3/14/14: More editing! :D Added lot more Vlad-musing in this one. Hopefully it helps his character make a bit more sense. Also, changed some of the wording between Danny and Vlad's 'career-counseling' convo to give it more "umpfh". And accuracy.
Death is a dark shroud of mystery plaguing every human mind on earth. No matter how much some deny it, everyone is scared of dying. There are no definite answers to what lies beyond the grave, no absolutes. People can only use their imaginations to provide wild and fantastical ideas as to what awaits beyond the veil. Some dream of demons with gaping maws, full of sharp, blood soaked teeth. They hover in nightmares and shadows, reaching out with their skeletal claws to drag the unwilling soul to the burning depths of its home. The more fanatic think of death and see the carcasses of reanimated bodies, reaching out with rotted hands and moaning agonized cries. For them, death brings nothing but the thoughts of graves, monsters, fear, and darkness.
Others imagine a dark mist, an endless void of nothingness. They believe in the reality that despite a life time of suffering, sacrifice and grief, the only thing death holds is an abrupt end. Like the cut of a knife, any meaning is gone. There is nothing waiting, no secrets to be revealed. You die and your body is devoured by the maggots of the earth. It just all ends.
The humorous people are the ones who think there actually is something after death. They honestly believe dying means rising to the clouds to enjoy an eternity of happiness, as if they actually deserve such a thing. Pathetic. One of the most rewarding moments of my take over was when those delusional fools came face to face with the truth. They saw my armies of ghosts and cowered like a bunch of cockroaches, the crushing realization that the only thing after death is more pain.
There is no life after death, no great spirit in the sky. There's only this world and the ghost zone, the dead zone. You either cease to exist or you come back as a wandering ghost, doomed to live an eternal half life of heart break and longing. Such a fate is, in most cases, more terrifying than demons and nightmares. To wander the earth feeling nothing but sorrow, the raw ache slowly warping your soul into a mindless obsession and turning you into a sniveling creature of meaninglessness. Naturally, people shy away from such topics, and don't do well when forced to face them. People are terrified of death.
This all works to my advantage, really. After all, most countries were sent into a quaking mess at the mere thought of me and my ghost army. I became Lucifer, the Grim Reaper, Hades, and every other symbol of death in one night. They didn't know what to do with a creature so unnatural as me, a half ghost.
The third world countries were the easiest to take down. After a quick display of my power they all either hailed me as a God or bowed in an immediate and fearful supplication. But I couldn't just leave them at that, of course. That would lead them to think there would be no consequence for rebellion, and that just wouldn't be fair. Thus, Africa and South America are barely moving by now, and even better, the last fringing resistance in Mexico had been eradicated this morning. That meant at least seventy five percent of the world was already mine, and that was just the first three days.
Europe put up an admirably strong fight. At first I thought I'd subdued them, but a few days ago they tried to get vengeance. Needless to say, the pathetic attacks from the stronger countries was nothing short of embarrassing. They actually tried to use bullets against my army, and bombs. I honestly think they hurt themselves more than anything.
I couldn't let them carry on destroying themselves. After all, they're my subjects now. So I sent a swarm of ghouls to destroy them, killing and tearing everything apart in a matter of days. Europe is now a collection of ruins. England, the worst part of the continent, is nothing but a wasteland. Walker has already started construction of a great prison there. I intend to put the gulags to shame.
Perhaps I should clarify how I got the Warden of the ghost zone to bow to me though. I promised many of the ghosts a piece of the earth in return for loyalty and helping me keep my throne. I can plan ahead enough to realize being in charge of the earth is a big business. Thus, much of Europe has been turned into a miniature ghost zone, full of innocent people ripe for terrorizing and even a few portals set up for ghosts to come and go as they please. I've had scientists setting up portals all over the world, though. It makes traveling so much faster.
Germany, Spain, Italy, and the smaller European countries are all under my control now. After my ghost swarm, they caved like tooth picks under a cinder block, so much so that I think it's safe to say most of northern and western Europe has been reduced to the ghettos of WWII.
However, I did save a few things. Europe is a gold mine of history, after all, and such a treasure trove of art. I couldn't let places like the Sistine Chapel or the Palace of Versailles be destroyed, now could I? I do believe the French palace would be a perfect vacation spot for Daniel and I in the future.
Other than a few places here and there, most of the world has fallen to its knees. Fighting still continues, of course. Israel seems hell bent on keeping its 'promised land' but that shouldn't take more than a few days. Russia and a few of the Middle eastern countries have tried to strike up a sort of alliance with me, which I found both amusing and endearing. On a whim I decided to agree, assuming they'd agree to my terms, of course. If they become too irritating I can always kill them later anyways. So in the end I still took over their countries, but I didn't kill as many of their civilians. I think Japan is envious. I killed at least half of their population, see? And taking into account their very large population, it added up to a lot of people. Ah well. I suppose that's Ember's problem now.
The only country posing a problem is my own. I never realized how truly stubborn and even down right arrogant Americans can be. I must be squashing at least three dozen rebellions a day. They pop up in California, the Dakotas, New York, Florida, Texas, everywhere. It's getting to be rather annoying, actually. Still, I dutifully send out hundreds and hundreds of ghost battalions, each one reporting back with success. I do hope they stop eventually. Soon there won't be any Americans left.
I sighed, running a hand through wet, raven colored locks. They pulled away and I absentmindedly pulled them back, holding them still as my thoughts took over again.
Politics, politics, politics. There weren't even anymore politicians left and it was still all about politics. Hopefully, once the more hot headed people lose their fire, ruling the world won't be as tiring. I feel bad when I'm cross with Daniel. Lord knows our sex is angry enough. I paused, fingers stilling as a feral grin stretched across my face.
On second thought, maybe it's a good thing I'm so cross in the evenings.
In all seriousness, I'm satisfied things are starting to fall into a steady rhythm. Now I can finally focus on things closer than the next state, such as the Fentons. They're still missing, though I'm sure they're the ones heading the little resistance I've heard whispers about. Idiots. If I wanted to I could have them ratted out in my sleep, no matter how many anti-ghost devices they have to cloak and protect their location from me. I know they're here in Amity, and I know they're dying for a chance to attack and get their precious son back. All I have to do is wait for them to come to me, just like those foolish Guys in White. Their defeat is just too embarrassing to think about.
