Downward Spiral by SupremeDramaOverlord

Chapter 5 - My Parents' Only Friend is a Complete Psychopath. Go Figure

Danny's POV ~

"Oh, no," my hands shook as I stared at the evidence in my hands. "No way."

I spun on my heel and ran for the door, intending to phase through it. But before I could go intangible, the door opened and I barreled right into Vlad. The impact sent me stumbling backward, whereas Vlad barely moved.

"Daniel," He blinked in surprise before his eyes narrowed on the damaged pictures clutched in my hands. Vlad sent a calculating gaze over my anxious and disbelieving expression before looking up and down the hallway. Satisfied that no one was watching, he quickly shut the door and locked it. "We need to talk."

"You bet we do!" I scowled and pointed accusingly at my parents' 'friend'. "This was all you! You sent those ghosts after my mom and dad! Those vultures, that jerk Plasmius - all of them!"

Despite being caught red-handed, the man looked completely at ease and even had the nerve to smirk with amusement. "You're only partly right, son. But I must admit, I'm impressed you've put together as much as you did."

"Why did you hire those ghosts to hurt my parents?" I glared with hostility. "I thought you were their friend!"

Vlad's smirk quickly twisted into a hateful sneer. "I had thought that too, many years ago. But Jack and Maddie betrayed me."

"Yeah, right!" I stared at him incredulously. "You're a liar! My parents would never betray anyone."

"Oh, really?" Vlad raised a skeptical brow. He briskly held his hands behind his back and straightened to his full height. "Tell me, did your precious parents tell you about the accident that ruined my life?"

I narrowed my eyes, unsure about where this was going. "They mentioned something about a lab accident back when you were all in college. They didn't say what happened, just that you blamed my dad for it."

Vlad snarled, "Of course they didn't." He snatched the photos from me and I backed away as he strode over to the empty fireplace. "I was helping your idiotic parents build their first ghost portal. At the time I thought anything supernatural was utter rubbish, I was only helping them because they were my friends." I watched him stare bitterly at the torn photos he held tightly in his hands, "I was examining the portal when that fat oaf turned it on! My face was blasted with countless amounts of power-concentrated ecto-energy. I was hospitalized with a terrible case of ecto-acne that ruined my life. To make matters worse, Jack and Maddie never visited me in the hospital once! Not once could they be bothered to so much as look at me! They betrayed me!" Viciously, Vlad crumpled the photos and threw them into the empty fireplace.

I didn't know what to say. Mom and dad would never do that to someone they considered a friend. There must have been some sort of misunderstanding, whatever happened all those years ago. "I'm not saying I believe you," I folded my arms and scowled, "But none of this explains how you've gotten ghosts to do your dirty work. Why are you even telling me any of this?"

Vlad turned his head towards me, a smirk once more gracing his features. "Surely you can figure it out by now? Think, boy! Haven't you experienced a terrible lab accident yourself recently?" There was a short pregnant pause as I stared at him wide-eyed, the pieces slowly coming together. Vlad's lips curled into a cunning smirk, "I'm not the only one with ectoplasm running through my veins."

I stumbled back in shock, "You're a-"

My sentence was cut short as fiery red energy engulfed his right palm. "I'm a halfa, just like you." Vlad nodded once as he played around with the ghostly fire. "We are the only two half-ghosts in the entire world." He tossed the ball of fire into the fireplace where it ignited and engulfed the damage photos, and it continued to burn without wood.

"You're Plasmius!" I growled as raw energy pulsed behind my eyes. "You're the one who's been trying to hurt me and my family!"

"Actually, I have no intention of hurting you." Vlad's tone was surprisingly patient and demeanor was calm despite my hostility. "Jack and Maddie on the other hand, are a different story. I hold no quarrels with your sister and I couldn't care less about her. I was indifferent to you as well until," his breath hitched, "Until I realized you are like me… When I realized I was no longer alone."

I saw a glimmer of hope shine in his steely eyes. I silently stared, not sure what to say. Vlad could see my conflicting emotions and eagerly took advantage of it.

"Listen to me, Daniel," I could hear a hint of desperation in his voice, "I have twenty years worth of experience! I have gained money and power by learning how to use those powers for personal gain. I know how frightening it can be when these powers get out of control. I know how alone you feel! I am the only one who truly understands what you are going through! Let me train you. I could teach you everything I know!"

