Long awaited chapter...here we go!
Chapter 8: A brother's sacrifice
Danny sat in ghost form on his bed; knees huddled close to his chest and arms wrapped around them tightly. He hoped in vain that the coldness he felt as Phantom would numb the pain that burned his soul.
He stared blankly into space while hearing the all too familiar weeping of his mother. Danny's parents debated whether they should wake him and tell him the news, neither knowing that he was currently awake and already knew what had happened to Jazz.
"Because it's your fault" his mind accused yet again. Danny exhaled softly, not bothering to fight the side of him that accused him; why fight the truth? He couldn't look at Jazz; he didn't deserve to after what he did to her.
Danny heard the rumbling engine of the RV as his parents left; obviously they didn't want to give him such stressful news.
The boy scoffed at the irony. His parents had no idea what he was going through. …No one did, thanks to Vlad.
"I guess you won after all." He muttered indifferently, lying down on his bed in a fetal position and holding his pillow in between his arms.
The young hybrid's expression remained blank. He stopped crying a while ago, believing that his sorrow was too great for tears; plus what good would it do?
Danny remained in this manner for hours, which he didn't even grasp or care to. Eventually spectral rings appeared around the teenager's waist and changed him back to his normal appearance, his exhausted psyche going into a fitful sleep.
The slumbering boy never noticed the blue mist that escaped his mouth, alerting him to the presence of a green eyed ghost observing him from outside his window.
Danny was aroused by a smooth, wet object sliding across his face as something warm and furry snuggled against him.
He slowly opened his eyes half way, finding TJ looking at him merrily. Danny closed his eyes once more, hugging the warm and furry creature lightly before falling back into a deep sleep.
"Hey Tucker, take a look at this." Sam whispered amused at seeing Danny hugging TJ like a stuffed bear. The dog happily looked up at them though he did not move from his master's side.
Tucker ran out of the room, bursting into a fit of laughter in the hallway.
"Man, I wish I had a camera!" he exclaimed quietly to Sam upon entering the room once again. "Oh wait, I do!" he remembered excitedly, raising his trusty PDA and clicking a button.
Sam smirked, silently watching her friend amuse himself.
"Come on Tucker, we need to wake him up." Sam said, moving towards her sleeping friend.
"Danny?" she called in a speaking tone, patting his shoulder lightly and getting no response.
"Here Sam, allow me" Tucker requested, giving her an expression of expertise.
Sam rolled her eyes and folded her arms in front of her.
Tucker cleared his throat. "Danny, wake up!" he yelled.
"Jazz!" Danny shouted, sitting up abruptly; startling TJ as he did so.
"Ow!" Tucker cried out as the furious Sam smacked him in the head.
"Tucker, what's wrong with you?" Sam reprimanded, glaring at her hat-wearing friend.
"Heh-Heh, Oops?" Tucker responded meekly.
"Danny, are you ok?" Sam inquired gently, moving her attention to the half-asleep teen.
"Sam?" Danny asked, blinking at her. He surveyed his surroundings wearily, realizing he was in his room. Was last night all a dream?
"Dude, are you okay?" Tucker questioned, regretting his actions at seeing Danny's confused expression.
"What day is it?" Danny requested in a tone of all seriousness, wanting to confirm if everything had been a dream or not.
"Uh… Friday" Sam replied carefully before glaring at Tucker once more.
"What? I didn't know this was going to happen!" Tucker defended.
Danny sighed, grasping that last night wasn't a dream. "It's alright Sam; I'm just a heavy sleeper." He intervened, preventing his friends from getting into a dispute.
"Really? I would have never guessed" Sam smirked at him, pushing away her argument with Tucker.
Danny smiled in return before falling back down on his bed.
Sam gave him an amused look. "Uh… Danny? You have school, remember?"
Danny frowned "I'm not going" he informed in a monotone, turning his body away from her.
"Danny, you can't keep skipping; you're going to get further behind." Sam scolded in a worried tone.
Danny remained silent for several seconds before replying. "Jazz… suffered another relapse." He said quietly. Sam and Tucker gasped at the revelation, their expressions quickly changing into sympathy.
