I do not own Danny Phantom or the song Barbie Girl.

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The Final Showdown

"I don't know how much longer I can keep this up."

The admittance came from Danny, who was lounging in the grass with his two friends on other side of him.

"I hear you," sighed Sam. "But I'm not losing, so I'm holding on."

Danny groaned. "This is gonna go on forever."

"Maybe not," said Tucker thoughtfully. "I mean, we've been at this for almost five months. Any longer and who knows what will happen."

"Especially with your demented mind giving out the dares," added Danny.

Tucker rolled his eyes. "Funny. But my demented mind happens to have the greatest dare that will decide the winner of this dare-off."

"What's the dare?" asked Sam suspiciously.

"I dare you to jump off the tallest building in Amity Park, bungee jumping, singing Barbie Girl, dressed as clowns and holding rubber chickens."

Sam frowned in confusion. "How will this decide who wins?"

Tucker smiled. "The one that hits the landing pad last is the loser."

"So this is it," mused Danny, staring at the blue sky.

"It was bound to happen," said Sam. "Principal Ishiyama has had it with our apparently life-threatening dares."

"Don't know about you, but I've certainly felt my life has been threatened when I'm doing these stupid things," said Danny feelingly.

"And she has threatened to call our parents if we did anything else related to our dare contest again," added Tucker. "So this ultimate dare will decide our winner."

Danny pursed his lips. "I have a feeling this may end painfully. When and where is this dare going to take place?"

"The tallest building in Amity Park is Amity Tower. I'll see you there today at noon. I'll bring everything," said Tucker. "Good luck."

Before they knew it noon had come and Danny and Sam arrived at Amity Tower. Tucker was waiting for them with all the supplies they needed. He handed them each a rainbow wig, a pair of puffy pants, a squeaky red clown nose and a pair of big red shoes.

The two got dressed on the ground. Tucker handed them the bungee jump equipment and rubber chickens. "I'll handle the music," he promised. "I'll let you know when to jump."

"Alright," the two agreed and Danny flew Sam up to the top of the tower.

Amity Tower. A large, steel abstract structure that was right in the middle of Amity Park. Two-hundred meters tall, it was popular throughout the area and it attracted a lot of tourists.

The two teens landed on the top metal platform. Sam held up the clear bungee cables, which would look practically invisible if you were far away. She fastened the clasp to the metal hooks on her leather harness and Danny did the same.

Clutching rubber chickens in their white hands, both stared over the edge. "This is it," said Sam softly.

Danny nodded, feelingly oddly sad about the approaching end. "Yeah."

Over the months they've been competing in silly and dangerous dares, trying to outdo the other and getting many trips to the hospital. Every shred of dignity and pride they once possessed disappeared over the course of the game.

The wind blew raven locks from their faces. Danny bit his lip. "The final dare. It's been an honour competing with you."

Sam nodded, now bereft of speech. Her heart hammered in her chest and she was sweating like crazy.

Suddenly the opening lyrics to Barbie Girl rang out, loud and clear. "Go for it!" screamed Tucker.

Hi Barbie
Hi Ken!
Do you wanna go for a ride?
Sure Ken!
Jump In...

Taking a deep breath, both Danny and Sam plunged off the platform at the same time. Before they fell fully towards their possible doom, the Goth widened her eyes in horror as she noticed something. Nearly all of Amity Park was filing through the iron gates, chatting and laughing until they caught sight of two kids launching themselves off the tower.

Danny looked at her, his face pale. One thing raced through their minds.

Amity Picnic Day!

Panicked shouts and screams could be heard from one end of the park to the other. Tucker, face white, had climbed the tallest tree within hearing distance of the tower and perched on the branch, boom box held high over his head at full volume.

I'm a Barbie girl, in the Barbie world
Life in plastic, it's fantastic!
You can brush my hair, undress me everywhere
Imagination, life is your creation
Come on Barbie, let's go party!

Sam and Danny sang at the top of their lungs, wind whistling past their ears as they sped to the mattress Tucker had placed directly below them. Rubber chicken tightly held in her right hand, Sam reared back and slapped Danny in the face with it.

Shocked, Danny glared at her and pinched her-hard.

I'm a blond bimbo girl, in the fantasy world
Dress me up, make it tight, I'm your dolly
Your my doll, rock'n'roll, feel the glamour in pink,

Sam shoved Danny and watched him swing off balance. Danny grabbed her arm and spun her around until she saw stars.

The mattress was nearing, the red target that had been painted on becoming clearer with every passing second. Sam shot out her right hand, grabbed Danny's puffy pant leg, and swung him with all her might. Danny flew through the air, suspended, swearing the entire way.

You can brush my hair, undress me everywhere
Imagination, life is your creation

Sam sang loud and proud, until she heard it;

The very loud snap.

Sam prepared to fall the last few meters at the speed of light, before crashing with bone-crunching impact. It did not come. Which could only mean...

Danny!

Sam watched in horror as Danny sped by her. Normally, she would be crying out in fear, but Danny had super-healing.

Which meant he would walk away with nothing more than a broken arm.

And two slaves for a month.

"Nooooo!"

Tucker watched, mouth agape, as Danny landed on the mattress with a loud thump. Dropping the boom box, which exploded into a million plastic pieces when it struck the ground, he raced over, relieved to see a dazed Danny with nothing more than a few bruises and a badly twisted arm.

"Cheater!"

Sam dangled upside down, glaring daggers. "You knew you'd be okay! You cut the cord, didn't you?!"

"I did not!" protested Danny.

By now many people were upon them. The Fentons were screaming, hugging, and threatening Danny within an inch of his life. The Mansons were helping Sam down, or trying too, as they couldn't find what was holding her up in the first place.

"What do you kids think you're doing?!"

Tucker winced as he was grabbed roughly by the arm, his mother dragging him over to the furious parents of his two best friends.

"Why are you dressed as clowns?" Sam's mother demanded. Danny blushed, and Tucker could not hold in a snicker.

"Well, see, we were...uh…" He glanced at his friends for help and they shrugged. Nothing, not even ghosts, could explain this situation. For once, it was time to tell the truth. "We've been competing in an all-out dare off for most of the year," Danny admitted meekly.

So that's how the trio spent the next two hours describing the dares they were involved in (minus a few details, of course) and getting permanent fingernail marks in their arms by their parents, who refused to let go of them.

Grounded for a month, with no television, video games, computer, social contact and protesting privileges taken away, Sam and Tucker desperately wished for that month to drag by as long as possible.

Danny was looking forward to two personal slaves for a month.

…

William Lancer, Pete Poluka, Helen Ishiyama and Lorrain Tetslaff crowded around the staffroom table.

William dealt out two twenties. "I was so sure Manson would win."

Pete dejectedly tossed a fifty dollar bill onto the table. "I still don't believe Fenton walked away from that incident with only a broken arm."

Lorrain sighed and threw in a ten. "At least Manson and Fenton made it to the final two. Foley owes me ten bucks."

Helen gathered her hundred dollars in bills in satisfaction. "You three need to put more faith in Fenton. You'd be a lot richer if you did."

Lancer rolled his eyes. "At least this silly game is over with. As amusing as it was, I'm glad it's over."

He was partly true. The dares were certainly over with.

But the month of misery for Sam and Tucker has yet to start.

Be sure to check out the sequel, The Month of Enslavement.

Until next time,

AnimationNut out.

Peace!