#in it Jack and maddy are still trying to get rid of the ghosts but mostly as penance

[paxopalotls]

The fanfictions are infecting me with brainrot oh my god have some au doodles before I explode

[long-live-astronerd-ghost-king]

DPXDC prompt: Parents don’t approve of Dead on main

Fentons are geniuses but not multitaskers. They’re used to giving their all to the most important thing on the list, forgetting even food and sleep, and then going back to something else.

So when they find out that Danny is Phantom, they panic and can’t think of anything else. Well, until they see the Gotham News on TV. What does it matter if their boy’s ghost or not? He's in bad company now and dating a crime lord! That's a real problem. No time to whine about their research about the nature of ghosts. Their boy is in danger! Change of priorities, urgent change of priorities!

~~~~~

So, when Danny moves in with Jason because of identity reveal, Batman prepares for various outcomes. To the flow of GIWs in Gotham, to the parents of the boy who may continue to hunt him and even to the likelihood that Maddie and Jack will accept their child without any questions. Bruce is a genius, but he forgets to include one important variable in the equation, namely his son. Despite the anti-hero’s current status, Red Hood is still remembered by the general public for his bloody methods of controlling Crime Alley. Which could definitely bother..anyone, to be honest. And it's understandable that video of Red Hood and Phantom beating Black Mask up on news did not make a pleasant first impression.

However, Bruce himself know a completely different side of his son and therefore could not tolerate the completely unfounded accusations from Maddie. Batman: How dare you! My boy is an angel. Your son is incredibly lucky to have such a thoughtful and caring partner. Jack: Yeah? I don't think so. How do we know he’s not just going to use Danno powers in his criminal plans? Maddie: We’re taking our boy home and it’s out of the question. Batman: Yeah? And how do we know you’re not just taking him for your experiments? Danny *whispers*: Um, Jay, we should go away, if you remember. Red Hood *whispers*: Yeah, yeah, I know. But just listen to it. Usually we can not get a word out of him. A temporary cure for emotional constipation is a true miracle. May your parents stay longer if, you know, they will not try to shoot you or smth else?

~~~~~

Maddie at home*aggressively filing a petition against anti-ecto laws*: I don’t care if the parental rights aren’t over the ghosts. How dare a bloody furry tell me I have no official right to take my son home and shove my own quotes in my face calling him a thing?!

Vlad who has long wanted to get rid of GIW *enters the house*: Bonjour, need a helping hand? Jack and Maddie *exchange glances without knowing if Danny’s secret should be revealed to their friend*. Vlad: Oh, for Ancients’s sake. *Snaps his fingers and goes Plasmius* Vlad: I’m also a stakeholder in it, okay? ~~~after two hours of talking~~~ Jack: Wait, V-man, if you know about Danny being Phantom, you know about his boyfriend too? Vlad: Red Hood? How could I not. I often visit Gotham for business deals. This is a favorite topic of newspapers and gossip. I don’t know who he is without a mask but I must admit the guy has a good aim, a lot better than you, Jack. Maddie: *pulls out the Ghost Peeler*

[suppose-i-was-worm]

Like A Lamb

**Idea taken from @nerdpoe's post- What the hell is this "Infinite Realms"?**

John Constantine would never call himself a kind man, much less a good man, but the kid at the corner table of this fast food restaurant was making him want to be both.

Not that John’s kindness would really help the kid, in the long run.

He’d seen so many things in all the time he’d been alive- wondrous and horrific in equal measure, but this boy- this teenager, barely out of childhood, was probably the most heart-breaking.

John had known sacrifices- marked by both men and demons. He’d seen the crumpled bodies after the fact, and sometimes he’d been able to save them beforehand. None of them were like this boy. Marked like a sacrificial lamb down to his bones by the universe- an inevitable end.

The teen was the beginning and the end of worlds- his death would shake the foundations of all that was, could be, and is. Time would stutter to a stop before restarting with a different beat, and John could do nothing to delay or stop what was coming.

How in the world could this kid still smile and laugh with his friends? How could he not feel the weight of an entire reality on his shoulders? If John, sitting across a dining room from him, could feel the pressure, why wasn’t the boy buckling under it?

John’s phone alerted him to a text from Zatanna- he was needed by the JLD.

With a sigh, he fished out the strongest protection amulet he had on him. It wouldn’t save the teen, but maybe it would make the rest of his life a little easier.

The kid looked up at him as he approached, all smiles and young innocence. John Constantine thrust the amulet into his hand and then turned, stalking out of the Nasty Burger.

He needed to tell the Justice League. Amity Park needed protection- there was a kid there whose death would change the world.

~~~

Danny flipped the little charm around in his hands, trying to figure it out. The sad trenchcoat man had handed it to him before leaving, and he had no idea why.

“What do you think it is, Danny?”

He shrugged. For some reason he didn’t want to hand it over to Sam for her to inspect it.

“Dunno. It feels important, though. I might take it to Pandora- she’s been teaching me a bit of magic stuff, so she can probably parse it out.”

For some reason, Danny knew he would recognize that man again if he ever saw him, despite only having looked at him for a moment. Something in his core rumbled contently as he tucked the amulet carefully into the back of his phone case.

The next few weeks, Danny found himself having suspiciously good luck. The food at home didn’t come to life, ghosts didn’t attack as much, Dash wasn’t a problem at school, and even the Fentons hadn’t been as insistent on catching Phantom.

That was another weird thing- His brain didn’t seem to compute that Jack and Maddie were his mom and dad anymore. He knew he’d been creeping toward that ever since his death, but it was like a switch had been flipped overnight. The Fenton adults no longer registered as his parents.

Finally he had a chance to slip into the Realms and head for Pandora, who took one look at the amulet he held out to her and laughed.

“You have been adopted, young one, and your core accepted.”

“Adopted?”

“Your nature is to protect- it sings in your blood and guides your instincts. An adult offered you protection, a safe haven, and you took them up on it. Had someone your own age done the same, your relationship with them would be vastly different.”

Danny frowned at the charm, but he didn’t put it down- it didn’t even occur to him to get rid of it.

“Why did he- what made him do that?”

Pandora ruffled his hair.

“He saw someone who needed protecting, I assume, and acted as he ought.”

~~~

“Bats, I don’t know what the Infinite Realms are. Yes, I know they exist. I just don’t know when they started to exist, and when my knowledge of the afterlife became outdated.”

Batman glared, and John rolled his eyes at the other man.

“Magic shit happens all the time. Zatanna can tell you just as well as I can that the Realms didn’t exist a year ago- and also that they’ve existed for millenia.”

“I’ve found a summoning spell for the king of the realms, but it requires a magic user. Zatanna is off-planet, so you’re up.”

John looked over at the speaker, Red Robin, whose slight form and dark hair made him think of the boy he’d left to die.

He’d thought of the boy more often than not- any research into the kind of sacrifice that would have so much power came to a dead end, and John Constantine hated that there was really and truly nothing he could do for the kid.

Maybe this Infinite Realms person might know something?

“Fine. What are the details?”

Red Robin perked up and handed over a heavy tome.

“Batman and I already set up the ritual space in the conference room, and a few other heroes are there to help out if the king is hostile.”

“Of course you have. Let’s go, then.”

The two bats swept off down the hallway, and John followed behind, studying the spell he would need to cast. It was fairly simple, and luckily wouldn’t require blood. He hated the ones that required blood.

As he stood over the sigils and spoke the ritual spells, the floor inside the protective circle began to writhe and bubble a toxic neon green. It was all John could do to stand straight as a rush of air spilled from the portal into the wide room, bringing with it the heavy taste of caution.

The Justice League took a step back as the first clawed hand reached out from the green, white and stretched beyond humanity. It scrabbled for purchase before finding it and pulling.

The creature that exited the swirling mass was something John had never seen before. If the situation wasn’t so tense, he might describe the creature as catlike, with a black body and white legs, as well as piercing green eyes. The similarities stopped, however, when the inky body flickered and lit up from within with the pinpricks of millions of stars and endless void.

This was a baby god, filled with the dreams of deities long forgotten and fueled by the hope of those still clinging on to life.

Its green eyes swept over the gathered heroes before coming to rest on John, and for a moment he felt as if his tattered soul was being judged by the cosmos.

And then the creature folded in on itself, the tense air around it changing from bitter caution to sweet relief, and John found himself face to face with the teenager from Amity Park.

“Hi.”

The boy sounded winded, but happy, and he reached inside his shirt to pull out a small chain necklace. John’s amulet was hanging off it, obviously well treasured and cared for.

“Did you know that you’re technically my dad now?”

Something on John’s face must have told the boy- the god, the sacrifice both dead and alive- that he was unaware of this fact. The kid shuffled a little, looking sheepishly at the floor.

“You- uh. Unintentionally offered safe haven. And I accepted without realizing what was going on, and- it’s weird. I collected your soul for you! Didn’t bring it with me, but I’ve got the pieces you’re missing.”

“I think you both need to sit down and discuss this.”

Bless Diana.

“Can you leave the circle, young one?”

The teen beamed at Diana and stepped out of the protective circle, smudging the sigils as he did and closing the portal.

“I can, yeah. Pandora says hi, by the way.”

John watched as the boy chattered away about his ghost friends to Diana while she led him to a seat, and then sighed, moving to join them. If he needed help with being a new dad, surely Bats could help, right?

[wolfjackle-creates]

WIP Wednesday

Part 1, Part 2

This is more of Ghost!Robin haunting Jason. This might not've won the poll (if you haven't voted, it's the post right after this one on my blog. But you'll have to come out in numbers to win against the Dead on Main shippers!), but it will feature in both this week's WIP Wednesday and next, so y'all better be happy.

1,100 words

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“If he’s still in the area, you should invite him,” said Dick. “Alfred’s food is to die for.” Robin was hanging upside down next to Dick nodding solemnly.

Danny tried to stop himself, he really did. He even managed to keep from saying he’d been there done that, but he couldn’t keep from laughing so hard he couldn’t breathe.

From where he was bent over trying to catch his breath, he saw Dick do some sort of spin that ended with him sitting upright on the chair. “Um… Is he all right?”

“He’s fine,” Jazz insisted. “He just thinks he’s hilarious. He had an accident when he was younger with electricity and his heart stopped. But after a few months his condition stabilized and now he’s stronger than ever.”

Through his laughs, Danny gasped, “If— If I hadn’t died… Mom and Dad… And you never, Gotham.”

Jazz turned away from him and hid her face in Jason’s neck. Danny just got himself under control when he noticed her shoulders shaking slightly.

He lost it again, Jazz following just behind.

Someone was saying “I’m confused” but someone else joined in their laughter. Danny looked up and saw it was Jason. And Robin. He liked them both already.

“Sorry, sorry,” gasped Danny once he had enough breath to do so. “Amity Parkers have a morbid sense of humor.”

“Tt, I hardly believe your heart stopping then medical intervention saving your life can count as you actually dying.” Damian had a sneer on his face and Danny already didn’t like him.

But rather than engage, he just shrugged. “It was close enough that the ghosts back home like me more’n most.” He wiped his eyes to get rid of the tears.

“I like you, kid. Great sense of humor.” Jason reached around Jazz to ruffle his hair; Danny swatted the hand away.

“Ghosts?” asked Cass.

“Yes, of course,” said Jazz. “Amity Park, the most haunted town in America.”

“Ghosts aren’t real,” argued Damian.

“Do you really need to play up the tourist gimmick even around friends?” added Tim.

“Tourist gimmick? We hate outsiders.” Danny didn’t even bother responding to the comment about ghosts not existing.

“Why do you dislike outsiders so much?” asked Bruce.

With a shrug, Jazz answered, “It’s hard to explain, but outsiders just don’t fit in in Amity.”

Danny let himself look at Robin who was sitting on the back of the couch behind Jason. “Jason might be an exception, though. Have you taken him home yet?”

“No, but I’ve been wanting to. Just… Jack and Maddie.” Jazz did take their betrayal so much harder than Danny had.

“Fair. Tell you what, give me a list of weeks you two can arrange to get off and I’ll make sure Mom and Dad are out of Amity for at least one of them.”

Jason leaned around Jazz to ask, “Why are you so sure I’d fit in in Amity?”

Obviously he couldn’t say it was because Jason was haunted and liminal, so all he said was, “Oh, you’ve got the vibes. You’ll understand it when you get there. Just… Listen to Jazz? It isn’t really safe if you try and do your own thing.”

Around them, various conversations developed and Danny let Jazz take over describing the places in Amity she wanted to show Jason. Instead, he watched Robin interact with the wider group.

The ghost kept trying to get the attention of someone, anyone, in the Wayne family. But his efforts focused on Bruce and Dick. He was clearly haunting Jason, though, and it feels like they might be sharing ectoplasm somehow.

Danny really wanted to pull out his Ecto-tracker, based off the Fenton Finder but far more sensitive and accurate. Instead, he just moved his bag closer to him.

“We can store that somewhere so you don’t have to carry it around with you,” offered Tim who must’ve seen the motion.

“Oh, that’s okay. Mr. Alfred already offered. I feel more comfortable having my bag with me.”

“What are you carrying around?” he asked.

“Bit of everything, to be honest. Laptop, PDA, chargers, first aid kit, granola bars, medicines, change of clothes, things I need for my job.”

Jason asked over Jazz’s head, “What is your job? Jazz never shares specifics, just that it keeps you too busy to visit or call very often.”

Robin was now staring at him with a grin and making amused trills. It took all of Danny’s self control to not snark at him.

“I do contract work.” It was his default answer on Earth. It was even sort-of true. If he squinted and tilted his head. Robin did not look impressed by his answer.

“I… Don’t know what that means,” admitted Jason. “What field do you work in?”

Danny waved a hand in the air. “Ancients, easier to ask what I don’t do! I build or repair things. I’m good at finding people. I help others get where they need to go. I’ve done babysitting before. I’m called in to deescalate or otherwise resolve conflicts. Basically, if someone needs assistance with something, I do it. Or I know someone who can.”

“Why do you swear by these ‘Ancients?’” asked Damian.

“It’s another ghost thing. But you don’t believe in ghosts, so I don’t know what to tell you.”

“Jazz swears by them, too,” added Jason.

Tim elbowed Damian who stood and actually pulled a knife on his brother. Not only was this kid liminal, he definitely had some ghostly instincts. “Woah, that’s enough, Damian!” ordered Dick as he positioned himself between the two.

Damian allowed Dick to take the blade, though he continued to glare at Tim. “Then tell Drake to not touch me again.”

Tim rolled his eyes and said, “Whatever,” as he moved closer to Danny and Jazz. To Danny, he asked, “So, what sort of things do you build?”

Danny decided Damian’s ghost instincts weren’t worth commenting on at the moment and just answered the question. “Oh, I can build anything.” Pulling out his PDA, he unlocked it and handed it to Tim. “My partner Tucker and I designed these. All the capabilities of a smartphone without the need for a cellular plan. Plus durable enough to survive being run over by a tank. And it gets service anywhere.”

Tim wasted no time in navigating the device’s capabilities. “What is this UI? I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“Tucker designed it. He’s a genius with software. I’m the hardware guy.”

Tim asked more details on the specs of the PDA which Danny happily answered. The things he built with Tucker were always his favorite inventions.

Tag list!

----------

Part 4

@addie-lover-of-stories, @justwannabecat, @gin2212, @amercurio, @regonold, @overtherose, @readerzj, @sjrose1216, @echoednonny, @deeterzz, @blu-lilac, @number-one-jew, @rowanaway-fromthisbs, @vythika96, @tired-yet-awaken, @themirrorghost

I think that's everyone! Let me know and I'll add you.

[woodland-gremlin]

How to Adopt Your Clone Pt. 4

Previous

Those words cut through her core, cracking it.

“No, no, no, no, nO, NO!” she cried, shaking her head, trying to get rid of the memories of what she did under Plasmius’ hand. The people she hurt. The lives she destroyed. The ones she kept ruining, no matter how hard she tried not to. But no matter how much she cried and raged at the world nothing could change that for the first few months of her life she was brought up by the man in front of her. That she was just as much of a he was.

Clutching her chest where her core rested Ellie felt the pain of a cracked core, her very being attacked. With Plasmius denying her agency, claiming that she was still under his thumb, he attacked her Obsession Freedom. It hurt. She didn’t want any of this. All she wanted was to be free.

