Encounters Part Five
Tony was sitting at his lab bench, bent over studying something, when a backpack dropped onto the floor next to him. A teenage boy followed the backpack, dropping into the chair next to Tony.
“Hey Mister Stark!” Peter greeted, unwrapping a protein bar.
Tony’s head popped up, and he found himself smiling. “Hey, Petey.”
“You know, I was thinking, we should really try to watch the last one of those videos soon. It’s been, like, a month since the meeting we got them at,” Peter mused, picking up one of the VHS tapes sitting on his desk.
Tony grimaced. “I know we need to, kid, but the Avengers aren’t exactly easy to just get together for movie nights. Especially since SHIELD fell, Cap, Widow, and Falcon have been running around taking out HYDRA bases.”
Peter sighed, propped his feet up on his desk, and leaned back in his chair. “I know, believe me. You know how many HYDRA fanatics I’ve had to deal with here? Just in this city? I don’t know the number, but it was way, way too many,” he griped.
“I know, it sucks. But you’ve been doing good, if that’s any consolation,” Tony offered.
“Any progress with the ghost weapons?” Peter asked, blatantly changing the subject.
Tony decided to let him get away with it. “Absolutely none. I have no idea how to fight things that are made of a material I’ve never even heard of, let alone had a chance to study,” he complained, rubbing at his eyes.
“Yeah, I told you that would be a problem, but you were all ‘Peter, I’m a genius and a billionaire, I can figure it out!’” Peter mocked, doing a deep voice.
Tony swatted him on the shoulder half heartedly. “Yeah yeah, you were right, I was wrong, har har.”
Peter sighed. “Yeah. It sucks. I’m just glad we still have the belt things, because otherwise I would be screwed on patrol.”
“You’ve been seeing ghosts on patrol?” Tony accused.
“I mean, yeah. Not a lot of them, but like, they’re out there,” Peter answered, shrugging.
“God,” Tony groaned, rubbing the back of his neck. “That does suck.”
“You know what I keep thinking, every time we watch one of those videos?” Peter asked, suddenly.
“What?”
“That Daniel looks familiar. Like, really familiar. I just can’t place how.”
“He does seem familiar, doesn’t he?” Tony agreed, trying to picture the boy’s face in his mind.
“Yeah,” Peter murmured, thoughtful.
The two exchanged a dozen different ideas of who they reminded him of, but they couldn’t figure it out.
“It’s almost like he looks familiar but his voice is just different enough that I can’t place it,” Peter mused.
“Wait, that’s it, his voice is different! I think I know who it is!” Tony crowed.
“Who, who?”
“Phantom!”
“Daniel,” Clockwork called.
Danny, who was bent over a timepiece, looked up.
“What’s up?” he asked, stretching.
Clockwork smiled at him, as mysterious as ever. “There is someone I think you should meet.”
“Okay?” Danny agreed, drifting above the table.
“I’ve told you about Wakanda?”
“Yeah, Scarlett too. Secret society in Africa, lots of tech, weird superpowered king, fancy super secret space metal, all that,” Danny agreed, listing.
“They have just had a change in power. They have a new king, who has also taken on the mantle and powers of the Black Panther, as is tradition. I believe you should meet. Now come along,” Clockwork ordered, flying down through Long Now.
“Why?” Danny called, flying after him.
“I believe, once you meet King T’Challa, it will begin to make more sense,” Clockwork advised.
Danny knew by this point that pushing would not get him a more useful answer, so he just followed Clockwork through the swirling green eddies of the Realms. Clockwork opened a portal and Danny followed him through that, too.
Danny wasn’t prepared for the breathtaking awe inspiring sheer beauty of the city they emerged in. His first thought, after wordless amazement, was that Sam would love it. There were skyscrapers and buildings surrounded by trees, dirt roads between buildings, everything sparkled and shone and nature was mixed in everywhere he looked. It was harmony, agreement, and so, so unique. Foreign, even more than the Realms were.
“Welcome to Birnin Zana, the capital city of Wakanda,” Clockwork said, softly, considerate enough not to ruin the serenity of the moment for Danny.
“It’s gorgeous,” Danny answered, softly.
Clockwork gave him another moment to stare, before he was flying off again. It took Danny a moment to snap out of his trance and follow Clockwork towards the central structure. Danny assumed it was the palace.
When they were close enough, Clockwork led him down into an open courtyard in the middle of the structure. There were two people sitting there, one man and a teenage girl that was probably around Danny’s age. Clockwork, as per usual, drifted just above the ground right in front of them. Danny copied him. The man looked up and smiled.
“Ah, Clockwork! What brings you here? Nothing bad, I hope?” the man asked, seeming worried.
Clockwork flicked his hand, dismissive. “No such thing, King T’Challa. There is just someone I wanted you to meet.”
