(Ok, before I start, I feel the need to clarify something. So a few people have been sending me questions, about Time Echo, if she's different from Clockwork and quite frankly repeating the explanation, again and again, is kind of tiring, so, here. An explanation of Time Echo, her powers and things I need to clarify. If you don't want to know skip this if you do get comfy. Just note I won't reveal EVERYTHING just yet.
SO Time Echo, as I hoped I've made it clear, is a ghost of Time like Clockwork. It's like another super rare species of ghost-like Halfla's, except there's just 2 of them. The distinction between Clockwork and Time Echo is that Clockwork can see all that is, was, and will be. Time Echo, on the other hand, can only see all that is, was, and will be wrong with the timeline. They kinda need each other but at the same time for most of this Clockwork can manage on his own. That's one reason Time Echo only comes when she's needed. When something is wrong she usually just stays long enough to show what's wrong, but there are special super rare cases where she deals with it herself, like in this. There is also the fact that Clockwork is at least a millennium or so older than Time Echo, in ghost-years. By ghost-years I mean that's how long they've been a ghost, and I've decided that when people die and become ghosts, they don't just poof into the Ghost Zone right after their death, it takes time. They need to develop their form, their obsession, and suck up the ectoplasm around them, in this process the forming ghost will be kept in an egg-like capsule. The longer the ghost stays in this capsule, the stronger the ghost. Popping this capsule too early will result in either a half-formed ghost or one of those cliché ghosts. While both Clockwork and Time Echo have the ability to stop time, Time Echo can only do that in a certain amount of time, depending on her current strength. Clockwork can pretty much do it however long he wants. To reset time, both Time ghosts need to be present and doing the 'spell' simultaneously. While Clockwork can freeze time and offer his time medallions to those he wishes to speak to, Time Echo simply places herself in a slightly different time speed, so that only those she chooses to may be able to see and hear her. Unlike Clockwork, Time Echo's ghostly tail is voluntary. She technically has legs, she just chooses not to use them. Let it be known that while Clockwork and Time Echo care for each other they WILL NOT END UP TOGETHER. God, with who they are to each other this would be just so WRONG.
And... well actually, no wait, that's all I can reveal, for now, stay tuned if you want to find out more!)
~Next Day~
Time Echo appeared in a familiar, yet empty lab, turning invisible upon arrival. Echo let out a sigh as she glanced at the portal before shaking her head. 'I have to focus.' She thought to herself before flying straight to the school, where she knew Danny would be. As she flew she shifted back to her special time speed so that even Danny wouldn't sense her.
Upon arrival, Echo saw Danny and his friends climbing up the stairs. "I think I should tell them." Danny acknowledged, just as Echo reached them. "Why?" Sam stubbornly challenged. "Parents don't listen." She continued as the trio stopped midway up the stairs. "Even worse, they don't understand!" She declared with a scowl as she threw her head back. "Why can't they understand me for who I am!" She screeched making Echo slightly 'stumble' backward whispering "Whoa" to herself. "Sam, I-I'm talking about my powers, my problems?" Danny pointed out awkwardly. "Oh, right... me... too." Sam embarrassingly covered up. "It's been a month since the accident and I still have barely any control!" Danny frantically ranted. "If somebody catches me-" Danny's legs turn intangible making him sink through the floor was Sam and Tucker simply watch and Echo look in surprise. "-I'll go from geek to freak around here!" Danny finished crossing his arms with a frown. "Kinda like what you're doing now?" Tucker asked expectantly. Danny suddenly realized what had occurred and yelped as Sam and Tucker helped pull him out. His feet and lower half returning to normal. "Now if only Nomi was here to see this. Friends are important." Echo smirked following the grumbling teen and his friends, continue up the stairs, raising her brow as Danny phases through a vending machine without noticing. "Danny, Your powers make you unique." Sam started catching up with Danny. "Unique is good!" Sam encouragingly smiled. "That's why I'm an ultra recyclo-vegetarian" She beamed (as much as a goth could anyway) proudly. "Which means what?" Tucker asked rather confused as he finally caught up. "She doesn't eat anything with a face on it," Danny replied rather bluntly. "That's every vegetarian though," Echo muttered. "Oh, who cares about that stuff?" Tucker rhetorically asked. "Danny, two words: meat connoisseur," Tucker smirked as he sniffs the air around Danny. "Last night, you had Sloppy Joes." He guessed as Time Echo only stared, unsure of how to react to that. "Impressive," Danny commented smiling as his smug friend. "Sure let's call it that." Echo murmured with a confused frown "Meat heightens the senses, and my all-meat streak is fourteen years strong," Tucker claimed with a smile. "And it's about to end," Sam butted in crossing her arms. "The school board finally allowed to try a new cafeteria menu." She smirked. "I wore them down."