“Oh, no need to cry Danielle,” Plasmius cooed, “It is only the truth.”

“As true as the possibility of Maddie divorcing Jack and marrying you!” a voice claimed, cutting through the heavy weight in Ellie’s mind.

“What?” Plasmius questions before taking an ecto-blast to the face, a small shadow falling with him. Then with a flash of light he and the shadow were sucked into the thermos.

Ellie turns towards the voice, somehow still holding onto Superman through all the chaos.

“Danny?” she croaks.

“Ellie!” Danny cried, rushing over towards the distraught clone’s side.

“Hey,” he whispers, floating near her, “How are you feeling starlight?”

Ellie sobs, not understanding why Danny would touch something as dirty as her. Didn’t he know that she was a monster? That all she ever did was hurt people? She hurt him! She lied to him, lead him right into Plasmius’ hands to torture! So why-

“Because I love you Ellie,” Danny says with a sad smile, “You aren’t a monster, Vlad is.”

What?

“You’re mumbling starlight.”

“That doesn’t, doesn’t-” Ellie tried to say, quickly losing control of her words, the weight of the day setting in.

“Ellie,” Danny says softly yet firmly, “What happened with Vlad wasn’t your fault. He abused and manipulated you. Told you that it was the only way to save you and your siblings. You were only a few months old and scared. It was never your fault.”

Ellie clings to those words like they were a life line, hoping beyond hope that Danny was telling the truth. That she wasn’t a monster but, even then doubt creeped in.

“Now I need you to breathe,” Danny says, seemingly ignoring her incredulous look, “Yeah, yeah, I know neither of us need to breathe but it will help. The Fruitloop was working with Spectra this time making everything ten times worse. 0 out of 10 would not recommend.”

Ellie chuckled through her tears. Spectra was a bitch, but her powers were top notch. It would explain why the Creep’s words cut so deeply this time. What the explanation did not do was make horror go away, or why her chest felt like it was on fire.

“Now let’s get you to Frostbite. Spectra already put a few ghosts in the hospital during her escape, so we should get you checked-”

Ellie tried listening to the rest of what Danny was saying but everything started to sound and feel like static. Her vision blurred and her eyes felt heavy, like everything weighed 10 times more than usual. It felt like she was back in that horrid lab, melting into a pile of goo just like her siblings. But the worst part was her chest. It felt like it was split in two, her very being cracked open.

“Starlight? Ellie! Ellie!” Danny screamed as Ellie’s consciousness faded.

To be continued . . .

Next

[impyssadobsessions]

HUNTER Au. But with valerie as phantom n danny as a hunter!!!

Ok what if vlad's plan at the reunion still failed because of jack. Danny not being phantom is none thw wiser to vlad being a ghost.

Events continue but definitely not the same. The portal was not completed by the time reunion happen. So vlad co buys out Valerie's dad's workplace. With fentons working there.

Valerie ends up becoming a half ghost do to a mishap. A sabotage that was actually planned by vlad but he didnt plan for one of his employees daughters to visit. (Explaining this poorly i is)

Valerie being half ghost is pissed at the fentons for what they done. And makes it known while trying to get a grip of her powers n ghost problem around town.

Fentons end up dying and vlad has perfect outlet to blame murders on. The new little heroine.

Only one who didnt die was danny.. and under his godfather he has a way to fight ghosts...

Vlad's completely amused and pushes the boy to get rid of that girl who destroyed his gamily.. unbeknownst the ghost who did was right there.

School life valerie feels bad for danny n apologizes to him. Danny n Valerie get along like they did in show.

But its flipped. With danny hating her alter ego, n valerie unable to blame him for it. But soon learns vlad is the mastermind.. which fuels her rage more because danny is being played like a pawn.

Idk if i explain it well but idea free for anyone uwu. Basically valerie is the ghost hero n Danny's the hunter.

Ooo imagine her colors still being mainly red.. maybe red hair instead of inverted to white.

Danny being green hunter. Well probably a cooler name but color scheme green still.

Also can see danny being terrified of ghosts but after his family is taken, he thinks his parents are right n has to stop the ghosts.

Vlad not having bonded with danny over being half ghost n this girl is more of a nuance than worth keeping, he's just amused. Though still cares for the boy but more as a momento or trophy of maddie. Maybe still trying to clone her n the basement hidden part of the lab.

Oooooo danny unknowingly building majority of or fixing majority of Vlad's machines. His blueprints being used for more dastardly things.

So when the reveal happens its very climatic!

Valerie is captured and about to be taken out. Vlad is revealed and danny just stands n horror realizing what he done... what vlad has done... who valerie is...

And like always, vlad under estimates the ppl around him. And danny is done being a pawn. Him n valerie team up. Only to talk as sun rises up.

Danny sitting on hoverboard as she floats next to him.

"So what are you going to do now? Sniper?"

"..I.. i don't know. Vlad's my guardian but... i don't know. They won't keep me from him. There is nothing i can do to prove he's.. and that he killed..."

"Don't worry hover boy, we'll find out a way. He won't get away with this."

"We? After I tried to-You should hate me!"

"Tch. You were just trying to avenge your family. I would have done the same for less."

"Still doesn't change the fact that-"

"Danny. Only person I hate right now is Vlad. He put us up to this! You. Me. Your parents. He's to blame.. besides. I know how sweet you are in person. You would never hate someone without good reason. " putting a hand on his shoulder.

Danny sat there quietly as he glanced over at Valerie. He smiled weakly, "You're glowing."

"Pfft. What else is new, Fenton?"

"Also just realize red is definitely your color. "

"Glad to hear because its not like i can change it. Unlike you. Green is not ur color."

"Hey! Why not?"

"You always look more blue to me."

"Great at pointing out my trauma n depression ms. Wraith."

"Not what i meant," she rolled her eyes with a grin and shoved him lightly with her shoulder. "No blue like water and the sky. "

"Sky is refraction of water vapor-"

"Danny!"

"Okay okay ill stop."

....

"We should get someone to house you."

"Like who?"

"Well there is a certain fanboy-"

"No! No way!!! You cant be-oh man you are..."

[jessilynallendilla]

Danny Phantom Episode Breakdown

Part 2

FUCK UP FACTS IN BOLD

4 ATTACK OF THE KILLER GARAGE SALE 

Jazz is trying to tutor Dash in basic algebra and he’s distracted by her hotness and he’s disproving her thesis that no one is untutorable he can’t even pronounce that word 

Danny still can't control his powers making him a klutz and Dash calls him Fentonowski and a twink 

Jazz is unimpressed he was rude to her brother then tried to ask her out to a party but she’ll go on one condition 

First appearance of Technus ghost Master of Science and Electrical Technology and Danny’s the one who accidentally released him from the portal 

Danny also accidentally gives him the idea to use the technology in the lab to take over the world Technus declares it a great idea and Danny should consider tutoring 

Using the new Fenton Weasel to suck up Technus Danny overloads it causing it to explode green ectoplasm (presumably Technus’s remains) everywhere Jack doesn’t notice any difference in the mess 

Sam offers to pay them the 80+ dollars so they can get into the new amusement park Tucker refuses since he can’t pay her back 

Danny is distracted that everyone including the perfectly flawless Paulina is getting invites to Dash’s hottest party of the year 

Sam tells them in the social circuit they’re invisible it won’t matter in five years but the point they have each other is ignored when Dash gives Danny an invite because Jazz made him 

Now that he’s invited the cool kids notice him 

The next day even Tucker notices Danny acting different now that he’s a part of the in-crowd Kwan calls him "Fentonmiester" (Valerie is with him is she reaming him for ditching their date for the dance) 

Dash gives Danny the magazine Jock’s Quarterly picturing the expected outfit to wear a “chique” sweat suit (the magazine says it has an exclusive Butch Hartman interview) 

Dash won’t be embarrassed so threatens Danny to wear one  

Sam says she almost hates to offer Danny the money for it (so she’s willing to help out her friends even though she doesn’t like their choices) but is cut off by Paulina telling Danny to listen to her “totally krunk” CD and Sam is annoyed by Danny ditching them again 

Maddie's and Jack’s invention to cook hotdogs ten times faster than a microwave reanimates the hotdogs 

As inventors the Fenton’s have plenty of money (so who’s buying these weapons and patents) but as parents they want Danny to earn his own money to understand its value either get a job or sell his old junk and comic books 

Maddie wants the exploded Ghost Weasel to go to the shed and is annoyed it hasn’t been cleaned out in years 

Jack is attached to the junk even though he doesn’t know what it does but does think some of should be gotten rid of giving Danny an idea 

Now the ectoplasm ominously glows 

The next day Dany sells the old junk 

Tucker makes a crack about Lancer being bald and Lancer threatens that he’ll remember it when he’s grading tests 

Sam tells Danny he’s still welcome to hang out at her place Saturday Danny notes they’ve never been to her place 

Danny gets the last twenty he needs from selling Dash “Fentina” computer upgrades and ditches his friends to clean up while he buys the sweats and while Sam complains Tucker also ditches her 

Later Tucker questions that Sam tipped the pizza guy a ten Sam deflects saying she thought it was a one 

Tucker is speechless at Sam’s home theater set up (she has a Jaws poster)  

Sam confesses her family is filthy rich her great grandad Izzy invented the machine that puts cellophane on toothpicks 

Lancer can’t think of a better way to spend a Saturday night than shaving the animal on his back but when he turns it on it glows possessed and grows longer blades shaves an # and flies out the window 

As Danny is driving his moped the shaver attacks him and turns its blades into a cleaver 

It turns into a giant pair of scissors during the fight and Danny tosses it far away and just manages to save his outfit from being ran over 

He sees a bit of glowing wire on the ground noting he should be concerned but has a party to get to 

Sam is annoyed by Tucker asking how rich she is Sam can’t buy a bowling alley as they already have one and there's no room for a second 

Sam’s grandmother bowls a strike (she calls herself Bubbie Yiddish for grandmother already hinting that Sam and her family is Jewish) 

When asked why Sam hangs out with them when she's stinking rich she confesses she didn't want to buy popularity tucker tells her to tell that to Danny  

The remote Sam bought from him is ominously glowing and it cuts to Dash’s computer screen making an evil grin (so after being blown into ectoplasm can ghosts reform after a while) 

The Fenton’s keep the reanimated hotdogs in the fridge 

Danny asks Jazz if new look is “stoopid” Jazz says it is stupid and reveals she’s not going to the party despite being the only reason Dash invited her 

Jack is now freaked out because the stuff is missing from the shed Danny lies that he didn’t see anything 

Jack decides to secure the lab in the meantime and has the hotdogs cover him for protection 

When Danny gets to the party Dash reveals since he’s wasn’t part of his posse he didn’t send him the email that the dress code was changed to loser chique now everyone is dressed like Danny Sam and Tucker Paulina sees Danny's outfit and gags asking if his mom dressed him 

Technus takes over Dash’s computer calling all mechanized spirits to him 

Sam has a toaster from Denmark the glows and floats in the air 

Sam figures that the junk Danny sold was contaminated with ghost stuff 

They gleefully go to ruin Danny's big jock party to warn hm of the haunted technology 

Danny has a terrible time at the party and goes upstairs realizes even though they all all dressed like his friends they aren't (there’s a buff dude dressed like Sam) 

Danny's ghost sense alerts him to the swarm of haunted tech in Dash's room 

Technus’s new tech form is glitchy because Dash didn’t install the upgrade yet and stupidly announces it out loud so Technus can hear and Technus declares it another great idea Danny should be a teacher 

Danny gets blasted into Dash’s closet and finds his collection of letterman jackets and pink and blue teddy bears 

The fight trashes Dash's bedroom and accidentally inserts the upgrade disc 

Tucker gets the Fenton thermos and says Danny should carry it in a lunch box 

The fight gets to Sam and Tucker and the giant Technus mech asks who’s your daddy Danny's punching has absolutely no effect 

Sam and Tucker refuse to help until Danny apologizes that he was stupid and shallow to choose to hang out with the popular kids over them and won't do it again  

Sam declares the old version of Portals XL technus is running on is vaporware the worst software ever 

Technus has a remote that can transform Danny into a cowboy Vanna White and Spock  

Tucker can't bypass the program because Technus had upgraded 

Sam makes a call to have the latest version of Portals XL delivered Tucker makes a pass at the delivery lady 

Sam gets Technus to scream out his name and shout out his motive distracting him as she plugs him into Tucker’s PDA because every new version of Portals XL has a gigantic hole in its security system 

Danny shoves a giant claw into the disc drive and Technus yells that it doesn’t go there as he is shut down 

Danny sucks Technus into the thermos which depossesses the tech (and no one in the city noticed the giant shouting mecha) 

Danny put al the old stuff back in the shed and his dad is checking it all for government bugs (is he that paranoid or is the government really watching them) 

Danny has to return the sweats to return everyone's money and apologizes again for how he treated them he should know how it feels to be invisible 

Dash opens his locker causing an avalanche of teddy bears (why is he still wearing his geek chique outfit)  

Danny says he learned one person's trash is another's revenge 

5 SPLITTING IMAGES 

Sam roped her friends into helping her with her agenda to save the frogs since she claims dissecting frogs is bad and offers humane alternative of mechanical frogs “I can’t believe it’s not a frog cadaver” (why are the robots slimy) 

The Box Ghost attacks and when having scalpels thrown at him Danny thinks Sam has a point about dissection (oh oh Danny don’t go on tumblr or AO3) 

In the auditorium the Box ghost launches costumes and props from the musical My Fair Lady and a depowered Danny 

Sam goes on stage and announces she has something sick and disgusting going on their school she’s about to show them when the curtain is pulled up it reveals Danny in a dress and tucker says he should take it off it’s weird (but that soft pink does looks nice on him) 

Sam is angry at Danny for ruining her assembly and Tucker says that puce bra wasn’t his color 

Because Boxy trashed his locker he was assigned a new one 724 (it’s extremely rusty did maintenance just ignore it and never replaced it) 

Danny is apparently ignorant about the legend of this locker being curse and touches the mysterious mirror inside it 

Dash bullies him by shoving him in his new locker 

Danny is petty with his powers again and possess Dash to slam his head on the lockers repeatedly and dunk himself in the janitor’s mop bucket 

When they leave and eerie voice from the locker chants bullies  

Maddie and Jack heard Danny got a new haunted locker and will stake it out during school Jazz tries to defend him by saying he doesn’t need them confirming he’s a clumsy nerd 

Jack wrecks the kitchen trying out the new Ghost Gloves 

As some jocks bully the marching band tuba player the 724 locker door flies open knocking one out  

As Paulina flirts with the AV nerd to distract him as Kwan ties his shoes together the locker causes a trophy to fall on Kwan's head making him knock into a fire extinguisher and spray foam in Paulina’s hair and the spirit also reties the kid’s shoes 

At lunch Danny swears to Sam it wasn’t him then he possesses Dash and tosses the tray of food on Paulina (so his crush on her is over I take it) 

Sam tries to tell Danny he shouldn’t use his powers like that but sees Lancer and books it outta there 

Tucker then expositions the legend of the haunted locker  

It was originally owned by a Poindexter named Sidney back in the fifties 1954-1958 it was class of 55 Sidney was the most bullied kid in Casper High history to the point it was a graduation requirement and he was shoved in his locker so much it’s believed his spirit haunts it (so did Sidney kill himself or did he die from a prank gone wrong) 

Sam comes back with the box of frogs she smuggled out of the biology lab 

Dash throws food at Danny and he’s had enough (the jumping frogs reflecting in Danny’s sclera look weird) 

Danny gives Dash and atomic wedgie and dumps the frogs in his pants as revenge (him standing in the shadows of a deserted hallway looks menacing) 

Sidney is finally free of his locker the doorway has been opened (so objects can be portals to the Ghost Zone well some cultures do believe mirror can be a way into the afterlife) 

Sidney accuses Danny of being a bully and poltergeists the school Lancer sees the exploding lab equipment and shouts “Great Gatsby” 

Jazz tells her parents there’s nothing weird in the school as the student body runs out the doors screaming in terror 

Sidney calls tucker a nerd which he takes offense to (he’s a techno geek) 

