Hello snugglemuffins, sorry for the delay, half the chapter got deleted by my own stupidity and I had to rewrite 3000-4000 words...so yeah. Woops.
The Life We Fight For
Chapter 10-Whispers
Three days had passed since Danny had been seemingly possessed and he still couldn't remember a thing. The fact that someone else had been in his own body and mind bothered him greatly, he was usually the one doing the overshadowing, not the one overshadowed!
But despite this disturbing fact he had yet to explain he continued his days like nothing had happened. Oddly enough he wanted to avoid thinking of the day entirely...for obvious reason really.
Danny found himself thinking about his parents instead in the afternoon after he'd had lunch with Vlad that day. He decided to walk around a bit, and maybe visit the home theater Vlad had shown to him the day after he'd been overshadowed.
However when he turned into the hall that contained flight of stairs to the elaborate basement, he saw something that made him pause. A door, unlike the wooden and ornate ones around him but a subtle steel metallic color with a modern design, seemed to be under attack...
There was streaks of electricity running through the cracks and shooting out, but the metal was mostly containing the electricity and preventing it from ignoring the wood beyond it.
Danny had seen the door before, and when he asked Vlad about it he'd simply said he was not to go near it, as it could be dangerous inside the room or outside.
The ghosts boy's curiosity was suddenly overwhelming and he neared the door, wary of the streaks of light and shocking electricity, and listened.
He heard nothing at first, but then he could just make out a short and muffled grunt before more volts poured out and around the door. Danny's eyes widened and he couldn't help but go ghost, turning intangible and phasing through the door.
Unfortunately, he chose the wrong place and wrong time to do so.
A panicked as he saw Vlad, in ghost form, turn and thrust an electrically charged arm out in his direction and fire, only to gasp and his ruby red eyes go wide when they landed on Danny.
"Daniel!"
Danny tried to move out of the way and go intangible again, but the bolt was too fast, and it caught him on his right side. Danny gasped as the electricity shot up his chest and down his leg and he fell to the ground with a hiss of pain.
"You reckless boy!" Vlad chided indignantly, coming over to him and waiting for him to stop twitching before he knew it was safe to touch him without causing more pain. "That was almost point-blank range and a level 6 electric bolt."
"D-dunno what that means," Danny rasped. "But I know it hurt. Ever heard of overdoing it Plasmius?"
Vlad rolled his eyes and pulled the boy up to stand and let him lean against the wall. Danny finally got a good look at the huge room and realized that the whole place was covered in plants, there were at least a dozen fully grown trees planted around them!
"I wasn't trying to kill an opponent, I was attempting to strike the metal and control the electricity while it was moving through the conduit." Vlad replied, placing his hand on the door and letting a few sparks fly through the metal as example.
"Why are there trees in here?"
"Honestly Daniel, did you even take science?" Vlad shook his head. "I suppose the simplest answer is: wood may not be a prime conductor of electricity, but that's what makes it so important to master. One must have no weaknesses."
Danny considered calling Vlad a cheese head, but swallowed it down after recalling his last attempt to tease the man. So he settled for the next best thing.
"You're crazy, you know that right?" Danny muttered, pushing off the wall. His right side burned like he'd been stung by a swarm of wasps, but luckily he was in ghost form and he was sure it wasn't fetal. As Vlad had said, thankfully he hadn't been aiming to kill.
"Alright, can you walk?" Vlad said, noticing how Danny leaned his weight to his left side. The boy's suit had been singed and a clear burn was visible on his abdomen's right side.
Danny tried to move his right leg out in front of him but a spark of pain shot up his leg and he winced. Geez, that attack had packed a punch.
Vlad sighed and was about to scoop up the teenager when Danny anticipated his motives and leaned away from him.
"Um, I could just use an arm, if you don't mind." Danny said with a hint of sarcasm. Vlad resisted the urge to again roll his eyes and as Daniel reached around him to steady himself with a grip on his cape Vlad used his left arm to support the younger ghost's right side.
Together the two made it about halfway to Vlad's infirmary before Danny's pain was too aggravated to continue. However when Vlad suggested he simply teleport them the rest of the way, Danny refused.
