The Field Trip and a Secret Identity

Chapter 13

The thoughts to a monster
Two weeks before the trip

Dan floated a foot above the floor to the room behind the door. Ever so gently, he hummed a song Maddie had sung to him when he had been young and human still.

She would sing it to him when the two of them, or her and Danny, would go on mother son trips to the woods when he was four and until he was ten. They would stargaze right before going to the tents to rest. She would sing it to relax him for his childish excitement.

Twinkle, twinkle little star,

It was one of the few, if not only, thing keeping him from losing the last remnant of sanity, the last sting holding him up, letting him grow stronger each passing day. The moment he loses his mind, is the moment everyone in his way has perish by his hand. Only then would he allow himself to let go of his past. Only then will he no longer need to gain more power.

How I wonder what you are.

She would tuck him, Danny, in tight, and as he closed his eyes, Maddie would lean down and kiss his forehead, and as his last bit of energy slipped away she'd whisper, "Goodnight, my little star."

Up above the world so high,

The more Dan thought of it, the more he realized it was those trips that made the young child want to be an astronaut. The thought of freedom, exploration, and discovery of the unknown... it seemed like such a far fetched dream, but it made it all the more desirable.

Like a diamond in the sky.

Sometimes Dan had to wonder what would have happened if his younger counterpart hadn't been in the accident. Perhaps Danny would have really become an astronaut. Dan might have never existed. Danny could have lived his life worlds away from Earth.

Twinkle, twinkle little star,

Dan was almost hesitant to admit to himself, that he missed being his young self. Being Danny, there was the permanent feeling of happiness that even the accident couldn't take away. It was quite puzzling, and another obstacle that kept Danny from becoming him.

How I wonder what you are.

Once everyone is out of his way, only then will he be able to go to the stars. His obsession would be over, allowing him to fade. His goal was never to kill all in his path. He just needed those that ever tough he couldn't do it gone, because really, he just wanted to be an astronaut.

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The day before the trip

Dan had been in most of his existence, living in the past, even if was only this monster of a ghost in the future. Every good memory he ever had as the once innocent little Danny, was no more than fuel. It's his reason to hate what he never got. It was his reason to get stronger.

Strength is power, and power is control. Control leds back to strength, and so on. Dan should know. He had to truly chanelle his strength in order to escape the thermos.

The blue ghost had to chuckle at how he escaped the small, cylindrical, soup container. It was so simple. When his younger counterpart stopped him and Clockwork saved those in the Nasty Burger, Dan disappeared from the timeline. Or at least the occurring one, which meant Clockwork would not be able to interfere directly. He already messed with it the first time. So sure he could give a hint or two to young Daniel, but doing it again would turn the Observants against him. So without Clockwork watching his entire afterlife, all he had to do was listen for when he was distracted and escape.

Simple.

Now he just to move to the next phase of the plan: kill everyone he ever cared for and they loved in return. Now to the normal reader, they might think oh come on when does the bad guy ever win? Well normal reader, in cased you haven't noticed, this isn't a normal book. There is also a small detail everyone seems to overlook. No matter what is said about Dan, he was a good guy once.

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The day of the Fade of the twice late Pariah Dark

"So tell me Fright Knight, are you loyal to me?"

It was only perhaps an hour earlier that the once great king was left for fade in the shadow of Dan's throne. Dan found it quite funny in fact. Pariah was but a shadow of a king. Dan may have never been one for quick puns like his young counterpart, but it didn't mean he had no humor at all.

"Is that a no?" The blue ghost's hair flamed higher. The white flames grew to the height of the roof of the room. His blood red eyes glowed for what he thirsted. His hand remained wrapped tight around the neck of the armoured ghost in front of him. While they once again still didn't need to breath, not only was it habit, but painful as well.

"No! No! I-I mean yes! I-i am loyal!" It usually took so much when it came to scaring the Halloween ghost, but Dan passed all expectations.

Dan smirked, squeezing the ghost's neck tighter. "Tell me, who are you too?"  He wanted to hear his name.

"Until the day I fade, I will forever be loyal to my king, Phantom," The Fright Knight was hardly able to get the sentence out, his voice nearly a whisper with his vocal cords being crushed. He was dropped to the floor, and even if still in pain around his neck, stood to attention.

"That's what I like to hear."

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The third day of the trip; 1:13 AM

"You know, Frighty, these field trip of Danny's, including today, we have five more days to eliminate my counterpart, my old family, and one friends. They're practically sheep for the killing right now, just sitting ducks to be killed by a fox in his domain."

"Should we attack now? When they are most likely resting?"

Dan's eyes looked off to a corner of the room. Why? The Fright Knight would never know. Maybe his mind was back in his time, remembering when he ruled that world as well.

"No."

It took a second for the Halloween ghost to comprehend what his new master had said. There were many things he already disagreed with. His plan being the main problem.

"But my kin-"

"You heard me. No. We will wait for my cue. I want to see them awake, screaming, aware of everything I'm doing to them. Every broken bones, shot leg, suffocating throats. I want them to squirm in my hands. Why let them off easy this time? A simple burger joint explosion is too merciful."

The Fright Knight wanted to argue, to fight. No one deserves the fate of death. He has sent people to face their worst nightmares, and he will be the first to admit that killing was cruel. All ghosts knew, to die is not only painful, but a curse. To come to a painful existence without living a life at all, but still having to serve an unknown cause for entertainment, just as painful. Then to live on in their state, with almost no way to escape, a fate that should be put upon no one. Many ghosts try to avoid killing if possible, and try hard to make it painless. Yet as much as he disagreed, he could not fight his king.

All he could say was, "As you command, King Phantom."
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So. Not a lick of Danny as the gang in this chapter. All about Dan here. Just a bit on how h escaped, backstory for the both of Danny and Dan. And if you look closely, a loophole. >: )

SO LONG MY CHICKEN ARMY,
YOUR LEADER,

-Bella