Author's notes:
This chapter was inspired by an episode of the 2003 series of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, where the turtles, Master Splinter are reflecting on times where they had fought the Shredder.
I hope you enjoy this chapter.
REFLECTIONS
Danny, Dayla, Sam, Tucker, Andrew, Valerie, Jack and Maddie were in the Ghost Zone at Pandora's realm doing their weekly training with Pandora. Normally the six friends or just Danny and Dayla would only go for training but sometimes Jack and Maddie would come along to watch. Today it was just Danny and Dayla's turn for training.
Danny and Dayla were in their human forms both wearing training clothes, Dayla had a pair of tracksuit pants and a white t-shirt on and Danny had a pair of red shorts and wore a grey singlet (A/N In America their known as tank tops but here in Australia we call them singlets). On their elbows and knees, they had protection pads on and on their hands were short black fingerless training gloves and they stood in the garden ready for their training session with Pandora.
"Today we are just going to work on fighting in your human forms" Pandora said. "As you two have come to realise, there are times where your enemies will have weapons that will cancel out your powers and you may need to fight in your human forms, so you two are gonna face each other and show me how much you two have been practicing the skills not only I have taught you but from Master Xing that trained you last week has shown you"
Danny and Dayla nodded and then took a fighting stance as they faced each other waiting for Pandora to start.
"Begin!"
Danny ran up and swung a couple of punches at Dayla, however she managed to block each blow and dodge other swings, she then bent down for a leg sweep which Danny saw coming and jumped from the oncoming leg. Dayla stood up as he landed back on the ground and then tried a side kick to his face but he blocked it with his elbow and then grabbed her by the arm and swung her over his shoulder sending her to the ground.
She pushed herself back and stood back in her stance, Danny then charged right for her but Dayla smirked and before he could land a punch she stepped to the side and then held her leg out, he yelped as he tripped on her foot and fell to the ground. Dayla then kneeled down quickly and grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back.
"You give up?" She asked. "Or are you thirsty for more?"
He winced as she twisted his arm more and then shouted, "Okay! Okay! I give up! I give up!"
She released his arm and then helped him up, Pandora then walked up to them and said, "Well done to the both of you. You're both getting stronger every day. Soon you both might be able to become a couple of masters yourselves"
"Thanks Pandora" The twins both said in unison.
"Let's take a lunch break and then continue after" Pandora said and all of them then joined the others on the picnic basket for lunch.
Maddie had made a huge lunch for them all because they were also celebrating for on this day was the day that Danny and Dayla Fenton stepped into the Fenton Portal and got their powers. As they all ate Sam then said, "It feels like only yesterday that you guys had the accident that gave you your powers"
"I know" Danny said. "We've had for so long it does only feel like that"
"So what exactly happened?" Valerie asked. "I know you guys told me you stepped into the portal and there was an accident but how did it actually happen?"
Jack nodded and said, "Same here. Your mother and I want to know exactly what happened"
"Well it all started two years ago on this day, just when we started freshman year…" Dayla began.
Flashback two years ago:
The sun peaked inside a bedroom with light green walls, fourteen year old Dayla Fenton lay peacefully asleep in her bed.
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
Her eyes shot open as she heard the sound of her alarm clock, she supressed a groan of annoyance as she sat up and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. She turned off her alarm and then climbed out of her bed, she then walked out of her room and headed for her twin brother's room.
She opened the door and saw he was completely asleep within his bed, completely ignoring the sound of his alarm going off. She walked over and turned it off and then started shaking him as she said, "Danny come on. We gotta get ready for school"
"Mmm…Okay" Danny groaned as he sat up now fully awake. He then said sarcastically, "Another day of being shoved into a locker by Dash. Oh joy"
Dayla giggled and then said, "Hey I get shoved inside my locker as well. I don't exactly enjoy it either. Maybe today will be different"
Dayla then went back into her bedroom and started getting dressed in her usual black jeans, green and white t-shirt and black converse shoes, she brushed her hair and left it out like she usually did. Danny did the same and got dressed in his usual red and white t-shirt with blue jeans and red converse shoes and just quickly brushed his hair.
They both walked downstairs hoping that their mother Maddie Fenton was almost done cooking breakfast, but the only person there their older sister Jazz making toast.
"Morning guys. Mum and dad are still in the lab in case you're wondering" Jazz said with a hint of annoyance.
"What are they doing down there anyway?" Danny asked as he started making himself a bowl of cereal.
"Being nuts as usual" Jazz said bitterly. "Why can't they just be normal like other parents?"
"Come on Jazz. Cut them some slack" Dayla said. "You know their job takes a lot of their time"
"Well at least they took some time off during the weekend to take you to the museum and you Danny to the new arcade right?" Jazz asked as she spent the weekend at a friend's house.
