Chapter Twenty Two: Recovery

Disclaimer: see chapter one.

Well, hello fellow DP fans. Welcome back to the Phantom Saga. I am glad you all liked the last chapters. It is funny, that Danny's nightmare back in chapter fourteen was actually a premonition of his own battle with the cabal. Before we begin, I want to throw a shout out to Ryuu842, who inspired this chapter and some previous ideas. I hadn't credited them before, as I had written those chapters before they had gotten back to me about something, so this is the next point they would influence.

Anyway, on with the show:

Early Monday morning, Casper High

Mr. Lancer sat in his office, preparing for the day. He and Principal Ishiyama always came in early on Mondays, before the teachers got there. They did this to prepare for the week. Things were going normally, however, Lancer would find out that it would not be a normal day.

"Time out," time froze and a portal that looked like a clock appeared, and Clockwork came through. Clockwork placed a time medallion around Lancer's neck, which unfroze him.

"What?" Seeing the Time Master before him, his immediate reaction was to go for the ecto-blaster in his desk. However, he soon recognized the ghost that was before him from his half-ghost student's book. "I know you, you are the master of time, Mr. Fenton said you were a friend."

"I am Clockwork, the Lord of Time, and I am indeed a friend of his." Clockwork introduced himself, then he continued, "It is he on behalf I come. Daniel will not be attending class for some time. He just survived an ambush by several very powerful and very dangerous ghosts. I am sure you read about them in his book. The ones he named Omega-class threats, I believe." Clockwork had, of course, gotten his own copy of Danny's book.

Lancer's mind raced at what he was being told and his eyes went wide in realization. "Which ones?"

"All of them, unfortunately," The Lord of Time sighed. "I will not explain how, but his dark counterpart slipped past my guard, and gathered a cabal of evil. The good thing is that this will never happen again. I have seen to it."

"To have such a thing happen so close to his graduation, this is definitely concerning." Lancer stroked his goatee in thought, and concern for his student.

"Not to worry about his school work. He will recover within a week, at most a week and a half. He will be able to catch up quickly, as I gave him just the tool necessary to do so." Clockwork said to ease Lancer's concerns.

"Well, that is good news. I have already excused him from his English class for getting his book published, so that is one less class he has to worry about. However, I am concerned about his other classes. I will get his other teachers to put together a package that one of his friends can take to him so that he can get caught up when he is healed." Lancer agreed to oversee this task.

Clockwork bowed his head a bit in thanks for Lancer's understanding. Hitting the button on his scepter, "Time In," time began to flow normally again. Clockwork took his medallion back, and with a swish of his scepter, he was gone. Lancer shook his head, and sighed. How was he going to explain this to the other teachers? He will just send them an email that Danny would not be there that day, and then tell them at their after school weekly meeting of this. He did just that.

Recovery

While Danny was out of the game recovering, his family monitored him heavily, a sense of guilt in their hearts that they hadn't done anything to stop this from happening, even though there was nothing that they could have done. Tucker and Sam stopped by during the week when they could. Sam came by for a few hours every day after school to see her boyfriend. Danielle took it hard, considering that she was a capable fighter in her own right.

However, it was during the day when Tucker, Sam, and Danielle were at school that Danny mostly needed someone to watch over him. This is where the Rogues would step in, as Clockwork had commanded.

Johnny and Kitty

The first ghosts that were allowed to be Danny's watchers were the two that began this journey of reforming the rogues. Johnny and Kitty would have preferred to be on duty when Danny was awake, but they understood why they were allowed to be there. To make up for it, they did have the other members of the family to talk to. Jazz was not too keen on speaking with the ghost that tried to possess her and the one that dated her to make the possession possible. At least she didn't try to blast them.

Jazz sat in a chair, arms crossed, with one leg over the other. She fixed the two of them with a stern look.

"You are never going to get over the incident, are you?" Johnny asked her.

