Frozen Yogurt

A/N: Hey everyone! Yes, I know it's been a while since I've last updated. My dinosaur of a laptop finally crashed for good and dragged all my files down into the fiery pits of computer hell with it, which was just as fantastic as it sounds. After a decent mourning period I have finally gotten back to work on this fic, so expect at least monthly updates, and hopefully more regularly, but no promises. I did edit Chapter 1 a bit, so you might want to head on back and check it out, but I didn't change anything too important, so it's not necessary. Oh, and the link to a pic of Dora's dress is in my profile, for anyone who's curious. Without further ado, I give you Chapter 5!

Chapter 5: Lemon Cakes

Danny was distracted from his anxiety by the sound of metal wheels screeching to a halt. He took a steadying breath, knowing that there was still a lot to be done. And at the end of it all he'd have his inevitable conversation with Valerie to look forward to.

"We're here," he announced rather belatedly, standing up as he spoke.

The doors of the ghostly cart opened of their own volition before him and Team Phantom stepped out, making their way down a small pathway of purple gravel. Their classmates soon shuffled their way out behind the trio, only to gasp at the sight before them.

Walls of stone wider than a car and taller than a house towered above them. Draped in ivy, it was clear they were meant to resist sieges, and had done so in the past judging by the scorch marks they passed as cast iron gates began creaking upwards to allow them passage.

But none of that could have held a candle to what lay behind the doors of the fort. Struck dumb at the sight in front of them, the group stood stiff as they breached the entrance of a bustling city of undead. Ghosts of every shape and color made their way noisily through gravel roads lined with glowing tents and shops. The scent of baked goods wafted through the air from somewhere deeper into the choreographed chaos.

Danny strode forward, motioning for the rest to follow him. The strange city was a loud and chaotic, but cheery nonetheless. The class was bombarded with the experience of a typical medieval town. Maddie Fenton's jaw was wide open, taking in sights she would never have believed if not for the fact that they were happening before her very eyes. On every side ghosts were having friendly conversations and bartering loudly over goods, displays of emotion that were clearly not meant for a human audience and so were likely real. The implications of the scene before her had the scientist's head spinning. Her mouth shut with a click as she was snapped out of her daze after stumbling over a green chicken, befuddled by its resulting indignant clucking.

"Sorry?" the Fenton matriarch provided meekly, only to be shocked when the ghostly poultry clucked in self satisfaction and wandered off. It was almost as if the specter could understand her. Shaking her head, she reminded herself that it was just a chicken, ghostly or otherwise. But the rest of these spooks weren't. One thing was for sure; they were hardly savages. This place was clearly a city, or at least a form of organized society, medieval though it may be. Off to her right the scientist thought she saw a ghost exchanging what looked like currency for some cloth. Maybe it was time she took a good look at the theories she'd once held as undeniably true.

Valerie was still so out of it that when a young girl with lilac skin knocked into her and dropped a stack of linens she stayed behind to help her. The huntress scooped the clothes off the floor, folding them with an ease born of someone force to launder the few outfits they owned with frustrating frequency. The fact that she was unquestioningly providing aid to a ghost wasn't quite registering with Valerie.

"Thank ye, my lady. You're most kind," said the specter, giving Valerie a gentle smile and continued floating on her way. Valerie was still trying to figure out what exactly had just happened before realizing she'd fallen behind. Jogging to catch up to the stragglers in the back, the teen felt a shadow fall over her. Looking up her eyes widened in awe at the source of the shade.

The ragtag assembly of tents had given way to the sprawling grounds of a medieval palace. Stone towers of polished lavender loomed over the gathered teens, twisting turrets accentuating an incomprehensibly large structure that glowed in the false daylight of this corner of the Ghost Zone. Carved statues of snarling draconian figures perched on every surface, towering over the humans in an intimidating display of intricacy. Valerie was forced to admit she felt intimidated, but was drawn from her thoughts by a voice at the head of the group.

