Amity Park trembled like never before thanks to the rumble that ripped through the city. A second sun appeared for a few moments to blind all who dared to look up. The shock wave smashed glass, knocked down utility wires, lifted vehicles of all sizes into the air, brought down buildings near the impact zone and beyond, kicked up dust throughout the city, and caused the ghost shield to fall for a few seconds. due to power outage.
The citizens in the streets listened to the recommendations of all the operatives who exhorted them to seek refuge inside buildings, to throw themselves on the ground and cover their heads and pray that everything would end soon. Communications between all of them were temporarily interrupted due to the damage to the infrastructure, in addition to the fact that, having stayed outside, they suffered more from the devastating effects of the missile on their senses. Little by little the ringing in their ears diminished and they were able to regain their sense of direction.
After dropping Damon and his boss at a medical post, they had joined the evacuation efforts. Knowing that they would not be able to reach a safe location, they had chosen to anchor the Fenton vehicle in the street and activate all the defense systems they had. When the missile detonated, Jack jumped into the back of the vehicle and covered his wife with his body while they waited for everything to pass.
Vid and Trash did not suffer so much from the effects of the explosion, since they were already in a safe location and protected. However, they were filled with concern for their friend outside. They looked at their now useless workstations due to power failure and communications cut off, leaving them with only one option: follow the last order given before the disaster. They collected their weapons and left the small house, running into the small gift that Download had left them before leaving: he had left behind the motorcycles that were stored in their truck. Both crossed their eyes and after bumping their fists, they got on theirs to finish the job.
Valerie was already outside of Amity Park when her alert systems went haywire and a glow rose behind her. She accelerated further and as the shock wave hit her, she deactivated her speeder and rolled into the brush next to the path she was on. She was stunned for a few seconds, a pain in her stomach, and when the glow died, she turned to look at the smoke rising from her city. There were no traces of fire, just a small bluish glow that fell to the ground as the smoke dispersed. She straightened up as best she could and with a jump activated her speeder once more.
After freeing the operatives from the frozen prison, they all went to the laboratory and took their positions according to what Clockwork had indicated. The operatives took care of the shield while Dani and Jazz boarded the specter speeder, waiting for their turn to act. After the ear-shattering noise, the girls hugged each other as close as they could in an attempt to calm their nerves that the whole situation had caused them. The operatives struggled to keep the shield levels stable to ensure those inside it were safe, but it went down just the same. The isolation protected them from almost all the ravages, except for the power outage and the tremor that shook their home.
When it happened, the operatives went into action to reactivate the shield and Jazz ignited the speeder. Dani did what she had to and turned it intangible so Jazz could get it out of the basement. She then repeated the same thing with Vlad's individual ship, before heading off on her own. Jazz sighed to steady herself as she waited for the others. When they managed to stabilize the shield, all the operatives left the house with the exception of one, who had to deactivate the shield momentarily so that they could leave. The others boarded the speeder with Jazz and one boarded Vlad's, and they made their way slowly, in case they could help people on their way.
The operatives on the ground gathered themselves together, some coughing from the kicked-up dust and others sore from injuries they had sustained. Regardless of that, they all started their walk towards the hot zone of the battle. Armed and at a slow pace, the army of Guys in White paraded through the streets of the city for one final round.
Surprisingly, the Fenton vehicle was still running after all. They deactivated all systems and began their march. On the way, they met Operative O and his entourage and picked them up to take them faster. O, aware of his friend's sacrifice, knew there was no way he was going to let that monster get away with it.
Valerie was the first to approach the explosion site, and although her suit protected her, she felt the residual heat generated by the explosion. She activated thermal vision on her case and her entire field of vision turned to shades of red. Except for one point. She stopped, not wanting to move closer to him and quickly tried to communicate.
- Is someone there? - She said pressing her ear.
Receiving no response, she deactivated the satellite communication and she decided to use the radio frequency that they had used when the dome was in the sky.
- Is anyone listening? Please answer. – She said as her pulse began to skyrocket. - Whoever, please...
- The Fentons are listening. – Maddie said after a few seconds of silence. – Along with others.
- Operative H online. – Said the crew member of Vlad's ship.
