SZ: welcome to part two of this…*holds a flashlight underneath*scary halloween crossover~!
Z0: *walks in carrying a giant coffin* Hey SZ! *carries it off to our kitchen*
SZ:...what was in that coffin?
Monokuma: Beats me…
SZ:...*punts Monokuma out* Wrong story!
Z0: Don't worry...it's just Dracula! *sounds of fighting are heard* No! Back in the coffin! No one woke you!
SZ: 0-0...uh...GT can't be here right now...he busy, so….we..ahem! We don't own anything in this story aside from original content.
Z0: *runs after giant demon bat* You get back here! I need to turn you into a Halloween decoration for my lawn! *shooting shotgun randomly while running*
SZ: The hell?!
Monokuma: *pokes head in* Seriously wh-OH GOD!*gets pounced by the bat as the screen went black*
"Gah!" Danny cried as he was ejected onto the cold ground of an underground lab, "Thanks guys…"
"Gah!" Ghostfreak hissed trapped behind a barrier, "I'll rip all your souls from your meat bag bodies!"
"...Yeah, I'm not gonna sleep right for weeks…" Tucker whispered.
"That's what we said…" Danny and Mai said in unison, the latter helping the former up.
"So...This is Ghostfreak," Kajun spoke as he hissed, "I wondered what the form was like...it's as scary, if not more so, as Magister Tennyson described."
"Let me out and I'll show you how scary I can be!" he growled before Jenny hit him with light, making him hiss and jump back as he covered himself with his arm as smoke began to come off his body.
"If he moves a tentacle, hit him again," Makoto whispered to Jenny, "...But not too much. We still need to get him to change back."
"Thank god Danny's sister was home," Tsubaki said, holding her badge as she paced around a bit, "Come on, Magister Tennyson...please pick up…"
=What's wrong?= Max asked as he finally answered.
"We have a problem. Ben's been taken over by one of his Alien Forms," Tsubaki explained.
"Not that it was hard…" Ghostfreak laughed "GAH!" he cried as he was blasted by light again.
=...How did this happen?= Max asked, a serious tone in his voice.
"Danny?" Tsubaki looked over at the half-ghost teen.
"Huh? Oh! Um...ahem! It was one of my enemies, sir," Danny explained, "Vlad Masters, also goes by Vlad Plasmius, sir! ...oh.. I mean Magister...um...sorry. Just never spoken to a space cop before…"
=It's alright, son...However, this is bad. Ben hasn't gone Ghostfreak since the last time...and even then, the only reason we got him back was because of...and I can't believe I'm saying this combination of words...it was thanks to Vilgax being just a little bit stronger=
"Vilgax!?" Makoto gawked.
=Ghostfreak tried taking over Vilgax's home world so the warlord came to Ben for help. Ben's plan was to absorb Ghostfreak back into himself and try and use him to make Ghostfreak's army of Ectonurites back down. Sadly Ghostfreak became stronger on Vilgax's darkened planet...so all it did was make him even stronger when they fused. Gwen and Kevin called him unstoppable...until Vilgax was able to get lucky enough to weaken Ghostfreak just enough for Ben to wrestle control back=
"But ol' Vilgy ain't here!" Ghostfreak laughed before he was flashed with light once more, "Gah~! Stop that!"
"No," Jenny simply replied.
=...Kajun, I need full details on how Ghostfreak came back= Max ordered.
"From what Daniel…" Kajun began.
"Please don't call me that…Vlad calls me it and it creeps me out..." Danny groaned.
"...From what Danny told us on our way up here to his parents' lab, Vlad Masters/Plasmius had a portal opened to a place known as the Ghost Zone, home of many spectral and ghostly beings," Kajun explained, "It did not help when both Ben and Danny first met, the Omnitrix started acting up to the latter's Ghost DNA. Later when they arrived at Vlad's hidden laboratory...from what I can assume, the energy from the Ghost Zone portal must've been absorbed into Ghostfreak…"
"Who Ben was at the time..and was totally unaware he had changed before we approached the lab," Danny added.
"...and gave him enough powers to take control once more," Kajun finished.
"Uh...Ben's hitting himself…" Jenny spoke.
"Give me my body back you undead creep!" Ghostfreak hissed at himself as he smacked his face into the barrier several times, "NEVER TENNYSON!"
"Hey, he did this too...when this evil half got stronger, he and Ben began fighting for control of the body!" Danny explained.
=Hm...Ben's got a strong will all things considered…= Max muttered =I guess as long as Ghostfreak isn't as full power, Ben can take back control=
"So what do we do if this happens again?" Makoto asked.
=Well...last time Ben and Ghostfreak separated was because of a moment like this where they fought for control before timing out= Max answered.
"Wait a minute…" Danny spoke, "Ah! I got an idea!"
"An idea?" Sam repeated.
"Yeah...though we may need to be fast and really careful with this…" Danny replied as he flew off through a wall.
"Don't know what the plan is, but I'm already worried," Tucker gulped a bit with Noel nodding in agreement.
"AHA! The Fenton Ghost Catcher!" Danny spoke, wheeling in a literal giant Dream Catcher-themed machine with the 'net' part of it made of blue plasma-like energy, "My dad describes it like an Indian Dream Catcher...only it gets rid of ghosts instead of dreams."
"Are we sure about this, man? Last time it split you between your teenager half and ghost hero half…" Tucker reminded.
"Yeah, but this time we're splitting an evil ghost from a not ghost," Danny argued.
"Ha! I'd like to see you…!" Ghostfreak began before he punched himself, "Do it man!" he punched himself again, "Shut it, Tennyson! I just barely had my fun!"
"I got it…" Makoto spoke, lifting it up under her arm, "Huh, it's like a giant tennis racket...or fly swatter…"
"Will it hurt?" Tsubaki asked.
"It never did when Danny stupidly used it on himself…" Sam muttered.
"That's ri-hey!" Danny complained.
"Sei!" Makoto shouted, slamming it on Ghostfreak as soon as the barrier went down. A flash went off as two figures flew across the room.
Everyone looked to see two Ghostfreaks...kinda. One was the monstrous form, but...skinny...almost malnourished. Nothing but bones and dark rotting skin. The other looked like Ghostfreak's initial form: a grey specter with one green eye. Only this new one was covered in green chains and cuffs all linked to the Omnitrix as if binding him under control.
