*AN: Hey wonderful readers! I'm having a blast with this part of the story and I'm definitely cackling from behind my keyboard. Hope you all like it as much as I did

Vlad's most private room in the mansion looked cleaner than ever after the breach; however, that wasn't saying much. Daniel and Felix took care to remember where everything was in hopes that they clould undo the organization after it was finished. For now, in the sheer amount of papers, tools, sticky notes, check books, and so much more, they needed to create some sense of rhythm. They'd agreed on chronological organization so when they were done, they would get a clear picture. That picture, as it slowly came into focus, only became increasingly bleak.

By the time the two intruders had everything in order, Daniel had needed to pause and catch his breath multiple times. He was almost certain now what... what he was. But he wished he didn't know. He wanted to burn the lab down and everything in it. He wanted to run, to leave the mansion and live out the rest of his days in hiding, but paradoxically just wanted to continue as if this was all normal. He'd... liked waking up to Vlad's silent vigil over him. He'd enjoyed learning how to use his powers and all about the world around him. But looking back on the past week, everything since waking up that first morning, every corner of his memory was corrupted. He'd been lied to. He was a... he was...

"Daniel?" Felix asked quietly. "Daniel do you need us to stop?"

There was a hand on Daniel's shoulder. Without ethinking, he swatted it, backing away quickly. "Just like the last five times you asked, I'm fine!" Daniel pushed to have coherent words come out, gritting his teeth. "Not- not that it matters anyway. Why should anything... Why should you care about my opinion, I'm just... a replaceable... The ninth. There were so many..." he put a hand to his gaping mouth, fighting hard to keep the emotion contained. He couldn't even tell if he was still trapped in his thoughts or if he was saying any of this out loud. Was it hot in there? "I should just go. Ask him to make me forget this all over again. I don't want this."

There was a stunned silence for a moment. "Daniel, I want to listen but you're going too fast. Listen to me, listen to my voice," Felix soothed, voice calm and level. It was enough to draw Daniel's eyes open to see his patient, empathetic gaze. "It's okay, you're still Daniel. You're here, I'm here, you can breathe." The repetitive words swirled in Daniel's head alongside the horror of this new reality

"I'm- I'm not Daniel though. I'm not him, I'm just... I'm just a copy!" He crossed his arms over his chest, gripping either shoulder tightly. "What if I become like... like them?" His eyes fixed on the pods, those broken, screwed up versions of himself. Previous attempts. Daniel shivered, but not with cold.

"But you're not going to! We've already seen that he's more optimistic about you than any of the others had been." He picked through the notes and held up the paper. "It's the only one that confidently says you'll be okay."

Daniel didn't look at the paper. He'd read it before and was disgusted by it. It talked about him as though he were a science fair experiment and was covered in crazed scribblings about how it had "finally worked." Daniel stared at the ground. "I can't stay here, can I?" He muttered. "If fa- er, Vlad- knew I knew all this, he'd... I don't know what he'd do."

"You can stay at my place," Felix offered. When Daniel glanced at him, he was putting the paper back away. "It's not nearly as nice as the mansion, but it's got more room than I know what to do with."

Daniel nodded slowly. It was good that he had a place to stay if he needed it, relieving even. But he couldn't yet, there was still so much he didn't know. "I want to talk to the original. The real Daniel." He looked at Felix, letting his arms drop back to his side. "The notes said he lived in Missouri, right? Some old town by the border? I'll bet I could be there in less than a day if I flew!"

Felix raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? That's quite the distance, and I can't go with you if you fly. You'd be in a new state alone..."

Daniel paused. "That's... that's fine, I'll figure it out." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I mean, have I ever been off of the property? No. Have I been aware and sentient for even a week of time? No. Do I know anything aside from what... Vlad taught me? No." Daniel frowned. Okay, so maybe he wouldn't figure it out. "Buuuut Vlad did teach me a lot about the human and ghost worlds." He mused out loud. Yeah, less than a week of his own personal halfa school was definitely going to help.

