AUTHOR's NOTE: Trigger warning, slurs used and brief mention of child abuse.
Danny opens his eyes to view his room's well-known ceiling. He wonders maybe it was all just a bad dream. The teenager almost lets out a cry of agony as he tries to sit up. Suddenly, a barrage of tiny needles assaulted his body; the teen almost puked from the overwhelming feeling. Danny gathers his breath and pulls himself out of bed, gripping the bed frame. Just then, the door softly opens, revealing his sister observing him closely.
"Ever heard of knocking?" the teen grimaces.
"It's always a joke with you," Jazz said sternly.
"It isn't a joke; how many times have I told you to stay out of my business?"
Jazz scoffs, "You can't be serious right now."
"I have told you time and time again-"
"Are you seriously blaming the person who saved you?" Jazz interrupts. "How inconsiderate can you be, Danny Fenton?"
"ME?" Danny spat with a glare. "I'm not the one throwing myself in front of ghosts!"
"Yeah, only sneaking out in the middle of the night to fight them," Jazz said sarcastically.
"You don't understand…"
"Then please enlighten me, little brother," Jazz snaps, raising her voice.
"You don't have powers! You're not a hero! So stop trying to save me and stay the fuck out of my way!"
When Danny sees the heartbroken look in her eyes, he instantly regrets saying what he said to her. Even though she made an effort to maintain her composure, the tears began to pour. With a sniffle and a mouthful of words, the redhead turns and rushes out of the room. In vain, Danny attempts to call Jazz back. He settles onto his bed after letting out a sigh. His ghost sense goes off, and he looks around the room to find Dani standing in the corner with her arms crossed.
"You dare speak to her like that?" Dani demanded.
"Dani-"
"How dare you," Dani stomps toward the bed and delivers a swift slap to the phantom.
The ghost girl's unexpected smack leaves Danny stunned, but it doesn't stop Dani from voicing her opinions.
"Jazz has done nothing but help you over and over again," she starts. "And how do you repay her? By basically telling her she's fucking useless?" Her voice cracking from the immense emotion she is feeling.
"Watch your language," Danny scolds.
"Is that all you have to say?" Dani glares. "You promised me that we were going to be a family, but this is how you treat your own flesh and blood?"
"I made a mistake, okay?!" he admits. "I had a lot of frustration built up and I wrongly took it out on Jazz."
Dani gazes at the person who is supposed to be her family. Her eyes are starting to well up with tears, but she's determined to keep them back for Jazz. She felt like she finally had a loving home and family for the first time in her life; Jazz gave her that, and she'll be damned if she lets her down. Even if it meant defying her role model and mentor in the process.
"Then you need to apologize," Dani insists.
"I will, I promise, and I didn't forget about our other promise either; we ARE still family."
Dani gives Danny a nod and walks out the door. Her behavior confounds Danny because, typically, Dani takes the window to exit his home. Dani responds to his question as if she can read his thoughts just as he is about to speak.
"Your parents took me in officially as of this afternoon. I live here now, so can we please try to get along?"
Danny's lips curled into a smile as he lost control of his happiness. He couldn't believe what he was hearing; the possibility of Dani just a room or two away lifted his spirits. It is now easier for them to train and battle ghosts. And he didn't have to worry about her being cold or hungry on the other side of the city. After a brief period of wondering, he knows that his sister is the only one who could have persuaded his parents to adopt another child. In humiliation, Danny bites his lip. Here he was telling her she wasn't a hero. Dani is correct; he needs to apologize as quickly as possible.
"Good night, big brother," she utters.
"Night, sis."
Danny reclines and pulls his blankets over his head. He wasn't aware how much he was drained by those two conversations. He'll make amends right away in the morning, but right now he's itching to go to sleep. He had a lot on his mind about what had transpired with Ben tonight, about his identity and his activities in Amity Park.
Dani turns to go to her room, but not before stopping at Jazz's door. With her intangibility, she phases through the door and finds Jazz nestled among her blankets. She briefly considered leaving her sister alone, but she ended up in her bed anyhow. Dani encircles the woman's waist with her arms, drawing her in. She felt as safe around her as she did with Danny.
