Attention all former, current and new readers! This is NOT a standalone story; it is part of a faux story lineup I have written as part of a continuation of the TV series. If you have not previously read the stories, or chapters, that come before this one, I highly advise at least giving them a onceover. A list of the stories that I have written for the lineup can be found on my homepage here on this site. It lists the stories in their correct order. However, if you wish to continue, you may do so at your own discretion…you have been warned.
Danny Phantom is owned by Butch Hartman and Nickelodeon Studios. Any OCs are created and owned by me or have been used with permission by their original creators.
It's about time I finally got around to updating something. After a few months hiatus, I've finally gotten around to redoing this story. Sorry to all those that have waited so long. If you have read the story before and remember the original chapters that I deleted in hue of this one, then you'll have a pretty good idea of how things will play out as more new chapters unfold.
The first few chapters will be kinda dull in my opinion because the crossover part won't occur for some time just yet, especially at the rate I'm going. These next few chapters will mainly be used for character development as well as adding in a few plot devices that will effect later events in this story as well as future ones as well, so they are kinda important.
I know this chapter is short, but I hope you enjoy.
Somewhere, deep in the Ghost Zone, a rocky island floated in the void. Perched atop this floating rock were many white towers, several of which easily resembled observatories with large telescopes looking off deep into the far reaches of the Ghost Zone. This series of white towered observatories was home to the Observants, and today they were discussing an important matter amongst themselves.
Nearly a dozen or so Observants sat in a white room around an ovular table with a large empty chair at the far end. This seat was obviously meant for someone of great importance, likely someone that the Observants regarded with high value. Though said ghost currently wasn't present and only the lesser Observants were discussing matters.
"If everything stands the way it is now, the human world will be doomed!" one Observant argued.
"What concern is it to us?" another Observant asked from across the table.
"We don't care about the human's affairs, remember?" a third Observant asked the first from a few Observants to his side. "Or are you going soft, like Clockwork?" he asked as all eyes turned to the Observant in question.
"The consequences of the events following this can affect the Ghost Zone too," the first Observant argued back, ignoring the other's stares. "All in due time of course," he added before he looked up towards a viewing monitor that hung from the ceiling at the opposite end of the table from the empty seat. Raising his arm, he pointed a remote at it before pushing a button.
The monitor flickered to life before a series of scenes unfolded. A scene of Dani, in ghost form, preforming a Ghostly Screech is seen before the image changes to Danny doing combat with Skulker and Technus. The scene then changes to a view of a younger Dark Phantom and a similar looking female ghost powering up a great wave of ecto-energy before they fire it upon Amity Park. A very large explosion follows before the town is viewed from a far and is revealed to have been completely demolished. The scene changes again before Vlad Plasmius is seen grinning sadistically before he raises his hand and it begins glowing yellow. He releases the blast as the image changes to a view of the Earth from space. The beautiful blue green planet gradually morphs into a bleak planet of black and gray before fiery cracks open across its entire surface. The barren planet twists and contorts under great pressure before it explodes, erasing all traces of the one majestic planet.
Several Observants jump in horror when the planet explodes. The arguing Observant once again raised the remote and turned off the monitor before he turned to his fellow Observants. "That is of course still several thousand years from now," he pointed out. "But make no mistake, the events that will come will lead to a global tragedy that may not affect the doings of the ghost zone directly; but we can't ignore the fact that if the Earth is destroyed, we can kiss the Ghost Zone good bye as well," he concluded his argument by dropping the monitor remote to the table before he took his seat.
They all sat in silence as they pondered the situation and its possible outcome. While the Ghost Zone wasn't under any immediate threat, it would be if something wasn't done, and soon. "What can we do?" one Observant finally asked to break the silence.
"I say we speak with Clockwork," another Observant suggested. "He can put an end to this before it gets out of hand; before it begins even."
"Nay," another Observant objected. "Remember what happened the last time we consulted him about a matter that affected the future?" he asked them as if they had forgotten. "He went against our protocols in the field of temporal displacement, and as a result, Phantom lives outside of time as an ever looming threat."
"Indeed," another Observant agreed with him. "If not for Clockwork's direct influence over the boy, this future series of events might have been avoided, and we wouldn't be here discussing it today," he theorized.
"Then what would you have us do?" the Observant who began the argument asked those that still seemed against the idea of seeking assistance from an outside source. "We certainly aren't allowed to go out there and set things right," he said as he stood from his seat and waved his arm, pointing his hand towards the door.
"No, but we can't rely on any of the Timeless Ghosts, besides our leader himself, to remedy the situation," one of the opposing Observants answered. "I say we take a different approach to dealing with the situation," he suggested. "We can put an end to this mess early, before it begins, simply by removing the key factors in his rise to power."
