“What?” Danny blinked out of his bliss staring out at the lights that floated across the park and turned his attention to the voice on his right. Each of the soft lights dotting the distance he had figured was a spirit, moving aimless and slow or following a habitual path they had carved out for themselves in life and found comfort in after death.
An old man sat on the bench near where Danny stood on the concrete path under an ancient willow. His grey hair thinned at the top and was combed over a pale bald head. His wire glasses were rectangular and too large for his thin face. Danny couldn’t tell the man’s age but spots and lines of concern felt long ago made him pretty sure the man was at least 70. Danny turned his body toward the man stiffly.
He wasn’t used to people actively talking to him. Since the accident happened and he started high school, he cut off all communication with Sam and Tucker barely acknowledging them in the hallway and letting them draw their own conclusions as to why he was avoiding everyone now. It was safer for them to think he was just a jerk instead of… whatever he was now. Half human, half ghost, it was all so confusing. Until he figured out exactly what he was, whether he really was a hybrid or not, then they would be better off without him.
The past few months had been lonely but he wasn’t sure this was the kind of company he wanted in their absence.
“They look like people but they aren’t.” The man told him certainly and Danny felt a chill go up his spine. He did not see the man there when he walked up to stand under the willow tree to observe the peaceful scene. He wasn’t sure why but he felt like an intruder. He looked out at the peaceful lights flying and walking in the distance then back to the seated man. Danny smiled politely.
“They’re not people. They’re ghosts.” He said lightly but where his conversation went, he really wasn’t sure. There was no way the man had lived in Amity Park without knowing about the ghosts that lived here too. The man shook his head, tutted, and crossed his wrinkled arms to his chest. His weathered wood cane shifted against the bench but did not fall.
“They look like that to trick people.” He said with a malice that made Danny recoil.
“That… They’re not tricking anyone. They’re just existing.” He said and the man scoffed at him.
“They look like that to make themselves more palatable for people. These things are evil.”
Danny stared at the man who glared across the scene before them. The ghosts who could only come out at night were harmless. Most of them were Echoes, ghosts that couldn’t do much more than relive a moment in their lives that proved they had existed at all. Danny had tried once to speak to one of these souls and they either didn’t see him or had ignored him completely. He wondered which it was sometimes and what the difference was between him and them. Were they ever at the same power level he was? Able to move freely and follow his own thoughts? Were they evil like the man said?
Was there enough difference between them that he could be sure he wasn’t evil too?
“How do you know they’re really evil? They’re not hurting anyone.”
“They’re biding their time. They’ll behave for now but the other ones,” The man waved a hand at the boy. “Big nasty things, bombing the streets and frightening people.”
Danny frowned and the man kept going.
“Ghosts didn’t used to be a common thing. They were special, peeks at what used to be and now you see them all the time in town. They’re so strong you can see them clearly and they’ll look right at you and cause you pain.” Danny looked at the man who just stared straight ahead. “It’s only a matter of time before these ones start lobbing bombs at people killing us all.”
A hard lump formed in Danny’s throat. “They just-“
“They’re vile.” The man scowled at Danny. “They’re evil creatures- not human anymore and pulling their power from somewhere evil to stay where they don’t belong.”
Danny frowns at the man and it’s tempting to leave. Did other people believe this?
“You don’t think they belong in the human world?”
“Not anymore.” The man uncrossed his arms. “Ghosts can’t be here on the living plane with that much power. Ghosts are what’s leftover from human souls. What these are, they’re not leftover so much as they are repurposed.”
Danny turned toward the bench completely turning his back on the park and the spirits alike. The old man looked at him for the first time and brown eyes were clouded and practically looked through the boy. It was unsettling but the man seemed earnest.
He didn’t even want to ask but he had to know.
“Repurposed into what?”
“Into demons.”
Another chill struck through Danny and something in his core swirled at the word.
Demon…
The vitriol hatred was still there but it simmered under the calm words. “They’re so far from God that their souls turn into something unholy, untouched by light.” The man said solemnly. “They cause pain and suffering to the living and lie about everything. Agents of the devil come to bring hell on earth. All while wearing the face of the dead to make us drop our guard.”
Danny stepped back but didn’t run away. “You think the ghosts in town are all… demons?”
“I know they are.” The man rasped almost sadly. “The way they look, sound, they’re trying to mask what they really are. They’ll trick you into thinking they’re just kids and then drag you into hell themselves.” The man pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and coughed into it. Danny watched but the man didn’t continue without prompting which he couldn’t help but do.
“How do you know?” The thoughts began to swirl in his head. “How are you sure that they’re not just ghosts with powers?”
“What do they need powers for exactly? They’re too sturdy. Too strong.” The man tucked the cloth away. Danny peeked at it and half expected to see speckles of blood like a movie but it was clean. The man straightened his posture. “Why would you make a creature strong if you didn’t plan on using it for what power is used for? The strong ones are going fight for dominance to claim this land their own for the devil. The ones that look like us are here to convince us all it’s okay.”
Danny looked out over the ghosts scattered around the park. He wanted to tell the man no and that he was wrong, but what if there was a truth in what he said?
“I- Phantom won’t let that happen.”
The man scoffed.
“Phantom is the worst of them all.”
A pit formed in his stomach so quickly he felt sick.
“He didn’t do anything wrong.”
“It’s very existence is wrong.” The man scoffed and he began to stand up. Danny stepped backwards quickly but the man barely looked at him as he continued.
“Phantom… Ghost… It’s still an unholy creature. Damned to earth unable to pass into heaven and apparently kicked out of hell.”
Tears formed in Danny’s eyes. “That’s not true. He’s just a kid-“
“Even if it was a child once, it isn’t anymore. An undead creature of bizarre power fighting for dominance in a damned town while wearing the face of a child,” the man picked up his cane and shook his head. “If that isn’t a demon then Lord help us when it reveals its true face.”
Danny stepped back again onto the grass and further under the weeping willow. He stayed there firmly off the path as the man walked slowly toward the street.
A gloved hand rubbed at green eyes. He grit his teeth and called after the man’s retreating form. “You’re wrong. I’m gonna prove it!”
“Don’t be naïve, child.” The man waved a dismissive hand back at him. “Save your soul while you still can.” He turned around a corner and was out of sight.
Danny felt a rage in him that felt so cold and kicked off the ground launching himself into the air. He saw the man from above but what was there to say? What if the man talked more and that rage solidified and proved him right? What if Phantom was the worst of the ghosts, no, the demons that now inhabited the town.
It made sense. He wasn’t a ghost, he wasn’t human. Both species had told him he didn’t belong in their worlds. If he didn’t belong to either side, maybe the old man was right.
If he wanted answers, maybe he needed to look down.
@faedemon had an amazing prompt for the Truce where Jazz meets Dani for the first time and learns about everything Vlad did.
Charlie, let me tell you, it's been bouncing around in my head. I'll have chapter 2 up but I wanted to at least get you this first. I'm so excited to be your Secret Santa and I hope you like it!
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This chapter is tagged for- Mentions of blood/injury, Fenton's A+ Parenting, My "How Danny Heals Fast" Headcanon, Hot chocolate/food mention, incoming angst, trauma response
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Danny came back home like he always did after a night on patrol. He flew to his bedroom window and transformed back once safely within the walls.
On good nights he flew all the way in landing on his bed with a thump that told Jazz that her brother had returned safely.
On less smooth nights, he would land on the floor, hopefully on his feet and go to the first aid kit in his closet.
Tonight, he knocked on his big sister's door and sheepishly asked for help patching himself up.
Jazz didn’t like to see him beaten and bruised even with his healing factor. It always made her uneasy to see specks of leftover green blood and purpling bruises on his human form.
Her gut immediately told her there was more to this night in particular. He was supposed to be on patrol with Sam and Tucker but she didn’t hear from any of them until the knock on her door. Her suspicion was that she wasn’t included in many of the adventures that they had. The ones they did report to her were certainly edited down to shiny bullet points she could digest unless her help was needed as a last resort.
It hurt. It was flattering. She sighed and brought her brother into the bathroom.
She didn’t know as much about ghosts. She didn’t have powers or experience but she was willing to learn and help any way she could. Danny might not want to tell her about every rough time, but the important thing was that he trusted her to be there on the really bad days.
She braced herself for what could be a very bad night indeed.
The damage wasn't as bad as she had expected. Jazz pulled the bandage firmly around Danny’s wrist and clipped it to hide the angry ligature marks until morning when even the worst slices would disappear. An ice pack would help with the pain and by the time it melted, the thick bruise on his stomach would be gone.
Over the spring, the two of them had theorized then tested a hypothesis about that. Danny seemed to heal faster when he was home. Whether it was a slashed abdomen or a black eye, they were always gone in about six hours or after a good night’s sleep.
The same wounds, because of course the hero was always being hit in the same places, were inflicted again and the experiment commenced. This time after patrol, Danny went to a friend’s house. Going to school the following morning, then spending the night again at Tucker’s, then going to school again and then returning home, resulted in a fascinating discovery.
Jasmine’s inspection confirmed that it had taken the full two days for the comparable lacerations and bruises to heal naturally when Danny wasn’t home compared to six hours when he was in his own bed.
Danny had suggested it was the portal leaking ecto-energy into their home. The food in the fridge was contaminated, it was almost certain that ectoplasm had seeped into every surface of the house.
Jazz wondered for a brief moment if that was why her parents always wore jumpsuits in the house or if that was paranoia. Surely if they knew they would tell their kids, right?
