Work Text:
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"Log entry number 1. The date is August 30th 20XX at the time of 1:35 pm. This will be the first of many logs as Doctor Jackson Fenton and myself Doctor Madeline Fenton begin our studies of the Ecto-entity named Phantom.
It will be stated that the entity is currently found to be possessing the corpse of Daniel Fenton. We will be making an attempt to sever it's tie to the corpse so it may be laid to rest."
The sound of clattering and electricity can be heard in the background.
"The entity has been placed in inhibiting cuffs on each wrist and on it's legs. The cuffs have been set to a power level of 8 and will be monitored to see if that will need to be changed as time goes on.
The entity has been placed into a ecto-electrical cage as it's containment while preparations are made to the lab. Materials and supplies will be gathered and extraction and evaluation will begin soon after.
This is Doctor Madeline Fenton signing off."
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"Log entry number 3. The date is September 2nd 20XX at the time of 9:40am. This is Doctor Madeline Fenton with a update to Phantom's file.
A call was received from the Principal of Casper High reporting they didn't have in attendance the now found deceased Daniel Fenton. She has of now been informed that Daniel was being pulled from the school for the time being do to a family matter.
This just further proves the entity needs to be separated from the corpse it holds hostage. The preparations have been made for the start of the study and removal of the entity later in the day."
A scream of pain can be heard faintly before the audio cuts.
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"Log entry number 11. The date is September 10th 20XX at 2:18pm. This is Doctor Jack Fenton updating Phantom's file."
The sound of wheels can be heard moving in the background.
"The extraction of the corpse from the entity remains unsuccessful as of this time. The entity seems as of this moment to be fused to the corpse on a molecular level. This will further be examined as we move forward with taking larger samples."
A ear piercing scream cuts through, along with the sound of wet tearing. The audio cuts out as the scream reaches a new volume.
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"Log entry number 11 continued. The date is September 10th 20XX at the time of 3:20pm. This is Doctor Madeline Fenton.
The entity exhibited an ability that was previously not in it's file. The inhibitors have now been upped to level 12, along with a muzzle that has a barbed tongue depressor attached. "
The sound of struggle can be heard under what is being spoken.
"More tests will be run now that the entity has once more been recontained. We will proceed to take a sample of organic tissue to run tests on. This will help in the further understanding of what exact level the entity is truly fused to."
The sound of muffled screams could be heard.
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"Log entry number 29. The date is September 28th 20XX at the time of 12:28pm. This is Doctor Madeline Fenton.
The entity is still making attempts to manipulate others emotions. It is still making itself emote fear, along with sadness. It has still held onto making itself act as though it is in pain as organic matter is taken form it."
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"Log entry number 42 The date is October 10th 20XX at 2:10pm. This is Doctor Jack Fenton.
We will be attempting to remove an appendage from the entity to better observe it's regenerative properties. We will examine how long it will take for it to grow the appendage and how detailed it will be in said growth."
The sound of wheels could be heard along with a muffled exchange of words.
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Drip, Drip
His ears filled with the low hum of electricity as he came to. His head feeling like it was full of cotton, while his whole body felt like lead. Phantom blinked his sore eyes open, it took longer then he would like for his eyes to adjust to the dim light of the room.
Drip, Drip
He let his head loll to the side to look out into the room making him wince in pain as it pulled his skin. The green glow of the cage around him being the main light source, caused dark shadows to make the room feel even more haunted (ha) then it already was. The room was empty other then him, but he could still see all the signs that they had been here.
The computer still buzzing with electricity still flowing through it, as a small F.W. screensaver bounced slowly over the monitor. What looked to be empty cans of soda knocked over next to glowing beakers full of ecto on a work bench.
Drip, Drip
He looked over to the ecto still dripping from the exam table as it sounded through the whole room. What good was it to have super hearing, when all he could hear now was how truly alone he was down here.
Phantom watched as the ecto dripped onto the ground, rippling in the pool that now lived under the table. How it spilled onto the papers filled with notes and formulas, that now lay scattered and stained on the floor in the pursuit of what was deemed 'science'. What a joke he thought.
