A/N: And so we continue on with this story. I am very sorry that I keep on torturing Danny, but that's the way the story is! Thanks for everyone who Reviewed/Favorited/Followed!
Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom
Defeated Ch. 4: Disobedience
Danny glared around his room as he tried to not blast a hole through the fake walls that held him prison, "Not that it would matter. They would just restore themselves anyways…" He mumbled with a scoff as he looked down at the ground. There was a knock at his door and his maid entered with her emotionless expression as usual.
"It is time for-
"For breakfast, I know…" Danny stated, purposefully cutting her off as he did so. He was seething with anger, and was taking it out on the only person that was near him, which so happened to be the helpless maid. She stayed for a couple of moments, not being bothered in the slightest that she was interrupted rudely. "You can go," he said as he stood up from the bed he was sitting on.
She nodded, "Master Daniel, you may not be aware of the fact, but let me be painfully clear. You do not want to use that attitude with Master Masters. You should not want to end up like Maddie," she said as she retreated from the room, closing the door with a soft thud.
"I know that!" He yelled, not knowing if he could be heard through the door, if Vlad had somehow soundproofed his room. He sighed, letting out his pent up frustration as he leaned against a wall. He was already dressed, he just needed to make the long painful trek to the dining room. He put his hand on the handle, half expecting it to be locked, but found it to be open. He found the main leaning against the wall, waiting for him.
"I am glad that you have your emotions under control. Your father awaits you," she said as she started to go down the long winding stairwell.
Danny growled at the comment, "He is not my father…" He mumbled in a dangerous tone.
She shook her head, "Master Daniel, you must not hold such animosity towards your father," she said as if lecturing a small child.
"He isn't my father!" Danny yelled in an outrage as he stopped at the bottom of the stairwell, "You tell me, would a father do the things that he does? Would he purposefully destroy half the world because he wants to control it? Would he forcefully make his son become the one thing that he didn't want to be!" He yelled, and as he was done, he was panting for breath a little from the sudden outburst.
"It does not matter my opinion on the matter…" She stated in a low mumble. Danny could see that the maid was slightly shaking in fear, but she was turned away from him so he couldn't see her eyes to be sure.
He blinked, his thoughts coming to a realization, "You're scared of him, aren't you?" He asked in a low, sympathetic voice as she nodded her head stiffly. She held her body closer to her as she crossed her arms.
"I thought I would be able to take this job…But I can't! I can't be a witness to his evil intentions anymore!" She yelled in a whisper, her voice growing louder with each word that she spoke. "He'll kill me if I quit!" She yelled as she turned around, and Danny could see her true age in her eyes and her face. She was just a young woman, who got in way over her head.
"Do you think that you could help me then?" He asked as he took a few steps towards her, and she nodded stiffly again. He raised his arm that had started to burn with his encounter with Vlad yesterday. "He put something in me that makes me bound to this house…I'm thinking that if you can get me a knife or something, I can cut it out," he stated, he pulled up his sleeve of the button up shirt he was wearing.
Her eyes went wide as she took a step back and shook her head violently, "I do not want to hurt you!" She yelled as she put her hands up defensively.
Danny sighed as he placed his sleeve down, "You won't need to hurt me…" He tried to reason with the maid, trying to tell her that it would be him hurting himself, and it would have nothing to do with her, only except she wouldn't listen to his logic. "Listen…Do you know who Danny Phantom is?" He asked, examining her gaze and she nodded.
"A super hero of Amity Park…A ghost…Super hero…" She trailed with wide eyes. "It's you? You're him!" She accused and he nodded sheepishly.
"I was…" He trailed, remembering all the times he had messed up and the Master Blasters took all the credit, but once she saw her confused expression decided to drop it, "And right now, I need your help. Do you think you can bring me a knife?" He asked carefully, and she nodded slowly.
"I might be able to…Danny," she said hesitantly testing the name on her tongue before nodding in conclusion, "I will be able to."
Danny smiled in encouragement at the young courageous maid, "Thank you…" He trailed and she smiled back at him.
