Danny scanned the bedroom he found himself in but found no ghostly children anywhere in sight, it was important that they remain undetected for as long as possible. If any of the children saw them, they might alert Leto. They already had to keep in mind that Rosie had told Leto that she brought Melinoe to the orphanage. He waved through the window for Tucker to climb in. Once his friend was beside him, Danny edged further into the room and shifted into his ghost form. He breathed a relieved sigh as he gave into his ghost side. While in the Ghost Zone as Danny Fenton, his ghost side fluttered desperately to be free. It wasn't uncomfortable or painful, but it was like he was denying a craving that only got stronger the longer he ignored it. But now he could embrace his ghostly nature, that building agitated pressure was lifted.
"I really think you should just tell Mel about you," Tucker mumbled, pulling his gun out and held it ready.
"Well, it's not your decision Tuck. I'm her father and it's my secret," Danny retorted stubbornly.
"She's gonna manifest powers eventually. Don't you think it would be a good idea to open the communication lines now before she gets herself in trouble?" Tucker argued as they crossed the room confidently but both still on their guard.
"Not the time to give me parenting tips Tucker," Danny hissed as he poked his head into the hallway.
"It never is," Tucker grumbled before following Danny into the hallway.
"You go that way. I'll go this way. If you find Sam, get out of here. I'll find my own way out. If you find Leto, keep her busy. Say you want to adopt and go through all your details. Don't mention Sam or me and Mel," Danny ordered, pointing to the left for Tucker and the right for himself.
"And if I find ghost kids?" Tucker interjected.
"I dunno, get them to play hide and seek with you. They're kids. Just don't attack them and don't let them raise the alarm," Danny retorted.
"Easier said than done," Tucker muttered but he didn't argue further as he headed down the hallway, holding his gun by his side, ready but not too obvious to avoid scaring any ghostly children.
Danny gave his friend one last glance before creeping down the hallway, turning himself invisible. He knew Tucker was right. It did make sense to just tell Melinoe everything now that she had uncovered some of the truth. He had risked exposure already by phasing through the kitchen ceiling to reach Tucker and Melinoe before a ghost could hurt them. But part of him feared that Melinoe wouldn't understand and reject him once she heard the truth about her father. He had never even considered how to tell his daughter the truth about himself since he had been more focused on finding Leto. He didn't even know what he was going to do when he found the ghost. He didn't want to hurt her. Leto was justified to hate him. He had played a part in her son's death. Danny couldn't imagine that pain. But he couldn't allow her to hurt Melinoe. He could suck Leto into a thermos, but the ghost didn't deserve that fate. She was a victim of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Just as Kendis was.
Danny popped his head around a door and withdrew finding it empty. Maybe his best bet was to plead for her mercy as a parent, rather than try to talk her around. Danny sighed as he checked another room, he was walking into this without a plan. He was just going to have to play it by ear and hope for the best. He continued down the hallway, trying to string together enough pointers to make even half a plan for when he found Leto. Every room he checked he found empty. Part of him wondered how Leto had come to create this orphanage. He was glad that she had found a purpose to her afterlife, and he hoped that it was something Leto could use to heal the void left by Kendis. Unfortunately, Danny feared that having so many children around her would only hurt Leto more. He had generally avoided working with children himself, having found those job only reminded him that he was missing Melinoe's childhood.
He sighed and moved to his next door when he heard a muffled scream of frustration a few doors down. Danny frowned to himself and changed direction, leaving the next door behind and edged further down the hall. As he crept, he heard more grunts and mangled words. He opened a door and popped his invisible head inside. He grinned in relief when he saw a living woman tied to a chair in an otherwise empty cafeteria. Black hair, purple t-shirt, black jeans, bare feet. Sam Manson glowered at the wall ahead of her, growling muffled curses around a glowing ragged gag. Danny crossed the room, despite the situation, he eagerly drank in the sight of the woman he loved. The time and space between them had done nothing to dampen his love for her. It had been years since he had even glimpsed her, whether it was through a shop window while working or in a crowd of fleeing citizens during a ghost fight. Danny missed her.
When Sam closed her eyes angrily and let out a scream of frustration despite the gag muffling it, Danny turned himself visible and edged closer to Sam. His glowing green eyes locked onto terrified purple ones when they opened. Sam stop struggling instantly and Danny leaned forward and pulled down her gag, so it was no longer in her mouth but around her neck. Sam immediately closed the distance and gave him a quick kiss.
"You came," she whispered, pulling away just as quick.
"Of course I did. Hold still," Danny replied with a tender smile, mindful of being overheard by a ghost passing by. Sam nodded obediently and Danny stepped behind her and held the ropes tying her to the chair in his hand, letting his ghost energy burn through the bindings. With a soft snap, the ropes gave away and Sam tore off the gag around her neck and Danny freed her legs. Once free, Sam leapt to her feet and into Danny's arms.
"This was Leto wasn't it?" Sam muttered in his ear and Danny nodded into her shoulder, breathing in her scent. He pulled away slightly and looked down at Sam.
"Where's Mel?" Sam asked.
"In the speeder outside. She wanted to come in, but I managed to convince her to stay behind," Danny answered.
