11/28/24: I have a small section, about one page of this written. I had a vision of Sam and had to write it down.
12/3/24: I'm so excited for this chapter that I absolutely could not wait to post this…I'm almost done with another chapter in a day, so I'm still pretty much at a 2 chapter cushion, still.
This is a big chapter and a big event chapter so strap in!
SamXDanny, you ready for this?!
Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom.
–
Chapter 26: Echos of the Past
–
"Alright, we're passed the deadline. Everyone ready?" Danny asked, looking around the living room. For this battle, Danny had changed into his signature black and white hazmat suit with the stylized 'DP' on the front.
He received nods and 'yes's'. "Okay, I'm going to teleport with the twins and take them to Clockwork. I should be able to get them there and get back here with time to spare. You guys make sure everything is ready for when shit hits the fan."
"We'll be ready," Jazz assured him, handing him his daughter.
Danny placed her in a sling on his chest while his mother put Jackson in a sling on his back. This would free his hands in case the worst happened and he needed to fight to get away. Maddie packed a warm water bottle in with her grandson to minimize any chance of him getting fussy and giving himself away, though Danny was already sure the teleporting was going to freak them out.
Maddie gave the infant a quick kiss on the forehead before coming around Danny and nodding. The young man gave them all a grateful smile before he tapped his core and prepared to teleport.
Teleporting as a ghost was easy; the power limited the distance the person could go if they needed to breathe. The farther one teleported, the longer one had to hold their breath. Now that Danny was a full ghost, he could technically teleport anywhere on Earth, though that would drain most–if not all–of his energy to do so. However, with the infants and their small lung capacities, the distance was quite limited. Thankfully, his parents' home was within that range.
He wished he could simply teleport to a place in the Ghost Zone, but that was something he couldn't do even on his own; one could not teleport directly into another dimension. Once he was there, however, he could teleport to any location if he truly wished. However, he wasn't going to risk doing it twice with his children, and the power took quite a bit of energy, draining his core noticeably each time he used it. He was going to need every ounce of energy he could spare for the coming fight.
With a final glance, he teleported. The Fenton's lab lit up a brilliant green, smoke puffing into existence before suddenly Danny was there.
Once his children caught their breaths, they started screaming. He bounced a little, pulsing his core in a rhythm he found relaxed them. After a minute they calmed again and he went over to the portal, pushing the button to open it. Without further delay, he dove in.
–
It didn't take long for him to reach Clockwork's tower. There was no wind per se in the Zone, so Danny could fly as fast as he wanted without worrying about the air hitting his kids in the face. Even at breakneck speeds it felt as though they were standing still. It was an odd sensation.
Because of his quick flying, he made it there much faster than last time. He entered without preamble and went to the room where he'd met the time ghost before. Clockwork was waiting for him and Danny's brows rose when he noticed the bassinets and toys.
"I cannot expect to keep them for a while without human comforts," the time ghost explained.
Danny could have sworn he sensed some embarrassment from him, but let it go with a smile. "It's perfect," he responded.
The young man pulled the pack from his shoulder and set it down. "There's formula and diapers in here." He then looked at Clockwork inquisitively. "You do know how to feed and change them, right?"
The time ghost shifted to a child form. "I have watched many videos on the subject. I believe it will be adequate."
Danny chuckled. "Alright." He reached into the sling in front and pulled Aurora out. "Do you have a cold or a hot core?" he asked, almost unbelieving that he didn't know that information.
"I can have whatever core is needed for the task."
The young man's brows furrowed in confusion. "Really?"
At Clockwork's nod, he shrugged. "Okay. This is my daughter, Aurora." He held her out to Clockwork who left his staff floating beside him and gingerly took the infant.
The time ghost looked down at her curious eyes and smiled, shifting his core to cold. He held her a moment longer before placing her in one of the bassinets.
"I'll need help with Jackson," Danny said, turning so Clockwork could see the sling on his back.
The child ghost shifted into an older form and gently pulled Jackson from his sling, shifting his core to hot to keep the infant comfortable. He bounced the cooing baby gently.
Danny smiled as he took the slings off to leave here. "You really have watched a lot of videos. You're a natural."
"I am your guardian, and therefore by extension, I am theirs," he said as if it were obvious. "I will keep them safe. Now, I hate to rush you along, but if you do not leave now, you will be late."
