Edit: 6/5/18: Next wave of grammar fixes and wording tweaks or some scenes altered to avoid cliches. Took out AN question and answer sections.
From now on I'm also keeping an Update Status list on my profile. So, if you ever what to know the state of affairs, check out the very top of my profile.
Also, I'm starting to get the feeling this will be a long story. (At least regarding word count). Hope that doesn't turn too many people off.
zzz- normal separation
ooo- dream or vision separation (could be a past event of some kind)
Mental thoughts, past speech, or distant speaking unless indicated otherwise
"No single decision you ever made has led in a straight line to where you find yourself now..." ~ Deepak Chopra, The Book of Secrets: Unlocking the Hidden Dimensions of Your Life
zzz
Courtroom. 5:33 PM.
Two hours after the trial had come to a close, the jury and the Congressmen filed back into the courtroom. They all stood at attention and the Senator of Indiana, symbolically enough, held the piece of paper from which he would read off their verdict.
"Has the jury come to an agreement?" Kaufman asked and an audible creek filled the air as everyone leaned on the edges of their seats.
"We have, your honor," the Senator stated before glancing down to read word for word. After Kaufman asked Daniel and Danielle to rise during the reading of the verdicts, the senator spoke, "We the jury on the first count of theft, by Daniel Fenton, find the defendant, guilty."
The last word, took his breath away.
"On the second count of kidnapping, we find the defendant, guilty."
His world started to crash down around him.
"On the third count of assault, guilty."
Valerie's mouth was hung open in disbelief and horror.
"Regarding the citizenship claims of Daniel and Danielle Fenton, we the jury have concluded that their claims shall be denied."
He heard Jazz let out a choked sob.
"And in accordance with the Anti-Ecto Acts, they shall be taken into government custody."
He was screaming and crying and thrashing, trying to get away from the pain and the sharp things and the soulless eyes and why WHY WHY!? He'd done everything for them. He didn't deserve this. Red and green and more green and bones, fat, flesh- Make it stop make it stop!
"Ectoplasm works as another immune system, makes bones and flesh more flexible, enhances the senses, increases one's strength… We could possibly double a human's life-span. We could unlock immortality."
Then there was a body and a ghost and his skin was blue and cracked and you could see inside the gapping cavity they had left forever imprinted on a phantom. They had done that. It was their sick work. His eyes were red and everything was red on the body and he stared at it and then he smiled. Oh, he smiled and it wasn't happy, it wasn't sad, it wasn't from comfort or sorrow or forgiveness. It was born of broken and tortured madness. He threw back his head and let out some strangled sound that was a mix of a laugh and a primal-like cry, which echoed and sent a cold shock through his body.
They broke him. They destroyed his best friend…
ooo
Foley Residence. 9:00 AM.
His eyes cracked open slowly, but as soon as he was aware again, his eyes looked around cautiously and somewhat frantically. In one quick movement, Tucker lunged for his bedside table, sliding halfway out of his bed at the same time that he managed to grab his phone.
He tumbled to the floor, dragging his blankets with him and even causing his lamp to fall onto his back. Without even bothering to untangle the mess he was in, Tucker typed a number into his phone and let it ring.
"Tucker? Why are you calling so early?"
He listened to the sound of his girlfriend's voice and let out a sigh before speaking. "Danny won his trial, right? He's at home, isn't he?" He waited until Valerie spoke again.
"Yes…"
He sighed in pure relief, finally allowing himself to trust his senses and truly believe it had just been a terrible nightmare.
"Did you have a nightmare or something?" She asked, a hint of emotion seeping into her voice. It filled Tucker with a warm feeling that he'd been craving for years. He nodded out of habit before giving her his answer verbally.
"Yeah. I would've called Danny just to hear his voice, but I… I didn't want to worry him. He's admitted to me and Sam before about having nightmares and you've even felt some of those emotions when we were camping. We have told him that we've had bad dreams before, but I just don't want remind him of that right now."
"I understand."
Tucker looked over at his calendar and a smile split his face when he realized it was Saturday. "All right, well… Thanks, Val. I've got to go do something. I'll meet up with you guys later."
"Oh okay. We're still meeting at the arcade, right?"
"Yeah, that's what Sam and Danny said. Dani's going out with Ash and Jace somewhere… I think Danny said they were going to the park to play frisbee."
"Okay, see you then."
Tucker smiled as the line went dead. He then let out a relieved sigh to release the pint up tension he'd felt. He wondered sometimes if Danny knew how much he meant to his friends and family. The techno-geek rose, being careful to gently roll the lamp off his back. He fixed up his room a bit before heading to the bathroom to get dressed and ready for the day.
FentonWorks. 9:27 AM.
"So, you think we should share the Eidolon penname?" Danny asked as he shoved his foot into one of his converses, shuffling it to get it to fit right.
Danielle nodded. She was already dressed for the day, actually wearing a cute skirt with leggings for once; she'd still kept her sweatshirt and beanie though, just to keep a bit of her own flare. "Just think about it! If we really do want to keep this a secret at the very least, then it would be harder to figure out where the sculptures are coming from." As Dani finished speaking, she swirled her hand, slowly forming a visage of Cujo in his larger form. Her sculptures tended to look more like cut crystal instead of smooth glass, both because she was still learning about her ice powers and also because she liked the aesthetic more.
