#they only caught wind of Danny traveling when he was in human form

[half-deadmagicperson]

The DP x Star Trek brainrot is consuming me again

But anyways, so y'all know how there's the Department of Temporal Investigations in Starfleet that formed in the 27th century or something like that?

I bet Danny annoys the absolute shit out of them, specifically when they first discover him. Because he's canonically time traveled before, and if you take the Clockwork as a mentor/grandpa/father figure route, then he's probably completed some time travel related missions.

So the DTI find this teenager bouncing around to different time periods, and they can do nothing about it. Because their mysterious boss, who has only ever been seen by the higher ups, has given this kid the okay.

But after a while, they realize that Danny is the one who tackles the serious, world-ending timeline changes, and handles them better than any agent could.

They'd probably get used to it and whenever a new recruit mentions a case regarding a teenager, the seasoned ones tell them "Oh that's just Danny, he's the one the boss sends on the more important missions. He's pretty nice."

Then one day, a person enters the very secret, Temporal Investigations building that looks exactly like Danny, except he's in his 20's. The person just strolls up to the desk and says he's here to drop off some tea for his PeePaw and gives the front desk his identification number which gives him a high enough clearance to enter the Door ™️ (that leads to the clock tower).

And everyone just stares at him because A. Danny Fenton is from the 21st century, not the 27th and B. Despite several people meeting Danny, Danny himself has never been in the DTI building.

So people watch as this man (who is either Immortal AU Danny or a Danny that just time traveled there because of a mission or something, take your pick) goes to the security by the Door ™️ and says, "Normally I'd just use my own entrance, but it's down for maintenance at the moment." Leaving a flabbergasted group of officers/agents in his wake.

[ecto-stone]

So I don’t really know that much about that my blood au you created could you tell me a bit about it?

Ha hah I Hope this is Edible

So My Blood Au is just Me dumping all the cool stuff i can think of into a DP what if Vlad is Good ^For Starter MB Vlad or Vladimir Jude Masters is a Paranormal investigater/ hunter/exocist in a sense. He seemingly Perfect in People eye, Not Really on the inside as he have many problem stem from living so long and going though alots of thing that he prefer not to talk about that he hide from People , go so far as to adjust his own emotion to what he find fit to the situration making him really hard to read. (Not Jack and Danielle, those are close enough 2 peel him like an onion if they sense something off). -Vlad And Danny are not same kind of Halfa in this AU, Vlad is Two soul (Half Blue Demon Vampire Ghost, Half Human twisted together and blend into one) and Danny is Soul within soul (Going though the accident give him two identical soul that over lapped each other) -Ghost are nerf and ecto beam and ecto Base attack can harm ghost but they can't harm Physical thing in living world Unless they are infuse with Core element same with Human entering Purgatory. -The world have 5 Realm: LivingWorld, Purgatory (GhostZone), Elsewhereness, Fairy Land and Unworld. +Going with the idea that originaly Vlad is supposed to be a vampire and many ghost in the series feel like they are more supernature creature then Ghost. Living world now have many Human and other Creature living among each other , hidden in plain sight +Purgatory: Where Ghost go and heal before they move onto Elsewhereness (Heaven in this verse) or Rebirth back to the living cycle. There are many area in Purgatory that fit human decription of after life look like , this is due to collective faith and ideal of many Ghost focus with each other to created these Resting stop. Incidentally like the living world these area are also watch over by being call King and Queen of the Death (Caretaker and protector of the Death soul, a being with incredible power capable of bending reality). Most well known one are the King Dark, Prince Argon and Princess Dora of the Dark Age Zone. Queen Desire of the thousand and one night. ect.. newest King of the death is Ghost Writer (library of the forgotten) but he prefer not be refer to as king, just Ghost writer. +Elsewhereness: The final resting Places of enternal Bliss. Once the Soul is ready to let go of all earthly desire, they are send here. Not much is known about this realm or it location. When a Soul reach enlightment it will automatically know where to find it. The realm also House many god. +Fairy Land: Home to care taker of the childhood inocent and many god that work to keep the universe running. Most common creature that live here is Fairy with two side one silly colorful side that appear to children to granted what ever their heart desire. The other is the Blue fortune side that Weaved the fabric of Luck and fate. +Unworld: A Dark realm with one way in no way out. It house many dangerous creature, ancient outer god and unspeakable Evil that have been banish to through age by god and human. >the Origin Story: +Vlad and Jack are Friend from Childhood (Their Bond are really tight kinda like Sworn Brother ) unlike their canon counter part meet in college. They Hunt Ghost but in more of a Release soul from their earthly bound kind of way via the info they get from the Masters Family Grilmore. (There is one major inconvience is that You need to wait for the correct day and time to perform ritual sending ghost back to purgatory so they can Move on to Elsewhereness/heaven of this verse ) +They Meet Maddie in college (Maddie and Vlad almost alway in a total clash with each other with Maddie tech almost Hunter like way in dealing with ghost and Vlad more traditional Way of Handling them) Which end with Three of them forming the Original Ghost Trio. With Maddie accept Vlad and Jack Respect the Death ideal. And Vlad and Jack incorperate More Technology into their Asset. +Maddie point out the inconvinient of having to wait for the correct day for each ghost to send them back to Purgatory (Their room are fill with

Container for ghost), Which lead to them comming up with the idea of Making a Ghost Portal. <Note: MB Vlad is not into Romantic relationship, Platonic one Matter to him more> >The Accident: No diet soda the Accident is purely due to one miscalculation that cost Vlad life (his Head got Blash Clean off infront of Jack and Maddie) In that Split Second of His face getting disintigrating, Vlad get a Glim into UnWorld (the Realm where are Demon and evil of the four realm are banish to) and Got Latched on and Pushed Back to the living world by a Demon Vampire Ghost Both Soul are now inhabited Vlad headless lifeless body, in Which about 3 day after Vlad burial that Vlad Body got completely decontructed inside the coffin and recontructed into a body that is more fitting to host both . Vlad have a hard time remembering Who he is after kinda get rebirth and Wander the world until he Get Suck into a Natural Ghost Portal and got Flunk Back in time. >Journey of an Immortal Being: -Vlad Stuck in the Past, He recovered his memories, Going through existenal crisis, Evil phase, Evil make me feel bad, Not Evil anymore, Found out that he is immortal now, Existenal crisis part2, Acceptance, Travel the World and Start doing the what ever he like, learning old way of magic still helping ghost and other supernatural being. -Caused several Major Change to the past that Mythical Creature got un extinct. (Due to the Law of life and death this does not affect who get born or not, it just that the world got alots more races now and those used to be born human in the original timeline might get born as another races entirely) -Get Mistaken for Messiah.( Look You can't kill Vlad, He would just be gone for like 3 day then comeback) -Caused the legend of Dracula. -Vampire cult have a horrible obession with Vlad as a Whole. Look like vampire act like one, can walk in plain day light and more importantly the ability to Open a Portal to Unworld . ( Vlad don't use this ability much and can only open small one as it is very energy consuming) -Meet his own ancestor Which is the Fentonightingale that Later Splited into Fenton and Nightingale (later change to Masters) leading to revealation that Jack and Him might be very distant Related. -Bickering With Time God (Do not trust the Clock Man that work for the Eyes) -Get Caught in War far too many time. -Meet Phantom (an odd entity that is oddly clingy to him) in the Great War. -Meet Other Some of the DP ghost when they still alive -The Horrible Bar incident that reveal Phantom true nature, an evil being that wish to turn the world back to it original nature of nothiness and try to turn vlad to the his side, Kill, Seal in Rock Case covered with Sigil to prevent Phantom from escape, Chuck it into the ocean. - The Contruction of the Coffin Ghost Portal. (Havent actually went into the Purgatory caused the CCP is one Way Portal. -Forming of many Hidden town that home supernatural being. Amity Park is one of them. - And many more unseen story >Daddy Stolen Ribbone saga (MB Vlad is sterile, he want to have kid but can't.) -The Vampire cult that he have grudge with attemp to Clone or at least created a child that have Vlad Power through ritual and cult like method. Imagine Danny Clone but even more mess up . -Vlad end the life of most of them by his own hand (they are suffering, it is best to let them go) -Birth of Danielle: +Danielle Evelyn Masters or just Dani/Dee for short is the only Stable child come out of this whole odeal. She is Created From Vlad Ribone like a Twisted Eve. And like in the book it caused both of them to be very attached to each other in a Fatherly Daughterly Way. +Dee Have Vlad Ghost power and Demonic Power but No ghost form (Her default funtion as both and whether she is in ghost mode or Human mode is all Up to energy control) and no connection to Unworld there for she can't open portal to Unworld. Dual Soul nature Wind/Fire.

+She like Frog and is interested in Marine biology (which Vlad have full support over, she have a room fill with Vlad hand made frog plusie that she all named. +He raise her teach her everything he know about how to deal with supernatural being and how to Snipe Vampire from a long distant with pin point accuracy.

+An kidnapped incident with the Vampire cult latter resulted in Dee Death at the age of 12 (1999), and Vlad becoming fully Merged into one Being with Plasmius. and wipe out the entire vampire cult in a horrible Vlad the impaler way). +After wiping out the remainder of the cult, vlad go into retirement and work as a wall Painter < he work supper fast on celling painting and no one know why> >The Boy Who Fly (2 year before the start of actual MB story) -Danny Gain his power at the age of 10, his parent know. The event of Portal acivation caused the whole town to have a black out. -They move House alots for 2 year. And Jack try his best to make his family as normal as they can be after accidenly k his friend all those year ago and now half eff his own son. -They finding out amity park their new home is on accident when the RV engine die mid way through the middle of no Where (The town shown it self to those in need) -Danny hide his abiltiy. But after a gym incident. and getting Praise by his peer for it instead of scold like with the adult Danny start getting bolder using Floating power around his new friend when no adult is watching. <Vlad who is Working on the Giant Raven paiting for the School Saw this and know imediately What Danny is> -They offically meet each other on the the roof top, when Danny mom ask him to go down the store and by some bread and he decided to try to Air Frog Swim to it. They become friend and Vlad even teach Danny how to fly properly before having to leave (they visit each other alots after the revealation, and vlad is a good adult friend that Danny can talk to) (Danno forgot about the bread and return home breadless) -Jack may stop with the whole Paranormal hunter/ghost scientist job but not Maddie. She keep doing it behind his back due to danny special need in ecto base consumtion (he havent grow abit since the accident and keep getting smaller and it concerning) -Jack found out and they have a Fight. which lead to Maddie go to his Sister house. -Danny Found out about why his dad was so stressed out about ghost thing now. When looking through his parent old stuff with his new friend tucker. (Dude why does your parent have a Picture of the wall painter in thier old junk). He show the image to Vlad. -Danny Get jack to tell the story about the inccident. Dad what if i tell you that Your friend who die 18 year ago survived and is on our front door right now. Reunion, Jack feeling guilty about making them both like this. Go Get Maddie. Happy reunion of the trio. -Fenton Parent become accepting to Danny condition, Danny have a good mentor that can teach him ho to control his power And they live happy ever after for now

[themonsterblog]

The Beast of Bray Road

Dating back to 1936, citizens of Elkhorn, Wisconsin, in Walworth county as well as Racine and Jefferson counties have been witnessing a beast.

