Chapter 3: Call of the Phantom- Part 3

The silence of the soundproof metallic room would be unsettling to most that went into it. Though the number of people that had ever been down there before was few, one would likely describe it as creepy with the various chemical smells and colors, the random surgical and power tools, and especially with the constant glow of Ectoplasmic fluid that stained the many tiles and tables in the lab.

But, for whatever reason, Danny found a weird sort of comfort in all of it.

Normally, Danny was known to avoid the lab, his parents' sanctuary for their paranormal experiments, at all costs, only going down there when absolutely necessary which wasn't very often. His parents were always busy at work on something, giving them very little time with their kids, something that would have bothered the older two Fenton siblings had they still been in their younger years, but now, being that both he and Jazz were teenagers and craving their own space, this was ideal for them both.

Maybe that's why Danielle is taking this so much harder than I am. Danny thought to himself as he stood in the center of the room.

It was no secret to him or Jazz that Danielle acted out because she wanted their parents' attention. That wasn't to say she was a bad kid or anything to that degree, but her constant need to play pranks on people, talk back to adults, and to break things, was a clear sign that she wanted nothing more than for them to spend more time with her, even to the degree that she would risk getting yelled at and grounded for it.

Danny felt a bit bad that he and Jazz couldn't do more to help her adjust to it or to get his parents to leave the lab for a day or two and not talk or do anything related to ghosts, but by this point in his life, he had gotten used to it and assumed that Danielle would too. Or at least he had until a few hours ago when his parents had been forcibly dragged into the deepest unknown depths of the Ghost Zone right before his and her very eyes.

At the thought of the day's earlier events, Danny's head began to pound. He was still in complete disbelief of the day he and his friends had to endure. Any comforting thoughts he had before were instantly zapped away as he began to once again try to process what had happened.

After the very somber conversation that they had with the ghostly entity that was known as Clockwork, they soon found themselves back in the lab where they had been before. For a moment, Danny believed that it had all been a long, hallucinogenic dream. That is, until the shining black gemstone on his finger caught his eye once more. Flexing his fingers, Danny could feel the pit in his stomach growing larger by the second at the physical proof that this all was really going on.

Looking up, Danny turned to see that everyone else had the same looks on their faces as they too examined the various colored rings on their fingers. Danny opened him mouth to say something, anything, hoping to comfort and reassure them all, but no words came out.

For the second time that day, Danny didn't know what to say or do.

For nearly an hour, the five of them sat in the lab, very much in the same spots they had before their ghostly encounter with no one saying anything. The atmosphere was tense and uncomfortable for everyone as they sat around the lab, but no one was willing to be the first to have to break the silence. Finally, deciding he had to say something, anything really, Danny spoke.

"So…anyone else think this has been a series of really messed up events?" he asked.

"Really?" Danielle asked angrily as she looked at him in disbelief. "Our parents have been kidnapped by some undead freak, and you think the best thing to do in this current situation is cracking jokes?"

"Hey, cool it, shrimp," Danny said hotly, his own anger rising as well. "Sitting around here all quiet wasn't easing the tension. Sorry I don't exactly know how to handle this, but this isn't a normal situation to be in!"

"Easy, guys," Sam said, pushing the two siblings apart from each other. Danny blinked, calming down a bit as he realized that the two of them had indeed advanced to get into each other's faces. "You two shouldn't be fighting like this. We've gotta figure this out, so everyone needs to be calm and levelheaded."

"Calm? Be CALM!?" Jake shouted as he held up his right hand, pointing at the shining green trinket on his ring finger. "We just got sucked into what apparently is the land of the undead, just got told that we have to save the world from some psycho spirit by a talking clock man, and that a bunch of freaking rings are supposed to give us some type of magical powers from some ancient guys who are too dead now to do it! I don't know about you, but last time I checked, this isn't in the slightest bit normal for a Friday and I'm pretty sure being calm is not possible!"

"You gotta admit, though, it is kinda cool," Tucker said as he looked at the sapphire on his ring. Looking up, he was met with various looks of confusion and disbelief. "Oh, come on. You're telling me none of you guys think this is even the slightest, tiniest bit cool? We get to be superheroes! That's not only the coolest thing to ever happen to anyone ever, but that's a dream come true! Hasn't everyone wanted this since they were little?"

