A/N: I really love this chap and really to the very end…So, here is Chapter 25 and "IDNOAC". …Enjoy!
His Own Worst Enemy—Chapter 25—Renewed Hope
After several minutes of awkward but exuberant silence, as everyone wrestles with the overwhelming bombardment of several emotions—joy, love, anxiety, confusion, grief, shock, relief and anticipation—all at once, Clockwork, pulling himself up to a sitting position, is the first to speak. "I, for one, would like to thank you, your friends, and your family, Danny, for my cure."
But when Danny hears his friend's voice, the boy rushes over to him and excitedly says, "Clockwork! You're here? But, how did you get here? And, uh, then, how did I get here? ...Last time I saw you, uh, I…remember…" He gasps. "Ohmygosh, are you're all right? Were you hurt?...I'm so sorry, I really tried to prevent him…"
And suddenly, everything on Danny's mind pours out as he tries to piece everything together, "What was that stuff that made me so…evil? And what do you mean you're cured? Were you infected? But how? But you're still so old…Uh, no offense, but…And what exactly did you do to cure me? Did it cure you, too?"
As the others look on, totally dumbfounded by the barrage, Clockwork puts his hands up, gesturing for the boy to relax. "Calm down, calm down, my boy! A lot of things have happened and are going to happen. We need to sort everything out because we still have a lot of things to do."
Danny takes a deep breath but is not finished with saying his peace. "You're right. But I need to know everything…everything! I remember most of it, but it's also like I was in a haze and it was worse than a nightmare…more like being in a torture chamber. There was so much pain! I tried to fight it, but somehow, …I was…so…very…evil…. I should have fought it harder. I..I promised everyone that…but I failed! I shouldn't have given in... but I was too weak!...And I attacked all those ghosts for no reason except to destroy them and I thought I had killed my sister and my best friends and I didn't have it in me to prevent it all, and…"
This time Maddie and Jack, finally coming fully out of their shock, interrupt him. Gasping and turning to Jazz, they say, "What? You didn't tell us anything about that!"
Jazz blushes and answers, "Well, I was planning to…eventually!"
Still anguished, Danny continues, "All that evil within me allowed all that terrible stuff to happen, and I wouldn't blame everyone, especially you, Jazz, Sam and Tucker, for never forgiving me!"
The other teens immediately respond. "You're not evil!" Jazz protests.
"Yeah, dude, you're not like that and didn't do all that on purpose!" Tucker insists.
"Please don't torture yourself anymore! You are not evil!" Sam pleads. "We know you would never, ever have done anything like that without being forced to!"
But Danny is still not satisfied. "But I'm responsible for the destruction of the Ghost Zone and coming destruction of our world!" He puts his hand to his face, overwhelmed with the emotion.
Clockwork interrupts more forcibly this time. "Enough! I do not want to hear anymore of this! What happened was outside of your control, Danny! And please give us some credit! We all know you. We are certain that you fought hard against the infection with all your might. And we know that anything you did that was harmful to anyone was totally against your will. It is not in your nature to be that way, but it was from the effects of the poison the Dark Phantom inflicted on all us ghosts that you acted. No ghost could have escaped from anything that was commanded of them….yes, even doing the awful things they would never have normally done had they not been poisoned. It is a pity that you were so aware of it all, as any ghost would be under the poison's control."
The anguish in Danny's face, however, doesn't change.
Worried that he's still not getting through to the boy, Clockwork looks even more seriously at him and continues, "Danny, we know that you have a very strong desire to do the right thing, especially in your efforts to prevent any harm to anyone. And because you have the power to do it, you have a keen understanding of this tremendous responsibility. We are more aware of that than you know! So don't you think we realize that because of that enormous weight you most acutely suffered with your torment? We understand! But be assured that no ghost who has ever been infected with Black Shadow Decay has ever been able to fight it so gallantly and for as long as you!"
Danny is about to interrupt when he heard 'Black Shadow Decay', but Clockwork puts up his hand to silence him, and the Time Ghost continues, "So, do not be unfair to yourself, please. And as far as your being evil? Hardly! Where did you get such an idea?"
Danny lowers his eyes and head and mumbles, "From Phantom!"
"Phantom!" Clockwork huffs. "Danny, listen! To say your name and his in the same breath in all earnest gives me no pleasure! And believe me when I say that after all that has happened I know you are nothing like him! What a fool I was to have ever thought he might have learned from you, and realize how he was like you and maybe even change if he had understood how I pitied him! But you? You are not evil! So do not give him the power of infecting your soul with such a thought!"
Clockwork's words echo in the young teen's mind, finally dispelling his emotional turmoil and calming him. Taking a deep breath of relief, Danny—though puzzled by part of what Clockwork said— is able at last to focus on the state of the here-and-now and what needs to be done.
