Work Text:
“Does it work?”
Icey blue eyes skeptically watched Danny as he put on the new odd looking glove that instantly resized to fit his hand perfectly as he flexed his fingers a bit.
“You know Vlad, just because Dad made it doesn’t mean its faulty.”
This earned a snort from the older gentleman, if he could be called that.
“Why are you here anyways? Your house is still in-tact, mom and dad are gone on some wild goose chase of a ghost hu-….that was you wasn’t it.”
“Jumping to conclusions already, Daniel? Tsk tsk.”
Though it was entirely true; if it got Jack out of the house and Vlad could use the opportunity to get closer to Danny an attempt to train him? He’d take it.
“So what does is that hideous thing supposed to do anyways?”
“You just don’t like it because its not pink!”
“That’s nonsense, I don’t like it because your father made it. Now answer the question.”
Danny rolled his eyes as he watched the other look over the information on the computer monitors.
“It lets you see the past of any ghost you touch. He thinks it’ll help us communicate with them better, understand why they do what they do.”
It was then that Vlad made a mental note NEVER to let Danny touch him with that thing. There were some things that boy didn’t need to know about just yet.
It was then the ghost portal hissed and groaned, spitting out a blur of blue flames that flew backward into the wall.
Clad in black leather pants with cut outs on the thighs; lace filling in where leather should be, her black crop top, leather glove on her right hand, her pentagram choker and her punk make up smudged from either crying or fighting- it was hard to tell Ember looked up and groaned. Green Ectoplasm dripped from her mouth and she held her ribs in pain.
Danny looked over and gasped, a bit concerned about all of this then looked back at the portal, wondering what had done this to her, taking a few steps toward it in curiousity.
Vlad on the other, hand, froze at the computers and looked over at the woman, blinked a few times- making the choice to not show concern in this moment as he knew that’d cause more trouble than good in the long run, and then looked over to Danny.
“So…does this portal just stay open all the time for shits and giggles or- oh yes, please, go towards the thing that just spat out an injured ghost because its not entirely obvious that the threat will cOME AFTER HER.” He yelled, grabbing Danny by the collar and yanking him back as a green energy blast was fried from inside the portal, that Ember barely managed to dodge, as Skulker stepped through.
“See and this is why we listen to daddy.”
“What?”
“what?”
Danny decided to ignore that and went ghost, tackling Skulker before he got any closer to Ember, who was trying to get up but she kept flinching and yelping in pain. Even ghosts could be hurt. Looking up, she caught Vlads eye and froze, her hair flaring slightly causing him to smirk as his eyes flashed red and his fangs showed.
He’d catch up with her later.
For now he just leaned back on the terminal and watched Danny struggle with Skulker. The kid had gotten better, and technically he should help him, but this one should be easy…he was a walking ego and all you had to do was distract him enough to get him into that ugly little thermos. Oh, he’d figure it out eventually.
“Just… sTOP IT! JUST. LET ME. HIT YOU.” Danny yelled, damn near rolling around with Skulker as the other over powered him.
“Isn’t odd how they always seem to fight that?” Vlad said sarcastically, rolling his eyes and earning and amused snort from the injured ghost girl in the corner. Hearing this, he looked over again and smirked at her. “Don’t think I’ve ever heard you giggle before. Heard you make a lot of other noises, but never a giggle.”
He then had to work quickly to dodge a plasma blast from both her and Skulker for that, but it was worth it in his opinion- plus it didn’t matter if this lab got trashed, it wasn’t his. He may trash it before he leaves just for laughs.
“GOTCHA.”
A loud sound and a flash of light engulfed the room as Skulker was captured, leaving Danny gasping for breath as Vlad slowly clapped.
“Congrats, dear boy, that almost wasn’t a monumental failure-“
“I will stuff you…in this thermos…with him…”
“Oh please do, I feel I should have words with him anways…treating a lady like that.”
“Flattery will get you no where, Masters.” Ember wheezed, standing slowly and leaning on the wall for support, moving her hands slightly as Plasma dripped from an open wound in her abdomen.
Danny blinked and took a step closer to her. “What…what happened to yo- did you just call him by his actual last name?”
“Shove off, dipstick. Don’t touch me.” Ember hissed, slowly stumbling forward. “Just another day in the life…ya gonna shove me in that thermos too?” She said, realizing she was unarmed except for her plasma blasts. She could sing and hypnotize him, but with daddy near by? Unlikely.
“What? No. You’re hurt…” Danny said, closing the gap between them.
“Oh, so when we hurt each other its horrible, but when you do it its fuckin justified?!”
Vlad winced lightly, but not in any sort of pain, he just knew that Danny had dug his grave here. There was no saving him, may as well just sit back and watch at this point.
“Hey, Im trying to help the innocent people of this city!”
“No one is innocent!!” Ember yelled, her hair flaring in anger as she coughed ectoplasm causing Vlad to take a small step forward out of impulse, though he was thankful Danny didn’t notice.
“Listen, we’re not going to agree on this okay. Just…Just let us help you.” The younger boy said, touching her arm lightly, forgetting he had the glove still on his hand.
“Don’t touch me!”
It was too late.
