Disclaimer: You know. All the non-OCs, places and Fenton inventions belong to Butch. Everything else, though, is mine. Vlad's opening speech courtesy of Justice League Unlimited, third last episode of the fourth season.

Before you read this chapter I'd like to apologize for the space between this and my last update. Fanfiction went through a few problems that only just got fixed.

Here comes the final part of 'Hammerstroke', and after this comes the climax! You all thought this was the climax? Well think again.

"This will be the end of the world as we know it. Here the Hammerstroke will fall hardest!"
-Gandalf

(Sam): Hammerstroke- Part III

"Where do we head from here?" Tir asked. We'd come to a fork in the stone corridor.

"To Vlad's lab; follow me," Danny said as he took the lead.

"Is he always this fixated?" Tir asked me as we flew, "He's not like this most of the time."

"Most of the time he tries to keep people from figuring out who he is," I answered, "So it's good to know that you never guessed the connection. And he's only this fixated when Vlad's involved."

"How did these two get to hate each other anyway?"

"Twenty years ago, Danny's dad accidentally caused an accident that ruined the years of Vlad's young adulthood, not to mention he married the love of Vlad's life," I told him.

"Can't blame him," Tir said, to no one in particular.

I chuckled when I saw a small shiver go down Danny's back. I knew he was partly lying when he said, "Just my ghost sense; we're getting close."

"So how did Danny get mixed up in that?"

"The Fentons visited the castle about a year back, and that's when Vlad added the goal of turning Danny against Jack to his list."

"How many items are on that list, anyway?"

"Five," Danny and I answered at the same time.

Tir just arched an eyebrow. He was about to say something, probably sarcastic, when Danny stopped, and we nearly flew into him.

"We're here," Danny said flatly.

OOOOO (Dani)

"Now you're perfect," Vlad said to himself, not even realizing that I was right there watching him. He set down his shimmering tools and cooed, "A perfect super-powerful immortal body; a suitable place for me to spend the rest of eternity.

"Ironic. Years of plotting, hundreds of millions spent on R&D projects and none of it came to fruition. Now it's a dunderhead self-employee of Fentonworks, Jack Fenton, creator of the ecto-skeleton, who we have to thank for my impending godhood."

"So that's what you've been plotting," I said aloud, "Why?"

Vlad jumped and spun in my direction. Once he realized it was me his sly grin returned.

"Ah, Danielle. Good to see you again, my dear," he chuckled icily. He eyed his work.

It was an impressive metallic version of himself, only the machine's eyes were closed. Two transparent conduits connected to the android's temples. They were empty.

"Why?" I asked again.

"If you were listening, I just told you," Vlad's smile deepened.

"Not that," I shot back. He arched an eyebrow as I asked, "I mean, why go to all that trouble? Why get Danny and everyone involved? It would've been easier to keep this secret, wouldn't it?"

"Very astute, my child," Vlad said mockingly, "Clearly I did a better job on your genetics than mother nature herself could've."

"If you had I wouldn't always be running the risk of bubbling away in a pool of ectoplasm," I said coolly, turning his own attitude against him.

There was a trace of annoyance on his face for a second before he concealed it. "I blame Jack's genes," he answered.

"To answer your question, my dear, the first thing I had to do, after Daniel and you fled from here, was to create one last clone, a clone which only required the exact voice and appearance of Daniel in his ghostly state.

"I thought for hours, as this clone developed, about how to bring my ultimate goal into effect."

"Which is…?"

"To bring this world into a new age, my dear: My age. Finally, once the clone was almost ready, it came to me.

"I researched all of the connections in Danny's past, trying to find a long lost friend of his. No one in particular, just someone who currently knew nothing of Danny's ghostly self. That lot fell to Mr. Morgan."

Vlad's appalling grin grew broader and deeper as he continued, "After that it was only a matter of planting information that led Tir's mother to discover the First Portal, and come into contact with the king of demons. Once Tirrell had slain the king, all I needed to do was travel to that part of the Ghost Zone inconspicuously, delve deep into Sassamashin's lair, and retrieve his heart."

"His heart?" I asked, "How can a demon have a heart?"

"It is a black heart, my dear, and one that feels hatred instead of love. All the tools that man has given evil is within that barren place.

"But I still wasn't ready. I needed a form of energy that can be used by a demon's heart. For that, I would need the help of young Daniel."

"Why?"

"That's where the relationship between Tirrell and Daniel came into play. I deliberately paid a local Japanese radio channel to get someone on the scene of the unveiling of Phantom Monument. I new if I hit the right nerve, Tirrell would be in Amity within the week. I wasn't disappointed.

"Danny finding out about Tir's identity was a complete accident, but it worked perfectly in my favor. All I needed to do was create the opportunity for Daniel to reveal his."

Vlad stopped for a second, letting his last statement sink in. My eyes flicked wide. "You're the one who told Skulker to frame Danny! You're the whole reason Jazz is in the hospital, and why Tir and Danny tried to kill each other!"

"Very good, my child. Yes, Jazz's injury was unintentional, but it was the perfect proverbial straw o break the camel's back. After that, all I did was have Skulker immobilize the boys after their struggle and bring them here. Danny, to make sure he can't interfere, and Tirrell because I required a driving force for this suit."

"Well you're pumped full of ectoplasm," I said, "Why not fuel it on that?"

"Don't speak of what you don't understand!" Vlad shouted. He calmed down instantly and answered me as if nothing had happened, "Ectoplasm is powerful, but it won't stimulate a demon heart quite like the one thing I lacked, a certain something that Tirrell had in abundance."

"What?"

"Demon's blood," he said, flourishing a canister filled with a black bubbling substance. "Ironic that a demon's remains should bring about my godhood."

"I don't think so," I said in the most non-caring voice I could.

"Because I won't allow it," Danny said a second before he and Sam threw four ecto-charges at the android body.

I felt the entire chamber shake as it made contact.

"Nice try, Daniel," Vlad taunted him, "But I engineered my new body to withstand anything short of a planetary explosion."

"Dear boy, there's not a thing you can do to stop me! Hahahahahahahaha!" Vlad cackled.

"Oh, but there is," a new voice said from behind Vlad. He whipped around just as a white figure slammed a fist into his stomach. He doubled over, and the guy in white slammed his elbow into Vlad's neck. He crumpled to the ground.

"It's over, Vlad," Danny said flatly, "You lost."

"I haven't lost until I-" Vlad pressed a hand to his heart, and groaned furiously. His groans quickly turned into gasps, and then a harsh scream of pain.

"What the-" but Sam never finished what she was going to say, because at that moment two white bands formed around Vlad's waist.

But Vlad's rings are black! I thought. My eyes widened as the rings separated, and then my jaw dropped. Everyone in the room gasped as what was Vlad raised his head. There was only one word that we all said at one time.

"No…"

"Hello, Danny."

"Dan!" Danny cursed.

XXXXX

Oh, how I love plot twists! It always makes a story more enjoyable!

Just so everyone knows, after this there's the climax, the chapter after the climax, the conclusion, and finally the epilogue. That makes another four chapters, for a grand total of twenty-five!

Stay tuned for the final climax of 'Way of the Ghost'!