I do not own Danny Phantom.
Search and Rescue
If anyone happened to look out their window at that moment, they would see two teens and a ghost flying through the night sky, armed with ecto-guns, rays, and a silver thermos. If anyone focused enough to see their expressions, they would see that they looked ready for a war. But they wouldn't know with who. There was nothing out of the ordinary that night, and that was the greatest cause of worry for the trio.
Danny hovered in place for a moment and strained to hear something-anything-that would reveal the location of his alternate timeline evil self. But the only sound he could hear were the sound of crickets and his pounding heart.
"Okay. We have to think. Where would Dan go? I mean, he's first to-do should have been to destroy me!"
"Yeah, but in a way, he is you. You may not have cheated on that test, but when you changed everything back to normal he still existed. And you didn't destroy him the first time. You just sucked him into a thermos. So, maybe, if he destroys you, he's destroying himself," Sam said aloud, eyes squinted in concentration as she tried to word her thoughts properly.
Danny raised an eyebrow, landing on the sidewalk. Sam and Tucker followed. "So, you're saying I have to destroy myself in order to destroy Dan?"
"No! I'm just saying he wasn't planning to destroy you at the warehouse. He was trying to do severe bodily harm to prevent you from stopping him a second time around."
Tucker snapped his fingers. "Remember how he sucker-punched Val right into the wall? Well, her alternate future self spent most of her life bent on keeping him away from Amity and eliminating Dan from history. Maybe he's after others who were enemies in his future, ones that could seriously eliminate him without any consequences."
Danny had to think for second to understand what Tucker was talking about. Time travel always confused him. But it made sense. "When I encountered him the first time, he wanted to make sure I would turn into him. So he came here to make sure you guys would perish in the Nasty Burger explosion. Maybe he wants to finish the job."
As if to answer his question, the Fenton Ghost security system started going crazy, and could clearly be heard through the town. Danny groaned. Soon panic would be afoot as residents came to discover the source of the ruckus.
He ran a hand through his raven hair in panic. "Alright. I'll distract Dan. If Sam's theory is correct, then I should be safe from complete destruction. Tucker, Sam, you guys need to turn on the Fenton Ghost Shield and get Lancer in there."
Knowing what Danny was going to say next, Sam cut in. "No way are we staying after we get Lancer over to Fenton Works. We're fighting this together."
"But Dan won't think twice about killing you!"
Sam reached out and grabbed Danny's hand, squeezing gently. "Danny, you heard Clockwork. We have to stick together."
Tucker slung an arm over Danny's shoulder with a grin. "Yeah, dude. We're not leaving you in your time of need."
Danny hesitated before smiling, a true happiness inflating inside him. "You guys are the best." He hugged them tightly.
"Yeah, well, we want that in writing," Tucker joked before the three of them let go and headed straight for Fenton Works.
…
"Clockwork!"
The Master of Time closed his ruby eyes before opening them again and turning around, facing the two Observants standing before him. "How may I be of assistance?"
"You know very well why we're here Clockwork! Dan was your responsibility, and you let him escape! Who knows what horrors he will release?"
"I do."
"Clockwork, you're leaving the fate in the hands of three teenagers! You must interfere."
Clockwork raised an eyebrow. "I thought interfering was against the rules."
Observant Number One was at his wit's end. If he had any hair, he would be tearing it out by now. "I know these children are great fighters and show true spirit, but two of them are only humans!"
Clockwork turned to face his trusty Time Portal. It showed three teens, determined to fight off one of the greatest threats Phantom has ever faced, and succeed. They were not willing to let their town down. They were not willing to let him down.
"If you trust me, which you have no choice but to, then you will let me do my job. Now, if you'll excuse me." Clockwork gestured towards the wooden doors which flew open, and with grumbles, both Observants whirled out, leaving Clockwork to watch the story unfold before him.
…
Danny phased through the front door, listening to the shouts coming from the lab. "All right, when I whistle, you guys get going. Shoot off a flare or something when you're done, and I'll signal back. Ready?"
Sam and Tucker crouched low, ecto-guns aimed at the lab door just in case. "Ready."
Danny flew down into the lab, where he saw Dan shaking his mother violently and his father unconscious in the corner. Fuelled by the fury that defined Dan so well, Danny let loose with a blast that sent the unprepared Dan through the wall and into the wooden fence one block down. Danny shot after him, but not before letting out a hasty whistle.
