The Ultimate Return

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Pearl white teeth bit into plush violet, nibbling gently on the sensitive flesh as slightly calloused fingers ran over the thin pages of the paperback book she balanced upon her knees. She tucked a stray piece of raven black hair behind her ear, shifting her weight on the fountain rim and recrossing her ankles. The sun was low on the horizon, sending shadows of gold and black across the quiet park, only a few couples roaming about the sidewalks that lead to the little fountain, water splashing serenely, sprinkling over her shoulders. It was the perfect end to the unluckiest day of the year, a quiet night, cool wind, good book, and warm sun setting over the world.

Amazingly, there hadn't been a single ghost attack all day, at least not one that Danny had roused her about. Even the infamous Johnny 13 had stayed back in the ghost realm, as if knowing that Team Phantom had been prepared to turn him into a smear upon the pavement if he had decided to come within inches of the ghost portal.

Samantha 'Sam' Manson smiled warmly, eyes crinkling up a little as she flipped the page, shifting the red covered book in her lap as she lay enraptured by the story that lay within. Dean Koontz was her favorite author, not just because the heroes were so heroic, but because the villains were also just so villainous. Every one of his mass murderers, psychopaths, and neurotic killers were so extreme that you couldn't help but be pulled into their world. And at the same time it frightened her, because she herself had met a creature straight out of a Dean Koontz novel, some years back when She and her two friends were still fourteen, still worried about their futures, and that dumb C.A.T. Test. It was hard to believe that such a person really existed, even harder that said person was the future self of her best friend and protector of Amity Park.

Danny Phantom. Daniel Fenton.

He had sworn never to become like that, and at 18 years old now, it seemed that they would beat those odds and come out of that future unscathed. She wondered for a moment between chapters, what had Clockwork done with the thermos that held the corrupted mix of both Phantom and Plasmius. She couldn't help but feel pity for the creature, trapped away for nearly four years, Danny had been very adamant in telling his friends and sister how cramped the Fenton thermos was.

It defiantly wasn't a good way to spend your time.

She frowned slightly as the fading sunlight that allowed her to read was blocked, the cool October air seeming a bit more frigged then before. She closed the book half way, tucking her thumb in between the pages to keep her place, her violet eyes flicking upwards as she parted her lips, about to voice her aggravation. But the moment she looked up all words melted off her tongue, into a puddle deep in her stomach, turning it sour.

"Hello Sam." A rich baritone, smooth as chocolate and as cold as ice slid over her ears, and the book fell to the ground with a muffled clatter, the cover staring up at the tall man. If she hadn't been so close she might not have recognized him beneath the black beanie covering his white hair, pining it down enough that only a few haphazard strands stuck out from the bottom to frame his face, and his long ponytail hidden beneath a thick black bomber's jacket. He had his hands stuffed in the pockets of his dark washed jeans, one of his large black boots landing on the cover of her book, before he tossed it aside with out care; leaning over her enough that his dark sunglasses slid down his nose, revealing burning crimson eyes.

The eyes of hell.

"Its been a long time." He said conversationally, as if not noticing the way her muscles tightened, the way her skin paled to an almost ashen gray, shock, horror and fear all mixed in her expression. "I'm sure you're wondering how I got out, how I got here, but then again..." His lips pulled up into a wide grin, fangs glinting in the dying sunlight. "I doubt you really want to know all the details, no matter how much I might enjoy giving them. Lets just say that all the kings horses and all the kings men couldn't put Clockwork together again; after what I did to him that is."

Crimson met violet, melting into a battle of fire and night.

And that was all the incentive she needed, her body, which was once made of living stone, melted into liquid metal, and she whirled around, her boots sinking in the water of the fountain with a splash as she slipped and skidded over the submerged tiles, pennies and the occasional silver coin making her slide and soak her entirely, the water like ice against her skin.

Dan only laughed, sliding his sunglasses back up his nose as he followed her at a more sedated pace, watching with faint amusement as she scrambled out of the fountain; her thick jacket laden with icy water, her longer hair tangled and matted, droplets of water spraying as combat boots hit cement, her breath steaming the air as she ran franticly from him. Well it would have been amusement, if he could feel such a thing.

But Dan was a ghost, a ghost with an obsession like any other. And his obsession was Revenge.

Sam gasped for air, her skin already numb and clammy from the fountain water, and she fumbled into her pockets, trying to move her dead fingers into action, to clench about the damp form of her cellphone, and to draw it out without dropping it.

