Chapter One:

Nine Years, Eleven Months, and Four Days Later

The snow crunched beneath his boots as he quickly made his way through the deserted streets. The sun was beginning to rise and he exhaled; his breath fogging out in front of him, as he glanced down at his watch. It really would not do to be late.

Again.

The wind picked up, stronger this time, and he suppressed the chill that was aching to run down his spine. Shoving his hands in his pockets, teeth chattering, he quickened his pace. As he walked, he encountered a patch of ice, sliding across it, before managing to correct himself. As a child he had adored the snow; spending hours in the cold, only coming in when his cheeks were a rosy red, his hands chilled. His clothes would be covered with white flakes, and his mother was constantly scolding him for trekking the water onto her carpet. There had always been something so pure about snow, so innocent, that had fascinated him, though. Even as a child he had realized the potential of the frozen water. It had the ability to wipe everything away; to coat the world in something new, hiding away all the evil. If only for a little while, at least.

As he carefully stepped over a patch of dark snow, he shuddered. He had been a foolish child then. So naive, so hopeful. Hope was for those with time; those with opportunities at hand. Danny, though, didn't have time to question orders, didn't have time to dream of different days. Days of innocence, days of youth...

He jumped as a car passed by, the speeding headlights blinding his sensitive eyes.

The small apartment, located above a popular coffee shop, was looming ahead. The sun was bouncing its reflection off the snow, creating a mirage of colors that hurt his eyes. It figured that he would have forgotten his sunglasses, too.

He didn't bother knocking when he reached the apartment. He let himself in, brushing the flakes off his clothing.

"You're late."

He grit his teeth in annoyance. "I'm sorry."

The girl snorted behind him, "Leave your coat on the table, Danny. Theo's waiting."

Daniel Fenton trailed behind her, his hands shoved in his pockets, inspecting her. Valerie Gray had been serving as the Protector for the last two weeks, providing the much needed relief for Danny. Ever since the Incident occurred, nearly ten years ago, the pair had been the designated Protectors, charged with keeping their Master safe from any potential threats such as

(themselves)

outsiders eager to understand his abilities.

"You don't look so great, Val," he said, his eyes narrowed. When they were in high school, Valerie had always been rather pretty. She wasn't gorgeous in the conventional sense or popular, no, but Danny had always had a bit of a weak spot when it came to Valerie, even if it meant life or limb.

It had been a long time since high school.

Three months ago she had finally snapped, cutting her hair off in an eschewed fashion. Her skin had gradually paled, taking on a sickly tint, and she had drastically started losing weight. Sometimes Danny wondered if she was even eating anymore. Or sleeping, for that matter.

Her eyes were probably the biggest change, though. Once, they had been a brilliant green, sparkling with curiosity and a desire to learn. Today they were willed with a deep depression – exhaustion – that sent chills down his spine.

He would never admit it to her, of course, but he was worried about her.

"I'm fine, Fenton," she said automatically, her tone brisk. "Why were you late?"

He sighed, running a hand through his messy hair. "I overslept," he said simply, pulling the gloves off his hands. "My alarm wasn't working."

Valerie nodded, sidestepping her partner, her voice soft, "Hopefully the alarm clocks here are more beneficial. Lukas doesn't appreciate tardiness."

Danny bristled at her apathetic tone, her undeniable admiration for the man that had only caused pain and destruction. Did she honestly think him to be unaware of Lukas's tendencies - his impatience, his brutality, his rejection of failure? He frowned, watching as she made her way to the door, grabbing a jacket from the back of a chair.

"Have a good week, Val," he called, as she pulled the door ajar. She paused, turning back to him, an ethereal smile on her face.

"You too, Danny."

Turning away from the sickly girl, Danny braced himself, squaring his shoulders. He spared a quick glance down at his watch, exhaling nervously. It was impossible to forget how daunting his Master's presence was (no matter how accustomed Danny became to his position, the penetrating eyes of his Master would permanently haunt his dreams), but over the past two weeks, Danny had been blessed with a temporary sense of euphoria; a minute grasp of relief from the exhaustion. As a Protector, though, escape was but a passing fancy: There was no quick fix, no alternate decision, only a short-lived hiatus.

Danny had been initiated into the Association when he was sixteen. If you asked him (no one had) it was singlehandedly the worst day of his life. It had been a rather ordinary day in the beginning – a day like any other. There was a light drizzle, a subdued tone throughout the school; after all, it was a Monday, and nothing ever happened on Monday's. He had entered his second period, Chemistry, in a rather jubilant mood after Sam Manson had finally agreed to a date only five minutes before the bell. He had listened to the brief lecture before making his way over to his lab station, greeting his partner, Valerie Gray, with a grin.