"Welcome to Mattingdom, Realm of the Dragon Queen Dorathea," announced Sam, thoroughly enjoying the stunned faces of her peers. Dora had gone above and beyond her own expectations in remodeling her kingdom, but had confided in Sam that perhaps she should have worked harder in its construction. Clearly she had done a fantastic job judging by the awed reactions to the Queen's honest efforts.

The class trailed after Sam in stunned silence, not noticing Danny slip off to the side. He searched through the wandering townsfolk until he found a guard. Motioning to the lightly armored specter, he discreetly told him to notify the Queen of their arrival.

Joining back with the group was easy enough, as they had stopped before the towering iron doors that denoted the main entrance to the regal citadel. Danny smirked at them, remembering why they'd replaced the wooden doors with heavier metal. After hearing that Dora had welcomed the Trio with open arms, Walker had pompously marched straight into the city with his guards and stormed into the throne room.

Not realizing that Dora was a powerful ghost in her own right, the warden had threatened her with jail time for "aiding and abetting a wanted criminal". Dora, of course, was less than pleased with him, and when he moved to arrest her, had sent a torrent of whirling flames his way, flinging the Warden from her keep and scorching his rear and the main doors in the process. Danny would have given anything to have been there, only having heard of the legendary encounter several months later when he'd come to visit.

Just then, said iron doors swung open slowly, screeching as sparks shot off where metal scraped the cobblestone floor. All the humans shrunk back, throwing their hands over their ears and cringing. Danny was especially not immune to the clamor, his sensitive hearing making his head ring for long moments after the doors finished opening with a dull clang. Straitening up with a wince, Danny stepped up in between Sam and Tucker, and the three lead the procession of humans into the throne room.

Vast ceilings extended overhead far enough that their ends were hidden in darkness, torches flickering with green flames that threw lengthy shadows across dark stone walls. The sound of the trio's steady footsteps echoed deafeningly through the eerie chamber.

They looked shockingly old to the group in the wavering lighting, moving smoothly in tandem as they approached the end of the room. Stone stairs lead to a large platform elevated several feet from the ground. Upon the platform rested a regal throne. Dark tarnished metal weaved in intricate patterns along the trim, inlaid emeralds glowing darkly with ethereal power rather than merely reflecting the torchlight.

To the humans, however, the most imposing thing in the chamber was the woman who sat poised on the lofty seat. Deep red eyes were set in a calculating expression as she took in the humans trailing in behind her chosen warrior and her friends. Her soft green face glowed softly, in complement to blond hair that swished in gentle movements on a nonexistent breeze, and a pair of delicate braids were pulled back to rest on otherwise loose locks.

The woman's noble countenance was evident in the expression on her face and the dress that hung resplendently on her form. It was a soft blue, trimmed with white patterns of vines along the bell sleeves, with a squared neckline and cinched-in waist. Around her neck was a chain of gold, from which hung a glowing pendant in the shape of a reptilian eye, misty power swirling within it and wisps of green energy escaping at intervals. Soft colors that should have lightened her presence only highlighted her subtly imposing form.

The dim lighting provided by neon green flames flickered across her figure, casting her form in shadow and making her gown shimmer nearly black in the darkness. The guards who stood unnoticed by the doors shared smirks in silent pride of their ruler who had struck even hunters silent with awe. Queen Dorathea emanated a presence now that could not be ignored.

Not breaking her calm but otherwise unreadable demeanor, Dorathea's aura trickled rapidly from hands resting lightly on the arms of her throne and slithered across the floor to slam the heavy doors shut.

The humans jumped, a few whom had hands that twitched instinctively towards the weapons concealed on their persons, but ultimately managed to restrain themselves. The Queen's gaze rested on them for only a moment before moving on impassively. The trio had finally reached the base of the stairs, kneeling soberly as one before the ruler of Mattingdom. Their companions shuffled uneasily before following suit.

"So," the queen shattered the thick silence. "You stand before me yet again, young ones. And to plead for aid, I presume?" She waited expectantly for an answer, a thin eyebrow arching elegantly in an unspoken prompt for the trio to speak.

"Yes, your Majesty."

