The Sins of a Teenage Superhero

Now, I know that Danny Phantom is a rather light-hearted and humorous show, but I like to explore the more serious parts of the human psyche(Hence the reason I wrote this little prompt). Heroes have a great deal of pressure on them which leaves a lot of room for moral ambiguity. They are placed on high pedestals that are difficult to get on but fairly easy to fall from.

*This is a stand alone story, however I suppose it could fall in the timeline between "A Little Perspective" and "Hard To Say".

SUMMARY: Coming to terms with love is not always easy, especially when it's someone that you think you have no business falling for in the first place. Danny/Vlad.

WARNING: Randomness and implications of male/male, slash, guy love and all that fun stuff. Though it varies, some of these prompts will be light-hearted, and others will be a little heavy. Danny starts out fifteen, but he will be eighteen by the end of this(I apologize for any spelling/grammar mistakes in advance).

DISCLAIMER: Danny Phantom and cast belong to Butch Hartman & Nickelodeon/Viacom, although it would be quite interesting to know what they think of my work.

*All thoughts are Danny's and in italics!

GLUTTONY

One really had to wonder why Danny had dubbed his arch nemesis with the name "Froot Loop". Logically, it made no sense.

Vlad Masters had no discernible resemblance to the brightly-colored and artificially fruit-flavored rings.

In all honesty, it was just an insult thrown out at the man during one of their first battles - a completely random thing to irk the normally calm and collected billionaire by calling him loopy . . . It definitely had nothing to do with the fact that the vibrant cereal happened to be Daniel Fenton's favorite ever since he was a small child.

Tch, there's a Freudian slip if there ever was one.

Ignoring that fact, it was this very quandary that the ghost teen had been musing on as he sat alone at the kitchen table of the Fenton home. The young hero had just returned from a fight with the elder halfa and was enjoying a late-night snack before trying to get some sleep. Munching away on the fruit-flavored rings, Danny tried to organize the puzzling thoughts currently swimming in his mind.

Okay, so maybe I don't completely hate Vlad, but that doesn't mean that I like him either . . . or that I think about him sometimes, or that I might have enjoyed that crazy dream I had once in which I kissed him-

"Danny, ease up on the Froot Loop. I know you're in love with him, but you've already kissed Vlad like five times in a row."

Spitting out half-chewed cereal, Danny whips around and turns his attention to his sister who just entered the room. The teen's light-blue eyes are wide as saucers as he tries to process what he just heard. Jazz arches an eyebrow in surprise then frowns in disgust at the mess on the table.

"W-what did you just say?" -stutters out Danny, shocked by his sister's words.

"All I said was, 'Danny, ease up on the Froot Loops©. I know you're in love with them, but you've already had like five bowls in a row'. . . What did you think I said?"

I must be losing it, it's like I have Froot Loops on the brain!

"Ehh, nothing. Must've been my imagination."

Deciding to accept her brother's answer, Jazz takes a seat across from him and absentmindedly begins to read the box of Froot Loops© in front of her. Since she's still wearing her regular clothing, it obvious that's the older teenager had once again waited up for her brother to return home.

"Hmm . . . now that I think about it, you have been practically inhaling these things lately."

Jasmine Fenton was of course referring to the teen's recent, borderline obsession with the children's cereal.

"You're probably imagining things, Jazz."

Not that Danny could help it, it was like a conditioned response, really. Every time the young hero fought Vlad and called him a "Froot Loop", it would subconsciously initiate a craving for the cereal. So, upon returning home from whatever battle the two had engaged in, the teen halfa would eat a few bowls of the colorful breakfast food before getting some well-needed rest. In a way, it was therapeutic. Even to the point that Danny would get quite irritable when his supply of the rainbow-colored cereal ran low. A tell-tale sign that the psychology-minded Jazz had easily picked up on.

"You know, it's quite common for people to use an obsession with food to hide or cover up a deeper, underlying issue. Danny, is there something you want to talk about?"

"It's nothing, Jazz . . . I guess I just really like Froot Loops©."