It was obvious to her from a mile away that the woman who had given her an official family and home was distressed. Jazz, the girl without powers, has given her a roof over her head and is even educating her. She had never met anyone like that and had never imagined that special someone might exist, but everything changed. Squeezing her hard, Dani buries her face in her warm back.
"Thank you for saving me," Dani confesses.
When Jazz heard those words, the floodgates opened, and she began to cry uncontrollably. Dani cradles the redhead as she collapses onto her pillow. Those few words had purged her mind of any possibility that she was worthless. Her most treasured words from anyone, ever, were those ones.
Danny was more sore when he woke up than he was on days following a full-body workout. He had to roll out of bed, literally. The teenager groans and thumps to the ground. Danny considered lying on the floor for the remainder of the morning. He didn't need to check the time to realize he was running late; he exhaled a sigh of relief when he realized it was Saturday. He then realized that he got Saturday detention this morning due to the fight with Dash at school. He will never comprehend the concept of educational justice. To make matters worse, he had it with Dash.
This is already shaping up to be a bad day, and it hasn't even begun yet. Danny climbs off the floor and wanders into the corridor without injuring himself, by some miracle. He moves in the direction of the bathroom, using the wall for support. He looks across at Jazz's door, which was typically open, but was shut tight this morning. That apology will need to wait till later. Danny enters the bathroom to begin his day.
There was nobody in the kitchen when he wandered in. Jazz would normally be in here preparing breakfast, but not this morning. When he sees the Fenton-thermos on the table, he makes sure to tuck it into his backpack. The teenager takes a smoothie from the refrigerator and a protein bar from the cabinet. Daniel rushes out the door, morphing into Danny Phantom, and takes off into the sky for school.
Danny races to school, arriving on campus in less than twenty seconds. He had no time for leisurely strolls around Phantom Park or to greet passing cars and people. Unnoticed, the teenager transforms back into Daniel Fenton and creeps into the school. In the hopes that Mr. Lancer won't notice Danny's absence, he dashes toward his classroom. Danny is about to reach for the doorknob of the classroom when it swings open, revealing Mr. Lancer inside.
"You're late, Mr Fenton."
"I know and I'm sorry; I slept through my alarm," Danny pleads.
"Always with excuses, Daniel," Mr Lancer shames. " I would think we would go into senior year with a new outlook on life.
Danny inwardly scowls at the man's comment. It's not a fucking excuse, jackass. Almost like I'm out saving this damn city every night- calm down Fenton, control your emotions. With an apologetic smile, Danny blinks and looks up at the principal.
"You're right, sir," Danny agrees. "I will do better."
Mr. Lancer gives the young adolescent a smile in return, thinking that for once he will actually heed his counsel. Perhaps the principal is having an impact on his pupils. Danny walks right by the man while berating him in his mind. He chooses to sit as far away from the football player as possible after noticing Dash seated at a desk on the other side of the room.
"I'm glad you can both make it, gentlemen," Mr Lancer commends. "But this is not going to be your run of the mill detention; by the time you leave this afternoon, you will have learned something that will only aid you in the adult world."
With great stride, Mr. Lancer approaches the whiteboard and writes "Self-control" in large, black letters. Knowing that this will be the longest lecture they have ever attended, the two teenagers sigh inwardly. Right now, Danny would much rather be doing anything else. Although Danny finds it a little funny that the planet's hero is being lectured on self-control at 8:30 a.m.
"I will give you boys an hour to think about what that means to you," Mr Lancer states, before exiting the classroom.
The situation for young Danny could not be more awkward. He is locked in a silent classroom with the bully who has been harassing him since freshman year; Danny, on the other hand, is directly responsible for Dash's father's and others' deaths. It was as if time had stopped for them, and they were caught inside an insurmountable awkward bubble. He was reminded of that terrible night just by being in the same room as Dash. The night Danny Phantom failed to save someone.