"I'm sorry man." Tucker consoled, wishing his friend would face them.
Danny shut his eyes. "Not as sorry as I am." He whispered back.
Sam and Tucker glanced at each other sadly, not knowing what to do to comfort him.
Danny sat up, finally looking at them. "Thanks for coming to pick me up, but I'm not going to school." He finalized in a tranquil and appreciative tone, moving to gaze out his window to confirm that his parents were not home.
Sam walked up to him to put her hand on his shoulder "Danny, if there's anyway-"
"There isn't Sam… I just need to be alone." he cut her off calmly.
Sam retracted her hand from its action, letting it drop to her side dejectedly.
"We understand." Tucker answered for her, putting a hand on Sam's shoulder to wordlessly express they needed to leave.
"We'll see you later right?" Tucker asked in a hopeful tone, walking towards the door with Sam.
Danny turned his attention to his friends giving them a small smile and nodding his head. They returned the smile; while their eyes expressed the sorrow they felt at seeing him so down.
With a sad sigh the gothic girl walked out of the room, Tucker following behind her before he halted.
Tucker turned to face his friend who had his arms crossed and his back to him. "Dude?" he called. Danny turned to face him with placid look.
"Jazz will be fine; she'll get through this." Tucker assured, a serious air radiating from his words.
Danny gave him an even smile. "Thanks Tuck... I know she will"
Tucker stared at him for a moment; feeling like his friend was resigning to something. Tucker nodded at him, before turning to catch up with Sam.
Danny desolately observed his friends walk down the street towards Casper High, both giving him a wave goodbye. He returned the gesture before stepping away from his window. The teen sat back down on his bed, staring blankly at the floor for a few minutes. Sighing, he closed his eyes in hesitation a moment, before he opened his night stand drawer and pulled out a notebook and a pen.
Danny heard the phone ring downstairs once more.
Although he knew it had to be his parents from the constant ringing, the fear of hearing more bad news kept him from answering. His heart screamed for him to find out how Jazz was doing, but the thought of her not being well terrified him. He couldn't handle something happening to her, even more so if it was his fault.
Danny's ringing cell phone distracted the distraught teen from his thoughts. "Yeah, it's them." Danny sighed, knowing he couldn't avoid it any longer.
"Hello?"
"Danny," his mom responded, relief in her tone
"Yeah mom, what's up?"
"Honey, we need you to come to the hospital; did you get out of school yet?"
"Yeah, school is over." He replied, glancing at the clock, not really answering her question. "Mom… I know about Jazz." He admitted softly, not wanting his mom to recap what he already knew.
"But… How?"
"I heard you and dad last night." He covered, "How is she?"
"Danny, I rather tell you when you get here." His mom responded warily.
"Mom please, just tell me." Danny pleaded sadly, trying to keep his voice from cracking.
"She hasn't woken up since last night…They're giving her transfusions regularly because her blood cells keep dying… Danny, I don't know why this is happening to her; she's always been so healthy and-" He heard his mom stifle a sob.
"I'll be there in a little while." Danny replied vacantly, before hanging up and tossing his phone carelessly on his bed.
The half-ghost morphed into Phantom and flew slowly towards the hospital. The teen wasn't even half way there when his ghost sense alerted him of a nearby presence.
Danny looked around with a serious expression. His eyes swiftly spotted a large ghost snake slithering through the sky before it landed on a near by building and curled up in a hunting position. Its red eyes scanned the streets below; its mouth opened just enough for Danny to see needle sharp fangs dripping with green ectoplasmic venom.
The teen flew towards it with ghostly energy swirling in his right palm. Unexpectedly, he halted.
He hovered, staring at the ghost expressionless, before his eyes narrowed hatefully when they fell towards his lit hand.
Danny looked up once more at the ghost, the energy in his hand extinguishing. With a solemn look, the ghost boy turned on his heal and continued his flight towards the hospital, unaware of the baffling look that another hunter gave from further away.
Arriving at the hospital, Danny found Tucker and Sam in the waiting room with his parents. They both gave him a supportive hug and sat down next to him.
"We figured you would be here already, so we came right after school; luckily your parents didn't ask us why you weren't with us" Tucker whispered, to avoid Danny's parents from over hearing.
