Chapter 5

"You sure you don't want me to stay over?" Tucker asked, already bundling up for the walk home.

"I'll be fine," Danny replied, "Your parents are going to think we've kidnapped you."

"They wouldn't mind. What place could be safer than a ghost hunter's house?"

"A lot of places, in my experience," he retorted. After all, he thought without emotion, I did die here.

The boys stood in silence by the front door, while Jazz hovered a few feet away. She'd refused to leave them alone, even after their parents got home from the press conference and returned to the lab.

"I could drive you home," she reminded Tuck reluctantly.

"Nah. I'm walking in a winter wonderland," he declined cheerfully. Danny didn't buy the enthusiasm. His friend was still miffed with winter after the incident with the snow bank. Danny knew that Tucker knew that Jazz wanted to stay with him. "I'll swing by before school tomorrow. We can walk together."

"Maybe I can drive you?" Jazz suggested hopefully.

Her little brother and his friend exchanged doleful looks. It wasn't cool, but it wasn't as if they had far on the social ladder to fall. And it wouldn't make anyone saner, having Jazz around spewing psychobabble 24/7. But she was trying to be helpful, and it was cold out.

"Sure," Tuck relented, sensing Danny might feel compelled to reject her, "Sounds good."

"Alright."

More silence.

"So, uh, bye." And Tucker left. The door opened, revealing swirls of snowflakes in the dark of night. The door closed, leaving the two siblings alone.

With a sigh, Danny turned and began to ascend the stairs.

"You're not going to bed, are you?" she asked, alarmed.

"So what if I am?" he replied, neither stopping nor slowing.

"It's still early."

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "You think ten o'clock is early?" She didn't want him crawling back into bed to wallow. She probably had some fancy diagnosis for him all prepped inside her head, but he wasn't interested in hearing it. He wanted to be alone, and she couldn't stop him.

"Early for you." When he didn't offer her a reply, she jogged up the stairwell to meet him and grabbed his arm. "Danny…" she implored.

"Danny, what?" he snapped.

She recoiled but did not loosen her grip. "Danny, I want to help you. And I don't think you should be alone right now."

"What are you worried about? What do you think I'm gonna do?"

She bristled, and he knew while he was speaking that he wasn't being fair to her. His sister had done nothing wrong, but she didn't understand. He knew she loved him and accepted him unconditionally, but ever since she'd discovered his secret he'd worried about losing her trust. Worried that one day she'd look at him and see the kind of mental patient that needed to be locked up. After Dan and all.

"I'm worried you're going to beat yourself up over this," she said softly, "And that's not what you need right now. You need to stay busy."

She stared at him and he stared at her. They heard a clink from the basement and Danny closed his eyes. "I need to be alone right now, but I'll work on my homework. Is that okay?"

They'd spent the afternoon on homework. But when you're a busy, half-ghost superhero, the stuff accumulates.

Thankfully, she nodded and released him. "If you need help…"

"I'll get you." He tried to smile, and it half worked. "Good night."

"Good night," Jazz whispered, watching him jog up the stairs, away from her.

Danny was relieved to shut the door behind him when he reached his room. It was dark, and he didn't bother turning on a light. He merely felt his way to his desk and plunked himself down in his chair. Before turning on the desk lamp, he took stock of his body. His stomach felt offset, and his head maintained a constant background buzz. His muscles ached and his airways had yet to clear completely.

Better already, he thought bitterly. Jazz's emotionally induced illness theory still sounded a little far-fetched to him, and his emotions had controlled the weather before. Maybe it was because he'd felt pretty sucky before and none of this ever happened to him. Maybe it was because he was already feeling better physically, and he didn't like what that would say about him emotionally.

"Ungh," he groaned, holding his head in his hands. Maybe he could just stay in the dark forever and forget everything he'd ever done.

But then he heard shuffling feet outside. Jazz was waiting, listening for books probably. And if she didn't see light through the crack under the door, she'd correctly assume he was wallowing. Then she'd never leave.

So he'd have to wallow in the light. And rummage through his backpack first. As loudly as he safely could he yanked the cord of his desk lamp and grabbed his bag from the floor. Just in case she decided to check anyway, he pulled out a math book and laid it out on his desk. He was taking Algebra II. Again.

Another shuffle. He swung around in his spinny chair and opened his mouth to tell her he was fine.