No, the real thing I should be focusing on is the boy in front of me. I felt a gentler smile slide onto my face, pouring water down his dark tresses. Daniel squirmed, obviously uncomfortable being naked in a bathtub with me, though it's not like this is the first time we've bathed together. He was silent, staring into the soapy water with a pair of dull eyes. The smile on my face slowly fell away and I rested my hands on his body, caressing the smooth skin until I felt him shiver.
"Are you done yet?" he finally snapped, shaking my hands away.
"No," I smirked patiently, hearing him mumble incoherent, murderous things about me. "The more you ask the longer I'm going to take."
He glared at me, which I preferred. I didn't like him staring with such blank, dull eyes. I wanted to see his fire, that spark of life he always carries with him. I get plenty of it during our late nights, but I suppose I'm just greedy. Or maybe I don't want him to look so lifeless? What I'd give to have Daniel return a smile, or to simply relax in my arms...
"Ow! Vlad, you're hurting me!" he winced, attempting to peel away the fingers that were digging into his upper arm.
I paused, staring down at him blankly as I loosened my grip. I didn't mean to hurt him. It's hard to remember where I'm at when I start going down that train of thought, thinking about Daniel and what he means to me, what he's cost. I had to endure twenty years of suffering for him, a concept the boy still fails to grasp. Imagine trying to convey that kind of pain to a fifteen year old, being completely alone for two decades, struggling with powers no living human should ever have, terrified that you might not even be truly alive anymore, and through all this you have no one to lean on. The betrayal I felt while sitting in that sterile, empty hospital room as my best friend went and married my college sweetheart. The only reason I found out is because they sent an invitation to the hospital. They didn't even deliver it in person. They mailed it. That mailed invitation was as close as they ever got to visiting me in seven, long, lonely years.
Distantly, I heard Danny whimper, a choked sound that he tried to swallow. I loosened my grip again, releasing his arm entirely to pull him into a tight hug against my chest.
I think, the moment I opened that letter...I hated Maddie as much as I hated Jack. It came after three years of silence, when I was just beginning to understand what the proto-portal had done to me. They caused the terror I felt during my every waking moment, the humiliation as doctors poked and prodded my disfigured complexion, but all they cared about was getting married and forgetting what they'd done. They just wanted me to disappear, and little did they know, I literally was.
I could never forget as easily as they did. The idea was laughable. For seven years I suffered alone, hiding and praying no one discovered the true damage the accident had done. Once released, I spent years struggling with the ghost powers I never wanted, no longer fitting in the human world and not quite fitting in the ghost zone either. I was rendered unexpectedly homeless in the most intimate sense, still abandoned and still alone. It was downright pathetic. What could I do but focus on the past? The happier times that came before the accident, when I was human and my only goal was to explore the farthest reaches of science. When I craved just a shadow of something other than misery and bitterness, my memories were all I had left. Memories of Maddie, the first person I fell in love with. It was I who introduced Maddie to Jack. Maddie was my friend first. Jack was the one who came in and ruined everything. He ruined the proto-portal experiment we originally started together, disfigured me and put me in the hospital for seven years, turned me into a freak of nature, and stole the woman I loved.
The burning indignation still simmers within me...truly, how dare he. I once wondered what kind of person it took to ruin his so-called best friend's life so throughly that they can never be normal again. And then, to just leave him? Both of them, they left me in that hospital to rot. I hated them. I still do. I vowed to ruin their lives as throughly as they'd ruined mine. I planned to show Maddie what she lost, what she could have had, and thought, maybe still could, if only we could forget everything and go back to the happier times before Jack had joined our group. I wanted to love her again so badly, with all the innocence and passion I had before the accident. But I could never forget, of course, and deep down, I knew I could never forgive Maddie either. But...what else did I have to live for?
And then, Daniel came.
It was unbelievable. Inconceivable. How long had I wished for this? I'd built my entire life around the desire to be loved and accepted, knowing that I could never have what I wanted because I was still half-ghost, still a freak. Because of this, I had to keep everyone at a distance. All the money and power in the world could never let me forget my darkest secret. That I wasn't really human.
But now, I wasn't alone.
It was pure sardonicism that he was the son of Jack and Maddie, the two people in the world I loved and hated the most. Hated with every fiber of my being. And yet, the boy knew nothing of this. He still doesn't understand, but how could he at such a tender age of fifteen and having been brought up under the idiocy of the father who killed him. How ironic that Jack would take everything away from me, and due to his own stupidity and carelessness, give it all back twenty years later. When Danny Phantom first transformed into Danny Fenton, I thought I simply needed to sway the mind of a teenager to have what I'd always wanted. Then, once retribution was achieved for us both, the past could be put in its place and I could move on, with him, as the only two hybrids in existence. We could make our own place in this world, together. Surely he had felt the isolation, the haunting knowledge that he wasn't welcome in either world anymore, no matter how much he wanted to pretend he was. There was nothing we could do about it. Nothing but carve out our own place in both worlds.
Unfortunately, Daniel proved as stubborn as his parents. He rejected me that first meeting at the reunion, and then it was just cosmic mockery that the one thing I'd craved most in twenty, ancient years had every intention of spurning my affections as throughly as his mother before him. It was as though the universe was actively trying to prevent me from ever being happy again, and perhaps it was. After all, what was I but an abomination in this world and the next? A creature such as myself, a half-ghost, was simply unnatural. As our many battles ensued, I feared another twenty years of pinning after what I could never have, forced to endure the taunting presence of a companion so throughly matched that half the time I wasn't sure if I wanted to kill him or kiss him. Both were equally disturbing ideas, and yet, so over-whelming it physically hurt.
What did I do to deserve such suffering? Such temptation? I wasn't any more despicable than the rest of humanity. I once had a mother who loved me, too. What was it that made my existence so repulsive, my company so unbearable? Was I not human?
Ah. But of course, that was the key question. When I realized how poignant this question truly was, I loved Daniel all the more.
The answer was no. No, I wasn't human, and there-in lied the problem, if you could call it that. I would never be human again, and neither would Daniel. Because of this, we couldn't let ourselves succumb to the same short-comings as humanity. Playing into their game would only lead to pain and suffering for us. There was simply no other alternative. Even Daniel's religious adherence to heroism was nothing more than falling victim to their scheme, their ploy to keep us controlled and restricted.
