3,838Replies:
horseluver101:
My favorite character interaction in the show is Vlad and Danny. I honestly think that they have the best villain and hero interaction I have every seen on a "hero show/movie" which I'm including Marvel productions (my opinion of course). It's just awesome how Vlad will always have the upper hand because he can get as close to Danny as he wants without Danny being able to do a thing about it, yet Danny always manages to find a way out. (…but will he this time?") Anyways my second favorite is Danny and Jazz, that bond they have is just so believable and unique. They argue but care for each other greatly and IMO no other cartoon has been able to bring out such a wonderful bond, so you bet I'll have some sibling moments although they will vary in amounts as the story progresses. Anyways thanks for your comments I'm enjoying them very much!
Queen S of Randomness 016:
I'm so glad you like it. I'll try to update faster, but school makes it kinda hard. Thanks for reading and your encouraging comments!
soccergurl1990:
I'll try to update sooner, but I'm glad you like the story. I hope you like this next chapter too! Thanks for reading and for reviewing!
enigmatic penguin:
I personally like angsty stories, but no I'm not depressed or anything either. I just love emotional stories, it helps you feel what you are reading and it just reels you in, which is why I also love suspense storied as well.
I was laughing over your orange juice comment! Yea it'll clear up later, much later. As for Vlad, The man is just brilliant, his personality and cunning it gives me chills so I'm glad to hear I'm capturing his personality! As for the Random insanity, I look forward to it!
Deleila:
Ha! An award, gee thanks that's really nice of you, I'm really glad you are enjoying the story as much as I'm enjoying writing it! Yea, the first chapter took me a long time to write, but I didn't want to split it into different chapters since it was just plot building. The next chapters I'm trying to make from 10 to 15 pages long that way I can update faster and it is easier to catch mistakes. Thanks for reading and thanks for your review! I hope you enjoy this next part!
Chapter 3: Hope
"Honey, are you okay? You seem upset." Maddie frowned at her son, who was sitting next to her in the waiting room.
"I'm fine, Mom. I just…have a lot on my mind," Danny replied, shooting a glare at Vlad, who currently sat across from him. Vlad gave the young half ghost a small smile in return. Maddie nodded, stroking her son's hair lovingly as she pushed it away from his face, completely oblivious to the silent interaction between the hybrids.
"Ah, cheer up son, Jazz will be alright. She's a Fenton, and us Fentons are fighters to the very end!" Jack assured enthusiastically to raise his son's spirit. Jack also sat next to his son, on the opposite side, so like Maddie he didn't see the detest-filled look his son sent the man in front of him, or the look of disgust Vlad expressed at hearing Jack's comment.
"So, V-Man, you said you're leaving today?" Jack asked, turning his attention from Danny to his old "friend".
"That's right, Jack. Unfortunately, I have some very important business to attend to. You could even say it's a matter of life and death." Vlad feigned sadness before shooting Danny a masked smirk at his last statement.
Danny gritted his teeth at Vlad's well-known and despised egotistical look. The man kept messing with his head, and as much as he tried to fight it, he couldn't help but fall right into it. He needed to leave before he did something he would regret.
"I'm going to get some air." Danny informed his parents through clenched teeth as he walked out of the room without waiting for a response.
Danny sat on top of one of the many picnic tables the hospital had. For being close to a busy cafeteria, it was very peaceful. No noise could be heard except for birds happily chirping, and not a single person was in sight. Tall trees around the picnic tables provided perfect shade, allowing only a few of the sun's rays to penetrate their branches, as a result keeping the ghost boy comfortable. The wind seemed to flow stronger in this secluded area, playing with the young teen's hair and gently caressing his face. Squirrels frolicked with one another as they ran from tree to tree, while blue jays flew between trees and branches before perching on twigs and singing joyously to each other. The surrounding landscape was covered with luscious green grass, and in some places covered with beautiful purple and white flowers. These flora attracted butterflies in various shades that would fly every so often near the young teen, sometimes landing in his hair for a few seconds before regaining flight. Danny, however, didn't notice any of it. He merely stared at the clear blue sky peaking in between the treetops.
