Chapter 3: Judgement
In Amity Park
Danny and his friends were celebrating that Tuckers' meeting was a success, and what better place to celebrate at than the Nasty Burger. Sam was having a salad as usual, and Danny and Tucker were gorging out on their cheeseburgers.
"How can you guys eat that, it's disgusting." Said Sam as she watched the boys eat.
"Because its filled with meaty goodness." Responded Tucker with a gluttonous look in his eyes.
"I can't believe you would eat a tortured animals flesh when it had no say or choice, I mean how would you feel if you were in its place." Retorted Sam.
As Danny watched his friends argue, his ghost sense went off. Looking around inconspicuously at his surroundings to not alert the ghost nearby or his friends. But Sam notice the behavior of her boyfriend and elbowed Tucker to show how Danny was acting.
"Danny what's wrong?" Asked Sam.
"Not sure yet." Said Danny
"I'm sure it's another ghost, even if it is you gotten a lot stronger since the Disasteroid."
In last six months since the event when he became a global hero, he trained himself to the point where he was finally at Nocturn's level of power when he took over all of Amity Park.
Then they saw the ghost that had them all aware and dreaded it
"Dammit not you." Groaned Danny
"Fucking annoyance." Said Tucker
"God hates us, doesn't he?" Asked Sam
"I am the BOX GHOST, fear me fleshlings." Moaned Box Ghost.
But nobody ran and just turned to look at Danny, who with a sigh asked "Why are you even here man, I'm eating."
"Because I have come for my revenge Danny Phantom, for you have made a fool of me for the last time." Yelled out the Box Ghost.
"Okay why are you really here?" Asked Danny with a raised eyebrow.
"Cause I'm bored in the Ghost Zone and it's not as fun as haunting people." Sighed Box Ghost.
"I almost feel sorry for the guy." Said Tucker as Sam and Danny nodded their heads in agreement.
With a bowed head Danny said "Fine I'll fight you but after this you're going in the Ghost Zone."
"If you succeed that is my old nemesis." Replied the Box Ghost.
"Sam I'm going to make this as quick as possible, so can you meet me by my house please." He asked Sam as he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.
Blushing at what he did Sam replied to Danny "Sure thing but be quick about it."
With a sly smirk he asked "How quick do you want me to be?"
As Sam realized what she said, her cheeks turned a deeper shade of red and said "Shut up and go."
Danny smiled at Sam then looked at the Box Ghost and shouted "I'M GOING GHOST."
As two white rings formed at his waist and extended along his body. His hair turned snow white, his skin paler, and his eyes turned neon green. His clothes turned into his black and white jumpsuit with his signature on his chest.
Looking upward at the town nuisance, he hollered out "Ready when you are Crate Creep."
"HOW DARE YOU CALL ME CRATE CREEP!" Angrily shouted the Box Ghost
Box Ghost raised his hands high in the air, his hands glowing white as he summoned boxes from every house, every building and every street around Amity Park. As Danny watched thousands of boxes levitate above him and with an evil smirk the Box Ghost launched his boxes by the hundreds at Danny. Our hero dodged left and right with ease as each of the boxes flew at him. With each passing second, the Box Ghost grew more and more irritated till he was filled with so much rage that he fired off a blue Ghost Ray at Danny. In shock Danny quickly made himself intangible as the ghost ray went through him unharmed.
Wow when did he get better at fighting? I might have to end this quicker than I expected. Thought Danny as he dodged another box. Time to amp it up a bit.
Then he shot towards Box Ghost in a blur, evading any incoming boxes coming his way. As soon as Box Ghost realized what was happening, it was too late as Danny clocked with a right haymaker to his face, and he didn't relent as he left kneed him in the chest, followed by a left hammer fist into his shoulders. Box Ghost plummeted toward the ground and plopped on his feet at the last second, and gazed upward to see a white boot an inch from his face. Soon he recovered enough to swing left uppercut into Danny's chest, seeing his chance he side-kicked in the face with another ghost ray right into his gut. Sent crashing into a building wall and a dust cloud covering over him.