She decided not to think about that. Jazz led her brother down the stairs to sit on the couch with her rather than let him go to bed right away. The couch was large enough for the two of them to fall asleep on just like when they were kids. Jazz wasn’t sure if it would help, but it was also a bit closer to the open door of the lab and the burn on her brother’s waist made her queasy.
She grew up in this house and prided herself on being rather normal. The fact that ectoplasm flowed and ebbed through the house enhancing Danny’s healing ability was a boon that seemed to be harmless otherwise.
“So I was hoping to talk to you actually-” Danny started but cut off abruptly.
A clinking sound made her pause on the bottom step and her brother narrowly avoided bumping into her.
Mom and dad weren’t home. They were chasing a hot tip in Elmerton about a haunting and wouldn’t be back until morning with gas station coffee in hand.
She put her hand up signalling her brother to stop and wait for her signal. She lowered her stance and peeked around the corner.
The refrigerator door was open.
“Jazz-”
“Shh!” she pressed herself to the wall. Was the house colder from ghost activity? Did her parents leave the door open and a criminal took the opportunity to come inside? A burglar? The Guys In White?
Jazz’s eyes darted around the room searching for an explanation and a weapon at the same time. She reached up to the panel that would start up the security system. One press of a button and any threat, ghost or human, wouldn’t stand a chance.
“Jazz stop!”
A thud. The refrigerator light went out as the door slammed rattling the condiments on the door inside.
Her eyes opened wide but she did not press the red button in the wall. Danny’s fingers were wrapped around her wrist and he winced.
“She’s a friend.” he said loosening his grip. She dropped her hand and looked out again with wide eyes. She didn’t see anything as she slowly stepped into the living room in her slippers.
“It’s okay. This is my sister, Jazz.” he said into the dark.
Jazz looked over her shoulder at her brother to see where he was looking, where he was locked onto a target in the dark that eluded her. She turned back to look in the direction of the couch and yelped.
Glowing green eyes stared right at her inches from her face.
Jazz stumbled backwards, Danny catching her as her body tensed between fight or flight.
The eyes were gone. She stood up again looking back and forth but didn’t look behind her again. Danny edged in front of her putting a hand on her arm. She flushed, embarrassed.
“It’s okay. Jazz, this is Dani. It’s a long story but she needs a place to stay for at least the night while we figure some stuff out.” he squeezed his big sister's arm and she put her own hand over it. It was much appreciated. Her heart was starting to slow down.
She smiled into the empty space.
“Sorry about that. You surprised me.” she told no one.
Silence rang eerily and the siblings looked left, then right and Jazz’s smile faltered.
“Is she still here?”
“Yeah. I can feel it.”
Jazz nodded a little perturbed at the fact that she couldn’t.
A beat passed then a flash of blue light came from the corner by the potted plant.
A young girl had just materialized in the corner of the living room. She looked ready to bolt even as Danny waved at her to come closer with a smile. The girl stepped into the moonlight streaming in from the huge window enough to see the tops of scuffed shoes.
Jazz almost frowned in thought but forced a welcoming smile instead. The girl took an uneasy step and Danny turned on the light. Both girls squinted at the change putting their forearms over their eyes then lowering them at the same time. “Dani” blinked a few times and looked at the redhead through thick black eyelashes. Those blue eyes had a wariness to them that Jazz had seen somewhere, but never directed at her.
She studied the newcomer. "Dani" was small with a slight build. Thick black hair pulled into a loose ponytail under a beanie. Her clothes were well made but dirty and every hem and edge was ragged with wear. She was wearing shorts in the middle of winter and she didn’t have a coat, just a well-loved hoodie.
Jazz stared and her skin crawled.
Even in this light, just barely, Jazz could tell her eyes were glowing a faint blue.
Those were definitely her brother’s eyes.
The last time she saw those eyes was on someone who was Danny, but not Danny. Danny’s evil-future-self could imitate her brother almost perfectly but she knew the difference between her brother and the imposter.
Her heart skipped a beat and started to hammer in her chest.
Who was this girl with her baby brother’s eyes?
“It’s a long story,” Danny said putting his hand on the back of his neck. He winced as his abdomen twinged in pain and put it back at his side. “Basically she’s our cousin, Dani. She’s a half ghost like me.”
Jazz’s eyes were calculating, analytical as her mind whirled with possibilities. She forced herself to stop. Her brother trusted this girl. While she didn’t believe for a second that they were related in any conventional way, she wouldn’t let that stop her from offering the help Danny tentatively trusted her with. She would get her answers eventually. For now they were all safe.
“We can talk about it after we get her settled in.”
The girl, Dani, loosened her tight posture just a touch. Some of the tension in her shoulders leaked out and Jazz offered a small, encouraging smile.
“Let’s try this again. I’m Jazz. Danny’s sister.” Jazz wasn’t sure if she should offer to shake her hand or not so she kept the smile and gave a little wave instead.
The girl responded politely, if a little stiff.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Jazz. My name is Danielle. Or Dani. With an ‘I’.” she blinked then smiled awkwardly copying the same movement that Danny did a moment ago laying her hand over the back of her neck.
“Of course, that might get confusing with two of us.” her eyes widened and her hands flew out extended in front of her in an apologetic gesture. “Two people I mean, separate and different-”
Jazz didn’t miss the look that her brother gave their ‘cousin’ that cut off her words mid-ramble, but she didn’t press.
“Mom and Dad aren’t home. We have the place to ourselves so you can relax and talk about anything you want. It’s just us.” Jazz wouldn’t make the girl talk, but Dani could at least take comfort in the fact two hunters weren’t lurking around.
Speaking of comfort…
“Would you like some hot chocolate?” she asked and Danny perked up and the younger girl looked at him. Jazz noted that. Obviously this girl valued Danny’s opinion.
“You never make cocoa anymore.” he said not judging but surprised.
Jazz smiled and turned to the kitchen.
“Yeah because Dad can smell it and drinks the whole pot.” she says lightly. “Besides, it looks like you could both use some.”
Danny grinned ear to ear and pumped a wrapped fist in victory. He went to the kitchen with a little perk in his step. Jazz watched in the reflection of the stove as Dani was encouraged to follow.
Danny made it to the kitchen table much more easily than he had made it to her bedroom door an hour ago. Danielle took the seat two down from him that put her back to the wall. Jazz didn’t comment as she took things out of the overhead cabinets for some liquid comfort.
“So how did you two meet?” she asked, forcing her tone to be easy and casual. When she looked over her shoulder the two were looking at each other so intensely that, for a moment, she wondered if halfas could communicate telepathically.
“I was patrolling and we fought a ghost together in town-”
“I’m a clone and was undercover to steal his midmorph DNA-”
Okay, they didn’t have telepathy.
“What?!” The word escaped before she could stop it. Danny sighed and the girl’s eyes widened looking at the boy completely bewildered.
“You said your sister valued honesty!”
“I also said to ease her into it!”
Clone? Mid-what DNA? Clone?
Jazz took a deep breath and managed to stay silent. Her only loss of composure was adding too much sugar to the pot but she played it off. She took a spoon scooping the white grains back into the bag and didn’t face the duo quite yet.
She could handle this. It was big news and Danny had been dealing with it already. She could handle this and help.
“Marshmallows?” she asked and didn’t wait for a response before adding a handful of tiny, fluffy marshmallows to Danny’s mug and then her own.
Dani watched as her hand hovered over the bag with the question then slowly nodded. Jazz couldn't decide whether that was an honest desire for sweets or if she simply wanted to fit in with the other Fenton siblings.
Other siblings.
"So...you're-"
"A cousin." Danny interjected and her head spun just a bit.
"I thought-"
"It's really complicated, Jazz. For now just know she's okay and safe and needs a place to stay. Please?" he pleaded and she couldn't say no to those puppy dog eyes.
She gave him a nod and kept working. There was an odd silence the whole time.
Cocoa, milk, vanilla, and heat mixed with the sugar to bind and turn the mixture into something beautiful and thick. She added a little milk to individual mugs and then fetched a ladle. Very carefully, Jazz poured boiling chocolate over the cold milk and soft marshmallows and they swirled and dipped around until the mix was dark and swirled with creamy white streaks.
She turned presenting two mugs to her companions and returned to the stove for a third helping of the spoils.
"This smells so good." Danny tried to move the conversation along. Danielle sniffed the concoction feeling the hot mug with small fingers. She smiled in thanks through the steam but didn't try to sip it. Instead, the girl studied it intensely.
The extra splash of milk thinned it from the sludge consistency on the stove to something resembling the drink people usually expected. It was the way Jazz always made hot chocolate, covered in gooey marshmallows and very much on the chocolatey side just short of melting bars into it. It was a little unorthodox maybe, but not unusual enough to stare like that.
“Would you prefer it a little thinner? Or I think we have the mix if you want that instead.”
The girl’s eyes widened and it almost looked like a flinch. Jazz blinked and backtracked.
“It’s really okay, it’s kinda weird and it’s probably too thick- it’s an old family recipe-”
“No, I’m sure it’s fine!” Dani cut her off and waved a hand sloshing the hot liquid dangerously close to the edge of the mug. “I’ve just never had… hot chocolate before.” she finished with a little shrug and started to blow on the surface.
Danny looked angry for some reason.
Jazz tried to keep some levity in the room.
“Well if you like sweet, you’ll like this.” she declared and took her own mug to the table. Danny glanced between the two of them as discreetly as he could. Considering he had a secret identity, it was not very subtle.
Jazz smiled a genuine smile and sighed into the hot steam feeling her breath mingle with the vapor. She took a tentative sip that was mostly dissolved marshmallow and licked her lip of the white foam.
