Author's Note: Another chapter that took me forever to write. Another chapter that's way longer than I thought it'd be.
(after being) Condemned
The school day was over. In Jazz's car on the way home, Danny didn't tell her about the conversation he had had with Sam and Tucker, didn't tell her what he had at last admitted to himself, didn't tell her that he had for once decided to take her advice.
Standing before the front door of their house, mentally readying himself, knowing he had to do this. He had to tell his dad the truth, had to reveal everything or else this would only get worse.
And his dad would understand. His dad would be okay with it. His dad wouldn't be mad at him for lying.
Well…
He wouldn't be too mad, anyway.
WELL…
He wouldn't kill Danny, at least.
Danny stared down at the door knob in his hand.
He wasn't even sure of that.
"Danny? You okay?" asked Jazz as she walked up beside him.
Danny nodded and opened the front door. He stepped inside to find Jack and Maddie waiting in the living room.
"Hey, you two! How was school?" asked Maddie brightly.
"Uh... Fine," said Danny.
"Yeah, it was great," said Jazz.
Jack was smiling. Big. At him. Danny warily studied his father. He hadn't seen him looking this happy since before... Well, since before.
"Hey, Dannathan!" Jack's grin broadened even wider. "How's about we head out to Gardner Peak, huh? Just the two of us!"
Danny cocked his head slightly and blinked a couple times. "Gardner Peak? The observatory?"
Jack nodded with an emphatic hum.
Danny glanced at Maddie, Jazz, then back at Jack. "Just... Just the two of us, you said?"
"Of course! You and me, man to man!"
Danny's gaze moved from his father's face to just past him.
Alone with his dad. Miles away from home.
And what for? Did his mom once again put his dad up to this? His dad didn't actually want to spend time with him, did he?
Or was his dad just looking for an excuse to get him out of the picture at last? Gardner Peak was in such an isolated area. The cell reception wasn't very good. There'd be no one to rescue him, no one to help him. Sure he had ghost powers but his dad had so many weapons and so much training and he was so much bigger than Danny and he could absolutely overpower Danny if he had the right equipment.
But if he refused to go…
His dad was so happy now. What if it just made him angry again if Danny declined this invitation?
"Okay." Danny cleared his throat and refocused on his dad. "So when are we going?"
Jack clapped his hands. "Right now!"
"Right... Right now?"
"Yeah! It's the weekend, so your homework can wait until tomorrow."
"But isn't Gardner Peak like two hours away?"
Jack smirked. "I'm pretty sure I can get us there in just one."
Danny didn't doubt this. His father's driving was notoriously reckless and insane.
But he needed time to prepare. He couldn't do this yet. He couldn't be alone with his dad right now. No, no, he needed at least another day or two or week.
His resolve to tell his dad the truth was dissipating fast. He wasn't ready. Nope.
"Sweetie?"
Danny looked at his mother.
"You like Gardner Peak, don't you?" she asked. "It's been a while since you've been there. Won't it be fun?"
It had been a while. A couple years. He recalled how much he had loved it last time, all those huge telescopes and a dark sky untouched by light pollution. All the constellations in clear view, all the stars sparkling between them as well.
He had been wanting to go again. Just...not with…
He mustered an enthusiastic nod, a cheerful smile. "Yeah. Sounds like a lot of fun."
Maddie clasped her hands. "Wonderful! Come help me carry the food out to the RV."
She skipped lightly toward the kitchen. Jack eagerly stepped in line behind her. Danny stole a glance at Jazz before heading to the kitchen himself.
"Carry the what out—" He stopped, gaped at the pile of filled small plastic storage containers on the kitchen table. Maddie and Jack were cheerily scooping them into their arms.
"Yeah, Danno!" Jack gave him yet another wide grin, as if he had never been mad at Danny at all just the day before. "Your mom made us tons of vittles for the trip!"
"Tons of—what?—wait—"
"Holy—jeez!" gasped Jazz as she walked in behind Danny.
"Your father had a lot of requests," explained Maddie. "He just couldn't decide, so I made everything."
"Come on, son! Help carry these," said Jack..