But I'll be damned before I let him be a pawn in anyone's scheme but my own. My little badger is much too young to understand the complexities of the world just yet, that physical shackles are only the most primitive of restraints. I vowed never to abandon him like his parents did to me. As infuriating as he might be, how could I fault his foolishness when he'd simply never been educated? I took over the world for a variety of reasons, but when you get right down to it, it was all for him. If we ever wanted to be free, we had to create our own universe, our own home where we could find solace and happiness.
For all the things that have slipped through my fingers in life, Daniel won't be one of them. He's just too important. We have no one but each other in this life. I'll make sure he sees that. I loved him too much not to.
One day he'll understand.
"Daniel."
"Mmgh."
"I love you."
He didn't reply, staring silently at the steaming bubbles. The silence of the extravagant bathroom was only interrupted by the light lapping of water against the tub. I tightened my coiled arms around his chest, feeling his heartbeat. It was a long time before Daniel replied, his voice small and tired.
"Whatever, Vlad."
Soon we drained the water and dried off. Daniel was shivering, holding a towel tightly over his shoulders. His fingertips had pruned, and a few beads of water were still sticking to his damp hair. How long had we been in the bath? The windows in the bedroom were dark with night.
No matter, I suppose. It's not as though I have to be at the office in the morning. With that liberating thought, I led Daniel back into the master bedroom, closing the door on the marble bath. He was more cooperative than usual, not shooting me murderous death glares every few seconds. Maybe he's finally accepting his new life? Ah, such wishful thinking. He's probably just tired. It is late, after all, and we've been very busy these past several nights.
"You're not gonna rape me tonight, are you?" he asked, voice deadpanned.
"No dear boy, I do think I'll give you a break. We have a long day tomorrow and I want you well rested." I chuckled.
Danny shot me a worried glance, fear behind the bravado in his eyes. He didn't ask what I was eluding to though. Probably because he was afraid of the answer. I'm sure he'll enjoy getting out of this room tomorrow. Then again, he hasn't seen Amity Park with his own eyes for a long time. It'll probably break his heart to see that the computer news feed wasn't lying all those days ago.
I restrained the sigh in my chest as I pushed him to the bed, absentmindedly removing the towel wrapped tightly around his form. Daniel tried to scoot to the opposite end of the bed, but I just grabbed his arm and dragged him back, locking the chain back in place around his collar. He grumbled angrily and turned his back to me, turning to stone when I slid into the bed behind him and hugged him close.
Really, I didn't want to see him be so crushed, but what could I do? He needs to learn that the world isn't like a comic book, and unfortunately, he likes to learn the hard way. I don't think I'll ever be able to truly break him, though. He's got too much passion for that, and I wouldn't want to do such a thing anyways. I just need him to understand his place in life now. Once he understands and accepts that he belongs to me in every sense of the word, he'll stop fighting and his life will become incredibly easier.
Danny was silent as I pressed our nude forms closer, erasing the last bit of distance between. He protested for a moment when I turned him around, facing me, but it didn't last long. He was powerless against my superior strength, especially with the specially designed collar around his neck blocking his powers.
It wasn't very similar to the one he wore on his first night here, it's purpose serving much more than just a fun restraint. All the inner micro-mechanics of the device were hidden behind an elegant, yet strong, black covering. The collar itself was seamless, only removable via intangibility, and made just for him.
I traced a finger along it, moving up across his jaw line and brushing over his lips. Danny's closed eyes scrunched up, and he moved his face away. I continued to watch him, his face buried between the pillow and my chest. He stayed there and didn't move. Slowly, very slowly, his breathing turned rhythmic. I caressed his back and he didn't move, sound asleep.
He always looks so serene when he sleeps, no matter what's just happened. I remember when he passed out on his first night here. All the anguish that had been on his face abruptly disappeared, like a blank canvas. Just goes to show what a heavy sleeper he is, I suppose. With a yawn of my own, I settled down for the night, lying my head close to his and keeping an arm wrapped around him. Yes, I think I've been neglecting my little badger for much too long. Tomorrow, that would all change.
-XxX
"You know, you've already taken me from my family and destroyed my innocence, the least you could do is let me pick out my own damn clothes."
"Language, Daniel."
The boy scowled, pulling at the collared blouse as we made our way to the dining room. My unconcealed smirk only further irritated him, balled fists giving away his emotions. He tensed when I placed a hand on the back of his shoulders, and silently, we continued down the hall.
Charcoal clouds hung from the sky, dampening the atmosphere and darkening pitless shadows. Our muffled footsteps seemed to echo as we approached a great, oaken door. Daniel gave me a cold glare when I held the door open for him, but walked in. He surveyed the long, elegant dining table for a moment before marching to the chair placed at the far end of the room.
I didn't say a word when Daniel sat in the absolute farthest chair from me. I took my own seat at the head of the table and he continually glanced in my direction, sending suspicious, almost nervous glares when he thought I wasn't looking. It was amusing, to say the least. The chief's came out with gleaming, silver platters, silently serving breakfast and disappearing back into the kitchen. With nothing more than a small smile at Daniel, I calmly ate my breakfast, practically ignoring him while scanning an old paper.
He stared at me for a while, as though expecting me to suddenly get up and drag him to the seat next to me. It was several long moments before he turned to his own silver dome, peeking under it as though it contained some sort of explosive. I didn't bother him for the rest of the meal, leaving him to his own devices. One day, he'd join me on his own. I could wait.
However, despite the hope he was probably starting to build, I wasn't about to ignore him for the entire day. Daniel ate slowly, inspecting every bite of food with a shrewd eye before chewing slowly. I was finished before he was even halfway through his meal, watching him take slow bites with an amused smirk. Eventually, he finally glanced up at me, instantly falling into a scowl when he noticed me staring.
"What?" he asked icily.
"Nothing," I sat back in my seat, "I just find your blatant mistrust comical."
"Because I have every reason to trust you, right?"
"Daniel," I began condescendingly, "How many times must I tell you, you're much too valuable to kill."
He simply scowled again, glaring at me one last time before returning to his breakfast. Though I did note he ate with less trepidation this time.
Breakfast was finished without much more conversation. Daniel cleared his plate soon enough and I watched as he sat without a goal, not knowing what to do with himself. I can't deny, it was extremely gratifying to see him so lost. I stood, meeting his eye when he looked up and making a silent 'come here' sign. I probably shouldn't have enjoyed him obeying my command so much too, but I just couldn't help it. Grudgingly, he approached my side and we left the dining hall, the day finally beginning to open up.
"Do I even want to know where you're taking me?" he asked after a long moment of silence.
