I AM SO SO SO SO SO SORRY FOR TAKING SO LONG

I ran into a lot of story problems all at once, so I had to revamp how I was going to proceed. But I finally figured it out—yay—so the next chapters should not take as long.

Thank you so much to everyone still reading, and everyone who followed and favorited and again thank you SO MUCH to you guys reviewing, it really means so much to me, thank you!

Also, meladi1 makes a solid point. Why wouldn't Danny just show himself to prove he wasn't in Tucker? ..Clearly he and I are of the same rash nature that doesn't think things through. I'd like to think he was just super out of it, scared enough to think quite irrationally and went with the first plan he had in his head. ;) haha thank you for giving me something to think about xD

I hope you guys enjoy this next chapter, and again thanks so much for your patience :)

~cosette141

Agony.

Danny was in agony.

"—get him into the lab—"

The pain—raw, deep pain—cutting into him—something had to be broken, more than one something had to be broken—

"Danny!"

Tucker.

Danny's eyes were screwed shut. He forced them open at the sound of his name. In the haze of pain, he could make out two of the agents holding a struggling Tucker. Danny blinked heavily, trying to pull himself together—pull anything together—he needed to get to Tuck, he couldn't let them—

Pain exploded. A whole wave of fresh, nerve-splitting pain and Danny's senses were overloaded. He was being lifted, could feel hands on him somewhere beyond the fire.

Somewhere, very far away, he could hear Tucker's voice—or maybe he just imagined it.

He fought to hold onto consciousness as he was dragged away. Tried to open his eyes-the fire was losing its intensity. He could see-stark white walls, the floor—someone shifted their hold on him and he saw stars for a few precious seconds—or were they minutes?—and suddenly he opened his eyes to a large laboratory, a table in the center. He was being dragged toward it.

He knew what that meant.

Fear woke him.

He fought.

But he was far too weak to shake off the holds. Every movement sent another jolt of pain through him. He was too weak for this.

He was too human for this.

Danny blinked rapidly, groaning through his teeth, and he felt himself fading…

He was thrown on the table, more pain, too much, until-

A bright light flashed out like the blade of a knife.

Panic consumed him.

Don't change back, don't change back, don't—

Using every ounce of strength and control he had, Danny's eyes shot wide and he clamped onto his core, freezing the ring of light around his waist, and it shivered in the air, caught in conflict.

All agents in the room froze.

They stared, the light reflecting off their faces.

After what felt like ages, Danny felt himself win the battle and the light fizzled out, leaving him breathing harsh and fast, even closer to passing out than he was before. He jerked, but his arms and legs were restrained to the table. He felt himself lose control and the light sparked, his core shifting. He grabbed a hold of it again and shoved it out of existence, holding on for dear life.

And fear like no other was gripping his heart.

He couldn't hold onto this forever.

"What the hell was that?" asked one of the agents, taking off his sunglasses. He was blinking as if he wasn't sure if what he'd seen was real.

"Never seen a ghost do that," said another agent.

But it was Agent E that Danny's eyes were glued to, watching her with raw, unadulterated fear. She was looking at him with deep, sick interest. "What was that, ghost?" she asked him.

Danny breathed hard, closing his eyes, trying so damn hard to fight the growing weakness. Pain still beat at him from the inside. He could feel the icy ectoplasm dripping from him to the table.

"Everyone out," snapped Agent E.

"But—"

"—can't we just—"

"I said out."

Danny vaguely heard the scuffle of footsteps leaving the room, mutters of disappointment, and the distinct sound of the door shutting and locking.

He was alone with the monster.

"A ghost that feels pain."

Danny jerked at the sound of her voice, closer than it was before. She was by his shoulder, looking at him with a pointedly blank gaze. Like she was staring at a puzzle, trying to figure him out.

—rip you apart—

He was breathing so fast it made him dizzy. Panic spun his head. He shut his eyes clamping harder and harder onto his control—

—molecule—

He was shaking. From fear or from the effort to stay in this form, he didn't know.

—by molecule—

Danny swallowed. Hollowly, he gasped, "Wh-what're you gonna do to me?" His question was small and broken and he kicked himself for letting it be.

"You're a bit of an enigma, Ghost," she said. Danny forced his eyes open. She was still staring at him. In an analytical way that only scared him more. "See," she went on, "I've dissected my fair share of your kind—" A small noise, something between a cry and a gasp escaped Danny's throat. "—but," she continued, "you seem… different." A pause, as she bored her gaze into his. "You are different." She took a step toward him, small and calculated. Danny flinched. She smiled. "A ghost who feels pain, a ghost who feels fear, a ghost who doesn't regenerate immediately…" She ticked each point off on long, gloved fingers. "And a ghost who… I don't even know how to explain what we just saw transpire here." She paused, thinking. If Danny had a heartbeat in ghost form it would have been pounding in his head. She looked at him. "Tell me, Ghost. What exactly are you?"

Danny didn't say anything.

Irritation flicked through her eyes. "This room is ghost-proof." she told him bluntly. "The walls, the ceiling, the floor. That table you're on is un-phaseable." She tilted her head. "You have nowhere to run. The child is unconscious," she went on, and Danny forced his eyes open again at the mention of Tucker. "He is of no help to you. Why you seem to care about him is still lost on me, and something I'm only slightly interested in." She stepped closer to him. Danny tensed. "But my point, is that there's no point in staying quiet, Ghost."

"Go to hell," he hissed between clenched teeth.

That smile of hers was back.

"Just because the child is of no help to you," she went on, and Danny felt his freezing temperature drop even more, "doesn't mean he is of no help to me." She stepped closer, leaned over his face. They were inches away. He put every ounce of hatred he could into his glare. "The last thing I want is to accidentally destroy you. You're delicate. I don't know why." The smile grew. Danny went rigid. "So you'll tell me what you really are, Ghost, or the child joins your kind."

Molten ice burned through Danny's being.

With an anger—a fury—he didn't know he had, he narrowed his eyes and spat, "If you do anything to Tucker—"

He didn't get the chance to finish.

Liquid fire ignited his body.

Somewhere beyond the inferno, he recognized it as electricity. He screamed, writhing, flashing back to the day it happened, the day that started it all—

—too—

—much—

—pain…

The current broke but it still ravaged his veins. He was shaking uncontrollably, jerking against the restraints, broken sounds he couldn't describe pulled from his throat until—

His grip on his core slipped again and the light flashed out, making Agent E jerk back.

It was harder to stop it this time. The desire, the need to change back was refreshing. It was inviting. It was relief.

He just wanted to let it go.

He was so tired.

So damn tired...

Danny's eyes snapped open.

With a groan, he fought it, pulling it back in. The light snapped out of the air and he breathed hard, a groan escaping through his teeth.

Agent E gasped.

Danny cracked his eyes open. Agent E was staring at his torso. Her face was blank with shock. There was no evil, no twist in her features. Pure, human shock.

Danny followed her gaze and looked down at himself, finding the cause of her shock.

He froze.

Because from the gash ripped into his suit, the ectoplasm that had been dripping on the table was no longer green.

It was red.