The young boy sighed emptily to himself; he felt so lost, so helpless, so…alone. Who could he turn to for help? For advice? He couldn't run to his family or friends, knowing quite well the consequences of doing so. Danny fell back on the picnic table, his hair falling away from his face and bunching up on the table's surface beneath his head. He closed his eyes, finally noticing the cool feel of the wind's touch. He hadn't really been feeling like himself since all this started; he wasn't the type of person to give in to despair or his problems easily. He would normally fight his way through it, gaining strength from knowing who he was and from the people that cared for him. So why was he forgetting this lately? Why was he forgetting how to fight back?
Danny opened his eyes as something tickled his nose. He gave a small smile to the fluorescent green butterfly currently standing on it. Carefully, he lifted his finger and coaxed the little bug to climb on it. Danny observed it intently, taking in the delicate creature's beauty before it took to the sky. Danny watched its graceful form leave, slowly rising higher and higher into the sky and giving him the urge to fly himself.
Danny's eyes regained some of their twinkle, but his face took on a serious look. "Come on, Fenton, think!" he told himself "There has to be a way around this; you can't just give up!"
But where should he start? He knew nothing about nanobots, and if the doctors couldn't even detect them, how was a C-average teenager such as himself going to be of any help? Who could help him? He sighed once more, closing his eyes.
Seconds later, a smile played on his lips, before his eyes opened, revealing hope and determination in the sapphire orbs. His smile broadened as he whispered one name.
"Clockwork."
Danny chided himself for not thinking of the time ghost before. He was sure that the wise ghost would at least point him in the right direction. Right now he needed help, and Clockwork was not just his only choice but his best one. Clockwork was his friend and guardian. Danny had great respect and admiration for the Time Master, and, although he knew little about him, this was one ghost around which he felt safe. The young half ghost's trust mostly came from everything this mysterious ghost had done for him, and although Clockwork would often scold him for certain actions or ideas, Danny trusted his judgment. After all, the Time Ghost knew everything.
"Plasmius is crazier than I thought if he thinks I'm just going to sit here and let him win," he thought, with a new fire of determination. He closed his eyes, enjoying the placid surroundings. Danny smiled, feeling much of his despair blow away with the wind as the warmth of hope filled his essence. "This place really is relaxing," he thought peacefully, feeling he could almost fall asleep in that spot.
"You are quite predictable, Daniel."
Danny's eyes snapped open and he gasped, startled at hearing Vlad's voice. The teen sat up, accidentally falling off the table in the process, first hitting the bench and then the ground.
"Ow," he muttered quietly, before getting up to scowl fiercely at the older hybrid, who was chuckling softly at Danny's misfortune. "Would you stop stalking me? If you haven't noticed, I'm trying to stay away from you!" Danny yelled, before stomping angrily pass Vlad.
Vlad arched an eyebrow at Danny's sudden change in attitude, watching the teen walk away from him with a questioning expression.
Danny marched on, heading out of the picnic area grumbling angrily to himself.
"Ah!" Danny cried out in surprise as Plasmius suddenly materialized in front of him, causing the teen to fall on his bottom with a quiet thud.
"Oh, Daniel, stalking is such a negative word. I'm simply concerned." Plasmius frowned, before smiling down at the teen. "Besides, I could not leave without saying goodbye to you, little badger. Not that it will be for long, of course," Vlad added with a wicked grin.
Danny got up and dusted himself off. "I'm truly touched you remembered me," Danny replied, sarcasm dripping from every word as his arms crossed in front of him while glaring at the ghost. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go see my sister," Danny said off-handedly as he walked around Plasmius. Before he could move any further, though, he felt a strong grip on his arm holding him back.
"Let go of me, you fruit loop!" Danny growled, fighting against the man's hold. Vlad, however, did the opposite as he increased his hold on Danny's arm, causing the boy to wince at the pressure.
"I suggest you dismiss whatever you are planning, Daniel, because you can't even imagine what would await you if I find out that you are trying to trick me," Vlad said menacingly.
