These Cold Days

by Genko-Yoru

After a tragic event befalls Danny and his friends, the trio finds themselves on the run in the dead of winter. Struggling with new and old wounds, Sam and Tucker try to figure out what really happened back at Amity Park; even if Danny is the one that's hiding it from them. - A Phanniemay 2018 entry. *2020, now a continuing story!

19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19 - Our Golden Catastrophe

Four Weeks ago…

He studied the brittle glowing sheet before him, carefully holding it in gloved hands. Already Vlad had re-read it countless times, yet still this new piece of information fascinated him to no end. The myriad of plans that he could use this journal page for, why it could have limitless potential.

"I told you that one was good," Behind him Skulker was beaming with pride at his find, knowing the worth of what he had brought him. "There had always been rumours amongst the Ghost Zone, but I'd wager this must be the first proof of his existence."

"Indeed," with controlled care he placed it back into its new protective case, turning to the ghost with a grin. "Marvelous work, as per usual. Though you have certainly outdone yourself this time, Skulker."

The ghost's grin widened. "I suppose that means I get a decent reward for my find?"

"Handsomely." Plasmius's grin took on a more sinister tone. " You're in luck. I've just recently finished a new weapon that might result in a most unpleasant experience, especially towards dear Daniel. I would love it for you to conduct a field test, and a… detailed report back."

Skulker chuckled, likely already plotting his strategy. "Marvellous."

Turning his thoughts away from the amusing idea Vlad returned to this new development. It had certainly changed the direction of his plans. Placing a hand on his chin, he drifted over to the workbench Skulker waited at. "A ghost that possesses the ability of time… why that is a most interesting power."

"A rare ghost, no other like it in the whole Ghost Zone. A ghost like that would be perfect for my collection, and my reputation."

Vlad chuckled, giving his ally a bemused smirk. " I doubt it would be that easy. Likely if you even attempted to catch him it would end to your untimely demise."

The ghost hunter scowled at his jab, but their conversation turned abruptly serious. "What are you planning to do, Plasmius?"

What to do indeed, he pondered. Something this big couldn't be ignored, the opportunity far too great. Sure, it wasn't what he had originally planned, in fact almost nothing like it. But if he could obtain that power for himself, or persuade that ghost to assist him, then his goals could be achieved much sooner than expected.

But he wasn't a fool. A ghost like that would be strong and potentially dangerous. It had been a long time since he was faced with a ghost that he was unsure of, not since Pariah Dark's return. Confronting him would be a risk to himself, yet was it worth it?

Weighing his options Plasmius straightened, flicking his cape casually to the side. "Well, if anything it would be stupid not to at least investigate this information. If nothing comes out of it, well that's that. But if it ends up being of use, then the rewards could be endless." With that statement he moved back to where the page sat, once more reading the directions to imprint them into his mind. " I might as well pay this Clockwork a visit."

Behind him he could hear Skulker move to peer over his shoulder, eying the glowing page. " You plan on doing this now?"

"Yes. I have nothing planned until three anyway."

Skulker hummed at his answer, the mechanics of his suit whirling as he powered on his control panel. " I can… if you like come as backup. If the rumours are true about that ghost, you might need it."

Vlad scoffed at that. "As much as I appreciate the offer, coming in with backup might send the wrong message. I will be perfectly fine confronting him alone. However," He turned to face the ghost, a smile crossing his lips at the idea he'd just thought of. " Perhaps there is something that you can do for me, Skulker."

"What?"

" Things could indeed go wrong. While I am hoping for a peaceful discussion, there is always the chance he will not side with me. In that case… we might need something to leverage that."

"Ah, got it." The ghost hunter grinned, understanding what the half ghost was asking him to do. Vlad quickly locked his systems down, one never could be too careful of something sneaking in and meddling. Once happy that they were secure the two immediately headed into the Ghost Zone, Plasmius shuddering at the surge of power the realm caused to his core. It was relatively an uneventful journey. Only once had Vlad been forced to stop the ghost hunter from chasing potential prey, which had left Skulker annoyed with the loss. Yet Plasmius didn't care, he was too focused on preparing for what he was about to do.

He knew they had made it at once, the ghost's lair was exactly in the same location as the journal page described. It was hidden off in a deeper part of the zone, one place that Vlad realised he had never bothered, nor had the desire to go. The floating mass clearly had the form of a clocktower, the gloomy form looming in the deep emerald space. They stopped not too far away to observe, Plasmius noting that Skulker was now quite nervous. He supposed he had a right to be at the idea of sneaking into a powerful ghost's lair.

"…Are you sure about this Plasmius?"