Drip, Drip
He turned his head back up to the ceiling, huffing out a breath through his nose. All it did was shift warm stale air through the muzzle strapped to his face. He stared up at the tiles on the ceiling, finding his eyes follow every crack or scorch mark he could see.
He had long since memorized every mark that marred them as well as the number there are. Phantom has sure as hell been down in this damned basement for long enough to.
He reached up with his right hand, his fingers coming just below the top of the to small cage. He could faintly feel the static buzz of electricity coming from the green metal as it tried to reach for him. Phantom's eyes drifted from the cage to his hand, and then down to the matching medal that gleamed from his wrist.
Drip, Drip
He let his arm fall over his face, as his eyes started to burn with unshed tears. He just wanted this to be over, go back to how it had been before. Sure it wasn't great but it was sure as Ancients better then this hell.
He just wanted to see his friends again, to be able to goof off with them again. Ancients how much he wanted to just hug his sister as she told him everything would be okay. Hell he would even take that damn fruitloop. Anything if it meant something other then his parents cutting him apart day in and day out.
He let out a sigh as he went to run his hand trough his hair just for it to get suck. His hair was a rats nest of matted knots, ecto, and all the grime that has accumulated over the months he had been down here. Tears threatened the edges of his eyes, he was just so tired of everything.
Phantom rolled over to his left side folding himself into as small of a ball as he could. Cradling his left arm that was desperately trying to grow back from being chopped off, just the day before. He closed his eyes tight as he pressed his face into his knees, letting silent tears run down his face.
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"Log entry number 44. The date is October 12th 20XX at the time of 11:46am. This is Doctor Madeline Fenton."
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Phantom could hear muffled chattering all around him, but couldn't make out any words. His mind felt like it was somewhere else, like it had been disconnected.
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"The entity seems to be making fast progress in the regeneration of the appendage that had been removed only a few days ago. Refer back to log entry number 42 on the removal. If the same pace of regeneration continues the whole left arm should be recovered by the first morning check."
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The next few times he woke up it was much the same. Sometimes all he could do was lay there and float in a void, his head filling with static every time he tried to think. Every once in awhile he would catch a word or two that was said above him but it would slip from his mind as fast as he heard it.
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The glass being set down onto a metal surface.
"This is Doctor Madeline Fenton signing off at the time of 5:56pm."
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He woke up to the sound of a keyboard echoing in his ears, he keep still not wanting to let them know he was awake just yet. It had been a few days now of the same routine. Either Jaco or Maddie would come down in the morning to take notes on his initial condition. Before they moved onto what ever experiment they chose for the day. From the bitter sent of black coffee he could tell it was his mom (no Maddie that woman was no longer his mother) this morning.
The only good part of the last few days is that they haven't made anymore cuts into him. All they have done was strap him to the exam table, to observe the new regeneration on his arm. As they took notes and theorized on how fast or slow it would be for him to regenerate in different conditions. He knew in the end it wouldn't last long, it never did before.
Every time they took a new piece of him they would do this song and dance. But as soon as he healed or regrew what was missing, he would just be back under the knife. It was truly the only nice part of having these inhibitors strapped to him. Sure it made it hurt more to heal from what is done to him. But hey it at least gave him a few days with out a blade or needle in his skin (why couldn't they have just keep loving him). Unfortunately it never stopped the hands that would poke and prod him day in and day out.
Phantom was startled from his thoughts as a phone rang at full volume. He shot upright, startled by the loud noise in the otherwise quiet lab. He nearly missed slamming his face into the top of the cage that was far to small for him. With wide eyes he sat there staring at indeed his mothers Maddie's back. She froze in her typing as she looked over to her phone that sat next to her, with an exasperated sigh she picked it and brought it to her ear.
"Hello." She went back to her typing as she spoke. "What might you be needing this early in the morning?"
Phantom could hear a familiar chuckle on the other end. "My dear, I mean no harm. I just had wanted to know if you had an answer to my question I asked a few weeks ago."
This was the first time they had ever taken a call down here with him. He wanted to scream and yell for help knowing with Vlad on the other line he would definitely be able to hear him. Though would he even help him or just end up laughing in his face.