Danny approached the table and stacked a few containers in his hands. "Is this all seriously just for the two of us?"
Maddie kissed the side of his head as she walked by him out of the kitchen. "All for you, dear. So you better not come back hungry."
Danny followed his parents outside with a growing heaviness in his step. Expectations. His parents had expectations for him. His dad was not just taking him on this trip solely to bond. His mom did not just make all this food solely to be kind.
They both wanted something from him. Answers, explanations, behavior changes.
And he really didn't want to disappoint them.
But he knew he would. Because he always did.
Outside, Maddie and Jazz said goodbye after all the food was appropriately stored in the built-in warmers in the back. Danny hauled himself up into the Fenton Assault Vehicle and smiled softly at how much easier it was to get in now that he was taller, just a short hop aided by the ceiling handle. No more jumping and practically having to crawl into the front seat.
And he was still growing. He so hoped he'd get to at least six feet.
He watched his father walk over to the other side of the car, towering far above the ground, not much shorter than the RV itself.
Danny certainly had the genes to reach at least six feet. Maybe he'd even be taller than that. Maybe even taller than Dash. That'd be way too perfect. The look on the jock's face when he had to actually look up at him would be priceless.
Jack effortlessly slid into the driver seat with just one step. The hair on his head grazed the ceiling. Danny held in a smirk. This vehicle was huge and yet his dad still just barely fit in it.
After a final wave to Maddie and Jazz, Jack put the car in drive and raced out of the neighborhood at breakneck speed. Danny grabbed onto the car side handle for support.
Alone with his dad. Completely alone. And no cell phone to keep Sam and Tucker apprised of any possible trouble.
But his dad seemed happy, so this could be okay, right?
"All righty, Danno," said Jack as he wove in and out of traffic. "What do you say we get some milkshakes first? That sounds good, doesn't it?"
"Milkshakes?" Danny glanced back at the warmers behind their seats. "Don't we have enough food already?"
"But we don't have milkshakes!"
Jack sharply turned into the Nasty Burger drive-through line and pulled up to the menu where a peppy voice asked for their order. Danny sighed to himself, wishing it could've been Valerie's voice. He hadn't interacted with her in months now, only just occasionally passed by her in school.
His first real heartbreak…
"What do you want?" Jack turned his head toward Danny. "What kind of milkshake?"
A milkshake didn't actually sound all that bad. His dad was in such a good mood, and he had to admit he was feeling better than he had just less than an hour earlier. Good enough to maybe eat a real meal. Maybe even good enough for a milkshake.
"Vanilla," said Danny.
"With fudge syrup on top? Or candy bar pieces?"
"No, um, just vanilla."
"Just vanilla?" Jack eyed him, looking utterly flabbergasted. "That's it? The most boring flavor? That's all you want?"
Danny ducked his head with a cringe. "Ah—well—okay, um, how about you just choose for me? Whatever you want me to get, that's fine."
Jack stared at him a short moment longer before leaning out his window toward the speaker and ordering a double chocolate milkshake with extra hot fudge and a "plain ol' vanilla shake yup that's right just a plain vanilla shake." At the drive-in window, Jack picked up the shakes and handed Danny's vanilla to him.
"Enjoy your vanilla boringness," laughed Jack. "You definitely didn't get that from me."
Are you even really my son? 'Cause you don't seem like my son. Not the son I wanted.
Danny tentatively took the shake. "I said you could order me whatever you—"
"I'm just teasing you, Danny." Jack patted his shoulder. "It's fine."
Jack smiled at him. Kindly, fatherly. Danny attempted to smile back before staring down at his shake that no longer seemed appetizing. It would almost surely twist up his insides with sloshing nausea.
He couldn't even make his dad happy with his milkshake preference. How could he screw up something this simple? How could even the smallest things he did be such a disappointment to his dad?
He took a sip. His dad was right. Totally bland, entirely boring, completely tasteless.
But he had to drink it all. His dad had spent money on it, had spent money on him. He didn't want his dad to think he was ungrateful by wasting it.
Any stomach sickness that came as a result, he'd just deal with it later.
