A/N: I'M SO SORRY THAT THIS TOOK SO LONG. I'M BACK WITH A VENGEANCE.
There's an addition at the end of chapter 4 for anyone who hasn't read it. IT's nothing major. Just Daniel contemplating life. Thank you, thank you, thank you to MsFrizzle (who's name I spelled wrong last chapter D: Sorry!) for pointing out a major plot hole. Also, never let me update at one AM ever again.
Enjoy this chapter. It's longer than #3 and was almost longer but I got impatient.
See you at the end!
Chapter 5
Daniel woke to sore muscles and a painful brain. The peaceful golden light flowing freely through his curtains told Daniel it was Sunday morning.
Saturday was a blur. Daniel had spent most of the day in bed fighting the massive headache that accompanied the gouge on his forehead. He had emerged only once, around midday, to find some lunch. He had run into Maddie while walking to the kitchen. He remembered her making some inquiry about his forehead. Daniel had made up some cock and bull excuse about slipping in the shower before making a 180-degree turn back to his bedroom, forgoing the food.
Daniel swung his legs over the edge of the bed and sat up. His headache from the day before was gone, only to be replaced by a duller one. This pain, however, told Daniel something different.
He needed food.
Like a zombie, Daniel rose from bed and stumbled out of his room. A slightly more aware part of his brain took note of the missing teenager from the floor.
Daniel stumbled down two flights of stairs and through the immaculately clean foyer into the main dining room. As Daniel shuffled through the doorway he passed Vlad who was on his way out of the room.
"Good morning, son! Your mother said you fell in the shower yesterday and couldn't get out of bed. How's you head today?" Vlad asked. He was dressed in a suit and had a briefcase in one hand and a piece of jam coated toast in the other.
"M' head's fine. Are you going to work?" Daniel mumbled as he squinted up at his father. Vlad sighed.
"Alas, duty calls, m'boy."
"But, it's Sunday," Daniel protested.
"I know son, but the first game of the season is Thursday and we need to talk about strategy!"
"Couldn't you just do it over the phone or something?"
Vlad shook his head. "You know how irritated the team gets when I'm not there. I'm the mediator."
"You're also the boss. You should be able to do what you want!"
Vlad barely let Daniel finish his sentence before cutting him off, "Daniel, this is my job. I have to go to the office. You know that."
Daniel glared at the floor. "That doesn't mean that I have to like it," he mumbled.
Vlad laughed lightly. "I know, son. Don't worry, next week I'm be home and we can go up our old hiking path what do you think of that?" Daniel made a non-committal shrug and Vlad smiled. Ruffling Daniel's hair he said, "I'll see you later today, Daniel." And he was gone. Daniel watched the front door close, brooding. Of course he would leave. Only my father ever works on a Sunday when he could easily do stuff on Monday.
Shoving his anger aside Daniel continued his expedition for food by walking into the dining room. He plopped down angrily in his seat, much to his mother's surprise.
"Nice to see the zombie out of its domain. How's your head, Sweetie?" Maddie asked.
Daniel grunted a reply. He was too tired and upset to formulate a real reply. Instead, he reached for the Frosted Flakes and milk. Maddie shook her head.
"You are such a teenager."
Daniel replaced his usual starky remark of, 'That's because I am one' with a smile full of sugary Cornflakes. Earning him a glare for his poor table manners.
Maddie reached across the table to grab multiple sealed envelopes and a letter opener from a silver platter. Daniel never really thought about the servants. 'Hired staff' his parents called them. At least they got paid more than minimum wage. It was nice to have someone to clean the house and do your chores for you.
Maddie opened the mail and Daniel ate his sugar flakes. The pair sat in mutual sleepy silence for a moment before another zombie stumbled into the dinning room. Danny sat himself down at the table and pulled a bowl, spoon, milk jug and the box of Cheerios toward himself. Danny mixed the ingredients in his bowl before he lazily began to eat his food.
Maddie smiled and shook her head. "Boy, if I didn't know better I would've sworn you two were related."
Daniel's spoon froze half way to his mouth and Danny's clattered from his hand to his bowl. The pair shared a look.
"Boy, mom, what gave you that idea?"
