Twenty-nine

Observants' High Council Chamber
The Ghost Zone

Danny's eyes widened in surprise as their encounter with his future self replayed on the weird eyeball monitor. "Well, that was easy."

"Now wish to see next week's winning lottery numbers," Valerie suggested.

Danny shook his head. "Be careful what you wish for. Trust me on that one."

They turned back to the screen as it replayed all the events in the park, from the initial fight with Danny's future self, to the arrival of Valerie and Tucker, then Jazz and Sam, then Sam's parents, and finally his own parents with Valerie's dad. They watched as Phantom attacked Mr. Gray, and Tucker knocked him out of the way.

Valerie whistled. "Wow, Tucker's got game. He really saved my dad's butt. I owe him big time."

Danny gave her a sideways glance. "Pretty impressive, huh?"

"Yeah. I knew he was a genius with the techno stuff, but that was—" She stopped, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes at Danny. "Wait a minute. You aren't trying to hook us up, are you?"

"Why? Do you wanna be hooked up?"

She wagged her head. "Oh, no. I'm onto you, Fenton. You're just trying to palm me off on someone else to ease your guilty conscience."

"My guilty conscience? What do I have to feel guilty about?"

A smirk blossomed on her face, and she chuckled. "You are so easy to mess with."

He let out an exasperated huff of air. "Remind me, why am I friends with you?" Then, he realized something, and he arched an eyebrow at her. "Oh, you're good. You just neatly deflected the question of whether or not you wanted to hook up with Tucker."

"Yes I did." Without further comment, she turned back to the screen. Phantom had Jazz now, and he was trying to convince Danny that there was an enemy greater than him.

Danny winced, wishing he'd listened. But then he heard Phantom say, So I almost killed them all, and the nonchalance, the complete lack of anything resembling emotion in his voice angered Danny all over again. No, nothing was worth teaming up with that and, when Jazz kicked the bastard where it hurt, Danny almost cheered. He watched as everyone—including Sam's parents, he noted with some surprise—started blasting his future self. "Man, talk about having game. Look at Sam's parents! I think I'm officially freaked out by that."

His future self disappeared and, when he came back, there was the dueling Ghostly Wails, everyone blasted again, his mom went after Phantom with the Fenton Thermos, and he attacked back…

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

The howl came from offscreen, as did the blast of green energy that enveloped them all, freezing them in pairs inside separate energy fields. Danny saw himself cry out in pain and fall to the ground as lightning-like bolts of electricity wracked his body. The onscreen Valerie cried out his name, then quickly assessed the situation and created a shield around them inside the energy field in which Vlad had imprisoned them, blocking the anti-ghost energy from him. Danny turned to the real Val beside him. "You really saved my butt there. Thanks."

She shrugged. "It's what I do."

He looked back at the screen, where Vlad was now torturing the future Phantom, and turned away again. "Okay, I really don't wanna watch that again. Wonder if there's a way to fast-forward to the part where Vlad freezes time…"

Immediately, the image sped up. Valerie glanced at Danny. "Now you think of it."

"Better late than never."

It slowed back to normal speed at the part right after Vlad shouted at Danny's mother, when he turned his attention to Danny instead. Make no mistake, Daniel. That shield Valerie has created around you is the only thing keeping you from sharing your future self's fate, and that is only because I am allowing it to do so. My new ectoranium-based powers can blast through any ecto-shield or defense, and they will be lethal to you. To all of you. You, Daniel, are still here only because I haven't given up on you, either. You and I are the same, and the sooner you accept that and choose to join forces with me, the sooner we can stop playing these ridiculous cat and mouse games.

The onscreen Danny wasn't having any of it. Still the same old crazed-up fruit loop. What part of "never gonna happen" is hard for you to understand?

The part where I accept anything less than total victory! But I can see we aren't going to get anywhere like this. We're all a little… overwrought right now. What we need, I think—this is where he pulled out Clockwork's staff and pounded on the top of it—is a little time out.