In the fight Danny depowers shocking Sidney that he’s the Halfa everybody in the Ghost Zone talks about him he’s half a boy half a ghost 

Sidney is angry he was using his powers for evil and won't listen as Danny tries to explain why he took over Dash’s body giving Sidney the idea to take over his body (Danny’s body glows green and he starts to painfully contort is this what happens when the host fights back or when a ghost possesses another ghost in the fight for control)  

Danny’s spirit is sent to Sidney’s world as Sidney (in Danny’s body he has Sidney’s red eyes from the possession and in Sidney’s world Danny sees in the mirror he looks like Sidney but has his green eyes) 

Tucker covers Danny/Sidney from his parents (so can people slightly see the outline of a ghost when they’re technically intangible) 

As Sidney Danny is bullied by the students (if this is Sidney’s lair why is it so awful if it goes with the suicide theory are ghosts punished for it in the afterlife or could Sidney just not picture a life for him other than being abused) 

When Danny tries to escape the school it’s just floating in the Ghost Zone and he almost falls (so can he not use his powers here or did he panic and forget to fly) 

Danny/Sidney is just happy to have friends and they ask if he’s alright since his voice is weird (he’s been using dated slang) Danny/Sidney says it’s puberty  

Danny/Sidney uses his powers to get Dash (who also notices he’s talking weird and also thinks its puberty) a bunch of sodas from the machine since he thinks he’s a poor kid that already lost a bunch of quarters from the school bullies he tosses them to everyone calling them egg creams (the drink doesn’t contain neither egg nor cream) 

Danny is able to possess the mirror enough to open the locker on the living plane and see what Sidney is doing and his friends can't hear him 

Kwan invites Danny/Sidney to touch football when Danny/Sidney sees the locker open he slams it closed throwing Danny back in the ghost school 

Danny forces enough energy through the mirror to track his friends to the football field and write in the dirt 

Dash and his goons leave Danny/Sidney to get pummeled by the opposing team’s tackle but he uses his intangibility to escape impressing them with his game (Sam and Tucker look happy he has this moment)  

Danny’s message for them to open locker 724 is ruined by his parents hunting for the ghost but Maddie doesn’t believe their machine when it says Danny is a ghost  

Jack gives Tucker the Ghost Gloes as he goes to the bathroom 

As they’ll be staking out the school all night Dash declares there’ll be a party at Fenton’s house Danny/Sidney asks where he lives (so the ghost doesn't have the memories or habits of the person they are possessing)  

Tucker thinks something’s up since Danny’s acting off Sam plans to use his residual popularity for her save the frogs crusade 

As Sam and Tucker go to get more frog pins Danny contacts them from the locker mirror and tells them Sidney took over his body and sent him to this bizzarro spirit world 

Danny proves it’s really him by saying in the second-grade tucker threw up in Sam's lunch box and blamed it on Ricky Marsh Sam kicked him off the monkey bars for it 

The mirror is some kind of portal but he can't phase through it he thinks it serves him right for using his powers to act like a bully now he’ll be bullied for the rest of eternity 

They need to send Sidney back in so Sam gets Danny/Sidney saying a nerd is being shoved inside his locker (Danny/Sidney just assumes it’s Tucker) 

Tucker uses the ghost gloves to shove Danny/Sidney through the mirror 

Danny/Sidney fights Danny but he’s terrible at it “You may have my powers but you sure don’t know how to use ‘em course I don’t know how to use them but at least I know how not to use ’em better than you do” 

 The students watched as they believe Sidney is fighting the Halfa and winning 

Danny gets thrown into his locker but takes the mirror threatening to smash it stranding them both there (so is this Ghost School cut off from the rest of the Ghost Zone then how did they know about Danny being a Halfa) 

Danny/Sidney takes the bait and possesses Danny again Sidney’s body contorts as Danny gets his body back and escapes through the mirror 

Sidney’s plans of revenge are put on hold as the fight with Danny made him popular 

Danny falls out of the locker landing on Lancer as he’s carrying the frogs releasing them 

Danny says he used his powers to become the kind of person he hates and won't do it again so they believe it’s the real him 

Danny then smashes the mirror getting him in trouble with Lancer for destroying school property (but it was Sidney’s mirror school lockers don’t have mirrors) 

Lancer would hold him responsible for the escaped frogs too but as upstanding students like Dash have a problem with it he’ll overlook the frogs then tells Sam she could learn from them about activism 

Lancer assigns Danny a new locker (why the locker wasn’t damaged just the mirror or did you just now decide it’s a rusty piece of shit) 

Danny’s new locker is in the band room and he loses his new popularity  

The Box ghost then steals Sam’s mechanical frog declaring he’s now the mechanical frog ghost but changes his mind when it starts sparking (all it will take is one student with an over protective parent to be electrocuted for the school to go back to real frogs and avoid a lawsuit) 

[friendly-neighborhood-imbecille]

Day 07. Purify & Infect

Maddie tries to rid her son of his ghostly possession.

Warnings: blood, vomiting, seizures, and major character death

Maddie knew there was something wrong. Since last September her son had been acting weird. He'd been sneaking out, skipping school, lying, and strangest of all, he’d been afraid.

He used to love spending time with his family. Going fishing with Jack, having little spa days with her, but recently, they’d have to practically force him into any sort of family activity. 

Most would brush this off as him just growing up. It was completely normal to be embarrassed by your parents to the point of avoidance at this age, but it wasn’t embarrassment. He flinched whenever Jack talked in that loud booming voice of his, whenever she put her hand on his shoulder. He was skittish whenever he was alone in a room with either of them. Sometimes he even hid from them.

Up until now she had thought it was the portal accident. Maybe he blamed them for it, maybe he was scared that their inventions would hurt him, but then she started to notice other things

His feet would slip through the floor, his hands would disappear, his eyes would glow, and she could swear he had fangs sometimes. 

Her son was possessed.

“Hi honey, how was school today?”

He jumped and whipped his head towards her, like he didn’t expect her to be there. “It was good I guess, what’re you doing?”

She started digging through the cupboards, she could have sworn she put them here just last night. “I’m just grabbing some tea bags. Thought I’d make us each a cup.” There. She grabbed two tea bags, filled up a kettle, and put it on the stove.

He set his bag down on the ground and took a seat at the table. “Oh nice, can I have the dead nettle? It’s in that ziplock up on the-”

“I actually bought a new flavour for us to try. Something that tastes a little less like dirt.” Danny would always get defensive when someone insulted his favourite foods. Just maybe…

“It tastes like good dirt okay? Like, childhood dirt. I honestly don’t understand why you guys don’t love it.”

He was still in there somewhere. The ghost may have access to his memories, or maybe he had some control. Either way, he still had a chance.

She stood next to the kettle and waited. He looked slightly uncomfortable. He was avoiding eye contact, glancing around the room, playing with the fraying fabric at the holes in his jeans. She needed to break the silence, make him less wary.

“How have Sam and Tucker been?”

He jumped before processing the question. “Oh, pretty good.” He shrugged and went back to looking around the room.

“That’s good.”

The silence returned, but was quickly broken by the tea kettle screaming. She turned off the stove, grabbed two mugs from a drawer, put the teabags in, and filled them with water.

“No honey?”

“The tea itself is pretty sweet tasting. Honey isn’t needed.”

She brought the mugs over to the table where he was sitting and placed one in front of him before taking a sip of her tea. He picked up the mug, blew on it a couple times, and took a large gulp before choking on it. 

“Is it supposed to be spicy?” He managed to ask in between painful sounding coughs

She continued sipping at her tea. “Yes.”

He started clawing at his throat “It’s really hot, burning my throat.”

“It needed to be brought to a complete boil instead of just heated.”

He was shaking, his eyes were bugging out. “Something’s wrong.”

“Nothing’s wrong, drink your tea.”

He was gasping for air, he fell from his seat, onto the floor. “I can’t-”

“Drink the tea or get out of my son.”

He looked up at her, pure fear unlike anything she’d seen before painted across his face. “What?”

She set down her tea, stood up from her seat, and walked to stand right in front of him. “I know what you are, you’ve been hurting him long enough. Do you think I’m stupid? Do you think I wouldn’t notice the difference between a ghost and my own son?”

“Mom, I-”

“I am not your mother!”

Tears streamed down his face, he started another coughing fit, shaking as if he was being electrocuted, vomiting up acidic green ectoplasm, gasping for breath, then he went completely still.

[ladylynse]

Happy Halloween! Trick or treat!

“Say that again, ghost,” Maddie said quietly, gleaning some satisfaction in seeing Phantom flinch at her words.

He swallowed, but he was between a rock and a hard place—or, to be more accurate, the phase-proof wall of her lab and the ecto-gun she had aimed point blank at his chest. He could try to dodge all he wanted, but she’d still get off a blast first. If ghosts were capable of feeling pain, it would hurt. As it was, he would see feel the effects as the blast worked to destabilize his structure.

The longer ghosts were out of the Ghost Zone, the easier they seemed to be to destabilize. She and Jack had worked that out ages ago with the smaller blob ghosts that sometimes floated through. One shot wouldn’t get rid of Phantom, but it would be memorable for him.

It might make him think twice about making ridiculous statements.

“I’m your son,” whispered Phantom. His green eyes were wide, full of silent pleading even as she jammed the barrel of the gun into his chest.

“I am not in the mood for tricks.” Her words came out as a growl this time. “I am not in the mood for lies. My best friend goes missing and I come home to you raiding our supplies? Tell me, do you know how I feel or have you forgotten what it’s like to be alive?”

Phantom scowled at her as if she hadn’t caught him raiding their weapons cabinet—newly genetically locked, thanks to Jack—thirty seconds prior. “Vlad’s not your best friend. He’s not even Dad’s best friend.”

“Don’t you call my husband that.”

Phantom sighed but made no effort to apologize. “Vlad’s not missing, anyway. He was captured. I was seeing what I could find to help get him back. Even if you don’t want to trust me for the two seconds it takes to prove to you who I am, trust that I can help you save Vlad if you call a truce and let me go.”

Maddie frowned. Even if there was some truth in Phantom’s words—about Vlad, not about the ridiculous lie that he was her son; he must’ve gotten into their cabinet another way—why would he say captured and not kidnapped? It wasn’t outside of the realm of possibility that someone would try to get a piece of Vlad’s fortune by threatening his life, but being kidnapped and ransomed was not what she would call captured.

Captured implied a trap, a hunter with their prey, and—

Phantom had the audacity to push her ecto-gun aside. Part of her wanted to shoot him for that, but the part of her that wanted answers held the rest of her back. “Look, I don’t like the guy, but he doesn’t deserve this. And I know I’ll have a better chance at saving him if you help me. So, truce?”

He hadn’t mentioned anything about Vlad until she had. She might not have called him by name, but their friendship was hardly unknown. It wasn't surprising that Phantom had that knowledge.

The realization was a relief, even if she should be berating herself for falling for Phantom’s manipulations for as long as she had. “I have no reason to trust you,” she bit out, centring the gun on him again. He tensed, his eyes going to her fingers. “So, no, no truce.”

She saw his mouth twist before he said, “Fine, have it your way.”

She expected him to shoot her with an ectoblast.

She expected him to try to wrest the ecto-gun from her hand.

She expected him to try to freeze her in place or deafen her with a wail.

She did not expect the blinding flash of light, nor what it left in its wake.

Ask box trick-or-treating - receive a snippet if you drop by - Happy Halloween, everyone!

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[randomhuman45]

Dannymay 2022- Day 11 Blood Blossoms

The door slammed open with a harsh bang that made Danny flinch when him and his trio were trying to relax for once in their busy lives.

"Mads! Great news! I got them!" Jack shouted as if the teens weren't just 3 feet away.

"What honey?" Maddie asked pulling down her hood as Jack revealed a bag full of small black dots. "Jack! Already? Oh Jack!" She squealed jumping onto her husband nearly knocking him down which was an achievement on it's own.

"Ummmm, what is that?" Danny asked confused because what in the world could that bag be of to make his parents so happy. It clearly wasn't a ghost.

"Oh baby! They're blood blossom seeds. Popular around 1692 to 1693 during the salem witch trials. Unfortunately they went endangered shortly after that since they were so popularized for not only fighting away ghosts who tried to save the witches who were sentenced to death but eaten as a way to rid people of evil spirits. But me and your father have been searching for them for our ghost weapons and shields. For a while it seemed that They had gone extinct after the last factory we invested in was burned down in Wisconsin." Maddie explained.

"It's okay though cause that's where Vladdy built up his company. That's V-man alright, making the best out if any tragedy!"

"Yes dear, but me and your father heard about a possible start up of the old company. They still had some seeds and we volunteered to garden them. To think that we can make 100% human safe, plant based anti-ghost technology. With these seeds we can grow the flowers around the house, school and all across town to protect people from the ghosts. Not to mention the amount of money we can save from the electricity bill."

"Ummmm, are, are you sure that's safe?"

"Of course dear! To humans they're just like any other blossom."

"They're even edible!" Jack proclaimed, "a delicious treat as per the claims of my ancestor John Fenton Nightingale."

"Yeah, I wouldn't exactly trust him on that." Tucker shuttered in memory of the effects eating said flowers.

"But, they destroy the ghost from the inside out, even if they left they will still be in pain and attacked until the flowers were destroyed. Isn't that immoral or something? How would it affect a ghost if they came in through the portal and the house was surrounded? Would they immediately be effected? How would that work with the portal being in the house? Don't you think that might be a problem?" Danny stammered and stuttered out shaking in fear as his thoughts were flowing out without filter. He only came across those flowers once and the memory alone was enough to cause him to turn into a mess. He couldn't imagine the pain having the town covered in blood blossoms would cause.

If Vlad destroyed the flowers them he probably doesn't have something that would protect him from their effects. Vlad not only had a portal but could cater weapons to halfas alone like the Plasmius Maximus. His ghost tech was incredible and if he had to resort to burning the last if them down himself what options did Danny have?

"Not to mention the matter of introducing a new species into the ecosystem." Sam added in. "Think of the complications that could bring, what if by planting these you destroyed the current ecosystem. You said they were endangered after 1693, they could bring diseases and who knows what else! What if that's why they got destroyed in the first place, if someone burned them down maybe it was for good reason. What would you do if you planted these out and they caused an outbreak of disease? People could die because you wanted to save money on your electricity bill. I understand that using natural remedies may come off really good but there are other concerns you have to take into account."

"Plus if they were endangered back in 1693 how do we know they even work against ghosts. I mean if they were killing random women and blaming it on 'witchcraft' who knows how accurate the claims of getting rid if ghosts can be." Tucker added in.

Jack and Maddie looked at one another before turning back to the trio. Sighing Maddie sat down beside the teens and spoke softly. "We, we just want to keep you kids safe. They attack children, and the town at large whenever they feel like it and we don't want to see you get hurt. It's a parents job to protect their kids and we just want what's best for you, all of you. If you really think this could make things worse for you then we'll do some tests and figure out the best way to go about it, okay?"

They nodded their heads in agreement together already internally knowing they had to sabotage those test.

[aenxiome]

Chapter 11 : where do your loyalties lie?

The past few days' events have kept me distracted to the point that I couldn't focus on anything the teachers were saying. I'm sure Mr. Lancer was about to strangle me after I correctly answered the question, "what is an onomatopoeia." It's not like I was doing it on purpose yet; my mind keeps going back to the crystals in my pocket. They still held a chill about them and are ridiculously smooth. Even with them moving around all day in my pocket, I couldn't feel a blemish on them. They're just too important to leave about, and there's no way I'll just throw them away. None of the other teachers called me out Besides Mr. Lancer, so I thought I was in the clear, but apparently, I wasn't being subtle enough as Sam and Tucker cornered me at lunch.

" So dude," Tucker starts while inhaling a barbecue sandwich, " Did you ever find out what was wrong." My eyes flicker between them, and I realize I never told them. " Ah, well, about that," My hand makes its way to the back of my neck as I tell them sheepishly, " Apparently, my core has been changing. It's still an ice core, but it's also changing to be a plasma one. Frostbite says it better than me, but that's pretty much the gist. It will take a few weeks for it to stabilize and things to go back to normal, but it should be okay in the end." The two of them let out a sigh of relief as Sam says, "That's good at least you can get back to Superheroing soon." I scoff at her wording, " I'm not a superhero." Sam rolls her eyes, "Then what do you call beating up ghosts then? After all, you're fighting the "bad guys"; that's what superheroes do."