Danny blew a suspiciously slow breath before taking a large gulp of his. From the condensation now billowing from the mug, she guessed it was his ice powers being used for a very domestic task.
Danielle had watched the two take very different approaches and decided to split the difference taking a mouthful. Her mouth snapped open full of too-hot liquid spitting it out all on the tablecloth. She gasped and it must have hit the back of her throat because the girl started to cough violently, tears coming to her eyes. Danny tensed in alarm half rising in his chair and Jazz also rose from her seat in surprise.
The girl wiped her mouth with a filthy sleeve urgently. Panic was so clear in her eyes looking at the soiled white table cloth. She started to shake and Danny reached out to touch her hand gently. Dani snatched her hand back close to her body and hunched in on herself away from the boy who recoiled as if she had burned him.
She clamped her eyes shut tight and turned her head to the ground. The little girl hiccuped as if she would cry.
Super excited to do my first ever Invisobang event! Please enjoy my minibang and go follow my incredible artists @arisu-artnfics and @saxonroa immediately.
Huge thanks to @amabsis for help and reading as I tortured them for months.
Archive of Our Own Link - Complete
Arisu's Post
Summary-
Desperate to find their missing son, Jack and Maddie summon Phantom for help as the last one to see Danny alive. Their years of hatred for ghosts have come to a boiling point and Phantom is not cooperating. The hunters will have to try to convince the ghost to bring their son back to them by any means necessary.
Good or bad, at the end of the night, the family will have to reap what they have sown. Happy ending.
Tags: Angst with a happy ending, fanon typical torture, no dissection, Danny wants to be Phantom full time, kinda suicidal thoughts if you think about it, electric shock torture, Danny gets a hug, there's a lot of hurting and yelling first though, some blood, No electric torture in the first 2 chapters.
“I don’t think this’ll work, Mads.”
“It has to, honey. If it doesn’t…”
Neither of them filled the silence as work continued on the Fenton Summoning Grid. Jack soldered hot lead into place as Maddie checked that the Arduino was still in place in case it had burned out. She took her time scrutinizing the processor and where it connected to silver wiring. Her goggles whirled as she compared it to the schematics they had worked on furiously. Usually when they had a job like this they would lose themselves in it for days simply making up the time spent and only taking the time to document when significant discoveries and advancements were made. This time, the Fentons knew exactly how long this project had taken them and it was too long.
6 hours, 37 minutes since the moment they had started to sketch the outline.
She pointed to a spot where the silver lines had melted. Her eyes traced where they had run the initial current and not calibrated the regulator leaving some of the fine lines smoking puddles. Jack followed to lay new silver down. It would still work a little smudged in theory but they couldn’t take the risk. She moved on until she was satisfied.
This needed to work.
The setup was based on older techniques for communicating with the dead. It was inspired by primitive practice, but what laid in the center of the lab floor was propelled well into the 21st century with technology. Instead of a pentagram, a complex geometric array was painted on the floor and they had opted to use conductive ink instead of blood to mark their intent. The intricate lines and arrays drawn on the floor would bend the energy in the universe to their will.
Normally there was a sacrifice, an animal or sometimes a human was used in more primitive versions but here they would use what they've learned of the paranormal to do wonders with science instead of blood. The electrical impulses would be provided by wires and circuitry rather than lifeforce and what had long been rumored to be souls.
Finished with the wiring at last, Jack plugged the computer in. Energy flowed through the conduit and lit up the floor illuminating the two circles. Electricity hummed showing off the delicate designs of the protective summoner’s circle under his feet that started a green glow. A mere meter away, another circle glowed with a similar, if lighter glow. Imbued with the silver, the lines more efficiently carried the charge. The current was carrying 15 amps at 600 volts. The baseboard was insulated and oriented along the north-south magnetic access and if their calculations were correct, the attractor node would only work on a scale-7 entity instead of just the closest ghost.
The hunters moved closer both moving inside the summoner's circle together checking the shield. It had been attached to a heavy base built between the protection circle and the summoning grid in case the containment failed.
They willed it not to fail.
If they had time, they could guarantee it succeeded. If they had luck, it would be the right scale-7 entity that appeared and they could finally get some information instead of running around in circles while the police did nothing.
If they just had more time, they could have set it up with lasers for precision and done tests on what little samples they had from the ghost. If they could just hone in on its ecto signature and summon it specifically, could contain it and get answers but they couldn't risk taking that time.
The first 48 hours were the most critical and they had missed it. Their only option was to go outside the box and into the circle.
Jack looked at his wife as she pressed a button on her hood, ready to fight if the field did not hold. If whatever ghost they did manage to catch found a flaw in their tech and tried to escape because they didn’t have any more time, had wasted that precious window, they would neutralize it and try again and again and again.
The couple adjusted their stances keeping behind the shield. Everything was in place.
“Ready?” He asked putting his hand over the switch that would allow power to flow into the grid and activate. A tear in the universe would rip right there, drag the being out of its dimension and hold it. It had to hold it.
They would use the grid over and over if they had to. They would keep rebuilding the fuses and rewire whatever burned out and draw in that intricate design if the ink deteriorated. They would rebuild it again and again until they succeeded even if they had to try all night. They might have to.
Maddie bit her lip and stared at the grid evaluating it. Her mind, whirling at a million miles an hour, went over the materials, the precautions, the adjustments and what if it wasn’t sufficient? What if it failed? It couldn't. Her eyes narrowed.
“It isn’t strong enough, is it?”
Jack sighed and shook his head. “We could test it out? I’ve got an idea about using some-”
“We don’t have time to theorize any more,” Maddie snapped. “We need results, now.” She stepped out of the circle and Jack removed his hand from the switch just in case. The scientist, the mother stalked to the counter and ripped open the first aid kit. She took a lancet from the kit and ripped her glove off with her teeth as her husband followed but it was too late for him to even react. She ripped the sterile packaging apart and with no hesitation and stuck her ring finger on the side of the tip. She hissed then threw the lancet in the direction of the sharps bin. Maddie whirled around holding her hand steady. Her eyes narrowed at the apparatus.
“Hurry!” She demanded and Jack steeled himself. Adding blood to the mix could do several things. It was a traditional way of completing the circuit, grounding it to the human observer but those were stories. In the stories, the blood had worked but the actual how-to were only theories that had no scientific backing and if they just had time-
But they didn’t.
Maddie dashed back to the circle. Jack took hold once again of the switch as Maddie stood barely inside of the circle at the edge just beyond the shield. She squeezed her finger causing the red point to swell and grow.
"Now!" She flicked her hand once and a red bead of blood flung into the grid as Jack hit the switch.
Energy hummed. The single bead of blood flew over the grid then stopped. Ozone began to taint the air and the blood hovered as it caught in the buzzing field. A perfect circle, it drifted to the middle of the grid and hung under the lights while the ink on the floor glowed with electricity. The hair on the back of Jack’s neck stood on end. Overhead the lights flickered.
Something was coming.
They braced behind the failing wall. Ozone and iron tinged the air and a sharpness stung at their eyes even through the goggles. Something shimmered in the middle of the grid dragging up and through the floor. Power buzzed both electric and ectoplasmic combining to light up the circuitry and Jack could only pray that the processor held. Then as if reality had snapped into place, the space changed and it was no longer empty, but no longer holding that single drop of blood.
There in the middle of the grid, safely in the containment, was Phantom.
Green eyes darted back and forth taking in its surroundings. It had been here before, they knew it had. It froze recognizing its surroundings. For a moment no one said anything, too shocked that it had worked and they were able to hold Phantom still at last. It jerked in the direction of the stairs but was halted by the grid, contained successfully.
They didn’t need to celebrate, didn’t need to contemplate what the addition of blood meant and if it had meant success or not. Jack opened his mouth to speak but the words dried on his tongue.
The ghost spun to face them so quickly, unnaturally fast. Its eyes were always so expressive, so big and bright and full of power. When it saw them, it straightened and glared at them.
“Are you kidding me? It’s 2am!”((Or should I stick with “You. What do you want?”))) It complained baring its fangs but not quite threatening to use them yet. The hunters stiffened but stayed calm. They had anticipated anger. Phantom wasn’t used to being locked up and with that power level, it was a feat that they could hold it at all.
Maddie straightened to look at the ghost behind the barrier.
Phantom’s physical form had not changed since first appearing in Amity Park those years ago. Silver hair, that black and silver outfit, the youthful face and green eyes that held less life and more feral emotion than a real human child could show.
“We’re not going to hurt you, Phantom.” She started firmly and immediately got a dismissive laugh.
“Yeah. And I’m running for mayor.” The sarcastic sense of humor was still present when under stress. Phantom could be charming which was probably why the ghost was so popular with the impressionable youth.
“We have questions and you’re going to answer them.” Jack’s stern voice got it to frown and put away those awful teeth.
“Why would I talk to you? Or do I not have a choice?” Phantom asked as it reached out to experimentally poke at the invisible walls. The grid held without even flickering. It frowned deeper and Jack could practically see the gears turning as the ghost tried to put together the pieces and figure out how to escape. Phantom floater higher but jolted back as its head bumped against something about 9 feet up crushing the hair before hitting where the skull should be.
“Because we’re willing to make you a deal." Jack said with a low, authoritative voice. "Anything you want in exchange for information.” He declared and Phantom didn’t even spare them a glance. It floated down head first to check out the symbols drawn on the floor.
“Sure. It was Professor Plum in the Dining Room with the Lead Pipe. I’ll take a check or credit card.” So sarcastic, so irritating. Maddie snapped at him, lashing out with that worried anger lacing it with desperation.