"Your stubbornness is going to permanently injure you Daniel, let me teleport us!" Vlad argued as Danny yet again phased through his grip.
"I said no! I can float a little, and it doesn't hurt as much, I can fly the rest of the way there myself!" Danny protested.
"Oh for the love of-" Vlad stopped and took a deep breath. He hesitated a moment, a thought about what Godfrey would do...
"Daniel," Vlad tone was low and stern as he kept a steady gaze on the boy. "Your body isn't at its best even without the injury, and your energy regeneration is irregular. Even if you could hover, you wouldn't make it to the second floor without passing out."
Danny glared harshly at the billionaire. He knew his ghost half was having issues, but he wasn't weak! The fruitloop just wouldn't stop being overbearing and paranoid! But before he could retaliate with a verbal assault, Vlad continued.
"To be quite honest, you're lucky you aren't over my knee this very moment for that stunt. I know I specifically told you not to enter that room under any circumstances. Serves you right for disobeying me, that injury." Vlad saw the flustered anger in the teen's eyes and the reddening of his cheeks and hurriedly grasped the boy's good arm and teleported them to the infirmary.
"Hey!" Danny cried after he got over the sudden dizziness from the power.
Vlad ignored him and instead kept his grip tight and forced Danny onto one of the beds. Danny was forced to lay on his left side and glared at Vlad the whole time he worked to find something in a glass cabinet at the far end of the room. He had to admit though, his side hurt like hell. It had been stupid to go into that crazy room.
When Vlad returned Danny's scowl turned into a frustrated frown when he saw Vlad holding what looked like his regular energy shots, but... bigger.
"Seriously?" Danny Said with a groan. He proceeded to roll up his sleeve when Vlad stopped him and gestured to his abdomen.
"This is to be injected directly to your core. It will make the process faster." Vlad explained.
Danny bit his lip as he rolled onto his back and exposed his front. He was slightly wary but nevertheless allowed Vlad to steady the needle and pierce his chest through the jumpsuit material and into his core. It stung and Danny had to swallow down a wince but it was over quickly and Vlad was quick and efficient with getting it done.
He had to admit it felt like his core was being wrapped with new strength and he could already feel his pain ebbing away after several moments. He sat up after a few minutes and noticed it didn't take as much of an effort, but he was definitely still sore.
"I am still tempted to punish you," Vlad said, relishing in the annoyed look Danny gave him. "But I believe this experience was punishment enough. However do try and stay out of any rooms I tell you are off-limits from now on, hmm?"
"Yeah yeah, I get it already. Can I go now?" Danny said.
Vlad nodded and watched as Danny slowly but much more easily walked out of the room and in the opposite direction of the home theater the boy had no doubt been going to mess around with.
The half ghost sighed and changed into his human form. Thinking about how his heart had all but stopped when he saw Daniel right in the path of his attack. If the boy hadn't had enough common sense to move he would have teleported and had to take the bolt himself, not that he didn't already know how to disperse any electricity used on him and turn it into energy. However, it was his aggravating feeling of panic that was causing him frustration. When did he start caring about the ghost boy? Daniel was only here with him because he had to be. The teenager still thought of him as an enemy.
But Vlad was finding it harder and harder to keep seeing Daniel that way, and much more difficult to not long to see him as his apprentice, or-dare he say it- his own son. He knew he at least deserved that right infinitely more than Jack Fenton did. If only fate wasn't so unkind.
Danny sighed in contentment as he finished up the sandwich he'd asked the cook to make for him and sank into a lawn chair by the sparkling pool in the large backyard of the master's mansion. It had taken him half an hour but he'd finally convinced Godfrey to let him go outside alone, once the ghost had seen him leaving he'd insisted he accompany the halfa around. Apparently he was 'concerned about mischievous teenagers sniffing about where they shouldn't be'. Danny eventually got the overprotective butler to calm down and leave him alone, but he had in turn promised to only stay in the yard areas and not venture out into the area that stretched on into a man-made wood. Although they lived in Amity Vlad still managed to find the most private house he could.
