AUTHOR"S NOTE

This is something I worked on the side when I had writer's block for my other story. As such, there is bound to be a few issues that I didn't really look into or wasn't aware of. But in any case, enjoy the story as it is.


Amity Park

September 16, 2007

Oh, God no.

Danny kept running toward the Nasty Burger. The Fenton Thermos on his hip containing his future self bouncing against his left side. Debris all around from his fight and the use of the Ghostly Wail.

Dark Danny was him at his worst; the yin of his being concentrated and mixed with the evil nature of his worst enemy, Vlad Masters.

He was his future – a future from one bad day in his life – a future that is about to occur right before him.

His family, friends and Mr. Lancer tied up to an overheating boiler with no way to escape.

This was always Dark Danny's plan to ensure his future: to destroy his past.

He didn't even need to try hard to fight Danny. In his trip to future, Danny saw the carnage he brought; he saw the files, and he knew what Dark Danny was capable of.

He knew the wraith held back.

He was aware that his future-self was just toying with him, giving him only part of his attention.

Dark Danny knew that killing his past self would only lead to his own demise by a paradox of sorts – not even Clockwork's medallions could prevent that.

The only reason Danny had been able to stop his future-self was by using the element of surprise. He didn't know how he gained the Ghostly Wail power. Maybe it was the future conditions of the planet, perhaps all the stress had awakened it. It didn't matter – the two hits of the wail were enough to temporarily stop the demon.

Sufficient time to seal him up in the thermos.

But not enough time to save them.

He tried to change back, but his white ring couldn't even form. Danny understood why; his body was just too young to be able to successfully use his new power.

He was drained.

He was running on fumes, all enmergy focused on reaching his friends and family.

Dark Danny still won.

In his panic, stress, and weakness, Danny didn't notice the rocks under his feet. It wasn't much, but his momentum forced him to fall to the ground but a few feet away from the establishment.

He looked up in desperation, his sweat pouring, the adrenaline slowing down time for him.

It gave him just enough time to look them all in the eyes – to see their faces one last time.

His parents showed acceptance. Everything that happened to their child suddenly made sense to them. Their son wasn't a truant or slacker – he was a hero. A hero who had real reasons to hide his ghost nature from them. They last look upon their child was of love. Of acceptance.

Mr. Lancer showed understanding. He knew Danny had potential; he had seen the grades from Danny's previous years. He was aware that the child wanted to be an astronaut. He never knew why the boy was just so lazy… so tired all the time. Now he knew: Danny made a choice to protect others and sacrificed his future for their safety. Danny may have slacked on his school work, but he always worked hard to save the lives in his town. The last look he gave Danny – no… - he gave Daniel a look of pride.

Jazz showed pride as well. It wasn't pride in the sacrifices her brother made, but in the fact that he went so far not only to save their futures but the future of the entire planet. Her face showed nothing but respect for her younger sibling.

Tucker's eyes showed acknowledgment. Acknowledgment that Danny was his friend and a hero. Acknowledgment that the last year has been one of the most eventful and fulfilling of his life. Acknowledgment that Danny would quickly have given his own life for theirs. He gave Danny a nod and a smile, one of acceptance, one that conveyed the message that could have been summed up as "it was worth it."

Sam's eyes showed love. They showed of missed chances, of missed opportunities. They showed what could have been. They showed affection for Danny – for both of his sides – despite his faults. They showed a possibility that could have turned into something…

Danny wished he had seen that love earlier.

How he regretted later on of not paying attention to her details before - the subtle shade of her lipstick, the way she smiled, they way her eyes sparkled in the light...

They understood that he did everything possible to save them.

They understood that he could physically do nothing more to save them.

All of them understood that he would never, never become that sick monster.

Hot tears rolled down Danny's eyes.

He had failed.

The only thing he could do was cry in desperation.

Then time began to turn again, and the boiler finally reached critical.

Danny was blasted back by the shockwave and heat, the fire consuming everything around it in a wave.

Time was starting to move forward again, thoughts racing through Danny's mind. He saw that they all died quickly and painlessly – a small mercy from the universe.

But it was over. Fate won. Dark Danny had succeeded.

Dark Danny… that was in the thermos… one that could easily break.

In desperation, Danny curled up, clutching it to his chest, making sure it was protected.

But in all of that chaos, Danny's mind still experienced the emotions. Even while he was flying through the air and hitting the building at full force, his humanity screamed.

Every second was a constant torture, every moment like daggers to his heart.

Then nothing.

It's an odd sensation to feel nothing. Many would consider it pathetic, but Danny had only so many people in the world who cared about his existence.

Everyone else mocked and hated Danny – as a human and as a ghost.

He had anger, contempt, anguish, disgust, fear, sorrow… he only felt negative emotions for everyone around him. He was a hero for his town, but he was a hero out of duty.

Out of duty for those he cared for.

Out of believe of right and wrong.

Now they were gone.

He had nothing.

No lifeline to this place.

No lifeline to the living.

Where once his essence rested – the thing that tied him to his loved once - was a hole.

A cold, freezing void…

A hole that had a single string of energy linked to someplace in the far distance...


Amity Park

September 17, 2007

Hypocrites.

They were all hypocrites.

That's what Danny thought of everyone who came to meet him. Well, almost everyone.

The doctors said it was a miracle that he wasn't crippled or in a coma after the explosion. It had only been a day since the event, and yet everyone gave him the obligatory 'we are so sorry for your loss' speech.

He got flowers and cards from everyone in Casper High. But that's all they were – things. There was no emotion behind them, no substances – it was a gesture, one probably forced on the students by their parents because it's what society demanded of them.

Valerie did try to visit, but Danny didn't talk to anyone – not even the doctors – unless it was necessary. She left depressed, almost in tears, trying to get him to snap out of it.

Guess there was something there after all. Seems like raising the flour child for school actually did something for their relationship.

That was gone now.

The media was tolerable: at least Danny knew what their motives where. His Ghostly Wail destroyed whatever cameras there were at the scene, so no one saw Danny change back. All they wanted was the details of what happened afterward. Danny made up a few things on the spot, something along the lines of him being held hostage by the ghost who wanted to destroy his parents for something they made.

The news ate it up.

A few hours later, he was lying in his bed, bandaged up and on drugs, watching them make a spectacle out of it all. They made his hero persona as a tragic hero who failed to save those under his watch. They claimed that the Fenton's were underappreciated geniuses who died as martyrs, Mr. Lancer a pillar of the teaching establishment, and Sam and Tuck hard working students.

Danny turned off the television, barely stomaching what he saw.

Only a few days ago they were calling his parents freaks for what they did. These were the same people that rejected his loved ones for years. Amity Park hated the Fenton's and all those associated with them because they were different – Sam and Tucker included.

Danny couldn't help but wonder exactly why he fought for these people. He took a long moment to look at the last year of his life in retrospective.

What sane person would want to fight for these people?

The citizens of Amity Park may have been cruel to his loved ones, but they were still human beings.

Sam always argued on behalf of humanity, stating that every life was precious. But she wasn't here now…

He understood why he did what he: he had powers. He had a responsibility to live up to.

He modeled himself after the heroes that were always on the news. Heroes who made up the Justice League. Heroes who made it their lives work to protect others.

But they were never persecuted as he was.

Sure, Batman was feared, and Lex Luthor always caused a stir in the news when he called out Superman. Wonder Woman was a diplomat so being despite was part of the job description. But none were as openly hated like Danny Phantom was.

Why didn't the heroes help him?

It wasn't like Amity Park and its ghost problem never made the news. After the whole incident with Pariah Dark, the citizens expected some sort of aid from the heroes of the world.

Apparently, the heroes though Danny was enough.

On some level, Danny always thought it was a mark of respect from the heroes. It was like they were telling him "you are doing a swell job on your own."

But now…

What if they simply didn't care about Amity Park? What if it was beneath their notice? I mean, who cares about Ohio?

Before Danny could progress further down that road, the world around him froze. He still moved, but then he saw the moonlight outside his room, the silence of the situation.

He saw the portal form in front of him, a ghost toddler floated through, quickly aging into an adult, a frail elder, and back into a child again.

Danny couldn't contain his rage.

As the ghost reached out, his face showing genuine concern, "Daniel…"

"Get out."

"Please, hear me out, child…"

"I SAID GET OUT!" screamed Danny.

Clockwork flinched back from the child, his face returning to the one Danny was more familiar with. "Forgive me, Daniel, but it was outside of my control."

"You are the master of time. NOTHING IS OUTSIDE YOUR CONTROL!"

"My hands were tied. Time is a fragil thing Danie. It twists and turns, locks and ties upon itself like a demented tesseract. Its is precious and powerful, but more fragile then the most delacate crystal rose. The Observers could excuse you being sent to the future, that's easy enough to correct as due to the energy requirments, but they wouldn't allow…"

"Allow what? You to pause time so I could go and save them? Rewind time right before Dark Danny handed in my C.A.T exam to Mr. Lancer?" Danny jumped up, grabbing the ghost by his collar, "Is this how it was supposed to end? As a self-fulfilling prophecy?"