“Anything! Free passage between here and the ghost zone any time you want,” she gestured behind them where the portal had been locked up tight. “We’ll add you to the genetic lock somehow, get you a key, something, then you can come and go as you please!” This way the ghost boy didn’t have to wait for natural portals to appear or hide in the human world conserving its energy. Unless provoked, Phantom wasn’t dangerous but offering it access to the Ghost Zone, to the endless energy it needed to keep its strength up, that would change how it operated in Amity Park. It was a risk, but what choice did they have?
Phantom blinked at that and looked up at the two past the shielding. “That’s a little hilarious actually.” Its smile tightened. “Why would I wanna come here? This town hates me.”
Jack’s stomach dropped. Did the creature not understand what it was being offered?
His jaw tightened as he tried another approach.. “You know that’s not true. You’re powerful, popular, and this whole town has been under your domain since we were taken to the zone a few years ago,” he insisted. “You claimed this territory.”
Phantom slowly twirled in the limited space allowed righting itself. “Maybe I’m giving it back,” it drawled lazily and ice crawled down Jack’s arms. “Even if I wanted to stay, I can just come and go as I please anyway. Great offer. What do you want?”
Maddie stepped forward, nose almost pressing against the shield. Her voice lowered steady and serious even as every muscle in her body tightened.
“We saw you that day. We know you’re the last one to see Danny, our Danny. We need to know where he is.”
Phantom looked at them for a long moment and Jack’s arms prickled, goosebumps rising as the boy appraised them blankly. No emotion, nothing appropriate for such an impassioned plea anyway.
As if the ghost was guarding it’s expression instead of just forgetting to project one, it asked,
“What’s it to you?”
“He’s our son!” Maddie snarled and Phantom blinked. In a horrible moment, an expression formed and a smile grew. It was wrong. It didn’t look happy, it looked tight and forced and so very wrong.
“So you really care about him, huh? It’s been what, 4 days? 5?”
59 hours since they reported him missing. They wrote the time at the top of the police report with a shaky pen. They had tried to remember, to guess and approximate but they couldn’t tell the investigator exactly when they had last actually seen their son.
It had been 11 hours since the same officer had told them there were no leads.
Jack had gone light-headed as the police had explained that they had tried. There was only so much the authorities could do. The first 48 hours of a missing child case were the most crucial and it was possible they had missed the window completely if Danny had been abducted over the weekend.
Maddie had stormed out of the precinct when they suggested he had just run away or was simply hiding out. A 17-year-old boy was prone to leaving on a whim. There was nothing to prove one way or another Danny didn’t just go to a concert for the week or on a trip with his oddly quiet friends. What if he just went to see his sister at Yale and forgot to tell them? They had called Jazz immediately but she calmly told them that Danny was probably fine. She hadn’t heard from her brother but was very quick to get off the phone with them once she got the news. She was probably trying to keep calm, trying to call his phone which only went to voicemail every time they called it.
As the hunters drove back to the house, they had come to a conclusion. Danny would never run away, never leave without telling them. Sure he had been more withdrawn from them, but that’s what teenagers did. They didn’t see him as much since Fenton Works was always working on new patents and Danny was always doing some kind of after school activity or overnight study. The poor boy was always so tired when they actually saw him at the breakfast table.
That was why they had to look for him themselves. Something had happened to their boy. Sweet, clumsy little Danny was somewhere helpless and afraid. That was why they went home and went straight to the lab, working all night on something that would summon them their only hope, a witness.
Maddie’s dry throat worked before she opened her mouth.
“Please.” Desperation leaked into her voice but that only caused the smile to grow.
“Please what? You wanna know what’s up with Danny Fenton and then you’ll let me go?” Phantom almost sounded amused behind the humming wards and summoning grid.
Jack’s hands tightened into fists and Maddie slammed her hand against the green shielding. The sound was dull in the tense quiet and she cried,
“You tell us where he is right now, you creep!”
That terrible smile morphed until those fangs poked out. The expression was so wrong on that young face.
“Easy,” Phantom chirped and for a moment, they believed they would finally have an answer. Their boy was safe. Somewhere warm and dry, fed and ready to come home.
But that smile grew,
“Danny Fenton is dead.”
And Jack and Maddie Fenton’s heart dropped at once.
Art by @arisu-artnfics Thank you thank you thank you!!!
In which Jack Frost and Danny Phantom learn a little about each others powers.
Words- 1,118
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“All that for a dusting?” Phantom floated higher, smirking at the boy who had shot a snowball from his staff dramatically into the air only moments ago. It was beautiful, but there was a lot of flourish for very little effect. Both boys had white hair, but the one below was barefoot and smirking.
“Don’t knock it till you try it. I’ve been through a lot with this thing.” He hefted his staff around him effortlessly as if he really had been through quite a lot with it. As a result of the twirling, a fine snow began to fall. It was a strange texture- instantly freezing to Danny’s suit and turning it gray and white in places. He laughed, not bothering to brush it off.
“So you’re not a ghost. You’re the spirit of fun.” He corrected himself and the older boy nodded. He smiled sliding off his feet and into the air with a little hop crossing his legs as if jumping into a fluffy chair.
“That’s right. And you’re a ghost… But a powerful ghost. And you can see me so you believe.” He said rather pleased despite it all. Jack did a flip in the air and Phantom mimicked it easily. It was nice to finally have someone to keep pace with.
Danny smiled back. “When you’re in my line of work, it’s easier to believe in things. Less surprises.”
Delicate snow coated them both. It gently touched the grass below and melted with the slight heat left in the earth. It looked like a coating of powdered sugar and it was so nice to look at, so peaceful.
“So is this your specialty? Snow?”
“What can I say? The kids love it. Ever have a snow day? You’re welcome.” He grinned a toothy grin and Phantom couldn’t help but match it.
“I have that power too.”
“You probably have lots of powers,” Jack shrugged but a gleam in his eyes gave away his curiosity. “You gonna put me out of the job?” He asked rolling onto his side midair. Phantom shook some of the frost off of his arms and braced in the air. His eyes turned blue and Jack cocked his head intrigued, but not concerned.
The blast caught him off guard. The boy jumped as the ghost blasted the ground below with harsh ice. It cooled the air with a sharp sting. Plants died, instantly frozen, the change so sudden and intense that they didn’t stand a chance. Jack snapped his head up and Phantom just smiled wide as he turned the beam of ice along the ground.
Sheets upon sheets of ice invaded in a solid layer wiping away everything and killing it all. It was unatural. Everything the beam engulfed was poised to shatter under a harsh touch and even if it was left to thaw, Jack knew it would never come back to life.
Phantom flew down close in a blink of an eye and kicked out at a tree and it shattered.
No. His powers and Phantom’s were not the same.
Jack’s was full of life.
Phantom, he should have predicted, was of death.
The ghost looked up at Jack with pride and the boy forced himself to relax. They could save this. Despite the powers and unnerving ability to destroy anything that had water in its system in an instant, Phantom was a kid. Kids believed.
“Wow… That was pretty cool. Probably really useful for combat.” He tried to keep it light and maybe hint that they were less alike than the boy thought.
Phantom picked up on it pretty quickly and frowned.
“It does,” he looked at the ground where the very air stung with the ice that covered the ground. “Not great for a snow day though.”
Jack glided over on a cool breeze. The October air was now cold and Phantom shuddered.
“You wanna try to channel it? Maybe go for something a little… easier?” He suggested and the boy smiled back at him sheepishly.
“I take it you have some tips.” Phantom asked and Jack jumped into the air again twirling his staff.
“This is what I use. Twinetender helps me channel my powers.” Phantom perked up at the idea then turned. The tree lay in shattered pieces on the ground. Even the innermost parts of the trunk were splintered and frozen solid. Phantom approached and there were several limbs of the tree that had not completely shattered with the hit. He picked one up and with a blast of something that smelled of ozone and citrus, bits of the branch shattered into a brilliant mist or simply fell off from the base.
Danny returned to him a moment later with something not quite like his crook, but he smiled wide and held it out for comparison anyway.
It was a little longer than his. The branch was gnarled in the middle and had spikes of ice sticking out of it in odd places but it was not off putting. It was delicate with the cold, coated in a layer of permafrost. There was no chance of it breaking from Phantom’s body temperature so he would just have to be careful how he swung it. He sliced it through the air and left a shimmer of tiny ice crystals in its wake.
“So… How do I make it snow all nice instead of blasting everything like Frozone.”
Jack didn’t get the reference but was ready to help. He slid forward and started easily with a blast of his own causing a patch of ice that was fairly thick, but enough to make a hill slick for sledding rather than to send a train off the rails.
“Why don’t we try this? Name of the game is control.”
Phantom scoffed. “I have control.” His aim was impeccable.
“You do,” Jack confirmed, “But you’re not in danger. You’re having fun. Hold back because you don’t have to let loose.” He said and something about that made perfect sense. Danny grinned and Jack waved his staff and a burst of sparkling snow appeared in front of him in a dense cloud.
He blew it right into Danny’s face.
The ghost sputtered as Jack retreated and just like that, the game was on. The two continued making snow in heavy bursts and into delicate sculptures and rode icy winds. Fun Frost Practice quickly devolved into a snowball fight with no casualties.
When they finally said goodbye, it was until next time. Jack could fly through Amity without setting off his ghost sense, but Phantom knew to smile and look when he saw gentle snow appear like glitter and heard a playful laugh echoed on the wind.
It was a sweet thought. Danny tried to smile when people talked about it. It was all anyone in school had talked about for days. It was moving and sweet and a cause that brought the town together. Even his parents thought it was a good idea. The mayor made the announcement on Monday and everyone had been working hard to get everything ready for the big event.