Danny took that to mean exactly what it was meant to: Mira was on her way. He nodded, giving his children quick kisses on the forehead, and nodded to Clockwork. "Thank you for this."
The time ghost smiled. "Go now."
–
Danny flew to their predetermined destination; an abandoned part of the city with narrower streets to try and keep Sam from shifting into her dragon form. It was likely Mira's man had told her his family had left the house and had come here. He also knew she would feel his signature there.
The sky was dark with thick black clouds. It was cold enough that if the clouds opened up, it would snow. Lightning occasionally streaked across the sky, thunder following soon after, a rare thundersnow event.
He touched down, spotting his family hiding in their positions. He was getting ready to go make sure they had everything they needed when he felt his ghost sense go off. Clockwork had been right on the nose.
The young ghost turned and felt the signature get closer before it stopped somewhere ahead of him. Mira materialized at the end of the street, arms crossed over her barely covered chest, long hair cascading down her back and shoulders to her cocked hip. "You disappoint me, Danny."
"Yeah well, I'm used to being one big disappointment," he quipped back.
"I expected better from you. Now I have to waste all this energy coming to teach you a lesson," she growled.
"Are you angry I missed the deadline, or are you angry you can't find them?" he asked, knowing he struck a nerve when she sneered.
"You may have snuck those brats out from under me this time, but you can't hide them forever!"
He could feel his ghost sense going off like crazy as they were surrounded by half ghosts. It set him on edge. "Why don't you face me alone? Or are you too scared?" he challenged.
Mira rolled her eyes. "That time will come, but not today. Today, you will feel the sting of losing your family. Then, when you have nothing left and you're a shell of yourself, then I will come."
She disappeared into invisibility and he growled. "Face me you coward!" he yelled, but she was gone, her signature falling back. "Damnit!"
Jazz and Tucker ran up to him, the pair shrinking a bit when Danny turned his glare on them. "Why aren't you still hiding? They're everywhere."
"There's too many for you to fight," his sister countered.
"And we're pretty good fighters, thanks to you," Tucker added.
The ghost sighed before relenting. Then his ghost sense triggered again, and he felt his core flare as it recognized her energy. His brows drew down. "Sam's here."
They all looked around before Tucker pointed up at the rooftop above where Mira had been and spotted a dark figure there. Lightning flashed behind her, and they caught a glimpse of her; long black hair whipping in the wind, black trench coat flowing around her, eyes like flaming pin pricks of blazing amethyst light. Her dragon wings flared ominously behind her.
"Good Lord, she's scary," Jazz commented.
"What are you going to do?" Tucker asked, uneasy.
Danny clenched his fists and set his jaw. "Whatever I have to."
The married pair exchanged a worried look. "You have the syringe?" Jazz asked tentatively. Vlad and Bruce had drawn up a drug concoction that should stop Sam's heart within seconds.
Her brother patted the pocket of his hazmat. "I do."
"Are you sure you don't want to try and use the dart gun?"
Danny shook his head. "With her speed, she'll block it and then she'll know it's coming and won't let me get close. I have to get to her and do it myself."
"Remember, once you inject her we have to wait four minutes before we can revive her," she said. He simply nodded.
Jazz watched him, unable to keep the worry off her face. Her brother would do what he had to in order to get Sam back, but she also knew he'd die before he'd let Sam die. They already saw what he would do in order to kill the Headmaster, so she worried over what he'd do in order to save Sam. "Just…be careful," she said sadly.
This time the ghost took his eyes off Shade and regarded his sister. He saw her pensive, almost terrified look and instantly knew where her thoughts were. He deflated some, before pulling her into his chest and wrapping his arms around her. Jazz brought her arms up, hands and head on his chest.
"I know what you're thinking," he said in his deep voice. "And you're not wrong." Jazz felt a stab of fear go through her at his words, hands fisting in his shirt. "But I have Jackson and Aurora to think about as well, so I will do everything in my power to make sure we both go back to them."
He felt his shirt start to get wet from her tears. He felt awful for being the cause, but he couldn't sugarcoat his words. He reached down and gently kissed her head, allowing her some time before pulling away.
"I'll keep Shade busy, the rest of you tackle the other half ghosts." His sister and best friend nodded, Tucker reaching out and ushering Jazz away.
Danny heard a fluttering and looked up to see Shade gliding down from the rooftop. She landed lightly and observed him from a distance for a moment.
