Masters' Manor; November 14, 4:30 P.M.

To say that Vlad was displeased with the turn of events that had transpired over the past week would be an understatement. The fact that Valerie was now helping Danny Phantom, the ghost that had supposedly ruined her life, meant that she either had a change of heart when it came to ghosts, or simply found out about his other half. Neither was favorable for him, and the halfa mayor of Amity Park had to restrain himself from blasting the seventy inch plasma screen television set in his office, specifically the one in his own home, currently displaying the same news bulletin Danny and his friends had watched earlier that day from where he stood. The only difference was that this also included a rather shaky video of the fight the younger halfa and his friends had with a new ghost, even if it was only a few brief seconds. It always annoyed him how these sort of things played on a loop, but he figured that it wouldn't do him any good to miss such an important move in the game of chess that was his life.

"I suppose I should've expected something like this to happen. With how often she hunts the boy, she was bound to discover his secret." He thought to himself, mulling over how he could recover from this. The worst part was that Danny might have already told her Vlad's own secret. If it wasn't for the fact that he had essentially cut off any and all means of influencing the direction in which his own companies moved on the day of his inauguration, then he would've fired Valerie's father for a successful burglary conducted by his ghost half that would've theoretically cost him hundreds of thousands in terms of expenses. Now that he was mayor, doing such a thing would simply draw too much attention to him, but he wouldn't hesitate to find some other means of retribution if the two did anything drastic, assuming that the girl knew of course. For now, it probably would be best if he kept a safe distance.

"It appears that the three of us are in a standoff, Daniel. The only question is, who will fire first?" As for the new ghost, he would most likely have one of his contacts within the Infinite Realms deal with, or at least observe it. Now, it was only a matter of who to pick for such a task. The birds were too slow and weak to keep up with it, let alone fight the thing, the Fright Knight was lacking in the art of stealth, and Skulker would probably find some way to fail the task no matter what. Either way, it was not something that could be left unattended.

On the other hand, if the beast could be turned to his side,however difficult that may be, then he would have one more pawn at his disposal. The thought in of itself brought a smile to his face. A slight series of vibrations brought the man's attention to his phone, and the first thing he noticed was that there was no caller ID, forcing a neutral look on his face, and against his better judgement, Vlad accepted the call while muting the program he was watching. If it was some worthless telemarketer, he could always hang up. "Vladimir Masters here. What do you want?"

"If not you, then who else?" The caller asked, her voice being distinctly female. She didn't laugh, but it could be heard in her tone. "How's the mayoral life treating you?"

It didn't take long for Vlad to recognize the voice of the caller, one Vermillion Petite. He had invested a considerable amount of money into her chain of fashion stores after he had amassed his own, and the returns were well worth the effort. Of course, he was aware that it was one of the few times he hadn't used his ghost powers during a business deal, along with the fact that it had made someone else'a life better. He didn't really pay any mind to either of those small details, however. If anything, it simply painted him as a generous man spreading his already vast wealth, not that anyone knew of his other half. The most peculiar detail was that she hadn't really maintained contact with him ever since they had completed the deal.

Pushing past the fact that this was a rather unexpected phone call, the mayor of Amity Park set up plan on how to go about this coversation in almost an instant. "Ah, Ms. Petite. It's good to hear from you. I apologize for my earlier hostilities, but as mayor of a town like Amity Park, I tend to receive a few... unwanted callers, and your ID came up as an unknown." His tone was much more relaxed when compared to when he had first answered the phone, as he had adjusted to the situation with relative ease. "Anyway, I'm still as lonely as when we first met, but otherwise things are fine. How's your business coming along?"

"Hmmm. I got a new phone, so that may have something to do with it." It was a lie, but one that was well hidden through her honeyed words. "As for the business, it's going well. We get some slow days here and there, but we're still in the green. I was actually thinking about taking some time off and paying a visit to that small town you run. There are bound to be a few good locations for one of my stores."