"Indeed," another of his supporting Observants agreed. "He enlists the aid of several ghosts to his cause, as it would seem. If we can hinder his manipulation of these ghosts, then he won't so easily set about the devastating turn of events that will lead to global catastrophe."
"With his forces weakened and his manipulations hindered, another ghost may be able to prevent a catastrophe from breaking out," another Observant clarified, obviously jumping on board with the plan.
"But who do we cut off from his manipulation?" another Observant suddenly asked. "He enlists several ghosts to his cause, but we need only put barriers between him and a select few to change the course of the future."
"Most will be difficult to track down," said the Observant that came up with the plan they were all to follow. "But one is already in our keeping," he informed the others. "He lies chained up within Walker's prison. It is seen that as he is of chief concern, he must escape at some point. If we transfer him from Walker's prison and into our care, we will be able to better keep an eye on him."
"I will make the arrangements for transfer," another Observant said before he faded from view.
Sometime later, a Ghost Zone Police Transfer Unit had arrived outside the Observants' floating observatory. It stopped near a cave-like entrance near the bottom of the floating island. In front of this cave stood two Observant Guards armed with powerful staves. Neither one moved a muscle as Walker and two of his own prison guards moved to the back of the vehicle that housed the prisoner. The two guards went straight for the locked doors and stood poised, ready to open it when given their cue, while Walker approached the two Observant guards.
"Here," he said as he tossed something towards one of the Observant guards who promptly caught the device that was thrown to him. It was purple and pointed at one end, but circular at the other. On the handle was a series of knobs and buttons, but under the circular pane of glass were intricate designs. The Spectral Barometer that had been destroyed was merely one of many developed to contain and control a very powerful ghost. "You're gunna need it," Walker informed them before he turned to go back to his guards.
He nodded towards his guards who nodded back in understanding before they released the locks on the doors, allowing them to swing open freely. Once they were opened, a green mist fell from the vehicle before an unshapely green cloud rolled out and floated between the guards. Armed with Spectral Barometers of their own, they shot the cloud with twin blasts of blue energy that caused the cloud to shriek, but it remained still and seemed unthreatening.
"Alright you pathetic storm cloud!" Walker called to it. "Time to release you into their custody," he said with a grin.
"How right you are," said the Observant that Walker had thrown the Spectral Barometer to. "He is now in my care," he said, though he only squinted his eye, he would have formed an evil grin if he had a mouth. Without warning, he raised his staff and fired a powerful blast of purple energy at both of Walker's guards.
Before they could react, they had both been hit and smashed into the vehicle, crumpling it beyond use. Next, the Observant turned his staff on Walker and fired a similar blast. Only having time to turn to see the attacker after seeing his guards get blasted, Walker too was hit by a blast of purple energy that slammed him into the green cloud.
"YAAAH!" he screamed as he was apparently shocked when he came into contact with the cloud. He fell to the ground on his hands and knees as smoke rose from his blackened white suit. He growled angrily at the Observant before the second Observant guard prepared to attack his counterpart.
"You would've been wise to stay out of this," the attacking Observant warned him before he aimed his staff at him too and shot him with yet another blast of purple energy that sent him flying, smashing into the rock next to the cave entrance. With all four of his adversaries easily dealt with, the Observant tossed aside his staff and grabbed onto the Spectral Barometer with both hands, making it his primary tool. "Now the real terror can begin," the Observant said before he aimed the Spectral Barometer at the cloud and fired a beam of blue energy at the cloud.
On contact, a barrier that had formed around the cloud, keeping it in that form, was released, allowing the ghost contained within to be set free. With an explosion of green gas and smoke, Vortex finally took shape and towered over the others. He immediately focused his attention on Walker who was stumbling to his feet. "How's this for a pathetic storm cloud!?" Vortex hissed at him angrily.
He suddenly swung his arm at the ghost jailer, releasing a wave of blue electrical energy that hit its target. With an agonizing scream, he crashed into the rock wall next to the cave and collapsed into unconsciousness.
"He's had me confined for several months…in that pitiful state," Vortex wheezed before he turned his attention to his so-called "savior". "Before I take my leave, I should like to know…in whom I'm now indebted too?" he asked with an evil smirk.
"Just an old acquaintance," the Observant answered slyly. Though it couldn't be seen, he would have been smirking evil himself. Silently, he turned to Walker who slowly began to stir. He raised his hand and pinched between two of his fingers was a Fenton Phone Headset. "A gift from an old friend of yours," the Observant said, though Walker never heard him. "May you wrongly accuse the boy for this crime in order to give me ample time to plot out the next phase of my plan," he said before he dropped the headset next to Walker's head.