The man, T’Challa’s, eyes shifted to Danny. “I see.”
“This is my apprentice, Phantom,” Clockwork introduced, gesturing at Danny.
Danny waved. “Um, hi. It’s nice to meet you.”
The girl beside T’Challa finally looked up from whatever she was working on.
“You’re a teenager,” she accused.
Danny tilted his head. “Technically, ghosts don’t have teenagers. But by human standards, that would be accurate.”
The girl snorted. “I’m Shuri, head of the science division for his royal kingliness over here,” she introduced, waving a hand in T’Challa’s direction.
“My sister, Shuri,” T’Challa agreed, dryly.
Danny laughed. T’Challa stood from his seat, stretching, and Danny felt something...weird from him. A tinge of pain, almost like a memory, and suddenly he was a little dizzy. Beside him, Clockwork seemed similarly affected.
“Blood blossoms,” Danny whispered.
“Yes,” Clockwork agreed. “It is a mutated version of blood blossoms that the Black Panther derives their power from.”
T’Challa glanced back and forth between them, then slowly sat back down. The feeling faded.
“I apologize,” he said, carefully.
“It’s quite alright. I was hoping Phantom would have an opportunity to learn on this trip,” Clockwork explained.
Shuri looked from her brother to the ghosts. “What’s going on here?” she demanded.
“Ah. The Heart Shaped Herb that gives the Black Panther their powers is a mutated version of a plant called a blood blossom that acts as a sort of natural ghost repellent,” T’Challa explained. “I have yet to completely master that aspect of my powers,” he added, wryly.
Shuri looked back and forth again. “I see.”
“Grandfather?” Danny asked, voice small.
The feeling had lessened, but now that he knew it was there, it was like a persistent cloying sweetness on his tongue. Barely there, just the threat of it, hovering, making his head spin unpleasantly. He had grabbed onto Clockwork at some point without realizing it.
“I am sorry, Phantom. Yes, we should quite be going now,” Clockwork announced, putting an arm around Danny. “Thank you for seeing us, King T’Challa, Princess Shuri,” he added.
They both nodded to Clockwork, who carefully led Danny back up into the sky. Once they were high enough, the feeling faded, and Danny’s nervous system returned to normal. Clockwork opened a portal and they went through it together.
“That was weird,” Danny decided, once safely ensconced again in Long Now.
“It is a strange sensation. T’Challa will gain control of that aspect of his powers eventually. In the meantime, each time you may be around him you will gain a slow sort of tolerance to the effects of the Heart Shaped Herb,” Clockwork explained.
“Why would I be around him, anyway?” Danny grouched, drifting down to sit on Clockwork’s lap.
Clockwork smiled fondly at him. “Daniel, you are very likely going to become the King of the Realms as soon as you come of age. At that point, diplomatic relations with Wakanda will pass out of the Ancient’s duties and into yours.”
“Wait, I’m going to be king?” Danny asked, raising an eyebrow.
“More than likely,” Clockwork admitted.
“Oh dear.”
“It can’t be Phantom, he’s a ghost!” Peter protested.
“But just think about it! Doesn’t he look exactly like Daniel except for the eyes and the hair? And his voice being different is probably because ghosts don't sound the same as humans. They’re all echoey,” Tony insisted, waving his hands energetically.
Peter considered it for a moment. “But how could Phantom and Daniel be the same person? One of them is a ghost and one is a human!”
Tony paused in his pacing. “Maybe they aren’t the same person? Maybe Daniel had a twin brother who died or something and that’s Phantom.”
“Maybe,” Peter allowed, doubtful.
“Or maybe,” Tony offered, “well, think about it. We’ve met Phantom in real life plenty of times, but we’ve never met Daniel. And the videos are on VHS tapes, and the only things that are ever in them are Daniel and that white board. We have no idea how long ago they were filmed. What if Phantom is Daniel’s ghost?”
Peter froze, the images running through his head. The voice, the face, the same hand gestures, the same turns of phrase…
“Holy shit Phantom is Daniel’s ghost.”
“I can’t be ghost king!” Danny insisted, tearing a hand through his hair.
“Daniel, please, try to calm down. It will not happen for a very long time,” Clockwork soothed.
“Why me?” Danny groaned.
Clockwork smiled sadly at him. “You are the most qualified.”
“Ugh,” Danny protested, waving a dismissive hand. “Scarlett is qualified! Why can’t she be ghost queen or something?” he demanded.
“While your sister is very powerful, she lacks the compassion and understanding that make you such a perfect candidate. There are not many ghosts with those traits in abundance,” Clockwork explained, gently.
“She’s not nice enough?” Danny demanded, incredulous.
“Indeed,” Clockwork confirmed.
Danny flopped face down on Clockwork’s lap. “Why is it always me?”
Clockwork stroked a hand over his hair. “Because you are exceptional.”