"Oh my aching head…" the Omnitrix wearing Ghostfreak groaned while pushing himself up, "Aw man...still...wait a minute...he's not in my head anymore! He's gone!"
"N-no he's not…" Noel spoke with a nervous gulp, hiding behind Tsubaki and Mai.
"Huh?" Ghostfreak blinked at that before looking at the skinny one, "...Ahh dang it."
"Ten…" he began before coughing and crouching over, "Tennyson…"
"Hey...what's wrong with him?" Ghostfreak pondered.
"He needed the Omnitrix to stay...healthy?" Kajun asked, "The Omnitrix makes you into a prime specimen of any alien...so while you are a healthy strong Ectonurite...the original...is…"
"Old...and sick…" Danny spoke as the other half fell over.
"C...curse...you…" the skinny Ghostfreak wheezed, "Darkness...need...darkness…"
"Ah...Welp my pitty well is dried up, so back in the soup holder with you," the healthy Ghostfreak spoke before blasting him with the Thermos, "We need to make one of these, but for living bad guys…" he muttered, capping it and handing it to Danny.
"That's what I said...more or less," Makoto spoke.
"Already making mental notes to remind myself to tell Blukic and Driba about it," Kajun added.
"So...that's just it?" Tucker asked, "We solved this problem just like that?"
"Yeeep," Ghostfreak nodded, "Ugh...I still feel creepy about this…" he muttered, slapping the Omnitrix as it flashed him to Big Chill, "Wait...that's not right…" he slapped it again, turning into Ampfibian, "Oh come on!"
"Ben...what's wrong?" Mai asked.
"I don't know! I can't…" Ampfibian began as he slapped the Omnitrix, turning him back into Ghostfreak, "...change back…!" he slapped it again, changing him into Big Chill, "...into my normal self!"
"You can only become your ghost-like aliens!" Makoto realized, "It must be that thing Danny said...as long as he's near you...the Omnitrix makes you into your ghost forms."
"But I was able to change into Blitzwolfer just fine earlier!" Big Chill exclaimed before groaning, "Ahh...Azmuth's gonna blame me for messing with the Omnitrix again…"
"So as long as I'm near him...he can't change back," Danny noted, "...Ahh man...wait…" he quickly flashed, changing back to his human self, "Try now."
"..." he slapped the Omnitrix as Ben now appeared, "Oh thank god...It was fun when I was ten...but being alien 24-7 gets old fast...I mean, most of my forms can't even properly digest the good kinds of food."
"Okay. So when Danny's normal, Ben can stay human, but when he Goes Ghost…" Sam began.
"...Ben keeps turning into his ghost alien forms," Tsubaki finished.
"Kajun...any chance you know something to...fix that?" Ben asked as she gasped in excitement, "Yes...you can fiddle with the Omnitrix...as long as it fixes this!"
"...Tsubaki...tell Rook to gather as much equipment from the truck as possible," Kajun ordered in a calm tone, "Daniel, I'll need to borrow your parent's lab. If they return and ask, we are staying the night due to our current mode of transportation being disabled."
"...What's with that gleam in her eye?" Tucker asked, noticing the look in Kajun's eyes.
"Science mode…" the girls all responded.
"Wait. Sam, how do you know!?" Tucker asked.
"We're girls...we actually talk about stuff," Sam argued.
"She gets like this whenever she's allowed to go full mad scientist…" Makoto added.
"It...It gets scary…" Mai nodded.
"We...might have opened a can of worms worse than leaving that portal open…" Tsubaki noted.
"Daniel, considering you're partially responsible for Benjamin's predicament, I need you as well," Kajun quickly added, turning her attention at him.
"...I think the can of worms just became a barrel…" Danny whispered, gulping at the look of Science she was giving him.
"Good luck with that," the girls said before bolting for upstairs.
"Traitors!" Danny and Ben shouted, shaking their fists at the ceiling.
"Don't worry, guys! I'm here for ya!" Tucker assured...behind a blast shield while wearing some armor and holding a metal white and black baseball bat with Jack Fenton's face on it.
"...Really man?" Danny deadpanned.
"What? As much as I like girls...I ain't going near her the way she is now."
"Real supportive friend there…" Ben deadpanned, "...Also really? 'Goin' Ghost'?"
"Oh come on. You shouted 'Hero Time' before changing." Danny argued.
"Silence!" Kajun ordered, "I need to be focused…"
"...Hoo boy," both gulped.
"Ugh...I am going to get back at Daniel's little friend later…" Vlad muttered as he walked back into his lab, fixing his suit to get the wrinkles out, "Darn it, Jack...I just had this press-dried this morning…but enough about that...At least I have both Daniel and Benjamin out of commision for the time being." he smiled as he closed down the portal, "Last thing I need is some whack flying into my own mansion…" he muttered to himself as he looked around for more items of use.
"A whack? Oh...that hurts, Vlad. Truly, it does."
"?!" Vlad tensed as he quickly looked around, "Who's there? Show yourself!"
"Are you sure about that?" the voice asked, giving a low dark chuckle as the air started to become stiff and cold, "You may not like what you see...or you may when you see your handy work. Well…" another low, dark chuckle echoed, "An alternate future self's handy work..."
"Alternate...future…" he spoke as the figure walked out, white flames acting as hair for them, "No...Daniel…"
"Long time no see…" he spoke as his black and white suit was illuminated by the light he stepped into, his red eyes glowing against his pale green skin, "Uncle Vlad…" he laughed flicking his forked tongue.
"...How…?"
"Don't know, but...I could tell someone was being naughty with the timestream…" he laughed walking around him, "But...ah...my timeline is gone." he added with a serious tone, before smiling, "But look at this...I'm still kicking! Screw you Back To the Future."
"What has that boy done…" Vlad spoke simply.
"Oh but...I have you to thank Uncle Vlad!" the evil version of Danny laughed, "In my time...Mom...dad...everyone I cared about bit the dust, in a stupid fast food sauce explosion can you belive it." he laughed, "So...in that time line I decides screw it...your all I had left...so I moved in with you. But then we figured...hey lets get rid of my human half...and lo and behold...a perfect monster was born."
"But how can you be here if your timeline is gone?" Vlad asked.
