#with Vlad slowly losing his mind trying to win

[theshadowrealmitself]

Someone jokingly throwing Phantom’s hat into the ring during the next election and now he’s seriously competing against Vlad Masters to be Amity’s mayor

[autisticsupervillain]

An interesting point to make is how Vlad Masters nearly qualifies as both a Magnificent Bastard and a Complete Monster, but he just narrowly misses both marks.

On the Complete Monster side of things, Vlad is honestly the vilest recurring villain on the show by a pretty wide margin. For starters, he hurts Danny on a personal level to an extent unmatched by everyone other than Dark Danny. His longstanding goal is to kill Danny's father and steal his family, simply because Jack "stole" is college crush from him, for starters. To that end, he's willing to: manipulate the teenaged Valerie into becoming a ghost hunter, putting both her life and Danny's at stake. Create expendable clones of Danny, none of which he has any problems with abusing or disposing of despite their love for and loyalty to him. He even brutally tortures Danny so as to extract the data he needs to create the "perfect" clone of him, even attempting to callously risk Dani's life to that end. And even in his first appearance, he possesses Jack in an attempt to ruin his relationship with Maddie.

Of course, when he isn't trying to seduce Maddie and kill Jack, he's fighting Danny for incredibly petty reasons. His crimes under this banner include but aren't limited to: leaving Sam, Danny, and Tucker at the mercy of Salem witch hunters so he can steal their scroll and take over the world, take over Danny's town and ruin his life to win a prank war, forces the ghosts of animals he's killed to serve him, and even poisons Danny's friends, happy to let them die along with him if he isn't saved.

Then, of course, there's his final and most heinous outing. After finally getting his arch-enemy to retire, he openly threatens the world with obliteration unless they elect him as their absolute leader, jeopardizing billions of lives in his quest to take over the world and humiliate Jack.

Vlad is perfectly willing to attempt a body count far exceeding even the most ambitious of the show's villains. His only real rival in either area is Dark Danny, who at least had the excuse of his family dying and having to maintain his own existence. Vlad's excuse is his crush married someone else because of an accident. That quickly falls apart when Masters of All Time reveals just how horribly Vlad would've treated her if things had gone his way to begin with.

However, as monsterous as Vlad, he's ultimately shown to be redeemable. He shows that he had slivers of humanity within him, as he sympathizes with Danny when he loses his family and tries his best to numb the boy's pain. That alone is enough to disqualify him from this, nevermind his guilt induced redemption when things fail.

On the Magnificent Bastard end of the scale, Vlad shows he's Danny's arch enemy for a reason on multiple occasions.

In Reign Storm, Vlad attempts to steal the Ghost King's ring and crown, only for that to backfire when the King wakes up. What follows is Vlad masterfully improvising by manipulating everyone he interacts with, ultimately culminating in him stealing both the Ecto-Skeleton and the Crown of Fire, all while turning the Fright Knight to his side and repairing his relationship with Maddie. He wins on all fronts and never loses his cool throughout the episode, even when he faces down opponents miles out of his league.

When Danny and Co get their hands on a scroll that allows them to traverse time itself, Vlad catches up with them and steals it by playing the time period against them, coming up with multiple back up plans along the way. When one time period doesn't work out, he just travels to another and adjusts his strategy accordingly, only losing when the scroll itself turns against him.

Even at the start of Season 3, Vlad proves his savy by effortlessly taking over the town from undeg Danny's nose, before using his position to turn everyone against Danny Fenton. When Danny regains the public vote, Vlad turns the effort against him by handily defeating him in front of everyone before allowing his human half to "save the day". Only a last minute gambit on Danny's part prevents Vlad's absolute victory and, even then, the episode ends in a stalemate with Vlad as mayor.

The problem arises when you realize how inconsistent this level of hyper competence is for Vlad.

When Jack Fenton alone arrives to stop Vlad from stealing his portal, Vlad gloats about having the perfect opportunity to kill him. He then proceeds to get his ass kicked, whining indignantly about how impossible his defeat is as he's tossed into the portal.

When Jazz shows up at his front doorstep claiming she wants to live with him, Vlad ignores all the obvious red flags she gives him simply because she keeps insulting Jack and praising his ego. Jazz would've gotten in and out without raising a blip on Vlad's radar if Danny hadn't gotten caotured.

Then, of course, there's the time he succeeded in getting himself alone with Danny and Maddie. Does he try to slowly seduce her whilst planting doubts in her mind about Jack? Nope. He spills his guts about hating Jack and expects her to just drop Jack in a heartbeat to be with him. She storms out. Nevermind Vlad ends the episode by getting chased into the woods by his own minions.

Of course, none of this is a knock against Vlad as a character. Complete Monster and Magnificent Bastard aren't the be-all and end-all of villainy. It's just funny to note that Vlad comes close to hitting the two big villain tropes on TV Tropes, only to miss both by inches. Vlad is Danny's arch enemy because he's the most personal of all his foes. Not because he's the most brilliant or most monsterous. If anything, this zig zagging makes Vlad all the more dangerous. He's pitiful and easily humiliated one day, monsterous and magnificent the next. For all his shortcomings, Danny still better watch his back. "Funny, joke around Vlad isn't here today!"

[flutteringdreams-matw]

Out of Time (8)

First/Last

Read on AO3

Word Count: 4108

Previously: "Dan Phantom grew up to be one of the worst ghosts in the history of the Ghost Zone; he destroyed the world, and the ghost zone, multiple times over. In meeting you, he inadvertently created the one ghost powerful enough to stop him. He would have continued to raze the world if I hadn't saved your family, leaving no one left to stop him." Clockwork's smile fell, and dread started to pool in Danny's stomach again. "This paradox is the best shot of defeating him once and for all."

Danny nodded, feeling the crushing weight of his powers and responsibility. "Three outcomes?" he asked, bringing it back to Clockwork's original conversation.

"Three outcomes," Clockwork confirmed, frowning.

"One favourable," Danny finished, closing his eyes. Silence descended on the pair for a few minutes, Clockwork watching Danny's body stiffen as he slowly realized what that meant. "Clockwork," he said eventually in a small voice, looking up at the Time Master. "I'm not… I don't… survive this…. do I?"

Now: Danny meets with Valerie, Dani and Vlad.

Link to the next chapter will be in the replies once posted. As always - please let me know what you think!

---

"Okay, spill," Tucker said, glancing at Sam from the corner of his eye as he worked at the console. The girl in question looked at Tucker with wide eyes. "You've been mopey and distant ever since you came down here. Something must have happened." Sam sent him a weak glare of annoyance. Tucker chuckled quietly as he continued to type in code at the computer. He paused, looking at the screen in thought as he pulled up the shield schematics.

"Any luck?" Sam asked, breaking her silence.

Tucker sighed. "Kind of – I think we have the energy to create a shield of this size, but separating Danny's ecto-signature from his jerky self is difficult. I thought if we just used the sig from the booo-merang, it would be enough, but using that will either keep Danny out of the town or allow Dan to manipulate his way into it." He put his hands under his glasses and rubbed his eyes tiredly. "I mean, it would help if we could get Plasmius' ecto-signature and try and figure out ratios, but something tells me that's an even worse idea at the moment. The only good thing about all this is we know that they have different ecto-signatures. We still have no idea why or how… but the fact they do means we can figure this out." Tucker swivelled his chair to face his best friend beside him. "Now, what's eating you? I could use the break and your presence is dampening my mood."

Sam sent the boy another glare, but sighed as she realized he wasn't going to let this go. "I was upstairs looking at some photos, ran into Danny…" she said, blushing slightly at the memory.

Tucker sat straighter in seat, eyes gleaming with excitement as Sam shifted uncomfortably. "Wait – you told him!?" Tucker exclaimed, gathering a few strange looks from the ghosts in the basement.

"No!" Sam yelped back, her face completely pink from embarrassment. "And would you keep it down?!"

Tucker held up his hands as an apology and gestured for her to continue. "So what happened?"

Sam sighed. "We were talking, next thing I knew he was bringing up Nocturn and…" she trailed off, suddenly crestfallen. "I stopped him before he said anything he was going to regret."

Tucker blinked, mouth opening and closing from the cluelessness of both of his friends. "Let me get this straight… Danny, our Danny, the most clueless idiot on the planet when it comes to his own feelings, was about to tell you how he felt about you and you stopped him?!"

"Of course I did!" she shot back. "He has no idea what he's feeling right now with all of that time energy and the visions going through his head. Didn't you hear what Mrs. Fenton said? He's reliving parts of a timeline where we all died, Tucker. I don't want –"

"To get your hopes up," Tucker finished, pointing a finger at the girl. "Sam, all three of us know how you and Danny feel about each other. I've known longer than probably both of you even realized it. You've been doing this dance for almost two years. If he's finally coming to his senses, regardless of whatever is happening, I think you should be jumping for joy. Or whatever Goths do when they're happy."

Sam sat silent for second before sighing. "I asked him why now," she admitted quietly. "He said he wasn't afraid anymore." Tucker made some excited gestures in victory as she continued. "If Clockwork hadn't interrupted, I'm fairly certain he would have said something."

Tucker watched as Sam looked down, lost in thought. "Sam," he said kindly. "Do you want things to change?" Violet eyes met teal ones as Tucker pressed on. "Danny just told you he's not afraid anymore… so what are you afraid of?"