Danny glared defiantly at the man, forcing the pain he felt from Vlad's grip from his mind. "And I suggest you forget about trying to get me to join you, because I never will!" Danny spat out, before hissing in pain as Vlad's grip grew stronger. Danny willed himself to ignore the aching pressure long enough to turn intangible so he could escape the man's hold.
"Oh, no you don't!" Vlad snarled, twisting Danny's arm behind him to interrupt the boy's concentration. "I'm not finished with you yet, Daniel."
Danny gasped painfully, clenching his eyes shut at Vlad's action.
"Daniel, why do you make this so hard on yourself? All you have to do is be a good boy and follow a few simple rules."
"I'm not your dog, you idiot!" Danny growled in response.
"You are pushing my patience, you little brat! If you know what's good for you, you'll drop this insubordinate attitude of yours, because I will not hesitate to beat it out of you if I must!" Vlad snarled, enraged by the boy's insults.
"Not before I beat out the ugly from your face first!" Danny snarled back, trying to transform, but once again Vlad forced away his concentration.
"You forget whose life I hold in my hands, you little urchin!" Vlad threatened, spinning Danny around and exchanging his grasp on the boy's arm for his neck. He wrenched the teen from the ground, lifting him up to his eye level with a menacing glare.
Danny instinctively grasped onto Plasmius' gloved hand around his neck, trying to pry the man's hand away so he could breathe. Despite his dangerous position, Danny refused to yield to the man's threats.
"If something happens to her, I swear I'll make you regret it!" Danny grunted, his eyes igniting in a bright green hue, before he had to shut them as Vlad's hold completely cut off his air supply.
"You have until Friday, Daniel. If you are not on that helicopter by then, you will never see your sister alive again!" Vlad furiously declared, before throwing Danny roughly to the ground. Vlad transformed back to his human form, shooting Danny another glare before walking away angrily.
Danny's blurry eyes glowered at Vlad's retreating form. He coughed violently from lack of oxygen, holding his abused throat with one hand.
Vlad stepped into the black limousine, fuming. He had almost succeeded in breaking the brat's rebellious spirit!
"What happened?" he thought furiously.
He was certain Danny was not going to be able to escape from his grasp this time, but his sudden change in attitude had Vlad on the edge, and it was making him fume even more. He decided not to take any chances.
"Skulker!" Vlad yelled into his communicator, the screen crackling statically every so often from Danny firing at it earlier.
"What do you need, Plasmius?" came Skulker's voice after a few seconds.
"I need you to keep a close eye on Daniel, but make sure to keep enough distance so he cannot sense you. Keep me informed of his every move."
"What! You want me to baby-sit the whelp?" Skulker yelled, outraged at being used for such a degrading purpose.
"JUST DO IT!" Vlad snarled, already cross from his recent encounter with Danny.
"Fine," Skulker grumbled before cutting off their communication.
Vlad opened a compartment in his limousine, revealing a small black velvet box. Vlad opened it, studying its contents, before picking up a black car phone.
"Carl?"
"Yes, sir?" came his ghostly chauffeur's voice.
"I need to make a quick stop at the Fenton residence," Vlad informed his driver, as he continued to study the delicate contents of the box.
"Yes, sir," Vlad heard his driver respond, before placing the phone back on its holder.
"You are not getting away this time, Daniel. I'll make sure of it," Vlad said to himself, closing the small box and placing it in his coat's inner pocket, a wicked smile playing on his lips.
Danny smiled sadly at his sister's sleeping form.
"I'm so sorry, Jazz," Danny thought, taking his sister's hand in his. "I won't let anything happen to you. I promise I'll end this. One way or another." Danny closed his eyes at his last thought.
"Clockwork has to help me." Danny thought worriedly, opening his eyes and releasing his sister's hand.
"Mom?" Danny said, turning around to address her.
"Yes, sweetie?" his mom asked lovingly.
"Can I go home for a little while?"
"Of course. But I thought you didn't want to leave."
"I don't," Danny sighed, "but there is something I really need to do," he told her honestly.
