Well, I found this chapter sort of difficult to write. I needed to handle this right. Vlad's return isn't going to be easy. He really doesn't have a lot of trust to work with here. And lots of anger. Of course, the distrust and fury is definitely warranted considering his past actions. He deserves a rather unfriendly welcome back. Essentially, he's made a huge mess out of his previous good publicity with most of the Fentons and Amity Park. Now he's got to deal with it if he wants to be involved. So don't blame Danny for his reaction. You can't say that Vlad didn't have it coming.
Danny couldn't believe it. Normally his family was lucky to get one unexpected arrival in a day (not counting Sam and Tucker since they tended to waltz in whenever they wanted). Tonight the doorbell was ringing for the second time already. Considering the hour, he couldn't even guess who would want to talk to the Fentons this time. He didn't have any other long-lost relatives to show up on the doorstep.
Considering the fact his parents were absorbed in their work and Jazz was subtly broaching the topic of a private conversation with the Box Ghost, he once again found himself left with the task of answering the front door. While he briefly debated with himself over the idea of pretending not to be home, the teen reluctantly ran up the stairs.
He opened the door, fully intending to get rid of the unexpected guest as quickly as possible without raising suspicions. Then the words died in his throat as Danny saw who exactly he was dealing with.
With white hair, a trimmed beard, an expensive suit, and looking the same as he did right before trying to extort the world for money and power was Vlad Masters. Every instinct screamed at Danny to brace himself for an attack. Was the man alone or did he have a copy positioned to strike first? Did he plan to go after Danny strictly or were his parents the real target? Possibilities raced through the teen's mind as his body tried to shrug off the shock of the unexpected return of his worst enemy.
"Hello, Daniel," the man greeted.
"Vlad," snapped the boy, his hand curling into a fist at his side. "Give me one reason why I should hit you so hard you'll have to crawl back to that rock you've been hiding under."
"Actually, I was in space. There isn't that much 'under.' Directions don't matter that much without gravity. I'm sure your science teachers would have mentioned that."
"You know how much school and I get along. I'm still not hearing any reason why I shouldn't beat you up on our doorstep."
"Daniel, I know you're smarter than that. Having Danny Phantom start a fight right in front of your house isn't the best strategy to keep a secret."
The boy almost asked what he meant, but figured it out quickly enough. Vlad didn't know everyone else knew. He wasn't around when his parents and the world learned his identity. The man thought it was still a carefully-guarded secret.
The strange thing was the fact Vlad's words lacked the implied threat to reveal that secret. The tone was wrong for that. Before, Danny could keep the man's silence because of their mutual alter egos. As long as the boy didn't reveal Vlad's identity, the man couldn't risk unmasking Danny. But that leverage evaporated the moment Masters became Plasmius in front of a crowd. So where was the threat against spilling Danny's "secret"?
Actually, that wasn't the oddest thing. The weirdest thing wasn't what the man was saying or not saying, but how he was saying it. There were no veiled threats, no biting sarcasm, no mocking tone that didn't hide how little he considered Danny a danger to his plans, no undercurrent of anger and annoyance, and no smirking confidence. All the normal subtleties of his interactions seemed to be missing. Vlad's words and tone were simple and seemingly honest.
And that terrified the boy. The man was a born manipulator. He toyed with others, tangling them up in his schemes. He always knew the right way to twist and trick people into fulfilling his plans. Danny knew this. Out-thinking Vlad was nearly impossible unless the man made a mistake due to his obsession with the "kill Jack, marry Maddie, make Danny into new son" thing, he was overconfident, or if luck was on the boy's side. The world was Vlad's chess set and he possessed decades of experience using his powers to play the game. There was always something, a hidden agenda or a back-up plan. So an honest, straightforward Vlad was scary because all Danny could think was that he was missing the scheme completely this time and the "nice guy" smokescreen was hiding something that could be fatal to his family.
Silently reminding himself that the ghosts in his basement would probably try to protect his parents, even if for no other reason than to make certain there was a way to stop Ammit, Danny glared up at the original halfa, "I'll risk disturbing the neighbors. Now, get out of here and leave us alone. Haven't you caused us enough trouble for one lifetime?"