"Of him not coming back," she said softly, looking away. Tucker's eyes widened as the words tumbled out of her mouth. "He's choosing this moment, the one where he's about to face off a big enemy, to tell me. Why would he do that if he didn't think he'd make it?"

Tucker sighed, annoyed. "You idiot." Sam's head whirled back to her best friend at the insult. Tucker's face was serious, but his eyes sparkled with amusement. "The both of you. Sam – he knows what's at stake. Danny's not trying telling you to fulfill some stupid self-sacrifice ritual. He's trying to tell you to make sure he comes back. Sure he has a bazillion reasons but there's only one person that gives him the hope to fight through anything. He wants someone to fight for."

Sam stared at Tucker as his words sunk in. Tucker sighed as he turned his chair back to the screen in front of him. "Besides, if anything goes down, we're going out there to save his ass. The both of us - not just you lovebird. He's my best friend, I'm not going to let him lose to some jerkface. So stop being a Negative Nancy, go upstairs and tell our clueless Ghost Boy you like him."

Sam smiled, feeling more confident than she felt in a long time. "Thanks," she said quietly. Tucker smiled, not looking away from the screen and waved her off. She stood up, walked a few steps towards the staircase before stopping. She turned back to Tucker with an eyebrow raised. "Did you just say 'Negative Nancy?' What are you… 80?"

Tucker grimaced. "Shut up," he said, embarrassed. "I said what I said."

Sam chuckled a bit, turning, and came face to face with Clockwork. "Whoa!" she said, taking a few steps back. Tucker looked up at the pair, turning to face the mysterious time ghost with a small frown. "Clockwork! Is Danny still upstairs?"

Clockwork's red eyes looked over the human carefully, his face emotionless as ever as he floated toward the ground. "No," he said simply. Suddenly, he sighed. "I'm being summoned," he said, a hint of disdain and promptly vanished.

Sam and Tucker looked at each other in confusion as the world continued around them.

:-=-:

Green light illuminated Danny's face as he flew through Amity Park. He sighed, looking down toward the town; it had taken a lot for his parents to convince Vlad that the town was in danger and had agreed to up security. Now to add some more he thought as he continued to fly into the outskirts of Amity and into Elmerton, just under the shield.

There are only three possible outcomes here – only one of them is favourable.

Danny frowned as Clockwork's words came across his mind once again. It wasn't like he expected anything different; he knew that this battle would be difficult. He was literally his own worst enemy – powers, strategies everything. Well, almost everything. He shivered slightly as he remembered the coldness of Dan's voice threatening him. If there were three outcomes there had to be one of Dan winning. The jerk could take him out; in fact, he almost did a couple times already. There was also a possibility of him defeating Dan – though with the shield around the town and time energy attacking his core, that was looking pretty slim. Resignation filled the teen as he mulled over the last possible option before he shook his head; right now he had to focus.

Green eyes scanned the apartments below as he attempted to find the right building. Valerie's apartment should be around here somewhere. Danny landed onto the roof of the nearest building, crossing his arms in thought as he tried to remember her address. Without warning, blue sparks of energy coursed through him. Surprised, Danny let out a sharp groan of pain as he fell onto his knees, curling into himself. "Really?" he asked, annoyed as more time energy moved through his body.

The last time he had seen Valerie was the funeral. Why did she get to be so free? Why was it his burden? The hunter would pay; If his family was gone, maybe hers should follow.

Danny gasped as the vision left him, feeling ill as he tried to let the vision pass. He breathed hard, putting one hand out to steady himself as he felt more electricity come to the surface. "Not now," he said, pushing back against it. His core responded, flaring slightly as the energy started to dissipate. A few minutes later and Danny was left panting on the rooftop. "Still… not loving this," he grunted, finally regaining his bearings.

A whine of an ecto-gun from his right made him stiffen on instinct before he sighed heavily. His body relaxed slightly, feeling slightly more in control as he still knelt on the rooftop. "Hello Valerie," he said softly, not looking in her direction.

"Phantom," Valerie replied curtly, as she stopped the charging weapon. She floated in full ghost hunting gear, the red and black sled bobbing up and down in the wind. She put the gun in her holster, flying down to the rooftop and retracted her sled. The ghost in front of her still held his position on the ground, making her frown in confusion. "We've been looking for you."

Danny's head whipped up, looking at her through tired, confused eyes. "We?" he asked.

Valerie crossed her arms and cocked her hip. "Yo kid!" she yelled. "I found him!"

A grey and black blur flew upward toward them, landing next to Valerie gracefully. "Danny!" Danielle yelled, running over to her cousin quickly. "You're okay!" She threw her arms around the stunned boy in a large hug.

"Dani!" Danny exclaimed, standing slowly as the girl released him from the hug. Danny frowned worriedly as he looked between Danielle and Valerie. "What are you doing here? Are you okay?"

Valerie rolled her eyes, annoyed. "She's fine, I didn't hurt her," Valerie told him evenly. Dani frowned as she looked between the hunter and her cousin. "She got stuck here when you put up this stupid shield. She's staying at my place to avoid Plasmius."

Danny's eyes widened slightly, still frowning as he looked Danielle over. "How long have you been here?"

Danielle shrugged. "Almost a week," she said nonchalantly. Before Danny could protest, she pressed on. "Are you okay? We saw your fight on the T.V. yesterday. Who was that ghost? Why did you put the shield up? Who were the ghosts that helped you?"

Danny sighed tiredly, crossing his arms. He looked over at Valerie, who was surprisingly content to observe them. "I've been better," he told them cryptically. Valerie shifted and Danny saw her eyes move up and down, assessing him for any lies he may tell. "Had another run in with him last night too." Danny put a hand on Danielle's shoulder. "I'm glad you're here – honestly we could use the extra fire power." The younger girl beamed at him.

"Who's attacking the town?" Valerie asked bluntly, causing both ghosts to turn back to her.

Danny's face darkened. "A really long story," he replied. He caught Valerie's eye as the two teens stared at each other. Danny broke their gaze first, staring up at the shield. "He'll attack again tomorrow and I don't think this shield will last much longer."

Both Valerie and Danielle looked at him worriedly. "Danny, what are you talking about?" Danielle asked, confused. "The shield's been up for days! There's no way it'll break that easy."

Danny ignored her, looking directly at Valerie. "I need your help," he admitted. Valerie looked at him questioningly. "This ghost is something you have never faced before and will not hesitate to take out the town. If my shield goes, for whatever reason, I need you to protect it."

"I always protect the town," Valerie replied with a huff, looking away. Danielle looked at her quizzically, remaining silent as she looked between Danny and her new friend.

Danny sighed. "Valerie," he started, getting her attention again. "Regardless of what you think I am, Dan is much, much worse."

Valerie laughed. "Dan?" she asked. "Really? There are more of you named Danny Phantom?"

"Hey!" Danielle exclaimed indignantly. "I didn't ask for this name! Besides, I like it!"

Danny brought a gloved hand to his face and pinched the bridge of his nose, trying not to lose his temper. "We don't have time for this," he told her urgently. His hand hands flew outward, moving quickly as he tried to press on. "If my shield goes down tomorrow, take whatever weapons you have, and defend Amity Park. You need to destroy him; take him down with whatever means necessary."

Danielle gasped as Valerie looked at him with wide eyes. Phantom never destroyed a ghost in a fight – Valerie had been stopped by him multiple times for trying to do just that. The fact that he was here, almost begging her to do just that was a testament of how desperate he must be. They were silent for a long time, Danny's words weighing heavily. The ghost boy looked away from the two teens in front of him, while all three tried to figure out what to say next. It was Valerie who broke the silence.

"Where will you be?"

Danny laughed darkly at the question. "It doesn't really matter where I'll be," he said bitterly. "If that shield goes down, it means I failed."

Both girls gasped at his tone. "Danny, no!" Danielle cried, grabbing him around the middle. Danny looked at her, surprised. "Let me go with you!"

Danny smiled gently at his cousin and knelt beside her. "It'll be okay," he said reassuringly, hugging her back. "I need you here – Amity Park needs one Phantom that can kick ghost butt." He heard her laugh into his shoulder. Pulling away, he put his hands on her shoulders. "The Fentons are working on a shield to keep Dan out; you should be safe because they have your exact ecto-signature from the last time you were here. If my shield goes down, their shield will go up. I'm not alone in this." He looked at Valerie once more before looking to his young counterpart. "Stick with Valerie. She'll protect you."

Danny stood again, patting Danielle on the shoulder affectionately. Green met green as Danny locked eyes with Valerie once again, the latter finally realizing the gravity of the situation. "Hey Dani," she called. "Can you give us a minute?" Danielle glanced at both older teens apprehensively, Danny giving her a small nod of approval before she agreed.

Valerie waited until she felt Dani was far enough away before she addressed the boy in front of her. "You were right," she said directly. Danny's eyebrows rose in confusion. "About Vlad – I went back after I released you that night… he really is Plasmius huh?"

Danny observed Valerie carefully before letting out a long breath. He didn't look her in the eye. "Does he know?"

Valerie shook her head. "If he does, he hasn't come after me," she told him. Danny's shoulders relaxed slightly but said nothing. "You've worked with Plasmius before, haven't you?" Danny nodded. "Are you going to him next?"

