- … Leave your message after… - Jazz growled in frustration and hung up.
She had been trying to contact Sam and Tucker for minutes, but each time it ended up going straight to the voicemail. With one hand on her forehead and the other on her waist, Jazz began to walk in circles around the furniture in the living room. She was on the verge of a panic attack, she wanted to cry and she had no idea what to do now. But she couldn't break down, Danny needed her. She inhaled and exhaled deeply, trying to relax before going back upstairs with Danny. When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she stopped and looked toward the door that led to the lab.
He came out of the shower with only pants on and a T-shirt in his hand, and then took a seat on the edge of his bed. He looked at the bottle of ointment in his hand. It had been years since the last time he had needed him. He sighed and opened the bottle, and at that moment, a blue glow coming from outside caught his attention. He looked out the window to see the dome that had formed outside his house, before turning invisible to the naked eye. It was one of the improvements her parents had made while they were gone.
Seconds later, his sister walked into his room.
- You activated the ghost shield? – He asked.
- Just in case. – She shrugged.
Jazz walked over to him and took the bottle in her hands. She smeared some on her fingers, handed the bottle back to him, and began to apply it gently to his back. Danny imitated her and began applying it to his arms. They were silent for a few minutes, until Jazz pulled up the desk seat and sat down across from Danny.
- I… - She cleared her throat. – I tried to reach Tucker and Sam, but… they're not picking up. So, I guess it's just the two of us.
- It's better that way. – He said.
Danny slipped both hands into the sleeves of his shirt and pulled it up to his shoulders. He grabbed the collar of the shirt with both hands and tucked his head in quickly, intending to avoid the pain. He adjusted his shirt and looked at his sister.
- You said you defeated him. – She started. – Y-you said he was gone… you didn't turn into him…
- I know. – He replied.
- Then how is he still alive?
- When we fought… - He paused for a second. – I captured him inside the thermos. Clockwork… he was supposed to watch over it. He had to avoid… this.
Jazz leaned back on her chair, processing all the information.
- Wait. Does that mean that Clockwork…?
- I don't know. – Danny said looking at the ground. – But that's the logical conclusion. He had to go through him before leaving the ghost zone.
Jazz crossed her arms.
- What do we know about him? – They needed information if they wanted to come up with a plan.
- Just that he's strong… and he's really pissed.
- Good. – She stood up. – I closed the portal and activated the ghost shield, that should buy us enough time for you to heal…
- Jazz…
- Luckily, Sam and Tucker will see my missed calls and come by early tomorrow. Then, we can create a plan to defeat you… - That last word made her stop. - … him.
- Jazz. – He finally got her attention.
- Yeah?
- How did you find me? – He said curious.
Jazz smiled and ran her hands through her hair, pulling it back.
- When mom returned you your phone… she activated the GPS and synchronized it with all the devices in the house.
- What? Why?
- She… - Jazz chuckled. – She wanted to make sure you don't spend to much alone time in Sam's house.
- You gotta be kidding… - Danny whispered, ashamed.
- Well, joke or not, you should be thankful. That saved…
The memory of her baby brother lying on the ground, bleeding and about to be executed returned to her mind and immediately her voice cracked and her eyes filled with tears. Danny stood up when he heard his sister sobbing and wrapped her in a hug that she responded to. He was taller than her, which allowed him to stroke her hair in an attempt to calm her down. Careful not to hurt him, she buried her head in Danny's chest.
- I was so scared… - She said between sobs.
- Me too... - Danny whispered. – Thanks for saving me.
Jazz pulled away from him, wiping away her tears and smiling at him.
- That is my duty, little brother.
- Definitely, it was a ghost. – Operative K said while looking the readings in his ectoplasm detection system.
Operative O was a few meters ahead of his partner, squatting down, observing the marks on the ground.
- Ghosts. – He stood up. – These traces indicate that there were at least two of them. And it seems they didn't get along. – He pointed out the structural damage to the building.
- Alright, let's sweep the area and get out of here.
- Got it.
