Danny was sure that he couldn't just go hunting down Ember if his folks were also hunting him down, but the sense of that... gut punch was repeating its cycle in his blood and he groaned aloud to figure it out before he decided on a course. "There must be something in the Ghost Zone that could tell me all about what caused Ember to flee like that..." He slipped off of his bed and silently trailed down, glancing through to hear nothing, dashing over to the door to see that the van was gone, meaning that his folks were out right now, hunting down more ghosts that even now were causing either havoc or just being quiet in the city without his constant view on their coming and going. He swiftly moved to the lab and stood before the massive steel doors that held the other realm in, the Ghost Zone as he headed into the Specter Speeder and powered it up before he floated it to the front of it before he paused from the throttle and shut the vehicle down, it settling down as he mused.

"No... not yet, I need to talk to Sam and Tucker first, that is better than rushing into the Portal and getting lost for some time." He got out and headed back upstairs before he pulled out his phone, dialing out Sam's number then Tucker's as he held the phone up to his ear. The phones rang before Sam connected, but Tucker was third wheeled as he groaned and sent a message, telling Tucker that he forgotten about the call limits and had him use his computer to talk as he turned back to Sam. "Hey, Sam, sorry for calling, but I just thought to call up before I do something very stupid."

"Hey, it's fine, Danny, my parents were ragging on about some 'ball' and their interests to drift me in to find 'love', such a topic best left alone for me." Danny nodded as he turned to his PC and found Tucker's message glaring about at him.

'What's the problem, Danny, and did you get Sam first before me!? Dude!?' Danny grimaced as he typed back and spoke.

"It's okay, Sam, I just was thinking about Ember, she was out and about, but the problem was she just faded out of sight and I had to deal with the other ghosts and, before I knew it, she was just gone." He replied in the same way to Tucker and waited for their replies before his call just closed and he spoke up. "Sam...? Hey, Sam...!" He looked at the computer before the full Team Phantom were online as Sam replied.

'So what's exactly is Ember doing out and about right now?'

'Yeah, Ember is easy to deal with, don't tell me that you actually just spared her from the Thermos and just let her go?' Danny paused as he debated it before he replied in both tech and life.

"No, she just flew off and I would have searched for her, but I had to deal with both the ghosts and my parents trying to shot me down, that cuts my time out rather short." Danny sent the message as he hummed to himself on the matter. If they felt that there was something wrong, then they could vocalize it for him to understand, Tucker is easy with the data compile, but Sam makes more sense in the irrational side of things, he guessed that could have a effect on his own notions. With a ding, he turned back to Sam asking.

'What exactly was Ember afraid of, she IS teenage rebellion, right?'

"That's what I want to find out, but I stopped myself from going into the Ghost Zone without telling you guys about it, it felt right to keep you informed."

'Dude, that's a nice thing to do, we would have been making excuses about random places if we found out that you disappeared on us.'

'What about Jazz, you know she is going to worry over it if you go in there.' Danny knew that was a problem, but what else could he do, he had to find out what exactly was going down before it was too late to even make a difference.

"You guys tell her, this feeling is not going to leave me alone and she knows something is up, just neither of us has figured it out, so I thought to check the Zone, if I don't call back... well, come find me."

'Sure thing, Dude. I mean, what's the worst that could happen?' Both Sam and Danny groaned from that, leave it to Tucker Foley, the man who likes to be called 'Too Fine' to also have the nickname of 'Bad Luck Tuck', as Danny just shook his head and closed out of the chat, shut his computer down for now and headed back down, the portal opening to him as he breathed.

"Alright... here goes nothing..." Forgoing his catchphrase, Danny changed into his ghostly alter ego and zoomed into the Ghost Zone, the portal closing after a fifteen second delay...


