Another update for you, my lovely readers. I hope the story is developing to your liking!
()()()
Vlad stared at Danny in alarm, still clutching the boy's wrists in hope of containing him. What on earth had got into him? Vlad's only conclusion regarding Danny's behaviour and outburst was that it had to have been a result of his post-traumatic stress disorder. Vlad had completed some of his own research around the condition, in hope that he could better understand it and ultimately be of some help to Danny. He now felt slightly more capable of communicating with the boy at least.
"Daniel?" Vlad repeated in a calm tone, "It's alright my boy, you're safe. It's alright now."
Danny was still rambling barely coherent sentences regarding some lost thermos. After a few seconds he jerked his head, and his eyes returned to their usual icy blue. He looked straight at Vlad, it was as though the 'real' Danny had reclaimed his body and he was lucid again…almost.
"I need to find that thermos!" He shouted loudly at Vlad, before snatching his wrists free of the man's grip and leaping out of the bed. Before Vlad could turn around Danny had already fled the room.
"Goin' ghost!" He cried, jumping up and transforming. He then turned intangible and dived through the floor. Vlad sighed irritably when he walked out into the hallway and discovered that Danny had vanished. He knew that it didn't take a genius to guess where the boy might be headed.
Naturally Vlad transformed also, and likewise slipped through the floor with the intention of cutting Danny off. He quickly reformed in front of the entrance to his lab, just as Danny was about to fly into it. Subsequently the young halfa barged straight into Plasmius, having not expected him to appear. He knocked both himself and Plasmius backward, tumbling into the lab having fazed through the 'secret' fireplace entrance. Skulker leapt up in surprise at the sudden commotion which just entered the lab. He smirked when he saw the two half ghosts lying in heap and struggling against one another.
"Daniel, what do you think you are doing?" Plasmius demanded, trying to pin his younger opponent.
"Get off me Plasmius!" Danny yelled, "I need to get into the Ghost Zone!"
"The only place you're going you little rat, is back to bed! Do you have any idea how insane you're acting?" Plasmius reprimanded.
"Says the crazy, mixed up, fruitloop!" Danny retorted, "Now back off!"
Danny manged to kick Plasmius back long enough to escape his grasp, only to slam into Skulker, having not realised his presence before now.
"Skulker?" Danny cried in astonishment.
"Hello, ghost child." Greeted Skulker, as he slowly reached for his blade.
"Skulker, leave him be." Ordered Plasmius, "And Daniel get upstairs now."
"No! I need to get to the Ghost Zone and you're not going to stop me." Danny declared, beginning to raise himself off the ground.
"Wanna bet?" Skulker growled threateningly, doing the same.
"Daniel you are not going anywhere near the Ghost Zone. You have no business there and even if you did I would be foolish to let you go wondering around there, considering that only a few moments ago you were rambling nonsense and practically in a psychotic state." Plasmius affirmed.
"What do you know about my business, Plasmius?" Danny hissed at the man, "This has nothing to do with you so back off!"
Skulker squared up further to the young half ghost, "You seem to forgot who you are dealing with here, whelp!"
Plasmius gathered his thoughts for a second whilst Skulker averted Danny's attention.
"Alright Daniel," Plasmius called, both ghosts turned and looked at him, "If you tell me what your intentions are in the Ghost Zone, I'll not stand in your way."
Skulker raised his eyebrows at Plasmius, was he actually reasoning with the ghost child? Danny also stared at the older halfa, stupefied by the man's offer. However, he still felt no obligation to share with Vlad the reasons why he needed to go into the Ghost Zone.
"Forget it Plasmius, I don't need to tell you anything and you are not going to stand in my way!" Danny yelled, before darting towards the man's ghost portal. However Skulker was equally as fast, and caught hold of Danny's arm. He then reached out and shocked him with the Plasmius Maximus which he held in his other free hand. Danny cried out in pain and shock as he felt the adapted electricity travel through his nervous system. He quickly reverted back to his human form, and Skulker dropped him on the floor.
Plasmius also returned to his human form, and sighed at the mechanical ghost. "Was that really necessary, Skulker?"
"What? Isn't that basic parenting, punishing the child when he does not comply?" Skulker retorted, putting on an innocent tone.
Vlad choose to ignore his sarcastic comment and walked over to the weakened Danny, who was struggling to stand. "Come on Daniel, let's get you upstairs." Vlad said, trying to steady the boy.
"Gerrroff!" Danny mumbled, in defeated protest. Vlad took Danny's arm and began to walk him out of the lab.
"Hey Plasmius, when you're ready to call it a day, I've got a nice cage with that little rat's name on it!" Skulker called after them, laughing. Vlad gave the ghost hunter a heated glare, choosing not to respond.
