A/N: Wow! I got a lot of reviews for that first chapter. You guys make me one very happy girl. And I'm sorry I didn't respond to any of your reviews. My computer likes to give me a lot of crap at random times. This week my G didn't work on my keyboard, and my computer doesn't use anything wireless, so I was stuck without a G till just yesterday where I had to switch out my normal keys to a game keyboard. My keyboard has two different keyboards that you can switch in and out. Now I have this little mini one that has some keys in the wrong places. I'm forced to get used to it. Oh well. Enough of my random life! Enjoy chapter two!

Disclaimer: I do not own any Danny Phantom or CHERUB characters.

Chapter 2 Bathroom Interrogation

Slamming my dinner tray down onto the table, I wasn't in a very good mood. I hadn't even spent a night at Happy Hills and I was sick of it and its owner, Vlad Masters.

The whole afternoon I was just screaming inside, ready to yell in anger and frustration. Who the hell did Vlad think he was? Apparently an expert at owning a camp because everyone seemed to like him even though he banned all electrical devices. I thought for sure the teens would revolt when the guy sprung the news about no cell phones or MP3 players. But of course they all eventually fell to his "charm". I wanted to puke.

With narrowed eyes I glared at my steaming food before me. It didn't look anything like the mystery meat Casper High always served for lunch. For once in my life, something besides fast food was in front of me that looked eatable. I should have been digging in, but the thought of Vlad being there was as unappetizing as grease literally dripping off a slice my pizza on Pizza Friday at school.

Instead of taking my angry glare out on my food, I looked up at Vlad who was conversing with an older leader on the stage. He had that smug smile on his face, the one I hate. He was torturing me even without me knowing. He probably didn't even know I was there yet.

I thought for once I'd have a normal vacation and enjoy some free time. With Vlad here I'd have to go into overtime as ghost boy. I couldn't just let the fruit loop peacefully own and run a camp with the threat of him doing something horrible. It was my duty as superhero to at least snoop around his office or something. It was going to be annoying if I did find something that Vlad was planning.

My vacation ruined.

"Why do you keep glaring at him?" Seph asked, dropping his tray down across from me. Utensils clanked and food splattered across the gray plastic table. He plopped into his seat with a sour expression on his face. Picking up a plastic fork, he started to spear his food with sharp, angry movements.

I didn't say anything as I took my eyes off my enemy and watched Seph eat. He shoved boat loads of food into his mouth, barely taking time to chew before swallowing. Finally he took a big swing of his drink and said, "At least I have a reason to be pissed with the guy. I had a bloody laptop that he confiscated! My girlfriend back in the UK is going to kill me when she realizes that I can't email or call her. So why are you pissed at him?"

"I know him," I muttered back. "My mom and dad knew him when they were in college. I didn't know he owned this camp till I got here."

"That still doesn't explain why you hate him," Seph stated, using a spoonful of pudding as if it was a pointed finger. The chocolate dessert dropped off the utensil and into my cup of water, making a small splash. Seph didn't notice my look of disgust.

"He's creepy," I warned my cabin mate. "Every time he gets the chance, he hits on my mom."

Seph's blue eyes widened as he shoved another spoonful of pudding in his mouth. He then burst out laughing. "That is totally nauseating!" he said, shaking his head at the thought. "Wow. Can you say horny old man?"

I couldn't help but smile a little. "I've told him to get a cat," I said with the roll of my eyes. "But apparently he won't settle for less."

Seph laughed, practically choking on his food. "That's a pretty good one, mate," he said with a giggle. "I'd hate the dude too if he was trying to get in bed with my mum." A shiver went down his spine as he muttered, "Disgusting."

For a while we were silent…well I was silent. Seph wasn't so great with table manners, I'll say that. The British kid was like a topless blender when he came into contact with food. It was like a car wreck. It's horrible but you can't stop watching.

Suddenly Seph's head shot up from his intake of food, a thoughtful look on his stuffed face. Swallowing, I saw that he was really giving me a sly smile. I didn't say anything, already hating his idea.

"I have an idea," he told me in a loud whisper so to keep his voice in only our table's ear shot.

