Chapter Forty-Five: Twin
"Dan Phantom." He heard a voice say as he entered a room composed entirely of gears. Then a young-adult blue-faced ghost clothed in purple appeared before him. "You're late. You really should stop that, I expected you to detour yesterday on your way back."
"Hello, Clockwork." Dan sighed. "You know why I'm here?"
"To ask about the 'visions'." Clockwork nodded, gesturing for him to follow. They arrived at the room with all the orbs flashing images. "Vladimir Masters told you that Danny Fenton cannot have a ghost, and you want to see if he was right."
"Well, why else would I be seeing Danny in my reflections?" Dan asked. "And his voice…so clear…"
Clockwork sighed. "The truth may be unbearable. Are you sure you wish to hear it?"
Dan nodded. "I can handle it."
They heard a cackle, like someone was finding amusement at his claim. Dan glared towards the sound, knowing exactly WHO was laughing at his confidence.
"Pay him no mind." Clockwork said, looking at Dan. "He overhears and makes comments, but he cannot escape his cell. You don't have to worry." He tapped his staff on the ground and the images all blinked out except for one. "You are half of Daniel Fenton, a twin born far too late and already dead." He turned to the image. "And yet, you still age along with him, and even after he is passed away you will age."
"Okay? What's so unbearable about that?" Dan asked. He heard the cackle turn into full of laughter.
"Danny Fenton's ghost is tied to you. He cannot escape your reflection, and only you can see and hear him." Clockwork said, speaking over the hysterical laughter. "Most ghosts can wander freely, but he is bound to your reflection as you were trapped within his body before the incident that split you."
"What do you mean 'incident that split me'?" Dan asked. "You mean Jack Fenton?"
"No." Clockwork shook his head. "Did you not hear me? You are a twin of Daniel Fenton, born far too late and already dead. When the incident that gave him his 'ghost powers' happened, what really happened was that you finally 'hatched', shall we say, due to the exposure of ecto-energy to Daniel's body. With you already dead but unable to leave Daniel's body, it allowed you two to interact with the world as one, Daniel unknowingly taking the form of his stillborn twin and thinking it was just powers he'd been given."
The laughter hit a high note as Dan realized what Clockwork was saying and stumbled back, looking sick. "I'm…his stillborn twin?" He breathed. "Jack Fenton really IS my father? Biologically?"
"And now that Daniel is dead, he's latched onto you through your mind-speech ability." Clockwork continued. "He's in your shadow, your reflection, your mind. He's watching every move you make, feeling every breath, enjoying every achievement right along with you. He's part of your body, part of your soul, and that's why you retain your humanity when split from him."
"But…Danny never heard he had a twin." Dan stammered. His lips felt so dry, and he felt woozy.
"If he had, do you think it would have made a difference? The egg didn't hatch, Dan. No one knew but I." Clockwork gestured to the image of Danny's life flashing by. "But, you were destined to hatch. If not by that accident, by some other exposure to powerful ghost energy. Perhaps during the reunion, when Vlad Masters first encountered you. Or another incident that was similar to the first."
"But…what about Vlad?!" Dan cried. "Was Plasmius…was he also a twin?!"
Clockwork's silent stare told him enough. Dan stumbled back against the wall and slumped to the floor, looking horrified.
"Told you that you couldn't handle it." That hateful voice said mockingly.
Plasmius looked over as Dan stepped out, looking ill. "Phantom?"
"Need…to talk to Vlad." Dan said, walking towards him and practically collapsing into his arms. He clung to him, sobbing softly, and Plasmius covered him with his cape before he flew back home. No one would see him in this state but him, he would not allow it.
Later, Plasmius sat in the study with Dan on his lap and Vlad in another armchair, Dan telling Vlad about what he'd been told. Vlad listened silently, glancing up at Plasmius when Dan got to the part about Plasmius being Vlad's twin.
"Well. That explains some things." Vlad finally said. "Like the different personalities, the different interests. I wonder if that means that there are others like us?"
"I doubt anyone else is stupid enough to look into or walk into a ghost portal." Dan said bitterly. "He was my twin the whole time…I never knew."
"Well, we can't rule out the possibility." Vlad shrugged. "And that means that the visions are more than just visions, it's just that only you can see him." He sighed. "We'd best…keep this our secret. If Jasmine knew, she'd have a panic attack and be banging on the mirrors and windows."
