Author's notes:
Hello everyone! I started my first day of junior college today, and I had some time between classes here to finish this chapter up, so I thought I'd go ahead and post it now. It's a bit shorter than usual I think, as it's kind of a transitional chapter. I hope you enjoy it anyway!
Random side note, I wrote a short one-shot about how Danny's symbol is still on his suit in an AU where Memory Blank didn't happen. So if it bothers you to be without an explanation like it does me, you can check that out on my Tumblr art blog. The username is theunforgivenart, and the fic is called "Emblem."
Also, I wanted to say thank you to everyone for the kind reviews! I get the dumbest grin on my face when I read them. I love to hear your guy's thoughts and predictions about the story so far, so please keep 'em coming! :D
Now, onto the chapter!
Danny stared at the food in front of him, frowning in confusion. Vlad had already started eating, neatly and politely placing small portions of food into his mouth. Danny however, couldn't figure out what it was he was looking at, and wasn't too keen on the idea of eating it without figuring that out first. It appearedto be some sort of pasta, but the sauce on it wasn't red or white or even green; it was purple. There were small piles of vegetables lining the plate, most of which Danny had never seen before either, and the more he stared, the more the plate looked less like food and more like one of his dad's experiments gone horribly wrong.
"What's wrong, Daniel?" Vlad asked, having subtly watched the boy since the food was set down. Danny's head snapped up to look at the man, pulled out of his food-related musings.
"Uh… what is this?" He asked, gesturing vaguely towards the plate with his fork. Vlad smirked.
"It's pasta, of course. Spaghetti, to be more specific."
"Yeah, but what's… the rest of it?"
"The sauce is made from plums. The vegetables are collard greens, bean sprouts, taro leaves, cauliflower, and bamboo shoots. On the top of the pasta is plain mint." Danny blinked at him.
"Why would you put plum sauce on pasta?" He asked in disbelief.
"Why don't you try it and see?" Danny stared at him for a moment more, eyes narrowing slightly, before he picked up a forkful of the strangely colored pasta and shoved it into his mouth. Vlad watched him intently as he chewed the enormous bite of tangy pasta, his expression slowly changing. "Well?"
"It's… actually not bad." Danny admitted grudgingly.
"See? It's better to try things before judging them." Vlad said smugly.
"Yeah, yeah, sure." Danny said. Looking down at the plate once more, the strange rainbow of food colors reminded him of something. "Fruit loop; eating weird colored food." He muttered under his breath.
"What was that?"
"Uh… nothing." Danny said quickly, shoving another bite in his mouth. Vlad raised an eyebrow at him, but didn't say anything more about it.
"Daniel, why don't you try taking smaller bites? It's a wonder you don't get sick eating so fast." Danny slowed down a little bit, blushing awkwardly, but nevertheless, his eating style left a lot to be desired. Vlad only had to suffer through it for a few more minutes, though, as the boy quickly cleaned the plate—minus the vegetables, of course. Vlad decided not to mention that one just yet, either.
Danny waited surprisingly patiently for Vlad to finish his meal, and Christophe soon came to take the plates away.
"So, Daniel, I believe we have a few things to chat about."
"We do?" Vlad stared at him.
"Of course we do! If I'm going to be training you, I need to know a few things."
"Oh, right. What do you want to know?"
"How many ghosts have you fought?" Danny thought for a second.
"I'm not really sure. I lost track somewhere around fifty. I've fought a few of them more than once, too."
"And what powers do you currently possess?"
"Well, I can fly, turn intangible, turn invisible, turn my legs into a tail, shoot ecto-blasts, make shields, and overshadow people." Danny said, counting things off on his fingers. "Oh, and I've been trying to learn to duplicate myself." Vlad paused before his next question, seeming surprised that the boy had already tried to indirectly learn something from him.
"And how has that gone?" Danny rubbed the back of his neck.
"Not very well. I can't quite manage to split all the way; the best I can do is one really wide body with two heads." Vlad resisted the urge to laugh; he remembered what it was like when he first tried to duplicate.
"It's a hard trick, but we can work on it."
"Hey, Vlad?"
"Yes?"
"You can teleport, right?"
"That I can, my boy."
"How do you do that? I don't have the slightest clue how to even try it."
"It's a very difficult power, one that takes a long time to master. It's not as difficult as duplicating, though, so you should be able to teleport at least short distances before you have to return home." Danny smiled. "But before that, we must work on the basics. I need to see what you can do."
