What Unusual halflives we Lead
Chapter 18: A Time of Mutual Agreements
In a deep, dark corner of the Ghost Zone amidst the silence and desertion, was the only source of noise in the entire Zone. It was the cacophony of the noise of hundreds of thousands of ghosts all trapped together in close quarters, indignantly. Their prison was strong and unbreakable no matter what they threw at it.
Walker was irritated by the irony of being imprisoned and his guards weren't too happy either. Skulker also wasn't liking the cruel twist and he was one of the few still trying to break out. The many smaller spectrals were flying around in the confined space as Young Blood chased them in an attempt to pass the time.
They'd lost track of how long they'd been here and many had given up and taken to simply fighting amongst themselves for entertainment. But then, as if by magic, their prison simply faded away into the ethers like smoke caught in the wind.
..They were free...how, they didn't know. But one thing they were all certain of; they needed revenge.
Danny covered his eyes as the light from the staff grew brighter and brighter and brighter until he could even see the light through his closed eyelids; it became unbearable. He could feel the heat on his skin and it began to burn, it felt slightly different to being sunburned; it was far more intense and much less forgiving. It felt as though every cell in his body was being cooked in a giant oven at a hundred degrees and Danny hated it.
"Vlad!" he called out; he couldn't take any more and he doubted that Vlad could either.
A second later the light vanished, leaving Danny and Vlad seeing bright spots in their vision as they blinked in an effort to clear their sight. Vlad winced after he lowered the staff and glanced across at their enemy. It was unmoving again; as still and silent as the proverbial grave. But was it dead? Had they won? He too had felt the rising temperatures from the attack but it didn't bother him as it did Danny, because his powers were heat based, whereas Danny's were based on cold.
Danny looked from the unmoving enemy and then to Vlad who was observing it with a stony gaze. The older hybrid continued to search for any signs of movement, no matter how insignificant. If the creature made one single move it would mean their deaths; they had nothing left to throw at it so, this really was a last stand.
He took slow steps across to the unmoving spirit but Danny grabbed his arm, "What're you doing? It could be playing dead!"
"That's what I'm trying to find out," he replied calmly.
"Bad idea, dude."
"You have a better one? We can't leave here without knowing for sure," Vlad said and Danny reluctantly let go of his arm and followed him as he moved.
"What happens when you kill a ghost...I mean...a spirit, anyway?"
"I've no idea," Vlad answered.
"Oh...helpful," Danny nodded.
As they stood only mere centimetres away a blast of ectoplasm shot down to the ground at Danny's feet and he jumped into the air in shock. "Hey!" he cried and looked up to see who'd attacked him.
"Skulker?" Danny said in confusion, "Where'd he come from?"
And before the young hybrid had even finished speaking he and Vlad could see even more ghosts flying towards them; ghosts they knew very well. There was Walker and his guards, Dora and her army, Pandora, Wulf, Spectra and Bertrand, Ember, Johnny and Kitty, Tenchnus, Desiree, Frostbite and the others of the Far Frozen, Nocturne, Young Blood and the list went on to even include the Box Ghost. They all had one thing in common; the same look of anger and hatred.
The hundreds of thousands of ghosts flew down to stand and float around the rubble as they took one look at the large, dark spirit lying unmoving on the ground.
"Aww, man, you guys had all the fun!" Johnny moaned.
"Huh...yeah...it was really fun, wasn't it, Vlad?" Danny chuckled sarcastically.
"Revenge for being imprisoning the warden is in the rule book, ghost punk," Walker said.
"What about our revenge? He got us too! And we got locked up with Boxy!" Young Blood groaned in frustration.
"I am the Box Ghost, not 'Boxy'!" said the aforementioned, indignant ghost, but nobody really listened.
"It's...dead..." Kitty said as she hovered over the Calidae and gently nudged it with the toe of her boot.
"Good," Spectra smiled and the other ghosts nodded and murmured their agreement.
"What'd it do to you guys?" Danny asked curiously.
"Oh, only locked us all up in a part of the Zone I'd never even seen before...in the smallest cage thing in the whole world!" Kitty said as she kicked the creature with a smile.
"It was worse than your stupid thermos!" Ember added.
"That punk broke over a hundred rules," Walker said.
"And my sanity," Spectra sighed quietly.
"It started to steal our powers!" Young Blood yelled, waving his arms around.
"Yeah...it does that..." Danny nodded and then clicked. He looked at the wound in his side, expecting it to be magically gone or something but it was still there. "Erm...Vlad..." he said, "...This isn't good..."