"No offence, Tucker, but most people grow out of that before they're fourteen," Sam said, rubbing her temples as she tried to ignore the growing headache that her friends were bringing on. "This isn't a game, you know. Whatever it is that's going on is seriously dangerous, and though you've clearly shown that you are, I'm not too keen on the idea of being forced to fight a bunch of evil ghosts all because some other ghost, who may or may not really have been evil, told me I had to."

"Hold on a sec, Sam," Danny said, her words reminding him of something. "Clockwork did say that we had a choice in this. Maybe we should actually think about this."

"Danny, you can't be serious? Are you really about to entertain Tucker's lame superhero fantasy?"

"Hey!" Tucker cried out in protest only to be ignored.

"That's not exactly what I meant, Sam," Danny said. "What I mean is, just because we have these rings, doesn't me we have to use whatever power they supposedly have. But that doesn't mean we should just up and dismiss it either. We should really think about this before we make a final decision."

"I'm pretty sure that option went out the window when we got sucked into a swirling green vortex and these things attached themselves to us," Sam said as she looked down at her own ring, a shimmering amethyst stone reflecting back at her matching eyes. Grasping the ring, Sam gave it a swift yank, pulling it off easily. Though surprised by this, Sam couldn't help sighing in relief at this before turning her attention back to the others. "Ok, I'll give you this; at least they can be taken off and aren't stuck to our fingers."

"Well, that's a plus, right? I mean if that's the case, maybe what Clockwork said is true," Danny said as he and everyone else pulled their rings off, holding them in their hands much like Sam was. Closing his fist, Danny said, "So I guess now we have to decide what to do with these things."

"What do you mean? How are we supposed to do that?" Tucker asked.

"The best way, I guess, would be to vote."

"You want us to vote on the fate of the world? Dude, that's best you got?"

"Well, what else can we really do, Tuck? It's the only fair way to do this. We'll each get a vote, and see how everyone feels and decide from there," Danny said. His eyes caught the site of a thermos that he recalled his parents' saying was used to catch and hold anything that had ectoplasmic energy. Picking it up, Danny unscrewed the top and held it out to his friend. "Make your choice and then drop your ring in here."

"Well like I already said, I'm all for using the rings," Tucker said with a small grin on his face as he dropped his ring into the waiting canister. The inside made a clinking sound as it hit the bottom, indicating that it was safe inside.

"Of course, you are," Sam said, still a bit annoyed as she rolled her eyes. "You do realize that this could all be one big trap, right? How do we know these things won't possess us or steal our souls or something?"

"Well, what if it's not? What if it's not a trap and the world gets invaded by ghosts and everyone's in danger or gets taken over or destroyed because we didn't do anything about it? Then what do you suggest, Sam?"

"Maybe I don't want to do anything about it!" she shouted at him, her temper hitting its boiling point. "Why do we have to do anything about it? Why us? We're just a bunch of kids! Why don't we just give these stupid rings to the authorities and let the adults handle it like we're supposed to? I'm all for rebelling but this is something completely different and way out of my league. I don't want to see the world in danger any more than anyone else, but I also am not willing to blindly believe anything that this guy told us. We have no real proof that what he said is even true besides these rings, and that's not much to go on. Yet, here you are, ready to risk your life without even thinking about it like it's nothing, all so you can play superhero. Well, I'm not, so my answer is no."

And with those final words, Sam dropped her ring into the thermos as well before crossing her arms over her chest as she tried to calm the fury and the slight bit of fear that she had been harboring since this whole mess began.

Feeling sympathetic with her, Danny placed a hand softly on her shoulder. Sam paused for a moment before looking at him and nodding, indicating she was ok.

"So, it looks like that's one vote yes, one vote no," Danny said as he turned his attention to the two younger kids in the room. "I know this is pretty crazy, and I'm sorry that you're both involved. If there were another way, I wouldn't let you guys anywhere near this stuff, but you're gonna need to make a choice too. So, what do you want to do?"

