Alright so I'm a tad late with this update. Mostly because my entire Saturday was spent away- work lasted from about seven in the morning till about five-ish so that's ten hours of the day gone. Plus going out with the family. I haven't had a chance to get onto the computer until about eleven (at night that is) so anyway here's the next chapter and I hope you enjoy!

Things will be different than the movie, but it does follow along with most of the movie's plot just at a slower, slightly more realistic pace. Please review~

~CWA


CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE


Danny Fenton

My hands are twitching nervously at my sides as I sit on the chair by Tadashi's bed. Hiro's already been discharged, having only a few minor scrapes from the explosion and a bad knock on the head that should only leave him slightly dazed with a bad headache for a while. I've been discharged- against everyone's wishes- so that leaves me free to stay right here by Tadashi. Right where I need to be because I can't leave him. I just can't. He needs me right now and I need to be right here for him.

The medics were baffled when they found us- I'm sure a lot of nurses and doctors are still pretty baffled. A few people on the news have dared to even call it a miracle when, moments after running into the building, it exploded. Yet, we were found at the bottom of the steps, alive. By the time I put the shield down and the medics had arrived, my injuries had already mostly healed over, leaving me with a few minor burns that should be gone at this point. My concerns, however, aren't with my own health. It's for Tadashi's. And Hiro's for that matter- seeing him only a few feet away from me on the ground gave me quite a scare. Thankfully Hiro only has a few scrapes and a mild concussion- hence the early discharge… Tadashi…. Tadashi isn't that lucky.

My eyes sweep over his body as he rests quietly on the bed, breathing too slow for my comfort, covered in various bandages. A few small third degree burns. Multiple scrapes. Multiple other burns of varying sizes and degrees. It could have been avoided if I had just been faster. My hands clench at my sides as my mind flashes back to the Battle of Amity- dead bodies littering the ground like daises, patching up many burns and broken bones of friends and family and strangers… I let out an uneven breath as I try to steady myself, trying to focus on reality rather than the past.

And to make it all worse, my lips turn into a snarl, Vlad is here. I had to miss Hiro's presentation- or at least part of it- because my ghost sense went off. I got a glimpse of him, but he disappeared before I could run into him. Then he approached me. Approached Hiro. Tadashi. If we didn't meet in a public place- if Hiro wasn't looking to me wanting to know what to do as I'm the unofficial leader/big brother – then I would have killed him. Ended him. Hurt him. I still will given the chance and a part of me regrets not ending him sooner. I can feel my eyes flash red just thinking about it, an icy chill running down my spine as my hands shake at my sides and a darker side of me, a darker side that I rarely ever feel anymore, a side that I briefly believed to be gone, begins to claw at my insides as my stomach turns. My tongue runs over my teeth a bit, vaguely noting that my canines feel slightly sharper than normal.

It takes me a full ten minutes before I can shove that darker side of me down, but even as I manage to open my eyes without them flashing red, I think about Vlad. Next time I see him, he will not be so lucky. He's the real reason Tadashi is in his current state. Him and Callaghan- that filthy, backstabbing bastard. I knew Callaghan was bad news. I felt in my gut. But never did I imagine him doing something like that. With Vlad, of all people.


I run into the burning building, not even feeling the flames nip at my skin. It doesn't matter. All that matters is that I protect. Tadashi's in there. So is Callaghan if what that woman said is right. I may not like the guy but I figure I have to save him too. Though my first priority is Tadashi. My core is screaming at me to protect him, to shield him away from the world, hug him tight and never let go.

The second I'm inside the building, my eyes adjust to the flames and smoke to be able to see. For a moment, flashes of the war go through my mind causing me to tense as I freeze up. But the sound of coughing brings me back to reality. I spot Tadashi with ease, the flames are tearing his skin apart like paper and he's coughing up in a vain attempt to breathe air. He's hunched over, barely able to move, but he tries to walk, tries to search for Callaghan even in his condition. A part of me is proud of him for wanting to continue on to save another person. The other part of me wants to tear him apart myself for doing something this stupid.

He turns and we meet eyes for a brief moment. I can see the panic and worry flash across his face. Even hough he's coughing and burning, he's gesturing his hands for me to leave before it's too late. He doesn't want me getting hurt, but I don't want to see him hurt either.