Hating to be the kill joy, I said, "Yeah?"

"You hate this Masters guy because he wants to date your mum," Seph said, "And I want my laptop back so to keep my girlfriend at peace. I say we sneak into Master's cabin, get my laptop back and maybe your MP3 player or something, and give this dude a prank of a lifetime. What do you think?"

"You're kidding, right?" I asked with a chuckle. The last thing I needed was to be sneaking around in my arch-enemy's cabin with Seph the delinquent boy. I'd rather do my sneaking at night as my alter-ego and completely alone.

"No!" Seph said, that mischievous smile still planted on his face. "You know you want to do it, Danny. You're just scared."

"I'm not sc…," I snapped back.

"Hey, I understand," Seph cut me off. He raised a hand as if to make the now hostile air between us calmer. He then flicked me a knowing evil grin before saying, "I'll be here when you finally change your mind." He then got up with his empty tray and walked off.

"Like that's ever gonna happen, dude," I muttered, watching him vanish into the crowd of teens.

-The Next Morning-

Closing my weary and sleep laden eyes, I stood motionless under the harsh blast of hot shower water. Knowing the other guys would be pushing and messing around in the morning for a shower, I wanted to by-pass the hassle of waiting in the line of humiliation. I always prefer to shower alone.

What was I going to do?

That question had me up for hours my first night of camp Happy Hills. It was going to be hard getting by with Vlad there to watch my every move. It was already hard going to sleep knowing that psychopath was out there plotting something evil.

Strange enough, the freak hadn't even acknowledged my presence. We had made brief eye contact during his first speech to the campers, making him stumble for a second to my delight. But that was it. He hadn't even confronted me yet. It was weird…and highly suspicious.

Scrubbing my black locks with eye stinging shampoo, I thought about talking to Jazz. She would have some answers, but not much. She was still considered a hinder to us when ghost fighting. I mean, she didn't even know that Vlad owned the camp! How's that for genius sister? I didn't expect her to give me any good answers, but she would have something to go by. I hated to do this all by myself.

Jeez, I wished Sam was there! She always knew what to do. But sadly, I wouldn't be able to hear that reassuring voice of hers till the next day. Smiling slightly, I realized I missed her.

I toweled off, feeling better after the shower. Maybe this day would be better. It was a hopeless thought as I pulled on my clothes and pushed away the shower curtain…to reveal Vlad Plasmius standing there!

"Ah!" I screamed in surprise, taking a step back from my smiling adversary.

Before I could turn ghost, Vlad pulled out a specter reflector belt and snapped it around my waist. Locking it into place, the man took a step back to get a good look at his handy work. He held the key up, waiting for my reaction.

"Where…where did you get this?" I screamed at him in confusion.

"Oh, I had a fun time going through yours and Jazz's suitcases the other afternoon to get rid of any technology that would prevent you young ones from experiencing the fullness of nature," Vlad said, making sure my quick grab for the key was unsuccessful. "Besides your thermos, I found this and the key," he said, pointing to my belt for identification. "Comfy?"

"What do you think?" I growled in response.

"Good," Plasmius said, his evil smile returning. "Then let's have our little talk."

"Get this stupid belt off me, then I'll talk," I demanded. It wasn't like he was going to keep me there…was it? The question gave me a flash of panic. My stubborn frown faded into one of alarm and hesitation.

Vlad threw his head back and laughed at my fear. "My dear boy," he sneered, "You have no clue what you have gotten into, have you?"

Before he could get to me, I dropped to the wet floor and rolled under the metal stall to the next shower cubicle. Slipping on the soap laden tiles under my bare feet, I sprinted forward. I threw the shower curtain away and ran right into my enemy head on by mistake.

Vlad was smooth and quick in his movements as he seized my wrist, spun me in his desired direction, and kicked me into a toilet stall. His foot made painful contact with my stomach, driving the air right out of me. Off balance, I stumbled backwards and hit my head hard against the stall's door.

Gasping for precious air, I fell to my knees while holding my aching stomach. I looked up just in time to see Vlad's heel collide with my forehead. Wincing, I went with the blow and landed on the toilet itself. Stars burst across my blurry vision as my head whacked into the porcelain tank. Any normal person would have given up at staying awake by now and would have passed out. I was used to fighting the urge of blackness and staying with life.

