When Danny returns to the mansion, he is first greeted by the butler, Ferdinand.
"Welcome back, young master. May I take your coat from you?"
"Uh, sure." Danny awkwardly answers back. He still wasn't used to the title that the servants in the mansion called him. When Danny tried to ask them to just call him 'Danny', Vlad forbade the servants to call him anything but 'Young master'. Vlad was a stickler to formalities and he himself liked to call Danny 'Daniel', even when he knew full well how much Danny hated people calling him by that. Danny handed the butler his coat. The man raised an eyebrow at the drenched jacket covered in mud and blood stains.
Ferdinand crinkled his nose disdainfully. "I will get a maid to clean this."
"Yes please, can you also keep this between us? I don't need Vlad to know-"
"You don't need me to know what?" Danny visibly cringed. Leave it to Vlad to have supernatural hearing. Vlad was a man in his 40's with his long silver hair (a side-effect from the ecto-acne) pulled back into a ponytail, he also sported a similar color goatee. He had midnight blue eyes capable of intimidating anyone, Vlad carried himself with the influential air of a successful business tycoon.
Vlad immediately zeroed-in on Danny's shoulder and the damage done to his jacket. Vlad pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a long sigh. "Another fight Daniel? Did I not ask you to refrain from fighting ghosts today?"
"It's not my fault! Spectr-"
"How many times must you injure yourself before you are satisfied? You need to stop doing this to yourself. Go get yourself cleaned up for dinner." Vlad watched the boy dejectedly walk away. The butler excused himself, leaving Vlad alone to his thoughts.
Vlad is very powerful man. With 20 years of experience as a halfa, Vlad used his ghostly abilities to acquire his first millions in underhanded methods. Unknown to Danny, most of Vlad's fortune and political power can be credited to his ghost powers in which he overshadowed millionaires to give him their companies and learn their trade. He also created his own company DALV Co which soon became sensational overseas.
Even though the older halfa led a well-off lifestyle, there were still things that the man wanted. Things that money could not buy. He couldn't buy his favorite sports team, the Green Bay Packers, since the city of Green Bay refused to sell the team to him. His immense love for the woman he could not have left him a bachelor without an heir to inherit his wealth and take on his business. That woman was Maddie Fenton, Jack's wife and Daniel's mother.
While living in Madison, Wisconsin, he secretly kept tabs on the Fenton family (mainly Maddie) and their progress. He watched their children grow and was particularly fond of young Daniel. When he learned of the accident that took the life of his beloved and her family, he quickly left to retrieve their orphaned son. Despite the loss of the woman he loved, he was thrilled at the prospect of having the son he always wanted, as an added bonus Daniel was also the child of Maddie.
He was sadly disappointed when he saw the traumatized 10-year-old boy. The boy was a broken doll. A cheap replacement of the once-headstrong boy. Where was the passionate spirit, the cheeky smirk, the snarky comments, or the playful mirth dancing in his eyes? Now the boy's eyes were dead, void of life and hope, lips pressed in a thin line, and his fiery spirit dampened.
Vlad worked hard to get Daniel to open up to him and return to the cheerful child he once was. But how could you make a child, who has lost all his loved ones in a single moment, happy? He tried getting Daniel everything he could think of that a young boy his age would want: toys, game systems, books, attention, and pets. Vlad knew the boy loved astronomy and had wanted to be an astronaut, so he decorated the boy's room with that in mind. The boy was not moved. Maybe Daniel needed new friends to give him company? Vlad had other children come over and play, but the boy refused to interact with any of them. Vlad had even tried therapy, which proved ineffective when the child refused to speak since the accident. It took months but he finally saw hope when the mute boy started talking again.
Being a halfa himself, Vlad knew the dangers that came with having ghost powers. If they don't regularly release their powers, their energy can accumulate and the buildup can be disastrous to their health. When they are not the target of the other ghost's aggression, they still have to be careful of humans. If their secret is discovered, they will be hunted down. Or worse, captured by the Guys In White to be dissected and experimented on. Rather than leaving his son vulnerable, Vlad proceeded to train the boy to use his powers.
Vlad's heart swelled with pride when the young Daniel learned to fly. Finally, Vlad had a child he could call his own. A child who shared his ghostly secrets, an heir to teach his trade, and a son to whom he could leave his fortune. Now if only Daniel will renounce the blundering idiot Jack Fenton as his father (oh, how he loathed the man), then everything would be perfect. Currently, Daniel called him "Vlad", but the man was patient. Soon Daniel will call him father, and what a joyous day that will be. All he had to do was wait...
