Vlad is a creep but who can Maddie vent to about him? Jack adores him, Danny hardly talks to her anymore, Jazz takes a clinical, psychological approach. It’s only when Maddie growls her frustrations while in the middle of trying to shoot down Phantom that she unexpectedly finds a good listener and a gossip buddy who shares her distaste.
Maddie, softly, trying to hit Danny: I wish I could dodge Vlad like that.
Danny, stopping with fighting, perking up at the chance of talking shit about Vlad: Oh spilling some tea. Please continue.
“What?” Maddie hesitated, the end of her ecto-blaster falling out of precise aim. First off - had he just heard her grumble under her breath from two streetlights over? and secondly - was he really going to forget their strife because of one offhand comment she made about someone she knew from college? She kept her eyes on the phantom anyway, although she was caught more off-guard than she’d later admit.
The phantom floated lower, mostly so that he didn’t have to throw his voice quite as far to be heard. "Thought we were gonna talk shit about Vlad? I’m down if you are.“
“Now hold on a second!” Maddie aimed her blaster again, although if she was honest with herself her heart wasn’t really in it. "Do you - how would you know Vlad, anyway?“
The little ghost perched on the streetlamp over Maddie’s head, still hesitant to get too close on the chance she may change her mind and attack him again. At his touch, the lamp went dark. "Well - it’s kind of a long story, I guess - what about you, though?” he paused, about to say how did you even survive college with him, anyway? but catching himself at the last moment. After a brief consideration, he added, “You hate his guts, don’t you?”
Despite herself, Maddie uncoiled all at once. "You have no idea,“ she groused, discarding the ecto-blaster entirely, “He’s just so insufferable and - I mean I always knew he was a disgusting little weasel but - what’s wrong with him, anyway?”
“Ooh, I’m just gonna say lots of things,” said the ghost, abandoning his caution and drifting down off the lamp to a more comfortable cross-legged hover in the air. "He named his cat after you, y'know.“
“He has a cat?”
“Yeah. Big ole cranky white one. He monologues to it about how he wants to destroy D - ah, destroy Jack forever. I timed him once at almost an hour.”
“You timed him,” said Maddie flatly.
The little spirit nodded. "Yeah, but not the point. Point is he’s like, he’s an entire fruitloop. Just - completely off-the-rails crazy.“
“You should have seen him when we were in college!” Maddie snapped, not angry but working her disgust up now that she was finally able to gripe sufficiently, “We used to do science experiments in one of the disused chem labs - twice a week, and he’d try and ask me out every time! Heknew Jack and I were dating - we’d been together for a year already!”
The phantom cringed. He had, in fact, seen them when they were in college, and it was something that he would have liked to forget if he were able. "Oh, that’s a yikes - still not the worst thing I’ve ever seen, though.“
Maddie hesitated, not entirely sure she wanted to ask. "Not the worst?”
“Nope,” said the ghost, with a shake of the head. "He hides all the super obsessive shit in his basement, y'know. He wrote software for a hologram of you - got your voice in it and everything.“
“Hewhat?”
“You didn’t hear that from me,” said the spirit quickly, as if he could have taken any blame for it simply by relaying the information, “It’s real, though - I’ve seen it, and it’s exactly as bad as you think it is.”
For an unbearable moment, Maddie was silent. Her face, obscured by the hood and goggles of her jumpsuit, was unreadable, but when she opened her mouth again her disbelief was clear. "I can’t believe it - he’s gone and made a - god, why don’t I just strangle that no-good little - !“ she stood for a moment under the streetlamp, fuming and at an actual loss for words, and then she turned back to the little ghost floating before her. "I have to get even. That’s the only way. I’m going to get him back, and you’re going to help me.”
-the first time they go to Vlad’s mansion vlad isnt home so the decide to just scout around. Phantom is very excited to show her around Vlad’s lab and display all the horrifying things he does. It turns out Vlad is much more invested in ghosts and her than she previously thought.
-durring their exploration of the lab Maddie finds a broken cryogenic like chamber. Phantom seems very weary and quickly ushers her away from it.
-as time goes on Phantom and her continue their tea time on Vlad. One day Phantom’s cousin shows up. It’s stupid to deny their relation with how similar they look however Maddie wonders if Phantom has drawn that conclusion of their relation from his memory of his life or from their appearance. After all most ghosts memories become warped after death and it’s possible theres more than meets the eye
-Danielle also has shade to throw although less than Phantom.(Since shes out of town more and doesnt know everything the man is up to) She jokingly mentions that shes been avoiding town because of him. Except ghosts never do anything ‘just because’ so dispite the creatures light tone, Maddie makes a mental note of it.
