Chapter Eight

Reflection of One's Self

'Important enough.' He thought to himself as he looked down at the glaring teen. "I refuse to keep you as an apprentice if you turn into him." He stated as he held tightly. "I refuse to teach a monster to destroy the world just because he wants to throw a temper tantrum."

Phantom's eyes widened at that before a snarl formed on his lips and he released the swords and forced his body to float in the air long enough to kick the other man with his feet, off of him.

Slade grunted at the force but looked up with a glare. He was ready to defeat his student if it meant stopping him from doing something foolish.

Only to watch with wide eyes as Phantom grabbed hold of the ice blades and slam them right where Dan Phantom was.

Everything had slowed, nothing was moving and all was still.

A sigh broke the air as a figure appeared next to the half ghost teen, staring at where the swords were only a mere inch from impaling Dan Phantom directly in the face. A demise that the ghost would deserve but did not deserve at Phantom's hands.

"And here we thought he would make the right choice." He said to the air, knowing that his Master would no longer hear him and that he was merely speaking to himself now. His white cloak hid his face while the hourglass clasp kept the cloak closed around his body. Except for the hand in a black glove with a green sleeve fitting underneath it. The hand held a staff in the shape of a clock, a gift from his master before he had left.

He pulled out a medallion from within with his free hand, a matching black glove and green sleeve appearing, and slipped it over Phantom's head while keeping the swords frozen. "You have disappointed Clockwork and myself." He said as soon as Phantom tumbled over his swords and onto the ground, the force behind them so great. "You were warned what would happen if you continued to go down the path of destruction."

Danny snarled as he glared at the new figure, only pausing when he saw the familiar staff. "Clockwork's staff…" He turned to face the ghost fully now, staring with furrowed brows. "Who are you?"

A chuckle as the person reached up to pull at the hood. "You were always easy to distract, even now in the middle of chaos and destruction, you are distracted by my identity."

Horror wracked the halfa's face as he stared at the face of this new ghost, unsure of what to do or think at that moment. "Though to be fair, I don't think you expected for me to take over for Clockwork."

Danny swallowed hard as he stared into bright golden eyes that had once been warm brown eyes. The once dark mocha colored skin was now ash gray and that crooked smile was the same as it was when this person was human. "But…how…you…left with Sam…and Jazz."

"Nope, sorry." He shrugged his shoulders with a wink. "Clockwork grabbed me before I could really leave and I turned into his Apprentice. Who knew I'd die and become the Master of Time." He questioned as he waved the staff around to emphasize.

Tears filled emerald eyes as he looked the other over fully. Taking in the neon green shirt and the long wispy white ghost tail below. He wore his beret that was now a neon green matching his shirt and his glasses were no longer there, no longer needed. Those gold eyes shined with amusement but also sadness and disappointment. "Tucker…" He said as his voice cracked with sorrow and disbelief.

"I know buddy." Tucker said as he laid a hand on Danny's shoulder, watching as the other's knees finally gave out and he was left kneeling before the other. "But there is another problem to deal with before we can chat about this whole dead thing." He waved in the direction Dan was on the ground with all the heroes and villains watching in horror. "You made a promise."

Danny ground his teeth as he wiped his eyes of the tears in his eyes. "Does it matter? I have nothing left. Not even an obsession anymore to keep me going." He looked away from the other and kept his eyes on the ground. He didn't need the other seeing the despair there.

Tucker sighed as he shook his head. "You haven't lost everything yet. Yes, you've lost your obsession and friends and family, but you can find new ones. You can find a way to replace all the pain and anger inside if you just give it time." He explained. "Stand up."

Normally he wouldn't obey his friend, but for some reason or another Tucker was now the new Clockwork. He needed to listen if he wanted to survive. He still remembered the scythe used against him and the threats of the Observants. So he stood up and turned in the direction that the other was pointing in.

"Dan Phantom was created from the hatred, sorrow, anger, and confusion of Danny Phantom. All of those emotions that he felt caused him to rip the Plasmius out of Masters and fuse with him. Those emotions were just intensified and worsened due to lack of humanity." Tucker explained as he played the scene of Dan Phantom's creation in front of them. "You have all the requirements to turn into him, except for the fact that you lack Masters's other half at the moment. You need that to become Dan Phantom."

Danny nodded along, already knowing this to a point. He had refused to reject his ghost half though and had kept it. It didn't deserve his hatred just because it was part of the reason his family had died. "I don't see the problem then. If I need Masters's half to become Dan, than you shouldn't worry about it." He shrugged carelessly.

"I would agree, but there is so many channels of time that all end horribly because you kill him right there." Tucker brought up window after window after window of timelines, watching each one with sorrowful eyes.

Danny walked over so that he was standing shoulder to shoulder with the other, his eyes flicking over the screens with disbelief on his face.

