Chapter three!
Again, all Danny Phantom characters created by Butch Hartman.
Chapter Three
Danny awoke in confusion. His thoughts moved through his brain like molasses as he tried to figure out where he was.
The first step would be to open his eyes. He did so.
Bright light seared his retinas and he winced, closing his eyes again. It was then that he noticed his face was pressed against cold metal.
He tried opening his eyes again. The light seemed not as harsh as before. He blinked several times before looking around at his surroundings, which were few. A small uncomfortable-looking metal cot was opposite him, which led him to believe he was on such a cot.
His brain started speeding up now that he had been awake for a good twenty seconds. He realized he was tied to the cot by some sort of anti-ghost energy; every time he tried moving, it was as though someone had burned his brain with hot iron.
"Hey! What's going on!" he yelled to the small white room. No response.
Vlad Plasmius suddenly appeared in Danny's vision, smiling viciously. "Good morning, Daniel. I trust you slept well."
"No! I didn't!" Danny snarled in defiance. Vlad's expression didn't change.
"I will bring you some nourishment shortly. Have a nice day," Vlad said mock-pleasantly.
Danny was confused. Hadn't Vlad mentioned killing Danny? Why hadn't he yet? It wasn't as if Danny was particularly looking forward to his death, but, should his death be on the way, he would rather it be quick than dragged out in suspense like this.
"What are you keeping me here for?" Danny said, trying to add venom to his voice, but sounding more scared than angry.
"Patience, Daniel. In due time, you will be dead. After I rip out your human form as you'd done me, I will keep you here as a power source for my new portal. Ghost energy is highly useful for fuel. And after your energy is depleted, well, you wouldn't have much to live for after that, will you? It will be like death, I promise. But far worse." He then laughed. "As for your human half, well, let's just say humans are very easy for a ghost to exterminate. When they are completely vulnerable, that is."
Disgusted and horrified, Danny began to panic. No. No, this couldn't happen. No! "H-how long until I'm…. depleted?" He forgot to sound angry.
"That's hard to say." His smiled widened. "It's said the energy of a ghost lasts the average lifetime of a healthy human. These days, I hear it's around 80 years. You'll be here a long time, Fenton."
"Why are you telling me all this?" Danny croaked in disbelief.
Vlad laughed again. "Because, Daniel, there's not a thing you can do about it."
Leaving an astonished Danny strapped to the cot, Vlad clicked away in his shiny black shoes.
Danny was in total freak out mode. His chest heaved, causing the anti-ghost restrictor to burn his brain repeatedly. He didn't care. His brain was only focused on one thought, anyway.
I'm never going to die… I'm going to be tortured for 80 years into non-existence… I'm never going to die… Never… die… Tucker…
He held his breath, for he was beginning to get a headache. He tried to calm down.
He noticed with hatred how much more evil Vlad had become in the year of Danny's hiatus. This was beyond evil. This was… this was… Danny couldn't even think of a word worse than evil, partly because of the damage his head had just received, and partly due to his lack of attention paid during English class over the years.
Vlad couldn't just leave him like this. He had to let him outside to get exercise. Danny scowled at the thought of being treated like a dog. But it was true. And once Danny was free, he could overpower Vlad and escape somehow. He always had before. He needed to think. He strained his brain, only to return empty-handed.
This couldn't be. He had to get out of this. He was Danny Phantom, Inviso-bill! He fought ghosts! He was like a teenaged Spiderman in his dinky little hometown of Amity Park.
He tried to change into his ghost form. Unfortunately, the anti-ghost shock scorched his brain so badly he blacked out.
TRANSITION!
Sam paced in her bedroom. This was insanity. Danny simply could not be asking for her help. Why would he? He'd done just fine without her for over a year. What good could she do? And if he was telling the truth about Vlad, which she doubted, it was his own damn fault for leaving school and changing in broad daylight.
Yet as she tried to blame Danny, she couldn't help feeling like this was her fault. Danny had distanced himself from her after their break-up, but Sam could have talked to him instead of sulking in her room as she had done. She could have helped him through Tucker's death. He had spiraled out of control and Sam felt responsible.
She had been pondering this all morning. Finally, she decided to call him.
She slowly took out her cell phone and turned it on. After staring at it for about five minutes, she called the number she knew so well.
Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring.
It rang until Danny's voicemail declared she would need to take a message.
"Hell no," she muttered to herself, hanging up. She called his home phone number next. Also memorized.
"Hello?" it was Jack, Danny's father.
"Hey, Mr. Fenton, it's Sam Manson."
"Sam! Are you calling for Danny?" Sam briefly wondered if Danny had even told his parents of their break-up. He didn't seem surprised at all that she was calling. Maybe it was just Jack's booming personality shining through.
"Yeah, I am. Sir."
"Hold on, Sam, while I get him." She heard him put down the phone and after a few moments of silence, he picked it back up. "He seems to be out of the house. Would you like me to take a message?"
She sighed. "Just… tell him to call me back, alright?"
"Will do."
"Thanks, Mr. Fenton."
She closed her phone and absently tossed it on her bed beside her. Was it too late to mend what they once had?
TRANSITION!
Danny blearily opened his eyes, his throbbing headache making his stomach turn. A low groaning noise reached his ears, and he realized it was him.
After a moment, he remembered where he was and panicked, trying to break free of his bonds, only to be shocked once more by the burning sensation.
Right, he thought. My headache.
He gazed around, oddly calm. The light from the hanging fluorescents bouncing off the white walls was enough to blind him in his pathetic state. He squeezed his eyes shut, much to the chagrin of his pulsating brain.
He knew, deep down, that he was never going to be free. Sam hated him. His parents couldn't fight a ghost to save their lives (or, their son's life, in this case). Jazz wouldn't stand a chance against Vlad. No one would.
He was doomed to lie here for the remainder of his days. All hopes of cleverly escaping were dashed the day before when Vlad had forced him on a treadmill inside a closed-off space. Indoors.
It was better to just accept his fate. He was used to gloom. He was used to depression. What a fitting end for a miserable boy.
ANOTHER TRANSITION!
The next day, Sam went to school like always, only slightly irritable.
Her third period class, American History, was normally shared with Danny. But a quick sweep of the room showed his absence. Alert, Sam waited until class started. She waited fifteen minutes after class began. Twenty. Thirty. Soon, she came to believe he wouldn't be coming.
Sure it was nothing, Sam continued on with her day as usual.
That night, she was doing her homework when her mom came into her room.
"Sweetie, it's Mrs. Fenton on the phone for you," she said, holding the house phone to her. Confused, Sam took the phone from her.
"Sam, are you there?" It was Maddie, Danny's mother. She sounded hysterical, her voice high and thick, as though she'd been crying.
"Yeah, Mrs. Fenton. What's wrong?"
"Oh, Sam, it's Danny. We haven't seen him in over a day. Do you know where he is?"
"No, I—" she started. Suddenly, though, she gasped and dropped the phone.
She recalled Danny's words from just the other day.
It's Vlad. He's back.
Her eyes widened.
I feel like he has more to come. New technology. New powers.
She slowly brought the phone back to her ear, and, in a trembling voice, said, "Mrs. Fenton, I don't know where your son is. I'm sorry." Then she pressed the 'end' button before she could respond.
Because she knew where Danny was. And it was up to her to save him.
Hey. SO I'm real sorry and such that I haven't updated in, like, a year. I'd be surprised if anyone still reads this. :P But I hope you enjoy it anyway! I promise I'll make these updates more regular.
~dasi