"You act as though you expect me to torture you."
"Vlad, you've already been torturing me." he replied in a small, flat voice.
"Really? Judging by the amount of moans I pull from you each night, I'd say you were far from being tortured."
"S-shut up!" he scowled, blushing furiously.
He jerked away from my hand when I ruffled his hair, further widening my grin. I wasn't bothered by his anger, though some might call it insolence. Honestly, I just found Daniel's cover humorous. He'd learn his place soon enough.
"If it's any consolation, I'm merely taking you to a quiet room where we can sit and talk about your future, man to man."
"Oh boy, career counseling."
"Don't sound so melancholy, little badger. If you'd rather we could always return to the bedroom..."
"On second though, career counseling sounds awesome."
I laughed at his quick backtrack as we approached an open door, letting him enter first. The small parlor was plain, but adequate for its simple purpose. Depending on how difficult Daniel was going to be, we wouldn't be here long. The heavy curtains were shut, blocking out the devastation of Amity Park. Daniel walked in with a surly disposition, plopping down on a Victorian style couch and looking at me expectantly.
"Well," he jerked his hand after a moment of silence, obviously not taking any of this seriously. "Start monologuing."
I raised an eyebrow, his flippant tone getting under my skin. Did he honestly think we were back to playing our hero-villain games? I glared coldly, shutting the door behind me with a definite snap. I watched as Daniel's pathetic bravado started crumbling, glancing at the door behind me and slowly scooting away from my approach. The icy chill in the room was almost suffocating when I came to halt in front of him, glaring down at his tense form pressed against the arm rest.
"Don't think this is a joke, boy. I can tolerate your insolence to an extent, but do not try my patience."
He continued to glare at me, however, the defiance in his eyes unrelenting. After a few tense moments I lowered my face to his, hearing his breath hitch as he tried to move away more.
"If you'd rather make snide, arrogant remarks," I whispered into his ear, trailing a hand up his thigh. "I could always put you on your knees and humiliate you into submission."
He wasn't breathing, paralyzed by fear.
"Do not test me."
Daniel let out a slow shaky breath when I moved away, eyes wide and devoid of rebellion. He was frozen, swallowing thickly and staring straight ahead. I looked over his trembling form with satisfaction, a smug smirk settling on my face as. Really, the boy could be a bit more gracious. Rather than leaving him in the dark, I was making the effort to explain my plans for him. The least he could do is say thank you.
"On to a more productive business," I began lightly, taking a moment to smile down at Daniel when he gave me a subdued glare, "As you can probably guess, you won't be leaving this mansion unless I give you explicit permission. As such, any attempts to escape will be dealt with harshly. You are, however, allowed to go anywhere you please within the mansion, even my lab and private study."
"Wait, why the heck would you let me into your private labs and stuff. Isn't that where all your secret plans are?" he gapped, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes, but as I was going say, you will be apart of all my planning now, so there won't be any secrets between us to hide."
He was silent, staring at me with a mixture of disbelief and shock.
"...I'm...what?"
"You didn't think I was just going to let you rot in some jail for the rest of your life, did you?" I teased.
"Well, actually, after about the first couple hours here I figured I'd be rotting away in your bed for the rest of my life..." he muttered. I laughed in response, unaffected by his frown.
"No, no dear boy. I may have been a bit distracted this past week, but as I said before, I have big plans for you."
"Like?" he asked warily.
"Oh come now Daniel. Idiocy is such an unattractive quality."
He glared at the insult, asking more persistent questions.
"Why would you let me in on your plans, Plasmius? I'm your enemy."
"Hmm." I hummed, smiling, "No Daniel, I don't think you are. I have no feelings of animosity towards you, and you certainly aren't a threat. Combined with the fact that you'll be living with me for the rest of your life, it makes sense to train you in the most productive fashion, yes? And I believe personal experience is the best way to learn."
"You missed more than a week of school, yes?" I suddenly changed the subject, watching Danny begin to protest. I continued on before he could though. "That will be fixed within the next few days. I've hired the best teacher in the business for you, and I expect excellent grades."
"Wha-!"
"Tutoring will be directly after breakfast, lasting from eight thirty to twelve. Furthermore, you will train daily, sometimes with me, sometimes on your own. Your training sessions will begin immediately upon finishing lunch, and may last between four to six at night."
"I-"
"After training, you will report to my private study, or anywhere else I may be. You will actively contribute to my plans for the Earth or complete any missions I may have for you, though I expect we won't get to that step for a long time."
"Vlad! Wait!" Daniel jumped up, looking completely disoriented. I smiled in silence, watching him attempt to repress a panic attack.
"I-I can't-I'm not going to help you rule the world!" He said sternly, hanging on to one thing he could grasp in his jumbled head.
"Oh, I almost felt the conviction there, Daniel," I sneered, "As a matter of fact you will be aiding me in my plans, and trust me dear boy, you're going to want to help."
"What? Why wou-"
"Because my plans are very much going to involve your family and friends."
Daniel fell silent instantly, arms falling limp at his sides as he stared at me.
"Wh...what?" I didn't reply, watching as he slowly understood what I was saying and numbly shook his head.
"I-I won't. You can't make me..." his voice fell into a horrified whisper. "I'm not going to help you kill my family..."
"My boy, you're going to do that and more. You're going to make decisions that will decide the fate of countless populations, determine whether or not entire cities continue to exist. I'm going to teach you how to rule with the cold, calculated logic you so despise and you will become a stronger person because of it. You will help me rule this world whether you like it or not because you don't have a choice."
Daniel's breath became harsher, angry, his head still shaking back and forth.
"I won't help you. I won't do anything. Not the training, not the schooling, and definitely not with your sick plans! You can't tell me how to think!"
"Can't I?" A smile curved my lips. I'd been hoping he would be difficult.
Daniel glared furiously at me, the defiance back in his eyes and hands balled into fists. I knew, without a doubt, if that the collar hadn't been around his neck he would have been already transformed and fighting me tooth and nail. Such emotions would have to be controlled. I let the black rings surround my middle and split apart, revealing my ghost half in seconds.
I was impressed when Daniel held his ground, despite the fear in his eyes. Even so, I lunged without warning, restraining his arms behind his back and rendering him helpless.
"Agh-let go!" he grunted, wincing when I twisted his arms.