()()()
Vlad sat Danny down at the dining table and swiftly retrieved him a glass of water. Danny downed the glass in a matter of seconds, feeling relief from the coldness as it travelled down his throat. He was still feeling a little hazy from receiving the shock from the Plasmius Maximus. He noticed that Vlad was still hovering and he gave him a very dark scowl.
"I don't know why you're looking at me like that, Daniel." Vlad said, "If you had only cooperated then Skulker wouldn't have felt the need to interfere like he did. But then again, cooperation just doesn't comply with you does it? Your teenage stubbornness puts a strain on it very nicely."
"Why don't you just leave me alone?" Danny demanded, "You don't own me Plasmius, and get this straight, you never will."
"Oh for goodness sake, why can't you just accept that I might be willing to help you Daniel? Did you stop to think that you were putting yourself in danger by intending on simply flying through the Ghost Zone? And I will inform you, once again, that where danger is concerned with you, I have a legal obligation to interfere." Vlad snapped at the boy.
"Well I don't want or need you to!" Danny yelled back.
"Oh, that's where you're very wrong, my boy. I believe you need help more than ever. So, I'll start by asking what I already know about," Vlad began, sitting down on a chair opposite Danny, "What is this 'lost thermos' you were referring to, hm? You off chasing ghosts even in your nightmares Daniel? How very sad."
Danny scowled further at the man, having been condescended. "It's not just some dream, Plasmius. It's a real thermos with a very powerful ghost inside it, and if he gets out everyone is going to be in danger! So I need to find Clockwork and-"
Danny cut himself off. Vlad raised his eyebrows at the boy. Danny knew the jig was up now, now that Vlad knew that he was trying to find and engage with the spirit of time, he would really put his foot down now! The boy sat in silence and turned his head away, bracing himself for Vlad's response.
"Daniel…who's Clockwork?" Vlad questioned
Danny immediately turned himself back and stared at Vlad in disbelief. He had never heard of Clockwork? How was that possible? Well, it was true that Danny himself had only recently heard of the time master, but Vlad had been half ghost for twenty years now and he was always roaming around the Ghost Zone and up to no good. Surely at some point during all this time Vlad would have encountered Clockwork, or at least come across his tower? Still, the fact that Vlad didn't know who he was gave Danny the opportunity to backtrack, and prevent Vlad from learning anything else.
"Erm…No one. I-I don't know, I'm not thinking straight, Skulker must have had that shock thingy on a high voltage." Danny mumbled, rubbing his head for effect.
Vlad smirked and raised an eyebrow, "Oh, please. Daniel did you honestly think you could fool me with that? You are a terrible liar, my boy."
Danny frowned at the man, "It's the truth! He must have shocked me twice as high as you did that time in the woods. I'm surprised I didn't die!"
"Quit getting off the subject boy, who is Clockwork?" Vlad demanded.
Danny sat and looked at the man for a few seconds, trying to think up a more convincing lie. However he was distracted by his ghost sense going off. Vlad sensed it too,
"Skulker, what are you doing here?" Vlad commanded at thin air. Skulker appeared from behind Danny's chair and give both halfa's a crafty smirk. Before he had time to answer Vlad's question, Vlad continued on,
"Never mind. Have you seen or heard of a ghost known as Clockwork?" He asked his employee.
Danny held his breath, Skulker raised an eyebrow, "Clockwork? What kind of name is that? No I don't know any ghosts by that name, and believe me Plasmius, I get around the Ghost Zone. Why? Is the whelp setting you up?" Skulker asked, squaring up to a sullen Danny.
"It would seem so." Vlad answered, "Did you want something, Skulker?"
"Huh? Oh yes. Fright Knight is here." Skulker responded casually.
"What?" Yelled Vlad, disbelieving the horrendously poor timing.
"Yeah, he's about to break through your portal any-"
Skulker was cut off by a loud flaming black and purple ghost horse barging into the room, with his owner, the Fright Knight riding it and waving his sword as though he had charged on to a battle field. Vlad's jaw dropped out of shock over Fright Knight's unexpected arrival, Danny shrunk into his chair slightly, aware that he was currently powerless and therefore defenceless. Skulker watched the events before him, only slightly intrigued by the Fright Knight.
"Vlad Plasmius!" Bellowed the Fright Knight.
"Fright Knight." Vlad greeted calmly, transforming as he did so.
"Plasmius, you have been avoiding me for too long," declared the Fright Knight, "I have no choice but to-"
Fright Knight stopped mid-sentence when he caught sight of Danny. Danny froze, wondering if his death would be fast or slow.
"The-The ghost child!" Cried Fright Knight. He leapt down from his stallion and threw himself down on the floor in front of Danny. Skulker and Plasmius's jaws dropped in shock by Fright Knights actions. Danny's eyes widened and he pulled his feet up on to the chair, trying to distance himself from the ghost.
