This chapter title bodes well.
Review replies;
LightandDarkness Warrior: Indeed. Thanks for reading!
SOLmaster: Well, Jimmy's fun to write, so that might be a reason. :D Thanks for reviewing!
TweenisodeOrange: Not necessarily... Thanks for the review.
Zim'sMostLoyalServant: Thanks for that, I put a lot of effort into the fight scene. Thanks very much!
Chapter Eight: The Fall
The block outside Axion Labs was crowded, but the crowd was thinning. With the Warlord's army closing in on the area, civilians were being bussed out (again) to the city limits. This left a gathering of amateur ghost hunters, the Guys in White and a couple of squads of marines.
Danny, Sam and Tucker watched the assemble from behind a dumpster on the other side of the open block.
"Look, I know we need the help," said Sam, "But are you sure walking straight up to every ghost-hunter in town is a good idea?"
"No, not really," admitted Danny, "But we don't have any other options. Come on."
He stood up and walked into the open area.
"Freeze!"
In about two seconds flat, half the Guys in White, the Fentons and a few other ghost hunters had surrounded them, weapons drawn.
"Yeah, hi," nodded Danny, waving pathetically, "Look, I know you guys have problems with ghosts and all that, but, uh, maybe we could, um, put our differences aside to..."
"Danny, stop," grunted Sam, "You're embarrassing yourself."
"...right, sorry."
Sam walked to the front of the group.
"Sam, what're you..." began Maddie.
"Listen," she said, "I know you're ghost hunters, and I know Danny's a ghost. But you need to look beyond that. Right now, the Warlord is tearing us apart, and we need to stand together if we're to have a hope of stopping him. We need to forget about humans and ghosts, we need to forget about all our differences, and we need to unite as one."
She raised her fist.
"Now who's with me?!"
The Guys in White cocked their weapons.
"...well, I tried," shrugged Sam.
"Danny Phantom," snapped Operative K, "You are under arrest for collusion with an enemy of the United States..."
"...I told you, I'm not working for the Warlord!" shouted Danny.
"...theft, vigilantism, vandalism and flying in a no-fly zone," finished K, ignoring Danny's protest, "You have the right to remain silent..."
"INCOMING!"
There was a loud crash as a large, tan battle tank slammed into the pavement, the turret torn off on impact. Seconds later, two more tanks were thrown over the buildings to the left of them, one of them slamming into a GIW jeep.
Jack, Maddie, K and O wordlessly turned to a marine sergeant, who was gazing grimly at the tanks.
"Hoffmann," demanded K, "What was that?"
"Those tanks were guarding our perimeter, sir," replied Hoffmann, "In due respect, I think Eagle Hawk might be-"
At that moment, six massive ghost tanks rolled into the open area and everything went wrong.
The Guys in White and their allies turned to face the tanks, while Danny ran for the Ghost Assault Vehicle (parked outside Axion). Sam and Tucker ran after him, calling out.
"Where are you going?" shouted Tucker, muffled somewhat by an explosion caused by one of the tanks.
"The RV!" replied Danny, "There's gotta be something to stop the tanks in..."
He felt a jerk against his shoulder and span around. Maddie had caught him by the arm and was aiming a blaster at him.
"That is our vehicle, spook!" she boomed, unaware of the tank aiming it's gun at her, "I'm not going to let you..."
"Mom, look out!"
The tank fired.
Danny shoved Maddie away from the blast but was caught on the edge of it himself. He was blown forward, crashing face-first into the pavement.
Somebody called his name – he couldn't tell who.
Danny's ears rang as he pulled himself off the pavement. His vision swam, and he could see a trace of stained white and blue underneath him. He saw a muted explosion and what looked like the Ghost Assault Vehicle flipping into the air.
He realised he was in human form, and tried weakly to go ghost again. He failed, and instead elected to run deliriously away from where he thought the tanks would be.
He never noticed Sam and Tucker behind him, and he most certainly didn't notice Maddie a few feet away, watching him, jaw dropped.
"Heh, now the elevators work."
Fletcher stood in one of Stark Tower's elevators, heading for the parking lot. He stared into the mirror at his reflection. He was very much worse for wear – one of his suit sleeves had been torn off, his tie was loose and his top button undone, and he seemed to have managed to pick up a black eye – how, he had no idea.
If the director could see him now, he'd probably be dead. His part of the Agency always were sticklers for cleanliness.
Fletcher's plan was quite simple. He would get to the parking lot, drop Stark's phone there and leave the Warlord's men to scratch their heads about it. He'd then slip through Manhattan, find an evacuation centre and hopefully get back to the Valiant before anyone missed him. Simple, easy and nobody had to get hurt.
