Sorry, guys, but this chapter did not want to be written. I lost track of how many times I had to rewrite it all-and it still didn't turn out the way I had hoped.
To the (wow, there's a lot of you!) reviewers:
My family and I are going on vacation today (and I'm still behind on my packing-procrastination is more evil than texting!) so I don't have time to reply to all of you at the moment. But I recently found out I'm not supposed to write replies here, anyway, so I'm going to start replying by PM. It'll be a lot easier in the long run (because I'll reply after every review rather than waiting until I finish a chapter) and it'll also help me with my fears of conversation-I'm shy and try to avoid conversation sometimes, so I'm not very good at replying to PM's (as some of you have probably noticed...).
So, yeah, thanks for reviewing! You have no idea how much it meant to me!
I don't own Danny Phantom. And as always, thanks to my beta dragondancer123.
Let me know if Vlad feels IC...he was really difficult to write...
Chapter 8
Lie to the Camera
Danielle checked to make sure the camera was safely out of sight—if Lance decided to walk through the walls, things could get troublesome—and was disturbed to find the other ghosts in the room watching her with an almost creepy sort of anticipation.
The ghost girl put her hands on her hips and raised one eyebrow. "Ever heard of a little thing called privacy?"
The tailor ghosts cleared their throats and went back to work, but Danny's enemies continued to watch her. Dani petulantly stuck her tongue at them, earning a few snorts. She turned on her heel, and changed forms. She could still feel the stares, but ignored them in favor of the slight tingle the rings invoked whenever she activated the transformation.
Now human, Dani stepped through the door of Danny's temporary bathroom. Danny—thankfully still wearing his boxers—was inspecting the strangely shaped bathtub. The Ghost Zone had a different bathing system than Earth, so he was probably trying to figure out how to turn the water on.
In the meantime, his guard was down and he wasn't paying any attention at all to his surroundings. Dani smirked and called out sweetly, "Knock, Knock."
"Gyaah!" Danny screamed and overbalanced, falling into the tub. The teen hero sat up and glared at his snickering cousin, but before he could begin yelling, the tub sensors reacted to his ecto signature and switched the water on. Nozzles all along the walls of the bathtub began spraying Danny from all sides.
Dani tried to hold it in. Really she did. But the sight of her original-slash-cousin sputtering and trying in vain to escape the onslaught of water proved too much for her. She burst out laughing.
Danny finally managed to form a sort of ghost-powered dome, protecting him from the raining water. He quickly and carefully climbed out of the tub, allowing the dome to dissipate. As soon as he was out, the water shut off, leaving one very angry, very embarrassed halfa to stand dripping on the marble flooring. He glared at his clone, who was rolling around on the floor holding her stomach and crying tears of mirth.
"Are you done yet?" he asked her.
Dani rubbed tears out her eyes and toned down her laughing. When she could see again, she focused on Danny. If she was a fangirl of his, she would have been rendered speechless.
But she wasn't a fangirl. She was his clone, his cousin at heart. She didn't see a half naked ghost boy glowing in the dim bathroom light. She saw was her cousin, looking like a drowned rat.
She laughed even harder than before.
Danny's cheeks became redder, but he tried to hide it by scowling. "What are you doing in here, Danielle?" he demanded, hoping to divert attention away from his… mishap. "Ever heard of a little thing called privacy?"
Dani giggled a little longer before she got to her feet. She kept her gaze a little to the right of Danny, knowing she wouldn't be able to control herself if she faced him head on. Even with that precaution, it was hard not to replay the whole incident in her head and crack up again.
"I'm sorry, Danny," she said, unable to keep the mirth from her voice.
"Yeah, you should be! What if I was…you know, naked?"
Dani raised an eyebrow. "I'm your clone, Danny."
Danny sputtered, waving his hands around chaotically. "Yeah, my girl clone!"
She was about to point out that she was there when Vlad was creating other, male clones, but decided for the sake of Danny's blood pressure, she would keep that to herself.
Danny sighed, running a hand through his wet hair. "Was there something you needed, Dani?"
"Oh yeah!" Dani's mirth vanished, and with it her fear of looking at Danny again without bursting into giggles. "I just thought you should know that weather guy was kicked out of the Lady's Hairdresser's workroom." Danny groaned, face-palming. "What made you think bringing a human—much less a human with a camera—here would be such a good idea, anyway?"
