Disclaimer: Life sucks sometimes.
Chapter 15
Danny would not have realized that Christmas was fast approaching were it not for the ever-present snow coating the outside world and Vlad's daily reminders. It was so different from what he was used to around this time of the year. The calm and doting Vlad lulled Danny into a numb stupor completely dichotomous to the usual tense and angry environment back at Fenton's Works.
I wonder...Danny started to think before sharply shaking his head, remembering what Vlad had said. Why should I care about them when they don't care about me?
With their constant contact, Vlad had allowed Danny a little more freedom since he could get to the boy quicker if need be. A part of this freedom was the ability to question Vlad on some things, including how life was going back in Amity Park. Vlad had truthfully informed him that the Fentons had not made a public appearance about Danny's disappearance in weeks and Samantha and Tucker were often seen together, finding comfort in each other's company. Danny, easily swayed by the man's power and his limited information, believed Vlad which only made him rely on the man more. Vlad just neglected to tell the boy that during the last few days before Vlad's full days at the mansion, Samantha, Tucker, and the Fentons were often seen together and were working on finding Danny. It was futile, Vlad believed; so, he did not worry about it.
The continuous and unsupervised contact Vlad had with Danny allowed the two to grow closer, with Vlad's insistence of course. They talked together, ate together, read together, worked out together, and even practiced Danny's powers. Danny supposed he should have been against it, becoming more familiar with the man. He even realized he had started calling Vlad "dad" more often. He knew he should have been freaked out, fighting back, tearing his hair out in frustration. But he was too busy having fun.
Every time he and Vlad had a conversation that did not end with punches and ectoblasts, Danny grew to understand him. Every time they had a meal together, they joked and laughed about anything and everything. Every time they sat together and read, they grew closer in companionable silence and discussed some of the material afterwards. Every time Vlad trained Danny in his human or ghost form, they began to understand how his body worked and how the ectoplasm in his system was integral to both forms.
But Vlad kept his dissimilarities from Danny. It was not relevant. They were together.
Every time Vlad smiled, Danny felt pride that that smile was directed towards him. Every time Vlad laughed, Danny laughed too, happy that he was the cause of that laugh. Every time Vlad patted him on the back or squeezed his shoulder approvingly, Danny leaned into the touch, grateful that he was being appreciated. And every time Vlad talked to Danny, he took every word to heart, eyes glowing red and a bit unfocused, swaying slightly on his feet and sometimes needing a steady hand to keep him upright, and smiling and nodding agreeably every time Vlad asked. With Vlad's help, Danny grew to understand how this was good for him, how being with Vlad was what he needed, and that Vlad did what was right when he rescued Danny and took him in.
Danny was so swayed by Vlad that he rarely hesitated in believing the man. Their relationship even got to the point that Danny could joke and prod at Vlad. The first time he had called Vlad a Fruitloop in months, the older man had nearly snapped, his exuberant joy quickly changing to unfocused anger. But then he saw the genuine smile on Danny's face, filled with nothing but admiration. Vlad still didn't like the nickname but he allowed it every now and then. And while he used to believe that sarcasm was the lowest form of wit, he was starting to see the talent in Danny's ability to read people and turn the situation to be in his favor. Danny was growing on Vlad as much as the man grew on him.
Today, Vlad decided not to focus on his son's shortcomings but relish in his accomplishments. It was Christmas morning and Vlad found Danny cooking breakfast and humming a song.
"Hey, dad!" Danny exclaimed while flipping a pancake, sensing Vlad before the man made his presence known.
Vlad gushed at both the title and Danny's increasing skills. "Merry Christmas, Daniel. I'm surprised you're awake this early."
The clock on the wall nearest to Danny ticked away, showing that it was just a little past 7 o'clock.
"Yeah, well," Danny started. "I know you said that I could sleep in but I just kind of got used to that schedule you put me to."
The two were silent as Danny continued to hum a song. Vlad noticed that he was switching between two melodies, neither of which he knew. He checked his phone to see if he had any pressing matters left from work or anything to look over concerning leftover persistence of the Wayne billionaire or any of his friends and any other source that could come minutely close to finding out that he had taken Danny. Vlad found nothing of pressing concern and turned to watch Danny again.
The boy's training was coming along well. Physically, his muscles were becoming more defined which showed with Vlad's instructions on Danny's not wearing his usual baggy ensemble. Academically, his literary analyses were improving in depth and maturity. He was quicker at solving problems and breaking down situations. Danny was finally getting the help he needed to excel in all Vlad wished. But, besides the sarcasm, there was one thing Vlad left alone with the boy: his music preferences. Nevertheless, Vlad was curious and put off every now and again.
"Daniel?" He asked as the boy turned off the stove and presented Vlad with a stack of pancakes one larger than his own.
"Yes?" Danny answered, more occupied with finding silverware and filling glasses of juice, water, and fruit than paying his new father any attention.
"What are you humming?"
Danny faltered slightly in his actions, as if Vlad was pointing out something he was not aware of.
"Oh," he said as he thought. "Just some old songs from some television shows I used to watch." Taking, Vlad's silence as permission to elaborate, "One's from a band called Remy Zero; they made the theme song from Smallville. The other is from Supernatural. I think that group is called…Kansas."
"Really," Vlad hummed, "and what merit do you think you have in listening to such riveting music, Daniel."
Shortbread, Danny mentally cursed. No question left no room for disagreement. It is better to obey than struggle.
"None," Danny acquiesced. "It was just something to fill the silence."
Few precious seconds passed with Danny tensely eating his food, knowing more reprimand would come from picking at his plate. He only allowed his hands to unclench from his fork and knife when Vlad hummed in agreement and began to eat his food again.
"Exactly," Vlad echoed. "Maybe we can fill this silence with something else then?"
Danny gladly took this chance to change the conversation. "Well, I've been thinking. It is Christmas and…well…I wanted to apologize."
The sincerity broke the rest of Vlad's anger off as it was replaced with pure confusion. He was about to ask for what Danny was apologizing but the younger knew better than to let Vlad get control of the conversation.
"It's just that," Danny fumbled, playing up his innocence. "I don't have a present for you. And you've already done so much for me. Bringing me here. Teaching me. Leading me. Helping me be better. I just didn't want to seem…ungrateful."
Danny knew that the words should have felt like ash in his mouth. They should have been accompanied by one of his hands rubbing the back of his head like he did when he was embarrassed or lied badly. They should have made him twinge a little bit because of the transparency and unbelievability. And above all, he should not have believed a bit of what he said. But it was barely like he recognized his thought pattern or his own voice anymore.
Danny looked at Vlad, earnestly expressing his sorrow not for any reason a kidnapped and mind controlled individual in their right mind would have but because he felt bad for not having anything to give Vlad as a present. Something in Danny felt heartbroken that he could not reciprocate any of the goodwill that Vlad had shown him in the past two months. And it was overpowering the voice that long ago lost the will to scream and fight back.
Vlad, in return, teared up at the admission. He never hoped that this would have happened on this day. He didn't think anything special would happen actually. But this…this was the best gift Danny could ever give him. And in his poisoned and deranged mind, Vlad was happy.
