Chapter Text
When he was fourteen years old, teenage curiosity and impulsiveness won over rationality, and young Danny strolled into the portal with the hazmat suit that his parents always wore. He could just go in, check it out, then head back. Easy peasy.
It happened when he was glancing around, not noticing the big wire underneath his feet. He then tripped and flipped the lever that activated the portal.
The electricity immediately shot through him. Danny felt like he got torn open. He couldn't breath, couldn't escape.
The buzzing electricity deafened him right there and then. All he could hear was his own screams that burnt his throat, the taste of blood on his tongue. He could intimately feel how the lightning ran from his fingers to his shoulder blades, creeping up his neck and biting till it neared his chin. It was like a branch trying to reach around all of his torso, and finally to his heart.
The sensation then numbed; his brain must have started malfunctioning.
All he could think about was this is how Daniel Fenton died. He hadn't gotten a hair ruffle from his big sister Jazz, haven't shit talked about everything enough with Sam, haven't finished the game that he promised he will with Tucker, and, now that he thought about it, it's been a long time since he last got a hug from his parents.
He can feel everything.
He can feel nothing.
Why was it that all he was feeling was pain? Why was he alone? He felt so alone.
When will this pain stop?
He doesn't even know.
Suddenly, there was a weird neon liquid all over him. He could feel his heart beating again. Small relief washed over his little body, but he still couldn't breath.
He realized he must be drowning. At this point, Danny doesn't know if he will die from electricity or drowning from weird acidic neon green liquids.
He didn't die. Not all the way.
But, Daniel "Danny" Fenton also did die. Alone.
The teenager didn't have the time to mourn for himself, he was too busy panicking and turning off the portal after it threw him out.
After that incident, he learned that he is now a half ghost whose hair is snow white and has eyes that flashes neon green, just like the liquid — the ectoplasm. And apparently, his hazmat suit can change into a NASA spacesuit now, but instead of being white, his suit is a deep black with white and bright green details.
Danny kinda felt thankful for the spacesuit. It hides his identity well, with how nobody notices or knows that he's the ghost vigilante protecting Amity Park from the stray ghosts that got out of the portal. He will do his job to protect his home, his haunt.
It wasn't easy to protect someone that deemed your protection as vile, as a crime. All the property damages, incidents, accidents… It wasn't his fault that he's an amateur. He was just trying to do what's right. Trying his best to keep everything safe with no other help.
Maybe… it was his fault that this whole thing escalated. But it's fine, he can do it.
If anyone looked or approached him after his fights, they would see that he gazed at the moon a lot.
He would reached a gloved hands toward it, cradling the moon in his palms gently while humming a song. Like singing a lullaby for the moon, like how his older sister did when she tucked him into bed.
Like a teenager yearning for the bygone warmth and recognition from his peers, the lone astronaut yearns for space.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
Danny found an old observatory that had been abandoned, near the woods he once played tag with Cujo. He was in awe with how the place had the best view of the night sky in his hometown.
So Danny fixed it up. He made it a safe haven for himself. Over time, a big telescope and astronomy books started to fill up the vacant spaces in the room. There's soft pillows and blankets everywhere, built like a tent over the spot under his telescope. His favorite spot to sit and look at the night sky for hours instead of sleeping.
Bi-weekly visits turned to into every weekends. It then turned into every three days.
By the time Jazz went to college and lived in the dorms, Danny realized he had made this observatory his home, especially with how rarely he slept in his own bed. He only showed up at the Fenton house sometimes to check on his parents. But the both of them never noticed anything missing.
Danny looked to his tea cups and heating pad that were on a low coffee table, to Cujo in his arms dozing off, to the bright night sky that enveloped his whole being. Humming softly while cradling the tiny ghost dog, the young man headed toward his swing chair, the nest with the softest pillows and blankets.
He lulled himself to sleep with Cujo still in his embrace.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
It has been six years since Danny went through the portal that his parents created and two years since he starting learning and doing his royalty duties. Not yet crowned, because whenever he brought it up to Clockwork all he got was: "The time is not right yet, young prince. Perhaps soon, but not quite for now."
