Chapter 29: Remaining Remembrance Of You

The next morning Danny quietly shut the bathroom door, holding back a yawn. Despite the fact he hadn't been beaten up throughout the night, he had barely slept. Rubbing the grit from his eyes he padded over to the landing, pausing to see who was up yet.

At once Danny smiled, hearing the sounds of his parents hammering away at their inventing shenanigans. As he was about to head down the stairs Jazz emerged from her bedroom. The moment she saw him, she froze, rooted to the spot like she'd been caught. Though his sister quickly recovered, plastering a disproving scowl and stumbled over to him.

" You didn't stay out all night, did you?"

" Not all night. I did get about two hours of sleep." Danny grinned at her huff of disbelief. In truth, he hadn't been able to get Dan off his mind no matter how hard he tried. Even after explaining every little detail to his friends, his odd arrival had been bugging him. He agreed that he was likely himself from the future, but he hoped that alone Dan would be more open to discussing things. So once the house was quiet he'd gone to confront him.

That had ended up becoming impossible. Dan wasn't anywhere in Amity Park from what he could tell. Or if he was, he was remaining in his normal form, hidden to his ghost sense. At first, it had been a joy flying around his hometown again while the city slept. But as the cold night dragged on, it lost its charm fast.

"Danny, constant all-nighters are terrible for your health. You can't just run around on tiny amounts of sleep. And being a half ghost doesn't give you the excuse either!" Jazz hissed out the last part softly, causing him to roll his eyes.

" I know that. Just… I thought checking up on things was a good idea. I slept enough the other day."

She pursed her lips but didn't argue back. It was bizarre, he realised, how little they argued now. Before they fought and bickered every day, but it was like his time away had strengthened their sibling relationship to a whole new level. And secretly, he found he didn't mind Jazz's nosiness anymore. It was somewhat… nice that she cared.

As he made his way down Jazz followed, the sounds of Mom's frantic clattering in the kitchen reaching them. Like most weekends Danny thought Jazz would join him for breakfast, but instead she grabbed her coat.

Instantly he knew his sister had plotted something, her behaviour was abnormal. "What are you up to?" His question caused her to freeze again, her sudden reluctance to look him in the eye proving his theory.

"Just going to the library for research. I want all my essay's done before the break."

"You still haven't finished? You?"

"Well, I've been busy with a certain someone." Grabbing her keys, Jazz dashed off to the door without looking to see his disbelief. Now he was very suspicious as she avoided him altogether. " Oh! Tell Mom I'll have breakfast out."

"Sure…" Frowning he debated on sneaking after her, but today that wouldn't be possible. Sam and Tucker would be arriving in a few hours, and Plasmius's thermos was far more important than what Jazz was up to.

Strolling into the kitchen he was rewarded with a bombardment of mess. Maddie Fenton was once again up to her antics of making breakfast at the same time as experimenting. Tubes and beakers of ectoplasm, ethanol and saline were littered across the table. The large, bulky microscope was on the counter having been dragged up from the lab, the dish full of questionable contents.

"Morning Mom." Carefully Danny moved through the space, eying the Fenton Finder suspiciously to check it was off. Maddie glanced his way, her goggles reflecting him as she beamed.

"Morning Sweetie! I've got some eggs on the stove if you want them, we've got plenty!"

"Oh… No, I'm good." While he trusted she wouldn't poison them deliberately, it wasn't the first time he'd found green flecks in his food. His core never liked the sudden energy spikes, and if any scanners were on they always sent his parents into a frenzy. So Danny played it safe with old reliable cereal. " Jazz wanted you to know she's grabbing breakfast elsewhere. Heading to the library today."

"That's strange…" She paused, her smile dropping. " Jazzy told me she was supposed to help out with that Baxter boy's tutoring today. I wonder what happened?"

"Must have cancelled." Thankfully, Danny added glumly. He still hated that Jazz was tutoring Dash, but she always scolded him that he didn't understand his position. Apparently, all the jock needed was an intellectual booster. When Danny knew all Dash needed was an intellectual kick to the face. Sighing he cleared a space on the table with his arm, settling down.

However, his mom's confusion made him pause. A nagging feeling in the back of his mind warned him to be careful. If things were correct, today was the day that Lucrezia and Tam would be making trouble in Amity Park. Jazz's sudden strange desire to do something different started to tug at his nervousness.

"Have plans for today Danny? If not, you're more than welcome to join us!"

Swallowing Danny forced down his cringe. Ghost hunting with his parents always ended in disaster. Before she roped him into joining them he used his sister's lie as his own. " Sorry… But I'll be busy all day. Sam and Tucker are coming around later. You know… to finish a project before the break."

Maddie pouted unhappily at the news. "Well, maybe once break begins you can tag along! We can… make it a whole family bonding activity! But, if you three are going to hang out here while we're out, remember to stay out of the lab! And that isn't an invitation for you to explore either, Danny! We're shutting down the lab's power just to be careful, but I don't want you three to get hurt playing with the equipment."

Danny froze, his spoon clattering back into the bowl. Thankfully she didn't see his horror-stuck face, too busy filling two plates with food. " Why… why are you shutting it down?"

