Hey all. I'd like to point out that in my story, all the characters (Danny, Vlad, Sam etc) are extremely OOC.

Okay, sorry bout the wait, for some reason it a little longer; I'm not sure why. Anyways, i like how it turned out. The story may take a little turn here, so get ready for it! lol

Also, I wanna give out a big thank yyou to all my reviewers, because you guys are absolutely fabulous! It's your reviews that keep me smiling all day, and make me forget aobut my problems :) You guys rock!

mizu-tatsu: Well, I know in the show, Danny already knows Vlad (after he meets him of course). But to make my story work right, I needed to make it so that he didn't kow Vlad. He doesn't know about Vlad because he's never had to fight him, because he doesn't know he has powers (until these past few chapters). So basically, I changed it up a little bit :)
I hope you like this chapter, and I hope that cleared things up for you. Tell me if you have any other questions, and I''ll be happy to answer!

dessyweird51: lol, ah, I see :) lol ok, enjoy this chappie and tell me your thoughts!

PunkMichPhantom: I'm really happy you like it so much! Let me know about this chappie!

Tie-dyed Trickster: lol! Whew, good thing your muse was there to protect me! Lol ya, your right, having Plasmius around all the time would be a pain lol Anyways, enjoy this chappie and tell me your thoughts!

broken0dream Lol tell me about it! I'm glad it cleared things up :) I really hope you like this onee as much! Tell me what you think!

Thunderstorm101: Lol, yup! I know what's gonna happen lol I do control all the characters' destinies after all :) I needed a lil help back there, but I think I'm back on track ☺ Hmm, interesting point you raise there (about Danny and Vlad) …well, you'll just have to read and see! Tell me your thoughts!

Alright, enjoy!

Danny's POV
"Stop! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Just stop! Please! Please! I'll do better! I promise! Just please, please stop!" I pleaded, on the verge of tears, my voice cracking harshly.

"So pathetic…" said the light and derisive voice in the next room.

I covered my face with my hands. I tried to gather myself into a tight ball, trying to squeeze myself into the small space that was closing in on me. My eyes closed tightly. I tried to repel all the things I was seeing by doing so, but it didn't work, as Vlad had pointed out.

"Oh you can't get rid of them so easily my boy. Closing your eyes…or doing anything else for that matter, won't stop the fears. Isn't it lovely how easily one can turn a strong confident teen into a blathering mess?" he said contentedly.

I awoke with a start. I was sweaty and clammy, and I found myself panting slightly. I felt a hand press on my shoulder. Sam…

I sighed in relief.

"Nightmare?" she asked understandingly.

"Um…it was nothing…" I muttered, not wanting to talk about it. I had already told her enough, I wouldn't feel comfortable telling her everything. It's not that I don't trust her or anything…it's just that…I don't want to seem too weak…

Even though sometimes I feel that I am…

"Oh…um, okay…" she said quietly. "Um, in that case Danny…You might wanna see this…" she mumbled nervously, pointing at me.

"Umm…what my clothes?" I asked perplexed. She shook her head. I looked at myself.

I almost jumped back in shock.

In front of my eyes was the weirdest thing I'd ever seen. I was no longer wearing my torn jeans or so-torn-it-was-almost-non-existent T-shirt. I was now clad in a black HAZMAT suit. The arms, legs, belt and neckline were a silvery white. On the front of my chest was a strange symbol that resembled a D. The suit wasn't torn, like my other clothes; it was in perfect condition.

"What the heck? What happened?" I asked, startled at the sight of myself like this.

"Umm…I don't know…I fell asleep, and you fell asleep on me. And then I woke up, and you just sort of…looked this way…"

I looked at Sam. She shrugged bewilderedly. "Um, that's not all. Your hair's changed too…it's white. And your eyes-um, your eyes are glowing. Green..." she said uncertainly, as though she thought I might blame her.

I pulled a strand of my hair as far as I could in front of my face. Sam was right. It was white.

"I don't understand," I muttered.

"Well, I thought maybe…"

"What?" I asked, a little too eagerly, desperate for an answer.

"Um…" she was tentative, like I'd never seen before. What was she so worried about? It's not like I was going to yell at her because of this. "Well, I'm not exactly sure…but I thought, maybe…it was your…ghost half?"

"Ghost half?" I asked vaguely, completely lost.