"I'm not leaving you," I yell over the loud, cackling flames.

I'm by his side in a second, wrapping my arms around him to protect him from the flames just as he collapses to the ground, blacking out from the smoke. I throw the ghost shield up to protect us both and that's when, from the corner of my eyes, I see something. Black movements making their way through the flames. Microbots. Hiro's microbots to be exact. I turn my head to catch a glimpse of Callaghan with the headband on his head, controlling the mirobots to form a shield around him. If he doesn't give me the creeps, if I don't have this feeling in my gut, then I may have just thought that he was using whatever was around him to save him- in this case, that's the microbots.

But then I see Vlad. Floating a bit off the ground, he stands beside Callaghan. He's eying me with scorn, his ghost form glowing brilliantly within in the flames that swerve around him. Unlike his human form, he requires no cane to walk with. Maybe it's because I'm more powerful than him (thus making my attacks cause more damage), or maybe it's because I just hurt him that bad that causes him to walk with a limp as Masters. But his eyes are narrowed at me and Tadashi, but a quick glare that causes my eyes to flash red make him back off. Even if slightly.

Then, with a blink of an eye, both him and Callaghan are gone.


I was barely able to transport us out in time and into safety before the building exploded on itself. But the fact still remains that Vlad and Callaghan are apparently working together. Or maybe Callaghan is just getting possessed. But I highly doubt that because I would have been able to sense it. My hands clench at my sides as I grind my teeth. It's bad enough that Vlad is back. Plotting something apparently. Something I know that I will have to stop even if it kills me. But what does Callaghan gain from this? Why does he (or they) need Hiro's microbots? Is Vlad blackmailing him? Threatening him? Promising fortune and fame?

"Danny," Aunt Cass' voice brings me back to reality as I feel her hand clasp my shoulder, "Don't worry too much. He's Tadashi. He'll be okay."

I glance to her to see that she's staring at Tadashi rather than me with tears glistening at the corners of her eyes. It sounds as if she's trying to convince herself that he'll be okay rather than me…. A glance around the room shows that nearly everyone is looking at Tadashi with that same forlorn, he has to be okay face. Except Hiro. I've expected him to join me at Tadashi's side, to come closer so that I can hug him close and tell him that his big brother is going to be okay. But instead, he's shrinking away to the back of the room, looking at Tadashi with a saddened expression, but he glances at me with a bit more of a fire behind his eyes.

Does he blame me for not being able to save Tadashi? To not get there in time? My heart drops with guilt as I force myself to look away from him and focus back on Tadashi. The weight on my chest doesn't last that much longer as I can't help but nearly jump with joy when Tadashi shifts on the bed with a small groan. Everyone is at the bed in a second, scrambling to make sure he's okay, but I manage to hold him gently so that he doesn't ruin the bandages or make any of his injuries worse.

"Tadashi," I mutter, "Tadashi can you hear me? Can you open your eyes or speak at all?"

He lets out another groan. I can see Aunt Cass biting her nails from the corner of my eyes. Hiro's moved from the back of the room to beside me, his hands over my own as we gently keep him from hurting himself more. The flinch Hiro makes from the contact doesn't go unnoticed. But slowly, Tadashi's eyes flicker open. His face seems to light up as our eyes meet and my heart flutters seeing him awake as relief floods over my body.

"H-Hey guys," his voice is weak and sounds rough and scratchy, "C-Can you let g-go of me?"

Hiro and I snap away from him in a second before scrambling to get him some water, bringing it back to him with caring expressions. I gently lift his chin and slowly help him drink the water before I use a stray tissue to dap at any dribbles that went down his mouth. He takes a few deep breaths, but seems a bit better after drinking some water as he manages to give us a small smile. Man does he look like a wreck. His hair is singed at the edges, making it a bit shorter than it was and closer to the scalp. A small half of his eyebrow was singed off, leaving a small, but not harmful burn mark. A part of his face is covered in bandages, as is the rest of his body.

I share a brief look with everyone else before we all join in on a large group hug, careful of his injuries as we group together. Being the closest to him, I'm able to bury my face into the crook of his neck as my arms gently wrap around him. I'm barely able to recognize the fact that Hiro is careful to not touch me, favoring to hugging Tadashi and partly hugging Honey in the process.