"Oh...blame some meddling ghost named Clockwork, he decided to get involved by sending ghosts from my time to stop me from making the wrong choice...idiot should have just made the explosion not happen. Seriosly...is it just me or is he stupid for a ghost of time? Ah but enough chit chat..." he paused as he leaned in close to Vlad, "Tell me...where is my younger self? I'd love to have another…'chat' with him."
"He's gone home with some new friends of his…" Vlad simply explained.
"New friends huh?" he muttered, "Ooh time is changing...I'm gonna need to...prepare."
'Oh what have I done…?' Vlad thought.
"Snrk!" Danny and Ben snorted awake suddenly, "Ah…" they groaned falling back over onto their makeshift sleeping spots in the lab.
"What time is it…?" Danny asked.
"Dunno...I blanked out after Kajun began her little experiment spree…" Ben replied.
"It's eleven in the morning," Tucker replied from his hiding spot.
"Eleven in th-WHY DIDN'T YOU WAKE US?!"
"I was in self preservation mode…" Tucker replied, "You two are superheroes with powers and what not. This tech wiz has to look out for himself first."
"...Least tell us Kajun fixed our little problem," Ben groaned as he and Danny got up.
"I think...she was having a mad scientist evil laughter fit...but then stopped when she was called up for breakfast." Tucker explained.
"Aw man. We missed br-wait….who cooked it?" Ben cautiously asked, earning a raised brow from Danny.
"Dunno...I just raided the pantry for snacks to survive on." Tucker admitted, eating an energy bar before tossing the wrapper away.
"...yeah we may need to go check on the girls," Ben suggested.
"Why?" Danny asked.
"If Noel cooked breakfast...well...we may need to get some smelling salts...and some stomach medicine…" Ben explained.
"Oh don't tell me...wait...my parents have kitchen equipment made of old ghost hunting gear!" Danny panicked, "What if the cooking came to life like the Hotdogs again!?"
"Like th...what?!" Ben exclaimed as the two rushed upstairs.
The two slammed the door opened, ready to transform to their Hero forms as they paused to see everyone eating at the table normally. The two looked around before Danny ran over to make sure no one used his parents gadgets he was sure he locked away in the pantry with a padlock.
"No one dead…?" Ben asked lowering his arm.
"Oh good...my parents gadgets that makes food evil and alive are still locked away…" Danny sighed.
"Phew...that's one worry down…" Ben sighed in relief, "...Just need to make sure…"
"Hey guys."
"Oh Geez!"the two jumped to see Makoto standing near the stairs, wearing a black and orange shirt with a burning star around the bust area, and a pair of dark blue jean shorts.
"Was wondering when you two would wake up...thought you' be knocked out longer," Makoto noted, munching on a piece of bacon, "Mm...brunch. Best combination of both breakfast and lunch…"
"Don't worry. Danny's parents cooked." Tsubaki explained.
"...We ate it all." Sam added.
"Aw man…" Ben and Danny slumped at that.
"Correction...Makoto ate most of it." Kajun added.
"Snooze you lose…" she mumbled.
"Oh come on…" they groaned.
"Oh we're out of snack bars too…" Tucker spoke walking past them as he grabbed the cereal he then stopped as Danny and Ben looked at him. Twin flashes made him blink as both transformed. Tucker chuckled weakly as he held up the box as Fourarms took it.
"That's what I thought…" Fourarms muttered.
"Thanks Tuck." Danny smiled as they grabbed bowls, spoons and a gallon of milk and went back down to the lab.
"Hey you fixed the Omnitrix." Makoto noted.
"Not fix. So much as update." Kajun explained, "I sent it an update to filter out feedback from ectoplasmic energy."
"..."
"And before you ask, I asked Azmuth for doing said upgrade...he found it useful to avoid incidents like this again," Kajun answered Ben' unasked question.
"Okay…" Ben muttered.
"Okay...problem fixed, and everything in the clear…" Danny listed, "..Except for the you-know-what that's possibly still operational back at Vlad's place."
"Also the evil alien ghost in the Thermos." Sam added, "Can't forget that since you can't dump him in the Ghost Zone unless you want a second coming of the Ghost king…"
"Yes thanks Sam...thank you so much for that thought…" Danny replied in sarcasm.
"Yeah...so we still got two problems then…" Ben muttered.
"We can take Ghostfreak...or whatever we call it now...back with us." Kajun offered, "Lock him up with Vilgax in that secret Megamax Cell under the base."
"Sounds like a plan," Makoto shrugged, "...wait. Isn't Vexus down there too?"
"Yes." Kajun simply said.
"Wait. is Overlord still…"
"No...no...he's on prison on his own planet."
"Overlord?" Danny asked.
"Evil giant alien robot who blows up planets for fun." Ben explained.
"Okay. Suddenly wanting to be an astronaut seems less and less safe…" Danny muttered.
"Eh. Space is not all that bad," Ben shrugged, "...I mean, aside from all the alien warlords and villains out there, it's pretty cool."
"Exactly how many warlords…?" Tucker asked.
"I keep finding new ones each time I take one of em down…" Ben muttered, "I'm sure your ghosts are the same...a new bigger bad guy every time you think one goes down."
"The scary thing...he's right." Danny nodded, "...Just hope one in particular doesn't return."
"Huh? Wh…nevermind. I think I know who you're referring to," Ben noted.
"Hmm?" Makoto raise a brow at that.
"Evil future self."
"No way...you have that!?" Makoto gawked.
"We don't like to talk about it…" Tucker spoke.
"Yeah cause you guys didn't realize he swapped places with me for a whole day!" Danny argued.
"We couldn't tell the difference! He was basically you!"
"Yeah! A Psychotic evil version of me!" Danny argued, "I mean for crying out loud, didn't you notice his voice suddenly becoming deep and scary!?"
"I…!"
"He does make a point," Sam coined her thoughts, "We...should've noticed."
"Yes! Thank you, Sam!"
"Wow...and I thought our arguments were loud," Makoto muttered as she and Ben watched.
"I'm beginning to notice similarities between the two 'pairs'…" Kajun whispered to Tsubaki with air quotes around pairs.
"Same," Tsubaki nodded in agreement.
"Mm!" Noel nodded as she secretly held up her book.
"Hey I see that!" Makoto snapped making her run, "You get back here!"
"No!"
"...what just happened?" Danny blinked.
"Noel likes to...wait. Hey wait!" Sam exclaimed as she joined in chasing after Noel.
