Chapter Five

Questions to Answer

His eyes snapped open as he finally came out of that world that Nocturne had put him into, his heart hammering against his chest as he did. He let out a deep gust of air before sitting up and looking around.

He was in his room in the hideout. Nothing seemed to have changed at all. He then looked down at his body, taking in the black and white suit of his outfit. It was the one he was given from Slade. His body should have been aching from the last…how long has he been asleep?

"Clockwork? Master? Anyone?" He called out as he stood up from the bed, noticing that nothing hurt anymore and his body felt stronger, lighter, and overall better than it had in years. "What's going on?" he questioned as he looked down at his hands and then closed his eyes, concentrating.

There. In his chest. That cold feeling he had back before his family had died, before Vlad had cut him open and placed whatever it was in him. It was back and he could believe it.

He snapped his glowing neon green eyes open as two beams of white formed around his waist and separated from each other, converting his suit into the inverse it normally was. His pale skin turned tan and his midnight hair turned a snowy white. Once the transformation was complete, he took an unnecessary deep breath and let it out, enjoying the feeling of coolness flooding his system.

He had missed this.

"Alright, let's get to the lab." He muttered as he phased through the walls and entered into his lab and return to solid form.

Only to have a familiar blue overall wearing ghost slam straight into him. "BEWARE! WHO DARES STOP THE BOX GHOST FROM ACCOMPLISHING HIS MISSION?"

"Geez, you don't have to yell, I'm right in front of you Boxy." Danny snarled as he rubbed his head as pain radiated from where it had met with the Box Ghost's own. "What are you even doing here?"

The Box Ghost blinked in surprise as he looked at the Halfa, wondering when the other had got here. "We have come to help you defeat the evil Plasmius!" He informed.

Danny blinked as he looked at the ghost. "Defeat who? What do you mean? Plasmius is supposed to be dead!" He growled as he grabbed the ghost by his overalls and raised him into the air, ready to punch him.

Only for his hand to be caught by a familiar metal hand. "Turns out that Plasmius is alive, and another ghost has joined forces with him." Skulker informed the halfa, looking him over with a raised brow. "I'm surprised to see your ghost side again."

"You and me both." Danny muttered as he released Boxy. "But what's this about Plasmius? Another ghost joining forces with him?" He growled in irritation and confusion. He hadn't realized how messed up everything was until Skulker started talking. "What the hell is going on here?"
"Plasmius isn't dead, for one." Skulker stated. "He's alive and well, another ghost that calls himself Dan has appeared to help….And apparently you know him."

Danny growled at the name, knowing exactly who Skulker was talking about now. "So he's come out to play, huh." He muttered to himself before shaking his head. "What is it that they want now? I thought after being defeated by a fourteen year old and sixteen year old, they'd stay away or dead."

"They want more than that Punk." Walker said as he came through the portal and then with him it seemed thousands of ghosts did, sweeping the three up through the ceiling and up into the open of Jump City. "They want to take over the human world and the Ghost Zone."

Danny gaped at all the ghosts that now stood around him, his body chilled and ice began to spread from his feet. "What the Clockwork? Why are you all here?"

"We have come to stop the destruction of our home." A ghost that was tall with blue skin, four arms, and gladiator armor. "If we don't help you, then we risk losing everything we hold dear."

"And I don't know about you but I, Technus, do not want to become ghost slime!" the scientist said with a grime look about him. He had cut his hair short and spiked it while wearing what seemed a business suit with a lab coat over it. "We will stop him before he does!"

Cujo barked happily as he walked over to Danny and sat in front of him. Danny smirked at the pup before his attention was grabbed by giant yetis, led by one with an icy arm. "They are correct Great One. We must combine our forces to defeat them."

Danny blinked in surprise at the yeti but shook his head as he looked around again. Taking in the forms of familiar faces to the new faces of ghosts. He scowled as he realized that most of the ones he knew were ones that would have killed him years ago. "Well, since apparently there's a ghost that needs to be put into place, I guess I have no choice but to accept your help." He admitted as he looked pass the ghosts and to the town around him.

Everything was quiet and there was no one walking around like there normally is at that time of day. It was rather late in the morning so there should have been someone or something moving. But there wasn't.

