Elizabeth's POV:
Was it true? Did her father intentionally adopt her for the sole purpose of luring Maddie to come to Wisconsin and fall in love with him?
A single tear slid down Elizabeth's cheek as the note rested on her lap, its written words echoing in her mind. As much as she didn't want to, she couldn't help but believe whoever wrote it. After all, it all made sense. Maddie was all her father wanted, and she was the only person that didn't love him in a way that he wanted her to. With him, it wasn't surprising that he would come up with this scheme and get a loving mother to assist him in taking care of an infant.
The teen girl glanced up from her bed and spotted herself in the vanity mirror a few feet from her. Her eyes glowed a dangerous shade of dark blue, and the tears that were already falling vividly lit up in a neon blue color. They left a light blue trail behind them. She was nothing to him, wasn't she? All she was was someone he could use until he reached his endgame.
Her eyes softly closed, and she crumpled the note in her hand. It was no wonder they became distant. His plan failed, and he blamed her for it. He never won Maddie over, and he believed it was her fault.
But it wasn't.
Standing up from her bed, she allowed her hands to let go of the pernicious note and watched as it fell to the floor. It bounced and rolled once before stopping beside her. Her lip quivered, and she looked back at herself in the mirror. The gloves could no longer hide her mysterious marks as they shone right through them. Not only that but the marks spread to the rest of her figure. They ended as soon as they reached her eyes. Her hand shakily lifted to her face as she touched the dancing marks on her cheek but pulled away as soon as the cold touch made her shiver.
Her lips parted partially as if she needed to say something, but no words came out. Out of anyone that could hurt her, she never expected her father. All of his supposed 'efforts' to get her to trust him again were all a ruse. He found another use for her, and it was because of Maddie.
The girl's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Maddie," she whispered, the name falling from her lips. The woman he loved was downstairs and celebrating at the party Vlad put together for her. He always did everything for Maddie but never for his adopted daughter.
All of the resentment she felt in the past surfaced immediately. Strong winds shattered her windows, forcing shards of glass to fly past her. Her gaze watched as the pieces shot right into the wall then stuck out of it. Once she looked forward again, she flinched and screamed in pain then instinctively brought a hand up to where one of the pieces sliced her cheek. Pain erupted from it, and she lowered her hand as soon as she felt a warm liquid slide down her fingertips. Green blood oozed down her fingers and slowly moved to her palms. Her eyes narrowed further, and she clenched her fist as she focused on one thought and desire.
Maddie would feel her pain.
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Vlad's POV:
The party was so far a success, aside from the fact that Jack attended. Maddie looked as happy as Vlad hoped she would be, Daniel liked him, and Jazz - well, he still had to work on her trust. All that was left to do was to give the birthday speech he prepared years ago.
He glanced over at Maddie sitting at her table and smiled lovingly at her. She was the only one who could make him feel like a timid schoolboy again. The only one who could complete him. The only perfect person in his life.
Besides Elizabeth, of course. His daughter was and always would be perfect in his eyes. He couldn't imagine what his life would have been like if he hadn't adopted her. If Maddie would never accept him, at least he had a beautiful daughter to give his heart to instead.
Once the music died down, he straightened his tie and ascended the stage steps. He shook the singer's hand then took his place behind the microphone. He tapped it a few times which gained his guests' attention then smiled out at them. "Before the night ends, I'd like to toast to a beautiful and remarkable woman whom we came to celebrate tonight." As she was blushing, he leaned forward and took one of the wine glasses from a nearby server then lifted it up in the air. "Maddie, I can't begin to tell you how grateful I am to have met you all those years ago in college. You were the first person who supported my choices in life and was always there for me when no one else was." He chuckled. "You were also somehow there to lecture me whenever I did something incredibly stupid." The audience laughed lightly, and Vlad smirked in amusement at her rosy red cheeks and bright smile. "You're so kind, patient, loving, and caring toward everyone around you. I have never met someone as incredible as you. I lo-" He cleared his throat, not ready for the sudden confession. "Excuse me. We - as in, everyone here - love you." He pulled at his collar and lifted his glass higher. "Now, let's raise our glasses to the beautiful Madeline Fenton and wish her a happy birthday."
