Chapter Text
The fire Danny had been fighting ever since he’d left the hospital that Friday engulfed him, it shattered his thoughts as it burned through his body. Gasping for air he felt like he was drowning, all his enemies laughing at him as if he was some kind of caved animal at the zoo. Trying to blast them out of his sight he found his hands bound to his back. “Ain’t that tuff now ghost child.” Skulker said leaning forward to place a dagger at Danny’s throat. Doing the only thing he could do he launched forward and bit down on Skulker’s arm.
The salty iron taste of blood filled Danny’s mouth as he stared in to the bloodied face of Sam lying on the forest floor his teethes digging deep in to her neck. Jerking away he scrambled as far away from her as he could. A jolt of pain made Danny scream, looking down at his leg he saw the cursed Ripper ghosts sword digging in to him.
“No no no,” he whined, “Get it out, get it out, GET OUT!” he screamed the last words as he tasted the sickly sweet fear. His eyes going all around looking for someone to help him, but there was no one left alive. Standing in the middle of a misty street he saw everyone he’d ever cared about lying on the ground, Tucker was missing his arm, Valeri was lying on either side of him her abdomen torn open and her guts spilling out, Sam’s lifeless eyes were still on Danny a look of surprise on her face.
“Well done.” Vlad said stepping over the fallen form of Danny’s dad, the big man’s head in Vlad’s hand. “I’m proud of you my son.”
“NO!” Danny screamed releasing the cold ice power within his chest, turning the misty street into a frozen landscape, freezing Vlad in a block of ice.
Turning his head left and right he recognized the Far Frozen, “Frostbite!” he called out shivering in the sudden cold. There was no answer only the whisper of the wind sounding like the voices of everyone he’d been too late to save. “Frostbite!” he called again, more desperate this time, but only the moaning wind answered with whispers of everything he should have done, how he could have saved them, how his selfishness had caused them their livelihood, their happiness, their loved once, their life’s. “I’m sorry.” He cried covering his ears to stop them but it didn’t help they were still talking. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” He kept sobbing falling to his knees in the snow.
The fire returned melting the ground under him. He didn’t try to crawl away as he sank deeper in to the white ground wishing for the voices to stop. “But why should they.” Danny twisted around in the darkness. “Why should they stop, isn’t it tasty, their misery, their pain.”
“Who are you!” Danny shouted but a horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach told him he already knew who it was. “Whoever you are get out of my head, I don’t want you!” his voice quivered and rose an octave.
The silhouette of a thin teenager appeared in front of him. “But you do, you just haven’t realized it yet.” The voice giggled.
“Shut up!” Danny roared back, placing a foot in front of him he twisted his whole body and swung his fist with all his strength behind it at the figure. The satisfying feeling of his fist connecting and breaking throw its target exhilarated him. Looking at the figure however made him feel sick, he wasn’t thin but well-muscled, broad shouldered and wearing a varsity jacket over a black t-shirt that was covered in blood. The only thing left of his head was the blond hair.
“One down, who’s next.” Giggled the voice in Danny’s ear.
Twisting around Danny swung a second blow at however was behind him and something snapped.
Dull light blue eyes stared down at Danny. He was breathing heavily and he felt like his heart was trying to break out of his chest. Gasping for air he blinked up in to the familiar face of Vlad Masters, thou he’d never looked at the man’s face that closely, dull blue eyes, a straight nose, sharp cheekbones and small scars from acne covering his cheeks. He sported a galaxy colored bruise on the right side of his face and a gray beard decorated his chin.
Danny’s left arm was shaking and he let if fall to his side as he took in his surroundings. He was lying in a four poster bed, white drapers covering two sides of the bed, the side he could see out of showed only a comfortable armchair and a small tea-table with a cup and a opened book on it, water rolling down the dark window behind the chair. Vlad was standing on the bed over him, his left knee pressing on Danny’s right thigh a steady sours of pain, his left hand was pressing down Danny’s right arm above his head something stinging there as well and when Danny looked he saw an IV needle sticking out of his arm the tube disappearing behind his head somewhere. Vlad’s right hand was pressing on Danny’s left shoulder but it hadn’t stopped Danny from striking the man in the side.
“What…” Danny began and stopped his throat feeling like someone had burnt it, remembering some of his dreams he wasn’t sure that someone hadn’t.
“Have you calmed down?” Vlad asked relaxing his grip on Danny a bit. Danny looked at him confused. Raising an eyebrow Vlad slowly let go of Danny’s arm and shoulder, when Danny didn’t move he straightened and drew a sigh of relief. “So you’ve finally come back from the dream world, little badger.”
