Authours Notes:
I wrote this year's ago. I had originally intended it to be a comic. However, I never got past the setup. I just didn't know how to go about the story. This one has a couple of complex parts to it...
Prolog:
Amity Park: the sun rising to a quiet day, the full moon passing away, giving rise to Saturday. The street's glow with the early light, as color slowly seeps back into them. Only the early risers are out and about. No one notices as a dark-haired boy stumbles slowly down an empty street, red blood dripping from his fingers. The sky is shifting from pink to blue ever so slightly, as the teen tries to keep his glazed eyes open; to keep his legs moving.
Just a few blocks away, the home of the Fenton's is starting to wake. Jasmine Fenton (Jazz preferably) sets down her blue handled brush and adjusts her teal colored hair band. "There." She smiles contently to herself after giving the reflection a good look over in the mirror. She glances at the clock; it shows that it is 6:58 AM.
'Danny's probably in a deep sleep.' She thinks and decides to walk as quietly as she can down the hall so as not to wake him. It was summer after all, and the boy deserved his sleep. However, as she nears the stairs she realizes her brother's door is wide open.
She finds this strange because he almost always leaves it closed, especially when he is sleeping. Walking up to the room she peeks in.
The golden rays of the rising sun are slipping through the cracked blue curtains covering his window. The invading light falls softly over the boys neatly made bed. She frowns guessing he never made it home the night before. Truthfully this wasn't all that odd, but it did leave her feeling uneasy. Jazz thought back to the night before, recalling that her mother had asked about his whereabouts at about 10:15 complaining that she'd told him that he was supposed to be back by 10 PM. Jazz assumed he'd gotten caught up in the usual delays and told her mother that he'd show up. Not long after that she'd gone up to bed.
Turning Jazz quickly made her way down the stairs, curled up on the couch, wrapped up in a throw blanket is her mother. "Mom?"
Maddie Fenton stirred slowly, rubbing her eyes as she sat up groggy. "Jazz?" Blinking the woman stares at her feet for a moment before her eyes go wide. "Did Danny come home!?" She asks worry evident in her voice.
The front door falls in before Jazz can answer. Along with it her little brother.
"Danny!" Running over to him Jazz immediately realized he is bleeding horribly.
Maddie's up in a second and by her son's side, all the worries she tried to suppress nipping at her with a new meaning. "Danny." Maddie pushes his hair back, holding back a sob as she watches his eyes roll back into his head. The boy lets out a weak moan. "Oh, god, Jazz, call 911!"
Grabbing the phone and pressing speed dial Jazz immediately starts talking. "Please, my brother is bleeding! I don't know what happened, it looks like... it looks like he's been bitten by something. His left shoulder is torn up really bad." Jazz says her voice clearly shaking.
"Mom..." A mumble comes from Danny as he stirs, his eyes still unfocused and rolling. "Mom..."
"I'm right here sweaty, I've got you, Danny, there's nothing to worry about."
Weakly Danny lifts his left hand which is clutched tightly. "I didn't see...didn't sense it... it was too fast." His fingers unravel as something solid rolls out of his palm and into Maddie's hand. Without looking at what it is the worried mother wraps her hand around the object, forgetting it immediately, as her little boy goes limp.
"Danny!" Shaking him Maddie tries to coax him back into consciousness. "Stay awake, Danny!" Taking a breath trying to calm herself Maddie sits in a state of shock, watching her son's chest rise and fall. She blinks as her eyes fall on his face. It's scrunched up in obvious pain, she needed to move, to take action. Looking down at her hand she blinks recognizing for the first time the existence of the object in her hand. She wonders what her son had given her. The object is flat, a dark green color, shining just slightly, like an obsidian arrowhead. Frowning, not sure of its relevance or origin Maddie wonders if it belongs to the person responsible for her son's condition. Slipping it into her pocket she tells Jazz to stay with Danny as she rushes to the bathroom to grab the first-aid kit. It isn't much but it is better than letting her son slowly bleed to death on her living room floor.
Chapter One:
The strange object glint's as Maddie rotates it in her hands, the smooth side of it rippled with a rainbow-like sheen under the overhead light. It was cupped slightly- flat on one side. She intently studied it, trying to unlock some secret from it. It offered nothing. Though the more she studied it the more she became convinced it was not man-made. As far as she could tell it seemed organic… somehow. "Mom." Jumping at the unexpected voice Maddie looked startled up to the top of the stairs.