Maddie eyed them suspiciously. "Mother's intuition, I guess."
Daniel breathed the smallest sighs of relief and went back to his food. He wasn't sure why that had freaked him out as much as it had. Danny got the hint that everything was okay and he picked up his spoon again.
Maddie let the boys start on their second servings before asking, "So, Danny, do you remember anymore?"
Daniel looked up from his bowl, glancing between the boy and his mother. Remember anymore of what?
Danny slowly finished chewing and swallowed before shaking his head. "No, I don't. I just remember that there was an accident."
Accident?
Maddie leaned across the table and stared at Danny with a face that Daniel recognized as her I'm-Not-Giving-This-Up face.
"Nothing?" She inquired. "Surly, you would remember your parents names by now. At the very least."
Danny shook his head and tugged at his borrowed pajama shirt collar as he said, "Nope, nothing." He knocked on his head for emphasis and Daniel rolled his eyes.
Maddie sat back. She looked appeased but not ready to give the issue up entirely.
Daniel tried to catch Danny's eye to ask what that was about but Danny kept his eyes firmly trained on his food. Daniel slowly went back to his food, glancing up at the boy once in a while.
After a few more minutes Maddie interrupted the silence yet again. "So, sweetie, are you going on your hike today?"
Daniel winced like Maddie had hit him. He'd been hoping she wouldn't bring that up.
"Hike?" Danny asked around a mouthful of mutilated Cheerios.
"Oh, Daniel hasn't told you about his weekly hike?" Maddie asked Danny while shooting a strange look at her son. "Every Sunday Daniel takes a hike up the mountain behind out house. Why don't you go with him? Daniel, ask our guest to go with you on your hike."
Daniel took a deliberate moment to finish chewing his Frosted Flakes, glaring at Maddie the entire time. When he finally swallowed he spat, "Fine." in Danny's direction. Danny shifted uncomfortably and chased the last few Cheerios around his bowl. Maddie sat back with a satisfied look on her face and went back to the mail.
Daniel sucked down the puddle of milk from his bowl and dropped the porcelain dish on the table before standing up.
"Do you have any clothes?" He asked Danny. Danny looked up from his bowl of milk to shake his head.
"No, I lost everything in the accident."
Daniel raised his eyebrows and was about to ask what accident he was talking about when his mother spoke before him.
"You can borrow some of Daniel's, sweetie."
Daniel glared at his mom again before rolling his eyes again. He eyes were starting to get tired from all the movement of the past three days. Daniel motioned for Danny to follow him before turning around and storming out of the room. He didn't even look to make sure Danny was following him.
Maddie
Maddie watched the boys leave with apprehension written all over her face.
A side door to the dining room opened and, Mori, one of the more caring hired hands, stepped into the room carrying a plate of eggs Benedict and a glass of cranberry juice. Mori crossed the space and set the plate and glass down in front of Maddie.
"Your breakfast, Mrs. Masters."
Maddie smiled up at the girl. "Thank you, Mori." She said before picking up her fork.
Mori nodded and turned to leave. She was almost to the staff door before she decided to take a chance and turned back around.
"Are you feeling alright, Mrs. Masters?" She asked.
Maddie's fork squealed against her plate. The women shuttered at the noise.
"Yes, quite," Maddie said hoping her smile wasn't too forced.
Mori gave Maddie an once over before saying, "If you say so, Mrs. Masters." She turned to leave but stopped when Maddie said her name.
"Mori, do you think Daniel has been acting… differently?" Maddie spit out before she had the chance to change her mind.
Mori chewed her lip as she thought about it. "I wouldn't know Ma'am. I think John would be the person to ask about Daniel."
"Yes, of course. John would know," Maddie said in a clear dismissal. Mori took the opportunity and left the room.
Maddie picked up her fork and began to eat. John was the garden caretaker. He talked to Daniel almost every day. If anyone in the house would know what was wrong with Daniel it would be him.
But then there was still the matter of Danny. He was such an odd duck and Maddie couldn't help but get the impression that he wasn't telling the entire truth. On Saturday Maddie had caught him sneaking around the halls. When she asked he said that he'd been looking for the bathroom. While she lead him to the room Maddie took the chance to grill him some more. All she managed to get out of the boy was that his parents had been in an accident and nothing more. He didn't even seem that worried.