Danny's arm found the back of his neck awkwardly. "Unfortunately," he said. "Vlad might be an insane mastermind, but he is mayor of the town and powerful to boot. The Fentons have already reached out to create a security plan – I'm headed there to ask him to defend the town too. I doubt he would give up a chance to be the 'Saviour of Amity Park.'"

Valerie took off her helmet, her long hair dropping to her waist as she regarded the ghost in front of her. Neither teen spoke for a few moments, just staring at each other from across the rooftop. "I've seen that look in your eye before," she said softly. Danny looked at her, confused. "During the Ghost King attack - you took my mask off in front of my Dad. Back then, I thought you wanted me out of the way to trick the town. I went looking for you afterwards, to kick your ghost butt back to the Ghost Zone… but you were gone for almost a week afterwards." The two teens locked eyes again. "You're going to face this…Dan, aren't you? Just like the Ghost King." Valerie shifted her tone into an accusation. "You're not here for another team up, you're here in case that ghost wastes you."

They stood in silence for a few minutes after that, before Danny wordlessly nodded. The dark skinned girl was taken aback by his honesty, how much older and tired he looked in that moment. He was injured, almost begging for her help. Snow white hair moved softly in the wind, making his green eyes spark with determination through whatever he must be going through. He was the reason she became a ghost hunter and vowed to destroy... willing to risk his afterlife for a town of humans. She didn't understand –couldn't understand - but regarded him with determined eyes anyway.

"Okay Phantom," she assured. "I'll protect Amity Park and Dani from anyone who wants to hurt them. If that shield goes down, I'll go after this Dan with whatever I got."

Danny's entire body relaxed as if a weight was lifted off his shoulders. Valerie observed him carefully as he masked any uncertainty he must feel in her presence. "Be ready," he told her before teleporting away.

Valerie stood tall as she scanned the shield around the town. The mantle was passed – all she had to do was wait. It wasn't until Danielle came back to the rooftop and asked her what's wrong that she realised she was crying.

:-=-:

Clockwork sighed heavily as he watched many Observants fly off in different directions. He moved slowly, hovering feebly as he made his way inside of the Observant Tribunal Headquarters. As he entered, many more Observants flew about, often yelling about the 'end of the world.'

"Clockwork! There you are!"

The Time Master sighed again as an Observant came into view. The large eyeball seemed to be more accentuated by the deep black collar of his robe. Clockwork kept his staff on the ground, holding himself in place as the Observant came toward him.

"Is there any news?" the Observant asked desperately.

"As I have told you the previous seven times you've summoned me here – no," Clockwork replied firmly. "There has been no change to the time stream, nor the events that are to come."

"Are you sure Clockwork?"

Clockwork scoffed irritably. "If I could see past a paradox, believe me, I would have told you by now." He gestured to his appearance. "Or at least make myself younger – these trips are becoming tiresome."

The Obersvant's eye narrowed. "Your powers are fading – just like ours." When Clockwork didn't respond, the Observant continued. "So this is truly the end of time? The boy will lose and Dan Phantom will rule the world once more?"

Red eyes rolled in exasperation. "How are you so sure he'll lose?" Clockwork asked, ignoring the question. "He's beaten him before."

"Because of your interference!" the Observant snapped. "Even you can't stop a paradox Clockwork! Once these two face off, your powers will be locked until it is all over."

Clockwork turned his back toward the Observant. "I know my role during a paradox," Clockwork said dangerously. "The next twenty four hours will determine the pathways to the future. Will the Observants face the future head on or run away like the cowards they are?" Clockwork looked up at the Observants flying frantically in every direction. "How many times have you all asked me to intervene to save the timeline? How many times I've refused? You have no right to lecture me when I only interfered because the Observants asked." Clockwork pressed a button on his staff, engulfing him in a blue light. "I will be there when Time recovers, as I have been for centuries – regardless of what happens in this paradox."

The Observant scoffed at Clockwork's tone. "Your fondness of the boy has clouded your judgement," he accused.

Clockwork's red eyes narrowed as he looked back toward the Observant. "My fondness has done nothing," he replied coldly. "Danny Phantom will face his future self once more and once it is all over, I will return to my duty as the Master of Time, regardless of the outcome. You, however, will continue to be blinded by your fear and hatred." Clockwork looked up at the frantic ghosts one last time in disdain before he disappeared.

:-=-:

Dan's eyes were closed as he felt more shadows appear in front of Amity Park. His army was growing, made more powerful by his undeniable rage he felt for his younger self. How has the boy scraped by so easily, Dan thought angrily, eyes opening as he flew upward. He could see the shadows at the shield, ready to attack once he gave the signal.

The boy still had twelve hours left before they attacked. He observed the shield calculatingly, trying to find a weak point to destroy any pitiful resistance that the humans of Amity Park would attempt.

Danny will rue the day he locked me in that infernal thermos.

:-=-:

As he touched down in the Mayor's office, Danny grabbed hold of the closest solid object he could find and doubled over, gasping. His vision swam slightly, vaguely seeing a mass of ghosts attacking the shield as he tried to desperately focus on the task at hand. He felt the sparks of electricity run through his body again, grimacing at the now common event.

"It's about time, Daniel," the annoyed voice of Vlad Masters brought him into focus. Vlad turned at his desk, glaring at the young ghost. "Now, care to tell me what the hell is going on?" Danny said nothing, not quite catching his breath. He fell onto his knees, transforming back into Danny Fenton in the process. Vlad's face shifted from annoyed to concerned quickly, standing up slowly as he regarded the boy in front of him. Danny blinked rapidly, shaking his head as if he was trying to focus, panting from exertion. Vlad could sense the exhaustion the boy felt from where he stood, and sighed heavily. The man walked over to the wall and turning his hand intangible, he stuck it through, pressing a button. In an instant, the wall parted, revealing a steel blue safe. Vlad opened it and pulled out a small black pouch with Phantom's logo on it.

Finally making his way over to the teen, Vlad knelt in front of Danny. "Here," he said gently, helping the boy into the armchair that he was currently gripping for dear life. Once seated, Danny deflated slightly, finally starting to calm down.

"Vlad?" Danny asked, confused.

Vlad frowned as he watched Danny closely; the young half-ghost's breathing finally became normal, but was still quite weary. "Daniel," Vlad said softly. "You've had the shield up for four days now. It's exhausting your core; if you keep this up –"

"I know," Danny said, cutting him off. "But I need to keep them out."

Vlad's frown deepened at the boy's insistence. "What's going on?" Vlad pressed again.

Danny sighed heavily. "Apart from an evil version of me from the future trying to kill everyone I care about and the end of time?"

Vlad blinked, nonplussed, before regaining his thoughts. "You mean to tell me that the evil ghost that's been causing havoc both here and the ghost zone is you? Goody two-shoes Danny Phantom?" he asked incredulously.

"It's a long story," Danny replied ominously, looking away. "A lot had happened."

"Really? Did someone steal your thermos?" Vlad asked sarcastically.

Danny's head whipped forward and glared at the man in annoyance. "More like an explosion killed my friends and family, got sent to live with my cheesehead arch-enemy, asked you to rip out my ghost half who went crazy and merged with your ghost half and destroyed the world," he told the older man darkly.

Vlad blinked as the boy's words sank in, leaving a small silence in its wake. "And you know this how exactly?"

"Clockwork."

"The Master of Time?" Vlad asked incredulously. "You do get around, don't you."

Danny ignored him. "I stopped him once," he continued. "In an alternate timeline. But he exists out of the time stream-"

"Creating a paradox?" Vlad surmised. Danny nodded. "How far in the future are we talking here?"

"10 years."

"Meaning he also had my powers for 30 years," Vlad mused. He looked at his rival young again, noting how rigid the boy was in front of him. "How did you beat him last time?"

Danny looked away slightly, avoiding the question. "Vlad…" the younger half ghost gripped the arms of the chair harshly. "If the shield goes down… I need you to protect the town."

"Daniel?" Vlad was worried at the sudden shift in tone. Steely blue eyes watched as Danny shifted tiredly, grimacing at some unseen force wracked his small frame.

"Promise me," Danny said, looking at the older hybrid desperately. "He'll go after my parents, Jazz, Sam, Tucker. If I'm not strong enough-"

"Not strong enough? Daniel what on earth-" Vlad stopped, wide eyed as he realized what this was. "Daniel, no - I don't care what infernal complex you may have, but facing that ghost the way you are now? That's suicide."

"It's the only way," Danny said softly, shaking his head. Vlad scoffed at his tone. "Vlad, he basically has my ecto-signature. There can't be two of us in one time stream. The only way time can move forward again is if I face him."

"Alone?" Vlad sneered. "Contrary to what you believe little badger, the world does not rest on your shoulders."

"Vlad," Danny started, letting out a large breath. "He has an army – look at me. You and I both know I have no chance alone. Mom and Dad have a plan, so all I need to figure out is to get past to face him - just to make the time lines restart. When that happens, hopefully we'll figure out how to destroy him once and for all."

Vlad raised an eyebrow, questioningly. "We? Are you asking for my help?"