Reported to be 6ft tall, with grey and brown fur, the Beast is said to have a wolf-like face, shiny yellow eyes, pointed ears, and run and walk on all fours or hind legs as well as kneel like a man. I am reticent to call it a werewolf as shapeshifters are rather outrageous even for the cryptozoology community, but that is the imagery that comes to mind.

The first reported sighting was in 1936. 30-something Mark Shackleman was the night watchman for the St Coletta School For Exceptional Children outside Jefferson. The school had extensive grounds that included wide, open fields that held several preserved Native American burial mounds. Crossing the fields one night when doing his rounds, Shackleman saw a shadow digging into one of the mounds, much like a canine would. The Beast then stood to six feet tall and looked at him, it’s large body covered in dark fur and smelled of rotting meet. Shackleman took a step back, startled, and the beast abruptly turned and ran off into the woods. Shackleman reported seeing it again the next night, but never again.

Due to some what conflicting descriptions of the beast, some cryptozoology enthusiasts believe the beast to be a misidentification of some other cryptid, such as “Eddy” or “The Bluff Monster,” a Bigfoot like creature in Wisconsin. Others suggest a Waheela, or “bear dog;” as well as a Shunka Warakin. Some have even suggested due to the similarities and proximity that The Beast Of Bray Road and The Michigan Dogman are the same animal.

The Beast has been reported to act aggressively, but not outright violent and hasn’t reported to have physically harmed anyone. It had also been reported to charge vehicles, even chase people, but breaking off the chase before catching anyone, suggesting the theory that some have that it is territorial or guarding something, which could also explain the reason that many sightings are concentrated on a 2 mile stretch of farm road.

In 1991, 18 year old, Doris Gibson, reported driving down Bray Road during a storm when she felt her tire hit something. Thinking she had hit a small animal, she got out of her car to investigate only to find nothing. She looked to the side of the road, saw the form of the Beast and rushed back to her car. As she sped away, she said the Beast jumped on the trunk of her car but slid off in the heavy rain.

In the fall of 1989, Lori Endrizzi was driving down Bray Road on her way home from her job as a bar manager, when she saw a hunched figure in the road eating road kill. She flipped on her high beams to see it clearer and realized that whatever it was, knelt like a man and held the carcass in its hands like it had human-like elbows. The creature then stood and started towards her vehicle that had stalled out as Lori panicked and struggled to get it to start. When the engine successfully rolled over, she floored it to her mother’s house. “I didn’t sleep that night very well,” she said in her interview with Monsters and Mysteries in America.

The town of Elkhorn has supposedly had so many sightings of the Beast from the 80’s and 90’s that the Elkhorn Animal Control is rumored to have a file on the creature. The vast uptick in sightings is what had the now defunct Walworth Week assign junior reporter, Linda Godfrey, to investigate and report on the sightings. Linda published her article “Tracking down ‘The Beast of Bray Road’” on December 29th, 1991 and would then go on to write “The Beast Of Bray Road: Tailing Wisconsin’s Werewolf” and become the foremost expert on the subject.

One story Godfrey tells regarding the Beast is about a group of boys heading home from sledding, that was told to her by a friend of her son’s that experienced it first-hand. On their way home, the boys saw a large furry creature drinking water from a creek, thinking that it was a dog, they decided to go pet it. When they approached the creature, it stood, snarled, and took chase after the boys, breaking off after they cleared the tree line. Which, while terrifying, is in line with many reports.

Steve Krueger has told a consistent story on both Monster Quest and Monsters and Mysteries in America. Myself being a natural skeptic, once recognizing him on M&M from Monster Quest, made sure to track down his MQ episode, initially thinking that I could rule him out as a credible eye witness if his story changed. It hadn’t in the 4 years between episode airings, which lent more to his credibility in my eyes, albeit the story being more sensational on M&M due to the nature of that show. In November 2006, Krueger, a DNR worker had removed a the carcass of an 85lb doe from a road in Holy Hill, Wisconsin. As Krueger sat in the cab of his truck filling out the required paper work for the removal, he felt his truck shake, thinking it was simply the wind, he ignored it. A second harder shake caught his attention and he looked out the back window of his truck to see a shadowy figure standing at the tailgate of his truck. Krueger shined his flashlight through the back window to get a better look and saw a 6ft tall animal with a wolf-like face, reaching into the bed for the deer carcass he had just removed from the road. Startled, Krueger threw the truck in drive and sped away allowing the Beast to drag the doe off the back of his truck.

Wolf Biologist Peggy Callahan believes all of these sightings can be explained as simple misidentification. “People could definitely misidentify a wolf jumping up on its hind legs,” she tells Monster Quest, in a 2010 interview. Callahan believes that folklore and superstition combined with misidentification has created the tale of the Beast and influenced sightings. “As for the traditional werewolf, I’m going to tell you it doesn’t exist.”

Linda Godfrey on the other hand, does not believe this is a simple case of misidentification and advocates for witnesses saying “I really believe that all of these witnesses have seen what they say they saw. [...] Anybody who drives around much in Wisconsin has seen so many deer, and so many bear, and these other creatures that they would have a hard time mistaking something like that for a completely unknown animal.”

Sightings over the years have dwindled in frequency but recent sightings have been reported to MyRacineCounty.com with Danny Morgan’s January 2018 account of seeing the Beast while driving home from Lake Geneva, accompanied with the cell phone photo that heads this post; and Ron Rice’s 2020 account of seeing the Beast in the town of Lyons while delivering fertilizer.

If you are interested in learning more about upright, Wolf-like hominids, I highly recommend sifting through Linda Godfreys blog at Lindagodfrey.com. She has compiled sightings on there since 2009, but has been inactive since May of 2020.

Sources:

Milwaukeemag.com

Legendsofamerica.com

Lindagodfrey.com

MyRacineCounty.com

History Channel’s Monster Quest

Travel Channel’s Monsters and Mysteries in America

Cryptidz.fandom.com

[five-rivers]

What Was Bound, What Was Loosed, part 2

Written for day 18: horror.  I’m really sneaking this in just before midnight.  So hard to write.  

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Vlad was occupied with shepherding along a sensitive reaction in his lab when his portal winked out of existence. Engrossed in his experiment, he didn't notice at first, not for several minutes. But, soon enough, the steadiness of the light, the lack of green in it, began to unnerve him.

Leaving the chemicals alone for a moment wouldn't make them explode. Probably. If they did, well. He had more than enough money to renovate his mansion. Again.

Almost immediately, his eyes caught on the gaping, empty hole in his wall where the portal had once been.

"That- Impossible!" He took several quick steps forward, but did not enter the portal or stand directly in front of it. The portal was gone, but he could see that the containment mechanisms were still working, electricity periodically jumping from exposed wires. He reached for the power cut off switch.

Reality rippled. Briefly, Vlad experienced a sensation akin to being moved through a thick membrane.

He found himself among the treetops of a lavender forest, the green sky of the Ghost Zone swirling brightly above him. Disoriented, he put a hand to his head. Natural portals had a tendency to be turbulent, but he had never been through one that felt like that before. Had his portal somehow escaped its moorings? He would have thought he would notice something like that, something like a portal sneaking up behind him. The did glow, after all.

Then again, he had been distracted by his portal's unexplained absence, so maybe not.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and muttered, "Butter biscuits," under his breath. By the time he got back, his experiment would have exploded, and his lab would be in shambles.

No matter. He could always rebuild. The real issue was where he was. He went ghost and-

Nothing happened.

Wait a moment. He examined his hands more closely. They were mottled, blue on tan. He pulled a strand of his hair in front of his eyes. It, too, had suffered a color change. His individual hairs were alternately dark grey and silver.

He felt his heart speed up. This was a problem. A large problem. He would have to retreat to his lair in the Rockies until he could fix this and return to normal. Until then, he wouldn't be fit for the public eye; his secret would be on display for all to see.

After he confirmed that, at least, he still had access to all his powers, he flew up over the tops of the trees.

The island he had found himself above was large and unfamiliar. Trees stretched out below him in all directions, leaves whispering against each other in the faint ectoplasmic wind. Ugh. Well, he'd find something, or someone, familiar sooner or later. He had traveled through the Ghost Zone extensively while searching for the Skeleton Key.

He scanned the sky, looking for signs of civilization. There, so far away he could cover it with his thumb at arm's length, was a gathering of buildings. True, in the Ghost Zone that didn't mean much, what with all the ruins and the buildings that formed randomly from the ectoplasm, but Vlad didn't have all that much to go on. He'd take the risk.

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Ellie had been high in the sky over Louisiana, looking forward to eating some of the famous cuisine of New Orleans, when she was briefly plucked out of reality, tumbled around, and redeposited in the Ghost Zone. Somewhat stunned, she merely floated for several long minutes.

But Ellie was nothing if not adaptable, and she quickly recovered enough to look around and try to figure out what had happened. Maybe she'd been sucked through a natural portal? That didn't quite feel right, but it wasn't as if she were an expert on natural portals.

She shrugged to herself and looked around. Cajun cooking would have to wait for another day. In the meantime, she could amuse herself in the Ghost Zone.

If she could find anything amusing, that is. This particular stretch of the Ghost Zone was depressingly empty. Or was it simply misty? It could be hard to tell.

She picked a direction at random and started flying.

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It took Vlad longer than he would have liked to reach the little city. About halfway there, the wind had strengthened to a gale, blowing him back, away from the possibly-inhabited island. It had died again, just as Vlad crossed the island's shoreline.

At first, Vlad believed that the island was entirely uninhabited. No ghosts came out to greet him or drive him off. There was no movement behind the windows or doors. The streets were empty.

But, then, he discovered that all the island's residents had gathered on the far shore, floating together in a loose cloud. They were looking down, at something far below the island, occasionally pointing.

Not keen on drawing attention right away, Vlad gently pushed himself into invisibility. He approached the edge of the island cautiously, and with no little trepidation. Given the timing, this could very well be related to the disappearance of his portal and his sudden presence in the Ghost Zone.

Beneath the island, a long, slender finger of blue wove through the more typical ectoplasmic green.

Vlad frowned at the sight. A river, perhaps? But if that was the case, why were the locals so excited?

He couldn't get any information like this. Reluctantly, he turned visible.

"Excuse me," he asked a relatively quiet ghost in full Roman legionnaire armor. "I've only just returned to the Ghost Zone, and everyone seems rather excited. Do you know what's going on?"

"Coronation," said the ghost, breathless even for one of the dead.

Vlad frowned. "Pardon?"

"Coronation!" exclaimed the ghost. The other chattering ghosts fell silent, and turned towards the legionnaire.

"Are you sure?" asked a green-skinned young woman in a toga, her pale yellow eyes huge. "Coronation?"

"It could be nothing else!" proclaimed the legionnaire.

"What do you mean, a coronation?" asked a ghost in more modern clothes. "As in, a king? This isn't going to be another one of those things where we all run away, is it?"

"No!" said the legionnaire, wrapping an arm around the man's shoulders. "This calls for celebration! A new king has been chosen and crowned!" He tossed his helmet into the air, and it reformed on his head a moment later. "The Realms shall heal from their wounds, and a new age will dawn!"

Vlad fought down a stab of jealousy. Once, he had hoped to gain that position. Well, he could determine how to turn the Zone's new political circumstances to his advantage later, when he was at his leisure. For now, he had more immediate concerns.

"Heal from their wounds?"

"Yes!" said the legionnaire, excited, his head bobbing. "After a coronation, the King's Grace sweeps through the land. Ghosts are called home! The tears are healed!"

"The tears- Surely, you don't mean the portals."

