I was going to wait till waaaay later to post the rest of PowerPlay series since there are other drabbles in the CM/EG universe I wanted to post first. But, eh...It's already written... So, Merry Christmas!
Please be sure to read the previous parts of this mini series before reading Part 5 below.
Timeline in relation to Endgame [and in their respective order]:
Powerplay Part 1 [Many years after Endgame. Danny is twenty-six]
Powerplay Part 2 [2 years after Part 1]
Powerplay Part 3 [continuation of part 2]
Powerplay Part 4 [continuation of part 3]
Powerplay Part 5 [continuation of part 4]
Note: This is a future drabble. Danny is 28. That means his character and reactions will be different than when he was a kid.
Also, warning, this is a tad dark. Just a bit.
PowerPlay Part 5
A week-and-a-half had gone by since the hybrids' encounter with Chief Goshiek and his clan. And it had been quite an unpleasant several days.
With the gravity of injuries and stress to their cores, it had taken them much longer to heal and recover than normal. Fortunately, neither suffered any lasting injuries, except for a few new battle scars.
Nevertheless, it had been years since Vlad had needed a ghost doctor's services. But the man knew that even with all his knowledge of human and ghost anatomy and his collection of medicinal plants and supplies, Daniel's injuries had been beyond anything he could have handled on his own. And the fact that he had been out of commission himself further warranted the need of a medical expert. Not to mention, human medical intervention had been out of the question. He could only imagine the questions that would have surged at bringing in someone with wounds similar to shark bites.
It was fortunate that the ghost doctor had managed to provide enough aid to help them recover. Vlad had also used his unique ability to aid the younger hybrid's body and core with regenerating his lost tissue—not that Daniel knew this. And it was not something he needed to know about any time soon.
But thanks to all that, Daniel had bounced back even quicker than Vlad had. The younger man would, of course, have some scarring. But it was fine. It wasn't the first time either of them got into a serious battle that left a scar here and there. If anything, both Daniel and he were lucky that thanks to their ghostly healing, most of their injuries never left scars. Otherwise, they would both be walking cases of abstract art after all these years.
As for Vlad, his physical injuries healed completely with the exception that he lost part of his left pinky due to frostbite. And he had some skin removed in parts of his arm because of the decaying cells; so now he had a few new scars of his own.
The worst of it was probably the phantom pains in his hands and feet after practically being frozen alive.
He had experienced being frozen in the past, of course. But his core had always been fully functional, protecting his body from real damage. It was not the case this last time. He was fortunate he had not lost more digits, or his entire extremities from how badly he had been frostbitten.
Then, to add insult to injury, he, of course, caught a cold, too. And one he had still to fully recover from, no less…
But he supposed he shouldn't complain. After all, things could have been so, so much worse. He could handle a mere cold. He could even handle the fact that it had taken them much longer to recover than usual; it was especially true for him.
He would take it if it meant his protégé was safe and out of danger. Yes… all things considered they were both doing very well. The truth was Daniel and he got very lucky.
Not that Vlad believed in luck. The concept left a sour note in his stomach each time he thought about it. And that was the actual problem, wasn't it?
He couldn't stop thinking about it. He wanted to be thankful for their 'luck'. He was. But the truth… the fact of the matter was that should have never happened.
And as much as he wanted to move on from it, he could not. It bothered the older hybrid greatly. So much in fact that he didn't even notice how much he had been silently brooding over the past several days.
Danny, however, had noticed.
The younger man especially noticed the other man's seclusion. It had been a while since Danny had seen the other hybrid so… withdrawn. At first, the young man thought his guardian was just not feeling well. But when Vlad would barely cross words with him, except to ask how he felt, Danny knew something was wrong. But more than that, Danny got the feeling more and more that the other hybrid was avoiding him—or perhaps avoiding their pending conversation over what had happened.
That was probably Danny's biggest issue with Vlad's behavior. The fact that he had not once taken any kind of initiative to talk about what had happened. And when Danny tried to talk about it, the man cut their conversation short in one form or another.
At first, the younger hybrid had been concerned. Then, he was a bit curious and confused over Vlad's behavior. Now… Danny had had enough.
If he was still a kid, Danny probably would have marched over to the man and demanded an explanation and would have thrown some kind of tantrum if the man ultimately refused one.
But if anything, over the years, Danny had learned there were other ways to get what he wanted from the older hybrid.
After all, you do not form a bond with a man like Vlad Masters and not learn the art of subtle manipulation…
It sounded awful. He was sure the younger version of himself would be appalled at the idea of using such tactics. But Danny had long since left behind such a black and white view of right and wrong.
If a bit of manipulation was what it took to get to the bottom of what was going on with his guardian, then so be it….
In fact, this was exactly the thought that had led them to the simulation room.
Danny had suggested for them to train together to make sure they were both fully recovered. And while Vlad had been reluctant at first, Danny's insistence paid off.