Danny leaned up after finishing with his shoes and gave her a smile. "Actually, I think you're right. Great idea, Ellie."
Dani grinned happily. "Of course, it was a good idea! I'm full of good ideas!"
Knock knock.
"Oh, that must be Ash and Jace!" Dani cried out and ran to the door. Danny smiled, before realization smacked him in the face.
"Wait! Dani don't!"
"Guys-Oh nO!" Dani yelped and slammed the door again before bolting it.
"Fans?"
"Fans."
Danny grumbled. "I was wondering about when more of them would show up. Even during the Freakshow thing they were still there, just a bit timider about showing their support since we were wanted."
"What do you think they want?" Dani asked.
Danny smiled at his younger sister's confusion. "Mostly just the same things as some of the kids at school wanted, autographs, photos, and other stuff." Danny rolled his eyes a bit. "It's silly really."
Dani grumbled a bit and poked Danny. "Can I borrow your cellphone? I need to tell Ash and Jace just to go to the park and let me met them there."
"Sure thing."
After a brief call and Danny getting to pocket his phone, both siblings transformed and invisibly flew out of their house towards their destinations.
zzz
Axion Corporations. 10:23 AM.
He'd been to Axion before, but it had been about a year ago. It was a field trip when Valerie's suit had been altered and Technus had tried to play match-maker with his best friend and current girlfriend.
Since then, the place had grown, partly because of time and partly because Vlad was still a good business man even if he was the bad guy. Currently it was a little messy because they were still repairing a few of the final holes in the structure that were a result of Undergrowth's last visit.
Tucker rotated as he walked forward and nearly ran into the receptionist's desk. "Oops!" Tucker squeaked and fixed his beret, which had tilted on his head from his stumble. "Sorry." The red-head simply stared at him with her mouth frozen in the middle of chewing what appeared to be gum. Tucker blinked and waved a hand in front of her face. "Uh, hello?"
She flinched and then blushed. "Oh my gosh! I'm sorry! I just… You're friends with the ghost kid, aren't you?"
Tucker let out a sigh. "Yes. Yes I am."
"Do you think he'd sign a picture I have of him?" She asked quietly. Tucker stared at her in slight hesitancy as her big green eyes widened in wonder. He let out a breath.
"Don't bother him at home and don't ask for much if his girlfriend is nearby. It's not that hard. Just treat him like a person…" Tucker trailed off, getting slightly irked by the surprise on the girl's face. Did she not even consider that it could be that easy, that Danny just wanted to be treated with respect?
"Oh, okay… um…"
"I needed to speak with Mr. Damon Gray. I know he might be busy, but I was just trying to find a time he might be free."
"Oh! Let me check." The young adult spun on her chair and reached for a small calendar. A couple moments later, she smiled and looked at Tucker. "You're in luck! Mr. Gray is just about to finish a meeting. He's apparently going to take over the company since Mr. Masters turned out to be a nutcase!"
Tucker nodded. "Where is he then?"
"Fourth floor coming out of meeting room C."
Tucker thanked the girl and walked towards the elevator. After riding up and finding the right room, Tucker waited outside in the hall as the meeting came to a close. He saw Damon walk out and raised his hand to get the man's attention.
"Mr. Gray?"
Damon halted when he saw Tucker. "Oh, hello Tucker." There was an awkward silence that came between the two men before Damon coughed. "How about we go back into one of these conference rooms?"
Tucker nodded quietly as he and Damon walked inside and the older man shut the door. Tucker went to open his mouth, but Damon cut him off by holding up his hand. "Let me speak first." Tucker shut his mouth and nodded. Damon sighed and leaned against the wall before looking up and locking eyes with the techno-geek. "My daughter really cares about you. Before this whole fiasco, she would talk about the fun you two had together, the things she did each day, sometimes she'd talk about something you said or did that she thought was funny or sweet. She's had a couple boyfriends, including Danny for a little bit, but I've never seen her as happy as she's been since she started to hang out with all three of you."
Tucker smiled a bit. "She's a great person-"
"Do you love my daughter? What I mean is, do you care a lot about her?" The question caught Tucker off guard and he fumbled a bit. Tucker took a deep breath and closed his eyes. How much did he care about Valerie? They had been dating for only six months. He thought about her eyes, her smile, how she tolerated his dumb jokes and tried to humor him when he talked about technology. He thought about her bravery and sense of justice. Lastly, he thought about how he felt when their hands were conjoined. Even though he wasn't a hugger and full body contact person like Danny was, Tucker had always had a thing about how it felt to hold hands. He'd never really talked much about it with Danny since it was kind of a personal thing, but when he'd imagined what it would be like to finally snatch a girlfriend for his own, he'd always envisioned holding her hands. While Tucker appeared to like attention from the opposite sex and was a healthy young adult male, he'd always hoped for more than a completely physical relationship with someone. He tried to envision the future and what that could hold, something in his heart, or maybe his gut, told him his answer.
