Chapter two: Curiosity

The last time I ever got so many reviews was in Baby Boy. I love you guys! –hugs- Thanks to: KatrinaKaiba, Kagome51, musiclover9419, PhantomFreak0301, Luiz4200. You guys are great! Now, here's what you've been waiting for: chapter two! Enjoy! (this is when Daniel gets the courage to ask Vlad about his healing abilities. Heh, you'll be kinda surprised- or not! Whatever :) )

The next day, Daniel slowly opened his eyes to what was a beautiful Saturday morning. He was still in the bed Vlad left for him the night before. He rubbed his eyes and carefully made his way out of the bed. He pushed the blankets from his body and sat there, trying to convince himself to tell Vlad about his sudden healing abilities.

"Maybe I should just handle this on my own…" He thought, taking a random glance outside the window. He could barely think straight; questions and thoughts clouding his mind. How was he supposed to explain this to Vlad: 'Hey, guess what, Master? I can heal myself so whenever you hurt me, I just get better!'

I mean, what the hell was he thinking, asking Vlad about that? It almost seemed like another form of torture, even suicide, maybe.

Daniel took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He rose from the bed and made his way to the parlor, where Vlad was always enjoying a cup of tea in the morning.

He carefully made his way there, trying his best not to damage himself even worse than he already was. He heard soft music coming from the room. As he grew closer, he recognized the song as 'Savin' Me', by Nickelback. He never thought Master was into Alternative rock. He walked into the doorway and knocked softly on its frame.

Vlad glanced up from the newspaper and gave him a small smirk. "Why, hello there, Daniel. What brings you here?" He asked, turning his chair around to face him. Daniel stared at him for a moment before whispering, "Do you know what's happening to me?" He asked. He pulled up his shirt just a little, showing him his healed chest with only a few scars where the injuries were yesterday. Vlad chuckled and stood up. "Ah, Daniel, I knew you'd be wondering about this sudden… change, so to speak."

Daniel's eyes widened. He had a feeling that Vlad was up to no good. After all, why else would he have helped him yesterday?

"What did you do??" He cried out, the frustration building up in his chest. He couldn't take these mind games Vlad was playing with him any longer. All he wanted was an answer, not this confusing I'll-tell-you-when-the-time-is-right kind of shit. He was sick of that.

"Daniel, be patient." Was all that Vlad said.

And that, at the least, set him over the edge.

Without thinking, Daniel ran up to him, grabbed Vlad by the collar of his shirt and shouted, "Can't you just give me the damn straight-up answer?!?"

Vlad was taken aback by this, but shook his head. "You want to know so badly?" He pushed him off and hissed, "Watch this."

Suddenly, he punched Daniel in his left eye, causing him to cry out in pain. "Wha-" He started to protest when Vlad covered his mouth with his hand and dragged him to the bathroom. He pushed him in front of the mirror. "Take a look at yourself, Daniel! Look at your eye!" He screamed, forcing the boy to stare at his own broken image that disgusted him the day before. He stared at himself, and then right before his very eyes, saw the bruised, blackened eye healing. Then, it was back to normal again.

"How?" He simply whispered, touching his eye in awe.

Vlad dragged him back into the parlor and sat him down. He too took a seat in front of him and sighed. "Daniel, I gave you those healing abilities, just after you passed out yesterday. Do you know why?"

He shook his head.

"It's so that no one will know. They'll just see it as a… accident, so to speak. Besides, Daniel, you can't possibly think you were gifted with this, right?" He explained, eyeing him a little longer. Daniel shook his head. He was right; he couldn't be gifted with anything this pleasant. He could get hurt and never have to feel it again. That was pure fortune, and he knew he didn't have any kind of fortune.

He had nothing.

"I injected a solution into your bloodstream. It's the same solution that infected me 20 years ago… by accident. While my powers are still growing, yours are just beginning to develop. Sometimes, you'll feel like hell. Sometimes, you'll want to die. But if you don't use your powers carefully, they'll eat you from the inside out." Vlad explained, giving him a dark smirk.

