Danny Phantom Fan Fiction ❯ Danny Phantom: Trial By Fire ❯ Danny Phantom: Trial By Fire - Part One ( Chapter 1 )

Danny Phantom: Trial by Fire

Part 1

By Aaron

 

It seemed to be a perfectly normal afternoon in Amity Park…the shining sun, the fresh air…the crowds of people screaming in terror from the fearsome ghost rampaging in their midst. Although, when said ghost just so happens to be in the form of an enormous green bull, screaming in terror and running away would be the perfectly rational action to take.

 

Rampaging down the block, the roaring bull caught a parked car under its horns and effortlessly flipped it to the other side of the street, nearly crushing three people who were lucky enough to dive to safety. But soon, the beast found other targets for its fury as it caught sight of crowds of people running into a local park. Plenty of room to run, plenty of victims to gore! But just as the bull was about to surge forward, two thick strands of Ghost Ray energy wrapped around its horns, holding it fast! Glaring in rage, the beast whirled around to see the strands had come from the ghostly hands of Sam Manson. And standing behind her, reaching around to hold the strands and help keep the monster reined in, was none other than Danny Phantom himself!

 

“Hm…ghost bull, huh? Yeah, I guess we WERE about due for one of those,” Sam commented as she pulled back hard, trying to hold the rampaging animal back.

 

“Whoa there, Ferdinand! This town isn't your own personal China Shop!” Danny called out, choosing to direct his commentary towards their enemy. But the bull simply scowled in response before standing up on its hind legs, much to Danny and Sam's surprise. A second later, its front legs swelled and burst, being instantly replaced with a pair of huge, muscular arms! And suddenly, what was once a rampaging bull had now been transformed into a rampaging Minotaur!

 

“You know, I guess we really SHOULD have seen that coming,” Sam remarked dryly in Danny's direction before the Minotaur grabbed her Ghost Ray strands. And with a flick of its wrist, Danny and Sam were flung down the street and into the park like a pair of small toys. Sam was flown farther by the Minotaur's throw, but Danny was sent rolling along the ground before his body collided into a large tree. Groaning as he rubbed his head, Danny had no time to recover before a giant cloven foot stamped into the grass! Its eyes burning red, the Minotaur bellowed in rage as its hoof pawed the ground, preparing to stampede right over Danny's dazed body…!

 

“HEY…*FWEET!*…YO! Heeeeere, Bully, Bully!” Sam called out with a loud whistle, forcing the beast to turn and see her holding out the long coat of her ghost costume like a Matador's cape, “Come on, Ole, Toro, Toro and all that sort of jazz!”

 

Snorting in anger, the bull focused its anger back towards Sam as it reared back and surged ahead to trample her down! Fortunately, the momentary distraction was all Danny needed to recover as he slammed his hands into the grass and activated his freezing powers, sending a pulse of blue ecto-energy along the ground and creating a long, thick strip of ice under the Minotaur's feet. A second later, the Minotaur's legs flew out from under it as it slid on its tail along the ice into a large rock while Sam phased through its body, twirling to safety as she threw her coat back on. Enraged, the Minotaur tried to right itself, but its hooves had no traction on the glare surface. And it could only howl and bellow in fury as it slipped and fell on the ice, again and again.

 

“You know, this looks like as good a time as any to out test this new trick I've been working on. Tell me what you think,” Sam announced as she braced her arm and concentrated hard. A moment later, the ecto-energy swirling around her hand quickly transformed into what looked to be a Ghost Ray mace! Twirling the mace hard, Sam floated off the ground and burst forward at top speed as the Minotaur's body toppled once again. And with a yell, she whipped her arm around, smashing the ball of the mace across the Minotaur's jaw and sending its massive frame spiraling through the air and landing unconscious just a few feet away.

 

“OOOOOOO, THAT'LL get your bell rung!” Danny replied as he whipped out the Fenton Thermos and quickly sucked up the creature inside, sealing it away. With the danger passed, several of the crowds that were running away screaming just moments before, were now running back with cheers, eager to offer their gratitude to their local hero. But Danny, as always, was in no mood for getting mobbed as he took off into the sky with Sam right behind him. Landing on a rooftop just a few blocks away, Sam was still so swept up in the excitement of the moment that she couldn't help but whip around, grabbing Danny by his costume and kissing him hard.

 

“Mmmm!” Danny blurted through the kiss, clearly caught off guard. Although just as he was starting to get into it, Sam had to pull herself away.

 

“Oh…sorry,” she said, looking away with a shy smile as she blushed, “I guess I got a little carried away, huh?”

 

“What are you kidding?” Danny replied, propping her chin under his thumb and looking warmly into her eyes, “If THAT'S what you call it, I could go for getting a little carried away, myself.”

 

Sam had to sigh as she smiled back, gently pressing her forehead to Danny's. But as their skin made contact, Danny suddenly opened his eyes and gave a concerned look.

 

“Hmmm,” he uttered with a hint of concern as he pulled away, placing one hand on Sam's forehead and the other on her cheek just as she was about to lean in and kiss him one more time.

 

“Uh, Danny?” Sam uttered in a rather unimpressed tone, “Not for nothing, but you're kind of killing the mood here.”

 

“Oh…sorry,” Danny replied, still not pulling his hands away, “It's just…are you feeling okay? I mean, you DO feel a little warm. You're not coming down with something, are you?”

 

“No, I don't think so,” Sam answered thoughtfully with a shrug, “I mean…I FEEL fine.”

 

“Oh, okay. I don't know, maybe it's just me,” Danny remarked, bringing back his affectionate smile as he pulled his one hand away from her forehead while gently sliding the other down her cheek, “After all, you KNOW I always think you're hot.”

 

“Mmmmm…now where were we?” Sam replied under her breath, smiling back as she and Danny pulled each other close and softly kissed. Meanwhile, back in the park, the crowds were already beginning to disperse as it quickly became obvious that Danny wasn't going to be making an encore appearance. But among the stragglers were two teenage boys. And one of them was holding a cell phone, displaying a digital photo he had just taken which just barely made out Danny and Sam flying off into the sky.