" Your father thinks we had a big breach last night. Might be a spook! Both exciting… and worrisome. Can you imagine, right under our noses while we slept!" Pausing at the door with a tray in hand she fixed him with a stern look. " The Fenton Ectotainer had beep traces of a ghost signature. It might be a lesser spook, or it might be just a malfunction -or your father's been playing with the buttons again… To be safe I don't want you three taking a step into the lab until we're home."

With a warm, unbothered wave she disappeared around the corner, leaving him speechless. Slowly Danny returned to his cereal, but he didn't have the stomach for it anymore. Things were slowly unravelling around him. First Jazz's weird behaviour and now this. No way was this an accident! The moment he needed to use the Fenton Ectotainer, it was out of order. It was too much of a coincidence.

Nervous now he chewed on a spoonful of soggy flakes, trying to think of ways that it was just a weird chance. It wasn't a big deal… they'd just have to open the thermos… carefully. And he'd have to be ready for Plasmius to attempt to destroy him once he got out. All that this would mean is a more tactical approach.

Dumping the half-full bowl in the sink he flopped down in the lounge, listening to the clang and clatter of his parents. There was sudden a burst of movement, Jack and Maddie exploding into the space in a buzz of excitement. Danny spoke his farewells and dodged his father's attempts to drag him to the RV. As suddenly as they came, he was alone, the Fenton home quiet.

He was jolted out of a doze from a loud buzz, stopping his rings from fully parting. The reaction made Danny scowl, rising to his feet. When had he become so twitchy? This wasn't Hogwarts anymore, it was a home-ground advantage. Here he had his friends and all the ghost-hunting equipment he could ever want.

Sighing Danny pulled open the front door-

-and immediately stepped back as Sam barged in.

"I can't believe you!" She was trying her hardest not to yell, but Sam's voice was shrill. " You promised us no more secrets!? So why would you go behind our backs!?"

"W-w-what? I- What do you mean Sam-"

"Oh, you know what I mean Danny!" With a grimace, she punched him in the chest. " How dare you! You don't see me sneaking into your room, throwing your things all over the floor!"

He was completely frozen as she lashed out at him again, wincing at the blow. Thankfully Tucker rushed to his defence, gently pulling her away.

"Whoa, easy Sam. I don't think Danny has any idea what you're talking about." Even as he said it Tucker's gaze narrowed his way. " Even I find it hard to believe he'd rummage through your private things while you were asleep."

"What?! I never have - Sam! You got to believe me that I'd never sneak into your room at night without you knowing- not in a million years!" Danny hated how his voice rose in the panic, his ears burning. "What happened!?"

Huffing Sam pulled out of Tucker's grip, glaring at him. " What happened? Well, it's gone! Someone stole the thermos last night and decided to throw all my stuff on the floor! I thought hiding it underneath the floorboards was safe, but apparently not! I would have heard it open so it wasn't Plasmius. There's only one other guy I know who has the skills to pull something like that off!"

Immediately Danny felt his stomach sink. Ignoring Sam's furious glare he tried to piece things together, taking in everything that had happened this morning. A future version appears randomly, speaking of his enemies from Hogwarts returning today. Then just when he wanted to gather more information, their only lead disappears at the wrong time. At the perfect time.

One thing he'd learned going up against an enemy that could time travel was that there was always more going on than what it seemed. And his suspicions immediately fell onto the sudden arrival of a weird half ghost.

"Danny! I'm talking to you!" He jolted, noticing that Sam had been trying to grab his attention by shaking his shoulder. Even Tucker looked worried, not liking his odd silence.

"Come on," gesturing for them to enter Danny closed the front door, swiftly leading them up the stairs without a backwards glance. " Mom said that the Fenton Ectotainer was weirdly active last night. But I'm starting to think it wasn't Dad messing around with it..."

Moving towards the hatch that led to the Ops Center, his friends picked up on his sombre mood and fell silent. Tucker helped him lower the ladder from the roof, his frown pushing his glasses up his nose.

"Are you thinking one of your enemies messed with it deliberately?"

" I've got a theory. But if it's true… I don't like it." Danny helped them up into the centre, the light flickering on when sensing movement, illuminating the domed metallic space. " I think I also might know who broke into your room last night, Sam."

She frowned, though her anger towards him had faded. Moving over to the control panel Danny quickly logged in with his voice commands, hoping that it had the answers they needed. If anything had broken into the lab, the camera should have picked it up at once. He and Tucker were the ones always deleting footage of him transforming down there. His parents thought it was spooks messing with the device, and Danny was relieved they hadn't caught onto the real reason yet.

" Hopefully the camera picked up something…" On the screen, a washed-out view of the Fenton lab appeared, showing the dark empty room and closed portal. It was strange seeing the red light dim, feeling none of the chill seeping through the walls. But on seeing the live feed Danny's heart sunk at the mountain of work they had.

" I guess we just need to sit through yesterday's feed and see if we spot something-"

"You don't need to go through all of it Dude," Tucker pushed him aside in the seat, typing on the keyboard. "You just need to work out a time frame to search. Got a starting point?"

Danny thought for a moment. " I was out most of the night. So likely from ten pm to four am would be the spot."

"Oh… so the culprit admits his guilt."