Unsteadily he stood, both hands gripping the railing supporting his whole weight. Setting the stone down on the coffee table and standing the woman glares up at the boy. "Danny, what are you doing? You should be in bed resting."
"I'm fine." He say's rolling his eyes as he limps down the stairs slowly. Maddie forces herself to stand still as she watches him, using every bit of self-control to not go running to him. "I... I need to talk to you- and dad." Danny's knees gave out and he falls rolling down the last few steps, colliding with the wall.
Panic fill's Maddie as she runs to him. "Danny!" She silently reprimands herself for letting him try to go down the stairs on his own when he was in such a condition. Maddie was always about letting her kids have their freedom, but Danny was hurt. She needs to be more careful with what she allows him to do.
"I'm fine." He mumbled setting up rubbing his head.
"I should tie you up and make you stay in bed!" Maddie growls angrily.
Danny looks at her horrified. "You wouldn't!"
"Of cores not!" She sighs. "You shouldn't be pushing yourself so hard though, I don't know what happened but those cuts, and that..."
"Bite." Danny doesn't look her way as he says this. Though Maddie can still see a deep worry in his features, as he places his right hand over his left solder.
"The doctors said that you could have died. You're stubborn and cocky, but you're not invincible Danny."
"I know..." His response is barely a whisper.
"I..." Maddie closes her eyes taking a shuttering breath. "I just don't like seeing you hurt."
Danny nods. "Mom... I have something important-
"I know, you were saying you need to talk to me and your father." Maddie said helping Danny to his feet. She led him to the couch and set him down. "Look, you just stay here- and don't move. I'll go get your father."
A weak smile falls on Danny's lips as he settles onto the couch. "Thanks, mom." The boy looks up at her.
"No problem sweetie." She kissed his forehead before disappearing into the kitchen.
Hitting speed dial on her cell phone from where she stood at the top of the stairs out of view of those in the living room below Jazz waits for a reply.
"Hello?" A very tired Sam answers. It is 10 AM, Jazz think's hearing the sleep in the younger girl's voice. She should be awake and functioning. Though, Jazz reminds herself, she isn't all that familiar with the sleeping habits of Goths.
"Sam..." Jazz quickly whispers. "This is Jazz."
"Jazz?" She can hear the lost confusion in the girl's voice. "What are you calling me for? Where's Danny?" Jazz flinched as she heard a sharp gasp on the other end. "What happened to Danny?!"
"He came home bleeding-" Jazz stop's realizing that wasn't the right way to start the conversation.
"WHAT?" Jazz is forced to pull the phone away from her ear at the response.
"He's fine Sam." Jazz says, calmly and unthinkingly adds. "I think." Biting her lip Jazz quickly adds. "Don't worry, the doctors said he'd be okay. He was just cut up some is all-
"By what? By who? When I get my hands on them-
"Sam!" Jazz hissed, trying to keep her voice low. "Calm down! Danny's going to tell mom and dad about his ghost powers. I'm supposed to have you and Tucker on the line in case something goes wrong." There was a click and the line went dead. "Sam? Sam?" Jazz asked.
Rolling his eyes Danny shakes his head. He's heard every word Jazz and Sam had exchanged. Knowing Sam, he assumed she was already on her way to Fenton Works. There was no way she was just going to let him tell his parents about his biggest secret. Not without a fight.
He should have known that Jazz was going to do something like this. It was bad enough she started the conversation by scaring the crap out of Sam. He sighs hearing his sister let out a quiet "oops." Now again he hears the sound of the speed dial - wait. He frowns his thoughts clicking. Since when did Jazz have his friends on speed dial?
Scuffing he decides it's not important right now as he ignores her slightly less botched attempt to explain things to Tucker. Worried he turns his attention to the conversation taking place down in the basement.
The Fenton basement is a unique space and it wouldn't be presumptuous at all to say that there are few places like it in existence. Without an understanding of the Fenton mindset most tools in the basement were un-wieldable, yet the moment you crack the code of madness you have a deadly arsenal of weapons. Well, deadly to a ghost. The large homemade lab was coated with a tough "anti-ghost" metal. (It was actually just regular iron plating, but Jack likes to boast of its inherited hatred of ghost. (Danny can attest that this is entirely false) Despite it, all the walls are as effective against ghost as any.)