If Clockwork wasn't disturbed by that comment, then he had a good poker face. "What are you talking about, Daniel?"

"Mr. Lancer made us read Oedipus as we were learning about Greek tragedies. Funny isn't it? Despite your interference, my family and friends still died, I will still be taken in by Vlad Masters, I will still be broken and request Vlad to separate my ghost-half, and Dark Danny will still form when he absorbs Vlad's ghost half. The cycle still lives on."

Sincere worry appeared on Clockwork's face as Danny continued, "Is this my fate, Clockwork? A never ending cycle of me being a hated hero before I become the world's greatest tyrant?"

"No Daniel, you will never become Dan Phantom – you are aware of your future, and you can avoid it. This is not a temporal paradox..."

"No, I can't. Face it Clockwork – for someone who can manipulate time at a whim, you are seriously blinded in regards to short-term consequences."

"Daniel, hear me out…"

"I mean, sure, in the grand scheme of things, humanity is safe once again. The greatest threat to ever exist is no more. Oh wait, no sorry, it exists," spoke Danny as he reached for the thermos, "just outside of time locked away in something my parents made. Here, catch."

Danny had to contain himself as to not toss the thermos directly at the ghost in front of him. "Now you can go and lock up – Dan Phantom, you said, right? – in some prison in your home, never to see the light of day again."

Clockwork starred at the thermos in his hands, a thin cylindrical strip of metal and wires separating them all from the new incarnation of evil.

"You know, it's funny in a way. All it took to save them all were the lives six people and the humanity of a child. Tell me, Clockwork… was it worth it? Did the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few… or me?"

Clockwork watched the child, the hero of both the Ghost Zone and the Human World, return to his bed, hooking himself back up to the machines. "Unless you plan to get me out of this situation or bring them back, I suggest you leave me to my suffering. Unless the world is ending again, I don't want to see you. Leave me to my fate."

Clockwork saw that there was no going back for Daniel Fenton. The Observers have locked away the moment in time: the deaths of those he loved… loves… are forever outside his reach. He was about to press the button on his scepter to return when a thought occurred to him.

He was only locked from the moment of their deaths, but not their past…

Indeed, time was a fickel mistress. But it was too often consumed by the grander play in the works. Always too consumed to notice the small dominoes fall and the strings fall elsewhere. A small rebellion but worth it in the end.

"Daniel…"

The ghost child looked up the Ghost of Time once more.

"I may not be able to save your family, but that doesn't mean that I can't ensure that Vlad never gets his hands on you. It won't make up for my sin, but hopefully, it will be a start. TIME IN!"


Amity Park

September 18, 2007

Danny could only read the documents over and over again in shock.

A lawyer came to Danny the very next day, saying that he worked for a firm that represented the Fentons. After further inquiring, it turned out that Danny's parents made a will a while back, one that was frequently updated due to the nature of their work.

Danny received the huge bundle of paperwork, but he let the man explain everything to him.

In short, Danny was rich.

He wasn't spoiled or blue blood rich, but he was well-off.

When he inquired further, it turned out that many of his parent's inventions and research was patented. In fact, they were the only providers of ghost-weaponry in the world: every ghost-hunter just removed their logos from the tools and modded them out to distinguish them enough from everyone else.

Hypocrites.

Danny needed help to go over it all. Their claims covered everything from improved radar and tracking software all the way to semi cold-fusion reactors needed to operate their tech. As he was going over the patents, he noted that companies like Wayne Tech and Queen Industries used their findings in their products as well. Gratuity from patents wasn't a lot, but it adds up.

Danny tried to remember when his parents ever patented anything, but in hindsight, it made sense. They didn't have regular jobs, they lived in a huge house with a lab in the basement, they never struggled financially, and they had to buy parts and tools somehow.

As the conversation kept going, it seemed like Jack and Maddie left very specific instructions that covered almost possible situation that could possibly happen – including one where Danny was the only survivor. From what the representative summed up, as the last living Fenton, everything that was in his parent's name – accounts, patents, the house, the vehicles, the gadgets – was transferred over to Danny in ownership.

There was even a specific clause stating that under no circumstances was Vlad Masters allowed to take in Danny as his ward. Danny couldn't help but chuckle: even in Vlad overshadowed someone to try to get Danny, he had a legal and binding document to prevent him from doing so. He could try, but he wouldn't get far.

They spend the rest of the day going over everything, transferring the financial holdings to a new bank account, signing documents of ownership, and everything else the like.

At the end of it all, Danny finally asked who would take him in. The representative said it was outside his expertise, but he would probably go to a relative or the state if no one wanted him.

Danny chose the third option: he petitioned for emancipation.


Amity Park

September 21, 2007

It has been a few days since Danny had to reconsider his position in the world.

While he was still in the hospital, he paid for the funeral and proceedings for everyone. Tucker's parents accepted the money for what is it was – a friend trying to be supportive – but Sam's parents were openly against it. Not because they couldn't afford it but because they blamed Danny for their daughter's death. They always believed her association with a Fenton would end poorly but not like this. When they caught wind he was petitioning for emancipation, they started filing a claim to sue him.

Danny knew that they weren't going to win – all the city knew that an evil ghost killed their daughter – but he stayed out of it. He understood the pain they were going through.

They needed to blame someone.

He also paid for Mr. Lancer's funeral. Turns out, he had no family or relatives to do it for him.

That bothered Danny on some profound level, but it didn't surprise him.

What did bother him was that he wouldn't be able to attend the ceremony. No matter how much he showed the doctors that he was better, they wouldn't let him leave.

So he sulked and mourned in silence from his hospital room. He tried to remember all the good times he had, but something in him just felt so hollow.

So cold.

He couldn't help but resign himself to his fate.


Amity Park

September 22, 2007

Danny had been released from the hospital with a clean bill of health.

The first thing he did was go to the town hall to get his papers.

With no parents to watch over him, enough cash to last him a decent lifetime, and a legal document banning Masters from taking him in – which he did, in fact, try – as well as a fact that he was now an orphan….

The preceding went faster than anticipated - even by the national legal standards. Danny could only assume they got his paperwork earlier and processed it during the week he was in the hospital.

As an emancipated minor, the next thing he did was something that would have excited the hearts of many teenagers his age: he quit school.

He saw no need to go back. He would always be known as the orphan, the kid everyone picked on but now had money. Danny just knew that if he ever went back, he would be pestered by the like of Dash and Paulina to join their group.

He didn't to be surrounded by those suck-ups, sycophants, and charlatans.


Amity Park

October 6, 2007

The worst part of living all alone in his home for the last two weeks?

The silence.

Not even leaving the TV on or music playing helped.

When news reporters tried to get an interview with him, he always managed to shake them off.

When the Guys in White approached him to buy off all his parents' patents and gear, he forced them away.

When Vlad tried to come again and again…

Danny just started leaving the ghost shield on at all times. He did, however, set it up for invisibility mode (an option never used by his family).

In essence, the last two weeks has consisted of Danny doing nothing but slowly disassembling Fenton Works. He got through the Emergency Ops Center first: it took the longest, but his strength and endurance helped out. Then he took down at the sign outside – it was an eyesore that plummeted market values of the whole neighborhood.

During the entire process, Danny was scrapping and selling off anything unimportant or easily replaceable. Every piece of information and data was slowly being stored away to secure hard drives. During it all, Danny was slowly storing away all of his family's possessions.

How you may ask?

Turns out they worked out a gadget for storage that was significantly bigger on the inside than the outside. Danny didn't get the technical gist of it, but from what he could tell from the blueprints, it worked on some sort of understanding of portals and bending of space-time. Luckily, this particular invention wasn't patented. Danny could see the way it would revolutionize the world for the better.

But he could also see how it could be abused.

Until he was smart enough to work out the mechanics, he would keep inventions like these hidden away.

And as it turned out, there were quite a few of them.

That wasn't to say that Danny didn't understand the plans: just because he had poor grades in school doesn't mean he was a slacker. He was the son of two geniuses, and he did, in fact, have excellent grades at one point. Plus, he actually helped build half the things in the house. Some of the blueprints actually showed that the tools he had gotten used to had several possible mods to them.

Danny tried not to, but he still smiled when he went over some of the things that Jack and Maddie were working on before their passing. He found the Ecto-Dejecto particularly funny since instead of weakening ghosts, it would strengthen them.

A whole day was lost as Danny reminisced about his family and friends when he stumbled on Sam's photo album.

He didn't regret that.

Eventually, however, he got to the end of it. Everything in the house – from his parent's clothes to Jazz's toy bear named Bearburt Einstein – was stored away in one of the many Storage Cubes.

He needed to call them something.

All that was left was the portal.

He would have hesitated to turn off the thing that gave him his powers, his role in the world.

But the Danny Phantom that was once born here – that died here - no longer existed.