"Of course, he will be expecting my arrival." At seeing the confusion on the ghost's face he chuckled, preparing to fly towards the clocktower. " I shall give you only five minutes, Skulker. In that time be quick, and at any sign of danger leave at once. Let us hope that this ghost's power has its limits."

He waited for a hesitant nod from the ghost before flying off towards the lair. There was no point in trying to sneak in. If this ghost had the powers of time, he likely knew what he was planning to discuss with him. He was hoping for it. After all, it would make this whole thing much quicker.

He passed through the grand doors, immediately seeing that the tower was hollow. It opened as a large hall, the ceiling rising impossibly high. All around with the clang of gears, a ticking vibration reverberating through the whole place. Fitting, Vlad thought bemused. He didn't spend too long observing the ceiling, returning his gaze to the ground. Across from where he floated he spotted the ghost in question, who turned himself to inspect his guest. The ghost watched him with a blank expression, purple garb flowing as he turned. At once he noted the staff in his hand, sizing it up as a potential weapon. The ghost seemed to understand why he was observing his staff and smiled faintly.

"Vlad Plasmius, so you finally made it."

Outwardly Vlad pretended to be confused, yet he was happy that his suspicions had been right all along. "I did not know that there was an invite?"

The ghost turned his attention away from him to his staff. " The invite was given the moment you choose to come."

Drifting as close as he dared Vlad briefly debated his best course of action. " I do not think-"

"-Don't even bother with the charade, Vlad Masters. You know exactly what I mean. I am Clockwork, the master of time. I know everything. Whether it is in the past or the future, I know all. That includes the reasons why you are here." He paused, his form suddenly aging as a white beard sprouted from his chin. " That means I also know exactly what your goals are, precisely."

For a moment Plasmius processed this development before his fake surprise turned into a smirk. "Well that means I can skip the theatrics, I suppose. What you say to it, then?"

"I do not take sides, time is always neutral. I can neither help nor hinder you in your schemes, but I can at least advise you." He changed again, this time taking the form of a small child. "Your goal is a fool's errand. What has been lost cannot be reclaimed, that is the law of time. Your desire for power will only end in the destruction of everything you have. Deep down you already know that, though you always deny it."

A flicker of annoyance came over Plasmius however, he made sure to keep it at bay. " That is only your opinion. I am very much aware of the risks that come with what I seek, you don't have to belittle me over it. If you can't be bothered helping, then at least point me in the right direction."

"The right direction?" Clockwork pondered that, still calm and showing no signs of aggression. Vlad was still prepared for anything, hoping that Skulker had completed his task swiftly. The way things were going his backup plan would likely need to be played.

The ghost played with the cogs on his staff for a moment, a sudden smirk appearing. " The direction I suggest is that you give up."

That almost broke his composure, eyelid twitching as he straightened. " Do not mock me. Just because you think you are stronger than me, you do not want me as your enemy-"

"Time in!"

Vlad jolted abruptly, muddled at the sudden change. The ghost was now right in front of him, back to his adult form as that same smirk still held on his face. Yet Clockwork was no longer holding his staff, instead, it was a scythe the curved blade pressed firmly against his neck. He remained still, knowing that one wrong move could end in disaster.

"If I wanted to, Vlad Plasmius, I could end you right here. And more importantly, you would not even be aware of it even happening." Despite the threat in his voice, his smirk had not dropped. Vlad held his stare firmly, feeling the cold metal against his chin. They were locked like that for a time before Clockwork slowly removed the blade from his throat. " But as I said, I do not take sides. I am neither your ally nor your enemy. You understand?"

"You make your point quite clear…" He grumbled though he was rattled at the exchange. Right then it was clear he was way out of his depth. This ghost was much stronger than him, stronger than even that annoying ghost king. He had hoped the ghost could only observe or travel throughout time, but if he could willingly control it…that changed things. There was no longer any point in trying to mess with him at all.

From the way the ghost didn't answer he knew that their conversation was over; there was nothing more to say. Still, he scowled at the ghost, it didn't take a genius to know he'd used his powers on purpose. Demonstrating to him that both fighting and plotting against him would be utterly pointless. Yet as he started to leave he remembered that coming here might not have been a complete waste…

"Vlad Masters,"

When Clockwork called to him he paused, looking over his shoulder. The ghost had rested the scythe on his shoulder, a frown now crossing his hooded face. " I know that you came here hoping that I could restore what you think was rightfully yours. But instead of giving what you want, maybe I should give you what you need?"

"And what's that, hmm?" Despite the bitterness he sent, he was aware the ghost's mood had shifted.

"A warning. A warning of the future. What will happen will be a trial, not just for you but for many. I cannot intervene by telling you what will occur, it would break my alliance. But I will warn you that if you want Danny Fenton to survive, you must follow his direction without question. Remember that, Vlad Masters. If you don't, you will lose utterly everything you have left."