He hit the ground under his feet for the umpteenth time. He had had him at his mercy until Jazz had shown up. But that wasn't what infuriated him the most. If he hadn't used psychological tactics, Daniel could have defeated him. Physically he was almost as strong as he was, aside from the fact that he now had new powers. "Probably the snow beast taught him that." He thought as he remembered Danny's ice powers.
The features of his face hardened as he looked at his hand. He refused to admit that the boy could become more powerful than him. Little by little, his features relaxed until his face took on a thoughtful expression. He had been about to kill Daniel...
And Clockwork had not appeared.
"He knew this would happen." He concluded irritated. Clockwork would have foreseen that Jasmine would interrupt them just in time to prevent the young man's death. He was running out of options to get him out of hiding. The only thing left for him was to conquer the world again, but with Daniel involved, that plan would become complicated.
"I guess I need more power." He thought to himself as he looked back at his hand. Energy was beginning to build up in his palm. The energy was fluctuating and he seemed like he wanted to change shape. Dan smiled as his hand started expelling mist.
- Report. – Operative A said.
- It was a ghost attack indeed. – K said.
- However, by the time we swept the area, the culprits had already left. Outside some traces of ectoplasm scattered around the area, the place was clean. – O concluded.
Operative A raised an eyebrow.
- Well… - O scratched his nape. – As clean as some debris can be.
- There were no visual witnesses of whatever happened there. The construction workers' shift had ended an hour before the report was made. – K said. – And the City Hall hasn't installed traffic cameras in the area yet.
- So… we got nothing? – A asked.
- We never said that. – K smiled. – Reports from the neighbors indicate that around 5:44 they heard what they described as a "piercing wail from another world", that repeated a minute after.
- Which is one of the known powers of the city ghost: Danny Phantom. – O added.
- Which makes sense in accordance to the multiple reports from 2 days ago indicating that the ghost boy returned to Amity Park. – K finished.
- Good. – A turned his back on them and fixed his gaze on the portal in construction in front of him. – You know what to next. Tack him down and capture him for questioning.
K and O looked at each other.
- Emm… sir? – O asked. – We don't know where to find him.
- Then you have work to do. – He answered him without turning to see him.
- Yes sir. – K said, while he was pulling his partner outside.
Both operatives left the superior box with a serious expression, and almost collided with an operative who was coming in their direction. The woman stepped to the side to avoid bumping into K's shoulder, and she watched them disappear into the corridor. She returned her gaze to the front and entered the laboratory where those two had come from.
- What were O and K doing here? – She asked standing next to A.
- Nothing useful. – He replied. – Do you need something, Operative T?
- Actually… I do. – She said as she extracted something from her lab coat. – I need you to call Operative Alpha.
A looked at the woman next to him and noted two vials of red liquid in the palm of her hand.
- It's done. – T smiled.
As A was about to speak, he observed a scientist walking from the portal towards the box where he was. They made eye contact and the scientist, with a smile, nodded. The smile on A's face widened.
- I guess Christmas came earlier this year.
Danny woke up the next day with his entire body numb. When he tried to straighten up, he had to grunt at the pain he felt. Heavily, he walked to the bathroom for a quick shower. When he finished, he looked at himself in the mirror and noticed how he looked: the swelling was gone, as were some small bruises; however, the cuts he had received were still there, as were the larger bruises. But thanks to his powers and the good night's rest he had, they didn't look as bad or as big as the day before.
He dressed and left his room, receiving the smell of freshly made breakfast coming from the kitchen. His stomach growled and he headed for the source of the scent. When he got to the kitchen, he was met by the rest of his family.
- Danny! – Maddie screamed.
- Hi. – He said and sat down in the only chair available: between his parents and across Jazz.
- Oh, my poor baby! – Maddie hugged him, making Danny wince in pain. – Look at what that ghost did to you!
- Ghost? – Danny asked, looking at his sister.
- Jazz told us when we got back that you were attacked by a ghost on the way home. - Jack explained. – We wanted to see you yesterday, but when we entered your room, you were already asleep.
