Chapter 2
After letting Danny thinking about it all last night, I came to school hoping Danny would do the right thing. Normally he does. That's the whole reason this town's still alive and in the real world. As I made my way to his locker before class started, my heart almost fell into my boots. He was putting the folder back into his locker before closing it.
"So, are you going to return the test answers or not?" I asked as we headed towards class.
"I will! I will. I'm just… waiting for the right moment." Danny offered.
"Like, maybe, after the test?" Tucker dead paned, eyeing his friend. Danny gave him a frown in return getting Tucker to shrug. "Yeah, you're right. You're not thinking about cheating on a test that you're convinced will determine your future."
"You both have said it at one time or another." Danny said, turning to look at where we were walking. "If I actually had time to study, I could be as smart as Jazz. Well I don't."
I let out a sigh. Sometimes I regretted convincing him to step into the portal last year. I was torn between this isn't right and to let him go ahead and study what exactly was going to be on the C.A.T.s. But as much as I wanted to let him go ahead and cheat, what would happen if someone found out? He could get suspended or worst, expelled. And then what would Amity Part do with their hero stuck going to Elmerton High? What would I do without Danny…
-.-.-.-
Right after school let out, the three of us headed over to Danny's place to see about that medallion Danny found yesterday. Tucker was connecting wires into it from his PDA as I sat on the floor and watched. After a few minutes of silence and watching Tucker scowl at his computer he admitted, "I can't seem to hack into it. It's really hi-tech."
I looked down onto the medallion, able to see my reflection as I threw out a crazy idea that's been bothering me ever since Boxed Lunch showed up. "Ya, like it's from the future or something."
"Well, speaking of future," Danny started, grabbing his backpack as he stood up. "I think it's time I started preparing for mine."
"You mean cheat." I dead panned, leaning back with my hands propping me up from behind.
"I didn't say cheat." Danny defended, a hand on his hip.
"You didn't say not cheat." Tucker said, looking over his glasses.
Danny put a hand to his head, looking almost exhausted. "Guys, come on. I'd love to have spent the last month studying, but I was fighting ghosts! Besides, if you two think this test is so meaningless, why do you even care if I cheat?" Danny asked, pulling out the test answers and dropping his bag back to the floor. "Why shouldn't I open this up and study the answers, huh?"
I glanced over at Tucker, holding my knees tighter to me.
"No answer?" Danny offered, placing the folder on his desk. "Well that's all the answer I need."
"Aren't you going to say something?" Tucker asked me.
"I'm his friend, not his mom." I said, glaring over at the teen in question at the moment. "He wants to cheat, he can cheat."
Danny looked down at the folder and slowly pulled up on the sticker holding it closed. I desperately wanted to say something but I couldn't. A part of me didn't want to believe he would actually do it.
A blue light took my attention to the far corner of the room, the light surprising me more then I care to admit. I stood up in shock as a ghost in a type of armor appeared. The head reminded me of Skulker's face plate but where there had been a mohawk of green flame was just a plain fire And inside the suit was something that looked a lot like Technus' face. I sighed as the interruption stopped Danny but then realized Danny probably heard that. I glanced down at Tucker as we said, "I mean, Oh no, a ghost."
Ya, don't let us act. We can't. Lie, we can do that for days. Act, I'm starting to think not.
Danny let the lights cover over himself, changing his hair to white and his cloths to his suit. He quickly flew at the ghost who only moved his arms, almost backslapping him back to the wall where he landed on his butt on the floor. "Who are you supposed to be?"
"I am Skulktech 9.9, the future Ghost World's greatest hunter!"
"With its greatest technovillain as his operating system!" Technus cried out from within the armor.
"Skulker and Technus, together?" Danny asked.
"Is that an ew or a yikes?" Tucker asked.
I was about to say an ew, confused about how they would identify as well as why Skulker had said the future Ghost World instead of just Ghost Zone like he normally did. Instead the armor shot out seven claw arms out from a part in the back.
"Definitely a yikes!" Danny exclaimed, turning intangible just in time to miss getting stabbed in at least three different spots. He flew around Skulktech and grabbed us. Danny quickly threw us into his closet before jumping back out.
