Phantom: hi everyone. Hope you've been waiting for this as much as I have.

Trainer: yeah, we finally get to see the next chapter!

Phantom: ok… well there is that. But I was talking about the month we're now in. that's right, it's my second favourite month; October! Why's that? Well, since I love the supernatural, am considered a black cat/bad luck person, and am slightly mysterious/creepy, I think it makes sense. Especially since I love Halloween and Friday the 13th.

Trainer: I love Halloween! Everyone gets out of their comfort zone and dresses up like crazy. And who doesn't love a good scare?

Phantom: not to mention Danny and his failed attempt to be scary instead of Fright Knight. Lame attempt, but awesome episode none-the-less.

Trainer: enough with the chit-chat! I want to read what happened to Danny!

Phantom: and the magic word is...? And don't you dare say 'now'.

Trainer: um… how about… 'BEWARE!' or 'eight strikes mr. October!' … hmm, oh… I know. 'Go twitches, go twitches, it's… our birthday.'

Phantom: ok, the first was the Box Ghost and the second was what Danny said to Fright Knight in that Halloween episode. And the last one, really? Twitches? You know I love all three but that last one had nothing to do with DP.

Trainer: well, did they work?

Phantom: *sigh* fine. On with the chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom and some ideas are owned by Pearl84 and Truephan, but the plot is mine!

Chapter 9: Detectives and Guardians

Jazz, Sam, Tucker and TJ arrived back in the basement of the Fenton household within the Speeder. They had run into several less than pleased ghosts who chased them all over the Ghost Zone, and they had gotten lost in the process. They hadn't landed back home till the next day, and if they didn't find and bring Danny back from wherever he was, they would have to cover for him until they did.

Jazz internally groaned at the prospect. She wasn't a good liar; both she and Danny knew that. It was a miracle that her parents and the people of Amity Park hadn't caught on to them earlier. It wasn't her parents that she had to lie to though, it was Lancer. She had to lie to someone that she really respected and who had done nothing wrong to her. Jazz sighed, but knew that that was only a last resort for now.

Jazz turned off the engine and all the Speeder's occupants jumped out. Tucker was sad and had the leash on TJ. Said dog whined at not finding his master and friend waiting for them. Not a trace to pick up on. Jazz was stepping out of the vehicle and stared around the lab. Her eyes fell on Sam.

The Goth girl was walking up the stairs to the lab, her face hidden behind her raven coloured hair. It didn't take a genius thought to tell that Danny's disappearance was affecting her the most. The fact that her raven familiar had appeared at Skulker's island was proof enough. Like Danny, her powers were mainly activated through her emotions; and they were flowing from the distraught teen like an unstoppable river.

Sam was sad to learn that Danny hadn't been where they thought he was. She was angry that they had looked in the wrong place and wasted time that could have allowed them to save Danny sooner. She was confused as to why Skulker had actually decided to help them. But most of all, she was in pain. So much pain that it felt like she was dying, like the world was going to end, like she had failed a close friend.

Sam growled at her last thought and punched the nearest wall, leaving an indent in the shape of her clenched hand. She could feel like she was dying, she could scream that the world was going to end, but she would not… no, could not admit to any one that she had failed a close friend! She was determined to save Danny with everything she had. And no one was going to stop her.

She ran up the rest of the stairs, leaving the other two teens stunned. Tucker and Jazz exchanged a worried look before they raced after their friend. Who knew what she would do now that she was on a short fuse! TJ begrudgingly followed them, after being nearly choked by the sudden movement of his collar still attached to the leash.

As the group arrived on the main floor, they found Sam moving and opening things all over the kitchen. Tucker was the first to speak, "um, Sam? What… what are you doing?"

Sam stopped and looked up at the group. Her eyes were burning fiercely with her violet powers and the raven sitting on one of the chairs' tops. The same violent power erupting out of her eyes. Sam returned to she was doing and the raven accompanied her in the search.

Tucker was about to press for an answer again when she spoke up, "I'm not going to just wait for something to happen. Now is the time for action. And I'm looking for a pad of paper and a pen." She continued searching and then growled in frustration. "Jazz, how is it that your parents are geniuses and can rip open a portal into another dimension, but they don't even have the simplest of things lying around?"

Jazz sighed and started to help the Goth and raven search for the specified objects. Tucker, meanwhile, got dragged into the other room by TJ. The techno-geek tried to stop the dog but had no effect on the animal's movements. "Man, I need to work out more," Tucker thought as his boots slipped across the floor.

TJ stopped and looked at Tucker, who gave him an 'I'm not amused in the slightest' look. TJ patted his paw on the floor and seemed to give a half glare, half pleading look to the teen. Tucker's features softened and knelt down to the dog's level.

"What is it TJ? What's up?" Tucker asked. Just then he face-palmed. Was he really talking to a dog? A lick on the frame of his glass confirmed it. He looked up to see that TJ had managed to walk off and was currently looking out the window.

Tucker got up off the floor and walked over to his best friend's pet. He started petting the animal, who leaned into the affection happily. Suddenly, TJ jerked his head away and was staring out the window again.

Tucker raised an eyebrow and thought, "what's he looking at? If it's a squirrel, I'm going to need to tell Danny that his dog wasn't as smart as we thought he was."

Tucker sighed, but followed TJ's eyes until he was looking in the same direction. At first he didn't see anything, but then he thought he saw something in the distance. Wasn't that in the direction of the Guys in White facility? Wait a minute… was that… smoke?!

