Summary:

(AU) A tragic accident during Danny's early youth merges him with his ghost half at the age of 5. Believing that their son was killed in the accident and that this current manifestation was simply a malevolent spirit using their child's body as an anchor to the living plane, Jack and Madeline Fenton surrender their 'son' to the G.I.W as anonymous benefactors. From here on out, the very thought of Danny being human died with him the day he stepped foot in the portal, opening up the gates to a hellish reality of confinement in an all-white room and at the mercy of researchers that don't even regard him with the dignity of an animal. Danny endures painful experimentation and severe trauma for the following 5 years of his life as the organization slowly tempers him into a human weapon, leaving him seriously emaciated, unsociable, and both physically and mentally scarred. Things start turning around for the child when his confinement cell is opened for the first time by a man not clad in a white suit... Vladimir Masters is shocked to say the least.

(Father/Son, no pairings, multiple chapters)

WARNINGS: Contains severe child abuse, mentions of torture, mild swearing, and blood/gore. Lots and lots of violence. Filled with angst and cringe-worthy subjects that will make your inner-sadist giggle with happiness. Enjoy~ You monsters.

Author's Note:

Yo! This is my first time writing fan fiction of any sort and I'm not exactly an avid writer, so I'm sure this story will be filled with errors and out-of-character characters. (Not to mention general formatting mistakes. This site is confusing).

Dear Fan Fiction Community: Please have mercy on my soul.

~PenFell

Chapter 1: White Rooms and Patient Men

"I don't know what to do, Jack... He is-was, our son... But, this just- we can't ignore this anymore!" A burly man placed a large hand on the shoulder of the weeping, slender woman. Though their faces were fuzzy looking, he could tell they were distorted in despair and anguish, and further more their intense emotions were directed at him. The child shifted uncomfortably, arms wrapped around himself and knees drawn up to his stomach. Icy white hair hung in his face, his vibrant green eyes locked on the two figures standing over him.

"Maddie, it would be for the best. We can't let our son's passing be in vain... At least the scum that invaded his body can be put to use in the name of science. They'd... He'd be more useful to a larger organization." The man comforted, his voice growing slightly colder as the idea of surrendering the freakish boy became more and more enticing.

"You know-" he started carefully "I bet that they'd be willing to fund our personal research if we, you know... Gave that Thing up." The woman shot him a dangerous glare at the implication, but he cut her off before she could barrage him with motherly anger.

"That's not our son anymore! You know it's impossible for a little boy to live through what happened, it's just... It's just a ghost, Maddie. A ghost that's wearing our son's skin. Don't you think that alone is enough reason to get rid of it? We aren't safe keeping it in our house, you have to think of Jazz! That Thing burned her, Maddie!" The boy flinched, tears prickling at his eyes.

"I-I... I didn't mean to, Dad!-" He started, voice wavering as guilt flooded over him at the thought of injuring his big sister.

"Don't you call me that, ghost!" Jack bellowed "Only my Danny can call me that, but you took him away from me! Danny is gone... And it's your fault." Maddie rubbed her husband's back, understanding that he was just as upset as she was in this matter. She glanced at the pleading green eyes of the ghost that inhabited the body of her little boy, and steeled herself.

"You're right, Jack." She said softly "That's not our son."

His eyes opened slowly, greeted by the ever familiar sight of white. White walls, white ceiling, white light, white suits... Everything he had ever known was bathed in that insufferable colour. The 10 year old sighed and rubbed his teary eyes, a blank expression on his face. There were very few things that Danny could recall about his past life. The time before the pain and rejection, before the White Room... His distorted memories were plagued with vague, blurry images of a petite woman, bear-like man, and red-headed little girl. Danny stretched, trying to force the dream of his past life from his mind. After all, that life was dead.

Danny rested his cheek on the cold floor of his containment cell, his raven locks poking into his view. He stared blankly at nothing in particular as he awkwardly tried changing his perspective of the room to provide some sort of entertainment (not that up looked any different than down in this place). The child's entire body ached, he could feel the prickling of bruises forming on his already abused skin from today's 'demonstration' of his present ability to some visiting researchers. Lately, there had been a lot of talk of his potential as a human weapon... Perhaps he did have some future beyond these stuffy, bland walls. Contrary to what the agents tell him...

His mind wandered to the events of earlier that day.

"Dr. Faust, your work is truly incredible!" A man wearing a fine silk suit complimented, shaking the Doctor's hand with vigour. "We couldn't have even imagined this sort of improvement from our visit a mere 4 years ago. You really do know potential when you see it!" The group of black suits all hummed and nodded in agreement. Faust grinned, gesturing to the small boy who stood as still as possible, looking straight ahead and actively focusing on not trembling with exhaustion. After all, these black suited men were supposedly some of Faust's biggest supporting companies. If he did anything to mess this up, his world of pain would surely be upped a notch...