PRIDE

Danny Fenton a.k.a. Danny Phantom, never thought himself to be a prideful person. Then again, most people are too proud to admit that they possess such a flaw, Pride was sort of a Catch-22 in that way.

In any case, when it came to the growing feelings the young hero was beginning to have for his evil counterpart, Vladimir Masters, the teenager was definitely too proud to admit that he had them.

Despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary:

Exhibit A: The teen would always watch the man - whether he was posing as the kind-hearted mayor of Amity Park, his parents' old college buddy, or even as the villain that threatened the city on a nearly weekly basis. Baby-blue eyes would be almost involuntary drawn to Vlad Masters, like his presence demanded the teen's attention.

Danny simply rationalized that he was just keeping his eyes on his adversary in order to learn as much as possible. After all, he had to keep a vigilant watch on such a dangerous enemy.

Exhibit B: The ghost hero always noticed the raw power and strength that the other hybrid possessed, no matter what form he was in. He admired the body that went from bed-ridden in a hospital to a powerful entity- the unstoppable force that regularly tested him to his limits. Something he especially noticed those times when Vlad effortlessly held him down in a fight.

Danny had simply convinced himself that he was just comparing himself to the only other halfa he knew in order to judge the development of his own abilities.

Exhibit C: The young halfa always looked forward to their encounters. Specifically the banter the two shared, as he was always anxious to hear whatever well-hidden compliment or constructive criticism the more-experienced halfa would weave into his scathing words.

Danny made himself believe that he used the information to improve his training, ignoring the rush he'd get whenever he received Vlad's praise.

Even if this rationale was all just a well-made façade, Danny had created it because he knew that he could never admit his true feelings to anyone(not even his best friends, Sam Manson or Tucker Foley). Perhaps that was the reason Danny was so adamantly trying to convince himself that he didn't have them in the first place. But on some level, the ghost teen had long ago admitted his true thoughts to himself . . . he had even accepted that he might even love the man that effortlessly made such a mess out of his already-complicated, young life.

But, Danny had his pride as a hero. He liked that people looked up to him and made him out to be the kind of person that the teen had looked up to in his youth, like the astronauts he always wanted to be. After all, a true hero was a person that was moral and above such things like desire, especially towards another man . . . and what kind of hero falls for the evil villain?

Although if one really thought about it, the roles of Hero and Villain are in actuality a matter of perspective. And a role, by definition, does not complete define the person playing it.

So, busy caught up in being what everyone else wanted and altruistically entangled in what others and even himself expected him to be, Danny Fenton was effectively denying himself what he desired. Especially if what the young ghost truly wanted, was a man that his pride refused to let him have.

ENVY

I can't believe this . . .

At the moment, Daniel Fenton has found himself stumbling across a very rare sight. Pale blue eyes look down to see his rival Vladimir Masters, a.k.a. Plasmius, fast asleep on a ridiculously-expensive couch in his Amity Park townhouse. Although, the pièce de résistance of the scene had to be the small, white cat comfortably sleeping on the man's chest. The feline slowly rising and falling with each inhale and exhale of breath Vlad made.

Yet, as much as an opportunity for blackmail and endless teasing as this was, the young phantom found himself on an entirely different train of thought than expected.

I can't believe that I'm actually jealous of a stupid cat . . . a cat that I encouraged the Froot Loop to buy!

As the teen stands there, he can't help but be envious that the feline, dubbed with his own mother's name, got to be so close to the man he secretly admired. The irony of the situation almost made Danny laugh, if he wasn't fuming with jealously that is. And when one of Vlad's hands idly reaches up to pet the light fur, earning a low purr from the small cat, the young ghost's eyes narrow with annoyance. However, watching the gesture causes the teen's anger to disperse and be slowly replaced with longing.

I wonder what Vlad's hand feels lik- Ohmigod, what the hell is wrong with me!

"Wake up already, Froot Loop!"

Danny's outburst effectively wakes up the sleeping man, and deep blue eyes snap open. At first, the elder halfa is alert and quickly looks for an impending threat. However, once Vlad sees the familiar, glaring fifteen year old standing over him, a condescending smirk crosses his features.

