AU — OOC

TW: Strong Language — Emotional Distress

~ Confessions ~

I didn't think to question the blissful truth, that your intentions were all pretend and this sinking feeling's you

I'm feeling exhausted, I just wanna be free, to claw myself from death's front door and not let him capture me

- Caskets

Danny's mind was screaming, a deafening roar that drowned out everything else. Did they actually just say that? His thoughts spiraled, sharp and frantic. Really? What the fuck!

His breathing hitched, his chest tightening as the words replayed in his mind, over and over, like a broken record he couldn't stop. He clenched his fists tighter under the table, his nails digging into his palms, grounding him in the only way he could manage.

He couldn't believe what they'd just told him, what had actually happened. Using his ghostly wail—on his own house? It didn't make sense. It couldn't make sense.

Finally, he was getting some answers. Not all of them, but they were there, small fragments scattered in front of him. Yet the puzzle pieces didn't fit together, and that only made the frustration churn deeper inside him.

His vision blurred, the world around him fading into the background as his thoughts consumed him entirely. Anger. Confusion. Betrayal. It all swirled together, a storm of emotions that he couldn't control, couldn't stop.

The muffled voices of Sam and Tucker faded into nothing, replaced by the cold purr pounding in his ears. Why didn't anyone tell him? His mind raged, screaming into his own void. Why?

His grip on reality slipped, his gaze fixed on nothing as he retreated further into the chaos of his thoughts, the noise in his mind swallowing the world around him.

"Danny?"

A voice cut through the haze, sharp and sudden, snapping him out of his spiral.

"Are you okay?" The familiar tone softened the sharpness, but it still jarred him.

"Huh?" Danny blinked rapidly, his brows knitting together in confusion as he looked up, disoriented. The pieces of his surroundings felt scattered, refusing to fall into place. He was in his room, sitting cross-legged on his bed—his safe space, or so he thought. But how had he ended up here? Hadn't he just…? His mind felt hazy, a jumbled mess of fractured thoughts. Nothing made sense.

In the open doorway stood Jazz, his big sister, her teal eyes filled with concern as they locked onto him, studying him carefully.

For a moment, he just stared at her, as if the world had tilted slightly off balance, leaving him unsure of what was real anymore.

How did he even end up here? The question gnawed at him, his mind scrambling for answers. One moment, he was at the Nasty Burger, and now—he was in his bedroom? The transition felt wrong, disjointed. Speaking of the Nasty Burger…

The memory hit him hard again, snapping back like a rubber band, sharp and unrelenting. Sam and Tucker. Their conversation replayed in his mind as if it had just happened moments ago. Every word echoed, twisting into something heavier.

A sudden headache struck him, sharp and unrelenting. Danny pinched his eyes closed, his right hand flying up to his head as though he could physically block the memory from clawing its way back. But it was useless.

The anger followed, surging through him like an icy wave, It spread through his veins like venom, cold and biting, radiating outward from the depths of his core. His eyes flew back open, brows furrowed downward, his jaw tightening as anger took over.

"Why didn't you tell me?!" he demanded, his voice sharp, echoeing and accusatory. His hand dropped down abruptly, clenching into a tight fist at his side. The words hung heavy in the air, vibrating with the force of his frustration.

"Whoa! Calm down, baby brother. What's up with you?" Jazz asked, her voice laced with caution as she took a small step closer.

Danny's glowing eyes snapped toward her, his anger was boiling over. "Don't—baby brother me!" he yelled, his voice trembling with rage. "Why did you never tell the truth? You knew? You FUCKING knew?! The whole FUCKING time?!"

His fists clenched tightly at his sides, his chest rising and falling rapidly as the words echoed off the walls. The room felt charged, his core purring with the intensity of his emotions, spilling out in every word.

In a sudden, explosive movement, Danny flew up from his spot, his body moving faster than he could think. He stopped just inches from Jazz, his face mere breaths away from hers, his eyes locking onto her wide teal ones with an intensity that made the air between them crackle.

She froze, startled, her pupils dilating as fear flickered across her face. Her composure broke for a split second, and instinctively, she took a step back, her breath catching in her throat.

Jazz crossed her arms tightly against her chest, her fingers digging into her upper arms as if she could shield herself from his piercing gaze. Her shoulders sagged, dropping into a defensive posture.

"Wha—what are you talking about?" she stammered, her voice unsteady, her words barely holding together. An awkward chuckle escaped her lips as she looked away, avoiding his eyes, her gaze flickering to the floor like it held the answers she couldn't give.

But that hesitation, that nervous laugh—it was all Danny needed to see. It was written all over her face, plain as day. The truth she was hiding, the lies she was burying. She wasn't telling him everything—nothing, really. But that was about to change, he'll make sure of that.

It had to, right?

"Don't act like you don't know now," Danny said sharply, his voice biting as the anger continued to bubble, threatening to spill over.

"Danny—" Jazz began softly, her tone laced with pity, or maybe regret. She sighed heavily, the weight of the moment pulling her shoulders even lower. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes for a moment, as if gathering herself, and then took a hesitant step forward.

Then another.

Without meeting his gaze, she moved past him and sat down carefully on the edge of his bed.

Danny slowly turned around, his glowing eyes narrowing as he watched her. His fists were still clenched at his sides, the anger bubbling in his core like a storm, refusing to dissipate.

"You don't—remember?" she asked, her voice soft, almost hesitant, like she was afraid of the answer.

Danny's chest tightened, the weight of her words cutting deeper than he expected. Why was everyone betraying me? Why is everyone keeping him in the dark?

