DISCLAIMER: Um...Danny Phantom belongs to Butch Hartman. Yeah...Um...and this story is still being written for fun.
It was, to say the least, a most bizarre situation. Certainly, the half-ghost had saved his father from Vlad several times. But, he never expected to do the exact opposite. The half-ghost felt-like he was in some sort of weird dream as he put himself between his father, who was holding an ecto-gun and aiming it at Vlad's heart, and Vlad who was trembling in fear.
"I told you!" Vlad shouted trying to stay calm, "I didn't kidnap Maddie"
"Liar!" Jack shouted as the ecto-gun hummed ominously.
Danny gulped nervously. He wasn't sure how to handle this situation. One wrong move, and either him, his father, or even Vlad would be seriously injured...or possibly even killed. The half-ghost knew tension was high enough already given the situation, so he remained extremely alert to even the slightest movements.
The older half-ghost asked in an exasperated tone, "Do I look like I could carry Maddie here? I haven't flown or used my ghost-powers for quite a while now. Besides, I could never harm Maddie. Hate me if you must, Jack Fenton, but my love for her will never die out. She means as much to me as she does to you"
Jack frowned slightly. Sure, Vlad's words seemed sincere. But, of course, the ghost-hunting father could never forgive his ex-friend for trying to kill him and steal his own wife so many times.
Reluctantly, he began to search every inch of Vlad's pathetic excuse for a home. To his dismay, there was no sign of Maddie whatsoever. No trace of her presence even remotely appeared within the home. In fact, the only "Maddie" that was in the house was Vlad's plump feline who was currently sleeping on the couch.
"You really are a fool." Vlad sighed.
Jack sneered, "What do you mean"
"I mean, you are becoming what I was." the older half-ghost replied, "I let my hatred towards you get the better of me, and I foolishly let my own jealously and anger control my life. Now, look at me. Because I couldn't forgive you, I lost everything. My friends, my only chance at a family...everything. Hatred is a very strong emotion, Fenton, one that exists not to destroy others, but to destroy ourselves. It consumes our very soul until we are completely devoured by it. I had let my hatred towards you consume my heart and my soul, and for years, I was blinded by it. It wasn't until recently that I had realized how wrong I was. I don't want you to forgive me, nor am I begging for your friendship again. All I want is for you to understand what I had suffered through for years. And, even though we are now enemies, I would never want you to experience the same pain I had"
The ghost-hunting father merely stood for a few brief moments. The expression on his face clearly read that he was at an absolute loss for words. Danny had noticed his father's expression and couldn't tell if Jack was in shock or disbelief over what Vlad had told him.
"Maddie's not here." Jack sighed quietly as he reluctantly lowered the ecto-gun, "Let's go"
He then left the home with Danny shortly behind. Jazz was waiting for them in the RV. And, from what she could see by their disappointed faces, they had no luck finding Maddie Fenton.
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"Here." Dan tossed a sandwich into the cage, "I don't want ya starving on me"
"Why are you keeping me alive?" asked Maddie, "I thought you had become evil"
The ghost looked at his ex-mother as if she had sprouted twenty arms out her backside. He then began to laugh hysterically until his sides hurt.
"I have no concept of good or evil. I simply exist to destroy, and I like it that way." he scoffed, "I have no need for petty human concepts like love or compassion...or even right and wrong. I do what I do because that is who I am. If I want to kill, I kill. If I want to eat, I eat. I don't let some worthless concept like morality get in the way of my lifestyle. Besides, if I killed you now, my past-self wouldn't have any reason to come here."
Maddie frowned slightly as she took a bite of the sandwich. To her surprise, and relief, it wasn't poisoned. She silently ate the rest before brushing the crumbs off of her gloves.
"Ah, so this is the lovely hostage." Freakshow grinned insanely as she looked into the cage where Maddie was being held, "The ghost-boy's own mother. I am impressed"
The ghost-hunting mother shouted, "Let me out of here you monster! When my husband and my son get here, they'll"
Freakshow began to laugh, "They'll what? When that ghost-boy gets here, he'll be completely and utterly destroyed. Oh, I could tell you how. But, what fun would that be"
"You humans bore me." Dan frowned before he prepared to take off flying.
"Where do you think you're going?" asked the insane ringleader, "I hope you're aware of what will happen if you choose to betray me"
Dan replied in annoyance as he flew out of sight, "I won't betray you. I'll come back...as much as I'd hate to. I just want to take care of a few things"
Maddie frowned as she watched her ex-son fly away. Just what was that lunatic up to?
Author's Notes: Again, thanks for the reviews. What will become of Maddie? Will Danny save her? And just what is Dan up to? Stay tuned to find out.