"Oh, my son," he gushed while grinning widely. "Having you here is the best gift I could ever have." And he meant it, wholeheartedly.
The wild emotional swings from Vlad using his new power was calmed when the man got what he wanted. And he wanted Danny as a son...a partner-in-crime...a friend. Vlad felt no remorse about kidnapping the boy to achieve this goal, only joy that his plan went smoothly and Danny was now in his grasp. With Danny as his anchor and near him as his obsession was being fulfilled, Vlad's powers were heightened and his hold over Danny grew stronger and stronger. The older man knew that soon he would not have to use his abilities over his stolen charge as Danny's mind was aligning with his own. Soon, Danny would be wholly his. Vlad would finally be—
"So? What do you think?" Danny asked expectedly, waiting for Vlad to give him an answer on some question the older man had not heard.
"Forgive me, Daniel," Vlad apologized. "I was so immersed in my own mind that I neglected to hear your question. What did you ask?"
"I said that since I don't have anything physical to give you, and I really want our first Christmas together to be special, we should do something really fun that I'm pretty sure you haven't in a long, long while: have a snowball fight!"
And while Vlad conceded that it would be fun, he made Danny promise that they would not use their powers nor begin until around midday. Even though they both had ectoplasm in their systems keeping them from getting sick in the usual sense, Vlad wanted the full experience. Fluffy hats. Fuzzy mitts. Overheated bodies drastically contrasting the frigid air mere inches apart by layers of cotton and polyester. And have hot cocoa afterwards with the winner getting the bragging rights. Vlad was so wrapped up in his hallmark fantasy that he didn't even think about Danny using this as a ploy to escape. But neither was Danny. So, they finished their breakfast and parted their ways, eager to meet around noon that day to play.
Maybe it was luck, maybe it was fortune, or maybe it was just the lighter side of Murphy's Law finally aligning with Danny's needs that Vlad did not know about the Teen Titans' visit to the Fenton residence. But whatever the case, they were both blissfully ignorant of what was headed their way.
The Teen Titans left around midmorning as to not attract much attention from people on their commute to work. The T-Car was camouflaged as a high-tech RV with Cyborg or autopilot manning the wheel. Beast Boy was up front with him, occasionally glancing back at the rest of the team. Starfire was in the middle, balancing between bringing Robin out of his funk and calming Raven down. The latter was growing agitated at a faster rate as of late and tended to seclude herself more and more from her friends. None of them knew why and she was not about to tell them. Robin was still a bit crabby after he told Bruce about meeting with the Fentons. It's not like his secret identity was discovered and they finally had a rounded profile of Vladimir Masters. Although…there was still something that just seemed off about the entire case. Bruce told him not to focus on that but on getting Danny back. They would deal with the fallout after.
So, the teen heroes traveled from Amity to the undisclosed location they found earlier, unknowingly leading a group of six who were much more prepared than they to the same destination. The Fentons, Valerie, Samantha, and Tucker joined together half an hour after the Titans had left the city limits. The ecto-tracker the adults fashioned accurately gave the position of the two teens from the day previous. It was showing that they were headed East and the Amity group knew that the Californian heroes were drastically underprepared. The cloaking tech that Tucker and Jack worked into the Fenton Family Ghost Assault Vehicle kept them undetectable from human and ghost eyes, possibly alien too but that had yet to be tested.
But they were ready for war. Valerie was equipped with her suit. Jazz had the Fenton Peeler. Tucker had his PDA and a ecto-pistol. Sam had two wrist rays. Maddie had her lipstick blaster and the double bladed ecto-saber. Jack had his ghost gauntlets. And, of course, every jumpsuit was filled to the brim with automatic weapons and targeting systems. All were wearing Spector Deflectors just in case. Whether the Titans could do their job fully or not, they were getting Danny back. They just hoped that it was the Danny they knew.
It was just a quarter past 12 that Vlad found himself standing outside the front door, scrolling through inconsequential messages Ms. Stadler had sent him. There was one he felt garnered slightly more attention, however. A silent alarm at a holding company 70 miles out of the city limits of San Francisco, CA. Usually, he would be perfectly fine since, on the levels in the floor plan of the building, crates upon crates of medical equipment and foam peanuts were stacked. But nothing, not even one mote of dust had changed on those levels. But on the sublevels not included in the plans, where cameras were connected to any personal device he had with the input of three ever-changing passwords, Vlad housed another lair.
The man was nothing if not pragmatic, having multiple caches of ghost and extraterrestrial tech he had picked up over the past twenty years. And this was just one of his many holdings. Nothing that could not be replaced was stationed there and Vlad did not have anyone to trust that could immediately get there. So, he set aside the matter, making note on when he could get out there personally to fire the lazy louts of a security detail he had hired. He sighed in derision, not looking forward to the work he would have to do but then remembered the fun he was supposed to have with Daniel.
Speaking of whom, the boy was supposed to meet him shortly. Maybe Vlad was too eager to participate in such a banal activity. But it was the first time in a long time of pain-filled, lonely years that he could say that he was not only content but happy with his life. Vlad heard the front door opening but it was the sight and not the sound that brought Vlad out of his musings.
"Are you sure you are not too over-dressed, Daniel?" Vlad asked concernedly as he saw Danny exit the front door. Vlad was dressed in a slim Peabody coat and thin gloves. Danny, on the other hand, was nearly completely bundled up in a long sleeve shirt, light jacket, and overcoat, all of which matched a black and blue set of mittens and scarf.
Danny gave him a double thumbs-up with his limited range of motion in his hands. "I'm cool," he admitted, trying to play off the ever-growing shivers wracking his body that just seemed to be amped up over the past few days. It had even showed up in their training sessions but Danny tried to control it as much as he could. Vlad must have not noticed or written it off as his loving son's antics because the man just shrugged and turned his back, which he should have known to be his first mistake.
The sudden frigid and wet uncomfortableness quickly alerted him, however, as the first hit of that day's war made its mark. Vlad lost his cool for a moment and yelped as if he had been hit by a purposeful ectobeam and quickly turned to Danny who was smirking devilishly and holding a digital camera with his finger still on the capture button.
"Rule number one of Snow Wars, Vlad. Never turn your back on your opponent. Rule number two—"
The mass of snow that had lodged itself in Danny's mouth impeded him from continuing his speech. But Vlad graciously finished it for him.
"It has something to do with not standing out in the open while going on about long speeches, I assume," Vlad laughed, taunting his currently flabbergasted son who was busy spitting out the snow that stubbornly remained.
"So-something like that, yeah." Danny rubbed his mouth with the back of his glove-covered hand once more and shivered but covered it up with a quick change of face. The new calculating grin made Vlad equally wary and proud. "This is one thing I can school you in, dad. I just hope you're prepared."
"I am as ready as ever, son. But are you?" Vlad knew the challenge was unnecessary but seeing his charge fired up was much more than worth it.
"Oh, this'll be a day you'll never forget!" He shook the camera at the man and stole one more picture before Vlad could say another word. And with that, Danny ran off and disappeared in the snow-covered expanse of Vlad's property, shivering slightly and eyes glinting deep blue, red, and ice blue in the cold, winter light.
And Danny was right but not for a reason Vlad hoped.
