Just Another Meteor Freak

by jadedbluerose

Clark Kent has seen many strange things in his life; he's an extra terrestrial living in a town of meteor infected humans. But in the aftermath of the second meteor shower he discovers a cousin with his own strange past. What will the Kryptonian do when Danny Fenton arrives, bringing the ghosts of his own mysterious past along with him?

26. Snares

Chapter 25

Snares

Disclaimer: I own neither Danny Phantom nor Smallville

There was only one person Clark knew well enough to trust with this, and he'd already promised to help with anything to do with Danny. It only took one last look at his cousin's prone form to convince Clark that this was the right thing to do. He pulled out his phone.

"Hello Mr Masters. It's Danny, he needs your help."

Line Break

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

Danny's mind drifted in the darkness, the only thing he recognised was the slow steady beeping that seemed to resonate through his awareness. His mind was drifting; soft whispers of awareness caressed him tantalisingly, pulling him away from the blackened depths. But they were never enough, and were fleeting from him long before he could touch them.

The world was darkness, and darkness was his world. Rolling mists of inky black pooled across the ebony depths of his mind. Still he drifted. The endless blackness was soothing in its disquiet, filling in its emptiness. He could feel nothing and in feeling nothing he found himself completely satiated. The shadowy world closed around him, wrapping him up like a blanket. He felt no pain, no sensation. All that existed was the rolling blackness that ensnared and liberated him.

Soon enough he found himself walking along a plain, grey stone path. He didn't know where the path was, only that the soft grey stones were something different than the shadowy mists that rolled around him. He stepped forward, but did not feel the sensation of the stone meeting his feet. It was strange, he was walking but he could not feel himself move. All he noted was the gradual shifting of stone beneath his feet as he followed along the path.

The mist thinned, and gradually he came to pick out small landmarks; glimmers of light against the darkness. As he walked he saw flashes; tiny things that stood out in the gloom. He noticed first a flash of silver, Tucker's PDA floating off the path, just beyond reach. But Danny wasn't really tempted to pick it up. Tucker had always been right there, doing everything with him, and fond memories of his almost-brother flitted through his mind.

Several minutes passed before he recognised something else. It was a book, one from the endless piles of Psychology texts that Jazz used to inhale. Danny was glad that his sister had always been there, always had his back. Recollections of her soft smile played across his mind, and he felt himself smile with nonexistent lips.

The next thing he saw was the Ghost Gabber. His dad's original. He half laughed at the sight of it; nowadays the thought of the annoying little device just brought back fond memories of his dad. The time they spent together with him fishing out of the Ghost Portal or following whatever maddeningly endearing idea he had come up to capture ghosts. Danny shook his head in amusement as he kept walking.

The darkness seemed less oppressive now, and the pathway had become familiar. Even the silence on the pathway was vaguely comforting as he continued his journey. Time passed, and from the corner of his eye he caught the sight of a baking tray, coated in chocolate chip cookies. He smiled; no matter how obsessed with her work his mom had been, she had always made time for the family. She was always there, radiating love and warmth.

The path was broadening now, now large enough that two people could easily walk side by side, but Danny still couldn't see the end. He kept walking, not feeling tired at all. He kept walking and the black mists continued rolling ahead of him. In time he came across a sabre, and remembered the hours spent sparring with Lex Luthor. That was an unexpected friendship, and he was grateful for it. Despite how untrustworthy Lex was, the wealthy philanthropist was always happy enough to talk, putting his own work aside for Danny if he came by unannounced.

Danny pressed onwards, continuing along the grey stone path. Out from the mists appeared a computer chip. And Danny recognised it was the one that he had given Victor Stone. The cybernetic man had become a fast friend, even in the short time that Danny had known him. Victor always had a smile for Danny, and seeing that made Danny think of long afternoons in Metropolis spent just talking to a fellow half human.

That too vanished into the darkness as Danny continued his journey. He wasn't sure what he was looking for, but he knew he needed to keep moving. Eventually through the gloom came two items together. On either side of the path floated Ember's fiery pink guitar and a Daily Planet Press Pass, both hanging opposite each other. Chloe and Ember, both together and yet separated. Both were so important to his life at the moment that he couldn't bear to lose either of them.

He kept walking through the darkness, the grey path seeming to stretch out forever in front of him. But he didn't weary as he kept his steady pace. The next thing he saw was a small pentagonal crest. It was silver, maybe three inches across. Danny squinted, momentarily unable to place its significance. But then it moved, the black mist clearing from in front of it and Danny saw the symbol for the house of El. But it was different, in fact it looked much closer to an 'S' than the old Kryptonian emblem.

Danny smiled, thinking of Clark. The man who Danny had come to consider as so much more than just a cousin. They were so similar in so many ways, not only for their powers but for their personalities. It was hard not to draw parallels between the Kryptonian and himself when Clark went so far out of his way to be there for his friends. Danny had tried to protect him, but Clark didn't need that. In fact, Clark needed to be able to defend on his own. Both of them had their own heavy burdens, and Danny had been trying to steal Clark's from him. Maybe it was time to learn to carry the load together.

The crest soon vanished, but Danny kept walking. By now he could see more of the path, and there seemed to be a rise in the stone just before the horizon. He continued walking, his pace speeding up till he was almost jogging, but with a glimmer of gold he stopped, pausing to look down at the ground before him. The gold was Sam's ring, sitting mildly in the centre of the grey path. Danny froze, but bent down to pick it up.

The ring sat comfortingly in his hand, reassuring him as Sam always had. Thoughts of the amethyst eyed girl washed through his mind; leaving him smiling and frowning in equal portions. He would always love her, and a part of losing her would stay with him forever, more so than any of the others. Sam had been his world, her bright smile cheering him up on even the worst of days. But part of her, her fighting spirit would always live on in his heart. Danny smiled, pressing the ruby stone to his lips as he continued down the path.

Some time passed, and the strange lump in the horizon didn't seem to move, however Danny kept walking. He never once turned back; never thought that looking backwards would guide him out of the darkness. The shadowy mists rolled around him, pressing against him with gently intangible caresses. But Danny focused on the path ahead, Sam's ring a comforting weight against the unending gloom.

Still he kept walking, and the darkness seemed to react. Dimly he realised that the dark was pulling back, the black mists rolling away and leaving the path ahead clear. It came up to him suddenly; he was walking steadily before he was forced to stop. The path had come to an abrupt end, finishing in a grey stone altar. It rose from the path, but somehow seemed to be a natural part of it. As though it had naturally grown from the path beneath. Danny stopped, a confused frown touching his lips.

He stared at the altar for some time, trying to make sense of it. It was plain, there didn't seem to be any significant markings on it. In fact, the more he puzzled over it, the less it seemed like an altar and the more it seemed like a big rectangular boulder. But then something shifted, and Danny noticed a small symbol carved atop the centre of the boulder. His fingers reached out, almost unconsciously to touch the small emblem, his emblem that sat insignificantly on the stone altar. His fingers brushed it, the tiny 'P' inside a spectral 'D' that identified so much of who he was.

He felt a strange tingle reaching up his arm and he jerked back. His eyes were fixed solely on the altar, for suddenly it had changed. Weaving out from his emblem were tiny strands of blue and green, pooling and flowing like water across the stone top to carve out intricate symbols. They continued to spread, the tiny strands of blue and green highlighting runic symbols in the altar, gradually thickening until the whole altar was covered in carvings of intertwined cerulean and emerald. His logo sat in the centre, a constant shifting of blue and green that surged and rolled within the outline of his emblem.

Once more Danny reached out to touch it, the tingling that had started in his arm pushing through his whole being until he practically vibrated with the energy. The buds of his fingers pressed into the symbol and suddenly everything flared. The green and blue surged, brightening until they became a bright shade of silvery white. Danny closed his eyes against the brightness, waiting until it dimmed.

His eyes peeked open slowly, fixing on the now glimmering silver runes that covered the altar. It took a moment for him to notice a change, but it gave him pause. On the altar lay three items, each puzzling and yet understandable in their own way. The three were arranged in a triad around his emblem, none taking more importance than the others. They were all plain and dull, but each held a deeper significance then their outwards dullness portrayed, and Danny instinctively knew that he was being presented with a choice.