However, Maddie had managed to catch one name between Danny's mumbling. Jack Fenton. That was a name she hadn't heard some twenty years. She and Jack had had a strong relationship going until the accident. Maddie had even imagined herself married to the bumbling fool. But that was all it had been, a fantasy born from her fresh out of the teenage years mind.
"I didn't know he had any family," Maddie spoke to the empty room. Then another thought occurred to her. Last month a flier had come inviting Vlad and Maddie to their college reunion. Perhaps Maddie could trace Jack through the reunion. It was a long shot but it was a place to start if she wanted to find anything out about their special guest.
"To the library then," Maddie said to herself as she stood. She left the room leaving an empty plate and glass behind.
Daniel
Daniel wasn't mad. No, he wasn't upset. He wasn't pissed. He was absolutely livid.
His hike was a private thing. A personal escape from the hell of life. Now his mom was forcing him to take the weirdest, craziest kid he had ever met. Daniel swore to himself that he would never forgive her for this.
A small "Whoa" from behind him broke Daniel from his mental rant. Daniel looked up to see one of his favorite-and and one of the steepest-parts of the hike.
In front of him the cliff sloped quickly down. Aspen trees, long grass, and wild berry bushes crowded the side of the hill all the way down the mountain, breaking at intervals for the hiking trail. Looking farther out the city of Silvins took over. Houses built on the bottom of the mountainside slowly gave way to glass domes and steel fortresses.
Daniel glanced behind him to see Danny had stopped a few feet down the trail. His jaw hung open as he gazed across the valley.
"This is incredible," Danny suddenly said.
A spark of smugness jumped around in Daniel's stomach. "What, has dad never taken you up here before?"
A guilty look flashed across Danny's face and he shifted the borrowed backpack on his shoulders into a more comfortable position. "Uh, no. He hasn't."
Well, at least there's something I've got going for me, Daniel thought.
"Come on," Daniel suddenly said. "This isn't even the best part."
As the boys walked a subtle curve in the path hid the city again. A few more minutes of walking revealed the worst part of the hike, an almost straight, vertical slope. Boulders stuck out of the orange dust.
"We're going up that?"
Daniel turned around and almost laughed at the disbelief on Danny's face. "Yeah, boulder hopping is one of the best parts about this hiking trail," Daniel said. Seeing the look on Danny's face he added, "Is that a problem?"
"Uh, no. I'd just really rather not climb up the side of a mountain."
Daniel snorted. "You can't even climb some simple rocks? Some super hero you are." Daniel ignored the angry outburst behind him and he began to boulder hop.
If he stays down here maybe I can actually get some alone time, Daniel thought to himself.
Daniel quickly made it to the top and did a small stretch. He turned around and was surprised to see Danny already half way up the peak meticulously picking his way up. Daniel felt his respect for the kid rise, but only slightly.
Daniel watched Danny pause on top of a big boulder as he evaluated his next move.
"Try putting your foot there and grabbing that rock," Daniel pointed as he suggested.
Danny looked up in surprise but did as suggested and suddenly he was almost to the top.
"Here," Daniel said as he reached his hand out to help. Danny accepted it gratefully and Daniel helped haul the other boy up. Danny put his hands on his knees to catch his breath before standing up to survey the area.
They were on a flat plateau of sorts. The ground was packed flat with various hiking shoe prints. Rocks stuck up from the dirt here and there. More rocks were shoved to the edge of the area forming a natural knee high guardrail. The side of the mountain sloped away at an angle that was steep but not impossible to climb down. Pine and aspen trees covered the mountains for as far as the eye could see.
The view was the best part. The hiking path had curved around the mountain so the city had disappeared behind giant pine trees. In front of the pair was a large dip between mountain peaks. Pine trees and other green trees covered the area creating a fuzzy green blanket. A river lay at the bottom of the crevasse where the peaks met. It was breath taking. The boys were even high enough that a small mist clung to the river and flooded the basin.
"Whoa," Danny gasped as he took it all in. "What is this place?" he asked.