"...uh…"
"Noel likes to write romantic poems or stories based on what materials she sees," Ben explained.
"Material...what material?" Danny asked.
"Not even gonna explain that part…" Ben muttered.
"Neither will us!" Sam and Makoto shouted as they chased Noel around.
"Danny, what's going on down there?!" a girl's voice shouted from upstairs.
"Nothing, Jazz! Just…weird stuff with my new friends!" Danny replied.
"You get back here!" Makoto and Sam snapped.
"No!" Noel cried as she escaped them by running around.
"This is normal to us." Tsubaki argued.
"Eeyup." everyone else nodded.
"Yeah us too." Tucker spoke.
"...Perhaps we should go back to what we were originally doing before all these series of events happened," Kajun suggested, "IE...gathering supplies and such for the Halloween event Makoto has in mind."
"Ah! I totally forgot!" Makoto gawked, carrying Noel under her arm, "To be fair we had to invade a party, fight Ghostfreak's evil half...sneak into Danny's house...deal with evil Ghostfreak...then Kajun went full on crazy…"
"I'm right here."
"You know what you do." Makoto argued.
"She has you there…" Mai sheepishly chuckled, making Kajun pout a bit.
"So are we...good?" Danny asked, "No more super villains...no more evil…"
"Can't be sure…" Ben muttered.
"...Rook, stay in the van," Tsubaki whispered into her badge, "If anything bad happens, let us know."
=Can do= he replied, =I am enjoying this...computer guy position as Tucker called it. I get to relax and meditate...while still telling Ben he is doing things wrong=
"Hey!" Ben complained.
"Eh I do it all the time...it has ups and downs." Tucker shrugged.
"Hey!" Danny complained.
"Heh. So they both like to mess up," Makoto smirked teasingly.
"Hey~!"
"Relax I'm kidding…" Makoto giggled before blinking, "...hey. Where's Jenny anyway? She wasn't there this morning."
"...Your telling me you lost the robot girl?" Danny asked.
"We didn't lose her. We…"
"She went for an early walk around the city," Noel answered, making the group look at her, "...what? We talk…"
"Mmm...this feels nice," Jenny smiled to herself, sitting on a rooftop while in her human disguise.
Normally she wouldn't have been able to feel the win in her face...but thanks to er gift from Kajun...she could feel it in a way. The way the wind blew through her hair..the way it hit her artificial skin...it made her feel human. Just as she was about to get up, a scream caught her attention, causing her to look to see some people fleeing from something.
"...And here I thought today would be normal," Jenny whispered, tapping the jewel on her bracelet as she changed to her normal appearance, "Oh well...got some time to zing by." she then jumped off the roof before the jeets in her boots activated, sending her flying to the source of the problem, "Okay. Who…?"
"Raaagh! I am the Box Ghost! Fear me~!" a ghost in the form of a heavy set man dressed as a blue collar dock worker floated around lifting boxes around.
"Box Ghost…?" Jenny asked as her hair drooped down in disappointment, "Aw...Danny said you where the worst…"
"I...hey!" Box Ghost snapped as he glared at her, "I am not the worst! I am to be feared, for I am the…!" he began before Jenny's hands converted into a large pair of hammers, "...Box Ghost?"
"Question...are you always intangible or only when you want?" she asked.
"Uhm...when I...AH!" he cried as he was sandwiched between both hammers suddenly before he could finish.
"Just checking!" Jenny smiled as she reverted her hands and let a literally flattened Box Ghost slowly waft down to the ground, "Ahh...I missed badguys like this...even if he was the w-"
"Huh...was expecting Danny to show up…"
"?!" Jenny tensed as she looked around, "Who's there!?"
"Honestly should not have used that idiot as bait to lure him out...still...would be nice to use someone else as bait."
"Bait?" Jenny repeated before narrowly dodged an attempted grab at her, "Ahh! Who...D-Danny?!"
"Oh...you'd be forgiven for thinking that." the figure spoke fully revealing himself, "Though I'd hate to keep getting mistaken for that munch...just call me...Dan."
"...what do you want?"
"Well I wanted you to be that annoying younger me...so I could see if a ghost can have his neck mangled to dust." he laughed, "Well...a half-human half-ghost...lord knows I've done it to both humans and normal ghosts….I wonder if I could do the same to robots…."
"?!" Jenny tensed as she immediately got into a defensive stance.
"...Nah. I need you alive to lure out my younger self...So…" Dan began with a dark grin, his hands giving off a menacing dark-green glow,, "I'll just have to beat you as slowly...and painfully as possible."
"Ah…" Danny gasped as a blue wisp of breath could be seen coming from his mouth, "Whoa...that's a big one…"
"Another ghost attack?" Ben guessed.
"Yeah..but th-" Danny began before an explosion went off outside, "?!"
"We with alternate forms...shall go check that out." Ben spoke.
"You guys...get the gear needed to save our butts." Danny added.
"I like they acknowledge we save them…" Sam smiled.
"It took forever to break down that ego." Makoto added.
"It's surprisingly easy with Danny…" Sam added.
"We're right here, ya know…" Ben and Danny deadpanned.
"Oh we know." both girls replied.
"Girls make great friendships to fast…" Tucker spoke, "They're all against us!"
"True…" they all spoke in unison.
"We're gonna go do the hero bit." Both boys spoke, running out the back door as two flashes of white and green light where seen, "Hero Time/Going Ghost!"
"This feels like something out of a Saturday morning cartoon now…" Makoto muttered.
"Finally someone else besides me sees it…" Sam sighed.
"Ahh!" Jenny cried as she was sent crashing into a wall, bits of her body covered in burnt marks and small dents, "Starting to think...I'm in over my head here…"
"Oh what was your first clue, sweetie…" Dan Phantom mused, "Honestly if I had known there was something like you in my time...I would've exterminated you."
"Your..time…" Jenny repeated before Dan grabbed her by her neck, "You're...from the future…"
"A future if that wasn't obvious…" Dan smirked, he then stopped as a red wisp flew out of his nostrils, "Oh speak of the annoying little devil." he smirked turning to see Danny and Diamondhead, "Danny and...hmm...you seem familiar...have we met?"
"Uh dude...this guys ripping off your style…" Diamondhead spoke.
"Oh no…" Danny paused, "Y-YOU!"