Felix looked paler. "I don't think this is a good idea. I should go with you, you need an adult." Felix stepped forward, looking at Daniel seriously. "I don't care if it's a longer trip, I'm driving you if you're sure you want to go."

Daniel felt a stubborn scoff of offense at that. "No, I need to do this on my own. I'll get there sooner like that, and you have a life here to worry about." A sense of dread bubbled in his chest, but he ignored it. He was certain this was what he had to do.

"What am I to tell Lord Masters if you disappear? I don't--"

"Well you should have thought of that before you helped me break into his super secret lab!" Daniel floated a few inches off the ground. "You're not coming."

"And what will you do when you get to the town?" Felix shifted his weight backwards, raising an eyebrow. "There's no way of knowing where he'll be at any given time."

"Vlad would beg to differ." Daniel gestured to the literal stacks of information. "I already know his hometown, school, and house thanks to these. I'm set!"

A sigh came from the older of the two as he reached in his pocket for something. A silence fell upon them, only broken by the distant churning of the clone pods. Ew, ew, ew Daniel was... "Call the first number in contacts as soon as you get there," he said as he handed Daniel a phone. "The number's my home phone, and I'll be sure to pick up."

Daniel looked at it anxiously, then at Felix. "I, um... don't know how to use this."

Felix blushed, looking embarrassed. "Right," he laughed softly. "That makes... sense." He took a breath. "Well, you're not going to leave the state without a way to contact anyone." He walked closer to Daniel. "How much do you know so far?"

"Nothing," Daniel answered sheepishly. "I mean... I know what a phone is, plus what it can do. The use of it, though..." he made a thumbs down and stuck out his tongue.

"Wow, just wow." Felix laughed, making Daniel blush in embarrassment. "Okay, I can teach you the basics."

~••~

Felix was more patient with Daniel than Daniel himself was when it came to learning to work a phone. Over time Daniel grew more and more frustrated with himself and Felix just kept explaining in a tone of voice that said "I can do this all day, I'm in no rush." It turns out, that was wrong.

"Vlad's home," Daniel whispered, a hollowness to his words. The sound of a door shutting, of his voice. "I gotta- I have to get out of here." He grabbed the phone and shoved it in his pocket. He knew enough to the point where he could figure the rest out.

"Do you know where you're going?" Felix asked, suddenly urgent and serious where he had been calm and lighthearted.

"Fentonworks, Amity Park, Missouri." Daniel checked off his mental list over the pounding in his heart. He would be flying off right then if didn't need to talk to Felix first.

"Okay, remember you have to call me as soon as you get there, no exceptions."

"Wait, what about you? Are you going to be okay here, with him?"

Felix nodded, expression glued as one of confidence. At his sides, fists clenched and unclenched rythmically. "Yeah, don't worry about me. There's nothing he can do that makes this not worth it." He offered a reassuring smile. "Now shoo while I sort out this mess. I've got a lot of work and a lot of fibbing to do." He made a shooing motion loosely at Daniel.

Daniel hesitated, staring at Felix. If anything happened to him, it would assuredly be Daniel's fault. He clenched his jaw and nodded, phone in one hand and the other stiff with tension. "I'll see you again." The words came out more forceful than he felt. He was desperate for them to be true, for his first real friend and ally to be safe even with the threat of Vlad.

Without another word, Daniel was soaring, intangible and invisible, through the mansion he'd called home. Before he reached the roof, he paused in the middle of Vlad's bedroom, a lilent laugh escaping as he realized this was one of the few 'private' rooms he hadn't recklessly invaded. He saw a wallet on the bed and long story short, he left with a good few hundred dollars as opposed to his formerly broke self.

Daniel rose through the roof and slowed to float above the overgrown property. That was the only place he'd ever known, and he still didn't fully process that. He was about to fly to another state in hopes of talking to the person he was cloned from. He was really about to recklessly abandon the place he called home and everyone in it. There was no turning back, as tempting as it was.

"Bye," he said out loud to nothing in particular. He lingered for a moment too long before turning and flying away. Which way was Missouri again? And his momentum sputtered to a halt before he'd kicked up any real speed. He had no idea which direction that was.