 

“See dude? I TOLD you there was two of them now,” the boy with the cell phone stated excitedly. But as the people of Amity Park began to fade back into the hustle and bustle of their everyday lives, no one seemed to notice a thorny vine slowly creeping its way up one of the trees in the park…

 

… … … …

 

The next morning came as pretty much the standard for Sam as she sat in the kitchen, eating breakfast while her mother, Pamela Manson, hummed happily in front of the stove. Say what she would about her mother and Sam could say plenty, but one thing was for sure. She could whip up a mean breakfast…or lunch or dinner, for that matter. It was probably the ONLY thing that Sam could actually tolerate about her parents being delusional throwbacks to the 1950s. Still, despite her mother's incessant humming, Sam's otherwise peaceful breakfast was about to get seriously shaken.

 

“I don't believe this!” Sam's father, Jeremy Manson, exclaimed as he walked into the kitchen, “They're talking about another ghost child sighting on the news. Is there some epidemic in this town that we don't know about?”

 

“Huh?” Sam uttered in response, immediately sliding her chair from the table and making a beeline for the living room. But what she saw on the TV screen didn't make her feel comfortable at all. There on the local news report, was a graphic right beside the news anchor of a photo silhouette with pigtails and a question mark through it. But what made Sam truly uneasy were the words underneath…

 

WHO IS THE GHOST GIRL?

 

“It's been mentioned in whispers and rumors,” the anchor began to state, “Blurred photos and eyewitness speculations have blanketed the Internet for weeks. Yet still the question remains…who is Danny Phantom's new mystery partner?”

 

Sam swallowed hard as the words echoed in her ears. Meanwhile, she could almost feel her parents' eyes burning holes right through her as they both leaned in to gaze at the television intently.

 

“The `Ghost Girl', as she has been dubbed by witnesses, has apparently similar abilities and an almost identical appearance to Amity Park's very own teen hero. But to date, no actual facts, not even a name, have been gathered. Authorities are at a loss to explain…” the news anchor continued, but was cut off as Sam muted the TV and hurried into the kitchen to get her backpack for school.

 

“Okay, gotta run,” she announced, trying to disguise her nervousness as she headed for the door.

 

“Have a good day, dear,” Pamela replied, stopping Sam at the door with her hands on his shoulder, “I'm just glad that YOU'RE not out there performing such reckless activities. I mean really, whatever kind of abilities those children may have, I can only IMAGINE what kind of people their parents must be like to let them go running around like that.”

 

“Yeah, right…,” Sam could only respond with a nervous chuckle as Pamela kissed her on the forehead. But the second her lips made contact, she instantly pulled away with a tiny gasp.

 

“Oh, honey, you're burning up,” she exclaimed, putting her hand on Sam's forehead, “Are you coming down with something? Jeremy, come here and feel her head. Should we keep her out of school today?”

 

“Mom, I'm fine,” Sam protested, tearing herself away as she reached for the door, “Really, if I was sick, I think I would be the first to know.”

 

With that, Sam stormed out the door, before either of her parents could object. Still, she couldn't help but find it strange as she made her way to school. After all, her mother's reaction was almost identical to the way Danny had reacted when he touched her last night. It couldn't just be a coincidence. But Sam was so lost in thought that she didn't notice a small thorny vine peeking out from a nearby alley, as a bright yellow flower instantly popped into bloom.

 

… … … …

 

“I can't believe it! They're already running news reports on the `Ghost Girl'! I mean, I haven't had my powers for THAT long, have I?” Sam complained as she stood in the halls of Casper High with Danny, Valerie Grey and Tucker, who was peering through the monitor of the giant robot he had built so he could attend classes from the convenience of the Mayor's Office.

 

“Oh, come on Sam, that's not news,” Danny replied, “What surprises ME is that it actually TOOK them so long.”

 

“He's got a point, Sam,” Valerie agreed with a shrug, “I mean, come on. Danny Phantom is a global phenomenon. Everything he DOES is news to people. Did you really think you were going to be able to roll with him and ACTUALLY keep a low profile?”

 

“No kidding,” Tucker added, “You should already see all the fansites you've got online as the Ghost Girl. You've got almost as many as Danny right now.”

 

“Excuse me, `fansites'? `SITES'? As in `PLURAL'? As in, `more than ONE'?” Sam blurted out, almost in shock as Tucker called up an online list through his robot's monitor of all the recent sites and forum chats dedicated to the mysterious “Ghost Girl”. With a few minutes before classes to peruse some of the larger sites, Sam could only look at a bunch of obscure photos and blurred video clips taken from cell phones and wonder what there could possibly be for anyone to get so excited about. After all, she couldn't even see her face in any of them. But it was the comments in the forum chats that really got her attention. Briefly scanning over some of the most recent postings, Sam honestly didn't know whether she should feel sorry or disgusted for the people who actually took the time to expose the worldwide web to such utter nonsense.

 

“Are you kidding me with this?!” she ranted, “What's wrong with some of these people?! Can you believe the garbage they're posting?!”

 

“Price of the party, Sam,” Valerie replied simply, “I'm afraid you're just going to have to live with it.”

 

“I am so sick of hearing about this `Ghost Girl'!” came a voice out of nowhere as Danny and the others turned to see Paulina walking past them, whining to her hanger-on friends, “I mean, who does she think she is spending all that time with Danny Phantom?! I've known him for WAY longer than SHE has!”

 

“Well, okay…I guess it's not ALL bad,” Sam shrugged with a tiny, yet wicked smile of satisfaction at seeing Paulina actually jealous.

 

… … … …

 

“It's just so ridiculous though!” Sam went back to objecting as she walked to class with Danny a few minutes later, her sour mood returning, “I mean, there's just no reason for ANY of it!”

 

“Sam, you've got to calm down,” Danny answered, walking a few steps behind, “It's not that big a deal. People haven't seen you before, they don't know what you're about and they're curious. They all want a piece of the new thing. You're like…the flavor of the month.”

 

“Danny, that's exactly my point!” Sam argued, turning back to him, “There are guys on some of those sites writing that they're in love with me! How can they be in love with me?! They don't even KNOW me! They don't know what kind of person I am or that I have a boyfriend. They don't even know what I really look like! They're all just buying into some plastic fantastic image that the media and the Internet are cramming into their brains! It's not fair!”

 

“Sam, believe me, I know how you feel,” Danny said with a sympathetic tone, “I mean, do you know how much it bugs me to see all these girls on the Danny Phantom sites going on and on about how much they love ME? And honestly, some of the things these girls write are just plain CREEPY.”

 

“Danny…” Sam muttered through her teeth, flashing a jealous glare. Clearly, Danny's words weren't having the desired effect.