Time Echo smiled shaking her head before flying off, she continued to watch the trio go through their day. There were of course mishaps, with Danny's lack of control over his powers and Echo covering it up as well as she could. It wasn't until lunch that things actually got interesting.
Time Echo was watching the three friends from behind the lunch counter when she noticed the (living) lunch lady pull out her hidden hamburger and sneak away with it. Echo laughed at the sight, but when she sensed another ghost approach, she became more alert. To her great relief though, it was just Lunch Lady (the ghost). She let out a breath before smiling letting the elder looking ghost see her. "Hey Lunch Lady." Echo greeted with a smile. "Time Echo!" Gasped the Lunch Lady as she spun around, capturing the Time Ghost in a hug. "Deary, how have you been?" She greeted as she let go looking Echo over. "Same old, same old." Echo waved off. "That's good since you're here you should stop by!" Lunch Lady said in invitation. "I'll try, but you know me, always business." Echo smiled though anyone could tell it was strained. "Oh, dear..." The Lunch Lady sighed giving her a sad smile. "Speaking of business," Echo changed the subject as she shook herself out of the solemn mood. "Listen, you see that boy over there?" She asked pointing at Danny. When the Lunch Lady nodded her head she continued. "You and I both know he's special, he's gonna come here soon." Echo stated picking up the book titled 'Ultra Recyclo Veggie Lunch Menu' off the counter and giving it to her friend. "If you're going to be mad, just rough him up a bit, don't kill him or anyone." She winked before she returned to her special time speed, continuing to watch.
It wasn't long before Tucker and Danny peek their heads around the door and see the Lunch Lady. "Huh, Shouldn't be too bad." Tucker tilted his head. "She looks a little like my grandmother." He commented as they both walked in followed by Sam. "Shouldn't she be haunting a bingo hall?" Danny asks as Sam walked in next closing the door behind her.
The Lunch Lady turned around noticing she had company. "Hello children, can you help me?" She greeted floating towards them. "Today's lunch is meatloaf, but I don't see the meatloaf." She pointed out. "Did someone change the menu?" Lunch Lady asked sweetly. "Yeah, she did." Tucker pointed at Sam, basically throwing her under the bus. Echo facepalmed at his bluntness.
Suddenly Lunch Lady's voice doubled as she became extremely angry, with her hair flaming on end and eyes flashing red. "You changed the menu?!" She practically shrieked as the trio gasped. "The menu has been the same for Fifty years!" She yells as green flames surround her and appear circling above her head. "Hot dang." Echo murmured staring wide-eyed at her friend. "Get behind me!" Danny ordered both Sam and Tucker promptly jumping behind Danny. "Wow, I feel safe." Sam sarcastically quipped. "I'm going Ghost!" Danny exclaimed as he threw his arms in the air and his body glowed and two white bright circles traveled around his body transforming him.
He floated up towards the enraged Lunch Lady seeming a little unsure of himself. "I command you to..." He hesitated. "go away!"He demanded weakly. Echo facepalmed again at his weak banter. The Lunch Lady frowned raising her arm and used her powers to make the piles of dishes around the sink glow and float around before shooting them at Danny. With much effort, Danny turned intangible with the dishes passing right through him and hitting the wall shattering. When he turned back to normal he smiled at his accomplishment of not being hit. Danny's small victory was cut short, however, when dishes came flying towards both Sam and Tucker. Flying into action, Danny caught the dishes in neat stacks with is hands, arms, and some even in his mouth. "Now that's impressive." Echo smiled as Danny flies off to put the dishes back on the counter, leaving a few dishes still in his mouth. He removes these dishes and stares at his reflection in them.
