Sorry for it being shorter then the first chapter, but I just had to leave it there. I was so excited about finally posting the next chapter for this one that I sort of sped it along. Don't know when the next one will be up, but it should be completed in a four to five chapter span. Expected longer chapters after this one. So on with it!!! (Warning!!! Is a little graphic because of how messed up one of the characters is, but it's not too bad) I don't own any of the following characters--just the plot.

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"Well, this wouldn't have been my first choice."

Valerie stared at the rundown pile of wood that was the cottage that Phantom supposedly occupied. All four walls were slanting inward, there were holes in the ceiling, and the wood was covered in mould and mushrooms. Nothing, not even a rat, would live in that death trap. If Phantom was curing people, then he would need to have a big lab to do all of his work in, so where did he put it all?

She stepped around to the back and found what she was looking for—a basement shelter. Taking out one of her guns, she blasted the chains on the doors that were holding closed and the blast went straight through the old wood. She probably could have just pulled it apart without causing much noise, but it was too late now. Using a foot to kick the doors in, she waited until the light on her shoulder appeared and flashed into the darkness below. Seeing nothing, she stepped down onto the first step and, gun still armed, she descended.

It was about ten steps down into the earth. When she found flat ground, it was part of a hallway. It lead for about fifty more feet and stopped abruptly at another door. However, this door was steel incased, the hinges giant pieces of metal holding it on the side, somehow the dirt was strong enough to hold it up.

Valerie wasn't sure how to go from here. She couldn't blast it because that wouldn't do any good. She didn't see any door handle so she couldn't just open it up. There was only one other thing to do.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Open up Spook!" she yelled, hoping she could be heard through the thick door. "I'm not leaving and you can't make me!"

The door opened to her surprise and she was suddenly hesitant to look up.

"I've been expecting you."

Valerie gasped at his voice and had to look up to see just how damaged he was. His voice sounded horrible, as if someone had reached in and tried to pull his vocal chords out but only managed to mutilate them instead. She saw why when she saw his face. Burn mark, so many burn scars all over his skin. His hands were deformed; looking like many of his fingers had somehow melted together. His eyes were clouded over in a white fog, but his pupils were still tiny circles that could be visible through it. The left side of his mouth was twisted upward into a permanent, creepy, lopsided grin. The rest of his body was invisible by a dark black cloak, and she couldn't see his feet. He was hovering a few inches from the ground, a few flicks from below confirmed that he was using his tail for flight.

"Any lower and your jaw will hit the dirt," his mouth tried to stretch in a natural grin, but it seemed hard for him, as if he was frozen that way.

Valerie clamped her mouth shut, but she couldn't make her eyes sink back into their sockets.

"Wha… what happened to you?" she managed to get out from the shock.

"It's a long story. Come in, please."

He pushed the door open further for her to enter.

"I'm still expecting a friend of mine to come by so I'll just leave the door slightly open to let her know someone else is here," he really said this to himself, so Valerie ignored him and looked around.

It was a small, cramped space, but she could see two adjoining areas that were bedrooms. The middle area worked as a kitchen, living room, and obviously a lab, all in one. An old radio sat in a corner while the couch was in another, all beaten up, as if it had been taken right out of the garbage. The lab equipment took up most of the room, the set up and style reminding Valerie of an old Sherlock Holmes book. The lighting was horrible, but it was only one bulb in the ceiling that flickered in and out of existence.

"You seriously live here?" she asked.

"It's the only place I'm safe from people, and ghosts," he seemed to add as an afterthought. "I'm glad to see you're asking before blasting."

"Six years is a long time Phantom."

Phantom nodded.

"How did you know I was coming anyway?" she asked him.

"Oh, the GIW have been looking for me for a long time. It was only a matter of time that they went after you; then you would go into the Ghost Zone, which would lead you to some of my friends and would lead you here. Simple logic."

"Yeah, simple," Valerie muttered at Phantom's leaps of logic, to her own mind any way. "Why did you leave?"

Phantom seemed puzzled at Valerie's sudden change in subject.

"Pardon?" he asked, floating closer to her.