"I'm with her," Jake said with a shake of his head as he pointed to Sam. "Don't get me wrong, being a superhero would be cool and all, but after the messed-up stuff I saw and heard today, I'm out. This is way too much as it is, and it'd only get worse from here." With no hesitation in the slightest, Jake dropped his ring into the waiting thermos along with the other two already inside. Turning to his friend, Jake noticed the conflicted look on her face as she looked at the clear, bright diamond in her hand. "Yo, Ellie, you alright?"

"I…I don't know," she said, her voice shaking a little. "Part of me, a big part of me, is absolutely terrified at what we saw and what could happen if we really tried to use these things. I mean, we could put these on, go out there, and die. Just like that. But… another part of me can't stop thinking about what he said and what he showed us. If what he said was true, then the world is in serious trouble and we're the only ones who can stop it from happening. Not to mention, if this is all real, then we could use it to find Mom and Dad. So…I vote yes. We use the rings."

"Yes! That's what I'm talking about!" Tucker cheered as Danielle put her ring in the thermos as well.

Ignoring him, Sam turned to Danny and said, "Looks like you get the final vote."

The black-haired young man stood there, his mind pacing back and forth anxiously as he looked at his ring. If Danny were being honest, he had really hoped that it wouldn't have come to this. He didn't know which side of the argument to take, and he had really been hoping for a landslide vote so he wouldn't have to choose one side or the other. No matter what he chose though, someone was going to be upset.

"To be honest…I don't know what to pick. I can't decide," he said.

"You can't decide?" Danielle asked him in shock. "Danny, this isn't like picking chicken or fish at a wedding. This is about doing what's best. What about doing what's right? What about protecting the world? What about Mom and Dad?" she asked the last part quietly, her heart hurting at the thought of him giving up on them.

"It's not that simple, Ellie. Yes, I want to protect the world and everything, but I'm also your big brother. And it's my job to protect you before the rest of the world. I'm not just going to throw away all caution and not worry about the possibility of you getting hurt. Or anyone else here. I mean, what happens if I say yes? You, me and Tucker go out and try to stop something we don't know about?"

"Well, what happens if you say no? The world ends and Mom and Dad are lost forever. Is that what you want?"

"What I want is a clear-cut answer to all of this, but as you can see, there isn't one. However, that doesn't mean I'm saying no. What I need is time to think. So, for now…I'm undecided," Danny concluded before dropping his ring into the thermos and placing the cap back onto it. Taking a deep breath and giving a heavy sigh, Danny looked back to the others and said, "I'll sleep on it. But for now, let's get some food in us and try to relax a bit. I know everyone's more than tense and exhausted."

"Now that, sounds like a plan we can all agree on," Sam said as she pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. "I'll order some pizzas. They're on me."

"Thanks, Sam. And you guys are all more than welcome to stay the night like always. After a day like this one, I'm sure we're all a bit freaked out."

Turning to her friend, Danielle asked, "Are you gonna stay over?"

"Sure. Amber's got a gig tonight anyway, so I'll just tell her I'm crashing here again," he said as he pulled his own phone from his pocket. Danielle watched as he put the phone to his ear and had a very annoyed conversation with his eldest sister, as short as it was. Hanging up his phone, Jake ran a hand over his face but nodded to his friend, letting her know everything was alright and taken care of.

The rest of the night was uneventful, thankfully. Everyone went about notifying their parents that they would be staying the night at the Fenton residence and though some were happier about it than others, in no time at all, everyone was ready to stay the night.

Everyone changed into the pajamas that they kept over there for such occasions, and soon after, the pizzas had arrived. The five young of them sat around the living room, watching movies and eating pizza to try and calm their nerves and ease their minds a bit in hopes that the day's events wouldn't haunt their dreams.

No one had even noticed Jazz return from the library until she made her way past them to the table and grabbed a plate of pizza. She didn't say a word though, simply getting her food and heading up to her room. Danielle could feel a bit of guilt as her big sister ignored her, and reached out to say something to her, but was stopped by Danny who simply shook his head at her. Everyone watched as she ascended the stairs and cringed as she slammed her bedroom door.

"She's still pretty mad, huh?" Jake asked before biting into his slice.

"You have no idea," Danielle said with a sigh. "If there's one thing Jazz is known for, it's holding a grudge. Especially against me."