Saturday morning, 9:30am at the Hallowgate Cemetery, a service was being held for Danny Phantom.
It made sense. If there was a restless spirit in Amity Park, it was Phantom. The cemetery had offered some time ago to offer a spot for ghosts to rest. It had been almost a year since and reportedly, it had been working. Many had been put to rest by the gesture though obviously no body was ever buried.
There was a mausoleum there in the oldest part of the cemetery. The crypt was empty and surrounded by graves dating back hundreds of years. The modest structure was the newest addition there and held the empty tombs of the nameless dead. Where each stone placard inside might have held the name of a beloved family member, there was instead a wish or a prayer of peace for the soul.
Danny had seen the mausoleum once before, had seen ghost activity there on his patrol and stopped by to investigate. What he found was a ghost, a girl maybe 19. She reminded him of Kitty with longer hair and taller but with a ghoulish wound raked down the side of her body ruining the flow of her white gown. He was silent as he watched, withdrew from the scene as she cried in front of a marker that read not her name, but a prayer that she had claimed for herself.
Let those who seek the earth find it comforting and let your final sleep come unto you at last.
That was the first time Danny had seen her and he didn't see her again after that.
It felt invasive to patrol the cemetery at night after that.
The scene, though imagined for everyone else, must have been the inspiration of the upcoming event. Ghosts were slowly becoming less a part of every day life in the town and were hardly ever aggressive. There weren't any more ghost attacks and Phantom was the only ghost regularly seen. Fliers were handed out, the memorial service was talked about every night on the news as if anyone could forget that they talked about it during the day.
Danny had to get up and leave the cafeteria as every conversation he could tune into was about honoring their fallen hero. They were romanticizing it. The idea that Phantom was a tortured and wandering soul and needed them to put him to rest so he can finally be at peace. Phantom's job was done. He was safe they just needed to make him see. The idea was rampant and Danny had no clue how to stop it.
Paulina had cried all week but it never stopped her from openly supporting the event. So many people took her fliers and offered her condolences on losing her ghost boy but Danny could count on one hand how many of them knew his name.
The ones who did had opinions.
Phantom deserves to rest after all he's done for us. It's so sad he's been lost for so long.
Maybe Saturday Danny Phantom can finally rest in peace.
Yeah, as long as Fenton doesn't show up.
Why would he come? His family hates ghosts.
Exactly. He'd probably ruin the whole thing.
It doesn't matter. As long as Phantom finally gets to rest.
He laughed at first. It hurt but he had to laugh or it would hurt more. He could hardly find time to sleep. His work was never done and they wanted him to rest and move on? To where? He wasn't actually dead, only part of him.
Half.
Half of him was dead.
It was so stupid. He was still half alive, that was something right? The living half just happened to be the one that was worth less. He laughed at the idea of honoring his death.
It became harder after a while.
Everyone was so genuine about it. Everyone in school had stories about Phantom. People were interviewed on the local news every night during some kind of countdown special and the overall opinion was that the teen was a hero and he should be remembered.
Why did he have to be remembered? He was active now. People felt happy and peaceful in Amity Park enough to feel safe planning a funeral for ghosts and that was thanks to Phantom who was here and why did they want him to leave? Why didn't they want him anymore?
Every night, Jazz tried to knock on his door asking to talk. Every night, Danny would pretend to be asleep or was already out on patrol. He wasn't avoiding Jazz. He was simply making sure that every night went peacefully. He didn't acknowledge that every night in Amity Park had been peaceful for almost six months. He didn't want to entertain that maybe Amity Park didn't need Danny Phantom anymore after all.
Lancer had taken the chance on Friday to talk about closure. Danny rolled his eyes and doodled on the margins of his notebook but it was so quiet in class, so somber.
Did they really want him to be gone? Remembered in a big ceremony so they could forget him again after? Did Amity Park not want him anymore? For the rest of 5th period he imagined what it would be like to move on. It scared him.
As he patrolled the city the night before his funeral Danny stayed invisible. Thoughts about the afterlife were his only company until he saw the gathering. A vigil was being done for him. There were dozens and dozens of people lighting candles and holding blurry pictures of him. Stuffed animals and flowers all littered the stairs of City Hall in his honor. Camera crews recorded people crying and holding their candles in silence and burning incense that they hoped would appease him.
Danny didn't really have any stuffed animals. He was too old for them. He liked video games and music and horror but there was none of that at the vigil. Why would there be? This could have been honoring anyone.
He didn't know if it was better or worse that he didn't show himself but he barely slept that night, the smell of strange incense burned into his nose.
Breakfast Saturday morning was odd. Jazz kept looking at him, not able to get him alone to talk about the damage that his psyche must be taking or whatever.
His parents kept sniping at each other about whether it was a waste of time or if this might be what finally put Phantom to rest. The question of whether Phantom would react violently to the gesture was brought up by mom and immediately crushed by Jazz and they made sure to dress up anyway. Shockingly, they even wore dress clothes without the jumpsuits, probably predicting the backlash they would receive showing up to a ghost's funeral in ghost hunting gear. He was pretty sure the tasteful gloves on his mother's hands were giving off an ectosignature, but it was still overall a nice thought.
They drove the Fenton RV to the cemetery and, probably for the best, weren't able to park close to the event. Cars lined the street leading to the old graveyard in either direction. They walked for about ten minutes around the iron fence that surrounded Hallowgate but Danny was pretty sure that his parents could jump the fence and make it back to the assault vehicle in two if necessary. It probably gave them peace of mind.
As they passed hundreds of people, many from the vigil last night, Danny couldn't help parrot back the idea that this was in fact a waste of time. Danny Phantom wasn't going to stop roaming the city because the people tried to put him to rest. Phantom might even resent the idea. What happened to a soul after roaming the earth as a ghost for so long? Was Danny's soul the same quality as it was when he was supposed to die? He had done terrible things to this town. If he did move on would he end up in heaven or-
He lowered his gaze and followed his family to his funeral.
It wasn't until they reached the site that Danny's heart skipped a beat. Ghosts had mingled with the crowd, from what he could tell, completely unseen. Dozens of them, most he didn't recognize but others he did.
All of them looked at him as he approached.
He swallowed tightly as the dense group of citizens and the lost alike surrounded one area but it wasn't centered around the white building.
His name wasn't being interred in the ghost mausoleum. The crowd was gathered around a lone headstone set apart from the graves of Amity citizens past and the looming crypt for the nameless.
He was literally set between the living and the dead.
He couldn't see the front of the stone yet, but from the smooth reverse side he could tell it was marble. That was expensive. Why would the cemetery shell out so much money for someone who wasn't even going to be buried? Couldn't be buried?
As they made their way closer, muscling through the crowd that mostly gave way for them with varying degrees of shock, Danny's blood chilled at the smell first. It was the scent of fresh, damp dirt. An empty coffin was prepared in a rig over the open grave. His mouth dried instantly and he took a step back into Jazz who took his arm and squeezed gently.
He wanted to leave, to fly away or sink into the ground-no, not the ground, not when there was his own grave so close as if he could get sucked into it and be trapped inside. Jazz pulled him into her side and wrapped her arm around him in a casual but meaningful hug.
"We'll talk about this as much as you want when we get home." she promised in his ear. He nodded a tiny motion but relaxed just a little as she let go and stayed close.
At 9:30 on the dot, a priest approached the small clearing in front of the grave and began a speech.
It was about what Danny had expected though the language was changed to accommodate the diseased but it felt wrong. He had been to funerals before but being at his own set his teeth on edge. His eyes kept darting around to the people around him but the living and the dead in attendance were so oddly still and subdued with their eyes lowered to the ground or fixed on his grave.
The funeral spiel was quick and generic. There were no friends or family of Phantom to come up and say a few words, no one knew his favorite songs or poems and it didn't feel appropriate to tell stories of his battles. No one knew Phantom as a person, but they knew of him. Why was the idea of him enough to honor Phantom? Why was everyone so sad for something this bland?
The closing remarks started and Danny breathed a little easier knowing it was almost over. The priest looked over the crowd.
"Misguided youth, well-meaning martyr, or something else entirely. The Phantom has proven himself a hero. Now and forever we know this in our hearts. We love you, Phantom. Each and every person here wants you to know that you are important. We may not have known you in life, but we are honored to know of you in death. Whether we have our own stories of your heroics firsthand or simply know of your trials, we honor you today and wish you peace. Whatever that means to you, we, the people of Amity Park, hope you find it."
The crowd murmured an amen after him and as if on cue, two women in black started making their way through the crowd handing out flowers. There were hundreds of them, hydrangeas and roses and lavender, so many types that Danny couldn't keep track and in so many different colors. He wished he knew more about flowers and what they meant but even so they seemed to be given out randomly. It didn't matter what they meant but the gesture was nice.
After the coffin was lowered, the crowd formed a bunched line overseen by the priest. The man ushered them along one at a time and let each person have up to twenty seconds to say their own private prayer before offering them a blessing and a hand wave gesturing them toward the path back to the paved road to take their leave.
Some people stayed only long enough to toss their flower onto the casket while others burst into tears and took their entire twenty seconds to say goodbye.
Some people mumbled sacred words under their breaths and the hair on the back of Danny's neck pricked like he should have heard it, should have swooped in close to take the wishes and prayers but that felt wrong.
Did they all wish him a safe passing to the afterlife? What did he do wrong to make all them want him gone?
He was a hero for them wasn't he?
He bit his cheek and Jazz gently guided him into position behind her.