Only twenty minutes later, everything as he knew it was destroyed in a blink.

Connor Ambrose had managed to slip something – even ten years later, Danny still wasn't entirely sure what – into one of the chemical concoctions. In the following five minutes, the classroom descended into chaos before a definitive darkness fell upon them all.

When Danny regained consciousness, he had found himself in a dark room, the scent of mold tangible in the air. His classmates surrounded him, all in various states of disarray. Beside him lay Valerie, her hand clutching his tightly. He had squeezed it reassuringly (or what he hoped passed for reassurance), whispering soothing words to her. Hours passed before the students of room five-oh-five were released from the damp cellar. The twenty-four individuals had climbed a set of stairs, exhausted, before finally emerging from a pantry into a kitchen; a kitchen that smelled comfortably of ginger bread cookies and apple cider, much to the student's confusion. They would later discover that the incident had been staged, exact replicas of their bodies, disturbing as it was, were placed in the classroom, disfigured and, essentially, dead. They were told that the chemical Connor Ambrose had brewed had served as not just a decoy, but also a method of transport.

Once seated, the students were informed of their position: They had been chosen to serve as the new recruits for a group known simply as the Association. They were told the basics, assigned their responsibilities and partners, given a set of simple instructions, and sent on their merry ways. Little explanation was given, no excessive information: Just the straightforward facts.

As the days passed and the students grew accustomed to their positions (Danny, a Guard), they grew more informed. The Association was a small organization of men and women serving an overarching Master, a man who went by the inconspicuous name of Lukas Norton. A Master with a plan, a plan that would one day seemingly save the present state of humanity. The brighter students came to infer that even those further up in the hierarchy than themselves still knew very little; they had been chosen, like the students themselves, for the Association, and subsequently served the group, striving for a promotion.

A promotion to the Wheel.

The obscurely named Wheel served as the established boundaries of the organization, each role serving a purpose for the greater good of the Association, of humanity. Each position was held with reverence, performing their respective duties to protect the center of the Wheel: the Master, Lukas Norton.

When Danny first discovered the Wheel he had scoffed, rolling his eyes at the primitive simplicity of the whole society. After all, what was the point? Every ten years new batches of recruits were gathered to ultimately make up the spindles of the Wheel. The rest, the underlings, were the muscle that kept the Wheel safe; the brute force that kept the balance and retained the order. And the cycle would continue to repeat, as it had for the last six generations. New ideas would be contributed, of course, as the Wheel expanded; however the positions were so rare, so exceptional, few dared to speak up and face the subsequent expulsion (or, in some cases, execution).

As a Protector, one of the spokes on the Wheel, Danny held very little leeway with the other Members. His duty, after all, was simply to protect. Sustaining the Master's life was the only objective; he was the muscle, not the brains, in the scenario. He remained quiet at Council meetings, seething silently in his chair. He had no power, just the responsibility to protect it.

This, contrary to the beliefs of the Wheel, was all the power he needed.

"Fenton!"

He looked up, a dour smile on his face as his eyes fell on his friend and benefactor, Theodore Bardell. The large beef of a man smiled at him, his dark eyes unreadable.

"Theo; I trust everything ran smoothly in my absence."

"That's exactly what we need to discuss, Fenton. The situation has grown dire..."

And so Danny nodded along, murmuring agreements as his companion spoke, the cogs in his mind already beginning to turn...

Author's Note: So this is a relatively short chapter that pretty much just serves as exposition; following this point things begin to take a little twist. I would like to note that this is an AU fic. It retains pretty much the entirety of the show's canon, but takes a turn a little bit before Phantom Planet. So as far as this fic is concerned, no one knows Danny's (or Vlad's, I suppose) secret identity. Also it's important to note that there will be some OCs along the way. Don't get me wrong, they're not "game changers" or Mary-Sue self-inserts, but there will be a couple minor ones. If this does bother you, you might want to turn back. But even if you're not too fond of them, you could still give the rest of the fic a try. I promise, they're not overbearing!

Thanks to Fluehatraya, RumorPhantom1412, Codiak, and Oak Leaf Ninja for their reviews! They definitely made my night! :)

Thanks for reading and please don't forget to review! Also, if anyone is interested in Beta-ing this, I would greatly appreciate it. Just drop me a PM or comment in the review. :)

See you next chapter,

- Inky Perspective