Then the elevator doors open, and Fletcher found himself standing in front of the Warlord himself. The ghost stood on the opposite side of the underground parking lot, arms crossed.
"Where is Phantom?" he demanded.
Fletcher stepped cautiously out of the elevator, dropping the phone.
"Repeat the question?" he asked, trying to stop himself from shaking.
"Where. Is. Phantom?"
Fletcher looked around the parking lot, trying to stall for time.
"Yeah, yeah, before we do that, how'd you get to here from Amity so fast?"
Exit ramp? Too obvious...maybe I could duck back into the elevator...
"If you must know," replied the Warlord, "I can fly."
...no, he'll get into the elevator. No ducts, and even if there were, the roof's too high up...and even if I did run, he could go to the roof and stop them from escaping...
"Additionally, the portals allow me to quickly get from one of my conquests to another...and you're stalling, aren't you?"
There's no way out of this.
At this realisation, Fletcher's fear seemed to vanish, replaced by a strange calm.
"Who are you, human?" demanded the Warlord.
"Agent Dorian Fletcher," replied Fletcher, pulling out his badge, "CIA, Temporal Division."
"Where is Phantom, Dorian Fletcher?" the Warlord asked again.
Fletcher smirked.
"Warlord, I have absolutely no idea."
There was a long silence.
"Then this was a ruse," nodded the Warlord, "The Phantom isn't in this city, is he?"
"You don't know where he is?" sniffed Fletcher, "Well, some all-powerful conqueror you are..."
"I have many powers, omniscience isn't one of them," replied the Warlord.
He looked down at Fletcher.
"Surely, Dorian Fletcher," he growled, "You didn't come down here expecting to defeat me?"
"Honestly, I didn't come down here expecting to see you at all," replied Fletcher, "But I can slow you down."
"Then by all means," said the Warlord, lighting his fists with ectoplasmic fire, "Slow me down."
Fletcher reached into his jacket and pulled out his pistol.
"With pleasure, Warlord."
The SHIELD Quinjet had landed on the roof of Stark Tower, and a couple of agents were escorting the group into the large aircraft.
Suddenly, over the sound of the jet engines, Timmy could just about here a series of loud bangs from far below, followed by a roaring jet of flame.
"What was that?" one of the SHIELD agents asked.
"Nothing, come on," replied a colleague, "We have to go..."
"Oh, Dorian," whispered Timmy, looking at his feet.
The Warlord turned away from the wreckage of the elevator and began to walk away.
"You know what your problem is?"
The Warlord turned back to the elevator. A weak voice was emitting from under the rubble – he could just see Fletcher feebly leaning out from beneath one of the doors..
"You come to our world," Fletcher said in a raspy voice, "And the first thing you do is threaten us."
"Your civilization is weak," snarled the Warlord, "Your cities are..."
"You see, that's the thing," interrupted Fletcher, "You see humanity as cities and history and civilization, but we're not like that. You're threatening our homes, our friends, our families, and you expect us to just lie down because you're more powerful than us?"
He chuckled hoarsely.
"You don't know anything about humanity, Warlord."
The Warlord leant down over Fletcher.
"You can be saved from destruction," he offered, "I can offer you a place in my army, marching at the side of the greatest soldiers ever known. I can give you immortality, Dorian Fletcher – what do you say?"
Fletcher paused for a moment, as if in thought.
He then laughed right in the Warlord's face.
"Join you?" he wheezed, "You want me to join you? Ha...go to hell."
He closed his eyes and his head fell back.
On the top of the tower, the Quinjet lifted off, flying away in the light of the setting sun. Down below, the police and army were beginning to retreat – Manhattan Island was falling.
It was a scene that was being repeated in Moscow, Beijing, Canberra and Amity Park. The Warlord's army was just too strong and too large, and there was little that could be done against them.
In Amity Park, Danny had run as far as a hill in Casper Park before he collapsed from exhaustion. He lay against a tree, looking over the wreckage of what was once downtown Amity Park. He buried his head in his hands.
"We can't stop him," he muttered to himself, "We just...can't stop him."
"No. You can't."
Danny looked up. His eyes widened at the slightly-transparent figure in front of him.
"No...no, it can't be..."
"But it is, Mr. Fenton," said the Man in the White Suit, "I believe it's time for a heart-to-heart..."
AN: I was going to have a scene with Jimmy and co and with Atkinson, but that'll have to wait until next chapter. I just ran out of time.
Also, when I said I'd bring back as many characters as I could, I meant it. :P