Jazz's lungs were burning and her heart was pounding. The end goal was in sight; the front door was just ahead. After what felt like hours of running through corridors, they had finally reached their destination. The redhead was grateful for the ghostly GPS running beside her. The blinking light on her HUD alerted her to the suit's low battery. She had to turn off the assisted movement to save some energy. It's been going off since they had left the basement and she hoped for it to last until they got to safety. Jazz burst through the doors like a bat out of hell; Johnny followed swiftly behind her.
Jazz has never been so happy to see the green sky of the Ghost Zone before in her life. She zipped down the steps and almost collapsed at the bottom. Jazz considered herself to be physically fit, but running around in a metal suit took a lot out of her. The teen cranked up the oxygen levels blowing out of the helmet vent. Her muscles loosened up as more air flowed to the needed tissue. The redhead glances back at the castle doors with a concerned expression on her face. I hope Danny is okay.
Johnny trudges forward with Kitty in his arms; the woman was getting heavier and heavier with each step. The biker ghost was seconds from collapsing in exhaustion. He wanted to sit down for a moment so badly. Though Johnny saw his own goal standing near the bridge. The fatigued ghost weakly glances up at his second half. Shadow is just as drained as its master, having endlessly roamed the hall looking for an exit.
"The fuck took you so long," Johnny huffs, falling to his knees.
Shadow stares down at the ground in shame of failing his mission. Johnny's dreary sea-green eyes look up at his shadow.
"What are you waiting for? Get back in here."
Shadow flies back into his other half's body, fusing the two souls back together. Johnny could feel some power returning, but the tank was still basically empty. Daniella was sleeping against the bike when 13 approached her with Kitty in hand. The pale ghost's eyes flutter open and her hand immediately goes to cover her mouth at the state of Johnny and Kitty.
"Johnny!" she yelled out, standing up to greet the duo.
She helps the biker gently place the unconscious Kitty on the ground before hugging the man tightly. Tears ran down her face as she embraced her savior. Johnny was only able to bring one arm up to hug the ghost back.
"Let's get out of here," she whispers.
"I can't."
Daniella pulls away and glances up at the worn-out man.
"Why not?"
Johnny looks back at the recovering Jazz with a solemn look on his face.
"Not until the kid shows up at least. I owe him that much."
Daniella shifts her gaze to the unknown figure.
"What? Who is that?"
The pale ghost widened her eyes when her undead ones made contact with Jazz's lively blue ones.
Daniella grabs Johnny's hand to pull him closer to whisper, "She's a human!"
Johnny nods slowly to signal his acknowledgement, but he doesn't budge on leaving Jazz by herself. Daniella glances down at Kitty for a moment and decides to change her approach.
"Your girlfriend needs to get help! What about Kitty?" she spoke loudly. "Let's just leave."
"DON'T YOU THINK I KNOW THAT-" Johnny cut himself off and lowered his tone. "They are going to bring Kitty to a hospital that treats ghosts in the living world."
"And you trust them?"
"They're my only choice. Look, if you wanna leave then take my bike and get outta here."
"NO. I am not leaving you, Johnny," Daniella insisted.
Jazz walked over to the unfamiliar girl and Johnny; she was wondering what they were talking about. The girl gave her a displeased look and strided away with her arms crossed. The redhead stopped a few feet away from 13 and gave him an awkward smile.
"Friend of yours?" she asks blankly.
"Yeah."
"How's Kitty holding up-"
"GET DOWN!"
Jazz was cut off by Johnny grabbing her shoulders and pulling her away from the castle. She let out a yelp at the sudden reaction from the normally cool biker. Jazz falls on her back with a thud and Johnny jumps on top of her without any explanation. Having gotten through the terrifying experience with Malucard; she really didn't want to be touched by anyone at the moment, especially a guy. Before she could express her concern, a large explosion caught her off guard. Jazz felt like she was in a real-life bouncy castle with how the eruption rattled her vision. Ringing was the only thing she could hear at the moment. Everything was moving in slow motion. The castle had quite literally erupted sending concrete in all directions, with every crash of rubble the ground rumbled underneath.
13 was glad Shadow was able to shield Kitty in time; Johnny peeks at the black blanket covered girlfriend of his. He wasn't paying attention when Jazz pushes the biker off and jumps to her feet. She could only stare in horror at the now destroyed castle. The building was missing its entire front half, having been completely erased by the explosion.