Tucker looked scared for a moment until he saw the all too familiar news van drive by the window in the same direction of the ghost hunting building. Now he was frantic and about to wet himself. Tucker looked between the window and the kitchen before he made a dash for the room the girls were in, TJ hot on his heels.

Tucker skidded to a stop. Sam and Jazz looked up from their search to see their friend completely distraught. TJ was running in circles in a similar manner.

Jazz closed the drawer she had opened and turned to face Tucker. Her eyebrows creased as she asked, "what's wrong, Tucker? Not to sound cliché, but you look like you've seen a ghost."

Tucker stared at the red-head before he started sputtering, "TJ – Guys in White – window – smoke- TV crew- DANNY!"

*slap*

Tucker stood there shocked before he shook his head to see that Sam had just slapped him. He blinked once, twice and then said, "OW!"

Jazz sighed at her brother's friends and joined the duo. She looked down to see that TJ had stopped running around and was watching what she would do next. Finally, Jazz said, "Tucker, calm down. We can't understand you. You're not making any sense." She finished by throwing her arms into the air.

"Not to mention, all you're jumbled thoughts were giving me a headache. I had to block you to stop the onslaught," Sam added, the raven flying to her shoulder.

Tucker glance between the two girls. He took a deep breath and quickly stated, "Ok, so while you two were looking for a pad of paper and a pen, which by the way I still don't know why you were looking for them, but any ways –"

"TUCKER," the two girls yelled. Tucker stopped talking and stared at them.

Jazz sighed again and said, "Tucker, speak slower. This is just as bad as you stammering."

Tucker nodded and tried to calm down. After a few deep breaths, he tried again, "while you two were looking for those objects Sam was looking for, TJ dragged me into the living room. At first, I thought he just wanted to move around, but then he started pawing the ground and giving me a puppy dog look. His leash got loose from my hand and he ran over to the window. I got curious and looked out the window too, only to see…" Tucker's eye's widened with fear and then he clenched them shut in an attempt to hold his growing fears down long enough to tell the girls what he saw.

Sam put a hand on Tucker's shoulder and said, "See what Tucker?" She wasn't sure she wanted to know.

Tucker gulped and squeaked, "First, I looked to where TJ was looking to see it was the direction of the GiW facility. Then I noticed something coming off from that way, a-a-and it was s-sm-smoke! I saw smoke coming from the GiW facility!" he was waving his arms in the air by now.

Jazz covered her mouth as she gasped while Sam looked like a deer in the headlights, or how a person would act if all the air in their lungs were suddenly gone. Tucker then added on, "and then, I saw the news van drive by! Something bad is happening guys. And I'm afraid Danny might have been at the centre of it!" Tucker looked like he was about crumble to the floor.

At the mention of the news van, Sam seemed to come out of her shock. She stared at Tucker, and then Jazz. Sam's eyes narrowed with determination as she stomped towards the living room. The action brought both Jazz and Tucker back as they followed after the girl.

"Sam?" Jazz asked, "What are you doing?" she was soon answered when Sam grabbed the TV remote off the couch, sat down and turned on the television.

"Dude, I don't think now is a good time to relax in front of the TV," Tucker said, moving to sit next to his friend.

Jazz followed Tucker and the two sat with Sam as she shifted and changed the channel. "I'm not relaxing Tucker, I'm trying to find clues," Sam said.

Jazz seemed to catch on when she said, "The news van! It's going to go find out what happened at the facility!" Sam didn't answer verbally, she just nodded. TJ finally walked in the room and lay down at Jazz's feet, an unhappy whine escaping into the room.

Sam stopped on the news and waited. Almost instantly, an image of a woman with orange hair and a pink suit came into view. Tiffany Snow appeared and the woman started speaking, "This is Tiffany Snow, of your Amity Park news. We're sorry to interrupt your programs, but there seems to be something wrong at the Guys in White facility. Something or someone has destroyed and rampaged throughout the facility. Lance Thunder is down at the scene. Lance?"

The image then switched to a blond man in a blue suit who was fussing over his hair as he complained, "I'm a weather man! How on earth did I get stuck reporting about gho – oh! Um… Lance here and thank you Tiffany. As you can see, behind me is Amity Park's own Guys in White facility. It appears that something has gotten into the building and destroyed it from the inside out. There are no break-in points, and the only sign from the outside of any damage is the smoke coming out of the windows on the second floor.

The camera moved to show the building's second story and the smoke being emitted out the windows. Then it returned to the reporter. "We've only just gotten here, but some of the operatives are willing to reveal some of what has happened here. Here with me is…" Lance said, not really knowing what to call the man.

"K, Operative K," the man dressed in white said.

"Alright," Lance nodded and tried to supply a smile. "What can you tell us about what happened here? Was it a ghost?"

Operative K looked at the weather man with a stern face, almost like he had tasted something bad but didn't want to offend the cook. The operative cleared his throat and said, "It was a ghost. We had recently captured him and began running several tests."

Lance's eyes widened with the prospect of diving deeper into the topic. "Really! Which ghost was it? Was it one that has terrorised our town before? What happened?"

Operative K scowled but replied, "I can't reveal who the ghost was. That is something that Agent C would have to answer. All I can tell you is that it was a ghost that we believe has terrorised Amity Park before. As for what happened, again, only Agent C could tell you that."

Lance wasn't discouraged when he wasn't given answers. In fact, he was thrilled to find out more. "Well, if Agent C is the one we need to talk to, where is he?"

The operative froze for a moment, but then returned to his original composure. He straightened his tie and said, "Agent C went through… the most during these recent events. He had been closest to the ghost when… things got rough. I can't disclose what –"

"BUT I CAN!" a voice off screen shouted.