At least the young man had been able to get the older man into the simulation room. Unfortunately, the guy was still questioning their need to be here at all…
"Daniel, do you really think this is necessary right now?" Vlad asked with a frown. "Your core might be back to normal but given the gravity of your physical injuries it wouldn't hurt to wait a few more days before you exert your body again. I personally do not believe you are fully recovered yet…"
"I'm recovered enough, Vlad," Danny answered dismissively before he commanded the room. "Run analysis program. Minimum combat mode."
Vlad said nothing and just watched his protégé walk over to the computer screen that appeared on the closest wall.
Danny stood shirtless with a white wrapping around his abdomen and around his injured arm. And while his body had healed the wounds, he was still keeping the glowing wrapping on to protect the recently healed wound sites.
As Danny provided the room the specific analysis commands, he noticed the silence.
"Log completed. Initiating analysis program with basic combat mode…," the room announced before the computer screen vanished back into the wall.
Danny became Phantom as he turned back towards the older hybrid. But at seeing Vlad stay human, he raised an eyebrow and commented, "I'm surprised you didn't bring us in here sooner yourself…"
"I have already conducted a health scan on both of us…," the man answered. "It's one of the first things I did after all that…"
"You didn't mention it."
"I found nothing worth mentioning," Vlad answered right away. "At least not anything we could not feel ourselves… And what the doctor confirmed."
"Yeah, shocked cores. Slow healing… Painful injuries… I know about all that," Danny replied with a shrug. "I am referring to the whole core-transfer thing. It's really why I wanted us to come here. It's a new ability, Vlad. I don't know about you, but it's been on my mind since we managed it at the cave… We should try to learn more about it. I'm curious to know how exactly it affects our cores... You know, the whole biological aspect of it… I say it definitely needs a deeper exploration now that we're not in mortal danger… Don't you think?"
"I am not sure that is a good idea, Daniel…"
Danny looked thoughtfully at his guardian at hearing his uncertainty. "Why not?"
"You are not fully recovered," Vlad answered again.
"My core is… And you know my wounds are pretty much healed. Why are you hesitant? At that cave, we agreed we needed to explore this new… ability. It's important."
But when Vlad did not answer, Danny's eyebrows creased with concern and he added, "Unless…Are you still feeling sick? Or… is it your core? Did the whole freezing thing…?"
"I'm fine, Daniel," Vlad answered and took a step back when the younger man slightly raised his hand with the intention of touching his core.
Danny frowned further at that.
But then Vlad sighed deeply, and finally said, "Daniel… Do not take this the wrong way, but the truth is that after what happened… I am not very inclined to be anywhere near the effects of your cold core for the moment."
Danny chuckled. "Aww, Masters… Are you afraid of my apex core?"
But Vlad just frowned deeper. He was used to the other hybrid's need to joke about serious things, like near death experiences. It was his way of coping, he supposed. But… Vlad could not bring himself to even pretend to be amused with Daniel's attempt to lighten the mood.
"Daniel, what happened to us… It's no laughing matter."
The younger hybrid's smile instantly fell. It was not so much because of the man's response. But rather that the man had just purposely avoided answering him. And that only heightened his belief that something was definitely going on with his guardian.
The man was still keeping things from him. And Danny didn't like it one bit.
"You know I would never hurt you… Not purposely," Danny said soberly.
"I know… And I do not want to accidently hurt you…. This is why I do not think exploring this core-transfer ability is a good idea at this time. What we did in that cave. It was out of necessity, Daniel. It could have easily killed us. No, we are not ready for that."
Phantom frowned. He was sure his guardian meant 'he' was not ready for that—as in Danny was not ready. It irritated the younger man at best when the other hybrid still treated him like a kid… Or, it's how it felt when he said things like that.
Danny tried to control his sudden irritation; but he was not able to keep it completely out of his voice as he replied, "We transfer energy all the time, Vlad… It's how our synchronized energy is formed. And I have used your core energy before… This is just the next step. I'm surprised you out of all people would be so against this... You are always the one who likes to explore and develop our abilities…"
"Yes, as long as it is safe for us to do so," Vlad answered growing more serious with the other hybrid's insistence.
"Safe?" Danny scoffed. "Seriously? That went out the door the day we both became half-ghosts. Nothing we ever do is safe. And you know that."
"Daniel, I have no experience in wielding a cold core," Vlad replied, now annoyed. "And you… You might use some of my core energy from time to time, for brief moments, but that doesn't suddenly mean you have any idea on the effort it takes to keep my type of core stable. Just trying to hold my core energy in short moments within your core is stressful to your core at best. Instead of insisting on this, you should consider yourself lucky you were even able to control my core in that cave. Forgive me, if I am not inclined to tempt our fate a second time just to simply experiment with an ability we are not ready for. Do you not understand? We could kill ourselves...or hurt others… You need to trust me on this. Just because we can do something, does not mean we should. Not all powers are… beneficial."
