The Crossroads Betwixt Life and Death

Chapter 10: C'est Curieux (Danny's P.Ø.V)

Once again I have to admit I was speechless.

I was sat in-between the huge iron joints at the top of the Eiffel tower with the cool breeze running through my hair. The view was amazing. The sun was rising in the sky as the morning progressed slowly. As I stared down at the world below it helped me to push aside my troubles.

My anger had faded and now I felt nothing but calm curiosity, I looked out across, what Vlad had told me was the Seine river as dozen of boats bobbed along. Some carried tourists and if I listened carefully over the noise I could hear the tour guide repeat things in English that I could understand.

Straight below the tower I could smell the food from the dozens of food-stands that were littered all-round the place and it was making me remember that I felt hungry. My stomach moaned and I sighed as I leaned forwards to stop the noise. I looked around as I tried to distract myself and I noticed that Vlad had disappeared, I quickly ignored my rumbling stomach and sat upright.

He hadn't really just left me here, had he? No, he wouldn't…he couldn't…I couldn't say it out loud but Vlad really was all I had left. And of course being the annoying mind reader that he was, Vlad most likely knew that it was true. But he didn't make fun of me for it like I had thought he would've.

I still couldn't get over the fact that he had admitted that he was trying to help me, it was something I never considered before; Vlad Plasmius cared about me. And I was happy about it.

And now he was nowhere to be seen so I was alone again.

Being alone had never really bothered me that much, especially in the last few years, but I had never exactly been surrounded by people. I'd had my family and my best friends and that had been enough, we never could stay popular for long. And it wasn't for lack of effort, but now I could officially say that I really didn't care about that now. What use was popularity if you had no one to share it with?

My eyes suddenly froze on one of many families down on the ground, they were walking towards what looked like a park; it was filled with grass and trees and smiling people. There was a woman, a man with a girl and a boy. I didn't know why this particular family should stand out but I smiled as I watched the young children run ahead of the adults and chased each other into the trees.

In the little boy I saw myself, in the place of the girl I saw Jazz, and the parents became my mom and dad in blue and orange, and memories of when we used to go to the park appeared. We'd never just have a normal visit of course when my dad refused to leave the house without a ghost weapon, but it was normal for us. I had been embarrassed more times than I could count but if I could have them back I would take any number of humiliating situations without complaining once.

I suddenly felt my ghost sense lower my temperature and I watched the blue mist escaped into the air.

I didn't know what to expect, I hoped it was just Vlad so I turned my head and stopped myself from letting out a sigh of relief when I saw him floating there. He tossed something towards me and, thanks to my quick reflexes I was able to catch it. "What's this?" I asked as I started to unwrap whatever surprise was enveloped in paper.

"Breakfast," Vlad answered and floated through the bars to sit somewhere above me. I saw that he too held a small paper wrap and I opened mine to see a very yummy-looking baguette. Honestly, though, I was so hungry I could have eaten anything, I suppose it was good luck that something that smelt this good happened to me tossed my way.

…Or not, it was thanks to Vlad…again, that I actually had something to eat…huh…weird or what?

"I bet you swiped 'em, didn't you?" I asked him before I took a big bite, hmm, ham, nice.

"Well, if I did, it was through no fault of my own; I don't happen to sleep with my wallet in my pyjamas or my ghost suit. Now, if you had chosen a more reasonable hour for your little sneak attack, I would have been fully dressed and I would have had my wallet. However, I don't carry Euro's in my pockets, do you?" he smirked.

"Alright, alright," I said with a mouth full of food, sheesh…defensive much? I took another bite as I continued to stare out at the surroundings. I think I can honestly say I had never had breakfast in a place like this ever in my life, but I wasn't complaining.

I guess I really, really, really owed Vlad…it was something that was only just sinking in. I knew he had done some really bad things to me in the past but I had hardly been a saint to him either…but that had only been because he deserved it…and maybe sometimes I was just being a jerk.