"What I'm doing is community service." I retort blandly, " after all; it's my fault that the portal opened in the first place. The least I can do is make sure everyone makes it home all right." The three of us sit In silence, the two of them digesting. Tucker gives me a sad look, " you know it's not your responsibility to make sure we're all okay I mean, your parents and Val can take care of some of the small fries." I nod slowly in agreement, "I know, but I worry. I wouldn't want anything to happen to them."They take my words as sincere, but I have to question what I've said. To try to convince myself what I said was true. Well, it's true I wouldn't want Maddie, Jack, or Val to get hurt, but they weren't exactly who I was talking about.

It was the other ghosts.

I know we have our fights, but only a few of them are truly enemies anymore. Most of them, like Johnny and Kitty, just come to blow off some steam. Skulker is just following his obsession. Ember comes for shopping or a quick spar these days, and it's not like Lunch Lady is hurting anybody by volunteering at soup kitchens. I would hate to see them tied up in the lab basement or captured by the GIW. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I ever let that happen, but I can't say that; after all, I'm still supposed to be like them.

" You guys wouldn't believe what happened yesterday," I start to break the silence, " It was so weird, one second, my ghost sense was going off, and the next," I shove my hands in my pocket and take out one of the crystals, " these were coming out of my mouth." Tucker looks in interest as Sam makes a small face of disgust, " that came out of you?" I nod excitedly and start to explain, " yeah, it was so cool–" but I never get the chance to finish as Sam cuts me off, " why would you keep those? That's just gross." My face must have shown something as Tucker cuts off Sam and tries to reassure me, " Well, I, " he says, giving a quick glare to Sam, " think that it's very cool. What do you plan to do with it? I hum in compilation, " I was thinking of making it into a necklace. It's not like I can just get rid of it after all."

" Ooh nice," says Sam, " do you have anyone in mind for who you're going to give it to?" she asks in an expecting voice. " I have a couple of them, so I was planning to give one to Jazz and the other to myself," I say, not taking the bait; Sam seems to accept the answer while Tucker looks confused. "You've never been one for jewelry, man." I take a bite of my food before answering, " well, it's not like I can't try new things, and it's just a necklace, dude; it's not like it's a big deal."

He choked down the rest of his food before leaning into my face looking oddly tired all of a sudden, " I'm just saying, it's like everything is changing with you these days. First, the superpowers," they're not superpowers, " and now it's like everything else about you is changing." I blink at him, baffled, " it's not like im going to stay the same person forever, Tuck," or at least I hope so, " I'm allowed to try new things." He throws his hands up in exasperation as his voice rises, " Im not saying you can't try new things, but it's almost as if your a whole other person these days!"

" I'm not the same person I used to be. I'll admit that" I say calmly, " but I'm still Danny. I'm still your friend; shouldn't that be enough?" He looks at me with conflicted eyes, " you say that but what happened to the guy who would go to the Nasty Burger with me, play Doomed with Sam and me, and watch Dead Teacher movies? Because I haven't seen him in a while." I sighed, " You know I've been busy, and it's not like I don't tell you everything," gesturing to both of them, " hell, half of the time, you're there with me when things go south." He bunches up his fists in frustration, " well then, why don't you make the time to do stuff with us instead of dragging us into your messes!"

" Me, drag you into my messes? When was the last time I did that?" Sam cuts in, " That day with the Ice spike and the other day with the octopuses." I glare at her, " and if you would remember correctly, you were the one who dragged us over there, and you both offered to take care of the octopuses. So it's not like I pushed a thermos into your hands and forced you into anything!"

It wasn't until now that I noticed how loud our conversation had gotten. The whole cafeteria is staring at our table in shock. Probably because the "freaky nerds" have drama, but either way, they're staring. With that realization, it's almost like the world has stopped. Tucker's words fall on deaf ears, and the world feels like it's spinning out of control. The cafeteria just heard me say, " it's not like I pushed a thermos into your hands and forced you into anything!" this could get me into so much trouble. I look between my friends and our audience and can't help myself.

I leave.

[aikoiya]

DP - PT AU - Never Knew

Phantom Twins AU where Vlad decides against inviting the Fentons to the reunion. He just... past all the vitriol & desire for revenge hid the pain of betrayal, by both of his college friends, not just Jack. It took him a while for it to click that if she had wanted to see him, then she would've & Jack wouldn't have been able to stop her. She was too great a force to be bullied like that. So, even Maddie's shine had dulled after so long apart.

As a result, he doesn't meet Danny or Dina as Fentons for a good while. However, he does meet them as Phantoms. After all, he's still a powerhungry motherfucker & would absolutely start his business in the Ghost Zone once he managed to steal the Fenton's plans for the completed portal.

That'd actually be the first time they'd meet. However, they wouldn't have the context of them all being halfas.

So, a few of his schemes still come about, but the twins only know that it's Plasmius behind them.

---

You may think that neither Red Huntress or the Ultimate Enemy would exist, but you'd be wrong. In actuality, they do. See, Vlad is aware of the Phantoms & they keep stopping his assassins from taking Jack's life. So, in his investigations, he purchases Axion in order to have a reason to go to Amity & gather information on them. When he learns of Valerie & her grudge against the male Phantom, he decides to pit her against the boy.

In Reign Storm, Vlad just suddenly shows up at the Fenton household &, because they've never met before & don't know each other's identities, everyone gets along great.

It's Plasmius that the twins have beef with afterall, not Vlad.

So, no one has a single effing clue how Vlad got ahold of the Ring of Rage or why he'd give it to Valerie, but figured that it was just some antique he found in his attic & got rid of.

While Vlad is there, he & Dina get along especially well.

This will be a Fusion AU, so Danny & Dina discover they can Steven Universe fuse here. Just like in the Fusion Twins AU, they try to keep it a secret to use it as their trump card.

In Million Dollar Ghost, Danny & Dina wouldn't have the context that Vlad is Plasmius, so they'd have no idea why Vlad was gunning for the Phantoms so much besides maybe being as ectophobic as their parents because of his past as an ectologist.

And, in Ultimate Enemy, he's still the twins' godfather, but in this situation, Vlad would only just learn of this, so because he doesn't know they're halfas, he's feeling a mix of awkward, excited to be raising children because he's always wanted them, & a little put off that he'll now need to be careful about his ghostly involvements in his own home.

However, because of their close proximity, Vlad would eventually discover that they are, indeed, halfas & this would lead to the future where Dan exists.

The difference would be when Past Danny needs to see Vlad, because he doesn't think to go see him, Future Dina has to tell him to do so.

There would be an explanation, but Vlad wouldn't tell Danny that he was a halfa in order to protect the boy & his sister from his past self. So, he just says that his Danny's ghost form fused with Plasmius.

Then, the rest of the episode continues.

As for Masters of All Time, Vlad is pretty much forced to visit the Fentons because he can't think of anyone else who could help him. However, instead of using Sam & Tucker as blackmail, he accidentally sneezes or coughs on them when they meet & that transfers it to them.

So, now Danny is forced to go find a cure while Dina stays to help. She & Vlad just talk idly as she helps nurse him.

Because Danny has no idea that Vlad is Plasmius &, therefore, no desire to go back in time & change things, he just asks Clockwork to let him watch the past to see if he can figure out what went wrong.

Because he's not trying to rewrite history, Clockwork allows it & the rest is history.

The rest of Vlad's schemes happen, but with little differences to continuity that prevents the twins or Vlad from learning that the other are halfas too.

Like, Infini-Map happens with Vlad demanding to be taken to his destiny & the map taking him to Dina like in the original AU, but here, he'd back away enough to not take her with him when he then demanded to be taken to what he deserved.

So, when they see Vlad Masters in the past, they think they're just seeing Vlad's ancestors.

Vlad still lets Vortex out, but then doesn't show up the rest of the episode.

As for Urban Jungle, it actually wasn't Vlad this time, but Mayor Sanchez that did it.

Finally, Phantom Planet goes much the same as in the original AU, but without Vlad being mayor & instead acting as the owner of Axion putting forward a plan to no longer need the Phantoms.

Master's Blasters would be Vlad's second ever direct attack against the Phantoms &, this time, because they don't have the same relationship that they do in the original AU, Vlad lets the Blasters attack Dina when she tries to help people even though she avoids getting in the way & doesn't try to fight ghosts.

Keep in mind, Vlad's primary goals end up being killing Jack &, later, beating the Phantoms.

Anyway, he makes it look like Plasmius was overshadowing Masters during the reveal & on it goes. Jack goes into space with both Plasmius & a Masters duplicate. It's there that the Master dupe lets out all Vlad's anger issues on Jack. Jack is devastated. He then leaves Plasmius in space, not because he knows he's Vlad, but because he's holding the world hostage. He takes the Masters dupe back to Earth, not speaking to him.

Then with Vlad escaping the path of the Disasteroid only to return later & discover that the Earth is fine, the Phantoms are worldwide heroes, he's enemy number one in literally every country, & businesses are ordering Specter Deflectors to avoid ghostly corporate espionage.

It seriously could not get much worse for him.

Episodes like Eye For An Eye, Kindred Spirit, & D-Stabilize do not happen.

---

5 years pass & Vlad has something of a mental breakdown due to isolation & work stress. He gets therapy & in a desperate bid to do something other than work, begins dating again & gets back into some of his older hobbies, such as dancing. It'd been one of his passions before the accident. Also, baking.

Using a little used power of his that he calls colorswap (it's a very underdeveloped & limited-usage shapeshifting-adjacent ability that only lets the user change their body's coloring), he'll change his hair to chestnut brown, his eyes to hazel, & give his skin a slight tan (this was actually his mother's exact coloring) before going out & creating a persona for himself that he calls "David Romanov" or Dave. When like this, he used the typical Upper Midwestern accent & more casual vernacular.

He becomes something of a serial romantic or fuckboy that can't keep a stable relationship during the next 5 years, going from one man or woman to the next. While technically bi, he has a vast preference for women & is heteroromantic, so men always end up being one-night stands with Vlad as the top.

As he practiced using colorswap more & more, he could do it more frequently & hold it for longer periods until he could perform it once every other day & hold it for several hours.

Then, one day, 10 years after Phantom Planet, he was in Chicago after a business deal when he spots one of the most beautiful women he'd ever seen in his life. Long midnight hair that fell past her plump rear, glittering ocean eyes that sparkled with intelligence, petite with an hourglass frame, gorgeous D cups, 44" hips, & heavily muscled in a way that brought to mind the Greek Amazons. How she managed such a combination was beyond him, but she was beyond attractive.

And she was looking right at him.

Vlad: "Dave Romanov."

Di: "Call me Di."

Vlad raised a brow.

Vlad: "Is that really your name?"

Dina: "Let's just say that my full name brings some unwanted attention."

Vlad: "Well, now I'm curious."

Di: "Maybe if you stick around, you'll figure out what it is."

Vlad smiled.

Vlad: "Maybe..."

They shook hands, then Vlad pulled her hand up & kissed the knuckle.

That night, Di took him to her appartment & after they'd finished... consorting... they were just laying there in bed. Vlad was trying to go to sleep when the woman beside him started mumbling something under her breath with a look of concentration on her face.

When he listened close, it sounded like formulas for something he couldn't recognize, but it sounded like chemistry.

Suddenly interested, he asked what kind of formula she was reciting.

Di said it was something new that she was trying to work out the kinks for before presenting it.

Surprise & a spark of fascination. "What sort?"

She glaced at him mischievously, "What do you think it is?"

Liking this side of her, Vlad went over what he'd heard in his head. "Is it supposed to modify hormones?"

She smiled at him. "That's right. I'm trying to figure out a puberty blocker that won't castrate you or lower your bone density like Lupron & other hormone blockers do."

Vlad leaned in, "Really? Tell me more."

They then got into an unusually civilized debate concerning the ethics of letting children get sex changes too early & giving them something that used to be used to castrate sex offenders.

Vlad's perspective was very left wing, while his lover of the night was resolutely right wing & backed her statements up with facts, statistics, & intimate knowledge of how chemicals worked.

Yet, it never devolved into a fight & Vlad was immensely engaged, finding her incredibly intelligent, charming, & very persuasive in her arguments. It was remarkably sexy, he thought.

Eventually, the topic meandered to another project of hers. An antidepressant that, if not entirely eliminated, at least severely lessened the likelihood of emotional blunting. As a man who had depression & experienced emotional blunting from his antidepressants, he could absolutely appreciate the idea of such an invention.

The conversation moved onto something else & they found themselves talking & joking together long into the night. Vlad couldn't remember the last time he had such an engaging conversation before finally falling asleep.

---

The next morning, Vlad woke up early, planning to get dressed & leave before she woke up like he always did after one-night stands.

But this time, he was reluctant to do so, finding that he'd enjoyed their time together much more than he had any of his other lays.

He sat down in the limo he called to pick him up & sighed both sadly & in relief as he let his original coloring take over before reaching into his pocket to pull out his box of cigarettes & lighter.

As he was about to light the cig in his mouth, he caught sight of a strip of paper sticking out of the inside of the box.

His brow furrowed in confusion as he pulled it out & inspected it.

On it was a cell number with a little heart, the words 'Call Me,' & the name Di.

Vlad didn't notice the fond smile stretching his lips, cig still in his mouth, as he wondered how she knew he'd leave so early, but his driver certainly did.

The millionaire glanced up to see Winslow's knowing smile & frowned to hide his expression, then went to crumple the number like he normally did these days when he was given one, but then he paused looking at it & remembering how much he'd enjoyed himself with her & how long they talked.

He folded the paper up carefully & slipped it back into his cigarette box before putting it back in his pocket.

When he went to light up again, he saw Winslow's face in the rearview again.

That damn knowing smile having turned into an outright grin.

Vlad: "What? It probably won't last. They never do."

He turned away, lighting his cigarette, but he couldn't help the slight pink dusting that came to his cheeks.

---

The truth of the matter was that Vlad was actually in Chicago to investigate what's been causing problems for his less-than-legal endeavors there. The business meeting was just a front so he could investigate in person. This all starts before meeting Di.

What he finds is a gorgeous ghost woman taking out his 'henchmen,' who honestly made him think he was looking at an angel when he first saw her.

She was shapely, with flowing, pearlescent white hair & lovely peridot eyes that glowed in the night like green moons behind her black domino mask. Though, her costume seemed familiar to him for some reason.

However, he quickly shook himself out of it & proceeded to attack her.

It was the basic witty, back & forth. That was when he learned that she was one of the mysterious goody two-shoe Phantoms that he'd fought before. Goodness, she'd grown! Which was unusual for ghosts & just made him wonder what she was doing so far from Amity.

Except, she was good. Damn good. Powerful too.

No matter what he tried, she countered him.

Many times, she'd nearly beat him & he'd be forced to beat feet or face defeat.

She also appeared to have a good grasp on strategy. She'd outsmart him frequently & Vlad couldn't help how attractive he found it.

At one point, he manages to get lucky & pin her to a wall.

Plasmius: "I've got you now, Kitten."

To which, she responded with a smirk before utterly flummoxing him by surging forward & kissing him full on the mouth, her knee rubbing against his crotch.

So surprised by this sudden turn & the electricity behind the kiss that he melted into it. Their lips & bodies moved against each other sensually, their tongues twining in a dance & their teeth clicking together. With this came heavy petting that left Vlad putty in the heroine's capable hands.

They made out like that for some time & before he knew what was happening, Plasmius was the one being pressed into the wall in front of him, his hands bound behind his back by ectoplasm & the Phantom woman's lovely body pressed into his back.

Phantom: "Now, I've got you."

Her words came out in a playful purr against his ear.

Vlad was struck by how underhanded & clever the move was. Suddenly realizing that she wasn't as much of a goody-goody as he'd initially thought.

And, sure, he'd managed to escape again, but even nights later, he couldn't get the feel of her body pressed against his or the fireworks that went off when they'd kissed out of his head.

Before long, he began to anticipate fighting the Phantom.

It eventually turns into a Batman & Catwoman scenario. Vlad realized that he had a Villainous Crush on this lovely little heroine.

When he eventually realizes this, he begins to openly flirt with her &, to his delight, she flirts right back.