"Not really, no. You used me, Johnny. I was legitimately into you, and you betrayed me." Jazz's words were laced with a thin layer of ice, as she bounced her one leg. Johnny bit his lower lip in guilt.

"I suppose that is fair. I know that I had it coming when you punched me in the face." Johnny was checking his nails as he said it, with a nervous smile on his face.

"Not like I haven't done worse," Kitty inputted.

'"True," Johnny recalled when he was banished the most recent time.

"Despite my misgivings about you both, if Danny considers you both as friends, enough that he wanted you both to be here when he was at his weakest, then I suppose I can learn to forgive you." Jazz warmed slightly to them. "However, that will take time."

"We have time, Jazz," Kitty said.

Danny awoke for a time, "Hey, you two, getting along with Jazz?"

"Trying to, Kid," Johnny said. Danny laughed slightly, until he was cut off by a body pain.

"Shouldn't laugh, got to remember that, for now," he remarked to himself

"Go back to sleep, Danny, we got this," Jazz said.

"We should do another double date when I am well again," Danny said.

"It's a date, but first, get better," Kitty said. After Danny went back to sleep, Jazz and the lovebirds tried to hash out some of the tension between them. They had made some progress before the ghosts had to leave as their watch was over.

Ember

Second among the Rogue council allowed to be Danny's guardian was the rockstar. Recently considered a friend and could be trusted, at Danny's word. Ember entered Danny's room, and it hurt her ghost heart to see him bedridden in pain.

His ghost sense went off. Not even opening his eyes, "who is it?" His voice was still weak, pangs struck at her heart more.

"It's me," she hoped he was conscious enough to recognize her voice.

"Ember? Good," he said weakly. Ember took a seat next to his bed, leaning her guitar against the desk. For a long while, they were there in silence, as Danny still had little strength to do anything.

"Can I get a glass of water?" he asked her.

"Sure, thing babypop." Ember left the room and went down to the kitchen to get Danny water. Jazz encountered the ghost diva in the kitchen.

"I have to tell you, it is weird to have you guys walking about the house, like you belong or rather are always invited." Jazz crossed her arms as she leaned on the counter while chatting to the ghost rockstar.

"Am I not welcome?" Ember asked, a bit hurt in her voice.

"Danny says that you and Johnny and Kitty are always welcome. Still, until recently, this was a non idea." Ember slightly snickered.

"Yeah, it's been wild." Ember changed the topic. "I have to tell you Jazz, you can not sing," Ember said, as she filled a tall glass of water.

Jazz rolled her eyes, as if she did not already know. "I know, think you can teach me to sing?"

"Oh without a doubt, I see potential in you," Ember said.

"Are you going to drink that water or continue to hang onto it?" Jazz asked, when she noticed that Ember was still holding the glass.

"Oh shoot, I need to get this water back to Danny." Ember realized that was why she had come down to the kitchen. Jazz laughed at the ghost diva's panic.

Returning upstairs, Ember sat on the edge of Danny's bed, lifted his head up to sip the glass of water. When he had enough, she set the glass on his nightstand, and sat back in her chair.

"Could you sing for me?" He asked her.

She smiled a sad smile, "Sure, Danny," she picked up her guitar and began to play a few soft songs. Danny fell asleep during her singing. When her shift was up, as she went to leave, she leaned down and kissed Danny on the cheek. As thanks for everything he had done for them. Both were glad that Sam was not around for that.

Desiree

Third among the Rogues to come was the genie. Now that her heart has softened, and her afterlife turned thanks to Danny, he thought she could be trusted, and he was right. It was also a good thing that some of his strength was starting to return to him by this point.

Danny's ghost sense went off, not even opening his eyes, "Who is it?"

"It's me," Desiree said. Danny's eyes opened to look at her. Though he was glad to see her, pain showed in his eyes.

Desiree's heart hurt at the sight of the one who saved her afterlife from her misery in pain. Desiree sat down in the chair next to his bed.