On the freeway at last. Danny tried to take large gulps of his shake, anything to make it go away faster.
And luckily for him, his dad was driving like a maniac as usual. Anything that could make this trip go faster was also welcome.
"So, Danny." His dad's tone was lively, enthused. "Tell me what's been going on with you."
"What's been going on with me?"
"Yeah! It's been a while since you and I have actually talked. What have you been up to lately?"
"Um... Well... I mean, nothing interesting. Just school. I mean, is there something specific you want to know about?"
Jack clapped a gloved hand on the gear shift. "Well, how about your love life?"
"My love life?"
"Yeah! I mean, last I recall, you were dating Sam, but then that didn't seem to go anywhere."
Danny absently stared ahead. Sam. He wondered what she was doing now. He wished he could text her. She was probably out with Tucker somewhere, maybe indulging in some sort of vegan snack while looking so pretty with those shapely cheekbones and lovely chin he so longed to take hold of and tilt up toward his waiting lips.
"Did you two break up?" asked Jack.
Danny clutched his milkshake, chilled pain icing through his fingers. "Dad, um... Sam and I... We were never dating."
"What? Get out! Yes, you were! I even got you a ring inscribed with Sam's name, remember?"
"Yeah, I know, but it wasn't Sam I was dating at that time. It was a different girl."
"Well, was her name also Sam or something?"
"No, Dad."
"Then why did I think it was?"
"I really don't know." Danny took a long guilty sip, sure that the misconception was definitely somehow his fault.
Jack was quiet for a long moment before snorting with quick laughter. "Well, I feel pretty dumb now."
"Don't." Danny turned to him imploringly. "I really did appreciate the ring. It was really great to have your support like that."
"So you really were dating someone, right?"
A freeze from his shake was traveling up his fingers through his arms into his chest. "Yes. I was."
"What was her name?"
"Valerie." He bleakly stirred what was left of his milkshake.
"You two must not have dated very long. I don't recall you ever bringing someone named Valerie over."
"No. Not long at all."
"What happened?"
Danny hesitated. "Would it be all right if we don't talk about it?"
Asking permission. If his dad said no, then he'd of course surrender and tell him whatever he wanted to know. His dad was in charge here.
Jack smiled softly. "Had your heart broken, huh?"
Danny said nothing.
"I know what that's like." Jack stretched out his arms over the steering wheel. "Not fun. It can hurt for a long time."
A long time. It had been well over a year since Valerie had rejected him. Was that a long time? Or was it still too soon for his heart to stop aching?
"But then I met your mom and haven't had heartbreak since."
Jack grinned, but Danny could hear a strange crack in his voice. He glanced at his father's face and noticed the corners of his mouth twitching, his temples pulsating.
"You and Mom do seem really happy together," said Danny, hoping to stop his father's mood from swinging before it could start.
Jack's grin snapped into stability, no twitching at all. "Yeah," he said brightly. "Yeah, we really are." He placed a hand on Danny's shoulder and energetically shook it. "And you'll find someone, too. Don't let the setbacks discourage you."
Fatherly contact. Playful. Not at all threatening.
It felt...nice.
"Okay, but what about you and Sam?" asked Jack. "Why haven't you asked her out yet?"
Danny blushed. "Sam, what? Why would I—?"
"Because you like her! We've all known for ages. And I'm sure she likes you. How could she not?"
The heat in his face was enough to melt the remainder of his milkshake.
"You should ask her out," said Jack more firmly. "Mom and I both really like her."
"Y-Yeah?"
"Of course! And if you need any tips, I'd be stoked to help you out. I was quite a ladies' man back in my high school days, you know."
Jack proceeded to brag about all his teenage exploits, his romantic late nights. Danny's muscles loosened, his posture relaxed. Even his milkshake suddenly tasted better, cool cream frothing against his lips.
His dad was so happy, so animated.
Maybe his dad really wasn't mad at him anymore. And maybe his dad actually did like him.
Amidst more enthusiastic chatter from his dad that had rambled in and out of different topics, the RV finally pulled up to the observatory. Danny opened the vehicle door and jumped down to the ground, shielding his eyes from the lowering sunlight.