They both then looked down and sighed sadly as they remembered that both her parents forgot to take Danny to the brand new arcade that opened and Dayla to the museum to see the new art collection. Jazz then noticed and knew what was going on and asked with her arms crossed, "They forgot didn't they?"
"Jazz its fine" Danny said trying to hide his disappointment. "We'll just go next weekend"
"Yeah it's no big deal" Dayla lied as well.
"But it is a big deal!" Jazz then yelled in anger.
They both looked at her in surprise, they had never seen her yell in anger towards their parents before. Jazz calmed down and then said, "I'm sorry but…they shouldn't have forgotten their promise"
They suddenly heard an explosion coming from the basement and felt the house shake, all three of them ran downstairs to the basement lab and started coughing as the smoke vanished. After the smoke cleared they all gasped at the sight of their parents standing in front of a large hole in the wall that had been placed with some sort of machine.
"Mum, dad what is that?" Danny asked.
Jack and Maddie removed their goggles and smiled as they saw their children, Jack then walked over to a blackboard that had a blueprint on it and said, "That kids is what we have been working on these past few months. We made a prototype in college and now we have the real thing. Behold the Fenton Ghost Portal"
"Fenton Ghost Portal?" All three teens asked in unison.
"This kids right here is a one way ticket to the ghost dimension. It's also known as the Ghost Zone" Jack finished as he gestured to the last machine.
Jazz scoffed in disbelief and muttered, "Ghosts don't even exist"
"Of course they do princess and we're about to prove it to the world" Jack said. "Fire it up Maddie"
Maddie smiled and stood by the controls and started pressing some buttons, they could hear the giant machine make a whirring sound as it looked like it was going to work but then it stopped and a few cackles of electricity went off but the portal did not work.
Jack and Maddie looked down in disappointment as Jack said, "I…I don't understand. I was sure we had everything right. Maddie you even checked over my calculations"
"Yes I did. I don't understand why it didn't work either" Maddie said looking down.
"If you don't mind I'm gonna now head to school where the normal people are" Jazz said and then walked out of the lab.
"Maybe it was just a bug in the system" Danny suggested.
"Yeah maybe. Well kids come on, you two don't want to be late for school" Maddie said. Jack then offered, "I can drive you two to school if you want"
Danny and Dayla's eyes widened at the sound of that offer, knowing how crazy he could be when it came to driving. They both then waved their arms in the air and shook their heads as they both said in unison, "No thank you / Walking will do us good"
They both then ran up the stairs, grabbed their school bags and headed out the door where their two best friends Sam Manson and Tucker Foley were waiting for them. Sam then asked as she saw the looks of their faces, "Let me guess your dad offered to drive you again?"
"Yep. As usual" Danny and Dayla both answered in unison as they started walking to school.
"So Danny how was the new arcade at the mall? Pretty cool right?" Tucker asked.
"I wouldn't know. I didn't end up going" Danny answered.
"Why? Your parents did take you like they said right?" Tucker asked. He then turned to Dayla and asked, "Come to think of it weren't they also supposed to you to the museum as well Dayla?"
They both remained silent, both of them then got the message and Sam said, "They forgot didn't they?"
"It's no big deal guys. They're job takes a lot of their time" Dayla said with a small smile. "We'll just go next weekend. Besides maybe they'll actually have time to take us since their portal didn't work"
"Portal? What portal?" Sam asked.
"It's what they had been working on these past few months" Danny answered. "They made a ghost portal. Apparently it's supposed to lead the way into the Ghost Zone"
"That sounds amazing" Sam then said. "Any chance we can see it?"
"Uh Sam, we're not allowed to bring anyone down to the lab" Danny pointed out. "You know that?"
"Come on! Who says they have to know? We'll just go down there when they're not home, you show us the portal, we get out and they'll never even know we're down there" Tucker encouraged.
"No" Danny and Dayla both answered.
"Please" Both Sam and Tucker pleaded. "Pretty please with the constellations and the painting of Starry Night that you like so much?"
"Okay, Okay" Both Danny and Dayla answered.
"We'll show you after school" Danny finished.
Sam and Tucker both high fived each other of their success. They arrived at Casper High and headed for their lockers, Danny opened up his locker but before he could grab his books Dash walked right up to him and shoved him right into his locker and then slammed the door shut.
"Enjoy your stay Fentoenail!" Dash sneered with a laugh.
A few seconds later Dayla came by and started unlocking Danny's locker but before she could open the door, Dash came back and grabbed her by the collar of her shirt and opened the door, he then shoved her inside with Danny and slammed the door shut.
"I forgot about your roommate freak" Dash then said and then walked away laughing at their misfortune.
A few seconds later, Tucker and Sam came by. Sam put in the combination and opened the locker door, Danny and Dayla jumped out and stretched their muscles from being cramped in a small space.
"You two okay?" Sam asked.
"Yeah. Dash is just being a jerk as usual and as usual even if we tell the teacher's they won't do anything about it" Dayla said.
