'No! I have to get out of here.' Danny furiously struggled against his bonds. It had finally happened. A year and a half after the accident and he finally told his parents.
Flashback
'Ok Danny' he thought to himself. 'You can do this.' They've found out before and still supported you. You're their son, like I told Vlad when we first met, they're my parents, and they will always love and accept me.' Feeling confident he walked into the room where his family was waiting. Jazz gave him a smile of encouragement.
"Mom, Dad" he began. "I have something to tell you, I should have told you a year and a half ago but I was afraid. But, it's time."
He closed his eyes and took a breath. "You see, there was an…accident." he said very carefully. "In your lab, a year and a half ago."
"Dan-" His parents tried to interrupt, stopped by Danny raising his hand and continuing his tale.
"When you made the ghost portal, it didn't work, but I thought it was cool anyway. I figured since it didn't work I could safely check it out. I-I mean I still wore safety gear, but I didn't think I'd be in danger or anything," he said quickly, getting nervous.
"Anyways, while I was in it it was kinda dark and there were a bunch of wires and I tripped. When I caught myself my hand must have pressed the 'on' button. All I remember after that was a flash of green and the pain."
This time his parents could not be stopped, they rushed over and checked him over, tears streaming down their cheeks. "Oh Danny" his mom choked out.
"It's-I'm ok, really. It was a long time ago. Anyway, I'm not-not finished."
His parents sat back down wondering what more could come, as Danny looked more nervous than ever.
"When-when I woke up I was…different. Over the next few weeks weird things would happen. My hand would turn invisible, beakers in science would fall though my hand I'd float a few inches without even noticing. But weirdest of all were the physical changes. My hair turned white, and my eyes started to glow green. I-I turned into a phantom…I'm Danny Phantom."
He stopped; staring at the floor looking like he wished it would swallow him, which to be fair, for him it could. It he had looked up he'd have seen his parents shocked faces and a momentary look of resolve on his mother's face. Once they got over their shock though they reacted just as he remembered after the reality gauntlet incident, with love and support, and of course a big family hug. When Danny finally went to bed that night, he had never felt more free.
When he woke up his head felt kinda funny, like he was still asleep.
He tried to stretch it out, but found that he couldn't. Upon further observation he noticed that his arms and legs had been strapped down. He tried to phase through them, but couldn't. He was strapped down with ghost constraining devices in his parents' lab.
He froze, lost and confused. 'Why? They said they accepted me? Whey and I here, they said they loved me?' he cried not realizing that his parents were still in the room.
"It'll be ok baby." Maddie's voice sounded. "We'll save you from the evil ghost that's been possessing you." She said looking right through him.
"Mom, mom please!" Danny begged as she picked up a scalpel.
"You're not by son you ecto-plasmic malefactor; but I'll see how you tick so I can save him from you" she spat.
He turned his begging toward Jack. He seemed to be taking a back seat in what was looking to be his dissection. His dad always saw the best in people, had to have to love Vlad the way he did. "Please Dad; it's me, your son Danny! He begged, tears streaming down his face. Jack didn't say anything, but he could tell from the look in his eyes that he felt the same as his wife. All ghosts are evil and need to be studied and destroyed; even if the ghost in question is their own son.
Two hours later Maddie and Jack finished for the day and left. The two hours felt like two days for Danny though. Being dissected without pain meds, while conscious left him a broken mess. It took a half an hour after his tortures left for his mind to rejoin his body. He struggled as hard as he could against his bonds, but they weren't budging. His throat was too torn up from streaming to attempt a ghostly wait, which with his luck would have just brought the building down on his still trapped body. But thinking about the wail did get him thinking about his other powers. Once by one he tried to use his powers.
Intangibility- nothing
Invisibility- nothing
Flight- nothing
Wail- nothing (he knew it was a bad idea, but it seemed better than nothing)
Ectoplasmic blasts- nothing
Ice powers- success
He celebrated, it seemed that the bonds shorted out most of powers but his ice powers weren't touched. Maybe because his ice powers were connected to his ghostly core? Whatever the reason Danny was thankful.
'Ok I still have my ice powers, but how to use them' he wracked his mind. He could free his restraints, but they're metal, they might be more brittle but without his ghostly strength they'd still be too strong for him to burst out of.
He can't control and move it. But he can shoot it. But what at? At Maddie and Jack when they came back in? No, he could never do that to his parents. They might be crazy, but they were still his parents. Wouldn't help him escape either.
The only way he could think of to escape was with help. His parents would notice the ice before Jazz. 'Where was Jazz anyway?' He wondered. 'She'll worry about me once she notices I'm gone…unless they tell her some story. Drat. Ok, can't count on Jazz. How else can I get help here? Sam and Tuck will worry eventually but they'd probably be sold some story too. By the time they figure it out it might be too late. I have no way of communicating with anyone outside of this room. So how can I get help here?' He grunted in frustration and threw his head back. 'Oww…ohh!" he exclaimed in excitement. "The ghost portal! There's always a line up there in case by dad is working and opens it! I can shoot my ice at the door until a ghost comes in to help!"
He aimed his ice the best he could and shot off several shots. Eventually one hit and the room was bathed in a ghostly light.
