Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Danny is beautiful.

Most people don’t understand that. Maybe it's because Danny is always in motion, moving to save, protect, fight, resist, challenge and set free. Most people see a hero, someone who is solid and strong and battle-tested: a leader, someone who won’t back down. Someone who always pushes forward.

But when Danny stops moving, he’s beautiful. Like soft summer rain. Like dew on rose petals in the cool, early morning. Like freshly fallen snow, sparkling and mystic.
Danny’s eyelashes are the longest Dash has ever seen, his mouth the softest he has ever kissed, his hands the kindest he has ever known, his smile is warm like the sun, and his skin is the sweetest he has ever tasted.

Danny is beautiful, and Dash makes sure Danny knows that he can stop moving, that he doesn’t always have to push forward, that he doesn’t have to fight every battle, that Dash will be there when he wants to stop so he can come home.

There are lots of nights when Danny stays out all night, fighting one ghost or another before throwing them back into the Zone, so Dash has made it a point to cherish the nights Danny is actually home. His boyfriend has worked himself to the bone and it often worries him. He couldn’t have Danny permanently die on him before they got married, after all.

It was late when Danny flew in. He was quiet, but Dash had always been a light sleeper. He rolled over slightly, still disoriented from sleep. A cold hand ran itself through his blonde hair, scratching in that spot right behind his ear that he loved, and his eyes closed, enjoying the sensation. Relishing in it, really. But then the hand left, if he was just a little more awake be would have whined.

“Go back to sleep, Dash,” Danny whispered. Dash hummed, loving the sound of his fiancé’s deep voice. There was some more shuffling, and finally the bed sunk a little, signaling that Danny had climbed into it. Dash sighed and rolled over, throwing an arm over Danny’s waist. He was cold, freezing really, but Dash was warm. Together they reached a thermodynamic equilibrium.

Danny scooted closer into Dash, finding that sweet-spot, and together they both drifted off to sleep.
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When Dash woke the spot next to him was empty, which was strange. Since Danny was such a night owl, he often slept as long as time would allow. He yawned and rolled over, swinging his legs over the bed and standing up, grabbing a hoodie as he went.

He zipped it up as he walked into the kitchen, a sweet smell hitting him like a ton of bricks. It smelled like bacon, eggs and happiness. He smiled as he looked over to Danny. His black hair was sticking up in every direction, refusing to be tamed. He was humming to an old song he couldn't quite place. Dash smiled to himself before walking up and hugging Danny from behind.

They had both grown over the years. Dash had emotionally matured, and Danny, well. Puberty hit Danny like a fucking train. He was only a few inches shorter than Dash now, with broad shoulders and a barrel chest. His skin was littered with scars, old and new alike. Dash loved to trace them, especially the lightning scar that ran over his whole body, the black markings cascading downward like stripes. When Dash discovered his secrets, it made sense as to why Danny was always in horrible condition when he went to school, covered in bruises that even his sleeves couldn’t hide. He still felt guilty for the bullying, but Danny had forgiven him for it. He even went as far as to attend a few counseling sessions, where he discovered the root of his own insecurities. He was gay. It was during their junior year of high school, and the more Dash thought about it, the more he thought Fenton looked… cute. After a few rough years they started dating, and now they were engaged. Dash felt like he was on top of the world.

“Hey, babe,” Danny said. “I made breakfast.”

Dash smiled into the crook of Danny’s neck, thinking how glad he was to have a boyfriend as special as him. He still couldn't believe it some days, wondering how he got so lucky.

“I noticed,” he replied. His smile grew when he felt Danny’s shoulders move as small chuckle escaped him. “How was patrol?”

“It was fine. Quiet, really, but most days it is. The only thing that happened wasn’t even ghost related.”

That was the one thing that always seemed to throw people for a loop. See, Danny was half ghost and he spent most of his time fighting other ghosts. But, sometimes it was just regular people, who could do just as much damage as the spirits. The town always seemed to forget that part.

“How far along are you with the bunny Ms. Melanie asked for?” Danny asked, shifting the conversation. Dash leaned up and walked over to lean against the counter and make eye contact with him as he folded the omelet over in the pan.

“I’m gonna go get more stuffing later today; I forgot I ran out during my last commission. But after that all I have to do is stitch it up and add the little button eyes.”

“Nice. Her son is gonna love it,” Danny said. He carefully maneuvered the omelet to a plate and handed it to Dash. He had finished his own before starting on Dash’s and had placed it in the microwave to keep it out of the way. He pulled it out and sat down at the counter, Dash walking over and eating in the space in front of him, not bothering to sit down. He looked at Danny’s blue crystalline eyes, and, despite the bags under them, he didn’t look particularly tired. Sure, he could use a nap— or five— but he didn’t have that world weary look he’s seen in the heroes on TV; like that billionaire in Malibu after he announced that he was Iron Man. The only reason Dash even caught it was because he still sees that look in his own eyes when he stands in front of the mirror.

“Don’t you have tryouts today?” Danny asked, a mouthful of omelet not hindering him at all.

“Yeah. I’m feeling good about the newbies this year, they’ve been doing great so far.”

After high school Dash really hadn’t didn’t see himself doing much. When he was a teenager all he ever wanted to do was leave Amity Park, or at least his parent’s house. And the only thing he thought he was legitimately good at was football and fitness, so when Ms. Tetslaf retired, he took over as the new gym teacher and football coach for Casper High. He always thought Danny had better luck. He was a great mechanic, but he guest spoke at universities every now and then. He thought his boyfriend's never ending knowledge about space was great, and while he didn’t necessarily understand it half the time, he could sit and listen to him talk about space for hours on end. Despite being grown adults, they still had glow in the dark star stickers on their bedroom ceiling.

“Is Kwan going to help with the tryouts this year?”

“Yeah, he finally managed to talk his boss into letting him off.”

“Tell him I said hi,” Danny smiled. Dash nodded, knowing the implications of his request. If he could come to the tryouts he would, but he would be busy with his "extra-curricular activities" with Sam and Tucker.

They sat in silence for the next few minutes, enjoying the peace of an early Thursday morning. When both of them were done, Dash took the plates and rinsed them in the sink before grabbing his fiancé’s hand and leading him to the shower.

They couldn’t be late for school, after all.

Chapter Text

The next day Dash was beaming when he unlocked the door to his and Danny’s apartment, only for his smile to fall when he saw Danny as Phantom looking for the thermos under the couch.

“Hey, babe,” Danny greeted, taking his intangible head out of the cushions.

“You’re going on patrol again?” Dash asked, kind of disappointed. He was hoping they could watch a movie or go out tonight.

“To the Zone actually,” Danny said, before looking behind the couch now. He sounded disappointed, and Dash knew he meant it. And he also knew Danny had responsibilities to not just Amity but to a whole other universe as well. Danny brought his arm back, thermos in hand. He stood up and hooked it to his hip before sadly looking Dash in the eye.

Dash was glad Danny had gotten rid of the old HAZMAT suit. Now, it was a bit more high tech. Something he and Tucker had collaborated on, with something that kept the cold in so other people could touch him in ghost form. It was still a black skin tight suit, but his logo was bright green with a white trim. It wasn’t really all that much different other than it being more high tech and pleasing to the eye. Danny walked over and gave Dash a quick goodbye kiss, smiling sadly as he opened a portal.

“Don’ wait up for me, babe,” he said. Then he flew inside and disappeared.

Man, dating a superhero was hard.

Danny, despite hating the fact that he was probably not gonna have killer sex later that night, was happy to be in the Zone. It was so familiar, and had become his home away from home whenever earth got to be just a little too much. The energy helped him balance out his emotions and took away his worries and weariness. Danny loved being in the Zone.

However, something about it was different now. It looked the same, sue, but there was something…Darker. The energy wasn't as neutral or fulfilling, and it set Danny on edge. His blazing green eyes searched, as if here was going to be some sort of physical that would tell him what the hell was happening.

He flew deeper into the Zone, not liking the feeling that overcame him. It was a sense of anger, and a sense of fear. He saw a few hosts-new ones, he’s pretty sure-flying towards him, terrified.

One of the newer ghosts is Arachne, whose obsessions was-get this-spiders. The first time she met his friends, Sam was star-struck. Danny had been too busy laughing at Tucker though to really pay attention to that conversation. She had grey skin and four, gleaming red eyes, and she had four giant, hairy spider legs protruding from her back. When she frowned her fangs stuck out a little bit.
The other one he recognized, but he hadn’t actually met him. He had short white hair and green skin. He was dressed in a suit all the time, and spoke as if he was in the early twentieth century, which wouldn’t really be out of the question. He passed his lair once, and instead of a door like almost everyone else’s it was a giant gear.

“You! Old kid!” The man said, waving a wrench around. “What’s going on?”

“That’s what I’m here to find out. Who are you, anyway? I haven’t seen you around.”

“Name’s Howard, kid. You’re that halfa, right?” Danny nodded, and Howard beamed, clapping him on the shoulder and jostling it. Danny nodded, trying to politely shrug off the callused hand.

“Yeah, names Phantom. What’s going on?” he asked.

“We don’t really know,” it was Arachne that answered this time. “But the older ghosts are getting scared, saying to run to the living. It’s not some prank, either. My spiders are getting scared, I can feel their fear.”

A part of Danny wanted to learn about her powers, but the responsible part just nodded, taking this information into consideration.

“I’ll see what I can do. Just try to avoid the living while I sort this out, I’m already busy enough as it is.” Danny didn’t bother waiting for a reply as he flew past them, towards where they were running from. He flew for what seemed like hours, and the only thing he had found was a terrified Cujo that was following him around. He frowned at the lack of evidence before him before finally sighing and giving in to the exhaustion that he felt. Besides, Dash was probably getting worried.

Without a second thought he held out his hand and opened a portal that blends in with the sky and flew threw it.

He was glad to find that it wasn’t too late for something like this. It was only 11:45. Dash would be happy to know he got home before midnight for once, instead of coming home at two in the morning like be found himself doing most nights.
As soon as he turned back to Fenton, the exhaustion hit him like a ton of bricks. His body was tired from the strain, and his core hurt from the effort of being Phantom for so long. His muscles were gonna be sore tomorrow, but right now he needed to take something that would help his growing headache.

He wasted no time striding towards the kitchen, a happy little Cujo at his heels. He opened the medicine cabinet and pulled out the special pills Tucker had modified for him and downed two. Regular medicine didn’t work, so he was always thankful he had someone like Tucker to watch his back when he got a migraine.

He sighed and capped the bottle before putting it back in its place, but before he could turn around he felt strong, warm arms wrap around his chest. Danny leaned into the touch, taking in the scent of the blonde he had fallen for. He closed his eyes to enjoy the moment properly.

They stayed like that for a little while, Danny leaning into Dash and Dash swaying slightly with the song stuck in his head. At some point or another Dash straightened up, and rather than take his hands off of Danny he moved them, turning Danny around in one swift motion, placing his hands on his hips and his head on Danny’s shoulder. Danny’s hands snaked around Dash’s neck and hurried his face in that spot there Dash’s collarbone and shoulder met, easily swaying with Dash. He needed this. He needed to feel some relief from the stressful nights that were about to come. He needed something to look forward to when everything was said and done. He needed Dash.

“You’re stressed,” Dash mumbled, squeezing his hips a little.

“How do you know?” Danny asked. He could fall asleep right then and there if he really wanted to. Dash chuckled, sending vibrations throughout his whole body that made Danny smile.

“You brought Cujo home with you,” he simply stated. Right. The dog. The green, cockblocking dog. Danny sighed and pulled away far enough to look Dash in the eyes as they kept swaying back and forth.