- As she hangs out more with the two ghosts she catchs a quick slip of the tounge. The ghost girl is in a heated rage of ranting that night and the two haven’t seen Maddie arrive yet. “it was always ‘Daddy needs morph DNA!’, and ‘be a good girl Danielle!’, ‘try harder, be better!’ I did everything he asked and I STILL wasnt good enough for him! And I know, I KNOW I shouldn’t care but, AGGH!! I just cant help it!” The girls rant is far from over, but the word ‘Daddy’ is what strikes a needle into her core
-She invites Vlad over a couple days later, watching him move with cold eyes. Hes ecstatic, praddling on about everything under the living sun when Danny walks him. A obvious glare and triumphant smirk are thrown between the two but Danny is a moody teenager who had grown more possessive of his privacy and his things since high school started. He was probably upset someone was in “his” house without being consulted. Maddie uses the interaction to steer Vlad towards the conversation topic she wants. A topic around the possibility that vlad has had or has wanted kids before. The man laughs and deflects the question stating no one has caught his eye since her-the perfect mother. Why would he want to start a family without a wife?And besides he thinks of Jasmine and Daniel like his own kids so it really doesnt matter. The entire exchange does not sit well with Maddie.
-She does her best to look into Vlad more than before; possible scandals, ghost encounters, anything that will solidify or dissolve her current working theory.
-When snooping through Vlad’s mansion with phantom a second time she finds what shes after. It’s a carefully hidden door near the corner of the lab that opens up to a bedroom obviously designed for a child. It’s full of old boxes vlad has stored, piled high with papers of formulas ripped to shreds. Vlad obviously had some kind of fit when throwing them in here. A crumpled picture of a 12 year old girl with dark hair catches her eye and no matter how much she smooths or turns it she cant deny who it looks like.
Phantom follows her into the room before almost immediately stepping out to vomit. Maddie wasnt aware Phantom COULD vomit. It’s not acid or radioactive or anything else. It holds no use to him to be able to vomit but it there it is. She tries to get a sample before they hear Vlad returning and have to get out. “That was going to be his room” she hears phantom whisper as he carries her out. She doesnt ask who phantom is talking about. The ghost seems to be in a state of frozen shock and appear unable to converse with her properly. He stiffly brings her home.
-And that’s when she knows. She knows when she stares at Danielle saying goodbye. She knows when she stares at Phantom hugging her. She knows when she stares at them side by side. Knows because that room was designed for a child. Knows because of Phantoms negative reaction. Knows because that tube was hooked to so much electricity. Knows because they’re dead.
Vlad Masters killed his children
-She doesnt know how or why yet but shes fairly positive that dear old ‘Daddy’ had done something to Dani that sparked a rebuttal from older brother Phantom. Starved her, hit her, used her as a runner for drugs (you dont go from a nobody to being a multibillionaire that fast through honest work. Especially when youre Vlad Masters.) But whatever it was she had died. Knowing phantom, a fight probably broke out in the lab. Phantom would have gotten smashed into the chamber and been electrocuted to death. That room was his. Phantom had distant himself his life so far he had created a new person in his mind to be Vlad’s son. “His room” phantom had said. He had forgotten who he was. He was running from his past
-It made sense. Oh it made perfect sense. Phantoms knowledge on ghost hunting gear. His protective obsession. His support of Danille’s travels away from the town. He constant glee of complaining about Vlad and exposing her to all the awful things Vlad does. He was warning her. Dear ectoplasm he was warning her
-They take the fight to Vlad soon after that. Vlad is furious as they dart around him. She isnt surprised. He calls to her, trying to get in her brain. Tries to get her to doubt herself. After all shes siding with a GHOST. They never tell the truth Madelyn, you know this. They manipulate their victims to get what they want. Dont be played for a fool my dear.
“Shut up!” She shouts blasting an ecto gun at him “I’m not the one who killed their own children!”
Everyone freezes and both boys are looking at her shocked. “Excuse me?“Vlad finally responds with an ice cold tone “IM the one who killed my child?”
