Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom. Wish I did, but if wishes were horses…

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To end this…

to stop the pain…

There was only one thing Danny Phantom could do.

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-Chapter 2-

-Portcullis-

The door was hanging on one hinge, partly buckled in and blackened with soot. His white glove seized its edge, and ripped it off completely. Danny Phantom allowed what had been his temporary refuge to clatter to the ground.

Danny retreated behind the cupboard door, waiting for the ghost's semi-apocalyptic death throes to end.

Silver and green metallic shapes were lined up before him in disordered ranks. Danny's parents had created all of these weapons and inventions, hoping to find and capture ghosts. Phantom grunted. It was ironic that they never found out that their son was a half-ghost – considering that they tested every new invention on Danny, the results gave them every reason to suspect.

His glove hovered over one of their newer inventions, the Fenton Disperser, designed to disperse all ghost energy in a certain radius, dissolving any ghost. The mushroom-shaped barrel winked at him. Complying, Phantom reverently picked it up and placed it on the blackened floor.

No… not yet

His eyes then strayed to the box resting on the bottom shelf. Dragging it out, he opened the lid and saw four parts that would form the ring of a circle if assembled.

Soon….

Without too much difficulty - with thanks to Maddie's clear written diagrams – Phantom managed to complete the ring and thread the ectoplasmic line through the designated breakers. Then he plugged the contraption in. Standing taller than he, the Fenton Ghost Catcher looked like a Native American dream catcher, except instead of string knotted and looped in designs, ectoplasmic line glowed. Danny had had the misfortune to go through this Catcher the year before, and was split – his ghost half being separated from his human half. Fortunately, both of Danny's halves were reunited again quickly.

Danny Phantom stepped back, admiring his handiwork.

I'm sorry…

He closed his eyes and stepped through the ectoplasmic threads. Where the string touched his face, he felt himself stretch to fit around it, stretching, stretching… And then he suddenly relaxed, like a piece of bubble gum that was pulled apart until it broke. He felt lighter – that made sense, because he didn't even have a human side anymore.

At least he'll make it…. I'll take away what he couldn't manage.

Phantom slowly pivoted in the air, his eyes landing on a pair of blue jeans and white shirt. He saw himself – his human self, the one with raven hair and blue eyes hidden behind shut eyelids – collapsed on the ground at the foot of the Ghost Catcher, a puppet with its strings cut. Danny Fenton's wounds were bleeding sluggishly, his contorted face showing the unnatural red of a second degree burn, the skin peeking under his pristine white shirt scorched to the first degree. But even the white of the shirt was being coloured, stained by fluids leaking out of his parched skin.

He'll be fine…. will he?

The Fenton Disperser glinted again, a shadow of highlight running across its surface, inviting and tempting. Phantom ran his glove over it once more, and it phased through.

No. Stupid… I have that Control!

Concentrating, he managed to hold it for a second, he thought, before it fell through his fingers. Simmering with pent-up rage, he tried again, and again, but it was like grasping at a cloud, he couldn't do it. He wasn't even panting. He didn't breathe anymore, didn't bother to imitate the life that he wasn't. He sagged, floating an inch above the floor.

Not even human enough to do that… no escape.

Danny Fenton hacked; spittle of blood escaped his lips, landing with a soft splish on the metal floor. Turning his back to his human half, Danny Phantom shoved away the beckoning thought. The wave, the torment, was rising again; he didn't have much time.

I'm allowed to make my own decisions… I didn't deserve it!

At that point, Danny Fenton made Phantom's decision for him. Convulsing and screaming, glowing eyes widened as the truth lay behind him.

Pivoting halfway, green eyes locked onto a pair of blue ones as Danny Fenton squinted, his head arching to the side.

"Please," the word and more blood slipped past peeling lips. "Living…"

He's not going to make it!