"No, no it isn't," Vlad sighed as he knelt beside Danny. He'd honestly expected the wound to fade away if the creature was dead...was it possible that it wasn't dead?
"Oh, man," Johnny stepped back and his shadow even had a worried expression. "Every ghost for his-self..." he muttered as he saw the creature start to move.
"Hey!" Kitty cried at him but she too was then transfixed. The creature was moving. It was alive, "Uh-oh," she muttered in fear.
"Hey, Vlad," Danny began as he moved back, "You think anything happens when we die? I mean...we're already part ghost...you think there's anything after that?"
"I...I doubt it," Vlad replied, uncertainly, "And is this honestly the best moment for..."
"If there is...let's...fight less...okay?" Danny suggested lightly, "You're not so bad when you're not trying to kill me."
"...We're not going to die," Vlad replied.
"If you say so," Danny muttered as he watched the ghosts ready themselves for a fight.
Calidae took slow, steadying breaths and he ignored the pain of death which he could feel nibbling at his powers. The powers he had careful cultivated and stolen were failing him and he was all but spent. He hadn't counted on the older hybrid acquiring so much power so quickly, but he couldn't give up. He was still alive, he still had time to turn this around, he could still win! But just as he started to move out from the rubble and dust, the ghosts attacked him simultaneously and without warning. Usually simple ectoplasm wouldn't even leave a scratch in him, but because he was now so weakened, it did.
With a yell of anger he threw of the attacks and floated up from the ground. He could still feel the power from the young hybrid slowly draining from the boy and it was giving him strength but it wasn't fast enough. So he attacked the ghosts at random and then launched a powerful blast and directed it at Danny.
As the attack came towards him, Danny morphed into his ghost half ready to retaliate, but before he could do so, Vlad teleported in front of him and then pushed him out of the way. Vlad tossed the staff aside and held out his hands towards the oncoming energy. His idea was a simple one; Absorption and Redirection. Ectoplasm had little effect on the creature, but its own energy would.
Vlad didn't tend to use this particular power as much because of the unusual sensation it carried and it would probably be worse now that he was planning on using it against a spirit rather than a ghost. He hadn't planned on using it at all because of the difference in powers between ghosts and spirits, but Desponius had assured him that the fundamentals were the same, and it wasn't as though he had much left to try anyway.
It wasn't an easy move; as one had to capture and control the energy of another being it was a rare ability, but one which Vlad had mastered many years ago. But when the energy hit his expectant hands he winced; maybe this wouldn't be as straight forwards as he'd thought.
It seemed to Vlad to take hours for him to bring the energy under control, and he felt he air around him crackle with purple lighting and green ectoplasm as he struggled with the attack. But in the end, Vlad was not to be beat, and he threw the energy back from whence it came; his aim left something to be desired but after all the effort he'd out into redirecting it, it was excusable. The energy skimmed the ground like lighting as it moved and the black eyes of Calidae widened in shock; this he had nor expected.
"Nice," Danny raised an eyebrow in reluctant awe as the attack hit its mark.
The creature was thrown backwards in a dark blast of black smoke and purple lighting which ignited the surrounding rubble, setting it ablaze and effectively trapping the creature inside as it burned. It was an unusual sight to behold and despite the fact that ghosts didn't need to breathe, many found themselves holding their breath in anticipation as they waited to see if they were safe. And sure, enough, a minute later, the form of the creature seemed to explode in black smoke and the tattered remains of its purple cloak fell to the ground.
"Wow," Young Blood said simply, "...That was awesome!" he cried a second later and jumped into the air like a child at Christmas.
Vlad found himself unable to keep his ghost form active and he fell to his knees as a rather beat-up looking human. He stared down at his hands as they tingled with something akin to extreme hyperthermia but there was no scar or anything out of the ordinary to indicate that something was amiss.
"You okay?" Danny asked him, and he simply nodded.
"We must celebrate!" Dora smiled, "Perhaps today could be remembered as a new truce."
"Not likely," Walker frowned, "One day only; it's a rule."
"Party pooper," Young Blood sulked and Dora nodded in agreement.
Danny failed to hear any of this as he felt the scabbing wound on his side quickly disappear. He looked at it and it just fell away from his skin in small clumps and as it hit the ground it fizzled away like strong acid on a work surface. When it was completely gone, Danny felt strength he didn't realise he'd lost return to him and he quickly aided Frostbite in putting out the fires burning around them using their ice powers.