Danny knew he couldn't stop the random portals that naturally appeared around the world that led to the Ghost Zone. But at least he would make sure that there be one less.

As he pulled down the lever, the sound that Danny had gotten used to finally died down, the green and black swirl disappearing.

After a moment of silence, he called an agency to inform them that the house was ready for sale.

After he had finished setting the price and disassembling his family's work, Danny knew there was still something left to do.

No more.

It was a long trip from Amity Park, Ohio to Madison, Wisconsin.


Madison

October 13, 2007

"Curse you, Daniel!"

It had been a turbulent few weeks for Vlad. Not only had he lost any chance to take Danny in as his ward, but he also lost the love of his life.

Vladimir Masters couldn't figure it out – there were too many variables unaccounted for.

He had the family – or rather Maddie - under constant surveillance. So how was it he couldn't notice when Danny was replaced by that… that wraith? Why wasn't Danny strong enough to stop him? What has Danny been up to for the last few moths? Where has he disappeared to?

What was he to do without Maddie Fenton? His love… His beloved…

His obsession.

Vlad sighed as another moment of weakness overtook him. He was currently in his lab, trying to find a way to stabilize himself.

Normally, someone as experienced and powerful as Vlad Plasmius wouldn't need to use such a crutch to support himself. But unfortunately, the situation wasn't in his favor.

While his company – Vladco – was now getting much more attention for his anti-ghost tech after the Nasty Burger incident made national news, it didn't change the fact that his tech was still at times second rate to Fenton's. Sure, he perfected some devices that the fool Jack would never even consider making. But quantity outweighs quality: his attempts to buy out Fenton Works kept hitting road block after road block.

Vlad didn't know what Daniel had done to get himself emancipated or even when Maddie had the time to write up such a comprehensive will, but that was the least of his concerns.

His biggest concern was making sure he didn't fade.

During the last 20 years, Vlad figured out that all ghost – regardless of their origins – were fueled by emotions. More specifically, they were fueled by an anchor of sorts; a core of obsession that tied them to the world of the living. The stronger the obsession, the more powerful the ghost was.

And Maddie – the source of his obsession – was no more.

He felt it with each passing day, his powers slowly dwindling, from the moment he heard about the funeral.

Furry once again appeared on Vlad's face as he destroyed the last of the samples he was studying. He had tried everything to perfect a serum to strengthen his form, but he knew it was only a temporary fix.

"I didn't think I would need to accelerate the project to such an extent, but it seems that I have no more options."

Vlad walked to a different section of the lab, one currently housing multiple human sized tubes, monitoring several individuals.

It was a pet project of Vlad's, the research for which made him a hefty profit in the field of cloning. He had long considered creating a surrogate son for himself from the DNA matter he managed to collect from Danny's battles.

Unfortunately, that was the past.

He no longer needed as a son. No, he needed something to replace his obsession for Maddie.

He needed a daughter.

He stared at his work. A ghost that wore a bedsheet. A deformed glowing green pixie. A muscular savage zombie. A prime clone of Danny. And finally… her.

Danielle Phantom – or Dani, as she preferred – was technically an accident on Vlad's part. After his first three failed attempts, Vlad started believing that all of his problems lay in the Y chromosome and that it was the reason for the clones instability.

While the results did indicate that the instability was caused by something else, he couldn't help but smile at the outcome. Dani may not have had Maddie's purple eyes, but she had her face.

Ironic really, when Vlad thought about it. She was sort of a middle ground for his wishes: genetically, she was exactly like Danny, but she reminded him more of the women he loved.

While he had spent the last few months training her as his ward, he hasn't revealed his intentions for just yet. He considered at first to make her an assassin to kill Danny. But when the issue of her instability came up, he had no choice but to contain her in a tube for her own well-being.

Here he was now, weeks later, still no closer to stabilizing her nor powerful enough anymore to search for Daniel.

Without any options available, Vlad sighed in resignation before he began the mental exertion of replacing Madeline Fenton for Danielle Fenton as a new source of his obsession. It wouldn't be perfect, but at least he could be a father to her rather than a…

He breathed out a cold mist of red.

"No. He wouldn't dare come here."

Alarms began to blare on all of his systems.

"SYSTEM BREACH! SYSTEM BREACH! ERROR! ERROR!"

Panic overtook the usually stoic Masters. He ran to the nearest terminal to see what Daniel had done. He quickly began to type furiously, noticing the problem immediately.

"No, no, NO, where are they? Where are the files?'

His Ghost Senses went off too late; the damage had been done. While Vlad did keep his financial holdings and records on separate systems – to prevent the IRA from snooping around – all of his research, his notes, EVERYTHING PRIVATE was held at home.

And it was all gone.

"Looking for these, Vlad?"

As he turned to face his intruded, a black ring appeared and passed through Master's, changing him to Plasmius. There stood Danny Phantom in all his glory. With a modified flash drive in his hand.

And a Fenton Spector Deflector on his belt.

In a panic, Vlad Plasmius prepared for a fight.

"Don't bother – I read the notes you wrote. Without your obsession, you are as weak as me when I first started out."

Vlad tried to put up a smile of bravado, "Then the same applies to you then, child. Without your loved once, you are even weaker than me."

"I was," spoke Danny as violet energy began to gather at his enemies fists, "but believe it or not, it was my hatred for ghosts like you that kept me going for as long as it did. Kind of why I made this modified Specter Deflector. Makes a portable energy shield that prevents anything from noticing the use of my ghost abilities. It's what allowed me to sneak into your mansion for the last week."

"WHAT? But… how have I not…"

"Not notice me? Simple: a mansion this vast has enough rooms to hide in. All I had to do was set up a terminal in an empty room and slowly hack into your system. I spend enough time looking over Tucker's shoulder to understand the basics. For someone as intelligent as you, your system sure is flawed. Who makes a variation of 'Maddie' a password for everything? In any case, can you imagine my surprise when I reached your files regarding HER?"

Danny pointed at Dani floating in the test tube, helmet on head, tubes attached to her body. "I couldn't contain my surprise at what you had done. Here I was, all alone in the world, nothing tying me down to it. And yet, something drew me to this place… a lifeline of sorts. And here it was – for all possible preconceived notions - my DAUGHTER."

Danny made a maniacal laugh that even spooked Vlad a bit. "Oh sure, she is technically my clone. Maybe it's better to say that she is my cousin rather than a daughter, but if the shoe fits…"

Danny wiped away a tear from the side of his face, "I have to say, though, it was great foresight on your part to give her an actual identity. I mean, seriously, I looked at all the files. I don't know how much it cost you, but I should be thanking you. A social security number, a birth certificate, a complete and total backstory explaining why there is a third hidden Fenton child no one knew about. About how she was accepted to a prestigious boarding school for intelligence that even reviled Jazz's… I mean, bravo! Such dedication to the role! You have even been feeding her a modified educational courses via her helmet to keep up appearances if anyone inquired."

Vlad was paralyzed in shock. This was Daniel? This was the fifteen-year-old child who had given him such headaches? Where was the innocence, the bad puns, the bullheadedness? It is as if he had lost all the baby fat of innocence.

"What did you do, Daniel?"

"I hacked her teaching apparatus. Modified just enough so you wouldn't notice. Didn't add much, maybe one or two lines to be flashed before her mind every half hour or so. Mainly around the message to trust me and not you. Enough to push her to escape with me but not enough to question why she betrayed you."

"You wouldn't have… That's brainwashing!"

"Only if the seed of mistrust wasn't already there to begin with. I watched your training videos with her – did you forget that she is essentially me? You really thought she would just casually pick up killing because she was a blank slate? We are more than just our upbringing Vlad – our core being also lies in our very genes. She didn't outright hate you, but she had enough mistrust and fear of you to make my new commands stick."

Vlad suddenly realized that the blaring in his lab was becoming louder and louder.

Both of the half-ghosts started to look around, "What have you done?"

"Initially I came here to only destroy your Ghost Portal. But that wouldn't be enough: you could always build another one. So instead, I had to first destroy your files – the ones that contained all the formulas and equations you used to run the thing."

Absolute fear had finally struck Vlad.

"That's right Vlad. It's all gone. All your work is currently on this flash drive. No backups, no copies, nothing is left. Took me a while to copy everything, but it was worth it. When all was ready and done, all I had to do was insert a virus into the Ecto-Filtrator."

Vlad finally turned to see the device that regulated the ectoplasmic emissions of his Ghost Portal. In all of the chaos, he failed to hear it overheating. As he flew toward the device to turn it off, Danny casually floated to the tube containing Dani. As one tried to save his work, another was releasing his family.

"FOOL! NOW NO ONE WILL EVER BE ABLE TO GET TO THE GHOST ZONE!" screamed Plasmius as he fired a Ghost Ray at his nemesis.

One that was bounced back by the belt worn on Danny right back at him.