Flashback Ends
"Woah! Back up. Dash Baxter has been bullying you two for that long?" Maddie asked.
"Yeah and to my shame I too was also pretty mean to not just Danny and Dayla but also to Sam and Tucker" Valerie admitted looking down.
"Hey you've changed for the better" Danny said. "And it's okay now. Dash and the others are pretty nice now…well all except Paulina"
"Yeah we're still having some problems with her" Sam said.
"Anyway back to the story. After school that day we headed back to Fenton Works…." Danny started again.
Flashback continues...
The four teenagers walked down the street, heading for Fenton Works. Danny and Dayla continued to hope that their parents weren't home so they could avoid getting in trouble for taking Sam and Tucker to their lab in the first place.
They entered the house and Danny called out, "Mum, dad we're home"
There was no answer so then Danny tried again, "Mum? Dad? Anyone home?"
Dayla entered the kitchen to see if they were there, but instead found a handwritten note on the fridge. She recognised it as her mother's writing and read it.
Danny, Dayla hope you both had a great day of school. You're father and I have gone to get some more parts to see if we can fix the portal and then to the grocery store. Won't be home till later.
Love mum and dad
"Looks like they're not home guys" Dayla said as she walked back to the others.
"Cool that means we can check out the portal without them even knowing we were there" Tucker said.
"Guys I'm really not sure about this" Dayla said. Danny nodded and said, "Yeah. Maybe we shouldn't do this"
Sam groaned and said, "It'll be fine. Now come on"
Danny and Dayla sighed and then walked down the basement stairs that led to their parent's lab, Sam and Tucker both gasped in awe at the sight of the large portal.
"Woah your parents really went all out" Tucker said.
"Hey guys stand in front of the portal. I want to get a picture of you two" Sam said as she pulled out her Polaroid camera from her bag.
Before they could say anything, she dragged them over and then handed them the hazmat suits that were hanging on a rack on the other side of the lab, it was one of their fourteenth birthday presents from Jack and Maddie who had made them their very own hazmat suits.
"Smile!" Sam exclaimed as she took a picture of them. The flash went off and the picture came out of the camera, Danny and Dayla shook the heads from the flash.
"Okay we showed you the portal. Can we got out of here now? Our parents could be back any minute" Danny said.
"Besides they say the portal doesn't work anyway, it was a bit of a disappointment to them. I've honestly never seen them look so down about it" Dayla said.
Sam then walked in front of it and encouraged, "Come on guys! A Ghost Zone? Aren't either of you curious of what's in there? You both have got to check it out"
They both then stood beside Sam and smiled as Danny then said, "You know what you're right. Who knows what kind of awesome super cool things exist on the other side of that portal"
"I'm in for checking it out. If there really is a Ghost Zone we'll be the first people to even see it" Dayla then said.
They both then slipped on the hazmat suits and zipped them up both with now determined looks on their faces. Sam then frowned at the sight of Jack Fenton's face on the front of the suits, she walked over and pulled them off.
"You both can't walk in with these on your chests" Sam said as she tossed the stickers away.
Very slowly they both walked inside the barely lit portal, Danny almost tripped over the wires and quickly placed his hand on the wall, and they both suddenly heard a beep and looked to see that Danny had pressed a button that said 'On'.
The machine suddenly hummed to life and before Sam and Tucker could tell them to get out of there, Danny and Dayla screamed as they were hit by the electrical currents and ectoplasmic energy, both their hazmat suits turned black and white, their hair became white as snow and their eyes became green.
The portal then stopped its electrical current and Danny and Dayla walked out of the portal cringing in pain, they both then fell to the ground and as they lost consciousness they could hear Sam and Tucker shouting, "Danny! Dayla!"
Danny gasped as he woke up, he sat up to find he was in his bedroom and Tucker was sitting by his bedside in a chair. Tucker sighed in relief and said, "Hey man. I'm so glad you're awake. How do you feel?"
Danny cringed in pain as he answered, "Like I got zapped by electricity"
"Uh Danny there's something you need to know" Tucker said. "Now don't freak out but…"
He was cut off when they heard the sound of Dayla's scream. The two boys immediately ran out of the room and headed for Dayla's room, but when they opened the door they saw Sam trying to calm down a panicking Dayla Fenton standing in front of a mirror only she wasn't wearing her normal attire. Her hair was snow white, her eyes were glowing green and she was wearing the same hazmat suit she put on only it wasn't white and black anymore, it was now black and white.
Before Danny could ask if his twin sister was okay, he saw his own reflection in her mirror and immediately had the same reaction as Dayla as he saw his hair was snow white, his eyes were glowing green and his hazmat suit was now black and white. He screamed.
Sam and Tucker immediately grabbed their friends and then slapped them both in the face which caused them to stop screaming as they both said, "CALM DOWN!"
"What the heck happened?!" Both Danny and Dayla answered.
"We're not sure but we think you both became ghosts" Tucker answered nervously.