"Why did you leave Amity Park? The whole town is one big piece of hell! It was better when you were around to fight them off. Why did you leave us?"

Phantom blinked, "This isn't the Valerie Grey I know. Are you a clone or something?"

It was Valerie's turn to blink at this.

She slapped him across the face, as if he was babbling nothing. Phantom was surprised, but the look on his face was one of peace.

"Okay, I'm convinced that you're the original," he said, floating over to a chair and taking a seat. "Sit down, it's a long story."

Valerie was about to take a seat when the door squeaked open and a young woman came in. She locked blue eyes on Valerie and smiled.

"Oh hey," she said setting the bag down on the ground. "I guess I owe you money Dan."

Phantom smiled, or at least what looked like a smile at the woman that had come in.

"Valerie, this is my sister Danielle. She's really my clone but we've grown closer over the years."

"Your clone?" Valerie asked.

She looked just like. . . Wait. Disappearing all of the time, the bruises and cuts, and the secrecy all added up to one thing if this girl looked like him. They vanished at the same time, and now she found his mannerisms in this spectral being before her.

"Danny?" she asked hesitantly, still getting over the shock of the idea. "Danny Fenton?"

The ghost in the chair leaned forward and pressed his mutilated hands together. Valerie cringed at the sight.

"I was once him, but no longer," Phantom pulled the hood back from his face and showed the patches of hair that were and weren't growing back.

Small patches were white while others were black, and the bald spots were deformed and red—burn marks. Just the sight of his head made Valerie want to gag. She felt a hand at her shoulder and saw Danielle standing there, concern and pity in her eyes.

"Like he said," the young clone stated, "it's a long story."

Valerie took a seat while Danielle put the groceries away—for that what was in the bag—and started to make something at the small stove while Danny talked, his hood once again drawn up to hide his head.

"Where to begin?" he said, rubbing his neck because of the disuse; he wasn't use to speaking for so long. "I guess I'll start in the future, or rather what it could have been."

Valerie was puzzled, but said nothing. She remembered from years ago that when Danny had something to say, it was best left uninterrupted.

"Six years ago, we had the CATs remember?" Valerie nodded at his question. "I was so stressed out because I never had time to study, ghost hunting and what not. Because of that, I decided to cheat, the answers to the whole deal came into my hands, but after seeing what had happened because of it and the future I created, I decided to be honest about it and just leave it be.

"I had destroyed the world Valerie. My whole family had died and I went mad with grief that I destroyed everything. I didn't want that to happen so I stopped it, but it still wasn't enough. My future self found out and came into the present. He killed my family Val, every single one of them. I was angry, I went after him and managed to capture him, but at a price," Danny rubbed his hands together as if it was cold in the room. "I grieve every day for their deaths, but I'm in no way going to turn into that monster."

"So, your family died, because you thought about cheating on a test?" Valerie said, trying to make it make sense in her head. "That's harsh. So, where's your evil self now?"

There was a rattle from one of the shelves above the stove. Danielle frowned at it, took the flyswatter from its hook on the wall, and wrapped the thing sharply. The thing only rattled more, so Danielle wacked harder.

"Shut up in there!" she yelled at it.

"No way squirt," it sounded like Danny's voice, only more whole and healthier.

"You trapped him in a Fenton thermos?" Valerie asked.

"I've had to upgrade his prison many times, but yes, he's been in there for the past six years and he's never coming out," Phantom glared spitefully at the container on the shelf. "The only thing he's good at now is driving you crazy."

"I heard that!"

Danielle whacked the thermos again and a moan came from within. The female clone smiled in satisfaction as she set the swatter down and started to pour the hot water from the kettle into different cups for each of them—minus the jerky-evil-self.

"Why didn't you come back?" Valerie asked.

"To many memories," Danny said, accepting the cup from Danielle as she handed it to him. "I also heard that people blamed Phantom for the deaths, and I knew how you would take the advantage and blow me into the rest of my afterlife."

Valerie cringed at his words. He was right, she would have blasted and never thought twice about if he was innocent or not.