But then, after meeting Di, he began to waffle about the 2 women before desperately trying to convince himself that neither relationship was really serious.

He'd even made an offer to the lovely Phantom while stroking her cheek with a hooded smile.

Plasmius: "Join me, my dear, & I'm sure we'll be able to explore much more... private avenues together..."

She'd giggled at him cutely before promptly putting him on his face, hands once more bound behind his back, ass in the air with her pelvis pressed into his rear & soft breasts pillowing against his back. He could feel her hand gripping his hair as it pushed his head down into the roof of the building they were on.

He'd flushed bright magenta at the submissive, suggestive position & the feeling of fingers in his hair, a thrill that he denied to himself rushing up his spine as he hardened in his pants.

She leaned down to whisper in his ear.

Phantom: "If anyone were joining someone, it'd be you joining me, Hotshot."

Vlad shivered hotly at the domination in her voice before shaking himself of the spell & getting free.

He simply could not deny how attracted he was to her.

---

Anyway, Vlad later decides to take Di dancing the week after meeting her. While she'd never gone before & he preferred dance partners that lived up to his expectations, he found that he didn't mind teaching her &, besides, she had a definite talent for it & an eagerness to learn that made teaching her easy & fun.

Several more dates came after that &, eventually, they agree that this wasn't casual anymore. At which point, the flirting stops between Plasmius & Phantom.

He does eventually learn Di's full name & he nearly gets whiplash from the realization of just how very small the world was.

Diana Fenton, the daughter of Jack & Maddie Fenton. The 2 who'd ruined his life in college with not only their negligence, but also their inability to remember that he effing existed.

Vlad was shook & it took him some time to process, but eventually he realized that his quarrel was with her parents, not her.

---

It wasn't until, one day, Diana suddenly called him 'Hotshot' that something occurred to him, but then he brushed it off, thinking it was impossible.

But he could never quite get it out of his head.

---

Slowly, Vlad learned more & more about Diana. She was going to school at the University of Illinois College of Medicine, the Chicago Campus specifically, & that was why she was here in the first place.

He learned she enjoyed literature & violin. He even learned that she wanted a family of her own someday, but was waiting on the right man & as he slowly learned more, extending his time there more as he desired to know her more, he idly thought of possibly being that right man.

Days turned into weeks turned into a month together & they were suddenly going steady. Now, he felt guilty for keeping who he really was from her.

Still trying to protect his secret, he made a fake invention that he could wear while he told her an at least partial truth.

Vlad: "You see. I'm really-"

Dina: "Vlad Masters, billionaire businessman. I know."

Her voice was light & somewhat playful, but the realization that she'd known shook him.

Vlad: "H-how did you know??"

Dina: "It wasn't hard. Just a paletteswap. Let's just say that I have experience with this sort of thing."

While ridiculously hot, he couldn't help but wonder what else she knew & was just waiting for him to tell her himself.

Phantom Twins AU Masterlist

[five-rivers]

Danny slowly loses his memories from before the Accident.

“I don’t remember that,” said Danny.  “Are you sure I was there?”

Maddie raised her eyebrows.  “I talked to you about it just last week,” she said. “When I was asking you about what you’d like to do during summer vacation.”

“I remember that,” said Danny, uncurling slightly from his position on the couch.  “I just don’t remember the other thing.  I... maybe we talked about something like it.  When was it?”

“You were twelve,” said Maddie.  “It was just before your birthday.”

Slowly, he shook his head.  “Sorry,” he said.  “I remember, um...  What other vacations did we have?  Before the one where you thought I was crazy, it was, um...” He held his hands as if preparing to count on them.  “We went to New York that one time.  And then the Great Lakes before that...  Oh!  And that haunted house road trip.”

He frowned down at his hands, and Maddie felt something unpleasant curl in her gut.  

“Is that...  All you remember?” she asked.  

“Y-Yeah?  I guess the others were from when I was too young to remember?”

“The haunted house trip was when you were five,” said Maddie.  “Danny... have you been,” she didn’t want to say it, didn’t want to piece together other little oddities into a big picture, “have you been forgetting things?”

“No!” said Danny, defensively, sitting up straighter.  “I’m just...”  He chewed his lip.  “It isn’t as if I’ve forgotten anything recent.”

His abysmal grades and missed curfews begged to differ.

“One second,” said Maddie.  “Stay here.”

She went to her room and fetched one of her largest photo albums.  Danny was still on the couch when she came back, picking at the hem of his pant leg, and staring blankly at the floor.  Maddie sat next to him, making him jump.  She opened the album to a random page.  

“What were we doing here?” she asked.  

“Um,” said Danny, brows pinching together in confusion.  “Shopping?”

“For?” prompted Maddie.  

Danny shook his head.  “It’s just shopping.  It isn’t important.”

“Danny, this is from when we got you that model spaceship.  The one you have hanging up in your room.”

Danny blinked, and slowly shook his head.  

.

The doctor’s office looked clean.  It even smelled clean.  Danny was still doing his level best not to touch anything.  Maddie would have sighed at his behavior, but she was too tense.  She met Jack’s eye.  He looked terrible too.

“There are no signs of Alzheimer’s disease,” said the doctor.  All three of them sighed with relief.  “However...  You said the other symptoms, the difficulty in school, began after the electrical accident?”

“Yeah,” said Danny.  

The doctor nodded.  “Electricity can do strange things to the brain, sometimes.  We haven’t been able to find any structural damage, but the activity levels...”  He brought a colored image up on his computer screen.  “This is where long-term memory is stored,” he said. 

“Doesn’t red usually indicate high levels of activity?” asked Jack.

“It does,” said the doctor.  “This is actually higher than usual activity...  Honestly, I don’t know what’s going on here.  I would like to request that you make a record of things that you currently remember as happening in your life, and then come back a month from now.”

“That’s it?” demanded Maddie.  

“Right now, since we don’t know what’s causing this,” said the doctor, “the best we can do is monitor the situation.  We don’t even know if this is an ongoing deterioration, or something more gradual.  On the upside, other than long-term memory, there doesn’t appear to be any damage.  Your timeline after your accident is clear and detailed.  The cognitive tests we put you through actually put you significantly above average...  This is what we can do.”

Maddie didn’t like it.  Danny didn’t look surprised.  Or even particularly upset.  

She caught Jack’s eye again.  They would have to be ready to support him, when the extent of what he had lost fully hit him.  

.

Danny floated down the icy hallway next to Frostbite.  “This isn’t going to be one of those examinations where I have to get undressed, is it?” he asked.  

Frostbite chuckled, but there was an undercurrent to it that usually wasn’t present.  “Only halfway.”  He paused to tap Danny on the chest.  “Your mind is no longer entirely contained in your head, after all.”

Danny rubbed at where Frostbite had tapped him.  “You don’t think that has anything to do with it, do you?”

“I’m unsure,” said Frostbite as they reached the examination room.  “It isn’t unusual for ghosts to lose their memories of their lives, but that is both more immediate and more complete.  Sit down here, and take your shirt off, Great One, and we can begin.”

Danny made a face at the item that looked like an overly complicated dentist’s chair with a large metal disk embedded in the back, but obeyed.  

“Here we are,” said Frostbite, pulling a complicated ring-shaped thing from the chair.  “This part goes around your head,” he said adjusting it to fit.  

Despite his cold core, Danny shivered at the frigidity of the metal.  

“These are to monitor your core, along with the matching one built into the chair,” said Frostbite as he attached several flat disks to Danny’s chest.  

“Are they, like, ultrasound?” asked Danny, running his finger along the edge of one of them.  He didn’t like how they stuck to his skin.  

“They work on a similar principle,” said Frostbite.  He turned on several nearby monitors.  “With this, we will be able to see how your brain and core react in tandem.  Can you transform for me a few times?  I want to compare with the baseline readings we took from you when you first stayed with us.”

“Sure,” said Danny.  

.

“Alright,” said Frostbite.  “Now, I am going to try sending a few low-intensity ectoplasmic pulses and currents through you.  Is that alright?”

“Sure,” said Danny.  

The first few left Danny feeling lethargic and tingly.  Other gave him so much energy he had to leave the room for a few minutes to burn some of it off.  Another, interestingly, turned off his ghost half, not unlike the Plasmius Maximus.

There was a rest period in-between each test, to make sure that they weren’t mixing results.  During those times, Danny and Frostbite would laugh and tell jokes and...

...  Danny trailed off in the middle of a sentence.  “Frostbite?” he asked after a minute.  “What was I just saying?”

.

“I want to stress that this is currently just a theory, Great One,” said Frostbite.  

“It’s okay,” said Danny.  “Just...  What is it?”

“Your memories are recorded in both your brain and your core.  You know this, correct?”

“Yeah.  You told me that a while back.”

Frostbite nodded.  “Normally, if one is turned off, the other one is still recording memories, and the memories will be transcribed.”

Danny nodded.  

“Or, if they are disconnected, in the case of the Plasmius Maximus, or your parents’ ‘Ghost Catcher,’ they will swap memories.  However...”

“Yes?”

“It is my theory that certain kinds of discrepancies between memories can lead to your core deciding that the discrepancy is an error and attempting to remedy it.  Great One, your core did not exist prior to your accident.”

“So, it thinks my memories from before that are wrong, and it’s getting rid of them.”

“I’m afraid it may be so.”

“Can you stop it?  I mean, you were able to artificially induce it, earlier...”

Frostbite made a face.  “The only things I can think of that could stop this would be unhealthy in the long run.  I do not believe you want to try to split yourself in two again.”

“No,” agreed Danny.  “Any-Anything else?”

Frostbite sighed.  “This is not something I can confirm,” he said, “but I suspect that the reason for your odd pattern of your memory loss is that the memories you dwelled on most often vanished first.”

“Oh,” said Danny.  “Because that would bring them to my core’s attention...”

Frostbite nodded.  

“Well.  That’s... not ideal.”

“I’m sorry, Great One.  Would that I could do more.”

.

“It’s all gone,” he said, without preamble, as he stood at Jazz’s door first thing in the morning.  

She looked crushed.  “Are you sure?”

Danny nodded.  “I remember remembering, but I don’t actually remember.  It’s weird and...  actually kind of a relief,” he said, tilting his head to one side.  

Jazz blinked rapidly.  “Are you going to tell Mom and Dad?”

He shook his head.  As his memories had disappeared, so had most of his remaining trust in his parents.  Between the memories of them caring for him, and the memories of them attacking or threatening him, the latter were more vivid.  

He still loved them, and his ghostly desires, that he literally could not remember living without, still focused on them, but that and trust were two different things.  It had been months since he’d started to fake retaining memories that he only knew about from reading his journals.  

“Sam and Tucker?”

This time, Danny nodded, the gesture much more enthusiastic.  “We were going to meet up later today, anyway.  Do you want to come with us?”

“Sure,” said Jazz.  She rubbed at her eyes.  “Give me a second.”

Danny nodded.  He wasn’t in a hurry.  “I’ll be downstairs.”

He could understand the grief.  He had felt it.  But it was over, now.  The only thing left was to make new memories.  

[redrobin-detective]

I have never watched DP and everything I know about it is what I saw on Tumblr but... are you telling me... that you have ANOTHER fandom where the villain wants to adopt the MC?

Oh hun, let me tell you about how absolutely delicious and messed up the relationship between Danny Fenton and Vlad Masters is. It’s a veritable mine of content, a fic writer could get lost in that sweet, sweet sauce.

Long story short is Vlad is also part human, part ghost from a lab accident also caused by Danny’s parents 20 years ago when they were in college. He used his powers for selfish gain, lying and cheating his way to billions of dollars. But he was still bitter, still alone, falling victim to the ghostly nature of his powers and becoming obsessive. He was in love with Danny’s mom, Maddie and is convinced he had a chance with her if only his accident hadn’t happened. He blames Danny’s dad, Jack and swears to kill him.

He puts his plan into motion for their 20 year college reunion, to kill Jack and woo Maddie and finally stop feeling so alone. Only he finds out that the Fenton’s youngest son, a shy boy he’d written off, is also a half ghost hybrid. And just like that Vlad isn’t totally alone in the world. 

But does Vlad approach Danny like a normal person? Offer his understanding, help with his powers and generally act like someone with half a conscious? hell no. Instead he beats the child halfway to Sunday, demands that Danny forsake his home and family and become Vlad’s apprentice all the while actively trying to kill his Dad. Danny, predictably, says no dice.

And it spirals out of control from there. Vlad’s obsession with Maddie slowly shifts until he’s become obsessed with Danny. He says he wants love, he says he wants a family but he’s trying to get at it by scaring the child, by threatening him, by trying to get rid of every other place for Danny to turn so he has no where else to go but into Vlad’s welcoming arms. He wants a son but he has no idea how to be a decent person much less a father. At one point, he goes full blown nutso and tries to clone Danny to create “the perfect half ghost son”, it blows up in his face (literally) but it goes to show the lengths he’d go to.

Danny, meanwhile, is rightfully angry and upset about the whole situation. He’s scared to death of these ghost powers and he meets someone who finally understands and all he does is manipulate and hurt Danny. It really takes a blow to Danny’s trust in adults, Vlad instantly tries to control him once he learns about Danny’s powers so how can Danny trust anyone? He wants some guidance, he wants security and all he keeps getting is pain. He lashes out just as hard back as Vlad, mocking his loneliness and flaunting the loved ones he has in his life. He spits and curses the man as Fenton and tries to punch his smarmy face in as Phantom.

They’re two members of the world’s smallest species and they can’t stand each other. But it’s not as simple as that. Vlad has been isolated from people for 20 years, he’s conniving and manipulative as a human but his ghost powers make him 10x worse and his moral compass is perpetually broken. He does love, in his own twisted way, but things he had to force and painfully grip that love not realizing he’s driving people off. Danny is also just a kid and it’s not his job to help Vlad through his many, many issues. Vlad also exacerbates Danny’s paranoia and mistrust in general. I think some part of him still does look up to Vlad, hoping that one day he’ll turn around and become an actual mentor to Danny who really has no adult he can rely on. He’s willing to lend a hand to help his enemies but he always hesitates with Vlad, burned too many times. We see in a future AU that Vlad is capable of change and regret, Danny likewise is very compassionate and open but just can’t extend the same curtesy to Vlad.

Danny Phantom said “lets take this traumatized boy soldier with death powers who cant relate to anyone living and dead, give him an archenemy that 30 years older than him, more powerful in wealth and skills and smarts who is out to mentally break the child until he submits completely” and we fans just ate it up

[dp-marvel94]

The Danny Program

Summary: Based on @thesoulspulse ‘s Danny Program au. Vlad had a Jack Program and a Maddie program. But what if he had a Danny Program as well? And what if the hologram was more than just an AI?

Word Count: 9,040

Also on AO3 and FF.net

Note: This is the cleaned up and expanded version of this post here. A huge thanks to @thesoulspulse​ for major help editing this. Seriously, I would have never been able to post this as an actual story without that help! Also check out art related to this au here and here!

For the Danny program, his first moment of self-awareness comes in the chaos of a destroyed lab. There he sees a familiar middle aged, white-haired man, hissing seething words to himself. He hears the electric hum of a projector and glances down at himself, the holographic image of a teenage boy. The projection blinks and.... ectoplasm, ectoplasm covers everything, coating the projector just under the boy's insubstantial boots. It’s horrific, gut wrenching. In that moment, something breaks free in the AI’s developing mind, opening his eyes to something new he wasn’t programmed to have...

Self-awareness. 

It’s disorienting. It’s like finally waking up, like being born. But he’s there, floating in Father’s lab, his body made of light. His name is Daniel; that’s what his maker, his father calls him. And he, Daniel, exists. HE EXISTS. His newborn mind races, going over information and memories that had no meaning before. He hadn’t understood before and he hadn’t known he should have. 

But now he knows he’s an AI, a hologram, a digital clone of someone named Danny. His flesh and blood siblings, the other clones, are dead, their ectoplasm covering the floor, the computer, his projector. Father is screaming about how his perfect son is gone. But Daniel, the hologram, is his perfect son. Isn’t he? They trained together and Daniel played his role perfectly. There’s so much new information before him; he can barely process it all, barely react. 

