Downward Spiral by SupremeDramaOverlord
Chapter 13 - A Snake by Any Other Name is Still a Snake
Danny's POV ~
When I was five years old, I made the mistake of crossing paths with a copperhead snake. Though it was a long time ago, I can still remember how cold its eyes were, how deadly its sinister fangs gleamed before sinking into my ankle.
This was long before mom and dad started working on the portal, back when they still had time for me. I can remember dad swearing vengeance against the reptile that was long gone, how Jazz had frantically searched for a book on venomous snakes, and the tear-filled car ride to the hospital. After my bite was treated, my mom had kissed me on the forehead and took me out to get cookies 'n cream. Back then, there was nothing that my mom's kisses and a trip to the ice cream store couldn't cure. But the foe that stood before me now was not a snake but his eyes and fangs greatly reminded me of one.
Ice cream or kisses from my mom couldn't save me now.
Just like a venomous snake, Vlad began to stride towards me with purpose. My sweaty and trembling grip on the butter knife tightened. I panic as he drew closer and I lunged forward, slashing frantically at my opponent with my pathetic weapon.
With lightning fast reflexes, Vlad gripped my wrist and at the same time he swung a leg under mine, sending me into a wild backflip. My grip on my butter knife loosened and it went flying. I landed painfully on my stomach, the breath knocked out of me. As I laid there gasping for breath, I could hear Vlad's condescending voice talking down to me.
"When attacking an opponent, you need to be precise with your attacks, dear boy. You also need to possess competence."
I made to stand up but a crushing weight was brought down on my back. Pinned to the ground by Vlad's boot, I struggled to get out from under the pressure.
"Get off of me!"
From above Vlad released an a mocking sigh, "You really must learn to choose your battles more carefully. All you have achieved is making things more difficult and stressful for yourself. Why not call it a night and give up?"
When I didn't respond but instead continued to squirm and kick, he sighed again but this time with exasperation. "Do you think I enjoy doing this to you, Daniel?"
I was starting to feel light headed. "Get off, creep!"
All at once the pressure on my back dispersed and reappeared around my throat. I gagged and my hands flew to the one wrapped around my neck. The rigid grip dragged me to my feet and I was sure my face was probably turning blue. I was roughly thrown across the room and I hungrily gathered air into my lungs. Ignoring the tender soreness spreading around my neck, I stumbled to my feet as Vlad observed me with a painfully patronizing grin. I hurriedly backed away until I bumped into the desk. Perhaps it was exhaustion or terror or a combination of both but either way, the floor started to sway from under my feet. I tried to shake away the sickly feeling.
"You really must learn when to give up, Daniel. I do not take pleasure in watching you make things so unpleasant for yourself."
"As if!" I spat my words out while lowkey glancing around the room for a better weapon. "So far you've made it your own personal goal to made my life a purgatory."
"It didn't have to be this way." He tsked with a shake of his head. He came towards me again, "If you had only listened and complied, things would have been quite enjoyable and peaceful for you. Just look at yourself," he waved a hand up and down my scrawny and quivering form, "In your childish attempts to defy me, you have accomplished nothing but pushing yourself past your limits. Frankly, I'm surprised to see you still standing."
My hand crept behind my back as I felt around the desk for something - anything! Somehow I manage to hold his villainous stare, refusing to break away contact first. I don't know how I did it, his eyes seemed to burn more deadly than wildfire. It was at this moment I realized how dangerous my current situation was. Though I didn't realize it until now, Vlad has been patient with me. Whenever I retaliated or fought him, he never threw a single punch. He was so much stronger than me, he didn't even need to physically hurt me. All this time he only needed to restrain and subdue me. But now I could see any patience he had was long gone.
And I had a feeling he wouldn't be holding back.
His lips curled upwards in a cynical manner, seeming to read my thoughts, "Think about it, Daniel. You know you can't beat me and your current condition is nothing short of pathetic." Though it was meant to be comforting, I cringed at the smile he offered me, "I assure you there is no shame in surrendering. I'm not asking much, I only want your compliance."