"Why hello, Little Badger. What brings you to my home in the middle of the afternoon? . . . and uninvited no less."

"Dad told me to stop by and visit. He's forcing me to get to know you again."

"Hmm, I applaud you on that not complete failure of a lie, Daniel. While your father would encourage us to get along, we both know that he would have accompanied you here. Or at the very least, called ahead to inform me of such an endeavor. More than likely, you came here of your own free will to ascertain whatever evil scheme I may or may not be planning in the future.

Am I close?"

". . . Shut up."

"Now there's no need to resort to such base language. Though I can't fault your frustration, it must be vexing that I know so much about you and you know pathetically little about me."

You're right, it is pretty annoying.

"Well, actually having a personal life does makes it hard to stalk people. So, I guess you got me there, Froot Loop."

"Much better, there may be hope for you yet, Little Badger." -complements Vlad, honestly impressed by the boy's improving banter.

"So, are you going to tell me what I want to know or what?"

As the two speak, a jealous spike flares within the young ghost when Vlad sits up and starts to scratch the feline behind it's ears. Waking up, the cat tilts it's head to take full advantage of the warm hand caressing his fur, even mewing in pleasure at the attention. However, the gesture only serves to further annoy the young hero.

What the-, it's like that stupid cat is showing off!

"Let me save you the trouble of further embarrassing yourself Daniel,"-begins the mastermind, effectively capturing the teen's wandering attention.

"I have no intention of informing you of any of my plans, whatever their nature may be. For one, it wouldn't be nearly as entertaining when I implement them."

With a chuckle at the expression currently on his adolescent adversary's face, Vlad stands up, displacing the feline napping in his lap. He casually strides over to the teen, stopping once he has reached the other ghost. Looking down into the confused yet determined sky-blue eyes, he uses a hand to ruffle the soft, black locks. The intimate touch having the desired reaction of further confusing and aggravating the teenager.

"Now, you'll have to excuse me, Daniel. I have a meeting later that I have to prepare for. But if it will make you any feel better, feel free to poke around - Maddie is excellent company. When you're done, you know the way out."

The man removes his hand, and then proceeds to make good on his word by leaving his adversary and his cat alone in his study.

At this new development, part of the ghost hero was pissed that the villain didn't seem to view him as a threat, at all. Even to the point that he had no qualms about leaving said hero alone in his home and giving Danny full permission to rifle through his belongings.

Another part of him was confused as to why the billionaire was playfully teasing him. Normally, the man would be annoyed by his presence as it often got between his scheming or his goal of getting his mom.

But a very large part of Danny Fenton, was secretly happy that he now knew exactly how warm Vlad's hand felt as it affectionately ruffled his hair.

And just like that, he was no longer jealous of a small, white cat. . .

Well, at least not as much as he used to be anyway. The stupid feline still got to live with Vlad.

SLOTH

Rain has a funny way of affecting people's moods. Some people despised it and craved the warmth of the sun. Others relished the vital water as it fell to the earth, knowing it gave life to all it's inhabitants.

For Danny Fenton, it was calming in an odd sort of way. Lying rather listlessly on his bed, he turns his head to stare out of his window, silently watching the droplets of water fall. His ears simply listen to the steady rhythm echoing all around him, lulling him into that state of near unconsciousness - like those moments when you wake up, but before you actually get up. The teen was taking the time to be lazy that particular Saturday morning since the rest of the Fenton family had decided on an early trip to the grocery store.

Which meant for the next hour or so, Danny could just relax knowing he was the only person in his house.

However, just because his body was relaxed, didn't mean that Danny's mind was.

And like most of the musings in his free time, the teenager was entertaining thoughts about Vlad. Some were purely innocent, simply wondering what the man was doing at the moment, and some, well . . . weren't.

The adolescent knew that when he left his sixteen-year-old mind to it's own devices, it would drift to thoughts of the other hybrid - yet he still chose to do it anyway. Danny could have decided to be productive by finishing that math homework that was due on Monday or even changing the Ecto-filter in the lab before it threatened to overload again, but no.