Sam spoke to the Queen with more deference than anyone present had ever heard fall from her lips. Mr. Lancer's eyes bulged out at hearing Miss Manson speak so respectfully to an authority figure. Despite her tone, however, Sam Manson remained Sam Manson, and while she may have knelt down before her friend and ruler, her head was held high, although not enough to be perceived as a challenge.

Queen Dorathea inclined her head in acknowledgement of Sam's words before settling her piercing ruby gaze on the youngest Fenton.

"And you, Sir Daniel, thought it wise to bring a faction of humans, and with hunters among them, into my walls without consequence? Did you expect me to provide aid to those who may bring harm to my people without complaint?" The Queen's voice echoed softly through the chamber, but her words were laced with poison, and as she spoke her aura flared from it's soft glow into a toxic neon green.

Across the room beads of nervous sweat collected on the foreheads of the adults. When the younger Fenton had spoken of the ghost queen, they hadn't gotten the impression that she was particularly dangerous. Judging by what they had seen of her so far, they were incredibly wrong.

As the so-called Dragon Queen fixated on their son, Jack and Maddie's unease began to build. This feeling spiraled into one of panic as the implications of her words set in: this ghost was not to be trifled with, and by coming here they may not only be denied aid, but she could very well decide to attack them.

As the room held its collective breathe in wait, Danny met the eyes of Mattingdom's sovereign ruler and matter-of-factly stated, "No." He went on to say "I expected you to provide us aid with plenty of complaint."

Valerie's eyes widened impossibly further at hearing Danny snark at a clearly dangerous and powerful ghost, and a queen at that. They were doomed by a teenage boy's sass.

And then suddenly, to the surprise of all but the trio, Dora tilted her head back and began to laugh. Her light chuckles lingered in the air before fading, leaving behind an expression of pleased amusement on Dora's face. Ignoring the confused humans who milled about uncomfortably behind Sir Daniel and his friends, she snapped her fingers. The torches lining the walls flared brighter, lighting the room considerably.

"Yes, I suppose you would, wouldn't you?" she grinned down at the unrepentantly smirking half-ghost.

With an exaggerated sigh of exasperation, Dora stood gracefully, shaking her head at her friends. It was obvious that they had been overly formal in order to gain respect for her from their peers. It was sweet, but as she'd clearly shown, she didn't need help in order to intimidate a few humans. Dora offered a hand to Sam, who accepted the help of her close friend and smiled widely.

She then turned to the rest of the humans and said, "Get up, dears, there's no need for such ceremony."

And with that, The Dragon Queen of Mattingdom glided past the slack-jawed humans through the previously unseen door to the left of her throne.

Danny, seeing how happy his girlfriend was at her Queen's hard-won confidence, held out a fist towards Tucker and said "Pound it." The techno-geek happily obliged.

The teens strode confidently after the ghostly monarch, not bothering to look behind them out of certainty that their fellow humans would follow. It was for this reason that no one took notice of the human lingering at the back of the group. Mikey swiveled around discreetly, and seeing that the coast was clear, quickly attached a minuscule recording device to the wall of the chamber.

The small class was led through a series of winding hallways, which were well lit and warm. They soon arrived at a circular room that had stairs going up in a spiral off to the side. Several doors branched off on either side of the landing. Couches and armchairs were placed near a fireplace set into the wall, and torches were spread out evenly throughout. Looking closer, Valerie noticed the metal fixtures for the torches were made of silvery dragons, so that the flames seemed to be coming from the mouths of the small effigies. The huntress walked closer to the wall to see the figures up close when the specter at the head of the group spoke.

"Everyone, we have arrived at the guest dwellings. As Lady Manson and her friends are often visitors here, they have their own personal quarters down the hall. We only have enough rooms to accommodate five pairs of two. The rest are not quite fit for human habitation, so I'm afraid you'll have to make do."

Valerie quickly did the math and saw that someone would be left without a room if they were to be paired up. She said as much to the ghost queen, only for her to suggest a somewhat surprising solution.