Of course, the moment the thing left her pocket, the black phone slid out of her clammy fingers, and she was forced to turn on her heel to snatch it up, feeling pain from her ankle and knee from such a sudden sharp turn, and even her numb fingers ached when her knuckles scraped over cement, blood welling brightly against her abused skin and she bit back a small cry as she wrenched herself back up standing, to find that Dan had dissipated, no longer behind her.

She turned around wildly, eyes wide and eyebrows pinched in the middle, looking much like a cornered animal, her lips pulled back in a frightened, angry scowl.

Where the hell did he--

She wasn't even able to finish her thought when a wide hand connected with the back of her skull with enough force to knock her clean over, black and white spots ringing in front of her eyes before she collided with the cement, and she could taste blood in her mouth, pain rocketing through her skull and left eye, momentarily blinding her with pain. She screamed, a small agonized yelp as she struggled back to her feet, the cellphone still clutched in one hand as she tried to think past the pain for something she could do. Anything.

She had a swiss army knife with her, a small can of mace, but neither would do anything against a ghost like Dan. Somewhere in the bottom of her bag was a thermos and the Fenton anti-creep stick (complete with ghostly upgrades), but before she would even think to reach for her bag, his hulking form would be able to brake her in half easily.

She grunted in pain as she stood, her vision swirling as the whiplash ripped though her neck, blood clouding the white of her left eye, and her vision skimmed around the casually dressed creature, his hands once again residing in his pockets. She shakily flicked open the cellphone behind her back, her numb finger closing over the 2 button, speed dialing Danny's cellphone as she backed away from Team Phantom's ultimate enemy. "Wh-what the hell do you want?!" She shouted, her throat raw as she could hear her best friends sweet voice, not quite as deep as Dan's, but far more mature then it had been four years ago, calling her name in confusion from the cellphone. "Why the hell are you here Dan!?"

There was silence from her little cellphone, and then a small click of the halfa hanging up, no doubt he was on his way already, fear and anger motivating his speed.

"Waiting for you to call your little boyfriend." Dan replied in an amused voice, and Sam couldn't even blink in time before the white haired ghost appeared beside her, clasping the wrist she hid behind her in a painful grip, the small popping noises sending agony rushing up her body as he fractured her bones, threatening to do worse. He tugged it around in front of her, the cellphone clattering from her red fingers, and he closed his foot coldly upon the plastic, lowering it slow enough that the goth girl could hear every snap as he ground the phone into the cement. "You are so Predictable Sammy." He cooed, throwing her arm to the side, and she cried out again, sure that her arm had just been wrenched free of her shoulder joint. "Did you really think I came for you?"

He didn't even flinch, heartless and emotionless. As if he was planning to methodically dismember her right there, leave her helpless and then kill her.

Straight out of a Dean Koontz novel.

She clutched her arm, the pain making her dizzy as she stumbled away from him, realizing that this situation was far more dire then she had ever imagined it would be. They all had thought about it, what they would do if Dan returned, boasting their plans, but no one expected anything like this. God... how the hell was she going to survive this now?

"So tell me..." The tall man asked quietly, walking towards her with that same slow intensity, reaching up with one leather gloved hand to take off his sunglasses, the sun far set beneath the horizon, shadows dancing around the 18 year old girl and 28 year old masochist. "How is my pathetic younger self. Has he finally become what everyone knew he would be?" He grinned a little more, roaming her soaked form with his icy eyes, sending chills through her as she backed up more, her mind desperately searching for some type of escape, some way to get to safety. "What pushes his buttons? What is his obsession?"

"You're looking at it." Came an icy hiss from behind the tall man, Danny bringing a fist around to bring it deep into Dan's temple, teetering him. He landed a few inches from the injured girl, his green eyes wide in horror at the road rash that marred her face, and the red and purple eye that stared up at him in relief, the skin about it starting to swell and darken. "Oh god Sam..." He whispered, standing in front of her protectively, not wanting to see the tears of relief that streamed down her battered cheeks.

The years had been kind upon the superhero, his thin form had turned into something akin to Bruce lee's, thin, lean and extremely muscular. His hazmat rippled across his body, the suit different then that of his fourteen year old self''s. He had grown out of that years ago, and Sam had calmly made him new ones as the years went by, until he settled at his final hight of nearly six foot four inches.