"You know some times I wish I did have some powers." I admitted, leaning against a suitcase just to my left as I crossed my arms. The only light in the small closet coming from Tucker's PDA as he clicked away at something. "What are you doing?"
"Going on a hunch that might help Danny." Tucker offered, using the little stylus as fast as he could.
Outside we could hear the two, or would it be three? They were fighting away, only for most of the sounds of destruction to fade away as something started to whirl and sound almost like a chainsaw blade.
"Say goodbye." Skulker laughed out.
"Ghost child!" Technus finished for his partner.
A ringtone rang out, getting a smile on Tucker's face.
"Someone's hacked into the system?" Skulker exclaimed. "I thought we fixed that!"
"We did! It must have accidentally synced up with somebody else's PDA!" Technus cried as an engine started up. We heard the two scream as they headed upwards before deeming it safe enough to come out to see Danny on his butt again, looking up at the ceiling.
"Wow, I can still hack into his operating system with my handheld computer." Tucker admitted. "I don't know whether that's exciting or depressing."
"Come on." Danny said, jumping to his feet before flying up wards. "Follow me."
We watched his disappear through the ceiling before Tucker said, "We'll walk."
"I mean, flight wouldn't be so bad, now would it?" I asked as we walked out of his room.
"We need something to keep up with him some days." Tucker admitted, pocketing his PDA.
We did our best following him but ended up having to resort to Tucker's tracking program to follow his phone that Danny thankfully had in his pocket still. We finally got close enough to watch the fight happening in the air only to stare in horror as something Skulker shot at him had taken away his powers. Thankfully he was able to change back before he fell too close to the ground but I looked around us to see if anyone else was in the area and looking up. Thankfully no one was paying any attention to the ghost fight except for us.
We rushed forwards, hoping to get closer as the fight seemed to take a stall only for Tucker to exclaimed, "Sam! Look up!"
I did as Tucker said only to see Danny falling once more, this time not able to transform back. He caught himself on a flag pole sticking out of an apartment building only to disappear out of our sights again when it broke. I saw Skulker shoot out a mettle arm at where Danny must have landed and saw a bright flash of light as Danny's screams filled the air.
"You don't have a future, period." Skulker laughed.
"Not anymore." Technus added.
"I wouldn't bet on that!" Tucker added in as we ran up to the fight. Tucker pushed a button on his PDA and shot a laser up at Skulktech, shorting their suit out.
"Aw poop." The two said together as they fell to the ground, grabbing onto another flag pole. "Wow, that flag pole thing-" Technus was saying only for it to break under their weight and send them stomach first onto a light pole.
"Way to go guys!" Danny applauded, standing up with the claw still holding onto him.
"Come on Tucker, let's see if we can get this off!" I said, grabbing hold of the mettle arm and started pulling as Tucker grabbed onto me and started pulling me.
The sound of something small and mettle clunked onto the ground, getting our attentions only to stare in surprise as Skulktech started to disappear. Before I could even think, Danny was disappearing with my arms not far behind it. Replacing Amity Part was a part of the Ghost Zone and as soon as Tucker had followed us we were pulled through a portal. I landed next to Danny on the ground just as the force unlocked the arm from around his chest.
I got up and held an arm out for Danny, to help him up to his feet as Tucker turned around and looked at where we were. I let go of Danny's hand and saw what looked like cogs all around and above us.
"Where are we?" Tucker asked, watching Danny move over to a window with a clock in the glace. We followed over to him only to see an expanse of Ghost Zone outside.
"I don't know. The Ghost Zone, I think." Danny offered. "But no part of the Ghost Zone I've ever seen."
"It happened right after his medallion fell off." I said, realizing that was what had fallen off Skulktech.
"Then I think I know how to get us back!" Tucker said. I glanced at him only to see him looking at something past Danny. I looked in that direction and saw six medallions on the wall. Tucker rushed over and grabbed one, putting it on and raising his arms. "Ha ha!"
I looked at him, not sure what to expect but nothing happened.