A heavy snow began to fall.
"You must have really pissed Mira off to send me after you," Shade said finally.
"It's not like you aren't itching to fight me anyway," Danny snapped back.
She shrugged. "You aren't wrong." She then crossed her arms. "She wants me to hurt your family and leave you broken so she can kill you later." Her stare darkened. "But she underestimates how much I'd rather kill you myself."
The snow fell in thick fat flakes, the white crystals a stark contrast on Sam's dark hair and black trenchcoat. Danny smirked and opened his arms. "I'm all yours," he said.
It was all the invitation she needed. Shade charged forward, reaching down and pulling her ghostly sword from its sheath. Danny made his own, the light bouncing off the snowflakes and creating a blinding light that shone in every direction.
At the same time, the other half ghosts descended and Danny could hear his family and Vlad engage. He wanted to protect them, but he knew he needed to trust in their skills. He also knew the best way to help them was to keep the most powerful of them–Shade–focused on him.
Their swords met with a clang, Shade pulling back and swinging again. Danny deflected the blow, kicking out and knocking her off balance. She growled, flapping her wings and throwing snow in Danny's face, momentarily blinding him.
He grunted when he barely parried a swing of her sword, the sharp weapon cutting a thin line in his shoulder. He spun away, charging up and throwing an ecto-blast encased with ice in her direction. It landed at her feet, spraying frozen energy in all directions and creating a curtain through which she could not see.
She growled before taking a chance and dropping to the ground. It was the right move as he flew through the air right above her.
Danny halted his flight, annoyed he'd missed grabbing her, and spun back around just in time to meet another swing of her sword. They held their swords there, each pushing against the other. Shade was strong, but when it came to brute strength, at least in this form, Danny won. He pushed her back, her boots slipping on the icy asphalt. Her wings flared behind her for balance.
Shade glared, gritting her teeth, before flapping her wings to gain height away from him. She snarled in defiance of his strength before brandishing her sword with a flourish, spinning it once and then holding it out to the side. Flames ignited in her hand, spreading up the hilt and down the blade.
–
Meanwhile, the rest of them were dealing with more than a dozen half ghosts with varying types of powers. Jack was…well Jack and had gotten throw happy again.
"Duck!" Tucker yelled when a half ghost came flying at him and Jazz. He went sailing over their heads and landed on a car.
"Dad!" Jazz yelled before yelping and ducking again when yet another went over her head.
"Sorry, princess!" Jack called as he squared off with another enemy.
"For goodness sake," the young woman said before turning around and watching as Shade's sword lit up in a fiery blaze. "Did she just light her sword on fire?!"
"Damn, that's cool!" Her husband said.
Jazz smacked him in the back of the head.
Vlad was dispatching enemies fairly quickly, his full ghost status giving him an edge. Though he'd changed his ways, he had no qualms with permanently ending the half ghosts.
Bruce and Dash were doing their best to stay out of the way. Dash was new to all this and Bruce was a doctor, not a fighter. But trouble found them anyway, a half ghost barreling towards them.
Dash pushed his dad back and met the enemy head on, throwing and landing a punch in the face. The half ghost reeled back, glaring and holding his jaw. He didn't get much time to recover before Dash ran into him, pushing him back into the wall of a building.
The former jock tried to hold the half ghost there, but the enemy had powers and was starting to charge an ecto-blast. Dash knew he wasn't fast enough to get out of the way and braced himself for the hit.
"No you don't!" Vlad swooped down and turned Dash intangible, making the shot miss, before grabbing the half ghost and dispatching him quickly.
"Thanks," Dash thanked shakily, his cheeks tinged green. He wasn't desensitized to that kind of violence.
A loud boom drew their attention to the battle between Danny and Shade.
–
Shade and Danny were in the air now going blow for blow with their swords, flames and sparks flying from Shades'. The heavy metallic clangs rang out across the city, the noise reverberating through the streets despite the dampening effects of the heavy snowfall.
It was getting hard for the others to see them through the near white out conditions, only truly knowing where the pair were by the flashes of green and violet.
Shade and Danny were again locked with their swords together, Shade slowly losing ground no matter how hard she pumped her wings. All the exertion was starting to make her right wing ache.