"I do, at that," said the legionnaire, grave in a way only a ghost could pull off. "That is what happened last time. Oh, that I am so lucky as to see a new king rise. May he be a kind one!"

"The portals have closed?" pressed Vlad. "All of them?"

"Yes, all of them."

"For how long?"

"When Pariah Dark took the throne," said the ghost, "it was a good century, at least."

"No," said Vlad. "I can't be away from the mortal world for that long!"

The legionnaire patted Vlad's shoulder consolingly. "Family in the other world? Friends? It is hard to leave such things behind, but, well, memento mori. They will return to you in time! Be glad instead! This is a happy occasion!"

With that, the legionnaire was borne off by his fellows. Vlad could hear some of the ghosts already making plans for a party.

"Wait," he said, snagging one of them by the elbow. He braced himself slightly, expecting to have to field an ectoblast. Instead, the ghost, a middle-aged woman with an elaborate coif, merely looked at him quizically. "Do you know the way to the Fenton Portal?" he asked, desperately. "The permanent ghost portal, guarded by Phantom."

"Oh, thinking that one might not be sealed?" asked the woman. "Best of luck to ye. It's off that way," she pointed. "When ye reach the Seven Obelisks, bend right, so you're aiming between Red Mountain and Mammoth Island.

"Ah," said Vlad, "I know the place. Thank you." And then he did a double take, because when was the last time he had genuinely thanked anyone?

He shook his head and flew, as fast as he could.

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Luckily for Ellie, a great wind kicked up shortly after she began flying and blew off most of the mist, letting her see clearly. She did have to take shelter for a moment behind a large floating boulder, to avoid being tumbled head-over-heels by the wind, but that was a minor inconvenience at best.

It did however, mean that she had a chance to look at herself and realize that she was wearing her human clothing. Weird. She had definitely been in ghost form when she got sucked in here, and she could have sworn she had still been in it. She tried to change. Couldn't.

Oh, this could be bad. What if she was destabilizing again? She needed to find Danny. He'd know what to do.

When the wind died back, Ellie peered out, and spotted what looked like a village in the distance. She flew to it, as quickly as she could, though it still took a distressingly long time to reach, nearly an hour.

The people of the town appeared to be in the midst of setting up for some kind of party. Normally, Ellie would love to stay, find out what was going on, and participate in any way she could, but the whole 'I might melt' thing really wasn't conducive to that.

"Excuse me," she said, flagging down a matronly woman. "Do you know how I can get to Phantom's Portal?"

"Why," said the woman, "you're the second person to ask me that today. Ye just go that way until ye reach the Seven Obelisks, then bend right, so you're aiming between Red Mountain and Mammoth Island. Keep on going straight 'til you hit it. If it's still there, you won't be able to miss it."

"Second person?" asked Ellie. "Who was the first? Did he look like me, but a bit older?"

"He had similar hair, aye," said the woman, nodding.

Ellie smiled. Maybe Danny was here and she'd be able to catch up to him.

"Thanks!" she said, brightly, before bounding off.

It was not until she reached the obelisks that she thought to wonder what the woman meant by 'if it's still there.'

Well. It probably wasn't important, anyway.

After a few hours, Ellie had reached more familiar territory, though she still hadn't caught sight of Danny. Her anxiety was building. She didn't want to melt. Not again.

She was so focused on that thought that she didn't notice the myriad tiny and not-so-tiny changes creeping through the Zone. The blue swirls, the more vibrant plant life, the slight alterations in the orbits of the islands, the way the whole atmosphere of the Zone seemed less foreboding, friendlier.

Finally, she reached the stretch of the Ghost Zone where the portal should have been located, but the whole space was...

Empty.

The portal wasn't there.

She reached up to seized her hair in her hands. How could it not be there?

A few strands in her hair fell in front of her eyes. It was striped, white and black. Oh, Ancients, it was spreading.

And then, to her horror, the voice of the person she least wanted to see split the near-silence.

"Danielle?"

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Vlad sat on an boulder, staring at the space the Fenton Portal should have occupied.

He wasn't despairing. He was planning. If a portal could be made from that side of the veil, surely he could make one from this side. If he couldn't do so with technological means, there were mystical ones. Before resorting to that, however, he should try and find ghosts with the ability to make portals. He knew that some existed, though he had never encountered any directly, himself, with the exception of Pariah Dark.

Speaking of the old king... Perhaps dethroning the new one would make the portals reopen. A fight with the new king, whoever he may be, wasn't something that he would enter into lightly, but if all else failed...

His eyes returned to the former location of the portal, and he clenched his fists. He couldn't be trapped here for a hundred years. He just couldn't. It was unthinkable. Too horrible to contemplate.

A small figure flew into view. A familiar figure.

It couldn't be. But why not? If he had been sucked in here by the coronation of the new king, then why not the other two half ghosts?

He flew forward. "Danielle?" he called.

The girl turned. Clearly, she had been crying.

"Vlad!" she exclaimed, with venom. Her eyes narrowed in something approximating concern. "What happened to you? Are you destabilizing, too?"

Ah, and there was a theory to haunt his nightmares. "Not to the best of my knowledge," he said, adjusting the cuffs of his suit. "I presume you were also brought here by the coronation?"

"The what?" asked Danielle, drifting backwards, hands up, ready to block or deliver a blow.

Vlad rolled his eyes. "The ghosts have crowned a new king. Why now, rather than all the years Pariah Dark slept, I have no idea. Regardless, it has had certain effects on the Ghost Zone, and," he looked at his blotchy hand with distaste, "apparently, us. You aren't destabilizing."

"That's what you'd like me to think," said Danielle.

Vlad scoffed. "Please. I don't care what you think. I don't suppose you've seen Daniel? I suspect he's been brought here as well."

"No," said Danielle.

"And you wouldn't tell me even if you had, hmm?" said Vlad. "I'm not interested in picking a fight with him. For the moment, we have the same goals: return to the mortal world."

"How do you know what his goals are?"

"Have you seen how he dotes on that town of his?" asked Vlad. "Not to mention his dolt of a father. Of course he wants to go back."

"Assuming he's even here," grumbled Danielle. Even so, she relaxed her guard.

"Well," said Vlad. "Where is he?"

"I already told you, I don't know."

Vlad frowned. "Then, if you were he, where would you be? It should be easy for you to deduce. It is, after all, what you were designed for."

Danielle tilted her chin up, defiantly, nostrils flaring, but she reigned in her temper. Doing so was the one thing in which she had surpassed her original. "Knowing Danny and his luck, he's probably right at the center of all this."

Vlad angled himself towards the place where all the blue swirls were radiating from. "Of course he is."

.

The two half ghosts arrived at what had once been Pariah's Keep.

"Wow," said Ellie. "This is different." She craned her head back, trying to take the whole thing in. "Reminds me more of a palace than a keep, now."

"What would you know?"

"Excuse me? I've been to Europe? I know the difference."

Ancients, she wished she wasn't as worried about Danny as she was, but if he was trapped or something she'd need Vlad's firepower to break him out.

Cautiously, the pair moved closer to the palace. It wasn't empty.

"Shades," said Vlad, his voice low. "Not true ghosts. They follow the will of the one who casts them. In this case, most likely the king. I would have expected more of a crowd than this, though, considering how recently he was crowned."

"Yeah, like, a party or something," agreed Ellie. "But this place looks really big, maybe they're all just inside?"

"Perhaps," said Vlad.

"So, do we sneak in, or what?"

"No," said Vlad. He smiled, thinly. "I believe I will request an audience. Perhaps I'll offer my services."

.

The audience was denied, and all other attempts to gain access were rebuffed, firmly, but with a gentleness not often found in the Ghost Zone. The shades only had one thing to say: Return when the king wakes.

Not having many other options, Vlad and Ellie adopted an uneasy truce as they searched for Danny- or at least his allies. They had similar needs, after all, as they both had a human half.

Uneasy was definitely the key word.

Danny's allies had made themselves frustratingly scarce. Vlad was contemplating an attempt to establish himself in a community, or at least make a base of operations.

A week and a half later, one of the shades came to them.

The king wakes, it said.

It was practically an invitation. Ellie wasn't convinced accepting it was a good idea, at this point, but she had to admit that she didn't know where else to look for Danny. He had to have come through. Every other ghost and half ghost had, right down to the smallest blob.

They went back to the palace. A shade led them through perfumed gardens and past tinkling water fountains. Ghostly insects played among luminous flowers. Detailed statues marked turns in the path, and the rest of the stonework was carved just as intricately. A distant wind chime sounded once every minute or so, presaging the arrival of light gusts of air.

They were brought to a small circular paved area that was lined with benches. Two ghosts, real ghosts, stood on either side of one of those benches. That bench was occupied by a small, slender figure. A crown of glassy flowers and silver vines adorned his striped hair.

He turned slightly, slowly, to face them.

Ellie couldn't restrain a gasp. Danny was missing an eye.

[pitch-pearl-void]

Aladdin AU, Pitch Pearl style

An hour after arriving, Danny was still gawking at the room and all the furniture inside. Phantom reclined on some cushions in the corner and watched the human explore the luxuries like a kid in a candy shop...or like an orphaned street rat who never knew when his next meal would be. Did Danny have a home before he met Phantom? The way he was touching the bed made Phantom wonder if he had ever seen one before, let alone one stuffed with feathers.

I could have given you a bed when we were traveling through the desert, Phantom thought, watching the quiet wonder grow on Danny's face. I could have fed you dates and all the apples you could have wanted.

But Danny had never asked. It had never even occurred to him despite how Phantom flaunted his powers that Danny could take advantage of his services. The masters before him had seen Phantom bring a horse into existence so he could ride unobtrusively beside his master through the marketplace and thought: His horse is better than mine or He could create a whole herd for me to sell. They had asked about it, and Phantom had smiled and required them to use one of their wishes.

Danny had seen Phantom produce a thick blanket in the desert during one of the freakishly cold nights, just one more scheme to trick his new master into wasting his wishes. Danny had seen but instead of being envious or greedy, Danny had asked if they could share.

Share.

Such a novel concept. Even Phantom hadn't known the full meaning of the concept until Danny, responding to Phantom's hesitant acceptance, slid under the blanket and snuggled close to his new genie. At some point he had even draped an arm over Phantom. It hadn't been possessive or sexual or anything Phantom had experience with, something he understood. It had simply been to...share body heat.

To Phantom's surprise, he had enjoyed it. Despite not needing sleep, there was something deeply...satisfying about laying under the blanket with Danny, feeling the cold toes and slight shivers from the too skinny body decrease as the human slowly fell asleep against him.

In fact, he had enjoyed it so much he had created a blanket the second night and suggested the same arrangement himself. And the next. And the next.

There would be no such arrangement tonight. Danny had his own blanket now. He had his own bed. Danny had all the luxuries a prince inside a palace could ask for, what need he of a genie's generosity? All he wanted for now was the heart of another, and that was something no magic could give him.

Phantom closed his eyes and leaned his head back with a sigh. Danny announced he was going to see Princess Samantha, and Phantom raised his hand to bid him good luck, the bangles of his enslavement jangling as he waved.

He expected the sound of a closing door, but apparently Danny was hesitating. "Are you okay?" he asked, worried. "Did the parade wear you out? Is there something I can do?"

You could stay, Phantom thought, but aloud he said, "I will be fine, Master. A little rest is all I need."