"Nothing, huh?" Tucker asked, dropping his hands.
"No, but nice bling." I offered before turning around and looking at a portal of some sort. Maybe it was just a television for the ghost that lived here.
"I don't like this." Danny offered as the green expanse in the portal shifted to that of a dystopia-like Amity Park. I almost didn't think it was Amity Park until I saw familiar landmarks. There was Cannel street, and Washington… and a green skinned ghost with a DP logo on his chest as he was shooting at the people.
"You're going to like this even less." I offered, noticing a subtitle at the bottom of the screen said Future: Ten Years. There was no mistaking it. That was Danny. "I think I'm seeing your future. And you're kind of a jerk."
The screen shifted in time to show the army going up against Danny only for the future ghost to scream at them. I'm sure the feed we were watching had been tampered with at least the volume since the scream wasn't all that loud where we were watching it but it blew away at the tanks and helicopters, breaking glass and destroying everything in sight. "Ok, you're really a jerk."
Danny pushed me to the side as he wanted to see it closer. "Wow, what is that? Some kind of ghostly wail? What a cool power!" Danny exclaimed, excited.
I wanted to smack him upside the head but settled with a glare.
"If it weren't being used for evil." Danny added.
Tucker pulled out his PDA and turned around to where we had left Skulktech and said, "Let's see if this future boy knows anymore about-"
Before he could finish Skulktech gained a blue hue and flew into the portal we had been watching.
"I didn't do that!" Tucker said, surprised.
"I did." A voice from behind me said. I turned around in surprise to see a ghost that looked just in his 20s or 30s if going by human years float down from the rafters. I wondered how long he'd been there, watching us. He wore a purple cloak and held a scepter with what looked like a stop watch on the top. "I sent him back to his own time, or should I say" his forms aged quickly, looking almost 80 now with a white beard going down towards his tail "forward to his own time. You see, for me" the ghost now lost age, going back all the way to a child of about 6 or 7 "time moves backwards" he grew older again, stopping about his 20s this time "and forwards and…" his voice faded away as he let his body appear to be 80 again. "Oh why am I bothering? You're fourteen."
"Who are you?" Danny asked. He motioned around us before adding. "Where are we?"
"Introductions? Fine. I am Clockwork, Master of Time." As he said this his form went back to that of a small child. "I've been charged with the task of eliminating your future, so that" he pointed towards the viewer that still showed the dystopia "never happens."
"You've gotta be kidding me!" Danny exclaimed. "Name one evil thing I've done."
Clockwork shifted so that he was a young adult as a smile grew on his face. He pointed his staff towards the viewer as it changed what time we were looking into. I saw Jazz making sure no one was around before she reached into Danny's book bag. She pulled out the test answers and gasped. "Danny's a cheater!"
"Bet you can't find two!" Tucker called out. I grimiest, sure this ghost could pull out anything he wanted with his powers.
Clockwork pointed again at the screen as we watched it jump back into the future where older Danny Phantom was standing, watching in triumph as the army was defeated. "How about two thousand." Clockwork offered, reverting back to a child.
"I don't have to sit here and explain myself to you!" Danny called out. "Ghosting Ghost!- whoa." He put a hand on his head as if dizzy. "Serious deja-vu." He lets the lights cover over him and flies straight at the ghost.
I saw Clockwork slammed his fist on the stopwatch on his staff, slowing Danny down as he swoops over to Danny's side, letting the teen fly right by him. He clicked the stopwatch again only to let Danny run face first into a church bell. Clockwork repeated the time segment, forcing Danny to hit the church bell a number of six times before the ghost grew old. "I could do this all day, but I have a schedule to keep."
He pressed the button once more, releasing Danny from the time loop only for Danny to fall straight to the ground in front of us. Clockwork took a scythe from a grim reaper stature up close to the ceiling and shot down towards Danny.
"Danny! Look out!" I cried out, almost not even realizing Tucker was saying the same beside me.
Danny looked up just in time to miss getting chopped in half. He flew in our direction as I took up a fighting stance, ready to help only to realize Clockwork no longer had the scythe in hand, Tucker did. A medallion landed on Danny's neck, sending him back into movement as he asked, "Huh? What happened?"
