A darker fic than normal for Danny Phantom following the "what if's" of Control Freak. Some spoilers in the beginning of what happened at the end of Control Freak.

Disclaimer: Don't own Danny Phantom

Chapter I

Expectations on ones success could only go so far and the girl overestimated his control on the ghost, pitifully encouraging it to break free from his orb that clouded it's mind. Freak Show sneered, beckoning to the ghost boy who held his red staff, but more importantly, the orb that adorned the top feeding off of his willpower and inanimate influence over the ghost.

"Come, my slave. Come to me," he called, patting his knee and making noise with his lips as if calling a lost puppy. The ghost looked confused, it's red eyes flickering from the girl to Freak Show and back again.

"Fight it, Danny. He's not holding the crystal ball anymore-- you are!" The girl looked so desperate, so satisfyingly helpless that Freak Show laughed audibly. He only had to reach out his mind, flex his psyche and the ghost would obey his every whim--just like the other mindless drones he ensnared. Freak Show shoved the goth closer to the side, tired of her helpless pleas which fell on deaf ears.

"Poor, foolish girl," Freak Show admonished, "It cannot hear you. You see, the ghost is under my control, even without the staff in my hand." Her purple eyes turned to him, loathing annoyance rippled across them. She was very rebellious, even with the impending circumstances whispering her doom, but what did he expect; she was a goth, and whoever knew a goth that played by the rules?

"Quiet!" she screamed. "Danny, I saw you up on that high wire, you were fighting him the whole time. Fight him now!"

"…Sam?" It spoke, slowly and unsure, it's eyes fazing from red to bright green.

"Don't listen to her, slave!" Freak Show said, surprised at his loss of manipulation. What was this girl doing? Whatever it was, she had to be disposed of, and now.

"Danny," her countenance lit up as her black hair whipped around her face. "Destroy the staff--"

"Give it to me!" Freak Show ordered.

"Quiet! All of you! I need to think..." It's eyes showed turmoil, though to Freak Show's pleasure, it returned to scarlet again. He concentrated more with a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. She was loosing him.

"It's the crystal ball or your friends, Danny. Your choice!"

Freak Show stepped aside as the other ghosts crept up on the goth, edging her ever closer to the side of the train's top and the ghost boy watched helplessly, unmoving.

"Danny!"

Her footing slipped and the ghost child jerked forward to catch her but it had been too unaware of Freak Show's movements and he snatched the staff back, tightening his grip on it's mind. The girl fell over the side with a terrified scream as Freak Show and the ghost child watched in silence.

She never knew how empty the house was without Danny around; brooding, his teenage mood swings, and once in a while smiling shyly at her new found esteem towards him-- although he didn't understand why she was all of the sudden considerate and she didn't want to tell him about her knowledge of his secret just yet.

Cuddling one of Danny's toys from his childhood, Jazz focused on the conversation at hand from her perch on the living room love seat. Her mother was crying, Maddie's orange goggles laid on the table fogged with old tears and her father, Jack, tried unsuccessfully to comfort her.

"We understand it's hard for you, Mr. and Mrs. Fenton, but please bear with us as we ask a few question," a burly police officer said taking out a pad and pen to capture every detail that came out of their mouths.

"When was the last time you saw your son?" Another officer asked besting that one would talk and the other write.

"Danny had skipped class... two days ago to see Circus Gothica. Sam was with him and they both received detention," Maddie explained.

"Danny's a good kid," Jack interjected. "He hasn't been in much trouble before."

"We know he went to detention that day, and his friends, Sam and Tucker confirmed it..." Maddie continued, "but that was the last time we saw him," she broke down in tears, barring her face in her hands.

"He wasn't at Circus Gothica when we spotted Sam and Tucker, before we went into watch the show," Jack continued for his wife. "But that place was teeming with ghosts I bet their behind it! I will personally go and hunt down every last one--"

"Dad!" Jazz interrupted. "I'm sure Danny's fine wherever he is, we just need to stay calm and hope for the best." Sorrow ebbed into her voice but Jazz refused to shed the tears now stinging her eyes.

"We have talked to," the policeman holding the pad paused and flipped through his notes. "Tucker Foley and Samantha Mason earlier today-- they had a very interesting story about how they think Freak Show from the Circus Gothica might have kidnapped your son, but we are still looking into that."

"What would he want with our son?" Maddie asked

"Perhaps it's the ghosts that were there that wanted to take revenge on the ghost hunter's son! I am a renowned ghost hunter, you know," Jack smirked but it fell as Jazz got up to leave.

"I'll be in my room," Jazz said over her shoulder as a certain someone popped in her head to call.

Like it so far? Please review! There will be more soon. ♥ Everstar04