"Okay, so when do we start?"
"Whenever you feel you're ready. I wouldn't want to rush you, but the sooner, the better, of course." Danny seemed to think for a moment, arms crossing unconsciously.
"I guess… we could just start right now. I mean, it's not like I'm going to be any more ready." The corner of Vlad's mouth tugged upward as he listened.
"That's just what I'd hoped you would say." The man stood up and signaled for Danny to follow him, walking briskly out of the entrance on the far side of the room. The boy followed closely behind, wondering where exactly they were going.
When Vlad led him out one of the back entrance and continued to walk away from the mansion, Danny finally noticed the large building nearby. Well, it looked more like a small stadium, actually. Danny stopped in his tracks.
"Wait, that wasn't there before, was it? I mean, at the reunion?" Vlad realized the boy had stopped walking and turned to face him.
"No, it was not. I had it built specially." Danny blinked in surprise.
"Specially? How was it even built that fast?" Vlad laughed pompously.
"Daniel, my boy, when you have as much money as I do, you really can build Rome in a day." The reference seemed to fly right over the boy's head, but he understood the meaning all the same.
"But what's it for?"
"Isn't it obvious? It's a training arena. I usually practice inside the ghost zone, however I felt that you would probably not be comfortable with that, so I had this built. It has a subterranean area beneath it, as well." Danny just stared at him.
"You built an entire arena just to train me?" The boy was shocked, and more than a little embarrassed, knowing that arenas weren't exactly cheap to build.
"I really have more money than I know what to do with, Daniel. It was well worth it to have it built. It's helpful to me as well, so you can stop blushing about it." Danny suddenly became aware of how hot his face was, frowning almost angrily. Vlad just laughed heartedly and turned, resuming his walk towards the large structure.
He seems to get a kick out of embarrassing me sometimes. Just like my parents. Danny thought bitterly, crossing his arms. However, his annoyance was quickly washed away as they finally arrived at the entrance to the arena, Vlad unlocking the door and holding it open for Danny to enter first. It was a short jaunt through a tunnel before the area opened up, revealing the football field that had previously been in the open air. The walls of the arena stretched upwards on all sides, capped by a flat roof about a hundred feet above.
Vlad took a remote from his pocket and hit several buttons, causing the goals to retract partway into the ground before the entire football field flipped over, revealing a field with a separate set of strange marks Danny hadn't seen before. The large lights on either side came on, temporarily blinding Danny. As his eyes adjusted, he saw that several targets had appeared throughout the large area, and the words on the scoreboard mounted on one side of the arena had changed.
"How did you…" Danny began in awe, quickly cutting himself off. He didn't want to give Vlad another chance to embarrass him. "What's up with the scoreboard?" He asked instead, jerking his thumb towards it.
"It can measure the strength of the energy that hits either of the targets mounted on the other ends of the goal posts." Danny looked up.
"And the black thing on the ceiling?" He asked, pointing up at the large black rectangle that was suspended flat against the ceiling.
"It can measure the speed of an intangible object traveling through it. And before you ask, I can explain anything else as we go." Vlad morphed into Plasmius, startling Danny. "Well?" Vlad asked, Danny quickly realizing he was supposed to do the same. He smiled awkwardly and morphed, both of them now floating slightly above the ground.
"Alright, what first?" Danny asked, masking his nervousness by crossing his arms and attempting to look sure of himself.
"We'll just do a few warm-ups. I want to make sure any tests are an accurate representation of your abilities. Just hit any of the targets except the ones on the goal posts." Vlad shot one of the targets, without turning his head, to demonstrate. It shook, but seemed to absorb the attack. "They're imbedded with a type of ghost energy, so they won't be destroyed when you hit them. Now, go ahead." Vlad crossed his arms, watching the boy and waiting.
Danny glanced at him once before he flew forward, launching attacks at whatever targets were within view. He varied the strengths, some of the targets shaking violently before absorbing the energy, others seeming barely effected. After he had been doing this for a solid minute, Vlad called out for him to stop.
"That's enough now." Vlad said, waving his hand for Danny to stop. "That should be just fine. We'll start with the speed test. Get up to the fastest speed you can muster, then fly through the ceiling panel, there." Vlad said, pointing upwards at the aforementioned panel. "Then just come back in through the wall." Danny nodded, shooting off to start circling the large arena, gradually building up speed before flying at top speed through the ceiling. As he returned through the wall, he noticed the score board calculating, before the bright number "135" appeared. Vlad smiled.
