Hallo, everyone. Hope you're well.

I've been really kind of depressed as of late…..so very, very sorry if I haven't updated as of late. My bad….my bad. L

I'm a little tired, too…..so give me a bit of time to update. Sorry for the inconvenience, everyone!

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Quote:

"In the Darkness, the almighty darkness,

Stood a thin, wee man with a silver, matchstick sword.

He snarled and leapt,

Parried and Pounced,

Swung and he struck,

Fighting the shadows amassed before him…."

Vlad's eyes narrowed slightly, like that of a cat's dead slits as Jack's own orbs met his.

His fingers brushed past his pocket as he clenched his pale, waxy fingers, feeling the small budge beneath the cloth that was the cool glass

vial of the-

The billionaire's hand jerked back from the serum as Jack's gloved hand wrenched out a ectoblaster.

What a fool he'd been. It had been bad enough that he, Vlad Maximus Masters-had been so foolish to inquire this bumbling oaf for assistance

when he should have known from the get go that the only help he'd get was a battering ram.

All those years ago….

As Vlad leapt forward, a snarl on his lips towards his once-best friend, Jack charged forwards with a strangled yell on his lips….

"Hey, Vladdie!"

From where he lay on his bed, the awkward boy of nineteen looked up from his book with an expression of slight annoyance on his face.

"Huh boy. What is it NOW, Jack?"

And, to his surprise, the young man seized Vlad's somewhat thin wrist, and, before the boy could protest, pulled him out the door.

* * *

He struggled the whole way, even as Jack quite nearly literally dragged him down the steps.

"Ermph-! Jack-what in the-?!"

Jack Fenton turned to him again, boyish face alight with excitement.

"Come ON, Vladdie! We'll be late!"

Vlad sighed, even as the two hurried down another flight of steps.

"Jack…I should really be studying-"

"Aw, c'mon, V-man! You passed the midterms with One hundred and four percent!"

"One hundred and six…but, Jack-it's after hours! If we get caught-"

"Bogus, dude! I wantcha to meet someone special! Besides, we're in COLLEGE, now, baby! Time to LIVE a little!"

Vlad rolled his eyes as they descended the last flight.

Really, he had to tell himself, Jack's footsteps still clonking on the floor beneath them, this was too much.

Who in the world could be worth this much…?

And, as they came down the last few steps, he saw her.

A young girl, no more then eighteen or nineteen, a large smile on her face, white lab coat

Wrapped around a petite figure, purple leg warmers pulled slightly above her ankles.

Her violet orbs blinked as she put her hands behind her back, suddenly looking shy.

It was as if the bottom had dropped out of Vlad's stomach. The boy swayed, and would have most likely have fallen over if Jack had not still been

tugging him, and pushed the gawking, sweating, and now hopelessly babbling boy forwards with a grin.

"Hey, Maddie….here's the guy I've been tellin' you about-who's-get this-also in for the pushing a dimensional rift straight into the ghost zone! V-man,

Maddie. Maddie, V-man."

Vlad twisted back with a distorted face, growling as he aimed a beam straight for the man's oversized stomach. He put a hand to his cheek,

wincing.

Great…King Kong left a metallic punch straight…as he put it, "kisser."

The idiot never ceased to amaze him with his stupidity.

Vlad leapt forwards again as Jack rolled and sidestepped the blast-which hit the wall with a sickening THUD-and aimed again, attempting to fire

at the idiot's head-or better yet, his heart…..

Birds were twittering outside the large mansion as Vlad silently opened the door, a small smile on his face.

"Jack." He said simply in a cordial tone.

And then his eyes brightened.

"And Maddie! You've never looked lovelier my dear-never better."

The man symphoned the three inside with a small smile, completely ignoring the Fenton he had addressed first.

"Vladdie, my man, it's great to-Ooomph!"

And the ghost hunter's face met the shale of the door.

* * *

"Wow, Cool!"

There was that boy again….Daniel, looking on a football carefully perched on a marble pedestal.

The indigo eyes narrowed slightly before they flickered to Maddie again.

How could he NOT know that name?

Not to mention, know it well?

A few years in aftermath to when he had received that little pink paper with a teddy bear wearing a bow, carrying flowers and the large IT'S A GIRL!

Segment on the doily part of the paper he had been sent, another card had come in the mail.

It was not pink-but blue. The teddy bear had been replaced by a sleeping penguin in blue pajamas.

And, sure enough, it had been an announcement of the last Fenton's birth, Danny.

But unlike the wedding invitation and Jasmine's announcement, this paper had not met the incinerator.

-----

"Ha! Still see you have the "old" moves, Jack!"

Vlad had sent the ghost hunter spinning to the floor with a disdainful kick to the ribs. Shuddering, and wiping at his lips, Jack tore himself up

with a bearlike growl, and wrenched forwards for the ghost hybrid's face.

What an absolute idiot.

A large stomached, pea brained, rash, stubborn, obnoxious, boastful, idiot!

As Jack ran down the streets, Vlad silently followed, wincing at his sensitive hearing picked up Jack's screams.

"DANNY! DANNNNNNNYYYYYY!"

Did he slowly murder Jack, or just get it over with?

Slow sounded good....but, knowing what usuaaly happened to people who attempted that were always thwarted in some case or scenario. Uggh. Positively irritating.

Ruining his life.....his chances of having Maddie....a family of his own...

But did Jack deserve a quick and painless death, after what he did?

To Danny?

As Jack continued to cry out, Vlad eyes blazed with wintery flame.

And he sent a magenta ball of energy at Jack's back.

"EEEEYYAAAGGGGHHH!"

Jack had whipped around just in time to avoid a lethal blast, but he was still skidded back ten feet. Eyes scanning the area, Jack took in Vlad.

"YOU! The Wisconsin ghost!"

Vlad's face hardened.

"Gasp, witty banter, announce doom, Fenton."

Jack scowled as he whipped out his mercenary equipment.

"TELL ME WHERE MY SON IS!"

It should've ended that night.

But, as fate would have it, it did not.

Bit ironic, wasn't it?

So thought Vlad as he danced away from Jack's double phoenix-or Hi-kyoung-aju-and parried the next blow with a deep frown beseting his

features.

This story had begun with the two of them.

And now it had come full circle-just the two of them.

But as Vlad's eyes flashed and he darted forwards once again, a similiar thought rang out in both of the combaters' heads.

This tale would end tonight.

With only one of them.