With that, he took to the sky and flew off into the void of the Ghost Zone. Little known to him though, a dark figure in one of the higher towers saw everything. From two red eyes that glowed strongly from the dark window of an observatory, he saw the Observant free Vortex and flee from the scene. "So, it begins," he said in a dark tone before the scene fades and reopens elsewhere in the Ghost Zone.
Clockwork's lair was a great distance away from the lair of the Observants, hence why they often teleported by phasing in and out at will.
Clockwork, in his adult form, was busy tinkering with a pair of time amulets in the viewing chamber of his tower when a beaten and battered Observant burst through the trapdoor that led down to the lower portions of the tower. "Clockwork!" he called out, seemingly very distressed. "Please! You have to do something!" he practically begged as Clockwork turned to face the terrified ghost, stuffing the amulets within his cloak as he turned into his elderly form.
"It's bad enough that you phase in and out at will without warning," Clockwork scolded him, no remorse for his pitiful state showing in his eyes. "Now you come barging in yelling as well; what could possibly have you Observants so disheveled that you'd come barging in instead of phasing like normal?" he asked, still showing no concern.
"But, don't you know anything that's been going on at the Observation lair?" the Observant asked him, seemingly surprised as his eye widened.
"How many times must I remind you lot that I am forbidden from viewing anything that goes on within the boundaries of your lair?" Clockwork growled angrily as his eyes narrowed further into thin slits. He transformed into his infant form. "You all agreed to set that up so as to prevent me from spying on your secret meetings," he reminded the Observant. "So to answer your question, no, I don't know anything that's been going on in your lair," he finally answered, rather quite reluctantly. He often spoke of how he knew everything, yet the affairs of the Observants were one of the few things in which even he was left in the dark, and this deeply disturbed him.
"There was an impostor!" the Observant screamed with terror. "He disguised himself as a guard and attacked Walker, along with several other guards during a prison transfer. He freed Vortex from his confinements before they set about attacking the rest of us as well. I only just barely got away," the Observant said feebly.
"You sightless morons let him get away again?" Clockwork growled. "How many times must he escape before you learn from your mistakes?" he asked, though never expected an answer. "Very well," he said after a few tense moments. "I'll look to see who may have freed him and where you can locate them, and then you can go about rounding them up," he said as turned towards a viewing portal. "I'm getting tired of cleaning up after you, so don't expect me to get my hands dirty."
"Oh don't worry about that," the Observant stated, now seemingly much calmer. The tone of his voice had changed so drastically, it was almost like he was never in any distress at all. "You won't be doing much of anything," he grumbled more to himself so the Timeless Ghost wouldn't hear him. He glanced to the side where a number of time amulets hung from the wall while Clockwork busied himself searching in his time portal for the supposed culprit.
"Hmm, Vlad might be up to his dirty tricks again," Clockwork mumbled to himself as he transformed back into his elderly form. Vlad Masters is shown in the time portal to be using the barometer, along with a number of other devices to take control of the planet. "I only never saw this coming because you Observants forbid me from interfering in your affairs," he reminded the Observant behind him. "This could have all been prevented if only you blind fools hadn't been so ignorant," he growled angrily as more scenes began to unfold before them.
The viewing portal was now showing Danny, an icy blue haired girl and a darker blue haired boy doing combat with a white-skinned man before the scene changed to show Danny fighting with a younger version of Dark Phantom, and easily being overpowered by the dark entity. The scenes began to rapidly change before Clockwork's observing eyes as they continue to fight in numerous different places throughout the time stream.
"Wait," Clockwork mumbled to himself as he squinted his eyes to focus on his thoughts about what he had seen. "How can they be fighting in different time periods?" he asked himself. Now his interest was being drawn to this new contemplation. "It couldn't be," he said with a hoarse voice, his eyes widened and he spoke with a divine fear he had not shown in several millennia. "My staff," he whispered to himself as the viewing portal showed Vlad holding his time staff with the spectral barometer firmly secured to it. Behind the staff and wrapped around Vlad's waist was a metallic belt with three oddly shaped and colored gems inserted into it.
"Your plan was very clever," Clockwork said as he transformed into his adult form, still observing the time portal where Danielle is seen sitting on the ground with her hands and legs bound by green energy as an older woman strikingly similar to her ghost form stands over her. "Figuring out my only weakness and exploiting it by taking on the disguise of one of the only beings in known existence whose activities I am forbidden to observe, and using it to sneak into my lair. It was nearly full proof," he admitted as he turned to face the Observant, now wound free and sporting a scythe and a time amulet, now hanging around his neck. "But don't think I'm just going to hand it over to you," he warned the Observant as he clenched his fingers around the time staff more tightly than ever before.
"I was hoping it wouldn't be that simple," the Observant admitted. "It wouldn't give me the opportunity to do this!" he shouted as he raised his hand and fired a pink energy ray at the Timeless Ghost.