But this had to make up for some of it…maybe even most of it…I don't know…everything's just so messed up.

Vlad could have left me to freeze like he said…but he didn't, he came looking for me and gave me a very comfy bed to sleep in even though he didn't have to. He was being nice to me even though I had nothing to give him in return. And he wasn't required to feed me…but he had…Was there really so much to Vlad's personality that I hadn't seen before?

…And the fact that it took the d…the loss…of everyone I had ever loved for me to even ask that question was just sad…Wasn't the hero supposed to look for the good in everyone no matter what they had done…no matter who they were?

I finished the baguette quickly and I screwed up the paper in my hands as I tried to push the thought from my mind, but it was easier said than done. Maybe there was more to the whole heroes / villain's thing than I thought…maybe things were never so cut and dry as I'd like. Could it be that Vlad had been…right all those times he told me I was being stupid? Was I really so blind…so stupid?

I frowned as the questions continued; it was not a good feeling when everything you thought you were sure of was brought into question….Suddenly I blinked in confusion as I heard the quiet rustling of paper and I watched as Vlad screwed up the paper his food had been wrapped in and he threw it in front of me. I smiled as I aimed a small ecto-blast at it without even thinking and the paper ball disintegrated into harmless black ash which was blown away by the wind.

I tossed the paper I was holding over at Vlad and he did the same; he aimed and fired and it soon met the same fate. "Bull's-eye," I muttered.

"Hmm," was all he said as he turned away from me.

"Race you to ground zero, fruit-loop," I smirked then flipped off the tower and free fell straight down to the bottom. The feeling of actually being at the mercy of gravity was exhilarating, it made my heart pound in my chest and my blood boiled with adrenaline as the strong wind forced my limbs back.

I closed my eyes for a second as I fell faster and faster and I could feel something at the back of my mind trying to scream 'danger' at me. It must have been something primitive, but because I knew I was in no danger I was calm, after having ghost powers for 2 years I didn't really fear going 'splat' like everyone else did…well not much anyway.

"Daniel!" I heard and my eyes shot open…the ground was getting closer and closer…oh right…free falling plus gravity equals…not good. I forced myself to slow down and soon everything became steady…the ground stayed where it was and I did not go splat. I looked round to see a lot of people staring at me…whoops…

"Err…heh heh…err…bon-jour?" I laughed and waved a little. Either my accent was really, really bad or they were just surprised to see a ghost boy defy gravity but quite a few of them screamed and ran away and several of them just stared.

"Your accent really is atrocious, you know," Vlad said like I hadn't just scared a bunch of people out of their wits. He appeared in front of me and now even more people ran away at the sight of him…I didn't blame them, I really wanted to know why I looked so much like my human side in negatives and yet Vlad could look so different…was it by choice or had he always been like that?

"Oh, really, I'm sorry dude, I'll work on it next time I decide to terrorise a major landmark," I replied and for some reason he just grinned.

"Well then, next time I will teach you the correct pronunciation before you terrorise either the language or the landmark," Vlad said, and all was normal again; I guess witty banter with Vlad would always feel normal.

"D'you think we'll get arrested for somethin'?" I asked and we started to fly through the sky.

"Such as?" Vlad asked looking amused,

"I dunno…disturbing the peace…how'd you say that in French?" I wasn't expecting Vlad to answer me so I stared at him when he actually said something, with what sounded to me like a perfect accent…stupid, know-it-all Vlad!

"Troubler la paix, and no I don't, but it would be rather entertaining if they tried, wouldn't it?" he grinned and the French accent vanished as soon as it had come as he spoke English again…maybe he did have a split personality or two after all.

"Yeah, sure, entertaining, right. You never heard of a TV, Vlad?" I asked and now we were high in the clouds as the buildings below became smaller and smaller.

"Television can only entertain so much, Daniel; people are far more interesting in real life, especially when we have the advantage over them," he replied confidently and I sighed; the dude really was hopeless, he'd never change…but did that make him evil?