“I know. I know about Danielle, you freak. I know you used her. I know you killed her. And I know that when this one” she gestures towards Phantom “came to save her you killed him too. Probably shoved him into that chamber and electrocuted him to death.”
They all stand frozen glaring at each other before phantom breaks the tension “That’s an impressive deduction.”
“Quiet boy.“Vlad snarls grabbing the boy’s foot and throwing him onto the ground so hard the floor breaks. “I will not have her thinking I’m a murder. Remember that if I go down, so do you.”
“I’ll take my chances ” phantom gasps clutching his ribcage as though its broken. Its not. Hes a ghost, they dont have ribs but this is very close to his past so he may be experiencing the temporary enhancement of his mortality. Making him think hes human again even though hes not.
“Madelyn. My love. You are terribly mistaken. I haven’t killed anyone. THAT THING is the murder who ruined, who Killed my son” for a moment Maddie falters because phantom had said “his room” and then she thinks about Danielle.
Danielle who insists on being called “Dani” like her cool older ‘cousin’. Danielle who looks identical to the picture she found. Danielle who calls Vlad “Daddy.” She looks at Phantom and she knows her answer. Because He has electric powers yet refuses to use them, avoids the bedroom like the pluage and has a protective obsession.
She raises her blaster knowing it will only stun him since he’s human.
“I dont believe you.”
And then, she shoots.
—–
Hey guys! So this was my interpretation of how the whole thing could go down. Just so I’m clear here, Maddie is wrong with her theory although she does get pretty close with the clues given to her. In this fanfiction Danielle and Phantom are both talking about and reacting to things that happened in the episode ‘Kindered Spirits.’
Danny saw the 'perfect’ clone disintegrate before his eyes at the time he had been relieved but as more has gone on the whole idea that he killed something gets to him. The bedroom was ment to be the 'perfect ’ Clone’s room and everything in the room is vlads notes because he gives up on the experiment. Danielle’s picture is in the room because Vlad had been documenting his progress when she emerged he took her picture as evidence he was getting closer. When she escaped is ’d-stanalized’ her crumpled up her photo and tossed it in the room along with everything else.
Also at the end of the story I dont think the blaster will kill Vlad. It will probably short out his powers for a couple days or severly hurt him. I think after this phantom and maddie will go to the police but who knows what side they will take.
It’s as Maddie is calming down that she thinks about these two children.
Even with their deaths having stopped their biological clocks, they were young. But she also hadn’t seen Vlad himself for roughly 20 years. What she would give for another 20, if she was being completely honest with herself… still, back to the point at hand, that meant Phantom, the clearly older of the two, was at most 20.
But with how recent that room had looked… probably younger than that.
She knew he couldn’t have been alive when Vlad met her again—Phantom was there before then, running around Amity… why Amity Park…?
Maddie thought about it. On a hunch, she dug through some building records. And it proved true—Vlad had been building his Amity Park mansion for a couple of years, even before their meetup. So, clearly he was anticipating it… and so his kids must’ve been right under her nose until…
Maddie wondered about what spurred that meeting in particular. Sure, a reunion… but was that really it?? She and Jack had gotten specific invitations to his castle. Why there, and not closer to the home in the Amity mansion??
… Because Phantom would have intervened there, most likely.
Because Phantom was dead before that—
Whatever Phantom was supposed to be to Vlad, him and the girl Dani… he was dead. Just before meeting her.
He reunited with the Fentons because his own kids had, quote unquote, failed him. To be more accurate, he had failed his kids.
… he didn’t even LIKE kids.
‘Jazz and Danny are like my own’ he’d say.
If Danny was sixteen now, and this all started when he was fourteen, and Phantom seemed about his age—and didn’t that hurt?—then Phantom was sixteen at death, probably, maybe fifteen, and Dani was… Fourteen? She seemed younger than that. Thirteen or twelve.
… that REALLY made them the same ages. Or, more accurately… a year younger.
Dani, the girl, was a year younger than her Danny, it seemed.
And Phantom was theoretically a year younger than Jazz.
Or perhaps, only nine months.
Oh, god.
Dani was Vlad’s Danny, and Phantom was Jazz… what would she bet, that Phantom’s actual name was something along the lines of Jazzon, or perhaps Jason, something to emulate the name of Maddie’s elder child??
As she thought about it more, she in turn thought of the only picture she had of either ghost when they were alive—the wrinkled photo of Dani, only JUST readable, but far too crinkled to give a totally accurate account of the girl. No photos of Phantom.
