Chapter Text
They were fools for ever letting Danny think that he was their son. Their gadgets have always locked onto a ghost, being confused as to why it locked onto their son, a son they thought was human. It didn’t help that Jazz would tell them that their gadgets were faulty or needed some modifications. It was just a ploy to stop them from figuring out the truth.
Finding out that they had an imposter of a son was hard yet enlightening for them. Difficult due to them reprimanding Danny for sleeping at school, getting home after curfew, and even failing classes. Those should have been the first few clues for them, that it wasn’t their son. Yet again they always failed to notice when something happened to him.
Just like his portal accident
Though him being a ghost, gave them many possibilities, one being reusable ectoplasm, the second being discovery. They could learn how just what made a ghost and how to get rid of them
Permanently
They found out his secret when they were out ghost hunting, Phantom coincidentally after the same ghost they were after. Skulker, they would later come to know the ghost’s name, being it was one of the more common to go after Phantom. They were going to exterminate the two but when they saw that Phantom had used their Fenton Thermos to capture the ghost, it was an indicator that they were being fooled. For they made the gadget and the only possible way for a ghost to have it is if they lived with them or stole it.
Though their home was equipped with the best anti ghost technology they could make. The shield that surrounded the home when no one was there, was nearly impossible for a ghost to escape or enter. The only way would be if they had access inside or they were a Fenton themselves to neutralize the shield by security measure.
Their suspicions grew even more when Maddie noticed Danny coming home with bruises. She knew he wasn’t having much trouble at school and spent most of his time with his friends. It was only logical that it was a ghost doing, then once again she spotted the thermos they made peeking out from his school bag.
“Danny, is that the Fenton Thermos?” she questioned
“Oh uh… no mom, it's just my thermos that looks like it. I had Sam and Tucker help me design after it”
The response was simple but rehearsed, in case it was ever asked
Between Jack and her, Madeline had a more questionable and rational side. Yet her obsession and intrigue with ghosts ruled that all out the window. As she thought back to all the gadgets that they made at home and would lock onto Danny had made more sense. It was never that they were faulty or needed work.
No
Danny was a ghost and their gadgets proved it
When she explained it to Jack, he was at first disapproving of it. That their son was not a ghost and maybe their gadgets were just faulty. Though when Maddie explained that they had a live ghost to learn more about and have reusable ectoplasm without needing to scour for it. Jack relented and started to plan how to capture their imposter ghost son.
The plan came to fruition when Jazz left to spend the weekend with her friends. She had left as soon as she got back from school and packed her bags. The two watched her drive off and when her car was no longer seen, they hatched their plan. Jack had wanted to just capture Danny with the Fenton Ghost Fisher, Maddie however shot it down saying that he could easily escape with his powers. They needed to do something that was inconspicuous.
Then an idea appeared to Maddie, they could mix a sleeping agent with food. One that they would not eat and only Danny would. Jack told Maddie that it was a fantastic idea and he would get on making it but not before his wife told him to ensure it would take immediate effect.
Waiting was the game they played when Daniel would not get home until close to curfew, it furthered their suspicion that he was Phantom. Soon that would end and the ghost would be no more after their experimentation and dissection of course.
When the door opened and Daniel had stepped into the kitchen, Maddie had played her caring mother act as best as she could. Letting him know that they wanted to spend a bit of time with him and a break from their inventions. Watching the ghost retreat to her son’s room only filled her obsession and anger more.
Getting him into the lab was easy, Jack having brought him down and strapped him to the table. Now they needed to wake him and a simple shock is all it took. Watching as Danny turned into Phantom, calling Maddie mother only angered her more. This was not her child and never will be. Phantom’s pleaing further increased not only Maddie’s anger but Jack’s as well, claiming to be their son. As soon as Jack rolled out their cart with various sharp materials, she saw Phantom tense possibly from knowing what was on it, she didn’t care.