"How are things going?" He asked the ghost genie.

"Better, much better," Desiree half smiled.

"Good," was all he responded.

"What about you?" She asked in turn.

"Getting stronger every day." Danny told her, hoping to get her to laugh. Desiree stood and floated over to the side of the bed. She took her hands, and shoved them up his shirt, laying them on his chest.

"What are you doing?" He asked her, which was fair, considering how this may look to anyone else.

"Trying to help accelerate your recovery, I know you have a few broken ribs from your fight. No, I'm not a doctor, but I can find anything out with but a wave of my hand." Her hands glowed a bit, a bolt of pain shot through his chest and abdomen, then it went away, and a dull soreness replaced it.

As she took her hands out from under his shirt, "Let's not tell anyone that you did that, for both of our sakes."

Desiree laughed, and agreed with the statement. As much as Danny loved Sam, he would admit that she could be a little possessive of him, and the jealous type.

When it was time for her to leave, she gently hugged him, and took her leave.

Poindexter and Youngblood

Poindexter and Youngblood were met by Danielle and Jazz in Danny's room. Danielle had been home from school for one of those superintendent conference days. She was there to keep an eye on Youngblood just in case he decided to become invisible to just adults and the other to probe their minds a bit in psychology. Danny slept through most of this meeting.

"I will say, if we had met under different circumstances, I think we could have been friends," Danielle told the child ghost.

"Perhaps we could have been," Youngblood agreed.

Jazz looked at Poindexter closely, "So, what is up with the black and white look, considering many older ghosts than you are many colors. Perhaps a way of looking at the world in black and white morality?"

Poindexter nodded, "though I am coming to terms that things are more gray than I thought." Two of them discussed the matter of morality for the remainder of the time they were there, as well as the two younger ghosts discussed childhood.

During their chats, Danny did wake once, as he had been listening for some time. Somewhat coyly, he asked the former casper high student, "I wonder, Sidney, are there any bullies even you will not stand up to?"

The black and white ghost blew out a breath in resignation, "Yes, you know them, the natures and your evil self." A half smirk briefly crossed Danny's face. After that, he remained quiet and listened to the chatter before falling back asleep.

Box Ghost and Lunch Lady

Danny was a lot more awake when the Box Ghost and the Lunch Lady came by. Lunch Lady had made a meal for the family and brought it with them. It was very delicious. Danny also noticed a bit of a healing effect on him from the food, probably the protein in it was what he needed.

"We wanted to tell you, we got engaged," Box Ghost told Danny.

Danny's brow raised a bit, "about time."

"We've been in an on/off relationship for a long time," Lunch Lady said.

"Well, I am happy for you. Everyone deserves happiness." He half smiled at them. Well, perhaps not everyone, as certain people's happiness would be either him dead or the world made a wasteland or under their control, or some combo of the three. He thought about asking about what the timeline was with Box Lunch coming into being, but he thought better of it.

They briefly talked about Danny's plan for the future."If my friend becomes mayor like he has talked about, then I will be able to put my plan into action," he told them.

"When will the elections come up?" Box Ghost asked.

"Soon, summer, I think," Danny was struggling a bit at the moment to recall when Mayor Montez's temporary term was over.

They talked a bit longer before Danny fell asleep on them. Despite getting stronger by the day, he was still wiped out in strength. They stayed for a few hours, watching over him, then they left.

Spectra

Spectra's turn as Danny's caretaker did not come until he was more cognizant. She wanted to get a therapy session in with him like she had told the family when the council had been brought to see him in the wake of Dan's attempted assassination. Danny was awake when Spectra dropped by. As she walked into his room, she saw that he was sitting up in bed with a laptop. He heard his door open and his ghost sense went off, alerting him that she was there. He turned his head to look at her. "Hello, Spectra. I see it's your turn."

"Yeah it is," she closed the door behind her. "I think we have been working together long enough that you don't have to just use my last name." Spectra walked across the room to pull his desk chair next to his bed.