By the end of the day I was determined to figure this out. By the end of the day I would know whether Vlad was really as evil as I thought, or if he could be both good and bad…maybe we could all be both. Maybe we could all do good things and bad things…I know I had…maybe there was no such thing as a hero or a villain because everyone was both at the same time.

Everyone made mistakes…but that didn't make a person a villain…it didn't mean that they were just evil…did it?

I just didn't know anymore, but by tonight I would know, I was sure of it. By concentrating on this mystery instead of my grief maybe I could stay sane…maybe.

…I wasn't sure where we were going, maybe we were just flying for the sake of it, I flew round the clouds and then Vlad started to fly down, back to the ground. I followed him and then we were soaring above a busy road, over buildings and bridges, I was too busy trying to look at everything to notice anything else.

We flew through under the 'Arc de Triomphe,' which apparently meant the Triumphal arch and I couldn't help but wave at the people in the cars passing under us. I saw artists sitting around on the sidewalks painting detailed pictures of passing traffic with the arch in the background and fluffy white clouds that looked like you could actually touch them. I saw happy people talking in French and some stopped to stare at us flying through their city, but I didn't see any loud people in jumpsuits run out and try to dissect us 'molecule by molecule.'

That was something that Paris was missing…it was also something that Amity Park was missing now too.

We passed the 'Pyramide du Louvre,' again I had seen pictures of it but the huge glass pyramid looked both strange and appropriate in the surrounding building. The old symmetrical, stone building and the new glass and metal structure were a really weird contrast…but I liked it. As we flew over it I could see the people beneath; they all looked so tiny, then Vlad floated beside me and soon we took off again.

Together we circled the spires of the Notre Dame Cathedral and I saw the ugly stone gargoyles with empty eyes and rounded wings. They really reminded me of the film 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame,' only I couldn't see a hunch backed man anywhere…weird, huh? As I hovered in front of the huge stained glass window at the front of the building I could see every detail and colour on the glass. Bright blues and yellows, deep reds and greens, pitch blacks and clear whites, dark purples and browns; it was really beautiful.

…I thought I wanted to be alone, I thought I wanted peace and quiet…but that wasn't what I found in Paris. A while ago I didn't think I'd ever have fun again, but coming here had been Vlad's idea and since I hadn't been able to get a word in before he took off I had watched the rainforest disappear and we had crossed the sea and for some reason, we'd come here.

But I didn't want to be alone, I didn't want peace and quiet; I loved watching the busy city, there was so much going on, there was so much happening here. And there was so much to see, how could people come here and not see things from above like this, I couldn't understand it?

I guess I had more to thank Vlad for than just a warm bed and nice food to eat…I guess this made up for him drugging me to sleep. I wish I could be jerk to him for it, I really, really wish I could be a jerk to him because he tried to blast me to kingdom come earlier…but I couldn't. I just couldn't. It would take a while to get used to the feeling of being grateful to him like this but there was no way I could be a jerk to him, not anymore.

I'd never seen Vlad act like this before and maybe this was how he used to be, maybe this was the Vlad that my mom and dad were friends with and studied with in college; a nicer version, a Vlad that I didn't have to constantly watch my back around. I doubted that Vlad was, or had ever been the nicest guy in the world even in his college days, but it was easier to get along with this one.

We tossed witty banter without throwing punches in between and without trying to blast each other to bits. I can't say that it wasn't kinda strange, and I had seen a lot of strange stuff in my life…but it was good strange. It was nice not to be cold and alone. It was nice to have someone to talk to, even if we did get on each other's nerves half the time, and I was sure that Vlad had better things to be doing with his time. Maybe I should just tell him I was fine and that I didn't need a babysitter so he could get back to…doing whatever the hell it was that Vlad did.

The sun was getting high in the sky now and I suppose it was around midday but we kept on flying and soon we reached the coast. A beautiful, picture-postcard beach with a roaring blue ocean and golden sand; it was hardly the tropics but it was nice all the same. We didn't go to the beach all the time at home, it was too far away but on the times we did go we always had fun…well except the embarrassing moments from my parents. I smiled as I remembered one of the worst ones.

