3,838Replies: Yes I reply to everyone individually because I think if you guys are nice enough to take the time to review then the least I can do is reply to your wonderful comments
Queen S of Randomness 016 He-He, yes Vlad is behind it. I know it's low but after Kindred Spirits I find it believable, which is one of the three episodes that gave me this idea. Thank you for review and I hope you enjoy this next chapter.
horseluver101: Thank you for your comments, I'm really happy to hear you are enjoying this story. Yes it is Danny and Vlad centered, I know it didn't seem like it at first but that was because I didn't want to give anything away too soon. Thank you again for reviewing and I hope you like this next Chapter
enigmatic penguin: Wow I'm really touched by your reviews. I don't't even know where to begin… let's start with your advice.
You're right Checkmate is one word; I don't know why I thought it was two, Opps! But I fixed it, so thanks for pointing it out. The scene separations: Yea, I actually didn't realize that the breaks are not uploaded and that you have to add them directly before posting, so like you said I figured out how to do that in the second part of chapter 2. He-He! The run on sentences: thanks for telling me. I actually took more care of avoiding them in this next chapter as well as proof reading more carefully. I found it's easier to proof read a ten page chapter then a 50 pg so let me know if you think this one looks better and if not feel free to give me more of your awesome advice.
I haven't read any of your stories, but I will be sure to. I think it's neat to know that we have similar writing styles, but even if it isn't the best in the world what's important is that we try to fix it and learn from mistakes.
I'm really glad you noticed that Danny's reactions are similar from Masters of all time! I mentioned on my first post, that I got this idea from SW, MoaT and KS. It's funny how I kept getting small ideas from watching these episodes and by the end of KS those small ideas became a whole story!
I'm really glad you think everyone is in character, that's really important to me and I'm glad you noticed the range of emotions that's what I was aiming for, hence spiraling emotions!
Thanks again for your kind words. I hope this one please you as much as the others.
soccergurl1990: Thank you for your review, I'm glad you are enjoying this story so much. It really makes me happy. I hope you like the next part!
Authors Notes ahead:
Ok, here is chapter 2 and the most important chapter in the story which you will understand at the end.
I was going to wait to post this, because I'm also posting this story at another website and I wanted to post at the same time and to post I have get it screened so I'm waiting for it to come back, but I decided it couldn't hurt to post at different times, plus I want to hear what you guys think!
Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom
-Thoughts in Italics
Chapter 2: Ultimatum
Danny sat on his bed with his feet dangling on the edge, staring blankly at the floor. His body felt so sore from all the rough treatment it had lately, but the soreness compared nothing to the massive headache he continued to experience since waking up around 8:00 am. The troubled teen looked up at the clock that read 11:02 am. Leaning forward Danny placed his elbows on his knees as his hands came up to cover his face. Danny desperately wanted to know about Jazz, but he knew Vlad currently resided down stairs, and the young half-ghost didn't even want to look at the man. Danny vaguely recalled what happened with Vlad in the hospital, he mostly remembered feeling rage and fear overwhelm him and everything just went black afterwards. One thing he did remember with excruciating detail, despite the fact that he was barely conscious was the scene in the older hybrid's car. Very little scared Danny more then Plasmius, but yesterday ….the man petrified him; his expression; his words … the fear it caused within him felt similar to the one he experienced when he faced his evil future self.
"I need to know how Jazz is" he thought, getting up to look out the window. "I could call my parents… but I'm sure they already called Plasmius… they would wonder why he didn't tell me…" Danny sighed. "Maybe I could head to the hospital by myself? ...but they are expecting Vlad to bring me, how do I explain why I didn't come with him? …humph… I doubt that jerk would back up any excuse I came up with." Danny thought angrily as he began to pace in front of his bed. "I can't let him get away with this… but what do I do! …What if I destroy the remote again, is it still on his wrist? …Will that get rid of the nanobots? …It didn't the first time!" Danny stared at his dresser mirror. "What do I do?" he whispered at the mirror his expression desperate. "What is he getting out of this anyway? …besides making me miserable! …but I doubt he would go through all this just for that purpose, Right? …What does he want?" he questioned, sitting back down on his bed and sighing "I have no choice, I'm going to have to face him sooner or later, and as much as I wish it could be later I need to know how Jazz is …and get to the bottom of this." He resolved as he got up and headed to his door. Taking a shaky breath he opened it and walked out.