"Remember how, um, how Vlad had a ghost half?" she mouthed the word Vlad hesitantly. "Well, he said you were showing signs of ghost powers, and its possible that…that this is your ghost half…"

"My ghost half…" I repeated, somewhat dazed from the surprise of this unexpected revelation.

"Yeah, um, I don't know why though. I mean, I don't know why you turned into a ghost all of a sudden. Maybe you had some sort of shock or something, and that made it appear?"

"That's it!" I said excitedly, remembering what had happened the last time I had tried to escape the mansion. "Last time I tried to escape, I turned invisible by thinking of things that made me angry. That's how I got through the door and almost escaped!"

"Almost?" Sam croaked.

"There's a protective shield around the mansion. It ensures that all the 'slaves' stay inside, and don't escape. Anyways, that must be why I turned into my supposed ghost half! Because when I got really emotional, whether sad, angry, or whatever, I'd turn invisible. So when I have an emotional overload, I must turn into a complete ghost!" I realized, all the pieces coming together.

"But Danny, why do you even have ghost powers? Did Vlad give them to you?" Sam asked, somewhat confused.

"No," I said firmly, sure of my answer. "Remember when it used to happen to me, even before I was captured. In fact, it even happened to me the night I was captured."

Sam nodded.

"The question now is how to get out of here." Sam checked her watch. "We have 45 hours left. That's actually a lot. But we have to think of something fast."

"Think of something?"

"Yes!" Sam said fervently, almost screaming. "We have to get out of here!"

"Okay, okay! Relax! We'll get out Sam, don't worry!" I said, trying to calm her. This was really getting to her. I closed my eyes in attempt to concentrate and think of an idea.

"But I thought you said here was an impenetrable protective shield around the mansion!"

"Excellent observation," a calm voice drawled out from the doorway of the cell.

I felt Sam's hand clutch my arm tightly in surprise, though she loosened her grip slightly when she realized who it was.

"You know, you two aren't as dim-witted as you seem," he said. Sam seemed to want to get up and punch him;I could tell from the way she was digging her fingernails into my skin. I squeezed her hand warningly, hoping she would get the message: 'he's just trying to make you mad; don't let him win you over!'

"I quite enjoyed your theory about your ghost half," he said, directing his comment at me. It amused me…and I must admit, it wasn't a bad try. You see, your turning ghost has nothing to do with your emotions. I must admit I don't know why you have ghost powers, or why they were powered by your emotions when you tried to escape. But turning into your ghost half? No, no, no. That was my doing."

I stared at Vlad defiantly. For some reason, I wasn't scared anymore. I wasn't afraid of facing Vlad. I didn't know why…

"What're you talking about?" Sam spat, holding me.

…Though I had a hunch.

"Well, you remember the gun I shot you with?" Vlad inquired, a little too casually for my liking.

I narrowed my eyes at him in disdain.

He smiled. "Well, it didn't actually take your powers. Permanently, that is. The gun steals your powers temporarily. A few hours later, your powers return to you, and it gives you a jump-start that turns you into your ghost form. If you have one, that is," he finished dangerously, with an evil half-smile.

"I thought you'd said before that you weren't sure if Danny was a ghost…" Sam frowned, her eyes slightly narrowed, though in confusion.

"I did," Vlad said with a simple smile.

"So wait," I interrupted, my heart beating just a bit faster than usual, "Then, what would've happened to me, if I wasn't hal-," I stopped suddenly, my question now void. Understanding now washed over me as I raised my eyes to his. I glared at him with every ounce of revulsion I could muster. Yes, it was all gone. Every bit of fear I had ever felt around this man had vanished. Now, all I felt was pure loathing.

"You mean…you mean that gun could've," Sam whispered, her chest heaving as she let a trembling hand hover over her half-open mouth. "He could've…died?" She breathed the last word, almost inaudibly. In spite of my sudden urge to get up and ecto-blast the man square in the face (even though I didn't know how), I held onto Sam's arm. I felt her start to shake; she was crying. I squeezed her arm even tighter, my breathing heavy.

"Oh don't worry if you missed your chance to be worried about death, my boy," he pointed out happily, "You'll soon receive it." His eyes shifted off from me and onto Sam. "But I do think we'll hang the girl first."

"You filthy liar!" I tried to shout, but I couldn't find the energy. I was too emotionally, and physically drained. "It hasn't even been near 48 hours yet!"