"Yes."
The short, blunt, and tired answer stopped the boy cold. One word was all it took to shift his mood from deeply suspicious to vaguely curious (while still mostly suspicious). There was something different about the man, something that was both strange and yet sparked a hint of déjà vu in Danny. The body language and tone were wrong for the Vlad he knew and yet he recognized it somehow.
Something about the unexplained familiarity of the odd behavior prompted him into an action every shred of common sense screamed against. Danny didn't like the idea, but his mouth was already proceeding.
"Come on. You're going to start talking. But let's avoid having someone call the cops because they spotted the guy who tried to take over the world and used to be filthy rich before showing off his ghost half. That could be annoying."
Grabbing the arm of his expensive suit, Danny yanked his archenemy into the house and shoved him onto the couch. The boy then leaned against the wall, positioning himself so that he was right next to the button that would activate the home security system, the happily-adjusted Fenton Works Anti-Creep Mode. The meaning was clear: if Vlad made one wrong move, ecto-weapons would start blasting.
"Why. Are. You. Here?" Danny asked sharply, giving the man an icy glare that threatened to become more literal if he let his control slip. "No one knows what happened to you for months. I was hoping you were finally out of my life. Now you pop up on our front step and I want to know why. Talk. You have one chance."
"Daniel, I assume you felt something rather unnerving a few hours ago," he began slowly.
"Yeah, I did. All the ghosts did. That would be Ammit waking up. Scary tough ghost from the past, called a girl demon in Egyptian myth, kills everything. I'm already up to speed," said the boy shortly. "Continue."
Vlad blinked at him in surprise for a moment before explaining, "Well, sufficient to say even being in space didn't keep me from noticing his awakening. I'm familiar enough with the stories to know who he is and what he's capable of. That's why I had to return."
"Why? Planning a repeat performance of what happened with Pariah Dark? Or Vortex?" asked Danny. "You really need to stop messing with powerful ghosts, Vlad. You can't control them and I end up cleaning your messes. I'm surprised you didn't accidentally unleash Ammit yourself in one of your plans for power."
"I'm here, Daniel, because I know your hero complex will cause you to throw yourself in Ammit's path, even when you're clearly outmatched. You'll be killed if you charge in like normal, leaving your family defenseless and to be later undoubtedly destroyed themselves."
"So is that your new strategy? Swoop in and carry my mom out of harm's way? Maybe even dragging me and Jazz along, 'accidentally' leaving my dad behind? Hide us in some bunker as all other humans and ghosts are destroyed and you try to repopulate the Earth with Mom? I wish I could say I'd be surprised, but that's the sort of crazy plot you'd come up with."
"For someone who wants answers so badly, you really don't have the patience to listen."
Danny knew he was right, but he couldn't help it. Vlad's presence was sparking his temper. He was stressed, he hated the guy, and Vlad was completely untrustworthy. He wanted to throw the man out of his home and his common sense shrieked that the older halfa was dangerous to everyone in the house, but some instinct kept urging Danny to wait. Whatever the strange, yet familiar tone in the man's voice that made Danny drag him inside was now keeping him from tossing Vlad out yet.
"So what is your angle, Vlad? What game are you playing this time? Even a fruit-loop like you has to see you've lost. Mom hates you. Dad knows your true colors. The world has seen that you're Plasmius and not the nice businessman you pretended to be. Your reputation is toast. Your money, businesses, houses, and even your cat have been taken and divided up. You have no resources left, so you can't even bribe a ghost into helping you out anymore. Assuming, of course, you could find a ghost after they fled Ammit. You're just a lonely, bitter man who wasted his life trying to get a woman who doesn't love you and now doesn't even like you. All you have is yourself and your powers against an entire planet of people who are ticked off over the extortion thing and your failure to keep your promise about the asteroid. Why come back now? What do you hope to gain? How could you possibly plan to benefit from Ammit showing up? You have nothing to work with and no way to gain it all back." Danny's words were coated in frustration and anger with the man in front of him, Vlad barely reacting to the rising volume and confusion from the boy. "I know that a 'mere boy' couldn't possibly measure up to your genius, but enlighten me. What are you planning and why did you have to come back into my life?"