"Ignore her, Ellie," Danny said, patting her head. "You know she loves you. She just gets easily annoyed with both of us. We're her little brother and sister. She's not supposed to like us all the time."

Danielle cracked the first real smile she had had all day at Danny's words, making him feel a bit better as well with knowing he could help her relax a bit. Danielle wrapped her rams around her big brother, hugging him tight and thanking him for making her feel better.

Soon after, everyone prepared for bed, the exhaustion from the long day taking a major toll on all of them. Sleeping bags were laid out on the living room floor, pillows were passed around and everyone was arranged in a circular style that resembled that of a campsite.

Danielle was the first person to fall asleep, though Danny wasn't surprised by this at all since he knew that she was probably more emotionally tired than anything else. The others soon followed her, except Danny, who couldn't seem to fall asleep at all. Many thoughts raced through his mind, preventing any type of peace for him at all.

Looking at the clock on his phone, Danny saw that the time was 2:23 in the morning. There was no chance he was going to be getting to sleep anytime soon, and Danny knew this. Keeping as quiet as he could, Danny got up, shuffling through the kitchen and into the lab where he currently stood.

Danny had no idea how long he had been standing there, eyes locked on the large hazmat doors before him. His eyes continued to dance across the yellow and black paint as everything that had transpired in this very room replayed in his mind, bringing him to the only conclusion that he could come to; this doorway that his parents had created was literally responsible for everything that was going on. From the strange completely obscured conversation with ghost of time, to the numerous tears that came from his little sister's eyes at the site of his parents kidnapping, these closed doors were responsible for it all.

At the thought of the Master of Time, Danny's eye drifted back to the discarded thermos that still sat where he had placed it hours beforehand, untouched and unfazed by the contents inside. Though, was that really all that hard to believe? Aside from where they came from, there was nothing out of the ordinary with those rings. So why was he so hesitant to go near it?

"Who am I kidding?" he asked himself. "I have no idea what's going to happen with anything anymore. Nothing makes sense, and now I have to decide what me and my friends are going to do with those things." The frustration was getting to him as he disheveled his hair in exasperation. "What am I even supposed to do!? How am I even going to decide when I don't have a single clue where to even start!?"

Danny's ranting was quickly interrupted as a flashing red light illuminated the room around him.

"What the heck is that?" he thought out loud as he looked around the room. His eyes quickly fell upon the control panel he recalled his parents being near before they were abducted. A slight feeling of unease flooded his veins as a flashback to this afternoon came to mind, but Danny ignored it as he cautiously made his way over to the machine. Standing in front of it, Danny looked to the screen that was placed in the center that was also flashing with a red indicator that he assumed meant something bad.

Danny's eyes looked over the screen, first noticing a small speaker icon in the corner with an 'X' though it that he instantly knew meant that the speakers had been muted. Guessing that the sound of this was probably extremely loud and would no doubt wake everyone up, Danny ignored it and proceeded to read the flashing warning sign on it.

"Warning, incoming Ectoplasmic entities? What does that mean?" Danny asked. A loud hiss echoed around from the wall as the portal doors slowly slid apart, releasing a huge gust of wind that nearly knocked him over. Danny covered his face to block it as well as shield his eyes from the blinding green light. Adrenaline pumped through his veins fiercely as his heart pounded like a jackhammer in anticipation.

Dread filled his ears, however, as a loud screeching came from the other side of the portal. A long green tentacle shot out of the opening, heading straight for Danny. The teen had no time to react before he found himself wrapped tight in its grip. His breathing became shallow as the tentacle began to squeeze him fiercely. His lungs burned with the need for air, though Danny could say that he was without a doubt left breathless as not one, but two ghost like octopuses emerged from the portal.

Their green translucent skin barely registered to his terrified mind as he eyes fell upon the sharp jagged teeth protruding from their mouths, green drool dripping from each one as their piercing red eyes looked at him hungrily.

The two ghosts roared at him, opening their mouths even further, giving Danny an even better look at the saliva dripping from each jagged edge. Fear could not describe what Danny was feeling now as his short young life flashed before his eyes.

It was in that moment that Danny was sure he was going to die.