Ember stirred once again, but she took in a different setting, she was in a room, just a blank room as she looked about before shifting onto her feet and standing up, taking it all in before she strolled over to the window, pulling open the blinds to look out... onto Amity... Her eyes widened, somehow and in some way, she was in Amity now and it didn't look like the masked guy was anywhere near by, though clearly someone dressed her up in casual sleep wear. "How did I end up here...?" She questioned as she dropped the blinds and turned, walking across the carpet with bare feet as she detailed her new surroundings. 'Light blue walls... air fresher... and some sturdy stuff...' She mused as she lifted a number of things before she walked back to the blinds and turning to the covered glass door to her left before she stepped in front of them and rested her hands on the handles, breathing before swinging them open and striding into the daylight. She now stood on a balcony that overlooked a small portion of Amity and she frowned before something rang, she stepping back in to find the source, picking up a small cube and, as if on instinct, flicked it out with a flick of her own wrist and the call was answered.

"Hello, Miss Amber, finding your... accommodations to your liking?" She sneered as she walked back to the balcony.

"What do you think you are, I am not interested in whatever sick game that you are intent on playing here, Ember is a..."

"...A solo act, so I have heard as much." Ember frowned as she crossed an arm under and listened as the figure continued. "True that you didn't get my full... cooperation to hear out or your willing chance to listen, but that is beside the point... in a matter of speaking." She narrowed her brow as the figure continued, the thing was not a phone, it could also project a face-time image it seemed, but she just used it as a phone. "Now then, you have questions and I have answers, so let's play 'Twenty Questions', let's see if you are willing."

"I don't have time for games..." Ember growled before she paused and spoke again. "But you did something and I don't know how to counter this, so fine..." She hummed to ask one before one did. "Are you human?"

"Yes." She hummed again before another question was fired.

"Are you some sort of cyborg?"

"No." That crossed out a cripple or a limp person, but that was answered back... wherever she was with him and that strange room.

"Did you... build your gear to fight me or just ghosts in general?"

"Yes."

"Did you mean to kill those guys in the vans?"

"No." Ember paused, he just said... why did he say that if he wasn't going for a killing blast. She was a fifth of the way through and she was no closer to the truth of this being that did something, sap her powers or turned her into a human. She dismissed it for now as she continued to asked, leaning on the railing to watch the cars go.

"Did you make those things with a target in mind?"

"Yes." Now she was in something, a target would be an excellent source of knowledge to get on as she asked.

"Is your target human?"

"Yes." She didn't smile as she hummed before she asked a question that was connected with that.

"Is your target not just a human?"

"Yes." He was being open about it, but that was enough, she had a feeling as to why this guy was up to no good, it had something to do with Amity, something to do with its... protector as she stopped on the eighth question.

"Is your target Danny Phantom?" She wanted to hurl, no way would she say that dipstick's name and not gag, he has been the bane of every single spirit in the Ghost Zone... with some exceptions, but he was also hated in the real world... for what...?

"Yes." She breathed as she leaned on the railing and closed her eyes as she asked a different question.

"So, what's in it for me here?"

"Unlimited freedom..." Her eyes shot open as the figure continued. "Limitless power at your fingertips, the world for your own amusement, and nothing short of pure anarchy against the world... All you have to do is find out WHO the human side really is, snatch a dose of DNA from them, and you are free to roam, free from this small connection." Ember bit her lip as she knew that she shouldn't, the Dipstick was the best amount of excitement in the world and if this guy got his hands or whatever on a sample of Phantom... what monsters could be created, what beasts would be made... She paused as she never recalled being meek about the dangers, she was the rebellion of teen spirit, she was scared a few times when the law REALLY cracked down, but she was bold, confident, and full of power...

She looked at her hand as she thought about it, she was not a ghost right now, she didn't know what exactly went down in that crazy lab, but she was sure that she couldn't be Ember like this.

"...I don't believe you..." Ember hummed as she answered, pushing off and walking back inside, the doors closing one by one. "Tell me... What is stopping you from just wandering your little butt into Amity right now and just wrecking Phantom then bringing him back to your place?"

