Dani's Debut Part 5
Dani flew away, not really knowing where she was going. A few passing branches scraped her as she flicked in and out of intangibility. As she flew farther away, she kept hearing voices in her head. Images flashed as trees swam in and out of her vision.
"Look, I'm merely concerned for your safety Dani. This whole plan we have going…it could really easily fall apart, that's all." Green slash. Flowing ectoplasm. Danny's smile.
"You think you're strong enough but you're not." The dragon roaring in anger. Her hitting the wall.
"I'm worried about you." Ice encasing its mouth. Green slash.
"You think you're strong enough but you're not!" Danny's smile. His reassurances.
"I don't want you to plunge headfirst into this." Her back hitting the wall. Danny's smile, though his eyes said he was clearly in pain.
"You THINK you're strong enough, but you're NOT!" His anger. At her.
"I know!" Dani shouted, gathering green energy in her palm. She blasted a tree, making a black, charred dent in it. She yelled in pure outrage. She madly started to pound at the tree, punching with every word.
"I. Know. I'm. Not. Strong. Enough. I. Know. I'm. Not. Needed. I. Know. I'm. Not. A. Hero." She thought back to the past battles. Had she done anything Danny couldn't have done without her help?
"Dani!" She realized she had reached the edge. The clouds and sun was shining on her again. She looked about for the voice. Valerie came flying, Tucker hanging for dear life on her board.
"Where's Danny?" Was the first thing out of her mouth, grabbing the girl by the shoulders.
"How should I know! He just yelled at me to get lost, so that's what I'm doing!" She spat. Tucker and Valerie looked at her in shock.
"W-what? Danny would never!" Valeria sputtered. Dani shook her head violently. Tucker groaned. Both girls turned to him.
"Danny wouldn't make you leave unless he was seriously worried. Dani, what happened in there?" He asked, gesturing at the woods. Dani was angered further. They still didn't understand!
"There was some kind of cage! Skulker asked Danny whether he was afraid of any of them or something." She looked away. Valeria clutched her ecto-gun tight.
"Dani, we need answers. Think harder." She demanded. Dani glared at her.
"Look Danielle, I don't know what happened in there, but you gotta understand, the only thing Danny wants is for you to be safe."
"I'm not some weak thing that needs protecting!" Dani burst out.
"But no matter how hard I try, I can't seem to prove it!" She bit her lip. Valerie and Tucker shared a look.
"Dani, you know Danny had problems in the beginning of all this. To be frank, he sucked at it." Dani looked up at Tucker curiously. Valerie nodded.
"I should know, I kicked his butt half of the time because of it." Dani found herself grinning despite herself.
"What's your point?" Valerie sighed. Tucker took over.
"Our point is, Danny wasn't always what you'd call a hero. He was just a half-ghost teenager who was trying to control his powers and failing miserably. Catching ghosts was just a way to practice using those powers. At one point he honestly didn't care if he destroyed anything as long as he got away scot-free." Tucker said, shrugging.
"He was a regular juvenile delinquent I'm sure." Dani said dryly.
Tucker grinned.
"Remind me to tell you of some of our earlier exploits later. Ahem," He coughed at Valerie's glare.
"Danny never felt the need to prove himself as the good guy until it was too late. He was Public Enemy Number One, and I'm pretty sure for a while he was scared that's all he would ever be. He didn't want you to have to go through the same thing, so he kept taking everything on, and, admittedly acting like the hero all the time.
He wasn't showing off Dani, he was trying to protect you. He wanted you to be ready to prove yourself. Maybe he went about it the wrong way." Tucker shrugged.
"'Cause I get now you get the feeling you can't prove yourself." Dani looked away.
"I don't need protecting." Tucker laughed, as did Valerie. Dani glared at them both.
"You still don't get it, do you?" Valerie asked, shaking her head.
"Dani, Danny doesn't protect you because you need protecting, he does it because he wants to protect you. You're his younger sister! For him, he's just fulfilling the role of the older brother." Valerie said, laughing. Dani stared at her, suddenly getting it. The whole reason Danny was always on her case…
Was because he was the older brother.