- Masters' Blasters on their way. - Trash said.
- Or at least 2/3 of them. – Vid commented.
- We're also on our way. – Jazz's voice made Jack and Maddie exchange a concerned look.
- I'm at the site of the explosion and...
- Mission accomplished? – O asked approaching the microphone of the Fenton truck.
- No. - Valerie paused as she noticed the black spot in her visor begin to move. – I repeat: the target is still moving.
O dropped the microphone and returned to his place, trying to contain his anger and keep his emotional side out of the equation.
- Hurry up, please. - Valerie pleaded.
"Shit!" O yelled mentally as he punched the metal wall of the vehicle to release his frustration.
He opened his eyes with difficulty, sensing something strange in the atmosphere around him. He observed small bluish microparticles falling from the sky, accumulating and falling on him. All of his extremities ached and he decided to stay like that for a few more seconds to process what had happened. He mentally recapitulated action by action and moved his eyes to see his right hand. Where before there was a Guy in White, now there was nothing. He looked back to the front, which in his position was towards the sky, and with a single movement he straightened his torso to sit down. He slowly got to his feet before stretching a bit and assessing the damage he had suffered.
Even though he had become intangible, he suffered the ravages of that detonation clearly made to eliminate ghosts. If it was a normal ghost, he would have disappeared instantly, but he wasn't just anyone. "And speaking of which…" He brought his hand up to his face and smiled, before quickly inspecting himself. His cape had several holes, his suit was torn in various and extended parts, particularly on the chest, where the metal plate was gone and now only the initials DP of the suit were visible. The metal covering on his right arm was almost undone, save for his hand, and parts of his legs were torn off. His concern dissipated when he observed the ring untouched on his left hand and felt the crown still on his head.
His smile widened and he started to laugh. First in a low voice, almost a whisper, and it escalated to a psychotic laugh that served as a warning to anyone nearby. Best of all, he was back to himself: Pariah had taken the full blast and, weakened, allowed Dan to regain control of their body.
He surveyed the desert wasteland that this side of the city had become, but the darkness of the night and the lack of electric light limited his line of vision. What he did know was that he was far from where he had been standing when the detonation occurred. Whatever that missile had, it had nullified his powers for a second and the shock wave had thrown him into the city. Or what had been the interior of the city.
His eyes flashed and turning 360° he shot fire, to illuminate all his surroundings. He then raised his hand and the flames fanned to the point of reaching nearly 2 meters in height. He immediately brough his hand back down when a pinch of pain extended throughout his entire body. Now, not everywhere the fire could be established due to the fact that there were no things to serve as fuel, so around it there were untouched spaces. He walked forward and thanks to the new lighting, he could make out a shadow floating in the air.
-Valerie Gray. - He smiled at her from the floor and invited her to come closer with a gesture of his hand. - Come here.
Her outfit was metallic, but she could feel her palms sweat from her nervousness.
- I'll distract him for a while, but I can't guarantee you anything. – She said on the radio transmitter.
- Stay away! - Maddie warned her.
- Then hurry up. – She said before deactivating the communication.
She slowly moved to within a meter of the ground and deactivated the speeder, kicking up dust as she fell to the ground. She was at a considerable distance from him and she began to walk slowly in circles around him, intent on always keeping the same distance between them.
- You are different. – She observed. – You went back to how you started.
- Did you miss me? – He made fun of her.
- What happened in the intermission? – She said stopping at a point where she had no flames behind her.
- I don't think it matters much.
Without preamble, Dan shot her with ring lightning which she barely dodged by jumping to her left and rolling on the floor. She immediately dropped to her knees and a gun came out of her wrist, with which she shot him 3 times in a row, but he easily dodged the attacks. Normally he would have thrown himself at her at top speed, but he was waiting to regain more strength. Therefore, sneak attacks would be his tactic for now.
Valerie stopped shooting when she saw him immobile in the same position as before and she got worried. Why didn't he attack her? Was it a lure? Did he create duplicates and now she was surrounded? Where would the attacks come from now? Her breathing quickened and her heart rate skyrocketed, and she began to look around her for any sign of a trap.