"Now you are using my words aganist at me?" Danny shook his head. "You are being dramatic again, Masters. Do you really think I don't know that?"
Danny stared back in a mixture of annoyance and grimness as he further said, "You think I don't know what I did in that cave was dangerous? That we could have both died? You think I don't know the risks when it comes to our powers by now? But you know what I also know? I know we would both be dead now if I hadn't taken that risk! I know it would have been on me! And I know that if we master this ability it could save our lives again if something like this would ever happen!"
"That will never happen again," Vlad replied gravely.
Danny fell quiet with those words. "You cannot…"
"It will not happen again because I will never let us be so careless again," Vlad cut him off.
Danny sighed and passed a hand through his hair before saying, "Just be honest with me…What are you really afraid of?"
Vlad instantly looked agitated again. "I am worried that you have no hesitation about trying something that could have killed us, Daniel! Why is this so hard for you to understand?! You want me to be honest? Fine. I think it was just pure luck and adrenaline that got us through that! And that was the only reason we managed to transfer cores in that moment… You know how I feel about luck… And you should also know better by now."
Now Danny was completely annoyed. "So, do we just ignore this then? Pretend this new ability doesn't exist? Sounds like a great strategy, Masters," he said sarcastically.
Danny turned away with a wave of a hand. "Do what you want. I'll figure it out on my own… Wouldn't be the first time."
Vlad sighed as he slipped his hands into his pant pockets, and watched as the younger man went over to a metal target at the center of the room. Dannythen began to throw energy beams at it.
The target, in turn, easily absorbed the energy without damage while the room took readings.
"Daniel… Do not be upset with me," the older hybrid muttered. "You cannot blame me for being perturbed by all that happened… We might not have many who would dare challenge us nowadays, but this proved there will always be some that will try. I told you… we have gotten too comfortable. More than ever we need to be cautious. Our physical injuries might all but have healed by now, but you cannot tell me you were not affected by what happened in other ways? …I, for one, still keep having nightmares about that beast tearing into your flesh…"
Danny just glanced at his guardian, but he said nothing, and just returned to shooting at the target.
The older hybrid frowned. The man had been so focused on their conversation he had not bothered to feel the other hybrid. But with that brief glance, Vlad had felt something from Danny. It had been strong enough to make him realize the young man's insistence on this new power was about more than he was telling him.
In fact… now that he was analyzing Daniel further, he could sense the younger man was really upset about something else… He felt almost… resentful… towards him?
"Don't do that," Danny suddenly said seriously as he stopped firing at the target and looked almost angrily at the other man. "Don't go digging for answers. Just ask me."
Vlad stared back soberly. This definitely was about more than his protégé was letting on…
He didn't know why, but Danny's expression suddenly reminded him of how he had looked at that creature just before he…
"…Why was that creature even around?" Vlad asked carefully. "I thought Frostbite was going to take care of him."
Danny looked away and suddenly fired an ice beam at the target.
Vlad instantly felt the effects of his protégé's cold core. And he resisted the shiver that gripped at his spine. And yet, he subtly took a step away.
"Frostbite told me a while back he had never been able to locate the gargoyle leader. I didn't tell you because I thought it wasn't a big deal… I guess I just thought if he showed up, we could handle him."
Danny's eyes narrowed bitterly on the target before he fired a stronger ice beam.
"I never thought that monster could do… all that," Phantom then muttered.
Vlad sighed. "I wish you would have just told me…"
"Says the man who loves to keep secrets," Danny replied with a scoff as he moved away from the target and walked back over to his guardian.
"Secrets? What are you….?"
"That's not really what you wanted to ask me… is it?" Danny cut him off as he crossed his arms.
This time, the man hesitated. Looks like the other hybrid was digging too… But while that should have upset him, Danny was right. There was a question that had been circling his mind after what happened…
He had not really had any intention to ask it, but…. It seemed the young man already knew.
"Why did you destroy that ghost?"
Danny raised an eyebrow. "Isn't it obvious? A creature that can separate our synchronized energy, that can use our bond against us…? He was too much of a threat to us and honestly to Existence itself. You would have done the same. Heck, Frostbite had been looking for him to do the same."
"Yes… I would have done the same," Vlad muttered in agreement. "I had every intention of destroying that beast slowly and painfully…. But… you are not me. And you are not Frostbite."
Danny scoffed again and shook his head. "Is that what all this is about? Is that why you have been avoiding me all this week? Why you wouldn't talk with me about what happened until now that I had to practically corner you in here? … Is that why you don't want to try the core-transfer again? Am I suddenly not acting righteous enough for my guardian to trust me with his core?"