"All right!" cried Jack with a broad smile. "We've still got time to eat before it gets dark!" He opened the back door of the RV and began shoveling as many plastic containers as he could into his hulking arms.
"You sure we have enough?" quipped Danny as he took several containers into his own arms.
"No," said Jack very seriously with a frown. "But we can always buy some snacks from inside if we're still hungry. Pretty sure they have some. Or at least a vending machine."
Danny held back a chuckle and an eye roll as he and his father took a seat at one of the outside tables, feeling just a little embarrassed by the huge amount of food they set down. A few other chatting and eating families glanced over at them with expressions ranging from incredulous to amused.
And normally he might've been attempting to hide himself under the table while his dad gorged away on whatever he picked up first, not caring if the flavors blended well or not.
But his dad was so happy now. Happy to be here with him. Not grumpy or irritated or even disappointed.
It was nice to feel like his dad actually wanted to be around him again. Even if this whole trip was his mom's idea, his dad seemed to genuinely want to be hanging out with his son.
"Here, Danno, try some of this casserole." Jack pushed a container and fork toward him. "Your mom makes the best casseroles."
Danny opened the lid and scooped a clump of noodles and chicken out onto a paper plate. "It does smell pretty good."
"That's because it's been infused with ectoplasmic radiation!"
Danny halted mid-scoop.
"I'm just kidding!" Jack clapped him on the shoulder. "Although we do sometimes store ecto-samples in the kitchen fridge when our fridge in the basement is full. There are probably traces in all of our food."
Danny hesitantly resumed serving himself before snapping the lid back on. "Yeah, well... Maybe that's why we're all so much more resistant to ghost-related diseases and contaminations."
"Right you are!" cried Jack proudly, clapping his shoulder again. "We Fentons are ecto-resilient!"
Danny smiled and recalled his portal incident, the concentrated blast of ectoplasmic energy that absolutely should've killed him but somehow made him stronger instead.
He had decided earlier to tell his dad about that. Should he still? Maybe his dad would actually be excited about it, excited that his own son was so "ecto-resilient" that he not only survived an ecto-shock but was transformed by it into something extraordinary. And all because his parents had exposed him to so much ectoplasmic radiation throughout his whole life.
Why, Jack would probably take full credit for Danny being able to live through that at all.
And whether it was true or not, Danny wouldn't mind as long as it gave his dad some reason to be proud of him again. Something that made him just as impressive as Jazz.
Danny smiled as he took a bite of the casserole. Something to bring him up to Jazz's level in his dad's eyes at last.
And wow, this casserole really did taste so good. Oozing grease, textured crunches, sliding in and under his tongue and smoothly pouring down his throat. He loved times like this when food actually tasted good, when he actually wanted to put more in his mouth. Because most of the time, eating was something he could easily forget to do. If it wasn't for the designated lunch hour at school and his mom calling him to dinner each night, he could probably go an entire day without eating.
"You're really tearing into that, son," observed Jack.
Danny swallowed a large bite. "I didn't really eat a whole lot at lunch. I guess I didn't realize how hungry I was."
"Well, your mom will be happy to hear that you're actually eating. She was worried you wouldn't."
"Oh, yeah, this tastes so good. I'm totally gonna eat all of it."
"So does this mean that you're feeling okay right now?"
Danny lifted his head and swallowed another bite. "Yeah, I am. I mean, we're about to look at the night sky through huge powerful telescopes. How could I not be feeling great?"
Jack smiled fondly and paused to take a few bites of his own. "And you're feeling okay...being here with me?"
"Yeah." Danny returned the smile. "Yeah, being here with you is... It's nice. We haven't hung out like this in a while. Not since... Well, I don't really remember the last time. It must've been over a year ago. Maybe it was that fishing trip."
"Oh, yeah. That was fun. We caught something way better than fish." Jack grinned and gazed up at the sky in recollection. "That ghost was huge."
Danny recalled himself just how excited his dad had been about that particular catch. His dad was never happier than when he had a new ghost to rip apart.