Dan groaned, hauling himself up and brushing the splinters from his torn suit. He was a little out of practice, thanks to being in that blasted thermos for so long. If only Clockwork hadn't interfered. Then Lancer, the Fentons and his ex-best friends would be dead, and even if he was in the thermos, Danny would follow his footprints.
But Clockwork had to come and screw everything up. Now he couldn't destroy Danny without destroying himself. After all, Danny was him, whether he accepted it or not. A whoosh in the distance caused him to light his hands up with ectoplasm.
"Come on, kid. It's time I took you out of commission," Dan whispered softly, scanning the night sky.
A fist shot out of the darkness and caught him in the jaw, but not before he sent out a blast of his own. Danny grunted but hauled himself back up. He glared at Dan with all the hatred he could muster.
"This is for my parents," Danny snarled before letting out a Ghostly Wail that rocked its way across Amity Park. Dan crashed through a glass window, sending shards flying. Growling, he fired rapidly, knocking his teen self in the chest, stomach, and face. Breathing heavily, Danny pushed himself up and managed to do a sweeping kick, knocking Dan to the ground. He went to kick his face, but Dan grabbed his ankle and swung him into the air.
Danny yelped with shock before landing face-first into Dan's fist. Danny shot his leg out and nailed him in the chest. Dan stumbled back and got a blast to the stomach. Danny flew at him with a roundhouse kick, but was grabbed by the front of his jumpsuit and held in the air.
"I may not be able to destroy you, but I can beat you within an inch of your life. Your turn to fly kid."
And with that, Dan reared his arm back and sent Danny flying through the air.
…
Sam and Tucker ran downstairs as soon as they heard the whistle, and came upon severe wreckage. Tucker whistled at the size of the hole in the wall before hurrying over to the computer console and booting up the Ghost Shield. Sam jogged over to Jack, who was unconscious. Maddie was sobbing, bruised, bloody and disoriented. Tucker quickly checked the start-up time, which was two minutes, before jogging over and tearing off the hem of his sweater and tying it around Jack's head.
Sam consoled Maddie. "Hey Mrs. F, it's gonna be all right. I need you to take a deep breath for me." To her surprise, Maddie obeyed. "Tucker's taking care of Mr. F, and then he'll activate the Ghost Shield."
Maddie shivered. "He-he just barged in while we were working. He was so strong, so powerful. I've never seen anything like it! Then the Phantom came in and punched him right through the wall." Now she had Sam by the shoulders, shaking her firmly. "Where's Danny? Where's my son?"
Battling his extremely evil future alternate self. "He's fine, Mrs. F. He's at my house. He's playing Doom on my, uh, new big screen television and wanted us to stop by and get some things while he set up the tournament mode. We heard screams and came down to see what was wrong." She glanced at Tucker, who nodded in approval at her excuse.
Maddie let go of Sam's shoulders before nodding shakily. "Okay. All right. We'll go get him-"
"No!" Tucker shouted, loud enough to wake Jack, who jolted.
"Hey, what's going on?"
"Jack!" Maddie cried, running over and hugging her husband tightly. A beeping noise sounded, and Tucker motioned for Sam to get their stuff and leave, now. They quickly jogged up the stairs and out the front door and into the street just as the Fenton Shield activated. Sam shouldered her gun and glanced at Tucker.
"Why'd we have to get out?"
"I installed a human/ghost shield so they couldn't get out," Tucker explained with a smile.
Sam tilted her head. "But how are we supposed to get Lancer inside?"
"Easy. I'll just disarm it long enough for Lancer to get in. The hard part will be getting here."
Sam thought for a moment before pulling out her black cellphone. "I have an idea. Just play along."
Tucker peered over her shoulder. "You have our English teacher's number?"
"Yup. Get ready. It's ringing."
Lancer bolted upright when his phone started ringing like crazy. He checked his alarm clock with hazy eyes. Two in the morning? Who on Earth could be calling this early?
He picked the phone off its cradle. "Hello?"
"Mr. Lancer!"
"Samantha? Do you have any idea what time it is? I swear if this is another prank call I'm going to-"
"You gotta get down to Fenton Works A.S.A.P! I don't know where the Fentons are and Danny's out cold and-"
An ear-splitting scream cut Sam off. Lancer clutched the phone tightly. "Samantha, is that Tucker? What's going on?" he all but shouted.
