Happy Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa! And Boxing Day. I have some of the next chapter written, I just need to edit it. That's why this chapter is shorter, because it's been split from the next chapter.
Thanks to my fabulous beta, Rosalind2013! She's amazingly fabulous =J
When Danny walked in the door, the first thing he saw was Mom sitting at the couch in the living room, coffee table littered with papers. He looked down, away from her, as he stretched his sore hands, flexing the fingers. Mom had glanced up warily at the door's opening, but was now staring back down at the papers in front of her. She scribbled something down and punched something into a calculator. Danny made his way over to her.
"Hey." He winced. His voice was hoarse from yelling, rough and raspy in tone. He licked his chapped lips.
"Hello, Danny." Mom pushed a paper back and lifted another sheet forward. After a second, Danny opened his mouth again.
"What are you doing?" It was almost awkward, making conversation like this. The stiff, uncomfortable, tense environment had pervaded the house since Dad died. Mom still hardly looked at him and they barely talked. Part of that was the fact that Danny spent most of his time, now, out of the house, at the park, or at Tuck's place. Part of it was because… Things had changed between them after Dad died. Danny didn't know how to explain it. Ever since that day, things had been different. Even now, as Mom answered his question, she didn't look at him and the conversation felt stilted.
"I've been meaning to tell you, and I suppose now is as good a time as any. We're moving, Danny."
For a second, Danny didn't register what she was saying, mind still back on the streets near the park. The realization of what Mom said brought him back quickly. "Wait. What? Where?"
She brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "To California. Jump City, in Solano county. It's off of the bay."
Danny opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again. "Why?" He finally managed. He had friends here, he had a life here. Yeah, Jazz was leaving to go to college, but that didn't mean that they had to uproot and move too.
"I, uh," Mom let out a breath. "I think it would be good for us to have a change. To have a different environment." She smiled slightly, but still didn't look at him where he stood across the table. Danny swallowed.
"But what about school?" That was the only thing he could think to say, to put into words. He didn't know how to say that this place was where he grew up, where Dad took him to his first movie and to the observatory. He could understand wanting to move houses – even he wanted to move houses – but cities entirely? States? She wanted to take him away from everything and everyone he'd known to go to California? He didn't want to move.
"It will be a perfect time to go, since school hasn't started yet. We can get you enrolled in a good school down there – maybe Jump City Central High School, or Bay View High School. It will be a new start, a clean slate. You can start over, Danny." She glanced up at him with a small, forced smile before looking away again.
Every protest died in Danny's throat as he saw the look in her eyes. She looked so tired, and even defeated. Mom didn't get defeated. She looked almost hopeless. Swallowing again, Danny nodded. "…Okay." Surprise flashed in Mom's eyes as she looked up for a moment and Danny nodded again. After a minute, Mom smiled, in surprised relief, and nodded in return before going back to the sheets of paper on the table.
Quickly, Danny strode across the room to the stairs and nearly ran up them. Finally, he was in his room, alone, and he stood for a moment breathing heavily. Then, the teen slumped against the back of the door, staring in mute horror at his hands. They were still sore and he flexed them. He could see Youngblood's face, pale and swollen, the ghost actually flickering. Had he really come that close to destroying the kid? The boy had barely been able to float, much less fly away. Danny didn't know how the young-looking ghost had managed it. Danny blinked and drew in a shuddering breath. He had nearly destroyed Youngblood. Completely destroyed, obliterated, wiped out of existence. He had almost been as bad as the men who had shot Dad. He hadn't been serious about destroying the kid, or even hurting him that badly. It had just been a thought, a stupid, passing thought that he had never intended to act upon. He never meant to go that far, he just lost control.
Still breathing hard, Danny turned over his hands and froze, bile rising in his throat at the sight of a small spot of green ectoplasm on the palm of his left hand. The sight blurred as his hands began to shake and he fled through the doors to the bathroom. It was only once he was hunched over the sink that he realized that he hadn't touched a single doorknob – he had gone through the doors intangibly. He had used his powers, just like he had told Sam he wouldn't. He scrubbed furiously at his hand, clenching his teeth as he rubbed harder. Every single time he used his powers, someone got hurt. A month ago, it was Dad. An hour ago, it was Youngblood. If Clockwork could help him – could stop the accident that killed Dad – then maybe he could also stop the accident that gave Danny his powers. Wouldn't that just be easier for everybody? No one would ever have to have gotten hurt because of him. What use were his ghost powers anyway? It would be better not to have them. He was done with this. Finally coming to a decision, Danny stilled and the water continued running, turning red as it touched his hand. He was going to get rid of his powers. No matter what it took.