"Of course, son, I'll take you," his dad offered.
"No! I- I mean, I can take a cab. You guys need to stay with Jazz," Danny quickly said, covering his outburst.
"All right, honey, but be careful, okay?" his mom said sweetly.
"I will, Mom," Danny replied with a smile, heading for the door.
"I'll walk you out," his dad said, standing up to follow his son.
"Er, Danny?" his dad asked as they waited for the elevator to open.
"Hmm?" Danny replied, his mind mostly focused on his own thoughts.
"There's something I wanted to ask you," his dad began warily, causing the teen to give him a questioning look.
"Well… It's about last night, when you attacked Vlad," his dad said slowly.
Danny looked away from his father, pushing the first-floor button on the elevator, glaring in that direction. "What about it?" he asked coldly.
"Well," Jack sighed not knowing how to put what he wanted to say. "Son, you know Vlad means a lot to me, we go back a long way… But, you're my son, Danny, and you will always come first. Your word will always come first," Jack said in a fatherly tone, his words expressing nothing but honesty and love.
Jack heard Danny take a shaky breath before suddenly feeling a strong grip around his waist as Danny hugged him tightly, his face buried in his jumpsuit. Jack returned the embrace.
Danny felt such a bittersweet emotion at his dad's words. They were so healing, yet painful. He wanted to pour out everything right were he stood, his fears, his doubts, his secrets…but he couldn't, especially now.
"Thanks so much, Dad," Danny whispered in a trembling voice as he continued to embrace his father. "You can't imagine how much that means to me."
"Danny," Jack made the teen look up at him by gently lifting his chin, "you don't have to thank me. I love you, son, and I don't see why you would ever think otherwise." He said with a worried frown. "Danny, I'm your father, and you can talk to me about anything. I'll believe anything you tell me, son," Jack continued as he placed his hand comfortingly on Danny's shoulder, hoping his son would understand what he was asking him in between the lines.
Danny smiled sadly at him before moving away from him as the elevator came to a stop. "I know. And I think I know what you're asking me," Danny said softly, once again pushing back the urge to tell him everything. "There's nothing going on. I was just confused, and I'm sorry," he said softly, turning to leave the elevator.
"Are you sure?" his dad urged, stopping his son from exiting the elevator by placing his hand on his shoulder once again.
Danny's face turned into a pained frown at his words, but his dad didn't see it since Danny had his back to him.
"I'm sure," Danny forced himself to say as he walked out of the elevator. Danny turned around to give his dad a loving smile before the elevator doors closed between them.
Danny's smile faded, his face taking on a somber expression of determination. He walked out of the hospital and towards a dark alley. Seconds later, Danny Phantom flew in the sky, his flight confident, knowing exactly where he needed to go.
Skulker sat on top of a tall building, a good distance from the hospital. He lazily polished his armor, shooting the occasional glance at the hospital across the way. He sighed angrily at having to watch his prey without the exhilaration of hunting it down. If he were hunting the whelp he would not have minded sitting here all day, but just watching the ghost child's moves without being able to at least shoot him once in a while was really frustrating.
"Plasmius owes me big for this," he growled as he inspected one of his weapons. Skulker shot the hospital another quick glance, only to do a double take as he saw his quarry exit the building. Skulker called forth his binoculars, watching Danny run towards an empty ally. Seconds later Skulker saw a black and white blur take to the sky, flying speedily to some unknown destination. Skulker watched the boy's retreating form curiously. Being a hunter, he knew what hesitation looked like, and the boy showed none.
"Where are you going, ghost child?" he asked himself, taking towards the sky after the boy's speeding form.
So, what did you think? Personally this has been the funest chapter I have written so far. After such "angsty" chapters it was nice to write a little lighter chapter, plus could you imagine Danny with a butterfly on his nose? Too cute!
Anyways next chapter is called: A cry for Help. I'm sure most of you can guess who will be making an appearance.
Before I leave you all, I would like to give a round of applause to enigmatic penguin for helping me make this story even better! Thank you!