Danny Phantom Fan Fiction ❯ Danny Phantom: Facing the Future ❯ Danny Phantom: Facing the Future - Part 6 ( Chapter 6 )

Danny Phantom: Facing the Future

Part 6

By Aaron

Unaware of what was happening just a few short blocks away, Danny continued his search for anyone else who might still be left inside the barricaded area. After four hours, it was pretty safe to assume that everyone had been successfully evacuated. Still, it was best to be absolutely certain.

“Tucker? Valerie?” He spoke into his headset as he searched a damaged building for anyone who might be hurt, “Come on, where are you guys? Jazz, have you heard from them?”

“Nothing in the last 10 minutes,” Jazz replied as she sat at one of the work stations in the bunker under City Hall. In the time Danny was helping Tucker and Valerie evacuate the area, she'd managed to get one of the computers back up and running.

“Well, do you know where the Specter Speeder is?” Danny asked, “Chances are that's where they are too.”

“Give me a second,” Jazz said as she tried to see if the computer could find the Specter Speeder's location, “Hmmm, looks like it's only about five blocks from where you are now.”

“Well, if they're so close, why aren't they responding?” Danny felt himself growing worried, “And why is it so quiet all of a sudden? I don't like this Jazz. Hey, is Sam there? I just want to tell her to stay with you. I've just got a bad feeling.”

“Uh…sorry Danny,” Jazz stammered slightly, caught off guard by his question, “You, uh…just missed her. She walked out of the room for just a minute, yeah. She…said she'd be right back,”

“You know…you've actually been saying that every time I've asked,” Danny noted, starting to get suspicious now that he actually had a moment to stop and think, “What aren't you telling me, Jazz?”

“What? Danny, don't be silly,” Jazz's voice started to tremble as she giggled nervously, “I'm not hiding anything. That's crazy. You're talking crazy. I…”

“JAZZ!!! Where's Sam?!”

“Danny…” Jazz paused with a heavy sigh, realizing the jig was pretty much up, “I…I didn't want to be the one to have to tell you this…Sam…”

“Sam what?!” Danny shouted, starting to panic, “What happened?! Is she hurt?!”

“No, no…she's fine,” Jazz answered quickly, unsure of the best response to quell Danny's fears, “At…least I…think she is.”

“Jazz…listen very carefully…we are talking about Samantha Manson…my girlfriend…who means more to me than anything else in the world!” Danny's voice turned threatening, “Now answer the question! WHAT-HAPPENED-TO-HER!?”

But Danny wouldn't get a chance to hear an answer. Just then, a section of the wall from a damaged building gave way and began to crumble on top of him! Between his worry about Sam and the surprise of the bricks raining down on him, Danny had temporarily forgotten that he could easily phase through them and could only stand frozen as he was about to be crushed!

Just then, a strand of Ghost Ray energy came out of nowhere, whipping around his waist and yanking him out of the way of the falling wall! After being sent skidding along the street, Danny needed a moment to shake the cobwebs out of his head before he turned around and realized he had ended up at the feet of a white pair boots that at the same time, seemed oddly familiar. Up until that moment, he didn't think anything could possibly surprise him anymore. But as he looked up, curious to see who was standing behind him, his eyes widened in what had to be the shock of his life!

“SAM!?!?!”

“New and improved!” Sam announced, standing triumphantly as her hands and eyes glowed with enthusiasm. Danny immediately snapped to his feet, still unable to shake his stunned reaction.

“But…how…? When…? What…what did you…?”

“Uh…can you hold that thought?” Sam cut off his words by pressing a finger to his lips and smiling affectionately before leaning in with a soft peck, “Thanks.”

Danny was still too disoriented to reply as Sam burst past him. The rest of the wall she had just pulled him from was starting to give way and threatening to fall on a set of power lines! Sam had noticed a fuel tanker nearby that had been abandoned during the evacuation and if the power lines were severed, there would definitely be a risk of igniting it! Flying towards the wall, Sam's right hand burst with ecto-energy as she unleashed a long Ghost Ray blade, slashing straight up and actually slicing the wall in half, much to Danny's amazement! The two halves of the wall were still coming down, but Sam wasn't done yet! Focusing hard, she converted her ecto-energy into claws around her hands as she flew up along the collapsing wall! Spiraling as she went, her Ghost Ray claws began ripping apart the larger halves into smaller chunks of brick! Then, to prevent them from raining down onto the street, she whipped around, unleashing a series of Ghost Ray strands that lashed around the pieces of the broken wall like a net! And pulling as hard as she could, she was able to flip the chunks of brick over her shoulder to land harmlessly into the alley next to the building! Satisfied with a job well done, Sam then landed back down to the ground, a stray Ghost Ray Strand whipping at the street before she turned to flash Danny a confident grin. Danny, meanwhile, could only stand where he was, his lower jaw hanging open.

