Chapter 2 – Vlad Masters


He didn’t say anything, as if he wasn’t surprised to see them.
“Maddie?” he asked at last. Jazz dropped the orange jumpsuit and fell into Vlad’s arms.
“Vlad!” she sobbed. The red dye that was on Jazz’s jumpsuit smeared across Vlad’s black tuxedo. Danny let out a fake sob. Vlad put his arms around Jazz, looking happy but confused and concerned all at the same time.
“What.... What happened?” he asked. Jazz leaned down and picked up the orange jumpsuit.
“Oh, Vlad,” she said in her best ‘Maddie’ impression, “It was... t-terrible!” she buried her face into Vlad’s chest, grabbing the cuff of his tux. “So t-terrible, Danny will have to tell you!!” she kept ‘sobbing’ as Vlad looked at Danny. Danny looked up. The watery contacts made him look like he was crying.
“Vlad....” he said. Vlad had a look of concern on his face, but Danny knew it was because of Jazz, “It – its dad! He’s--!! He was--” Danny broke down. A small smile twisted Vlad’s lips.
“Yes?” he asked grimly. Jazz shoved the orange jumpsuit into Vlad.
“He was attacked,” she said softly, still making sure her voice sounded like Maddie’s. Vlad almost glowed with happiness.
“He... died?” he asked. With some effort, Danny forced a tear to fall from his eye when he looked up. He nodded. Vlad cleared his throat. His black tuxedo was smeared in red dye, which looked like blood, “Excuse me a moment,” he said, and the closed the doors. Jazz smiled at Danny, who smiled at Sam, who smiled at Tuck, who smiled back at Jazz. When the doors opened again, all of them quickly forced their smiles away and acted like they were crying again. Sam went over and patted Danny’s back in fake sympathy.
“It’s okay, Danny,” she said. Luckily Danny’s hair covered up his smile. He looked back up to Vlad Masters, who was still standing in the door, trying not to smile. He put a towel over Jazz and walked her in, closing the door on the three others.
“V-Vlad!” Jazz said.
“Huh? Oh... Oh yeah,” he opened the door and walked again over to a couch, where he sat Jazz down and made them all tea. Sam looked around. She had never been in Vlad’s house before, and it was very well kept. There was a little fire on the wall next to the chairs they were sitting in. Vlad gave Danny and Jazz tissues.
“There, there,” he said, “It’s alright, I’m sure you’ll--” he caught himself before he said something stupid. Danny knew he wouldn’t let the chance to get together with his mom slip away. He took a sip of his tea and looked out the window behind Jazz. There was a swing set with a tall, locked, wrought iron gate around it outside. He wanted to ask, but now wouldn’t be the time.
Jazz gasped and stood up.
“Um... Where’s your bathroom?” she asked, her voice cracking. Vlad walked her to the bathroom and left her there. She ran over to the sink and pulled off her goggles. She carefully pulled out the contacts, which had been itching. While she was locked inside the bathroom, she looked around. It was well lit for a bathroom. She walked over to the wall parallel to the bath. There was a picture of Maddie. Jazz put in under the sink and washed out her eyes. She put the goggles on and put the contacts in the case and put the case in her pocket, then walked back out to the living room, where Vlad was talking to Danny. Jazz stopped out of sight and listened.
“Where’s your sister, Daniel?” Vlad was saying. Danny cleared his throat and looked at Sam.
“She’s... She’s at home... cleaning up.... She insisted....”
“Hmm,” Vlad said, taking a sip of his tea, “And – Oh! There’s Maddie! Come here,” he said, patting the empty seat next to him. Jazz always felt nervous around Vlad, but she would have to sit beside him anyway. Sam smiled. Her plan was going just fine. Even Danny couldn’t help but feel a little triumphant. Tuck was engrossed in his PDA, which he had pulled out of his pocket just before they went inside. Jazz looked behind her. There was a bright flash on the dark clouds. She looked back into her dark tea.
“Maddie,” Vlad said. Jazz looked up.
“Erm... Yes?” she asked.
“You seriously don’t plan on wearing those goggles inside, do you?” he asked. He put a hand on her goggles to pull them up, but she slapped it away, forcing a giggle.
“Oh, Vlad! You flatter me!” she said. She sounded, in Danny’s opinion, perfectly like Maddie. Vlad rubbed the back of his hand and Jazz readjusted her goggles. She cleared her throat. Danny let out a fake yawn.
“Boy am I tired!” he said, “I think I’m gonna hit the hay.” Vlad stood up.
“Wait,” he said, “You were planning on... staying here?” he asked. Danny and Jazz looked at him.
“Well,” they both said, and Danny cut off his sister, “The scene at home still needs to be cleaned up. It was a horrible, horrible attack. Please, Vlad?” he asked, making big puppy eyes. Vlad looked at him in disgust, but he didn’t let it show. He gently pushed Danny in the way of the bedrooms.
“Alright then,” he said at length, “I trust you know where to go, eh, Daniel?” he looked at Danny. Danny couldn’t keep eye contact. He turned and Sam and Tuck followed. Jazz began to follow, but Vlad pushed her back. She looked at him and pushed his hand away.
