Many artists own a hand manikin for one reason or another. I’ve had this one since college. I decided it was time to switch things up (swipe for reveal).
There was a widening of eyes before a hand went to her shoulder, “Valerie? What do you mean it’s you?”
There was a shaky inhale from Valerie before she clenched her fists and allowed the swirling ripples of pinkish purple-tinted ecto energy to spiral around her, drawing the suit to the surface in slow mode so her parent could see just what she had become. “ It’s me. I’m not completely human anymore.” Her voice cracked at the end and black and red gloved hands hugged against her arms as her eyes averted in her helmet. “ He was horrified when he realized it was fused… the man who gave me the suit. He wanted it back too but when he tested it….He realized that the ghost back in February mutated and spliced the suit with me. It’s permanent.”
Damon was at a loss, stuck staring in both horror and grief at his child before rage welled, “ Who is the son of a bitch who gave you your equipment Valerie!? I want a name this time! PLEASE!”
Her eyes snapped to him and flickered again with her emotions to that same inhuman purple shade seen prior.“He calibrated my weaponry to dispatch monsters. Not ghosts and not humans! He provides guidance, has taught me how to be responsible with this, and is trying his damndest to make sure we have a good life despite the bullshit thrown at us! Dad, he’s not-”
“ HE GAVE MY BABY GUNS, VAL! HE ENDANGERED YOU AND MADE YOU-” Damon all but roared, tears of his own dripping down his face.
Valerie bristled and something threatened to spark at her waist. “He may have given me my guns but I was the irresponsible teenager who used them for all of the wrong reasons up until he overrode my suit and dragged me to his manor to take it away! Then he had to realize it was too late and that my pension for finding trouble finally caught up to me!”
She whipped an arm out to motion at herself. “ MY FAULT. I chased and harassed the wrong people due to a grudge. I endangered innocent lives and I neglected the more important things in life for revenge that was never justified! So don’t call Mr. Masters a son of a-”
Damon froze, clenched fists gripping and loosening over and over again trying to process what his daughter had just said. There was a shaky intake for air from the man. “Vladimir Masters did this?”
Val froze and her eyes clenched slightly under her visor before she dissipated her helmet. “He didn’t do this. I did this by shooting things regardless of there being no threat indicators in my suit. I did this by being a stupid, headstrong fool. The last few months? I’ve been saving lives, helping people… He’s been teaching me how to do things right.” There was a heavyweight to that sentence. She hadn’t even known he or Daniel were paranormal hybrids until a few weeks ago and there were still mysteries… Like why her suit had a file on Vladimir Masters and encrypted data that was terminated on April 15th, 2018. That was almost three months after she had been told she was fused to her suit and it took another month or two after that for the man to try and reach out again, offering training and helping her to realize what was a threat and what wasn’t. Skilled hunting and not simply running in guns blazing to shoot something or someone.
Damon was at a loss, conflicted on so many levels by the emotional bombardment of the last few hours. Plasmius was missing in town in a child’s form, his daughter was now fused on a micro level with the paranormal, Vlad Masters had furnished both of them with means to an end….and his daughter with a rather dangerous suit, and then there was the fact she was trying to date-
Damon swallowed. The boy she was interested in had been injured in a ghost attack, to the point he had needed twenty-four-hour care in a paranormally equipt clinic.“ This reveal started with me asking about the young man you are interested in. Val….I asked what happened to him.”
Her shoulders fell slightly and she averted her gaze. “ I stabbed him while possessed. The wound was critical…” She winced and fists balled further. “He almost didn’t make it.”
Damon felt his eyes widening more. “ When did this-”
Valerie winced, “ When I spent the night with the Fentons a few weeks ago and stayed over for a few days.”
Damon thumbed his temple, tired and grieved,before turning back to his desk and pulling the blaster, holster, and net grenade he had hidden away. Clicking the holster and gun on his side and taking a jacked to cover the concealed weaponry he shoved the grenade in his pocket. He winced at the startled gasp from the door. “That’s an ectogun!” Then her eyes went wide in horror. “Dad?! Please tell me you’re not going to go and-”
Damon bit his lip as he zipped his jacket. “ Vladimir Masters wouldn’t be harmed by an ectogun, Val. He’s human. This is for something else probably bumping around town. I have an old friend that needs my help. I’ll deal with talking to my boss later after I help said friend.” He then looked to her tiredly. “ I’m meeting this boy you are interested in Valerie, right after I settle all of these other paranormal issues and have my talk with Mr. Masters.”
Then he rounded out of the room. Looking back to his daughter he grimaced and reached out to hug her gently at the threshold between the hall and the office. A hand patted through hair soothingly. “ You should have told me, sweetie….As soon as you knew this was a part of you- I deserved to know.”