 

“Which is EXACTLY why I don't pay attention to any of it!” Danny continued, asserting his position to avoid a needless argument, “And YOU shouldn't, either! I mean, do you really care about what some loser who spends all his time in a chat room thinks about you? Sam, take it from me, you're going to be a LOT better off if you just ignore all the hype and go with your own flow.”

 

“I know, you're right,” Sam conceded, slumping over before gritting her teeth and tensing up again, “It just… makes me so CRAZY!”

 

“It makes me crazy too, but I don't see what we can do about it,” Danny stated with a shrug. Still, he felt the need to come up with a better answer than that as he took a moment to think.

 

“Okay, look. You want to deflate this balloon? Let everyone know who you are. Give a few of their questions some answers and maybe they'll stop gunning for you so much. Just meet this thing head on…”

 

Danny paused for a moment as he reached out and put his hand on Sam's shoulder. And Sam immediately took notice as she looked up to see Danny tossing her a reassuring smile.

 

“…After all, that's something I KNOW you're good at.”

 

Sam had to smile warmly at Danny's confidence as she looked into his eyes. She would savor the affection of his gaze a moment longer before finally leaning in and softly kissing his cheek.

 

“Thanks Danny,” she whispered, pressing her forehead to his as he gently slid his hand down her arm. But the affection was quickly disrupted as Danny pulled away quickly, giving Sam a very concerned look.

 

“Sam…are you absolutely sure you're feeling okay?”

 

“Oh, I don't believe this! First you, then my parents, now you again! Let me make myself perfectly clear! I…FEEL…FINE!” Sam shouted before turning around and storming into class, “Honestly, did everyone get replaced with Pod People when I wasn't looking?! It's like, `Invasion of the Hypochondriacs'!”

 

Danny didn't see any point in arguing with her when she was in that state of mind, so he saw best to just let it go. But he had another reason for lingering out in the hall for a moment as Valerie and Tucker's robot walked up right behind him. Before they could walk past him into class, Danny whipped out his arm out to block their way.

 

“Danny? What's wrong?” Tucker looked over at him, perplexed.

 

“Guys, I need you to do me a favor,” Danny mentioned quietly, “Keep an eye on Sam for the next little while. See if you notice anything unusual, okay?”

 

“You want us to spy on her?” Valerie replied, sounding more than a little apprehensive, “I don't think I have to tell you she's not going to like that if she catches us, Danny.”

 

“I know. But that'll be MY problem,” Danny answered with conviction.

 

“Are we…talking anything specific here?” Tucker asked, feeling a little confused.

 

“No, it's just a feeling. But after all this time, it's a feeling I've learned to trust,” Danny replied. Just then, he turned to Tucker and Valerie, his eyes holding a deeply serious gaze.

 

“I touched her just now, guys. Her skin felt like it was on FIRE.”

 

Neither Tucker nor Valerie felt the need to ask any questions after that. They both simply nodded in agreement and followed Danny into class. Meanwhile, just a few yards down the hall, a tiny trail of ivy slowly crept its way up the window of the school's main door…

 

… … … …

 

The first class of the day went on pretty much without incident. But Sam's mind was someplace far away from the day's lessons. She had to admit that Danny was right. The thing to do would be to just get herself out in the open. Then maybe people would stop seeing her ghost form as an object and see her as an actual person. The logical place to start would have to be coming up with a name. After all, the last thing she wanted do was have to put up with that whole “Inviso-Bill” fiasco that Danny had to live through. But what kind of name would work? Sam found herself lost in thought on that very question as she lazily scribbled down some names as they popped into her head…

 

Sam Phantasm: Nah. Too much like Danny's. Of course, Sam knew that Danny would probably be flattered for a little while, but in the end, it would look like she was just riding his coattails. Sam didn't want that and in the end, she knew Danny wouldn't want it either. They may be a team, but he'd want her to do what she always did. Take pride in being her own person.

 

Sam Plasma: NO! WAAAAAAY too much like “Plasmius” for ANY-one's good there.

 

Sam Mana: Oh, THERE'S and idea. Give those chat room nerds ANOTHER reason to start geeking out over her.

 

Sam Manifestation: Oh please! NOW she was just getting DESPERATE!

 

At that point, Sam was practically gnashing her teeth as she started violently crossing out all names she had written. Obviously, this was going to be a lot harder than she thought. But before she could give it any more thought, Dash Baxter would raise his hand and speak out.

 

“Hey, do you think we could turn up the air conditioner or something? It's ROASTING in here today.”

 

A few others students murmured and nodded in agreement. Even Danny had to admit, it was unusually warm in class that day. Looking over his shoulder, he caught a glimpse of Sam in the next row just two desks behind him. But as Sam noticed him looking at her, all she could offer was a shrug and a bewildered look. Whatever was going on, SHE wasn't feeling it. Tucker, who was viewing the class from the comfort of the Mayor's Office, wasn't feeling it either. However, Valerie, who noticed the brief exchange, suddenly flashed Tucker a concerned look. It was starting to look like Danny just might be on to something after all. Meanwhile, outside the window, no one noticed a row of flowers suddenly bursting into bloom…

 

… … … …

 

Phys Ed class was later in the day and Mrs. Tetslaff had the students playing soccer outside. Nothing else had seemed strange about Sam over the course of the day, but Valerie was still doing her best to keep an eye out.

 

“Manson! Corner kick!” Mrs. Tetslaff announced after a sharp blare of her whistle. Sam was quick to respond, trotting out of bounds to grab the ball.

 

“Come on everybody! Move in!” Paulina called out to the other players on her team, “It's not like she'll be kicking ANY-thing very far with those skinny little twigs she walks on!”

 

“Oh, what I wouldn't give to put a Ghost Ray fist upside your pointed head, you stuck up little…” Sam grumbled under her breath as she walked to the corner of the field. But as she set the ball down and backed up to make her kick, Valerie began to notice something. At first she wasn't sure, it HAD to be her eyes playing tricks on her. But as Sam ran up to make her kick…

 

POW!!!

