Wow, 3 months . . . Okay, I am INCREDIBLY sorry for those of you who were following this fic. School's been delaying me from updating, but I am back and ready to give you guys the next chapter of Alt. Thanks you for bearing with me!

Afharisto: JK rulez, Horselvr4evr123, RhiannonGrey, gjcoolio, katiesparks, kybo

All right, I shall delay you no more. Here is chapter 11:

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Alternative

Chapt 11- Tempus Fool

Bright skies turned to dusk as stars began spotting the light purple shades above. Sam paced her room uneasily, throwing clothes over her shoulder as Tucker sat on the windowsill, watching the news report. The exact words of the reporter were echoing from the high-definition public plasma screen several blocks away.

There had been no proof of the Dark Phantom's return. The only suspicious event of the day was the explosion earlier (and the faint purple speck Sam saw). Still, terror spread quickly through Amity Park.

The citizens had been dwelling deeper into chaos amidst their own panic. Sirens filled the skies above the frightened screams. Warnings and news reports were being displayed for public view.

Hunters had gathered around the streets, weapons at the ready. A slim figure in red and black stood still on her flyer as it slowly passed over them and came to a stop. Her back had been facing the television screen, but that was enough for Tucker to identify the girl.

They all seemed to have known what was to come.

But opinions often led to many misunderstandings, and they didn't know the half of it.

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Danny fastened the watch onto his thin wrist and watched as it emanated a mysterious amethyst glow. He was now in Clockwork's study, standing just before the original, flatter oracle.

The room was familiar to him. He recognized it from his previous journeys to Clockwork's tower many years back. Sam and Tucker had stood with him then.

He faced the oracle and placed his fingertips on the surface. Unsurprisingly, they sunk through into the image. He receded immediately and placed his hands by his side.

The three had jumped into it before, right into the image it projected. They wound up ten years in the future back then. Clockwork's original oracle had the power to do that. It all fit now that Danny was never allowed into his study before today. The time keeper couldn't risk him returning back to Amity Park if it had appeared within the circular item.

"That watch will allow you to appear wherever I am," the Master of Time said from the other side of the room. He glided over to the younger ghost and rested on his staff.

"You will be able to sense whenever I need you," he informed. "We haven't much time to waste. By now, Plasmius and Phantom will have come to terms and agreed to join together."

"That can't be good," Danny sighed as he tapped his new watch with his finger. For some odd reason, it was not ticking.

"On the contrary, it is very good. Everything is going according to plan. If we just keep our places, the future will unfold itself. Just listen to my words carefully, Danny. You are not to see Sam until I have told her what she needs to know."

Danny opened his mouth to speak, but a sudden flash cut him off.

The end of Clockwork's staff emitted a white spark of electricity as he pointed it at the oracle. The green fog within the flat layer of glass cleared into a very sharp image.

Within the vision, a girl was throwing articles of clothing over her. They landed messily on the floor beside the sneakers of Tucker Foley. He had been sitting on the windowsill, watching something. Sam straightened her posture, now holding an ecto-gun in her hands. She examined it carefully and then turned to the boy.

"You can use this," she said, tossing it to him. His gaze returned to her at the sound of her voice and he hastily raised his arms to catch it. Instead, it ended up throwing him off balance and he landed in the heap of clothes she had thrown aside.

Danny couldn't help but smile at the sight. He could feel the tears forming in his eyes again, but forced them back. After all, Clockwork's last statement pretty much confirmed he'd be allowed to go back to them soon enough.

The African American boy's head popped out of the pile of shirts, socks, pants, and skirts and he scowled, pulling one off his cap and throwing it aside.

"Here, take this, too," Sam said as she passed him a spare thermos. He picked it up and smiled sheepishly, most likely remembering his past experiences with the device.

"Heh," he chuckled, "Good times. Oh, hang on; I have that laser lipstick at home. I'll go grab that and—"

Sam's eyes reflected a great deal of concern and she implored, "Tucker. . ." He caught the tone and gave her a warming smile.

"Sam, relax. I'll be fine. They haven't appeared, yet, have they?'

The Goth let out a sigh and turned to face him, but he deliberately dashed into the hall and out of earshot before she had a chance to hold him back.

"All right, you know what to do," Clockwork said, pulling a medallion off his shelf as Danny's gaze (now fixed on the image absently as though caught in an entertaining movie) tore from the visualization and shifted to him. He handed it to Danny and nodded once before gliding forward, into the oracle.

The image swirled as he entered it. Miniscule sparks of white light danced around the device before drifting obscurely. Soon, a green fog surrounded it and took over, leaving Danny staring at nothing but the smoke.

He gasped and placed a hand on the screen, but his fingers hit the glass surface. How was he to know when he was allowed to go back if he couldn't see what Clockwork was doing?

He looked down at his watch and tapped its surface again, but the hands remained silent and still.

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Incandescent light spilled around the time keeper as his surroundings merged into one bright mass of white. The light played on his face and shoulders as he sped through the long pretense of an abyss, neither blinking nor stumbling.

The forceful rush of air switched his course until he was left moving in a completely different direction. As thoughts raced through Clockwork's mind, realization struck and his eyes narrowed suspiciously.

His oracle didn't lead through this ostensibly endless passageway. It would normally have brought him directly to his destination. Someone had tampered with the events of the fragile and unstable era of the current world.

And only someone powerful would be able to . . .