"And here I thought you were a coward for not coming back and showing your face," Valerie said, staring dully into her cup. "I would have done the same if I were you though."

Danny nodded and sipped from the cup, closing his cloudy white eyes while he did so.

"You still didn't tell me how you got like that."

Danielle answered this question though as she took up the stool in the corner.

"He got like that when he was fighting his evil self," she said as if it was obvious. "Also, fighting him in Axion labs in a room filled with experimental ghost weapons can also damage a person."

"What? You mean that break-in years ago was really you guys dueling it out?" Valerie asked, remembering that day clearly in her mind.

That had been the day her dad had gotten fired for the second time, but he had picked up a better job with Mr. Masters after that. In a way, it had helped the Grey family, but Valerie was still trying to pin the pieces together. What else had been Danny's fault?

"Yes," Danny said, slowly. "I'm sorry for that Val, but he would have moved on to destroy bigger things, eventually taking over. It's better that the lab got trashed then let the whole world live under his tyranny."

Valerie knew he was right, and she didn't blame him for it. Still, there was something she had to do.

"Do you know why I'm here?" she asked him, setting the cup down on the small table that looked ready to crumble.

"I'm aware that the GIW recruited you," Danny said after a moment's pause to think about it. "Is there more to it?"

"I'm not sure. All they wanted was for me to bring you back to Amity for them. I don't know why, but they said it was a life and death situation."

Danielle's eyebrows rose up and Danny's mouth firmed, as if his suspicions were confirmed.

"I think I know what's happening, I could feel it in a way. I felt the unease of it all start to build up about three days ago, and it's only growing stronger as we sit here," Danny said, ranting on about it with no particular care.

Valerie let him go on for a time before she looked at Danielle, hoping that the clone would know how to make him stop. Danielle only shook her head sadly at Val and watched Danny continue on in his mumbling. After about an hour of it, Danny was still mumbling, his voice growing stronger at some points then dying back down. Val was growing restless as she watched her once-potential-boyfriend continue to rant, his white eyes and tiny pupils staring endlessly into his now cold tea.

"He's going to go on all night," Danielle suddenly said, appearing beside Valerie's arm.

The huntress jumped in surprise, completely engrossed in Danny's ranting.

"What's wrong with him?" Val asked, tearing her eyes from Danny and onto the clone.

"I'm not sure, but he's been like this since he captured his evil-self," Danielle said, looking at Danny again. "I think I know what triggers them: it's usually centered around some sort of fate."

"Fate?"

"I'm not sure what kind of fate, or what kind of danger, if there is any, but he's mumbled about it before and this time is no different—only this time he says that he's right."

"How long will he go on?"

Danielle just shrugged her shoulders and headed into the kitchen. Val got up and followed her, uneasily glancing at Danny as he began to rock back and forth in his chair.

"Is he going to hurt himself?" Valerie asked as she heard the chair creek with the rocking.

"No," Danielle said simply. "He's lighter than a human so I'm not worried about the chair breaking, and if it does, he won't wake up from it. Just let him rant it out, he'll come back eventually."

Val nodded. She looked up at the thermos again, but decided she wasn't really that interested. The jerk was getting what he deserved.

"You hungry?" the clone asked casually. "I can whip something up."

"That sounds good, I've been in the Ghost Zone all day with nothing to eat."

"So, who did you run into?"

Danielle began to turn the gas stove on and brought a pot out, filling it with water from the tiny sink.

"I ran into Skulker, he sends his regards by the way."

"I'm sure he does," Danielle said bitterly. "Is he still a walking pile of tin-trash?"

"I could hear him squeak and sputter from a mile away," Val nodded.

"Good."

Val raised a brow, but didn't push the question at her lips about the ghostly hunter and the two half-ghosts.

"I also ran into Klemper," Val said, trying to change the subject. "My scanner picked him up for some reason."

"I bet it's because of his ice powers," Danielle said. "Danny has the same, but more powerful."

"He does?"

"Yeah, they developed after he had his little . . . accident."

"Oh, I also ran into Dora, Wulf, Frostbite, and Clockwork. He's the one who lead me here."

Danielle only nodded, as if this information was expected.