At the tip of the triad was a dagger, plain and simple. Its unsheathed blade sparkled invitingly in the silver light of the altar. Danny thought on it, puzzling out its meaning. Daggers were a fairly simple weapon, convenient. They were easy to conceal and were an efficient means to an end in a fight. However, in a way they were cowardice. They were meant to be hidden and used to gain an unfair advantage. In a way that's what Danny had always done; hide his true nature and use it to undermine his opponents. Looking at the dagger he suddenly found the idea repugnant, pure cowardice. His attention shifted to the next object.

At the bottom left of the triad was a shield. It had no decoration, it was simply meant to defend. This was simple to understand, it symbolised Danny's nature, his inner urge to protect and keep everyone safe. It represented who he had become ever since he first stepped into the portal, the defender; the only one shielding Amity Park and now Smallville from the onslaught of malevolent ghosts. But as he looked at the shield it seemed insufficient. He had taken up this duty, but it didn't seem enough anymore. He had been the defender, but now he wanted to do more.

Finally his eyes settled on the third corner of the triad. The third symbol, third choice was a simple sword. It had no embellishment, nothing to signify its importance. It paled in comparison to the sword that Dora had gifted him, but it represented so much more. A sword was a powerful tool, it was meant both for attack and defence. It symbolised something more than the shield, not only the ability to protect but also to lead. It meant greater responsibility; further to fall should the bearer fail. For a sword was not meant to be hidden, it was meant to be on display. It was a symbol of power, able to inspire people into action. It was the symbol of so many warriors, all called to greater things by their desire to defend and protect their people.

Danny's eyes cast over the three, but really there was only one choice. He could take the dagger, and forevermore remain hidden in the shadows; the invisible force that sneakily brought retribution to those who deserved it. He could take the shield; continue as the solid defender who stood in the way of malevolence and kept people safe only when needed. Or he could take the sword; finally step out of the shadows and earn his place, not just as a defender but as someone who actually stood up for his own beliefs and defended his cause. He could take the sword and become a symbol; someone that people could believe in and trust to do right by them.

It was time to choose, but Danny felt there was only one option. It was time for him to take up the mantle he had died for. Disregarding the other two he decided what he wanted to be. He no longer wanted to hide in the shadows, no longer wanted to be a simple barrier. He reached out, and his fingers caught on the cool metal handle of the sword. The world flashed bright, and a steady beeping danced on the edge of his consciousness. He smiled, the sword in his hand felt right, even as the dark world was consumed by all encompassing silver light.

Line Break

Vlad Masters smiled, cracking his knuckles loudly across the large oak desk in his spacious office. His plan, months of manoeuvring, manipulation and careful strategy had worked towards a near perfect execution. In the bedroom beneath his office lay the boy, the object of his obsessions for over two years and the last living remnant of the woman he had loved. The sole object of his obsessions, in truth, since the loss of his dear Madeline.

His strategy had come off nearly flawlessly and after so many years young Daniel was finally in his care, and without legal interference. It was unsatisfying that the boy was once again unconscious, but it was a necessary sacrifice to ensure his submission during this transitionary period. He did not want to have to work around lawyers and the Social Services Department again, last time Daniel had escaped him simply by putting up enough of a fuss in front of his councillor. So Vlad was somewhat grateful for Daniel's continued unconsciousness.

It had been a long drawn out plan. The Little Badger had proven time and time again that simple plots to draw him in never came to fruition. Daniel's friends and sister had always gotten in the way of that happening. So he had made a longer plan, the first pieces coming into play back at Christmas when he visited the Little Badger's new family. He had been most interested to find out that the boy had told them his secret, but it was clear that Daniel hadn't trusted them with the whole truth. Otherwise Vlad would not have even been able to meet with the Kents, nor would he have so easily been able to manipulate the too trusting Clark.

The next aspect of his plan had been relatively simple, even if it required vast stores of patience. He had easily enough convinced the ghost Vortex to wear the boy down, although he had not counted on Vortex being so violent about it. He had wrought more damage than Vlad had originally intended, bringing unwarranted attention to the battle. However, as Vlad had expected the boy came through, ensnaring the ghost in that Thermos of his. That was why he had scheduled the visitation of Casper High to Metropolis; having his loyal Huntress in place to further wear the boy down was an excellent strategic advantage.

He had always intended the boy to fall into the hands of the GIW, and that he would then be the saviour who pulled the boy safely out of their clutches. It was a cleverly conceived plan, and now Daniel was finally in his care. He had put several measures in place to ensure that the boy stayed in his hands, and the cost of Daniel even attempting to break free this time would be even more severe than anything the boy had experienced. The boy was clearly wounded, both physically and mentally. And Vlad was willing to do anything to ensure that the Little Badger stayed here, with him, where he belonged.

However, that did not mean that he intended ill upon the boy, far from it. As with the period after the meteor strike, Vlad had hired two of the world's leading and discreet doctors to tend to the young boy. Vlad was expert in much of paranormal biology, but having another expert on hand was useful. The doctors had been particularly interested in not only the biological similarities between him and the boy, but also the differences. These past two internments had led to some quite interesting discoveries about his Little Badger.

When Vlad had first discovered young Daniel's secret he had been privately alarmed with how much time the boy spent maraudering about in his ghost half. During Vlad's own early years as a half ghost such exploits would have been detrimental to his already weakened health. Spending long periods of time in his ghost half had left him feeling weak and ill; ectoplasm had never been compatible with human biology and the forcible integration of the two had been destructive to his human body. It had taken the best part of five years for him to stabilise the ectoplasm running through his veins enough to survive in his ghost half for longer than an hour straight.

In fact it had been his body's rejection of the ectoplasm that had led to his debilitating case of ecto-acne. His body had spent years trying to purge itself of the foreign energy, but had been unable to succeed. Now he looked upon it as a symbiotic relationship, the ectoplasm provided him with his powers and a natural immunity to many human ailments. In exchange Vlad gave the raw ectoplasm a stable host in which to manifest, and the strength of will to be directed towards a useful purpose. It was a useful relationship, aside from brief periods where his body would still attempt to reject the alien body of energy. And even those had reduced over time.

The boy however was different; it seemed his body had fully accepted the ectoplasm to the point where it was not foreign but a necessary part of Daniel's physique to have ectoplasm and blood running aside each other. Vlad had been infuriated to find that out, the boy had been so lucky with his accident, saved from years in the hospital and surrounded still by a loving family. But the more investigation he did, the more questions arose.

It had been the proposal of the younger doctor, Dr Muirden, who had presented an interesting hypothesis about the two half-ghosts. Daniel seemed mostly stable between his two halves, and each half was exactly one half of him. Muirden had theorised that it was theoretically plausible to separate the two, and that then each half could become an independent, stable entity. If Vlad were to undergo a similar procedure his human half would survive, but his ghost half would dissipate unless it was stabilised by a separate ectoplasm based entity.

It was an interesting hypothesis, but one that Vlad was hesitant to pursue. For the time being all he wanted was to get the boy back on his feet and stable enough to discuss things civilly. Daniel had never listened to him, but now they were truly all the other had. Vlad just needed to convince the boy that his place was here, with him. However that was proving difficult. The boy thus far had shown no signs of recovery, even after two days. He was also somehow producing extremely high releases of electricity, making it almost impossible to administer any treatments or take any measurements. All Vlad had been able to do was force the child back into his human half and hook him into a heart monitor. The slow synthetic beeping served to settle his nerves and little more.

That was where his plan had gone wrong. The boy had been in far worse condition than Vlad had initially intended when the young Kent boy had called him requesting help. Vlad had been stonewalled by the GIW; they had somehow picked up another benefactor who was far more interested in testing weaponry than Vlad had ever been. Unfortunately Vlad had been unable to 'rescue' the boy himself; he had originally intended to acquisition Phantom from them as their original benefactor. That would have served the dual purpose of placing Danny in his capable hands, and identifying Phantom as Vlad Masters' property. However, it seemed that the GIW agency was no longer so interested in his benefaction.

