"...Danny!?" Sam managed to spit out in disbelief. It had to be him, but...he was in ghost-form again! That wasn't the only peculiar thing about him. He was completely transparent and had an overcoat on instead of his typical black-and-silver uniform. He appeared tired and in need of rest, but strong enough to take on Panther. The two met in mid-air, Phantom knocking Panther to the ground; he was soon kicked off. He whirled around to catch Panther's blows. As he did so, Sam got her first look at his face, and she dropped her two books at the sight of the five long scars. Phantom knocked the creature-ghost up against the wall, kneeing it in the stomach and grabbing it by the neck.
'Not again,' Danny thought to himself. He was getting ruthless again. This time it was harder to fight off the urge. Brief surges of energy were going from his hands and running through Panther's body, slowly frying it. He kept trying to pry his fingers off the creature-ghost's neck, but some force or other in his mind encouraged him to continue his present course of action. The conflict of his conscience was enough to distract him from Panther's blow, which then smacked him back a few feet with its tail. It turned back to Sam, jumping towards her. Phantom knocked it out of the way again before it struck. He flew over by Sam as Panther shot out a ball of light. Phantom covered both of them with a shield, which wrapped around the light blast and fired back at Panther. It vanished the minute it was hit, sending fur flying everywhere.
"Uh, Danny?" Sam wanted some answers.
"OK," he didn't know where to start, "Have I shown up around here before today?"
"Yeah. You didn't have your powers and couldn't remember anything after the accident in the lab."
"OK," now he could start explaining, "The Ghost Catcher is missing from the school, right?" Sam nodded, "Well, the night I got caught, they also took that and used it to split me into Danny Fenton and Danny Phantom. I dunno what they did to Fenton, but I've been getting beaten on the last four days because they're trying to force me into learning new abilities!"
"Do you remember anything after the lab accident?"
"I remember everything after it. Don't remember much of anything else," Sam sighed. This was getting ridiculous, "and I've also been having violent fits of vicious rage every time I fight!"
"Do you know where The Order is at?"
"How'd you know what they were called?"
"Never mind. Do you know?"
"Yeah," Phantom nodded, "But I want to join together with Fenton again before we go there. Where is he, anyway?"
"They marked his arm with some kind of symbol. I looked it up at the library and Tucker and Fenton went to look it up at Danny's house. What happened to you?" she pointed to the scars on his face.
"Oh, uh..." he pointed over to the pile of black fur on the ground, answering the question, "...Let's go, then," he grabbed Sam's arm, went invisible, and flew off.
---
Danny Fenton was leaning up against a wall, looking extremely irritated. Tucker was trying to show off and act cool to Valerie (and, for once, actually doing a pretty good job at it), some of Dash's jock friends had shown up, meaning Dash wasn't too far behind, and they still hadn't done their part of the research. Sighing, Fenton looked through his backpack for the third time while there. In addition to his school items, there were several of his parents' ghost-hunting gadgets in there. His backpack had been like that when he got out of the hospital, and Sam had advised him to leave them in. He pulled out one device that looked somewhat like a Gameboy with a lot more buttons. He hit one button on the back.
"Ghost-Tracker Activated," a computerised voice said, the screen on the front lighting up. A blinking green dot showed on the screen to the North.
"Tucker," Fenton said, not looking up from the ghost-tracker, "We've gotta go."
"Right, right. Just give me another few..."
"Now."
"Just one more..."
"Now!"
"Alright, alright! Catch ya' later, Val!" Fenton rolled his eyes at that and ran out.
---
Velkan drove the needle filled with now completely black fluid into the ghost, slowly bring Panther out once more. He tossed the needle aside.
"Well, now that it's furry again," Vlad was growing impatient, "Would you care to explain your plan now?"
"Of course. If you'll excuse us," he turned to his advisors; they left the room quietly. Once they were gone, Velkan waved his hand over the floor. To they eyes of the three in the room, it was now an overhead view of Amity Park.
---
It's heading for my house," Fenton checked the scanner, "Come on!"
"I still don't get why I had to come with you!"
"Tucker..."
"Just kidding."