It was like a ghost town.

Danny snorted at himself for thinking that before shaking his head and turning towards Skulker. "So, tell me, what's going on here and where are all the humans."

Skulker did as told and gave the information that he had. Though very little, Danny was able to glean the fact that Vlad had taken the humans and had most likely hidden them. Dan was obviously helping out with that so he needed to come up with a plan to find the humans and get them out of the ghost's hold while he himself went after Vlad and Dan.

"I see." Danny muttered before looking around him. "Okay, here's what's going to happen. Skulker, you are going to take Walker and all of his members and those who want to help the humans, find them, and get them to the outskirts of the town. They'll be in the way otherwise." He ordered, ignoring the scowl from the Warden at being ordered around. "The rest of you are going to come with me. We are going after Vlad and Dan. I'll take their attention by attacking head on, the rest of you will sneak up on them by surrounding them. Once I give the signal," he held up a hand ran it over his hand to demonstrate, "you'll attack with everything you have. Don't hold back."

"It seems like a great plan!" The giant ghost stated as she waved around a spear that had materialized out of nowhere. "This shall be a victorious battle!"

"Yes, let us get going so that we can taste the defeat of our enemies!" The Yetis cried out in excitement while Cujo barked in excitement.

"Cujo, go with Skulker and the others, they can use your ability to track to their use." Danny ordered the pup, ignoring the whining as the green puppy moved over to Skulker. "Alright, now that we have this all planned out, let's get a move on." With that, Danny took off for one building in the city, the only place he knew that Vlad could possibly be with Dan.

He headed towards Titans Tower.

TeenTitans

His head pounded as he began to come to consciousness. "Gah, I feel like I was hit by Superman and then took a hit from Starfire." He groaned as he slowly opened his eyes.

"Trust me, you aren't the only one." That was Batman, he knew that voice right off the bat. "Diane has hit me before…I do not need a reminder of that day."

"You…deserved it." Superman, that one was Superman.

"What…happened?" Robin questioned as he raised his head and looked around, his vision blurry at first but then cleared to reveal the room they were in. "Are…are we in the Tower?"

"Yeah." Cyborg said from where he was strapped to the steel beams that were forced into the floor of the tower in the shape of an X. There were several beams like that and all of them were stuck to them. They were set up in a circle, a chair that must have been a throne, tall and spiky black with red hues. "They've taken the tower."

Robin grunted in acknowledgement as he looked around the room, taking in the others that had been captured. The only ones he could that weren't there, Beast boy and Raven and then Phantom. Otherwise, they were all there. "It seems that we'll need a new plan." Robin sighed as he took in the Kryptonite just above Superman's head and how Flash was still out cold but fitted with what seemed to be some sort of collar. Starfire was strapped down multiple beams, obviously in an attempt to keep her down, while he and Batman had been stripped of their utility belts. Cyborg looked like he had been drained of all energy, his once bright blue cybernetics were now a dull grey.

"I haven't been awake long enough to feel out the situation." Batman informed as he looked at Robin, who was directly across from him. "I know that Plasmius has taken the city entirely and that he plans on doing something to take over the world…what…I haven't figured out yet."

Slade watched with a lidded eye, mind racing as his hands moved to slip out of the restraints that held him tight against the metal. He knew of a way to get out easily, but he didn't want to resort to it just yet, he needed to wait and see what would happen next.

"What hit me?" Flash questioned as he groaned his way to the waking world. "Did I get in the way of GL's ring again?"

"Nowhere even close." Batman drawled as he moved his hands around in the restraints. He was considering breaking his thumb to get his hands free. It would be painful and hamper his fighting a little, but it would be worth getting out of the metal restraints and getting the others out of theirs worth it. It would have to wait until the right moment or he'd risk getting caught right from the start. "Are you hurt otherwise?"

Flash grunted as he moved around, frowning at the feeling of a collar around his neck. "Yeah, sore and a headache, but nothing major." He closed his eyes and concentrated as he began to slowly vibrate his body, intent on escape the restraints holding him down.

The collar beeped.