Danny took a deep breath as he opened his eyes. The afternoon sun steamed steadily into his room and he lay there for a second, staring at the ceiling. It was a bit of a struggle to get up lately. He wouldn't go to bed until late, and sleep for longer than he ever had before. Despite the long hours, it was a light sleep and he barely got any rest. Getting up was different, though. It wasn't like he was needing to go back to bed, but like there was this exhaustion he just couldn't shake. He had no desire or motivation to get up. It was just so much easier to lay there. He sighed, still unmoving. He needed to get up. There was something he needed to do today, something important. He couldn't quite remember what it was, but it was nagging at the edge of his consciousness. Something to do with yesterday, with Youngblood…
Danny bolted upright. Youngblood was going to take him to Clockwork, a ghost that could help, that could maybe save Dad! Danny didn't bother with changing his clothes, just transformed straight into Phantom and took off. He wasn't sure where he was supposed to meet Youngblood, or even if the young ghost would keep his side of the bargain, but he was hopeful. Maybe he should just head back to the street he had seen Youngblood last. Danny winced at the memory. He really hadn't meant to hurt the kid that badly. He had just been so angry. It had been almost irrational, how mad he had been. He bit his lip and shook his head. He was still angry, crazy as it was. There was nothing really to be mad at right now, in this moment. Nothing except his fury at his own failure. But, somehow, it seemed more than that. He was madder than he should be, and he was angry all the time. It wasn't just a once in a while thing. It was constant and burning, like an itch under his skin. Some days it was barely there, other days, he felt like he would explode if someone so much as breathed wrong, and it was hard keeping it under control. It was something he was working on.
As he reached the street, two down from the park, he once more winced in regret. The rain last night had cleaned the site, but the pavement was still dented. People gave it a curious glance as they walked by, some standing around the indentations, trying to figure out what had caused them. Danny hovered, invisible, above their heads. He had tried to hold back, but that was one instance where he had exploded. He really needed to work on his control. As the teen floated there, he shuddered involuntarily as a mist came from his mouth, his ghost sense going off. So Youngblood – or some other ghost – was around here, after all. Danny flew straight up, until those below couldn't really see him, and made himself visible. He only had to wait half a second before the young ghost appeared in front of him. The kid wouldn't look straight at Danny and he felt irritation surge up again – why was no one looking at him!? – but he pushed it down. He didn't need a repeat of yesterday – he had promised that he wouldn't do anything like that to anyone, ever again.
"We'll have to go into the Ghost Zone." The boy's voice was soft and Youngblood still didn't meet the teen's eyes. Danny swallowed. He hadn't thought of the fact that they might need to go into the Ghost Zone. To go into the Ghost Zone, they would need to go down into his parent's lab. Danny hadn't been down there – nobody had been down there – since Dad had died. The only ones who had been down there since that day were the cleaners. Danny had avoided the stairs and the area around it. He couldn't stand the thought of even approaching the lab. He would have to do it, though. He would do anything to save Dad.
"…Alright." Danny headed towards home. "This way."
They traveled in silence towards the Ops Center, the tension thick between them. Danny glanced over his shoulder at Youngblood once, but other than that, the teen was lost in his own world. It was almost a shock when he reached his home, the sudden realization of his surroundings jarring him out of his daze. He hovered for a moment, gaze angled upwards. He could hear Youngblood sigh impatiently behind him.
"Come on!" The young ghost snapped, before wincing and closing his mouth tightly. Danny again pushed down his irritation, and took a deep, steadying breath. Then he took another. And another. This was ridiculous. Closing his eyes, the teen dived down, knowing that he would end up in the lab. He stopped and opened his eyes just before he hit the ground. The sterile white tile of the lab stared up at him. Danny slowly straightened until he was floating completely upright. The lab, covered with a fine layer of dust, spread around him, Danny turned to the closed Portal. Youngblood floated down to stop next to him, and glided forward until he was a meter from the portal. He turned to look at Danny, scowling, then urged him to hurry up and repeated his order to 'come on'.
This was it. This was finally it. Danny had a chance to save Dad. Everything was going to be okay again. He wasn't sure what this 'Clockwork' ghost would do, but if he had the chance to change everything, to save everything, then he would do almost anything. He opened the portal and the ghosts floated through. The green expanse of the Ghost Zone opened up before them, cold and unearthly. There was silence today in the Zone. No ghosts floated around the portal entrance and Danny followed Youngblood, unhindered. The young ghost led Danny past doors and domains. Danny remained on his guard as he passed Skulker's island and kept an eye out for Walker. He didn't need trouble. He wasn't sure if he could keep control of himself and hold back if he was attacked. It he lost control, he would probably lose the fight. Luckily, neither ghost seemed to be around today. After travelling for a few minutes, Youngblood stopped, Danny barely managing to avoid running into the young ghost. Looking ahead, the teen saw a large tower, decorated with clocks. He glanced to the other ghost.
Youngblood nodded to the building. "That's Clockwork's lair." Danny blinked and looked again at the tower. He couldn't speak for a moment. This was it. Everything came down to this. Silently, he flew forward, barely noticing Youngblood flying away. It didn't matter. He was where he needed to be.
