AN: Yay new chapter! I hope you guys enjoy.
A Different Direction
Chapter Seven
"Tensions"
Danny glowered at Vlad as the two entered his home. Vlad had had a harsh grip on Danny's shoulder the whole way to the Fenton house, his smirk never leaving his features. Resisting the urge to go ghost and clobber Vlad, Danny directed Vlad towards the stair case, annoyed that Vlad's hand still did not leave his shoulder. "I'm not going to run away, Vlad," Danny muttered.
"Ah, Daniel, that's what you want me to think. The way you behaved as we left Miss Grey's house, the fact you've been glaring at me any time you looked at me. I'm not about to let go of you, Daniel, and cause a struggle. You wouldn't want to get seriously hurt after that girl tried to do what she could to protect you."
Danny gritted his teeth, wincing as Vlad's grip increased tremendously. "I'm not going to fight with you."
"I'm not naive. I know not to trust my enemy," Vlad said, his smirk still present on his features.
"And you want your enemy to become your apprentice? You should know I'll never listen to you," Danny growled, turning the doorknob to his room. "What should I take?"
"Anything you want to take with you. Don't worry about clothes; I can always buy you more. You are my son, now, after all."
Shuddering, Danny tried not to think of Vlad being fatherly. He needed to get stuff together. "Um. You might want to let go of me. It'd be kinda hard for me to get stuff together if your hand is on my shoulder."
"Very well," Vlad said softly. "I suppose I can let you go, just this once. But first, let me put this on you." Vlad reached out to Danny's desk and grabbed the Specter Deflector, putting it around Danny's waist. "If I recall, that should prevent you from using your powers."
Sighing, Danny walked over to his closet, grabbing the things he knew he would need to survive at Vlad's house. He grabbed several sets of his clothes; he didn't want Vlad to have to buy new clothes for him. He picked up a couple of knick-knacks that he, Sam, and Tucker had made when they were little. He picked up his photo album, holding off the tears he felt building up in his eyes.
"I'll never see them again," he whispered. He vaguely wished he and Valerie had become friends much sooner, and that Sam and Tucker would have liked her. Maybe that way he would have had pictures of her, too.
Once Danny was done, he turned around to face Vlad. For once, Vlad's smirk had disappeared. Instead, he was studying Danny intensely. "Ready to go?"
"Why wouldn't you let me say goodbye?" Danny asked quietly. Vlad raised an eyebrow at him. "She's the only person I have left--why couldn't I say goodbye?"
"Because you wouldn't have come so willingly, and there would have been many more injuries to the both of you. She wouldn't have let you come with me; nor would you have wanted to."
"I still don't want to come with you," Danny growled. "I wouldn't ever want to be your son!"
Vlad looked hurt upon hearing that, but he hid it rather quickly. "It doesn't matter, Daniel. I adopted you already. It doesn't take long to do so when you have as much money as I do..."
"Money means nothing when no one likes you," Danny muttered, taking off the Specter Deflector, picking up his book bag. "You'll never be able to buy companionship."
Vlad narrowed his eyes, walking over to Danny, his hand returning to Danny's shoulder. "I don't need to hear such things from you. Let's get out of here. My private jet is waiting."
&&&
Valerie rushed over to the Fenton house, disappointed to see that no lights were on. They couldn't have already left for Wisconsin, could they have? The plan must have been a later flight in the day; Vlad didn't appear to be in a hurry that afternoon, during their fight. Danny would have needed to get his things, right? Maybe the two haven't even shown up here, yet.
Valerie stepped off her board, and walked up the steps. When she reached the door, she noticed it wasn't shut all the way. She had shut the door that morning, hadn't she? Holding her breath, Valerie opened the door and walked inside. Nothing that she could see had been touched or moved in any sort of way. Not even the pictures on the mantel had been moved. If Danny and Vlad had been there already, wouldn't Danny have wanted to take some pictures with him? Would Danny have just left memories behind like that?
Valerie shook her head and headed up the stairs. She had a sinking feeling in her stomach, and she strained her ears to listen for any out of place noises. She couldn't hear a thing. Her heart sank into her stomach as she made it to the last step. Danny's door was open. Danny wouldn't have left his door open like that. They had already been there; judging by the silence, they had been gone for a while. She couldn't believe it. How long had she been passed out?
Despite this realization, Valerie walked into Danny's room. Things were tossed all over the place, she couldn't see anything that Danny wouldn't have left behind. His closet was open; there were school supplies thrown about the desk. Maybe Danny left some sort of clue behind--some sort of way for Valerie to find him. Danny would have wanted to be found, right? He'd have wanted to get away from Vlad--he wouldn't want to just give up...would he?
