Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Danny Phantom.

Note: I was going to wait and post the first chapter of "Nevermore's" sequel next year to start things off fresh but I couldn't help myself! There were just too many great ideas swirling in my head for how to progress into Owen's next big character arc that I had to go ahead and start writing! This part of Owen's story mostly focuses on gaining mastery of his new powers and finally coming face to face with the council who have big plans for him along with everyone else from Mistveil they believe to have similar gifts they can exploit. I have a few unexpected surprises planned too I am beyond excited to share! Still, one thing at a time so if you haven't already go read "Nevermore" for yourselves or feel free to check out the timeline I made for Owen listing key events in his life so far over on my Tumblr "The Soul's Pulse."

Chapter 1: Being A Great Dad For Dimwits

Owen's POV

"Alright, we're just going to ask you a few questions then you're free to go." the officer began in a polite but firm tone and I waited patiently for the first one.

A few days have passed since those seven people sent by the council tried to kidnap a bunch of kids from Mistveil during Vlad's charity event, including me, and as you can probably already imagine we've all been a little on edge about it. But at least I have the luxury of knowing the truth behind why they're after us. It's because the council is after anyone with supernatural powers whether its magical, telepathic, or both. Oh and ghostly apparently which is a problem since they went after Danny too.

Honestly I never expected anyone from Mistveil to be even like me so if it wasn't for that vision I had about not being the only person the council is targeting and the registry Danny, Sam, and Tucker found in the trash I wouldn't have believed it. But now that my powers as a Necromancer fully awakened I know what signs to look for and can tell there is something different about a few of the kids waiting in the other room for their turn to be questioned. For one thing there was this pair of fraternal twins, a boy and a girl, who must've only been transferred to Mistveil recently since I've never met them before and they definitely had the look of someone who knows a lot more than they're telling. Not that it's all that surprising given the whole psychic twin trope you see in a lot of horror movies...

Then there was a little girl named Flora I've only met a couple times since she's pretty shy who reminded me a lot of myself when I was younger so I knew right away she probably had some kind of clairvoyance. That and the drawing she gave me after I lent her my pen when she started to get bored waiting around kinda cinched it for me when I figured out it was supposed to be Danny's ghost form and a large ghost werewolf dressed in green rags I can only assume is a friend of his. And she couldn't possibly have known what they look like otherwise.

Those three had the strongest aura in the room but there were a few others who had traces of potential powers buried somewhere deep inside of them too. Here's the real kicker though. As much as I hate to say it it turns out Tristan might be just as much of a 'freak' as I am so thank god he doesn't know that or he might accuse me of somehow cursing him to end up this way. I always knew something felt off about him but wow, what irony am I right?

Anyways, getting back to the whole interview thing I told the officer pretty much everything that I knew as a perfectly normal foster kid on the surface. I was transferred to Mistveil three years ago and since then the director has done everything he possibly can to get me placed with a good family which we weren't having any luck with until Vlad came along. From there I told them how shocked I was when the social workers informed us about director's arrest since he had been nothing but supportive throughout the entire adoption process even though I was originally a bit reserved about it at first given how many times they've fallen through. And obviously I made it clear that I don't believe for one second that he's capable of lying to so many people with a straight face let alone setting up such an elaborate kidnapping scheme since the poor guy can barely get the younger kids to go to bed on time without help from the whole staff team.

As for my close call during the charity event itself I told the officer I was hanging out with Danny -who is the youngest member of the Fenton family who are old friends of Vlad's- and his friends Sam and Tucker to try and process the bad news when all of a sudden we heard loud noises coming from nearby. I was there when Vlad hired security guards to make sure then event went smoothly and knew what uniforms the stadium workers wore so right away we knew the three guards we saw outside were impostors. At first we assumed they were after me since Vlad Masters is about to become my foster dad which not many people knew about yet so I used myself as bait to keep my friends safe.