Danny and Embers eyes turned solid green and the glove lit up and made a slightly odd noise. Vlad hurried toward them in alarm, but stopped when he saw it was…working??. It wasn’t clear if it was working or not actually, but it was doing something.
Should he stop it?
Probably.
Was he too curious to allow that to happen?
Sadly, yes.
So he stood back, and watched them both closely, his red eyes narrowing as he prepared himself for anything. If this worked and Ember was aware…he wasn’t sure how she’d react. Even he wasn’t quite sure what happened to her. Sure, her song alluded to a break up gone wrong, abandonment and something about ashes…but he was too curious to be concerned that she was the guinea pig.
Danny saw nothing but white at first, and then it all came into focus:
A young girl with onyx coloured hair and ice blue eyes- Ember.
Highschools in the 80’s had their fair share of the stereotypical goths and punks who embodied the phrase ‘Sex, drugs and rock n roll’ and Amber was no exception. Her passion made her glow when she sang and played her music, it was something that was embedded in her soul as she had loved dancing and music since she was a young girl. A Youth filled with dance lessons, music lessons and, though many didn’t know it, coming home to an empty house.
‘Gone on a business trip. Food in fridge. Don’t burn the house down – Dad’
Was a popular note left on the counter when she would arrive home after school.
Though she had her circle that she hung out with, she wasn’t well liked. She was chaotic, impulsive, she wanted action, she wanted more than the life she had but all she ever heard was “Everyone wants to be famous. You just don’t have what it takes.”
All except him.
With his dark hair and eyes so dark they were almost black, she lost herself in the abyss and didn’t mind it one bit.
To him, she did surrender.
They had it made for weeks, she was his and he was hers, enjoying her music and her company…until she came into his place and found him underneath another girl.
Amber turned and ran, wiping her eyes and smudging her eyeliner, she froze when she heard them speak:
“Who was she?”
“Don’t worry about her, she’s not important. Just forget about her.”
And they did.
They went on like nothing happened.
Like she didn’t exist.
2 weeks she came home for school and sat in her empty house, hardly eating, hardly sleeping, angry that drugs only numbed so much and alcohol only made her more depressed.
One night it all clicked, on night everything just stopped. No depression, no anger, just numbness.
Standing in her living room, she smell of gasoline stinging her nose and making her dizzy, making her skin irritated…she’d splashed it around her entire living room as she stared at the unlit fireplace.
“If they won’t remember me in life…they’ll remember me in death.” Amber said, getting the box of matches from the mantle and sighing softly.
“Like dead trees in cold December…nothing but ashes remains.” She sang to herself as she struck the match and instantly ignited the fire.
It takes 30 seconds to burn to death, but it seems like an eternity. Feeling the heat that doesn’t even feel like heat, it just feels like indescribable pain. Screaming makes it worse as your skin moves with your body heaving, it gets in your mouth and down your throat- then its over. Your lungs collapse….
Danny gasped for air and coughed, jerking away from Ember as she fell to the floor, shaking and staring at the tile with widened eyes.
Taking a moment to watch them, Vlad grabbed Danny instantly by the shoulders, perhaps a bit too roughly, but he couldn’t help it.
“What did you see?!”
“W-Wha??”
The elder blinked, catching himself in his eagerness, and took a deep breath.
“I asked if you were alright. Poor boy, look at you, hearing things from stress.” He said, looking over at Ember who was staring up at them with Horror, she even looked pale if that was at all possible.
Quickly, she got up and scurried away, jumping back into the ghost portal.
He knew she’d be close, contrary to how she acted, she rather enjoyed company, much like himself. Perhaps that’s why they got along…a little too well.
“Daniel?”
“Oh god…I never want to see anything like that again.” Danny said, looking up at the other sadly. “No wonder she acts the way she does…she’s just lonely. She’s hurt and she’s been betrayed and literally left alone since she was a kid. Then she caught her boyfriend with another girl and they acted like it never even happened and she went home, doused the room in gasoline and she…” He choked up and shook his head, clinging to Vlad- which he accepted happily but he grabbed the boys right wrist quickly and took off that horrid contraption before he allowed the boy any sort of comfort. He wasn’t getting touched by that thing, no thank you.
Awkwardly, he patted the young boy and thought about all he’d said. Trying to keep his emotions neutral as he oddly related to most of what this girl had been through…but burning herself alive?
He closed his eyes tightly and took a deep breath.
He couldn’t think about that now, if he did he’d get angry- not at her, but at the situation.
“Would you go see if she’s alright?” Danny asked softly, wiping his eyes- he felt horrible for breaking like that, but it was so horrible to witness.
“Me? Why me?!” Vlad asked, looking down at him in alarm.
“Because you’re strong. She can’t kick your ass as easily, that and you know more about… you know…”
“Girls? I highly agree-“
“I meant ghosts, but sure. Girls. Whatever helps you sleep at night.”
But Vlad didn’t have to go after Ember, he knew where she’d be. Where she sometimes appeared when she was upset- increasingly so as of late.
As he arrived home, turning back into his human form, he found the small framed ghost girl curled up on his couch, her stomach bandaged, no doubt from his supplies, fast asleep.
He’d talk to her when she woke up. For now he picked her up and carried her to bed, she’d hit him for this tomorrow but he’d thank her for the experience.