Danny took a deep breath and stared down his parents fiercely, determined to change their minds in not splitting him open. It was now or never.
"Mom, Dad. You have to listen to me, I really am your son. I know I don't look like it, but there was an accident in the lab a long time ago and I got zapped by our Ghost Portal and I acquired ghost powers."
The two didn't look at him but listened, he knew they were used to ghosts trying to bribe their way out of experimentation, and usually ignored their protests, he was prepared for this. Still the two didn't make eye contact and when Danny stopped speaking they spoke quietly to each other, discussing which more of the proper tools to use, but the rest was almost inaudible, which confused Danny, he a part ghost was able to have stronger hearing than a humans, but he couldn't hear them and it was never an issue before, did I take in some damage? He wondered.
He glanced at the other Phantom, who had his his eyes on him the whole time, arms folded and smiled evilly.
"Don't mind me, I just love watching you fail." He taunted.
He's probably blocking me somehow, doesn't mean I won't quit.
He continued on.
"Come on Phantom, we've been through this, nothing you say can fool us. You're a disgusting evil ghost that deserves to get what he needs." His mother said.
"But what you're doing Mom, is just as evil. If you do this you're going to regret it forever."
Maddie went over to him, and punched him, Danny groaned, his bottom lip was torn and his green blood started to bleed through.
"Don't ever call me mother, I am not your flesh and blood." She hissed.
other Phantom chuckled, enjoying the scene.
Danny once again held back the urge to cry. He could not give up yet. He flinched his head up, something was hurting...
My neck hurts, why? Because of the punch and it twisted my muscles? No, hang on...
A grin spread across his face, and he looked at Dark Phantom, which he noticed he didn't have his attention on Danny at the moment, if he did, he would've been seen as suspicious and this next idea would not work if he was spotted.
I know what to do next! He thought excitedly.
"Hey you! Come here." He whispered to him.
Dark Phantom returned his attention back, one eyebrow raised in curiosity, he remained glued to where he was, but he was able to get him to look at him.
"I have a question for you, can you come here?" He asked nicely, he needed to in order to not look shady.
"Tch, what?" Dark Phantom walked closer, frowning.
"Remember earlier when you grabbed my throat? Has it already started to bruise?"
Dark Phantom unfolded his arms to lean closer, Danny raised his chin to let him see better.
"Yep, it has, your skin is turning green," His frown went deeper, "Why do you want to know?"
"Big mistake, dude." Danny smiled cockily.
"What? What are you talking about-?" He stammered.
"Now tell me this, does it look like the shape of a hand-print?" He asked.
He didn't answer, Danny saw his fists were shaking and he bit his lip and he glared lightly at him. From what Jazz had taught him in criminal psychology, these were signs of denial, he saw his eyes go in different directions, avoiding Danny's gaze. This, was a sign of lying, and when someone needed to lie, they completely avoid eye contact all together.
"Ah, don't answer that, I think I know."
"Just what are you trying to do?" Dark Phantom glared his eyes at him, they turned red for a few seconds.
"You're going down this time." Danny said confidently. Then he looked at his parents.
"Hey! I need your help with something!" He yelled.
Jack and Maddie looked at him, surprised by his odd question, Jack sighed, seeming to give in, not going to ignore him this time.
"Yes, what is it, Phantom?" The heavier mans boots echoed in the room, coming closer to where Danny was being hung. He looked at him with suspicion, but overall boredom was painted on his face.
"Can you do me a small favor? Your quote on quote, "son" over there, bring him closer and have him put his hand on my neck? you see, I have a bruise that's the shape of a hand-print, he gave me that bruise." He said diligently.
Dark Phantom could only watch in realization of what was he was plotting, and what he was going to have Jack do, he stared at them in shock.
"If I were to do what you say, what are you trying to prove exactly?" Jack asked, curiosity was beginning to pang in him but he kept it hidden.
"That I am your son, and he isn't." He looked at his father with fiery confidence.
"Jack, don't listen to-" Maddie warned, but he cut her off, with just holding up one hand and didn't look at her, he sighed.
"Well very well then; it's not like you can escape if you're up to something anyways." He pointed out, and looked at the other Danny...Who was sweating profusely...what?
"Son? Are you alright? You don't look well-"
"S-stay away! I don't don't want to touch that ghost, man!" He cried.
This caught Maddie's attention, and stood alongside her husband, concerned and confused.
"Honey, what's wrong? If your father needs you to do this, despite this ghost's request, you have to listen to him." She instructed firmly but in a sweet tone.
"NO! I WONT DO IT!" Dark Phantom shouted, so loud it echoed in the room, making his parents step back a few steps, shocked by his outburst.
Danny was watching smiling, he knew he hadn't won just yet, but it was going in his favor so far, he just needed his hand and this would be done with.