Danny shook his head. "It wasn't my idea. Skulker and the others used him as leverage to get me here."
"Then it's your fault he's here in the first place!" she accused. "The poor guy looks terrified!"
Danny ran his hands through his hair in agitation. "I know! But there's nothing I can do about it now! Even if the ghosts were willing to let me drive him back, the guy wants to tape the whole wedding."
"Well then, we'll just have to make sure he stays out of trouble," Dani reasoned.
Her cousin shook his head. "Easier said than done, Dani. With that camera, all my enemies will be trying to get back at me by blowing my secret." He began pulling at his hair in frustration. "Urgh! I don't have time for this stupid game of dress-up!"
Dani made soothing motions with her hands. "Easy there, Danny. Your fanbase will take a major nosedive if you start going bald." He glared her and she smiled. "Look, I'll just keep an eye on him until Lady Hairdresser finishes with you. I can keep those monkeys off him, no sweat!"
Danny inhaled and then exhaled slowly, closing his eyes. When he opened them again, they seemed calmer and less intense. "Alright. I'm counting on you, Dani."
She waved her hand, as if the whole situation was no big deal. "Yeah, yeah. It's my secret too, you know." She smiled at him. "See you in a bit, Cuz."
She left the bathroom, stepping through the door again as if it was made of nothing. She felt the stares migrate back to her and all conversation ceased. Dani rolled her eyes as she transformed into her ghost half. The ghosts' eyes followed the rings of light with interest, though she was sure they had seen Danny do it a thousand times…
"What?" she finally asked them.
The ghosts didn't answer at first, but then Ember asked, "So you and the dipstick are related?"
Dani frowned at her. "He's my cousin."
"I heard—" Ember was cut off by loud barking outside the workroom, followed closely by a very human scream.
"Sounds like the mutt found the Ghost Child's pet human," Skulker remarked, smirking.
Dani sighed. "Duty calls," she muttered to herself.
She flew over to the opposite door and took the long way out—opening it manually like a normal, un-hybrid-ish person.
Danielle wasn't an experienced fighter like Danny; she couldn't take in a dangerous situation and respond to it within five point two seconds. It takes a while for her brain to process all the information and come to a course of action. It took even longer if a detail derails the whole process.
In the span of opening the door and stepping into the waiting room, Dani took in the situation. Cujo—Danny's usually cute puppy—had transformed into a giant, angry dog. The worker/temporary dog-sitter, was currently cowering in a corner, staring at the large dog in horror. Lance Thunder had fallen on his bottom, but he was still recording the ferocious ghost. Dani would have applauded his commitment to his short-term job as a cameraman, if the camera wasn't a blurred shape within his shaking hands.
At this point, the Dani's thought process was derailed because standing in front of Lance in a possible imitation of a shield…was Vlad Plasmius.
The sight of her 'father' made Dani's inner alarm system start buzzing like a hive of angry bees. Logically, she knew Vlad would make an appearance at the wedding. She wasn't surprised by his presence. It was his actions that had her freaking out and going into panic mode.
Looking good for the camera was his game. He lived to manipulate and thrived on deception. His actions made it clear. He wanted to appear the good guy in Amity Park's eye.
The only question now was why.
Dani shook off her paralysis. Now really isn't the time, she reminded herself. She stepped further into the room and called, "Cujo!"
Cujo's ears pricked at the sound of her voice. He faltered for a second before snarling at Vlad again. He would have stopped immediately if Danny had called him, and while Dani sounded like him to some degree, the guard dog wasn't going to let up on Danny's archenemy until he received the command from Danny himself.
Feeling slightly inadequate, Dani nevertheless floated over to Cujo and began scratching behind his ears. She had seen humans do that with their pets before, and was hoping the technique would work on ghost dogs too.
Cujo's growls hitched to a stop, a low, confused whine taking their place. He turned his head slightly, trying to catch Dani's scent without taking his eyes off Vlad.
"Hey, boy," Dani whispered into the ear she was scratching, "it's alright. Danny will be here in a bit. He'll deal with the frootloop then, okay? It's alright. Shh."