A man appeared on screen, he wore a white suit like all of the GiW but his suit was slightly singed, messy, torn and covered in green splotches that Team Phantom hated to think was actually Danny's ectoplasm.

Lance turned to the man and said, "And you would be…"

"Chrome," the man replied, shoving the operative out of the way. "Agent C, if you prefer."

Lance's eyes widened and chuckled nervously. "So, would you be able to tell us what happened here exactly? I mean, like who the ghost was? What happened to your facility?"

Agent C seemed to scowl, but it was so brief that no one could say that it had really happened. "We'd rather keep the identity of the ghost to ourselves, but as for what happened, I'd be honoured to reveal that," the evil man said. "Like Operative K said, we did some tests. Simple things like abilities and powers, DNA, etc. It was when we moved onto the final test that things took a turn for the worse. Something went wrong and everything began exploding."

"Really, and then what happened?" Lance asked.

"All hell broke loose, that's what," the agent growled. "The door to the room was the first to go; the stupid demon was screaming his head off like no tomorrow. Then these balls of energy would appear out of nowhere and explode against the walls. I'm surprised that things didn't just go up in flames."

Lance nodded in understanding. He then said, "And what happened to the ghost?"

Agent C growled and practically spat, "He got away, but not on his own. Another ghost came into the room and demanded what was going on. When I told him, he yelled to shut down the machine we we're using. I moved to do so, but then one of those energy balls exploded between me and the machine and sent me flying into the far wall. I didn't see anything after that. All I know is that both ghosts were gone by the time I came to and before anyone else came into the room."

"Wow!" Lance said. This was huge! "Well, good luck to you and your men. Back to you, Tiffany."

Sam turned off the TV, all three teens were shocked. What did one do when the one you were looking for, was now even missing from his captors? Tucker was the first to find his voice, "Um, guys?" All the girls looked at him, worry written all over their faces. "What do we do now? Danny isn't at the GiW facility, and we don't –"

"DON'T SAY IT!" Sam screamed.

"Know where he is!" Tucker finished. He was close to tears and braking down. This was just too familiar. Danny going missing, them not being able to track him; no matter what they used, not being able to do anything! He didn't want history to repeat itself.

Sam ran out of the room, her raven hot on her heals. Jazz, Tucker and TJ cringed when they heard a door slam upstairs. They weren't going to bother her right now. Honestly, they could all use some time to think.

Jazz sighed and looked at Tucker. His eyes were gleaming with unshed tears and his breath was stuck in his throat. She didn't know what to do, and from the way everyone else was acting, neither did they.

"Tucker," Jazz said her voice just barely above a whisper. Tucker looked at the red-head, hoping that she had something useful. "I don't know what to do. Sam is upstairs, probably crying. Skulker won't tell us anything more than we already know. And we have no leads as to Danny's whereabouts!" She dropped her head into her hands in defeat.

Tucker frowned at the older teen. "Jazz," the techno-geek said. Jazz refused to lift her head, but gave a muffled sound. Tucker took it as an opportunity to talk. "We have to keep trying. Danny's out there somewhere. Sam and I still have our connection to Danny, and… we have the Boo-marang if it can catch his ecto-signature. There has to be something we haven't found yet."

Jazz lifted her head and gave him a small smile; although, it was kind of forced. "Thanks Tucker," she said. "I don't think anything can really help right now, not even what they found at the GiW facility seems to help."

"Wait!" Tucker pulled out his PDA and re-watched the new cast. He then paused and said, "Watch this part."

He handed the PDA to Jazz and she frowned. What could Tucker possibly find from the news report they just saw? As she watched, a small smile came to her face. It was the part with Agent C revealing what he knew had happened to Danny.

"Tucker, you're a genius!" Jazz said enthusiastically and hugged the technology obsessed teen. "He practically gave us the answer we've been looking for! Danny disappeared after a different ghost appeared and SAVED him. How many ghosts do we know that could either know that Danny was in trouble, and could save him?!"

Tucker blushed by the act of affection, but shoved the embarrassment down as he pushed away from the over-excited teen. "I know, I know, you're excited. Come on. We need Sam for this."

The two teens got up and ran for the stairs. TJ stayed downstairs though, pawing at a little metallic bug he found.

Jazz and Tucker arrived upstairs and started looking for Sam. It didn't take long; they found her in Danny's room holding one of his rocket models like it was her only connection to her friend. Jazz moved over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. Sam nearly jumped out of her skin but looked up to see concerned eyes lock with hers.

"Sam," Jazz started, "We think we're onto something, but we need your help."

Sam brightened at the prospect of being able to find Danny and wiped her eyes. "Where do we begin?" she asked, a determined glint returning to her eyes.

"We found something that we all over-looked from the news report," Tucker jumped in. "That Chrome guy said that another ghost came and helped Danny. Also that it was a male ghost. We just need to figure out which of the ghosts we know would have known about Danny being in trouble, and who could have helped him without setting off any alarms, traps and could get in and out without blowing a huge hole through the wall."

"Wow Tucker. You really know how to knock someone down huh?" Sam replied. "The GiW facility has a ghost shield, only those with the ability to create portals or teleport could get in."

"Well, at least that really narrows our list down. Most ghosts can't teleport or create a portal. That's why most come through our portal or Vlad's," Jazz stated, happy that they were getting somewhere.

"Ok, so who can do either of those things?" Sam asked, finally finding some paper and a pen. Leave it to Danny to save their necks, even when they were trying to save his.

Tucker tapped his chin in thought and said, "Well, there's Wulf, Clockwork and…"

"Vlad," Jazz hissed. She hated that guy. Even to say his name was like drinking venom.