"Dammit Plasmius!" Danny exclaimed, stunning the billionaire at the outburst. Vlad took a few steps back at the sudden volume. "You think I want this? You think I like knowing there's an evil version of me waiting to destroy my friends and family and me? You think I wanted to come here today to beg you to save my family?" Danny's eyes lit up green in frustration. "Fine! I'm begging you, please: When my shield falls; protect my family and friends okay? Happy?! Do what you can to destroy him. You hear me? Whatever it takes."

They sat in stunned silence for a few moments, Danny's chest heaving from his outburst as he started to calm down.

Vlad recovered first, swallowing slightly.

"You said when," he said quietly. Danny looked away from the man. "Danny, you said when your shield falls. Not if." Danny stayed quiet, confirming Vlad's suspicions. The white haired man sighed, resigned to the boy's decision. "You have my word."

Danny deflated, nodding in acceptance. A heavy silence enveloped the room, neither half-ghost speaking. Vlad moved tentatively toward Danny, kneeling next to the boy once more. "Here," Vlad told him. He offered the small pouch he took from the safe to the teen. "I had these created after our run in with the Ghost King."

"What are they?"

"I call them Ecto-Enhancers," Vlad explained. "Think of them like an energy drink." He unzipped them and showed the teen three syringes, all glowing neon green. "They'll give your powers a bit of an extra boost when you're exhausted or hurt. It'll give your body a chance to recover if you're using a lot of energy. Only use them for extreme circumstances; use one every few hours." Danny nodded, taking the pouch. Vlad stood up, turning his back to the teen. Silence descended on the pair once more for a few minutes before Vlad broke it. "Daniel…" he started, before sighing, shaking his head. "Are you sure about this? Facing him?"

"Not like I have a choice," Danny mumbled. Vlad heard the teen grunt behind him. He turned to see to boy standing. "I should get going. Thanks for the Ecto-Enhancers."

"Danny wait," Vlad said, stopping the younger halfa in his tracks. They stared at each other for a second, neither speaking. There was so much Vlad wanted to say to the boy; they were so similar and yet so different. Eventually, Vlad broke the silence with a sigh. "Be careful."

A look of confusion washed across Danny's face briefly before it changed into a sad, guarded mask. Vlad saw it now; Danny's reserved acceptance of his fate, the understanding that he'll probably never make it out of whatever disaster awaits him. A small nod was all Vlad got as Danny transformed and flew out of the office.

[hitsuackerman]

Why Did It Have to be Him? pt. 1 (Aizawa x Reader)

a/n: okay ya’ll this is purely self indulgent because i have been simping so hard for this man lately. anddd the fact that my guilty pleasure for Aizawa is student-teacher scenarios huhuhu (splashes holy water on self) that being said... i hope ya’ll like this :)

Warnings: Student-Teacher relationship, Age-gap, Cursing

Link to Part 2

Masterlist for other fics :) here

Today was like any other day.

You woke up and did everything that needed to be done. With how routine it had become, things were quite a blur. One moment you were changing in your house and the next you were now face to face with your fellow class 1-A people.

With the minutes dragging by, you could feel your heart beat faster. Fingers growing numb at the sensation of seeing him again. Heat building up between your thighs at the mere thought of his presence.

Despite the volume of the class rep's voice telling you all to sit down, your ears were more focused on the classroom doors. Any moment now, he would enter and the silent and devouring longing would happen once again. Your teeth instantly chewed on your inner cheek when the doors slid open.

"Okay, class." He began. "Change into your PE uniforms. We will work on your quirks today."

One by one, your classmates left the room. His eyes followed their movements one by one. Landing on you, he could feel his heart clench and his mind working overdrive. Both your eyes met yet no one dared to break the contact.

"Hurry up and catch up with the others." He instructed. "Tell them to be ready in 20 minutes."

"Yes, Aizawa-sensei."

He knew that look too well. The way your eyes would linger on his face and slowly make their way down. He could see how your pupils were dilated with the small distance between the two of you. How many weeks had this been going on? Placing a hand on your back, barely touching the fabric of your uniform, he led you out of the room and went to the teacher’s lounge.

‘Damn this.’ You cursed yourself. What started off as admiration came spiraling down after the Summer Camp incident. How did it end up like this?

Yes, you knew who he was. The moment he entered the classroom on the first day of class, the bandages and the dead look on his face was all too familiar. How could you not recognize one of your favorite heroes? Sure there was Vlad and All Might, but there was just something about your homeroom teacher that made you want to tug on the line of student and teacher.

This was just a crush, right? The way you can’t stop staring at him, how you’d want to run your fingers through his messy hair, or even just trace his jaw line with the tip of your finger. Just when you thought it would all stop, that’s when things went out of control.

You were currently aiding Recovery Girl in cleaning up the medical cabinets. She had just finished healing a rather nasty bruise on your thigh due to your clumsiness. Yes, there was still a patch of black and purple, but you opted not to have it bandaged since there wasn’t a need for it. As a thank you, you offered to help her finish the easier tasks.

When you were about to leave the school, you bumped into a skinny blonde figure.

“Young (L/N).” All Might called out to you. “I need your help. I cannot seem to find Midnight or Present Mic anywhere.”

Willing to help the number one hero, you followed him towards a lounge with Principal Nezu and Vlad all dressed up. However, all them seemed to be focused on the curled up yellow sleeping bag nested on the floor.

“We truly apologize for this inconvenience but we need your help.” Principle Nezu began. His small furry paws pointing towards your homeroom teacher. “Is there any way you can persuade him to leave his cocoon and change into something more formal? You may use your quirk if needed.”

“I’m not sure if he’ll listen, but I’ll try.”

Slowly walking towards the yellow caterpillar, you went on your knees and poked his back. Your fingertip felt just how soft the material was. No wonder he could sleep anywhere in this thing. Poking a little harder, there was still no response.

“Sensei…” You warned him. “If you won’t get up, I’ll have no option but to use my quirk on you.”

“You do realize you shouldn’t have told me that?” He turned around and faced you. His hair even messier than before. Eyes red from sleepless nights and the stubble thickening. “That wasn’t a smart thing to do.”

“But it did get your attention.” You replied. Tucking in a strand of hair behind your ear. A small smile on your face for winning his attention.

“They stooped that low to call a student…” Aizawa said as he finally unzipped himself from his yellow sanctuary. Relieved sighs could be heard around the room. Standing up, he took the suit and went to the comfort room to change.

Sitting down and basking in the awkwardness of the situation, your eyes darted to the screen. Reporters were now waiting for the two homeroom teachers to appear for an interview. Gritting your teeth, your mind wandered to Kirishima and the others who were now trying to rescue Bakugo.

Returning back to the room, Aizawa was now suited up and immediately your mind went boom. His hero costume did a fine job in hiding all those muscles. Absentmindedly swallowing your saliva, your eyes savored the view of a clean Eraserhead. Your theory had been proven right, his binding gear really covered his broad shoulders.

“Do me a favor and hold this.” He asked. Handing over his gear.

Not expecting it to be a little heavy, your eyes widened and your thoughts ticked. Every single minute, he had to carry this around. No wonder he’s got a good back. Feeling the sofa dip, you glanced at your homeroom teacher.

‘My god. His side profile. Holy shit he looks so handsome.’

Bringing up his hands, he began to rub his face. A small grunt escaping his mouth. Rummaging his pocket, he took out his eye drops and finally gave himself the relief he needed.

“It’s not good to stare, (L/N).” He commented as he returned the eye drops in his pocket.

‘Shit. I stared for too long. Crapcrapcrapcrap.’ Your cheeks burned from embarrassment. Thankfully, the other people in the room were too busy staring at the monitor. Say something, you told yourself.

“I, uh, I was just thinking that maybe you should lose the stubble.” (Y/N). HOW IDIOTIC COULD YOU BE? “I-I-I don’t mean it that way. It’s just that it would make an impression to the reporters that the school is really taking things seriously…”

Aizawa just stared at you. He knew you were chewing your inner cheeks. The way you held on to his binding gear tightened. But the slight tint of pink on your cheeks made him wonder. You were still feeling things after all this time? Maybe he might take your suggestion. Of course for the media, not for his student.

Excusing himself, you heard the doors open and close once more. Mentally, you slapped yourself. You could smell it now, detention and maybe a bit of scolding. Your shoulders fell and you began to fidget with the cloth.

“Okay, everyone, remember what we talked about.” Principal Nezu began. His small feet tapping on the ground. This was the first time you saw him all serious. Facing you, his eyes scanned the room and back at your sitting body. “Where’s Aizawa?”

“He probably forgot something.” You replied.

“Tell him to immediately go into the press room once he arrives.” Upon receiving your confirmation, both he and Vlad exited the room. When they opened the doors, you heard the cameras flashing and the murmurs of all the reporters.

“Are you alright?” You asked All Might. The look on his face seemed rather disturbed. His phone trembling in his fist.

“If you’ll excuse me, young (L/N). I have to attend to this urgent matter.” The tone of his voice laced with anger and concern. And just like that, you were left alone in the lounge. The sound of the monitor bouncing on the walls to cover up the silence.

You jumped a bit when the doors opened once more. Strands of Aizawa’s binding gear fell to the floor. Quickly picking and putting them back into place, your eyes landed to your homeroom teacher once more. For a moment, your breath hitched.

Even though his hair was messy, you saw that he was now clean shaven.

