Chapter One: Growing Pains

"Good friends don't let you do stupid things...alone." - Unknown

Danny

In a perfect world, I would throw myself in Reaper's lair and let them escort me to a safe house or whatever they plan on doing to keep me from hurting anyone. I don't live in that world.

Back in February, Clockwork informed Reaper that he'd looked into the future and saw that nothing would stop me from attacking Amity Park on July 23: the final day of my reckoning. Because the Master of Time is allergic to sharing important information, he didn't say what would keep me from locking myself away in the Ghost Zone. Nor did he tell Reaper when my imprinted parent asked. Multiple times.

I have infinite respect for Clockwork. I just can't stand him sometimes.

Since receiving that bare minimum of information, I've been grudgingly working alongside the Guys in White to fortify the town with Ghost Shields and hand out weaponry to the citizens. Something that should have been done years ago, given the frequent ghost attacks, but I digress.

My parents have also been helping. That was uncomfortable at best before they knew I was their son and started treating me less like a science project and more like, well, their son.

Vlad Masters/Plasmius has also been helping by combining his inventor knowledge with that of the Guys in White. That's a story in and of itself.

Speaking of Vlad…

"Tomorrow is the big day," he says. "I hope for everyone's sake that all these preparations were a waste of time."

"Agreed," I say.

We are in ghost-form and standing on the roof of someone's house as we gaze out at the town. Night has fallen, letting Amity Park bathe in the soft moonlight. Some people look up at us and point and run away. It's not because of me; they know they can trust me. They're running because of Vlad. The Wisconsin native beside me is known to be a serious threat, my arch-nemesis on top of it. Though as of late, our relationship has been a little more complicated than that.

The short version is that Vlad is desperate to make sure my reckoning doesn't turn out like his: a bloodbath that the government claimed was a terrorist attack. On a related note, a recent series of events made me realize that Vlad cares about me. Really, truly cares about me.

In his own creepy, fruit-loopy way.

"How's your core been?" I ask Vlad. His core has been on the fritz for a while because of his fixation with my reckoning. The ghost kind of fixation, when you so deeply want something related to your Obsession - in Vlad's case, that Obsession is love - that your core is in terrible pain until you obtain or at least deal with whatever you're fixated on.

As far as I know, Vlad is still fixated. He presses his hand over his chest, where his fused heart and core are hidden. "It's seen better days, but it isn't half as bad as it was."

A few months ago, it was bad enough that Vlad was in too much pain to eat or sleep. His sunken cheeks and ashen complexion are forever branded into my brain.

If you asked me if I cared about Vlad, I would deny it vehemently.

"Everything's set up for tomorrow?"

"There are some last-minute things to take care of," Vlad responds. "I was actually on my way to deal with them." He turns to me. His wholly red eyes glow with something that's almost…tender. "I wanted to touch base with you first."

He hisses and grimaces, and I know his core is hurting him again. I let a warm yellow light envelope my hand and touch it to his chest.

"I'm fine," Vlad says, smacking my hand away. "Don't waste your energy."

The Healing Touch does drain me if I use it too often without a break, but it also lets me heal any injury and cure any illness. And, it did seem to soothe Vlad's core the handful of times I've tried. I wouldn't call that a waste.

"What kind of last-minute things?" I ask, retracting my hand. "Anything I can help with?"

"Not really," he says. "I'm simply triple-checking certain elements." I hum in understanding, and he asks, "You're off to the Ghost Zone, then?"

I nod. "I'll probably chill in my lair until closer to midnight. Then I'll head to Reaper's. I just wanna be sure that I'm in the Ghost Zone before tomorrow. I don't know if that will prevent Clockwork's warning from happening, but here's hoping."

"Here's hoping," Vlad agrees somberly.

"Vlad," I say as he's about to take off. "Thank you for your help. You didn't have to do this for me."

Vlad sends me a haughty side-eye. "My my, Daniel. It must have been quite the blow to your pride to actually thank me for something."

"It wasn't," I say.

He sees that I'm serious, and the cockiness vanishes. "This isn't out of kindness of my heart, you know," he lies. "I'm merely trying to quell this persistent fixation of mine."

"You wouldn't have that fixation without the kindness of your heart," I argue.

Despite the endless evidence to the contrary, there is good in him. I've seen it firsthand, so I know it exists.

"Sappy, much?" he quips with an eye roll. The twitch of his lips betrays him. "I suppose we should both be on our way. The clock is ticking, after all."