"Well, then I suppose you'll can share Lady Manson's quarters, if that's alright with her. I'm sure she can show you the way," the spectral maiden offered casually by way of parting. As she floated away with a curtsy to Danny and a polite nod to his companions.

Sam appreciated that Dora was going out of her way to help nearly a dozen humans. She honestly doesn't now what they would've done if she'd actually denied them her aid. And it was for that reason only that the teen didn't shoot at her when her friend suggested that she room with her boyfriend's ex and once personal bounty hunter. But somebody had to bunk with her, and honestly, Sam would take Valerie over Paulina any day.

The teenage huntress knew how much Sam hated her, and had already resigned herself to sleeping on one of the common room couches. But now that she thought about it, and she was trying really hard not to think about it, Sam probably hated her because she'd obsessively hunted her boyfriend for over a year, and Valerie honestly couldn't hold that against her. So the expression of wary confusion on her face could be excused when Sam eventually sighed and motioned for Valerie to follow her.

"Here, I'll show you to my room in a minute, I just gotta help get the others settled in."

Valerie nodded mutely as Sam led the girls up the stairs to the doors on the right, trailing behind her. Meanwhile Danny and Tucker led the men over to the left, explaining that the rooms were all identical, and that no, they don't come stocked with snacks, Dash, that's what the kitchens are for, what do you mean you're hungry I saw you sneak two extra rations over the last hour?!

Soon everyone had split into pairs and claimed their rooms. Paulina had immediately snatched up Star and headed for the closest door. Valerie watched as the hispanic teen flung her bags across the room before flopping on the bed, trusting Star to shut the door behind her. Jazz dragged her mother over to next room, leaving her husband floundering in indecision before rounding on Mr. Lancer and throwing an arm around him in jovial camaraderie.

Dash and Kwan had finished arguing with Danny about the necessity of easily accessible snacks and sulked off into a room. That left Mikey and Nathan with the room farthest from the stairs. Valerie winced in sympathy, because from the looks of the door, that room was probably more shabby and neglected than Mr. Lancer's social life.

Their job done for now, the remaining teens met up at the bottom of the stairs, Valerie standing self-consciously off to the side. She shook off her nerves and turned to Danny.

"So," she said softly, "you're Danny Phantom."

"Yeah," Danny rubbed his neck anxiously, "any chance we can have this conversation somewhere more private."

Valerie nodded silently, walking beside him as he led the way out of the common room and down the hall. He turned to a large pair of oak doors and pushed them open. The huntress immediately noticed that the room was noticeably more ornate than the one they'd come from. A long plush couch stretched out in front of a marble fireplace. The room was tastefully decorated in tones of silver and black, varying tones of gray and soft greens accenting what was clearly a room reserved for a person of note. Matching doors lay on opposite sides of the room, leading to what Valerie guessed were the bedrooms.

Danny offered the uncharacteristically quiet teen a seat, which she took gratefully. Once she'd sat down, her body sagged in exhaustion, sinking into the couch. She sighed and looked up at the boy she'd loved and hated equally for over a year, hoping that she'd finally get some answers to the question she hadn't been allowing herself to think, let alone ask. The halfa shot a look to his two best friends, who were milling about in concern off to the side. Without prompting, they decided to give them their privacy, Sam pausing to squeeze his shoulder and Tucker shooting him a sympathetic smile as they walked past.

The bedroom door creaked loudly before clicking shut, the silence left that much louder in the duo's absence. Danny paced in front of the couch before turning to Valerie. His mouth opened and closed a few times, a chocked sound escaping in an aborted attempt to say something, anything, before he resumed pacing.

"Trying to decide how much to tell me?" she ventured, though not accusingly. She wouldn't blame him for not trusting her with all the information. She just wanted, no, needed answers.

"No, no, you deserve to know all of it. It's just that I- I don't know, really, where to start."

Scrambling for something, anything to further postpone the inevitable conversation, Danny went to the small kitchenette off to the side of the room to fix a quick snack.

"You want some lemon cake, because we have tons of lemon cake here-"

"Quit stalling, Fenton. Please."