“Okay,” he noted, still in the grip of shock, “Setting aside my disbelief for the moment…that…was the hottest thing…I have ever seen.”

“Danny? Come in, Danny,” Jazz called through the radio, “Is Sam there?”

“Uh, yes!” Danny answered, beginning to sound annoyed, “And we're going to talk about how much YOU knew about this LATER!”

“Oh boy,” Jazz sighed off radio. Unfortunately, what they didn't know was that someone else had been listening in on the entire conversation. Having plucked Tucker's headset from his unconscious form, Dark Danny, starting to catch his breath, now knew exactly where to find Danny and Sam.

“Well, that was helpful,” he said with a smirk before looking back down at Tucker and Valerie, “Well, I'll deal with you two later. But as for you…”

He turned his attention to Future Danny and Future Sam, who were still trapped in their own portable Ghost Shield. And the expression on his face turned to a most acid grin.

“…see you…never.”

With that, Dark Danny took off into the sky, leaving Future Danny and Future Sam trapped, unable to come to the aid of their “past” selves.

“Oh great,” Future Danny exclaimed as he and Future Sam tried in vain to break out, “Tucker…Valerie! Come on, SOMEBODY! You've got to get us out of this!”

Meanwhile, in his makeshift lab, Vlad was working feverishly on the mechanical gloves he'd stolen from Fenton Works. It had taken him a little time, but he had managed to deactivate the gloves and rush them back to his lab where a new plan had begun to emerge. But wanting to keep updated, he'd sent a new spy camera into Amity Park to assess the situation. And he wasn't happy to see Future Danny and Future Sam sealed up with Dark Danny escaping.

“Oh perfect!” he muttered as he frantically began continued the gloves, “I've got to hurry! If this is going to work, I don't have much time left!”

Reasonably confident that he had adjusted the gloves the way he wanted them, Vlad was quick to put them on and activate them, only to have a continuous shock sent through his entire body!

“AAAAGGHH…! WRONG…WIRES!!!”

Meanwhile, unaware of Vlad's intentions, Dark Danny was heading off as fast as he could to find Danny and Sam. And he was only too quick to find them still where they were when Jazz had talked to Danny. And Danny definitely wasn't in a good mood.

“I can't believe you did something so incredibly moronic!” Danny yelled, “What in the world could have POSSIBLY been going through your head?!”

“Danny, calm down,” Sam tried to get a word in, “I know how this looks, but if you just think about it…”

“`Think'?! Oh, that's really rich, coming from you right now!” Danny hollered back, cutting her off, “Did you seriously think about this?! Did you think that maybe I might have had something to say about it?!”

“Oh gee, I wasn't aware that all ghost-related matters had to be cleared through `the great Danny Phantom' first!” Sam argued back, becoming annoyed, “This was MY call to make, not YOURS! I made this decision because I HAD to! Get over yourself, already!”

“Sam, you make it sound like this was what you were destined for! So what, just because you saw someone who MIGHT be you in the future, you just throw caution to the wind and decide to…?!”

“Danny, it wasn't just because of her!” Sam shouted, cutting him off, “This was a long time coming for me! But…seeing her made me realize all the reasons I SHOULD have done this a lot sooner!”

Danny couldn't think of a way to respond. He could only look at her confused.

“Danny, you are out there, fighting ghosts every day. And yes, we've been out there with you and yes, most of the time, we've been able to help,” Sam continued, her emotions starting to get the better of her, “But how many times have there been when you've been out there and we HAVEN'T been able to watch your back? Do you KNOW how helpless I felt, knowing you were out there alone…knowing what it would do to me…if you ever got hurt…or worse…?”

Just the sight of Sam looking away from him, clutching her heart, was enough to drain all the anger Danny was feeling. Sighing heavily, he could only walk over to her and softly put his hands on her shoulders, causing her to slowly look back up at him.