Don't remind me.

Even though I'll only be gone for a day - I hope - I still can't go without saying goodbye to my family.

Mom, Dad, Jazz, and Cujo cluster around me in the living room, where I had just walked in as a human. The tension is thick enough that you would need a steak knife to cut through it.

"Are you sure you won't need anything?" Mom asks. "Food? Water? Extra blankets?"

I chuckle. "Mom, my lair isn't a cave! It's fully furnished and has whatever my human-half would need. Including a working toilet, but don't ask me about the mechanics of that."

A ghost's lair forms at the same time its owner does and is catered to whatever that ghost would want or need. I could even change it on a whim if I wanted to. Don't ask me about the mechanics of that either.

"At least bring Cujo with you," Dad begs. "I hate to think of you being all alone at a time like this. Plus, he'll make a good guard dog."

Cujo emits a pitiful whine and puts his paw on my sneaker. The small green dog-ghost gazes up at me with pleading red eyes. My heart shudders at the sight. I kneel down to kiss his cold furry head.

"I'll be okay," I say to him. "Keep an eye on the town for me while I'm gone, okay?"

Cujo raises his head to lick my chin. We all know the reason I'm not bringing Cujo. He'd make an excellent guard dog against an outside threat, but he would never hurt me. He's too sweet and loyal. On the off chance that Reaper's defenses couldn't hold me, there's a strong chance that Cujo would have to fight me. Something I know for a fact that he wouldn't be willing to do. I won't put him at risk.

I won't put anyone at risk.

"You guys will look after the town too, right?" I ask after standing back up.

"It's only one day, Danny," Jazz reminds. "And, the town is shielded out the wazoo anyway. The day after tomorrow, everything will be exactly the way you left it."

"I hope you're right," I say. "I wish Clockwork would have told us why I'll attack the town. I don't even know if leaving early will change that."

"What makes you think you can change my past?"

"Because I promised my family."

My biggest fear is that I won't be able to keep that promise. None of these guys remember me making it, but I do. I'll never forget.

I lower my head, suddenly unable to look at my family, to see the sheer love and terror I'm feeling mirrored in their gazes. "I'm scared." I wrap my arms around myself. "Really scared. I…" No other words will form.

Dad steps in front of me and kneels down so that I'm forced to look at him. He lightly curls his fat fingers around my scrawny shoulders. "Son, you're a Fenton. That means you're made of tough stuff. Whatever the reckoning entails, you'll pull through it. I know you will."

Mom kisses my cheek. "We all know you will."

Jazz sends me a sweet look that tells me that she knows I'm not the one I'm worried about. "You've changed the future before." She and I are the only ones in this room who know what she's talking about. "It's time to change it again."

I don't get a chance to respond to that. We all jump at the loud, frantic pounding at the door. I open it, and two figures almost collapse on top of me.

When I first announced my reckoning to the town. A lot of people made plans to be away that day. Luckily it's summer vacation, so that made it easier for some. At least half of the townsfolk are away by now. The ones who couldn't leave will be tucked away in their me-proofed homes. All the stores will be closed tomorrow as well. I pray to whoever is listening that it's all for nought, but Clockwork is never wrong when it comes to matters of the future.

Of the people who know my secret, only two are leaving town. Valerie and her father can't afford to travel. Dash's parents are both out-of-state, so he's stuck at home. And, Paulina's parents think this is all overblown and have no plans to go anywhere. The Mansons and the Foleys are the ones who made vacation plans. Their children griped about it, but I was happy to have less loved ones to worry about.

So, seeing Sam Manson and Tucker Foley pay me a visit is alarming.

"Oh, good," Tucker says when he sees who he almost toppled over. "We're not too late."

"What are you guys doing here?" I ask. "I thought you already left!"

Tucker points to Sam. "My folks think I'm with her family."

Sam points to Tucker. "My folks think I'm with his family. The reality is that there is no way in hell we're leaving you to deal with something this serious on your own."

I look to my own family, but they're as stunned as I am.

"Uh, that's sweet and all," Jazz says to our friends, "but aren't you going to be in a lot of trouble when your parents realize what happened?"

"My grandma is going to filter any check-in calls," Sam says. "Don't worry. She doesn't know the whole story. All she knows is that we're filling in for Phantom."

"And, if any calls slip past Ida…" Tucker shrugs. "Well, we'll cross that bridge when we get there."