It was the desperate plea in her eyes that did him in. Sighing, Danny steeled himself and finally nodded his head in acquiescence.

"I guess it'd be better if just show you."

Danny took in a shaky breath before steeling himself. Valerie hadn't hunted him for years, she wasn't going to shoot him. 'But that's not what you're worried about' his annoying inner monologue provided. It was best to just jump into this this headfirst.

Valerie inched forward in her seat imperceptibly, both wary and curious as to what exactly he was going to do, only to jump back as a ring of light split down the teen's middle, slowly revealing the ghost she'd known for nearly four years. The blue energy erased the visage of Danny Fenton, revealing the glowing form of Danny Phantom.

Over the years, Phantom's outfit had changed only a slight bit at a time but often enough that what he wore now was a far cry from the jumpsuit he'd had Freshman year. Spandex had made way for a dark gray undershirt with the signature logo, a rumpled black jacket worn over it with the sleeves pushed up to the elbows. Matching fingerless gloves were worn above metallic bracelets that she'd mocked until one day seeing them being used to electrocute a pair of ectopuses, and then she'd just been jealous. Sturdy black jeans were held up by several white utility belts, and a pair of heavy boots with silver metal on the toes and soles completed the look.

There was no more room for doubt in her mind, Danny was Phantom. The adorable, easily flustered teen she'd considered a close friend was also the ghost she'd hunted like an animal at one point in time.

"How is this possible?"

"Well, remember how I missed a week of school in the beginning Freshman year? It was because of a lab accident at Fenton Works. It all started when my parents built the ghost portal."

Valerie sat for what felt like hours as Danny explained everything from that fateful day at Fenton Works to his battle against Pariah Dark. Years worth of what she'd considered incriminating evidence against Phantom were explained away and the air between them cleared. The huntress had listened intently, only cutting in occasionally to ask for clarification on a ghost's name or some other detail. But her relatively contemplative silence was ended when the half-ghost mentioned Vlad.

"When you say Vlad, you mean Plasmius and Masters, right?"

"Uh, well, y-you see, it's not so much, um, I don't-" his flustered attempts at protecting his fellow halfa's secret would've seemed endearing to the huntress if she didn't hate Vlad with a fiery passion.

"Cut the crap, Phan- uh, Fenton, I know they're the same person."

"Wait, what? When did you find out?"

"Right after I helped you rescue Dani from being melted down a few years ago. Oh my god, I tried to torture you for information, I'm so sorry Danny, I-"

He waved her off, "It's fine, no hard feelings, honest. But if you've known about him for all this time, then why do you still do jobs on the side for him and stuff?"

"Trust me, I would've shot that smarmy rich spook in the face by now if I could, but he owns Axiom Labs. As much as I'd love to, I can't shoot the guy who signs Daddy's paychecks. I literally can't afford to fight that lying son of a-"

"Okay, okay," he cut in, "I get the picture. But weirdly enough, Vlad's mellowed out a lot over the last couple of years."

Valerie took a moment to consider the statement, making a noise of contemplation. Although she'd been denying it to herself for a while now, the teen had spent enough time in friendly mock battles and surprisingly civil conversations with Phantom that Danny's ghostly appearance hardly fazed her. She began to think out loud, comfortable enough in her old friend's presence to begin rambling.

"Now that I think about it, you're right; most of the ghost activity in Amity Park dropped significantly since the beginning of Junior year. It's been mostly quiet with a few major ghost attacks from the really powerful ones. What happened? And I can't believe I didn't notice this before, because ghosts don't just up and stop attacking an area unless it's considered claimed territory," Valerie trailed off as she turned to Danny with an incredulous expression.

"Yeah, you're not far from the mark there, Val. I kinda officially claimed Amity Par as my haunt, so most of my old enemies don't really cause trouble as often. Only the really powerful ghosts try to harass the town anymore," he paused for a moment, "Well, and the Box Ghost, but he doesn't really count as a threat."

Valerie sputtered when the teen said he'd claimed the town as his own territory.

