Don't own.
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"Then...what does happen when we...die…?"
The billionaire was slightly taken back at this question and found himself struggling to answer, something that does not happen often.
"You know I can't answer that one, Daniel." Danny slowly looked up at the man, with a face that nearly sent Vlad over the edge. Vlad stared right back into the shattered blue orbs as he opened his mouth.
"Tell me Vlad," he breathed. "...will it hurt?"
Danny frowned at his damp pillow.
He choked on another involuntary sob, gripping his hair in frustration. Danny dreaded days like this. The days when his body and mind fought, leaving him a mess of tears and memories. He spent a majority of the morning buried in his bed of pillows, hoping to block out the world.
'Knock! Knock!'
Danny's breath caught in his throat before he glanced at the door. Rolling over he rubbed his face and pulled the comforter over his head. Maybe if he stayed quiet whoever was there would leave.
Leave him alone once again the drown in his thoughts.
His wishes were then pushed aside as the door creaked open, a troubled billionaire peaking through. "Daniel?"
Despite mentally screaming at him to leave in his head Vlad walked closer, stopping by his side.
"Have you been in bed all morning?"
He got a muffled reply.
Danny heard the man sigh and walk across the room. He pulled the sheets tighter as he felt the sun's ray coat the once darkened room.
"Come on, Little Badger. Staying up here is doing you little good, you know that already."
Danny grumbled.
It was obvious Vlad was having none of that. With a grunt of effort the billionaire pulled the blankets out of his grip, leaving a cold and disheveled teen. "Up you go Daniel. Your clothes are on the dresser, as usual."
Vlad then turned away taking one last glance at the half asleep boy.
Vlad looked like he wanted to say more but he left it at that, closing the door behind him. Danny sighed and pulled himself out of bed, and headed for the bathroom. Danny's eyes darkened considerably when he caught his reflection. His appearance has improved since getting here, with a lot of help from Vlad, who monitors his every move and every meal. He looks less like a skeleton and more of a human being.
Well half human being.
But, it didn't help when he saw his father's eyes and mother's nose in the mirror every morning. Just reminders of what was ruefully taken from him, and thrown back at his face in pieces.
He splashed cold water on his face, rubbing the water in his eyes with his palms. "Here I go," he muttered as he changed, and headed downstairs.
The sleep-ridden boy was not five feet from out of his room when a large crash sounded down the hall. He could hear the tell-tale sound of boxes crashing and metal hitting metal.
Danny cursed his hero complex as his feet wandered down the hallway, stopping at large double doors.
Danny heard a muffled crash and a few choice words through the door, peeking his curiosity.
Had Vlad gone in here? What was 'here', anyway?
Danny pushed that thought away, knowing the man would be waiting for him downstairs.
"Agh! Damn it all!"
Slowly, Danny pushed the door in, peaking in the door. A wall met his vision. Feeling rather daring, never a good sign to begin with, he pushed the door open all the way. He took hesitant steps into the room but finding it vacant of life. A few bookshelves lined the walls with books the size of his head. Danny did a once over of the library. Months of ghost fighting had taught him to be cautious. And right now he was a bit freaked out. Quietly Danny headed toward the door, hoping to slip out without incident.
And not too keen on Vlad sending another search party. The mansion was big enough to lose him for months. Nearly a of week living here and Danny's only seen a handful of rooms.
A blast hit the wall in next to Danny, a little too close from hitting his head, green smoke issuing off the wallpaper. "Not so fast Whelp,"
Danny spun around face to face with skulker, his metal armor reflecting off the sun out the window, thoroughly giving him a menacing look. The youth's breath came out a little sharper as the ghost glared down at him.
"Looks like Plasmius left me a little gift," Skulker smirked, "how thoughtful." Again, the ghost shot a ray from his blaster, missing his mark as Danny dove away.
"W-wait!" Danny yelled ducking from another blast, "I didn't mean to-" He yelped as a box was lodged in his direction.
"Come on Whelp, it's not fun when the prey won't fight!" Skulker aimed his rocket blaster at Danny, target locked on his form. As the rocket neared Danny he panicked. Danny squeezed his eyes shut and curled into himself, expecting a painful blow, already knowing the full force of his missiles.
