Danny instinctively covered the group in a green dome of energy, peering out from behind the wavering surface with a certain amount of wariness. He was not prepared to fight anyone, not until they reached the lake anyway, and the sudden blast in front of him made him much more jumpy than before.

"What was that?" Dipper quietly inquired behind him, journal held close.

"I don't know." He scanned his surroundings through the transparent ectoplasm, cocking his head as he looked out at the decent-sized hole in the ground just two feet from him. He noted the pink ectoplasm splattered on some of the dirt and debris, and realization hit him like a knife.

"Vlad," he muttered, almost angrily. "What the hell is he doing here?"

A laugh, cold and venomous, came from above them. It could only be classified as Plasmius' evil laugh, but there was a quality to it that made it seem ... less humane. Danny walked out of the dome and covered his friends up once more, not wanting them to get involved in this fight. Jazz shouted angrily behind him.

"It's just Vlad, it'll be fine," he assured her, but even he was having second thoughts. Something wasn't right.

He flew up to meet the middle-aged man.

"Heya, Phantom, it's been a while."

Danny scoffed, studying Vlad inquiringly. Something seemed off about his voice, and now that he looked at it, so did his eyes. "Since when did you start calling me Phantom?"

A sly grin, creeping up his cheeks and reaching a little too close to his eyes for comfort. Something was definitely off here. "Just wanted to test out the name."

"You sick or something? Ecto-acne at it again? Sorry, I can't really tell anymore, your face is just too disgusting to look at."

Another laugh. Vlad was much too cheerful. "Nice one, but let's skip the pleasantries. I'm after one thing right now, and it's definitely not you."

Danny quirked an eyebrow. "Weird, seems the only thing you're after these days are me and my mom. You're not planning anything on her, are you? We talked about this, Vlad, you gotta set more realistic goals."

"Hah, no. I tried to have my fun with you and it, well, it didn't go according to plan." Danny was slightly taken aback, the gears turning in his mind. "I want that journal that Pine Tree down there is holding."

Pine Tree? Danny looked down at the dome of ectoplasmic energy in dismay. "You mean Dipper? Wait, how do you know him?"

"I know everything."

"Yeah, nice one Clockwork, but I'm pretty sure you don't--"

Danny froze.

"Heya, Phantom." The words echoed through his mind.

"Bill?" Danny's face was twisted in pure disbelief.

Vlad slowly clapped, winking. "That's the name, destroying is the game."

"You're--you--but--"

"Please, I want to get rid of Sera as much as you do," he growled. "But I need that journal to get to her."

Danny crossed his arms, contemplating. "I thought you were all-knowing. Besides, the journal doesn't have any info on Sera."

Vlad squinted. "Come on, kid. It's a win-win. I get the journal, you get rid of Sera and save your mermaid friends. Do we have a deal?" He stuck out his hand and it lit up in blue flame, a very strange color on Vlad.

Danny hesitated.

"I said, do we have a deal?"

"I gotta talk with my friends first."

"No you don't." A wave of his hand, and everything went gray. Time froze, and Danny looked down at the group to see Mabel pounding on the shield, Wendy's hair flying frantically in a worried shake, and Dipper's mouth forming the beginnings of No.

Maybe this dude was Clockwork. Some evil, twisted version.

It didn't take long for Danny to answer. He wasn't dumb. "No."

"No?"

"Sounds like a phony deal." Danny turned away, hiding an ectoblast behind his back for safe measure. "No."

"I wouldn't do that, kid." Vlad's eyes could glow in the dark.

Danny shrugged. "I tend to do things that aren't good for me. Like, for example, walking into a ghost portal that 'doesn't work.' Bad decision."

"I'm more powerful in this body than I ever would've been if I inhabited you!" A maniacal laugh. "This dude has no physical weaknesses! I tell you, you're going to regret the day you were born." His voice took on a dark undertone with the last words, and he suddenly lunged.

Color and time came rushing back in a frenzy as Danny was punched squarely in the jaw by Vlad's fist, flying through the air and creating a crater in the ground. He groaned in pain, the dome breaking down.

"Danny!" It was Dipper that ran to him first, peering into the crater in worry. "That's Bill. I knew as soon as his hand lit up in that blue flame."

Danny hissed in pain. "You think? How do I get rid of him?"

"Physical weaknesses."

Danny's eyes widened. "You got any other ideas?"

Vlad landed gracefully on the ground behind Dipper, walking menacingly towards the two of him. That dumb smile was still plastered on his face and his fists were clenched.

Danny flew up, hitting Vlad with an ectoblast. The dude just kept on walking like nothing hit him.

"He's half-ghost. He's been one for twenty-something years. I don't think he has any physical weaknesses."

"Hey, Pine Tree, nice to see you after I ruined your sister's puppet show. Really sorry about that."

Danny lunged forward but was pushed back with another ectoblast, Bill hardly giving him a second thought. He landed on the ground a few feet away.

"So how's about you hand over that journal, huh?"

"No way, Bill. This belongs to the author."

"And I'll give it to the author. Just hand it over."

"I'm not taking any more of your deals."

"Dipper! Pass the journal!" It was Wendy, waving her hands in the air. Dipper threw it towards her and she caught it in her arms, running in the other direction.

Danny heard Bill growl, low and terrifying, before he flew off after the girl.

Everyone was running, and it just so happened that they were going in the general direction of the stream. How convenient.

"Wendy!" It was Mabel, shouting as a warning sign. Vlad was gaining on her. Wendy misinterpreted it and threw it towards the girl, who dropped it on the ground before picking it up and running off.

The game continued. They threw it back and forth, person to person, until it finally landed at Stan's feet. He grasped it and tried to take off running, but Bill pushed him down onto the cold grass.

"Give me the journal, Stanley."

Danny couldn't have heard right. He was sure that Stan's full name had been Stanford.

"Give me my brother, you one-eyed freak!"

Stan threw the journal at Danny, who only caught it due to his super human reflexes.

Vlad growled. "This ends here."

Flying. Whipping past trees at ridiculous speeds, Danny moving on pure adrenaline. Branches ripped at his clothes, wind at his hair, and he continued on with not even a glance back. He thought he heard the distinctive shout of Vlad's regular voice floating on the breeze, but the thought flew past him like the wind in his face. He just had to get this book away from that maniac.

The stream loomed into view. Could he throw it in the stream?

"Come here, you--"

Danny stopped, flat in his tracks, and ducked.

Bill flew straight over him.

And into the water.

Danny held his breath as he watched the spray go up, showering him in the liquid. He turned himself intangible to get the dreaded stuff off. This wasn't good. This was not good.

Vlad, the human Vlad, came spluttering out of the water. He coughed and looked up at Danny with normal eyes, the inhuman smile gone from his facial features. Danny rushed towards him and turned him intangible as well, flying him out of the water and into the tree line. He didn't want a monster Vlad running around.

Something was glowing from under the clear water, washing the meadow in metallic gold. Vlad's eyes were wide in surprise. "You--Daniel, that triangle was--"

"Yeah, you're going back to Amity Park. Now."

Danny let go of his arm and turned in the other direction, flying towards his friends.

* * *

Oh, yikes. I told you it was going to get bad.

Thank you all so so so much for the support you've given me throughout this book! I don't even know how this is going to end, or when this is going to end, to be honest, so it's a ride for both of us. I knew I wanted to bring Bill back, though, and I hope this was the right way to do it. Comment, comment, comment! What did you think about Bill and Vlad? I'd love to hear from you! ^.^