Dan watched her with amusement. The girl's mind was playing tricks on her without the need for him to meddle with it. Certainly, humans were their own worst enemies. The moment of fun was interrupted when the sound of a car braking reached his ears. He turned around and saw a path a few meters behind him, covered in rubble, but still open for traffic. The sound of footsteps intensified until his field of vision was tainted with a terrible orange color.
Jack Fenton led the first wave of opponents, with Maddie and the O operative alongside him. Behind them, about 10 more operatives arrived and positioned themselves in an attack formation. All with guns in hand and pointing at him, ready to shoot.
- Dad, mom... - Dan spoke, opening his arms and turning completely towards them. - I'm glad you're okay.
- Quiet, monster. – O said.
Dan watched him with a smile.
- Why the hostility? It wasn't me who killed your partner. In fact, … - He took two steps towards him. – I could swear it was you. - He pointed his finger at them.
- I am well aware of K's sacrifice.
O's response made the Fentons and Valerie look at him in disbelief. Noticing the gazes on him, he limited to a brief explanation.
- Someone had to make sure he didn't run away.
- Well… I can tell you that he didn't suffer. - Dan stretched out his right hand and pointed at it with his left one. – At the time of the explosion, I had his neck here… but when I woke up, he was gone.
The sound of motorcycles distracted everyone present, and Vid and Trash appeared behind Valerie. Immediately the sound of another type of engine reached his ears. In front of him and between the Fentons and Valerie, 2 ships appeared. Within the sea of white of the operatives who got out of them, he recognized the hair of the driver of one.
- Jazz. - Maddie whispered.
Footsteps were audible to everyone present, but only Dan reacted to them. From every passageway, street, intersection, and half-destroyed building, more Guys in White began to arrive. Soon he was surrounded by a sea of white with some mixture of some other color in places. Considering all the casualties they had suffered so far, he wondered where the most had come from. "Indeed... cockroaches." He thought as he looked around everyone present.
- Is that everyone? Or are we waiting for someone else? – He smiled.
Dani was feeling impatient. According to Clockwork, she had to wait there until something or someone appeared. But knowing that the action was happening elsewhere was driving her crazy. Just as she was about to leave, the earth began to shake with a strange sound and a hole opened up from which a gigantic flower emerged. She took a defensive position as the flower opened and she spat out a body.
The black garment that she wore was torn all over her right arm and half of her left leg, her hair was a mess and she was coughing a lot. When she raised her face and made contact with Dani's now green eyes, she was surprised.
- Sam? - She said open-mouthed.
- Dani? – She said as she caught her breath.
- What…? – The confusion was visible on her face. - Why…? How…? What?
- Long story.
Sam whimpered in pain as she tried to stand up on her own, and Dani quickly helped her up and sat her against a wall and they both got a better look at the Goth's injuries. Other than the ones already mentioned, she had one cut on the left side of her forehead near her temple; a wound in her abdomen and another in the thigh of her right leg. She was bleeding, yes; but the wounds were neither deep nor serious.
She sighed and vines came up out of the ground and wrapped around her wounds. She winced at the pressure, then sighed with relief. Dani watched as the vine sprouted leaves. She looked up to ask, but Sam beat her to it.
- Corylus avellana. – Dani raised an eyebrow, not understanding. – It's used for healing wounds.
- Maybe the oil or infusion...
- In my state, it has the same effect. Believe me.
Supporting herself against the wall behind her, she pushed herself up and stood. The exertion made her lost her breath, so she leaned back to rest.
- What happened? No one could find you for a while. – She asked the halfa.
- Danny and Vlad trapped me in the thermos.
Sam laughed at the girl's misery, until the pain in her abdomen stopped her.
- What happened to you? - She said crossing her arms.
- Pariah Dark.
The young woman's expression changed from surprise to anger.
- You can fight against him, but I can't? - She said offended.
- Fighting is not the word I would use. - She turned to see her. – He almost managed to kill me, but…
Sam paused as he remembered the small but significant exchange of nods with K. There was no way the poor man could have survived the explosion.
- ... I saw the missile falling and hid in the ground. I felt the explosion and when everything happened, I moved here.
