Hello! Back again with yet another chapter of this rollercoaster ride of emotions that is The Life We Fight For! A huge digital hug to all those who reviewed I luv you guys so much and you make this story worth writing~! And to all my new readers who actually care about author's notes, I hope your enjoying this word-vomit of angst XD trust me it will get better!
I'll just stop now hehe...
The Life We Fight For
Chapter 7: Whispers
Two days had passed since the day of the televized announcement made by Danny Phantom. Vlad had been watching his ratings closely and had recieved quite a bit of new publicity for his stunt.
Most of the citizens of Amity Park were nervous about the aspect of getting more involved with the issues concerning ghosts in the town, but Vlad was adamant that as mayor he would reform the laws to keep them safe, as was his speech in every interview. The rise in publicity had only done his ratings wonders as the approval for his campaign was only rising. If there was any doubt he would win, Vlad was sure it was sealed now.
Vlad had to admit...he wasn't so sure he could have gone through with his little 'deal' with Daniel, the easy way was always his go-to plan for any situation, living with a hard working, honesty-brings-results kind of superhero had put a slight damper on his 'evil' outlook.
Especially when the infernal child insisted on being involved in every aspect of the billionaire's campaign!
"Hey Vlad, how long are you going to take on that speech?"
The older halfa looked up from his desk with an unhappy glare and Daniel simply smiled back at him innocently. The boy had insisted he come along with Vlad to his work in order to make sure he wasn't 'cheating' as far as their accord was concerned, however it was easy to tell Daniel was just bored. Any teenager would feel drained after days alone in a house with only himself for company, but sadly Vlad didn't have the time to be babysitting the brat...so here they were, sitting in his office.
"I believe I informed you of the lack of 'fun' you would have by coming with me this morning." Vlad snapped. "That said, if you are so terribly bored you can feel free to call the driver to take you back home."
Danny frowned and stayed silent. He dropped his chin into his hand thoughtfully. There had to be something he could do! He couldn't use his powers, Vlad didn't get off of work until 4, and it was only 10 o'clock!
"Since you're here, Daniel," Vlad said, straightening the pages of the speech he'd finally finished. "I believe there's a matter we have yet to discuss."
"Great." Danny muttered sarcastically.
"You are aware that you cannot simply go on living holed up in the manor without some form of educational stimulation, right?" Vlad questioned. "While I certainly would love to send you off to a privileged school where the education is at the very least mildly decent I'm sure you'll fight me tooth and nail to continue attending Casper-"
"It's too risky!" Danny interrupted, his eyes nervous and lowered to the carpeted floor. He took a deep breath and continued. "I-I mean, I want to see my friends everyday like I used to, but what if... if word gets out that I'm there..."
"I understand your hesitation to be found by your parents, and your concerns are indeed legitimate, however that wasn't what I had in mind."
Danny immediately crossed his arms in rebellion and set an icy stare on the halfa in front of him.
"I'm not going to a rich kid private school, if that's what your thinking." Danny said stubbornly.
"Indeed you're not." Vlad agreed. "Your identity would eventually get out, in fact it's entirely possible they could find you faster if you transferred."
"Then...what? There's no way I'm letting you hire a tutor."
"No need, the position's been filled." Vlad said, a smirk on his face.
"Filled by who?!" Danny demanded.
Vlad chuckled and leaned back in his chair with his arms crossed, mimicking Danny. Honestly, was the boy that dense? If Vlad was unsure whether he needed to be tutored he was completely sure now!
"Oh honestly, who else?" Vlad said, gesturing to his nameplate in the desk.
Danny felt his jaw drop and he instantly jumped from his seat. As if he would let his brain get filled with lessons given from a villain!
"Yeah right, no way in hell would I let you teach me anything!" Danny yelled.
Vlad's eyes widened and he glanced nervously at the door to the office. Did the boy have no tact?! If someone heard them they might cause trouble for their plans! Also, the temper Daniel was so bad at controlling would definitely need some work, something Vlad would absolutely add to his mental list of extracurricular activities for the brat...
"Will you lower your voice?!" Vlad hissed. "And watch your language, a gentleman has no need for strong words."
Danny glared daggers at the man in hatred. He wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry in frustration. It wasn't such a bad thing, being homeschooled, Danny had thought about it a few times actually, especially when Dash became a nuisance. However, each time he had imagined his mom, jazz, even his father assuming the teacher role, Vlad Masters was definitely not on that list.