"How the hell did you claim an entire town as your haunt? I thought ghosts could only really clam small pieces of territory for themselves. Hell, as far as I can tell even Vlad's territory only extends to the grounds of his Wisconsin Mansion!"

"Haha, yeah, about that," Danny rubbed at his neck. "See, there was an incident at the beginning of Junior year."

"An incident?" Valerie cocked an eyebrow playfully.

"Yeah, an incident. Back in Freshman year we fought the Ghost King, remember?" Danny waited for her to nod before continuing.

"Well, Pariah Dark was king because he could channel the energy of these two ghostly artifacts: the Ring of Rage and the Crown of Fire. When he'd first been trapped thousands of years ago, it had only been with the Crown. But when Vlad and I locked him up again in Freshman year, he had the Ring with him. Which should have been fine, seeing as how he needed both artifacts to be powerful enough to break out. You following me?"

At Val's confirmation, he went on. "Thing is, Pariah had spent his years of imprisonment siphoning off energy from the crown to store in his core. And though that dude was crazier than the Fruitloop, he was still smart enough not to use that back-up energy during our fight and kept it stored in case he was imprisoned again. So when he was trapped all over again, but this time with the other half of his energy source, guess what happened?"

"Oh my god, he took energy from the ring and he broke out once he had enough juice stored up! Wait a second, how come none of us saw anything in Amity Park? Last time the ghost king was free he pulled the city into the Ghost Zone."

"Bingo! And it's because he never got to leave the Zone. He used up all his power in that little stunt, and I was visiting a friend in the Ghost Zone when it happened, so I was able to intercept him on his way to getting the Crown back. Long story short, Vlad showed up with it eventually, and at one point in the battle I ended up wearing both the Crown and the Ring. That let me defeat Pariah once and for all." Danny's eyes darkened at the reminder of what he'd been forced to do. It was far from a pleasant memory, and even with Pariah running low on power, Danny hadn't had the Fenton Ecto Skeleton that time and nearly died in the battle.

Meanwhile, Valerie had figured that the ghostly trinkets gave him the power boost necessary to claim the town as his, and said as much to the half-ghost.

"Uh, sort of. Turns out that being able to survive wearing the Crown and Ring together and defeating the previous wearer fulfilled the criteria to be next in line for the throne. I kinda accidentally ended up making myself Ghost Prince, and I'll sorta be taking the official title of Ghost King once we graduate."

Danny was too engrossed in the tale he was weaving to notice that Valerie had descended into staring at him wide-eyed silence and found himself not able to stop once he'd started talking.

"Anyways, so the whole deal gave me the authority to claim Amity Park as my haunt. But a side effect of being heir to the throne means that any ghost that attacks Amity is indirectly challenging me for the position of King. So any ghost fight I get into is really a fight for the throne, so I can't just catch them in the thermos and then let them go, I have to either destroy them or injure them so badly that the Ring and Crown consider them "defeated". Long story short, the only ghosts that really wreck havoc in Amity since then are the major players like Undergrowth and Vortex."

Finally noticing Valerie's slack-jawed silence, Danny peered worriedly at her face.

"Uh, Val? You okay? Hellooo, Earth to Valerie."

Shaking off her incredulity at the insane situations Danny had apparently been placed in for nearly four years now, Valerie responded, batting away the hand Danny had placed on her forehead n concern.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Your life is crazy, you know that, Fenton?"

Danny snorted in self-deprecating agreement. "Tell me about it."

"But what happened to the ring and crown. I mean, I would've noticed you wearing glowing jewelry in school and by the sounds of things, you can't let any other ghosts get their hands on them, so where are they?"

"They're kind of phased intangibly in my gut, that way other ghosts can't just take 'em off me even if they manage to knock me out or whatever."

Valerie asked Danny where he learned that trick, she'd never have thought he'd hide his things inside of himself. To her surprise, the halfa's expression turned stormy for brief moment before he answered.

"I learned it ten years in the future during Freshman year."

"Ummm?"

Danny was saved from answering by Tucker poking his head through the bedroom door.

