To Shades-of-Pink, I'm hoping that I'll have more time as must as you do, but don't get those hopes to high. Live has been a constant struggle, thus my stories.
A side note, Evidently Failer has been well liked, so I'm going to do a sequel. I just read though my stories, and have found that it took me an hour to get though this one. Wow. It was also a lot of fun! I can't wait for the next chapter, oh wait, I have to write that don't I?
Youngblood: Duh.
SS: Your still here?
Youngblood: Don't want to be.
---
Patience was not one of his strong points, but it was something that he had learned during his Millennia on earth. Age had many advantages. Many were completely unaware of it, including the young musician next to him.
She was the fading star of her age, unable to make it in life, so she continued on as a ghost. The life after death suited her well, unlike many.
He remembered when Vlad first found her and began to make use of her talents. In return she got free access to the human world and endorsement of her tours.
What she didn't know when she made the deal was that Vlad was a little out there, and had a strange way of going about things. A smile formed on his lips as her fingers twitched back toward her recently fixed guitar. The spirit of youth and all of it's impatience glowed in her eyes. He loved small moments like this, it was why he kept his job.
"Wait Ember. Let the prey come to us. They may have even learned their lesson." The glare she gave him enhanced the makeup on her face. He started to laugh when a dark force was picked up on his sensors. "Or maybe you'll get your fun after all. It's up two blocks; the power is the same as yesterday. Be careful."
"I'm, on it pops. After last time, I wouldn't have it any other way." She flew off, her cockiness showing in every movement.
He turned his attention to his prey err, charge. The boy was in some kind of argument with his parents. He brought up a pair of binocular to get a better look. It seemed that Vlad had efficiently channeled the ghost hunters' emotions, keeping the boy home. That would make him far easier to guard.
The boy stormed upstairs to his room in frustration, unaware of the amusement value he gave others.
A beep forced his attention back to the radar. The darkness was increasing and he picked up the sound of a guitar string breaking. He didn't want to leave his post, but if the boy or his parents heard anything, it would make it that much harder to protect him.
With no small amount of reluctance, he pressed a button, pooffing out the rockets. With a roar they came to life, propelling him toward the power.
---
A golem. Many centuries had passed since he had last seen one. They were rare, and extremely dangerous. Spirits like Ember stood little chance against one. And now she was in a lot of trouble.
Why a golem would suddenly appear in this time period, he would ponder over later. What he did know was that from now on, things would have to be handled a little differently.
Normally Golems would be given a single task, as they were bulky and single minded. With the ease this one moved, the wizard controlling it was probably near by.
Ember was knocked to the ground, and barely rolled out of the way of another attack. Still, he did not step in to help her.
"There." A small girl stood in the shadows watching. She didn't look like much, but the dark power was rolling off of her in waves telling him the truth. He fired a rocket at her.
Dust swarmed the air, blocking his scanners and obscuring his visual. For a second he thought he had hit. Then a frame leapt up to the screen, warning him a moment too late.
A paw slammed into his armor. Metal screeched in protest as he fell into the ground. He rolled with a clank out of the way of the next attack.
Up close the brown-red golem reminded him of a bear and his wrestling days. The stench of flesh did not diverge him from his task. He blocked a stitched paw, meal groaning in prost, and blasted the mutant beast with his other hand.
Ember came in and bashed its head with the beat up guitar. A resonate sound emitted from the broken thing as it barely kept from shattering on impact.
The bear turned on her and nearly bit her leg off. During the free moment he got to his feet and fired three missiles which knocked it over on impact.
An alarm blared in his suite, giving him a sharp head pain. As Ember blasted the bear he realized that this was a distraction. The real attack had already been finished.
"Vlad will have my head and barbeque it if I don't get the brat back." he pulled out his box of creatures and threw it to the ground, releasing them. "Ember, hold them off, I have business to attend do."
He ignored her cry of protest as he took off back toward the Fentons' house.