"I don't," he said, his voice strained, teetering on the edge of frustration and hurt. "Apparently, I was a big hit on TV." The bitterness in his tone lingered with some sarcasm, heavy and cold, the sting of betrayal twisting in his chest.

"Oh, Danny," Jazz said softly, her voice trembling like she had guilt and sorrow. "I thought you knew. And I just… I didn't want to bring it up. I didn't want to see my brother suffering, or reliving any of it."

Her gaze dropped to the floor as she wrapped her arms tighter around herself, her shoulders sagging. "I thought you'd be ready to talk whenever you were, but… it never came. Not in the last three months since you've been back."

"and yet, here we are. I—I don't know anything!" Danny snapped, his voice laced with frustration. "So, can you please just—tell me already what the fuck happened before I was captured, taken—whatever—by the Guys In White?"

His hands swung up in the air, a sharp, restless motion, as he rolled his eyes and let out an exasperated sigh. His anger was bubbling just beneath the surface, like it was threatening to spill over again.

"Okay. Where should I begin," Jazz started, her voice heavy. She hesitated, her gaze shifting away from him as if she couldn't bear to meet his eyes. "They found out. I don't know how exactly, but mom and dad did. And after that—" she paused, struggling to piece together the right words. "They called the Guys in White. Because, you know—Mom was already working with them. So they wanted to capture you, but they knew they couldn't do it alone. They knew how powerful Phantom—you are."

Her voice wavered, and she paused again, her expression tightening. "And of course, instead of accepting you…" she swallowed hard, "because of that new law. Because you weren't human in their eyes. Because Mom and Dad thought you were possessing yourself—like Phantom had taken their son away from them."

Danny clenched his fists, his glowing eyes narrowing as Jazz's words struck him like a physical blow.

"But you didn't want to hurt Mom and Dad, you were careful not to, but—something snapped in you as soon you saw the Guys in White. So you were fighting them," Jazz continued, her voice softer now. "With all your strength. And—" she paused again, her breath hitching. "And you were so angry, you ghost wailed our house, our home. And then… from the back—they used this heavy collar thing and wrapped it around your neck, shutting down your powers."

She finally looked up at him, her eyes shimmering with guilt. "What I didn't know, Danny… is that they would really do things to you that weren't okay. If I knew… I would have tried harder. I would've brought them to their senses, made them stop everything."

Her voice cracked on the last word, the weight of her regret hanging in the air between them.

"I've been there seven months, Jazz! Seven fucking months!" Danny's voice cracked as he burst into tears, his fists trembling at his sides. "Seven months away from my life. Just—gone. Stolen from me!" His voice rose, raw with anger and pain, as tears streamed down his face.

"And I don't even know if my human part is still in here!" He gestured wildly at himself with shaking hands, his voice breaking under the weight of his words. "I don't even know if I'm still me."

He paused, his chest heaving as he struggled to contain the whirlwind of emotions inside him. But then, his expression twisted, his tears falling harder.

"But you know what?" Danny continued, his voice softer now, almost hollow. "After all that, I just—started to enjoy it. The pain." His words were heavy, almost suffocating. "Because it was the only thing that let me feel like I was still real. Like I was still… alive. Like I was still there. There, here—anywhere!"

He lowered his head, his arms falling limp at his sides, his whole body trembling as his tears hit the wooden floor. "It was all I had left," he whispered, his voice breaking again, consumed by the weight of his confession.

"Danny…" Jazz said softly, her voice trembling.

"No, Jazz." Danny cut her off, his voice cold and sharp. "I miss it. I really miss the pain."

Her expression froze, her arms crossing tightly around herself. "That's not—mentally right, baby brother. You can't—"

"You wouldn't understand. You can't understand," Danny interrupted again, his voice rising, filled with frustration and something darker. "It's like—a drug, an addiction I'm longing for," he confessed, his gaze dropping to the floor as his hands clenched into fists. "And believe me, I know. I know somewhere—somehow it isn't right. But—"

He stopped mid-sentence, the words catching in his throat. Don't say it. Don't make it worse. He clenched his jaw, swallowing hard as the silence stretched between them.

He really was longing for those moments again. More than ever now. Her words, her explanation—it stirred something deep inside him, a longing that made his core feel heavier, colder. Was this everything? Or is she still hiding something?

"Just… drop it. Forget what I said," Danny said abruptly, his voice firm but hollow. His eyes darted back to hers. "You know they let me free because I'm part human, right?" He changed the subject, his tone sharper, trying to cut off any response before Jazz could step into her psychologist mode.

"Yes, I am aware. Dad told me," Jazz said, her voice measured but tinged with unease. "And just so you know, I thought they put you in some kind of mental institute. That's the truth. You weren't yourself anymore, Danny. You pushed everyone away. Even your best friends, but—I can't blame you for that, not after they… cheated on you."

"Cheated?" Danny repeated, his brow furrowing in confusion as he raised an eyebrow.

Jazz froze, her lips parting as if the words had slipped out without her permission. "You—you don't know?" she stammered, her eyes widening. "Damn it. I thought you knew. I shouldn't have said anything." She looked away, biting her lip, regret shadowing her expression.

"Tell me, Jazz," Danny said firmly, his voice low but laced with an edge of desperation.

"Well…"

Little sister-brother-sibling-thing moment here.

Confessions, confessions. Confessions everywhere. Finally the truth! But still… there are many things untold.

Danny's hell is probably breaking loose now—again.

"You should see me in a crown."

Damn it. No. Yes!

Sure, Danny. Whatever you say.

Yeah, this chapter is a bit rushed, maybe. I don't know. So again, sorry if there would be any mistakes.