“Sam, whenever I was out there alone, sometimes the only consolation I had was knowing that the people I cared about WERE somewhere else…that they were someplace safe,” he said gently, his voice still showing concern, “Okay, I'll say it, MAYBE once in a while, I thought it might be cool if you had…But…until I saw you…her today, I never actually thought…Sam, I just…didn't want this for you. Even when we were out there together, I was always afraid that you or someone else might get hurt. And now…with this…”

“Danny,” Sam replied softly, seeing the emotion in his eyes, “I get it. I really do. But…you've tried to protect all of us for so long…”

Pausing briefly, Sam took Danny's hands and gently folded her hands over them, looking into his eyes with all sincerity she could muster.

“…I just…want to protect you too.”

“Sam…” Danny had lost all words as he and Sam both pulled a hand away, each running it softly down the other's cheek. But right at that moment...

“Awww, isn't that sweet?” a familiar voice sounded off beside them as they whirled around to see Dark Danny with a mock look of sadness, following up with a sinister grin, “I tell you, it would make me want to break out the hankies…if I wasn't paralyzed from not caring very much.”

“Where are…What did you do with them?!” Sam asked angrily, clearly referring to Future Danny and Future Sam.

“Oh, them? Well, let's just say they won't be interrupting us anytime soon,” Dark Danny replied wickedly.

“Oh, come on!” Danny chimed in, “You expect us to believe that YOU took THEM out?”

“Not yet…but I will soon enough,” Dark Danny fired back, looking at both Danny and Sam with bad intentions as he showed them the cube for the portable Ghost Shield, “And thanks to this little beauty, don't expect anyone to be coming to your rescue NOW.”

“Yeah right, as if we'd need it!” Danny replied with a smirk, “I mean have you looked in a mirror lately? You're a mess! At this point, I'd be surprised if you could even stand up in a stiff wind!”

Dark Danny scowled in response as he phased the Ghost Shield cube into his chest. A moment later, his hands flashed with ecto-energy!

“You could always try to find out,” he replied. All humor had gone out of his voice now. Clearly, at that moment, he was all business.

But Danny was all business too as he threw out his hands and fired a pair of Ghost Rays that struck Dark Danny hard in the chest, sending him flying into a nearby pile of rubble! At that moment, it looked as though Danny had the clear advantage. But Danny knew he hadn't put everything he had into that attack. It was actually a test more than anything. Maybe Dark Danny really had been weakened that severely from his fight with Future Danny and Future Sam. But still…the way he had been talking so confidently just a moment ago…something didn't feel right.

“He won't let that stop him,” Danny muttered to himself, instantly going on the defensive. But just then, Sam flashed past the corner of his eye, her hands pulsing with ecto-energy as she made a beeline straight to where she had seen Dark Danny go flying!

“Sam, wait!” Danny cried out after her, “It's a trap!! He's setting us up!!!”

But Sam had no way to halt her advance. And as she reached her target, Dark Danny's hand burst from the debris, grabbing her wrist hard! Sam winced in pain from the crushing grip, losing her concentration as the ecto-energy faded from her trapped hand! Luckily, she was able to maintain enough concentration to keep her free hand active as she formed a Ghost Ray blade, stabbing straight at Dark Danny! But she quickly received a second surprise as Dark Danny's free hand snapped up and grabbed the blade, holding it fast! And no matter how hard Sam tried, she just couldn't free herself!

“Hmph! Rookie,” Dark Danny smirked before a burst of ecto-energy erupted from his body, sending Sam sprawling down the street, “Maybe you haven't noticed, but you're in the Big Leagues now!”

Momentarily dazed, Sam managed to pick herself up to get back into the fight. And not a moment to soon, for just as she stood up, Dark Danny unleashed another attack, sending a searing Ghost Ray in her direction! Sam still didn't know how to convert her ecto-energy into force fields, but thinking quickly, she decided on the next best thing. Clapping her hands together, she concentrated all the ecto-energy she could spare into a Ghost Ray blade and stood firm. And sure enough, as the Ghost Ray struck her blade, it was effortlessly sliced in two, passing right around her!

“`Rookie', huh?!” she called back tauntingly. At first, Danny was surprised and impressed, until he saw the smirk on Dark Danny's face. That's when he whirled around and noticed the abandoned fuel tanker, still parked just a few short yards away and directly in the path of Dark Danny's Ghost Ray!