While Vlad and Danny played and fought and tumbled and laughed for hours, an impeding group of teenaged superheroes and their unknown tagalongs were mere minutes from breaking apart the little party. The Teen Titans were parked and trying to figure their best plan of attack on quietly storming the castle. The Fenton group stopped as well, less than half a mile away.
"My baby's saying that we only have about eight minutes out from the coordinates of Masters' property but…" Cyborg started and only continued at the grunt given from their fearless and fidgety leader. "Aerial scans from the satellite your resource gave us show just an empty pocket, a field in the middle of a forest. Thermal scans show absolutely nothing. I went through the entire spectrum of detection ware it has—which is a lot…I'm gonna need to ask for more tech from this guy later—and it's more than normal. Exactly the right elevation, fauna and flora, waterways, everything is perfectly normal."
The group, now paying attention, questioned the credibility of the readouts. They all knew that Vlad had purchased the area and development had been made on it. Yet, somehow, they knew that he had to be there along with Danny. The only Titan who was not focused on the information was Raven who decided to get readings of her own. So, she sent out a bit of her energy, enough not to materialize and to take her attention away from what was happening from inside the vehicle but just to scope the landmass in front of them.
The little piece of her flew outside, over the hills and through the trees in a more direct route than the snow-covered road her friends and her physical form were traveling on. She could sense every living thing under the soil and snow and saw nothing of consequence until she felt nothing. It was like she stepped into a cold void. The trees and shrubbery fell away to an open grassy area of slightly higher elevation and she swore she could glimpse the wavering mirage of a wall before her astral self was shocked and snapped back into her real body.
His anger spiked irrationally as watch blipped as he proximity alarm was triggered. He distractedly checked it but disregarded the notification and looked back up too late as a massive snowball plowed its way into his face. Vlad spit the snow out of his mouth for, at least the fifth time in the past twenty minutes. The snickering of his son could be heard over his sputtering and the incessant beeping of the device on his wrist.
"What did I say about not paying attention, dad? Is something wrong?" The assault stopped momentarily for the questioning.
Calmed, he assured Danny, "It is merely a minor inconvenience. Nothing to worry about for right now." He got back to dodging and firing snow attacks at Daniel though the other had slowed in his barrage. Vlad believed it was leftover worry and tried to distract his son but Danny was trying is hardest just not to shiver and fold on in himself.
"Come, Little Badger. Show me what you're made of."
The recoil made her gasp in shock and her teammates jumped or looked at her in surprise.
"What is wrong?" Starfire asked, concern shining through as her friend showed signs of distress.
The cloaked super had to cam herself down before answering the orange alien. It really did not help that they were all broadcasting their feelings directly at her, especially the ever-sunny Starfire. And by their backing off and Star's now downturned face, Raven realized she must have said this out loud. But instead of apologizing, since she felt that would get them nowhere, she explained to them what she did.
"It felt like one of Jinx's attacks," she told them. "Whatever barrier I hit kept me out and shocked me away. I saw flashes of a wall. Nothing else. They're there."
It was enough to spur them into action, especially since Masters most likely had some type of detection along with the security. Beastboy buckled in while Cyborg revved up the T-car and put it stealth mode. Starfire sat a respectable distance away from Raven, making the dark-haired one wilt on the inside. Robin reached for his belt and triple-checked his weapons and the ones the Fentons gave to them.
He was surprised that they gave them the weapons and put up a minimal fuss about going with them to get Danny. He tried to put it at the back of his mind and focus on the now. But the thought of the six of them not telling him everything they knew kept nagging him, but the barrier that must have kept Raven out was coming into view.
The sickly green glow that the dome emitted reflected on the snowy landscape, making an unreal snow globe out of the area. Every now and then, the flickering image of a wall and mansion appeared behind the initial obstacle. Otherwise, only a blank open area with grass and snow showed. Since it almost actively hindered Raven from entering, the Titans had no idea how they were going to get through. Starfire attempted to fire concentrated beams from her fists but the shield just refracted them into the trees, melting snow and scorching the visible greenery. It was like no other tech the team had seen before. So, Robin had the idea to use the weaponry the Fentons gave them; and, by luck and fortune, when Robin shot a ray from an ecto-pistol, a small hole formed in the shield before it reformed.
With the new revelation, the Titans began to arm themselves with Fenton weaponry to break through and quickly. Masters must have had alert system that would detect their interference. But the team never got to attack as a massive assault vehicle cloaked in green energy rushed past them in the T-Car.
They heard the unmistakable cry of "Banzai!" from Jack Fenton and could only watch as the vehicle hit the shield and, instead of bouncing off, slowly started to sink into it. The energy around the vehicle fought and counterattacked the energy of the shield. It stretched and bent like a radioactive piece of Play-Doh. It felt like an eternity that they watched the spectacle but it only lasted for about two seconds as, from some central point, cracks spread and then the shield snapped and shattered and the vehicle sped away. The Titans recovered quickly as the rest of the shield began to fall into shambles. There was no imaginable way Masters would not see that.
"What in the—What was that?" Beast Boy exclaimed, the last to get back in the T-Car along with the other males on the team.
"And why was there a letter surrounded with flames on the side of the vehicle? That cannot be a common way of decoration," Starfire asserted as she bobbed in the air.
Robin grumbled and rubbed his hand over his face. "Fentons…we need to get there. Now!" Cyborg gunned it with Raven and Starfire propelling themselves slightly in front of them.
They caught up with and surpassed the Fentons before they reached the mansion. The Fentons' windows were clear, allowing them to see the disappointed glare of the dark Titan which looked like it could easily devolve into anger. But the looks they sent back at her, strapped in weaponry and ready to fight, quelled her rising emotions. She nodded and focused at the scene in front of them. They would have to discuss this later.
Nearer to the mansion, Vlad and Danny were laughing about and calming down from their snowball fight with both showing signs of fatigue. They had played so hard that Danny was unable to hide anymore of his shivering. Vlad had finally noticed this past his euphoria and was about to ask the younger man what was wrong when the shield shattered and its energy dissipated. The surrounding area grew brighter with more light filtering through and louder with the sound of the approaching vehicles. An all-encompassing mix of fear and anger hit Vlad like a hammer as he spun towards Danny who looked more confused than afraid.
Vlad interrupted Danny's inevitable question by yelling, "Get back inside, Daniel!"
Even though he did not fight the order, Vlad's power washed over Danny, making sure he would do as told. The two ran inside and, with Vlad in the lead, headed to a room filled with nothing but computer monitors and one work station. It looked so much like the lab Vlad had put him in such a long time ago that Danny became lost in himself even as Vlad bumped into him on the way to turn on the monitors. A few commands later and Vlad had the cameras on his property pointed in the direction of the sounds they had heard.
The screens showed two vehicles and two flying objects, one black and purple and the other orange and purple. It didn't take but a second for both Vlad and Danny to recognize the Fenton Ghost Assault Vehicle but the appearance of the Teen Titans was a much greater shock.
While Vlad attempted to compartmentalize this information and tried to think of attack and escape plans he never thought he had to use, he panicked, unable to keep his cool composure. He saw the future he had for him and Daniel burn away as if he set them on fire with his own flames. But as he looked up and saw Daniel still there, staring at the monitors in shock, the older man knew he had not lost yet.