Everyone clapped and raised their glasses, shouting the repeated 'Happy birthday' wish, which caused Maddie to blush even more and smile a little wider. Vlad grinned with amusement, forgetting about his almost slip, then took a sip of her favorite cider. The music started up again in the background, playing joyful tunes. Now, everything was perfect.
He snuck a glance over to Elizabeth's seat but dropped his smile when he noticed she wasn't there. His eyes scanned the room, searching for his little girl, but he discovered she wasn't anywhere. Where was she? She would have never missed his speech, even if she found it boring.
His eyes suddenly landed on Danny's seat, noticing he wasn't where he was supposed to be either. His eyes narrowed, and his grip on the glass tightened. Where was Daniel Fenton?!
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Danny's POV:
Danny knew he shouldn't have left the party room, but he was worried. Elizabeth vanished while he was tangoing with that stranger which he did not enjoy, by the way, so he went searching for her. It would have been easier and faster to go ghost and phase through every room, but he didn't want to alarm anyone or blow his secret identity. So, he knocked and opened doors around the mansion until he found her.
For what felt like the thousandth door, he knocked on it. "Hello? Elizabeth, are you in here?" he called, hoping she would answer and end his search.
Silence hit him, and he was about to leave and try the next one until he heard glass shatter and someone scream from the other side. Eyes widened, he gripped the knob and tried to turn it, but it was locked. He frantically looked around, searching for anything he could use to break the door down. Until, he remembered. He face-palmed. "Ghost powers, duh."
He hurried to the next door, grateful it was unlocked, then bolted through and slammed the door behind him. With fists in the air and a determined expression on his face, he exclaimed, "I'm going ghost!" A vertical blue ring encircled him before separating into two and transforming him into Danny Phantom, Amity Park's newest superhero. Well, to him, he was a superhero, but his town wasn't too fond of ghosts. After transforming, he jumped in the air then flew through the wall connected to the one where the scream came from.
Once he was through, he became tangible when he spotted another girl with snowy white hair and glaring down at her fist. Glowing light blue tears slid down her cheeks and across her strange tattoos. He started to lower to the ground, assuming she was safe to approach. After all, the mysterious tears and tattoos were most likely ruined makeup from sobbing. "Hey," he whispered, keeping his tone calm. "Are you okay?"
Her glare immediately shot up to him, and he took a wary step back. His mouth gaped as he watched her 'tattoos' move across her cheeks and her eyes glowed. Her fist opened up, revealing the familiar green ectoplasmic blood. Although the blood was visibly there, he didn't see a wound that could have told him where it came from. All he saw was a scar across her cheek. "Get out of my room!" she exclaimed, and her hair shot out in all directions.
Strong winds picked up from around them, and the ghost boy grabbed onto a column connected to the wall to keep him from flying out of the room. His lower body was involuntarily hoisted into the air as the winds tried to throw him out. "Stop!" he exclaimed as his grip slowly loosened.
"I'll tear you apart!"
Oh, great. Another evil ghost. How many of them were there? He grunted as the winds picked up, his grip loosening even more. He needed to send her back to the Ghost Zone, like he did with the others, but how? "Sorry, but I don't think Elizabeth would appreciate you doing that, especially in her home!"
"Elizabeth is dead!"
"What?!" The new ghost was bluffing. She had to be. Elizabeth couldn't be dead. "Where is she?!"
"Floating somewhere in the Dark Abyss."
"The Dark Abyss?"
"You haven't heard of it?" He looked over at her, seeing an upside down smirk on her face. "How surprising."
"Let her go!"