He was as tall as Dan now, but different in oh so many ways.

The rage that burned in his green eyes attested to it.

Dan placed a gloved hand against his temple, looking just a slight bit surprised by the glowing green that marred his smooth flesh, and his lips pulled back in a smile, if it could be called such. There was no emotion behind it, just a ghost of amusement.

"Touchy touchy." He smirked, mocking the halfa's voice. It was unnerving how much he sounded like her Danny. "So emotional. You haven't changed a bit, have you Danny."

"You have no idea." Danny hissed, blue tinting his green eyes, Sam shuddering as she drew herself together to protect from the cold that enveloped the park. His body tensed, muscles rippling on his lean frame, tightening like the ice that was forming deep within his phantom body. His longer white hair fluttered around his face, dancing on his neck and shoulders slightly as he put a single hand out before him, frost forming over his white glove, the material crackling somberly with every movement of his fingers, no matter how tiny. He doubted that Dan had any idea of what was going to happen, that he planned to freeze the very ectoplasm within him, stop him literally in his tracks, and then vaporize him with a flick of his wrist.

A relatively simple, fool proof plan; honestly.

But before Danny could let even one icicle form on the tips of his fingers, Dan was there, the frost solidifying his leather glove as he closed his hand about the halfa's wrist. The material shattered as he tightened his hold, revealing Dan's sickly colored skin. He twisted quickly, bringing Danny over his shoulder, airborne, and threw him into the pavement, the cement cracking and splintering as the young man was plowed into it.

Danny spit up ectoplasm, the green goo sprinkling his lips as he reached up with the other hand, grabbing Dan's arm and dragged him down, bringing his knee into his stomach. "You're not going to win this time, or anytime Dan!" He wheezed, grabbing the beanie with his free hand and ripped the hat off of his head, wild white hair bursting free as Dan growled, half from being kneed, half from Danny shoving the hat into his face, forcing him to let the halfa go to fight back.

"I hate to tell you this." The ghost snarled, his fist radiating with painful energy as he brought it about into his younger self's chest, the hazmat crackling under the heat, and the impact splintered one of his ribs. "But I still exist. That means I already have!"

It was at times like this that he was glad he didn't 'feel' as intensely as others did, because the agony that he felt nearly blacked him out, and he gave a long moan of pain as he fell intangible and dropped into the ground, before exploding into the sky a few feet away from the man, half-hoping that he would follow and leave Sam in peace.

Dan Phantom tore off his jacket, revealing a white sleeveless shirt with straps up the side, metal clinking against each other as he threw the jacket into Sam's arms, a small, psychotic, but amused, grin on his face. She flinched, looking up at him in horror and confusion.

"Wear it. We wouldn't want you to catch a cold now would we?" He brushed his hair from his face, as if ignorant of her current bloodied state, and took to the air after the young man, firing blast after blast in his general vicinity, none quite close enough to hit. He was playing with him, drawing him to where he wished him to be.

And Danny knew it.

The 18 year old cursed violently under his breath, pushing himself to move faster, to be like the wind itself, rushing along without restrictions. But he was still half human, his molecules wouldn't spread that far, move that quick, and he was beginning to tire from the race towards space, Amity park dissipating from view as they disappeared into the cloud banks, firing blasts at each other, some green, others blue, forcing the clouds to empty their contents as hot rain or frozen snow.

"ACK!" Danny yelped, eyes widening as a large fist closed around his tail, whipping him around and tossing him into a cloud bank with enough speed that he began to hurtle back to earth, but thankfully his grades had risen since freshman year, and he was wise enough to go intangible as he fell, to stop from burning up his semi solid body. He closed his eyes tight, trying to slow himself down, but the moment his green eyes fell shut, Dan grabbed him, forcing him to become tangible again, just in time to get the ghost's sharpened claws deep within his gut, twisting sharply.

"Go ahead and Scream Daniel, it wont matter. No one can help you." Dan chuckled, digging his nails deeper into the younger man's stomach, enjoying the feel of ectoplasm bubbling up about his fingers. "No one could ever help you. Even from turning into me."

"I'm not YOU!" Danny howled, placing a hand on Dan's face, using his palm to push on his nose, trying to break it and crush the bone into the ghosts brain, if that would work. The man grunted, obviously in pain from his younger self's actions, and was forced to let him go, but not before he charged energy in the hand that was buried inside the halfa's insides, and let it slam into the damaged flesh at point blank, releasing him and pulling back just in to avoid Danny's painful re-acquaintance with the earth.