“Something’s wrong, Dash, and I don’t know what,” Danny said. His voice held a sort of vulnerability that only Dash was able to experience. Danny let all the fear and stress out on his voice, and Dash pulled him back in, this time resting his chum on Danny’s head. “I don't know what to do. “ Danny's voice was barely above a whisper this time. Dash rubbed soothing circles on Danny's back, and the smaller man sunk into him.

“We can figure it out tomorrow, babe,” he said. “We can sleep on it, make a plan later. It’s out of our hands right now. “

Danny sighed, not liking the answer but knowing Dash was right. He nodded and let go, giving Dash a small smile before they both headed to the bedroom, eager for the warm blankets and Cujo at the end of the bed. It didn't take long for then to get comfortable, quickly falling asleep with their legs tangled together.

Danny didn’t dream that night.

Chapter Text

“Maybe we can get that Iron Man dude to help us,” Dash said through a mouthful if cereal. Danny hummed, lost in thought. He had told Dash about everything he had experienced the night before. How the Zone no longer felt right, how there seemed to be a blanket of darkness slowly making its way across the dimension. How Cujo had been scared shirtless, and bow even Arachne, of all ghosts, was running. It was quite vexing, not knowing the cause of this. Danny was already mentally preparing himself for the sleepless nights ahead. Just once he would like to not have the weight of the world’s problems-both living and dead-not breaking his back every other day. Why couldn’t thing just be easy for once? The stars on perfect alignment and all that? Why was that too much to ask?

“…Danny, babe,” Dash said, waving his hand on front of his face. He gave Danny a sincere look. “Hey, relax. Everything will be fine, they always are. We’ll bet through this, just like we got through Voldemort and Mr. Nightmare.”

That was the thing about Dash. He always knew what to say. And he always made it known that they were a team, not once ever saying Danny was on his own, but that the both of them together were on their own. And he couldn’t help but appreciate that. He appreciated it almost as much as the nicknames he had come up with for Dan and Nocturne. It never failed to make Danny’s lips twitch up ever so slightly.

“I know, but… Words can’t describe it, Dash.” Danny’s voice was soft and tired as he spoke, despite having a full night’s sleep. “My description of it doesn’t even cut it. It’s like a million times worse.” And it was. It was like a bad sort of cold had coiled itself around Danny’s core and squeezed, making his chest feel tight with fear. Like he wanted to scream and cry but couldn’t, because really there was no reason to.
Nothing bad had happened yet. But the frustration of it all made him want to rip his hair out. If that happened it wouldn’t be so bad. Dash could just knit him a beanie or a yarn wig or something. Maybe he would grow this sweet wizard beard to compensate for the baldness. Anything was possible.

“Do you want me to call Dani?” Dash asked.

Dani, who had been traveling all across the world for year now, helping anyone she could. Dani who inherently had a vast knowledge of the stars and was still stuck in that metal head phase that Danny and the others had long grown out of. Dani, who was like a younger sister to him.

“No,” Danny finally responded. He got up and put his empty bowl on the sink before sitting back down again. “I don’t want her in this. She could get hurt.”

Dash wanted to point out that he was in this too, and he could get hurt, but thought against it. After all, he really wasn’t doing any of the heavy lifting due to a lack of superpowers. But Dani had them, and she knew how to use them. So instead, Dash just said, “Alright.” And then he gave Danny a wry smile. “I still think we should call Iron Man though. Oh! Or, maybe go back in time and get your other super hot blonde boyfriend to kick some ass!”

Danny couldn’t stop the blush rising to his cheeks at the thought of Captain America being his boyfriend. Yeah, he as really into comic books growing up, and yeah, Dash could kind of pass for Captain America, but really there was no connection. Not on that Danny was willing to acknowledge anyway.

“Oh whatever,” Danny mumbled, trying to hide his face. Dash laughed behind him, and it was the best music Danny had ever heard. It was the kind of laugh that came from his stomach, all hearty and warm. It made Danny grin unknowingly.

“God, you’re such a dork,” Danny said, giving him a light shove from over the counter. Dash’s laugh died down, and when he was done a smirk was left as be stared down at Danny.

“Whatever. You know you love it.”

“That’s debatable,” Danny warned, unable to make his smile disappear as he feigned seriousness.

“Come here, brat.” Dash grinned as be pulled Danny into a headlock before giving him a noogie, laughing with Danny as he turned intangible to get out of it. “Awe,” Dash whined. “No fair. Cheater.”

“I try to work smarter, not harder.”

“Yeah, whatever.”

Danny just rolled his eyes and sat back down. Dash casually traced the lightning scars on his arms, his touch a whisper against the black criss-crossing lines.

“God, I love you,” he said, almost breathless. Danny smiled and leaned forward, giving him a peck on the corner of his mouth.

“I love you too.”

--------------------

“So,” Tucker said, a burger with one hand and a phone in the other. Danny briefly wondered how he was able to multitask like that. And then he remembered who he was talking to. “What’s new, dude? You sent me a pretty cryptic text.”

“I’m low key freaking out,” Danny said through a mouthful of fries. Those five simple words made Tucker look up from his technology, his eyebrow raised. It was a silent request for more details. Danny sighed, and took a sip of his soda before continuing.

“I already told Dash about all of this, but the Ghost Zone,” he dropped his voice just in case. Over the years he learned that not everybody minded their own business, and talking about the Zone had caused some unwanted attention when he was younger. “The Ghost Zone isn’t normal.”

“Dude, it’s a parallel dimension to ours that houses ghosts made from both dead people and ectoplasmic buildup. Nothing about the Zone had ever been normal,” Tucker replied calmly, obviously not understanding the severity of the situation. Then again, Danny had done a piss-poor job of starting out this story. Danny had to resist the urge to kick Tucker under the table.

“You know what I mean, asshole,” Danny said. It made the edges of Tucker’s lips turn up in a wry sort of smirk.

“Yeah, I know. Continue.”

“Something bad is coming. Something big. I have no idea what it is though. There hasn’t really been like, this physical evidence of it.”

‘Then how do you know something is wrong? Believe it when you see it, right?”

“Not this time, Tuck. It’s… Suffocating. Like there’s a blanket blocking out all the light. When I went there last night ghosts were running away. There was this overwhelming sense of… Coldness and fear. It was indescribable. Hell, even Cujo is scared. He’s actually at home with Dash now, staying as far away from the Zone as he can.”

“Wow,” Tucker breathed, taking a drink. “That’s some heavy stuff, dude. Do you have any idea on what it is?”

“No,” Danny shook his head. He looked at his food for a moment before pushing it away. Just thinking about his little situation was making his stomach turn in knots, and the thought of eating any more of that Nasty Burger made him queasy. Tucker gladly took it, however.

“Is it Nocturne? Or maybe that goddess chick who has that army? She’s pretty creepy. Major bad vibes coming from her.”

“Something tells me it’s not her. It’s something bigger. I don’t know how to describe it.”

“I find that hilarious considering you got some pretty high grades in Lancer’s senior year.”

“That’s different. But seriously, how do I beat something I’ve never even heard of before?”

“I don’t know man. But I can help you figure it out, bet some reading on the Zone’s energy and whatnot, no problem.”

“Thanks, Tuck. I appreciate it.”

“Yeah, I know. No worries dude.”

They sat and talked for a bit more, this time about Tucker’s new girlfriend who was actually into video games. They joked about how Sam would drink them all under the table if it weren’t for Danny’s inhuman metabolism. They sat and caught up, until finally they had to part ways. Danny started walking down the sidewalk Tucker going the opposite direction, but then stopped and turned around.

“Hey, Danny, he called out. Danny turned around, eyebrow raised.

“Yeah, Tuck?” he asked. Tucker sighed and gave him a small smile.

“Stay safe, dude.”

Chapter Text

It was a week later and four more trips to the Zone later and they still weren’t any closer to figuring this thing out. It was driving Danny nits, and he was at a loss of what to do.

Thankfully his sister was always really good at giving him advice.

Jazz sat across from him, her smile like a ray of sunshine. But her eyes have her sway. She was worried about him, and really always had been, but this was different. This was more than just her being an overprotective sister. Before Danny could even say hi she got straight to the point.

“What’s up, little brother?” She asked, tilting her head to the side. She knew something was wrong. Every time something was worrying him or making him nervous he rubbed the back of his neck, or tried too hard to look you the eye. It was a very unique tell, but it wasn’t like he was trying to hide it.

“Something’s wrong with the Zone, Jazz,” he answered, taking a sip of his coffee. Jazz had ordered a nice cup of tea, and the smell of it almost made Danny switch drinks.

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know how to explain it. And I’ve already tried to explain it. But something is wrong, and I don’t know now to help them. I mean, it…it’s darkness, Jazz. For the first time in almost ten years I felt fear going into the Zone. And I’ve looked and looked and still nothing. Just in the past week one been there five times, and I’m gonna lose my shit if I don’t get any answers soon. I have no idea what to do.”

Jazz looked at him thoughtfully. His hair was a little bit of a mess with his hands gripping onto the black locks tightly, and the bags under his eyes had gotten so much darker since the last time she had seen him. His shoulders were tight with stress and be looked like he could pass out at any second, which would probably explain why he got nine shots of espresso instead of just two. It was obvious he wasn’t sleeping or eating much due to stress, which was bad, but it was also apparent that he hadn’t covered all of his bases.

“Have you talked to Clockwork?” She asked. His eyes widened beer so slightly in realization, and before he even spoke Jazz knew the answer.

“Um… No…” he said, refusing to look her on the eyes. He sighed and looked done at his hands, finding the scar on his left palm suddenly really interesting. “Not Frostbite, either.”

“You should probably go do that,” she said, giving him a comforting smile. Danny shared the find look and nodded.

“Yeah. Yeah, I will.”

He stared puff into space for s moment, nodding to himself as he muttered in Ghost Speak under his breath. Jazz sighed and rolled her eyes, shaking her head at her brother’s antics.

“Danny, I meant now.”

“Oh!” Danny said, clueless like always. Sometimes it was hard to remember that he was an adult and paid the bills when these flashes of his teen years came back. Old habits die hard, apparently. “Yeah, I’ll go now. Thanks Jazz.” Danny stood up, coffee in hand, before planting a chaste kiss upon her cheek and leaving. Jazz sighed, frowning down t her tea when he was finally out the door.

“Be careful, Danny…”
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“Daniel,” Clockwork greeted, not turning to him. Danny nodded, and a small part of his brain told him that Clockwork didn’t see him, but he was too tired to care at this point. He flew up to his old friend, floating side by side with him. Clockwork looked at the screens while Danny looked at Clockwork, waiting for the old stopwatch to finally look at him back.

“You’re here for answers,” he said, before finally turning to look Danny in the eye a few minutes later. Danny nodded again.

“Yeah. I’m sure you haven’t missed the weird feeling in the Zone. I’ve been trying to hunt down the cause but I’ve had no luck. Do you have any idea on what this thing is?”

“I knew this day was going to come, but a part of me hoped that the visions were false,” Clcokwork started. “This feeling-the feeling of fear and helplessness? That is from our old king, Pariah Dark.”

“Why haven’t I ever heard of him before?” Danny asked.

“Because most ghosts don’t dare speak his name. You see, Pariah was a tyrant, always ending ghosts left and right if they disagreed with him. Eventually we got tired of it all, and myself and a few other ancients
banded together to beat him.”

“But you didn’t end him…” Danny trailed. Clockwork shook his head, frowning. He turned from an adult to an old man, barely noticing the shift.

“No, we did not. Instead we locked him away in the Sarcophagus of Forever Sleep. It can only be opened by the Skeleton Key, which I personally took the liberty to hide. But I fear someone has let him out.”

“If everybody is so afraid of him why would they do that?”

