Okay, boys and girls, ladies, and gents. Time to introduce Vlad to the rest of the Fam. glad ya'll enjoyed the last chapter. I'm having a lot of fun with the Vlad and Danny interactions. A little note for dialogue: when Danny speaks with the Masters or Vlad, you'll notice his speech becomes slightly more refined and more intelligent. I like to think Danny reserves time for etiquette and time for hanging with his friends and family. He's tired of everyone looking and treating him like a kid, but still acts like the same ol' Danny around his family.
Now, for those of you who tried to guess what last chapter's reference was, it wasn't Grim having a Jamaican accent. This Grim in no way reflects the Reaper from the Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy (but how great was that show though?!). The only person who got it right so far was user Siteruben, recognizing the Fallout 3 reference in the beginning of chapter 3. A big round of applause for Siteruben!
Anyway, enough talk. Time to read! Enjoy!
XXX
Breaking the news of Vlad's return to the rest of the Phantom family went about as well as Danny expected. Tucker was currently doing his best to hold back his girlfriend and her infamous temper, and Ember had taken Danielle to the game room in the basement. Jazz was the calmest of the group, however she had an obvious white-knuckled grip on a rather large ecto-pistol. Regardless of the two Primordial Masters flanking a rather tired looking Vlad, the rest of the Team were very on edge. Danny couldn't blame them really, every one of them had been affected by Vlad and his plans in one way or another, both directly and indirectly.
"Danny," Jazz's voice was careful and even, with only a slight tremor of wariness. "Are you absolutely sure this is a good idea?"
Danny sighed and rubbed his temple. He could already feel one hell of a migraine coming. "Honestly? Not really, no. But I'm willing to at least give him a chance. I've set ground rules that will be followed to the letter. It's Vlad's choice whether he stay's, but if he does, he will be under constant guard and surveillance." He sighed once again and lowered himself into a nearby armchair, casting Jazz a pleading look. "Please trust me on this. Jazz, Sam, Tuck...I'm not walking into this blind. I understand the risk and I take full responsibility for Vlad. I'm not happy to have him here, but, as Clockwork explained, his aid will make the difference in what's to come."
Although they appeared reluctant, Jazz and Tucker nodded their agreement, but Sam was clearly not convinced. Vlad took notice of this and took a step forward, clearing his throat. Danny turned to Vlad and, catching understanding the look on his face, the younger halfa nodded and turned back to the group. The silver-haired halfa cast his weary gaze on the young adults with a look of remorse. "I understand your reluctance to...allow me anywhere near this family. I have been nothing short of a bitter and vengeful man, hellbent on harming Daniel and the rest of you in the past. I do not blame you for your obvious hatred towards me. Do try to understand, however, I am no longer the man I once was.
"If my seven years of exile have shown me anything, it is that my past actions have been truly despicable and unforgivable. I have spent just shy of a decade in a state of self-hatred and remorse and do deeply regret my mistakes. I may not be able to gain your forgiveness, but I do hope to at least atone for my mistakes. For Daniel's sake and for the sake of you, his family, I will do everything within my power to help all of you and protect the little badg-...ahem, Daniel's family." Vlad lowered his gaze to the floor and retreated a step, avoiding Danny's eyes and his look of confusion. The old halfa had almost called the boy by the moniker Vlad had given him all those years ago.
Sam was still fuming but appeared somewhat mollified. Jazz and Tucker seemed thoughtful, but suspicious. Jazz was the most convinced by Vlad's words. Her time studying psychology entailed learning to notice physical tells to properly identify how a patient was feeling or whether they were telling the truth; averting the eyes, scratching one's hand or nose, even facial tics like a twitching eyebrow. From what the red-headed girl had witnessed, Vlad had spoken nothing but the truth. The old man had met each one of their eyes, refusing to flinch or back down at their hard stares or Sam's murderous glare. His hands, although clasped tightly, had been steady and relaxed.
"Okay." Jazz stated, fixing Danny with a look of acceptance. Her steely, aquamarine eyes fixed Vlad with a hard stare. "However, if you even think of going rogue or hurting any of us, especially Danny or Danielle, you will understand why Wulf calls me 'La Ruĝa Diablo'." Vlad paled slightly but remained unwavering, nodding in understanding. Jazz kept up her gaze for another moment before turning back to Danny. "I have to return to City Hall and finish filing some documents. I'll see you all at dinner."
Danny nodded and gave Jazz a weak smile, standing from the chair and giving her a brief hug before she left. He then turned to Sam and Tucker, cocking an eyebrow questioningly. Tucker sighed, glancing at Vlad before turning his gaze back to Danny. "I'm with you, man. I think I speak for everyone one when I say I'm not ecstatic about it...but if you and Jazz agree on this, then so do I. I've got your back no matter what, Danny."