She hummed and tapped her chin all the while grinning like a Cheshire cat. "No!" She giggled, and he shivered as it echoed around the room, almost sounding inhuman. "She'll stay there for as long as I want her to!"
Before he could respond or do anything, the temperature lowered around him which made it more difficult to hold on. His body shivered against the combination of the wind and the cold. He lost his grip and screamed as he flew out of the window, the new ghost's smirk the last thing he saw before being carried out.
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Vlad's POV:
Vlad searched the Ball Room for the third time only to make sure his eyes weren't deceiving him then scowled. Elizabeth and Daniel were alone, he was sure of it. They must have snuck off together and were 'hanging out,' or whatever the term was teenagers used those days. As soon as he would find those two, he may use Plasmius' skills to ensure that both of them wouldn't see each other ever again.
"Vlad!" The halfa stopped in his tracks, only a few feet away from the exit, and turned around to spot his beloved running toward him. He wanted to leave to tame his worried side, but how could he abandon and ignore the love of his life?
"Maddie, is there something I can help you with?" he asked once she reached him and smiled to see her hair a little frizzy from dancing.
"Have you seen Danny?" she asked and panted, seemingly out of breath. "I can't find him anywhere!"
Should he share his theories of where her boy had gone? It could help him spread the search, and she would no doubt be furious with her son once he was found. However, if he didn't tell her, he could transform into Plasmius and fly through the house to find them quicker. Should he allow his mother to help search for them and scare Daniel away from Elizabeth? Or, should he depend on Plasmius to do that instead? "Well, Maddie." He cleared his throat, making his decision. "I believe I have an idea."
"Where do you think he is?" She stepped closer to him and placed her hands on his upper arms which caused his heart to start beating rapidly through his chest. "Do you have a Gaming Room? He loves video games."
"W-Well, no, I don't. Elizabeth isn't too keen on games." Hesitantly, he took Madeline's hands from off of his arms and held them in his own. "I believe your son is with my daughter."
"Where? What are they doing?"
"I'm not sure, but I was about to check-" He pulled at his collar and averted his gaze. "-her bedroom."
"Her bedroom?" Maddie rose a confused brow until her eyes widened, and she smiled. "Oh, he probably wanted to get to know her better. Talk for a bit and 'hang out,' as the kids say."
"Well, I'm sure you're right." He hoped so. "But I need to check to be certain."
"Alright." She shrugged then pointed her thumb up and pointed it behind her. "I'm going to talk to Jack. He may have seen Danny wander off."
He nodded once then turned and started to head out of the room until the lights around everyone darkened. He looked over his shoulder then shivered when a familiar cold draft ran up his spine. Strange. He hadn't been affected by a ghostly presence in a long time, especially to the point where it would cause him to shiver.
Who could have caused this? It wasn't his vultures, he knew. They already attempted to attack Jack earlier, but the Ghost Boy got in the way, so Vlad ordered them to try again after the party was over since the teen hero wouldn't be there. The Box Ghost wouldn't have caused a reaction out of him, and Skulker was still recovering in the halfa's lair. So, what set off his ghost sense?
Screams pierced through the air as the windows from the other side broke out. Glass shattered instantly, and he lunged forward at a dark figure in front of him - assuming it was Maddie - and fell with them in his arms. He held tightly onto them, shielding them from the flying shards of glass. Lights flickered around the room, and he took the opportunity to check if it was Maddie he saved; it was. They stared at one another, him unwilling to move to savor their unexpected closeness.
Suddenly, her eyes widened when she looked past him, and she used her strength to flip the two of them over. He laid beneath her and desperately tried to calm his racing heart as her hands were softly placed on his chest. "Oh, chocolate cream," he muttered, hoping she wouldn't hear him. He had been waiting for this moment between them for what felt like-
He jumped as soon as something hard struck the spot he and Maddie were previously in. The flickering lights didn't help as much in identifying the foreign object, but he could feel it's cold temperature reach him. The sound of screams came back to him, and he instantly snapped back into reality when the love of his life pulled him up to his feet and dashed through the exit. They rounded the corner of the archway and hid behind the wall as the other guests ran past them and toward the front door.