"Amity itself..." Ember narrowed her brow again as she turned a bit as the voice continued. "The locals would not be too keen on me getting a hold on their would-be hero, the Ghost Zone would not sit about idle in his absence and will destroy a sizable amount of the town, maybe the country if they were allowed into their dark desires." Ember grimaced at that, some of the ghosts were dark, pretty dark and they would just emit an aura of hate, spite, and bloodlust, it would be a disaster if that happened. "Also, Danny Phantom is an open target, he is targeted daily by a number of hunters, whether they are ghosts or humans themselves, he is not one of safety, but of tragic events if it came down to it. No, Amber, it needs to be subtle, beyond the lackluster eye of the people and as quiet as to not arouse guesses, this is indeed a dangerous task, but one that you will find easy, very soon." She glanced as the call finished after the last words. "Will call again for an update, do take care." The box folded back as Ember just held it and hummed, this meek nature was getting to her, but she felt more... understanding, it would be a boon for hunters if Phantom was gone, but then they would be overrun by ghosts, the GIW were WORTHLESS when it came down to it as they were just idiots and hoodlums in white, the only actual hunters were ones who lived here for a while, the Red Huntress and the Fentons, with some gimmick idiots wandering around.

'No... they NEED Phantom just as much as we need him, he is the outlet and the guardian, he shouldn't have to suffer anymore than what has already gone down with him... whatever else did happen to him." Ember thought back to a time when Clockwork, the recluse hermit of the Ghost Zone, solemnly left his tower, just watching the world pass by, but he had come once more into the fray of the Ghost Zone and it shortly involved Phantom in some way, something that struck her as odd now that she thought about it without the blazing hair and rash actions in mind. Clockwork was a powerful and influential type of ghost and what he says and does may not be apparent to everyone, but he means well for both worlds.

'He is backed up with some strong figures, meaning that he could be just relaxed about it, but this is his town... his home...' Ember looked out from the blinded window with a frown before she smiled. "Well, maybe I can get his attention for a bit, Dip wouldn't mind a bit of a rock party in the town, now would he?" She got dressed in her usual look, now including a thick coat over the teal-green look and she headed out, memorizing the room number that she was in as 'One', maybe because she was number one, or she just identified the I over the door as one before heading out, a guitar in hand for the performance she had on mind...


Danny flew true and strong as he searched the small section of the Ghost Zone to find... nothing. "Where is everyone, did they go somewhere else or are they..." Before he could finish, a voice shouted.

"Whelp!" Danny couldn't react fast enough as a net suddenly captured him and he shortly glared at Shulker who... was wearing a look of panic before he snatched the captured Phantom and zoomed for his realm, faster than he had ever seen Shulker go before they entered with a swing and shut of the door and the hunter flew true to his lair on the jungle realm and hurling Danny across the room, the net coming undone as Danny rolled and spoke.

"Shulker, what are...!?"

"Quiet!" Shulker capped a mechanized hand over Danny's mouth and slammed into the wall near the door, waiting a while before he breathed, releasing as he slid against the wall of the metal domain and glared at Danny. "What are you thinking, Whelp, do you WANT to get taken down by Walker!?" Danny returned the look as he countered.

"Well, I'm sorry, I just came here to find out WHY in all of the Realms did the ghosts I fought looked so panicked, that also involves Ember who just whizzed past me and my town and just disappeared from sight!" Shulker breathed before he leaned forward, the hatch in the back opening and the midget got out, standing on the suit's head, Danny never recalling one moment when the 'Ghost Zone's greatest hunter' had actually came out of his armor and talked as he sat down.