“SAAAM!!!” Danny flew towards her at top speed, throwing an ecto-energy force field around them just as the tanker exploded! But the shield he had made was fast and crude and the force of the blast was strong enough to breach it! Sprawling along the street, Danny suddenly found himself trapped in a sphere of ecto-energy before he could get to his feet! Jumping up, he looked over to see Sam unconscious on the ground, knocked out of her ghost form! And if that wasn't bad enough, Dark Danny was standing directly over her!

“Always eliminate the weak link first,” he stated calmly, looking up to smirk at Danny, “To be honest, YOU were the only one I actually thought had a chance of beating me in the condition I'm in. Well…guess I don't have to worry about that NOW, huh? The energy of that sphere is so dense, not even MY Ghostly Wail can breach it. I don't think yours stands much of a chance.”

But then, he turned his attention back down to Sam, who was still unconscious. And with an evil scowl, he pointed his hand down at her as it began to blaze with ecto-energy.

“Still…first thing's first.”

“NO!” Danny shouted, momentarily getting Dark Danny's attention, “Look, I know you lost everything already! You already lost HER! But you know how much she means to me! Don't pretend you don't because I know better! Just…don't do this. You…CAN'T…do this.”

Dark Danny looked at him for a long moment, the expression on his face unchanged. But then suddenly, as if Danny had just made a bad joke, Dark Danny let out a hollow chuckle and simply frowned at him in disgust!

“Oh, grow up.”

As Dark Danny turned his attention back to Sam and the horrible act he had coursing through his twisted brain, Danny felt like time was stopping! He felt like everything was frozen! He couldn't believe what he was about to happen right in front of his eyes! And he was completely helpless to prevent it!

And yet, at that moment, he could feel something else. Something burning inside him…urging him on! He couldn't let himself be trapped! He couldn't allow what was about to happen…

He had to do something...

He Had To Protect Her…!

HE HAD TO!!!

“Well…one down,” Danny smirked as he prepared to incinerate Sam with his Ghost Ray! But a split second before he could, an enormous explosion ripped through the air, causing him to stumble! He still managed to find his footing and whirled around, but before he could see exactly where the explosion had come from, a powerful pressure collided with the side of his face! A blow with such force, it nearly took his head clean off as it sent him skidding face first along the street! Struggling to pull himself up, Dark Danny whipped back around and his eyes widened in shock at the figure standing before him! His head was lowered and his face couldn't be seen, but there was no doubt that it was Danny standing in front of a still-unconscious Sam!

“Impossible!” he shouted in rage, “Even weakened, that sphere should have been MORE than enough to hold you! How did you get out?!”

“I told you,” Danny said silently, “You…can't…do this.”

Just then, he whipped his head upward, glaring at Dark Danny, whose eyes only widened even more. Danny's eyes were glowing green, brighter than they ever had before! His fists were clenched so tightly it looked like his fingers were going to dig into his palms! His face was twisted in rage and the white aura around him had turned green! But beyond all that, the most bizarre change was his hair! His hair had changed into white flames! It looked like the exact same hair as Dark Danny!

“I…won't…LET YOU!!!”

“…cker…alerie…ou hear m…? Tucker?! Valerie?!”

Valerie groaned as she slowly opened her eyes to Jazz's voice ringing in her ears. Battered and bruised, her whole body ached as she struggled to get up. For a moment, she couldn't remember exactly what had happened to her. Just then, the image of Dark Danny's face looking over her shoulder flashed into her mind and her eyes snapped open with a start!

“Whoa!” she exclaimed, looking around to see Tucker still unconscious and Future Danny and Future Sam still trapped just a few feet away, “Tucker, wake up! We've got trouble…big time!”

“Uunnh…” Tucker opened his eyes as Valerie started shaking him. Still in a daze, his memory remained hazy as he looked over to see Future Danny and Future Sam staring through the Ghost Shield with annoyed looks.

“Hey…what are you guys doing in there?”

“Oh, you know how it is. You blow into town at the last minute, you can never find a good hotel, WHAT DO YOU THINK WE'RE DOING IN HERE, YOU MORON?!?!” Future Sam replied angrily!

Just then, Tucker's memory came back and he finally realized what he had just allowed to happen. And both he and Valerie could only blame themselves as they looked away shamefully.

“Sorry.”

“Okay, okay, you can guilt them later,” Future Danny interrupted, “Right now, we need you two to get that Ghost Shield. We've got to get back in this thing!”