 

Right when Sam's foot made contact, the ball exploded at the seams! And everyone else could only look on in wide-eyed shock as the ball flew only a few inches before landing in the grass, peeled open like an orange! Sam couldn't understand what had just happened. Even Mrs. Tetslaff was at a loss to explain how Sam had just kicked a soccer ball to pieces. But Valerie was starting to come up with a theory. When Sam was carrying the ball, Valerie had noticed the air slightly warped around her body, like heat waves rippling off of hot pavement. At first she thought it was a mistake, but now she wasn't so sure. Meanwhile, as everyone was preoccupied with Sam's little stunt, no one was around to notice a long root burrowing out of the ground and slinking along the goal post at the far end of the field…

 

… … … …

 

School had finally ended and not a moment too soon for Sam's liking. No doubt about it, this had definitely NOT been one of her better days. Hoping to put her mind at ease, if only for a moment, she figured a quick salad from Nasty Burger might just hit the spot. Of course, being around friendly faces definitely helped as Danny and Valerie had come along as well. Even “Mayor Foley” had been so kind as to grace them with his presence. But it was when Danny sidled up beside her at the counter and softly kissed her cheek after they made their orders that Sam finally had to smile. As she looked over at him smiling back at her, she had to marvel at how such simple gestures could suddenly make the whole world seem right. And as Sam gently snuggled up to Danny and kissed his cheek in reply, Danny's fears about Sam were quickly starting to fade into the back of his mind. But any feelings of security were quickly shattered when the orders came. Just as Sam was grabbing her tray, the clerk accidentally brushed his elbow against Danny's soda, spilling it all over Sam's food.

 

“Oh man, I am SO sorry about that! I'll get you a new order!” the clerk responded quickly, indicating that he really did feel foolish for his mistake. But his apology wasn't enough to keep Sam from tensing up as she gripped the handles of her tray hard and glared in anger. Suddenly, without warning, a searing wave of heat slammed through Danny, Tucker and Valerie, forcing all three of them back a step. Sam, meanwhile, didn't notice a thing as she gave herself a quick visual inspection.

 

“Ooooh, did anything spill on me? I'll be right back.” She said with an annoyed groan as she headed for the bathroom to use the mirror. Danny, Tucker and Valerie however, could only look at each other stunned before turning their attention to Sam's tray. Before the clerk whisked it away, they noticed that the hand holds of the tray had been completely warped, almost as if they had melted. But what was even more astounding is that they had melted in the exact shape of Sam's fingers! At that moment, all three could only look at each other with a serious gaze. If they weren't worried before, they were DEFINITELY worried now.

 

Sam emerged from the bathroom a few moments later, satisfied that everything was in order. But now she had a new complication to deal with as she noticed that Danny, Tucker and Valerie were no longer standing by the counter. In fact, they were no longer anywhere in the Nasty Burger. But before Sam could even ask herself where everyone had gone, Danny's hand phased in through the wall and yanked her outside. The next thing she knew, a transformed Danny and Tucker's robot were holding her by her wrists in the alley out back. Tucker, meanwhile, was at the robot's controls, taking shelter around the corner of the alley while Valerie was standing just a few steps away decked out in her armor. But Sam was too busy not being in the mood for hassles to ask politely what was going on.

 

“Ooookay, do you guys have ANY idea how good this had better be?” she remarked sarcastically as she flashed an acid glare.

 

“Just relax,” Danny replied, “Valerie?”

 

“Running thermal scan now,” Valerie replied as a red light blanketed Sam's body.

 

“Sam, are you sure you've been feeling okay today?” Tucker inquired innocently as his face appeared in the monitor of his robot.

 

“Oh, for crying out…this again?!” Sam shouted angrily, “Look, let me talk slowly so all of you can understand, okay?! I…FEEL…FINE!!! There is NOTHING wrong with me! There hasn't BEEN anything wrong with me!”

 

“Oh really?” Valerie answered as she shoved her wrist monitor in front of Sam's face, “And just how long HAS it been normal for you to be running a 320 degree temperature?”

 

“What?!” Sam blurted out in disbelief as she saw the infrared scan on the monitor, numbers and all. Suddenly, a series of beeps emitted from the monitor as a new series of scans entered in.

 

“Okay, make that a 640 degree temperature,” Tucker noted, looking at the monitor through his robot.

 

“WHAT?!” Sam shouted again. And again, another series of beeps could be heard.

 

“Okay, Sam?” Danny stated cautiously, “Maybe now would be a good time to ease off on the exclamations, okay?”

 

“Danny, I don't understand,” Sam could only ask, now starting to worry herself, “I mean, I feel perfectly fine. What's going on here?”

 

“I think we need to get back to my place,” Danny replied seriously, eager to get some answers himself. Cradling Sam in his arms, he took off into the sky with Valerie close behind on her rocket sled and Tucker bringing up the rear, being carried by his robot. Meanwhile, in the Nasty Burger parking lot, a small crack in the concrete began to steadily grow as tiny strands of ivy began slowly peeking out…

 

… … … …

 

“I'm really sorry for all this trouble, Mr. and Mrs. Fenton,” Sam called over through the clear, reinforced walls of the Fenton Works' ghost containment cell. Jack and Maddie Fenton, meanwhile, were busy reading from the data being fed into the computer from the electrodes attached to Sam's body. Danny, Tucker and Valerie, meanwhile, stood next to the cell, along with Danny's sister, Jazz.

 

“What are you kidding?!” Jack replied ecstatically, “We should be THANKING you! Do you know how long I've wanted to actually TRY OUT most of this stuff?”

 

“Uh, can we `try out' showing a little less enthusiasm over turning your son's girlfriend into a science experiment?” Jazz protested with a clearly annoyed tone. Danny, meanwhile, had walked over to the cell as he and Sam reached out, trying to touch their hands through the glass. The looks on their faces were a clear indication of their concern.

 

“Oh Jazz, relax. Your father and I will figure this out, don't worry,” Maddie replied with her usual upbeat attitude just as the first of the new readings came through the computer system, “Hmmm. Now THIS is odd.”

 

“What's up?” Tucker asked, feeling the need to get in on the conversation. Curious, Jazz walked over to the monitor and began inspecting the numbers. And within moments, she could immediately see what was so strange.

 

“Well, according to this, there are actually two distinct temperature readings here,” she explained, “THAT could be reason she's not feeling anything. I mean, look at this. Her outer body is searing hot, but her core temperature is below freezing. This makes no sense.”

 

“Hang on a minute…we've seen this before,” Maddie thought out loud as she called up another file on the computer, looking like a different body scan, “Oh, of COURSE! I should have realized it immediately! These readings are almost identical to Danny's when he's using his freezing powers! See? The cold zone is right in her core, just like Danny! It's even the same temperature!”

 

“Wait a minute,” Sam chimed in, “So…you're saying I have freezing powers like Danny's? So how come Danny turned into a popsicle and I'm turning into a uranium rod?”