Danny nodded appreciatively in response. He knew his parents had too much on their mind to question why they got there before he did.
The doctor stepped in some time later and notified them that Jazz was recovering but at a very slow rate and still remained unconscious. To everyone's dismay, the doctor informed them they could not see her until she woke up.
Danny resignedly watched the sun set in the clear reddish sky; how was it that time always moved at the opposite pace he wanted it to?
Pushing away the unanswerable question he turned his attention to Jack and Maddie, currently sitting next to each other. They looked so drained. The happiness that once revolved around them no longer existed; not even at the mention of ghosts did they react.
As he observed them, Danny found his mind recalling the recent weeks. Since Jazz's sickness his parents seem to notice him more, so much in fact that his thick headed father actually noted the tension between him and Vlad and his mom perceived his gloominess. For the first time since he got his ghost powers they had actually caught one of his injuries from his fights. He knew his parents loved him and Jazz, but their love for their work often blinded them to the things revolving around their kids. Every now and then it bothered him, but after all this it became clear to him that nothing was more important to them then their children. His hidden fear of them not accepting what he was eased at seeing them, huddled together, fear and worry in their eyes. They loved him and Jazz above anything else and that felt healing to him.
"Guys" Danny whispered to his friends who were sitting in the closest seats to the window. Sam and Tucker acknowledged him with small smiles.
"Let's go home." He told them quietly. Sam and Tucker gave him questioning looks, implicating an unspoken "Why?"
"I'll explain later" he answered in the same tone. "I'll meet you guys in the lobby."
Sam and Tucker nodded, standing up. Jack and Maddie were so wrapped in their own thoughts they didn't note the teens' departure.
"Mom? Dad?" Danny called, walking up to them and crouching down to their level.
Jack and Maddie acknowledged their son with sad grins.
"I'm going home," He informed, returning the smile. His parents gave him surprised looks, before it turned into understanding that they highlighted with a nod.
"Will you guys be alright?" Danny couldn't help but ask from how dejected they looked.
"We'll be fine, honey." Maddie assured. "Get a good night's rest, okay? We will see you tomorrow."
Danny nodded and stood up to leave. Something in his heart, however, stopped him. Without giving it a second thought he hugged his mom tightly. Maddie was surprised at first, but swiftly returned the embrace. He looked at his dad before giving him the same loving hug.
"You guys are the best parents in the world." He told them sincerely, standing up once more to leave.
His parents' lips curved with happiness, a few tears falling from his mom's eyes.
Danny opened the door and stepped out backwards, watching his distressed parents' focus move back to the floor. Danny sighed sorrowfully, leaning his head against the door frame.
"Mom? Dad?" He called, catching their attention once more
Danny looked at them with concern. "Don't worry, Jazz will be okay," he sadly assured them. His parents nodded with sad smiles, a small twinkle returning to their eyes at his words.
Danny felt contentment at their reaction, but it quickly vanished once he stepped out of the waiting room. The teen's shaking hands coiled on his side as he walked away.
"Danny, I thought you wanted to stay at the hospital?" Sam asked perplexed as they walked down a dark alley.
Danny said nothing. He surveyed his surroundings prior to changing into Phantom.
"Dude, if you left because of us then let's go back. We told our parents we were staying the night there with you." Tucker added, seeing his friend did not respond.
"Hold on" He asked, grabbing one of their upper arms and taking off into the sky.
Sam and Tucker continued to study his expression waiting for him to respond, but none came and his face showed nothing.
"Danny, are you alright?" Sam asked warily
"Yeah, I'm just tired" he responded vacantly, his mind focused on his own thoughts.
He wanted to say so much to them; they had stood by his side all his life, helping and supporting him, but doing so out of the blue would just confuse them further or worse… make them suspicious... "It's better like this, anyways." He concluded.
Danny pushed away his urge and turned his face towards Sam and then towards Tucker, giving them both a mischievous grin. "I'm not too tired to do this though"
Before they could understand his change in demeanor he accelerated his flight upward, making their stomachs rise to their chest without hurting them.
Tucker and Sam gasped at the unexpected feeling. The ghost boy stopped his upward flight and gave them a cocky grin prior to dropping back down at the same rate.
