Chapter Five: Captive
Five months…it'd been five months since he last woke up. And how much time had passed before then? Danny struggled in his chains, clenching his teeth and his fists. How much time had passed without him being there for it? And why hadn't Clockwork intervened?
His family…Phantom had avoided the question before. And he'd cut him off every time he tried to explain why he'd split. He was on his knees with the chains binding his arms, legs and neck.
He had no concept of time and here, and his stomach had been rumbling for food for what felt like hours before he finally heard the door open.
"Phantom." Danny looked up at him.
Phantom nodded, shutting the door behind him and carrying food over. "You need to eat. While in the sleep state you didn't have to, but now I must feed you as well as all my other prisoners." He knelt next to him, cutting the meat with the knife and fork.
"…New cape?" Danny said, trying to make conversation.
"Mmhm." Phantom nodded, then held up a piece. "Open your mouth."
Danny parted his lips for the food, grateful for the taste. Phantom watched him chew and swallow it before he got the next piece. Danny again accepted it, the two continuing in this way until the meat was done. Then Phantom was lifting a glass and standing up, tilting Danny's chin up. "Open your mouth." Danny obeyed and soon a sweet white-grape juice was going down his throat, Danny hungrily gripping the glass with his lips as he swallowed.
Then the glass was empty and Phantom was pulling away, kneeling to pick up the dishes. "Phantom." Danny said, looking at him. "Hey, man, I really gotta talk to you…"
"I have nothing to say to you." Phantom said coolly, standing up and leaving, the door opening and closing without his touching it.
Danny sighed, looking down. "Phantom…"
Phantom glanced up from his work, looking towards the wall. He was about time for him to visit his other prisoners, and so he set down his pen and walked out of the room to the cells.
He reached room 05 and opened it, startling the ones inside. "I'm sorry, did I interrupt a moment?" He asked dryly.
"You know we don't feel for each other like that." Sam frowned, moving away from Tucker. "We were just…talking."
"Plotting your umpteenth failure of an escape plan." Phantom said dryly. "I notice you've been actively keeping track of time in the human world." He gestured to the marks on the wall. "Would you like sketchbooks to help you do it better?"
"Phantom, isn't this enough?" Sam got up, wincing when the chain on her ankle tugged as she got to the end of its reach, only a foot from the door. "Please, stop this!"
"Samantha…" He reached out and touched her cheek gently, moving closer to her. "You know better than anyone how much everyone hated me. The only way for me to survive after Daniel rejected me was to take complete control of the human and ghost realms."
A tear slipped down her cheek. "I'm sure he had a good reason…he would never just reject you! Have you even tried just talking to him? It's been three years, Phantom!"
"Not long enough." Phantom murmured, his eyes narrowing. "I haven't made them all bow down in fear."
"You haven't locked up Valerie yet." Sam pointed out.
Phantom chuckled. "And deprive Dan of someone to play with? I also have my games with her sometimes, but he especially loves the challenge. Even at the age of seventeen she's an amazing fighter."
Tucker had been silent until now. "Uh…nice cape, by the way. Dan give it to you?"
"Yes, actually." Phantom smiled and turned around in a circle so he could see it better. "Thank you for noticing, Tucker."
"Listen, uh…" Tucker cleared his throat. "I'd…be willing to be one of your subjects, y'know."
"Tucker!" Sam looked at him.
"We don't have any other choice, Sam." Tucker looked at her. "Unless we want to be in this cell forever, we gotta swear fealty to him."
"Ugh, this is as bad as when you were King Tuck!" She groaned.
Phantom chuckled, recalling that time. "I suppose I could consider your offer, Tucker." He said calmly. "I'll get back to you on that." He stepped out, nodding. "Until next time." He closed the door, ignoring Sam's protests and cries for him to stay and talk more.
His next stop was room 12. He halted outside the door and rubbed the back of his neck, sighing. She was crying again, great. He gripped the doorknob and it unlocked at his touch, allowing him to open it and step inside. "Jasmine?"
"Go away." She said, her voice shaking as she sobbed into her pillow. Each of the rooms had one bed per inhabitant, aside from Danny's room – he didn't feel like giving him a bed.
Phantom sighed and walked over to her bed, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Jasmine." He said calmly, and she froze up at his touch. "Daniel is alive, you know."
"Then why haven't we seen him? Where have you been keeping him?!" She looked at him. "Let me see my brother!" He clung to his suit, tears slipping down her cheeks full of anger and sorrow.
Phantom sighed. "Not yet. He's being punished for disobeying me." He pulled her hands off his suit and held them still. "Do you know why I keep you here, Jasmine?"
She glanced away. "Because…I didn't fire on you, but I also didn't bow down."
He nodded. "Tucker has told me that he would be willing to swear fealty now. What about you?"
She glared at him and pulled her hands free. "Go to hell, Phantom! Get out of my room! I will NEVER serve you!"
Phantom sighed, walking over to the door. "If you insist; I'm sure that a few more years in here will get you to change your mind, though."
"Just go away!" Jasmine cried, throwing something at him. He caught it and looked at it calmly before throwing it back, the object safely landing on the bed. "Ah…"
"You don't want me to destroy the only picture left of your parents." Phantom said, opening the door and walking out, shutting it behind him. He heard her start sobbing behind the door again and walked on.
Meanie-face Phantom! You made Jazz cry!
He's really gotten nasty, hasn't he? ~ Zone