Danny Phantom Fan Fiction ❯ Glitches in Time ❯ Chapter 2 ( Chapter 2 )

Chapter 2

"Valerie, don't shoot!" Sam shouted, knocking the ecto-blaster from the girl's hand as the ghost-hunter pointed it at Phantom who was currently battling it out with another ghost.

"Why not?" Valerie snarled at the gothic girl as they exchanged glares.

"The walls are designed to reflect ecto-blasts back!" Sam yelled angrily. "Shoot and miss and it will bounce back and hit you!"

Valerie blanched. Getting blasted by ectoplasm was no fun.

'Why the heck did the Fenton's design the lab like that?'She though angrily as she lowered the weapon. Without her ecto-blaster she couldn't fight the infamous Ghost-Boy or the ghost that he was currently fighting. The other ghost she was confident she could shoot at and hit, but the Ghost-Boy always manage to dodge most of her shots and she wasn't confident she could dodge the reflected beam.

Danny breathed a silent sigh of relief as Sam got Valerie to lower her ecto-blaster. He did not want to have to split his attention between this ghost and the girl ghost-hunter. Turning his full attention back to his opponent, he was only vaguely aware of others entering the lab as the battle continued.

The fight was intense but brief, his opponent tiring quickly and obviously having little battle experience. Grinning almost savagely in satisfaction, he sized the ghost's tail and swung him towards the swirling vortex of the open Ghost Portal.

Just as the ghost hit the green light and he let go, a brilliant flash of light filled the room. Washing away their vision and dragging them all into the darkness of unconsciousness.

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Groggily Danny opened his eyes, the coldness of the air upon his torso and the delicious contrast of warm upon his legs. He blinked repeatedly, then realised that he was not looking at the steel ceiling of the lab, but the black and green landscape of the Ghost-Zone.

He jerked upright, shifting the body that lay across his legs. Looking down he blushed slightly upon realising that it was Sam practically lying on top of him. Reaching down he lifted her up gently, slid out from beneath her and stood.

Glancing around he realised that it was not just them within the ghostly realm, but Tucker and Valerie as well as Dash with Paulina, Kwan and Star. He blinked at the forms of the last three. 'How did they get here?' Oh wait, he remembered that some others had arrived in the lab just as he was tossing that blasted ghost into the portal.

"D-Danny?" Sam groaned, raising a head to her head as she pushed herself upright. "W-what happen…" she trailed of as her surroundings registered, "Let me make that a—what are we doing in the Ghost-Zone?"

"Beats me," Danny muttered reaching a hand down to pull her to her feet, glancing at Tucker who was also now stirring.

"Ah crud! The Ghost-Zone!" Valerie barked in disgust as she sat up and looked around.

"The what zone?" Paulina's lovely voice questioned faintly. Her vivid eyes widened as she looked at the sight of a purple door floating past in the air.

"Did someone get the name of that train?" Star asked groggily, surprising the trio that were unfamiliar with her oddities.

"I think you should be saying did anyone get the name of that ghost train." Kwan stated, lifting Star of his chest to set her on her feet before standing himself.

"The Ghost-Zone?" Star pouted in dismay, "Not again. Where's the conquering army?"

"Alright Fentonio, what the Hell's going on here!" Dash snarled as he glared at his favourite target and black haired classmate.

"Danny?" Valerie questioned in surprise, really taking note of who was with her. "How'd you get here? I thought you were in the bathroom!"

Before Danny could think up something, another thought struck the ghost-hunter.

"Where's that blasted Ghost-Boy!" Valerie shouted as she surged to her feet, looking around frantically as if she expected the ghost to pop out of nowhere.

"Phantom?" Paulina cooed, "He can rescue me!"

"This is the Ghost-Zone Valerie," Sam said drolly as she rolled her eyes at the Latin girl's actions, "Where do you think he could be?"

"Actually the important thing is not where Phantom is," Tucker interrupted as he looked among the mismatched group, "But how we're getting out of here."

Seven pairs of eyes swung about to look at Danny who took a half step back in nervous reaction. "What are you all looking at me for?"

"It's your parent's that are the ghost freaks Fentonio," Dash snarled.

"He's right you know," Tucker said, "Out of all of us you're the only one that really knows anything."