Now that Daniel was older, he chose to use his abilities to protect the people. Vlad worried for the child. Vlad still disapproves of his choice, he would much rather Daniel use his powers for his own personal gain rather than have the boy to come home battered and injured from protecting a stranger. The people he saved were unappreciative of the sacrifice the child gave to them, he should not have to risk his life for others. He's still a young child! A child that should enjoy and treasure the life he was given, not throw it away at the first shot at redemption. A 12-year-old shouldn't have to bear the heavy burden of guilt from a loss that he blamed on himself.
No matter how many attempts Vlad made to comfort Daniel and tell him that the accident wasn't his fault, that Jack should have known better than to leave the lab unlocked with dangerous equipment if he had kids in the house. But no matter what Vlad said, Daniel was adamant. Vlad let out a heavy sigh, why must children be so difficult.
-PotC-
Danny opened the door to Vlad's private study, the large room was adorned with green and gold, a theme consistent throughout the entire mansion. They were the team colors of Vlad's favorite sports team. The Fruit Loop can be seriously obsessive at times.
Danny remembered when he was first learning to use his powers, he had an argument with Vlad. The older halfa wanted him to attend a prestigious private school and Danny wanted to remain at his current public school. In his anger, Danny swiped his hand to the side in frustration while accidentally releasing a green ball of ectoplasm in the process. The mass of acidic energy collided with Vlad's treasured Packer's collection, blowing up everything (even his most prized possession: a football signed by Ray Nitschke). The look of devastation on the man's face was soon replaced with fury. The enraged man transformed into his ghost half.
That was the first time Danny saw his guardian's ghost half and it terrified him. Vlad's ghost form resembled that of a vampire, deathly blue skin, blood red eyes, sharp pointed fangs, and black hair shaped into devil horns.... Since then Danny learned how ferocious the older man can be and refrained from irking him as much as he used to.
Danny stopped in front of the large fireplace, reaching for one of the golden football statues that decorated the sides, he pulled it back towards him. A small click could be heard from inside, then the fireplace shifted, revealing a secret passageway. The spiraling stairs led down into the gloomy darkness below.
This was the entrance to Vlad's secret lab, Danny was finally allowed access to it when Vlad had finished the surprise he wanted to show him. Danny walked into the clean, well-organized lab which was the complete opposite of the cluttered, messy basement his parents used as their laboratory. The boy stopped in front of a machine that took up an entire wall of the lab. The gaping hole in the wall gave off an eerie glow that cast an emerald highlight to the white room. The swirling green vortex that could be seen inside was the entrance to the Ghost Zone.
The older halfa was able to recreate a working portal and other inventions that Danny's parents had made in his lab. Vlad had rebuilt the ghost portal to allow Danny an easier access to send back ghosts to the ghost zone. Danny was apprehensive of the gift at first and thought of it as a cruel joke that Vlad made to torment him. The Ghost Portal, the main culprit of his loss and pain. The invention that stole everything from him, his family, his friends, his home, and his humanity. Danny didn't want to even look at the machine at first, the center of his nightmares, and was upset at Vlad for the insult. Now Danny, although still wary, understood the necessity and importance of the portal to his ghost hunting.
Danny took out the Fenton Thermos that contained the two occupants and faced it towards the portal opening. He pulled off the cap and pressed the "release" button with his thumb. Light flashed out in a swift stream. Danny briefly saw the form of Johnny and Spectra as they were propelled into the spirit realm where they belonged, their figures swallowed by the greedy smog. Satisfied with his work, the halfa closed the man-made ghost portal with the genetic lock.
When Vlad had first shown the younger halfa how to operate the portal, the boy did not heed Vlad's warning and had shot into the Ghost Zone. The zone housed many of the halfa's ghostly enemies and the unexplored territories posed an innumerable amount of danger. Danny didn't care, letting his emotions control him like a hot-blooded teenager, and plunged in. He had searched the ghost zone, kindling the vain hope that he might meet the spirits of his deceased friends and family there. Unable to find them, he had even resorted to searching out Desiree. Danny had sought her out when he had heard of her powers to grant wishes, but even the wishing ghost's power was unable to bring back the dead. She could reanimate their bodies but not their souls. Their spirits had already moved on having no regrets or obsessions tying them down.
After some thought, Danny now realized that they were fortunate to be able to pass on without turning into one of the malevolent ghosts stuck forever in the ghost zone. Although still dejected, the dispirited teen at least now knew that they were at peace.