"Good evening, Daniel."

And he closed his mouth, squishing his lips together in a tight line.

"Good night, Vlad. Get out of my house."

The creep had been standing in his room for God knows how long. The dramatic old man pressed a hand to his chest and lamented, "I'm hurt, little badger. It's been too long. What, three days or so?"

"Well, I'm glad we had this chat. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have math homework to get done."

Vlad tsked and shook his head. "You poor thing. Cursed with your father's skill in mathematics. Your grades haven't improved since our last discussion on this matter. Oh well. It doesn't look like you'll need them."

Danny didn't have the patience for banter. He hardly had the patience for not punching him in the face, and he only managed that because he was too tired for a fight. Otherwise he would welcome the stress outlet. "Do you want something?"

"Thought I should check in. In light of...current events."

He wanted a response. He was drawing his question out, being the jerk he always was, trying to provoke his foe, more than twenty years his junior. The older Danny got, the more ridiculous it seemed. And today he wasn't playing any games.

Vlad appeared to sense this. "You made me look like a fool today, Daniel."

"Always happy to be of service." Alright, so he could be a little sarcastic. Plasmius made it too easy.

"You look terrible," he stated, slowly pacing the room.

"Thanks. So I'm ugly and stupid. What's new?"

"You are in deep trouble, young man. Deep, deep trouble."

"Again, what's new?"

Vlad seemed to tire of rambling after that. He stopped directly in front of the boy and locked him in his sleazy eyes. "Tell me what happened," he demanded, voice low and threatening.

"Well, I failed algebra the first time because I didn't have time to study. Math is practice—that's what the teacher says anyway. Honestly not a fan."

"Daniel, you're being difficult—"

It was Danny's turn to feign surprise. "I'm being difficult? Well, why didn't you say so? I'll stop immediately. Ask anything."

"Daniel, last—"

"It all started when I was born. You've met my parents. My first Christmas, one of Santa's reindeer peed on me. After that—"

"Daniel, stop you're childish chattering and tell me what I want to know," he growled.

"You and my mom," Danny rattled, "Are never, ever, ever—getting together! You-oo—"

Vlad lost it in a flash. Danny wasn't sure if he didn't have enough time to defend himself or if he just didn't have the energy. All he knew that one moment he was sitting and the next he was suspended against a wall by his neck. His head made a crack upon impact with the drywall and all he could think was, Is this how Mr. Baker felt? Did he feel anything?

"You are an imbecile," Vlad snarled in his ear, "And I will not tolerate your churlish behavior. Now tell me!"

A grimace-grin spread across Danny's pale face and his eyes flashed green, but otherwise he remained stationary.

"Do you want to know what happened, Vladdie?" he taunted quietly, using one of his dad's favorite nicknames for him, "Do you want to know what I did?"

"Yes," Vlad barked, tightening his grip on the teen's neck, "Now tell me!"

Danny's blue eyes were wide open and clear. His expression was ominous and it made Vlad visibly uncomfortable. He shifted his head forward as far as he could so that he could whisper it in his ear. Vlad had proven his interest in the theatrical time over time. Maybe they were spending too much time together.

"I did it," he breathed, "I killed that man, I did it. I did, I killed that man, I killed David Baker…."

Vlad was frozen, aghast. Danny chuckled darkly. He didn't think he'd ever see the day his actions would shock Vlad Plasmius, master of illicit business practices and generally despicable human being.

"H-how?" Vlad gasped, releasing the teen as soon as he regained mobility. The boy did not fall on his feet. He crumpled into a sitting position on the floor and was gasping frantically in...laughter?

"I did it...I killed Mr. Baker…."

"How, Daniel? Talk to me, son, how and why did you kill David Baker?"

The gasps transitioned softly into something different. The boy was hysterical. Vlad turned around and ran a hand through his hair in shock. Is Daniel crying?

"Shoosh," he cooed uncertainly, kneeling down beside him, careful not to come within reaching distance, "Shoosh, you're being silly, child."

Danny hiccuped and wiped his nose. "You wanted me to be your child," he sobbed, "Children cry."

Vlad merely looked on, horrified, at the deplorable scene before him. He'd seen Daniel in difficult situations before. He'd put Daniel in difficult situations before. But this….this was beyond everything to date.

"It was an accident," he sniffed, "But I did it, I still did it…."