Breathing hard after venting some of his fury with the man who did so much to make his life difficult, Danny glared. Vlad still sat on the couch, listening patiently to the boy's tirade. The expression on his face, tired and calm, was almost infuriating to Danny. Where was the mocking smile, confident smirk, or angry snarl? This was wrong. Half of Danny wanted to punch him, blast him with ecto-energy, or something to get a familiar reaction. The other half kept drawing his attention to the slumped shoulders and almost sad glint in the man's eyes. The conflict between the warring impulses further fueled Danny's anger.
"You have to be up to something. You're always up to something. And you never give up, even if it's a lost cause. You spent decades on the same, unreachable goal," he said darkly, his voice dropping to a more conversational (though frustrated) volume. "So there has to be something you believe you can gain coming here. But it won't work. You've lost."
"I know!" shouted Vlad, launching himself out of his seat. Danny nearly slammed his hand on the button in surprise at the outburst, but the older halfa remained next to the couch. Fists clenched at his sides, shaking slightly from either his efforts to stay in place or to restrain his emotions, Vlad repeated, "I know, Daniel. I know I've lost. In every sense of the word."
It finally clicked into place. Danny realized why Vlad's demeanor upon arrival seemed both wrong and familiar. It reminded him of another Vlad, an older one from a dark future that would now never come to pass. A guilt-burdened, regretful, broken Vlad who finally realized how wrong he'd truly been.
"You were right," the man said, his gaze dropping to the ground. "I can't win any of it. I don't deserve it. I don't deserve anything. It took a few months alone in space to teach me something that I should have learned decades ago. I'm a terrible person who keeps making choices that only cause harm for everyone, but especially myself."
Danny almost told him that he completely agreed with that opinion, but managed to hold his tongue. There was a painful honesty in the man's voice that left the boy startled. This wasn't a trick. Not unless Vlad actually spent those months taking professional acting lessons.
"Between what I've done to your family and you personally, I don't expect you to believe me or care, but I'm sorry," Vlad continued. "Even if you were foolish enough to offer forgiveness, I wouldn't accept it. And you are many things, but foolish isn't one of them. Me, on the other hand… well, a quick look at my life should demonstrate who the idiot in the room is. With my choices, I don't deserve anyone's forgiveness." He smiled sadly to himself, "I don't deserve many things. The company I created by cheating others. My ill-gotten money and power. Any form of affection from you, Jasmine, or… Danielle. Jack's friendship and loyalty. And especially Maddie's love. I don't deserve any of it. That's probably why I'm left with nothing except my life."
Not certain what to make of that odd admission after listening to so many entitlement speeches from the halfa during their past encounters, Danny said quietly, "If you stay much longer in Amity Park, Ammit will probably take that too."
"I know," Vlad nodded solemnly. "I understand what I'm risking by coming back, Daniel."
"Then why?" asked the boy, growing uneasy with how… resigned the man sounded.
Spreading his hands, he shook his head, "As you pointed out so clearly, I have lost everything including any second chances for a new life. I have no one to blame for that, but myself. And even if I've been self-centered, blind, and obsessive to the point where I treated those I care about badly, I… still love Maddie." He held his hand up before Danny could interrupt. "I don't deserve her, I'll never be with her, and she'll never love me in return, but that doesn't change the fact I love her. Just like I still care about you. And Jasmine. I even care about Jack under all those years of resentment, jealousy, and bitterness. So you can hate me all you want, Daniel, but I couldn't let you be killed by fighting Ammit without coming back." Taking a deep breath, Vlad said the words the boy was dreading. "I'm here to help."
There was a moment of silence as Danny tried to cope with the idea of a remorseful Vlad offering what sounded like a suicidal attempt to protect the Fenton family. He was hoping that either he or the older halfa was suffering a brain injury because it was insane. The idea was entirely insane. Then a furious voice broke the silence.