"We're in trouble, and we don't know what to do! Please Mr. Lancer, you-"
She was once again interrupted, but this time Lancer could only hear the buzz tone. Catapulting out of bed, he dressed hurriedly in sweats and a T-shirt, grabbing his car keys and breaking at least four traffic laws in his rush to make sure his students were safe, and then to give them a piece of his mind.
He rolled up on the curb outside Fenton Works and hopped out. He spotted Sam waving at him frantically. He ran over. "Samantha, where's Tucker and Daniel?"
Sam allowed a tear to leak down cheek. "I don't know! There were here one second and gone the next!"
Lancer was confused and frightened for the well-being of his students and oblivious to the beeping sounds coming from the bushes five feet away and the activated ghost/human shield that was humming behind him. In his panicked state he didn't expect to be shoved through a hole that just opened up in the shield and finding himself trapped.
Tucker flinched as his teacher erupted in swearing, moving from the bushes to join Sam's side. "He's mad," he muttered.
"Now, Mr. Lancer. That is highly inappropriate. This is for your own good. We'll let you out as soon as a matter has been resolved. We'll be seeing you soon!" promised Sam.
Sam and Tucker powered up their jetpacks and flew off, leaving behind a livid English teacher. As soon as they were ample distance away, Sam raised her gun in the air and shot off a pink ecto-blast.
"Part A complete."
…
Danny groaned in pain as he was smashed into some poor soul's Ferrari, which broke in half upon impact. Dan appeared in front of him and shot another ecto-blast. Danny landed with a thud on the pavement. He struggled to stand and was about to fire when he was struck upside the head with a crowbar.
"C'mon man, that's cheating!"
Dan raised an eyebrow. "I recall you using a Fenton Thermos in our first round a few months ago. I consider that fighting dirty. So I should be allowed to use a crowbar." He raised his arms for another blow when a blast of pink distracted him.
As his head was turned, Danny shot his green ecto-blasts rapidly at his enemy's hand before shooting one into the sky. Dan shook his burning hand with a scowl, sending one good punch into Danny's nose. Another glance into the distance told him that his annoying ex-friends had activated the Fenton Ghost Shield. He could clearly see the green glow off into the distance.
He shot out a hand and caught Danny as he tried to pull a one-two. No doubt Sam and Tucker would be arriving soon. He could take care of them easy, no question. But they did have the blasted Fenton Thermos. And that had been his downfall the first time. No way was it going to happen a second time. And if he were Danny-which he was-he had also entrapped Lancer within the shield as a safety measure.
A grin split his face as he remembered how he terrorized the Ghost Zone in the alternant future. Ah, how fun that was. I can't get to my parents and teacher…and it would satisfy me more if my ex-friends were eliminated last. If I can't get to the others, why not start with the Ghost Zone?
More specifically, start with Clockwork. The Ghost of Time would certainly be expecting it, but he couldn't do anything about. It was a written rule. And there was no need to worry about a ghost army being assembled. He could split himself into dozens. Plus, if he had Pariah Dark's ring that would just enforce his power. Then he could split into hundreds!
The whirring of jetpacks told him Sam and Tucker were almost near. Oh, how I want to destroy them. But I can't risk getting caught in that blasted thermos. It happened once, it can happen again.
Turning towards the squirming Danny in his grip, he was about to speak when he was suddenly kicked in a very sensitive place.
"Aaaggghhh! And you call me using a crowbar cheating, you little twerp!" Dan wheezed.
Danny fell to the ground and smirked. "What can I say? That will always be one of my favourite moves." He raised a hand to send an ecto-blast his way but scowled when Dan suddenly disappeared.
"Well...crap," he grumbled. He allowed exhaustion to overtake him and he sprawled out on the ground, regaining his energy.
Sam gasped as she found Danny still on the ground, bleeding. "Danny!"
"Relax; it's just a bloody nose. I'm fine. How're my parents?" He slowly stood up and shook himself out.
"Safe. Lancer too. Ghost Shield's activated. And don't worry about them talking to each other. I locked the lab door and the front door, and made sure the hole in the wall was plugged." Tucker blew on his knuckles and rubbed them against chest with a smirk.
Danny laughed. "Nice one Tuck." He glanced around the dark town of Amity before sighing. "Well, we better get going. Who knows where he went this time?"