Danny Fenton was in bed, on this sad Saturday. This was the third week, now, that he had just been laying there, looking like an empty shell, crying. He wouldn't get up for anything but school, which he slept through, anyway. He hardly talked to anyone, including his friends and family. Ghost activity escalated, and nothing anyone said or did would invoke Danny Phantom to appear. The ghost boy was as good as gone, and Amity Park was the worse for it.
In walked Jasmine, picking up the day's uneaten lunch, and trading it for the day's dinner that would probably also be uneaten, as well. She sighed, glancing at Danny. "You have to get up, Danny... C'mon, I believe in you. You're strong, and brave. And the ghosts out there... They need Phantom to put them down."
No response from the raven haired boy, only a sad look as he wistfully gazed at the ceiling.
Jazz took a deep breath. "Please... You're my brother, and I love you. You have to fight the ghosts..."
"What's the point?" he asked softly, in his broken voice. Jasmine waited, with bated breath, for what he would say next. It ended up being, "I want to be alone."
She lowered her teal eyes, and sighed, as she left the room, the closed the door gently.
Danny took to crying again. Why was he so stupid, so weak, so miserable? He just wanted to die, he didn't deserve to live, he just wanted to...
"Time out!" yelled a voice, as two figures appeared. Clockwork, master of time, and Dan Phantom, paradox.
Dan whistled, staring at his frozen, pathetic self. "What a wimp," he muttered.
"That wimp is you, Dan. When you touch him, you will enter into his body. You'll end up 75% ghost. But there are some warnings."
Dan rolled his eyes. "Lay them on me."
"Your sister has been covering for you a lot lately. She'll expect you to slowly get better. Don't do anything rash."
"Got it," Dan said, looking around the room.
"You will retain all of your power when you fuse with him. But his body will not be able to handle it. Use it carefully, and wisely. His body is a shell, and you're what's on the inside. Burning that shell would not be wise," Clockwork warned.
"Mhm," muttered Dan, looking at his reflection in the mirror.
"And, finally, you can call me if you have any more questions. Simply say my name, and I will appear."
"Noted." The muscular man said, posing, and grinning at his reflection. Clockwork let out a heavy sigh. He wasn't sure whether or not Dan heard a word he said, but that was the ghost's problem.
"Now, touch the boy, and time will begin anew," instructed the master of time.
At least, the ultimate enemy seemed to hear this, and hesitated, thinking this through. He could take his chances trying to defeat Clockwork - a mistake, he knew, but at least he would be true to himself. Or he could take this second chance, and be weak. He sighed, and decided the latter was better, as he laid a bluish hand on the boy.
And in a moment, or maybe none, time started again.