Without a reply I sunk through the floor, taking his struggling form with me. We descended into a section of my lab filled with intricate tools and devices with purposes that went beyond his imagination. Daniel looked around frantically, still attempting to break my hold. I dragged him through another door before he could really get his bearings, shoving him into a smaller, empty room with nothing but a large glass wall. However, what ever laid behind the glass was covered by a thin metal wall, leaving him to guess its contents.
Daniel stumbled forward, quickly spinning around in a defensive stance and barely taking a moment to scan the room. However, when he noticed the emptiness, he paused, doing a double take as confusion set it.
"What are you planning?" he demanded immediately, glancing at the glass wall with a raised eyebrow before glaring at me again.
"Behind that glass is a little persuasion, my boy." Daniel paled, fists lowering as he looked fearfully to the glass again. "Something to keep you a little more complacent in the days to come."
I walked over to a panel in the wall and pressed a button, the metal sheet rising like a curtain and revealing what-or rather who- was inside the white room.
"It's not your family, of course, but I believe he'll do."
"K-Kwan?"
"Danny!?"
The glass was thick, strong enough to withstand everything from ghost blasts to bullets. There was a little intercom in the ceiling, however, allowing easy communication between people on each side. Needless to say, the Asian boy could hear everything we were saying just as much as we could hear him.
"You two know each other? Excellent!" I grinned. I thought he was one of the boys Daniel went to school with, but I hadn't been exactly sure.
They both turned to look at me, one with a hateful glare and the other blatant fear. Daniel's hands were pressed against the glass, the Asian boy-Kwan-towering over him but looking like his legs were made of jelly.
"I swear Plasmius, if you hurt him-" Daniel began with a hiss, turning to face me and hands balling into fists again.
I laughed, interrupting his sad attempt for a threat and walking up to him. He other boy coward away from me through the glass, but Daniel held his ground. I couldn't help but be further impressed by his bravery, stupid though it may be. It only further affirmed that Daniel was the only worthy companion for me.
I pushed the pointless thoughts away though, saving them for tonight and focusing back to the stand off at hand. Kwan was glancing between me and Daniel with both fear and awe, his heavy breathing audible through the speaker above. Me and Daniel stared at each other for a moment, until I calmly broke the thick silence.
"This is what happens when you defy me, Daniel." And I phased through the glass.
"NO!" He screamed, instantly throwing himself at the glass and beating his fists on it.
Kwan's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates, stumbling backwards as I made my approach.
"F-Fenton? What the hell is going on!?"
"Vlad, stop! Don't you dare! Please! Just leave him alone, he's got nothing to do with this! Stop!"
I was about to kill the larger, cowering teen. I would have made it bloody, dramatic maybe, but definitely traumatizing for my young apprentice. He would have done anything I said then, would have obeyed every command. But I realized something that made me stop. He'd obey me, yes, but every time he did there'd be that hateful glint in his eyes. He'd harbor his hatred and resentment, seeing me as nothing more that a murderer. Well, more so than he does now. Still, there's a significant difference between hearing about someone commit murder and actually seeing it in person. And why would I give him such a low opinion of myself when there was a way to push it off on him?
"Please! Don't-"
"Daniel."
He stopped, breathing hard. He stared at me with wide, terrified eyes when I turned around, fists clenched so tight his knuckles were turning white. The other boy was silent as well, backed up against the wall and looking fearfully at the tense situation.
"Let's make a deal."
Daniel's face melted into confusion, lowering his arms as I approached him. I reached through the glass and pulled him through, shoving him forward. He twisted around and fell into a fighting stance again, placing himself between me and Kwan. I caught the other boy giving Daniel a bizarre look.
"I have your unique ecto-signature keyed into the rooms security shield. You can't phase out of here and you can't phase him out either." I said in a bored tone, walking toward him.
"Dude, what's he talking about?" the taller boy whispered.
Before Daniel could reply I reached out and grabbed him by his collar, yanking him forward. He stumbled into my chest and I held him there, grinning as I stared into his wide, beautiful blue eyes.
"Try and save him, Daniel. If you do, I'll let you escort him back to Amity Park personally, and if you fail, his death will be on you're hands too."
"Whoa-whoa-whoa, death!?" the other boy squeaked. We ignored him.
Danny glared at me hatefully, eyes shinning brightly with righteous fury.
"You can't just play with human lives like this, Plasmius." he forced out through gritted teeth.
"I can do what ever I want." I grinned, getting uncomfortably close to his face.
Daniel looked away, a blush already staining his cheeks. With a laugh I shoved him away, phasing his collar off as he stumbled back.
"His life is in your hands now, Daniel. Don't disappoint him."
The taller boy gave a frightful yell when ecto-fire engulfed my hands and I charged. Daniel was quick though, immediately grabbing Kwan and throwing them both to the ground. Simultaneously, he transformed into his ghost half, successfully throwing up a shield to block my next attack and making the other boy scream.
"D-Danny!? Y-you're Phantom!?"
"Not now, Kwan!"
Daniel grabbed Kwan's arm and flew him away from me. His eyes glowed an arctic blue and he shot several shards of ice from his palms. Easily, I avoided all the shots, weaving in and out of his attack until I was upon them again. He gasped, throwing up another shield as Kwan cowered at his feet, screaming incessantly.
Daniel was struggling under my barrage of attacks, desperately trying to hold the shield up. His teeth were clenched, face scrunched in concentration. Sweat dripped down the side of his face. Soon the strain became to much and he dropped the shield with a yell of despair, instantly throwing himself over Kwan and taking the next blow.
"Danny!" The Asian boy yelled as Phantom flew across the room.
Daniel rolled a few times but was up without rest, rushing at me as I closed in on the doomed human. He leaped into the air and fell into a crouch in front of me, instantly letting loose a stream of ecto-blasts. I simply held up a shield, taunting him with a yawn. Daniel's frown deepened. Jerking his head and yelling at the other boy, he all but pushed Kwan farther and farther away from me, using the time of the stalemate to put some distance between us.
Unfortunately, this game of keep away was starting to bore me. I dropped the shield and flew into the air as Daniel ceased the ecto-blasts, duplicating myself three times and grinning down at the cornered boys.
"He can do that!?" Kwan shouted, voice cracking.
I watched as heavy despair lurked beneath Daniel's determination, already seeing the months of self hatred he was going to endure for this. With a last malicious grin, my clones and I attacked, and from there it was all over. At first, he did a decent job evading us all, but his focus on Kwan was completely gone. Easily, I took advantage of this. While my clones distracted Daniel, I captured the other frantic boy in a restraining grip.