I stared at the sculpture before me, not knowing what to make of such a sight. The gray stone was massive, and the artist had captured perfect likenesses of my mother, my father, Jazz, Sam, and Tucker. There was an inscription carved into the base.

"Gone but Not Forgotten," it read. I said the words out loud. Each syllable left me sinking deeper and deeper.

Because this wasn't a sculpture.

It was a tombstone.

Everyone buried in that grave is in this room. Around me, the one who caused that tragedy. The one who could do it again.

"You can't be here." The words pass quietly from my lips.

"Danny's right," Dad says. He's on his feet now. "You kids should have gone with-"

"None of you should be here!" I correct, drawing all eyes to me. "It's too dangerous! Clockwork wouldn't have said I'd attack the town if I…" I shake my head, but the image sticks. "It's not too late. You can still get away. All of you. You all could go somewhere together-"

Mom holds her hand up in front of her. "Stop. Danny, we're still here because we love you and we want to help. Especially your father and me." She brushes my bangs out of my face. "We were never there when you needed us." Because until a few months ago, they hated ghosts with passion, so I never told them what I was. "We want to start being there."

"And, the rest of us," Tucker says, pulling his arms around Jazz and Sam, "are going to keep being there."

You can't be there if you're dead.

Killed by my hand.

With nothing but a stone to mark your existence, to let the ruined world know that I used to love you with every part of me.

Sam unintentionally adds insult to injury. "Tucker and I have been right by your side since the moment you got your powers. Then Jazz joined up. Now your parents are here. You even managed to get Dash, Paulina, and Valerie on your side! Plus, Eileen," my imprinted mother, "and Mira said they'd help out. Everyone who loves both halves of you is still here and is willing to do whatever they can to protect everyone from you, should it come to that."

I beg the tears in my eyes to stay where they are. "That's not as comforting as you think." It only reminds me that I have more to lose now than I did back then. "If anything happened to you… To any of you…"

It would be my fault. And, this time Clockwork wouldn't be there to reverse it.

I couldn't survive that.

Jazz slices her hand through the air. "Don't argue. We're not going anywhere."

"And, hey," Dad adds with a forced grin, "maybe nothing will happen, and we can all have a good laugh about how nervous we were!"

A chuckle tries to escape me but fails. I summon the scythe Reaper gave me for Christmas, and everyone gives me room when I turn around and swing it in an upward arc. I've practiced Portal Creation so much that the portal to my lair opens without a hitch. I will the scythe away and turn back to my family, blood relatives or otherwise.

"I love you," I say. "No matter what happens tomorrow…just know how much I love you."

Tucker huffs a laugh, though his smile wobbles at the corners. "Are you going to war now?"

"We love you too, Danny," Sam says, blinking rapidly.

"We'll all be here when you get back," Jazz assures. "Whether that be tomorrow or the day after."

Mom touches my shoulder. "Take care of yourself until then, sweetie."

Dad gives me a thumbs-up. "And, if you do end up…you know…we'll keep everyone safe."

Cujo barks in agreement.

Don't cry, Fenton. Everyone is trying their best to be strong for you. Don't make their efforts meaningless.

A burning cold rolls over me as I transform. My family scans me up and down, committing my current ghost-form to memory because they know that after tomorrow it will be permanently changed.

Right now, and for the two-and-a-half years that I've had it, my ghost-form has white hair, human-like eyes with neon green irises, and beige skin that's pale and translucent enough to show every single vein and artery beneath it. I wonder what my mature ghost-form will look like.

After a final round of goodbyes, I step into the swirling green vortex and reappear in my lair.

My lair is closely modeled after my house on Earth. The resemblance is so close, in fact, that the first time I brought Sam and Tucker here, they teased me for my lack of originality. But, I like the familiarity.

The portal closes behind me, and I bask in the comfort of my home away from home. This is exactly why I came here first instead of going straight to Reaper's. I knew I would need time to pull myself together. I don't want my grim to see me like this. They wouldn't mind. They've seen me in similar states before and were always there with kind words and a firm embrace. But, this is different. This is deeply, darkly personal.

This is Dan, the monster I would have already become were it not for Clockwork's interference. For that, no matter how annoyed I get with the Master of Time, I will be forever grateful.

In the early days after the incident, I cursed Clockwork for letting me keep those memories, particularly the part where I watched firsthand as everyone I love - and Mr. Lancer - were blown to bits by that combustible sauce I used to slather on to my hamburgers. I haven't eaten it since.