Flash screamed in pain as electricity ran through his body, stopping the vibration of his body. "Did you really think we wouldn't think of your ability to move through solid objects by vibrating the molecules of your body to a high enough speed?" Dan chuckled as he appeared in the middle of the group, smirking at them.

"We thought of everything dear man." Vlad announced as he appeared from behind Slade, with his own smile on his face. "Even the fact that my company has been moved into the hands of the likes of you." He sneered at Slade, who only exuded a smug aura.

"Loki Eris, what a very creative name you've come up with Slade." Dan said as he appeared at the man's other side, leaning against the side of the metal beams. "Not to mention faking Vladdy's will so that you and my younger self get all of that money."
"Your younger self?" Robin got out as he looked over the ghost in front of him fully for the first time.

"Yes, my younger self." Dan agreed as he stood up straight and held his arms out to reveal his body. The stylized D with the P inside of it was familiar from old pictures of newspapers and now that they looked at his face closely, they could see the same features of Phantom's own. "I am Danny Phantom!"
"Well…it could be worse." Cyborg said as a groan came from Starfire, signaling that she was waking up. "You could be Gizmo all grown up and ghoul like."

Dan snarled at that but stopped as Vlad raised a hand. "No, you do not seem to understand young Cyborg. Daniel was incredibly powerful when he was fourteen. He took on Pariah Dark, the King of Ghosts, and had fought against me for months before his family died. IF he had been allowed to mature into an adult…he would have become the most powerful being on earth, or at least one of them." He explained calmly as he waved his hand towards Dan. "And that is what Dan here is, one of the most powerful beings on this planet."

"That's nice to know. Too bad he had to use Kryptonite to prove he's better than Superman." Robin snark as he wiggled his wrists around, calculating the force needed to break his thumbs and drag his hands through the restraints. "Shows exactly how strong he really is."

"No." Dan snarled as he pushed his face up into Robin's. "That's me playing smart! That's me planning to make sure that the situation goes in the direction I want! That's strategy." He stated as he stood back up with a smug smirk on his face. "Being one step ahead of the game is how you come out on top while the rest rot."

"But then what?" Batman questioned next. "Once you take over the world, destroy everything there is, then what are you going to do?"

"My dear Batman, that's not what we're going to do." Vlad said as he walked over to stand in front of the Dark Knight. "We're going to take over the world and make everyone bow down to us. Make them worship us like the gods we are."

"You cannot expect to get away with this." Starfire said as her eyes glowed neon green and she struggled against the metal holding her down. "We will stop you from doing what you say!" She moved to shoot off some eye lasers but was stopped when a hand covered her eyes.

"I don't think so little girl." Dan stated as he moved his free hand over her stomach and began to dig his claws into the soft flesh there. "I think I have a promise to keep." He leaned forward and allowed his tongue to reach out and lap at that girl's face. "So let's see how loud you can scream."

Claws sunk deep into flesh.

Starfire screamed.

Several things all happened at once.

Robin and Batman broke both their thumbs and squeezed their hands through the restraints, launching themselves at Dan.

Vlad watched with raised brows at the two humans attacked Dan.

Dan growled as he felt two fists slam into his back.

Both ghosts gasped as their ghost sense went off.

A flash of black light lit up just off to the side of Vlad.

Dan yelled in pain as a green energy covered fist slammed into his chin and sent him flying up into ceiling

"Did you really think that we were going to allow you to do something like that you frootloops!"

"It's about time you showed up."

"Good to be back Master, though I didn't think you'd be showing exactly what you are here and now." Phantom said as he landed in front of a dumbfounded Vlad.

"Yes, well, when circumstances no longer allow for secrets to be kept." Slade drawled as he walked through the restraints holding him. "Besides, we have bigger fish to fry."
"Agreed." Danny said as he smirked. "Good thing I brought an army."

Plasmius watched in horror as ghost upon ghost appeared around them. All sorts of ghosts, some he recognized and some he didn't. "Oh butter biscuits." He groaned as Dan landed back on the floor next to him. "It seems we're outnumbered." He glowered at the ghosts.

"We are." Dan agreed as his gaze settled on a white hair figure standing next to an entirely black colored ghosts. "I know of a way to take them out all at once though." He said with a smirk.