He kept his emotions completely down, refusing to show any trace of rage that had bubbled up to the surface. How dare this ghost threaten him again! And not only that, but now he was threatening Daniel? Vlad found himself furious at the thought; if anyone was to threaten the boy it was him!

But he didn't show any of this to the ghost, phasing through the door and shooting off into the Ghost Zone. He was seething from the encounter; both from failing to get what he wanted and the fact that he knew it was hopeless to attempt again. Even though their confrontation had been brief, it had told him enough. If he threatened him, if he could pause time without his knowledge, anything he stole from him he could get back in seconds. It was back to the drawing board, back to hunting for more pages.

Vlad returned to his lair, glaring at the swirling portal. That Clockwork was lucky he couldn't touch him right now, if he could he would've made sure he regretted it.

"Good! You're back in one piece!" His attention focused on Skulker, who had been waiting for his return. When he spotted the half ghost's face his grin dropped. " It didn't go down well, did it?"

"No. It did not." Drifting back to his desk he eyed the journal page with disgust. He was tempted to burn it down to ash in spite, yet it was so valuable and rare that he stopped himself.

" Well, if you failed then I might have succeeded! I was able to nab some items for you."

Plasmius's curiously returned, enough to push away his foul mood. "Oh?"

On the table Skulker placed down what appeared to be a medallion, lined with gold and aqua letters engraved in the centre. Though it was ghostly in nature, Vlad doubted it was anything useful, though he supposed he would test it later to be sure. " This was one of a set of nine, I debated on taking the lot, but one missing would be less noticeable."

At that news, Vlad hid his disappointment. Yes, definitely not worth bargaining with that ghost over.

Skulker wasn't done though, with a wider grin he held up a wicked-looking dagger, the blade glowing in black flames that licked at his suit's hand. "I found this too in a display cabinet… if you don't want it Plasmius, I'm more than happy to take it off your hands."

"Yes, yes." Vlad waved in his agreement dully, his dark mood returning. While Skulker was a useful partner to him, sometimes his own obsessions really were a pain. " Of course, it's yours."

Once the ghost hunter had gleefully attached it to his belt he seemed to suddenly become more animated, reaching behind him. " And there's one more thing, you'll recognise this one."

Then he placed on the table a familiar, silver cylinder. Immediately Vlad knew what it was, the device was one of Daniel's ghost catching containers. It appeared to be dented, the red light glowing to tell it was occupied. And the moment he saw it Vlad was hit with an immense feeling of trepidation.

It shook his core, the malice, the evil rolling off that thing shuddered through his very being. Never before had he been hit with such a level of foreboding that he recoiled back. Vlad hated relying too heavily on his ghost's instincts, as they usually got in the way. But at that moment his ghost side was screaming at him to grab that device and throw it into the deepest, darkest hole he could find and bury it forever.

Oblivious to the half ghost's reaction Skulker leaned in close, a smirk over his metal jaws. " I know the whelp's technology anywhere! Strange that the ghost stole it from him, I wonder why?"

With a jolt Vlad realized Skulker was not feeling anything threatening from the thermos. And that disturbed him to no end. The ghost was a hunter, his senses far sharper than his were. Yet if he couldn't sense it, didn't feel the utter evil pooling off that thing as he thumbed the cap, what in blazes could that mean?

" It's occupied too, could be a ghost in there that's an enemy of the ghost child, whoever it is might be useful- Plasmius? What's wrong?" Finally, he spotted Vlad's frozen frame staring wide-eyed at the thermos. At the question Plasmius snapped out of his daze, drawing his cape around him.

"We should not open it." It stunned him how nervous he sounded, but he was sure this feeling wasn't without reason. " I…I would like to run a diagnostic on it, scan it to see if the ghost's signature is in my systems." Ignoring Skulker's slack-jaw bewilderment, Vlad returned to his computer and quickly started the process to unlock it. As he did he rubbed the bridge of his nose. Where on earth had this come from? It had to be all that ghost's fault. His threats must be causing this premonition that something was wrong. That had to be the reason for this odd outburst, his mind playing tricks on him and clouding his judgment-

At once he felt it. He heard the click of the latch, but it was the feeling that alerted him to the danger. Plasmius whipped around, just in time to see Skulker disobey him. The ghost had opened the thermos, mist exploding out of the container bringing with it pure malevolence. It happen so quickly Vlad had no time to stop it. Before the ghost had fully solidified it let off a strong blast. The green, burning ray shot out and slammed at point-blank range into Skulker. In a flash the immense attack obliterated the ghost hunter's helmet, vaporizing where his real body lay. There was nothing left in its wake, the now empty suit collapsing to the ground.