Valerie stopped at the desk, studying the stuff laying on top of it. Pieces of paper were everywhere; Valerie found herself leafing through them all. Some sort of clue--if he had been here, he would have left some sort of clue. He'd want her to find him...
But would Vlad have given Danny the chance? Would Vlad really have been careless enough to leave Danny a chance to leave some sort of hint? Vlad didn't want anyone to get in his way; wouldn't want any sort of disruption in his plans. Could Danny have found a way to do just that? Was Danny smart enough to do so?
Valerie shook her head; there was no time for thoughts like that. Even if Vlad was watching Danny carefully, Danny still would have found a way. She remembered Danny's desk being neater than this; Danny wouldn't have made such a mess unless he was trying to hide something. Slowly Valerie began sifting through the papers again, organizing them between separate piles, studying each one carefully, scrutinizing every detail of the papers for some sort of sign. A few papers stood out, but when she looked over them one more time, none of them were related back to Vlad.
Valerie felt her eyes stinging painfully, causing her to blink. She wasn't going to cry; she wasn't going to get frustrated. This was Fenton Works. Weren't Danny's parents friends with Vlad in college? What about the internet? Wasn't Vlad some giant billionaire? He can't possibly have his home hidden on the web, unless there were some people out there who wanted to get rid of him--which was highly possible. Vlad did create weapons for a living.
She put the papers down; all but one. Dalv. Something was trying a note within her. Dalv. Dalv. She studied the page; studied the address given on the paper. It wasn't located in Wisconsin. But the name still rang a bell. Instead of putting the paper back down, Valerie placed it in her pocket. She would hold onto it; it might give her some sort of clue.
Valerie moved away from the desk, glancing over the room one more time. What about the other rooms? Maybe Danny kept a journal? No; that would have been dangerous for him. His sister, however...
Jazz would have definitely kept a diary. Valerie walked out of the room and opened the next door she came across. Instantly her eyes were bombarded by a multitude of pink. "This has to be Jazz's room," she muttered, stepping inside. "Where would a girl like Jazz keep her diary?" Valerie blinked, her eyes falling upon the book on the bed. "You gotta be kidding me."
It was Jazz's diary sitting there innocently on the bed. Valerie rushed over to it, picking up the book, thankful that it didn't have a lock. She opened the book to the first page, looking for the date. Valerie wouldn't put it past Jazz to have many diaries. This one would need to be before the start of her freshman year, or Jazz's junior year. Jazz was a junior, right? Valerie thumbed through the first ten or so pages, studying the words carefully.
There was an entry on something about a college reunion several pages in. That was all Valerie needed to see before pocketing the diary, as well. She knew Jazz was good with details. She knew that Jazz's diary would at least give her some more information about Vlad, if not his home's location. That was all she really needed, unless... Jazz wouldn't have kept the college reunion flyer, would she? That would have given Valerie location definitely.
Valerie searched the room up and down, finding nothing remotely of interest. Sighing, Valerie walked out of the room, heading towards the stairs. The diary should be more than enough. Now she needed to get home.
&&&
Danny watched as the clouds passed by, staring at them blankly. He had been stuck on this plane for way too long. Vlad had attempted to have conversation with him, but after the first half hour of failed attempts, Vlad finally got the point and remained silent. Vlad had just taken Danny away from everything he had ever known--did he really think that Danny would be happy?
The anger was nothing. It only weighed Danny's heart down more. He was leaving Amity Park; he was going to be entirely alone. There was going to be no one there for him to talk to. Vlad would never understand. He didn't have any damn emotions to deal with. All he was concerned about was power, having Danny as his apprentice, and having Maddie to himself. Whatever gave Vlad the idea that he would even stand a chance with Maddie? She had always loved Jack, for as long as they had known each other.
Sighing, Danny turned away from the windows, looking at the seat in front of him. He hoped that Valerie had woken up. If she was still unconscious, then that ghostly wail of his was far too powerful. It drained him of his energy, as well. His body couldn't support the new power quite yet. He hoped he could gain control over the new skill--it could be the only way he'd be able to beat Vlad. If he could beat Vlad, then maybe he could get back to Amity Park and find Valerie.
But what if he couldn't master it? What if he just can't support such a powerful attack? How would he defeat Vlad and get away? How could he get away, period? Vlad would definitely have some sort of state-of-the-art surveillance system. He would monitor Danny's behavior day-in and day-out, until he was absolutely certain that Danny would run away. And that, Danny knew, would never happen. No matter how long Danny was there without a struggle, Vlad wouldn't trust him, ever.
