Danny's Story

Shifting Ampprehensions

His mother’s eyes never left his own, his jaw agape with shock and unbidden terror. She was so close to the truth and this had him frozen in his seat, would he ever be able to tell her now? When she had this notion? Her violet eyes softened, lips pulling back into a motherly smile. Her hand reached across the table and rested, comfortingly over his shoulder, but the teen couldn’t help but flinch away.

Would she catch him someday?

“Danny, its okay, he won’t harm you. He’s just obsessed with you.” As if that was reassuring in any way, though, he supposed it was, since he was Phantom and just for that more than one ghost was obsessed with him. Had hurt him too, so, once again, mom was wrong. The calculating look never left her eyes, and suddenly Danny wished Sam and Tucker were there with him. Sam, who would counter and protect, Tucker, with his not so witty jokes and cold, stony facts that would calm him down.

But they weren’t there, and this scared him to admit, but he needed her, he needed them. He was a bloody fool for trying to attempt to handle this on his own, watching his mother as she pulled out the facts.

It was.....frightening just how much attention his Mom had been paying to his other half. How she has captured his voice, his ghostly wail into some sort of device, and separated the cool, chills and undertones from his voice, undertones he hadn’t known existed. Had Sam and Tucker noticed, if so, why didn’t they tell him? But he listened, how she had pulled apart the wails layer by layer, how the Phantom, the so-called Hero Of Amity Park had mimicked emotions into his cries and voice. Had mimicked his voice and it gave wracking chills, his Mother was convinced they were two separate entities.

What did that spell for him if he ever chose to reveal himself, like he had originally wanted sometime soon?

But silent still, he listened, listened as his Mother, the Scientist went over it all. His build, the height, even the Hazmat suit. How she had figured out it belonged to them after so long of it being a part of him, Danny didn’t know. But she theorized that he had changed it for more inverted colors of the suit he’d taken.

Maddie believed it was to become closer to being who Danny was, but why he was obsessed with him, that was what caused his mother to frown, thoughtful in her face.

“Phantom.” The word was like acid, dripping from her tongue. “Is not the Hero everyone believes he is, so stay away from him Danny. if you see him, run, and don’t you dare look back. He won’t....hurt you, but he may very well try to possess you.” Overshadow she meant, but then again, it was the scientist that was before him. Not his Mother. “So, be careful.” But her eyes gleamed, and Danny was frightened, a cool, cold sweat building in his shirt, making the article of clothing cling to his back desperately.

“Yes Ma’m.”

Play along, just like always.

Soon, he was up in his room, and though he wasn’t far from her, Danny felt safe. But he also felt true, bone chilling fear, its claws sharper, colder than the bitter winds of Frostbite’s land. Colder than even when the power had first sunken in, and Danny had nearly frozen to death. Or....to another half death? Mom’s words rung in his head, and confusion wrought its claim into the fragile tracks in his mind’s landscape, churning reality and what was wrong and right and spitting back a mess.

Shaking his head, he changed, glimpsing himself in the mirror and he winced. 

He would need to find a way to cover those scars, because if he didn’t tell them, they would give it away in a glance. Bubbling wounds and scabs of crusty, rusted red and moss green.

It almost made him sick, but he did well, and kept his dinner down, changing into the cottony, lavender pyjamas. The bed was warm, and soft, and welcoming. Yet sleep did not come, thoughts all thrown into a pot so they could simmer or boil to char and ash. If that was even possible? Sleep eventually did claim him, but it gave him no rest, taunted, mocked from afar with imperial, purple painted lips, and byzantium irises that sparkled and danced. The dream was warm, and soft, and sweet. It was like something sweet, freshly baked.

But then that changed, to pretty azure eyes and long, wavy hair of fine, black silk. it made him squirm, and he cringed at ghosting touches of fragile, dainty fingers, all too aware of the fingerprints that catch and pull at his skin.

Morning came, and the alarm blared long and loud.

His hand crashed down, and Danny muttered unintelligible words that were riddled with soft, warm feelings, and catchy, breakable fingers. Stretching, he changes, faded blue jeans that rustled over skin, and a white and red t-shirt that rested comfortably with him, soft sounds of fabric against fabric. His door opened, and Danny froze, his shirt half way on, before tugging it down sharply as the door had ever so slowly creaked open. Bright, red orange hair swayed, coupled with pretty, sparkling bondi blue eyes. 

“Come on, breakfast is downstairs.”

But fear, fear was glowing in her eyes. Jazz was never afraid, only when she saw Vlad, saw Dan, she had been scared. But she had also risen, and promptly rose up like the older sister she was, cold, just like mother, but fierce and loyal to his secret. Just like an older sibling should.

“Jazz? Whats wrong?”

She looked at him, black, silky shirt brushing against itself. “Theres going to be a family meeting, after school. About you.” About him....or Him? Danny swallowed. “About....me...?” She nodded, lips pursed. “About the other me, right Jazz?” He grinned, a cocky grin showing off his teeth. She shook her head, and dragged him down the stairs. Their parents were gone, but pancakes were set out, with a glass of orange juice and sides of sausage and bacon. Strange....Mom never cooked breakfast. When Jazz had said breakfast, he had thought it was the normal bowl of cereal and glass of milk.

“I....went ahead and cooked breakfast for you. You’re going to need your energy, since you’re growing and all.” Lies, nothing but lies and they both knew it. But, Danny nodded anyway, slowly taking, both food and emotion, all into his body, a little bit of the latter. Stored away, bit by bit, and Jazz, she knew.

But, she also didn’t care.

They left moments later, walking down the sidewalk, the tap and thud of shoes meeting concrete echoing over the rush of cars and the cranks of the bus that passed them by. 

It would be the last normal, if you could call that normal, morning for some time to come.

If only he’d known....