Cujo, either satisfied by Dani's scent or the sound of Danny's name, gave Vlad one last warning growl before he lay down on the ground. He rested his massive head on equally massive paws and watched Vlad with unblinking red eyes. Even laying down he was taller than Dani.
Danielle stepped a few paces away, seeing if he would attack Vlad once he was given his space. Cujo didn't even twitch.
Sighing, Dani finally faced the two adults and was shocked to see Vlad offering his hand to Lance. Even worse, Lance grabbed the offered appendage without any hesitation and then Vlad proceeded to lift Lance back onto his feet. Dani's jaw nearly dislocated when Vlad began to brush imaginary dust off Lance's suit, murmuring quietly to the human. Lance smiled at Vlad. His shaking gone and all signs of fear nonexistent. The human was completely at ease around the evil ghost! Even more so than when he was around Danny!
"Did I miss something here?" Dani shouted, throwing her arms up in the air.
The adults looked at her in surprise. Vlad gave a long-suffering sigh and whispered something to Lance that caused the human to chuckle. Chuckle!
"What is going on here?" she demanded.
Vlad smiled tolerantly at her—as if he was humoring her. "Relax, Danielle. Everything is fine."
"Everything is not fine!" Dani pointed at Lance then at Vlad, back to Lance, and then to Vlad again. "You—you brainwashed him! You must have! Don't listen to him Mr. Thunder! He's a crazy old guy in desperate need of a cat!"
Vlad and Lance laughed. Cujo rumbled deep in his chest, and Dani found herself agreeing with the sentiment. She felt awfully faint. In fact, she swayed a little on her feet.
Vlad sprung forward, steadying her with a hand on her elbow. His fast movement made Cujo snap his head up and begin growling again. Vlad threw Cujo a quick glare and a very quiet, "Oh, hush!" before giving Dani a concerned look. Ha!
"Are you alright, my dear?" he asked her just loud enough, she suspected, for the camera and Lance to hear.
Dani wrenched her arm out of Vlad's grip, giving him a hateful look. "Fine, Frootloop." She didn't care if the camera heard her or not. The creep was obviously in the middle of a scheme, and Dani was done with his evil plots.
Vlad sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He looked over his shoulder at Lance. "Would you give us a minute, Lance?"
Dani felt like screaming. They're on a first name basis?
Lance looked uncertainly at Cujo, but he nodded. He walked a few steps away—far enough away to give them some privacy but close enough to still be protected. The weatherman turned the camera around and began speaking to the lens.
Dani poked Vlad in the chest, drawing his attention back to her. "Alright, what are you trying to pull, Plasmius? There's no way you could have gotten that man's trust in just ten minutes." Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What did you do?"
Vlad rolled his eyes—or seemed to. It's hard to tell without pupils. "Daniel always assumed the worst of me too..."
Dani's hands fisted at her sides. "I'm not Danny. Answer the question!"
"I merely told Lance I was Daniel's father."
"YOU WH—" Vlad clapped a hand over her mouth, muffling her screech of disbelief. Cujo growled a warning, but both half ghosts ignored him.
"Quiet!" Vlad hissed.
"Whu shud uih?" Dani knocked Vlad's hand away from her mouth. "Why should I? Danny's going to be furious when he finds out! Now I have to—"
"Daniel will never know and you don't have to do anything." Vlad wiped his hand against his dress pants, making a face. "Spitting when you talk is very unbecoming, young lady."
Dani sneered at him. "'He'll never know?' I knew you were crazy, Vlad, but this is taking things a bit far, don't you think? How do you expect to keep it from him, exactly?"
Vlad smiled. "With your help, of course."
Dani sputtered, but in the end, there was only one way to respond. "…Frootloop!"
Vlad pursed his lips, but allowed the hated nickname to pass…for the moment. "Daniel and I have many enemies in the Ghost Zone—enemies who wouldn't think twice about revealing our secret to national television. With Daniel occupied at the moment, the camera is left wide open for any ghost to come and cause trouble for us all—including you."
"So?" Dani asked. "I can protect Mr. Thunder all by myself. I've gotten stronger since Danny stabilized me, you know!"