"You have no right to tell me off, I'll say whatever I want." Danny said. "And your not tutoring me, I'm not going to let you."
'Where's Godfrey when I need him...' Vlad thought desperately as he stared into the rage-filled blue eyes of the teenager who had become the bane of his existence.
"You can gripe about it all you like, it won't change a thing." Vlad informed him casually, continuing with his work. "I could just as easily force you to go to Casper High, and watch you suffer through anxiety at the possibility of being captured again."
Danny stiffened and clamped his mouth shut. He was truthful with his words earlier, he sincerely didn't want to risk his parents finding him and going through his nightmarish ordeal all over again. He missed his friends, heck, he even missed Mr. Lancer, but his fears were a constant plague on his thoughts and the last thing he wanted to do was have another panic episode in front of Vlad.
"...Okay, I'll...I'll do it."
Vlad raised an eyebrow at the sudden change of heart. Was the boy that afraid of his parents?
"Alright, we'll start Monday then."
Danny sat down and the day proceeded to drag on without another argument from the two half-ghosts.
Upon their return to the mansion Danny had called Sam and Tucker to get them up-to-date with everything that had happened, and he'd received mixed emotions.
Sam was against Vlad's campaign for mayor of Amity, and she was in agreement with the idea to continue to lay low and get tutored from Vlad. Tucker on the other hand, agreed that the laws passed by Vlad could get Fentonworks shut down for good, but he missed Danny at school, and wished he didn't have to stay locked up so long.
Danny didn't think he'd ever been this stressed in his entire life. He wished he could turn back time, undo all the mistakes he'd made to get him to this point. Maybe then he wouldn't have to worry about his parents going insane...
Danny went straight to bed after dinner, claiming he was tired from the day out, but truly his mind was on overdrive and all he wanted to do was relax and sleep...
..
He was shaking, why was he so cold? His ears were ringing from the silence, while his eyes remained shut tight against the unknown area around him.
"It's about time we meet again, my little half-breed."
Danny felt a shiver race down his back. His eyes shot open and he spun around, but all he could see was darkness.
"Who's there?" He asked, his voice straining to break the numbing silence that surrounded him.
He heard a soft laugh and the sound of rattling chains. The gentle rustling of the irons clanging together was sending Danny into a panic, though for the life of him he could not understand why.
"I am whoever I need to be." The voice replied finally. "An executioner, a school bully, a tipsy driver...a sadistic mother..."
A light appeared not too far ahead of Danny, and he immediately lurched toward the warmth it brought. He couldn't stand to be in the darkness, alone and forgotten.
"I am the one who corrects the imperfections of this human plane." The dark voice continued. "And you, little one, are a blasphemous creation."
"I'm not...I haven't hurt anyone..."
The light suddenly surrounded him and he found himself inside his sister's bedroom back at FentonWorks. Jazz was kneeling on her bed with her face buried into her pillow. Her body shook with silent sobs as her parents screamed outside.
"You hurt everyone around you, there is not one person who is not affected by the trouble that follows you like a curse."
Danny blinked and his surroundings changed. He was now inside Casper High, and Mr. Lancer was seated at his desk in his classroom. He seemed to be looking down at various failed assignments scattered about his desk, each having one thing in common...
"What am I going to do with you, Mr. Fenton..." Mr. Lancer sighed, leaning back in his chair.
Danny wrapped his arms around himself, feeling the intense cold return. He wasn't a mistake, this wasn't real... but why wasn't it real? He couldn't remember something, something incredibly important...
Danny looked up again and this time, to his surprise he was seeing Vlad, hastedly calling Godfrey after Danny had flown out on him in the limousine. He looked tense and more concerned than Danny had ever seen him before.
"I tried so very hard to save you from this terrible grief you would feel from your troublesome life that hurts those around you, but you insisted on living."
"But I-"
"Can you not understand?" The voice interrupted. "You are an imperfection- a freak. Nothing more than a boy that ruins the lives of others."
"I am..." Danny whispered feeling light-headed. "I am not a freak..."
"Admit it child, you don't belong in this world... Why don't you do us all a favor, and end their suffering?"
"End it...?" Danny's brain was getting fuzzy, he could feel his body growing colder...