"Are you guys finished yet, because- wait, are those lemon cakes? Hey, Sam! There's lemon cakes!" Tucker had turned to holler back into the bedroom.

"You don't need to shout Tucker, I'm literally in the same room as you."

Nevertheless, Sam followed Tucker out of the bedroom to the kitchenette. The two grabbed plates before plopping down on the other side of the couch that Valerie sat on. The teens both reached forward to cut slices of the pastry Danny had set on the coffee table earlier out of nerves. Said half-ghost smirked at them bemusedly before cutting slices for himself and Valerie. He offered the plate to her before squeezing down on the now crowded couch in between her and Sam.

"So," started Tucker in between mouthfuls, "I'm guessing you and Danny are cool now, huh?"

Turning to Danny for confirmation and receiving a comforting smile, she nodded.

"Yeah, we're cool."

Across the Ghost Zone, Clockwork's Tower was filled with the sound of ticking timepieces. The loud clanks were deafening in the otherwise barren room. Barren except for gears and a single side table, on top of which was a thermos. It should've been singed and dented, warped out of shape by the spirit contained within. But the thermos hadn't looked anything other than new for nearly a year now. And so Clockwork decided to do something he hadn't allowed of himself in the three years since he had taken on Daniel, both versions of him, as his responsibility. Clockwork decided to leave the tower for more than a day. Although his Sight was clouded from within his own home, what little he could see suggested that if he did allow himself to attend one of the week-long Observant Council meetings, the world would not be doomed by it.

Stopping to shake the thermos as he floated by it, faint cursing could be heard coming from inside it. He looked it over, and seeing that he could see no exterior damage, the timekeeper placed t back on the table before continuing on his way. Chuckling to himself, Clockwork sealed the doors to his domain shut and left. Even years down the line, he still couldn't be sure if that had been the right decision.

To say that Dan Phantom was not pleased would be an understatement. He was wrathful. Three years the ghost had been trapped in this primitive, cramped, infuriatingly sturdy thermos. Years he could've put to use ravaging the globe where he'd instead been stuck inside a damn soup container. As soon as he got out of this metallic hell, he was going to kill his alternate self. And then he would make time for Clockwork, who would get his own turn at an excruciatingly slow and painful death the likes of which he reserved for those who got in his way.

He'd take particular delight in trapping Clockwork in a thermos himself and give him a taste of his own medicine. He'd let the old-timer chip away desperately at the thermos walls, for a change. Let him get so close to breaking through that he could feel the last thin layer of metal between him and freedom. And then Dan would shake the thermos and use the bastard's own staff to turn back time and repair the container. See how he liked being just a breath away from freedom before having it suddenly ripped away, being forced to start all over again in an endless desperate cycle. Well, perhaps not endless. Dan was planning on letting him out eventually, if only to rip him into pieces once he got bored with psychologically tormenting the meddling time ghost.

It'd taken him nearly two years to figure out how to dupe Clockwork's system. No matter how much he'd battered and blasted and Wailed at the thermos, the timekeeper always repaired the stupid thing as soon as there were any real signs of wear on the outside or Dan had been utilizing his Ghostly Wail for longer than Clockwork had the patience for. Apparently, the noise was irritating to him, which the specter had made the mistake of admitting. Delighted at being able to at least irritate the sick bastard, Dan would've kept at it indefinitely if only to see if Clockwork would eventually get a migraine. He got away with it for nearly a full forty-eight hours before he got Clockwork to lose his cool. Unfortunately, that only led to the specter rattling the thermos every time he made any amount of noise,whether from banging on the walls, using his Wail, or even just talking.

While infuriating, it had ensured that the concentrated silence he'd fallen into wasn't as much a cause for suspicion. Once Dan realized that by using the hot core that had belonged to Plasmius, he could focus an intensely hot fire that he could use to melt the inside of the thermos with. The silent fire was super heated to the point it'd become plasma, which Dan used to slowly but surely melt through a point the size of a pinprick. He only needed there to be the slightest break or crack in order to teleport out, and judging by the thinness of the remaining metal, it was only a matter of time.