Vlad smiled patronizingly at her. "Strength has no standing today, girl. Protecting Lance will take a silver tongue and the ability to manipulate conversation. Daniel has already said too much, and if I leave you two with this responsibility, we'll be exposed by tomorrow!"
Dani crossed her arms and scowled up at the man. She hated to admit it, but he was right. Protecting their secret will be a battle of words, not strength…and she and Danny weren't very good at that kind of battle. "Alright, so we could use your help. But why tell everyone you're Danny's father?"
"Well, my dear, in case you haven't noticed, I'm not a very trustworthy looking ghost."
Dani rolled her eyes. "Oh, I noticed."
Vlad sighed in a long-suffering way. "I needed to earn the weatherman's trust, and in order to do that, I had to fabricate a connection between young Daniel and myself."
"And you couldn't just say you were his uncle because…?"
Vlad smiled viciously, his fangs flashing. "If I'm going to lie, I might as well make it interesting."
Dani frowned, chewing on her lip. She glanced at Lance, then back to her 'father'. "Danny's not going to like this."
"Daniel doesn't need to know until after the wedding, when the truce is over."
She tilted her head to the side and smirked. "Meanwhile, all of Amity Park thinks you're his dad, and even if he tries to deny it later, they'll doubt him."
Vlad smirked back at her. "Clever girl."
"However, if he finds out during the wedding and your argument is caught on camera…"
"If Daniel finds out, there won't be an argument, Danielle," Vlad said seriously, "there will be a fight." He gave her a considering look. "You don't want to tarnish his reputation in front of Amity Park by informing him of my deception before the truce is lifted, do you?"
Dani gaped at him, disbelief written across her face.
He smirked. "Can I rely on your assistance once more, my girl?"
Dani looked down at his offered hand, chewing her lip uncertainly.
Valerie was confused. And with Lance droning on about donations—so they could hire an actual full-time ghost reporter, please, please, please donate—and other boring concerns, she had the chance to sort her thoughts without worrying about missing valuable information. She glanced at her father and pouted. It would be a lot easier if she could write her thoughts down…
Damien placed his hands on his knees and stood up. Valerie raised an eyebrow, earning a soft chuckle from her father. "I'll be right back with some snacks. I'm starving! I don't know how you teenagers do it!" He walked into the kitchen, humming a tune to himself.
Valerie watched him go. When he rounded the corner, she leaped for her pad and pencil and began scribbling notes so fast the words were barely legible.
'Vlad Plasmius, aka, Vlad Masters claims to be Danny Phantom's father. As unbelievable as that sounds, I can't dismiss this information without first considering the facts.
Fact 1: Phantom hates Plasmius—but if Vlad is to be believed, the hatred is only one-sided and a result of Phantom's unwillingness to accept Vlad as his father—Vlad didn't comment on why, however.
Fact 2: Phantom has white hair—Vlad Masters has white hair. Is Phantom's hair color a result of becoming a ghost, or was it inherited?
Fact 3: Danny (Fenton) said Masters was in love with his mom, and after seeing Masters' attempts at flirting, I'd have to agree. So what about Phantom's mother? Did he truly love her? Or was Phantom's mother a fling, a fling that created Phantom on accident, and the reason for Phantom's hatred towards Vlad?'
That theory made Valerie almost pity the ghost, so she quickly moved on.
'Fact 4: For some reason, Vlad gained Lance's trust just by stating he was Phantom's father. Was this what Vlad intended all along?
Fact 5: Ghosts lie. All the time. Masters lied to me for two years. Can I really believe him now?
Fact 6: If Vlad is Phantom's father, then Dani is his niece! He wanted me to kill his niece!
…Fact 7: Vlad is half ghost half human…Dani Phantom, Danny Phantom's cousin, is half ghost…Is being half ghost a family trai—'
"Alright!" Damien said loudly, stepping into the living room again. Valerie snapped her notebook shut and all but threw it back onto the coffee table. "I brought chips, popcorn, and some refreshments!"
He tossed a can of soda at Valerie—who's sharp reflexes allowed her to catch the can in midair easily—and took the bag of chips out from underneath his armpit. Damien set the bowl of popcorn on the coffee table and sat down on the couch, ignoring the creaked protest from the worn furniture. He opened the bag of chips and inhaled the smell, smiling in appreciation.
