Vlad called Valerie from a communication device on his wrist, asking where they were as he ran through the rain. He was definitely pushing himself to his limit as he went, with his side beginning to burn up again like the wounds had a vengeance. The girl answered the call, sending him the coordinates but warning him Phantom had fallen asleep, so it would possibly be in their best interest to leave him alone for now. But something was different about Vlad as he didn't respond and just hung up. After a few minutes, he arrived at what remained of The Nasty Burger. The two met in the parking lot and watched the ghost teen sleep in the downpour like it didn't affect them. It seemed cold and rather miserable, yet oddly more at peace than before. Maybe if Vlad could just talk to him... maybe he'd agree to-.. well... Probably not. But it's worth a shot to some extent?

"Valerie my dear- would you please fly over to Fenton Works and see if there's another ghost trap? Jack and Maddie usually keep one under the kitchen sink."
"But... but Danny broke out last time. Won't he just do that again with this one?"

Vlad stared intently at the phantom. "Most likely, but this time is going to be different." He slowly reached to rub the holstered ray gun on his belt. "Now go on. I've got this."

Valerie nodded, assuming Vlad had a plan, and flew away on her hover board. The man cursed under his breath as he approached the dormant spirit. This was probably an absolutely horrible idea. He finally stopped himself a good six feet away from the boy and knelt down. "Daniel-?" His voice was cautious yet determined.

Phantom immediately shifted, its eyes snapping open at the realization someone was nearby. For a moment, it just sort of froze there, so Vlad called out again. Instinctively, it whipped around and hissed, getting into a defensive position like a scared alley cat.

"Daniel, it's alright. Stay calm. It's just me..."

The world was silent except for the sound of the rain, the air was thick and tense, and Phantom's snarl slowly melted into something more unique; a mix of shock, anger, and denial. "Y- you..." it started quietly. "You're alive? I thought I..." Its breath caught, so it just stared.

"And I know you didn't mean it. My boy, I know you're hurting, and I feel for you. I really do." The man held out his hand. "How about we get you fixed up, hm? We'll unfuse you and everything can go back to..." Vlad trailed off in unease as Phantom's expression began to shift again. This time it was just unimpressed and annoyed. Before he had a chance to react, Phantom blasted him back.

"You should know by now that your lies don't work on me fruitloop. Do you seriously think I'm that stupid that I don't see what you're doing?" The boy smiled a twisted smile upon seeing Vlad's mask crack. It floated up into the air menacingly with a slight chuckle. "That's right- I know your little plot! You waited for the exact moment you knew Jack and Maddie were in the ground and then called up the Guys in White to come raid their lab for a profit. Or maybe you just wanted my birth certificate they kept locked down there since you couldn't really adopt Danny without it. But whatever the case, of course, as the 'EXPERT' or so you claimed to be, you'd take the 'most dangerous' stuff to be held 'safely' in your lab. That of course being the ghost portal I'm assuming. But when all of this went down, you completely forgot about the original appointment and focused on something else- and no. It's not helping me. It was NEVER about helping me. You just wanted me captured so you could figure out some way to extract your ghost half and get your powers back. Of course, you would also know that process would most likely kill me now that my mortal body is dead. But I suppose anything goes as long as you get your way, huh?"

Vlad was frozen in place. Danny... was right. That really HAD been his plan more or less. Granted, regarding him dying upon being separated, that was the other use for the clone. The phantom would just use it as a new body. All would be good, just as it tends to work out most of the time. Vlad sighed, hanging his head. "Look, Daniel, I admit you've gotten the story rather accurately, but I swear it's not what it looks like. This isn't you! You're not a destructive, evil force! You're a good kid, Daniel. You just need to-."

Phantom growled. "No. I'm not listening to you!!! You don't know me! Stop pretending like you do!" A look at agony washed over the boy as a dark energy swirled around it. "I AM A DESTRUCTIVE FORCE! AND I'M ABOUT TO PROVE IT!" Phantom rocketed into the sky, cracking in maniacal laughter as it faced the storm like it was asking for the tempests to be proud. "KNEEL!" The specter launched a massive beam downwards, completely obliterating the center of the fast-food joint. A smoldering crater was left in the destructive wake, and Phantom chuckled at the thought of Vlad having been vaporized in the assault. However, to its annoyance, Vlad was unharmed, having been snatched at the last second by Valerie. The man was lowered down gently as he gratefully thanked the girl. "No problem." She said. "But slight issue- there was no spare ghost trap. So what now?"