In watching Danny, Vlad's mind began to twist and plot and scheme. He would get what he wanted. Danny didn't have to be integrated back into society as he had initially planned. All he needed was Danny and all Danny needed was him. He would keep him. Yes. Away from all others, Daniel would be kept and taken care of like the prize he was.
"No one will take you away from me," Vlad muttered out loud as his eyes began to cloud over.
Danny watched the monitors as the groups approached. It was his parents—Maddie and Jack—and Jazz. He could see Jazz! Jasmine. And Sam and Tuck! Samantha and Tucker. And the Teen Titans? Vermin. It was unmistakably Raven and Starfire flying on either side of the other vehicle which meant that Beast Boy, Cyborg, and the team leader Robin must have been inside. But Danny couldn't understand why any of them would be there. Or why they looked so angry.
And he was so cold. Danny knew he had to worry about that over the approaching people. Something bad happened the last time he was this cold for this long.
But he just couldn't focus on it because of his family—they abandoned you—and friends—they threw you away—and the Titans coming towards them as his mind fought itself. A kernel of hope grew in him but was quickly snuffed by a pall of anger. They left him, threw him to the wayside, rejected him. Why would he feel hopeful when he saw them?
The confusion was starting to make his head throb. The dull pain only increased as he tried to think about it more but that only made him worry. Something was wrong. But Danny could not remember what. He shivered harder as he tried to fight off the feeling and find out what was wrong. He was so close.
Maybe Vlad would help him. Vlad always knew what to do. He turned around and saw that Vlad had moved closer and the man's eyes had grown red, his pupils gone.
"No one will take you away from me."
That was when he remembered.
"No one will take you away from me."
And like the shield, the spell that Vlad had cast on Danny shattered.
"No one will take you away from me."
Frozen in fear and self-loathing as flashes of the past few months flew by in his mind, Danny could only stand there and watch Vlad approach. He should have fought, ran, said something. But even though Danny's mind was more clear than it had been in ages, the conditioning Vlad put him through made Danny's body fight against the growing awareness in his head.
But it was better for Danny to stay put. There was no telling what Vlad would have done to him in that mental state if the younger had even blinked. The man was not in his right mind. And Danny was to bear the brunt of his insanity.
"No one will take you away from me," Vlad kept repeating as he grabbed Danny and forced the teenager to look at him.
But the younger finally had the sense to fight back or at least flinch. If he were looking down, he could have seen a bit of frost spread from his coat to Vlad's fingers. But both were preoccupied to say the least.
"Vlad, you have to—"
"Hush, Daniel," Vlad directed. "I will take care of everything. No one will ever take you away from me. Now this is what I need you to do."
"It's quiet…too quiet," Jack said as they snuck deeper into the mansion.
Some chuckled fondly while others rolled their eyes at the reference while Starfire merely lifted her brow and titled her head.
"Mr. Fenton," Robin whispered while trying to keep his tone neutral. "You are here because it would be deleterious for us to send you away with the time crunch. But only under the assurance that you would be secondary in saving Danny today which includes being quiet while we sneak through here!"
Sufficiently mollified, Jack's shoulders drooped and Maddie murmured sweet encouragements in her husband's ear. Sam looked like she was about to correct Robin but Tuck motioned her to stay quiet since the masked hero was completely right. Valerie just scoffed and put down her visor so she could scan the ectoplasmic energy that was sure to be radiating from Vlad and Danny. Raven had the same idea as she released pulses of her energy to detect anything non-inanimate in the vicinity. And they both came to the same conclusion.
"I sense nothing in particular," Raven answered the unasked question. "But something is…off about the area ahead and to the right of us."
Robin took in the information with the plan to split them up but Valerie had other plans.
"It's ectoplasmic, whatever it is you're sensing," she interrupted. "And it's too strong for the lack of experience you guys have with ghosts. You should let us handle it."
Robin bristled at the order but Cyborg spoke up in his stead.
"Now hold on! You think we're really gonna let ya'll override us on this just because you butted your way into our mission?"
"Your mission is rescuing our son; so, it is our responsibility that trumps your mission!"
"Well if you thought like that earlier, then Danny really wouldn't be in this mess. Would he?"
"And if you let us do this, since we know ghosts better, we could get Danny quicker!"
"Your interference in not appreciated, not-friends. It would be better if you had let us handle this matter."
"Just get out of our way so we can get Danny back!"
The group was mere seconds away from exchanging more than just words when Jazz yelled, "Enough!" And yet it still took a short while for them all to pay her attention.
"We…for what we have done we have no right to claim Danny as we have and none of us should deny it. No matter what influence Vlad had on us."
The Amity crew sobered at this while the Titans were either smug or stoic.
"But it is true that we know how to deal with ghosts better. And Vlad. Except for Danny, we know that sick bastard better than anyone."
The curse from the red-haired college student caught her family and friends unawares while the assertion of their importance mollified the Titans. With everyone now in a new mindset, they could see past their differences and come together…for now.
Robin nodded his head as he decided. "Alright then. Star and Raven take the front with the Mrs. Fenton and Sam. Cyborg, Mr. Fenton, and Jazz in the middle. Valerie, with me and Beast Boy. Tucker, I need you to disarm any alert systems or alarms and send out a distress signal just in case something goes wrong."
He received several nods or grunts in affirmation from throughout the hodgepodge group. They took their places accordingly and were more than ready to storm the place. Guns prepped and fists ablaze, the group followed the twisting and winding halls to the area of the house where Raven felt the anomaly. She stopped at the end of an especially wide hallway with a wooden door that looked extremely ominous given the circumstances.
A small sense of dread made Raven flinch at the foreboding she felt when she reached out her hand to grasp the door knob. She covered it by sending her energy to open the door instead, using her hand and will to direct it. The heavier than visible half-wood, half-metal door opened fluidly to a room so white and seamless that it appeared to go on forever. However, there was a sole figure in black and blue breaking the monochromatic space. The person showed no sign of noticing their entrance and just stood there, breathing evenly. The group approached tentatively and then at a more normal pace when the figure did not register their approach.
Starfire's fists dimmed in their glow and Sam and Jack let their weapons point towards the floor. Their winding down did not elicit any response from the figure but it did cause the rest of their party to grip their weapons tighter. The group fully entered the room, making sure the door was wide open behind them, but did not move any closer to the unknown figure. But who else could it be but whom they were trying to rescue?
Maddie took it upon herself to ask the question. "Danny? Is that you?"
A full-body shiver shot through the figure's body and he turned to face them in response. He looked fine. All his limbs were intact. His skin was a healthy shade even though it had always been pale. His hair shined in a more controlled version of its usual wind-swept disheveled appearance. He was dressed in black pants and boots with a long sleeve dark blue sweater that he filled out better than the last time they saw him. Most of the group just took his relaxed manner as a good thing.
That probably wasn't the best idea.
"Dude!" Tucker exclaimed, walking up to Danny ecstatically.
"It is wonderful that we found you so quickly!" Starfire rejoiced and flew a loop in the air.
