A/N: Still here? Weird. Well, people wrote that I'm quite good in English for a foreigner. Thank you, for that. And -oh- my first language is russian by the way.)

Cover on my account on DA, if somebody wants to see full view.

SUMMARY: Danny didn't make it through after the fight with the King Pariah. Two-shot. Character's death.

WARNINGS: Heck, I DON'T know how to write Vlad. Like at all. So I didn't even try. But, here it is - Vlad's POV of this situation.

DISCLAIMER: Butch Hartman is amazing and he is not me.

Continuation of the badly written angst for the kid's cartoon. There are words but no sense. Enjoy.

It was a nice feeling, he supposed. To be the one who played all the pawns in the right positions, to have power in your own hands, to rule the game like a master – which is quite ironically, considering his last name- and be the victorious in the end.

Vlad never felt so proud of himself, when he saw the blinding light sealing away the so-called-great-king of the Ghost Zone. Everything played out so perfectly, thanks to the young man in front of him, whose hazy look of confusion settled on the older hybrid's face.

"I don't understand."

Ah, Daniel. Without the young teen nothing would have worked out as it had.

"What? How I, with the help of two teens, tricked the Knight and overthrown the King? It is a chess Daniel, of course you won't understand."

Yes, without Daniel -and Valerie Grey- it would probably have been a little harder to accomplish his goal (but not completely impossible, mind you, he is Vlad Plasmius after all).

The warmth of the crown and ring in his hands and a pulsing of the Skeleton key were his anchors, the guarantee for not start skipping and yelling like a joyful kid, because everything he so carefully planned worked. If he was in his human form, his heart would have been pounding against his ribs in the thrilling afterglow of accomplishing his goal, but whilst he was in his ghost form, he just fell how his core swell in the satisfaction and heat thumped through his veins, leaving him a little drunken with his triumph.

But then suddenly, there was a hesitation, at the sight of Daniel's little smile, but Vlad won't allow himself to be distracted from his moment of glory.

Vlad let a wide taunting grin stretch over his lips.

"You never understood such things Daniel, but again, if you did, what would be fun for me then?"

But there was no bitter answer back and not even a weak glare as an answer, and Vlad felt his core throb with something else and his hesitation was back when the ring of light appeared, leaving a weak human boy in front of him.

"You were never able to see the whole picture Daniel, you just allowed yourself to be blinded by your hero-complex and that was your weakness."

He didn't know why he was still talking. It looked like his mouth was moving on his own accord, while he continued to stare at the silently gasping human teen on the earth in that big bulky mechanical suit, looking so small, so weak, so vulnerable -the whole picture was so wrong, disturbing- and Vlad found himself wishing that Daniel could answer him, snarl a witty remark at him, or glare, or anything else, just to make sure, to be sure that-

Daniel was gasping for air. His blue eyes were fogged and eyelids fluttering in attempts to keep them open. And suddenly Vlad knows that it isn't just some exhaustion from overusing the dangerous Ecto-Skeleton.

"Daniel!"

It was like he was hit full-force and he snapped out from his rant, losing his hold on his trophies and surging forward to the gasping teen, using his powers to disconnect and slip the boy out of the suit and cradle the younger halfa in his hands.

He couldn't help it. He couldn't stop a murmur that slipped past his lips as he ran his hand over the teen's pale –too-too-too-pale- face and checking the pulse, because even in a state of a silent panic, Vlad was aware enough to be sensible and-

There was a pulse. A very-very weak one. Vlad felt something heavy settle in a pit of his stomach and his murmur turned into a hushed panicked whisper.

"Daniel, listen to me, Daniel, don't you dare to close your eyes! Don't sleep Daniel, don't- don't you dare young man! –You just can't-" Vlad swallowed hard. "You j-just can't-"

The crack in his voice was ignored, as Vlad, with a blinding horror, looked as Danny's eyelids slipped closed, hiding those tired blue irises –and Vlad just couldn't let it happen-

"Daniel, don't close your eyes!"

His throat burned at the force of his scream, but he didn't care. Because he could see those sky-blue eyes again, staring into space and then at him, and Vlad found something oddly comforting when they focused on his face. Vlad could practically read a witty phrase in them, teasing, taunting, familiar and then- those familiar eyes- started turning glassy-

"No-no-no-no-no- it shouldn't be happening, it just can't- I didn't plan it, I didn't- It's not possible, it can't possibly be happening. Daniel, do you hear me? Don't close your eyes, just keep looking-"

Vlad was practically hunched over the teen in his arms, cradling the dark-haired boy's head and shaking him a little by his shoulders, while keep whisper-yelling, demanding the boy to keep his closing eyes open.

And he did.

Vlad's breath hitched, when Daniel's eyes looked up at him again, straight into his red ones, and there was a laugh and a smile in them along with the fear that crept in form of the water along the lines of his eyes and gathering on the lashes-

And the boy spoke.

"H-hey Vlad."

And Vlad couldn't help but stare, as the teen shuddered, gasping for air, struggling to take a breath-

"…Yes, Daniel?"

His ignored the strained calmness in his voice from suppressed screaming, raging, pleading-

"I…I…"

Oh, god!- What had happened wrong? What he missed? Why this was happening? Why he didn't do anything to prevent it? Why is this happening?!

"I…d- don't…"

Vlad wondered if it was because of the blood-ectoplasm- pounding in his ears that made Daniel's voice sound so weak, so tired, so-

"I…don't…ha-"

Vlad looked as the teen took a shuddered greedy breath.

"…"

"…Daniel?"

The red didn't waver from the dull blue.

Daniel kept looking at him.

"…I don't hate you too, Little Badger…"

...

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