Danny was very frustrated with how he was being treated, but he decided to deal with it in turn for relaxing and letting his bare toes dip into the cold water.
He didn't want to think about his situation, he would only come up short anyway. He was always confused with what had happened to him and the more he thought about it the less it made sense. Vlad thy was the only sane person who was close to figuring it out. He had to admit, deducing that his mother had been controlled... Danny wouldn't have thought of that. All he wanted to know was his target, and which fist he should swing first.
Danny lay back with his hands folded behind his head and closed his eyes. It was so easy sometimes to simply pretend everything was fine, that he was just kidnapped by Vlad, and he was going to be the hero again and beat the bad guy.
But like in every fantasy, reality comes to shatter it eventually.
Danny felt a wisp of blue seep out of his mouth and he cracked his eyes open in a glare. Didn't he tell Godfrey to leave him alone?
"Go 'way Godfrey." He said, staring at the sunny sky.
"Funny, I didn't know he was with us."
Danny frowned. Of course, the fruitloop couldn't leave him alone for five minutes!
"What do you want Vlad?" Danny demanded in an irritated grumble.
Vlad let out a calming sigh at the teen's attitude and sat in the chair beside him. He'd thought quite a lot after Daniel had left, and he couldn't allow things to continue as they were.
"Daniel, I have been thinking- ah ah, don't you dare comment!- and I believe it is your best interest to...get out of the house for a bit. Find something stimulating to do for a day."
At first Danny was incapable of words. Then, he growled and sat up with a glare. Vlad knew how he felt about being exposed like that. He had to be trying to get rid of him!
"If you want me gone, just say so! Our are you just trying to get me outta here for a while so I don't find out about some diabolical plan of yours?" Danny snapped at the billionaire.
"You arrogant little- I never said you had to leave!" Vlad replied. "I simply cannot let you continue doing nothing but schooling with me to stimulate you. You're a teenager, as you so often like to point out, so you need to get out and do things."
"No way, I'll get found. There's no possible way a town this small wouldn't notice me after being gone and not say something."
"For pity's sake Daniel, you're being paranoid!" Vlad pressed, standing up. He glared, his eyes matching the irritated look he was receiving.
"I'm being cautious! I got caught once Vlad. Once. And it's cost me too much already. I can't let it happen again!" Danny yelled.
"I assure you Daniel and give you an honest word that the chances of your family finding you is close to none." Vlad said sincerely but with a frown at his growing temper. "Now, whether you like it or not, you'll have to get out eventually. You were just fine when we went to the television studio."
Danny, now equally angry and ready to argue, stood and glared daggers at Vlad. He wasn't as intimidating as he wanted to be however, after all he was still a whole head and shoulders shorter than the man. And though he didn't look it now, Danny knew under that prissy suit were tough and deadly muscles he didn't want to mess with in human form. Still, his pride was on the line here, and he wouldn't let a fruitloop damage his hard won ego!
"Yeah right Plasmius! As if your word means anything to me!" Danny shouted. "And you were around during the tv thing, and I knew how important it was!" Vlad scowled, no longer in the mood for teasing.
"Perhaps if you actually looked after yourself a time or two you wouldn't be in this position in the first place!" Vlad replied with venom. "Now quit being stubborn!"
"I said no! I'm not going out there and you can't make me."
"This silly phobia of yours is downright detrimental to your well-being!" Vlad argued. "It's a large town for pity's sake, your parents will not find you as long as you are careful."
"There's no way you can be sure of that!" Danny persisted. "You didn't think they'd find me here, yet they almost did. It's only a matter of time Vlad, and I'm not about to make it shorter."
Vlad opened his mouth to retort, when suddenly, his cell phone started to ring. Danny smirked and gestured for the man to answer it, but the expression that crossed Vlad's face as the billionaire saw the caller ID almost worried him. Vlad quickly answered and brought the thing to his ear, pinning Danny with a stare that clearly told him to stay there.
"Hello, Jasmine." Vlad greeted.
Danny dropped his tensed up stance and unconsciously moved a step closer to hear his sister's voice. It had only been a few short days, but he already was feeling homesick with the loneliness that seemed to shroud the mansion in which he currently lived.