He assumed it was because he was still quite young in ghost years, not that he minded that. To be honest, he preferred it that way, since he has gotten more time to take his studies seriously, now that his ghost 'friends' weren't bothering him much anymore.
He had went through a lot while in high shool; becoming a ghost vigilante, barely passing his classes, and closing himself off. Most of all, he had to hide all of that from his perceptive psychologist sister.
He had also started wearing more layers of clothing. He looked sicklier and paler than before, like he was in pain and had so much difficulty walking that he unconsciously stuck to walls for support. Sometimes they would notice the bruises forming on his face, yet he kept avoiding his friends' worried glances and confused pleas about how they barely hung out anymore. Of course they would be worried.
More than his parents cared, at least. They would just say: "Hey Danno, you lookin' like you need more sleep don'ya," and go back to yelling about tearing ghosts up molecule by molecule, especially their son's ghost form.
They didn't know that he spent his high school years doing things that no teenager should do. They didn't know the responsibility weighing on his shoulders becoming heavier each day with each unfolding event.
At least his friends and his sister cares for him so much it make his core rumble and purr unintentionally when he feels warm inside. He had to shut the purr halfway through all the time because of that.
Although, not telling them about his identity made him feel pain and vulnerable on his Death day every year, unable to be close to his Fraid. The only peace of mind he had gotten was that all ghosts respect Death days, so no one bothered him on his. He only hoped that his cousin, sister, daughter Ellie was not affected by Death day because of how she was born.
Danny was in his twenties now. He took a gap year before going to college to spend more time with his friends and sister, now that he was no longer weighed down by responsibility. He spent some weeks to go on vacations with Sam and Tucker, then some more with Jazz. After that, he gave himself months to rest and to travel through the Ghost Zone, or to hop around Earth now that he could create portals, and traded letters with Ellie about their travels.
He thought it was about time he revealed things to the important people in his life now that they became busier and didn't have much time to hang out. And more importantly, he wanted to introduce Ellie to his Fraid, to let her be a part of his family with a deeper bond.
He doesn't want her to feel the loneliness that he did when nobody was there to comfort him, even if she was always traveling.
Now the halfa take some notes and make a plan. He kept pondering over if he should talk to his best friends or his sister first, or both. He decided to yolo it (not that the phase applied to him). Mark down a date, gather his friends and big sister for a hang out, and tell them about his ghostly exploits around Amity Park, etc etc… Wow, it has been a while since he had planned this much, he hopes it doesn't fucked up.
"Spill it out Danny, why did you want to meet all of us out of the blue? Decided that you want to go to college now that you bored of going around?" Sam nudged his shoulder before flopping down on his bed. Tucker came in after and shook his head, eyes still glued to his PDA even after all these years, and flopped down next to her.
Danny sighed fondly at them. He then looked over to his sister who was still leaning by his room door after closing it, and raised a brow at her. Then he got nervous because she hasn't spoken a word after coming into his room.
"Why don't you also sit, Jazz? I have something to uh… to tell all of you. And ask for your advice… please."
While he scratched his neck, Jazz glanced over Danny's room. It has been a long time since she came in here, years, actually.
Has his room always felt this… vacant? This empty. Even if his favorite blanket was nowhere to be found, she could still see all the NASA and spaces posters, along with some books and games. She must be feeling too sensitive.
Danny has been acting weird all his teenage years, but Jazz was afraid that she would overstep his boundaries. So she didn't ask and just worried more, going all mother hen over his diet and sleep schedule. However, she wasn't able to do it for the past two years since she moved to her college dorms, and she would be able to meet with her younger brother even less after she applied for her student exchange.
Jazz sighs, a sigh more apprehensive than Danny's. She then went to sit at his desk chair, hooking one leg over another, and nodded.
"Go ahead Danny, it's not like we can meet easily now that we're all gonna be busy being adults." she said and raise one of her brows, making the three gremlins in front of her groan loudly. It just make Jazz felt smug.
"So uh… six years ago…"
At that, the three snapped their heads to him, expressions more serious now that they could finally get an answer to the one mystery that haunted them for years. Danny was visibly paler now, twisting his fingers together and feeling the gloves he was wearing to cover his scars.
"When mom and dad had a slump in their researches and went out? And you're not home, Jazz… I-I.." Danny could feel the lichtenberg scars glowing and prickling on his skin, his flesh. He pulled at his turtle neck.
