Chapter 3
Drool trickled from Danny's mouth and flowed in a thin stream down the window of the RV as he slept. The trip had been painfully slow and incredibly dull. Danny spent the first half of the journey sulking in the back of the vehicle. His suggestion of staying with Tucker while his parents went to Wisconsin had crashed and burned, not even leaving the tiniest ashes of hope behind.
As was his nature, Jack had done his research about the area of Wisconsin where their mysterious host lived. Jack was overjoyed when he learned of the unexplainable deaths and disappearances that had occurred in the area - he wanted to test out the VR's vampire assault weaponry he had designed. Maddie reassured Danny that the giant, metal, battle machine was perfectly safe. As usual, she had gone through the new equipment and found all of Jack's numerous safety hazards before they left. Though Danny had been somewhat comforted by this, he still remained cautious about the various buttons and switches that covered the automobile's interior.
When he had discovered Danny's plans, Tucker had immediately gone to the aid of the Internet. What he had learned left Danny in utter disbelief. Dalv Masters was a billionaire, known world wide for his elusiveness and lack of public appearances. Tucker admitted that even after hours of net surfing he found out little else about the mystery man besides the fact that he lived in a large castle in Wisconsin. The fact that the man he was visiting was filthy rich made Danny feel even less eager. He couldn't imagine what this guy would do when Jack blasted all the priceless possessions in the castle with the Fenton laser canon.
A large yawn stretched out Danny's jaw as he reentered consciousness. He wiped the dribble from his face with the back of his hand and turned his sleepy gaze out the window. The world outside the VR was devoid of any signs of humanity. The thick group of trees outside indicated that they were in the middle of some kind of a forest. Danny groaned when he looked out the front window; above the hundreds of trees were stone towers that seemed to dominate over everything that surrounded them.
The trees ended at a clearing that surrounded the extravagant castle. Danny couldn't imagine how his parents had found the road they were currently on. It must have been a private driveway, used exclusively to get to the large, stone building that stood before them.
The sun shone brightly against the dark gray stones of the vast fortress. Danny tried to sneak a look into one of the many rectangular windows but found that the castle's interior was pitch black. Multiple towers ending in pointed roofs stood at every corner. Danny smirked bemusedly as he thought of a bird being skewered by one of he towers spiked peaks.
The VR rolled past a large fountain positioned in front of the castle. Danny marveled at the beauty of the stone sculpture at the center. It was a rather simple structure consisting of nothing more than a statue that spewed water and pool that caught it. The water in the pool was still, and no other water flowed from the large, stone angel standing in the middle of the fountain. Its hands were outstretched towards the sky and its face was staring into the heavens. Danny stared perplexedly at the angel's wings, or what should have been wings. From what he could tell, Danny assumed that the statue had possessed wings at some point, but the figure he stared at now looked as if its wings had been broken from its body.
"Here we are!"
Danny tore his attention away from the crippled seraph to look once more at the manor before him. The Fenton RV was now parked in front of a short series of stone steps, guarded on either side by a pair of sinister, granite gargoyles with bat-like wings fully extended behind them.
When Danny realized that his parents were exiting the vehicle, the youth quickly followed suit. He slammed the door behind him and craned his neck to look at the immense fortress once again. A low whistle blew past his lips.
"Jeez, what does this guy do for a living?" Danny wondered aloud as rested his hand gingerly on the stone beast roaring silently at him.
"I don't know, but I'm sure it's no where near as satisfying as the job of a vampire hunter!" Jack bounded up the cement steps leading the way as Maddie and Danny followed at a much more leisurely pace.
Jack pounded on the wooden double doors, not stopping to admire the intricate designs carved in the stone archways that surrounded the dark mahogany. "Hello, anyone home? It's Jack Fenton! And I brought my family!"
Danny ignored his father's vanity; at some point in Jack's life, he had come to the conclusion that his fame as a hunter would precede him. Thus, he expected more response from his name than Danny or Maddie's. However, those who knew of Jack Fenton considered him a fanatical maniac or a destructive weirdo freak than a demon-slaying hero.