"You can't be serious."
Both halfas spun to find both Jack and Maddie Fenton at the top of the stairs, ecto-guns aimed at the white-haired man in their living room. While Vlad did raise his hands appeasingly, there was no attempt to get out of their target range. Danny was mildly stunned by the full extent of the anger they were directing at their former friend. If looks could kill, Vlad would be a full ghost by now.
"Hello, Jack," the man said. "Hello, Maddie."
"Masters," growled Danny's father, the venom in his voice causing even the boy to flinch.
"How much did you hear?" asked Danny.
"The two of you started yelling at one point, though we didn't recognize his voice right away," his mother responded, her aim never wavering. "We came up to find out what was happening."
"Then you heard my offer to help," stated Vlad.
"We don't need it," glared Jack. "Besides, after finding out how many lies you've told us, why should we trust you? Give me one reason."
"Out of respect for our old friendship?" he suggested without much force.
"Weren't you the one saying you never considered us friends and that you hated me?"
There was anger in those words, but the boy could also hear something worse in his father's tone. Danny wondered if Vlad knew how much that revelation hurt his dad. While Jack could accept the half-ghost nature of those he cared about, the reveal of the man's feelings of hatred towards the ghost hunter was crueler. Jack thought they were friends and truly liked him until that point. Danny could barely image the agony of such a personal betrayal. It would be like Tucker saying he'd been trying to kill him for years in order to win over Sam.
"I did say that. I might have even believed it," admitted Vlad. "But I won't let you get yourselves killed. Not without trying to prevent it."
"We can take care of ourselves just fine, Masters."
"Don't be an idio—" snapped Vlad before stopping himself. Closing his eyes, he said, "Please, just accept my help. I don't care what I have to do. Use me as bait if you want or you could simply stay out of danger. Just don't…" He trailed off.
"Playing the part of the self-sacrificing hero really doesn't suit you," Danny commented. "Honestly? I want you gone."
"I'd settle for strapped to a dissection table," his mother stated.
"Everyone in this room hates you for what you've done in the past," the boy continued. "None of us can trust you. For all we know, the whole 'guilt and making amends' thing could be an act."
"So hit the road," said Jack. "And don't come back."
Silently wishing he could strangle the Master of Time for this, Danny admitted, "Unfortunately, we need him."
All three adults reacted to this statement with a disbelieving, "What?"
"He offered to help," he reminded. "We have to accept his help."
"But… what about everything he's done?" his mother asked.
"I know. I know better than anyone what he's capable of," sighed Danny. "But he's also powerful and hard to beat. We need that. And I'm not about to ignore the advice from the all-knowing ghost of time. If Clockwork says accept help when offered, we're going to accept that help."
The boy didn't know if the look of surprise that appeared on Vlad's face was mostly because they actually agreed to his offer or because his parents apparently knew who "Clockwork" was, but it was amusing either way. Danny couldn't help smirking slightly at his archenemy.
"You've been gone a while, Vlad," he remarked casually. "You've missed a few interesting developments. Tucker has your old job as mayor. Statues are scattered around the globe of Danny Phantom. And his secret identity… isn't so secret anymore." Partly for effect and partly so he'd be prepared for any reaction from the older halfa, Danny transformed right in front of everyone. Then he grinned smugly, "Welcome temporarily to Team Phantom. There are some conditions, but I'm sure you'll get over them."
He stared at the teen in silence for a few moments, occasionally glancing at Jack and Maddie as if to be certain that the boy was the one he'd have to impress if he wished to remain, and then he nodded, "Very well, Daniel. We'll do things your way. What are the conditions?"
Crossing his arms in front of his chest, Danny stated, "Betray us in any manner and the entire Fenton family will hunt you down after the Ammit crisis passes. No attacking any ally of ours. I don't care if they start it. No copies or going ghost until it's time to fight. No causing trouble of any kind. You do exactly what we tell you to do. We'll work with you, but you're the person I trust least on this entire team." Pausing briefly, the boy turned to his parents, "Dad, could you please go downstairs and find the Specter Deflector?"
