Hey gang! Thanks to everybody who read/reviewed the last chapter. We're getting near the end of this now! Only three more after this one. This is also the shortest chapter, so I'll make sure to get the next one up in another day or two, since the next one's pretty exciting.

Here we go!

-November 6-

"You finished the blueprint for the new shield?"

Tucker spun in his chair to face Danny and Sam, grinning as he rolled up a long sheet of paper. "Sure did," he affirmed. "I'm taking it to your parents now to review so we can start construction."

"Excellent," Sam went on as Danny too congratulated Tucker and his team. "Good luck."

"Thanks, guys," Tucker said. "I'll see you later."

As he disappeared up the stairs, Danny and Sam began to gather some equipment, planning to head out to the battlefield and try to see what they could do to stop the fighting. It had been a day since the news of the end of the world had spread, and only a few people had decided to leave the battlefield and spend what could be their last two days elsewhere, with the people they loved. However, as always, there were still those few headstrong individuals that convinced a great number of others to stay. And it certainly didn't help that many of the ghosts didn't seem to care what happened to the Earth either way.

Before they made it to the stairs, however, they were stopped by the sound of the Ghost Portal whizzing open. Danny spun around and felt his mouth drop open when Amorpho (in his usual, faceless form) glided lazily into the room as if he'd just gone out for a leisurely walk.

Danny ran toward the Portal and exclaimed, "You're okay!"

"Of course," Amorpho replied, straightening his hat.

"But I don't understand," Danny went on as Sam appeared at his side and a few other people gathered around. "How'd you get away? And… what took so long?"

"We managed to fight our way free not long after you left," Amorpho explained. "Oddly enough, they didn't seem too interested in us without you around. Then we had to make a bit of a detour on the way out." He turned and pointed an arm toward the Portal just as Frostbite emerged through it – but he wasn't alone. Mr. Lancer was with him.

"Mr. Lancer?" Sam said in shock, a hand covering her mouth.

"Oh, no…" Danny muttered in regret, feeling his stomach drop. In all that had happened, he'd completely forgotten that their former teacher had been taken captive by the ghost army. Mentally kicking himself, he went on, "I'm so sorry, Mr. Lancer, I should have come after—"

"It's alright, Danny," Lancer cut him off, holding up his hands. "I wasn't hurt in any way, really – just locked up and left alone. To be honest, I think they may have forgotten about me." He looked vaguely affronted at this possibility and Amorpho laughed out loud. "Anyway, I never wanted nor expected anyone to come for me. It's against the code, after all."

Danny growled in annoyance. "I'm starting to hate the stupid 'code'," he grumbled. "Who the heck came up with such a dumb rule, anyway?"

A small smile appeared on Mr. Lancer's face as he eyed his former student. "You did," he answered.

"Oh," Danny replied lamely. "Right." Almost everyone around them began to laugh.

"We would have returned sooner," Frostbite said after a moment, "but it took some time to traverse the Ghost Zone without the Infi-map. And we had to be sure we were not followed."

"Not to mention the random traffic jam of ecto-idiots flooding the Zone," Amorpho added. "What's been going on out here that's got the spooks so spooked?"

Danny exchanged glances with Sam, before in turn they explained everything they'd learned in the past day. Many of the ghosts must have thought they could escape the Apocalypse by hiding in the Ghost Zone, obviously forgetting that the two dimensions were tied together – two sides of the same coin. One couldn't exist without the other.

Before long, Tucker returned to the lab and was just as surprised and glad to see the three newcomers. After a brief second explanation, Tucker's expression grew serious. "The sixth plague has officially happened," he told them gravely. "While I was up in the op center with your parents, there was a radio transmission reporting that all the oceans and rivers around the world have dried up, leaving nothing but muddy trenches and pits. A lot of places are on red alert, but here it's not too big of a problem just yet."

Sam sighed heavily. "This is really happening, isn't it?" she asked rhetorically. Danny knew what she meant – the day had happened just as they'd been able to predict, which meant there was no denying it now. The End of the World was upon them.

"Hey… I need to go check on something," Danny said absently, before leaving the group and heading upstairs. He thought about going up to the op center to check in with his parents, but instead he found himself wandering toward the front door. Once outside, he jumped over the stairs and leaned against the house, a bit away from the door. He wasn't sure why he'd felt the sudden need to get out of the basement and away from everyone, but he was glad for once when no one followed him. As his eyes travelled out toward the people he knew were still fighting and the sounds of battle filled his ears, he couldn't help but think how removed the base had become. Inside, everyone was working more closely together and supporting each other constantly. Outside, the war raged on – maybe even more brutally than before. It was as though the news of the imminent end of the world had pushed many people over the edge, and now they chose to let their frustration out through fighting with more vigor and ferocity. To Danny and his friends and family, the war was like a thing of the past. He wished more than anything that everyone could just come together for what could likely be their last two days on earth, but part of him knew it wouldn't happen. Even when all seemed lost, people still couldn't put their anger aside for the greater good. How they could be so short-sighted, Danny couldn't understand.

Just then, the front door opened and Paulina walked out carrying an empty laundry basket. She didn't seem to see Danny right away, due to the darkness outside, so when he greeted her with a short, "Hey," she jumped a mile high and squealed in surprise. Danny laughed as she turned to face him, a hand over her heart.

"Danny!" she finally noticed him. "Don't do that!"

"Sorry," he said with a grin, stepping away from the wall and leaning over the sloped stoop to the right of the front steps. "What'cha up to?"