Jack grasped Maddie's hand firmly as they began to tear up. Valerie let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Cyborg and Beast Boy high-fived each other, already beginning the plan to a video-game-pizza-movie-and-pie marathon. Raven just sighed at how easy the mission turned out to be. Her anger had been building and she needed some type of outlet that looked like it was not going to be filled.
Only Robin and Jazz noticed something amiss.
Danny's face was blank. Nothing betrayed his inner thoughts. Not that he was having any. Jazz knew what her brother's daydreaming face looked like, what his sleeping face looked like, and what his concussed and about to go unconscious face looked like. The latter was present this time around.
Robin was suspicious of how relaxed Danny was. The other young man never let his arms swing at his side with his legs not properly set in the combat manner he usually saw Danny. Danny was completely relaxed in the white room and swaying so slightly but Robin could tell that it unintentional.
Then, Danny's hand twitched and Robin knew they were in for it. As soon as Tucker got within arm's reach of Danny, the latter teen called out.
"Training room, execute Order 66. Terminate all unknown entities," came the clear voice of the youngest Fenton as his eyes sharpened and scanned the people in front of him.
Shocked into silence, the group couldn't act fast enough as a pleasant female voice answered, "Of course."
The group spun as they tried to pinpoint the source of the voice and ready their weapons or powers to protect themselves but nothing happened after the machine answered. They figured the system must have glitched but it spoke again.
"Voice recognition code necessary to continue."
They all let out various sounds of relief and forgot about the problem of the voice that would certainly lead them to their dooms.
"Code: Daniel Masters. Enter."
All hell broke loose. Arms and guns came from openings in the white walls and ceiling. Cages appeared from the floor holding monstrous beasts that resembled animals made of degrading ectoplasm. And if it wasn't enough, robots the size and shape of fully grown humans marched from hatches and panels that opened from various parts of the walls.
"Oh shi—"
A flurry of gears and roars sounded as the machines and monsters attacked. The arms swung out to grab or punch the group. They dodged as best as they could and fired back when the chance arose. Unfortunately, they were split up quite efficiently by their enemies.
Robin fought off a pair of rabid otters that weren't dissolving fast enough with ectoplasm-infused eskrima sticks. Raven crushed some of the guns and arms with the black energy she commanded with Starfire countering any blast fired at her and getting off a few shots of her own. Valerie activated her suit as quick as she could, even offering a bit of aerial support when the area around her got too congested for her preferred method of combat. The Titans were shocked by her revealing herself as the Red Huntress but were too busy trying not to die that they decided to worry about it later.
Maddie recognized some of the animals from a trip she and Danny had taken nearly a year ago and became enraged, unleashing the automatic weapons in her suit along with her husband who looked like he was trying to downplay his excitement at finally being able to put down some ectoplasmic scum after the extended dry period. They spun together in an intricate dance while destroying their enemies. Beast Boy would have found it pretty cool if he weren't gorilla smashing the robots that tried to beat him into dust.
Sam and Tuck were being overrun by a side group of raccoons and deer that had gotten between them and the entrance which had unfortunately vanished in the first few moments of the fight. She tried her best with the wrist ray and the ectopistol she was given but there were too many to fend off by herself.
"Tucker, hurry the fuck up with whatever you're doing. Since it's so much more important than trying to save our lives!" Sam yelled and then shrieked as one of them got close enough to stomp her head into the ground. Cyborg saw in time to fire off a concentrated beam from his arm and she responded in thanks as he winked at her before firing at the rest.
"Calm down," Tuck responded as his fingers moved wildly across the screen of his main PDA. "I'm trying to override the program that's bent on killing us! But there's level upon level of encryption and it gets more difficult as soon as I get a leg in!"
"Well keep at it!" Cyborg encouraged him. The younger and smaller teen may just have been fully human without metal attachments but he hacked with his fleshy fingers as fast as his own circuitry and Cy had to give him his props. "But shutting it down will take too long. Why not just give her a…change in perspective?"
He hadn't the chance to elaborate before a pack of mangy quadrupeds jumped on his back. Cyborg was grateful that the number of animals they were fighting was decreasing but it was disgusting how they were dissolving into nothing even as they viciously fought.
Sam was about to question what he meant but the hum of understanding Tucker gave was answer enough. And she had much more to worry about like the ghost vultures that were circling above their heads.
In the middle of it all Daniel stood, uncaring of the position in which he put them in. All he had to do was keep Vlad and his secrets safe and make sure the enemies were destroyed or, at the very least, out of commission. He observed them nonchalantly, only focusing on the task that his father gave him. The group was too busy fighting to focus on Danny but they all noticed how none of the robots or arms went for Danny, how none of the animals even stepped within a five-foot radius of him, and how, if a stray shot was sent in his direction, something would jump in front of him to protect him. The last they were somewhat grateful for since they were very busily focused on not dying that they couldn't really help him.
It was so repetitive—the fight. The weapons would fire and the arms would reach out towards the area they dodged. The robots would surge forward to fight hand-to-hand if they showed any signs of tiring or too much focus on dodging the wall fixtures. Then a circling animal would charge and try to maul them to pieces. Falling into the rhythm of things, the Titans soon found themselves in familiar formations, Valerie commanded the skies, the Dr.s Fenton aided Sam in protecting Tucker as he fiddled faster and faster with his PDA. It was a pattern that they were falling into but, fortunately, there were no mistakes.
They had eventually formed a circle around Tucker while he was finishing up doing what only he and Cyborg fully understood and Robin figured out. The animals had all either been blasted into gook or fallen apart into a sloppy mess. Most of the robots had been delimbed or broken into nuts and bolts. All the firing weapons from the walls had been demolished and the arms twisted and tied or melted into a molten metal mess.
The fight was over before they knew it, even though they were all twitching from the adrenaline and breathing heavily from the exertion. Wary of what was to come next, they kept their weapons and powers activated, senses at high alert. Raven seemed to be the only relaxed one but none of them noticed at the moment. Tucker was in the best shape and was putting the final touches on the program when Danny spoke again.
"All training elements of phases 1, 2 and 3 have been defeated. Training room, release E, S, and T."
The room began to whir in response, preparing to follow the order of the young master.
"What a strange and very undesired progression this is," Starfire commented, being the first to voice her dismay at the prospect of fighting more enemies.
They were too tired to go at it again without making mistakes this time. Luckily enough, only some of their suits were scorched around the edges and the bites were mostly indents or fairly shallow and not bleeding too much to slow them down. But it was still too much and Sam was more than unhappy, especially at her sort-of boyfriend for the past few months.
"Tucker!"
"Got it!" The local tech-expert yelled back as he closed out the program.
The whirring ceased for a moment and all of their motion along with it. The group was still prepared to fend off any attack and Tucker hoped for the best while Danny just stood there and shivered more and more. The only one staring at him narrowed her violet eyes at the fluctuating energies coming from the controlled teen. His eyes caught hers for a millisecond as she thought they turned blue. But when she blinked, they were back to their far-away red. Raven decided to keep this to herself since they had more pressing matters at hand.
Fortunately for them, whatever Tucker was doing seemed to have worked as the computer responded in their favor.
