He really should have known better.
Danny knew his parents were intelligent – geniuses, even. It was just so much easier to disregard their absurd inventions, even though they had helped and saved him multiple times. The Boo-merang had worked for ten years floating in the ghost zone looking for him. If it wasn't for that invention, he might never have stopped his evil future. The Thermos made everything he did possible. The Ecto-Dejecto had saved Danielle's life. The Spectre Speeder, the Xtractor, the Ghost Catcher, the Fenton Phones – Danny could go on for ages. His job would have been nearly impossible without his parent's assistance. Even the less useful inventions like the Ghost Gabber were brilliant and practical.
But their childish behaviour and obsession with ghosts overshadowed their intellect. They were jokes in the ghost hunting world, seen as unprofessional and useless. Danny personally agreed – They were completely inept. They couldn't catch the Box Ghost even if he moved in to the lab. But the one thing they were not was stupid.
In their continuous desire to invent, they had created the ultimately impractical Fenton Inviso-Glasses. It was the beginning of a series of inventions that had gotten Danny into this mess.
In theory, they were useful. They targeted a ghost's ability to go invisible. Put on the Inviso-Glasses, and the ghost couldn't hide.
Jack had used it the first time against Technus. Maddie and Jack had gotten there before Danny, who had been in school. Technus had taken over an electronic shop (typically), and the moment he realised turning invisible had been useless, he'd simply possessed the televisions and started throwing them around. Danny had to lure him out of the shop by 'accidentally' bringing up the Fenton RV parked outside, and all its electronics, sucking Technus into the Thermos in nearly the same minute.
The next invention included being able to see a ghost possessing inanimate objects. Renamed the Ghost Goggles, they made it only a little harder to avoid Jack and Maddie. Danny had guessed his parents were about two percent more likely to catch a ghost.
The Ghost Goggles were brought into play with Walker. This one had been much scarier for Danny – Walker had publicly demanded Danny pay for his crimes in the ghost world. Danny had become sloppy in his confidence with facing Walker. Walker and Danny had fought for a few moments outside City Hall (His statue had been destroyed! Danny was personally offended by that.) before his parents had roared up in the RV. There was a moment that Danny knew what was going to happen, because Walker had done it before. He possessed Danny's mother, and Jack's Ghost Goggles lost sight of Walker the moment he possessed his wife.
A brutal and frankly terrifying fight later had both Danny's parents safe, and him and Walker brawling across town. Sam had snagged the warden with a precise Thermos shot thanks to a distraction by Tucker, and Danny was once again left in fear of possibly losing his family to ghost attacks.
Jack and Maddie hadn't slowed down after the scare, though. They completely redid the Ghost Goggles, and made the invention that had revealed his secret.
The new name was what really irritated Danny. He'd lost his greatest secret because of the Spectre Spectacles.
The Spectre Spectacles had been upgraded to see anything and everything ghost related. He later found out they could see week old ectoplasm.
And really, that's what he was dealing with now.
"Danny-boy!" The unmistakable voice of his father outside his room startled Danny out of his video game. He paused it and got up.
"Yeah Dad?" he asked, opening the door.
His father had the goggles strapped around his forehead. Danny was vaguely reminded of those night vision goggles that he'd seen in movies.
"Your mother and I finally have the Spectre Spectacles in proper working order! You have to see them in action!" His father dramatically pulled the goggles down over his eyes, and stopped his movements so suddenly Danny leaned forward worriedly.
"Dad, are you okay?" he asked, eyebrows knitting together.
There was no response from his father, as most of his face was covered by the goggles. His wide-open mouth was a dead-giveaway to Danny though.
"Dad?" Danny asked nervously. He took a step away from the door and further into the room.
To Danny's ghostly enhanced reflexes his father's movements were slow. To a normal human, it would have been lightning quick. Jack had whipped out a plasma gun and had it pointed at Danny's legs, oddly enough. In the same moment, Jack gave and ear-splitting yell for his wife.
"MADDIE! MADDIE, GET UP HERE NOW!"
Danny immediately knew what his father was seeing without having to ask. He raised his hands up in surrender, backing up to the wall. His father followed him into the room, the weapon in his hands wavering.
"Danny – Danny it's okay Danny-boy, it's okay," Jack started rambling. Danny was at a loss of what to do. He had never imagined himself in a situation quite like this. He couldn't run, and he would never return an attack if his father shot at him.
Thankfully, Jazz arrived before Maddie. A gasp announced her arrival, and Jack spun around at her voice, though the gun was still aimed half-heartedly at Danny.
"NO!" Jazz screamed, and darted around their father to stand in front of Danny, arms spread wide as a human shield. "Stop, Dad! You don't know the full story!"
