A Dark Future
Chapter 5 Recruiting
By: Major144
Disclaimer I do not own Danny Phantom or it's characters. This is just a story for fun.
Phantom flew through the sky laughing! He had never felt so free before. No more human emotions to get in the way or weigh him down. He could choose to do whatever he wanted with no guilt or consequences. He saw a rock ledge and landed on it. He looked around at his surrounds. He smiled evilly and let out a burst of green energy setting a bunch of tree on fire and sending forest animals running for their lives! Phantom laughed evilly and walked over to a nearby river to look at his reflection. He admired his new look. He barely resembled his old humans self and he liked it that way.
"I need a new name to go with my look." Thought Phantom as he scratched his chin.
His eyes landed on the D in the center of his chest. He wanted a D name to go with his look. He bent over and blasted the name Danny into the muddy bank with one finger. He studied it for a little. He raised his foot and wiped out the n and the y out leaving only Dan. Phantom smiled in approval.
"From now on I shall be known as Dan Phantom." Declared Dan.
He walked up to a tree and sat under it. He decided he was going to rest before going to Amity Park. He wanted to be well rested before he made his grand return and tear down everything he once stood for. Oh what fun that was going to be.
In Amity Park a bus pulled into town and a young girl who looked about twelve got out. She wore a blue hoodie and shoes, along with red shorts and a red beanie. She carried a blue backpack on her back. Her name was Danielle or just Dani for short. Dani was a genetic clone created by Vlad from Danny's DNA. She had once worked with Vlad to capture Danny, but Danny had showed her how evil and selfish Vlad was. Now she was free of Vlad and traveling around the country.
She had recently read a news article talking about the incident at the Nasty Burger. She had quickly traveled back to Amity Park using conventional means as to not attract attention to herself. She was here to support her cousin. She was walking down the street, when the door to a flower shop opened up and a man walked out with his back facing her. Dani felt her body tense up as she recognized the man. It was Vlad!
"I have no idea what your up to Vlad, but it can't be good. Time for a little surprise attack." Said Dani to herself as she ran into a nearby alley and went ghost.
She went intangible and followed Vlad keeping her distance. For some weird reason Vlad was walking slowly and he didn't seem to be able to sense her. Oh well she would use it to her advantage. When Vlad approached the mouth of a alleyway Dani made her move. She flew forward, grabbed Vlad, and dragged him into the alley. She slammed him against the back wall of the alley.
"Hello Vlad." Said Dani.
Vlad looked at Dani in surprise then a thin smile crossed his face.
"Hello Dani. Are you here to visit the memorial and drop off some flowers?" Said Vlad.
Dani looked down to see a bundle of flowers lying next to Vlad alongside a black cane. She backed up a little. Vlad picked up the flowers and cane. He stumbled to his feet with some effort.
"What's your game Vlad? Are you trying to get Danny on your side or something?" Demanded Dani as she got into a fighting stance.
"I can assure you none of those are my intent. I'm simply here to pay my respects to the deceased." Said Vlad as he dusted himself off. "It's good to see agin Dani. Would you care to join me? I have some important things I need to discuss with you."
Dani hesitated for a second not sure to trust Vlad. Then she got a close look at his face. Vlad looked a little haggard there was a great sadness in his eyes. He looked like he had witnessed a horrible event that had aged him by several years.
"I will join you." Said Dani as she turned back into her human form.
"Thank you." Said Vlad.
The two of them walked out of the alley. Vlad using his cane to support him as he walked.
"So how is Danny taking this?" Asked Dani.
Vlad bowed his head down.
"I'm afraid Danny isn't taking this very well and due to a long list of circumstances he has changed for the worst." Said Vlad.
"What do you mean?" Asked Dani.
"I'll explain in a moment, but first I want to tell you something." Said Vlad.
Dani starred at him.
"I...just want to say...I'm sorry for all the bad stuff I did to you. I was a terrible father. I...was so focused on creating...a perfect son...that I didn't realize that...I already had a perfect child. You were perfect and I was...so blinded by my own greed that I didn't...realize it until to latter. Please forgive me." Said Vlad.
