Theme: End

IOM JAGOJ

A series of oneshots

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Title: Stitch the Wounds

Genre: Hurt/Comfort;Angst

Rating: M

Characters: Vlad Masters, Maddie Fenton, Jack Fenton

Summery:Sometimes, things must break before they can get better.

Warnings: Swearing; Minor gore; Descriptions of a panic attack

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"Wakin' up, I don't feel alive,
How fucked up are we inside?
Breaking up in your empty eyes,
Where's the truth to all the lies?"
-Let Go, Hollywood Undead

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The word swam in front of him, and his fingers dug into the upholstery of the chair. Colors blurred, and he felt a sickening sense of vertigo as the lights brightened and dimmed seemingly at random. He bit his tongue to try to stop the feeling of rocking, but it did little to help. He kind of saw two faces turn towards him, and he focused on trying to see them clearly.

"You okay, Vladdy?" the concerned tone in Jack's voice was genuine, and it did nothing to help kick Vlad's urge to puke. Maddie's face, however, was a welcome sight when his world became crisp again, her brows knit as she looked at him with worry.

"I'm sorry, I just don't feel very good." Vlad said, "I think I might be coming down with something."

Jack smiled, and Vlad internally kicked himself, "We've got some meds if you wanna take anything. It's best to catch it before it gets too bad, after all."

Vlad shook his head, "No, that's quiet alright. I'll be fine on my own."

"If you say so." Jack shrugged, "Anyway, we started these new plans for a gun against Phantom. He's always oddly resistant to our other weapons, they never seem to affect him as much as they should. But we got a lot of information from the last time we took readings of him. This new gun has to pack a good punch—maybe even enough to disrupt his signature enough to destabilize him!"

Vlad felt a pang of irritation, an unwelcome feeling of worry coming along with it. He knew Daniel could take care of himself, but the idea of such a weapon existing that could do so much damage to him was not one he was comfortable with. He didn't know what would happen to a halfa if their ghost half was destabilize. Daniel could very well be killed. At best, Vlad assumed he'd be severely injured and disabled for the rest of his life. He'd have to keep an eye on this weapon.

"How interesting. I think that such a weapon would be unnecessary, since there's really nothing physically abnormal with him." he mused. Maybe he'd get lucky and the latent lie would confuse them enough to be distracted from the gun.

Jack wasn't so easily swayed, "Oh, but he is! He's different from every other ghost we've ever known about!"

Maddie nodded, folding her arms over he knees as she leaned forward in the chair, "We don't know why, either. It's odd, Phantom shouldn't be as powerful as he is, given his age."

"Perhaps he's older than you think." Vlad supplied. His heel bounced off the floor, the familiar uncomfortable tension returning to his muscles. He ignored the way everything blurred a little again.

"We thought about that, but there hasn't been any reports about him before the portal opened. He doesn't have a history in the human world." Maddie argued. Jack nodded beside her and Vlad cursed their observations. The one time they actually pay attention.

He shrugged, folding his hands over his stomach as he lounged, "Just because he doesn't have a history here doesn't mean he's as old as the portal opening. He might have just been one of the first ghosts to come through the portal, not formed around the same time. Correlation doesn't prove causation."

Maddie hummed, "True..."

Jack watched as she held her chin in thought, they turned his attention back to Vlad, "Hey Vlad, d'you have any ideas about why Phantom's different? We can't really think of anything."

The heat he was used to having was getting uncomfortable as it increased in temperature. The vertigo worsened, and he clenched his teeth together. He swore he felt his stomach back flip. He didn't dare shake his head, he feared it would make the sudden onslaught of symptoms worse.

"I'm sorry, I don't. I haven't studied anything ghost-related since college. I admit my knowledge on the subject is...degraded." he said, unable to keep from slurring his words. His lungs clenched while he was talking, refusing to relax. He only just barely managed to force out the last word.

