Old Beginnings

"He's doing ok?" Valerie asked the moment Jazz, Sam, and Tucker walked out of Danny's room. Tucker has helped clean him up, getting him into clean clothes, and Sam and Jazz had settled him into bed.

"Well, he's still unconscious, but he's ok. Everything's stable," Jazz explained slowly. Valerie nodded, pacing quickly in front of the door.

"I can't believe he was attacked. Attacked by what?" she muttered, earning concerned glances from the other teens.

"Val—"

"What?" her tone was sharper than she meant for it to be, especially since it was directed at Jazz. "Sorry, I just—"

"I know, but you have to let go of that," Jazz cut in, taking a step towards Valerie. She smiled softly at her. "I know you feel responsible, but you heard Phantom."

Valerie's jaw clenched tight, hands curling to fists at her sides. "Don't you want to protect him? Don't any of you even care that—"

"Ok," Sam stepped forward now, lips trembling hard. Valerie realized that she was holding back tears. "Look, we all care about Danny, but this is what it means to be a part of Team Phantom. The real Team Phantom. It's not ok, and it's not fair, but Danny is- he's the only one who can- who can do what needs to be done."

"Sam—" Valerie's tone softened as Sam began to cry.

"So don't ask us if we even care. That's not fair. None of this is fair," Sam hastily wiped the tears from her face, taking a shaking breath before turning to Tucker. "You've got his vitals monitored?"

"Yep, it'll let me know if anything changes," Tucker held up his PDA.

"Perfect. I need to train, let's go," Sam grabbed Tucker's arm, dragging him down the hallway and leaving Jazz and Valerie alone.

"I didn't mean to—" Valerie started.

"I know. She's just shaken up," Jazz watched Sam and Tucker round the corner, sighing a little. "We all are."

Valerie gulped, nodding hard and kicking her feet below her. "How am I supposed to let him get hurt for us? For...for me? After everything I did—"

"Stop that," Jazz cut in, shaking her head and looking down to the ground. "You can't keep doing this to yourself."

Valerie watched as the redhead in front of her shook a little, staring down at pale hands. "Are you ok, Jazz?"

The elder teen's eyes snapped up, tears threatening to fall. "I don't know..." she chuckled humorlessly, dragging red locks from in front of her face. "But I'm not the one who has to be ok. Danny's going to have to fight, and we have to...we have to be there for him when he does."

Valerie swallowed hard, nodding carefully. "Ok."

"Ok? You're done with this self sacrificing bullshit?" Jazz asked, earning a small smile from Valerie.

"Yes, yes ok," she shook her head. "I trust Danny. And...I trust you, Jazz. You can trust me too, you know."

Jazz contemplated her words, finally nodding slowly. "Thanks. I do trust you, I just..."

"Hey, no pressure," Valerie's hands shot up. "Just...take your time, ok? You Fentons need to remember to do that, sometimes."

Jazz chuckled a little, nodding. "Yeah ok. Thank you."

Sam was strong. A little too strong for Tucker, who was holding up training mitts as she punched away.

"That bitch," Sam growled, throwing another jab at Tucker's right hand. He stumbled back, chuckling nervously.

"Don't you think you're going a little too hard on her?"

Sam punched at his right hand, grunting at the contact and taking a small step back. "What do you mean? Didn't you hear what she said?"

Tucker pursed his lips, bringing his gloved hands down from in front of him. "She sounded so scared, Sam. I think she just made a mistake."

"But—"

"Besides, I thought you two were on better terms now. Why so quick to jump down her throat?" Tucker asked, taking off the training gloves and tossing them to the ground. "What's going on?"

"What's going on is..." Sam curled her fists, looking around for something to hit. She looked like she might just explode. "Is Danny, he..."

She sank to her knees, letting out a long sob as she swayed side to side. A moment later, Sam was on the ground, curling her arms around her knees as she let out a few more strangled cries. Tucker was at her side in an instant, wrapping arms around her and squeezing tight.

"He's going to die. He's going to die Tucker can't you feel it? Something bad is going to happen and we're just..." Sam's words tumbled to a stop. She was shaking hard.

"He's not going to die," Tucker assured, feeling his friend relax just a bit at the bite in his tone. "He's going to live."

"And if he doesn't?" Sam looked at Tucker, eyes red and fearful. "If he...?"

"I won't let him," Tucker's tone was so certain, Sam stopped crying. Her nod was small, but definite. She believed Tucker. "Let's get some rest, ok?"

