Disclaimer: Danny Phantom (serie) was created by Butch Hartman (obviously) and is the property of Nickelodeon, as are their characters (apart from my OCs)
Rating : T for the fighting, occasional violence (blood and injury), some for the language and adult themes.
Pairings : DxS and sometimes notions of possible TxV.
Notes : Be careful for spoilers on the Danny Phantom series, the story Duty of a Hero takes place approximately one year after the episode Phantom Planet, and there are some references to certain episodes. In this story, the gang prepares for their senior year of high school before heading off to college. Danny's identity as a ghost remains a secret to most people (aside from his family, friends and those who were presents in Antarctica). Most of the action will mainly focus on Amity Park and the Ghost Zone.
My primary language is not English, so you may notice errors while reading. If this is the case, don't hesitate to notify me so that I can modify the mistakes to make the story more pleasant to read ^^ I will try to post on a regular basis, although with studies and exams I might sometimes take longer or shorter breaks (but I will make sure to finish the story).
Enjoy ! :)
Prologue
Ghost Zone
Clockwork Tower
From the top of his tower, in the guise of a burly, bluish-complexioned, stern-looking man, Clockwork gazed into the vast, chaotic green void that was the Ghost Zone: it was the place where all ghosts lived, a world mirroring that of mortals and whose two existences were closely dependent on each other.
Just a few hours ago, this place had narrowly escaped destruction by the Desastroid, a gigantic asteroid composed of ectoranium that had come close to destroying Earth and, as a result, the Ghost Zone with it. Clockwork has been around since the beginning of time, long before the creation of the ghost dimension. It was one of the greatest disasters they had ever escaped : thanks to the intervention of the half-ghost Danny, who had convinced its spectral inhabitants to help ; initially reluctant, each ghost had worked to make the entire planet intangible, and the huge mass of stone had then passed through it without causing any damage.
As a result of this success, achieved through cooperation between human and ghost, everyone had celebrated the survival of their worlds that had narrowly escaped destruction.
Everyone was joyful... except him.
Beneath his purple hood, red eyes narrowed into a rare expression of concern. His right hand gripped the scepter, the one that allowed him to control time. In the blink of an eye, his whole appearance suddenly changed from an adult to a chubby, rabbit-toothed young child. However, the severity of his gaze or anxious posture had not changed. He turned, then floated inside the Tower; in it one could hear nothing but the rattling of the immense clock in which he lived alone. Clockwork walked over to a huge screen in the center of the room.
The child gave way to a frail old man, who raised his hand to the strange television he used to observe time : past, present and future. At that moment, Clockwork did not hesitate as to what he wished to see, and the ghost concentrated on a particular event, which he feared above all else. The image changed, that of young Danny being cheered by a whole crowd of people and by his relatives, and gave way to a completely different scene.
What Clockwork saw, the ghost became even more tense than before, confirmed his worst fears that were coming true: even the dreaded Fright Night, master of terror and knight of Pariah Dark, would tremble with fear at the sight that Clockwork was watching.
The destruction of both worlds.
The losses countless.
The grief.
That ominous, sinister shadow that rose above the carnage the entity had caused.
His face grew more serious and gloomy. What Clockwork saw now was the most likely future that threatened to befall them... and inevitable, as the ghost of time observed several alternative temporalities.
"Here you are, Clockwork," a voice behind his back announced. "We've been waiting for you."
The ghost of time, now an adult again, did not need to turn around to recognize the Observants: three slender green figures with a large single eye on their heads left the shadows and crept silently to Clockwork, who gave a brief nod of recognition as they approached. These strange ghosts were his employers, and those who served as judges of the ghost world. The same people who, in the past, had sent him to eliminate Danny Phantom in order to prevent the realization of one of his probable futures that would lead him to become the terrifying Dark Danny; a despot who had threatened both the Ghost Zone, Earth, and the present. Thankfully, following an intervention on his part to change the course of events ; then, his warning to the young halfa who had vowed never to become this evil being, this had been narrowly avoided.
But this time, a new threat had emerged, and its power over time would not be enough to subdue it.