"Now you are being ridiculous," Vlad snapped back this time. "This has nothing to do with your moral values, or any lack of trust on my part! And I have not been avoiding you! If I did not talk with you about this until now it's because you were gravely injured! What part of 'we almost died' do you fail to understand?! What part of that power being dangerous is not sinking in?!"
Danny shook his head again. But by the angry look on his face, it was obvious the younger hybrid was fed up.
"Do you know how old I am?"
"I am not treating you like a child," Vlad replied, knowing where this was going.
"No? Then, stop lying to me!" Danny replied with a sudden glare.
"I am not lying to you," Vlad answered with gritted teeth.
Danny suddenly transformed into his elevated form, and he felt the man tense the moment his cold core became stronger… Then again, the older hybrid had been tense from the moment he had used his cold core to fire at the target earlier.
This whole time he had been fighting the need to turn into Plasmius so the other hybrid would not catch on just how afraid he was…
Danny had pretended not to notice; but there was no denying it now. And if he wasn't so upset with the other man's distrust and insistence to treat him like a child, he would have perhaps reacted differently…
But right now, Phantom cared little for Vlad's discomfort. He would get the truth from the older hybrid one way or another…
"Whatever you are thinking… Don't," Vlad warned seriously.
But Danny ignored him as he suddenly commanded the room, "Activate elemental training program."
"Daniel…."
"Do you remember what happened when we fought that future version of ourselves?" Phantom asked as the room slowly began to turn colder. "You act like it's outside of my character to have destroyed that creature… But he isn't the first ghost I destroyed, Vlad. I was only sixteen back then, but I understood something that day. I understood that sometimes… a Fenton thermos isn't enough. I don't like it. I am not proud of it. But just like evil Phantom, if I would have let that ghost go in that cave, he would have come back for us. He would have grown too powerful and endangered us, the Far Frozen, and eventually Existence. So, yes, Vlad… I destroyed him. So, now that we've talked about something… you already know, then let's address the real issue here…. Tell me the truth. About us. I deserve to know."
The older hybrid's eyes widened briefly as it all suddenly clicked in his mind what this was really about... The younger man's insistence on talking about what happened, his sudden obsession with this new power… and the resentment he felt towards him. It all stemmed from the simple fact that Vlad had yet to share with him something about their bond he learned a few years ago.
"Is that what you think this is about?" the man asked in disbelief.
"It is exactly what this is about!" Danny snapped back. "It might be my fault that we got ambushed like that; but the fact that you have been keeping from me knowledge about our bond also put us in danger! If it had not been because Juukka once told me that it is possible for ghosts with supernatural bonds to exchange cores, we would both be dead! Because this is what you do every time we need to talk about the development of our bond! When I keep asking you to just tell me, you ignore it, or you tell me we need to wait!"
"Heck!" Danny exclaimed with a hand gesture. "I have been waiting all week for you to come out with it… I thought this near-death experience would finally knock some sense into you! That you would understand why it's important for you to do the right thing, and just tell me!"
Danny glowered at him. "I'm tired of waiting, Masters. I want the truth. Right now. What is so troubling to you about our bond that has you so hesitant to develop it further?!"
Vlad finally noticed that the room had grown so cold, he was shivering. And he finally turned into Plasmius to keep his body temperature stable.
But as if Danny had been waiting for it, he quickly dropped his core temperature to subzero, and their surroundings immediately turned frigid enough for ice to begin to form on the walls.
"Initiating protective thermal regulation," the room announced.
"Bypass regulation," Danny quickly commanded to stop the room from adjusting the dropping temperature.
Vlad narrowed his eyes on the other half-ghost as he instinctively swelled the heat around his core to keep the cold from affecting him.
"Stop it, Daniel," he warned angrily.
While he felt angry with his protégé's clear intention, Vlad could not help but also feel a bit wary of what the other was doing. It reminded him a bit too much of what happened to him in that cave.
And the worst part was… Danny knew it.
The younger hybrid did not reply and just watched as Plasmius carefully studied him… Or was his guardian sizing him up like he would be an unknown threat?
By now, the younger hybrid had already felt how the other man had closed off their connection to keep him from finding out whatever the man was hiding. But he did not need to get into Vlad's mind or feel his emotions to see how wary the other hybrid was.
"Was that ghost right? About us?" Danny asked seriously. "Are you afraid of me, Vlad? Are you afraid of what my core could do to yours? …Does it bother you that... I could be more powerful than you?"
"Why would that bother me? Or… should it? Would you use it against me?" Vlad countered, clearly upset.
"I cannot believe you would even ask me that!" Danny hissed back.
"Why wouldn't I?" Plasmius snapped back. "When you are currently challenging me! … Is that what you want, Daniel? You want to see if you really are powerful enough to subdue your guardian?"
When the other hybrid did not answer, Vlad allowed more of his hot energy to expand and the ice that had formed began to crack and sweat as he attempted to raise the temperature back to normal.