He raised his staff high above his head and streaks of light began passing by, indicating that he was moving faster. He could almost feel the force of wind part the magical staff from his fingers, but then his powerful grip returned and the rush began to calm.

He was in a room, now, floating above a crimson rug in what seemed like a momentarily abandoned theatre. Before him was a long counter containing empty displays where candy would've normally been placed. A single gleam fleetingly passed over what seemed like an invisible barrier, preventing entrance beyond the counter.

Several yards above it was a second floor, in which a rail was preventing accidental falls. The floor seemed to be about three feet wide, ending at a wall just beyond the rail with various posters of playing movies. The thin passage opened up to a larger portion of the second floor to Clockwork's right.

A dull light shone into the room through the several large windows taking up most of the wall behind the floating ghost. His eyes remained vigilant as he lowered his staff beside him.

This was definitely Amity Park, but it was just an illusion created by a master of trickery. None of it was real — he was still within the cascade of light, traveling to his real destination.

"Clockwork," a voice drawled behind him, wreaking foulness within every word, "I've been expecting you."

"As I," Clockwork said indifferently as he turned to face his malicious host, "have been expecting you."

A nasty grin widened on the ghost's face, revealing a pair of pointed fangs. He chuckled lightly and stepped out of the shadows of the dully colored cinema.

"There you go again, always assuming you know everything. Very humorous, indeed, my old friend."

"Your piteous pretense will not fool me, Phantom," Clockwork said, once again, in his worriless and casual tone. "Friendship does not seem to fit the identity of a murderer."

He held out his left hand, still keeping a secure grip on his staff with the other. In a flash of white, a scythe appeared, horizontally, beside him. He closed his fingers around it and brought it before himself.

Phantom merely chucked as his rival positioned a fighting stance.

"How amusing," he whispered. "You plan to fight me?"

"Not quite," Clockwork replied carelessly. "If I fought you, it'd be over too soon. But I will not be the one to uphold the honor of finishing you. Well, not completely, anyway."

Phantom's pretension of calm shattered almost immediately as his mirthless laughter rang through the abandoned walls of the theatre. He lowered his head, still sneering, and gave himself the air of a darkened figure, hidden within the shadows. His features creased, revealing darker shades about his pale blue skin.

In one swift move, he snarled and darted forward, but Clockwork had been expecting this. The time keeper disappeared and reappeared, within a second's time, behind him. Phantom spun around and brought forward a clawed and demonic hand.

Clockwork raised his scythe, which clashed smoothly with his rival's attack. Then, in another split second, he brought his staff through the air and hit Phantom upside the head with it, smirking slightly.

The raged ghost leapt forward, but, simultaneously, Clockwork glided back and, turning to the side, he flipped the scythe between his fingers and brought it out, hitting his nemesis in the chin with its end.

"Enough of your games, Clockwork!" Phantom barked, stepping back to avoid another blow, but Clockwork merely smiled and held his position.

"I'm afraid that, out of pity more than my own amusement, I can't resist the urge to hold back. Forgive me, Dan, but if you wish to bring forth my true potential, you will show me an equal match," he said serenely with a faint grin.

Phantom's eyes flashed furiously. His exceedingly sharp claws elongated even more, tearing through his gloves.

"You think I am a novice, you Tempus fool! I will show you true power!" Before the time keeper had a chance to respond, Phantom opened his mouth widely and inhaled deeply. With a disappointed and weary sigh, Clockwork closed his eyes, as a wounded fighter would in defeat.

However, Phantom's attack never reached him. The ghost froze in time, mouth wide open and fangs clearly visible, with his clawed hands clenched tightly so that he was cutting into his own rough skin.

"Sadly, the true understanding of that is one of which you have failed to ascertain," Clockwork said calmly to the still figure before him. He raised his staff once more; the hands on the purple stopwatch began quickening their pace until they were left moving in a swift blend of black and purple. "With him is where it lies."

And with that said, he allowed a thick layer of violet smoke to circle in a wide circumference around him.

Danny's loosely fitted, torn, and stained black and white attire appeared amongst the whirling colors. The boy looked around, nonplussed and confused. His gaze then turned to his watch, apparently noticing something new.

Before permitting the fleeting white streaks to return him to the seemingly endless abyss, Clockwork bellowed, "TIME IN!"

Fortunately, Danny caught on immediately. As soon as Phantom's wail reached his ears, he was ready with his own rebounding assault. The two waves of striking green energy collided in the midst of the ghostly cries, sending the fading purple smoke circling around Danny scattering across the theatre before dispersing.

The scene faded from the ectoblood-green visual to a shadowed room of black and red. This atmosphere, though still apprehensive, was a drastic change to that of the previous one.

A girl was racing towards the door with various weapons in hand. Clockwork's red eyes narrowed and it shut simultaneously. Sam let out a surprised yelp and spun around, expecting to see a demonic figure grinning maliciously at her.

Her eyes widened in surprise. The weapons slipped from her hand, clattering on top of each other on the floor, but she paid no attention to it.

"Clockwork?" she asked feebly. Her knees trembled for a split second as if she was about to collapse, but she fought it back; fainting would probably rid her of this once in a lifetime chance.

"Hello, Samantha," he greeted in reply, waving his hand in a single flick so that the red curtains closed over the windows and hid their view to the outside world. "You and I have a lot of things to discuss."

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Chapter 12: The cause of Danny's death is revealed to Sam. Now she's seeing his green eyes again, but why?