Finally, after much more banging, the heavy door creaked open, revealing a small woman in a black and white maid uniform standing before them. Her pale skin and sunken eyes caused Danny to raise an eyebrow. He wondered why the girl looked so exhausted, but his thoughts were interrupted by his father's booming voice.
"Hello, I'm Jack Fenton of the Fenton hunter clan, this is my beautiful wife, Maddie," Danny's mother smiled, "And this is my son, Danny."
The maid curtseyed - her expression remained blank. "Welcome to Masters manor, please, follow me."
The Fentons followed the petite figure into a dimly lit room, the walls of which were covered in trophy cases filled with Green Bay Packer paraphernalia. The maid continued walking through a great archway that led to a vast den. The floor was made of a deep oak wood, in front of an enormous marble fireplace sat an oriental rug covered in marvelous patterns.
The pale maid gestured for the family to sit on an antique-looking couch and bowed her head. "I'm sorry to inform you that Mr. Masters was not expecting your arrival until this evening. He sends his apologies and promises to join you as soon as he finishes with important business."
"Thank you very much," Maddie began politely, "Do you how much time it will take him to finish?"
Without answering, the pallid woman curtseyed once again and left the Fentons alone in the quiet room. After playing with the hem of his orange suit for a good five seconds Jack lifted his head and grinned.
"Did I tell you about the time when I…"
"Yes." Danny and his mother spoke simultaneously.
Jack's grin fell. His arms folded across his chest and his face twisted into a pout. He chose to stare at the rug under his feet, following with his eyes the elaborate arrangements of the thread. He stared with half closed eyes at the grand chair that sat in front of the huge fireplace.
If incredible boredom wasn't enough to drive Danny crazy, his father's thunderous snoring certainly was. He looked out a long window next to the fireplace, sighing in frustration when he became aware of the sun setting behind the shroud of trees.
"I'm gonna look for a bathroom." Danny stood and walked towards the Packer filled room.
"Ok, Sweetie." Maddie yawned, her head resting against her husband's large shoulder.
Danny stood in the middle of the green and gold room and turned his attention toward a massive flight of steps. He trudged upward slowly, scanning the area to make sure no creepy servants were watching him. Once he reached the top, Danny looked into the dimly lit hallway ahead of him. He took gradual steps forward, noting his surroundings. The walls were barren, no portraits, tapestries, or anything remotely decorative.
The young hunter opened several doors; he found a large library, a greenhouse-like room with a diverse collection of foliage, several bedrooms, and a few rooms that looked as if they had long since served any purpose. After traveling through countless hallways he finally approached another flight of steps. He assumed they lead to the top of one of the grand towers he had seen when his family arrived.
Had Danny been thinking clearly he would have avoided the narrow, spiral staircase that seemed to lead into nothing but darkness; however, the long road trip and hours of waiting had left him feeling rather unaware of potential disaster. So, without hesitation, he began to walk slowly up the stairs that seemed to have no end.
Moonlight pouring through a window revealed that night had begun. Danny's hazy mind began to clear and he became slowly aware of his current position. He doubted the owner of the enormous abode would be particularly pleased to find Danny poking around. Unfortunately, before he could turn around and return to his place by his parents, he caught a glimpse of an awfully intriguing sight.
A forbidding aura illuminated from a large door at the top of the stairs. It wasn't particularly special, nowhere near as exquisite as some of the other doors Danny had passed. Yet somehow the teen felt drawn to it. He moved towards it, his hand reaching toward the knob slowly. His fingers had barely touched the cold metal when he heard a deep sound of someone clearing their throat from behind him.
"Good evening, I see you have had no trouble making yourself a home."
Danny spun around quickly and found himself face to face with a smirking gentleman. The man stood a few steps below him – the piercing stare of icy, blue eyes sent a chill down the youth's spine. The man was sharply dressed in a full tuxedo and a crimson tie. Danny almost felt foolish in his T-shirt and jeans in the presence of the debonair character.
"I'm Dalv Masters," He extended a graceful hand towards Danny. "Daniel Fenton, I presume?"
