Chapter 23:
Danny POV-
After a while, we finally had a strategy mapped out on the table. It felt weird for me to be working along-side myself and several other adults, who I actually only knew from the past, to create a plan to stop Vlad.
"So we'll form a perimeter around here," my older self suggested, indicating on the virtual map an area for us to surround with our ghost troops, who, had yet to arrive from their meetings with their older selves, and, it was beginning to worry me, "And we'll come at him from all sides."
"What about his troops?" the older Dash asked, "They will just continue to regenerate."
"They are all spurred from a single ghost that is under Vlad's control or manipulation, if we can find that ghost and take him out, then the rest will disappear too," my older self replied, "Now there are two places that ghost will be: either in the crowd with the rest of the duplicates, in which case we might be able to take him out with the frontal assault, or, and unfortunately I think this might be the case, he is somewhere, separated from the fighting where Vlad can more easily manipulate him and where he is less likely to be caught. In this case, our troops will merely be serving as a distraction, fighting them off, while we send another search party to kill the main ghost. Do I have any volunteers?"
Several adults, although I didn't pay attention to who, raised their hands.
Suddenly, some of the ghosts we had sent earlier appeared in the room, a few accompanied by their older selves.
"Where is everyone else?" I questioned, realizing the group that floated before us now was not even half of the original one we had sent, even including some of the older versions of these ghosts.
"Captured," Walker said. That single word sent more fear through me than any threat that had ever been uttered to me, "They're being questioned now."
"By Vlad?" my older self guessed and the ghosts in the room nodded solemnly.
I cursed, knowing what would happen next, and several of the adults in the room turned to look at me, wondering what was wrong. That is, except for my future self, he already knew.
"He's going to change his tactics. He knows we're here. He's going to go to the past," I announced. The concerned parents in the room, the ones who knew their children were still there and, were now in even greater danger gasped, staring at my future self, hoping he had a new plan for keeping them safe.
"Okay, new plan," he answered their silent prayers, "We're still going to need most of you here. Just because Vlad is gone doesn't mean that the war is going to pick up and move. In fact, it will probably be stronger than ever, making up for the fact that Vlad is gone, and also attempting to serve as a diversion so that Vlad can sneak back to the past, undetected. Which means, I'm still going to need that search party, and also several ghosts to go with them."
The now-reluctant volunteers raised their hands.
"Good," my older self appraised, thinking, "Now, I don't expect the prisoners of war to give everything up immediately, so, while he's questioning them, we have time to protect our children and our past selves."
"And how are you going to do that?" a woman asked, I'm pretty sure that she was Paulina from the future. She still had a slight accent to her voice, but it had faded a little with time. She was still pretty, but in a more worldly, womanly way. The older Tucker squeezed her hand, attempting to calm his wife.
"Well, obviously," my older self smirked, "I'm going back, along with my wife, my children, and the little party from the past in this room."
"I want to come too!" several outraged voices exclaimed. My older self merely held up his hands to indicate for them to calm down.
"I need the rest of you here or there will not be a world for all of us to come back to. Now, you can't all go back, because that could cause irreplaceable damage to the time stream. The only reason I am going back is because I am already a recognized figure and, I am the only one who will be able to convince people of the imminent threat, plus, I can't possibly cause more damage than my kids have already done. Now, I promise that I will protect your children, but, I will also protect your past selves, because, if they die, which, I would guess is Vlad's intent, you die, and your children never exist, so, I need you guys to cooperate," my older self glared at the crowd.
Finally seeing his logic in this, the group of disgruntled rebels muttered their agreement.
"Now, is there anyone who would allow their children to fight?" my older self asked.
As I had anticipated nobody volunteered their children to join the war.
"Man, you know I've always been fighting right by your side, so it only seems right that my daughter should do the same. Plus, Sasha knows tech, she has her weapons with her, and she knows how to shoot," the older Tucker volunteered. Paulina looked ready to explode at her husband's suggestion that her only daughter fight, but, after the two shared a long look, Paulina finally sighed, her shoulders sagging a little in defeat. The older Tucker rubbed her back, whispering something in her ear and giving her a kiss.
"James will fight," Dash offered his son next, "As much as I don't want him to, I know he will, so, I guess he can join the war." Dash cast a look at Wren, like she was the reason his son wanted to join in the violence, and, remembering what my older self had told me earlier, maybe she was.
"I'm in," Carrie volunteered herself. Both of the Jazzes bit their lips, afraid for her to be joining the war, but, then, the two shared a look, a silent agreement from my Jazz to the future Jazz, that she would keep Carrie safe.
Seeing that no one else was willing to risk the safety of their kids, my older self nodded curtly.
"Alright. Now, we don't have much time. Let's get out of here, begin the attack the second we are gone," he ordered. The group of people expertly filed out of the house, quietly going their separate ways down the street and ducking down dark alleys in order not to be caught by the ghosts.
"Where'd you park?" my self asked me.
"Alley on Fifth and Main," I replied. He nodded, transforming into his ghost form. Dani and I followed his lead. Then, the three of us flew the rest of our time-traveling group to where I had parked. I was grateful that it was still there. I was also grateful for another familiar face floating in the alleyway.
"So you'll need a portal back," Clockwork stated knowingly. Without another word, a portal back to the present was created behind him, "I will give you as much of a head start as I can, but even I cannot hold back Vlad forever."
"Thanks, Clockwork," my older self and I said in unison. The old ghost nodded as we all climbed into the specter-speeder.
In seconds, we were through the portal, and, after yet another stomach churning time travel experience, we were in my basement in 2013.
I was the first one out, taking the stairs up two at a time and pushing open the basement door into the kitchen.
"DANIEL JAMES FENTON!" I heard my exceptionally angry parents exclaim. I sighed, even with the fate of the future on the line; it would seem that my most pressing issue is my parents. As everyone climbed the stairs behind me, I knew I would have a lot of explaining to do.
And hiding the truth, which I had always been so willing to do in the past, was no longer an option.