“Pariah still holds the Crown of Fire, giving him more power than ever. We locked him away with it. However, it won’t be at its full power until it is reunited with the Ring of Rage.”

“And where is that?”

“Hidden. However, the Crown is drawn to the Ring. If he truly is out it will not take him long to find it. And he will slaughter anybody in his way. Daniel,” Clockwork was a baby now, but that didn’t stop his tiny grip from being like iron on Danny’s shoulder. “You are out best hope of defeating him.”

“I’ll do my best. But Clockwork, if this guy is as bad as you say he is, I don’t know how I’m gonna do this alone.”

Clockwork starred at Danny, taking in his older features. Sometimes it was easy to forget he used to be a teenager, but when he sounded like that? Afraid and asking for help? It was hard to remember where the time had gone. Clockwork, however, didn’t say this. Instead he just nodded.

“You will not be alone. I will be by your side, as will Frostbite and his kingdom.”

“How has the Far Frozen been affected?”

“Not badly, but they have started sharpening their spears and honing their ice skills. I suggest you do the same for the fight that’s going to come.”

“Right. I’ll do some more research, see if there’s any way we can get him back into the sarcophagus.”

“You may not be able to, Daniel,” Clockwork said. He was back to an adult now, and yet how worry still made the young face look old. “Remember that.”

“I…I will. I mean, I’m the protector of this place, right? I’ll do what I gotta do to protect it.” Danny didn’t sound sure of himself, but maybe if he said this enough times it wouldn’t kill him inside if he went through with it. And he knew Clockwork saw right through this, but he didn’t care. He only hoped Clockwork would drop the subject, and he hoped he didn’t have to end another ghost. Evil or not, it didn’t sit well with him.

Clockwork gave Danny a small hug before placing his hands on his shoulders again, smiling sadly at Danny.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “If I could I would do anything to not have you face him.”

“It’s fine, Clockwork. It’s not like I haven’t faced bad guys before,” Danny replied, trying to reassure the ancient. Somehow Clockwork’s smile got even sadder, and he let his arms drop to his sides, turning into an old geezer again.

“Farewell, Daniel,” he said. “We will meet again in due time.”

Chapter Text

Later that night he had stumbled into his and Dash’s room at a solid four in the morning. He had passed out the second he hit the bed, still dressed in his T-Shirt and jeans. Dash had curled on top of him at some point after that.

However, when Danny woke up in a cold sweat the bed was empty. Usually Dash woke him up or slept in with him, but when he wasn’t Danny tried to remember that breathing technique Sam had taught him when the nightmares had first started. First, he breathed in for four counts, holding his breath for seven, before letting it out slowly for eight counts. He repeated this until he was sure his heart wasn’t going to leap through his ribs and splatter itself on the ceiling.

He was burning today, the lightning scars searing into his skin like a hot pan, but it was manageable. And if he reached into his core and made frost fly through his veins to lessen it, nobody was around to blame him for it.

He ran a hand over his face before swinging his legs over the side and glancing at the clock. It was just after ten, which meant that Dash was probably at the one of many Saturday practices with Kwan. He yawned and picked up his cell phone off the nightstand, vaguely noting that he no longer had his shoes on, and he was shirtless. But he couldn’t think about that now. No, he was to busy trying to find Sam’s number in his phone.

When he finally clicked on her name he briefly wondered to himself why she wasn’t on his speed dial, but only for a moment. On the second ring she picked up, giving a nice, Saturday morning hello.

"Fuck dude, what do you want? It's to early," The former goth groaned. When she moved out of her parent’s house and into her own place, she wore more normal things, like jeans and a button up. Granted they were still dark colors and drab themes, but Danny didn’t question her choice of attire when he still dressed like he was a freshman in high school.

“I wanted to hear your frog voice,” he said. His own was hoarse and itchy, the kind that water wouldn’t fix. He couldn’t recall if it was being used to much or not enough.

”Piss off, asshat,” she told him. Danny never took it personally though. All of their insults were made with love. They always had been. Danny walked through the kitchen, noting that Dash wasn’t there, meaning his theory about practice was correct. He had no work today and the whole apartment to himself. He would probably go to the library though, or to the Zone.

“Have you ever heard of Pariah Dark?” He asked. That seemed to wake Sam right up, because when she spoke next she sounded like she had twelve shots of espresso.

“Oh my god, Danny what did you do?” She asked, worried. There was some shuffling around as she made her way to her bookshelf that had all of her thick occult novels on it. She liked to keep those ones separate from her normal books.

“Nothing. It wasn’t me this time,” Danny shot back. “Swearsies.”

“Then why are you asking about Pariah Dark?”

“He escaped from the…Whatever Clockwork called it. I was wondering if you knew of any other ways he could go down other than just locking him up for another bajillion years.”

“No, but I can do some research,” Sam replied.

“I’ll get Arachne to make you a spider out of spider webs,” Danny smiled.

“Deal. I’ll get back to you with that stuff, okay?”

“Yeah, no problem. Thanks.”

“Uh-huh. And Danny?”

“Yeah?”

“Be safe. Okay?”

“I’ll do my best.”

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Danny hummed as he flew through the Ghost Zone. He didn’t want to be there, not today, but he needed to be there. He would have to make it up to Dash later, what with waking him up every other night coming back from the Zone and not being around as much. Maybe make him a nice dinner, or take him out to a movie. Yeah, Dash would like that. Especially if it had explosions.

He knew he had to find an Ancient to talk to and see if he can get the upper hand against Pariah. Thankfully there weren’t really that many. However, because of that they were difficult to find or to get a hold of. For instance, Queen Dora has her kingdom on lockdown, and wouldn’t even open the doors to him, the godfather of her children. But with everything that’s been going on he didn’t exactly blame her, either. Then there was Pandora, who was too busy getting ready for battle to really answer his questions. She told him once that she was able to smell out a big fight soon-to-be from a millennia away. With the way Pariah was affecting the other ghosts, he didn’t doubt her.

Frostbite was another Ancient, and he wouldn’t mind seeing his old mentor again. It had been a while since Danny had dropped by just for the sake of dropping by. Maybe he would have some answers…
He quickly made a sharp turn towards the direction of the Far Frozen, and while he wished he was visiting under better circumstances, he couldn’t hold back his excitement of the thought of seeing Frostbite again.

------

He managed to make really good time, and was flying in the entrance within the hour.

The wind thrashed around, almost pulling Danny along with it, but he managed to stay on course pretty well. The blizzard bit at his exposed skin, but he barely noticed. Part of this was because he was to distracted with the current world-leveling situation, and part of it was because it didn’t really bother him. Having an ice core definitely had its perks, that’s for sure. And it felt good against his searing lightning scars that criss-crossed over his body.

He was just about to fly through the mountain entrance before something hit his shoulder, and he suddenly found himself and gravity in a very intimate situation.

He caught himself right before he became an ectoplasmic smear in the snow, clutching his injured shoulder. It hadn’t breached skin, so it should be fine within a day or so.

“Halt!” He heard. He turned around, shaking the snow out of his hair. He held up his hands defensively.

“Guys, it’s me,” he said. The two yetis that were standing guard-the same ones who had blasted him down-were starting to look very apologetic.

“Daniel!” The one with the wicked looking spear said, running towards him. The other quickly followed.

“Hi, guys,” he greeted. “Is Frostbite available?”

“For you, always,” Spear Guy replied.

“Thanks. I know the way.”

He lifted off the ground again, before heading straight into the village and to Frostbite’s personal cave. Yeah, he had a throne and a palace, but Frostbite had always been a very down-to-Zone kind of ghost, appreciating the small things like privacy and silence. It was one of Danny’s favorite qualities about his old friend.

Usually it would have taken him longer. The yetis had this way with architecture that was absolutely astounding, and even after all of these years in never ceased to amaze Danny. One of his favorite parts about visiting the Far Frozen was seeing the buildings made from beautiful ice. But he didn’t do that today. He forced himself not to. He had to talk to Frostbite as soon as he could, and if that meant skipping the scenery then so be it.

Frostbite’s private cave was just past the large village, stuck in the side of a mountain with an ice door only Frostbite could control. When Danny knocked on it, it was gone in seconds. He stepped inside, and the wall rose back up, keeping the harsh wind outside.

Danny felt happy to see Frostbite. Relieved, really, because he had billions of questions, and he seemed to be the only one with decent advice these days. But Danny’s mood quickly shifted when he saw Frostbite. The one-armed king was moving about the rather large cave quickly, muttering under his breath about things he needed to do.

“Frostbite, are you okay?” Danny asked. Frostbite snapped his head up. His eyes were wild and startling, boring into Danny as he tried to process when Danny had flown in.

A beat passed between them. Then three. And Frostbite finally gave Danny a small smile, running an ice claw through the fur on his head to smooth down some of his fur. His eyes were still a bit unfocused, but it was a stark difference from a minute ago. The warm goliath wrapped Danny up in a hug, crushing him against his chest before letting go and placing his hand on his shoulder. He gave Danny a small smile, but it fell when he realized why Danny was there.

“I take it this sin’t your usual social visit,” he guessed. Danny nodded, and Frostbite sighed. Danny watched as he sat down on a large rock that was sitting under an equally large ice table. Frostbit gestured to one of the other three sitting rocks, and Danny made his way over, taking the rock that was directly across from the yeti.

“I’ve come for answers,” Danny told him. Then thought for a moment before adding, “details, really. And I have a feeling you already know what I’m talking about.”

“Indeed,” Frostbite nodded solemnity. “Pariah Dark has risen.”

“Clockwork told me about how bad he was, and something about a sarcophagus, but he didn’t go into a lot of detail.”

“Well, to be fair it’s not something we like to remember,” Frostbite told him. “For centuries he ruled over the Ghost Zone with an iron fist, his faithful Fright Knight by his side. I believe you’ve met him?”

“Unfortunately,” Danny grimaced, which coaxed a small chuckle from Frostbite. Danny waved his hand at him. “Continue.”

“Perhaps,” Frostbite hesitated for a moment before pulling out a blue gem looking thing, roughly the size of one of his claws and nothing but jagged edges and deep crevices. “Perhaps it would just be easier to show you.”

He dropped it into his palm and took a deep breath, closing his eyes as he did so. His brow became furrowed, but Danny was more focused on the hologram-like projection coming from Frostbite’s now open palm. The gem was floating above it, glowing with an ethereal sort of power.

Danny watched from Frostbite’s point of view as he spoke with a younger Clockwork and a few others that Danny recognized, like Dora and Aragon. He watched as they made the plans for the sarcophagus and made a plan to throw him into it, along with some ancient magic on Dora’s end for the pumpkin to contain Fright Knight.

“This is…the past?” Danny asked, glancing at a focused Frostbite. He didn’t seem to register the question, but Danny took it as a yes anyway. He continued to watch his friend’s memories as they continued to play out.

They had somehow managed to amass an army of ghosts, of all types. Old, new, big, small, it didn’t matter. They were all there for the fight against Pariah’s skeleton army. The battle was right outside of the castle. Danny almost didn’t recognize it because in Frostbite’s memories, it was like an actual castle, with a large garden section and several other buildings and towers attached. But now it was significantly smaller. Merely a burnt carcass of what it used to be.

He watched in high definition as several yetis lost their afterlives and several other ghosts as well, like someone that vaguely looked like Arachne, and another who could have passed off as Nocturn. He watched as Frostbite’s arm was ripped from his body, ectoplasm shooting everywhere. The rest was mostly him getting fixed up by other yetis, forming a sort of ice bandage over the stub that Frostbite would later make into an arm. But he still saw everything. He saw how it was Clockwork that struck the final blow. The Ring had been snatched from Pariah, and he wasn’t as powerful. So it was with the remainder of Clockwork’s energy that he shoved Pariah into the Sarcophagus of Forever Sleep, locking him away indefinitely and throwing away the key. It was brutal.