"Dannyyyyyyyyyy!" his friends exclaimed, their stomachs coming up once more.
Danny genuinely laughed at Sam's fearful protests and Tucker's excited shouts he received at his continuing mischief.
Landing in an alley close to their houses, Danny switched back opting to walk the rest of the way.
He gave his friends an amused smile while they wobbled for a few minutes from his frolicking.
Sam glared at him and attempted to punch him in the shoulder but missed by several inches, still unable to regain her balance.
Danny chuckled at Sam's actions. "Dude, that was awesome!" Tucker exclaimed trying to put his arm around Danny's shoulder, but stumbled and fell to the ground face first in front of him.
Danny's laughter increased, "Better then a roller coaster eh Tuck?" he quipped, bending down to help his friend to his feet. Tucker nodded ecstatically, finally regaining his balance.
Sam held herself against a wall with one hand, rolling her eyes at him in annoyance, but the smile on her lips said otherwise.
"Come on Daredevil, let's get going," She remarked drolly, pushing the hybrid to the side as she walked out of the alley.
Danny and Tucker chuckled lightly, falling in step with their female friend while she tried to flatten her matted hair. "So, how was school?" Danny asked with a smirk, already knowing the reply they would give him.
Danny sat on his computer chair, staring at his clock. He sighed at seeing the time change from 10:59pm to 11:00pm.
Danny tiredly stood up and walked towards his closet. His heart pumped faster, knowing that it was time to go through with what he had prepared for since morning. He opened his drawer, pulling out the notebook he had used earlier. In between its pages were four folded sheets of paper. Danny grabbed the letters and slipped them in his pocket. He then picked up a dog crate and a leash off his floor.
"TJ, want to go hang out at Tucker's for a while?" He said softly attempting to sound enthusiastic. The dog wagged his tail in response, happily letting Danny put on the leash.
Danny arrived at Tucker's house. He glanced up at the boy's room window, discerning with relief that he was asleep from the darkness in the room. The teen placed the Dalmatian puppy in the crate before transforming in a near by bush and flying into Tucker's house invisibly with the crate in hand.
Danny walked quietly towards Tucker's bathroom and phased into it. He opened the crate letting his dog walk around the bathroom while he filled a dog bowl with water. He then gave the dog a toy with a snack inside to keep him quiet. "You'll be better off at Tucker's until Jazz gets better" He whispered to the dog, ruffling his head affectionately before phasing out of the bathroom.
Danny flew into Tucker's room, landing next to his bed. Danny chuckled softly at his sleeping friend, who held his PDA close to his face. "I wish I had a camera." He thought devilishly.
His expression quickly dejected at remembering it wouldn't make a difference after tonight. He removed one of the letters from his pocket and placed it on top of Tucker's night stand. "Thanks for everything, Tuck." He said in a low voice before flying off in the direction of Sam's house.
Danny landed invisibly in Sam's bedroom, her sleeping form wrapped in a thick comforter. He walked towards her and placed two letters on her gothic style night stand. He smiled at how content she looked. "Probably dreaming."
He gazed thoughtfully at her for a moment. "I wish there was a way you could help me, Sam," he voiced internally, remembering what she wanted to say to him. "But… there really isn't; I'm the only one that can put an end to all this" Danny sighed sadly before leaving her room and flying back to his house.
Danny landed in his room and changed back. The black haired teen grabbed a large, packed duffle bag located under his bed and headed towards his doorDanny halted his exit, recalling one last thing.
He slowly walked to his dresser and opened a drawer. He studied the black jewelry box before picking it up and opening it. The young hybrid took a shaky breath, his mind once more crying out what it had been saying all day in response to his decision.
It screamed at him not to go to Vlad's; it screamed it would be his demise, but his mind was not loud enough to bury what his heart whispered: "Jazz"
Danny removed the bracelet from the case causing the band to immediately glow a sapphire blue that illuminated his face. Inhaling once more to steel himself he opened the clasp and snapped the handcuff like band on his right wrist.
The bracelet ignited into a brighter blue glow forcing Danny to fearfully look away from the strength of the light until it faded into a barely visible, soft, blue glow.