‘Holy mother of gods. That is a sin, right there.’ Not wanting to linger on him, you focused on the screen and tried to cancel the steps of his footsteps going towards you.

“Is this okay?” His voice was tired and dead. Yet there was a tiny bit of curiosity in them.

“Y-yeah…” Stare at anything but his face. Save your pride and respect the line. You repeat to yourself. “They, uh, Principal Nezu said you should head over to the interview room when you arrive. And now that you're here, you should go to them.”

“Thank you.” That’s all he said. 

Straightening his tie, you couldn’t help but look at him. When he finished, he looked at you. Almost as if he were asking if it was straight enough. Giving him a thumbs up, you furrowed your brows when he took something out from his other pocket.

‘Does he have two eye drops or something?’ You wondered.

Taking a hair tie out, he fingered through his hair and tied it in a half up half down.

‘OH MY GOD. HOW CAN HE HIDE SUCH A FACE?! HOLY SHIT.’ If anything, you were sure your jaw had dropped and it was all to clear that you were thirsting for your teacher right there. Being hypnotized by his kept look, you failed to realize that he had inched his way closer and closer till he was only a step away from you.

“(L/N).” His voice was low and husky. Authoritative but restrained. “You know I do not tolerate any of this.”

You snapped yourself back to reality. Bowing your head with embarrassment, you took a step back to give him space.

“I apologize, sensei. I didn’t mean to.” The beating of your heart echoed to your ears. You were sure he could hear them at that distance. “It won’t happen again.”

With that, he left you alone and proceeded to join the interview.

Letting go of the breath you had been holding, you clenched your chest and flopped to the sofa. Breathing in and out, you tried to calm yourself and the situation that had just unfolded. Biting your lower lip, you held onto the fabric and let a few tears slip from your eyes. Expelled. You were sure of it.

With the interview over and the gut wrenching fight of All Might versus All For One, you decided to drop everything and go home. There were just too many happenings for a single day. The comfort of your own bed and a tub of ice cream was all you wanted at this point.

“Excuse me, but I really should get going.” You informed the group.

“Take a taxi.” Principal Nezu offered. “You may drop by my office tomorrow for a reimbursement.”

“It’s okay, Principal Nezu. My house is only a 20 minute walk from here.” You bowed and bid farewell.

“(L/N).”

‘Crap. Is he going to expel me now? Why can’t this wait till tomorrow and not in front of everyone… fuckfuckfuck.’

“You are my responsibility. I’ll walk you home.” Aizawa said. Not even waiting for a response, he said his goodbyes and left the room with you.

The walk towards your home was nothing but awkward silence. His coat hung on his arm while his binding gear rested on his shoulders once again. Footsteps and the occasional honking of the horn were all you could here. The minutes dragged by slowly and you wanted to make a run for it to save yourself.

Finally, you spotted your apartment. That felt like the longest 20 minute walk you’ve ever had.

“This is my stop. Thank you for taking me home.” You bowed.

“How did you get that bruise?” He asked. His eyes resting on your thigh. The look on your face told him you had forgotten it was there in the first place.

“I fell down the stairs.” You responded. Scratching your cheek.

Crouching down, he inspected the bruise.

‘What the hell are you doing, Shota? Do not touch her skin.’ He internally yelled at himself. There was really nothing to it, he reminded himself. All he needed to do was to poke the bruise and give you the necessary treatment for it.

Shivers crawled down your spine when you felt his calloused finger touch the purple patch of skin. The moment he poked it, you felt your stomach tingling and heat building up. When they said there was a thin line between pain and pleasure, they weren’t kidding on that one. Feeling him poke it once, your breath hitched and a small, barely audible, moan escaped your mouth.

‘Oh god. Oh god. He did not hear that. He definitely did not hear that.’

But he did.

‘Stop this right now, Shota. She’s a goddamn student.’ The small moan you made was enough to make him curious. The rationality of this situation was screaming negativity. However, your skin was just so soft to the touch. And that moan? He wondered what other sounds could he make you do. ‘Fuck. No. This is Wrong.’

Standing back up, he cleared his throat and placed his hand in his pocket. He felt his heat rising and definitely did not want you to see that. Thank goodness it was dark.

“Sorry about that.” His eyes still fixed on you. “Recovery Girl did a good job on healing it. Just give it some ice therapy and it’ll be gone in a few days tops.”

“I will. Thank you for the tip.” You took your keys from your bag and gave him a shy smile. The touch of his skin on yours still lingering on your senses. “I better get inside now.”

“I shall take my leave then.”

With that being said, you unlocked the door and went inside. Not wanting to look back knowing just how delicate the line was. Once the hatch clicked, you slid down to the floor and tried to gather your thoughts. Times like these you were glad you lived alone.

“Why did it have to be him? Why did he have to touch my thigh? Why did you have to moan? Fuckfuckfuck” Burying your face in your palm, you scolded yourself why you let your emotions get out of control.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the door, Aizawa had let his hair down. The chilly wind brushing his face. His unwanted friend had now settled down. His focus was on his hand. Specifically his finger. It was only for a few seconds but all he wanted was to maybe have one more opportunity to touch your skin. Clenching his fist, he placed it back into his pocket.

“What the hell did you just do, Shota?”

[undead-notunreasonable]

HAPPY DRAC-O-WEEN || PART 31 OF 31 ||

The sound of dripping stirred Dracula from his slumber, his body felt a strange mixture of light & heavy. Both mourning & relief. There was a strange silence about the place he were in, something held within the air but he couldn’t figure out what it could be. Eyes opened slowly, seeing the stone ceiling above him, the way the candlelight flickered onto the condensation suggested he was somewhere dark, somewhere underground, a cellar perhaps. But it couldn’t have been any ordinary cellar, at least most cellars don’t have beds within them, almost like nurses beds. With a soft groan, Dracula sat up on his elbows, letting his eyes adjust to the light. It’d been at least a century that he’d been somewhere that relied solely on candlelight to illuminate a room. A shuffle in a seat drew his attention to a woman in what seemed to be a blue cloak, a...habit. If he could breathe, it would certainly catch in his throat. “Oh good, you’re awake at last.” a thick, chirpy Dutch accent called back to him. Dracula felt so tired & above all confused, staring at the woman until she pushed past his blurred vision by coming to his bedside “Agatha?” he called out weakly, trying to make sense of it all. “Yes, Count Dracula. You are at my side once again it seems, you’re harder to distance myself from than anyone else.” she slid into a seat, looking at him with a look of scepticism. “What’s going on? How am I here?” he asked trying to sit himself upright until he felt cool slim fingers pressing him down again. “That is not the question we have to ask ourselves.” she urged, dropping her nose so she could look at him with an arched brow. “But if you must know, it seems that those lives you have taken within your 500 years not only live on through you but you continue to live on through them. I seem to be the prioritised choice, which makes sense when you think about it, I was the only one after all who came closer than anyone to understand the beast.” “I feel I’m hardly a beast, I haven’t been this tired in centuries.” he wheezed out and tired he looked, his eyes could barely keep open, his body just hurt, almost as though he were mortal. Agatha watched on at him, arching her neck to get a better look, observing the man who were much different to the woman she’d met at those convent gates. “The question isn’t how but why?” Agatha urged, she particularly enjoyed watching people figure things out for themselves. “Because your blood is within my blood, not only did I carry you, you carried me, all the people whose lives I’ve taken I can easily return to like a terrible book I just can’t seem to finish.” Van Helsing had a glowing smile on her lips at that. “And you can’t bare a bad book, can you?” another arch of her brow, this time rather than judging him, she was challenging him. Dracula’s dark eyes flicked to hers for a brief moment before looking ahead once more, staring at more stone wall dripping with liquid. He lay quiet just then, thinking things over. How did he get here, what had just happened that sent him within his own mind. He was storming the foundation himself and...Vlad. A jolt in his memory brought about the flash of a vision: Vlad’s head on a spike, where it was always meant to be. Surely he would be here with him, inside his veins, they’d shared blood so surely-- “Vladimir Tepes is not here, Count Dracula.” Agatha interjected. “Remember, we’re connected, I can hear your thoughts.” His eyes scanned the walls, recounting everything that had happened and how it came to Vlad being beheaded. His hands began to shake and eyes filled with tears “They killed him. They stole him away from me just when we’d found each other again. We loved each other & we were going to rule--” he began to babble, feeling his heart burn with pain. “--I’m surprised someone as cruel & deadly as you could love someone but I’m afraid that notion was never returned to you.” Agatha remained steady then, knowing her words were unkind but it better to speak the truth. “What are you talking about, of course he did--” “No. He didn’t.” she spoke more sternly this time, taking hold of the conversation like a riding bull “He was using you to win the throne, making you do all the dirty work, finding out information, infiltrating the foundation, speaking to Mr Harker, then he was going to make you his second man.” Dracula took a complete offence to this, cheeks puffing with anger at how a nun could talk about his relationship. “Think about it.” Agatha urged “Whenever you tried to initiate things, did he reciprocate those feelings?” Dracula’s puffed cheeks slowly dropped as he thought things through. He seemed to avoid him all the more the plan were staring to come together. “And didn’t he just steal a human away from you just now? Almost as though he was power hungry, and you just let him.” Annoyingly, as always, Agatha was right. Piecing these things together made Dracula begin to shake once more, trembling with heart break before he burst out into tears. “Oh!” she beamed at the sight, being somewhat cruel in her actions “The vampire does cry, that’s new.” His tears faltered then, taking in a deep breath, realising that he didn’t want that in front of her. His lips pursed in annoyance instead. Until his original question remained in his mind: How is he here? “You’re talking to me, an awful lot, just like before.” his eyes narrowed as he watched her. Agatha rose from her seat, walking away from his bedside again. Dracula sat up immediately, honing his focus on the nun “You’re distracting me again, Agatha Van Helsing. What are you up to?” just then, he climbed out of the bed, seeing himself back in Jonathans robes after he’d torn at his face. “You’re a creature of consequence.” she turned on her heel, raising her chin to look up at him. “All creatures, even humans, have to suffer for their actions.” “You’re killing me, aren’t you?” “No.” her hands folded together as she kept herself calm, and stood strong against the vampire. “I’m not the one killing you.”