"As you can see, Phantom is developing his physical abilities at an accelerated rate, not to mention his attention to both verbal and gestural commands is nearly perfected. We here at the Ghost Investigation Ward utilize a strict program in handling Phantom, to ensure obedience to the human he is presently assigned to." Faust pointed to the ground without even glancing at Danny, his charge sitting without hesitation to the hand signal. "There are a few... Habits, that must be worked out of Phantom, but we are steadily improving and deleting them." His expression darkened slightly, Danny was fully aware that Faust was referring to some of his more 'human' tendencies. The white-suits were always displeased when he revealed any of his human nature, which would reward him with a beating that not even the mangiest of street mutts would deserve. Danny wasn't entirely sure of the reason, but he assumed that it had something to do with control and emotional detachment from him. Considering his handlers were indeed dealing with a petite 10 year old.

"At this rate, Phantom will be ready for military use by the age of 12. This particular specimen is quite unique, you see. Despite being a 'young' spirit, it has exhibited power that is more characteristic of a very old ghost. Phantom may seem small, but this fellow can certainly pack a punch!" Faust laughed with false warmth, making Danny cringe internally. He was small because he wasn't being fed. After all, they couldn't risk him overpowering his handlers...

The all too familiar clanking of his door being unsealed had the child bolting upright immediately, resuming his fetal position against the wall as he waited for a handler to enter.

"Phantom." The voice penetrated the silence, yet another white-suited man stepped inside the small room, looming over the submissive form.

"...yes?" He mumbled quietly. The man's eyes hardened at his verbal response, which was answered with a sharp kick to his ribs.

"Ghosts don't speak." The agent apprehended icily, receiving a rapid nod from Danny who was quite aware of his common mistake.

"I came to inform you that it's that time of year again." Danny's icy blue eyes widened fearfully, he knew exactly what the man was getting at... "Which means that I have to prep you for the examination later this evening. The visiting company will be overlooking your check up, so you'd better not reduce yourself to a sobbing mess like last year. Faust is expecting your best behavior."

Whether Danny realized it or not, his body began to tremble violently at the mention of his unavoidable, yearly "check up". Where he'd be lead to a room he visits on this occasion to be strapped down and very thoroughly examined. Both externally, and internally... The annual vivisection marked the day that Danny was brought into the headquarters 5 years prior, the HQ of an organization that he only assumed to be comprised of monsters, rather than meant to contain them. The very first experiment he had experienced at the hands of the white-clad men was nothing short of a nightmare. Something unimaginable to most and simply an irrational fear, but for Danny, conscious vivisection was a reality of his existence. Every year, they would recite to him that they needed to document his physical vessel's growth from the previous year. All it did was renew their curiosity as to how it could even be possible for a dead body to grow and accommodate the ghost it housed... It had never, and would never occur to them that hybridization was possible between the living and dead.

The agent roughly grabbed Danny's already cuffed hands, pulling the sore child out of the White Room and dragging him down the hall, small, thin legs trying to keep their footing while being led by the burly adult. It was no use fighting... If he cooperated, it would be over sooner and he could forget the nightmare until the following year. This was the only thought that comforted the boy as he was dragged off to imminent pain.

Vladimir Masters had always been a patient man. He was patient while he watched a fumbling oaf steal the woman of his dreams, he was patient while he festered for years in the hospital after said fumbling oaf ruined his life, and he was infinitely patient while building one of the greatest corporate empires the world had ever seen. Yes. Vladimir Masters was a patient man indeed. However, even saints such as himself wore thin from time to time, and unfortunately, now was one of those times.

He stood amongst the smoking wreckage of what once could be deemed a house, or rather, a previously extravagant mansion that would make even the richest kings jealous. Men clad in pristine white suits bustled about the site, lugging expensive machinery this way and that while they ripped through his personal belongings. Vlad's body was rigid, fists clenched tight and shoulders fighting hard not to slump forward in a toxic mixture of rage and defeat. He tried desperately to formulate words, something to snap him out of whatever idiocy this could be. Before he could reign hellfire upon the white-suited men, firm hands clasped his shoulders and drew his stiff arms behind his back.

"Mayor Masters of Amity Park, by the authority of the Ghost Investigation Ward of Homeland Security and under the direct command of Sir Dominik Faust, we demand you stand down and come with us." A deep voice resounded behind him, reciting his memorized verse. A few other men joined the two agents, circling around Vlad with their charged weapons drawn as if he were a dangerous villain of some sort. Which would be preposterous.

"Exactly WHAT have I done that warrants THIS much arresting?!" Vlad roared over the buzzing equipment, earning him the startled looks from the horde of agents invading his property. He yanked his arms from the grasp of the men behind him, rearing back to glare at the two.