"Then do it!" Vlad ordered only to gasp as Dan sucked in huge amount of air and then released it all.

Phantom had quickly sucked in his own breath of air and released it at the same time.

The two ghostly wails slammed into each other.

Dan growled in his throat as he realized that the two of them were dead even.

"Get the humans out of here." A yeti yelled and soon each human was grabbed around the waist and pulled from their restraints through intangibility. "Let's get them out of here and then go and regroup in the agreed upon place." With that Robin and all the others were grabbed by a ghost and dragged off through the tower and away from the battle.

"Time to go."

Danny nodded his head and cut off his wail and soon it was only Vlad and Dan left in the tower.

"What the hell just happened!?" Dan screamed as he looked at the destroyed living room of the Titan's Tower.

DannyPhantom

Robin gasped as he was set on the ground once more, all the others right behind him, along with all the ghosts that had come to the battle as well. "I…" He looked around at the ghosts that had helped them, trying to figure out what he was supposed to do or think. "I have no clue what just happened." He finally admitted.

"That's easy enough to answer." A ghost of a woman with long blonde hair in a braid and a blue medieval dress said with a smile. She wore a pendant with a dragon's eye jewel embedded in it. "We arrived to assist you fair heroes in halting Plasmius and that other ghost's attempt at destroying the world." She explained simply.

"Dora's right." Phantom said as he phased through the ceiling of the building they were in at the moment. "All of these ghosts, all of us, we're here to put a stop to Dan and Plasmius before they destroy the entire world."

"We know of the Plasmius." Starfire got out, ignoring Batman attending to her stomach. "What of the other one, the one that says he is you?"

Phantom frowned at that as he looked at the little bit of Teen Titans and part of the Justice league. Flash had the collar removed so he could move fast again, Superman was recovering from the Kryptonite, Starfire was being bandaged, Cyborg had Technus going over his systems, and the others were fine for the most part. "That's Dan Phantom and he's a future me that had turned evil and destroyed everything on Earth." He admitted with a frown. "I didn't follow that path but it's still a possibility and that's why he's here."

"So he wants the great one to turn evil and become like him. That would make a great amount of sense." The yeti said with a nod.

"Yes, it would." The ghost standing next to Phantom said, hands behind his back and stature tall. "Time is something that is ever flowing and ever changing. One cannot always change what the future holds, though it is possible."

Robin blinked at the ghost, taking it in full. The majority of it was all black, the gear, the boots, the armor was all black. The gloves and belt were white while the helmet that covered its entire head was white with one side a neon green. Robin blinked multiple times as a blank ring of energy surrounded the figure and separated, revealing Slade.

"WHAT THE HELL!"

TeenTitans

It was quiet for several minutes and he began to drift off to sleep again when he heard the voice speak one last time. "That's the thing though, I didn't survive."

Slade sat next to his student, relaxing back into his armchair as he remembered what had happened in the mansion.

He had been stabbed by shrapnel from the explosion. He was bleeding out and wouldn't survive much longer. HE shouldn't have even made it outside of the mansion at all, he was too weak and slow to make it as far as he had.

He should have been dead.

But he wasn't.

"Correct, you are alive."
Slade startled and moved to jump from his chair, but stopped when his side ripped open with pain. "Time Out." The voice stated again and Slade watched as a ghost appeared. "Do not move, I come in peace."

"Yeah, and you might you be then?" Slade questioned as he took in the blue skin and purple cloak, blinking as the ghost changed from an old man to a young child. The staff in his hands held firmly through the transformation.

"I am Clockwork, Master of Time." He explained as he floated over towards where Phantom was resting on his bed, bandaged and healing. "You should have died, yes, but someone interfered."

"Why would they do that? If what Phantom has told me, you never allow interference unless it was dire for you to do so." He didn't want to believe this ghost, not truly, since he would be in his debt if he had truly interfered on his behalf.

"A time where Phantom needs you is coming. He must have someone there to help him make the choices needed so that he does not go down the path that leads to destruction." Clockwork said as he turned back towards Slade, taking in the damage that had been done to the other. "You will be the key that will keep him from turning into the thing he promised not to."