"What?!" They both shouted in panic.
"We…w-w-w-we can't be ghosts! W-w-w-we c-cant!" Dayla stuttered through her panicked voice.
"O-our parents will hunt us!" Danny panicked. "Oh man what are we gonna do!"
Suddenly there was a flash of light and a pair of white halo rings appeared around their torsos. The rings then travelled upwards and before they knew it, they were back as humans. They looked in the mirror and saw the results and both let out sighs of relief.
"What happened?" They both asked as they looked over themselves. Dayla then said, "One second we were ghosts and now…we're both human again"
Sam then thought of something and asked, "Wait a minute! What were you guys thinking when you guys saw you both were ghosts?"
"That we we're human and not ghost. That's what I was thinking" Danny answered. Dayla nodded and said, "Same here"
"What are you getting at Sam?" Tucker asked.
"I'm thinking that maybe Danny and Dayla are not just human but ghosts as well" Sam answered. "That they're half and half. Guys try thinking like a ghost, trust me on this one"
"Okay" They both said nervously and then closed their eyes and started trying to think like ghosts.
"I'm a ghost. Going to become ghostly! No…doesn't sound right. Going spirit….going Casper….going phantom….going…going…." They thought in their heads but then said aloud in unison, "Going ghost"
Suddenly the halo rings returned and just like before they travelled up and down their bodies and before they knew it, they were now back into their ghost forms. They looked at themselves in the mirror and their eyes widened.
"We are half ghosts" Danny said. "But how?"
Dayla's eyes widened and she said, "The portal, the accident…i-i-it zapped us and it must've merged the ectoplasm within our DNA"
"But what are we supposed to do with these ghost powers?" Danny asked.
"Maybe this happened for a reason" Sam suggested. "Maybe you guys were meant to get theses powers to somehow change the world, make a difference. Well maybe this is your chance"
Danny and Dayla thought about it what she said and both smiled as they liked the sound of the idea.
"So you guys are what? The Phantom Twins now?" Tucker asked.
"Hmm….Danny and Dayla Phantom? That sounds like really good names for first time heroes" Danny said. "What do you think sis?"
Dayla nodded and said, "We're the Phantom Twins"
Flashback ends
"And that's where it all began" Danny finished. "How Danny and Dayla Phantom were born"
"That's amazing" Maddie said. "You both had exactly the same accident like Vlad did only you both were completely hit through a full blast of the portal and not just by your face"
Jack frowned at the mention of Vlad and said, "I just can't believe that the man I knew as my best friend back in college turned out the way he did after the accident with the proto-portal"
"Sometimes anything that happens in the past can make people become their own worst enemy" Andrew said.
"I can't help but remember the first time we met him and how he tried to get us to be on his side" Dayla said.
Flashback two years ago…
Danny and Dayla found the lab and entered it, but they when they looked around there wasn't any presents at all.
"I don't see any presents" Danny said.
Dayla then picked up a frame and looked at the photo, there was Vlad and Maddie but on the right side corner of the picture it was ripped. Then Dayla thought of something and said, "Hey Danny do you still have that picture from the vultures?"
"Yeah, here it is" Danny answered and pulled it out, Dayla then took it off him and both their eyes widened when it matched the rip, it was their dad!
"Oh no! No way!" Danny exclaimed.
Suddenly their ghost senses went off, they both transformed and looked around but they were then grabbed by some tentacles and lifted off the ground. It was ecto-pusses!
"Let go!" Dayla demanded as she kicked the ecto-puse holding Danny and then grabbed her one and slammed it into the floor.
Danny then landed next to her and exclaimed, "Those ghosts! They were two of the first ghosts we fought!"
"And they're not alone pups!" They heard a voice say and suddenly they were trapped in a net and electrocuted for a second as they hit the wall.
They looked and gasped in fright as the ghost in front of them was none other than Skulker! They then ripped up the net and kicked him back with combine attack, sending him crashing into a tank and onto the floor.
"How'd you get back in your ecto-skeleton?" Danny asked and then Dayla added, "What are you doing here?"
"All excellent questions. CATCH!" Skulker said as he a small cube at them and then suddenly it trapped them both in a larger glowing cube.
They both then tried to phase out but couldn't, they also felt a bit weaker like it was draining them of their energy.
"We can't phase out of this! It's disrupting our powers!" Dayla exclaimed as she struggled.
"And that's not all it does" Skulker said with a wide grin and then pushed a button on his wrist.
Danny and Dayla suddenly screamed in pain as waves of electricity coursed through them, once it was over they felt very weak that they transformed back into their human selves. Their heads then fell forward, Skulker picked their heads back up by their hair with one hand and with the other one pulled out a glowing green blade right under their necks.
"Uh…Uh the glowing blade is new" Danny said nervously.
Skulker then perked up and said, "You like it? I've had some upgrades!"