"Daniel! Good to see you're awake." Vlad greeted in his usual poise, lowering the newspaper in his hands. Danny just shot him a glare as he went into the kitchen, he didn't want to direct a single word to the older half ghost, "but I need to know about Jazz!" he thought, not realizing he was just standing in front of the fridge, with the door opened, staring blankly into "space"
"Daniel, are you planning on standing there all day?" Vlad looked at the teen with amusement.
Danny whirled around glowering once again at Vlad; "What do you want?" he spat out.
"A lot of things, but since I told your mother I would make sure you eat something, then at the moment I wanted to inform you that your lunch is in the oven." Vlad said off handedly, as he leaned against the wall that separated the kitchen from the living room.
"I don't want anyth- ...wait you cook?" Danny couldn't help but ask despite the current situation, surprised the man was capable of such a thing.
Vlad chuckled at the boy's expression, "Rarely, but yes I do, in fact when I was in college, Maddie wou-
"What did my parents say about Jazz?' Danny cut off purposely, resuming a detest-filled expression.
"What do you mean?" Vlad said smugly, inspecting his hands to show little importance to Danny's question.
"You know what I mean Plasmius!" Danny spat out, irritated at the man's mind games.
"How is she! because even if my parents didn't say anything I know you Know!" Danny's hands balled into fist on his side as his eyes flashed from blue to green for a second before returning back to blue.
Vlad chuckled once again, "Oh, you want to know if she is still alive, hmm?" he replied, with a wicked smile.
Danny's glare fell at his words; he turned around and leaned on the kitchen counter with his hands. The teenager closed his eyes, trying to control all the emotions overflowing his body. The man was messing with him, but Danny couldn't help but be paralyzed by his words. "Jazz has to be okay … he's messing with me" he mentally told himself as his hands on the counter balled into fist once again.
"I suggest you quit playing your stupid games with me Plasmius, because this time there is no one here to stop me from blasting you off the face of the Earth." Danny said in a low, dangerous voice, his back still facing Vlad.
Vlad broke out into a full fledge laugh. "Daniel! You really do give me chills when you get so dramatic!" he said still laughing full heartedly. "I think you forgot that this time there is no one here to stop me from blasting you off the face of the Earth." He mocked his laughter dying down into a smug smile.
"Fine" Danny said in a menacing tone, as he spun around and blasted Vlad against the wall. Danny quickly transformed. Noticing the small watch like remote strapped on Vlad's wrist Danny fired at the device hitting his mark perfectly causing the device to spark with electricity at the abuse.
Vlad hissed in pain before transforming into Plasmius. His expression changed into amusement as he laughed at the boy's actions. "Do you really think that will work this time? Once activated those nanobots can not be shut down, regardless of whether you destroy this device." Vlad lifted his wrist to show the device as he mentioned it. Danny growled at the information shooting a strong charge of ectoplasmic energy by clapping his hands together. Before the blast hit, Vlad turned intangible causing the powerful attack to hit the wall. Vlad quickly flew at Danny grabbing both his arms behind his back.
"Tell me Daniel, how are you going to explain that to your mother?" he asked smugly, as Danny struggled and growled against his grip. Danny knew that by that he meant the huge hole on the wall from his ecto-energy. Danny winced inwardly, but didn't show it.
"What do you want Plasmius!" he growled out instead still struggling against the older man's grasp.
