Danny Phantom: Perfect Host

Chapter 8

Danny woke ubruptly at the sound of something heavy being dropped from a high place. He blinked the sleep from his eyes and smiled when he saw the shiny black creature. It approached his sittig form and dropped something bloody into his lap.

It was an odd looking piece of meat and he looked at the creature oddly.
"You got bigger, but I don't need to eat." He stated, instinct telling him it could understand him. It made an odd hissing noise and he let out a sigh. Lighting up his hand with ectoplasm, he began cooking the meat.

The smell wafted through the air and his stomach growled, causing Danny to blush and take a bite. Hunger filled him and he ate voraciously, sending a glare at the smug creature sitting in front of him.

"You need a name. How about Sliver?" He asked. The creature only shrugged, before curling around Danny and letting out hissing croons.
"Sliver it is. You are like an oversized cat." He mused, patting the black hide contently.
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"It took Brett?" Dallas questioned the two shaken crew members.
"Whatever it was, it was big. Big." Parker whispered, eyes far away.
"It took him into the ariducts." Ripley continued just as quietly.

"Could it want Brett alive?" Lambert hopefully asked. Everyone turned to look at her.
"What?" Ripley was confused.
"Could Brett be alive?" Lambert asked again.
"No it killed him and then drug him through the airducts."Ripley answered.

"Allright. If it is using the airducts to move aroud, we need to trap it somehow." Dallas mused, regaining the crews attention.
"Ok, and how do we do that?" Ripley asked.

"Ash, is there anything we can do? Anything to scare it?"
"Well, we know that it has adapted quite well to our atmosphere, but most animals have an aversion to fire, so maybe we can use that somehow." Came the reply.

they all nodded.
"Parker, is there anything we can use that produces fire?"  
"I can try to rig up a flamethrower, it wont have much juice in it though."
"Alright, we just have to figure out who is going into the ducts."

At that proclamation silence descended on the five remaining crew members.
"I'll do it." Ripley hardend her resolve.
"No, we need you. I will go into the ducts and flush the creature out." Dallas stated, stopping any arguments with a raised hand.

"All i do is order people around. There is o use for me even if i were to die." He pointed out. None of them could argue with the stern face of their captain as he finished giving them their orders.
"Ripley, i want you and Ash in charge of sealing up the ducts behind me, Parker, you go and make that flamethrower, Lambert, i want you in charge of that tracker. Let me know where its coming from." 

About an hour later, the preparatios were complete and Dallas went down the first air duct.
"Please keep an eye on the tracker." He mentioned, keeping his eyes locked with Lamberts until she nodded. He let out a shaky sigh and kept going, the air duct closing silently behind him.

Slowly and calmly he progressed, each time waiting for the ducts to close before moving on. It was nerve wracking for everyone the longer the creature remained hidden.
"Maybe its not in the ducts anymore." Lambert whispered.
As she said that, Dallas placed his hand on something slimy and he pulled it away to look at in the small beam of light is flashlight gave off.

It was clear and had the consitancy of saliva.
"It's here." Dallas said it so lightly that the others could barely hear him.
"Its not showing up on the tracker at all Dallas." Lambert fearfully replied to the unspoken question.

Dallas gulped and contiued on his way. Parker refused to look away from the air duct control pannel, even as the others crowded around the tracker. A small blip sounded from the machine and everyone froze.

"Where is it Lambert?" Dallas called out.
"Its moving away from you. Its going towards the cooling room." Came the quivering reply.
"Shut every duct in that area! I don't want it comig up after me!" Dallas shouted, his voice echoing in the small metallic space.

"That was a badly though out idea." Ash quietly responded, as the blip began movig at a quick pace to the captains location.
"Get out of there Dallas!" Lambert screamed. Dallas threw himself oout of the duct and it slammed closed behid him just as something large and heavy slammed into it from the other side. They all shivered when they heard the angry scream of the creature on the other side, before it faded into nothingness.

"Whew. That was close. Dallas breathed a sigh of relief and looked up to take in his surroundings. He found himself in an odd storage room, one he had never had need to visit before. He eyed the duct in the middle of the room warily, even as Parker assured him that it was closed.

Dallas felt as if he was being watched, then jumped as something slammed into metal from above him.
"It's trying to get into the room from the duct above the room. You need to get out of there!" Lambert hissed. Dallas by passed going through the room, he stuck close to the borders and ran out of the door, unaware of the toxic green eyes watching his fleeing form.

'Huh. I guess Sliver was getting bored and wanted to play.' Danny thought, even as he saw his friend go speeding past the door inn pursuit of the tall man.
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It felt when the odd two legged creature entered its territory. It ignored if for a while before it yelled out. The pale thing was creeping closer and closer to where Pack was regaining strength. It screeched in warning, but the pale one kept going. It launched up into the tunnels and took off, only for the pale one to slip into the pack room, and an odd shiny thing flashed into place, blocking the way to Pack.

It screeched in panic and went to the other tunnel, hoping it was't blocked, only to find out it was. It crashed into it, but it held fast. 'Get to Pack.' Its instincts howled, and it took off to another tunnel opening. It was just in time to see the pale one fleeing from the pack room.

It couldn't help but feel proud that Pack could scare the pale ones two, and gave chase, hoping that it would be too afraid to return, and if not, then It would be just as happy to eat it too. (And bring some back to Pack to share.)