It was roughly a year and a half ago, yet the events are still so clear in my mind.

That triumphant smirk on Dan's face because though he was defeated, he was so certain that he'd set everything in motion so that he would exist again.

The Specter Deflector still strapped around my waist, leaving me unable to go ghost.

I can hear the explosion, smell the smoke, feel the shrapnel and plaster and things I can't bear to think about blast at my skin.

I feel the horror, the grief, the utter despair that had taken hold of me in that moment.

Then the relief when Clockwork appeared and saved everyone.

I hate that I remember, but I understand why Clockwork didn't erase my memory like he did everyone else. It's a cautionary tale, a reminder to stay good and just even when I'm at my lowest point.

Vlad's not the only one who had a fixation because of my reckoning. The knowledge of what I would do on July 23, mere hours from now, had made me fixated on not being like Dan. Unlike Vlad, I was able to recover from this before it could start to destroy me. But, the idea lingers. I know in my heart that it will never truly go away.

I kept myself in check in front of my family, in front of those who unwillingly started Dan's descent into madness. Now I let myself hurt, let the fear simmer, let my heart burn with it because I know I need to if I don't want to break down in front of Reaper. One day, I'm sure I'll explain it all to Reaper as well as my mama, Eileen. But, I have no desire to do that right now. Not when it's so very present in my mind.

I finally, blissfully let my tears fall.

Reaper

"Are you quite certain?" I ask.

The elder of my visitors responds. "Positive. Everything is under control."

Tomorrow will mark the final day of Danny Phantom's reckoning. As his imprinted parent - his "grim," he calls me - I fear for him. Though we share no biological relation, I love him dearly and he loves me as well. Such is the way with imprinting. But, after knowing him for as long as I have, I am confident that I would care for him regardless.

As such, I refuse to make the mistakes I did with Vlad Plasmius's reckoning.

So, while I trust the judgment of the two spirits before me, I find myself hesitating.

One of my visitors, the elder of the two, is Eileen Merryweather, the other ghost Danny Phantom imprinted on. She is incredibly thin and has off-white skin, wholly red eyes, and very long black hair. Her simple gray dress hides the fact that she has no legs.

The younger spirit is my son's girlfriend, Mira Scott. She has vibrant green skin, wild darker green hair contained only by a black and purple striped beanie, and human-like eyes with red irises. She wears a denim jacket over a white shirt, a black skirt, and black sneakers.

Mira Scott ticks things off on her fingers as she speaks. "The town's been fortified. Danny's locked away in his lair. And, we've even got ghost guards stationed in and outside of his lair. We took away his scythe too for good measure."

With the use of the scythe I had gifted him, Danny Phantom would be able to open a portal in an instant. Taking it away was smart. However, "Are you aware that he can summon his scythe with a mere thought?"

Eileen Merryweather raises her hand. "I know someone who was able to cancel that out. It won't be a problem."

Now this intrigues me. I had charmed that scythe myself. It is not bragging to say that I am one of the most powerful beings in the Infinite Realms. "This person must be quite skilled to have accomplished such a feat."

Eileen Merryweather only shrugs.

"All that matters," Mira Scott says, "is that Danny's not going anywhere. Whatever Clockwork foresaw will not come to pass."

"We'll tape the boy to the wall if we have to!" Eileen Merryweather adds with a chuckle. "So, don't bother checking in. With all the precautions we took, it's better if he doesn't have visitors. In fact, he told us that himself: no visitors under any circumstances. He thinks it's safer, and we agree." Mira Scott nods at that.

When I continue to hesitate, Eileen Merryweather adds, "We'll contact you if anything happens, but I think we'll be alright."

Fear still nags at my core, but it is alleviated somewhat. I know that these two would not lead me astray. "Very well, Mira Scott and Eileen Merryweather. I shall trust your judgment on this matter."

Vlad

The Portal in my lab closes behind us, and my duplicate and I leap out of the bodies of Daniel's girlfriend and his imprinted mother. The two ghosts collapse in exactly the spot I want them to, and I slam my hand on the button on the control panel. A dark pink dome of light appears around them. Beside me, my duplicate vanishes; its role is complete.

The girls climb to their feet. Or in Eileen's case, float upright. "Plasmius!" she gasps upon seeing me.

Mira whirls around, her wide red eyes now locked on me. "What are you doing here? Also, where is here?"