Instead Vlad had found traces of the radical experiments exacted on his Little Badger. The 'Y' shaped incision across his chest had only just closed up, and tore open with even the slightest movement. His first sight of the boy, unconscious in the barn loft at the Kent Farm, had secretly horrified him. For almost six hours he had been convinced that the researchers of the GIW had killed off the human half, but that fear turned out to be unwarranted. Three hours after their arrival in his Wisconsin Mansion Muirden had arrived and had suggested injecting Daniel with one of the cocktails they had developed during his prior 'hospitalisation' during the summer.

It had been agonising to watch, and Vlad would only admit it to himself but he had been mortified with how painfully slow the shift back to human had been. The bright white ring had appeared, flickering slightly. As it made its slow way across the boy's body it had staggered, pausing intermittently as if the change was too much for the battered body to manage. But it had, and the dark t-shirt on the boy's human form had quickly become coated with sticky crimson. Muirden and the other doctor, Dr Farus had done their best to patch the boy up, battling with the unstable electricity that shot from the boy in short bursts the whole time.

Vlad still didn't know how Danny had moved from the hands of the GIW and back into the care of the Kent boy, but he was glad that he had manipulated the farm boy as he had. He suspected that Daniel had managed to escape, recklessly returning to the farmhouse for help. Kent had played his part perfectly though, deferring to Vlad as a carer for Danny and gladly putting the young half-ghost in Vlad's hands. He had called once since then, but Vlad had been able to shake him off. The Little Badger was in his hands now, and here he would stay. This whole mess was just proof of how much Daniel needed Vlad.

Vlad nodded to himself, glancing over the stack of papers on his office desk. He did have genuine business matters to attend to, and while he wanted the boy well again standing aimlessly by his bedside would do very little. Vlad had giver Muirden and Farus free access to his own personal medical resources and a steady source of ectoplasm. For now the boy was stable, despite the strange electrical discharges and it was only a matter of time before he woke up.

There was a sharp rap at the office door, clearly one of the doctors as his other servants either would not subject themself to a mortal entrance, or had been warned against such intrusion. However he invited the man in, eyes narrowed as the tall frame of Dr Farus pushed through the door.

"Mr Masters." Farus said, his dark head of hair dipping in deference. Farus was in his mid fifties, and was happy to do any work so long as he could retire earlier. The man had practically thrown himself at Vlad's offer when he heard how much caring for the boy was worth. Farus had been one of the doctors who first took care of Vlad two decades ago and had been particularly discreet about Vlad's abnormalities even then. Not to say that Vlad particularly trusted the man, but the tall alabaster skinned doctor had been surprisingly loyal.

"Dr Farus." Vlad acknowledged, but did not invite the man any further in. Farus understood and stood vigilantly by the door. "How is the boy?"

"Daniel is recovering slowly." Farus supplied professionally. "Many of the smaller cuts and abrasions have closed, and the marks from the vivisection are healing as we speak. He is still heavily bandaged, but Muirden and I expect that he will rouse within the hour."

"Good." Vlad acknowledged, pulling away from the desk. "Then I have cause to pay the Little Badger a visit."

Farus nodded, standing aside so that he could follow Vlad downstairs. Vlad stayed silent, he didn't need to talk and his underlings all knew to be silent unless spoken to. Vlad pushed the door to the boy's room open, his eyes immediately settling on the dark haired teenager on the bed.

Daniels eyes were still closed, but his breathing had evened out and the small sparks of electricity had reduced to static zaps that barely registered in the air. That would probably change when the boy woke up, but for now it was alright. Vlad's eyes flicked to the heart monitor at the boy's bedside, keenly watching the steady beating. It was slow; only thirty beats per minute, but Vlad had discovered that that was a natural effect of Daniel's particular half-ghost condition.

What was worryingly abnormal was the rapidly fluctuating ecto-energy levels. Vlad had left an ecto-meter in the room in an attempt to measure how well the boy was doing. The boy was oscillating between a level three and a level ten, but nothing was stable. There had been a terrifying few minutes where Daniel had fluctuated down to about .5, and Vlad had watched as the whole boy's being faded for an instant. However that was when the largest electrical spike came and Daniel had slammed back into existence, the 'Y' shaped incision tearing open and a wash of crimson oozing out across his too pale flesh.

Since then his power levels were averaging at level 8.9 which was technically more raw power than Vlad had ever had. However, Vlad was a master strategist and was not worried about how much brute force the boy had. Vlad still had many techniques that the boy couldn't even fathom, things that were his right to teach provided that the boy submitted to him. No matter how much raw power the boy possessed, Vlad was the superior half-ghost, and the boy constantly proved that with his 'heroic' folly.

A soft groan issued from the boy's lips, and Vlad's eyes laid straight on Daniel's clenched eyes even as the two doctors rushed to his side. The doctors knew their place; they were there at Vlad's behest. While Vlad wanted the boy better, the two doctors knew exactly whom was paying their bills. Muirden had a hand rested firmly on the boy's wrist, securing him while simultaneously checking the boy's pulse. Farus was at the boy's other side, an ectoplasm rich IV in his hands awaiting Vlad's signal. There was a moment of heavy tension in the room as Daniel's eyes flickered open.

Vlad was met not with eyes of sparkling cerulean, nor of toxic neon green. Instead the boy's eyes were a shade of bright silver, filled with swirling edges of blue and bright green. There was something mesmerising about those eyes, but Vlad refused to be drawn in. His plans counted on these next few minutes, and he was not about to let anything stand in his way.

"Wha... Where am I?" Daniel asked, his silvery eyes blinking blearily in confusion. He flinched as he pulled himself up, one hand jerking to his abdomen where the large incision lay. His other hand was still firmly held down by Dr Muirden. Vlad watched silently, waiting until the boy's thoughts caught up with him. Daniel's eyes widened pleasingly when they came to rest on Vlad.

"You!" He exclaimed, his voice still weak and husky from many days of disuse.

"Me." Vlad replied, smiling down at the incapacitated young boy. "Imagine my surprise when your illustrious young cousin Clark Kent calls me in the middle of the night, completely distraught that his poor cousin had been hurt, nearly to the point of death." Vlad drawled, smirking as Daniels eyes flashed through confusion and anger and straight back to pain.

"I felt it was my duty, once more, to take care of you." Vlad continued. "After all, by choosing to live in that deplorable backwater community, you have alienated yourself from any source of recompense. You deliberately cut yourself from any access to treatments that would help you as a half-ghost. So naturally, when your dear Uncle Vlad heard news of how terrible a predicament you had gotten yourself into, I knew I needed to be there once again to take care of you, not only as Maddie's son, but also as the younger half-ghost."

"I..." Daniel interjected with the barest hint of heat in his voice.

Vlad held up his hand, effectively cutting the boy off. "Not this time, Daniel. It is high time you listened to me. I will no longer abide your flippant attitude when it comes to the use of your powers. You have only made a fool of yourself and now have risked not only your own exposure, but the destruction of our kind. Now I am laying down the law, you exist now only because I have intervened. For the second time it is my doctors who have saved you, my knowledge that had kept you from self destruction. This time I will not abide your wanton claims for the protection of social services. This time I am claiming you. You are mine."

The boy sat staring in shocked silence. His eyes narrowed on Vlad, taking no notice of the two doctors even as they bustled around him. "I'm not." Daniel whispered, and Vlad could barely contain his grin. That was the reaction he had wanted the boy to have.

"Pardon me?" Vlad pressed, as though he had not heard the frightened tremor in the boy's voice.

"I'm not yours." Daniel spat. His silver eyes flared with a spark of energy, something that Vlad had desperately wanted to inspire. However he was not going to let the boy get away with this defiance. Vlad pressed his lips, sending a silent signal to the two doctors to leave immediately. They scurried out of the room like cockroaches fleeing from the dark. Vlad waited until the door softly clicked back into place behind him before fixing his gaze firmly on the boy's still swirling eyes.