As Danny bridal carried Dani in his arms, he slowly started to float toward the ceiling. "I have to thank you for all you did Vlad. You didn't just give me hope – you gave me a family member. You gave me a new obsession to protect."

Vlad did his best to get up and look at Danny, "But how? How have you done this? You are the son of that idiot, Jack Fenton!"

Danny smiled, remembering something his Dad has once said to Vlad, "Maybe so, but he was an idiot who had beaten you before. What makes you think I couldn't do the same?"

As he turned intangible, Danny spoke his last words to his former archenemy, "Better find a new line of business, Vlad. I doubt there are going to be many ghosts in the world now besides the three of us."

As Vlad Plasmius struggled to get back up, he noted the filter in front of his eyes was completely in the red. Steam, noise, alarms blaring everywhere. In his frustration and weakness, Vlad had no choice. As he turned intangible, he spoke out in annoyance. "Oh, fudge buckets. I just got this mansion just the way I liked it."


Rockford

October 14, 2007

Danny was sitting on the bed in the motel room watching the news. They were reporting that Vlad Masters survived the explosion at his mansion, covering it up claiming that he was once again working on a new energy source that similarly destroyed his first home. Due to its repeated failures, the head of Vladco finally admitted that it was a project that needed to be scrapped.

"Seriously, how are people eating this up?" muttered Danny in frustration.

"Hey, you tell me. I've only been around for a few months, so all I know about how the world works is from the stuff Vlad put in my head."

Danny turned around to watch Dani eat her snacks. Despite his worst fears, it seemed like the modifications he made to her program worked.

It didn't help his case that she was completely aware of what he did. Despite the fact she looked about twelve didn't mean she was oblivious to Vlad's intentions for her.

It had taken some time before she trusted him, but since she was his clone, it was easier then Danny anticipated. The Ecto-Dejecto his Dad made perfectly stabilized her condition, so that earned him some points.

Snacks helped as well.

"It's not as if the public isn't aware that his company has some shady dealings. I mean, it's not as bad as LexCorp, but it's up there."

Dani shook her head – this was all too complicated for her to understand. Current events were not something Vlad bothered to teach her.

"So, what do we do now, big bro? Can't exactly go back to Amity Park."

Danny turned off the television as he rubbed his eyes. "No, we can't. I have cut all ties with the town. The house is sold, and Fenton Works is basically a company only on paper. I made sure to erase all information that can be tracked down to me except for a bank account routing number in Switzerland. As far as the world is concerned, Danny Fenton is alive and well but in serious hiding."

"The emancipation will probably help."

"It will speed up certain things but yeah. As long as I keep renewing Mom and Dad's patents every few years, the world will still know I am alive."

Dani nodded in understanding, "Enough to keep the government off your back but not enough for anyone to track you down with. Are the big companies still interested in your… I mean, our parents work?"

"They know that they didn't publish everything they made. Just look at the Storage Cubes: they alone could revolutionize shipping and storage industries."

Dani showed another mouthful of chips into her mouth, "Just how much didn't they publish?"

Danny smirked, "Enough for us to live comfortable lives if we ever need to add a new patent to our long list."

Dani couldn't help but whistle, "Wow. Ever consider going into the business? I mean, you did modify the belt to serve as a personal force field and anti-detection device."

Danny actually considered the option, "That isn't the worst idea I heard. I mean… I really didn't have anything planned after I destroyed Vlad's portal…"

"What? Were you going to go all hermit on us and hide somewhere in the mountains?"

"I had a more… permanent solution in mind…"

Dani caught the haunting look that was on her 'father's' face. The implication of the words sank in. "Oh. Was it so terrible?" prodded Dani carefully.

"I had nothing left, Dani. Without family and friends, I had nothing to keep me going. After I destroyed Vlad's portal, I would have most likely faded away. But then I found out about you and…"

He didn't finish as she came up and hugged him.

They both enjoyed their moment of serenity, the shock wearing off the weary Fenton as he hugged his 'daughter' back.

Dani let go, her eyes on the edge of tears, "I guess we are each other's obsessions now, aren't we?"

Danny couldn't help but go misty eyed as well, "Yeah… I think we are."

As both Fenton's wiped off their tears, they went to their separate corners. Dani started going over the possessions that belonged to her genetic family – Danny put all the Storage Cubes in a case he carried with him – to understand them better. Danny, on the other hand, started comparing his parents and Vlad's notes and research. Ironically, Vlad did, in fact, stumble upon certain things that his parents missed. Danny couldn't really blame them, though: Mom and Dad were more engineers than researchers, so Vlad findings with formulas and lab data simply wasn't that much of a stretch.

Definitely going to need time to sort everything out.

"Hey, Danny?"

"Yeah, Dani?"

"What exactly are our plans now anyway?"

Danny slowly closed his laptop, "What do you mean?"

Dani looked up from Jazz's psychology books, "I mean, you don't actually plan to live the rest of our lives in motel rooms, right? I get we are in hiding from Vlad but… we are going to need something more permanent."

The thought has actually never occurred to Danny. Heck, just last week, he thought he would be dead by now.

"You have any place in particular?"

"How about the east coast? There are a lot of heroes stationed there so if anything actually happens, we can still remain in hiding."

Dani wasn't wrong. Most of the big time heroes did, in fact, favor the eastern part of the US. Sure, the chances of something apocalyptic happening were still possible. But since there would be other vigilantes out there, it would be less likely than Danny and Dani would fall back into the hero business.

Danny opened his laptop again, "Any place in particular?"

"Well… if your sister's books are any indication, we need a place that won't raise any red flags if someone starts screaming 'ghost' – just in case."

Danny looked at her, "I thought we talked about this already."

"I meant just in case we got spotted as ghosts! What, you plan to actually give up your powers completely?"

"Point taken. Anything else?"

Dani pondered, "We both really aren't people of sunny disposition, and I doubt the cold will bother us much, so how about the northeast?"

"Might make things trickier but I'll consider it. What, is Florida that bad?"

"Really no point to it. It's more of a place to vacation in than live."

Danny looked away from the monitor, "You realize there are about 20 million people in Florida you just insulted, right?"

Dani rose her hands, "Hey, I am not saying it's a bad place to live. I am just saying, people in the rest of US associate Florida more with relaxing and beaches then as an actual place to settle down."

"Point taken. Anything else?"

"Nothing small. If a place is too small, it will be obvious when we do anything there. Small towns breed gossip and all that."

"So what, stick to the major cities?"

"Just any place where the population isn't in the low thousands. I mean, take Smallville, Kansas. The population is about 110,000 – big enough to function efficiently but still small enough for everyone to know everyone. You see my point?"

Danny sighed, "You are kind of narrowing down my options significantly here, sis."

"Don't blame me. Blame television and your sister's books on criminology for clouding my judgment."

Danny paused, "Jazz read criminology? I thought she wanted to be a psychologist."

"Maybe she wanted to have insight into how ghosts thought and functioned to help you out?"

Danny smiled at that; his sister, always worrying about her little brother. "Doubt that would have really helped but… that was nice of her."

As Danny finished typing up his parameters, he hit search on his computer. As the laptop did his work for him, Danny started going over his files. It was fortunate enough that Vlad actually made a passport and social security card for Dani to use: Danny had absolutely no idea how to even begin the search for someone who could have done it for him. In Gotham City it would have been easy but with the rumors that Batman kept his eyes and ears on such things deterred him. The last thing Danny needed was to get on the radar of big and spooky himself. And coming from a ghost, that actually meant something.

As Danny finished going over all of his credit cards and hard cash, the computer finally binged a place that fit all their criteria.

"Huh. Of all the places…"

Dani looked up, "Did it find something?"

"Actually, yes. There is a place that meets all of our criteria to the letter."

"Really, what place is big enough to hide in anonymity and wouldn't blink for a second if someone mentioned 'ghosts'?"

Danny smirked as he looked at Dani, "Lynn, Massachusetts."

"Never heard of the place."

"It's about twenty minutes north of Boston, so despite the fact it has a population less than 100,000 and part of Essex County, it is still part of the Greater Boston region, meaning we will be hiding in the population of over half a million. It has everything we may need, and what we don't have we can get in Boston. Says here it's known for its large international population, historic architecture, downtown cultural district, loft-style apartments, and public parks and open spaces. Plus, despite its former reputation as the 'City of Sin,' I am not seeing any supervillain or major crimes there."

"But why there specifically?"

Danny smiled, "Because it's only ten minutes away from one of Boston's most historic – or rather infamous – landmarks: Salem."

Dani finally got it, "Lynn is close to the very association of the witch trials. Someone screaming 'ghosts' definably won't raise any red flags there, even if it is Lynn: they are basically neighbors!"

Dani started laughing in excitement before he paused, "Wait, are you sure there aren't any heroes there?"

Danny tried to recall. While his knowledge of heroes was extensive – he studied up to better himself for the role – none came to mind. "Not in recent history that I am aware of. Why, you know something?"

"No, just… a feeling I have… like someone used to protect it."