"I don't know how I could tell her anyway." Dan said softly. "She's actually my sister…my biological, real sister, and not just because I'm an extension of Danny…"
He clenched his fists. "Do you…think that the other Dan knew? And that's why he…why he…"
Vlad got up and placed a hand on Dan's cheek. "Why he did what he did is not relevant." He said softly. "Stop dwelling on it."
"He killed his own brother, though!" Dan cried. "His…his twin! And laughed about it!"
"Phantom!" Vlad snapped. "What that despicable version of you did in HIS future is not important to the now!"
"Don't be so hard on him, brother." Plasmius smirked a bit, his arms wrapped around Phantom possessively. "He's really shaken up about this."
"Silence." Vlad frowned at him.
"Give him some time to take it all in and get accustomed to it." Plasmius suggested. "He'll be fine after a little while – after all, he just heard the most shocking news of his afterlife."
"…I know." Vlad sighed, sitting back down. "Stop dwelling on the other Dan, Phantom. We already knew he was a beast with no morals to speak of."
Dan nodded, climbing off Plasmius' lap. "Uhm…I'm gonna go to my room."
"Come see us if you need anything." Vlad said, nodding.
"I'll come check on you later if we don't hear from you by lunchtime." Plasmius assured him.
"Yeah." Dan nodded, heading out of the room.
When he left the room, the two men looked at each other, silently taking in what they'd learn about themselves.
Dan stepped into his room and went to the mirror. Danny was there now, despite it being daytime. "…I'm sorry."
"…I am, too." Danny replied.
"We…we never knew." Dan nodded.
Danny nodded silently, wrapping his arms together over his stomach tightly. "At least…we got to meet each other. And everyone got to meet you, too." He smiled softly. "But, Phantom, you even more have to forgive dad now. He's…he's our—"
"He is NOT! He's a monster and I can't ever forgive what he did to his own damn SONS!" Dan yelled, angrily gripping the frame of the mirror. "He's not even telling the truth! He's LYING! And he knows that I won't ever forgive him, he knows—" He cut himself off, chuckling. "He doesn't know. He doesn't know! And when I beat him down for what he did to us, I'll tell him! I'll tell him that he hurt not only one, but TWO sons!"
"Phantom, calm down!" Danny pleaded. "Do you want Vlad to hear?!"
Dan blinked and looked towards the door before lowering his voice. "Sorry." He muttered.
"Phantom…" Danny placed his hands on his side of the mirror. "You have to let go of all this hate. Or else, you'll end up like…"
"Like the other Dan? No, I won't. For one thing, I'll grow stronger WITHOUT absorbing Plasmius!" Dan said firmly.
Danny was silent, moving his hands back and to his sides again. "Please don't be consumed by your revenge, Dan. You have the chance to live, so take it. You have Valerie, Sam, Tucker, and Jazz, not to mention Vlad and Plasmius. You didn't get a chance to fully live for fourteen years, so take this chance and live."
Dan placed his hands against the glass, Danny's hands coming up to meet his as he did. "I will, Danny. I will live. I'll live, love, all that. But, I will never let go of my revenge. He has to pay for what he did to us, and justice isn't going to do it and you made me promise not to tell Vlad! You made me promise, and so I'm lying to him even as he holds me in his arms and in his bed! I'm lying to him, the only guy who actually knows me and CARES about me!" Tears slipped down his cheeks and he slumped to his knees. "You made me promise…"
He heard a sound like water rippling and then felt a hand gently rest on his head, looking up to see Danny had put his hand through the mirror to comfort him. "I'm sorry…" He said softly, tears slipping down his own cheeks. "I just…I wanted you to become something good. I didn't want you to become a monster, so I made you make all those promises. I'm so sorry…"
Dan reached up and took Danny's hand in his; against the warmth of Dan's human form, he felt so cold. Smiling sadly, he released the latch on the bracelet, letting it drop to the floor as he continued to hold Danny's hand, his red hair changing to white and his everyday white and black clothes to the hazmat suit. "No…I should be sorry. I've been spending this whole time yelling at you and about dad, when we should be taking this time to make up for fourteen lost years."
"I'm not going anywhere." Danny grinned a bit, wiping at his eyes with one of his bandaged arms. "You don't have to make up for fourteen years in one afternoon, silly."
"I wish you could come out fully." Dan sighed softly.
"Honestly, I'm surprised I could get my hand through." Danny admitted. "It took a lot of focus."
Dan chuckled a bit. "Well, maybe as I get stronger, so will you."
Danny nodded. "It'd be great…if I could help you in some way, like you helped me."
Dan laced his fingers with Danny's, smiling softly. "You already do help me, dear brother, just by being here."