"I'll think you'll find that you are." Vlad replied slowly, enunciating every syllable until the message sunk in. "You were mine the day you were born, the son that would have been mine if not for your incompetent father's mistake. You were mine the day you stepped into that portal, binding yourself to the ghost world and becoming my kin. You were mine the day we first met, confined in that box as my own possession. You were mine the day I saved you, kept you alive after the meteor strike that stole my Love away from me. And you are Mine today, handed over from the son of your legal guardian, handed over because they were incapable of taking care of you."

Vlad smirked at the pain, the agonising betrayal that worked its way into the boy's eyes with every word. "You belong to me in every way, Little Badger. Any claim you had against me was forfeit when Clark handed you over. We are all the other has left, and I will not see you leave my hands again. You are mine, and it is time I claimed my rights to you. You will be my son, you have no choice. This time there is no one to take you away from me, and I am not letting you escape me again."

"You wait." Daniel retorted, anger surging through those swirling silver pools.

"Wait for what?" Vlad retorted coolly "For you to recover your strength? It won't matter. Even when you do fully recover you won't be able to leave. I have put a shield around the house, specifically keyed in to your ecto-signature. The only way for you to leave would be for you to use that ghastly Wail of yours, but alas, that would not work without killing all of the human inhabitants of my Mansion, including your own physicians."

Vlad laughed inwardly at the sheer simplicity of his plan. The boy moved to rise, but fell heavily back down into the bed as another surge of electricity pushed its way out of him. He coiled in pain, but this played into Vlad's plans perfectly. "And now you have seen the second reason why you cannot leave. Your own body is currently unstable; the ectoplasm in your body is producing and expelling detrimentous amounts of electrical energy. To leave in this state would be fatal to both your ghost and human half. You need me little badger. And this time there is no one left to help you."

Daniel groaned, his eyes flashing defiance. However that electrical surge seemed to have sapped what little energy he had regained. Vlad smiled, feeling his eyes flash red at the sight of the incapacitated younger half-ghost.

"Think about it." Vlad commented idly, looking down on the boy as he drifted into unconsciousness. Vlad watched the boy for a few minutes. This would be the hardest part; he needed to break the boy into submission. It would take time, but Vlad was confident that soon enough the Little Badger would sway to his will. After all, it was true; they were all the other had left in the world. Vlad sighed, heading out towards the large bedroom door. Pausing, just before he exited Vlad turned around. His whisper pressed against the silence as he flicked out the light.

"Sleep well, my son."

Line Break

Clark sighed as he leaned heavily against the recently placed fence post. It had been two days since Vlad had come to take Danny to recover, and there had been no word since. He had tried to call the billionaire to check on Danny's progress a number of times. But the one time he got through he had been dismissed, Vlad saying that 'he would be informed if the situation changed.'

His pushed himself heavily away from the post, moving across to the pile of long planks to pick one up. This morning his mom had asked where Danny was, she was getting worried that she hadn't seen him in nearly a week. Fortunately, Smallville High had broken up for the spring holidays, so the school wasn't chasing them up about Danny's absence. Clark had nearly cracked; he hated lying to his mom about anything. But there was enough going on. Clark had yet to tell her about his Dad's warning; that Lionel Luthor had somehow found out Clark's secret. He knew that when his mom found out that truth she would be terrified, and with what had just happened to Danny there was no way she would ever want to let either of them out of their sight.

So Clark had hidden the truth from her, saying that Danny had probably been caught up in some ghost thing. But it couldn't last much longer; if Clark didn't hear anything about his cousin soon then he would have to come clean with his mom and ask for her help. He was just glad that Vlad had been so willing to assist. Clark hated not knowing how to help his cousin, and looking at Danny's broken and bleeding corpse had terrified him more than anything he had experienced since the day he watched his dad die.

Clark shook his head, pulling out a couple of nails and pressing them through the long wooden plank. It had always been so easy to avoid his problems when he was working. There was always some chore that needed completing; a fence that needed fixing or cows that needed feeding. It had never been much strain to do the work, and it gave him something to focus on instead of getting bogged down in his own troubles.

"Hey." Clark started at the soft voice, setting the last few nails aside as he stood up to face Chloe. She was standing on the far side of the fence, closest to the farmhouse.

"Hey." Clark replied sending her a grim smile. It was hard to believe that not even a week ago they'd been at the Planet, waiting to have a proper conversation about everything. Danny had wanted that, but they hadn't even had the chance to meet up. Chloe knew that something was wrong; had probably pieced together some of it from the simple fact that Danny wasn't there. Clark's artificial smile dropped at the dead look in her eyes.

"Okay, tell me what's going on." Chloe demanded meeting him firmly in the eyes. Clark stared at her for a minute before he was forced to look away.

He sighed heavily, his eyes trained on the half-finished fencing job. "I'm worried about Danny." He answered eventually. "He got... he got badly hurt. And the only person I knew could help hasn't exactly been easy to keep in contact with."

Clark saw Chloe's eyebrows crease. "I thought the both of you were avoiding hospitals like the plague?" She pressed, her voice laced with concern.

"We are." Clark quickly replied. "But... after the meteor shower an old family friend of the Fentons took Danny in until he got better. But Danny didn't want to stay with him. This friend sort of offered to help out if Danny ever got into trouble, and this time I didn't have much of a choice."

"How bad was it really?" Chloe asked.

"In a word? Bad." Clark sighed, leaning heavily against a stable part of the fence. "I mean, I've seen him hurt badly, but he always shrugs it off quick enough. This time, the wounds wouldn't close no matter what I did. I haven't even told mom yet."

"Why not?" Chloe demanded, scandalised.

"I can't." Clark replied sadly, his gaze fixed beyond the horizon. It was easier now to just talk, he could barely process what had happened himself, and part of him still needed convincing that he'd made the right choice. "If she finds out what happened, the whole truth... it's the one nightmare that mom and dad had ever since they took me in."

"Wait, what exactly happened?" Clark could hear the frown in Chloe's soft voice.

"Remember that night in the Talon?" Clark asked, focusing his attention back on Chloe "We saw the news report of the fight in Metropolis?"

Chloe nodded, but she still looked confused. "We figured Danny would be fine. I mean, he can teleport out if anything went badly wrong. And he knows what to do around ghosts."

Clark shook his head badly. "He got caught up in that mess, I don't even want to know how bad it really went."

"But you said he's with someone who could help, right?" Chloe pressed.

"Yeah," Clark nodded absently. "Vlad Masters. He arranged transport to get Danny to his home. Said that he had a couple of doctors on call that helped out last time. It's just..."

"It's just that you're used to being the big hero." Chloe guessed. "And sitting around waiting for news isn't how you do things."

Clark sent her a half fond smile, Chloe was always astute like that about him, had been even since before she found out his secret. "Yeah."

"Okay, I get it." Chloe nodded "And now you're doing all the farm work by yourself as a distraction."

"I just can't help but think that something is wrong." Clark admitted

"Want me to do a background check on Vlad? VladCo is a public industry, there's probably something there if I go looking."

"Please." Clark requested, sending her a grateful smile. Chloe smiled back, but leaned across the edge of the fence, watching him as he picked up the next plank of wood.

"So what happened to Phantom in all this?" Chloe asked curiously and Clark jarred, recalling that Chloe still didn't know that Danny was Phantom. At this point he was tempted to say they were one and the same, surely Chloe was circling around that fact anyway. The words were tickling at the tip of his tongue, but he stopped himself. It wasn't his secret to tell and he had broken up with Lana for exactly the same reason that Danny kept his secret from Chloe. It was too great a risk.

"Phantom got caught." Clark replied coldly. "The Guys in White caught him. Chloe, it was terrible. I spent the whole night looking; they'd taken him all the way to Star City. What they did... I wouldn't wish that on anybody."

Chloe pressed a hand to her lips, fear flashing through her eyes. "What did they do?"

"I don't know everything and I don't want to. By the time I got there, he was barely conscious. I think they were testing weapons on him, there were bruises and cuts all over him." Clark paused, his eyes glassy and distant at the memory of Danny's lacerated form. "Chloe, they vivisected him, more than once. I don't see how anyone can do that to a sentient being. Ghost or not, he..."