He blushed, wincing. I was out searching! I wanted to find Dan, I swear! Besides- why would I steal it when I knew you were bringing it over today!?"

Ignoring him Sam peered over Tucker's shoulder, watching as he rewound the footage and started at the beginning. It was a quick blur of odd orange movement of Jack as he started to finish his nightly experiments. Then there was nothing, only the flickering hue of the ghost portal's shimmering light. Eleven rolled by, then twelve. Then one. When suddenly a blur of moment bolted onto the screen.

Tucker yelped in alarm, stopping the video in a flash. On the paused screen was a figure frozen in the middle of the lab. And it didn't take long for them to figure out who that figure was.

"Guess that explains where Dan was." Tucker nervously lowered the speed to normal, waiting for Danny to give the okay to continue. He leaned over Tucker's shoulder, studying the pixel form closely. It was hard to see, but there was a glint of silver in his hand.

" He's got the Fenton thermos." Beside him Sam hissed, joining him to glare at the screen.

"That Jerk. I know he could be you Danny, but... if I ever see him again he's… Double dead!" Her voice had lost all its fury, now jumpy. Danny himself didn't like that he'd broken into Sam's room and rummaged through her belongings. It added more evidence there was a chance he wasn't who he said he was; Danny would never do that.

Slowly he nodded for Tucker to start the video again, Dan now moving through the empty lab. He paused, staring at the portal for a while before moving over to the giant box that was the Fenton Ectotainer. Working on the control panel he connected the cylinder to the box and released the thermos within. In the shielded space was a burst of blue mist, Plasmius re-forming from the device.

Though the angle was off due to the container tucked in the corner, they watched as Plasmius fell to the floor from the sudden release of the Fenton thermos. Danny winced, recalling all too well the pain from Jazz's own mistakes catching him. As his ghost form became more solid, Dan strolled casually over to the workbench. Grabbing one of the chairs he dragged it back over to the box, Plasmius stilling inside at the obvious scraping noise.

Tucker groaned, peering over his shoulder. "Sorry guys. I'm regretting disabling the microphone now."

"Doesn't matter Tuck. I'd rather my parents never hear my enemies yelling about my half ghost powers." Danny refused to look away from the screen, watching Dan sit himself down near the box. But it was Plasmius that had caught his attention the most. Vlad was staring now at him, gradually rising to his feet. Even on the screen that same, enraged glare he'd sent him before they fought was easy to spot.

It took them a while to realise that Dan must be talking, as his back was now facing them. But from Vlad's growing sneer, it was clear something was being discussed. As the footage continued Sam leaned closer, eyes now wide.

"Is it just me, but… you don't think… Plasmius is acting too calm considering what's happening in front of him?"

A lump settled in Danny's gut. He'd noticed it too. From the relaxed pose of Dan and Plasmius's guarded, furious expression, it was strange that he wasn't freaking out a little. Maybe he didn't know it was another half ghost. They might have a few similarities in appearance, but their ages were different. It would be believable for Vlad to think this was just another foe.

But as the footage rolled on it was clear they were in a heated talk. Vlad was now glancing around the container, moving from one end to the other as he spat out whatever he was saying with venom. Suddenly Danny realised he'd seen that behaviour from the half ghost at Hogwarts. Though he knew he was still terrible at reading Vlad, it almost seemed like Plasmius was getting anxious.

Then Dan moved, and to their shock he thumbed out the time medallion under his collar, showing it to Vlad. The moment he did Plasmius suddenly became animated, his rage intensifying enough that ruby sparks flew from his fingertips. Once again Danny felt nervous at the development; Vlad knew what that was. How he didn't even want to know. But whatever the reason he was livid at the sight of it.

They watched on, holding their breath as the argument continued. The whole time Dan didn't show any change, relaxed in knowing that Vlad couldn't get to him through the container. Tucking it back under his shirt Dan stood, immediately Plasmius halting in whatever insult he was about to yell out next. There was a moment where neither moved, then Dan walked towards the box.

All three of them gasped, not believing what they were seeing. On the screen, Dan transformed into a ghost, yet Danny was shocked when no rings appeared. It was almost like there was a glitch in the image, the air rippled like it was a mirage. In moments Phantom was in the lab, glowing form shifting his hair white. Stopping in front of the Fenton Ectotainer the strange blur cleared -and Plasmius retreated swiftly to the far back of the chamber.

There were another few tense moments of stillness before Vlad appeared to speak quickly, edging forward to the half ghost. But whatever it was, it wasn't important. Dan re-engaged the thermos, and Plasmius got sucked into the device again. There was nothing but mist for a few seconds, and then Dan clicked the now full thermos back into his hand. He stared at it for a moment, then flew into the portal, disappearing into the Ghost Zone.

None of them spoke, Tucker slowly pressing a button to fast forward the speed. They watched as the footage whizzed by, the hours ticking. But nothing entered the lab from the portal again. Then the orange form of his father shot in, followed closely by Maddie. Then in a blur of colours, they returned to the dark, live footage.

Swallowing Tucker swivelled the chair around. " You guys… saw that right?"

" It has to be a mistake. An error in the footage." Sam nodded as if that would convince her. " There's no way he could have transformed without the rings. That's impossible, isn't it Danny?"