"Are you sure, Penelope?" Danny said, it did feel weird to use her first name.

"Okay, that is a bit weird, not going to lie, but I'll allow it." She sat down, and crossed one leg over the other.

"If you don't mind, I'll just use your last name. I am more comfortable with that." Danny admitted the fact that it weirded him out. It was just her, and somewhat Poindexter, but he's getting better about that one.

"Fair enough." She pulled out her notepad and pen to begin her therapy session. "Tell me about what happened, specifically the fact that you gave into your rage during your battle."

Danny leaned back on his pillow, looking at the ceiling. Where to begin on that one. "I know during our training, you taught me to keep my emotions in check, but I couldn't help it. You'll call this a relapse or something. It started with Nocturn, he got in my head. As Lord of Dreams, he knew what mine were, and used them to throw me off a bit. Then, when I am down on my hands and knees, Dan is taunting me, telling me what he would do once I was dead. I know we addressed my desire to parent Danielle, but it was when Dan had threatened her, Sam, and Jazz with that sick tone in his voice, that sent me over the edge. I guess though, I was able to channel my parental protectiveness into a positive outcome." Danny told her what happened, trying to look for a positive.

Spectra wrote a bit, in her own shorthand. "Was it specifically your parental side that was the largest contributor to your hate?"

"Yes, it was. Dan remarked and I quote, referring to Danielle, "especially your filthy little clone sister, she will make a fine servant," it was that that caused the outburst." Danny shook his head as he thought about what his evil self said regarding his little sister.

"Now, I know that you shook the Realms with the sound of your wail, and that it was with your hate you survived, but how bad was your rage exactly?" Spectra asked, concerned.

"I was ready to kill, to cross the blood red line. Word has it, my eyes glowed red as well." Danny was a bit ashamed that he almost killed someone, even if it was Dan.

Spectra sighed, finished her note in her log, set the notepad on his nightstand. She removed her shades that she normally wore down her nose, placing them aside as well. She uncrossed her legs and leaned closer to Danny. "Definitely a bad relapse, and we will need to work on that in future sessions, but for now, I am glad to see you use your anger for positive outcomes."

"Dan just has a way of getting under your skin, no matter what he says," Danny said of his dark self, with a slight shiver in his back.

Spectra leaned back in the chair. "I agree, your counterpart is a real piece of work. I have no idea what I saw in him in his timeline. After you told Kitty what happened to the council in his future, and she therefore told us, we went to see the Time Keeper to see if it was true, and we met him. When I turned him down, he threatened me saying that if I would not be his by choice, then I would be his by force."

Switching topics, Danny asked about Spectra's budding therapy practice in the Zone, "So how is Desiree's therapy going?" Ever since he made that intervention for the genie, he did worry about her mental health.

"Legally, I cannot speak of another patient's therapy without their consent. However, I will say, considering you were the spark that led to her coming to me about it, that I have seen much improvement for her. There's still a long way to go, but she's doing good," Spectra said.

"I have heard that others of the council have come to see you about their own pasts as well," Danny said, probing her to see if she would tell him who.

"I see that some of us are a bit of a bit loose lips, I suspect it was Ember that told you." Spectra put it together immediately.

"You are good," was all Danny had to say about that.

As Spectra turned to leave as her watch was over, "You better win against him, I shudder to think what will happen to us if you fail."

"He has to kill me for that. Last time, he needed three primordials and a tyrant king to get close." Danny tried to be positive about it, but he was concerned too. Despite that it will be one on one, something was telling him that it wouldn't be that simple.

"False optimism, a deflection technique. You are worried, aren't you?" Spectra saw right through him.

"Yes, I am, I feel it in my bones that only one of us is walking away from this." He admitted to her.

"Well, we will see," Spectra took her leave.

Walker

When the warden came, it did take Danny by surprise. He was not expecting Walker to have the time to visit. Fortunately, Danny was awake when he came.

