I was dreaming, no remembering, but that's not possible I was dead, melted, gone and it was a good thing too, no matter how scared I was. I knew what would have happened if I lived. I would have to kill them, to kill her. He would give me no choice. I couldn't do that she was my sister and even if I never knew her I still loved her. He thought she was a mistake just because she wasn't what he wanted. He lied to her, used her, through her aside like trash, just to treat me the complete opposite. He thought I couldn't see it but I did. I knew what I was to him. If he couldn't have the original then he would have the next best thing. I was just like that disgusting, blue, hologram that did what he wanted because he programed her that way. Just the idea of what my life would be like made me sick to my stomach.
"Daniel," a familiar voice asked. I knew that voice and a wave of emotion swept through me, it was him.
"Daniel," the voice asked again. That wasn't my name it didn't belong to me. I knew who it did belong to and I wasn't him. No matter how much this voice insisted I was.
"Daniel, wake up," the voice told me. I didn't want to but my body did what it was told. My eye fluttered open in I found myself looking straight into two icy, blue eyes. Hate filled me but my body stayed limp and relaxed. The man smiled at me but I felt no joy from it just more anger.
"Do you know who I am?" the man questioned.
I wanted to say he was a demented old man with a sick hobby but my programing kicked in and I answered, "You are Vladimir Masters, billionaire, business man, and politician. You are my creator and my father." I nearly gagged at the last part. He may have created me but he was not my father.
"Very good," Vlad praised, "Now do you know who you are?"
"I am Daniel Masters, Danny Phantom's 6th clone. I am your creation and your son," I replied in the same way. All the time I was shouting in my head no that is not me I am clone 5, Clone 5. I was dead, I had accepted that. I would never have to harm anyone. Yet here I was floating in an animation pod staring at the last man I wanted to see.
Vlad smiled at my answer and pressed a button next to the pod and I found myself falling after the pod opened. Vlad caught me before I was hurt; I think I'd rather have hit the floor.
"Careful you still need to learn to use your legs," Vlad told me. I knew he was right, so l used him as a crutch as I found how to walk. It didn't take long and soon I was walking on my own. I looked around the lab as Vlad ran a few test to make sure I would stay stable and my eyes landed on a floor length mirror on the far wall. I went over to it and looked at my reflection. I couldn't say I was surprised when I saw that I look just like Danny, I was even wearing the same jumpsuit as him.
"Like what you see?" Vlad asked. I jumped not seeing him come up behind me. "Perhaps you should try changing to your human form?"
I had to admit I was curious to know what turning to human would feel like. I concentrated and a bright, white ring appeared around my midsection. The ring split in two and one ring went up while the other down transforming me into my human form. I looked back to the mirror to see what I looked like. I may have only seen Danny once in his human form but I could tell I still look a lot like him. In fact the only difference was what I was wearing. Instead of the T-shirt, jeans and tennis shoes, I had on a red polo shirt, khakis, and black loafers. The clothes felt a bit strange and I really didn't like how I looked in them but I just put that under another reason to hate Vlad.
"Come now Daniel let us have some supper and I'll show you to your room, hm?" Vlad suggested.
I stayed with Vlad for about 4 months mostly because my stupid programing always kicked in when I tried to leave. Of course, it wasn't like I had anywhere else to go. I guess I could find my sister or ask for help from Danny but would they believe that I left Vlad out of free will. I mean unless it's outright shown to them people always think Vlad is the good guy. I'd probably be on his side too if I hadn't been aware of the events in Colorado. No I couldn't go to them they'd think I was trying to trick them to lure them into a trap. The one good thing is that Vlad hasn't had me hurt anyone yet.
"Daniel, could you meet me down in the lab I need you for something," Vlad called over the intercom.
Spoke to soon. "Sure, Dad, I'll be right down there," I answered. No matter how many times I call him dad I'll never mean it.
Down in the lab Vlad ushered me over to a large monitor.
"As you know I've been training you for several months now and I believe you are ready for a field mission," Vlad told me.
"Really?" I asked, trying to act like I was much more excited at the prospect of leaving the mansion than I was.
"Yes, I want you to find someone and bring them back here," he instructed.
"Who?" I asked dreading the answer.
He pressed a button and an image popped up on the screen. My heart nearly stopped when I saw who the target was. All I could think of was 'Not her, pleas not her'. Jack or Maddie I had no emotional attachment too, Danny might be able to beat me, but not her.
"Clone #4 aka Dani Phantom," Vlad informed me, "She is the only clone besides you that was stabilized. However, she turned rogue on me and now she is a very dangerous threat."