"Come on now, Daniel," Vlad complained as the man moved to comply.
The boy waved his hand dismissively, "Mom and Dad adjusted it. As long as you stay human, it won't shock you. It'll just keep you from trying anything ahead of schedule. Think of it as an insurance policy."
"I don't suppose a promise for good behavior would suffice," he muttered.
"Look on the bright side, Vlad," Danny grinned evilly. "The only ones who'll be able to punch you in the face will be humans. And once you're properly accessorized, we'll fill you in on the plan."
Ember fumed as she carefully checked her guitar strings, tuned the instrument, and collected her picks. Beside her, Skulker ran diagnostics on his weapons and examined them for any hint of a problem. Neither of the fiery-haired specters spoke to the other. They barely even looked in the other's direction. Having a boyfriend was so aggravating.
For all her adoring fans she'd gained with her music, she'd not dated that much. She wanted recognition, but she'd never bothered with any real emotional connection or junk like that. Why bother? All a guy would do was draw away attention that could be focused on her. Besides, love was nothing but pain.
The human she originated from was Amber McLain. A sweet girl who no one ever noticed, but dreamed of someday playing her guitar for everyone. A chump and a loser, if Ember was honest with herself. One day, one of the most popular boys asked her out to the movie. Amber, who'd had a crush on him for years, instantly agreed and apparently never considered the idea it was a stupid prank. She ignored her parents' rules not to go out at night while they were out of town for the weekend, her excitement growing from both her anticipation of the date and from her act of rebellion. The poor dork showed up early, all dressed up and looking forward to her night out with the boy of her dreams. She waited and waited, hours passing by while the girl refused to give up. Ember hated how stupid the human acted, trying to make excuses that he was just running late when she was clearly ditched by the jerk. Only when dawn arrived did the exhausted and heart-broken girl drag herself home and accept the truth. Too bad about the house fire that Amber was too tired to escape. And so the unnoticed Amber died and the rock star Ember came into existence.
She might not technically be the pushover Amber, but Ember had her memories. So she knew love was a fool's game. It literally made people act like idiots. People will always disappoint you. They'll break your heart if you let them. She would make others love her and adore her, but Ember wouldn't be stupid enough to repeat the human Amber's mistake.
So why was she in a relationship, let alone a relationship with Skulker? She blamed the ghost boy. Phantom stuffed her and Skulker into the thermos one time, but didn't immediately toss them back home. Instead, they were left in there. Of course, they complained about Phantom and started inventing possible revenge schemes. Then they grew competitive about it, trying to out-do each other on creative ways they would attack Phantom once they escaped. That led to comparing past experiences with the ghost boy. Then there was a brief moment where they noticed they both seemed to like the look of the color black and skulls in their wardrobes. She couldn't explain how the conversation evolved from there, but somehow he ended up inviting her back to his lair by the time they got out of the thermos. In the end, it was kind of nice and fun. There was no rational explanation for why she grew to like the dipstick, but Skulker sort of grew on her to the point where considering themselves as a couple only made sense. It was simpler. And in theory, it meant that there was one person who would always adore her and give her the attention she craved.
Of course, Skulker had a way of blowing that theory out of the water. He was obsessed with hunting down Phantom. Granted, their mutual hate for the brat was what first drew them together, but he took it way too far. Almost every conversation they had ended up with him bringing up how the boy would soon be a pelt on Skulker's bed. Ember was tempted to tell the doofus to get a throw blanket and get over it. She really didn't want to be competing for her boyfriend's attention with the halfa he wanted to kill. Skulker was annoying, single-minded, and freaked out if someone questioned his status as the Ghost Zone's greatest hunter. But what really ticked her off was the fact she actually cared about him anyway. The whole dating thing was supposed to just be fun and a way to have someone permanent to hang around with in her spare time. She never meant to do something stupid like actually get attached to the dork. So even if every conversation ended up as a fight and giving one another the silent treatment and she kept considering the idea of breaking it off, Ember couldn't manage to leave Skulker. And that was so frustrating.