After that Vlad and the real security guards showed up just in the nick of time to apprehend the would-be kidnappers and the rest they already know more or less. I'm not sure what lies those seven have come up with to keep things hush hush about the cult they're a part of but at this point I don't care. What matters is we beat them at their own game and better yet none of us to go to a shelter thanks to Vlad presenting a more reasonable alternative we get to stay with our foster families. Plus the rest of the Mistveil kids are going to be kept under constant surveillance by a few officers on patrol in the area to make sure nobody else tries to abduct them.

I doubt that's the last we'll be seeing of the council and their minions but at least they know better than to assume we're easy targets. The part that concerns me though is how its not just foster kids the council is scoping out, its people like Danny who still very much has a family so I shutter to think what they might do to change that. At this point we know exactly what they're capable of since the council predecessors helped outright orchestrate my murder in a past life and recently they pinned the blame on the abductions happening in the area on the director. In fact, Eris used to be one of their spies looking for gifted kids like us but she always assumed everyone else went with them for a good reason.

Kurst was right about that much at least, the council had us all fooled into believing they had good intentions but in the end they're only interested in increasing their organizations power by bringing in new blood. So yeah, they've become the very definition of a cult instead of the talented group of exorcists protecting humanity against Wraiths and evil spirits I assume they used to be. Once upon a time I knew everything there is to know about them but thanks to a few corrupt members I forgot everything, who I really am, my purpose, and what I'm meant to do.

Before all of this I even considered talking to Danny in private about my whole secret connection to Lilith, Mother of Demons, thing because in a way it effects him and Vlad too. They are half-ghost after all which automatically makes them bigger targets for these dark forces who're still after me too. We've only fought and banished one Wraith but I have a bad feeling there's more where she came from and if there's any good left in their hearts the council needs to get their act together if we're to stand any chance of stopping them. I just don't know if I should bring it up at all yet given everything happening right now, especially when I still don't know what any of it means yet and maybe I never will unless we figure out a way to unseal my old memories first.

Either way we're have to confront the council directly before too long. Vlad's already hard at work with his own interrogation with some of the people he fought as Plasmius who somehow managed to get rid of the crystals they were using before the police got their hands on them as evidence in the hopes of shedding more light on what their motives for doing this are. The sad part is the police will most likely never figure it out, assuming of course the council doesn't have people on the inside too which is unlikely at this point since I wasn't picking up on anything else apart from what I mentioned earlier.

I mean, who would ever suspect any of this had to do with an ancient cult that's been around for hundreds of years who know how to use real magic? The answer is no one. Especially not a whole police force full of skeptics who probably don't believe in the paranormal at all. It's just easier that way. Too bad not all of us can since there are some truths that are undeniable no matter how hard we try.

Thankfully I'm not that kind of person anymore. I've accepted what I am and embraced the parts of myself I tried to ignore before as much as possible. Bringing Vlad into my life was the one good thing Kurst ever did for me. It'll never make up for him letting my parents die and trying to manipulate me with a promise I can't even remember to always be blood brothers, but in a lot of ways I'm grateful he did it. Vlad's been there for me through thick and thin, encouraging me when I felt like giving up, supporting me every step of the way and now I can honestly say I see us becoming a real family of two.

I know Vlad had his own reasons for taking me under his wing in the beginning but we've grown so much closer since then. I was even willing to die for Vlad when Kurst almost made him full ghost during our final confrontation. It all worked out in the end though because I stepped up to bad to knock that creep down a few pegs and showing Kurst who's boss. After all, he might have been a Necromancer too once upon a time, but I have the soul of the original who had been given his powers by Death himself. So I'd say that meant my powers trumped his which were never designed for a ghost to have in the first place since it's a Necromancer's job to guide lost souls to their final resting place and protect humanity from evil spirits...

Our creed IS 'mortuos salva, vivos conserva' after all. In other words, 'save the dead, preserve the living' which used to actually mean something and its why I have a lot of respect for what Danny and his friends do. They protect people. As for Vlad, he likes to think he's still the same snarky man who only cares about himself he used to be but little by little he's learning how to better himself too. His primary focus might be my safety, but Vlad's saved a lot of other people through his actions too like everyone in Salem when Nocturne put the whole town to sleep and all of the other guests at the stadium a few days ago. So really, he's not entirely selfish anymore.

