Hope I didn't scare you too much last chapter. XD

Anyhow, I JUST FINISHED writing chapter 11, after all this time. And it looks like chapter 12 will take just as long. But I'm publishing this chapter, anyway...Just to keep you entertained.(When I complete chapter 15 I'll give you a couple of chapters in the same week!) Not as intense as the last chapter, but there's a lot of internal battling in this chapter. Danny's definitely feeling the intensity...

I don't own Skillet or the song "Monster". It just happens to be the main inspiration for this story, and, of course, it fits.

Plus, I've recently encountered a song that also fits this story pretty well. It's by a band called Red, and the song's name is "Confession". It definitely fits this story...(If you listen to it, you may even get subtle spoilers!)

Monster by TAA

Chapter Eight: Voice in my Head

In my body, in my head...

Vlad had been killed, just as Slade had known he would be. At the time, Vlad's death had meant nothing. The half ghost man wasn't worth anything. But Daniel's reaction to his death...it was worth everything. The boy was still angry, even after killing his archenemy and wrecking his room in the process.

Now Slade watched Danny Fenton pace his room. He was probably considering what had just happened. Slade chuckled to himself. When the halfa got over his guilt and stubbornness, he would be the perfect pick for an apprentice. He switched on another screen, where the armored man, Serpent, appeared.

"Serpent," Slade said, "it's time to turn your knowledge into action. You know who he's close to. You know what sets him off. You know his weaknesses. Exploit them."

"Yes, Slade. I shall," Serpent hissed, his eyes glowing red. "The boy will be ours."

TT...DP

Danny violently paced his room, trying to concentrate. Why had he lost control again? How had he done it? He was Danny Phantom. He shouldn't have been able to do what he had done. He had killed a human. It deeply bothered the boy, but not as much as it should have. In his anger, he had begun to grow numb to the full impact of the murder. He didn't completely realize he had taken a human life. He only thought of Vlad's evil nature and his ghost half. Still, he felt awful.

"I can't believe I was so violently angry," Danny muttered to himself, clearly frustrated. "And...what if Mom or Dad finds out about Vlad?"

"You could lie," the voice in his head whispered.

Danny growled. "But I don't want to lie anymore. Why am I even talking to you? You're only in my mind." He paused and took deep breaths. He held his forehead, which was beginning to hurt, with his hand. "You're probably not even real."

"Oh, I'm quite real, child," the voice hissed. "And I'm talking to you right now."

"Don't you think I know that?" Danny snapped. He slammed his fist against the floor.

"Oh, so angry. Was killing your archenemy not enough for you?" the voice purred.

"Stop it with the reminders, OK?" Danny hissed, holding his throbbing head. "I feel terrible about it."

"Really?" inquired the voice. "You should be pleased with yourself."

Danny blew a fuse or two. "Why should I be?" he yelled, seething.

"All he ever did was make you miserable. His life was worth taking. No more worrying about him!"

"But I'm responsible for his death," Danny growled, his stand growing weaker. He stood to his feet and began to pace.

"No, child. You were never to blame. He was the one who attacked you first. He made you lose control. In all truth, Vlad is to blame."

Danny paused in his pacing and thought. It was true. After all, Vlad had come into his room first...right? "But I threw the first punch," the halfa muttered weakly as a reminder to himself. If only he could control his anger...

"Look at it this way. If Vlad had never come in in the first place, all this would have never happened."

All this was making Danny feel less and less guilty about murdering Vlad. In fact, he was starting to feel quite good about it. The sick feeling in his stomach was dissipating. Vlad was gone, now. It was one less menace in his life to have to deal with. Plus, this whole ordeal was Vlad's fault. He had, by all means, killed himself.

Despite his anger, Danny smirked a little. He didn't remember his emotions that entire battle, or the fact that Vlad had somehow been wounded without his remembrance. He didn't recall Vlad's message, either. All the guilt had been washed away. Danny had been deceived.

DP...TT

"I've done as you asked, Slade," said Serpent, who was standing before Slade in his lair.

"Excellent," Slade replied, steepling his fingers. "Now it's time to put part 'B' of our plan into action."

Serpent nodded. At once, the man's body began to grow narrower. His arms melded with his body, and his legs spliced together. In only a few seconds, Serpent was an absolutely huge, sleek black snake. He hissed and flitted his tongue before turning and slithering out of the lair.

TT...DP

Danny had been on YouTube, listening to Skillet's "Monster" on repeat for the past hour or so, attempting to memorize the lyrics. The more he listened, the more he could compare the lyrics to his feelings in recent times. He felt the rage and he just couldn't hold it. He hated what he had become. His nightmare had just begun. He couldn't control his anger. He really felt like a monster. Stop this monster...Surely there was a way to stop his monster! Surely!

A knock on the door disrupted Danny's thoughts. "What?" the boy snapped, whipping around to look at his door.

"Danny?" Maddie asked. She sounded genuinely worried. Not that Danny really cared...

"I said What!" growled Danny.

"Are you OK? We heard a commotion up here about an hour ago."

"Oh, and you're just now checking on me?" You're so considerate! "It was a ghost battle, Mom!" Danny spat, trying not to scream. "And I'm not hurt, so please don't come in!" Maddie, of course, being the concerned mother she was, ignored her near-furious son and opened the door. Now Danny was furious. "Mom! I said, 'please don't come in'!" he yelled, stomping his foot on the floor.