~••~

It took time of roaming and trying not to think about... everything, but Daniel found a gas station. He must have been wandering lost for more time than he thought, because there were no signs of life around, just roads with hardly any cars and the occasional rural house. Daniel considered himself lucky to find a gas station at all. He quickly decended and floated in, a bell dinging a few times at his entrance.

"Welcome to Fasty's Gas, the conveniently located gas and general store for all you weirdos in the middle of nowhere," someone in the store coraked, voice squeezed tight with age. Behind the register, an old woman was reading a newspaper. Her stark white hair contrasted against wrinkly dark skin.

"Hi," Daniel cleared his throat. "Do you have any maps?"

The woman looked up from her newspaper, then raised an eyebrow. "And who are you supposed to be, Danny Phantom?" She looked unimpressed, but that confused Daniel. Who or what was Danny Phantom? No, it was definitely a who, as the woman said that. Daniel couldn't come up with a response, which was good because the woman wasn't done. She set the newspaper to the side, giving a judgmental glance over all of Daniel. She had to literally do a double take when she reached his feet. "Just when you think you've seen it all..."

Daniel didn't get why she looked at him like that, but he decided he didn't like it. "Sorry, I'm just looking for a map. Can you help me out?" He shifted in the air.

The cashier paused, but nodded and pulled out a map. "You're headed to Missouri, right?"

Daniel was surprised by that. "How did you know that?"

"Hmph, everyone who's heard of you knows sightings only happen in Missouri." She leveled him with a look as she flattened out the map with shaking hands. "Bet you didn't know you were an urban legend, did you?"

"No... I didn't," Daniel said slowly. This was because of the original obviously. What did he have to do to get that famous?

The woman softened. "Come on then, you're going to want to turn left as soon as you leave the station..."

~••~

Daniel left the station as confused as he'd entered, but for much different reasons. Danny Phantom... Daniel thought it sounded sort of similar to Daniel Fenton, but he didn't get why it would be different. Had the cashier misspoke? Answers would just be across state lines, where he now sort of knew how to get. He was only more anxious to make it to Amity Park.

Now that he was outside the gas station, he clutched his map and few snacks close, all paid for by Vlad. It wasn't as if he was going to miss twenty bucks! Daniel pursed his lips, the thought of Vlad... mixed feelings there that he didn't feel ready to face. He had to make it to Amity first, to talk this out with the real Daniel.

He took off in the direction he was told, now more sure which way was which in terms of cardinal directions. He just had to get there first and worry about the rest later. He didn't have a plan, but he was confident once he got there he'd know what to do. Yeah, he totally had this covered.

The flight was long, and it did not take much for Daniel to get bored of the situation. All the cars below were blurring together as he flew at full speed. He tried to get lost in the mindless feeling of flying for the sake of it, but then he would get off course, or almost hit a bird, or some other situation would pull him out of his peaceful soaring. It was annoying, and Daniel had to wonder if this was what it was like driving on long road trips. At least he had the advantage speed-wise since he didn't have limits or traffic laws while he was there just below cloud level.

Daniel lost track of time. It wasn't as if he was counting the minutes before, but now he was wondering if he'd been flying for hours or just a couple minutes. He even considered playing eye-spy, but that wasn't nearly as fun with just one person. That left him with no distractions but the open air, which didn't help whatsoever. It added to the cold, harsh reality he was facing. His thoughts stung more than the wind smashing against his ghostly face.

He was clueless, and painfully so. The world was so big and he'd already messed up his first interaction with someone outside Vlad's property. What if he froze up as soon as he met the real Daniel? What if the original asked him a bunch of questions he wasn't able to answer? How could he be sure the original would want to talk to him? He was just some cheap copy, a dumber version of Daniel that only existed so Vlad could have a son. Was he betraying Vlad by leaving like this, for trying to find answers? What if he was ruining his only purpose?