Danny finally remembered. "Ah, now I get what you are saying. Yeah, Boston once had a hero that protected it, but he retired decades ago. He was actually part of the Justice Society of America."

"Really? Who would that be? I mean, all their members are famous and all…"

"Well, he wasn't necessarily the protector of Boston per se. He was just always seen there. Plus, his nature made him not as famous as the rest of his teammates like the Flash, Green Lantern, and Red Tornado."

"But who was it?"

Danny his laptop around to show Dani the image of a man wearing a long, high-collared cape, fastened with two large buttons. Beneath was a blue shirt with a golden oval set in the chest. He also wore a large golden belt with a circle in the center, and deep blue pants with golden boots. But the most notable thing about him was a golden helmet that covered the entirety of his head.

"The Earth's Sorcerer Supreme: Doctor Fate."


Boston

October 25, 2007

It bothered Danny.

Not the fact he was in Massachusetts with his clone looking for a new home.

Not the fact that he traversed America with Dani, his clone, sightseeing and taking pictures in every town.

What bothered him was the fact despite his family and friends dying a few months ago, he moved on.

Not to say he still didn't mourn them: the wound was still fresh, and he still cried when he looked through Sam's photo album.

What bothered him was that he didn't go through the traditional stages of grief. Dani showed him the Kubler-Ross model from one of Jazz's books and Danny had to admit, it bothered him.

He skipped denial since he knew exactly why they died. Nothing to argue against except the involvement of Dan Phantom.

Anger was quick; he hated Clockwork and ruined Vlad.

Bargaining was technically there as well: he did suggest to Clockwork to go back in time to save them.

Depression didn't exist. He was suicidal, but that was because he knew he was going to die. He spend the weeks before facing Vlad disassembling his life, almost as if he was trying to avoid having enough time to even think of about depression.

Acceptance.

It honestly felt as if his emotions – his very being – seemed to have… frozen over.

Is it supposed to be so easy?

Here he was, exploring Boston and Lynn for the last few days with Dani, going through the neighborhoods to see what piqued their fancy. They spend their days traveling and the nights bonding. They slept in a hotel room with two beds enjoying late night television.

Rinse and repeat.

How could he be able to do this?

Should he be doing it?

Dani suggested that it was because she was his obsession, which overrode anything extreme feelings he felt for his loved ones. That… unnerved Danny. To so easily just get past it, something that tortured most people significantly older than him.

Dani just shrugged it up to his strength of will. Considering Danny's situation and events that transpired in the last year.

He did face an army of skeleton ghost and Pariah Dark to near death and still survived.

He had to agree that it was a possibility.

Dani did suggest that he have a memorial set up somewhere where they stayed for the time being until it didn't bother him as much. He thought that would be detrimental, but she argued that almost everyone has a picture or memento of someone who passed on. A simple picture or two of everyone in the corner of the room isn't exactly a bad thing.

Danny finally sighed, accepting that while unnatural in how quickly he moved on from their deaths, it wasn't a scab he was planning to pick at. As he pondered it, Dani gave him a bunch of brochures to look over for new places to check out.

She suggested they go explore Salem to see what all the hoopla was about.


Unknown

October 25, 2007

"Did you locate Danny Fenton, Agent K?"

"Negative, Agent O. The boy has completely removed himself from the grid. We have several credit transactions leading somewhere up north but nothing definite for the last week or so. We considered tracking his monetary withdrawals, but he made a massive one around the same time when he stopped using his credit cards."

"So he is alive but in hiding. This could be detrimental to us."

"I fail to see how. Fenton Work patens still hold, so it is not like he denies us access to their tech. Just because he is their son, he couldn't be possibly responsible for their construction."

"True, but the involvement of the unknown ghost creature may make him a good future agent with his possible new found hatred of ghosts. He does have the necessary experience and knowledge."

"Agreed. Should we even wait till he is older? He is emancipated."

"Negative. The child is only fifteen. I say we put a marker in his file and search for him when he is eighteen – should be in prime condition as a candidate."

"Noted. Now, for the second issue at hand…"

Both agents looked at the glove on their lab table. It was a gauntlet made of a strange metallic alloy with four gem holes of various shapes on its side. It had clawed fingers and many interlacing parts within it.

And an aura that unnerved the usually emotionless agents.

"Have we identified what exactly our foreign agents found in the Temple of Chronos in Greece?"

"Based on the literature, it seems we have located the Reality Gauntlet. Unfortunately, we did not discover the gems used in it."

"Incredible. An artifact that can manipulate reality? Why was it disassembled and hidden?"

"Most likely that weak willed individuals were not willing to go the distance and feared its power. In any case, if completed, we can easily use it to remove the ghost threat from the world."

"Agreed. Do we have leads to the locations of the gems?"

"The agents are still deciphering the inscription left in the temple, but it seems promising. I do have a suggestion."

"What do yo have in mind?"

"I suggest we interrogate Frederick Isaak Showenhower for whatever information he may possibly have regarding the Reality Gauntlet. With the passing of Jack and Madeline Fenton, he is the front runner in regards to his knowledge regarding ghosts and related topics."

"Negative. The prisoner known as Freakshow will remain in captivity until further notice. We aren't desperate enough to question that lunatic for whatever snaps of trivia he may have."

"Understood. I shall put the gauntlet away for safe keeping."


Salem

October 26, 2007

Really didn't seem much to Danny and Dani.

They were aware of all the horror and events that transpired centuries ago. Both read The Crucible – well, one read and one downloaded it – so they understood that particular part of history was more due to bigotry and circumstances than actual witchcraft.

On the other hand, there is a magician by the name of Zatara in the Justice League who fights with magic. So… it was up to debate.

But in all honestly, Danny couldn't help feeling that the trip was a waste of time.

Until of course, he noticed a tower standing in the middle of a park.

"Dani?"

"Yeah?"

"Just out curiously… is there an odd stone tower shaped like a chess piece in the middle of the field over there?"

Dani narrowed her eyes staring in the direction that her brother pointed, "What have you been drinking, cause I am not see anything there."

"So nothing at all?"

"Well…" said Dani hesitantly, "Maybe some kind of distortion but that could be from the light but…"

Danny ignored his sister. They had long separated from the tour group, so him going ghost wasn't noticed. Dani changed as well to follow Danny flying to the tower.

It was only when they both landed that she suddenly spoke, "Well what do you know? There really is a tower here. How come I didn't see it until I went ghost?"

Danny shrugged, "We are in Salem… so I'm going with magic."

Dani rolled her eyes, "Seriously?"

Danny pointed to her, "Clone."

He pointed to himself, "Half-ghost."

Pointed at the tower, "Tower no one can see but us. Plus, we have both been to an actual Ghost Zone. Are we really going to start questioning magic?"

Dani fumed in anger, but logic won out. "So what, are we going to stand around here looking at this thing or are we going to knock?"

Danny did a fly by around the tower. He noted no windows or doors on the structure, not even on the roof. He landed before asking, "Maybe we have to knock somewhere specific on it?"

"Worth a shot it."

Danny quickly knocked on the side of tower. A classic castle door appeared, with the hoops to pull on and everything. Danny looked at his shocked sister, "Umm…. Lucky?"

Both half-ghosts opened the door which led them to a square room of stone. One that seemed bigger than the outside dimensions.

"Umm Danny, where did the door go?"

The ghost boy didn't have a chance to respond before some sort of specter appeared before them.

He has kind eyes.

Honest first thought that Danny had when he studied what appeared before them. It looked like an aged man in a nice multi-piece suit with a cane. But that wasn't enough: he seemed like the embodiment of kindly caring grandfather, something Danny never experienced. But if he could, the man appeared to be the prime example of a grandfather anyone would want to have.

"Greetings. You have entered the Tower of Fate without a key, but the tower has recognized you. Please state the purpose and intent."

Danny looked at Dani for some sort of hint, but she held up her hands in confusion.

"We were touring Salem when we noticed the tower standing in the middle field. We came to explore why it was there and how come no one saw it. We knocked, a door appeared, we entered, and here we are."

The specter paused for a moment before continuing, "How rare – an honest answer. You will have to forgive the projection since it is only a recording, but it has only so many possible responses. In any case, since you were able to find the tower and enter it without a key, it seems the tower deems you worthy of entrance."

"The tower is alive?" Dani asked incredulously.

"In a way. In any case, I – Kent Nelson – am currently indisposed and unable to attend you at this time. Hopefully, I will return in the future. For now, you are free to explore the tower – you won't be hindered or attacked. I do advise you to refrain from touching everything around you and to follow the proper path."

"Attacked?"

The projection smiled at that, "Did you think I left the tower without any form of security? Just remember, if you need guidance, just say the phrase 'I ma tsol' and I will appear to aid you. If you don't know what something is, just say 'tahw si siht' and I will appear as well. Enjoy your stay."

As the projection disappeared, a door appeared behind him, slowly opening to another room.

Dani rubbed her eyes, "I know what I am seeing, I understand what I see but…."