The man watched as the ghost teen flew over to a nearby building and blasted it. "I... I..." He looked down at his hands in a longing panic. He wanted nothing more than to see them morph into his gloved claws, but he knew that was far from possible at the moment. He had no ghost form. He was practically useless... but not completely. Vlad pulled out his gun and took aim. With the pull of the trigger, it shot a bolt of ectoplasmic energy toward the boy, ripping through their chest. Phantom screamed out and its flight faltered, but miraculously, the smoking wound filled itself in like quick patchwork. It didn't damage the spirit, it just pissed it off. Vlad felt his heart drop as it turned its attention back to him menacingly. The ghost charged, swooping down like a hawk after a rabbit. Vlad was flung back, his ghost ray clattering to the ground. Phantom immediately blasted it; turning the weapon to dust. Taking action, Vlad jumped onto Valerie's hover board and the two shot off. Granted, the craft wasn't exactly built to hold two people desperately trying to balance atop of it, so it swerved as it became increasingly harder to control. The ghost followed closely behind, blasting at the moving target, as it barely dodged.

Further away, in the football field behind the high-school, Danny sat in the parked jet. He folded his arms in silent protest, watching the raindrops on the window. He raced them in his mind. Whatever drop got to the bottom of the windshield first, won. The contestants were now playing in round 89... He'd been.. doing this for a while. To say he was bored was an understatement; the clone had no idea why, but he had a desperate need to go after Vlad. They felt like they needed to help. But this brain fog ended abruptly the moment he saw movement around to the back of the school. It was three teenagers assumed to be enrolled in the school. It was after 4 on a Friday though, so there was no obligation for them to be there. Though, now that he thought about it, they were probably just hanging out under the overhang to avoid the rain after school. The group looked familiar to Danny, but not in a fully positive way. He had no memory of them, like everything else, but two of them in particular made specific emotions flare up. The boy with the blond hair and big muscles sent a little shiver down his spine and a phantom pain rung in his shoulder like he'd been punched. But all those feelings disappeared when he laid eyes on the girl. Her beautiful teal eyes and dark hair shimmered through the rain as she talked to her friend, a blonde girl with a white '9' t-shirt. Danny felt his heart flutter when she giggled at her friends joke. She was beautiful... just then, an explosion rang out from down the street and a familiar two figures rushed by the road. Time slowed down to a snails pace as Danny eyed the phantom that was chasing them. It looks like him... but different. More twisted. That must have been the original Danny. The group of students also witnessed this, but had a horribly stupid response. Run TOWARDS the murderous ghost attacking Amity Park. Danny pressed his face and hands against the windshield. "Oh no, no, no! Where are they going?! They're gonna get themselves killed!" Alright- now he KNEW he'd have to break Vlad's rule. Grabbing a ghost fighting ray gun, the clone ran out of the jet and after the chaos. Ghost form or not- he was going to save his father. Time to do what he was made for!

In the Ghost Zone, a certain somebody found himself in a quite a bit of trouble.

"You did WHAT!?!!" Ember exploded; her flaming blue hair flaring up like a geyser.

Technus flinched at the sudden burst of heat, while trying desperately to explain that he'd only gone after Phantom to test its strength. "It was research! I can't figure out how to protect the Ghost Zone if I don't know what exactly we're up against!" He argued.

The rockstars' glare seemed to burn hotter than her hair. "We already knew what we were up against! That was the whole point of us agreeing not to leave this place and make it worse!"

Technus scoffed. "Honestly, it already had gotten worse when I got there. The child had killed two guys right before I showed up."

Embers fury melted into a mortified disbelief. Danny... KILLED someone? No. TWO people?! Skulker folded his arms and turned away, muttering something about Pariah. Ember shot him a look, as if silently asking him what his thoughts were, but he didn't respond. "Alright, we need a plan then. Technus, you said you had an idea earlier. What was that exactly?"