He... he shouldn't be doing this. Felix was probably getting fired because of him right this moment. Could he even go back at this point? He couldn't think about that. Why did he keep thinking like that? He needed to stop, to just shut off his thoughts and keep going. He needed some distraction, something to shut his own head of. But he also couldn't pull away from the feeling that leaving was wrong. It was dangerous, terrifying, unknown. This was a whole world of things he didn't understand. Vlad had barely started teaching him academically, and socially he was a mess. Was there really no turning back now or did he have a chance to apologize? Did he have any hope of making this--

"OW!" Daniel yelped in surprise as something large and metal collided into his head with a twang. His focus wavered from flying and tried to figure out what just happened, but without the subconscious effort to stay afloat, down he went. Okay, he could figure out what that was later, now he needed to stop his momentum. He slowed to a halt in midair and looked around with wide eyes. He put his hand to his head, rubbing at the already-forming bruise. What had HIT him?

Something both green and metallic grey was hurling away from him in a blur, as if it just wanted to hit Daniel and leave. Yeah, like he was about to let that happen. Daniel followed it, intent and gaining on it when it suddenly reached its destination. Daniel had to rub his eyes and do a double take when he saw what it returned to.

Daniel had no words to describe the hulking monster of a car before him. It turned on hazard lights that could have blinded someone and pulled over to reveal a giant green Fentonworks logo. The thing was metallic, chunky, and covered with thinly veiled weapons that looked more suited for fighting an army than driving. Daniel suddenly wasn't so anxious to find out what it was that hit him. If it came from that tank of a car, he was okay with not finding it. But... why was it Fentonworks? That was where the original was from... right?

The driver's door opened and an older redhead teen slammed it shut after storming out of it. "THERE you are!" she shouted up at Daniel. In her hand was a long curved piece of metal. Had she thrown that at him? Ow! "You didn't even think to call me when you didn't come home, did you?"

Oh no. She was talking to him. Like she knew him. And he didn't know her. He floated downwards tentively, hands up and open. "Heyyyy..." he turned his raised hands into loose finger guns. This was going great. "So, funny story..." he trailed off, not able to come up with a story or excuse. He hoped this girl would elaborate on the situation so he could decide whether or not it was worth telling her about how he wasn't the real Daniel.

The older put her hands on her hips. "Yeah, I'd love to hear what excuse you have cooked up after scaring us half to death like that! Sam and Tucker are back home because of course I'm not going to drag them along to a dangerous ghost mansion, and YOU made me promise not to tell Mom and Dad what was happening." She sighed, putting a hand to her forehead and glancing downwards. "You really had us worried, Danny."

"I- I see." This felt so wrong. He was an imposter, and she was spilling her guts out to him and he didn't even know her NAME! He didn't respond any further. It was hard enough to grasp the girl's meaning when the words were already nearly forgotten beneath the crackling emotion and Daniel's own panic.

The girl's gaze seemed to soften, but her eyes crinkled in concern, sending another wave of guilt through Daniel. "Are you okay?" She ran a hand along the metal side of the device in her hand, only reminding Daniel of the slight throbbing on his skull.

Daniel lowered in the air, meeting her eye level on the side of the road with her. He was determined not to give a straight answer. If he didn't say anything, then he technically wasn't lying, right? "Wh- what do you mean?" He was a master of working under pressure.

The teen took a breath. "Danny, you need to tell me if something is wrong." She smiled sympathetically, eyes shining with such understanding, like he could tell her anything and they'd figure it out together. Except that look wasn't meant for him.

This was so wrong. Daniel felt as though he were a spectator in his own life, not in control of his own actions. He was stiff, as if the one right response was to not make a decision. He was so sure he'd do something he'd regret. He just wanted to tell her to stop looking at her like that. She should stop being honest and trusting with him. Why did his mouth feel so dry? "I'm not--"

"Okay? I knew it, you're not okay!" The older teen grabbed Daniel's arm, and he was too stunned to phase out. "Come on Danny, we're going home where you'll be safe from monsters like Plasmius." Plasmius? Recognition at the name threw him off. He'd be... safe from Vlad? He let himself be numbly dragged to the tanklike vehicle with the original's surname plastered on it. He was just floating dumfounded in front of the hood as the redhead grabbed something inside. "Hang on, I'll be right there!"