"You mean the plateau?" Daniel shrugged. "Dad and I figure some backpackers found it first and it became part of an intentional hiking trail. We used to come up here all the time, almost religiously," Daniel smiled, lost in the memories. "Has dad never taken you up here?"
Danny, who'd been walking around the area as Daniel had been talking shrugged and shook his head evasively. He stopped walking. His attention drew to a rock in the guardrail.
"What's that?" He asked, pointing.
Daniel knew what he was talking about almost instantly but chose to play ignorant. "What's what?"
Danny knelt down to see the words better. "It's writing," he said. "Someone engraved some words on this rock."
Daniel didn't move. He stood behind Danny raging an internal debate on whether or not to tell Danny the truth.
"Hey, come look at this, it's kinda cool. It's, like, another language or something," Danny turned around smiling. The look on Daniel's face made Danny's eyebrows knit together. "You look like you swallowed a whole lemon," Danny said, smirking.
Daniel sighed and walked over to see the words. He looked down and tilted his head to the side. "Weird," he said trying to sound convincing. "I have no idea what it says."
Danny's smirk deepened as he said, "You are as bad a liar as I am. Sam would-" Danny cut himself off. "What does it say?"
Daniel gave Danny a look before he said, "It's veni, vini, vici. I means I came, I saw, I conquered. Caesar supposedly wrote it in a letter to the Senate of Rome when he defeated and captured this guy Phranaces. When dad finally won the Packers from the city of Green Bay we came up here and carved it into the rock." Daniel stared out over the juncture of the mountain as he spoke. "Dad was so happy when he got the letter of approval. I'd never seen him like that before. He said it was all because of us, mom and me. We gave him the motivation to keep fighting.
"'Don't ever give up on your dream, son. No matter how impossible they seem. Impossible is just one word. It even says I'm possible in the word! Do you know who said that, son? Audrey Hepburn, an amazing woman.' He had said. I never forgot that conversation."
"Oh," was Danny's only reply.
After a few moments of contemplative silence Daniel said, "Has dad really never taken you up here? He loves this place so much I thought he'd always come up here, no matter what."
Danny shifted uncomfortably. "Daniel, there's something I need to tell you," Danny said.
Ah, Daniel thought, The final piece of the puzzle.
"Are you going to tell me the truth?" Daniel asked.
"Oh, like you just tried to tell me?" Danny snapped.
Daniel shrugged a bit. "Touché."
Danny shook his head and ran a hand through his hair before diving right in. "Where I come from Vlad doesn't own the Packers. The city wouldn't sell it to him or something."
"That's it?" Daniel asked. "That's the big secret?"
"Well, part of it. I've been thinking."
"Uh-oh."
Danny ignored Daniel's interruption. "I think you're more like my, half-brother than me."
"Wait, what?"
"Well, you see, uh, I don't really know how to explain it-"
"Vlad isn't your dad is he?" Daniel guessed.
"Whoa, how'd you know?" Danny asked, surprised.
"Is that sarcasm?" When Danny shook his head Daniel said, "It doesn't take a genius to figure it out. You talk about my dad like he's more of a germ then a human. So, what? Do we know each other where you come from?"
"See that's the hard part," Danny said.
"What is?"
Danny took a deep breath before he blurted, "Vlad doesn't have any children where I'm from."
Daniel took a moment to process that. "What?" his voice was surprisingly small.
"At least, none that I know of," Danny said. "It's actually a creepy thought that he'd have any." Danny ended by making a face.
"What are you talking about?" Daniel asked still confused. "Then who's my dad? You said we were half brothers."
"Well, Yeah, but in my universe I only have one sibling. My sister, Jazz."
"So we're not related?" Daniel's voice had steadily growing higher along with the confusion in his eyes.
"Let me start from the beginning."
"Please, do!" Daniel cried.
So Danny did. "It's a long story but basically, Vlad, who in my universe is like me, half ghost. He infected my best friends with this deadly disease called ecto-acne. So, I went into the ghost-zone to find a cure but this guy Clockwork told me that I could only cure them by going back in time and find a cure there.