His parents threw in their flowers, twin daisies and looked at each other before respectfully walking away. Jazz dropped in an orchid and looked over her shoulder at him before turning back, nodding to the priest, and walking away to join her parents.
It was his turn already and he couldn't do anything. Here he was standing numbly at the foot of his own open grave and he didn't have a joke, a prayer, or anything in between for his own memory. What was he supposed to say? You're welcome? Thank you?
He finally read the carved words on the headstone and his mind stood still. Something swelled in his chest, something cold and blinding hot and unwelcome and as the lone white carnation fell from his cold fingers he burst into tears.
A hero is someone who willingly walks into the unknown
Danny Phantom
Gone but not forgotten
Ectober Haunt Day 23- Condemned
Ectober Haunt Day 25- Headstone
Ectober Haunt Day 31- Insomnia
The citizens of Amity Park didn't know for sure it had a resident ghost boy until about 3 weeks after the first reported sighting.
Ghosts were becoming more common, more dangerous. They looked dangerous. They were dark and shadowy figures with glowing red eyes and weapons and hair made of flames and tricks of the light. Among them, there seemed to be one that kept coming back to fight the other ghosts or otherwise be seen flying through the skies relaxed and somersaulting against the stars.
Everyone had a ghost story by October. It had only been a few months since the Fenton's published their paper on their now functional ghost portal and the town had been a hot spot for violence and terror.
Except when it came to our most common spectre.
We had taken to calling him Inviso-Bill because of his habit to dissapear when spotted and, well, Bill just seemed like a nice respectable name to call someone.
The respect came and went in waves however. Bill seemed to have a penchant for giving in to his "evil" ghostly side stealing money and art and jewels one day and rescuing civilians the next, then after that taking the mayor hostage. Public opinion varied and it wasn't ever easy to talk about him because you may never agree 100% with your neighbor about Inviso-Bill: hero or menace?
It would get easier as time went on. October came and went and eventually everyone had started to agree that for all of Phantom's faults, he usually was with other ghosts when he did bad things. Maybe Bill was just a little impressionable. He likely died when he was a child and lost children would often try to fit in. That instinct must be astronomically worse when you're dead and the only company you can find are the firmly evil kind.
If you could manage to find Phantom alone, often on starry nights, you could often see him doing flips and spinning enjoying the sense of zero gravity like a child would. In these moments it was easy to forget that Bill was dead, was a monster and different and every thing that would ruin Amity Park if it's citizens let their guard down.
He saved the town again. This time there was no denying that he was fighting for us, doing good to protect Amity Park for selfish reasons or otherwise, that wasn't for us to judge.
Danny Phantom he called himself. He smiled and we watched and talked amongst ourselves as he flew off again finally feeling light and free as we saw he could be this whole time.
It was so much easier to find comfort in the echoed laugh of the ghost boy. His mirth filled the darkness with something no longer feared and forbidden. When he laughed we could smile at each other too. If you followed the laugh, you could find him and not be afraid. Phantom was a friend in the darkness with snow white hair and glowing green eyes.
There was only an hour or so before sundown and Dash's group wasn't anywhere near the carefully plotted path curated for them.
"How are we supposed to get back to camp in time for the jamboree?" Kwan asked scratching his head as Dash poured over the map. Star huffed as the rest of the small group meandered around the trees and bushes waiting idly for their staff-appointed leader to lead them.
"Ugh. Yesterday's 'jamboree' was just Lancer doing slam poetry for an hour by the fire. I'd rather die of exposure out here, thanks."
Some of the others laughed in response. There were 6 people in the group so they could all keep an eye on each other and thankfully, most of them were already friends.
Well, no one was friends with Fenton.
Danny rolled his eyes and kicked a small twig into a bush and then started to walk off.
"Hey, Fentolio, don't get lost or I'll have to find you and drag you back hogtied, understand?"
"Yeah. Crystal."
Danny drawled back and leaned against a tree looking very bored but in the eye line of the rest of the group.
Gina and Nathan were busy with actually finishing their part of the assignment, cataloging the flora they could find and matching the leaves to the ones on the hand out.
Danny had been in charge of fauna and managed to take some quick sketches of footprints that Dash wouldn't admit were pretty good, but they were pretty good.
Kwan pointed in a direction that Dash agreed with and everyone followed suit. Kwan had been a scout for several years after all and learned more than just how to sell popcorn.
Star walked behind her friends while Gina and Nathan walked ahead of everyone else looking for more plants they hadn't been able to check off yet. Fenton took up the rear. Dash knew he was behind them because that loser kept kicking through the brush like he was signaling to the whole forest that they were there.
Dash didn't remember the last time he saw Fenton without his dweeb friends, but being without them made him even more irritating than usual.
"Hey, do mushrooms count as flora or something else?"
Gina had stopped at the head of a small clearing.
Dash lead the others beside her as Nathan walked further in to inspect the circle of brown mushrooms.
Nathan adjusted his glasses as he knelt down beside the ring and cocked his head.
"They're not considered a plant, more closely related to animals but it might count if we write it in as extra credit." He offered and Dash snorted the word "nerd" under his breath. The others laughed all except Fenton of course. Dash turned to look at him but the boy seemed to not be paying attention to them, just looking for more sticks to crush under the sneakers he chose to wear for a hike.
Dash pushed him and smirked as anger flashed in blue eyes.
"Hey, watch it!"
Dash stood his ground.
"Or what? Afraid we'll leave you in the woods with the monsters? Are there any ghosts out here, dweeb?" He mocked. It was no secret that Fenton had some kind of ghost sensor. He always ran off before a ghost attack in school or around town. His parents must have him wired up at all time. Or maybe it was an app on his phone. He never asked.
Fenton glowered at him then sighed. "No, Dash. There's nothing weird around." He said with such certainty that Dash felt the urge to believe him. Of course when Fenton was around, there was always something weird around.
Nathan broke a twig stepping forward and Fenton raised his eyes at the noise then froze.
"EXCEPT THAT-" He pushed past Dash who sputtered as the shorter boy rushed forward and grabbed Nathan's shoulder right before the red-head could step into the ring.
"You don't ever step inside a fairy circle." He warned with the same intensity as if Nathan didn't look both ways before crossing the street and almost got pancaked by a semi-truck.
Star stepped forward and the rest of them entered the clearing.
"The what?" she raised a perfect eyebrow and Danny turned to them.
"A fairy circle," he pointed at the mushrooms growing in a ring by his feet. "These are Scotch bonnets. Fairy ring mushrooms."
"You're such an idiot, Fentoad. We're not even in Scotland."
Fenton ignored him completely and Dash felt a whisper of rage at the slight.
"So the mushrooms mean it's a fairy circle. What's it do?" Star repeated determined to get an answer. She was into all this paranormal stuff almost as much as Paulina. Kwan was captivated by anything new and looked at Fenton with wide eyes. Gina looked too, the boy had everyone's attention. Dash crossed his arms.
"A fairy circle is a gateway into the fairy realm. If you step inside it you can be cursed with misfortune or death. That is if you aren't sucked into their world and forced to dance for them until you drop dead." He said with too much science nerd decorum to make it sound like a good story.
Kwan looked worried.
"I'm not a good dancer." He admitted and took a step back. Dash laughed.
"You can't be serious. You're afraid of a stupid story like that? Fairies aren't real."
Fenton's jaw twitched in annoyance and Dash's smile grew.
"Dash. You live in a haunted city and go to a haunted school."
Dash shrugged nonchalantly.
"That doesn't mean fairies exist. Where's the scientific proof of those?"
That got Fenton sputtering and Star giggled into her hand. Even Gina cracked a smile. Nathan was absorbed in his notes, too busy to remark on his life apparently being saved.
Dash walked forward and was about to step into the ring dramatically just to bug the boy but two surprisingly strong hands grabbed him by the jacket and pulled him back causing him to stumble.
"What the hell, turd-fer-brains?" He snapped and Fenton actually looked worried with wide eyes.
"I'm serious, Dash. We need to not touch anything, get out of here, and never come back. Maybe leave an offering in case they're watching."
He started to look down at his feet like he was considering one of those sticks he'd been stepping on or maybe a shiny rock.
Dash stalked toward the small boy who ignored him again. Anger swelled inside him again and his fists formed then loosened so he could have his hands for this.
"Oh yeah? Well tell them we're so sorry and to keep the change."
And with that, he shoved Fenton hard and the boy yelped as he went over the border, locked eyes with the blond, and then fell through the ground leaving even the grass undisturbed.
Gina and Star screamed and Kwan ran forward before stopping right at the edge of the ring. Dash didn't move.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
Summary- Desperate to find their missing son, Jack and Maddie summon Phantom for help as the last one to see Danny alive. Their years of hatred for ghosts have come to a boiling point and Phantom is not cooperating. The hunters will have to try to convince the ghost to bring their son back to them by any means necessary.
Good or bad, at the end of the night, the family will have to reap what they have sown. Happy ending.
Tags: Angst with a happy ending, fanon typical torture, no dissection, Danny wants to be Phantom full time, kinda suicidal thoughts if you think about it, electric shock torture, Danny gets a hug, there's a lot of hurting and yelling first though, some blood
Warning-Got some electrical shock here and but this is a feelings fic not a gore fic so Danny's just as, if not more upset about the conversation.
Tumblr links-
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Jack stayed in the circle. There had to be someone to complete the circuit, to stay in the summoner circle and they were lucky the entire thing didn’t cease functioning when Maddie broke through. He stayed planted near the center of his glowing ring even as his fists clenched and unclenched at his sides. Jack watched through the green tint of the shield. His eyes stayed on his wife and the wavering monster in the cage. Phantom had lost that pep, but still had a wise mouth. It smiled grimly. "Any chance I can plead the fifth? I feel like everything I say incriminates me." "Where is Danny?"