"Danny!" He screamed in terror, trying escape.
"No!" Daniel twisted around despairingly, immediately abandoning the fight with the clones and charging at me.
But I simply held up a glowing, deadly hand to my petrified captive, halting Daniel in his tracks. He was breathing laboriously, muscles tense. His eyes jumped between me and Kwan, hopelessness starting to sink in when he realized he wasn't going to be able to save him. I called back my clones with a triumphant smirk, the ecto-fire glowing brighter from the added power and making Daniel visibly tense.
"D-Danny! Danny, why is he doing this!? I didn't do anything! I swear! Why is he doing this!?" Kwan started sobbing and the pain became tangible in Daniel's eyes.
"Vlad, please..." He whispered, shaking his head. "Don't...don't kill him..."
"This is what happens when you disobey me, Daniel." I said sternly, speaking loudly over the sobbing boys cries. Daniel's expression was rather crushing, but I had to let him know the consequences or else he'd never learn his place.
"For every time you refuse a command, for every time even think about escape, for every time you so much as make a grade lower than an A plus, someone will die."
Daniel's breath was ragged, glancing between the crying boy and me as he stomached my expectations, anguish clouding his eyes.
"You belong to me, Daniel. The sooner you understand that the better."
"Vlad, wai-!"
It was very easy. Human's are susceptible to much more damage from an ectoblast than ghosts or half-ghosts, especially my ectoblasts. Danny gapped in horror when I dropped the unmoving corpse to the ground, blood splattering over everything. He was shaking like a leaf, numb shock plastered on his face. For a moment he was too horrified to do anything, just shaking, looking at the blood covering his skin and clothes and shaking.
"K...Kwan?" he mouthed, no sound coming out.
For several long moments, silent disbelief reigned. Daniel's legs failed him; he collapsed to the floor, unable to put the pieces together even as he stared at his dead friend. I couldn't let him wallow in shock for too long though. Soon enough he'd come out of it, and it was best if he was far away from the corpse when that happened.
"Come Daniel," I said in an emotionless tone, cutting into his shock and holding out a hand to him, "There's nothing more you can do."
He looked up at me as though for the first time, eyes traveling to my blood stained hands and then to his own blood stained hands. He clenched his fingers into a fist and released them, smearing the red liquid. After a long moment, he looked back at me and took my hand, the blood slipping between our fingers.
I hauled him to his feet and lead him out of the white room. His ghost half fell apart as soon as we phased into the empty viewing room, reverting him to his clean human form. He was still staring blankly at nothing, so deeply seeped in shock that he did even realize his collar was off. I placed it back around his neck anyways though, taking a moment to close up the white room before flying him up and out of the lab.
An hour later, and Daniel was still silent, even all through lunch.
I kept a close eye on him through out the entire meal. He completely ignored the steak and potatoes meal, staring at nothing. Occasionally he'd look at me, searching for something. However, I was unaffected by the murder didn't have a problem not showing it, so the remorse Daniel was probably seeking couldn't be found.
Once I was finished I got to my feet, meeting Daniel's eyes when he looked up at me.
"Come Daniel, we have much more to accomplish today."
He gave me a level, expressionless stare for a long moment, nothing in his eyes. Slowly, he scooted away from the table and followed me out, trailing behind like a silent shadow. He was struggling, that much was obvious, the death of his fellow classmate affecting him deeply. Shock was still mostly evident, disbelief. It wouldn't take long for the anger to consume him though, especially with that temper of his. But what could he do? He knew exactly the consequences should he lash out, and judging by his reaction now, he wouldn't ever dare defy me again.
"Normally," I began in a light tone, catching his attention, "You would have just spent the last few hours tutoring. However, your teacher won't arrive for a couple more days and the morning was taken up by other activities." I caught Daniel's face twitch, "Next is training, and I want you practicing your ghost powers for at least three hours a day."
As expected, he didn't give any confirmation that he heard me, but I know he did. I lead him through a few hallways, remaining on the first floor and approaching the back rooms of my mansion.
"These are the training halls, where you will be spending most of your afternoons. Each room is equipped with the latest technology, most of it my own, specifically designed for hybrids such as ourselves. The rooms on the left have your average fitness equipments: strength apparatuses, an indoor pool, a running track, those sorts of things. You may not be aware of this, but some degree of your ghost power is linked to your human strength. The more physically fit your human half is, the stronger and easier it will be to control your ghost half."
"The rooms to the right are designed for ghost powers. All the walls are fitted with state of the art shields, able to withstand every ghost attack you could think to throw at it. Different rooms test you for different types of abilities as well. For example," I pointed to a plain black door, "Behind that door is a room that used to hone your abilities in stealth. It tests the capacity for invisibility and will train you to act swiftly and decisively in combat. This door," I pointed to one with a deep red color, "Will help you build the strength of your powers, complete with computer automated sparing programs and special scales to test things such as the strength of your ectoblasts."
I lead him further down the hall, approaching a dark brown door and coming to a halt.
"Each door in this section of the training hall contains precision rooms to refine your ghostly abilities. I have every thing set at the same difficulty level and will continue to raise it as you progress. Until you are fully equated with each room, you will train under my supervision. Soon enough, you will be required to practice on your own and I will receive daily report on your progress from the very computers that test you."
Daniel was listening, a hard glare filling his eyes as he looked at me, though he remained silent.
"There is also," I continued, a dark grin starting to spread across my lips, "An automated obstacle course designed to test you in all areas of your ghost powers. Think of it as a cumulative test, but be cautioned. If you're not careful enough, you could get seriously hurt. Unlike the other, voice automated rooms, this one won't just stop when you tell it to."
Still, he hadn't said a word, watching and listening with a cool glare, eyes trained to the left. I observed him for a moment, the icy tension in his shoulders revealing his repressed anger.
"You will train every day without fail." I said sternly, eyes narrowing as though daring him to challenge me. "If at all you neglect your training or your studies for that matter, another lost life will be on your hands."
"You killed him Plasmius, not me." he hissed out through clenched teeth, voice barely above a ragged whisper.
"You failed to save him. Kwan's death is just as much your fault as it is mine. The only difference is," I bent low, grabbing his chin and forcing him to look at me, "I'm man enough to stomach it."
Daniel's fists clenched, the hate in his eyes covering the self loathing below. I gazed at him calmly, my glare falling to a light smile as I furtively grasped the knob of the brown door.