Nothing made him less of a hero than his failure to save an innocent victim. His doubts about his potential to be a hero were fueled by his sense of inadequacy in doing so. What would this get him? Would the people in his community ever have faith in him again? He has a flashback to the moment when he was in front of the movie theater and people were staring at him horrified; those were the faces of people who had lost faith in Danny and the hope he had brought to Amity Park. A mere fifteen feet separates him and the individual who has that exact thinking now. He does not blame Dash for being angry or for putting him in the hospital. Danny deserved it; the ghost treaty made him complacent, which allowed him to lower his guard.
Danny peeks at Dash, who is gazing out the window; he can't begin to picture the thoughts racing through the football jock's head at this very moment. Danny wouldn't be shocked if Dash had enduring hatred for him. Embracing that hatred with his own arms as a continual reminder of his shortcomings, he would accept it at this point. Danny shakes his head fiercely. What is he doing? Instead of moping around, he should be looking for the ghost who is to blame for all of this sorrow and bloodshed. Danny clenches his jaw in response to the mobster's imagery racing through his thoughts. He vowed to exact revenge on the ghost for all remaining tears, blood, and restless nights. Daniel is determined not to let those deaths be in vain.
Just as he is ready to stand up, Mr. Lancer walks into the classroom, his face serious. He looks at both of the students and then at the board. Danny found it hard to believe that an hour had passed. He was so consumed with his own self-pity that he hadn't even given the words on the board any thought.
"So what have we come up with?" the principal questions.
Somehow, the room is even quieter than it was when he first came. Mr. Lancer turns to face Dash, who is idly gazing out the window, and assumes that he has been daydreaming the entire time. A scowl comes across his face.
"Dash?"
"I don't know," Dash answers.
"You don't know," Mr Lancer repeats. "So what have you been doing the past 60 minutes?"
To the principal's dissatisfaction, Dash shrugs, and Mr. Lancer instead turns to Danny and shoots him a curious glance.
"The ability to control oneself?" Danny said sheepishly.
"While that may be the dictionary's definition of self control; it is not yours," the man remarks. "The original prompt was to explain what self control means to you," Mr Lancer voiced. "You both failed, if that is of any surprise to either of you." The man approaches the front of the room with a step. "If I haven't made it clear, neither of you will not be leaving until I get a proper answer from both of you."
"WHAT?" Dash shouts. " That's not fair, I have football practice in an hour, and coach said if I'm not there then I don't get to play in the game tonight!"
"You should have thought of that when you decided to daydream instead of reflecting on my question."
"This is bullshit!"
"Language, young man or I will give Mr Reed a call and have him remove you from tonight's game; practice or no practice."
With his rage clearly building, Dash crosses his arms and glares out the window. Mr. Lancer gives Danny a sharp glance.
"I expect when I come back that I will have an original answer from the both of you," he advises before leaving the room once again.
Danny settles into his seat, sighing; this will be another pointless hour. He could theoretically leave whenever he chose, therefore he wasn't scared of Mr. Lancer's threats. He did not care about the implications of getting caught, or so he tells himself. At the end of the day, Danny isn't a rule breaker—at least not if he can avoid it—so his discussion of leaving is worthless if he is going to stay in this chair until instructed otherwise.
"Listen, Fenturd," Dash suddenly grunts. "As much as I'd rather shit in my hands and clap than talk to you for a single minute; I HAVE to be at that game tonight, no matter what."
"Excuse me-"
"So I have a plan to get us both out of here on time; I say you come up with two different definitions for self-control, and tell me one."
"Oh wow, great plan!" Danny mocks. "Except for the part where Mr Lancer said we each had to come up with our OWN meanings."
"And how is he going to find out that I didn't come up with it?"
"Hmm, I don't know, perhaps he could be standing right outside listening to this very conversation," Danny points out. "Or maybe it's the fact that you never would be able to come up with something thought-provoking, and any such answer would be obvious that you didn't come up with it."
"What the fuck did you just say to me?" Dash glowered. "Do I have to remind you of the reason we're in this mess anyway?"
Danny glares at the blond teenager, daring him to say something.
"You messed up your one fucking job," Dash begins. "If you did your fucking job then I wouldn't have to worry about missing the game tonight, if you weren't so damn weak then none of this would be happening right now," Angry tears are spilling down the blond's face. "IF YOU DIDN'T FREEZE LIKE A FUCKING RETARD THEN MY DAD WOULD STILL BE HERE!" Dash seethed. "WHY DIDN'T YOU DO YOUR FUCKING JOB, FENTON!"