"He sent me back to when my parents were in college, which was really weird by the way, and I thought the solution was pushing Vlad out of the way of the ghost portal blast. That just ended up making things ten times worse. My dad ended up with ecto-acne but I didn't know it until I got back to the future.
"When I got back I could tell something was wrong but I didn't know what it was. When I flew to my house only my dad was there. It turns out he has ghost powers now instead of Vlad. When I went to search for my mom, well, it lead me to what I guess is your house."
Danny kicked a small rock off the cliff as he continued. "Now I don't know what to do. That's why I need your help to find a ghost portal. Then I can go back to Clockwork and find the real cure and fix this huge mess."
At some point during Danny's speech Daniel's knees had started to shake before giving out. He had sat down on a rock and dropped his head into his hands. Words like Ghost-zone, ghost portal, Clockwork, past, future, and ecto-acne flew over his head. They swirled around his brain making him feel sick.
"I don't understand," Daniel said. "What does that all mean?"
"Well, I guess-and I'm just guessing, but, you see, I've never met another Daniel before. Especially one my age," Danny cut himself off with a groan. "Why does this have to be so hard to explain? Look, Daniel, this is my fault, all of this. Now Sam and Tucker could be dead for all I know and this entire journey will have been for absolutely nothing."
Daniel watched as days worth of anger suddenly poured out of Danny.
"Clockwork won't tell me anything, dad's useless as always, mom's not any better and I'm no where close to the end. This is my fault, all of it. This future shouldn't even exist! None of it! Not dad, not mom and Vlad's marriage, heck, not even you!" Danny yelled without thinking. That last point struck a cord with Daniel. Confusion flared into anger and he snapped.
"Shouldn't exist? Shouldn't exist? That is it. That's the last flipping straw," Daniel shot to his feet, his voice rose to a yell and he shouted, "I've got a news flash for ya, buddy. This 'alternate dimension' or future or timeline or whatever exists. This is real. My life exists. I don't need some crazed, crackpot druggie barging in and ruining it. This is real. I exist, my life, exists!" Before he knew what he was doing Daniel had turned and stormed away down the mountain.
Danny
Danny watched Daniel go. When he was gone Danny turned to the sky and screamed in frustration.
"Why do you have to do this to me? Clockwork, I swear, next time I see you I'm going to beat your skinny butt all the way to the Far Frozen."
Danny took a deep breath and sat down on the victory rock. He decided to let Daniel cool down before he chased him down.
"I'd really rather not go after him but it's either get his help or be stuck here forever and that doesn't sound too appealing."
Danny reveled in the scenery before he stood and rubbed his sleepy bottom awake.
"I shouldn't have told him about all of this," Danny muttered.
He was about to chase after Daniel when a cold spot at the base of his spine made Danny freeze. The spot traveled up his spine and exited his mouth in a puff of white mist.
Danny groaned, "Not now!" Then another thought occurred to him.
"Daniel!"
Daniel
Daniel stocked down one of the more isolated parts of the trail trying to calm down. He'd never been this angry in his life. He could even feel the heat of anger in his chest that's how bad it was.
Daniel stopped a moment to observe his surroundings and take a few deep breaths. The entire hiking trail was almost two miles long. Daniel was about a half-mile from the top. The path was skinny here, only allowing for a single file line. Long grass and wildflowers brushed Daniel's ankles. Trees rose yards above him almost obscuring the morning sun.
Daniel had a penchant for nature. It always managed to calm his nerves. Whenever his parents got into a fight (which wasn't often) Daniel would hike to the one-mile marker and just sit in the grass. The trees would block the view of the city and Daniel could imagine that he was the only person in the world, at least for a few minutes. The smells of the wildflowers and wild fruits and sage bush would combine to crate a 'sanctuary to exhilarate the senses' as Daniel's father would say. For a long time Daniel didn't understand what that meant but he love the way it fell out of his mouth.
Daniel shook himself out of his memories and back into the present. What Danny had said had scared Daniel more than he would like to admit. It was cheesy and cliché to say but Daniel had always felt like something had been… off in his life. Once in a while he would daydream about another life. One where he had good friends rather then just good acquaintances. One where he had siblings to annoy and be annoyed by. Where he went to a public school and came home every day rather than a preppy boarding school where he didn't belong. A life where he was a hero. A hero of what, Daniel had no idea but it sounded nice. At least, nicer then what Daniel had now.
