A/N: 'This' conveys a character's thoughts and "this" what they're verbally saying.
Chapter I: Smother me in Flames
He bypasses the withered sign, once again the translucent teen ignores the ominous warning of "no mercy". A familiar hospital crumbling from disuse and abandonment causes morbid memories to stir restlessly, yet he needs to keep them at bay. This town needs his protection he tells himself once again. A powerful ghost settling in an abandoned hospital with an array of medical supplies should not be left on its own.
Slowly and cautious of an ambush from the shadows glowing limbs phase through the outer walls. Radiant green eyes survey a barely illuminated room. Dusty linen neatly bundled sit atop every shelf, some scattered on the ground beneath toppled shelves. The following silence puts him on edge, the shadows of each far corner seem to be shifting hungrily. His bloodshot eyes scan every inch of the rooms the younger passes, even as he knows the foreign presence to be hiding out deeper in the surgery wing. Empty beds, broken machines and countless tools hiding amidst dirt and jutting out tiles.
Minuscule things occasionally shift in the comfort of the night and the smallest noise causes a charged ectoblast to be pointed at the source. By the point the distraught teen reaches the surgery doors a gust of wind could trigger him into attacking. With apprehension he phases through the last wall.
A shadow burning with black malice, a delighted chuckle at the long awaited arrival. The hero already knows which evil he is to fight tonight. Clenched fists twitch with the desire to heavily impact with her smirking face, yet he has to stay calm. This fight can only be won with a level head and controlled attacks.
"My favorite little freak, each time we meet your misery just seems to grow more than I thought possible. What a banquet of darkness you are, I should watch the amount I take from you lest I revert to a child." Her chuckle cracks like splintering ice in freezing nights.
Both entities begin firing relentless attacks in quick succession, barely leaving room to breathe between each shot. The sentient shadow still manages to evade nearly every blast her opponent hurls towards her.
The monotony of another taxing fight is suddenly interrupted by an unfamiliar noise further behind the ghost boy near the surgical double doors.
He almost turns around to find out which figure managed to sneak in, but the ghostly teen catches himself in time, yet this miniscule lapse in attention apparently was enough for the malicious ghost to slip past his defenses and get the upper hand.
Suddenly green eyes find themselves forced to gaze into a pair of menacingly glowing slits, a deadly form quickly coiling around a futuristic suit.
"Shit!" It escapes him with a hiss of air and the fervent struggle wields no results, the black snake's grip won't relent.
Sharp claws caress a softly glowing face in a mockingly gentle fashion.
"Such a word from your mouth? Has your mother not taught you manners? Oh, that's right," she exclaims cheerfully "how can she when she leaves you to fend for yourself? I guess just your prestigious sister was worth the effort and love they gave her. I must admit, it is completely wasted on such an abomination like you. A freak of nature even the ghosts themselves wouldn't accept."
His breath puffs faster, an unruly beast paces the cage that is his chest, its claws dragging along. The numbing darkness claims barely moving legs. The trapped teen cannot run nor kick, his booted legs hang limply in the air. Desperation makes weakened arms strike out. Despite being incredibly close they miss. Determination turns into something sinister, frazzling his nerves. He lashes out, punches viciously, tries to scream his otherworldly voice fails him, nothing but labored breath will rush past parted lips.
The unrelenting struggles are halted by a strange painful pull, the black tendrils around his limbs tighten.
Ghoulish sharp claws dig into an already bruised jaw and the hero's eyes stare helplessly into a burning abyss, shrouded in darkened inky mist. Endless depths call out to him like a longing lover, soft hands with the promise of blissful peace attempting to pull the victim of her gaze underneath the surface.
The glowing form of the malevolent ghost is bound even tighter by her slithering form and the scarce sense of happiness that may have been begins to fade through shaky hands in fine rivulets of sand.
'I need to distract her, focus her attention on something long enough to use…use what? What would keep her at bay? What would…what…what was I…I need to get…'
"Mhmmm delicious, this emotional symphony of yours." A wistful sigh slips from her lips. "Such a luxury to my skin. Should I start paying you for your services?" A demented chuckle rips from her throat.
"What really still holds you here? Your parents hate you and would like nothing more than to rip every fiber of you to tiny pieces. The Government agents trail every step you take. You are the very reason ghosts attack this town in the first place. Your existence is not required, it even harms so many."
