Chapter 10: One More Duet
Nat smiled to herself, sitting on her bed.
I gotta admit, Danny is pretty great to be around.
Her friends soon returned and started grilling her for answers about her date.
"So, how's it going, Mrs. Faker?" Ellie asks.
"It's Fenton, and it was just one date." Nat said.
"Tell me… was he at least a good kisser?" Susan asks eagerly.
"Well, I kissed him on the cheek so I wouldn't know. We grabbed a bite, talked, exchanged life stories and then danced to a street band. Danny also has an ex he's trying to get over, like me." Nat explained.
"Sounds like a keeper…" Ellie joked.
"Come on, Ellie. Danny's a cute guy… and unlike my ex, he's perfectly normal…" Nat said confidently.
A gloved fist that glowed green connected with its face. The emaciated creature was sent flying back, hitting the snow before getting back on all fours and making its inhuman screech and returning to its target
These monsters were out for blood, or flesh to be more exact.
A swift kick to the face knocked both of them at the same time sent both creatures tumbling back, and crashing painfully to the ground.
However, they recovered, got back up and looked even nastier than before.
"Darn it, these guys are like cockroaches. How the heck am I gonna get rid of them?" He asked before his ghost sense went off.
"Hey Dipstick.." A familiar voice was heard.
"You're kidding me..." Danny said as he turned his head saw a smirking Ember McLain. "I thought you left to go cause trouble in Amity Park?" He questioned.
"What? And miss out on us beating up these cannibal zombie things? Get real..." Ember said.
"Unbelievable, the one time I let her go, she sticks around..." Danny grumbled as he raised a ghost shield in time to block two pairs of claws attempting to tear into him.
"Aw, what's wrong? I thought we bonded really well last time. Need me to help you with this?" Ember teased.
"Not now, I gotta avoid getting torn up here..." Danny said urgently.
Ember then struck her guitar to send a fist at the beasts, sending them back.
"Busy with them again? They sure like to interrupt. And did they get uglier?" She snarked.
"Probably..." Danny said, while Ember smirked. "Why are you smiling?" He asked, not comfortable with it.
"Looks like this is gonna be our next duet..." Ember said, ready to get involved.
Before Danny could complain, the ghostly diva used her guitar as a club and managed to strike at one of the wendigos.
"I'd say no but I don't want to be their meal." Danny said.
''Glad to see you admitting you need me..." The rocker said with a smirk, before going back to business.
With a strike of her guitar, Ember sent the two creatures flying back.
"Whoa…" Danny went, mildly impressed.
"Don't mess with the guy I hate the least! That's my job!" Ember shouted.
"The guy you hate the least, that sure warms my heart." Danny said sarcastically. "Still, thanks. I guess..."
"Cool…" Ember went, walking casually to Danny. "Now that that's done…"
She was about to kiss him, only for a claw to grab her by the leg, pulling her up and tossing her aside.
The claw came from a slender figure, one that was covered in snow. After it shook the snow off, it was shown to be another emaciated creature.
"Another one?" Danny asks, blasting it in the head, disintegrating the top of and causing it to fall lifelessly.
As he let out a breath in relief, he saw it stand right back up.
In seconds, it grew its upper half of its head back, barring its gross teeth at him.
I better- He thought before they were cut off by the monster's actions.
Before he knew it, it leapt towards him. It was now on top of him, snarling down.
"Look, pal… I got one undead wanting to swap spit with me right now… and her breath isn't as rancid…" Danny said before phasing through the ground.
Acting like a wild animal, the Wendigo claws the ground, thinking it could catch up to its prey.
Danny glared at it.
"GRRRRHHHKKK!" It went, not seeing him.
"Time to send them home with some empty stomachs!" Danny said.
"On it, Baby Pop!" Ember said as she sent another fist blast and hit the beast.
It didn't stay down for long as it got back up and charged at them.
Danny sent a barrage of ice and ecto-blasts at it, hitting it square on.
"GRRAAHHHH!" Was heard as a screech as the beast hit a tree, pushed by Danny's attack.
"Don't leave yet, Ember and I are having fun together!" Phantom said as the wendigo fell facedown.
It tried to get back up and looked even more feral than before, if possible.
"KKKKRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The creature roared as it charged at him with its claws out, ready to tear him to shreds.
Before the creature behind could claw the back of his head, Ember struck her guitar and launched a fist-shaped blast, knocking it back.