"Still?"

"Give me some credit. I am only a few months old."

"Physically. Mentally, you should be about twelve. Hell, probably even older."

Both flew into the next room and couldn't help but awe.

They stood in a room that was too incredible to believe.

It looked like a giant library - if a library had floating suitcases, stairs that twisted and spiraled everywhere, and what looked like weapons and artifacts spread throughout the multicolored void in the background.

Looks like fun

"And I thought the Ghost Zone was freaky."


"Danny, how long have we been here?" asked Dani as she read the inscription for some strange staff locked away in a glass box.

"Don't know. The phone doesn't actually work here. It keeps telling me we've been here for less than an hour but it feels longer to me."

They have in fact been exploring the room for some time now.

It just never seemed to end. Flying worked, but they still felt some vestiges of vertigo affect them since there was no surface to use as a base of reference.

Still, Sam and Jazz would have loved this place. The place seemed to have a book on everything and nothing. One corner could have every book published in France from 1876, and another could have books written in tongues that seemed to be alive.

They tried not to touch those.

They also didn't touch any artifact around them. Danny has seen what mystical artifacts did for the like of Pariah Dark, so warning Dani seemed sensible.

"Why won't you let me touch all the awesome weapons here?"

"Because weapons kill and we have no idea how they will respond to us."

"Why, cause we are ghosts? Not like they don't exist in the world."

"I doubt something like us has ever existed."

Dani sighed in understanding, "Think we could live here? I think I saw a bedroom a while back."

Danny thought about it, "Seems like a safe place to hide. Doubt anyone can just stumble on this place like we did. Plus, the projection did say we were welcome…"

Danny saw the puppy-eyed look Dani was giving him.

He admitted defeat immediately, "Fine. Let's just check out that last room before we leave for our stuff."

Dani looked around in confusion, "Is this one of those things only you can see again?"

"I seriously starting to think only I was supposed to see the tower."

"Aren't we the same person?"

"Genetically. You haven't done the things I've done. With magic, it's probably more soul than DNA."

Dani thought about it, "Do I have a soul?"

"You are part ghost. By the very definition of the word…"

"Okay, okay, got it. Just… lead me to the door."

Which Danny did. He grabbed her hand and pulled her through a door he opened into a room similar to the one they saw in the beginning.

Except this one had a helmet levitating in the middle of it.

A helmet that was worn by Doctor Fate.

"Is that what I think it is?"

"Yes, Dani, I think it is."

"But doesn't that mean that the Kent Nelson guy was Doctor Fate?"

"Most likely."

"Wouldn't that make him at minimum around 80 years old?"

"Actually," spoke the specter that appeared before them, "I am only 101."

Dani laughed, "Looks good for his age. What's his secret – healthy living and moisturizing?"

Even the specter chuckled at that. "The Helmet of Fate did help, but I was always a decent practitioner even without it."

"Practitioner?" inquired Danny.

"Forgive me, I thought you would be more informed. Practitioner refers to a user of the mystic arts. If one has enough power, the magic starts to provide them with longevity and health."

"Neat." said Dani.

"So," Danny said as he rolled his eyes, "Helmet of Fate?"

"The Helmet of Fate is a magical artifact that houses inside it the Lord of Order Nabu and works as a symbiont of sorts, allowing a host body to be used by Nabu to become Doctor Fate. It is Nabu's only anchor to the physical plane."

"And we are looking at it because?"

"Because it has chosen you."

Danny paused. "Come again now?"

"The helmet has chosen you as its next host."

Momentary grudging moment of silence from shock…

"Right… Look, I just got out of the super-hero gig, and I don't plan to jump back into it again anytime soon. Besides, why did you stop being Doctor Fate if someone like a Lord of Order choose you to be a host?"

"It was because I was selected to be a host that I retired. Nabu operates on a level above humanity; they are separated from our norms and beliefs. To them, using our body is just something they need to carry out their duty. To us, it's surrendering ourselves to be used by them for an unknown amount of time."

"Wait, are you saying…"

"Nabu used my body without end during the war. For four years, my soul was in the backseat of my own body while Nabu used me to defeat the Axis Powers."

Danny nodded in realization, "So that's why no one has seen that helmet for sixty years. You were fed up with what he did to you. Is that why you made a new helmet that only covered half your face? To keep doing your duty but as yourself?"

The specter nodded, "I tried to explain to him why it was wrong, but Nabu never understood my reasoning. Eventually, I became frustrated and waited till the war was over. As soon as it was, I used whatever willpower I had gathered to remove it as fast as I could. It has rested in this room since then."

Dani looked at the specter in sadness, "And then what?"

The specter couldn't help but smile, "And then I lived life with my beloved Inza. She was the one who managed to convince me that there was more to life than being a hero. We lived together in bliss for many decades until she passed away. It's why I am currently not here at the moment – too may memories."

"We are sorry for your loss." At least Danny meant it, unlike others who tried to tell him the same.

"Don't be. She lived a long happy life, and she passed away peacefully in her sleep. In any case, what will you do now?"

"What do you mean?"

"Will you reject the helmet and all its duties? I doubt you can stay in the tower if you do."

Danny shook his head, "Look, I am honored and all, but living in this tower isn't the deal breaker…"

"BUT DANNY - THE WEAPONS!"

"Not now Dani. We have more enough money to find a place for ourselves. What I am conflicted about is giving up my body for this Nabu without getting anything out of it. Can't I just talk to him about it or something?"

"I am afraid you can't. The spirit resides within the helmet and can only communicate with the host when worn."

"Well, that is just stup… Wait, there is a spirit WITHIN the helmet itself? It's not like some kind of cell tower that picks up on his signals or something?"

The specter nodded, "Nabu is sealed within the helmet until worn."

Danny thought about it before looking to Dani, "Want to overshadow the helmet and look inside?"

"Would that even work?"

"I once overshadowed a computer game. Talking to a spirit inside a helmet shouldn't be that hard."


"Huh. I've heard of minimalism, but this is ridiculous."

Both Phantoms were currently standing underneath a light with darkness all around them going on without end.

Dani was first to ask, "Should we be standing here or should we go explore?"

"Don't know. I've never spoken to…."

"Who dares disturb Nabu, Lord of Order?"

The suddenness of the voice spooked both ghosts to stare at a levitating giant helmet in front of them.

A giant helmet that had energy and lightning pouring out of its eyes.

They were screwed.

"Yeah… I am Danny, and this is Dani. Your tower kind of let us in and showed us this room."

The helmet didn't speak, but it did tone down the light show. "Strange. You are clearly within the helmet's mental space. Yet I don't sense a host body. Explain."

"Well, the specter told us what happens when someone puts you on. So instead we overshadowed the helmet to talk to you."

"Overshadowed? You speak of possession. No human has such power, not even with astral projection."

Dani was about correct Nabu when Danny held her back, "Dani, let me do all the talking. You are a bit too much of a hot-head in these matters."

Dani calmed down before nodding to her brother.

Danny looked up again to the helmet, "We aren't exactly humans Nabu. We are both half-ghosts, which gives us access to certain powers not normally available to humans."

If the helmet could register shock, it didn't show. The voice did raise an octave to indicate interest.

"How odd. Beings such as you that balance on the edge of life and death have never existed before. Truly remarkable."

Dani raised her hand, "Are the undead not a thing?"

"The undead are corpses that are given life with magic to carry out their tasks. You both have souls, meaning that you are something different altogether. Tell me, what magic was used to create you?"

"My parents made a machine that opened a portal to the Ghost Zone. I had an accident in it that mixed ectoplasm into my being. My sister here…."

"She is not your sister. Even I am not blind enough not to note that she is your copy."

Some disgust appeared on Danny's face, "She is my clone, but it feels wrong to call her my daughter. Being an older brother makes more sense."

"Human science has progressed far to make such advances. Not even simple magic could do the things you described. Where you the one to clone her?"

"No. My archenemy – a being similar to me but older – tried to create an offspring. I wouldn't allow it," explained Danny in shock. He didn't want to be associated with Vlad on any level.

"This being… Did he receive his powers in a similar incident?"

"Yes, he did."

"Then how is the world still standing? With his powers, he should have conquered it by now and brought upon chaos."

Danny laughed, "He is an egomaniac narcissist who did nothing but use his powers to acquire a fortune. His human persona runs a giant corporation with the money he stole or forced from others. He only got interested in conquering the Ghost Zone when I came around, and I have stopped him at every turn. Now, he will never do it again."

"How can you be so certain? Have you ended his life permanently?"

Danny shook his head, "No. I destroyed all artificial portals to the Ghost Zone, and I made sure he wouldn't be able to create his own for a very long time."

The helmet glared at Danny, "You are holding back."

"I don't see how that is any of your…"

Danny never finished. All he felt was an immeasurable pressure invade his mind. It felt like hours passing as memories flashed before his eyes.

He saw Dan Phantom once more.

Not even a moment passed in real time. Not even enough time to scream in pain.