She also though of Vlad’s reactions to her kids.
Jazz… didn’t elicit much from the man. He was fairly normal, if not offput in the way Maddie recalled younger Vlad was towards children.
Danny, though. Danny disliked Vlad immensely. Jazz didn’t like Vlad either, but Danny… he…. distrusted him, didn’t like being near him, the whole nine yards.
If Dani and Phantom looked alike in death, they probably looked alike when alive.
And Danny… looked a lot like how a human Phantom might.
Maddie means less their faces—although that was similar, but a lot of teens looked alike and… it wouldn’t surprise her if Phantom had imprinted a face that wasn’t originally his own, if he was so determined to distance himself from his life—she more means their potential, well, coloration.
Dani had blue eyes and dark hair, although shades and tones were lost amongst the crinkles. Phantom, then, likely also inherited the same from Vlad—the only parent she knew of—and so, her image of slate black hair and gray-blue eyes filled in.
And that… that looked a lot like Danny, with his baby blues and more feathery raven hair.
And if Maddie could find the similarities, then…
Vlad probably did too.
Danny was a good judge of character. Generally. And he rarely if ever judged without reason.
Which begged the question.
Was Vlad… going to attempt whatever he was attempting with his kids on Danny?
What did Vlad do to her baby boy.
Maddie was scared to know.
But now was not the time for fear, at least, not her own.
Now was the time to go to her son, and get answers.
Maddie stood in front off her son’s room. She was scared. Not scared of her son - no - she was scared of the answers she may get. The answers she may uncover about her husband’s “best friend”.
Maddie silently scofted at the idea. Jack and Vlad were never best friends. Vlad was only using Jack as a way to get to her. The idea that her family had any contact with that creep was revolting. It would take murder for Jack to see how bad Vlad really was - maybe she could use the Phantom children as a way to get to her dear husband.
Sucking in her nerves, Maddie knocked on the door. Two voices made an “eepp” noise - one being her son the other being a young girl. It wasn’t young Sam, she was “having some quality time” with her parents. Even Maddie knew that girl didn’t get a long with her …. less than savory parents. The Manson’s were great people but not great parents and should really respect Sam’s wants instead of their wants. It was why she was always rebelling against them.
Shaking those thoughts away, Maddie watched as her son’s soft black hair and baby blue eyes peered out of his room. It toke some much restraint for Maddie not to flinch at how much her son looked like a human Phantom.
“Hi, mom…what, um, do you want?” Maddie wanted to cry. Phantom and Danny, now that she thought about it, sounded so much a like (minus the echo effect from Phantom). She had to get her answers to protect her family.
“May I talk to you? Your friend can stay….” Maddie trailed off as her eyes rested on Dani. Her green eyes wide like a child that was caught stealing from the cookie jar - a look that Maddie knew very well when Danny was younger. It looked like Danny and Danielle were friends.
“I can explain mom!” Danny stated in panic with the flinch of a child who was caught with a dangerous secret. Seeing the panic on her baby poor made Maddie’s heart shatter. Was it because of Jack and her’s comments on how they would tear Phantom a part molecule by molecule? Before this, Maddie would have thrown Danny behind her body as to protect him from a ghost.
But this wasn’t just a ghost, this was the ghost of a child who was murdered by her father. It would be against her nature as a mother to shut out a hurt child - alive or not. Instead, Maddie walked over to Dani and hugged the girl tightly. Ghosts didn’t need to breath but….maybe the air the ghost girl sucked in was a muscle reflex from when she was alive.
“I am sorry. I am so sorry.” Maddie clung to Dani just a little more. She had to be strong for these children - her children, ghost or not.
“Mom?”
“Sorry Danny, I…some information about Phantom and Dani here have just come to my attention and….I need some questions answered.”
“Do you need Phantom?” Dani asked and Maddie shook her head. These were not answers that the ghost could provide. No these were questions that only her son could answer.
“Danny…I need to know…how much you know about Vlad’s children.” As expected, both of the children’s eyes widen. Dani started to shake and looked at the floor and Danny fidgeted with the hem of his shirt. The door had been shut but it didn’t mean that either child could flee.
“I…only know what Phantom and Dani told me. Sorry Mom.”