“Vlad,” she said in a faint scolding voice, “Come on, I’m tired.”
“But you weren’t actually going to share a bedroom with Daniel and his friends, were you?” Vlad asked, tightening a grip that was on Jazz’s wrist. She pulled his fingers off one by one, and he let her.
“Well, no, but I wasn’t planning on sharing a bedroom with you, either,” she said. She walked over to the stairs, Vlad watching her. She walked up the first two steps and then walked back down and towards him.
Come on, Jazz... Just do it.... Ugh.... I gotta do it.... she thought as she walked over to him. His eyes were locked on her. She stood on tip toe and kissed his cheek, but he grabbed her around the waist, dipped her, and shifted his own lips to hers. Jazz tried desperately not to panic, but her chest was heaving up and down quickly. Vlad released her. Her hand shook violently as she brought it up and whipped it across his face, leaving a pink mark on his cheek. She ran to Danny’s room in a very un-Maddie way and closed the door. Danny, Sam, and Tucker were already dressed in some spare pajamas (Sam had changed in the closet.). Sam looked at herself in the mirror.
“I know this is guys’ clothing, but I look good!” she nodded. Jazz ripped off the goggles and rubbed her lips. She wanted to spit or throw up or faint or something.
“Ja-- Mom? What happened?” Danny asked. Jazz coughed.
“Vlad happened!” she whispered. Danny noticed that some of her lipstick was gone.
“That’s easy smudge lipstick!” Tuck said. Danny clapped his hands over his mouth.
“Oh my gosh!” he yelped. His voice fell to a whisper, “He kissed you?!” Jazz nodded, a look of pure disgust and horror on her face. She ran her hand through her jaw length hair.
“Danny, you’ve got to ask him! I’m not going to let him kiss me again!” Jazz actually gagged this time, “Ew!”
Sam turned around.
“Come on, let’s get this figured out,” Sam said, and sat on the bed with the others.
They talked well into the night, and only stopped when there was a knock on the door.
“Maddie?” came a voice. Jazz turned around.
“... Vlad?” she asked, forcing herself to sound like Maddie.
“Can I open the door?” he asked.
“Just a moment!” Jazz took the contacts out of her pocket and put them in her eyes, “Come in!” she said, handing the case to Tuck. Tuck was just zipping up his back-pack when Vlad managed to get the door open. He was wearing grey pajamas.
“Have you been keeping track of time?” he asked gently. Jazz glanced at the clock. It was eleven o’ clock.
“Oh!” said Jazz, stepping off of the bed, “Well, I’m sorry I have to leave right this second, but it is quite late!” Danny scrambled into bed with Tuck and Sam in beds on either side of him. Jazz leaned over and kissed him on the forehead, “Good night, son,” she said.
“Night, mom,” Danny replied. Jazz walked to the door.
“Good night Sam, good night, Tucker,” she said.
“Good night Mrs. Fenton,” they both said at the same time. Vlad turned off the light and closed the door behind Jazz. Danny shook his head. As soon as his head hit the pillow, he was tired. He took out the contacts and put them in the case and put the case in Tuck’s backpack. He looked into the mirror on the opposite wall. In the dark, his emerald eyes glowed as brightly as ever. It was only then that he noticed rain beating softly against the window. He closed his eyes and laid his head on the pillow.

The next day, Sam woke with a start. The last of the rain storm was trickling down the window. She opened the curtains above her bed and let a shaft of white morning light stream in. She rubbed her eyes and looked at the boys across from her. Tuck was nearly all the way off his bed and Danny was laying peacefully on his stomach. She walked over to the door and gently turned the knob. She walked down the stairs and headed towards the kitchen.
I wonder if Vlad has a coffee machine...? she thought, rubbing the back of her neck and looking in the fridge.
“Looking for something?” asked a soft voice. Sam jumped and slammed the fridge closed.
“Oh! Mr. Masters!” she said nervously. Vlad walked in. “I was just... Just looking for a coffee machine,” she said. Vlad opened up a cabinet door. “Oh! There...” Sam walked over and looked into the cabinet. She was afraid to look Vlad in the eye, so she kept her eyes on the white and metal coffee machine, “Coffee mix?” she asked. Vlad still said nothing, and Sam didn’t like it. He leaned down and pulled out two bags of coffee mix.
“Decaf?” he asked. Sam thought.
“... Or...?” she asked.
“Espresso,” he replied. Sam cautiously put out a hand and grabbed the Espresso.
“Thanks,” she said. Vlad nodded, put the Decaf away, and left. Sam suddenly felt like a sheet of ice had sprouted up on her back and she shuddered.
What a creep... She thought. No wonder Mrs. Fenton doesn’t love him...
She made three cups of coffee and put them on a plate and took them upstairs. She prodded Danny in the arm.
“Danny! Wake up!” she said. Danny yawned.
“I’m – I’m awake,” he moaned. All of the sudden, he smelled coffee and sat up and rubbed his eyes.