Dani was take aback by Vlad's words. The words he spoke were indeed sincere. She looked into his eyes and found out he meant every word. This certainly wasn't the same egotistic Vlad she remembered. Something drastic had happened to change him.
"I forgive you." Said Dani.
A warm smile crossed Vlad's face.
"Thank you." He said.
To Vlad those simply words of forgiveness had lifted a huge weight from his back. It felt good to atone for a past crime. The two of them walked on not talking for several minutes until Dani broke the silence.
"Please tell me what's happened to Danny." She said.
Vlad motioned to a nearby park bench and they sat down. He then explained everything to Dani up until the incident at his mansion. Dani was completely in shock.
"Danny's human half is dead and his ghost half yanked your ghost half out and fused with it." She said in disbelief.
"It's all true." Said Vlad sadly as he stood up.
Dani stood up and the two of them continued walking to the memorial.
"I'm afraid your cousin is no longer the ghost you know. His been corrupted and he has lost his morals. I came here to recruit someone to help stop him." Said Vlad.
"Who?" Asked Dani.
Vlad pointed ahead at the memorial. Dani saw Valerie at the statue putting some flowers before it. Vlad walked up besides her and out his flowers before it. Valerie looked at Vlad and glared at him.
"Here to try and manipulate me agin?" She asked angrily.
"No, I'm here to mourn and to ask you for your help." Said Vlad.
Dani walked up to them. Valerie looked surprised to see Dani then smiled.
"Hey Dani." Said Valerie.
"Hey long time no see. You need to hear what Vlad had to say." Said Dani.
Valerie turned to Vlad.
"Alright talk." She said.
Vlad took a deep breath and started talking.
"Danny Phantom's fight at the Nasty Burger accidentally caused it to explode a few days latter killing the Fentons, Sam, and Tucker." Said Vlad.
Valerie let out a gasp. Vlad continued on.
"Phantom came to me, while I was watching over Danny Fenton. Phantom told me what happened and begged me to remove his human like emotions. I took Phantom down to my lab and put on some gauntlets to remove his human emotions. Danny was down there with us watching. When I removed his human emotions Phantom knocked me over and took the gauntlets. He then yanked my ghost half out of me and started to merge with it. My evil side mixed with Phantom's and overwhelmed him. Phantom's appearance and personality changed completely! He then saw Danny and brutally killed him. Phantom blew up my mansion and I barely survived." Said Vlad.
"Phantom...killed...Danny." Valerie said her voice barely above a whisper a few tears leaked from her eye.
"He did. I came here to try and stop him from hurting anyone else and to ask for your help." Said Vlad.
"Alright...I'll help. I...want to avenge Danny." Said Valerie with a determined look in her eye.
"Good. Go grab your gear and meet us at FentonWorks." Said Vlad.
Valerie nodded and walked off. Vlad and Dani also started to walk away.
"Why didn't you tell her that Danny Fenton and Danny Phantom were the same person?" Asked Dani.
"Valerie was a close friend with Danny Fenton and a some what ally to Danny Phantom. I didn't tell her that they were the same person because I don't want her to feel betrayed by not knowing Danny's secret." Explained Vlad.
The two of them reached FentonWorks. Vlad pulled out a key from his pocket and unlocked the door. The two of them went inside and made their way to the lab.
"What's your plan?" Asked Dani.
"We will either have to destroy Phantom or we will lure him here and throw him into the ghost portal." Said Vlad indicating the all the equipment and the ghost portal.
"I don't feel right about doing this. Danny's still my cousin. Maybe I can talk some sense into him." Said Dani.
Vlad smiled a little.
"Your a good kid Dani. You may try your method, but if things don't work out destroying Danny or throwing him into the ghost portal are our only options left." Said Vlad.
"It just crazy that all of this happened." Said Dani.
"I know. If Danny's human half was here he would want us to stop his ghost half by any means. You go rest Dani I'm going to look and see what we could use." Said Vlad.
"Ok." Said Dani as she left the room.
Vlad looked back at all the equipment. He had a monster that need to be stop. He had help created it and now he was going to help stop it.
To be continued.