'Hello, Masters. My brother's friends and I need to meet up with Danny at the Nasty Burger, if you haven't already used him as a science experiment. My genius brother left his phone here, so I've hunted down your number instead.'
It was Vlad's turn to smirk and he drew his victorious gaze into Danny's annoyed eyes. Danny crossed his arms and looked away, still listening. As if he was going to let the fruitloop get under his skin.
"Ah, what marvelous timing. I was just in the process of convincing your dear brother to do the same." Vlad replied, all but laughing.
'Convince? Why would Danny not want to leave? What did you do Plasmius?!'
Vlad winced at the shout in his ear and Danny chuckled. His sister may have gotten the wrong idea, but if it made the fruitloop suffer, so be it.
"Oh, I've done nothing. What the paranoid child is afraid of, is being discovered." Vlad said, his eyes locking with Danny's.
"What? I'm not afr-!"
Vlad quickly put his fingers to his lips with a piercing gaze. Danny grit his teeth in anger and scowled. The billionaire ignored him and continued.
"Surely you along with Daniel's friends can dispel any-"
'Why don't you just come with us?'
Danny opened his mouth to object but Vlad beat him to it.
"I've far too much to do besides babysitting I assure you, Jasmine."
And indeed, he did. There were plenty of things he could be tending to in that span of time. Vlad couldn't help but feel annoyed by the suggestion however. How embarrassing it would be if the candidate for mayor was seen escorting four rowdy, loud-mouthed adolescents into a lowly fast-food restaurant, if it could even be called a 'restaurant'.
'Like what, fantasizing about your perfect evil family?'
Jazz's quick and witty answer caught him off guard and Vlad scowled for only a moment before his expression turned into an amused one with a glance to Daniel. The teen looked thoroughly bothered and that was enough for Vlad. Quickly gaining his composure, Vlad answered Jazz.
"...Touche."
Danny snickered as quietly as possible before thinking over Jazz's idea. He sure as heck would be one high strung hero if he was forced to go out with no ghostly back up. He was caught once, he didn't want it to happen again.
"I'll do it if you're there, but not with you in the open." Danny said, and Jazz seemed to have heard him.
'Danny? Don't worry little brother, we won't let them near you. But if having the cheese head around to keep an eye out helps any, so be it.'
"Now see here you-!" Vlad began to object, but Danny quickly interrupted, paying him no mind.
"Alright, I trust you guys, and I was getting really bored here anyways. Vlad can keep watch outside the place while we talk."
"I don't recall agreeing to do such a thing!" Vlad said indignantly.
'Great, we'll get together tomorrow morning. 10 sharp, okay Danny? well gotta go, see ya!'
The line disconnected and Vlad glared at the teen before him. These Fenton's really knew how to push his buttons!
"Well, I hope you're happy, now you can continue doing absolutely nothing in your bored state until morning." Vlad said, his voice very clearly annoyed.
"Hm, I think I can find something." Danny said, taking two steps backwards at the same time phasing out of his shoes.
Danny quickly and without ceremony stretched out his arms and fell backwards. His back was met with water and he held his breath as he fell into the pool. He remained still for a few moments, allowing the bubbles swim around him to the surface. He let the cool liquid cover him in wetness before he quickly turned once fully submerged and swam to the surface, giving the cringing billionaire a crazed smile.
"What? It's hot out here."
"...Indeed." Vlad said sarcastically, backing away in case the teen got it into his head to grab him or worse, splash his new suit. "And you know you are not to track water into my house, correct?"
Danny didn't hesitate in using his powers to fly out and turned intangible and let the droplets of water fall away. Now fully dry, Danny gave an impressive smirk in Vlad's direction.
"Ghost powers, duh-doi!"
-LINE BREAK-
It was close to dinner time now, and Vlad was sitting in his lab, finishing the final touches on a rather unimpressive piece of technology. Though by his standards a functional, million dollar spacecraft was perfectly unimpressive. He had been planning to give this 'gift' of sorts to Daniel tonight, however with their plans to go out now set for the following morning, he was torn between waiting for them to present the boy with the device.
