Chapter Four : Deep Conversations
Danny looked around the nexus of time, nervous about what Clockwork might want to talk about. He tried to take a look at some of the future portals but they immediately darkened as if they knew he wasn't supposed to see into them.
"You have much fear Danny." He knew that Clockwork was floating beside him, so the words didn't cause him any shock. "I've been watching you, as is only proper as your mentor/executioner." This caught his attention as he spun around to face the other.
"WHAT!"
"Do you not remember that I attacked you when we first met ? Originally I was approached by the observants to destroy you, thus preventing the creation of your older self. I found it a little strange that they would have me do this, as they themselves had forbidden me from interfering with the timeline. As much as I disliked the arrogance they showed in ordering me to act, I decided to use it to my advantage." He saw the look of horror on Danny's face and rushed on with his story. "See, I had already been looking into your life previous to your turning, and I felt rather bad for you. So I decided that by helping you I would not only prevent the creation of Him, but also gain a powerful allay." Danny was shocked, first by the thought that the one ghost he really trusted had been assigned to kill him and then by the fact that that same ghost had desired him as an allay.
"Why did you chose me? There have to be others that are much more suited to helping you? Maybe ones that don't turn evil." Clockwork heard both the bitterness and fear and nodded to himself.
"Actually, I much prefer the possibility of you turning evil than someone who cannot." Danny looked surprised, causing Clockwork to fill the room with laughter. "Oh Danny, there are things to look for when choosing friends and heroes. All humans have the capacity for evil, there is no avoiding that. Just remember this: if there is no capacity for evil, there is no true capacity for good." Danny thought about that for a second before his face brightened.
"Good and evil are choices, and if you cannot be evil then you cannot truly chose to be good." Clockwork smiled at him proudly, causing him a tingle of pleasure. It was rare someone look approvingly at him like that and wasn't Sam.
"Exactly right! I trust more the person who has chosen to do good, because they fight harder for their beliefs. Belief is a very powerful motivator Danny, never forget that." Clockwork looked at Danny's proud smile for a moment, unhappy that he had to spoil it but know it was necessary. "Now we come back to the heart of it, my true concern: your fear." He saw the tension re-enter the face of his charge. "As I said, I have been watching you, and I noticed something. You do not use any of your powers except in battle, and even then you hesitate. Hesitation against some of your foes would put you at a great disadvantage." He knew Danny didn't want to talk about it, but there were pressing matters that weighed on him. He could see some of the paths to come, and they scared him. "It's alright to have fear my boy, but to give in to that fear is unacceptable."
"I am scared, Clockwork, more than I've ever been before. I've almost died three times now, and the thing that freaks me out is the chance that I'm going to turn into that! I mean, the chance that I could cause all that pain and destruction..." He shuddered as the memories hit him again. "Why do you think I hesitate? What if one day I go ghost and it just takes over? I fear a part of myself...how do you get over that? I can't really run away from it, and fighting it is getting too hard." Clockwork sighed, glad that they had reached the core.
"You talk as if these feelings and these powers are separate from you child." Danny looked shocked, but the Time Keeper expected that. "You are under the impression that your ghost powers can be attributed to a second entity living inside of you. You are mistaken. It was simply energy that bonded to you, energy that is at your whim. It holds no sentience, no true will to guide it except for your own." He took in the horror on the child's face and refrained from sighing. He could watch the stream of time in multiple places at once, manipulate the horrid observants into doing his will and alter the course of history on a whim. Human emotion was slightly beyond him.
"If it's not separate, that means it really was all my fault!"
"I didn't say that, but it is close to the truth. When you bonded with the ghost energy, it became a part of you. It is now as important as your own life force, and removing it has consequences, though it obviously isn't impossible."
"But when I went through the Fenton Ghost Catcher nothing bad happened." Clockwork raised his eyebrow, marveling that his facial muscles never had a workout like before he started interacting with teenagers.
"Really? The fact that your human self was lazy and unmotivated to the point of near coma, and could care less about anything? Or the fact that your ghost side was entirely too dedicated to super-heroing and had an ego the size of Amity? No, absolutely nothing was wrong with that situation." Danny got a triumphant look on his face.
"You said it wasn't a separate ghost, but when got split it could think for itself and everything. How do you explain that?"
"I said there were consequences, did I not? You can take the ghost energy away from you, and it may even retain enough power to shadow your ghost form, but it is your human body that pays the price. When it leaves you, not only are you weakened, it takes with it a part of your very being, the most prominent part of your psyche at the time. While you are split from your ghost energy, you can never be truly whole."
"I wanted to have time with my friends, but I was worried about protecting the town too. So I run myself through the Ghost Catcher..."
"And Presto! One ultra-laid back teen and one hyper dutiful hero. Almost seems like it was a good idea until you realize that both sides were weaker for the split and incredibly unbalanced. And if you split a Danny that just saw his family and friends die in an accident that may or may not have been his fault, you get one empty human and a ghost full of pain, sadness, guilt-"
"Anger. Anger so bad you feel it burning you up on the inside, and you want it to go away so that you don't feel the pain anymore, but you hold onto it tight because your afraid if it's gone you'll just give up and die." Well, Clockwork really hadn't been expecting that one, so his eyebrow got more use. "I may have only thought my family and friends were gone for a few seconds, but it felt like forever to me on the inside. I know exactly what lead Him to ask to be split from himself, though I was more angry at myself than anything else."