There was no time for shock, using anger to prepare to deal with this threat in his house. Yet as Vlad built an attack himself, he froze. This signature… it was full of evil, darkness. Yet it was familiar to him. So much so that he was sure he knew this ghost. It emerged from the mist, white hair burning like flames, black cape flicking over its shoulder. It spotted him, red eyes widening in recognition before he broke into an excited grin. It twisted to fully face him, and it was then that Vlad spotted the mark on its chest. He knew that mark, so well that his attack faltered when it slammed into him who this ghost could be.

"D-Daniel?"

Its grin widened. " It's been forever, Cheesehead!"

Vlad was at a loss, all confidence evaporating. No way could this be Daniel! The form was wrong, twisted. Yet the ghost signature oozing off him was Daniel's. There was something else there, something that disturbed him too much to question. But there was no doubt it was him. But that didn't make any sense!

This ghost gazed about its surroundings, chuckling when he figured out where they were. " Ah man, this place brings back memories. Wonderful memories!"

There was a rising tension coming from this ghost, Plasmius sensed then that he was in grave danger. He readied an attack, pink energy building on his fingertips. "I don't know who you are, but you are not welcome here! I suggest now you leave at once before I make you regret wasting my ally!"

The ghost drifted closer, but he was stiffening as if preparing to strike. " I guess you have a point that I'm not supposed to be here. But I'm offended that you think I'm not Danny," Suddenly his form shifted, taking on the appearance of Daniel's human form. " It is me! Your Little badger!"

Even though his voice lighten to Daniel's tone, it most certainly was not the boy's. That, and Vlad knew he was still a ghost, his eyes a deep blood red instead of their normal blue. He did not lower his guard, only strengthen it, madly trying to think of a strategy against this unknown threat. His refusal to play along with his show only amused it further, edging towards him.

" What's the matter? Don't believe me?" His gaze abruptly returned over to the opened thermos, a flicker of anger crossing his face. Quickly he fired a burning green ray towards it, destroying it at once. " Didn't Danny or Clockwork tell you about me? What a shame, if they had maybe you wouldn't have been such an idiot to free me."

Still appearing as Daniel he strolled closer, the grin he gave him nothing like the boy at all. " See I am Danny, the real one. The Danny from a timeline that sadly doesn't exist anymore." With little room separating them now he paused, looking up at him gleefully. " And Vlad, do you want to know the best part about my existence? You're the reason I became like this in the first place. It's all your fault!"

The ghost leapt at him then, returning to its real form as it jumped. Vlad was ready, predicting him to do so and teleported to the opposite side of the lab with a swirl of his cape. With his back turned to him he fired his pink blasts, the spheres of energy rocketing towards him. Yet to his shock the ghost copied his movement exactly, disappearing in a puff of green smoke to slam his fist into his jaw as he reappeared next to him.

Grunting from the blow, he recovered quickly. Creating a pink shield he was aware of the ghost's building attack in its hand. Quickly he pushed it away, hoping the thick barrier would take the ghost along with it. Instead it slammed into him, shattering as he push through to lunge. Startled at the power this ghost appeared to have he dashed away to the other side.

Distance would be key, all too aware if he got a hold of him it might be fatal. The energy, the ambience that this ghost was sending him wasn't like anything he'd fought before. It was full of hate, full of the desire to destroy everything in its path. And he could tell from the expression on its face that it wanted his death, and he was going to try everything to get it.

Knowing that the damage to his laboratory was the least of his problems, Vlad fired a bolt of electricity directly at him. It thundered out at incredible speed, a speed that he knew would be difficult to avoid for even the most skilled ghost. Yet his foe dodged it perfectly, avoiding the burning bolt and unleashing his own wave of fire at him. Plasmius moved again, his computer exploding from the intense green flames that hit it.

Grinning cruelly at him again the ghost circled, Plasmius still making sure to keep a distance between them. "You know what Vlad? I was debating on how I should kill you here. Yet the more I think of it, the more boring it sounds."

Vlad didn't bother to humour him, sending two pink rays charging his way. The flickering emerald embers behind the ghost concerned him. Pyrokinesis wasn't something Phantom could do, at least not with energy that hot. Nor could Daniel shapeshift, that fact dawned on him as the ghost circumvented his attack. If this ghost was some kind of version of Daniel, then he was much stronger, more experienced. And that thought brought sweat to the half ghost's brow.