"So someone saved me not because it was right, but because it would benefit them and your time keeper duty." Slade drawled and then shrugged. "Either way, I'm still alive to do as I please."

"Indeed." The Time Ghost smirked as he floated over towards the man. "Though you are more accurately half alive than fully alive." With that he reached over and laid a hand on the mortal's chest and sent a wave of power through his chest.

Slade gasped as something burst from his chest and consumed his entire being in glowing black energy. He looked down at his hands in surprise and then back up at the ghost. "I'm…half dead?"

"You are, and you'll learn all you need to soon enough. Take the time you need to train and become strong again." Clockwork stated as he reached over to his staff to hit a button on it. "Time in."

Slade blinked and the Master of Tine was gone and he was left alone in the room with his apprentice once more, still in his ghost form.

DannyPhantom

"So Clockwork saved you?" Danny said as he looked over his Master's new form. It was an enjoyable sight to see his master struggling with his new powers. He had caught the man phasing through the floor by accident the other day though Slade had tried to make it look like it was on purpose. Danny knew better though.

"No, someone else did but apparently it was against the time line, but he didn't do anything to actually correct it." Slade explained calmly as he concentrated, bringing up a blue ball of energy into his hand. "I though most ghost energy was green, not blue."

"Most yes, but there are ghosts with different energy colors. Ember has blue for example. Plasmius had pink." Danny explained calmly. "You'll have to figure out what abilities you have and the further along you get in controlling them, the more you'll develop as well. So just train like you always do and I'll help you where I can."

Slade nodded his head as he returned to his normal form, ignoring how heavy he felt after being in his ghost form's light weight body. "You'll have to, as I have a feeling that practice is the only way to gain any sort of control." He admitted grudgingly. He knew that Phantom had gone through hell to control what powers he had, he would know exactly what he went through now. "I feel as if this is going to be frustrating."

"Probably." Phantom agreed as he slid his legs over the side of his bed and stood up slowly, walking slowly towards where the bathroom was. "But then again, you're a genius so it might be easy once you get in the swing of things."

Slade could only hope Phantom was right as the teen disappeared into the bathroom, leaving him to contemplate how he would go about this.

TeenTitans

"My head." She groaned as she forced her eyes open, taking in the dank domed shaped room she was in. It was familiar. "I know this place." She muttered as she pushed into the furry side of The Beast. She was sore all over but the more dangerous injuries had all healed over and were closed. She would have scars and she would hurt for a while yet, but she would survive.

She looked around the area again, smiling as she remembered Beast bringing her here the first time she had been hurt and he had saved her by bringing her here. Adonis hadn't been able to get to her while Beast Boy had been protecting her. She wasn't surprised to find that the Beast had brought her here to heal. She doubted that anyone would willingly come down into the sewers and track them through all the tunnels.

The Beast grumbled as he shifted, moving Raven around until she was pushed further up against his side and his head tail could curl around her protectively. Raven smiled and ran a hand over the green fur in a soothing manner. "As much as I would like to stay and sleep, we have somewhere we need to be." She said as she pushed his head so that it would allow her an exit.

Beast growled at that but watched her stand up worriedly, snapping to his feet as she stumbled and gave her support so that she wouldn't fall. "Thanks." She said as she patted him on the head, wondering if she could return him to the fun loving and care free teen that Beast Boy had been. She still couldn't explain why he was like this or how he had gotten like this. She hoped that she could return him but until then she'd keep him close and care for him as well as she could.

"We need to find the others now. Come on, let's get going." She said as she began to walk, The Beast acting as her support system so she wouldn't fall. "We need to find our friends and help them." She stated.

The Beast only growled low in his throat.

DannyPhantom

A.N. Okay, so the real shit is about to hit the fan here soon. We'll make sure that everything is going to go to plan here soon. Also, I'm so sorry this took as long as it did to get out! I've been so busy with work and school but summer vacation is here and I'll try and update a few more times before fall classes come around. No guarantees though because I'll be busy with work as well. I'm working like eighty hours next week and I'm going to die! But yeah! Review and tell me what all you think so far!