"Ghost child, you saved us all! You defeated Pariah Dark! I am forever in your dept." Fright Knight declared.
"Uh…" Danny mumbled in confusion. Did this guy forget that only a few months ago he had attacked and terrorised his town on Halloween night? Plasmius scowled, feeling somewhat underrated, as he had convinced the Fright Knight to leave the Ghost King's side and gather the other ghosts to help defeat him. In fact it had been he who had locked the sarcophagus when Danny had closed him in! He was just as responsible for defeating Pariah Dark as Danny was, surely? Plasmius walked over to the bowing Fright Knight and cleared his throat.
"You came to see me, did you not?" Plasmius asked, wondering if he would regret bringing it up. The Fright Knight stood up.
"Ah, yes. I believe you owe me a favour Vlad Plasmius." He stated, "But I must ask, why is the ghost child here at your abode?"
Plasmius glanced at Danny, knowing that sharing his story would be painful for him to hear, and he also probably didn't want his business spread around the Ghost Zone.
"Well, due to unfortunate recent events the ghost child has been subjected to staying with me." Plasmius answered simply.
"You have taken in the one who defeated The Ghost King?" Fright Knight bellowed with astonishment. "I thought you were selfish and conceited Vlad Plasmius, clearly I've misjudged you."
Plasmius frowned from learning what Fright Knight's first impressions had been of him. Danny frowned because he couldn't believe that Fright Knight thought his first impressions of Plasmius had been incorrect. Skulker smirked because he found this whole situation hilarious.
"If you are assisting the ghost child Plasmius, consider your dept. with me cleared." The Fright Knight continued. He then looked at Danny also, "I will forever be at both your services." The ghostly knight then mounded his horse and fled the room, returning to presumably the Ghost Zone. The remaining ghost and half ghosts stayed in silence for a few seconds after he left, comprehending the strange event which had just taken place.
()()()
"I'd say you got off pretty lightly there, Plasmius." Skulker said to his employer a few minutes later, "What a nut job!"
"That guy hated my guts not that long ago," Danny pondered out loud, "I can't believe he didn't try to waste me!"
"Yes, well these things happen when you're dealing with diluted medieval ghosts." Plasmius responded in an almost bitter tone.
"Easy Plasmius," Skulker said, "its comments like that that destroy newly formed alliances!"
"Quite right." Plasmius commented. "Well Skulker, it seems I no longer require you're services at present time. Why don't you head back to the Ghost Zone for the time being? I'll be in touch."
"You better. We need to discuss the subject of my payment!" Skulker smirked, as he prepared to leave.
"Of course. Oh, and whilst you're there, why don't you keep an eye out for Daniel's mystery ghost, Clockwork?" Plasmius laughed, setting a hand on a scowling Danny's shoulder.
"Haha! Yeah right!" Skulker called as he headed to the lab to exist via the portal.
Plasmius reformed into his human half and continued to smirk at Danny, "I must say Daniel, you must have quite interesting dreams to have come up with that one!"
Danny clenched his fists in anger, tired of feeling patronised and humiliated, "It wasn't a dream! He is real!" Danny was not going to take this argument lying down. He already had intentions of taking Fright Knight up on his offer, and asking him for help with locating Clockwork's tower in the Ghost Zone. Fright Knight had been around for a really long time, surely he would know something?
Vlad gave Danny a cold stare, and walked closer to the boy. "Really? Because just before Fright Knight showed up, you were trying your best to deny his existence." Danny gulped, realising he had been badly caught out.
"Stop lying to me Daniel! Tell me what is going on!" Vlad loudly demanded.
"No, it's nothing to do with you!" Danny argued.
Vlad glared at Danny, "You can't hide from me here Daniel, sooner or later I will find out what's going on with you so you may as well make it easier for both of us. I don't know if you're aware of just how severe your mental health condition is, but if you wish to continue to drive yourself crazy then be my guest! It'll make my life much easier having you locked away in an asylum."
"I'm not crazy!" Danny shouted.
"Oh you're not? Daniel, you've only been rambling about some 'lost thermos' and a magic ghost called Clockwork who no one has heard of. Now, you have been in hospital previous to being here, so how on earth would you have encountered this ghost or lost this thermos?" Vlad challenged.
"You don't understand." Danny debated. "It was before that…it was during the accident that it was all happening."
Vlad stared at Danny for a few seconds, thinking about what the boy had just said. "You're quite right Danny, I don't understand." Vlad sat down on a chair, "Could you tell me what happened?"
Danny didn't really want to relive it, but he knew it was the only way he could get Vlad off his back. It was clear the man was digging hard, he even called him Danny instead of Daniel.