The raging anger and panic begin to fade, numbing nothingness begins to weigh on his troubled mind like a heavy blanket. Thoughts fade like startled birds into the last rays of sunshine. His consciousness flickers and diminishes like a dying flame. The slumping teen lets himself be claimed by the dark.
'I am a burden…I deserve this…just…'
Time fades in nothingness, a familiar avalanche increasingly smothering a mangled mind, numbingly paralyzing. How long has his mind wandered in the nondescript dark? Minutes? Hours? Days?
'It doesn't matter, I feel nothing…no one…'
Suddenly a stinging and burning erupts in his barely moving chest, an urgent feeling comes back to gnaw on deadly calmness.
'What's happening? I need to-'
The ghost boy's hands blindly shoot out and flail in the void, a burning pain spreading in his chest as he grips strong gloved arms pushing him down into an uneven ground. The world illuminates to a clear semi-darkness, two halfghosts locking toxic eyes. Deep gasps heaving an emblazoned chest are the only source of noise until a confused muttering leaves the teens lips.
"Vlad? Did you just shock me? And what are you doing here anyway?"
Remembering flashes of the sentient darkness adrenaline once again resurfaces and coils among his insides like an electric current. The unsettled teen shoves aside the restraining arms, not bothering to wait for a reply and takes to the air with tensed hands set ablaze. Scanning for the threat with sharpened senses narrowed eyes observe what and who surrounds both halfghosts. To his surprise the ghostly hero only finds Vlad standing on the ground beneath him with a puzzled but guarded expression.
'I can't see her anywhere. Is she planning a surprise attack?'
"Where is Spectra?"
The older halfghost slowly takes to the air. Wearing a superior smirk he comes to eye-level with his adversary, his stature poised and demanding respect.
"I made her leave, no weak ghost is foolish enough to cross me."
The younger's eyes narrow with sharp suspicion at the other's actions. Both may have agreed upon a truce, yet the older ghost would still not willingly help anyone out if it were not to improve his carefully crafted image. Seeing as there are no bystanders in the abandoned hospital the teen begins to wonder.
"Why did you help me? If you would have let her drain me fully you would have been able to get rid of me without even lifting a finger." The accusation is thrown in the moldy air, both ghostly counterparts well aware of their dislike towards each other.
"Ah, but what a cruel man would I be to leave you to die by the hands of an evil ghost." A smarmy smirk sticks to his lips like honey.
The memories of the presence of another presence near the surgical doors resurface in the teens mind.
'Before Spectra got the upper hand my ghost sense didn't go off when the person sneaked up, which means-'
"It's because of Maddie isn't it? She must have been here, I heard someone enter the room. I bet you wanted to show her your heroics of rescuing the poor unconscious ghost boy to later on get in her good graces."
"You know Daniel, we may have a truce in which I agreed not to try any underhanded tactics anymore, but that does not mean that I am ready to give up on such a mayor influence of my motives yet."
A tan forehead covered by luminous bangs creases in confusion at the self assured words. Surely the experienced business man would not entertain such delusions.
'Does his sick obsession cloud his judgment this much?'
"Do you seriously think that you can win her over with honesty then? We both know that none of us two is willing to touch that hornet's nest, not even with a ten foot pole."
Silence slithers above cracked tiles.
"Listen, I know you already thought about it in detail, but even I haven't told them and my relations to them are of blood and love. You could try to hide it, sure, but one day they will know and then you will lose everything. Obsession is a dangerous thing Vlad, those who have it play with fire, sooner or later we will burn ourselves."
'He of all people I know should be aware of the strength hatred can have, how deeply rooted a grudge can be when you carry it with you for years.'
"You should not concern yourself with such matters Daniel, I will do as I see fit and as long as it does not harm those under your protection it should not be of your concern."
An air of superiority and anger begins to manifest as the vampiric ghost takes on a reprimanding tone.
"Besides, I have not completely pulled away from your life due to the magnetic properties you seem to have towards disaster and again, I was proven right. Had I not intervened today you would have failed my love, yourself and ultimately your family."
The barely held back insults the ghost boy wants to holler at the towering entity sour behind gnashed teeth.
'It's not worth risking our fragile truce.'
"I didn't think that Spectra of all ghosts would almost succeed in besting you, this teenage angst of yours is starting to get in the way." The bold statement prompts an immediate reaction. The younger ghost's left eye twitches and his patience snaps and splinters like a broken pencil.