"She's in the Ghost Zone!?" Sam exclaimed in alarm. Danny quickly shushed her.
"Yes. She's knows who I am to her. Well, who Fenton is to her anyway. She refused to stay at Fentonworks. I was worried what she'd do if I left her behind against her will," Danny admitted. Sam chewed her lip anxiously, turning to the door.
"How did she take the news?" Sam asked.
"It was a shock. I think it's still kinda sinking in honestly. But considering everything, she took it pretty well," Danny confessed with a helpless shrug.
"When you say you convinced her to stay in the speeder, how exactly?" Sam prompted, turning back to Danny.
"I told her it was too dangerous for her to come into the orphanage after you. Me and Tucker would go in after you and stop Leto and she should stay in the speeder in case you got out on your own," Danny recalled. Sam frowned.
"Did she agree, or did you finish the argument?" Sam probed. Danny raised a confused eyebrow.
"She wasn't happy, but she agreed to do what I said," Danny replied. Sam shook her head.
"Danny, she didn't agree to stay in the speeder. She just said that to shut you up," Sam realised, dropping her head onto his shoulder in despair.
"What?" Danny gasped.
"Didn't you learn anything about when we were kids? We said stuff to get our parents' off our backs all the time. She takes after both of us more than you know, including our shared stubborn streak," Sam explained, lifting her head to gaze into Danny's eyes again.
"You think she's in the orphanage," Danny whispered in dread. Sam nodded grimly.
"We have to find her and get out of here before Leto does," Danny decided.
Before either of them could move though they heard a soft grunt of pain. They turned to the sound in confusion before gasping in alarm and pulled apart, stepping towards their daughter being held by a ghost. Danny recognised her instantly. Her words had haunted him every day for sixteen years.
"Leto let her go," Danny ordered fearfully. His worst nightmare was coming to pass. Leto came to a stop having dragged Melinoe by the arm into the room. The teen's confused eyes widened in fear.
"I don't think so Phantom. I made a vow and I intend to keep it," Leto retorted, venom seeping into her voice as she pulled a glowing knife out of a pouch in her apron. Danny's eyes widened in terror recognising it to be the very same knife that killed Kendis. He made to run forward but Leto put the blade to Melinoe's throat, holding the girl to herself firmly. Sam gasped fearfully behind him and Danny growled deep in his throat but knew he had to stop. If he made a move now, Leto would hurt, maybe even kill, Melinoe right there and then.
Leto flashed him a hard, cold smile that didn't reach her miserable yellow eyes. She pushed Melinoe a few steps forward, closing the gap between her and her hostage and Danny.
"I have waited too long for this moment. I will have justice," Leto snarled.
"This isn't justice Leto. This is revenge," Danny dared to point out.
"It's because of you my son is gone! You deserve the same pain you inflicted on me," Leto exclaimed, tears welling in her eyes.
"Kend-" Danny began.
"Don't you dare say his name!" Leto screamed and pressed the blade harder against Melinoe's throat, drawing a thin line of red blood. Melinoe winced and whimpered in terror, scared tears welling in her green eyes.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry," Danny relented fearfully, holding his hands up in surrender, watching a bead of blood trickled down Melinoe's neck to stain her white collar. Sam edged forward to stand beside him.
"Please. Don't hurt my baby," Sam pleaded, tears streaking her cheeks. Leto's eyes softened a degree before hardening again as she turned her attention back to Danny.
"I'm sorry. But this is the only way for me to get any kind of peace," Leto muttered sadly.
"No. It's not. I promise, there's a better way," Sam pressed, taking a step closer to the ghost.
Danny stayed put but he suspected what Sam was trying to do. He just hoped her plan worked. Sam stepped to the side, obstructing the ghost's view of Danny.
"Would your son want you to be like this? Cold and miserable. Filled with hate. I don't think he'd even recognise his mother if he were here now," Sam reasoned, her voice even despite the tears dripping off her chin.
"Well he's not here, because of him," Leto retorted angrily, her sad eyes flashing.
"Was it all Danny's fault though?" Sam challenged.
"This knife was meant to kill him, not my son!" Leto snarled, pulling the knife away from Melinoe's neck to point at Danny behind Sam. Danny flinched at the comment, knowing the truth in the ghost's words.
"Then how is it Danny's fault that your son is gone? Surely it was the hunter who threw the knife," Sam pointed out, edging closer still.
"He promised to protect us. Those hunters weren't even interested in us. They only wanted him. If we hadn't gone back to help him, they wouldn't have bothered us," Leto recalled spitefully.
"Exactly. You were all fighting against a common enemy," Sam agreed.
"That's not what I said. He pushed us into their crosshairs," Leto accused, glaring at Danny hatefully.
"Sounds to me that you ran willingly into them," Sam disagreed. Leto turned her furious eyes onto Sam and jabbed the knife at the woman, pulling it away from Melinoe's throat.
"You have no idea what happened. You weren't there. You don't know how it feels to lose your child," Leto growled.
