Too weak to fly or phase, nowhere left to go. Vlad would have to try getting back out of the dream while whoever this was shot at him. He put his back to the wall, closed his eyes, and concentrated on leaving, just as he’d done so many times before when overshadowing someone. This was similar enough, it should be easy.
Nothing happened. Vlad broke out into a cold sweat and tried again as he heard the pair of boots round the corner. All it did was make him feel more tired.
Vlad opened his eyes to see who it was that followed him, and found that he was faced by none other than Jack Fenton. It seemed the dream had a liking for dramatic flair, or was actively trying to spite him. The cold, unavoidable question of whether he could truly die or not in Danny’s dream blitzed across Vlad’s mind as he stared at this new opponent.
Jack Fenton, built like a bear and carrying a charged ectoblaster in his right hand as he walked closer, his bulk seeming to block the entire alley and any means of escape. Strangely the big man had no expression on his face as he came to a stop. It didn’t change even when his right arm lifted and brought the blaster level with the center of Vlad’s chest. This wasn’t even Jack as Danny saw him, it was some security protocol placed in the dream by Nocturne to keep outsiders from meddling, dressed in the image of Danny’s father.
With little strength left in his legs and Jack’s finger on the trigger Vlad took the one course left that would get him out of taking a lethal shot. He allowed his legs to buckle and tipped himself to the left as he fell in the same moment that Jack pulled the trigger. The shot grazed Vlad’s upper arm, creating a painful burn where it touched his skin. He was just barely able to keep himself from clamping his left hand over the burn on instinct, settling on gripping the length of arm just below it instead.
Vlad pushed himself to his knees and had just gotten one foot under himself when the blaster was leveled at his head. Jack had come up while Vlad was on the ground, and was now within point blank range. Even if this thing shared the man’s poor aim there was no way the shot would miss.