"This is going to give people something to talk about," Vlad sighed as he stood up.
"What'd you mean?" Danny asked.
"Million dollar chalets don't just randomly explode, Daniel. It will certainly be a difficult one to explain."
"Oh...right, I guess so...glad I'm not you right now," the young hybrid replied.
"Thank you for your sympathy," Vlad scoffed.
"Hey, you didn't have to blow it up."
"What else was I supposed to have done?!"
"I don't know!" Danny yelled.
"It will have to be rebuilt."
"Yeah, I'd stay clear of the animal heads," the younger hybrid pointed out.
"If I do, will you visit your dear, old uncle?" Vlad joked.
"Only if there's no animal heads!" Danny chuckled. He wasn't sure of he meant it as a joke or not; he was simply glad to be alive.
"They were trophies," Vlad told him.
"But that's just..."
"Knock it off, ghost child! Every good hunter needs to display his trophies," Skulker said angrily.
"Well you certainly feel the need to!" Ember frowned at him.
"Oh...trouble in paradise," Danny laughed, although he had no idea that the two ghosts were actually in 'paradise.'
Vlad rolled his eyes as many of the ghosts began to disperse, "Daniel, where did you leave my Spectre Speeder?"
"Erm..." Danny rubbed the back of his neck as he remembered that he'd crashed it; Vlad wouldn't be happy to hear that one. "Well...erm...it...I..." he stuttered.
"What did you do?"
"Well...it wasn't me...there was this tree, and...erm..."
"Please tell me you didn't crash into a tree," Vlad sighed.
"Erm...I didn't crash into a tree..." Danny shrugged.
"You owe me on sofa and a Spectre Speeder."
"How'm I supposed to pay you back for that?"
"Get a job!"
"I tried! I got fired because..."
"I don't care!"
"Well it's not like you need anymore money anyway!" Danny shouted back.
"That is true, isn't it?" Vlad smirked. He wasn't happy of course, but Daniel was the only one whom he'd let off the hook like this. Now he'd have to teleport all the way back to his mansion in Amity Park, after all the power he'd just used in the fight as well. He wasn't looking forward to that.
Danny scoffed and moved away to talk to Dora for a minute and Vlad caught Skulker's eye. He quickly ordered the ghost to take a sample of the dust that remained of the spirit and the hunter quickly did so, making sure that he wasn't observed. He then nodded at Vlad and hid it in his suit as he turned to Danny, who hasn't noticed their exchange.
"A temporary truce for now, ghost child. It ends at dawn!" Skulker said with a smirk then he took off into the sky. The remaining ghosts also flew away which left only Vlad and Danny in the burned and blackened clearing.
"Great," Danny muttered as Vlad turned to the remains of his once glorious chalet. H didn't have much of a choice; he raised his hands and set what was left alight. "What're you doing?!" Danny yelled.
"Thinking ahead," Vlad answered, "I can't explain an explosion with remains of ectoplasmic attacks, but a fire which destroys the whole thing is much more viable."
"Right..." Danny muttered and they waited until the fire burnt out.
When it had, Vlad turned to Danny, "Show me where you crashed my vehicle, Daniel," he ordered.
"Erm...I think it's...this way...maybe..." Danny said and started walking through the trees. It took him a while but eventually he did find the vehicle; it was certainly not in a good way.
Vlad only sighed as he gave Danny the staff to hole while he went on to move aside the broken branches and fought his way into the Speeder. Fortunately his book had survived in one piece but the mirror had been completely smashed. Vlad gathered the pieces and pocketed them. Then he set the vehicle alight green ectoplasm to avoid the technology from being found and he watched until it was ashes.
"So...what now? How do we get back? Fly?" Danny asked him.
"I teleport, you fly," Vlad answered smugly as he steeled himself to morph again.
"Aww, man, you're just gonna leave me here?"
"Why not?" the older hybrid shrugged before his black transformation rings weakly helped him to morph.
"No fair," Danny crossed his arms over the 'D' insignia on his chest.
Vlad chuckled and grabbed Danny's arm, "Just hope I can get us both there intact," he said quickly.
"Wha..." Danny started to ask but they were gone in a flash of smoke before he could finish.
Madeline Fenton considered herself a strong woman and she had many valid experiences upon which she based this conclusion; her choice of career for one. And she had a black belt, she could defend herself against a horde of ghosts and he could cook a mean Christmas turkey...when it didn't come to life that was. But all that was irrelevant, because as she opened her eyes she saw the familiar surroundings of a private hospital room; the white walls and sterile lights were a dead give away.
