Ghost King Danny: Book 1

A The Horsemen's Commander Production

Chapter 26- Vladimir Masters' Ghost Lab/The True King PT. 5

Author's Note: Two months huh? Blame laziness.

Last Time

"Vlad? Just out of curiosity, what happened to the portal the first time around? Do you remember?" Maddie asked.

Vlad looked toward her with a semi-thoughtful look on his face. Danny was looking at him, as were his friends with a stony look. A look that Vlad had perfected over his 20 years of half-ghost life. 'He knows something.' Vlad thought. 'I know that face. That face is the face I spent twenty years perfecting. The face I use when I'm hiding something big. What do you know, Little Badger?' He resolved to find out soon, hopefully later on today, and if not, tomorrow for sure.

This Time

Vlad looked towards Maddie with a semi-thoughtful look on his face. His pondering was then quickly replaced with a slight frown as he answered Maddie. Vlad sighed.

"Well Madeline, everything was going so well with the portal the first time. However, one very significant detail changed all that, unfortunately. Jack replaced the ecto-filtrator with his diet cola that he was drinking."

Both Maddie and Jack gasped as Vlad told his story. Slowly, gaps in both Maddie and Jack's minds were being filled in.

Flashback- Twenty Years Ago

A young Jack Fenton, Madeline Nightingale, and Vladimir Masters stood back in awe at their creation.

"Should we test it, Mads? Can we test it now? Can we?!" Jack's enthusiasm was almost nauseating enough for Vlad to want to tell him to quiet down (read: shut the hell up), but honestly, Vlad wanted to know if they could start it as well, so he let him be.

"Yes, Madeline. I am most curious as to when we can test our creation." Vlad's smooth tones, even as a twenty-something college student, spoke with purpose and power.

"Will both of you please calm down?", Maddie said with a slight Irish lilt and laugh in her voice as the two men had slight pouts on their faces, which only made her laugh even harder. "Don't worry guys, we'll test it right now. Jack, can you do the honors and place the ecto filtrator on the portal please?"

"Sure thing Mads. I've got it right here." Unfortunately, Jack wasn't exactly looking at where his hand was when he was grabbing the ecto-filtrator, and actually grabbed his diet soda he was drinking instead and plonked it into the machine. It didn't really make much of a noise…or anything really as it wasn't plugged in. Then Maddie gave the command to a prepared Vlad.

"Plug it in Vlad."

And so he did. As soon as the plug entered the socket, the portal and the surrounding desk it was on lit up with a swirling green glow. Vlad walked over to it in fascination, sticking his head slightly closer to the portal to get a closer look at the swirling mass.

"Amazing. This could revolutionize the paranormal scientific world! This is great! I'm glad that I was here to witness it."

No one heard the portal whirring until it was too late. And Vlad was caught in the blast.

The screams from Vlad's lips froze the two behind him in shock.

It seemed to go on for what felt like hours. Then Maddie and Jack screamed.

"VLAD!"

"VLADDIE!"

The two scientists rushed over to the smoking form of Vlad screaming his name until the school paramedics dragged the both of them off of his still charred, yet alive, body and tended to his multiple degree burns. The three of them were subsequently banned from the science lab—for life- within a span of a few days. Vlad's suspension would go into effect after he was released from the hospital. Jack and Maddie's however, were effective immediately.

Pause Flashback

The two scientists' heads were beginning to pound as they felt the memories return to them thanks to Vlad's voice. Their minds, whirring at impossible speeds, suddenly stopped as they realized something. Maddie spoke up then.

"But…Vlad…how did you-"

"Survive? After I was taken to the hospital, I discovered something…revolutionary, shall I say about my body. Something that-YAAAH!" Vlad stopped talking as he got dragged rather forcefully by Daniel, as he then heard "Sorry, I just had a question to ask Mr. Masters. This won't take long. Five, ten minutes, tops."

Vlad was pulled off into a corner of the room, ocean blue eyes looking at him in shock. Then Danny spoke, shock still in his voice.

"Vlad….why were you just about to reveal your secret? You normally, as much as I hate to admit it, are more secretive about what information people get from you. Why are you all of a sudden blurting out your entire life story to my parents?

Vlad opened his mouth in confusion, then closed it again, and did this multiple times, looking like a fish, which would've been funny if the situation wasn't so serious. Vlad spoke then, quietly and confused.

"I don't know. You are, as much as I hate to admit it, correct, Daniel. This is just as confusing to me as it is to you."

"Figure it out then! You can't tell them. I'm not ready for them to know!" Danny seemed to almost plead with him.

"So you do plan on telling them? Are you even sure that they would even accept you?"

Danny paused, closed his eyes for a second, and reopened them, a steely determination in his eyes.

"I have to try. If they don't accept me, I'll just go live with Sam."

"You know you could always come live with me, Daniel. I would be more than happy to-"

"No thanks. I'm good with living with Sam."

Vlad honestly knew this would be his answer, seeing their relationship that he lost a million dollars for was finally coming to fruition. What really confused him was the slight pause Danny had when he asked him if his parents would accept him. He knew Danny wouldn't say anything so he'd have to get it out of him some other time.

Vlad sighed. "At least will you let me know if you need anything? Even if it's just to talk?" He was truly tired of fighting Daniel. He could teach him so much if he would just let him.

This honestly threw Danny for a loop. What is he getting at? Danny thought. This was so unlike Vlad, but maybe… Danny had his answer.

"You know what? I can accept that." Vlad's face lit up with a large smile. "But, you have to stop trying to kill my dad. It won't end well if you don't."

Vlad frowned thoughtfully. Old habits are hard to break, but for Daniel…I'll try. "I'll try, alright Little Badger? I can't promise I'll succeed, but I will try."

"Guess that's all I can ask for, Fruitloop." Danny smirked.

Vlad growled slightly. "Stop calling me that!"

Danny smirked even wider, "Then stop calling me Little Badger."

Vlad sighed exasperatedly, "Fine. Let's get back to the tour, shall we?"

Danny smiled and just walked back towards his parents without another word.

"Finally! I want to see more of this impressive lab Vladdie!" Jack exclaimed.

Vlad smiled at Jack. Not a fake smile though, a genuine smile, because he at least had Danny's trust.

"Sure, my friend. Over here we have my…"

In a clocktower in a floating green expanse, a staff wielding ghost smiled. "All is as it should be."

Author's Note: Um… I don't know what the hell just happened in the end there…but I'm sticking with it. Also, sorry for the 8…months of nothing…I got lazy, and I found my flash drive a while back, but once again, laziness…Sorry! Next chapter will be up…eventually. See you my friends!