Sometimes feel like I'm the selfish one for letting him, Danny, and Eris keep putting themselves in danger. That's why I want to do my part even if its just talking to a few police officers and that's exactly what I'm doing. Or at least was doing since we were more or less done already and I kinda zoned out for a bit while the guy was writing a couple of things down. Guess I was still a bit tired since I haven't been sleeping well the past few days to the point where one moment seemed to blur into the next before I knew it.

I was just about to leave when the officer called after me and said. "Wait, before you go Owen there's one last thing I'd like to ask you off record."

Already guessing what question he had in mind I replied. "Sure, what is it?"

"In your own words what do you make of Vlad Masters?" He asked with a mixture of curiosity and worry. "You've told us how wonderful he's been to you these past two weeks but I gotta be honest kid, the man's hard to get a read on so are you sure you can trust him? From where I stand him adopting you seems more like a PR move than any genuine desire to be a parent. I've got a couple of little ones at home myself and another on the way but I've never seen anyone act the way he does."

Thinking about his question for a second I smiled since I could tell the officer's question was perfectly sincere and answered. "I'd say we're kindred spirits in a lot of ways since Vlad's had to deal with a fair share of disappointments in his life too. He's been living alone for over twenty years but that's not the life Vlad wanted for himself, not really. Vlad's always wanted to be part of a family, a father to someone, but given his social position that's not something easy to start when it's hard to know who to trust.

"It's the same for kids like me who don't have families anymore. We basically have to start our whole lives over with a bunch of strangers who either don't know what they're doing, have too many mouths to feed as it is, or they're just after money from the government to take care of us. So when it comes to me and Vlad we're learning together how to trust again, to let ourselves be vulnerable again, and most importantly when it's ok to let someone see behind the masks we have to wear to fool everyone into thinking we have under emotions completely control when sometimes these are the scariest things anyone can do."

Nodding in approval the officer chuckled. "That's a good answer. I'll be honest, I was worried you might have been coached on what to say or something but looks like I was mistaken. And you're right, being rich and famous isn't all sunshine and roses so I suppose its no wonder he's so protective and calculating..."

Straightening the file on the table in front of us the officer folded his hands over it and getting back into professional mode he finished with. "Thank you for your cooperation Owen, we'll be in touch with you and your foster father should anything else come up. Another officer should be stopping by his place soon to confirm his mansion is safe just like we did at the Mistveil building. However if there's any trouble then call us immediately and we'll get there as soon as we can. You can go now."

"Thanks officer. I hope I was able to help and I hope this'll help prove the director's a victim just like the rest of us because I still believe he's innocent and didn't do anything wrong." And with that I walked out of the interrogation room to meet up with Vlad who was already waiting for me out front. Guess he must've finished his side of things a lot earlier than I did but all it took was one look for me to know Vlad was just as eager to get back home as I was to have our own talk about how things have played out so far.

Vlad's POV

They're stubborn, I'll give them that but I'll get answers out of them one way or another. I mused while using a couple of my favorite intimidation tactics.

Of course there was only so much I could do while these idiots were behind bars but that only meant I had to get more creative. For the most part I stuck to overshadowing the officer in charge of the prisoners and toying with them by saying things nobody else knew since there weren't any witnesses when I appeared in front of them as Plasmius apart from the two social workers who were smart enough to pretend they never saw a thing. Better that than to lose their jobs or worse, end up in a mental institution.

Considering their occupation as cultists and kidnappers though I didn't have to worry about them so much. They knew I wasn't someone to be trifled with now and more importantly none of them had enough power to contest against me even if they attempted to combine their strength again without the use of their channeling crystals. True their individual powers were still intact, but they were no match for mine.

