Burden of Evil

Vlad trudged through his lab up to his mansion. The ghost portal doors slid behind him with a faint whoosh that sounded far too final. He sighed and looked at one black glove. Empty handed again. The tips of the black vinyl were burned away, revealing blue fingertips and black claws with their points filed away. His suit was stained with acid, blood, ectoplasm, and various substances he didn't particularly want to identify. A great slash across his chest laid bare his blue skin through the white fabric. He limped on a twisted ankle and the edges of his cloak were ragged. He could still smell it burning.

Oh right. That's because it was. He sighed again and slowly stamped out the fire, almost too weary to care. Another artifact that he so desperately wanted, another artifact guarded by something more than willing to eat him. Another fight out of a creature's stomach. It almost wasn't worth it anymore.

Vlad took human form. His suit was in much the same condition as the rest of him. His ponytail was torn out of its bindings, hair everywhere. Dark circles sat under his eyes. Somehow he was missing a shoe. Vlad pulled off his clothes one piece at a time, leaving a trail from his lab to his bedroom. He'd have to warn the maid that she shouldn't touch any of it without gloves. Or maybe tongs and a hazmat suit.

As he stepped into the shower he went over everything else he was supposed to do tonight. Ugh... He needed to draft another speech for his shareholders, review the data from Valerie's suit, practice the excuses he needed to give to the antitrust judge, and figure out how he was going to make up for today's failure. He just had so much to do...

Vlad slid down against the marble wall of his shower. Once, just once, he wanted a night to himself. A night when he could forgo all of the evil and the plotting and the responsibilities.

A night like tonight. No time like the present. Tonight he was going to ignore it all, responsibilities be damned.

-00000-

Danny Phantom flew through the castle's halls. He just knew the fruitloop was up to something, he always was. It was like the guy never even took time off or something. He followed his ghost sense to the only room with a light on in it and stopped in midair.

Vlad was... sitting in a chair reading a book? A half glass of wine sat next to him, the bottle nearby. But the weirdest part...

Vlad had no pants. He wore his suit jacket, shirt, that stupid bow on his neck, even his socks and shoes. But no pants.

Vlad glanced up and closed his book, keeping place with a finger. "What?" he asked.

Danny couldn't think of anything to say.

"I'm taking a night off, Daniel," Vlad said, opening his book again. "Feel free to see yourself out."

Danny stared at Vlad as the man merely sat there in his chair. He took a sip of wine and turned a page, engrossed in his book. Aside from the glaring lack of pants there wasn't a single hint that this was a raving evil fruitloop. He shook his head and flew away, leaving Vlad to his book.