"W-what are these… powers?" Daniel asked, obviously confused. Did he mean superpowers, in general? Or something else…?

He feared it was the something else.

"Ghost powers." He simply responded, sipping his tea in silence.

Daniel raised an eyebrow.

Vlad chuckled at the boy's confused expression on his face. "You've never heard of ghosts? Really, Daniel, what have you learned in your life, other than that you're a pathetic fool?"

He really couldn't say anything to that. All he learned in his life that he was worthless, pathetic, broken and soulless. He had no reason to even exist, come to think of it. He did learn how to read and write, but seeing that he couldn't read a book passed 200 pages and his handwriting was the messiest he ever saw, it was clear that Daniel didn't really know anything. Especially what Vlad was telling him.

Vlad sighed and sat down his tea. "Well, Daniel, you see… we live in a world where there are supernatural beings upon us. These 'beings' are called ghosts. They are basically the afterlife of humans, but after they die, some of them crave to haunt and destroy living humans forever. Their souls travel everywhere, finding a place or a person that reminded them of the past. Then, they just destroy it. All in all, ghosts are freakin' killing machines and while we are now half-ghost, we may become so ourselves."

Daniel's eyes widened in horror. "Wait- you mean, I'm gonna become a killer? I'll travel far and wide just to find my next victim??" He said in shock, backing away from the room.

Vlad smiled at the boy's fear and answered, "We may be, if you use your powers properly and don't abuse them." He walked over to Daniel and placed a hand on his shoulder. He cringed at the touch and tried to get away, but Vlad wouldn't let him go; at least not yet.

"I have something else to tell you, dear boy." He leaned over and whispered clearly into his ear: "If you don't be careful, you'll kill everyone and everything you come in contact with. Including… you." He chuckled and left the parlor. Daniel looked at his hands again, seeing the once bloodied, scarred palms completely healed. "This is really freaky." He whispered. He slowly made his way from the parlor into his own room.

He took a quick glance behind him and locked the door. He sat down on his blanket and sighed.

"What did he mean by 'we may become so ourselves.'?" He thought to himself. Wasn't Vlad basically already a killing machine? True, he chose not to kill Daniel, but… wasn't he still vicious, treasonous man he once was, is and always will be?

That only confused Daniel even more.

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The next day was Sunday, the day Vlad usually went into town to pick up a few things for the new week. But this Sunday was going to be different.

"Daniel?" He called out to him from the parlor. Daniel sat down the broom and slowly made his way to the parlor, seeing the bruised knees and dirty face as a sign that he was doing his work. He stopped in the doorway and whispered, "Yes, Master?"

Vlad sat down his teacup and placed his fingers on his forehead. "Daniel, I normally don't ask you to do this but… could you run out into town and pick up some things for me? I have a list and some money."

Daniel's eyes widened. He couldn't believe that Vlad was asking him to go into town. He always thought the place was for people with lots of money, happy little children and beyond it was the pleasant park where you could just sit and compentate.

"M-me? Are you sure, Master?" He stuttered, surprised by the sudden offering. Vlad nodded, already thinking if he should reconsider. After all, Daniel had no idea what lied beyond the pleasant little village there and he may run off and get lost.

And Vlad Masters never loses his servants.

"Alright, here you go. I need you to get everything on this list and quickly. I expect you to be back in an hour or so." He gave Daniel the money and the list. "Make sure you change your clothes as well." He stood from the room and walked to his own.

Daniel stared at the money in his hands. He never seen or even touched money before. It even told him the amount that he was to give the person. "Wow…" He whispered. He scrunched the money in his hands and rubbed it against his face.

He placed a determined frown on his face and exited the room, ready to clean up and change his clothes.

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"This place is amazing." Daniel whispered, his baby blue eyes staring at the many shops in the market. Children were running around laughing while mothers were talking to one another. Shopkeepers were selling their merchandise with customers and exchanging money. People looked so happy to be there; to be alive, at the most. He never saw anyone that happy in his life. In fact, he's never been that happy before.