It felt like his core was burning a hole in his chest. He tried to focus on breathing normally, but he could hear his own breath. He tried to find something to stare at, to pretend to be captivated by, but he couldn't find anything in the shifting world. The chair against his back was a pleasant source of stability. He felt his core pop once, twice, and it took all of his restraint to not curl up from the pain. He'd felt worse before, he tried to tell himself. It didn't really help. He rubbed the spot on his chest, knuckles pressing into his flesh as the tried to knead the soreness out of it. He was certain that sweat was gathering under his suit collar and at the back of his neck. He'd forgotten how uncomfortable sweating actually was, given he never overheated anymore. He could feel their eyes burrowing into him, and he wanted nothing more than to just get to the safety of his own home.

Maddie noticed his discomfort, and for once, Vlad was not alright with her attention. She looked him over, "Vlad, are you sure you're okay?"

He waved a hand, "I'm fine." He felt like he couldn't breathe, his lungs were so tight.

She frowned,"If your having chest pains, we should really take you to the hospital—"

His core twisted.

"No!" burning heat racing across his nerves in panic. Memories of the isolation and the pain and the terrible treatments flashed across his mind. Both Maddie and Jack flinched back, and Vlad swallowed thickly, "I mean, that won't be necessary. I'm not having chest pains."

Jack stared at him, but eventually nodded, "Alright."

"I do think I should go home, though. I wouldn't want to get anyone else sick." Vlad admitted. A few of his words slurred despite his best efforts to keep his voice even.

He wasn't going to waste the opportunity to get away. This wasn't normal, something was wrong with him. He was not one to have power issues, and having them now in front of ghost hunters was not the best thing to do. He didn't even wait for the responses, it wasn't up for debate. He was leaving. He pushed himself out of the chair, and his world went white. He felt everything jolt, his hands lashing out to grab something to keep himself from falling. His legs nearly buckled underneath him, it was only by sheer luck he managed to catch himself. He waited a few moments, trying to bring the world back so he could see. Everything still felt like it was moving, and he regretted, not for the first time during the evening, coming over when Jack had asked him to.

"You shouldn't be driving if you're stumbling, let us take you home." Maddie said quietly, sounding closer than before. Vlad felt nimble fingers hook under his elbow and he flinched away from the contact.

Vlad shook his head slightly, but even the small movement made colors dance between his eyes, "I'm fine. I can see perfectly well and my reaction time isn't hindered. I just stood too fast." When clear sight came back to him, he saw that both of them were way too close to him for comfort. He took a step back.

"Please, Vlad, I insist. I'd rather be safe than sorry, it only takes a second for someone to T-bone you." Jack pleaded, and Vlad bit his tongue to keep the remark that came to mind to himself. It was his damn fault he was even having this problem right now.

"I'm aware. But I'm being serious, I don't need any help. I can drive myself." Vlad protested.

He took the moment to sidestep around both hunters, and he tried to walk as fast as he could towards the door. The movement made him feel sick, and he was completely aware that he wasn't even walking straight. He hissed when he felt Jack's hand on his shoulder. The gesture gave him no stability and he staggered a little mid-step. he knew his body was hotter than what could be humanly possible, he could already feel the tendrils of smoke tickling the back of his throat. He needed to leave, he couldn't have a power meltdown here. It would be game over for him.

Jack's hands pulled him straighter, Vlad didn't have the energy to keep his shoulders from slouching, "You can barely stay on your feet! You're not driving."

Vlad shrugged off his fingers, "It's nothing! I'm fine!"

He glared at Jack, but was shocked when Jack returned it in full, "You either let me drive you home, or you can stay the night. You're choice. We're not letting you get behind the wheel."

"I said I'm fine! I'm just...running a little fever." He bit out, his breath hot. He smelled smoke. He swayed, and everything felt light. He felt the wonderful coldness of the wall solid under his fingers.

"He's lightheaded. I'll get a chair, he's going to pass out." Maddie's voice floated through the haze clouding his mind. He grit his teeth, snarling.

