Chapter 3: Core Breaking and Break Mode

Danny entered the Ghost Zone and was hugged immediately by Ember and Dani. Danny hugged back and once the tender moment was slightly over, Ember noticed the fourth halfa of their little family was not with Danny, "Wh-where's Steele?"

"Huh? I thought he was behind me?" he turned around and saw the doors of the portal were closed but then it suddenly looked destroyed. The doors vanished and the Phantoms looked in horror as they had probably just lost a little bit of their family.

"Clock out!" They heard a familiar voice boom and time froze except for the three halfas.

"Clockwork…what happened to the Fenton Portal?" "Young James had accidentally destroyed it after he performed something similar to what you did back in the Lab. You both performed Core Break."

"Core…Break? Is that what the crystal does?" Danny pulled out his crystal and Clockwork nodded, "Indeed. The crystal can temporality trigger a phenomenon known as Break Mode. The user resonates with their inner ghost core and unleashes their inner power. However, the power does overload the user after a while and if they're a Halfa they revert back to human form. If they're full ghost, they'll only revert back to ghost form but they'll pass out regardless of strength. In another universe some creatures in said universe can temporarily Evolve further than their final form without passing out once they revert. But unlike us ghosts, who can just resonate with the stone, they need their owners to use a special set of stones in order to resonate with the bond between their owners and them. That is how they achieve their transformation."

"How is James gonna get back to the Ghost Zone?" Clockwork looked at Danny as if he had forgotten about something and with the 'are you serious' look. Danny then sighed, "Vlad's portal…right…I hope he'll be okay."

"All in due time, young Daniel."

/

James walked into the sunlight of Amity Park and shielded his eyes. It had been a few months since he had been into the human realm. Once his eyes adjusted he started walking towards City Hall.

Once he reached City Hall within 20 minutes he walked into a nearby alleyway and found the backdoor. He shook his head in annoyance at how it was not guarded. You'd think his father was smart enough to put some security into this building. He walked up to the door and saw a DNA scanner, "Enter DNA sample." The voice droned. James pulled a hair from his head and held it near the scanner, "DNA recognized, James Masters. Access granted." 'Maybe it's linked to the US DNA Database…' James shrugged.

The door opened and James entered very cautious and soon entered Vlad's office. "ah, nice to see you young Steele." He heard his father say as he arose from his desk.

"Father." James said, still slightly weakened from his Break Mode. Vlad's eyes widened.

"Wha-Who is you're..." Vlad was surprised until he saw those eyes, "Maria…that explains your ghost name. What is your full name?" "James Masters. I know we just officially met but I need to use your portal…"

"Why do you need to go to the Ghost Zone, son?" James explained what Maddie and Jack did to Danny. Vlad gasped, "I look at Daniel like a son as well. I know you're biologically mine and we're both halfas…I'm sorry I have fought you and Daniel in the past. How come you had to use the DNA scanner at the backdoor? Are you okay?" James nodded and said, "Have you heard of Core Breaking?"

Vlad nodded, "yes, I have heard of said subject and I do have a Break Crystal myself." Vlad went to his desk and pulled a green-yellow crystal with a white wisp from within his desk. Vlad shook his head, "I haven't used it since I got my powers and met your mother. I do wonder how your mother is doing?"

James looked down and tears were about to form in his eyes. Vlad wondered what was wrong with his child. "James, are you okay?" "Mom passed away about 4 months prior, she told me to find you once I reached Amity." Vlad was heartbroken, his former girlfriend was gone. Vlad would morn later but then realized something, "Maybe she is in the Ghost Zone as a Ghost?"

James realized his father was right.

Vlad smirked as did his son, Vlad changed into Plasmius and grabbed his son by the shoulders, "Let's go home."

Once they flew out of City Hall, James saw the one person he didn't want to see flying on her board.

"Ah, shit." Plasmius saw her too, "Fret not, she'll be a cakewalk." James was worried and found he had enough strength to transform. He yelled, "Phantom On!" and changed into Steele. Plasmius let his son go and let him float on his own. Plasmius and Steele nodded at each other and once the Red Huntress 2.0 saw them she said, "Well, Plasmius and Steele. What do you think you're doing here?" Plasmius simply explained, "Me and Steele are just heading back to the Ghost Zone. We mean no harm." The Red Huntress scoffed, "You ghosts are just a pain in my ass. Especially that Phantom!" Steele kept his calm, "What if Phantom was a person you knew personally?"

The Red Huntress laughed, "How do you know that? I know he just a ghost, plain and simple." Vlad laughed, "I know you know my secret, Valerie Gray. I'm not stupid. You know I am a halfa as much as Phantom and Steele."

The Red Huntress paled inside her suit. "Wh-what are you going to do?"

"Nothing, I need to get to the Ghost Zone to help Phantom. He's probably worried about me."

"Fine, just…don't do anything stupid!" Steele and Vlad nodded as the Red Huntress flew off.

/

Danny sat there on the couch in his shared realm with his family just pondering the fate of his friend. Ember watched her boyfriend from the kitchen as Dani was watching Youtube on the Laptop that James had bought for her during their travels together. James and Dani met up in Tokyo, Japan before teaming up and returning to Amity Park. James was attending a Pokemon VGC tournament, just to change his battling venue, and Dani was exploring the city. They bumped into each other and found they both knew Danny and knew his secret. Once Dani knew about James' past she was wary of her companion but then fully trusted him after him saving her life a few times. She helped James with his grief of his mother passing away as well.

Ember sighed, Danny had been like this for the past few hours. Suddenly, Vlad and Steele burst through the door and shut it. Steele asked his father, "You think this will end well, dad?" Vlad nodded, "yes, but not for the fool chasing us!"

"James!" Steele was suddenly tacked by Dani. "Dani! Danny! Ember! Glad to see you all are okay!"

Danny remembered Vlad was here, "What's the fruitloop doing here?" "Daniel…how many times…" Vlad groaned in annoyance.

"Easy Danny, Dad is cool. He pretty much helped me back here." Danny asked Vlad, "You accept him as your Son?" Vlad nodded, "I no longer have to be alone. Even though your mother and his mother are gone to me, I have both of you. Even if you don't think highly of me. Danielle, I know you'll never trust me but I ask you try and trust me as long as I try to be helpful to you all from now on."

Danielle, now conflicted at Vlad's change of heart, sighed, "Just make sure you don't do anything to hurt any of us."

"Wouldn't dream of hurting you all." Vlad smiled. Steele soon gave Ember a red crystal with a blue wisp inside, "I found this earlier while flying though the Ghost Zone. It seemed to radiate the same energy you do."

Ember nodded and accepted the crystal. Vlad gave Dani a red and blue crystal with a white wisp inside, "I found this before you were created. I grabbed it along with mine."

"Thanks, I guess…" Dani accepted the crystal hesitantly.

/

Soon, all five halfas moved into Vlad's mansion. James was revealed to the world as Vlad Masters' long lost son. Things were looking up for the halfas, but Danny remembered something; he would have to tell Sam and Tucker about what happened. He didn't know why he didn't tell them yet.

/

And Scene!

Sorry, a shit ton of stuff popped up the last few days and I lost my flow until today.

I'll make it up to you. You'll see.