"We're never letting you go," I tease as we hug him, "Because if you do you might do something stupid again~ Really, Tadashi? Running into a burning building? Fred's supposed to be the one with bad ideas, not you."

Fred doesn't even try to deny it, making an eh that's true face with a shrug as we all let go of Tadashi. Aunt Cass lingers on the hug even after all of us have let go for a moment before she parts with a quick oh I have to go tell the doctor you're up before rushing out.

"So," GoGo speaks up, looking to me with a quirked eyebrow, "If he's stupid for running into a burning building, what does that make you? According to everyone, you ran in after him."

I knew that people saw me run in after him, but I was kinda hoping that the gang wouldn't pick up on it. Mostly because I didn't want Aunt Cass for scolding me about it. Yet at GoGo's words, Tadashi's eyes widen slightly and I can see the gears turning in his head as he begins to remember meeting me inside of the building. Though I doubt he remembers seeing Callaghan and Vlad inside of the building considering he passed out.

I rub the back of my neck sheepishly as everyone's attention goes to me,

"Well, I couldn't exactly stand by and do nothing, right?"

I think Tadashi is seriously considering hitting me in the shoulder. And I'm sure he would if not for the IV in his arm and the bandages that limit his movement. I give him a slightly cheeky, ha you can't hit me grin when his arm twitches, but the grin is wiped off my face when Honey Lemon is the one to smack me upside the head, causing me to tumble a bit as I look at her wide eyes, a mock hurt expression.

"Honey, I'm hurt~"

She makes a face at me, but it seems to be more of a concerned look than an actual angry look. It strongly reminds me of the times Mom would scold me for doing something I shouldn't be doing because I would have gotten hurt- like taking things out of the oven when I was a kid, sneaking down in the lab, and trying to cook things without supervision. In fact, Honey looks a lot like Mom did. That same look, the same finger waving in the air in a scolding manner with pursed lips.

"Danny, that was very stupid of you," she scolds, "you could have gotten hurt! Or gotten the both of you killed!"

"-But I didn't," I interject, "Risking my life to save someone else isn't that big of a thing. He's alive and that's what matters."

Honey Lemon recoils slightly, a thoughtful, slightly concerned expression on her face that speaks of some sort of conflict. But I've made my point. Even if the others are sharing unsure expressions and looking back and forth between Tadashi and I with uncertainty. Even Tadashi seems a bit shocked as if he doesn't know what to make of the situation. His eyes are sad and almost moist. Thankfully, I'm saved from more awkward conversations as Wasabi claps his hands to get everyone's attention,

"Alright, that's enough socializing for today- he needs his rest so we don't we all raid the hospital cafeteria?"

Any lingering sadness is mildly put at ease as Fred lets out a cheer at the mention of food.

"Yes," Fred pumps his fist in the air, "Food!"

He runs out of door before anyone can stop him. Honey Lemon runs after him, trying to explain to him that it's not actually free, with GoGo slowly following suit without any hurry as she pops her bubblegum. Wasabi lingers behind for a moment, giving both Tadashi and I a I got this look before he turns to Hiro,

"Hey lil' man," he ruffles Hiro's hair, "Come on, I'll buy you anything you want from the cafeteria."

Hiro frowns slightly, ducking his head low as he hunches over, crossing his arms. He doesn't make any effort to move from Tadashi's side nor does he even glance at me as he scoots a bit farther from me.

"Not hungry," he mumbles, but Wasabi isn't fazed as he continues on,

"Then I'll just have to raid the gift shop without your help- ah well."

He turns on his heels and begins to leave the room. After a moment, Hiro's ears perk up and he sits a bit straighter. Tadashi gives him a small go ahead nod that sends Hiro on his way, calling after Wasabi to wait for him. It takes a moment, but only when we're both sure that no one is around and the door is securely shut do we actually begin to talk. I sit on the edge of Tadashi's bed, right beside him, hovering over him slightly as I gently mess with his hair with hooded eyes.

"You actually ran into the building after me," Tadashi mutters, "I'm not sure if that's brave or stupid."

"What about stupidly brave," I offer, a small smile on my lips.

He snorts a bit, but doesn't laugh or smile as he gently shakes his head,

"Danny," he warns, causing me to wince.

