Cousins

Danny sent Gwen a text.

He won't be able to make it because someone important to him needs help. All he gave her was that she's family. Despite them going steady, he felt it was too soon to admit something like he has a clone.

Thankfully, Paradox was taking his place, so he doesn't have to fear they were short on people.

Speaking of, just this morning was a strange letter in the mail. Danny realized this must be from Paradox, since it the return address only reads "Professor."

Danny opened.

Ah, Mr. Fenton.

I'm glad you opened this in time. Once you have, know that it will be hours before the Tennysons and their comrades do battle with the Highbreed.

You will find Danielle roughly 20 miles from Amity Park, the opposite direction of Bellwood. By the time you get home, the battle will be over.

You needn't worry, we will win. I should know.

Anyway, leave around 5 in the afternoon tomorrow and you will find her.

Signed, Paradox.

Danny rolled his eyes.

This guy really does come off as a know-it-all, more than Jazz.

He still got serious, knowing Danielle needs his help. So, he decided to tell Jazz about her.

Gwen sighed after reading the text.

"So, he's not coming?" Ben asked.

They were at his favorite place to hang out, Mr. Smoothie.

"No, he said someone from his family needs his help." Gwen tried to cheer up. "Still, it's not a bad thing he looks out for someone like that."

"Yeah." Ben agreed. "Besides, if he needs help he's always got that Plumber's badge I gave him."

It was the day after and Danny did as Paradox's note instructed him to. Jazz was giving him a ride, although it wasn't exactly a quiet one.

"YOU WERE CLONED AND YOU NEVER TOLD ME?!" Jazz shouted, the shock not going away yet from what Danny told her yesterday.

"Jazz…" Danny said in a lower tone. "People could hear you!"

"I don't care!" Jazz shouted back. "Why didn't you tell me about her?! Do you know how much I always wanted a little sister?!"

Danny rolled his eyes.

"First off, I didn't tell you because I wasn't sure how you'd react. I don't want her to have any trouble because she didn't ask to be a part of a sociopath's plot for the perfect son. Second, we call each other cousins."

"Fine! Whatever! I'm still going to treat her like a sister!"

Despite how loud Jazz was being, he couldn't help but smirk a little.

I was afraid, but she's already opened to meeting Danielle. I probably should have told her about her a long time ago.

"So, how long until we find her?" Jazz asked.

"I don't know. Paradox said she's 20 miles in the opposite direction of Bellwood."

"Well, it looks like we've passed 19 miles. Anymore and we might reach Acmeville…" Jazz's eyes widened with horror when she realized what she was implying. "That… is to say… it's not li-"

"It's cool, Jazz." Danny said, looking around. "I know you're not implying we'd see… her."

Danny was referring to the only girl out of the 28 he wanted to avoid. He paid no further mind and only focused on Danielle.

Once they were in the woods, they heard the sound of an explosion and a scream.

"Stop the car!" Danny shouted.

Jazz braked as fast as she could. The car screeched to a halt as Danny recognized the voice that screamed. Both of them looked around, seeing flashing green lights. That's when Danny's ghost sense went off.

"Please tell me she can trigger that?" Jazz asked in concern. Danny shook no. "Oh boy…" Jazz muttered.

Danny morphed and rose from the car with intangibility and hovering.

"Okay! Whoever that is-"

Something flew in and tackled Danny into the ground, something black and white. Danny was about to get up, but he got a good look at who flew into him.

"Danny?!" Dani asked.

"Danielle?" Danny asked.

It took them both a moment, but they instantly smiled. They rose up with their power and hugged.

"You're here!" They both shouted.

Once they parted, they started talking. Both were happy to see each other.

"Where have you been, Cuz? What are you doing here?" Danny asked.

"What am I doing here? What are you doing here?!" Dani asked.

"Is that her?" Jazz asked.

Dani was surprised to hear a new voice. Once she turned around, she saw her for the first time.

Jazz was just starting blankly at Dani, who looked nervous.

"Y… You're Jazz… aren't you?" She asked. Jazz nodded. "Um…" Dani quickly became sheepish and very afraid. "I'm-"

"I know who you are… Danny told me you'd need help."

Dani blinked in surprise. "Wait, what?"

"My new girlfriend has this friend who knows this stuff… long story." Danny said before being serious. "Dani… what was all that light from?"

"Light?" Dani asked. That's when she remembered. "Oh yeah!" She looked back into the forest. "I found some help!"

Another figure flew in, one who Danny was familiar with as one of his Many Dates. One who, after recognizing Danny, smiled happily and hugged him.

"Danny!" Spectra went.

"Hey… Spectra…" Danny said, nervously.

"Spectra?!" Jazz gasped before aiming a blaster she had in her car at the ghostly girl.

"Wait, Jazz, no! Different Spectra!" Danny shouted. "This one is nice!"

Jazz adopted an apologetic look and lowered the weapon. "My mistake…"

Spectra, seeing Jazz, let Danny go and looked saddened.

"Oh… is this your new ghoulfriend?" She asked.

"N… no. This is my sister, Jazz." Danny explained.

"Oh…" Spectra turned around and bowed in respect. "A pleasure to meet you…"

Jazz rose a brow while Danny looked to the two who arrived.

"What was causing those lights?"

Before either of them answered, the source of those lights did.

"That… would be me." All of them saw Skulker, hovering of the trees with a blaster on his arm. "Plasmius has been in a foul mood lately and hired me to find the girl." He aimed his blaster at them with a grin. "Handing over both Phantoms will put him a better mood, one that will award me a bonus."

