Hey everyone. I'm sorry for the wait, a lot of stuff has come up with school and work these last few days, and I also had to give some attention to some of my other fanfics. I thank you for your patience, so let us get started.

Part 5

The Fenton Specter Speeder flew through the sky, being piloted by Danny Fenton; its passengers being his girlfriend Sam Manson, his younger 'sister' Danielle Fenton (all three in their human forms), along with members of his Avengers team; Ben, Kim, Rex, and Illana. While Danny's parents, Jack and Maddie, along with Tucker and Jazz stayed behind in Amity Park to help with the cleanup and round up any stray ghosts.

"Vlad's back?!" Dani exclaimed as they flew.

"Yep." Danny confirmed.

"Why am I not surprised?" Sam rolled her eyes.

The Avengers we're a bit confused. "Uh… someone wanna fill us in?" Rex asked.

"Yeah, who's this Vlad guy?" Ben questioned as well.

"Vlad Masters." Danny began. "He used to be a rich billionaire, and mayor of Amity Park; but more importantly he was friends with my parents when they went to college."

"So he's a friend of yours?" Illana asked.

"No, not at all." Danny responded immediately.

"I'm guessing Danny's told you guys about how he got his powers, right?" Sam asked. "Went into the Ghost Zone portal his parents made, hit the 'on' button by accident, and infused his DNA with ghost powers."

"Yeah, that's the gist of what he told us." Kim responded.

"Well Vlad's a bit like that to." Danny said, getting the group's attention. "In college, my Dad tried to make a small prototype ghost portal, and it opened up and shot a beam right in Vlad's face; it wasn't until I started ghost fighting that I met him and found out he got ghost powers to."

That caught the group by surprise.

"So, he's like you? A half-ghost?!" Ben questioned in surprise.

"Yeah." Danny confirmed. "Like me he can fly, shoot energy beams, turn intangible, over-shadow people, become invisible, create doubles, all that stuff. He calls himself Vlad Plasmius."

"The only difference between us and him is that he is a complete and total nutcase!" Dani exclaimed. "Seriously he is so off-his rocker its not even funny."

"How crazy are we talking about?" Kim asked. "Like scale of one to ten."

"Let me put it this way." Sam began. "This one time an asteroid was about to crash into the Earth, Vlad revealed his ghost-self to the world and tried to blackmail everyone by saying he would save them if they declared him ruler, or he would let the whole world be destroyed."

"You're kidding." Rex stated.

"What kind of man would hold the whole world hostage like that?!" Illana questioned.

"Oh, trust me, it gets better." Dani said sarcastically. "When Vlad tried to turn the entire asteroid intangible, he found out it was made of Ectoranium.

"Ectoranium?" Ben questioned.

"Think like Kryptonite for ghosts" Dani explained. "Bottom-line, he couldn't touch it which meant he revealed himself all for nothing; and even then he couldn't really go back as he's revealed his true self to the whole world. But Danny ended up saving the whole world anyway."

It was a bit silent for a few seconds. "Wow." Kim said. "He didn't have a back up plan? Just threw everything out on that one thing that didn't even work?! I've dealt with a few nutcases before but that is just… wow."

"You think that's crazy, listen to this." Danny said. "For a long time, his main goal has been to kill my dad and so he can try to get my mom to marry him."

The entire group shuddered.

"Man, that guy is one serious, messed-up, fruit-loop." Rex commented.

"I haven't even met him, and I already don't like him." Illana added.

"Join the club." Sam responded. "He came back some time after, which was around the time I first got my powers, and that is a really long story, and he's been trying to even-up the score ever since."

"Personally, I'm kind of glad he's back." Dani said. "I've been wanting to pound him for a very long time." She punched her right fist into her left palm.

"So how are we gonna find him?" Ben asked.

"We're heading to Wisconsin right now." Danny said. "He used to live there, and many of his bases we're there to; gotta start somewhere."

The Specter Speeder flew more throughout the night-sky till it came upon its destination; a large boarded-up mansion with white walls and yellow-tiled roofs. The mansion that used to belong to Danny's nemesis.

The young heroes all stepped out of the Specter Speeder and looked at the mansion.

"This is his place?" Kim asked.

"It used to be." Sam confirmed. "After Vlad showed himself, the government froze all his assets and let him with pretty much nothing."

Ben scoffed. "Guy had his own personal mansion. Seriously, that and a couple billion bucks wasn't enough for him?"

"Nothing was ever enough of Vlad." Dani spoke with contempt evident in her voice. "He wanted it all, and even then it would never be enough."