Back off, Daniel…
But Danny did the opposite and instantly reacted to the other man's attempt to take back control of the room's temperature by releasing more ice energy.
Vlad narrowed his eyes at the other hybrid, and it was the only indication of how furious he was. He was not going to entertain this foolishness any longer.
"We're done here," Plasmius muttered to the other half-ghost. He then changed back in spite of the frigid temperature.
"Deactivate all programs," Vlad commanded the room before he turned to leave.
But although the room began to deactivate, Danny's eyes suddenly flashed a brighter blue before he reached out with a hand and created a thick layer of ice over the only exit to keep the man from leaving.
Vlad immediately turned back around, and his eyes flashed red with anger.
But Danny ignored it and continued to expel ice energy. He expanded his power quickly and ice mounted around them. Even the ceiling began to grow sharp and thick icicles.
Unable to stand such cold, Vlad was forced to turn into Plasmius again. "What the blazes are you doing?!" he sneered.
"Challenging you," Danny answered angrily. "Activate elemental energy protectors!"
"Daniel… I'm warning you. Stop this..."
But the other half ghost did not. He dropped the temperature even more, and ice began to creep towards Plasmius.
Vlad felt his hot core react to the obvious threat. But he controlled it, only allowing his energy to swell just enough to keep the other hybrid from freezing him over.
He refused to let the other hybrid manipulate him into…
"You want me to stop?" Danny asked seriously before he did something that completely surprised the other hybrid.
Danny placed a hand against his chest and drew out his core energy like he had at the cave… It formed into a white sphere… A sphere he then extended towards Vlad.
"Show me you're not afraid of my core…," Danny said, his eyebrows creasing a bit. "Come on, Vlad… It's no different than our synchronized energy. We can now also share each other's core. So, take mine… And let me have yours… Do you trust me, Vlad?"
But Plasmius took a step back this time as he felt the teen's absorbing power trying to pull at his own core.
"We are never doing that again."
Danny's eyes widened before he suddenly glowered at the man, feeling insulted by his lack of trust.
"Fine…," he sneered. And his core energy vanished back inside him. He then focused on expanding his cold powers to its maximum.
Plasmius grunted and almost shivered when he felt the other's ice powers crawling up his clothing and seeping into his skin. The intense cold almost burned, and phantom pains shot down his spine…
His core immediately jolted in fear with the thought of being frozen solid again…
It was too much for the man to bear anymore.
With a sudden snarl, Plasmius released his own hot core; but this time, he didn't hold back. He quickly expanded it around him, and it spread like an unseen wild fire.
Danny tensed at how quickly the temperature in the room went up the instant Plasmius released his heated energy. But refusing to yield control, Phantom immediately pushed more ice energy around him.
And yet, it did little to deter the older hybrid. In fact, Vlad just kept steadily releasing more power while his glaring red eyes locked on the other hybrid. He waited and watched… watched as the anger in those green eyes melded into stubborn defiance, then into nervousness… and finally into something else.
Plasmius didn't even blink as he watched Phantom's eyes widen with the realization that he could no longer keep up with the heated power still growing around him.
"V-Vlad… wait…," Danny said as he backed up; and with his lack of focus, he turned back into his regular ghost form. Still, he poured all his icy core energy into trying to stop the rising temperature that had now turned the air so hot it felt heavy and barely breathable.
A dense fog then all but blocked their vision of each other.
"This is what you wanted, Daniel?" Plasmius asked almost darkly. "Come on, then, keep up, boy. Subdue me and take my core… since you are so sure you can handle it!"
Danny gasped when the ice on the wall melted like nothing and water began to stream down the walls, flooding the room… Except that… it didn't stay liquid for long.
Danny was forced to float up when the water bubbled, and steam swelled up around them. The worst of it was that Danny was still pouring out his ice energy at full power. And while he knew he was just making it worse—fueling the fire, so to speak—the younger hybrid was too scared to know what would happen if he stopped expelling his ice energy.
He really could barely breathe now; but Vlad's power just kept swelling and cancelling out any effort on his part to gain some control of the situation.
"Vlad, stop… I get it… Just…Oh my gosh! Stop, Vlad!"
But Plasmius didn't stop. And Danny yelped when the walls suddenly caught fire, and the stench of burning metal and wood… and ashes filled the room.
A blaring alarm went off in the room and several sprinkler heads went off above them… But they did nothing. The water was evaporating before it could even touch the swelling inferno below. In fact, the metal heads were turning red and melting like candle wax.
"Warning! Critical temperature level has been reached. System damage detected!"
Danny's core struggled at this point, and instead of trying to regain control of the room's temperature, he turned his core's focus back on protecting himself from the inferno around him. But with a flinch, he quickly realized it was barely enough.
No… it wasn't enough at all!