He fired. Danny created a shield that bounced the attack that redirected to Skulker, knocking him down.

"Let's go!"

All of the ghosts flew into Jazz's car, which sped its way after making a U-turn.

"Whoa!" Dani said as she held onto the seat. "And I thought I was fast while flying…"

"Spectra?" Danny asked while they were driving away. "What are you doing here?"

"I heard a rumor someone who looked like you was seen around here…" She blushed and looked away. "I… wanted to see you."

"So, you're one of my brother's ghost friends?" Jazz asked.

"We went on a date once..." Spectra said.

Jazz looked surprised and turned to Danny. "You dated a ghost?"

"It was during the dating service. Besides, I'm a ghost too... partly anyway..." Danny said.

"The dating service?! How?!" Jazz asked confused.

"It's a long story..." Spectra said.

"One we don't have time for... I'll fill you in on the details later, Jazz..." Danny said as he saw nobody was following them. "Weird… where's Skulker?"

"Right here!" Skulker shouted from above.

They looked up and saw him flying towards them. However, a blast from nowhere shot him out of the sky, making him falls to the ground.

They looked in the direction of where that blast came from.

What they saw surprised them.

It was a trio of small, UFO-like robots flying towards them.

"Uh… what are those?" Danielle asked.

"I don't know… never saw them before." Danny said. "Keep driving! I got this!"

Danny flew out of the car and headed towards the small drones.

He blasted one of them, shooting it down.

The other two fired at him, and the blasts cause him to call out in pain. He fell to the ground.

The drones hovered above him, ready to fire.

That's when a pink energy blast hit one of them, alerting the other of her presence.

"Get away from him!"

Danny was surprised to hear her voice.

Meanwhile.

Gwen managed to blast one of the DNAliens, knocking it down.

All the while, her mind couldn't help but go back to Danny.

That's when Paradox approached her.

"When this is over, if you'd like… you can go help him."

"Who?" Gwen asked.

"Why, Daniel, of course!" He said.

Gwen rose a brow.

"He's in trouble?!"

"Indeed, but you can't leave the battle now." He smiled as he ducked to avoid laser fire and then stood up again. "But, when this is over, you can go assist him."

"Well, it's either this or the auto show Kevin is going invite me to… I like him as a friend, but that's more of a guy thing he does with Ben." Gwen said as she blocked an attack from one DNAlien with a shield. "Alright… let's hurry this up!"

Danny got up and rubbed his eyes. He had to make sure he was seeing her.

"Gwen?"

It was her, same green eyes, same blue top, same black skirt and stockings. And that same cute smile.

"It's me." She said. "Paradox gave me a ride with time travel." She took notice of the destroyed drones and frowned. "Vilgax's drones?"

"Vilgax?" Danny questioned. "That name sounds familiar…"

"He's Ben's archenemy, like the mayor is for you." Gwen answered.

The last drone hovered and was about to fire. That's when Danny and Gwen both fired at it, destroying it.

Once it hit the ground and lit on fire, Gwen walked towards it. Danny followed her.

"Careful…" He said.

Gwen took a knee and gave it a closer look.

"Weird…" She spoke up. "There's something I don't recognize…" She reached into the damaged robot and pulled out what she didn't recognize, a green rock. "Is this kryptonite?"

Danny walked up to her.

"I don't know…" He says as he reached out to touch it. "If it were, then-" His finger briefly touched it, and it sent a shock to his body. "AAHHH!"

Gwen gasped, pulling the rock back.

"Danny?!" She reached out with her free hand and touched his shoulder. "You okay?!"

"Y-Yeah…" He looked at the rock with apprehension. "I guess that thing is kryptonite for me…" He says.

"I should take this back, have someone analyze it for me." Gwen said. "Anyway… now that you're okay, I better head back."

"Back?" Danny asked.

"Time travel. By the time I see you later, it will probably be like 10 minutes for me." She shrugged. "Time travel… it makes things weird."

"I hear that…" Danny said.

Gwen laughed a little before kissing his cheek.

"Well… I better go. Paradox is waiting for me. Your sister and cousin are probably waiting for you. I kind of promised Kevin I'd go to the auto show with him as a thanks for something."

"Right…" Danny said. He started hovering up. "See you soon…"

He flew away, waving at Gwen, who waved back as she headed to where she's to meet with Paradox.

"There he is!" Danielle pointed out, seeing Danny flying towards them.

"Good timing…" Jazz said.

Danny landed in front of them, turning back to human.

"Sorry about that…" He noticed someone was missing. "Where's Spectra?"

"She… had to go. Apparently, she's got a lot of homework and she's not even much of a fighter." Jazz answered. "So, those robots?"

Danny looked up at the sky with notable concern.

"It looks like dating Gwen has made me a target for some alien visitors thanks to her cousin..."

"The drones feed has been out for several minutes." The more humanoid robot told the alien overseeing. "However, the last thing we saw was a terran girl we believe is Gwen Tennyson…"

"I see…" Psyphon said. "I must report this to our master. Vilgax will not be happy to learn his suspicions that odd humanoid aligning himself with the Tennysons were correct…"

"Is he not conquering worlds?" The robot asked.

"This is true. Which is why I won't tell him until he finishes." Psyphon answered. "When it's Earth's turn, I'll let him know."

Wow... it's been forever, hasn't it?

Sorry for the short chapter. Will make a longer one next time.

Meantime, anyone got a suggestion for what can happen in this story?