Clark stopped, unable to say everything. It had been tearing him apart for days, first the horrible imaginings, and then arriving in the lab in Star City only to find how much worse the reality was. He shook his head, trying to force away those horrible images. Danny would be fine. Vlad had promised to take care of him, and Clark had to trust that the man would care for Danny.

"The funny thing is..." Clark commented, "In the lab, he was almost unconscious, but he saw me and he shorted out the security cameras just to protect my secret. The last thing he did, after everything that those monsters had done to him was save me."

Chloe sent him a half smile. "Clark, you're not the only good person out there. Phantom will look out for anyone. I don't think he'd be who he was if he hadn't tried to do something. I'm just grateful that both Danny and Phantom are safe, and if Phantom helped keep you safe then I'm grateful to him too. This world could use a couple of heroes, and if Phantom's the one who has your back then I know everyone is in safe hands."

Clark smiled softly, hoping that what Chloe said was true. "You'll still look into Masters, won't you."

"Looking forward to it." Chloe answered, offering him her cheekily inquisitive smile. "It'll be good to look into a billionaire who has nothing to do with the illustrious company of LuthorCorp."

Clark smiled, watching her as she strode off through the long grass of the field. It was all going to be fine. Danny was in good hands, and he was just taking care of his own paranoia at the moment. Vlad wasn't a nefarious schemer like Lex was, and he was sure that the uneasiness in his stomach was just after-effects of witnessing what he had in the GIW lab. Everything was going to work out alright.

But that didn't mean that he couldn't try calling Vlad one more time, did it?

Line Break

Danny gathered himself up at the head of the bed, the heavy green quilt pulled tightly up around him. He felt cold, he wasn't sure if it was from losing so much vital fluid or if it was from his cold core building up, but he was freezing. Every movement made the stitches on his chest pull, sending new waves of agony tearing through his already weakened body. And every time he tried to use any of his powers a burst of electricity would spark out from his core, making the whole world disappear in a painful wave of white.

If he couldn't recall vague flashes from the Lab then he would have thought that Vlad had given him something. But the electricity was too constant, and already it felt like it had somehow integrated itself into his core, despite the painful stinging aftershocks that washed over him. Every part of him was in pain, just varying degrees. So the electricity was something that he just had to deal with, even if it left him feeling lost and badly beaten with every surge of electrical power.

The soft cotton of the quilt cover was a welcome distraction. It was real in a way that helped ground him. Since he had woken he had found himself lost in a tumble of emotion, unable to really figure out how to deal with everything as the sheer impossibility of his situation washed over him. From instant to instant he found himself swinging from manic laughter to helpless sobs as flashes from the last few days in his memory bubbled up to the surface.

He didn't know how long he'd been here, he was rarely conscious for long, and that was always interrupted by the presence of either Vlad or those two doctors. At the moment he couldn't decide who he hated more; Vlad for trapping him or the doctors for preventing his escape with their mere presence. Because Vlad was right; there was no way that he could escape without using enough power to kill any living thing within a three mile radius. And he hated that Vlad was able to use his own obsession against him that way.

Danny needed somewhere to recover. He needed to be somewhere where he could feed his ghost half again. Sure they had stabilised him, injected ectoplasm into his IV. Maybe that would be enough to sustain Vlad's ghost half. But not Danny's. If he wanted to save himself he either needed to go into the Ghost Zone for a long time, or he needed to skim excess emotion off of someone's aura. Neither of the humans in the house was good enough, they were both horribly selfish. Even if Danny wanted to try and help himself by drawing off their auras, there was nothing to save him here. And Vlad was just out of the question.

He hated thinking such parasitic thoughts, but it was something safer than letting his mind wander. It was safer to think about his basic self preservation needs, rather on anything that Vlad had said. Because when he did... everything came crashing in on him. No, it was easier to focus on the small things, the crinkle of fabric against his skin, the small movements he could manage before eliciting another wave of electricity from in his core, the fact that he felt like he was wasting away from starvation even as the IV pushed nutrients into his veins.

Danny took a staggered breath, pushing himself away from the head of the bed. He wrapped the quilt tightly around his shoulders and walked across to the small window seat. He recognised the room; it was the same one he had slept in over two years ago at the damned College Reunion. The room hadn't changed much; the only real difference to the opulence was the presence of Vlad's medical equipment. Danny sighed, touching his fingers to the glass.

He was alone for the moment; the two doctors were always hovering, so this could only be a brief respite. Judging by the angle of the sun in the sky Danny guessed that Vlad would be at work, granting him a temporary reprieve from the gloating and psychological attacks that the billionaire had pursued every other time Danny had woken up. Although being by himself wasn't particularly helpful either, he had too much time to dwell, and he didn't want to be doing that.

Danny pulled his legs up to his chest, the quilt falling over his shoulders and encasing him in a protective cocoon. The sun outside was shining, a complete contrast to Danny's own mood. Idly he wondered whether it was shining back in Kansas, but just like that any easiness in his mind evaporated. Vlad had said a lot of things, things Danny knew were meant to break him. And to an extent they were succeeding. He could feel himself being chiselled away at, and there was no one waiting in the wings to come and save him this time.

But the worst thing was the thought of Clark. Clark had handed Danny over willingly to Vlad. Despite how bad things were there were other options available than Vlad, but Clark had chosen to leave Danny in the care of his arch-nemesis. Clark had just given up on him, and Vlad made sure that Danny knew it. This time around he couldn't just wait for a councillor at social services to come and listen to him, and Vlad knew that. Danny couldn't help the sting of betrayal at the idea that Clark had willingly put him in the hands of the sadistic billionaire.

But at the same time, it was his own fault. He hadn't trusted Clark like he should have. If Danny had warned him of how dangerous Vlad was then none of this would be happening. Danny had listened to Clark's warnings about Lex, had humoured him and had then insisted on pursuing his own friendship against Clark's advice. But Danny had never told Clark about Vlad, about Plasmius. He'd thought that by keeping people out of the loop Vlad wouldn't get them in their sights. But Vlad had somehow got to Clark, and now Danny couldn't even talk to Clark or hope for an escape.

He was in pain, his core screaming for release. Electrical power bubbled and surged within him, making his blood tingle and boil in turns. It felt like if he just released it, let it out like his ice powers, then he could ride it out. But at the same time it didn't. The electricity was alien but familiar, a part of him but not. It was sort of like what he had felt when Clay Fulgar had thrown lighting at him all those months ago, but so much more powerful. And he didn't know what it was doing to him. He had an ice core, he knew that. And ice and electricity didn't go well together, but he had always been able to manipulate electricity too. Just now it was overwhelming, and he hadn't had a chance to recover.

Vortex had overloaded him, forcing him to absorb the sheer electrical power, rather than allow any of it to touch Valerie. He wasn't sure what had happened, but in that instant as the shield fell, something had shifted. His core had absorbed Vortex's power, the brute strength of the weather ghost pooling down into his core. Vortex was an Electora ghost, all his weather controlling power had stemmed from that. But that electricity had rushed into Danny's core, and even now was attacking him from within. He hadn't had a chance to recover, and even the vague flashes of the memories of his time with the GIW sent his mind reeling in remembered fear.

Danny stared out the window, his eyes hollow reflections in the glass. He couldn't escape, not this time. He was trapped in a nightmare of Vlad's own creation. And Vlad had been drawing in the strings tighter and tighter every time he came to talk. He tried, not for the first time to draw on his intangibility, but the glass remained stubbornly solid, and a new wave of electricity rendered him gasping breathlessly on the floor. It was all he could do to keep himself from screaming, pain and desperation clawing trenches into his fragile mind.

"You're awake, I see." Danny froze at the voice, calm cool and collected with superiority dripping from every condescending note. Danny gulped, drawing the quilt tighter around himself, pressing his back firmly against the wall. He hadn't even heard the billionaire come in, but at the moment he was in too much pain to do anything more than send Vlad a hate filled glare.

"Good, and now that you are out of bed I see no reason to prohibit us from finally spending some together." Vlad commented, idly picking at his fingernails. "Father and son, the only two half-ghosts in existence. What do you say, Little Badger?"

