Disclaimer: I own nothing that has to do with Danny Phantom
"And so, the mysterious but powerful human boy known as Danny Phantom had a confirmed sighting in Santa Fe, where the phantom battled with what looked to be a mechanical suit of armour, inspired by the technology used by Dipper Pines. It is not known at this time where this suit came from, and the authorities had no theories when questioned. As for the phantom who is being referred to as 'The Incredible Phantom' by eyewitnesses, he quickly vanished minutes after the climactic showdown. For more on this breaking story…"
The display screen turned off. Rick Sanchez looked back to Vlad.
"So...where is Danny Phantom now?"
Vlad sighed and pulled his cigar from his mouth.
"I don't know," replied Vlad.
"General."
"Look, I said, I don't know! He ran off tossing Baxter into the air, alright?! You read the report. It's all true. All of it."
Rick narrowed his eye.
"And you mean to tell me that you didn't chase after him."
Vlad sneered and threw the cigar against the ground.
"Do you know how much I lost?!" shouted Vlad. "I lost my top lieutenant, my mission handler, my top engineer, half my damn base, most of my reputation. I nearly lost my assistant!"
Vlad reached down and haphazardly grabbed the files and papers off the desk.
"All because of this, all this bullshit that you think is so important!"
Vlad threw the papers into the air. Rick sat back in his chair.
"You and that bureaucratic Council of yours."
"You know that the Council and I are not one in the same," said Rick. "We don't see eye to eye on everything."
"Well then tell them I'm done."
Rick's eye widened.
"What?"
"You heard me," said Vlad. "It's over. I'm done."
"You're done?" asked Rick, smirking. "Really? Vlad Plasmius is just, what? Giving up? After all this time? You were the one who started this vendetta!"
"Well it's over, I didn't...I didn't just lose material and allies. I lost something inside of myself when I saw my assistant clinging to that flag pole. Call it...drive, or, call, call it resolve, call it whatever you want."
Rick tilted his head to the side as he folded his hands together.
"When I joined," started Vlad, "when I moved up the ranks, I knew something, inside. That the soldiers have a duty. Soldiers save people, protect people. Monsters try to hurt them. I held to that. Held myself and all my men to that principle. But...someone saved my assistant yesterday...and it wasn't me."
Rick scoffed.
"So what? You're going to pack up your things? Leave?"
"I'm transferring," said Vlad. "I'm headed to Portland Air Base. I can't do this crusade anymore."
"Look, I get it," started Rick, "you felt betrayed by Major Baxter's actions…"
"No, you don't," interrupted Vlad. "It was because of my indiscretion that Baxter's mind was compromised. His blood is on me, the same as all his victims. You want someone to hunt Danny Phantom?"
Vlad picked up his hat off the table and put it on.
"Find someone else."
"You think he's a hero?" asked Rick.
"He saved my assistant when I couldn't," said Vlad. "I don't know if that makes him a hero...but he's not a monster anymore."
Vlad turned around and marched out of the room. The door shut behind him as Rick sighed. After taking a moment, Rick tapped a button on his desk. A voice was heard over the loudspeaker.
"What is the status of the General?" asked the voice.
"Vlad is out," said Rick. "And he's probably taking what's left of his task force with him."
"Get Ryker on the phone," ordered the voice. "I think that he might have some...invested interest, in helping us."
Sam stood on the edge of the pier. Holding her hands together over the edge of the guard rail, she looked out at the ocean. She closed her eyes at the gentle breeze massaged her face. Opening her eyes at the sound of bird calls, she looked up to see several pelicans flying overhead. Slowly inhaling, she then heard the sound of heavy footsteps on the wood behind her. She looked down at the water as Vlad walked up next to her, placing his hands over the guard rail as she was.
For several minutes they both stood there in silence, staring out at the horizon of the ocean.
"Vlad," said Sam, finally.
"Sam."
Sam swallowed before speaking again.
"How long are you staying?"
"Not long," replied Vlad. "I have to ship out in about thirty minutes."
"Huh."
"I, uh…"
Sam turned her head over to look at him.
"I wanted you to know about why I…"
Sam shook her head.
"I already know," said Sam. "That fact that you requested the transfer said it all. Thank you."
"Are you going to be okay?"
"Yeah."
"Can we make peace?"
"Soon."
"Are you going to look for him?"
Sam smiled.
"I'll never stop looking."
Danny walked into a small town full of wooden cabins. The forest surrounding the area was thick with pine trees. He was wearing a fisherman's hat, a plaid shirt, jeans and a large backpack. ROB followed closely behind, floating around Danny's left shoulder. As he walked past a handful of small shops, he heard the noise of scuffle nearby. Looking to the right, he saw two young men beating up a teenage boy. ROB turned invisible.
"Hey!" shouted Danny. "Leave him alone!"
The two men turned around and looked at Danny.
"Get out of here, old man."
Danny sneered.
"You're making me angry," said Danny. "You wouldn't like me when I'm angry."
THE END
Epilogue
In the destroyed remains of Tucker's underground lab, a small cloud of green mist began forming. After a few minutes, part of the mist took the shape of a human hand. It struggled and reached out before dissipating. Then, the mist took the shape of a female torso. Two arms reached out, and then a full head of hair. The head looked down at the gaseous, green arms.
"What...what is this?" asked Dani.
"Evolution, my dear."
Dani looked to the left to see Tucker picking himself off the ground.
"Doctor Foley?"
Tucker's skin had turned green, and his forehead was elongated. He seemed to sigh with pleasure as he touched his forehead with the fingers on his left hand.
"I can hear them...all the minds on the astral plane...reaching out and calling to me...hopes and fears, and dreams…"
Dani tilted her head to the side.
"Can you hear them?" asked Tucker. "They are calling out...it's beautiful."