Changing Their Fate Chapter 4: Second Reaction, a danny phantom fanfic

Here it is. Chapter Four. It's short.

Okay guys, I've got some bad news.

I won't be able to update this story for... four days :) I am going away, and this story takes longer to write than all of my others... except for maybe Vortex of Deception since that kills me each time I try to write it.. So unless I am able to write it tomorrow before work, get Stephariff to edit it that night, and then post it on Thursday, no new chapter until at LEAST four more days. But do not worry. I will write while I am gone :) It's only four days, after all. This story isn't THAT good. So you'd better enjoy this chapter. I don't have a solid plan for the next chapter as I have used half of it in this chapter. But that's enough from me.

I proudly present you

Changing Their Fate (and thanks once again Steph for editing it!)

Changing Their Fate

Chapter Four

Second Reaction

Vlad Masters resided in a completely different part of America, yet he knew about Danny's tragic death before even Danny's own sister did.

He had been in the middle of observing the footage that the Fenton security cameras – which he just happened to accidentally hack in to – had picked up when his signal had been so rudely interrupted. He had furiously switched to a different channel on his widescreen television and had discovered a report of breaking news. It had been about Danny Phantom's death.

Vlad was in a state of shock.

The wine glass that he had been holding at the time of discovery now lay shattered upon his hardwood floor – the crystalline fragments covered his new silk rug. There was a red stain upon the white rug yet it had not even made an impact on Vlad's fragile state of mind. He remained staring at the television screen while his incoherent thoughts struggled to make themselves known. His emotions fought to gain control of his body but couldn't seem to break past the invisible barrier he had constructed when his heart had been broken by one Madeline Fenton.

His azure eyes had frosted over and stared into the distance soullessly. His smooth, pale white hands shook as sweat beaded and dripped from his fingertips. The tumult of emotions spiralling around inside his helpless body were strengthening in intensity, their ultimate goal being total dominance. He slowly ran his moist tongue over dry, cracked lips and let out a short breath. He would not let this get to him.

Danny.

Despite his apparent hostility towards the younger half ghost, Vlad had cared for Danny as if he were a son. He had hoped that one day, one truly bright day, Danny would be his son. That hope, that translucent dream that he had held dear to his weakened heart, was now impossible. It had been selfish to assume that he could tame such a wild spirit as Danny's and mould him into the perfect son. And this was his respite.

In complete and utter totality, the death had been Vlad's own doing. He had hired Valerie for truly selfish purposes. How was the foolish ghost hunter to know that Danny Phantom was in actuality the boy she knew and went to school with – harmless Danny Fenton? Vlad had intended to cause such inner turmoil in Danny that the younger one would seek out the only person that such a thing could be discussed with, the only person who could truly understand his pain – himself.

How could he have been so blind as to not have seen this coming earlier? It was obvious that Valerie would persist in her mission until her final goal was accomplished – until Danny Phantom was finally dead. And what had Vlad planned to rid both half ghosts of the problem? Nothing. He had sat by and watched, sickly entertained, as Valerie grew stronger and stronger and neared her goal. His eye had been on the iridescent jewel that had stolen his heart.

Danny had continuously taunted him about his growing affection for the one just beyond his reach. He was hindered by the blubbering fool, Jack Fenton. But as Vlad sat despondently in his armchair, his pet cat prowling around hopelessly, he found that he could not conjure up any feelings for Maddie. The pot of gold at the end of the rainbow had disappeared. There was truly no reason to live on.

Danny was dead.

Vlad bit down on his lip until it bled. A crimson trail of blood stained his chin as he continued to torment his dry lower lip. It caused him no pain. His manicured fingers dug into soft, delicate hands and created small half moons of red. He stared at the blood wondrously before unhesitantly dragging his hands down his smooth cheeks, leaving miserable streaks of blood behind. He didn't care.

Danny was dead.

He looked at the television sourly – it was a constant reminder of his foolish mistake. He slowly lifted a hand, as if reluctant to move, and fired a weak ecto-beam towards it. There was a minor explosion as impact was made but Vlad didn't notice – he was already slipping into himself. He would make like a turtle and hide in his shell until the world had returned to normalcy. Though it was doubtful that normalcy would ever again be achieved.

It is my fault.

For the first time in his obnoxious existence, Vlad actually felt guilt. His feelings were but a minor indentation in the scheme of things. The feelings of the Fenton's would be carried around proudly like lead weights. Doubtless that they were about to find out the cruel truth of their son's double life. His guilt was nothing compared to the intensity of theirs – after all, they had attempted to murder their own son on a daily basis.

Vlad laughed bitterly as the tears began to fall from his azure eyes.

Ignorance isn't bliss – death is. Sam concluded as she felt her world spin out from underneath her.

"Tucker!"

She opened her eyes reluctantly as the pressure disappeared from her neck. Her mind screamed out in despair – why had she been denied that one respite, that one chance for unlimited happiness. Tucker had been pulled back from her – the tears were still flying from his eyes – and was being restrained by his two concerned parents. Only minutes ago had they been unaware of the circumstances but obviously Tucker's little performance had drawn their attention.

His parents were considered old-school by those who knew them. They didn't believe in girls and boys being alone in the same room – and would consistently check Tucker's bedroom every five minutes to ensure that nothing absurd was occurring. This may have been one of those inspections or it may not. Sam would never know for sure. And she knew that never would she find death so easily again.

"Sam, are you okay?" Mrs Foley asked in concern as she crouched down by the Goth.