A strange sucking sound grew to become an overwhelming sound of vacuum. The surroundings had melted away from that of underground cellar in St Mary’s Convent Budapest to what seemed as though they stood in middle of a tornado. Dracula had to shield his eyes from the dust, squinting to see if he could find any sign of, well, anything beyond this whirlwind. There were screams and moans twirling through the dust, swirling into his hair & clothing. “Where am I?” he called out to the woman in front of him. Agatha still remained still, hands neatly folded as thought the wind didn’t rock her. “Your turmoil!” she called back against the noise “Your victims, your pure unfiltered chaos! All wrapped into one great storm!” Dracula grabbed at the woman then, snarling down at her “Put me back, put me back at that Foundation!” his eyes were wild & shining, matching the mayhem of their surroundings. Pain, excruciating agony but at least the surroundings were quiet aside from his cries. His eyes laid upon the stake of which pierced through his chest, splintering through his heart. A hand reached up to clutch at it & found it covered in blood, having already attempted without himself knowing. His breath wobbled, blood, his own, trickled up from his throat. This was his end. He’d never thought it would be something like this, he always imagined in a much grander scheme, a ruler, adored, not... inside a research centre. He cried out again, eyes meeting the head of Vlad where heartbreak & anger were at war with one another. He choked on his blood once more. How did this happen? The position of the stake were just out of reach for him to pull out. “D,” a female voice called out, tears streaming down her face. “I had to do it.” her voice waved. His eyes looked from the stake until they met beautiful shining brown ones. Lucy Westenra was the one to make him meet his demise, who’d have thought? “I saw what you was planning.” she dropped to her knees, small hands covered in his blood, trembling just as much as he did. “I’m so sorry, D. I couldn’t---” she hiccupped “---I couldn’t let that happen. I couldn’t let you go through with it. Not again.” despite her anger, she was riddled with remorse, clutching at him as though she wasn’t ready to lose him, like she hadn’t placed the stake there herself. A long sharp finger came up, giving a soft wag as he spoke “Lucy Westenra, as long as I live in your memory, I will continue to haunt you for the rest of your Octobers.” he snarled at her one final time. Two people he’d accepted into his life, both betrayed him.

The tornado like purgatory returned once more, and Dracula found himself staring at it’s bleak grey walls. “You’re dying, Count Dracula. At long last. This is the end of the line.” Agatha called out once more. Dracula looked paler than usual, and if anything, absolutely petrified by the idea. “The monster that once was, no one to love him, crushed by those he thought loved him, and murdered by his finest experiment. His last experiment.” She corrected. “A foul stinking beast, gone. A final bow. How does that feel?” All this time he’d managed to avoid death, escaping it’s every sharp claw, and now it had been taken from him, just as he were rising the ranks. The sounds of his victims from five centuries seemed to wail together, rising and roaring at him in their anger. How dare he be upset that he time came before he wanted. Hands threw over his ears to try and drain them out but it was no use. The Count dropped them to his thighs, bursting into tears once again, completely defeated & exhausted. “I have blood on my hands that will never come clean.” he wailed “I’m sorry! Agatha,” he closed the gap between them “I don’t know what to do, how could I have let that man get into my head! Agatha Van Helsing, please help me, please let me repent.” he begged, clutching onto the bottom of her habit, willing her to help him in anyway that she could. Within the commotion, a door appeared between them, slowly opening to reveal a bright white light, and within it, his home. Wallachia. The sound of his Mother & Sister laughing within the kitchen of his childhood home. The smell of snow, stew, and wood burning swirled his purgatory. He looked at it in complete bafflement, bewildered more like. Was this... his heaven? His wide eyes & slack jaw looked back to Agatha, who was looking beyond the door herself & gave a short laugh “Hmm! That seems like a nice place to spend eternity.” she bounced her shoulders in delight at the sight. “Why? After all this time, after all these people I’d killed, slaughtered, and tortured?” “You have to remember, Count Dracula, this is life, everybody dies here. But not only that-                                                                                -The devil himself was an angel in the beginning.                                                                         It’s time for you to go home.”

[donaeis]

Tori: “Baby, I’ve been thinking, and… I think it’s time. I know you’ve been making these plans, rallying your friends, but you don’t need all that.

“You’re a grand master vampire. You’re older and badder than the far majority of us. Sure, Vlad’s got a few years on you – maybe a thousand few years. But come on, honey. When was the last time he’s been challenged? When was the last time he had to defend himself in a fight? He’s become comfortable in his spot at the top, because no one has had the balls to forsake the age difference and defy him. Too comfortable. I’m sure he wouldn’t know how to defend his little throne anymore even if his life depended on it.”

James: “He’s one of the Yores, Tori.”

Tori: “So? You know what else the Yores don’t have? The evolution that we got. We perfected. He’s just another of the subpar beings that call themselves vampires and deem themselves so formidable just because they’ve got a few years on us. I say we defy him, baby, and we defy him now. Today. When he least expects us to.”

James: “I don’t know. There’s a reason why no one’s been dumb enough to…”

Tori: “You know what I think, James? I think you’re just scared. Scared you might lose… and be forced to face the fact that you’ll never truly be more than Second Best. That this is the spot you’re gonna have to settle for. But I know.

“I know you. And I know that you’re stronger than you think you are. I think you have no reason to be afraid. I think that it doesn’t matter how or when you try to take that throne—I think you’ll always win. I know you will.”

James: “What if I don’t?” 

Tori: “You will. Believe me. I see your strength, baby, even when you can’t. I see it.”

Finally, she turned around to face Straud Mansion—and willed him to do the same. “And it’s time for the world to see it, too.”

Slowly, a smile formed on his face. Together, they moved even closer to the mansion. “Time to let the world know who this James Forsythe really is.”

Vlad:  “James. I see you’ve finally decided to step out from within the shadows. How very brave of you. Now run along. Back to the gloom of nothingness you sprouted from.”

The dismissive words more than offended James. How dare Vlad treat him like some insignificant lowlife? Some vampire lackey? Did he not know whom he was dealing with, here? 

A low growl escaped from his lips. 

Even before he became a vampire, James was formidable. An army general, a master strategist. Winner of wars. He’d almost been able to single-handedly bring his country victory. Almost.

And here he was, a thousand years and a more than frightening array of powers later; still without the respect he deserved.

With those thoughts dominating his mind, James decided to forsake the safety of insecurity—so long as he hadn’t actually fought Vlad, he could be a winner nor a loser—and attacked.

With this newfound confidence flowing through his veins, James…

Well, James actually won.

Could barely believe it. So many years of scheming, and all it took was one good scrap. All it had taken was his own strength. A cackle escaped his lips as  he realized how, had he just had a little more faith in himself, he could have had this throne so long ago. How long he had withheld himself this victory.

Exuberant, James raised his hand and planted it in Vlad’s face. “Well, looks like your reign is over, Vlad. You run along now.” 

If he were being childish… he didn’t care.

Vlad: “Come on now, James. You’ve been a part of the Council. You should know that this is not about power. It’s about balance, and the importance of maintaining it.”

James: “Everything is about power. You of all people should know that, Vladislaus. And power…. power is everything.”

It was with those words that James finally turned his back to Vlad, and opened the doors to his new home.

[full chapter here.]

[positivelypetty]

A REALLY long rant on the Joint Training Arc.

Okay, so since the Joint Training Arc is basically done, I thought I would share my various opinions and adress certain issues that A LOT of people had with this arc.

But, before we get into the actual rant, I think I should distinguish the difference between an opinion, criticism and just plain antagonism.

Here is an example of just misinformed toxicity:

This is just being TOXIC!!! You can’t shelter these horrible comments by saying “it’s just an opinion.” Please don’t act like after 4 years of really enthralling writing, he’s now the worst writer ever. Instead, explain why you don’t think this was the best story choice, instead of being clearly misinformed. It’s nothing absolutely terrible, but just a simple example on how people can be so demanding and completely inconsiderate to the creator.

“Forbidding” Horikoshi from writing is actually ridiculous. He WROTE AND CREATED your “precious sons” that you love so much. So, if you claim that the manga is now utter trash because it doesn’t personally cater to you, please abandon or take a long break from the manga/anime to maybe clear your head. Thank you.

We don’t need any more toxicity in this fandom than we already do.