---
"They're not in the lab," Sam ran upstairs, "They might have headed over to Tucker's house."
"Let's go," Phantom took Sam's arm again and flew up towards Tucker's.
---
"Hold it," Fenton stopped in the middle of the street, "Now it's going towards your house."
"Huh?"
"Let's go," they ran off.
---
"I don't think they're here either," Phantom floated down from upstairs. He banged his fist down on the table, letting off a surge of energy and blowing it up, "And I didn't mean to do that."
"There's only one other place they could be, knowing Tucker," Sam sighed, "Come on."
---
"Well, well, well..." Tucker said as he watched the ghost-tracker over Danny's shoulder, "looks like they're heading back to the arcade centre. You dragged me away from the only girl in school who isn't prepared to reject me before I even ask her out for a chase around town that leads back to where we started!?" Fenton ignored him.
"Come on," he headed back down the street.
"Pointless, Danny!" Tucker shouted, "Pointless!"
"Tucker?"
"What?"
"Knock it off and let's go," Tucker got over his shouting spree and followed Fenton back to the arcade centre. They met Sam just outside the doors to the location.
"Sam," Danny Fenton showed her the tracker, "There's a..." Danny Phantom slowly became visible. Both the ghost-tracker and Danny's jaw dropped, "...ghost?"
"Well…" Tucker commented, "This makes things complicated," A blast of red energy that destroyed the door to the arcade centre disrupted the conversation. Vlad Plasmius floated above them, grinning.
"I think running would be a good idea," Tucker had already started to inch away.
"Good idea," Danny Phantom nodded, "I'll hold him off," he flew up to Vlad's height as the three ran off, along with everyone in the arcade centre.
"Danny," Vlad crossed his arms, "Good to see you. I do hope I haven't come at a bad time."
"Sorry to tell you this then," Phantom began charging up two energy blasts, "But you did."
"How unfortunate," a red glowing sword appeared in Vlad's hand, "Let's see how well you do outside training camp," he flew forward, slashing at Phantom, who managed to form his own sword and parry just in time.
---
"Am I missing something!?" Fenton shouted to his friends as they ran, "That ghost looked..."
"Just like you, we know," Sam said, "Jog any memories?"
"No," Fenton shook his head, "Neither did that other one."
"Uh, guys?" Tucker had stopped.
"What?" Sam asked. Tucker pointed up. Panther was standing up on a nearby roof, grinning.
"That's what."
---
Phantom and Vlad had moved their battle up high enough into the air to avoid detection by most people on the ground, but they couldn't completely avoid notice by people working on higher floors in office buildings.
"What the heck are you getting paid with by The Order!?" Phantom parried another blow, "You're already filthy, stinkin' rich!"
"Paid, ghost-child?" Vlad laughed, "You think I'm a mercenary? How naïve! I am one of their own!"
"Huh?" Phantom was kicked onto a rooftop.
"Oh, of course, I joined because I have my own personal interest, and yes, even if a state of emergency is declared and ghosts placed in jeopardy I would be in no danger because of my reputation and my hiding my being a ghost, but I am one of them nonetheless."
"For what?"
"You mean you don't remember your stay at my home? Now come, Danny! It's supposed to be Danny Fenton that can't remember things from being a ghost!" he could remember.
"So how's being in The Order going to get my mom and me to join you?" Phantom tried a cut to the head, but it was parried. Their glowing blades exchanged blows back-and-forth. Then Vlad struck Phantom in the chin with his elbow, knocking him back. Upon recovering, Phantom let loose a vicious swing that Vlad just barely managed to block.
"Feeling angry, Danny?" he grinned. It was happening again, "That's how it began for me when I went into The Ghost-Zone for the first time," Phantom swung his sword around violently again thrice. He wanted to avoid these bouts of rage, but for some reason...a part of him enjoyed it.
"Confused, emotionally unstable, under constant threat by ghosts," Vlad started again, "The building of an unexplainable rage inside? I know all about that. In my case it was being in The Ghost-Zone that caused it, but you're being separated from your human half works just as well."
"What are you talking about!?" Phantom just barely kept himself from trying another vicious slash.