Sam's eyes were now dry. The tear that had fallen earlier had been a mistake – she knew that no more were on their way. She could not make herself cry for Danny. "I am fine," she replied curtly with a glare towards the two adult figures.

They couldn't understand her contempt – after all, they had just saved her life. Sam couldn't tell them that the reason for her anger was that she had actually wanted to die. They also couldn't possibly understand the depth of Tucker's emotions – they had no idea that his best friend had just died. But soon the whole world would know. Danny Fenton was part ghost, part human. They would stop at nothing to try to retrieve his body for examination.

Luckily his body vanished, Sam found herself thinking bitterly. She should be a slobbering mess – any normal person would be under the current circumstances – but all Sam could find was a bottomless pit of hatred and despair. She couldn't even admit to feeling regret because if she did, she'd be lying.

"Would you like an ice pack or something? I feel terrible," Mrs Foley gushed as she bent to inspect the bruises on Sam's neck.

You just don't want my family, with our powerful lawyers and endless flow of cash, to sue you.

"Goodbye, Mrs Foley."

She ignored their protests and apologies for their son's despicable behaviour as she made her way out of another house that she was no longer welcome in. She knew that she couldn't bear to face the Fenton's at this time. Despite her lack of emotions, she knew that if pushed too hard she could go over the edge. She would go insane.

There wasn't anywhere that she could even contemplate going. She didn't feel up to facing her parents and telling them the truth about Danny – plus she would do anything to spend even one second away from their terrible bundles of joy. Everyone would be speaking of Danny's death as if it were the greatest accomplishment of the century and Sam wouldn't be able to stop herself from exploding at them.

The one thing that she could not get off her mind was Valerie. Valerie, the pitiless and disgusting murderer. For that was what she was – she had not only murdered the ghost that had protected the entire town selflessly but she had also murdered a fifteen year old boy. Sam hoped that the guilt was eating her inside.

"But of course, she wouldn't know. No one would have told her." Sam realised as she stopped at a traffic light. She considered continuing to walk but knew that she couldn't make herself do something so reckless. Even if she did want to die – she could not kill herself.

Sam smiled a humourless smile. She knew that she just wanted to make everyone else's life a living hell but that didn't stop her. She was going to tell Valerie the truth. And she would do it in the worst way possible. Though Sam hadn't yet decided what the worst way possible was, yet, she knew that she couldn't do it face to face. It wasn't dramatic enough. Telling her via email wasn't dramatic at all, and a phone call just wouldn't cut it.

Sam would send Valerie a letter.

She would slide it underneath her front door at a moment when Sam was certain that the ghost hunter was home alone, and then she would retreat. She would not stick around to see how Valerie reacted to this news, despite the desperate urge to do so. Sam knew that she was turning into a sick, hateful monster but she could do nothing to stop the transformation from happening.

She stopped off at a nearby store and bought a writing pad and a black pen – black always looked best when writing these sorts of letters. Not that Sam had ever done anything like this before – when had she possibly had the opportunity to do so?

Valerie, she wrote. She paused as she tried to imagine certain words that would get the best reaction from the girl. She wasn't an expert writer but she knew how to pack a punch.

I know your disgusting little secret. I know who you are and I know of the crime that you have committed. I shall personally see that you burn for the wrong you have done us all. For you are a murderer. A petty, discriminative murderer. Danny Phantom was not entirely ghost. That's right, Valerie, he was also human. And can you guess who he was? Think about it, it's completely obvious. You killed Danny Fenton, the boy that you had a crush on.
I will kill you, even if it's the last thing that I accomplish on this world.
Sam.

If Sam had spent more time writing the letter, she was sure she could come up with something a bit more horrifying. But for now, it would have to do.

Sam looked at the ramshackle that Valerie called home and approached the front door. Valerie could be heard singing to herself quietly inside. Sam smiled hatefully and slipped the letter under the door before darting away.

Vlad looked up in surprise, jolted out of his thoughts, as he heard a thud come from the front of his house. Was it one of his enemies, attempting to attack him in a moment of distress? Vlad wasn't about to let himself get caught out by a petty ghost.

He needed no weapons to back himself up – he would do just fine with his own two hands. He crept to the front door, paused for a second, and threw the door open.

What he saw on the other side almost caused him to faint in disbelief. For standing on the front steps of his Mansion, looking confused and disconcerted, was the one and only Danny Fenton.

Valerie stopped singing to herself as she saw a piece of paper slide suspiciously underneath her door. She peered out the window but saw no evidence of human life nearby. This only made her more suspicious. She imagined all the things that a tiny piece of paper could do to her upon her opening it. It could explode in her face. It could be poisoned.

Nonsense, Valerie chided herself as she reluctantly lifted up the piece of paper.

She unfolded it and began to read.

Valerie,

Valerie looked up from the letter and screamed.

And while I was writing this I came up with like, five hundred sequel plans :D So if I still like this story when I am done with it, there may be a sequel... or five hundred, haha. There is so much I can do with this. But I can't go on forever - I'm just stalling. I'm meant to be writing the... sixth chapter of Vortex of Deception. I'm 1,000 words through and just can't be bothered doing it. I don't think it's a very good story, either, so that just makes it worse. But I can't totally ditch it because it starts to get interesting soon. But I want to kill it. Die, story, die.

Anyway, since I am not being notified of the reviews you are submitting, I might not reply right away, but that gives you no excuse to be lazy...

REVIEWS PEOPLE! :D And thanks to people who reviewed the last chapter.

I am officially almost out for the night. You will hear from me once more. But unfortunately, not with this story. Peace out.