"Yes. I love her as a person and as a friend and maybe even more." Tucker glanced up and was surprised to see Damon smiling wistfully at him. "Mr. Gray?"
"You kind of remind me of myself. I was more of an intellectual as well. I played some basketball and I liked to run, but I wasn't a football player or a sports guy." The man looked down and Tucker saw him rub a gold ring on his left ring finger. "Patricia? She was a star on the field. She was a track runner, a basketball player, and smart as a whip. She could beat more than half of the boys on my block in a one-on-one game." A small frown moved onto Damon's face. "I met her when she'd come back from her first deployment. It was a quick but meaningful romance. We got married, Valerie was born, and a few years later she was sent out to another country." He gave a pause. "And she never came back to us."
"I'm sorry."
"Thank you, son." Damon swallowed slightly as if he was trying to keep his emotions in check. "Valerie is so much like her mother, it's spooky at times. Especially now that she's getting older and turning into a young woman, there's times she'll walk through a room and I'll almost call her Patricia." He looked up again to give Tucker eye-contact again. "I'm sorry, so very sorry. I blamed Danny and you. I blamed the Fentons too and that was wrong of me. You're all good people and you didn't deserve my scorn." He let out a deep sigh that wavered a bit. "I was just terrified that something would happen to her. That's why I tried to stop her from ghost hunting."
"You wouldn't have been able to stop her. Vlad would've threatened her if she had ever stopped. He was probably happy that she had a grudge on Danny for a while."
"That man." Damon's face immediately turned venomous. "He's the one that put my baby girl in the hospital."
"Yes sir. I'm sorry I didn't check her sooner. I should've known Vlad of all people would have backups in place. I can't tell you how sorry-"
"Valerie told me you went into the Ghost Zone and talked with Technus to convince him to save my daughter's life. I think you've proven what you're willing to do for my daughter." Damon walked closer and placed a hand on Tucker's shoulder. "I didn't get to say thank you. Thank you."
Tucker smiled and felt his cheeks warm slightly at the heartfelt praise. "It wasn't much of a choice, Mr. Gray. I was going to do what I could."
Damon smiled. "Well. Thank you, regardless." He let go of Tucker's shoulder and nodded. "Now, was that all you needed?"
Tucker gulped slightly. "Well, yeah, for the most part. There was one other thing I wanted to put pass you though."
"Oh? What's that?"
Tucker looked up. "Mr. Gray. I know you might not like this, but Valerie really misses her suit. I was thinking that, maybe, perhaps, on the off chance that you might… help me design a new and clean suit for her, one without the dangerous nanobots?" He received a silent stare for a moment and Tucker felt nervous that he'd ruined all the nice talking they'd done. "It would mean a lot to her, sir."
Damon closed his eyes and blew out a gust of air. "You really think so? Do you know how hard it is to let your own child put themselves in harm's way, Tucker? I'm sure you don't, seeing as you aren't a father." Damon finished before Tucker could respond to the first question. The boy coughed.
"Well no. I do know what it feels like to watch my best friend be stitched up for a gash in his stomach that should kill someone and have dread and frustration in my heart at the fact that I couldn't call an ambulance for him. I've watched things nearly slice my human friends in half or fry them to a crisp. I've seen Danny brake bones and watched Sam and Jazz put them back into place without anesthesia, watched him scream into a pillow instead… I may not yet know what it's like to fear for a child, but what I have experienced has to mean something, right?" Tucker mused, meeting the man's gaze evenly. "There have been times I've wanted to stop them, times I've wanted to ask them if we could just forget it but I knew that they wouldn't listen, that in all reality, we couldn't stop. Honestly, I'm thinking about designing a suit for myself as well and I'm sure Sam would like one. Jazz always has the Peeler."
Damon's gaze softened a bit.
"We have the means now to ask for better equipment instead of borrowing it when the Fentons aren't looking and now, people are somewhat expecting us to be at ghost fights instead of being just part of the crowd. So, please."
Damon slowly nodded. "Okay. I guess you're all set on this."
"We are, sir."
"Very well. I'll start talking with some of our scientists. We'll have to get fittings for those who want them."
"We'll do Valerie first. She has more right to it than anyone. She is the Red Huntress after all." Tucker smirked slightly and Damon chuckled softly.
"Okay then. When do you think we should tell her?"
"In a couple days. I'll let her know." Tucker made for the door and Damon followed.
"Tucker, wait!" Damon shouted slightly and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder once more.
"Yes sir?"
Damon smiled. "I heard from Valerie once that you were planning on going to the Tech school nearby once you graduate, am I right?"
"Well, yes."
"After high school, what would you say to an internship at the new Axion corporations? We're going to revamp our marketing for consumer-friendly ghost protection products and act as a larger site for ghost technology development. It's in the newest agreement when have with the Fentons. We can sell some of the more lay-man's items, while the Fentons have access to the larger facilities and spaces for developing new equipment that may or may not see public use."
Tucker blinked; his eyes were wide and he gapped like a fish. "Really?"
"You have a very bright mind, son. I'm positive you could find a great future here."
Tucker smirked. "Well I am a master of technology. I sound like Technus now."
Damon laughed as they walked out of the door. "So, what do you say? I can give you time to think on it if you like."
Tucker smiled. "You've got yourself a deal, Mr. Gray."
zzz
Amity Arcade. 11:00 AM.
"So, what do you guys want to play?" Danny asked, slurping on his slushy a bit. Sam, Tucker, and Valerie were sitting with him at the food station in the arcade. Most of the people there were so focused on their games that not many people were staring or bothering Team Phantom at present. Eventually someone might show up when the info got out that Danny and his friends were there, but for now, they were going to enjoy their time.
"There's a new alien battle station. We could go in pairs," Sam suggested. "You get to fight all of Femalien's army in that one."
"I could definitely handle a shooting game." Valerie smirked.
"Sounds good to me." Danny grinned.
"We could also try to do the four-man Pacman game that's also been installed recently," Tucker offered with a cheeky grin.
"Maybe, but I was kind of wanting to avoid anything ghostly for a bit," Danny replied. The halfa flinched and looked around, mumbling to himself. "Please no jinx, please no jinx." A couple seconds passed and the group relaxed a bit. "Things are quiet still." Danny murmured.
Eventually, the group went back to focusing on having a good time. They headed to the shooter game that Sam had been talking about and took turns. The first two to play were Sam and Tucker, who both did a pretty great job at keeping the aliens at bay. Next were Danny and Valerie, which surprised the other two with a higher score. The trio praised Valerie for her awesome skill at the game and the girl was just happy to find something of a middle ground between video games and something she knew how to do well. Afterwards, the pairs switched and played again, cheering each other on.
After their sixth game as a group, they left the system so that others could play. The four friends walked about side by side as they tried to figure out what they wanted to do next. As they walked near a trashcan, Danny threw his drained slushy away.
"Maybe Pinball?" Tucker suggested.
"Yawn…" Valerie replied.
"We could always-oh." Sam started but then stopped unexpectedly.
"What's wrong?" Danny asked and watched as Sam gestured to a few people standing across from them. The four people had also been walking and had frozen at the same time Team Phantom had.
"Oh… hey Danny, hey guys," Brandon spoke up. The band geek seemed a bit sad and Norman, Lester, and Mikey seemed uncomfortable.
"Hey guys," Danny replied back and then frowned.
There was an awkward silence until Sam finally spoke up, "Okay, I've got to know why you guys are avoiding us? When Danny was in trouble, everyone was ready to fight or at least be at his side. Now you're all giving us weird looks and trying to stay away. Don't you think we don't get enough of that from strangers?"
"Sam." Danny clasped a hand around hers and squeezed. She could tell he wasn't wanting any type of confrontation, but Sam was getting a bit irritated by Brandon and the other's actions.
"Could we sit and talk somewhere?" Norman asked politely. "I can understand why you would be confused. It's not something we're particularly proud of, but we are sorry."
Team Phantom nodded to each other and soon they were sitting near the back of the arcade with the four young men.
"It's not that we don't like Danny…" Mikey started.
"Not at all!" Brandon expressed.
"It's just that we're a bit afraid of backlash from people. I know it sounds cowardly-" Norman began.
"And it is." Sam replied though her face softened when Danny gave her an upset look.
"I don't expect everyone to make a human shield around me." Danny looked at Norman and gave a weak smile and shrugged. "I understand, I guess."
Norman sighed. "We do support you, we just don't know how to feel about the whole thing."
Brandon took over at that point, seeing as he seemed to have the best way with expressing himself compared to the others. "When you transformed in front of us and started fighting Vlad, he was still thinking of you as Danny Fenton. We didn't even get the chance to really think about what we'd witnessed and what that meant about, the past."
"What do you mean?" Valerie asked.
Brandon frowned and wiggled in his seat a bit. "We'd just started to become your friends this year and while we're grateful for your friendship and help, we don't feel like we really know you, Danny."
"Huh?" Danny blinked in slight confusion and shock.
"All this time, Danny Fenton wasn't as we'd envisioned him for three, almost four years. It's not that we don't understand why but we feel like we've been lied to, if that makes any sense. Who is Danny Fenton? We don't know you, Danny, not like we thought. With Sam, Tucker, and even Valerie to some degree, you've been able to be honest with each other from the beginning. We didn't have that."
"Then there was the thing in the Ghost Zone when everyone was reintroducing themselves again and even that was… another lie, to some degree." Norman added. Lester shifted and Mikey pulled at his collar to his polo.
Danny and the others were silent for a moment before Danny finally nodded. "I get it. It's okay."
"So, you forgive us?" Mikey asked.
Danny chuckled. "There's nothing to forgive. I should've known that you were all just shell shocked." Danny nodded. "If you want, you don't have to have anything to do with me. This is my guilt free pass for you to not worry about betraying me or anything silly like that. I never wanted people to feel obligated towards me or feel guilty. It's one of the reasons I dreaded anyone finding out my secret. My parents still give me guiltily looks and well… I don't want them to do that either."
Sam, Tucker, and Valerie all raised their brows in surprise and looked at each other. Their guests all took a glance at each other too. Brandon turned and then gave a response. "I don't like making it sound like we'll never talk to you or be your friend." Danny frowned as Brandon continued. "I want to be your friend. I just need to meet you all over again, that's all. I bet a lot of people at school feel the same way."
"Yeah." Mikey piped in.
"Mhm." Lester nodded.
"So maybe we can try again?" Brandon asked, hope ringing in his voice.
"You do realize that we're all being given grief for being Danny's friends, right?" Tucker asked.
Valerie snorted. "Smooth."
"Oops, not that it's a big deal, bro."
Danny smirked at Tucker. "It's fine, well I mean, it's not, but you know."
"Yeah. To be honest, this isn't too different from similar instances in history. If there's anything we can speculate on, it's that things should calm down eventually," Mikey offered.
"Like integration of ghosts or something?" Lester asked.
"Something like that, only it's just Danny and Danielle. I doubt any full ghost children need or would want to go to school," Mikey continued.
"Before we dive too deeply into the philosophical views on having ghost children attend school, which probably wouldn't happen because they need help to let go of their lives and find peace rather than obsesses over sticking around, let's get back to the topic," Sam spoke up.
"Right. Well, that's pretty much it. We're sorry and we'd like to try to get to know all four of you again," Brandon explained.
"Well we did keep to ourselves for the most part…" Valerie murmured, understanding more about why the other boys had felt alienated and confused.
"That would be great," Danny replied.
Norman reached out a hand. "Unfortunately, I need to get home soon. Also, before I go, I wanted to say I was sorry for my behavior in the Zone. I felt simply terrible about what I'd done afterwards and I didn't get the chance to say I was sorry. I was simply becoming frightened and paranoid, but that doesn't excuse my actions."
Danny grasped the boy's outstretched hand and shook, before his other hand reached back to scratch his neck. "It's okay. It's definitely in the past now, besides, you were looking out for everyone. If I had really been a malicious ghost that had taken control of my friends and family and was trying something fishy, you might've saved everyone."
Norman flushed slightly at the surprising praise. "Well I guess so."
After a few more parting words and some causal talk that briefly erupted between the boys about the newest game coming out that they all seemed intrigued about, they eventually parted company and Team Phantom walked out of the arcade. Danny needed to take a trip into the Ghost Zone before getting ready for the date he and Sam had planned together later that night.
zzz
Ghost Zone. 5:47 PM.
It had been easy so far. Dora had said she would come to the meeting with the President. Danny was pretty sure Frostbite, Pandora, and Tykr'aal would be happy to come as well, but he had yet to visit them. Currently he was landing near the outskirts of the Far Frozen. Almost immediately, one of the friendly yetis saw him and offered to help him find Frostbite.
He led Danny through several caverns before they entered one of the medical rooms. Danny the felt blood rush from his face when he saw who Frostbite was leaning over.
"Great One…"
Danny ignored Frostbite's surprised greeting in favor of staring at Vlad's trembling form. His boils had become less pronounced, but it was hard to tell if that was a sign of improvement or not, given his unconsciousness and furious shivering.
Danny walked up and Frostbite put a hand on Danny's shoulder. "I'm not sure what Clockwork is trying to do, but he wanted me to treat Vladimir. I'm sorry if that displeases you, Great One."
Danny shook his head a bit. "It's fine, Frostbite. This probably means I've been right about some thoughts I've been considering lately, especially if Clockwork went to all this trouble."
"Would you like a moment, Danny?" Frostbite asked quietly, switching to the boy's name, now that a more serious vibe was in the air.
"Yes please."
Frostbite motioned to the other yeti and the two lumbered out of the room and let the metal door slide shut.
Danny sighed and rested both of his hands on the metal slab Vlad was on. "I don't know if you can hear me, but I think the one thing I have to say first is that I'm sorry. I'm not sorry for fighting you, stopping your plans, or getting angry due to your mental games, but I am sorry that things have been hard for you. I'm sorry that you had to learn about your powers on your own, I'm sorry you felt like my parents had abandoned you, and I'm sorry that I didn't know where to begin when trying to make you stop hurting yourself. Because that's what you've been doing since the beginning, hurting yourself." The teen let out a breath of air. "I'm sorry you were alone and I'm sorry I made fun of you for it."
Danny clenched his hands when Vlad let out a low moan. He didn't know why he was feeling this way. Vlad was a nasty person that had tortured and tormented him for several years, yet none could deny the tiny vain of respect that the two had shared between each other for a time before Vlad had started going further downhill. He supposed it was the loss of potential that hurt the most. There was an ache in his core at the idea that Vlad could've been a good uncle, that he could've played with him when he was a young teen, that he could've effectively been another strong male figure in his life, seeing as the rest of his family lived far away and didn't visit often.
He was basically mourning over memories that had never happened. He nearly felt his voice crack when he spoke again. "I'm also sorry I tricked you and pretended like I wanted to be your son that one time. Even if you were definitely in the wrong, that was low, even for me." He paused for a minute. "I always imagined that we would bury the hatchet eventually, you know? I guess it's a little naïve, but I had the hope that you'd see what'd you'd done was wrong." Danny frowned and continued to talk in a softer voice. "Regardless of who's right or wrong, just don't die, okay? You're a royal bastard, but you can't leave it like this, got it?"
