The ride in the limo had been awkward enough. Vlad, who was trying to turn over a new lead since the high school reunion fiasco, offered him a drink and a snack and mused on about little things he'd read in the New Yorker earlier that morning, but all he got out of a boy was a look so deadly, that his eyes glowed.
He couldn't still be mad about the Reunion, could he? Vlad had explained in from of Danny's parents and god himself that he was sorry about how disastrous it turned out for the family, and then, practically used up every little bit of emotion to explain to Danny that he wasn't evil, he was just (and he quotes) "Ambitious."
Danny gave him a look that was so filled with fury, that Vlad mistook it for indifference.
The philanthropist crossed his legs and folded his hands in his lap, peering absentmindedly down at the suede floors, as Danny shifted his position to distance himself away from Vlad as much as possible. Vlad looked up and cooked his head, sucking his teeth and fiddling with his glass of wine that was poised neatly next to him.
"Honestly, I cannot completely understand why you're mad but I-"
Danny twisted around like a whirlwind and braced himself with a death grip on the seats. "How can you not understand why I'm mad? You tried to manipulate me into joining your little "dark side", tried to kidnap my mom-"
"I did no such thing," Vlad snapped back, sending the ice that Danny threw right back at him. "Had it not been for your reckless aiming and your father's wildness," Half of my guest rooms wouldn't have caved in and I wouldn't have had to lunge to pull your mother out of the way! Speaking of which, do you know how long it took to repair that mess? I had half a mind to send your father the bill for the damages!"
Danny slumped back and made the most unimpressed face one could possibly make when hearing about your worst enemies first world problems. "I'm not having this conversation with you. You're so nit picky that your brain nitpicks what it does and doesn't want to hear."
"I AM NOT NIT-PICKY!" Vlad roared. The depth of his stress in his voice was as apparent as night and day, so much that the driver swerved a tad when hearing him yell, in addition, his palms had heard up, significantly enough that they tore burn marks in the seams and fabric of the upholstery.
Danny, a tad shocked, looked to vlad, then to the burn marks beneath his hands, and back to vlad, more scared than triumphant at making the man lose what little cool he had. Danny, gave a lucids expression, readjusting his seat so he was at level with the man. Vlad, lifted his hands off the smoldering upholstery and crossed them in his lap. He wrinkled his nose at the smell of burned car seat, and fanned the air awkwardly, Danny watching with a slight pout.
"You do that too, huh," Danny adjusted himself and illicitly rubbed his forearm. Vlad's interest was piqued at the initial smoothness of the boys voice, but settled into it easily. "It doesn't happen very often anymore. Back in the day I used to burn down bookshelves because my temper was very...liberal."
Liberal? Danny was marooned on his choice of words. God, Vlad was so uptight even his ball sack was conservative. He giggled to himself at the thought, leaning and lounging as the limousine passed into the hills of lower Wisconsin. Danny pulled at the collar of his shirt while vlad examined his prada loafers for any spec of dirt.
The air in the cabin became as stuffy as a coffin in a hearse and, and the tension lit it up to suffocate them both. The awkwardness of the situation was thick enough to cut and spread on toast.
Vlad opened his mouth to say something but a side eye from Danny told him better, and he began to wonder If adopting the boy was the right choice. Sure Vlad could roll him and mold him, but Danny fenton was his mother's child. He inherited her will and his father's determination. Vlad would erode away the stone of resistance before that boy would remotely do anything he said, but he wondered, was he eroding stone or was he eroding steel?
No, he thought, with determination strengthening his will, he couldn't let the kiss of a wayward doubt subdue him. He was Vlad Masters. He was a billionaire and the strongest living ghost to date. He couldn't let himself be beaten before the race began. He couldn't expect Danny to break when he hadn't tried breaking him yet. Vlad sat up and grinned over his drink glass. He had nothing to worry about
Danny on the other hand, found himself slipping to a slight depression. A year with Vlad? He remembered the heat in the room with his parents the night before. His reluctance was almost as apparent as his anger. Initially, his mother and father felt attacked, stating that he only wanted what was best for him, but as Danny's anger grew, so did theirs. It became a shouting match, and while the ice he treaded on grew thinner and thinner, Jazz came between the two parties, stating "for better or worse, the choice had been made and no amount of fault or fire would change that." Danny was subdued and gave a spite filled apology, Jack and Maddie sympathizing with his poison words.
Sam and Tucker gave him the most awkward send off that was humanly possible, but the halfa couldn't blame them. How do you say goodbye to childhood friends? How do you say goodbye to your potential love interest and your wingman? You dont. You awkwardly half hug them while Vlad watches out the corner of his eye, tapping his foot ever so impatiently, and you side eye him while he clears his throat and settles into the fine leather of the limo to have a pre-departure drink.
Danny turned from the threshold of the tinted window, and peered over to vlad, making eye contact. So fruitloop, how is this plan to steal my mother go? You invented some brainwash serum, or are you going to overshadow my Dad again?