“Even if it is repeated information Danny, I need to know. Start from when you first became friends with Dani here.” Danny stiffened before nodding. He moved from fidgeting with his shirt to rubbing his arms. Slowly, Danny started talk,
“I became friends with Phantom a little after the first sighting of him. I…um…started supplying him with some of the inventions you and dad made…and telling him whenever you guys made something that could really hurt him and other ghosts.”
“Is that why our equipment targets you? Because you hang out with a ghost?” Danny jumped, eyes wide - like he hadn’t thought about the idea.
“Yeah - Yeah, that’s why. Um, anyway, Phantom once come to me - before we when to Vlad’s - and just wasn’t doing to good. He started to tell me about a man who he once called his father but he couldn’t do it anymore. His so called father was a monster even in the eyes of the dead.”
“It was only when I met Vlad and saw his laboratory that I realized who Phantom’s “father” was….” Danny’s voice trailed off and his eyes became hollow holes of sadness. Maddie’s heart shattered with the look on her son’s face. It was a look that no child should ever have on their face. Her sixteen year old child looked so much older than her. Maddie moved her son to his bed and motioned for Dani to sit down with them. Danny toke a deep breath and began again,
“That trip, I learned something that made Vlad worse than just an abusive father. Phantom was there and was trying to get rid of some of Vlad’s information. There…..there was DNA samples of me from me as a baby to then…Phantom told me he was a clone of me…one from the baby DNA. He died after a fight with Vlad.” Dani started crying, Maddie naturally wrapped her arm around the girl. On the outside she was calm but inside - she was more furious than before!
A clone of her son who died…from when Danny was a baby. Never had Maddie felt more sick at Vlad and herself then before. The signs were there! How much Danny and Phantom looked a like! How the two sounded! Even their mannerisms were the same or god’s sake! Jack and her were quintessentially threatening their son! Maddie wanted to vomit.
“I came a long a little after Phantom had died…I look a lot older than I really am…” Dani confessed and Maddie got even madder. If Dani have only been alive for a least two years….she was the equal to a toddler! She must be a clone of Danny’s fourteen year old DNA! As if Dani had been thinking the same thing as Maddie, Dani spoke again.
“I was created from Danny’s fourteen year old DNA and Phantom’s ectoplasm. I was a human who could use ghost powers….before I died too. Phantom told me you figured it out. I was….I was a mistake in the eyes of Vlad. He was trying to make the ‘perfect ghost boy son’ as he put it.” Dani said “perfect ghost boy son” with such venom that Maddie could feel her hatred for Vladimir Masters only grew more. The mother of now four, enveloped her new daughter in another tight hug.
That was enough for now. Maddie couldn’t handle it anymore. She needed to get their family together - all of them. Dani left to tell Phantom to come to the Fenton household and Danny went with her. Maddie was disabling the anti-ghost security to welcome both ghost back. Maddie was going over what was just reviled to her.
Jack and Jazz was to be notified of the meeting. Maddie was ready to cry….no she was crying. Tears that had threatened to fall cascaded down her checks.
“Mom. what’s wrong?”
“Maddie!”
———————————————————————————————————–
Here is my edition to this story.
I am just going to say that Danny is a little better at duplication than in cannon and Danny and Dani were trying to figure out how they were going tell Maddie about the truth. It wasn’t all according to plan but that is how Danny’s life is.
If I was going to continue this, Danny as a ghost would be refereed to as “Ghost Boy” (with more affection than before) and Danne with an e. When Dan was offered, both Danny and his duplicate yelled no.
More Danny Phantom art! This time with Dani! I always thought Dani was really cool but I haaated certain aspects of her design, what with her crop top and super skinny waist/wide hips combo even though she was supposed to be twelve. It’s bad, y’all! I also wished that she and Danny got to hang out more. Before she goes travelling the world she needed to spend time with a family that didn’t want to use her for evil. Not being used for evil is important for childhood development; pretty sure I read that somewhere. Also it’s been forever since I’ve seen the show but did she get goop powers once she stabilized? Because it makes sense that she have goop powers and that should have happened if it didn’t. 1) Dani and Danny hanging out, catching up on the newest ghost gossip probably, and Dani has a slightly different version of Danny’s costume. 2) Training! These costumes are based on a design that @coffeecakecafe made that I love a lot. They should have hoods! Maddie and Jack’s suits have hoods! Oh and @coffeecakecafe draws my favorite “Dani is part of the Fenton family” pics ever, seriously they are precious.