"Fiona," she said with a nervous smile as she placed her hand on the doorknob and pulled it open, though her nervous shaking wouldn't go away, and Danny knew he was asking her for a dangerous mission, but he had to get out of here.
"Naomi are you sure about this?" Tucker asked as he looked over the escape plan again, and from his opinions of it, it seemed as if it were based on chance.
Naomi scoffed as she tied her hair into a tight pony tail at the top of her head, "I've checked the algorithms at least twice, made sure the dimensions were accurate on the blue prints, and double checked the guards working shifts. I wish you wouldn't underestimate me!" She yelled with a 'pout' face as she puffed her face out, much like a little kid.
Tucker laughed nervously, unable to shake the butterflies in his stomach. He didn't know if it was talking with a long lost friend, or if it was the escape plan and their chance of said escape. Sam walked over to their table and she sat down, a bag on her left that she carefully concealed from the guards. "Do we have what we need?" She asked and Naomi nodded her head.
"It's time to fly from the coop," Naomi said in a dangerous tone as she stood up and started to stalk over to a guard that was positioned over by the door. Sam glanced over at Tucker for any answers to his friends' erotic behavior, but he shook his head. "Hello!" She yelled as she had a cheerful smile on her face. She placed a hand in the air to gain the guard's attention.
"What does the human want?" He asked with a glare, yet a sadistic smile was growing on his face.
Naomi's smile turned into a grin and then placed her hand back down and in front of her, "I want to be Valedictorian!" She yelled as she placed a finger up, "I want to get better food!" She yelled as she placed another finger up, "And, last but not least!" She yelled as she placed the last finger up, "I want all the ghost scum to go back where they belong!" She yelled in a dangerous tone as her hand formed into a fist and she punched the ghost guard straight into the stomach. The force pushed the ghost through the door and unconscious as he fell on top of it.
"Where does she store that much strength?" Valerie asked in confusion as she ran into the room, along with other students from other cell blocks right behind her.
Sam shrugged before standing on top of her table, "We're going to escape! Naomi has a resistance camp set up, and we will join that to revolt against Vlad Plasmius! Who is with us?!" Sam yelled and the students all cheered as they fist pumped into the air in excitement. "Then let's go!" She yelled as she hopped down from the table and charged straight towards the fallen door, where Naomi was grinning victoriously and raised a peace sign in the air from her two fingers. As they were all running towards the exit, Tucker looked over at his old friend.
"Remind me to never get you mad," he said nervously as she grinned sheepishly.
Danny arrived at the same time that Jazz did as they entered the dining room at different doors. Danny wanted to wave over to his sister or something, but didn't as Vlad was watching him from the moment he entered the door. Grudgingly, Danny took the seat next to Vlad but refused to meet his gaze or even acknowledge his existence.
"Good morning, father," Jazz stated as she pulled her seat and sat down before looking down at her plate, feeling disgusted with herself and how she had to treat Vlad.
"Good morning, Jasmine…" Vlad trailed as he looked over at Danny, who kept glaring at his plate, "Daniel…A good morning to you too, son!" He yelled with a smirk. He heard footsteps and glanced to his right and noticed Maddie walking into the room with a sad look on her face. "Maddie?" He asked questionably as he looked over to the woman of his dreams. "I had thought that you did not wish to eat this morning?"
Maddie looked over at Danny and then over at Jazz before placing her hands on the table, "I had changed my mind," she said with a small smile on her face.
Vlad grinned as he motioned for a maid to make their way over to the table and bring the food they were expected to eat, "I am quite glad to hear that! Perhaps you may finally be able to spend time with our children!"
Danny glanced over to his mother and she looked over at him with a smile that was meant for him, "I hope so too, dear," she said as she gripped her hands on the table slowly, but Danny could see her discomfort. He was tempted to lunge at Vlad at her mistreatment, but stopped when he realized that he could control when he could go ghost.
The food was placed on the table, and Danny felt his appetite slowly die out as he just stared at his meal. He glanced over at Jazz and found that she was slowly eating it, and Danny wondered if she was even hungry at all. He soon got the message on why she was eating though. "Not hungry, little badger?" Vlad asked as Danny glanced over in his direction.