"Most ghosts are evil, correct?" Vlad grinned, toying with Phantom as he spoke, "You don't think they all start out like that, do you? The forces of the paranormal in The Ghost-Zone and just being an ectoplasmic being are what cause it. Only a few can fight off the urges, and they are the ghosts of old, wise men. And it's much harder to fight than it is to embrace. Those few ghosts must remain in a place of calm and serenity for months...sometimes years. And you, unfortunately, are a young, inexperienced youth who is in the middle of a hostile environment," Phantom gave out a roar of rage as he brought down his blade as hard as he could, Vlad just managing to shield his head with his own sword.
"And the more you're provoked," Vlad kicked Phantom back, "The harder it gets to fight it," Phantom got up on his feet, breathing heavily. Not from exhaustion this time, but from the effort to fight off his more "ghost-like" tendencies. He changed his sword into a knights-style shield and got an energy blast ready with his other hand, flying back up to Vlad's height.
"It's not gonna work, dude," he said defiantly.
"It already is," Vlad fired an energy blast at Phantom, who blocked it with his shield, "Once you are on my side, it should be simple to convince your mother to join us. But I can't teach you everything I know unless we get your human side back. Joined together again," they began to fight once more as they conversed, "You will be rather unstable at first, wanting to go back to your old life. Some time in The Ghost-Zone will change that. After a few missions for The Order, our contracts will have ended and we'll be free to go. But I wouldn't want to completely destroy your old life. I know about your girlfriend's time being possessed."
"She's not," Phantom barely avoided another energy blast, "my girlfriend!"
"Really?" Vlad grinned, "Well then I guess there's no harm in telling you then," he flew back, crossing his arms and floating calmly above the ground.
"Tell me what?"
"I may be in this for my own reasons, but I do feel obliged to obey Velkan's orders. I'm not interested in bringing you back to The Order's base, Danny. At least not today. This was...a distraction."
"From what!?"
"With any luck, Panther has found your girlfriend by now."
---
Tucker ran after the Fenton Thermos, it having been knocked from his hand for the third time in the row. Panther had Danny Fenton and Sam on the run in the opposite direction. The two friends turned opposite corners as they came out of the alley, Fenton pulling out the Fenton Fisher and waiting for Panther to come out. Instead, he felt the fishing line yanked from his hand and a blow make contact to his neck. With Fenton out, Panther set its eyes on Sam, who expected it to jump forward and attack. Instead, it slowly phased down into the sidewalk. Sam looked around nervously, wondering where it would come up. She was afraid of moving towards Fenton and of staying in the same place. She took a few steps back before two furry hands shot out of the ground, becoming green fog and flying into Sam's mouth. She disappeared in a blinding flash of light.
---
"What!?" Danny Phantom shot forward, seizing Vlad by the neck. The older ghost-hybrid just grinned.
"She should be back in the base by now."
"If anything happens to her..."
"You're enraged," Vlad laughed quietly, "Good," Phantom realised what was happening. Almost everything in his mind told him to let go of Vlad's neck and find Danny Fenton and Tucker, but the one thing that thought differently seemed strongest.
"But why waste rage on me?" Vlad said, "I'm merely following orders. It's Velkan you want to destroy," Phantom's mouth was quivering, his body shaking. It was becoming harder and harder to fight it. Finally he managed to pry his fingers from Vlad's throat and fly off. Vlad just stayed in the air, snickering to himself.
---
"Danny?" Danny Fenton could hear Tucker's voice, "You OK, dude?" he slowly got up on his knees before noticing something was wrong.
"Where's Sam!?" they both turned their heads as Danny Phantom flew down. He grabbed Fenton by his shirt.
"You!" he looked absolutely outraged, but in a way that showed he was trying to fight it, "We have to join back together...now!"
"What are you talking about?"
"Don't you remember anything yet!?"
"No," Fenton pulled his shirt from Phantom's grip, "And until I do, I'm not doing anything involving joining bodies with a ghost. What happened to Sam?"
"They got her."
"Do you know where they are?"
"Yes," Phantom looked back and forth between Tucker and Fenton, "I'm gonna need some help."
"Just show us where they are," Fenton said.