"But—"

"Sam, you're exhausted," Tucker rose to his feet slowly, holding out a hand for his friend. "We all are, and Danny's ok. Let's get some rest," he repeated. With a small nod, Sam took his hand, letting him help her to her feet.

"Ok. Thanks."

Phantom was good a keeping secrets. God, was he good at keeping secrets, Danny realized. He wished he'd realized it sooner, but like with most things in his life, he was too late. Too late.

Phantom's residual nightmares drifted in slowly, like whispers bouncing under locked doors. As soon as the first one leaked through, though, it came forth at full force, knocking Danny's sleeping mind over in one fell swoop.

The room was damp and cold, bright green fluid dripping from the ceiling and walls. The walls were made of obsidian — smooth black glass imprinted with swirls of bright green, blue, and silver. Danny looked down at his hands; he was in his ghost form, body glowing a dull silver. He had enough room to reach out in each direction before touching the walls, but the room still made him feel a little claustrophobic. The lack of a door wasn't helping.

"Hello?" Danny's voice sounded like Phantom's, the distinction clear to him immediately. He cleared his throat, trying again. "Is anyone—" still Phantom's voice. Huh. "...there?"

"Oh, you don't think I'd bring you here and leave you alone, now do you?"

Danny froze. He knew that voice. It had been tattooed into his brain the moment it had threatened everyone he cared about. And it was coming from the entire room, sending a flurry of ectoplasm dripping from ceiling.

"Dan," Phantom's voice was flung from Danny's body without consent. With a start, he realized he wasn't in control. Phantom was in control now, and he was pissed.

"Awe, you named me," the room spoke once more, chuckling. "How sweet."

"You're not going to win," Phantom's aura flashed brilliantly, defiance coursing through his veins. "I will beat you. You are done terrorizing him."

The room laughed, cracks forming at the base of the walls at the intensity. "Oh, I'm afraid I've just begun. Can't you feel it?"

The swirls in the walls began to move, slow and methodical like magma. With a quick pop, they sped up, converging into a form right in front of Danny. He turned away, blinding green light painting the insides of his eyelids for a moment before fading away.

"Can't you feel me?"

Danny gasped, head snapping to the form in front of him. It was himself in ghost form, but...so very not. His hair was too white, emitting an almost blinding light. His skin was a touch blue-grey, veins running deep indigo as though he'd been dead for a while. The most unnerving thing was his eyes, though — bright green with flecks of blood speckled in the whites. The bright red veins weaving themselves through his eyes pulsed, like a too-fast heartbeat. Those eyes stared Danny down, a wide smile pulled tight across his lips.

"Wh- who are you?" Danny stumbled back, back pressing against the cool wall. The other Danny was too close, body almost pressed against his. The room wasn't big enough for the both of them to stand comfortably, and the other Danny didn't seem too keen on making room to share.

"Don't you recognize yourself when you see him?" the other Danny's grin somehow widened, his arms spreading to his sides. He took a small step back into the corner opposite of Danny, motioning for him to step forward. "Come on, I wanna take a look at you."

"I- why—"

"Oh, I suppose I should introduce myself," he flung himself into a low bow, causing Danny to press himself further against his corner. "I'm you, but better!"

Danny let his own eyes widen, watching the pulsating veins intensify idly. "What?"

"I'm you, Phantom," the other Danny cocked his head, grin ever present, "but the you who lives in Dan."

Danny's fingertips felt numb. He couldn't feel his nose or lips or tongue because everything felt like nothing for too long. He swallowed hard, shaking his head too fast and causing his vision to spin. "No. That's impossible."

"Is it now?" the other Danny shook his head and started laughing, a swelling metal-on-metal sound that consumed the entire room. He stopped too suddenly, straightening up and looking back at Danny with that sickening grin.

"Y- you died because you were- were consumed by..." Danny's eyes went wide, words dying in his mouth.

"Yes? What about being consumed?" the other Danny shuddered, as if someone had grabbed him by his hair and shaken him out.

"You're...evil?" Danny's hands were shaking as he tried unsuccessfully to wedge himself further into the corner.

"Well, of course!" the other Danny spoke with his hands, letting them flail in front of him. "I finally got the stick out of my ass and realized how much fun it can be."

Danny whimpered, though it didn't come out. This was still Phantom's dream, after all, and despite his shock and fear, he stood tall.

"You're horrible. How could you- why didn't you- how could you not fight him?" Danny's — no, Phantom's — voice crackled dangerously.