In one fluid motion, Clockwork swung his staff and formed a blue energy shield that protected him from the energy ray, deflecting it off in a random direction. With the shield still protecting him, Clockwork became engulfed by swirling blue gas. The gas dissipated only to reform directly behind the Observant. From within the gas, Clockwork's staff swung and nearly missed the Observant who dodged it by turning and twisting his midsection away from the edge of the staff.
He quickly spun around and swung his scythe at the Timeless Ghost, only to miss as Clockwork had done a back-flip in the air. A blue time portal opened in the floor and Clockwork passed through before reappearing through another time portal to the Observants side. Holding his staff over his head, he brought it down, hoping to crack open the Observants skull, only to once again miss.
The Observant had side-stepped the attack as the time portal had opened. He swung his scythe, not at his opponent, but across the floor with the blade pointing up. When Clockwork had brought his staff down, it smashed into the floor, getting caught in the hook of the scythe. Sensing his chance to disarm the Timeless Ghost, the Observant lifted his scythe and twisted it while he swung it around his body. The staff was pulled from Clockwork's hands and thrown across the chamber. It clattered to the floor and wobbled before finally settling where it landed.
Mortified that he had been disarmed, Clockwork found himself without means to defend himself against an opponent still armed, and also immune to his natural ability to manipulate time. Without warning, and still distraught by his disarming, Clockwork was unprepared for the next attack.
The Observant swung his scythe and smashed open the glass door in Clockwork's body, shattering glass and breaking the clock housed inside. Then, with a thrust of his hand, the Observant blasted Clockwork with a beam of pink energy that sent him crashing into the wall of his own lair. He collapsed to the floor in agony and held his hand over the broken door in his body as the Observant's shadow passed over him.
"Only one can control time," the Observant said with a pleased, drawling voice. "Your reign as Master of Time is over," the Observant continued as his shadow morphed from that of an Observant to that of a ghost with sharp, pincer-like hair that ended with two points. "Time is now mine for the controlling," Vlad Plasmius said with delight as he held the time staff in his hands, having already discarded the scythe.
"Just because someone has control over the flow of time, does not mean they can control their own fate; only through your actions can you do that," Clockwork warned him with a steady glare. "I have seen what you will become," he muttered as be began to frown. "I have seen your ambitions, and the paths you will follow. You will not like where they may take you," he informed him, though his words had fallen on deaf, ignorant ears.
"I wouldn't be so certain of that," Vlad retorted in a cool tone, not once taking in what Clockwork said seriously. He stroked the time staff as if it were a precious artifact to be admired. "This was only phase one of my scheme, phase two will now be put into effect to ensure that my plan will not be hindered or ruined by Danny Phantom or that failed clone sister of his," he spat angrily upon mentioning Danielle. "No, this plot is already going according to plan. I have just toppled one of the legendary Timeless Ghost's; so taking out the boy will be a piece of cake if everything is going this smoothly. Now," he said, as he reached into his suit and searched around for something. "I can't leave behind any loose ends," he said as he removed a Plasmius Thermos; his version of the Fenton Thermos, only with red markings instead of green. "Can't be careless when things are going this smoothly," he added with a wicked grin as he removed the top and aimed at the Timeless Ghost.
"Your fate is sealed," he said with a knowing grin as Vlad activated the thermos. Clockwork put up no sort of struggle as he was pulled into the confines of the ghost trap and locked within.
Upon trapping the Timeless Ghost, Vlad blasted out the tower's clock face and flew out into the Ghost Zone through the now clock-less tower. Building up energy in his hand, he blasted the thermos far off into the reaches of the Ghost Zone where it would never be found. He then turned his attention back to the clock tower and grinned menacingly. With a tight grip on the time staff, he built up energy in both hands, infusing the staff with enough energy to make it glow bright pink. Aiming at the clock tower, he fired the blast of energy and in a flash of light; the clock tower was reduced to an asteroid field, destroyed by the power of the time staff now in the hands of Vlad Plasmius.
"Now for the second phase," Vlad snickered to himself before he flew away from the scene, laughing maniacally.
Anyone who read the original version of this story will remember how dull the fight between Vlad and Clockwork was. At least now Clockwork's put up some sort of fight. Hopefully the explanation on how Vlad was able to sneak up on the Master of Time makes things a bit more clear too.
The next chapter will be significantly longer, but won't contain ANY action. Instead it will introduce a few new characters as well as add in one of the major plot devices that will affect the rest of the story as well as other stories further down the road, so it will be kinda important. The chapter itself is finished, but I haven't proof read it for mistakes, so it'll be a little longer before it gets posted. Hopefully for not as long as you've all had to wait for this update. Next week perhaps.
Edit: I changed some of Clockwork's dialog in the final moments before he was sucked into the Fenton thermos in order to avoid giving away vital information important for the stories development later on.