"I was going to ask if there were any froot loops, but then I realized that there was one sitting right in front of me…" He sarcastically stated, and Vlad only chuckled at his comment, not bothered by it in the least.
"I see. I would eat up if I were you, Daniel. You have quite a busy day ahead of you," he responded cryptically as he took a bite of his food.
Danny narrowed his eyes, "Do I, now?" He asked as he glared at him. He picked up a fork and began to eat the food in front of him. In Vlad language that probably means that this was another day of emotional torment and physical exertion, and he wasn't too fond of both.
As he was done eating, he glanced around the table and found the rest of the occupants eating their food and not paying any attention to him. He slithered his hand on the table and took a steak knife from it as he placed it in his pants pocket. He wanted a backup plan in case his maid had failed, and he really needed to get away from Vlad, stat. He stood up and was about to leave as he started to walk over to his door when Vlad started to chuckle darkly.
"Don't think I didn't see that, Daniel," he said as he looked up at Danny from his food. The teen nervously swallowed as he turned back around and met his eyes. "What exactly do you plan on doing with that knife?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Knife?" Jazz mumbled as she looked fearfully over to his brother. "You weren't going to…" She mumbled, but Danny had heard it with his enhanced hearing.
Danny sighed as he reached into his pocket and pulled it out before slamming it on the table, "Not having a pocket knife feels awkward to me," he lied as he shrugged. "Maybe if you would actually give me some freedom and not be so paranoid with me running away, this wouldn't have happened," he snapped at Vlad.
"Daniel, it is exactly the reason why there aren't any sharp objects anywhere near you. I wouldn't want my son getting hurt," he reasoned in front of Danny's mother and sister.
"That's just it, Vlad! I'm not your son!" Danny yelled as he glared, his green eyes were showing. "Stop making me play the part, because it will never become a reality!" He yelled as he turned into his ghostly counterpart and charged at him, only for Vlad to snap his fingers and Danny fell to the ground harshly. He groaned as he was disoriented and unable to feel his limbs at first.
Maddie gasped as she shot up from her seat and rushed over to her son, "Danny!" She yelled as she shook his lightly, trying to get him to say something. "Danny can you hear me? Do you have a concussion?"
Vlad scoffed, "He doesn't have a concussion, Maddie," he stated dryly as he stood up from his seat and walked over to him, only for Jazz to stand protectively in front of him as well.
"Stay away from my brother!" She threatened as she held a knife in front of her as a weapon.
Vlad chuckled as he took the knife from the girl's hand as he placed it on the table, "Move, Jasmine," he ordered, and Jazz started to shake before she shook her head adamantly.
"No. I don't listen to you!" She yelled as she glared. "As Danny put it, you are not our father! And you never will be!" She yelled, growing her confidence back, but suddenly lost it when she felt a stinging pain on her right cheek. Her hand went up to it in disbelief as she fell to the ground in shock. Vlad and slapped her. He had actually slapped her.
"I have had enough of your defiance, Jasmine…Daniel also needs to be put in his place…" He responded as he walked over to the boy and his mother. Danny had finally come to and shook off his disorientation as he looked up at Vlad with fearful eyes.
Maddie glared at the man, but Danny placed a hand on hers in confidence. Even though Maddie had known his secret, she expected the ghost to be cold, but his hand was warm. Like her little boy's hand that had grasped hers all those years ago. "You want to teach me a lesson, Plasmius?" He taunted as he stood up, meeting Vlad's glare, "Then go ahead. Beat me to within an ounce of my life. Because no matter what you do to me, I'll never listen to you…" He trailed as he stood taller. "Do your worst."
Vlad chuckled darkly, "Why would I beat you when obviously that has not worked in the past?" He asked as he turned around and looked at a maid that had walked in at the wrong time. More specifically, Fiona. Danny got the memo immediately as he ran in front of her protectively.
"No," Danny stated as he looked pleadingly at him.