Valerie buried her head against his shoulder, fighting back another wave of tears. “ I’m sorry I didn’t say anything sooner…I was scared. You kept telling me to get rid of the suit and now? It’s a part of me. A vital limb connected with my body seamlessly. I was afraid it would mean being rej-”
Damon stiffened and withdrew slightly, “ Valerie. I never would have rejected you. I worry for you. There are horrific and dangerous things in this world. Demons, ghosts…”
Valerie felt some of the blood draining from her face. She hadn’t mentioned demons. Then her mind circled back to the gun under his jacket. Her father knew about the real evils that went bump in the night and was going out armed too-
She was looking to him, eyes stern and mouth set in a thin line with worry and fear. “Dad… That gun you are toting around to help this friend of yours…-”
Damon sighed and patted her head gently, “ It’s nothing I haven’t done before Valerie. Remember those three days after that accident three years ago?”
Valerie nodded, vague on the details and only knowing tidbits thanks to Paulina and Star’s rather animated retellings of how a mysterious tattooed man came to her rescue and whisked her out of car’s path before snatching her father and her to safety. She woke up in her bedroom that afternoon, dizzy and out of sorts but unharmed.
She blinked as she thought back. Her father had been gone longer in the evenings, often running out to brings things to someone and checking in, up until he came back one night looking like the world itself had run him through an emotional sieve.
Damon nodded tiredly, “ He showed up again briefly in front of Axiom about-” He looked at his wristwatch, “ It was around four o’six or eight when I looked to Axiom and spotted him and he was only with me for ten minutes before he seemed to just disappear. It took ten minutes to organize things at Axiom for Miss Stonewell and Mr. Masters this afternoon, twenty minutes to drive here…It’s four forty-eight now.” He rubbed a hand through his own hair tiredly and looked to Val with a weak smile. “ I’m just going to look around for him. He’s probably long gone again but it never hurts to be prepared. Humans? Demons? People and monsters can be one and the same and I don’t need issues in a back alley.”
Then he kissed her head gently and looked to her sternly, “ Val? If you are going to that internship with Masters I would prefer you wait until I get back in an hour or two so I can go with you.”
Valerie smiled weakly but nodded, shoulders slumping slightly as she shifted back to her regular attire. “ Dad…You should probably know the guy I kinda like? He’s at Masters’ Manor now.”
Damon sighed and nodded tiredly before turning to go to the door, “ Then I will be taking care of two problems this afternoon, a lack of introduction and an explanation.” He opened the door and then looked back to her, “ This young man has a name, correct?”
Valerie nodded and smiled with genuine warmth, “ Romulus.”
Damon raised an eyebrow and smirked, “ Odd name.”
Valerie shrugged weakly as she tugged at her shirt sleeve, “ I think it suits him.”
Damon chuckled and stepped out, “ A real knight in shining armor, huh?”
There was a relieved eye roll from the hall. “ You don’t know that half of it.”
Damon didn’t hear the rest however, already having shut the door and retreated to his car. The first place to look would be the street he first appeared on, then the alleyways near the abandoned building Damon had visited and possibly the hospital if a human child had been found and rushed in.
A key went into the ignition. This was going to be a nerve-fraying day.
Jack stiffly continued his walk into the kitchen and, grabbing a stool next to Phantom, sat down and placed his gun on the counter. A black glove tapped against the stone somewhat debating. “ Why are you here spook?”
Phantom snorted, “ Protecting people, fighting ghosts…. The family business I suppose?”
Jack glared, “ You know that’s not what I’m asking Phantom.”
Phantom’s green eyes dimmed and he hugged a knee to his chest. “You’re asking why I exist?”
Jack looked to the teen tiredly, “I guess I am.”
Daniel winced, “ Is it wrong? To want to live for others? To do the right thing…?
Jack paused and stared up to Phantom questioningly, “ Odd choice of words. You know you’re dead right?”
Daniel grimaced and snorted, “Am I really?” He chuckled bitterly, “ You know what? I think I’ve been dead inside for nearly two years now… Tell me da-Jack.” Daniel corrected and then continued, “ Am I really evil? Is my existence that big of a sin? What if I really wasn’t a ghost? What if I was something more?”
Jack raised an eyebrow and stared into the counter. “ But you aren’t. You’re not alive. Living people can’t do what you do. They’d die.You’re the ghost of some poor kid that couldn’t move on.”
(WOW! I Can’t believe how many likes this segment of the fic got! It’s being posted to AO3 at a rate of 3 chapters a day starting now but I feel obligated to drop a hint as to where this conversation actually veers. Warnings: Language and angst. ENJOY)
Daniel’s features cracked and his expression became broken. Rubbing his knee against his closed eyelid until he could see spots, he peaked his other green eye toward Jack. “ For someone who hunts the unknown and looks to every possibility you can be so narrow-minded.”