My dad, had as usual claimed that he had seen a ghost so he'd ran out of the RV…now this may not seem so strange but he had been putting his bathing suit on…emphasis on the 'putting it on.' He had been lucky not be arrested for indecent exposure and I vowed never to show my face at that particular beach ever, ever again.

I couldn't help but laugh quietly to myself…but it soon faded…I'd suffer any amount of embarrassing tortures if it meant having them back with me. I'd never complain again if they destroyed any hope or chance at popularity that I had left if only they'd come back.

No, I had to stop thinking about them; I'd go mad if I couldn't…but it was so hard. How could you forget your family, even if it was for your sanity? Should I try and forget? I wasn't even sure if I could start…

(Vlad's P.Ø.V)

Unusual though it may be I felt that I had an obligation to Daniel, not because he was the son of the woman I loved or of my 'best friend,' but because he was the only person on earth who could ever hope to understand me. One day he would…but not yet. He was half ghost; we were the same species we had a connection that no one could ever comprehend or appreciate.

I had high hopes that today would show Daniel that he could trust me despite our differences and make him understand that he could have a life beyond his family; maybe I could be his new family.

What else could I do to show him that?

Perhaps all he needed was time, in time I could show him that I could be trusted, I could help him if he would let me.

And he seemed to be enjoying himself, despite the occasional frown, doubtlessly caused by a memory, Daniel seemed happy. An achievement in which I took great pride.

Though perhaps in hindsight I had not thought my plan through as much as I should have; I had not been a child for many years, I was an adult and I had forgotten what it was like to be young. How was I supposed to make this child happy? What did children want?

But I suppose Daniel was different; I know of no other child that would be so content to simply fly like this, not many other children were in fact half ghost so they didn't have the opportunity, but still…

I doubted that Daniel wanted money, he didn't want things like I did, and I couldn't buy his happiness or his loyalty.

As I flew over the waves of the cold ocean I stared back at the coast; France, particularly Paris had always been a favourite retreat of mine, I still wasn't entirely sure why. America may have been where I was born, where I grew up and where I lived but it never really felt like a home.

Even my family house had never really been a home if I was honest with myself…what was a home? Was it merely where one lived?

I had often watched the boy return to his home after our fights and he always seemed relaxed there, despite the threat his parents ghost weapons posed. Perhaps a happy family life was what made a home, I had everything I could have ever wanted but it had never seemed enough to me, not as a child or as a man.

If I couldn't discover what a home was then I was sure that Daniel would never truly be happy or even content living with me, or anyone else for that matter. It was another question that I could not answer; it was yet another thing that I could not understand.

I knew I was cleverer than most men, I was certainly more powerful and wealthier than most men, but the fact that there were things that this child understood that I did not was not an idea that I wanted to dwell on.

I chuckled quietly as an oblivious Daniel was swallowed up by a particularly large wave, clearly he had not been paying attention but we were well into the open ocean now. He emerged rather angry and very wet, glaring at the water as he would an enemy…as he had glared at me. That thought was enough to sober me and wiped the smile from my face.

I didn't want to spend the rest of my life with this child despising me. And I didn't want Daniel to spend the rest of his believing that I despised him. Such a life would not be intelligent; it would be wasteful and cruel to the both of us if I let things continue as they had been.

I wasn't aware if our ghost powers gave us longevity, I doubted it, but I certainly looked younger than my 40 years in spite of my white hair. And Daniel too looked younger than 16, I wonder if he noticed, or even questioned our aging…but perhaps we were both merely fortunate in our genetics.

If we did indeed live longer than normal people then it was all the more reason for us to be on the same side, so to speak. There were far more reasons than not, more pros than cons for me to be Daniel's guardian…as cruel as it sounded this whole situation did indeed fall in my favour. And as an opportunistic man I would allow such a prospect as this to pass me by without doing all in my power to succeed.