Sam wrote down the names and said, "Well, all three are able to find Danny easily enough, but who would have known about Danny being trapped?"

"Might as well cross Wulf off. It's hard enough to find him on a good day. He usually stays in the Ghost Zone and hides from Walker. There's no way he would have known," Tucker said.

"That leaves Clockwork and Vlad," Sam said.

"Well," Jazz started, "Clockwork is really good to my brother, and he can come into the timeline almost anywhere he wants. He could have done it."

Sam shook her head. "Yeah, I know. But Danny once told us that Clockwork doesn't mess with the timeline unless it helps the timeline move smoothly or to prevent something from happening to Danny; since he is like his ghostly guardian or something. Plus, even if that were the case, Clockwork doesn't do such rash moves. If someone else was going to help Danny, he would have let it happen."

"But then that just leaves," Jazz shuddered at her next thought, "Vlad. Why would he help? What would he have to gain from it?"

"I don't think it's what he would gain, but what he could have lost, Jazz," Tucker said. When the two girls stared at him and he supplied, "When Danny went missing the first time, we found out that Vlad had been treating him pretty well, despite the pain Danny must have felt in the process. Vlad has never really wanted to harm Danny to the point of death."

"True, but how can we be sure that Danny's with Vlad now?" Sam asked. Her answer came when TJ burst into the room with something in his mouth.

Jazz saw that it was something metallic and rushed over to the pooch. If it was another of her parents' inventions, she and Danny would be in so much trouble. "Drop it," she commanded. TJ reluctantly dropped his new 'toy', only to reveal that it was one of Vlad's spy bugs. "Guys, not to jump to conclusions, but I think it was Vlad."

Sam and Tucker nodded. "Just in case, let's see what we can get out of this little guy," Tucker said as he grabbed the metal bug from Jazz and got to work.

Vlad was racing home, Danny still unconscious and bordering a very dangerous line. His wounds weren't healing like they should and that only left two reasons; either he was so drained that he was healing like a human rather than a hybrid, or his ghost core had fallen to a lot of damage. As a result, he was still bleeding at an alarming rate.

Vlad would have teleported them a long time ago, but with the boy in this critical condition, he opted to not do it. Danny wouldn't know, first of all, that he would need to hold whatever breath he could. And the billionaire figured that he couldn't hold very much. Then there was the fact that performing teleportation could further harm him in the physical sense. It was too risky, and Vlad was not about to lose the boy that easily.

Vlad looked back down at Daniel's still form worriedly. Now that he could see, more or less, the damage the boy had received, he wasn't too pleased. His wound varied from deep to shallow cuts, all of which weren't healing and still bleeding. Some of the blood was dried and caked through his hair and clothes. Vlad made a note to get rid of the boy's clothes after he made sure that Daniel was out of mortal danger.

He had several large burns across his body, all of which were standard first degree burns, thank god. They would need aloe and bandages. And Vlad wasn't sure, but he thought that Danny had broken some ribs. Besides the blood loss, it would explain why Daniel's breathing was raspy and somewhat strained. Furthermore, Daniel's skin tone was grayer, and Vlad didn't like the looks of it.

Plasmius sighed and looked up to his surroundings. They were getting close to his castle and then he could really help the boy. That is, if no one tries to further harm the child before then.

All of a sudden, Vlad felt something familiar returning to him. Was that… his energy? No, that's impossible. The only energy he was using was in his… his duplicate! Vlad looked over to his copy and saw that he was fading in and out of existence, a pink trail of energy leaving before returning to Vlad.

Vlad and his duplicate stopped. Vlad took in the scene again before creating another duplicate. The first copy handed the books over to the second, and Vlad saw that the first duplicate wouldn't hold out much longer. He absorbed the first and looked at the second.

"What on earth happened to my duplicate that he would start to become energy again?" Vlad wondered. His answer came when he caught sight of one of the books, more specifically, the bottom book.

It was the book that had been reacting to Daniel back at the facility. Its glow was pulsing and seemed to be harming his duplicate, or at least it was draining his energy away and returning it to the source. The duplicate knew what its original was thinking and quickly swapped the bottom book with the only red-gemmed book; the one Vlad had once dreamt about. Immediately, the duplicate's energy returned and everything was fine.

Now Vlad was curious. As he and the duplicate continued their flight, he mused. He recalled that the information he read said that each book had special attributes to them and that only a specific ghost could touch them. The green ones gave some a freezing chill, while the red one would give someone a hot or electric shock. But they weren't doing that to him. Neither kind of the books did. The red did nothing to him and the green just returned his energy to him.

He would have to look into this. Perhaps the books themselves could help. Maybe something written inside could shed some light on the matter.

But first things first; Daniel needed help recovering. As the castle came into view, Vlad and his duplicate sped up and arrived within a few minutes.

Vlad didn't waste any time. He phased through the building until he came to a certain room. The room was currently dark, but there were glowing stars on the ceiling and several glowing DP symbols about the room. Vlad brought the wounded teen to the bed and laid him down. He then took the books from the duplicate and put them on the side table next to the bed. He then absorbed his duplicate. It was already bright out, so Vlad assumed that it was the morning of the next day.

He turned on the lights to reveal that the room was a beautiful blue; the same blue that was used in Danny's room in Amity Park. Vlad sighed. This was Daniel's room at one point in life, and he hadn't stepped foot in it since the boy's betrayal. But that didn't matter right now. Daniel needed him more than ever.

Just then, someone knocked on the door. Vlad jumped slightly but tried to compose himself before answering. It didn't work. "Come in," he said, his voice lased with concern and growing anxiety.

