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flutteringdreams-matw · 3 years

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Out of Time (6)

First/Last

Read on AO3

Word Count: 6032

Previously: Vlad and Maddie talk about cores. Clockwork gives some answers and proposes more questions. Dani shows up at Val's.

Now: Some exposition before Dan and Danny round 2 - ghost zone edition. Fight scene (T rated, cw for choking)

Link to the next chapter will be in the replies once posted. As always - please let me know what you think!

---

"Let me get this straight," Valerie started, eying the young girl across from her from the stovetop. She turned the pancake over in the pan and nudged it slightly. "You just happened to show up a few days ago from the Ghost Zone and just… hung out in the town when Phantom put the shield up? All on your own?"

Dani nodded, putting another piece of her pancake in her mouth. "Yep," she said, mouth full. "Not hard really – ghosts don't need to eat much. With that shield up, none of the natural portals have opened in the city – and I wasn't just going to leave."

Valerie put another pancake on the table before pouring more batter into the pan. "And you didn't reach out to your cousin because…"

Dani frowned. "Something's wrong," she said worriedly. "This isn't like Danny; this shield … whatever reason it's up is because he wants to protect the town. He and the Fentons must be facing something big and I don't want to get in their way."

Valerie turned the stove off, adding the last pancake to the stack between them, before she plopped herself at the table. Putting her head in her arm, she looked across at the young girl with a frown. "I don't think Phantom would mind. He seemed pretty worried about you the last time you were here."

Dani smiled. "Of course he wouldn't," she agreed. "The Fentons would love for me to stay too. But they've done so much for me and I don't want to be a burden. Or Danny worrying about me on top of everything else." She grabbed another pancake from the stack between the teens and helped herself. "Besides, other than the Fentons… my only options were you, a Ghost Hunter, or Vlad. I figured I'd chance it."

Valerie frowned in disgust at the mention of the mayor. "Yikes."

Sensing the girl's conflict, Dani waved her off. "It's fine. Vlad gets all of us at the beginning. Besides, you and Danny worked together to save me; figured you couldn't be all bad."

Valerie opened her mouth to argue that she didn't regularly team up with the ghost kid but stopped herself. This kid was all alone and was worried about Phantom, the only tangible relative she had. While Valerie had her opinions about the ghost teen, she couldn't burst this girl's bubble. Besides, if she managed to get information from the girl, it'd be a bonus.

"Sorry about dinner, Dad's working the night shift and pancakes are my go-to in times like this."

Dani grinned. "Are you kidding? Pancakes are the best! I mean… I didn't even know what they were until now!"

Valerie chuckled; she knew she liked this kid. The two girls sat in a comfortable silence for a little bit, before the news bulletin from earlier that day repeated with sharp shrill. Dani whirled around, the grin sliding off her face as she watched the fight from earlier. "Danny…" she whispered worriedly. The half-ghost turned around, distraught. "Is he okay?"

Valerie sighed; wincing again as she watched Phantom fall right after his last attack, Lance Thunder appearing to a repeat of what he witnessed. "I don't know," she answered honestly.

"We need to help him!" Dani exclaimed, a ring of light appearing at her waist. Valerie stared at it for a moment, remembering how the ghost girl transformed, before running and putting her hands on Dani's shoulders.

"Hold up - That was hours ago," the older teen replied soothingly. "There's no way of knowing where he would go if injured. Or if those ghosts were on his side."

Dani pouted, the light disappearing. "But –"

Valerie sighed. "I know you're worried, but Phantom's – and I can't believe I'm saying this – strong. I'm sure he'll be fine. The blasted ghost just doesn't stay down. If he's not back to his insufferable self by tomorrow, then you should worry."

Dani stared at the girl, a look of confusion dancing across her face before it lit up in realization. "Oh," she exclaimed softly. "He didn't tell you, did he?"

Valerie frowned in confusion. "Tell me what?"