Daniel was currently wearing a clean red and blue t-shirt, a pair of black creased dress pants, a blue hoodie, and black and white sneakers. So he'd be able to fit in, he was able to comb and carefully brush his fragile hair, clean his face up, and make his skin not seem so pale and sickly. He looked like one of the crowd, but…

He didn't feel like one of the crowd at all.

Daniel walked down the sidewalk, his eyes curiously moving from one stand to another. He spotted a man selling fruits from a cart and immediately walked over to him. After all, the first thing on Vlad's list was a series of fruits he needed. When he stopped in front of the stand, the shopkeeper glanced up and smiled. "Hello, young man. What can I get you today?" He asked in a cheerful manner.

Daniel gave him the same smile and looked at the many fruits in the cart. "Just some melons, apples, and grapes." He replied in a nonchalant manner. The man nodded and quickly gathered the fruit together in a sturdy wooden basket. He tossed the melons, grapes and apples with ease inside and handed them to him. "Here ya go, sir." He said a twinkle in his emerald green eyes. Daniel looked up at him, surprised. No one has ever called him 'sir' before. In fact, he was only called evil names by Vlad. "Thanks." He said, taking the basket and reaching into his pocket for the money. "How much?"

"That'll be $2.99 a pound, adding up to…" The man stared up at the sky, his lips moving while he was deep in the thought process of mathematics. "With tax, that comes to $12.84, please," He finally said.

After Daniel gave him the money and received his change, he asked with curiosity, "How'd you do the math without a calculator?"

The man chuckled and said, "It's all in here." He placed a finger on his temple. "I've been a mathematician since I was a young boy. Used to add, subtract, square and use geometry for just about everything. When I was only in the 6th grade, they placed me in advanced Algebra. Why, are you good with math?"

Daniel shook his head and laughed a little. "Oh, no, math was my worst subject in school. I'm really more into astronomy."

The man nodded in approval. "Ah, a future astronaut, huh? Y'know, I've always wanted to be a mechanical engineer. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to fulfill my dream to become one."

Daniel raised an eyebrow. "How come?" He asked.

The man just shrugged. "Hey, I don't really have time to tell you right now, but I promise, when you return here soon, I'll be glad to tell you the story, okay?" He said, giving him one last pat on the shoulder before he left. "Have a great day!" He called out. Daniel smiled at the man's kindness and continued on.

Suddenly, a large figure crashed into him, causing him to drop his basket and the fruits upon the sidewalk. Daniel quickly scrambled to pick up everything; his face becoming deep red as bystanders slowed to glance his way. "I'm really sorry! I didn't mean to crash into you like that!" A familiar voice said to him. Daniel looked up, seeing Jack Fenton, the man who Vlad was meeting with a few days ago before the painful beating.

Daniel smiled at him. He gathered up the remaining fruit and the ones that Jack helped him retrieve into the basket. He knew he'd have to wash them later when he returned.

"So… what brings you here, Daniel?" Jack asked, walking along side him. Daniel just shrugged. "Not much. I'm just running errands here for Mr. Masters." He said. He knew he couldn't call Vlad 'Master' in front of Jack because he knew he'd expect something.

Jack nodded. "Well, so am I, of course. Just gotta get a few things before my daughter gets home." Suddenly, he had an idea. "Hey, why don't you come along with me? I'm sure Vlad won't mind if we hang out for a while." Daniel was hesitant for a moment before agreeing. "Fine with me. I have to be back in a couple of hours, though." He explained, letting him guide him through the market.

Along the way, they stopped at several stands, buying some food and a few other things they needed. Finally, Jack led Daniel into a shop that sort of resembled a small house. "This is my favorite place to go; they sell tons of candy here." Jack told him, giving him a wink. Daniel smiled and followed Jack into the store. The cashier at the counter looked at and gave him a bright smile. "Well, if it isn't my favorite customer! Where's that lovely little lady of yours?" He asked, referring to his daughter. Jack gave him a wave and laughed. "She won't be home until later. Just here to get some stuff for her,"

Noticing that Daniel hasn't said anything since he entered the store, the clerk glanced at him and chuckled. "Well, who do we have here?" Jack placed his arm around Daniel's shoulders and replied, "He lives with Mr. Masters. His name's Daniel." He gave him a little wave and the man placed his hand out and shook it. "Nice to me ya, Daniel. Here for some sweets?"