Valerie leaned over and peered at the flavor. "Lime and vinegar?" She wrinkled her nose, but not in disgust. Danny loved the flavor, and after much persuasion and cute though clumsy antics, Valerie had become addicted to them as well. She hadn't had any in a while, though…
Her dad ate a chip. "Ummhmm. You wouldn't think they would taste good, but they're surprisingly addictive. Want some?" He offered the bag to her, smiling gently, and if she didn't know any better, she'd swear there was a knowing glint in his eyes.
Valerie frowned, but hesitantly reached a hand into the bag and pulled a chip out. She ate the sour-yet-sweet tasting chip and couldn't help smiling. Damien had liked Danny—mostly because Valerie had considered giving up ghost hunting for the boy. And now, eating the chips that had been Danny's favorite, she remembered what that had felt like…
She pulled another chip from the bag, and in the act of raising it to her lips, she glanced at the TV to see if there was any change. She dropped her jaw and her chip, staring at the screen in surprise.
Damien frowned at her. "Valerie?" He followed her gaze to the television and felt his own eyes widen slightly.
Danny Phantom was running out of Lady Hairdresser's workroom, a mischievous grin on his face. A black jacket was clutched in one hand and a green tie in the other. Lady Hairdresser could be heard yelling in the background, but despite her sergeant lungs, her words were indecipherable.
Phantom spun to a stop and yelled back, "Thanks for your help, Lady Hairdresser! It's been a pleasure!"
The door slammed shut in response.
Phantom, chuckling, turned back around, presenting to the camera what had stunned Damien and Valerie into silence.
Phantom had apparently been in a big hurry to get out of Lady Hairdresser's care, because not only was he still slightly wet, he was also nearly half dressed. He had the white undershirt of a tuxedo on, yes, but it was unbuttoned at the moment.
Phantom's muscles were in full display for the camera again, and as if just realizing this fact, the Ghost Boy blushed and quickly pushed the jacket and tie into the crook of an elbow and began doing up the buttons. His fingers were gloveless and sure; fastening the buttons with the confidence a jumpsuit-wearing ghost had no right to.
If Valerie were a lesser girl, she'd probably be drooling. As a hunter, she could not allow her prey to distract her! She was unable to stop the blush, however, and her father began to glare at the teenage ghost hero.
"Uh, sorry," Phantom said, glancing shyly at the camera as his fingers worked. "I was in a bit of a hurry."
"It's no problem, Mr. Phantom," Lance assured, a hint of amusement in his voice. "I'm sure no one is complaining."
Phantom's cheeks grew redder. He finished the last button and didn't waste any time in slipping on the jacket. The black jacket had silver linings and cuffs that matched his old jumpsuits coloring. A white rose adorned the pocket. He hooked the green tie under the white shirt's collar, but left it to dangle untied. Finally, he scrubbed his hands through his damp white hair, messing it into its usual disarrayed style.
Valerie rolled her eyes. Ever heard of a comb, Phantom?
The Ghost Boy sighed and allowed his hands to drop to his side. He began looking around the room. "Hey, where's—" He cut himself off. His green eyes narrowed on Vlad and his hands fisted at his side.
"Plasmius," he acknowledged, sounding like he had just tasted something sour.
"Ah, yes," Vlad said, seeming to roll his eyes, "the infamous one word greeting. It's nice to see you as well, my boy."
Phantom glared at him. "What are you doing here?"
"Same as you, I imagine." He sighed, giving Phantom a disappointed look. "Really, Daniel. You can't tell me you weren't expecting me."
Danny bristled. "I meant what are you doing here?" He pointed at the ground to emphasize his point. "In this room. You obviously don't need a new outfit." He gestured at Vlad's white suit. "And by the way, white's not your color." He snickered. "And a cape? Seriously?"
Vlad's look turned pleading. "Can't you at least try to be civil?"
Danny wore a faux-thoughtful look. "Hmm…No."
Vlad's expression hardened. "That's too bad, Daniel. We both have something to lose tonight, and if you insist on continuing this childish behavior, I suggest you leave Lance here in my custody, where someone mature can watch over him."