"Thanks, Tuck." Danny shifted his gaze to Sam, who had been rather quiet for a while. The goth girl met Danny's eyes and just stared at him for a long, tense moment...she only nodded, before standing and leaving the room without a word.
Tucker stood and followed his girlfriend, pausing to pat Danny's shoulder comfortingly before leaving the room. There was a moment of tense silence, broken when Grim coughed into his fist. "Ahem, well...that was awkward."
XXX
"This is where you'll stay." Danny opened the door to one of the quest rooms in the newest wing of rooms the younger halfa had created once the Mansion had started to become slightly crowded. Vlad followed Danny into the room and gazed around appraisingly. The room was a carbon copy of the rest of the floor; a black king-size four-poster bed with white bedding dominated the left wall, with a black wooden trunk set at the foot of the bed and two nightstands flanking the headboard. Bay windows set in the far wall allowed the occupant to look out across the Shopping District. Opposite the bed was the door to the bathroom, containing a waterfall shower, an obsidian vanity sink and a linen closet filled with fluffy, white towels.
For the first time in a long time Vlad was awestruck. The room before him was the most extravagant he had seen, rivaled only by a few Five-Star hotels around the world. Being a man who had lived in the lap of luxury for almost two decades, Vlad had to appreciate the sheer beauty of the room. If the guest rooms were this nice, he could only guess what the master bedroom looked like. Vlad turned to Danny and gave a small, grateful bow. "Thank you, Daniel. This room, much like the rest of the Mansion, is quite beautiful."
"You're welcome and thank you." Danny responded politely. "Plumbing and electricity works. I do have a staff that cleans the room and replaces the bedding every other day. They typically do their rounds at lunch, just a heads up, and prefer the room to be empty so they can do their work. Breakfast is at nine, lunch at noon, and dinner at six. Like I said earlier, you're welcome to join us, if not, I can have food sent to your room. You are free to walk the grounds and the city, with an escort, and explore the Mansion, but the basement and occupied rooms are off-limits. Sound good?"
Vlad nodded with a small smile. "Yes. Thank you for your hospitality, Daniel. I promise I will not betray your trust."
"Thank you." Danny returned the smiled and turned to leave. "If you'll excuse me, I promised to spend some time with my daughter. Dinner is in an hour." He paused at the door and glanced back at Vlad. "I know the others are a tad hostile but, if you prove yourself, they'll come around...eventually. Hope you'll join us for dinner." With that, Danny left the room, pulling the door shut with a click.
Vlad stood in the center of the room and gazed around at the spartan, yet comfortable, room and smiled sadly. Even after all these years and all his misdeeds, Danny had treated Vlad fairly and welcomed him, albeit reluctantly, into the young King's home. The older halfa felt a swell of pride in the good man Danny had become. Vlad started towards the bathroom, unbuttoning the faded suit jacket as went and couldn't help but grin at the thought of the first hot shower he'd had in a long time. "Thank you, Little Badger."
XXX
Danny sighed as he descended the stairs to the game room. Today had not gone the way he wanted it, at all. He had thought he had seen the last of Vlad after the Disasteroid incident and seeing the old halfa had been like a wake-up call. Seeing how the smug, superior billionaire reduced to this unkempt and ragged man had tugged at the halfa's core.
The young King had learned many years ago to never hold a grudge, as such a thing could lower even the best of men to become spiteful and hateful. His alternate self, Dark Dan, was a ringing testament to that fact. When Danny saw the man, who had made his first year as a halfa a nightmare, for the first time in seven years, he felt a surge of anger. He wanted to blast the old man with everything the young halfa had and then toss the old man into Walker's prison for the rest of his life.
Danny's anger dissipated in the meeting with Clockwork and Grim. As Danny sat there, listening to Vlad's words with an impassive expression, he had been secretly scanning Vlad's thoughts. While Danny had been fully matured, both as a human and in his ghostly aspect, at the time of his coronation, and although he had mastered all the powers he was capable of, these were not the only powers the young halfa would gain. Once Danny was presented, and accepted by, the Ring of Rage and the Crown of Fire, he had unknowingly gained a handful of new powers only the King of Ghosts and the Masters were capable of wielding. One of these powers, was the ability to scan another ghost's or human's thoughts. While similar to mind-reading, psycho-kinectivity allowed the wielder to merely gloss over one's thoughts to pick up on the strongest emotions presented in the moment.