The thick bracelet fit ideally around his wrist and felt comfortable, but no matter how "perfect" it seemed, he hated it; it felt like a leash… like he belonged to that jerk.
Danny scoffed in disgust. "He's so twisted; I wouldn't be surprised if that's one of his reasons for making me wear this stupid thing."
Danny gave the bracelet one last glare before resuming his actions. The teen walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. He glanced around and decided the table would be the best place to leave his last letter.
Giving the note a sad look, Danny transformed back into Phantom only to have his attention averted from the letter to the bracelet on his wrist.
Danny gasped in alarm as it radiated with a bright glow once again. This time however the almost blinding light was white. "What the heck is this? A mood bracelet?" He asked, annoyed.
His expression quickly turned into dread at seeing the bright, white glow finally fade, revealing the once blue band to be a silvery white band, but this wasn't what had his heart trying to leave his chest.
The bracelet, no longer looked like a bracelet but some kind of device.
The diamonds around the sides of the bracelet had become black and flickered like they were sensors. The rest of the band had black button, switches and knobs. Danny fearfully tried to take it off, but to his dismay it wouldn't come off.
"Of course" Danny thought angrily, the device still refusing to unlock.
Not caring any longer what the bracelet did he gave up and flew off towards the outer part of Amity.
Danny slowed down his flight as he thought of one other thing or rather one other person. The ghost boy quickly changed his course towards the hospital.
Invisibly, Danny searched for Jazz in the ICU ward. The place was really quiet due to the time. He could mainly hear the beeping of instruments as he floated through the hallways and rooms, occasionally passing by staff members.
The young brother smiled at finding his sister's sleeping form. Seeing no one around, he turned visible. Danny approached her side, unable to resist the urge to hold her hand. He looked at her for several minutes wishing he could take her place.
Danny frowned at feeling a warm sensation on his right wrist. He gave the bracelet a wary look at finding it was the culprit of sensation. "What is this thing?" he voice internally. The teen's eyes went to a clock on the wall and sighed gloomily.
He needed to go.
Danny gave his sister a kiss on her forehead, a painful lump forming in his throat.
His sad expression changed into surprise at finding Jazz's blurry turquoise eyes staring at him as he pulled away.
"Danny?" she whispered in a hoarse voice.
Danny smiled warmly, for a moment acting as the older sibling. "Go back to sleep Jazz" he told her tenderly, pushing her hair away from her face.
Jazz frowned at him, "but I just woke up." She replied groggily.
Danny chuckled softly "Yeah I know, but you need to rest."
Jazz's eyes unwillingly began to close due to the sleep her body required, yet she still fought against it, feeling she needed to keep Danny in her sight.
Seeing it was a lost cause she gave her brother's hand a comforting squeeze before falling into slumber once more.
"Good Night Jazz." He whispered, releasing her hand.
"Beep….Beep"
Danny's eyebrows scrunched at seeing one of the instruments connected to Jazz suddenly begin to beep and it was getting more frequently. Danny grabbed his wrist at feeling the bracelet grow hot enough to become uncomfortable. It had been growing warmer the minute he arrived in his sister's room.
Danny's eyes darted to his sister, at hearing her give a small groan of discomfort.
Danny's eyes widen and he slowly backed away from her side. He's hand covered his mouth at hearing the instrument beeping more rapidly.
In a flash, Danny turned invisible and flew out of the room.
He hovered above the hospital at feeling the bracelet quickly cool. He floated there, trying to calm his racing heart and trying to comprehend what had just occurred.
"Why that sick…"
His hands tighten into fist; he's anger so great he couldn't even finish his train of thought. The man had somehow programmed the device on his wrist to harm his sister. Danny closed his eyes momentarily trying to control the anger and sorrow this revelation induced within him. He finally flew off towards his final destination feeling that his sister would be safe now.
Just like Vlad said, a helicopter waited on the outer edge of Amity Park. Danny landed down, his ghost sense immediately triggering. He looked around, apprehensively before catching sight of the culprit.