The image in front of him flickered out, and Frostbite took some labored breaths, seeming to forget that he didn’t really need to, before putting the stone back up. Danny gazed closely at the ice arm the king had made, and couldn’t help but grab his own shoulder, imagining the pain Frostbite must have gone through.

“That was intense,” Danny said after a few moments. He looked at his friend carefully. He seemed far away, back in memory land where he was watching his friends be slaughtered by Pariah’s forces. Danny didn’t blame him considering the circumstances. And now those efforts were for naught now that he was back out. Danny leaned forward and took Frostbite’s large flesh paw in between his own hands and gripped it tightly.

“We’ll fix this, Frostbite,” he said. “I’ll fix it. I promise.”

Frostbite seemed more focused after the physical contact, and he was now looking at Danny. A small, sad smile crept onto his features as he patted Danny’s top hand with his ice one.

“I would worry if you didn’t.”

Danny didn’t want to know what that meant.

Chapter Text

It had been weird having a dog around. Dash had never wanted another dog after his Chihuahua had died, but Cujo seemed pretty attached to him now. He knew he was a friend of Danny’s, so if Dash got up to get something to eat, Cujo would follow. If Dash went to the bathroom, Cujo would try shoving his head through the wall to make sure he was okay. If Dash fell asleep he woke up to Cujo curled into his side or on his chest. After a week of this is felt weird not having him at his heels. Danny was probably going to tease him for getting attached to his ghost dog.

Sam had called him and told him that they might have to initiate the Doomsday protocol she, Tucker, and Danny had set up and perfected throughout the years. When Dash and Danny had got engaged, he had become an ingrained part of that plan. And if whatever Danny was sticking his nose into was bad enough for the Doomsday protocol that meant that Dash would end up hospitalized from the stress ulcer Danny was about to give him.

It had been almost an entire day since Danny had gone into the Zone, which was, unfortunately for Dash, very common. He remembered the utter confusion he felt when Danny had explained to him that time was kind of bull shit in the Ghost Zone. For instance, if Danny spent three days in the Zone and came back, only a few minutes could have gone by. Or in this case, spend a few hours and be gone for almost 24 hours. Even though this happened a lot, Dash still wasn’t used to it. Maybe he would be if Danny ever let him in the Ghost Zone, but he had made Dash promise not to go there unless it was an absolute emergency. It was understandable, but that didn’t mean Dash couldn’t help. He was never really good at being stuck on the sidelines.

Dash was lost in these thoughts as he stirred the noodles in the pot, watching them swirl around without actually watching them. He didn’t notice the way Cujo’s ears perked up, or the weird lighting, or how, if he didn’t take the noodles out, he was going to overcook them.

It was a flash of light that brought him out of his trance, and he turned around, smiling when he saw Danny being tackled by Cujo. He briefly turned back around and emptied the noodles into the strainer he had placed in the sink, and then turned the water on so they would cool down and not stick to each other. He stirred them around under the water for a few moments before placing the food back in the pot he had cooked them in. This whole process took maybe a minute, so by the time he was done, Danny was still on the floor, being loved to death by his dog.

“Hey, babe,” Dash greeted, walking over to them and watching as Danny laughed himself to death as he tried (not really, though) to push Cujo off of him. It was like all of his previous thoughts never crossed his mind, because looking at Danny rolling around on the floor with his dog, laughing and relaxing for the first time in days, was all Dash could ever want from Danny. He wouldn’t ask to go into the Zone and help fight in a war that didn’t involve him or any other human. But he refused to sit on the sidelines for much longer. “How was your visit?”

Danny sobered up a bit and stood up, taking the hug Dash offered him. When he pulled away, Dash though he looked older than he had a few seconds ago. Dash had never been good at history, but there was one myth that stuck with him throughout his life. It was the story of how Atlas held the world in his palms for an eternity and then some, and when he looked at Danny he was often reminded of him. Danny was Atlas, thinking he had to bear the weight of the world on his shoulders by himself, never asking for help. If he wanted to he could probably ask Iron Man, or maybe see if he can get a hold of that angry green giant who destroyed a good chunk of Harlem. Hell, if Danny would let him he would take the weight for the rest of his life if it meant Danny could have one good day. But his Atlas always refused. Instead, he just asked for a shoulder every once in a while. And if he wasn’t going to let Dash hold the world for him, he most certainly be there for him.

“It was okay,” Danny said, not quite letting go. Not until he sighed, and smiled, looking over Dash’s shoulder at the dinner he had made. Dash smiled, and with a roll of his eyes he added the sauce and gave a bowl of the noodles to Danny, who all but inhaled them. Dash, though, had lost his appetite.

“Did you find anything out?” Dash asked. Danny nodded, his mouth shamelessly overflowing with spaghetti. Dash took a mental picture, and let Danny continue with the story once he was done chewing.

“I talked to Clockwork, but he wouldn’t give much detail. So then I went to Frostbite for some advice, and he gave me the whole backstory using a gem thingy to project his memories. And Dash…This looks bad.” Dash was thrown off for a split second, because Danny actually sounded scared. In all his years, he had only ever heard that kind of vulnerability a few times. Hearing it now, about this, sent a cold, iron grip on lungs, and he suddenly found it harder to breathe. But he had become a pretty good actor in the Not Worrying Danny production, so it didn’t show. Instead, he motioned for Danny to continue.

“So, this guy we’re fighting is called Pariah Dark. He…He was a tyrant way back when. Ruthless, merciless, and just downright scary. Clockwork, Frostbite, and a few others formed a coupe and took him down. The battle was more like a war, though. But obviously they won. They had locked Pariah in this thing called the Sarcophagus of Forever Sleep, and he’s been there ever since. But he somehow got out. And now we have to find him and lock him back up or end him or something.”

“What does that mean for you, then?” Dash asked, unable to meet Danny’s eyes for a moment. Danny sighed and placed his hand over Dash’s, brushing his thumb over his knuckles.

“It means anything could happen. But I’m gonna be spending a lot more time in the Ghost Zone. Wherever Pariah is, we have to find him as soon as possible before he finds the Ring of Rage. Before he can build his army. Before he ends any more ghosts. So, tomorrow I’m going to go back and meet with the Observants and a few Ancients, and we’re going to try and make a plan to take him down while at the same time keeping innocent ghosts safe.”

“What can I do to help?” Dash asked, squeezing Danny’s hand for a brief moment. He wanted to trace the black marking across his hands, but didn’t. Instead he looked Danny in the eye, silently asking him to let Dash help. He could. He knew he could. He may not be one for plans, but give him a couple of orders and he would carry them out perfectly. He could fight with Danny. He could help defeat this Pariah dude.

Danny shook his head, and Dash looked away, squeezing Danny’s hand a little harder now.

“Nothing you can do in the Zone. But if…” he bit his lip, and Dash looked at him again, almost eager to listen to what Danny had to say as he had some sort of internal battle with himself. Finally, after a moment, he spoke again. “If anything happens to Amity…During the boss fight, I mean…I…They’re gonna need your help. You know?” He may have worded that horribly, but Dash understood perfectly. He may not have been allowed to fight in the Zone, but if worse went to worst he was going to do everything in his power to defend Amity while his fiance was out kicking ass.

Dash didn’t say anything to this, though. No, instead he just nodded and picked Danny’s hand up, pressing his lips against the cold skin. He closed his eyes, forcing himself to relax, and he could feel Danny trying to do the same. After a few moments he brought Danny’s hand back down, taking it in both of his, and then leaning across the counter to kiss his forehead, and then his lips, staying just centimeters away from him now. He breathed in that weird scent that only Danny was capable of smelling like and sighed before pulling back again. Dash glanced at the clock on the wall, and while it was only eight-thirty, he felt exhausted. He could tell Danny was, too.

“Do you wanna go to bed?” Dash asked. Danny nodded, and stood. Dash placed his bowl in the sink and walked to their room, hand in hand. To get ready all Dash had to do was take off everything but his boxers, and Danny grabbed his favorite NASA shirt that Dash had gotten him, and then crawled under the covers.

Dash, for some reason, couldn’t sleep. Yeah, he was exhausted, but his eyes just refused to stay closed. So instead, he listened to Danny’s breathing and stared at the ceiling until the early hours of the morning, when his eyes finally managed to stay shut.

He hugged Danny a little tighter when he fell asleep.

Chapter Text

It was still dark out when Danny’s eyes snapped open. His body was cold and clammy, and felt like he had ran for days on end despite not having a single drop of sweat on his brow. His chest was tight and his breathing wasn’t consistent, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. Dash was still asleep, so that meant he hadn’t been loud. He remembered there was one time when Dash had waked him from a nightmare and Danny had accidentally broken his nose. That had been a rough few days for the both of them after that.

He forced his breathing to regulate, forced his mind to calm down, before he phased through the covers. He sighed and took his shirt off, throwing it on the dresser aimlessly. He may not have been sweating, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t suffocating in a way. The night air was good for his muscles, anyway, what with his lightning scars and ice core. Like a blanket, but better.

As he walked to the kitchen he scrubbed the tiredness out of his face. He had danced to this tune for a long time, and knew that even if he laid back down he wasn’t going to get any more sleep. His nerves were too tight and his scars were starting to get an itching sort of burn. He could fix one of those problems.

He quietly shuffled to the kitchen, careful to get his favorite mug out gently, along with the generic hot chocolate mix. Jazz had shown him how to make the homemade kind, but that took more time. Right now he just needed an instant stress reliever.

When he was done making the winter themed drink he sat at the kitchen counter on one of the bar stools, starring at his steaming mug for a few moments before finally taking a sip of it. He felt exhausted, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to go to sleep again. He wasn’t too worried about it. After all, this was a normal occurrence. In fact, it happened probably a little too much. Though he never told Dash. He didn’t want him to worry about something that wasn’t even real.

He was almost half way done with his cocoa when a blue light tore through his kitchen and in stepped Ember. After one nasty experience with a shared enemy, they had sort of gotten on each other’s good sides, and their friendship had grown ever since. He would occasionally go to the Zone with hopes of running into her, just to catch up, but it was rare. However, having known her for a while now, she never did anything without a reason.

“Why are you here, Ember?” He asked tiredly. He was all of a sudden aware of just how large the bags under his eyes were. He probably looked like he had just gone ten rounds with a blender and then crawled out of a dumpster.

“What, no hello?” She asked. He knew she was trying to make him just a little more depressed, but he just couldn’t do it. She came over and leaned on the other side of the counter where Dash usually stood in the mornings. She looked at him for a couple moments before nodding, and then sighing. “You know, you were a lot more fun when you were a scrawny dipstick.”

“There it is,” Danny managed to crack a small smile. Ember took that as an invitation to continue.

“Listen, I know you’ve been looking all over the Zone for Dark. But listen, if you keep doing it alone you’re gonna get yourself killed eventually.”

“Uh, is this some sort of pep talk?” Danny asked.

“Shut up. What I’m trying to say is, if you need my help, or hell, even Skulker’s, we got your back. You’ve helped us with our shit for years now, ghost boy. I think it’s time we give a little something back.”

“…I appreciate it. Really, I do.”

“Yeah, whatever. Don’t get all sappy on me dude,” Ember replied, turning away. Though Danny could tell it was to hide a smile. He had known her long enough to recognize her little tells and habits. “I know-we all know, really-that this is gonna end in a big boss fight or a full out war. I just came to tell you we’re on your side. I’ve heard the stories from older ghosts like Dora and it…It’s not good if he wins, Danny. So you’re gonna take him down. You got that?”