Danny slowly pulled away from the table and moved over towards the door. As much as he wanted to stay a bit longer, Danny had to get moving. He still had to talk to Frostbite and the others about coming to Washington D.C.
As he exited the room, he missed the dark shape that peaked out from behind a cabinet of supplies. It seemed to glare at Vlad before sneaking over towards the table. The older man began to shake harder and a terrified murmur came from his mouth.
ooo
He was huddled in the fetal position because it was the only way to hide his eyes from everything around him. The heat was unbearable and the voices had yet to stop.
GIve UP. gIVE in.
It was constant and never stopped. Things would brush against him, scales, feathers, soft and wet things that made him sick in the stomach, and lights frightening and foreboding would glow and move behind clenched eyelids.
WhAt Do yoU nEeD VLaD foR?
FrUitLOop.
VilLAiN.
mONster.
Up until now, things had only brushed passed him or lingered near before leaving. He wasn't sure why they wouldn't simply attack.
"-but I am sorry that things have been hard for you. I'm sorry that you had to learn about your powers on your own-"
At the familiar voice, Vlad's head popped up.
"I'm sorry you were alone and I'm sorry I made fun of you for it."
Everything in the darkness that had haunted him was frozen like they were part of a picture.
"I'm also sorry I tricked you and pretended like I wanted to be your son that one time. Even if you were definitely in the wrong, that was low, even for me." The voice paused "I always imagined that we would bury the hatchet eventually, you know? I guess it's a little naïve, but I had the hope that you'd see what'd you'd done was wrong." The voice came back softer than it had been, as though it was just above a whisper. "Regardless of who's right or wrong, just don't die, okay? You're a royal bastard, but you can't leave it like this, got it?"
Vlad waited for the voice to return, but alas, it did not. "Daniel?" Vlad murmured allowed.
FruITlooP. FRuiTlOop. FrUitLooP. FRUITLOOP! The word was repeated over and over, getting louder and louder. It made Vlad's head pound and he nearly forgot about hearing Daniel's voice.
"STOP! STOP IT!" Vlad cried out. "LEAVE ME ALONE!"
AGaiN?
Vlad choked, feeling bitter loneliness creep up his back. No matter how hard he tried, no matter if he programed holograms or tried to create clones of his perfect family and friends, he was always denied happiness.
"Oh, sure, Mr. Masters! But call me Danny. 'Son' is what my dad calls me."
"You think my mom made the decision to come back on her own? We're a family."
Vlad glared at the ground as his hands clutched his head and covered his ears. There was a chance, that perhaps… he had taken things… a bit too far. Maybe he had been wrong about what it meant to have or be a part of a family. Though he still felt bitterness in his heart and refused to believe his fate was completely his fault, he knew he had gone further than he should have. He wasn't sure what his new path would be, but it was not going to be found in this hellhole.
"I'd much rather be alone than entertain company with you any longer!" Vlad roared.
The shadows scattered.
ooo
The shadow, that lingered near the shivering and mumbling Vlad, narrowed its eyes and became small and hunched over. Slowly, the darkness of its form became lighter and lighter until the shadow vanished entirely. The lights in the room seemed to glow just a tiny bit brighter.
zzz
Ghost Zone. 6:55 PM.
Danny shot towards Tykr'aal's domain, distracted by his visit with Vlad. He wasn't sure if he would tell anyone that he'd located the man. Vlad would be arrested or practically hunted if he showed up again on Earth. Quite honestly, Danny was still worried about his own standing in the public and had no clue what would happen if Vlad showed his face. This was of course dependent on whether or not he would even survive his illness.
As he contemplated on the morality of Vlad's predicament and what degree of punishment the man really deserved, he jolted harshly when he heard a laser charge. He looked up and saw Skulker staring at him. Though he had been wondering what all of the antagonistic ghosts had been up to since his trial, he wasn't in the mood for a fight after sitting with Vlad.
"What do you want, Skulker? I'm not in the mood."
Skulker didn't reply, except with a laser shot. Danny barely dodged it and then grit his teeth. He was starting to not like this moody and spontaneous Skulker, who saved his life one minute and nearly killed him the next.
Danny readied himself by switching to his hot core. If he shot enough fire at Skulker, then maybe the hunter would flee to keep his suit safe. Danny's eyes dilated slightly and his body tensed for more action when Skulker raised his gun again. The ghost boy stared down the barrel of the gun and waited to see the tiniest hint of a green glow, but nothing came. Skulker's arm wavered a bit and Danny blinked.
"I can't do it. Why can't I do it?"
"What are you talking about?" Danny asked in return, but the hunter turned and fired his jet pack up to the fastest speed before shooting off into the green horizon. Danny frowned, completely puzzled by Skulker's erratic behavior the last couple months or so. He resolved to take a quick look at some of Jazz's research on his ghostly enemies when he finished his trip in the Zone.
zzz
Ghost Zone. Clockwork's Tower. 7:32 PM.