Littered on the counter space were vials of ectoplasm along with other strange chemicals and substances. Strange half completed devices, and half-eaten fudge was strung randomly throughout the space. Folded over in a chair, drooling onto a pile of notes Maddie found her husband fast asleep. Smiling slightly, she placed a hand on his solder and shook him lightly. "Jack."
"Uh... ghost... that's my fudge..." The man stirred and rubbed his eyes. "Madd's? What's up?"
"Remember I told you we took Danny to the hospital?"
"Hu?" He sat up and stretched. "When did this happen? Was it a ghost!?" He asked looking worried.
"About 7 this morning, you were still out of it." Maddie said. "I didn't figure you'd remember. The doctors said it was some sort of large animal. I don't really know, maybe he'll tell us. He wants to talk."
"Large ghost animal!" Jack said grabbing the Fenton Bazooka. "Let's go get that ghost! I'll show them what happens when they mess with Jack Fenton's family!"
"Jack!" Maddie grabbed the weapon from her husband's hands and glared at him. "You are not taking that up to talk with our son! He's already been through enough."
"Right...I knew that." He chuckled.
Danny smiled as he began to relax- he had no fear- for some reason all those worries that kept him from telling his parents were small and insignificant today. He was kind of looking forward to hunting beside his dad now- instead of behind the gun...
It would probably take some explaining for his dad to comprehend it though. He sat up when he heard the sound of combat boots storming up the porch steps. He knew it was Sam, and he knew she was mad.
Yet, even that wasn't getting to him. He looked at his hands, wondering if it was really that he wasn't scared anymore or if it was that he was still so scared of what had happened the night before that normal stuff just wasn't registering. He shrugged the thought off, it really didn't matter, because this had to be done. He could hear Jazz and Tucker still talking over the phone upstairs and his mom and dad were now headed back upstairs. He stood up so he could open the door for Sam only to collapse to his knee's grabbing a hold of the coffee table. He gripped his chest and gasped as a pain shot through him. The bite was burning like a flame.
The front door flew open as an angry Sam barged in. "Danny! Danny!?" He heard all of her anger wash away to instant worry as she ran toward him.
He looked up at her and she gasped, he felt tears falling down his face. "Sam." He said his voice distorted by the pain, and something else, like a growl riding on his voice.
He let his body fall to the floor completely, closing his eyes as he prayed for the pain to stop. Yet the pain kept coming, striking him in waves. Each time it peaked he let out a small yelp.
"Danny!" He heard his mother rushing for him for the third time that day. "What's wrong? Please, Danny, tell me something."
"It- it hurts!" He gasped. His mom's tender hands helped him back up onto the couch as she laid him back and shushed him brushing back his hair.
"It's okay Danny, shhh, just breath sweetie."
Taking slow breaths, the pain slowly resided, and he opened his eyes looking up at his parent's worried eyes. "Danny boy, are you alright?"
"I... don't know..." Danny said honestly glancing to his side to see Sam standing back just slightly, a worried expression on her face.
"Do you need to go lay down?" Maddie asked.
"No!" Danny sat up. "I need to tell you where I was – what happened!"
"O-okay..." Maddie frowned setting next to him.
His dad took a seat on his other side and put an arm around him. "You can tell us anything, you know that."
"Right..." Danny said taking a breath. "First... you need to know... that I'm Danny Phantom."
Just like that, he just came out and said it. Sam was trying to calm her heart. She couldn't believe Danny just spat that out- after all the trouble they'd gone through to keep it secret. She didn't want to believe it but she knew what she'd seen, and she knew what she'd heard. She watched terrified as the color washed from the Fenton's faces. "Danny..." Jack said looking confused. "Danny Phantom is a ghost."
Danny chuckled halfheartedly. "Well, you got that half right." He cringed gripping his shoulder.
"Wh… are… are you overshadowing Danny?" Maddie asked.
Danny looked up at her surprised. "What? No."
Maddie looked worried. "Danny... I don't understand. What are you saying?"
"Mom. Dad. I'm still me- still Danny Fenton, but I have ghost powers. Which is where the Phantom thing comes in."
"That's… not possible." Maddie shook her head as Jack looked completely lost.
Danny was getting frustrated. "How hard is this to get!? I'm half ghost!"
"But how!?" Maddie asked.
"R- remember... the portal accident...?" Danny took a breath as his body began to shake. It didn't make sense that now he was starting to feel scared- after it was all out- but he was.