That should have been the end of it, and yet Danny lingered. Phantom could sense his master's confusion and unease. "Why..." he started, paused, and then tried again. "’Master’? You can still call me Danny. Just because we're inside a palace now doesn't mean you're no longer my friend."

It was a nice sentiment, Phantom was glad to hear it, but it missed the point. "I must call you master or I will forget myself."

"Forget yourself?"

Phantom pried his eyes open and looked at Danny. The human, dressed now in princely garb but still slightly slouched like the street rat Phantom had first met, had abandoned the door and the bed, the fruit and the balcony, and was walking toward Phantom, blue eyes concerned and focused solely on the genie.

Phantom had to close his eyes again and look away. Danny had no idea what he was doing to him, the pain he was causing. "It's nothing you need concern yourself with, sire. Proceed with the wooing of your princess before she retires for the night."

Danny sat on the pillows nearest Phantom. Nearer than any other master had dared unless they were trying (and failing) to convince Phantom to serve them in a different way. Unlike them, Danny didn't caress Phantom's bare chest or finger his slave bangles or pull at his chest piece. Danny dared sit beside him because they were friends. He dared touch Phantom's shoulder because he had never been afraid of his friend.

And Phantom had to resist resting his cheek on Danny's hand because friend was a woefully inadequate word for what he was feeling. What he was feeling was simply not allowed. More painfully, it was not wanted. When Phantom first materialized before his new master, he had chosen to form himself as a reflection of his master, albeit a reflection with different colored eyes and hair. In the past, doing so had protected him from certain types of masters. In the present, it shielded him too well, and yet he liked the form. He might just keep it.

It wasn't anything like the black haired, violet eyed beauty Danny was infatuated with, however, so what use was it currently?

"Phantom," Danny insisted gently, "what's wrong?"

With the excuse a conversation granted him, Phantom allowed his head to turn, his cheek to fall on Danny's hand. He opened his eyes to meet Danny's. His master's eyes were so close Phantom could see the web of lighter blue fibers weaved around the iris, so fascinating, so beautiful. Phantom had never thought a human could have this pull on him, that he would find any form of theirs attractive, and yet here he was. A fool.

"I'm not one for castles," Phantom said, dodging the greater truth and landing on a lesser. "Too many bad memories, you know? Humans who seek power and status always wind up in one eventually. And then I am trapped behind these walls, forced to watch their greed twist a once great land to suit their purpose."

Danny frowned. He connected what Phantom was saying to the returned use of 'master' and landed at the wrong conclusion. "You think that will happen to me? Phantom, I promise, I'm only here because I want Samantha."

Phantom's eyes twitched. His mouth thinned slightly. "She is all you want? Then why not wish her free from her palace instead of you within it? From what you told me, that's exactly what she would've wished for herself, or do you think she ran away from the palace simply because she wanted to stretch her legs?"

His words seemed to strike Danny harder than he intended. He recoiled, his hand sliding from beneath Phantom's cheek. Phantom bit his lip. "I don't--I mean, I didn't--maybe I could have--her family--"

Phantom caught Danny's wrist before he could pull away too far. "Don't make excuses for yourself," he said in a softer tone. "There is no need." He turned Danny's wrist over and brushed his thumb along the bulging veins, the jutting wrist bone. "You were seeking to provide for yourself--and her--in the only way you knew. Starvation and danger is the world you are trying to escape. Isolation and responsibility was hers. I understand."

Danny watched him. He didn't say anything when Phantom's touch became less pointed and more like a caress. Perhaps he didn't notice. "Are you upset with me?" he finally asked, confused.

Phantom sighed and released his wrist. "A little," he admitted. "More at myself. I can't keep my emotions in check." He stretched, arching his spine in a way that, had Danny been receptive, might have been suggestive. "Go along, though. I will sort myself out."

Danny didn't leave. After a few minutes, Phantom looked at his master and saw him staring thoughtfully at the balcony. Moonlight was shining through the sheer curtains, a light breeze stirring the fabric into an inviting dance.

"Would it help you to get away for a bit?" Danny asked.

Phantom eyed the balcony hungrily. "It would," he replied, somewhat reluctantly, "but it wouldn't do much good. I am bound to the lamp. I can only go where it goes. I would be trapped and forced to return before I cleared the palace grounds."

"What if I go with you?"

"With me?"

"Out there." Danny turned his head to look at Phantom again, something alive and wild in his eyes. "To see the world. Let's get out of here. Just for tonight."

Phantom sat up. If he had a true human heart, it would be pounding. "Are you serious?"

"You said you wanted to, right? Once you're free? I know it's not the same, but..."

Phantom had said that. It was his dearest wish. The freedom to go wherever he pleased, to see sights he had only heard about. That dream did not involve being chained to his master and the lamp at the time, and yet...

"What would be the point of seeing the world if you weren't there beside me?" Phantom said slowly, realization dawning in his mind. Danny's eyes softened as he smiled, and Phantom felt elated, weightless, and heavy all at the same time.

This human is going to destroy me, he thought, staring into Danny's eyes. I can't have him. I can't. I'm just going to get myself hurt.

Phantom looked from Danny to the balcony, to Danny, and then to the carpet. The only other magical being in the room had perked up as well. They had known each other for millenia, it knew Phantom as well as he knew himself. It must have felt Phantom's ambient magic pulling uselessly at Danny's emotions, like a dog outside a house begging for scraps of love and affection, but would it help him? Wanting Danny was such a useless, ridiculous, pointless--

The carpet leapt into the air and flew in circles around Phantom and Danny, its tassels at one point brushing Phantom's white hair.

Danny laughed. "Looks like Carpet wants to go too!"

Phantom smiled. "It would seem so."

He watched Danny climb onto the carpet and settle into a cross-legged position and wondered. Wondered, wondered, wondered. The flight Carpet offered was a powerful tool to earthbound humans. With it, Danny could have easily swept Samantha into a romantic flight, free of all the restrictions that had once kept her tied to her palace. Yet Danny was offering the night to Phantom.

And, whether Danny intended it or not, the potential to sweep a human off their feet remained. If Phantom could show Danny the freedom they could have, together, away from a palace, away from responsibilities that came with marrying a princess, could he, an enslaved genie, win back the heart that had already been given to someone else?

Maybe, Phantom thought, hope rising within him. Maybe, maybe, maybe...

It was a foolish hope, but what did Phantom have to lose?

So instead of flying alongside Carpet as he had done out in the desert, Phantom sat on Carpet behind Danny, his knees bracketing Danny's, his arms encircling his waist.

Danny may have missed the other signs of Phantom's growing interest, but this one he caught. His stomach muscles tensed beneath Phantom's arms. "Uh, Phantom?"

"We'll have to fly faster if we're to see anything in only one night," Phantom explained, neglecting to mention he intended to stretch the night out as long as his powers were able. "Can't have you falling off. This thing doesn't come with seatbelts."

Slowly, the tense line of Danny's spine relaxed. He didn't lean back against Phantom. Not yet. "Seatbelts?" he asked.

"Not important." Carpet drifted toward the balcony, and with a swipe of his fingers, Phantom willed the curtains to part for them. "Where do you want to go?"

"Shouldn't I be the one asking you that?"

Phantom shook his head. "I don't know what all your world has to offer. I don't even know where we are in relation to the ones I do know. It's a whole new world for me."

"Me too." They flew over the balcony rails, and Danny's arm pressed against Phantom's, his hand grabbing Phantom's forearm. A human instinct to the fear of falling, Phantom supposed. "I'm a street rat remember? I've never been outside the city. Well, aside from the trip to the cave."

Phantom smiled. He wanted to rest his chin on Danny's shoulder. He wanted to hold him against his chest. But no. No, not yet. Not yet. "Pick a direction," he suggested.

Danny thought about it a moment as Carpet flew lazily upward, higher and higher above the city. Phantom took the opportunity to stare at Danny's face. It was highlighted by the moon, and some of his black hair had fallen near his eye. Phantom could brush it aside. Maybe. His eyes dropped to Danny's lips and lingered there, heat rising within him as he watched Danny thoughtfully bite down on the plush skin.

Danny pointed toward the distant mountains with his free hand. "There. I always wondered what was beyond those. They're like a wall."

Phantom followed Danny's hand and nodded. They were, weren't they? "Sounds good. Let's go!"

Carpet took his word as a command and shot forward, its speed strengthened by Phantom's magic. Danny had never flown so fast, and he yelped as he was thrown back against Phantom's chest. His other arm wrapped around Phantom's arms, holding on tight to the genie. He yelled out in delight and urged the carpet to fly higher, into the scattered clouds, closer to the moon.

Phantom rested his chin on Danny's shoulder, held his master a little closer, a little tighter, and smiled. Tonight would be everything Phantom could wish for, and Danny was the one giving it to him.

[ghostsray]

Ch5: Moon

(first - prev - next)

The siblings met on top a peeling billboard at the edge of town, which had become their sort of unofficial meeting place during Ellie's stay. Niel had suggested some other places nearer to human civilization, especially since Ellie continued to make him buy food for her, but Ellie had insisted that this was the perfect place because the lights were dim enough and they were high enough to see the stars--stars that were visible on this particular clear night.

"She's beautiful, isn't she?" Ellie said, gazing up dreamily.

"Who is?" Niel asked.

"The moon, of course!" Ellie replied, gesturing widely at the sky. "Of course, the stars are beautiful too. Venus is shining especially bright today. That's a planet, but she still looks like a star from this distance, so whatever."

"You're really enthusiastic about space."

Ellie stared at him like he'd grown a second head and said, "You mean you aren't?"

Niel shrugged. "Dad tried getting me into astronomy for some reason, but it never caught my interest that much."

"And you're sure you're a clone of Danny?"

Niel frowned at the incredulous look Ellie was giving him. "Come on, an interest in astronomy can't be genetic, can it?"

"Maybe not, but it sure as hell is the core of being a Danny."

This wasn't the first time she described herself as a version of Danny. Paired with her old nickname, Niel wondered if she felt the opposite way he did about being a clone: she wanted to be like Danny. He couldn't for the half-life of him understand why, but that was how she acted.

Niel ignored her statement and instead looked down at the comic book in his lap. Just like she had promised, Ellie was trying to get him into Marvel by bringing him issues in exchange for the food. When he asked her if she stole these comics, she didn't reply. (She stole them.)

"This makes no sense," Niel said, referring to the comic. "Radioactivity doesn't give you superpowers, it just gives you cancer."

Ellie chuckled. "It's fiction, dude. It doesn't have to be accurate."

"But they're spreading misinformation! What if a new ghost forms because some kid decided taking a swim in a radioactive vat would be fun?"

Ellie rolled her eyes. "Nobody will swim in a radioactive vat. You're sounding like an overbearing boomer."

Niel gasped and clutched his chest. "You take that back."

Ellie hummed like she was mulling it over, then said, "Nope."

Niel hid his grin by bringing the comic up to his face. He squinted at the page and tilted it slightly, like that would help him understand it better. "Seriously, though, this doesn't make sense. Spiders don't have a "spider sense"."

"You're just a boring science nerd."

He raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying you're not, even though you like astronomy?"

"I am a nerd, and that's my point! What kind of nerd isn't interested in space?"

He shrugged. "I'm not saying space isn't cool, but studying it? Too much math."

A smirk formed on Ellie's face, and she swung her legs and said, "Speaking of math, how was school? Is it really true that you started a rumor about Vlad and Jack having an affair?"

Niel grimaced. "I didn't say anything," he said, then coughed into his fist and quickly muttered, "but I might have accidentally convinced the entire student body of that."