“That’s the plan, Ember.” She was being a little hostile almost. Danny realized it was because she was scared. Scared of what might become of her friends, family, and her home. Scared of what might happen to her if Pariah wins. Danny didn’t know if he was scared or not. Yeah, this was a pretty intense situation to be in, but he felt calm, almost. Stressed, but not really scared. Maybe the feeling would hit him later on in a giant wave, or maybe it wouldn’t come at all. Maybe the energy he used from being scared was subconsciously being turned into determination without him even realizing it.

“Good. I gotta head back. See you on the flip side, dude.”

“Hopefully under better circumstances.”

Ember let out a bark of laughter before opening her portal back up and stepping through.

“Yeah, I doubt it, pipsqueak.” And then she was gone.

He sighed and scrubbed his face, no longer interested in the rest of his now cold hot cocoa. And even if he wanted to finish it, it wouldn’t do anything to help. His nerves were too tight to be relaxed now.

“Rough night?”

Danny just groaned, hitting his head on the counter and leaving it there. There was already one ghost breaking into his apartment, and he didn’t really want another.

“More like a rough month. What do you want, Amorpho?”

Amorpho just chuckled, taking the spot Ember had previously stood. Danny lifted his head up, ignoring the small pang of pain in between his eyes as he looked the grey ghost up and down.

“Hoo, boy do you look like shit,” Amorpho said. If he had a mouth Danny was sure he’d be smirking. He leaned on the counter, getting in Danny’s face before sighing and leaning back again.

“I want in. On whatever this is,” he gestured vaguely, “I’m gonna be a part of it. You need a spy on Pariah and his goons, and hell, maybe even Fright Knight. And who better to do that than a literal spy?”

“Yeah, didn’t that get you killed?” Danny asked. He appreciated it, and couldn’t deny that Amorpho would be more than useful for this, but he didn’t want anything to happen to him. This could be a potential war but he wasn’t going to take unnecessary risks. Not yet, anyway. Not until he became absolutely desperate.

“Not important. What’s important is that there’s not better ghost for the job. However, to keep you guys in the loop I also need to be allowed at the meetings. And there are rumors that there’s a council meet-up tomorrow.”

“Why are you being so helpful?” Danny asked. Yeah, they were sort of friends, but like Ember, he didn’t do anything without a reason.

“Because I don’t wanna die pathetically. If Pariah takes over, which I know you won’t let him, but let’s be realistic for a second-If he takes over, he’s gonna end everyone. Me, you, your town, the Zone. The only people he’ll keep around are the important ones to use as slaves. I’m gonna be your spy, and you’re gonna let me come to the meetings. Just, afterwards, let me have a bit of recognition. That’s all I want right now. Maybe if I help a hero someone will actually notice me. Maybe someone special. Look, I don’t wanna get off topic, we’re in a war now, we can’t afford that. But-ugh, I hate asking. Am I in or not?”

Danny looked at Amorpho’s expressionless face. Though he didn’t have a face, Danny saw-no, felt-a sort of determined attitude. The kind that wouldn’t take no for an answer, who would sneak in against orders to do his best to help.

“Well, if I didn’t let you go that would mean making you go against your obsession in a way. And I’ve always been against that. Just, don’t go in without me, got it? They need to know you stand with us.”

“Understood, Boss Man. I appreciate it,” Amorpho said, placing a hand on Danny’s shoulder. “Get some rest, Danny. You’ll need as much as you can get with what’s to come.”

And like Ember, he was gone, too.

Danny went back to bed, and a part of him deep down hoped that when he woke up again, this would all be some bad dream.

He didn’t get his hopes up.

Chapter Text

The next morning had been rough. He had to say goodbye to Dash, and so far that had been the hardest part. Because the next time he said goodbye he had no idea if it was going to mean forever. He had a feeling one of these days it would.

After that, he went to the Zone, except he had been so drained of energy lately that he tried to casually sneak in through his parent’s portal, which was a nightmare in and of itself. He really needed to remember to ask about their security systems next time.

Now he was floating to the Observation Tower, where the meeting would be held. But despite not having a mouth, all Amorpho ever seemed to do was talk. He knew deep down that it was because the shapeshifter was nervous. Some would argue scared. He was about to go undercover for an unknown amount of time. So instead of saying anything, Danny just tuned him out. He had to calm his nerves before he stepped into that meeting, otherwise he would blow up. It had happened before, but what can he say? The Observants just got on every single one of his nerves without even trying.

As the approached the large, old wooden doors, the guards on the outside stood up straighter and moved in front of the entrance.

“Move, I’m a part of this meeting,” Danny told them. He tried not to show his irritation, but couldn’t stop his eye from twitching. The guards looked at eachother, seemingly nervous, before one of them cleared their throat.

“The shapeshifter is not allowed,” he stated. His voice wavered ever so slightly as he looked at Danny, waiting for his reaction.

“He’s with me, it’s okay,” Danny replied, trying to sound calm. Obviously this guard was only ever yelled at for just doing his job. He didn’t want to scare the ghost more. “Just let us through, we’re already running late.”

Without any more argument, the guards moved out of their way. Thanks to ancient ghost technology or magic or whatever the fuck the Observants used, the doors opened on their own. Frostbite was talking with one of the Observants about halfway down the hall, but when the doors opened and he saw his apprentice, he immediately stopped and gave Danny a warm smile. Danny always thought it was strange that such a cold creature could have the warmest of hearts.

“Ah, Great One! Welcome, boy,” Frostbite said, greeting him with a bone crushing hug. He gave a sort of weird look to Amorpho before seeing the look in Danny’s eyes. He said It’s okay while at the same time having a spark of defiance. Naturally, Frostbite knew, Danny couldn’t really help himself. He loved pissing off the Observants, and having Amorpho here as an ally would surely do the trick.

“Come. Both of you. The meeting is about to start,” Frostbite told them, leading them with a hand on Danny’s shoulder.

The Observants meeting place wasn’t that hard to figure out. Danny had been there several times over the years, and he found that the only important room in the entire place was the giant one at the end of the main hall. All of the rooms on whether side on their way down was either just extra rooms or storage units, and therefore unimportant.

The meeting room (which everyone called the meeting hall, which Danny didn’t understand, and therefore refused to call it that) was a giant, round room that had a huge round table in the middle of it. There were fancy chairs for everyone, but there was on extra fancy chair for the head Observant, whose name Danny had never learned. He sat there with a normal Observants on either side of him. Then it was Frostbite and two generals from his army that Danny recognized, and Clockwork on one end, and Princess Dora and Pandora on the other. Completing the circle was Danny, Dani, and Amorpho.

“So,” Danny starts, wasting no time in getting the meeting started. “What’s the plan?”

“I suggest we form an army, and take a small group of powerful individuals to go for Pariah himself,” Frostbite said. Murmurs broke out among a few of the others. Danny turned to his mentor and added something that could go to the plan.

“I brought Amorpho so he could be a spy, collect information, do some recon type stuff. With him we might be able to get one step ahead of Pariah when he breaks loose.”

“What do you mean when?” One of the Observants asked. Geez, he must be new.

“We all know it’s going to happen,” Dani stated. Her short, white hair was slicked back, but she ran her fingers through where her bangs used to be out of habit. “We might as well be prepared for it. I for one think sending Amorpho out into the field is a great idea.”

“Absolutely not,” the other normal Observant argued. He left no room in his voice for discussion, but that wasn’t going to stop Danny from at least trying. “Amorpho is a loose cannon and unreliable. He’ll probably turn on us and spy on us for Pariah!”

“He’s also right here and is capable of making his own case!” Danny fired back. “Don’t talk to him like he’s not here.”

“That does raise the question, though,” the lead Observant said. He was much calmer, and sounded more open to the idea of working with the shape-shifting ghost. “How do we know we can trust him? His past isn’t exactly credible.”

“Because I would rather live in a Ghost Zone like this than one with Pariah ruling everything. I don’t want to be ended, man.”

“So you’re doing this for yourself,” one of them said. Amorpho shook his head, and Danny’s grip on his knees tightened.

“Not for myself. For my friend, Danny. You know, the Savior. He asked me to do him a favor, and I’m gonna go through with it, whether you agree to it or not.”

“It seems as though the halfa has an influence on even the criminals,” the one on the right said. “Perhaps too much.”

“I have influence because I actually do stuff. I see a problem, I do my best to fix it. You all just sit around and do nothing all day. We get it, you’re only supposed to observe, but at lease take some responsibility for your fucking actions!” Danny’s voice had slowly risen over the course of his rant, ending in him nearly yelling. He didn’t know when he had stood up, but Dani had her hand around his arm, and Frostbite was giving him a look that told him to take a chill pill. Danny’s mouth tightened as he took a deep breath before looking at the Observants again. “How about instead of arguing, we work with each other. Amorpho is a part of this. He is at this table for a reason. So treat him like it. And for the love of all that is good, do something about the problem for once in your life, instead of just sitting on your ass and waiting for us to pull your weight.”

Danny sat back down, glaring at the three Observants. He was practically daring them to say something. He glanced over at Frostbite, who looked like he had really wanted to avoid that but was kind of glad it happened, and then to Clockwork, who was glad to be able to sit back and actually enjoy the show for once. Danny was sure he had popcorn in his lair so he could re-watch all of this unfold again later. Danny honestly couldn’t blame him for it, though.

“I think…Sending Amorpho in is a smart, tactical move,” Clockwork spoke up for the first time, and it almost startled Danny that he was on his side. Usually Clockwork would pick apart his suggestions and point out the flaws. He helped Danny to be a good tactician like Frostbite helped him to be the greatest warrior he could be. Both seemed to be paying off now.

“We could do that, I suppose,” the head Observant said. “But we also have to think about the civilians of this world. Part of our job is to keep them safe, which is something I think most of us have forgotten about.”

“Perhaps we could evacuate them to the mortal plane,” one of the others said.

“That’s a really bad idea,” Dani piped up. She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back in her chair. Danny could practically see the migraine forming. “Humans are going to get hurt in the chaos, and they’re not going to know how to handle what the media is certainly going to describe as a ghost invasion. You want to stay hidden, and we can’t help you do that if you all go haunting businesses.”

“Dani has a point, there,” Danny agreed. “Really, the only town in the world that would know how to handle a bunch of ghosts is Amity Park, and they’re a shoot first ask never kind of town. It would be more dangerous to evacuate them into the mortal plane than it would be to just keep them here. Maybe we could hide them, depending on what core they have?”

“We’ll continue this later,” Clockwork said, suddenly standing up. “We have more pressing matters to attend to.”

“Like what?” Amorpho asked. Clockwork turned to him, his red eyes boring into Amorpho’s very spirit.

“You’re needed immediately. Daniel, you better hope your plan works.”

“What do you mean?” Danny asked. He was standing again, and his voice was tinged with a sudden urgency. Clockwork turned to him now, grimacing.

“It’s Pariah,” he said. “He has awoken.”

Chapter Text

Pariah Dark was a highly feared ghost within the Zone, and he was very much aware of it. He was also a very powerful spirit. Even more so than maybe even Clockwork. That is why, when he broke free from his imprisoning sleep, a surge of energy rang out through the realm. His realm.

The atmosphere was different than what he remembered. It seemed more…open. Fresh. Like a fruit ripe for the taking. Like a calm before the storm. He was reminded of the first time he became ruler of the Ghost Realm, with fear as his main weapon, and his ring and crown as the second. He would conquer this world again, and he knew it would feel just as righteous as the first time, all those eons ago. With his Fright Knight at his side nothing would be able to stop them. He only needed his source of power.

He floated through the realm of spirits, trying his best to focus in on the dark energy emitting from the Ring of Rage.

Pariah.

Pariah’s eyes widened as he whirled around, ready to make whoever snuck up on him feel his mighty wrath. But when he looked at his surroundings he only saw the empty abyss of swirling purple skies that reached to the ends of the universe.