As her annoyance with her boyfriend continued to boil below the surface, she noticed the orange jumpsuit-wearing human come stomping back down the stairs. Ember didn't even have to look hard to see that he was absolutely furious with whatever happened up wherever Phantom vanished to. The big guy stalked past where Technus was still wrapped up in his high-tech project, grabbed something off one of the counters, and then marched back up the stairs without ever saying a word.
"I wonder what's up with Dad?" the red-head teen, Jazz, muttered from the corner.
She'd been in that corner for a while, whispering something to the Box Ghost. Why in the world anyone would waste time talking to that chump, the musician ghost would never understand. At least the human was keeping him distracted and quiet.
"Well, if he was anything like Skulker, then I'd say a certain ghost boy once again completely destroyed his reputation as a so-called hunter," said Ember.
"Woman, you try my patience," her boyfriend snarled.
"Definitely setting up an appointment for them later," the human girl mumbled apparently to herself.
"So what exactly are we supposed to do if Ammit isn't going to show up until tomorrow?" Ember asked, ignoring the annoyed look on Skulker's face. "Because I'm going to get bored very quickly if we're just going to float around watching the egg-heads build their doohickey over there."
"Apparently you intend to spend the entire time nagging me," growled the hunter ghost.
"I think it was better when they weren't talking to each other," whispered Poindexter.
Jazz argued, "No, communication is good. Communication is important for a healthy relationship."
"Well, 'communicate' this," smirked Ember. "No matter how you creep around, you couldn't hunt a fluffy bunny with a heat-seeking missile."
"During the last concert you dragged me to, you were off-key through half the second song," he shot back.
"Take that back," she snarled, her fingers twitching to hit the strings of her guitar.
"You first."
"No, you."
"Ladies first."
"You're the biggest chump I've ever had the misfortune to meet. I hope your jetpack drags you back to the library for that stupid gorilla book again."
"I hope your fans suddenly develop a taste for classical music."
"You couldn't track down prey with a GPS and bloodhound."
"There are days I regret letting you crash on my couch that night."
"Trust me, there are days where the feeling is mutual."
Because if he never let her stay at his lair, she never would have decided to date him. And Ember knew that if they'd never started to date, she would never have started to care about dipstick. He infuriated her and yet she couldn't make herself leave. Ember wanted to drive him away at times with her words, but she also didn't want to let him go. She hated him and how he could make her react because she'd done the one thing she'd promised herself she'd never do.
Ember was repeating Amber's mistake by putting her heart on the line. She really did care about the annoying, hunt-obssessive, proud Skulker. And she hated the fact that she cared because she knew better. Guys will always let you down if you let them. Being the Ghost Zone's greatest hunter and finally catching Phantom would always be more important to Skulker than she ever would be, so it was so stupid to care even a smidge for the dipstick. She'd set herself up to be disappointed and hurt by him; Ember understood that perfectly well. It was just a matter of time.
"Forgive me, but I am not seeing any of this 'healthy' relationship you spoke of, Miss Fenton," remarked Dora, glancing between the two ghosts.
"Any relationship that has Skulker in it isn't going to be nice and stable, Princess," Ember said, crossing her arms in front of her. "He can be a real drag."
"And you're just charming and easy to get along with," the hunter said, sarcasm practically dripping off his words.
"Maybe a little silence would be for the best," suggested Jazz.
"Fine by me," the rock star ghost shrugged. "I didn't really feel like talking to any of you anyway."
Before anyone else could respond to her words, something caught Ember's attention out of the corner of her eye. The rest of the merry band of misfits was coming back down the stairs. But not only was Phantom looking properly ghostly instead of still being in his human form, they weren't alone.
"Hey, Skulker, isn't that your old boss?" she asked, pointing.
The others quickly turned their gaze towards the returning group. Standing in between the furious-looking Fentons was a white-haired man that she halfway recalled as being Plasmius's human form. He seemed to be wearing the weird belt thing from earlier and was frowning slightly at the ghosts in the basement. He glanced briefly at Phantom, who looked rather unhappy with the man's presence.