It was his job.
"He said…" She whispered. Valerie and Tucker stopped laughing.
"He said I wasn't strong enough… He even yelled at me to leave…" Tucker and Valerie immediately sombered.
"He was being serious. More serious than any of those other times." Dani suddenly realized, head jerking up.
"What were the ghosts doing? Think carefully Dani" Tucker asked seriously.
"They had a cage. Ember's guitar was powering it…Technus made some huge speech. And some dude on a big black horse appeared." Tucker paled.
"The Fright Knight?" Dani nodded.
"I think that was his name. He had a huge sword. And that's, that's when Skulker asked him what he feared the most!" Dani remembered. Tucker looked a pasty white.
"I think the Fright Knight did something to the cage…and then the energy started gathering up and turning into some blobby thing."
"Valerie." Tucker croaked. Both looked at him curiously.
"We have to go back and get the others." Valerie frowned.
"Why?"
"Because if what Dani said is true, Danny might be fighting his worst fear right now." Tucker swallowed thickly.
"And I've never known something worse than that fear." The girls exchanged worried glances.
--
"That-That's his fear?" Someone whispered. They all watched, grouped together as the boy quaked beneath the cruel smile of his evil counterpart.
"Kid's creative." Johnny murmured, then winced as he was elbowed by Kitty. Skulker raised an eyebrow, his gaze locked onto the symbol covering Dan Phantom's chest.
"His self in about 10 years time I suppose. But its incredibly realistic. I wonder what our little hero was thinking about when he made this monster." He said curiously. The others nodded.
Dan Phantom's head suddenly snapped towards the ghosts, who found themselves hopping a foot in the air despite themselves. A collective shiver went through them, which both shamed and worried them.
The evil(est) ghost grinned.
"Ahh, it's all our old enemies. How fun it will be to dispose of you all for a second time. Of course, I'll have to take care of the biggest piece of trash first." He threw Danny who slammed solidly into a tree. Red decorated the bark he had hit.
"Dude, the kid's you! You're gonna hurt yourself?" Johnny cackled, finding the situation entertaining.
Dan Phantom spared the ghost a grin.
"Not anymore he isn't." The shiver arose again.
"He's not you? Then who are you?" Spectra said, one hand on her hip and the other pointing at Dan Phantom from top to bottom.
"His nightmare I suppose." Dan shrugged.
"Though it came true in a not-so-distant reality. He lost all those he cared about-"
"Including the goth girl?!" Dan, looking a bit ticked at being interrupted. The ghosts, too shocked that this being existed, even on a different plane, didn't notice.
"Yes, including Samantha. They all died, and the evil in his soul grew until I was produced. It was rather fun, actually." He said, smirking over at them. He gestured at his other half.
"And once I took care of that half, I lost the will to care. Destroying the human world was such fun, though not as fun as destroying your world as well." His eyes flashed with a vicious glee, and for some reason the ghosts couldn't find themselves denying his words. He approached them, and they froze in place, unable to move out of pure fear. It wrapped around them, suffocating them.
Dan smiled, raking his finger along Ember's throat, who seemed paralyzed.
"If I recall, your voice box was right here. It was fairly easy to rip. It. Out."
"Get away from her!" A green blast knocked Dan away from the ghosts, sending him flying back a few feet. Danny rose up, eyes filled with hatred.
The ghosts stared, transfixed and feeling an emotion from their humanity…fear.
And then it was only amplified, only got bigger because he confirmed the fear itself, shaking his head at Ember, horror reflected in his own eyes, a strangled whisper tearing itself from his throat:
"I'm sorry."
And then he was tackled to the ground.
--
Get there in time, Get there in time, Get there in time!
--
Punches are being thrown, he can't recall how to make ectoblasts, his back is slammed into the ground, he kicks and claws and blood is getting in his eyes—
--
Get there in time, Get there in time, get there in time!
--
And the ghosts are staring, he catches glimpses of their faces. Pity? Anger? No laughter as he struggles except for the crackly wailing chuckle-that-is-not-a-chuckle, because he is laughing while he hurts.
--
NO!