"I am sorry, Master Daniel. As there are no unknown entities in the training facilities, I am unable to comply with the order."
"Oh, thank God!" Beast Boy yelled, taking the time to turn into a dog and flop on his back, panting all the way.
The others also replied in varying degrees of relief with only a bit of their attention focused on the task at hand. But, of course, Robin was always hyper focused.
"Danny?" He approached the tranced team calmly. And when he received no physical signs of Danny registering their presence, he pressed forward. "Danny, can you hear me?" Robin reached out to grab Danny's arm, acutely aware of those behind him wary of his motions.
Robin couldn't help his flinch at how cold Danny felt. It was almost like he was radiating the cold which was too low for any human, living or dead, to produce, unless they were a part of the Cold family. He shook Danny a bit but got nothing in return except for slightly stiff and cold hands.
"Jasmine, I need your help," he commanded as he directed his team to recuperate but not let their guards down just in case. However, with his beckoning Jazz, the rest of the Amity followed. They were bombarding him right after a high intensity battle and his nerves were already too frayed to deal with the drama that came with that entire group. Robin was past ready to snap at any of them should they get out of line.
"What's wrong with my baby?" Maddie asked, the quickest to get to Danny who still would not focus on them.
Tucker and Sam were equally worried, Danny with red eyes reminding them of two very unpleasant times. And one of which they only knew less than half of the full story.
"The last time we saw him like this…" Sam started, gaining the masked eye of Robin.
"—was our two-day marathon of Doom IV! He was so out of it after all that gaming..." Tucker weakly covered, only escaping further questioning by Jazz's command of the situation.
She tried to put herself between them and Robin and Danny. Whatever was happening, she knew it would only get worse if they were all bunched together. Each of them may be smart separately but together, people tend to be stupid. Jazz was also grateful that Valerie decided to hold back among the Titans, knowing more so than Sam and Tucker that it would be best if Danny were left, for the most part, alone in his wigged state.
"What do you need?" Jazz asked, giving her full attention to the two black-haired, and normally blue-eyed teens.
Robin regarded her in that split second it normally took him or Batman to dissect someone and questioned his choices in allowing them to come with in Danny's rescue. He had a feeling that whatever happened next was going to be messy.
"We need to snap him out of it. I can't ask Raven to go in his head because Masters may have put traps inside or it may hurt Danny. So, I need you to work from the outside."
She nodded, understanding where her pseudo-expertise came in handy. While her parents fussed directly behind her, Jazz tried to focus solely on Danny. He was still swaying every now and then as if he were dead tired on his feet. The joke would have put a small smirk on her face in a different situation but now it just left her questioning what Vlad had her baby brother doing.
She shook her head and shoved her disgust for the man, and herself, away to get back to the task at hand.
Danny's eyes were glazed and red, similar in shade to his episode with Freakshow. The difference this time was the clarity that his eyes lacked, as if he were sleep walking. And that was exactly how she needed to treat him.
"Danny," Jazz soothed, making sure that he could hear her, "what are you doing up?"
If only it were that easy. He made no sign to respond, only slightly shivered in place.
Jazz tried again. "Daniel, what are you doing up?"
A shiver which presented as a twitch of his left hand was misread as recognition. She noticed it out of the corner of her eye and the others must have too since they decided to come closer and speak up.
"Danny, honey, it's mommy! You have to wake up now!"
"Dann-o! Come on! We gotta go! I'll give you fudge if you wake up!"
"Dude! You have to snap out of it so we can get the heck outta here!"
"I swear if you don't move your butt, Fenton, we're going to have major problems!"
"You have to wake up, Danny. Please. Please, fight it!"
And they would not shut up. Layer over layer of voice piled up until Robin yelled at them to shut up and let Jazz do her work. But of course, they could not back down after this, especially Maddie and Sam who shouted back louder and louder. The bickering just grew as the seconds passed and so did Danny's shivers but they weren't paying attention to the lowering temperatures.
"He's OUR son! We have the right to talk to him!"
"If you were talking to him before this, we wouldn't be in this situation in the first place!"
"You don't have the right—"
"He completely does. Y'all were out of your minds, isolating Danny like that!"
"Your opinion is neither wanted nor needed and can go right back to Cali with your stank ass!"
Both Jazz and Robin thought that the group had fought too hard physically to continue to fight verbally but luck was not in their favor. All they could do was try to calm their respective friends down enough that the verbal hits did not escalate to actual fists and feet. The noise grew to the point that Robin was certain that anyone in the house, not matter the area, could hear them bickering. It was only a matter of time before Masters reared his deceptive head and ruined the best chance they've had in finding Danny in months. And it was going to be ruined by their inability to keep their mouths shut.
Jazz was equally ticked and ready to give all of them what for. Her parents, Sam, Tucker, Valerie, and even she had done terrible and unforgivable things to Danny. And even if they were influenced by Vlad, it was still unacceptable. However, it seemed that she was the only one who noticed that what they thought and felt did not matter. Danny was the only one who mattered right then and they were screwing up the best chance they had to get him back with the least amount of injuries.
She had no idea what Vlad could be planning beyond what he had already done. He was going in a downward spiral and dragging her brother along with him. Jazz would do any and everything in her power to stop that.
But as usual, even when they were thinking about helping him, no one was thinking just about Danny or even paying attention to him. Selfish and self-centered, they focused on what they had done to him and how they had acted and how they felt and how they they they. None of them noticed Danny's change in demeanor. How his shivers grew closer and more violent. How his eyes changed from a dull, expressionless red, to a confused, panicked blue. How they flashed with otherworldly power. How cold the room became. How they could see their breath.
"Oh," Beast Boy muttered as he turned into something furrier as the cold seeped into his skin.
"Who turned on the A.C.?" Tucker quipped, sinking deeper into his golden turtleneck.
"Raven, are there any ghosts in the area?" Robin asked, alarmed at the suddenly change in temperature.
She refocused her to answer, "No." But as her eyes widened when she looked back to Danny, Robin noticed and followed suit, ending up equally surprised.
He still did not look like he noticed them there but Danny's eyes were blue again. No trace of Vlad's control shown through them. And they looked bluer than usual. It was Raven and Robin's silence and the growing chattering sound towards the middle of their group that was Danny. He was shaking like a leaf and his arms had wrapped tight across his body. His blue eyes were starting to match his fingertips.
"Danny!" Jazz gasped, rushing to take off her gloves which had a warming system woven in the fabrics—a Fenton invention of course—and shove them onto his hands. But as soon as she stepped closer, he broke out of his reverie to glare warily at her.
He could see them and hear them but he was not fully alert still. Something was wrong. He scanned them, seemingly weighing his options in facing them or not, wondering if he could trust them or not, confused about why any of them were there.
But he could not focus on them or on clearing his head when he was—"So cold," he involuntarily stuttered, Jazz catching on.
She picked up her discarded coat and scarf which was mostly just tatters and wrapped them tightly around him after approaching him slowly and him not flinching away.
"Here," Jazz offered as he vacantly watched her.
It was only until she finished clothing him that he looked at the rest of them while still clutching the sleeves as if they were too big. But in truth, they were too small. While he watched them, each of them took note in the changes he presented.