Danny choked when the heat seeped under his skin, and curled around his core… He felt it reach in and began to melt the icy barrier always protecting his core… He felt his core growing warmer... and steam began to rise off his skin.
The fear on his face was now evident.
"Vlad, stop… please…!"
But just when Danny could not take it anymore, Plasmius was suddenly right in front of him, swirls of heated energy curling around his body. The younger man's eyes widened in horror when in the next instant, the other hybrid raised a hand, and all he saw was a white, cackling electrical bolt before it was fired towards him.
Or that's what it had seemed like.
With a cry of alarm, Danny covered his face. But instead of the deadly power hitting him, the bolt slammed somewhere towards his left, destroying the single metal target that had been in the room.
Danny quickly opened his eyes to fearfully stare back into the eyes of his furious guardian. And while the man said nothing, the threat was frightfully clear with the sound of breaking metal and wood still echoing in his ears like a sonic boom, while an unpleasant spark of electricity raced up and down his whole body.
Then, in the next instant, the older hybrid reined in his core. The change in the room's temperature was so drastic that the room blurred, and the glass viewing window on the far end of the room that connected to the control room exploded.
Danny didn't see the shield that abruptly appeared to protect them from the shards of glass. He had not even flinched with the explosion. He was too busy gasping in the air that his lungs had been missing now that the air had become breathable again.
Water then suddenly began to pour down on them in torrents from the broken pipes above, putting out the remaining flames…
But Vlad ignored it all and just looked furiously at Danny for a moment before he whispered, "Do not ever challenge me like that again."
Shaking and his form hunched over, Danny just stared up at the other hybrid. The terrified expression on his face melded with hurt before Danny looked away and just nodded.
Plasmius' angry look briefly mixed with regret. But he just turned away and became Masters again. He dared not say anymore because he was so furious…and hurt, he could not get his eyes to return to their normal blue. He was barely keeping control of his erratic core now that it had tasted freedom and wanted to keep consuming…
"Your heart stopped," Danny suddenly whispered just as the man opened the door to leave.
The man paused but didn't turn to face him.
"In that cavern, I felt it… as it struggled… I thought you would die before I could make the transfer. And I remember counting the seconds between each beat, feeling like the next one would never come. And then I realized…. My heart was doing the same exact thing. When your heart stopped… so did mine. And I mean it physically stopped… But then they both returned… together."
Vlad looked back at the other hybrid with a grim expression.
"…Is this what you have been keeping from me?" Danny asked soberly. "You have known our mortality is as synced in as our bond, and you did not tell me? I had to learn the truth from an enemy who almost killed us both? But you know what the worst of it is? …It's that I can still sense that's not all of it, is it? Why won't you tell me the truth?"
Vlad sighed as his own anger melded into a sober look. "I won't tell you, Daniel, because the day you know… You will wish I had never told you."
Danny's eyes widened but before he could say anything to that, the man left. With a sigh, the younger man looked at the destroyed room before he felt a pang of guilt, pain, and confusion pulse in his core.
But more than anything, he felt the absence of his guardian.
Vlad headed down the hall. He only briefly noticed the charred walls closest to the simulation room.
And while, thankfully, that seemed to be the only damage, the smell of burning metal, wood and ash was filling up the house.
It didn't surprise him when Stephanie rounded the corner.
"What is that smell?" she asked in alarm. She had been sure something had been burning in the kitchen, until she realized the smell was coming from upstairs and strongest the closer she got to Vlad's training room.
Vlad was about to reply but instead he shuddered when his still burning core sent a wave of liquid fire through his veins.
"Vlad?"
He took a single burning breath, ignoring how his lungs felt like expanding hot air balloons.
"Just… a mishap in the simulation room. Can you ask…?" He stopped when he realized the burning within him was getting worse.
Stephanie's eyes widened because the man was sweating and turning redder by the second.
"Vlad, what's wrong?"
"No, stop!" he immediately exclaimed when she reached out to touch him. If she touched him right now, he would burn her.
"Can you just ask Derek to air out the house? Don't let anyone come over here until I get back," Vlad quickly said as he closed his eyes and rubbed at his temple.
Stephanie hesitated. "Where's Daniel?"
Vlad lowered his hand and looked at her. Whatever was in his expression worried the woman because she absolutely looked even more perturb.
But knowing he couldn't explain right now, Vlad just said, "I need to go to the Ghost Zone… I'll be back by tonight."
And without waiting for a reply, he walked past her towards his lab. He needed to get to the lab. He would be fine once he got to the Ghost Zone. He would not lose control. He was fine.
Another wave of fire, and he almost tripped on his own feet. But he kept going. He quickly reached for the golden football to open the lab, but as he pulled it back, he flinched as the metal turned red with his touch.
