A/N: Thanks for tuning in! I think you will be pleased that you did. If you don't know me yet, I want you to know that this is a totally different story for me,something that is a little unlike me. I usually like action and quirky humor, but I can write drama and suspense, too. So, I'm very excited about this story, because it just popped into my head and I couldn't stop writing! In fact, it is a VERY long ride and has literally pushed aside every other story I would like to present to y'all. And it's also sorta like another answer to all the talk that no story exists after "PP" (even though I've seen some GREAT other stories out there that take place after "PP"!). But If you missed "Phantom Planet", "Claw of the Wild" or "Infinite Realms", you will not understand some of the references made in this story, because it takes place soon after "PP". Also, if you don't want to know about those shows yet, then please do not read my story for now. Anyhow, for those brave souls who continue to probe, I hope that you'll like it. If you haven't read my stories, "Bewerewulfed" or "Brace Yourself", "A MiniReview", you might be baffled by a few references; such as: Danny obtained his wulf claw powers in "Bewerewulfed" and his supersonic speed in "Brace Yourself". If you want to learn how, feel free to read those stories. But if not, that's OK….just pretend you read them, so when you are confused, have faith that the referred "facts" from my other stories are "true"! And a very BIG THANK YOU to Angelus-alvus again who lent me his 'E'-ear to fine-tune the summary and hammer out some other glitches in the story. Thank you, as always, my friend, as well as Nicktoons Squad and DPCrazy who also helped me with the course of this story….And, of course, I do not own any characters. Enjoy the ride!

His Own Worst Enemy

(Beware the Skeletons in Your Closet)

Prologue—The Escape

In a hidden room, far from the minds of everyone, a loud clanging is heard in the dark. The noise occurs in a definite pattern, as if something, or someone, is hard at work. No one notices or investigates the banging, for now. That's because no one expects a bold escape from the Fenton thermos deep inside the sturdy vault of Clockwork.

But that's precisely what Dan Phantom, the evil future ego of Danny Phantom, is trying to do.

Even though it is bulging outward from within, the Fenton thermos holds fast against the onslaught. But, finally, after taking a great deal of abuse, it begins to buckle.

"Just a little more!" The blue-skinned, red-eyed Dark Phantom snarls while continuing with his task. "And I'll be free! Won't my goody-two-shoes-other-self be in for a surprise!"

He continues to pound at the walls of his prison, using his ectoplasmic energy rays like laser beams. Finally, after so much time being confined and after so many failed attempts to escape, he sees a change in the hue of the darkness he is in and is encouraged. Taking full advantage of this opportunity, he charges up a very powerful ghost wail and thunders it toward the small crack. The thermos yields, releasing its prisoner as it shatters outward with the impact of the howl.

With his green flaming hair blazing as wildly as his laugh, the evil Phantom roars in triumph, "Finally! It's time—and apparently I have all the time—for payback!"

He duplicates himself into four ghosts and they focus their laser energy beams to the four sides of the vault door. In no time, the opening dutifully yields to the attack and falls forward, crashing to the floor in a billow of smoke.

He waits for a response to all the commotion he has just made, ready to attack anyone who nears; but none come.

Satisfied that he has escaped undetected, he snickers, "Ha-ha! Now nothing—and no one—can stop me!"

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Chapter 1—Many Escapes

Meanwhile, the three best friends, Danny Fenton, Sam Manson and Tucker Foley, who are now a couple of months into their sophomore year, are walking down the hall of their school, Casper High. The walls are plastered with posters advertising the upcoming homecoming game and dance.

Trying to ignore the quick glances everyone gives him and his friends as they pass by, Danny smiles self-consciously and finally utters to his friends, "Hey, guys. You know, after all that has happened in the last few months, it still feels weird being here. I mean, everyone is doing their best to let us be as near normal as possible, but sometimes it's too weird."

Tucker, however, who finally reacts to his long-hidden irritation at the situation, adds a different twist. "Tell me about it! It's so not fair that we really had no choice in the matter. I mean, I don't know why the Deputy Mayor insisted that we stay in school as much as possible after everything we did! So what if we're not "legal" yet! I know plenty of politicians who don't know a whole lot about anything!"

"Yeah, what's there to know about politics?" Sam pipes in. "In fact, what's there to know about all the other lame subjects they make us take? I'm with Tucker!"

His ambivalence suddenly melting, Danny is quick to point out, "Aww, c'mon, guys! It's really not that bad. We're all smart enough to keep up with the work, and they do give us extra help if we need it."

Turning to his friend and frowning in disbelief, Tucker asks, "Are you kidding? You want to be here?"

Danny chuckles nervously. "C'mon, Tuck. We have to do something with our time while waiting for any, uh, you know, future missions. Besides, we still get to have all the fun we're supposed to have in school! Like, for instance, there's the homecoming dance."

"Well, I'm not sure about…." He pauses momentarily, and then seeing his friend's point, adds, "But it could be worse, I suppose. Maybe you're right." He pauses briefly again, and then forgetting his school woes for the moment, teases, "And so who ya taking to the dance, Danny?"

"Oh, I don't know. Someone charming, beautiful and intelligent." Turning slightly to Sam, he casually adds, "Anyone you know, Sam?"