"Well hello there Mini-me…" Dan spoke pushing Jenny away as Diamondhead ran off to check on her, "Super hero team ups...aw...you're getting big in the world,"
"How are you even back?!" Danny demanded
"Oh you never got rid of me...and since I'm still here without my timeline existing...well...I guess I don't need you." Dan explained before punching his fist and blasting Danny sending him flying and skidding across the ground.
"Gah!" he cried before being struck by a punch that tore a divot in the concrete road.
"What's the matter...I thought you'd gotten all my powers by now?" Dan taunted lifting his younger alternate self into the air with him, his hand then flashed with green energy as he punched Danny sending him flying back down and landing on the street, "Come on Mini-me. I know these you can do...but how about this?" he asked forming green flames in his hands before blasting them and setting the road itself on fire, making Danny jump out of the way of the flames, "Didn't expect that, did you?"
"No!" Danny yelled before blasting his own blast of green energy at him, only for his alternate future self to flick them away like they were nothing, "?!"
"Oh and as for how I got out...unsure, but…" Dan paused as he gave a grin, "I can tell someone was messing with time…" he mused, "Now...I can fight you seriously...no more holding back like last time."
"H-holding back?" Danny asked.
"I needed you alive Mini-Me...so you would grow up into me. But since...that no longer matters...what good are you?!" he shouted as he blasted fire from his hands again, making Danny duck around each blast.
"Ben, I could use some help here!" Danny shouted.
"Ben?" Dan repeated before he was blindsided from Diamonhead's fist, "...Oh yes. Now I remember you...you're that hero that screamed 'you took everything from me!' after I destroyed Bellwood."
"What…?" Diamondhead asked, his eyes widening in shock.
"Hahaha...Man, was that fun! We never did settle that old deadlock score...man, we tore up half this country last time we fought in my timeline...Ah, good times!" he laughed, "In fact...I pretty much hunted down every hero on this planet...decided to mess with them a little...and then...well...you saw my future, Mini-me…"
"You did what?" Danny asked, his eyes glowing in anger.
"Oh you're so uptight...you don't even realize how powerful we are...Arguably one of the two strongest people on Earth…" he muttered, "And I aim to take that number 1 spot." he spoke while blasting at them as Diamondhead got in the way and used his arms to absorb the laser...before blasting it back and sending Dan flying away.
"Part of me is mad...the other part disappointed I have to learn in one future, a version of me was such a doofus he let this jerk go wild," Diamondhead spoke, "Uh...No offense, Danny…"
"None taken. I hate this guy just as much, and I know how to take him down again…" he spoke, taking a breath of air.
"Oh the Ghostly Wail...how cute." a second voice spoke as a purple beam struck Danny, making him cry in pain.
"Vlad!?" Danny coughed.
"Hello, Daniel...I see you've met our guest." Vlad motioned to Dan as he phased through rubble that buried him.
"Oh no...you two are working together?" Danny asked.
"I would call it more...defense of self interest," Vlad spoke as he and Dan aimed and began blasting as Diamondhead formed a wall of crystals that blocked them.
"Oh this is gonna be fun," Dan spoke, blasting yet another beam.
"So...energy beams...those seem painful," Diamondhead spoke as his wall was bouncing the beams away and into the air.
"How are you doing that?" Danny asked.
"Refraction," Jenny explained, earning a confused stare, "You know when you shine a light off a mirror and it shows up on the wall across from it...or a prism makes a rainbow?"
"I...I knew that…"
"Jenny, you okay?" Diamondhead asked while fiddling with the Omnitrix.
"Fine...just some dents to buff out later," she sighed.
"And a few wires to reattach," Danny added, pointing to a pair of exposed wires in Jenny's arm.
"I got it," Diamondhead said before flashing to Upgrade as he extended his arm as it melded over Jenny's before releasing it, now fully repaired.
"Dude, how many things can you turn into?" Danny asked.
=Don't know...how many powers you got?= Upgrade countered.
"Touche…" Danny replied before they all flinched, hearing a loud wail-like shreek as the crystal wall that was their cover began to crack.
=Let me guess...the Ghostly Wail?= Upgrade asked, backing away.
"Yep. Took him ten years to learn it," Danny replied, "And me learning it was the only reason I was able to beat him."
"Well...despite the evil thing, he's still you," Jenny argued.
=So when you fought him, your body and his body must have begun to synchronize...so you began getting new powers earlier than normal= Upgrade added =It's like that time Future me and myself fought Mega Mutated Vilgax. He was way better at the alien hero thing then me...but I held up fine!=
"Wait, the more I fight me...the stronger I get?" Danny asked.
=Well...conceptually…= he chuckled, =But I mean...it's either that or…= at that, the wall broke down as Dan growled in victory having broken it down =Well...you know...he kills you=
Dan punched through Upgrade only to blink as the alien instead formed around him, becoming a straight jacket that kept his arms behind his back. He grunted, trying to break free only to cry in pain as Upgrade began zapping him. Danny joined in, as he coated his fist in his green energy and punched his evil alternate timeline's self, sending him flying back. Vlad blinked before yelping as he was blasted by Jenny, taking him by surprise and therefore preventing him from going intangible.
"You're such a Bluenose Egg," Jenny noted.
"A bluenose egg? Hmm...Ah, yes. Robot from the 1920s if the news reports were right about you," Vlad noted, "Such an outdated machine."
"Bleh…" Jenny countered as she blasted at him again.
"Charming…" Vlad muttered, forming a barrier which deflected the blasts away.
"You might think I'm outdated, but at least I don't keep chasing after a married Sheba who's given me the icy mitt repeatedly," Jenny pointed out.
"Why...DANIEL!" Vlad shouted, shaking a fist at Danny.
"Hey, I had to tell them everything!" Danny argued as he was punched by Dan, "GAH!"
=I got him!= Upgrade spoke, jumping to catch him only for an energy burst to rip him apart =I don't got him…=
"Even in this time, you're a nuisance, Tennyson," Dan noted.
=Hey. I see a bad guy; I take 'em down all the same...=
"And I love beating the goody-two-shoes of the world," Dan smirked, "Though you're a lot less annoying without those...Ultimate modes."
=Ultimate modes...so he is from a different timeline...I don't have those anymore!= Upgrade realized =Man, time travel is weird…= he muttered as he was blasted, making him explode and splash all around the street.
"Ben!" Danny panicked.
