POV: You decided to post chapter 2 earlier than you intended but when you go back to chapter 1, you realized that you didn't put any sort of welcome introduction towards your readers except at the end notes where you wrote a "lmao, im being roasted alive in the Philippines while I prepare for my moving up ceremony. Take this L and wait another month for me to post chapter 2" moment...
My reaction: T﹏T
Sorry about that. Anyway, it's better late than never so, welcome, readers! This fanfic was formerly titled as "Lost in a Fenton's Embrace," where I quickly went on a "short" hiatus after posting 3 chapters.
Why? Because I'm a fking perfectionist. The old fanfic just didn't feel right with me, I was on a brainrot trying to scratch this itch mindlessly...
That's it, that's the reason. So I changed it. I changed the title and the contents entirely. I don't want to mess up the itch and leave me a big and painful rash in the process.
However, the main plot for this danny phantom fanfic stays the same... I want to see how Danny and Danielle would bond as a... father and daughter... literally.
And of course, there's LOOORRREEE (cues Matpat)!!! I have futures for this fanfic, and I swear that no matter how bad my life goes, I won't fking leave this fic and go on a hiatus for longer than a month.
Anyway, you're not here to see me yapping, so... On with chapter 2!
Btw, if this fic isn't your thing, I advised you to not force yourself in reading this :3
(9:35 AM, FRIDAY, MARCH 29)
Being a clone of Danny Phantom came with many advantages, you get to have his cool powers from day one.
PZZZZ!
But dealing with his enemies wasn't one of them.
PZZZZ!
A blue beam of ectoplasmic energy shot towards Danielle. She dodged just in time, sticking her tongue out at her opponent.
"Blehhh! You missed again, skullhead!"
To be frank, the beam had come uncomfortably close, but she wasn't about to let see her sweat.
"Oh, don't be cocky, Miss Pipsqueak." Skulker's sinister grin spread across his face. "Watch your back."
CRACKLE!
Danielle barely had time to react before her body was engulfed in searing electricity, sending waves of pain through her. She let out a scream, feeling her nerves ignite.
Through sheer will and the resilience she'd built up, Danielle managed to stay conscious.
"How...?" she panted, glancing around the empty expanse of sky. The battle had taken them to dizzying heights, far above the clouds.
"I have to thank a rat for teaching me a trick or two." Skulker waved a finger, and a mini blue shield flickered into existence before him.
Danielle's eyes widened with realization. "You used a ghost shield to rebound your missed shots?!"
Skulker nodded, still grinning. "I don't know why I haven't thought of that before." He continued firing his ecto-gun, each shot a potential knockout. "That rat must've spread his low intelligence on my genius brain whenever we fought."
PZZZZ! PZZZZ!
Dodging beams of blue, Danielle's frustration mounted. All she wanted was a peaceful visit to Danny, but Skulker's sudden ambush made that impossible. She channeled her energy, retaliating with green ghost rays.
Pew! Pew!
"Give up, Skulker! It's not worth catching a knock-off version, you know!" Danielle shouted as she managed to block a rebounded shot with her ghost shield.
Pew! Pew!
PZZZZ! PZZZZ!
Pew! Pew!
PZZZZ! PZZZZ!
When the battle seems to be lasting longer than she would've liked, Danielle realized that it's time to think smart about her survival.
So, it was time to retreat.
Pew! Pew!
PZZZZ! PZZZZ!
Yet, the aerial chase still continued. And as seconds pass by, it intensifies even more.
Beams of ectoplasmic energy crisscrossed the sky as ghost shields appeared and vanished in rapid succession.
Skulker's shots were often wild, but a few found their mark, leaving Danielle bruised and truthfully, desperate.
"Running away already? You disappoint me, little clone!" Skulker taunted, his voice dripping with mock disappointment.
Danielle's eyes narrowed as she fired a few shots as him. "Don't count me out yet, Skulker! I've got more tricks up my sleeve than you think!"
Skulker weaved out of harm's way and laughed. "Bold words, eh? Let's see if you can back them up!"
In a last-ditch effort, Danielle turned invisible. For a moment, it seemed she had escaped.
But Skulker was prepared. He adjusted his mechanical wrist, deploying a sleek set of goggles.
Time to put this new invention to use… Skulker thought, placing the goggles on his face. Danielle, now visible through his enhanced vision, was a distant speck.
"No more playing now, Miss Pipsqueak," he muttered. His battlesuit whirred as anti-ghost missile launchers emerged, locking onto Danielle.
HUUUU! HUUUU!
The missiles launched, streaking towards Danielle with deadly precision. Skulker followed closely behind, propelled by his jetpack.
Danielle, unaware of the impending danger, continued to fly as fast as she could, hoping to outrun her relentless pursuer.
The sky was filled with the sounds of warfare: the hum of ecto-energy, the hiss of missiles, and the roar of jet engines.
"Think you can escape me by turning invisible?" Skulker shouted over the roar of the wind. "With this SpectraVision ghost goggles, I will hunt you to the ends of the Earth if I have to!"
A missile missed and flew over Danielle.
BOOM!!
The explosion sent her flying back a few feet. Now realizing the danger, Danielle tried to evade or block the missiles as best as she could.
"You really need to get a hobby that doesn't involve trying to capture kids!"