He looked so confused. But one thing that Danny was not was scared. And that made them nervous.
"Wha—," Danny tried to say, then cleared his throat. "What are you guys doing here?"
Jazz's face scrunched up but she saw Robin motion for her to keep going. "Danny, do you know where you are?"
His eye shifted side to side and zeroed back on her. "Training room," he affirmed.
"Well," Jazz muttered. "Do you know why you're here?"
Danny nodded and answered, "Yes." And apparently, that was not the answer that they expected nor appreciated.
"Really, Danny?" Val fumed, her anger getting the best of her already frayed nerves. "You would think that even now you would smarten up about your situation and cut the bull—"
He snapped a cold glare at her, the iciness of it silencing her halfway through. "Watch your language, Valerie."
"Okay then," Jazz cut in before anyone said anything they regretted even though the rest of them looked extremely shocked at his admonishing Valerie. "Danny, I meant do you know why or where you are? Like the building you're in and who it belongs to."
Danny turned to his sister, less wary and clearer because of the short burst of anger. "Yeah, I'm at Vlad's house in Kentucky. He brought me here o-on Halloween, I think?"
He looked like he was thinking back on it, his mouth twisted mildly in a confused frown. He didn't really remember most of it and, while it did concern him, thinking about it made his head hurt. And he was too cold to focus on much else than that. His worry at the latter concern allowed him to focus on the situation at hand rather than pounding in his head.
They all looked at him incredulously as he spoke. Why in the world was he not worried? Or happy to see them? Or more anxious to leave?
"But," he continued, "I don't…I'm not sure…" As Danny tried to think more, his mind twisting and turning as he tried to make sense of his surroundings and his answers.
"Oh, Danny," Jazz soothed as she tried to calm Danny down. He looked like he was starting to hyperventilate and him panicking would be detrimental to their mission.
He shivered as she approached but allowed her to place a hand on him arm. Danny did not like the almost coddling look on her face. It made him uncomfortable and he felt a need to find Vlad because Vlad always knew what to do. But he shoved that feeling down as it tried to creep more into his mind. Something was wrong and he could almost put his finger on it.
If only—, Danny thought as another painful shiver caused a cold breath to leave his body.
Raven looked at him with the most concern, being the sole being there able to feel the energy he was giving off. It distracted her enough from her own energy that she knew to be wary of it if not fear it.
"Well, this is nice and all," Beast Boy interrupted as his hackles started to rise. "But we should leave and have this reunion somewhere else; yeah, guys?"
Robin did not have to think about it long to agree with his green-skinned friend. Having Danny in a familiar and less hostile environment would be best. And they had no idea when Vlad would show up and who or what he would bring with him. So as Beast Boy inched towards the door that reappeared sometime after they stopped fighting for their lives, Robin motioned to Jazz to move it along.
"O-okay, Danny," Jazz directed, having missed the vapor from Danny. "Let's talk about this somewhere else. Dad has a new fudge machine that he'd love to show you."
"Yeah, Dann-o!" Jack exclaimed, having yet to catch on to the urgency Beast Boy felt. "I brought it with me in the assault vehicle just in case.
Robin was about to remind them they should be heading out when Beast Boy began to whimper and Raven's energy swelled. Both of their attention was turned towards the open door which was no longer clear. There stood the recognizable billionaire as still and stoic as marble. He did not move from his stance with hands held tightly at his sides. Everything about him was unmoving save his eyes which were swirling pits of hatred and flame. Vlad's eyes did not move yet they all felt his gaze on them, weighing them down.
"While the weather seems unhospitable outside, I assure you, it is much better than the treatment you will receive in here," Vlad announced, calmly projecting so that they could all here him. "So, if you are done destroying my property and tormenting my son, then I would advise you take your leave."
While the Titans were frozen by the development, the Fenton group quickly powered up their weapons and fired at Vlad. Concentrated beams of synthetic ectoplasm rocketed towards the man in nanoseconds from all six of them, their anger burning as brightly as the beams. But even as they looked like they were going to hit their mark, the beams were deflected by a pink shield that momentarily flared around Vlad the instant they got too close. The shield was molded around his body and did not dissipate until the beams ceased. The emotionless face Vlad continued to wear both scared and infuriated them.
"Star! Raven! Cyborg!" Robin shouted at his teammates who fired off with energy of their own. Since they were not ectoplasm-based, they thought the shield would not have protected him. But they were wrong. Star's bolts were deflected as easily as the Fenton gear. Cyborg's energy was absorbed into the shield, making it glow a purplish mix where they hit. Only Raven's magic had any real and not cosmetic effect but even that was just a light sparking when the black mass hit the shield.
Both sides were still as the rescuers stood in shock of their ineffectiveness. Vlad stood there unbothered. Danny was again lost to the growing cold he was feeling, drawn into himself as the shivers racked him and the heat and cold warred in his body and mind.
"He is not you son, Vladimir," Jack growled. "You stole him from us, manipulated us, and did something—I don't know what—to him. That's not how a father acts, you bastard!"
And instead of approaching Vlad, knowing it was futile, Jack inched closer to his son. Maddie and the rest joined him, forming a protective semicircle Vlad frowned evenly at them.
"Jack, he is my son," Vlad explained. "I feed and provide for him, train and educate him, and offer him opportunities well beyond whatever you could do for him. Now, if you could leave, then we could get back to our lives."
The man was barely holding on to his mind. But he knew for Daniel's sake, it was best he stay calm. And he would be as civil as he could, as long as they made no unfair accusations.
Unable to stand the creepy bullshit any more, Maddie moved in front of your husband. "He will never be your son, Vlad. And I will never be your wife. You kidnapped our boy—"
Well. There goes that.
"I liberated him from his idiot family! I gave him the love and attention he needs to thrive!" Vlad hissed, eyes flaring crimson and hands balled into fists so tight blood began to well from his palms.
The change was so sudden, like a broken gif, that the startled rescue party blanched.
And like a switch, Vlad was once again calmed and composed. "And I've gotten over my sophomoric fantasy of a woman who never existed, Maddie. I will give you all one last chance. Leave me and Daniel alone."
The unspoken "or you will come to regret it" flashed through all of their minds as terror, uncharacteristic for even Robin and Raven, took control of their minds. It felt like an eternity that he stared them down and they returned the favor with wide-eyed looks. And it was only Robin's memory of where they were and who they were dealing with that saved them.
He keyed in a command on his belt, causing it to fire up in sparks of green lightning. His teams' belts followed soon after and the Fentons' crew did as well. Vlad's mouth flicked downwards in a frown as his audience began to shake their heads, realizing what the masked hero had done.
"You're more powerful than we expected," Robin remarked, newly enraged by having his mind manipulated. Those around him caught on quickly and focused their anger and frustration at the monster in front of them.
"Shame," Vlad remarked, sounding honestly regretful before his face lit up in homicidal glee. "I'd hate to ruin a perfectly good sweater." His eyes became red once more as they slitted into slivers. His stance turned hostile and animalistic.
Then it all went white.