"Daniel."
The boy jumped and mentally scolded himself for being so aloof. He looked around for the voice that had knocked him out of his reverie. Daniel turned to his left and peered into the trees. The leaves were dense enough to obscure the sunlight creating a dim but cheery green glow.
Suddenly two hands appeared on Daniel's back and shoved, hard.
"Ahh!" Daniel's feet left the ground and he was flying through the air. A tree branch appeared and whacked Daniel in the stomach arresting his short trip and knocking the breath out of him. He dropped five feet to the slanted forest floor further shocking his diaphragm. Daniel rolled a few feet until his legs caught on a sage bush and he finally stopped. Daniel rolled onto his side and pulled his knees into his stomach as he tried to get his lungs to work again. Metal covered feet floated down from the sky to rest a couple of inches off of the ground in front of Daniel's watery vision. A hand grabbed the front of Daniel's shirt and lifted him off the ground his feet dangling in the air. Suddenly, Daniel was face to mask with Aetas Mors.
"Hello, child," Mors spat before he threw Daniel a few more feet in front of him. As Daniel landed on his butt his diaphragm was jarred into working again. A deep breath allowed Daniel's brain to work again.
"What do you want?" Daniel wheezed.
Mors floated over the boy. His staff materialized in his hand and he shoved it in Daniel's face as he said, "My master called me off last time but he does not currently know where I am. I plan to retrieve what I came for. Where is the halfa?"
"Halfa?" Daniel knew that could only mean one person. "You mean the other guy? I don't know," Daniel lied as he sat up on his elbows wincing at the pain that spiked in his core.
"You are bluffing, human. Tell me now and you could be spared," Mors pushed his crystal forward until Daniel had to cross his eyes to see it.
"Honest!" Daniel cried, praying that he didn't look too guilty. "I don't know where he is." After all, that was true. Danny could have moved from the top of the mountain by now. Daniel wasn't sure why he was risking his life, again, for this kid. Yet, that connection Daniel had felt to Danny on Friday had returned in full force. It almost felt like, if Daniel didn't protect Danny his life would be put in danger too. Not like it wasn't already.
Daniel's answer wasn't the one Mors was looking for. He roared angrily and swung his staff over his head. Daniel threw his own arms over his head and cried, "Danny, if I die here, I swear to hell and back that I will come back and haunt your sorry ass!"
Mors swung his arms down. Right as he was about to crush Daniel's skull a solid glob of ectoplasm accompanied with a "Hey!" smashed into the swinging staff. The stick flew out of Mors hands in a windmill of death. It hit a tree and dropped to the ground.
Mors roared again out of anger and spun around to see whom his assailant was. Daniel between Mors floating, metal covered legs to see Danny standing on the hiking trail like some kind of maniacal super hero. His hand was held out in front of him like he had just high-fived someone at chest height. His borrowed backpack lay forgotten on the ground by his feet.
"I know it's hard to get his attention but somehow, I don't think hitting him over the head is the best way to do it. I do give you points for creativity though," Danny cried as an impish grin stretched across his face.
"There you are child," Mors said, his voice echoing around his helmet. "I'll admit. This is not my preferred way to fight but it'll do." Mors wasted no more time talking and formed an ectoplasmic ball of energy and fired it at Danny.
With faster reflexes than Daniel had credited him with Danny spun away from the ball catching it on a darker green shield.
While Danny was distracted Mors whirled around and tried to run-well, fly-to his staff. Before he could think better of it, Daniel grabbed Mors ankle and clung to it for dear life.
Mors flopped to the ground. He turned to glare down his spectral body and found Daniel looking scared as a fly caught in a spider's web. Daniel saw Mors' leg that he wasn't hanging onto start to lift. He had seen enough action movies to know it was either move now or lose some teeth. He let go of the leg and rolled to the side, straight into a patch of prickly stickers.
Mors rose to his feet only to come face to face with a white haired Danny.
"Boo," Danny said before he smashed his fist into Mors face-plate. Mors toppled over backwards, hitting his metallic head with a resounding clang.