Once again the ghost lunged at him, reflexes a blur as he went to strike. Vlad teleported behind him, preparing the energy to duplicate. But it twisted around sharply, so unnaturally quick he didn't have time to react. The ghost grabbed the front of his shirt and using their momentum slammed him into the metal floor. It dented underneath, Vlad grunting from the pain shooting through his shoulder blades. Pinned under a power grip, the ghost leered over him.

" I thought to myself; why not make this fun! It wouldn't be fair to leave Danny out of this, after all, he's the one that's been denying his true future for far too long. I think… it's time we make this timeline into the correct one, don't you!"

Immediately Plasmius froze, understanding Clockwork's warning then. If he was to go after Daniel, he would never stand a chance against this thing. Gritting his teeth Vlad grasped both the arms that were holding him down, and with all the strength his ghost core would allow zapped him with his strongest electric stinger he could muster.

The effect was instant. The ghost went rigid, growling in agony as the red current coursed through its being. Plasmius didn't let up knowing it wouldn't destroy him, but hoping to weaken him enough that he could gain the upper hand. Soon his core was starting to protest, the attack draining his reserves too much for his liking. Once he stopped the ghost gasped, red eyes wide as its pain turned into a giggle.

"N-not bad, Cheesehead! That was a good one." Suddenly his fingers dug deeper into his chest. "Now let me show you mine!"

Plasmius had only a small window to feel his horror before an unbelievable jolt of pain hit him. It was beyond the power of his own stinger. At once a flash of blinding white crashed into his head-

-And suddenly he jerked with a sharp gasp of breath, the ghost above him gone. Immediately he jolted upright, lungs struggling for air as he surveyed his laboratory. The frantic breathing and the twitching of his muscles momentarily were all he cared for, seeing that he was back in his human form. The level of electric power he'd used on him was implausible, able to nullify his natural resistance. It both angered and alarmed him the power that the ghost possessed.

Seeing the green flames still burning his computer Vlad painful got to his feet. How long had he blacked out for? It could be mere seconds or hours, all that he did know was that ghost was missing. And he knew exactly where he was heading.

Hissing from the effort Vlad transformed, shaking off the leftovers of current running through his body. Without any further hesitation he dashed through his portal, flying as fast as he could towards the Fenton portal. At once he could tell something was different about the Ghost zone, here and there lair doors and structures showing damage where that thing had passed. It was like the denizens of the Ghost Zone were waiting, holding their breath as they sensed something wrong had arrived. Plasmius could feel it, the foreboding weighing down on him.

Then he was in front of the portal, it still open. Preparing for the fight from both that ghost and trying to explain this to Daniel he turned invisible. The last thing he needed was the Oaf to get in his way. Raising his arms just in case he passed through and paused.

The basement was dark, the lights were off which was strange for this time of day. Plasmius paused, head crooking to the side as he listened. There was a keen sense of wrongness, danger that he didn't ignore. Yet there were no sounds that explained it. Carefully he gazed around the portal, emerald light faintly revealing what was around him. He noticed that there seemed to be a puddle near him, dark and thick like oil. Curious he bent closer, tugging off his left glove to investigate. It was warm, very warm, and he brought up his fingers closer to the portal's and his own ghostly light.

As the liquid ran down his finger he saw the red, a deep blackish red that he immediately knew. It made him inhale sharply, dreading the reason behind it. Slowly he raised his right hand, summoning a ball of blue light that illuminated the entire, gory, nightmarish laboratory…

###

He paused then, his voice trailing off as he didn't continue. Danny himself didn't speak, knowing from experience what he had seen. The light around them had started to fall, though not enough yet for them to fall into darkness.

Vlad took a few inhales on his aching lungs, and croakily continued with his retelling. "After I… After I ruled you out of the dead… I felt the ground shake, and knew I must find you." He looked at him for the first time since he had begun talking. His nose creased, eyes flickering red. " I was consumed by a… rage. I have never felt such wrath before. Any logical thinking… all I knew was that I was going to find that ghost and destroy it, tear him limb from limb. Make him regret taking what was mine…" He turned away again, Danny feeling the turbulent wave of emotions pass through the half ghost. Plasmius had come to the surface then, and Vlad composed himself to push him down.

"So then…" Danny whispered out, his own confusing emotions swirling within him. " You went to find me."

Once he had regained control Vlad continued. "Yes…"

###

"-Take one single step forward and you are dead!" Plasmius hissed through gritted teeth and flashed his burning palms in warning. The ghost hunters hesitated in their assault, weapons raised yet sensing that this wasn't a normal ghost fight.