I couldn't have felt worse when I was forced to accept the mission. I tried to think of a way, any way to stop what I was about to do, but my mind kept coming up blank. I scanned the streets of Amity Park hoping I wouldn't find her or better yet a ghost hunter to show up and destroy me like I should have been half a year ago. Unfortunately, neither happened, I spotted Dani in an alley scarfing down a hotdog she probably grabbed from a vender down the street.
I landed in the alley just out of sight of her trying to drag this out as long as I could so she would have a chance to leave. However, instead of walking away she suddenly took a defensive stance and glanced around the alley. Not being able to fight back my programing anymore I stepped out of my hiding place. Suddenly a huge smile spread on her face.
"Danny!" she exclaimed and without any warning she grabbed me in a hug. For a brief moment I wasn't sure what happened then I realized my programing wasn't making me attack her. I was in control. At that moment I did the only thing I could think of. I hugged her back. That just so happened to be the time my programing came back full force. I barely had time to let go of her before ecto blasts erupted from my hands.
"Danny, what's happening," Dani screamed.
Never had I wished so much not to look like Danny. If Dani knew that I wasn't him she would fight back or run, but she just stood there wide eyed. Now she was going to be attacked and brought back to the man who had tried to kill her and think it was all Danny's fault. I thrust another fist in her direction that she managed to dodge but made no move to do anything else.
"Danny, whatever's making you do this you can fight it!" she shouted.
If only she knew how hard I was trying. Then just as I was about to fire another attack I managed to brake free for just a moment. I locked eyes with my sister and whispered the word "sorry," before hitting her full force with and ecto energy enhanced punch. She flew back and hit the far wall of the alley, falling to the ground motionless. I went over to her and picked her up. I noticed that she was still breathing but it gave me no comfort, seeing she wouldn't be for much longer if Vlad had his way. I gave her one last hug before taking off.
As I flew I looked down at the unconscious girl in my arms, all the while screaming at my body to stop. Then a glimmer of hope caught my attention. Danny and two kids I didn't recognize were walking along the street below. Managing to regain control I grabbed the red hat Dani wore and through it down to the teenagers below. Hopefully, Danny would find the hat and put two and two together. Then find a way to save Dani in time. I knew it was a longshot but it was the only thing I could do.
It didn't take long to get to Vlad's mansion and soon I was back in that lab. I noticed a new addition that hadn't been there before. A large wooden board with metal wrist and ankle restraints stood at the back of the room. Somehow I had a horrible feeling that was for Dani.
"I see your mission was a success," Vlad congratulated, "If you keep this up you'll be able to take on the real Daniel in no time."
"Yes Father," I replied with a fake smile, "What would you like me to do with her?"
"I think you have already figured that out," he said coolly motioning to the board I had seen earlier.
I walked over to the board and placed Dani on it. I then began to fasten the restraints all the while shouting in my head for her to wake up. Unfortunately, she remained asleep after all the cuffs were secured.
Several minutes passed and Dani finally began to stir. "Uh... What hit me," she murmured. Her eyes shot open revealing she remembered what happened. "Danny!" she yelled looking around her. Once she realized where she was she let out a yelp and began to violently struggle against her bonds.
"Come now Danielle you know that struggling won't work," Vlad told her smugly.
I could see her tense at the sound of his voice. Then her expression hardened into a glare. "Vlad," she spat, "What have you done with Danny?"
"Whatever do you mean?" he smirked. Suddenly it hit me what he was doing, he was even crueler than I had thought. "He's right over there," he finished.
I walked out to where Dani could see me guilt tearing into me at the betrayed expression she gave me. "Danny, pleas whatever he's done to you, you have to fight it!"
Vlad's smile widened, "I'm afraid your pleas are useless Danielle, I am in complete control."
"I don't believe you," she growled but I knew she was scared out of her mind.
"Oh then perhaps a demonstration?" he suggested, "Daniel, destroy her."
"Yes, Father," I replied as I internally broke down. This couldn't be happening. I was going to kill my sister and she was going to think it had been Danny. My hand glowed green as I advanced.
"Danny please I know you don't want to do this," she pleaded. Tears began to stream down her face as I came closer. "Come on Danny, I know you're stronger than this," she sobbed. I raised my hand to fire. "Please don't do this, I love you," she said closing her eyes and I stopped. I had done it I had halted my attack on her. Then the glow in my hand intensified as the programing tried to take back control but I wouldn't let it, not this time. Beads of sweat formed on my forehead as a battle waged inside me.
I was at a stale mate until, "What do you think you are doing Daniel?" Vlad scolded.