"All right, everyone," the ghostly teen said. "Apparently Vlad's going to be joining in. For the moment, he's stuck playing the part of a good little human, so don't worry about him causing too much trouble."
Skulker smirked, "So the whelp somehow dragged you into this. Or did you volunteer to actually get your hands dirty?"
"He offered to help," Phantom said tensely. "That doesn't mean we can trust him."
"He's a dangerous ally, but he did provide some nice upgrades to my weapon systems as payment for my help in the past," stated the hunter. "But now he's been left without such resources, correct?"
"That's the word around the Ghost Zone," nodded Ember.
"Perfect. Then I have no reason to refrain from hunting him once Ammit has been vanquished."
Rolling her eyes, Ember groaned, "Great. Another halfa to distract you. I doubt you'll be any more successful than you've been against the boy."
"You really can't stop yourself, can you?" muttered Skulker.
"Okay, Ember, remember you were complaining about having nothing to do?" interrupted Jazz. "How about you and your boyfriend baby-sit the former billionaire and make sure he doesn't try to do something towards my parents? Meanwhile, Sidney said he has a few ideas of where to find someone to help out tomorrow, right? Maybe he and Dora can find them. Danny, since we're going to be here a while, why don't you go dig some money out of my purse and grab as much food from the Nasty Burger as you can carry? We can't have Mom and Dad starving as they build something to stop the bad guy, right?"
Nodding thankfully to his sister, Phantom said, "And I guess you're going to be doing what we were talking about earlier?"
"That's the plan. As long as you still say that it's okay," she responded, looking briefly uncertain. "After all, I don't want to make a mess of things since they are your enem—"
"Jazz," the boy interrupted. "It's fine. I wish you the best of luck at helping out however you can."
"Thanks."
The red-head headed towards the stairs, pausing only long enough to give her a brother a slight smile. Ember didn't know whether to be nauseated at the display of sibling bonding or to be mildly jealous of the fact she didn't have someone like that to support and help out in any problem. She decided to go for the first option.
"An interesting collection of your old foes, Daniel," remarked Vlad. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised after what happened with Pariah Dark. I'm surprised that annoying Box Ghost person isn't floating around down here."
"He went upstairs a few minutes ago," Poindexter explained. "Jazz asked him to meet her up there about something."
Ember shrugged, "Whatever. At least he isn't bugging us anymore."
The Observants were back. They were complaining about how the future they foresaw was still the same, even after the visit from Danny. Clockwork ignored them. He was focusing on the multitude of timelines rather than a singular one.
The point where it could all change was drawing near. Free will could make the difference. Yes, he could guess what those involved would choose, but it was not yet set in stone. The new timeline wouldn't be known to the Observants until the choice was certain. Those involved could be stubborn and even his advice might not be enough to shift their decision. But the ghost had faith. Clockwork knew he'd made the right choice once and the ancient ghost had faith that he would make the right choice once more.
Then, everything shifted. There was no physical change to the universe beyond himself shifting from his adult form to that of an infant. Events continued forward as if nothing happened, but the Observants gasped in shock. Clockwork allowed himself a small smile. He knew he could depend on him to choose right.
"It seems your gamble will have… some type of result," one of the Observants commented.
"The timeline has indeed changed," the second one agreed. "Your words to the boy did have an effect."
"But after your reluctance to kill someone destined to become a monster, it seems most intriguing that you would willingly manipulate events to let what we now see come to pass," the first said slowly. "We have in the past advocated for the occasional necessary death for the greater good, but you have always been more disinclined to follow that path. And yet you put this coming sequence of events into action."
"I am quite aware of what I have set into motion," Clockwork stated, closing his eyes as his shape changed into that of an old man. "It was the best timeline out of many possibilities. Ammit's defeat will not be easy to achieve. Sometimes sacrifices must be made in order to achieve a goal. But they choose to take that risk. They know what their decision could cost them. When the time comes, there will be a choice that will have to be made. And choices always have consequences."
He paid no further attention to the Observants. He knew what they would say, after all. He simply waited for them to leave. He waited for them to leave his home. He waited until there was nothing left except the steady ticking to keep him company. Only then did he open his eyes once more.