But before anyone could respond, the air suddenly was filled with an eerie green glow. Whirling around, Tucker and Valerie could only look in shock as an enormous geyser of ecto-energy tore into the sky, just a few short blocks away. But as he looked up at the awesome spectacle, Future Danny's eyes suddenly widened in dread.

“Oh no,” he voiced under his breath before turning back to Tucker and Valerie, “You two, go! Get to Danny! He needs you NOW!”

“Wait a minute,” Tucker replied, trying to understand what was happening, “Just what is going…?”

“GO!!!”

Future Danny's eyes flashing in rage was all the encouragement Tucker and Valerie needed as they raced for the Specter Speeder and took off to find Danny. Now alone, All Future Danny could do was look into the sky with Future Sam and worry about what was happening at that moment.

“This…is really bad.”

“Jazz? We're back in the saddle,” Tucker announced over the radio, “But we've got to track down Danny fast. Do you know where he is?”

“I'll send you his last known position,” Jazz replied, clicking away on the computer, “Hurry guys. I tried to contact him a few minutes ago and he's not responding. I don't like this!”

But Jazz soon had something else to worry about as an explosion smashed through the wall behind her! Whirling around, she could only try to hide behind the work station as she had no idea what could be lurking behind the plumes of smoke! But she would soon receive another surprise as a familiar pair stepped into the room!

“You see, Maddie?! I told you there was a secret base down here!” Jack Fenton announced triumphantly, sniffing the air as he looked around, “Ahhh, I can always detect that `new equipment' smell! Hmmm, could use a little cleaning though.”

“Mom?! Dad?!” Jazz blurted out, running over to them, “What are you doing here? And where did you get those weapons?”

“Well, once I got your father out of the hospital, we went back home and got some of heavier artillery back up to specs,” Maddie replied, patting the bazooka mounted on her shoulder, “So…sounds like you guys have been having a little party while we've been gone.”

“Yeah, not exactly anything we want to invite the neighbors to,” Jazz replied, reaching out to put her hands on their shoulders, “But man, am I glad to see you guys. Right now, we need all the help we can get.”

“Jazz, are you there?!” Tucker's voice sounded over the speakers, “We've found Danny, we're closing in on his position now and…whoa…”

“What is going on here…?” Valerie blurted out under her breath.

“What? What?! What is it?!” Jazz shouted, running back to the computer.

“I'm not sure,” Valerie's voice sounded shocked as she activated her armor, “Maybe you'd better see this for yourself. I'm streaming you a feed.”

Jazz, Jack and Maddie watched closely as the video feed kicked in on the computer from Valerie's visor. The image was choppy at first, but suddenly, the image closed in on the sight of Dark Danny scowling in rage, his body smoldering.

“Wait a minute. Who is that?” Maddie asked immediately, “He looks…like Danny!”

“It's a REALLY long story,” Jazz replied, “Trust me, we'll tell you all about it later.”

“That's not it!” Valerie called over the radio as she and Tucker ran out of the Specter Speeder and the video focused on Danny, “Look at THIS!”

Jazz, Jack and Maddie looked on and could only stare wide-eyed at the image of Danny glaring in rage, his white hair flaming, and an aura of green ecto-energy blazing around him!

“Danny?! Good heavens, what happened to him!?” Maddie gasped in shock.

“Whoa!” Jack noted with an impressed tone, “Why didn't someone tell us he could do THAT?!”

“Because he can't,” Jazz replied, staring at the screen with her mouth hanging open, “Or at least…he COULDN'T.”

“You look surprised. What's the matter?” Danny spoke through gritted teeth at Dark Danny, who seemed barely able to stand, “Isn't THIS what you wanted?”

Dark Danny could only scowl back as he threw his arm out, unleashing a Ghost Ray as powerful as he could make it! But Danny's expression refused to change as he reached out and with a simple backhand slap, he deflected the Ghost Ray harmlessly into the sky! But then, Danny went on the offensive, bursting forward faster than Dark Danny could follow to deliver a thunderous right to the side of his head!

Again, Dark Danny found himself enraged at his own helplessness and frustration! If only he was at full strength, then this would have been a minor problem! Or at least he would have been able to hold his own! But his fight with Future Danny had still taken too much out of him! And this new Danny was too strong…too fast! Every time Dark Danny tried to launch an attack, it was as if Danny was three steps ahead, dodging the attack and firing back with one of his own! Every time he tried to throw a punch, Danny would whisk to the side and clock him in the side of the head! And his Ghost Rays were too weak to be useful now! Every time he fired one off, Danny would either dodge it or sweep it aside!