Vlad smiled.
Danny smirked.
XXX
Aside from accommodating his laboratory, the estate of Vlad Masters was a six story on one side, four story on the other monstrosity of an estate with more rooms than Danny was sure to have fingers. The minute they set foot in the estate, Danny rounded to the trunk to gather his belongings, only to catch a glimpse of the butlers and busboys hustle through the front door with his belongings. Danny opened his mouth to say something, but found himself being called over by Vlad.
Since their last visit, the place had been remodeled very Drastically, which is saying something, considering Vlad s home had been a remodeled fortress that protected the United States from the canadian-english during the war of 1812. They had pulled up the mirror floors of the lobby and replaced it with a sleek black granite that reflected him almost as much as the mirrors had. His packers memorabilia had been moved to some unknown location in the house, probably to his man cave along with the rest of Vlad s lonely middle-aged-man porn, Danny presumed. The chandelier had been replaced with some mid-18th century wheel thing that looked more appropriate for a fortress holding back Napoleon himself. The stairways broke off into a little overhang, and then rejoined overhead before splitting off into the hallways upon hallways that Danny couldn't quite see right now. He was visually impressed, which made Vlad swell with pride, even if for a moment.
Your room is on the large side of the house, i gave you the old astronomers room since you seem to like the stars and whatnot. Vlad said, allowing him some mental triumph from the hours of auspicious spying on the Fenton family. He say Danny perk up a bit, and manage to get himself under wraps. Vlad smirked and crossed his arms along the tandem of his chest, as Danny turned and looked to him cuefully. How much spying did it take Vladdie?
Vlad turned his head and rolled his eyes at the nickname. Not much, It's pretty obvious considering you have Nasa practically covering your walls.
So you do admit to spying on me?
Vlad blanched. I did my share of reconnaissance. Nothing more and nothing less.
Danny imitated the man and crossed his arms, mentally furious. What else, Did you rub one out to my mom? Get all invisible on her while she was in the shower? Vlad nearly came out of his skin. You will watch your filthy mouth this instant! Vlad gave a low growl and placed his hands on the boys shoulder. You will not speak to me any kind of way! I am the adult, and you are the child. End of Story.
How long did that one take to come up with fruit loop? Danny breathed defiantly. He was tired of Vlad, he wanted to go home, he wanted out like a dog in a kennel. Youre not my father. You don't run me. Defiance ran in his blood like oxygen, and he squared up against his enemy. Vlad made a face, deep eyes filled with a rage that counteracted Danny like a hurricane to a tornado. Watch your Damn mouth boy, or ill lock you up in the basement like i did last time.
He saw Danny audibly wince, but bounce back like a basketball in a gym. He scoffed, and rolled rolled his eyes so hard that they were inclined to roll right out of his head and out the door. Like i believe that. You were probably all up on my sister too you sicko. Well you can't have her either. Maddie never loved you! SHE NEVER EVEN WANTED ANYTHING TO DO WI-
The grip came around his neck with the quick elusiveness of a lion, and the strength of a titan. Vlads hands were there, faster and tighter than he imagined. It wasn't like last time when Vlad has seized him by the neck, no, Danny could feel his restraint then. This was choking with intent to kill. Dannys hands came to vlads, resting at first but then digging between the skin of his neck and the grasp of the man to try and free himself. He gurgled openly, while biting back tears, his hands trying to separate as vlad lifted him just enough off the ground to incapacitate him. His grip was too strong, and with the restriction of his airways he couldn't transform. He clawed with anguish at Vlad s hands, which grew unimaginably tighter and tighter along the later of his throat, and for a split second of struggling, His eyes met Vlads, now flushed with his ghostly powers.
And then, he just let go.
Danny feel to eh floor, a coughing and hacking mess, while Vlad pivoted on his heel, and went towards a hallway in the westward direction of the expanse. With hoarseness in his voice, Danny attempted to slur him to the ground, Hell, even transform to kick him through every room that he possibly could, but instead, he found himself, kneeling on the floor of the lobby, which encroached upon him like a paragon made of bricks and mortar.
XXX
Danny couldn't exactly say that his spirits were uplifted when he walked into his new bedroom, but it was fairly impressive. His room was in the southernmost spire, which overlooked the valley and the rolling forests that went on for miles. The room was two levels, the bottom level harboring a bookcase, a bed and a wardrobe, and to the left, there was a desk. Next to the desk was a ladder, that led upwards to a gated cutoff with doors to a balcony, which withheld a telescope and a astronomers log. Danny sat down on the bed, testing it out while rubbing his sore throat, and laid back onto the comforter. Aside from his fury with Vlad, the loneliness had set deep into his gut, and he found himself staring up at the patterned ceiling. He was bitter. Very bitter. Hell, he had half a mind to believe that Vlad was the one who sent that ghost t ruin his life. Hell, he had more than half of a mind to go ghost right now and sneak attack the man right now, but the fatigue and the hole in his heart, kept him from doing so. With tepid hands, he brought his hands to his neck and rubbed the raised bruised flesh carefully, wincing a little when he found a particularly painful spot next to his adams apple.