Skulker's eyes gleamed as he sent a couple more missiles at Danielle. "My hobby is the thrill of the hunt, and you are merely the bait to the ultimate prize!"
BOOM!! BOOM!!
Explosions rocked the sky as the missiles closed in on Danielle.
"COME ON! THIS IS OVERKILL FOR A CHILD!" She loudly yelled as she twisted and turned, erecting ghost shields to deflect them.
BOOM!!
A missile managed to hit Danielle square in the back. The force of the explosion sent her spiraling, and she let out a blood-curdling scream.
"AAAAAHHH!"
Her body was engulfed in flames and smoke as she fell through the sky, the wind roaring past her ears.
"NO!" she gasped, struggling to stay conscious. The pain was overwhelming, and her vision blurred.
Danielle felt herself falling, falling...
Skulker's laughter echoed above her. "Looks like the little ghost bit off more than she could chew! Down you go!"
Amity Park's massive and tall buildings quickly came into view, their familiar outlines blurring as Danielle's mind raced. She had to do something, anything, to stop her fall.
Summoning the last of her strength, Danielle tried to stabilize her descent with her ghost powers, but her injury was too severe. Pain clouded her thoughts, making it hard to concentrate.
Help...
Danny... anyone...
The ground rushed up to meet her. In a final, instinctive act, Danielle turned intangible, slipping through the street and landing with a splash in the cold, murky waters of the sewer below.
The impact sent shockwaves of pain through her body, and then everything went black.
Above ground, the citizens of Amity Park went about their day, unaware of the battle that had just taken place above them.
Skulker hovered, scanning the city for any sign of Danielle. However, SpectraVision showed nothing but empty streets and oblivious, dumb people.
Grrr... Skulker took them off. Not that he expects anything from the goggles, it's only worthy because it manages to see invisible ghosts, but still...
"If only that damn Technus didn't take my X-ray goggles!" Skulker muttered, frustration etched across his face.
He sighed as he shook his head. "No matter. I'll find her soon enough."
With a final glance at the city below, Skulker flew off, his mind already plotting his next move.
In the sewers, Danielle, in her human form, lay unconscious, the cold water seeping into her wounds. Her clothes were in tatters, soaked through with water and grime. The silence was broken only by the occasional drip of water echoing through the tunnels.
Minutes passed, feeling like an eternity, before Danielle's eyes fluttered open, her head pounding with each heartbeat.
Blinking through the haze, she struggled to make sense of her surroundings. She groaned as she attempted to lift herself out of the water, every movement sending waves of agony through her body.
"Ugh... where am I?" she muttered, her voice weak and raspy.
Her body ached as she moved. She touched her forehead and felt the sticky warmth of blood. As her vision cleared, she recognized the grimy walls of the sewer and realized how far she had fallen.
She reached into her pocket with trembling fingers and pulled out a small ziplock bag. Inside was a small USB drive, the only reason why she made it this far.
Summoning what little strength she had left, Danielle managed to transform into her ghost form. She phased through the ground, emerging in a secluded alleyway.
Returning to her human form, she slumped against the rough brick wall, her breaths shallow and ragged. Danielle forced herself to move, to walk.
But to where? To Danny, to his home. Wherever she is, she'll make her way over there.
And yet, after what seemed to be minutes of walking, the alley stretched before Danielle like a never-ending tunnel. The ache in her limbs screamed protest as she forced herself forward.
"This is stupid," she murmured to herself, her voice barely audible over the clamor of her own heartbeat.
5. Maybe death seemed to be getting nearer at her doorstep, Danielle's thoughts spiraled uncontrollably.
I'm so stupid for rejecting that flip phone with Tucker… Mercy, with that thing, I could've called for help by now…
4. Taking each step drags Danielle deeper into the suffocating grip of unconsciousness. Her legs felt like they could give out at any moment.
Despite loving my freedom and travel, not having a home stings. I hate sleeping outside, especially in bad weather, and resorting to stealing food with my ghost powers feels too much like that fucking bastard.
Though, it isn't that bad when you see people smile after you save them or help them in any way… That's what keeps me going…
… But why?
3. Danielle stopped in her tracks.
Why does seeing people happy with their families make my heart ache? Why do I feel…?
Feel… sad?
2. Maybe it's from dealing with the pain for so long or probably because she's dying, but Danielle couldn't help but let out self-deprecating chuckles at her next thoughts.
Because… I don't have a family… A real family...
And I thought that this damn USB inside my pocket would potentially change that for me…
Oh fuck me… My life as a clone... Has it always been this hard?
... Sigh, why did I even bother...?
I'm dying. And even if I live, he'll just reject me... I mean, I won't blame him for shutting the door on his "biological" daughter's face anyway...
What kind of 15-year-old is willing to accept a fucked up situation?
1. Those chuckles turned into a full-fledged laugh.
… I guess… this is it… You got me… Skulker... You got your bait...
Ah, and Vlad... Fuck you, I hope you're happy knowing that my life is miserable… But... I do have to thank you... for creating me...
I... I wouldn't have met Danny if it weren't for you...
0. She stopped laughing after a good minute.
"It hurts," Danielle murmured bitterly as she took a step forward... Thud.
She collapsed to the ground, consciousness slipping away like grains of sand through her fingers.
End notes: I don't own Danny Phantom.