'Why Daniel? Just why. Why do you try so hard and push yourself so far that you end up like this? In a hospital hooked up to all of these machines. What makes you do this to yourself?'
The questions continued to run through Vlad's mind as he sat at the young halfa's bedside. The boy had bandages on almost every part of his body except his face that was heavily swollen. He had carried the boy back from one of his more violent fights with a ghost that he couldn't find as he came to the scene. The only things that he was able to find were a heavily bleeding Danny Fenton and an uncapped Fenton Thermos. He could think of only a handful of ghosts that could put the young halfa into the state that he found him in and he was sure that none of them would go this far on the boy.
The boy could barely breathe by himself and the doctor's had said that he wouldn't have made it if they hadn't gotten to him when they did. When they had asked Vlad about how he came to be in his state. Well he told them the truth. He came across the boy and immediately rushed him here once he saw the condition that he was in. Even though he had omitted the Fenton thermos and how the place that he found him in was now a crater that showed no indication of what it was previously. It couldn't be called a lie though and was the truth as far as they were concerned.
The older halfa had yet to call the boy's family and friends. He was dreading the moment when he did. No doubt young Jasmine along with Ms. Manson and Mr. Foley would immediately think him the cause of Danny's condition. He can't think of himself ever inflicting that much damage onto the boy. Sure he may have given him a few gashes and bruises but he couldn't think of a time that it was anywhere close to this extent.
'These next few conversations are going to be some of the most stressful ones of my life.' Vlad thought as he stood from his chair and ran a hand through his slicked back gray hair. "You better wake up to explain what happened to you Daniel. If you don't then I'll be hard pressed to get them to believe what happened actually happened." Vlad said as he gave the injured boy one last look before walking out the room with his destination being someplace quiet to make the next few phone calls.
As he walked through the hospital's hallways he couldn't help but think about his own decade long stay in one.
'How many times have you had to come here Daniel? What excuses did you give the doctors to explain your injuries?' Vlad just couldn't stop thinking about the younger halfa and how he coped with his life. He was in college when his own accident happened and he was at least able to live his own life for a while. Daniel had no such luxury and was turned into a hlafa not even halfway through his Freshman year of high school. The more he thought about the younger halfa's life the more he respected the teen for pushing through it. Also he couldn't help but recall a conversation the two had.
Plasmius was panting from exhaustion. He glared as he pressed his boot down onto the younger halfa's chest. He had originally come to Axion Labs to acquire a piece of technology that seemed to be based off of one of his but the fight with young Daniel had completely pushed the thought from his mind. The entire building was wrecked and Plasmius could see that the cost of repairing the facility would easily cost a small fortune.
"Seems that I've won our little match Daniel." Plasmius taunted as a ball of pink ecto energy began to encompass his hand as he aimed it at Phantom's head. "Any last words, regrets, or whatever else there is?"
"Yeah. That I didn't kick your ass enough." Phantom said as he grabbed Plasmius' boot and flung him off of him and into a wall. "Something that I intend to fix right now." Phantom added as he brought himself to stand up and both his hands in front of him to charge a super ghost ray.
"Maybe you should answer you own question you fruitloop." Phantom said as he fired the attack at the downed Plasmius.
'No chance that I can take that head on in my current state.' Plasmius thought as the attack quickly rushed towards him. He would have to admit that he was still impressed by the younger halfa's power. Not many could still come out swinging out of the fight they had just had. A small smile barely formed on his lips as the attack began to get within a few yards of him. 'I'm impressed.' The attack overtook any attempt at defense or counterattack that Plasmius could send and he was consumed in it with the younger halfa watching.
Phantom saw his attack consume the older halfa as he hunched over with his hands on his knees from the exhaustion he felt. The attack had taken most of his remaining energy out of him. He finally straightened up after he felt like he had caught his breath. He breathed out a sigh of relief as he readied himself to leave. He was stopped by a fist hitting him the stomach, knocking the air out of him and he was launched into the air where he was grabbed by the neck before being slammed down with enough force to make a small crater in the ground. A boot placed on his neck prevented him from doing anything else as he felt it being pushed down with something else holding his arms in place. The smoke finally cleared enough to show a very unhappy Vlad Plasmius glaring at halfa under his boot.
"Why do you persist in being a constant thorn in my side Daniel? Why can't you just leave me to my business like I leave you to do yours? Can't return a favor can you?" Plasmius said with the anger evident in his voice. His attire had seen better days. It seemed like he was able to dodge the attack but he did take on a large amount of the force behind it.
"I'll fight fruit loops like you whenever I can!" Phantom yelled with resolve as he struggled to lift Plasmius' boot off his neck but only succeeded in getting it put on his chest. "No matter if your plan is stealing all the worlds milk or to try to get my mom to fall on love with you. I'll never stop fighting so get used to it."
"But why do you fight? The town hates you? Your mocked as Fentonand hunted as Phantom. Why waste so much time protecting them from the ghosts that wish them harm that they seem you as bad if not worse?"
"Because…"
"Because what! You have no reason to protect these people when all they do is treat you like garbage! They would sooner see you as a menace and on a dissecting table in some lab than a hero worthy of their praise! What drives you to protect them? Put your life on the line for these people? Why do you do so much to make sure that they're safe from the ghosts that wish them harm?"
"Because no one else will!" Phantom said as he flung Plasmius off of him. "And I'll be damned if I don't use my powers to help people when I can!" he said as he charged both fist with ecto energy and charged towards Plasmius "If they mock me, I'll give them a reason to cheer me!" Phantom's fist knocked the wind out of Plasmius. "If they hate me, I'll show them why they should love me!" another shot sent him skidding back "I'll show them why they shouldn't hunt me!" one of Phantom's fist connected with Plasmius' face. "I'll show them why I'm not as bad as they all think!" a second shot connected to his face. "And most important of all!" Phantom said as he crouched down and brought his fist back. "I'll show them why I'm nothing like you!" he yelled with conviction as he delivered a jumping uppercut to Plasmius that sent him to the ground.
'That had to be one of the worst fights of my life. I was sure that I had him beaten and then he gained that second wind after his little speech.'
"Excuse mesir you need to move."
Vlad realized that he had stopped walking when he was midway out of the door and quickly moved out and to the side to allow anyone else to go in and out as they pleased. Maybe these next few phone calls wouldn't be as bad as he thought. Daniel had at least earned his respect and this was the least he could do for him.
Now the only question was who to call first. Or who would threaten to kill him the least when they heard about Daniel's condition. Daniel might have earned his respect but his quick to judgment and then shooting friends still had a long way to go.
AN : Sorta just found this on my computer. Did a quick read through but not sure I caught everything. But I kinda liked it so here it is.