 

“Well, at this point, the best guess is that your powers have undergone a random mutation,” Jazz explained, “Your body seems to have developed its own external heat source to try and fight off the cold. So as your core temperature is dropping, your outer body is pouring in massive amounts of heat to balance it. But now it looks like the heat is starting to be generated outward. And from what these numbers are saying, it's only getting more powerful.”

 

“Wow!” Jack exclaimed, looking over at Sam with an amused smile, “Bet you didn't see THAT one coming, huh?”

 

“No,” Sam replied, looking away thoughtfully, “But I probably SHOULD have.”

 

Sam was right. She had every reason to expect something like this would happen, especially after meeting her future self not that long ago and seeing what she could do, like creating a flaming motorcycle out of thin air…

 

…“Whoa,” Sam uttered in awe, her lips curling up into an impressed smile, “When do I learn how to do THIS?”

“Trust me,” Future Sam winced slightly as her voice had a hint of apprehension, “When it happens, you'll know.”…

 

“I didn't think it was going to happen so fast,” Sam noted, “I thought I'd have more time to build up to it.”

 

“Sam, relax,” Danny spoke up, getting her attention with a reassuring smile, “It's going to be fine. We'll get through this, okay?”

 

Seeing Danny smile at her, Sam could help but smile back. If anyone else had told her everything was going to be fine, she never would have believed it. And yet somehow, when Danny said it, on some level she couldn't explain, she just KNEW he'd be right. But any chance for Sam to give an affectionate response was dashed as both she and Danny felt that familiar cold chill as the icy breath passed their lips.

 

“Oh, great. NOW what?” Danny remarked sarcastically. But the answer came harder and faster than he'd anticipated as the entire earth shook violently, toppling everyone in the lab off their feet!

 

“CODE RED!! LOCKDOWN!!” Jack shouted, recovering quickly as he activated the Fenton Works' ghost shield. Meanwhile, Maddie ran to a nearby monitor to see what was going on outside.

 

“Jack…you'd better come see this,” she said uneasily as the scene unfolded from the center of town. People were running around, screaming in terror as a huge pillar of vines erupted from the ground, sending pieces of asphalt plying in all directions! A second later the vines wrapped around each other and took shape, instantly revealing the unmistakable form of…

 

“Undergrowth!” Danny exclaimed, “Oh, why did it have to be HIM?”

 

“HUMAN DISEASE!!!” Undergrowth's voice bellowed so loud it could even be heard down in the Fentons' lab, “NATURE HAS RETURNED TO PUNISH YOUR WICKEDNESS!!!”

 

“Well, you have to give him credit,” Tucker stated with a shrug, “At least he's devoted.”

 

“Not to mention consistent,” Danny added as he quickly transformed, “This shouldn't take long.”

 

“Danny, wait!” Sam interrupted, “Let me go with you!”

 

“Sam, I don't think that's such a good idea,” Jazz answered apprehensively.

 

“She's got a point Sam,” Valerie added, “These new powers of yours are already starting to get out of control. There's no telling what transforming would do to you. It could make them even wilder.”

 

“Not to mention that Undergrowth might recognize you. He could try to take you over again,” Tucker noted. Sam, meanwhile, could only hang her head. She knew they all made some good points, but ever since she got her powers and started fighting alongside Danny, it was just so hard for her to not be beside him. Just then, she saw Danny's gloved hand pressed against the glass and looked up to see him offering her another reassuring smile. And suddenly, she strangely began to feel better again.

 

“It's okay, Sam,” Danny said softly, “Trust me, I beat him once. I can do it again.”

 

“Not on your own, you're not, Mister!” Jack announced behind him as everyone turned to see him and Maddie standing together, both armed to the teeth, “Jack Fenton's not about to sit on the sidelines while one of his children goes to face the root of all evil!”

 

“Why Jack, that was actually clever,” Maddie complimented happily.

 

“Really?” Jack responded, “Well, I guess I WAS due.”

 

“Uh…are you two really sure this is a good idea?” Danny replied nervously, “I mean, no offense, but I KNOW I can take him. You guys…well, you didn't do so well the last time.”

 

“Don't you start, young man,” Maddie cautiously scolded, “When you move out on your own, you can fight all the ghost plant monsters you want. But until then, we're still your parents.”

 

“Mom…I don't want to argue with you,” Danny sighed as he slumped his shoulders. Suddenly, he threw his arms out, unleashing a stream of his freezing Ghost Rays and trapping Jack and Maddie behind a thick wall of ice! With that, Danny phased through the roof of the lab and was long gone before Jack and Maddie were able to blast their way out.

 

“That's it, Mister! You are SO grounded!” Jack yelled out, ignoring the fact that Danny was no longer in the room.

 

“Look guys, he didn't mean it like that,” Jazz replied, trying to diffuse the situation, “He's just…used to doing things HIS way.”

 

“Don't make excuses for him, Jazz. He knows the rules better than that,” Maddie argued before she and Jack went running up the stairs. Danny, meanwhile, was already well on his way to the battlefield, flying at top speed to the center of town. It wasn't hard to follow the flying cars and the sounds of screaming as he soon came across Undergrowth's towering form. Still, seeing him up close again, Danny had to swallow hard. He'd forgotten how big Undergrowth really was. But he quickly reasserted himself as he braced his courage and charged in!

 

“Hey, Jungle Jim!” he called out, freezing a large patch of Undergrowth's vines with his blue ecto-energy and smashing through, “They say green thumbs can be cured at birth now!”

 

“YOU!” Undergrowth's voice echoed through the streets, “I WAS HOPING YOU'D SHOW UP AGAIN!”

 

“That's an odd reaction considering who's kicked your butt before!” Danny shouted back, blasting away some stray vines as Undergrowth lashed out at him! But acting fast, Danny sent a pulse of blue ecto-energy up Undergrowth's arm, freezing it solid before winding up and shattering it with a fierce punch. At first, Undergrowth bellowed in pain as his arm crumbled away up to his shoulder, but his expression quickly turned to a sinister grin as a new arm grew back almost instantly.

 

“Okay, he can regenerate faster now,” Danny noted under his breath, “Gonna have to remember THAT one.”

 

“TRUE, IN OUR FIRST ENCOUNTER, I WAS NOT PREPARED FOR YOUR UNIQUE ABILITIES!” Undergrowth admitted, although it still sounded like he was gloating, “BUT YOU'LL FIND THAT THIS TIME IS MUCH DIFFERENT! FOR EXAMPLE, I HAVE CALLED IN SOME OF MY OTHER CHILDREN ESPECIALLY FOR YOU!”