Groping for some support, I hooked my thumbs around the toilet seat and pushed myself up and away from the advancing Vlad. This was going down hill fast. I hadn't even gotten a chance for a punch. I was useless without my powers against this guy.

"Hold still, boy!" Vlad ordered, grabbing one of my wrists. He pulled out a pair of handcuffs and snapped one side of them on the wrist he was holding. Had he planned this whole thing? Why would he feel the need to bring handcuffs with him otherwise?

"Get off!" I yelled. I lifted a bare foot to fend the man off, but he simply used his other hand to grab it and throw it off to the side. He worked swiftly as he looped the handcuffs around the backside of the toilet. It didn't take long for him to catch my other wrist and snap the cuffs in place.

I was stuck to a toilet.

"Now you'll talk," Vlad said darkly, folding his arms in front of his chest and glaring down at me.

"Let me go!" I shouted wildly. Panic fueled me as I struggled uselessly against my cuffs. What was he going to do to me? He wasn't going to kill me, was he? Millions of these types of thoughts flashed across my brain, making my heart rate sky rocket and my breathing ragged.

"You aren't going anywhere till we have our little talk," Vlad stated. He leaned down so we were face to face. I recoiled, afraid of his touch as he traced a finger across my jaw line. Wincing, I could feel his finger produce a spark of electricity from the deathly belt now stuck to my waist.

"What do you want?" I finally asked, pushing away the fear rising in my chest.

Vlad flashed me a triumphant smile as he stood back up. "Why did you come here, Daniel?" he asked.

"I didn't want to come," I spat back truthfully, "Jazz convinced my parents it would be good for me."

"Likely story," Vlad said with the roll of his eyes. Careful now to prevent himself from getting zapped by my belt, he flashed back into his human form. He then lifted his foot and lightly placed it on my bruised stomach. "Now tell me why you really are here."

"I just told you the truth!" I said, frustration running deep in my voice. "What more do you want?"

That earned me a sharp blow to my stomach. I tried not to give him the pleasure of seeing me in pain by keeping my yell down in my throat. Instead, I coughed out a curse and used my feet to push away from the man towering over me. His boot was still sitting snuggly in my gut when I returned my glare to him.

"That was the truth, Vlad," I said through clenched teeth. "I had recently been spending too much time fighting ghosts. My parents noticed my tired and flighty actions and decided the great outdoors would be a grand vacation. Apparently, they were wrong."

Vlad leaned down and asked smugly, "You want another kick in the stomach?"

My only answer was collecting as much spit as possible in my mouth and flinging it into the man's face. Jeez, I hated him! That move was bound to happen at some point. It felt good.

Vlad sharply recoiled. Using the back of his hand, he slapped me across the face so hard I swear I heard some of my neck vertebra crack out of place. The coppery taste of blood exploded in my mouth from me biting my tongue. Squeezing my eyes shut, I had to fight the tears threatening to escape the edges of my eyes.

I could literally feel the sting of his hand print on my cheek, and my tongue throbbed in pain. I leaned to the side and spat out a massive wad of blood diluted with saliva. I used my shoulder to wipe off the excess on my mouth, staining my shirt a bit. I then glared darkly up at Vlad. The anger was boiling inside of me.

"What is this, an interrogation?" I snapped at him after a moment of silence between us. "Was it a crime for me to come here or something? What is it that you want from me?"

"I ask the questions," Vlad said coolly. He grabbed my chin and forced me to look him in the eyes. "What do you know about this camp?" he asked.

"Why do you want to know?" I shot back. Suddenly I was enlightened. "You're hiding something, aren't you?" I said. My confidence was beginning to rise now. "It has to be something pretty big for you to go and trap me in a bathroom stall for an interrogation. You want to make sure I don't know anything, that's why you're asking me all these dumb questions."

"Well, aren't you the bright one," Vlad sighed in irritation. "Now tell me what you know so we can get on with our lives. As you can see, you aren't going anywhere till I get the answers I want."