The scientist floated back a few feet. "A ghost shield. Like the one the humans possess. The only downside is that yes, it would keep the young boy out, but it would also lock everyone under the sphere in. I was secretly running a diagnostic on the labs technology while I was down there. I think I should be able to replicate it."

Ember nodded. The look she gave told him to hurry up if he was so confident, so he did- flying back to his door to get supplies from his lab. Hopefully the humans were having better luck and that it didn't even have to come to their plan.

Meanwhile, the high speed chase between Vlad, Valerie, and Phantom was becoming increasingly more difficult to maintain. The hovercraft was losing control and sputtering like it was running low on batteries, which was quite possible considering how much she'd used it. But now was NOT the time!!! Finally, its tip crashed against the lip of a sidewalk, and the two riders got flung off. Interestingly enough, that sudden change in location prevented them from being blasted, because one just BARELY managed to miss them. Vlad coughed as he got to his knees and held his side. The spirit chuckled at their seemingly easy defeat. "Well now, it's been fun, but I think we're done here." Phantom held up its hand while a ball of ectoplasmic energy charged around it. But just as it was about to fire, it was suddenly interrupted.

"GHOST BOY!" A voice called.
Paulina happily ran over and waved to the phantom from the ground. Behind her by several feet, Star, Dash, and Kwan ran around the street corner. Dash rolled his eyes, clearly over this whole thing already. "Seriously man, we tried to stop her, but..."

Phantom eyed the jock suspiciously, then shifted its attention to Paulina as she began talking about possibly meeting up at some point. Valerie caught the ghosts annoyed stare and called out for Paulina to run, but she was completely ignored. If anything, the girl assumed Valerie was simply just jealous of her talking to the ghost boy, so she acted like nobody was there. But there was. A person that was growing very concerned for their well-being. Slowly, the spirit floated down, eyes locked onto the teen girl. Valerie tilted her head. "I don't get it- why isn't Danny attacking her?"
"Because my dear," Vlad sighed, "corrupted or not, the weakness of most teenage boys in the presence of a young woman."

Paulina giggled. "You know, I love the hair. How'd you make it do that fire thing?" Then suddenly, Phantom's slightly irritated, confused expression snapped back to savage rage. It tackled the young girl to the ground and held her down, snarling. "Oh, wow ghost boy.... this is moving a little fast, don't you think?"

Phantom grabbed her by her shirt collar, flung her up, and blasted her back into the group of other kids. She was clearly hurt, groggy from the blow. Dash practically caught her, looking mortified at the supposed hero who now resembled a feral monster. Valerie rushed into action, shooting at the spirit with her ray gun. Phantom dodged and retaliated, going intangible to avoid the projectiles and sneaking up behind her with invisibility. "Boo." With a flick of his wrist, he sent a pulse of energy that sent Valerie tumbling forward. Vlad stood hidden away in the shadows of an alley, watching the chaos unfold. He was injured- a fresh cut marring his left arm, and his energy dangerously depleted- but desperation coursed through him like wildfire. He knew that if Phantom triumphed, not only would Amity Park fall, but so too would his last chance at reclaiming his ghostly abilities.

"You! Children!" Vlad called out, his voice weak but insistent. "You need to get out of here! It's too dangerous!"

The group of teens stood behind him, huddled together further in the alleyway; looking uncertain. Dash's eyes darted between the fight and Vlad. "Yeah..." his voice shook. "Don't have to tell me twice!" The boy darted away, leaving the others behind like dispensable pawns. The other kids watched in annoyance at the lack of loyalty. Kwan picked up the injured Paulina and turned to the man with a concerned expression.
Vlad caught the gaze and gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stay on his feet. "I'll hold him off as best as I can. You all need to escape! I'll be fine." The sound of Phantom's fight with Valerie echoed through the street. He needed to buy them time. "Go! Now!" he barked, his voice cracking with urgency. The teens scrambled, leaving Vlad to confront the storm. As Phantom and Valerie continued their deadly duel, the air crackled with tension. Valerie was relentless, firing shot after shot, but each blast was met with a whirlwind of darkness from Phantom, turning her attempts into futile flashes of light against the abyss.