"I know, I know," I sigh, "But I can't apology for running into a burning building to save your life. Because I'd do it again in a heartbeat. I just- I saw you run in and I was so terrified Tadashi. I lost my friends, my family, everyone, and I promised myself that I will not let anyone else die on me. And I just- I can't lost you, Tadashi. I just can't. If I lost you, I don't know what I'd do..."

I trail off slightly, my voice cracking as the tears swell up in the corners of my eyes. I can feel my aura pulsing and through my blurry vision, I can see wisps of our auras breaking off and blending together. I can feel our bond growing, becoming closer, more together. One stray break of his aura bleeds into my body in a way that causes a shiver of electricity to shoot down my spine. He grabs my hand tightly, rubbing his thumb over the back of my hand absently as we lock eyes.

"You won't lose me," Tadashi whispers.

A part of me knows that he can't promise that- not when Vlad is nearby. Not when Vlad and Callaghan are planning something. Not when his very life is still in danger until Vlad, and by extension Callaghan, is taken down for good.


I refuse to leave the hospital, even when I want to go find Vlad and figure out what he and his new accomplice is up to, when Tadashi is still here recovering. The others have already left to go home, but it was done reluctantly before they finally admitted that it was getting pretty late. Aunt Cass is fast asleep on a chair in the corner, softly snoring. I briefly worry that she won't be able to sleep that well in a busy, noisy hospital, but it quickly becomes clear to me that Aunt Cass is an extremely heavy sleeper.

Tadashi, however, is still partially awake. As is Hiro. But I'm not sure how long we'll be awake for- not when they keep dozing off. Tadashi is laying down on the bed, occasionally he closes his eyes and rests for a few minutes before his eyes are open again. He occasionally mumbles Callaghan's name under his breath because, like everyone else, he believes Callaghan to be dead. Hiro's head slides down as his eyes droop before he snaps himself back away with a wild shake, a few times he even lightly slaps his cheeks to stay awake. I'm the only one among us that's not even slightly tired and how could I be? I don't think I'll be able to sleep at all with everything that's going on- Callaghan and Vlad mostly, but also with Tadashi still recovering.

"I just hope Vlad isn't going to make a move soon," I whisper under my breath, barely even audible.

Hiro seems to shoot up a bit, frowning with furrowed brows, mouthing the word Vlad to himself for a moment before he turns to me. It must be the first time since the presentation that he's even openly paid attention to me. But I'd take the ignoring me/cold shoulder thing over the look he's giving me now. It's just so hard, focused, cold that it makes me shift a bit in my spot.

"Speaking of Vlad," Hiro asks bluntly, "How do you know him? What's with all that hostility?"

I knew that someone who ask something at some point. But the question still makes me hiss with anger as my fists clench, my knuckles tightening. I glance briefly toward Aunt Cass, but she's still snoring away with no signs of hearing us or being awake.

"Vlad," I answer, my voice straining to stay calm and steady, "Vlad is… He was a family friend. Friends of my parents actually, back when they were in college."

Tadashi looks a bit confused, his eyes becoming slightly hooded as he tries to understand why I would have hatred for a so-called 'family friend.' Hiro frowns slightly to himself.

"-He was there when they made the prototype for the portal in college- it was a small thing, could barely even fit a hand through it if it worked- except it backfired," I explain, "He got hit with a blast of ectoplasm and various other chemicals-"

Tadashi takes in a sharp breath, whispering how did he even live under his breath. Hiro just continues to frown, a thoughtful look on his face. I manage to calm myself enough that my fists relax and I gently grab the bed rail with one hand.

"-He survived," I let out a small unfortunately under my breath, "But he didn't talk to my parents for a long time afterward- blamed them for the accident and all that. But when I was fourteen, my parents and him ended up meeting up again for a college reunion. They took me and my sister with them. My sister thought he was okay, but I hated him on the spot. Dad adored the guy, thought of him like a brother even after some pretty bad things that Vlad said about him. Vlad, however, hated my father and had a creepy obsession with my mom."

I let out a shiver, not hiding my disgust at that while the others blanched as well. Hiro's frown deepens.

"I don't believe you," he finally says, "...Or at least not entirely. You were pretty mad at him for it just be about him hitting on your mom and hating your father."