I cut my interview with the authorities short the same as I normally do with some more overshadowing while Owen was preoccupied then made my way to the cells to chat with our dear old friends in the meantime. It was easy frankly to get one or two of them to spill their guts out to me in the end but the others took a lot more convincing since they still had someone else to be afraid of besides me. Apparently the man who sent them wasn't supposed to interfere at all and acted entirely on his own without their superiors permission. He offered them a sizable bonus and promised to put in a good word for them if his plan to secure Owen and the Mistveil children at the same time had succeeded, which obviously it didn't.

While it wasn't much to go off of since they were all being infuriatingly tight-lipped about everything else it proved one thing. Kurst was correct to assume their obsession with Owen's powers has not diminished in the least over the years and at least some of the members in their ranks are willing to do anything to take it for themselves. And ironically it is Kurst's absence as Owen's secret protector that made this man bold enough to strike at him more or less in public whereas before they could only spy on Owen from afar or rely on Eris to give them updates on the status of his awakening.

That's another thing that perplexes me. Considering how valuable these children are to the council one would think retrieving Eris would be just as important as capturing Owen because from what I can tell she possesses a rare talent even among other young witches scattered through their ranks I doubt they'd want to risk losing forever. So perhaps that means the one behind this is the same person who originally reported her missing and then made absolutely no efforts to rescue Eris when she first disappeared. Surely they must have had someone watching her or at the very least keeping in touch either through telephone or the same scrying magic she's been demonstrating to me.

Whatever the case my be there appears to be some discord happening within the council's ranks and that's something I can certainly use to my advantage. I'd much rather divide and conquer enough to make their whole organization crumble under its own weight than have to resort to anything overly drastic which might put Owen in danger again. Mind you I have every intention of training him to the best of my abilities considering I still have a lot to learn about Necromancers but that doesn't mean I want to send Owen into battle any time soon. I'd rather he didn't fight at all since the boy has seen far too much bloodshed already from a very young age.

The council is in one way or another responsible for every bad thing that has happened to him both before Owen was reborn and after. They deceived Kurst, perhaps even resorted to the dark arts to control him in the first place which led to the seeds of darkness being planted in his heart that almost turned what was left of him into a Wraith, they made Owen's childhood more difficult than it had to be by lurking around his family for so long, causing his mother to isolate him for his own good, and finally they sent Eris in to befriend him to make it easier to coax him into joining them without knowing any better if I hadn't stepped in when I did.

My original intentions were far from pure in the beginning until Owen's mature yet empathetic personality really started to grow on me and I began rethinking my relationship with him. I wanted to be something more than an unexpected mentor. I wanted to be a father which is something I never thought I'd feel again after Dani betrayed me and Daniel rejected my offer to become a better one to him than Jack could ever be time and time again. And yet, oddly enough, thanks to Owen I've now been given the opportunity to rebuild the broken bridge between Daniel and I thanks to our truce that he made possible.

There are times when I still wonder what could have been but that's all in the past now. For starters Dani is never going to see me as her father again and I've made my peace with that. In some ways I even wish her well in spite of everything because it helped open my eyes to the monster I nearly became in pursuit of the perfect son. And while I will always see Daniel as a son to me in one form or another I can safely say I am more than happy to welcome Owen into my family as my son who I swear to cherish with all of the love I still have left to give.

Owen gets to have it all. My love, time, money, protection, guidance, whatever he requires from this moment on I will provide it. And right now that starts with helping him reclaim everything that the council has stolen from him. They stole his best friend in the life before by warping Kurst's mind, they stole Eris's trust in their cause, and now they're trying to steal their freedom again which I will not allow...

Once my business was concluded with the lowlifes who tried to kidnap my son I had ample time to mentally cataloged everything I learned while waiting for Owen to return so we could go home so I stood patiently near the front door for him. I had every confidence in Owen not to say anything unnecessary in there and thankfully no longer felt the urge to shadow him invisibly since I knew it might end up distracting him instead. It's hard to hide anything from Owen these days to be frank, however, that's not such a bad thing in my eyes anymore.