Danny landed next to us as I grabbed hold of the medallion around my neck. "We leveled the playing field." I threw my thumb over at Clockwork as I added, "Just get the bad guy!"
"You three have seen too much." Clockwork said as his form aged again. "You must be eliminated before you permanently alter the time stream."
Before us versions of his race or maybe even himself appeared, first one from the civil war then a caveman like ghost. A Viking next appeared, ax in hand as a version in almost Quake looking armor appeared with a Vietnam army uniformed ghost.
"Nowhere to run, children." Clockwork smile as he reverted back to his young adult self, looking more like those around him.
I noticed Danny looking over at the portal showing the dystopia Amity Park and thought Oh no, you don't really plan-
"Nowhere but the future." Danny exclaimed. I felt him grab the back of my shirt and pull me with Tucker through the portal.
I fell to the ground and looked around, seeing what had been on the portal's screens only it was different. It was bleaker and worst then I could have even imagined.
"Man, if this is what we have to look forward to, I'm definitely not taking the C.A.T. test." Tucker said.
"How do you think this all happened?" I asked, the back of my mind scared to find out. That part of me knew I didn't want to know, but I had to.
"I don't know." Danny offered, floating around as he looked. "But based on what we just saw, I have a really bad feeling I'm the one responsible."
"You got that right, ghost!" Valerie's voice called out as a woman in her early 20s appeared through the wreckage with a gun on her shoulder and a hoverboard under her feet.
I scrambled to my feet with Tucker right behind me as we dove for cover just in time to miss getting hit by debris.
"Valerie, listen to me!" Danny tried.
"You can't fool me this time, Phantom." Valerie said. I peeked up in enough time to drop back behind what might have been a wall at one time as she shot some more. I waited a moment before trying to see what was going on only to see Valerie shooting a pink net at Danny and capturing him. She stopped in front of him with her gun point blank at his face. "I've been waiting a long time for this. Goodbye and good-"
I grabbed Tucker and we rushed out to protect Danny.
"Valerie, no!" Tucker called out.
"Don't shoot!" I ordered, protecting Danny with my life if have to.
Valerie stepped back in surprise as she let her gun go back to its spot just behind her shoulder. "Sam? Tucker? I-it's not possible! This is a trick! You can't be alive!"
We both dropped our arms at hearing that.
"Wait. Not alive? That's our future?" Tucker asked. "I'm definitely not taking the C.A.T.!"
"The C.A.T." Valerie said, almost not sure of herself. "That's the last time I saw you alive. The explosion at the Nasty Burger, you, Tucker, Danny's family…" Her face turned hard as she pulled the gun back into her hands and aimed it at Danny. "And it was all your fault!"
A shot of green ecto-plasm shot Valerie away from us just in time. I turned to look at who saved us only to freeze in fear. It was the older looking Danny. He floated above the ground with an invisible wind blowing his cape. His muscles looked hard and a cold almost freezing feeling came off him.
"Actually that was me." he said, looking down at Danny still in the net. "And you eventually."
The ghost dropped down to his feet in front of us and looked us over. "Sam and Tucker. It's been a while. Ten years to be accurate." He said. He raised up a glowing hand and flicked it at us, freezing me in a green shield. "So, to what do I owe this little blast from the past?" he studied us, looking for something only for his face to hardened at the sight of the medallions on us. "Clockwork, meddling again."
Again? I didn't get too far on that thought as Valerie blasted him away. We stood frozen as Valerie threw grenades at him only for them to go through the ghost as he was able to morph into a goop like substance. He flew at her only to split off into two entities and grab her hands together. The ghost picked Valerie up and let go only to punch her in her face, sending her sprawling as behind me I heard Danny scream and what sounded like the net breaking.
The ghost walked over to where Valerie had landed, the woman struggling to get up as he said, "I suppose out of respect for our past, I should let you live." He grabbed her by the holsters and lifted her up. "But that's now how I work." The ghost threw Valerie almost as if she weighed nothing into the air.