"Why does the GIW want Danny?" the clone asked.

"I don't know, that's what I'm worried about. If Danny knows what it is, and it sent him into . . . his current state, then it has to be bad."

Danielle sighed as she poured the pasta into the now boiling water. She was stirring it when a loud moan was heard from behind them. Val spun around to see that Danny was bending over double, his eyes squeezed tightly together as if concentrating, or in pain.

"How long Danni?" he asked, clearly back to his senses.

"About twenty minutes," Danielle said. "Better than last time."

Danny nodded, slowly sitting up and opening his eyes again. He locked his eyes on Valerie and sort of smiled, but there was no humor in it.

"I'm sorry for that Val," he apologized.

"It's not like you could have stopped it, but if I bring it up again, will you zone out?"

"I don't think so," Danny said looking back at the adjacent wall.

"Do you know why the GIW wants you?" Val asked bluntly.

"Yes, I do."

"Will you tell me?" Val asked after a moment's silence.

"Not at the moment. I have to be sure how bad it is before I do," Danny said, and his voice held no room for argument.

Val slammed her fist against the wall in anger. She had come all of this way to find him, and he couldn't give her any answers. She was about to tell him so when she spied something at her belt. She took out the piece of paper, remembering why she had it.

"Danny," she said, her tone calmer now. "I almost forgot to give you this."

Danny looked at the letter and his face scrunched up in confusion, making him look even more distorted then he already was.

"What is it?" he asked, taking it from her.

"From an old friend," Val said.

Danny frowned and opened it as best as he could with his destroyed fingers. Val was about to help him, but he had already managed to get it open by himself, leaving the scattered remains of the envelope at his feet. He unfolded the note and began to read it. His face held shock at first, then it molded into regret and sadness. He read it twice before covering his eyes with one hand and throwing the letter on the floor.

"Danni," he said, making the clone stop herself from making dinner, "we're going to cheese-head's."

Danni stiffened and her eyes became wide.

"You can't be serious!?" she yelled at him.

"I am, he'll know what's going on and he'll help. He doesn't have any fight left in him and I doubt he'll start again when he sees me."

Danni looked ready to argue, but she clamped her mouth shut, her face becoming red. Val didn't asked what the argument was about, but she really did want to know what the clone had against Vlad. She knew they were talking about the billionaire because of the way Danny used the name 'cheese-head'. Danny always hated the man for some reason—she never did figure out why—and the name had become an insult. Only when Danny used it now, it didn't sound like an insult, merely a way to let Danni know what was up without revealing it to Valerie.

The clone grumbled as she turned away into her room, coming back out with a dark clock around her shoulders and a mask in her hands. She handed the mask to Danny who placed it over his face gently. Valerie guessed that Danny had gone out a few times, and the mask helped people look at him without being disgusted. Mask in place, Danny stood up, or rather hovered up and looked at Valerie, the black mask making his bright white eyes even brighter and more eerie.

"You do understand why?" he asked, voice muffed behind the plastic.

"Yes," Valerie nodded. "Are we taking the Ghost Zone back to Vlad's?"

Danni's surprise was clear on her face when Valerie said Vlad's name, but it returned to anger just as quickly. Danni turned into her ghost self and floated beside her 'brother'.

"Yes, it is the fastest way to get there," Danny nodded.

"I have a beacon set up in front of his portal, I can lead us there without much trouble."

"Good," Danny nodded. "Oh, wait."

He turned around and floated over to the thermos, and its prisoner.

"We'll drop him off with Clockwork. I don't trust him by himself," Danny said, throwing the thermos over to Danielle to hold.

The clone caught it easily and gave it a good shake, the rattle and the growl within easily heard.

"Hello misplaced aggression," she smiled evilly at the container.

"Oh no," the evil-Danny said with an annoyed moan.

"So, where's the nearest portal?" Val asked.

"Right here," Danny said, lifting his glowing palm up into the air.

A portal appeared out of the thin air and he went in without hesitating to make sure it was stable. Danni soon followed after him and Val, after activating her jet-sled, followed as well.

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Poor Danny :(