Now with that said, let’s talk about the arc! (Also keep in mind that these ideas spurred from Reddit so, I decided to expand on it)

1-B vs 1-A situation:

I've been reading a ton of comments too, the good, and the bad and it's fine, everyone has their opinions and that's cool, but for me, it didn't seem it was about who won or lost, it was more about how each class was taught. And this boils down to both Vlad and Aizawa.

Vlad has obviously been pushing his students and their quirks to the max in regards to working in teams. This shines through in all of the fights they all work together very well and know the strengths and weaknesses of each other as well as their enemies. They go into a battle with a plan and are ready to execute the plan flawlessly.

Whereas Aizawa I believe has pushed for more individualist thinking style, and I think this comes from his basis of fighting villains. No one will come to save you, you have to be able to handle yourself whether escaping or defeating. He doesn't coddle his students, and he does push them to the brink as well. What's interesting is Class A has had more hands-on experience. With Aizawa’s teaching style I think they sometimes have a harder time working with one another and they can fall apart with their teamwork. HOWEVER their real-life experience has taught them that the best-laid out plans can not go as plan, and they are able to utilize their 'individual' thinking to fight regardless of a plan falling through.

I found it really interesting and I think there's value in both ways of thinking for Vlad and Aizawa. For Class B, they will have to learn how to abandon a plan that's not working and strategize on the fly, and Class A will have to hone their teamwork for long-running battles.

And let's be honest, these are just kids, pushing their bodies and minds to the limit, I don't find Class B to be 'trash' just because they lost, they still fought hard and worked better together in the long run then Class A. Class B didn't have any dead weight with their battles, everyone was utilized and contributed to all their fights. People are so set on who “won” or who “lost” the battle, that people overlook everyone’s overall individual quirks and techniques. I personally believe that many of the 1-B students were amazing and are forces to be reckoned with. It’s just that 1-A knows how to handle themselves when things don’t to go to plan rather than 1-B (as mentioned before) which gave 1-A the upper-hand in most of the battles, but I can definitely name a few fights where Class A's members were carried by their team.

Now to address the Shinsou thing:

To everyone who was PRESSED that Shinsou didn’t win....

What do you expect from Shinsou? I feel like people were overestimating him. Even with those cloth bindings and his quirk. All you need to do is shut your mouth, grab his cloth bindings (at best he has a few months training) keep focusing on him,restrain him, and boom you're done.(I obviously know it’s not that simple, but basically) I love Shinsou, I really do, but he’s basically Aizawa (I love Aizawa too don’t get me wrong). Aizawa mentioned that it took FIVE YEARS for him to truly master his quirk, and even though since this is the younger generation, so he’ll probably get the hang of it sooner, how long as he really been “training” his quirk under Aizawa? Definitely not long enough for him to go 1v1 with someone who is a close combat fighter. (It really isn’t that shocking that Deku won, he could probably win without Black Whip). Don't get me wrong Shinsou has improved MONUMENTALLY but not to the extent of 1-A who has direct experience in fighting villains. I just think people are mainly mad that 1-B lost is as because they think Shinsou won’t get into the Hero Course. Like chill. One of the main reasons 1-A won in the first match was because of Shinsou, so I think that proves that he is MORE than capable to get in to the Hero Course.

The whole OP Deku thing:

First off, I honestly don't expect him to ever match All Might at his prime in terms of consistent pure raw strength. Deku isn't a giant man of pure muscle, so I don't think he'd be able to go 100 and maintain it like All Might could. Deku is more of a person of different techniques and strategy, rather than brute force. Like, I don't know if Deku is going to be throwing punches that can blow away a city block.

That being said, each generation is getting stronger. Like, Endeavor will be surpassed by Todoroki by the time he graduates (if it even takes that long). Iida is already faster than Gran Torino. In the very beginning of the manga, they mentioned Deku will be the strongest holder of OFA, since it gets stronger each generation. Deku will have formidable rivals if the other strong students also reach their full potential. Hell, those rowdy kids we saw at the makeup exam already had really strong quirks at their young age. Generational power creep means that everybody around Deku will get way stronger than the current pros.

I understand the sentiment that Deku doesn't need more quirks, but Deku's quirk development was already approaching a plateau in terms of being able to fully control what power he could handle. He'd just work on his technique and slowly get stronger and stronger. Sure, he's gonna eventually be able to punch/kick hard enough to shoot himself around in the air, but we've already seen that stuff (plus Bakugo does that too). I know Horikoshi is creative and will develop some cool moves for Deku, but Deku's struggle to control OfA was mostly over. All he had to do wast master OFA steadily and he’ll be good. More quirks means that he may unlock more quirks when he's able to use more %. So instead of reaching 30% and just being X amount stronger physically, he may unlock a new tool to try and master/incorporate into his combat toolkit.

If this is a negative turn for the story, we won't even be able to tell until many, many more chapters are released. We may look back and decide that this was a bad move, but we shouldn't assume that's the case when it was literally introduced TWO WHOLE CHAPTERS AGO. (even though I don’t think it was a bad move AT ALL)

What I hope to see in future Arcs:

I think what fans would really enjoy and we could all use some real Deku character development. Deku’s my favorite character, but I feel like people can’t connect to him as much as someone like Todoroki, because his lack of emotional development. He’s indeed way more confident then he was in the beginning, I still feel like he has low self esteem. Someone needs to tell him that he’s worthy of this mega powerful quirk. ( he needs it 😭)We know so much about him, but rarely see him living his day to day life outside of training, costume updates and the occasional villain attack. Last time we got anything close to development in was only told through Aoyama's development.

These next few chapters will definitely give us something, but only as it relates to One for All. I'd honestly like to know Deku's thoughts about his situation, he seems determined that's for sure. Does he feel stressed, uninformed, unprepared, scared...resentful? We can infer a bunch, I'd just like to see him talk to All Might, Bakugo or his mom about it.

In Conclusion:

Honestly, to me,It never seemed to matter who won or lost any of these matches people were gonna complain regardless. When Class A wins they call it predictable and when class B won they say call it BS or plot amor. Even when it’s a draw people got upset saying Todoroki was disappointing. Some people wanted the matches to be fleshed out over a couple of chapters rather than rushed, then a few weeks later complained that it was taking to long. Bakugo wins his match quickly and those same people lose their minds about how they wanted the match to be longer. People complained about Horikoshi not letting the girls shine in battle after the second match, but conveniently forgets Tsuyu was the MVP of the first match and Kendo and Mushroom girl made 1-B win the second match. (AND WE’RE NOT GONNA FORGET HOW URARAKA AND MINA DOMINATED THE MATCH)Then you have the people who say all of 1-B is worthless and then Juzo and Tetsutetsu prove otherwise. Now we have people think Deku is OP but in this new chapter it seems that he much has a limit to using these other abilities but I’m sure that won’t stop the myriad of complaints. Every week the same people come to see the spoilers and complain based off of a fragmented non-contextualized summary of the chapter and wonder why they enjoy the chapter itself less. Maybe going into a chapter with a negative outlook will do that. The part that irks me is that virtually everyone whose binge-read this arc seems to enjoy it only seems to be us week to week readers with a issue. Either way I hope the discussion going into the next arc are far more level-headed constructive than they have been.

I think this will be one of the arcs that played out better once it was animated. Individual panels maybe favored over the anime, but overall pacing will surely favor the anime. Waiting week in and week out, over analyzing every short chapter has really done no favors for fans and Horikoshi.

[bellovebug]

PhannieMay Day 15: Alternate Ending

I'm not that creative so I couldn't think of a way to rectify the monstrosity that is Phantom Planet, so instead I made an alternate ending to Bitter Reunions.

Think Outside the Box

“I could train you, teach you everything I know. And all you'd have to do is… renounce your idiot father.”

Danny stared at Vlad. Stared at him hard. Did this lunatic really think he was gonna do that? He wasn't going disown his dad.

Vlad was staring at him, waiting for his answer, obviously. He was smirking, his cape gently waving in the non-existent breeze (which was super cool, by the way. Why couldn't he have one?).

And yeah. He looked super evil. He was super evil. And yet… when he looked into his eyes, despite them being red and pupil-less and really kind of creepy, he didn't see the violence. He didn't see bloodlust, or rage, or anything else he would expect to see in the eyes of a villain of this standing. No, if anything, he saw… desperation.

What Vlad Masters was desperate for, Danny really had no idea. He still wasn't going to disown his dad though.

“Dude,” he began, shifting his shoulders from beneath the constraints of the spectral energy neutralizer. “You are one seriously crazed up fruit loop. That is never going to happen.”

As much as Vlad looked irked by denial, he also didn't look surprised. He looked resigned.

Hands clasped behind his back, Vlad looked at him with disdain. Frowning, he said, “Yes, well. Once your father is out of the way…” he paused menacingly. “We'll see how you feel.”

Vlad braced to…. Do something. Danny wasn't sure what that something was, but he was sure it wasn't good. But as Vlad braced, and Danny made a split second decision.

“Wait!”

Vlad paused, looking back at him. “Changed your mind already?”

Danny didn't know what he was doing. What was he thinking? What could he even do? He didn't know. Vlad wanted to… kill his dad, or something, and he was stuck in a box. Literally.

Well, he thought. I'm known for stupid jokes, so I guess I better… think outside the box.

