"You need to exhaust your powers," Sam said to Danny. "Then it'll have nothing to draw from."

"But isn't that how it gets my energy from me? After all, it came after I shot into the sky," the ghost boy questioned of her. It didn't make any sense to him.

"Yes," Sam told him patiently. "But-"

"What you need to do," Tucker interrupted. "Is use your powers to weaken it. It won't be as strong, and you won't have any energy for it to drain off of."

Danny nodded thoughtfully. "That makes sense." He floated a few inches above them, ready to start the plan. The sooner it started, the sooner it ended, and the sooner that these people would be safe. "So all I have to do is… blast it, basically."

Both Sam and Tucker readily agreed, but there was a tint of nervousness and anxiety in their body language. They didn't want him to go; they wouldn't be able to do anything to help from down there.

After a moment's hesitation, the ghost boy took to the sky. "Wish me luck," he smiled faintly, before he was gone.

"He'll be fine," Sam assured Tucker, but it was more for her peace of mind than his. "He always comes back."

DPDPDPDP

Come on, Fenton, Danny urged himself, taking deep, unnecessary breaths. There was no guarantee that this would work, but he had faith in Sam and Tucker. He had to; it was their only chance at stopping… whatever this thing is.

His arms were starting to tire, but Danny couldn't bring himself to do it. There was something stopping him, forcing second thoughts into his head. With a sigh of resignation, the ghost boy lowered his hands to his sides. He could feel the worried gazes of the onlookers beneath him, asking to know what was wrong.

Then, his eyes went wide and he clapped both hands over his ears.

"Get out!" He yelled. "Stop trying to manipulate me!

The water ghost paused before replying. "I'm not doing anything. Whatever thoughts you are having are your own."

Danny glared, his voice deadly serious and eyes glowing a poisonous green. "Shut up! I can do this! I can- I can…"

"You can do what?" The creature laughed. "I am a part of you. Destroy me, and you'll destroy yourself as well."

The glow dimmed and Phantom dropped his head. His hands balled into fists and he began to shake with some unknown emotion. The water ghost noticed.

"Ah," it said, as if it had solved an ancient mystery. "But you knew that, didn't you, ghost boy?"

"Yes," Danny ground out, gritting his teeth until his jaw ached.

The creature grew, leering over the small form of its creator. "Yes what?"

Phantom didn't speak. The ghostly aura around him grew brighter, more intense. When he looked up, his eyes were twin orbs of flickering blue fire. Again, he raised his hands, pointing them directly at his opponent.

"Yes…" His face was a mask of effort and concentration. "I… can!"

Azure flames burst out of his hands, licking around his skin for a few painstakingly slow seconds, before they were propelled forwards. Danny was left dangling limply in the air, looking utterly drained, but the fire barely did anything to the water monster.

It laughed.

DPDPDPDP

"Is that all?"

Sam let out a small grunt of frustration, casting her eyes to the dark sky above. Why wasn't it working? Instead, their little plan had backfired. Danny was weak and exhausted, completely defenseless. Even as she watched, the ghost boy dropped a few feet closer to the water

"Danny!" She heard Tucker cry, but she was frozen in place. "Wake up, dude!"

He fell again, but as that happened, the water ghost also seemed to… shrink? Yes, Sam decided, it was definitely getting smaller.

"Tuck," she gasped, pointing to the fight. "Look- it's not as big now!"

Sam saw her friend squint slightly through his glasses, before his eyes widened in hope.

"Do you think-"

"Yes!" Sam interrupted, a large smile making it hard for her to speak. "It's working!"

DPDPDPDP

Danny had a slightly different opinion. Yes, the monster was getting weaker, but the ghost boy knew that he wouldn't last much longer either. With one last push, Danny shot the rest of his remaining energy at his opponent.

That was it.

The cut in his side dug in deeply, causing his body to fold in on itself as he fell. Small, stinging tears hurt his eyes, and his mouth opened to scream as he hit the water. It felt worse than being thrown into a building- and he knew from experience how much that hurt.

The current pulled him strongly beneath the waves, but there was thankfully no sign of the water ghost.

I did it, Danny thought with a smile as he closed his eyes. The urge to change forms was tugging eagerly at him, like a young child who just wanted to play, but Phantom knew that if he allowed himself to morph into Fenton, there would be absolutely no chance that he could survive. At least Phantom didn't have to breathe.

Too tired…

Blearily, the boy opened his eyes. The water around him was stained a strange green, almost a brown, but it glowed fluorescently. His wound wasn't healing how it should. Some of the blood, directly in front of him, was a bright orange.

Never seen that before, Danny thought with a touch of humour. Still now, the young halfa was discovering things about himself that he would never had expected under normal circumstances. But… the orange patch seemed to be getting bigger.

Phantom's mind went into overdrive, screaming at his unresponsive limbs to move, but it was futile. All he could do to ward off the oncoming attack was slam his eyes shut. Maybe it I can't see it, it can't see me.

Danny couldn't even find the energy to flinch in surprise as a large pair of arms wrapped themselves around him, dragging him to the surface.

He couldn't move, not even when he heard both his friends scream his name in panic.

AN:

hey! pale-blue11 here!

Finally! :D That stupid fight scene is finished! Did I mention how I just can't write fight scenes? You probably noticed -_- but now what's happening to Danny? }:)

So big, big, BIG thanks to everyone who reviewed, favourited and/or followed :) If anyone's interested, Some Mistakes Are Permanent is being worked on! :D I'm halfway through the next chapter, and quite happy with the progress :)

And, ataylor8, I can do that for you :) Not a problem! Thanks for the suggestion :)

Please review, favourite and/or follow this chapter :) You guys are the best! :D

Have a nice week! (lots of smiley faces in this AN :P)

pale-blue11