Well, his party was officially a disaster. No doubt the entire neighborhood would hear about it. The results of tonight would ruin his reputation as a respectable billionaire and great host. It would take a while for anyone to come back, colleagues and clients included.
"Vlad, where's Jazz?" Maddie worriedly questioned, stepping around him to peek into the room when the guests cleared out. "And Jack? Where are they?"
He could care less where the buffoon was, but Jazz was another story. She was Maddie's daughter and a teenager he needed to earn trust from. Luckily, he could move in there, grab the girl and get out. Well, if she was in there, of course. "Maddie, go find somewhere safe while I deal with whatever's going on!" He pushed her away from the archway and toward the direction of the front door. "I'll find Jazz and Jack!"
Her eyes widened, realization coming to her mind. "The Fenton Family Ghost Assault Vehicle! If I can get to it, we can use the weapons to stop the ghost in there!"
"Right!" He turned away, realized what she said, then turned back. "No, that's not what I meant! I don't want you anywhere near-" She was gone. He sighed in frustration then ran back into the room. Yes, he loved her, but sometimes she could be difficult to deal with.
He skidded to a stop once he spotted her - the ghost that ruined his party for Maddie and scared everyone away. It was the same ghost from the Key Orchard, the one who stopped the Box Ghost. What was she doing at his mansion? He thought she wanted to be a hero, not a villain.
Their eyes locked together, and she screamed loudly before charging at him. His eyes widened, and he fell to the floor as she zoomed past him. What was she doing? What did she have against him?
Before he could stand, he propelled in the air, most likely from the winds she created. He grunted as soon as she slammed into him then grabbed his shirt collar and menacingly stared into his eyes, keeping him from falling to the floor now that she took away her winds. "Where is she?!" she ordered, her grip on him tightening.
"Young lady, I don't know what you're talking about!" He tugged on her wrists then transformed into his other half which caused her eyes to widen in surprise to his sudden transform. "But I want you out of my house!" Plasmius slowly forced an electric shock through her which caused her to scream in pain and attempt to pull away, but he kept a secure hold on her. He smirked at her struggle but dropped it as soon as he realized she should've passed out by then. Odd. Most of his opponents couldn't last as long as she was. What was she?
Before he could do anything more to her, she forced her head forward to glare at him which surprised him. Was she regaining control of her movements, even though he was the one forcing an electric shock through her? Unexpectedly, her legs tucked into herself, and she kicked them out at him which forced him to let go of her and fly back. He looked up at her and noticed the strange markings she had glow brighter after each pant.
"So," she started and smirked. "Vlad Masters is Elizabeth's favorite freak." She giggled and ran a hand down her face, her markings following her movements until they disappeared completely from her cheeks. "She's gonna love this."
His eyes narrowed, and he fired up his pink energy blast. "You will not so much as breath near her." He shot at her then fired another one, knowing the second would surely hit her after the first one served its purpose as a distraction. After all, her performance at the Key Orchard labeled her as 'Rookie' and not as a professional. As he predicted, she dodged the first one but hadn't seen the second until it was too late. It hit her in the chest, and she was thrown back toward the stage. She hit the music equipment scattered along the floor then went through the stage, breaking a hole through it.
He was about to fly over there to see if she was unconscious until an unexpected beam hit him. He grunted and flew a few feet back then looked up at his attacker, surprised to see the famous Danny Phantom he had been investigating hovering over him. "Get away from her!" the Ghost Boy yelled and shot another ectoplasmic energy blast; so it was Year One for him too.
The older halfa easily shielded himself with his pink ectoplasmic shield and watched as the boy's attacks turned to ectoplasmic ashes. "Well, well, well. If isn't the Ghost Boy himself." He smirked. "Danny Phantom, right?"
