Phantom flew through the streets of Amity Park at incredible speeds. He chanced a look over his shoulder and cursed his bad luck. The Silver Surfer was still hot on his tail. The chase had been going on since earlier in the morning and had rudely interrupted Danny Fenton's happiness over the announcement that school would be canceled indefinitely until the crisis situation was under control.

His mood was worsened as the Silver Surfer fired a blast of silver ectoplasm at him. Phantom fired his own blast to intercept the Surfer's and the explosion did considerable damage to the surrounding buildings. A large chunk of debris collided with the Silver Surfer and knocked him from his board.

"Can't handle the waves, dude?" Phantom called out with a grin as the fictional entity smacked into the pavement below.

The ghost boy flew over to the hovering board and lowered himself onto it. His appearance was instantly altered at a gooey silvery substance covered his body.

"Alright! Look out Amity Park, the Silver Phantom has arrived!" Phantom shouted jovially as he willed the board to move.

Instead, it melted; taking Phantom's new look with it.

"Well crap. That was lame."

"No, your self appointed moniker was lame," Operative O called out from the streets below as he aided his officers in cuffing the Surfer.

"Yeah, it was." Phantom rubbed the back of his neck, slightly embarrassed that Mike's whole platoon had heard his declaration.

Instead of goofing off on his extended vacation, Danny had decided to assist the GIW in fighting off the legions of mismatched beings that had been spontaneously appearing. He had also taken it upon himself to find Spectra's mother, the source of the turmoil, although the means of finding her eluded him.

"So what's the situation?" Phantom asked as he lowered himself to the ground.

"This sector's clear for now," Mike replied tiredly as he wiped his brow. "Jackson's on the other side of town with his men cleaning up and Operative L is sweeping the center sectors."

"So in other words, FUBAR?"

"Pretty much. Any updates in your search for the cause of all this?"

Phantom hung his head. "No. Apparently this wishing ghost doesn't grant every wish she hears. I've asked her to stop granting wishes, I've asked her to show herself, I've wished for her to drop dead-"

"But she's a ghost," Mike said quizzically.

"Yeah, didn't get that until after I wished for it."

"Bet not," Mike mumbled. "You better get back to your search. If you find anything out, let us know."

"Will do," Phantom said with a grin. He fired a blast of ectoplasm from his feet, propelling him into flight. With a quick salute, he was gone.

"He wished death upon you?" the Turpetrator fumed as he turned from the optical portal to look at his wife. "That maggot, he shall-"

"My darling, his efforts are futile. Do not waste your energy."

"The only reason he knows of your existence," the Turpetrator growled, "is because you permitted our daughter to visit him. For what purpose?"

Desiree sighed and rubbed her forehead. "Phantom has discovered his feelings for her."

The Turpetrator rounded on the third party in the room. "How did this happen?"

Johnny Thirteen, currently displaying his shadowy alternate form, shrugged. "Beat's me," he hissed in his bestial voice. "I planted the feelings in his mind just like you ordered."

"He discovered them too early!" the hulking warrior roared. "The operation is jeopardized!"

"All I did was give him some help in finding them. I didn't jeopardize any operation."

Desiree glared at the biker. "What sort of help?"

Johnny grinned maliciously. "Two segments of my consciousness reside in his mind. One is brilliant, calculating and enamored with Spectra at the moment. It encourages the punk to embrace his feelings for her. The other half is brutish, aggressive and sees your offspring as a threat to Phantom. And, for whatever reason, it favors the dark, brooding girl Phantom always pals around with. Neither are fully developed yet, but that shouldn't take too long . . ."

The Turpetrator moved closer to the shadow ghost. "What was your reason for doing this without my-" Desiree elbowed her husband "-our permission?"

"You've been spying on him for a while; you should know his friends call him the clueless one for a reason. If I hadn't given him some assistance, he would have died thinking too hard about it. This way, he can become enraged at himself and maybe even anger other people at the same time. The more of that malice floatin' around the better, right?"

"Absolutely," Desiree cooed. "This will make your job easier-"

The Turpetrator held up a hand, silencing his wife. "What are the long term effects?"

Johnny's smug grin split into a full blown smile. Razor sharp teeth showed themselves and parted as the heinous creature spoke again. "The influences will become stronger over time. Their constant presence will drive Phantom insane . . . before killing him altogether."

"Excellent," the Turpetrator said, grinning behind his helmet.

Unbeknownst to the scheming trio, another ghost watched on. The news of Phantom's mental state was even better to her. Plasmius disappeared in a wisp of pink smoke, having heard everything she needed to.