Steadfast and calm, it answered. "I can't tell you."
"So you do know where he is." With the click of a button, the device in Maddie’s hand started to hum.
The tool that the hunter had chosen was small. It wasn't pretty, but it was powerful. The size of a screwdriver, the weapon could deliver a nasty shock to a ghost using a certain amperage of electricity instead of ectoplasm. The charges had shown to be successful in interacting with petri dishes of the material, perhaps going so far as to say it could disrupt ectoplasm.
They had yet to use it on a ghost.
Phantom's jaw tightened watching the thing hum but merely clenched its fists in its lap.
"Tell me everything or I’ll have to hurt you."
"Then hurt me.” The echoed words were tight but Maddie scowled at it.
"Don't test me.”
"I'm not,” the words were tighter out of grit teeth. “Just get it out of your system. You've hurt him for too long. I won’t let you-"
"How dare you," Jack snapped from behind the shield. "You don't know anything about us and Danny."
Phantom huffed and crossed its arms. "I know more than you think."
"How?" Her goggles whirred as she glared at him through the glass." Were you stalking my boy?" Maddie's fingers twitched around the device as it buzzed.
Phantom's ears twitched, a strictly inhuman gesture. "I was his friend."
Jack stiffened. I was ? Did that mean-
"You have some nerve," Maddie growled. "Danny would never be friends with the likes of you."
"With who? Ghosts?" The thing spat and it glowered at them through white bangs. A thin, sad smile curled its lip. "Figures. You don't know Danny at all."
A shiver went through Jack and he could feel the hair on the back of his neck stand up. There was a tinge in the air, something dangerous. He watched as Maddie took a deep, cool breath and raised her gloved hand. The Fenton Scrambler pointed and the sight, which was made with a plain old laser pointer, pointed squarely at the ghost's chest.
"If you really knew my son, you would know how much his parents love him. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for my boy.”
Phantom smiled again that wry smile that had no place here. "Then let him go."
It was a momentary lapse in judgment.
A flash. A pained cry broke through the air but it was human. The ghost jerked away from the barrier as if it had been shocked. The device had been fired but the light purple beam seemed to deflect off of the cage wall. Whatever it was that was strong enough to keep Phantom in was powerful enough to keep the beam out.
It bounced away burying itself in the shin of a blue jumpsuit and the woman crumpled to her knees.
“Maddie!” Jack screamed and the ghost made a noise he couldn’t hear over his own panicked voice.
“I’m fine,” Maddie’s arms shook where they supported her on the floor. “Don’t leave the circle.”
Jack opened his mouth to retort but stopped getting as close to the edge of the circle as he dared. She was right. The only thing that was separating them from the creature was the summoning grid's containment field. The living person's strength was the grounded connection to the living world. The ghost was being kept in the grid with what they had upgraded to electricity and science with a touch of blood. The grid held strong for now but they hadn't done the experiments, hadn't done the testing and backed up their findings and despite holding strong during Phantom's final attack, who knew what it would take to shatter it.
Maddie was able to break out of the circle, but she was now vulnerable if the creature escaped. The barrier was strong, but something living had to be in the summoner's circle grounding it to this world. Tired from the horrific display of power or not, Phantom was angry and strong enough that it could kill them both easily. Worse, it could overshadow them and do horrible things with a corporeal body whether they still inhabited it or not.
Jack would not be able to risk putting one foot over the line.
The smell of burnt flesh and fire and a sweet acidic aroma tainted the air. He forced himself to be still. “Are you alright?” It was a stupid question. His eyes went to the first aid box on the table.
Maddie’s eyes were unseen through the goggles but Jack was sure there would be tears. “It’s fine. I’m human, the disruptor won’t work on human flesh.” But it did. Even if it had not shaken the molecules apart and dissolved the skin, something was still wrong with her left leg.
Jack looked at the woman but she did not turn to look at him back. She stood up again obviously putting her weight on one side.
“Use the kit. There are fresh bandages in there-” his words died on his lips. That was the last time he knew for a fact he had spoken to Danny.
Saturday morning he found the box nearly empty on the lab bench where Maddie must have cleaned it out and thrown out whatever was no longer in date or something. Bandages in particular were always missing and needed replenishing so he knew when he found Danny upstairs on the couch recovering from another late Friday night, the boy would know how to restock it. Jack didn’t even wait for a reply. The last thing he had heard Danny say was “Okay” as he rushed out the door and slammed it shut behind him.
His eyes went to the bench where the kit had been pulled out before for the lancet. Jack could see where bandages and plastic bottles had been replaced then dislodged where Maddie had ripped it apart to get to the instrument she needed.
Danny was a good boy, he had listened. It was one of the last things he did before he disappeared somewhere only this ghost seemed to know.
Refilling the first aid kit would not be the last thing Danny did in this house. Jack had to stay put.
He looked at the ghost again at long last as it stared at the wound with wide eyes.
“I’m fine, Jack. We have bigger things to worry about.” She left the disruptor on the ground and took a step forward kicking it aside.
Phantom looked up at her from the ground. Even with the scare it didn’t float up to eye level, instead glancing between the wound and her face with its gloved hands on the floor.
“That looks bad. You should go-”
“I’m not going anywhere until you answer me, punk.” She hissed and Phantom shrunk a little then squared its shoulders.
“Go to a hospital! Your leg is gonna fester and fall off or something.”
“You’d like that wouldn’t you.” Maddie glared at him and Phantom bristled as if offended.
“Why would I want this? God- you’re so stuck in your own heads that me telling you to go to the hospital is an attack!” It did a good job of pretending to be indignant but there was no chance they could leave the ghost alone without some kind of deal being made. There were weapons everywhere but Phantom could escape into the world in a second if they didn’t do this right. At that point, they would never find Danny.
Jack braced himself. They needed this now. “We’re not letting you out of here until we know our boy is alright.”
Phantom let out a laugh but it wasn’t happy, more shocked and annoyed. “Then leave me here because he isn’t. He’s actually pretty upset right now.”
A ball of something dense and sour curdled in Jack’s stomach. Maddie turned away from the grid limping toward the counter against the wall while he kept his attention on the creature. “What did you do to him?” He demanded and Phantom hunched its shoulders up around its head and threw up its gloved hands, a learned gesture broadcasting annoyance.
“I didn’t do anything to him!”
The ghost boy knew something but was keeping it quiet. It knew where Danny was but refused to say more but why ?
Maddie’s mouth opened and closed before licking dry lips. There was only one thing that made sense.
“You’re the one who took him.”
Jack followed the train of thought his wife had laid the tracks for. Of course. The pieces fit. If Phantom had interpreted Danny needing protection then it could have taken him in some misguided attempt to be a hero. It would have been effortless for such a powerful being who by all accounts was obsessed with defending Amity Park and its inhabitants. It seemed especially fond of Danny always showing up near him…Following him.
Phantom’s eyes widened recognizing a shift in the atmosphere. The ghost’s posture changed as it looked between the two humans as their expressions darkened. Broken glass clinked on the floor falling from white hair. “Hold on a second-”
“You took my baby.” Maddie stalked like a lioness around Phantom’s circle. Instead of going toward Jack in the summoner’s circle, she moved the opposite way, the long way toward the computer powering it all.
The ghost rose best it could on shaky legs to watch, anticipate, and Jack’s heart pounded in his chest. How could they not see it before? Danny had talked about the ghost boy before dismissing their talks about how the creature was dangerous, a corrupted soul that could never belong here but it must have convinced their son with that charming tongue and boyish looks. Danny was sweet, trusting, too easy to take advantage of and the ghost must have sensed that when it started manipulating him.
How long did it take for Phantom to convince Danny he was safe around him?
Did Danny even know to resist when he was literally spirited away?
Maddie walked around the circle and knelt by the machine that ran the whole operation. With calculating hands she unscrewed the hand-tightened bolts and revealed the delicate insides of hastily soldered wiring and parts. She reached in and Jack gasped watching her remove the regulator on the part connected to Phantom’s containment. The device controlled the amount of electricity that flowed into the grid keeping it within the range they had calculated with chicken scratch writing in a notebook that had been tossed aside hours ago. With precise movements, she picked up the disrupter and hefted it in her hand evaluating it then it clattered to the floor.
Jack shivered.
There was nothing protecting against the amperage increase that surged through the lines with a tiny twist of the knob.
The lines glowed brighter. Phantom stumbled but found its feet. Not able to raise into the air just yet, the ghost looked around it watching the lines glow brighter and the borders hummed.
“Why- what are you doing?” It’s voice pitched slightly. Maddie smiled recognizing it as fear.
“Silver is a wonderful conductor,” she said touching the blue casing on the wires and she pulled one out of the conduit. “Interestingly enough, so is ectoplasm.” The machine whined and Phantom’s throat bobbed.
“You don’t have to do this.”
“You leave me no choice.” Maddie glared at the ghost and turned the knob again. Electricity stung through the air and the grid lit up brightly as Phantom screamed.
It was a terrible sound. It wouldn’t surprise him if the ghost had died with a similar scream. Jack closed his eyes but all he could think about was Danny. His boy was out there somewhere and this ghost knew where he was. He steeled himself and glowered down at the scene with cool blue eyes. Seconds ticked by then Maddie turned the knob the opposite way. So much was done with such a simple motion. The electricity was lowered back to the original containment levels and the air stunk of copper.