"Wait." The boy stalled firing another blast. "You've heard of me?"
"Of course I have!" He pointed down at the hole in the stage. "You and your friend play 'Hero' every now and again. Instead of using your powers for your personal gain, you use them to help people." He tsked and shook his head. "Pathetic."
"It isn't pathetic!" Danny retorted then threw another ball which Plasmius easily dodged. "Secondly, that girl isn't my friend! She took someone I care about!"
He rose an amused brow and looked back at where the girl landed. Perhaps, she wasn't as stupid as he thought. She could have realized she could do so much more with her powers and decided against being a hero. Well, wasn't that a turn of events for the better? It would be nice to have a young villain to manipulate and use for his personal gain. Yes, he knew she crashed Maddie's birthday party, but her powers were too good to not study and use in the future. "As if I care who she took of yours." He smirked. "All that matters now is getting you out of the way, so I may deal with her myself."
Plasmius duplicated his form into four versions of himself, surprising the boy, and sent two to deal with him while he and his other went to take the girl. They both peered into the hole but gaped at it, taken aback by what lye inside.
It was empty.
Why that little coward! She must have fled while he was dealing with the Ghost Boy! Oh, he was not happy. He lost someone he could've used to benefit himself. Someone had to pay for this. His narrowed gaze landed on the heroic teen, and he growled then sent his third duplicate up to deal with the boy. Danny Phantom would pay for this.
Before Plasmius could charge at the boy and hinder him, he stopped when a ginormous RV rammed through the doors. He moved out of the way quickly when it came charging for him. What looked like a megaphone popped out of the roof of it. "Get out of this house, you filthy piece of ectoplasm!" Maddie's voice demanded from inside of the vehicle.
Vlad sighed in annoyance and rolled his eyes. Everything was falling out of his control. He ordered Maddie to stay away, the Ghost Girl was meant to fall into his grasp, the Ghost Boy was supposed to be taken down by then, and Elizabeth ran off with Daniel. Why was no one listening to him or letting his plans pull through?
Well, on the bright side, nothing else could go wrong.
"Maddie!" Jack's voice yelled from across the room, and Plasmius looked over to see the buffoon with his daughter.
"Mom!" Jasmine called then the two started to run toward the vehicle.
He face-palmed, his annoyance peaking. Alright. Now, nothing else could go wrong.
"How precious." Plasmius turned around and spotted the Ghost Girl whom he thought had disappeared. She smirked and crossed her arms as she floated only a few feet from him. "Vladdie's true love came to rescue him." Her smirk widened. "It's too bad she doesn't know what's really going on."
"I'll have you know Maddie would accept me for who I am." His eyes narrowed. "Secondly, what gave you the impression she was my true love?"
"Because she's all you ever cared about!" she exclaimed, and his eyes widened at her quick outburst. The girl smiled softly then giggled and straightened up, recomposing herself. "It doesn't matter anyway. She'll be long gone soon enough." The smirk returned to her lips, and he activated his powers once more. "Like your darling Elizabeth."
His eyes widened with fear then he snarled and glared, his irises glowed menacingly dark red. What was she blabbering on about? He would have sensed if another ghost was in the house and would have gone to them to ensure Elizabeth's safety. Every ghost was accounted for in the Ballroom, so he had nothing to worry about. "You're confused." He smirked. "Elizabeth is safe."
"Is she?" The Ghost Girl lifted a mocking brow, and his glare returned. "I wouldn't be so sure."
Before Vlad could respond, something rammed into him which threw him to the side. "She took Elizabeth!" the Ghost Boy yelled, and Plasmius pushed him off of him then glared at his duplicates for not keeping the boy in one place. "She sent Elizabeth to the Dark Abyss, whatever that is!"
The older halfa's eyes widened, fear instantly hitting him. The Dark Abyss? It existed? He thought it was only a myth. Worry filled his heart as he glanced up at the Ghost Girl, realizing who she was. "No," he whispered, hoping it wasn't true. However, deep down, he knew it was.