Clockwork let them look at what he had seen, and he conjured up the images that the future revealed to him. Despite the absence of facial expression due to the absence of faces, a collective shudder shook the Observants' bodies and betrayed their panic. Even Clockwork, despite having already seen disturbing things because of his vision, turned away from a particularly distressing image.
Danny, in his ghost form, struggled to his feet amid the ruins of what had been the Amity Park Mall: everything else in the city was in the same state of destruction. The sky was red and torn by many portals, where an army of frightening creatures poured out: gargoyles, armed and bloodthirsty, who descended on the streets to terrorize the population who sought in vain for safety.
The fallen hero could barely stand. Alone. His bruised body, with his left arm hanging to the side, was bleeding profusely with plasma blood: the black suit was largely in tatters, barely covering his now bare torso. Danny was in danger of collapsing at any moment and was breathing heavily. His exhausted face was covered with deep scratches and lacerations, his white hair dishevelled and covered with dust, but his green eyes shone with a terrible gleam of despair and anger at that moment. The wounded arm, which he held close to his body, clenched something forcefully in his fist.
"Give up," a voice thundered, over the screams and cries. "Fighting is useless. Join the army of your new lord and master, or you will die unnecessarily." Multiple menacing red eyes pierced the skies and focused on the ghost teenager. "Obey me, Danny Phantom, and you will be rewarded: all your wishes will be granted. You just have to admit defeat, because you have nothing to protect anymore."
For long and terrible minutes, Danny stared at the being responsible for all of this destruction. His heart was boiling with savage rage, and the ghostly energy within him was rising as the urge to take down this felon grew. But, above all, resignation gradually overwhelmed him. The fist of his arm shook open, revealing a golden ring with a name engraved on it. His eyes filled with tears, as his head lowered and the shadow covered his face, accepting that he had lost.
"I'm sorry," he whispered.
Defeated, he fell to his knees, and Danny surrendered to the enemies around him to capture him.
And the vision ended there.
"This is the future that awaits us, and the one most likely to come true," Clockwork said gravely, sparing his words.
"My brothers, we are doomed," one of the Observant proclaimed, shaking his eyeball fatalistically. "The threat of this asteroid was just the beginning: its release must be near."
"Impossible!" cried the second Observant loudly, trembling with fear at this simple alternative.
The last of them turned abruptly to Clockwork, who had meanwhile become a child again, who immediately exclaimed to the one who commanded time: "Clockwork! Are you sure we should fear this future? Wouldn't you have made a mistake?"
"I'm not mistaken." Clockwork's deep voice was icy cold, and the ghost glared fiercely at the ghost who questioned him. "Of the many futures I've observed, he's the one that appears on every path. It doesn't matter if we change the past or the present, this road is the only one I can see."
His statement had the effect of a sledgehammer blow; the three Observants were now fidgeting and shouting at each other, trying to make a decision to prepare for the terrible future that was looming over their heads. Tired of their noisy – and useless – chatter, Clockwork went back outside to escape their argument. His adult form reappeared, as the ghost returned to observe what had caught his attention earlier.
Probably other powerful ghosts could have sensed this change in the depths of their being: that the balance of this world had been upset. Many must have realized.
But Clockwork was the only one who knew the truth.
This ancient and familiar evil was growing, forgotten by all in the depths of the Ghost Zone and its infinite borders. But now Clockwork knew that its return was inevitable, and the imminent destruction it would bring. Even Pariah Dark, back when the tyrant king of ghosts had been at the stronger of his power—even more than when Danny, equipped with the Fenton combat exoskeleton, had faced him when centuries of confinement had greatly weakened the evil ghost—was nothing compared to this threat.
His hand tightened the scepter he was holding. Clockwork never thought that this dreaded day would finally arrive. But the future told otherwise. The last events of the Desastroid were the beginnings of this. Soon, both the Ghost Zone and Earth will be in terrible danger. A new war was approaching, and the consequences would be dreadful. He'd seen it.
And yet... Clockwork still held out a slim hope. Fragile, but there: Danny Fenton was that hope. The ghost boy had repeatedly surpassed his expectations and demonstrated his strength against powerful threats. As then, with the asteroid crisis, the halfa had been able to unite their two worlds in a common goal to save them all. Clockwork saw many things, indeed, but he was not an omniscient being. And he had a feeling that another bright future, different from the one they had seen, might be possible.