"Danny!"
Jazz was about to rush forward when Johnny grabbed the woman's hand.
"Are you crazy?" 13 scolds her.
The redhead wasn't having any of it and yanks her arm away from the biker. She takes off in a full sprint toward the burning castle, hastily dodging falling debris.
Danny stirred awake and rolled to his side. How am I still alive? At first glance, the burning structure around him told a different story. Phantom coughs and waves the smoke from his face. He wasn't injured but even attempting to stand was a difficult task. When he finally managed to get to his feet; the smoke was even thicker and the teen couldn't see five feet in front of him. The whimpers and cries of injured gremlin could be heard in the distance. At least Danny knew he was still somewhere in the castle.
Danny treks through the broken fortress with his head on a swivel; the teen was looking for any escape options. This damn smoke he cursed to himself. A hint of green shines through a break in the fog like the light at the end of the tunnel. That's the Ghost Zone! It has to be! Danny marches forward with new determination. He climbed over and under rubble on the hunt for the exit. The halfa got his wish when he came face to face with the swirling green sky of the Ghost Zone. Danny felt like crying tears of joy; he's never been so happy to see such an awful place, in fact the teen was seconds from kissing the ground he stood on.
Phantom steps to the edge and glances down at where the stairs were, it was replaced with a ten foot drop to the castle grounds. Danny was about to make the jump when he heard someone calling his name. He peered out to the horizon and saw his sister frantically waving her arms and yelling to him. The teen let out a sigh of relief at seeing Jazz alive and okay. He descended the small fall and made his way over. Jazz immediately put him in a rib-crushing hug before pulling away to scold him.
"That was your brilliant plan? Never scare me like that again!"
Danny gave her a goofy smile and replied, "It worked, didn't it?"
Jazz rolled her eyes and playfully punched her little bro's shoulder. Leave it up to her brother to come up with some crazy plan like that. Danny waves at Johnny and the biker gives the halfa a thumbs-up, even he couldn't help but be happy that the little brat made it out okay. The teen glances back at Pariah's Keep, which was quickly reshaping ground zero into the castle it was before. Later wolfy, see you never.
The nightmare wasn't over for the group. Dark clouds formed above them and the roar of thunder came next. Danny didn't see any lightning though, which gave him the idea that the sound they heard was not thunder. Phantom thought he was dreaming. Blood rained from the skies before his very eyes. The dark liquid quickly covers everything in range; Danny had to wipe his face multiple times to keep the blood out of his eyes.
"Danny?" Jazz whimpers, terrified of the scene unfolding around her.
"I don't know," Danny replies honestly.
The front doors of the castle are about to be replaced when Malucard stops them from closing; his two massive paws keep the heavyset doors open with ease. The beast steps out into the light with a menacing snarl.
"So not even that killed you? Your perseverance impresses me. BUT look around, you have nowhere to go, and a rodent is nothing without its hiding spots."
"I'm right here!" Danny shouts impulsively.
"Good. Because I'll make sure the next one kills you."
Danny stood his ground before the massive werewolf. He rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck in anticipation of the fight. Being out in the Ghost Zone gives Danny the space and light he needs to kick Malucard's ass. A new burst of energy crawled out from his body. He could go a couple more rounds. He was sure of it. At least until Jazz and Johnny can get out of here. The teen took a wobbly step forward and crumbled to one knee. He was breathing heavily all of a sudden. His muscles were burning like he had taken a dip in magma. Danny's exhaustion had finally caught up to him. The halfa clenches his teeth as he attempts to stand again but to no avail. In the heat of battle, Phantom had forgotten about his human side and how much of a toll this fight has taken on it.
"Your confidence betrays you," Malucard informs with a chuckle.
The werewolf began to charge up another destructive attack. Danny was struggling to move faster than an inch a second. He dug deep inside of himself and tried to take off. He crashed back to the ground instantly and to add insult to injury, he reverted back to his human form. Dammit! Focus, Fenton! He attempts to transform but the hero is truly depleted. The rocks around him start to vibrate from the intense pressure of Malucard's charging cannon. Danny's hair was flowing in the winds that began to pick up. Any effort is futile; he was going to die here at this rate.
"JAZZ! RUN!" Danny shouts to his sister.