" Maybe… Unless he never was human to begin with." Thinking madly he ignored their gasps. The moment he'd seen it on the screen, he knew that he hadn't gone ghost at all. It was like the moment Tam had revealed his eyes in the stone's gauntlet, he'd changed. Shape-shifted. The word sent a chill through his veins, recalling his new ghost files. What if Dan had never been in his normal form, but had been a ghost the whole time they'd seen him? It would explain the bizarre feeling coming off the guy.

" That night I fought Plasmius, there were things… powers he said I had that I can't do. And he knew about my Ghostly Wail before I learned it. But I never used my wail directly in front of him when I was at Hogwarts. Guys, I need you to tell me why we were both fighting in the first place."

"Why?" Sam snorted, " He's been trying to waste you ever since you both met at that college reunion with your parents.-"

" No. I mean why. Did he ever say why he hated me? The Plasmius I remembered hated my Dad. He was crazy with his insane idea Maddie would marry him. I was just something in the way. A bonus. This… this seems more personal."

They both paused, seeing that he wasn't joking. Then Tucker cleared his throat, frowning. "Now that you mentioned it. Plasmius has always been… loopy. He did hate your Dad too. But… after what happened yesterday, something's been stuck in my mind all night. And I think I just recalled what." He and Sam stared as Tucker nervously tugged at his sleeve. " It was when you mention that kid Harry yesterday. Told us about what happened at Hogwarts. I… I remembered that Plasmius would rant about someone named Harry all the time. But…something he once said bugged me. At the time I didn't think it matter because… well, he's crazy! But... maybe it was more important than we thought…"

"What… did he say?" Danny was nervous as to why Tucker wasn't just telling him. And his pained expression didn't help.

"He… A while back we had to stop him from stealing things from your lab after Plasmius failed to steal your portal. He… mentioned how it was your fault. Why Harry was dead."

Beside him, Sam gasped. " I remember that now! That was just after that mess with Freakshow, wasn't it? He was ranting off as usual about how he was going to catch you out in your lie..." She trailed off, the memory recalling something that made her still.

Danny started to become frustrated. "What? What did he say?"

Sam looked at him, eyes widening. " He… he said-"

"-That it was you, Dude. That you killed Harry."

For a moment he didn't react, staring at Tucker. "That's… a joke, right?" But their sombre faces didn't drop into smiles. " That can't be! I was protecting Harry! I would never, ever hurt Harry like that! Never!" As he spoke anger bubbled up, his powers surging at the conflicting emotions. As it did ice spread out around him, causing his friends to jump back.

Quickly Sam stepped around it, grabbing his shoulder. "Danny calm down! Even if Plasmius said that we can't believe that lying coward! For all we know he was the one that killed Harry and he said that to trick you! We don't know the facts of what's happened to jump to conclusions yet!"

Danny panicked at the lack of control, taking big gulps of air to calm himself down. Tucker returned his feet to the floor, peering back at the screen. " I'm starting to think that there's more going on than what you've told us. And… I don't want to be mean Danny, but that Dan guy… I'm getting bad vibes about him. If a powerful ghost like Plasmius is nervous of him…"

His words were left hanging in the air, Danny feeling that icy chill again. Like before he was missing things, key pieces of information that he needed. But now the only person that might know those secrets was gone. They never could search the vast Ghost Zone in time.

Sam's hands squeezed his shoulder, a flicker of fear crossing her face. "What's our next move, Danny?"

He chewed his cheek, rushing through everything they had. " We need to find out what's going on. And if Vlad can't help us… I think it's time we go find out why he didn't want us going to the mall…"

###

Jazz sighed, pen digging deep into her paper to the point it made a hole. So far she'd found nothing of use, which was making her feel terrible for hiding it from Danny. She had been telling the truth. Somewhat. Her goal was to go to the library, but not to work on imaginary overdue essays that she'd finished weeks ago.

Ever since she'd learned her brother had discovered an entire magical world hidden from their view, she wanted answers. She just knew something bad was going to happen; Danny didn't have a good track record for things working out. Jazz wanted to find out if anything weird had happened during his travels.

So she decided to go through the history books, trying to find anything strange from the years her brother was stuck there. But they had turned up useless, filled with worthless information. Then she had drifted to the computer, slowly swimming her way through mountains of newspapers and articles in England.

But deep down Jazz knew she would find nothing. There wasn't going to be anything open about witches and wizards, or magical things beyond belief. If they wanted to be hidden, the entire government would be making sure to cover it up. Jazz was even careful not to search for anything that hinted at magic directly, hoping the public device would protect her if she did.

Other than the odd folk tale, or the weird reports of fireworks and black streams of smoke, there wasn't much that screamed magic. The only odd thing that stood out was in 1992 a car was supposedly seen flying over London, but even that was seen as a joke or a stunt for a movie.

Leaning back Jazz closed her eyes. She wasn't getting anywhere, and it wasn't like she could ask someone about it. They'd ship her off to the nearest asylum if she started spewing crazy nonsense. The only good thing was Danny didn't appear anywhere, so it was likely no risk being in the past. That… had been positive.

