Vlad gazed listlessly out upon the city of Amity Park from his high hotel balcony. It was a sunny day with a light breeze that seemed to snicker at its own irony. He had arrived there a few days ago, after receiving a grave notification that would completely alter his life. More importantly, however, the life of the teenage boy who lived on after his family and greatest friends.
The funeral, or rather "celebration of life," for all the deceased took place earlier that day. Cremation was a necessity as the bodies were scarcely recognizable due to the inferno-like explosion.
He sighed weakly as he thought of the late members of the Fenton family. How he longed for the day to win Maddie over and make her his bride; to clean their slates and begin anew. Never seeing her warm expressions again formed a cold frost around his heart that painfully tightened when he thought of it. He would never love anyone else as much as she.
Jack. A good old friend, Vlad thought. Even he was unsure if the remark was truly sarcastic. His hatred for the man did not just stem from him stealing away his youth and happiness, but his innocent, childlike behavior that made him easily forgive others. Even after all those years they spent apart, Jack's heart did not harden with time like that of most men.
Vlad never thought much of Jazz before she came to his estate to escape from her ghost-obsessed relatives. She was smart, although an exceptionally cunning and surprisingly manipulative girl. A child he would have been proud to call his own.
Vlad turned his gaze to Fenton Works, a short distance away from the hotel, and decided to head out to take the sole survivor back to Wisconsin with him; his parent's wishes that he be his godparent should something happen. Vlad always wanted Danny as a son, to be with the younger hybrid as a fatherly figure and train him to use his powers more efficiently, but he could not muster a genuine smile because of the circumstances. Sighing once more, Vlad grabbed his coat and best poker face and descended to the ground floor.
He drove himself to Fenton Works, not wanting his staff around at such a delicate time. The moving trucks had already completed their rounds and in a short period of time, everything was moved out. All that remained in the house was Danny, who was ardent on staying until he was forced to go with Vlad, a few of his belongings in a backpack, and a framed photograph in hand.
Parking on the street in front of the house, Vlad walked up the few steps and knocked on the door, deciding it was best not to just barge in. After a few moments, he reached for the door handle to find it unlocked, and then gradually stepped inside the empty living space. Looking ahead, he saw Danny, who was seemingly soaking in his surroundings for the last time. His glazed eyes looked to Vlad, only holding contact for a mere second before averting it to the ground once more. The last person Danny would ever want to see in such a vulnerable position was in front of him. He would have blamed this man for all if he didn't convince himself it was his fault.
"Are you ready to go, Little Badger?" Vlad asked carefully, walking towards him.
Danny barely nodded in response, his mind elsewhere. Placing a hand on the boy's sunken shoulder to guide him forward, Vlad could clearly sense the anguish radiating off Danny. Without another word from either hybrids, they descended down and settled into the vehicle, trying to wrap their minds around not only the recent events, but what their future will hold.