"Huh. Vlad Masters?" Jesse's head turned to Danny. "Knows you? A guy loaded? Man, you really do have the agent stuff on lock. You don't mind if I keep this one, right?"

Elizabeth's head swiveled, papers crinkling in her grip.

"Do. Not."

"Eh." Jesse shrugged easily as he set the weapon back onto the table. "I do well enough on my own with no special agent items...mister glowy hands."

Danny smacked his forehead. Teeth gritted as he glared through his fingers at Jesse. Who was leaning against the table of weapons, a smile on his face. "I let you punch me."

"Both times?"

"I was a little distracted!"

Teeth flashing into a brilliant grin, Jesse laughed. Elizabeth groaned in unison with Danny. And then gave a weak greeting.

Reminded sharply that Vlad was still there, Danny drew back from his verbal lash out at Jesse, head swiveling over to the man who was definitely loaded.

Wiping off whatever emotion that'd been on his face (some frozen perturbed kind of look?), Vlad raised up an eyebrow and strode forward. Danny frowned. Vlad looked...off. Somehow. The man looked off. In the way he moved? Looked? Sounded?

"I see you've made a couple of new friends. That's...nice."

A flash, a flinch, a wince, a flicker of something flared. Pain? Danny furrowed his brows at Vlad as the man opened his mouth and then decided against, face smoothing out again.

Vlad smiled, hand darting out to snag the papers from Elizabeth's grip, tucking them into a folder and under his arm. "The lab and everything in it was locked for a reason, dear." Then stepped around Elizabeth, whose nose had wrinkled distastefully at the term of endearment, using his free hand to tug down the sheet to cover the huge cylindrical devices.

Clarity hit Danny hard.

Ah.

That's why those didn't look familiar. That was a current project of Vlad's, wasn't it? What was the man working on now?

"So. What brings you back, Daniel? I've kept everything is as it was. For the most part." He quickly tacked on, the smile directed at Danny strained. "Grabbing items? Mementos? Up to seeing the place? Wanting to move back home? My offer still stands, Daniel. Will always stand."

Move in with this guy?

Ugh! No way!

He'd rather punch Vlad's face in for whatever the hell the guy was plo-

I'm still here. I still exist.

Danny froze, wide eyed, panic thrumming in his chest

You still turn into me.

"NO!"

Vlad wasn't the only one frowning at Danny's loud reaction. While Vlad sighed and shook his head, tutting at the stubborn refusal to accept his hand, Elizabeth and Jesse had a different feel. One of clear concern at Danny and a studying gaze at Vlad from off to the side. Jesse followed Elizabeth's lead (well, gaze) and gave a long considering look at Vlad. And then the boy grinned, dark brown eyes glinting over to Danny from behind Vlad, as if asking for permission and proof that Vlad deserved the fist Jesse displayed.

"Oh my god, Jesse, do not."

Slumping back against the table, Jesse visibly pouted. And whined.

"Oh come on, man. I think it's deserved with your reaction."

"What is it with you being so willing to start fights lately?" Elizabeth asked, sounding peeved. "I've not heard anything since fifth grade about you in any fights and in this last week-"

"Danny's a friend." Jesse answered simply. He shrugged up a shoulder. "New, fresh, but. Been since then."

Elizabeth stared. A long time. Taking that in.

"Mallory, Cam, Danny... Friends and family. Okay. I am officially terrorified for when you fall in love and don't want to be there."

Jesse's nose wrinkled, mouth pursing. For a momentary moment. Then the familiar toothy grin came back.

"I'll make sure you have a front row seat when I declare my love."

"How do you seem to find such...protective little friends, Daniel? Much like that Samantha." Vlad muttered to himself. And Danny went stiff, chest clenching, eyes darting up to the man now standing beside him. "So willing to throw hands with those who could squash them as the insects they are."

Incensed, Danny snarled, low and dangerous.

"Not an insect."

Vlad waved him off. "Comparatively speaking, Daniel. You never answered my question. Why are you here?"

"Don't worry about it. You can keep your whatever scheme you're working on. I don't care. I got what I came here for."

"It's for you." Vlad paused. Frowned. Added on. "Partially. Mostly."

Danny rolled his eyes. "Why am I not surprised? I don't care."

A little curious and concerned, out of sheer habit, but true. Danny didn't care. It wouldn't matter. Vlad's whatever it was would fail. Because Danny wouldn't be there for it. He tightened his grip on the thermos.