"Teenage angst? Teenage angst?" A sarcastic and distressed laugh escapes him like a furious animal, disbelief colors the words he utters and pitches his echoing voice. "Oh why yes of course Vlad, I'm just going through puberty, it's not like I have the fucking government and my own parents on my heels, not to mention everyone else in this goddamn town who would sell me out at the drop of a hat without batting an eye! I wish you knew just how hard it is to walk even so much as a mile in my shoes!"
The older ghost seems indignant at the other's claim, insulted even. His voluminous dark eyebrows lower dangerously, gaze darkening.
"Do you think my life was easy? Have you ever cared enough to know or do you just assume everyone else had an easier life than you?"
"Well I sure as heck don't know any other teenager who could land himself restrained on a lab table facing experimentation and vivisection just because of one little slip up." Heavily constructed defenses begin to crack and crumble, raw anger attempting to push back gathering tears.
Blazing eyes intently search the glistening green depths, bluish features slowly softening.
"Dear boy, you forget we face the same risks. I-"
"Yeah sure, because you know exactly what it's like to be me, go through everything life keeps throwing at me and just hoping to get some semblance of control over it." With a desire to be understood the teen cuts the other halfghost off. The sense of false understanding and compassion his enemy's eyes provoking him into a verbal offence.
"Nothing is keeping you from gaining control. I somehow managed, but you have to put in some effort and stop letting everyone and everything from stepping all over you!"
"Oh, so now it's my fault I have a crappy life. Thanks Vlad, that really helps me with the whole issue." 'My sarcasm starts to get the better of me, we should part ways soon or we might manage to destroy the truce and go back to being enemies. I cannot manage one more powerful enemy right now.'
"You know what? Yeah, I'll just stop protecting this ungrateful town and wake up in the rubble my enemies created overnight. Sounds better than what I am doing right now, thanks for the advice."
Not bothering to wait for a response the younger ghost retreats quickly, the fanged ones responding deep growl is cut off while the luminous hero phases in quick haste through the walls of the surgery and utility room. His flight through the cold air is uninterrupted until he catches sight of his house, familiar neon sign burning a green patch of light into the night. White boots covered with soot and grayish streaks softly touch the floor of a darkened room. Furniture obscured in the shadows is illuminated softly by a bright light, a ripped black suit slowly fizzles into worn clothes. Adrenaline vanishing quickly a blunt but vicious headache picks up where it left off the moment he left for a fight. He ignores it, knowing it will fade eventually. Nimble fingers check for injuries, prod discolored bruises and trained eyes look over shallow gashes. After turning the flesh near throbbing bones invisible he concludes that there are no fatal wounds or awkwardly bent bones. The not even barely finished homework still lies untouched on a messy desk the way he left it with halfway scribbled notes. Schoolbook opened on the same page he tried reading and comprehending for hours with a little lamp illuminating the pitiful sight. A quick glance on the cracked display of the teens phone tells him it's already 5:46, the offending numbers mockingly dancing with blurred movements.
Worn eyes start burning with a vengeance, dirtied and soot covered fingers trying to massage the uncomfortable yet familiar sensation in vain. A grimace flits over tired features.
'I need a shower. Something to wake me up and get the dirt off me.'
The looming homework and throughout shower prompt him to consider pulling another all-nighter. 'The one or two more hours of sleep I could get won't make a difference at this point.'
Restless frustrations threatens to overcome the overwhelmed teen. With the last vestiges of self-control he pushes it down.
'Get your shit together Danny, breaking out in another emotional tantrum won't help you finish your homework.'
Two energy drinks later and mostly done with Lancer's English assignment a drooping head slowly makes its way onto a cluttered desk without the boy's notice. A heavy head and unruly midnight locks pillowed by solid arms.
"I wish you knew just how hard it is to walk even so much as a mile in my shoes!"
Lilac wisps of fiery smoke start dancing in a powerful pulse above green tinted skin.
"You wish to live the life of your enemy, ghost youngling? So you have wished, so shall it be." The words are whispered with the certainty of a promise, ghoulish red eyes holding a malicious glint.
'Let this rest be the last you may take in peace.'
Envy me not of my cruel fate, for a loved one's touch can never heal those scars.
Countless have tried, countless have failed.