"Nevermind," Dani replied quickly, brushing her off. She smiled gratefully. "You're right – I'll call the Fenton's tomorrow. If anyone knows where Danny Phantom might be, it'd be them." Valerie's face went from curious to uncomfortable very quickly. "What?" Dani asked, worried that she might have upset the girl.

Valerie looked away from her. "That'll be all you," she said, cheeks turning red. "My only contact with the Fentons is through Danny. He and I might be civil, but I really don't want to talk to my ex about this. He gets enough ghost stuff from his parents."

Dani was silent for a moment, before smiling from ear to ear. "Hold up….Danny Fenton is your ex?" she asked sneakily. Valerie nodded, bewildered as the two teens stared at each other. Finally, Dani burst out laughing, pointing and making noises.

"What!? He's scared of ghosts!" Valerie continued over the girl's laughter. "If we stayed together, ghosts would use him as bait to get to me!"

Dani laughed harder still, tears in her eyes. Valerie sighed glumly, watching as her new house guest laugh herself to the floor.

:-=-:

Everything hurt. Everything. The raw energy that now flooded him was only just holding Dan at bay. The evil ghost yelled something over the strong crackles of electricity and howls of the wind. Was this what Clockwork warned him of? Was this all he could do? It couldn't be.

He was tired – run ragged from everything he endured. He let his own powers push outward, feeling not only raw but core energy expend out of him.

The Ecto-Storm released – pain….the world exploded in pain.

Green eyes met a pair of fearful eyes in a distance – two pairs? –

An explosion and it all went dark…

Danny gasped as he awoke, looking around widely as he readjusted from his nightmare. He was sitting with his back against his door, looking inward into his room. Did I just pass out? Everything seemed so much bigger from down here, so far away. Danny frowned as he remembered his conversation with Clockwork and Ethelwulf. Was this another glimpse of the future?

Danny stood slowly, grabbing the door quickly as his knees buckle. He felt his core shift violently at the sudden movement. "Come on," he muttered, shaking his head. Almost as if responding, his core quieted and he felt stronger, standing up on his own. Danny frowned -There were no sparks violently going through him, his base powers were holding. If Sam was right… then what he just saw will happen. Danny shuddered as that thought went through him, bile rising from the back of his throat. "Get a grip," he muttered. "It could be worse."

Sure – keep telling yourself that Phantom voiced from the back of his mind.

A small explosion from downstairs erased his rebuttal. Danny furrowed his brow as he opened the door cautiously. Another sound, this time from an ecto-gun, came up from the lab. "Hello?" Danny called from the top of the stairs. When no response came, he sped down the stairs and down to the lab. "Mom? Dad?" As he reached the bottom he stopped, suddenly taken aback by the commotion in the lab.

His parents were at opposite ends of the lab; his Mom was facing off against Jazz and Sam with various weapons and tactics while his Dad, Ethelwulf and Tucker were hunched over at the main console in deep conversation. He looked at both ends of the lab, half amused, half relieved at what he was walking into.

"Overwhelming – isn't it?"

Danny jumped as Clockwork appeared beside him, his time staff resting on the ground softly. Blue eyes met red for a moment as the world continued beyond them. Danny chuckled slightly. "Nah, I'm used to it," he replied with a genuine smile as he turned back to the multiple activities of the lab.

Clockwork stared at Danny, regarding him in pity. "That's not what I meant," the old ghost told him. Danny's smile fell slightly, but he didn't look at Clockwork. "I would be surprised if it wasn't overwhelming; you're only fifteen. You've had to deal with Time in ways none of us have before. Just remember you are not alone; you do not have to suffer through these visions on your own."