Maddie let out a sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Like I had told you then. Yes jack would love for you to come over but." She trailed off as she spun in her chair towards him. "We are quite busy with this new break in our work."
"Yes, I understand that." He let out a sad sigh that crackled over the line. "But I'm just worried you may be over working yourself. I have barely seen hide nor hair of you these past weeks my dear." Worry making it's way into Vlad's voice.
"I'm not." Maddie said quite shortly.
"Yes, of course not." He was silent for a moment. "I just want to see it with my own eyes."
"You really don't Vlad." She sounded like she was really getting tired of this conversation. "I'm fine and so is Jack. We just have a lot of work to get done."
Phantom shivered at that as she just keep staring him down with those cold calculating eyes.
"Well you know if you ever need help with your work I can always lend a hand." He sounded like he was starting to get despite, but then again it was Vlad.
Maddie stayed quiet for a moment just staring Phantom down with a blank face before a nasty look that only spoke of pain took over. "Then why don't you come over then. Is later today work?"
"Really?!" He cleared his throat. "I mean yes I can come around 4 o'clock."
"Perfect we will see you then." She gave Phantom a wicked grin as she hung up. She leaned onto her knees as looked him right in the eyes. "You'll be having a visitor today. We best prep you for all the fun we will have with them."
All he could do was sit there in horror as Maddie stood up and started to leave. He just stared wide eyed after her even long after she left his view. He could hear her telling Jack all the things they could do with Vlad's help.
He reached over to his now fully regenerated left arm, his vision started to blur as tears started to leak down his cheeks. Vlad was just going to help them wasn't he.
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Vlad rested his forehead heavily on his hand as he set his cell phone on the desk in front of him. He let out a heavy sigh as he sat there, what was he getting himself into. He ran his hands through his already neat hair before getting back to working on all of the paper work that felt never ending these days.
Ever since Phantom had stopped being spotted around Amity more and more damage was being done around the town. Worse of all, it wasn't even from the ghosts, it was all of the new hunters showing up most of the time. As more time goes by without Phantom it is begrudgingly showing how much the little badger was actually doing to help.
He had no idea where the boy had vanish to but he kind of hoped he would come back soon so he would have less work to do all the time. That was part of why he was so desperate to visit the Fenton's even if it meant he would have to suffer through Jack blather on about ghost and the good old days.
If it meant he would see his dear Maddie and to tant the little badger some, it would be worth it. He hadn't had much of a chance to see them in the past few months now. It felt like ever since young Jazmine had left for college, they never leave the house outside of the few times they come out to shoot at a ghosts. Even then, lately it's getting farther and fewer in between.
Whatever this new breakthrough is must really be something for it to keep them like this. The only other thing he could think of that had keep them like this before had been the portal. Vlad shivered at the thought of how that had turned out for both Young Daniel and himself.
He twirled the pen between his fingers as he thought, well he'll see for himself when he went later tonight.
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When Vlad came over to see his dear Maddie to see her newest project he was not expecting to walk into this. He took a sharp inhale as he stared down at what laid at the bottom of the basement stairs he was being led down.
From Maddie opening the front door and giving him a hug willingly, should have set him off to something being off. But he had just been so over joyed by it that everything else fell to the way side. He had asked how Daniel was fairing with his sister now out of the house. She gave him a big smile saying nothing on the matter, before launching into talking about their new work.
Going on and on about finally getting a live specimen to work with, making him shiver at the though. She spoke of how they have made real leaps and bonds in their work the last few months and couldn't wait to show him.
She led him through the house to the basement door, saying that she had left Jack down there with the specimen while she came and got him. She just keep happily chattering as she led him down the stairs. But once the basement came into view halfway down his ears filled with static as he looked over to what could only be described as a horror movie scene.
Drip, Drip
Ectoplasm coated everything in sight, puddles far to large coating the floor and loose papers that had fallen from the mess of tables all along the walls. Beakers full of glowing samples littered the tables along with trash and soda cans, but what sat in the middle of the room. It made his stomach turn as he stared at what had been strapped to the exam table.