"JOB?" Danny raged. "YOU THINK I WANTED THIS FUCKING LIFE!" Danny's eyes flare bright green. "You think I wanted to be Danny Phantom? I didn't want any of this shit!" the teenager spat venomously. "I haven't had a good night's sleep in four fucking years; every night I'm patroling the entire town for hours, fighting any ghosts I find FOR HOURS!" he angrily continues. "ALL FOR COCK-SUCKING SELFISH PRICKS LIKE YOU! WHO CAN'T SHOW A SHRED OF GRATITUDE FOR THE COUNTLESS NIGHTS THAT I HAVE KEPT THIS CITY SAFE!" Danny slams his hands on the desk. "And the one day, THE ONE DAY, that I make a mistake, all of you shit down my throat?" Danny was a second from losing everything. "FUCK YOU, DASH, AND FUCK YOUR DAD TOO!"
"Say that shit again about my dad, I dare you," Dash snarls.
"Or what, dickhead? I wanna see you try to lay a finger on me; I can break your fucking neck in a second."
Dash's silence is deafening.
"I'm tired of holding back against assholes, so please just give me a reason to send you to meet your dad."
Danny was expecting Dash to make some stupid comment, but instead he heard a woman chuckle evilly from behind them. Danny whips around to see who could possibly be laughing at a time like this. A young woman with a sinister sneer on her lips is sitting on top of a desk with her legs crossed. Her aura demanded respect, and she appeared to be about Jazz's age.
"Men are so funny when they argue; the way they lose complete and utter respect for another person during a dispute is so comical, and very caveman-esque," she chuckles.
"Who the fuck are you?" Dash quips.
Danny growls, "For once I agree."
Her smooth black hair cascades down her shoulders as the woman gets to her feet. She smiles at the boys, flashing her brilliant white teeth, and tucks the wayward strands behind her ear. The enigmatic woman adjusts her lengthy black gown; the luxurious, silky material, resembling a spider web, clings to her ample bosom and hips, leaving less room for imagination. She strides forward slowly, tapping her black nails, which resembled claws, on the desks. Dash and Danny couldn't resist stealing a peek at the stunning woman's curvaceous backside.
"I."
Tap.
"Am."
Tap.
"Negative."
She rakes her nails along the surface of the desk, causing both teenagers to cringe inwardly.
"Nancy," she finishes, spinning around to face the two.
Danny's ghost sense goes off at that very moment, and the revelation causes his eyes to widen. How on earth did a ghost come this near to him without his knowledge? Negative Nancy looks at Daniel and tilts her head eerily, as though she can sense his thoughts. His anxious expression is met with a harmless smile from her. Danny cautiously gets up from his desk. He's never seen or heard of her, which could only imply terrible news, because she's most likely not from his world.
Danny refuses to wait for this ghost to make a move and risk injuring someone; instead, he shouts his iconic catchphrase and attempts to morph into Danny Phantom, only to fail. Danny gives it another go, using every ounce of determination, but to no avail. Danny is pallid as a ghost, unable to do his job yet again. Negative Nancy, aware that the boy could do nothing more at this point, watches each of his desperate tries with delight. She has locked them in her dream world, where nothing occurs that she does not approve of.
"What are you doing, Fenturd?" Dash grumbles. "Turn into Danny Phantom, already!"
"I'm trying, asshole," Daniel mutters under his breath.
"Yes! Let's see the boy who failed to save those innocent people," Nancy mocks.
Nancy's words made the boys' blood run cold. How does this stranger know that? Even though it was well reported, there is still something unsettling about hearing this cryptic woman bring it up. Dash visibly twitches when reminded of his father's death, and his wrath returns tenfold.
Negative Nancy gives the blond a mocking pity pout. "Oops, is that still a sore subject?"
Dash grinds his teeth and clenches his fist, feeling as though he might blow up at any second.
"Aw, I'm sorry your daddy is dead and that you're going to miss the memorial football game; if only he hadn't taken that extra shift."