"Move, Daniel," Vlad ordered, his gaze was menacing and Danny had felt deathly afraid of the man at that instance.
Danny shook his head, "Please, Vlad, don't do this!" He yelled as his body started to shake in fear. What if he couldn't protect her? What if she…
"Daniel," he growled as he firmly took the boy's arm and placed him out of the way and by his side where he couldn't intervene. He then started to charge up a powerful ecto-blast and aimed it at the main, who looked fearfully at the man.
"Vlad! Don't!" Danny yelled as he struggled against his grip, and he was reminded that this was how he was in front of his dad. This was exactly like the time that Vlad had almost killed Jack. "Please!"
Vlad glared in front of him, "You need to be taught a lesson, Daniel," he lectured and Danny closed his eyes.
"Please…Father…" Danny trailed as he opened his eyes and looked pleadingly at Vlad, who glanced down at him. The looked at each other for a few seconds before Vlad sighed and lowered his arm, the ecto-blast fading out.
"Very well, but this was your final act of defiance. Whenever you act out of place, or even think about escaping from me, an innocent life will be killed. Do you understand?" Vlad asked as he pushed the boy towards him.
Danny's eyes grew wide with realization, "The only reason why you have a living staff is so that you can threaten me with their lives?" He asked, completely dodging Vlad's question, which irritated the man a little.
"Do you understand?" He asked as his grip tightened.
"Yes," Danny mumbled, but when he found that Vlad hadn't let him go, he realized that he had wanted Danny to say the dreaded word that brought him such joy. "Yes…Father. I understand," he mumbled again as he looked down to the ground in shame. Vlad had let him go as he smirked.
"Good boy," he praised as he started to walk away, but not before turning back to the boy with a grin on his face, "I would like to continue this conversation in my private study later, son," he said as he walked away, not caring to hear the boy's response as he had a wicked smirk on his face.
Danny fell to the ground and Maddie walked over to him. She was comforting Jazz after being hit by the monster that they were living. "Danny?" She asked as she looked over at him. He refused to meet anyone's gaze, as if he had made a horrible mistake and didn't want to be shunned by everyone. "Danny?" She repeated as she placed her hands on his shoulders.
"It's Daniel…" He mumbled as he stood up, not wanting to face his mother. "I don't want you to get in trouble, mom," he said as he started to walk away from the dining room table.
"Danny!" She yelled after him, but he made no movement that he had heard her as he walked out of his door. "Jazz!" She yelled as she turned to her daughter, but she was still holding a palm to her cheek in shock.
She shook her head, "Not even dad struck me…" She mumbled as she looked into her mother's eyes. "Why? Did I…Do something?" She asked as she looked at her mother.
Maddie shook her head, "You didn't do anything…Jazz, you haven't done a thing wrong," she comforted her daughter as she embraced her.
"What happened to you?" Jazz asked as she looked up at her mother, "You're actually being mom…"
"I woke up. I needed to be here for my children now that Jack isn't…And Vlad most certainly isn't a father…" She trailed as she shook her head. "I hear that Danny has an escape plan…His maid is my maid, and she told me. That's what really woke me up."
Jazz blinked her eyes in confusion, "Do you think that he actually might escape?"
Maddie shook her head, "I don't know. I hope he does, but when Vlad threatened him like that…I don't know."
Jack wiped away sweat from his face, it had nearly been a week since he was stranded on this deserted island, and he was hoping he could find a way off of it somehow. The only think he had managed to do was make a shelter, which wasn't that hard because he was a boy scout back in his youth.
He smiled to himself in triumph as he took a step back as he observed his shelter that was built in the trees. "If only Maddie could see this!" He yelled with a grin, but it slowly fell off his face. "Jazz…Danny…" He mumbled their names under his breath. "I swear I will find a way to get to you!" He yelled as he narrowed his eyes. He turned his body to the never ending ocean and nodded. "I'll get you away from that monster…"
(A/N: This scene might get a little intense. Thought I should warn you all in advance)
Vlad narrowed his eyes as he watched the screen from within his private study. "Oh, will you now, Jack?" He asked rhetorically as amusement lingered in his voice. "You will never reach them, not without my permission."