Huffing Jazz logged out, stuffing her notebook back into her bag. And here was her hoping she could be helpful to Danny. She hated how he always seemed to get in trouble, always putting himself in danger. Sure his friends were helping him! But she wanted to at least be useful in his now crazy half ghost life.

When the screen returned to its dull blue she stretched, feeling her stomach rumble in complaint. Time for some overdue brunch.

As she went to rise the chair next to her pulled out loudly. Instantly Jazz was annoyed, there were so many open computers to pick from. Yet before she could let her feelings known, a man turned the chair to face her, slumping down into it.

"Jazz Fenton, right?"

She froze, taking in the stranger before her. She'd never seen him at the library before, nor anywhere in Amity Park either. A mass of curly brown hair stuck up like he'd been caught in a great wind, heavy framed glasses hanging on his nose. He was grinning at her, but something about that grin didn't seem… right.

Glancing around to check no one was near Jazz threw her bag over her shoulder. " It is. Who are-"

Before she could finish he held a finger to his lips, a soft whistle asking for quiet. Then he dug into his coat and pulled out a long, carved stick. Muttering under his breath he twirled the tip, a thin wisp of silky mist drifting out of it. Suddenly it was like all the faint noises of the library faded, like a door had been closed. Jazz stared, her jaw slacking. That must be a wand Danny had told her about. Then…he must be a wizard! He had to be!

"There… better. Now we can talk without getting kicked out." His voice dropped the whisper, the grin softening as he hid the wand.

"What.. was that? Magic?"

"Muffler charm. Anyone around us won't hear a single word. And if they get too close, all they'll hear is us talking about this cold autumn weather. Useful, isn't it?"

Jazz narrowed her eyes, but her insides fluttered in excitement. Real magic. First ghosts, her brother becoming one, and now she was meeting a wizard. But then the question of why she was meeting one in the first place surfaced.

The wizard noticed that look and gestured to himself. " Thomas O'Deirdre. But my friends all call me Tam."

The moment he spoke that name, Jazz felt the world around her disappear. It was one of the people who messed with time. Danny's enemy. " And what… what do your enemies call you?"

Tam chuckled. " Also Tam. I like to keep things simple."

Her instincts told her to run, to get away and warn Danny he was there. But curiosity grew to tempting levels. Slowly Jazz returned to the chair, eyebrow curling. " Danny told me all about you. Both of you. And if you think you can hurt me, I'll let you know I'm more capable fighting than you think."

His grin returned. " I have no doubt. But I'm not here for violence, I want to chat. I'm sure Danny didn't tell you everything about me?"

It was her turn to laugh, continuing with the game. " Enough to know where you stand. Ignoring that you're a wizard, why are you messing with my brother?" It was a long shot, but any information for her brother was critical.

Tam shrugged. "Danny just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Despite what the kiddo might have told you, I'm not actively trying to hurt him." He winced, rubbing his chest. "He's hurt me more than I have if we're keeping tabs."

" Then if that's true why speak to me and not him? I'm sure he'd love to chat." Swiftly she pulled out her phone, and held it up to prove she wasn't bluffing. He looked at her dully, the humour vanishing. " Or is the real reason you're here to kidnap me to get to my brother?"

"Why would you think I'd do that?"

"It's not the first time a ghost's kidnapped me to hurt Danny."

"Jazz," Behind his glasses he locked her with a stare. " If I truly wished to hurt you, I would have done it seconds ago. We wouldn't be talking." The threat in his voice broke some of her confidence, the phone feeling slick in her palm. Tam sighed, stretching his legs out under the desk. " I'm speaking to you because I know you care for Danny. I speak the truth that hurting your brother is the last thing I want. I need him. What I'm here for today is to ask for your help."

"My help?" She frowned, watching him nod. " Why would I help you when you've done-"

"Do you want to save your brother?"

Jazz felt a jolt of fear but swiftly pushed that down. She knew she couldn't trust a word this guy said, especially after everything Danny had told her. This was likely a manipulation of her emotions, a ploy to use her to hurt her brother. Ignoring his question she started to search for Danny's number.

" You know I can time travel. I know what will happen in the future. And I also know that if you do nothing today, you'll lose him forever. But maybe you can stop that?"

Pausing, Jazz looked up at him. Tam's smile was no longer there, a serious expression locked onto his brow. Something about the way he said it, his shift in behaviour caused her to wonder if he was telling the truth. Carefully she lowered the phone into her lap, though kept her thumb resting lightly on the button. "What will happen?"

"Hmm… Perhaps today there might be a fight. And risk in that fight of Danny revealing his secret not just to your parents, but to the rest of the world. Or maybe," he paused, watching to see her reaction. " Maybe even as bad as death. Whose death, now that's a good question."

Her heartbeat jolted, worry settling into her tenfold. It had to be untrue, but Jazz now knew she couldn't dismiss it. " You're lying. Why not tell Danny this-"

"- Because of Time. If I tell him, my telling could result in that end happening. Though, it's not like the kiddo would listen to a word I say." He sat up again, leaning in close to lower his voice. " Jazz, that future would be the last thing I want. It would ruin everything I'm trying to achieve. But you and I have the same goal; in a manner of speaking. Which is why I'm willing to get help from you. And… I don't have much time until my own life is in danger. About-" Tam glanced at the wall clock, wincing. " Three minutes left."