And yet…all he could think about was…how was this possible? How had Danny gained the ability to transform like this? Dark Danny was only able to reach such a form by merging with the ghost half of Vlad Plasmius! So how was Danny able to do it on his own? It was like the Ghostly Wail all over again! Danny should've needed another 10 years to gain that power! So how was he able to acquire it so quickly? And where did this new form come from?!

“Oh, yeah! Rumble, young man, rumble!” Tucker cheered from the sidelines as Dark Danny seemed unable to even mount a defense against Danny's onslaught, “I don't know how you're doing this man, but keep it up!”

“You might want to rethink that,” Valerie replied, her worried look shaking Tucker out of his joyous mood, “Jazz, are you seeing these readings?”

The Fentons remained glued to the screen and Valerie's armor sent its readings through a separate computer window. Maddie was the first to interpret the numbers as her eyes widened in horror! Jazz would soon follow her shock while Jack could only look on grimly.

“No,” Jazz spoke under her breath, “This is bad. VERY BAD!”

“What?” Tucker's voice came in over the radio.

“I know it looks like this transformation is helping him, but it's not!” Maddie explained, “The ecto-energy is just building up inside him faster than he can release it! He can't handle much more! If this keeps up, his whole body could burn out, possibly in a matter of seconds!”

Desperate to help her son, Maddie grabbed the microphone in a desperate attempt to calm Danny down.

“Danny? Danny, it's Mommy, sweetheart. Listen to me. I know you're very upset right now, but you have to calm down. Please.”

“Forget it!” Jazz stated, “His headset's blown! He can't hear us!”

“Then we've got to get there fast!” Jack announced, turning around and using his bazooka to blow another hole in the wall of Tucker's bunker, “Let's roll!”

Maddie could only sigh at Jack's recklessness, but she didn't have time to dwell on it. Danny was in danger and they had to move. Jazz was right behind them, but she stayed just long enough to send a final message to Tucker and Valerie.

“Guys, I don't know if we're going to make it in time! It's up to you two now! You've got to try and get through to him! Get him to try and undo whatever it is he's done! You're his only hope now!”

Meanwhile, Danny's assault continued uninterrupted as he fired an enormous Ghost Ray that completely enveloped Dark Danny, plowing him into the street as his body gouged through the asphalt! In fact, the force of the blast was so strong that it actually forced the Ghost Shield cube out of Dark Danny's body, sending it rattling along the ground. Dark Danny, meanwhile, barely able to stay conscious, could only look up to see Danny towering over him! Stray wisps from his shoulders made it look like steam was actually escaping from his body. But Dark Danny was far too weak to pay it any attention.

“You wanted me ruthless? You wanted me cold?” Danny spoke under his breath as his fists began to flash with blue ecto-energy, “Well…I'll SHOW you cold!”

With that, Danny brought his fist down across Dark Danny's jaw! But because he was using his freezing powers, Dark Danny's face became encased in a thick layer of ice where he'd been struck! Again and again, Danny pummeled Dark Danny's body mercilessly, the ice around him getting thicker until it had created a thick, jagged pillar of ice!

This was exactly the scene that greeted Tucker and Valerie's eyes as they had finally caught up with the action. Danny was standing at the base of Dark Danny's frozen tomb, panting heavily, but still glaring in rage. On the surface, he seemed completely unwilling to slow down, but the steam wafting from his body told a different story. It actually looked as if his body was starting to evaporate! And once that sight greeted their eyes, Tucker and Valerie realized that Maddie's analysis was all too accurate. It was like a door had opened up deep inside Danny, unleashing a source of energy without limit. But the door wasn't closing! And if someone didn't close it soon, Danny could be lost forever!

“Danny!” Tucker called out, “Dude, you won, okay?! It's over! You've got to chill, man! All that energy you're building up is tearing you apart! You've got to get rid of it!”

Danny, however, didn't respond. It was as if he couldn't hear Tucker's words. Or if he did, he didn't care. Still looking down at Dark Danny's frozen expression, Danny took off straight up into the sky. And then, raising his hands over his head, Danny yelled out as a massive orb of ecto-energy formed over his head, as big as the Fenton Works Building! Tucker and Valerie could only look up shocked, but not half as shocked as they noticed the steam from Danny's body starting to grow more intense. Even parts of his body were starting to disappear now! If they couldn't get through to him fast, Danny's whole body was literally going to vanish on the breeze!