=Chill= Multiple voices spoke as each splot formed into Upgrade's head, each looking at Dan before blasting him with green optic beams, making him scream in pain and surprise.
"...That's freaky," Danny muttered.
=Alien~= Upgrade replied while reforming =Speaking of which...you got that Thermos? I think I can boost its power to suck evil you back in=
"...Shoot!" Danny facepalmed, "I knew I forgot something."
=You forg-HOW COULD YOU FORGET?!=
"We were in a hurry!"
=You could've grabbed it just in case!=
"Boys…" Jenny groaned.
"Daniel, Benjamin…" Vlad began before blasting both Upgrade and Danny into a car, "Behave yourselves."
=He's...gonna be annoying…= Upgrade groaned before tapping his Omnitrix =Girls, where are you?=
=On our way to where we say the explosions= Tsubaki replied.
=Ugh, what was that wail?! It's still ringing in my ears!= Makoto complained.
=Not explosion...just one of Danny's...and his future evil self's powers...long story…= Upgrade groaned as he began reforming around the car repairing it and turning it into a futuristic sports car which quickly unfolded multiple weapon ports.
"...Oh I remember this trick…" Dan smirked just as Upgrade unloaded all his weapons at the evil ghost..only for him to go intangible and let it all pass through him, "Not gonna be surprised this time…" he smirked just as he reformed.
"Then how about by this?!"
"Hmm?" Dan raised a brow before hissing in pain when a shot hit him in the shoulder, "Grr...who…"
*BAM!*
"GAH!" Dan screamed as he was sent crashing into a wall.
"...Huh...wondered what it would be like to punch a ghost," Makoto muttered as she stood up, wearing her armor and a pair of metallic blue and black gauntlets.
=Wow, he was sent flying= Upgrade awed as he jumped off the car =What's with the gloves? New tech Kajun and Rook made after messing with stuff from Danny's place=
"Eeyup. Made them in case we dealt with any ghost while on the job," Makoto replied as the others arrived via Rook's truck, "...Speaking of ghost...that was your evil future self, Danny?"
"Yeah," Danny replied.
"...Dang is he creepy...even creepier than not-count Dracula over there," Makoto admitted, jerking a thumb over at Vlad.
"Not c-OH! RUDE!"
=Eat plasma beam…= Upgrade spoke as Vlad formed a shield, only to be shot from behind by Danny, making him face plant into his own shield =Nice one=
"Thanks. He always goes for the reflecting shield but leaves himself open from behind...I could never take advantage of it until now." Danny replied.
"Grr...you…" Vlad began before Mai's spear and Tsubaki's sword were aimed at him.
"I wouldn't move if I were you," Tsubaki warned with a frown.
"Oh yes. I'm scared of sharp pointy things…" Vlad spoke before one poked his face ever so slightly, "Oh...you made it so it can hurt me. You really are clever kids."
"And you will be placed under arrest for manipulating and causing harm to a Plumber Agent in an attempt to bring back a dangerous villain," Tsubaki countered.
"After we finish dealing w-" Mai began before Dan came bursting out of the wall he had crashed into, "?!"
"Okay...who…?!" Dan began to demand before noticing Makoto and her friends, "...Huh...you're new…"
"Eep!" Noel yelped a bit as she leapt behind the truck.
"Wow. So this is bad future you, Danny?" Makoto asked once she got a better look at him, "That explains the bad complexion, pointy ears, and why his hair's on fire.
=He looks like an evil Elf= Upgrade laughed.
"Well here's hoping the weird skin tone isn't a thing that comes with age…" Danny muttered, "I do not want that…"
"And this is why I look back on being a teenager and sigh…" Dan sighed for emphasis before swinging his arm, sending out an energy disk that hit the ground with a powerful explosion, "Tell me, Mini-me, figure out how to do this one yet?" he asked, forming energy in his hands into the shape of a sword.
"...I really gotta practice my powers better…" Danny whispered with wide eyes.
"Yes...you should," Dan smirked as he slashed down, unleashing a cutting wave of green flames.
"Ahh!" Danny tensed as he quickly jumped out of the way.
"Heh. Like th-" Dan began before using his free hand to block a pair of punches from both Makoto and Jenny, "...Really? You really tried that old ploy?" his head turned around 180 as he hissed at them, "Boo~!"
"Gah!" they jumped back.
"HahahahaARGH!" he stopped as he was blasted by a beam of multicolored energy.
"Hey, flaming Alucard...That the best you got?" Chromastone asked, lowering his arms.
"Grr!" Dan growled, shooting at Chromastone who absorbed the energy beam, "Oh forgot this one."
"Thanks...but I got plenty of energy of my own...here!" he spoke, raising his hand and blasting the same green energy blast and sent Dan flying, "So...his own ghost energy hurts him...huh...it's like Pokemon logic…" he grumbled while charging up another blast.
"Can you do stuff like that sooner?" Danny groaned rubbing his head.
"I got an idea, Danny...blast me with all you got." Chromastone ordered.
"Uh...Dude, that's insane."
"I'm a living conductor for all forms of energy...trust me. Unless you're packing a dimension's worth of energy I'll be just fine," he added, "Now blast me...I've got a great idea."
"I never like when he says that!" Makoto snapped.
"Hey I come up with good plans!" he argued.
"Most of them almost get us killed!" Makoto complained.
"You're exaggerating…" he groaned, blocking Dan's energy sword before absorbing the sword itself. He then punched Dan with an energy coated punch, "Ooh...I like that trick...taking that."
"Ugh...just do it...can't be worse than fighting two evil Castlevania wannabes…" Makoto sighed to Danny.
"Alright…" Danny sighed, charging up a giant sphere of green energy in his hands, "Here goes...something!" he shouted, blasting it into Chromastone's back as he began absorbing the energy.
"Oh that doesn't look good…" Vlad realized as he swung his cape and vanished in a swirl of green smoke.
"Ah…" Dan took a deep breath as he reared his head back.
"HA!" Chromastone roared, punching his arms forward as his entire body unleashed a powerful green energy stream.
Dan's counter was to open his mouth and unleash a green shockwave-like screech. Both attacks clashed with one another, causing a powerful flash of light followed by an ear splitting explosion.
"AHH!" Makoto screamed as she held her hands over her ears, "I knew I wasn't gonna like it!"
"Urgh...What was that?!" Mai groaned, everyone else covering their ears as well.