I am not tangible to you yet, the voice said again.

“Show yourself, then,” Pariah commanded.

Those were the first words he had uttered since escaping his coffin. Even as a powerful of a ghost as he, his throat was still hoarse from the lack of use.

All in due time, the voice replied. I weakened your sarcophagus, Pariah. Enough for you to escape. I expect something in return.

“Like what?” Pariah asked, narrowing his eyes at the empty space in front of him.

All in due time. I need you to continue with your plans of taking over the spirit realm, and when you are done, report to me.

"Pariah Dark doesn’t answer to anyone!” Pariah bellowed, his eyes blazing with fury.

You’ve been asleep for centuries. Things have changed.

By the tone of the voice, Pariah knew the conversation was over, and he was furious that he wasn’t able to get the last word in. He has never, and never plans on reporting to some disembodied voice. Not in the last millennia, and certainly not in this one.

Pariah smirked to himself as he pulled the Ring of Rage from the grip of the monster, who lay on the ground bleeding and fading. It wouldn’t be long now for this particular ghost to end. He was going to let it sit there and suffer, for an early end it did not deserve. Not if it was going to try and stop the great Pariah from regaining his power.

He was smirking as he left to go hunt down the Crown of Fire.

Pariah could practically smell his crown as he flew up to the entrance. However, the stench that was blocking his path was going to be a problem.

“Pariah,” Clockwork said.

Clockwork was one ghost Pariah had remembered clearly, due to not being able to touch him. As the father of time, he had not been allowed to lay a hand on the ancient spirit. And because of Clockwork’s powers and status, he was politically untouchable. But now he was back, and he wasn’t going to let anybody stand in his way. Especially not some dumb wrist watch who thought he had all the power in the world.

I trust you can win this battle easily, Pariah, the voice was back again.

Pariah made no move to show that he was hearing voices. He simply floated in front of Clockwork, watching as he changed from an infant to an adult.

“Clockwork,” Pariah said. He had been waiting for this moment for so long, and he would make it last as long as possible. He loved watching his enemies suffer. And who was the best at making people suffer than him? He was going to savor this moment for all eternity. “I’m not going to bother with the petty banter,” he told the blue ghost. Clockwork nodded and gripped his staff tightly. He was coiled for a fight, despite looking almost aloof of all things.

“Then so be it,” the master of time replied. He wasted no time in blasting Pariah with an ectoblast to his sternum. Pariah was knocked back, but he quickly shook it off. After all, he was the strongest. This was merely child’s play. The ultimate weapon he had against his enemies was letting them think they had a fighting chance, and he would therefore use it to his advantage. Clockwork sent another attack, this time using his staff to give it a little more of a kick. A big kick compared to his last attack, but it still didn’t manage to slow Pariah down. No, he was on a mission, and there was nobody who could stop him from completing it. Especially with the mysterious voice in his head urging him on.

Pariah blocked the next attack by throwing up a shield, and then using it to send out his own barrage of blasts. Clockwork threw up his shields, but Pariah easily broke through them. The force of the impact threw Clockwork back and into the door that had his Crown of Fire behind it. Without giving Clockwork a chance to recover, Pariah flew forward and gripped the old ghost’s throat, pinning him against the chamber doors that held his rightfully earned power.

“Wait,” Clockwork choked out. He couldn’t breathe because he was dead, but that didn’t mean the former king couldn’t rip out his tongue.

“Why would I dare listen to you?” Pariah asked as his grip tightened. Clockwork didn’t bother answering. There was no need to when Amorpho was right behind Pariah, disguised as a floating rock. He hit Pariah over the head with a hammer-which just so happened to be his hand-and sent him flying sideways and away from Clockwork.

“Go,” he told the blue spirit. “I’ll keep him distracted. Take this,” Amorpho pulled out a scroll and passed it to Clockwork. “Get it to the Observants and Phantom.”

“But-“ Clockwork started, but was interrupted by Amorpho’s scream as Pariah blasted him into the same door Clockwork had been pinned against just moments before.

“Go, Stopwatch!” He yelled. Clockwork, knowing he had to, gave the shapeshifter a nod and disappeared. His presence was gone, leaving only Pariah and Amorpho.

“That was quite brave of you,” Pariah said as he leaned in towards Amorpho. The smaller ghost leaned back, but Pariah quickly made him stay in place with his large hands.

“I t-try,” Amorpho stuttered out. Pariah smirked.

“That bravery will be your downfall.”

Chapter Text

Clockwork burst into the meeting room, beaten up and looking a little worse for wear, and clutching a scroll in one hand. As soon as the doors had opened, Danny and Frostbite were on their feet, moving to help their injured friend to a seat.

Danny had been coming back, trying to formulate some battle strategies for when shit hits the fan. Clockwork said he had some important business to attend to, and he had said not to worry. Nothing bad would happen. But here he was, beaten and bloody and barely conscious as he shoved a torn piece of parchment into Danny’s hand. Danny set it down, more concerned for his friend than whatever was on that paper.

“Dude, what happened?” He asked, slapping the blue ghost’s cheeks lightly to keep him awake.

“Pariah,” he muttered. His voice was soft and weak, as if he was just barely holding on.

“Damn it, Stopwatch,” Danny muttered. Frostbite put his hand on Danny’s shoulder, and Danny moved out of the way to let Frostbite and his team of healers take over. They specialized in this kind of thing, and after a few recon ghosts had come back super injured over the past few days, Frostbite had called in his crew. He had never seen a ghost heal up as fast as they did after the healers came by, so he had high hopes that Clockwork would make it. But that didn’t stop the worry in his gut. If Pariah could do all of that to the Master of Time then what chance did Amorpho have?

Wait…

“Clockwork,” Danny said, worry and fear creeping into his voice, “where’s Amorpho?”

Clockwork didn’t say anything. Instead he just pointed to the discarded parchment he had carried in with him. Danny’s heart and core sunk into his twisting stomach, and he swallowed nervously as he picked it up and unrolled it. He tried ignoring the glowing, green stains and scorch marks near the edges of the paper as he read it.

It suddenly seemed to quiet as Danny read. He was overly aware of it. The only noises came from the healers and Clockwork’s grunts of pain. But what he was holding in his hands might earn them a win in the end. And after the few days he and the others have had, he could really use one. He hasn’t seen Dash in three days, and knew his boyfriend was worried, but he had kept him updated with the phone he used specifically when he was in the Zone. He and Tucker came up with the design several years ago in case Danny was stuck in the Zone for a long period of time. The phone allowed calls and messages to go through across the Zone and the land of the living. It was definitely convenient for missions like this, but not so much for Dash’s motherly instincts kicking in. But he had to keep him updated, or he would do something stupid. Like drive the car into the Zone with no idea where he was going. He had let that happen once, and swore to himself he would never let it happen again. He did not need Princess Dora laughing at him again.

“The next time I see Amorpho I’m promoting him,” Danny said to the room. Everyone looked at him expectantly as he read over the last few lines once more.

“What does it say?” The head Observant asked when Danny was still silent.

“It’s locations and names and what’s going on with Pariah. Apparently he keeps talking to himself. Like, he’s acting like he’s talking to someone but nobody is there, but there isn’t a name mentioned anywhere. Just some obscene profanities about Pariah. There’s also a sort of plan? It says Pariah is planning on raising his skeleton army once he gets all powered up.”

“He was in the sarcophagus for a while, though,” Clockwork piped up. The color was already returning to his face as he sat up. “It’ll take him time to heal. It won’t take long, but long enough for us to form an army of our own.”

“Well then,” Danny said, closing the parchment and setting his jaw, “Let’s get started then. Shall we?”

Amorpho coughed as he hung from the chains in Pariah’s castle. He had been locked away in the dungeon, and had no idea how long it had been. Enough for him to worry about whether or not Clockwork actually made it. Enough to hope, though, that Danny was working on a plan to storm the castle. But in the meantime, he would just have to suffer.

He was known in the Zone for being a survivor, so that’s what he would do. Danny depended on him. Hell, the whole Zone kind of did. He wasn’t going to let his own fear prevent him from doing his job. It was too important.

Pariah thought he had useful information. He thought the shapeshifter was just holding out on him. As long as Amorpho could keep that act up, it would keep him alive. So he would play the part for as long as it would carry him. There was no way he was going to get out of these dungeons by himself. Especially not with that stupid Fright Knight looking everywhere for potential prisoners or prey. Whichever one it was depended on Pariah.

He really hoped he was a prisoner. Because if he was prey than he was royally screwed.

When the door to his cell opened, he knew he was in for it.

Danny had found out a long time ago that the Ghost Zone was constantly replenishing his energy as long as he was in his ghost form. He could go for days, or even maybe weeks without eating or sleeping, just as long as he was in the Zone.

Unfortunately, the same rules did not apply within the human world.

It was one of those rare nights where he was home. Dash was up and stress knitting when Danny stepped through the portal, covered in someone else’s ectoplasm and dark bags under his eyes. Dash was already up and moving, wanting to look over Danny and make sure he was okay. And physically he was.

He wasn’t quite sure about mentally though.

Losing Amorpho was harder than he thought it was going to be. He had no idea if his friend was still alive (for lack of a better word) or not, and he was getting more and more worried by the second. He couldn’t just sit by and let his friend be-be ended for something he’s responsible for.

But then he was aware of the strong arms holding him, and he closed his eyes and breathed in the scent of Dash. He didn’t know when he closed his eyes, but he was fully aware of when he transformed, because then Dash was carrying him bridal style to their bedroom for a night of some much needed rest.

Dash wasted no time taking off Danny’s shoes and shirt. He was already half asleep, and looked a little worse for wear. There were deep, dark bags under his eyes. There were stress marks across his face, and he was sure that if Danny kept knitting his brows together like he had been it would turn into one big unibrow. It was strange how exhausted he looked while he slept. Like he was fighting one war during the day and a completely different one in his dreams. And knowing Danny, that probably wasn’t far off.

But he was home. Danny was here and he was breathing. And right now, that was good enough for Dash. He climbed into bed with Danny and wrapped a big, comforting arm around Danny’s middle, nuzzling his face into Danny’s back, and fell asleep almost as quickly as Danny had.

He could have one last calm night with Danny before he went to war.

It was a damned shame that all he could do right now was sleep.

Chapter Text

Chapter 11

Danny got up later than he had been wanting to, but he also knew Dash well enough to know that it was kind of his fault. He was always riding Danny's ass about getting more sleep (despite knowing full well that Danny didn't need as much sleep as Dash). Danny knew it was Dash's way of having some sort of control. Everything else lately was so far out of reach for Dash that Danny couldn't exactly blame him for feeling this way.

Dash was gone but he left a sticky note on Danny's phone that had a heart and a tiny cartoon ghost next to it. Danny couldn't help but smile at it as he put it in his pocket.

He quickly threw on a shirt and his shoes before heading out the door. After seeing Clockwork beaten up like that, it was time for action. And they only had so much of that. Pariah wasn't going to be resting forever, and they only had so many people to help them fight an entire skeleton army. He was worried it would be like a video game in the sense that, if killed, for lack of a better word, they would just rise up again, like some sort of shitty RPG quest. Only this time there would be no respawns.

He was going to need a strong army, and he knew just where to start.

"Danny, what are you doing here?"

Danny looked up at Valerie sheepishly, almost regretting this. He really didn't want to pull her into this, but she was the best ghost hunter he had ever met. They needed her.

He had long trusted Valerie with his secret, if anything to get her to stop shooting at him every time she saw him flying around. He didn't hold it against her, and he didn't feel guilty about it. Thankfully, though, she stopped attacking him after he had explained everything. Now Dash and one of her friends knit together every other Sunday.