I noticed the glow of his red eyes waver back onto me. "You're right…I just couldn't wait any longer," he said thoughtfully.

"Are you ready?" he asked Sam. She recoiled into me. I held her even tighter, if possible.

"Come now darling," he snarled. He was about to take her hand. I wasn't going to let him lay a hand on her.

Before I could understand what was happening, a green jet blasted out from my hand, throwing Vlad onto the floor.

Nice! I've been wanting to try that power out!

I armed myself for an attack from Vlad, expecting him to fight back. To my surprise, he didn't.

"You know, it isn't smart to engage in a battle, when you know almost nothing about your powers, boy," he cautioned me.

"Nothing about my powers, huh?" I scoffed, deriding him. "If I do recall correctly, I have enough power to knock you into your human form."

Vlad flashed me a smile so disgustingly evil, so sick, that I couldn't even suppress my disgust anymore. I let my mouth fall open, as widely as I could. I let out all my anger, all my weariness. But nothing came out.

"Something…wrong, my boy?" He said the word wrong quickly, jerkily, accentuating it.

"What did you do to me?" I growled.

"I didn't do anything Daniel," he said smugly, using my name for the first time. I wasn't even aware that he knew my name. "It happens though…when a ghost is tired. Worn out. They're powers begin to slow. Sometimes they die out completely. It's temporary of course, but you can never really tell when they'll come back." He spoke as if he were an university English professor.

I glared at him. I wanted to try my other powers, to prove him a liar. But I didn't need to. He was right. I was exhausted, and I could just feel it in my blood, that even if I tried, I wouldn't be able to do something as simple as turning my finger invisible.

There were a few moments of silence. It seemed as though the whole world held its breath, but it was really only Sam and I who did. They felt like the longest moments of my life. The smell of rust on the chains in the old musty basement, the taste of sweat finding its way into my mouth, the faint buzzing of crickets somewhere miles away…somewhere free in the fields; everything. Everything seemed to be trying to remind me that minutes were passing, and that something had to happen. Even Vlad. He had raised an eyebrow to join his corner-smile, which gave an overall: 'You've been defeated, you have no way out; so what'll it be?' effect.

My chest fell as I let a sigh escape my mouth and closed my eyes in relinquishment. "Fine. You win Vlad," I said quietly, looking down at the cold cement floor.

"Exellent. I knew you'd come to your senses boy. Now, shall we go, Samantha?" Sam's face was a mixture of contempt, dread and trepidation.

I watched her walk away from behind, Vlad leading the way. She looked back, an expression of fear I had never seen before was on her face.

I couldn't, I just couldn't let it happen. It was my fault she was here. Well…maybe not exactly…but still…I couldn't shake the feeling that she wouldn't have suffered the exact fate if I weren't here as well.

"No!"

Vlad turned and gave me a look of mock surprise.

"Stop. Don't take her. Take me instead." I was still looking down at the floor, my head hanging, but I spoke with clarity and a firm voice. I could hear the protest in Sam's voice but Vlad silenced her before she had a chance to even finish her first word. I don't how he did it, and I didn't look up to see, but I took it as a bad sign that I involuntarily flinched as she was cut off.

"Hmm, this is rather chivalrous of you, boy," he mocked. "Alright, fine," he finished, all sign of laughter and ridicule had vanished from his tone now. He was completely solemn.

I looked up. Sam was contained in a protective shield, so I couldn't hear a word she was saying, but she was waving frantically at me, making vague signs and gestures. I shook my head. "But you'd better send her home, Vlad. You have to promise," I said quietly, glaring venomously Vlad's, in what I hoped was a threatening manner.

Vlad looked at me, drew himself up haughtily and said, "Fine. But you're coming with me." He grabbed my wrist brashly, then turned around to face Sam. He blasted a yellow jet of light at her, but instead of falling backwards from it, she disappeared. He turned back to me.

"It's time. Your sentence must be carried out," he proclaimed, drawing his cape around his muscular figure. He shot an ecto-blast at my hands, creating a green translucent pair of shackles that bound my wrists together. "After you," he smiled, bowing dramatically and escorting me out the door.

Oooh, suspenseful lol jk

Let me know if you liked this and stuff.

PS. My next update may take a bit longer because I won't be here for the next few days, so I'm gonna start on chappter 11 when I come back.

love,

CrystalDream