddie rolled to a stop and coughed as the debris fell around her. "What happened? Jack? Sam? Tucker?" She called trying to fan away the dust as she stood. Looking up her eyes grew wide. "What is that?" She asked stepping forward. Walking up to the strange machine she examined it. "Shoddy work…" She scuffed examining the welding of the outer paneling. She walked up to what looked like the hub of the machine, where she found some papers.
Placing her hands on the paper she looked around nonchalantly for a moment before picking them up. "Hum… Interesting…" She looked up at the ray like contraption. "I wonder..." Stepping up to the machine she ripped the side paneling off and examined the wires. "Ah-ha!" Without another word, Maddie Fenton went to work.
Danny fell to the ground, skidding to a stop, his father was leaning up against a wall, thoroughly knocked out. "What do you think you're doing Daniel?" Vlad asked, his voice both annoyed and annoying. "Fighting him head on like this won't do any good."
"Oh yeah, and what do you suggest I do?" Danny growled glaring at his arch enemy. "You helped create this monster. You telling me you don't know how to kill it?" Danny looked back to the opposing specter shaking his head. "Why are you here yelling at me anyway? I thought this was all part of your plan."
Vlad sighed. "It's true, I conspired with Slade to raise an army to oppose the world governments in order for us, or me- once I exposed his weaknesses- to become the overload of all the world. But Slade wants to take it a step further. He wants to forgo the threatening of governments and just turn the world into obedient ghost servants. Creating an unstoppable army. Though, with the world controlled fully I don't know why he'd want an army. Besides, as much as I like obedient subjects I hate ghost more."
Danny stared at the older man, completely speechless. "I don't know whether to be shocked that there's a limit to your insanity, or appalled by your plan to rule the world." He finally said.
Vlad shrugged. "I don't really care. I fear I've been royally…. Baked, at this point. So you can call me a psychopathic cheese log for all I care."
"Yeah… I was thinking more along the lines of an insane, immoral, fruit loop, but psychopathic cheese log works."
Robin landed next to Danny panting, his eyes went to glare at Vlad. "What is he doing here?"
"Don't know." Danny said. "That masked guy is more important now though, he's not weakening at all."
"I noticed." Robin growled. "Slade. He's our arch enemy, every time we run into him, he gets that much more crazy. We actually thought he was dead… to be honest."
"Oh." Vlad said. "He is dead."
"What?" The two ghost boys looked to the older halfa shocked.
"You really didn't realize Daniel?" Vlad said, smirking, unable to hide his amusement. "He's a ghost- he has been the whole time."
Danny reached behind him grabbing the thermos stuck to his belt. "Than… we shouldn't have a problem containing him."
Vlad laughed. "Right, but with the energy he has now do you really think that contraption can contain him?"
Danny growled. "Again, Mr. Fruit Loop, what the hell you do you suggest we do then?!"
Vlad looked to be seriously thinking about it as he said. "Maybe, if we can hit him with enough power-
Vlad jumped back as Raven and Star fire came flying into their little huddle. "We could probably destabilize and damage him enough to begin beating him down." He finished.
"Sounds good to me." Robin said.
"Really?" Raven said shaking her head, joining the conversation without a beat. "Where do you suppose we're going to get that kind of power?" She shook her hood slightly pulling it back over her head as Starfire stood.
Just then a large blast of green energy flew through the sky careening into Slade. "Wow." Starfire said. "Where is such a power coming from?"
The group looked back to the mansion and watched as a wall collapsed revealing the large ray machine that Vlad and Slade had used to turn Robin into a ghost. "Whoo!" Danny pumped his fist in the air excited as he saw his mom standing at the controls. "Way to go Mom!"
"Maddie." Vlad said sounding amazed and relived all at once.
"That'll do." Raven said. "Come on. This is our chance." With that she took flight, heading right for Slade.
"Right!" Robin said motioning forward with his arm. "Cyborg!" He looked to his friend who had paused to watch the large attack surprised. "Beast Boy!" The green Titan jumped out of a hole in the wall shaking dirt off himself. "Let's put this attack into overdrive!"
"Arighty then!" Cyborg said cocking his arm canon. "I got the sonic! You bring the boom!"
"And I'll bring the furry fury!" Beast boy said before shifting into a large gorilla, pounding his Fenton Gauntlets together.
"Let's do this!" Danny shot off heading for the monster ghost's face.
"Don't forget about me!" Valerie called form her hovering sled. "I'm not going to let you guys take all the credit for bringing this thing down!" She swooped back to Tucker and Sam who were still sitting on what was left of the roof. "We're going in with all we have! Just fire anything you got at him and keep firing!" She yelled before she spun back around firing a large rocket at the ghost from her sled.
"Like we couldn't have figured that out ourselves." Sam growled pulling the trigger on her sniper like weapon, hitting the ghost in the chest.
"We got this!" Tucker said firing the Fenton Lipstick at the ghost.
The Titans volleyed an attack that ponded the ghost from head to toe. Slade's form faded and the entity that was Slade floated in the air in his more human form glaring daggers at them. "I will not let you children get in my way again!" He roared, sending a blast of energy at them. They all flew back from the force.
"Crap." Danny groaned. "We got rid of his big body, but he's still got a crap load of energy."
"I'm not done, not yet." The man- the ghost- growled, slamming his thumb down on the contraption still in his hand. Danny gripped his head in shock as the tendrils of control shot through his mind. "I will have order!" Vlad hit his knee's grabbing his head, pain crossing his features.
"NOOO!" Danny screamed falling to the ground curling up.
"Danny!" The others cried in shock.
"Ru-run!" Danny hissed, lifting his arm energy strong in his hands. "I- I don't want-" His face went blank as red eyes fell on Beast Boy.
"Oh, man!" Beast Boy whined. "Not again!"
"That's enough!" Robin through a shrunken, and it pierced the device in Slade's hand cutting it in half. Maddie sent another blast of energy at Slade, and it enveloped him.
"This is our chance." Raven said. "Danny!" Her eyes went wide as she saw that he'd passed out. Even if she could get to him she wouldn't be able to activate his thermos in time to capture Slade. But she had to try.
Flying forward she rushed to his side and grabbed the device. She looked up as the ray began to die. She fiddle with the device, not sure how it worked. "Come on! Come on!"
Her heart gave out as the seconds passed. She was losing her chance. Just as she thought it was too late a blue light shot up from the other side of the garden, and Slade screamed getting sucked into it. She looked down to see Jack holding a smoking thermos, breathing heavily. "Take that!" he said. "No sector gets away when Jack Fenton is on the case!"
"W-way to go dad…" Danny mumbled, a small smile on his tired face.
The others let out a cheered, realizing after a fraction of a second that it was over.
AN: This is the final Chapter.
I know it probably wasn't worth the wait, but I hope you enjoyed it anyway...
There is an Epilogue too so look out for that. :)
Thank you for reading all of this. It amazes me still that it was/ is so popular. It actually overwhelmed me... I mean... what if you guys don't like the ending?
That's a lot of people to disappoint, but leaving it unfinished was even worse... :( Sorry it took me so long to get it all out...