However, the ectopuss that held him had other ideas as it quickly whipped him across the room and into the table. Danny could feel nothing but pain as he crashed into the metal table, knocking everything off as it fell over. Papers flew all over the floor, soaking up the various liquids from the broken test tubes. Shattered glass littered the floor near him as the thermos rolled to his feet, the loose cap falling off and causing its contents to spill out before him.

The five rings laid out before him, a low glow emitting from the black one that had gone unnoticed by Danny as he opened his eyes and tried to sit up. His head pounded profusely as he tried to shake it off. Looking up, Danny yelped as he narrowly missed getting grabbed again by the ectopuss, ducking and falling on his stomach, the rings sitting in front of him.

The ectopusses roared once more as they began to advance on him, finally tired of playing with their food. Danny began to panic as he sat up but paused for a moment as his eyes fell upon the black ring in front of him as the glow grew brighter and brighter.

Danny knew for a fact that it hadn't been doing that before. Could it have something to do with the ghosts here? Did that mean that if he touched it, something was going to happen? Should he touch it considering it could be dangerous? Looking up, Danny weighed his options carefully as he reached out toward it. If there was ever a moment where Danny had to take a leap of faith, this had to be it.

"I hope I don't regret this," he said as he grasped the ring in his hand and slipped it onto his finger. Danny's vision began to fade to black, the last sight he saw being the ectopusses drawing closer and closer.

"Geez, kid. Any longer, and you would have been food for these things," A voice said as it echoed around him in the darkness. "Looks like I'm gonna have to take care of this. Sit tight and try to pay attention. The fate of both worlds depends on it."

The onyx gemstone shined brighter than it ever did before as a surge of power flooded Danny's body as a blue wisp shot out from his mouth and his eyes changed to a shinning green. His body stood involuntarily as his blank expression changed into a fierce one, eyes narrowing at the intruders.

Upstairs, a young girl quietly tiptoes her way to the kitchen, careful not to step on anyone or wake the other occupants of the living room up. Having cleared her way and not woken a single person, Danielle made her way across the room and to the counter where she preceded to grab a glass and fill it with water. Drinking it in haste, Danielle soon found herself choking after a spit take as a loud crash came from the lab, startling her. Her eyes turned back to the living room where the others were, surprised that no one had woken up from how loud it was, though that surprise was short lived as she noticed that her brother was missing.

Danielle could feel her heart constrict at the thought of the noise downstairs being her brother trying to fight off the same force that had kidnapped her parents. The glass fell from her hand, though surprisingly didn't shatter, and spilled the rest of her water on the floor as she ran into the basement without any hesitation.

"Danny!" She yelled as she slid on the metal floor. Her eyes fell upon his form as he stood before two large ghost that were bearing down on him. Her eyes grew in fright at the site of them approaching her brother. "RUN!"

Danny's body did not move an inch as he continued to glare at them, the ring on his finger still glowing brightly. The gem shattered, the energy contained within it shooting out and forming a ring around his open palm. Bringing his right hand up, Danny finally spoke.

"Ancient Spirit…"he called out, voice echoing eerily, "Here my call…ARISE!"

Danny's body was instantly engulfed in light, blinding Danielle and forcing her to cover her eyes. The Ectopusses screamed as they too were blinded by the light, not expecting this creature to be able to defend itself like this.

As the light faded, Danielle slowly opened her eyes, blinking away the few spots in her vision. As she turned back to where she was looking, she gasped at the site before her.

Where her brother once stood was now a glowing figure. The suit he wore was blacker than the night sky, save for his gloves, belt and boots, which whiter were then pure, freshly fallen snow. His skin was a pale color but was glowing as the white aura that surrounded him lit the room up around them. His eyes were a sharp green that seemed to spark with some unknown power that even Danielle could feel from behind him. The last thing that caught her eye were the locks of white that flowed seamlessly on his head.

Danielle could feel her body shaking as she hesitantly said, "Danny?" Her voice squeaking in both fear and awe at the ghostly creature before her.

The powerful entity did not acknowledge her as his eyes remained focused on the two ectopusses who were once again preparing to attack him. A devilish grin spread across his face as the two advanced toward him.

"Ready or not, here comes Reaper."

To be continued…