"I DID IT, I DID IT. I KILLED DANNY PHANTOM." He gleefully shouted.
"I gotta admit you gotten better since last time we fought but you were better with Pandora's Box."
In complete surprise, Box Ghost turned his head slowly around to see Danny Phantom floating behind with his arms crossed. Slight burns and a few bruises but they were all healing away as if nothing happened. Before the Box Ghost could protest, Danny threw an ectosphere at the Box Ghost which pushed back to the pavement an exploded with him underneath it. And when the dust settled the Box Ghost was surprisingly still standing, burns and cuts covered his entire body as ectoplasm was seeping out of his wounds and onto the street as his breath became more ragged as he fought to stay standing. Without hesitation, Danny swooped down in front of Box Ghost swinging a right uppercut soon followed by a left swing and a drop kick to finish it off.
As the Box Ghost lay unconscious, Danny used the Fenton Thermos he had on him to capture the Ghost Zone idiot, and flew home to meet up with Sam and Tucker. As he walked inside the house, he saw Sam talking to Jazz in the living room while Tucker was watching TV. Once he walked inside, Sam looked towards him and said.
"What took you so long, usually you clobber the moron within a few minutes."
"He learned a few more tricks that made me take little longer than I thought it would, but no worries." He said to her as he walked over and gave Sam a passionate kiss. As they continued they were interrupted by a knock on the front door.
"I'll get it." Offered Jazz. As she walked out the living room, Tucker turned off the show he was watching and turn to his two best friends. He smiled at them knowing from the start they would be together even in death. Sam noticed Tucker's smile and asked "What are you smiling at Tuck?"
"Nothing, nothing at all why do you ask?" He said as he looked away suspiciously with the same smile on his face. "Tucker if you seriously don't tell me, I will turn you into a bloody smear on my hand now spill the beans." Sam warned him as she slowly was cracking her knuckles. Then Tucker turned toward her with a smirk on his face "I was having a gut feeling that once we graduate, you and Danny are gonna you know." Shock was written all over their faces as Tucker laughed none stop at their reactions, Danny was the first to recover.
"Dude you know as well as me that Sam's parents would see to it that they will get a restraining order put on me. My parents probably wouldn't mind as much." The three knew that the Manson and Fenton patriarchs have been at each other's throats. But after recent events died down from all out hatred to mutual respect of one another, that doesn't mean it won't boil over again at any moment. Jazz soon showed up looking towards Danny.
"Hey sis is something wrong, is it another ghost attack?" Questioned Danny as he got up readying himself for the news that awaited him.
"No nothing like that, just someone is here to see you that's all, geez you always assume the worst." said Jazz with her hands on her hips. It wasn't long till a black and white blur came crashing into Danny yelling, "HI DADDY!, HOW YOU BEEN." Hugging him was Dani, the halfa clone of him made by Vlad Masters. After the events of the Disasteroid, they found out that she had another set of DNA other than Danny's and it was found out that she had Sam's as well and ever since then she called them her parents ever since. Sam joined their little family hug, until she asked "So what brings you here i thought you in Morocco by now."
"Which one mom?" Dani asked
Danny was perplexed by his daughters' question "Wait there's more than one Morocco?"
"Yep one in North Africa, and one in Spain." Dani said in a matter of fact way.
"I didn't know that." Said Danny
"Me neither, but back on subject why are you here again?" Asked Sam.
"Oh yeah Clockwork wants to you both about something."
What is it about? Danny thought as Sam and Dani started talking to catch up on current events".
"Well let's get going to Clockwork's Tower then to see what's up."
As the family of three walked downstairs to the Fenton portal, they laughed and joked till the portal was opened. Danny looked around and asked "Are you guys ready for some Ghost Zone traveling?"
"Yep" said Sam as she held onto Danny's arm. "Ready when you are old man." Teased Dani.