Jack sighed. "What is the deal, son? It won't hurt you."
His father grabbed his arm and pulled him closer to Danny, he struggled and tried to pry his bigger and gloved hand,
"No you idiot! You don't understand! this evil ghost is trying to trick you and kill you!"- he growled, furious.
Jack paused, and looked at him in dismay. He was not happy, but angry.
"What?" Dark Phantom spat.
"Did you just called me an "idiot?" You and I, will have a talk about this when this is over, no son of mine ever insults me like that, am I clear?!" He used a grave tone.
Danny knew that was a horrible move on his part. He knew, and even his dad was aware he wasn't the most smartest person in the family and didn't care if someone called him stupid, but when it was a family member, he would scold them.
"Please Dad, don't do this!" He whined, he knew he was in deep water and was losing by every second. What now?! if I get closer to him, I'm finished!
"Now you know my pain, monster." Danny mumbled.
"Enough! You do as I say and now give me your hand!" Jack ordered.
"Ugh!" He grunted.
Jack roughly lifted his arm and picked him up by the waist, adjusting his arm and grip around him and pulled him towards his own waist and moved the other hand to his wrist.
"Phantom, lift your chin up."
Danny didn't need to be told twice, he did immediately, before Jack finished his sentence. His father moved Dark Phantom's palm to his neck and touched the bruised skin.
After a moment of looking, it was a match.
"Funny, the hand-print is the exact shape and size." Jack confirmed.
His mother's attention was full on all of them, mouth gaping.
"So what does this prove, Phantom?"
"He and I had a fight, he choked me and it did this, he hurt me Dad!" Danny pleaded, with a half-fake pathetic child voice. Then he winked one eye at his enemy.
"I will kill you for this!" Dark Phantom snarled.
Jack set him down, his "son's" voice scared and threw him off guard, that alone gave him a feeling something was not right with it or him. He backed away, cautiously.
"You guys are insane, letting this ghost trick you, that bruise means nothing!" He protested.
"Then explain, why and what kind of ghost would give itself a bruise like that? And what other person's hand would match it?" Maddie said upfront, her suspicion was rising.
Dark Phantom only growled and glared at them, and at Danny. He knew he lost, and drooped his head in defeat.
"Now do you believe me?" Danny asked, nervously, not sure of what they'd do next.
Jack pulled out an ecto-gun and pointed it at his enemy, Dark Phantom.
"I've got this." Jack insured.
Maddie dropped her tough expression and it softened as she turned to look at Danny.
"Who are you? Are you really...?" She asked tenderly.
"I'm sorry for not ever telling you, because of this, it's why I didn't." Danny answered shamefully.
"Don't listen to him! He's a MONSTER! HE'S GOING TO KILL YOU!" Dark Phantom cried, Danny could very clearly hear the desperation and fear in his voice.
Both adults looked at him with spite. That look, to Dark Phantom, he knew he had lost and trying to further convince them otherwise would fail.
"'The one and only monster there is in this room...is you..." Danny hissed, his eyes glowed brightly green.
"Danny?" Maddie turned her head to look at him, she was amazed, and many other emotions stirred in her, and didn't know what to say.
"Mom, Dad, move aside and get to the walls...what I'm about to do might injure you... and cover your ears!" He looked at them both, putting weight in every word he said.
They did as they were told and hurried quickly to the furthest wall of the lab.
"When this is over, I'm really going to kill you." Dark Phantom's eyes went red, and smiled evilly.
"My turn first!" Danny declared,
He took the deepest breath imaginable, and a strong, massive vibrating wail came from his chest, green waves came spewing out, hitting the walls, knocking over weaponry and tools off the tables. Dark Phantom covered his ears, couldn't stand up straight, he had his eyes shut and tried to walk towards Danny in attempt to stop him, but to no avail. He lost his footing and fell over, Danny kept going; and Dark Phantom fell backwards and was on the floor motionless.
Danny ran out of energy and air and stopped, breathing heavily, despite the constraints prickling and electrocuting his body, two bright rings lit, and he reverted to his human form, and passed out.
Smoke and debris was everywhere, equipment and tools clinked to the floor. Jack was shielding Maddie with his body, both pressed against the walls.
Danny gasped, waking up, seeing himself in his normal white and red shirt and jeans. He smiled, exhausted. But he knew it was over. He looked to see the other Danny who was still not moving, but he could see he had his black and white haz-mat suit back on and white hair. His parents had yet to notice.
"Danny, what was that? that extremely loud moan?!" Jack asked, coughing out dust from his mouth.
"Ghost Wail." He replied tiredly.
"For goodness sakes, let's un-strain him!" Maddie demanded, tears were threatening to about to break out.
She pressed a button on a panel, the green straps on Danny's wrists and ankles disappeared, and he fell to the floor, he was ready and landed on both feet then his palms but then on his knees, still tired from the previous attack.