Danny glowered at seeing the same ghost that forced his mom and him to jump from the plane that supposedly was taking them to a mother-son convention in Florida, leaning against the chopper. "You're not planning on crashing this one are you?" Danny asked sarcastically with a raised eyebrow.
The ghost laughed, "Kid, if it was up to me, I would tie you down to this helicopter and then crash it, but my employer wants you to arrive in one piece so no, I won't crash it." He informed casually before flying into the pilot seat.
Danny glared after the ghost "let's see you try it." He thought darkly before stepping into the helicopter. He barely knew this ghost and it already wanted to waste him.
The young hybrid sighed, quickly forgetting the threat as the helicopter ascended. He watched with heartbroken eyes as his home for fifteen years quickly faded from view.
Danny glanced out the window just in time to sight a landing strip emerging from underground in the front of Vlad's house as the helicopter descended. Danny felt like he was going to pass out from his escalating fear threatening to overpower him. His breathing and heart rate picked up at seeing Vlad causally approaching the helicopter with his hands behind his back.
Danny's mind shouted once more at him that he was in immense danger. It told him to run, to fly; to do anything besides sit there but he forced the thoughts away. He couldn't lose it, he had to stay vigilant, knowing that the man was capable of anything; and above all he couldn't let the man know how panicked he felt within.
Regaining control of his breathing, he stepped out of the chopper, holding his duffle bag close to his side.
"Daniel! I'm so glad you made it!" Vlad greeted with sickening charm, coming up to the young hybrid and wrapping his arm around his shoulder.
Danny jerked away from the man's touch like it was a scorching flame. "Don't touch me." He growled menacingly, his eyes illuminating a dangerous green
"Holding a grudge Daniel?" Vlad asked his attitude unfazed. "What would your parents think? Oh that's right you will not see them again so it no longer matters." he mocked cruelly.
Danny glared fiercely, but the anger in his eyes could not compare to the pain attempting to hide behind it. "You're not getting away with this Plasmius and I don't know what this stupid thing is suppose to do but Jazz better be okay because I swear I'll make you wish you never met me!" He threatened darkly.
Vlad laughed full heartedly at the boy's reply, knowing he was just trying to cover what he could see in his eyes. "Dear boy, don't tell me you visited Jasmine while wearing my gift! I do apologize I should have warn you that it momentarily…excites the nanobots, but now that you are away from her, my gift-which by the way looks quite nicely on you- can not affect her. Rest assured, my boy, I'm a man of word. You kept your end of the bargain so I shall keep mine. Jasmine will be just fine." Vlad said with amusement before turning around and walking towards the house. "It's frightfully cold out here. Come along, I'll show you to your room."
Danny hesitated for a few seconds before following, his expression bewildered.
Vlad noticed the boy's expression as he shot him a glance without turning his head.
Vlad chuckled. "Why so surprised Daniel? Did you think I was going to keep you in a cage?" Vlad asked teasingly, stepping into his house.
Danny began to wonder if the man could read minds but quickly pushed the creepy thought aside. "Actually yeah, I did." He murmured, not expecting Vlad to hear him.
Vlad laughed full heartedly once more. "Daniel, you can not possibly think I'm that heartless!" He replied mockingly.
Danny glowered at the man's hypocritical remark but didn't reply.
The teen looked around the castle and swallowed thickly. The place was creepier then he remembered. He promptly turned his focus back to the man in front of him knowing he couldn't lower his guard around him.
"Now there are a few things you need to know." Vlad informed as they walked up the stairs. "First off, breakfast is served at 8 am, lunch at 12:30 pm, Supper at 6pm, and Tea at 2pm and 7pm. The kitchen is always opened so if you get hungry in between then you are more then welcome to let the chef know."
Vlad walked down a corridor, continuing his talk without looking at the young boy following behind "Contrary to what you believe I am not keeping you locked in a cage or in your room for that matter so feel free to roam around as long as you stay within the confines of the estate. That does not include the Ghost Zone, Daniel...I do not see why you would want to go there, anyways…" He added with a chuckle. "But yes, you can go anywhere you please around here Except For my private dormitory and study." Vlad stopped abruptly, almost causing the teen behind him to walk into him. Vlad whirled around to look down at the boy dangerously.