Floating off the ground, Danny returned the thermos to his bag. Danny took the shortest route to his room: via phasing through the walls. The halfa was at ease to use his powers in the mansion, he wasn't worried about the unsuspecting prying eyes of the servants that served the household. He didn't need to hide his secret here. This was because the entirety of Vlad's staff consisted of ghosts. They were weak specters that posed no threat to the halfas, they served Vlad by contract. They filled the roles of the mansion's servants, having duties such as serving, cleaning, cooking, chauffeuring, gardening, and instructing in exchange for various payments that fulfilled their obsession. These were ghosts who would rather live in the safe haven of Vlad's mansion rather than fend for themselves in the hostilities of the Ghost Zone. In exchange for Vlad's protection, they served him.
Danny was critical of them at first, leaning more towards an attitude of suspicion for any malicious attempt. He was constantly wary of the food they served, believing it contained some hidden ingredient to poison him. It took several reassurances from Vlad guaranteeing his safety and that the ghost that resided here had no ill intentions for Danny to take a bite. Even then, Vlad had to taste test Danny's food first. Danny finally relented, but that didn't mean he was entirely comfortable with the idea of being left alone with the ghosts.
Setting the bag on his desk, he then pulled open the drawer for his First-Aid kit. Unbuttoning his dress shirt, he examined the abuse done to it. The fabric of the left shoulder was torn with crimson stains blossoming from the edges. Danny grimaced, forget repairing the damage, just the blood stains alone will take a ridiculous amount of effort to fix. Declaring the shirt as a lost cause, Danny tossed it into the trash bin. He didn't worry too much about the loss. Vlad is a man of means, even replacing Danny's entire wardrobe wouldn't faze the billionaire.
Taking the first-aid kit with him to the bathroom, Danny inspected the extent of his injuries. The raven haired boy sucked in a breath as he took in the wound. Five ugly claw marks jagged its way from his left clavicle up and around his shoulder to his back. His blood had already started to clot, but the sheer deepness of the wound enforced its grizzly appearance. Danny sighed, even with his advanced healing it was going to leave a scar. Upending a bottle of antiseptic on a cotton pad, he cleaned the area to prevent an infection. He bit his lips from the stinging pain that jolted whenever he dabbed the wounds and quickly proceeded to wrap his shoulder with gauze. His efficiency evident from practiced use due to all the previous injuries he treated from his numerous battles.
His entire body was matted with scars, both new and old. Each one told its own painful story on how it was inflicted. Dragon's flame breathe here, ectoblast here, and shrapnel there. Danny shed his suit for a more comfortable attire. Now that he was home, he no longer needed to uphold Vlad Master's public image. He pulled on a simple white tee with a red oval embellished on the front and long baggy jeans. The boy's shoulders sagged and relaxed, relishing in the fact that he needn't be afraid of anyone here taking advantage of his vulnerability. Granted he was lucky that he could cover all his scars with a simple T-shirt and jeans to avoid suspicion from his peers and teachers. Vlad already has to deal with enough trouble, don't need to add child abuse to the list.
Having finished making himself presentable to Vlad, Danny made his way down to the foyer where a servant floated, apparently waiting for him.
"Young master, dinner is prepared. Master Masters is in the dining hall awaiting your presence." Danny struggled to withhold a snort when he heard how the ghostly servant had addressed Vlad. Talk about confusing title!
"Uh, okay." Danny nodded to the servant and allowed the ghost to lead him to the dining hall.
Vlad was already seated at the head of the long table. The sheer size of the table was ridiculous, the dining table could literally seat about 30 people comfortably. Danny promptly took the seat to the right of Vlad. When Danny had first arrived at the mansion to live with the billionaire, he deliberately sat at the far side of the table across from Vlad to be as far from the man as possible. Later, Danny found that he would rather have a civil conversation with the older halfa rather than the aggravating shouting match they had to resort to. Finding that the prideful act of rebellion was too tedious to uphold, he finally gave in. So that they can converse without running their throat hoarse, he begrudgingly placed himself to the right of Vlad. After becoming comfortable around the man, the young ghost boy found that he actually enjoyed the other halfa's company and that he was actually not that bad to be around.
A glowing green plate of food was placed in front of Danny by one of the ghost servants. Danny scrunched up his nose at the seemingly radioactive food.
Vlad looked up from his plate and noticed the boy's apprehension. "Eat Daniel, it will accelerate your healing."
Danny proceeded to poke the dish with his fork, "Why is it glowing? Are you sure that they aren't trying to kill me?" Danny pointedly jabbed his eating utensil at the direction of the green ghost floating by the kitchen door.
