-I'm telling you, guys. This ghosts are fighting against each other, meaning, I´m not the one fighting!
-Stop lying to us, Danny. You're even more hurt than after an encounter with Skulker.
-I'm serious! All these injuries are from trying to protect bystanders, Sam!
Tucker just watched as the goth bandaged their friend's torso. A ghostly fireball to the back had damaged it pretty badly. If what Danny said was true, then protecting innocent victims was way harder and dangerous than fighting the ghosts head on. Which kinda made sence actually, considering the fact that in a fight you dodged attacks and if you were protecting, you'd recieve the attacks to get people out of harms way. Sam had finished wrapping the halfa up and he was currently putting on his shirt.
-What are you going to do, Danny?
-I don't know, Tuck. I have to stop a fight and find out what the problem is. Some are even keeping a score. As far as I know, there are three. One girl who resembles Desiree, her name is Jezzy or something, a boy with blue flaming hair and a reptilian based ghost, one of them is Jimmy and the other is Garry.
-Who's who?
-I don't know! That girl, Jezzy knew their names.
Sam thought about it for a couple of seconds. Maybe, if they contacted her, she would be able to explain. Tucker snorted.
-What is it, dude?
-They all got 5 letter names with a double consonant in the middle. Kinda like you, Danny.
The other two stared. Really?! That's what he noticed? Sam smacked him over the head and explained her plan. They needed to lure this girl out in the open somehow and if Desiree was anything to go by, then she knew exactly where to find her.
Jezzy gazed at the people making wishes by the fountain. Back home, people didn't make wishes anymore. She sighed, granting a small wish here, another small one there, letting a little kid find his cat and things of the sort. Of course, she did not forsee a fourteen year old trio walk up to the fountain, tossing a coin and the white guy with black hair saying ''I wish Jezzy would come forth.'' She gasped as the involuntary magic dragged her right in front of this trio. They knew her name? How?! Then she noticed. The guy that had made the wish was Danny Phantom. Or Fenton, whatever!
-Oh, heeeey! What's up, doc? Here to make a wish?
-Drop the act, Jezzy. We want to know what's up.
-Yeah. Start off with who you are.-Said the goth chick.
-Jezebel, not that it really matters, everyone just calls me Jezzy. And I'm really sorry, but I'm not supposed to tell. Only that I have to defeat all those impostors to secure my future.
-Impostors?
A sudden plasma ray hit Jezebel, sending her flying against a building. The trio turned quickly to look at the agressor, only to see an african american twelve year old girl with blue eyes holding something that looked a lot like a Fenton gun.
-You are one of the impostors, so play nice and leave quietly.
The trio watched stunned as the little girl shot Jezzy repeatedly, the latter dodging the attacks and retaliating with plasma rays of her own. The human girl wore neon green glasses, rose shaped earrings, an orange chinese blouse, thick pigtails at the base of her neck and denim capris, along with white tennis shoes. She also had a katana strapped to her back.
Jezzy landed face first and rolled a couple of feet. With a glare, she lifted her head and floated away from the ground.
-Stop shadowing me, Ginny! I told you I wouldn't fight humans!
-Well, then it's a good thing I'm not.
At those words, the girl identified as Ginny unsheathed her katana, only it had no blade, and conjured blue ectoplasm to create an ecto-ice blade, her eyes taking an icy glow. Both girls gave battlecries as they pounced on each other.
The trio watched awestruck as the fight continued until Danny had had enough. He ericted an ice wall between the two girls, preventing them from fighting anymore. The twelve year olds turned shocked to look at him and upon silently deciding that they should not be caught, both girls fled. The halfa groaned displeased. In the end, they had gotten nowhere. The goth put her hand on his shoulder and motioned for them to go back. They split ways to go to their respective homes and danny walked silently down the road.