 

“Huh?” Danny wasn't sure what to prepare himself against as Undergrowth waved his hands and a series of giant roots tore a giant hole in the middle of the street. But he quickly got the idea as suddenly, dozens of evergreen trees began tromping single file in rows of four towards him.

 

“Oooooh boy.”

 

“THESE ARE BUT A FEW OF MY CHILDREN THAT THRIVE IN COLD CONDITIONS!” Undergrowth announced, “I BELIEVE THEY SHOULD PROVIDE MORE OF A CHALLENGE FOR YOU!”

 

“Well…I guess there's something to be said for doing things the old fashioned way,” Danny muttered in reply as he charged a large sphere of ecto-energy in his hands, sending it flying into the first wave of trees and blowing them to splinters! But out of the haze of his first attack, more trees kept maintained their slow march towards him as Undergrowth gave a triumphant smirk. Acting fast, Danny prepared to launch a second assault against the seemingly endless line, but creeping vines began gradually making their way towards him, wrapping around his arms and legs in an attempt to slow him down.

 

“Hey! Get off me, you little backbiters!” Danny shouted as he rid himself of the minor pests with a few freezing Ghost Rays. But the vines' distraction had the desired effect as Danny turned around to see two evergreens wielding a third like a giant baseball bat and preparing for a Major League swing…

 

WHAM!!!

 

Before Danny knew what was happening, he was sent flying down the street and slammed into a nearby brick wall! Crumpling to his knees, Danny rubbed his head in a daze before looking up to see himself now surrounded by Undergrowth's evergreen army, all poised to attack. Just then, the Fenton RV came roaring down the street, plowing through the trees and stopping right in front of Danny as Jack and Maddie jumped out!

 

“Back off, you blooming freak!” Jack yelled out towards Undergrowth, “ANY plant that takes a shot at Jack Fenton's kid is gonna get its weeds whacked!”

 

“Jack!” Maddie remarked, somewhat in disbelief, “TWO witty remarks in one day?”

 

“I know,” Jack replied, looking back at Maddie with a slight look of concern, “It's starting to scare me too.”

 

“MORE HUMAN FILTH!?” Undergrowth scowled in disgust, “ERADICATE THEM!”

 

“Mom…Dad…run…get out of here. You can't…” Danny groaned as he still tried to recover from the last attack. But his warnings went unheeded as his the pair charged into battle! Jack kicked things off with a few well places shots from his shoulder mounted bazooka, firing at gradual upward angles and blowing away an entire line of evergreens. Meanwhile, Maddie was front and center, cutting down any vine or tree that crossed her path with energy weapons that looked like axe blades.

 

“Okay…maybe they can,” Danny remarked with a slightly impressed tone as he noticed that not only were his parents holding their own, they actually seemed to be doing well. But such hopes were quickly dashed as the determined couple was quickly put under wraps by Undergrowth's vines, stretching and manipulating them like string puppets. Danny, meanwhile, could only slide his hand down his face in frustration.

 

“Then again, there's something to be said for initial assessments,” he added as he phased through the street, unseen by Undergrowth or his plants. A moment later, he emerged behind Jack and Maddie, phasing them through the vines that held them and flying them off to a rooftop a block away.

 

“You guys should be fine here. Now please, just stay here. Trust me, I can handle this,” Danny pleaded. But while he was trying to talk his parents out of endangering themselves, a long vine crept up the building.

 

“What the…?! WHOA!” Danny exclaimed as the vine suddenly wrapped around his leg!

 

“DANNY!” Jack and Maddie cried out, shocked at their son being snatched off the roof to the street below.

 

… … … …

 

“No!” Sam shouted, forced to watch helplessly behind the glass as Danny desperately fought for his life on the screen in front of her, “That does it! I'm going out there!”

 

Before anyone in the lab could object, Sam had already transformed and was itching for a fight. But moments later, alarms blared and sirens wailed as lights flashed and the computer screen monitoring Sam's condition turned a menacing red. Jazz was quick to investigate, but her eyes went wide with shock as she scanned the numbers in front of her.

 

“Sam, no! You've got to change back!” she cried out, “Your heat output just TRIPLED! You're losing control! If you don't stop, there's no telling what could happen to you!”

 

“Jazz, I am NOT worried about ME right now! If you're dad was in trouble, your mom would move MOUNTAINS to get him back!” Sam argued, slamming her hands firmly against the reinforced wall of the ghost containment cell. And Jazz, Tucker and Valerie could only look on in disbelief as the wall actually started melting! But Sam didn't seem to notice as her eyes briefly flashed from green to bright orange!

 

“I'M…HELPING…DANNY!”

 

“Guys, get back!” Valerie shouted as she activated her armor, jumping in front of Tucker and Jazz with a fire extinguisher and blasting the cell full force as the wall fell away. Sam disappeared briefly in the veil of freezing gas, but as the haze lifted, they could see that she was long gone. The only trace of her left was two melted footprints in the floor of the lab where she had been standing just moments ago. And realizing at that moment, the horrifying potential of what Sam could unleash, Jazz, Tucker and Valerie could only look at each other with worry and confusion. Clearly, Sam had to be stopped. But in her present condition, there wasn't a single one of them that was capable of doing it.

 

… … … …

 

Meanwhile, unaware of Sam's escape from Fenton Works, Danny was having problems of his own as he struggled against Undergrowth's army of evergreen trees. It was true that his freezing powers had no effect on them, but even his ordinary Ghost Rays were of no use against numbers so vast. It seemed that for every one minion he blew apart, two more rose up to replace it. But his efforts were soon thwarted as one of Undergrowth's vines wrapped around his waist and slammed him to the street. Before Danny could react, one of the trees snapped its tip forward, firing a barrage of pine needles that pinned Danny to the street by his costume!

 

“YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN SO MUCH BETTER OFF HAD YOU JOINED MY CAUSE INSTEAD!” Undergrowth gloated with a smirk, clearly enjoying the sight of Danny lying helpless before him, “BUT NOW YOU WILL SHARE THE FATE OF THE REST OF YOUR MURDEROUS KIND!”