--
BAM! And then the cackling stopped abruptly. Danny felt the weight that had been pushing at his chest leave, and he took in great gulps of air, wincing as a sharp pain blossomed in his chest. He swiped at his eyes, getting the blood off his face. It stained his silver glove, making a sparkly red. Suddenly he couldn't breathe again.
"Danny! Danny!" Someone was shaking him, and shaking herself. A small hand grasped his hand, and looked down at the girl-who-was-himself. His lungs opened again.
"Dani." He whispered, getting on his knees and wrapping his arms around her He realized he was trembling too. Danny felt her hazmat suit in his grip, the same kind he was wearing. She was here. She was real. She had gotten rid of the weight.
"Dani." He murmured again, squeezing her tighter.
Footsteps were approaching. Danny felt Dani stiffen, and froze himself as he heard the voice again.
"Now who is this?"
Dani looked down at Danny, whose eyes had gone blank again, except for that overwhelming fear and panic. The kind you saw in a hunted animal. She felt his grip slackening, and got up as Dan approached, standing up and standing in front of her brother. Like a protective shield.
Danny reached for his sister. His mouth opened and closed, trying to get the words to flow, to tell her to run again.
But Dani wasn't going to run anymore. Her eyes pulsed a strong green, in time with her beating heart. Green ectoplasmic energy swirled around her clenched fist.
"I believe I asked a question." Dan Phantom said, smirking, looking no worse for wear.
"Stay away from my brother." She said determinedly. Then she flew at him, ecto-blasts firing.
They made solid contact, and Dan went back again, a sour look crossing his face. He created red energy in his palm and fired at her, and she dodged, speeding up and dodging his grab for her. He caught her leg and threw her, but as she went back she threw more blasts.
Yet again they caught Dan in the chest, and his scowl became more pronounced. He flew at her and she ducked, his hand grazing her head, as she kicked upwards, catching him in the jaw. He let out a howl of outrage, a darklish purple bruise forming. Dani landed on the side of the clearing he had originally been on, confused.
This was the threat?
"Oh lookie here." Dan's voice carried. Dani's eyes widened as she realized her blunder, looking at Dan's hostage. Danny was held by the neck. Obviously terrified, he still fought, kicking and pulling at the hands that held him.
"Leave him alone." Dani grit out. Dan smiled, glad to be in control again.
"Why should I? His fear makes me strong." He inhaled deeply, looking refreshed as he brought Danny closer, who was trying to squirm away, eyes closed tight.
Dani froze, staring at his face. Something was wrong here… "'His fear makes me strong.' Makes me strong…His fear. His fear!"
Her head swung up with a sudden realization. She thought hard, trying to figure out how to get Danny out of Dan's grip as he taunted her coolly.
"Come on Dani, you can do it!" She concentrated. Dan watched her amusedly, absently tightening his chokehold. Danny gasped for air. Dani smirked suddenly.
"What's so funny, if I may ask?" Dan asked, nonchalantly. It didn't matter what she found amusing, she'd be dead soon anyway.
"I guess Jazz won the bet. Life or death experiences are always good for winning bets." She giggled for a second, thinking of the ironic kiss before Danny saved the world.
Dan stared at her with an eyebrow raised.
Dani smiled and waved, and then something burning hit his back and he fell, Danny getting slipped out of his grip.
"Come on!" Another Dani yelled from behind Dan, and Danny and her quickly flew over to the original Dani. The two high-fived, and then she sent her doppelganger to attack Dan. They started to fight.
"Danny, listen." Dani said urgently, grabbing her cousin. Danny turned to her, fear faintly showing in his eyes. He was trying to be strong for her.
"The big dude, Dan, he's not you!"
Danny shook his head. "That's what everyone says." He mumbled.
"No! Not I mean he's really not you! He isn't even Dan Phantom! He's just a fear of yours, created by the cage thingy!" Danny looked at her, bemused.
"He feeds off you fear. Before, when I was fighting him, he was weaker, but when he caught you again, he got stronger and the bruise on his face disappeared!" Indeed, the purple mark was gone from Dan's face. Danny's eyes dawned with understanding.