It was through the use of this power, Danny was able to perform what the humans called a 'polygraph test'. Throughout the entirety of Vlad's speech, the younger halfa kept up a constant stream of passive scanning. Danny was amused to find that while sifting through the contents and emotions Vlad was feeling, the older halfa's mind was set up similarly to that of a filing cabinet one might find in an office...perhaps that of a billionaire CEO. Every word Vlad uttered, every regret and feeling of remorse he displayed, though spoken with a mien of control, spoke loud and clear to Danny. The old man truly did feel remorseful of his past misdeeds. It was then Danny knew what he had to do. Though he would never forget what the older halfa had done, Danny would not block off Vlad's chance to redeem himself. The young King would at least give the older halfa a chance.
Danny sighed before pushing his current stream of thoughts aside. Now was not the time to try and figure everything out. He hadn't seen his little girl all day and he wanted to spend whatever time he had left before dinner with Danielle. Coming up on the basement door, Danny could hear cries of celebration and groans of defeat coming from the room. Pushing the door open, he found Danielle jumping up and down with her hands in the air, in the middle of what was clearly a victory dance. Ember was slumped over on the couch in front of a large flat-screen TV depicting the words 'Game Over' in big block letters.
"Lemme guess." Danny started loudly, smirking when Ember's head to shot up and both girls spun to face him. "The little Phantom here kicked Miss Ember's butt in another game of Doomed 2?"
Danielle's face seemed to light up even brighter before taking flight and launching herself into Danny's outstretched arms. Ember stood and glared at the older Phantom. "I swear, Tucker has been teaching her cheat codes or somethin'. If baby-dip really is your kid, there's no way she'd be this good at video games."
Danny couldn't but laugh as he strolled across the room towards the couch and Ember with the little halfa still in his arms. "Please, Tucker couldn't execute cheats in Doomed if he built himself a pair of cybernetic arms to input the cheats for him." Plopping down on the couch, he reached up and pulled Ember down with him, initiating a group hug. Danny regarded his girlfriend with a serious expression. "Are you all right, Angel?"
Ember pulled Danielle into her lap and leaned into Danny's side with a sigh. "I guess. I've cooled down, but I'm still not happy with our newest 'resident'."
Danielle glanced between the two adults with a frown on her face and her brow furrowed cutely in confusion. "Who's here? Another one of your friends, Daddy?"
"Uh, I wouldn't exactly call him a friend, kiddo." Danny admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. He glanced at Ember with a questioning look, receiving a hesitant nod before turning back to the little halfa. "Clockwork brought a man here today. Someone I haven't seen in a long time."
"Who?"
Danny sighed heavily and tried to hide a grimace. "Do you...do you remember the bad man I told you about a few years ago, baby girl?"
The little halfa scrunched her brow in thought for a moment, before nodding slowly. "Plasmius?"
"That's it. Well, that's who grandpa Clockwork brought here. Grandpa told me that Plasmius is here to help me with some people, who are worse than Vlad, who want to try and hurt us; me, you, Ember, Uncle Tuck, and Aunties Jazz and Sam. Vlad has been gone for a long time, Danielle, and he did a lot of bad things to all of us. I don't want you to be alone with him. Always make sure one of us is with you if you go anywhere. Okay?" Danny explained, his core feeling heavy at the sight of Danielle's look of worry and fear.
"Okay. Those bad people...you-you'll keep us safe...won't you, Daddy?" The little halfa's voice trembled slightly.
Danny couldn't hold himself back anymore. The older phantom gather his daughter in a warm embrace, methodically running his fingers through her long, snowy tresses. "I promise you," Danny started, his voice soft but firm. "I will do everything I possibly can to keep you safe. We all will. Don't think your old man has lost a step yet. If anyone so much as looks at any of you the wrong way, they'll wish they'd never been born." Danny pulled back and kissed her forehead before looking Danielle in the eye. "I love you, kiddo."
Ember scooted into Danny's side and playfully poked Danielle's sides. "We both do."
The little halfa smiled warmly, her eyes shining as her father, and the woman she had come to see as mother, comforted her and showered Danielle with all the affection the little Phantom deserved. She threw an arm around her parent's necks and hugged them fiercely. "I love you too, both of you." Danielle settled back in her 'mother's' lap and gave Danny her patented 'puppy-dog eyes'. "Daddy, will you play Doomed with me until dinner?"
"Hmm…" Danny stroked his snowy goatee theatrically. "I don't know…"
This prompted the little halfa to use the fullest extent of her power of cuteness. Danielle widened her eyes just a bit more, stuck out her bottom lip in a playful pout and clasped her hands under her chin in a pleading gesture. "Pleeeaase?"