"Hello, punk," Walker greeted as he came in. While it was one of the nicknames Walker had for him, it was not said with the usual condescending nature to it. Danny could tell that Walker was in a good mood.

"Walker, I am surprised that you have the time," Danny greeted the arbiter of justice in the Infinite Realms.

"Well, I figure, I can make time, the prison is orderly," Walker shrugged.

"You are in a good mood. What happened?" Danny wanted to get to the bottom of this.

Walker took a seat, his southern drawl was showing hard, "Well, soon after being summoned here to witness what happened to you, the time master went and knocked over the Observants."

Danny's eyes went wide in surprise, "I know that Clockwork hated them, but he did what?"

"Then, he came to me with a scroll in hand, and I got what I wanted from those eyeballs," Walker continued his explanation.

"The council has authority over the realms?" Danny asked, recalling a previous conversation he had with the warden. Walker nodded in answer.

Walker changed the topic to that of Dan. "Tell me son, what do you plan on doing with your dark counterpart when you are done with him?"

"Want to lock him up in your prison?" Danny asked in turn.

"Yes, for future crimes, for being a general creep and scaring all of us in some way." Even Walker was creeped out by Dan.

"Sure you don't want to be his times three executioner?" Danny smirked as he said that.

"You are not going to let that go are you?" Walker asked a bit dejectedly

"No, considering it was pretty memorable. Also, how does one execute a ghost anyway?" Danny asked, having had that question for a while.

"Trust me, you probably don't want to know," Walker brushed the question aside. Danny marked that question to figure out later.

"So, has Vlad been behaving himself?" Danny asked about his former archfoe.

Walker smirked, "going a bit crazy." Danny approved, Vlad deserved it. " I will say, your American law book has been very influential in how I have been setting laws for the Zone." Danny laughed a bit.

Both of them talked a bit more about what Walker was doing to impose order and how the Rouges' council was handling the responsibility. Both of them had a good laugh about how the Box Ghost now was respected by other ghosts by being part of the ruling body. However, still only barely, and others on the council can and will overrule him if they feel like it. Soon enough, Walker returned to the prison, somewhat glad that he saw Danny.

Technus

It was Technus' turn to watch over Danny. It was a Friday afternoon. He came and sat down in Danny's desk chair. With Danny still asleep, Technus decided to take a look through Danny's computer. He needed something to do while he was here. Booting it up, he momentarily thought about being mischievous, but soon thought better of it. His eyes noticed an icon that was too familiar: Doomed. He opened the game, and went through the process of making an avatar, similar to the one had when he was in the game personally. He was in the pregame lobby where players met and talked before battle. He moved his character through the lobby looking at the other players. He found at least two he recognized. One tall, in dark armor with a pink face, the other with golden armor with a blue vizor, they stood with a pink armored avatar that had a beard. Technus put one of the headphones in his ear as he approached them.

They saw him coming. "Technus? What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be on guard duty today?" The dark armored one asked, as the pick face changed to show the face of the player, being Danny's girlfriend.

"I am on duty, currently sitting at Danny's computer, and no, I am not in any way inside the game." Technus told them.

"So, you are playing legitimately?" Tucker asked.

"Yep, I hope I have the skills to be as hip as you all," Technus said.

"Still need work in that department, anyway, let's do this." Tucker said, and the group of them began their run. Technus found it weird to be playing without being in the game. It came with some added difficulty.

Danny awoke later, to the sounds of electronics beeping. He turned his head to look to see who was his guardian that shift, he saw the Master of Technology. "Nice moves, Chaos. On your left, FryerTuck. Power up nearby, Lancer." He heard Technus say as his fingers flew across the keys. It took Danny a few moments to piece together what Technus was doing. When he did, it made him silently laugh. Technus was playing Doomed with Tucker, Sam, and Lancer. How ironic.

From his bed, he called out, "Having fun?"

