Danny… wasn't really sure where he was. He knew how got there, of course. Clockwork wasn't exactly subtle.

With his friends and family gone and buried years ago, Clockwork was one of the few who Danny maintained a relationship with. Along with Frostbite, and of course Pandora. Even a few of his old childhood rivals had weaseled their way into his inner circle. But time passed, and ghosts faded.

The loss of Ember had hit the hardest and was still the freshest in his mind. She had achieved her dream of stardom. She got all she had ever wanted. And she had nothing more to keep her 'alive' for lack of a better word. With a smile on her face, she followed Skulker into whatever came after the afterlife.

It seemed like everyone on the planet had mourned her. There had been candlelight vigils, and her name was said more after she faded than it had ever been while she was… present. It's what she would have wanted, more than likely.

Even Vlad had faded. When Maddie died, Vlad's obsession died too. He was sent into a spiral, one that his ghost half never quite recovered from. He could have kept living, but every moment was a tortuous pain. His core had never been that stable to begin with, and it was tearing his human half apart just as quickly as it healed. Vlad lived longer than a human ever should, but he eventually succumbed.

Dani was still kicking, but she and Danny hadn't talked in decades. She never aged, always looking around 12 years old. It made it hard to live for hundreds of years when people thought you a child. She traveled the world still, wanting to see everything before it changed with the tides of time. She'd crawled every inch of the globe again and again.

Before, in the beginning, she would weasel her way into various families adopting her, but after the 12th big brother died, she took a break. And never went back to it. Some of the families even knew of her condition and took her in anyways. But they had drifted apart. They just didn't mesh very well. He was still far too human for her.

Amity Park didn't exist even anymore.

So the culmination of all this is to say, Danny wasn't exactly in the best position. Functionally immortal, and the biggest fish in such a small pond. There was no challenge to life. Just an endless repeat of motions.

So when Clockwork offered him an out, he took it.

It was a simple offer. Clockwork would open him a portal to a new universe, where he could try again at another life. A different life. This world was different from his own, down to the very fabric of existence.

"You won't be quite the same," Clockwork had explained.

"And neither will I. It is true that I exist there- I must exist everywhere, in order for a where to exist. But that… self, is quite different from this one. My powers as they exist here are an entirely different form, as here the rules are different. My being had to mold itself to these rules for my self to exist." There, Clockwork had paused to see if Danny understood.

"Each universe has a Clockwork, but they're all different?" He'd replied.

"Yes," They'd nodded.

"The one you'll interact with is quite different from myself. Very… large. Even with your existence it would take billions of years before you could grow to truly witness it."

"That sounds… eldritch." Danny wondered aloud. Clockwork nodded in affirmation.

"A good way to put it."

"As my charge, you will be under the jurisdiction of my counterpart. That way I can still see you. Your own powers will surely change, and mold to fit the rules of the world you enter. It is… quite a lot." Clockwork's tail flicked anxiously.

"The humans there refer to it's being as 'The Eye.' I'm sure you see the irony to the Observants." Clockwork frowned, most likely remembering the pushy eyeballs.

"But it is only one of many beings that are quite similar." Now there had been a mischievous glint in Clockwork's eyes.

"Any more than that, you'll have to discover yourself."

With that, they'd risen from their chair. Clockwork assured him that, should he manage to die in that universe, Clockwork would pull him back before it could happen. And when Danny was truly done, Clockwork would do the same yet again. No matter what, Danny would still have a tie to his homeworld. For that, he was grateful.

Within minutes (why delay when you have eternity?) Danny had stepped through a portal into the unknown. He shivered with excitement.

So, here he was. Wherever 'here' was.

Danny was glad Clockwork had warned him about his powers because as soon as he stepped through the portal all sensation from his core had abruptly cut off. He highly doubted it existed here. The way Clockwork had put it, this universe sounded very different from his own.

…Except for the landmarks, it would seem, because Danny was staring right at the London Eye. Ironic, given what Clockwork had told him.

It was probably the old spirit's idea of a joke. It did get a chuckle out of Danny.

There would, of course, be time for sightseeing later. Much later, because Danny's stomach was growling in a way it hadn't for millennia.