Danny was rather proud of himself...he managed to resist his daughters ultimate weapon for about ten seconds before ultimately succumbing to the little Phantom's cuteness. The older Phantom sighed theatrically, "oh all right...we can play until dinner."
Danielle whooped in joy and raced to the gaming console to start up the new game. Ember, who had watched the two Phantom's interaction with an amused expression, molded herself into Danny's sighed and smirked. "Wow, you managed to hold out for a full ten seconds. I think that's a new record."
"What can I say?" Danny replied, wrapping an arm around love of his life, and sighing fondly. "With a cuteness factor like that, she could rule the world with just a look. Hell, I'm the King of Ghosts and I couldn't resist it." Ember chuckled and sighed contentedly as the two watched Danielle get the game ready. Danny, however, could feel a shift in his love's emotions, an uneasiness and worry accompanied whatever she was thinking. "What's wrong, Angel?"
Ember was quiet for a moment, just watching Danielle. "I... I'm worried. I understand you wouldn't let Vlad in unless you were positive he had no ulterior motive, but…"
"But you're worried he could be deceiving me." Danny stated, finishing her thought. The Rockstar nodded, nervously twirling the opal-stone guitar pick necklace Danny had given her on their anniversary. The older Phantom sighed and gently squeezed Ember tightly. "I know it may seem like I'm running into this blindly, but I know what I'm doing. During our little meeting with Clockwork and Grim, I was passively scanning Vlad's emotions. I didn't pick up anything that indicated he was lying...but that doesn't mean I'm completely convinced. He will be constantly monitored and under guard. Hell, he hasn't even assumed his ghost form once in the seven years he's been in exile. Not since just after the Disasteroid. We'll just have to be careful and keep an eye on him and Danielle. I'll keep her safe, Angel. I promise."
Ember reached up and brought her lips to Danny's in a tender kiss, pouring every ounce of love she felt for him in their embrace. She broke the kiss with a loving smile, her emerald eyes locked with his toxic-green ones. "I know you will. I love you."
"I love you too." Just as the two were about to meet for another searing kiss, they were broken from their affections by an adorable and irate little halfa.
"Dad! Miss Ember! Would you two break it up? Game now, make-out later!" The two older ghosts blushed and glared playfully at Danielle. Danny snuck one last kiss before grabbing a controller and grinning at the cutely glaring pint-size halfa.
"Sorry, kiddo." Danielle could tell he didn't mean it, but she sat down on the couch with a huff and pressed start on the controller.
XXX
Dinner that night was a... rather awkward affair. At six o'clock, the Team had left their various tasks and gathered together around the large dining table in a large room just off the kitchen. The table was set for eight and featured a half-dozen large dishes, with which the Team had piled their plates high. Various pitchers containing juices, tea, milk, and a honeyed mead - from a cask bestowed to Danny from Princess Dora - were scattered around the table. Danny was seated at the head of the table with Ember on his right and Jazz to his left. Next to Ember was Danielle, with Sam and Tucker seated next to Jazz respectively.
The group had been chatting with one another, laughing, and smiling as they ate. Danny in particular had been cutting into a steak, idly reading a report on that day's town hall meeting Jazz had provided him, when the room fell silent and a feeling of tension filled the air. The older Phantom looked up from his plate and followed everyone's gaze to the doorway at the far end of the room. Vlad stood just inside the entrance, his head bowed and his hands clasped behind his back. The silver-haired halfa had cleaned up quite nicely; his grey beard had been trimmed into a neat goatee and his hair had been washed and trimmed and was pulled back into his signature ponytail. Gone were the dirty rags he wore, replaced with a crisp, white button up long-sleeve shirt, the sleeves rolled to his elbows, and a pair of charcoal-black slacks.
"Vlad." Danny greeted the older halfa politely.
The older halfa looked up and nodded at Danny before nodding respectfully to the rest of the room's occupants. When he spoke, his voice sounded less rough and livelier. "Daniel. Phantom Family. If the offer still stands, I would be honored to join you in your meal."
Danny nodded and motioned towards the chair at the other end of the table, opposite the younger halfa. "Of course. Please, sit. Tea is in the pitcher to your left, cream sugar in the bowls on your right."
"Thank you." Vlad nodded once more before pulling out the chair and taking a seat. The silence continued, broken only by the sound of Vlad gathering food on his plate and serving himself a cup of tea. The older halfa glanced around the table, his face impassive, and fixed Danny with a blank look, his eyebrow cocked questioningly. The younger halfa nodded and smiled politely before returning his attention to his steak and the report on the table.