“No,” he began insistently. “No. I…”

He didn't know what to do. He was fourteen and his whole body was stuck in a box! A crazy half ghost man was trying to kill his dad! Of course he didn't know what to say.

“What is it? Get on with it, Daniel; I haven't got all day.”

Don't call me Daniel, he thinks, but it super isn't the time.

“U-um, I was just thinking…. Maybe we could… make a deal?”

He was gonna say it right now, he was pulling all of this from nowhere. He hadn't thought any of this through in any capacity, but what choice did he have?

Vlad stared at him, and if he had been a movie villain, Danny was sure he would've stroked his chin. Or a cat. Did Vlad have a cat? Danny didn't know. It didn't matter.

Vlad considered him for a moment.

“...And what kind of deal are you proposing, Daniel?” Why does he have to say “Daniel” every time he speaks to me?

He racked his brain, trying to figure out something he could offer. But he didn't really know what Vlad's goal was here, so….

“That…. That depends.” He cleared his throat; he was nervous. What exactly was he getting himself into? “What- what's your goal?”

Vlad regarded him with suspicion. “Why, so you can smite it like the infernal pest you are?”

Geeze, alright, he thought. “No! I'm just trying to like, figure out what- what I could offer!”

Vlad seemed to pause, thinking, and turned around to observe his lab, and Danny bit the insides of his cheeks nervously. “...Well. if you must know…”

Danny waited anxiously for Vlad to tell him he wanted world domination, he wanted to kill him, something evil like that. But Vlad completely surprised him by saying, “I only want Maddie.”

Danny blanched. Maddie, like, his mom? Yikes. Like, he had seen Vlad making heart eyes at her and all, but he never thought it would be enough motivation to do this…

“What? Really?” Danny asked incredulously. “You know she's married, right? And in love? With my dad?”

Vlad whirled around, fixing him with a vicious stare, and snarled, “Why else would I want to kill that oaf of a man?”

Oh. Wow. Okay. Wow.

“Okay, well,” he pursed his lips. “Maybe we could… make a compromise and- and not do that?”

“And what kind of compromise are you proposing, Daniel? What can you propose that would be better than my already carefully constructed plans?

Vlad was being very obviously sarcastic and Danny had a strong urge to stick his tongue out. “Well, consider this.” He licked his lips and took a deep breath. “What if you try to win my mom over genuinely?”

“...What do you mean?”

“Well, ya know, bringing her, like, flowers and things. I'm her son, so I could help you with what she likes. And I can tell you right now- she would not want to be with you if my dad died. Especially if she knew it was you.” Danny really hoped Vlad was considering this, because if Vlad decided to leave right now, there would be nothing Danny could do about it.

Vlad squinted at him. “And what makes you think this will work when my plan won't?”

“I don't think that,” Vlad looked to interrupt, but Danny continued. “I don't think this plan will work, but yours definitely won't. If my dad was dead- or- otherwise, my mom wouldn't want to date anybody! She'd be way too sad! At least with my plan there's at least a chance. If you really think you're that much better than my dad, then prove it to her! Maybe she'll think so too.”

Vlad looked upset. Not overly so, just a crease in his chin there and the slight turn of his lips, but he looked shocked. Did he really think his plan would work? Really?

“...If you really think your plan will work better than mine,” Vlad said slowly. “Then I suppose you would know. You are her son, after all.”

Danny breathed a sigh of relief. At least he knew Vlad wasn't going to pummel him for saying that.

“Okay. Yeah! Yes. We can do that. I'll- I'll help you. Anything- most things- you wanna know, I can tell you.” Danny was so glad they managed to come to an agreement. He wouldn't admit it to anybody, but Vlad was far more powerful than him, and he had doubts that he would've been able to defeat him.

Vlad stepped close to the box, and reached for the switch. He hesitated, though, and retracted his hand. “If I unlock this box, you won't attack me, yes?”

Danny was surprised he hadn't even considered doing that. He supposed it would be smart, but there was no point in doing it now, was there? “No, no. Promise.” Vlad looked at him suspiciously, but switched the off switch anyways.

The box fell away from around him, and he hadn't realized how claustrophobic it had been making him.

Vlad transformed, from Plasmius back into normal Vlad. He held out a hand for him to shake, and Danny went to take it, but Vlad then jerked his hand away.

“Wait,” Vlad said suddenly.

“What?” Nerves were back- what was he going to say?

“We have not discussed the matter of your training.” Oh. Danny had completely forgotten about that.

“Oh. No, no, you don't have to do that, don't worry about it,” Danny waved him off, but he would be lying if the thought of all Vlad's knowledge didn't tempt him.

���You don't understand, Daniel,” Vlad seemed to soften then, his sharp edges losing their abrasiveness. “I want to do it. You are… the only person who could possibly benefit from my experience, and I would take great joy in teaching you.” Danny was shocked. Shocked. He was under the impression that Vlad hated him. “And… considering Maddie is your mother… I hope to, perhaps, one day…” Vlad sucked in a deep breath. “...see you as something of a son.”

Danny stared at him. Wow. Wow. Okay. That was… weird, but… okay. “...Oh,” he said intelligently.

“It's alright if you don't want my help, Daniel,” Vlad spoke sophisticatedly, and his edges sharpening themselves again. He seemed to stand up straighter. “I would not take it personally.”

“No! No, no, that-” he cut himself off, taking a deep breath. He sounded way to excited about it. “...That would be great.”

Vlad's face didn't change much, but Danny did see the small quirk of his lip indicating a smile. It made him think that maybe he wasn't as heartless as he made himself out to be. He still knew his mom would never get together with him, ever, but it made him think that Vlad might have had a chance had his father never existed.

Vlad cleared his throat and lifted his chin. “So, I leave your father alive, you help me woo Maddie, and I teach you what I know.” Vlad nodded, extending a hand. “Do we have a deal?”

Danny paused, considering one last time.

“Sure,” he said, clasping Vlad's hand. “I guess we do.”

Fin.

[lunagalemaster]

DP Perspective AU

....aka Wes Side Story

Okay, so we were on the slack, and the @chintastic​ made a pun (as the queen of puns does), saying “Why hasn’t anyone made an AU called Wes Side Story”

And then it escalated from there where @narwhalsarefalling​, chin, and I created a huge AU. Ironically this AU feels more like Wicked than it does West Side Story. 

As said, this feels more like Wicked than West Side Story. Which by that we mean, we take a villain/antagonist and put it in their perspective and make a story where all their actions are justified. However, because they lose in the end, and/or because they have to act badly in order to win, from an outside perspective, they act like the bad guy. When in reality, he's the good guy. But based on society's standards and perspective, they'll go down in history as the villain

So in this AU, Wes is the hero trying to expose Danny aka Phantom as an evil ghost and save the people of Amity Park, but everyone sees him as a crazy bully trying to hurt this wimpy kid.

The reason he can tell Danny’s a ghost is because Wes is a medium. ( @theartisticintrovert for that headcanon). He also can’t get possessed as a result. 

Danny is trying to turn the entire town and eventually the world into a world of ghosts. He goes around the world with his sister, Jazz, a ghost who can brainwash people (psychoanalyze them), creating ghost towns. Amity Park is his most recent haunt. 

When he “fights” ghosts, Phantom and the other ghosts are actually collaborating to bring more ectoplasmic radiation into the town. The property damage or when he uses ectoblasts; it releases radioation into the air. the residents inhale it and get more ghostly over time. 

The ghostly wail turns anyone into a ghost who hears it. 

All of this is for the goal of more power and in order to eat the weaker newly formed ghosts. (Ghost hunger). 

Danny befriends Tucker and Sam. One is the techno geek who can hack anything while Sam has the power of money and stubbornness. They're the perfect pawns to his plans and the best part is that he can have them do the work without having himself be suspicious. 

The adult Fentons are brainwashed to be Jazz’s and Danny’s “parents” since the two of them are stuck looking like teenagers. 

Valerie is the only one who believes Wes. She works to help him expose Phantom, especially after what he did to the guard dogs at her dad’s work. 

Vlad is a literal vampire. For nearly a thousand years, he’s been hunting the supernatural who try to mess up the balance in the world. He still gives Valerie her hunting equipment in this. Her gear prevents her from being possessed. 

Eventual Wes, Valerie, and Vlad team up.

Dani was a clone that Vlad made to use as a weapon against Danny. She was supposed to balance the otherwise corrupted system, but Jazz mind controlled her and now she thinks that Vlad is trying to destroy her and that Danny is her cousin.

Skulker works with Vlad to control the ghost population. Eventually, he teaches Valerie how to hunt while teaching Wes about the most important locations where ghosts pop up and how to stop them from appearing. 

Wes writes in the school’s newspaper to spread the news about ghosts. Danny is trying to get it banded, but the school thinks it’s too funny to actually ban. 

The GIW started as an organization that fights constantly against the establishment of ghost towns, going as far as to get an official secret branch in the government. However, over time, the GIW was slowly corrupted by possessed humans until the organization itself became a laughing stalk. A ghost of it once was~

Potential Walker team up? Desiree?

Spectra and Jazz working together to make the school depressed. Valerie starts believing Wes after this experience, especially since his medium abilities make him not affected due to his medium abilities. 

(There may be more to add later, but this is what we got so far!)