At least she won't be caught up in the blast was Danny's thought process. But Jazz was paralzyed in fear of the monster in front of her and his overwhelming power. She's never experienced anything like this. The blinding sight was a slap to her own mortality. The redhead couldn't escape even if she wanted to. There was no escaping this.
Malucard unleashes his deadly beam towards the group. Danny shuts his eyes in the face of imminent death, not wanting to accept the bleak reality. The teen felt a gust of wind on his face, but paid it no mind, and waited for his death. Nothing came. There was no immense heat or pain. A loud sound and a grunt was the only thing Danny heard.
"Open your eyes, child!"
The teen did as he was told and was greeted by Fright Knight, a powerful foe in league with the Ghost King. Or at least the back of him. The armor clad knight was currently deflecting Malucard's beam with his infamous sword, Soul Shredder. Danny noticed the once unibeam was now being split in two by the wondrous blade. A couple of seconds went by and just like that the attack was over. Fright Knight's blade was white hot for a moment before cooling down to its original onyx color.
"Stand up, boy," the ghost commanded, not taking his eyes off Malucard.
"FRIGHT KNIGHT!" the beast growls viciously.
"Silence, monster. You will keep my title out of your filthy mouth; you may refer to me only as your executioner."
Malucard's hair stood on end as he hissed at the ghost. Danny was confused to say the least. Fright Knight pops out of nowhere and suddenly Malucard is addressing him as if they've beefed before. The halfa was pretty aware of everything that went on in the Ghost Zone; a fight between these two ghosts would not go unnoticed. Danny was pulled out of his trance by the sound of fighting. Fright Knight and Malucard were exchanging swings with blade and claw. They were a blur as both opponents rushed to gain the upper hand against the other. The ghostly swordsman was graceful in each strike, creating a defensive bubble within his fighting stance. Danny imagines anything that comes through that circle ends up dead or severed. Malucard, though tired, manages to defend against the onslaught of attacks aimed at his vitals.
Malucard, too occupied dodging and blocking the blade, to notice green flames arising off the sword. The beast howls in pain and jumps back, clutching his scorched shoulder. Red blood drips from the wound onto the ground. Danny was baffled by the fact that Malucard bled red instead of the usual green that ghosts do. But that didn't matter at the moment. Fright Knight had him on the ropes. Danny has to help him finish Malucard off. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. But what could the teen do in his feeble state. He couldn't even transform anymore.
The werewolf narrows his eyes at the knight and scoffs, "Fine. Keep your crummy castle."
Malucard began to sparkle and slowly vanish before their very eyes like a werewolf under the moon in one of those sappy romance movies. The act had Fright Knight annoyed but unphased, while Danny saw red. How dare this animal think he could simply leave after causing so much suffering. After what he did to Kitty and said to his sister. Danny was about to say something when Fright Knight put his hand up, and for some reason the halfa listened. Malucard glared at Danny for a moment before he vanished.
"We'll meet again, rodent."
The eerie silence of the Ghost Zone returns and Danny completely embraces it. The battle was finally over, though it didn't feel like a win. The teen took a deep breath for what seemed like the first time since arriving at this dreaded castle. Johnny steps forward and shouts out what everyone was thinking.
"Why the fuck did you let him go?"
Fright Knight ignores the ghost and sheaths his sword. 13 stomps up to the ghost with a snarl.
"Do you even know what he's done in that castle? What he did to Kitty!"
"I was not ready to fight him."
"I don't give a FUCK if you were ready or not! You had a chance and you didn't do shit!"
"I didn't see you throwing any punches," the knight replied nonchalantly.
Johnny stops his verbal assault and glares down at the ground in shame and irritation. He stuffs his hands in his pocket and makes his way back over to Kitty and Daniella.
"Why didn't you finish it?" Danny suddenly asks.
"Like I said, I wasn't ready. If I had rushed in then I would have been defeated."
"It didn't look like that from my view."
"Malucard has another ability. A powerful one that he's keeping hidden for whatever reason. And until I force him to use it then I haven't truly backed him into a corner."
Danny stayed quiet. So he was holding back this entire time. Malucard was right, his confidence did betray him. Instead of using the opportunity to escape, he stayed to fight an overly powerful enemy that he knew nothing about.
"Though, this is the first time I've seen him so weakened."
Danny looked at the passing knight who was heading towards his winged steed.
"What's your story with Malucard?" Danny questions.