On the outside, it seemed like a normal-albeit high end-cellphone, but Vlad had done quite a few modifications to it. For starters, the outer layer was extra solid, allowing it to be dropped, smashed, or-in occasional cases- shot with ectoplasm with no breakage or shattering. There was also a tracking device installed, however he didn't exactly plan on telling Daniel about that part. The phone could pick up and notify him about energy usage in the area as well, allowing Vlad to know if Danny was using his powers or possibly being attacked.
Vlad sighed softly and stood, taking the device with him. Might as well let the boy figure out how it worked before expecting him to use it the following morning. Besides, it was time for dinner, which was when Danny seemed to be in a better mood. He might actually accept the phone without a fuss. Ah, how a full stomach tames even the most savage of beasts.
When the halfa entered the dining room he wasn't surprised to find Daniel already there and most definitely not waiting up for him. Vlad decided to avoid sitting at the head of the table as he usually did, and sit beside the younger half ghost, who fancied sitting at least three seats away from him.
Danny barely looked up when his archenemy entered the room, but he did frown in annoyance when he didn't sit where he normally was, and instead moved the plate set out for him to his left hand side. Danny tried his best to ignore him, he'd rather not anger the man while Danny had yet to finish his food. He didn't like fighting on an empty stomach.
"I'm sure you're excited for tomorrow." Came a pathetic attempt at conversation from Vlad.
Danny wanted to scoff, or be sarcastic, or even roll his eyes in the way he knew Vlad hated. Instead, he squashed down those feelings and sat back a bit, away from where he'd been inhaling his food. If there was one thing he would miss in Vlad's place, it would be the cook. This steak was delicious.
"I guess I am." Danny answered.
Vlad decided to throw caution to the wind and pulled the phone out, setting it down beside Danny's plate. Before Danny could say anything, Vlad spoke in a casual tone,
"You'll get more use out of this than that barely kept together box of wires you have at home." With a second of hesitation Vlad continued, "My number is already there should you need it... for tomorrow of course."
Danny wanted to reject it, he desperately wanted to throw it far, far away. Who knew what kind of tech Vlad had stashed away in the little harmless looking device? Danny let his thoughts drift to his own cellphone left at FentonWorks up in his bedroom and frowned. He knew it wasn't the best thing in the world, but it had survived this long... Still, he was severely tempted to accept Vlad's...gift? Was this a gift from Vlad? A bribe maybe? Did the fruitloop expect him to be all creepy and apprentice-like now?
"Stop thinking so hard Daniel, honestly." Vlad said with a twinge of annoyance. "It is just a simple gift, just take it."
Danny picked up the phone with hesitance until he was comfortable enough seeing that it wouldn't explode on his contact. The superhero side of him was clashing with his emotional, traumatized side at the moment as he thought of what to say. He thought of expressing gratitude, but the jerk would most likely just pass it off as his hero complex or some other nonsense and ignore any thank you's given to him. If he rejected it, he would be branded as rebellious and ungrateful and most likely another argument would break out, one Danny wasn't willing to commit to at the moment.
"I..." Danny fought for the right words before just shrugging and saying, "Alright."
"Brilliant."
"One more thing." Vlad said conversationally. "The elections are happening on Monday, I do hope you're ready, it will be a long day."
Danny simply nodded, and thankfully Vlad didn't push for any further conversation. The rest of their meal was carried on in silence, which neither of them was especially upset about. Danny was finally starting to get excited about the following day, while on the flip side Vlad was planning how he would survive. Either way, it was sure to be an eventful morning.
-At FentonWorks-
Maddie Fenton stood in front of the glowing green portal in the lab with a frown on her face and tense posture. Again and again, she prayed for the voices to stop. The voices in her head that were so full of hate, and the one shouting at her to hurt her son, was the loudest of all.
She had felt off ever since that ghost had sealed and closed their deal after Phantom- no, Danny- had been in their custody. It was as if a switch had been flipped and she'd had absolutely no control of herself. But the feeling, the thrill of having a specimen so unique under her knife...was entirely too real.