Danny said nothing, standing in silence next to the Time Master as he watched his friends and family interact with each other. "You're right," he said, finally turning to Clockwork. Clockwork raised an eyebrow, inviting the boy to go on. "I had another vision. Whatever these things are, the one thing I know is I'm going to face Dan." Danny crossed his arm and frowned in thought. "If only there was some way to find out –"

"No," Clockwork interrupted sternly. Danny jumped, wide-eyed at the tone. "Even if there were, the less you learn about the future the better." Clockwork floated lower to the half-ghost's eye level. The harshness in his eyes softened slightly. "Trust me Danny, having the knowledge of time is one thing; having to make decisions based on that knowledge? It is the greatest burden of all." The boy's blue eyes met the tired, sad red eyes of the ghost and saw the turmoil behind the words. They stood staring at each other for a few moments, before Clockwork sighed, looking upward. With a small nod, Clockwork disappeared abruptly, bringing Danny's attention back to the occupants of the lab.

He looked between his parents again, realizing none of them had noticed his entrance. Deciding that he didn't want to be hit by a stray ecto-blast from Jazz, Danny made his way over to his father, mentor and best friend.

Sensing movement, Jack looked up from the screen briefly, before beaming. "Danny! Perfect timing!" he boomed, waving him over. "We were just going over your files."

Danny frowned apprehensively. "The ones on Dan?"

"No- the other secret Ghost files," Tucker said sarcastically, not looking up from the screen. Danny glared half-heartedly in his direction, but gestured for him to continue. "I've been pointing out the attacks we know he has for sure – this way we can figure out how to defend ourselves." He typed something into the computer, hitting the final key emphatically. Blueprints for a large ghost shield appeared on the main monitor. Finally, the dark skinned teen turned to half-ghost. "Your parents have a large shield schematic ready to go – they're just missing one thing."

Danny blinked. "Which is?"

"Dan's ecto-signature," Jack replied. Danny looked at him wide-eyed. "If we can specify the difference between you and him, we can adapt the shield's programming to keep Dan out and not hurt you in the process." The larger man put his hand on Danny's shoulder, making him stumble. "If we can get that shield up and running, you can heal up properly."

Danny shot him a grateful smile. "That's a great idea!" he exclaimed. Danny's eyes ran over the screen, recognizing some of the data on the screen. When he realized what was missing, he frowned slightly. "This isn't going to be easy – while Dan has half of my ecto-signature, he also has half of someone else's."

"Right," Ethelwulf confirmed, yellow eyes scanning a different screen. "Though from your files, you indicate that Dan had shifted forms to look like you and that he has a heat core. However, ghost cores don't change much at a molecular level – even when altered."

"Think of it like water," Jack continued. "Molecularly, stays the same but its form shifts; Even when frozen or as a gas."

"We believe that this secondary ecto-signature was a catalyst for your core to shift," Ethelwulf explained. "If this alternate version of you had an ice core during the time of the merge, then it changed into a heat core during this process but did not drastically change your ecto-signature."

Danny looked between Ethelwulf and his father in confusion. "Doesn't that mean we have the same ecto-signature?"

"Not quite," Jack said. "Remember, Jazz sent the boooo-merang into the zone to find you. It keyed into you – not the other you. Don't you see?"

Danny looked at Tucker for assistance. "Not really," he admitted.

"Basically even though it might be small, there is a difference between your ecto-sig and Dan's," Tucker answered determinedly. "All we have to do is figure out what aspect is more like Plasmius' ecto-signature, reverse the coding to prevent that ecto-signature being the one kept out of the shield and we'll be all set."

Jack blinked, before turning to Danny suddenly. "Wait - Plasmius is the other ecto-signature!?" he asked incredulously. Tucker flinched under the glare Danny sent his way. Danny sighed, nodding but did not elaborate further. The boy's demeanour changed; reserved and subdued. Jack frowned as his son stared at the schematics, hardened blue eyes lost in thought. "Hey – this is a good thing Danny! We have all the pieces we need to create the shield." He nudged Danny slightly, smiling reassuringly at his son. "It's a solid plan. You just have to trust us."

Danny shot his father a small smile. "I do," he said gratefully. Jack clapped Danny on the shoulder once more before turning back to Ethelwulf in conversation.

Tucker chuckled. "You seriously need to lighten up," he joked. "Between your Dad, Ethelwulf and this Techno geek, this shield will be up no problem!"

Danny smiled at his friend's enthusiasm and attempt to make him feel better. "I don't doubt it," he said. Danny looked his friend up and down, finally realizing something was different. "Tuck…. What are you wearing?"

Tucker smiled widely, puffing out his chest. The red beret was still there, but instead of his street clothes, Tucker was in a mustard yellow jumpsuit with dark green gloves and boots. Over his chest, he had two straps creating an X full of small pouches. "You parents thought it was time we had our own jumpsuits in case we have to be in the field. We got to design some of those jumpsuits that your Dad didn't have a chance to dye orange yet."

"We?" Danny asked, raising an eyebrow. Tucker rolled his eyes exasperatedly, muttering something under his breath before pointing to the other side of the lab. As Danny's eyes followed, he noticed his sister in an almost identical jumpsuit as his Mom's with the same X pattern as Tucker's on her back.

When his eyes found Sam, his breath hitched in his throat; her jumpsuit was a deep purple with black boots and gloves, with a small black flower on her back. She too, had straps along her torso, but most had a few ecto-guns attached at her back. She flipped gracefully in the air, a smug smile on her face as she dodged his Mom's staff and released the Jack-o-Nine tails, leaving the older Fenton unarmed. He couldn't keep his eyes off her; the world's sound disappeared as she became the only thing he could focus on. She was… he couldn't even describe what he was feeling right now. Vaguely, he heard Tucker talking at him, but it was drowned out by his heart pounding in his eardrums.

"Come on Space Cadet," Tucker said, smirking as he pulled the boy away from the console and toward the sparring women.

"What?" he replied dumbly, blinking owlishly at his friend.

Tucker chuckled. "Oh man," he murmured to himself. "Sam better appreciate this."

"What!?" Danny asked again, his voice going a bit higher in pitch.

Maddie waved her hand in the air, stopping the sparring match as the two boys approached. "You girls are getting much better," she said confidently, putting a hand on her hip. "Jazz – your weapon control is steadily improving. You might be able to handle the weapons that require higher precision now!"

"Finally!" the red head exclaimed in triumph. She wiped her brow and turned to Sam. "You've got to teach me that sliding tackle you used on Mom – it was wicked."

Sam smiled proudly. "Definitely." Noticing her two best friends on the sidelines, she turned slightly toward them. "Next time, we can give these two a run for their money."

Tucker held up his hands in surrender at the girl's suggestion. "I'm all for training, but not for getting destroyed by you. You do that enough in video games. Right Danny?" The boy in question did not answer, continuing to gape unbecomingly at Sam. Tucker sighed and locked eyes with an amused Jazz.

Before Jazz could comment on her brother's state, Maddie tugged her arm away from the group of teens. "Come on Jazz, let's help your father with that shield," she teased, a small smile across her lips.

"Mom!" Jazz whined, watching her opportunity to tease her brother move farther away as her Mom dragged her from the teens.

Sam watched them go, confused, before turning back to her friend. "What's with him?" she asked, tilting her head in confusion. Tucker shrugged, looking exasperated. Sam waved her gloved hand in front of Danny. "Hello? Earth to Danny?"

Danny blinked as he stepped back. "Purple!" he blurted out, startled. Tucker covered his face forcefully and groaned at his friend's lack of control.

"Purple?" Sam repeated, confused. "Oh! You mean this!" She gestured to her jumpsuit. "Pretty cool right? I was going to use black, but it'd look too much like yours." When Danny didn't say anything else, she frowned. "What? Not Goth enough?"

Finally shaking out of his stupor, Danny shook his head. "Just… purple's a nice colour on you," he said. Sam blinked, before her face turned slightly pink, making Danny's go slightly pink as well.

Tucker looked up at the ceiling in exasperation as his two best friends continued to stare awkwardly. "Hopeless," he said with a sigh. "Utterly hopeless." Deciding that it was time to break whatever spell they had on each other he turned to the half-ghost of the group with his hand on his hip. "How are you doing after today?"

Danny made a face. "It's… a lot," he said after a while. He turned away from his friends, staring at the portal as memories flashed before his eyes. "You guys weren't there – at the end I mean. How close it was. Now… it's a whole lot bigger than just beating him."

Sam frowned. "The time visions?"

"Not just them," Danny admitted, looking briefly at his family at the console. "If I was him-"

"Which you're not," Tucker said pointedly.

"Which I'm not," he agreed sardonically. "I wouldn't want to recreate the accident. I would want revenge." Danny started pacing, frowning in worry. "That battle this morning? He was toying with me – trying to see what I can do. Now he's somewhere in the Ghost Zone planning who knows what and I have no idea how to stop him."

Tucker and Sam looked at each other before turning back to their now worried friend. Tucker moved first, grabbing Danny's shoulder and stopping him in his tracks. "We don't know his plan," he started determinedly, "but we might be able to find him." The dark skinned teen gave him a triumphant look as he pulled out what looked to be a small gaming controller with a screen on it. "Meet the Fento-drone."

"A video game Tuck?" Sam asked deadpanned.

"Not a video game – the best invention ever!" Tucker exclaimed. Danny rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, bemused. "Mr. F and I developed it. We can send in a couple of these bad boys into the Ghost Zone and have them look for your older jerkface of a self. When this is hooked up to the main system, we can control where they go." Tucker turned to Danny. "Your Dad said he wanted to add a couple things too – give it the ol' Fenton charm."

"That… actually might help," Danny said excitedly. "How many of those are done?"

Tucker opened his mouth to answer but shut it quickly as shrill, loud alarms suddenly came to life around them. The trio of teens turned back to the console, watching as the red lights flickered across the faces of the Fentons. A computerized voice sounded from above.

"Ecto-Exdous Alarm activated. Prepare to kick ghost keister!"

A flurry of movement appeared at the other end of the lab as both Fenton parents turned off the alarm pulled up the Ghost Zone Radar. The little ghost icons seemed to be in waves, the largest in the middle.

"I haven't seen that many ghosts since the Ghost King!" Jack exclaimed. "Tucker! Lend me a hand!"

"On it!" Tucker yelled, running toward the larger man, Sam at his heels.

Danny stayed back, watching the radar worriedly. If this is anything like the Ghost King, the ghosts are evacuating. He glanced at the waves, seeing a few icons break away from the large mass of ghosts toward the back and front. His eyes found the group the furthest away from the portal and the lone figure at the back. Dan - He was sure of it.

"Are any of the Fento-drones ready for launch?" Tucker asked, frantically typing in code through the system.

"Only two," Jack replied. He turned to his wife. "Mads, what's the containment system like?"

Maddie looked up from her screen to Jack. "95% - but that's nowhere near enough to house that many ghosts!"

Danny frowned, watching the screen from afar. No one seemed to notice his presence anymore, the radar attracting their complete attention.

"What will you do?"

Danny jumped as Clockwork appeared beside him. "Don't do that!" Danny exclaimed angrily. "If you haven't noticed, we're in the middle of something here!"

Clockwork rolled his eyes. "If you haven't noticed, time has slowed down." He replied, deadpanned.

Danny's eyes widened – Clockwork was right. Everything moved in slow motion around them, from the typing keyboard to running for weapons. He looked at the Time Master in confusion, but Clockwork cut him off.

"What will you do?" he asked again. "Time will not be slowed for much longer."

Danny looked back at the radar screen; one sole ghost moved quickly, gaining momentum as the rest of the ghosts slowed. His hand curled into a fist as time started to move normally.

"The first wave of ghosts should reach us any moment," his father yelled.

