Chapter Text
Rin could smell Vlad's scent before Danny's.
Vlad Masters was close by, but his scent was farther into the sky, signaling that he was in his ghost form and flying, most likely.
Danny's wasn't too far behind, and Rin was pretty sure the ghost boy was after the man, or at the very least had sensed him a short time before and came to see what ghost was causing trouble this time.
"Kuro, hide! Danny and Vlad are nearing!" Rin told his cat.
Kuro didn't respond with anything except a loyal nod, bounding off just seconds afterward.
Despite Danny and Vlad being half ghost, they were still human, and Rin knew Danny a bit more in his human form. If Danny or Vlad were to see Kuro, things were going to go down hill far quicker than Rin had anticipated.
Rin was about to follow Kuro, just to get out of Danny's way when the kid battled Vlad, but fate had other plans.
"And what are you doing here, boy? You shouldn't be out here." Vlad's voice echoed behind him.
Rin scowled to himself, facing away from Vlad.
Rin turned around to face Vlad, and Rin could tell the man was slightly bewildered at the fact that he didn't run once he got a full view of the ghost.
"Uh, taking a nature walk? Ever heard of it? Besides, it's not like I have to do what you tell me. I can be here if I want to be," Rin sassed.
The man's anger rose. "The name's Vlad Plasmius. If you're smart, you'll run."
Rin snorted. "Vlad Plasmius? Seriously? And whoever said I was smart? Maybe I'm not. Maybe I'm just as smart as you."
"Are you calling me stupid?" Vlad raised a brow, incredulous about the implied insult.
"If I am? What're you gonna do? Bite me, Mr. Vampire?" Rin laughed, grinning.
"Says you." Vlad eyed the boy, remembering his abnormally sharp canines.
Before Vlad could respond, Danny swooped in from the tree tops, eyes widening.
"Ri-I mean, leave that kid alone, Plasmius!" Danny ordered.
Rin would have laughed at Danny's failed attempt to cover up his obvious panic, but he was too busy grinning at Vlad like a child who just won a bet.
"Daniel," Vlad replied smoothly.
"What are you doing here, Vlad? What business do you have with him?" Danny demanded.
"I just ran into him is all," Vlad hummed. "but I don't deny that he is very interesting."
"I'm standing right here, you know," Rin chimed, "Seriously, I'm like way too young for you, dude."
"That is not what I meant, and you know it!" Vlad spluttered angrily, losing his composure.
"Maybe I did, maybe I didn't. I am an idiot, after all." Rin grinned cheekily.
"Why you-" Vlad's hand lit up pink, but was cut off by a green blast hitting Vlad in the chest and sending him flying.
"Go!" Danny ordered.
Rin jerked a bit, not wanting to leave the half ghost alone, but decided against arguing and ran off to find Kuro and go back to Lizzy's.
Danny phased through Sam's window and landed on the floor as a white ring washed over him, turning him human.
"Who was it?" Tucker asked.
"Plasmius," Danny answered, "He flew off, and it was pointless to chase after him. Though, that's not what I wanted to tell you guys. Rin was there."
"He was?!" They chorused in shock.
"Yeah," Danny replied, "I think he was just walking around. Vlad said he ran into him. Then again, Vlad didn't look too pleased either."
"That means?" Sam urged.
"I think Vlad was a little irritated. I didn't hear the whole conversation, but I'm pretty sure Rin was sassing him." Danny smirked.
"Rin was sassing Plasmius?" Tucker gaped. "Why?"
Danny shrugged. "No idea. Rin's emotions were slightly worried, but it wasn't focused on Plasmius or himself. Otherwise, Rin was just amused and very cocky."
"I guess Rin's not as afraid of ghosts as we assumed he'd be," Sam said.
"I told you Rin's aura felt weird. It might not be the first time he's encountered something supernatural," Danny reminded her.
"True," she conceded.
"Anyway," Danny started, "I'm just going to bask in the fact that Vlad got his butt handed to him by a human, a teenager no less. That'll be some fun stuff to tease him with later on."
Rin slammed the door open and tried to dart past Lizzy up the stairs in attempt to hide Kuro in his room before dinner time.
"Woah there!" Lizzy called, grabbing his arm. "What's got you in a rush?"
Rin flinched, feeling Kuro tense underneath his arm and jacket. They were both screwed if Rin didn't hurry.
"I, uh, need to go to the guest room 'cause I, uh, left my phone in there! Gotta go!" Rin jerked away from her and raced to his temporary room.
"You don't even have a phone!" Lizzy shouted after him, exasperated.
Dinner went on in a quiet, slightly awkward manner.
Rin had nothing to say or ask Lizzy, and Rin feared that if he said anything, she would bring up the incident just a few hours before.
Lizzy had many things she wanted to say and ask Rin, but Lizzy feared that if she said anything, he would shy away or get angry with her.
Lizzy knew Rin was a good kid, but with the secret-keeping habits, she was afraid he would panic or yell if she asked a question that was too personal. He barely explained to her why he ran away or how he got 'lost.'
Despite these musings, Lizzy knew she couldn't let dinner go on so silently. She didn't want a gap between Rin and her.
"So, Rin. What's your family like?" Lizzy asked suddenly.
Rin jerked, surprised by the sudden question, but glad that she hadn't brought up the 'phone' incident. "Why are you asking me that?"
"I'm not trying to pry into anything personal," she told him politely. "but I just wanted to know a bit more about you."
Rin's lips twisted slightly in thought. "Well, I have a younger twin brother, although we don't look much alike. He's a lot more calm than me and can't get angry very easily. He's smart, smarter than me, actually. He's taller and a lot more level headed and responsible, so people usually mistake him for the older one. When we were younger, I used to protect him from all the bullies," he said with a fond tone, chuckling slightly.
"I had a dad. He was a priest. He was the kindest man I'd ever known. My mom died at childbirth, and my real father is a complete jerk, but he died around a year ago. My dad, the adoptive one, was killed just after I found out I was adopted, actually. The only family I really have left is my brother, but I guess my friends are my family, too."
"If it's not too much to ask, how did your dad and real father die?" Lizzy asked.
Rin pursed his lips in distaste. "Murder, both of them."
Lizzy figured the boy didn't want to talk about the culprits, so she didn't ask. "I'm sorry."
"It's fine," Rin replied evenly. "My dad may not have deserved to die, but my real father was a bad person. I'm glad he's dead."
They sat in silence for the rest of dinner, no one daring to say more.
Secrets were spilling, and soon, the truth would be bare.
Rin stared at the ceiling that night, Kuro awake at his side.
"Are you okay, Rin? I heard the conversation," Kuro meowed.
Rin smiled softly, but there was a certain bitterness to it, eyes never straying from the ceiling. "I'm fine, Kuro. I took a gamble when I answered her tonight, but I said a bit too much."
"Just a few more pieces need to fall before I've lost it all."