Hello everyone!
Jay Rose here!
This here is going to be my compilation of Tango Drabbles. I will at least two different Drabbles just taken from between Tango's first and second chapters. And many, many more! (Hopefully!)
For all of you who have not read Tango- it is not a requirement. It would be nice if you read it, though, so you can see where she is coming from. But it is not needed. I'll post a small summary for each Drabble.
For you people just coming in: Danni Fenton and Danny Phantom are two parts of one Halfa. They share a body. Two minds in one body can be hectic at times. Not only do they have to worry about working with each other to learn how to cope, they also have a surprise waiting for them in the form of Maddie's and Jack's ex-best-friend from college, Vlad Masters.
Warnings: Language. That is all.
Disclaimer: I own the idea of this story, and the ideas of the Drabbles, but I do not own Danni or Danny.
Summary: This is set after Chapter 1 and before Chapter 2. This is the scene when Jack, Danni, and the ecto-gun are centered around. This is also the scene where Danni finally accepts Phantom for what he really is. Her friend. She also accepts Jack for what he truly is in her life. Namely: Not her father.
Bullet Proof
-~DP~-
It was raining outside. Pouring cats and dogs respectively. Phantom didn't care one bit, and wanted to run out into the torrent more than anything in the whole wide world. Something about it being his first downpour. Which I thought was odd, because Phantom had lived for a century after his death- shouldn't he have seen some kind of rainfall during that time?
:It doesn't work that way. This is the first ever Halfa rainfall.: Phantom snapped, getting irritable fast. Begging with impossibly childish voice, :I have to fly.:
I rolled my eyes. The novelty of having superpowers and a ghost inside your head wearing thin for me already. Then again, it hadn't been novel for almost two months. So the wearing had been a long time coming. Plus, there had been no ghost troubles in over four days, and the time doing nothing was making Phantom trigger happy.
:Phantom,: I said, with the utmost patience. :Dad is home. Mom is going to be home any minute. And Jazz is in her room, waiting for me to make dinner. They might actually notice if we go off flying. Don't you think?:
Phantom grumbled, entirely too convincing as a two-year-old for being a hundred and sixteen. I shook my head. Phantom might be older, but he was clearly the more childish and more primitive of the two of us. His deep love of fun and obsession made sure of that.
"Danni girl!" I heard the booming voice of my father after I heard his equally thunderous footsteps starting up the stairs. I had a small hope, still, in my chest that he was coming to see me. Talk to me- "It's already five! Are you going to get started on the pasta?"
Of course, food.
"The chicken is thawing, Dad." I called out a full five seconds before he crashed through my door. Exploding my personal privacy in favor of squeezing his bulk through the door. I was sitting by my desk, had been looking out the window, and was now currently swiveling to come face-to-face with his stomach.
"Oh." Was all he said, as he arrived with the most pathetic puppy dog face. As if someone had stolen his fudge. It tugged on my heartstrings and I felt the immediate need to do whatever I could to ease his suffering. Anyone watching a parent would feel that way, certainly? No matter the abuse level-
:Danni.: Phantom snarled, snapping me out of my slight mothering-daze. :Don't you dare just let him walk all over you like that. Even I can see he doesn't care about you-:
:Can it Phantom.: I quipped right back, unease creeping into my stomach as I watched my father's shoulders slumped as he walked out the door. Phantom and I had had many conversations about my parents, and at the moment, neither of us was winning. Phantom talked about running, and I talked about staying.
That was that.
"Alright, pumpkin." Was the dejected reply from my father. He sounded like a kicked puppy. Sad and down.
I didn't want him sad. I was a child who wanted some love, not a sociopath bend on world destruction. Or bent on totally destroying Jack's life. I knew I was messed up. Seeing the person who had neglected me for most of my life, sad, made me sad. I didn't need a psychiatrist (or Jazz) to tell me that.
If only he started caring about me, I would probably lay down my life-
:But he doesn't.: Phantom said, solemnly. :Danni. He doesn't care. At this point in life, I really don't see how you can't see it. It's right in front of your face! He almost named you after Fudge. How the hell can you just see past that?:
:Phantom…: I said, sitting back in my chair. :He's my father. I can't just… I can't just give up on what could be-:
:Yes. Yes, you can.: Phantom said, his tone spoke of finality. :It wouldn't be hard. There are other people who care about you more than Jack does. Hell, Lancer probably cares more about you than Jack. And he doesn't question when he sees Paulina walk out of the bathroom with you trailing as if you'd been a catfight.:
"Danni!" My father's voice interrupted whatever argument Phantom had. "You've gotta come see this new weapon I just finished!"