Danny shook the figure's hand tentatively. "Actually, I prefer Danny. I'm sorry for, uh, sneaking around and stuff…"
Danny mentally slapped himself; this guy was going to kill him. He closed his eyes and hoped he would only have to suffer through a long, nagging lecture on respecting privacy.
The billionaire smiled, his white teeth nearly glowed in the moonlight. "I can imagine it must be hard to resist the urge to explore a castle such as this. I'd be more than happy to give you and your parents a proper tour later this evening."
Danny's jaw dropped. This guy couldn't be serious. He had caught someone who was clearly violating his privacy yet he didn't seem the least bit upset by it.
"However, I'm afraid this room is my private study and therefore will not be part of the tour." He gestured toward the door behind Danny.
"Oh." Danny took a small step towards the calm figure. "Man, seriously, I'm really sorry."
Dalv held up a hand. "Think nothing of it, my dear boy. Now, I believe your parents are waiting for us downstairs."
Danny crinkled his nose when the refined gentleman referred to him as 'dear boy.' He was nearly positive the man standing before him was in his mid-twenties, early-twenties if the silvery hair he held back in a ponytail was dyed. Danny was surprised, Dalv couldn't have been much older than Jazz. How had a man that young managed to achieve his billionaire status?
The walk downstairs was silent and uncomfortable. Danny still felt like he had been caught with his hand in a cookie jar. He feared his host's smile would disappear as soon as his parents were within view and Danny would be exposed as a rotten sneak.
"Mr. and Mrs. Fenton, it's so good to finally meet you!"
Danny's mother stood up when she was greeted. His father awoke abruptly from his deep slumber in surprise, producing a pair of nun chucks from his orange suit. After waving them around frantically while shouting out an array of threats, he proceeded to smash himself in the face.
Danny buried his face in his hand. At first he thought the groan he heard was his own but he turned to see that Dalv's face was also hidden behind his one of his own elegant hands.
"Mr. Fenton…"
"Call me Jack!" Danny's father said cheerfully as his wife examined his bleeding nose.
"Of course." Dalv cringed and forced a smile. "Jack…"
Dalv stared at Jack's bleeding nose intently. Danny raised an eyebrow at their host's fixated glare. "You don't like blood?"
The sophisticated man tore his eyes away from Jack, who had started shoving tissues in his nostrils. "The rug your graceless father is bleeding all over just happens to be a hand woven antique. I apologize if I appear a little upset that one of my most valuable possessions is being ruined."
Danny felt his face get hot. This was exactly what he had expected: his parents, specifically his father, destroying a rich man's things and getting them kicked out the first night. Judging by his mother and father's beaming faces they hadn't heard Dalv's disgruntled comment.
"My, you certainly look a lot like your uncle." Maddie smiled and tilted her head as if to get a better view.
"Why thank you, Maddie," Dalv began, his tone made Danny shudder, "I've heard my uncle was a rather handsome man."
Jack moved suddenly, his face inches away from the young man's face. "Hmmm… I don't see it."
"Yes, well," Dalv put a hand up to distance himself from Jack. "I can tell you're just as brilliant as I heard."
Jack grinned brightly, oblivious to Dalv's blatant sarcasm. "Hey, I bet you'd love to hear this story about my great-great uncle Morton. He once cut a vampire's head clear off with the…"
"That's fascinating Jack, really." Dalv waved his hand dismissively. "However I'm afraid I don't have any time for story telling…"
"You don't even want to know about the night Vladdie disappeared?"
A chill swept over the room. Danny turned his gaze towards Dalv; his expression was unreadable.
"What Jack means is that we assumed you would be curious about what really happened." Maddie squeezed her husband's shoulder gently. "It was a traumatic experience for both of us. We were very close to your uncle."
Dalv's gaze remained glued to the floor. "Vlad Masters did not disappear." His voice was clear and sharp. "He died that night. I have no interest in talking about how it happened."
The room became deathly silent. Danny would've liked nothing more than to run as quickly as possible all the way back to Amity. The tension was suffocating.
Dalv's face suddenly lifted and a small smile appeared on his face. "Vlad was a good kid. And as they say, only the good die young, am I right?"
No one noticed the cold glare the young Masters threw at Jack.