Vlad got me good.. he said aloud, kicking off his shoes and folding them on the bed. He supposed that he would have to deal for the time being.
Plopping up, he moved over to the bookcase which was a spewing combination of his books from home, and some classic literature like hemingway and the such. Danny would have to criticize Vlad for his disgustingly vanilla taste later, when he was is less of a mood later in the day. He fingers the backbone of To kill a mockingbird and set it aside for The Changeling, by Zilpha Keatley Snyder, but was interrupted by a stern knock on the door.
Daniel- Vlad came into say something, but as soon as he let the words pass through his lips, evasive measures were taken to avoid the complementary copy of The Changeling from hitting him in the head. Vlad looked up, still ducking, Danny looking furious as a wife left at the altar on her wedding day. He came to his feet and advanced, momentarily turning intangible to avoid another one of Danny s books.
Will you cut that out! Vlad roared, encroaching upon the boy and clasping onto his Wrist. Danny resisted, pulling away. Dont fucking touch me! He kicked and screamed ceremoniously. Then, his eyes, flashes green, and intangibility took him like a fire. He Phased through vlad and reeled backwards, regaining his footing, and then completely transforming in a ring of light. Vlad, grit his teeth, and transformed, as Danny took to the air and flew out the doors to the balcony overhead.
Daniel, come back here this instant! He roared as if it would do something, taking to the air and going after the boy with a vigor of worry and anger. He couldn't get far, his head start was minimal, and coupled with Vlad s eyes and his speed, evasion was like a dream to someone who needed one. Alternation out the window, hawkish eyes surveyed the trees, and the edges of the lake, his sixth sense resonating outwards to find the boy. Vlad scowled, and fixated to him in the distance of the forest, where he witnessed the boy landing. Like a pulse in a jetstream, he rocketed off, dipping low and diverging through the treetops, skimming the underbrush with is jetstream. He could see Danny about forty yards ahead, still transformed, sitting in a dim clearing amiss the leaves. Vlad transformed back to his human form, and hit the ground running, skillfully gliding a good ten feet along the leaves and underbrush, before coming to a complete stop.
Vlad took a deep breath, and leaned back against a tree. He needed to evaluate the situation, he needed to think like he had never thought before, if he was going to have Danny remotely listen to him, let alone subjugate the boy into a state of perfection. He sighed, but held hands to his mouth to make sure it wouldn't be heard, and twiddled the hair on the back of his neck. This was gonna be a doozy.
Daniel! He said enthusiastically. The phantom boys eyes flashed like a star in the night, and Vlad watched the boy hand form a point and a beam charge at the tip of his fingers. Danny Shot the beam in the direction of the encroaching halfa, who skillfully bypassed it with a half spin.
Please dont shoot at me, he breathed out the please begrudgingly. All i want to do its talk to you.
Danny put his hands down, but only put his guard up further. Talk my ass! You almost choked me to death! Youre a goddamn psycho! His hand came up again and shot in the others direction, and Vlad spun to his knees, throwing up an ecto barrier to cancel out the blast. Amiss the canceling of the beam, Danny took to the sky, but Vlad was quicker, and trained. From his hand came two ropes made of his signature pink ectoplasm, which found Danny s waist, and bound his hands and wait area in a tight bind.
Still struggling, Danny attempted to stay in the air, but Vlad slowly reeled him in with the sheer force of his body. Danny wouldn't admit it, but he secretly hoped to be able to be a contender with a ghost in his human form, just as Vald was now. Still kicking and screaming, Vlad reeled in the last little bit of the boy, and bought him nose to nose. Danny felt his last resort rise in his throat, and prepared his mouth for the ghostly wail, but as soon as his lips parted, Vlad clapped a hand over his mouth and put enough pressure on the ropes to restrict any serious screaming.
I just want to talk.
Danny rolled his eyes, from lack thereof, but still gave Vlad his attention so he didn't try and kill him again.
The choking thing was...uh, too far. Much too far. But to be fair, you went very...below the belt.
Danny wouldn't say it out loud, but he was right.
If were going to live together, under the same roof, where you and i have a warm bed, and three hot meals a day, I need you to cooperate and do as I say, and in turn, I teach you some of my secrets. You know, to fight crime. I know these ecto-ropes would come in handy. Vlad was slightly rambling, but allowed his words to appeal to dannys heroism and his desire to become stronger.
Danny looked up and down, then into Vlads angered and stressed eyes. I m going to let you go, and when i do, i want you to go back to the house. Dinner is whatever you want it to be. All you have to do is ask. He stressed the last bit with heat in his words, and with a breath deeper than the marianas trench , he slowly unraveled the ropes and unclasped his hand from the ghost boys mouth.
Pride swelled in his chest when the boy took off for the castle.
He had done well.