Daniel just shrugged and asked in a sweet and shy voice, "What kind of stuff do you have?"

"What do we have?" He asked, surprised. "Only the best damn candy in the world!" He disappeared under the desk for a second before reappearing with a piece of butterscotch candy. "I can tell what kind of candy you like just by lookin' at ya. Go ahead." He offered Daniel the candy, who cautiously took it. He slowly unwrapped the golden plastic before slipping the candy into the palm of his hand. He inspected it for a moment before placing the butterscotch into his mouth. Surprising, it was delicious.

The clerk saw the look on Daniel's face and gave him a satisfied smile. "See? I knew you'd like it. I could tell." He came from behind the counter and stood in front of him. "How?" Daniel asked, curious and amazed how the people here were so intelligent that it didn't take much effort. "Well," He began, digging through his pockets and unwrapping a caramel square for himself. "I can see the look of someone's face when they come in. It's like I can feel their very emotions, matching with a certain candy. Like you, for example. When you came in here, I saw a face, determined and amazed. But just below it was sadness and shame, almost like you don't want to admit to anyone how you really feel. You've lost someone you cared about years ago, and the love you found was taken away by another soul. I assure you, one day, you're gonna find a true love, and she'll care for you like no other and your life will get better."

Daniel couldn't believe it. A simple candy store salesman had told him everything about his life and how he felt…

Just by giving him a piece of candy.

As if reading his mind, the clerk smiled. "Butterscotch was the right one for you. On the outside is a hard, protective shell, seeming bitter and immune to whatever it has taken. But just below the surface is a sweet sensation, a taste so flavorful that no one could resist its precious, golden charm." He went back behind the counter.

"That's how he realized that my favorite was chocolate." Jack said, placing some money on the counter. "And speaking of chocolate…"

The clerk pointed at him and said, "You got it. One pound of dark chocolate with a side of caramel comin' up." He disappeared into the stock room.

Jack turned to Daniel. "Pretty cool how he could kinda 'see' through you, huh?" He nodded, his eyes wandering to the display of butterscotch.

"Here ya go." The clerk returned with a large bag of chocolate and caramel. He gave Jack the bag and his change. Then, he said, "Wait here for a second, Daniel," He disappeared once again into the room. Daniel looked up at Jack, who also had an equally confused look on his face.

The clerk returned with a golden bag of candy and handed it to Daniel. He knelt to his level and whispered, "Look, son, I know what you've been through and as a present for not giving up and for fighting your way through life, I give you this pound of butterscotch candies. If you eat about 5 a day, by the time it's halfway gone, you'll finally get what you've been looking for, okay?" He patted him on the shoulder. Daniel smiled and held the bag carefully in his hands. "Thank you." He whispered before leaving the shop with Jack.

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By the time Daniel returned back to Vlad's house, it was dinnertime. He sat everything in the kitchen and ran to his room. He stuffed the bag of butterscotch in one of his drawers and returned to the kitchen to make dinner. Vlad came from the parlor just to see Daniel beginning dinner. "You're back, I see." He said in a flat voice. Daniel nodded and washed the fruits and vegetables off. He spent the next couple of hours preparing dinner and then resting up in his room with a book to read. He was really lucky that Vlad hadn't found out about him being late so soon, but he did later that night and beat him, but not as badly as the other times.

That night, when Daniel went to bed, he lay down on the floor, dug up the butterscotch and took out five pieces. He carefully ate them, one by one, tears falling from his face before he fell asleep.

Oh my f***** gosh, I'm done!!!!!! Yeah! I had writer's block so I'm sorry it took me so long to update! I hope you guys liked it! I'll post chapter 3 by Thursday or Friday! Read and review, of course!