Just before the missile made contact with the boy he went intangible, the object crashing into the wall behind him. A gaping hole appeared in the wall, smoking and burnt. The force of the blast was enough to cause items to fall from the shelves, and a few bookcases.
Danny was quick enough to avoid another blow. And another. And another.
Skulker, growing past the point of frustrated, flew up and aimed his blast once again. "Hold still Whelp, I want you pelt in one piece." He growled, a strange sound with his mechanical voice.
Danny cringed, "Still ew." He muttered, almost tripping over a fallen book case.
As Skulker was reloading Danny made a beeline for the new hole in the wall, somewhere in the back of Danny's mind he thought it made the place roomier, and ran into the hall. Running down the carpeted halls Danny came across a staircase. He took the stairs two at a time, nearly crashing into the wall at the bottom. Catching his balance Danny ran down the wooden floors, never once stopping as his feet slipped and skidded on the waxy ground.
"WHELP!" Skulker's voice bellowed down the halls, giving Danny more motivation to run.
As he passed Vlad's workroom Danny loudly wondered where the heck that Frootloop was. Not that he needed him. Not at all.
That thought was cut off by a pink ray shooting passed his head. Danny stopped mid run, tripping over his legs.
Looking up from his position on the ground he was met with black boots, hovering a few inches off the ground.
Vlad floated above the youth, but his attention focused behind him. On the opposite wall there was a newly made indent on the wall. Taking the shape of a well known ghost.
"P-Plasmius!" Skulker stammered, floating across the room. "I-I have gotten the weapons you have asked for," the robot ghost explained, " th-there right upstairs. I-I'll go get them!"
Skulker started to fly back down the hall when a pink blast hit him in the chest.
Danny watched with wide eyes as the ghost struggled and fidgeted. Never once had Danny seen the ghost so flustered, it proved that Vlad's presence not only intimidated him as well.
"Skulker," Vlad's calm voice seemed to put the others more on edge the before. Vlad took a deep breath and let it out slowly through his nose. The pink energy seeped from his hand as his posture relaxed, although forced. "We will discuss this later. You have a measly thirty seconds to gather your things and leave. At once."
Skulker made a noise of understanding before flying down the hall, faster than Danny had ever seen him flee.
Vlad sighed before calling forth his transformation rings, dropping him to the ground silently.
Danny took a shaky breath, preparing himself for a loud scolding. Messing around with Vlad and his thing was never a good thing. But, destroying his library and angering his employee was pushing it. Danny was mentally preparing himself for loud and harsh word-lashing but was surprised to be met with silence. Turning around slowly Danny was surprised to see Vlad bent over a fallen vase, collecting tiny fragments of glass.
Vlad stood with the pieces in arms and set them down on a table near the wall. He huffed. "Shame, I liked that vase," Vlad then walked over the Danny's form on the ground, bending down to his level. "Come Daniel, are you hurt?" Danny shook his head and let the elder pull him to his feet.
"Aren't I in...trouble?" He asked hesitantly.
"Hardly. Now come on, since we've missed lunch how about we take a walk to the gardens, hmm?" Vlad started to walk down the hall, hands clasped behind his back, paying no mind to the scrambling teen behind him.
"But-!"
"No 'buts' Daniel. I should have warned you about his coming. Ah well, we live and learn dear boy." Danny was beyond perplexed. Any other time he made a mess it ended up with him getting his butt kicked. The new-found concern in the others features was new to Danny, and he wasn't so sure he liked it. What happened to the anger-filled temperamental Frootloop he knew?
He was about to say something about the library when he thought against it. He'd better not push his luck.
A calmer Frootloop was a better Frootloop, but he wished this behavior could have come forth before all the chaos. He wished to have the big-ego-ed villain back if it meant turning back the clock, and saving the ones he loved.
With those thoughts in mind Danny followed Vlad into his garden, the sunlight reflecting off his hair and skin. And lighting up his blue eyes to the world around him.
A/N: Here you go! I finally re-wrote both chapters! Cheers to me. Now we can get this story flowing! I hope you enjoyed this, I did.
Please review, Loves.
~Champ3