The problem with being the Architect of a crossover is that once you start pulling threads, the whole tapestry tends to unravel in your direction. I had intended for Ben, Danny, and Kim to have a slow, controlled "meet-cute" over a period of weeks.
The universe, however, had other plans. Specifically, it had Dr. Drakken and a very lost, very angry Vilgax drone.
"Sheila," I said, my voice low as I ducked into a supply closet in the back of the Burger Shack. The bus had stopped for a 'rest break,' and the air was already thick with the smell of grease and impending doom. "Tell me I'm misinterpreting the telemetry."
["I wish I could, Danny,"] Sheila's avatar appeared on my tablet, looking unusually frazzled. ["It appears Dr. Drakken's latest 'Global Positioning Scrambler' didn't just scramble GPS. It accidentally tapped into a subspace frequency used by the Chimera Sui Generis. A scout drone was pulled through a rift three minutes ago. It is currently heading toward the Burger Shack, likely sensing the Omnitrix's signature."]
"And Drakken?"
["He's currently hovering overhead in a very conspicuous 'Invisibility Jet' that is currently flickering because he forgot to pay the subscription fee for the cloaking software. He thinks he's discovered a 'New Alien Super-Weapon.'"]
I groaned, rubbing my temples. "Of course. He's going to try to steal the Omnitrix while the drone is trying to vaporize the neighborhood. This is a PR disaster."
I stepped out of the closet just in time to see the ceiling of the Burger Shack get sheared off by a red plasma beam.
"KP! Look out!" Ron yelled, diving under a booth with Rufus.
Kim was already moving. She backflipped over a condiment stand, her Kimmunicator out. "Wade! I need a scan on that thing! It's not a robot, it's... it's a giant floating eyeball with lasers!"
"It's a Vilgaxian Hunter-Seeker, Kim!" I yelled, dropping the 'dumb brother' act for a split second as I slid into the booth next to her. "Vulnerable to high-frequency sonic bursts! And watch out for the tentacles!"
Kim paused, mid-roll. "How do you know that?"
"I... read a very specific comic book!" I shouted over the roar of the drone. "Just hit it in the lens!"
Across the room, Ben Tennyson didn't wait for instructions. He slammed the Omnitrix. "Going big! Give me something good!"
In a flash of green, he wasn't a ten-year-old anymore. He was a crystalline giant. "Diamondhead! Oh yeah!"
At the same time, I saw Danny Fenton slip behind the soda fountain. A blue ring of light traveled down his body, and Danny Phantom rose into the air, invisible to everyone but my specialized lenses.
"Okay, spooky kid, kid with the watch, and sister," I whispered, opening a hidden panel on my watch. "Let's see if we can get you to play nice."
I didn't join the fight. I did something much more effective. I hacked into the Burger Shack's PA system and the Kimmunicator simultaneously.
"Attention, Heroes," I said, my voice modulated to sound like a deep, authoritative 'System Command.' "The drone is shielded against individual attacks. You need a synchronized strike. Kim, use your grapple to pin the lower thrusters. Diamondhead, create a reflection lattice. Ghost-boy—I know you're there—use your 'Ghost Ray' to overload the core through the reflection."
"Who is this?" Kim demanded, even as she fired her grapple with perfect aim.
"Just call me... The Producer," I replied.
The battle was a beautiful, chaotic mess. Diamondhead grew a forest of crystals that bounced the drone's own lasers back at it. Danny Phantom, looking terrified but determined, phased through the crystal lattice to deliver a concentrated blast of ecto-energy.
And then there was Drakken.
"AHA!" the blue-skinned villain cackled, his voice booming from a megaphone on his flickering jet. "The laser-eye is mine! Shego, get the net!"
"It's a giant alien drone, Dr. D," Shego's bored voice drifted down. "I'm pretty sure a net isn't going to—"
"JUST THROW THE NET!"
I sighed. "Sheila, disable the jet's left engine. Gently."
The jet sputtered and tilted, sending Drakken's 'Capture Net' drifting harmlessly into a nearby dumpster.
"NOW!" I shouted into the comms.
The drone didn't stand a chance. The combined force of Kim's tactical positioning, Ben's brute force, and Danny's supernatural energy caused the machine to implode in a shower of sparks and purple oil.
As the dust settled, the three of them stood in the ruins of the parking lot, staring at each other.
"You're a ghost," Ben said, pointing at Danny Phantom.
"You're a... crystal guy," Danny replied, blinking.
"And you," Kim said, looking at both of them with her hands on her hips, "are both going to have a lot of explaining to do before the police get here."
I watched from the shadows of the bus, a satisfied smirk on my face. The 'Unity' file was growing. They were confused, they were messy, and they had absolutely no idea how to work together.
It was a perfect first rehearsal.
"Sheila," I said, boarding the bus as Barkin began to blow his whistle to gather the students. "Send a 'Cleanup Crew'—one of my shell companies—to collect the drone parts. I want that tech analyzed by morning."
["And the heroes, Danny? They're still talking."]
"Let them talk," I said, sitting down and opening a textbook as if nothing had happened. "The best way to build a team isn't to give them a speech. It's to give them a common enemy."
I looked out the window as the bus pulled away. In the distance, I could see Kim, Ben, and Danny all looking at their respective gadgets, then back at each other.
The Possible Protocol was officially online.