On the screen, everyone but Vlad froze, although it was kind of hard to tell the difference since they were all locked into those green energy fields anyway. With a snort of contempt, Vlad shook what passed for a head. All too easy. He leaned in close to Danny. We must finish our little chat later, Daniel. I'm going to send you and the lovely Ms. Gray somewhere safe, while I tie up the loose ends here.

Taking Clockwork's staff, he aimed it just to the right of the energy field surrounding Danny and Valerie, and a swirling blue portal appeared beside them. It was similar to the natural portals that opened into the Ghost Zone at random locations, but less… ghostly. Vlad then aimed a beam of that weird new anti-ghost energy at them, and the green field of energy around them glowed brighter and brighter until it shattered, taking out Valerie's pink shield inside as well. With the force field gone, Vlad was able to use his anti-ghost energy to send Danny and Val through the blue not-quite-a-portal, which disappeared afterwards.

Danny rubbed his arms. "Well, that explains why I felt like I'd taken a bath with a toaster when we got here."

Valerie nodded. "So that time staff thingy must've made a Ghost Portal, and that's how he sent us here."

"Not exactly a Ghost Portal. I'm guessing it's more like a Time Portal. Clockwork would always appear and disappear through a portal kinda like that."

Onscreen, Vlad walked slowly over to where Danny's mom was imprisoned with Mrs. Manson. Reaching out with a cloudy-but-still-somehow-solid green hand, he touched the energy field in front of Danny's mom's face. Ah, Maddie. So much time lost because of Jack's foolishness. But we'll get it back, my love. I swear.

Danny felt his stomach turn over and Val let out a groan in disgust. "Ewwww. That's just… the thing with your mom is really creepy, especially with him all green and… kinda gassy like that."

"Tell me about it. I think I'm gonna hurl."

Vlad took a step back. I need you to wait for me as well, my dear. I will join you shortly.

Another burst from Clockwork's staff, and the same kind of blue portal opened up next to her and Mrs. Manson. When Vlad blasted them with his anti-ghost energy, Danny gasped. "Mom!"

Valerie gripped his arm. "She's okay. He's just sending her here, like he did us. Look."

She was right, of course. Instead of hurting his mom or Mrs. Manson, it merely broke through the containment field, just as it had with Danny and Val, and sent them through the blue not-quite-a-portal, which then disappeared.

Vlad approached Danny's dad and Mr. Manson next. This time he didn't say anything, instead breaking through the energy field surrounding them like he had the others, leaving the two men free, but still frozen in time. Vlad pulled out two of Clockwork's medallions—and just where was he keeping all this stuff he was carrying on him anyway? He slung one of them over Danny's dad's neck. Jack blinked but, before he could move, Vlad created another force field around him and Mr. Manson.

Jack looked around, as if trying to get his bearings. It didn't take him long to realize his son and wife were both missing, and he glowered at Vlad. What have you done with Maddie and Danny?

Oh, they're safe—which is more than I can say for you.

Vladdy, you have to stop this madness!

Oh, but I haven't even gotten to the good part yet, Jack. He moved away from Danny's dad and went over to the field containing Jazz and Sam. Another blast, and the field was destroyed, then he put the second medallion over Jazz's neck and replaced the field. Hello, Jasmine.

She blinked, disoriented like her father. What? What just happened?

I'm giving you a choice, Jasmine. You have one chance, so choose wisely. Renounce your father, and come be a part of my family along with your mother and your brother.

What?

Danny looked at Val, an uneasiness growing in his chest. "I don't like where this is headed. We need to find a way back there, now."

"What good would it do? All of this happened already."

"We don't know that. It wasn't that long since we got sent here—"

"Danny, look." Valerie pointed to the trees in the background. "They're not moving. At all. Even though there was a breeze the whole time we were in the park. He stopped time, remember? All of this happened in the time that doesn't exist between when he stopped time and when he started it up again after we were already here. That's why he put those medallions on your dad and Jazz, right? You said they let you keep going if time stops."

Danny's eyes widened in surprise. "Yeah, you're right. You're pretty quick picking up all this time stuff."