Danny turned around, seeing this and realized Ember saved him.
"Uh… thanks?" He went, unsure.
"Don't be too thankful. Remember, you're not as cute if you're a corpse…" Ember stated before using her guitar to block the claw of one Wendigo.
Unfortunately, the sound of screeching was heard 3 more wendigos appeared, jumping down from the trees. The first 2 that attacked joined in, now making their total 6. The superhero frowned at the sight of enemy reinforcements.
"Oh come on, what is this?! Do I have a sign on me that says to eat me?!" Danny complained.
"Stop whining and help me get rid of these undead groupies!" Ember ordered, readying her guitar.
Seeing that they still had a threat to deal with, the two ghosts continued their unexpected tag team. They both faced the wendigos back to back.
"Remember, this does not count as a date!" He said, though he was ignored.
Danny fired a blast of energy at one, sending it flying back and snapping a tree in half.
The others came scurrying towards him but Ember was ready to deal with them.
"Hands off, I call dibs on him!" Ember said as she used her guitar as a club and hit the beasts.
As she began to beat the Wendigo's to a pulp, Danny couldn't help but notice her fighting prowess...and how...fierce she looks when she's fighting someone other than him.
"Huh...she's really strong when she fights someone else...why haven't I noticed that she's kind of ho- WHOA THERE, DON'T go there!" Danny snapped out of whatever he was in and focused on fighting the wendigos.
"I can hear you!" Ember shouted, almost amused.
Deal with things in order of importance...get rid of wendigos first, deal with whatever is happening with Ember second… He thought as he continued to fight against the beasts with his unexpected ally.
"Any ideas?" Ember asks.
"I'm open to suggestions." Danny said, readying for the worst.
"Try a duet? Maybe if we combine your Ghostly Wail with my best song, we can rock their world!" Ember suggested.
"Worth a shot." Danny admits.
Danny and Ember soon stood together as the many emaciated snarled and came running at them.
"Ready?" Ember asked, holding her guitar tightly.
"Wait a second..." Danny said, waiting until they were closer. "NOW!" He ordered and took a deep breath.
Danny unleashed his Ghostly Wail at the same time Ember released a barrage of her "fist blast" songs, hitting the many of them square on. In a matter of seconds, all but the two in the back were caught by the joined attack, each one slowly dissolving. The end result was almost all the wendigos killed upon contact.
Once done, there appeared to be nothing left. Although slightly weakened from draining himself, Danny stood up..
"We did it..." He said, not happy how much he had to use.
"You sure about that?" Ember asks, pointing ahead.
Danny's ghost sense went off as he saw what she pointed out.
Blue orbs of light were rising from where the creatures once stood, shooting up at the sky. After that, dark wisps of smoke rose, but instead flew in a different direction, towards the mountains. One remained behind, a pair of red eyes forming inside it to glare hatefully. Danny could somehow tell it was him that was the target of its rage. It then left with the rest.
"Where are they going?" Danny asks.
"Maybe where they're going?" Ember asks, pointing further ahead.
Danny noticed two had escaped, already further away than they expected, causing him to frown in irritation. He was too tired to keep going.
"Darn it, they got away..." He grumbled.
"Crud...it was starting to get fun too..." Ember muttered.
"You call almost getting clawed by a zombie thing fun?" Danny asks.
"You'd be surprised how boring it gets in the Ghost Zone with little to do. Why else do you think we cause chaos on Earth?" Ember asks.
"Huh, and here I thought torturing me was all the reason you needed." Danny said as Ember shrugged playfully.
"I'll admit it, fighting you can be pretty fun and there's not many challengers in the old GZ, but aside from world domination, that's not the only thing that brings me to the human world...I need some action. Besides, I do miss the days when I was human…" Ember admits.
"You were human?" Danny asks.
"No… I'm a monster who likes to pretend I was human despite that I clearly look down on them and it contradicts the whole idea of what a ghost is…" Ember went sarcastically.
"Nobody thought that… it's just… it's been a while since I recall a ghost with actual documented history on Earth." Danny admits.
"Are you for real? You actually forgot what a ghost is? Geez, I knew you were clueless but there has to be a limit..." Ember said.
"Alright, sorry..." Danny said, though he's not sure what he's apologizing for.
"Whatever..." Ember said.
Not sure how it came to me apologizing to her of all people… He thought.
