The Ultimate Hero

By Marisa Mockery and Laryna6

Please note: this is a story about what would have happened had Clockwork not saved Danny's family at the end of The Ultimate Enemy. Therefore, any new characters introduced, changes in character relationships, or changes in character personalities after The Ultimate Enemy (Episode Five, Season Two) are null and void, since in this story they don't exist (or at least haven't been found yet). Please remember this for continuality.

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Part One: Beginning

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Prologue

"Your time is up, Danny. It's been up for ten years."

- - -

Danny slammed into the ground, grunting with the impact, too hurt to even open his eyes.

"What makes you think you can change my past?" taunted his future counterpart. Danny shoved himself onto his hands and knees, trembling from the effort.

"Because I promised my family!"

"Ha!" the phantom exclaimed, and chuckled. "You are such a child. You promised?"

"Yes!" Danny roared. "I PROMISED!"

A wave of power burst from the boy, and a high keening wail filled the air. The phantom didn't even have time to think before Danny's Ghostly Wail knocked him off his feet and he flew high, crashing into the pavement twenty feet away.

"That power!" he gasped. "It's not possible! I don't get that power until ten years from now…"

Danny stood up and put his hand on his side, wincing slightly. "I guess," he panted, "the future…isn't as set in stone as you think it is."

With that he howled again, this time blowing the ghost all the way into a four-story building a block away. The building collapsed with a CRASH, and Danny fell to his hands and knees, phasing into his human form as he tried to recover from the massive drain on his powers.

A hand shot out of the rubble.

Danny's head jerked up.

His future counterpart burst out of the gravel, growling and injured.

"Well, that's it, isn't it?" he began.

"Time's up," Danny snarled. He grabbed the Fenton Thermos and activated it. A blue ray shot out of the cylinder and dragged at the ragged ghost, who struggled against the pull desperately.

"Too weak to escape," he gasped as he fought. "But you're too weak to save them…"

With a scream the phantom disappeared into the thermos. Danny slammed the lid shut. He smiled, for a moment enjoying his victory…

…before remembering his family and friends (and Mr. Lancer) were all still strapped to the tanks in the Nasty Burger, set to explode.

"Oh no…"

He turned.

The tanks turned red.

He began to run, but couldn't move fast enough. He felt his power gather around his waist—and fizzle out.

"I can't go ghost!" he cried. He tried to run faster, but tripped on a rock, landing face first on the cracked pavement. "NOOOOOO!"

He stared into his family and friends' eyes, and they stared back. Sweat poured down his face.

The Nasty Burger exploded, the fire reflecting in his glassy blue eyes.

He flew backward, and his world grew black—

- - -

He woke up feeling fuzzy, like he was in a dream.

"It's been two days," worried a familiar voice. "Why hasn't he woken up yet?"

"Honey, he was practically at ground zero," answered a second familiar voice. Male. "Give him time. Besides, we still need to figure out what to tell him when he wakes up."

Tell me what…? he wondered, and cracked open an eye. Everything was blurry and soft around the edges, but he could see.

"I know…he'll be in such a delicate state…how could…"

Danny cracked open the other eye and squinted at the speaker.

That's Mrs. Foley, he thought drowsily. Mr. Foley stepped into his vision, and both of them stopped talking when they realized he was staring at them.

"Danny! You're awake!" Mrs. Foley swooped down, and Danny found himself in a fierce hug. He felt wetness on his cheek, and blinked.

"Mmm…a…awake?" he mumbled. "Wh…" Danny tried to gather his thoughts. "Wh…what's goin'…on? Where's Mom an'…and Dad?"

He felt Mrs. Foley stiffen a bit, then let go. He looked at her face, and saw her eyes tear.

"Sweetie…"

"Don't tell him yet," hissed Mr. Foley. "He just—"

"Tell me what?"

Neither parent responded.

"Tell me what?"

But he knew.

"All…all of them, huh?" he whispered, his voice devoid of all emotion. "I…didn't save them, did I?" Why is the world spinning? he thought dizzily. It's supposed to stay still, I know it is…

"Danny…"

"They're all dead…just like he said…all…"

And when the black took him, he welcomed it.