Danny looked toward his friends and family, all questioning their next move – if he was going to act, it had to be now.

"Should we close the portal?!" Maddie yelled back. Suddenly she stood up straight. "Wait…. Where's –"

Steeling his resolve, Danny locked eyes with Clockwork for a moment before he took off. He jumped up and he transformed, illuminating the lab in white light.

"Danny!" he heard his Mom yell after him as he flew quickly, diving into the portal.

The vast, empty space of Ghost Zone swirled magnificently as he flew toward the crowd at top speed. They didn't deserve this. No one deserved to be part of this. He had to get to them before -

"BEWARE!"

Danny stopped suddenly, taken aback at the ghost's sudden appearance in front of him. "Box Ghost?" he exclaimed, confused. Remembering why he was here in the first place, he shook his head. "Where is he?" he asked seriously.

The Box Ghost looked at the young Phantom in front of him. "Runaway Ghost Child!" he said with wide eyes, grabbing Danny by the shoulders. "The other Phantom is too powerful. He's destroyed many realms with his sonic attack!"

"Ghostly Wail," Danny corrected impatiently. "Where is he Box Ghost? What's holding him back?"

The Box Ghost frowned worriedly, looking away. "The Far Frozen started to form ice shields as we ran," he started. Danny could see the larger crowd getting closer. "But he broke them suddenly. We thought we were getting away but he came toward us out of nowhere. Skulker and Ember told us to head for your portal; they're fighting him now."

Eyes narrowing in frustration, Danny broke away from the startled ghost. "Listen Box Ghost," he started, looking at the amount of ghosts headed his way. "I need you to lead those ghosts through my parents' portal and up into Amity – just like when the Ghost King attacked. Tell my parents to be ready to close the portal as soon as everyone gets through."

"Me!?" the Box Ghost exclaimed incredulously. "What about you?!"

Danny ignored him. "Go!" he yelled, taking flight again as he headed deeper into the Ghost Zone.

As he passed over the crowd, he heard calls of "Great One!" from below. A quick scan found a large group of yetis flanking the outer perimeter of the mass of ghosts, Frostbite among them. He flew down towards them, floating in place. "Get to the portal," he ordered quickly. "I'm going to hold him off long enough for everyone to get out safely. Find Ethelwulf – he and Clockwork will explain." He took off again, ignoring any of the calls from the group of Far Frozen workers. As he passed the last of the escaping ghosts, he stopped. In the distance he could see a lot of debris, islands that used to house ghosts turned to rubble.

How could he cause this much damage so quickly? He asked himself, distraught. He gasped, brought out of his musings by explosions up ahead. His hands balled into fists and eyes narrowed in anger. Danny shot forward toward the fight. Dan was not getting to Amity Park – not today.

:-=-:

Skulker fired another round of rockets from his suit's armour before dodging behind a floating piece of debris toward Ember. The rockstar ghost scanned her green eyes over her boyfriend's bodysuit as she quickly restrung her guitar.

"Remind me again why we're risking our necks to help the others get out of here?" she asked bitterly.

Skulker reloaded his blaster and a few more rockets quickly, chancing a small glance around their hiding spot. "Because nothing can get past the Ghost Zone's greatest hunter and Ember McLain," he replied. "I don't see him."

Ember scoffed, turning the dial on her guitar up. "Who is this guy anyway? He has the dipstick's little symbol on his chest but that is definitely not Phantom. Not unless he aged himself up."