- Oh… yeah.
- Tell us Danny, what did that ghost look like? - Jack asked. - No ghost messes with my family without me doing something about it.
- Don't worry about it, dad. – He tried to calm him down. – Jazz took care of him.
- Jazz? - Maddie released Danny and turned to her daughter.
- Yes… I took care of him. - She smiled nervously.
- How? - Jack asked.
- With my present for last year's birthday. – She said remembering the origin of the weapon she had used.
- Ha! I told you she would love the gift!
Maddie walked over to Jazz and hugged her.
- I'm so proud of you, dear. – She gave her a kiss on her forehead.
– Yeah, well… let Danny eat. - Jazz deflected the subject and Danny smiled at her.
Maddie returned to her seat and the entire Fenton family settled down to finish their breakfast.
Making use of his newly found powers, Dan destroyed the huge ovoid ball that was blocking the entrance to the ghost portal. He smiled as he watched the smoke billow from his hands. He had to admit, while the ghostly wail was a formidable weapon, these new powers were… more interesting and funnier.
He cracked his neck before focusing on the portal in front of him and smiled again. He needed more power…and he had just found the perfect place where he could get it.
Tucker was walking thoughtfully down the street, not knowing how to feel about the events of the previous day. It was great news, incredible news. But accepting it represented ending a beautiful tradition that had started 7 years ago. What he still didn't understand was why it was so hard for him to be at peace with that, after all, it had been 3 years since the last time he went out with his friends to hunt ghosts. He stopped on a street, waiting for cars to stop passing so he could cross it. He looked to his left and watched Sam walk in his direction, but she was so distracted that she hadn't even seen him.
- Hey.
Sam lifted her face and her serious demeanor relaxed upon seeing him.
- Hi Tuck.
- Rough night? – He asked when he saw her baggy eyes.
- You tell me. – She replied when she saw his.
Tucker just smiled and turned to the front. The street cleared and they both crossed walking in the same direction.
- Are you going to Danny's house? - Sam asked.
- Yeah. Jazz called me like crazy yesterday in the afternoon…and at night she texted me asking me to their house in the morning. - He commented as he dodged some trash cans that were on the sidewalk.
- Same here. - She said as she stepped to the side so that a lady walking towards her could pass. – It sounded urgent.
- That's typical Jazz.
They both smiled and continued walking in silence for a few meters.
- So… Danny kept you up all night? – He wiggled his eyebrows.
Sam just smiled and smacked Tucker's arm.
- Your hand kept you up all night? – She fought back.
- Hey! That's low.
- You asked for it. – She added with a smile.
They turned right.
- I tell you if you tell me. – Tucker said after a few seconds.
- Shoot. – Sam said.
- Yesterday… a doctor came by my house.
- Are you ok? – Sam interrupted him in concern. – Are your parents ok?
- What? Yeah. He's… not that kind of doctor. – He said.
- Then…
Tucker stopped and pulled a business card from his pocket and held it out to Sam. She took it and read it.
Dr. Francis Hooper.
R&D Director of Axion Laboratories.
Startled, she looked up from her to her friend, then to the card, and finally to Tucker again.
- The "R&D" means research…
- I know what it means! – Sam yelled. – Tucker! This is great!
- I know.
Sam's smile faded when he saw his friend's somewhat uncertain face.
- Then why it doesn't seem that way? – She returned the card.
- I don't know! - He raised both hands to his head. – I know I should be elated! I mean, it's not the only offer I've got… but it's the only one in Amity Park and believe me when I tell you it's the best paying one. – He paused. - But…
- It feels very… sudden. – She finished for him.
They both looked into her eyes and Tucker recognized her understanding in her eyes.
- Yeah.
They were silent for a few seconds before she spoke again.
- What will you do?
- I asked him a few days to think about it… but it's a mere formality. I'd be crazy if I reject an offer like this.
Sam agreed with him and crossed her arms. Tucker put his hands in his pants pockets and they both resumed their walk.
- What happened to you? – He asked when he saw her bit her lip.