"Find a way to cope Daniel. Life's moving on with or without you."
And with a yank I threw him into the room, slamming the door shut. A lock slid into place the moment it closed, trapping him inside the automated obstacle course. By now he was probably looking around in surprised panic, the lights turning on and revealing his next challenge. I spun his collar around a finger, putting a hand in my pocket and strolling down the hall. Hopefully he wouldn't waste time trying to phase through the walls once he figured out he could use his ghost powers. There was a built in ghost shield surrounding the entire room.
The training will be good for him. He'll be able to work out all his frustrations in a healthy, productive way, and still comply with my demands. It won't take long for his anger to break loose under the pressure in there, and once it does he'll be fine. Who knows, he might even come to enjoy training.
I walked down the long hall at a languid pace, knowing Daniel would be busy for the next seventeen minutes. Once the course had run its session it would shut down and the door at the end of this extended hallway would unlock, granting him freedom. It shouldn't be too difficult of a course for him, a challenge, yes, but I'm sure he'll succeed.
I waited patiently next to the second brown door, checking my watch occasionally. It wouldn't be long now. Perhaps I'll run him through the other rooms, just to get him familiar with them. After that we can head to my study. I need to check my emails, and I'm sure he'll be grateful for the break. I have a few documents I want him to read over though, just to get his opinion.
A few minutes later, Daniel burst out of the door, stumbling and putting his hands on his knees to catch his breath. I watched with an amused smile as he panted laboriously, sweat beads lining his face and cheeks flushed. He looked up at me with a glare, coughing.
"You...are a complete...psycho." He gasped, taking a deep intake of breathe.
My smile stretched into a grin, pushing off the wall and waiting for him to gain control of his lungs. Daniel gave a last hacking cough, running his fingers through his white hair and standing straight.
"Good job." I congratulated, ignoring his comment.
He glared at me, but suddenly realized he was still in his ghost half and no longer in a shielded room. I stared at him, raising an eye brow and waiting to see what he'd do next. However, either he remembered there was still a shield surrounding the castle or he was learning because after a tense moment of staring at the open hallway behind me, he tore his gaze away and stayed right where he was. I didn't say anything, only smirking triumphantly which had him simmering.
For the next few hours, we ran through all the rooms. Daniel proved more than capable in every challenge, so much so that I made a mental note to raise a couple room levels. His powers were where I had predicted, good, but with plenty of room for improvement. I watched as he threw himself into challenge after challenge, slowly coming at the opposing computer program with more intense blasts and focused determination. He lost himself in the adrenaline rush, just as I had expected, Kwan's death and his own guilt proving to be the perfect motivator.
Eventually, his attacks started getting sloppy though, fatigue and exhaustion eating away at his strength. I stopped him when he started getting blasted into walls more than he was landing hits, even though he insisted on continuing.
"You have all day tomorrow, dear boy. Your teacher won't arrive until Friday."
Reluctantly, Daniel had complied, though it wasn't as though he had a choice. Still, releasing his energy so throughly was very therapeutic for him. I had a feeling he'd be addicted to this hallway soon enough. I'd returned the collar to his neck, knowing he couldn't be trusted to permanently leave it off just yet.
There was also a convenient shower and bath in the physical training area, its purpose for taking a quick shower after working up a sweat. Restraining myself, I let Daniel shower alone. If I joined him I'd never get those email checked. He ran into the shower with a gleeful shout, slamming the door shut and probably dancing under the shower head.
Once Daniel was finished with his fifteen minutes of privacy and clothed in a casual, but crisp attire, I lead him upstairs. The demeanor he carried now was considerably less stony compared to lunch, though of course, it was still far from the pleasant, comfortable one I wished him to have.
"Where's my family?" he asked as we climbed the staircase, the permanent glare back on his face.
I rose an eye brow at the sudden question, but it wasn't unexpected. Honestly, I was more surprised that he was only just now asking.
"Took you long enough to ask. One would think you didn't care about them."
"I just figured you didn't know where they were at, seeing as you haven't dangled them over my head yet."
"So why are you asking now?"
"Does this mean you don't know where they're at?" he asked shrewdly, fishing for the truth he was sure I wouldn't give.
"No, I don't know where they're at."
Daniel blinked, my apparent sincerity so throwing him for a loop that he stopped.
"Wait," he said, catching up to me, "Are you lying?"
"No." I answered, completely honest. The look on his face was rather funny.
"I don't believe you." He finally said, brows falling flat.
"Fine, don't," I shrugged, "But all you'll be doing is causing yourself unnecessary paranoia. What reason would I have for lying to you?"
He didn't answer, obviously trying to come up with a response and unable to do so.
"Well...why would you tell me the truth?" he stuttered, deflecting my question with one of his own.
"Why wouldn't I tell you the truth?" I countered for the sheer purpose of irritating him. Daniel scowled and I continued, my voice turning serious, "I already told you, little badger, there's no use for secrets or lies between us anymore. In fact, I'm probably the only person you can be guaranteed to get the blunt and naked truth from."
Daniel gave a snort of laughter at that, disbelief dripping from his voice.
"Yeah, right."
I just shrugged carelessly again and continued on at a brisk pace.
"Believe me or don't, it makes no difference to me."
He fell into a contemplative silence, keeping up with my walk as we approached the doors to my study. The boy had good instincts wherever I was concerned, as he should. When it comes to plotting, I doubt he'd ever trust me so easily, but the matter was truly inconsequential.
"Okay, so where do you think they're at?" he finally asked.
"I suspect they're leading the Resistance in Amity Park."
"There's a resistance in Amity Park?" Daniel breathed, blossoming hope in his voice.
"For now, yes."
He was silent, probably thinking up fantastical images of his family storming my mansion and crumbling the new world order.
"Don't get you're hopes up, my boy." I turned, grinning down at him, "Do you honestly think I'd let myself get defeated by a rag-tag group of rebels?"
"That's not just any rag-tag group though, that's my parents." He said smugly.
"I can't decide if the naive belief in your family is annoying or endearing." I muttered, opening the hand carved door and letting him enter first.
Daniel ignored me, something catching his eye the moment the door opened. He walked in slowly, approaching the window with a tangible ache in his step. His first view of Amity was a desolate one, full of crumbled buildings and destroyed streets. Some fires were burning, the smoke curling up and blending in with the clouds. Fortunately, the view was far away enough that he couldn't make out the bodies that probably littered the streets. After an agonized, silent moment, he turned away from the window, pointedly putting as much distance between him and his ruined city as he could.