He slammed his palms onto the wall, "I SAID I'M FI—!"

His core popped again, his left arm set on fire. He felt a wavering sense of numbness pass over his flesh for a moment, and something was around the limb. As quick as it came, the sensation left, and pain exploded into his mind like a bomb. He screamed, his muscles tightening despite the fact that it worsened his agony. He barely heard Jack call his name as he fell against the wall, eyes shut tight. His fingers clung to the part of his arm that wasn't in the wall, as if holding it would make it hurt any less. He forced his eyes open, hissing through his teeth. His arm was phased into the drywall, stuck inside it. He pulled on it. it didn't budge. He tried to reach out to his core, flinching back when it flared with pain. He was stuck in the wall, and had no way to get out.

He hissed, faint pink trails rising from his breath, "No...oh god, no..."

He heard footsteps on the carpet, "V-Vlad...? D-did you just...?"

"D-don't...dammit...not now..." He muttered, tugging on his arm. Pain shot up into his shoulder, but he ignored it. More footsteps, and his eyes went wide.

Panic consumed his mind.

He swung around, "Stay away! Don't come closer to me!"

Jack froze, staring wide-eyed at him—more specifically his arm. Maddie had her hand over her mouth, standing near the doorway of the kitchen. Jack slowly swallowed, "Vlad, a-are you...?"

Vlad tensed, pressing fully against the wall. A pressure bloomed in the center of his skull, a painful drumming extending like claws over his brain. His chest felt tight, like everything inside it was collapsing in on itself. White spots danced in his vision. His eyes darted between the two hunters, raw fear filling every inch of him.

"Stay back! I'm fine! Just stay away!" He barked, voice raspy and thick. He yanked hard on his arm. If he could just get it out, he could run. He could hide. He had the money and the resources to make himself disappear in more ways than one. The wall refused to release him and he pulled as hard as he could, "Dammit, let go-!"

He saw Maddie move to Jack's side out of the corner of his eye, "Vlad, you're breathing really badly, and your smoking..." She took a few steps towards him, "Please, let us help yo-"

"Get away from me!GET AWAY! I REFUSE TO BECOME YOUR EXPERIMENT! KEEP AWAY FROM ME!" Vlad pressed himself so tightly against the wall, his shoulder blade hurt, shrieking.

"We're not going to hurt you, we just want to help—"

Something snapped in his mind, and his eyes went red.

"Like you said you'd help me with my thesis?! Like you said you'd help me with my fear?! Like you promised you'd help me after the accident?!" He snapped, his burning eyes turning to glare at them. His irises glowed brightly, smoke trailing from them, "That's the thing when you two say you're going to help—you never do! It's always empty promises and disappointments!"

Jack gaped, "We don't underst—"

Vlad snarled, large pointed fangs bared. The glowing red spot on his chest grew larger, the smoke rising from it like it was a fire. Pink energy crackled around him, a faint aura outlining him, "That blasted Proto-Portal destroyed my life! You half killed me, Jack Fenton, I'm half ghost! Five years I spent locked away in an isolation room of that damn hospital! Five years I slowly died from Ecto-Acne from your careless mistake! I endured years of my body revolting against ectopoisoning, of being torn apart until my ghost half saved my life!"

"And both of you did NOTHING!" He screamed, "NOT A GODDAMN WORD, NO CARDS, NO CALLS! NOTHING! I HALF DIED AND YOU DIDN'T CARE!"

Jack was taken aback, his eyes wide and horrified. He searched Vlad's face, but found very little resemblance to the friend that had been sitting in his living room just twenty minutes prior. He didn't look like he was lying either, but Jack knew that that couldn't be true.

He shook his head, "W-what do you mean, we sent you a letter every week but you never responded..."

"LIAR!"