Several beings, all of them ghosts, entered the room. It was Vlad's working staff for the mansion. Apparently, his sudden arrival by phasing through the walls to this room got everyone's attention. George had been the first to enter. The chef was slightly worried when his employer had zoomed past the kitchen without as much as a glance. The fact that Vlad hadn't even eaten lunch, let alone dinner, yesterday told the pudgy ghost that something was wrong.

George floated in and asked, "Master Plasmius, what's-"but he stopped short when he saw who was on the bed and what kind of shape they were in. "oh my! What in the Ghost Zone happened to the young halfa?!"

At the mention of the younger half-ghost, the rest of the staff poured into the room. Each wore a different expression.

Martha and Patricia had long since stopped a petty argument about where Maddie the cat was and whether she needed a bath. Both looked like they were about to break down crying at the sight of the young boy. Also, they hated the fact that the clean sheets were now ruined… again. But they figured that could wait.

Carl, who had been trying to show Derek the new car Vlad had bought, had dropped his cellphone. The picture of the new and shiny vehicle still on the screen, but even that wouldn't be able to lift his spirits now. He stared at Danny's still form and couldn't tear his eyes from the sight. This was the kid who he had spent hours talking to about cars when no one else would for Pete's sake! He hated to see him like this.

Bennie and Jasper had their mouths hanging open; any thoughts running through their heads had instantly stopped. They didn't know how to react. Danny had been such a sweet and innocent kid. Who would do this to him?

Derek was in the background, ready to make a dash for the medical kit or call 911 if necessary. He was the quiet nervous ghost of the house! He didn't deal with things like this on a usual basis!

Finally, Niane was the last to enter, her features staying unchanged from its usual seriousness. She exchanged a look to George who returned it right away. They had been the only two to see Danny the first time he had come back in a similar state, but that didn't make it any easier.

No one even question as to why Danny was back. Under normal circumstances, they would have all been thrilled to see the younger hybrid. But right now, they didn't care. Danny looked like he was close to joining the Ghost Zone permanently, and they were going to do all in their power to prevent it.

Vlad looked over the group and sighed. He knew that they deserved an explanation; but even he couldn't supply everything. Daniel would need to clear some things up for all of them. Vlad cleared his throat and said, "An explanation can wait. I need everyone's help in order to save Daniel."

Vlad turned back to Danny and without looking at the ghosts he started barking out orders. "Derek! Get the first aid kit. Benny! Jasper! Go to the greenhouse and get any medical plants and supplies, then return here."

Said ghosts ran off without a word to perform their duties. Vlad turned his hand intangible and began pulling off the boy's clothes until only his underwear was left. They were the same red boxers with white spots that Vlad had seen last time.

He tossed the clothes behind him, which Martha and Patricia dutifully caught before they stared back at their employer. Vlad didn't even spare them a glance when he said, "dispose of those. They're beyond repair or salvation."

Vlad looked over the damage now that he had a clear view. It was worse than he thought. The wounds on the area his clothes were covering were at least half an inch deep and would need several stitches. How he gained such severe wounds was beyond the older hybrid.

As Martha and Patricia left with the torn and blood soaked clothes, only Carl, Niane and George remained. "Carl!" Vlad commanded, but at the same time startling the shock-ridden driver. "Please go and call the office and tell them that I will not be coming in for the next few days. If they ask why tell them that something important has come up." Carl ran out of the room to make the calls, only to come back in and grab his cell off the floor. He then ran out again to make the calls.

Niane and George glanced at each other before they went to their own duties. They didn't need to be told what to do; they saw this last time and had done everything they could do to help. While George flew off and got a bucket, Niane went to the bathroom and ran some hot water.

The two returned to Vlad's side with the bucket full with warm water and a cloth. At the same time, Derek had arrived with the first aid kit and Benny and Jasper had re-entered the room with arms full of ghostly plants.

Vlad brought a chair over to the bed side and returned to his human form. In all the excitement, he hadn't changed back. Now human, Vlad took off his jacket and rolled up his sleeves. It was time to get to work.

It had taken almost all day, but the end result was hopefully worth it. The bucket of warm water was now dyed a bloody red. Same went for the cloth that Vlad had used to clean the younger hybrid's wounds. He had bandaged every cut, scratch and burn as well as applied both ghostly and human medicines to the wounds.

Danny had bandages wrapped around his head, both legs, both arms and all over his chest. He also had a patch on his cheek and one over his heart/core where the GiW agent had stabbed him several times. With all the bandages, Daniel looked like a mummy.

From what the older hybrid could tell Daniel's core was fine if not just in temporary shock. It was totally drained of energy and would be a while before his body would heal at its usual pace. In the meantime, Vlad and everyone in his castle would just have to keep an eye on him.

Vlad sighed in relief. Daniel was out of the danger zone for now. At least that got rid of one problem. George and Niane left the room and went back to their duties; but Niane gave one more glance at the unconscious teen. She would need to talk to the teen when he was well; and alone. As the door closed, Vlad was finally left alone with the boy. There were so many things to think about now. What would he do with the child once he was well again? What about Daniel's sister and friends? Would they barge in, guns a blazing, without asking any questions? Or would they be willing to hear him out first? What about the boy's life in Amity Park? He would need an excuse for why he wasn't at home or even in school for that matter. Then there were the books. So many things he wanted to know about those books.

So many things to take care of, and it felt like he would have no time to do them. Vlad remained in his seat next to his young rival as he looked at his watch. It was 6:00 pm his clock read. George would want him to eat something today and skipping five meals in a row wasn't going to please the ghost chef.