Finally, she pushed off and flew back, conjuring a fireball in her hand. She threw it, but Danny was quick and sent an ice blast. They met in the middle, exploding in a deafening sound that sent shards of ice in all directions.
Tucker covered Jazz, wincing when shards hit him. "Two heavyweights fighting over your head is not fun!" He shouted.
Shade lowered her arm from shielding herself with a snarl. "I'm done playing games!" she growled. Her eyes blazed, but Danny was prepared, just as he was last time.
Once again, Danny sent out a powerful shockwave from his core, a sound of something snapping and then going quiet before the wave rushed out in an earth shattering boom. Windows exploded, snow fanning out in a dazzling display.
But this time she was also ready. While it did knock her back, she made sure she was high enough that she could right herself without hitting a building. She flapped her wings hard, wincing as the right one smarted, and stalled her fall.
"I bet you can't do it again," she said with a smirk.
Danny looked at her in surprise, not only because she recovered quickly this time but also because she was right. He wouldn't be able to amass enough power to do it again in time.
Once again, her eyes blazed amethyst, power gathering. The wind whipped around her, snow creating a vortex.
Danny turned and shouted: "Get out of here!"
He had hoped Shade would decide against her dragon form in this smaller area, but she apparently didn't care.
Her form was engulfed in light before growing huge. Her wings, now much larger, created an intense downdraft that caused those on the ground to fall over. As the light dissipated she roared, everyone yelping and covering their ears to try and protect them but they popped anyway.
She snapped her jaws closed, deadly glare set on Danny. She felt satisfaction when he flew off instead of engaging; she could smell his fear.
And she was right, Danny was afraid, but not for himself. He wanted to get her out of the area and away from the rest of his family. His fear was for them.
Shade didn't take the bait, instead setting her sights on Jazz and Tucker, who hadn't been quick enough to run when Danny had shouted his warning. The pair noticed her attention and panicked.
Tucker turned around and shoved Jazz ahead of him, knowing neither one of them had the means to fight her. Jazz stumbled, but regained her footing, grabbing her husband's hand as they desperately ran.
Shade was quick. She dove towards them, ignoring the corner of the building she knocked over, and was on them in seconds. They turned, trying to go down an alleyway, but the dragon's paw shot out, throwing them both to the ground. Jazz yelped when she hit her head and Tucker grunted when his back slammed against the wall.
Shade opened her maw, head snapping out to grab Tucker and crush him between her fangs. The dark-skinned man shouted, arms coming up in a futile attempt to protect himself.
It all happened so fast that at first, Danny hadn't even realized Shade hadn't followed him. At Tucker's shout he spun around, seeing the dragon about to kill Tucker, and teleported. He appeared in a cloud of smoke and grabbed her jaws, one hand grabbing hold of the dragon's upper jaw and one grabbing the lower jaw. He dug his feet into the pavement, but she pushed him back.
"Get out of here!" he shouted. Tucker dropped his arms, realizing Danny had just barely stopped Shade's attempt to snap him in half. Jazz was up first, wincing as her head spun, and grabbed his arm, pulling him up and dragging him across the street to where Jack and Maddie were hiding behind a car.
Vlad could see the commotion, but the remaining half ghosts had converged on him, seeing him as the second most powerful threat, and would not let him through.
Danny's brow began to sweat both from the strain and from her hot breath. She growled, deep and guttural, before the tell tale violet light that signified her flames began to shine through her chest and neck plates. When the light showed in the back of her throat, Danny abruptly flew back. Shade, not expecting that, lurched forward. The young ghost flew up a few feet, bringing his arm down in a powerful punch and slamming her jaws closed with a loud thunk.
The dragon was forced to swallow her flames, the action causing her to gag. She made a choking sound before shaking her head, smoke billowing from her nostrils. Shade then turned on Danny with a savage snarl. The young man panicked a bit and backpedaled, flying down the street.
Shade followed this time, sights now focused solely on the one she wanted to murder. Her wings were too big for her to fly between the buildings, but she was fast nevertheless, her long strong legs maneuvering her agile frame far better than Danny would've thought possible for something her size.
Still, the ghost managed to stay ahead of her for now. He looked around, trying to come up with an idea that would force her back to her humanoid form.
–
Dash and Bruce made it to where Jack, Maddie, Jazz and Tucker were, the older pair checking the younger for damage. Jazz likely had a mild concussion and was bleeding from a head wound, but they seemed otherwise okay, at least physically. Emotionally was another matter as both were extremely shaken up.
