I do not own Danny Phantom.

Element of Surprise

Darkness glided through the dusty and barren corridors. He wished he had a better hideout, but one had to work with what they had.

And that just happened to be a rundown castle by a river in the middle of nowhere.

"Are you in need of assistance Master?"

Darkness turned around and stared at Light. The third female element was watching him with mild curiosity, dark flecks mixed in her glowing white eyes. "Your skills are not needed at the moment. Guard the castle while I am out."

Light frowned. "Where are you going?"

"I believe you were told to never question your master," Darkness growled and glowered at his corrupted servant with burning purple eyes.

Light winced slightly and quickly bowed before exiting from the corridor and phasing through the cracked ceiling. Darkness shook his head in irritation and left his castle. Floating over the river, he paused only to glance at his distorted reflection.

"It is time for me to collect the other elements. And I trust this mission with no one but myself."

A swirling black and purple vortex opened and Darkness disappeared inside it.

...

Earth floated up to her two companions. "Have you seen Clockwork?"

"No," Aqua said and frowned. His turquoise eyes seemed troubled and unsure. "Do you feel as uneasy as I that Clockwork gifted three teens with powerful elements?"

"They proved themselves worthy. They defeated three ghosts that had been corrupted," Wind pointed out.

"The ghosts ran away!" Aqua snapped.

"And does that not show a sign of fear? A sign of unease?" Wind asked. "I believe that Daniel and his friends will do just fine."

"That is more than I can say for you."

The three jolted and whirled around. A dark portal opened up and out flew Darkness himself. His purple cloak flowed around him, and his purple eyes flared in confidence. "I want those elements."

"Darkness," Earth growled. Her green eyes flashed in anger and vines started twisting their way from the floor of the citadel. "How dare you come here?!"

"It's time we took revenge upon those who made us suffer! I will make this world mine! And if you will not join me willingly, you will be under my control!" Darkness shouted and threw black rays.

They sliced through the vines and Wind hastily created a small tornado to bring Earth out of harm's way. He then slammed the tornado into Darkness. He crashed into the wall and the clocks fell rapidly. A black shield was thrown up and the clocks fizzled when they made contact. Aqua stared in disbelief when the clocks disintegrated when the black shield grew more powerful.

Darkness rose up, the ashes of the destroyed clocks surrounding him. "This is what will be of this puny planet when I am in charge. No one will be safe."

"Enough!" Aqua roared. A wall of water rose up and charged towards Darkness. Earth shot the vines up and wrapped them tightly around Darkness' wrists.

"Oh please," Darkness scoffed and went intangible. The wave passed right through him and the vines sank to the floor, limp and useless.

Wind frowned, grey eyes flecked with worry. He quickly whipped up a hurricane and Darkness slammed into a table. It cracked in half and wood chips scattered across the floor. He growled and charged his hands with black electricity.

"Enough. I am tired of this foolishness. I have grown powerful, and nothing can stop me. Nothing at all!"

Earth snarled and whipped her vines at him. They attached to his wrists and Darkness narrowed his eyes. He blasted the dark energy and Earth watched in shock as it travelled up the vines and shot towards her. She didn't have time to retreat as the energy slammed into her.

"Aagghh!" she screamed, her ghostly body rippling with dark energy. Aqua rushed forward and created sharp seashells with his gloved hands. They shot forwards and sliced through the vines, but it didn't help matters. Earth collapsed to the ground, exhausted. Darkness removed a staff from his cloak and raised it.

"You will regret this!" Aqua hissed and created a whirlpool. Darkness growled in annoyance when his cloak got sucked into it. He hastily yanked on his cloak and it ripped, but he was freed from the swirling vortex.

"I regret nothing," he whispered and raised his staff in the air. A crystal that was attached to the top glowed brightly, and Earth once again jolted in pain. Wind tried blowing Darkness away and the dark element shot a dark ray at him. Wind slammed backwards into Aqua and they fell to the floor.

A green orb slowly floated out of Earth and drifted over to Darkness. It was absorbed into the staff and the dark warrior grinned widely. "Now for you two."

Wind turned intangible and the black electricity flowed through him. Aqua received the electricity instead, and he howled in agony and fell to the ground. Wind cursed as the blue orb was then absorbed into the crystal as well.

Darkness floated over him, eyes flashing. "My time has come, and your end has arrived."

Wind screamed in pain as electricity crackled through him. Darkness absorbed the wind element and smiled maliciously as Earth, Wind and Aqua rose up, eyes flecked with black. "Who is your master?"

"You are," three voices droned in a slight monotone.

Darkness fiddled with his staff and stared at the crystal. Three elements floated within, green, grey and blue. "I now have control over three elements. My army is forming. Those children don't stand a chance."

He frowned when a thermos rolled by his ghost tail. He picked it up and fingered the dents. His gaze drifted one of the many glowing green screen-like portals. One of them was a frozen image. An image of a large ghost with flaming white hair and angry red eyes glowered at him. The face was identical to the one indented on the side of the strange thermos.

Hmm...

Darkness slipped the thermos inside his cloak. Whatever was inside might serve him greatly.

Of course, it would have to be under his control.

...

Clockwork phased back into his lair five minutes after Darkness left. He surveyed the mess. He raised his time staff and his citadel returned to its normal state. Only one thing was missing.

The Fenton Thermos.

Everything had played out as it was supposed to. It would continue to play out along the path Clockwork had deemed beneficial for nearly everyone.

The Observants would say he doomed them all. They would demand they stop Dark Dan from getting out. They would be paying him a visit shortly.

But he had the power of time. He oversaw what the outcomes would be and the consequences. He saw every alternate path of good and evil.

And despite what he constantly told the Observants-and Daniel-they continued to panic and worry.

But Clockwork expected nothing less.

After all, he knew everything.