Ellie laughed and punched his shoulder. "Like I said: favorite brother."

"Even though I'm boring and don't like astronomy?"

"Hey, everyone has flaws."

A comfortable silence settled between them, broken only by the wind rustling the comic book's pages in Niel's lap. He took a break from reading Spider-Man to look up at the night sky. He had to admit, the moon did look beautiful.

"Vlad," he heard Ellie mutter contemptuously after a while. Then she whispered a string of insults that were much harsher than the names of English pastries.

Niel winced and fidgeted. "You know," he said hesitantly, "maybe...maybe Vlad might be able to change his mind about you." He shriveled under Ellie's glare, but he continued, "He told me he could fix unstable clones now."

"Really? Did he actually say he would fix any clone, or just you?"

"...Just me," he admitted.

The girl sighed. "Niel, you beautiful, naive baby brother--" baby brother?--"even if Vlad could change his mind, I won't. I'm much happier travelling around the world than being stuck inside some depressing mansion."

Niel glanced at her. The moonlight made her hair shine gray. He rubbed his neck and asked, "Don't you ever get tired from travelling? Or...lonely?"

Ellie turned her eyes away. She lowered her head and didn't speak. This time, the silence wasn't so comfortable.

Just as the tension between them was starting to become unbearable, Niel's breath suddenly misted over. Next to him, Ellie's breath was the same. They met eyes briefly, any hard feelings between them forgotten, then tensed their bodies and leapt to their feet.

"So this is where you've been?" a voice said. Niel turned and saw a metallic ghost with a flaming mohawk phase through the billboard.

Niel's jaw tightened. "Skulker," he greeted.

Ellie inched back. Skulker's attention turned toward her, and his steel features contorted into a grin.

"This is a pleasant surprise. I was sent by Vlad to find his kid, and instead, I find two."

"You brought him here?" Ellie breathed behind Niel. He turned around and saw her blue eyes wide and filled with horror and--betrayal. His heart squeezed.

"No! Of course not!" He faced Skulker and demanded, "What are you doing here?"

Skulker scoffed. "Did you really think your dear old dad wouldn't notice you sneaking off at night? He wanted to know what you were doing behind his back, and of course, he couldn't find anyone else to babysit you besides me." He snickered and said, "He was worried you might be sleeping in with that animal rights girl."

"He thought I was with Sam?" Niel said, blushing in spite of the situation.

"Oh, but this is much better. A family reunion?" His optics zoomed in on Ellie, who had backed up so far she stood on the edge of the billboard.

Niel placed himself between the ghost and Ellie and said, "I'll go back to Dad, but leave Ellie alone."

"Ellie? So the thing has a name now?" Skulker cackled. "No thanks. If I bring Plasmius two duplicates instead of one, maybe he'll pay me better."

"Why would a ghost even need money?"

Skulker's faceplate twisted into a scowl. "He pays me with materials. Do you think metal is easy to come by in the Ghost Zone?"

There was a flash of light from Ellie's direction, and Niel didn't need to turn around to know she had gone ghost. He didn't have time to. A net shot out of a compartment in Skulker's armor before Niel could blink.

In the span of one tense heartbeat, Niel lurched out his arm and blasted ectoplasm from his hand, shoving the net aside. It landed harmlessly out of range from Ellie.

Niel hadn't had much training in using his ghost powers in human form, and so his flesh felt like acid as his skin smoked where the blast was released. He bit back his pain and met Ellie's now-green eyes. Neither of them spoke, but a psychic message seemed to pass between them: Run.

Ellie pushed herself into the air and flew away. Niel yelped as Skulker's cold metallic hands wrapped around his neck and lifted him up.

"Not so fast," Skulker growled. "I've gotten close to catching the whelp many times--I'm sure I can mange to catch two knockoffs."

He held Niel to the side, where he dangled out of reach from Skulker's machinery. The ghost took aim at Ellie and released a missile. Niel shouted when he heard a small explosion go off and Ellie's cry as she was hit.

Ellie fell. Niel was certain she would descend all the way down to a painful impact with the ground, but apparently, Skulker hadn't run out of nets yet. He released another green mesh that snatched Ellie mid-air and reeled her in toward him. She wasn't struggling. She must have been unconscious (or dead--but Niel didn't want to think about that).

Niel thrashed in Skulker's grip. He tugged on his core and transformed into a ghost. Immediately, the pain in his hand receded. Skulker only had time to turn his face toward him before Niel fired an ectoblast right at his face.

Skulker yowled and let go. Niel hovered in the air with balled fists.

"What is wrong with you, you rip-off halfa?" Skulker snapped. "I'm working for your father."

"Let Ellie go," Niel demanded.

Skulker growled. "Don't let me go back on your father's orders and hurt you."

"I'd like to see you try," Niel taunted.

In retrospect, that probably wasn't the smartest thing to say. Yes, Niel trained everyday, but Skulker had existed far longer than him and was also the Ghost Zone's greatest hunter. Vlad wouldn't have hired him if he wasn't confident in the hunter's skills. Niel lasted about a third of a minute before he found himself tangled inside a net like Ellie's.

"Finally," Skulker grumbled. "You're as troublesome as the original ghost child."

The jetpacks in Skulker's armor fired up, and the ghost flew across the sky with two half-ghost clones in tow.

Niel tugged at the netting furiously. Of course, phase-proof. He glared at Skulker and shouted, "I'll tell Dad that you hurt me!"

"Oh, really? So you'd admit that you were unwilling to return to him?" Skulker replied. Niel hesitated. Skulker grinned and said, "I thought not."

Hopeless, Niel looked at the other net dangling beside him, where Ellie's form lay still. "I'm sorry," he whispered. Ellie did not respond.

[currentlylurking]

Mechanism

(Originally written for Phic Phight, edited and posted for World Building Week Day 1: Sandbox Characters)

“Danny finds out that the Master of Time is actually an automaton created by the Observants. Clockwork still is his own person, but without using the key the Observants have to wind him up, he would stop working and 'die', if only temporarily. He doesn't want to work for them but has to. Danny doesn't like any of this.” Phic Phight Prompt by Ghostlyhabato.

Or: Danny commits treason in the name of helping a friend.

-

So. Danny had made a lot of mistakes in his life, but for the most part they’d worked out pretty well! Accidentally tripping Dash in elementary school had gotten him a determined bully, but also a best friend in Sam. Turning on the portal had gotten him electrocuted, but also given him superpowers.

Breaking into the Observatory was highly illegal and would probably get him killed, but if it worked, then Clockwork would be free.

.-.

Clockwork hadn’t told him about, well, anything to do with his body. Danny didn’t blame him, not really - Clockwork wanted to protect him. The Observants were power-hungry eyeball dicks, and they’d already made it clear that they were fine with killing him. Despite that, Danny would have preferred to find out any way other than he did. 

It was the evening of a massive mission to figure out what exactly Vlad’s latest plan was. ‘World Domination’ was a weird and unsatisfying answer, so while Danny and Jazz got their parents to trap him in a family dinner, Sam and Tucker snuck in to copy all of his files and see what the state of his lab was like. The plan had gone successfully - Vlad had been too busy being a creep to realize there was an ulterior motive - and the trio met in Sam’s batcave (also known as her audio/visual room) to check out the files. There, while trying to deal with a malfunctioning remote, they found a security clip from several months ago, back when Vlad still lived in Wisconsin.

The Fright Knight carried a limp and unconscious Clockwork into Vlad’s old lab and dumped him unceremoniously on the floor. Vlad took a moment to float and gloat as he waved a large, green key. On the second watch through, Danny recognized it as the same key that he’d used to lock Pariah up.

After far too long of just letting Clockwork lay there, Vlad finally placed the Crown of Fire in a ghost-proof cabinet and stopped his monologue. He turned to Clockwork, and pointed the key at him. After a moment, Fright Knight came over and the two bent over Clockwork.

Suddenly, Clockwork gasped, and the two pulled back. He sat up, a hand on his head, and stared at Vlad in confusion. Then he saw Fright Knight, and the confusion became fear.

“Hello,” Clockwork said.

Vlad didn’t return the ‘hello,’ because he was a jerk. “Arise, automaton,” he said instead because again, he was a jerk. “I am your new master.”

Clockwork looked unimpressed. “I have a name.”

“That doesn’t matter anymore,” Fright Knight said, “it hasn’t mattered since you turned your back on our king. Stand and face your new master, unless you’d like to spend a few more centuries forgotten in a closet.”

Clockwork gave him a long look before he floated off the ground. He frowned at Vlad, his arms crossed.

“I’ve been told you were created by the Observant Council to monitor time.” Vlad circled Clockwork like a stupid, creepy shark. “Explain that.”

Clockwork didn’t say anything. Vlad whirled around and grabbed Clockwork by his chin, and squeezed his cheeks as he pulled Clockwork closer.

“Don’t forget,” he held up the key, “I hold the power of your core in my hand.” He released Clockwork and went back to circling him. “We can do so much for each other, as long as you do what I say. So make this easier for all of us, Automaton, and just tell me how you work.”

“Clockwork,” Clockwork said. “My name isn’t ‘Automaton.’ It’s Clockwork.”

Vlad scowled for a moment before he lunged forwards and shoved the key into Clockwork’s case. For a second, Clockwork looked shocked, and Vlad whispered something in his ear. Clockwork collapsed, and he didn’t move again.

Vlad snapped his fingers, and Fright Knight came over to help drag Clockwork out of the camera’s view.

After the clip had ended, there had been a moment of silence among the trio. Then Danny had screamed and Sam and Tucker had to convince him that overshadowing the TV would not be a remotely functional way to save Clockwork.

.-.

When Vlad had released Vortex on Amity Park and Danny had to clean up that mess, he’d returned Vortex to the Observants. Not because he wanted to, but because as Tucker had said, if they wanted to help Clockwork they needed to know the enemy territory. Sam and Tucker had covered his suit with a hundred tiny cameras and sent him in. The Observants had welcomed his ‘show of faith in their council’ and been thankful that Danny returned Vortex without them having to lift a finger. He’d taken his time getting to the room the jailer Observant was in, and at the time had been sure he’d gotten a decent map of the place.

Now, he realized he was an idiot.

He was also lost.

The Observatory was one big pretentious maze, and nowhere near as cool as placed named ‘the Observatory’ should be. He hadn’t been caught yet, but he’d also had to turn human and dive through five walls already to avoid Observants in the halls. Even if his map was right originally, he was so far off from it that he might as well burn it for warmth instead. Plus, someone had the bright idea to draw a bunch of eyes on the walls, and that just made Danny paranoid. Every step he took made him hate his stupid plan more.

But for Clockwork’s sake, he kept going.

.-.

It took just under an hour to find the next time in the security footage that Vlad and Fright Knight dragged out Clockwork. Again, they dumped him on the ground, but this time the second Clockwork started to stir Vlad passed the key off to Fright Knight and dropped a metal disk beside him. A domed shield sprung up around Clockwork before he’d even sat up.

“Did you have a nice nap?” Vlad asked, “Perhaps you’ll be willing to be a bit more reasonable now that you’ve rested.”

Clockwork said nothing. He stared at the floor.

“Hm, have you used up all your quips?” Vlad asked, and slowly took a few steps closer to the dome. “How incredibly unfortunate. I was almost hoping you’d make this interesting, but this works just as well.” He glanced at Fright Knight, and on the other side of the screen, Tucker had to hold Danny back from flying into the TV to punch Vlad’s stupid, evil smile right off his face.