"Hey Danny, you alright? Is it something bad? You look like you're in pain, do you need breathing exercises?" Sam was no longer lying on Danny's bed and was standing near where her best friend sat.
"No, he's not… he's not in panic, breathing exercises doesn't work on him too. He's really in pain. Hey hey, Danny, do you need your sister to grab something? Your heat pack? I saw you use it a lot when you are in some kind of pain, right?" Jazz kept her voice calm, down on one knee beside her younger brother. Her hand hovered near his face, afraid that touching would make it worse. Danny just shook his head.
"No no, it's fine… I always get like this when I'm reminded of it… or when talking about it, it seems." Tousling his own hair, Danny leaned into his sister touch and sighed.
He loved Jazz' touch. The familiarity and warmth radiating from her always made him feel like she would accept him. With her hand on his cheek, Danny placed his own over hers to ground himself, and felt Sam and Tucker's closeness.
So he talked.
"Six years ago. I died." He heard loud gasps, but shut his eyes and continued. "I was dumb, going into our parents' portal without thinking… I didn't die all the way, and it turned me into a half ghost. You can call me a halfa, that's what the other ghosts call me. I'm sorry I didn't say it sooner, I was afraid… With how our parents and town view ghosts…"
Danny can feel the rough calloused hand on his back, over where his heart was beating slowly. He can feel the smaller hand with fine purple nail polish and flower detail ring on his neck, gently checking his pulse there. The hand on his face, still holding him tightly and now joined by another hand, cupped his cheeks like it was something fragile.
The young man wanted to cry now, but not from the pain anymore. His most important people still care about him, so deeply that he can feel their emotions through his core. Vibrating, humming a soft melancholic tune of mourning, grieving for their best friend, their brother.
After six long, long years, Danny could finally take the time to mourn for his young teenage self. The three enveloped Danny tight in their cocoon of hugs. They let the silence wash over them while crying together.
He listened to Jazz chants of "Sorry I didn't notice, I wasn't there with you."
He listened to Sam and Tucker's whispers of "You're not dumb, you don't have to say sorry."
Jazz sniffed and pulled out a paper packet from her pocket and gave it to each of them, causing some giggles to slip out. Fanning her face and wiping the tears off, she put her hands back on Danny's face.
"Is that why you wear so many layers now? And you're cold to touch… Your heart beats slower and sometimes… sometimes I feel like you forget that you can breath."
"Yes… I wear many layers and gloves to hide my lichtenbergs scars. They are deadly ugly." He giggled. Tucker's mouth dropped while Sam facepalmed with a desperate groan. Jazz just huffed and rolled her eyes.
Danny snarks back, "Hey! This is how I cope, okay? I have the privilege to it. Anyway, I'm cold due to one of my powers I got from fighting other ghosts. As for the others… They are just symptoms of how I am in the middle of life and death, I guess."
"And that's why your parents' inventions go haywire on you too!" Tucker pointed out. "Hold on a sec dude. Powers? One of your powers?? Dude how many do you even have. Wait… You said fighting, are you the ghost astronaut who fights other ghosts and talks like text to speech? Not that the ghost spoke much in the first place… But I noticed, man."
Danny scratched his neck again, nodding while being grabbed by Sam.
"Explain."
"Ok ok. Dawg y'all over my death that quick?" Sam was now shaking him roughly while Jazz gave him a judging look. "My bad I'm sorry. Please unhand me." He pleaded desperately.
"Yes, Tucker you're right. I'm that astronaut ghost that you've been seeing since high school. When I first went in I was wearing my parents' hazmat suit. But after I got thrown out from the portal, my appearance changed. At first it was just white hair, green eyes… then somehow the hazmat suit changed to a NASA space suit. Not gonna lie, I dig it more than mom and dad's suits ya'know."
Jazz furrowed her brows. "At first? You mean your appearance can change? Do you know why your suit changed too?"
Danny huffed. He felt thirsty so he crawled next to his bed and took a water bottle, drank it, then continued.
"Yeah. I don't check myself out that much after that incident. Too busy fighting other ghosts to protect my hometown… But now I know more about ghost cultures an' all. I'm on friendly terms with them now by the way, that's why there less fights and stuffs too."