Drip, Drip
Ecto dripped off the side of the table from the pool that laid under the seemingly to small body that lay there. Strapped there in leather bindings holding him to the table, was Phantom staring up at the ceiling with fogged over unseeing green eyes.
Metal bands had been locked into place around his ankles, wrists, and his neck. A muzzle (A muzzle!) had been tightly strapped and locked onto the boys face that did not look like it let any air in. Vlad hadn't even noticed he had finished walking down the stairs until he hit his hip on a rolling tray. Looking down at it and it's contents only made him want to be more sick.
The tray was full of surgical tools ranging form needles and a scalpel to oh Ancients was that a bone saw, coated in ectoplasm. He looked back up at Phantom and did in fact find that his arm had been flayed open. He could see the bone that peaked from behind the muscle that had been pulled to the side by retractors.
A large hand clapped down onto Vlad's shoulder knocking him out of his thought. He tried to hide the flinch as his shoulder was squeezed, he looked up to find Jack towering over him with a joyful smile.
"V-man how do you like our specimen? Pretty nice right, finally caught that ghost boy."
Vlad let out an uncomfortable laugh as he looked back at the boy. "I can see that." He said his voice coming out tight. "That would explain why he hasn't been seen recently."
"That's right we caught it just a little while after Jazzy left." Maddie chimed in from where she now stood, examining samples. "You wouldn't believe how we caught it." She let out a laugh like it was the funniest thing.
He had a sinking suspicion he was not going to like what was said next. "Oh, do tell?" He tried to make himself sound as interested as he could.
"You would never believe it but all this time it had been using our Danny's corpse to hide this whole time." Jack's booming voice came, with far more joy in his voice then there ought to be with what he was saying.
Vlad choked on his breath at hearing this, at a lose of words as he stared down wide eyed at the still unseeing blank faced boy in front of him.
Maddie made a sad noise as she made her way over to him. She reached out and held his hand gently with a sad look in her eyes. "I'm sorry you have to hear about Danny this way, I know you really cared for him."
Vlad looked down at his hand in hers, only to see smears of glowing green (he could see the small flakes of red in it) on her hands. The blood draining from his face, the normally gentle touch Maddie once had now felt like it was burning him. He felt like he couldn't get a breath in, as all he could think was he needed to get out of here.
"But you must understand that is not Danny." She said with utter disgust.
It made him look back up to Maddie's face as the disgust faded back into a sad pitying face as she stared at him. He gave a glace at the boy on the table one last time with horror in his eyes. Before looking back to the woman that moments ago he had been in love with, but now could barely look at without wanting to be sick.
He opened his mouth to speak but no sound came for a moment. "I don't know what to say."
Maddie squeezed his hand, all he felt was fire crawl over it. "It was a shock to us at first as well." She sounded far to indifferent.
Vlad just stared at her in shock of how much it seemed she didn't care that it was her son strapped onto that table flayed open. "Does Jazmine know?" He found himself squeaking out, there was no way she would allow this to go on if she did.
"No we haven't the heart to tell her yet not until we can get Danny's corpse from this creature." She said it with such venom. "We want to have something to bury before we tell her. Make it as easy for her as we can."
"Oh Jazzie-pants will be so distraught when she finds out." Jack chimed in with a sad tone.
"I can only imagine." Vlad squeaked out, he had to leave this was to much for him. "I think i need to go." He gave Maddie a sad look. "Process this."
She gave an understanding look and gave him a nod. "Yes. It is quite a lot to take in." She pulled him towards the stairs. "Let me walk you out. Jack be a dear and keep working, I'll be back in a moment."
"Got it Maddiekins." Vlad stopped listening when he heard the sound of that damned tray wheel closer to the table.
He came back to himself just barely as Maddie wrapped him in a hug at the door. "Come back soon alright."
He didn't have it in him to try to speak so he just gave her a strained smile and a nod. He left that house in a haze, he made it home but didn't know how. He just collapsed onto his couch not knowing what to do next.