That surprised Jazz, peering at the clock herself. " What would you need me to do then? I'm not doing anything that endangers my brother."

" All I need from you is to walk with me from here to the fountain. That's all." Tam smiled again, and Jazz snorted.

"That's it?"

"Yes."

"Walk you from the front door to the centre of the square?"

"Of course. Once you've done that we'll part ways. That's all I ask."

Jazz eyed around the library, annoyed that no one had caught onto their chatting. What he was asking seemed so simple. Even stupidly harmless. But that can't be all, there must be more to it. " What happens if I don't?"

"A fight will break out in the square, five civilians will be critically hurt from the town hall falling in on itself in the crossfire. Your brother and your parents will rush in hoping to defend the others. But…at the minimum worst will reveal his secret."

Inhaling sharply, Jazz knew she didn't have a choice now. If she didn't, the damage it could cause might destroy Danny's life more so. Without another word she stood, pocketing her phone and walked towards the door. Tam followed, stepping ahead to open the swinging door for her. Outside the streets were crowded, a few people eating lunch on the outside seats. It was when they were almost standing in front of the misting fountain that Jazz stopped, suddenly realising there was a huge error with his plan.

"Wait. You said Danny would be drawn to a fight. Then… who attacked you first?"

Tam chuckled nervously. "This guy will."

Before Jazz could respond the air temperature seemed to plummet. It had always been a chilly day, but this drop made her shudder, breath frosting out. All of a sudden a person stepped around the fountain, so abruptly Jazz swore he had materialised out of nowhere. Immediately Tam shifted closer to her, gripping Jazz's shoulders tightly. Their abrupt arrival stalked towards them, glare locked onto Tam. Suddenly she found herself unable to move, the loathing, the malice pouring off this guy rooted her to the spot.

" Using public crowds… I should have known you'd be using old tricks."

Jazz gasped, immediately knowing that voice. She'd heard it only a few days ago, speaking from Danny's evil future. Yet at the same time… something else washed over her. Looking at this man kindled a faint memory. A flicker of knowing that she'd seen him before, long ago. An image flashed briefly in her mind of being squished underneath a low wooden frame, coarse carpet, and dust digging into her chin. And of this guy uncomfortably laying next to her, a chuckle rumbling around the dim space, saying something. But as Jazz tried to grasp at that memory, it vanished, leaving her confused about whether it was real at all.

Beside her, Tam looped his arm tighter around her whole frame, and she was somewhat grateful for the warmth of his jacket. " When you have a murderous half ghost hunting you down it pays to be careful, kiddo!"

"Danny?" Her voice came out in barely a whisper. For a moment his intense gaze softened looking down at her, but it flickered green when it returned to the wizard.

"Let her go, Tam."

"And lose my only protection from you slicing me apart? I don't think so!" He stepped back, dragging her along as the other stepped forward. " At least with this, I can actually speak to you. Come on! Lucrezia's not here, we can talk this out-"

"-There's no talking. That ship sailed long ago. Now there's only one thing happening." The tension was rising, and people around looking to the skies as they worried about a ghost attack. Jazz could feel the buzz around them, suddenly knowing that whatever was about to happen would cause a lot of damage. But try as she might, no words could escape her.

Leaning against him Jazz felt Tam's muscles go rigid, grip becoming painful. " Think about what you're saying. Carefully Danny. Do you want to do this? Surely you can't be that cruel?"

The other, this Danny narrowed his gaze. " You might think that things will play out as you've plotted, but I'm not letting you continue this. I am going to stop you."

" Continue!?- Do you think I want things to continue? With the way things are heading, you'll never stop it. That's why I'm asking you to talk, Danny. Together we can-"

There was a short laugh, Jazz flinching at the sharpness of it. " After what you both did? If you truly wished to help me Harry wouldn't be dead, and you'd both surrender peacefully. But we both know you can't help yourself."

Tam hissed through his teeth, Jazz watching his gaze shift around them. People were starting to look their way, noticing that something was happening. "Idiot! You know my hands are tied here! I haven't a choice! If I don't follow things through then it won't fix itself! What outcome would you like? For both you and Harry to be lost forever or another chance?"

Throughout this Jazz frowned confused but not daring to interrupt. Their words made little sense. And yet at the same time, she understood the weight behind them. That something seriously was wrong, and that her Danny was in danger.

Tam's words caused his fury to flare, the neon green flickering a light blue. " What's happening is that you're over, Tam!"

The fountain beside them froze, droplets clinking to the ground like hail. He reached deep into his pocket, and at that moment Tam wrapped his arms tightly around her. Jazz yelped and tried to break free - but suddenly her ears popped and the world was blurring. She couldn't breathe. Her whole body was being crushed, squashed and tugged in all different directions. The pain intensified, and Jazz tried to find air before her lungs exploded.

As quickly as the experience happened, it ended, a bang blasting into her eardrums. Suddenly Jazz felt her limbs turn to jelly, her stomach threatening to escape out of her throat. A strong grip stopped her from crashing to the floor, and Jazz was dimly aware she was lowered onto a seat.