"Ember... she's got something to deal with out there, but as to why the fear..." Shulker rubbed his temples as he spoke. "Everything was peachy for a few days, but then someone started to soar about the Zone screaming his fool head off about a 'human running experiments with ectoplasmic powers and abilities', even said that this human, clad in metal and steel, was developing some crazy method of turning ghosts... human." Danny felt his brows raise in panic as Shulker continued. "Normally, we disregarded it as the rants of madness, like how that tech guy and Vlad went off, but soon, more and more ghosts were spreading the same rumors, I even went out myself to prove otherwise..." He pointed to a corner and Danny saw a Shulker suit, but the big problem was that there was a massive hole from front to back, no ghost powers could do that type of damage. "A hand extended in from a small, active hole and fired... some form of blast, like a visible sound blast. It tore my suit apart from the inside out, I could still feel the waves blasting through my whole body." Danny looked back as Shulker continued, his spirit damaged from the event. "The hole hasn't appeared anywhere else, but Walker, sensing that they were some foreign attack and even saw the damages from a number of blasts, sentenced the whole realm into a state of martial law. I am not going back out there right now until that has calmed down some or whatever is happening is done with."

Danny found his voice as he asked. "So... the ghosts that were rampaging... Ember...?"

"They were in a panic, all of them, and Ember and I may not be 'together' as it is..." Shulker shook his head as he rubbed again. "...I still look after her, she had a mission in mind, maybe to find this human and put them down, but something... something is wrong." He rested his blob head in his hands. "I should have kept her in before it was too risky, but you know Ember..."

"...She is the spirit of teen rebellion, the center of attention." Danny spoke as he breathed and hovered over, on the other wall and peering out as he asked. "So, is Walker rounding up everyone out of their realm or just at random?"

"His goons linger about the place, patrolling for any to capture and take back to Walker's Prison, a 'safety measure' they call it, but it is still his prison, I would rather face hundreds of your ice powers or Wail than get sent there for a long time in waiting." The blob reentered the suit and it got up with the hatch closing. "If you want to deal with the guards, that's fine with me, I may want your pelt, but I am not tangling with the guards in a matter of crisis!"

"That's okay, Shulker..." Danny grinned as he spoke. "I never was one for law enforcement by Walker's hand, and his guards will have to be excellent in their job to put me back in there." Danny bolted out the hatch and soared with speed as Shulker looked out with a hum as he commented, the door flying open before slamming closed again.

"A rare specimen indeed, but I need to bide time, no telling what Walker will do if I just go after him." With that, the hatch closed and the realm was quiet as, out in the Zone again, Danny sped his way, only stopping for guards that didn't have the mind to let him go easily...


"Are you sure that he will be okay, I mean..." Sam hummed as she continued her question to Jazz, Tucker being there too, but he was more interested in his PDA than the safety of Danny, clearly 'manly' mentality dictates that he will make it back with no injures, that didn't soothe or relieve Sam that much though. "I haven't seen the ghosts that frantic other than Pariah Dark."

"I am sure that he will be okay." Jazz answered as she turned another page in her book. "He said that he would be looking into the sudden stir of ghosts and I have no doubt that he will return just as well, but we have the harder task on hand." Beside Jazz was her laptop and she was running a program, with the help of a router program that Tucker helped make, she was pinging across Amity in search for Ember, if there was a sizable amount of power that was accustom to Ember's power, then that was where they needed to look on the sensor grid. "Ember has been quiet, silent even in the power department, and that says a lot to what is happening, Sam." A frown wore across Sam's face as she looked at the same data, a digital map of Amity, but no crazed or zealous rock and roll anywhere close by. "I am sure that our duty right now is to watch out for Ember and ensure that we can stop her before she can get her show on a roll." Sam felt her shoulders fall in concern about that.

"Okay, Jazz, I will go looking for a bit." Jazz nodded as Tucker was still absorbed into his tech as Sam headed out, the Fenton Phone on her ear to keep in contact with Jazz as she got on her bike and rode about, her role as of now was to search the town for anymore ghosts and report them to Jazz for Danny to draw from and keep an eye on, intervening to stop them if they are going too aggressive. She peered about and marked the ghosts down before she rode on, stopping as the scanner went off just as the sound of music started to play, Sam turning toward the way where the signal and sound were coming from before she stopped at a bridge, getting off as she mused the readings. 'Wow, this is some intense power fluxes, but who could be...'