Finally, Vlad gathered the courage to comfort the boy. He patted his shoulder gently, still keeping him at arm's reach, and said, "There, there…"

"Is this why you came here?" Danny snorted, flinching but not quite rejecting the contact.

Vlad took his hand back anyway. "What?"

"You came here to gloat, didn't you? Came here to see me at my most vulnerable and smash me down. I know you're game, Plasmius, I know how you work. I bet you even put Spectra up to this…."

"Spectra?" Of course she's involved somehow. No one's better at emotional manipulation, except myself of course.

He nodded and held up his shaky right hand. "Her—I thought Bertrand was Baker and I—I shot him…." His palm was illuminated by glowing ectoplasm, and he formed a fist.

Suddenly it all made sense to Vlad. A little shapeshifting confusion, a little heat of the moment impulsivity. Bam.

As if to exemplify the very mindset that was necessary for such an incident to occur, the ghost boy swung his hand downward and an ectoblast flew out, effectively knocking over his nightstand. Vlad stood automatically to survey the damage, and the boy flinched violently, pressing his back flat against the wall.

"What's happening to me?" Danny whispered, horrified and shaking.

The bedroom door swung open.

"Danny?" Jazz's head peeked around the door, and her eyes immediately fell on the cowering boy in the corner. And the evil half ghost standing above him. "Vlad!"

"Jazz—" Danny cried.

"Get away from him!" she commanded Vlad, still in his human form. Though she was in her pajamas, she managed to pull out a small ectogun and pointed it at his chest.

"Ms. Fenton, there's no need to—"

"Go!" she shouted.

Movement on the stairs. Two Fentons accounted for, only two could be coming. So Vlad took the best option available to him at the moment: he phased through the wall and flew away.

Jazz rushed over to her little brother, who was taking deep, calming breaths. "Did he hurt you? What did he do? What did he want?" she pleaded.

"Ghoooost!" Jack called, flying through the door Jazz had left open. In his arms was a fully charged, loaded anti-ghost bazooka of some sort. Jazz couldn't recall having seen it before, but then again she could never keep up with her parents' inventions. "Jazzerincess, where's the ghost?"

"Uh, no ghost here, Dad," she excused herself, "Just, uh, thought I heard something, so I brought this ectogun, and…" She pointed said weapon in the direction of the debris which was previously the contents of Danny's end table.

Maddie sprang in around her husband, another weapon ready to fire. One look at Danny told Jazz he was on the verge of passing out. Maddie seemed to notice that too, and she swept over to him, jumpsuit and all. She yanked off one black glove and put a hand against his head. "You don't feel warm, sweetie. Are you feeling okay?"

"Just tired. Nightmare, is all."

"Can you stand up?"

He stared up at her black goggles and nodded hazily. She offered him a hand and he took it, using it to stand. Then promptly fall over again.

"Danno!" Jack called out, dropping the bazooka thing on the ground in his haste to reach his younger child. He scooped him up in his arms without issue and placed him on his bed. "Are you alright, kiddo?"

"Hm?" his son grunted.

"I think he's dehydrated, I'll get him some water…" Maddie speculated, starting for the door.

"Could be a ghost. Should we scan him for ecto-contamination?"

"No!" Jazz shouted.

Both parents stopped where they were and stared at their frantic daughter in confusion. Danny's had lolled back, and his stomach rolled over.

"Are you feeling okay, hon?" her mother asked, cautious.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she explained quickly, "It's just, uh, a stomach bug."

"A ghostly stomach bug?" Jack asked.

"No, just a normal stomach bug."

As if on cue, Danny propped himself up on an elbow and vomited onto the floor beside his bed. "Ugh…"

Everyone grimaced. Ew.

"It doesn't….look like ecto-contamination," Maddie observed.

Jazz's heart was racing. This might be the closest they've ever come to figuring out his secret. And at the worst possible time, too. "Probably something he ate," the redhead blurted.

"I thought it was a stomach bug?" her mother asked.

"Either one," she spewed, "I mean, I dunno. Not a doctor."

Jack knelt beside Danny on the other side of his bed. "You feel better now, son?" He gave a weak thumbs up, and Jazz breathed a little easier.

"I'd better get the bleach," Maddie sighed, heading out the door.

"No worries, Mads, I'll keep the boy company," her husband called out after her. "You want to go back to bed, Jazz?"