Vlad looked back at Danny and then to the books on the nightstand next to him. Now was as good a time as any to tell Skulker that he had retrieved the books. Vlad moved to contact the hunter via his watch communicator but then stopped himself.

If he told Skulker that he had the books, then he would come and try to retrieve them. True, Skulker had said that if they had been found anywhere in the human world that he would be allowed to keep one of them, but he wanted to see what the books were capable of. Individually and together; he wanted to know everything about these books.

Vlad reached over to grab the top book but stopped. He had never actually touched them himself. Would he get the same result as his duplicate when he touched the green books? Or would it do what the reports said and give him a nasty chill? When his duplicate touched the red gemmed book, it had been fine.

Vlad narrowed his eyes at the books. They had an internal defense system against ghosts and other beings so that not just anybody could touch them. But he was able to. Why?

The billionaire made up his mind and grabbed the larger of the two green gemmed books. Its glow was softer than and not as brilliant as when he had first seen it back at the GiW facility. It was like it was reacting to how… to how Daniel was physically!

When the older hybrid touched the book, he did feel a slight chill run through him, but it was a familiar chill. It was a welcomed chill that he felt whenever he was near Daniel. The book at first repelled his touch, but then, in some way that Vlad could tell, it embraced it and welcomed him.

"How odd," Vlad said as he stood. The centre gem glowed a little brighter and Vlad gave a ghost of a smile before moving to the door. He gave one last glance to the sleeping boy before he closed the door behind him and headed for the dining room. He had no doubt that George would have made him dinner and that it was waiting for him there.

As he came into the room, he smelled the sweet aroma of his meal waiting at his chair at the long table. As he sat down, he was greeted by a soft meow and something brushing up against his leg. Vlad looked down and gave a soft, but somewhat forced, smile. "Hello, Maddie. What are you doing here?" Vlad asked. He looked at his dinner and chuckled. "Ah, that's what you want."

His meal was sushi, so of course Maddie wanted some too. Vlad tossed her a piece which she happily caught and started to eat. Vlad chuckled again. "Well at least one of us has an appetite tonight," Vlad mused.

He really only ate half of the meal while the cat ate the other half. Vlad's mind was swimming in a sea of thoughts and questions. Not one he could answer when it concerned the young hybrid upstairs and what happened or what will happen to him. But this book. This book, as well as the other books was something that he could work on in the meantime.

He sat at the table and looked at the book with more intrigue than ever before. He continued to sit there, even after Derek came and went with the empty plate and utensils.

The book was even more beautiful in person. The giant green gem in the centre glowed neon green and seemed to pulse as it came close to his touch. Heck, it was doing a similar thing when it was only inches from Daniel's head throughout the whole day.

There were twelve smaller, thinner gems circling the main gem in the pattern that made the overall image look like a sun. They weren't as bright as the centre gem; more of a dull, moss green. Vlad wondered why that was, but he had plenty of time to figure it out.

Vlad traced the cover and felt each individual gem. His eyes widened in surprise when he felt four small, pearl-like bumps near each of the corners of the cover. He squinted and found that those bumps had indeed been pearls that were glowing faintly. He presumed that something was keeping the book from being at full power; otherwise all the gems and the books glow would be much brighter. All the green gems would look like emeralds and what he thought was pearls would most likely be a beautiful white.

Then there was the rest of the book. Yes, the books glow didn't look healthy or strong, but there must be something that was causing it; and he would be the one to find out. The rest of the relic was just as stunning as the gems. It was overall a raven black that accompanied the cool touch perfectly. Each gem was encircled by a gold trim. The edges had a similar trim, but it was thicker and more defined. Finally, there were glowing letters on the binding.

Vlad turned the book so he could better see the binding and the letter glowing off of it. The letters glowed an off-white that was tinged a slight green, complimenting the rest of the book very well. Vlad scowled at the words. It looked like that language that was from the cave drawing back in the Far Frozen that he now had a copy of. The writing on the side read "Duono libro: Frostigi. Fantomo"[1]. Vlad had no clue as to what it even meant. The older hybrid leaned back in his chair and sighed as he rubbed his temples. Just another problem on a growing list.

Vlad chanced a glance at the nearby clock. It read 9:00 pm. It was definitely time for some rest. Vlad got up and grabbed the ghostly relic before heading to his room. He climbed the stairs and looked down the hall towards his room but stopped. He looked in the opposite direction towards his new temporary guest. The billionaire made up his mind and headed for the young hybrid's room. He would see if anything needed to be changed before going to bed himself.

Opening the door slowly, he peaked inside and found that Daniel was still out. Vlad shook his head. What was he expecting? For Daniel to be fine and be demanding where he was and what had happened and then somehow blame it on the older hybrid?

Vlad walked into the room and looked down at the sleeping boy. All his bandages looked fine; not so worn that they would need to be changed yet. He moved his gaze from head to toe and back. Nothing looked like it had to be taken care of yet, but the state that Daniel was in was nerve racking.

Daniel looked so peaceful just lying there. Like there was nothing wrong, like he hadn't just gotten beaten within an inch of his life… again. Like his life could just continue the way it was.

Vlad sighed. No, life could never be normal for them. They were unique yes, but at the same time they were alone. Three hybrids existed in all existence, and they could have all gotten along if they weren't on such different paths.

Vlad decided to leave the boy to his peace for now. They both needed their rest. Vlad turned to leave, but stopped when he felt a slight pulse of energy in his hand.