When Danny hit the ground it took him a few moments before regaining consciousness.

And when he did, he half-wished he had died rather then survive the fall, the pain was so blinding.

"Daniel Daniel Daniel." Dan chuckled, the asphalt where they had landed bubbling and steaming where his thick steel toed boots touched the ground. "What you don't seem to realize is that I'm still your future." He murmured, placing one of those steaming hot boots upon the younger man's chest, listening with grim satisfaction when Danny howled in agony as the liquid asphalt burnt into his skin. "You cannot fight me because I remember all of this from your point of view. The future is not set in stone Daniel, every tiny choice effects the future, there are a million different paths, a million different futures that could be. And I remember every detail from every way that you become me, in those million different paths, every possible way you could try to escape your fate." He ground his heel the other direction, listening for the satisfying cracks and pops of bone. "And you never do."

Danny grabbed at his ankle, wheezing as he went intangible and drew his foot into the asphalt, leaving it there in an attempt to hamper his movement. "I don't believe you." He growled, his vision swimming as he tried to pull himself back together and become tangible once more. "You're a lying sack of--"

"Temper Temper." Dan craned his neck around, looking up at the halfa with a simple grin, melting into a mist that formed behind him, one hand closing about Danny's throat as he whipped him around with enough force that the poor 18 year old was sure that his neck was broken. "You really should learn to control that."

"You sound just like Vlad." Danny spit out, one green eye closed in pain as the grip about his throat tightened, and he clawed at the arm holding him as he tried to break free, a band of sputtering, sparking energy forming at his middle as his mind clouded.

"I am nothing like him." Dan hissed, red eyes glowing with anger as he crushed his captive into the closest tree, "Plasmius was powerful. Vlad was a manipulative pathetic weakling, completely worthless, not a threat in the least. That was the only reason I let him live."

"You..." The halfa wheezed, forcing his eyes to keep focused as he kicked his legs, unable to go intangible again, the band wobbling at his waist before dissipating. "Were jealous of me then..." He growled, reaching out with one of his hands to press it to the ghost's face, molten green dripping off his fingers as he charged up the little energy he had left in his body, firing it point blank into Dan's handsome face.

The terrible mix of Phantom and Plasmius howled in pain, dropping his younger counterpart to the ground, who gave a wheezing laugh, ectoplasm bubbling at his lips and oozing from his chest and stomach as he stood, using the damaged tree as a crutch. "When you killed me in your future. You were jealous, threatened." His voice was confidant, despite the pain that laced every movement, threatening to dump him into the black abyss that was unconsciousness.

"Threatened?" Dan asked in half shock, burns marring his skin, dripping green into his scorched eyes. "Of that disgusting meat-sack that I was once connected to?" He laughed, but it didn't seem quite as self-confidant as before. "What the hell could any pathetic human do to me--"

There was a solid CRACK as ecto-charged wood collided solidly with the side of his head, splintering as the ghost flew into the asphalt, and collided with a parked car. Danny looked up in shock, his green eyes widening at the sight of a wobbling, panting Sam standing there defiantly, the remains of the Fenton anti-creep stick in her hands and Dan's jacket zipped up around her; looking pale and beaten, like she had already died.

At that time though, Danny didn't think she could have gotten any more beautiful.

"Score one for Team Phantom." She heaved out, dropping the handle of the destroyed anti-creep stick, before quickly hobbling towards her best friend. Danny let go of the tree, meeting her half way as he gathered her carefully up in his arms, pressing a thankful kiss to her temple without really thinking about it.

"Sam..."

"You little bitch..." Came a murderous snarl, the ghost dragging himself out of the wreckage that was the parked car he had collided with. He stood up on slightly unsteady feet, breathing hard as ectoplasm oozed from a large welt on the side of his head, his white shirt and pants cut and ripped. His entire form burned with anger, power licking at his arms as they began to glow with thick green miasma. "I should have killed you along time ago."

"If you lay one finger on her..." Danny snarled, feeling oddly energized with Sam's arms wrapped about his waist, anger chewing at his gut at the damage his future self had already done to her petite form. Honestly he was amazed that she could have even lifted the anti-creep stick in the condition she was in. Or that she could have caught Dan off guard like that at all when he had read every one of his moves before he had even made them.