"Why would he come back here then?" Illana asked.

"Its last place anyone would think to look for him." Danny revealed. "Alright we'll split into groups and search the whole mansion from top-to-bottom. And be careful, Vlad is a nutcase, but he is far from predictable."

A pair of white rings surrounded Danny's body before they revealed his Phantom form. He then used his enhanced strength to pry the wood off the door before opening it and revealing the dark mansion.

"Okay; Dani with Rex and Illana; Sam with Kim. Ben, you're with me." Danny told the group. "Watch each other's backs."

Everyone nodded in agreement before splitting off. Sam and Kim walked down a hallway on the right, with Dani, Rex, and Illana going down a hallway on the left; while Ben and Danny walked up the stairs further into the mansion.

Rex led Dani and Illana down a dark hallway with him using one of his Funchucks to provide them with some illumination. The hall was lined with old knight armors, which we're covered in dust and cobwebs.

Illana took note of the quietness of this hall and shivered slightly. "Hey, is it cold in here or is it just me?"

Rex had a sarcastic smile. "You know, it kind of feels like we're in a haunted house. I mean think about, we're hunting a ghost inside an old mansion. Yep, this has 'haunted-house' written all over it. We should do something like this for Halloween."

Illana and Dani both snickered at Rex's joke. "But this ghost is more likely to kill you than scare you." Dani scowled. "Total jerk."

Illana took note of Dani's tone of voice. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well it's just… you seem, pretty angry." Illana said.

"Angry, me?" Dani began. "Now why would I be angry? Because we're in the old mansion of a psychopath who's tried so many times to hurt someone very close to me; and who even lied and manipulated me, and even tried to melt me!?" Dani yelled. "Now why would I be mad?!"

Rex and Illana we're both surprised by her outburst. "Wait… melt you?" Rex questioned.

Dani shrunk, realizing what she just said out loud. "That wasn't supposed to come out."

"Hey, are you okay?" Rex asked.

"What's going on?" Illana asked as well.

Dani was silent for about a minute before she sighed. There was no getting around this. "Danny trusts you guys, right? As in you're friends, right?"

Both Rex and Illana we're slightly confused at that question. "Yeah, we trust him." Illana confirmed.

Dani looked down. "I'm… not really his sister… per say." That caught both their attention. "I'm really… his clone."

To say both we're surprised would be an understatement as Illana and Rex backed slightly at that statement.

"A clone?!" They both exclaimed at the same time.

"Yeah." Dani rubbed her arm nervously. "Vlad had tried many times to get Danny to join him, to be the 'son he never had'" Dani used air-quotes for emphasis. "When Danny made it clear his answer was no, Vlad tried to clone him. He made multiple and all we're failures. I was one of them."

"Well that does kind of explain why you look exactly like him." Rex noted.

"But, how are you a failure?" Illana questioned.

"Because I wasn't what he was looking for." Dani continued. "Vlad wanted a son, not a daughter. I used to work for Vlad, but Danny showed me how evil he was so I left. Because of all that, Vlad tried to melt me down into my basic components so he could analyze my remains and make the perfect clone."

Illana gasped at that. How could anyone try to kill this sweet little girl? Rex meanwhile scowled at this and clenched his fist in anger.

"Danny was able to save me, and his family took me in sometime later." Dani continued. "But I… still get nightmares about him I…"

Before Dani could finish, Illana had kneeled down to her level and embraced her in a comforting hug.

Illana let go and looked at her in the eyes. "I'm so sorry. I didn't realize you'd have to go through all that."

Dani was surprised at this treatment. She then felt Rex's hand on her head, ruffling her hair.

"Hey, you ask me it's his loss." Rex began. "I've seen you in action, kid. You know how to kick some serious ass." He complemented with a smirk. "Besides, I know a psycho myself who would try the same thing to me. In the end it doesn't matter what you start out as, its who you choose to be."

"Yes, that's right." Illana agreed. "And I think you made the right choice, helping Danny."

Dani smiled at their complements and even rubbed a slight tear out of her eye. "Thanks guys. I can see why Danny hangs out with all of you. You Avengers are awesome!"

"The proper term you would be looking for is, 'dead'!"

All three turned their heads over to see someone standing at the other side of the hall; a ghost dressed in dark armor with purple flames in his back and holding a green sword.

"Aw crud, it's the Fright Knight!" Dani exclaimed.

"The who?" Rex asked.

"One of Danny's old enemies." Dani clarified as white rings appeared on her body and she transformed into her Phantom form. "And a total helmet-head."