The sound of the chains returned and that was all Danny could take. He fell to his knees and screamed, feeling his stomach all but leap into his throat.
"Goodbye, half breed."
.
Danny's eyes shot open and he immediately felt the worst feeling in the world.
The ghost boy was falling through the night sky, in human form, towards a very hard, very deadly, very real impact with solid ground!
Danny gasped and let out a loud yell as he hastedly called forth his ghost half. The rings began to surround him all too slowly and the ground outside of the mansion was approaching quickly.
Danny raised his hands in a desperate attempt to spare his head the worst of the damage and closed his eyes, the horrifying sound of clanging chains filling his ears deafeningly.
"Daniel!"
Danny felt the wind get knocked right out of his lungs, but strangely, he had not hit the ground. Instead, he was hovering less than 6 feet above it. Another 2 seconds and he would have crash landed into oblivion!
"What on earth do you think you're doing out here?!"
Danny looked up and found a blue faced, angry red-eyed ghost glaring back at him. Plasmius held the boy bridal style in his arms and gently lowered the two the last few feet till his boots touched the ground.
"Vlad? What... Happened?" Danny asked, his voice cracking from his previous screams.
"You don't remember flying up into the clouds and losing your ghost half entirely?! you don't remember plummeting to the earth at all?!"
Danny cringed at the man's tone and racked his brain for answers. He remembered the feeling of being chilled, and the sound of irons... but his memory was completely blank past waking up completely airborne.
"I don't remember anything." Danny admitted. "But... how did you find me out here?"
"I must get around to teaching you how to sense when a ghost's powers are being used..." Vlad sighed, and lowered the boy to the sound earth.
Danny placed his feet in the ground but as soon as his weight dropped his knees buckled and he fell forward with a shocked cry. Vlad grabbed him around his waist and Danny grit his teeth against the odd pain that shot up his legs everytime he let any weight into them.
"Easy, hold onto me." Vlad said. "Try to hover, carefully."
Danny did as instructed and lifted himself into the air. He held tightly to Vlad's shoulders as the elder half-ghost supported him around the middle, and he felt his legs change into his spectral tail.
He wobbled dangerously and dropped a couple inches. Danny panicked and shot back into the other's arms in fear of falling. Vlad frowned and stared down at the boy's tail. It was barely moving whereas normally it would move almost as a propeller for a ghost's flight.
"I'll teleport us inside. Hold on tight and do not let go." Vlad ordered. He felt Danny grip onto his suit tightly and teleported the two of them into the manor.
Danny gasped at the strong push and pull of the power but found he was otherwise okay. He looked up and discovered he was in a room he'd never seen before.
The walls were pure white and had floors to match. The place looked like the nurse's office at Danny's school with a row of beds along the wall and a glass cabinet filled with objects Danny had no interest in ever learning about.
"Why do you have this?" Danny wondered aloud. Vlad set him down on the closest bed, -which was less like a hospital bed and much more comfortable than a hotel's- and walked away towards an intercom on the far wall.
"In case you haven't already figured it out, a half-ghost cannot simply waltz into a human hospital and not expect to be turned in to a scientific institute." Vlad answered, before pressing a button on the device on the wall.
"Now," Vlad said. "I'd like to know just how you ended up outside at this time of night."
Danny stiffened, a blush appearing across his cheeks. He wished he could remember something about what had possesed him to do something so reckless, but his mind felt like there was a thick wall blocking him from remembering a thing.
"I told you, I don't remember." Danny snapped, crossing his arms in that defiant manner he knew sent Vlad into a tangent.
"Daniel." Vlad's voice was surprisingly calm. "You do understand that although you do not like me, I'm here to talk or listen. Especially if you are thinking of making permanent decisions for your life."
Danny gaped up at the vampire-looking ghost in shock for several moments before shooting a strong ectoblast right past the ghost's head angrily.
"I am not suicidal!"
Vlad ducked as another blast came, this time aimed directly at his head, and glared at the boy in hatred.
"What do you expect me to think? You simply want to drop out of the sky to scare the living daylights out of me for fun?! Is that it?!" Vlad yelled.
"You were...scared?"
Vlad tensed and stayed silent, content to glare at his ward with contempt.
"Are any of you aware of how late it is?" The tired voice of Godfrey was heard as said ghost phased into the room. "I'm an old ghost, I need my sleep!"