"But…I can't make myself unafraid of him Dani…you don't know what the real one's done…they look so alike." His voice faltered. Dani shook her head.
"I'm not asking you to. Do what Jazz taught us, you know, the breathing exercise. Just keep repeating 'He is not real. He does not exist.' Don't look at him. If you try to calm yourself down, maybe I can take him on." She winced, her double taking twisting her ankle.
Danny nodded, looking tired and serious.
"I'll try." She turned. "Dani, wait!" She turned back. He smiled softly.
"Thanks. And what about I said earlier, I didn't-"
"I know." She grinned. "I may not be all that strong…" She smirked.
"But I'm strong enough to take care of you when you need me, Danny." She grinned, then flew at Dan. Danny closed his eyes and concentrated, repeating the mantra over and over again.
"He is not real. He does not scare me. He does not exist. He is not real. He does not exist. He does not scare me."
Dani flew at the ghost, ramming him full in the stomach. Dan gasped, and growled, grabbing the girl and squeezing. Her double kicked at his head from behind, and he released her, roaring in rage. His palms glowed strongly, then suddenly decreased in size. He looked down, confused, then looked towards Danny.
Realizing what he was doing, he flew at the boy, but Dani blocked him, throwing ectoblasts. He phased through them, grunting, throwing smaller ones back at her. She went intangible, then threw more.
He caught them this time, unable to phase. He cursed, and Dani punch him. He caught her wrist, and shot her double away.
"Freeze!" Dan growled, but stopped as he saw Tucker, shaking, but holding a Fenton Weasel. Dani grinned, using her free hand to blast at Dan, who dropped her with a yell and gripped his face.
"Now Tucker!" She yelled. He flipped the switch to 'Suck' and turned the Weasel on. It grabbed Dan, who resisted. He glanced at Danny, and using a small ectoblast, shot at the boy. Danny looked up at the same time Dani caught the blast with a small shield.
"Don't stop!" She grunted. He faltered.
"We're hear for you Danny!" Danny looked up at Tucker, who was holding the Weasel, nodding at him. Valerie came forth too, grabbing Tucker around the middle to keep him steady. Dani gave him a strained smile. He nodded back and smiled determinedly. He whispered his mantra again.
"NO!" Dan shouted. He morphed, changing, turning into a spinning red globe of energy, then black as the Weasel started to suck it in. A storm-like roar was heard as it disappeared inside the vacuum. A cage hit the grass.
Everything quieted.
Dani dropped to the grass, relieved. Tucker turned the Weasel off, turning in Valerie's grip and kissing her out of excitement. She looked shocked, then relaxed. Dani smiled and tapped Danny on the shoulder, who looked worn out. She pointed towards the scene, and Danny chuckled, shaking his head. He ruffled her hair, and she scowled, then reached out and ruffled his, much to his amusement.
And then they started to laugh.
A ruffling noise alerted them to the ghosts, and they stood, Tucker and Valerie joining, staring back at the ghosts who stood staring back.
A noise behind them alerted them to the landing of a vehicle, but they didn't turn around. Sam, Jazz, Maddie and Jack ran out of the Specter Speeder and up to them, all armed. The whole of Team Phantom stood together, staring defiantly at the ghosts.
"Well?" Dani asked.
"Whatcha gonna do?" Danny asked. They stood together in the center, standing strong, arms crossed.
Skulker took a step forward, but was restrained by his girlfriend. He glanced down at her. Her face, paler than usual, was tight. She shook her head. He looked confused, but she shook her head again.
"Another day." She croaked. The other ghosts looked visibly shaken as well.
Skulker paused. Then he stared at Danny with a promise in his eyes.
"Another day child." And then the ghosts turned and disappeared.
Dani felt Danny put his arm around her shoulder, looking to be supportive but in actually leaning on her, shaking ever so slightly. She grinned up at him, and he grinned back.
"I get it now." She whispered.
"You tried to be the hero for me too, Danny." He opened his mouth to protest but she glared at him and he shut up. She continued.
"But what you didn't get is I'm am too. A hero. Except I'm supposed to be the hero for you as well." She smiled up at him, happy. He thought about it.
