Adrenaline

Note: This is supposed to be a non-OC fic, but I just could not think of anyy plots for any stories without making use of Wraith at least as a plot device somehow. She's pretty mindless, though in this she's started to develop some intelligence.
Also, it's my first proper fanfic... I don't really know if I'm getting the characters IC or not. Review and tell me if I did good or bad? c: And advice on how to get them IC when I write them next is always welcome.

I don't have a beta/proof reader really. I did bounce this off one friend who quick read.. most of it, but the second half or so I didn't at all. A beta probably would be a good idea though.. I don't have any DP friends so I can't get help with characters and whatnot. PM if you'd like to? o:

Deep within an alternate world, lit by eerie green light from all around, a tower stood upon a small island. Around the tower, giant cogs of varying sizes floated, working slowly against the empty air. The area was silent but for the faint murmurings of ghosts passing by in the distance, most of them giving the tower a fairly wide berth... The tower was home to the master of time, and they did not want to be disturbing a rather powerful entity like him.

An echoing shriek split through the Ghost Zone, breaking the quiet that had been there before. For a few minutes, the source was unknown, and the ghosts that inhabited this particular area of the Ghost Zone ignored it, going about their business as usual.

Just moments later, it became clear to them all just why they should have taken notice.

A few minutes after the scream had passed into silence came the steady thumping sound of large wings pumping up and down, bringing the horror that the harsh cry belonged to closer and closer.

Sweeping into the area and heading directly for the eerie time tower in the centre, a monstrous black serpentine dragon bared its sharp black teeth and continued on at high seed, loosing another harsh cream as it went. Ghosts scattered, most knowing the dragons name even if they had not seen it before, others simply using common sense to get away from the clearly predatory ghost.

Without slowing even a little, the monster dragon smashed headlong into the tower belonging to the master of time. It swayed its head wildly and clawed at the walls, which crumbled and gave way beneath its strength and weight. The dragon pushed on, dragging its entire body through what was now a wreck.

Inside, the tower had been abandoned minutes before the dragon had collided with its walls. Its only resident, Clockwork, was a ghost who knew all futures and potential twists – and that being so, he had known the monster had been heading his way and had duly gotten himself out of the way... He knew, of course, what course the future would take now, for he had left a Thermos within the tower. Not a soup Thermos, but one meant for capturing and containing ghosts.

This particular Thermos had held a specific ghost kept prisoner for one reason – he led to the destruction of the human race in his own time-stream. But even now, the time master knew, that Thermos was being raked by sharp scales, and was slowly wearing closer to splitting open and releasing the evil ghost within.

Within the Thermos, Dan was listening.

He was listening to the sounds of walls collapsing, and to a thunderous sound which he could not quite place – but which was the noise of thousands of unbreakable black scales tearing across the outside of his prison.

Moments later, the first tiny split appeared in its walls. An evil smirk split Dans face as he realised that now was the time he would be freed and could hunt down his nuisance of a past self, whom he no longer needed. He began to work on speeding up his escape, attacking the splitting area furiously – but conserving some strength to deal with whatever was on the other side assaulting Clockworks tower.

It took just a few minutes for the Thermos to finally split wide open, but to Dan it felt like an eternity after his seemingly timeless imprisonment – even though, in reality, it had only been two years that had passed by outside his Thermos.

With a confident smirk he burst from the now ruined container, revelling in his new freedom and stretching, before taking in his surroundings.

Clockworks tower was an absolute mess. Little of its walls remained standing, heaps of rubble showing where roof and walls had ended up. But what drew Dans attention most were the immense black coils that ran through the room and out through the smashed walls... Dan had a feeling he knew exactly which ghost had attacked the time masters residence now, and prepared himself for locking horns with the monster. He left the room through one of the holes Wraith had knocked into the walls, pausing for a moment to study the beast splayed out below.

Wraith was curled around the tower, her seemingly endless coils running in wide circles that were more constricting towards her tail around the base of the structure. Her large head was above, facing away from the tower and swaying side to side slowly, almost mesmerizing. Dan could see a faint red glow near her head and running down a few scales, which he guessed was primarily coming from her eyes. He frowned a little, contemplating the best strategy to challenge the enormous dragon.

After a short pause for thought, he settled on first establishing whether Wraith really was as unintelligent and mindless as he'd been told before during his homicidal rampage against the human race. He approached her head slowly, his hands raised warily should the dragon attack on sight of him. Wraith seemed oblivious to his presence until he was directly in front of her narrow black face.

As soon as she became aware of him, Wraiths glimmering red eyes narrowed and she reared up, her serpentine neck stretching up to its full length. Smoke drifted from her jaws, and Dan was struck by a blast of hot air. He scowled, waving a hand to dispel her fairly foul breath.

"Wraith, I presume?" He spoke as loudly as he could muster, and the dragon hissed, ejecting more smoky air from her throat. She could not speak, but for the moment she refrained from attacking him, and instead watched him with her eerie red eyes.

"I'll take that as a yes." Dan grinned, her response – or lack of one, at least – proving to him that she had at least some mental capacity, since she appeared to be listening to him for now.

"Am I right in presuming that you want blood, Wraith?" Dan smirked still, pretty confident now that he'd be able to gain the monsters loyalty... at least temporarily.

Wraith stared at him still, completely motionless from her snout to her tail tip.

"I can guarantee you blood, if you'll work with me, Wraith. As much blood as you could possibly want. I don't want to fight with you over who gets to kill who... That would be a waste of both of our time and talents."

Wraiths eyes narrowed malevolently, but she remained still, listening to what he had to say. Dan began, in a quiet but commanding voice, to explain to her what he wanted, and why it would be in her best interests to back him...

"I order you to begin evacuation procedures immediately! I know you guys are government ghost hunters, but I know that ghost, and, trust me, you can't take him!"

The young mayor of the very much human city of Amity Park declared, arms folded while he glared at the Guys in White, government ghost hunters clad in...well, white. The pair exchanged glances, then nodded and agreed to evacuating the population of Amity elsewhere. "We can take the ghost down after civilians are out of the zone."

The mayor, 16 year old Tucker Foley, watched them leave, sighing to himself before he looked out of the window at the male ghost flying above Amity, a glowing green portal at his back.

"Danny... where are you?"

Thanks for reading, please review. 3 You don't have to, of course.. It'd just make me feel fuzzy inside.