Godfrey seemed to notice Danny at this moment, and sobered quickly, walking to the half-ghost's side.
"Oh dear. Sir, what happened? He's much more pale than usual," Godfrey fussed, looking Danny over for external injuries. "Is Mr. Fenton's core acting up again? I thought you had a fancy injection to help that."
"If you would kindly cease your yammering, old man, I might provide some answers." Vlad said, bringing a thermometer to Danny and holding it to his mouth expectantly.
"What does my temperature have to do with my legs?" Danny questioned suspiciously. He felt as if both his legs were asleep, with pins and needless jabbing him at even the slightest movement.
"If your core is the cause of this, than it could be dealt with more efficiently. If not, it could have been caused by your fall or something you had done without knowing you had done it, given your lack of memory." Vlad explained.
Danny frowned for a moment but accepted the answer and allowed Vlad to take his temperature, while Godfrey was updated on the situation.
"Daniel Fenton, you fell out of the sky?!" Godfrey demanded, and Danny cringed.
"You mwake ish shound like ist ma fwault." Danny murmured, thermometer still in his mouth. Vlad rolled his eyes at the child's antics and pulled the device out of his mouth as soon as it declared it had finished the reading.
"Well, sir?" Godfrey questioned.
"It's lower than normal, even with an ice core." Answered Vlad. "This is bad."
"Why? What's happening to me?"
Vlad pulled up a chair to sit in front of Danny's temporary bed while Godfrey began scowering the room for extra blankets to bury the boy in. After several hesitant moments, Vlad answered,
"You see, much like a human's temperature rises to rid itself of infections and fight illnesses, a ghost's body-depending on your core- may more or less function in a similar fashion. Do you understand?"
"I'm with you so far...I think." Danny replied as Godfrey threw a fluffy blanket around his shoulders. He didn't protest, now that attention was brought to it Danny felt as if he were inside a meat locker!
"Since your body, more specifically your ghost core, has been weak it has let energy run rampant inside of you, causing the spikes in temperature, loss of control, perhaps even what happened earlier could be blamed on the imbalance of energy." Vlad explained.
"Should be easy enough to fix, with a bit of help from the Ghost Zone's 'flora and fauna' you've had us keep around." Godfrey commented lightheartedly.
"I'd rather not resort to that."
Danny sat looking between the two adults in boredom. He already knew he wouldn't understand a thing that was going on. his friends may call him clueless, but as the saying goes: 'Ignorance is bliss'...
Vlad stood and Danny looked up, frowning at how the man seemed to tower over him.
"I'll have the room heated for tonight, just enough to break the chill. Now, it is extremely late and we all need sleep." As he spoke Vlad transformed into his less-than-elegant looking human half, pajama-clad and all. "If you need anything, call Godfrey or myself, Daniel."
Danny wanted to argue, to tell the billionaire he was being paranoid, or that he wanted to sleep in his own room. Instead he found himself yawning as if on cue, and as Godfrey saw Vlad out Danny was already out of it.
"Now then, I'll wait here till you're asleep and then heat this place up a bit. For now, just try and sleep." Godfrey said, dimming the lights.
For once, Danny had no problem with obeying. He laid back onto the sterile bedsheets in exhaustion and allowed the dark abyss to swallow him up into sweet unconsciousness within seconds.
.
Waking up the following morning was a task that seemed near impossible for Vlad Masters, as his body screamed for sleep and his eyes refused to open. However his mind raced with questions as soon as he regained consciousness, so much so that he could not keep still.
He went through his morning routine on autopilot, his eyes downcast in thought. Last night had been revealing as to just what Daniel was hiding from him, he was sure of it. However, figuring out just what all of it meant was a different matter. Was Daniel somehow affected mentally by Maddie in some way Vlad could not easily see? Had the injuries she'd inflicted really been the cause of the boy's accident, or was there something Vlad was missing entirely?
The puzzle laid out before him seemed complex enough as it was, it was a terrible disadvantage to be missing some of the pieces.
As soon as Vlad had finished breakfast he'd canceled a few unnecessary meetings and given himself the morning off. Let his campaign assistants deal with the silly election, he had a different headache to see to.
Vlad continued on to the infirmary he'd stowed away on the basement floor. After a rough night and a bit of lingering paranoia he'd had it installed fully stocked and prepared for anything he might come home with, whether it be a broken bone or slash to the chest.