He understands me and how I go about doing things while reserving judgment unlike Daniel who tends to still see most of the world in black and white even now. And now I understand the purpose behind some of a Necromancers power to discern between the truly repentant soul and a malicious one who is only bent on destruction. Their kind exist to help judge the souls of the dead and sometimes even the living to see who they are meant to offer their aid to or reject. It's refreshing in a way knowing that Owen always does his best to understand the reasoning behind everything someone does regardless of how good or bad they seem on the surface because there is almost always a lot more to it.

Reflecting on my own actions over the past twenty years I'll admit I'm a prime example of this. I've done many truly terrible things in my life while wholeheartedly believing I'm in the right or its justified. It's strange admitting that to myself now but I think that's because Owen treats me with a measure of understanding, patience, and respect I didn't realize I've missed so much. I've been alone for so long that having someone there who I can also be true to myself without fearing the chance of being rejected again is...liberating.

I was so caught up in my moment of reflection I almost didn't notice Owen walk through the door until I turned my head to see his gentle smile. He seemed tired but optimistic so I had a feeling everything had gone smoothly on his end. Neither of us said anything apart from a warm greeting since we wanted to wait until we were well out of earshot before recounting what happened in there. Owen didn't need to know the exact process behind my own interrogation but still I suspect he'd be interested in hearing my theory concerning Eris's current predicament.

The second he closed the car door, Owen practically sank into his seat with a heavy sigh, obviously extremely glad we were done here for the time being. I was tempted to suggest that he take a short nap on the way back to the mansion but quickly changed my mind when I saw the look in his eyes I'd recognize anywhere. The look of someone with something important to say.

"So, how'd it go 'dad?'" Owen began cheekily to calm his nerves a little before delving into the serious parts.

Smiling at him I wordlessly turned the car on and pulled out of the parking lot, finally retorting in response as we entered the rest of the street traffic. "You first, son."

Sticking his tongue at me childishly Owen sat up straight again and replied. "Oh come on! We both know whatever you were doing has to be way more exciting than what I did as long as you don't count realizing there WERE some gifted kids on that hit list after all."

Raising an eyebrow at him I corrected. "Owen, a hit list is something entirely different as I'm sure you know. No one was planning to kill any of you."

"Yeah I know, just wanted to make sure you're paying attention." He said while stifling a small yawn. "But seriously Vlad, it's weird that I'm not just able to sense ghost auras anymore. Now it's like I can pick up on a bit of everything else too. That's how I found out Tristan might be 'special' too."

Owen then proceeded to recount everything he picked up on in the waiting room and the story he relayed to the police officer taking his statements. There were parts of his explanation that were a bit disjointed from time to time but I assumed those were merely signs of his fatigue starting to show. And eventually I had no choice but to stop him while we were waiting for the light to turn green at the last street before we made it out of town to the one that leads straight to the mansion, shaking my head and telling him he could share the rest with me later.

Taking one hand off the steering wheel and gently placing it on the back of his neck, rubbing it affectionately, I told him. "You've done enough, Owen. I know this has been hard on you but I promise everything is going to be alright. We've done our part for now and bought ourselves plenty of time to plan out our next move so use this time to let your mind and body rest for a while."

"Are you sure?" Owen asked, tilting his head to look at me blearily as the remaining tension slowly ebbed out of his back and shoulders.

Leaning over to briefly press my forehead to his I smiled. "Yes. I'm sure. You've been going nonstop for days getting ready for this. It's over now so I'm telling you it's ok to take a moment to step back, appreciate all of the hard work you've put in, and finally reward yourself for a job well done."

Instead of answering Owen turned to the side and rested his head against the glass of the passenger's side window, prompting me to carefully let go of the back of his neck since the light had finally turned green and it was time to go. Owen must have closed his eyes and nodded off not long after that since I could hear him breathing softly beside me. The neck message maneuver I just used must have really done the trick since I haven't seen Owen look this carefree in his sleep for a while now so I mentally gave myself a pat on the back for successfully following the suggestion I found in a book I've been reading called 'Being A Great Dad For Dimwits...'

And I genuinely think I deserve that after doing such a wonderful job myself.