“Danny, listen to me!” Valerie tried her turn to reason with him, “You've got to stop! Look at yourself! Look what's happening to you! If you don't calm down, and I mean right now, there isn't going to be a Danny Phantom left in this world! And you can't let that happen. Maybe I didn't believe this before, but I know it now…this world NEEDS Danny Phantom!”

If Danny were in a different frame of mind, Valerie's words might have been enough to sway him. But as he still looked down at Dark Danny, his eyes blazing in rage, it was clear that he was beyond rational thinking. It seemed like nothing could reach him now. But Danny's body was fading away right before their eyes. If someone didn't get through to him soon…!

“DANNY!!!!”

Just then, a familiar voice rang into Danny's ears, finally causing him to turn his attention away from Dark Danny! Tucker and Valerie immediately whirled around to see who could have finally gotten his attention! And they were shocked to see Sam stumbling onto the battlefield, hurt, but back on her feet as she clutched her side!

“Danny,” Sam tried to speak in a soothing tone, using every bit of strength she had not to sound panicked, “Please…you've got to calm down. All that energy building up inside you right now…I know how much you want to use it…but you can't. You've got to stop right now. Please…it's killing you. And if you're gone…I…I don't know what I'd…”

Sam turned away as she found herself almost breaking down, her emotions beginning to get the better of her. For a moment, she seemed to be the only one to get Danny's attention. But the way his face was still so twisted in anger, it was like he only barely recognized her! And as soon as she'd stopped talking, he had turned his attention back to Dark Danny as he prepared to launch his attack again! But if he did that, it might be enough to…

“DANNY, LOOK AT ME!!!!”

Sam's words again cut into Danny's brain as she got his attention again. But as he looked back at her and saw her eyes pleading at him, something had changed. No longer the raging beast he was before, his face seemed almost…confused. It was as if he was struggling against himself.

“Danny, please…I'm begging you,” Sam's voice started to crack as her emotions began pouring out her, “Come back to me.”

This time, Sam wouldn't let up! She wasn't going to stop until she got him back, no matter what! And as she continued to speak, Danny's face seemed to be reacting more and more! Seeing her in such pain seemed bring out an equal amount of pain in him, drowning out his rage!

“Danny, I said this to Jazz earlier! It was how I knew I had to do what I did! I've felt this for a long time, but ever since you and I got together, I've KNOWN it! I can't lose you now…! Danny…I need you!”…

Danny's face continued to wince in pain…

…“I need you so much, it hurts! I can't imagine a single day if you're not in it!”…

…He seemed even more torn as his other emotions struggled against his anger…

…“I'd be lost if you weren't there!”…

…The sight of Sam looking up at him, forcing back tears, seemed to shake him to his very soul….

…“I can't live without you, Danny!”…

…And every single one of her words seemed to pierce his heart like a blade…

…“You Mean Everything To Me!!”…

…Even a tear began to trail down his cheek…

…“DANNY, PLEASE!!!”

“Uunnnh,” Danny suddenly looked exhausted as his head and arms fell limp and the orb over his head dissipated in a brilliant glittering cloud! He was just barely able to lift his head a moment later, but it was clear that Sam had done what she needed to do. His hair had returned to normal and the aura around his body was white again! But the danger still hadn't passed just yet!

“Sam…” Danny groaned, half conscious in mid-air as he suddenly turned human again, “…help…me…”

“Danny!!” everything else faded into nothing as Sam's instincts took over, transforming into her ghost form and bursting forward at top speed as Danny lost consciousness and plummeted to earth like a stone! Flying as fast as she could, she wrapped her arms around him with seconds to spare, gently floating back down to the ground before crumpling to her knees with Danny in her arms! Danny couldn't acknowledge her or even open his eyes. But his breathing and a slight groan indicated that he was still very much alive. And Sam couldn't have been more thankful as she held him close, burying her face into his shoulder.

Tucker and Valerie could only look on in shock as they ran over to where Sam and Danny had landed! Sam was now half ghost too?! They still couldn't quite get their heads around it as they stood over Sam, still holding Danny in her arms.

“Sam?” Tucker asked instinctively, “What…happened to you?”

Sam didn't answer. She didn't even lift her head to acknowledge them. She just kept holding Danny close to her. And her lack of reaction was enough to make Valerie set aside her shock and understand that there were more important issues at stake.