"Not bad, Daniel. Not bad at all." The boy looked over from where he was floating near one of the goal posts.
"So how fast can you go?"
"About two hundred miles per hour, give or take." Vlad waved his hand. "But never mind that now. Your intangibility powers are obviously up to par. And your invisibility—" Danny anticipated what he would ask and quickly became invisible. "Also up to par." Vlad finished with a smirk, the boy popping back into visibility. "Produce a shield."
The boy produced a large orb around himself, floating in place. Without warning, Vlad fired a strong pink blast at the shield. Danny yelped at the sudden attack, but managed to hold the shield up while he was pushed back several feet in the air.
"Hey! Give me some warning before you attack me, fruit loop!" He protested, dropping the shield. Vlad laughed.
"'Fruit loop,' Daniel? Really?" Vlad shook his head at the absurd nickname, still smiling. "I merely wished to check the integrity of your shield. If I had warned you, you would have put more effort into maintaining it, and I wouldn't have a very good idea of how well you can maintain auxiliary powers. Or how fast you can react." Vlad laughed again when Danny glared at him. "Don't worry, there's only one test left." He pointed at the target next to where Danny was floating. "Hit that with the strongest ecto-blast you can manage."
Danny glanced at it before floating away to get a better angle. He watched Vlad for a moment before turning his back, now slightly more wary of the man. He then put his hands together, forming a small ball of energy and letting it concentrate there, the ball growing in size, pushing his hands further and further until he could barely hold it in place. In one smooth movement, he repositioned his hands and sent the ball flying at the target, hitting it right in the center, the entire post shaking and creaking from the force of the attack. The area was bathed in an eerie green light as the target absorbed the attack.
As he looked towards the score board, waiting for something to appear, he gently floated down and landed on the ground next to the tall post. After a moment, a number appeared on the left side of the board.
"Two hundred seventy eight, hmm?" Vlad's hand floated up to his face, coming to rest on his chin. "Run potential scale analysis." He said to nothing in particular. A loud, computerized female voice rang through the arena.
"Running potential scale analysis based on currently gathered data." Danny looked over at Vlad.
"What was that?"
"There's a computer built into the arena, which manages the board and other aspects of the training equipment."
"What's it doing?"
"You'll see in a moment?" Danny obviously wasn't satisfied with the answer, but crossed his arms and waited.
"Results calculated." After a moment, a new number appeared on the right side of the board. Vlad's eyes widened.
"Five hundred!?" He glanced over at Danny, the boy luckily not noticing the strange look that passed his features. "That can't be right." He muttered to himself. "Computer! Recalculate potential scale analysis." He barked.
"Recalculating potential scale analysis. … Results calculated." The large number "500" blinked, indicating the result was the same. Vlad's eyes narrowed.
"Clear results, but retain acquired data."
"Results cleared." The "500" disappeared. "Acquired data retained for continued testing." Vlad turned towards Danny once more.
"Daniel, hit the target once more, however, do your strongest quick attack." Danny nodded, still confused and slightly put off by Vlad's obvious agitation from the computer.
He turned and made a ball of energy with one hand, releasing it almost immediately towards the target. The pole shook, though of course not as much as with the previous attack, and absorbed the energy quickly. After a moment, the board lit up with a new number.
"One hundred fifty two." Vlad read the number. "Computer, set up shield test. Set attack strength scale at four hundred two."
"Shield test set up for left target. Attack strength scale set to four hundred two."
"Daniel, come over here." Vlad beckoned. The boy floated over and stood next to the man, looking up at him. "Put your strongest shield around that target, and keep your concentration." Vlad said, pointing to the same target Danny had been hitting. Danny did as he was asked, producing a green shield over the target and planting his feet.
Vlad built up an energy ball between his hands, much like Danny had just a few minutes ago, and after a moment, released it towards the target. On impact, the metal pole screeched at an ear-shattering volume, causing Danny to slap his hands over his ears, the entire pole bending nearly completely backwards but somehow managing to return to its upright position as the pink color in the arena dissipated. Danny had only managed to keep the shield up for a moment after the blast hit, the powerful attack utterly destroying the shield. The board displayed a new number as the two halfas turned towards it.
"Two hundred sixty five." Vlad read. "Computer, run potential scale analysis using all acquired data."
"Running potential scale analysis with all acquired data. … Results calculated."
"Oh, butter biscuits! It must be broken!" Vlad cursed upon seeing the same "500" displayed on the right side of the board.