"Danny, I'm your mother. I have every right to come in your room!" Maddie said.

Danny opened his mouth to hurl back a hateful insult, but snapped it shut again. He'd done enough damage as it was. Still steaming, the teen began to pace his wrecked room. His face was red and sweaty, and his breath was coming in short, ragged gasps. He took a deep breath and tried to calm down.

"I'm sorry, Mom," he confessed, stopping his pacing. His expression lightened up. "I don't know why I'm such a...such a monster."

"You're not a monster, sweetie," Maddie said, genuinely concerned.

"But I am a monster!" Danny argued, his blue eyes widening. "I've hurt...so many people..." He slumped over. Maddie smiled sadly. She set her gloved hand on her son's shoulder. "The people I love," Danny continued. "My anger is hurting them. Why don't you see that?"

Maddie frowned. That last bit sounded like Danny was talking to somebody else..."We forgive you, Danny," she said. "All of us do."

A humorless laugh came from Danny. "Yeah, right," he replied bitterly. "You can't forgive me and everything I've done. Nobody can."

"Yes, we can," Maddie replied, trying to get over her son's stubborn will. Danny fought back tears and screams. "We'll always forgive you, no matter what."

"Thanks, Mom," Danny replied. His voice was barely above a whisper and cracked with emotion. He managed a little smile.

"Her forgiveness won't last forever, child," the voice murmered.

Shut up, Danny mentally shot back.

"But you know it. Deep inside, you know it will never last."

"Dinner will be ready in fifteen minutes," Maddie said, unknowingly breaking up the mental conversation.

"OK," Danny replied softly, still distracted by the voice's words.

Looking at Maddie now, it seemed the most impossible thing in the world that she wouldn't forgive her son. The woman had learned of Danny's ghost half, and she had still accepted him. It was truly impossible!

"Nothing is impossible," the voice warned. Maddie slowly shut Danny's bedroom door as she exited.

Danny tried to ignore the voice's statement, but it still echoed, almost painfully, through his head. Would Sam's forgiveness last? Tucker's? Jazz's? Jack's? Valerie's? Swarms of people filled Danny's thoughts, and each one increased the pain in his headache. The halfa groaned loudly. "What is this, some extreme form of guilt?" he asked aloud, clutching his aching head with both hands.

Finally, the people faded away. Danny sighed with relief as the pain began to ebb down. He flopped down backfirst onto his bed and rubbed the bridge of his nose, recovering from the mental trauma. He shut his eyes and attempted to catch his breath. After all the pain had ceased, he reopened his eyes and sat up.

Suddenly feeling hungry, Danny glanced at his clock to see how much time had passed. Only two minutes...Two minutes that had seemed like an eternity.

DP...TT

Crime rates were rapidly decreasing in Jump City. Aside from Dr. Light's attack on the city's power supply the previous day, there was no crime to fight. Robin couldn't help but wonder if Slade was somehow behind this, or if it was just mere chance. The boy was beginning to feel like he was the only Titan still worrying about the masked man and what scheme he might have in mind.

...

Robin wasn't the only Titan still concerned about Slade. Like him, Raven had had a bad history with the man. Although she kept quiet about her suspicions, she had more than one assumption that Robin was still worried. His restless movements gave him away.

She and he would need to have a talk, soon.

TT...DP

To Danny, the remaining thirteen minutes in his room had seemed like hours. The world had been moving in slow motion to him that entire time. It sped up again at 7:35, when the Fentons were ready for dinner. Danny was eating like an animal, very quickly and noisily.

"Danny, you've got to stop eating like that," Maddie scolded.

Danny rolled his eyes angrilly, intending to spit something hurtful back.

"So you want to hurt her some more?" the voice questioned. "How brutish."

Danny stopped chewing at that. He swallowed and sighed, still peeved. "OK, Mom," he mumbled. He began eating again, this time like a human being. That moment, the phone rang.

"I'll get it," Jazz said, standing up from her seat and hurrying to grab the telephone. Danny listened to her talking as he ate.

"Hello?...Oh, hey, Sam...He's eating dinner right now...Urgent? OK..." Danny was already standing up and marching over to the phone. "Danny, it's for you," Jazz said, holding the phone out to her little brother.

"I know that, Princess Loudmouth," Danny growled, snatching the phone out of his sister's grasp. Jazz crossed her arms and gave him a cold glare before turning around and heading back to her seat. "Hello?" Danny huffed, leaning against the wall.

"Danny! You know how Tucker was getting a cold yesterday?"Sam exclaimed.

"Yeah," Danny growled back.

"Well, I went to check on him today, and...and..."

"And...?" Danny asked, beginning to grow curious. The tone in Sam's voice was obviously fearful.

"And he wasn't there! I thought he might have been feeling better and had gone to the arcade or something, but his parents said he'd never left the house. And when I went back to his room...I noticed there was a splotch of red on his bed!"

Instead of curious, Danny was now worried. "You mean, he's been kidnapped...and hurt?"

"Exactly," Sam replied. "Tucker's gone."

...

Yuuup. I left you on a cliffhanger. The next chapter is really long, but it moves really quickly. A lot happens in that chapter.

I've just started to notice echoing similarities to Linkin Park songs in this story. No doubt their songs are rubbing off, I love those guys...This particular chapter reminds me of "Papercut". Don't ask why I'm telling you this...

*clears throat* Anyway, it could be another LONG while before I update. I know, I'm evil.

Review, please! :D I asked nicely. .