Phantom floated through the wall of Tucker's bedroom. He barely noticed the other two figures in the room before his transformed into Danny Fenton and collapsed on Tucker's bed.

"Long day?" Tucker asked absently as he threw the boy's jacket on top of him.

"You have no idea," Danny groaned as he looked at his friend's alarm clock. "Ten thirty. Can you believe that? I've been fighting every super hero and super villain I can think of since breakfast! It's ridiculous!"

"Poor baby," Sam said from her chair in the corner of the room. "All wiped out from his date with Magneto and the Muppet Babies."

"I'll have you know-" Danny said as he sluggishly turned to face Sam. His eyes snapped fully open and he sat up straight on the bed. "That I don't know who you are!"

Sam threw a chapstick at her friend, pegging him right between the eyes. "It's me, you dolt."

"Sam?" Danny asked in shock as the entirety of his friend's new appearance settled in. "What the – why'd you dye your hair?"

"I un-dyed it," she grumbled.

"Really?" Danny scrunched up his face. "When?"

"Yesterday. In fact, it was this color at Paulina's party."

Danny's mouth opened and closed several times as he was trying to think of something to say. "I don't remember that," Danny proclaimed.

"Strike one," Tucker interjected as he typed away at his computer.

"That's right," Sam said angrily. "You were too busy noticing your shirt that I was wearing-"

"Strike two."

"and, since you did that over a webcam with half our class watching, I'm sure I'll never hear the end of it."

"And strike three. Dude," Tucker swiveled his chair to look at Danny, "your batting record's horrible. You're never going to get a home run at this rate."

"TUCKER!" Danny and Sam shouted in unison.

The African American boy smiled and returned to his computer. "Shutting up, shutting up."

"Wow," Danny rubbed the back of his neck with more pressure than normal. "I feel like a jerk."

"You should."

"I do. I just wish there was something I could do to make it up to you."

Both teenagers quickly glared at Tucker, who was in mid spin in his chair with his mouth already open. He closed his mouth and allowed the chair to do a 360, returning him to his work.

"Luckily for you, I don't hold grudges against friends," Sam said with a weak smile as she got up off the chair.

"That's good," Danny said with his own happy grin.

"But don't think that means I'm not mad at you."

"Of course not, no, never!"

"Good. Now fly me home, ghost boy. My parents are going to be getting back soon and my grandma isn't there to cover for me."

"Your heart's desire is my command," Danny said as he transformed into Phantom. He scooped up his friend and held her bridal style as he fazed out of the room.

The chilly night air whipped around the two teenagers as Phantom flew above the buildings. He racked his mind, trying to think of something to say.

"I really am sorry," he said sheepishly, finally breaking the silence. "I mean, you're my best friend, I should have-"

"Save it," Sam interrupted. "You're not called the clueless one for nothing."

"Guess so. But seriously, you've been dyeing your hair all this time? Why didn't you tell us?"

"I don't know. Guess I didn't feel like it."

"Well you look great. I mean, not that you didn't look great before, but-"

"Thanks, Danny. I appreciate it."

Phantom stared at his friend for a while before accepting her response. "Here we are, the Manson . . . er, mansion."

Sam giggled as Phantom fazed into her room and set her down on the floor. "Sleep tight, don't let the bed-" Phantom trailed off as he recalled fending off monstrous insects for a better part of the afternoon. "Well, sleep tight."

Phantom turned intangible and floated out of Sam's room, taking to the night skies with a sense of resolve.

YOU FOOL! SAMANTHA IS A HARLOT! WHY DO YOU CONTINUE TO ASSOCIATE WITH HER?

HE IS PURSUING TRUE LOVE! DO NOT INTERFERE, YOU ABOMINATION OF SENTIENT THOUGHT!

Phantom dropped like a fly and crushed a mailbox beneath him as he hit the ground hard.

What the HELL? Phantom stood from the small crater he had formed and shakily rubbed his head. Why so loud!? We're in the same head!

You betray your true love by chasing that disgusting mortal girl.

He does the human race justice by abhorring that pathetic excuse for a female you call Spectra.

Both of you stop it! This is ridiculous! I can't even think in my own head without people interrupting me!

See what you've done? You've angered him!

Your persistent nagging is what caused him to fall!

I was making a point! Daniel has no feelings for Spectra and wouldn't have to think of her putridity if it wasn't for you!