- I also had visitors yesterday.
- I guess not from a doctor.
- Nope. – She smiled. – Mi dad arranged a meeting yesterday. He… wanted to talk about my future and… - She sighed in frustration when she saw her friend's puzzled face. – You know my family is rich.
- So?
- And you know that, even when I do have money, it's just a fraction of the family wealth.
- Where are you going with that?
- In yesterday's meeting, my dad… gave me full control of the family trust.
Tucker stopped and gaped at Sam.
- "Full control"? – He asked. – As in... all the zeros in the account?
- And checks, shares, investment funds... Everything. – Sam waited for his friend to react.
- What?!
- My dad invited a lawyer and a notary… - She continued explaining. – I signed the papers, everything was legal. Hell! He even assigned me a personal accountant…
- Are you telling me that… - He took her by the shoulders. - ... Right now, you are the richest person in Amity Park?
- Well, yes and no. My dad…
- Shit! - Tucker raised his hands to his head and began to walk in circles. - Shit! Shit! Shit!
- My dad is still in charge of everything, but he wants me to learn from now on so he can hand over control to me in a few years. - She tried to calm him down with her explanation.
- Sam! That is…! – Great, incredible, fabulous, fantastic… He had many words to describe the new reality of her friend, but they disappeared when he deciphered the expression on Sam's face. - … Sudden. – He said in a low voice.
- I know! – She said, grateful that he understood her. – I mean, it was obvious that this would happen… after all, I am her only daughter and heiress; but I thought it would happen when I was 30 or 40, not 21.
They looked at each other in silence for a few seconds, then they smiled and ended up laughing. Relaxed and without any tension, they continued their walk.
- What's wrong with us? Normal people are overjoyed when things go their way and here we are, feeling miserable because our future looks bright. – Tucker said.
- How dare we? – Sam smiled ironically.
They arrived at the Fenton house.
- Hey… about that thing with you-know-who…
- I know you meant Paulina. – Sam quickly replied.
- And you're ok with it? – Tucker asked when they reached for the steps.
- I'll never be ok with anything involving Paulina. – She replied serious.
- Fine. Let me rephrase that. How did you take the news that Paulina is after Danny?
- That ain't new, Tuck. – Sam nocked the door. – She's been behind him since we were 17.
- True. But you weren't dating when we were 17.
- I hated her then and I hate her now. – She looked him in the eyes. – That hasn't changed.
- Roger that.
They both looked straight ahead as the door opened. Jazz had a serious expression, and contrary to her habit, she didn't even greet them.
- To the lab. – She said moving from the door to let them pass.
The black-haired couple looked at each other before entering the door, clearly surprised.
- Good morning to you too. - Tucker whispered.
Silently, they went downstairs to the lab and found Danny arranging many of his parents' inventions on a table.
- Sup dude? – Tucker called for him.
Danny looked up and they could both see the wounds, and all their good humor was replaced by worry.
- Danny! – Sam ran up to him and took his face with both hands. - What happened?
Danny just smiled at her, taking his girlfriend's wrists with his hands. Then he watched his best friend approach them, standing on the other side of the table with a worried expression. Jazz had stayed behind Tucker, waiting for Danny to finish greeting them before getting to work.
- Hi guys.
Danny had told them what had happened the day before and received mixed responses. On the one hand, Sam had sat next to him, with a deep concern for the boy and did not stop watching him. Tucker had chosen to stay on his feet and walk around the entire lab.
- This is bad. Very bad. – He said with his arms crossed over his chest while supporting his chin with one hand.
- You think I don't know? - Danny said.
- I know you know it's bad. – He stopped halfway and turned to see him. – But you don't know why it's VERY bad.
- Explain yourself genius. – Jazz said.
- Danny. Do you remember what happened with Skulktech after he dropped his medallion? – He approached the table.
- He… froze and then disappeared. – He said trying to remember.
- Now, Sam. – The aforementioned looked at him. – What happened when you took off our medallions right before he brought down a building on us?