"That is what your ghost half was composed of when he was split from you. All that is pain, anger, and sadness, without any happiness or mortal grounding to balance him."
"And with Plasmius standing right there, him being someone I had fought and all...no wonder he split him. But why would he merge with the other half?" Clockwork shrugged.
"It was probably seeking to be whole. Of course, it could have chosen better than something like Plamius, who probably ended up with all of Vlad's obsession and power hunger." He patted Danny's shoulder and raised his voice to drive home his point. "There you have it young man: the birth of a true villain. Take equal parts pain, anger and pride, remove the parts that let us feel consequences and care about others, then set the result loose on a world that it feels failed it." Danny nodded, feeling relaxed for the first time in a long while. Sam was right, he had really needed to talk the whole thing out.
"I kind of feel sorry for Him now you know. The only thing he really can feel is pain and anger, and it's all because of a bad choice that I might have made. He never really got to choose to be evil or good." They sat in silence for a few minutes, thinking about Him and how so many little things piled until his creation was inevitable. Danny looked at his wrist for the time before realizing he had left his watch at home. "How long have we been here anyway?" It was his turn to raise an eyebrow as Clockwork laughed again.
"Time flows or doesn't as I will it Danny." His guest looked a little perturbed with that thought. "Is it a problem?"
"Well, I did just drop a huge bomb on my parents, so I was hoping to give them a little while to absorb it all before I talked to them again. But I can't wait too long otherwise they'll think I'm avoiding them. It's a delicate balance...or so my psychiatrist says." Danny later thought that it was too bad Clockwork wasn't drinking anything, because he was sure he could have witnessed a classic spit take.
"I seemed to have missed something when I was reviewing your life." There was a dryness in his voice that would have made any Englishman proud. Danny took a deep breath, wondering how this day had turned into one for confessions.
"After the incident with Spectra I was a little...burdened with some of the stuff she said. I didn't really believe all that crap about being a loser non fitting-in freak, but she planted the doubts, you know? After a few days I noticed that it was still affecting my fighting, so I decided I needed to talk to someone. I was never that good at understanding myself."
"I'd think that someone in your unique position would have trouble finding professional help."
"You don't know the half of it. I couldn't look for a ghost therapist because I didn't think I could trust them, and any human therapist would have to be told about my secret. Yes I was actually considering another ghost therapist" he responded to Clockwork's look. "Eventually I knew that human was the way to go, because a ghost's view of emotion is really limited. So I spent some time investigating this one woman Jazz saw when she was thirteen. She seemed really cool so I took a chance with her. Best decision I ever made, really." He drummed his finger against the wall he was leaning on, uncomfortable with the turn the conversation had taken. He'd promised Dr. Maxwell her secrecy, mainly so she could stay safe.
"I notice that your wounds have almost healed." Danny was slightly thrown by the change in conversation, but he grabbed at the chance. He checked his chest, realized he still didn't have a shirt on, blushed, and then moved on within one minute.
"Yeah, I heal a lot faster when the ambient ghost energy is more highly concentrated. So in the Ghost Zone I heal pretty rapidly. Does it help me when I need to hide bruises from my parents, or when I'm pretty much anywhere back home? No, but at least my battles here aren't too bad." He scowled as his...well, guardian of sorts just blinked at him. "I don't like school, math confuses me, and lit makes my head hurt, but ghost are one thing I can always understand. Especially if its me." Clockwork cleared his throat, obviously a little ashamed that Danny had caught his surprised look.
"Well, I guess it's time to send you back. Approximately forty minutes have passed since we left your family, is that enough time?" When Danny nodded and made to take off the medallion still hanging around his neck the ghost stopped him. "Keep it with you. It's pretty durable and carries some advantages. Not only does it prevent time manipulation from affecting you, but I can also contact you and vice versa. Now then, this portal will take you back to your house. I have some things to do, but I want to talk you about the alliance I mentioned earlier, preferably within the next few days. In case of an emergency just think about me and I'll hear it."
In Fentonworks, Sam Manson lifted her head from the computer she was reviewing. While Danny always gave them the new password every week, she and Tucker rarely read through the ghost files. Her mistake, because Danny had included some pretty funny bit in them, some interesting bits of information, even some insightful guesses. She never would have thought that he would spend so much time on them, but they were fairly complete as far as she could see. Except for one ghost.