The boy he poked fun at, that deep down he did really care about. Was now being tortured by his own parents as they act as though he was never their child. He was at a loss of how they could do that to their own son. He couldn't even imagine what they had already done to that poor child, because that's what Daniel was a child. He wasn't even 17 yet, he shouldn't have had to go through what he did before, let alone what he is going through now.
How had no one noticed that Daniel was missing for months now? He sat up at that thought, where were his little friends that followed him everywhere he went? He was going to need to find out how this has gone on for so long and find a way to end it.
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Click…
"Log entry number 45 continued. The date is October 12th 20XX at the time of 4:48 pm. This is Doctor Madeline Fenton."
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He came back from the static void he had been floating in to his own screaming and hot tears flowing down his face. Barbs spearing Phantom's tongue, the sour citrus taste of ecto filling his mouth gurgling his scream. As a saw tore through the soft flesh and muscle of his leg. He could feel as the warm ecto started to pool under him. He could hear chatter and see bleary figures over the top of him but couldn't decipher what was said, to focused on the pain. As the saw started to gnaw into the bone causing it to fracture and brake.
The agonizing pain took over everyone of his senses as his leg was severed. All he could do was lay there on that cold metal table, unneeded breaths coming uneven and heavy. He started to fade back to static as exited chatter filled the room.
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Click…
The tail end of a gargled scream can be heard, before being replaced with by uneven heavy breaths.
"The removal of the entities right leg was successful! The sight will be examined further before the entity is moved back to it's cage. Tissue and bone samples will be taken form the appendage to study further. The entity will be monitored as it regenerates, once the regrowth has been completed it will be examined. All results of this experiment will be compered to the results of both log entries number 45."
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The sound of shouting was the first thing Phantom heard as he slowly came to, feeling heavy and in pain, like he was a T.V. not getting the channel quite right. But he felt much more in focus then he had been feeling before… he couldn't remember how long it had been. He tried to focus on the shouting but was still to tired and out of it to focus on what was being said only catching a few words.
'Something something missing.'
He tried but it just wasn't working so he tried to remember what had happen. He had the vague memory of screaming as they took his leg, looking down at his still missing leg. The last thing he remembers was his mother Maddie speaking with Vlad on the phone before she had gone upstairs. He had been sitting in his cage thinking of all the possible ways Vlad could use this against him, how he was going to help them. Next thing he knew he was being dragged out of the cage and strapped down to the examination table, and his left arm being cut open.
But beyond that it was just a blank void, with vague impressions of excruciating pain. He was having a harder and harder time keeping things once strapped onto that Ancients forsaken table, be it his memory or literal parts of himself. He curled up into a ball hugging his half regenerated leg to his chest, as hot tears started to stream down his face onto the cold hard concrete that laid under him. He was so tired of all of this and just wanted to be done with it all, why couldn't it be over.
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Phantom woke to his ghost sense sending a shiver through his whole body. He just curled up tighter into a ball, to tired to look to see who it could be. Not like they could mess with him while he was stuck in this cage.
"Oh little badger, what have they done to you now." A familiar voice spoke.
He glanced up to see that it was indeed Plasmius staring down at him with pity on his face. He knew he was a sorry sight he didn't need to have Plasmius of all people pitying him. He was covered in cuts new and healing, along with all of the scars that now marred his skin. He didn't need pity over what a sorry excuse of a person he has become. Nothing more then a doll for his parents the Fenton's to play with for their own entertainment.
He curled back up not wanting to see that look anymore. He wanted to tell him to fuck off but couldn't with the muzzle holding his tongue. It was quiet for a moment before he could hear the ruffle of fabric hitting the ground. Phantom peaked out from behind his knees to see Plasmius was now sitting on the dirty ecto covered floor in front of his cage.
Plasmius let out a tired sigh. "I know I'm probably the last person you want to see right now." Phantom let out a small huff of air and rolled his eyes. "But I am here to help you, truly."
Yeah right like he would fall for that, Plasmius would never freely give him help unless it gave him advantage of some kind. And he had no time for false hope right now.
He must have seen the mistrust in his eyes. "I reported you missing a few days ago."