"Who you calling old young lady." Playfully said Danny as he spoke in an old man voice. They all laughed and went into the alternate dimension. Using the quickest route they knew to Clockworks' Tower, they made it to the door within half an hour. Once inside, the ghost of time was waiting for them in his adult form.
"I've been expecting you three." Said Clockwork
"What is this about?" Sam asked
"The fate of your family of course." Clockwork responded nonchalantly. The three looked between each other with worried looks in their eyes. Dani was the first to ask,
"Why our family's fate?"
Taking a deep breath before answering he said "Because the fate of your little family holds the very fate of the Ghost Zone along with it." Stunned by his words, they look amongst each other till Danny asked, "How is that so Clockwork, we can't be that big of a deal here in the Ghost Zone, at least not anymore."
Switching to his old form he continued "Since your battle with Pariah Dark, I have witness the timeline of the Ghost Zone head to greatness. As for Pariah when he was king the Ghost zone headed for disaster, until you came along you not only defeated your alternate self, but you defeated that tyrant who had all of us under his thumb. Because of the events that followed your family's destiny has intertwined with that of the Ghost Zone. So yeah your family is a big deal Daniel Fenton."
"Now you must face judgement from the Observants, who are still skeptical of what your family is capable of." Clockwork growled his frustration as he remembered what the Observants said. Arrogant fools, they see every little thing in the present and future just like I can but they always want to neglect the fact that there is more than one future, there are hundreds of billions of them. With Daniel there was pain and suffering, but through his efforts and a little push in the right direction. It led to something so much more.
"Clockwork why do the Observants want to judge us for?" Ask Dani
In calm voice he answered "Your father was destined to raise hell on earth, your mother was supposed to be dead by now, and you were never supposed to exist in any reality that I have seen."
Surprised at his some of his words she fell to her knees with one thought on her mind, I never was supposed to exist. She already heard about her parents' alternate futures' but she always assumed that being created by Vlad meant she could exist in other timelines but to have the truth fully revealed to her. All she could do was hold back the slow tears forming in her eyes, then Danny looked towards Clockwork and said " So they want to judge us because of our future was different, that just plain stupid."
"On the contrary Daniel, they want to judge you because your potential to make a new one." Replied Clockwork.
As they were all beginning to think about it, Clockwork spoke again "It's almost time for your trial with the Observants are you all ready?" As the family of three shook their heads, Clockwork teleported them into a giant stadium and filling each of the seats was hundreds of thin green spirits with a single giant eye were their heads should be, the Observants were discussing amongst themselves. Then Danny asked Clockwork " And what future did you see our family make?"
A smile appeared on his face as turned his head toward the young phantom and replied proudly,
"Of you becoming a king."
Meanwhile at Pariahs' Keep
Penelope Spectra had finally freed Fright Knight, wearing ebony colored armor, purple flames billowing in the eerie air. He looked down upon Penelope who gazed upon in way a whore looks upon any man walking by, and in her hands held Soul Shredder, the weapon that will bring him to his full power. Behind her was his skeleton horde bowing down to him. He knew her well enough to know that she was a misery powered siren of the Ghost Zone.
"What do you want, you parasitic bitch?" Asked Fright Knight, for he knew if Penelope was around she was planning something and it wasn't good for anybody but herself. Penelope looked upon the dark knight hungrily, and began to think If i can seduce him, my plans will all fall into place. Bashing her eyelashes, she soothingly spoke with a smile on her face "Oh nothing my dear lord, just bringing you news about our lovely dimension."
Curious he asked her "What news is this then, that you would foolishly pull out my blade from its imprisonment."
In an unconcerned tone she told him "Oh nothing much just rumors around the Ghost Zone that the ghost boy will be our new king and his human love will rule over us as queen."
As soon as she uttered the words, armored fingers wrapped around her throat and pulled her close to his emerald gaze as he menacingly asked "What did you say wench."