"Why? What's it doing?" Danny finally couldn't take the suspense anymore. Vlad started, apparently having forgotten the presence of the boy.
"This computer is designed to measure the power of a ghost by how much energy it puts out, but it also has the ability to accurately predict how much power that particular ghost is capable of wielding. In other words, it can predict exactly how high your power level will be when you have maxed out your abilities."
"So, when you've mastered all your powers; that's the level it's predicting?" Vlad nodded.
"For example, my power level is currently at four hundred two. My maximum predicted power level is four hundred fifteen. Once I reach that level, I may gain new powers, but they will never be stronger than any that I currently possess. I cannot produce an attack stronger than four hundred fifteen points."
"So… it's predicting my power level at five hundred?" Vlad nodded again.
"But it must be an error." Danny smirked.
"Why? Can't believe that I could be stronger than you?" Vlad shook his head.
"Not at all, dear boy. In fact, I expected your level to be higher than mine, as you've gained your powers earlier and were exposed to more energy when you first gained those powers. By all accounts, you should have a higher potential than me." Vlad frowned. "However, the level it is predicting is simply not possible." Danny frowned as well.
"Why not?"
"A ghost's power level is measured on a scale from zero to, well, five hundred." Danny's eyes widened. "There is not a single ghost that has reached a power level of five hundred, nor has there ever been one predicted to be able to reach that level. Therefore, it must be an error."
"Yeah… it must be." Danny agreed.
"I'll figure out what went wrong and fix it and we can rerun the test later. But for now, I think that's enough for today, hmm?" Danny nodded, white rings changing him back into his human self. Vlad followed suit, leading them out of the arena.
"So Daniel, are you feeling any better yet?" Danny nearly choked on his orange juice from the sudden question, quickly setting the glass down.
"What do you mean?" The boy asked, pretending he didn't know what the man was talking about.
"I mean, of course, do you feel less nervous about staying with me? You've been awfully quiet throughout dinner." Vlad reiterated, folding his fingers together under his chin. Danny rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, staring intently at his half-eaten steak.
"Well, yeah, I feel a bit better, but I've just been wondering about that scoreboard…" He trailed off, unsure what to say. Vlad waved his hand.
"Oh, it's nothing to worry about, my boy. I'll have it fixed soon and then the tests can be rerun." Danny nodded halfheartedly. Vlad knew he wasn't being completely honest, but decided it was probably best to give him some space. It simply would take some time for the boy to become accustomed to this different way of life—a life where he didn't have to hide half of his identity or pretend he was okay when he was not. I simply must be patient—the boy will warm up to this new lifestyle, and eventually he will realize that he belongs with me. Yes, just simple patience will bring him over to my side. Vlad thought to himself.
Danny went back to halfheartedly eating his steak, thinking about his friends and family and just how long the summer was. Did I rush into this? I mean, I barely know this guy. It's not like there's anything wrong with him; I feel like he can really help me, but there's still a part of me that's wondering if I made the right choice… how long will it be until I stop feeling so nervous? The thought of sleeping in the room that Vlad had given him, in a bed that was not his was just accentuating everything that was different. Finally, he dropped his fork.
"I think I'm done eating. I'm full." Vlad gazed at the boy, a look of concern briefly crossing his features.
"You may feel free to do something else then. There's full cable access in your bedroom, and of course there are many things around the castle to do. You may go to bed whenever you wish, but you will be woken up at eight AM sharp." Vlad told him. Danny simply nodded and got up, excusing himself from the dining room and heading up the main stairs towards his bedroom. He figured he'd just watch some TV to clear his head and then go to sleep. He was surprisingly exhausted.
Vlad watched the boy leave, frowning to himself upon noticing the boy's hunched shoulders and overall depressed demeanor. Patience, Vladimir. Patience. He's in an unfamiliar situation. He simply needs time to acclimate. Though Vlad kept telling himself these things, a large, nagging part of him felt rather helpless. After all, what could he do to make the boy feel better? He had tomorrow to stay with him, but come Monday he would have to go and attend to his businesses during part of the day. It's not like he would be away for long, but the boy would be alone in the castle—aside from the butler and chef, of course—the entire time. Yes, I'll have to make a point to show him the castle tomorrow. I showed him around before the reunion, but now that he's staying here he needs to know that everything here is at his disposal. Vlad dabbed the corner of his mouth with his napkin and stood, deciding to retire to his own bedroom for the night.