Back to time belt Danny. We last left off with…

I felt my legs move as my body started to run towards the exit. Apparently the time belt wasn't to fond of being sacrificed either. Ember flew down and blocked the way and I watched as other ghosts surrounded me.

"You're not going anywhere."

Enjoy the chapter. It's mostly talking, but sets up some suspense. Please remember that the chapters happen at the same time, so this one is parallel to the last one.

The time belt struggled vainly against the grip of the ghosts. Suddenly I felt sick and weak and realized that I was in control of my body again. The time belt was still in me but I was the one who was going to feel the pain when I was sacrificed.

I tried to break free from the ghosts but since I was mostly ghost I couldn't simply phase through them. Suddenly there was a loud noise to my right and all of the ghosts turned to stare at the ghost portal. Skulker floated through the portal with a green sack over his shoulder.

He floated into the ring of ghosts that were surrounding me and dropped the sack on the ground. To my surprise it moaned. Doom watched us all with interest and then spoke to Skulker in his deep booming voice. "I assume that this is the other piece of my revenge?" Skulker looked terrified of the enormous ghost.

"I-uh- well…" the bag moved and I watched as it fell open from movement. Inside was a very sad looking person in a glowing net. He looked around and gasped in shock. His bright blue eyes stared up at me and I realized with a jolt that it was Vlad.

Doom noticed this too and his hair burst into a huge black flame. "All that I asked you to do was to bring me the human child. Instead you bring me his father. HOW CAN I TORTURE SOMEONE IF THE THING THEY LOVE MOST IS STILL ALIVE!" His black eyes burned with hatred and Skulker shrunk down until he was laying flat on the ground.

"The child- My lord he was gone." He was cowering like a disobedient dog and then I noticed that Vlad was still staring at me with his bright blue eyes.

Most of the ghosts were too busy watching Skulker act like a coward to notice me as I bent down next to Vlad. His level gave seemed to pierce my heart with guilt that I had almost killed him. "Vlad," I said, hating the sound of my own voice. "I'm sorry for hurting you. I can't control myself, the time belt; it's going to kill me."

I felt the cold metal slowly start to control me again. Vlad looked at me with a hurt expression and then sighed. "Danny, I'm afraid I can't help you. The reason I'm here is because I'm helping the other you. He's still on the surface defenseless without his powers. I don't know what to do anymore. I-" he stopped and looked away from me. "I'm here to die. There's nothing else I can do." He looked back up at me and I felt the time belt stop its struggle to take back control.

He laughed in a depressed half hearted way. "Never in my wildest dreams had I thought that I could help save the world. And after all that work, after having to watch Maddie die, and believing that Danny was dead, Doom still is going to escape from this place and destroy everyone. The world will be his to rule and the only one who stood a chance against him was split in two, one without powers and one with metal instead of muscle."

Doom continued screaming swear words at Skulker, most of them in a different language that I assume Pariah had known before he fused with Jack. "Vlad please listen to me. You have to escape this place before Doom kills you. Before I kill you. I'm terrified of myself Vlad! All that I feel is fear and guilt! The time belt made sure that I can't escape it through love. He gave all of that to my weird twin!"

Vlad almost smiled and I looked at him and was shocked that the usual flare of anger didn't rise in my chest. Other Danny must have gotten that too. "That would explain why he was so honest to Miss Manson." He looked up at me again and became serious. "Danny, the only way to escape the time belt is to fight it with all of your heart and soul." He blinked. "I sound like some cheesy greeting card or something."

I struggled to keep my voice at a whisper as hopelessness rose within me. "I can't! I tried, but the pain was killing me Vlad. I couldn't even stop myself from hurting you." Vlad looked disappointed, sad, and hopeless all at the same time. He looked up at me and said something that made my heart wrench with grief.

"Well then I guess we both have no other choice but to give in to evil and let it kill us." He said nothing more and turned around in the net so that his back was to me.

I tried to reach out to him but the time belt instantly took control. My body stood straight and I felt my lips curl into an evil smile. "Your friend may have just figured out a way for me to escape sacrifice." The time belt said. If I could have gone pale I would have.

"What are you going to do?" I asked mentally. Static filled my head and the presence left my mind as the time belt refused to answer my question.

"DON'T EVER MAKE SUCH A STUPID DECISION AGAIN!" Doom screamed at Skulker. Man that guy could get angry. Then he finally turned his attention to me. I felt my false smile widen and knew that whatever the time belt was going to do, it wasn't good.

"Um, master!" My metallic voice called out. All that I could move was my eyes and I saw that Vlad was looking at me with concern on his face. "I have discovered a flaw in your escape plan."

Doom glared down at me and waited for the time belt to tell him what the fault was. I myself had no clue. My mouth opened with a small squeak and my evil voice oozed like tar from my mouth. "You said that you needed a halfa to complete the portal right?" Doom narrowed his eyes and nodded.

"Well, it pains me to tell you this, but I am just as much a ghost as you." Doom's eyes became slits.

"And what makes you think that I would believe you?" he asked incredulously.

"If I was a halfa, don't you think that I simply would have changed into a human and walked through the guards?" Doom blinked but refused to admit that this had not occurred to him. "But, there is one last hope for your release my liege." I suddenly realized what was happening but couldn't stop it.

"The reason Skulker couldn't bring you the child you wanted, was because he no longer exists. He was replaced by another part of me- and he is a halfa." Vlad gasped and I could feel his glare on my paper thin skin. If only I had fought back!

Doom glared at Skulker and then said, "Is this true servant!"

Skulker cringed and said, "Well, yes it is my lord, but you see, I promised on my honor to the human that I wouldn't harm Danny." Doom's smile seemed to make the room shiver.

"Leave the 'harm' part to me. I want you to retrieve the boy. If he's a halfa like the both of you claim, than you will both be free from my service. But if he is not, than you will wish that ghosts could die, because my punishment will be far worse than death."

Skulker flew through the portal as fast as he could.