And that would be thanks to Amity Park's young half-ghost.
Clockwork looked back at the passage leading to the Fenton Portal - where the hero of their worlds and the key to their future lived. He proclaimed solemnly:
"I have faith in you, Danny Phantom."
Amity Park
Night had already fallen, and the moon was flying high in the sky among the stars, when Danny reluctantly realized that it was time to go home.
"Sam, we need to leave," Danny whispered to his best friend, whose head was resting against his shoulder.
The two of them were huddled together under a tree in the city park. Danny had dropped them off there, not far from where a ceremony had taken place to honor him (or rather, Danny Phantom) with the feat of saving the Earth. But he'd preferred to sneak in to enjoy some time with Sam: after everything that had happened, the idea of being with her was more appealing than this celebration — even if it was to thank him.
Several hours had passed, as they had enjoyed each other's company: in the meantime, Sam had dozed off against him, both of their hands still tied together. Her breathing was soft and slow, a sign that she was deeply asleep. Danny let his gaze linger on his friend. She seemed so peaceful, without without the sullen look that the girl always carried. So vulnerable. And beautiful.
Danny couldn't help but blush slightly, as he remembered the kiss the two had shared earlier. It had been... Awesome. Even better than the fake kisses we'd already shared before, he thought. The boy had enjoyed them very much, though: had Sam enjoyed it as much as he did?
When she fidgeted at him a bit, muttering something inaudible though she didn't wake up, Danny decided to take her home himself. Sam's parents, Jeremy and Pam Manson, would eventually worry about her absence – she had pretended to be going to the celebration of the teenage ghost hero, despite their strong objections. However her grandmother, Ida Manson, had supported her, much to her father's dismay and her mother's annoyance; Sam had fled through the door before the couple protested further, quietly thanking the old lady.
Danny rose slowly; he lifted Sam against him, without waking her, and carried her as a bride, being careful not to shake her too much. She barely moved, snuggling up to him unconsciously, before he turned into a ghost and took them through the air in a gentle flight. Even though his ghostly body wasn't supposed to give off heat – especially with his icy affinity – the half-ghost couldn't help but feel very hot as he held Sam in this way. He could smell her whole form – a light, slim figure – and the girl's scent: forest fruit and vanilla.
They arrived at the neighborhood where the Manson family lived – Danny still remembered his shock when Sam had invited him and Tucker over for a movie night. Unlike his other best friend, Danny had just discovered her family's phenomenal wealth, and a house where Sam's basement was a movie theater lobby AND a bowling alley (where his childhood closet served as his secret hiding place). Danny came up to the first floor, towards Sam's room; he made them both intangible and walked through the closed window.
Once they entered the room, which was unsurprisingly conforming with the taste of the young goth, Danny gently laid the sleeping beauty in her bed. Initially, the boy had planned to leave immediately, but the teenager returned to his human form and took care to make Sam comfortable so that she would be comfortable. As he put the blanket on her, the girl slowly opened her eyes.
Danny froze. "Sorry, I woke you up?" he whispered, careful that the Mansons downstairs didn't hear him – Sam and him could really get into big trouble if they found out about Danny here.
Sam didn't answer, but instead looked at him with big, bright eyes. Danny understood the discreet message and sat down next to her, so he could hear what her friend had to say.
"You know, I was so relieved when I saw you coming back from the portal," she told him. Sam closed her eyes, looking at the mental image of Danny's ship crashing into the mountain. "I really thought I lost you that day."
All the fear, sadness, and apprehension she had held off the past few days escaped Sam, with no barriers holding back her emotions. The tears that beaded from the corners of her eyelids alarmed Danny, who hastened to reassure her. He took her in his arms, and Sam was relieved to hear the steady beating of his heart - even though at the moment they were very fast.
"I know. I'm sorry for worrying you," he apologized against her hair, as the boy held her tighter against him.
They stayed like that for a long time, until Sam gradually relaxed. Soon after, she dozed off again in his arms. After putting her to bed, Danny became his ghost again, ready to leave. But first, he leaned over to the sleeping Sam, then gave her the slightest kiss on the cheek – hardly more noticeable than a feather caress.
Finally, he left to join his family, with a light mind and a joyful heart.