There was no mention of Plasmius anywhere, and she would think that his file would have been the biggest. She wanted to tell his parents about their friend, but if Danny left out that file for a reason...no, better to wait until he got back. Speak of the devil-or superhero-whatever. A portal popped up, depositing back onto the couch, almost on top of her,
"Very funny!" he called back into the green before it disappeared. He turned to her, his cheeks lighting up slightly when he realized who he had bumped into. "I'm sorry Sam, but he seems to have this funny sense of humor. By the way, could you hand me my shirt?" Tucker choked off his laughter when Jazz gave a start, realizing that Danny was still half naked and Sam, to stop him from falling on her, had put her hands on his chest. It was one of the best awkward moments he had ever witnessed, but it sadly ended before its time.
"Here." Sam almost pushed him off of the couch with his shirt and cast around desperately for a change of subject. With a glance to make sure his parents were still absorbed in the files she whispered to him. "I noticed you left a ghost out of the files. Did you decide not to write about him?" Danny looked at the computer for a second before he stood up.
"Mom, dad, I need to borrow the computer for a couple of minutes. There are some things I need to change, and more files for you to see. They're just not as available." His mother handed him the laptop and he took it out of the room, causing Tucker to sigh. Sam laughed at him, and started explaining to Jazz, Maddie, and Jack.
"Tuckers been trying to hack into Danny's private files for months now, just as a challenge. He can't though, because Danny did something special to his computer and it's been driving Tucker crazy." She chuckled again and Tucker muttered about his friends betraying him. "It's not betrayal Tucker, he just wants his privacy. Besides, you know you only want access to his private files so that you can read his journal and embarrass him later." Tucker shrugged and gave a small grin. Jazz decided to add some input.
"You know, those that take the most joy in the embarrassment of others usually have the most crippling fear of embarrassment themselves." He tone was casual, but Tucker lost his grin quickly. With an exaggerated yawn he looked at his watch.
"Well, look at the time! I promised Val I would meet her at the park for a walk. Got to go, tell Danny I'll see him later." They could almost see the dust trail as he sped out of the room. Danny came in moments later.
"Can you tell me why Tucker almost ran me down?" He gives them a look when all he gets is laughter. "Never mind. There are only three files in here, the ones I thought I needed to keep track of the most. Just about, they were the most powerful ones I've ever faced, not counting Pariah Dark. But that's not the reason I separated them. I needed to keep these files secret, and I still do, really. I just want you guys to see them." He frowned for a second. "I guess I'll have to show tucker later." He put the laptop on the coffee table between them so they could all see.
"That's the Wisconsin Ghost! How did you get a picture of him?" Danny looked at him sadly and Sam felt bad for him. She didn't envy him for having to tell his father that his best friend was evil.
"His real name is Vlad Plamius, and he is one of the most evil beings I've ever encountered. Worse than Pariah, because he likes to manipulate. The worst part is that he's just like me, half-ghost." There was an indrawn breath from his mother, who probably had put it together, but he continued anyway. "When he is in human form, he's called Vlad Masters and looks like this." He brought up the picture and sat back, leaning against Sam to draw strength from her. With a covered yawn he continued." He has been a half-ghost for over twenty years, ever since he was involved in in accident that gave him ecto-acne. He was hospitalized for years, during which time his best friend and the unrequited love of his life got married." He paused here, and it took surprisingly little time for his father to figure it out.
"V-man was in love with Maddie? He never said anything when we were working together. Man, that had to have been a tough break. No wonder he didn't come to the wedding." His wife gave him a look that conveyed both love and exasperation. Danny sighed at his father.
"He was once your friend dad, but you can't count on that anymore. That accident changed his life in more ways than one. It gave him ghost powers, but it also denied him the ability to woo the girl he wanted." Sam's eyes were widening slightly during his speech. She didn't know he knew how to speak like that. It showed a maturity and insight she thought he had failed to pick up. "He stewed in his anger and hatred until it twisted him into what you saw at the reunion. He has used his powers to cheat and steal his way into financial excess, and he has three goals: kill the one who 'ruined his life', make his 'lost love' his wife, and turn me into his dark apprentice. Oh, and he wants the Packers." His mother looked a little put out that he had mentioned Vlad's desire for her. It was obvious why.
"That scum's been trying to steal my wife and my son? I'll rip him limb from limb!" Maddie patted his shoulder, trying to calm him down while Danny sighed.
"Did you miss the part where he wants to kill you dad? Because I'd really be worried about that if I were you. He more or less wants us to come to him willingly, as if, and is willing to work towards that slowly. His plots for us can be seen through and fought. The fact that he just wants you dead makes your situation a little rougher." Danny sighed and shut down the laptop, but not before Sam caught a glimpse of the other two file names. "I think we should talk some more before I show you the rest. After that we need to stop for the day to think things over." He ran his fingers through his hair. "I'm glad you guys know now, but there's so much to tell you-" Maddie leans in and pats his arm.
"Just take it one thing at a time honey. A deep breath first, and then you can start." Sam absently nodded her head, but ignored Danny when he started talking. Her mind lingered on the two files she had seen: Danny Phantom and Phantasmus. She hadn't know he had a file on himself, but what concerned her more was the other. Who was he? Why had Danny never mentioned him if he was so dangerous? Now wasn't the time for her to ask, but soon everything would come out in the open. She had let him bottle things up for too long, it was time to change that.