I scowl at his words, my hands clenching back into tight fists. I can feel the metal of the bed rail denting in my hand and force myself to get some more control so I don't break it entirely. But I don't let go of it. I still have a vice grip around it as the other hand tightly fists my jeans.

"Yeah, you're right. I hate him for a lot of things- trying to bribe me to leave my parents and come live with him so I can be his son, threatening to kill my dad, actually trying to kill my dad, the list goes on. The thing about Vlad is that he's manipulative- when he wants something, and for a long time, that something was me and my mom- he does anything to get it without a care for morals, humanity, or hell, even laws. But the worst thing is he's behind the gas leak that destroyed my whole town, killing nearly everyone."

My eyes narrow as I grind my teeth, letting out a strained breath through them. Tadashi has a hand over my fist, whispering for me to take deep breaths and calm down, but there are tears in his eyes as they gleam in understanding. Hiro seems a bit surprised, openly gaping at me before he covers it up and returns to giving me a slightly cold shoulder, but he continues to eyes me curiously through the corner of his eyes. For a moment, I'm sure he even eyes the fist still around the rail.

"Have you pressed charges? Surely they can do something," Tadashi meekly offers, but I scoff.

"Really? And win a case against one of the richest assholes on Earth? Vlad pays off judges, police, lawyers, anyone and everyone. If they don't take a bribe, he has… other means… of getting through to them. I tried to take him down before. Legally and by other means. The guy doesn't walk with a limp because of old age," I spat, not explaining farther on what I mean.

When it comes to Vlad, I don't have a filter. I can't stop myself or limit myself of how much information they're finding out. When it finally processes in my mind that I'm giving out a lot of information about Vlad, I tense and close my mouth, my lips thinning. I don't want to give too much away. I can't have anyone find out his ghostly secret- or mine (any past thoughts of telling them leave me- it'd be too dangerous). He'd kill them for sure. I can protect them, but with how angry I am right now, I doubt I'd be able to keep a sensible mind in any fight. Deciding that it's best for me to cool off myself, I think of where I can go to get away- no where too far, but I'm sure the hospital roof would be okay...

None of them seem too pleased with the information I've given them. They seem shifty and uneasy or even sick at what I'm saying. Tadashi goes to reach for my hand again, but I move it out of his grasp, ignoring the hurt look he sends my way as I look straight toward Hiro,

"If you see Vlad, call me. If I don't answer my phone, yell and scream. Don't talk to him. If you can, get away by whatever means necessary. He's a manipulative, dangerous, vile bastard. He wants your microbots and he'd kill anyone to get to them."

I pause for a moment, my anger flaring as I sense my eyes briefly flash red at my words and the memories that flood through my mind.

"I need some fresh air. I'll be back whenever."

No one dares to stop me from leaving.


Hiro Hamada


I don't know where Danny left, but every second he's gone is making me more and more nervous. I can't help but fiddle with my thumbs with a small frown on my face. His words about Vlad echo through my mind. 'He wants your microbots and he'd kill anyone to get to them.' He couldn't be that dangerous, could he? There's no way a single man could do as much damage as Danny said. To actually kill an entire town? Was the gas leak really his fault? Fear bubbles in my chest a bit. The idea of one man being that dangerous unsettles me. If he's really so willing to do anything to get to my microbots, was it him that killed Callaghan and started the fire to get the microbots? After the fire, I didn't find any remains of them which is strange because they were made to be very durable. It was like they disappeared.

I feel like I'm going to be sick just thinking about it. Tadashi could have died in that fire if it wasn't for Danny. My big brother nearly died because some guy decided he wanted my microbots. Does that make this my fault? My breathing hitches as my heart beats a bit more rapidly. Is this whole thing my fault? Would it have been avoided if I just didn't make my microbots? My mouth turns dry and I lick at my lips.

And what about Danny? He's the one that saved Tadashi, which is why it's so conflicting when I feel like he's not telling us everything. It's like he's holding back. And I know what I saw that night. I know I saw a green dome covering them, something almost otherworldly, ghostly even. I know Danny said not all ghosts are evil so he's bound to be friends with some of them. So was it a ghost friend of his that decided to save them? Or was it… was it my parents? Are they ghosts and they decided to save Tadashi and Danny? My hands tremble slightly. I know Danny knows the answer to all my questions. I know that he's the one who knows what really caused that green dome and as much as I want to think that maybe it was my parents, I know that just can't be the case because Danny is involved.