He chose to be alone in his room,

He chose to spend most of that rainy Saturday morning in bed,

And he chose to once again think about his fascinating arch nemesis.

In his defense, he had endured a particularly-long week hunting ghosts and dealing with his overly-complicated life. So maybe, just this once, it wouldn't be such a bad thing for the teen hero to be sluggish and spend most of this rainy day doing absolutely nothing.

LUST

It has to be impossible . . .

How could a man that was well into his forties, the same age as my parents,

be so attractive?

Daniel's internal debate with himself had began while glancing at a news conference that his parents had been watching, featuring Amity Park's second-term mayor. Vlad was addressing the local income tax increase or something. However the teen(and probably most of the female viewers) could care less what was being said, so long as he kept saying it in his clear and deep, resonating voice.

Now, Vladimir Masters had not always been the definition of attractive, judging by all the photos Danny had seen courtesy of his father. In his university days, Vlad had been tall and lanky, making his already long limbs seem even longer. He had been well out of puberty, but the awkwardness of adolescence still clung to his sharp facial features. And like many of his generation, Danny could barely hold in his laughter when he saw Vlad's past hairstyle or fashion choices(not that the ghost teen was a fashion icon himself). Although to be fair, not many people had made it through the 1980s without at least one outrageous hairstyle.

But now, that had all changed.

While most people's looks seemed to deteriorate with age, Vlad's were only heightened. He had grown into his features and as much as Danny was loathe to admit, the elder man was HOT. He had always been naturally slim, but now his body was lean and streamlined with well-developed muscle, like that of an Olympic swimmer. Vlad's fashion sense has vastly improved since he was rarely seen clothed in anything besides designer suits. The man's face was masculine with strong angular features, most likely due to the Russian blood flowing in his veins. Long, silver hair that was pulled back into a low ponytail would seem odd on most people, but on the villain it just fit somehow. And even when Vlad transformed into his alter ego, Plasmius, the vampiric visage that was meant to inspire fear sent a rush through the young phantom. Yet despite all these attributes, Danny's favorite feature had to be Vlad's eyes, and not because they were "deep, sapphire pools that revealed his soul" or any other saccharine nonsense like that(Though to be honest, Danny did love the intensity that they possessed both in hue and emotion - Anger, passion, disdain, indifference, and sadistic entertainment were all flawlessly reflected in them).

The true beauty of those cobalt eyes were that they had the ability to trap and almost hypnotize people at their owner's discretion. And that kind of power was something that one gained from a lifetime of manipulation and with the possession of superior intellect, not an accidental infection of Ectoplasm.

Those dark and alluring eyes haunted Danny's thoughts and inspired not so noble ideas to inhabit the hero's mind. He was a healthy eighteen year old after all, certain thoughts were prone to be littering his head. However, these fantasies were also dangerous- as the promise of mind-blowing pleasure tended to be. They planted ideas into the hormonal teenager's mind, ones that would make those closest to him blush uncomfortably. For to all that knew him, Danny Fenton was not one to be easily submissive, in fact he secretly prided himself on his ability to annoy others with sheer stubbornness. But to himself, the hero could admit that Vlad Masters was the one person that the headstrong teen would consider giving in to, if even just once.

Then again, one step was all it would take to stray away from the noble path

Danny had embarked himself upon . . .

But hell, no one was perfect.

GREED

Three teenagers stare at the ruined mess that used to be the Fenton's lab. Papers are strewn all over the ground as the random sparking of broken inventions catch their attention. At first glance, it seemed like a simple vandalism by a random ghost, but to the three teens it was a strategic sabotage by one very specific one.

"Danny, this has Plasmius written all over it, we should-"

"Maybe you two should say here" -suggests the phantom, effectively cutting off Sam.

"Dude, what do you mean?"

Both Sam and Tucker are staring at their friend, simply waiting for a reason why they couldn't come along to assist the teen hero as usual when he confronted his enemies.