I spread out my arms to indicate the room. "Welcome to my laboratory, ladies." I press my hands together in front of me. "Make yourselves comfortable, because you're going to be here for quite some time."

Mira looks like she would wet herself if she were still a human, but Eileen balls her fists and demands of me, "What do you want, you creep?" She taps her wrist as if wearing a watch. "You know what's happening half an hour from now, right?"

"Yes, yes," I assure. "The final day of Daniel's reckoning. And, I thank you for your assistance in the final preparations. And, for making things easier by arriving in Amity Park together."

"What are you talking about?" Mira asks.

They both hate me, and they are about to hate even more. It doesn't matter. They do not need to understand. "I'm talking about borrowing your forms to convince Reaper not to interfere with Daniel's reckoning. I knew I wouldn't have any problems with you, Mira," the girl in question reacts with an ugly grimace, likely remembering the last time I overshadowed her, "but I expected a little more resistance from you, Eileen." There's a low growl that I'm certain is coming from the oldest ghost in the room. "Three hundred years my senior, yet you are as malleable as fresh Play-Doh! Of course, given our previous encounters, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised." Eileen responds by punching the barrier. "Like mother, like son, I see."

"Let us go, Plasmius," Eileen demands. A tickle starts at the base of my skull. "You are going to let us out of here and-"

Whatever else she was going to force me to do is cut off by two feminine screams and a crash of electricity. My captives lean against the barrier, the only thing keeping them upright after that.

A smug grin pulls at my lips. "Don't bother trying to compel me, Eileen. Any use of your powers will result in a controlled shock. That goes for you too, Mira. You can't portal your way out this time."

The last time I imprisoned her in an energy barrier, Daniel's now-girlfriend was able to escape through the use of Portal Creation. Needless to say, that's not going to happen again.

"I'm calling Reaper," Eileen mutters. She feels around her person, and realization blooms on her gaunt face.

I walk over to the table nearby and pick up two cellphones. One has a simple black case. The other is decorated with bug-eyed cartoon characters, the powder-fluff girls or something like that. "You'll need these in order to do so. A shame they're all the way over here."

"Danny trusted you," Mira snarls, her fear replaced by anger. "He thought you cared about him! Doesn't that matter to you at all?"

The rebuttal dies in my throat. I sneak a glance at my attire and confirm that I am still in ghost-form. Therefore, the only reason Mira would make such a comment is if she…

I set the phones down and walk up to the girl who is now standing directly behind the barrier. I watch as she tries and fails to hide how intimidated she is by the way I tower over her. I'd estimate she is about five feet tall, maybe an inch or two over. "You know who I am, don't you?"

When Mira only stammers, Eileen blurts out, "I told her."

A lie, no doubt. Daniel must have spilled the beans. Whether he did the same to Eileen or she found out the day she happened to see me transform is up in the air.

With or without floating, Eileen is quite tall though still shorter than me. Unlike her companion, she is not so easily cowed. She wraps a protective arm around Mira, and God only knows what she would make me do if not for the barrier. Compulsion is a scary power, one that I am glad was bestowed on someone so kind.

I shrug. "Well, it hardly matters." I bend down to Mira's eye level. "I'm sure you're aware of the consequences of telling anyone. And, not just to Daniel."

Mira gulps and nods. She shrinks into Eileen, who pulls both arms around her and growls at me again.

I straighten. "To answer your question, dear girl, I am not concerned with Daniel's opinion of me." (Why does that feel like a lie?) "My actions may seem villainous to you, but I want this reckoning to end without bloodshed as much as he does. I overshadowed the two of you because I knew that gullible Ancient would trust your word. I will not have them ruin what Daniel spent so long trying to protect."

"What?" Mira gasps. "That makes no sense!"

"Who cares?" Eileen says. "Danny's probably on his way to Reaper's lair as we speak. If he isn't there already."

"Believe me when I say that I hope he is," I say. "But, I know about Clockwork's prediction. Though I've never met the man myself, his reputation precedes him. If he claims that Daniel will cause mindless destruction, then that is what will happen. So, if Daniel's preparations are to be for nought, then I do not want Reaper making things worse." I cut off their protests with a wave. "I don't know why I'm wasting my time explaining all this to you. We now have less than thirty minutes before it all hits the fan. And, I have one final step to complete. Enjoy your quality time, ladies."

I hear Eileen cry out, "Vlad, you asshole!" as I fly upward and phase through the ceiling.