After a brief moment of silence, the rest of the table began to chatter once again. The chatter was less lively than earlier but everyone continued on with their conversations, occasionally glancing at Vlad warily. The tension in the air remained but had lessened gradually once the others got more used to the older halfa's presence. Danny glanced up from the report, watching Vlad consume his own steak quietly and with mannerisms befitting that of a man who understood proper dining etiquette. Danny cleared his throat and briefly glowed a muted green, creating a double and sending it down the table to an open seat on Vlad's right.
The older halfa regarded the double with a raised brow. Danny-2 nodded before speaking. "I hope your accommodations were acceptable."
"They are. The room is quite lovely and the shower was very welcome. I must thank you, once again, for your hospitality. I do not deserve it, but it is much appreciated." Vlad replied politely, picking up his tea and taking a small sip.
"You're welcome. There may be some...animosity between us, considering past...events. Regardless, you are a guest in my home. I am trusting you with that much." Danny-2 then raised a brow challengingly. "I trust you will not jeopardize said trust."
Vlad sighed heavily and set his utensils down. He turned to fully face Danny-2 and spoke as honestly as possible. "Daniel, I swear to you, I am a new man. The days of Vlad Plasmius are behind me. All that remains is Vlad Masters, ex-billionaire-CEO and halfa." The older halfa chuckled darkly. "Although, Vlad Masters was not much better than Plasmius, I suppose." He turned his attention back to Danny-2, who sat patiently with his hands clasped together in a relaxed fist in front of his chin. "In any case, I will not break your trust, Daniel. I have spent almost a decade reflecting, and resenting who I one was. I understand my word most likely means nothing at the moment, but I do hope that you will humor a tired old man."
Danny-2 stared at Vlad for a long moment, searching his face and surface thoughts for even a modicum of deceit. Vlad met the younger double's penetrating gaze, his eyes silently pleading with the younger halfa. After several tense minutes, Danny-2 nodded in acceptance. "I can see you are telling the truth."
"I am."
The double held up a hand to stall anything else Vlad was going to say. "Be that as it may, there is a lot to reconcile. Prove to me, and to my family, that you mean every word you have said to me thus far and, hopefully one day soon, we can put the past where it belongs and work together."
Vlad nodded in acquiescence, hope at being able to be in his little badger's life glimmering in his eyes. "I will do anything, just short of humiliating myself, to make amends."
Danny-2 couldn't help but chuckle and gave Vlad a playful pout. "Damn, and here I thought I'd be able to make you go shopping for breakfast cereal. Danielle usually enjoys a bowl of fruit loops for breakfast." At the head of the table Danny snorted quietly, smirking to himself as he took a sip of his mead.
The ex-CEO rolled his eyes good naturedly and chuckled alongside Danny-2 quietly. "Hilarious. Glad to see your Kingly duties haven't dampened your sense of humor."
Danny-2 gave Vlad a cheeky grin before grabbing a wooden flagon full of mead and raising it in a small toast towards the older halfa. "Takes more than responsibility to kill my sense of humor, Vladdie. To family and new beginnings."
Vlad paused for a moment before raising his cup of tea with an amused expression. "To family and new beginnings." The two halfas tapped their respective drinks together before taking a long gulp from their cups. After a while the tension in the room finally disappeared, Danny chatted and laughed with his friends, Danny-2 amicably with Vlad about their powers. The older halfa, being a businessman and having built his own business empire from the ground up, was intrigued and impressed when Danny-2 told him how Akoni City came to be and how the great machine that was Akoni functioned. Vlad was internally excited when the double offered on Danny's behalf to give the older halfa a tour of the city the next day.
It was with full stomachs and restful minds that the Phantom Family and Vlad Masters left the table to turn to their rooms. Vlad would fall asleep that night, in a bed made for a King, with a massive weight lifted from his shoulders and a small smile on his face. Sure, their meeting after all this time had been tense at first, and it would mostly likely be a long while before anyone warmed up to the idea of having him in the Mansion. Regardless, Vlad was adamant in wanting to connect with young King and work on building a relationship, beyond mortal-enemies, with young Daniel.
Vlad grinned up at the ceiling, reveling in the silken sheets of the bed. 'Today was but a stepping-stone. I will do all I can to gain your trust, and prove I am a changed man. In doing so, I will protect you and your family with my life. This I swear to me and you, Little Badger.'
XXX
Whew! Talk about tension, amiright? Well there ya have it. Vlad is now 'unofficially' a part of Team Phantom. Only time (and my decision) will tell when or if Vlad becomes one of the ever-growing Phantom Family.
Anyway, as always, I hope ya'll enjoyed the chapter. I know I did. Leave a review and tell me what you think. I always enjoy what you all have to say!
Thank you, my beautiful readers!