He looked down and saw that the book he was carrying was glowing a little brighter. "Well this is new," Vlad thought. The relic looked like it was, renewing itself. The gems were still quite dim in colouring, but he could now tell what they were. The centre gem was still bright neon, emerald green. The smaller green gems weren't so much as a moss colour but rather a cool forest green. And the pearls that had been almost unrecognizable as little blackish balls were now a grayish white at least. Even the glow seemed to have gotten stronger.

Vlad raised an eyebrow as he contemplated what was happening. He had assumed that the books were somehow connected to the hybrids themselves, but didn't know in what way. His dream about the red gemmed book, the four books representing four hybrids; even though he only knew of three, and the mysterious ghost that had wanted them so badly. Nothing was adding up.

Vlad's face then lit up with an idea. He had dreamt of the book with a red gem, the only book that he knew of that had this coloured gem. It couldn't be a coincidence that he could use that colour energy while both Daniel and Danielle could not. Vlad had thought that the book was meant for him and would do almost anything to keep it… that is until he woke up from his dream. But the urge to have it still remained.

But what if it was a similar case with the other books? What if they were meant for Daniel and Danielle? They were hybrids too and they preferred to use green energy like the gems that were in the other books.

With that thought, Vlad brought the book in his grasp closer to the younger hybrid's form. The result was almost instant. The book grew brighter and more alive with every passing second that it was in range of Daniel. The gems and the glow of the book grew brighter and healthier.

The opposite effect happened when he drew the book back. Everything about it seemed to dim, as if it had become sad in the way only ghostly objects could. Vlad gave a slight smile. He was learning more about these books within the few hours that he had had them than anyone in the Ghost Zone had.

These books had an internal defence system that made it almost impossible for just any ghost to hold them.

They belonged to the hybrids and wouldn't harm any of them; whether the book was theirs or not.

They reacted strongly when near their corresponding being; just like how this book did to Daniel. This book was Daniel's!

There was a fourth book and hybrid out there that he didn't know about.

Vlad then realised he had done everything that was simple with this book, except for open it up and read what was inside. He would have done what Danny called a face-palm if he wasn't already doing so mentally.

Vlad grabbed the cover and made to open the book; only to find that he couldn't. Vlad frowned. Why couldn't he open it? Vlad was about to blast the book, his pink energy filling his hand, when the book reacted and opened on its' own. Vlad looked at his glowing hand and where it was on the cover. It was on the centre gem.

Vlad smiled. He could add 'secret ecto-lock/key' to that list. He opened the book, only to frown again. The pages were blank! There was nothing on them! Vlad yawned un-expectantly. He looked at his watch and saw that it was almost 10:00 pm. Where had the time gone?

Vlad put the book he was holding back with the rest; next to Daniel and on the bedside table. He turned and left, shutting the door behind him. It was time for bed, and then tomorrow, he could worry about the books and Daniel.

Vlad returned to his room and readied himself for bed. As he climbed into bed and turned off the light, he let go of his thoughts as he tumbled into an uneventful sleep with no dreams, no thoughts, just blackness until morning.

"Derek! Get the first aid kit. Benny! Jasper! Go to the greenhouse and get any medical plants and supplies, then return here."

*Click… click*

"Dispose of those. They're beyond repair or salvation."

*Click…click*

"Carl! Please go and call the office and tell them that I will not be coming in for the next few days. If they ask why tell them that something important has come up."

*Click*

Clockwork raised his staff and clicked the timepiece again and his viewing orb became a black screen again. The glow encompassing his staff disappearing and returning to its natural hue.

Clockwork wouldn't admit it out loud, but Daniel Fenton was possibly one of the luckiest boys in the world and Ghost Zone. He had a loving family, the best of friends, and plenty of powerful allies that would help him in his time of need.

Sure, there was himself, Frostbite and even Pandora, but none compared to Vlad Masters/ Plasmius. The two didn't get along for obvious reasons; they were like polar opposites. But the two of them together were the ultimate team. They could face anything together and would put aside all their differences to help the other.

He had seen this many times, but now he had to test them once again. The time master frowned. He did not enjoy having to test them, let alone his protégé, but it had to be done at times.

He chose the best path for the timeline, but that didn't mean it was always the easiest choice. He chuckled at that thought. Hadn't he been telling that to Danny through their many encounters?

Putting Danny through this bump with the Guys in White would strengthen the bond between the two hybrids and possibly with Jasmine Fenton as well. They needed this more than they realised for what may come up in the future; this needed to happen.

Clockwork looked down at his wrist, looking at one of the many watches he wore. He counted down the ticks from five… four… three… two…

*Bam!*

Clockwork sighed and turned to his 'guests'. Juĝisto and Konsilisto entered the room; their one eyes bulging and filled with rage.

"Clockwork!" Juĝisto started, "what have you done?"

Clockwork fiddled with his time piece and didn't even spare his 'employers' a glance. Instead, his replied in his even and monotonous voice, "such a simple question with many answers. You may want to be more specific."

Juĝisto's eye narrowed. "Don't use your mind games on us time master. We've seen what's happened in the human world."

"Yes," Konsilisto added, "you have let Danny Phantom fall back into the timeline where his future evil self awaits! Why?"

Clockwork lifted his gaze for a second and then resumed playing with his time piece. "Once again, you have given a vague question. If you mean 'why have a left Danny in a somewhat similar situation like a few months ago?' then I would have to say that it doesn't concern you." Clockwork said; "at least not yet," he added mentally.

Both of the Observants narrowed their eyes to slits. Why was Clockwork hiding things from them? What was he hiding from them?

Clockwork gave an audible sigh and lifted his head to look at his employers in the eye. "If you need something to satisfy your curiosity then I will inform you. This is a form of a 'test' for both hybrids as well as Daniel's sister," he half lied. True, it was a 'test' in a way, but it wasn't really all that intentional.

