Skulker knew that the Ghost Child wouldn't be his perfect little obedient pet in a snap of his fingers. Hell, he wasn't surprised to find the halfa looking around for the key to his collar; which just happened to be Skulker ecto-signature, so only he could take off Phantoms collar. Also, to say that Phantom wasn't putting up more of a fight did strike him as odd, but he pegged it off as the boy 'playing nice' for now.
He planned on training the whelp over the summer, the WHOLE summer, that way when the fall came around Phantom would be a good little pet. Though, this would mean that everything would have to go according to plan; with that in mind he would have to make sure no one came looking for him. Skulker was aware of the boys friends and family, he had been watching him like always. But this doesn't mean that one of the Ghost Childs friends couldn't come home early and ruin everything. The very thought made him frown.
Checking his watch, he saw it was time to go and feed Phantom, he was very aware of when Phantom asked for food last time that he didn't call him 'Master'. All in good time, he was nothing if not patient, he wasn't the Ghost Zones Greatest Hunter for nothing. Grabbing the bowls he uses to feed Phantom, he put water in one and a puree of meats and vegetables in the other.
Walking in the back room where he kept his most prized possession, Skulker saw that Phantom was still sleeping and couldn't help but think of how cute he was when he was in a deep slumber. Putting the bowls in the cage, he rapped his knuckles on the top of the cage to wake the seventeen year old up.
Waking up to a loud noise, Danny nearly jumped out of his skin and hit his head again. He looked up to see Skulker looking down at him; feeling angry about being woken up, Danny shot the robot a heated glare, one that soon softened, if only a little at the smell of food. "Eat, we have much to do today." Skulker instructed as he leaned against the wall across from Danny.
Still glaring, Danny shoved to brown goo down his throat, trying not to think about the taste because he will NEVER get use to the taste of mushy dirt and beets. Like always, he used the water to wash the taste out of his mouth, setting the bowl down he crossed his arms over his chest and continued to hold his glare on Skulker.
The one summer he gets to spend doing anything he wants besides ghost hunting and he's stuck here. So yes, his is getting pissed off about the whole situation.
Skulker strode across the room to take Danny out of his cage and hook the leash onto his collar. "Come on boy, let's go outside." He said and Danny swore to himself that Skulker was as good as dead, well, more dead when this was all over with. He was not a dog, how many times did he have to say it?
"I'm not a dog." He mumbled under his breath, but apparently it wasn't quiet enough because the next thing he knew Skulker gave a harsh tug on the leash making him falter in his step (Danny took note that maybe Skulker liked doing that just for funsies.) only to catch himself and glare at the mech, who was glaring right back.
"What was that boy?" Skulker tone was threatening for him to repeat what he said, daring him.
Danny Phantom never shied away from a dare. "I said, that I am not a dog."
Skulker snorted at him, "I can see that, but you ARE my pet."
"Like hell I am!" Danny tried yanking the leash from Skulkers hand only to have the robo ghost pull him forward, now Skulker was gripping the front of his tank top, lifting him an inch or two off of the ground to look him straight in the eyes.
"You ARE! And you know what that means?" Skulker asked, though he didn't expect a reply. "It means that as my pet, you will be treated as such. You will receive rewards, treats even, when you behave well and do as I say. That being said," His voice started to take on a darker tone, eyes narrowing "If you act out and misbehave in anyway, I WILL punish you for your infraction however I seem fit. Trust me when I say this Phantom, you'll only misbehave once and you'll WANT to be good and please me in every way."
Letting the words sink in, Dannys eyes widened slightly. Did Skulker plan on ever letting him go? And just what kind of 'punishment' did the stupid robot have in mind? Swallowing down the growing lump in his throat from slight fear, Danny settled on just glaring at the hunter. He wanted to say something, anything but he didn't want to find out what his punishment would be just yet.
Skulker then put Phantom back down on the ground and started walking again.
Without his powers, Danny never really noticed how cold the Ghost Zone really was. Not that it was unbearable, but it was like standing outside by the ocean in January with shorts on. And considering Danny was only in his tank top and boxers, it was a little breezy.
After about an hour or so of walking, Danny had to stop and he was SO embarrassed but it was just something normal of everyday, but oh dear lord he wished he didn't need to do this while in his ghost form.
He had to use the bathroom.
