Danny hated not having his powers. More so, he hated that he could feel them just beneath the surface but couldn't access them no matter how hard he tried. It felt a lot like what happened when he had that stupid Specter Deflector on a few months ago. He also hated how helpless he felt without his powers.

He really hated how nervous this whole situation was making him. Usually when he got nervous, his powers would take all that energy and turn it in to something creative, but with those suppressed the only thing he seemed capable of doing with all that energy was talk. To make matters worse, his constant chatter seemed to be annoying Chell more than anything else.

Honestly, right then he wasn't even worried that some random person he'd literally meet ten minutes before hand knew his secret. He was just worried that he didn't have access to his powers and he didn't have a damn clue where he was or what was going on. If nothing else, at least Chell seemed to know what to do, though he wasn't sure how much comfort he could take from that.

As she worked, Danny studied the odd gun in her hands. The few times he got a good view of it, he realized that it looked like the same technology that his parents built their ghost weaponry out of, just put to a different purpose. He wondered if it would be possible to use his ectoplasm to copy it. In the past, he'd been able to form an empty thermos whenever he needed one and didn't have it. Perhaps he could make his own gun like Chell's and become a bit more useful.

You know, as soon as he could access his powers again.

That voice that came from nowhere but was somehow everywhere chimed in again. "I always knew you wouldn't take well to company, but did you really need to scare the boy that much? He must have been petrified for it to take you that long. Anyway, on to the next chamber."

Danny shuffled around awkwardly in the small space for a few minutes. "Is this all you do? Solve puzzles and ride elevators?"

"Better than dying."

"Yeah, but haven't you tried to escape? You can't be stuck here by choice; I'd go nuts being stuck down here for too long." He knew a part of him was just rambling again, but he really did want to know if she'd made an escape attempt before. It might help him out later.

"This is my third time down here." Danny could tell that Chell really wanted him to shut up from the tone of her voice, but he wasn't ready to stop talking just yet.

"How are you down here for the third time?" Danny asked in disbelief.

"Extremely stupid mistake."

"How did you get out the first two times?"

"Blew Her up the first time, then I passed out and got dragged back down and put into cryo-sleep. She let me go the second time after I damn near got myself killed trying to stop a nuclear explosion."

"So it it's possible to get out?" Chell nodded.

The elevator came to a stop before Danny could ask another question, much to Chell's visible relief.

"I can't believe how long it took you to finish the last test. Really, you would think a pair of monsters would be used to moving faster than that. Then again, you did manage to slow the elevator down. Maybe you're both just too heavy to move any faster." Danny returned to glaring at the ceiling as he and Chell stepped into the next chamber.

"I'll tell you what, since the monster is so intent on scaring you, I'll let you access your powers for the next test. Maybe you'll move faster if you know you can fight such a horrible person." Danny happened to be in one of the computer's few blind spots when he smirked. Access to his powers was all he needed. If all else failed, he figured he could find some corner to stand in until he finally figured ought how to recreate the ghost portal using just his ectoplasm. The ghost boy had tried a few times before, but hadn't managed it yet. He knew it was possible, just hard as hell.

"Stop standing there," Chell barked, running forward.

Danny looked up and followed, watching her gun more closely this time. He didn't know how long he'd be allowed access to his powers, but he knew if he could recreate that gun before he lost them, he would at least have that.

As Chell stopped to examine the puzzle before them, Danny finally reached for his powers. At first, he started forming something like the portal gun in Chell's hands, then thought better of it. The gun she had didn't seem capable of actually shooting anything deadly and Danny wasn't too fond of not having anything that could actually deal some damage. He pulled up the mental image of the only ghost weapon his parents had that could hurt humans as well, forming the weapon in his hands and clipping it to his belt.

Chell just shook her head at him, then ran to start the test. Danny watched as she left, wondering how long it would take her to realize she would need his flight for-

Never mind. She had managed the impossible jump herself. Apparently there were more things possible with those portals than he had first realized.

Danny stared in amazement, then went back to what he was doing. As long as he had fully formed an object before his powers got cut off, he knew it would stay whether he had access to his ghost half or not. He figured he would have time to marvel at Chell's movements later.

The portal gun solidified in his hands, causing him to cheer wildly in his head. Even if he lost his powers again he would at least have the guns he had made. "Duck!" Chell shouted. Danny halfway ignored the warning, instead going intangible while he shot experimental portals at the walls. He did a barely audible victory screech when the portals formed and an ectoplasmic blast proved they were linked. He was so proud of himself that he didn't even register the bullets flying through his head for a fraction of a second before Chell took the turrets out.

He turned in time to see Chell go from glaring at him for not moving to staring in wonder at the gun in his hand. He saw the question flicker in her eyes before she shook her head, deciding not to ask. He thought he saw her mouth something, but decided not to worry about it seeing as he hadn't been able to make it out anyway.

Danny was still patting himself on the back when he heard the door opening. He looked up just in time to see Chell jumping the last gap. She looked down at him from the door, silently asking if he was coming or not.

He floated upward, meeting her at the door. Experimentally, he passed his version of the portal gun through the field, grinning brightly when it stayed intact. Danny walked through to the door, still proud of his achievements.

He didn't even realize his ghost weapon vaporized the second it came in contact with the field blocking the exit.

Look! A wild chapter has appeared!

Comments and feedback are as welcome as always! :D

Invisible One