I got him down, but why aren't they gone? if this is some other illusion I wouldn't be still seeing them, is it not over...?
So many other questions weighed on Danny's mind and he knew they couldn't be answered.
Silent Hill is seriously messed up. Danny chuckled to himself.
Danny? are you really our Danny?" Maddie knelt to him, putting her hand on his back.
He looked at her, tears had started to stream down her cheeks and she wrinkled her nose, she wiped them away and put the other hand on his face gently.
"Why did you not tell us?" Jack asked him, sounding disheartened.
"I was afraid that you'd hate me or hunt me down for it, simple as that." Danny said sadly. "But what I really want to ask both of you, why are you still here and I can see you?"
Both parents looked at each other confused,
"What do you mean?" Maddie asked.
"You shouldn't exist, this whole lab, everything in it and including you..I'm trapped inside a video game that plays with your mind, and nothing makes sense in it and neither do any of you."
"Then what about us?"
Danny flinched at the sound of a peculiar female voice, he turned to the left. There was Sam, arms folded and smiling. And beside her, Tucker and Jazz.
"Guys?! How did-?" Danny shook his head, and made a glare at them, he wasn't sure if his evil self was doing this or the game, now paranoia was growing in him.
"Danny." Sam said softly, she walked and jumped over the fallen debris and equipment, the other two copying her.
"No, all of you keep away from me." Danny warned, backing away from them and further away from his parents, fists held up and his ecto energy flared.
"Honey, it's alright..." His mother said sweetly, she took off her hood and goggles, revealing her lavender eyes.
"Please just don't..."Danny started, but was cut off buy a choking hug from Maddie.
"It's alright. We're not here to play tricks on you or hurt you. Much less experiment on you...I am so sorry I hit you earlier and I regret it with every fiber of myself...what kind of mother am I to hit my own child..."
Danny let his arms drop, stunned; then he wrapped them around her. The feeling of crying was coming...I don't need to cry, I've already done enough of it, but just...then he cried silently, letting the tears fall from his face to his mother's shoulder.
"Can I stay here? I was so afraid, ...I'm tired of being trapped...and everyday I was scared you would do something horrible to me because of my powers...but was my fear just blinding me and didn't let me see...He trailed off, his voice breaking in between soft sobs.
Everyone said nothing and let them cry in silence, then Sam spoke up;
"We know, in a way." Sam walked up, smiling at him, "We'll disappear, and you have to fight that evil jerk over there,"-She pointed her thumb to the unconscious Phantom, "But yeah, Danny..."
Maddie let go of him, rubbing her face to dry her tears. Sam took his hands gently into his, blue eyes meeting purple ones, she put her forehead against his. Danny recognized her scent, it was so real.
"...We are both real and fake. We're a part of your heart that you've blocked from your senses...this game was trying to help you see that"... She said assuredly.
"A part of my heart?" Danny said softly in awe.
"Yeah. That's how your other self became, he lost all his love and sanity and became evil...he was blinded by fear and self-hatred..you can prevent this from happening to your own self, just keep fighting him and come home."
"And, we've got your back, ...here." Tucker said, he pulled something out of his pocket, as well as Jazz and Sam all at once.
All three pulled out something, and Danny gasped
"Are those...?! Are those the missing picture pieces?" He asked happily, touching and gently grasping them.
"Yep, he had them pretty well hidden." Tucker said, eyeing other Danny and giving him a stink look, and stuck out his tongue, but hoped no one saw that out of embarrassment.
"Putting them together will destroy this nightmare and you can finally go home."Jazz told him, tightly gripping her brother's hands. "We're all counting on you, lil brother." She smiled, and her teal eyes sparkled.
Danny smiled. He felt so much more at ease. They were real. Not a dream, or trick, or dead. Being close to Sam and smelling the scent of her was proof of everything.
I was suppressing myself, and fear got the best of me; now all that's left is...
Danny looked to the fallen evil Phantom, who was slowly getting back up, groaning.
"Go, and kick his butt!" Sam cheered.
"And Danny, out there..." Jack spoke, putting his hands on Maddie and Danny's shoulder, "Tell us the truth, whenever you feel ready..."
Suddenly the walls and floor started to shake...and blood started to drip down them as well. Danny looked at his enemy, his eyes were even more blood red with fury, ready for the kill. Then Danny looked behind him, ...everyone was gone.
"If I can't kill you from the inside, I'll just do with my own two hands." Dark Phantom hissed with pleasure.
Danny transformed, the rings were not smooth rounded like normal, but they lit up and blazed like fire, matching his inner emotions: pain, determination, and anger.
The final battle for his life was about to start as well as the fight to prevent the end of the world from such a bloodthirsty ghost.