"Well . . . look around, Vlad didn't just sabotage the lab. He has inventions of his own, so he has no reason to try to destroy my parents stuff. I think he attacked just to show that he could without being detected by me . . . like he's trying to intimidate me or something."

For a moment, the goth girl and the tech geek think about what Danny had just said. After what seems like an eternity, they slowly begin to nod their heads in agreement - much to the hero's relief.

"What is with that guy?"-states Sam. "It's like he wants to constantly prove that he's superior to you."

"I dunno, chalk it up to the fact that he's a Froot Loop." -supplies Danny.

"Look guys, I'm going to go see Vlad, but you two stay here. When my parents ask what happened, just tell them that some ghosts attacked and I went after them."

"Okay, but watch your back." - calls Tucker.

With that, Danny transforms into his spectral self and flies through the Fenton's portal and into the Ghost Zone. As he makes the trip to Vlad's portal, his mind starts to wander.

I'm lying to my friends, but they'd just get in the way. I can focus on fighting Plasmius without having to worry about protecting them. Besides, I need to talk to Vlad alone . . . they just wouldn't get it.

While he was thinking this, even Danny knew that he was just making excuses. The real reason he hadn't brought his friends wasn't a worry about their safety; over the years Sam and Tucker had become quite adapt at protecting themselves during his battles.

It was simply because Danny didn't like to share.

He was greedy for the attention that only Vlad gave him. Since the villain wanted him to be his apprentice, he constantly challenged and tested the young hero in an effort to covertly train him to reach his potential. As unsettling it was to have such devoted attention, attention was still attention and Danny would gladly take all of it. Now the teen hero wasn't by any means attention deprived, as his family and friends all cared deeply for him, even the residents of Amity Park were slowly warming up to their Inviso-Bill.

It was just that it was always nice to get attention from the person you secretly liked, even if it was during the heat of battle and conveyed in thinly-veiled insults or clever wordplay. . . or in this particular case, trashing your parent's laboratory.

So could you really blame Danny for wanting to keep the limited time he had with the man all to himself?

WRATH

"Breaking news - Today, in downtown Amity Park, a freak accident injured several people during the grand opening of the newly renovated Amity Park Observatory."-begins the news anchor of the local news station. "Thankfully the injuries were minor, however Amity Park Mayor Vlad Masters suffered the most injuries with a broken arm and a few bruises. Stay tuned, we'll have the rest of the story at five."

In his private hospital room, Vlad Masters is sitting up watching television in the adjustable bed, getting some proper rest - per doctor's orders. A sigh escapes his throat as the news bulletin switches back to the regularly scheduled program.

What the news didn't report, was that it wasn't just a freak accident at that event. Like many of the problems afflicting Amity Park, that incident had been caused by ghosts. To be specific, a group of ghosts that were targeting Vlad in an attempt to destroy at least one of the halfas. On any other day, Plasmius would have had no problem taking on multiple opponents.

However, being watched by hundreds of eyes, the powerful halfa was caught off guard and only able to defend himself with his weaker ghost abilities. That was the sole reason the man had escaped with only one broken bone before help had arrived.

"Wow Vlad, it must be really embarrassing to be saved by me." - comments Danny Fenton, the other occupant of the room, a large grin plastered on his face.

"Not at all, Daniel," - comments the villain, smirking in response. "If anything, I'm surprised."

"About?"

"Well, you claim to dislike and even hate me, yet you were rather quick to save me from those ghosts. Why is that?"

"I dunno. Maybe, I just don't like other people kicking your butt besides me."

"That sounds rather possessive, doesn't it?"

"Tch, isn't that a bit hypocritical from the man that tried to make me his apprentice?"

"Perhaps."-admits Vlad as his eyes return to the television.

The truth was, Danny was very possessive of Vlad. And normally, the teen halfa didn't have to worry about his safety, since the elder halfa was so strong. But today, was a completely different story. Once his ghost sense went off, the young hero had arrived at the scene just in time to stop the ghouls from inflicting fatal damage to the other hybrid.

Danny had surprised even himself with the ferocity in which he defeated and subsequently captured the attackers.