And he knew one phantom in particular that would make his dad happiest of all to tear into—
Stop, stop. He couldn't shoot his good mood down already.
He opted to let this particular conversational thread drop by shoving a huge bite in his mouth as an excuse to not say anything.
"Well, just so you know," Jack finally said to break the short silence. "Your mom and I... We do still want to talk about what happened. You know, when you snuck out."
Danny lowered his head.
"We're not mad about it anymore. I'm not mad at all. We're just still concerned why you did it. I mean, the reason you gave us... It's just kind of concerning."
"You don't need to be concerned. It was dumb."
"You said you had something personal to talk to Tucker about. Was that true?"
His neck was growing hot. He really wished he was better at making up excuses. He had always sucked at that. In the past, his parents usually bought his lame stories, but now they were actually employing more parental scrutiny. Just his luck.
"Yes, it's true," said Danny. "But I realize now that it was just me being dramatic. It really was nothing that couldn't wait."
"But it had to have been something to you at the time," said Jack. "We still need to know what it was you wanted to talk to him about. Because maybe it's something we should be helping you with."
"But it really was nothing."
"It can't have just been nothing, son."
Danny stared ahead in thought. But he couldn't think for too long. That would just make his dad suspicious. But he also couldn't keep putting this off, dodging this elaboration his parents were going to keep demanding.
He had to make up something. And this time, it really had to be something satisfying.
or you could tell the truth
NOT YET not ready yet
"Um, well." Danny placed a hand on the back of his neck to rub out the building tension. His skin felt so hot against his fingers. "It's sort of embarrassing, but...I kind of went to talk to him about...Sam."
"Sam?"
"Yeah, well, you know, I was just... I mean, you were right, in the RV, I do...kind of have a thing for her, so... I just wanted to get his—Tucker's, I mean—perspective on...things. Like if he thought she likes me back or if she'll reject me."
Jack laughed and shook his head. "Danny, you really do worry too much. I don't even know where you get that from. Not from me or your mom."
Danny blushed and shrugged. He didn't know why he wasn't more like his parents either.
"But Danny."
Danny flinched at the sudden sharp change in his dad's tone back to serious.
"That can't be all it is," said Jack. "You had mentioned that you're going through a 'rough time' and so you needed to talk to Tucker about some things."
"Well—yeah—I mean, I know I said that, but I was just too embarrassed to tell you the real reason."
"But you've definitely been a lot more secretive ever since you started high school, and Mom and I have noticed that you're not as happy as we remember you being. And that's fine, it's normal to start feeling kind of depressed in high school. But that doesn't mean we should just let you continue like this. We've let it go on too long now."
The urge to assure his dad that he was fine was rising up through his airway, but he forced it back down. Why was it always his impulse to lie? How had he let this become his compulsive habit?
It's not like lying made him feel better. His dad was right. He had only gotten more depressed since he started lying, since the beginning of this secret life.
"So we're just really concerned," Jack continued, "and we want to start opening up some communication between us again. We really want you to know that we're here for you." He paused. "We don't expect you to tell us everything, but we do need to know if there's something major going on in your life. We need to know if something is troubling you."
Jack studied Danny. Danny did his best to not look away.
"It really seems like something is troubling you, son."
This man, this man he was keeping eye contact with, this man almost killed him—
No, he almost killed Phantom—
SAME THING
He had to tell his dad. He had already talked it over with Sam and Tucker. Jazz thought it was the right thing to do, too.
And his dad seemed to be okay with him right now. He didn't seem to be angry anymore. And more than that, his dad was imploring him to open up, to say what was troubling him.
Keeping this secret was definitely troubling him.
And this was the time to tell him. When he wasn't angry. This was the only time.
Either his dad would be proud of him for finally being something extraordinary…
...or he'd be disappointed that his son was a freak.
Well, Danny had experienced disappointing his dad so much already. It wouldn't be anything he wasn't used to.
"Okay, Dad." Danny pulled in a shaky breath. "There...is something that's been going on...pretty much ever since the start of high school. But I just, um... I haven't told you yet because... Well, it's really complicated. I mean, it didn't start out so complicated, but it's become that way just because it's been so long. And I'm not sure how you'll handle it or what you'll think of me."