"My boy, what can you possible be brooding on about?" Vlad asked, the sudden intrusion of his voice harsh on Danny's ears. "You're leaving the old behind. Celebrate that fact, Daniel. No more pain and strife. You should be happy."
"There's nothing to be happy about," Danny muttered. "Living with you isn't going to be a blast; it's going to be terrible."
Vlad just raised an eyebrow. "My boy, I have all the money and power in the world. You can buy happiness with the wealth you have now."
"If wealth could buy happiness you wouldn't be nearly as bitter and unhappy as you are now. Power doesn't mean a thing when you can't get what you want through force."
Vlad remained silent, scowling at Danny before turning away from the boy. "I am not bitter," he grumbled under his breath, crossing his arms. "Maddie was supposed to be with me."
Danny rolled his eyes, continuing to stare out the window. "I think my mom knew who was better for her before the accident," he said softly, his voice heavy. His parents...Jazz...somehow he couldn't still feel the full weight of their being lost. His fault--no matter how anyone explained it to him, it was his fault. Just as it was his fault that he was here, right now. If he hadn't left Valerie lying there when he went after Vlad, he wouldn't be there on that plane, on his way to Wisconsin.
Sighing, Danny leaned his head against the window, feeling the tears come. He made no move to stop them as he held the photo album in his lap. He had no one, now--now that he was taken away from the last living person that cared for him. No one but a bitter old man who didn't care about him one bit, just cared about his powers and what he could do with them. What good was he, when all anyone wanted from him was his powers?
Wiping away the tears, Danny opened the album and flipped through it. Every picture had Sam and Tucker in it, the two of them smiling innocently at the camera. He remembered how Sam insisted that all three of them keep a photo album once they started middle school. He was thankful that she had--if she hadn't, he wouldn't have these pictures to look at; he wouldn't remember all the good times. He slowly flipped through the pictures. fingering his way to the last page in the album, feeling his heart getting heavy again. The last picture was taken only a week ago; the three of them looked so happy. They didn't even know that only one of them would still be living.
Closing the album, Danny turned his attention back to the window. He couldn't stop dwelling on all of his pain. It wasn't fair to his friends, even if the whole incident was his fault. He needed to find a way to escape his pain. But how does one go about forgetting something so painful?
"Daniel, we're almost home," Vlad said suddenly. "It would be an excellent idea to put your seatbelt back on. We're about to land."
Danny barely acknowledged that he had heard Vlad, but he reached down to rebuckle his seatbelt. "It's not 'home' to me," Danny muttered under his breath. "You took me away from my home."
Vlad scowled, but he didn't say anything in response. He continued to stare ahead, his seatbelt already securely fashioned. "You're going to have to leave all of that behind at some point, my boy. This is just a little--sooner--than you thought. My castle is your new home. I suggest you get used to it."
"It'll never be my home, because it'll never be what I had with my family and friends."
"I am your family now, Daniel."
"You'll never replace them," Danny growled. "You're just holding me prisoner at your house until further notice."
"So cold, Daniel. There's no reason for you to be angry with me; I have saved you from the life of poverty. You should be grateful."
"You took me away from the one person who cared about me. I have nothing to be grateful over," Danny muttered, crossing his arms over his chest, his photo album falling on the floor. Danny quickly reached down to retrieve it.
"Do you honestly think she cared for you?" Vlad asked, shaking his head. "She was just curious about you, Danny. You were so unusual, being half-ghost, half-human."
Danny gripped the photo album tightly, trying to concentrate on something other than Vlad's voice. He was only trying to make him feel worse about himself; to make him think that he really had no one else left. "Stop trying to make me feel worse."
"No one in this world can be trusted, Daniel. Everyone is out to get someone."
"Even my mother? Or is she the exception to the rule?"
"Maddie is perfect in every way. If she didn't marry that fat oaf, she wouldn't have even risked her life. She would have lived in perfection with me."
"She died because of me, not because of Dad," Danny growled. "Don't ever blame Dad for anything that when wrong in your life."
"Why do you care what I think about your father?" Vlad grumbled. "He's not alive anymore."
"What about respecting his memory?"
"I didn't respect the man while he was alive; why would I respect him now?" Vlad asked, looking over at Danny.
"Because I would greatly appreciate it if you didn't talk about my dad that way," Danny muttered, glaring at Vlad. "My dad was very important to me. If you want me to start respecting you, you need to start respecting the things that are important to me."
"Forget about him, Daniel. I'm your father now."
"You're my father only on paper," he whispered, feeling his stomach lurch a bit as the plane began its descent. "You'll never be my dad."
Vlad didn't say anything in response, and the two remained in a stony silence as they made their way off of the jet and into Vlad's limousine. Danny didn't mind the silence at all--the less Vlad talked, the better.