Clockwork was of course expecting the Fright Knight to cross his threshold and enter his domain. He also had expected the ghost to walk forward and sink the Soul Shredder into the floor. The ghost of time turned around to get a glimpse of the Spirit of Fear. He was looking quite ragged. His armor was no longer a gleaming black and grey, but dull and aged. His purple flames were very short, creeping close to the base of his neck. The Soul Shedder was a bright cyan and held a white glow about it.
"Adlai would pity you right now."
"Do not bring up the past timekeeper. It will not do me any good now except to put salt in my wounds as it were." Fright Knight kneeled and panted as he clutched at his chest slightly.
"You'd be surprised how much the past can help someone." Clockwork floated closer. "You've realized by now that the deal between you and Vladimir was broken, correct?"
"Yes! What do you think!?"
"Your stolen blade is also breaking free from its curse. When will you, Breuse?"
Fright Knight quieted and glared up at Clockwork. "Do not use that name."
"Why are you here?"
"I do not wish to be one that runs from my fate, even if it is a poor destiny."
"Hmm… that is indeed the reason as to why Adlai took notice of you at all. You never did fear anything."
Fright Knight continued to stare at Clockwork even at he started to shake uncontrollably at the loss of energy he was suffering.
"Where is Nightmare?"
"Still in the pumpkin."
"I see."
"She will be safe and free once I am gone." A pained look finally came to the ghost's face. "She has suffered for me long enough."
He didn't see the object before it clanked against his helmeted head. In a flash of light, the Spirit of Fear had disappeared into a strange stone that rested in Clockwork's palm. "Curse you! Curse you timekeeper! I was finally going to have my rest!"
As the knight's voice faded, Clockwork pulled the stone closer to his face. "Oh, cursed knight, you would've had no rest where you were destined to go. I made a promise to your original master. One last chance to see if your arrogance will forever lead you to your doom."
Clockwork walked over to a small half-pillar and placed the stone there. Immediately, a small ghost-proof forcefield popped up around the dark grey stone. Clockwork glanced over his shoulder and watched as the Soul Shred-, no it was once again the Sword of Souls now, remained imbedded in his floor and pulsed its white light.
The timekeeper let out a sigh. "I need a cup of tea."
zzz
It was a about ten minutes later that Clockwork heard a racket coming from his main viewing room. He rose, a smirk rising onto his face, as he made his way towards the noise with cup of tea in hand. He found Dan grunting and swearing under his breath as he tried to pull the sword up from the floor.
"The hell is up with this sword!?" Dan practically screamed.
"You seem a bit more lively than normal."
"I swear to Oblivion! If that was an attempt at some pitiful joke, then so help me."
"I only meant it as a figure out speech. Did you enjoy your outing?" Clockwork asked and sipped another bit of his tea as Dan continued to try and pry the sword out of the ground.
"I asked you a question first!" Dan snarled.
"You cannot pull that sword from the ground. It is being reserved for someone. An old friend of mine left an enchantment on it in the case of his end and now, years later, it can finally be put to use. You're only wasting your energy."
Dan stopped and glared at the object before narrowing his eyes and sending another glare Clockwork's way. "Why in the hell did you decide to let it rest right in the center of your damn room!?"
"I didn't put it there."
There was a silence. "I really hate you."
"So now that we got that out of the way, how was your-"
Dan growled. "Stop treating me like I just got out of school or something just as asinine."
"I'm just curious."
"You already know how it went."
Clockwork sighed, deciding to drop it in favor of staring at the entrance to his lair. He contemplated briefly on his decision to not put some ghost nip into his tea, seeing as he would have a massive headache soon.
"Oh, by the Realms!" A small collection of gasps and panicked murmurings reached both Clockwork and Dan's ears as the three Observants indirectly revealed themselves.
"Are you completely insane, Clockwork!?" Vigilate cried out. His large eye was comically wide and staring at Dan. Dan snarled lowly and merely put his hands on his hips as a show of defiance.
"Last I checked, I'm fairly present mentally and in good health otherwise." Clockwork took another sip of tea. Really should've put in two leaves of ghost nip.
"For Sojourn's sake, you're sipping tea while sharing the room with a monster that had no conscious!" Lacrimalis cried out.
"We had thought Walker's reports were simply poor rumors of some kind, but they were actually spot on, like always," Videre purred. He held a superior look on his face and looked at Dan like he was dirt. The ex-halfa could see it in the creep's single expressive eye.
"Well, there he is, not destroying the Ghost Zone. Please do make sure not to slam the door on your way out," Clockwork responded. Dan glanced over and had to fight the smirk that was trying to come to his face. However, he did have one thing to say.
"Speak for yourself. It's only a matter of time."
"You're sinking through the floor again."
Dan balked and looked down to see that, he was indeed sinking through the floor. "What the-? I just used my wail not long ago!"
Vigilate blinked his single eye and glanced at Clockwork with a contemplative look. Lacrimalis still looked flustered and Videre was giving Clockwork a venomous glare.
Clockwork watched as Dan scrabbled about, looking for something to grab onto so he could lift himself out of the floor. "I could help."
"Piss off!" Dan snapped, finally making it to the Sword of Souls and using the immovable object to heft himself out of the floor.