"Thank you!" He says softly. "But I need to know everything…everything that has happened since I was…infected. And what about that cure? And what exactly did you cure me of? What was that stuff that poisoned me?"
Finally, everyone else is able to fill him in on all the things that happened since they went to Clockwork's castle, including the ectoradium poisoning, Jazz, Sam and Tucker's experience at Skulker's Island, and making the cure for Black Shadow Decay.
As their story unfolded, Danny is more and more astonished, thankful and resolved as he learns what his family and friends went through and did for him since his first exposure to the ghost disease.
Trying to keep his emotions in check, he hugs them all again, and then reaches for Sam. They clasp their hands together gently but firmly and the warmth assures them both that they will never let go again. He leads her away from the others and checking that they are hidden from the others' view, he draws her closer to him until they are face-to-face.
He softly whispers to her, "Thanks for not giving up on me."
She quietly whispers back, "You know I never will." And they softly kiss.
As they slowly and gently pull away, Danny smiles and sighs. Finally collecting himself, Danny, with Sam still at his side, rejoins the others. He looks to his parents, and says, even with the lump in his throat, "Do you think we'll be able to cure the other ghosts?"
"I'd never thought I would ever say this, but, yes, we can cure them!" Jack says, and then continues, "Our analysis results of the serum indicate that we have enough of the raw materials—as the blood blossom derivative goes a mighty long way—to give the antidote to every ghost. We can start on it right away, right, Maddie?"
"Yes. Yes. We'll start right away," She slowly answers, still struggling with her emotions.
Then a thought hits Sam, "Do you think, then, that the other ghosts won't have amnesia after they're cured?"
"What?" Danny asks, perplexed.
Speaking to Danny, his mother answers, "I don't know. You, see, honey, the blood blossom's cure is known to cause amnesia in ghosts, but now that Sam mentions it, you and Clockwork don't seem to have any memory loss."
"Is that good?" Danny asks.
"Well, yes, but I don't know why you both don't have amnesia."
"I can tell you why," Clockwork answers.
They all look to him.
The old ghost continues, "You just told Danny that you used his own ghost blood to make the serum, remember? It was a perfect match for him, and his response to it was slow not because of any adverse reaction, but because he was so close to death." He pauses momentarily and then adds, "Besides, he has, I mean, he is a very unique ghost. His ice powers—and even his human side—helped to protect him during his cure and, by the way, also helped him resist the poison."
Clockwork stops and looks at Danny. The old ghost knows by the boy's reaction that Danny is struck by his choice of words.
And the Time Master lets a hint of a smile escape and then adds, "As for me, my stasis—that is, the fact that I can't morph like I usually do—slows the process. I hope that it stays slow enough to protect me from the amnesia. Most ghosts have an adverse reaction to the cure because of the blood blossom's nature to hurt ghosts. That is why, though cured, they get amnesia. But the good news is that eventually they will at least remember who they are."
His mouth opened in awe, Tucker asks, "How do you know all that?"
"He read the Book!" Sam concludes, and Clockwork smiles at her deduction.
"Well, that answers a lot for us," Maddie replies. "Now, we can get to work."
They all chip in and hurriedly get things ready...
Tucker calls the Deputy Mayor and alerts them of the impending threat. The town wastes no time in its own preparedness, including alerting other governments of the world; and they all look to the Fentons for guidance.
Finally, all the humans are as prepared as they can possibly be, and the Fentons stack up a load of weapons and contraptions, both big and small, that will deliver the antidote.
Maddie then announces, "We will need to equip the Specter Speeder. By the way, where is it, Jazz?"
"Well," Jazz hedges, "I was going to tell you…eventually."
But before Maddie can comment, the Fenton ghost alarm ballistically blasts.
"What is that?" Clockwork asks, alarmed.
Reading the monitor, Jack yells, "It's a massive ghost invasion!"
"Oh, no!" Danny gasps. "It's him and his army of ghosts! I have to stop them!"
"We have to stop them!" Everyone else echoes, reminding him that he is not alone.
Danny turns to them and sees that Jazz, Tucker and Sam are armed and ready.
"We have more than enough weapons!" Sam cries.
"And even more!" Tucker adds, patting both his weapon and PDA.
"And we won't go down without a fight!" Jazz declares.
Then both of his parents add, "And we'll attack with the antidote!"
Danny smiles and looking to floor in slight embarrassment, softly utters, "Did I ever tell you guys that I've never been so proud to be a part of this family—…" And looking back up at Tucker and Sam, corrects himself, "…-our entire family?"
They all smile back and Jazz speaks for them all. "We've always known that and feel the same about you. Now let's kick some butt!"