"Bravo my boy! I see you figured out that there is more to this then I have told you." Vlad replied with a chuckle, letting go of the struggling boy as he transformed back to his human form. Danny stared at the man as he walked away from him and to the fridge. Danny ignored the side of him that wanted to blast the man through the fridge and transformed back himself; he needed answers and unfortunately the older hybrid was the only one who could provide them for him
"Jasmine is doing fine." Vlad pulled out a gallon of Orange Juice from the fridge, his back turned on the young hybrid. "You do not have to worry; the nanobots are not activated high enough to be fatal …yet." He added shooting a wicked grin at Danny before turning back around to pour Orange Juice into a glass. Danny frowned angrily at his words but said nothing. Despite the way the man informed him about Jazz, he felt relieved to know she was okay for the most part.
"You didn't answer my question." Danny said, studying the man's movements.
"I thought I just did." he said smugly, placing the glass of Orange Juice on the table and walking to the oven.
Danny growled in frustration, the man really got some sick pleasure from messing with him. "I meant the other one." He said through clenched teeth.
Vlad chuckled as he served a piece of what looked like pie on a plate. "There will be plenty of time for that later; right now you need to eat." He said placing the plate on the table.
"I'm not hungry." Danny stated defiantly, glaring at the man, mentally adding "Plus you probably poisoned it."
"Oh, come now Daniel, your mother will be very unhappy if you do not eat. You really shouldn't give her anymore worries and do not fret I did not poison it." Vlad mocked, as he set down utensils on the table.
"It's your fault she is worried in the first place." Danny argued back, ignoring Vlad's last comment. The young hybrid stayed glued to the same spot, refusing to do anything the man said.
Vlad leaned his back against the counter, his hands crossed in front of him. "Yes, and I really do hate to see her going through so much turmoil, but you have given me no choice, especially after your little stunt with Danielle.". The older half ghost's expression showed sadness before it changed into a frown at remembering his months of work go up in smoke thanks to the young hybrid and "that mistake".
Danny continued to stare fiercely at the older hybrid, before staring at the food on the table and giving it a disgusted look. "What the heck is that, anyway?" he asked, his tone expressing the same disgust as his face.
"That is Tuna Quiche; you'll like it, so hurry up because we will be leaving soon." Vlad said off handedly as he moved to leave the kitchen.
Danny watched the man leave, before turning around and sighing. "Humph, he's crazy if he thinks I'm going to eat this" he picked up the plate to go throw it in the trash.
"Daniel, I promised your mother you would eat before heading to the hospital, so I strongly recommend you eat that food willingly, because I will stuff it down your throat if you do not." Danny heard Vlad say in a matter-of-factly tone from the living room. Danny snarled as he roughly placed the plate back down on the table and sat down. He glared at the wall that separated him from Vlad before turning his glare to the plate on the table as he picked up the fork.
Danny sat in the limo staring out the window, feeling tenser by the second. He could feel the older hybrid's eyes on him and it was creeping him out. The hospital wasn't that far, about fifteen minutes from his house, but every second he sat there with Vlad felt like an hour. "What the heck is he staring at?" he asked himself, shooting a quick glare at the man across from him as the man smirked in return. Danny focused his attention out the window, once again resisting the urge to blast him in the face.
"Are you always this hostile, Daniel?" Vlad asked chuckling a little. The boy could be so amusing sometimes; the teenager couldn't even sit in a car with him without becoming apprehensive; of course Vlad enjoyed that fact.
Danny chuckled bitterly at the man's statement before scowling at the half ghost across from him. "Only when I'm talking to a lonely and bitter old man who is trying to waste my sister." He stated before turning his attention back to the window.
"You hurt my feelings Daniel" Vlad replied, in a mocking hurt tone as Danny thought "What feelings?"
"I really meant what I said Daniel; you left me no choice. I never wanted to hurt dear Jasmine, but I realized she was the perfect asset to get what I want. …Tell me dear boy, what would you say if I told you that you hold Jasmine's salvation hmm?" Vlad smiled wickedly at the younger hybrid.
Danny turned his attention to Vlad at the question, giving the man a bewildered look."I would say I don't understand what you are talking about." Danny replied warily.