'You know you want to hurt him, to cut him open and play with him till he can't scream for mercy-'
"No!" Maddie said aloud, before slapping a gloved hand over her mouth and shaking her head to clear it. She wouldn't hurt him. She could control herself, she was the genius ghost hunter of Amity!
She turned and left the soft, toxic glow of the portal behind in favor of ascending to the primary floor, and then to the stairs to her bedroom. She needed to rest.
'Danny? Don't worry little brother, we won't let them near you. But if having the cheese head around to keep an eye out helps any, so be it.'
Maddie stopped dead in her tracks. This time the voices were screaming at her. Her daughter was in her room, which she had just been passing, talking to...no it couldn't be!
Maddie cracked the door open and peered inside. Unfortunately, Jazz was the only one there. However her cellphone was most certainly grabbing Maddie's attention.
'Great, we'll get together tomorrow morning. 10 sharp, okay Danny? well gotta go, see ya!'
Maddie jumped out of sight and swiftly left the hall to her shared bedroom where her husband was eating fudge and humming to himself contentedly. His smile brightened when he saw her and gave her a wave instead of a hello since his mouth was overly full.
Maddie barely noticed. Her mind was racing. Her son, her only son and what could be the only half ghost in existence, and her daughter was meeting up with him tomorrow. She could very well storm into her daughter's room and trace her last call...
'No,' She thought grimly. Her daughter was too smart for her own good. She would have thought of that, Maddie was sure of it. 'I will have to follow her. I'll lie in wait for him, he'll never see me coming.'
With a concrete plan in mind, she headed to the lab to get to work. New inventions would have to be made, her son knew about most of their technology and how to use it against her to risk taking the same ones. She supposed it all made sense now, his sudden interest in all their paranormal activities since it greatly affected him without their knowledge.
Maddie worked late into the evening, her mind solely focused on her goal. Her son. It was odd to still have half of herself that wanted nothing more than to find him and hunt him down then tear him to pieces, and the other half that was dying to hold him in her arms like she had when he was young, and promise he would never be hurt again. But the voices wouldn't let her, she felt like a zombie, unable to do anything but what she knew.
Sadly, what she knew...was how to hunt and kill ghosts.
-At Vlad's-
Danny looked over his new phone one last time before setting it down on his nightstand. He was sure he sensed something ghostly about it, but he couldn't bring himself to care. He was too excited to get out of the mansion. Besides, as long as Vlad was vigilant in his place he could let himself relax enough to talk and hang out with his friends for a while.
He yawned and lay down on his bed with a contented sigh. He was not going to try and stay up for a while, he needed to sleep if he was going to face his fears and go out in the morning.
With that final thought in mind, Danny closed his eyes and swiftly fell into dreamland.
He was hot, like he'd been stuffed into an oven. Why was it so hot? There was a reason he shouldn't be warm, but what was it? Wait, he was a ghost, a half ghost...what were those again?
"We meet again, my little half-breed."
Danny suddenly gasped and found himself seated in a dark room that looked very similar to the rooms where criminals were interrogated in movies. He blinked as a lamp glared down on him and squinted in the light, trying to distinguish who had just spoken. He felt dizzy, like he couldn't think straight. He could hear a faint clinking of metal, an all too familiar sound.
"Who are you? Why are you doing this?" Danny asked, he tried to yell his words but it was as if he couldn't bring himself to break the softness of the pitch black room with a single light.
"You should have figured it out by now, how disappointing." The voice, dark and smooth, spoke before a ripple formed all around them and both he and the dark figure were now standing in the kitchen at the Fenton's.
Danny looked around and saw his parents. They seemed to be arguing about something, but he couldn't hear them. Danny had a sinking feeling he knew what it was they were yelling about. There was a tightness in his chest, as if it was slowly constricting him. The ghost seemed to sense his fear and sighed.
"When will you understand your existence only damages the lives of others? And this-" The scene changed to the college reunion where he and Vlad had met. "Only proves my point. You both can only cause disaster."
He saw himself and Vlad fighting and cringed when Vlad threw him through a wall, creating a large hole. Danny still couldn't think straight, his vision was slowly going blurry. The ghost was saying something, but he could just barely make out the last part.
"-So I'll use you to dispose of him for me."