I walked over to my desk and pulled up my emails, shuffling through a few papers absentmindedly. He'd be alright, given some time. Daniel was too quiet though, and when I looked up I saw him staring at nothing in particular with a dark expression, eyes shadowed.
"Daniel." I called, pulling him from grim thoughts he didn't need to be thinking about. He snapped his head up in my direction, walking toward my desk with a determinedly apathetic expression.
"I have a few documents I want you to read." I smirked, holding out a large packet to him.
His face melted into exasperated irritation, giving me a flat glare and snatching the stack of papers from my out stretched hand.
"What are they?" He asked reluctantly, scrunching up his face as he skimmed over a few sheets.
"Some countries are trying to strike up alliances with me. I want you to read their proposed treaties and tell me your opinion."
"Well that's an easy one, Vlad. Give them their countries back." he said bitterly, holding the packet back out to me.
I just gave him a look and pointed to the couch he'd been tied up on so many days ago. Daniel rolled his eyes, sighing and trudging over to the furniture. I watched for a while as he spent a few minutes skimming over pages with an irritated expression, glancing at me a few times and renewing his scowls. Eventually, he settled into the papers, reading over the various treaties with a degree of concentration.
Satisfied with his focus, I poured myself a small glass of vodka and set to checking emails, not surprised to see an ungodly amount of messages in my inbox. With an annoyed sigh of my own I got to work, scanning over alerts of new rebellions, complaints from ghosts (mostly Skulker), and the questions from some scientists. The rest were just hate mail from the people of Earth praying that I died an early death. And people wonder why I have no qualms with killing them.
Scowling as I passed over another death threat and making a mental note to send a few battalions to the threatener's home town, I set to making a separate, secret account, sending the new address to only the most important of correspondents. I should have done that days ago. Many of the ghost portals I had ordered the scientists to build were finally beginning construction. Hopefully they'd be finished in a couple months and then Daniel and I could leave this place.
Scanning over a few more reports, I scratched a note to send more ghosts down south. The rebellions there were getting ridiculous. I couldn't wait until the masses figured out my rule wasn't a temporary thing. Then I could finally get some type of system worked out and there wouldn't be so much pointless chaos everywhere.
We both worked in silence for a while, the sun slowly sinking lower and lower in the window. An orange glow was cast over the shelves, dwindling down as each minute passed. Daniel yawned quietly, and I looked up to see him struggling to stay awake. He would shake his head, pointedly keeping his eye trained on the paper and trying to lose himself in the circle of politics.
I could tell it was a fruitless effort though. He'd either start to think about things he obvious didn't want to think about or start falling asleep in exhaustion. He looked drained, physically and emotionally, and this was only the first day. I suppose the death of his friend was working particularly hard on him, though it was for the better in the long run. Perhaps, when the people of Earth accepted my rule, Daniel would too.
I watched him finally succumb to slumber, packet falling out of a limp hand and head resting on his shoulder. The stress and pain seemed to just seep out of his face, the gentle peacefulness replacing it that I wished he would have while awake. I glanced at the clock, taking note of the approaching hour. I suppose I couldn't put off calling Walker any longer. Hopefully I could make this quick. With a last, brief stare at Daniel's sleeping form, I picked up the phone and dialed.
"Walker?"
"Well well well, if it isn't King Plasmius." He picked up after a couple rings, his low, accented voice sounding pleased. He was obviously enjoying his rule of England.
"How goes construction?"
"My second in command has already started in your area. My new prison is supposed to break ground-"
"Don't bother. I have a better proposition for you."
"...do tell." he said slowly. Walker is the type of ghost who loves control and hates change without compensation, so I knew I'd have to make an appealing offer to get him to cooperate nicely. I had a feeling that wouldn't be too difficult, though.
"How would you like to rule a country more than twice the size of England?" I smirked.
"Go on." he said greedily, immediately hooked.
"The United States is being annoyingly persistent with all the rebellions and such. They just don't know when to quit. I intend to move to the Mediterranean Area in a couple months, and I don't want to deal with them. I want you to leave your second in command in charge of England. You can build your prison here in North America and become the new President of the United States."
"...That sounds like a very appealing offer, Plasmius." He drawled, the satisfaction dripping from his voice.
"Excellent." I grinned, "These people need an iron fist to beat them down, and I believe you are just the ghost to do it."
"I have to agree with you." he laughed, a dark, low sound. "When and where do you want me to start?"
"Immediately. The south is getting particularly rambunctious, breaking practically every rule in the book."
"Well we can't have that, now can we?" he said, a dangerous edge to his voice.
"Indeed. Use my portal in the morning, it will be faster and I can give you all the locations of the most recent rebellions."
"What about Phantom? Is he heading these rebellions?"
I chuckled at his blood thirsty tone, staring at my young charge as he slept.
"You mean Daniel? No no no, he's with me. I can assure you he won't be causing anymore trouble."
Walker grunted in response, probably disappointed in missing out on exacting his revenge.
"That punk still owes me a thousand years." he grumbled.
"Consider his debt paid, Walker. I have my own plans with the boy. You just focus on the rest of North America and be sure to keep them out of my hair."
He pouted on the other end, grumbling a reply of affirmation before hanging up. I rolled my eyes, placing the phone back on the receiver and organizing a few papers. The ticking of an old grandfather clock slowly erased any irritation though, soft silence stilling the air. I glanced out the window to see a darkened sky, stars just beginning to twinkle.
"Might as well go to bed." I muttered, "I'll need my sleep when trying to juggle Daniel and Walker tomorrow."
The boy continued to sleep peacefully, oblivious to the goings on around him. I walked up next to him with a soft smile, taking a moment to run my fingers though his hair. He looked so innocent when he slept, so vulnerable. It was times like this when putting up with the pressures of Earth was worth it. I could deal with stubborn rebellions and demanding ghosts all day if it meant I'd still have Daniel.
He mumbled something in his sleep, squirming to get comfortable in such an awkward position. I smiled, snaking an arm behind his back and under his knees, easily lifting him up. Daniel shifted again, unknowingly snuggling into my arms and laying his head against my shoulder. Now if only he acted so warmly towards me when he was awake.
Shaking my head with a quiet laugh, I left the study and all its piles of work waiting. They could be dealt with tomorrow. For now, I had to take care of Daniel.