Dani watched her and didn't miss that she was leaving a part of her story untold, but decided to ask. She looked back at her and smiled.
- And what happened to you?
Sam turned to see how without understanding her question.
- I just told you...
- I'm talking about this! – She pointed out her outfit. – I mean, I knew black was your color, but… Damn girl! When Danny sees you...
- He already saw me and believe me, he was not happy.
- Why?
- Because... let's say that the look comes with letting a ghost control me at will. - She said, moving away from the wall.
- What?!
- Like I said, long story. - She made her aside to inspect where they were. - Where are the others?
- They went to face Pariah.
Sam paused and looked directly into her eyes.
- Didn't he die?
- No. - Dani put her hand on her shoulder. - But we're going to fix that.
- Wait, wait… What about Danny? - The concern in her voice was evident.
- Clockwork said he would take care of him. – She answered him.
"If I can reach it, I can ask it to take us to a safe place." Vlad thought as he looked at the Infimap lying a meter away from him. Samantha had put it on his chest, but whatever she was doing with Pariah clearly wasn't working because the building they were in was continually taking violent attacks. At one point, one of those attacks made a hole in the wall that covered them, right in the area between Danny and him. Debris flying towards them forced him to spin and everything was blown away from him.
The good news was that the detonator was intact and close to his hand; the bad, he couldn't reach the map in his current condition. He turned his head and peered into the hole. What he saw demotivated him greatly. Pariah had the girl ready to execute her. "She lasted longer than I thought." He diverted his gaze for a few seconds when he saw in the distance, on the horizon, how a projectile was raised in the air.
His attention was diverted again when he watched an idiot in white appear out of nowhere on the battlefield. He returned his eyes to the missile and followed its trajectory. Out of the corner of his eye he watched as the girl disappeared into the earth and the missile was lost on the horizon. In a split second, an intense glow forced him to look away, while the roar of the explosion made his ears ring and disoriented him. If that wasn't enough, he felt all of his internal organs compress and he watched as Danny came back to life.
Vlad closed his eyes and waited for death to come to them. But instead of a wave of pain followed by nothingness itself, he only heard the beeping of some machines. Carefully, he opened one eye and then the other to realize that he was in his lab.
Turning his head to the right, he noticed that Danny was on the dissecting table, writhing in pain, and he was on the floor, leaning against the wall. "Impossible". He thought. His lab had been destroyed for almost a week and he was sure it was the one in Amity Park, because the one in Wisconsin had a different layout. He looked at his dirty hands and torn clothes in his legs, which ruled out that it was all a dream, in addition to the pain telling him that it was not an illusion formed by his subconscious to deal with his death.
- You shouldn't leave this lying around. – Clockwork said, appearing out of nowhere with the Infimap in his hand.
Vlad watched him with confusion.
- You…? I thought you were...
- It was not. – He left the map on a table and walked over to Danny.
Danny was devastated. Every part of his body ached and he didn't understand anything of what was happening either. Clockwork stopped next to him and smiled at him.
- Clockwork? - Danny tried to touch him, but the pain in his arm didn't allow him to lift his limb that much.
- No, I was not dead and no, you are not dreaming.
- So, what the hell is going on? – Vlad said, standing up with great difficulty, leaning on a table.
- This is your laboratory... 3 years ago.
- What?
- You have many questions, but in the present there wasn't time for me to answer them. That's why I brought you to this moment. – He paused briefly. – Your help is needed in the present, but first you have to heal. That's why I gave you the medallions.
They both looked at his chest and indeed, the medallions of time hung from their necks. Danny returned his gaze to the ghost.
- You had to prevent this from happening... - It wasn't a reproach, but an invitation to explain.
- And I did it. On more than one occasion. But each intervention only postponed it until it became imminent. Inevitable.
- What are you saying? – Vlad said getting closer, leaning on the table where Danny was.
- You were 14 when you captured him in the thermos. Do you remember what I told you that time? About how I experience time?
- Yeah. You said you see…every twist and turn it does, and doesn't.