"They're not gonna keep me down." Sam quickly looked around for the source as the music continued, done with both guitar and voice. "They're not gonna shut me out. They're gonna do what they do, I do me." She rushed over to one of the edge to see where the voice was coming from. Down below, against the wall with a crowd listening, was someone strange as Sam, at first, jumped to a Ember look-alike, but Danny and his friends stopped the takeover several times and ensured that Ember never had a grip, for someone to copy her design in any way was a surprise. "I'm moving against the crowd. I'm drowning out, way down. They're gonna do what they do. I do something original. Be unforgettable. They're gonna know my name." The look-alike pushed off and continued to play the music to a steady tone, not going total rock-and-roll on anyone. "One day, I'll make you a believer. One day, I got this all I need is. One day, don't try to tell me I can't." The crowd repeated the last four words as the timid star continued with a nod. "And now, I'm a light in the future. Watch out, Wont stop I'm a mover. One day, You're gonna know who I am." She leaned against the wall again as she looked to the sky, her eyes a mix of green and brown in her verse. "I will fly high and free. It's my fate, wait and see one day."

The crowd cheered as Sam just watched, confused about who the performer was as her scanner was still going ballistic and she started to look about the location for any sign of the ghost, but it came coming back to the small crowd, was someone being overshadowed. She was so distracted that she nearly missed the next part of the song, something about it resonating with her. 'But what is it about the song or the one singing it?'

"I've been afraid before. To reach for something more. But now I see that it's mine, I'll take it." It was like a routine for the star to bob from wall and the ground of stone as she continued. "Just go ahead and try. You're not gonna change my mind. There's no such thing as too late." She emitted a loud stream of 'yeah' before continuing. "One day, I'll make you a believer. One day, I got this all I need is. One day, Don't try to tell me I can't." The crowd did it again as Sam mused deeply as the singer continued, something about the scene not connecting the dots in her head. "And now, I'm a light in the future. Watch out, Wont stop I'm a mover. One day, You're gonna know who I am. I will fly high and free. It's my fate wait and see." With this, she grew bolder in her singing as she strummed out on the guitar like a lifeline. "I'm on a mission, no longer listening. To anyone that says don't try. Sometimes you feel it, deep in your spirit. It's like a fire that won't die." She hummed before going in again. "One day, Wait and see. One day, Oooh. One day, Just wait and see. One day, I'll make you a believer. One day, I got this all I need is. One day, Don't try to tell me I can't." She bobbed her head into the riff and strummed it once more out. "And now, I'm a light in the future. Watch out, Wont stop I'm a mover. One day, You're gonna know who I am." She repeated the line herself as she pressed on, the ghost scanner briefly forgotten with Sam. "I will fly high and free. It's my fate wait and see, one day." It faded out with several more 'one days' as it came to a stop and the girl smiled, the cheers filling in as people tossed in money into the guitar case before her and they often remarked or commented on her performance. Sam couldn't deny her for her performance as she lifted the scanner once more to find the ghost... only that it came going back to the singer as Sam questioned it.

'Just what does this mean...?'


Ember counted out her newly-obtained cash and nodded as she smiled a bit and stashed the money in the case, unaware of the goth on the bridge above. "Man, that sure felt good, this feeling is better than just a power boost." She lightly chuckled as she actually portrayed and played the shy rocker well, so well that she surprised herself with her skill and will. "Still, I wonder if Phantom was going to be around to hear me play..." She franticly shook her head, slamming the case closed and headed off. 'Snap out of it, McLane, listen to yourself, you are sounding like a love-struck girl, this is not the time NOR is it right, I don't want to face that event again... not again...' She headed off with ease as the crowd cleared out and she headed out to the other side of town before she paused, the abnormal structure telling her where those fanatic family of ghost hunters were, she straying form that place as she was not too sure of her changes before she entered a small park and set her gear down before she rested on the bench, eyes closed in the shade with boot on the case before a voice awoke her from her short nap, shocking as ghosts don't often need sleep or naps.

"Ember...?"