One fool stepped forward, voice shouting out as he jabbed his ecto-blaster at him. "Spook! Stand down and submit for painful experiments-"

He didn't let him finish. Without another word, Plasmius shot out a powerful red bolt at the agent. It slammed into the man's chest, the agent admitted a pathetic screech as he was sent reeling back into the air, landing back on the ground with a sickening crunch. It broke the confidence of the others immediately, stepping back as they finally understood the danger they were all in. Vlad didn't let them out of his sight, breath ragged in his anger. Behind him he knew a stunned Daniel was crouched motionless on the ground, a pattern of red and green coating his white shirt. He knew he'd been shot, by who, he didn't know. But when he found out the one who did it. When he found out who?!

Sparks crackled on his fingertips, wishing the cowardly ghost hunters tried to fight him. He wanted to dare them to come closer, to fire those weak little weapons at him. Then he'd show them what painful experiments could mean-

-Suddenly something slammed hard into him, momentarily catching him off guard. He was thrown off to the side, just catching sight of the ghost holding him before crashing to the ground. As the dust of their fall cleared that creature loomed over him, grinning wickedly.

"Having fun yet Cheesehead!?"

Plasmius didn't answer, only growling as he fired two beams from his eyes. The ghost twisted back unnaturally, avoiding the burning beams from running his head through. With that distraction Vlad used the opening to kick the ghost away from him, with a force that would have shattered concrete. It sent it flying, laughing away as he did. Rising back to his feet Vlad had a brief, flickering moment of clarity, making a duplicate and sending it quickly back to Daniel's aid.

The ghost recovered from the kick quickly, showing no signs that he had seen the duplicate. Not that Plasmius cared as he readied his assault, he wasn't letting him leave here in one piece anyway.

Not waiting for his foe to move first he lunged, two bolts of red lightning thundering from his hands. Like before the ghost dodged with perfect agility, sending his own green blasts in response.

"Aw, could it be that you're mad at me?" The mocking dripped from its voice, and with a snarl, Plasmius lashed out to punch him. The ghost caught his fist, and Vlad grabbed his other, the two pushing back with each other's might.

"Mad is such a weak word," He hissed it through his teeth, pulling the fists he held upwards. " I would say, vindictive is more like it." Swiftly he kicked out again, but this time sent a blast from his foot as well. His enemy leapt away swiftly, his grin deepening.

"Vindictive, huh?"

"Yes. Though it's clear you're too pathetically half-witted to understand the word!"

Immediately he teleported behind him, knowing that he would turn. As the ghost twisted to strike Plasmius teleported once more and in those seconds coated his hands with ectoplasm. Knowing he didn't have time for anything fancy he made the energy on his hands harden, moulding them into sharp needle points on his fingers. As the ghost turned his face to confront him Vlad struck, using the hardened ectoplasm to claw in an attempt to blind him. Its confident smile dropped as he tore through his flesh, fury replacing it. When it tried clumsily to grab his throat Plasmius ducked under, using all his reflexes to swing around and loop both arms underneath his right armpit. There was a struggle, Vlad crushing the joint hard in a vice grip as the ghost tried to push back. With a final pull, he heard the satisfying click as he dislocated it.

At once a strong, heavy ray ploughed into Plasmius, the blow sending him slamming back onto the street below. Even though his ribs burned he quickly returned to the air, watching as the livid ghost pushed the joint back into place. One bloodied red eye slowly opened as his regeneration powers were abnormally fast in repairing the cuts.

" I forgot how annoying you were, Plasmius."

"Could it be that you're mad at me?" He jeered back in a mocking tone, the same way he had spoken to him. The ghost bristled in his taunt, its white hair flaring as he wiped the green blood from his eyes. Without another word he bolted towards the half ghost, hands burning with deep emerald flames. Plasmius matched his attack, closing in the distance to lunge at his neck. Even with his perfect strikes the ghost matched them with insane speed. Every punch was countered, every blast, bolt and flame avoided. Vlad landed a powerful hit to his chest, hearing from the grunt he'd cracked ribs. In response the ghost punched back at his jaw, Plasmius instantly feeling his nose clog from the ectoplasm.

A flash of white broke his attention. The ghost hunters had snuck up, one aiming a charging blaster toward them. Their fight momentarily stopped, Vlad sending a red bolt to deal with the nuisance while his foe twisted away, his blast causing the G.I.W truck to explode on impact. Once the pests were dealt with they both immediately returned to battle, slamming into each other as they tried to tear the other apart.

Plasmius was becoming more and more frustrated, no matter how many blows he landed he was not gaining the upper hand. The other was equally maddened, angered that he couldn't seem to overpower him, the half ghost always escaping a fatal blow. Avoiding one of Vlad's bolts the ghost teleported behind him, pinning him into a headlock. For a moment Vlad pushed back against the crushing weight threatening to lob off his head, before manipulating his neck enough to angle his eye rays into its face. It roared back at the burning, Plasmius shoving him back and preparing a ball of pink ectoplasm.