- The first time he almost escaped was during the time when the most powerful ghosts you faced started to break free. I intervened and prevented it. The second time was during Samantha's 16th birthday. I intervened and prevented it. Then he tried the day of Tucker's accident with that motorcyclist. I intervened and prevented it. However, the more I tried to prevent him from breaking free, I noticed that he was slowly closing me in a corner. But I continued to do my duty. 2 days after you asked me for the Infimap, he tried again and I finally realized that I had reached my limit. – He paused briefly. – Every time I avoided him, I saw his next attempts in the future until… I couldn't anymore.
- Why? - Vlad asked.
- The last attempt I thwarted was during your first week in your sophomore year. But I could only see 2 options: the first was to let him go free, but it would mean the end of your world and mine. It wasn't a viable option so I stepped in… and time became linear. No more twists, no more turns, no more options… his escape became an absolute point in time and there came a point where everything turned black, dark.
- What? Was there no future? - Danny said.
- If there was, I couldn't see it. Although it would probably be because I wouldn't be there to see it.
- The thermos should contain him... how could he escape?
- The thermos, like any other human creation, has a lifespan. – Explained Clockwork. – Under normal conditions, the thermos could withstand years, even decades and retain its structural integrity. But here in the ghost zone, containing a powerful ghost… it was only a matter of time.
- Like the boo-merang. - Danny commented.
- Exactly.
- And that point you're talking about… – Vlad said, standing next to Danny. -... It was a few days ago, wasn't it?
- No. - He said, surprising them both. – It should've been tomorrow and then… darkness. So, I had to do something first.
- You released him... - Danny said, straightening up despite the pain.
- I took some precautionary measures before doing it, but yes. I released him earlier.
With what little strength he had, Vlad turned into a ghost and launched himself at Clockwork, grabbing him by the chest and shaking him violently.
- Why did you do that?! Why?! Answer me!
Vlad immediately flinched in pain and lost his transformation, supporting his weight on the table to avoid falling to the ground.
- Because tomorrow would be a normal day in Amity Park in which Danny, Tucker, Sam, Jazz and Dani would visit the ghost zone... for old times' sake. Dan would be free when you guys decided to visit me…and he would have us all together.
Danny just looked down, confused.
- Why didn't you tell me? – The boy said weakly. – I could have…
- You would have died...
- You do not know that! – Danny yelled, losing his cool.
- Except I do know that. – He said as he transformed into a child. - What do you think happened to the Observants?
Danny's features twisted in concern again, and Vlad's attention returned to the blue ghost.
- You would have charged as soon as Dan was free and you would have died at that moment. That's why I did what I did…to keep you alive.
- And you hid. – The mayor accused him. – Leaving us to deal with your mess.
- Although technically it is our mess, yes.
- What about the people who died? - Danny demanded. - What about the thousands of people he killed by destroying an entire city? You kept them alive?!
- As I explained to your friend, the people of Madison did not die.
- What? - Vlad intervened.
- I hid in the future. – He began to explain. – After freeing him, I traveled to the darkness to wait for him. I showed up yesterday and managed to evacuate people before receiving Dan's attacks. I kept my distance from him so he wouldn't detect me, and I didn't manipulate time so he wouldn't notice me either.
- Then how did you do it? - Vlad asked.
- I opened portals to different locations in the present… it was a very busy day.
- What about the Guys in White? - Danny spoke again.
The countenance of the master of time changed in an instant.
- Unfortunately, I couldn't do anything that time.
The room fell silent. Vlad had walked over to his chair in the control center and slumped into it. Danny had leaned back and covered his eyes with both hands. Clockwork just shifted his gaze to the table where he had left the map.
- Sam… was that you?
He turned to see the boy and, although he was still in the same position, his broken voice gave him away.
- Yeah.
He saw his jaw harden and knew he was angry. He sighed and looked at the ground. The morale of his best warriors was in tatters and he had to do something not to let apathy take over.
- Foley said something… - Vlad began, drawing attention to him. – The reality gauntlet… Now that you are here, we could…
Clockwork just shook his head.
- I can't manipulate time in the human world without him realizing now that he's on the same plane.
Vlad grunted and looked at the screen in front of him. He leaned back to get a better look at it and looked at the date carefully.