"You went against your fate."

Danny, tired from Nabu exertion in his mind, barely choked out a response, "What are you talking about?"

"Your fate as the destroyer. You rejected it."

Danny chuckled, "Wouldn't you reject becoming the thing you fought every day for a year?"

The helmet stared in silence. "Do you realize the implication, the weight behind your words? Your future was set – you saw it, you lived it, you were attacked by it. And yet, you fought against it and made sure you would never become that being. No one can simply force their way through destiny like you had. Truly a strength of faith."

"Well, I did. So what does that make me?" grumbled Danny as he stood up with Dani's assistance.

"Someone worthy of continuing the duty of Doctor Fate."

Danny quickly pointed at the floating helmet, "Sorry, no deal. I heard Kent's warning – no way I am giving up my body for you. Plus, I don't know any magic."

"You do not need to learn magic – you are magic. The Homo magi that I typically use are able to manipulate magic through the mystic arts. But you… you embody the balance of the physical plane and mystical plane. The balance of life and death. You are the human embodiment of Balance. A worthy host."

"And Dani? What about her?"

The helmet turned to the little girl, "She is… less worthy, but worthy none the less. But no, she hasn't matured enough to be a host. One day maybe, but not now."

"That's good to know. But still, my answer is no. I am not going to rent out my body for a Lord of Order just so that I can be stuck within my body for years. Dani needs me."

Dani couldn't help herself, "Awww. You care."

"Not now, Dani."

"I can simply keep you locked in here till you reconsider."

Danny stared at the helmet, "You're bluffing. You can invade my mind, but I doubt you can actually force us to remain here."

"True. But I can mentally torture you until you do change your answer."

"And then I will just spend all of my time as your host resisting you at every turn. And Dani would do everything in her power to get me back."

The silence stretched on for what seemed like minutes.

"We are at an impasse."

"Seems like it."

"You have only seen the tip of the horrors and evil that live beyond the physical plane. The world needs Doctor Fate. You should understand that."

"And as someone who has seen my memories, you should be able to figure out that I don't plan to sacrifice my humanity again for the betterment of the planet anytime soon."

Dani raised her hand, "Can't you guys make a time-share or something?"

Both stared at Dani in confusion.

"Explain."

"Well, you are probably aware of everything happening on the physical plane, right?"

"The Lords of Order and Chaos do monitor the plane."

"Then you know about the Justice League, right? They fight against mystical threats. Them and other like them."

The helmet scoffed, "They only fight against the small infections. They are too weak to face against threats like Klarion the Witch Boy. They manage the symptoms, not the disease."

Dani skipped right over that to her main point, "So why can't you promise to only be used when you are truly needed? Can't you spend the rest of the time training us and watching the world and only request to be worn when the world is in crisis?"

Danny stared back and forth between his sister and the floating helmet in panic.

"Those terms are… acceptable."

Danny looked up in shock, "Seriously?! Didn't Kent Nelson ever try to work out something similar?"

"No, he did not. Nelson always tried to argue the point of going on to live his own life and fight against the forces of magic on his own terms. He always struggled to distance himself from the helmet as much as he could. He never tried to barter for a shared existence your sister has presented."

"Oh. Must be a generational thing. But still, we need to hammer out the terms before we agree to anything."

"What do you propose, child?"

"First thing first– why a helmet? You realize how inconvenient that is to carry around? Wouldn't a ring make more sense: harder to steal or remove from the host and easy to put on and summon you?"

"The people who first summoned me to this world decided on a helmet. I had no choice in the form – only in how my power was used."

Danny nodded in understanding. "Is there any way to change that?"

The helmet pondered – which was hard to tell since it was a disembodied helmet.

"There is an artifact that has the power to alter reality which has recently been unearthed. With it, you should be able to modify my anchor to the physical plane."

Danny nodded, "Do you know where it is?"

Danny suddenly saw an image of a table with a glove upon it with three odd gems at its side. He then noted the two men dressed in white next to it. He was then pulled to a cage which contained Freakshow, with a close up of his left earring.

"I know those guys."

"You faced these agents of white in the past. They have just gathered three gems that are used by the glove and your former enemy houses the last gem on his ear. Collect all the gems and bring them here. With the glove, we will be able to remake my helmet."

Danny thought if through, "Only if your promise never to use the gauntlet, regardless of host."

"Explain."

"A gauntlet then bends reality to your whims? As a Lord of Order, even you can't resist abusing its power. No, promise me that you nor any other Lord of Order will ever use the Reality Gauntlet, and I promise to finish our bargain regarding becoming the new Doctor Fate. The cherry on top – I'll modify the gauntlet to make sure anyone not worthy will never be able to use it for their own desires. Do we have a deal?"

Dani watched as her brother had a staring match with the helmet.

"The bargain is… acceptable."

Danny sighed in relief, "Never thought I would be back in the hero game again so soon…. Alright, Nabu, tell me where the glove is."


Salem

October 28, 2007

"There are other options, Danny."

Danny was finishing the inspection of all his tools before Dani finally spoke.

"What do you mean?"

"You don't have to…"

"Become the next Doctor Fate? Probably not. We don't really need to live in the Tower of Fate nor do we need to be heroes again. Don't really need to do much of anything anymore…"

"So why?"

Danny finished adjusting the Fenton Blaster, "What else am I to do?"

Dani looked in shock, "I don't know… Settle down, finish school, get a college degree, get married…"

"Why?"

"Excuse me?"

"Convince me: why should I do that? We are rich, I have no real need to finish my education, and I don't want to form any emotional attachments ever again."

Dani looked at her brother in shock. "Danny, you can't hold yourself responsible for what happened to them."

"Actually, I can: I did kill them."

"No, you didn't. Dan Phantom killed them."

"Dan was me from the future."

"Not the future you are currently making."

"Doesn't matter."

Dani became frustrated, "So what, you got a death wish then? Enter a situation in which you are likely to die and end it all, leaving me all alone?!"

Danny flinched as he adjusted the straps on his body, "No, that isn't my…"

"So what? You are going to attack a GIW facility because the helmet told you to go fetch the gauntlet? That makes it even worse."

Danny stared pleadingly at his sister, "Dani… I need something… something that makes sense. Nabu is a Lord of Order. He knows where there is chaos and how to stop it. I want to separate myself from Danny Phantom. From this backward thing known as humanity. You aren't jaded yet so you can still enjoy life. Me, I am broken. Nabu is giving me an offer to still help people without the use of my powers. All I have to do is pimp out my body."

"Is that what you really want?How you really see yourself?"

Danny sighed, "I really don't know. But I know that for now, I can't let the Guys in White have that gauntlet."

Dani nodded in understanding, putting the conversation off for another day. "You sure you don't need my help?"

"This is more a stealth and retrieve mission rather than a smash and grab."

"Still. You really think you can sneak into a highly secure facility made specifically to fight ghosts, break into a jail cell to steal from Freakshow, and then steal a reality warping glove from right underneath their noses?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

Dani couldn't help but smile at the insanity of it all. "Okay. And just what exactly is your grand plan?"

Danny smiled as he took out some a gas canister from his belt, "To sow a little chaos before becoming the embodiment of order."

Danny looked at the cartridge, recalling what the green gas was. "Is that…"

"It's not the deadly variety that Vlad had, but the formula is similar enough. Mom and Dad did care for Vlad at one point in the past, and they did try to cure his Ecto-Acne. Too bad Vlad's case was unique."

Dani whistled, "You're a little dangerous aren't you?"

"Yeah, just a little."

"You sure no one will die."

"I may not be in expert in biology and chemistry, but I understood the notes. I modified it to quickly die off without a steady source of ectoplasm for energy. So unless they have a ghost possessing one of their agents, no one will die."


Amity Park

October 31, 2007

Freakshow was chained up in his cell, his staff somewhere else in the facility, and his beloved Lydia somewhere far away from him.

Frankly, it wasn't the solitary confinement that unnerved him but more of an issue that he simply had nothing to do.

The fact that the Guys in White were playing with forces beyond their comprehension just made him furious.

Even prisoners in Arkham had some activities to keep some semblance of normalcy.

He desperately needed something to happen before he started screaming.

Then the alarms sounded in the middle of the night.

"ERROR! ERROR! ERROR! VENTILATION SYSTEM MALFUNCTION! VENTILATION SYSTEM MALFUNCTION! RECOMMEND FINDING NEAREST GAS MASK!"

Freakshow started to panic as soon as a green, foggy gas began to pour out of the airways.

He started to feel weakness overtake him during his coughing fits.

He was so distracted from the pain and skin irritation that to took him minutes to notice that his triangular ruby was gone.

"What in the world…"

"ALERT! ALERT! ALERT! INVIS-O-BILL SPOTTED IN RESEARCH LAB FOUR! PRIORITY ONE ALERT! LETHAL FORCE ALLOWED!

"Danny Phantom? Here? But why… NO! These fools actually found the gauntlet?! But how did he know about it?"