He then placed the blade right under their necks and was about to slice them when he was stopped by Vlad who shouted, "ENOUGH!"
"I didn't free you to kill the children Skulker! Your work is done" Vlad finished.
Skulker looked at the kids, pouted a bit and then retracted the blade. He then said, "Yes well…" He was suddenly interrupted by the PDA that's still attached to his wrist and read aloud, "I've got to go to the library and check out a book on a gorilla. AGAIN!"
Skulker pouted as his jet wings came out and forced him to fly right out of the room. Dayla and Danny then looked at Vlad in confusion.
"Skulker? The ecto-pusses? I don't understand" Dayla said.
Vlad walked around in front of them and said with a grin, "Of course not. You two are what fourteen? Too young to drive and not in college yet. I sent those ghosts and others to test your father's skills, imagine my surprise when I find you two! The second and third ghost hybrid his foolishness created"
"Wait second? Third?" Danny asked.
Vlad smiled as black rings appeared and transformed him into the same vampire looking ghost that attacked them last night in the library!
"YOU! We're going ghost!" Danny exclaimed, but found they couldn't go ghost.
Dayla then tried, "Going ghost!" but nothing happened.
"Why can't we go ghost?" Danny asked.
"You two have a battle cries hilarious!" Vlad said with amusement and then tapped the box as he continued, "I on the other hand have this. A spectral energy neutraliser, designed by Skulker and paid for by me. As long as you two are in that box, you're both human as your idiot father!"
"Let us out right now!" They both demanded in unison.
"Why? So you two can go back stumbling through your adolescence desperately trying to get control of your powers? Powers by the way that I've had four twenty years" Vlad said and then demonstrated some of his powers before them.
"I have experience my children and the money and power obtained from using those experiences for personal gain. I could train you both and teach you everything I know. All you two would have to do is renounce your idiot father" Vlad said frowning at the thought of Jack.
"Dude you are one seriously crazed-up fruitloop!" Danny exclaimed.
"There is no way that is ever going to happen!" Dayla then said, both of them frowning at him.
Vlad simply smiled and said, "Yes well once your father is out of the way, we'll see how you both feel"
In the party room, Jack (Vlad) continued to destroy everything and float around. He then exclaimed as he slapped a person, "If you live to tell the tale, remember that big fat Jack Fenton did this to you!"
"Guess again cheese head!" Vlad heard Danny and Dayla call out, he suddenly was pushed right out Jack's body by them and was phased into another room by them as well.
Jack was dropped to the ground, he then frowned and exclaimed, "NOBODY USES JACK FENTON AS A HUMAN MEAT PUPPET!"
In the other room, Vlad stood tall and began to fight Danny and Dayla. Danny tried throwing a punch at him, but missed as Vlad dodged it and kicked him back, Dayla then tried a sneak attack from behind, but Vlad caught her and flung her over his shoulder into Danny.
"Kids stop! Think of all the things I could show you, the doors I could open for you both. You the Phantom Twins and I Vlad Plasmius! Together we could rule" Vlad offered them once again.
"Forget it pal!" Danny exclaimed. Dayla then added, "Your money can't buy our mum, it can't buy the Packers and it won't buy us!"
Flashback ends
"What really creeped me out was the amount of times he tried to make us be his kids or get mum to leave dad for him" Dayla said.
"Yeah I know. He really creeped me out as well" Maddie said. "Remember that time when we got stuck in the Rockies during when I didn't know you're secret?"
Danny said, "It was hard keeping our secret from you, running from Vlad's experiments and trying not to gag with his creepiness"
Flashback two years ago…
Maddie then let go and knocked on the door, Vlad opened the door and instantly smiled to see them standing there.
"Maddie! Daniel and Dayla! You've returned to me!" Vlad exclaimed, he then bent down with a smirk and said to Danny and Dayla looking at his watch, "Oh and not a moment too soon"
Danny and Dayla just gave him a glare in return. Vlad stood straight as Maddie said battering her eyes at Vlad, "Kids go somewhere else while the adults talk"
Vlad was surprised but smiled back anyway. Dayla said, "Sure you and Vlad get cosy"
"If you need us we'll be over there, barfing" Danny added with disgust and he and Dayla walked away.
While Vlad and Maddie sat on the couch talking, Danny had told Dayla all about his plan now that he had the key to the belt. They both watched them from the corner of the room.
"Maddie you must be exhausted carrying the weight of that mistake you made years ago" Vlad said.
"We all make mistakes Vlad. Maybe I'll make one now" Maddie said acting flirtatiously, she then cringed in nervousness as she watched Vlad spray some breath spray in his mouth.
He leaned in to kiss her, but she stopped him saying with a fake smile, "I couldn't possibly. I've been out in the woods all night, I better freshen up"
She stood up and began walking out the room, hiding her discomfort from him. Vlad said eagerly, "I shall await with bated breath"
"Now Vlad, Jack maybe a bumper but he means well" Maddie said as she walked over to the shelf to pick up another book.