"Just helping out Mr. and Mrs. Manson in the med center," she replied as she made her way to the clothesline beside the house and set her basket down. She reached up and proceeded to remove the sheets hanging over the line, folding them and piling them neatly in the laundry basket.

"How's Dash doing?" Danny asked.

"A lot better, actually," Paulina replied. "He's stable, but he's still asleep." As she folded the last sheet, she hung it over her arms and turned to glance out at the city. "He still doesn't know," she said quietly, and Danny didn't need to ask what she was referring to.

"Maybe it's better that way," he wondered, following her gaze over the darkened block. "He can sleep with no worries. …Well, maybe not no worries, but at least fewer than the rest of us." He smiled almost ruefully and tilted his head back, watching the clouds. "They say ignorance is bliss, right? I'm sure he's happier this way, at least for now."

Paulina turned and raised an eyebrow at him. "How can you be worried about Dash's happiness, after the history you guys have? You were never exactly friends."

Danny shrugged. "We're on the same side here, aren't we? Sure, we may not be friends, but we're allies. It's the same for you and Sam. You guys get along fine now, right?"

Paulina looked thoughtful for a moment, like she was remembering something. Then she smiled faintly and turned her eyes back out toward the street. "It's kind of funny," she said, "how even though it's based on destruction, war has a strange way of bringing people together." Danny considered this and realized that oddly enough, she had a point. Sure, war was a terrible thing that inarguably did more bad than good – but if even the smallest good could come from it, then it couldn't be for nothing, right? Maybe there's a silver lining to all this, after all, he thought with a small smile. "Well," Paulina said brightly as she placed the last sheet into her basket and hefted it into her arms. "See you later, Danny." And with that, she disappeared back into the house.

Not ten minutes later, the door opened once again, and Danny was surprised to see Mr. Lancer emerge. "They told me I'd find you out here," he observed, taking a seat on the second step from the top.

"Mr. Lancer, I'm sorry I didn't try to find you," Danny said again, still feeling awful for forgetting about the teacher's plight. "It was just—with everything else going on, I just—"

"How many times do I have to tell you not to worry?" Lancer interrupted. "Then again, you never were the best of listeners…" He raised an eyebrow with a smirk, and Danny offered a shrug and a sheepish smile. "Like I said, I didn't expect anyone to come to my rescue – least of all you. To be honest, I was hoping you would forget about me."

"You were?" Danny asked, startled. "What do you mean?"

"I've known you for a long time, Mr. Fenton," the teacher explained, eyes distant as they surveyed the town. "And while never being one of my… better students, you were always one of my favorites."

"You're kidding, right?" Danny scoffed in disbelief. "I thought you hated me."

"Maybe that's how it came across," Mr. Lancer went on, "but I only pushed you harder because I saw potential in you. I know you're a bright kid, Danny, and obviously a good person. You've been able to lead our side in this war, young as you are – it's your optimism and strength that have kept everyone going for so long. But sometimes that heart of yours can be your downfall." He paused and rubbed his fingers against his temples, as if nursing a headache. "I had hoped you would forget me because I knew that if you didn't, you would try and stage a rescue, putting yourself in danger in the process. I was of no interest to the ghosts, but you – I can't imagine what they would do if they got their hands on you."

"You can say that again," Danny grumbled in reply, remembering all too vividly his conversation with Crithstain and subsequent fight with Pariah Dark.

"I'm sure you've been told this before," Mr. Lancer continued, "but you're important to this war. There are so many people who look to you for guidance, simply because of the kind of person you are. You're a natural born leader, and everyone can see it."

"Maybe," Danny admitted, "but I don't know how much longer I can take this. It seems like no matter what I try, I can't stop the war, even now when the fate of the world's at stake. What good is being a leader if there's nothing I can do to help people?"

The teacher frowned. "It's true that being a born leader can be both a good thing and a bad thing. But the true test in whether or not you can do it isn't in how effective your methods are – it's in how hard you try to never give up. What matters most is how far you're willing to go for the ones you've sworn to protect." He turned sideways on the step and looked at Danny seriously. "There will come a time when you have to make a choice – a choice neither I nor anyone else can teach you how to make. The choice will affect a great number of people, but it's a choice all leaders are forced to make in their lifetime."

Danny felt his chest constrict at the thought. He'd never asked to be a leader or to have followers, or to be the only one with a chance to save the world. "How will I know if I made the right choice?" he asked in a quiet voice.

"I'm afraid that's not something I can tell you," Lancer replied, the look in his eyes almost sad. "You have to do what you think is right."

"Great," Danny said ruefully, rolling his eyes. "More pressure."

Lancer smiled. "Don't worry," he said. "Like I said, you're a smart kid with a good heart. That's all you need to believe." Finally, he stood up and stretched his arms. "Well, I'd better get back inside. I've got a lot of catching up to do, apparently."

When he had opened the door and was about to step through it, Danny called out, "Mr. Lancer?" The teacher turned and raised an eyebrow, and Danny offered him a weak smile. "Thanks."

Mr. Lancer returned the smile, shaking his head. "Glad to see you finally learned something from me," he observed, before disappearing behind the door.

Alright, short and uneventful, I know. But the characters needed a bit of a break, what with all the stuff that happens in the next three chapters.

So like I said, I'll get the next one up very soon. Shoot me a review on your way out, and I'll see you all shortly!

-oMM