The half-ghost met his butler just as the ghost was exiting the room containing his young ward. Godfrey smiled and put a finger to his lips, indicating that Daniel was still asleep. Vlad nodded and they moved away from the door a bit.
"Good morning sir, come to see how the boy's held up?" Godfrey greeted softly.
"Obviously. He hasn't gone and died has he?" Vlad said sarcastically.
Godfrey pretended to contemplate it for a moment before chuckling and shaking his head.
"He woke up in the middle of the sunrise complaining about the heat, but his chill had only gone up a single degree, so I convinced him to go back to sleep. Though he is back to his ghost half's normal temperature presently, therefore I see no need to continue keeping the room heated."
"Excellent, he's fine then? No...sleepwalking?" Vlad asked. If last night was to be a common of occurrence he might just pass out from exhaustion.
"None at all sir. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some chores to get to." Godfrey replied, giving the infirmary door one last glance before taking his leave.
So the boy had made it. He wasn't surprised. He was however severely disappointed no further disturbance had occurred, he was running out of clues to follow. His curiosity would be the death of him, of this the man was certain.
Vlad entered the room and instantly felt the warm air inside surround him like a blanket. It was not overly hot, but it was just heated enough to feel as if one was seated in front of a warm fire.
Daniel was cocooned in several covers, and seemed to look anything but peaceful. His eyes were shut tight, his hands were clenching the sheets, and he was sweating.
As Vlad approached, Daniel seemed to sense him. Not only did his ghost sense go off, but the boy relaxed a bit and reached out, seeming confused. Vlad came to his side and watched with astonishment as Daniel relaxed even more, and his aura brightened.
If Vlad had been unsure of whether keeping the boy hidden here was the right decision, he was completely sure of it now.
"Daniel." Vlad called, shaking the teen's shoulder gently.
Daniel shifted a bit but did not awaken. His bright eyes could be seen darting back and forth beneath his eyelids as he slept on. Vlad sighed, looking down at the peaceful face of the son he so craved to have.
"I am usually disgusted by how much you resemble your father, you know," Vlad thought aloud. "But I can see her in your expressions, your spirit, and those long lashes of yours..."
Vlad suppressed another sigh and scooped up the bundle of boy and blankets into his arms, exiting the room as silently as possible.
He did not want to risk waking the boy by transforming, so he simply carried Daniel through the halls in the direction of his bedroom.
Daniel shivered as the temperature from the infirmary changed, and his neon green eyes opened ever so slightly. Vlad walked slower, praying the teen wouldn't kill him.
"Where...?" Danny mumbled, his head foggy.
'Splendid, he's still out of it.' Vlad thought.
"You're sick, go back to sleep."
"...'s cold."
Vlad allowed some of his own elemental energy to leak out and the area around the two raised in temperature. Danny let out a contented sigh and his eyes fell closed once more.
Vlad relaxed and continued on, ending his journey at Daniel's bedroom door. He walked up to the boy's bed and laid him down on it.
At least, he tried to anyway.
Danny had his cape gripped tight in one hand and a fistful of his jumpsuit in the other. His face was contorted into discomfort as his newfound pillow tried to move. Vlad attempted to lower the boy but Daniel refused to let go of him, completely unaware of his actions yet adamant to remain where he was.
'Even in his sleep he's stubborn.' Vlad thought, trying to pry Daniel's arms off him.
Vlad pulled and pushed at the boy but he did not budge an inch. He even tried to turn intangible but Daniel simply sensed the change and copied it.
"Oh honey biscuits!" Vlad swore softly, dropping onto the bed with a resigned huff. He sat tiredly on the soft covers and shifted Daniel to a more comfortable position.
Then, almost like a spell, he felt the weight of his situation leave him, and he joined Danny in a deep, stiff sleep.
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Next Chapter: Danny goes on a stress-induced rampage, meanwhile Sam and Tucker have lunch with Jazz.
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Hi~! Seems like it's been forever hasn't it? Don't worry, I won't abandon this story. Even if it takes a while for me to update, I'd hate to leave this unfinished.
However I really would love some reviews from you adorable snugglemuffins! It encourages me, whether you are a new reader or a late-comer. Please drop me a note and tell me how you enjoyed this chapter! And maybe what you'd like to see in the next one? ;) You never know what ideas I'll use.
-P