Vlad sighed and said with a bit of frustration, "I know Maddie and I've forgiven Jack for many things. Causing the accident that ruined my life, stealing you, the backwash incident…"
Maddie's eyes widened and she asked, "Whoa back up. What was that?"
"Causing the accident that ruined my life" Vlad answered. Maddie then asked, "No after that?"
"The backwash incident" Vlad answered. Maddie then asked with a bit of annoyance, "No in the middle!"
"Oh the stealing you part?" Vlad asked. Vlad then got down on one knee with a loving smile and asked, "Oh Maddie I'm just going to come out and say it. Please dump Jack and stay here? You, Danny and Dayla both can. What do you say?"
Danny and Dayla glared at Vlad as he asked this, Maddie just looked at him with wide eyes and in just a few seconds later, all three of them were walking out the door and he watched as they began to leave his property. Maddie was definitely mad at him!
"Bye Vlad! Oh and as a lonely single man in your forties, might I suggest internet dating" Danny called out and then Dayla added with a smirk, "Or a cat!"
"Mark my words Maddie nobody says no to Vlad Masters! You will rue that you spurned my affection and I WILL NOT GET A CAT!" Vlad shouted in anger.
Flashback ends
They all laughed as Danny mentioned the last part, they all then stopped laughing and calmed down. Pandora then said with a frown, "That Plasmius definitely knew how to stir up trouble both here and in the human realm"
"Yeah. Remember the time he released Pariah Dark?" Andrew said. "Remember when he used Valerie to hide the ring?"
"I still can't believe that whole time I was just doing his dirty work" Valerie said bitterly. "Both times during when the Ghost King attacked and what he tried to make me do to Valerie"
Flashback two years ago…
Speaking of Vlad, he was currently sitting on the back of Valerie's jet sled as she rode it with her ghost hunting suit on. They flew around a bit and then landed on a roof.
"So the equipment is to your liking? It functions properly?" Vlad asked.
"Heck yeah! It's like you designed it just for me. Why would you do that? I'm like fourteen" Valerie asked as she removed her hood.
"You're also the most capable ghost hunter I've ever seen" Vlad answered earing him a smile from her. "You're fast, you're strong, you're smart and most of all you're motivated"
"Really?" She asked.
"Of course. Why else would I say such a thing? I'd have to be some sort of diabolical villain to manipulate you like that" Vlad said.
Valerie looked at him in confusion but then they both laughed like it was some sort of joke. Vlad then exclaimed, "Oh I'd kill me! Or Jack"
He then gasped at his small slip-up and earned himself a strange look from her. He then said as he pulled out the Ring of Rage, "And my dear it's the reason I can trust you with this"
"A ring?" Valerie asked. He then said, "Not just any ring. It's been passed down from ghost hunter to ghost hunter for generations"
She took the ring and placed it on her finger with a smile and said, "I don't know what to say"
"Don't say anything dear, but please let's keep it our little secret" He said.
They both then heard the wails of ghosts. Valerie asked as she put her hood back on, "What was that?"
"Probably Jack goofing up again" Vlad said. "I believe you have a job to do"
Valerie pulled out her jet sled from her feet and said before taking off, "I won't let you down Mr Masters"
As soon as she was gone, Vlad walked to the edge of the building and transformed into his ghost form, his grin still showing as he said, "Oh that you can be sure and Daniel and Dayla will be so busy protecting you, stealing that battle suit will be a snap"
Flashback one year ago…
Plasmius then changed back into Vlad Masters and landed on the ground, he sat down at his desk and pressed the button and in just a few seconds, Valerie opened the window at his mansion and came flying in on her hover board. She still had the suit that Technus upgraded that time when he tried to take over the super computer at Axion Labs. She put away her hover board and then stood in front of Vlad's desk smiling.
"Well that certainly was fast" Vlad complimented. "My don't you look fancy"
"I got a few upgrades" Valerie said.
"Well perhaps you'd be willing to upgrade your life as well. Wouldn't you like to finally move out of that run-down apartment?" Vlad offered as he continued to pet Maddie.
Valerie nodded and then asked looking serious, "What do you need Mr Masters?"
"A little bounty hunting" He said.
"Hunting down ghost scum is what I'm all about" She said. "The target?"
"The Phantom Twins" He answered as he pressed a button on his computer.
"The Phantom Twins? As in Danny and Dayla Phantom? Those two have been a couple of intangible pains in my butt for a long time" Valerie said with distaste in her voice.
"Oh no! Sorry my dear. Not Danny and Dayla Phantom" Vlad explained as he turned the computer screen and showed her Dani and Dale flying through the air. "Dani with an 'I' and Dale Phantom. A different pair of ghost twins"
"You're kidding? Dale I get but there's also a girl called Dani Phantom?" Valerie asked. She then scoffed and commented, "These ghosts have got to come up with more original names"
"Yes well this Dani and Dale Phantom are a couple of incredibly evil ghosts out to destroy me" Vlad lied faking a look of concern on his face.