"When the portal started working?" Maddie asked. "Didn't you say you got shocked when you plugged in a loose wire? That wouldn't have-
"Mom... I lied." Danny said looking at her, his eyes watery. "I didn't just get shocked, it had nothing to do with a wire. I was... inside the portal when it turned on."
Maddie stared at him a stunned horror on her face. "But..." Jack said slowly. "If you were inside the portal when it turned on... then..."
"You would have been struck by a lethal amount of ectoplasmic energy." Maddie said terrified.
"Only half lethal." Danny laughed.
"This isn't funny!" Maddie said a scream in her voice.
Danny flinched, then swallowed, fear burning in his veins, what if the fact that he's telling them flat out changed how they would take the knowledge. He looked to Sam for help. "Just show them." She said flatly. The emotion she'd had on the walk over completely gone.
Danny looked down. "Okay... I- I'll show you..."
With that two bright rings of light appeared around his waist. He let out a gasp as he felt a pinch of cold in his heart.
Sam held her breath as she watched. Time seemed to slow down, as if Clockwork had come to draw out the moment, especially to torture her. The rings separated spreading over him, changing his normal clothes to the trademark black jumpsuit the white DP emblem showing proudly on his chest. His hair fell over his face, the black locks flashing to a snow white. Looking up Danny's bright green eyes locked with the shocked expressions of his parents.
Maddie was shrinking, shrinking deep into the couch. "You are!" Jack gasped, he looked like a child who had just gotten his first puppy. "You're Danny Phantom! This is soooooo cool!"
Maddie trembled looking into the neon green eyes of her son- of Phantom. "I- I don't understand." She mumbled. Her face overwhelmed with betrayal. "Why didn't you tell us?"
"At... first I was scared..." Danny said voice trembling. He let out a hollow laugh. "I thought you'd reject me."
Maddie and Jack shared guilty looks. "Danny, no matter what we'd never hate you." Maddie reached out toward him.
Danny nodded in acceptance feeling tears threatening to fall. He continued "Then... I was just having fun... I didn't want to tell you because you seemed to really like chasing Phantom. And- and-"
Maddie's mouth fell open in disbelief. "Well, that's stupid!" Jack said suddenly and Danny looked at his dad shocked. "I mean it was awesome, chasing Phantom and all- but you- you're our son! And... and..." Jack stuttered as he lost track of where he was going with his words.
"What if we had seriously hurt you!?" Maddie cried. "I don't know what I would have done!"
Sam spoke up suddenly her voice slowly rising in volume. "We… we all sacrificed so much to keep it a secret for you. Even though we thought you should have told them at the beginning – and you just- spit it out? Why?!"
"Because I had to!" Danny snapped his hands balling into a fist then he took a slow breath and said quietly. "And because I wanted to."
"But -"
"Sam." Danny looked at her, his face serious. "I think you saw something... when you came in..."
Sam's blood froze at the thought and it all came rushing back. When she had run to him she remembered the excruciating pain on his face and the bright yellow eyes looking up at her. Eyes that she knew were not Danny's and the fangs.
"I don't know what I saw." She said going quiet.
Danny stood and unzipped his jumpsuit revealing his normal clothes underneath, quickly he pulled his shirt over his head revealing his bandaged chest and solders. Sam gasped, worried for the wounds, but also felt a blush brush her cheeks.
He pulled at the wraps and Maddie went to stop him. "Danny!" He paused looking at her. "The cuts, they're not healed."
Danny smirked. "They're not?" The cloth fell away revealing some small scratches and a few scars but otherwise, Danny was virtually solid.
Maddie gasped. "Those... were gashes this morning!"
Sam looked at Danny confused. That was odd, she knew he had some healing ability's but they never worked that fast. She gasped as her eyes fell to his left solder. "What... is that?" She asked, her brows going up in shock and her fingers going up to trace the marks gently before she thought and stopped. Blushing she pulled herself back taking a step away from him.
Danny covered his mouth blushing. Looking to his parents he said. "It's where the creature bit me. I remember my ghost sense didn't go off..."
"Ghost sense?" Jack asked.
"It's kind of this cold that comes over me whenever there's a ghost around." Danny explained. "Anyway, the beast came out of nowhere and took me into the sky. It had large wings... the creature bit into me and... and I ripped off one of its scales trying to escape it. Finally, I shot its wings with a ghost ray and it dropped me..." Danny trailed off.
Maddie dug into her pocket and pulled out the item that Danny had given her that morning. "This... came off of the creature that attacked you? What was it?"