She shrugged. "After the whole alternate-future-evil-you thing, this is pretty straightforward. Well, that and my dad's totally into time travel stuff. I grew up on old episodes of Doctor Who. It actually starts to make sense after a while."

"Pretty geeky stuff for a former popular girl."

"Getting away from my dad's geekiness was why I became a popular girl. Kinda like how you wanted to be normal to get away from your parents' ghost fighting weirdness, right?"

"Point." Danny turned his attention back to the screen, his uneasiness returning. Onscreen, his dad seemed to share his apprehension. Just do whatever he says, Jazz.

Val glanced at Danny. "You don't think he'd…"

Danny shook his head slowly. "I don't like this. Usually it's all just a lot of bluster and saber rattling with him, but who knows how bad that ectoranium messed him up? And after what he did to the future me…."

Vlad whipped his head toward Danny's father, and the glowing red eyes seemed to flame even brighter. Stay out of this, Jack! This is Jasmine's decision! He turned back to Jazz. Join me, Jasmine, along with your mother and brother, and live.

She gaped at him. Danny is right. You are definitely one crazed-up fruit loop.

Ooh, wrong answer. But thank you for playing. And with both hands, he hit her with a massive blast of ecto-energy, much stronger and more lethal-looking than the blast he'd use to send Danny's and Sam's moms, Danny, and Valerie through the Time Portals.

"NO! JAZZ!" Danny cried out, pressing his hands against the screen, even as onscreen, his father screamed the same. But it wasn't just Jazz—Sam was trapped in the same field with her, still frozen in time. As the energy poured into the field, Jazz fell to her knees, but Sam didn't so much as blink. Danny clutched at the screen, completely helpless. "SAM! NO!" Behind him, Valerie was gripping his shoulder hard enough to hurt, but he barely registered it. Please stop, don't hurt them, it's me you want, not them, please…

Danny's father was pleading with Vlad as well. Stop! Don't do this! C'mon V-Man, you don't wanna do this, not to Jazz. Please! Your beef's with me, not them! Just let them go, and you can do anything you want to me!

Vlad did stop, and Jazz collapsed onto all fours, but Vlad's attention was back on Jack. Anything I want? But this is what I want! To see you suffer by knowing that you are the reason for all this. He resumed his assault until the force field around Jazz and Sam exploded and Jazz slumped face-first into the ground. Sam, in contrast, remained eerily still, like a statue that was a little too lifelike.

Danny blinked rapidly, gripping the eyeball-shaped monitor. "Oh, man. What did he do to them?"

Vlad turned his attention to Tucker and Mr. Gray. The new mayor and my protégé's father are of no use to me. Watch what your foolishness has wrought on them as well, Jack. And he blasted them, too.

"TUCKER!"

"DADDY!" Valerie's grip on Danny's shoulder tightened until it was so painful he wanted to go intangible to get away from it, but it was the only thing keeping him from throwing up as he watched his best friend and Valerie's father suffer the onslaught in the same statue-like stillness as Sam had.

When their containment field exploded, Vlad faced Danny's father once more. And now, Jack, the moment I've dreamed of for more than twenty years. I will leave you with this one small piece of comfort, however. Maddie and Daniel will be in good hands. Good-bye.

Before Jack could so much as protest, Vlad was shooting again. Mr. Manson endured the attack with the same blank frozen stare as Sam, Tucker, and Mr. Gray, while Danny's dad shrieked in pain like Jazz had. Danny lowered his head, looking away, while Valerie released the grip on his shoulder and sunk to her knees on her sled, crying.

When it was over, Danny looked up again. Vlad was standing in the midst of them, something resembling a satisfied smirk echoing in his nearly-gaseous face. He held up Clockwork's staff, then pressed down on the switch on top. Time in. Then, with a flare of blue from another Time Portal, he disappeared.

Behind them, the leaves in the trees started rustling in the breeze once more, and Sam, Tucker, Mr. Gray, and Mr. Manson, like four marionettes whose strings had suddenly been cut, crumpled to the ground, and Danny felt his whole world collapse with them.