While Mors was dazed Danny turned to Daniel and said, "The thermos that fell out of the closet on Friday? It's in the backpack. Go grab it."
Daniel scrambled to his hands and knees trying to ignore the painful pinpricks from the stickers. "Why do you want soup at a time like this?" Daniel asked bewildered.
"It's not for soup! Just go get it, please," Danny said. Mors began to stir and Daniel jumped to his feet. "Well since you said please," Daniel snapped sarcastically as he began to run back up the mountain using his hands to help climb. Danny flew the other way, trying to retrieve the staff before Mors could come to his senses.
Mors raised his head to see the boys running in opposite directions. He shot a ball of energy at Danny's back knocking him into a tree branch and to the ground. When Danny didn't rise Mors smirked-well, he smirked the best he could with a helmet for a face-and turned toward Daniel. Mors raised his hand to fire off a ball of energy when someone jumped on his back.
Danny clung to the grates in Mors mask as tightly as he could. The ghost flailed about trying to shake Danny off.
"Let me go you abhorrent adolescent!" Mors cried.
"No, and who says abhorrent anymore? You seriously need to update your vocabulary."
"Enough!" Mors roared. He lashed his hand out toward his staff. The stick lifted up off the ground and flew toward Mors at high velocity. Mors caught it and swung it over his head aiming for Danny. Danny realized what was happening and let go of Mors neck falling to the side. He hit the ground and kept rolling. Mors turned and blasted a crater in the ground chasing after Danny. One poorly aimed shot slashed across a tree slicing it in half. The tree groaned as it fell toward the pair of ghosts. Danny jumped uphill out of the way while Mors swung his staff. A line of glowing ectoplasm incinerated the tree before it hit the ground.
Mors turned toward Danny throwing three more slashed of ectoplasm. Danny jumped into the air flipping head over heels and landing on a tree branch. "Looks like someone needs to practice their aim," Danny taunted.
"I wasn't aiming for you," Mors responded, Danny could hear the grin in his voice. Danny spun around to see the ectoplasm flying straight towards Daniel.
"Daniel, duck!" Danny screamed at the top of his lungs.
When Daniel, who was feet away from the backpack, turned around to see more ectoplasm making a beeline toward his face he decided to do the right thing and, for once in his life, he listened without question. He dropped to the forest floor so hard he'd be picking dirt out of his chin for weeks. The green flew over head and slammed into the hillside just under the hiking trail. Danny's borrowed backpack slid into Daniel's face in a miniature landslide.
Mors did not take his failure well. He screamed and flew straight at Danny taking him by surprise. He swung his staff and smacked Danny across the face causing the teenager to fall out of the tree to the ground.
"No one makes a fool out of Aetas Mors and gets away with it!" the ghost cried landing over the boy.
"That's a shame. I've managed to do it three times. Two of them in one day!" Danny retorted. He pushed off the ground in a back flip kicking Mors under the chin.
"Daniel, where's the thermos?" Danny cried as he landed.
"I'm looking for it!" Daniel yelled back. "Be patient."
"We don't have time for patience!" Danny muttered as he ducked a metal fist and plowed into Mors chest. When the ghost didn't move Danny gulped.
While looking for Danny's lunch Daniel had emptied the contents of the backpack in a haphazard circle around him. Multiple water bottles and a first aid kit were slowly sliding down the hill while two rain jackets rested by Daniel's feet.
"How much crap did you bring?" Daniel cried as he thrust his hand in again only to come out with a plastic bag of sandwiches.
Danny's response was a scream. Mors had picked him up and threw him over Daniel's head. Daniel cursed. He snatched up the backpack and relocated to a safer spot away from the fighting.
Danny crashed into the side of the mountain. He shook his head and pushed off the ridge to meet Mors.
"I need more time," he muttered to himself. "If only I could make him talk." Addressing Mors, Danny asked, "What are you doing here?"
"Wouldn't you like to know," Mors said firing a shot which Danny easily avoided.
"I would actually. What is a great and powerful ghost like you doing out here in the middle of nowhere?"