"The three need to work together better for the timeline's and their own sake. But that is all I am will to tell you. The timeline is my first priority and Daniel is my second, and I do not need to explain my actions involving either to you or the rest of the Observants," Clockwork stated with a finality that was scary. There was no arguing with the master of time on this one.

Juĝisto and Konsilisto glared but understood and would not press the topic. Finally, both responded, "We leave it to you Clockwork, BUT DON'T LET THAT TIMELINE HAPPEN; AT ALL COSTS!"

"You have my word," Clockwork said, a smirk crawling across his features. This, of course, the two Observants didn't see since they were already leaving.

Clockwork heard the door close behind and he smiled softly. He loved messing with his so-called 'employers'. He knew that the situation was serious, but he couldn't help it. He knew what would happen next; he wasn't worried, at least not until the events that happened later on in the time stream. If Danny was there, he would have done the same if not more to annoy the Observants.

The only other person that loved messing with his employers as much as he or Daniel did was –

"Clockwork!"

Clockwork sighed but turned to the source of the sound. A young girl, about Daniel's age, floated into the room. She wore a red cloak with a hood and a white dress that covered her all the way to the floor. Her hair was brown, her eyes the same icy blue as Vlad's, and her skin a light skin tone.

She wasn't even trying to hide her worry. Clockwork glanced at her and was about to try and calm her down, but didn't get the chance. "Clockwork! What happened to Danny? Why is he hurt? How did Vlad find out about it? What's going on?" Niane exploded.

Clockwork put a hand on the distressed spirit's shoulder and she immediately stopped and looked up to see his face; her own covered in tears. "Calm yourself Viviane," Clockwork said.

Niane pouted and said, "It's Niane now. But Clockwork, what happened?"

Clockwork nodded and said, "In order; Danny unfortunately was captured by the GiW yesterday when he saved Skulker and was tortured by them. Vladimir found out by Skulker and went to save the boy. So now Vlad is trying to save Danny's life."

Niane nodded, but then said, "But why? Why did this happen? No, why did this need to happen?"

Clockwork looked off into the distance for a moment, as if he was contemplating what to say and how to say it. "In the timeline I have seen, Daniel and Vladimir need to and will put aside their differences in order to save everyone. This is one of those times that the two need to see eye to eye and get along so that they can retrieve this bond later on. I'd rather it didn't have to be this way, but it was the best option."

Niane nodded again, knowing that Clockwork only did things if he had a good reason to do so. So she didn't argue. "What should I do Clockwork?" Naine asked.

Clockwork smiled softly and said, "Keep an eye on those two. And be nice to your guests in a few days. You scared them off last time." He chuckled softly and moved towards his viewing orb. He waved his staff over the device and an image of the near future appeared. It was of Danny's sister and friends and Vlad all hovering around the tired looking Danny, who was still bed ridden.

Naine floated behind the time master and smiled at the image. If only things could always be like that. "Alright Clockwork, I trust you," the youngest ghost maid replied. "I better get back there, before Vlad notices that I'm missing." She quickly resumed her ghostly image; a young ghost maid with brown hair, red eyes, and blue skin. And with that, she flew out of the room and back to Vlad's Wisconsin portal.

Clockwork watched as the viewing orb faded to black once again before he let a small smile return to his face. That was abruptly removed when he heard the all too familiar clanging of the thermos in the back of his tower.

Clockwork moved through the halls until he reached the room that held the Fenton Thermos. It was wobbling all over the table as its occupant tried to escape.

"Let me out of here Clockwork!" an enraged and muffled yet enticing voice said from within the metal container.

Clockwork lifted the thermos and promptly shook it about; earning a growl from the ghost inside.

"No, Dan, I don't think I will. Not yet at least," the time master replied evenly.

The container stopped shaking as Dan took in what Clockwork had said. Then Dan said, "What are you tal-dahh!"

Clockwork started shaking the container again and said happily, "Ah, ah, ah. That's for me to know."

"D-d-damn y-y-you C-c-clockwork!" Dan yelled from within the thermos. "A-a-and d-d-damn t-th-this s-st-stupid T-TH-THERMOS!"

Translation

Phantom: If you guys want to know what this means, it may spoil the surprise later on so don't read it. But if you don't care, here it is.

[1] Halfa Book: Freeze. Phantom

*there is no real translation for the word 'Halfa' since it's not a real word. But this is what it's supposed to mean for my story.

Phantom: Ah, Clockwork. Nothing is quite as good when you're involved. Well, other than a story involving Danny, Clockwork and Vlad… WAIT! That's what this is! Ha ha, I love this story.

Trainer: don't you have work to do?

Phantom: don't you?

Trainer: shut up. School is important too.

Phantom: ok, ok, you're right too.

Trainer: by the way, I have to tell you something.

Phantom: What?

Trainer: there is no October Friday the 13th this year.

Phantom: … NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! *drops to the floor*

Trainer: ha ha, oh well. *smile*I have to admit, this is getting really heated up. Just don't reveal too much. There has to be some suspense and mystery for your next story.

Phantom: ok, fine. Well… now what?

Trainer: how about we ask our readers for reviews?

Phantom: that's a… reasonable idea.

Both: PLEASE REVIEW!

Clockwork: stay tuned for the next chapter. You'll love it, I promise.

Both: DON'T REVEAL ANYTHING CLOCKWORK!

Clockwork: ha ha, I wouldn't dream of it.

*Phantom and Trainer hug Clockwork and wave to the viewers*