The mayor narrowed his eyes, but decided to continue on with the conversation. "Ok, but why would you need to call me for such a mundane thing? I doubt you would do this for any other investors, and it's not like I can have a major impact on your decision." Of course, he could already guess of a few reasons, but he figured it would be best to simply act casual.

"Ah, yes. Impartiality when it comes to the private sector and all that. Don't worry, I already decided that I would set up shop in Amity Park, assuming I am able to of course." It was hard to tell if she had ignored his question, but she simoly pushed forwad with the prior subject of thier discussion. "I just wanted to know if there were any open lots, so I didn't waste my time when it came to looking for a new business prospect."

Vlad gave a slight nod, not that the other participant in the conversation could see it. He then turned his attention back to the television, trying to gather any more information on the halfa and huntress. "If that is all, I'm sure you could find something. It was nice speaking with you."

Before the adult halfa could end the call, Vermillion decided to cut him off. "Actually, I also wanted to give you a bit of advice. I know you can be stubborn at times, so I figured I might as well knock an idea or two into your head while I can."

Vlad raised a brow out of curiousity. What could Vermillion possibly have in mind when it came to advice for him. Of course, he did feel a bit insulted the moment he was descrobed as stubborn, but he decided to push that to the side for now. "Ok, I'll bite. What did you have in mind?"

"To be honest, I wouldn't be doing this if the situation were different, and feel free to stop me at any time." After a brief pause to catch her breath, the woman said two words that would have an undeniable impact on the halfa. "Try adoption."

If Vlad had been drinking any beverage, he most certainly would've choked on it from the sharp intake of breath as a result of that rather unexpected answer. For now, he would simply stand there with his jaw agape as he tried to process what had just been said. When the halfa recovered from the shock, he sat in his desk chair and simply relaxed, rubbed his brow in an attempt to nurse a forming headache. "I'm sorry, but there must have been some problem with the connection. Did you just suggest that I adopt a child?"

Vermillion might've been holding back a giggle, but it was hard to tell with someone like her. "That is exactly what I suggested. Of course, it doesn't have to be a young child. It could be a teenager. That might actually be preferable for someone like you, so long as you aren't the only human living in that mansion of yours." She said.

"I…" The fourty something man then paused, actually taking the time to think about what could come about by adopting a child. He would finally have the makings of something he had always wanted that had been ripped away from him by a man that he had once considered a friend: a family of his own to love and care for. The child may not be a halfa like himself or Danny, but it was something that he could still work with, assuming that everything went accordingly and a stable relationship was formed between himself and the possible son or daughter. Heck, why should he stop at one. He could probably bring in two or three and still have time for his duties as mayor. That certainly made the smile that was anything but smug return to his lips and caused a warm feeling that had long since been lost to blossom in his chest.

His thoughts then turned to Maddie, the woman he had set his eyes on and had fallen in love with, only to have her fall for the same man that he had blamed for the accident that had given him his powers. What would she think about him doing such a thing? Could this help him rekindle the relationship he had wanted? No, he wouldn't take it that far. That much was certain. After a few seconds, his mind returned to the conversation at hand, thankful that Vermillion had been patient with him. "I'll give it some thought. Thank you for the advice." The tone of his voice was low, like a man accepting some predetermined fate.

"Don't mention it. I'll be sure to pay you a visit whenever I have the time." With that, Vermillion ended the call, leaving Vlad with nothing but silence and the chaos that was swirling in his own mind.

The halfa sighed as he put his phone back in his pocket and looked out the window of his office. The city of Amity Park could be seen in the distance, and the television was still playing in the background, even if it was still muted. Things had taken an unexpected turn, and the aftermath of such an event was very much an unknown.

Grey Residence; 4:45 P.M.