 

Danny could only watch helplessly as the trees towering over him pointed their branches down, reading to shower him with needles like some botanical firing squad. There didn't seem to be anything he could do. Just then, a green blur flashed past, right over top of him, slicing right through the line of trees. And Undergrowth could only stare in surprise as Sam skidded to a stop right in front of him, her Ghost Ray blades sharp and ready. A second later, all the trees she had flown through suddenly toppled to the ground, each one slashed cleanly in two at the base of their trunks!

 

“Okay, I'm gonna be doing an AWFUL lot of replanting later for THAT one,” Sam stated with an annoyed tone. Danny, meanwhile, was too surprised to even notice the scorch marks on each of the tree trunks from where Sam had cut them.

 

“Sam, what are you doing here?!” He blurted out.

 

“You didn't really think I was gonna miss out on THIS, did you?” Sam replied, not even turning to face him as she was too busy looking up at Undergrowth with a scowl of contempt. Undergrowth meanwhile, could only glare back at her. He was definitely angered at this strange girl's insolence, but at the same time, there was an odd confusion as well, as if there was something familiar about her. But it wasn't about to stop one of his vines from slowly creeping up behind her, until Sam suddenly whipped around, stopping it dead in its tracks with one of her Ghost Ray blades.

 

“Back off, `bud',” she uttered menacingly, “I LITERALLY eat sprouts like you for breakfast.”

 

As the vine shrank back, almost cringing, Undergrowth only became even more curious. Never had one of his “children” reacted in such a way to an enemy threat before. This required a closer inspection. Whipping out his arm, a wave of vines burst from Undergrowth's hand, wrapping Sam up from her neck to her knees just as she was turning back to face him! As Sam struggled to free herself from the vines' iron grip, Undergrowth brought her up to eye level, staring intently. And a moment later, everything suddenly made sense. Her hair was white, her eyes were green, but there was no longer any doubt in his mind who she was.

 

“MY DAUGHTER…? IS THAT REALLY YOU?” he uttered in surprise. In fact, he was so stunned, he didn't even notice the vines from his hand that were holding Sam beginning to smolder. Sam, meanwhile, had calmed herself down from Undergrowth's sneak attack and was already shifting her focus.

 

“Sorry pal, but I've already GOT a father!” she announced as one of her Ghost Ray blades pierced Undergrowth's vines, slicing them away with a single slash, “And believe me, in MY case, that's ALREADY one too many!”

 

Floating in mid-air, just a few feet from Undergrowth's face, Sam quickly converted her Ghost Ray blades into Ghost Ray claws, ready to tear him apart with her bare hands if she had to. But this time, she was so focused on Undergrowth that she didn't notice a thorny vine slowly creeping up behind her…until the sharp tip flashed forward, piercing the back of her neck! At that moment, a stunned Sam could only let out a raspy breath as her eyes glazed over and her arms slowly dropped to her sides.

 

“SAM!!! NOOOO!!” Danny cried out as he phased through the street, escaping the pine needles that had him pinned down. But just as he emerged from the street, ready to charge to her rescue, a large evergreen root slammed into his back and pinned him back down to the street like a giant foot! And as one of the trees branches held him down between his shoulders, he was forced to watch helplessly as Undergrowth's vine slowly lowered Sam back to the ground.

 

“YES, MY CHILD,” undergrowth spoke soothingly as Sam crumpled to her knees, “ALL IS WELL NOW. SOON, YOU WILL BE AMONG US AGAIN. AND THIS TIME, OUR GLORIOUS CAUSE SHALL NOT FAIL. WITH YOU AT MY SIDE, THIS WRETCHED PLAGUE OF HUMANITY WILL BE GROUND INTO THE DIRT WHERE THEY BELONG”

 

As Undergrowth spoke, Sam's mind was being bombarded with images. Admittedly, she really had no memory of the things she had done when she was under Undergrowth's control the first time. But now, those memories were flooding back into her brain, like a tide that never ebbed. She could remember everything Undergrowth had made her do…

 

…to her family…

 

…to her friends…

 

…even to…

 

“Danny…” Sam uttered under her breath, her voice sounding heartbroken as her bottom lip trembled, “nnnnno…uuunnh…no…!”

 

“WHAT?!” Undergrowth looked on in confusion as Sam actually seemed to be resisting his control of her. Suddenly, Sam's eyes snapped oven, again turning from green to a bright flashing orange.

 

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!” a wave of orange ecto-energy erupted from Sam's body as she screamed to the heavens, pulsing through the air as it incinerated everything in its path! Undergrowth was able to pull back at the last moment, but still took most of the wave head on as he bellowed in agony! All of Undergrowth's invading plants were instantly reduced to ash, but it was clear that Sam wasn't in control of her attack as the wave continued to ripple down the street.

 

“SAM!” Danny called out, but he barely had enough time to save himself, let along her. With a groan of effort, he heaved the large evergreen off his back and formed an ice shield to protect himself. But Sam's heat wave slammed into Danny's shield before he had a chance to fortify it, shattering it like fine crystal and ripping through Danny's body, sending him flying down the street! The remaining evergreen trees were also sent hurtling through the air, instantly reduced to flaming coals! Even Jack and Maddie were barely able to save themselves as Jack tackled Maddie under the roof ledge to avoid the blazing heat!

 

After what seemed like an eternity, but what was only a brief moment, the wave finally subsided. But one look made it perfectly clear the extent of the raw power unleashed. At least two blocks in all directions were completely incinerated. The buildings were still standing, but only because it was an older part of the town, still made of brick and mortar. But all the windows had buckled and shattered from the searing heat. Metal lampposts were warped and twisted. Even the trees not under Undergrowth's control went up like flash powder and were reduced to cinders. Cars had exploded like grenades and were now lying in flaming husks. Only Undergrowth was somehow still standing in the midst of all the devastation. But even he was no better off than anything else that had been caught in Sam's wake. In fact, the entire left side of his body had been burned away from the neck down!

 

“NO!” he growled in shock and pain, “MY CHILD…WHAT HAVE THESE HUMAN INSECTS DONE TO YOU?!”

 

Stunned and beaten, Undergrowth retreated back underground. But this defeat was only temporary. It would only be a matter of time before he appeared again. Sam would come to her senses a moment later, but even though she was conscious again, her eyes were still orange and a glow of orange ecto-energy now surrounded her body. Looking around, her eyes went wide in disbelief at the destruction that surrounded her. But she didn't have time to worry about that. There was only one thing on her mind now…

 

“Danny!” she shouted as she flew back down the street where he had previously been, only to find him lying on the ground at least half a block further back. Lying unconscious, his ghost form reversed and he'd become human again. His dazed groan indicated that he was more or less okay, but Sam was distracted by the light burns on his face and arms.

