Okay, this is just a brief interlude. That said, enjoy!
Clockwork groaned every time he moved because of his injuries. Subduing Dan was extremely difficult, but he had finally managed it. He only hoped he wouldn't have to do something like that again anytime soon. However, there were much more important matters at hand.
The Observants appeared behind him, but Clockwork did not acknowledge their presence, turning into an old man. "Clockwork, you know what is about to happen!" Chided the first observant. "Trigon is breaking free from his ancient bonds! If we do not act quickly, both worlds will be in grave danger."
"You must eliminate the demon Raven before she fulfills her purpose!" Exclaimed the second observant in fear. "Even the evil Phantom is not this much of a threat!"
"Just wait until I get out of here and I'll prove you wrong." Dan laughed inside the bubble. It was even stronger than the thermos, so there would be no chance of getting out. He had been trying for the past several days without success. "This worthless prison won't hold me forever!"
Clockwork dismissed his threats with a wave of his hand. "I am well aware of what is about to happen." he declared. "That's the problem with you Observants. You merely observe and immediately jump to conclusions. If we destroyed Raven now, the portal would immediately activate and what remains of the spells put on Trigon would dissipate. In other words, you would be handing him victory on a silver platter. My method will at least give the Titans some time to prepare for his arrival. He will arrive in Jump City, where his daughter is located."
"Destroying her will eliminate the portal!" the Observants persisted.
"You two idiots know nothing." Dan told them with a laugh. "Why Clockwork keeps you two around is beyond my understanding. When I get out, I assure you, I will not make the same mistake."
"You will never escape your prison!" Exclaimed the second observant. Dan launched another massive ecto-blast to shatter the barrier, to no success.
"Your prison is even stronger than the shield surrounding Amity Park in your timeline." Clockwork explained, changing into a child. "Even if your wailing attack succeeds, you will be too badly injured to fight the security I have posted around you. But back to our main discussion!"
"Don't even think about ignoring me!" Dan laughed. "I will make good on my threats. I'll escape and when I do, my weakling self will cease to exist, as will my worthless family and the cheesehead."
"You must remember what it took to seal Trigon before!" the first observant asked. "We cannot have him break free."
"He will break free no matter what our efforts. All that matters is giving them enough time to fight him off effectively. The ghosts are prepared to fight, as they have learned of his imminent escape as well."
"How can you take this situation lightly?" the second observant cried, obviously afraid. "The only ones who were able to defeat him were the Azerath ancients and only with the help of Pariah Dark!"
"Acting rashly will not help matters." Clockwork told them, changing again into an old man. "It will only lead to defeat. I already have a plan in motion and that is final. Now would care to observe the door?"
The Observants reluctantly left, leaving Clockwork to sigh. Ignoring Dan's screams of rage, he only hoped his plan was as foolproof as he told them. He knew much, but not everything, despite what he liked to state. Seeing the future was merely seeing a possible one, at least in most cases.
"You may have fooled them, but I know better, Clockwork." Dan stated. "I can see it in your eyes that you are unsure in your plan, thinking that it could fail; it is rather amusing to see. You can't stop Trigon, can you? And you are foolish to believe that my younger self and his allies can, either. The only way to beat them is to go into his land and destroy Trigon yourself."
"Nice try, Dan." Clockwork replied, changing into his adult form. "Doing so would weaken my concentration and allow you to escape. You are not going anywhere, so I hope you enjoy your stay." With that, he left, Dan crying threats and curses behind him.
The ghost zone was unusually peaceful. Often, ghosts were either fighting each other or being put into Walker's prison. Today, however, nothing was happening.
Though such things rarely last. There was a group of demons, glowing red, rushing through the ghost zone in order to get to the human realm. The priority of most ghosts was to simply hide from the menace and prey not to be noticed. Still, there was one whose pride would not allow him to do so.
"Unauthorized attacks on fellow ghosts." Walker said. "That's against the rules. I hope you remember our plan, boys. Get in formation." His crew obeyed, along with various prisoners who made a deal with the warden. "Bullet, when will they arrive?"
"It'll be soon." Bullet stated. "Walker, are you sure this is a good idea? Remember what Trigon has done to us in the past."
"I am well aware, so keep your mouth shut!" Walker snarled. "This area of the ghost zone is my place to govern, not his. His army is going to learn what happens to those who defy my rules. Wulf, be ready for our assault. That is, unless you want to spend more time in my prison."
Wulf growled furiously, but could do nothing. They had united against a common enemy, and even the grudge against those two was set aside. He had been recaptured 2 weeks after the fight in Jump City, and if he succeeded, he would hopefully be free of Walker forever.
The demons were finally in sight, heading towards Walker and his crew. There were more than Walker had anticipated, numbering in the thousands, compared to Walker's 350. Nonetheless, he had absolutely no intentions of retreating.
"When I give the signal, fire your weapons at full power." Walker instructed. The riot police raised their weapons, some shaking so badly they could barely grip their shield. "Fire!" Green and red blasts rained the sky, striking the demons with powerful force. The ones in the front were obliterated, but they continued their charge, despite the losses.
Some of the guards and inmates were considering retreat, but Walker quickly struck those suggestions down. "We will not bow to inferior creatures!" He yelled. "Just continue to shoot!" They obliged reluctantly, returning to the fray.
The demons smashed into the riot police around a minute later, using their fangs and claws to gain leverage. The ghosts used the shields as weapons, knocking them back as best they could. The rest of the ghosts got into a circle and prepared for battle. Looking around, they realized they were outnumbered over 10 to 1, but there was no way to escape.