Danny winced as a ghost came though. Of all the ghosts to come though, it just had to be Skulker. Personally, he was hoping for Boxy, he seemed to come though more often than the others anyway so he thought he had a pretty good shot. Instead he got Skulker. 'Well, he'll never have a better chance of capturing me.' He thought
Skulker was about to sneak out of the lab when he noticed Danny on the table. "Whelp? What happened?"
Danny sighed. "My parents found out. They didn't care that I'm their son." A tear dripped from his eye. "Think you could get me outta here? I-I'll owe you."
Skulker stood shocked for a moment, hardly able to believe what he was seeing. His own parents did this to him KNOWING it was him? The boy was covered in cuts and bruises. It looked as though they had opened up his very chest cavity judging by the Y shaped cup on his torso. He shook himself out of his shock after a moment though. Mumbling something along the likes of "only I can capture the ghost boy." and about how evil his parents were, he released Danny from his bonds.
Danny sat up with a wince. "Thanks" He swung his legs over the side and tried to stand. Tried being the operative word. As soon as his weight was on his feet he collapsed with a groan. Trying again he was able to stay on his feet, this time expecting the pain. He tried out his ghost powers. They seemed to be working again now that he wasn't tied down. Knowing how much faster he healed, he transformed into Phantom while he and Skulker made their way out of the house.
"So whelp, where will you go now?" Skulker asked. "I don't know. I can't stay here. I'd be found quickly at Sam or Tuckers. I could go to Vlad's, the crazed up fruit loop's been wanting to adopt me since we've met. But he's done so many horrible things that I don't know if I can forgive him. Either way I think I'll go visit Sam and Tucker, see if they have any ideas." "Well, good luck Whelp. You're always welcome as a pelt on my wall." He laughed as he flew off.
Danny pulled out his cell phone and called his two closest friends and asked them to meet him in the park.
Fifteen minutes later Sam and Tucker showed up on Tucker's moped. "Danny." "What's up dude?" "Why are you Phantom?" They barraged him with questions. "Hey guys. I need help. I'm in my Phantom form cuz you know how much faster I heal as phantom." "Heal? What happened" Sam asked softly. Danny took a deep breath and slowly let it out. "I told them today." "His friends gasped but Danny continued on before they could interrupt. "They took it well. At least, I thought they did. They said they loved me."He started to cry. "But when I woke up I was strapped to a table in their lab. They knew I was their son, but the still dissected me. I had to have Skulker's help to escape once they finally left." he broke down and his friends rushed to his side, all just clinging to each other for ten minutes, until Danny was able to settle down. "So, what are you going to do next dude?" "I don't know. I was hoping that you guys could help me figure it out."
They spent the next half hour coming up with ideas, but no good ones came out. Eventually Danny decided to just fly wherever the wind took him when the sun rose. After an extremely tearful goodbye Danny took one look back at his old town and fled.
Meanwhile Clockwork stood observing time in his towers. He let out a mighty sigh at the possible futures Danny's path could take. He had formed something of a soft spot for the young half ghost he looked over. None of the futures were particularly bright for the young boy and far too many led to a Dan like future. It was time to intervene.
"Time out"
Danny stumbled in the air upon seeing Clockwork materialize and the world below stand still.
"Wha? Clockwork? What are you doing here? I mean, it's good to see you but you're normally…you know." Danny rambled.
"I understand Young Phantom." Clockwork chuckled. "I am here to aid you. I have seen what has occurred and your future."
Danny froze. "It-it's not good is it?"
"No, it's not. Some paths are perhaps, worse than others but no paths are particularly happy." There was silence.
"You, you've seen all possible futures right?" Clockwork nodded waiting for Danny to continue. "Was there ever a scenario where my parents found out and truly accepted me?" He asked, eyes begging, filled with unshed tears. Clockwork frowned and tried to be comforting. "No. In a few situations they tried to be accepting before failing miserably. But no, your parent's hatred of all things ghost is far too ingrained."
Danny broke down again with Clockwork trying his best to console him. Danny took a few deep breaths trying to calm himself before asking. "What should I do?"
"What were you doing?"
"I don't know. I just left and was going to just float until something sounded better. I was thinking of going to Vlad but, he's done so much I knot think I can trust him."
Clockwork thought for a moment remembering the various time streams. "If Vlad hadn't done those crazy schemes of his do you think you could?"
"Well yeah. But he has."
Clockwork smiled "You forget. You're talking to the master of time."
Danny inhaled sharply as he realized the truth. "I could bring you back to the first time you met Vlad. You can explain all you want to Vlad, but I'd warn you about letting information about the future spread past him."
"Would the future me be happy and not evil then?"
Clockwork smiled. "Yes, joining Vlad then has the possibility for a very bright future for you both."
"So, I could go back in time and never have to go though that, be raised by a man who has never yielded in his love for me. Not have to…but, what about Sam and Tuck?"
"Sam and Tucker will be fine. They will not need to fight ghosts at all times and how close you remain will depend entirely on you and how much effort you put into maintaining your friendship. But yes, you will never be as close as you had been after a year of fighting ghosts. The choice is yours."
Danny took a few minutes to think everything through. "My friendship with Sam and Tuck will never be the same regardless of what I chose. But going back gives me the possibility of a future. So, let's do it. I want to live with Vlad. "Very well." Clockwork raised his staff and with a flash, they were gone.