Carefully, the teen opened the door at the base of the tower and slipped through it. It closed loudly behind him. The room he'd entered was full of gears and was surrounded by screens. He stepped in further, taking a better look at the screens. They each showed a different scene of people and events that Danny didn't know. As he came into the center of the room, the screens all changed. Eyes widening in shock, Danny took in the new scenes – each of them featuring him. In one, the teen was in ghost form and leaning around a building corner. As Danny watched, the Danny in the mirror charged up and let off an ectoblast towards a motley group – one of them green, one part robot, and the other three in strange outfits. The screen Danny ducked back around the corner and fled. The scene replayed and Danny looked to another one. In this screen, Danny was laying, bruised and bloody, on a white tile floor. He struggled to rise, but his arms gave out. Finally, the onscreen Danny pushed himself to his feet – only to be yanked forward, out of view of the screen. Danny turned around to see another screen – Danny strapped to a metal table, writhing and screaming. The teen shuddered and turned his head away to see himself, again in ghost form, talking pleasantly with one of the boys he had thrown an ectoblast at earlier. The screen next to it showed Danny again, this time looking a little… off. He was jumpy and almost twitching. His eyes looked… blank. Danny, standing in the middle of the screens took a step back at the emptiness in the gaze – what were these things!? He turned to another screen, this one seeming actually not so bad. Onscreen Danny was laughing, leaning over to playfully shove… somebody. The screens all changed to a swirling green, like the Ghost Zone's expanse, before Danny could see the other person.
"It is not wise to see possibilities of the future."
The voice came from behind Danny, deep and ageless, and the teen spun around. Across the room, a ghost floated, old and hunched. He held a staff in one hand and had some sort of clock around his neck. Danny swallowed and eyed the ghost. Was this Clockwork? It would make sense. Who else could it be? Danny hadn't heard anyone come in through the large door and, from the outside, it didn't look like there was another way into the tower. The other ghost floated closer and Danny fought the urge to take a step back, sudden nervousness welling up inside him. What if Clockwork refused? The ghost passed Danny and Danny stood facing the opposite direction for a second, gathering up his determination, before facing the other ghost.
The other ghost that was no longer there. In the old ghost's place hovered a tall, strong-looking ghost. It had the same hood, medallion, and staff, but stood straighter and unwrinkled. It stared apathetically at Danny, who was looking for words.
"Where– Who–?" Danny started, but was cut off.
"Who am I?" This ghost had the same voice as the other one, steady and knowing. "I am Clockwork, the ghost of Time."
Danny's eyes widened. The ghost of Time? Did that mean… Danny opened his mouth to ask Clockwork a question, but was cut off before he could say the first word.
"Yes, being the ghost of Time does mean I can control it." Before the teen's eyes, the man shifted to a child. When the kid spoke, though, he had the same ageless voice. "Past, present, and future."
"Please, I need your help." Danny didn't know how to ask, so he just blurted out his request, "I need you to help me fix something in the past. It shouldn't've happened. It was an accident, and it was my fault, and I need to change it. Please, can you help me?"
The ghost simply stared at the teen. Danny felt his heart sink. This wasn't going how he wanted it to. The other ghost was supposed to agree, to tell him that he could, that it was possible!
"You can do that, right?" Danny heard the desperation in his own voice, but he didn't really care.
Clockwork still just looked at him. Finally, he shifted again and responded, "I don't meddle in the past."
Danny felt his blood turn to ice. Clockwork wasn't going to help him? He had to help Danny! He had to get Dad back! "No, you don't understand! I have to go back! It's all my fault and I have to fix it! It can't be this way, it's not supposed to be this way, he needs to be here, and I need to fix this! I have to save him! He's my Dad!" Danny's tone was clearly panicking. "Please, you have to help me!"
Breathing hard, Danny felt physical pain as the other ghost turned his back.
"I cannot change the past."
The constant anger that ran through Danny swelled up, overcoming his desperation and panic. "You can't or you won't!?" Danny knew he was yelling, but he didn't care. Who did this ghost think he was!? "What's the problem!? I thought you were the ghost of Time! That you could control time! Was that all a lie, a boast you can't carry out!? Or do you just not care!?"
The ghost shifted again, back into an old man. "You don't know the consequences that change could bring about."
"I don't care!"Danny shook his head. "I don't care what could happen! I just want Dad back!" The teen blinked furiously as his vision blurred slightly. After a moment of silence, the boy's shoulders slumped. The anger hardened into a cold rock of frustration, defeat, and loathing towards himself. "Fine." He could hear the bitterness in his tone. "If you won't do that, will you make it so the accident where I got my powers never happened?" If Clockwork did that, then Danny wouldn't have to worry about how he's hurt others. Dad would still be alive. It was, in his eyes, a great idea, one he was surprised he hadn't thought of earlier. This could work. Everything could be okay.
Clockwork shook his head.
No. That couldn't be it. This was Danny's last chance to make everything alright. It was all for nothing. It was all useless. Without another word, Danny sped from the tower, flying as fast as he could towards the entrance to the Fenton Portal. Everything he did was useless! He raced through the portal, angling upwards and flying up, out of the house. He settled in an alley near it and transformed, a single resolve in his mind as he slumped against a brick wall. Clockwork wouldn't take away Danny's powers, so Danny would figure out a way to do it himself.
Happy Christmas Eve! I hope you enjoyed it. Let me know what you liked, what you didn't like.
Don't own DP or TT.
Next time:
An alleyway encounter