Skulker's eyes narrowed. "No, but his head will make an excellent addition to my collection." The ghost hunter turned to Ember. "We'll move on my signal. Three – Two-"

"One," Dan's snide voice came from above the pair as a strong ecto-blast came barrelling toward them. Skulker and Ember flew sideways, in opposite directions, dodging as the blast hit the large floating rock they hit. Ember jumped on her guitar, surfing through the zone and sending a flurry of blue flames to the spectre as she passed. Dan merely put up a shield, watching with a grin as she came to a stop a few yards away. The flames petered out, making him drop the shield. "What? Can't stand the heat?" he asked menacingly. Blue flames appeared in his hands as he flung them outward, a set of flames thrown in the shape of an X toward the ghost diva. Ember jumped off her guitar, grabbing its neck as she dodged. Pulling the guitar close to her, she played a loud chord, sending two ectoplasmic fists back at the evil spirit. Dan flew upward, flipping over the attack as he sent his own ecto-blasts back. He landed forcefully on a floating rock, laughing slightly as he felt his boots sink into the earth.

His ghost sense flooded his nose as he sensed the robotic ghost behind him. Dan turned, bringing his right knee upwards and into Skulker's abdomen. The ghost grunted in pain as Dan grabbed his arm and swung him around, throwing him straight into Ember. The two ghosts cried out in pain as they tumbled through the air. "Too easy," Dan gloated, igniting his hands in green ecto-energy one more time. He threw another ghost ray at the pair. Skulker flew out of the way quickly, but the ray hit Ember sending her flying, her limp body rolling through the air.

"Ember!" Skulker called out to her, stricken. Her body came to a stop, floating in place, unconscious. With a roar of anger, Skulker flew towards Dan, two large blades appearing from his forearms. "You'll pay for that abomination!"

Dan waited, evil grin still plastered on his face as he waited for the emotional ghost in front of him. As Skulker aimed for his stomach, he created an opening, letting the blades go straight through with no injury.

"Was that supposed to hurt?" Dan asked, eyes narrowing. Skulker gasped as Dan grabbed his shoulders, lifting him above the ghost. "I think you have your priorities wrong here tin can." Dan threw the ghost, sending another blast towards the hunter. It hit Skulker straight on, sending him flying upward. He managed to steady himself just as he heard Dan speak again. "Why face me when your girlfriend is the one in danger."

Skulker's green eyes widened as he realized what the ghost was about to do. Skulker rushed over to his fallen comrade, covering her with his own body as he felt the blast connect with his armour. He gritted his teeth, biting back a cry of pain. Skulker turned back to glare at the spectre, parts of his battle suit falling into the abyss of the Ghost Zone as the blast subsided. Ember stirred briefly, but didn't awaken. Holding the pop star's form close, Skulker held out his right arm, taking aim with one of his rockets.

Dan smirked, crossing his arms. "Oh please," he said. "You can't defeat me; you had 10 years to, what, put my pelt as a throw rug? I know your whole playbook Skulker – there's no way out of this."

Skulker lowered his weapon, wide-eyed. "Ghost child?" he questioned, confused.

Dan chuckled. "Not quite," he drawled, red eyes shining gleefully. "Not since I ripped out my humanity." He flew up to Skulker's level but still had lots of space in between them. "Now, time to send my younger self a message."

He inhaled deeply before releasing his sonic attack, ripples of energy erupting from his mouth. Skulker closed his eyes, hugging Ember tighter as he braced for impact.

It never came.

Skulker's eyes flew open as merely three feet away Danny Phantom, the one he knew, held a large ecto-shield in front of them, holding the attack at bay. "You!" Skulker yelled over the older Phantom's attack.

Danny's arms shook from strain as he held the shield against Dan's wail for a few moments. He turned his head slightly toward the ghost behind him. "Get to the portal," he told him as he wail pushed him backward. "I'll distract him until then."

Skulker frowned, looking between the two Phantoms in confusion. "How…" he started, before looking down at Ember worriedly.

Danny followed his gaze guiltily as Dan stopped his attack. The younger ghost turned his attention back to the older, dropping the shield. "Hurry," he said, watching Dan apprehensively. Skulker didn't need to be told twice; he took off toward the human portal, leaving the two Phantoms facing off.

"I see you got my message," Dan told him snidely, watching in amusement how Danny's face contorted in rage. "Now, now – don't get all worked up."

"You're not getting to that portal," Danny told him coolly.

