Work Text:
_Amity Park, FentonWorks, 2:12 pm_
Maddie was in the kitchen preparing an after school snack for her children- when she heard the front door open - stopping what she was doing and she went to greet whoever came in, her first guess was either of her 2 children, presumably Jazz, the eldest. She usually arrived first.
The surprise came, when it was her youngest who was standing in the middle of the hallway. He looked at her with his blue eyes - she noticed that he still had a baby face- she found it adorable that he tried so hard to be older, when his appearance was younger.
"You came back early, how was school?"
She asked casually, silently hoping that she'd said the right thing - lately she never knew what he was thinking, he'd hardly talk to her- or Jack for that matter- she was just....worried. She saw the way he averted his gaze, instead focusing on the floor.
"School was...fine - yeah it was fine, and I gotta- do homework. Uh- bye."
He said as he briskly walked passed her and up the stairs, she heard the door to his room open and close - all to quickly.
Maddie sighed - closing her eyes for a moment - and let her shoulders drop. She had half a thought to call Clarisse, her collage friend who- 6 months ago- had been promoted to head of the GIW. She was happy for her- really she was- but...it all felt a bit, close...
Around the same time, she, and her husband had come home from a date, to find her son's friends carrying him up the stairs of the basement - the lab to be precise.
She remembered her blood running cold, her face pale - as she let the most heartwreaching scream out of her mouth. Danny's friends had already called an ambulance - and when she found out that the portal was working - she didn't know if she was happy, or horrified.
Once they'd arrived at the hospital the doctor's took her baby away, she'd sent Danny's friends home - they were going nowhere near her son. Her and Jack had spent several hours in the waiting room, if anything happened to him- her Danny- she didn't know what she'd do.
After god knows how long, they were finally allowed to see their son. As they approached the room he was in, they saw a woman in a white lab coat standing next to 2 GIW agent's. As they got closer Maddie recognised the woman - it was Clarisse- thought she wondered why they were there. She heard her speak up.
"Mr and Mrs Fenton, as you know your son was in a lab accident. The severity of the burn's indicate that he was much closer that you previously told us- he wasn't just close, one might say he was dead center."
Maddie let Clarisse's word's sink in, her heart dropped to her stomach. Did she mean to say that her baby was inside the portal.
For the second time that day, she felt her blood run cold.
"Your saying - Danno was .... Inside....?"
She heard Jack ask, to which Clarisse cocked her head to the side. Maddie didn't understand why she was being so- calm...
She then remembered Vlad's accident... It was over 20 years ago, but she could still hear his screams as the proto portal shot pure ectoplasm at him. She and Jack had russed him to the hospital, once he was carted off they'd let themselves rest.
Even when he was recovering, the hospital staff told them he didn't want any visitors. They'd sent him get well card's and present's but they were all returned un opened.
Back in the present, Maddie glanced at Clarisse. She noticed that she was far too cheery. Looking at Jack she swallowed hard, trying to calm her nerves.
" So- what now? We wait until he wakes up and then you send him home?"
She asked hopefully. She failed to notice the glint in Clarisse's eyes.
" No. After he wakes up he'll be transferred to our facility, he's obviously been contaminated. At the very least - he'll need to under go decontamination."
She said, Maddie heard how...happy she sounded - almost like she was waiting for them to repeat their past mistake. She clutched her chest, her eyes filled with tears. Taking a breath to steady herself, she spoke.
"And then he'll be able to come back..?"
She asked, tears falling down her cheeks. Glancing at Jack she noticed that he was holding back tears...
What Clarisse did next, made Maddie want to punch her. She smiled and laughed. Maddie looked at her- and attacked.
At least, she would have- if she wasn't held back by her husband... The two of them were led away by an agent, she glanced back one last time - and saw her son lying in the hospital bed attached to wires and machines.
_________________________
When Danny awoke, the first thing he saw were lights. The first thing he heard was the steady- but slow- sound of a heart monitor. He tried to get up, but was stopped by an agent who led him back down. He looked around the hospital room, he then noticed a woman standing beside the door. Her hair was tied back into a bun, but- her eyes....she had different colors eyes- he thought it was cool.
The last thing he remembered was being dared to go into the portal - and then... nothing... Danny glanced at the woman and bit the inside of his cheek.
" What... happened...?"
He asked weraly, he noticed that she seemed amused.
"We were hoping you could tell us."
He remembered going into the portal -
He remembered tripping over a loose cable -
He remembered a flash of light -
He remembered dying
He remembered pain -
It hurt it hurt it HURT -
He shook his head lightly, and looked at the lady.