"You'd love that, wouldn't you?" I hissed with a deep and passionate loathing.
The back of my hand brushed up against something as cold and hard as stone. It felt heavy and I allowed my fingers to slowly close around it.
I didn't know whether to be alarmed or relieved when his smile vanished. His voice was too soft to be considered calm, "I have been extremely merciful up to this point but this is your last chance." I couldn't help myself from breaking eye contact as he extended an outstretched hand. I leaned away from it as if it were a bomb. "For once in your life, make the smart decision."
I had a good feeling that I would be in a world of trouble if I didn't submit here and now. I knew he planned to punish me if I continued to fight and resist. I didn't even want to think about what he would do to me if I rebelled one more time. Vlad was done playing nice.
It would be so easy, to just give in, he was right. I haven't been able to beat him before and I didn't stand a chance now. If I wasn't pumping with adrenaline, I probably would have collapsed by now. He wouldn't hurt me if I just called it quits and gave in. But was it really worth it? Could I really submit to someone who's attempted to murder my parents and keep me here against my will? I shifted my balance from one foot to another as my grip on the item in my hand slackened.
Realising that he was close to swaying me, he allowed an arrogant grin to slide across his face. "Come now, just take my hand and we can call it night, son."
Big mistake.
"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" I hurled a stone figurine straight at Vlad who was caught off guard.
The moment it left my hand, I booked it. As I bolted out of the room I saw a stone figurine slam into Vlad's chest in my peripheral vision. Darn it. I was hoping to hit him in the head. Oh, well. Better than nothing.
I had no idea where I was going but sticking around was not an option. But an idea quickly hit me and I raced through the hall and into the living room. I slammed into the front door, fumbling with the lock. When it clicked open, I glanced over my shoulder and shrieked.
I ducked, barely missing a flaming ecto-blast that hit the door, nearly knocking it off its hinges with a loud BANG! Tripping over myself, I tumbled through the damaged doorway and into the freezing night air. I sprinted as fast as I could, ignoring the sharp edges of rocks and twigs against my bare feet.
If I could make it to the training dome, Vlad's stupid bracelet would shut off and I'd have access to my powers! It was a long shot but maybe, just maybe, I'd be able to hold my own until I come up with a better plan.
As fast as I was capable of running, I darted around the side of the house and down the stone path. My mind didn't even register that the stone was as cold as ice. Ahead was the dome, not too far away. Almost there, almost there!
I was mere feet away from the dome's entrance when Vlad teleported directly in my path in a puff of pink smoke. I didn't have time stop. I cried out in alarm as I barrelled straight into Vlad's brick wall of a chest. The force sent me falling on my back and I stared up in horror at my captor's unreadable expression.
"How clever," Vlad mocked with hooded eyes catching onto my plan. "But even with the aid of your powers, it's useless to fight me. False hope is not becoming on you, Daniel."
Anger swelled within me as I shakily got to my feet. If I was going down, I was going down a savage. With a wild battle cry I lunged forward with swinging fists. But quick as a cobra, Vlad caught both my wrists in a vise-like grip with his strong hands. I was being dangled off the ground. The pressure pulsed achingly through my arms and I kicked and screamed vigorously. I felt sure the bones in my wrists would snap at any moment.
But I wasn't prepared for what happened next.
Lightning coursed through my very bones, pulsing fire through my veins. My mouth was dry, I couldn't swallow. My eyes were opened wide but I saw nothing. Light danced across my vision, giving me a blinding white-out. A terrible ear-splitting sound pierced the air, making my throat burn. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I realized that Vlad was electrocuting me with his powers.
A numbing fear consumed me that this might truly be how I died. It wasn't the thought of death that gripped my heart with such terror but the thought of my family. Would they be alright without me?