"A long one that I don't have time to share. I must prepare for Malucard's return. But I will tell you this; you won't survive another encounter with him, or the others for that matter, in the state that you're in."
And with that he took off on his midnight black steed into the swirling green sky. That left the group in overwhelming silence. They all dodged a bullet with Fright Knight showing up, but it seemed that no one wanted to verbally acknowledge the certain death they had just escaped. Danny did the first thing that came to mind; he limped over to Jazz and wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug. She had become the halfa's anchor to reality during this adventure and he was unsure of what he would've done if harm had come to her. The redhead stays silent and returns her brother's hug. The older sibling had a lot to unpack when they got back home.
Though the mission wasn't over yet. Danny still had to bring Johnny and Kitty to the paranormal hospital back in Amity Park. He had promised the biker and it was the least he could do for the ghost after he kept his sister safe. They have a long stretch of road ahead of them. Danny wasn't looking forward to flying all the way back to his basement portal. The teen could barely move without choking for air; he definitely had a cracked rib. A blue wisp came out of Danny's mouth and the boy immediately sighed.
"Looks like you're in a bit of a bind."
Danny glares at the goggles-wearing doctor. He would honestly rather anyone else. In fact he was about to start wishing and hope Desiree blinked this nuisance out of his sight. Fuck the consequences.
"What do you want?"
"To return a good deed with another good deed," Doctor Monty declares.
Danny scoffs, "Please, because teleporting us out of that hellhole wasn't a good deed?"
"Sorry but there were problems that required my attention."
Danny wasn't buying it but he didn't care at the moment. He just wanted to know what this weirdo wanted.
"So what's this good deed?"
"You allowed me to go home so I'm gonna make sure you get home."
"An escort? No thanks. You stick out like a sore thumb and I don't want any more unwanted attention," Danny waves off.
"Oh heavens no! The protection racket is not my line of business," Monty defends. "But this is."
The doctor waves his hand and a red door appears beside him. It's the exact same door the group saw in the basement.
"A one way trip back home. A pretty sweet deal, wouldn't you say?"
"Hold on a minute. How do I know there's not an oversized meat grinder on the other side of that door? I don't know if you noticed but I don't exactly trust you."
"That's not unreasonable but you got two sick women, your sister, this gentleman, and yourself that you got to get back across the zone. And you're not looking so hot. I say you don't have much of a choice, but to make you more comfortable I'll stick my arm in first," Dr Monty exclaims.
The group watches the man open the door to reveal a blue portal much like before, and he pushes his arm through with no hesitation.
"See? No grinder."
Danny pushes past the man into the portal, 13 and Daniella carry the unconscious Kitty through next, and Jazz follows after them with a nod of thanks at the doctor.
"And Jazz?"
The redhead glances back at the waving stranger.
"Look after your brother, eh? He has a hard head but is a good fellow all the same."
Jazz cracks a smile and waves her goodbye at the man before stepping through. There was a blue flash and the woman was instantly back in her basement. She found it weird that Danny or Johnny was nowhere in sight. Jazz deactivated the suit before stepping out; she ran up the stairs calling for her brother. Not a single soul in sight. Jazz peeks upstairs before turning her attention to the front door, it was ajar. The redhead glances outside to see Danny giving directions to Johnny; the two shook hands and nodded their appreciation for each other's help. 13 peered up and gave a wave to Jazz before riding off down the street.
Jazz crosses her arms and smirks at her younger half, "No warnings or threats? That's very mature of you," she insisted.
"Hey! I keep good on my word," Danny rebukes.
"I'm proud of you, lil bro. Today was crazy and you handled it like an adult."
Danny pulls his sister in for a side-hug and laughed at how Jazz was still able to turn this into something about responsibility. They turned to walk back inside and maybe get some rest when a van screeched to a halt in front of their house. And out jumped a pair of angry parents and concerned friends.
"DANIEL FENTON! YOU ARE IN SO MUCH TROUBLE!" Maddie shouts.
"Uh-oh. Well it was nice knowing you, Danny but I just remembered I had some leftover homework for college," Jazz whispered as she bolted up the front steps into the house.
"JAZZ! Don't leave me here!"
Danny reaches out for his fleeing sister but is pulled back by an infuriated mother. He had totally forgotten about his parents during the events at Pariah's Castle. And how much shit he was about to get in for leaving the hospital without telling anyone. Fate is so cruel; for the boy to escape one monster to encounter another at his own dwelling.