And then the reason seemed to hit him like a truck load of bricks, or Dan's fist, either analogy worked fine.

He carefully placed the goth girl behind him, eyes narrowed confidently at the creature before him, one hand placed over where he had been gouged. "You didn't even see that coming did you?"

"What does it matter, neither of you will be in one piece long enough to remember anything at all." Dan snarled, green snaking out towards them, dripping ecto-energy that burnt holes into the ground where drops fell. Danny dragged the two of them out of the way just in time, coughing in agony as they forced their bruised and bloodied bodies into motion.

"Danny!" Sam yelped, dragging him down into the ground, just barely missing the second blast that crisped both of their hair. The halfa grunted as he fell on top of her, trying to brace their fall with one hand, gripping her to him as they sank into the ground.

Dan growled, looking around for the two of them, muscles tensed and sore, before suddenly he felt his legs tingling with frost, pain jolting up his bones as he realized that he was frozen to the earth he stood on, ice coating his feet up to his knees.

Danny slid out of the earth a few feet in front of him, setting Sam down with such precious care that it turned the ghost's stomach. But what was the most unsettling was the look in the halfa's eyes, the confidant look of someone who had just realized the truth, and Dan didn't like it.

"You didn't see that either did you?" Danny said quietly, half holding up the goth girl, half using her as support for his own battle weary body. "I thought you remembered everything I did, from every path that lead to your creation." He lifted his hand again, eyes turning an icy blue as the ice around Dan's legs began to creep upwards, ignorant of his howls of anger and pain as he tried to blast himself free. But the ice just kept creeping up, filling back in as the melted water solidified at the base of his feet in a thick frost. "That makes me think, Dan, if what you said was true, and yet you didn't remember either of these events ever happening..." He grinned wryly, the drying ectoplasm flaking on his lips. "Then you do only see the paths that lead to you, and not the millions of others that don't." Sam let him go quietly as he limped closer to the tall man, watching with a turning stomach as the ice made its way up Dan's chest, despite the creatures frantic attempts to break the creeping frost.

"You have no idea what you're rambling about." Dan snarled, red eyes narrowing in utter loathing at the battered youth, "I am your future, you cant escape it."

"No... You are just a chance..." Danny murmured, flinching a little as the ice formed around one of Dan's hands, inching up his arm to meet with the rest of the frozen mass, tightening about his throat now. "One chance out of many, and in a few more years, becoming you wont even be an option."

Dan went to reply, a heated, snarling sound ripping from his throat before the ice coated over his mouth and nose, freezing his firey hair mid flame, and inched its way over his other arm. For a few moments the ghost's fingers and arm flailed around pathetically, reminding Sam of a drowning victim, and she had to look away as the ice finally solidified over his sluggishly moving fingers, leaving a rugged sculpture in the middle of the park's parking lot.

There was a few long moments of silence as Danny stood there, heaving for breath as he stared at the still form that was his future self.

"Danny...?" Sam asked quietly, collapsing to her rear in exhaustion as he glanced back at her with burning green eyes, determined and steady as his arm charged up with thick green miasma, and he whirled back around, driving his fist into the ice, sending it shattering into a million shards, and then let loose a massive blast of ecto-energy, vaporizing the shards completely, steam rising into the sky.

His shoulders slumped as he turned sluggishly, those familiar bands forming about his middle, parting and leaving a very tired Danny Fenton in front of her. He limped back to where she sat on the edge of the sidewalk, and collapsed down beside her, welcoming her warmth as she slowly twined her arms about his middle, tight to the point of pain, but he reveled in it, wrapping his arms about her as well. They sat there for a few long moments, the sounds of sirens echoing in the dark, hopefully at least one from that of an ambulance. They were both just so hurt...

"What now...?" Sam asked quietly, shivering as her mind floated in and out of a daze. Dan was gone, forever now. Ghosts honestly couldn't die, but they could be destroyed, though she had never seen it happen so thoroughly before..

"I don't know..." Danny replied exhaustedly, eyes lifting to the moon, which spilled its light over the two of them as the clouds parted, as if letting the mist that had been Dan Phantom pass into oblivion. Sam's cellphone rang, most likely it was Tucker, telling her that he had sent help like she had asked, but neither of them moved to pick it up.

In the end, they would just have to wait and see.

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I hope you all enjoyed this, I had fun writing it. :D