"Well," I said, pretending to think hard, "I know that you suck." I shrugged. "That's it. I'm a C student. I don't have to know much."

"If this wasn't so serious, I'd love to hear your witty banter," Vlad said. Grabbing my left leg, he began to slowly turn my bare foot. "You won't wear that annoying cocky grin if you ended up with a broken ankle on your second day at Happy Hills," he said, still twisting. "We can say it was an accident. The morning dew on the grass was wet. You slipped, landed on your ankle, and…crack."

"No, Vlad," I said in a rush. "What do you think you're doing? Are you crazy?"

Now this was going out of control! It was less interrogation and more torture technique. The anger left and the fear returned. I had no doubt he was actually going to break my ankle if I didn't say anything.

"Tell me what you know, Daniel, and maybe this little freak accident won't happen," Vlad said calmly. He was still turning. My ankle by now was burning; ready to snap at any second. It was all I could do not to cry out in pain.

"I don't know anything!" I told him. "I didn't even know you owned Happy Hills till yesterday! Now let me go before you break something! Please!"

"What about the land?"

"What?" I cried. "I don't know anything about the stupid land!"

"Maybe I should sprain it for good measure," Vlad thought out loud with his sardonic humor. "That spit in the face was uncalled for."

"Okay, okay!" I said quickly. My ankle was in a spasm of pain. My brain couldn't function. Desperately, I tried to remember anything from the brochure I had read only once. "It was a coal mining town," I said. "I don't know, it used to be a ghost town before you rebuilt cabins and called it Happy Hills. It was on the brochure."

Vlad released my ankle without a word. I pulled my foot away with a deep sigh of relief. I kept a watchful eye on my enemy as I tried to calm myself down. It looked like the questioning was over, but I couldn't be sure. I had never seen Vlad so intense. Sure, he's meant me harm numerous times. But it was different in that situation. He was exceedingly dangerous, and it wasn't until that day that I finally saw the full extent of it. He was scary.

"We'll have another talk like this one some time soon," Vlad finally said, his voice emotionless. He bent down, smiling slightly when noticing me withdraw. With one hand he grabbed the chain of the cuffs and turned them intangible so they slipped off my wrists. "Have a fun time at Happy Hills, Daniel," he said as his farewell before disappearing right in front of my eyes.

With Vlad gone, I could finally stand up, but I didn't. For a moment I just sat on the toilet to collect my scrambled thoughts. "Boy, was that a nightmare," I muttered to myself. At least the encounter told me that Vlad really was planning something…something he really didn't want me getting involved in. It was now my job to submerge myself right into his evil plan.

Standing up, I cried out as my stomach muscles protested to move. I sat back down, pulling up my shirt for inspection. A tight frown formed on my lips as I saw a basketball sized bruise there. That was going to be hard to hide…or find a good lie for. Great.

"Wait…he didn't unlock my belt," I observed out loud. It dawned on me that he had done that on purpose. I couldn't go ghost if I had this thing stuck on me for the rest of the month! "I'm going to kick his ass for this!"

-Breakfast-

"Why the wicked grin?" Seph asked as he set his tray down at our table. He grabbed the bottle of syrup and poured half its contents on his stack of pancakes. "I love camp food," he sighed in delight as he cut into his steaming breakfast.

"I'm in," I said suddenly.

Seph was in mid bite as he looked up at me, brief surprise on his face. He put down his fork load of fluffy pancake smothered in sweet syrup and returned my grin with his own. He picked up his glass of orange juice as if making a toast.

"Cheers," was his only response to my decision. He took a big gulp of juice before returning to his meal.

And like that, I was in on the plan.

Vlad Masters was going to regret ever making this camp by the time I was through with him.

A/N: Oh, Vlad is gonna get it if he's not too careful. And to clear it up with some of you readers, CHERUB is not a TV show or anything. It is a UK book series by the author Robert Muchamore. It's hard to find it. The only place I can get the amazing series is at Barnes and Nobles or on eBay. If interested, go look for it. It's like a modern, more realistic Alex Rider series and ten times better. The next chapter of this should be out next week. See you guys there!