"We're launching Code Black," Danny replied. Valerie's eyes went wide for a moment before nodding, accepting her role in this war.

"I'll meet you at Fentonworks," she told him as she started closing the door. Then she stopped and opened it back up just a little bit. "And Fenton?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't die."

Next up was Sam.

Last time they talked, they knew the situation was getting bad. He doesn't think, however, that it would ever get bad enough for a Code Black. He didn't want to go to war, but he also wanted the Ghost Zone as is. Plus, if Pariah took over the Zone, there was no doubt in Danny's mind that he would take over Earth, too. Even with people like Iron Man and Thor running around and blasting shit up. Danny was really the only one that had a chance at stopping him.

He knew she would be immediately on board. She would do anything to protect her friends, family, and town. He would have called her, and Valerie for that matter, but when it came to a Code Black there was a strict no-phone policy, just in case the government or whoever came and tapped their phones or something. Sometimes Danny let his paranoia get the better of him, but in jobs like this that was more of a good thing in the long run.

When he made it to Sam's place he didn't even have to knock. Just as he raised his fist the door swung open, revealing a Sam that was half-ready for a fight.

"Well, that was fast," Danny stated. Sam shrugged and moved out of the way to invite him in.

"I was just making some adjustments and last minute repairs. I don't want my suit ripping in two during the next world-threatening fight."

"Well, it's funny that you mention that…" Danny let his sentence trail off. Sam knew just how serious Code Black was. It was so serious he almost didn't tell her, he wanted her to be safe, but he knew that she would be better out in the field than on the sidelines.

"Is it time?" She asked. The energy she had a second ago seemed to disappear as her shoulders sagged a little. Her purple eyes seemed resigned to the inevitable of the battle, but still determined that they were going to win.

"Yeah," he replied, "it's time."

"Are you going to do the speech from Braveheart?" Dani asked her counterpart. Danny snorted. And then he looked at the army. There were familiar faces. Skulker and Ember, as promised. Technus. Dora and her army. Pandora. Arachne, and her spiders. All of them, along with a somewhat revived Clockwork and all of Frostbite's army. There were an impressive amount of ghosts gathered in one area, waiting for him to say something with some intelligence to it.

"Not this time, Dani. No, they need something…Something real, this time."

Dani only nodded, understanding exactly where Danny was coming from. This was a real war that they were starting. Not some petty battle between ghost and halfa. Not some badly played game of chess. War. And it loomed over all of them as more and more ghosts gathered around them, giddy with anticipation. She looked to her original, and watched as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them again, they were fully green and blazing with determination.

Danny stepped forward, and the ghosts went silent.

"Residents of the Ghost Zone," he started. His voice boomed, grabbing everybody's attention and drawing them towards him like a magnet. "Most of us know what's going on, but for those of you who don't, let me explain: We're about to go to war. I don't know how long this will last. What I do know, however, is that with your help we will win. Pariah Dark does not make the Ghost Zone, we do!" A small burst of cheering and whoops sounded from the crowd, and Danny let the adrenaline coursing through his veins carry him through the rest of the speech. "We are not going to just run away from some big bad guy who's like a million years old! We are going to stand and we are going to defend our home! Defend our family and our friends! We are going to defend ourselves! We are not going to let him have his way!" The more he spoke, the louder he got, and the louder he got, the more riled up the sea of ghosts got. They were pumped full of ectoplasmic adrenaline, and needed to put all of the stir-crazy energy to good use. He stepped forward, eyes blazing as he raised his fist in the air. "For the Ghost Zone!" He yelled. The crowd erupted into yelling and cheering, and Danny turned back to Dani, who had a huge grin on her face.

"For the Ghost Zone?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest. "That is by far the lamest battle cry I've ever heard."

"I'll let you prepare the speech next time," Danny replied. Then, like a switch, his mood turned. He stood up straighter, and turned away from the crowd so that only Dani could see what he was really feeling. "You ready?" His tone was serious, and almost reluctant. Tired, even. But he had to do this. For the Zone. For Amity. For Dash. He had to.

"I don't think we'll ever be more ready than this, Danny," Dani replied. Danny sighed and nodded before turning to the crowd once more, plastering on a fake grin as he spoke again.

"Let's get to it guys!"

Chapter Text

Chapter 12

"So, Danny, what's the plan?" Sam asked. She looked at him with defiant, violet eyes through her bangs.

He had made a small trip to the human world; to help prep just in case shit went sideways.

"You, Tucker, Dash, and Valerie are all going to do the best you can to defend Amity. Put the ghost shield up-it should buy you guys some time just in case anything happens. If they come into our world don't take it down. We need to prevent a breach of ghosts; the city needs to become a quarantine zone."

"What about weapons?" Tucker asked. Danny took a pair of keys out of his pocket and tossed them to him.

"They're in my storage unit. Take Dash, he'll show you. In the meantime, Valerie and Sam, set up the shield and try to get everybody to the safe-houses until Tucker and Dash get back. We need to do this quickly with as little panic as possible, or else it will all go to shit. I don't need another government agency trying to investigate the town, okay?"

"Understandable since they got you last time," Tucker said. Danny's lips went thin, but he just nodded. This wasn't the time to talk about that. Now was the time to prevent the ghost apocalypse while Danny and the other undead, ectoplasmic beings raised hell at Pariah's castle.

"Understood, Danny," Valerie stated. He nodded, and sighed.

"Alright. Let's get to it, then."

The small group nodded, but before Tucker could pull Dash aside, the big blonde stepped forward towards Danny and took him a few feet away from the others.

"Hey, stay safe. I don't want to have to burry you," he said. His voice was small, and pleading as he spoke. Danny nodded.

"I promise I'll do my best. But just in case-"

Danny grabbed Dash by his top and yanked him down to his level, pulling him into a deep, quick kiss that was packed with my to many unexplored emotions.

"Go get 'em," Dash said once they broke apart. Danny nodded, and gave Dash a two-finger salute.

After that, he didn't want to go. He never wanted any of this to happen in the first place. Clockwork was injured, Amorpho was probably dead, and he might become a full ghost if this didn't work out. He just wanted to sleep in, being held tight in Dash's arms like everything was right in the world. He had never told his soon-to-be husband, but the lazy mornings were his favorite. Where he would wake up, and Dash would coax him back to a half-asleep state, where he was on the brink of slipping into his subconscious, but was also highly aware of the hand rubbing circles on his back or running up and down his arms. He could relax his whole body, and he didn't have to think about anything but how lucky he was to have someone as sweet and caring as Dash.

Hopefully, when all is said and done, he'd have more of those mornings.

Despite the lack of weather in the ghost zone it seemed especially dark and gloomy when they reached Pariah's Keep. It wasn't too far in the distance-really just a short flight-and Danny could feel the dark energy radiating off of it. The castle itself was impossibly large, and very gothic. It was something Sam might have been proud of, if it wasn't housing the most evil being in the universe. Dimensions? Who even cares, anymore? He was going down one way or another.

"Alright, we ready?" He asked. All of the ghosts behind him nodded.

Danny's nerves were writhing beneath his skin, coiling tightly and loosening in an endless cycle the closer they flew to the castle. He had been able to feel the negative energy coming from this place and Pariah ever since the old king had woken up, and now that he was there, up close and personal, he could feel it in his bones. Hell, he could even feel it in his core. This place…This place was just pure evil. He thought he had experienced evil, what with Vlad, or his evil older self. But neither of them were anything compared to the aura this place gave off. It almost made Danny want to puke.

But he didn't. Danny was the leader. He was the one who set the example. He was the one who had to be strong, lead the team to victory, and pretend like they would all have a happy ending. He felt like he was in a cheesy sports movie about teamwork and family, but with more death and fear and cursing.

As soon as they landed, shit hit the fan. Skeletons started popping up, grabbing at the normal ghosts, pulling them down or trying to slice them up with their swords. Pariah was prepared. However, this also showed that he was scared. He was hiding behind his army, and that could actually be an advantage. There was a reason Pariah was scared, and it Danny could figure out why, he'd be golden.

But first, the giant skeleton army.

Dash nursed his blaster as they got the Fenton Shield up and running, encompassing the entire town. It was a big precaution, and a dangerous one. If ghosts did get into the town, it would be through the portal. This prevented the ghosts from leaving the town, but it also trapped the citizens inside with them. Fentonworks was huge, but it wasn't nearly big enough to keep all of them in. That's why Dash was thankful that Danny had convinced the town to get ghost proof security installed in their houses and businesses.

Their hindsight was twenty-twenty on a good day.

"How long is this going to hold?" Valerie asked as she double checked that her equipment was ready to go.

"It can last up to about two weeks, thanks to a design Danny made," Sam replied. "Hopefully this won't last that long."

"Danny has been stressing about this for days now," Dash said. "If he's ending it, it'll be soon."

"If he wins, it'll be soon," Tucker cut in. "He's facing someone with unlimited power, and on top of that we have no idea who this guy is. At least with Vlad we had an advantage."

"It's Danny," Sam said, voice hard. "He'll win."

"Or he'll die trying. That ghost boy will never learn, will he?" Valerie said. Dash gave her a bittersweet smile and shook his head.

"No, he won't. But that's what makes him Danny."

"Most of the ghosts will be helping Danny, but there are some that might be taking refuge here, away from-"

Sam's sentence was cut off by the alarms and flashing, red lights. All four young adults looked around, worried. Valerie put her mask on, and looked to them.

"Looks like it's out time to shine."

"No…It's not…" Dash said. "Look out the window."

They did, and what they saw was terrifying. It shook all of them down to the bone, as the sky became swirls of green. In the distance they could see a castle, where something big was happening. Dash grabbed a pair of binoculars from his belt and looked on.

It was Danny and his army, fighting a skeleton army. Danny spared a glance at the city, his face briefly flashed with fear, but he was quickly distracted again by a small pod of skeletons swinging at him. He ducked and punched, and Dash couldn't be more proud of what he saw. But he had to focus. He couldn't let the fact that his fiancé might die today get in the way of him keeping the town safe.

"It looks like we're in the Ghost Zone," Tucker said. "But the whole town? How?"

"I think I know how," Valerie stated. She pointed to the castle, and they all turned to watch as the doors opened, and a big, burly ghost walked out.

"Oh my god," Sam said. "It's him. It's Pariah Dark."

Danny growled as Pariah came out of his castle. They had been fighting for a little while now and he's only now just showing his face. He was a coward, but also smart. Pariah had been using his army to tire them out, but unfortunately for him, most of them were pretty high leveled ghosts. They weren't going to go down that easily.

Danny started walking calmy towards the so called king. He must have been giving off an aura of some kind, because as he walked the warriors on both sides stopped fighting and parted ways, giving Danny a straight shot to Pariah. As he walked, he used his ice powers to create a sword. It was slightly misty from the cold, and gave him a more ethereal look. Pariah only sneered.

"Pariah," Danny said, his voice booming. "I'm only going to give you one chance. Surrender now, and you'll be spared," danny said. As expected, it did pretty much nothing but make Pariah irritated.

"You, a mere child, are trying to bargain with the strongest being in any realm? I've heard the rumors, halfa. The stories. They call you a protector. A fighter. One who gives hope." Danny gripped his sword a little tighter as Pariah pulled his out, and started walking towards him.

"Hope is for children."

With that he burst forward, his ghostly steel nearly impaling Danny if it hadn't been for his reflexes. The battle around them started raging on again. It seemed as though his army, his friends, found a new, regained confidence and they seemed to draw their strength and determination from Danny and the aura he had been giving off. But the same also seemed to be true for Pariah's skeleton army, who seemed to be feeding off of the fear and rage that the king's aura oozed out.