"She's so damn fast," Tucker said. "We didn't even have time to run. If Danny hadn't teleported when he did…"
"But he did, and that's what matters," Jack assured him.
Maddie was applying pressure to the back of Jazz's head. "I'm sorry, sweetie," she said softly when her daughter winced.
"Is everyone okay?" Dr. Tanning asked as he and his son got there.
He received nods all around. "Aside from a head wound and I think a concussion, I think they're alright," Maddie answered.
"Pretty sure I'm gonna be sore tomorrow, too," Tucker added.
"Would you like me to take a look?" the doctor asked and stepped up to inspect the wound when Maddie pulled the rag away.
"Why doesn't he inject her now?" Dash asked. "She's going to tear this place apart," he added when the side of a building crashed into the street further down.
His father shook his head. "I told him he can't inject her dragon form. It's too large for the dose; it would never work. And if even if it did happen to work, getting her heart restarted in that form would be impossible through her armored chest plates."
Tucker rubbed his arms, cold despite his coat. "It's why he picked here; it was supposed to be narrow enough to discourage her from shifting, but it's an abandoned section of the city in case she did anyway."
"Can he beat her in that form?" the blonde asked.
All of them exchanged glances. Danny had told them of her dragon form and its size, but it did nothing to prepare them for the truth. She was huge, deadly, and extremely fast and agile in this form.
"I'll take the silence as 'probably not'."
Jack shook the snow off himself, reaching over and brushing it from Maddie's head as well. "This is a bad time for this. We can barely see the fight."
"It's not like we could help him right now, anyway," Jazz said.
"Yeah, but it would be nice to know what's going on."
–
Shade and Danny were going down a street adjacent to where his family was. He was getting ahead of her, but he wouldn't get further, not if she had anything to do with it.
Shade prepped her secret weapon: a fireball shot. As she ran down the street she aimed, puffing her chest out and coalescing her fire into a condensed ball of searing hot flame. The process of doing this superheated the flame, the moisture within her causing it to steam and creating a high-pitched whistling sound.
Danny looked behind him, bewildered as to what the noise was that was coming from the dragon. She opened her mouth and he shouted in shock as the fireball blasted towards him with such speed it broke the sound barrier with a boom.
He never even had the chance to dodge.
It hit him full force, the fire licking at his skin and burning his hazmat. He was flung hard into the side of a building, crashing through the bricks and every wall before punching through the other side and landing in the street several buildings down from his family.
Danny groaned. "Okay…I really need to get her to change back."
He sat up shakily, only to be forced back down when her giant form crashed through the building he just came through. She landed hard, pinning him down with a paw and snarled in his face. Shade reared her head back and he heard the whistling sound again, his core pulse quickening as he realized she was about to fire another shot.
There was no way he'd survive one this close.
Just as she was about to release the shot, she was hit from the side, Vlad–having dispatched the last of the half ghosts–slamming into her hard and sending her shot wide. It hit the building behind where Danny had landed, the sonic boom sending everyone on the street to their knees.
"Jesus, what kind of fire power is that?!" Tucker yelled.
The blow from Vlad knocked the dragon off balance, and her paw came off Danny, the young ghost quickly flying out from under her. He looked around again, trying to find a way to force her to switch back. As he glanced between all the buildings he formed an idea.
Shade was recovering quickly, but she acted like it was taking longer. That lured Vlad in and when he got close enough, she lashed her long, whip-like tail and delivered a hard blow to his stomach, tail slamming into him with tremendous force. The ghost struck the ground hard enough that he left a dent in the pavement and did not get up.
"Vlad!" Danny yelled, but was cut off by the dragon's snapping jaws. He glared at her in annoyance, wanting nothing more than to get her shifted back already.
He took off again and she followed. This time he dove into a building knowing she was too big to fit through the window. That didn't exactly stop her though.
Shade didn't have the momentum she'd had when she came through the building last time, but she had teeth, claws and tremendous strength. She hooked her claws in the window and pulled, yanking part of the wall away. She then used her jaws and started ripping bricks down, tearing the wall to pieces to get to him. She looked almost like a savage beast, especially when her efforts were punctuated by frustrated growls and snarls.