"Well there was this ghost, this really evil ghost. I was trying to stop him, because if I didn't he was going to terrorise the human world and ghost world. It was because of him that I couldn't save them in time…I caught him but he had tied them to the boiler. The explosion knocked me out…and that's how I lost the thermos." Danny explained sadly. "Do you get it now? I have to find that thermos and keep it safe, who knows what could happen if that ghost escaped."
Vlad sighed deeply. He honestly did not know how to respond to the boy, for that certainly was not the answer he was expecting. "Is…Is that really what you think happened, Daniel?" Vlad asked him calmly.
"Yes. Of course it's what happened! Do you really think I would have just let them die?" Danny yelled.
"No, but…but what makes you think that a ghost attacked, that he tied them to…to the boiler did you say?" Vlad asked, "Why your friends and family, why not anyone else at the Nasty Burger?"
"What are you talking about, Plasmius? No one else was there, Just mom, dad, Jazz, Sam, Tucker and Mr. Lancer." Danny snapped.
"Mr. Lancer? Daniel, who is Mr. Lancer?" Vlad queried, his confusion increasing.
"Jeez Plasmius! Didn't you read the paper?" Danny shouted, "Lancer was my teacher. He was meeting my parent's at the Nasty Burger to talk about my C.A.T test, because he knew I cheated. Jazz went along to try and defend me, and Sam and Tucker were trying to cover for me while I fought the ghost. Everyone else had ran away from the place because the ghost had showed up and that's why they were the only ones who got attacked and killed."
Vlad looked sadly at Danny, "Daniel, your story doesn't make any sense."
"It's not a story you twisted weirdo, it's what happened!" Danny yelled in frustration.
"No Daniel, it's not." Vlad said calmly. "You're friends and family weren't the only ones who perished in the accident. There were ten other citizens plus staff who were there at the time of the explosion. And Daniel, there had been no ghost sighting and no one named Lancer was identified."
Danny's eyes widened in horror, "No, no that doesn't make sense! That's not what happened, Lancer-"
"Lancer spoke at Jazz's memorial service Daniel. He is very much alive, and as for that spiel about you cheating on your C.A.T, not only does that exam take place in summer, we are currently in February, but you wouldn't have it in you to cheat on a test!" Vlad argued.
"No! No, you're lying I need to find that thermos. Clockwork has it! He took it when I was unconscious, he-"
"Daniel, Daniel slow down. Do you hear what you are saying? Clockwork took it when you were unconscious? Think about it, how would you know that he took it and that he has it if you were unconscious when he did so?" Vlad gently challenged the boy." Daniel, don't you see what you have done? Your mind has made up fictional memories about the accident and events supposedly leading up to it to help you cope with your loss. Sadly I think it's done the opposite, and you have horribly distorted the facts. You've made yourself believe that you failed them and you didn't save them, when realistically you were a victim yourself. You stunned the doctors Daniel, no one understood how you survived. It was your ghost half that helped you to hold on."
Danny stared at Vlad in utter shock and disbelief. There was no way he made it up! Vlad was probably trying to make him crazy and confuse him. Danny decided that he would have to tell Vlad about the origins of the evil ghost, maybe then he would understand the seriousness of the situation.
"No Vlad, you're wrong. The ghost…the ghost that attacked, it was me. Well it was us, future us. On a different timeline you ripped out my ghost an then it ripped out yours and it fused together and became really really evil and-"
"Daniel no, no stop. What you're saying never happened. Think about it. Different timelines, future evil you, me ripping out your ghost half? Do you honestly belief that any on that is possible?" Vlad asked gently.
Danny was silent for a few seconds. "But…But Clockwork-"
"He doesn't exist Daniel. None of those things do. You've completely distorted everything and you've been having these irrational flashbacks, it's a symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder. The psychologist was right." Vlad explained.
He noticed that Danny was beginning to tear up, and he felt a pang of sympathy for the boy, it had been a lot to take in. Vlad also felt guilty that he had been the one to set Danny straight, and yet confuse him further. Vlad gently placed a hand on Danny's shoulder.
"But it's going to be okay," He said gently, "You don't have to worry about those things anymore. We'll get things sorted out for you."
Danny looked at Vlad, he couldn't take this pain. He felt like he had been living a lie, what else had he made up? Feeling confused and broken, he gave up and collapsed against Vlad, leaning against him whilst Vlad put a comforting arm around him. Vlad tried his best to try and soothe the boy, but he felt incredibly out of his depth. What was he going to do now?
()()()
Phew! That was an eventful chapter! What do you think of that little twist I threw in there? I knew I'm really screwing the TUE storyline but I'm trying to be original. Anyway I hope I haven't confused anyone too much, I've confused myself if that helps! Let me know what your thoughts are and I shall return with another update soon-all being well!
xseriouslyx