Dispose of who? He didn't dispose of anyone, he was a hero! Wait, what was that again? It was important! Why couldn't he remember!?
Suddenly the gentle sound of metal grew louder and borderline deafening in his ears and he slapped his eyes over them desperately. The sound of dragging chains and now his parents vocal fight were screaming at him and Danny was forced to drop to his knees.
"Danny!" He heard more voices call his name.
"Daniel!"
"Wake up! Daniel!"
"Stop it!" Danny screamed in torment.
"Daniel, breathe!"
Danny's eyes snapped open and he gasped as felt air rush through his lungs, providing him with much needed oxygen. His toxic green irises landed on the billionaire above him, gripping his shoulders and watching him warily.
"I-I'm okay." Danny choked out. The last thing he needed was for Vlad to think he couldn't go to meet up with his friends and sister.
"You most certainly are not." Vlad replied in a stern but soft voice that he seemed to reserve just for Danny.
"What...what was I doing?" Danny asked, trying to change the subject.
"You were thrashing about and screaming your head off." Vlad said. "Then you stopped breathing. Luckily I was able to jump start your ghost core with some of my own energy and get you to change into your ghost form. That's what woke you."
Danny sat upright and Vlad eased off him, though he remained close by in case he was needed. Danny looked down at himself and noticed it was true. He was ghost. Vlad frowned and addressed the boy.
"Perhaps...tomorrow is not the best time to-"
"No!" Danny cut in. He wouldn't let Vlad's paranoia ruin this for him now. "I'm fine, it was just a dream. A stupid dream."
Vlad sighed and felt a twinge of anger at how worried he had been that he could not save Daniel just moments ago. He had been frantic, grabbing the boy and yelling for him to wake once more. Vlad suddenly gripped Daniel's forearm and pulled him forward just enough to expose his pajama-covered rear end. Without hesitating, he brought his hand down twice in rapid succession before allowing the halfa to sit down again.
"
Ow! What was that for?!" Danny cried, resisting the urge to reach back and rub out the sting.
"For worrying me." Vlad said simply. He formed a ball of energy in his hands for light, and looked at Daniel to see if he really wasn't suffering any effects of the lack of oxygen.
What he saw though, was Danny look at the light and instantly go lethargic and calm. Vlad raised an eyebrow and came closer to him. Danny seemed to lean into the orb and Vlad was shocked to see a bright green light emitting from Daniel's chest.
"Daniel, did your core feel drained when you were in the dream?" Vlad asked.
Danny's eyebrows creased in thought. He remembered he was dizzy, and his chest had hurt as well, like he couldn't breathe...but under it all, he did generally feel weak.
"Y-yeah I guess so, why? What does that mean?" Danny replied. He was slightly panicked but the energy Vlad was using in front of him was like stepping into a warm bath and having all your muscles instantly relax.
Vlad hesitated. If he was right, he would once again feel the need to ask Daniel about the lab and his mother, which would only result in Daniel being more closed off than usual since the boy decided to keep the final piece of the puzzle all to himself.
The billionaire sighed silently and intensified the energy in his hand til it turned a deep pink, almost red. He brought it to Danny's chest and just as he thought he would, Danny slumped down into the touch and his eyes began to close. Vlad was certain now,
There was something seriously wrong with the halfa's ghost energy. He was certain it had been his core alone, but now he was seeing a bigger picture. But what did not make sense to the older man was whatever Maddie did to him should no longer be affecting the teen, especially not to his extent, where he craved any ectoplasmic energy in the vicinity.
As Danny fell asleep with a sigh of contentment and one final slump forward, Vlad pondered his options. As he lay his ward down in his normal sleeping position and resisted the urge to actually tuck him in he wondered whether the nightmares Daniel had been having recently had a meaning. He then realized, he had never asked what the dream had been about.
"Oh, Daniel, what's happening to you?"
Next Chapter: An unexpected intruder attempts to capture Danny at the Nasty Burger
Hello~ I hope everyone is having a good holiday season! After Christmas and New Year's my updates will become more frequent yey~ thanks for reading and please review something you liked or disliked. (Or just say sparkle ;P)