Blades clashed, back and forth they went. Danny dodged, ducked, and tried sweeping his leg out from under the king, but Pariah just jumped up and tried stabbing Danny. He dodged, and Pariah stabbed the ground instead. Before he could get his blade out, Danny slashed. It was blocked by Pariah's armored forearm, and Danny stumbled back from the impact.

They fought, and fought and fought. Ages it seemed like. Skeletons dropping, yetis and Greeks being ended, and Danny hurt for them. He knew several of them, they were his friends. He hurt for them, he fought for them, and he was going to end for them.

He was determined to end Pariah.

He slashed his sword again, and sent an ectoblast, but Pariah dodged and surged forward, knocking Danny back onto the ground. He was panting, and his hair was sticking to his forehead with sweat. He never sweat. This was bad.

Pariah reached down and tried to grab Danny's head with his giant hand and Danny rolled away. He tried going in for a punch, but Pariah caught his arm before his fist could make any sort of contact, and he lifted Danny up, squeezing as hard as he could. Danny screamed from the pain. It was like a million tiny needles were tearing his bones and muscles apart.

Pariah dropped him, and Danny cradled his injured arm.

"You won't win, you puny, insolent piece of nothing. You are nothing but a pest, something squashed under my boot." Pariah grabbed Danny's throat and picked him up. Danny gasped and held his breath. His ghost DNA let him hold it for ages, but if Pariah crushed his windpipe he was over with.

"I got something you don't though," Danny grunted out, saving as much as as he could.

"And what would that be?"

Pariah's eyes went wide three sharp spears pierced him in his chest, his throat, and right in between his eyes. His hand became slack and he dropped Danny, falling to his knees. Danny let the glow in his uninjured arm die down, and he stepped back.

"Ice powers, dumb ass."

The spears were charged with ecto-energy as well. When Danny commanded, they would explode, and he would be ended.

"Get used to not existing, you ugly piece of shit," Danny said as he snapped his fingers.

Pariah exploded in a burst of green and beard, his armor flying everywhere.

The battle around him died down, before eventually stopping altogether.

He did it. He won.

They won.

Danny grinned as the skeletons disappeared and his friends rejoiced. He dropped to his knees one last time, Frostbite and Dani quickly coming to his side, all three of them covered in blood that was theirs and not.

He passed out knowing that both of his worlds were saved because of him.

He passed out knowing he had just ended a life.

He passed out knowing that he would be able to see Dash again, and just that thought alone made it all better.

Chapter Text

Chapter 13

When Danny woke up, he saw Dani sitting in a chair near him, eating something or another. When he stirred, she looked up and smiled.

"It's about time," she said.

"How long was I out?" Danny asked, yawning.

"Only a couple of hours," Dani shrugged. "But everyone is wanting to hear from you. They've been waiting outside for a while."

Danny gave her a quizzical look as he stood up, ignoring the pain that coursed through his body. He noted that he had a cast on his left arm to stabilize it until his healing powers really kicked in. He looked out the window, and what he saw took his breath away.

Outside there were hundreds and hundreds of ghosts, as far as Danny could see. They were waiting, kind of on the impatient side, outside of the Observant's Tower. In the very front, trying to keep the peace, was Sam, Tucker, Dash, Valerie, and the Observants.

"Woah," Danny breathed.

"Yeah," Dani said. "I suggest you get out there."

Danny nodded and headed for the door.

Once he was out of his room, something large and furry pulled him in tight for a hug, squeezing what little air he had in his lungs out of him. Danny laughed.

"I'm glad to see you to, Frostbite," Danny said. Frostbite let him go, being careful of his arm, and smiled down at him. He had a large gash across his cheek, but other than that he looked pretty okay, considering.

"Today, history was made, all thanks to you. So congratulations, my king."

"King? Frostbite…What?"

"Follow me."

As he led Danny down tower, he explained that, because he defeated Pariah, he was the new ghost king. His lair was now going to be Phantom's Keep, formally known as Pariah's Keep. He would still live in the human world, but when he was fully dead the Keep was where he would live, or if he just needed to stay in the Zone for a while. He would come to the Zone for kingly duties, but other than that nothing about his schedule with the Zone really changed. And Frostbite assured him that they could still have tea.

"Also, a friend would like to make sure you know he's okay," Frostbite said once they made it down.

Danny looked up at him, earnestness in his eyes. He prayed to Clockwork that Frostbite was being serious about this, because if it wasn't who he thought it was that would be another death on his hands.

Frostbite smiled at him and nodded his head to the side. Danny got the message and looked behind Frostbite, to see Amorpho leaning against a post and talking with Ember.

Amorpho saw the movements from Frostbite and Danny and looked over, his head perking up.

"Ghost kid!" He said excitedly.

"Amorpho, you're alive!"

Danny ran forward, and instead of taking the forearm that Amorpho offered, he gave him a full on hug. Amorpho laughed.

"Yeah, yeah, it's me. A bit of light torture never hurt anyone. See? Only a scratch."

In reality it was a lot of scratches. But Danny wasn't going to ruin the moment with his technicalities.

Before he could say anything, Ember walked up to them. She didn't say anything for a second. Instead she just looked him up and down before pulling her arm back and slugging his shoulder. Danny winced and held it, looking at her angrily and quizzically. Before he could ask why she did that, she smirked.

"You did good, ghost boy. Thanks." And then she walked away. Danny and Amorpho shared a look, and shrugged.

"Daniel! Come!"

Danny looked over. Clockwork was standing in the doorway outside, and, for the first time Danny had ever seen, grinning ear to ear as he beckoned the halfa over. Amorpho pat his shoulder and shoved him forward slightly. Danny got the message and nodded his goodbye before coming to Clockwork.

As soon as he stepped foot outside, the sea of ghosts erupted into cheers. He could hear the vibrations from their rejoicing in his chest. Across the makeshift stage were his friends and fiancé. Danny ran to Dash, and Dash spun him around for a moment before dropping him and kissing him, like in the movies. But it was better because it was Dash and because it wasn't a movie, it was real life. The cheers were drowned out by the head Observant, and Danny and Dash parted, giving each other one last hug. He turned to the others as the head Observant was talking, getting the crowd warmed up.

"Is Amity okay?" He asked them. Sam nodded.

"Yeah, everyone is fine. The whole town got sucked into the Zone, but the shield protected us from the ghosts and stuff. When you beat Pariah, though, the town went back into the human world like nothing ever happened."

"Yeah," Tucker chimed in. "People are a little spooked but they'll be fine."

"I'm going to pretend you didn't just say that," Danny said with a grin. He turned back to the Observant.

"Today is the day for all of ghost-kind to rejoice!" The Observant's voice boomed. "Down came a tyrant, who ruled for eons. Due to ghost law, the defeater will rule, and I have not been more proud to say that our new ruler will be Daniel Fenton! Halfa; patron of both this realm and the human realm!"

More cheering and clapping, and another ten pauses. Frostbite walked up, the Ring of Rage and Crown of Fire on a pillow in his hands. He seemed wary to be carrying them, but was happy to be the one to bless Danny with such things.

But Danny didn't want them. He didn't want what corrupted Pariah, and he didn't want that much power at his fingertips. Before Frostbite could set the pillow down to place the things on him, he held up his hand.

"If I am going to be corrinated, it will not be with these poisoned artifacts. I am to rule with kindness, strength, and compassion, not rage and fear, which these harbor."

Before anybody could stop him, he grabbed both, coated them in ice, and threw them up in the air above the crowd. He then shot them with a powerful ectoblast, and they exploded, making the crowd cheer some more for the impromptu fireworks. He looked back to Frostbite, Clockwork now standing next to him. Both were grinning.

"I knew you'd make the right choice," he whispered to Danny. Frostbite then closed his eyes, focusing his ice powers into something magnificent. He closed his hands, one over the other, and when the frosty mist faded, his hands opened. There, in his palms, was a crown of ice, bejeweled with blue and green gems, and carved with an intricate design only Frostbite would be able to pull off. Danny grinned and bowed his head as Frostbite placed the crown over his head.

Then Clockwork stepped forward, a cloth and shoulder armor in his hands. He unfolded it all, and drew it around Danny, locking in the shoulder armor and cloak, which was black with a green trim, the design of the trim matching that of the crown.

"To be worn forever and always," Clockwork said. Danny nodded. Clockwork held out his arm, and Danny gripped it, as Clockwork did to him. It was the official handshake of royalty, of ghosts, of respect. Frostbite came over and did the same, and then the head Observant, who then lifted his arm up. Cheers erupted from the crowd, and Danny grinned.

"Rule well, my friend."

"I'll do my best."

Chapter Text

"Another failure," a deep voice boomed. He sat in his golden throne, looking out to the stars. It was a shame, too. Pariah had such great potential. However, it looked like the being from two worlds was undefeatable. At least to a measly little ghost king.

"My lord," another voice said. Accented, and smaller. More…human. "I deeply apologize for the interruption, but what now?"

The being turned around, looking down his nose at Loki of Asgard.

"You will go to this so called Earth, and test their strength. But reveal me, and you will suffer the might of ten supernovas."

"Yes, Thanos. I understand."

"Good. Now off with you."

"Dude, quit being so jumpy. You guys have been ready for this for a long time, now," Tucker said as he straightened out Danny's bow tie.

"I know. But what if I mess up my vows? What if something catches fire or-or what if there's a ghost attack or-"

"-Danny!" Tucker said, half serious, half chuckling to himself. "It's all going to be fine. Now go out there and marry the man of your dreams."

He nodded, took a deep breath, and walked out in front of everybody. There was another entrance on the other side that Dash started walking from, and they locked eyes. In that moment, all of the nervousness Danny had disappeared. He was going to be with Dash. He was going to live a long, happy life with the man he loved, and he couldn't ask for anything better. He wanted this more than anything in the world, and from the look in Dash's eyes, Danny knew he was thinking the same thing.

They stopped in front of each other, their groomspeople behind them. Tucker, Sam, and Jazz were behind Danny, and Kwan, Valerie, and Dani were behind Dash. The officiant smiled between the two of them, and began his speech.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here today to take witness in an extraordinary act of love."

Danny kind of stopped paying attention after that. All he could do was stare into Dash's eyes, his grin getting wider and wider. He couldn't help himself, he was just so goddamn happy. Like he was on cloud 9 and was never coming down.

Soon enough, the vows were read, both grooms were borderline crying, and they had the most satisfying kiss of their lives. Dash even dipped Danny as he did so, just to put on a show, but god, it was so worth it.

Danny just married his prince. Maybe now they really would have a happily ever after.

It was two nights later when he came.

There had been a harsh knocking on their door. Danny had gotten back from patrol just a couple hours prior to that, and was knocked the hell out. Dash, however, did wake up. He slowly got out of bed, leaving his husband to slumber peacefully, so he could go and answer the door. On the way out he grabbed his baseball bat just in case.

Before he opened the door, he leaned it against the wall. What he saw when he finally did open it surprised him.

He was a blonde man, with a short haircut, a couple of scrapes and bruises dotting his skin, and was just a hair shorter than Danny. His shoulders were broad, and it was obvious he worked out with how his muscles bulged under his black tact-suit. On his shoulder was an emblem of some sort of bird? And on his back was an empty quiver.

"Hi. Does Danny Fenton live here?" He asked. Dash nodded, stepping in front of the doorway. He did this to prevent access, and so he could reach his baseball bat.

"What do you want with him," he asked defensively.

"Just to talk. I want to offer him an opportunity."

Before Dash could say anything however, Danny walked in, bleary eyed and stumbling a little from having just woken up.

"Dash? What's going on," he yawned out.

Dash, without saying anything, moved aside for the shorter blonde to enter their home. He looked around for a moment before extending his hand towards Danny and giving him a warm smile.

"Name's Barton. I'm here to talk to you about the Avengers Initiative."