"I'm not sure, it was dark, and it came and left so fast... if I had to guess... I'd say that it was a dragon..." Danny said.
"NO WAY!" Tucker blurted as he walked in the front door.
"Hey, Tucker." Danny said. "Tell Jazz to get down here please, and as far as that comment about me and Sam- you want to repeat it?"
The techno-geek closed the door behind him. "Ketch that?" He asked then nodded as he hung up the phone. "Whoa!" Tucker said shocked as he looked at Danny who was still standing shirtless, the bruises and scrapes all visible. Of course, he was staring at the glowing bite.
"Hey, Tuck." Danny waved.
Tucker sat his bag down and gaped. "Dude, nice ears."
"What!?" Danny asked his hands going to his ears, and Sam noticed for the first time that his ears were pointed.
Jazz made her way down the stairs slowly and smiled at her parents sheepishly, then she looked to her brother. "Whoa, when did that happen?"
"Probably... when that pain hit..." Danny said in thought.
"Yeah, that makes sense when you were on the floor you seemed to have had fangs." Sam said. "Plus your eyes changed color..."
"Great!" Danny threw his hands up in frustration. "Now I'm an even bigger freak! Like it wasn't hard enough already being half-ghost!"
"Calm down Danny." Maddie said. "We should try to find out what all of this means..." Maddie sighed rubbing her temples. "Phantom... why didn't I see it?" This whole situation was obviously troubling her. Danny was honestly surprised, he thought she'd understand more easily than his dad would have.
"That..." Danny said slowly trying to sound calm and in control. "That's a good idea, we should probably start with the scale." Danny took it from his mother.
"Danny..." She said.
"The scale could lead us to the monster!" Danny said excitedly.
"Danny!" Maddie yelled grabbing a hold of his hands.
"W-what?" Danny asked the way she was holding his hands made the scale cut into his palm.
"Your nails..." Maddie said. "They're..."
"Black." Sam said.
Danny stopped looking at his hands. The nails were a dark gray color. "I bet it's a side effect from the bite." Danny said with little concern.
"Yeah..." Tucker said.
"Danny, these aren't just weird side effects!" Sam said.
"What do you mean?"
"Think about it! In weird terms I mean!" Sam said. "You get bit by a strange creature- suddenly you're going through physical changes! What's happening?"
Jazz made an "Oh duh!" Face. "He's turning into a dragon!"
"WHAT!?" Danny, Jack, and Maddie yelled in unison.
"Well, it does make sense." Maddie said after she took a moment to calm down. "I mean, my friend Nicky study's werewolves and other shape-shifting creatures down in Florida. I mean it may not be the same thing, but it is a shift, so if anyone can help us it would be her."
"Werewolves in Florida?" Jazz asked.
"Oh yeah, they're highly common in the area." Maddie said. "And they absolutely love seafood!"
"And the sunny weather!" Jack added.
"Ooookay..." Jazz said, having learned over the past year that somethings just weren't worth questioning.
"Well, that's good!" Tucker said. "We know the problem, is there a way to fix it?"
"I'll call Nick!" Maddie ran to the kitchen. "Her number is here somewhere."
Danny sighed setting down as he played with his ears turning back into Fenton. He silently wondered if his day could possibly get any worse. When that thought crossed his mind he loosed a burp. "Yuck." He said. It tasted dry.
Chapter Two:
Nicky ran her hand through Dodge's thick hair as he sat panting next to her. They were in the backyard of her Florida home working on his garden, and it was turning out nicely. "We'll finish watering and get you a treat. How's that sound?" She said clapping her gloves together, knocking off fresh soil. Dodge wagged his tail happily in response. He was a large dog, with a mop of fur like a Komondor.
She paused hearing a ringing. Standing she dusted off her blue jeans, realizing it was her house phone.
With a laugh, she raced Dodged back to the large home.
Inside she slipped off her garden shoes and pulled off her gloves before walking into her kitchen where the phone wanted to be answered.
She picked it up. "Hello?"
"Hello. I'm looking for Nicky." A voice replied, it sounded familiar, but she couldn't place it.
"That's me."
"Oh! Nicky! This is Maddie, Maddie Fenton!"
The name clicked. "Maddie!" Nicky was shocked, she hadn't heard from Maddie in 11 years. "What's been going on? How are the tots?"
This was phenomenal! Her best friend from high school she and Maddie promised to keep in couch but with their crazy lives they had drifted apart. She was sure her old friend had forgotten about her.