---
Danny woke with a migraine the size of Texas. It was so intense, he was afraid to open his eyes. How long he had lain there attempting to suppress the pain he didn't know.
It wasn't until he heard voices that he realized he didn't know where he was. Still he wouldn't open his eyes. Instead he patted his hands around, wincing when his left informed him it refused to move.
Mr. Good hand felt an edge that he thought was a table. "Yo! Vlad! Looks like the brat's waking up." A male voice shouted over his headache making it worse.
"Shut up. I don't want him awake." That was defiantly the cheese head. The boy didn't know whether to be relieved or annoyed. On one hand he knew how to deal with this enemy, on the other he didn't know how he came to be in Vlad's possession. And his head hurt.
"Looks like he already is." The light through his eye lids dimmed. "You alive kid?"
Something touched his bad arm, sending a sharp pain up his arm. Danny sat up and threw an ecto blast at whoever was above him. Then he clutched his arm, attempting to calm his fired up nerves, all without opening his eyes.
A grunt of pain told him that he hit his target. "Great, now he is awake. Do not blame me, it serves you right. That was his bad arm, and you were none too gentle with him."
Danny cracked open one eye, squinting at the light. After a moment he slowly opened the other. Suddenly they adjusted and dark green eyes stared deep into his soul, dragging him into their deep, dark, murky abyss. He was unable to suppress a yelp as he fell backwards off the table.
Thud. "Ow!"
The laugher did not please him. "That wasn't funny."
"I call it payback. And yes it was. Besides you owe me." The taller man leaned down threatenly. Hands splayed out.
"No, you can not have him. How many times do I have to tell you that?"
"Vlad, I wasn't even suggesting that. Besides, his pelt would probably tear when I skinned him."
Danny looked over his antagonist. Red hair, human, funky clothes, pointed ears, fangs. Nope still didn't recognize him. Yet his voice and manner oddly reminded him of someone. Who?
"Just get out. You only make things worse." it looked like Vlad was getting Danny's migraine. He was rubbing his temples and had closed his eyes. 'To bad I don't have a camera; I'd hang that on my wall.'
"But I'm the one who does all the work around here, all of it."
"Out!"
"Alright. I'm going, I'm going. Sheesh, no need to eat me."
A few moments of silence echoed through the room. Vlad had taken the time to sit down as Danny surveyed his surroundings. 'Naturally, a lab. Let's see, Junk, Vlad, some stuff that's glowing and I have no clue what it is, more junk….'
"Cheese head. Who was that?"
Said cheese head looked up at Danny and brought a hand to his head, "None of your concern. Please, no questions; just go back to sleep. I have things to do."
For once the boy almost felt sorry for the older man, the pained expression his face reminded him of his own fading headache. It would be him who would have to deal with his mom.
Keyword, almost.
"I'm not tired."
"Then sit there and don't touch anything." the chair slammed in. Vlad took a deep steady breath and adjusted it.
"What are the rings of life and death?" For a moment, Danny thought he had killed Vlad with one simple question. Then an intense yet interesting series of expressions crossed his face and his knuckles turned white on the chair.
"Tomowashi told you about them I presume."
"Yep."
"Forget about it." Vlad turned to leave.
"I guess I'll have to ask her. Wonder where she is."
"Daniel!" The room seemed to quiver in fear as the older man took a moment to refrain from killing the younger boy. "Just stay away from her."
"Why?"
"Because she's dangerous. If they capture you, you may not come back."
"Are we going back to the chess thing again?"
"No Daniel. This is real life. You are important, whether you realize it or not. This is nothing like your childish fights with ghosts. They have waited centuries for a chance like this."
Realizing he said too much the older man stopped.
Time slowed down and raced by at the same time… For a brief moment there was not a lab, but a burning courtyard and it was gone.
"What chance would that be?"
Vlad looked down into the eyes of the younger boy, "The chance for revenge. And, for them redemption..."