Heh.

Take that Vlad.

Thwarted.

"Dare I ask what your evil grin is about?" Vlad asked dryly.

Inevitable.

"Some silly prank against me? I don't have the energy to-"

"Who are you?"

Interrupted by Elizabeth still by the table beside Jesse, their conversation over willingness in choosing violence done, Vlad lifted his head and turned attention to them.

"Beg pardon?"

Danny blinked. Reigning in his breathing and pressing a hand to his chest, centering himself. Reassuring himself. Stared up and blinked again. Surprised. Latching onto that rather than what Vlad's words dredged up.

From this angle, chin raised and from the side, the darkness underneath Vlad's eyes was more pronounced. His whole face became more pronounced at this angle from how the lighting and shadows hit. The man looked...thin and gaunt. Guess Vlad really was lacking energy. Huh. Why was he looking so horrible?

"Oh, sorry. I mean who are you to Danny."

Danny steeled himself for Vlad to be Vlad, ready to yell at the guy for being smarmy and attempting to lay some claim over Danny.

"I'm a college friend of his parents."

Danny stared.

It was such a simple and normal answer.

He shouldn't be so weirded out by that.

Muscles under Vlad's face twitched, causing the man to suck in a sharp breath and glance away.

What the hell?

Plastering on a too wide smile, Vlad went along with the niceties.

"And who are the two of you?"

Or attempt to find out more about Elizabeth and Jesse. Danny scowled. Nope. They were not going to be on Fruitloop's radar or dragged into any ghost drama and issues. Besides Cujo.

"We were just leaving, Vlad." Danny headed for the door, motioning for Jesse and Elizabeth to go in front of him. To block them from anything Vlad. "Come on, let's-"

"I gathered a close friend or assumed from what I've noticed. College friend and the glowing hands answered who you are to Danny."

Eyes wide, Danny stared at Elizabeth. Who fidgeted and hesitated, clearly wishing to say more to what she noticed. Like before Danny joined cross country. Observant and determined to...to help? Danny frowned at that. Was she going to try to help the guy she knew was dangerous?

"A mistake on my part. I did not expect to find Daniel. Or company with him."

Danny was suddenly glad he didn't ditch earlier and very concerned on what Vlad would have done to intruders.

"We should really go. Now."

"Oh come now, Daniel. I must really have the honor of getting to know these new little friends of yours. Stay a while longer. Now. Go on dear. Anything more to say? Hm. Please. Go on."

"Well. It makes a few things of what you're attempting...very thoughtful of Danny. From what he's mentioned. And I've noticed here today. That you have a good heart past being a villain wrapped up in vengeance and bitterness."

Jesse lit up, hair flying about his head. "So mister glowy hands is Plasma Ghost!"

Danny's head whipped over at Vlad, free hand grasping a hold of Jesse's sleeve to tug him back, eyes on Vlad's pale and tight face. Jesse huffed and mumbled something about being able. Danny tried to catch Elizabeth's jacket, but as the girl proved able at the mall, she avoided his attempt with a weaving side step. Danny hissed at her under his breath at her.

"Still a villain, more experienced, was trying to get you two out before he figured out who you are and now you're really pis-"

"The past makes us who we are and defines a person. Part of your life. But making it all of it, living in the past, living on the couch upstairs; it's not exactly healthy."

"What?!" Danny's attention snapped back to Elizabeth. "Vlad's been living on our couch?"

She nodded and gestured over to the large sheet. Danny followed her hand. Curious. She had an idea as to what Vlad was up to? Vlad, who was-

Danny froze. Swallowed. Panicked. This thermos was meant for him. And he really wanted to avoid and didn't plan on 'going ghost' until he found Valerie. Keeping sight on blazing red, Danny fully stepped into and invaded Elizabeth's space to grab her.

"And what I think you're attempting with c-"

"Holy fucking shit that's what those do!?"

Wall sizzling and burnt and dented above them, Elizabeth didn't fight Danny's yank and Jesse didn't argue about making punches, all three of them booked it up the stairs.

Notes: For fun, me inserting a call out as I wrote this out. The man looked...thin and gaunt. Guess Vlad really was lacking energy. Huh. Why was he looking so horrible? (Author breaks the wall: Gee, Danny, what possibly happened recently that was horrible? Hint. Look at your damn self boy. Huh. I feel like I just vibed Bobby from Supernatural there. Weird. Moving on.)