One where he was running around with a blank look with Robin at his side, saving civilians and stopping villains. His face remained emotionless…blank…it was terrifying.

One where he was still with his Master, Slade, stealing as he saw fit and always challenging the Titans. He was ripping into the Titans though, leaving ragged scars and bloody trails on their bodies.

Him with red eyes and hair flicking like flames as he attacked his Master and tore him limb from limb and spraying blood all over the place. Screams in the background and if he looked closer, he could see what seemed like a green gloved hand soaked in blood off to the side in a pool of blood.

The world was burning and the only person left standing was a confused and lost looking Superman. Bodies resting all around him in pools of blood, vomit, and other body juices that most likely stunk. He could see Batman's cowl laying at the Krytonian's feet, torn and ragged. He was pretty sure that was Lex Luther's half shattered skull off to the side. Flash but his entire upper half was missing.

Robin's head in his hands as he snarled at Batman. His eyes flared entirely red while blood pooled from his mouth. A hole in his stomach leaked out blood and ectoplasm and more holes appeared as the Dark Knight continued to shoot him full of holes with an Ectogun. He held onto the head of the Boy Wonder though, not letting it go even as he lost more blood and Robin's own head continued to fill with holes along with his own body.

A child with tears on her face as she looked up at a red eyes teen with glowing white hair while the rest of him was shadowed in darkness. Though one could see claws where his hands should have been.

Underneath the child's hands was two bodies, the bodies of her parents. The father's face had been clawed clear off with the throat ripped open. The woman, heavily pregnant with her heart and lungs laying outside of her body. The child had tears running down her face with blood splattered all over her face.

Her red hair glistened in the light while her light blue eyes were dull with horror and sadness.

Movement from the mother caught his eye and he watched in horror as little limbs pushed up against the swollen stomach. Fighting for air, fighting for life, fighting to survive.

A little life that would never know the love of their mother because he had destroyed the world and his family.

Just like his had been and left him in the cold.

"Enough!" He shouted as he whipped away from the screen as his mind flooded with the explosion that had destroyed his family, friends, and teacher all in one epic blow. HE wanted nothing of the like again. Ever again. "No more!"

"Then keep your promise!" Tucker shouted as he turned to follow his friend's pacing figure. "Don't be arrogant enough to assume that you can't keep it just because you don't want to anymore! Be that man your family and Sam thought you could be!" He demanded.

Danny stared at the once upon a time techno geek before sighing. "I'm not going to make any more promises." He stated with his head turned down and eyes hidden by his hair. "I will not make any more promises." Tucker watched for a long drawn out moment, waiting for what was coming next and seeing all the outcomes that could occur at the same time. "But I will keep the ones I've already made."

Tucker smiled at that before tilting his head. "Good. That's good to know." He said before he floated over to his friend and laid a hand on his shoulder, getting his attention once more. "There is more we must talk about, but now is not the time. I will come to you when it is time and when the flow of time aligns."

"Wow, you really have taken over for Clockwork." Danny drawled as he laid a hand over Tucker's before nodding at the other. "You'll have to tell me what happened to him next time I see you."

"I will my friend, but for now, you have a job to do. For Dan cannot continue to exist. He will never stop and he will continue. There is one way you can stop him that will keep you free to choose your future at will without having the stain of death on your hands." Tucker grinned wiry. "Remember how Vlad ripped Danny and Phantom apart that first time and how you separated yourself with the Fenton Ghost Catcher?"

Danny stared at him with a deadpanned expression before nodding his head. "This…isn't going to be easy." He stated as Tucker moved away from him.

"Nothing worth doing is ever easy Danny." Tucker agreed easily as he reached up to press the button on the staff. "But that's why it must be done. Time in." With that he disappeared in a swirl of green energy as things began to move forward once more.

He wasted no time as soon as he was released back into the moving timeline.

"Where'd Phantom go!?" Robin shouted as his eyes widened. The halfa was no longer there over Dan and Slade was standing there with wide eyes, arms encircling air while Dan himself disappeared into the ground to reappear standing off to the side.

"No clue." Raven said as she flashed around to try and find the halfa while kneeling down next to a still downed Beast. "But he has to be here somewhere!"

"Keep him away from Dan. He gets close, he'll kill him." Batman stated as he whipped out a Fenton Bo-staff out of seemingly nowhere, tossing one to Robin.

"Yeah, we get that." Cyborg grumbled as he transformed his arm into his cannon, ready to fire at a moment's notice.

"I'm not seeing him anywhere." Flash groaned in annoyance, even as he flitted around the area with Mas and Menos flying around behind him as well. "He can't have just up and disappeared just like that, could he?"

"He's half ghost with all of their abilities." Slade drawled, making sure Dan Phantom didn't move from his spot. "So yes he can disappear whenever he wants."

