Portals

Taken

"We're partners with him now," Howard bit. "Isn't he the bad guy?"

"Yeah," Danny sighed, "but he thinks he's going to die. And chances are, his word is good. Nothing like death to turn a ghost honest." He walked through the house's chain link fence and out onto the street.

Randy was already on the other side, tucking the Ninja mask back into his pocket and slouching as he walked. "But isn't this the ghost that like, tried to kill your entire family? And friends? And random teacher?"

"Yes," Danny shrugged.

"And your trusting him?"

"Technically, I'm trusting myself." Danny tapped his chest. "I once broke myself into my ghost and human halves. Danny Phantom has a massive hero complex. Maybe, just maybe, some of that is still in Dan. Or at least, enough that he is willing to save himself."

Howard clambered over the fence and for a moment teetered, then flopped down  to land face first on the pavement. He sprang back up regardless, wiping cement dust off his forehead. "This is such a bad idea."

Danny spun, walking backward. "And here I am thinking that you two are the kings of bad ideas— gah!"

"Oh!"

Danny picked himself up, rubbing his head. "Jeez, I'm sorry about that... oh, hi Kassady."

"Hi, young Dan." She adjusted her red tipped hair.

"It's Danny. Not Dan. And we're about the same age."

"Right, right," she giggled. "Howard, Randy."

"Hi," Randy replied, staring. The hairs on the back of Danny's neck prickled; he was getting the same creepy vibe off of her. Something was seriously wrong.

"You," Howard snapped, pushing to the front, "owe me an explanation of all the things wrong with Grave Puncher XII."

"Howard," Randy hissed, but he just stalked closer.

"The plot in which the graves come to life is perfectly valid. Walking, talking graves. Those are beyond puncha— gah!"

The glob of black smashed into Howard's chest, pinning him to the chain link fence. He strained against the goop with no luck, the fence clanging under his efforts.

Kassady was floating, her leather boots a few inches off the ground. A black ring flickered over her form, then it was Phankasm, reloading the black stank that was pooling in her hands. "Surprise."

"Yeah, no." Danny ducked the second shot and went ghost, diving through the sidewalk to avoid more stank. Randy flinched as the goop hit him in the face.

"Oh, gross. It's even stickier now."

"Improvement," Phankasm smiled.

"Stick to video games," Danny snarled, bursting from the pavement and flickering back into tangibility. He grabbed her by the back of her jacket and forced her down, pinning the black stank under her. "Randy, unstank her!"

"I-I don't know how! What does she hold most dear?"

"Nothing," Phankasm growled, fazing through the ground. Danny jerked up, then was bowled over by a massive glob of black goo.

"Oh, gross, it's in my mouth! I- ow, ow!"

Phankasm's boot kept Danny's head pressed to the concrete, up until the ghost's Adam's apple bobbed. He coughed, then the silver and black jumpsuit faded off his form until he was left in his scuffed jeans and t-shirt.

Phankasm smiled. "That should keep you under control until he's done with you." In a heartbeat Danny was pinned by glowing black bands around his wrists and mouth, then they both turned intangible and she forced Danny underground.

A long moment passed.

"She took Fenton."

"I can see that, Howard."

"Then you have to see that I'm still glued to this honking fence. Get me down, Cunningham!"

Randy scrambled over, ripping the black goop from his friend's arms. "What the cheese was that? Why specifically Fenton?"

"The Sorcerer knows that Fenton has powers. Maybe to take him out?"

"No, then Phankasm— Kassady— would have hurt him. Us. This is something else." Randy brushed back his hair as Howard slid off the fence with a wet plop. "He's in trouble. We need it."

It took Howard a moment to understand what he meant. "No. No, I am not doing that!"

"I don't see any other way of getting to the Sorcerer's cave. We need to break the Eye."

"I'm not getting possessed by that honking bird again!"

"It's just the Tengu. Besides, it's to save Danny from whatever it is that they're doing to him down there."

Howard mulled it over for a few long moments.

"Fine. But you owe me a lot of McFizz."

"I pay for everything anyway, Howard."