Dan laughed at his naivety. "You always did have such childish motives." Dan flew, standing upright as he got closer Danny. The half-ghost bristled, ready for an attack. "You think I want the portal Danny?" he asked, floating beside Danny's left. Dan moved around the teen, appearing again at Danny's right. Danny's head whipped to the other side. "Let me let you in on a little secret – I can take the portal anytime I wish." Dan's wrist came alive with an ecto-blast, launching it directly at the teen.

Anticipating the attack, Danny teleported away from the blast's trajectory - reappearing at one of the destroyed land masses. "I think you missed, old man," he taunted, throwing a series of ecto-blasts toward his older self. Dan growled, dodging the attacks with ease and flying directly for the teen. Danny braced himself as Dan collided with him, blocking Dan's flurry of punches the best he could. Going on the offensive, Danny brought his knee up to Dan's chest, pushing him away from the spectre. They flew at each other again, matching each other's blows evenly. Eventually, they broke apart, Danny slightly panting from exertion while Dan merely stood, crossing his arms.

"Tired already?" he provoked with a small smile.

Danny's eyes widened slightly as he looked Dan over; the evil Phantom showed no sign of weakness. Time to rethink this distraction. Danny took off toward the portal, flying through the destroyed islands that littered this part of the zone. Looking back, he saw Dan following closely. Danny's eyes and hands lit up blue, sending a set of icicle spears toward Dan. Dan merely swatted the icicles away, gaining speed toward the younger boy. Slightly panicked, Danny teleported again, trying to get as much distance as he could away from his future self.

Dan continued to fly toward the boy, eyes watching as Danny continued to teleport away from him, using the floating rubble as cover. He smiled, identifying a pattern as Danny continued to move. Dan waited until Danny teleported again, disappearing as he teleported to where he anticipated his younger self would end up. Arriving at the same point at the same time, Dan grabbed a hold of Danny, pinning him against a rock. One gloved hand moved to the boy's neck, squeezing tightly as he struggled under Dan's grasp. Danny glared at him as he struggled, attempting to break free and breathe easier. "It would be so easy to kill you now," Dan hissed, squeezing tighter. Danny's eyes widened as he started to gasp for air, legs kicking desperately to break free.

As Danny's vision started to fade, he heard a charging of an ecto-weapon before Dan was blasted off him. Danny gasped; coughing as he finally was able to breathe again. Dan was thrown a few feet away, stunned slightly at the two sleek saucer-like robots, each proudly displaying the Fenton logo on the top. Finally regaining himself, Danny floated up to one of the robots, smiling gratefully. "Thank you Fento-drones!" he exclaimed. Turning to his future self, he sent a stream of ice to the stunned ghost, freezing him in place.

Nodding determinedly at his work, Danny leapt up in the air and headed straight for the portal. It only took him fifteen minutes but he saw it – the swirling green hexagon that led to the lab. Relief only started to sink in before he heard a roar of anger behind him. Glancing back, he saw the burly ghost sending streams of ectoplasmic energy outward, aiming for the Fento-drones and him in the distance. Danny frowned, stopping on a small floating island close by. He watched as Dan lashed out, sending one of the Fento-drones into stone and ripping through the other one with ease. Red eyes locked with green, hungry for vengeance as Dan once again moved, blasting through any object that stood in his way.

Danny sighed, digging white boots into the ground as raw energy bubbled up inside him. His right eye lit up an electric blue as energy poured out of his fingers. He held his hands up; creating an electrifying green shield of energy that covered not only the portal, but it's surrounding areas. Dan stopped, watching the shield grow in disgust until it engulfed the portal.

Danny dropped to his hands and knees, panting as his eyes slowly returned to their normal green. Blue white sparks of electricity surrounded his aura as he gritted his teeth, glaring up at his future self. Try getting through that he thought vindictively.

The last thing Danny saw before he teleported was a slow, deliberate smile spreading across Dan's face.

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