“What do you want me to do?” Clockwork sounded so defeated, and Tucker didn’t manage to hold Danny back this time.

They were right; overshadowing the TV did not help.

.-.

An Observant came around the corner.

Danny froze.

The Observant froze.

Danny caught sight of a bright green key in their hand.

“Guards!” The Observant screamed, and Danny coiled his ghostly tail like a spring. The second the Observant looked back at him, he launched himself forwards and switched back to his human form. His hands curled around the key as he passed through the Observant, bending them back, and ripping the key from their shocked fingers with the weight of his entire body. He tucked, rolled, and tried to dive through a wall. The key wouldn’t follow. It wasn’t a real world item.

Uh-oh.

Danny poked his head back into the hallway to see seven furious Observants floating there, glaring at him, and reaching for the key in his hand. 

Danny pointed a finger gun at the nearest one. “Sup?”

“Step out of the wall,” they demanded, and Danny did. “Drop the key.”

Danny switched right back to his ghost form and took a deep breath in. If we was going to be caught anyway, he might as well go out in style. “NO!”

.-.

After they had, er, ‘fixed’ Danny’s attempt to overshadow the TV, Tucker found where they’d left off.

Vlad had smirked, leaning in towards Clockwork like the jerk he was. “Very good! And they say old technology is obsolete. Now, I’ve been told you have time powers?”

Danny expected a sarcastic comment, something along the lines of ‘my name is Clockwork. No, I have space powers.’ Failing that, a glare. All he got was Clockwork giving Fright Knight an anxious glance.

“That’s right,” Clockwork said.

“Can you travel through it?”

Clockwork was silent for a second. “I’ll... need to make a portal - a mirror. It’ll take some time. But yes.”

“Can you take people with you?”

Clockwork glanced at Fright Knight again. “...It’ll take a bit longer. But yes.”

“Good,” Vlad said. He sounded exactly like the smarmy dick they all knew he was. Sam whacked Danny with a pillow when he stood up, ready to fight the TV once again.

On the screen, Vlad continued. “Get started on that then. Don’t try and leave this lab.”

Clockwork’s lip twitched in the faintest trace of annoyance. “I can’t just do it,” he said. His voice was carefully neutral. “I need tools. And a work space.”

“Of course you do,” Vlad said, and stepped away from Clockwork. He turned towards Fright Knight, and Clockwork looked down.

They hadn’t skipped a section of the footage, they’d made sure of that. Besides, Vlad was still in the same pose. It was Fright Knight and Clockwork who had changed positions. Halfway across the lab now, they were both engaged in a vicious tug-of-war over the key. The footage of Vlad whipped around to face them as Fright Knight brought up his knee and smashed it into Clockwork’s case. Glass shattering pierced the poor quality audio, and on the other side of the screen, the trio’s excited whoops turned to terrified screams.

Clockwork was knocked back, into a bench at an angle that looked like it had nearly broken him in half, and he fell to the floor in a lump. But he had the key in his hand. 

Fright Knight bent down as Vlad ran over, spitting Russian curses as he reached their side. Fright Knight’s fingers grazed the key, and Clockwork pulled it under his broken form.

“Y-you,” Clockwork’s voice caught and dragged. Some syllables he struggled with. Others stretched out for far too long, or were distorted to the point they barely sounded like anything but clicking and grinding. Despite the trio’s best effort, they barely managed to translate any of what he said. “N-n-no. This - it’s -it’s mine. Minemineminemine -” Clockwork jerked with a gasp, and the words stopped.

Vlad switched to his ghost form and smacked Fright Knight. “You’ve broken it!”

“It just needs to be rewound,” he kicked a shard, “and that case replaced. If you’re as smart as you say, that should be easy.” He kicked Clockwork aside now, and reached for the key once more.

It was then that perhaps twenty Observants all appeared in Vlad’s lab.

On the footage, Vlad screamed. Danny would have enjoyed his fear, it it wasn’t for the fact that he’d just watched someone he considered a friend being seriously assaulted. None of the trio took any joy from Vlad’s fear as he backed up, hands raised. Fright Knight followed suit. He hadn’t managed to grab the key. That was still on the ground next to the beat, broken, unmoving form of the Master of Time. 

“Observant High Council,” Vlad said, trying to regain all the control over this mess that he’d lost the moment he screamed. “To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?”

One Observant grabbed the key. Another two carelessly lifted Clockwork off the floor by his arms. Clockwork’s limp head lulled forwards as they pulled him up.

“Excuse me,” Vlad started, “I believe that’s mine -”

“You are charged with damaging property belonging to the Observant High Council.” Five of them said at once, “What is your plea?”

“Wha- that’s yours?” Vlad tried to regain his composure. He turned to Fright Knight as a furious snarl began to climb up his features. “My apologies. I was unaware. Of course I would have returned it to you if I had been informed -”

“Be silent,” an Observant said, and miraculously, Vlad shut up. “Do not push the blame for your actions onto another. What is your plea?”

“Again, my apologies,” Vlad said. “I have done nothing wrong, I merely wished to understand this strange automaton. If I had known of your ties to it -”

“So you are guilty?” The one holding the key interrupted.

“I have not -” Vlad didn’t get to finish his sentence. The Observants raised their hands, and everyone in the lab disappeared. All that was left was a long, green stain where Clockwork had laid, many shards of broken glass, and a few small gears. After a day of empty footage, an Observant appeared to collect them.

The next time Vlad was seen in his lab was nearly three weeks later. He came through his portal frazzled, furious, and alone.

.-.

The trio didn’t know a lot about Clockwork. Danny knew the most, and from that he knew he couldn’t just show up and say “hey, I know about you potentially being a robot or something? Just wanted to say I’m totally cool with it.” Not only would Clockwork freak out at him, but that wouldn’t solve anything. 

It was difficult to tell how that evolved into ‘let’s rob the ruling power of the Ghost Zone’ but there had been a few common themes. All this had taken place before Danny and Clockwork met, and Clockwork had been repaired by then. He’d had his own, albeit tiny, place. Danny had never seen Clockwork and the Observants together, but from the way Clockwork talked about them he definitely didn’t like them. 

Everyone had been calling Clockwork ‘it,’ like they were just some thing. Vlad had said the Observants created them, and they’d called him ‘their property.’ They hadn’t handled him like they were worried about hurting him worse. Fright Knight had told Clockwork to listen to Vlad unless he wanted to be forgotten in a closet for a few more centuries.

It hadn’t been a decision, really. They’d pooled everything they’d learned together, and the trio knew without a doubt that none of them would be another person who treated Clockwork like garbage. They were going to help him, no matter what.

No matter what.

.-.

Danny dropped to his knees and his human form. Injured Observants had been blasted through the walls that had been caught in his wail, and an alarm blared in the distance. He glanced down at his hands; the key was still clasped tight enough in his left hand that his knuckles had turned white.

He’d gotten caught. They’d know he’d stolen the key. Danny would have a warrant out for his arrest long before he got to Clockwork’s - if he even got out. If they didn’t catch him first. But Danny had the key, and the second he got to the tower it would stay with Clockwork, right where it belonged.

Clockwork had saved his life, and now Danny was going to return the favour. He was going to do this. He was going to get out, get to Clockwork’s, and save his friend. He was going to do it.

Danny picked himself up off the floor, one hand on his ribs, and started to limp down one unshattered hall. The alarm blared above him, and he swore more than before that this time, the eyes on the walls really did follow him as he left.

[going-dead]

To (Not) Kill a Ghost

Two ghosts raced across the sky of Amity Park, weaving in and out of buildings . Danny Phantom threw an attack but the offending ghost dodged out of the way. The ghost blindly threw an attack back not wanting to slow down by looking back. If someone who lived in Amity Park were to look up it wouldn’t be an unusual sight. Phantom chasing ghosts was an almost daily occurrence and the citizens were used to it. This particular ghost on the other hand was a monthly occurrence at most, there were many theories about the relation of the two ghosts, few said she wasn’t related to Phantom at all, some said she is his sister, or his cousin, his daughter. All they knew was the two ghosts were close and from their similar looks and outfits probably died together. Or at least that was the theory.

The young ghost stopped mid air and threw a snowball that hit Phantom directly in his face. Dani laughed clutching her stomach and kicking her feet in the air. Danny wiped the snow off his face revealing a face of joking anger. “Young lady you are so grounded.” he shook a finger at her.

“You’re not my real dad!” She joked sticking her tongue out.

Danny scoffed, “You have an almost 100% DNA match to me, I’m more of a father to you than most fathers are to their kids.” Danny trailed off, “buuuuuut if that’s how you want to be.” He gave a wicked grin and formed a giant ball of snow in his hands the size of his head and readied to throw it. Dani yelped and ducked out of the way barely missing it. She shot off again Danny chasing behind her laughing.

Dani tried to visit Danny once a month depending on where she was traveling. Even when they couldn’t see each other in person they would video chat or text each other for a whole day to simulate being there with each other for a day. After Dani was stabilized she stayed at Danny’s for a few days just so he could make sure the ecto-dejecto wasn’t just a temporary fix. She stayed in his room, invisible whenever his family came in. Well there was an incident with Jazz but she already knew about the whole halfa thing so a clone of her brother wasn’t too far fetched for her. Jazz was the first to ask about the logistics of the relationship between the original and the clone. They definitely were closer than cousins, but it didn’t feel like his relationship with Jazz. It was obviously platonic that wasn’t even a question. Eventually Jazz offered the father-daughter comparison, which they hesitantly agreed to. Dani didn’t call him dad but he was fine with it. It would be hard to explain to anyone who overheard and Dani called Vlad her dad before she found out the truth so she was uncomfortable using it, but they were glad to have a name for their bond.

After a while they headed to Fentonworks landing in Danny’s room. They both transformed and walked downstairs where Jazz was making dinner in the kitchen. “I was wondering when you two were getting back, so I figured i’d just start dinner.” Jazz looked up from the stove, “we’re having pancakes for dinner.” She placed a pancake on an already tall stack.

“Do they have chocolate chips in them?” Dani asked running up beside Jazz.

“Yes they do, but don’t get any ideas Danny. It’s only because Dani is here and she doesn’t get family meals often.” Jazz waved her spatula toward Danny.

Danny shrugged and opened the fridge rummaging around until he pulled out a can of whipped cream. “Oh no, whatever shall I do?” He deadpanned spraying the whipped cream into his mouth. Then walked over to Dani to do the same.

Jazz wrinkled her nose, “You guys are already getting chocolate chip pancakes you don’t need more sugar with it. It’s bad for your bodies you’re still growing.” Rolling her eyes when they both did it again. “You two can at least set the table, I did cook all the food after all.”

“Aye aye captain Jazz.” Danny saluted phasing through the cupboard doors grabbing the plates then placing them on the table. He lifted Dani up so she could reach the cups. Just like Danny when he was her -biological- age, she hadn’t hit her growth spurt yet. Though he didn’t really grow tall, just became less short.

“So Dani how long are you staying?” Jazz asked putting pancakes on everyone's plates. The two raven haired children drowned their pancakes in syrup then scarfed them down, adding whipped cream of course.

“Probably until tomorrow? Danny said your parents are out late today teaching a ghost safety class, but doesn’t know if they’ll be here tomorrow.” She replied in between bites.

“Yep, that’s why we’re spending as much time together today. And since it’s Friday I don’t need to go to bed early. Danny nodded.

Halfway through dinner both Danny and Dani shuddered and puffs of frost escaped their mouths. “Oh come on! I know I let everyone know you were coming, even Skulker agreed to leave me alone today who the hell is it?” Danny stood up angrily.

The ghosts and Danny came to an agreement a few months back that they were not to come through the portal when Dani was over, unless it was an emergency. They might not all like Danny but they seemed to respect family. The threats from Clockwork and Pandora probably helped as well.

“Just go before your food gets warm.” Jazz waved to two heros off.

“Dani stay here and finish dinner, I can handle whoever it is.” Danny transformed and flew off to find the offending ghost.

“Pssh yeah right, I never get to fight. I’m not giving up the chance to.” Dani flew after the older ghost.

Jazz shook her head and headed to the living room to see if the news had caught wind of the ghost yet. She hoped whoever it was just forgot Dani was over. Danny always seemed happy when she was over.

The two half ghosts flew above Amity Park scrying the streets and sky for the unknown ghost. A scream tore through the air. Danny imeadintly dove towards the source of the scream. He landed in the middle of a playground that was located in the center of the town. There was another scream right next to Danny’s ear. Danny flinched back then turned to his right. He saw a woman holding a small child that was probably around five. Danny quickly glanced them over looking for any big injuries, but both seemed fine.

The woman was just staring at Danny frozen in fear. “How...What?” The woman took a step back. Dani landed behind her, once the woman saw her she gave another yelp.

“You’re new around here aren’t you?” Danny raised a brow. “Dani can you take her somewhere safe. Mo- The Fentons are holding a ghost class at the school. They can explain the whole ghost town thing.” Danny was about to turn and leave but paused. “Can you toss me the thermos?” He opened his hands in a catching position.

“I don’t have it? We were eating and I never get to fight when i’m here why would I have it?”

“Crap, grab it on your way back then. I’m sure I’ll be able to hold off the ghost until you do.”

Dani grabbed the women's free hand who flinched away. “Don’t worry I don’t bite,” Dani smiled “I’m Dani by the way what’s your name?” She asked walking the women and her kid out of the park.

Now time to figure out who interrupted dinner, a pancake dinner nonetheless. Danny mused and floated above the tree line and almost immediately spotted the ghost. It was a hulking figure wearing armor and wielding slightly curved sword. “Hey dipwad who are you? You look like the accidental lovechild of the Fright Knight and Skulker.” Danny paused, “Ew, that’s an image I which I could burn out of my head. Forever.”

The unknown ghost turned towards Danny his eyes a blazing red he snarled showing sharpened teeth. “I am Eviscerate!”

“Oh boy what a creative name I could never possibly guess what you like to do. I bet you thought long and hard about it. But let me try to guess anyway, you want to tear my organs out? Display them in your personal collection perhaps?”

“Eviscerate does not collect for when I remove the organs they are too mangled to preserve. And I will take your organs and everyone else's as well.”

“Join the line bud, you’re behind my parents, Skulker, and the government. But if you go nicely back into the Ghost Zone I might be able to bump you up the list. Though still behind my parents, I think they actually have the legal rights to my organs when I die until I turn eighteen, how does that work in my situation?” Danny paused counting the names on his fingers, “Oh there’s also Valerie, but we have an on and off truce right now.” Geeze he really shouldn’t have this many people ready to dissect him at the drop of a hat.  

He was pulled out of his musings when a sword was swung at his chest. He barely dodged it and returned the attack with an ectoblast. It hit it’s mark but it didn’t even seem to stun his opponent. Dani better get back soon. He threw up a shield to intercept the next attack. Why couldn’t it have been the Box Ghost? Or even Skulker at least he knew what he was dealing with when it came to him. Danny let off another round of ectoblasts which managed to dent the armor and he could see a few drops of ectoplasm leaking out of the armor. God what did it take to actually hurt this guy? He couldn’t risk his ghostly wail there were too many buildings around and it didn’t exactly have a small area of effect.

“I got the thermos!” A young voice called out.

Danny turned towards Dani to make a grab for the thermos. That was a mistake, he left himself open for an attack and took his eyes off of his opponent. Eviscerate saw the opportunity and took it lunging at him stabbing him through the abdomen with his sword, lodging it in his gut. Danny could hear the faint yelling of his name through the ringing in his ears and saw the blue flash of the Fenton Thermos. Then he was falling and it all went black.

He woke up human and in searing pain, Dani struggling to carry him through the doors of his home. He managed to pry his eyes open and saw himself being carried into the living room. Jazz was rushing around to clear space on the floor clutching the spool of Fenton Fishing Wire. The TV was still on recapping the fight that just occurred.

“Wha-What happened?” he croaked out trying to lift his head once he was laid down.

“Don’t talk, and stay still.” Jazz snapped out, threading the fishing wire through a needle. “You got stabbed, Dani trapped the ghost in the thermos and carried you here. You lost a lot of blood.”

“I can feel that, I’m tired.” His eyes drooped threatening to close.

“Nevermind what I said about not talking Dani keep him talking! Don’t fall asleep.” Jazz barked out. She cut open his shirt wincing as she had to cut his binder as well. It was his favorite, but that didn’t really matter when he was bleeding out.

“Come on you can’t give up,” Dani cried. “Here would I go? Who would I talk to about my travels? You can’t leave me!” Dani too was now human.

“I won’t leave you” he coughed out, “I’d never do that.”

The wound in Danny’s abdomen was clotting with a strange mixture of blood and ectoplasm. Jazz had cleaned the wound as much as possible and was starting the stitches her her hands shaking. Danny’s veins were slightly glowing green with ectoplasm his human and ghost halves doing their damnedest to keep themselves (mostly) alive.

Dani took up pacing back and forth while Jazz worked to stay out of her way. Stress and worry causing her powers to act up making her body flicker in and out of visibility. Rambling on and on trying to keep Danny awake. Jazz was about halfway across the wound when the tense air and senseless rambling was interrupted.

“Jazzy-pants, Danny-boy!” Jack Fenton’s voice called out as he turned the kitchen light on. Giving the living room a dim light. Danny, now stable enough to move around a bit, lifted his head and shared a look with Jazz and Dani, who’s eyes were now reflecting in the dim light, and he could only assume his were doing the same. All three kids came to the conclusion there was no way to move Danny mid stitch without making the wound worse, and no way to reasonably excuse the current situation.

Danny rest his head back on the ground all three waiting on bated breath. “What the-?” Maddie Fenton started turning the living room light on. She was met with the sight of a strangely familiar looking young girl. But that was quickly pushed into the back of her mind when she saw Jazz, holding a needle and- was that the Fenton Fishing Wire? Crouched over a blood and ectoplasm covered Danny, with a huge gash in his stomach. The fact the ectoplasm seemed to be coming from Danny only made her concern grow.

“Heya Mom,” Danny groaned, “not exactly how I imagen-” he hissed in pain as he drew a deep breath, “how I imagined you finding out”

Jack was now standing beside Maddie. “Find out what sweetie?” She asked apprehensively.

The strange girl placed herself in front of of Jazz and Danny almost looking like she was ready to fight the two scientists. “We can explain when Danny is not bleeding out!” Jazz snapped. “Just… just go sit in the kitchen or go upstairs for now, okay?”

“But…” Jack protested.

“GO!” Jazz yelled. Her parents hesitated but complied glancing back before exiting the room.

Once the wound was closed up Danny’s healing factor kicked into full gear. He was still in loads of pain but he was able to be moved to the couch with a blanket draped over him and his head propped up with a pillow. “You can bring them in now.”

“Are you sure Danny? You don’t have to do this.”

“It had to happen eventually Jazz.”

She sighed and walked towards the kitchen. Dani took a seat at Danny’s feet her hands in the pocket of her hoodie. Danny’s eyes were darting towards the kitchen and then over to Dani. “If this goes wrong just leave, don’t worry about me okay Dani? Just stop by Sam’s or Tucker’s tell them what happened then get as far away from here as you can.”

“What? No! You almost died, I’d take you with me or I won’t leave.”

“ Yes, you will Danielle.” He said as stern as he could.

“No. I. Won’t. Dad.”  

Jazz cleared her throat standing a few steps away with Jack and Maddie looking confused. Danny slowly sat up, keeping the blanket over his chest, so he could face his parents.

“I suppose I should start from the beginning huh?” Danny started. “You remember when I told you the ghost portal gave me a small shock when it turned on? Well that may have been a small understatement.” He paused trying to think of the best way to explain it. “Well it’d be easier to just show you.” Jazz started to protest but Danny rose a hand. “It’s fine, I heal faster like that anyway.”

“Honey what are you-” Maddie was cut off as two rings of light ran up and down  her sons body replacing jeans and bare torso with a black and white hazmat suit, ice blue eyes with a toxic growing green, and the black hair she ran her hands through when he was younger and scared replaced with an ethereal ghastly white. In the place of her son was Danny Phantom. Jack looked frozen and Maddie brought her hand to her mouth. “The ghost portal killed you? We killed you? You’ve been a ghost this whole time?”

“Well...not exactly. I’m half ghost, the ghosts call me a halfa. Half a human, half a ghost. I still need to breathe and I still have a heartbeat, I just have a few… extra things as well.” Jack looked grief stricken, “We tried to kill you. I tried to kill you. I talked about how I would tear you apart right in front of you at the dinner table! You call yourself Danny Phantom for fucks sake, Phantom, Fenton. How could we be so blind.”

“Hey there are kids present dad!” Jazz pointed at Dani.

“Wait you’ve been fighting ghosts this whole time, no wonder you don’t get any homework done. You...fight...ghosts. Young man! You were stabbed what are you doing in our living room and not at a hospital? Jazz isn’t a doctor!” Maddie ran to Danny’s side, the sudden movement made Dani look like she was ready to throw punches any moment.

“Well hospitals don’t really know how to treat half ghosts.” Danny gave a small chuckle. “Plus the Fenton Fishing Wire works a lot better than normal stitches, it stays together in both forms so…”

“Well those stitches are very sloppy. Come on Jack help me bring him down to the lab.”

At that statement Dani practically shoved Maddie back and placed herself between her and Danny. “I won’t let you take him!” She snarled her eyes flashing green.

“What do you think I’m going to- no wait who even are you?” Maddie asked. “And why did you call my son ‘dad’?”

“Oh she’s my clone. We figured it was the most fitting relationship title.” Danny shrugged a shoulder.

Maddie looked like she wanted to ask more but saved the questions for later.  “Anyway if we don’t redo those stitches. It’ll get infected, or at best just leave a really bad scar. And the lab has better supplies than a D.I.Y. first AID kit. Come on Jack help me move him gently.”

“You’re going to have to turn human again sweetie. I need to see how bad the wound is internally.” Maddie said once Danny was set on the lab table. He complied groaning as his organs were once more needed. Maddie cut the stitches open unthreading the wire used. “I’m going to have to tug at the skin a bit okay? I need to see if anything vital was punctured.” She slowly pried open the gash wincing at her sons gasps of pain. She glanced over at Jack, “Grab the suture needles and the fishing wire.” As she looked at the exposed intestine she noticed that it was already mostly healed despite being stabbed only a short time ago. The intestine seemed to be faintly green, probably because of the ectoplasm that seemed be be mixed with his blood. She wondered the ratio of blood and ectoplasm and if it was different in both forms. But right now it was her job to fix up her son. Everything else could wait until later.