 

“Did…did I do this? Danny, I am so…” she thought out loud as she knelt down and instinctively reached out to cradle him in her arms. But it was then that she looked at her hands and noticed the orange glow surrounding her. Pulling back at the last second, she felt a deep pit in her stomach as she thought about what this could mean. Looking around, she found a piece of wood lying in the street that had only been partially burned from the heat wave she'd unleashed. Quickly, she reached out to grab it…only to gasp in horror as the wood instantly burned to cinders in her hand! It was then that she turned back to Danny. If she had grabbed him just then…!

 

“Sam, are you alright?” Maddie called behind her as she and Jack had made their way off the roof and ran towards them, “Come on, we'd better get you back to the lab and…”

 

“GET AWAY FROM ME!!!” Sam screamed, causing Jack and Maddie to instantly back away as they saw the look of terror scarred across her face. Overcome with emotion at the reality of what she had just caused, her whole body shivered with fright and her bottom lip trembled as she reached her hand as close to Danny's face as she dared.

 

“Danny, I…I…I'm sorry!” she finally cried out before blasting into the sky as fast as she could. With no possible way to catch up to her, all Jack and Maddie could do was watch her streak off before turning their attention to their son, who still lie unconscious at their feet.

 

… … … …

 

“Ooohhhh…unnh, S…S-Sa…Sam?! SAM!!” Danny jolted himself awake, sitting up instantly. But the first thing he noticed was that he was no longer in the center of town. It took him a moment to get his bearings, but he soon realized that he was in Tucker's underground bunker beneath City Hall.

 

“Danny, are you alright?” Jazz called over as she, Tucker and Valerie ran over to the table he was laid out on, with Jack and Maddie close behind.

 

“I'll be fine. Believe me, I've had worse,” Danny replied, “What happened? Did Undergrowth…?”

 

“He got away,” Tucker answered, “We figure he's just off licking his wounds somewhere. I've got the police rounding up everyone in town to get them here to City Hall. Your parents whipped up a ghost shield and we're hoping it'll keep everyone safe.”

 

“Okay,” Danny replied, although the faraway sound of his voice indicated that it was the last thing he was thinking about, “Where's…Sam?”

 

“Uh, Danny…?” Jazz seemed reluctant to reply as she, Tucker and Valerie exchanged nervous glances, “We don't…know…where she is.”

 

“What?” Danny uttered, almost under his breath.

 

“Well, according to Mom and Dad, she got so freaked out over what she did that she just…flew off,” Jazz continued, the look on Danny's face making her even more concerned, “We…haven't been able to track her down.”

 

“WHAT?!” Danny shouted angrily, “You mean she's out there ALONE and we're all stuck in HERE?!”

 

“Danny, now calm down, Sweetheart,” Maddie chimed in, trying to put Danny's mind at ease, “We're going to work this out, but you've got to relax.”

 

“Relax?! Are you kidding?!” Danny shot back, “My girlfriend is out there right now with powers she can't control, scared out of her mind…I've got to find her! But I can't just take off and leave the whole town at the mercy of the Jolly Green Giant out there! I'm the only one who's got a chance of taking him down! But how can I just…?! AAH!”

 

Lost in a panic of anger and confusion, Danny lashed out at a nearby workstation, sweeping away a keyboard, a mouse and a cup before falling to his knees, holding his head in his hands.

 

“I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO!!”

 

Jazz and the others could only look at each other solemnly as Danny appeared almost on the verge of tears. It wasn't hard to understand why he felt so torn. He'd always felt an obligation to do the right thing with his powers. But as his family and friends all stood around him, they all knew deep down that if Danny was asked which was more important to him…saving Sam or saving the world…he would have to THINK before he answered.

 

Meanwhile, all Danny could think about was what Sam must be going through. Danny knew the feeling all too well. What it felt like to be so totally out of control, to feel so completely alone because of something you had that no one else could possibly understand. But with Sam, he knew he could help because he'd been there before and every instinct in his body was screaming at him to be there for her. It's where he wanted to be…where he knew he NEEDED to be. But he couldn't just leave all these people to be turned into Undergrowth's personal fertilizer stash. And he didn't have enough confidence in his duplicating powers yet to try and be in both places at once. He couldn't risk tackling a monster like Undergrowth with ANYTHING less than full strength. But again, his thoughts drifted back to Sam. What would happen to her if he stayed? What if her powers overwhelmed her and he got to her too late? How could he possibly live with that…?

 

Just then, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Snapping out of his whirlwind torment, he turned to see Tucker kneeling beside him, looking at him with a confident grin.

 

“Dude,” he said softly with a single nod, “Just go.”

 

“Huh?” Danny looked at him with a perplexed look, “Tucker…what are you…?”

 

“It's okay. Do what you've gotta do, Man,” he said as Valerie, Jazz, Jack and Maddie stepped up behind him, “We can hold down the fort here. Trust me, the town's still gonna be standing when you guys get here.”

 

Looking up at a group of nodding heads and assuring smiles, Danny realized just how far they were willing to stick their necks out for him. And the least he could do was recognize it and make it count for something as he responded with a serious gaze and a simple nod. A moment later, he was transformed and floating outside with Tucker, Valerie and Jazz standing on the steps outside City Hall as his parents remained inside making preparations.

 

“Alright, just hold the line until Sam and I get back,” he announced, staring off into the distance, “I'm going to try and make this as quick as I can.”

 

“Danny, no offense, but do you even know where you're going to start looking?” Jazz asked plainly.

 

“Actually, I've got a pretty good idea where she's gone,” Danny replied.

 

“What makes you so sure you know?” Valerie had to ask.

 

“Because it's exactly where I would go,” Danny answered, “But I've got to move fast. She's got a pretty good head start on me. Just keep everyone safe and don't go looking for trouble, okay?”

 

“No sweat, Danny. You just focus on getting Sam back. We'll cover things on our end,” Tucker stated confidently. With that, Danny nodded and took off into the sky as fast as he could. However long it was going to take for him to find Sam and get her back, he knew that time wasn't on his side.

 

“Tucker,” Valerie noted as the three waved Danny off, “Whatever you've got up your sleeve, I hope it's gonna be enough to keep us alive until they get back.”

 

“That…makes two of us,” Jazz added.

 

“Three,” Tucker muttered uneasily, causing Valerie and Jazz to flash each other worried glances.