He looked down at the table but could see Jack studying him intently out of the corner of his eye.
And there were so many people around, so many more now that the sun was finally starting to disappear.
And he was still...so…
afraid
"I've been wanting to tell you since the beginning." Danny continued. "And I want to tell you now." He looked at Jack apprehensively. "But can it maybe wait until we're about to go home? So I can tell you more privately? In the RV?"
Jack's eyes narrowed as he stared at Danny.
"I just, um... It's really hard for me to say, and I'd just like to work up to it a little more. Is... Is that okay, Dad?" pressed Danny pleadingly. He wasn't even sure why he was begging for this favor, as if he needed permission to keep it secret a little longer. What if his dad said no? Would he surrender and tell him right now?
Or would he just come up with another lie?
"Yeah, it's okay," said Jack, standing up and peering out at the horizon darkening past twilight. "Come on, the sun's setting. Let's put these leftovers in the RV, okay? And then let's look at some stars! Or planets!"
Danny smiled with relief as he gathered what plastic containers he could. Most of them were empty.
"You got enough to eat, right?" asked Jack, juggling the majority of the containers in his beefy arms.
"Oh, definitely."
He smiled at his dad, and his dad smiled back.
And up above them, the vast expanse of stars was shimmering into view.
Ten optical telescopes, two radio telescopes, and not a single cloud blocking their view of the cosmos beyond and all around them. How remarkable it was to Danny that they were simply spinning through this darkness, constantly falling toward the sun and yet never hitting it because their speed kept them in orbit. How incredible that their own moon was getting farther away each year, changing their rotation little by little.
He wasn't sure if he'd ever actually officially get to go out into space as a part of NASA. But he had been out there once before, and his poor grades and difficulty with math wasn't ever going to stop him from going again. He already had the perfect suit, after all. He could head out any time he wanted, and no one could ever stop him.
He really was so powerful.
Leaning against a railing looking out over the empty landscape surrounding the observatory, Danny tentatively looked up at Jack, who was grinning up at the dark sky.
So powerful and yet…
This man beside him would always be his superior, an authority over him. And in many ways, his father was still more powerful than he was, stronger, taller, larger.
Without his ghost powers, Danny knew he'd be nothing.
But his father was naturally powerful, a might that could eclipse him, a might that had eclipsed him not too long ago when his powers had been disabled.
He shivered and forcibly reminded himself that he was fine now, safe now, that his dad was just standing beside him and that was all. Not a threat.
"Amazing how far we could see with those telescopes," said Jack, still gazing up at the sky.
"Yeah. We could see Saturn's rings really well." Danny leaned forward over the railing. "I wish I could get an even closer look."
Jack hummed a soft chuckle. "As an astronaut?"
Danny sighed. "The older I get, the sillier I feel telling people that. It sounds like such a little kid's dream job."
"Nothing wrong with wanting a dream job. You wouldn't believe how many people used to laugh at me when I told them I wanted a career in ghost research."
Danny looked at his dad again, at the glint of excitement in his eye.
"If there's one thing you got from me, it's passion," said Jack with a tone of fond pride. "Your passion is the stars. Mine is the paranormal."
Danny paused for a moment, collected his thoughts, gathered his words. He knew their short trip was coming to an end, and he was growing more and more nervous about revealing his secret at last.
But maybe if he prepared his dad for the news first, it wouldn't be too difficult.
"Why exactly do you love ghosts so much?" he asked. "I mean, I love astronomy because I'm just fascinated by what's out there, how we're just a tiny part of something so much larger than we can even really imagine, how all the answers to our questions are probably out there if we could only find a way to reach them."
Jack laughed. "Well, that doesn't seem too far off from why I love ghosts. I'm fascinated, just like you. They're strange, they're unusual, they'll all so different, so unpredictable. And then at the same time, they are all exactly the same and very much predictable."
Danny frowned. "What do you mean by that?"