Jack's voice sounded like a five-year-old with a new best friend, and I wondered how he had gone from happy-to-sad-to-happy in less than four minutes.
My heart instantly seized with terror, though, because Jack had a tendency to totally disregard all safety precautions with his weapons. Well, with anything really. Certain beyond words that his weapons wouldn't hurt humans. Which was true. They didn't hurt humans.
I wasn't just human though.
"Maybe later." I called down, having to get up to start making my way downstairs anyway. There was only so much time a chicken needed to thaw. It had already been out an hour. I had to face the music in the kitchen.
"But Danni!" My father whined, as I stepped off the last step. He was right in front of my face in less than a second. "Just take a look at the Fenton Blaster-Ray!"
And I took a look.
And I almost threw up.
Most of my father's (and mother's) weapons used anti-ecto-power to power themselves. Every so often, though, Jack thought it would be a good idea to use the energy stolen from a ghost as a weapon, too. And that was currently in the little tank attached to the pistol like barrel. Basically. It was a gun, filled with blood, meant to hurt someone else.
It kind of reminded me of a gun you would see off an alien planet, but much too contemporary to be of any use.
"You used ecto-energy again." I said, instead of giving him any praise. I looked up into his eyes as I watched them turn flat and dead.
He sighed, as if he was going to impart some great truth on me. Or deal with a particularly unruly child.
"Danni. You've got to get over this..this-this aversion to killing ghosts."
I immediately bristled.
"It's not an aversion." I snarled, Phantom cheering me on in his own little way. "It's simply respecting their rights to live."
:That's right Danni! Show your dad who's boss!:
"Sweetie pie! They. Are. Ghosts!" Jack responded, looking disgusted at me. Not at my ideas, but at me. Like I was dirt. It was almost enough that it made me want to run away. Far away. But I stood my ground, like every time before.
"They are not just Ghosts." I said, pushing past him with my shoulder. The kitchen calling my name. "Have you ever talked to one? Asked them what they do? Why they do it?"
"No!" Jack said, vehemently, following me. "Why would I do that?"
His question was almost innocent. Like I had posed why he would eat dirt. Or throw fudge away.
"Oh, I don't know," I said, conversationally. I had arrived in the kitchen and I was now readying my supplies I would need for our pasta dinner. "Maybe because you've been persecuting them for so long that you haven't even given any thought to them. To what Ghosts really are."
"Pfft." Jack grunted, blowing a raspberry in my general direction. "Ghosts don't feel. Ghosts aren't alive. And ghosts most certainly can't have a real conversation with me, like you can."
:Oh, the irony.: Phantom snarled. I agreed with him, chopping some of the chicken breast I had lay out.
There was no reasoning with Jack, so I decided that I would just ignore him. Most of the time, he got bored and walked away, trying to show his ghost-killers off to Jazz. She, on the other hand, had gotten smart and was able to have the most meaningless conversation with him, containing only 'oh' and 'ahh' from her side.
It was a small amount of something, but apparently it was enough for Jack.
"I haven't shown you how the Fenton Blaster-Ray works!" My father said behind me, and I internally face palmed, tensing also.
Jack hadn't hit me yet. Then again, he hadn't been aiming.
"I don't want to see your stupi-" I huffed out as I whirled around, just in time to see that Jack was doing that everything he had never done before.
He was aiming the gun directly at me. This crazy, fanatic gleam in his eyes.
"Watch!" he yelled excitedly as he shot it, point-blank at my chest.
It happened so fast after that.
Phantom took over my confused and slowed mind while I was still at 'Holy crap' stage. Taking action and jumping out of the incoming blast, we got clipped in the shoulder, still. It was better than being shot in the heart, or lung, though. When I touched the ground, I immediately looked back to see Jack looking disappointed. He was looking at the gun like it was a disappointment.
My shoulder stung like nobody's business, but it was nowhere near to how numb my heart felt.
:He just-: I whispered in our mind.
:I told you.: Phantom snarled, and I had to just catch myself in time to restrain him. :I told you something like this would happen! I didn't think now. I knew it would be eventually-:
:No. Stop Phantom.: I said weakly, leaning against the wall for support as I rose on unsteady legs.