"Jasmine may be Maddie's daughter, but we both know she is not who I'm after." Vlad's eyebrow raised as a small smile played on his lips.
Danny's apprehension grew at the half ghost's words; just by the look Vlad sent him Danny knew Vlad was referring to him. "What do you want from me?" Danny asked, his heart beating a little faster.
"From you not a thing, it is you who I want Daniel; the moment I met you I knew you were meant to be my son. You and I are kindred spirits, maybe not by blood, thanks to your idiot father, but we are tied by fate, by whom and what we are. We are the only true hybrids in existence Daniel and you my boy belong at my side." Vlad declared with a completely serious expression.
Danny looked at the man across from him with a disturbed expression; he never thought someone could be so sick, so obsessive. "You're sick Plasmius! I don't belong anywhere near you and we are nothing alike and never will be!" Danny assured, his expression going from disturbed to angry as his hands emphasized certain words.
"I'm not sick Daniel, your sister is and every day that passes her health will continue to decrease until it has completely vanished, and when that happens we both know what it will mean for her. I told you Daniel, you and your mother will eventually join me, but if You will not do so willingly, then I will force you to and I will make sure that the rest of your life is so miserable, you will regret not taking my offer from the beginning." Vlad replied in a low, dangerous tone, his eyes mimicking that tone.
Danny glared at the man not knowing what else to do at what he had just said to him.
"I won't join you." Danny growled out defiantly
"You will if you want your sister to continue living!" Vlad spat out, ignited by the boy's rebellious attitude.
Danny's eyes widen at his words, finally understanding exactly what the man wanted. Danny's heart thumped at maximum speed, fear exploding within him, "Y-You can't ask me to abandon my life! My Family! Who I am!" Danny yelled, paranoia filling his every fiber.
"I'm not asking you anymore dear boy, I'm making you. You like playing the hero Daniel, well here is your chance: Your "life", for your sister's" Vlad's voice was nothing short of menacing.
Danny looked at him with frightened eyes, not believing how far the man was willing to go to get what he wanted. Danny lowered his gaze towards the floor, his eyes darting from side to side like a trapped animal as his fingernails clutched the leather seating underneath him. Danny was so lost in the panic within himself he didn't notice the limousine stop, followed by his ghost sense and a voice saying they had arrived.
"I see you need some time to process this so I'm giving you until Friday. I am heading back to Wisconsin today for some business, but that does not mean I will not be watching you. Now listen closely Daniel because I will only tell you this once. On Friday at midnight you will find a helicopter on the outskirts of Amity Park, it will take you to my castle. I will know your decision depending on whether you show or not; although I strongly suggest showing for your sister's sake." Vlad said before stepping out of the limo. "I can assure you my boy that at my side you will finally become who you really are. Think about Daniel. …I'll see you inside." Vlad said coldly before closing the door. A triumphant smile appeared on his face as he entered the hospital.
Danny kept his eyes on the ground, hearing Vlad's every word. The young boy didn't need to look at him to know he was enjoying every second of this; the older hybrid's words were thick with the feeling. As soon as Danny heard the door close his breathing accelerated into quick pants before he screamed in desperation. He placed his hands on his face as a chocked sob escaped him, but quickly pushed it back. "This can not be happening" Danny whispered into his hands while Vlad's words played them selves in his mind like a never ending torture.
"You like playing the hero Daniel, well here is your chance: Your "life", for your sister's"
"No…" he said softly, the single word expressing every ounce of sorrow within him.
Now you know why it's the most important chapter in the story! Surprised? Disappointed? Please Let me know!
I really want to write this story the best I can so I'm currently looking for a Beta reader, to check my writing and such. If you would like to volunteer please let me know! I would be very grateful!
Just to make you guys happy I would like to let you know the next chapter is done and it is called: Hope.
I really want to clear something up but I'm afraid of giving something away… um let's just say there is more to this story then this chapter makes you think…
Ok thanks for reading and reviewing, see you soon!