Jack opened his mouth to respond, but Maddie held her hand up to him. She slowly moved her hands in front of her, holding her empty hands up. Vlad glared at her, and she took a small step towards him anyway. His arms were shaking, his body pressed firmly against the wall like he was trying to hide against it. She should see the light of his core through the dark suit he wore, the veins on his neck glowing. Red haze escaped his throat every time he heaved a raspy breath, the flyaway strands of his hair plastered to his shining skin. The sweet scent of ectoplasm blended with the smell of something burning. Jack took a step forward to stay at her side, and Vlad glared at him.

Jack hold his hands up too, trying to show Vlad he meant no harm, "Please, Vlad, calm down. You're not okay, look at yourself. Your chest is glowing and your shaking and you're smoking all over." He risked taking another step, slowly reaching out to his old friend.

"DON'T TOUCH ME! GET AWAY!" Vlad screeched, flinching away like a cat avoiding boiling water, "I WILL DESTROY YOU, I WILL BURN THIS HOUSE TO THE GROUND IF YOU TOUCH ME! I HATE YOU, I HATE WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO ME, I HATE YOU FOR TAKING AND HAVING EVERYTHING I'VE EVER WANTED! I HATE EVER KNOWING YOU! I HATE THE WAY YOU LOOK AT ME LIKE I'M SOMETHING THAT NEEDS FIGUREING OUT BECAUSE I! AM! FINE! I'M FINE I'M FINE I'MFINEI'MFINEI'MFINEI'MFINE!"

He felt his core lurch and the numbness seeped down his arm in patches. He didn't even wait for it to fully envelope him before he yanked, pulling his sore limb from the wall. Something sliced his flesh as he freed himself, but he didn't care, "Gah! God dammit, finally!"

He held his arm close, his eyes darting to the Fentons. They were too close, too close, too close. His mind raced, his instincts kicking in. Fight or flight, kill or be killed. Live or die.

He shifted, his muscles tightening. His core burned, too hot. Too hot.

His heart raced, he couldn't breathe, everything hurt. He saw their fingers.

Too close.

He couldn't fight. He darted to the side, sheer panic filling his veins. Run. Run. Run! Get away. Save yourself. Self preservation. They'll hurt you. They'll tear you apart. They hate you. You're not safe. Get away.

He heard them call after him, but he didn't stop. His feet hit tile, he'd run the wrong way. Didn't matter, there was a back door. Back door. Back door. Back door. Run run run. Can't breathe. Chest hurts. Everything smelled like fire, everything felt like fire. Something was burning. Back door.

He saw the brass knob, and he raced for it. His fingers grazed it before he felt the arms around him.

TOO CLOSE

TOO CLOSE

He tensed, his fingers hooking and his nails scratching down slippery spandex. FIGHT. FIGHT. NOT SAFE. THIS IS DEATH.

He fought, writhing, as the arms pulled him away from his exit. Escape. Escape. He needed to escape. His blood pounded so loud in his ears, and he chest hurt so, so much. Too much.

He couldn't breathe. Too much pain.

It hurt.

It hurt.

"GET OFF ME! GET OFF! LET GO! STOP TOUCHING ME!" He shrieked, pushing and writhing and kicking. Fight fight fight. They wouldn't let go. Too close. "GET OFF!"

Fingers and arms laced around him, "Oh my god, Vlad, we are so sorry. We're so sorry..."

Too close.

Trapped. Trapped meant pain.

His eyes darted across cabinet doors, vision blurring, "Let me go!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry...we never knew, we never..." Maddie whispered, her voice so close to his ear. Her voice was cold on his skin, "W-we thought you were angry with us, we thought you needed space, we thought you hated us...We didn't know how hurt you were, how much we were still hurting you...I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."

"I'm sorry, please, Vlad, I'm sorry, I never meant to hurt you so bad—you were my best friend, I would never—I didn't—I couldn't—Oh god everything makes so much more sense now." Jack breathed, trying and failing to say so much as once.