:He just fucking shot you.: Phantom raged, his blood lust taking over. :He shot you. You're mine! I can't believe he actually would! Never mind if he truly believes that it would not hurt you! What the hell was he thinkin-:
Phantom did not stop for almost thirty seconds, but by the time he had started I couldn't stop myself some thinking-
:holy crap. holycrap. he just. hejustshot me.:
"What. The. Hell. Dad." I finally managed, through gritted teeth. My eyes tearing up, and I immediately tried to wipe them away. The tears were more emotional than anything. Phantom's fast acting healing already kicking in and dulling the pain.
"Oh. I didn't mean to do that. Sorry." Jack said, completely enamored with his weapon and trying to fix it. Never mind my shoulder being singed. Never mind the food laying on the ground. Never mind me.
Oh sorry.
Never mind the fucking world, because Jack Fenton has a new toy to be broken in.
I was seeing red, Phantom was now the one holding me back. Everything was red fire and it all hurt. My whole body felt like I was drowning and being burnt to a crisp at the same time. And it hurt. It hurt a lot.
What little denial I had had in my head was now gone. What little I had given Jack in the department of 'second' chances was dry. Dry as a well in a season of summer in Texas.
If Jack could shoot at me while I was still me, what else could he do? What else could I have to battle and compete with? What else would he be willing to do, to kill ghosts? What was I to a man who would shoot his own daughter?
:Let's run away.: Phantom butted in, completely diverting my attention from the pain. It was still in the background. Debilitating as it was, I was holding onto Phantom as he tried to calm me the best way he knew how.
Run away.
:Yes.: That sounded like the best course of action.
Looking up to see that my father had finally noticed me, I got up and walked out of the room. As slowly and as calmly as I could.
"Danni? Where ya going-" My father's voice- No. Jack's voice called out. He wasn't my father any longer. I refused to acknowledge him as such. I didn't stop until I was out the door, and then I was sprinting. I heard Jack behind me, saying something- but I was beyond caring. Nobody was outside, and I had to wonder if that was a small miracle or the world just laughing at my pain.
I allowed Phantom to take over from Conner avenue, simply transforming in some back alley before flying towards the park. His body felt like a protection vessel around my torn mind. It felt right to just hand the controls over to Phantom. Watch as the world flew by.
:Can you not say I told you so?: I begged in a whisper.
:I wouldn't do that.: Phantom retorted softly as we made it to the desolate park in less than five minutes, hid behind a clump of trees and just sat staring towards the sky.
It was dark. It was dreary. And I felt almost a kindred spirit with it.
It was still raining, but I hadn't noticed. The storm that it had once been was not any more than washed out and drizzly. It had died down, just like I had. In the shade of the trees, almost none of the water touched us, and when it did- it didn't matter because we were intangible.
Untouchable.
:If we're so fucking untouchable,: I snarled inside our head. :Then why does it hurt so much?:
:It doesn't always hurt.: Phantom claimed, tucking his hands behind his head as he stared up into the rain droplets. My first instinct was always to blink, but then Phantom would allow the water to run straight through his body. :Not every time.:
:Then why?:
:Because this was personal.: Phantom stated, and I knew he was right. But it just made it hurt even more. :This wasn't just some random ghost fighter, attacking some random ghosts, and us having to pick up the pieces. This was in home, this was personal. This was wrong.:
I found myself nodding, not quite reaching our physical body, because Phantom didn't follow along. He kept a strong hand on our body, not allowing the unstable human touching the reigns.
:This sucks.: I whimpered, running a hand through my pony tail before clenching it between all five of my fingers. The pain was momentarily and brief, but it was a release of all the tension in my body. This was all metaphoric, but it felt the same as if I had done it physically.
:Jack wasn't supposed to... wasn't supposed to-: Phantom didn't let me finish.
:Life sucks. Death isn't so bad.:
:So we get the best of both worlds?: I asked sarcastically.
:Yes.: Phantom stated plainly, and for once, I listened. :We also get the worst of both worlds. We get a heart that can be hurt, and we get a body that is hunted by everyone.:
Phantom was an amazing person. I just wish I had seen it before this moment. Or at least, acknowledged it enough to throw my lot in, fully, with his. To see what the world could offer a ghost and a human, connected by a bond stronger than gravity itself.
:I'm ready.:
:For what?: Phantom questioned, confused.
:For freedom.:
