Danny Phantom - The Next Chapter

The Darkest Shadow, Part 1

Danny was absently fiddling with the device his mom had strapped to his left forearm as he stared out over the roofs of Amity. She had explained it stored ghostly energy much like the thermos and used it to boost his own powers. He wasn't used to wearing any kind of devices or armour with him and his mounting anxiety was driving him to mess with it without even realising it. Memories from his last encounter with Dan were running through his head despite his best efforts to stop them. The bone-chilling terror and grief he had felt when he watched that explosion that engulfed his family and friends was making a reappearance. His powers were surging in response, ice steadily coating the surface of the roof as his fidgeted.

Behind him, someone cleared their throat and he spun around, hands glowing green and ready to attack. He immediately backed down when he realised it was Danielle and looked away sheepishly.

'Sorry,' he muttered, turning his attention back to the skyline.

'Jeeze, you planning on freezing the whole building?' Dani asked as she floated over to him.

Danny looked down in surprise and quickly clamped down on his powers.

'Sorry,' he repeated, 'I didn't notice.'

Dani gave him a searching look. 'Are you doing alright? You're way more on edge than you usually are before a fight.'

'This isn't just any fight,' Danny explained darkly.

'What... what happened last time?' Dani asked, 'I wasn't around then so maybe it'll help me what to expect?'

'I gotta say, I'm curious as well,' Valerie added, climbing up from the trapdoor in the roof and retracting her faceplate.

Danny sighed heavily and moved to sit over the edge of the roof. After a moment, the two joined him.

'I guess it's kind of a time loop,' he began, 'I was studying for the C.A.Ts for school and these ghosts from the future kept attacking me. Me, Sam and Tucker managed to grab hold of this Skulker-Technus hybrid and follow him to the lair of this ghost, Clockwork. To get away from him, we jumped ten years into the future where Amity was being destroyed by... me. There had been an explosion and my family, Sam, Tucker, even Mr. Lancer, they were all killed. I had nowhere else to go so this other version of me went to Vlad and convinced him to separate my human and ghost sides so some part of me wouldn't have to feel human emotions again. Except when he did it, my ghost side went rogue and split up Vlad's halves and merged with his ghost side. It... didn't end well for my human side and the new merged ghost version of me and Vlad left to destroy everything in his path. Ten years later, Amity was protected by you, Valerie.'

'Me?' she asked in surprise.

'Without anyone to protect the city, you sort of became the de facto ghost hunter. I don't know everything that happened but by the time me and the others got there, Amity was in ruins and you were almost dead. Sam and Tucker escaped back to our time but I fought Dan and he trapped me in the future while he took my place here. He trapped everyone at the Nasty Burger which was about to explode and I managed to come back with Jazz's help. We fought and the only reason I won is because I took him by surprise with my Ghostly Wail. I barely won but... I was too late to save everyone else.'

'But how?' Dani demanded, 'They're all fine! They're downstairs right now!'

'Clockwork saved them,' Danny explained heavily, 'He said I deserved a second chance. But if he hadn't... I watched them all die right in front of me and I wasn't... enough to save them. That's why I don't want everyone else involved. He doesn't care who he hurts, he just wants to destroy everything. And now he has a grudge against me and he'll use anyone to make me suffer.'