Kicking the Disperser to the side, not noticing that he became tangible to do so, Phantom jumped ontop of Fenton, and pinned his legs and shoulders to the ground, ignoring that his white gloves were now smeared with blood. His blood. The human's eyes weren't even clear anymore, unfocused and seeing something far away. Green eyes flaring Phantom hissed, "You need me, I need you. You can't, I can. Enjoy it - for the both of us."

Thank me later…

With this, Danny Phantom went intangible and fell into the ruined mind and body that was Danny Fenton. As he did so, instead of blindly merging with his human half, with a power he didn't know he possessed he stripped the other's psyche of the agony, the disjointed memories. Fenton's mind was running in circles, a greyhound running blind with its instinct to run, even from itself.

Tucker-has-the-thermos-watch-out!Sam-kick-him-for-me-wait-a-minute-hold-it-for-a- second-now-now-Tucker-now!SAM!TUCKER!Tucker-has-the-thermos-watch-out!Sam-kick-him-for-me-wait-a-minute-hold-it-for-a- second-now-now-Tucker-now!SAM!TUCKER!Tucker-has-the-thermos-watch-out!Sam-kick-him-for-me-wait-a-minute-hold-it-for-a- second-now-now-Tucker-now!SAM!TUCKER!

"Stop it Fenton!" Phantom barked. He quickened his pace; the other wouldn't last much longer if he hesitated. He wasn't even sure what he was doing, if he was hurting or helping. Danny's subconscious fought this 'foreign' invasion, and lashed out, spinning Phantom away into a fragment of a memory…

"Wait a minute, hold it for a second now," Danny prepared another ectoplasmic blast and delivered it. The ghost barely flinched and turned its searing gaze to the top of the stairs where Sam and Tucker crouched. "Now Tucker, Now!" Danny screamed. It opened its maw and belched a ball of fire, much bigger and hotter than any of the others.

No… I won't let it happen!

"SAM! TUCKER!"

He streaked towards the ball of doom, breaking his 112mph record.

Then there was only light.

Phantom wrenched himself out of that memory, but stumbled into another…

Family photos fell off the wall as their hooks liquefied; the smiling faces of Jazz, his parents, and himself curled against the heat. Danny cried out for his friends, but could scarcely hear himself.

"Noo!" ripped out of his throat, and Phantom viciously shoved the fighting memories demanding to be recalled, and barred them away from Fenton.

He can't take this. I can't take his not taking it! I've gotta…

Before he could do anything, both the memories and Fenton's defenses struck. Combined they threw out the person who was trying to help. Get out, was the silent message Phantom understood as he was thrown clear. To the mind's eye a barrier slammed down, with a thud, as unwelcoming as a portcullis of a castle. Phantom retreated, having done all he could have.

Stay in your castle. Don't cross the moat. I'll be here.

Phantom opened his eyes, and willed himself back into his human form. He looked down, but he was still wearing his black lab suit. He tried again. Nothing happened. Then he noticed something missing – that little bit of 'heaviness' that he always associated with being a mortal and a human was gone. He looked through, through his hand. Its outline was less distinct, seemed less solid than when he was normally in ghost mode.

I'm not even a true halfa - or human – anymore.

He felt for Fenton, but only came up against the mortar walls of the castle.

If that's what Danny Phantom gets for saving us…

Then he laughed. He wasn't Danny anymore. Leave the surname to Fenton: he was the real Danny - only a human should have that human name… Yep, he was just Phantom.

With that decided Phantom went intangible and flew out of the lab, a dark shadow among the shadows of smoke from his burning home.

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a/n Whew! I admit, the cliffy was fun to climb up out of. Anyways, do you like how it's turning out? What you expected/not? Confused? (I don't mind criticism/beefs – keep 'em comin')

Thank you ghostymangarocker, inspired-fire, Liaranne, Ransomed Heart (who was too lazy to sign in - I know how you feel!), Cyllwen, Anne Camp aka Obi-quiet, Jaded Rose Katara, Spongewolf, EvilRobotZombieLoofaOverlord, and Anawiel Dewdrop for your reviews - they were very encouraging and welcoming hugs and warm fuzzies !