I eyed him warily, "You'd… You'd really help me?" My aggressive tone was replaced with uncertainty.

"Yes, Daniel!" Vlad beamed, thrilled with the prospect of winning me over. "There is so much I could show you! I can teach you how to acquire complete control over your ghost powers. You'd never have to feel scared or alone again."

I nearly smiled, the offer sounding fantastic. But what he said next returned my aggressiveness tenfold.

"All you would have to do is renounce your insufficient parents."

My eyes widened, "What? No!" I jumped back, once more provoked. "I'd never do that!"

Vlad frowned, but continued in a somewhat softer tone, "I am not trying to sound cruel, but do you honestly think they'd accept you if they knew the truth? They are ghost hunters, Daniel. They would never love you if they knew."

I was temporarily stunned into silence. What he said was like a punch to the stomach. The possibility that mom and dad wouldn't love me anymore never once crossed my mind. But that would never happen… Right? I was their son. Would they really hate me if they knew?

My eyebrows creased as I failed to hold back a frown, my insecurity physically showing. A small smile spread across Vlad's face at seeing the influence his words had. "Forget about them, Daniel. They can never hope to understand you like I do! I will be a better father than Jack could ever be! Think of what I could teach you, I could give you anything you want - just join me! Don't you want that?"

I was ashamed to admit it, but I did turn the offer around in my mind. Truth is, I did want it. The prospect of having someone who's got it all figured out and showing me how to handle these powers sounded like a dream come true. After nearly two weeks of desperately trying to learn to control these terrifying powers, there was finally someone who knew what I was going through. Someone finally understood what was happening to me, and he was willing to help me survive this. I wanted to accept the offer so much!

But I couldn't.

No - I wouldn't.

My parents might not be perfect, but they loved me! If they knew the truth, their feelings towards me would never change. I was their son. And with or without ghost powers, that would never change!

It was a tempting offer, but the price was too high. Despite how wonderful it felt to know that there was at least one person in the world who knew what I was going through, he wanted my parents dead. He wanted me to disown them, to betray them. There was no way I would ever do that to them.

With resolve, I looked at a patiently waiting Vlad dead in the eye and spoke with confidence, "You're wrong. My parents love me and that will never change. And you're going to stay away from me and my whole family or I'll go outside right now and expose us both to everyone! My parents will accept and protect me no matter what happens. But I doubt things will go well for you if the world knows all about your powers."

With a calculating gaze, Vlad studied me, trying to find any traces of a bluff. When he found none, he smiled in a creepily unnerving way. There was a heavy disappointment in his hardened eyes.

"Resorting to blackmail, Daniel?" He asked in a carefree manner. "Seems as if I am teaching you something after all. Very well, I'll leave you and your family in peace… for now. Eventually, you will come to see things my way, I assure you. But for now I believe your family is waiting for you outside?"

Several tense seconds went by but they felt like hours. I gave him direct eye contact, face set into a resentful scowl to mask my anxiety. Neither one of us willing to break the stare-off first. As I glared with every ounce of viciousness I could muster, Vlad remained annoyingly unreadable.

A pompous smirk slid across his face, amused by my stubbornness before unlocking the door and stepping aside to see me out.

"You are one seriously crazed-up fruitloop," I disgruntledly muttered as I stiffly walked past him.

I didn't dare look behind me when he chuckled at my retreating form. "I shall see you very soon, Little Badger."

I resisted the urged to dignify the bizarre nickname with a response. What a creep.

After grabbing my bag where I left it, I quickly went outside where my family was waiting for me. The wheels in my head were spinning non-stop.

"Hey, are you ok?" Jazz gave me a concerned glance as we climbed into the back seat of the RV. "Is something wrong? You look tense."

"I'm fine." I lied.

After she gave me a look that told me she wasn't buying it, we both sat in the car in silence. While every now and again she would try to strike up a conversation, I refused to say much. I had some heavy thinking to do.

There was one other being in the entire world who was half-ghost. He could have helped me, he could have trained me.

I could have accepted his offer.

I shook my head. While I hated to admit it, it was hard to say no. He's lived with these powers for twenty years, and he had complete control over them. There was so much he could have taught me. But it wasn't worth it. The guy hurt my parents. What else would he have done to them if I hadn't gotten there when I did?
My previous fight with Vlad made me realize just how inexperienced I truly was. That wasn't the first close call I've had since getting into ghost fights. I've had more than I cared to count. What if I lost another fight? I needed help. I needed to tell someone.