She punches him playfully on the shoulder.

"Ow!" He blurts out, feigning pain. "That wasn't at all charming!"

"Well, two out of three can't be bad!" She banters back.

He quickly pecks her on the cheek and teases, "Wouldn't have it any other way!"

She swats his shoulder again.

"Still two out of three. Case dismissed!" He quips. She swings again, but this time he catches her arm midway and gently pulls it behind her back and then uses it to bring her closer to him.

"Hey, I'm right here, and the only "PDA" allowed here is mine!" -x- Tucker objects, crossing his arms in protest.

"Sorry, Tucker. You know we usually don't act this way!" Sam responds, her violet eyes softening as she looks into Danny's crystal blue eyes. "But you know, the homecoming dance is supposed to be, well, romantic! But you're right. We should nip it in the bud!"

"Maybe take a big bite out of it?" Tucker retorts.

"OK, Tucker. We'll knock it off!" Danny agrees.

Danny lets Sam go and then turning to Tucker, asks, "What about you, Tucker? Who ya taking to the dance?"

Tucker whips out his PDA and pushes a button which turns the monitor into a miniature roulette. Girls' names spin instead of numbers. But instead of stopping the wheel, he sighs, turns the PDA off, and remarks, "Oh, don't know. So many girls to choose from…"

"Seriously, dude, who ya taking?" Danny eggs on.

"Well, actually, no one! After all the other times I tried, I think I should strike out before I get at bat!" From the look on his face, he is quite serious.

"C'mon, Tuck!" Danny insists. "You've just got to have the girls swarming all over you now that you're the mayor and all."

"Yeah, well, sort of. But that's just it. They swarm for favors, not for me."

Danny and Sam look at him sympathetically and then at each other.

"Uh, you know," Sam begins, "You can always go with us."

"Are you kidding?" He looks at them incredibly.

"No, we're not!" Danny says seriously. "Look, Tuck. We've all been friends, like forever, and do you think that just because Sam and I are going with each other we've stopped being friends?"

"Yeah, Tucker. You're a much better dancer than Danny is anyway!"

"Gee, thanks, Sam," Danny smirks.

"Always charming," She quips back.

Tucker frowns at his friends' lapse back into teasing each other.

"OK! I'll knock it off!" Sam promises, raising one of her arms as if she is taking an oath. "But we still mean it! Will you go with us?"

Trying to sound upbeat, but doing a bad job of it, Tucker replies, "I'd definitely be the third—I mean fifth—wheel, so no thanks. Besides, I'd rather be at home with my techno gadgets, you know."

Just then, the class bell rings.

"Well, see ya!" Tucker says, not sounding at all convincing in his attempts to hide his disappointment.

"We have to help him!" Sam says to Danny when Tucker is out of earshot. "He really wants to go!"

"Well, we'll have to find him someone!" Danny answers. But, suddenly, his breath turns icy and he adds, "But not now!"

He dashes toward the boys' bathroom, but jerks to a stop outside of it. "Uhhh! That's right! I don't have to do that anymore!.. Goin' ghost!"

The bluish-white double rings quickly engulf him and after morphing into his black-and-white-clad alter ego, Danny Phantom, the teen immediately soars upward, scanning the area for any ghosts. But he doesn't see anything. He turns intangible and checks the adjacent room. Still he sees nothing. Shrugging, he is just about to revert back to his human form when his ghost sense alerts him again.

This time, a voice behind him challenges, "Beware!" But this voice is different.

Before turning around, Danny chuckles, "What's wrong, Box Ghost? Are you going through puberty?" When he finally turns around, he gasps, "Box Lunch!" He is so stunned at seeing her, he doesn't react to her ectoplasmic attack.

"Yeow!" He painfully cries but immediately fires back, riveting her into the wall.

"Ooooff!" She utters.

"What are you doing here?" He demands. Then taking a better look at her face, and seeing that her face is greener and her eyes are blood red and glowing, he says with concern, "You look different. What's wrong with you? And why are you here?"

"Sent to destroy you!" She yells, her eyes now blazing. Then she is compelled to add, "And would you like some pie with that?"

"Not before lunch!" He declares, and turning intangible, charges at her and pushes both of them to the outside of the school. Suddenly, he spies the time medallion around her neck. "Who sent you?" He demands again. "Did Clockwork? I already passed that test, you know!"

Oddly, the girl ghost stops, suddenly in a daze. Her red eyes dulling, she sluggishly responds, "You know, I don't know who sent me or how I got here." She then groans and utters, "Oooh, I feel sick!" But then, as if a compelling force has retaken control, her red eyes blaze more fervently and she challenges, "But it doesn't matter, 'cause you're history anyway!"

She shoots her beams at him, but he easily avoids them. He then soars up to her and just as easily overcomes her. Pinning her down with one hand, he pulls off the medallion with the other, sending her back into the future.

"What was that all about?" He asks himself, scratching his head. "I better go see Clockwork!"

He tears a hole into the dimension with his wulf claws and dives into the portal.

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- x- Oops! If needed, here is the translation: 'the only 'PDA' allowed here is mine" No "Public Display of Affection" allowed here but mine (his "Personal Digital Assistant").