"So, where'd you think that anything tall, gangly and ugly go?" Ember asks.
"Probably their lair. They're hunters, right? They must have a cave or something…" Danny reasons.
"Oh well, I guess this means we're alone now..." Ember said, wanting to make a move.
Danny stepped back and held his hands up.
"Hey, I already told you that I like Nat… and you're still too evil for me." He said as he felt his face turn red.
"And I already told you that I don't care on account of being the bad girl..." Ember said as she smiled wickedly.
"Can't this wait until I'm home?" He asks.
"Not a chance…" Ember admits as she steps closer.
"Just my luck…" Danny muttered.
"Besides, that sweaty hockey player is dating Danny Fenton. Danny Phantom is fair game, if I recall..." Ember said.
"I suddenly wish I went public with my identity..." Danny said.
"That'd just make you even more of a prize to me..." Ember said as she made her attack.
She grabbed the ghost boy by the collar and yanked him forward into a forceful kiss.
Danny flinched as he tried to push her off, but Ember responded by tripping him as she wrapped a leg around him and landed on the snow. From there, she resumed kissing him.
This isn't right, I gotta get out of this! Danny thought as he struggled out of her grasp but Ember had a strong grip on him, and wouldn't let go as she kept dominating his mouth.
After a few moments of resisting, Danny found himself getting lost in the kiss and stopped fighting. He even started to kiss her back, which the ghost rocker noticed.
Once he stopped fighting, Ember chose to deepen the kiss, almost as if the two were fighting with their mouths, and she was winning.
Once done, they parted, both panting.
"Nice..." Ember went as she got up, grinning wildly.
Danny blinked, pressing his hand into his forehead.
"What the heck just happened? I'm no cheater, so why did I...I..." He said, looking panicked, but Ember decided to take some mercy on him for a change.
"It's not like you're cheating on her since you're not a couple… besides, you knew me longer, so I should get first dibs." Ember said.
"Only because you tried to club me in the head with that thing!" Danny pointed out.
Ember only scoffed, not seeing that as a big deal.
"It's been fun, Baby pop, but I best take off. I'll be waiting for you back in Amity Park..."Ember said.
Danny was starting to get up.
"Wonderful…" He muttered.
That's when Ember grabbed him by the collar again.
"Maybe just one more…" She said before kissing him.
Danny was caught off guard and didn't even have time to register resistance. He just gave it. Once she pulled away, he had a stunned look on his face.
"Is it weird I'm getting numb to you doing that?" He asks.
Ember just smirked.
"Either that, or you like it more than you want to admit. Either works for me..."Ember said with a shrug.
"Of course…" Danny muttered.
"Ciao, baby..." She said before vanishing in a whirlwind of flames.
Once she was gone, he sighed.
"This is not the love triangle I always thought I'd be in. I thought it'd be me, one girl and some buff idiot…" He admits to himself.
As he was about to go, he noticed the deer once more.
The deer did not move for a while, looking at him strangely and not making any sounds, before going.
Danny didn't know what to think, he only shrugged before leaving. As he did, an owl watched him.
"Time to send more…" That dark voice went.
At the cabin
Danielle waited for Danny for so long, coupled with boredom of hearing Jazz talk, so she was now napping on the couch.
Jack and Maddie, having nothing else to do, watched over her and couldn't help but smile.
"Look at our little princess..." Jack said.
"She's adorable. But we should get her to bed..." Maddie said.
"On it, baby..." Jack said as he picked up the sleeping pre-teen and they carried her upstairs.
After placing the child in her bed, and covering her with a blanket, the mother smiled at her.
"She really is such a little angel. Remember the day she came into our lives?" Maddie asked as she placed a kiss on her daughter's forehead.
"Of course, I'll never forget it..."Jack said, as they recalled that day.
Flashback
Jack and Maddie were stunned when their son spoked to them after an hour of explaining things Vlad had done.
"You… were… cloned?" Jack asks.
"I was…" Danny said.
At the same time, the clone in particular was being hidden from them. She was listening from the kitchen, tears in her eyes.
"And… What happened to him after Vlad got lost in space?" Jack asks.
"She… has been homeless long since before then." Danny clarified.
Danielle listened in, feeling more anxious as this went on.
"What's her name?" Maddie asks.
"Danielle. Her name is Danielle." Danny stated.
Maddie looked ready to sob. She covered her mouth in shock. Jack wrapped his arm around her.