Valerie huffed, but kept her tongue in her cheek. She did not want any of them knowing about her other persona as a ghost-hunter, it was bad enough that her dad did.

"So, how do we get out of here?" Dash commanded.

Danny turned to look at the hexagonal portal that was set into a rock face behind them. The doors were sealed shut. "The Fenton Portal's closed."

"What?!" Only Sam and Tucker were not the ones who shouted in an outraged response.

Danny gestured to the portal, turning they all looked at the weird thing that they had last all seen set into the wall of the Fenton's lab. "That's the Fenton Portal. Someone's shut it."

"Well open it!" Dash yelled.

"I can't," Danny said shortly. "It can only be opened from within the lab."

"Then how do we get out of here?" Kwan questioned.

"We need to find another portal," Valerie mentally cursed herself for that slip, deliberately ignoring the strange looks from her former friends. It would not do at all for her to continuing being so knowledgeable about the Ghost-Zone.

"That's right. The only way out of here is if we find another one."

"Where?" Kwan asked, looking about at the barren landscape dotted only by rock formations and purple doors.

"The doors," Danny answered as he gestured towards them, "They open up to different dimensions. The trouble is finding the right one."

"Come on, lets get out of here," Dash said to his friends as he turned and began striding away.

"Where are you going?" Danny shouted after him.

The blonde quarterback looked back with disgust, "There's no way in hell I'm staying around you losers."

Sam and Tucker glowered at the backs of the popular foursome as they continued walking away, furious at the remark. Danny however was really worried. They had no experience what so ever in the Ghost-Zone beyond when the city had been claimed by Pariah Dark.

"Well see you later," Valerie said as she too began striding away in a different direction.

"Valerie!" Danny exclaimed in surprise, she'd been here, she knew how dangerous it was and she also was splitting the group up? "Where are you going?"

"Sorry, I work best alone." Valerie replied before she disappeared round a bend in the trail.

"Shit!" Danny cussed viciously. Sam and Tucker jumped in surprise, Danny never swore.

"Look at it this way Danny, there's less of a chance of them finding out." Sam attempted to point out reasonably. Flinching at the blue laser eyed glare Danny directed at her.

"This is the Ghost-Zone Sam, they know nothing."

"Well at least here we're the ghosts." Tucker reminded his friend.

Danny breathed deeply, attempting to calm his temper. Turning on his heel, he began striding away from the closed Fenton Portal, his two friends hurrying after him. "They don't know that though, so any ghost that comes across them… they'll think the threat is real."

Tucker had to conclude that point. "Well the only way we can help them is get them out of here right?"

"Yeah, point?"

"So all we have to do is find a portal, get back to your parent's lab, and then come after them with the Spectre Speeder."

"Yeah, and how long is it going to take us to find a portal?"

"Well we could ask for directions from someone."

"Like from who?" Sam asked as she gave Tucker a narrow look, remembering when they'd been searching for Danny in the Spectre Speeder, Tucker had suggested that and they'd end up being chased by that ghost dragon.

"Like from him," Tucker replied, pointing to the form ahead of them on the trail.

"Fine," Danny grumbled, "We'll go ask."

"Hey!" Danny called out, "Could you—crap Skulker!"

Sam and Tucker blanched as the person turned out to be the Ghost-Zone's Most Dangerous Hunter. Danny's eyes flared green moments before he transformed.

"Ah—Ghost-Child," Skulker greeted as he snapped a shot at the halfling, "Lovely day for a hunt isn't it?"

Danny dodged the blast easily, then cursed as he felt the ground beneath his feet crumble. Windmilling his arms about in an attempt to regain his balance, the heavy form of Skulker slammed into him. Sending both of them tumbling into the depths of the Ghost-Zone and vanished from sight.

"No!" Sam screamed as the two enemies disappeared. "Danny!"

Footnote:
I am aware that the correct technical term according to show canon is halfa not halfling. However, I and a fellow "Danny Phantom" fanatic that I know consider it one of the most unimaginative and uninformative terms in existence. Halfa. Halfa what? Who ever coined the term was using only halfa their brain that day? I am sorry, that is as bad as calling a bat Batty. But that is just the opinion of little ol' me.