"Well..." Maddie sounded hesitant suddenly.
"What is it Maddie?"
"It's Danny... he was bit-
Nicky gasped. "What!?" She found a seat. "How?! I thought you'd know better than to let your kids out late-
"Nicky... it couldn't be helped. You know teenagers. They're rebellious, and a mystery..." Something in the way her old friend said this made Nicky feel uneasy, like something more was going on.
"Wait." She said something clicking. "That's right! Your kids are teens now!"
"Yeah, they are!" Maddie said. "The last time you saw them I think Jazz was 7."
"No, 6" Nicky smiled remembering, it had been the girl's birthday, and she was very adamant about not letting the 4-year-old Danny anywhere near her new toy's.
"Either way, wow, has it really been so long?" Maddie asked.
"I know; it's felt like forever yet at the same time-"
"At the same time, it feels like yesterday!" Maddie finished and the two laughed.
"Mom!" An irritated voice came through the background.
"Speaking of Jazz." Maddie said. "I'm sorry Nicky, but I've called you with trouble-
"Right, Danny, do you know what bit him?"
"Maybe-
"Let me get my things together and I'll be there tomorrow morning!" Nicky said. "Don't sweat it Mad-dity-day!"
"Thank you so much Nicky!" The relief in the woman's voice was shocking. Usually, at her nickname, Maddie would have rebelled. Nicky guessed it just showed how serious the situation was.
"Don't worry, I've been studying this stuff for, like, forever!" Nicky hung up, she didn't need the details, not for this job. Maddie was one of her best friends she'd do anything for her.
"Come on Dodge. We're going to Amity Park, Illinois!"
Danny struggled to sleep, his rest was disturbed by a voice. "Get away!" He sat up gasping as he heard someone scream. Jaws came at him and he let out a cry as flames consumed his vision. 'Fear not but what is inside.' A voice laughed malevolently.
"Where are you?" Danny demanded, trying to fight back his fear.
There was a laughter as the flames parted and a figure stepped forward. Danny gasped, it looked like him but its eyes were not his normal human sky blue or his ghostly green, but a golden yellow.
"I am Gallnyx." The figure said as he transformed into a dragon with red scales so dark they almost seemed black, his golden eyes standing out in the blue flames. "Year's I have planned to rebel against our queen. With you..." The dragon shook with laughter. "With your body, I can rule."
Before Danny could retort a hundred black dragons jumped on him biting at him. He screamed trying to fight them, the flames growing higher.
"Danny!"
Danny sat up with a gasp, sweating heavily. Looking around he found he was in his room his sister standing next to his bed looking worried. "Danny? Are you okay? What were you dreaming about?"
"I... don't know." Danny mumbled. "I can't remember."
"It must have been pretty bad..." Jazz said.
"I guess..." Danny said.
"Look, I didn't want to bother you, but its 11 AM and Nicky is here-
Jazz was interrupted by a loud happy "Woof!"
"And she brought Dodge!"
"Who?" Danny yawned standing up. Slipping on his shirt he followed her to the stairs. They looked impossibly steep and he feared he wouldn't make it down them. Jazz made it down fine though so he took hold of the rail and began his descent.
He was nearing the last step when that strange pain struck again and he fell to his knees his fingers digging into the rail. He cried feeling his teeth warp into fans and back. His heart rang in his ears and he felt his shoulders shift and heard them pop. His hands jerked releasing the rail only to sink into the wood as they took the form of claws. Then as suddenly as it had come the pain was gone. The relief left Danny numb and he fell down the last step.
"Danny!" Jazz ran to him when he fell.
He moaned trying to brush her away, he didn't have to try hard as his sister dropped him in an attempt to avoid his clawed hands.
"What happened?" He mumbled setting up and holding his head in his black claws.
Blinking his blue eyes, he saw his hands and all but shrieked. "MOM!"
Nicky had arrived in Amity Park at 9 Am, she laughed pulling up to Fenton Works. She'd forgotten how extravagantly wacky Jack and Maddie were. After entering the home, she was offered some coffee which she took happily. This lead to a light chat with Maddie and Jack. Around 11 Jazz, who had joined them at about 10, told them she would go wake Danny. Now she was sitting in the Fenton's living room examining the scale Maddie had given her, according to Maddie Danny said it belonged to the creature that bit him.
She jumped, broken out of her thoughts, as she heard Jazz scream. "Danny!"