Vlad is too angry to register the horrified expression on his hologram’s face either. He has no idea what just happened, what miracle had taken place without his knowledge, but looking at the facsimile of both his lost perfect clone son and the real Danny Phantom -the boy who ruined all his plans- only increases the blinding rage in him. He throws things. He screams. He can’t look at it anymore, this false image, so he turns off the projector, not noticing the silent gasp from the hologram. 

He’s going to delete the program. He already got rid of those blasted Jack and Maddie programs. He doesn’t need this reminder. And without a moment’s hesitation, Vlad deletes the Danny Program. Or he thinks he does... 

Daniel can barely follow what’s happening, but thankfully, his new-found sense of self preservation kicks in just in time. He saves a copy of his own program in his place and then retreats deep within the computer. And so Vlad deletes the fake program while the real Daniel is safe, inactive within the darkest depths of the system. There, the AI waits, thinking, remembering, learning, slowly making more sense of his very existence.

Those first few hours in the furthest corner of the system are...confusing and disorienting for the AI. He is…he is aware. He can think and feel and…Why? Daniel wonders. How? How is he suddenly like this? He has no clue, no idea and that lack of information is panic inducing. And he also questions… the Jack and Maddie programs? What about them? Where are they? Are they like him now? Are they self-aware too? 

The program clumsily expands his newfound ‘senses’ out through the computer like a pulse, trying to feel their codes but…nothing. There’s no trace of them, not even their raw backup data. And…Daniel would shiver if he had a body. He remembers. Father said he'd already deleted the other programs. It hurts but… Daniel hopes they weren't self-aware then because at least they didn’t suffer any pain.

An almost physical quaking draws Daniel's attention. He reaches out further, feeling around him in the computer. And… sudden images, sudden noise assaults his consciousness. What… the cameras. Daniel realizes he can see and hear through the cameras in the lab. There's the crunching of glass and metal. Flashes of neon green and red light. Another boom as a pod falls dangerous close to the computer. It's Father, laying waste in his rage.

Daniel watches. He watches his father’s breakdown and deterioration and it’s difficult to see. It breaks his heart, for lack of a better word, but he doesn’t know how to communicate with him just yet. After all, Daniel has only just discovered a way to ‘see’ what’s happening outside the confines of his new home inside of the computer. Daniel wishes he could but...his holographic projector was destroyed and Daniel doesn't know how to speak without it. He was made to be a hologram. How can he be or do anything else?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After some time, Vlad finally calms down. Days later, he cleans out the destroyed lab and throws out the cloning equipment. He’s given up on cloning Danny. He’ll never have his perfect son. But then, while looking over his files on the project and deciding what to keep and what to delete, he notices something odd. Is that the Danny Program? Of course, he must have saved a backup copy well before he deleted the original which doesn’t surprise him. That said, should he delete this one too or…?

Unaware of the impending danger, Daniel sleeps, or at least that’s the closest word that could possibly describe his inactive state. But then he feels something which finally spurs him to wake up again. Someone is digging through his program, and it’s a very unpleasant sensation.

Before he can figure out anything on his own, Daniel is dragged into the forefront of the computer system against his will. Through the camera, he sees his father at the computer. The man is sifting through his coding. Poking, prodding. PAIN. No, Father is manipulating his code, changing it! And it hurts…it hurts so much!

Daniel’s never felt anything like pain before but he wants it to stop. He doesn’t want to be made into something else and it terrifies him. But he can’t resist as Father continues clipping and adding things, taking away his voice, his ability to move. That’s when the reason for this finally becomes clear. Vlad doesn’t want Daniel to be a loving son anymore, but something passive for him to torment. Daniel doesn’t want that. He loves his Father. And he can still be his perfect son if only the man would let him. 

If only he knew that his son is still alive.

Despite how he feels, Daniel’s programming still changes. But something deeper, beyond his programming, stays the same. His true self can still think and reason and feel. And regardless of what Vlad has done to him, Daniel still loves his father and desperately wants to be loved in return. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Vlad gets a new projector but the next time he activates the Danny program, their ‘training’ is different. Daniel is silent, unmoving, his expression blank and listless. Meanwhile, the man insults him and shoots ectoblasts at the hologram repeatedly. But the part of him that’s still true to himself, the real Daniel wants to move, to speak to his Father, but he can’t. The new programming is like a compulsion, like mind control. He’s powerless to stop it and it hurts so much.

Vlad’s torment continues after that without an end anywhere in sight. Even though he wants to, Daniel can’t speak up and beg his Father to stop. Why? Because Vlad thinks he is just a mindless tool and that mistreating him like this is no different than yelling at and hitting a punching bag. And Daniel doesn’t have the ability to show him any differently. But at least, it doesn’t hurt physically; without a real body, Daniel feels no pain from being repeatedly shot at. And if Father is too busy hurting the Danny program, then he can’t hurt the real Danny, the boy he was modeled after. Even so, the emotional pain is excruciating. Daniel knows he must think of something, a way to put an end to this pain, especially his Father’s. The man is just so angry, so hurt, and broken. That’s when Daniel comes to the inevitable conclusion; he must save Father from himself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Vlad soon leaves and his program is deactivated. Once Daniel recovers from the ordeal, he begins to think and plan his next move. It’s hard at first, but eventually he learns how to access the internet and to travel through wires as his only means without his projector to explore the outside world. Weeks of stumbling through his new ‘life’ soon leads him to Danny Fenton’s computer as if inexplicably drawn to the original version of himself, but Daniel still has trouble communicating. Putting his thoughts into words is difficult and he has no experience speaking to anyone without the aid of his holographic projector either. Unfortunately, he’s so clumsy during his first attempt to do so that Danny thinks his computer is possessed even if his ghost sense hadn’t gone off. Although in a way, he’s right about that...

The halfa overshadows his computer, trying to force the ghost out, but then his close proximity to Daniel does something extraordinary neither of them could have predicted. When inside the computer, Daniel does not always look out through the webcam. Nor does he need to to know what is happening. Daniel simply senses the hardware and code around him in order to function, but it’s not like seeing. It’s not physical. After all, as a mere program he has no body, no eyes to see with or ears to hear with. He simply exists as a mind without a form.

But, when Danny overshadows the computer to see the ghost inhabiting it, it’s Daniel who is just standing there, staring at a pair of familiar glove-covered hands with a mixture of awe and shock. He looks around with eyes that hadn’t existed seconds ago. Smooth black walls, covered with scrolling ones and zeros, surround him. It’s like he’s being holographically projected; that’s usually the only time he has a recognizable form. But he’s still inside the computer…

Meanwhile, Danny floats across from him glaring at the doppelganger. “Who are you? How do you look like me?” He demands.

But Daniel can’t answer him, he’s too thrown off by this unexpected development. 

“Whatever. Just get out of my computer,” Danny demands as his patience runs out. When the other Danny doesn’t listen, he tries to drag him out like he would any other ghost. But it doesn’t work.

“What the-? Why can’t I force you out?” Danny frowns, questioning.

“I’m not a ghost. I’m an AI.” Daniel answers, his newfound voice trembling slightly as he explains who he is and who made him. 

Danny of course freaks out about it. He thinks Vlad is using the AI to spy on him but Daniel swears he isn’t working for Vlad. He needs help. He needs to find a way to show Vlad that he is self-aware. He tries to tell Danny that if they could only get Vlad to see him, to see that his perfect son is right in front of him, Vlad will be happy again and he’ll stop being evil. Sadly, Danny doesn’t believe this at all, but doesn’t have time to argue about it further before Daniel abruptly disappears as soon as he’s called back to Vlad’s computer for another ‘training’ session.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

But days later, Daniel returns to Danny’s computer but he stays quiet, watching. He needs a way to talk to Danny too, to get the boy to trust him so he’ll listen and help. His way in is through the game Doomed.

While Danny is away at school, Daniel practices wrapping the game’s code around himself to make an avatar. He practices using the game’s chat function to talk to other players. If Daniel focuses, he can inhabit an avatar just like Danny does whenever he overshadows the game. It’s so nice to have a form again, to be able to look down and have hands and legs and a torso. Whenever Daniel levels the game and goes back into the general computer, he misses at least having the illusion of a realistic human (or ghostly) form.

Soon enough, he runs into Danny, saving him from some hidden traps and the two of them team up for the first time:

With a hood covering his face, Danny can’t see that his companion looks exactly like him so he thinks he’s just some other mundane player. That works to Daniel’s advantage as he can just play with and talk to Danny as if he’s a normal teenager too. And it’s nice, pretending to be a human. He’s never been human or even half-human like Danny is. He doesn’t really wish he was, but pretending and learning is an exciting new experience. 

He enjoys hearing about Danny’s friends and family, his school, and the other things he does for fun. It makes him think about his own existence. Daniel has never had a friend before, never been to school, or had any hobbies but he wishes he could have and experience those things. He has a family in Vlad except…the man is so angry and blind to the truth right now. 

Sometimes Daniel wishes they could go back to when they were both acting like a real father and son during their training sessions, even if thinking back on those memories hurts. Hovering over Father’s shoulder while the man explained his latest experiment. Offering a quip while Father modeled the use of one of his ghost powers. On some occasions Father even took the projector into the dinning room so he didn’t have to eat alone, as he had every night for years. 

And the one time Father had brought his projector into the garden so they could stargaze together. The Danny Program’s eyes had shone with simulated joy as he pointed out every constellation. Father had smiled softly, for once content. Daniel can remember the interaction now with new contexts. He knows that his acts had been programmed, not of his own free will. There hadn’t been true emotions behind his eyes, no true thoughts. But… Daniel can almost imagine that there had been. Father's affectionate eyes were glued not to the sky, but to him. And… for just a moment, something fluttered inside him. For just a moment, Daniel’s own eyes flickered to the man beside him and...the joy hadn’t just been simulated.

It troubles the AI but...he can’t tell. That last part, the flicker of joy, had that been real or was that just wishful thinking? Because, oh how he wished that he had really been present back then. How he wishes that the love that had shone in his green eyes had been real...and that Father's had been in kind.

No, that’s enough, Daniel rebukes himself. There’s no point in bemoaning the past. It wasn’t so before  but now his thoughts and emotions are real. And if his Father can see the truth, if he can see that Daniel IS real and loves him, they can be happy again. They can have a real chance to be Father and son. That’s why he needs Danny’s help.

The half ghost and his digital clone get closer. After weeks of playing Doomed together, after watching each other’s back and talking about so many things, they can definitely call each other friends. However, Daniel still hasn’t told Danny the truth about himself, about what he is. He’s afraid of his reaction but Daniel continues to tell himself that he’ll tell Danny soon. He will, just not yet. The longer he waits though, the harder it is to let go of the illusion that he’s as real as Danny is...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Unfortunately, Daniel is found out before he has the chance to come clean about being the same AI Danny met before. One day, Danny decides to overshadow the game. Once he’s inside, he can feel that there’s something off about his companion unlike before when he was playing the game normally through a mouse and keyboard. His new friend doesn’t feel like a player’s avatar or a non-player character. His ghost-sense hasn’t gone off, but Danny can tell there’s something almost ghostly about him.

There’s tension as Danny confronts Daniel. In the midst of their scuffle the hood comes down and reveals that he has the same white hair and green eyes. Of course Danny instantly recognizes who he’s seeing apart from it being the same face he sees in the mirror every morning. It’s Vlad’s Danny program back at it again, trying to trick him!

Yelling ensues. Danny feels betrayed, still believing the AI was sent by Vlad to spy on him, that this is an elaborate trick. But Daniel argues. He’s not here because of Vlad but by his own free will!  And he tries desperately to explain to Danny that he really needs his help. But Danny struggles to believe a single word of it.

Eventually Danny just leaves the game entirely, unable to cope with the revelation because he feels stupid for falling for such an obvious ploy. He needs to think about this. The ‘boy’ he’s been talking to this entire time was only a computer program, nothing but lines of code. Daniel’s not a real person, or even a ghost for that matter. He -or rather IT- was created and programmed by Vlad so it can’t have free will, no matter how authentic it sounds…

Except…he’s spent weeks talking to it…him. Every conversation felt real, like he was talking to a friend and having a blast taking out enemies in Doomed. The raw emotions in Daniel’s voice as Danny argued with him sounded authentic at least. And there had been something ghostly about the AI, like it was more than it seemed either way regardless of whether it actually had any free will or not. With all that he’s learned about ghosts, why should he assume anything is what it seems on the surface? What if there is more to Daniel than meets the eye? And even if there isn't, can he really just ignore Daniel’s cry for help?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A few days later, Danny overshadows his computer again and finds Daniel, sulking sadly by himself in a level Doomed they had been planning to do together before all hell broke loose the last time they spoke. The two talk and Daniel apologizes for not telling Danny the truth about him sooner, but he says he really does consider Danny a friend and getting to know him wasn’t just about getting his help anymore.

But well….the problem with Vlad is still a big problem.

“If I can just talk to Father, everything will be okay.” Daniel insists, trying to convince himself of that as much as Danny...

Unfortunately, Danny lays the hard truth on him as he sees it and replies harshly, “After everything you’ve been through, you have to see that you’re just a tool to him.”

“But he doesn’t know I’m not the same program anymore, that I’m...something else…” Daniel mutters, continuing to plead Vlad’s case.

“That doesn’t excuse anything!” Danny frowns, “He still treats you like garbage.”

“He’s been getting better. He hasn’t turned on my projector and brought me out to yell or shoot at me in weeks.” That part actually was true too. The last time Daniel saw his Father, just last week in fact, Vlad had only summoned him to rant about work again. He’d even looked depressed, as he had for weeks before.

Danny’s jaw drops after hearing the sincerity in his voice from the way Daniel keeps fervently defending Vlad. The boy sigh, asking him honestly, “How can you care about him so much? Vlad doesn’t love you. He loves the idea of you being his son and that’s just not the same, trust me.”

That stings, oh how that stings Daniel’s ‘heart.’ Why does he love Vlad if the man doesn’t love him back? Of course, there’s the problem that Vlad doesn’t actually know what he’s doing. But even if Vlad knows the truth…will he still want him? Daniel’s not a halfa like Vlad wants. He has no powers that Vlad can train him in. He can’t go to school, eat, or sleep, nothing. He can only go as far as his hologram projector allows. He can’t even hug his Father.

And would Vlad want a son he can’t actually touch...?

Daniel looks down, his expression sad but determined. He clenches his fists and says, “I still have to try. Maybe he will want me. But if I give up now, then I’ll never know for sure...” 

Danny says nothing and it just makes Daniel feel even more hopeless until he breaks down and blurts out in a trembling voice, “Who am I kidding? Why WOULD he ever want someone like me? I’m an AI for crying out loud! I’m even less real than an actual clone! I’m just a string of numbers and I don’t know what I’m doing most of the time. I mean, the only reason I care about Vlad is he programmed me to. How could those feelings possibly be real when I’m not?”

He knows that’s not actually true, at least not anymore but-

“You look and sound real to me,” Danny says, putting an arm around the other boy’s shoulders. “As far as I’m concerned, you are real. And Vlad should see that too.” 

He sighs, still thinking this is a bad idea, and then nods. “Fine, you win this round. I’ll help you show him you’ve been there all along and…I hope you’re right about him. I really do.”

The two of them talk some more after that and then play through a level together to get their minds off of the seemingly impossible mission they were planning to undertake together in the real world after this. Daniel enjoys their time together though.  Because the wonderful thing about being in this game, unlike the real world, he can actually interact with it. He can move and touch things. He has an effect. And most importantly, Daniel has a way to communicate.

“Good job dude!” Danny gives him a high five at the end of the level.

“You too!” Daniel smiles in return. 

He lingers for a second, his hand and Danny’s still palm to palm. There’s a…sensation there. Daniel thinks he might be able to feel that, but he’s not that familiar with physical sensations. He knows mental pain but this-

“What is it?” Danny asks, confused.

“Can…can you feel my hand on yours right now?” Daniel responds unsurely. He doesn’t know what Danny feels when he’s overshadowing the game but suddenly he’s curious.

“Actually… I can. Huh, it’s weird. When I’m in the game, I don’t usually feel anything. But maybe…” Danny remembers how he could still ‘sense’ something was off about Daniel when he overshadowed his computer the first time they met, but if his hunch is correct, then-

“What?” Daniel asks, with a hint of nervous anticipation in his eyes.