She got through the wall quicker than Danny had hoped and he darted to another room. Shade hoisted herself up and onto the building, ripping the ceiling up to get a better angle. The pair did this for nearly ten minutes–Danny darting from room to room and Shade tearing the building apart to get to him.
Finally, Danny entered a room that Shade couldn't seem to tear down. She roared in frustration, Danny covering his ears to try and protect them. He stayed at the back wall, expertly avoiding the paw she kept sticking in the door to gut him. She tried to get her head in, but her head widened a bit too much at the middle of her muzzle to fit. She snapped at him in futility as he was not in range of her fangs.
Suddenly, she pulled her head back out and glared. She wanted to send another fireball at him, but that power was limited by the amount of fire her fire bladder could hold. She had some left, but not enough for a fireball. She'd have to try and scorch him out with what she had left.
He saw the space between her chest and neck plates light up and he knew it was coming. Danny erected a shield just as she opened her maw and released a deluge of violet flame into the room. It's not like he hadn't expected her to try this, but it was still a highly unpleasant feeling to his cold core.
Despite the heavy snow outside, her sweltering flames were oppressive, even with his shield as protection. He held it, one again feeling the sweat dripping down his face. He ramped up his core's ice powers to try and counteract it, but there was just no counteracting flames this hot. He knew if it went on much longer he would gain new burns to join the ones he already had, even through the shield.
'Shift, dammit!' he thought. While his core rebelled at the thought of what he had to do–and he had insisted on being the one to do it–he was ready for her to shift back.
Finally, when he could start to feel his hazmat burning, the flames stopped. Her amethyst eyes watched him sinisterly from the door. She was out of fire and had no way to get to him. She again roared in frustration before her body lit up brightly, causing Danny to cover his eyes in this small space.
Shade shifted back, before teleporting out to the street where she could easily use her wings. She flapped them, hovering thirty feet above the ground, and waited for him.
"He did it!" Dash exclaimed when they saw Shade in her humanoid form.
His dad glanced up to confirm, but was busy looking Vlad over. They had dragged him from the street to their spot on the sidewalk behind a car after he was knocked unconscious. The ghost was coming around, but was definitely going to have a headache.
"Remember to start the timer when he does it," he told his son, who nodded.
Danny teleported out as well and appeared in a dazzling cloud of smoke just a few yards from Shade. He was internally glad to be back out among the snow after being in that blaze.
"You're a coward," she said. "Hiding in the buildings like a child."
He shrugged. "Gotta do what you gotta do to stay alive. And it pissed you off, which is a bonus," he smirked.
Her glare deepened, but she had her own smirk. "You've looked better," she noted as she looked over his disheveled and singed hair, burned hazmat with holes, and red splotches that indicated burns along his arms and legs.
Danny set his own glare. "And you seem stronger."
She smiled this time but it was filled with malice. "You like my fireball? It's my new power. It's amazing what you can do when you attune to your core. I'm also faster and stronger."
The young ghost was annoyed to hear that. He didn't need her to be faster than she had already been. He may need to get creative in order to get close enough.
"Enough chat," she said after silence reigned for a moment. "You need to die now."
Shade drew her sword again and lit it up, violet flames dancing along the blade. She conjured a fireball and sent it flying right at Danny's face.
The young ghost had to choose between creating a sword and dodging, so he dodged. Shade was counting on that and was right in front of him before he could blink. She swung the sword and Danny tried to get out of the way but he wasn't quick enough. He went intangible, but it didn't help. Her sharp blade sliced into his left arm, cutting a long deep line down the bicep.
He kicked her away with a growl deep in his chest and held his arm, ecto-plasm running down it and dripping off his fingers. This wasn't good as he had limited movement the limb now. She was definitely faster.
He needed to end this now.
She came at him again, a smirk on her face in her confidence, and swung. This time, while Danny moved back some, he allowed the swing. Her blade cut a neat line across his chest, more ecto-plasm pouring from this wound. As soon as her sword was out of the way, he did the last thing she expected: he flew into her and wrapped his good arm around her tightly.
She dropped her sword in surprise. "What the hell?!" she said, trying to get out of his grip. She growled and teleported to get away, but because he was holding on, he simply went with her.
"This is it," Bruce warned the others.
He used his weak arm to pull the syringe from his pocket. His face was over her shoulder, so he brought it up and pulled the cap off with his teeth. He squeezed her harder when she started to actually slip from his grip.