Danny felt his eyes flare, but even that small expenditure of ectoplasm sent the electricity in his core reeling. Absently he noted the electricity branch off, lightly shocking Vlad. But he was in too much pain as another wave of power sent his mind spiralling off towards blackness. However it was not to last, a sharp stinging flared on his cheek and brought him back to reality. Vlad was standing over him, his cold blue-grey eyes staring hatefully down at him.

"I will not abide your impertinence, brat." Vlad spat "You are mine, nothing more or less than my possession. And I will not permit my possessions to do anything other than what I bid them. Now stand up."

Danny gasped, his body aching in agony. His back was pressed hard against the wall, but his legs were too weak to push him up. It took too long, and before Danny knew it there was a sharp stinging on his other cheek. Steeling himself with closed eyes he pushed himself up, weak legs wobbling as his core threatened to send another wave of electricity through him. The quilt fell limply to the floor at his feet, leaving Danny feeling chilled at its absence. He glared at Vlad for a moment before his eyes fell flat to the floor.

"What..." Danny croaked, barely able to get his voice to work. "What do you want from me?"

Vlad smirked, his eyes flashing triumphantly. "What I've always wanted, my dear boy. You, the only other half-ghost as my son and apprentice."

Vlad stared intently across at him. Danny had grown since they first met, and now Danny was probably taller than the man. But pain and fear made him seem so much bigger; his intimidating persona standing confidently over Danny's barely recovering form. Danny looked in his eyes, recognising the emotionless apathy of the older man. Vlad had never cared, not really. He saw the people around him as mere objects, and nothing more. Danny was just a trophy that Vlad would try to control, and right now Danny was barely in a position to control himself.

Danny stared at the man, knowing what was coming next. Vlad had what he'd always wanted, and Now Danny had nowhere left to run. He was in too much pain to endure any of Vlad's torturous punishment, his battered body still protesting against all it had been forced to suffer.

"Shift." Vlad barked, his menacing tone demanding that Danny complied. Danny gritted his teeth, mentally bracing himself from the wave of electrical agony that was inevitable. Eyes closed tightly against the pain Danny summoned the halo of light that would morph his human body into his pure energy state. Behind his eyelids the world flashed white, and he screamed as electricity roared through him, consuming every particle of his being. His whole body felt like it was being consumed in merciless fire and the world swirled into a mindless state of agonising white.

Line Break

Clark frowned as he looked over at Chloe. The two of them were in the barn loft, Chloe's face lit up by the soft glow of her laptop. However that wasn't what had him worried. For the past ten minutes he'd been watching her face darkening continupusly. Her lips were pressed tightly together, and she'd barely moved but for the quick flash as her eyes raced across the screen. It was clear that whatever she was seeing she didn't like it.

She paused, her eyes frozen on the screen as her lips pressed into a tight frown. "Okay." Chloe finally said, her soft voice breaking the silence. "Okay, um, how much did Danny tell you about Masters?" Chloe asked.

Clark frowned. "Not much actually." He admitted. "Only that he used to be a friend of his parents and that Vlad had put up his hand to take care of him after the meteor. Why?"

"'Cos the story I'm seeing here isn't exactly pretty." Chloe looked up from the screen, her green eyes glinting in the pale white light. "See, on the public records there's nothing about him until fifteen years ago when he established VladCo. After that he's been the perfect picture of a congenial businessman. Nothing negative that's concrete against him. But, he came literally out of nowhere. He started his company up, but no one knows where he got the money to fund it. I mean, it's not much to go on, but does that sound like anyone else we know?"

Clark frowned, the story did sound familiar. "Lionel Luthor." Clark whispered.

"Exactly, that's what's got me so worried." Chloe commented, her eyes flashing in concern. "Vlad's story mirrors Lionel's so closely you could almost say they were the same. They have almost the same public profiles; the only difference is that Vlad seems to have stomped on fewer toes to get where he is. Something about it just feels off."

Clark frowned, peering over at Chloe's computer screen. If it weren't for the company logo at the top of the screen Clark could have sworn he was reading one of LuthorCorp's company statements. It was mildly concerning, because while there had never been anything damning pinned against LuthorCorp, Clark was well aware of the illicit way that Lionel had started it up. He had killed his own parents for the insurance money so he could go into business, and anyone who stood against him had a tendency to end up having an unfortunate fatal accident, leaving their assets in his control. It was a troubling reflection on Vlad that their stories had such close parallels.

"Yeah, but Vlad wanted to look out for Danny, he was the one who kept him safe after the meteor hit his house." Clark defended, although his confidence in the man was eroding.

"Yeah, I bet he did." Chloe scoffed, pressing a couple of keys on the computer and pulling up a new website. "Meet the Paranormal Society of the University of Wisconsin, Class of 1984." The picture was old, but clear. There were about ten people in the photo, but most noticeable were the three on the right. A tall thin man, clearly a younger Vlad stood beside an auburn haired woman. A thick arm was wrapped cheerfully across his shoulder, connected to a taller wider man. It took Clark a moment to place them, but the picture looked like Danny's parents. The three were clearly smiling, laughing together at some long forgotten joke.

"Danny's parents." Clark whispered.

"Turns out our billionaire went to school with them." Chloe continued. "The three even had their own research project, but it went wrong. Of course there are no specifics on what they are working on, but Vlad ended up badly hurt and was hospitalised for a few years. In that time Jack and Maddie got married and started their business. The year Jazz was born Vlad started VladCo."

Clark's eyes scanned the screen, looking between those three young faces. The Vlad he had met looked nothing like his younger counterpart. There had been something more calculating in the eyes, something more refined in the way he held himself.

"But that's not what really worries me." Chloe added, interrupting Clark's thoughts. "See, if Vlad was really that interested in taking care of Danny, you'd think that he would have been a big part of his life. You know, part of his childhood. But there's nothing. So far as I can tell, the first time the two even met was at a College Reunion two years ago, and I'm only guessing that Danny was there since his parents were. Vlad cut everyone off, no friends, no family, he only had his business. And now, two years later he wants Danny in his life? It feels wrong." Chloe finished, looking keenly at him.

"And I just put Danny in Vlad's hands." Clark finished, sighing heavily.

"You What?!" Clark and Chloe both jumped, starting at the sudden appearance of a blue haired ghost.

"Ember." Chloe stated bluntly. Her sarcasm dried up with surprise. Clark looked over at the blue haired ghost. Her hair was flickering wildly in blue wildfire, and her green eyes were cold with restrained emotion. He didn't know how long she's been there, or how much she'd heard. But at the moment she was the brightest thing in the room, her pale skin glowing with unearthly light as she stood, arms folded tightly across her chest in the darkening barn loft. Unlike the first time they had met there was a thick black guitar strap slung across her shoulders, and Clark could see the purple instrument sitting between her shoulder blades.

"Hey, Chloe, Clark." Ember replied, her eyes flashing a fiery warning at the cold anger in her voice. "I was just wondering, it's really not much trouble. But I have this little friend; he's about sixteen, dark hair, blue eyes. Maybe around your height Clark. But see, I haven't heard from him in a little while, and usually he's pretty reliable when he says he's gonna meet up. Maybe you know him."

"Ember," Chloe interjected, shifting guiltily under the barely concealed threat. Chloe was much braver than he was, faced by the blue haired ghost.

"No, Chloe." Ember interrupted, staring coldly over at Clark "I want to hear what Clark has to say. After all, it sounded like he said that he went and handed Danny over to Vlad."

"Danny is with Vlad Masters, yes." Clark admitted as emotionlessly as he could.

"I see." Ember acknowledged, nodding her head slowly. Her voice was emotionless as she spoke next. "Chloe, I think you should be leaving now. The meathead here and I need to have a little talk, and you don't want to be here for it."

"Um, really I'm fine, whatever it is, I want to..." Chloe started bravely.

"No, really, you don't." Ember shot back, her eyes still coldly set on Clark. "After all, no one wants to get in the way of a ghost and what they want, right?" Her voice was sickly sweet, her eyes flashing in green warning that sent chills down Clark's spine. Ember's threat was a whole lot more intimidating than anything Danny had challenged him with, and that was enough to set warning bells ringing in Clark's head.