"Elizabeth," he whispered, finally seeing Elizabeth's face behind the intruder's. How could he not see it before? What kind of parent couldn't tell who their child was even though they were standing - well, in his case, floating in front of them? His daughter was lost in the Dark Abyss because the intruder traded places with her, so the latter would be free, and Elizabeth let it happen either voluntarily or involuntarily. There was nothing he could do to free her.
"Well, well, well," she mocked, copying his words from before. "Look who knows what the Dark Abyss is." Her smirk widened, and she flew over to him then grabbed his cape collar and pulled his face closer to hers. "It's sad, isn't it? You spend so many years shielding your daughter from getting the cursed life you have, and you still can't prevent it from happening." She frowned and let out a deep sigh, feigning sorrow. "You must be so ashamed of yourself."
He couldn't and wouldn't deny it, but she was right. He was ashamed. It was his fault Elizabeth became this. It was his fault she wasn't comfortable telling him what was going on. It was his fault she felt she needed to walk the ghost path alone because he distanced himself from her. He could never forgive himself for what he'd done to her.
"How?" he muttered, unsure if she heard him.
"That's a story for another day, Daddy." She smirked once more and tightened her grip on him. "Right now, all I want is for you to suffer the way I had done for so long." Her eyes traveled to the right then looked down. "And I know how."
He followed her gaze and widened his eyes when he spotted Maddie outside of the vehicle and holding a weapon up at them. She was acting as a shield while Jazz hurried to the car, and Jack activated his gun. "No, I won't let you." He narrowed his eyes and grabbed her wrists again. "Neither will Elizabeth."
"Elizabeth is gone, you freak."
"You wish." He hoped he was right, but he wasn't sure if he was. There was still so much he didn't know about the Dark Abyss, and he hardly cared in the past since it never affected him. Now that it took Elizabeth, he had a reason to care.
"What are you talking about?" Phantom's voice suddenly interrupted, reminding the two of them that he was still present in the room. "Where is she?"
"Gone. Long gone," Elizabeth's other half responded then giggled. "Never to return."
"Stop talking like that!" The boy exclaimed and fired up yet another ectoplasmic ball. "Tell me where the Dark Aby-"
Plasmius' duplicates simultaneously shot the teen hero in the back which caused him to scream in pain and fall to the ground, preventing him from being a part of the conversation. She giggled again as soon as the boy fell which caused Vlad's heart to drop; Elizabeth would never laugh at someone else's pain. Her eyes glowed darker than before, and, before he could react, she pushed him away from her. He stopped himself from crashing into the wall behind him then charged at her when he saw her advancing toward Maddie. His duplicates reacted along with him as they tried to stop her or slow her down, but she was quicker than any of them thought.
"Stop!" Vlad shouted, concern lacing his tone. "You don't know what you're doing!"
"Yes, I do!" she shouted back. "I'm ruining your life, like you ruined mine!"
His heart clenched at her choice of words, but shook the thought off and refocused on the current situation. Elizabeth was about to make the biggest mistake of her life and would most likely regret it for all eternity. He had to stop her, but she was too quick for him. How was he going to stop her without hurting her?
His eyes widened in fear when he saw Maddie and Jack fire up their weapons and aim for his daughter. He sped up, allowing the thought that his daughter's life was in danger to motivate him, and soon flew a few feet from her. He stretched his arm out toward her and tried grabbing her ankle, but growled when he could only barely touch her. His touch seemed to distract her because she looked over at him then smirked and turned her legs into a white whispy tail, something he recognized that Phantom could do too.
Unfortunately, because she was distracted, she didn't hear the ghost hunter duo fire their weapons until it was too late. Jack obviously missed, but Maddie hit her right on the nail. His daughter was shot back, and he opened his arms to catch her. He caught her, but her impact forced them both back. He wrapped his arms around her small frame as they were thrown back, and he glanced behind him to see them heading for a wall. With quick thinking, he turned them both intangible, and they phased right through it.
