Things weren't going well. They had to focus on Klarion and getting the crystal ball but the assassins were stubborn and insistent. Every time the heroes turned their backs, they risked getting hit. Ron kept charging at Klarion but more often than not, Klarion would blast the teen away or turned to smoke and reappear elsewhere in the room. Valerie didn't have the room on her hover board to fight someone, let alone a highly skilled and trained ninja going for the kill. She was struggling to keep up with her opponent. Artemis and Kaldur were fighting a losing battle too. Three against two.

"We might need some back up," Artemis muttered over the mind link.

Suddenly an agonised cry interrupted the fighting and Danny Phantom phased through the ceiling, falling to the ground limply. Klarion paused and grinned at the halfa.

"Finally. Phantom, finish these heroes off," Klarion cheered. Danny groaned, shivering in agony as he pushed himself up. Kaldur watched the halfa worriedly, but it was obvious that the ghostly teen was in no fit state to fight anyone.

"Teekl is the cutest pussy-cat ever," Kaldur recited calmly. He couldn't allow Danny to fight in his condition. The halfa would get hurt.

"How did you hear that!?" Klarion exclaimed in shock. Artemis and Valerie shared a look across the room.

"Teekl is the cutest pussy-cat ever," the chorused together.

"Teekl is the cutest pussy-cat ever," Ron repeated. Danny flashed them the smallest smile of gratitude before his knees buckled and he collapsed to the ground again.

"Phantom! Explain!" Klarion snarled angrily.

"I wrote it down and gave it to Jake to read," Danny automatically answered, too exhausted and in pain to even consider resisting. The agony in his chest was slowly fading but it had left him completely spent. And yet, he knew he had plenty of ghost energy to fight with.

"Bad Phantom! You're not meant to be that smart!" Klarion scolded.

"What's wrong with him?" Cheshire inquired, noticing that the halfa wasn't acting like normal. Klarion paused in his angry rant to look at the halfa and frowned.

"I dunno know. Phantom, answer Cheshire," Klarion muttered, secretly concerned about the health of his newest pet and the Light's weapon.

"I dunno know. My chest is so painful. I couldn't focus enough to use my powers," Danny answered slowly. Klarion blinked.

"That's why you didn't come? Because you couldn't use your powers. You weren't purposefully ignoring me," Klarion realised, his tone clearly wanted an answer though.

"Yes master," Danny confirmed softly.

"Why is that happening?" Cheshire demanded to know.

"Might be my elevated energy," Danny admitted, giving the female assassin a weak glare.

The unofficial truce was interrupted when Danielle, Zatanna, Kim, Wally stormed into the room to offer their teammates back up. Wally ignored his painful ankle and used his super-speed regardless. The three ninjas instantly charged at the newcomers and Cheshire resumed fighting Kaldur and Artemis. Ron glanced between Danny and Klarion before charging at the Witch Boy once again. Kim and Wally engaged the ninjas while Danielle and Zatanna sprinted to Danny's side.

"Danny!?" Danielle exclaimed worriedly.

"Are you hurt?" Zatanna asked with concern. Danny shook his head.

"No. Actually, the pain in my chest is finally fading," Danny muttered. Zatanna and Danielle helped the halfa to his feet, supporting him as his knees threatened to give way yet again. They began to walk Danny out of the room, out of danger.

Suddenly Klarion shouted in alarm. Danny glanced back and instantly wished he hadn't. The crystal ball was in mid-air. The same crystal ball he had been ordered to protect. Danny was running before he even realised it. Kim tackled Cheshire and Kaldur ran to help the college girl hold the assassin down. Two of the ninjas had been knocked out and Wally was dealing with the last one. Artemis pulled her back-up bow out of her quiver, her primary one snapped by Cheshire early in the fight, and notched an arrow. She took a second to aim and fired the arrow directly at the crystal ball. Only that's not what happened. Danny, bound by the spell to protect the crystal ball with his life, jumped in between the arrow and the crystal ball. Instead of crystal, the arrow plunged into the teen's body. Artemis gasped in horror as Danny fell to the ground. The arrow had embedded itself in his chest, right through his left lung and heart.

For a split second everyone was frozen in horror before something smashed. The crystal ball was broken. The black energy escaped the ball and swirled through the air for a moment before rushing towards Danny. There was no telling what that corrupted energy could do to Danny.

