The end of all hope?" Dani wondered aloud. "What on Earth is that frightening and destructive?"

Val looked at Dani, wondering how she had missed the obvious. Despite everything Dani had somehow remained an innocent. Val spoke gently and kindly to point out the major problem. "The other side we have. Human ambition and ghostly power, without eithers restraint. The reason I and this Sam are so vicious towards ghosts. The last ghost I faced like that was a doppleganger of Fenton's. The time before that Pariah Dark."

Clockwork nodded. "Not a bad summary, with one error, but Dani needs to know the truth and it is time you admitted it. It wasn't a doppelgänger of Fenton, but an alternate. His family died."

"He's stronger than that. Loss wouldn't unbalance him enough." Val and Dani both protested. Clockwork replies "I know. The last remaining person he trusts apparently betrays him, in a completely unexpected manner - defending the ghost who kidnapped her. Something he is sure she would not do unless under a spell. But no, she has free will. He reacts with pure rage and tears her apart. Realising what's he done, he wants to be free from his emotions, and goes to the last hope, but thing go wrong from that point. The separation is not done correctly."

"But there was only one ghost you'd ever defend at that time. I hadn't been born and if Danny had been betrayed... Wait... Of course. You were open to persuasion at that time, even if cuz didn't realise that. It would have to be Ember, Your MOM!"

"Yes I know, don't shout."

The three being look at each other. The Clockwork of this timeline sighs. He really needs a better plan than this, but with how powerful Val believes this ghost is, the best is to invite the others in. All of them including a Clockwork who would normally oppose him, but in this case might actually have an interest in aiding him. This was the biggest gamble he had ever taken, but then desperation does make for strange bedfellows. Clockwork remembered when Ember had first come to him with a plan to take down Pariah Dark. And Ember had been Pariah's most trusted servant at the time.

Still it was time to look to the future. Any risk was worth it to save the worlds. Clockwork nodded to himself. Now what would be useful definition title. he could take Father Time but to obvious. He decided that the new Clockwork would be called Clockwork-V after the major difference in the timeline. He'd be clcokwork-E simply to show him that he was a equal. And the letters would be a useful guide for any duplicates who used the same name, when he allowed them in.

Now it was time to get back to working out his new battleplan. This time he could intefre directly. He was allowed to despite the unObservants preference since after all this was a dangerous extra-chronal threat. There was the portal he'd opeend for the other Clockwork. "Come in. Clockwork. How do we fight and win against this ghost?"

"I would not advise fighting Dan. He is incredibly powerful and each of the three defeats handed to him happened for only one reason- complete surprise. In the first a dead woman turned up. In the second an alternate timeline version developed a power earlier than expected, and in the third a Valerie who had learnt more about herself and her powers, wearing spirit armour rather than a technological suit turned up." Clockwork-V stated. "Now all we have to do is get everyone pulling together. For we have a surprise waiting for that person, though we must hide her."

"I hate to point out problems. But this Sam will come to investigate soon. And I need you to take your messenger to hide her." Val pointed out

"We can't. And we will need this Sam. We need her to understand everything." Clockwork-E insisted

"You barely got me and Danny's Sam to understand. And my Sam's had my experiences with spirits."

"Who are you really Valerie Gray? You're talking to evil spirits as if they're friends. And what do you mean by making a difference between Danny's and your Sam's!" Sam shouted.

"I am exactly who I claimed to be. Valerie Gray. But I didn't tell you everything, because of subtle distinctions, that I wasn't certain you would want to understand."

"Distinctions?"

"In nature nothing is binary, not even spirit/mortal. It only looks that way because of two things. A rule that is not supposed to be broken, and the usual result of the other way being death."

"So?"

"There is human, ecto-contaminated, spirit-born, halfa, spirit born, hidden, avatar. these are rough groupings. For example you must have noticed your strength increased after the blank space in your memories?"

Sam nodded, the spoke angrily, "Are you saying I'm part spirit?"

"No. The loose spiritual energy got stuck to you during the time you were overshadowed. That's a light contamination. If you are heavily ecto-contaminated you usually die, but if through a freakish coincidence of improbable factors you survive, become a halfa. Half a spirit and half a human."

"I notice you put spirit-born twice. why?"

"Ah. This is the tricky bit. It depends where they are born. If born in this world they are more human than spirt. If in the other more spirit than human. Halfa's are freak accidents. Being the progenitor of a Spirit-born is forbidden."

"But it happens right?"

"Yes. It does. That's all I'm saying."

Suddenly it clicked with Sam and her mouth dropped open. "Your spirit-born aren't you." A statement not a question especially with Sam now pointing the gun at Valerie.

"Don't worry, Sam, I took it just as badly as you did." Valerie knew that was a lie. She hadn't tried to kill herself. However she knew she had sublimated the fact to keep herself from panicking so in the end she had taken it almost as badly.

"WHAT?"

"I didn't know at the time. And I seemed pretty darn human, especially since I was born in a human world. The major problem came after I got this suit. The reason it looks like Dalv technology is well..."

"Because it is?"

"Yes. Spirit armour 'gifted' to me by a ghost. Ironically I never considered the possibility I was spirit-born even though..."

Sam fired her ecto-gun and it fizzled out. Val carried on as id nothing happened. "Even though before I got this spirit-armour I already had a limited amount of ecto-technical control."

"How could you not see that as evidence you weren't entirely human?"

"Because I didn't want to see, Sam. That's why. Just like you didn't want to see Daniel Phantom and Daniel Masters were the same person."

Sam hugs Val allowing her to hug her back. Val is part ghost. "Why didn't you tell me, earlier?"

"What would you have done? You'd have blasted me and from a distance as well. I did say my control was limited, after all."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"I trust you. If I ever truly lose control deal with me, please."

Sam sees the desperation and fear in Valerie's eyes. She is not scared of Sam, but scared of losing control to her ghostly half. It is their difference, and it is far larger than she ever suspected. This is more trust than anyone has given her. Sam nods and says sadly "I understand."