Before she could even wonder what was going on a terrified cry came from Danny. "MOM!" She rushed over, but the boy was facing away from her.
"Danny?" Maddie came into the living room from the kitchen, holding a tray of snickerdoodles.
Danny looked up at his sister his blue eyes wide. Nicky took note of the pointed ears, a classic sign of first transformers.
"What's wrong Danny?" Maddie asked.
He looked up to his mom glancing at Nicky. "I..." He paused for a moment before he shakily held up his hands. They had become more like claws. "This is starting to really freak me out!"
"Calm down Danny." Nicky said, werewolves were her specialty but there were a couple consistent traits in every species of shifters. She felt a small sense of relief seeing that his eyes were normal. Right now she had to calm the boy down. It was a normal reaction to freak out. Surprisingly though Danny listened to her taking a deep breath and dropping his hands to his side. It wasn't unusual for a new shifter to scream louder until she explained a bit more.
"Hi." He said his voice squeaking. "You must be Nicky!"
"In the flesh." She smiled. "You must not remember me, hu?"
Danny shook his head standing. "Not really..."
Nicky smiled walking back to the couch motioning him to follow. "Come on let's talk."
"O-okay..." Danny said setting down, Jazz sitting next to him.
Nicky scratched Dodge's back as she took a seat as well. The dog yawned and looked up at her his tail wagging lightly. "I have to say, you must have a good amount of willpower, most people transform by now." She studied him curious. "According to my studies, most transformations take place within the first day."
"I'm fighting it." Danny said bluntly.
She stared at him for a moment looking for any signs that he was joking. "How?" She asked when she saw that he was serious.
"I can feel it." Danny said placing a hand on his chest. "Like a fire in my chest. Wanting to take over, but I can't let it." He shuttered and Dodge whined.
"Does it fight back?" It sounded like an odd question, but it was important.
Danny nodded looking at her. "It wants to take over, it won't back down."
Strange. "I can't imagine what would allow you to sense the change- let alone fight it." Nicky said it was strange, only those who had been shifters for a time could even hope to fight a change.
Danny smiled. "Let's just say, I'm strong spirited."
Jazz coughed back a laugh getting a glare from the boy. "Is there something you're not telling me?" Nicky asked.
"N-" Danny stopped cringing his claws curling up to his chest. His breathing grew harsh and he yelled as his teeth began to warp, growing into fangs. Dodge whimpered slinking behind the couch.
Danny's claws ripped at his shirt and his body trembled.
"Danny." Nicky said trying to stay level-headed, it was never a good idea to freak when this happened. "Danny look at me."
Danny's eyes shot open but they weren't his beautiful blue. They were a hate-filled gold. "Witch!" His voice was deep and gurgled like acid. "Stupid humans, this body is as good as mine!" The creature controlling the boy laughed.
Nicky was trembling, this wasn't good, not good at all. In fact, it was one of the worst possible scenarios.
Placing a hand on the charm in her bag Nicky placed the other on Danny's head. "Beast! Leave this boy, take me instead!"
Jazz gasped but the creature in Danny just laughed. "I know about your charm Nicky." He spat with a cruel smile. "Besides, why would I want to leave this marvelous creature for filth like you?"
Nicky shivered. "What are you saying- what do you mean?"
Again he laughed. "S-s-uh-nn!" Danny shook yelling as he attempted to take back control. "Get... out of-" He screamed as scales crawled up and down his arms. "ME!"
There was a flash and the boy sat there panting, but... he was different. He had the same features... but his eyes had turned green and his hair white. He looked as shocked as she was. He looked down, his black clawed hands had turned white, merging into the black suit he wore. "Danny?" She asked slowly.
He looked at her. "Um..." He went to rub the back of his neck only to stop as his claws scratched him. "Ow..."
"I don't understand." Nicky said. "You're a ghost?"
Danny looked surprised, people didn't always get it right away, but he crossed his arms and gave her an irritated look. "Half ghost, thank you very much." There was a flash of light and Danny was back to normal sulking. "I'm still human- or... I was..."
"You're still human! Danny!" Nicky was overwhelmed. "This is- I don't even know! No wonder you're able to fight it!"
Authours Notes:
And that's it... I kind of started to hate the feel of this story. I didn't know what I wanted from it and it all felt a bit contrived... I never was able to move past this point and it was way too early to be this stuck in a story... so I never even thought of posting it... this one is abandoned.