Jack rolled his eyes and motioned around himself, “ What am I supposed to think? Ghosts cause nothing but grief and heartache. They’re shadows that can’t-”
Daniel shot up from the counter and slammed his boots into the floor. New tears plastered through his glowing green freckles in waves and adorned his tanned skin like small pearlescent jewels. “-FEEL? YOU THINK WE’RE EMOTIONLESS?!?! FREE OF PAIN?!?! NEWS FLASH! I FEEL, DAMN IT! I FEEL YOUR WORDS, EVERY GODDAMNED STABBING SYLLABLE! I FEEL PAIN! I FEEL THE BLASTS! EVERY SINGLE SEARING BUZZ AND ZAPP THAT RICHOTETS THROUGH MY FLESH A MILLION TIMES MORE THAN A NORMAL WOUND! I FEEL EVERY SINGLE HIT THAT CONNECTS! I’M A HUMAN BEING FIRST!”
Jack stiffened and looked to the boy in confusion. Reaching a hand out to his shoulder and feeling solidity he froze. Daniel phased through his grasp. “ AM I THAT BIG OF A MONSTER? WASN’T I A PART OF YOUR WORLD FIRST?!?!”
Jack grimaced and his brow furrowed. “ Let’s change the topic Phantom.” His voice cracked. The ghost teen, despite the subtle glow and the echo in his voice deeply reminded him of Daniel.
Phantom screeched, “ Weren’t you the one who wanted answers? I feel! Ghosts feel! And ironically? Human beings have injured me more than the ghouls I fight! Do you have any idea how fucked up that is?!?”
Jack froze and dug a hand through his hair before bitterly snapping, “HOW? HOW CAN YOU FEEL ANYTHING? YOU DON’T HAVE NERVES OR LIVING TISSUE!”
The teenager dug his hands through his own hair and winced before turning away from his father. His voice fell and the water accumulating on his face splattered against the tile. “We’re the essence of feeling! The soul’s form of mind! We are nothing but feeling and emotion! How can you just negate that? Is it because ghosts don’t have physical bodies? I mean FUCK!”
Jack winced and turned away from the teen. “That’s enough Phantom.”
Daniel whipped around and unzipped a portion of his jumpsuit. Jack looked up at the sound and paled at what met his gaze. “ENOUGH?” A large blast mark he had received during his first year lay scarred over on the left side of his chest. “ You think it’s enough? How do you think it feels? To have your own par-” Daniel stopped and yanked up the zipper to conceal the damage.
Jack sat glassy-eyed, just blankly staring at Daniel’s now covered chest. He remembered that night. The image of the boy crying out in agony and gripping his dripping torso as he fell into the park still haunted his dreams. That human scream, those horrified and frightened green eyes…. Jack wasn’t one for regrets, he tended to reason his work as justified… but that night had undoubtedly changed his views on Phantom. He had even begun missing shots on purpose just to avoid having to see the same scene transpire. To now know that pain was possible or even plausible left a heavyweight in his stomach.
Phantom flung his free wrist out as he wiped away the water on his face, “What are you still doing here Jack? Go home!”
Jack jostled from his recollections and averted his gaze. “ I have some questions…”
Daniel snorted angrily, “Of course you do… What do I need to answer in order for you to leave?”
Jack snickered, “ First? Who were the two spooks from earlier?”
Daniel’s eyes flashed up and sparked menacingly, “ Sadistic fuckers with a taste for blood. They’re monsters.”
Jack paused at the glint in Daniel’s eyes and pushed, “ Do you know them?”
Daniel cringed and looked to Jack in disgust and disbelief, “ Just what are you implying? Do you honestly think I’d associate with that scum?”
Jack quirked an eyebrow, “ They seemed to know you Phantom.”
Daniel rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. Pulling out a stool with his ecto-energy, the teenager tiredly sat down, “ If you haven’t noticed my line of work doesn’t exactly make me any friends, human or ghost. I’m positive whatever they mentioned about me was probably a negative relation. Beating ghosts up and stuffing them back through to their dimension doesn’t exactly make me a class favorite if you catch my drift.”
“ So you don’t know who they are?” Jack concluded flatly.
Daniel snickered and charged a hand threateningly. “ They better hope I don’t figure out any time soon…” Snarling, the teen subconsciously flared his core, causing a massive temperature drop. Jack sat unaffected by the sudden change as Phantom hissed inhumanly, “After what they’ve pulled? They’d be lucky if I left enough ectoplasm to fill a matchbox after I get ahold of them.”