They were holding him close. Maddie's arms tightened around his neck, her eyes shut so tight it hurt. It didn't stop the tears that clung to her eyelashes, they prickled her skin. Unevenly cut nails tangled in the ragged tangles of his ponytail, clinking to hair and dress shirt collar alike. Larger arms encircled his waist, thick fingers fisted into the expensive woven black fabric. Vlad was so tense, he was shaking. He was sandwiched between them. His heart beat so fast and so hard he thought it was going to give out, it hurt so bad. He couldn't do anything, his own hands digging in like claws to the bodies around him. They didn't seem to care how hot he was, how he was burning. He screwed his eyes shut, tried to turn his hearing off. He didn't want to hear this. He couldn't—

"We're so sorry, please, we're sorry..."

—It hurt—

—Everything hurt.

He swallowed, his throat raw "I need to leave, let me go..." he whispered.

They squeezed tighter.

"We're so sorry for everything. For leaving you behind, for the hurt, the pain, for not knowing—We should've known better—We were your best friends, oh god should we have known better—We should have seen that something was so very wrong but we didn't and we're so-so-sorry!" One of them pleaded, and for his life, Vlad couldn't figure out which one. "Please...can you ever forgive us?"

"I don't know...I don't know..." He shook his head, his voice so quiet. He tried to ignore the hotness that wet his eyelashes, "Oh god—Not here—Not now—"

He heard Maddie sniffle as she loosened her grip and pulled away. He refused to meet her eyes, he couldn't he felt her fingers ghost over his arm, pulling the drenched fabric away from the cut on his arm. He winced when she brushed the torn flesh.

"You're bleeding really bad..." Jack muttered.

Vlad cracked his eyes open. White blotches danced around the edges of his vision. He cast a glance down at his arm. Skin and muscle alike was fileted open like a fish. Thick blood congealed in the slice, glowing chunks of bright neon ectoplasm tainting it. The veins around the wound glowed, the light trailing down into his palm.

He swallowed thickly, turning his eyes away, "I'm fine..."

Maddie raised her eyes to his face, "No, you're not. You're not and it's all our fault...wait here..."

She pushed herself to her feet. Her heard her jog across the room and down into the lab. He swallowed again, closing his mouth as he tried to breathe out of his nose. He felt horrible, the pain returning to his skull slowly. With it came the vertigo, and he bit his tongue. He dug his finger into his chest, hissing as his core twisted again. Loud footsteps sounded from the lab door, and Maddie took the stairs two at a time. She dropped back onto the floor beside him. He rolled his gaze towards her hands, watching her put a first aid kit beside her but keep the scissors. She gently slid the blade of the scissors under his sleeve cuff, cutting it down to the tear. She moved up above the wound, cutting off the entire lower arm of both the suit jacket and the dress shirt underneath. She opened the kit, removing a soaked cloth that had been hap hazardously tossed inside. She reached out towards his arm and he pulled away.

He held his good hand out for the cloth, "I can take care of it myself, I know how to-"

"Hush." Maddie shoved his hand away.

She gently took hold of his wrist. Jack's hand moved to grip his elbow, helping to hold the limb still.

"Let us help you...We owe it to you. Please, Vlad."

He tensed, his throat knotted into a lump, "I...I don't..."

He didn't pull away when Maddie began to lightly dab the wound clean. She worked slowly, trying not to hurt him further. She grazed over several painful spots, muttering an apology when he flinched. The bloodstained rag was traded for a needle and thread, the silence filling with sharp hisses and quick sorries. She ran the needle through his skin, Jack holding the wound closed as she sutured it closed, slowly but surely. It wasn't the best job in the world, the edges of the wound jagged and ugly and the stitches uneven. Maddie and Jack laid their hands over his, hooking their fingers through his.

They squeezed, "We promise, we're never leaving you alone again."

Vlad's fingers twitched, and he squeezed back. The wound pulled, stinging and still quite painful.

But it was closed, and it would heal.

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AN: EDIT: I removed most of the formatting for the breakdown scene, it was too obnoxious to read.