The room went cold at that unsubtle warning, and Chloe quickly nodded in acquiescence. Clark watched as she made a hasty exit, the silent signal in her eyes warning him to be careful. But Ember was right, while Danny may have disillusioned them from the media driven defamation of ghosts, he had constantly warned them about how emotionally volatile they were. The truth was that Clark would probably be able to weather whatever Ember threw at him, while Chloe would get badly injured.

Ember stared at him coolly, her arms still crossed across her chest until the sound of Chloe's car pulling out of the drive had long since vanished. The silence mounted oppressively, and Clark shifted uneasily under Ember's arctic glare. When she spoke it was only one word.

"Why?" Her voice was cold, demanding. But Clark got the feeling that she was holding herself in check, restraining her powers so she wouldn't lash out at him.

"Danny got hurt." Clark answered. "Badly. And it was beyond anything I knew how to fix. You know why I can't just put him in the hospital. A couple of months ago Masters approached me. He said that if anything went wrong he'd be happy to help Danny."

"And you trusted him?" Ember shot back exasperatedly.

"Yes." Clark answered. "He was the one who saved Danny all those months ago, and he offered to do it again. He was a friend of Danny's parents, so I figured he wanted to look out for the kid."

"Let me get this straight, you trusted Danny to a man who you don't know yourself on his word and the vague fact that once upon a time he was the friend of Danny's parents?" Ember sceptically replied, shaking her head. "And you didn't know anything about him. Danny never told you anything?"

"Never." Clark answered "Masters came to our Christmas party, but Danny never said anything other than that Vlad had been his parents' friend."

"Clockwork." Ember replied, rubbing her temples in frustration. "I don't know who's the most stupid. You for falling for Vlad's tricks, or the dipstick for not telling you in the first place."

Clark stared at her, unsure of what she was saying. It sounded as though... Vlad had spun them all into a web. "What do you mean?" Clark pressed, growing more uncertain of his convictions by the second.

"I mean, meathead, that you just put Danny right in the hands of his arch-enemy!" Ember shouted, her hair flaring as her temper finally broke "And by the sounds of it, he won't even be able to fight back. Do you have any idea what you've done?!"

Clark felt his mouth drop, but he quickly schooled his face into stoicism. "How is Vlad Danny's arch-enemy?" Clark asked slowly, attempting not to antagonise the young ghost.

"I can't believe the dipstick never told you! When I see him I'm gonna reintroduce him to my guitar." Ember shook her head, her gaze fixing on Clark. Her eyes were twin pools of riling green anger. "You know what, you messed up. I don't care what Danny didn't tell you, you shouldn't have been tricked by Vlad." She sucked her teeth, steely eyes glaring daggers at Clark. She stared at him in silence for a minute that stretched out for an eternity. Clark flinched when her green eyes took on a malevolently cruel edge.

"Let me tell you a little story," Ember stated, her voice angrily sarcastic. "About a small man and a great boy. Sit, get comfortable. I insist. After all, it's about time you learn that Lex Luthor isn't the biggest manipulative bastard in the world." Ember seethed, watching him coldly as he shifted awkwardly in his seat. She waited until he had stilled before she spoke, her voice coming out in an entrancingly cold whisper.

"Once upon a time," She began "There was a young man; keen and inquisitive as he began his first years of College. He was wildly intelligent, equalled only by the young woman who worked alongside him. The third party of their group was louder than the two, much more bumbling, but balanced the two out with his excitedness and his kindness. The three worked together in perfect synergy, pursuing their studies. Together the three broke new grounds into the world of the paranormal, their theories winning them boundless acclaim and recognition.

"Soon the three became ambitious, designing bigger projects and novel new theories. Soon their biggest and most audacious project was begun; a doorway into the world of the supernatural. A portal to the Ghost Zone. So they worked, days and nights were poured into their invention. And as they worked the man found himself falling in love. The auburn haired woman won his heart through her own unique genius and her loving spirit. Still the three worked, and the device took shape. It was in the final stages when something went wrong, few know the whole story, but a mistake was made by the bumbler, and the young man ended up badly injured; hospitalised by a fault in the portal.

"So the young man withered and seethed, pooling his anger into hate. Meanwhile the bumbler and the auburn haired woman married, their love far stronger than his own. And so the man's seething turned to bitterness. Love turned to hate and desire for vengeance. But this was not the end for the man; he had an impregnable strength of will and an unmitigated desire to continue. So his years in the hospital allowed him to reflect, and to plan and to explore. For that one small accident, that one mistake had brought about a new and amazing change.

"It was two days after the couple's marriage that he first truly found out. For the accident had not only hospitalised him, but gave him new strengths. Powers that no mortal man had ever experienced or hope to understand. He was the first to be able to change his form at will between human and ghost. The poor, geeky college student embraced his new destiny as the only great and powerful half-ghost in existence.

"Years passed, and he explored his new powers. Isolating himself from anyone of his old life and plotting his revenge. His isolation made him realise that he was still fully human, but blessed with the full powers of ghosts. He had never died, and so was freed from the rules that bind all those of the realms of the dead, but he was far superior to any mortal being. He came to see himself as invincible, a god among men, an unsurmountable force whom none could reckon with.

"The day the couple's first child took her first breath, the man took umbrage. The bumbling fool was leading the life he had planned out for himself, while all he held dear had been taken from him. So he started his own company. A child of corporate greed and power. And into it he fed his life, every waking moment spent reaping power and smiting all those who stood in his way. All the time still setting into place the first pieces of his plan to win the woman who, even still, he loved.

"Time still passed, and the child took her first steps, spoke her first words and watched eagerly as a younger brother was born. The man isolated himself still further, seething as the life he had wanted for himself was led by another man. He paid little care to the two children, proof only of what had been stolen from him. What ought to have been his. Still he waited, his company growing to create an empire over which he ruled. Plotting and planning all the while as he pulled the strings.

"The first time he entered the Ghost Zone was by accident, he having no access to a steady portal at the time. However the few ghosts who met him knew to be wary. He was already a force to be reckoned with, one whom none could truly hope to defeat save the legends themselves. The man created a power base, several ghosts defecting to him to save themselves from his wrath. For he was cruel and vindictive, and none could hope to stand against him.

"The man forged alliances with the ghosts, allowing them stable access to the Human World in exchange for their services. As he recruited them, he learned. His powers were near limitless, but for how much he stretched his mind and adaptation of the powers of other ghosts. And so the ghosts became involved in a plot arching across decades. The man's ghost form was cruel, fanged teeth and crimson eyes displaying to all his twisted heart and absolute power. The man had no ghost core to ground him, and his human heart was empty and cold. His only thought was for revenge on the man who had caused his misfortunes. Still the man plotted, setting things in motion for his own plans to succeed.

"The day the Zone trembled we were once again reminded of how different he was from us. While all true ghosts felt the change, and despite not knowing what it meant, he felt nothing. He cared for nothing but that his plans were close to fruition. The vengeance he had so desperately sought was so close as to be tangible. He sent his minions out after the bumbler, small tastes only to test his skill. But his minions failed, many refusing to say what had stopped him other than that they had encountered a new young ghost.

"The man was undeterred. The bumbler would fall to no hand but his, and he would reclaim the life that had been stolen from him. The last months of his waiting passed, and he lured the woman, the bumbler and their children to his home. A college reunion, orchestrated entirely to force the woman's hand, and the plan was set to come to completion. Twenty years of planning and careful manipulation had finally come to the point where vengeance was almost in his hands. However that was not to be.

"Three of his minions were sent out to complete the act, too fearful of the man to obey our own laws. They were in position to destroy the bumbler, to finally eradicate the bane of the man's existence. But before they could complete their task they were stopped; the same young ghost who had so thwarted his minions before had seemingly followed the family to protect them.

"The man raged, prevented from his vengeance by a pitifully weak ghost. His minions defeated, he went to confront the younger ghost. The small ghost was young, untried against one as strong as he. Despite the younger's victories against weaker ghosts it came as no surprise when he fell. The man grinned sadistically as the young ghost's soft white hair settled gently across his unconscious face. However, the man stared on in shock as the young ghost transformed. The boy's prone form morphed into the dark haired child, the son of his love and the bumbler.

