This idea wasn't mine, but Firefury Amahira's. The most amazing author ever. I love her stuff in a non-stalkerish, pitchfork-free way.
Also, thanks goes to my new awesome beta, Esme Phantom. Who's awesome haha.
A Lesson in Villainy:
How Vlad Kept My Rep
"It's payback. It helps me on the inside." - Danny
Danny hadn't been to school for a couple of days now. Instead, he was stuck shivering in bed with a 102-degree fever, boring school books, and moldy Fenton Toast. He heard the front door slam downstairs and guessed his father was finally leaving the house after working on his latest invention ("Hey Dan, come have a look at this: The Fenton Soul Swapper! It's gonna take some time, but eventually it should be working like a charm!") Danny had mentally checked it under his long "must avoid" list. Apparently the invention was designed to "transfer abilities" and swap "physical ectoplasmic manifestations" of certain ghosts. Whatever that meant. He remembered asking his dad why they would even need it. And he remembered recieving a long boring lecture in reply. Something about the study of ghostly activities and something something about how their reactions to certain ghost weapons was necessary to understand them. Or something. Suffice to say, he tuned that out.
He rolled over on his side and heaved a bored sigh. His house was totally devoid of people to talk to, aside from the Ghost Gabber that had been lying smoking on his bedside table ever since he had blasted it a half hour ago. He shuddered as a feverish chill ran down his back, and dug himself deeper into the pile of sheets and covers, sighing and gazing longingly outside the window at the cheery sunny day outside. Sam and Tuck were at school without him, probably having just as much fun as he was. Well..., he thought. At least they have each other.
When he made it clear he was concerned about the town's well-being, Sam and Tucker had promptly informed him that Valerie wasn't doing a "half-bad job." Actually, it seemed she was doing fairly well, because he hadn't sensed a ghost the whole time he'd been sick. Besides, he knew better than to worry about Valerie. It wasn't like he was going to be MIA for more than a week. Valerie could handle it. He returned his eyes to yesterday's homework that was lying on top of the covers, completely blank. His vision blurred as he let his thoughts stumble over each other, only half aware of his surroundings.
His eyes had just fluttered shut when a loud obnoxious knocking at the front door startled him awake. He jumped up with a yelp, and ended up on the floor. He knew he had to answer it, because, of course, both of his parents were out hunting ghosts, leaving him completely alone. He groaned, completely motionless for moment, sorely tempted to just leave it and pretend that no one was home. But slowly, he pushed himself off of the ground, wincing in pain from his achy muscles. He trudged out of the room and was snail pacing it down the stairs when the knocking sounded again, louder and angrier this time. Danny grabbed the rail so as not to fall when the room around him spun from dizziness and grumbled as loud as his sore throat would allow, "I'm coming, I'm coming…."
When he got to the door, he turned the door handle with a sniffle, quickly wiping his nose so the person behind the door wouldn't be thoroughly grossed out. He opened the door and let out a yelp.
"Vl- Vlad-!" He was interrupted by a small coughing fit and turned away. He rubbed his sore throat and turned with another sniffle back to the man on the other side of the doorway. "What do you want?"
"Not even going to let your dear old Uncle Vlad in, hmm?" Vlad Masters shifted his weight on the welcome mat and crossed his arms with a pseudo-sympathetic look on his face. "Oh, my, Daniel, you look a little worse for wear, don't you?"
Danny didn't reply. Instead, he inhaled sharply and suddenly sneezed on the older half-ghost. Vlad immediately took several steps back, holding his hands up to protect himself from the boy's onslaught of saliva.
"Butter biscuits! Daniel!" he yelled in surprise, pulling out a handkerchief from the pocket of his sullied Armani suit. To his surprise, the boy actually apologized.
"Sorry…" For a second, he looked sincere, but when Vlad blinked, the boy's expression of irritation returned. "Why are you here?"
"That's no way to talk to a family friend, my boy," Vlad said, inviting himself in and roughly pushing past Daniel into the FentonWorks foyer. The boy stumbled back and Vlad looked around the empty house. "Your father wouldn't happen to be home, would he?" Daniel's expression hardened.
"I may be sick, but I'm not that sick," he sniffled. "It's not like I'm going to curl up in bed and go to sleep with you here. I can still fight you. Not that I should be worried. Dad'd mop the floor with you. Again." It was Vlad's turn for his expression to harden.
"I only came by for a quick chat, dear boy. And I'll have you know that was pure luck! Anyway, it's all in the past, now. We've long since let bygones be bygones, haven't we?"
Danny snorted, which didn't really mix well with his runny nose. "Sure. Bygones."
"Well, where are they? Where are your parents?" Vlad asked again impatiently.
"Ghost hunting," Danny turned back into the house, heading towards the kitchen. He was still on the alert with Vlad in his house, but he sure wasn't as ready to fight as he boasted he was. He pretended to tolerate the old man's presence, knowing full well that he would stand as much of a chance against Plasmius as the Box Ghost would. "You want anything? I think mom left some Froot Loops on the table…."
Vlad ignored the provocation with a snide grin. "No, no, Daniel. That's quite all right. I'm afraid I'm a very busy man. Political business and all…." He turned back to the still open door. "However, if you need someone to look after you, feel free to make an appointment. My office in Amity Hall is always open!"
With that, Vlad closed the door and from the window, Danny watched him make his way to the sleek stretch limo that was waiting for him on the road. He idly wondered why one person would even need a stretch limo.
"'My office is always open,'" Danny scoffed in a mocking voice as the limo drove away. "I don't need a babysitter."
He turned from the window and made his way back upstairs to his room. His thoughts turned to the reason that Vlad had come in the first place. 'Where are your parents?' he had asked. Why would Vlad want to talk to his parents? He never came by without some super-villainous plot in his mind. Danny climbed into bed with one last sigh before losing himself to sleep.
"I wish I knew what Vlad was up to…."
Little did he know, he wasn't alone and would not be waking up in his familiar home in Amity Park, but in an unrealistically and extravagantly luxurious mansion far away from the comfort of his own bedroom.
"So you have wished it...so shall it be."
Jeeze! Sorry, TUE?s on a hiatus since I'm still figuring it all out. Switching Places, I've just kind of become bored with. I'll finish them both... sometime. Despite similarities, this has absolutely nothing to do with either of my other stories. I know it's a kind of cliché plot idea. But cliché as it may be, the story's definitely not an overdone one. I only found one other story like this and it was written in alternating first person as opposed to third...like this one. Plus, it's an excuse to put quotes up at the top since I haven't done that with any of my other stories. You know you love the quotes. So, without further adieu... I think I'll start the next chapter.