"Sorry about that… Apparating is painful enough for first-timers without it being from me."

Blinking Jazz went to insult him, but a groan only came out. Clawing at her gut the world spun violently, spots and light dancing before her eyes. Everything sounded so loud - voices and noises thundering in her head. There was an abrupt gurgle of water, and Jazz squinted up at the blurry figure looming over her.

"Where…?"

"We are now in the women's bathroom of Amity Park's mall. I locked this stall in advance in case… you hurled everywhere."

With a grunt Jazz slumped against the cool tile wall, knowing that if she'd eaten she would have never made it to the bowl. Slowly her senses returned, now acutely aware of the tiny narrow space they were in. Tam wasn't paying attention to her, head crock to the side as if to listen. Jazz focused at that moment to swallow in the air, her strength returning.

"Who… was that?"

"Danny. Well, not your Danny. A different Danny that's come from a different time to kill me and Lu." Tam sighed and she stilled when he stooped down lower. " Thanks, by the way. That's all I needed from you back there. But… next parts going to be tricky. I promise you I'll try to make sure it goes smoothly, but I'm no miracle worker."

Pausing he studied her and Jazz tried to find the words to question him, demanding answers. But she still felt so dizzy.

"Wait here for about four minutes. No less, alright? Oh… and I'll need this." With little effort he dug her phone from her pocket, adding it to his own. "Danny can't know what's happening right until the end. If he learns there's another Danny this early it might cause the timeline to change again. I can't risk that."

"You-" But she didn't get to finish. With another loud crack! he whirled away, leaving her alone in the stall.

Smashing her palms into her forehead Jazz fought to stop nausea in her gut. One thing was clear she had to warn Danny what was going on!

###

Danny immediately groaned when he spotted the familiar Fenton assault vehicle in the parking lot. Knowing that his parents were ghost-hunting around here added a new headache he didn't need right now. With the rising risk that something terrible was about to happen, they had decided to scout out the mall for any weird events. On the outside it look normal, nothing that screamed danger was afoot. But the RV was troublesome.

Not wanting to be seen they waited on the opposite side of the street, Tucker checking for any reports on his PDA while he and Sam watched the area for any hidden enemies.

"Good news is that the GIW isn't in the area."

"Yeah…But Mom and Dad must have picked up something." Danny peered over Tucker's shoulder, reading the jumble of reports. " If my parents are hunting here, those losers won't be far behind."

They watched the entrance again, a steady crowd milling about from the midday rush. It seemed calm, but Danny had an odd sense of trepidation that it wasn't what it seemed. After Tucker's reveal of what this new timeline might be, he couldn't get the doubt out of his mind.

Flexing his hands he cringed at the ice chill moving down his arms. He wasn't ready for a fight, these new powers still being a massive problem if he lost control. Again he felt a twitch in his stomach, remembering the pillar that had skewered him not long ago. Would he even be able to stop those two again on home turf? What if there were more enemies hidden, plots in motion that he had no idea about? The fear of having to protect his friends now, his family and failing was growing.

Suddenly Sam gripped his wrist, unbothered by the chill. " It's going to be fine. Relax Danny."

Sighing he smirked. "That bad, huh?"

"Obviously. You're eyes are flickering again." She grinned as he muttered under his breath, adjusting the thermos on her belt. " We've got this. Unlike in the past we've got the gear to both fight and trap them. And you have us, it's… hopefully three vs two. We have the advantage."

"Sure. Ignoring the fact that they might have you know… magic on their side." Tucker muttered, dodging Sam's punch when he was ruining the prep talk. Still, Danny smiled. This was different from Hogwarts. He ran a hand along the ghost gear on his belt, settling on his Fenton Thermos. Now he had something to seal Lucrezia away. Alone, they could take on Tam and his spells with ease. As long as they stayed away from his parents, they could do this-

-Without warning Danny's ghost sense exploded out of his mouth, causing the others to jump. The plume of mist faded, Danny readying into a fighting stance. The others followed, eyes searching around and above. But nothing that screamed spook was around.

Danny focused on strengthening his senses, hoping to pinpoint the ghost. " Watch it guys. It might be Luna lurking somewhere-"

"-Or it's a furious me." They whirled around and froze at the person that appeared out of thin air.

It was like looking into a mirror. Danny found himself staring at a perfect copy of himself, an angry self who did not look pleased to see them. None of them could speak, the confusion taking their immediate questions away. The other Danny scoffed, crossing his arms as he spoke in the same voice as him. " I annoyingly ran into Dash lurking around my- your home when I went to check on you. Thought it would be best for him to see me like this than risk the questions about what he saw later. Remember that if he bullies you about it tomorrow."

"You… how can you look like that?" Danny found his words again, heart lurching that Dan was back. His question made some of his anger fade, peering down at himself.

" It's a… little trick I picked up. I suppose you could say it's an advanced transfiguration technique with a little ghostly influence mixed in. I can shape my ectoplasm to make alterations to my appearance when in ghost form." Suddenly his form seemed to blur, just like it had on the camera. In next to no time an older Phantom was standing next to them, neon green eyes locked onto their stunned faces. " It has its limits, but… it's useful."

Then once again his form rippled, and his white hair reverted to black as he took the form of his human side. Danny swallowed, he and his friends stepping back. "You can shapeshift…"

Immediately they knew they were in danger. This guy had a huge advantage over them, able to access all his powers without the risk of showing his ghost form. He didn't even need to worry about finding a hiding spot to go ghost, he could walk in plain sight without raising the alarm. An advantage that Danny didn't have. Dan must have spotted their sudden tension, his gaze narrowing.

" I thought I told you not to come here?" From the tone he directed at them, Danny knew he was in deep trouble, and he started to gauge if it was safe to change.

Sam stepped forward, Fenton's thermos tight in her hands. " We're here to find out what you're hiding! What's going to happen here that you don't want us to know? Why did you lie that you're from the future? Yeah, we know that you're Danny from the future, not an alternate timeline like you told us. Why? Why lie? We're not leaving until you give us some answers!"

Dan stared blankly at Sam, who raised the thermos in threat. Both he and Tucker held their breath, waiting to see the fallout of her outburst. For a moment there was just silence, the only sound was the faint rumble of cars. Then Dan gave a great tired sigh, hand rubbing his face in frustration while he grumbled.

"No Sam… I don't think that I will."

He struck without warning, so fast Danny didn't have time to react. Swiftly he gripped all three of them, pulling them together. Then there was an almighty bang! And suddenly it felt like he was being crushed, his lungs losing the ability to breathe. As quickly as the painful pressure came it was gone. With a sudden blur, they were somewhere else. Danny lost his balance when Tucker crashed into him, sending the three of them to the floor. In panic Danny transformed without checking it was safe, preparing a shield for his friends.

Thankfully they were alone, the long room void of any spectators. Fists raised he and the others moved into a defensive circle, as Dan drifted lazying to the ground.

Having a small window of calm Danny studied their surroundings. Wherever he'd teleported them it was a run-down building, yellowed paper and peeling paint lining the once white-washed walls. From the light coming through the grimly, newspapered covered windows their opponent watched them.

Tucker held his blaster up, though Danny could see his hands shake. "Where are we?"

"At the abandoned hospital on the edge of Amity. Far away from the mall like you were supposed to be."

Danny felt his confidence come back, and now that he had a chance of fighting he drifted over to where he stood. "What did you do with Plasmius?"

For a moment Dan looked utterly shocked, a flash of fear coursing through him enough to cause his illusion to flicker. He pondered his question carefully, before scowling. " Ah damn… the camera! How could I have forgotten that?"

Danny ignored his answer, raising his hands to focus his attention back. " Where's the thermos?"

At his question Dan stared at him, a faint smile tugging the corner of his mouth. After a time he peered over his head to the others, before turning to walk away. " When I told you all to stay away from the mall that wasn't a joke. Lucrezia and Tam must stay away from you at all costs. Rushing to where they're going to be is the last place you have to be."

The fact he had ignored his question didn't go past Danny, his uneasiness about this guy reaching new highs. Tucker and Sam rejoined him, and one look on their faces was all he needed to know that they feared they had another dark future on their hands.

Building a blast Danny pushed down the chill in his core. " As weird as it is speaking to another me, I know YOU know how important it is not to screw up the timeline. And I'm all too aware that those two have a high chance of messing with it again. If you're from the future, you need to explain to me what's going on. What will happen if I confront them today?"

Dan sighed again. " That's why I know I can't tell you. If I do, you'll do something stupid. I know how I - you work. I can't risk losing. I only have one chance to change things, one chance. If I fail then you don't want to know what will happen. That's why you three need to understand that it's because of time I can't tell you. It's for your protection."

"Really? Funny. Clockwork never had any trouble explaining my horrible fates before?"

"That's different to this-"

"Is it? Or is the real reason you lied because you killed Harry?"

His words immediately affected Dan. He froze, rage returning his form to Phantom. Glaring back at them the air around them plummeted sharply, a freezing chill sinking underneath their skin. " You don't even understand what you're saying. And you better hope that you never get to understand it."

Ignoring the shiver of fear that travelled down his spine Danny let his hands burn green, preparing to attack. " All I'm understanding is that you're acting a lot like the guy trapped in Clockwork's lair. And I'm starting to think we might have three foes to deal with today."

Scowling Dan glared at them, but his stare was odd. What was starting to worry them all was the fact that he didn't seem the least worried about the thermos pointed his way or the blaster aimed at his chest. Suddenly he straightened, right hand raised loosely in front of him. Then to Danny's worry his burning green eyes changed hue, shifting into a pale, dazzling blue instead.

"I see it was a mistake to let you see me."

Suddenly it was like the floor exploded, a wall of ice springing up from underneath their feet. With a yell, Danny thought for a horrid moment it was his ice powers losing control. But then he freaked out more when it dawned on him it was Dan's. Too fast for them to escape the ice formed a perfect sphere around them, entrapping them in a dome of glowing aqua ice. It was thick, the room around them disappearing in a distorted blur as Danny felt the others grab him. Once the creaking ice stopped they froze, momentarily stunned at their predicament. Until a muffled voice reached them from the ice.

" Stay there. Don't worry, it should melt in a few hours. And by then this will all be over."

AN: Ah, things are getting heated now...