Danny is… He's a great guy, admittedly, and I can't think of anyone who makes a better big brother than him aside from Tadashi. And I know for a fact no one makes Tadashi happier than Danny does- maybe even more so than me and Aunt Cass. But it just hurts knowing Danny, even with everything he's told us, just seems so secretive. Mysterious. Holding back. Does he not trust us? It's a huge blow to my heart thinking that the guy I think of and love as a brother doesn't trust me enough to tell me what's really going on with him.

The door to Tadashi's hospital room opens, causing me to whip my head in that direction. Danny enters, looking worse for wear. His breathing is uneven, but still quiet as ever. His hair is frazzled and all over the place. He plops down on a chair by Tadashi's bed with a tired sigh, glancing briefly to Tadashi- whose still sleeping soundly. Aunt Cass, however, left to go sleep at the cafe after I convinced her that Tadashi and I would be okay alone (and that eventually Danny would be back).

"Had to blow off some steam," Danny takes a long, deep breath, leaning his back back as he closes his eyes.

I look to his knuckles, which seem sore and are slightly red. There are few fresh nicks on his hands as well. Scars that I don't remember being there before are lightly fading on the parts of his palm that I can see. I briefly glance to the rail of Tadashi's bed where a freshly made dent nearly breaks the metal itself. A dent that I know Danny had to have caused.

"Is violence always your way of blowing off steam," I ask easily, raising an eyebrow, "Because I don't know what that poor tree did to you."

I am, of course, referring to the presentation when Danny first saw Vlad only for him to beat it out on a tree in the courtyard's garden. Danny's eyes peak open, looking at me curiously, before he chuckles slightly, not moving from his spot beside Tadashi.

"Yeah, I guess that's not exactly a healthy solution is it," he chuckles, closing his eyes once more as he continue to lean back in the chair.

I have to tread carefully. I don't want Danny getting mad at me-he obviously as a slight anger problem when it comes to certain subjects (which he solves with apparent miss-placed aggression which is a huge problem in itself). Not that I think Danny would hurt me though. I don't think he'd ever hurt me. At least not physically. But the idea of him being angry with me is still unpleasant and painful nonetheless….

"And the bed rail," I trail off, gesturing toward the metal rod, "You must have some serious strength if you can bend metal like that so easily. Makes me wonder what else you can do."

I see him tense. His jaw locks as he squares his shoulders. He goes from a relaxed, almost asleep position to a solider at attention in less than a second. His hands clench at the armrests of the chair as he looks at me. His stare is so intense that I can't help but shift under his gaze. It's as if his eyes look right through me, daring me to say something more and for a moment, I know that his eyes flash a bright, vivid, glowing green. I gulp, but try to stand my ground,

"I k-know that something's going on D-Danny," I cough slightly to try to get rid of my nervous stutter, "I saw a green dome around you and Tadashi when you saved him. I know that I didn't imagine it," I point toward the rail, "And that is real for sure! So just… What's going on, Danny?"

I try to plead him a bit, but he doesn't answer for a solid minute. When he does, his voice is hard, forced and almost pained.

"Nothing's going on Hiro," he strains out, "Just… Forget about it, okay?"

I frown deeply and furrow my brows. A stab of hurt goes through my heart. Even confronting him about it doesn't get me the answers I want or need. He's just lying about it, I know he is. I know what I saw. I know that he's just… he's lying to me. Seeing my expression, Danny's face softens and he places a hand on my shoulder,

"Hey, don't worry, okay? I'm okay, you're okay, Tadashi's okay… That's all that matters, right? So just do me a favor and don't ask around about anything. I… I can tell about stuff, later, alright?"

My jaw clenches slightly and I have to force down any witty remark. He won't tell me later. He's lying. Why would he tell the truth later when he can just tell me now? Why doesn't he want me to dig into this or ask around? What is he scared of? Of me finding out what he's hiding? Of me finding out the truth that he doesn't want me to know?

"Fine," I mumble, lying through my teeth.