"So help me Daniel if I even suspect of you going into either of those two places." He threatened, his eyes flashing red.
Danny's eyes widen in alarm, knowing the man wasn't even remotely joking.
"Now where was I?" Vlad asked himself in a lighter tone before resuming his walk down the hallway, his hands behind his back. "I'm sure you have already noticed that my staff are mostly ghosts, so do not be surprised if your ghost sense goes off regularly. I strongly recommend that you do not upset any of them; they do not…sympathize with you very much." Vlad said nonchalantly, before his tone turned into amusement at his last comment.
Danny sighed angrily. "Great, now I have to live in a house full of ghosts who probably want to waste me."
"Unfortunately for you, I'm a very busy man, so I will not always be around, but we both know I don't need to be to know if you're misbehaving." Vlad informed, in a matter-of-factly tone.
"Yeah, I heard in biology that most snakes tend to have a sixth sense about stuff like that." Danny snapped back.
"Ah, well at least you are fairly competent in some subject." He replied, looking at the teen with a wry smile and stopping in front of a door.
Danny glared at him, causing Vlad to sigh dramatically. "Dear boy, there really is no need for all this hostility. You should be glad to be here. Anything you desire is now at your fingertips, all you need to do is ask and it's yours."
Danny's glare fell into a look of pondering, before replying. "Gee, that sure sounds tempting, but my parents taught me not to accept things from fruit loops." He replied with a smirk.
Vlad simply gave him an even smile, deciding not to retort to the teen's insult. "Here we are little badger; I do hope the room is to your liking." He said, opening the door.
Danny gave the man a wary look at his overly calm demeanor. With a quiet sigh he stepped in, staring at the vast room that had to be at least four times the size of his.
Vlad observed the boy's actions from the doorway. "I'm sure you are exhausted, but if you-"
Abruptly, Danny whirled around, stopping the man in mid sentence. Before Vlad could react Danny shoved him away from the door and slammed it with glare in his face.
"That jerk doesn't know when to stop talking" Danny murmured darkly, looking at the dim, candle lit room with despise.
He stood silently in the middle of the room, his anger quickly falling. The room felt so empty, yet it had everything a person could ever want.
Danny walked towards the bed but instead of sitting on it he sat down beside it on the rug and rested his head against the mattress' side.
The teen stared at his surroundings momentarily, before chuckling bitterly. "Well, at least I got out of Lancer's detention tomorrow" he told himself in cynical amusement, staring at the barely visible quarter Moon outside the dark windows, before his gaze went to his duffle bag. Opening it he took out a picture frame containing his family and friends.
He stared at it silently. What would they think when they found out he left? Would they be angry at him for it? Would they think he's a coward once they read his letters? Danny sighed. What would happen to him? Would he ever see them again?
Danny ran his fingers across everyone he cared about sadly, before closing his eyes painfully, fearing the answers to his questions.
Gripping his bag, Danny buried his face in it, feeling so overwhelmingly tired; but a side of him repeatedly whispered something that made it difficult to give in to his exhausted body and mind.
"You lost them"
Vlad was nothing short of shocked at having Danny shove him out of the room. He glowered at the boy's actions but decided not to pursue the matter; he got what he wanted after all and that's all that he cared for at the moment… still he made a mental note to check on him later.
Vlad stepped away from the door and headed to his dormitory. A smirk played on his lips as he walked down the corridor. "Let's see how long that wit of yours last" he thought wickedly.
For those who wanted to kill Vlad In My Little Badger (cough- Invader Johnny-), I don't know what you want to do to him in this one. I was actually going to update this until next saturday, but someone requested an early update as their prize for guessing what Badger Danny was. I'm sorry I forgot your name and deleted your message you sent me, but everyone say thank you! Also a big thanks to my two betas: Enigmatic Penguin and Me Against the World. Check out their accounts under my favorites. They have really awesome stories!!!! I can not thank them enough for helping me out with this long and complicated story!
I also want to thank everyone for reviewing! I'm almost at 100 reviews and we are not even one fourth of the way onto this story! You guys rock! Thank you so much for all your kind words. Please keep them coming; maybe I'll reach 100 with this chapter- crosses fingers-