"You're only delaying the inevitable, Valerie!" Phantom growled, its tone dripping with disdain. It lunged forward, aiming to finish her off when suddenly, Vlad, despite his injuries, stepped between them.

"Enough!" he roared, forcing himself to stand tall. The downpour intensified, but it could not extinguish the fire in Vlad's eyes. "This isn't you, Daniel!" he shouted, his voice raw with emotion. "You're better than this! You can fight it!"

Phantom halted, momentarily taken aback. For a fleeting moment, a flicker of recognition passed through its red eyes, but it was swiftly replaced by a wrathful glare. "Better? You don't get to lecture me, old man. You're weak. Look at you!"

Vlad winced, looking down at his hands. He longed for them to flicker with any trace of ethereal light- for him to grow claws and for his mouth to sprout fangs- to feel the unworldly sensation of his body becoming weightless as it lifts off the ground. But it wasn't going to happen. His ghost powers, in some bizarre way, was the very thing that was mocking him for not having them anymore. The reality shook him to the core, but the man stood firm and glared right back. "And you're nothing but a coward hiding behind rage! Remember the times you fought for this town? You were a hero!"

Phantom's laughter echoed menacingly, drowning out the rain. A hero? No, this town only ever saw Phantom a menace. If anything, by doing what it's doing now, they're proving them right. And the further its mind broke, the better it felt. With a wave of his hand, he summoned tendrils of darkness to ensnare Vlad, tightening the grip around his throat. Valerie seized the moment. "Get away from him!" she yelled, redirecting her blasters towards Phantom, but her shot met only air as Phantom deflected it effortlessly. She charged at Phantom, pushing him against the alley wall, the impact resonating like thunder. The rain mixed with their sweat as she pressed forward, her weapon poised, yet a sense of hesitation crossed her eyes. But just as victory seemed within grasp, Phantom roared with rage, its eyes blazing with fury; going intangible through her to escape.
"You think you can defeat me? You know nothing of my power!"

Suddenly, the shadows deepened, swirling around him as he summoned the storm's fury, sending a shockwave that sent Valerie crashing backward. Phantom stood over her, the embodiment of wrath and cruelty, ready to end it all. Vlad struggled to rise, the pain radiating through him, but the fire of determination burned hotter. "No! Daniel, don't-!" he cried, desperation and anger intertwining.

A flicker of hesitation crossed the boy's face, but even in this, Vlad saw little to no trace of Danny lingering within the monster. Chaotically, the darkness surged, eclipsing the light. Phantom growled, ready to strike down both of them when a sudden blinding light shot by, blasting Phantom in the shoulder. The specter hovered, unmoving like it was processing the sudden shock. Red smoke puffed from its nostrils as its ghost sense went off, and it stiffened up. That feeling... no. The boy turned around slowly to face the attacker. "Impossible." It snarled.

The clone Danny stood tall, aiming his smoking ghost ray gun courageously. His eyes held a fire that Phantom thought it would never see again. A fire of determination- a desperate desire to protect. Danny glared daggers into the boy, ready to pull the trigger at any given moment. The spirit growled. "You.. you're supposed to be dead! I don't understand- I killed you! I practically ripped the lungs from your chest! I WATCHED the light leave your eyes! There's no way you should be alive!" Then it clicked. The way he held himself, the way he wasn't even trying to go ghost, the minor inconsistencies in their face and body... this WASN'T Danny. Though for a split second, Phantom was almost enthused by the idea of getting to fight its human form again, the realization of what he truly was made it laugh. "Oh my God... you've gotta be kidding me." it chuckled as it slowly turned to Vlad. "I leave you alone for three seconds, and you make a CLONE? Seriously Fruitloop? Are you THAT desperate?.."

Danny shot the phantom again, and in a sickening collision, it's arm ripped off, falling to the ground. Phantom nonchalantly faced the carnage and sighed as it regenerated. Granted, it took longer to do then before. The ghost scowled. "Well now- that's just petty." It smirked as it charged up an energy ball and aimed it right at Danny...