She turned her head and saw her husband sleeping in a bed across from her, and Jazz was sitting in a chair beside his bed dressed in her usual blue trousers and blue shirt, reading a book.
"Jasmine?" Maddie
"Mom, you're awake!" Jazz cried and ran across to her mother.
"Where's Danny?" the woman asked instantly.
"He's...with...Vlad..." Jazz answered sounding confused herself. "Sam and Tucker told me, he was with them when...it...happened, and Vlad let him stay with him," she said. In truth, Jazz was unsure of this herself, but she trusted Sam and Tucker not to lie about something so important as this. She'd woken up a while ago and Danny's two friends had been in the room when she had. Then they'd told her that Danny had called them and told them about it.
"Vlad?" Maddie repeated with even greater confusion.
"Yeah," Jazz nodded.
"Huh."
"That's what I though, too," the younger woman sighed, "But so long as he's okay."
"Well, I suppose so," Maddie frowned, "How's Jack?"
"Dad's getting better, he got the worst of it apparently," Jazz answered, "Mom...what exactly was it?"
"...I don't know, Jazz, I really don't know; that's what's scary."
"Yeah..." Jazz shuddered and decided to change the subject, "Apparently, Vlad paid the bill," she said with a raised eyebrow.
"...Huh..." Maddie simply repeated, she made a mental note to talk to their 'old college pal' when she saw him again.
"I don't get it either, mom," Jazz sighed and stared at the closed curtains hanging over the window, "This must've cost a fortune," she said quietly to herself as the lights flickered gently in the silence.
"Hello, my old friends," Clockwork spoke sadly as he turned around.
"And to you," Desponius replied.
"Greetings, Clockwork," Alothea smiled.
"You did well," the Master of Time smiled gently at the two of them and Alothea nodded.
"Did I?" the spirit aside sardonically and learned heavily against his staff. He had flew to the lair of his friend whom he hadn't spoken to in several centuries. It was an silence he regretted but he couldn't do anything to change it now, and Clockwork knew of the difficulties he'd faced. "Once they discover my interference I'm as good as dissipated."
"Maybe not, they don't have to know."
"They're not completely devoid of intellect, Clockwork," the Decurio scoffed.
"No, but they are devoid of emotion, you are not. They will not find out," Clockwork said with determination.
"I'm tired, my friend, maybe it is my time," Desponius suggested.
"I know time, and I know that you are wrong."
"Am I?"
"Most definitely," Clockwork nodded.
"I wish we'd acted differently, we could've prevented all of this if only we had..."
"Don't," the Master of Time began, "It does no good to dwell on it."
"No, no, I know," the spirit nodded, "But now I fear for the hybrids. My brothers will know their strength and fear them."
"Danny and Vladimir will be fine, before perhaps your brothers would've been a threat to them, but not now. I have seen that there is an alliance on the horizon for them; your brothers cannot touch them."
"That is a worrying thought."
"Perhaps; this disaster has changed the future in ways which even I did not anticipate...but maybe it is for the best."
"How so?" Desponius asked as he and Alothea floated across to the image now blurring into focus on Clockwork's time portal. It formed the image of Vlad being abandoned in space by Jack Fenton and the spirit was suddenly very confused.
"This was Vladimir's fixed future, but now I see many alternate ones forming," Clockwork told him.
"Not for the first time, my friend, I have the impression that you have too much power."
"It is why I do no interfere."
"Except when it suits you," Desponius said dangerously.
"Except when time is threatened," Clockwork corrected gently.
"Hmm," the spirit smiled under his cowl and his eyes suddenly found their lost spark.
"Go back to your Basilica, Desponius," Clockwork said, "You and your senate have much to do. You could bring the Municium into the light once more; you've no reason to hide in the shadows."
Desponius sighed as he contemplated the idea which he'd already put much thought into before coming here. But it wouldn't be an easy task; his brothers, save Ovidius were set in their ways and they wouldn't even think of such an idea, but they would have to listen to him, and he would try. He'd come here intending to bid his final 'farewell' to his old friend, instead he was leaving with renewed energy and a lengthy itinerary.
"And you, my dear," the Master of Time turned to Alothea once Desponius was gone, "Go back to Vladimir - he will have another task for you and your friends before the night is done. And you will be pleased to know, that it will be far more menial than anything that has happened recently."
