Hello, y'all I'm back! Sorry this took a while. Heh. Epiphanies are so funny sometimes. Anyway, not much talking here, so I'll let you read this chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom or Lois and Clark. I'm only playing with their toys and will put them back when I'm done.

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Chapter IV: A Problem and a Plot

When Clark took off, Danny immediately tried to follow, but was cut off just outside the door as Mr. Lancer grabbed his arm.

"Going somewhere, Danny?" he asked.

Danny gulped. He found himself dragged into the middle of the rest of the class. He looked pleadingly at Sam and Tucker, who only looked back at him, their faces saying, We can't do anything.

Danny sighed, resigned to the fact that he wouldn't be helping Clark out.

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Clark changed on the roof, and shot off toward the sound of the explosion. When he got there, he was surprised at what he saw. The ghost in front of him looked like Danny but at the same time radiated off a foreign aura. The ghost was currently standing in front of the Metropolis National Bank, smirking at the people scattering everywhere.

"So here's Metropolis's savior, hm?" Dan asked as Superman landed in front of him. "Nice suit."

"Give it up, Phantom!" he shouted.

"Oh, he knows my name too. Give the hero a cookie." He smirked at the defensive position Superman had fallen into. "Do you really think you can beat me?" he asked. "I'm a ghost." He narrowed his crimson eyes. "And you know what the best thing about being a ghost is?" Without waiting for an answer, he jumped into Superman's body. But Superman fought back, and a few seconds later, Dan had been thrown out.

"How did you do that?" asked Dan. No one had been able to withstand him overshadowing them. No one.

"I've had some previous experience with overshadowing," Clark said, narrowing his eyes. Quickly, he shot a blast of heat vision at Dan. The laser singed his cape, but did nothing more. Dan flew up into the air, just as Superman did so also.

"You want to capture me, hm? I don't think so. Not when your precious citizens are in trouble." He drew in a deep breath and screamed a Ghostly Wail. Superman grabbed his ears in pain as the sonic waves bombarded his sense of hearing. When Dan finished, he took off into a portal he had created, just managing to catch a glimpse of the Fenton GAV rolling up, and Jack and Maddie jumping out.

Superman would've followed, but the Wail had knocked a piece of scaffolding off a nearby building and was about to crush the small crowd underneath. His ears still ringing, Superman dove toward the scaffolding. He caught it just ten feet before it hit the ground. He settled it onto the ground and wobbily touched down to catch his breath.

Nearby reporters bombarded him with questions, but he couldn't hear any of them. The Wail had knocked out his sense of hearing completely. He managed to fly back to the Daily Planet and change. Quietly, he made his way back upstairs to the conference room.

"Are you all right?" asked Lois.

Thankfully, he could at least read lips. Making sure he was speaking in low tones, he said, "I can't hear anything."

Lois stared at him in shock. "What!"

Clark nodded sadly. "I need you to call Dr. Klein immediately."

Lois nodded. "All right. We'll have to sneak out the back way though. Everyone's still outside the door."

They managed to get out without being seen and arrived at Star Labs fifteen minutes later. Clark changed into his costume and walked in with Lois.

Dr. Klein immediately set to work. He looked in Superman's ears, muttering as he did.

"All right," he said finally. "Was he subjected to that sound wave downtown?"

Lois nodded. "He was right in the thick of it."

Dr. Klein blew out a breath. "With his healing, he should have his hearing back in a few hours."

"Thanks, Doc," said Superman, who had been reading Dr. Klein's lips. As he stood up, he wobbled slightly again.

"Why is he doing that?" asked Lois.

Dr. Klein thought for a minute. "Hearing usually affects the balance. No hearing means that the balance has been disrupted." He started shifting through the papers on his desk. "Now where did I put my coffee?"

Carefully, Lois handed him his coffee from on top of his computer.

"Thanks," said Dr. Klein.

Lois carefully led Superman out to her car. He ducked into the men's room on the way out to change again. They drove home in silence as talking would've been useless.

It took five hours before Clark's hearing came back, but Clark was glad it did. As soon as it did, he went out on patrol. A rockslide in Brazil, and a robbery on the way home later, he climbed into bed. But elsewhere, a certain villain was gathering his forces in the Ghost Zone.

"Now, who are you?" Ember asked herself. She was hiding behind a door in the Ghost Zone. All she saw of the stranger was his broad back. As he turned in her direction, Ember tried to stifle a gasp, but the stranger heard her anyway.

"I know you're there," he said lazily. "Come out."

Ember came from behind her door. "Dipstick?"

Dan growled. "I hate that nickname as much as I did Inviso-Bill." He looked her up and down. "Still slender, I see."

If Ember had blood, it would've been rushing to her face. The dipstick was checking her out! She strummed her guitar lazily. "So what?"

Dan's eyes narrowed. "If you join me, I can ensure you have the fame you deserve."

Ember cocked her head. "Hm. Sounds good." Plus I can stick around him.

They floated through the Ghost Zone together, gathering more ghosts. Finally, Dan's army consisted of Ember, Fright Night, Spectra and Bertrand, Desiree (with a "I will not grant any wishes other than Dan or his army" wish on her), Walker and his goons, as well as a host of giant skeleton soldiers created by the Fright Knight.

Dan grinned, his fangs bared as he looked out at his army.

"Let's see what you make of this army, Superman," he sneered, "while I take care of the only thing preventing my younger self from becoming me. The death of his family." He turned to his "lieutenant." "Ember, you know what to do."

Her guitar floated beside her as she crossed her arms. "Oh, yeah." She was decked out in a feminine version of his jumpsuit, but still cut like her old black rock outfit. Her guitar was still the same.

"I like the uniform," he purred.

She grinned up at him. "So do I."

Stretching out, Dan created a massive portal to Earth. Specifically, Metropolis.

"All right, people, let's rock and roll!" shouted Ember as she jumped first into the portal.

Dan created his own off to the side, leading to another part of Metropolis. "And now, for me to get where I need to be." He jumped in, the portal closing behind him.

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Oooh, cliffy! Y'all are gonna hate me for a while for that one. Hee, hee. (Gulps) I see pitchforks. What's with the pitchforks?

Thanks to the reviewers. Please don't take advantage of the anonymous reviewer thing to discuss things. If you're going to discuss something, please do it along with a review of the chapter itself. Thanks.

Cylon One, Quacked Lurker, Sunshine Silverjojo, Splout, pottersparky, Oraman Asturi, lily fae, and phantomfreek.

Anyway, the next chapter's not written, so I'm still up in the air about what to do next. I've had an epiphany with Prongs Rides Again, so I've been typing furiously on that one. If you want to "remind" me about this next chapter, I'll be there. I only had three reviews this last chapter; can we do five please? See y'all around!