Making the incision to open his chest was simple, gliding through what she thought was skin. The screams that erupted from the ghost were easily tuned out, it was just a ploy to get sympathy and she would not yield. Jack on the other side of hers was handing her any materials she needed. Looking inside a ghost was thrilling; everything was splayed in green, from his blood to his organs, all which looked similar to a humans. Now what amazed them both was a blue orb sitting where a heart would be. This must be what allowed a ghost to live in their world.
She was about to look closer at it, grazing it slightly with her scalpel which caused small cracks to appear and a sudden cold sensation which made her recoil. It caused Maddie to look away for a second
“Jack we need to sedate them, if we want to study the orb”
“Righto Mads!”
They never got the chance, when a green energy passed by Maddie’s head. Hitting one of their control panels that caused a flicker and the restraints to snap open. She had little time to grab Phantom, the ghost turning towards the door.
“After them! We can’t let him escape!” Shouted Maddie as she pushed the cart to the side, all the materials falling to the floor.
The lights flickered again where they heard the shield being neutralized and Phantom phasing through their wall. They saw him outside, just staring at the sky until they turned the GAV and he started to flee again. Jack was driving, keeping an easy sight on the ghost, as it kept dripping ectoplasm. Maddie was shooting the ghost, using the installed ecto guns. They didn’t think that Phantom would fire at them and blow out one of their tires, Jack hurriedly trying to bring the car to a stop before it flipped. As Maddie got out and watched Phantom disappear, clearly heading somewhere she sighed.
“Jack dear do we have a spare tire? We’ll need to head home and plan”
“Already working on it Mads!”
Letting Jack replace the tire, she acquired some of Phantom’s ectoplasm that had stained the windshield. Deciding to use it as a way to locate him, though, she had some ideas of where to search if Phantom was pretending to be Danny.
When the tire was fixed and they got back on the GAV, racing home. Setting a plan to find and capture Phantom once and for all. Jack had started with upgrading the Fenton Finder, adding a second feature that would allow them to use a sample of ectoplasm from a specific ghost to find them. It would only look at their particular ghost and rule any other out.
Maddie was helping Jack when their house phone rang, she did not want to answer it. Though remembering Jazz was away she did, possibly being her
“Mom? Is Danny there? He didn’t send me a message that he had gotten home”
Maddie is disgusted at how worried Jazz sounds about their imposter. Not wanting to have any suspicion, she sweetly talks back to her. Hoping it would convince Jazz that everything is fine
“Yes Danny is here sweety, he must’ve been so tired from school that he went straight to bed. I will let him know in the morning that you called”
There’s a silence on the other side, silence that Maddie isn’t liking
“Ok, thanks mom. Sorry to bother you and I’ll see you Sunday afternoon”
A click follows before Maddie can say anything to the older sibling. She’s just glad Jazz had bought her act before heading back down the lab to Jack.
It isn’t long before he holds the new and improved Fenton Finder in his hand, adding Phantom’s ectoplasm to the mix. There’s a moment before it starts beeping every few seconds, the locator having locked on his signature.
“Mads, it's up and running! We can go now and catch it by surprise” Exclaims all too excitedly Jack
“Then let’s get moving before we lose the signal”
Just as excited they were to finally catch Phantom again, it quickly fades when the Fenton Finder suddenly loses the signal.
“What! No, we just had a signal! What happened to it!?” Jack angrily taps on the gadget, only to receive the same response
Maddie gently places a hand on his shoulder, calming him down
“Let’s take a break and work on it in the morning, maybe something is interfering with the signal. I’m sure he couldn’t have gotten far, not with the injury it had. Besides if it is possessing Danny then it may have fled to one of his friends”
“Yea… Yea! We’ll surely catch them the second time! Nothing will stop us from saving Danny from that imposter!”
Maddie only smiles, catching phantom will be the only way they can save their poor Danny. Hopefully he’s still in there and if not, then…
They’ll have an endless supply of ectoplasm at their disposal