"Well, who knew I'd be getting into something like this." Kid Flash blinked in some surprise as he looked around, making sure to keep his feet ready just in case he had to move. "Thanks for inviting me to this party."

"Yeah, no problem." Cyborg replied as he activated his heat sensors to try and find Phantom if he was invisible. "Though I don't think you've been able to do a whole lot to help us here."

"No worries. I'll find a way to be helpful." Kid Flash took off then, kicking up dust all around the group. "Nothing there." He said as he reappeared next to the cyborg.

"Dust kicked up showing nothing. No big surprise there." Raven stated as she stood up, Beast growling uncomfortably as she did. "Phantom knows all of those tricks. I'm sure he knows how to avoid being detected by them."

"Okay, than how do we find him?" Wally scratched his head in confusion.

"You don't." Slade twisted his body as he looked around, his body glowing fiercely as he watched Dan Phantom move sideways carefully. Obviously the other ghost was looking for the halfa as well, ignoring how his body was weak and tired and in need of a patch job. "We also need to watch out for the other ghosts here. I doubt they'll do anything without that signal, but still…" He growled in annoyance as he tried to figure out what to do now.

Danny Phantom

Up above the group, hundreds of ghosts floated, keeping an eye on the group below. Their job was simple, make sure that no one escaped.

"What do you think is happening down there?" Technus questioned as he ran a hand through his mullet, trying to figure out where the halfa brat had disappeared to.

"A lot of yelling and running." Was the drawled answer from the hunter. His arms were crossed over his chest, watching as the speedsters all ran around and the others twisted and turned, trying to find the whelp. The threat that was similar to the whelp but different was constantly moving as well while Plasmius was held to the ground due to his inability to transform. He kept an eye on the man though, just in case he tried to escape again.

"Well, yeah, but where has Phantom gone?" It was obvious that not only Technus was confused at the happenings.

It was only a minute ago that the halfa was about to skewer that other ghost's core and permanently kill him. Now though, he wasn't there and nowhere in sight. It was annoying, confusing, and disconcerting.

None of them were here to just stand around and wait but that's what they were ordered to do. To stand there and wait until their signal and until they were needed for the battle. None of them were sure they were even needed here but apparently the one ghost thought they were. Hopefully they would be able to prove their worth and fulfill whatever plan that ghost had.

But then there was a whisper right next to where Skulker's ears would have been if he had been alive.

"I need your guys' help."

"Phantom." He gasped as he whipped to the side to stare at the teenager, eyes a glow with something he didn't know nor understand. "When did you…"

"No time." The whelp stated as he looked around them. "I'm low on power and I need help to get Dan through a device I made a while back. You remember that dream catcher that my parents had in the lab forever ago, right?" he questioned.

"The one that splits ghosts from humans, right?" Technus questioned.

"That's right. It'll also split two fused ghosts apart."

"Two ghosts fused together." Skulker had only heard of rare instances of that happening. Normally it only happened when the ghosts were desperate to survive and so would fuse with another to become stronger.

To be stronger.

His head whipped down to stare at the still moving ghost below. "No…"

"Yes." The Whelp winced but shook his head a moment later. "I need to push him through but like I said, I have little power left and he's still too strong for me to do it alone."

"Then we shall help!" The Box Ghost stated as he appeared next to them. "Is that not what we came here for in the first place?"

Phantom smiled at the blue overall wearing ghost and nodded. "That's right. So once I have the device set in place, I need you all to blast him into it together. It'll take all you guys to do this."

"He's that strong, huh?" Skulker cocked his blaster and made sure all systems were on.

"Stronger."

"Well damn." The grin on his face belied his excitement though. "Let's do this then."

"You got it you bucket of bolts." The returning grin reminded him of times of battles and witty banter.

He didn't miss it at all.

He forgot how much fun sarcasm could be, even in his own mind.

Danny Phantom

"Where are you!?" Dan growled as he continued to whip around again and again. His flaming hair was flaring dangerously in his anger and frustration, his claws had lengthened, and his eyes glowed brightly. He needed to end this fight! HE needed to dominate that little brat.

"COME OUT NOW!" HE screamed as he slammed a fist into the ground, cracking it open and sending earth flying all around. "FIGHT ME YOU COWARD! NO MORE GAMES! NO MORE TOYS! NONE OF THAT! COME AND FIGHT ME NOW!"

Nothing. The brat wasn't coming out at all. Not like last time when he attacked head on seemingly without fear.

He knew better. He knew the terror that always streaked the kid's insides, painting him with tremors that were almost naked to any sort of eye.

He had seen them though, back during that final fight years ago. He knew what to look for after all but he still relished in the fear his younger self had suffered. He never suffered from fear anymore.

Not since he had killed his humanity.

He only felt anger and frustration and victory and smugness. No other emotion could he feel and it hardly mattered.