He shuffled through his pockets and found some bills. Hardly pocket 'change' as there was at least a thousand dollars there. Danny had inherited Vlad's belongings, and money wasn't really an object for him anymore. At least, back home. Here, he only had 2,000 dollars to his name. In a country that didn't accept dollars.

Luckily he was in a tourist area. It didn't take much asking, before he was pointed in the direction of a place where he could exchange currency. Luckily they accepted it. Which turned out to be around 1,600 pounds. He had no clue how much that meant, really.

Why had Clockwork put him in the UK, of all places? Why not the US? Not like Danny would legally exist in either place, but at least there his money would've worked.

Danny didn't have time to debate Clockwork's thought process as he had an upset stomach to deal with.

Food. A restaurant, or maybe a convenience store? Something cheap.

Danny wandered for a bit, getting even more lost than he had been before. The tourist attractions and sight-seers gave way to tight housing and apartment complexes. The places by the tourist areas were all way overpriced, or at least in Danny's opinion. He'd asked the man at the place where he'd exchanged his currency, and he gave Danny a small pamphlet with some example conversion rates. The date on the pamphlet told him it was 2016.

Danny stopped briefly in front of a shop window to examine his appearance. Dany had stopped aging in his early twenties, but he looked even younger than that. Maybe, 19? His hair wasn't as long as it had been. It was just barely pulled back into a ponytail. Whisps of black hair streaked with white framed his face. One of his eyes was the usual blue, but the other was a bright green. The only thing it didn't have was the glow. He looked to be a combination of his human and ghost halves. That made him glad, that he still had all of himself. Even if he didn't maintain his different forms. But that made sense.

Finally, Danny stumbled into a small store he vaguely recognized the logo of (a lot of things can change in thousands of years, okay?). He rummaged through what was on the shelves and grabbed whatever was most appetizing, and cheap. A lot of junk food. But oh well. He could worry about his feature health after he filled his stomach.

Danny wandered up to the register with a basket full of stuff. He counted the amounts and pulled change from his pockets. He counted the strange currency under his breath. When was the last time he had even used physical money? Which is to say he was quite distracted, and jumped seven feet high (figuratively) when suddenly there was a hand on his shoulder.

"Shi-" Danny cut himself off. The money from his hand scattered across the ground and he stumbled to pick it all up.

The intruding stranger bent down to help.

"I'm terribly sorry," The man apologized. He handed Danny some coins, which is when he finally got a good look at the man.

He was short, squirrelly. His black hair was slicked back, and streaked with white. Much like Danny's, ironically enough. He had a small, pencil-thin mustache. He looked almost like a cartoony villain. Then Danny kicked himself for thinking that because it was wrong to immediately label someone like that. He'd gotten too used to his thematic rogue gallery.

"I simply wanted to introduce myself. Elias Bouchard, at your service." The man- Elias- held out his hand. Danny stuffed his money back in his pocket and returned the gesture. Elias shook his hand and then pulled him to his feet.

"I dunno why you'd want to talk to me," Danny replied. He effortlessly put on a generic British accent, so as not to stand out as a foreigner. Language was one of Danny's big interests. It had never failed to keep him entertained, which was a rarity. He spoke hundreds of languages, even some that had died out millennia ago in his own world. And ones that probably didn't even exist here yet. Hm. He wasn't sure if Ghost Speak would work here, or if it would only die out on his tongue. Something to test.

It was Danny's turn in line, and he walked up to the cash register. He hoped Elias would take his turned back as a sign he didn't want to talk. But sadly, Elias did not get the hint. Or he simply ignored it.

Danny offered the cashier his money, but suddenly there was an arm in what looked to be a very expensive coat stuck out in front of him. Elias grinned at Danny as he offered the cashier his card. She looked at Danny as though to ask what was going on. Danny just shrugged, and with an eye roll she accepted the card.

If this dude wanted to take time out of Danny's day, why not let him pay for it.

"You just seem like quite the interesting person…" The pause was asking for Danny's name. He hesitated to reply. This felt rather like a dealing with the fae. Like as soon as Danny offered his name, he'd regret it. But of course, the fae weren't real. He was just being paranoid.