Somehow, the sight of Vlad weak and defenseless, made something snap in the teen ghost's mind. Looking back on it, the fight had been a complete blur. But, in some way, even Danny knew that it was a battle he wouldn't soon forget. During a normal fight, the phantom hero defeated and captured ghosts because it was his job. He was rather indifferent about the specters themselves and usually bore them no ill will. But this time, the teen had hated those ghosts. He was enraged as he shot them full with his strongest Ecto-blasts, hitting them with more force than was necessary for the mid-level ghosts. And if the specters hadn't already been dead, the teenager knew he would have killed them.

Staring at the man before him, casually flipping through the cable channels, sky-blue eyes settle on the man's freshly-cast left arm. The sight of the injury causes the teen hero's low-simmering rage to flicker dangerously.

Ugh, what is my problem? Vlad is fine and in a few weeks he'll be back to his normal, conniving self . . . so why am I so angry? Maybe some training will get rid of this feeling.

"Daniel, you still haven't answered my question."

" . . . That's because I don't want to."

"I ask only because I've never seen you fight in that manner before."

That makes two of us.

"Don't tell me that you're scared of me, Vladdie."-teases Danny, alleviating the serious mood, as he leans back in his chair.

"On the contrary . . . I was impressed." -answers the more-experienced halfa.

During their conversation, the young halfa watches the news program, refusing to look the other hybrid in the eyes. It was bothering Danny that he had lost control like that. The encompassing feeling to attack had only ever occurred when his family or friends were threatened . . . so why on earth did

Vlad Masters all of the sudden rank in the same category as the people he treasured and lov-

Oh, that was it.

And just like that, it hit Danny Fenton as he was sitting in that hospital room like a two-ton load of bricks.

He loved Vladimir "Plasmius" Masters. So much so, that when the man's safety was threatened(by anyone but himself, of course) it infuriated him. And even as he began to come to terms with this revelation, Danny still wasn't sure of the depth of those emotions.

Did he love the elder halfa like a mentor figure, like a form of deep respect?

Did he love the wealthy bachelor like a friend, in a strictly platonic way?

Or did he love Vlad Masters like a lover, in a way that made him want to know the man in every sense of the word?

Well, whatever the nature or extent of his feelings for the dangerous enigma known as Vladimir Masters, they were enough to push the hero towards the darker edges of his personality. In many ways, the power Vlad had over the hero's own emotions scared Danny . . .

And in other ways, it didn't.

THE END!

I hope that you all liked this quick prompt I did(You can think of it as a Valentine's Day gift if you wish). The point of this was to show how Danny comes to realize his feelings for Vlad and illustrate that he might view his feelings as a sin but the real sin is denying himself what he really wants. Not to mention, I like reading stories were Danny has and cultivates his own feelings for Vlad.

(I MAY do another part to this with Vlad and the seven virtues, no promises though.)

Authoress Notes:

GLUTTONY - This one was basically a fun idea I had to explain why Danny calls Vlad a "Froot Loop".

PRIDE - I got a little angst with this one, but I think it touched on issues that all heroes face. But at the same time I wanted to personalize it to Danny's problems.

ENVY - The idea for this one is what inspired this whole story. I had this picture in my head of Danny catching Vlad asleep with his cat, and how funny it would be for him to be jealous of the feline.

SLOTH - I admit, I myself am guilty of staying in bed at least an extra hour on a rainy morning. Rain has the ability to completely calm me so I like to lie there and enjoy it for awhile. I figured it would be a good situation for Danny to think about his strange relationship with Vlad.

LUST - Fairly self explanatory, I think.

GREED - For some reason, I can see Danny being that attached to Vlad and not even being aware of it.

WRATH - *shrug* I just thought it would be cute to see Danny possessive and overprotective of Vlad since in other fics, you rarely get to see Vlad in a physically vulnerable situation. I also wanted Danny to begin to seriously come to terms with and fully accept his feelings for Vlad, regardless what that means for the future.

I hope you all enjoyed this and as always feel free to leave a review/comment/creative criticism to let me know what you think.

LATER DAYS!