Valerie was never one to keep secrets from her father. The only thing she had ever withheld from him was the fact that she hunted ghosts, and he didn't exactly take it well when Phan- Danny had forcibly removed her mask from her previous hunting outfit during Pariah Dark's invasion. She had been grounded for weeks ever since then. The huntress knew that her father was only doing what he thought was necessary to protect one of the few things he cared about, but it wasn't like she couldn't take care of herself. That's what all the martial arts classes were for, and she could easily handle a gun as long as her arm, even if if it was only meant to hurt ghosts. As memories of her youth ran through her mind, a slight smile played across her lips "Things just keep on changing." She thought as she ate two microwave dinner of spaghetti and meatballs with her dad. At the very least, teamng up with Danny was the first good choice she had made in a long time, and she wasn't going to regret that any time soon.

Of course, things never tend to go the way anyone would expect them to. The media was practically having a marathon of ghost related stories, and at the center was both Danny and herself. It was only a matter or time before her dad confronted her about it. "I saw the news today. Should I be worried that you're working with the ghost that you seemed so obsessed with ending ever since you started all of this?"

And, there it was. Damon Grey had finally decided to question her about her involvement with Danny, and considering the fact that he knew of her hatred for most ghosts, this was going to be somewhat awkward. At least, that's what she thought. Thin walls and a small living space meant that he couldn't exactly volcalize whatever frustration he was feeling towards her, so that made it even harder to gauge his emotions. Considering the fact that she couldn't lie to her own father at this point, Valerie figured it'd be best to simply do a bit of damage control. "No. I'm not exactly being forced to do anything I don't want to."

Damon simply gave a slight nod as he ate a bit more of his meal, having twirled a few strings of pasta around his fork prior to that. "I figured as much. He never was the kind of ghost to use others for his own gain, barring a few... questionable instances. I was merely curious as to what might have brought about this change."

Thankfully, this was a question she could answer with relative ease. "It technically started during my last job for the my previous employer." Valerie had never told her father that she had been working with Vlad, and that was something she wanted to be kept as a secret. The last thing either of them needed was a deranged halfa gunning for their heads. "I was hunting a ghost that looked a lot like Phantom, and she had the ability to turn into a human. I checked for a pulse just to make sure, but I was too blind by my need for revenge that I made a very bad choice. Phantom helped me fix it, and I let him go, even if I had the perfect opportunity to end him." As she spoke, a pit of what could only be described as guilt formed in her chest. She wasn't sure if she could tell her father Danny's secret, though it wasn't like she had bothered to ask.

"I see. That is certainly a revelation." A smile then formed on her father's lips as he seemed to relax. "It's good to see that you're finally moving forward."

That seemed to catch the huntress off guard, and after a few seconds, she recovered enough to remmeber how to breathe. "Wait, that's it? I thought you would've been furious that I was working with the ghost that cost you your first job as a security guard."

Damon simply gave a light nod, before looking off towards a picture of himself, Valerie, and his wife. The latter of the three had died from cancer a little under a decade ago, leaving him to raise their daughter alone. Like any father, he had practically spoiled her, but that didn't mean he was afraid for her at times. Now that she was working with someone far more experienced in the field of ghost hunting, he could rest a bit easier now that she would have someone watching her back. "I may not fully approve when it comes to your choice of work, but the situation that led up to it has certainly changed you for the better in some ways."

Valerie gave a nervous chuckle and scratched the back of her head. "Yeah. I wasn't exactly the best person back then." After all, she had been swept up in the A-list crowd and treated anyone else like dirt. It was only when her dad lost his job that she was able to see what most of them were really like. Star was the only friend she had from that group, and that probably wouldn't last long if she found out about the hunter's career and new allies. She doubted Sam and Tucker would just call her a friend that easily, so she wasn't going to delude herself by doing the same.

Her father gave a simple nod and put a hand on her shoulder. "I wasn't exactly 'father of the year' either, but that is what makes us human. We learn from our mistakes and grow off of those experiences." After he finished the last few bites of pasta, the older male began to clean the area and decided to add one last comment to their conversation. "Oh, and don't worry about keeping Danny's secret. It's not that hard to find out when you think about it, but I don't think many people realize the possibility of a human boy being half ghost."

The man was smart, if anything. He had seen the similarities in appearance between Phantom and Fenton, and while it may have been easy to assume that the former of the two was a dead relative, it didn't make sense when he was compared to other ghosts. The behaviors didn't line up, so that meant that there might be some semblance of humanity within the ghost. That, and the fact that Phantom used technology used by the Fentons, despite all of the safeguards they'd probably have on such an arsenal to ensure that no ghost could get to them, was too much of a coincidence. All of these factors led to him thinking that Danny might be Phantom, but he wasn't sure until Valerie had told him about her encounter with Danielle. The possibility of human ghost hybrids further confirmed his hypothesis, but he wasn't about to open that can of worms. Doing such a thing would more than likely ruin any semblance of a normal life Danny Fenton had, and he wasn't about to be held responsible for that.

Valerie paused slightly, before smiling. "Thanks, daddy. I really needed this talk." The teenager then looked down to see a full plate of her dinner looking back at her and realized that she had yet to eat anything.

"So did I, princess. Just be sure to not let this affect your school work that much." The man then walked into his bedroom and sighed as he picked up a ornately framed picture of his wife, one that had been taken when they had visited Niagara Falls shortly after Valerie had been born. He didn't wipe the tears that had welled up in his eyes until they began to fall onto the glass cover. "I know you would've been proud of her, Dorsey. She's a fighter, just like you." It may not have been what he wanted, but she would've encouraged Valerie to do whatever their daughter wanted. Maybe it was time for him to do the same.

Ghost Zone

After leaving Dorthea's kingdom, the group of four teenagers moved in silence as they thought over what had just been revealed to them. How were they even supposed to react to something like this? Was it possible for them to still be allies to Dora now that they knew that her family had essentially enslaved two ghosts to their will? It was all rather confusing, and the silence would've persisted had it not been for Danny's sister.

"From what I could tell, it sounded like there was a bit of a blood feud going on in all of that mess after the dragons were united, and I don't think it ever got resolved." Of course, it wasn't exactly instigated by the dragons themselves, but she didn't think the ghosts at the time would really care. All they wanted was to see a powerful enemy crumble into the annals of history. Given the time period Dora's kingdom was trapped in, it would make sense that something like that would still carry on.

This caught that attention of the other members of the group, and while they didn't exactly know what a blood feud was, it wasn't hard to guess based off the name. "That still doesn't make what they did to those dragons right. They should've freed them after the foghting was over."

"Considering the fact that their species was wiped out, I don't think they'd be very happy about it. Besides, maybe they couldn't." It was a wild guess on Tucker's part, but it was still a possibility nonetheless. "What if those dragons die immediately after being freed, or maybe the process was lost to time. I doubt Dora would willingly do something like that if she could help it. Unlike her brother, she's a bit bit more progressive when it comes to that sort of thing."

Sam sighed and simply nodded. If it weren't for her brother and his lust for power, then Dora wouldn't exactly have a reason to use her amulet in the first place. "Right, I almost forgot about the deranged royal that wanted me to be his bride." The goth then felt a chill run down her spine at the thought and leaned back into her seat. "I guess I should've thought about that a bit more."

Danny simply moved to look back at his friends as he flew and shrugged. "It's ok, Sam. We know how you can be when it comes to that sort of thing. You have gotten better about that sort of thing, though." A gentle smile then graced the halfa's lips, one that the goth happily returned. "So, I take it we'll still play nice with our allies? I mean, it's not like they had any actual control over what their ancestors did."

The three humans nodded slightly, and Jazz continued the conversation from there. At the very least, she felt that a change in subject was needed. "So, what are the five of us going to do if this Draco Ignis returns? I doubt that he'll just take the fact that he's one of the last of his kind lightly." The others had obviously told her about Valerie's change of heart, so she figured that it would be best to include her in on the headcount for Team Phantom as well. Granted, she was also aware of her rather hostile relationship towards Danny prior to that moment, but she could deal with that eventually.

Her brother was the first to respond, already having thought of an idea. "Feel free to chip in, but maybe it would be best if we took a more diplomatic approach to him. All of what happened to him stemmed from one misunderstanding, so fixing that would probably help keep any or all of our old alliances intact. Heck, we might have one more ghost to count on if we need the help if things go well."

"Right, and he'd theoretically be the one to decide what happens to the amulets. I suppose that would be for the best." It wasn't exactly ideal to Sam, but it would work for the long term at the very least. Of course, they would probably jump in and help their allies if things got too out of control.

Danny simply nodded and sighed as muscles he didn't even know were tense relaxed. If there was one thing he couldn't stand, it would be seeing his friends argue, and he was almost certain that Sam and Tucker wouldn't have as healthy of a relationship if it weren't for him. Before he could say anything else, the halfa notice a familiar clocktower in the distance and sighed. Knowing the time ghost, he was probably expecting them.

"So, I sort of forgot to ask this about Princess Dorathea, but what is Clockwork like?"

The trio looked towards each other before returning their attention to Jazz. In all honesty, two of them had only dealt with Clockwork once, and that was on less than ideal circumstances. As for Danny, he had a decent relationship with the ghost in question, so he was probably the best one to answer that question. "He can be a bit cryptic at times, but he means well overall. Seeing all the different ways time can branch out sort of does that to a guy, I suppose." The ghost of time was also a bit of a father figure to the young halfa, but he figured that would best be left unsaid for now.

With that out of the way, Danny landed at the base of the clocktower, and the Specter Speeder followed soon after. Before the four could reach the door, though, they opened automatically as the blue skinned time ghost himself floated out in the form of a young adult. "Ah, Fenton and friends. Apologies for the preemptive greeting, but I was just speaking with an old friend of mine and was not expecting you for at least another few minutes. Please, do come in."

"Huh, I didn't think anyone knew where you were." Danny's tone was rather skeptical at best, but he and the present members of Team Phantom still followed after Clockwork as he drifted into his home. "Anyone we need to know about?"

"A few of the older beings within this world know where I am, so they do visit from time to time. Of course, some are more welcome than others, but what can you do?" As he spoke, his form shifted into that of an old man, one that had lived long past his prime. "Still, I think you would like my last guest should the two of you meet. She can be a bit different from how people percieve her, though."

"Wait, you have a girlfri-." Whatever Tucker was about to say was cut off by Sam's elbow impacting his chest. While harsh, the last thing they wanted was to assume anything about the time ghost or embarass themselves.

"Sorry about Tucker. He has an overactive imagination sometimes."

Clockwork, however, simply gave an amused chuckle as he shifted into his youngest form. "Now that, Tucker, would be something. Unfortunately, no. She is merely a friend at the moment, though I am sure that there are probably rumors of such a thing somewhere. I do believe that you wanted to speak to me about something, however."

Danny quickly nodded and figured it would be best to move on. "Right, though I suppose you already know about what happened earlier this week?"

"But of course, my boy. I am the master of time, after all. You went to go see Dorathea about the dragon, and now you come to me in order to learn whether or not you have a new power." By this point, the five had entered the main room of the clocktower and multiple windows to alternate timelines could be seen on the stone wall. For now, they remained blank, hiding whatever the trio was not meant to see. On a far off shelf, a rusting Fenton thermos could also be seen, though wheather or not it contained anything was unknown to the humans. The only ones present that knew the truth were Danny and Clockwork.

Danny simply nodded as Tucker continued the conversation. "Yeah. We figured it was either that or he busted a pipe with ice. Considering that we've only fought ghosts with one elemental affinity at most, we weren't entirely sure of what was going on."

Clockwork nodded as he raised a hand. Multiple windows then flickered to life, each showing an alternate timeline. The most common theme was that Danny seemed to be using fire instead of water in his fighting style. "It isn't exactly rare for ghosts to evolve new abilities as time passes, or through some traumatic event, but I can't say that I have ever seen a version where our young halfa gains the ability of hydrokinesis in his current state of being. Sure, there are times where he can do such a thing, but he isn't exactly a ghost."

The four teens were rather surprised by that revelation, but they figured it would be best to stay on track for the time being. "So, I don't have hydrokinesis?" It wouldn't do them well to have come all of this way for nothing, but at least it was something that they wouldn't have to worry about explaining to the elder Fentons. Danny then glanced between each of the screens, each one showing a version of him that might have come to be should the dice have rolled differently.

Clockwork's form shifted once more, this time reverting back to a young adult, and he shook his head. "I never said that, did I? You could very well be able to control water, but I will unfortunately not be able to help you master such a thing. I do, however, have another friend that will be able to help you. She migth not be the most outgoing of beings, but she will help if you show potential." A portal then opened up in one of the viewing screens to the left of Clockwork, and the various sounds one might associate with a beach poured through.

Danny raised a brow at the sight of the opening and looked at Clockwork. "Well, this is rather unexpected, though are you sure that this is the best option."

"Things are coming that threaten both of our worlds, my boy. You will need all the help you can get if there is any hope of saving them, and if there was a better way, I would show it to you.". A frown marred his face as Clockwork shifted into an elderly man once more. "If it is any consolation, your friends may go with you."

The halfa gave a light sigh as he clenched his hands into fists. Thoughts rushed through his head at what was being asked of him. He didn't know how long they would be gone, but he figured Clockwork would simply return them to this point in time if it was long enough to alarm his family. That much was certain.

Danny then felt a sudden warmth on his shoulders and back, before turning to see his friends and sister all giving him a smile. Sam was the first to speak, her tone calm and measured. It reminded him about when he had flown off to fight Pariah Dark, thinking that he might actually die permanently. "It'll be ok, Danny. Whatever comes our way, we'll help you no matter what."

"Yeah, we aren't Team Phantom for nothing." A smile then split Tucker's face as he looked towards the portal. "Besides, I could use a beach vacation."

"You've always been a hero, little brother, and the sacrifices you've made cannot be measured by anyone. There's no point in stopping now." Jazz then brought Danny into a hug, and Sam and Tucker joined in.

A dull thrum could also be felt in his core, as if his very body was trying to comfort and push him forward past whatever doubts he might have felt about this. The halfa could stop a few tears from forming in his eyes, but he quickly blinked them away before anyone could see them, even Clockwork. "What would I do without you guys."

"Let's not answer that. Now, I believe you have a new teacher to meet." The time ghost himself was smiling at how close each member of Team Phantom was, and he was almost tempted to join their little hug. Granted, he probably would've had to take on a much smaller form in order to avoid any unnecessary awkwardness.

Danny turned to face the time ghost once more and nodded. With that, the four walked through the portal. The sounds of screaming teens and the subsiquent splashing of water could be heard shortly after before the opening was sealed. Now that he thought about it, telling them that their bodies might change to suit their destination probably would have been a good idea. Oh well, it was too late for that now.

"Ugh, it's about time those idiots left. I thought I was going to puke from all the sap that was leaking out."

Clockwork simply glanced back at the thermos and shook his head. He was expecting its occupant to be a bit more vocal towards Danny and his friends, but was also thankful for his silence. "Glad to see you're still there. I was beginning to think that you might have passed on."

"We both know that isn't going to happen any time soon. Still, you really know how to be dramatic when the need arises, Clockwork."

"I wasn't. You should really try to get out more." The ghost then went back to watching the current time line

"We both know what'll happen when I get out of here, and I'm going to enjoy every second of it."

"Oh, I suppose we do. After all, everything is as it should be." A light smile then spread across Clockwork's lips as one screen shifted to show one of the many twenty four year old versions of Danny Phantom protecting his hometown like he had done so many times before. The only difference was that this would probably be his last time doing such a thing.

I was honestly going to have Jazz stay behind for something else, but I figured that what I had in mind could wait for now.