- We returned to the present. – She straightened in her seat.
- Exactly. Dan has no time medallion and not only he didn't disappear when he escaped, he can also roam freely in our timeline. Do you know what that means?
Danny and Sam exchanged glances, unsure what their friend meant.
- It means… - Jazz stood up as she spoke. – He exists outside of time.
- Bingo! – He snapped his fingers and pointed at her.
- And how's that worse than the existence of a ghost slightly more powerful than me? – Danny asked.
- That this time we can't count on Clockwork's help, even if he could. - Tucker said.
- Or would. – Jazz added.
- Well… that doesn't matter now. – Danny said. – I have to find him.
- Clockwork? – Sam asked.
- Dan. – Danny replied, earning weird looks from everyone.
- No! – All 3 told him at the same time.
- Guys, just listen to me...
- No, Danny. You listen to us. – Sam sentenced. - Going after him now would be suicide.
- Besides, you have no guarantee that the fight will end differently than before. - Tucker added.
- And you haven't finished healing. – His sister stressed.
- Thanks for the trust. – He joked, but when no one smiled, he became serious. – Look, I understand your concern and I appreciate it. But I have to stop him now before he gets any more powerful.
- Danny, he is more powerful than you. - Jazz said.
- Only because something he said took me by surprise. – His friends shook their heads. - It's the truth! I was winning. I had him cornered and subdued, until…
- What? – Sam asked.
- He said… - He sighed before continuing. – He could still see himself in me.
- Danny... – Jazz called him.
- And I froze for a second and then he took the opportunity to… do this. – He pointed out.
Silence spread to all those present.
- Danny, I know how much you hate that part of you… but entering the ghost zone right now would be the worst thing you could do.
- Jazz…
- We need to be smart, man. – Said his best friend. – We have to make him come to us if we want to have an advantage over him.
- And how will we do that?
- Finding out what he wants. - Sam said. – In his timeline he destroyed the world, so we can be sure that he plans to conquer this reality as well.
- And if we consider that the first thing he did was go after Danny, we know that he also seeks revenge. – Tucker added.
- Not necessarily. – Jazz walked until she was next to him. – The first time they faced him, he just usurped Danny's place… but now he tried to kill him.
- Therefore, revenge. - Tucker insisted.
- Or fear. - They all looked at her curiously. – Just think about it: if he wanted revenge on Danny, why kill him first?
- If it was for revenge, he would have wanted to make him suffer first. - Sam added. – He would have gone for one of us or for your parents.
- But he attacked Danny by surprise, without monologue like the rest of the ghosts. - Jazz continued.
- Because he knew that Danny could stop him. - Tucker finished.
The three of them were in a circle, with a smile on their faces when they discovered Dan's motivation. Or what they thought was the motivation. Except Danny, who looked at them strangely.
- You didn't consider something in your story. - Danny interrupted them.
- What? – They answered at the same time.
- Clockwork. Why didn't he warn me that Dan had escaped?
- Maybe he couldn't. - Tucker said.
- Maybe… - Jazz concentrated. – He fought Dan when he broke free…
- And Dan captured him inside the thermos. – Sam concluded. - Even if he wanted to, he couldn't have warned you.
- Or… - Now it was Tuck's turn. – Dan defeated him.
- Except that Clockwork can see the future. – He approached them. – He saw what I would become 10 years in the future and acted in advance. Why didn't he do the same if he knew he would escape?
Again silence. Danny had a very good point.
- I have no idea. – Tucker said. – But this is the best we have, man.
- It's enough to make a plan.
Danny looked at them all before sighing heavily. As much as he hated to admit it, they had a point. But that didn't take away the bad feeling that currently oppressed his chest.
- Yes… I suppose you are right.
Sam gave him a smile that he returned, before taking her hand.
- Well… let's get to work. – Commented Jazz.
- Team Phantom last hunt. - Tucker added with a smile.
Sam eyed his friend with a smile, before turning her gaze to the table full of weapons. Danny was surprised by the comment from his best friend and the reaction of his girlfriend. "Last?"