"What have they got against you?" Valerie asked.
"Word must be out that I'm hunting down ghosts" Vlad continued his lie. "Once they bring me down, who knows what kind of terror they'll unleash on our fair city"
"There's no way I'm letting those ghost kids get to you Mr Masters" Valerie said with determination. "They're as good as caught"
She then opened her small tracker on her wrists and typed in to locate and lock onto Dani and Dale's ecto signature which then showed where Dani and Dale are. Vlad smiled gently and said, "I knew I could count on you Valerie"
"And I'm glad I can count on that new apartment" Valerie said as she summoned her hover board and then took off out the window beginning her hunt for Dani and Dale Phantom.
Flashback ends
"I feel so guilty and stupid that I fell for his lies. I regret ever helping him in the first place" Valerie said looking down. She then smiled at Danny and Dayla and said, "I'm just glad you guys opened my eyes"
"You thought his words were true young hunter. It's the nature of someone with a good heart" Pandora said as she placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"He always managed to find ways to try and mess with our lives" Tucker said. "Remember when he rigged the mayor election? All those stupid laws he made?"
Flashback one year ago…
"I'd like to take a moment now if I may, to thank two very special people in my life" Vlad announced. With a smirk he called out, "Come on up here, Danny and Dayla Fenton"
Both their eyes widened in fear as they heard him call out their names, the crowd cheered once again and Jack nudged them both towards him. He placed his hands on their shoulders and held them close as he whispered to them, "I'm rubbing your noses in this mess you two made. Doesn't it smell yummy?"
He then turned them towards the crowd with his hands still on their shoulders as he announced, "It was these two who inspired me to pursue my true calling, politics. For that, I owe them a debt and I will pay it by protecting them and all the precious children of Amity Park from the biggest problem facing this town, ghosts"
The crowd cheered louder for their new mayor. Sam then said with a look of worry, "Uh oh. I have a bad feeling about this"
"Me too" Andrew agreed. Tucker then said, "Relax guys. So he'll propose a couple of lame laws. How bad could it be?"
The next day at Casper High….
"NOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Mr Lancer had collected everyone's phones, computers, PDA's and all forms of technology from the students. One of Vlad's new laws was called the Technus Act which banned all high tech gear that apparently could be used for ghost infiltration, the next day Vlad had made it a law that all the students were now forced to wear school uniforms to protect them from anything dark and gothic which apparently could attract ecto unfriendlies. The uniform for the girls consisted of a white short sleeved school shirt with a red sweater vest and tie, along with a navy blue skirt and knee high socks and the boy's school uniform consisted of the basic white school shirt, red sweater vest and tie, along with navy blue school pants.
Vlad had also given all the children of Amity Park a four PM curfew, mandatory roll call before and after classes and now security was doubled at the school. Danny was held against the lockers by a security guard as another one grabbed his school bag and emptied everything out onto the ground, satisfied that they didn't find anything they let him go and left him to pick up his stuff. As Danny bent down to pick up his stuff, Sam, Andrew and Dayla came into the hallway and then they watched Tucker grab onto Mr Lancer's leg as he walked away with his PDA. He let go and gave up.
"For the record dude, this stinks" Tucker said.
"And everyone thinks it's you and Dayla's fault" Sam said as she helped Danny pick up his stuff and put it back in his bag. "Guilt by association with Vlad"
"Hey! We're taking the biggest hit here" Dayla said. They all stood up and looked at the security camera that was newly placed there. "With all this surveillance and restrictions, we can't even spend time after school with my friends and my boyfriend and not to mention Vlad's making sure that we can almost never go ghost"
"Maybe that's a good thing" Tucker said as he held up a newspaper article that showed that people were starting to hate Danny and Dayla Phantom once again. "Looks like you two are paranormal non grades again"
"Vlad's claiming that Danny and Dayla Phantom's presence maybe more of an invitation to ghosts than a deterrent" Andrew said.
"Which we all know is an absolute load. With us out of the picture, ghosts will be on the loose all over town" Danny said.
Flashback ends
Danny and Dayla both then smiled and then Danny said, "We also made the people turn on him at the end of the day"
Flashback two years ago…
The duplicate sent Danny and Dayla sliding across the table, Dayla then tried to punch him but he grabbed onto her throat and held her still, Danny growled and charged straight at him but he punched him and sent him crashing through the roof of the building, without letting go of Dayla he flew up after him and then grabbed him by his throat.
They both tried to pry his hands off them as they both demanded, "Let go of me!"
"Oh I will in just a few seconds" He said as he gestured to down below. "Watch and learn"
"I see that I'm forced to take matters into my own more capable hands" The real Vlad said as he pulled out the ecto gun he took of Jack before. He then aimed it at the duplicate and shouted, "Stand down fiend! There's a new mayor in town and his name is Vlad Masters!"