"Dash, ignore her, she's just trying to make you mad."
"Make him mad?" Nancy repeats with a soft voice as she turns her attention to Danny. "But you have that honor all to yourself, remember? You're the one who didn't save them, not me." The woman glances at Dash. "And now your pa is taking cock from Satan for the rest of eternity."
Dash leaps toward the woman, but is stuck in place only a few inches away. She gives the youngster a playful smile in response to his frantic endeavor to reclaim part of his father's honor. Nancy leans in until her lips are just inches from the blond's ears.
"Want to know a secret?" she whispers. "I can show you him if you'd like."
Dash is taken aback by the woman's audacious statement. His father is no longer alive; he will never be able to see him again. Nonetheless, there was a tiny part of Dash that would stop at nothing to see his father once more. However, the therapist informed him that his dad was not going to return and that he needed to move on. The last thing he wanted to do was leave his father behind. He is being eaten alive by his delusion and anguish, and he is at a loss for what to do.
"You're lying…"
"Am I? I suppose it's up to you if you wanna take that risk."
"He's dead…" Dash croaks.
"Mhm and he died thinking that his twink son wanted to quit football for dance."
"No…Stop it."
"Remember what happened before he left? When you said you were thinking of quitting the team and not taking that scholarship?"
"Stop…Please," Dash pleads with tears in his eyes.
"He hit you and called you something, what was it?" Nancy coos.
"I-I don't remember."
Nancy sighs, "Don't lie to me."
Dash looks at the woman, his baby blue eyes pleading with her not to go any farther.
"My son ain't a faggot," Nancy said, imitating Dash's father perfectly.
As Dash hears his father's voice, hot, uncontrollable tears flood down his face.
"Then he said he's gonna pick up another shift and stomped out of the house, right?"
Dash stays silent.
"So while Danny is the reason your dad died; you're the reason he left the house in the first place, right?"
Dash nods blankly.
"Leave him alone," Danny growls.
A burst of white illuminates the area, and Nancy notices the freshly transformed Danny Phantom poised in a battle posture. Danny's ability to defy the laws of her universe and transform into Danny Phantom impresses her. My, my, aren't you a special little bird?
Danny is already breathing heavily from the simple act of transforming; whatever was preventing him from changing is extraordinarily powerful; under normal conditions, he would be unable to transform. He had a familiar, excruciating headache, and he was able to change into Danny Phantom by what seemed to be pure emotion. He was left with a great deal of resentment toward the woman in front of him. He wants to tear her apart for what she has done.
Nancy clenches the blond's jaw and forces him to look at Danny. "Look at the person who left your dad to die all alone," Nancy spat. "You don't hate your dad for leaving; you hate Danny Phantom for letting him die."
"Don't listen to her, Dash; you know I tried my best to save your dad."
"Did he? But remember what you saw on the video? Danny was just watching as your dad and his co-workers were killed."
"She's fucking with your head, man."
"I wonder if he would've tried a little harder if it was his friends that needed to be saved."
Danny, certain that the woman with black hair is about to venture into perilous territory, narrows his gaze at her. He hopes Nancy is very careful with her next words.
"What do you say? Should we put Sam and Tucker on the chopping block and see how quickly he reacts?"
A powerful ghost beam is fired at the woman, only to be deflected by an invisible shield. Smirking at the teenager's severe response, Nancy muses on how far she can push him before he snaps.
"Or maybe I'll slit the throat of that pretty little redheaded sister of yours."
"SHUT UP!" Danny fumes.
"Dan-danny help m-me," she mocks, pretending to be choking on blood.
"I'm going to kill you."
"Oh but Danny Phantom doesn't kill; he only fails to protect people."
"I promise you," Danny snarls through clenched teeth. "I will."
"Mmm, you promise, baby?" she coos.
"What are you doing here?" Danny asks, switching the subject.
"Well I suppose I should tell you since you'll be spending the rest of eternity here," Nancy puzzles. "I am going to take over your world."
Danny scoffs, "Heard that plenty of times before."
"I'm sure you have, but they were most likely talking about this planet," Nancy explains leisurely. "I am going to take control of EVERYTHING in this reality."