Not trusting himself to touch anything else, Vlad used his virtual program to open the portal. And without any further hesitation, he dove into the Ghost Zone, turning into Plasmius as he did.
The moment the portal doors sealed shut, a wave of red energy exploded out of him, and he flinched as nearby floating rocks exploded and pushed away from him. Luckily, there weren't any homes or islands near his portal in Florida.
But his core was not done. And he knew it wouldn't stop until he gained back control!
He needed to get to his and Daniel's lair… He needed to create a portal as flying there was not an option unless he wanted to leave devastation in his wake.
Vlad suddenly felt a wave of something that had nothing to do with his powers wash over him.
He realized it was Danny. His protégé was either so upset he was projecting his emotions onto him. Or… Vlad was losing so much control Danny could sense it.
He couldn't deal with either possibility right now.
Instead, Plasmius focused and closed his connection with the other hybrid. He then reached for his own energy—because as unstable as he was and without an open link with Daniel, creating gold energy was impossible at the moment.
It hurt. It absolutely hurt to rip open a portal with his own core energy.
But he did it, and he dove in.
Plasmius arrived at his lair and immediately flew over to the lake in the distance. He dove in, ignoring the steam that rose up as his heated body met the cold waters.
For a moment, he just stayed under. Eyes closed, and he took several gulps of water because he was absolutely parched and his insides were melting.
He stayed under for a good ten minutes until his need to breathe pushed him back up.
Exhausted in every way, he crawled up the bank and then just fell back. He closed his eyes again, trying to clear his mind. Trying to push aside the memories of his fight with the other half-ghost… He felt betrayed by the younger man… But it didn't compare to the guilt he felt…. It didn't compare to how horrible it had been to see Daniel so terrified of him.
But he could not think about it right now. He had something more pressing to focus on…
There was a reason why he didn't use his powers to such extremes.
But having been on the verge of losing control of his core several times in the past, he already knew what he needed to do.
Vlad couldn't absorb other ghosts' energies like Danny could. But he could pull in ambient energy like any other ghost… He could pull in his own energy, too. And his lair was brimming with his power.
Eyes still closed, he relaxed his face in spite of the burning pain inside him and the sound of boiling water around him. He forced himself to solely focus on the energy around him.
Unfortunately, the instant he felt his and Daniel's energy mixed in the air... He immediately knew it was off.
Opening his eyes and sitting up, he glowered at the view around him. Anyone looking would be confused by the disdain in which he regarded the beautiful lair with its lush forest, lake and streams. In the distance, a grand castle stood tall and majestic. And in another direction, a cozy cottage warmed its surroundings with its peaceful appearance…
Yet Plasmius stared hatefully at it all because all he felt was how that gargoyle ghost… that beast… had tainted the energy and air with his presence… He had tainted the pure energy of his and Daniel's lair… It was like that monster had thrown barrels of rotting sewage and oil into a beautiful ocean. And no matter how much you could try to clean it up, the damage was already done…
Plasmius' core jolted and he coughed up heated smoke.
Right. His core.
Ignoring the corrupted energy all around him, Plasmius set his focus on the Novas high above him. At least those felt pure… untouched by that creature's power.
But they would now be touched by him.
Vlad closed his eyes and began to draw in the Nova's energy. He pulled so much power from them, they dimmed, and their spinning slowed down.
He continued to pull in energy, pushing it deep inside his core and compressing it until he shook and his teeth rattled. But he didn't let go until the burning stopped.
Gasping, he opened his eyes, now drenched in cold sweat, but he had done it. He ignored the now hot water at his feet, and still reached forward to splash it on his face. It was hardly refreshing with how hot it had become but it still helped.
With a tired sigh, he turned human for a moment. He bent his long legs closer towards his chest so he could rest his elbows on them.
Licking his cracked and swollen lips, he soberly stared around him again.
"What a mess….," he whispered.
He lowered his gaze to the grass between his legs. Or it used to be grass. It was now soot.
"I suppose I deserve this…" he muttered soberly. "No action is without consequence, after all. And I… I never expected to get a second chance at no cost to myself." He suddenly looked up at nothing, and added, "You know that. You know I would have accepted anything but this… Anything but… making Daniel part of those consequences."
His eyes turned red as he asked in a mixture of fury and despair. "Why? Why… this?"
But when he got no answer, his hands lowered to his side and fisted.
"The least you could do is show your face… Time Keeper."
With a swirl of blue light, Clockwork appeared to his left.
"Plasmius… I would ask how you are, but…" Clockwork just smirked at the wet and disheveled hybrid.
Vlad was absolutely shocked that the time spirit had actually appeared that all he could do was gape at him for a moment. He had been demanding for him or Serenity to show themselves for years after he learned the truth about his bond with Daniel, and what their guardianship to Existence entailed.
But neither of them had ever shown. Neither had ever given an inkling of hearing him.
And now… Here he was.