The first half hour had been spent building a viable plan with the little information they had, and the last 2 hours had been spent mounting their defense around the ghost portal. Jazz and Sam were mounting some weapons on makeshift stands, while the boys were moving the heavy equipment. The sound of the doorbell upstairs caught everyone's attention, but it was Jazz who stopped what she was doing to go answer it.
- You were waiting for someone? – Sam asked.
No, but my parents might. And since they're in the emergency ops center, they probably won't hear the bell.
Sam just nodded and the redhead went upstairs. Danny watched his sister leave and, when he heard the lab door closing, he spoke.
- So… the last hunt? – Danny continued working, only raising his glace when he knew he had his friend's attention.
Tucker and Sam looked at each other and then at Danny. They stopped doing their work and approached the boy.
- Well… yeah. – Sam said.
- We… - Tucker spoke. – We have other things in line. – He smiled weakly.
- You guys got jobs?
- More like… the job found us. – Sam smiled.
Danny raised an eyebrow and Tucker took the business card from his pocket and handed it to his friend. Danny read it and a smile formed on his lips. He handed her the card back with a smile.
- Tuck, that's… Congratulations, man. – He said.
- Thank you.
Danny looked at Sam, who just pressed her lips together before speaking.
- My dad wants me to learn the family…
- He gave her everything. – Tucker interrupted her.
- What? - Danny asked blankly.
Sam slapped Tuck's shoulder for interrupting her, then explained.
- My dad gave me access to the entire family inheritance. He wants to train me to take charge of everything.
- Wow. - Danny said trying to process all the information. - I'm very happy to hear it. For the two of you.
Danny smiled and walked over to them. The three of them extended their arms and joined in a group hug. After a few seconds they separated, but Danny kept Sam at his side. She didn't complain.
- And what about you? Tucker asked innocently.
Danny opened his mouth to reply, but no words came out. His mood fell a little as he recognized the distance that now stood between him and his friends. They already had a job and a path to forge their future, but he… had left the university and had not received any job offer. And it's not that that was wrong, in fact, it could be said that he liked knowing that he would have to fight to earn a place in some company. But he hadn't thought about what his life would be like after he got out of college.
It had been almost two weeks since he had graduated and he hadn't even put together his resume. He had not contacted companies or looking for a job to begin with. And then there was the detail of his double life: he hadn't thought about the consequences of fighting ghosts in his working life. In the end, he would have to sacrifice something.
The atmosphere became somewhat awkward for Sam and Tucker as they noticed the internal conflict in Danny after that question. Fortunately, the sound of the door opening and closing provided a much-needed distraction. Jazz went downstairs to the basement a little shaken.
- Dad ordered food. – She explained when she reached the last step. – And made me take it up to the emergency ops center.
- But we ate recently. - Danny said.
- Yeah, well… Apparently nothing burns calories like…
- "...the feeling of catching ghosts with your own hands". – The 4 of them recited in chorus Jack Fenton's well-known catch phrase.
Before she could ask them what they were doing, they heard the doorbell ring again. Jazz rolled her eyes before heading back up the stairs.
- Your dad is hungry. - Sam joked.
The three began to laugh, until they heard noises coming from above. Danny turned serious and released Sam, ready to go up. But he stopped when he recognized the voice of the person Jazz was arguing with.
- ... that brat!
- You can't walk into my house like that!
The lab door slammed and angry footsteps began coming down the stairs. Out of inertia, Sam and Tucker grabbed a pair of guns from the table and aimed them at the stairs. When a neatly dressed figure in a black suit came downstairs, they both lowered their weapons a little in bewilderment.
- Vlad Masters?! – They said in unison before raising their weapons again and aiming at him.
The aforementioned ignored the young people pointing at him and focused his gaze on the blue-eyed man. Jazz climbed down after him and stood alongside Team Phantom, arms folded and a scowl on her face. Danny stepped forward, hiding his friends and sister behind him to face an angry Vlad, who had a small cut on the right side of his forehead.
- Daniel.