Jack nodded absently as the white-haired youth extinguished the glowing mass in his hand. Taking a moment of quiet contemplation, he waited for the unsettling neon blue to fade from the boy’s eyes and then asked, “ They mentioned someone else to… Who’s Plasmius?”
Daniel stiffened and looked up to Jack apprehensively, “ He’s none of your concern.”
Anger flashed across the man’s face, “ Not my concern? You seem to forget I have a part in this mess now!”
Daniel raised an eyebrow and flippantly flicked his wrist outward, “ And what do you need to know about him? Better yet? What did those demons say about him?”
Jack pondered the teen’s question and off handled answered,“ They mentioned him in passing, the same as you.”
Daniel sighed heavily, “ If I answer you’ll leave so I can handle this right?”
Jack nodded in agreement and Daniel answered tiredly, “ You’ve met him before at Vladimir’s castle in Wisconsin. Pointy ears? Blue skin? A Romanian prince knockoff with a cheap costume?” Daniel rubbed his eyes and crossed his arms. “I think you and Maddie call him the Wisconsin Ghost?”
Jack’s voice echoed with malice, “That crazy son of a bitch is in on this?”
Phantom winced and stared up to Jack in confusion. “ Aren’t you being a little harsh?”
Jack snorted. “ Oh, forgive me… I seem to remember that freak possessing me, trying to steal my portal and threatening my family! Hell? You even teamed up with me to kick his ass out of my lab!”
Daniel tiredly rubbed his brow and turned to stand. Floating by the bar stool he languidly spoke in a hushed tone. “Everyone screws up. Things happen. That’s life. He’s made mistakes but he’s not the villain here.”
Jack snorted, “ Sure…”
Daniel voice softened, “ He’s not our enemy.”
Jack glared into the counter, “ I think we’re done here.” Holstering his weapon and standing from his stool, he made a move toward the door.
Phantom reached out and stopped him. “ Wait a second…. I know that look. What are you planning?”
Jack smiled cooly. “ Nothing that concerns you.”
Daniel’s eyes widened and his mouth became a tight scowl. “ If you haven’t noticed I’m already a part of this? Not to throw your own words back at you but here we are…”
Jack paused and laughed lightly. “Am I that readable to you?”
Daniel shrugged, “ No… not usually. But I’m familiar with that look. It’s the same look you give when you read about a ghost attack or some random spook and decide to go poking around.”
Pausing, Daniel prodded, “ What are you planning on doing?”
Jack turned to face the teen and pointed to the ceiling. “ If we’re playing twenty questions, why don’t you explain to me what happened in that room?”
Daniel flinched and locking his gaze with his father’s baby blue eyes he spat. “ I was under the impression you were going to leave things alone for me to handle Jack!”
“ You know something don’t you?” Jack calmly countered. Phantom’s eyes immediately broke contact and Jack snarled, “ You spooks never change! You do nothing but lie and harm people constantly.” Pulling out the gun and cutting off the safety with his thumb he aimed it toward the duplicate. “ Tell me what happened Phantom.”
Daniel’s head whipped up and something akin to terror and grief flashed across his features. That single expression crushed any resolve the adult could possibly have hoped to summon in order to pull the trigger. It was pure betrayal and heartache. Closing his eyes, Phantom spoke. “I can’t.”
Jack’s hands shook. “ And why not?”
Biting his lip and still keeping his eyes shut tight, the duplicate pleaded, “ I just can’t! It’ll hurt too many people! Please.”
Jack winced, “ And who could it possibly hurt?”
Daniel’s eyes flashed open and his hand drummed against his own chest, “ IT’LL HURT MY FAMILY!” Taking a ragged breath, which went unnoticed by the startled parent, he continued, “ You’re right! I’m dishonest! I lie constantly… but you know what? I lie to protect the people I love! I’m human …. was a human… I lie because I have no choice. To prevent the people I care about from suffering I’d gladly lie a thousand times over even if it costs me your faith!”
‘ Even if my own father hates me… It’s better he doesn’t know…’
“If you love someone wouldn’t you do the same?!?!?”
Brilliant green eyes locked with Jack’s blue and the man felt his hand loosening on his gun. Sighing he flicked back on the safety and tucked the weapon back into his belt.
“ I’d do the same thing for my family in a heartbeat Phantom. I understand where you’re coming from….but not telling me endangers my family.”
Phantom’s eyes saddened and he rubbed his arm tiredly. “ But if I tell you your family will be put in more danger. Jack, please? Just trust me? I know that it’s hard for you given that I’m-” Phantom flinched and swallowed.
Special thankx to all of the wonderful fanfiction writers that saw the first segment and made an absoultly lit parady fic off of each others writing! I ENJOYED EVERY NEW PIECE OF CONTENT ADDED<3 AND ANOTHER THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO REBLOGGED or COMMENTED<3