"The Ghostly Wail," Danny replied, "Best attack I've got."
"Well it hurts!" Makoto complained, "It was like someone scratching tin-foil nails on a chalkboard...while chewing on tin-foiled ice!"
"Hurts worse being on the other end of it based on the aftermath of the few times I used it," Danny noted.
"What happened to evil Danny and Ben?" Tsubaki asked.
"Grr!" two voices growled as the dust cleared, showing both Dan and Chromastone grappling with one another.
"Hahaha! It's like good old times!" Dan laughed.
"You seem more like a nightmare…" Chromastone grunted.
"And I'm sure the you I fought in my time had plenty of those…" Dan smirked, "I bet you kept seeing that image in your head...when I took your family and friends from you...one. By. One."
"Grrr…" Chromastone growled as he began glowing. He moved one arm back before punching Dan, making him stagger back, "Your timeline might have been fun for you...but you won't hurt anyone in this one!" he shouted, unleashing glowing punch after glowing punch as he pushed Dan into a corner, "Never again!" he roared, swinging another punch only for Dan to phase through the wall and letting it take the brunt of the next strike.
"Better luck next time, Ben old buddy old pal!" Dan laughed, reforming atop of a building, "I'd love to stick around and do this whole little bit of ours with a younger model...but sadly I got other plans. And oh...are they plans."
"Ha!" Chromastone roared, unleashing another giant blast from his hands as Dan vanished again, "Grr...coward!"
"I can't track him…" Rook spoke from the truck, "It's as if he disappeared from the area entirely."
"Is it possible he can camouflage is energy?" Kajun pondered.
"That or he went into the Ghost Zone…" Danny spoke, "He could make portals there on his own."
"...Then that makes him truly dangerous," Tsubaki noted in worry, "He could appear anywhere he wants on Earth, and no one could see or hear him coming…"
"Great...Even more reason to hate time travel…" Chromastone groaned, reverting to Ben as the Omnitrix timed out.
"...Wait. You girls said you were from the future…" Danny recalled as he looked at said girls from the future.
"That is true. Wh…." Kajun began before tensing, "...Danny...where exactly did you have your evil self sealed away?"
"A part of the Ghost Zone owned by this ghost named Clockwork."
"And Clockwork is…?" Tsubaki asked.
"Right here."
A clock appeared in a burst of blue light. The minute hand spun around it, wiping it out to reveal a blue-skinned ghost in purple robes. His chest sported an actual door with a black grandfather clock's ticker swaying inside of it while a pocketwatch was on his black belt. Several watches decorated his black gloves while he held a silver staff ending with another watch. His left red eye had a scar going over it. He was rather elderly-looking, hunched over with a long white beard.
"Hey...he's got the same name as one of my aliens!" Ben laughed.
"Ben Tennyson," the ghost noted as he changed from an elderly man into a young child with two buck teeth, "Paradox quite enjoys speaking of you when we enjoy a bit of tea."
"What the…?" Makoto gawked as the child ghost changed into a well-built man.
"Yeah, this is something he does," Danny noted as Clockwork looked at the Beastkin.
"Ah, a Beastkin. To be here…" Clockwork noted, becoming an elderly man once more, "How you bypassed the Master Unit is quite the mystery." he glanced over at the other girls, "Many of you as well…" his eyes widened just briefly when his gaze met Noel, becoming a child again, "Ah...The headaches and panicking that one must be going through." he chuckled.
"Clockwork, how is evil future me free?" Danny asked.
"I was actually pondering that myself until I saw those around here," Clockwork replied as the adult held up a broken Fenton Thermos, "The question is how did he get the strength needed to be released?"
"...I think I may know…" Kajun spoke, earning the group and Clockwork's attention, "Much like how Ben's Chronosapien form was affected after he saw Makoto-which resulted in Tsubaki, Mai, and myself coming here-I think us somehow being here...gave him the strength to be free."
"But how? The only way he could…" Danny began before it dawned on him, "...Vlad's Ghost Zone portal…"
"Yes...that was decent enough proximity," Clockwork agreed while his elderly arm put the broken thermos back into his robes, "It was enough of a disturbance to allowed your...alternate self...shall we call him Dark Danny or perhaps Dan Phantom to escape."
"What I don't get is how he's still here," Danny frowned, "I thought history was changed."
"He exists outside of time now. He has since he stranded you in the future and he travelled to the past," Clockwork replied.
"Wait...then I broke time?!"
"You cannot break time, Daniel," Clockwork replied, once more an adult, "Remember that time is like a parade and all the ways it may or may not take."
"Hah?" Makoto asked confused.
"He's saying that while people tend to see time going one event after another like a parade when you're just watching it from the street, he sees it from up above and all the paths it can take," Kajun explained.
"And all the paths it could have and might not take…" Ben added, "You see time more like a map rather than a path."
"You have spent quite a lot around Paradox indeed," Clockwork chuckled, a smile on his elderly mouth.
"So...Dan...exists outside of time. Meaning it's less like he's in the past and more like in an alternate dimension," Tsubaki spoke.
"Exactly. Therein lies the trouble. Dan Phantom comes from one of the worst timelines I've seen. One where Danny loses himself to the darkness through giving up his humanity and one where heroes have more or less left the world. The only reason he never took over the whole Earth was the Ben Tennyson of his world. For some reason or another, he has a sick obsession with settling their...rivalry."
"Meaning it got put on me since his Ben isn't here. Great…" Ben groaned, "...Wait a second. Any chance you could bring that Ben here?"
"That depends. Would you prefer the eastern half of the entire continent intact or shattered in islands?" Clockwork replied, his childish face marred with a frown.
"Had to ask…" Ben sighed, "Seems that me still had the Ultimatrix...so he had better combat potential."
"Hm...Did he now?" Clockwork arched an eyebrow as he became an adult again, "Regardless...each version of Ben and Danny have something unique to them. So, what is it you two have that makes you different?" he finished as a smirk grew on his elderly face, "Something to think about."
The two began to ponder his words as the others decided to let them go off into their own world. As the two did so, the rest continued the important conversation with their new time travel savvy ally.
"So...how can we stop Dan?" Tsubaki asked.