The explosion took them all off guard. The only one who could have seen its epicenter was Vlad but he was so overcome with rage that he had no idea what hit him. They were blown forward as the room shook and crumbled. The only one with any mind to use their powers to escape was Raven as she transported them out of the house, grabbing everyone she could and leaving Vlad to his falling mansion. A sudden and strong surge in her power allowed her to access the magic, even as red glyphs glowed dimly.
She had to keep covering them even as they were now a great distance from the mansion. A force ripped through the air after them, felling trees and statues alike. It would have torn them to shreds as well but on she fought, coating her magic upon itself to keep out the cold, dead energy that threatened their existence.
Some of them were knocked out and others were stunned or incapacitated. Raven was not sure she was still awake. But death was so loud and absolute on the other side that she had no time to worry about it. She steeled herself and threw out her hands, having to focus all of her being on maintaining the shield.
"Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos." She couldn't give up but she could not strengthen the shield any more. Her legs wobbled under her, threatening to give out.
"Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos." She had to hold on. The power beat against her too much. She was failing.
"Azarath. Metrion. Zinth-os." The onslaught was lessening but it was still too much. She couldn't do it.
"Azar-ath. Me-metrion. Zinthos." She was so tired. She fell to her knees. But the winds were still screaming.
"Azarath. Me-met—" Her vision lost color and her hearing lost sound. She could still feel the pounding of the outside but she had no more strength left. Raven's shield was deteriorating, holes appearing in random place as it thinned.
"—trion. Zi-…" Raven fell forward on her face, mercifully passing out before the shield was entirely gone.
It seemed they hadn't learned yet.
Vlad was there for himself, ultimately. Sick. Starving for love and affection he approved of. Did he really care about Danny? Probably but not in a way that didn't harm them both.
The Titans were there because of Robin and he was there because he was mad at Batman, Bruce, the Fentons, his inability to stop Slade's creepy agenda with his sudden reappearance, his frustration at Raven keeping secrets from them. You name it.
Those from Amity Park were there to get back at Vlad, to prove they weren't bad friends or family, to appease their own minds.
They were all so caught up in their heads, their concerns, that they forgot to pay attention to Danny again. And our young hero would suffer for it again.
Left in his mind, after Jazz pulled away from him, Danny was blocked off from the outside. In his fight to focus, he had to address what was making him so unsure. His head pounded fiercely as he fought through the muggy heat in his body that encircled every organic thought in his mind. Danny battled against it, hurting, scared, numb. His body shaking near uncontrollably as if he were having a standing seizure. He grasped at ephemeral straws, any semblance of power or handhold he could use to fight and a growing force inside of him answered.
Danny threw himself at the cold inside and it exploded, embracing him and wiping his mind clear and clean of all thoughts and qualms. His tainted red eyes flashed and stayed a frigid blue, shining brighter than they had the first time he had fully unleashed his fully realized ice core.
A weight was thrown from his mind and body and Danny reveled in it, head reeling in a bemusing joy that was soon numbed by a more familiar feeling than before. Danny let his cold surround and hold him rather than focus. It was the freest he had felt in ever and he was not about to let that go. But he wondered how much better it would feel if he could only get colder.
With a swirling funnel of bright white-blue energy, he was whisked away and the onslaught his energy brought on the outside world stopped. The gale-force winds ceased. The hail lessened to powdery snow. A fallen Raven and company were blanketed by the frozen precipitation as what remained of Vlad's mansion was hidden away, sunken into the cold, white, ephemeral sands of Danny's power. Giant spears of ice stood tall in the remains of statues and shrubbery.
The destruction accidentally wrought by the young man covered everything in sight, silencing the ruin.
But Danny was too far away, too far gone to care or even realize.
He was free.
A/N: So sorry for the delay...almost a year, huh? I tried to keep the writing style the same or similar but the chapter did not want to write itself. Dani'll show up next chapter. Again, sorry. But I'm doing better so you won't have to wait a year for the next chapter.
Replies to Reviewers:
miss mysteri: Papa Vlad is a necessity! Thanks!
Lucifer's711: Hope you're excited now too! Thanks so much!
Poohbearmorris: Aww thanky! They did get Danny back!...kind of.
Ninuhuju: There's always hope! But no beating the neurodivergent just because he's a bit...fruitloopy...that comes later.
Good Witch of Babble: I'm trying to find a part in the story where I can add that flashback of an escape attempt. Or I'll just write a one-shot to go with this eventually.
Rescue did not go well at all and I didn't even think about Malchior when I wrote that but a book called Eon. Everyone's too caught up in themselves to truely care about Danny. This is some self-projection mess but it works with the story so...And that's almost exactly how it was supposed to go...but I didn't want Danny to have to deal with his family yet.
Danny will have to go through some sole soul searching. No influence from anyone he knows will help. Maybe they'll be some slight OC interaction, or TT w/o the main team, or JL.
Danny is flighty and he flitted. It'll only get worse for a bit. No goodness here til almost the end.
Dude that was my immediate idea. He'll end up in Jump eventually with trying to control his teleportation powers which cameod at the end of this chapter. I think something/-one will call him there.
I'm so sorry and pleased that the chapter crushed your soul and you enjoyed it! Everyone in the phandom is both sadist and masochist...it's a thing. Voltron is fantastic! AND THAT SHIP IS TO DIIIEEEEE FOR! SO CUTE! A+! GOLD STAR STICKERS ALL AROUND!
Guest of honor: They certainly are doomed but the whoopins will ome in full force later. Sorry for the delay.
KingPlotBunny: Followed at a snail pace! Shipping is on the fence and Trigon will rise!
Nightshade1712: Thanks! Always hate fruitloop Vlad even if he isn't in a mind set where he can recognize he's a SuperVillain (TM). I wanted my Robin a little softer and less manipulative to keep the team together and be there for Raven when she needs it...cuz she will.
Darkverger1: They saved him...kind of. Danny'll be fine. He won't be ended...he'll just isolate himself from all of existence until everyone else dies and the silence is the only thing left...
Dark crimson wolf Jenn: Sorry about the delay and thanks! So do I. And sorry again for that, with the break and my simultaneous breakdown...I hoe you got who and hat you needed.
MiaulinK: Thanks, I love that type of villain too! And they definitely are, though they've found a way to kind of counteract it.
Guest(1): For sure! Dani will probably be the main of the next chapter.
aDragonqc: Sorry for the delay but here you go!
Krista Perry: Sorry for leaving you hanging for so long! And thanks for reading! Muse is wonderful as always. Life is a slave driver who would rather see me dead than work...
PokedragonofKonoha: ...okay? lol here you go.
Guest(2): Yes. MAybe. No no no no no. Yes much PTSD or (PVSD post-Vlad stress disorder). The snap will be glorious.
DPTTrocks: Always writing. Never uploading...
Guest of honor (2): ...oops. Here you go.
Guest(3): Took a long while but here.
Lady Fai: Thanky! The journey is more fun than the destination. And I'll try.
Zela NightL My bad! Come bak from the GZ and read! Death is no longer and excuse! Just make sure to avoid the GIW; they're still a crazy bunch of creeps
GoldenBug Prime: Yeah...poor Danny. He'll get friends (kind of) later. More is here.
Guest(4): No abandonment! Just depression with a side of impostor syndrome!
Thanks for putting up with my shit. Deuces, JennaUtena