"They all have their unfinished business from their previous existence, their obsessions that underlie literally everything they do, compulsions that they literally cannot disobey. They're all completely self-serving and will never stop trying to satisfy their obsessions."
Danny thought about himself, about what his dad had claimed was his obsession back in that alley, about how he wanted to protect everyone. But this was truthfully not something he fully understood, certainly not about himself. Protecting people, he didn't think it was as simple as that. Because he could do so much more if all he wanted was to protect people. How much crime did he let go every night? All he ever went after was ghosts, after all.
"Ghosts are cunning, crafty, resourceful," continued Jack. "It is incredible what lengths they will go to while pursuing completion of their obsessions. And they literally can't help it." Jack glanced at him with a smile. "And that's why I love studying them. I love discovering all their quirks and powers and what exactly it is in their brains that spurs them toward their unique obsessions."
Jack sighed and stared back out at the landscape.
"But this is also why your mom and I are committed to hunting them all down. They're just too dangerous. They can't be reasoned with, and they don't care if they hurt anyone. Ghosts are in no way benevolent or rational. They have one-track minds, and combined with their formidable powers, they are all a huge threat to humanity."
Danny looked down over the railing. "All... All of them?"
A sudden mood shift. He could feel Jack glaring at him. But he kept his own gaze down at the ground below.
"Yes," said Jack at last. "All of them."
Danny wrestled with his thoughts, with his conviction. Did he have the courage to continue this conversation? The will to challenge his father?
"You—" Danny paused, stalled just a moment to convince himself to keep going. "You don't think there are any ghosts that maybe aren't a threat to humanity?"
Jack didn't reply right away. Danny still opted to look at the ground.
"No," said Jack. "I really don't think so."
The night breeze suddenly felt much colder against Danny's neck.
"You don't think that there are any ghosts that aren't a threat, do you?" asked Jack.
His tone was low and uninviting. His father was looking for only one answer. Only one answer would restore his good humor.
But it wasn't the answer Danny wanted to give.
"Well, I…" Danny began, but he had no idea what to say next without escalating his father's darkening mood.
"Come on, Danny." Jack's volume raised. "Trust me. All ghosts are self-serving and dangerous. Every single one of them. They're just pests, like termites or rats. They're all an infestation that needs to be destroyed the moment they cross over into our world." He paused and looked out at the sky again. "They're all bad."
Danny breathed as deeply as he could without being too loud. He had a choice to make. Either agree with his father and make him happy again…
...or disagree and enrage him.
Normally, he'd choose doing anything to make his dad happy, even if it meant lying or being deceptive, even if it meant making a personal sacrifice.
But he was not a bad ghost, and he couldn't just agree with that no matter how angry it made his father.
He cleared his throat. "Well…" A quick stall. "Well, I don't think they're... I don't think that they're all bad."
Jack shot him a look that Danny didn't even need to see to know that he was being warned.
"Some are bad, sure!" said Danny quickly, holding up his hands. "In fact, yeah, I mean... I'd say most of them need to be sent back to the Ghost Zone, too."
Not destroyed. Not ripped apart molecule by molecule. Danny always did his best to maintain his capture-and-release approach because even though his ghostly enemies irritated him to no end, he still had compassion for their plight, compassion for their inability to do anything else beyond what their spectral compulsions forced them to do.
As far as he could tell, ghosts were insane, not criminal.
and you're just as insane aren't you Danny boy? isn't that the real reason you don't kill them? because you're one of them?
"I'm just saying that…" Danny tapped his fingers against the railing. "That I don't think all of them are bad."
His father said nothing. For a considerably long time. Long enough that Danny was regretting his decision to be honest more and more with each passing second.
"Yeah? Really?" said Jack quietly. "Is that what you think?"
Danny sank lower. "Well... Yeah."
"And how long have you been studying ghosts?"
A sudden flush of blood warmed his face. "Ah, well—"
"Certainly not nearly twenty-five years, right?"
"N-no—"
"Because you know that's how long I've been studying ghosts, right?"
"I—yeah, I know—"
"So, tell me, Danny, with all your expert knowledge and study and research and lab experience." Jack turned to him completely, leaning against the railing with his arms crossed. "Exactly which ghosts do you think are not bad?"