"Well, if this superhero thing doesn't work out, I can have an exciting career as a busboy." He commented trying desperately to stay somewhat positive as Echo snorted. While looking at his reflection in the plates, Danny notices the stoves behind him beginning to move around. "I control lunch! Lunch is sacred! Lunch has rules!" She ranted about before she suddenly changed back to being calm. "Anybody want cake?" She asked as both Sam and Tucker nod in shock. "Too bad! Children who change my menu do not get dessert!" Lunch Lady screeched before she phased out through the ceiling while the three stoves begin to emit green flames out of the ovens towards the three friends who dodge out of the way. The three stoves looked angry and flew at Tucker and Sam, who flinch preparing for the impact. Luckily Danny flies up behind them, grabs their shoulders, and makes the entire group intangible. He quickly flies them through the wall out of the kitchen. The stoves hit and crack the wall where the trio just flew through. Echo quickly follows after just in time to see the trio turn tangible again and roll out into the middle of a hallway.
Danny looked at his hands in amazement as he beamed. "Hey! It worked!" "This is the thanks I get for thinking like an individual?!" Sam growled. A loud crash is suddenly heard and Tucker and Danny turn to look for the cause. The hallway begins shaking violently and the lights sparked brightly before going out.
Danny looks around, worried when his gaze landed on the row of lockers closest to him as two of the lockers open and a bunch of school supplies come flying out. They all look on in surprise as more and more lockers are doing the same. The supplies fly to the Lunch Lady, swirling through her and then behind her. The trio looked shocked, as Tucker's eyes suddenly widen and he sniffs the air while various meat products fly past him as he pointed each one out. "Flashy." Echo commented dodging a Rib-eye that flew at her. The meat products begin attaching themselves to the Lunch Lady's body until she is completely covered and only her mean green eyes are showing. "But where did it all come from?" Tucker asked out loud before realization struck him. "Lancer!" Tucker glared looking behind him for some reason.
The now meat covered Lunch Lady towered over the trio as she continued her monologue. "Prepare to learn why meat is the most powerful of the five food groups!" She pointed at Sam before suddenly losing her ager again, holding up a cookie. "Cookie?" She asked politely. Sam shakes her head 'no' The ghost seems surprised she was turned down for a split second before reverting back to 'evil lunch lady mode' raising a clawed hand to attack Sam. "Then perish!" "Forget it!" Danny slides in front of Sam to protect her exclaiming. "The only thing that has an expiration date here is you!" He pointed at Lunch Lady but accidentally reverts back to his human self. "Whoops! I... didn't mean to do that." Danny commented sheepishly. "Oooh... so close." Echo winched when Lunch Lady roared, grabbing Danny and sending him flying into Tucker. Both hit the lockers behind them and a pile of papers covers them. The Lunch Lady then grabbed Sam and took off down the hallway.
"Come on! Change back, we gotta go!" Tucker exclaimed in a panic before two hands suddenly grab both boys by the collars. "You two aren't going anywhere," Lancer claimed as he pulled the boys up off the ground. "Told ya you'd pay Fenton!" Dash taunted as Echo frowned. She took control of two particularly heavy pieces of meat and launching it straight at both Lancer and Dash's head. The two dropped to the floor, out cold, making Lancer release Danny and Tucker. Echo quickly made the meat zoom down the hallway. "What just happened?" Danny asked but Tucker was already after the meat. "Who cares! We gotta find Sam. For some reason, I feel like I got her kidnapped." By now Danny was next to him, already transformed and flying with Time Echo following of course. "Maybe because you told the ghost she changed the menu? How about that?" Danny deadpanned (Ha! Get it?) but Tucker ignored him in favor of sniffing the air. "This way!" He called out continuing down the hallway.
They soon entered the meat storage as Tucker looked around like he was in heaven. "Sweet mother of mutton!" Tucker exclaimed hugging the boxes of meat. "I'd dreamed if it, but... I never thought I'd live to see it!" Tucker gushed closing his eyes in content. Danny approached Tucker with an odd look on his face. "How is it that I have the ghost powers and you're the weird kid?" Danny frowned as Echo laughed in agreement.