At once something slammed heavily into the half ghost's side, a wave of electricity painfully coursing through his body. The momentum of the attack sent him thundering to the ground, instantly reminding him of his Plasmius Maximus. Black rings briefly flashed around his waist before he forced them shut, pushing down the agony as it tried to cancel his powers. Quickly he rose back to his feet, seething at whoever dared to try and weaken him! - and froze.

What…What in blazes was he doing!? Watching as the creature started wasting the approaching agents, Vlad was suddenly aware of the stupidity of his actions. He couldn't dream of stopping that ghost on his own; his power level was far beyond something he could handle. If he continued his energy would diminish, it was only a matter of time until he started to tire. What was worse the ghost hunters were surrounding the area, and as pathetic as they were he couldn't take them lightly. Shaking his head to clear the daze Vlad was horrified at the danger he had put upon himself. He could have gotten much more than the cuts and cracked ribs he had.

"Daniel…" With a start, he realized he'd completely forgotten about the boy. Reaching out he felt that his duplicate was gone, most likely destroyed when his spectral energy had been disrupted. Peering around, he was shocked at how far they had moved from the original location. Their battle had taken them almost to the other side of town.

Making a shield to block an attack from the agents, he inhaled to clear his mind. Daniel was weakened, and from the expression on his face… likely knew what had happened to his family. He was in no condition to fight back and possibly had transformed in front of others. Dealing with this monster needed to come later. Right now, he needed to get to Daniel.

Concentrating he made ten duplicates, using their appearance to lose himself within them. Turning invisible Vlad dashed off back into the direction they'd come, trying to recall where his duplicate had been when it faded. Time was of the essence, those copies wouldn't last long against that ghost. But they would be enough.

The streets were a buzz of activity, Plasmius keeping high above the rooftops. Amity Park's residents; while at most times stupid, were experienced in responding to a deadly ghost attack. Already the town was in the process of evacuating, yet this however made it tricky to keep out of sight. And Vlad was nervous to revert to normal with that threat lurking nearby.

Soon he closed in on the location, landing in an alleyway not too far from the town's centre. Immediately Vlad knew that Daniel was not here, but that he had been here. The small puddle of blood, flecked with the tell-tale signs of green was proof of that. But with closer inspection he found not one, but three sets of footprints leading off towards the streets.

Which meant someone else had found him first.

Plasmius felt a flash of anger, livid that he'd been beaten. Was it a friend or foe? All he knew was that the shoe marks didn't look adult, but that didn't mean enemies had got to him first-

"-Looking for your Little badger, huh?"

Whipping around, Vlad was furious to spot that ghost behind him. It grinned darkly, noticing the shift in Plasmius's mind at once. Tense he prepared to defend, knowing that it must have followed him the whole time.

Its gaze dropped to the mess Daniel had left behind. " Shame, I was excited for all of us to have a chat. Where all in this together, after all."

" You're insane to suggest that. After what you've done today." Vlad growled back, balling his fists.

"We all have a part in this. The very reason I exist is because of you. And the reason I was in that thermos was because of Danny. So… you could say that we're all part of the same team here." Suddenly it held up something, a metal device that Plasmius recognised as one of the radios the Guys in White used to communicate. There was something sly about his expression then, enjoying every second of this destruction. " Why don't we make it official."

Before Vlad figured out what he meant the ghost channelled its power into the device. With one gleeful smirk, it started talking, voice projecting through the channel waves. As what he said registered with the half ghost he froze, understanding the ghost's entire cunning plot at once. He was speechless as the creature destroyed his and Daniel's lives, tearing what little was left to pieces…

###

Like before Vlad fell silent, but Danny knew there wasn't any point in explaining the rest. He already knew it. It had been the perfect plan, framing them all as fault for flattening Casper High. Revealing their secret would have only fueled the fire for the authorities, sparking their rage. And made it difficult to hide in their normal forms.

Leaning back, Danny felt confused. He had got what he wanted and now knew how his future broke free. But then what was the point of it? Looking across to Vlad he wanted to hate him. Put all the blame for what had happened to his life and family on him. It would be so easy… yet he couldn't. When he saw the half ghost it was like he was looking at the Vlad from the other timeline. It took a moment for him to see that he was him. Here was the same man as the one who had lost everything. Even though he never should have meddled with Clockwork, how was he to know what was in that thermos? His future self had been right, if he had told him… perhaps things would have been different.

"What do we do now?" It came out softly, Danny voicing a lot more of his thoughts in those words. There was the hope that as the strategist Vlad was he'd think of something. But the man just closed his eyes and remained silent, making Danny's heart sink. There really wasn't anything they could do, not anymore.