Walker took out a ghost gun and shot a demon in the head, ending his existence. However, guns were next to useless at this point, since there was a risk of hitting allies.
Wulf used his claws to impale two of the demons, but a third tackled him from the side. He grappled with the thing, but it was not willing to let go without a fight. Of all ghosts, Walker was the one who saved him. Instead of giving thanks, he merely growled and returned to the fight.
Most of the riot police had their shields broken and were in a state of panic. They became more careless with their shots and punches, not caring if they hit an ally or enemy. Even Walker had to admit that the odds were against them.
It seemed as if whenever one demon was destroyed, ten more would take his place. "All right, it's time to retreat." Walker reluctantly declared. "Guards, cover our escape!" They obliged, firing ectoblasts and guns at the advancing demons, afterwards flying at full speed.
Some of the faster ghosts were able to get away, one of them being Walker, but many were not so fortunate. The screams of the fallen could be heard for miles around and chilled everyone who had temporarily escaped obliteration.
The second war had begun.
Vlad Masters was currently sitting in his easy chair, worried about the reports he was hearing. The ghost zone was under attack everywhere and not many were fighting against them, valuing their afterlives. Ordinarily, this would not concern him, but considering what the invasion meant, he was more than a little concerned.
After the first reports, he had sent various messengers to explore the truth of the situation. Around half of them had not returned and many of those who did were covered in injuries. The Fright Knight alone had escaped serious harm at the hands of the enemy.
Vlad had eventually decided to shut down the Plasmius portal, at least for the time being. The demons had not reached very far beyond Trigon's realm yet, but they were making rapid. He knew his power would be able to fight off many of them, but he was not a man that took chances when it came to his safety.
Sighing, he got off his chair to check on his new creations. Hopefully, they would prove beneficial to the battle to come. He walked down to the lab and saw around a dozen tubes, a creation inside each one of them.
"Shutdown of the Plasmius Portal is completed." Fright Knight informed. "However, I decided to explore one last time, as my sword allows me to travel between the dimensions. Walker's stand seems to have failed, although resistance is still present. Last I heard, they are moving into the realm of Aragon. Might I ask what these creations are?"
"Very well, I'll let you know." Vlad stated. "14 of them are various servants I have constructed, with limited intelligence but will obey me without question. The other is a female clone of Danny Phantom, my first. Unfortunately, I have had some problems with her melting if too much energy is used, but there has been success is solving that problem, thanks to Technus. The 16th is another clone that has yet to be completed."
"Vlad, the defenses are completed, thanks to I, Technus…" Technus began but the Fright Knight punched him in the head before he could continue. "Ow!"
"Are you sure that Trigon will come?" asked Skulker. "Why do you believe that his army will attack here?"
"I am rather well-known in the ghost world for my power." Vlad replied. "Therefore, I have no doubt of it. Trigon will eliminate any threat he sees and that includes us. I have no intention of allowing him to carry out his plans. Is the escape vehicle ready?"
"I, Technus, have finally worked the bugs out of our escape vehicle!" he declared happily. "It is capable of flying 400 miles an hour and is equipped by defenses set up by…"
"Skulker, double-check it." Vlad interrupted. Skulker nodded and flew up to do so. Technus was a genius, but he had a tendency to overlook small details, some of which could be fatal. "Fright Knight, I am sure that this is nothing more than a series of raiding parties, designed to weaken our resistance. The main army has yet to come. Trigon cannot release his full force yet, but it will soon happen. I plan to attack Titans Tower and eliminate Raven so that his main portal will be sealed."
"What of phantom?" asked Fright Knight. "He has grown powerful and the Titans will not stand idle. They will fight us with everything they have."
Vlad merely smirked and pressed a red button. It lifted all the tubes save the one that held the clone-in-progress. Except for the female clone, the others were dressed in green and wore suits and ties. (think of ectoplasmic versions of Agents in the Matrix)
"You are attack titans tower and eliminate the half-demon Raven." Vlad instructed. "You will ignore Daniel and only block his attacks. As for the other Titans, kill them only if you absolutely must, as I would prefer not to make myself a prime target. As for the Fentons, you will ignore all of them except the buffoon; him you can do whatever you want with."
"Understood, sir." said the lead agent. (Just calling them that to simplify things) "When does the attack commence?"
"Final preparations are being made." Vlad replied. "Myself and Fright Knight will weaken the defenses in order to make them more vulnerable. Once that is accomplished, 10 of you will move in to attack. The others will be held back if their assistance is needed. One thing I wish to make absolutely clear: if captured, you will not mention who I am. Understood?" All of them nodded in unison.
"What is your name?" asked Fright Knight to the lead creation.
"Agent Masters, sir." it replied simply.
"So what is my job, Daddy?" Danielle asked. She was grateful dad was trying to stabilize her and though he wouldn't admit it even to himself, Vlad was rather fond of her. "I can fight now, thanks to you."
"Your ectoplasm is more stable, but will still dissolve if you use too much." Vlad explained. "I have not yet been able to find a way to stabilize it entirely. I want you to stay at the rear, near the reserve agents. I would rather avoid you getting hurt."
"You used my suggestion, Daddy?" Danielle stated happily. She had become a huge fan of the Matrix since she saw the movies and her mind was nearly always surrounded by it.
"I was wondering why you named them Agents." Fright Knight said to himself.
"Now we had better carry out our plan." Vlad said. "Our transport is already prepared, so we will be able to get to Jump city in a matter of hours. The demon prophecy will never come to pass, and that is a promise."
Okay, now things are starting to get interesting. Please review and spare my life! (hides)