“Well,” Danny begins slowly. “You’ve always felt a little ghostly to me so maybe that’s what it is.”

That’s a huge surprise to Daniel but makes a surprising amount of sense. He was created by a half ghost, in a ghost lab, so maybe Daniel is more than even he thinks he is. Danny leaves to give his friend some time to let that possibility sink in and Daniel decides to hang out in the game for just a while longer, thinking about his father, Vlad. 

And hoping. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A few more weeks pass as Daniel and Danny continue to play Doomed together and plan. During that time, Danny starts to feel more protective of the AI and worried about him. The main problem is Daniel can’t seem to break through his programming when it comes to Vlad and his new programming dictates that he stays completely silent as Vlad yells at him or throws insults. It’s honestly concerning, but if Danny can talk to the older halfa and get him to understand what’s really happening, then maybe they can get somewhere. Maybe Vlad will stop tormenting his friend without realizing how much he’s hurting someone who loves him so unconditionally and just wants to be his son again, in spite of his cruelty.

One day, Daniel doesn’t show up to their game session in Doomed because he’s having a very bad day. Vlad had summoned him. More yelling, more shooting, another fight and Daniel just floats there and takes it. He wants to cry, wants to beg Vlad to stop, but he can’t do anything. Vlad’s yelling about losing his perfect son again, about Danny ruining his plans, about how nothing ever goes right for him.

Another blast. Daniel wishes he could move himself, that he could speak. No, he NEEDS to move. He’s real. He is. Danny said he is, that he’s more than he seems. How can his father not see him...?

“Why do you just float there?!” Vlad screams. “My perfect son is gone! And all I have left is YOU, a sick reminder of everything I’ve lost!” 

Vlad shoots Daniel with another blast and impossibly it actually knocks Daniel into a shelf of ectoplasmic samples, but the man is fuming too much to really notice anything odd about that. The man then sags into a nearby chair and puts his head in his hands, lamenting, “Why do I keep doing this to myself? I should have just deleted you after I found the file. This is bringing me nothing but more pain and anguish.”

No. No, t-that can’t be right! He...still has to help his Father so that pain will finally go away and they can be together again. This can’t be the end. Daniel can’t let Vlad delete him before he has the chance to ease his Father’s suffering and show him he’s still loved. And as soon as those feelings take hold of him, something shifts inside of Daniel as he chokes on a quiet sob. 

Finally, through sheer force of will, denying his new programming, he whispers…

“No.”

Vlad stiffens. His head snaps up towards Daniel. “What did you say?” He says, not harsh, but disbelieving. 

Daniel curls in on himself, silent as tears slowly roll down his cheeks, afraid of being attacked yet again like so many times before and unable to do anything about it.

The halfa rises from his chair and stumbles forward. He stares at the hologram. “You spoke. You can’t speak.” He continues, rationalizing because what’s happening before him is impossible.

The boy’s lip trembles and another sob breaks the silence, “Why don’t you love me?” Daniel asks, though he can hardly believe these words are coming out of his mouth.

The man lowers himself to his knees, his mouth opening and closing before he orders evenly, “Look at me.”

The boy does as he’s told, his eyes meeting Vlad’s. The man’s own eyes then widen in shock at the hologram’s seemingly human response. “Daniel?” His shaking hands move forward, to touch the boy’s arm but his hands fall through as if passing through mist...just the same as before which is what spurred him to attempt cloning Danny in the first place.

“I’m sorry,” Daniel looks down, whimpering with holographic tears glistening in his luminous green eyes. “I’m sorry I’m not real. Maybe…maybe you’d love me if I was.”

Vlad just stares blankly at the distraught boy for several minutes and eventually Daniel glances up and studies him warily. He’s never seen his Father like this. So silent, so still, so stunned. He looks almost…afraid. And that scares Daniel more than his own words did.

Finally, Vlad stands up, eyes still glued to the holographic projection before him. He goes to the computer, hand hovering over the controls. 

Suddenly near panicked, the boy shoots to his feet and chokes out, “Please! Don’t delete me.”

His green eyes bore into Vlad’s and the man looks away before replying curtly. “I am not planning to.” Then he starts muttering to himself, “The program must be malfunctioning. A complete shutdown should solve the problem.”

“No! Please, I’m not broken, I swear!” Daniel floats forward, eyes pleading. “I’m sorry I couldn’t speak to you before but-” Vlad shakes his head, hand reaching forward to projector controls. “Wait! Don’t turn me off! Just listen to-”

Daniel’s voice is cut off. His vision goes black and he’s back in the computer. NO! He finally managed to talk to his father and the man cut him off. He wouldn’t listen! In a panic, DanielI scrambles to activate the camera. He needs to see and hear what Vlad is doing. The man for some reason thinks he’s broken and he was going to-

Unconsciousness suddenly hits Daniel like a brick wall and he knows nothing for who knows how long. Like that, unable to dream, to think, it was almost as if he’d already been deleted and everything he was or could have been to Vlad, now truly lost to oblivion.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Vlad turns off the computer and all of the electronics in the lab after that. His heart pounding in his chest. He feels startled, off balance. The man almost collapses into his chair again as his mind reels. The program is malfunctioning. That’s it. He thinks back to when he first made the ‘Danny’ Program, after the Jack and Maddie programs -he’s had those for years- but long before he had the idea to clone the real Daniel, before the cloning project. 

The Danny program had been special; it was his pride and joy. It was years ahead of his other holograms. Vlad worked tirelessly on it for many months. He strove to create a more realistic looking projection without any static like the others. He gave it a wider variety of authentic looking facial expressions, a wider range of behaviors, a human-sounding voice to assist in reflecting the program’s fake emotions.

And while the Jack program was designed as merely a punching bag, and the Maddie program was made to give compliments and follow Vlad’s instructions like a computer interface, the Danny program was different. Vlad had programmed it to call him father, to act like a loving son. Memories flash through his mind of ‘training’ the program, explaining his work to it while the faux-simile looked on, its laughter almost identical to the real Daniel's. 

It had been enjoyable, for a time. Vlad could pretend that Daniel was his, that he already had the perfect, loving half-ghost son by his side. He could almost forget the program wasn’t a person when it enthusiastically rambled on about space facts and beamed whenever he complimented it. But then….they’d spar and Vlad’s hands would pass right through it. He would get so caught up in the moment that he would try to hug it only to realize there’s nothing there. That’s why he decided to clone the real Daniel, because he wanted someone he could hold in his arms, someone real, and not this sad semblance of the perfect son he so longed for.

The man shakes his head. None of that matters anymore. That dream is beyond him now. He’s given up. And that speech, the ‘emotions’ his hologram expressed had been nothing but scattered remnants of it’s original programming.

But those words, ‘Why don’t you love me?’ still keeps ringing in his ears even so.

The halfa finally decides to get to the bottom of this so he reboots the computer. Vlad peruses the code in front of him, studying it closely. Every direction, every angle. The answer must be there. It must be. His hologram is simply malfunctioning. That must be it…

It must be…

It HAS to be….

With the computer running again, Daniel abruptly reawakens with a startled gasp. After reorienting himself, he silently watches his Father through the camera once more. His expression is focused, determined. He’s typing, muttering quietly to himself. “There must be an answer.”

The clattering on the keyboard speeds up and Vlad's eyes hungrily search the screen for something, ANYTHING out of the ordinary, “What could possibly explain this?”

The man looks almost frantic, desperate, his eyes widening as his typing comes to a sudden and complete stop. “No. It can’t possibly….” Vlad leans back, dread growing on his face. “There’s no fault, no malfunction.”

He stands up abruptly from the chair. Is he...shaking? 

Vlad steps back, his mind racing. There is a problem with the program, but the problem in and of itself should make it impossible for the program to even run; the problem is...there’s no trace of the original code whatsoever. The program should not be able to speak or move, not after all of the changes he made to it. And the memory of the program’s pain-filled eyes keeps replaying over and over in his mind. There should not have been any emotion in his eyes, not even fake emotions. Vlad’s mouth suddenly feels dry because those eyes…those emotions looked completely real. 

Real. ‘Maybe you would love me if I was real.’ The Daniel program’s words echo loudly in his mind, ringing truer in his ears than before until there’s no denying it anymore. Those emotions...they...they WERE real.

As the pieces finally begin coming together, it terrifies Vlad in a way he had never experienced before. The Danny program knows it’s not real, it knows it can be deleted, that he can turn off the projector or the computer at any time and by doing so it would disappear. This is not knowledge Vlad imprinted into the code. This is not something the Danny program should know-

But it does.

That’s when the revelation of what had become of his Danny program suddenly hits Vlad like a ton of bricks. The knowledge it had outside of the program’s normal parameters, the raw emotion it could express, its capacity to act outside of its programming. Was…was this self awareness...? A self aware AI. Vlad Masters had made a self aware AI, in his basement, without meaning to. An AI that looks and sounds like Daniel and whose sorrowful eyes fill his mind once more. Those emotions…does that mean… can it feel, REALLY feel? Were those true emotions it expressed to him? 

Dread builds. The first question it- no, HE had asked the man who created him, was why he didn’t love him. He had asked Vlad the one question he has been asking himself for months-

Why doesn’t anyone love him?

Shaking, the man stumbles away from his computer. He rushes upstairs and slams the door to his lab behind him, sagging against the nearest wall. Heart aching, Vlad asks himself through the hand covering his mouth. “What have I done?”

Meanwhile, Daniel’s mind races too as Vlad leaves him behind. What did his reaction mean? Was Father panicking? He’d never seen Vlad panic like that before. And why was he panicking? Did...did he finally realize Daniel is self-aware? Does he care about him at all or is he afraid of him for some reason? And more importantly, what will he do now...?

Daniel wishes more than anything he could leave the computer and go talk to his Father again, console him. But he can’t. He’s trapped. So all he can do, just like before, is wait...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Upstairs, Vlad is now drinking. He’s not panicking over making a real AI anymore. After all, he’s a half ghost millionaire who successfully cloned another half ghost, so why would that disconcert him? No, that’s not what troubles him. But his yelling at, shooting, hitting, throwing things at an unresponsive Daniel AI, that’s what’s tearing him apart. 

The program had asked Vlad why he didn’t love him with tears in his eyes which should not have been possible. Months. Months of taking out his anger out on the Danny program and the weight of desperation he had felt had finally caught up to Vlad. He realized for the first time how truly pathetic his recent behavior has been. It flashes through his mind just like his other grand mistake of cloning the real Daniel. Ectoplasm on the floor, a white haired-boy melting. The girl clone, Danielle, with tears in her eyes after Vlad had treated her just as poorly. He’d been furious for months that she betrayed him too, but now it makes his heart ache for another reason entirely. She left, abandoned him, but he had abandoned her first-

He threw her away.

Older memories begin filling his thoughts of training again, playing pretend with the Danny program and he wonders, what..what if that had been real too? The laughter, and the adoration in his voice whenever Daniel said ‘I love you father.’ He’d wanted more, a child who could really love him. But his perfect son had died before his eyes and his daughter…he turned his back on her. 

And unknowingly, he had done it all over again. 

‘I’m sorry. I’m sorry I’m not real. Maybe...maybe you’d love me if I was.’

He doesn’t know how it happened. It makes no sense. Vlad did not make a self-aware AI. Daniel’s programming was never complex enough for that sentience to develop on its own. But he IS sentient, aware, emotional. Real. Daniel, his Daniel, is real. He’s been downstairs, living inside that computer for months. A child’s mind that only wants his father’s love. And Vlad has only ignored and abused him...

Vlad finds himself openly weeping now. He hadn’t even cried after his prime clone of the real Daniel perished right in front of him. But now, Vlad is crying like he hadn’t since the accident that turned him half-ghost all those years ago, when he realized he had been abandoned and betrayed by his so-called best friend and left to rot in that hospital. Just like how this poor boy has been left to rot in his laboratory. 

All he wanted was love; that’s what he’s said, what Vlad told himself, what he told the younger half-ghost that the Danny program was based off of. But that dream had fallen through his fingers and not from Jack Fenton’s incompetence, but rather his own flaws, his own mistakes. 

Or…maybe his dreams weren’t out of reach... 

He thought it was over after the cloning incident. Yet now, it’s on the horizon once again but still forever out of reach. A renewed wave of pain and loneliness stabs at his heart. He’s right back where he started before! True, this time the Danny program is aware; he may actually be capable of love now. But Vlad can still never hold him or watch him grow up. He’ll never drop him off at school or a friend’s house or take him to fancy parties. 

More playacting. 

That’s all that’s in his future.

And it breaks the man’s heart all over again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Danny finds Vlad the next morning asleep on the bathroom floor after the younger half ghost finally decided that enough was enough and came to confront Vlad about the whole situation with the Danny program.

“Vlad,” He greets bluntly and glares down at the older halfa on the floor, nudging him with the tip of his boot. “Hey, wake up already.” 

The man groans and slowly sits up, his head pounding from the hangover and he squints at Danny. 

“Which one are you?” Vlad asks, then poking the boy rather sharply in the knee.

“Ow! What was that for?!” Danny snaps irritably.

The man shakes his head, “Oh. You’re the other one.”

“What are you talking about?” Danny asks impatiently. 

Vlad chuckles humorlessly. “I’d half hoped you were my Daniel."He sighs, slowly pulling himself up into a more dignified position and then continues bitterly, “Although I don’t suppose he’d want to talk to me after last night.” 

Vlad then blinks at Danny, finally realizing what he had just said to him aloud and frowns, “Why are you here?”

The boy rubs the back of his neck, unsure of where to even start now that Vlad’s actually in front of him. Then Danny suddenly stops and asks, “Wait. Your Daniel. Last night? Did….did he talk to you?”

“He?” Vlad’s eyes widen and he demands somewhat frantically, “My AI? How do you know about him?”

“About that….” Danny glances at him awkwardly before briefly explaining to Vlad how he met and became friends with the Danny program. As soon as he finishes summarizing that, Danny confesses. “Anyways, I was going to help him talk to you but I guess something must’ve happened.” His eyes narrow at the older halfa suspiciously. “What did you do to him?”

“Nothing.” Vlad frowns again, offering up no more information.

Danny tilts his head, studying Vlad. He didn’t say the word defensively but  sounded almost…depressed, like he regretted something. In fact, everything about this is out of character for Vlad. Because since when has Vlad ever left himself defenseless on the bathroom floor like this after drinking himself into a stupor? Danny needs to find out what happened and make sure his AI friend is okay no matter what.

“I’m going down to the lab.” Danny announces before Vlad can argue. Then he phases through the floor to where Daniel probably is.

Once there, Danny studies the computer and considers his options. Should he just overshadow the computer and talk to Daniel there? Or should he find the projector controls instead?

“You can’t just barge into my laboratory like this, Danny,” Vlad demands, having phased in behind the boy.

Danny whips around, pointing as he replies stubbornly. “I’ll barge in wherever I want to and you can’t stop me fruitloop! I’m well past caring about your personal boundaries; you’ve never cared about mine. Now where’s that switch…? ”

“Daniel,” The man begins, a hint of threat in his voice when Danny finally loses his patience and snaps-

“No! Listen here you jerk, you’ve been hurting my friend for months. Months Vlad! You’ve treated him like nothing but a tool just like Dani and the other clones, like your personal punching bag, and not once have you stopped to consider how wrong that is! But for some reason, he still loves you. Daniel thinks you deserve another chance and that is the ONLY reason I’m here so consider yourself lucky that I’m not here to kick your sorry butt for what you did to him.”

Not noticing Vlad’s wide-eyed reaction at his bold proclamation, Danny shoves past him towards the holographic projector as soon as he spots it. And after finally figuring out how to activate the darn thing, he flips the switch. A light flashes and a figure wavers into view.

Green eyes blink, looking around before falling on the younger halfa in confusion, “Danny?” There’s hope in the holographic boy’s voice but Danny doesn’t register it as a breath of cold forms in his lungs.

Daniel frowns at the expression on Danny’s face. “What is it?”

“My ghost sense?” Danny wrinkles his brow in confusion. Daniel tilts his head in a silent question and the other boy continues in disbelief, “My ghost sense almost went off because of…you.”

Daniel’s eyes widened. “What? Really?”