“What do you mean?” Danny asked in a barely audible voice pushing himself up on his elbows. “Can you get of my leg it hurts?” He added when Vlad showed no signs of moving.
Lifting his knee from Danny’s leg he sat down on the side of the bed, eyes moving over Danny’s face he nodded. “What’s the last thing you remember?” he finally asked.
Blinking at Vlad Danny searched his muddled memories. He could remember fighting a hoard of Plasmius, he remembered the agony in his chest when he’d transformed and flying faster than he’d ever done to save people and the bitter regret when he saw what happened to the once he’d been too late to save. Anger flared up in his chest and he glared at Vlad.
“Ah you remember the fight I see.” Something like regret flickered over Vlad’s face but was immediately hidden by the fatherly concerned look he often reserved for Danny. “Do you remember our talk at the hospital?” Vlad asked and leaned forward reaching above Danny’s head.
Following the arm with his eyes Danny saw a night table holding bottles of different kinds, a pitcher of water and a half full glass. Handing him the glass Danny was surprised at how weak he felt, his hand was shaking too much for him to drink without spilling some of the water. “I remember the conversation, what of it?” He said after he drained the glass whipping his chin with the back of his hand.
“I was just wondering seeing as you didn’t do as I instructed.” Vlad said taking the glass from Danny’s hands and putting it on the table again.
“I did, I didn’t even go ghost under the entire weekend.” Danny sighed lying back down against the soft pillows, he was acutely aware that he wasn’t wearing anything and only the thing linen sheet covering his waist and hips kept him from turning red with embarrassment.
Vlad shook his head. “That’s not what I mean,” he sighed, “did you use your ice power to counteract the fever?” he asked in a concerned sort of voice.
Danny shrugged, “So what if I did, I hate being sick.”
“You stubborn, ignorant.” Vlad pushed up from the bed. “Egotistical, suicidal, childish, hero complex idiot.” He walked back and forth, suddenly turning to face Danny again. “The fever burns out the poison, I told you so, instead of your own immune system taking weeks to purge you of it, it will burn it all out in the span of days.” He combed back his hair with his fingers. “Using that ice power of yours just made it meaningless, do you understand. If I hadn’t been there when you collapsed you could be dead right now!”
“I’m already dead.” Danny responded not meeting Vlad’s eyes.
Vlad took two steps forward and slapped Danny across the face. “Don’t you ever say that, you are more alive than most humans.”
Danny closed his eyes. “Where’s mom and dad?” he asked not feeling like being lectured by Vlad.
“I imagen they are talking to social services right now.” Vlad said in a calm tone a stark contrast of the one seconds before.
“They’re what!?” Danny exclaimed sitting bolt upright. ”Why?!”
Vlad turned so that Danny could only see him in profile. “Because I found you, sick and alone out in the cold with no sighs of your parents at home, I was obligated to call social services to report the neglect of a miner as well as the signs of abuse I could see on you.” Vlad looked very pleased with himself and raised an eyebrow at Danny as if daring him to do anything.
“This was your plan all along.” Danny growled his voice lower and threatening, eyes glowing green.
Shrugging Vlad turned to face Danny. “No but it was a possible outcome, one that I wouldn’t stop to seize the advantage of. You’ll be removed from their care for the duration of the inquiries”
Danny flung himself out of the bed towards Vlad, and something sharp cut in to his left ankle making him fall flat on his face instead. Groaning Danny looked up to see a pair of handcuffs digging in to his ankle the other end attached to the bedpost. Feeling too many emotions to be able to deal with the frustration he didn’t even try to get up. Tears filled his eyes and he bit his lips to stop any sounds from escaping them as he just laid there his whole world turned on its side.
A strong hand gripped Danny under the arm and lifted him back in to bed. Danny turned his back on Vlad and curled in on himself. Vlad picked up the linen sheet and put it over the hurting boy. “Someone once said, That which does not kill us, makes us stronger.” He pushed Danny’s fringe out of his face. “They will be here tomorrow to collect you, rest now I will be here if you need anything.” Vlad turned back to the armchair in which he’d been keeping vigil over the boy.
Picking up his book again he listened to the sound of rain hitting the window, the steady dripping sound of the IV hanging above the bed and the steady heartbeat of the crying boy. When he thought Danny had fallen asleep the boy spoke. “Fredrich Nietzsche, German philosopher from the mid-19th century.” Vlad blinked and then smiled, a year ago he was sure Danny couldn’t name a single historic figure apart from Neal Armstrong and now he was proving him wrong.