The other Danny's expression darkened, grin taking on a deadly undertone. His teeth flashed red with blood for half a second before reverting back to brilliant white. "Plasmius can be very convincing. Tell me, Phantom, have you ever tasted human flesh?"

"I— what?" Phantom hissed, baring his teeth defensively. His cores were screaming in agony at the notion. "You're...you're..."

"A monster?" the other Danny rolled his eyes before shrugging. "Oh, I know. Isn't it just wonderful?"

"He would never turn into you. Danny—"

"Oh, you're right," the monster laughed again. "He didn't turn into me. You did, Phantom."

Phantom's electric core spun in his chest, a volley of bright blue sparks raining down around him. His ice core, however, was completely silent, as if it had frozen over. Was he right? Could Phantom ever really...?

"I know what you're thinking," the monster cocked his head at Phantom again. "I used to think the way you do, you know."

"You have never been anything like me," Phantom growled, low and murderous. "I will never turn into you."

"But you already did," the monster took on a singsong voice, head tilting from side to side as he did. "You already failed! You already lost, and Danny's going to pay for it again. Again."

Phantom froze at that, mind fluttering to thoughts of Danny. It was strange for Danny, sitting in on Phantom's inner dialogue about him. Phantom was so protective over him. The thought of something happening to him was physically painful, which honestly scared him a little. To have someone so completely devoted to Danny's well-being felt like too much pressure, especially over just him. He was just Danny, but Phantom regarded him as the greatest, most heroic person in the world.

"You will not touch him. You will never hurt him ever again," Phantom's growl turned acidic, melting any remaining fear as he lunged at the monster before him.

"Ah ah ah," the monster wagged his finger, freezing Phantom in his place. "This is my dream, not yours."

Phantom started choking, silver liquid bubbling over his lips. He doubled over, clutching an burning stomach as his head swam furiously. "Wh- what are you doing to me?"

"We found your energy. You're terribly easy to trace, I hope you know," the monster's grin tightened once more. "It's only a matter of time before we find your physical body. And then, you can finish Danny off, just like I did."

Again, his teeth flashed red once more, staying there far longer this time. The gums were almost black from the dark fluid, sharpened teeth dripping slowly. The monster licked his lips and teeth clean, shuddering once more.

"I can still taste his blood. Best I've had. Now it's your turn."

With a start, Danny shot up in bed, sweaty hands flying to his pounding heart. His eyes swam with the image of that monster, teeth dripping with his own blood. He tried to blink the image away, but every time he closed his eyes, it was back.

"Danny? Hey, he's awake," Jazz's voice filtered into his mind, calling out to his friends. Danny clung to it for dear life, forcing his eyes open as he watched his sister rush over to his bed. She must've just been outside his door. "Hey, you're ok, calm down, everything's fine."

Danny hadn't realized he'd been hyperventilating until her words started to slow his breath. He gulped painfully, tasting his own blood against his tongue. "No. Not fine."

Jazz furrowed her eyebrows, grabbing Danny's hands and slipping right through. He looked down, flexing his hands tentatively. "Danny?"

"I...didn't mean to do that..." his voice was quiet and shaking. Another image of the monster flashed in front of him, and with a quick thud, Danny was enveloped in darkness.

He blinked a few times, assessing himself. He was still awake, so why...?

"Danny!" his sister's muffled shout from above him gave him an answer. He'd accidentally fallen through the bed, unable to hold onto any sort of tangibility. After assessing himself once more, he nodded, feeling the mattress and bed frame wrapped around him.

"Sorry, I can't—" he tried to explain.

"He's awake?" Sam's voice was quick and relieved. "Wh- where is he?"

"Down here," Danny grunted, hoisting himself to his feet. His waist now stood above the mattress, though he still couldn't get his tangibility to return. Settling on floating cross legged above his bed, he looked at Sam, who was joined in the doorway by Tucker and Valerie.

"Danny, are you—" Valerie started, eyes beginning to tear up.

"No, I'm not ok," Danny's breath came out a low hiss, his hand prodding at his chest as he closed his eyes in pain. "Phantom's still gone, and..."

"And?" Tucker supplied.

"And I think I know who took him."

Hey all! What do you think?

There are a few big things coming up! I can't wait for the next few chapters to go up, they really advance the plot I think in a way i haven't really done before! That being said, how do you all feel with the plot so far? Let me know!

Thank you to everyone who favorites, follows, and reviews! It really does mean a lot to me :)

Until next time,

~Ash