"Danny." He replied curtly. He accepted his bags from the cashier and made for the door. Elias trailed after him. Outside of the store, Danny simply chose a direction and walked. Elias didn't even look twice.

This was becoming bothersome.

"Danny… Is it short for something?"

"Nope." Danny popped the 'p'. Elias made a sound of interest.

"I don't suppose I could ask for your second name?"

"Nope."

"Well, Danny. I don't suppose you are looking for work, are you?" What? Danny leveled Elias with a Look.

"You lingered for quite a while over the prices in the store." Elias explained casually. He stuck his hands in his pockets. It did nothing to offset his formal attire.

"What would you say if I was?" Danny asked suspiciously.

"I have a… vacancy, you could call it. Well no- not technically, but we could make one. If you'd like the position."

"What kind of 'position' is it?"

"An assistant, of sorts. Basically librarian work. Sorting, organizing. A bit of research. Rather easy." Elias waved a hand in the air, as though to wave off Danny's concerns. Huh.

Danny was rather lacking, but he wasn't sure this offer was trustworthy. Elias himself didn't seem trustworthy, for all of his candy-coated exterior. Danny could just feel that something was wrong. But he was desperate, honestly. He wasn't looking forward to where he was going to be sleeping tonight. Meaning, he didn't know where. Maybe he could get this Elias to take him in for a night.

If push came to shove, Danny could still defend himself. Even without any powers.

"Your assistant?" Danny dug further. If he was even going to consider, he needed details.

"Ah, no. You'd be assisting the Archivist. Head Archivist, I mean. Jonathan Sims."

"He works under me. I pop in from time to time, but mostly he and his team are on their own." Elias explained.

"What's this place called, again?"

"Why, The Magnus Institute of course. Don't tell me you've never heard of us?" There was a glint in Elias' eyes as his gaze met Danny's. Danny felt like he was being… investigated? There was something more to Elias' gaze than simple curiosity. But Danny kept his face neutral, and didn't let Elias get anything more than what he was willing to offer. Which, right now, was an intrigued but wary teenager.

Danny was considering the offer seriously. Elias wasn't even asking about any credentials, which of course he didn't have. The biggest holdup was the man himself. But if what he was saying was true…

"If you're in a hurry, we could even sign the paperwork tonight if you'd like. Even paid in cash, if that matters to you." Elias offered. This had bad deal written all over it. But Danny was curious. It'd been a while since he'd been curious. Genuinely. What was this guy's deal?

"Where is this place?"

"We're already here." There was a predatory glint to Elias' smile.

Sure enough, they were. Elias must've guided them there. Danny hadn't even paid attention to where they were going. He didn't realize Elias had taken the lead. Hm.

It seemed to be a rather unassuming building. Obviously old, but nothing on the outside directly revealed what it was. Aside from a small, metal placard next to the front doors.

'The Magnus Institute Est. 1818' it read. So, that was legit.

"Ah…" Danny began.

"What is it, exactly, that made you so interested in me? We just met."

"I saw you. Simple as that." There was something beneath that smile. Ghosts didn't tend to layer themselves like this, they were a lot more straightforward. Danny wasn't sure who was more intrigued by the other, him or Elias.

"Let's not dilly-dally, I'll show you around and we can get things sorted." Elias stepped up to the front doors and Danny followed dutifully behind. This was either gonna be really fun, or… Danny wasn't sure quite what, yet. And that sent a thrill up his spine.

"Would you like to meet who would be your coworkers first, or get the paperwork sorted?" Elias questioned. They'd already toured the Library and a place called "Artifact Storage."

Immediately Danny had been enamored by the rooms full of creepy -haunted?- objects, all carefully categorized. Elias hadn't said exactly the nature of how the items were cursed, but he'd told Danny about a few things. Small items, mostly of inconsequence. He suspected that Elias was trying not to scare him off. Which, fair. But also Danny couldn't help but want to know more.

Particularly about how Elias had steered him away from the bulletproof case of books.

The Library had been a bit of a let-down, but the Artifacts had drawn Danny in. He wanted to stick around, to see some of the effects for himself even. It was amazing how quickly he got dragged into the supernatural right after universe-hopping. He must be a magnet for this kind of stuff.