“Here,” Sam said, handing him a mug, “‘Morning,”
“‘Morning,” Danny replied, sipping the coffee. Sam went over to Tuck and pushed him back up onto the bed, waking him.
“Wake up, Tuck. I’ve got coffee,” she said. Tuck yawned, rolled over, and went back to sleep. She kicked him in the back of the leg, “Wake up!” she commanded. Tuck sat up and rubbed his eyes, continuously yawning. She gave him the cup of coffee and he immediately took a noisy sip. She went over and sat on her own bed, taking sips of her own coffee. Danny got done with his first, and walked over to the door.
“I’m gonna go down and see if I can find Vlad,” he said. He opened the door, walked out, and closed the door. He walked down the hall and knocked on the door he hoped was Jazz’s. He got no reply for a moment, then to his relief, Jazz opened the door. She had her contacts on.
“Danny!” she said in a motherly voice.
“Hi, mom,” he said, slouching as he walked in. Jazz was in the middle of brushing her hair.
Danny had already grown used to calling Jazz ‘Mom’ – She was very convincing.
“So, are you going to ask Vlad soon about your powers?” she whispered. Danny looked at the big dark rings around his eyes.
“Yeah. I was just going to go find him, but I thought I’d visit you first.”
“Well, thank you, Danny! I’m sorry you have to see me in this state,” she said. Danny turned around and headed toward the door, then put his hand on the wall and peered over the corner.
“Love you, mom,” he said. He walked away. Jazz smiled.
Danny walked farther down the hall, straightening himself up as he went. He knocked on the door with a little silver plaque on it that said ‘Mr. Masters’. No response.
“Vlad?” Danny called, “Open up!” he said. It felt like he had been shocked. “Duh!” he phased through the door and into Vlad Master’s large bedroom. “Vlad? You in here?” he called. He nearly knocked on the bathroom door, but heard Vlad’s voice and clinking sounds of things on the counter. Danny only hoped he was in front of the sink. He made himself intangible and phased through the door.
“That’s right Mr. Masters, you finally have Maddie to yourself,” he was saying as he fixed his bowtie. He had yet to put his hair in the usual ponytail. Danny thought he looked completely different. Presently, Vlad cleared his throat, “Though, it really is too bad about Jack... But then again...” Vlad’s hand disappeared and reappeared and he let out a goofy chuckle. Danny smiled. Their plan was working. Vlad didn’t suspect anything. “Daniel,” he said suddenly. Danny’s eyes grew and he held his breath, “Come out of there, I can see you,” he waved his hand back and forth in the air. Danny was silent. Vlad turned around and looked right into Danny’s eyes. Danny flew away and out into the hallway, where he knocked.
“Vlad? Come on!” he said. Vlad opened the door with an odd expression on his face.
“Hello... Daniel....” he said. Danny walked in without permission. Vlad closed the door behind Danny. Danny turned around and Vlad noticed glowing green eyes. Danny had forgotten to put in his contacts. “Are you... angry?” Vlad asked.
“No, why?” Danny asked. Vlad pointed into the bathroom, where several things were laying on the counter. Danny looked into the mirror and gasped. He touched his face. In the split second it took him to blink, Vlad was behind him. Danny slid his eyes up to the mirror image of Vlad.
“That’s... what I wanted to ask you,” he said. Vlad perked up.
“Yes?” he asked.
“For some reason, I can’t control my ghost will. It’s like, yesterday at school was a total disaster. I went ghost in front of the whole school, then my parents found out about--”
“Your... parents?” Vlad interrupted. Danny gasped and noticed his mouth was still open.
“Yeah...” he said, keeping his eyes on Vlad, “Dad found out before he was attacked.... And... Mom found out, but she took it a lot easier,” he hung his head and let out a fake but convincing sob. Vlad cleared his throat.
“I... see,” he said. Danny lifted his head.
“So... I’m really in ghost form right now, but I’ve got black dye in my hair... To try and convince everyone at school I’m not the Ghost Boy...”
“I... see,” Vlad repeated. Danny was worried he was onto them. How could he have been so stupid to say that? Vlad shifted and Danny looked back to the real Vlad.
“Did this happen to you, Vlad?” he asked, trying to change the subject.
Vlad was silent for a long time, but at length, he said, “No,” Danny’s heart fell to his feet.
“Oh,” he said. He looked back to the mirror image of himself.
“But... It must be vaguely like ghost puberty,” Vlad added. Danny didn’t say anything. Vlad continued, “Like regular puberty, but with your ghost powers. If I were you, Daniel, I’d lay low for a while.”
Danny’s head hung painfully and a real tear fell from his eye, dripping silently into the sink. Vlad saw it in the mirror and didn’t say anything. Danny’s grip tightened on the edge of the sink. He could feel Vlad’s cobalt eyes burning into him. His mouth opened and he breathed through it.
“...... Nnnngggghhh.....” he moaned softly.
“Daniel?” Vlad asked gently. Danny’s eyes watered more than ever. He opened them, releasing several glistening tears, and looked up to the top of the mirror. Vlad took his hands out from behind his back as Danny fell backwards, his eyes rolling to the back of his head. Vlad caught him.