"Stopping him entails multiple concepts...defeating him, which Danny has done before by using a power he did not expect," Clockwork began, reverting to his child form, "Detaining him would entail another Thermos...preferably one that has been enhanced to contain him. But then lies the question of 'where do we put him?' With time as fragile as it is...my domain no longer seems optional. Neither is the Ghost Zone as a whole nor the Null Void…"
"We'd have to be far away from it on the off-chance us being near it would cause it to fail like this did as well," Kajun added.
"Ugh...It'd be nice if there was a planet not even ghosts could handle," Makoto groaned, "We could just send it there and if he escaped, there'd be no way of him being able to deal with being out of it."
"There is one planet like that," Tsubaki answered.
"...huh?"
"You speak of Anur Vladias, do you not?" Clockwork questioned, stroking his beard in contemplation.
"Anur...Vladias?" Jenny repeated.
"There was once a race known as the Vladat," Clockwork explained, "You might consider them the alien equivalent of a vampire."
"...a...alien...vampires?" Noel repeated with a light gulp.
"Settle, young Azure's eye," Clockwork advised, his small hand patting her shoulder in assurance, "Centuries ago, they were wiped out completely. But to perform such an act...it required an entire planet to be wiped clean of life. That planet is Anur Vladis."
"He's right. It's uninhabitable and has become what Plumbers have labeled a 'dead planet,'" Tsubaki added on, "From what research was performed by several different races in the galaxy...No life can exist there anymore."
"None?"
"Indeed. Not even the hardiest of lives could survive. Not Celestialsapiens, nor Ectonurites, nor even water bears," Clockwork explained, "So powerful is the undeath of the planet, merely being in its orbit will begin to drain the life force of the living. But to be on the surface, not even a spirit would be able to survive for longer than a mere 3.1098713942149302 seconds. In other words..." a smirk came to his adult lips, "An ideal place to contain someone within a tightly bound container and have no worries for their escape."
"...Wait. Then how are we gonna even send him there, much less find him?" Mai asked...before holding her hands up, "I'm not tasting anything before you suggest, Makoto."
"Boo…" Makoto booed.
"Leave bringing him to Anur Vladis to me once he has been captured," Clockwork replied.
"So...we just need to catch him," Mai spoke.
"In other words…" Makoto turned to Danny and Ben as they began muttering amongst one another of things, "These two idiots…"
"Well...they are your idiots now, aren't they?" Clockwork smiled.
"Ah nuts…" Makoto replied.
"Ah...that was a pleasant battle...but I just barely begun…" Dan smirked, floating around the confines of the Ghost Zone, "I've yet to cause so much more damage...so much more despair...now…" he opened a portal showing Bellwood, "Shall I destroy this place again...or shall I target somewhere else more important…? ...Actually...in fact, those girls...they had a rather odd...yet tantalizing energy to them...something that...oh...ohohohohohoho! Oh I see now...they're from an alternate future...no wonder I was able to break free."
Dan then stopped as the whips came from his nose. He stopped to think...that never happens in the Ghost Zone unless something stronger than him was present. He looked off into the distance where he felt the presence.
"Okay one problem at a time...get Ghostfreak out of here...and then deal with evil you-know-who," Ben spoke as he and Danny walked downstairs to the lab, the two walked past the open Thermos before jumping back, "Why is it empty!?"
"Oh Danny! I see you brought your new friend...you just missed me sending a ghost we caught back to the Ghost Zone," Jack spoke, walking past them.
"Dad...you didn't…" Danny whispered as the two looked at the closed portal.
"Eeyup! Rather sickly looking guy, too! Guess he missed some home cooking back at the Ghost Zone!" he chuckled, "'Sides, what could we do with a weak thing like that? Now that ghost boy! Him we can dissect!"
"...He's in the Ghost Zone…" Ben spoke.
"Oh no…"
"Hey lunch is...what's with you two?" Makoto blinked as Ben and Danny stood their frozen, "...Seriously what…" she began before slowly noticing the opened Thermos, "...Please tell me neither of you…"
"It was my dad…" Danny replied with a whisper.
"You mean...he's...in there?" Makoto pointed to the portal.
"Uh-huh…" Ben spoke before falling over.
"AH!" Danny screamed in a mix of frustration and terror.
"...Oh, I just had to want a haunted house for Halloween…" Makoto groaned, her ears and tail drooping down, "...Oh and I just had a scary thought…"
"What could be worse than him…"
"Him and Dan encountering one another…"
"...You're right. That is scary…' Ben and Danny paled at that.
"Well now...this ain't something you see everyday," Dan smiled as he watched Ghostfreak stab his claws into a random ghost before opening his mouth and draining them of energy.
"Much...better," he smirked, his body much healthier looking now. He reached up and grabbed his head before twisting it right side up, he then grabbed at the skin around his neck before it formed into a hood he pulled up over his head.
"Trying to go for a grim reaper look?"
"?!" the evil Ghostfreak tensed as he shot around, "...you! Th...wait...you seem to be the Halfa..and yet...the way you smell...not a trace of humanity on you."
"You...give me the same vibe as Tennyson…" Dan admitted, "But at the same time not at all...so...what do we do, freak?"
"Don't call me that...That's the stupid name Tennyson gave me...and now that I'm free of him, I want to be free of that cursed name…" he growled, his teeth growing sharper in his rage, "The humilty of embracing a stupid child's name...I am the high lord of the Ectonurites...I am their master...my name is Zs'Skayr!"
"That's quite a tongue twister…" Dan muttered, "As for me...well I'm not anything like my past self...like you said, I have no humanity in me. I'm fully ghost...you may refer to me as Dan Phantom...the scariest most despair inducing thing in the world...well, in my future of course, but who's counting?"
"So...each of us has a disgusting link to an annoying teenager with super powers...why not make a club?" Zs'Skayr replied.
"Why don't we just work on a way to make them suffer?" Dan smiled.
Zs'Skayr smirked at that, "Well...that doesn't sound half bad really."
GT: Well, this is not good. Not good one bit.
SZ: Out of the frying pan...from into the fire...and into the volcano...hoo lordy…
Z0: I did it...again, ehehehehe!
GT: Yes, yes you did.
SZ: And we're still not done with this arc...so stay tuned g-*collapses*zzzzzz!
Z0: *tosses sleep dart gun over to GT* He did it…
GT: *tosses it back to Z0 before vanishing in a puff of smoke, leaving behind a sign reading 'Read and Review!'*
Z0: Good night everybody! *shoots self with sleep dart making me pass out and fall on a desk*