Danny didn't want to get cold feet and back out of this.

"How about we head to your office?" He decided. Elias nodded and off they went, through hallways that Elias seemed to have memorized even better than the back of his hand. He was truly in his element.

Danny managed to keep up with the brisk pace, and soon enough they were walking through a door that said 'Elias Bouchard, Head of The Magnus Institute,' The title made it seem like Elias was way too high on the ladder to be picking up 'employees' on the street. But, oh well.

It was his funeral. Danny had already been to his own once before and it hadn't been as enjoyable as one might expect.

Inside the room Elias immediately went to sit behind the desk. Danny took a rather uncomfortable-looking chair that sat in front of it.

Elias started to root around in the desk drawers and pulled out what he wanted with a flourish. It was a thick packet of paper, presumably the employment contract.

"Your title will be Archival Assistant, rate is 15 quid an hour. Though it may very well go higher depending on your performance. Typical week is Monday through Friday, nine to five. You can find more details about sick leave and vacation on the front page." Elias spouted off details rapid-fire. Numbers flew past Danny's hand but he managed to grasp it for the most part. If he remembered correctly, 15 quid was around 18 dollars an hour. That wasn't too shabby, especially just starting out. When he had no qualifications. Why was Elias giving him a chance, again?

"You'll have to head over to the financial department every two weeks to receive your pay, until we can get your bank account sorted." At that, Elias gave Danny a pointed look as though to say, 'I know more than you.' Which in any other situation Danny would know wasn't true. But in this world, it very much was.

Elias spun around the packet and produced a pen for Danny to sign with. He pointed dramatically at a dotted line.

"Just here." He said with a smile that did not meet his eyes. Danny was getting some bad vibes from this.

He pulled the packet out from under Elias' finger and began to leaf through it. Elias buzzed unhappily but didn't say anything. Danny wasn't so stupid as to sign something without knowing the contents. He leaned back lazily in his chair but didn't venture quite so far as to put his feet on the desk. That was a bit too cocky, even for him.

But Danny very quickly got bored of all the legal jargon that whooshed over his head. Law had never been Danny's strong suit. He tried his best to seem like he was comprehending the words, if only because it looked like it was making Elias sweat.

One page in particular stood out to Danny. Unlike the rest, he could comprehend it. And oh boy. Oh this was so shady. Danny loved it.

The page detailed how, were the head of the institute to die at the hands of an employee of the archives, those employed there would be terminated. The language was very… loose. Danny could tell what it meant though. It stood out on the page as though plain as day.

It sounded like a dead man switch. Why would an employee want to kill Elias? Why had he built that into the paperwork? Certainly something like this wasn't simply part of this world. It was out of left field in contrast to how Elias had spoken this far. Danny could only wonder what the method would be. How could Elias ensure that those in the Archives would die if he did?

Then again, this man was absolutely entrenched in the supernatural of this world. He was at the center of a paranormal hub. Danny already knew that eldritch beings existed. Mysterious causes of death weren't exactly outside of the range of possibility, But also, Danny couldn't die here. So it was a moot point. It left him to wonder, though. And that was a dangerous thing.

On the same page was a paragraph saying that the head of the Institute could not be held accountable for any damage to one's person or belongings due to supernatural causes. Which wouldn't be all that strange, were it not on the same page.

"What are you playing at here, Elias?" Danny used the man's first name on purpose. He looked startled for just a moment but schooled his expression very quickly.

Elias stood from his chair and planted his hands on the desk so that he was lording over Danny. He plastered a very smug smirk on his face.

"You can sign it or leave. It's up to you."

"But I doubt you want that, do you, hmm?" That sounded very much like a thinly-veiled threat. Huh.

Danny schooled his expression into a grin much the same as he signed on the dotted line, 'Danny Fantom'. A fitting mix of his names, for his mixed-up appearance.

Elias' smirk spread into a toothy smile. He held out a hand, which Danny took in kind.

"Welcome to the team."

AN:

Ohohohohoho my two (hyper?)fixations

I just *had* to cross them over
I love throwing Danny into new situations. He is my tiny lil guinea pig. I am Watching him

I just started Season 4 so no spoilers in the comments pls

Also there might be inaccuracies bc of that