"Flattery will get you nowhere, child," Mors said as he took aim and tried to hit Danny again. Danny flew out of the way of Mors ectoplasm and tried again, "Oh, I'm not trying to flatter you! I'm just genuinely curious as to why such a strong ghost is doing, what did you call it Friday, mercenary work."
"Clockwork pays me well for my services," Mors said. That caught Danny off guard.
"Clockwork? Why would he-Oof!" Mors had finally hit his mark. A ball of green caught Danny in the stomach and he tumbled to the ground.
"Got it!" Daniel suddenly yelled. He pulled a metal cylinder with a plastic lid out of the bag and held it over his head. He looked up in time to see Danny falling out of the sky straight toward him. Daniel jumped to the side, clutching the thermos to his chest. Danny landed on the backpack. His breath left him with a soft whoosh. Daniel stood over Danny holding the thermos out to him.
Danny wheezed his breath back in and said, "Point it at Mors and open it." Daniel turned on his heel messing with the tightly screwed on cap. A bolt of green energy hit the thermos knocking it out of Daniel's hand.
"Hey!" Daniel cried indignantly as he dove after the container. The thermos rolled away from Daniel under a sagebrush bush. He was about to reach for it when a metal foot slammed down in front of his vision. Someone, presumably Danny, tackled Daniel's back right as Mors staff slammed down passing through Daniel's head. The pair rolled to the side sliding a little farther down the slope.
"Oh geeze," Daniel said.
"Get the thermos," Danny practically shouted in Daniel's ear. He pushed off the ground and slammed into Mors just hard enough to knock the ghost over. Suddenly, the pair was flying figure eight's around trees in a desperate game of cat and mouse.
Daniel shoved his hand into the pain filled bush. His fingers brushed the thermos just out of reach. He pushed his arm in up to his shoulder, the branches scratching his face. Daniel's fingers found the handle on the cap and he pulled his hand out earning more scratches in return.
"I got it, Danny," Daniel cried.
"Good, now open it!"
Daniel finally managed to pry the cap off. The second he did a blue-white shot out of the thermos. Daniel almost dropped it again out of surprise.
"Point it over here," Danny stopped flying in circles long enough to face Daniel, Mors still following behind. Daniel pointed the thermos beam in front of him and Danny flew toward the sky. He escaped the beam by a hairs width. Mors, however, wasn't so lucky. He flew face first into the beam and was sucked into the thermos with a high pitched scream.
Daniel slammed the cap onto the food item and let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding.
Danny landed in front of Daniel. A ghostly smile stretched across his face. "You did good. We should nickname you the 'official keeper of the thermos'"
Daniel snorted. "Well."
"Well what?"
"I did surprisingly well, not good."
Danny rolled his eyes as he said, "Or your name could be 'official grammar nazi'. Either one works."
Daniel smiled and laughed and suddenly, he couldn't stop. He sat down clutching his sides. Danny started laughing too and soon he was doubled over and had tears in his eyes.
"'Who says abhorrent anymore?'" Daniel laughed imitating Danny to the best of his ability.
"'Why do you want soup at a time like this?'" Danny said between gasps.
The boys lied on the forest floor laughing and quoting each other until the sun was almost directly over head.
Finally, a thought occurred to Daniel that slowed his mirth to a stand still. "Oh God. What time is it? My mom's gonna think we ran away!"
"I doubt that," Danny said. "But none the less we should probably be heading back." Danny stood and transformed back to his human form. Daniel eyed the white rings as they glided up and down Danny's body. The sight sent chills down his spine.
"Yeah, let's go home. I have homework to do."
A/N: Was that too scatterbrained? I feel like it might be. *Shrug* I've been listening to Midna's Lament for the past two hours while I transferred this from my notebook to Microsoft Word. That song is amazing. That's so off track.
Apparently I can only be funny when I'm sleep deprived. Most of the fight scene was first drafted at eleven at night. Anyway, please read and review! Whenever I got stuck someplace while drafting this I would look at the reviews & they would help my motivation so much.
On a different note how was everyone's summer vacation? If you were in school for the past 3 months how'd that go? Is everyone excited for Halloween :F -get it? it's a vampire.
Alright, I'm done. Until next time! GeeyZelda