Everyone froze after the intrusion of Jack and the others and the sudden transformation of the girl back into the ghostly enigma that the A-listers had found. Said girl had a look in her eyes similar to the wild fear of a cornered animal and the adults in the room were worried that any sudden movement would set her off. Maddie was the first to find her voice.
"Y-you're just like him aren't you?" she half whispered, "You're Just like Vlad."
Their mysterious captive's fear had evaporated, swiftly replaced by a burning rage.
"I am NOTHING like that monster."
It had taken the better part of an hour to get everyone calmed down to the point where meaningful discussion could take place. The adults had escorted Dani to the control center, but were still wary of incurring the girl's wrath. They had interrogated her as best as they could without offending her and only received a few terse replies for their efforts.
When the A-listers and other resistance started getting in on the act the moment they entered the room, she had finally had enough.
"Alright everybody QUIET!" the twelve-year-old screamed to the suddenly silent room. "I have just been woken up after who knows how long, and my last memories involve being held at ectoblast by a fruit loop as my family was forced to surrender. Before I answer any questions I want answers. Where am I? Who are you people? And what on earth happened after my family was imprisoned?"
At first answers weren't coming very quickly, but eventually the people of the resistance decided that, whoever she was, Danielle didn't pose that much of a threat. After about two hours of discussion both sides had shared enough information as they were willing. Dani had learned that Pariah Dark had taken over with the assistance of Vlad Masters, now revealed to be Vlad Plasmius. The resistance had formed in hopes of regaining Earth's sovereignty and later sovereignty for its new ghostly allies, but even though a long time had seemed to pass, none had aged and all personality traits had grown steadily more absent.
"The one thing that we don't understand is how Vlad Plasmius and Vlad Masters could be the same person for so long," Said Damien Gray, the elected general of the resistance, "Even now he can slip back into a human disguise and not show up on our scanners. The only other being to do that was you."
Dani shied away slightly from the General's almost accusing glare. Taking a deep breath to steady herself she spoke.
"I'm not sure how much I can tell you," Dani started, "We, well, beings like me and Vlad are incredibly rare and secretive."
"How rare and secretive?" interrupted Maddie.
"Rare enough that, including me and the fruit loop, there are only seven of us," Dani let their surprised gasps die down a bit be for continuing, "And secretive enough that before Vlad's betrayal no humans knew we existed."
Paulina decided to cut in, "Like why would you hide from every one? If I was part ghost or something I'd flaunt it."
"And that's why you wouldn't have lasted a day in our lives," Dani said suddenly angry again. "Do you have any idea what it's like to forever be trapped between life and death?"
"Well no bu-"
"To know that as much as you try to protect them as a ghost, the slightest mistake will ensure that they will never trust you? And that even as a human you will be hated and bullied?"
"But what about-"
"To hide everything about whom you are because if you don't, you will never have a moment of peace, or worse you could find yourself strapped to the table with someone who is supposed to protect you holding the scalpel?"
"Why would that be an issue?" asked Pamela Manson, "Surely no ghost hunter would be so eager to attack any ghost that resembled a loved one."
"Two of my grandparents were ghost hunters. Whenever he wasn't at school or on patrol, my dad had to listen to them talk excitedly about how they would dissect 'Phantom' while he had to pretend that nothing was wrong. If they can't tell that the ghost they want to destroy looks like their son when he's sitting across from them, why would they stop when their test subject bleeds both red and green."
Her tirade finished Danielle let out a sob "I have only existed three years, but even I know that being found out is a fate worse than death. My family had finally been able to gain some slight security before Vlad betrayed us and even then we hid ourselves from most of both worlds and protected each other. But, now they're all gone, Mommy and Daddy and Aunt Vee and Uncle T and Auntie J, They're all gone and probably dead and I don't have anyone."
Half blinded by tears Danielle didn't see the shocked looks and sympathetic faces of the people in the room. She didn't see Maddie and Pamela step forward to comfort her or the uncomfortable, guilty glances between the A-listers. All she saw was the loving faces of her family and the deadly pink of Vlad's ecto-blasts dancing in her mind as she turned and ran out the door.