"And how exactly are you going to do that?"
"By merging my dream world with yours," she answers. "That is after I drain enough people of their negative emotions in your world, eventually taking their souls and thus giving me enough power to merge both realities."
"Every single one of you ghosts are all the same," Danny harped. "You wanna take something that's not yours because you feel like you were cheated in your past life."
Nancy narrows her eyes and the room visibly darkens. "Do not compare me to the family-friendly neighborhood ghosts that reside in your world," she retorted. "None of them hold a candle to me; I am a poltergeist and my sole reason for existing is to destroy."
"Yap yap yap, can we skip to the part where I kick your butt?"
Nancy's aura darkens briefly before she smiles at the teenager. "Your cartoonish attempts to infuriate me won't work how you think it will; although I commend you for trying."
"Nah I just wanted you to shut up; you're giving me a headache."
"What a fucking brat," she chuckles. "I think I'll keep you as a pet after I torch your world," Nancy comments. "But for now, you two will stay here, toodle-oo." Nancy disappears in a puff of smoke, leaving the two youngsters in complete silence.
Now that Danny has finally gotten some peace and quiet, he can think of a way out of here; wherever 'here' is. Danny glances around the classroom and notices that everything about it is exactly the same as the one Mr. Lancer left them in. He was unable to determine when they entered this other dimension. Every domain, regardless of size, must have an entrance and an exit. Danny is curious as to how he will be able to locate the exit in this particular location.
Danny Phantom looks at Dash, who is currently staring blankly at the whiteboard; he notices the dried tears on his cheeks, and the adolescent can't help but feel awful. Danny reflects about Nancy's statement of the blond's desire to leave the football team and Dash's father's response. He has an uneasy feeling that there may be some truth to it.
Dash wasn't saying anything either, which Danny doesn't mind, but he can't help but wonder if the blond hates himself more for what occurred than he does him. His mouth opened slightly to offer an apology for what he'd said, but he soon realized it wasn't the right moment. Probably best for Danny to concentrate on getting out of here. If this place is anything like the Ghost Zone, there will be numerous exits and entrances scattered around the area. However, if this area is as large as the Ghost Zone or larger, he will never be able to discover an exit unless he is incredibly lucky.
Danny approaches the classroom door and is ready to open it when Dash's monotone voice stops him. "There is no exit."
"And how do you know that?"
"She implied it by saying we'll spend the rest of eternity here."
"She could be lying," Danny advised.
"Every single thing she said is true," Dash confesses. "Deny it if you want but I'm tired of hiding from the truth; so that means she truly believes we won't be able to escape by any conventional means."
"That is…actually a very smart assessment."
Dash stays quiet.
"...Escape by any conventional means," he mutters to himself.
Danny quickly gets his backpack and unzips it to find a silver thermos inside. He could kiss the person who put the thermos on the table this morning. This could be viewed as an unorthodox method of self-transport. Normally, the Fenton-Thermos merely keeps ghosts inside, which Danny must personally release into the Ghost Zone via his parent's portal. However, his mother improved the Fenton-Thermos with an integrated Ghost Zone after Vlad attempted to kill everyone with an asteroid. However, it dawns on him that the thermos can only contain ghosts. That would mean leaving Dash behind.
"Dash-"
"Just go," he sighs.
"I'll come back for you, I promise."
When the blonde doesn't respond, Danny looks down at the silver thermos he's holding. Due to the ghosts being increasingly amiable, he hasn't employed this device in the past two years. He will have to accept the possibility that the Ghost Zone won't activate and he will be stuck inside forever.
Danny must make things right with Dash and the people of Amity Park. He needs to reassure them that despite the catastrophes that befall their town, hope endures and that they can always rely on him in difficult times. Danny Phantom will stop at nothing to keep them safe. He is the half-boy, half-ghost hybrid who began fighting ghosts four years ago; he is the one who overcame his future self and beat fate; he is the one who stopped the planet from being hit by a meteor; he is the one who vanquished the Ghost King; he is the one who repeatedly saved Amity Park. He is Danny Phantom. Danny presses the thermos' button and sucks himself inside.