"Jazzy, that's not Danny. There's something in Danny, Jazzy, we're going to help him, it's okay," Jack's voice shook horribly as he attempted to reassure his daughter.
Maddie arrived in a thunder of racing footsteps. She assessed the scene in moments, noticing the goggles on Jack's head and the weapon now aimed at the floor instead of Danny, as Jack would not aim the gun as his ghost-free daughter.
"Jasmine, sweetheart, it's okay. We'd never hurt Danny, but there's a ghost in him. Those goggles," Maddie pointed at Jacks head. "They can see anything ghostly. They can see the ghost possessing him."
Danny was startled with how quickly his mother had correctly guessed what was happening. Now both his parents thought he was possessed. Great.
"Mads," Jack said, his voice shaking. "Mads, it's not just inside him. There's evidence in… all over the entire room. It's - It's everywhere."
Maddie turned her eyes to the room at large, before focusing on Danny, who wouldn't meet her eyes. Danny hadn't said a word. He had hardly breathed in the two minutes it had taken for this all to unfold.
"No, Dad, Mom, it's okay! It's still Danny! You have to listen!" Jazz shouted waving her arms frantically. "He's still Danny!" She was breathing heavily, and Danny knew her eyes would be wide and desperate.
Jack hardly looked human with the goggles pulled over his eyes, obscuring his emotions, but his body language spoke of uncertainty and terror.
Maddie, who wasn't influenced by whatever Jack was seeing, walked up to her husband's side and gently touched his arm. Jack shuddered, removing a hand from the gun to lift up the goggles. He focused on Danny's face, and Danny stared fearfully back.
Maddie reached up and pulled the goggles on herself. Whatever the goggles showed them was evidently bad, as his mother let out a gasp.
"Danny," she whispered, and Danny finally cracked.
"I'm not a ghost, I don't know what you're seeing, but there's a reason for it, you just have to listen," he pleaded, the words escaping him in a torrent. He was in some sort of shock. This was never how he imagined his secret would be revealed to his parents. He'd imagined it would be in a moment of glory, or a heavy conversation. He had never thought they could figure it out themselves.
Jack seemed to be beyond words. The ectoplasma gun was no longer a threat, as it had fallen to Jack's side. He simply stared a Danny, as though trying to see him through a fog.
Maddie lifted the goggles, and stared heavily at Danny and Jazz, who still stood protectively before him.
Another glance at her distraught husband, and she pursed her lips.
"You have five minutes to explain," she said. Her voice was strong and certain, though her eyes were almost wild.
Jazz heaved a sigh of relief, and lowered her arms, turning to look at Danny.
Danny met her eyes, and saw his own emotions reflected back. Fear, dread, regret and a hint of determination.
Danny tore his gaze from his sister's eyes, and faced his parents.
His hands hadn't lowered from their surrendering position from when he'd first been threatened, and he kept them there as he spoke.
"There's going to be a flash of light, but don't shoot. It won't harm you," he said, and his eyes flicked back to Jazz's. Jazz nodded in support, and gave his shoulder a squeeze.
Danny closed his eyes with a deep breath, and reached inside himself for his other half.
"I'm going ghost," he muttered out of habit.
His eyes stayed closed as he heard his mother gasp violently. His father swore.
Danny peeked his now glowing green eyes open, making a hesitant contact with both his parents' wide eyes.
"I'm Danny Phantom," he said. His voice was ridiculously weak.
Maddie's hand was held over her mouth in terror. Danny could see the connections being made in her mind.
Jack surprised Danny most with his reaction.
"The portal accident," Jack said when Danny met his eyes. Danny bit his lip before nodding to confirm his father's suspicions.
"We shot at you," His mother whispered. "We hunted you down – we spoke of dissecting you to your face," She seemed to be hyperventilating.
"Mom," Danny croaked, reaching out to her.
She reeled back, away from his hand. Danny let it fall to his side.
"Don't call me that," she whispered, and Danny's heart broke.
"I don't deserve to be called that," She continued and Danny took a sharp breath in disbelief. Whatever emotions she was feeling weren't directed at Danny – they were internalized.
Jazz exhaled in relief, and she stepped in to fill for Danny's inability to speak.
"You both didn't know. You can't blame yourselves for anything. Danny's at fault for not telling the truth earlier," she consoled. "You're both wonderful parents."
Her words fell on deaf ears as both Jack and Maddie stared at Danny, whose white hair and glowing green eyes still did not hide their son's features.
Jack again surprised Danny as he spoke. "You saved the world," he murmured. His stare was turning into a look of pride. "You've saved this city hundreds of times."
Danny lowered his now gloved hands to his side. "I've been trying to stops ghosts from attacking," He stuttered. He hated how unintelligent he sounded.
Maddie seemed to have gained control of herself as she continued to stare at him. "I think you're going to need more than five minutes to explain."