“Uh, Tucker?” she whispered, “Maybe this isn't a very good time.”

Conceding to the situation, Tucker looked around to assess the damage to the neighborhood. Just then, he caught a familiar shape out of the corner of his eye.

“Huh?” he noted curiously as he ran over to see if his suspicions were correct, “Hey! It's the Ghost Shield! Now we can…AAAHHH!”

Tucker wouldn't get the chance to complete his triumphant thought. For just as he picked up the cube, Dark Danny burst from the ice pillar behind him in an explosion of ecto-energy, sending him flying back the way he came! Sam and Valerie could only look up in shock as Tucker landed in front of them!

“You've got to be kidding me! What does it take to keep this guy down?!” Valerie exclaimed as Dark Danny glared at them! He was beaten, he was bruised, but he was also VERY mad!

“I…have had…ENOUGH!!!” Dark Danny roared, his voice seeming to shake the very buildings!

“Aw, don't be that way,” Tucker replied confidently as he pulled out the Ghost Shield cube, “You're just in time for seconds!”

To Dark Danny's surprise and anger, Tucker pushed the button on top of the cube, instantly releasing the Ghost Shield around Future Danny and Future Sam. And once they realized they were free, they weren't about to waste a second of it!

“Let's go,” Future Danny said simply as the pair burst into the sky at top speed! Meanwhile, a battered and broken Dark Danny was limping forward towards Sam and the others. Valerie and Tucker had backed away a few steps, closer to the Specter Speeder. Dark Danny may have been severely weakened, but that still didn't change the fact that they had no weapons to fight him with. Sam, however, was still kneeling where she was, holding Danny in her arms. Danny was still out and unable to defend himself. And there was no way she was going to leave him like that! Her eyes glowed brightly as she glared at Dark Danny as he struggled to raise his arm towards them, his hand starting to flash with ecto-energy! She even threw out a glowing hand of her own, cradling Danny in her free arm. At that moment, only one thought echoed through her mind. If it was a fire fight Dark Danny wanted, win lose or draw, she was going to give him one!

Just then, a wave of ecto-energy tore through and split the ground between them! Future Danny and Future Sam would touch down a mere moment later, standing tall between Sam and Dark Danny. Dark Danny could only glare in frustration. He was right back where he started just minutes before, helpless to defend himself and being stared down by two opponents, both of whose power easily matched his own! He didn't even have the energy to escape, let alone fight both Future Danny AND Future Sam at the same time! He was completely at their mercy!

“Well,” Future Danny smirked as Future Sam tossed him their Fenton Thermos, “I think we're pretty much done for the day, don't you?”

“Oh, you're done alright…!” an oddly familiar voice sounded off in the sky, drawing everyone's attention. But before anyone could react, Future Danny and Future Sam were suddenly struck by what looked like bolts of lightning! Sam and the others could only look up in shock to see Vlad Plasmius floating in the sky, wearing the Fenton's gauntlets, which was now blasting Future Danny and Future Sam with its strange energy!

“Me…I'm just getting started!”

The blast from the gauntlets didn't seem to be hurting Future Danny or Future Sam at all. But a few short seconds later, Future Danny dropped the Fenton Thermos as he and Future Sam both seemed to have trouble standing! And it didn't take long for the others to see why! A green glow was trailing up the electrical streams, being absorbed into the gauntlets! Vlad was actually using the gauntlets to steal their ecto-energy!

Future Danny was the first to succumb, still weary from his fight. As the others watched his uniform give way to a black dress shirt with rolled up sleeves, blue jeans and black boots, Future Danny turned back into his human form and crumpled to his knees! Future Sam lost consciousness right behind him, losing her ghostly transformation as well! But Vlad wasn't done yet! With the two chief threats eliminated, he turned his attention to a weakened Dark Danny, using the gauntlets' energy on him next! But being pure ghost, Dark Danny's entire body was actually absorbed into the gauntlets! Not the effect anyone had expected. Of course, Vlad wasn't complaining about that development in the least as Sam and the others could only looked on, stunned! After everything they had already been through, this was the last thing any of them had seen coming!

“Well, well, Clockwork. I hope you're watching,” Vlad declared triumphantly, “Looks like you helped me out after all. Whether you wanted to or not!”

Reveling in his newly acquired power, Vlad laughed to the sky in victory as Sam and the others remained in shock. Meanwhile, Clockwork only looked on from his palace, his face turning into a grim scowl.