Phanniemay Day 11: Mothers
Word Count: 942
Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom
A/N: This one has two different endings, you can tell by whether or not it's italicized. Happy Mother's Day! :)
I took a sip of my coffee, enjoying the tingling warmth in my throat as I swallowed. Closing my eyes, I sighed. Finally, I was in the house alone, no distractions, and I could relax for once. A soft smile played at my lips, when suddenly, loud beeps echoed through the halls of the Fenton household. I groaned, but got up anyways.
I jogged to the lab, and gathered the Fenton Bazooka, a Fenton Wrist Ray, a Ghost Tracker, Specter Deflector, and a few more things as well. Shifting my goggles over my eyes, I rushed out the house and into the Fenton RV. As much as I wanted to relax, I knew that I couldn't stay away from the mad rush of Ghost hunting. I felt my heart beating fast in suspense as I weaved through the traffic, watching the blinking red light on the Ghost Tracker getting closer and closer to the center.
I glanced out the window, and saw Phantom floating through the evening sky with a smile on his face. Why bother faking the smile? Ghosts don't have any emotions, and Phantom was definitely no exception.
I parked the RV a few ways away, so that it didn't see me. The Bazooka was slung over my back, and I could feel the cold metal hit my HAZMAT suit as I crawled through the bushes. My eyes narrowed, and I aimed carefully. Phantom seemed to come to a stand-still in the sky, making it the perfect moment to shoot.
My shoulder shook at the rebound, and I grinned as I saw it yelp and fall to the ground. I walked up to Phantom, watching as it cradled it's stomach, which was dripping an ectoplasmic green as well as a bit of..red? I shook it off. It was probably the blood of some citizens it decided to kill. Yeah. That was it. Nothing else.
I smiled. I finally got Phantom. Now I could bring it home and inspect what made it so different than other ghosts. It scrambled back, a mask of fear playing on it's face. I aimed the bazooka at it's face, a green glow forming at the head of the barrel. The buzz of it charging shook my hands slightly, but experience kept them steady.
The ghost's eyes widened, "P-please. Stop" It looked like it had been in a fight earlier, judging from the other gashes and bruises littering it's body. Ectoplasm dribbled down it's chin, staining it in a glowing green. He seemed almost sickly, but ghosts couldn't catch any sicknesses due to them already being dead. It was a waste of energy for it to act, but it wasn't like I cared.
"Sto-op! P-please, I-I, just let m-me go!" I almost thought I saw fear in it's eyes.
The whine of the bazooka grew louder in my ears.
"S-stop M-mom!" The specter's eyes grew even wider at it's mistake.
A soft growl formed in my throat at the words, "I am not your mother creep." But now I thought about it, Phantom seemed to be young, 15 at most. His family probably lived in Amity Park not long ago, they still might be here. But I don't remember anybody dying, certainly not a pre-pubescent boy like Phantom.
I could see he tried to get away, but his injuries prevented him from moving. For extra measure, I shot him with a gun that prevents him from using any ghostly powers.
The whine grew loud enough that there was a ringing in my ears now.
But I saw his face, the tears running down, and his large pleading eyes. At the last moment, I shifted my hands down, so it shot at the ground near his feet. I sighed, and put my hand out for him to reach out for. He watched me warily, his eyes following the gun as well. Gulping, he tentatively reached out for my hand, and I hauled him up.
"I-I'm sorry."
Green eyes stared up at me, "What?"
"I'm sorry. You probably have a family, who's out there, and I'm here removing your soul from ever being seen again."
He flinched at these words, proving I was right about his family. "I'm sorry too. I didn't mean to cal you m-mom." He seemed to stumble over the last word, as if it hurt him to say it.
"It's okay. It's okay."
Green light filled my vision. It's head was jerked back forcefully, and it's body lurched backwards. Ectoplasm pooled beneath him, steadily from his stomach, and his new wound in his head. I was about to smile at my victory, when two rings of bright light appeared at Phantom's waist. Was that what happened when a ghost dissipated? When they 'left the world'?
My confusion turned to sheer utter horror, when the red started to flow over the green blood. Phantom's skin-tight suit transformed to a horrifyingly familiar white shirt and jeans. White became black, matted with red and green. I wanted to throw up. To leave. To have a do-over. A second chance. But I know I couldn't get one. I didn't deserve one. But Phantom did. A sick feeling in my stomach grew, but I couldn't feel it over the roar of guilt and shame in my ears. This was never supposed to happen. Yet it did. And it was my fault.
I killed Danny Fenton