Not exactly. She still wasn't quite sure they wouldn't decide to check her brother's ectoplasm levels then blast him into oblivion. She opened her mouth to insist she'd stay, but Jack beat her to the punch. "Really, if he has got a bug, you wouldn't wanna catch it. Go on to sleep. We've got this."

Jazz could hardly remember hearing him speak so softly. Danny looked like he'd fallen asleep, tear-stained cheeks pale. She was reminded of when they were both little children. Of course, she'd believed herself to be an adult at an early age. Perhaps the only adult in the entire house. But now, she realized that perhaps she hadn't given her parents enough credit. They were a little work-obsessed, but they obviously truly cared for their children.

"Good night, Daddy."

"Good night, princess."

Please don't kill my brother while I'm asleep.

….

"Daniel."

The boy in question groaned and rolled over in bed. Five more minutes.

"Daniel, wake up."

He shot into sitting position, instantly on alert. Plasmius.

"We didn't get to finish our conversation earlier."

Danny rubbed his eyes and tried to remember. Then he regretted trying to remember. Vlad showing up, wanting to know what was going on. Him telling Vlad, him crying in front of Vlad of all people. "Look, I'm sorry I unloaded on you. I've been feeling a little crazy lately."

"I've noticed," the billionaire remarked flatly.

"So what do you want?"

"I want to offer you a deal."

This ought to be great. "Let me guess, my soul for you not tarring and feathering me in front of the entire town?"

"Have you been paying more attention in history class lately?"

"That's beside the point," Danny grunted. He always hated it when Vlad expressed an interest in his schooling. Things like his grades were supposed to be confidential, private. But if Vlad knew about them, then he could know about anything. He could invade Danny's personal life at will and he hated that.

"You're not going to be tarred and feathered," the man sighed, "At least, not if you accept my deal."

"So you don't want my soul. How about my dad's life? My mom's hand in marriage?" he scoffed, settling back into bed, "I can't give you any of those things, and you can't protect me. So if you'll excuse me, I have to get up in the morning."

"Get up and go to school," Vlad sighed, "That same place you were, oh, about twenty-six hours before now? That worked out fabulously last time."

Danny began to fake snore. Rather than get irritated like he had before, Vlad merely sighed and moved on. "I want to help you, Daniel, believe it or not. You don't have to say yes, because I'm doing it anyway. Just know that I will call on you to return the favor."

"That's messed up," he complained, "You can't just say that. That's like building someone a surprise torture dungeon and saying, 'Wow! You owe me a blank check now, congrats!'"

"I truly believe that one day you will see the light and you will join me, by my side, as my son."

"God, Vlad, you're delusional! Can't you see that's never going to happen? Can't you see I love my family?"

"And they love you too. At least, they do right now. All of that love could turn to loathing in an instant, and you know it. I'd condemn Phantom, rat you out, then they would hate you forever. Not Jazz maybe, but your parents. And they're the ones with guns. The guns that catch ghosts, torture ghosts, kill ghosts. Ghosts like you."

Daniel was silent. Vlad felt his web digging into the boy's brain.

"The guns that would be trained on you, Daniel. If you don't stay calm, or if I'm not on your side, you will end up on an examination table."

"My parents would never do that to me. They love me."

"The love their son. Their human son. But what are you? Some demon that possessed their son, took him away from them, and made his body to malicious things." After a pause, he continued, "If it's not your parents, it'll be the Guys in White. You think they'll care you're part human? You killed a man, and that's more than enough for them to lock you up and throw away the key."

"You'd be giving yourself up too; even you aren't that stupid."

"You're the one who said I was delusional." Vlad knew he was getting to the boy. He saw him shudder, and knew his new plan was working. "So that's why you have to trust me. Why you'll do what I ask without question."

"I'm not making any promises about anything, so please," he beseeched, exhausted, "Leave me alone. Leave me and my family alone."

Another dramatic sigh. "Afraid I can't promise that. I will not blame you for what you did, and you will act completely sane. You will not draw attention to yourself. If I'm shielding you, you should prove worth shielding."

Thumbs up from the boy. "Got it. I'll just do the same thing I was going to do anyway."

"That means no more breakdowns."

"Sorry if I traumatized you with my emotions. I'll try to do it with my fists next time."

"Good night, Daniel."

No response.