Dalv walked towards the entrance hall. "Allow me to give you a tour of my home before you go to bed. Daniel I hope you don't mind, you might feel a little de ja vu, but hopefully you won't get too bored."
Danny blushed and laughed nervously. "Yeah, I was really just looking for the bathroom…"
"Of course you were." Dalv winked at the nervous teen. "Now if you please, follow me."
Danny spent the next couple of hours watching Dalv sweet talk his mother and ignore his father. He couldn't say he was surprised. His father had an oafish charm that very few understood. However, the billionaire's special attention towards Maddie left her son very confused. The boy shrugged it off as chivalry and spent the rest of the tour examining his shoes.
Dalv stopped outside one last room and opened the door to reveal a large bedroom. A grand canopy bed of dark purple satin sat in the center of the room. A vanity and an antique dresser rest against the opposite wall. A large window that took up most of the wall revealed a cloudless night sky above a green mass of forestry.
"Jack and Maddie, this is your room." Dalv gestured for them to enter with a sweep of his hand.
"But we brought a really cool RV…"
"Oh no, please, I insist you stay here. It's such an empty house and these rooms really do go to waste."
"Well," Maddie looked around the luxurious suite once more. "The RV has all of our extra vampire hunting gear in it."
"I can assure you there are no vampires here." Dalv took a step back into the long hallway. "This room is all yours. There's a door to the bathroom in the left corner. If you need anything feel free to ask one of my servants."
The door shut as the Fenton couple went to further explore the extravagant room.
Dalv lead Danny further down the hallway. The youth noticed that the man never took him and his family anywhere near the tower where Danny had been found snooping earlier that evening.
Danny had been watching Dalv closely most of the night. The way he acted, the way he spoke, the teen was sure something was amiss. His suspicions of the man were high. While they walked towards the room where Danny would be sleeping, he finally broke the silence.
"Were you flirting with my mom?"
Dalv stopped abruptly and turned to stare at the youth. Danny instantly regretted his question. His face grew hot with embarrassment; he waited for a scolding for his rude inquiry.
Dalv grinned quizzically at Danny. "Was it that obvious?"
Danny's eyes widened with disbelief. "Eww, are you serious? That's just… Dude, she's like forty-something… And she's married!"
Dalv laughed, it sounded almost musical. "Are you worried, Daniel? I promise I have no intention of stealing your mother. "
Danny stared back into enticing sapphires. "I'm not worried, but she's got to be like twenty years older than you, at least. That's pretty sick."
Dalv shrugged. "As I already told you, I have no intention of getting involved in anything with your mother. Now, if you would kindly follow me to the room where you'll be staying."
Danny followed silently. He knew it would be a waste of time to go to bed now. He would never be able to fall asleep before dawn. His night would most likely consist of staring at the ceiling and hoping that Amity would be safe from any nocturnal threats without him around to protect it.
The silver haired gentleman stopped and opened the door in front of him. Danny looked around in awe. A full-sized bed similar to his parents' sat against the wall to his left. The color scheme of the entire room was a dark, mid-night blue. Along the left wall was a dresser, a door that most likely led to a bathroom, and a large stone fireplace.
Danny turned when he felt the older man's presence leave hurriedly. He sat down leisurely on the satin bedding. Even though it was unlikely that he would fall asleep, he decided he might as well enjoy the comfortable benefits of staying in a billionaire's castle.
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Hey guys! It's Emy.
So it's been over a year and a half since I posted a new chapter and guess what? I've had this chapter the whole time! HAHAHA *dies*
I never uploaded it because I didn't really have anyone helping me anymore and I lost the motivation. But oddly enough I STILL get messages saying more people are watching this story so I decided "What the hell, I'll upload another chapter."
I tried to do some quick editing but it's still probably a bit crappy. I'd like to pretend my writing skills have improved since I wrote this over a year and a half ago.
I know this is a jerk move, but if you're reading this please review if you want me to continue. I know I shouldn't be like "REVIEW OR NO MORE FICS" but seriously, I'm not going to write it and post it if no one is reading it.
Thanks and sorry to anyone who has waited a long time for this update.
