AN: I can't guarantee that updates will always be this often, but while I have the capabilities I figure I can at least get you guys started off properly. Thus I bring you part two. Posted less than a week after part one ^_^

All characters belong to Bill Hartman and Billionfold Inc.

"Jazz, have you heard from your brother?" Maddie asked, poking her head into Jazz's room.

"Not yet, why?" asked the teen, peering over the top of her AP psychology text.

"It's almost eleven and he hasn't come home yet."

Jazz looked at her alarm clock with a sigh seeing that it was indeed 10:57 in the evening.

"He probably just went out to see a movie with Sam and Tucker again," Jazz assured her mother. "The late show gets done at eleven."

"But he usually calls before they go out like that," Maddie insisted. "And he's not answering his phone."

"Mom, Danny never answers his phone. He probably left it in his room again."

Maddie frowned, shaking her head.

"I got that phone specifically so he could call us on nights like these."

"He knows, Mom. He's just such an airhead that he—"

"Jazz, you know your brother's been getting in a lot of trouble lately."

"No more than the other kid at Casper High," Jazz contested nervously.

"I got another call from the school today," Maddie added, stepping into the room. "You know he was late to class every day this week?"

"It's a miracle he made any of those days on time," Jazz laughed awkwardly, "he overslept every day this week."

Maddie's mouth quirked ever so slightly.

"He did, didn't he..." she mused, unconsciously rubbing her chin in thought. "Maybe he's growing again?"

"Might be," Jazz answered, glad for the supplied excuse. "He has been sleeping a lot."

Maddie sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose.

"Alright, I'll give him until half past, but if he isn't here by then..."

"I'll give Sam a call and see where they are," Jazz assured, picking up her cell. "I'll let you know if there's something up."

Maddie nodded.

"Thank you Sweetie."

"No problem," Jazz replied, watching her mother slip out and close the door behind her.

Speed dialing two, Jazz pushed down the bubble of fear trying to break free. Danny probably just got held up by the Box Ghost or something. The local haunts did seem to like harassing him whenever he tried to have fun. Or sleep. Or do homework...

"Hello?"

"Sam, hey. What are you guys up to tonight?"

"'We' aren't up to anything," Sam responded, "I'm at home with Grandma tonight."

"Then do you know where Tucker and Danny went?"

"Tucker ran off saying he had something to do. Danny sounded like he was headed home."

Not good. Jazz paused, struggling not to panic. Danny would be fine. She just had to keep telling herself that: Danny would be fine.

"Is there something wrong?" Sam asked.

"He hasn't come home yet," Jazz answered, climbing off her bed and grabbing her bag. "We haven't heard from him since this morning."

Danny woke with a groan, his head throbbing. He tried to open his eyes, but wherever he was, it was way too bright.

"Welcome back, Daniel," a familiar voice greeted the halfa, drawing Danny out of his half-awake stupor.

"Vlad," he spat, squinting into the light. "Where am I?"

"You're in the Ghost Zone, my dear boy" Vlad answered smugly, stepping back from Danny's wakened figure.

"What? Why?" asked Danny, searching the glowing gray walls around him.

"I'm tired of your childish behavior," Vlad answered, striding across the room. "It is time that you learned just how much you need my guidance."

Vlad pulled the single, windowless door open to reveal an all-too-familiar ghost.

"Welcome to my establishment," the warden said with a massive grin. "It's about time you paid for your crimes."

"No..." Danny whispered, eyes flying to Vlad.

"What are you doing?" he demanded.

"Putting you in time out," Vlad answered with an evil grin of his own. "I'll be back for you in a few weeks."

And he stepped out the door.

Danny threw himself forward, reaching frantically for his nemesis' trailing cape. His feet flew out from under him as his wrists jerked back, tethered to the wall with thick green chains and shackles.

Vlad turned, an odd expression on his face.

"I'll be back before too long," he promised, his face almost... pitying?

And before Danny could really decipher the other halfa's emotions, the door closed.

Danny struggled to pull his feet under him, annoyed at the insistent pull of the chains. Slowly he managed to hoist himself back onto the shelf-like surface he'd managed to fall off of. It was only as he sat there, tugging uselessly at the chains that the obvious idea came to mind.

"I'm such an idiot," Danny muttered, turning human with a shake of his head.

"All I've got to do is..." but Danny realized with a start that his hands weren't phasing through the chains. He tugged at them, feeling the hard clank of metal chain links that bound him to the wall. They still glowed green, but remained completely solid.

"No," Danny whispered, tugging at the chains. "No no no no no no..." His voice began to escalate as he struggled, his slowly bruising wrists going unnoticed in his frantic attempts to get free.

"This can't be happening..." Danny cried, his mind spinning wildly as he remembered where he'd left his friends. Tucker went out somewhere secret. Sam went home. It would be hours before anyone noticed he was missing. The things that could happen to him in that time... the tortures Walker could inflict...

But how long had it been since Vlad had knocked him out? Danny wasn't sure. Maybe his friends were on their way right now. Maybe they were right outside the compound, locking onto his now-mostly-human DNA signature.

Danny took a deep breath and quieted. Setting his abused wrists in his lap, he leaned against the wall and closed his eyes.

No need to panic. They'd come rescue him before long. Any minute now they'd come blasting through the wall.

Any minute now.