The ghost returned him a sharp glare, a barely hidden snarl forming at the spirit's mouth. Danny smirked back, it was no hidden secret that the ghost staff disliked him and only tolerated him due to Vlad. He didn't mind though since the feeling was mutual.
"Daniel, as I have already told you before, the food is safe. I can assure you that I have personally checked the food beforehand. Its unusual appearance is due to the fact that I had asked the kitchen staff to include the ghost plants that I have gathered at the Ghost Zone into your meal. The plant's properties will bolster your body's natural healing abilities, thus efficiently speeding up the amount of time it will take you to recover from your wounds." The look that the older halfa sent his way allowed for no objection.
Huffing in displeasure, Danny reluctantly scooped a portion of the glowing neon meal into his mouth. Instantly his face screwed in disgust. He choked from the revolting taste and promptly gagged and coughed while repeatedly hitting his chest to dislodge the piece that went down the wrong way.
"Ugh, it's disgusting." Scowling, the young boy pointedly stuck out his tongue.
"Now, Daniel, what did you expect, it's plants cultivated from the Ghost Zone. Don't be picky. Taste is a poor representation of the health benefits. Things that taste good are not necessarily healthy while the same can be said for its counterpart."
"Just because something is good for me doesn't make me want to eat it." The boy pouted.
Vlad met the defiant glare of the sulky boy, midnight against icy blue eyes, then the man sighed in defeat. It was only around Vlad did the younger halfa let down his guard and show his childish tendencies, and Vlad couldn't help but concede defeat to the boy. "At least finish half of it, then you can ask the cook for something else."
"Now about your injuries-"
"I was attacked by none other than the happiness sucking whore, Spectra." Vlad shot him a dark look for his crude language but motioned Danny on to continue.
"She gave me crap about my parents and we fought."
"I assume you had some difficulties with her?"
"Actually no." Vlad cocked his eyebrow in an aristocratic manner. The boy must have been emotionally vulnerable after visiting his parent's graves, so it wouldn't have been surprising if the halfa had struggled against her.
"It was surprisingly easy, just that..." Danny trailed off, voicing going quiet as he was unsure of how to elaborate.
"Just that?"
"I have no idea what exactly happened but when I tried to shoot an ectoblast at her, I somehow froze her instead."
Vlad paused, "You must have unlocked a new ghost power. I will go look into my acquaintances in the ghost zone tomorrow for a ghost who might have knowledge about cryokinesis and would be willing to mentor you to control it." Danny nodded his head in silent assent.
In a relatively slow manner, the boy finally finished the gross "gunk". Acknowledging that the boy was done with his meal, it was time for the older halfa to get down to business and address the issue at hand. The elephant in the room had been ignored for too long. He had wanted to bring up the topic for a while but was unsure and indecisive due to the child's fluctuating mental stability. But he could no longer afford to tip-toe around the issue of the boy's current "hobby". He had let things go too far if he didn't put a stop to it now, the consequences could be detrimental to the boy's health.
"Daniel, I am putting a stop to your ghost hunting activities. This "hobby" that you obsess yourself with is unhealthy."
"What are you going on about?" Danny slammed his eating utensil down, fist clenching in anger.
"Don't think I haven't noticed how your grades have fallen. You are constantly out past your curfew and fatigued. I also received a discouraging call from Mr. Lancer. You are frequently tardy to class and you blatantly sleep during lecture. Honestly, I'm disappointed in you, Daniel."
"And that matters to me why?"
"I can't help but worry for you."
"Well, don't bother. You aren't my parent, Vlad, so don't act like you are now!"
"Daniel! You are ruining your chances for your future. If you keep this up, you will never be an astronaut for NASA, no space program will hire you with those grades. I will be driving to school from now to make sure you make it to class on time."
"What! But-"
"I shall not allow you to ghost hunt until you can prove to me that your grades are secure and that you are able to handle the stress of ghost hunting without affecting your grades."
"You can't do that!"
"I can and I will. This discussion is over. Goodnight, Daniel." Vlad stood up from his seat and left the room, leaving the fuming boy behind. Only when the boy completely processed the new information given, did the seriousness of his situation set in. The ghost boy groaned in exasperation, slumping back into his chair in a resigned forfeit.
-PotC-
Author's Note 3:
Sorry guys, I know you are wondering when Harry and his friends will appear and when Danny will go to Hogwarts. Please be patient, there are still some things that I need to cover before then.
Everything is as it should be...
last edited: 1/9/17