The duplicate released Danny and Dayla and flew down kneeling before the real Vlad and began to beg, "Oh no! Please don't hurt me Mayor Masters I beg of you! Please take pity on me, I'm just a poor dumb ghosts. I can't help being bad"
"Which is exactly why I'm taking you down" Vlad said as he started charging up the gun.
"What?! He's gonna zap his own clone to make himself look good" Danny said. He then smirked as he thought of something, "Unless it does just the opposite"
"What do you mean?" Dayla asked. Danny then leaned into her ear and started whispering his plan, her eyes widened and she then smiled. He pulled away and she nodded.
With that they both turned invisible and intangible and then flew down and overshadowed the duplicate. With the duplicate now under their control, Danny said through his mouth, "Go ahead! Do your worse!"
"Yeah I'm a really powerful ghost! Now gun can harm me!" Dayla then added.
They made the duplicate fly away and headed straight for the limo, Vlad took aim and fired the gun causing it to explode. They all ran over to see what happened to the ghost, but when the smoke cleared it revealed Danny and Dayla on the ground with bruises and scratches all over them, their clothes were a little ripped up.
They both groaned and weakly sat up and started acting out. Dayla started, "W-what happened?"
"We're just a couple of helpless impressionable teenagers, who was minding our own business when…" Danny said as he then saw Sam, Tucker and Andrew and winked at them as he finished, "BOOM!"
They all caught their act. Sam then faked cried, "Oh my gosh! The mayor shot Danny and Dayla!"
"He zapped two innocent kids!" Tucker then cried. Andrew then grabbed a hold of Dayla gently and added, "He could've killed my girlfriend!"
Everyone including the adults all glared at Vlad and started shouting at him in anger about what he did. Jack and Maddie then kneeled down and hugged their children close as they both shouted, "Danny! Dayla!"
"Are you two alright? Oh my babies!" Maddie cried.
"Please, I can explain" Vlad tried. He glared at a smiling Danny and Dayla who knew that their plan officially worked.
The next day, Danny, Dayla, Andrew, Sam and Tucker all stood behind Vlad at City Hall as he announced at a town meeting, "By popular decree, I hereby rescind all previous anti-ghost restrictions"
He signed the document and held it up in the air, everyone cheered and applauded for him. Danny then said, "I gotta admit, he's good"
"Yeah he's good, but you two were better" Sam said.
Flashback ends
"Like I said he may have been good, but you two were better" Sam said. "No matter what Vlad planned, we had always managed to beat him at his own game"
Dayla then thought of something and said, "You know the funny thing is, Vlad is kind of connected to our origin. In fact in a way if it wasn't for him, we'd have never become the half-ghosts we are today"
Everyone looked at her in confusion and then Jack asked, "What do you mean sweetie?"
"Let me explain" Dayla began. "Danny and I got zapped by the Fenton Portal two years ago which gave us our powers and why did the Fenton Portal exist in the first place? Because mum and dad first started the project back in college with the proto-portal which Vlad got zapped with and he became as we know him today...Vlad Plasmius! Which means Vlad was connected to our origin. See what I mean?"
There was silence but then Danny said, "I think I do but as for everyone else; no. Does that have to do with when we tried going back in time?"
"Yes exactly. If Vlad had never got zapped with the portal, then he never would have been made half-ghost and he had never been half-ghost and if he had never been made half-ghost, mum or dad would have been made half-ghost which means we would never had been born in the first place and the accident would never had happened" Dayla said.
Everyone was silent and then Sam said, "Woah that's deep"
"Plasmius may have been connected to your origin story young Phantoms, but it's up you to decide your fate" Pandora said.
"And whatever Plasmius plans in the future or whatever he tries to do to mess with our lives, nothing's going to change the most important thing" Danny said with determination. "That we're family and he won't stop that ever"
Jack raised his glass and said with a proud smile, "To family"
Maddie smiled as she kissed her husband on the cheek and raised her glass next to his and said, "To family"
"To family" Valerie said as she raised her glass in the air.
"To family / to family" Pandora and Tucker both said at the same time as they raised their glasses.
"To family" Andrew said as he raised his glass. Sam then raised her glass and said, "To family"
"To family" Danny and Dayla both said in unison as they joined in with the others. They all then tapped each other's glass to each other and then continued on with their picnic lunch.
THE END
NEXT TIME ON THE PHANTOM TWINS
Ice? Snow blizzards? A new ghost named Blizzard has come to Amity Park and is determined to turn Amity Park into his own personal Winter Wonderland forever! Danny and Dayla can't seem to beat him since he has the same ice powers as them only stronger but things seem to be heating up inside them. Is it a new ghost power? Will they stop Blizzard before Amity Park is forever trapped within an eternal winter? Find out next time on The Phantom Twins in: Playing With Fire And Ice!