"Valerie!" Danny cried out, flying past us towards the woman.
With Danny and Valerie out of site, the ghost turned towards us. He flicked his hand upwards, getting us to float above the ground. He walked over to us as he said, "You know, if I had an ounce of humanity left in me, this would be a touching little reunion." I glanced over at Tucker, seeing him trying to do the same as we both realized this ghost was no longer half human even before he said it. "But of course I surrendered my human half a long time ago."
I saw Danny rise out of the street just as the ghost's nose released a red smoke. "Oh please." The ghost droned, turning around with a blast already in his hand. He threw it at the same time Danny threw a blast at him, the two both falling backwards.
As soon as the ghost fell to the ground, we fell down, free of the shield he had incased us in. Danny sat up as he called out, "Tucker! Sam! Run!"
We did as ordered, finding what was left of Fenton Works just in front of us. We ran towards it only to hear the screaming we had seen the ghost use against the army and stopped before going inside. The building was cracking down the front, the structure old and uncared for in the last ten years taking a toll.
I quickly put my arms up, trying to think of a way out of this only for Tucker to say, "For the record, I blame you."
As pieces of Fenton Works rained down I had a last ditch idea and yanked off Tucker's medallion with one hand as I ripped off my own. I stood up with my arms crossed and looked down at Tucker who was screaming with his hands still over his head. After a moment he realized he wasn't dead yet and looked up at me. "You got the medallion off, didn't you?"
"I don't accessorize well." I offered. "Unfortunately Danny's still stuck in the future fighting his jerky older self! We gotta help him."
"Tucker? Sam?" I froze at the sound of Jazz's voice before dropping my arms and turning to see her in the entry way of the alley way behind what was left of the Nasty Burger. Thankfully we didn't end up in front of Fenton Works cause that would've caused too many questions. "You got a second? Let me answer that for you." Jazz said, walking over to us. "Yes, you do. I know Danny stole the answers for the C.A.T. That he's going to cheat."
"Actually, Danny wasn't going to-" I tried only to get cut off by Jazz's hand.
"Sam, enough." Jazz said. "I know more than you think I do. A lot more. So I suggest when you see Danny, you tell him I wanna talk to him. Tonight! Because if I don't, I will be talking to our parents and Mr. Lancer tomorrow."
She turned around and walked away, leaving us to realize what just happened.
"Lancer knows Danny has the answers?" I realized.
"Oh, man, is he in trouble." Tucker stated.
I turned to Tucker as the thought hit me. "That's gotta be it! Danny cheating is the thing that leads to that horrible future!" I pulled Tucker close, hoping he got how serious this was.
Tucker pushed me back as he said, "Let me get this straight. Danny gets caught cheating on a test, and we pay for it with our lives? How is that fair?"
"Life isn't fair." I threw off. "Come on, maybe we can figure out how to find Clockwork's tower."
We headed around the Nasty Burger only to hear the warping of time. I skidded to a stop and looked at Tucker. "You think that was…?"
We turned towards the Nasty Burger's remains and saw Danny looking inside. "Danny!" I cried out, running towards him. I reached him first and quickly stole a hug as he looked surprised. "You made it back." I said, holding his hands for a second before letting go.
Tucker quickly got a hug from his best friend before asking, "Did you beat that evil jerky puspack alterative version of yourself?"
Danny laughed before saying, "Always with the quips. In my weaker moments I sometimes miss your droûl sense of humor."
I looked at him a moment, not sure what he meant as Tucker asked, "I'm sorry?"
"I'm just kidding!" Danny laughed off. "I beat my other self quite easily. Had you guys going there for a second, didn't I?"
"Well… we should probably do what we can to stop the Nasty Burger from blowing up, huh?" Tucker asked, throwing his thumb towards the building next to us.
"Already done." Danny said, putting his hands on his hips. "Now who's for…" he mumbled something I couldn't catch before finishing, "playing some games and raging against the machine?"
"We're in!" I said, a smile on my face. A break from all this would be good for our heads at least. I was already getting some sort of time lag messing with me.