"No! Wolb that ygrene kcab!" Zatanna shouted. The energy faltered for a moment before rushing forward again and engulfing Danny. The energy plunged into Danny through his wound, gasping mouth, eyes, ears and nose. Nothing seemed to happen but then Danny began to shake and tremble like he was having a seizure.

Danielle sped to her adoptive brother's side. She dropped to her knees beside him but she didn't know what to do. His eyes were rolling in their sockets, flickering between green, blue and black. His mouth was foaming with spittle tinged black as he gurgled on blood from his flooding lung.

"Help him!" Danielle screamed desperately. Klarion huffed and crossed his arms, sulking. Cheshire, Kim and Kaldur were frozen on the blue mats, mid-wrestling match. Ron's blue aura had dispersed as he watched in horror before running to Danny's side with Wally. Wally tried to hold the spasming halfa down while Ron carefully pulled the arrow out of Danny's chest.

Ron quickly pressed his hands down on Danny's wound as it pooled with green blood.

"Does he have a heartbeat in ghost form?" Ron asked Danielle, trying to stay calm. Danielle was crying silently as she nodded.

"B-but it's w-weak," she choked out between breathless sobs. Ron gave a curt nod before putting his head on Danny's chest, ignoring the blood seeping into his hair.

"Keep him still Kid Flash," Ron ordered.

"I'm… trying! He's strong!" Wally grunted as he fought Danny as he spasmed.

"Go, I got her," Kim told Kaldur and the Atlantean got off Cheshire and ran to Danny's side and helped Wally to hold the halfa down. Ron frowned in concentration as he listened intently for a heartbeat. He breathed a sigh of relief as he heard a single weak heartbeat.

Suddenly a blast of green energy erupted from Danny, throwing everyone gathered around him away. A strangled yell escaped the halfa's mouth as green energy surrounded him. The green glow shone so bright that everyone transfixed in horror was forced to look away. The light faded and Danny was still. Danielle's eyes swam with unshed tears as she watched her unmoving brother. She was terrified that he had died from a combination of the corrupted energy, injury and elevated energy. Maybe his human half had given up. Maybe all that pain in his chest was his human heart failing. Maybe resisting those orders, intentionally or not, had damaged his brain. Maybe the magic had reacted badly with his ghost side and caused it to destroy itself. She was so scared but she daren't move closer to find out the truth.

Artemis was frozen in horror at what she'd done. She hadn't thought about her actions. She grabbed the wrong arrow. She meant to grab a foaming arrow to cushion the crystal ball and trap it away from Klarion. But she grabbed the wrong arrow in her rush and pulled out a normal one. Now she injured and possibly killed a friend. She felt sick. She felt disgusted with herself. But she couldn't move. Zatanna was crying silently. If she had tried harder. If she had used a different spell to stop the energy combining with Danny. Then maybe the halfa wouldn't be hurt. He wouldn't be lying on the ground covered in his own blood, completely, sickeningly still. Ron, Wally and Kaldur stared at the unmoving halfa. They were all covered in green ghost blood from trying to help the halfa. But they failed. The crystal ball broke and may have caused Danny's death. Kim kept her grip firmly on Cheshire's arms. Her weight on the assassin's back didn't waver. This woman was the reason Danny got in this situation in the first place. Cheshire kidnapped Danny from that Guys in White base. Klarion may have cast the spell and ordered Danny to protect the crystal ball, but this woman put Danny in the position where Klarion could get what he needed for the ritual to cast the spell.

Valerie stared at Danny in horror. So many nights, before the disasteroid, she had dreamed of this. Seeing the ghost she hated and blamed for all her misfortune, unmoving in a pool of his own ectoplasm. But now… she knew. She knew that this ghost was not her sworn enemy. He was her friend. One of the few people that actually reached out to her in her time of need. It wasn't meant to happen like this. She was meant to save him. She was meant to make amends for her wrongdoings. But… she failed. Valerie's breath caught in her throat as her emotions began to overwhelm her. But then she gasped. From her vantage point above the horrifyingly gory sight, she could see something no one else noticed. His chest was completely healed.

I love cliff hangers.

Dead or unconscious? What do you think?

What do you think will happen next?

Let me know what you guys think of the story so far.

Until the next chapter.