"Okay then Dani. Let's keep each other strong." He stuck out a hand and she shook it. The others, witnessing the scene, smiled as well.
Maddie gasped suddenly, catching the sight of red flecks in her son's hair. She and Jazz approached at the same time. Jazz let Maddie check him over, despite his protests, then grinned at all of them a little uncharacteristically.
"Well then!" She pointed at Dani's double, then turned to Tucker and Sam.
"I believe I won that bet. Pay up." She smirked, and Tucker groaned while Sam rolled her eyes. Dani winced.
"Actually about that…" Everyone turned to her.
"I made the double and everything but…how do I make it go back?"
They froze. Then they laughed.
--
THE NEXT DAY
Dani smiled as she made her way to her desk. Danny saluted at the class, still dropping her off despite the bandages peeking out from under his hair, all wrapped around his head several times, and the large one going straight across his forehead, another on his wrist, and dark blackish-purple bruises on his neck, indicated his near strangling.
The students tried not to stare, and Dani and Danny didn't blame them. They saw their hero saving the world and everyone in it, but he never stuck around long enough for them to see the consequences of those actions.
Dani herself had a bandage wrapped around her ankle, and a bandage going across her cheek, several bruises on her arms too.
After reassuring Ms. Sanderson both himself and Dani were being well-taken care of by the Fentons, he flew off, winking at his sister. Dani grinned, then couldn't resist yelling out,
"Get that girl to kiss it better!" She caught a glimpse of Danny's face flush red as he disappeared through the ceiling, knowing full well who she meant. And though several asked, she didn't tell them who.
Gabriella stared at her for a long time, though Dani didn't notice, even after class had started.
A news report had been done on them, after they had made their way out of the woods. Helicopters took pictures of the Specter Speeder, managing to get some shots of Maddie treated Danny's wounds as well as wrapping the bandage around Dani's ankle. It had given a whole new perspective on the situation, the reporters said, to see that the Phantoms were not as invincible as thought to be.
The day progressed, and Dani, Lily, Kevin, and Alex had hung out as per usual. At the end, in homeroom, Dani got a call Danny would be a little late.
Making her way down the empty hallway afterschool, she strained to hear the sounds of Kevin's guitar, having forgotten the location of the club. She sighed, walking aimlessly, until she heard the sounds of giggles.
"Even with the bandages, he still looked pretty hot!" Some more giggles sounded, and Dani sighed, rolling her eyes. More Phantom Phans. Whee.
She turned to leave the hallway when she heard a familiar voice.
"Well I gotta say, Dani is a lot like her older brother." Gabriella. Dani ducked around the bend as the footsteps got louder. She peeked and saw them standing at the water fountain. Gabriella took a drink then finished her thought.
"I mean, they have the same hair, the same eyes, as to be expected, I guess." The girls nodded, eager to listen to their leader.
"But then they have the same laugh, the same grin, even-" Her noise wrinkled in disgust.
"The same jumpsuit. That's just freaky." Dani froze as the girls kept walking. They came her way, but she couldn't move. She stared. As they walked past her, straight ahead instead of turning the corner and finding Dani, Gabriella uttered one last sentence,
"It's like she's his clone or something." As she said it, she glanced back out of the corner of her eye and smirked. The enthusiastic high-pitched laughter faded slowly away as they walked farther and farther away.
But Dani remained transfixed. She stared ahead, expression frozen on her face, eyes not seeing.
And halfway across town, an oblivious halfghost smiled happily as his girlfriend kissed his forehead, troubles long gone.
FIN
I've realized it's been a year since I started this fic. There's nothing I can say to express how sorry I am, especially to those people who keep urging me to continue and tell me they enjoy reading it so much. Thank you guys! Go ahead and describe how much you want to torture me (painfully bludgeon me, etc.) go ahead, describe in detail. You deserve it. But as a guilty, selfish person, I'd appreciate reviews. I know, I'm horrible. Thanks for reading! The next episode will begin soon (check the episode list for a summary!) : ) Happy holidays!
Artgirl4