Danny tentatively met his father's gaze.
"No, come on," said Jack more forcefully. "Tell me. You must have an example. Surely there are some specific ghosts you're thinking of." He paused. "Or perhaps just one specific ghost."
Danny ducked his head slightly.
"And I bet I know which it is," said Jack.
Danny drew in a breath. "Ah, well—"
"Say it, Danny."
Danny's jaw muscles tensed.
"Say it," said Jack. "Come on. Tell me which ghost you're thinking of."
Jack said nothing more. Danny couldn't look up at his father as he realized he had to commit to this. There was no backing out. His father knew his answer already, and it wouldn't help him at all to lie or attempt to backpedal.
And if he wanted to salvage any hope of telling his father the truth, he had to stay committed. He had to be strong with his father for once.
He pulled in a breath, stalled for just one last moment.
"Danny Phantom." He looked at his father. "I don't think Danny Phantom is a bad ghost."
"I knew it." Jack bellowed a derisive laugh. "Danny Phantom. He's the worst of them all."
Danny furrowed his brow.
"Easily the most dangerous ghost there is," Jack elaborated. "And the fact that you don't see that only proves that I'm right."
"But he's never hurt anyone," protested Danny. "In fact, he's saved our town many times."
"Yeah? And why do you think he does it? Because he's just such a selfless soul? Because he actually cares about our town? About any of us?" Jack paused, looked at him hard. "About you?"
Danny's mouth hung slightly open. Did he even know the answer to this question?
"Phantom only cares about himself," said Jack. "Phantom is using us to satisfy his selfish obsession. He wants us to adore him, to think he's a hero. Our hero." Jack shook his head with a slight roll of his eyes. "And who knows what his plans are for us if he does win us all over. Which he is definitely on his way to doing."
"But—"
"He gets more popular all the time. His approval rating climbs every day. And maybe that's part of his power. Maybe he has the power to win people over with his valiant charm and boyish good looks." Jack paused. "The power to make people obsess over him."
Jack looked out at the landscape again. Danny watched his face, which was darkening with each passing second. Danny could feel color in his own face draining.
Jack's eyes returned to Danny's face, his expression suddenly morphing into a mocking smirk. "Looks like he's been working his powers on you, too."
Danny stepped back, as if physically pushed by this accusation. "What? No, Dad, that's not—I don't—I'm not—I don't think—"
"You don't think. That's definitely true," said Jack thickly. "Not only don't you think. You don't know, Danny. You don't know a thing about ghosts. I've been studying them since before you were born. I've been laboring away day after day and night after night researching and operating on specimens." Jack held out an aggressive hand toward him. "And what has your ghost research entailed? Reading up on Phantom in the news? Hearing about his latest rescues on TV? Listening to dumb girls at your school swoon over him?"
Danny shrank away. He held steady control over his molecules, which wanted so much to turn invisible.
"This is my expertise, Danny," said Jack with unsettling calm. "I have advanced degrees in this field, many long hours of practical application and study. I know more about ghosts than you do. I know more about Phantom than you do."
Jack towered above, his eyes narrowing coldly. Danny was suddenly reminded just how small he really was compared to his father. His father had real power. Danny's power was artificial, granted to him through an accident that should've never happened.
"When it comes to ghosts, I have the final word," said Jack. "Not you. And when I finally have Phantom locked up, I will drag you down to the lab and show you just how right I am about him and how wrong you are."
How wrong he was. He had been set on telling his dad the truth but he was wrong. He had thought his dad was okay with him now but he was wrong. He had thought that confrontation in the alley was over but he was wrong wrong wrong wrong.
Danny leaned over the railing again and turned his head away.
"Let's go," said Jack dully. "I'm tired."
The older man stepped away from the railing and didn't even wait for Danny as he headed toward the parking lot. Danny watched him walk away and wished that he could just stay here, wished that he didn't have to follow him, wished that he didn't have to get into the RV with him.
But he had to hurry and catch up before his dad yelled at him.
He had thought he was safe with his dad this time, but he was wrong. Like always.