- Then why are we in the past? - Danny asked. – If I touch that, will Dan know? – He said in a mocking tone while pointing to the laser that hung above him on the ceiling.
- Traveling to the past is not the same as manipulating time, Daniel. Pausing, going back, fast forward, repeating, change… that is manipulating time. That's what Dan can perceive. But now? We are only in the past, letting time flow without interfering in the natural course of things.
- You said you can't do it now that Dan is on our plane. Why is that? - Vlad asked.
- The ghost zone is a plane parallel to the human world, but not simultaneous. If I control time in the ghost zone, the human world doesn't suffer the effects and vice versa. Any time drag that may exist between the two is fixed in the eternity of the ghost zone.
- Like a black hole? - Danny asked.
- Yeah. Time is stretched and contracted in the ghost zone to compensate for the offsets. If Dan were inside the ghost zone, I could manipulate time in the human world and he wouldn't feel it. But roaming free in your world...
- He could distinguish the variations in time around him. - Danny whispered.
- And by existing outside of time, he would observe how reality is modified in real time.
- So, he's like you. – Vlad reasoned.
- Not quite. – He paused. – You see, if I went to the past and changed something about it, myself from then would know it because I would have seen the event happen. And I would know it too because I already lived it, and there would be no change because everything would be part of the original plan. But Dan would experience how reality changes around him.
- What about the Reality Gauntlet? - Vlad intervened. – If we go back to the past…
- I would have to freeze time to prevent Danny from destroying it. It would be imperceptible to everyone, but Dan would notice.
- But he can't travel to the past… he wouldn't know at what point in time there was a change. He wouldn't know… he couldn't find us… - Danny was getting excited, that's why Clockwork had to kill that idea.
- Let's imagine we do it. – He became his old self. – We retrieve it, we take it to the battlefield and we eliminate Dan from existence.
- I say we do it. – Vlad offered.
- It would be harmless, after all, he is only a temporary remnant.
- Then what are we waiting for? – Danny said about to scream.
- But you wouldn't be just eliminating Dan, would you?
The room fell silent as they pondered Clockwork's words.
- Pariah Dark. - Danny sighed.
- Now that they are one, removing him would also remove Pariah Dark from reality. And that… - He sighed. – Let's just leave it at that it would destroy our reality.
- What if we erase him in the past? – Vlad offered. – Before they are combined.
- It wouldn't work, because...
- Because Dan is already free and fused to him, extending his timeless characteristic to him.
- We would eliminate Pariah and every event in which he manifested through his existence… modifying reality to the point where probably nothing in history would happen in the same way. And that includes you.
They fell silent again. Danny's mind was working overtime to find a solution. There had to be a way they could get out of this…he refused to accept that this was the end of it all.
- And why now? Why did you bring us to this moment? – He said turning to see the blue ghost.
- Because nothing we do here will have an impact on the future. – Vlad replied.
- How do you know? – He said looking at the major.
- The date and time. – He said pointing to the monitor in front of him and standing up. – This is the week of the first vacation that Dani and I had in Wisconsin.
Or at least that had been the official alibi, since he had really only gone to close a not-so-legal buy-sell deal and had only spent enough time with the girl to take official photos of their trip. Not as if it mattered to her, since she never slept in the same hotel as him by choice of her own. But they didn't need to know that.
- The point is that there will be no one here for the next week... and there is no risk of "altering the past" because all this is garbage. – He pointed to the equipment that was on the tables. – When I return, I will dispose of everything without even looking at it, so there are no risks in being here.
Danny's gaze moved now to Clockwork, who confirmed the information with a nod.
- Those weapons have the same compound as what you were injected with, so you can use it to heal.
- Won't you stay? - Vlad asked.
- We all have a role to play in this fight. – Clockwork looked away. – I couldn't save people's lives days ago, but I can save them today. He looked at Danny with a smile. – You have a week.
Clockwork turned around and with his staff he opened a completely dark time portal.
- Oh. I almost forget it. – He called them turning around. – Try to interact as little as possible with your surroundings. I don't want Dan detecting another time anomaly.
He stretched out his hand and the Infimap flew into his hand. He bade them farewell and returned his attention to the portal.