Freakshow continued his coughing fit until he saw a red cloaked ghost phase through the walls.

He couldn't help but smile at his fortune. "Well, it's not pleasant, but at least something good came out of this."


Salem

November 2, 2007

"That easy huh?"

Danny had to nod to his sister as he observed the gauntlet he currently wore on his hand. "Thing wasn't even really secure. I don't know if it was arrogance on their part or subpar security, but I honestly thought it would have been much harder."

Dani carefully toyed with the gems Danny brought, "So what exactly does each one do?"

"Well, I checked it out in one of the books here – and yes, turns out Nabu does have books on ghosts – and its pretty simple actually."

Danny started off by putting a square red stone in its hole. "This is the Gem of Life. It can make anything come alive."

Next was a yellow diamond-shaped stone. "This is the Gem of Form. It can transform anything into anything else. Doesn't specify restrictions and it kind of reminds me of the Philosopher's Stone. You think this was the inspiration?"

Dani shrugged as Danny moved on to the round blue stone. "This is the Gem of Fantasy. It can make dreams into reality."

Finally, Danny took out the triangular ruby he swiped off Freakshow. "Finally, we have the power source that makes it work."

As soon as he placed the final piece, the gauntlet glowed an unnatural green hue. Danny didn't feel any different, but he could feel the power circulating through weapon on his hand.

"Is that it?"

"Almost. One final crucial step – to activate it completely. When the correct sequence is used, the gems powers combine, giving the wearer complete control over all reality."

As Danny was about to press out the order, Dani interrupted, "Hey, if they have such detailed accounts, how come this thing was hidden away?"

"Something to do with the notion that absolute power corrupt absolutely. This particular author argues that the gauntlet has prebuilt limitations that should never be broken. As he puts it in laymen terms, you can only mold reality so much before it snaps. From what he figured, he believes the last individual who had this thing tried to alter the universe too much. Turns out that was a big no-no."

Dani saw the signs on Danny's face, "You thought about using it to bring them back, didn't you?"

Grief momentarily appeared on Danny's face. "The thought did cross my mind."

"What you have done it even if the warning wasn't there?"

"I honestly don't want to even consider that."

"What held you back then?"

During the days Danny wasn't around, Dani read through Jazz's grief counseling books as well as those that related to depression. Whatever Danny was experiencing emotion wasn't completely natural. Right now she needed to make sure that Danny truly moved on with their deaths or if something has altered his mind unnaturally.

Danny paused for a moment before continuing, "What is dead should stay dead. They lived their lives and accepted their end. While it hurts me every day that they aren't here… me manipulating reality to make it so that they lived would make it seem so…"

"Wrong?"

Danny nodded as he stared at the gauntlet, "I cant help but think that if I do bring them back, the universe would have to rectify that by either killing them again or killing someone else to make up for the deficit. I can't have that on my conscious. So… the past remains in the past. We can only change the present and our future."

Dani smirked to control the sheer amount of pride she had for her 'father,' "That's a healthy attitude you have there. Think you finally reached acceptance for their deaths?"

Danny smiled in kind, "As long as I know that they are still somewhere out there watching out for me, I think I can live with that."

Danny punched in the sequence to activate the gauntlet: form, fantasy, form, life, fantasy, power source."

As soon as he finished, Danny felt the power rush into his being. It was like a wall has opened up, allowing a torrent of force to pour into Danny.

Dani rushed up to him, "You okay Danny?"

"Yeah, just… that's was such a rush."

"Focus, Danny. Stay on point."

"Yeah, yeah, first thing first. Let me modify the gauntlet to only work for half-ghosts for now."

A quick pulse spread over the gauntlet, traversing it from bottom to the top.

"That's it? Thought there would be more a spectacle."

"Not everything has to be climactic, Dani. Now, bring the helmet."

Dani quickly flew and retrieved the helmet from its room. It took Danny a moment to properly phrase his request to the gauntlet. As soon as he got it down right, he blasted a beam of energy directly into the helmet.

Took a moment before a specter began to form from the helmet, eventually taking on the visage of the Kent Nelson's Doctor Fate. The specter had the same yellow color shading that the Kent Nelson projection had, but it came out directly from the Helmet of Fate.

"So, what do you think Nabu?"

As the specter rotated his arms to stare at his new form, Dani couldn't help but think of a parrot staring into a mirror. "This form is functional. What exactly powers this new ability of mine?"

"Ambient mystic energy in the air. In the tower, it should be pretty easy, but the outside world may be an issue. You're probably going to need to get used to your new form before we modify the helmet to be able to change into a ring for convenience."

"Agreed," nodded the ghostly visage of Doctor Fate, "until we have both mastered our abilities, there is a risk in me using you as a host. For now, Doctor Fate can wait."

The last statement caught Danny off-guard, "Look, I know I haven't really mastered all of my powers – duplication is a bitch – but is it that big of an issue?"

The helmet stared at Danny, "While training myself to function with a host fueled by ectoplasm will be a challenge, that is not what I am referring to."

"Then what are you referring to?"

"Do you really not know about the abilities in your core, including the one currently growing within you?"

Danny looked at Dani for recognition regarding the topic, but she was as lost as he was. "I know that each ghost has a core in them, but with our nature, we assumed it didn't apply."

"You may be human half the time, but you were still affected by the loss of your obsession – what made you think you were any different? No matter. At the rate the cold essence is growing within you, it won't be long before you freeze solid."

Dani perked up at that, "Is that why he has been growing more and more dissociated from his emotions?"

"Indeed. The mind is usually the first thing affected by such an essence. While it is likely that the loss of those you loved caused the sudden production of this new ability, the fact of the matter is your defenses are severely crippled. It would have normally taken at best half a year before you would have felt any effect. Yet it has only been a few months, yet it will overwhelm you in days."

"Is there anything we can do to prevent that?"

The helmet nodded, "Certain practices can help alleviate the situation until you gain greater control of your abilities. After you have mastered those, we will transition to your actual lessons in the mystic arts of Order."

"Should I train with you as well?" inquired Dani, "I mean, we are clones and all."

"The power is directly tied to his essence which in turn reflects his being. While it is extremely probable that you may inherit the same ability, more likely than not, your future experiences will shape whatever power you will grow into. Still… having a second host to use isn't without merit."

"Is that a yes then?"

"For now, child."

Danny clapped his hands together, "Well then if no one has anything better to say, how about we try figuring out how to stop me from becoming a human popsicle?"


Unknown

October 17, 2007

In an undisclosed circular room, Vlad stood facing several monitors. None showed faces – just scrambled white images that resembled faces.

He didn't know where he was exactly – that was part of the invitation – since he was blindfolded.

He also didn't want to risk his secret by using his powers to see where he was.

For now, he decided to play it as a normal human being. And so far, he liked what he was hearing.

"You understand that my knowledge regarding cloning is not really more advanced than anyone else."

The lead voice – for now referred to as L-1 – spoke for the group. "That may be true. L-3 and L-6 had some success in the field. However, your methodology and use of ectoplasm is rather intriguing. I can only assume that the explosion that destroyed your home was the result of a failed experiment?"

"No, I am afraid that it was a mental gaff on my part. I forgot to filter an energy source in my home laboratory. My experiments regarding normal human cloning were successful, however."

Danny may have gotten all the research in his home, but not all the research he had stashed away elsewhere. It may not have been everything, but it was enough to work with.

"Fascinating. Are you saying that you were attempting to clone something non-human?"

"In a matter of speaking. Unfortunately, while non-standard DNA is beyond me, anything with human DNA can be cloned by my methods. I even managed to figure out an accelerated growth and education plan."

If the screens could show it, Vlad was confident that L-1 was smiling. "Then could you possibly do what we requested?"

Vlad looked at the two samples on his tablet. "The first one is easy enough; it's entirely human. Creating an exact duplicate and an older clone won't be difficult at all – the older one will need more time to mature, however. May require a lot of DNA to work with from the original. The other one, however, is another issue."

"Yes, we figured as such. It belongs to…"

"Superman," guessed Vlad.

Vlad noted the shock that he heard from some of them.

"Your group belief is the removal of any force that will prevent the evolution of humanity. What greater deterrent against disaster, crime, and tragedy are there then the Justice League, whose figurehead is Superman."

"Credit is given where credit is due, Mr. Masters. Clearly, we share the same beliefs."

"On some level. In any case, we may need to modify the sample a little bit to make it double. Half-human Kryptonian should still have all the necessary powers."

"I have a human specimen in mind for the mix if you desire." spoke L-3.

"Excellent. Do you have a facility to work with or should I use my own?"

L-1 spoke again, "We already have a facility in which we perform our genetic work, but thank you for volunteering. For now, all we need is your expertise."

Vlad smiled at the chance. Soon Daniel… you will be mine once more… "When do we begin?"

L-1 smiled at that. "We will send you all the necessary files and methods of communications soon enough. For now, Vlad Masters, welcome to the Light."