"Is that Danny?" Sam's voice came over the headset in Technus' ear.

"Yes, yes it is, apparently he is awake." Technus said as he turned to look at his temporary charge.

"So, what level are you guys on?" Danny asked.

"Level Nine," Technus answered.

"Gauntlet of Death challenge, huh, interesting," Danny said, wondering how long he had been out, or how quickly they were advancing.

"I should probably log off, right?" Technus asked, sounding disappointed.

"No, you can play, just hand me a comic," Danny told the ghost. Technus duplicated and did as Danny asked.

When the group of four players reached the door, with the seven silver keys of the apocalypse that lead to the world wide web, Lancer took a moment and blasted Technus's avatar, resulting in a game over for the master of technology. "If I wasn't on guard duty, I would come in there and end you myself," Technus shouted into the earpiece.

Danny's eyebrow raised as he turned to look at the ghost. "Lancer shot you?"

"Yes! We were at the door too," Technus was angry about it.

"Well, at least you are not stuck in Level Zero," Danny said.

"Don't remind me," Technus shook his head. Danny rolled his eyes in mirth.

"Lancer, was that payback by any chance?" Tucker asked his teacher.

"Yes, it was," was all Lancer had to say on the matter.

Technus's shift ended soon after that, as Tucker and Sam came over to see Danny.

Skulker

Skulker was not allowed to be near Danny alone, despite the fact that both had agreed to lay their rivalry aside. He was also not allowed to be the one on duty when Danny was asleep most of the time early on in his recovery. None of the rest of the Fentons trusted the hunter's word for its worth. Danielle kept an eye on the two as they talked. Skulker came by on a Sunday.

"So, how has the council handled the responsibility of running the Ghost Zone?" Danny asked the hunter.

"Actually, pretty well. It is a weird thing, considering the origins of the council, now we are running it, or at least have power over it. I have been told I have leadership skills, now it is time to prove it." Skulker answered it, it still was a mind screwing thing that he was now in charge, or rather he had power.

"I agree with the fact that you have leadership skills, as always you are leading the charge as it were." Danny agreed with Skulker's point.

"Power always finds its way to me, and always when it is most needed, is what I find. Better in some ways, compared with struggling to hold onto it, and having it slip through the fingers" Skulker mused on the nature of power.

"That's good," Danielle inputted.

"It's nice, in that the Time Keeper finally paid us back for all the favors he asked us for." Skulker let it slip into his voice how much he had been getting tired of the Time Keeper's favors.

"I am sure you expect to be paid back more than this." Danielle put in.

"Oh I do, but now is not the time to ask him that. I suppose I have to trust that he has a plan." Skulker could only shrug at it. Clockwork was still unknowable as always, even when he is in charge over the Infinite Realms

"Don't we all?" Danny asked the open air.

"Once you are well, I expect you to be taking your training seriously." Skulker's voice took his drill instructor tone that he used during training sessions.

"Oh, I intend to. With Judgement day on the horizon, I have no choice, but to train," Danny assured his trainer.

At the mention of Judgement Day, Danielle got a little uncomfortable, she did not like to be reminded of the fact that she may lose her older brother, and that it might happen soon.

When the hunter had left, Danielle made her discomfort known to her brother. "Danny, I am worried. I don't want to lose you. I only recently got you all as a family, and it seems like fate wants to take you away."

He put on a brave face for her, "I don't plan on dying, Dani. I will be okay." He hugged her. While he tried to reassure her that he would survive, neither were truly convinced that it would happen.

Soon after Skulker's visit, Danny was healed enough to return to school. He had to take it easy for a bit, but he managed to get back into it.

Well, there you have it everyone, chapter twenty two of this tale. hope you enjoyed it. I wish I had more for some of the rogues, but I just couldn't think of anything suitable so I left it with what I had, better than putting in a half-baked idea.

Next time, Danny starts to wrap up some last things before the last battle. See you there.

Peace for now.