"My skin turns pale blue-ish after I got my ice powers. I got pointed ears, claws, and sharper fangs… even in human form if I don't want to hide them. And uh… not important but somehow my freckles glow more when I'm in ghost form. As for the suit change, let's just say ghostly obsessions doin' some banger stuff." He pulled one side of his cheek to show them his fangs.
"Bro, these are so banger, not your dead nuh-uh shush before Sam punch you dude. But you being half ghost… halfa? Yeah that, do you mind if I document your abilities and health conditions?" Tucker asked. All three heads snapped to him.
"What?? Look, I know you don't have to fight the ghosts much now. But I still want to help or be there when you're in pain, dude. You always look like you gonna trip over nothing! I sometimes see you holding your left hand, limping, or having a hard time standing! Don't tell me you haven't pass out once or twice!"
His best friend kept rambling while Jazz nodded with every single thing he said. "He's right Danny, this clearly affecting your… human side. Let us know more, we want to help you. Please don't hide all of these from us anymore."
Danny didn't know that was all it took for him to show them his lichtenberg scars. But he's not afraid anymore.
Trembling from the after effects of talking about his death, even when it's not in explicit detail over how and what actually caused it, Danny took off the gloves one by one carefully. He pulled out his t-shirt, then his turtle neck.
"I'm not trembling from the cold, by the way, in fact I really love cold weather now. I was just so afraid my scars will show so I wear more clothes than usual to hide the scars. They are… Large, as you can see." Danny kept his eyes down, he doesn't want to know what they think of them, yet.
"Oh… my baby brother." Jazz teared up again, hand hovering over the glowing green lightning scars. She knew how her younger brother died now. There's bile in her throat, and she choked over how the scar covered his left side, creeping up to his chin, to his heart.
"Dude, this ran all over your back. They are glowing… holy shit."
"Danny, are you hurt right now?"
"Not much anymore. It glows because I just recalled my death. It will dim once time passes, it's ok."
"I called all of you here today since mom and dad won't be home for two more days. That means their traps are all deactivated for now. I can transform to let y'all look at it more closely and I'll tell you more about my stuffs."
Danny stood up while putting the clothes back on. He then let white rings travel from his torso to his head and toes.
Standing there in Danny's bedroom is the ghost astronaut with his deep black spacesuit decorated with white and neon green details. The young half ghost waved and floated up, crossing his legs mid-air. He let out a monotone, clearly text to speech type of voice.
"He-e-llo! This is Phantom speaking!" The voice raised at the end, echoing and autotuning in a funny way.
Sam giggled, swatting his right shoulder.
"The hell is that, you can adjust your voice? And you calling yourself Phantom? Dude, you are in a spacesuit. At least think of some spacey themed name wouldja?" Tucker also crackled while Jazz just shook her head fondly.
Danny tilted his helmeted head "Aeiou?" Then he spammed crackling sounds before doing his best to nod.
"It's not really a text to speech, but the voice does indeed sound like it. I can change the pitch a bit, but it will still sound the same monotone-ish vibe ya'kno. I honestly dunno how to explain it because it's just like that."
"And besides…"
He put his gloved hands over his helmet, twisted, and pulled it out. It revealed a teenager whose hair is as white and fluffy as snow, pale blue skin like the cold winter sky, pointed ears, and glowing freckles, sparkling like stars stuck on his face. His lichtenberg scars looked like the Milky Way and barely contained in humanoid form. He looked inhuman.
He looked young.
Danny looked like he's fourteen.
"Yeah, I look the age when I died." He smiled sadly, then continued while the others still stared at his appearance.
"My mentor said that I will look like this until my human side die completely… After that my form can change to when I will be able to love myself the most, and the happiest moment of my life."
That snapped the three of them out of their complicated thoughts. They all felt relief with how Danny won't be stuck at the most traumatized moment of his life.
After that, Danny just changed back into his human form and flopped down on the bed with shaky legs. Still, he laughed happily while the ones he holds dear in his core worried over him. He then told them about his stories and his secrets, from the beginning to the present.
The ghost astronaut still yearn for space, but he is not alone anymore.