Gasping at how tightly he was choking her, all she managed to say was "You heard me right, and if they are true you know how some would feel about it, now let me go please I have a plan."
After a few seconds of thinking, he let her go to let her speak of her plan. Penelope coughed and hacked till her breath came back to her. Looking up at to see if he was going to do anything else that was harmful to her. Fright Knight gave a simple nod to let her know she can speak, the enchantress like specter gained some confidence in this and spoke to him.
"My plan was to help you become Ghost King, yes it does seem rather unlike me to help others than myself. But we could work as partners, at least for the time."
Fright Knight narrowed his eyes at her "How so?" He asked.
Quite simple really, see for instance once I help become Ghost King and you have total control of the Ghost Zone, then you can move onward to conquer Earth and make it a world of fear." Penelope replied. Liking the sound of the plan so far, he knew deep down the catch was coming up, and not a moment later she stated her price.
"And in return for my services you cause misery for all the people of the human world, so that I my stay eternally young forever, but you'll still rule both worlds. I'll just be your second in command, your queen per say. After all every king should have an heir to his throne, and what better heir to have than that of you the lord of nightmares, and me the shadow specter herself." And with a devilish look in her eyes, she held out her hand to the knight. Warring against his better judgement, he sealed the deal in the very throne room and the Rebel Zoners were formed.
Fright Knight and Penelope Spectra as ring leaders, their allies Prince Aragon, Nikolai Technus, Skulker, Terminatra, and Vortex. In this band of the ghost zones most dangerous ghosts, they will stop at nothing till Danny Phantom is extinguished.
Back at the Trial
Danny, Sam, and Danielle sat waiting for an answer from the Observants. During the trial, each and every one of them gave them reasons as to why they can be beneficial to the Ghost Zone. And whenever one of the many judges tried to point out their flaws, Clockwork was there to defend them. The trial went on for 3 hours, now all that was needed was an answer. The wait was painstakingly long, and so to pass the time the two phantoms sparred, while Sam watched the show. Danny and Dani were holding their stance, waiting for the other to make a move, soon their patience wore thin and so Dani threw the first swing. As father and daughter swung left and right every punch and every kick was dodged or blocked, till Dani caught a lucky break. Punching Danny in the chest she swung her right fist into his chin, followed after that with an elbow to the side of his face. She side kicked him the in the stomach, sending Danny flying upward. Pursuing after him she was getting ready to hammer fist him back down, but was met with a ghost ray to the face. Catching Dani by surprise she raised her hands to form an ectoshield, as soon as she moved her hands away she was met with gloved fist to her face. Sent plummeting downward, Danny caught up to Dani and roundhouse kicked her in the back of the head. Soon they Danny was a blur everywhere he knocked his daughter he would appear at her destination and was sent somewhere else. Dani had enough, taking a deep breath, she spun herself in the air and blew her frost breath catching Danny. Soon as he broke free he was met with a barrage of punches to his midsection, with an axe kick to the top of his head, he crashed down making a slight crater where he landed. Moments later, he looked up at Dani to see her with a confused and tired look on her face.
"You okay up there?" He asked his voice full of concern, Dani held up her hand and after few more seconds she asked, "How are you still going dad? I mean Jesus usually at this point like me, so its either I'm slacking in my training or you gotten stronger." Sam answered for him, "He's gotten a lot stronger since you left, Danny trained hard to the point where he's an even match for Nocturn."
Dani suspiciously asked, "At his strongest or weakest?"
"At his strongest Dani." Stated Sam
Not completely caught by surprise, she looked at her dad and thought, "From what I remember, Nocturn took over Amity Park with his ghostly army of Sleepwalkers, feed off people's dreams to raise his power and he throttled dad around like a rag doll till he outsmarted him. And from what I've heard, the Guys in White classify him as a level 9 threat. I really need step it up a notch so I won't be left in the dust."
Soon the doors swung slowly open to the trial, Clockwork standing there waiting. Finally, he spoke, "Your trial has come to an end, come and receive you answer."