She had no idea what he was doing, but her instincts were screaming at her to get away. In a desperate bid to free herself, she ignited fire in her hands and grabbed his sides over his ribs. He grunted, clenching his teeth against the pain, but refused to let go.
Finally, he said: "I'm sorry," before plunging the needle into her neck and injecting the contents.
She jerked, hands coming away from him. He held her tightly to him with his good arm and dropped the syringe, using his weak hand to support her head as it started to roll back. Danny watched the light go out from the love of his life's beautiful amethyst eyes and felt like his core would implode when she went limp in his arms, wings drooping down behind her.
His face scrunched in agony and hot tears trailed down his cheeks. He pulled her head to him and rested it so her face was in his neck. He sobbed, saying "I'm sorry," over and over. He knew he had four minutes, so he took the time to float there and hold her.
After a minute, he descended slowly through the air, still holding her to him. Bruce ran over to them, his pack in hand and ready to try and revive her at the right time. Dash followed with the stopwatch, as well the others. Jack helped Vlad over, who was still a little shaky from his knockout.
Danny touched down, not quite wanting to let go, but knowing he had to. He knelt and gently laid her down, making sure her wings weren't in the way. He adjusted her before lovingly reaching up and closing her eyes. Bruce reached over and shifted her clothing around so he had clear access to her chest, but kept it modest.
Maddie knelt next to her son and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You did good, Danny. She'll come out of this."
"Never in my life…did I think…I'd have to do this again," he said quietly, as if he was talking to himself.
The statement caught her off guard. She made a mental note to have a talk with him about it later.
"Twenty seconds," Dash warned as time was counting down. Bruce had his defibrillator out and charged it up now.
Vlad was using his cloak to keep the snow off Sam, though some was still falling on her face. Danny reached up and tenderly brushed it off.
"Okay, that's four minutes," Dash announced.
As soon as he said it, Dr. Tanning jammed a long needle into her chest and injected epinephrine directly into her heart. He quickly pulled it out and got the paddles ready. "Everyone clear!"
He placed the paddles on her chest and hit the button. Sam jolted and Danny felt like his core jolted with her. He watched anxiously as Bruce checked her pulse, only to pull back and hit her again.
Dr. Tanning shocked her five times, each time, more and more tears fell down Danny's face.
Tucker and Jazz held each other, their own tears joining Danny's on the street.
Bruce stopped, panting before shaking his head.
Danny was about to lose it when a voice came from behind them.
"I can save her."
They all turned to see a tall Asian man with his hands up in surrender. Danny could feel the man's warped signature and flew to him. His grief and anger over Sam made him want to kill this man.
But as he wrapped his hand around the man's neck, he didn't squeeze. "Abomination," he growled.
"Do you want to stand here and debate my origins, or do you want me to save her?" the man asked softly, showing courage despite his obvious fear.
Ki-oh watched as Danny seemed to fall apart at his words. Finally, the ghost let go and moved aside. Ki-oh ran the rest of the way quickly, the people surrounding Sam moving away, unsure. He paid them no mind.
He knelt down and carefully pulled the top of her shirt down just enough for his hand to have skin to skin contact. It made Danny want to throttle the man but he refrained, watching nervously.
"Come back to us, Sam," the man said quietly, making everyone wonder just how well this man knew the goth.
He held his hand up and lightning began to spark across his palm, before he placed it on the exposed skin of her chest. He allowed the energy in his core to build up before releasing it into her in one large jolt. He acted as a conduit, directing it to her heart and core and encasing both organs in a field of electricity.
Sam's body seized before going still and Ki-oh pulled his hand away. Bruce checked her neck before shouting, "I've got a pulse!"
"She's breathing!" Jazz said nearly at the same time as she noticed the goth's chest rise.
The Asian man quickly stepped away and Danny swooped in, arms reaching for her. He pulled her to his chest and sobbed, releasing the depths of his grief and relief.
They still didn't know if there was any brain damage, or even if it worked, but she was alive, and that was a start.
–
12/1/24: Hope you liked this one! Extra long for you. I had considered splitting the chapter right after he injected her and she went limp, but…I decided to not be that sadistic.
The title of the chapter "Echos of the Past" is related to Danny "killing" Sam for a second time; Echo meaning to reoccur, or to happen again.
This was certainly a doozy and I got it written quicker than I expected. Hope you liked it!