That made Phantom pause, why? Why would he do that?
"I didn't know what was happening to you until I had come to visit and what I saw and heard." He had a haunted look in his eyes, as a shiver ran through his frame. "It disgusted me. How could they do and say all that to their own son."
Plasmius took a unneeded breath as he ran his hands trough his hair. He looked up at the ceiling as he spoke softer this time. "I do care for you Daniel. I know I have done a horrible job at showing that. I was so wrapped up in myself and my obsessions, which is no excuse for how I treated you. I see that now."
He looked back down at Phantom and held his eyes letting him see the shame and regret showed in his eyes. He looked sincere in what he was saying.
"The police will be showing up first thing in the morning to search the house." He gave Phantom a serious look that made him sit up just a bit. "I want them to find Daniel Fenton down here."
His eyes went wide, was Plasmius saying what he thought he was saying.
"I know you may still not believe me but please don't do this for just me, do it for your sister." He said with a caring look on his face. "And for your friends that wont leave my house until you are safe."
Phantom let out a huff of a laugh at that. It definitely sounded like Sam and Tucker to do that.
"Yes, yes laugh it up." He had a fond smile as he watched him. "I will be back in the morning with the police."
He sat there until Phantom finally gave him a nod of understanding. At that Plasmius bid him farewell and flew out of the basement. Leaving him with his own thoughts, a dangerous thing to do. He never went back to sleep after that just lied there going over everything that had just happened until morning. He sat there listening to every sound that came from upstairs.
He heard the moment that his mother Maddie woke up and came down to the kitchen to make herself coffee. When Jack started moaning and groaning about getting up. Shuffling down to the kitchen to join his wife for breakfast. The clatter of Maddie pulling pans and dishes from the cabinet, the sizzle of food cooking.
He listened to every sound with bated breath, he wanted to believe that Vlad was telling the truth. His hope wavered as his mother came down to take her morning notes on how he had healed over night. Like they always did before for they would drag him onto the table to be poked and prodded, before slicing him up for the rest of the day.
Maddie was still taking notes when he heard it. Sirens coming down the road towards the house. He sat up and looked up at the stairs, he could hear Maddie make an interested sound at his action still typing. Eventually the sirens got close enough that Maddie too could hear them.
She looked up from her work, before saving her notes with a sigh and heading up stairs. He could hear her asking Jack what he thought was going on. He heard their surprise when the cruisers pulled to a stop in front of Fenton Works.
He felt hope swell in his chest as he let himself transform back into Danny Fenton for the first time in months. He heard the cops explain that they had a warrant to search the house for evidence. The outrage of his parents at the police for what they where insinuating.
Hearing them question the Fenton's on when they had last seen or heard from Danny. The moment officers found the metal door to the basement. He listened and watched from his cage as those officers came down the stairs and gasped and shouted at the scene in front of them. The shouting as the Fenton's where cuffed and hauled out to the cruisers.
The sound of the cage finally opening to freedom instead of pain. A female officer came up to him with the key to the inhibiters, as another unlocked the muzzle from his face. Blood oozed sluggishly from small cuts along his nose and jaw, a small amount pooled in his mouth from barbs scratching him as the muzzle was removed.
An officer helped him out of that horrible basement and out to the street where he was taken to an awaiting ambulance and medics. He was also greeted with a hug from a very relieved Vlad, he hugged the man back with tears pricking his eyes. He could still hear his parents screaming about how he was tricking them all and that he was a monster.
He blocked it all out, he was finally free after so long. He let himself finally shed all of the tears and pain he was hold back, hugging Vlad as tight as he could.
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By the end of the day the whole of Amity Park had found out what had happened to that poor Fenton boy. They knew that his whack job parents where truly just that, and what they were willing to do.
They knew that the Vlad Masters stepped down as mayor so he could take Danny away form the place that only brought him pain and suffering the past few years.
His friends all knew it was for the best that he left to get better, and would still see him again. His sister with the help of Vlad transferred to a college closer to them so she could be there for her brother. Danny was able to start to heal and reaccepting what he was with the help of his sister and Vlad.