"I don't know - I'm sorry"
It was true, for the most part, he didn't remember anything. But....the part's he did ...felt... important
He looked at her, and wondered where his parents were...
"Uh...where are my parents?"
He asked , as he noticed that the lady's smile seemed to grow bigger.
"Your parents have left you in our care, until you've been - at the very least - decontaminated"
Decontaminated..? That....sounded technical...but, he couldn't help but feel scared. There was a part of him that knew that the GIW were dangerous. That didn't make any sense.....the GIW were dangerous to ghosts- and he....he wasn't a ghost.... right?
_________________________
The next week was a blur. He was brought to the GIW headquarters, which meant they were serious. He then escorted to a small plain room, it had a desk , a bed , and a full body mirror. They told him to sit tight and that they'd be back soon.
So he paced around the room, until....he felt his legs go intangible and fall through the floor. Luckily he got himself back on solid ground before the door opened.
He remembered being scanned with some kind of device -
He remembered said device beeping insensibly -
He remembered being poked and proded at- tickled-
He remembered being strapped down led down-
He remembered being told that he was a hybrid being very well behaved -
He remembered complying with her every whim-
______________________
It had been a week before he was released back into society. He was dropped off at home, his parents had given him a breef greeting before heading back into the basement to check on his grave the portal.
He went upstairs to his room, and got changed. He failed to notice the tiny incisions on his chest and torso.
__________________________
Maddie loved her son - she really did- but.... something felt....wrong.
Ever since he came back from his stay with the GIW, he'd been off. She didn't know if it was just stress or if he had ptsd from the accident....but- whatever it was- it was hurting her baby.
__________________________
Danny looked at his reflection in the bathroom mirror, tierd blue eyes stared back - until- they weren't blue anymore. He yelped, loosing his balance and falling backwards.
He stared up horror as the reflection showed bright green eyes, he felt his chest tighten, until it faded away. In place of his pajamas was a black and white jumpsuit.
He remembered seeing that same face in his grave the portal. He saw it reflecting off a shiny part of the inside- he wondered why a machine of that size needed a shiny surface - oh well, it doesn't matter now he thought.
________________________
It had been a couple of days since he was brought back home, he'd called his friends and asked them to meet him at the park. Once there he explained what had happened to him after he was taken to the hospital. He told them about all the weird stuff that had been happening to him for the past couple of weeks, they looked at him with wide eyes.
"So... your saying that because of the portal, you - what- suddenly have ghost power's?"
Sam asked sceptically, and Danny didn't blame her .... After all....it was pretty far fetched. But....he did have ghost power's. Its not like he died in the portal All he knew was that after the accident, he'd gained ghost power's and was now adjusting to being back on his feet.
_________________________
It had been 6 months since - what the family was calling - the accident ....because that's what it was. An accident.
Maddie heard Danny rush up the stairs and into his room, he'd been sleeping in class and breaking the beaker's in the science room. She'd noticed that the increase in ghost activity started around the same time that her son had started 'slacking off'.
She'd brushed the thought aside, there was no way that her son and that ghost scum, were related. There was no way that they were the same person connected.
Maddie sighed and went back to the kitchen, she decided to bring Danny a snack- a cheese sandwich - his favourite. As she made her way up the stairs she heard part of a conversation.
"I don't know Sam....I can't remember anything about the week I spent with the GIW - and if I do - they feel fake..."
Maddie froze. She looked inside the room through the gap in the door, and saw Danny pacing back and forth as he spoke. She failed to notice the trail of ice forming as he paced
"I know that you know what's at stake !"
"Yeah. And can you call Tucker afterwards...I won't have the energy to have this conversation again.- okay, thanks -"
She saw him hang up and sit on his bed, his breathing was shaky...
Maddie knocked on the door lightly, she saw her son flinch. Setting his phone down on the bed, he got up and walked towards the door.
" Mom....what, what are you doing here?"
He asked, she noted that his voice was scratchy. Maybe he caught a cold...or perhaps the flu...?
" Well, I came to bring you a snack"
She said, shesturing to the plate in her hands. Maddie saw her son's eyes widen in recognition.
" Oh, uh... thanks"
He said, before taking the plate and going to close the door all the way. He stopped himself, eyes uncertain.
".... how much did you hear ."
He asked quietly she could've sworn that his eyes turned green She looked at him and smiled slightly.
"It sounded like you were talking to your friend about something that's stressing you out"
She replied, her tone sweet. She saw him nod, before closing the door in her face - she didn't mind though - she knew he was a teenager, and was just moody.
After all.... Maddie loved her son.