"It's okay…" He said to her.
"Mom?" Danny asks.
"That monster... that was my grandmother's name. It's what we were going to name you if you were a girl..." She said.
"I didn't know..." Danny said.
His great-grandmother was already gone before he was born, but Mom was very close to her, enough to want to honor her memory in a way.
It made what Vlad did even more despicable, since he probably knew how close Maddie was with her grandmother given how obsessed he was with her, but that was nothing compared to all the abusive and despicable things he tried to do to the poor girl.
Maddie, however, was livid.
"That creep. I knew that he was scum, that he was a lowdown, rotten, conning, misogynistic sociopath who cares for no one but himself...but what he did...cloning...creating a living breathing thing...and using them like some tool and then trying to...trying to...I can't even finish this sentence...no words are enough to describe how awful what he did is, and to someone who actually saw him as their father. I just can't fathom how any could...could..." Maddie said, looking angry and appalled that she can barely form words now.
"Mom...breath. He's gone now and he can't hurt her anymore..."Danny said.
His mother, however, still seemed troubled by something.
"Mads?" Jack asked, while his wife seemed hurt by something.
"Do you recall that day where I couldn't help with the original portal because I had an ache?" Maddie asks.
"Yeah." Jack went.
"I felt like... something was wrong. So, I called Jazz and Danny's middle school... and found out they both caught a fever. I raced over." Maddie said.
"Yes." Jack continued.
"So... if there was a third child out there... why didn't I feel the same way?" Maddie asks.
"Maddie... we didn't know about her." Jack reminds.
"Even so... she was brought into this world by a man who knew nothing of love... and never showed it to her... I can't... I can't just live with myself knowing she's out there. Even if she's not our child by birth... she never asked to be born this way. So... I say we'll take her in."
Upon hearing that, Danny smiled, relieved as he whistled for her.
"Come on out, Danielle." He said.
Dani remained in the kitchen for a moment, clearly nervous. Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself and gathered the courage to take the first step. She walked until she was finally in the room, finally presenting herself to the Fenton parents.
"H-Hi…" She said nervously.
Jack and Maddie were both stunned to say the least.
They saw a young girl, no older than 12, who looked just like their son, right down to the blue eyes.
She's the spitting image of Danny when he was little. Jack thought.
She's exactly what I imagined Danny as a girl would be. Maddie thought, stunned.
After an awkward silence, Maddie finally began to move again, approaching the young girl. A moment of staring at each other ended when the mother pulled the child into her arms, embracing her.
"Hello…" She said.
Flashback over.
As Maddie sighed happily at the memory, a figure phased through the door.
"Mom! Dad!"
Both gasped and aimed their weapons.
"GHOST!" They went in unison.
"It's me!" Danny said.
Both of them shared a quick glance before lowering their blasters.
"Sorry, Son. Too used to that being our reaction. Habit we haven't kicked yet…" Jack said.
"Uh… sure. Anyway, we got a problem…" Danny said.
Danielle, hearing them speak loudly, started to wake up.
"Huh… Jazz's talk about psycho-analyzing people got me to fall asleep. What's up?" She asks with a yawn.
"We have a problem…" Danny said.
"I think I know what it is!" Jazz called out from outside the room.
She was what was outside.
The sun had been setting, which would have been beautiful had it not been for what was outside at this moment.
One by one, they started to come out of the trees. At first it was 4, then 3 more, then 5. Soon, over a dozen creatures slowly made their way to the cabin, all of them with feral looks in their sunken eyes and misshapen teeth that were a dirty yellow.
"GRAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHKKKKK!" They all let out as they approached the cabin, looking for only one person. That person was Danny Phantom.
New chapter with thanks to Flower princess11.
Aiming to finish this before end of February.
Also, feel free to add tropes to its page.
RonaldM40196867: Yes, they should. No spoilers. Nope. Most likely. She's basically a statue now, pretty too look at, but nothing more. I think it can work... to an extent. At least Maddie is. He didn't expose it here, going with the alternate idea only those at the North Pole know. Yes he does. He won't. We shall see.
Themetavoorhes1996: Nope.
Invader Johnny: We might meet those friends.
pokemon fan 1991: Thanks.
Leonardo: I have, actually. I have all of them planned out, I just haven't drawn them yet.
SuperiorBatman1: You're welcome.
Matt: Sounds spooky.
SoundVenom: Okay.