The screaming cut off as the creature shook on hands and knees. Pitch black smoke piped from its back in random spots. Phantom coughed and spasmed on the ground then flickered once. For a split second Jack feared it would flicker away completely but Phantom’s form still seemed stable as it gasped for air it did not need. He glared at it and squared his large shoulders.
"There's more where that came from, punk. Now get talkin'." He watched the ghost clench its fingers into fists.
“T-that hurt.” It gasped and Maddie smiled.
“Good. You freak…”
The ghost flinched. It tried again. “You can talk to him- you don’t have to hurt me.”
Rage filled her at the confession. All that and the ghost knew exactly where Danny was. All the begging and pleading and it could have gotten Danny at any time. It toyed with them instead.
“I want to hurt you.” The words hung in the air and green eyes looked properly scared. One of the few things ghosts could actually feel was fear. “Ghosts only want to hurt humans. They cause chaos and spread death anywhere they go. You’re no different.” Jack shuddered at the chilled tone, the steel in her voice was sharp enough to commit the sin.
“You’re wrong,” Its voice was tight and quiet. “You’ve always been wrong. Not all ghosts are bad.”
“Ghosts are-”
“No!” The cry was tight and desperate and a chill startled through the hunters as Phantom started rapidly. “No! Just please, stop. Some ghosts just wanna be left alone. I don’t wanna fight anymore or hurt or be hurt, I don’t! Just- let me go…” It cut off the words with a sob. Green eyes lowered to the ground and its head dipped down hanging low like a cowed animal. “I don’t wanna live in this world anymore…” White hair covered its face as another sob shook its shoulders.
It was almost convincing.
“You took my boy away from me.” She said and the dial clicked as the amperage increased again. The glowing increased in a spill of color and those thin shoulders hunched in on itself.
“Please no…”
“Information, ghost. That’s all I want from you.” The ghost’s resolve seems to have shattered in the short time. Maybe the electricity was a stronger deterrent to ghosts than they thought. Maybe Phantom in particular was vulnerable to the element. Either way, the result was favorable.
“I can’t tell you where he is-” Electricity spiked through the air but Phantom jerked up, eyes wild and it threw out a hand at Maddie in a gesture that could mean please . “I can’t- really! I can tell you anything else.”
A beat passed then she turned the dial back down. “Why can’t you tell us where Danny is?”
Phantom’s throat bobbed as if searching for the right words to project. It spoke carefully lowering its hand and keeping a nervous gaze between the two hunters.
“I can’t because… It’s against my ghostly nature to tell you anything that could risk his safety. I’m protecting him.” The words were stilted but that could have been on account of the nasty shock. The ghost’s nature, its very core not allowing the action would match with the notes they had compiled on Phantom’s method of operation. If it truly believed that Danny was being protected then it couldn’t betray him. They had to get the information from the ghost slowly from any angle they could.
Jack looked at his wife and through the red lenses, her eyes told him that they had come to the same hypothesis. Now to put it to the test. The glow faded back to normal levels and the creature shivered, probably in relief.
Maddie stood up and put a hand on the top of the hard casing for support. “How long have you been watching Danny?”
The question caught the ghost off guard. Maybe it was surprised that they actually took the bait. It looked between the two of them and dared to pull itself up enough to sit on its knees kneeling before them.
“I haven’t been watching him like some kinda stalker. If you’re asking how long I’ve known about him, it’s been a while.” Phantom said and Jack huffed.
“You’re gonna have to be more specific, ghost.” With his words, Maddie turned the knob slightly and that agonizing glow threatened the air again. Green eyes shot open wide.
“14! I- he was 14 when I came around.”
Maddie glared at the beast in the circle. “You’ve been haunting Danny for years ?” She asked but it was an accusation, one the ghost denied quickly shaking its head.
“Not haunting. I just knew about him. He’s the son of two ghost hunters and lives in the house with the portal,” the ghost looked down at the sigils and tried to draw a finger over the surface but the gloved digit failed to touch the floor hovering just over the line. “I’m his friend.”
How could that be? Phantom had said that before but why would that be true?
“We’ve never seen ghosts be friendly with anyone, ghost or human.” Jack said as his wife simmered with an indignant rage. The ghost boy shrugged at the floor.
“You haven’t exactly been looking very hard. There are lots of things about ghost behavior that you don’t know about.”
Maddie huffed. “We are the leading researchers in paranormal studies. We’ve studied ghosts for most of our lives.”
Phantom huffed back, defiance starting to appear again through the pain. “Most of your research is done so you can hunt better. If you were really looking, you would see that there are good ghosts and there are bad ghosts. There are also ghosts who just want to be left alone.”
Maddie snipped back darkly, “And I suppose you think you’re one of the good ghosts.” The ghost gave her a mild look.
“Not anymore,” Maddie’s face tightened and Phantom smiled at her tightly. “Ijust wanna be left alone now.”
“Why did you take him then?” Jack asked with curiosity coloring his tone. “You won’t be alone if you have Danny with you.” Jack tried. Phantom looked at him and the smile turned into something wry. It always looked like it knew something they didn’t and it was infuriating to be mocked like that. He kept trying anyway.
“What made you take our boy? Why not some other kid?”
“Jack!”
He shut his mouth. He shouldn’t have said that. The past few days had been a nightmare. He couldn’t wish this on anyone but he had to know.
The ghost turned the words over looking at the large man then the floor, then answered with its eyes down. “He wanted to go.”
A chill went down Jack’s back and Maddie growled. “Lies! Danny would never-”
“He would and he did.” This creature, this eternally young boy, had stolen away their son. “He… We’re friends. Close friends.” It said and the delivery wasn’t the smoothest, but the being seemed to believe it. Jack was going to be sick.
“Stop calling him your friend.” Maddie demanded and the ghost seemed to get stronger as the anger grew.
“Well what else do you call it? I know more about Danny than either of you.” Phantom snapped back and its jaw twitched as if regretting some of the words. Maddie scoffed at it.
“That’s ridiculous-”
“Did you know he broke his arm last year?”
The hunters froze. Jack stiffened as if the words were a physical blow. “That’s ludicrous. We would have noticed-”
“Well ya didn’t,” Phantom said stiffly and crossed its arms tight against its chest. “He was pretty disappointed about it too but he wasn’t surprised.”
Jack’s stomach sank. What were they working on last year that could have made them so unobservant? There was grant work but nothing that was out of the ordinary. No, it couldn’t be true.
“Jazz had to take him to the hospital,” the monster continued. “His friends signed his cast.”
“He would have told us.” Jack insisted. They would have noticed…
“He was afraid you would be mad. Then you didn’t notice after a few days so he figured he wouldn’t bring it up. You never noticed so he never did.” The ghost’s fingers tightened into its suit.
Silence bloomed in the room. Jack couldn't even place a time period, couldn't think of anything that had stuck out in the last year that could indicate such an event. Danny was a good kid. He loved them and they loved him. There was no way that something like that could be kept a secret. There were no secrets in this house.
"Jazz would have said something." Maddie shook her head. "She's so responsible, she would have told us immediately."
"Jazz was an adult. 18 and about to move out and go to college." Phantom shrugged. "I dunno why she didn't tell you. Maybe she didn't want to be lecturing you during her last month at home."
Danny would have just turned 16 over the summer. Jazz moved out in August. Still, Jack could not place a specific time that Danny had a cast on.
"It wouldn't have really made a difference anyway. It's just your nature."
"Nature?" Maddie asked but she saved her tone from becoming a scoff. Angry, sure, but more unsure.
"Well yeah," Phantom continued, sounding all the world like it was stating a sad fact like the oceans were heating up or the sun would explode someday in the far off future. "You get caught up in your work. Always have. It's important but sometimes that means you don't notice things. That's just how it is."
Was it? The kids didn't do many activities so there weren't exactly dance recitals and ball games to miss, but they had been supportive chaperoning dances and attending PTA meetings when needed. Well some of them. It had been a while since they had been to the school.
Maybe they weren't as attentive to their children as they could be. They were young but they had lives and friends and Danny was barely home these days anyway. When he was home, he was tired from partying all night or playing games with his friends. He was a teenage boy, they needed space and Danny was basically self sufficient. Jazz had been independent for quite a while herself.
Jack bit the inside of his cheek. How long had it been since they started thinking of their children that way?
It had been so long he didn't know.
"There had to be a mistake," Maddie started again. "Our boy wouldn't leave home like that, not without saying anything. You must not have understood what he wanted. He wouldn't go willingly." The anger returned and Phantom looked more defeated with each word.
"He did. Let me go.”
Back to that impossible request.
Jack shook his head. "Danny wouldn't be able to survive in the zone. He's human." Phantom smiled a grim smile.
"What if he wasn't? What if he was a ghost too?"
Jack didn't realize how tense his body had become until those words infected the air and he couldn't move a muscle. Maddie gasped, a horrid, choking sound.
"You monster. You... You killed my son?"
Green eyes widened and white hair whipped around as the hunters stared at him horrified.
It made sense. If Danny couldn't be brought here, had to be in the zone, wasn't safe in the human word-
No.
Phantom was telling the truth.
Danny Fenton was dead.
"Wait-"
The expression was back to blank. Some distance had been put back between them but why? Phantom should be overjoyed that it had put the hunters through so much pain. Maddie kneeled again wincing as blood dripped from the wound. The ghost watched flicking its eyes up and down between that stoic face and the injury. It didn't address it, likely put out by the previous response it got when it had suggested a hospital. The monster with a child’s face grimaced and attempted one more time to speak.
"It's not what you think-
It had nothing they wanted to hear. Maddie's fingers tightened around the knob and before the ghost could finish those useless words, she turned it high.