"What's the matter whelp?" Skulker barked at him, eyeing him suspiciously.
Danny shifted uncomfortably on his feet, trying to will away the need to use the bathroom because, he was pretty sure he had to ASK Skulker if he could use it and it was hard enough for him to even ask for his meal yesterday. "I, um, well I need to do something." Maybe beating around the bush would get the point across and Skulker would take the hint.
No luck. "Such as?" The hunter inquired, having an idea of what his pet needed to do.
'Asshole' Danny thought, "I need to, you know. Go."
Skulker look to each side of Danny and shrugged his shoulders. "Then go, there are plenty of trees and bushes around." Skulker almost lost it laughing at the comically shocked look Phantom gave him. What, the boy never took a leak outside before?
Flushing, Danny looked at the tall bush beside him and inwardly sighed. This was probably as good as it was going to get for the time being. Casting one more glance at Skulker, who looked annoyed that he hasn't gone yet, Danny let out a sigh and did his business behind the bush, feeling awkward the whole time knowing Skulker wasn't too far away.
When they came back to the clearing to Skulkers compound, he turned to Phantom and spoke. "Alright let's try this again. Only this time I'm going to tell you to sit. So, Phantom, sit and stay." Danny looked at him like he had three heads before that glare returned to his boyish features. He was NOT going to listen to Skulker like he was the pet the robot wanted him to be. He just wouldn't. "Phantom..." Skulkers voice held a warning in it, something that Danny didn't miss. "SIT!"
Sitting down in the dirt, (because his legs were tired, NOT because Skulker told him too) Danny crossed his arms and pouted. "Good boy." Skulker all but cooed at him, the tone was so different it made Danny feel a little weird. "See, it's not hard to just listen, now is it?" Danny wasn't sure if Skulker wanted him to dignify that with an answer, so he just settled for pouting and staring at his crossed legs. "Believe it or not, you will like being a pet of mine once the perks start rolling."
"Perks? I fail to see how being confined to a cage and getting yelled at is a perk." Danny growled out, glare turned on full force towards Skulker. The hunter was sure that if looks could kill he'd be dead twice.
"Maybe if you behave and listen I'd let you out more and wouldn't HAVE to yell at you!" Skulker yelled, internally face-palming for yelling but the brat had it coming. He meant every word, if Phantom obeyed him, he would treat him like the prized possession that he truly was. "Keep up with the sass and I'll revoke your outdoor privileges." He threatened, knowing very well that Phantom would listen if he took something like that away.
But he's been wrong before.
Standing up, WITHOUT Skulkers permission, Danny started ranting, "How DARE you! You can't do this to me! You are not my OWNER or MASTER, and you never will be! Fuck you and your 'perk'." Danny made quotation marks around the word 'perks' with his fingers. "Fuck you, you piece of shi-" Dannys insult got cut off by a sudden pain in his mouth. Skulker HIT him! And it HURT, like really hurt. He forgot for that moment that he had no powers and could feel pain like a normal person. He instinctively covered his mouth when the pain hit him and he just stared shell shocked at Skulker.
What if he cracked a tooth!
"I will NOT have you using such language, or talk to me in such a way. You will learn to behave Phantom," Skulker then pulled on the leash to bring Phantom closer to his face "Or suffer the consequences." He growled out loud enough just for the half ghost to hear. "I think it's time you go back in your cage." He then stalker off, Phantom in tow right behind him. He phased the boy in his cage, unhooked the leash, took the empty bowls and looked Phantom right in the eyes before leaving. "Now of you want food, you will ask for it. And this time you WILL call me Master, no leeway this time Phantom." Then he was gone.
Danny was still holding onto his mouth, thinking that maybe his teeth were okay, he wasn't bleeding and as he ran his tongue over his teeth he didn't feel any cracks. When he was sure Skulker was gone, tears began to burn his eyes.
He didn't WANT to give into what Skulker wanted, but he also didn't want to be abused everyday. Maybe there really was nothing he could do about this.
No.
He couldn't think like that. Thoughts like that were what would make him give into the psycho hunter ghost; which is what the nut job wanted, for Danny to just bend over and take what ever he had. Danny shuddered, 'Okay' he thought, 'Going to stay away from THOSE thoughts.' But he did know he couldn't give into Skulker. He remembered the mech saying something about the 'perks' of being his pet.
How great could it be?
A/N: Please review!