The older halfa could feel Danny's ecto-signature coming down the hallway, and he calmly pushed a button, and the screen disappeared. The boy entered the office with an emotionless expression as he stood by the doors, not wanting to take a step closer to the man. Vlad chuckled at his action and stood from his seat, "Why don't you come in and greet your father?" He asked, knowing that it would indeed get a rise from the teen.
Danny's mouth twitched but he refused to say anything as he walked in to the small study that had books around. He then spotted the fireplace and his eyes grew wide, that's where his ghost portal was. Vlad seemed to know exactly what he was thinking because he chuckled as he stood in front of the fireplace, "Not thinking about escaping, are you?"
"No," he said as he let his bangs cover his face.
"But you were," Vlad responded as he took a few steps closer to the boy. "I know you more than you know yourself…And that's how I knew about your maid…"
Danny's eyes went wide as he took a step back, "I didn't – I'm not going to escape anymore!"
Vlad tilted his head in disbelief, "Are you now?" He asked as a smirk came to his face. He walked over to his desk and leaned against it with his arms crossed. "You don't think I have ears all over my own home? You wouldn't think I know about how you were planning on escaping?"
"I swear I'm not going to anymore," Danny stated as his fists clenched.
"You're right about that, Daniel. You certainly won't," he stated as he clapped his hands, and one of Walker's goons came into the room holding Fiona by the hands in the air. "Because I am sure that any acts of rebellion will end after this lesson."
Danny tried to rush towards Fiona, but he was held back by another ghost guard. "Don't do this! I said that I wasn't! I'm not!" He yelled as he struggled against the guard's hold.
"Danny," Fiona called weakly from where she was being held in the air. "Don't worry about me, I wanted to help you escape!" She yelled as tears started to flood down her cheeks. Her body was shaking in fear, "I knew what the consequences were, but I didn't want to see you being tortured by that…" She trailed as she looked over at Vlad with a glare, "Thing."
Vlad narrowed his eyes as he powered up an ecto-blast, "I think that's enough," he muttered as he aimed it for her head.
"V-Vlad, don't!" Danny yelled, trying to persuade him to think about his actions. "Father, please!" He yelled as he kept struggling relentlessly. Every time he would try to use his ghost powers, a shock would go through his system, and his arm would burn.
"Now, now, Daniel, know that I am doing this for you," Vlad said as he smirked before releasing the blast. The room was quiet, and Danny closed his eyes, not able to look at Fiona. There was a thud, and Danny could only assume that it was the body being dropped. He refused to open his eyes, he felt sick, and he wanted to empty his stomach. "Look, Daniel. This is what your disobedience has caused. I do this because I want you to promise me that this will not happen again."
Danny shook his head, "N-No…" He mumbled, but then he felt his head being suddenly grabbed by Vlad and he wanted to run away. He felt the ghost guard's restrain on him gone, but he couldn't gain enough bravery to open his eyes.
"Open your eyes, or I will kill another," Vlad threatened into Danny's ear. The boy slowly opened his eyes and he immediately wished he hadn't. It was like seeing a car wreck, he couldn't look away. There was so much blood everywhere, and his body started to shake. "You seem shaken up. Perhaps this was too much to show you?" He asked as he smirked.
Danny was speechless as his shakes turned into trembles. He shakily got to his feet and he hadn't missed the amused grin on Vlad. He rushed to a trash can in the corner of the room and emptied the contents of his stomach in it. "W-Why?" Danny asked as he looked up at Vlad.
"Because I could…You had best get used to it, Daniel. Soon, you will be the one murdering people for me," Vlad stated with a smirk.
"I-I…" Danny stuttered before running out of the room.
Vlad stood there and watched the boy run from the room, "This is just step one into securing your future, little badger," he said with a grin. "No one will be able to save you…Not your friends…Not your family…This will be your fate as my son."
To be continued…
A/N: I thought the little tid bit with Jack was a little present. I'm sure some of you guys are wondering about Jack!