Danny dropped unceremoniously to the floor and landed with a 'thud,' he groaned as he pushed himself to sit up, "Ouch," he muttered.
"Yes, not one of my better landings," Vlad nodded as he collapsed into an armchair. He'd managed to somehow teleport them both into his sitting room in his manor in Amity Park. He was absolutely exhausted and he'd been very surprised that he'd actually managed to teleport so far and to still keep his eyes open. He watched as Danny stood up and started to walk from the room.
"And where are you going?" he asked as he rubbed his temples.
"Home," Danny said as though it was obvious.
"In case you'd forgotten, Daniel, Fenton Works remains in disarray," Vlad yawned.
"Oh...yeah, right," Danny sighed and sat back down slowly. A second later he sprang back up again, "Then I'd better go fix it; mom won't like the mess when she gets out of hospital."
"Is late, it's no time for spring cleaning," Vlad smirked, "I suggest you stay here."
The young hybrid knew he should've protested but he was tired too and he yawned a moment after Vlad had. "Well...okay...I guess," he shrugged. He didn't really want to have to go back to the mess left in his home just yet anyway, "Just for tonight," Danny nodded and curled up on the couch. Maddie the white cat jumped up and snuggled into Danny's arms.
"There are beds upstairs that are far more comfortable than the couch."
"'M'fine," Danny yawned as he closed his eyes; he was asleep almost instantly.
Vlad could only marvel once more at Danny's ability to fall asleep so quickly, but he supposed he knew why the child could do so. Once more. He carried the younger hybrid to a bedroom and then he sought out his ghostly staff. He found them talking quietly in the kitchen; it seemed that they were listening to Louis and Harry debate about who should be the head chef.
He quickly dismissed their argument and ordered them to quickly fly over to the Fenton house and clean and tidy it from top to bottom, constantly reminding himself that he was doing it for Danny, not for Jack. Then he went up to his own room and placed the book, the staff and the pieces of broken mirror on his desk. It was unfortunately beyond repair. After all the time and effort and money he'd spent on getting the blasted thing it was lost forever.
The hybrid sighed as he sensed another ghost and he heard a faint noise. He looked around and settled on the space between two of the large sash windows at the far end of the room.
"Hello, Skulker," Vlad said suddenly.
"How did you know it was me?" the hunter asked incredulously.
"Your suit, it needs work," Vlad replied and held out his hand expectantly and Skulker took out a small pouch. "And you forget, no ghost can hide from me," he added egotistically and the hunter figured it was best to stay nothing to that one.
"Here, though I don't know what you expect to do with it," he said instead as Vlad took the object.
"Neither do I, as yet," the man shook his head, "But it might prove to be useful one day," Vlad finished.
Skulker merely shrugged before he flew away again, leaving Vlad alone once more. The man tried to piece together the broken mirror but there was simply too many pieces and there were small fragments missing which he hadn't been able to recover in the wreckage of his vehicle. It truly was a shame but perhaps in a way, it was for the best. For so long he'd been enticed with finding the Decuriones but all it had brought him was trouble; it was the story of Vlad's life.
Perhaps it would be best to close this chapter in his life and leave Decuriones be. Yes, yes, he'd do that. But as for their power of equaplasm, however, that was another story entirely. Vlad took up the items and flew down to his lab, where he locked them in his safe and turned on the ghost shield. He then flew back up to his room and he fell onto his bed in much the same way as he had done his sitting room chair. He fell asleep faster than he could ever remember doing in his life.
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
When the dawn arrived, Vlad awoke and after a shower and a change of clothes the phone call he'd been expecting arrived. The authorities in the Rocky Mountains had found what remained of his chalet and told him of the 'unexpected and inexplicable fire' which had destroyed it. He played the part of the devastated billionaire. he was indignant and fuming and very displeased and he even slammed the phone down afterwards though it was more in anger at himself at failing to devise a better plan. He'd grown rather attached to that chalet...but he was more fond of his life.
He spent most of the early morning reading in his study until it was time for breakfast when Harry the chef informed him that he'd prepared a substantial meal. Vlad then floated up to the bedroom in which he'd left Danny and found the boy sound asleep under the pile of warm blankets.
"Daniel, wake up," Vlad ordered but Danny just rolled over onto his other side, "Wake up," he repeated.
"'M...go 'way...'m sleepy..." Danny muttered and swatted his hand in an attempt to bat away the annoyance that was trying to get him up. He'd never slept in a bed so comfy as this one and he was not getting up for anything; who knew, it could be hours, even days when he got the chance to sleep so well again.