There was no way I could tell my parents, not after they'd finally stopped fighting and canceled the divorce. Not to mention the little part of me that feared how'd they react if they knew. Would they be angry? Disappointed in me?

From the corner of my eye, I saw Jazz giving me concerned glances.

Maybe I could tell her. I mean, yeah, she was nosy and got on my nerves frequently, but she was definitely someone I knew I could trust with my secret. She cared a lot about me and to top it off, she was practically a genius. She'd know what to do.

With my mind made up, I decided that once we got home I'd confide in Jazz. She's my sister. I could count on her.

"Uh… Ta-da?" I weakly smiled as I floated a few feet off the ground in my ghost form. After the long ride home, I told Jazz that I needed to speak to her privately. Once she had seated herself comfortably on the edge of my bed, I confessed everything. The portal accident, the late nights fighting ghosts, and the discovery of Vlad's powers and his notorious intentions towards our family. Through it all, she had stayed unusually silent before asking if I was feeling well. Anticipating her reaction, I had changed into Phantom.

I was waiting for her response, but my sister sat frozen, wide-eyed and slack-jawed. Several times her mouth opened and closed like a fish, trying to find the right words.

"Jazz?" I timidly floated back to give her some space. "You ok?"

After gawking for another few moments, Jazz took a shallow breath. "Ghosts are real?"

I nodded, "Yes."

"And you're half-ghost?" Her voice pitched high at the 'G' word.

"Yes."

"You've got ghost powers?"

"Yes."

"So mom and dad aren't crazy?"

"Well," I shrugged, "They were right about the existence of ghosts if that's what you mean."

"Oh, Danny," Realization flashed over her astounded expression before she surprised me by launching off my bed and wrapping me in a tight hug. "I'm so sorry, Danny!"

Baffled, I slowly returned the hug, "Sorry? For what?"

"I'm your sister." Jazz rested her chin on top of my head. "I should have realized something was wrong. I should've-"

She broke off and quickly held me at arm's length, "Are you hurt?! Do you have an injury?!"

"Jazz, I'm fine," She didn't need to know about my cuts and bruises. Changing the subject, I stared up at her hopefully, "So, you don't think I'm some kind of a freak? You still love me?"

Jazz gaped at me in shock, "Danny, of course I still love you! Nothing in this world could ever make me stop loving my little brother, and never think for one second that you're a freak! Why would you ever think that?"

"Thanks, Jazz." I couldn't stop a huge grin from spreading across my face. It felt liberating to have finally shared my secret. "Just, promise me you won't tell anyone. Especially mom and dad."

My sister patted my back reassuringly, "My lips are sealed."

Vlad's POV ~

It was well past midnight, but I had far too much to do. Right now the mechanical box I was tinkering on in my lab was more important than sleep. On the worktable next to me was a white towel with dried red and green blood stains. I had managed to get a sample of Daniel's DNA from it.

I'll admit, the previous events of the night did not go how I had planned. Originally I planned to kill Jack and Maddie during the reunion, but those idiot vultures failed to keep Daniel occupied. True, I could have still gone through with it, but committing murder in front of the boy would most certainly not win him over. You could catch more flies with honey than you could with vinegar, after all.

While I had successfully demolished Jack and Maddie's reputations, I was not done with them yet. Not in a long shot. However, the stakes had been raised. Those two cretins were no longer my top priority. Of course, I would eventually extract complete revenge, but I now would obtain so much more.

Finished with the changes I made to the machine, I moved to the other table in the lab. This next project would take me a little longer to work on, but the end result would be well worth it. With a faint smirk, I fingered the thin technological bracelet. By the end of the week, I'd have everything ready.

While I had failed to sway Daniel to my way of thinking, I was not about to give up and move on. Oh, no, not a chance. I shall simply have to use a more forceful approach in persuading him.

The way I saw it, I was more deserving to have Daniel as my son than those two imbeciles. They ruined my life! They started their own happy family while I was forced to suffer in near isolation. It was pure karma that Daniel had become the only other halfa in existence. It was their own pathetic carelessness that turned the boy into what he was now. I was more fit to raise Daniel - not them! He was destined to be my son, not theirs!

Daniel was rightfully mine.

And I will not hesitate to annihilate anyone who gets in my way.

Special thanks to Mollie Nail, for all her wonderful help.