Phantom's eyes flashed with unnatural light and he unconsciously began to shift into a fighting stance. He opened his mouth to respond—something witty, no doubt—but loud barking proceeded by a flying green blur beat him to it. Cujo, dormant until Phantom showed signs of fighting, had tackled Vlad and was now standing on his shoulders, pinning him with his weight. He growled into Vlad's stunned face, his jowls dripping with saliva.
"Cujo!" Phantom cried, snapping out of his stance. Dani quickly began pulling on Cujo's collar, but the large dog was unfazed by the little girl's efforts.
Drool dripped onto Vlad's face and snapped the ghost out of his stupor. "Get your mangy mutt off me before I vaporize him, Daniel!" he ordered, sounding completely serious.
Phantom seemed to believe him. "No, Cujo! Heal! Sit!" He rushed forward and tugged on Cujo's collar. The phantom cousins' combined efforts managed to pull the dog off of Vlad, but Cujo kept snarling and snapping at the older ghost, struggling against their hold.
Phantom placed himself between the ghost and his dog, pushing against his chest. "Whoa there, boy!" he said gently but firmly. "It's alright! He's not worth it. We'll let him off the hook for now." Cujo growls gradually lessened. Phantom reached an arm up and began rubbing and scratching his ears. "Yeah, there's a good boy."
The teen hero continued to spew nonsense until the ghost dog was leaning into his touch. The dog 'popped' into his puppy form and barked up at Phantom, wagging his tail. Phantom gave him a small smile and picked him up. He buried his face in his ghost puppy's fur and Cujo licked his ear.
Valerie thought about making a remark about how the dog was clearly his, but found she didn't really have the motivation at the moment. The scene between a boy and his dog—no matter how weird—just made the whole thing seem bittersweet.
Vlad had picked himself up by now, and was dusting his suit off. "Obedience school would do you both some good," he remarked quietly to himself.
Phantom glared at him, but continued petting Cujo rather than respond.
Vlad sighed. "Son, I—"
Phantom tensed, his grip on Cujo tightening. "Don't call me your son," he snapped.
The camera jerked. "Why…can't he call you his son?" Lance asked, sounding hesitant.
Frankly, Valerie was surprised the weatherman hadn't run off when Cujo went ballistic. The camera shook, but Lance continued to film. He must be really dedicated to his job…
Phantom raised an eyebrow at him, as if he couldn't believe he was asking that. "Because he—"
"Danny!" Dani suddenly shouted, gaining everyone's attention. She blushed. "Uh, um, w-we should really get going! The wedding will be starting soon."
"But what about the others?"
Dani rolled her eyes. "They'll be fine on their own. Now let's go! I want some cake already!"
She grabbed her cousin's hand and began dragging him out of the room. Lance pointed the camera at Vlad, capturing the ghost's satisfied smirk.
Valerie bit her lip. She knew Vlad was up to something. But it wasn't her problem. She was just watching for juicy tidbits on her enemies.
...I probably could have done a better job...it feels rushed to me...Although I did do it in under a week, which I haven't done in a long time...
I know some of you were excited to see Danny blow up on Vlad, but come on! Our favorite villian isn't going to jump into one of his schemes without some kind of plan! He didn't have a lot of time to plan it, hence him being forced to put his trust in Dani again. It's really the only real plot this story has, so tell me if it sounds believable.
As for why Lance trusts Vlad more than Danny-it's an adult thing I think. Lance would feel more comfortable around another adult rather than a scrawny teenager-no matter how heroic the teen may be.
I'll describe the suits better when I write the POV of someone who cares about appearances-probably Paulina. I guess Valerie would have too, but I couldn't fit the description in.
And I got fanart! So cool!
Dani's dress: sry005. deviantart. com / art / Dani-in-Ghost-Zone-Experience-174714323
Danny in a tux: sry005. deviantart. com / art / Danny-in-Ghost-Zone-Experience-174715463 (I almost used this design, but decided not to when I began writing the scene where Danny comes out of the dress-up room.)
I wanted to leave a comment on Deviant Art, but I'm having trouble getting an account...So I task those of you who have an account to do so for me! ...Pretty Please?
Lol, okay, that's enough.
Thanks for reading! It wasn't the best of chapters, but it did its purpose.
...Urgh, now I have to pack...