He turned tangible again, and he tightened his grip on her as they hit the carpet beneath them. His back collided with it at a quick speed, and he grunted from the impact. They bounced off it once and started to flip, but he prevented that from happening and ensured he hit the floor again until they began to roll at a slower speed. They stopped with him on top of her, and he quickly released her from his death grip before examining her.
She wasn't moving. Panic and dread filled his core, and he immediately brought two fingers to her neck and checked her pulse, hoping - praying to feel it still pulsating. A moment went by then two until he felt something throb beneath his touch. He let out a breath of relief and laid his forehead on hers as he continued feeling it throb. She was only unconscious. The blast must have been too much for her to handle, so it knocked her out.
He breathed in, taking in the familiar strawberry scent from her shampoo, then lifted himself up and examined where Maddie hit her. His shaky hands lifted her shirt up to her lower ribs and saw a quick-forming bruise on her abdomen. After a thorough scan of her stomach, he let out another sigh of relief and pulled her shirt back over her stomach, grateful it wasn't anything life-threatening.
"Elizabeth, I'm sorry," he whispered then kissed her forehead and picked her up bridal-style. He transformed back into Vlad Masters and held her close to him. "I'm going to fix this, I swear it."
"What the-?!"
Vlad's eyes widened in surprise then he scowled and looked over his shoulder. Danny Phantom stood merely ten feet away from him, having most likely escaped his duplicates after Elizabeth's sudden charge for Maddie.
The boy blinked in confusion. "Y-You're him?" he stuttered and took a few steps back, clearly in disbelief. "You're him."
"Of course, I am, you twit." He narrowed his eyes. "Now, leave. I don't want to have to waste my time forcing you when I have other matters to attend to."
Phantom blinked once more before narrowing his eyes, seemingly snapping out of his shocked state. "She took your daughter! I want to save her!"
"I know that, and I'm taking care of it." He turned his back to the boy and was surprised to see the fireplace of his study in front of him, having not realized that that was where they landed. "Get out. I have a few questions for this girl."
"No, I'm not leaving you alone with her!"
The older halfa rolled his eyes when he heard the boy charge at him, and he looked back over his shoulder and fired his ghost ray through his eyes. Phantom was too late to dodge it and took the hit. He was forced back and grunted as soon as he hit a bookshelf behind him. A bright light flashed from where he landed, and Vlad smirked at the familiarity of it. Masters walked toward the boy and was amused to find that Daniel Fenton replaced Danny Phantom, the second ghost hybrid his father mistakenly created.
He tsked when the boy's light blue eyes looked up at him. "Well, it seems we're both even now, yes?" The older hybrid turned from him again then watched as Elizabeth did the same. His eyes widened in surprise then he smiled and held her close to prevent the Ghost Boy from seeing her transformation. "Do yourself a favor, Daniel, and stay away from the girl." He transformed back into Plasmius and turned them both intangible. "If you don't, your father will pay." He smirked back at Daniel, noting his glare. "See you soon, son."
Plasmius went through the ceiling and took a longer route to his secret lair to make it difficult for Daniel to follow. He looked down at his daughter when she squirmed a little in his grasp then kissed her forehead again. "Stay still, sweetheart. I only want to help you." As if she could hear him, she stilled, and he smiled once more at her compliance.
Perhaps, her other persona was wrong. There could be a way to free his daughter from her curse. For now, all he had to do was rely on hope to save her.
That was a difficult task in itself.
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Author's Note: Hey, beautiful people! It seems things got pretty chaotic in this chapter but don't worry, I'm sure Vlad will figure out a way to help Elizabeth and get rid of whoever the King and Winter are. Anyway, I hope you enjoy your lovely day or evening, and I'll see you in two weeks! :)
Fun Fact: Elizabeth assumes she'll be working as Vlad's partner at his business once she graduates high school. :)