[tvip11-fics]

.needles and human kisses

A/N: This is for @ladyaudentium who drew me a pic of happy dark gray with baby Jax! Sorry if this sucks, I originally was trying to write a drabble but then my brain decided to run with it lol. 

Dark Gray AU + A budding friendship between Sam and Val. Warnings: A little bit of language

Sam almost knocked, then hesitated, and then almost knocked again. She huffed. This shouldn’t be that hard.

Valerie now was way different from the Valerie she used to know, at least, that’s what she kept telling herself as she pulled into the driveway of Valerie’s beach house.

And speaking of beach houses, holy shit, Valerie’s was huge. With two stories and a crazy wrap around porch, the house contained three bathrooms, four bedrooms, a basement that Sam vaguely remembers being filled with liquor from her high school days, and a hot tub in the back that most of the football team lost their virginity in.

Sam sighed and the salty wind brushed past her and played with the end her lab coat. It’s not hard to knock. And Valerie called her, so that means she wanted her to come over. So why, why, why-?

Valerie swung open the door and sighed in relief. She pulled the scientist into a tight hug. “Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you.”

When Valerie let her go, Sam took a chance to look her up and down. Valerie was still curvy and pretty and rich to boot, but with her hair in a messy bun, no makeup on her face and her outfit being composed of an old Casper High t-shirt and shorts, she almost looked…middle class.

“I didn’t think you would come,” said Valerie as she brought Sam inside. “Just, y’know, after high school and not really being…nice to you or Fenton.”

Sam readjusted the bag on her shoulder. “Well, I’m not gonna deny someone who’s in need.” Sam looked around the living room for signs of the rare gecko that Valerie said she needed to be tested. “Where is it, by the way?”

Valerie made a face. “Okay, what if, hypothetically, the gecko was not a gecko?”

Sam frowned. “Don’t tell me you called me about a dog.” Tucker had done that to her more times than she could count.

Valerie let out a funny laugh. “Well, it’s not a dog either.”

“Then what is it?”

Valerie motioned for her to follow her and Sam complied. They went up the stairs and down the hall to the bathroom at the end. Valerie placed her hand on the knob. “Alright, don’t freak out,” she warned.

Valerie swung the door open. “Holy shit,” said Sam.

“I told you not to freak out!”

“Holy shit!”

In Valerie’s bathtub was a merman. And not some weirdo in a costume either, a real, live actual merman whose big ass tail hung over the rim of the tub, allowing water to drip all over the linoleum floor.

“Valerie,” he said, baritone voice going through one of Sam’s ears and out the other, “you should’ve told me were expecting guests. I would’ve put on a shirt.”

Sam gawked at him. “This has to be a dream.”

“Well, it isn’t,” said Valerie as she got down on her knees and reached behind the merman’s head to turn on the cold water. Part of his tail had grown crusty, and he was looking pale, or rather, as pale as one could with blue skin. Two clear indicators that he needed more water. “Sadly, this is one hundred percent real.”

The merman frowned, his fin beating defiantly against the tub. “Sadly? I’ll have you know that most people would be begging for something this awe-inspiring to happen to them.”

“Oh really?” Valerie stopped the water just as it reached the rim of the tub. “Well I bet sixty percent of those people would either eat you or dissect you for science in a heartbeat.”

He opened his mouth to protest, but closed it once he realized he was fighting a losing battle.

“What’s your name?” asked Sam as she gripped at the strap of her bag.

“Dan,” he said as he tilted his head slightly to avoid the water getting in his face.

“Dan,” she pondered on it for a moment. “Huh. Doesn’t sound very aquatic.”

The end of his tail flipped up in irritation. “What the hell were you expecting? Ariel?”

Sam blinked. “D-Did you show him The Little Mermaid? Of all things?”

“Hey, in my defense, he’s very annoying when he gets bored and my tablet is waterproof,” she said as she pulled back, her hand getting caught in Dan’s wet locks. They were slightly slimy, probably from the natural mucus that coated his body. It was one of the many, many, many gross things that she’d learned about his body over the past two weeks. “Also, he was very curious,” she said as she wiped her hand on her leg, not caring that it was going to be crusty later.

“And,” chimed in Dan, “I am very offended by what you idiot humans think of merpeople.”

“Well, today’s your lucky day,” said Valerie as she heaved herself up, “ ‘Cause Sam isn’t an idiot human, she’s a super awesome scientist who’s gonna help you with your tail.”

Sam gulped. “Uh, Valerie, I’ve never really worked with mermaids before.”

“Well, you were killer in Anatomy, so just combine a fish and a human and just roll with it,” said Valerie simply.

Sam frowned. “I don’t think that’s how that works.”

Dan huffed. “I don’t care what you have to do as long as you can get me out this damn tub.”

“He’s injured,” explained Valerie. As if that were his cue, Dan lifted up his tail to show off as much of his wound as he could without hurting himself. Sam was able to catch a glimpse of the chunk of missing tail, the white fat and pink muscle puffy and slightly red.  “I was hoping you could do something, like test his blood and make mermaid Neosporin or something?”

“Test my blood?” Dan flicked his fin. “That sounds like it involves something sharp.”

“It may or may not involve a needle.”

Each one of Dan’s iridescent scales shivered in a wave-like fashion before his fear finally traveled up his spine. He attempted to stuff himself into the bathtub, getting water all over the place in the process. “No. No, no, no-.”

Valerie groaned. “Good God, it’s not a fish hook!”

“If it pokes then it’s a fish hook to me!” he hissed.

Sam cast Valerie a look. “Is he afraid of needles?”

“Yes, even though he shouldn’t be because he has two rows of friggin’ razor sharp teeth!”

“My teeth and sharp objects are two different things!”

"Well, that's the only way I can get blood," explained Sam.

Dan crossed his arms and sunk into the bathtub, sloshing more water everywhere. At this rate, Valerie was going to be paying at least two grand a month on her water bill alone.

"Then I guess I'm never getting healed and I'll die in this stupid bathtub," he hissed.

Valerie sighed. "I'll hold your hand." Another thing Valerie discovered was that Dan was incredibly touchy. He liked to latch onto her, play with her hair, even hold her hand if she allowed it. When asked if all merpeople were like that, he simply dodged the question.

Dan's brows jumped. "I thought you said my hands were too cold."

"Your whole body is cold," she said, "but if holding your hand will get you through this thing then so be it."

Dan slipped his hand out of the water and latched onto Valerie's. She fought the urge to shiver and pull away. "Fine,” he said, “but I want a human kiss later.”

Sam looked at Valerie for an explanation of a “human kiss”, but all she got was a soft shake of the head. “Maybe, if you’re good,” she said.

Dan nodded and turned to Sam. “Stab me.”

Sam turned toward her bag and pulling out a vial and syringe. Valerie could feel Dan's grip tighten on her hand as he watched her clean the needle.

"Hey," said Valerie. "Look at me."

Dan turned to her, a bit of fear in his eye. It was weird, seeing him like this, almost childlike and pouty; so different from the haughty merman she had found stranded on the beach.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Sam was about to draw his blood. She needed to keep his attention. "Hey, wanna hear a human secret?"

The ends of his fin stood up in the air. "Secret?"

"Yeah. It's the reason we even formed a system of government and some say it will be our downfall and destroy all of mankind."

Dan rose a brow as Sam found his vein. "Really?" He leaned in slightly. "Tell me."

"Barbeque sauce."

Dan blinked. "What the fuck is barbe- Ow!" He cast Sam a dirty look as she took the blood.

"Sorry!" she said as she watched the vial fill up.

He turned back to Valerie, baring his teeth at her. "You did that on purpose."

"Yeah, it's called a distraction, sweetie."

Dan death gripped her hand until Sam was done. When she finally pulled out the needle and bandaged his arm, he let go, leaving Valerie's hand coated in slime. She wiped her hand on her pants.

"I think this should be enough," said Sam as she filled the vial and screwed it shut. She slipped it into her bag for safe keeping. "I'll call you if I find out anything."

"I'm going to walk her to the door," said Valerie. She glared at him like a mother reprimanding her children. "Do not try to leave this tub."

"Aye, aye, captain," he said, fingers messing with the bandage on his arm.

Valerie shut the door behind them and they went down the stairs together. "So, ‘human kiss’ ?”

Valerie groaned. “He thinks they’re special. Apparently, mermaids don’t kiss for romantic reasons, they kiss to bite each other’s tongues off.”

Sam’s nose scrunched up. “Gross.”

“He said it shows dominance.”

“Double gross.”

Valerie smiled. “I know right?”

Sam sighed wistfully as they reached the bottom step. This weird visit to Valerie’s wasn’t as bad as she thought it would be.  "I just- I can't believe you found a mermaid. Like an actual mermaid.” She scoffed. “My coworkers are gonna flip-."

Valerie covered Sam's mouth with her hand. "No. You are not allowed to tell anybody about this. Even Danny. Got it?"

Sam nodded and Valerie moved her hand away. "Well, I'm gonna have to tell them something when I test this blood at the lab tonight," explained Sam.

Valerie pushed back her hair, only for her curls to fall right back into her face. "Tell them it's a super rare fish or something. Just please don't tell them about Dan. He's caused me enough trouble."

Sam nodded as she reached the door. "Alright. And hey, for the record, you really should get Dan outta that tub. Him swimming around might actually help him heal up a bit."

"So you want me to lug his big ass down to my pool? What if my neighbors see?"

"That's why you do it at night." Sam reached for the handle of the front door. "And if it really is a hassle getting him out of the house, then I can help you if you really need me to."

Valerie gawked at her. "Really?"

"Yeah, I mean, it's not like we're in high school anymore," said Sam.

Valerie almost pondered on the thought, but a crash upstairs interrupted her thoughts. Sam snickered. “I guess he’s getting impatient for his ‘human kiss’.”

“That fishy fucker,” growled Valerie as she bounded up the stairs.

Sam giggled as she closed the door. This was definitely not a regular visit.

+Bonus!

She bounded up the stairs, praying to God that Dan hadn't broken the tub or worse.

When she opened the bathroom door, she found him in the bath, ripped shower curtain in hand and the metal bar on the ground. "I didn't try to leave."

Valerie placed her hands on her hips. "Then what happened?”

"My tail knocked into it," he explained. "I was being good."

Valerie sighed and bent down to pick up the bar. "Of course you were."

He beat his fin against the tub. "And since I was so good, I think I deserve my human kiss now," he said with a twinkle in his eye.

"Why do you have to call it a human kiss?" said Valerie. "Just call it a kiss."

"Because it's different from my kiss," he said.

Valerie adjusted the bar as she placed it back. "Uh..."

He beat his tail again. "Just one. Please?" he begged.

"Jeez, fine." She kneeled down beside the tub and braced her arm against the other side. "Just...don't do anything weird."

She leaned in close and Dan grabbed onto the back of her shirt, pulling her down toward him. He was eager; pressing his lips against hers as soon as he could reach them. His lips felt slick and cold, sending shivers down her spine. She could feel his tongue- maybe tongues? -against hers as she relaxed into the kiss.

He reached up, putting his hand in her hair like he saw humans do in the movies he'd watch on Valerie's tablet. He liked the way her mouth felt, warm and wet. A happy sound escaped him, and he wanted more.

Valerie pulled away, her lips wet with saliva. Dan hummed and beat his fin against the tub. "I like your mouth," he said, grinning. "Again?"

Valerie stood up, her face flushed. "Maybe later."