He was the best after all.

But he had to prove that by turning that runt into him or killing him, either one was fine. "COME OUT NOW!"

He wanted to destroy that pest more than ever now. Who knew that he had turned into such a coward after Plasmius's tender care? Maybe he couldn't predict him as well as he used too due to the change in the timeline. That would make turning the brat into him even more troublesome.

"Hey ugly! I'm over here!" His eyes whipped around to stare directly behind him, his body following seconds later so that he could face the punk fully. "What? Did you think I was just going to let those weaklings over there kick your butt?"

The head jerk caused his eyes to flick over to where the Justice League, Teen Titans, and Slade all stood. The image of Vlad struggling with the belt was humorous but unimportant at the moment. His eyes landed back on the teen. "Please, I could destroy them all in a second."

A smirk and a nod. "I know, but they'd give one hell of a fight." He frowned at the boy. He had changed suddenly, almost back to how he was when he was fourteen. Something was up here. "Just like we're going to give you one hell of a fight!" HE shouted as his emerald eyes flashed as one after another ghost upon ghost appeared behind him.

His eyes widened as he took in the forms of Skulker, Technus, Walker and his crew, Spectra, the Ghost Writer, Dora the dragon, and so many more. All of them rearing to fight with glowing fists, guns, books, quills, wings, and whatever else. There were so many in one place.

He hadn't seen a sight like this since the first time he had obliterated each and every one of these pieces of ectoplasmic scum.

"They can't stop me." HE grinned in triumph, getting ready to destroy them all.

"They don't have to." Danny admitted as his eyes flicked to something behind the evil ghost.

Confused red eyes reactively turned to see what was there, widening at the device that stood directly behind him with the Lunch Lady and Sidney standing there with the Fenton Ghost Catcher.

"No!" He shouted as he remembered what this device could do to him. He wouldn't allow it to end like this. Never like this.

So he twisted around and prepared to blast the damned thing to bits so that it couldn't be used for what he was created to do.

Only to have blasts slam into his back.

He roared as he turned around and put his arms up to shield his body. He didn't have time to put up a full shield as the blasts slammed into him continuously, pushing him backwards towards where the Catcher was waiting for him.

"I will not allow this!" He growled angrily, pushing forwards against all the attacks that were hitting him. "I WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO DO THIS!" He roared as he began to push against the beam harder, taking one step after agonizing step.

"You…weren't kidding." Skulker grunted as he released more of his weapons, scowling when they landed on the other ghost but hardly left a scratch, though they did stop him for several seconds. "He's powerful."

"Yes!" Technus agreed with a groan. "I do not think I can keep this up for much longer!"

"We gotta push him back! He's gotta get through that catcher!" Danny shouted back as he released his ray and stepped forward enough so that everyone and their attacks were just slightly behind him. "Hold yourselves steady!" He warned as he planted his feet into the ground.

"God damn it!" Dan shouted as he realized what his younger self was about to do, taking a deep breath himself seconds after the other.

The wails were released, one merging with the attacks of others, creating a bright white beam that shook the earth and left a dredge in the dirt. The other struggled against it but held firm.

Danny knew he wouldn't be able to hold the wail for long, he'd have to stop and breathe at some point. Dan on the other hand only had to keep screaming for as long as he wanted. Damn the damn thing for being full ghost and making breathing obsolete.

"I got this!" A voice next to Danny shouted and the halfa's eyes widened in surprise as the Box Ghost stepped forward with a wide grin on his face and several little blue cubes in his hands. "BEWARE FOR I AM THE BOX GHOST!" He shouted and threw the little cubes.

Once upon a time, another Box Ghost had attacked Danny, one with a hooked hand and an eye patch over one eye. He was strong and vicious due to the attack Dan Phantom had served upon him and his family. Back then, Danny had come face to face with little cubs that had thrown his way, blasting him halfway across the Ghost Zone.

Here, Danny watched as the starting point of growth began for another Box Ghost, starting with little blue cubes that slammed into a surprised Dan Phantom's legs.

An Explosion swept across the ground and all the ghosts gathered watched in satisfaction as that explosion took their enemy's feet right out from underneath him.

Dan could only stare in complete rage at the Box Ghost as the rest of the ghosts' attacks slammed into him fully and threw him backwards.

Right into the Ghost Catcher.

Danny Phantom

A.N. Alright! Finally! Another chapter that I've been working on for like a very long while! Sorry, school and work has been kicking my ass and I'm just so freaking tired that I've been hardly able to stay awake when I have the time. I've taken to working on my stories here and there to try and get them done.

I also know that the chapters here have been shorter than I normally do, but I honestly have nothing else to add sometimes without ruining the plot. This way you get the action and fun and storyline without me adding on unneeded parts to the story.

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, review and let me know! I'll talk to you guys later.