👻 Danny Phantom 👻 Trip into the Ghost Zone [HIATUS]

Pity

    "So..."

    Danny sighed and dropped his head into his hands, rubbing at his eyes.

    "What Dash?" He groaned. Couldn't he just have one peaceful carriage ride? 

    "You're... Danny Fenton?" Dash's voice quivered slightly.

    Danny sighed again, responding by transforming into the other in question. Gasps sounded around the room as blue eyes met their own. The initial shock was expected, Sam's shock was not.

    "Danny..." She whispered. Her fingers danced over the wounded shoulder. The skin was completely healed, only leaving a round scar in its place. The poison though, had only worsened. Veins that had once sat still and grey, had begun to pulse an almost black-purple; a result of changing to Fenton.

    The boy's shoulder flinched away from the touch. "I'm fine, Sammie." Was all he said, the rings appearing to bring him back to his ghostly half.  They flickered once, but then continued to smoothly envelopes Danny's body. The discolored veins faded back to an unmoving grey. The teen pursed her lips.

    "That, is the biggest lie you've ever told." Tucker rolled his eyes. Leave it to the geek to lighten the darkest moods.

    "Wow, Tuck, don't expose me like that." Danny chuckled softly, the first genuine smile anyone had seen from him in days. Another awkward silence followed. 

    "Mr.Fenton," Lancer started softly.

    "It's still Danny, Mr.Lancer. Fenton or Phantom." The boy smiled politely at the title.

    "Right, yes, well," the teacher stuttered, "I meant to ask, well, how did you get..." he gestured curtly to his chest.

    "The scars? Which one?" Not even this ill situation could kill the sarcasm in the halfa.

    "You know which one." His smile immediately fell.

    "Long story." Darkening eyes burned with rage. With a huff, Danny pushed himself up and across the carriage to where a small cabinet sat mounted above the locked door. He rummaged around in if for a while, before ultimately pulling out a thin leather jacket, black with two white bands circling the bicep area. There was no mistaking the silent protest when pulled the jacket on, resulting in the covering of his scars and angelic form.

    "We seem to have the time." Maddie growled, her first words in hours. Danny looked at her for a moment with an unreadable expression, zipped up the jacket, and dropped heavily back into his seat.

    "If you really want to hear all the crap I've been through, I will not deny you the privilege." Her son spoke in an equally threatening tone. His mother crossed her arms expectantly. Tucker, Sam, and Jazz, raised their eyebrows at his willingness. Danny didn't speak of his time in the facility to anyone. This would be the first time his tale was told.

    "Eight months ago, I was abducted by a government facility called the GIW. They did not, and will not, know about my 'unique circumstances'," He warned with a deadly look. "Thinking they caught the ghost menace that terrorized the town, they took me back to their headquarters," Danny stopped and drew in a shaky breath. "I woke up in a cell," his hands began to shake, "and I sat alone for hours." He squeezed his eyes shut. "Eventually, the agents came back and took me to a lab."

    He look in a long breath, trying to calm himself.

    "They performed test after test and tested weapon after weapon, until they decided that my data wasn't enough. Until they dragged me out and strapped me down, and," his eyes snapped open, blazing green, and his voice dropped. "Cut. Me. Open." Danny's entire body shook when he traced the memory across his body. 

    "For seventeen days. Seventeen days I was beaten and tortured." He continued. "For seventeen days no one noticed I was gone." A single tear fell from his eye. "Before I was rescued. By a ghost. 'Cause apparently, we have a bigger heart than you lot."

    No one dared speak. Many sat frozen in terror at what had just been recalled. 

    "I'm, so so sorry Danny." Mikey whimpered.

    "Don't. I don't want your pity, I don't deserve it." He growled. Eyes widened in shock.

    "What do you mean? Of course yo-"

    "No, Mikey. I deserve everything that happened. I've failed. As a hero. As a king. Even as a teenage boy. People have died on my watch, and even those who are already dead will suffer because of me. I can't even keep myself alive! The only little piece of me that's alive is now dying. Slowly fading away. When it's gone, I'll be dead. Completely and totally dead."

    "My skin will be cold, my heart won't beat. My lungs won't fill with air, and I'll never need to eat. Everything that defines life, I will never feel again." A long sigh escaped his lips. "And even in the afterlife, I'll still fail t-" Danny stoped mid outburst. His eyes were wide and his muscles stiff.

    Abruptly, the white haired teen squared his shoulders and sat back against his seat, his eyes emotionless. The surrounding passengers watched intently. 

    "Danny...?" Sam put a hand over his arm. "Are you... alright?" The boy didn't flinch, didn't react.

    No one spoke for several long minutes. The sway of the carriage was the only movement. Not a single soul dared to looks away from the frozen ghost.

    A small flinch, the twitch of an eye, and the walls came crumbling away. His eyebrows furrowed repeatedly and a shiver ran down his spine. His facial expressions jumped around, but the young king's eyes stayed glazed over. It was as if he was... listening to something. Or someone.

    "Stop," Danny pleaded pitifully, beginning to tremble. His eyes squeezed shut, a tight shield before his glowing eyes. Everyone was taken slightly aback. Who was he talking to?

    After a few more moments, the neon orbs snapped open. Frantic eyes glanced around in panic, only stopping when they met violet.

    "Danny..." Sam whispered. She'd never seen such fear in someone. Nothing could compare to the utter terror and doubt she witnessed. Her painted black nails, moved up the arm she still gripped, to brush a tear from her love's cheek.

    At the warm touch, Danny returned to what was real. He was ok. It wasn't real. It didn't happen. He's still with his class. He's still with her.

    "Just... let's get to the Far Frozen."

*^Really short chapter. Word count 1066. Yikes. Bye penguins!^*