Vlad's surprise turned into a deep frown as he got off the ground and turned into Plasmius again.
"You came…," Vlad muttered.
Clockwork raised an eyebrow. "isn't that what you wanted? You have been pestering Serenity and I for years now."
Plasmius glowered. "And where is your counterpart?"
Clockwork smiled. "She couldn't make it."
Vlad was not amused.
"Honestly, she wanted to come… But I advised against it," Clockwork answered with a small shrug.
"Why?"
"She likes you too much. Luckily, I am less… influenced by your whining."
"Whining?!" Plasmius hissed, now furious. "Is that what you call finding out that you and your counterpart allowed me to practically sell my soul for your cause?! Worse, that you had Daniel do the same? If you would have TOLD me—!"
"I did not know what yours and Danny's tie to Existence would entail. Serenity made that clear. It was a choice you both made."
"You know if I would have known, even had an inkling, that this would cost Daniel… everything, I would have never agreed. I would have happily died at the hand of the Spirit of Order!" Plasmius answered just as angry; yet there was now also despair.
"Have you told Danny?"
Vlad's expression darkened. "Do not mock me. You know I have not. And you know exactly why I currently look the way I do! Do not pretend to act like you have not been watching us… enjoying the consequences of your little experiment. Are you happy, Timekeeper? Are you enjoying your eternity with your wife? Was sacrificing Daniel worth it to you?"
"Was it to you?"
Plasmius lost it.
With an enraged shout, he threw a bolt of red lightning at Clockwork.
But Clockwork quickly teleported to avoid it, and suddenly appeared right in front of Plasmius' face.
"I told you… I am not as fond of you as Serenity. Do not upset me, Vlad Plasmius," Clockwork threatened.
Vlad just bared his fangs at him in response.
Clockwork scoffed before he floated back. "You are right about one thing… I have been watching you both. I have seen where your choices have taken you… I have watched you both grow, watched every victory you have shared, and every loss you have supported each other through… Is it not enough for you, Vlad? Please explain how you would have preferred any other outcome than… this?"
Vlad's anger melded into worry as he looked away. "I would do anything to hold onto… this. But I cannot do this to Danny."
"You still blame yourself… This was his choice, too."
Vlad shook his head. "If I had not taken the path I did…"
"How do you know that?" Clockwork cut him off. "You continue to imagine outcomes that never were. Never will be. You made a choice. So did he. I personally believe it was the right choice. The best choice."
The older hybrid looked at Clockwork as he whispered, "How long do we have?"
"Everything has an end, Vlad…," Clockwork replied soberly. "Instead of questioning when that end will be, perhaps you should ask yourself what you can do to make the most of it…"
Vlad didn't answer right away and instead looked out towards the lair Daniel and he had created… It was beautiful. A symbol of how far they had both come.
"You have come so far…," Clockwork muttered as if reading his thoughts. "Do not ruin it now."
Plasmius chuckled bitterly as he looked back at the spirit. "I know why you do not like me… I am not Daniel. I will never be anything like him… And I have not come as far as you may think…"
His gaze darkened as he continued, "You see, I have only made it this far because of Daniel. I have become what I am now, for my family. For him. I am what they need me to be… But deep down…."
"The whole world can burn for all I care," Plasmius growled. "I will not accept this. I will tear down all Existence if I have to. I will rip apart my very bond with Daniel if it means saving him from this fate."
"I know… And I will not stop you. Serenity and I have vowed to never interfere with those in the timeline again… no matter the consequence. But I do not need to stop you."
Clockwork took a step forward as he said soberly, "Danny will… You can try to tear down the whole world to 'save him' from his fate; just know you will have to go through him first… Is that what you want? For Danny to see you as his enemy again? Could you? … I do not think you can. You just got a taste of it in your simulation room; and we both know you are distraught by it. You have changed. The reasons why do not matter. And your denial of it does nothing."
Vlad glared back but had nothing to respond to that.
Clockwork sighed. "Good-bye, Vlad Masters. I would ask you to give Danny my regard but… we both know you will not be sharing our… conversation with him any time soon."
And with that, the spirit vanished.
Plasmius did not react to the spirit's departure; instead, he looked around at his surrounding, feeling his ire and despair boil like his hot core. It remained contained, but it didn't make it any less dangerous.
"You're wrong, Timekeeper…," he muttered. "Daniel cannot stop me… This is one powerplay I will never allow him to win…"
And reaching into his core, he abruptly released a wave of almost-white fire in all directions.
By the time it was over, Plasmius stood amongst nothing but ash and smoldering flames.
The once beautiful lair now… gone.
We have one more part to this series left. I have been thinking though, maybe I should make this it's own multi-chapter one-shot. I have just enjoyed it so much, I feel it deserves it's own place. What do you all think?
Happy Holidays, and New Year, in case I don't post again until next year!