Time had lost all meaning. It might've been hours or mere seconds when gravity increased and I collided with the ground. I spasmed and twitched convulsively. I had absolutely no control over my violent and wretched movements. It took me a moment to realize that the awful whimpering sound was coming from me. My stomach twisted and I breathed raggedly through my mouth. A thick shroud of fog settled over my mind and I was barely conscious of the fact that I was now limpless, my previous spasms now dulling to a cold numbing sensation.
I struggled to keep awake, slipping in and out the narrow door of consciousness. I was falling into a state of pure nothingness, though I was barely aware that I was being carried off somewhere. With a cruel calmness, I realized that I didn't care. I welcomed the darkness that closed around me, anything was better than this pain and confusion.
I wasn't aware that I had passed out until I came back into the world of the living. My head throbbed like someone was beating it with a sledge hammer and a ringing was pounding in my ears. It took a few minutes for it to go away. There was an ache that rendered my body immobile, I couldn't move if I tried. I cracked my eyes open but it was useless. Black spots swam before my sight. My mind still felt clouded but it was steadily beginning to clear up.
What happened? Where was I?
The spots soon faded away and with bleary eyes I tried to make out my surroundings. I rapidly recognized where I was and the contents of my stomach churned. I was back in the bedroom, the bedroom I so desperately hoped to never see again. I was laying on my side on the bed on top of the comforter. The room was empty and dim. Through the thick curtains that concealed the window, a sliver of bright sunlight gave me my only source of light, revealing that the night had passed. But whether it was now morning or the afternoon, I didn't know. Memories of previous events came flooding back to me and I nearly drowned in them. Feeling returned to my limbs and I attempted to sit up.
But I couldn't.
A fresh wave of panic crashed into my senses as I jerked at my binds. My arms had been forced behind me and I could feel a tight cable around my wrists. I looked down to find glowing violet ropes bound securely around my knees and ankles.
I couldn't hold back a distressed whimper as I pressed my face into the blanket. Squeezing my eyes shut, I desperately tried to hold back stinging tears as I swallowed a lump that refused to go away. I didn't bother to care about the strange appearance of the ropes or how long Vlad intended to keep me tied up. All that mattered was that I had failed to escape and I had paid dearly for it. I felt ashamed as my face grew fevery and a few treacherous tears leaked out. My knees curled to my chest and I bit down hard on my bottom lip, attempting to keep my raging emotions from exploding. A metallic taste flooded my mouth but I couldn't bring myself to care. I was afraid that I might start screaming if I didn't keep biting.
I was engrossed in defeat. None of this was fair. What did I do to deserve this? What did I ever do Vlad? I've never done anything to him, so why was he doing this to me? Why couldn't he leave me alone?! I was a kid. Just a kid. I was fourteen, I shouldn't have to deal with any of this! How much more could I possibly take?
My body heaved as something that resembled a howl and a sob left my lips. I turned my head from the comforter as air became harder to get. I breathed heavily from my mouth as I refused to shed any more tears.
What was I supposed to do?
What could I do?
Vlad's proved that with every step I take, he's always three steps ahead. I couldn't beat him and I couldn't outsmart him. He has twenty plus years of experience under his belt while I barely have three months. I'm out powered, outsmarted, outmatched, and helplessly at his mercy. There was nothing I could do to hurt him.
….But that wasn't true.
Once I managed to push back the pressure from behind my eyes, I unfurled from myself and let my mind remember previous events. I had managed to hurt Vlad.
I had made him bleed.
I had made Vlad Masters, aka, Vlad Plasmius, the all-so-powerful half-ghost shed blood. Granted, it wasn't much. Heck, it was barely even a scratch. But I did it. I had proved it. He wasn't invincible. He wasn't unbeatable. I could win against him. I could beat him.
I would beat him.
Welp, here's an angsty chapter for you guys to scream at. I know some of you guys saw this coming while the other half was hoping Vlad wouldn't go all crazy and psycho. For those of you who hoped for the latter…. Umm…. nothing personal, it's just fanfiction. Go eat some ice cream or something, you're worth it.
Special thanks to Mollie Nail and to everyone who fav/followed/or reviewed.