Vlad was getting irritated at the lack of response and he was tempted to shock the boy with ecto-energy but decided against it for now. The older hybrid simply sighed in a combination of bemusement and annoyance when an amusing idea came to mind. He floated back down through the manor and into the kitchen where he picked up one of the plates and a set of cutlery and went back up to Danny - he was of course still asleep. Vlad put the plate of food on the bedside table and went to wake Danny again.
"Don't you want breakfast, Daniel?" Vlad asked as the boy began to stir.
"Huh?" Danny hummed from under the covers and he wormed his way out from under them so he could see what was going on. "Vlad?" he questioned in confusion. For a moment he wondered what on earth Vlad was doing in his room but then he remembered that he was still in Vlad's house because Fenton Works had been trashed. But, somehow that didn't seem to matter in light of the glorious smell he woke up to. It smelt like heaven; it was bacon and eggs and sausages and hash browns an beans.
Danny searched for the source of the smell and his eyes landed on the plate of food. "Food..." he whispered to himself. He couldn't remember the last time he'd eaten something which smelt so good.
"So breakfast in bed is what it takes to wake you," Vlad smirked, "I was beginning to wonder."
"Funny," Danny replied sarcastically and then blinked quickly. "No, wait..." he frowned "Mom and dad, and Jazz, they're still in the hospital...I gotta..."
"To what?" Vlad asked before Danny could jump from the bed, "They'll still be there in an hours time and they're receiving the best care money can buy, believe me."
"...What's the catch on that, by the way?"
"No catch," Vlad shrugged and handed the plate of food to Danny, "Not yet, at least," he smirked a moment later and Danny rolled his eyes; there was normal Vlad. Without another thought, Danny started wolfing the breakfast down so fast he may as well have been inhaling it. "This...is best breakfast...in the world," he said after a minute with a mouthful of food.
"Swallow first, then speak," the older hybrid sighed.
"Yes, mom," Danny said with heavy sarcasm.
"Come downstairs when you've finished," Vlad told him before phasing through the floor and Danny was left staring at an empty space.
He really had no idea how to act around Vlad now; on the one hand it was like they were allies and on the other was all the mess Vlad had caused before for him. Could he really brush it all away like it never happened? Could he really disregard the fact that Vlad wanted his dad dead? But then, if Vlad wanted Jack Fenton dead, why then was he paying for the man's medical bills? It just didn't make much sense at all and it made Danny's head spin.
It didn't take long for him to finish the breakfast, which he would forever describe as the world's very best, then he had a quick wash in the bathroom he found adjoining to bedroom after much debate as to whether or not he could use it, and then he went downstairs. He found Vlad alone in the sitting room with the news on the TV and a newspaper in hand, but he looked almost bored as he glared blankly at something in the paper.
"Bad news day or something?" Danny asked as he walked into the room.
"Hmm?" Vlad raised an eyebrow, "Not for me, but for you however..." he trailed off and handed Danny the paper, pointing out a certain article.
Danny skimmed across the words and saw exactly what Vlad meant with a frown, "Oh...fantastic," he sighed. It was an article about the dangers of ghost hunting using the hospitalisation of his family as a prime example; like they didn't get enough bad press already. "I hate the press," Danny rolled his eyes and slapped the newspaper down on a table.
"Yes, they are rather meddlesome," Vlad agreed, "Unfortunately, I haven't been here to run damage control, so they've had free reign, so to speak."
"Well, it's not like this is the first time we've been in the media...I just wish one time it be for something good...and I can't exactly go tell them I just helped beat a big bad monster that could've taken over the world, can I?"
"Not exactly, no."
"Argh," Danny growled and morphed into his ghost half. "I'm going to the hospital...you wanna..."
"Something tells me I won't be welcome," Vlad shrugged emotionlessly, "You go," he said.
"But I..."
"Just...go, Daniel, you know where I am," he snapped with a tone of finality and Danny sighed. He then morphed into his ghost half and flew at top speed to the hospital.
Vlad sighed once he was left alone and dragged a hand down his face; he was still exhausted and irritable but he didn't know why he felt a twinge of disappointment as well. What had he expected? Had he expected Danny to simply stay here and go on ignoring his family? No, that was a ludicrous idea; the boy loved his family as much as Vlad loved his wealth and the two could not, would not be separated.
The man groaned at his own strange weakness and retreated to his lab where he spent the rest of the day doing tests on the ash that remained of the Calidae and in a deep, solitary study of his books.