"You're right I don't know. But I understand that it is a terrible thing. No parent should lose a child, especially the way you did. I'm sorry. But don't repeat history. Please. There's a better way for you to find peace and justice for your son," Sam begged, her terrified eyes glued on the hand holding her daughter captive.
Danny tensed every muscle in his body, ready for Sam to make her move. Once Melinoe and Sam were out of danger he would be able to attack Leto and protect his family. But until Melinoe was away from the vengeful ghost, he could do nothing without risking Melinoe's safety. Danny soon realised that with Leto's attention on Sam, Sam couldn't make her move.
"I know who threw the knife. I looked into it. I know where they are," Danny admitted, drawing the ghost's attention on to himself. Leto tore her burning yellow gaze from Sam and onto Danny's green regretful eyes.
"What?" she hissed hatefully.
"The hunter who threw the knife. I know his name. Where he lives in the Real World. If you want justice, wouldn't it be better to get it with the man who threw the knife that killed your son," Danny reasoned. Leto's grip on Melinoe's arm weakened in surprise and Sam took her chance. She lunged forward, tackling both her daughter and the ghost to the floor. Sam scrambled to her feet, pulling Melinoe after her and pushed the girl out of danger. Leto stumbled back to her feet and tried to run after the fleeing humans, but Danny blasted the floor in front of her feet and darted forward to stand between the vengeful ghost and Sam and Melinoe.
"Mom, I'm sorry. I didn't know that was Leto. She didn't seem dangerous," Melinoe sobbed, clinging to her mother fearfully. Sam wrapped her arms tightly around Melinoe and hushed her child soothingly.
"Ghost hunting 101, in the right circumstance, all ghosts are dangerous," Sam mumbled, watching Danny worriedly. Danny fired ghost rays at Leto's feet every time she tried to step around him.
"I'm not letting you near her ever again," Danny snarled. Leto glowered at him.
"I have waited sixteen years. I am a patient woman Phantom, and a resourceful one. You can't protect her from me forever, not now that I know her face and name," Leto retorted. Danny hesitated a split second before blasted the floor again when Leto attempted to go after Melinoe again.
"Do you even find these children new families?" Danny challenged, waving a hand vaguely towards the door into the cafeteria.
"Of course, I do," Leto snapped.
"Really? Seems to me that you keep them here with empty promises and use them for their abilities to look for Mel," Danny growled.
"Finding ghost children new families isn't simple Phantom. I have to find the perfect fit, a ghost with similar powers and skill set that want the child and has a stable foundation," Leto defended.
"But you do use those same children to look for Mel," Danny pressed.
"They have unique abilities that I can't hope to utilise any other way. Yes, I ask the children to look for your daughter as a favour to me, but when I have gone through so much trouble looking for a family, that is the only payment I request," Leto confessed.
Danny glanced over his shoulder at Sam and Melinoe before turning back to Leto. He had to end this. He had been looking for this opportunity for sixteen years. Now was his chance to end this ghost's quest for blood.
"I wasn't lying before. I did find the actual person responsible for your pain. I can take you to him. But only if you agree not to hurt Mel. She's innocent in all this. If you need blood, take it from me, not her," Danny pleaded. He heard Sam gasp fearfully behind him but ignored her. This was his fault. If anyone was going to pay the price, it would be him. Leto lifted the knife to point at Danny.
"You may not have thrown the blade, but if you hadn't chased us. If you hadn't cornered us. If you had let me take Kendis far away from you, he wouldn't have faded," Leto growled.
"I was trying to protect you. I had experience handling those ghost hunters. And I gave you a golden opportunity to get away but Kendis came back," Danny argued. Leto's ghostly aura and eyes pulsed brightly with rage.
"Don't you dare blame my son!" Leto shrieked.
"I'm not. I'm only saying that we all played a part in the tragedy that day," Danny offered. Leto threw the knife at Danny before he could comment further. Danny gasped before he recalled that like last time this blade was thrown at him, there was someone behind him. Sam and Melinoe. Danny gritted his teeth and hid his core and head behind his arms.
He yelled in pain as the blade embedded itself in his stomach. He stumbled back a few steps before dropping to his knees in pain. Sam's terrified scream behind him felt a thousand miles away. Leto was suddenly in front of him, yanking the blade out of his body, wiping the green blood off the knife with her apron. She grabbed him by the hair and pulled him to his face closer to hers.
"This knife isn't meant for you. If you want to see your daughter alive one more time, go back to where I lost my son before sunset," Leto hissed in his ear before pushing him to the ground where he fell with a pained grunt. He weakly lifted his head and watched Sam, who had run a few steps away from Melinoe to help him, back away from the advancing ghost. She glanced one last time at Danny before grabbing Melinoe by the wrist and pulled her to a nearby wall.
"Mom! That's a wall!" Melinoe yelped in fear, shoved out of her horrified trance.
"I know. Lesson two, humans are the ghosts in the Ghost Zone," Sam cried as she pulled her daughter through the wall. Danny sighed in relief and curled around his wound, his green eyes flashing blue as he numbed the pain with ice. Leto screeched angrily before racing out of the room.
That is one vengeful ghost huh?
Will Melinoe escape?
Will Danny be okay?
What happened to Tucker?
Until the next chapter.