Vigilate hummed and placed a boney hand to the general area of where his chin would be and rubbed there. He recognized the blade… He looked up at Clockwork and saw the timekeeper nod softly to him. "Well… it seems like Clockwork has things under control."
"Excuse, me?" Lacrimalis asked in surprise and Videre looked at the other two Observants with a calculating gaze.
"He obviously is going to fade away soon. He can't do any harm, not any more. The Dark Phantom has fallen," Vigilate explained.
Dan clenched his fists and flew at the Observants in a blind rage. "You'll regret those words!"
"Time out." Clockwork watched as everything froze and Dan started to slowly rewind back to where he'd launched from. "Time in." Dan stumbled back and crashed into a table behind him. He caught himself on the ledge as Clockwork's trinkets rattled and crashed onto the floor. He stared at Clockwork, feeling a powerful sense of deja vu. Dan knew what that meant.
"How?"
"I'm not sure I know what you mean."
"How damn it!? How!?" Dan cried out. "I had the medallion in me!"
"Yes… you did."
Dan simply stared at the man blankly, completely confused as to what was happening. The Observants seemed a bit confused as well but didn't ask questions at the moment. Dan looked over at the rack that held the medallions and slowly counted them, only to find that not a single one was missing. He was flabbergasted. It should be impossible.
"I told you that I could handle things, Observants. Please leave."
Vigilate turned and did as asked. Lacrimalis looked at Vigilate and then Clockwork and Dan several times before she followed her brother. Videre snorted and took up the rear.
"Would you like some tea?" Clockwork asked Dan once the Observants had left.
"Are you serious?" Dan hissed. "Tell me what the hell just happened!?" Dan paused when Clockwork quietly put down his cup. He floated a few steps closer and Dan suddenly felt like the air was getting heavier and his core clenched with an unfamiliar emotion. When Clockwork halted, he banged his staff against the tiled floor and in that moment, Dan suddenly remembered what he was feeling. Fear.
"ENOUGH! I WILL NOT ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS! GO TO YOUR ROOM OR EXIT THE TOWER! EITHER WAY, YOU WILL LEAVE MY PRESENCE, NOW!" Clockwork thundered and the clock tower shook and shuttered.
Dan leapt back, flickering into his gaseous form out of instinct and zipped away. Seconds later, Clockwork heard Dan's door snap shut. He relaxed and reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose. Definitely needed a leaf or two of ghost nip. He glanced at Dan's door and sighed. He had gotten a bit impatient with the destructive ghost and the timeline in general and had let out his anger in an unnecessary way. He hoped he hadn't made a mistake.
zzz
Dan sat in his room on his chair, which Clockwork had restored to its original form, seeing as this place was Clockwork's lair.
Currently, he was mulling over what had just happened. Though he was still confused about the time medallion thing and surprised by Clockwork's outburst, he was more focused on something more personal. He had felt fear. "I thought I had gotten rid of that emotion when Fenton died." Dan furrowed his brows in frustration. He groaned and let his head rest against the wall as he slowly shape-shifted into his twenty-eight-year-old human appearance. He was getting very confused from all the new information and questions he had, and that made him angry. His train of thought was interrupted when a knock sounded against his door.
"Dan?"
Dan felt a brief shiver run through him at hearing Clockwork's voice again after the timekeeper's display of anger before he hurriedly steeled himself and answered.
"What? I thought you said I could stay in my room for a bit. I need a bit of rest before I go out for another of Walker's poster boys."
"That's not why I'm checking in." Clockwork opened the door slightly and placed a cup on a table near Dan. "I just wanted to say that I am sorry for my outburst. Everyone needs a chance to let off steam, but I did not do it in a respectable way. I ask for your forgiveness, Daniel."
Dan flinched at the use of his old name. His mouth shifted to being slightly parted due to intrigue to being a flat pursed line. He scoffed. "You're asking me for forgiveness?"
"Yes of course."
"Why bother?"
"Because you have just as much of a right to existence as anyone."
"Not many would agree with you on that."
"Perhaps not, but the truth remains."
Dan stared at the old ghost for a moment before he grunted. "Whatever, get out."
Clockwork rose a brow and didn't move and Dan snarled in response. "I said, whatever! I want to be alone. Leave!"
Clockwork bowed slightly and then left, quietly shutting the door. Dan grumbled before a couple of familiar scents caught his nose. Dan looked at the cup Clockwork had left and noticed it was warm cocoa with a couple of ghost nip leaves floating on the creamy foam. Red eyes locked onto the brown liquid and seemed to dull with some long-lost memory.
Back outside of Dan's room, Clockwork sighed to himself. Dan's answer was about as close to an acceptance of his apology that he could expect, but it was still a good omen of what was to come. He gave a small smile as he floated back towards his viewing portals. "I hope those leaves give him a nice pick me up before his next bounty."
So, I hope I did okay with all these interactions and I hope everything made sense. Also, you learned of some new names when looking at Clockwork's business with Fright Knight and the Observants. Interesting, hm? I wonder who they are?
Thanks so much for all your kind words and reviews! Until next time,
~NoSignal