"I am a dreaded and dangerous warrior!" The Fright Knight exclaimed. "And I refuse to subject to insults from a child!"

Illana activated her armor. "We're not looking for a fight, we're here to look for someone else."

"I know who you come for." The Fright Knight stated. "And so, you will have to get by me!" He readied his sword, the Soul Shredder, as he took a combat stance.

"I'm cool with that." Rex stated as he activated his BFS.

Sam and Kim meanwhile opened a door and entered what appeared to be an old library. But it wasn't the large amount of books that caught their attention. It was the large portrait of Vlad Masters hanging above the fireplace, accompanied by the busts of his head on the sides of the shelf above the fireplace.

"Okay… just how narcissistic can this guy get?" Kim questioned.

"His self-centeredness knows no limits. Trust me on that one." Sam commented.

As the two girls searched, Kim wanted to ask something. "So, you and Danny?"

"Yep." Sam replied.

"You know, you guys make a pretty cute couple." Kim commented. "He talks about you all the time."

Sam blushed. "He told you guys about me?"

"Yep." Kim replied. "And many of the things you guys have been through together. It says a lot when you stick by someone even if they're fighting a dangerous enemy."

"Got someone like that in your life?" Sam asked, getting a sense that Kim knew what she was talking about.

"Yeah, I do. He's pretty cool too."

"Ugh! I think I'm gonna throw up!" A voice from above stated.

Both girls looked up to see a ghost hovering with black clothes, white skin, and blue flaming hair with a purple guitar.

"Ember" Sam growled.

"Another ghost?" Kim questioned. "What can she do?"

"She's got this deadly music-guitar thing. But don't let that fool you; she's plenty dangerous." Sam explained as she transformed into her ghost form of Sam Tasma.

"Got that right." Ember said as she smiled evilly and held her guitar. "So, who wants to rock?"

Danny and Ben both walked down one hallway and happened to pass by a large portrait of the Mona Lisa, only this one had the image of Maddie's face on it.

"That's just wrong." Ben commented with disgust.

"You're freaked? That's my mom!" Danny exclaimed before his eyes widened. "Hold on a minute."

He walked up to the portrait and moved it to the side to see a pass-code lock on the wall.

Danny sighed. "Of course."

"Guys got a code lock. Any idea how to hack in?" Ben asked.

"Don't need to." Danny replied. "Odds are its my mom's birthday." He pressed the numbers in the order of his mother's birth date and, as he theorized, it worked. The wall opened to reveal a set of stairs heading downward.

Ben still couldn't get over just how obsessed Vlad was with Danny's mom. "Dude, that guy seriously needs to get a cat."

"I know! That's what I said!" Danny stated before they began walking down the stairs.

After about a minute or two of walking through the torch-lit staircase they came to an opening where they found an underground ghost lab complete with many forms of equipment and even a ghost-zone portal.

"Your little detective-skills are starting to improve little-badger." A voice spoke out from a chair facing the opposite direction of the teenage heroes. "You came here sooner than expected."

"Only cause I know you so well, Vlad!" Danny stated in a scowl.

The chair rotated to reveal Vlad Masters sitting in it in his black suit and sinister grin. He also had a white cat in his lap, which he petted in a James-Bond-villain-cliché.

Ben and Danny both snickered before they burst out laughing; causing Vlad's smile to vanish.

"And what, prey-tell, is so funny?" Vlad questioned with a scowl.

"You actually did it…" Danny said in-between laughs. "You actually got a cat!" He said before he laughed again, holding his sides.

Ben laughed as well. "Seriously man, I haven't even met you yet and I still think it's funny."

Vlad's eyelids lowered before he comically tossed the cat away. "Yes well, why don't we get down to business, shall we? Or do I have to blast you?"

They both let their laughs out for a bit more before standing straight up with serious faces.

"What the hell are you even doing Plasmius?!" Danny questioned. "Why attack Amity Park!?"

Vlad's smile returned. "You see, my boy, I've heard rumors that you formed your own little team of other super-powered children much like yourself; I wanted to take their measure. They certainly didn't disappoint."

"Well I hate to break it to you pal." Ben began. "But whatever you're goal is, it ends now."

"Oh I assure you, it's just beginning." Vlad stood up as a pair of black rings formed around him and expanded around his body, transforming into Vlad Plasmius. His hands surged with purple ecto-energy before he attacked.

Done.

I know this chapter seems short, but I want to make the upcoming fight special. I hope you guys like this chapter.

Get ready for the final chapter of Episode 3 will be coming soon. Thank you for your patience.