"Stop calling me that! You know that I'm not Danny! I'm just a worthless clone that's not in control of his actions!" I bellowed. Vlad recoiled at my words and it took me a while to figure out I had said them out loud. A tense moment fallowed as I waited for my programing to come back and make me that monster's puppet again but nothing happened. It was then that I realized I had won I was free from Vlad. A triumphant smile spread across my lips and I quickly pressed the release button on the cuffs that held Dani.
"You're a clone?" she asked.
I gave her a sly smile, "You want to ask questions?" I replied.
"Hey, that's my line," she snapped playfully, then transformed "but you're right let's kick his butt."
We both lunged at Vlad ecto blasts ready. Vlad jumped out of the way and turned into Plasmius shooting an ecto blast of his own. It thrust us back into the wall leaving a large dent in the brick. We got up and continued the battle. As we fought I noticed my ecto blasts weren't shaped like Dani's or Vlad's. Instead they were more like long strands. I looked down at my hands concentrating on that feeling. Soon two whip like structures appeared in my hands.
"Cool what is that?" Dani exclaimed.
"I don't know," I answered, "but I like it." I flung the ends of the whips at Vlad and slammed him into the far corner. I flew over to him ready to strike, when he smirked up at me and disappeared. A duplicate I realized. Then a painful scream echoed through the lab. I turned to see Vlad holding Dani by the wrist as ectoplasm seeped out of a large gash on her side.
"Surrender or the next attack will be fatal," he enforced by igniting his hand with ecto energy and moving it closer to her face. He was giving me no choice.
Then something hard and metallic hit me in the back of the head. I glanced down to see what looked like a mechanical boomerang. Shortly after a strange vehicle smashed through the wall and out came Danny and the kids I had seen him with earlier. They found us. Danny looked at me with slight confusion before spotting Vlad holding the hurt Dani. He quickly transformed and lunged at them. Vlad let go of Dani and she began falling. I rushed forward and grabbed her just before she hit the ground. She looked up at me and gave me a week smile. I returned it as I placed her against a wall. Then went back to help Danny.
I activated my ecto whip and hit Vlad in the back while he was distracted with Danny. He fell onto a table full of chemicals which mixed and caught fire. Vlad shot up and grabbed us both by our necks. I could feel the ecto blast just about to come out of his hand when a blast hit Vlad from behind. I turned to see Dani leaning against the wall with one hand razed revealing where the shot came from. The two kids that came with Danny were at her side trying to get her out of there. It was then I noticed the fire had spread blocking all the exits and Dani was far too week to phase them out. Danny seemed to have the same thought and flew at them. I was about to follow when Vlad struck me in the back. Danny turned to aid me but I insisted that he save the others first.
"I'll come back for you," he promised then went to help Dani and his friends.
I continued to fight Vlad for what seemed like forever everything in my body ached but I wouldn't give up. Not after what this man had done. I managed to get back on my feet after the last attack from Vlad and glared. He gave me a board look and punched me in the stomach. I crumpled to the ground.
"Look at you, you're pathetic," Vlad taunted, "Don't you see you've lost? Even if you manage to leave here alive where would you go? Daniel already has one clone to deal with you would just be a burden. Besides you were my perfect clone, you were everything I wanted before you turned on me and anything perfect in my eyes is flawed in Daniel's. There is no place for you in that life. So why do you keep fighting me?"
"Because, if I have nothing else to live for. Then making sure you don't hurt anyone else is all I have," I said defiantly as I sent an ecto blast at him. I got back up and continued to shoot at him refusing to give in. I was so consumed by my rage that I didn't see the fire start to weaken the structure of the lab or how the ceiling right above Vlad was cracking under the presser. A large chunk fell and landed on Vlad knocking him out and reverting him back to human. All my anger disappeared and I realized my surroundings. I had to get out of there. My eyes then rested on Vlad pinned under the rubble and I realized I couldn't leave him. I grabbed his arms and pulled him out, then phased us both out of the burning building.
Once outside I fell to my hands and knees finally feeling the effects of my fight with Vlad. Completely drained and exhausted I reverted to my human form but I couldn't pass out. Not next to Vlad and especially not without knowing Dani was ok. I got up and hobbled to where I thought they were. I saw Danny and his friends huddled around Dani. I gave a relieved sigh when I saw her bandaged and the others doing what they could to help her. I was about to show myself when Vlad's words came back to me, 'There is no place for you in that life.' As I looked at the scene before me I suddenly felt like an intruder spying on something not meant for me. I quickly ran away before they could notice me. At least I knew Dani was safe.