"And as he stared, his schemes shifted. This new variable, the second half-ghost would prove invaluable in his machinations. Despite knowing that the boy was the bumbler's child, the man now wanted the boy to be his apprentice, his prodigy, his son. And so he came up with a new plan, to remove the bumbler from the picture and replace him as the head of the family. The woman would finally be his wife, and the son would act as his own.

"But the boy would not comply, and railed against the notion. The boy was loyal to his family, and would not let the man take his father from him. The boy loved where the man was bitter, and while the boy may have wanted the man as his mentor, the price was far too high. So the boy turned on the man, forcing his hand and keeping his own family together. The man was forced to watch as the women he loved and the son that should be his drove away, his mind whirring with new plans.

"Time passed and the man met the boy again. He convinced the woman and the son to leave the bumbler and the daughter unguarded, tricking them into his own home. But the boy had grown more suspicious in their time apart, and more cunning. The boy played the man, and when the man was convinced that he finally had the wife and the boy as his own, the boy incapacitated him, once more leaving the man to his own plotting. The second plot to ally the woman and her son to him gave way to new plans despite his failure.

"The man knew that he was allowing the boy too much freedom. His newest plot was not to elicit compliance so much as to restrict the boy's liberty. He convinced a new wave of ghost hunters to hound the boy, running him ragged without access to his own growing powers. The plan was to remind the boy what he was missing, what he could have, should he just give in. But the boy was pure of heart, desiring little more than the small happiness he had with his family. So despite the great gifts the man had to offer he was once more rejected, left humiliated by the boy.

"The man turned to other plans. The boy had managed to thwart all his attempts to recruit him and his mother, so new methods needed to be sought. The boy was growing in power, faster even that the man had. Acknowledging this, the man sought more power for himself, turning to dark Legend for his new scheming. Thus began the darkest machination the man had yet conceived.

"The Ring of Rage and the Crown of Fire. Two powerful tokens and the keys of power to the Ghost Zone's most feared King. The man sought to tame the Powers of Pariah Dark, and claim them for his own. Once more the Ghost Zone trembled, a wave of fear rocking our realm to its foundations as the fearful King was released. We feared that this would be the revival of the darkest reign as the Powers of Pariah could be tamed by none, other than Pariah himself. The Dark King reclaimed his tokens, and the man realised his mistake.

"The man sought the assistance of the boy, appealing to his good nature both as human and ghost. However the man was still a coward and allowed the boy to face the King alone. The fight was brutal, and the boy, decked in armour taken unknowingly from his parents was weakening. The few ghosts near enough to witness trembled, fearing that their last hope would be vanquished. For the boy was already growing in power; and his armour magnified his powers a hundredfold. If the boy could not defeat the King then none else could.

"However the boy's determination prevailed, forcing the king back into the Sarcophagus of Forever Sleep. The man appeared behind him, locking the Dark King away and confirming the boy's victory against the King. The ghosts in witness despaired as they watched the boy fall, completely exhausted; fearful that this was the beginning of an alliance between the two. For the two together would be unconquerable; an insurmountable union between the two half-ghosts. For the boy was a halfa, and thus destined to continue growing in power until none but perhaps the Lord Clockwork could hope to defeat him. And the man was human, cunning and free of those laws to which all ghosts must abide.

"So as the boy recovered the Ghost Zone held its breath. The man watched over the boy in a facade of paternal affection. However when the boy woke he was immediately suspicious, still remembering the many instances of betrayal that the elder half-ghost had dealt him. Any hopes of a union between the two failed as the mother and son dismissed the man once again, their family still together while the man was left to pursue his own machinations.

"Months passed in the human world and the boy grew, his powers strengthening until few could hope to defeat him. But he was kind, and even as he defeated his foes in the Human World, he would return them to their proper home. The boy's heart seemed to know no bounds, caring for all under his protection. He faced persecution in his ghost form and humiliation in his human form, but we ghosts knew to at least respect him. His kindness and resilience made him stronger and more confident in his own powers.

"However it was the boy's kind heart which damned him. For soon it became known that his sister had found out the secret, and knew the truth of her brother's adventures. The boy naturally tried to reject her, to keep her far away from our dangerous world. For she was still living; and he would not risk her becoming endangered for one such as him. Spurned, the sister ran to the man, knowing that he was a part of her brother's world. The man of course embraced her, immediately seeing her as a means to attain mother and son both.

"So when the boy came to save his sister from the hands of the elder half ghost he found himself trapped. The man had devised a test, one of loyalty and strength. He pitted sister against brother in a colossal arena. It was a test to see how far the boy would go, and if he would sacrifice his own ideals to defeat his elder counterpart. But the brother and sister held a bond of love, one that the man could not hope to understand. And so they came together, once more escaping the clutches of the man and leaving hand in hand.

"The man took particular grievance, fuming that the boy had once more eluded him. His desire for the woman never faded, but his interest in claiming the boy as his son now came first. The man continued his plotting, awaiting the day when in a moment of weakness the boy would turn to him. He continued his scheming, gradually setting up the strings for his next plan; one to destroy the bumbler and forge his own family with the woman and the boy who should have been his.

"However his plans were interrupted. For the ectoplasm which so empowered him had never truly been a part of him. His body still fought against it, and weakened he turned to the boy for help. But he was cruel, and while the boy would have helped him anyway, the man infected the boy's friends; dooming them to a tortuous death unless the boy found a cure for them all. The boy left, searching for an antidote. When he returned he brought a solution, and managed to cure his friends and the man both.

"So the man left, and the boy settled back. The boy had been severely disillusioned with the man. The one being that ought to have empathised with him had made himself an enemy. The man cared nought, too driven by his own ambition. He didn't care for the harms he would render should his plans succeed, he knew only his desire for the woman and the boy. So he watched and he waited, the boy continuing with his exploits and finding happiness with his friends and family. And so where the man had hatred and bitterness the boy had love and friendship.

"But now the sad part of the tale emerges, for the boy's easy life was not to last. His many escapes from the man were drawing to a close, as was the limited time with his family and friends. The boy's home was destroyed in a shower of rock and flame, the few ghosts nearby watched as the stable portal vanished along with the boy's home. Little was left but for smoking remains and a battered young form at the bottom of a crater.

"The story ends as the man swoops in, shepherding the boy away. When the boy wakes up he is in the man's care, faced with a terrible choice. We of the Zone can only hope that the boy will choose with his heart. For if the man and the boy were ever truly to unite, their combined power would surely begin a reign of terror far darker than the terror of Pariah Dark, leaving no hope in either the human or the ghost realms. For the monster, Vlad Plasmius has no core, and has forgotten how to love. And should the young Danny Phantom follow in his elder's footsteps then there can truly be no safety in the world, for human and ghost alike."

Clark gulped at the conclusion of her tale. He had been entranced, her voice artfully framing the story despite her clear iciness. But what she had said, the cruelty and the warning were harrowing. It was a part of Danny's life that Clark had never even been aware of, and hearing the tale told in such cold terms sent an icy chill down Clark's spine.

"So, Vlad Masters is..." Clark whispered, trying to break the eerie spell that Ember's voice had cast on the barn loft.

"Vlad Plasmius." Ember spat caustically. "And you just handed him Danny Phantom on a silver platter!"

---

AN: Okay, so the beginning is what you get when you have a playlist which includes both 'Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds' and 'Break Me Down' by Red.

After the rather explicit torture we saw Danny endure last chapter, I sort of figured I'd leave what Vlad does to the imagination... more tortuous that way. :P

And now Clark finally knows who and what Vlad is, and how similar Danny's enemy is to his. (Vlad = Lex/Lionel)

As for Ember's storytelling, well she's a singer and the two sort of go together. I sort of phrased it like a legend that would be spoken through the Zone by the ghosts in whispers. Plus she was being cruel and vindictive, taking her anger out on Clark by showing how inattentive he had been.

I would like to thank all my lovely reviewers; you make it a pleasure to write despite the demands of Uni. :)

'Till next time,

Bluerose.