He has a point, Phantom decided. I really don't think I like Spectra. Tucker's theory pretty much hits the nail on the head.

What does he know?

More than you!

Oh really?

Well you're part of my mind so you're a part of me, so that means you're a, what, C average student? Not exactly the level needed to compete with Tucker's brain.

You weren't always a C average student.

I am now, which means you are too.

And thusly, your presumptions of what he needs are incorrect!

Don't forget that, by Daniel's logic, you too are only at the intelligence level of a ninth grade C average student.

One only needs common sense that Samantha is a better choice than Spectra.

Why don't both of you just shut up right now? This is my head, you're only visiting.

WRONG! Phantom clutched his head from the pain of the outburst. We are as much a part of you as an arm or leg. Removing us is not an option.

I don't want to agree with the necrophiliac, but he is right.

We are fused with your mind on such a level that only a genius could ever remove us. Even then the process would be impossibly difficult and would, very likely, result in your demise.

Well then, since we're stuck together forever, let's have a little chat.

Phantom took to the skies and landed on a building not too far off from Sam's.

How did you manage to stay in my mind? I thought you had been removed when I was separated from Shadow Phantom.

Shadow Phantom, as you so primitively call him, was an agent of the Turpetrator. Your encounter, symbiosis and subsequent rampage were all planned out in advance by his wife, his comrade in arms and himself.

His what?

Desiree is the Turpetrator's bride. Together they spawned the demon Spectra.

She is not a dem-

Stow it. And his comrade?

Bertrand, the shape shifting ghost that called you away from Baxter's party.

Well what do they want with me?

It is a long, arduous story. Many finer details would completely go over your head and the overall significance would be lost. I believe a condensed version is in order.

Ten years ago, Plasmius came across information that told of a sword. This sword, the Odium Blade, was fabled to endow the wielder with unimaginable power by feeding on the hatred of those around it.

When impaled by its blade, the victim becomes enraged. The curse of the Odium Blade is contagious and quickly spreads from one sentient being to another. The Turpetrator is powered by this energy.

Plasmius managed to find the Odium Blade in an ancient castle deep in the unknown regions of the Ghost Zone. By activating it, she released the Turpetrator from his three millennia long prison.

The Turpetrator lost the ensuing battle, but with the aid of an unnamed ally, he managed to recapture it. The Odium Blade had been tainted by the use of a human, and the Turpetrator swore revenge on Plasmius for her desecration of his sacred weapon.

So where do I come in to all of this?

I'm not DONE YET!

A large amount of hatred is needed to cleanse the blade and restore it to its former glory. However, one of the effects of Plasmius' use is that it can no longer create hatred.

The Turpetrator must generate enough natural animosity so that the blade can purify itself. By then he believes you will have been driven mad by our presence. He plans to use the Odium Blade on you at the peak of your infuriation.

When the blade absorbs your ghostly energy in its enraged state, your regenerative abilities will provide the Turpetrator with a renewable source of powerful hatred which he will use to slay Plasmius and exact his revenge.

Another, and very likely, outcome of all this would be the Turpetrator's conquest of Earth.

With your energy powering him, the Turpetrator would easily bring the people of Earth under his heel.

Wow. And that was the condensed version?

The time for repartee is over, Daniel. It would not surprise me if the Turpetrator knew of our presence already.

If that's the case, he will be eager to get his plan underway. His wife will, at the very least, double her creation of fantasy creatures to place you and the rest of Amity Park under intense stress.

I already tried getting to her, but nothing is working!

Then perhaps it is time you utilized our knowledge. By yourself, you stand a snowball's chance in Hell against Desiree, let alone the Turpetrator.

While our bickering will remain constant, it will not impede on your survival. If you die, we go with you.

And although we might want to kill each other, that doesn't mean we actually want to die.

Really, Danny thought sarcastically, I'm amazed.

You might also be amazed to know that you can't simply fly into the Ghost Zone all willy-nilly and expect to triumph over the wretch's parents.

She's not a wre-

Alright then, Phantom said, cutting off his other, what's the plan?

To Be Continued

A/N

Faster update, longer chapter, and a cliffhanger to boot! Ha ha HA! Doppleganger. Hooray for 70th chapter, hooray for Phantom Planet tonight and hooray for Optimus Prime. I figured he could use one.

No, Danny's not going to start calling himself "we" like Venom. I already did my ode to him. And I think a certain contest winning person's character is set to make a debut in the next chapter . . . and get the living ectoplasm beat out of it.

DIAGNOSIS: FRACTURED ASS