"Our locating equipment at the Amity Park G.I.W branch has been frequently picking up on extreme spikes in ecto-activity in and around your property. A tell tale sign of the presence of a powerful ghost entity. We have concluded that you have been conspiring with an unknown Ghost Zone operative, a dangerous one at that. We believe that immediate lock down is necessary to ensure public safety and prevent any damage that has, or may be caused by your activities." One of the men supplied carefully, coming to a stop just before a very agitated Vlad. His eyes narrowed dangerously.

"A bloody lock down?! You-" He trailed off, still rather speechless as he surveyed the remains of his home. Vlad drove his finger into the man's chest accusingly. "You demolished my house! I was not previously informed of your little.. Escapade, nor was I forewarned that my person was of interest to a ghost research agency!" The white suited man flinched, sneaking a glance over his shoulder in a silent plea for backup.

"Sir, I think-" "That you've made a grave error in judgement, fool?" Vlad interrupted, "Do you have even the slightest idea of who I am?" The man's eyes didn't stay locked on Vlad's for long, the seething aura radiating from the billionaire was almost palpable.

"I do believe that it is required of any organization, government owned or otherwise to obtain a search warrant before they trespass on private property. By the order of that Faust bastard or otherwise!" The man looked like he was about to protest, but Vlad didn't allow it.

"I have connections to places that your feeble imagination couldn't even hope to comprehend! I will NOT drop this severe invasion of my privacy and my property until I have successfully dismantled your ridiculous ward of the government." Vlad glowered, sizing up the man's reaction- which was nothing short of a flinch to his every sharply articulated word.

"S-sir, we can't ignore the energy readings we've received from this location, surely this allows for our agents to investigate for the good of public safety..." The agent replied weakly in an attempt to calm the fuming billionaire mayor of the city.

"According to page 198, subsection 7, paragraph 37B of the Anti-Ghost Code, you need a warrant before entering private property and may I add, demolishing a man's home." Vlad sneered, infinitely grateful that he was well versed in his anti-ghost laws specifically for a situation such as this. Not that he ever truly believed that said situation would ever rise to this severity, Faust's agents were getting dangerously close to uncovering his subterranean lab. He'd have to be rid of them quickly if he wanted to ensure his ghostly activities remained as undetectable as, well, a ghost.

The G.I.W personnel lowered their weapons, the buzzing noises of their equipment dissipating along with all of their will to verbally fight with the intimidating man. The leading agent sighed tiredly, adjusting his suit sleeves as he looked Vlad up and down one last time. Masters had a point. They had jumped the gun and didn't follow proper protocol and by law, their own law, they'd have to vacate empty handed, possibly losing their ability to investigate the powerful ecto-signatures originating from this site in the future. Hopefully Faust's connections outweighed those of Master's...

"Alright, Masters. You've won for now, we'll leave your property." He grumbled in defeat.

"But don't you think we won't go down without a fight. Your connections or not, we're with the government."

With that, the Ghost Investigation Ward began filing out of the charred remains of Mayor Masters' house, leaving the exasperated man standing alone amongst all of his destroyed belongings. Once all signs of the irritating agency was gone, Vlad seated himself on a large block of concrete and held his head in his hands, releasing a breath he didn't realize he had been holding.

That was close. Way too close for comfort. The G.I.W was becoming far too suspicious of him, at this rate he'd find himself locked in their HQ laboratory as a prized specimen if he didn't take immediate action. He'd have to plan this very carefully... The destruction of an entire branch of the government, of Homeland Security... Not to mention the planning of the downfall of a certain pesky CEO, who had been poking around Vlad's business for nearly 5 years now... It was for the best. One less obstacle in his already challenging life as a half-dead business tycoon. With the G.I.W out of the way, his movement in society would be far less hindered. He wouldn't have to worry about a future strapped to a dissection table, deemed an inhuman abomination anchored to the living plane by a physical body. Many ghosts could rest peacefully knowing a tortured future was no longer likely, and whatever sad souls they've worked with would be free to return to the Ghost Zone.

Yes. This would be for the best. Even if it took years to dismantle the ward, it would be the most beneficial investment of his time considering his future aspirations. His future safety... He didn't care how long it took, as Vladimir Masters was a very patient man.

Meanwhile, at an isolated facility tucked deep in the mountains of Colorado, in a small White Room devoid of natural light and sealed tightly by energy-infused titanium walls, a 10 year old child huddles himself as far into the corner as physically possible. Chest heaving in a mixture of fear and pain as he gasped for precious oxygen, struggling through the intense burning in his organs and ignoring the soggy warmth of the dirtied bandages strewn over his chest and abdomen. The day after always hurt the worst...

Author's End Note:

So yeah! I hope you liked the first chapter. I'm kind of nervous uploading this... Please let me know if anything didn't make sense or I made any spelling errors. I'll be drawing a cover page for this story later if it becomes interesting enough to the community.

P.S; This story will follow Danny's reintegration into society. So it's not just his life in confinement.