- See you in a minute. - He whispered to them before disappearing.
The portal closed behind him and the two exchanged glances. And so began the longest week of his life.
They had immediately gone upstairs to wash up and get a good 8 hours of sleep. Waking up, they had looted the refrigerator and got to work. Inside the pile of technological junk, they began to disassemble the pistols that had the compound they were looking for. They administered another dose and went to rest. Both in their ghost form, they spent their time waiting for their injuries to heal as soon as possible to join the fight.
Or at least Danny hoped so, being consumed with anxiety stemming from not knowing what was going on with his family and friends. In the other hand, Vlad was willing to take advantage of the entire week they had. Danny didn't see him most of the time they were in the mayor's mansion, as Vlad would get lost in his room or just relax in his study out of the boy's sight.
After two days, neither had any pain in their bones and most of their injuries had healed, which Danny greatly appreciated as he was able to perform basic exercises to get himself back in shape. Vlad sometimes saw him out of the corner of his eye doing push-ups in the middle of his living room, starting to push himself a bit before the fight, but he didn't care much what the boy did, because he had other plans in mind.
On the fourth day, Danny already felt prepared and decided to go down to the laboratory to look for something that would serve him in the fight. He went through the pile of discarded weapons again, hoping to see something useful. Guns? No. Cannons? impractical Ghost deflector? Useless in this case. A grenade? Absolutely. He tucked it into his belt and kept poking around. A noise behind him caught his attention and he turned his head. Vlad stood behind him with his arms crossed and a raised eyebrow. Danny ignored him and kept checking.
- It is not wise to look for useful things in the garbage.
Danny dropped both hands to the table and the clank echoed through the lab.
- It would be easier if you helped me, but apparently someone has other plans… - The sarcasm in his voice was palpable.
Vlad just walked up to stand next to him. He dug through the junk and pulled out what looked like a pistol cartridge. However, upon pressing a button, a purple blade appeared. The razor was no bigger than a simple paring knife, and Danny looked at it curiously.
- It was a sword. But the more it is used, the less power it has and the blade gets smaller.
He set it back on the table and held up what looked like a microphone filter.
- The prototype of the spectral wave amplifier that you used. Useless in its current state. – He threw it into the garbage pile and turned to look at the young man. – What you kept on your belt is not one of the grenades you used earlier, it just releases sticky ectoplasm.
Danny scratched the back of his neck and pulled the grenade from his belt, tossing it with the rest of the weapons.
- Why do you create such stupid inventions? - He said leaning on the table.
Vlad raised an eyebrow, and that was enough to tell her what he meant. "Do you know Jack Fenton?" He could hear it say in his mind.
- Besides, he needed to give Valerie something new and I wasn't feeling so creative.
Danny smiled and just shook his head, looking at the table. A small object caught his eye and he reached out his hand to pick it up.
- What's this? A mine for spectral ants?
Vlad looked at the item Danny showed him and sighed. It was circular and, at most, twice the size of a coin. It was a white metallic object and, in the center, it had a small red button. Carefully, Vlad took the object and rested it in the palm of his hand.
- No. It's a variation of the thermos. - Danny raised an eyebrow. – In theory, you just have to press the button and throw it at a ghost. This will detect the ectoplasm signature and absorb it, containing the ghost within. The button will glow blue when the ghost is contained.
Vlad tossed the object like a coin and Danny caught it out of the air.
- So… is it a pokeball?
Vlad sighed and rolled his eyes. He had thought the same thing when he was rehearsing the way he was going to present it to Valerie. He mentally cursed Danielle for shoving that idea into him with her stupid phone game.
- And that's why it's there. – He pointed to the pile of junk. – In addition, the thermos is still more practical.
Danny laughed and put it down on the table. Vlad walked over to his chair and sat down.
- Did it at least work?
Danny followed him, playing with his medallion.
- Unfortunately, yes.
Vlad followed suit, raising it to the level of his face. He shifted his gaze to Danny, who was looking at him seriously.
- Ready? – The young man asked.
- Does it matter?
They both took the medallion in their hand and Danny removed it. The last thing he saw before returning to the present was Vlad dropping the medallion and placing it back on his chest.