"I have experience my child... I could train you, teach you everything I know"
Desperate to learn how to better control his ghost powers, a seventeen year old Danny Fenton agrees to train under Vlad, only to be pushed beyond his limits—both physically and mentally. As Vlad's cruel methods escalate from emotional manipulation to horrific experiments and constant over training pushing him closer and closer toward the one thing Danny swore he would never become, Danny is torn between his desire for mastery and the creeping realization that Vlad is destroying everything that makes him human.
Disclaimer:I do not own Danny Phantom or any of its rights. This fanfiction is purely a work of fan creation and is not intended to be canon-compliant. The story you're about to read is a reflection of an idea I've been developing for a long time and is my interpretation of what could happen if Danny accepted Vlad's offer to train him. Additionally, this fanfiction is my attempt to complete the Whumptober (Tumblr writing event) writing challenge for the first time, which is a prompt-based event aimed at exploring darker themes. I hope you enjoy this non-canon exploration!
Author's Note:Hello, everyone! Before you dive into this story, I wanted to provide a few content warnings. This fanfiction contains themes of psychological manipulation, emotional and physical abuse, injuries, panic attacks, and other potentially triggering content related to intense emotional distress and physical harm. Please proceed with caution, and take care of yourselves while reading.
This story is a long-time headcanon of mine, exploring the "what if" scenario of Danny Fenton being trained by Vlad Masters. For years, I've wondered how things would have unfolded if Danny had accepted Vlad's offer first seen in Bitter Reunions, and this story serves as an exploration of the physical and psychological toll such training would have taken on him. The themes of manipulation, power, and identity are central to this story, along with all the angst that comes with Danny being pushed to his limits. Additionally, Chapter 21 will deal with themes of experimentation on a live (live-adjacent?) being.
Additionally, this fanfiction is being written for Whumptober, a month-long, prompt-based challenge hosted on Tumblr. WHUMPTOBER is an event that focuses on the darker side of character experiences (think: Inktober, but with more character misfortune). The prompts, which serve as the foundation for this story, are designed to inspire a wide range of interpretations, and I'll be using them to guide Danny's journey in a single, chronological narrative.
Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy this exploration of a darker, more intense chapter in Danny's life. Remember to take breaks if you need to!
This is not related to "This Place Will Become Your Tomb" or any works thereafter, this is a standalone project that was incentive for me to write out this long time headcanon of mine.
-Panini