Suddenly their eyes widened as they heard cackling nearby. They peered around the corner of a stack of boxes and see the Lunch Lady, who is floating in front of Sam who's trapped neck-deep in a large pile of meat. "My dear child...meat is good for kids! It helps them grow and makes them smile! Why won't you eat it?" The Lunch Lady tried to reason with her. Echo only facepalmed at the old lady's antics. "Trust her to use this to convert someone to meat." She rolled her eyes with a smile. "We don't need meat. That's fact!" Sam screamed in retaliation. The Lunch Lady reverted back to her 'evil Lunch Lady' form, wind blowing all around her as her voice boomed. "Silence!" She points at Sam. "You need discipline, manners, respect!" She claimed, scowling at Sam. "You know where to comes from?" She asked before getting all up on her face. "MEAT!" She boomed out before reverting back asking politely. "Chicken? Or Fish?" "I never noticed how bipolar she is." Echo commented as Danny flew off to punch the Lunch Lady, who turned in surprise but noticed Danny too late. She is sent flying and crashes into a nearby wall before collapsing to the ground. Danny lands in front of her and she glares at him. All the while Tucker ran to Sam cutting away pieces of meat with a knife. "I'll have you free in no time Sam!" He beamed enthusiastically. "You gotta be kidding me." Both Sam and Echo groaned out in disbelief. Echo turned her attention to Danny who crouched on the ground. He jumped up and somersaults in the air before preparing to kick the ghost. The Lunch Lady catches his foot in her hand right before he hits her, then dangles a surprised Danny upside-down by his foot. "Don't you see? This is why you need meat! You're skin and-" She tosses Danny through the air. "-bones!" He turned intangible, phasing halfway through a nearby wall up to his waist before falling to the ground. The Lunch Lady summoned shish-kebabs from a box, their pointed ends heading straight for Danny as he moved out the call saw this and splits his body in two. The meat passes through the stretched intangible area of his body he created. "Nice." Echo smiled, nodding in approval. Danny smiled at the new power but his smile quickly fades as he sees what the ghost is up to now. The Lunch Lady yells and summons meat out of all of the boxes. Danny pieces himself together again and watches the meat go flying towards the ghost.
Meanwhile, Tucker is about to take a bite of meat but the piece, as well as the meat pile that was covering Sam, goes flying off towards the ghost. The meat soars around and attaches to the Lunch Lady to form the meat monster she was earlier. She fires a meat fist at Danny, capturing him in her grasp "Help's on the way, buddy!" Tucker beamed as he took on a determined pose, fork, and knife at the ready. The Lunch Lady sends Danny flying as screamed and turns intangible, passing through a wall. The Lunch Lady looms over Sam and Tucker and growls at them loudly. "Run?" Tucker asked in fear. "Run," Sam confirmed as they scream and head for the door, but the ghost sends a pile of meat that blocks their exit, knocking them both off their feet. Danny holds the back of his head as he phases partly back into the room. He sees Sam and Tucker yelling as they run past him, and he determinedly goes flying after them. The Lunch Lady makes fists with her hands and prepares to slam down on Sam and Tucker, but Danny quickly flies down and grabs them in his arms before turning all of them intangible and flying through a wall. The Lunch Lady, surprised and can't stop herself in time before the meat splatters all against the wall. This time though Echo didn't follow Danny, instead, she simply floated down to the pile of meat where The Lunch Lady popped her head out. Seeing Echo she looked sheepish asking. "Too much?" "No, actually I think that was perfect." Echo smiled before she looked around in thought. "I might have to stay until tomorrow though."
The next day came and Echo was surprised to see two protests happening right in front of the school. One was for Meat Lovers demanding their meat back, and the other for the Vegetarians defending the veggie menu. As the Lunch Lady went off to do her thing, Time Echo stayed on the roof watching the entire thing, unfold. She watched as Danny gradually improve as he fought the Lunch Lady, somewhere along the line he obtained the Fenton thermos that his father threw, and with it, he captured the Lunch Lady. "That was eventful," She murmured summoning her scepter and teleporting to the Fenton Lab. She floated towards a computer banishing her scepter one more and plugged in a flash drive before typing out a few lines of code. When she was finished, Echo pressed enter and proceeds to erase all evidence that she was ever there. She unplugged the flash drive and floated back as she looked around the room then back at the computer. "That should do it." She murmured re-summoning her scepter and just as the front door opened she was gone
End of chapter