He could be safe, he could get a ride to Amity if he just accepted this and shut his mouth. He wasn't scared of Vlad, but he did... need to be away from him indefinitely. This person who knew the original was offering him that so easily. Forget talking to the original, he wanted a real home. The look that girl gave him had been so... so welcoming and worried. Was it so wrong to want more of that? If he told her what he was, would that look melt away? He had to tell her eventually, but for now he could relish in this. He could go with it until a confession was necessary.

"Okay, tell me what you need," the girl came back with her arms almost comediacally full. "I have a human medical kit, band aids, a bunch of ghost things that look like they'll do more harm than good, a blanket, a-"

"Hang on, I'm not hurt, don't worry." He waved his hands placatingly. "I just... want to go home?" A weak thumbs-up came from Daniel, not confident at all since he had no idea what kind of personality he was trying to emulate. This would be so much easier if he knew the original. Wait, did all of this mean that Daniel wasn't going to be at Amity? Was he inadvertently showing this worried friend that he was fine? Was he wiping away her worry when the original actually did need help?

"Good idea, you can fill me in on the way," she quickly went back to the side of the rv to shove the pile of supplies she'd grabbed in the back. "Get in." She got on one side of the rv and Daniel got into the passenger seat.

He was wildly unprepared for this trip. He still didn't even know the driver's name, and while she maneuvered to drive the opposite direction of where she had been going, the questioning began.

"So, would you care to tell me why you didn't answer your phone or call me at all yesterday? I thought we made a deal!"

Okay, this was very wrong. Guilt was making his insides feel more like soup than functional organs. He still didn't want to give anything away, but he needed to know if he was making a mistake. "Um, I'm really tired... and it's all a bit blurry. Can you remind me what happened before I..." his head screamed, hunting down the right piece of information. He couldn't find it, though. He had to take a guess. "...Left?" That sounded right.

"Oh, Danny," the driver spoke so softly, so protectively. Her words were a gentle breeze in the crashing fire of Daniel's head. "How about you get some rest? We can talk after, okay?"

Daniel bit his lip. Avoiding the growing possibility of sounding like a complete insensitive dummy was good. He didn't like the thought of the original, the more important of the one, out there in danger while he was being a selfish idiot. It was fine, he'd be able to tell her everything and they would clear this up, but sleep did sound good and it was a long drive. He would have plenty time to explain if he dozed off for a bit, right? He mumbled his agreement to the author, his stomach still a squirming mess of guilt. "Just a few minutes." He nodded and shifted in his seat.

It wasn't exactly easy to find a comfortable sleeping position in a mostly upright stiff carseat, but he made do. The armrest was prodding hard into his side as his arms worked as a makeshift pillow, but it was fine. Sleep seemed outside his reach. Maybe if he just kept his eyes shut long enough, he would be able to get closer and loose himself to sleep. He thought of the warm huggy bed in his room, the waves of blanket that protected him from the harsh outside world. The mounds of pillows, Vlad's comforting presence as he watched over him. The assaulting feelings at the thought of Vlad were painful, but he actively shifted his thoughts away.

Ignore the sunlight just outside his eyelids, ignore the dreadfully uncomfortable position, ignore the wistful thoughts of his warm bed back... he was about to think home. But it wasn't that. It was just where he'd been living for the first few days of his life, not home. Not with him. Daniel's eyes slid open just enough to stare out at the moving landscape. He'd make sense of this. He'd know what to do as soon as he got to Amity park, he'd be able to figure it all out. He wouldn't have to see Vlad again, so why should he simmer in those emotions? He was escaping. He was going to make it to Missouri and then he'd fix this. He had to.

*AN: Hope you enjoyed this round of Daniel's angst train! It's occured to me that he hasn't gotten a single hug yet and I feel like that's a crime, but that's just me. As always, feel free to like, comment, interact or whatever. It's always a blast seeing people enjoying my work. See you in two weeks most likely :)