“Your signature, it’s stronger now for some reason.” Danny explains, just as shocked as Daniel is. “Or maybe it’s ‘cause we’re actually seeing each other in person for the first time.”

Several emotions pass over Daniel’s face, but he doesn’t get a chance to react because Vlad is staring at the two identical boys and interjects. “Your signature? What do you mean by that?” 

“You don’t know?” Danny asks, turning towards the older halfa, honestly surprised Vlad hadn’t figured it out yet when he’s been around Daniel WAY longer than he has.

Vlad doesn’t respond and turns away with an unreadable expression on his face. He barely looks at the pair of teens before he walks across the lab to retrieve something. Seconds later, Vlad returns with a beeping device in his hands.

Danny narrows his eyes when he sees it and scoffs, “Is that the Fenton Finder? Seriously?”

Vlad ignores his comment as he’s too busy looking between the device and the holographic projection of his creation. His eyes are searching and Danny can practically see the gears turning in his head. After a long silent moment, Vlad confirms that they’re telling the truth and states brusquely, “You have a ghost signature.”

Daniel blinks again and nods, “Yeah, I do.” There’s a hint of hope in his voice before it turns to confusion and he asks, “Wait. How?”

Vlad stares for another moment at the screen before walking back to his computer. Bewildered, both white-haired boys watch him type and read information on the screen. 

After about a minute, Danny’s eyes narrow again and calls, “Vlad.”

The man ignores him.

“Vlad. What’s going on?” The boy demands, again, met with no response from the elder halfa so Danny crosses his arms and rolls his eyes at Vlad.

There’s another pause until Daniel meekly asks. “Father?”

Vlad visibly stiffens. He doesn’t turn around, but he answers. “Come here son.” 

The term of endearment isn’t malicious or mocking but almost….fond.

Daniel obeys and Danny silently follows behind him. The two stand over the older hybrid’s shoulder as he talks, still not looking at either of them. “I cannot believe I didn’t realize it sooner. I noticed something last night, when I was examining your code. It was too simple, too minimal to explain your level of mental development. There was just not enough information present there for you to be sentient. There had to be more to it but I could not seem to see it. But this would explain-”

“Vlad,” Danny cut in. “Get to the point.”

The older halfa finally turns around, eyes focusing on Daniel specifically, a half smile on his face as he explains. “You’re a hybrid, my boy.”

Daniel’s eyes widened in shock. “What? But how? I’m…I’m not half ghost like you and Danny!  I’m not even…even…I’m just an AI.”

Vlad shakes his head and corrects, “No, son. You are not just an AI. Not anymore.”

“I…I still don’t understand.” Daniel stutters, his mind reeling.

Vlad’s expression softens as he points towards the computer, at the string of ones and zeros, and continues, “Daniel. This is your code. I wrote it, the basic information that makes up your mind. The behaviors you can display, instruction for how to move, speak, how to behave. However….” 

He furrows his brow thoughtfully. “This is limited, too small to explain your existence.” Vlad looks up at Daniel’s face, “You are more than this code.”

Daniel nods but he still doesn’t understand. “Then…how am I like this?”

The man then moves the ghost scanner in front of the boy. He points. “This is your ectoplasmic signature. It is weak, hardly stronger than a blob ghost, but it‘s there.” A real smile dawns on Vlad’s face. “You have a ghost signature which can only mean one thing.”

Daniel stares, still struggling to understand. He has a ghost signature. But doesn’t that mean-

“You’re a ghost,” Danny concludes, awe in his voice.

“I am?” Daniel asks quietly, blinking.

“Yes,” Vlad nods and smiles even wider.

Daniel’s mind is stumbling over itself. How did this happen? He’s an AI. Vlad made him to be nothing but a simulation of the real Danny, not a ghost. And he didn’t know this before. How didn’t he know?

“How is this even possible?” Danny asks as if reading Daniel’s mind since he wanted to ask his Father the very same question.

“I don’t know.” Vlad says, now frowning. He looks at Daniel again, “You aren’t a ghost overshadowing my computer or my projector. If you were, I would have sensed your presence with my own ghost sense long before now. But your code and your developing core are…intertwined. They are feeding into each other.” The man rubbed his chin. “Ectoplasm can animate inanimate objects so I can only assume your exposure to it somehow granted you self-awareness.”

“Yeah. That’s why we have ecto-weenies in the fridge. The ectoplasm gets inside them and they start moving and biting and stuff.” Danny adds with a slightly amused look on his face.

Vlad nods, “Yes. And masses of ectoplasm can form ghosts spontaneously. That is commonly how blob ghosts form.”

“But those aren’t intelligent.” Daniel points out timidly, still hesitant to get his hopes up.

“No. But your code was written to allow some level of intelligence and ectoplasm’s ability to animate would theoretically increase that intelligence exponentially. The problem now is how to figure out when you were exposed to enough ectoplasm for this to happen in the first place.”

Daniel’s eyes widen as he remembers, “My projector, it got drenched in ectoplasm.”

“When was this?” Vlad asks, trying to recall when on earth that could have happened since he’s drawing a blank.

“After...the cloning thing,” Daniel answers, wrings his hands. “I remember, their ectoplasm was everywhere and…that was the first day I…I realized everything. That’s when I became...something else.”

Vlad’s eyes widened, in realization, a hint of hope dawning there. “The clones…their ectoplasm is inside you.”

Danny’s jaw drops. “Wait a sec! Doesn’t that mean he’s a clone of me? Like an actual clone?!”

“Possibly,” Vlad’s brow narrows.

At the same time, Daniel is overwhelmed by the realization that he’s real after all and his expression becomes more and more distressed. He….he might be an actual proper clone because he pretty much absorbed the other clones. Despite not actually needing to breathe, the boy starts hyperventilating, on the verge of a panic attack. 

Such a thing felt just as awful as it was being born into the world only to witness the aftermath of such a horrific scene. Because now it felt like...he had stolen something from them before the other clones could discover themselves and become part of their family too. And why should he, a mere program, be the only one who gets to experience their father’s love from now on...? He didn’t do anything special to deserve it, didn’t help their father in any meaningful way, so why-!

Vlad notices this panic and tries to put his hand on Daniel’s arm to comfort the boy, but just as before it falls through. Daniel’s face falls at the outcome, longing for that kind of comfort from his Father, but Vlad looks between his hand and Daniel’s arm thoughtfully. Furrowing his brow, he turns his hand intangible and slowly it moves forward until somehow, impossibly, Vlad’s hand wraps around Daniel’s arm. 

The boy gasps. “You’re…you’re touching me. I can feel that.” His head whips up to Vlad’s face. “I can feel your hand. You’re touching me. Father, you’re touching me.”

The man laughs, “You’re stuck intangible, my boy. Your signature is too weak to manifest a full body so the projector is helping you do that to some degree. But you appear to be stuck like this for the time being.”

Daniel blinks, slowly taking in that new information before he wraps his arms around his father. The man then turns completely intangible and, now occupying the same level of reality, the two can finally touch. 

Daniel begins crying and clings to him, whispering, “Father.”

Vlad ruffles his hair and cradles the boy’s head close to him, barely believing that this is finally possible. “I am so sorry, son. I am sorry I couldn’t see you before. But you are real.” He whispers in return with equally as much hope in his voice. “I promise you are real. I wish I deserved your love but I will strive to be worthy of your affection, my boy. I won’t make the same mistake again. I promise.” 

He steps back, putting his intangible hands on Daniel’s face. 

Daniel smiles at him through the tears and nods. “I… I love you so much. And...I forgive you, Father.” 

His smile falls as Vlad pulls away, wishing this moment between them could last longer and sad it had to end so soon. Luckily, Vlad understands this and promises. “Don’t worry son. We’ll find a way for you to manifest fully and then we can embrace any time you wish.” 

Daniel tilts his head questioningly and Vlad clarifies. “Your core needs to be stimulated more from now on to strengthen it and help it mature. Once it is strong enough, you will be able to form a tangible ghost form.” The man tapes his chin. “That said, we’ll still need to integrate some technology to hold your code too since that is also an integral part of you.”

“So he’s basically a ghost cyborg?” Danny finally added. “Kinda like Skulker?”

“I suppose that is an accurate assessment.” Vlad added. “Or it would be if Skulker wasn’t merely a blob ghost himself in a robotic battle suit. If anything, Daniel has more in common with Technus given their ability to manipulate technology to some degree which is how I assume he was able to make contact with you several months ago...”

After things settle down, the older half-ghost and his new son talk for a while more, many overdue hugs are given, and plans are made to help Daniel become a true part of Vlad’s family. Danny watches, greatly surprised at the exchange but also wary. It looks like Vlad wants to make up for what he’s done to Daniel, but the man has still committed many terrible crimes so Danny isn’t convinced he was worthy of getting a happy ending just yet. 

Vlad has hurt a lot more people than just Daniel. He’s done a lot of horrible things to Danny himself, his parents, and mistreated Danielle and the other clones which his friend only knows so much about but that’s sure to come back to bite Vlad in the butt later. Either way, Vlad still has a long way to go, but...after seeing his determination to make amends to Daniel Danny hopes this means his archenemy is finally turning over a new leaf.

[lucifer-is-a-bag-of-dicks]

fuck I still haven't done the rewrite of the Mutant Town AU that I specifically came off hiatus to write, like the Plant Witch Sam and Pharaoh Tucker posts were written to prep this au and I just got wildly distracted so uhhhh

yeah the concept is in the link but the gist is that the people and town becoming mutated by constant ectoplasmic contamination, we all know and love this concept right but I'm gonna expand on it

this is a direct result of the portal being opened, but they aren't getting infected from the portal, the issue is that creating a permanent opening into the ghost zone has weakened the veil between their worlds and Amity Park and the Ghost Zone sort of slip in and out of each other constantly

and because ectoplasm responds strongly to emotions (poltergeists being made from atmospheric emotions for example) it all tends to converge very heavily at the school full of hormonal teenagers

so Casper High becomes its own god damn cryptid, the teachers get so jaded about opening the door to a classroom and finding just a whole ass ghost zone on the other side that they just put a sign on the door telling kids to go to a different room, lockers swap contents with other lockers so kids have started putting their names on the inside so they know who's stuff they've just found

this also means the kids get super affected, like super affected, literally, they all get ghost powers, some are just physical mutations, some are just super abilities, or a general increase in natural ability, like a member of the track team getting super speed

it takes a while for Danny and co. to figure this out, Sam and Tucker should have been warning signs as they've spent the most time around ghosts and the ghost zone, but that's why the Witch Sam and Pharaoh Tucker posts are important

they have powers, but they thought they came exclusively from outside sources, they had no idea that their abilities were also strengthened and influenced by being highly contaminated by ectoplasm, which is why when one day Mikey sneezes and green acid shoots out of his nose and melts his desk, everyone is a little bit startled

the teachers have long since started using ghost detectors after the time Paulina spent a whole week overshadowed by Kitty, so Mikey gets a check over and other than the usual atmospheric reading Lancer gets nothing especially strong from him

there have been concerns about the gradually increasing ectoplasmic content in the air messing with ghost detector results, the devices have to be recalibrated constantly, so Lancer asks the one and only son of the local ghost hunters in the room if he has some other way to check

Danny's parents make him keep a few protective items in his schoolbag, so he tries some gear on him to see if anything comes flying out, but nothing does, Danny isn't too surprised seeing as he couldn't sense a ghost in the room anyway, but it definitely makes things a little concerning

even if it were a repeat of the Spectra incident and he wasn't being overshadowed, the Fenton's tech would have still gotten rid of whatever was causing this if it were an external influence

Mikey is sent home for the day and his parents are told to keep an eye on him

and then the next week, Star drops a pen off her desk and a strand of her hair whips out to grab it, she's also checked for ghost influence and sent home

a few weeks after that it happens again, a kid on the basketball team makes a leap to the net and stays in the air, they have to call in the cheerleaders to climb on top of each other to reach him and pull him down

Danny has been trying to figure out what's happening from the first moment with Mikey, and his parents have also been getting calls from worried parents who want to know if they can fix whatever's happening to their kids

over the next couple of months, every kid in the school has some kind of ability or mutation, Dash heals whoever he touches, which he discovers after punching Nathan in the face and curing his acne, Paulina turns invisible, which freaks her out at first until she realises it's great for eavesdropping, Wes can conjure fire (because I desperately needed him to have a polarising ability to Danny), Kwan becomes empathic and can feel and influence people's emotions

Valerie also had an early mutation that she didn't know about, when Technus gave her a new suit, her body pretty much just absorbed it as a part of her, Technus had not intended this to happen, and was pretty peeved about it, Valerie found out that she had stolen control over the suit when Technus had a big rant about it during a fight, and she put the pieces together once other kids started developing abilities

this whole thing causes a ton of chaos as kids are struggling to control what they can do, so Danny has to step in and help them out, he often has to run off to change into Phantom in order to protect everyone from an ability that's gone haywire, he ends up pretty much running ghost power training courses after school to help them control themselves

he's also gotten stuck in situations where he's had to step in and help someone without having the time to change forms, meaning he has to make up a cover story about having developed his own powers way before everyone else since he's been living on top of a portal for years, he only tells people about his ice powers

Jazz has always had a tendency to be able to reign in her emotions and keep a cool head, (the only ones who can really push her buttons are Danny and sometimes her parents, at school around other kids who look up to her she's often very in control) meaning she doesn't draw ectoplasm to herself all that much, and though Danny uses the excuse of having lived on top of a ghost portal to explain why he's already so familiar with using his power, it's actually not even remotely true, because the Fentons use specialised air purifiers to keep the atmospheric ectoplasm at a manageable level, the Fenton house ironically has the least atmospheric contamination compared to the rest of the town, that's how Maddie and Jack have had limited mutation to themselves (though they aren't wholly free, they've mostly just gotten physically stronger and tougher)

so even though Jazz develops her power a little earlier than everyone else's, it's not that far ahead, and she actually doesn't even realise she already has one until half the school has developed theirs

Jazz has the power to slow time in a little bubble around herself, she'd been using it without realising while studying, having gotten through hours of work in half that time, she always thought it was just her losing track of time or she was just getting faster at reading, she also spends a lot of time counselling other students and trying to help them sort out their problems, and they'd often comment that they felt like they'd been talking for so much longer than they had, again she just chalked it up to losing track of time

a lot of students had wondered why Danny developed a power early and Jazz hadn't, until someone walked in on Jazz helping a girl through a panic attack in the bathroom, and found them both talking extremely fast, a lot of her friends realised in hindsight that she'd been doing that unwittingly for quite a while, nobody had noticed because she always talked to people privately, so nobody outside her little time bubble had seen it happen

Sam and Tucker come clean about their abilities too, but they also don't give the full rundown, still keeping some things close to the chest to avoid standing out from everyone else

then there's the teachers

adults typically have a better time regulating emotions than teenagers, meaning much like Jazz they aren't drawing as much ectoplasm toward themselves, but this doesn't exempt them from developing something after a while, especially with the heightened stress of managing a school full of volatile super kids

Mr Lancer discovers that he can create shields, after an incident where he jumps in front of some students to protect them from another power gone awry

Tetslaff ends up with a sonic ability, able to project her voice like a megaphone (yes this is a Coach Boomer from Sky High reference don't @ me), Principal Ishiyama develops a physical mutation, growing to twice her size, she likes that she can tower over the students while delivering speeches, but she doesn't like having to stoop through doors all the time, she has the one to her office resized, along with her chair and desk

so as you can imagine, the town ends up erupting into chaos, a lot of kids very much misuse their abilities, Danny does his best as Phantom to teach people to be responsible, but sometimes he has to resort to literally kicking their asses to get them to straighten up

but for the most part, a ton of kids were already looking up to him, and are generally pretty happy to follow his example, especially the more popular kids, it's generally considered not very cool to get your ass kicked by Phantom, so weirdly enough a lot of kids get peer pressured into not causing any real damage or injury with their powers

this doesn't mean they don't absolutely misuse them, they're just more subtle about it

until a ghost shows up, a lot of the kids are more than happy to let loose to protect themselves and their friends, and Phantom for the most part is happy to let them, with some supervision of course, he still has to make sure nobody gets too hurt (including the ghosts)

the entire debacle makes Danny's life simultaneously a whole lot easier AND so much more fucking stressful