Vlad's Return

Warning: graphic

Danny stumbled back, looking up at the horrid creature before him. It's burning red eyes held madness and fury. It took a strong, yet clumsy stride towards him. Danny flew back a few paces instead of stepping. Danny clutched his stomach, pain sizzling from the blast that had knocked him out of the air. The thing grinned, barring it's fangs, and shuttered with what Danny perceived as pleasure.

"My…" it's echoy voice wheezed as if lacking air. It sent goosebumps up Danny's arms, "my, Daniel… don't you… recognize me?"

Danny's chest went cold. "…Vlad?"

The creature's, Vlad's, smile grew. Then he launched forwards, faster than Danny was ready for. Claws sunk into his shoulders, as he slammed against a tree. Electricity coursed through him, making him shriek into the night. Vlad's hand left his shoulder and gripped his neck, cutting of his air and scream.

"…Shhh," Vlad whispered, as Danny kicked and spasmed. "Don't want… anyone…. Interrupting."

Suddenly, Danny had a heart beat and it was pounding. The electricity stopped. Vlad let go of him and he dropped like a dead fish. Wet leafs stuck to his cheek as he tried to lift himself back up. His head spun with how fast things were going down hill. His muscles spasmed and he fell back down. Something rolled him over. A fuzzy outline of his attacker loomed over him, then faded into darkness.


Danny woke up cold, aching, and with a pounding headache. Ice cold fingers raked through his hair, and he stiffened, eyes snapping open. He tried to roll away, off of the man's, the creature's lap, but a harsh hand on his chest and the hand in his hair kept him still with an iron grip. Danny felt no sign of his ghost half and panicked even more, the hand gripping his hair tightened painfully, the red eyes looked down at him sharply.

The communicator in Danny's ear was gone, and he couldn't feel the thermos on his belt. He whimpered quietly, squirming in his grip, weakly pushing on the hand on his chest. "Vlad, don't…"

"Hush now, Daniel." Vlad looked back up at the night sky. His voice seemed to have recovered, but it still was gravely, echoy, and scratched, like he hadn't used it in a while.

Danny stilled, thinking fast to nothing. Vlad loosened his grip and started combing his hair again. The hand on his chest snaked around to his back and pulled him up to Vlad's chest.

"Being up there, Daniel, gave me time to think…. You should have been mine. You should have been mine. I was alone. I was so alone, and you should have been mine! Mine." Vlad snarled.

Danny hissed, breathing fast as Vlad squeezed him. "Let go! I'm not- anyone's-"

"BE SILENT!"

A short burst of electricity made him scream out. "Stop! Stop! Please, let me go!"

Another shock had him panting, squeezing his eyes shut he considered the likelihood of someone noticing him missing. He had told his mom where he was going, but he didn't know how long he'd been passed out. She usually waited about four hours before she started panicking. But how long would it take them to find him? He looked up at Plasmius again, and he knew the answer. Too long, it would take too long.

"Don't look at me like that, Daniel." Vlad shook his head, glancing regretfully away. "You would be angry too. You would be angry if you were left in space to die, to rot, to be forgotten. You would… you would… be so angry…" he trailed off, still not looking at Danny. "I died. I'm not half ghost anymore, Daniel. I'm dead. I died. I'm dead."

Danny pushed on Vlad's chest, wanting away. But he crushed him back down without effort.

"Vlad, you have to stop. You're not thinking clearly. Please, just let me go!" Danny's voice cracked. Tears ran down his face. "Please, don't-"

"No. I wont leave you alone. I wont leave you alone. Not like I was. No. You're mine. I wont leave you alone. Not like I was. Not like I was. But don't worry!" He finally looked back down, and dread filled Danny to his bones at the crazed intensity in the creature's eye. "It's not as painful as the first time."

"What?" Danny asked in a small voice.

Vlad smiled in what was supposed to be a sad way, but his face distorted the image into something terrifying. He grabbed Danny's neck again, and squeezed. Danny's eyes bulged and his feet kicked, while his hands clawed at Vlad's arm.

But Vlad seemed unaffected as he cradled him in the crook of his arm.

"V-Vlad," Danny managed to squeak out, black dots loomed in his vision.

"Hush-sh-sh, you won't be alone anymore. It'll be over soon. It'll be over soon. You'll see."