This situation was driving him insane. Now there were humanoid ghosts involved? He walked up the steps of Fenton Works, only to gasp icy breath upon grasping the handle. He opened the door quickly, fearing the worst scenario and was met with his family chatting happily with a stranger. Danny's eyes widened. The young man was around seventeen. He had pale skin, raven short hair and a stunning pair of blue eyes. He wore a white tank top along with ragged blue jeans and a pair of studded leather wristbands. All in all, he looked like an older version of Danny with minor differences.
Maddie turned to look at him and smiled.
-Danny! Good to see you're back! This is William, he's an orphan searching for his family and thinks we may be related. What do you think?
His parents were smiling. They hadn't even realised this guy was a ghost. Then again, neither had Jazz. She just sat there, eyeing the newcomer with curiosity. But Danny knew better. He glared at the guy. Few ghosts had had the guts to actually mess with his family and he had never let any of them get away with their plans. This guy was no different. Of course, he'd need proof that they weren't in fact related to get his parents to kick the guy out. He could see how Jack had practically accepted the intruder as a second son already. Even offering him fudge.
The guy watched him silently with a straight face. He stood slowly, frowning as he got closer until he stood directly in front of Danny. His lips formed a thin line as he inspected the face of the young halfa and hummed.
-Honestly, aunt Maddie, I don't see the resemblance you mentioned earlier.
Danny's eyes widened. While his family couldn't see this guys face, a creepy grin had taken over it, mocking Danny, taunting him, saying that there was nothing he could do to stop him. His face went back to being straight and he turned around.
-Are you sure I can stay? I mean, I'm not really sure we're related in the end. The archive with my birth certificate burned down, after all. And I wouldn't want to be a bother.
-Nonsense!-said Jack's booming voice.- Danny would love to share his bedroom with you!
His eyes almost fell from their sockets. His room?! Why did he have to?! His dad pushed him up the stairs, telling him to get the extra mattress from the emergency ops center and before he knew it, they were already in the NASA decorated room. The younger teenager glared at the older one and got on guard.
-I don't know who you are, but you are deffinitely not human and therefore, not related to me. Who are you and what do you want?
-No beating around the bush, heh? Don't worry. I'm on your side. Clockwork sent me. Sadly, that's all I'm allowed to tell.
-Why do you look so suspitious, then?
The older teen blinked a couple of times. His eyebrows furrowed and he blatantly stared at the younger boy.
-You do realise we look almost exactly the same, right?
-I have learnt not to trust people who look like me.
Now the guy was gaping at him. Did he have ghost shaped buggers or something?! ''William'' whistled and made some comment about low self esteem under his breath. LOW SELF ESTEEM?! Let's check the record! People like him: Vlad, not to be trusted. Dan, to be feared and avoided. Dani, she betrayed him before finally seeing reason. Ergo: do not trust people who look like you or have the same powers as you until they prove their allegiance. Danny watched as William dropped himself on his bed.
-As I already said, I'm on your side. Take it or leave it, but let me warn you: Even if I weren't, you wouldn't be able to stop me, so don't even try.
-What do you intend to do, huh?-Will looked up.
-There have been intruders to your timestream. I'm here to collect them without causing too much of a ruckus.
Then it all clicked in Danny's head. The twelve year olds. The ones keeping a score. The ones he had never seen before but seemed so familiar. They must be the children of the ghosts he was fighting now. But how had they gotten here and why? He heard the older ghost chuckle.
-Don't try to guess, you never will.-He sat up.- Just leave them to me and keep living your regular life.
Sure, that took a burden from him. Leave an unknown ghost who claimed to be Clockwork's employee handle a bunch on irresponsible ghostly kids who were all over Amity Park causing mayhem. NOT. This guy was way to calm. He couldn't be taking his mission (if he even had one) seriously. In fact...
-There's one thing I still don't get.
-What is that?
-Why are you in my house?
-Oh! There's absolutely no way I'm gonna sleep on the street.
Danny glared. Oh, he had to be kidding.