The evening darkened, both half ghosts lost in their thoughts. Suddenly with a great inhale Vlad pushed himself up, clinging to the doorframe tightly. Danny watched in both awe and confusion as he steadied on his feet, seeming to push down the pain and weakness of his wounds. For a time he just leaned against the frame, before Danny gasped when his ghost sensed exploded out.

Vlad's transformation shocked him, to think after everything he still had the strength to do it was unreal. Yet Plasmius barely glowed, the wood cracking in his grip as he held himself upright. His ghost form showed his weakness, pale and frazzled and marks of dried green from his wound still there. For a time he waited, regaining his composure to straighten.

Plasmius turned his gaze at him, red eyes duller than usual. "There's… One more thing we can do, I suppose." He seemed to hum to himself in agreement, nodding. " You must stay here… Probably for an hour or two… I will lure them away, maybe southward… Send them on a different path."

"What?"

"You know as well as I do… that they will catch up soon. But maybe… if they focus on one half ghost, they will lose interest in the other."

Danny felt his jaw slack, unable to believe what he was hearing. "Are you stupid!? No way can you fight with the G.I.W. Not in the pathetic condition you're in!"

The older half ghost smirked, his old ways creeping into it. "Well, you are the expert on stupid heroics. I guess… that means it's my turn to be stupid." With a huff Vlad pushed off the doorframe and stalked out into the snow, wobbling a little as he went. Danny was instantly on his feet, fighting his own wave of wooziness.

"You know you're out of your mind, right? Don't you get it, with the way you are now there's no way you'll last ten minutes against them!"

" I know that."

"Then what's your plan, huh? How do you plan to stop an entire ghost hunting army that's probably after us?"

"The plan isn't to defeat them. It's to lead them away… I can manage that for a little."

"I highly doubt that Cheesehead."

Tilting his head to the side Plasmius sneered at him. "Are you underestimating me again, you little rat? Or perhaps that's worry I hear… how adorable."

" Don't mock me!" Danny stepped in front of him, cutting off his path. His rage was building, but secretly it was being driven by panic. " Even I, in my condition wouldn't last long against those guys. Admit it Plasmius, you're extremely injured. No matter how much you've healed these past few days, it's not enough. One hit from a blaster or their ghost tech and it's over."

"Daniel…"

"Not to mention there'll be a bunch of them! And they'll likely have those tranquillizers with them too. How are you going to be able to lure them away if you get hit with one of those?"

"Daniel-"

"-What we need to do is keep moving. Now that you're awake, we can move much faster than we did when you were out cold. That's our best shot-"

"-Daniel enough!" His sharp gruffness made Danny stop. The older half ghost shot a glare at him, before taking a great, defeated sigh. " I'm honestly surprised… after what I just told you, you're not happy to get rid of me."

Danny paused. A part of him wanted to bicker back like they normally did. He knew what Vlad was doing, even though it was unbelievable that selfish, egotistical Plasmius would ever consider it. Yet instead he furrowed his brow, scowling up at the man. " If what you told me was completely true, then you're disobeying Clockwork's warning. I don't agree with this direction."

Irritation cross Plasmius, but it quickly faded as it came. Both knew there was a lot more there than Danny was saying. His voice betrayed it. In truth, Danny knew that right then his alternate self had won. That they had lost.

Vlad seemed to realise this too, brow creasing in his conflict. No matter what they tried, something was going to catch up to them. His plan would work, but it was only a brief fix and in the end put them in a worst position. At least, Danny knew it would for him.

After thinking of his response, gently the older half ghost reached up at placed his hand on his shoulder. He huffed in amusement when Danny made no attempt to shake him off. It was a sign of trust, which was huge for them. Likely it was something that the old man had been trying to get from him all this time, even if his obsessive, vengeful self hadn't realised.

Vlad seemed to take a breath to steel himself, a resolve coming to him then. The small smile he gave him had no fakeness to it, the most real expression Danny had ever seen from him. " I'm sorry, Little badger."

"What-"

He didn't get to say any more than that. Suddenly there was intense pain in his shoulder. Vlad zapped him with a short burst of his electric stinger. And in seconds darkness overcame him.

---

AN: Danny can't catch a break, can he?

For some reason, this chapter is by far the hardest I ever have written. Even though I could see this chapter crystal clear since I thought up this story back in 2018, [ In fact, this and parts of the last chapter were where the story was going to start originally until I change the order.] writing it took waaay longer than it should. Some days I only wrote one sentence of this chapter and couldn't get myself to write more. I have no clue know why, since the last chapter only took me a day to write. [ I wish editing took only a day...]

Anyways, thank you for reading and sticking around. See you in the next update!