No one ever claimed that being the Ghost of Time was easy. It was a lonely, unforgiving duty. Though he rarely interfered with events, there were always consequences for when he did. All choices had a cost. Sometimes good… but often the price was high when he took action. And even offering advice to the young halfa would have consequences.
Alone and with no one to hear his words, Clockwork said softly, "I'm sorry for what you are about to suffer. But everything is as it should be."
"And so we were wondering if you and maybe a few of your yeti buddies would be willing to come back to Amity Park to help guard the mall when Ammit shows up tomorrow," Tucker concluded.
The icy cave that Frostbite led them to was actually fairly nice. The techno-geek didn't know if it was his home or just a well-furnished rest stop. There was somewhere to sit and huge furry blankets that the humans instantly wrapped themselves in upon arrival. Danielle was also curled up under a blanket and sipping on some hot cocoa that their host somehow possessed. Wulf remained close to the female halfa during the entire explanation, but seemed less inclined to huddle for warmth as the rest.
"A noble cause," Frostbite nodded thoughtfully. "And the Great One's plan may just work."
"Actually, I came up with—" Tucker began to correct before Sam jabbed her elbow into his side.
"That would be great," the black-haired teen smiled. "I know Danny would appreciate the help. And if you can gather however many volunteers you can spare together, Wulf should be able to open a portal when the time comes so you can show up at the exact right place." She paused a moment, glancing at the werewolf ghost for confirmation. When he nodded, Sam added, "We know that this will be a huge risk for all of you, but at least this will give everyone a chance to stop Ammit before he kills everyone."
The yeti ghost nodded, "Indeed. We have all heard the tales of the distant past when the terrible Ammit roamed the Ghost Zone."
"I haven't," interrupted Dani. "When this is all over, think you can tell us some of those stories?"
Chuckling, he said, "Of course, young one. It would be my pleasure to educate you in the folklore of our people and any other tale that catches your interest. There are some stories that all ghosts should know, even half ghosts such as you and the Great One."
"Could you make a list?" Tucker asked. "Because between this, the Ghost King, the Fright Knight, and that Christmas truce thing Danny once mentioned, we really are kept out of the loop until almost too late most of the time."
"Anything to help the friends of the Great One," smiled Frostbite before glancing at Sam. "And, perhaps, his betrothed?"
"Wait, 'betrothed'? We're not betrothed. We're just dating," Sam stammered, gaining a rather amusingly shocked expression. "Who said anything about betrothing? There was no betrothal. He's just my boyfriend."
"I apologize," he said. "I meant no offense. I merely assumed from what I'd observed in the past…"
"It's okay. I know you didn't mean to freak me out like that. We've just been dating since the Dis-asteroid thing…" she trailed off. "Why did you think we were betrothed?"
Frostbite blinked, "It merely seemed obvious that the two of you were together. You seemed rather young to be married, so a betrothal seemed logical."
"So yet another ghost who figured out we belonged together before we did," muttered the Goth girl.
Wulf nodded from his position next to Danielle while the female halfa laughed quietly at the scene. Tucker couldn't help himself from making a comment either.
"Dude, I was considering the idea of starting a betting pool at school for when the two of you would start going out."
Groaning as she buried her face in her hands, Sam said, "According to the Box Ghost, the ghosts actually did start betting."
"Aw, man," he complained. "I missed out on that? Who knows how much I could have won from those guys."
Well, this wasn't exactly the easiest part to write. I really wanted this to turn out right, especially the first section. Hopefully no one hates it completely. I don't know if I can hope for any more than that.
So there were some interesting developments in this chapter. Vlad has officially joined the ranks and not a single person trusts him. I also poked around at what was going on in Ember's mind. Jazz is about to go have a talk with the Box Ghost. Clockwork has made another appearance with some ominous foreshadowing. And Frostbite has been recruited for the coming battle. While there weren't a lot of reviews for the last chapter, I do appreciate the feedback that I did receive and hope that you enjoyed this update.