The team swallowed down their nerves at now being alone in the lab with a volatile half-ghost. Vlad turned to the vultures.
"You three are dismissed for now," he informed them. The vultures glanced at each other before shrugging.
"Alright. You're the boss," the third vulture relented and the three ghosts phased out of the building.
"So… um, if you don't mind… how do you and Danny know each other?" Miss Martian ventured. Vlad turned to her.
"It's complicated. I doubt you'd understand," Vlad answered.
"Vlad… that's your actual name isn't it?" Robin asked boldly. Vlad glared at the boy.
"Daniel told you," Vlad accused. Robin shook his head.
"No one told us. But you were the first to say your name. And you can't really blame Danny since you were strangling him at the time," Robin corrected with an accusing tone himself. Vlad scowled.
"You know nothing boy. So don't pretend to understand," Vlad growled. The team frowned at the older halfa, insulted.
"Well, if you won't tell us your relationship with Danny. What about Danielle?" Zatanna inquired. Vlad scoffed derisively.
"She's nothing to me but a mistake I have yet to clear up," Vlad snarled. The team blinked in shock.
"Wait… you… you're the one that created her, aren't you?" Superboy realised with a frown. Vlad raised an eyebrow.
"They didn't tell you? Makes me wonder if they trust you at all," Vlad commented. The team scowled again, not even doubting Danny's motives for not telling them. They trusted Danny and knew he had to have his reasons for not telling them.
"How can you say that about her?" Artemis whispered, appalled. Vlad shrugged.
"Why should I feel any different? That mistake betrayed me," Vlad growled. The team shared a look. Vlad was right. It did seem complicated. Whatever relationship the three halfas had with each other was indeed complex and confusing.
A little while after Danny had disappeared into the portal, he remerged. He looked a little tousled, like he'd been in a fight, and yanked on a fishing rod with glowing blue string. A small green dog, panting happily and wagging his tail followed, the string tied to his collar. Cujo had been a handful once the halfa found him. Danny sighed and then assessed the lab.
"I see you've been making friends Plasmius," Danny commented, seeing the veiled angered and hateful glares the halfa was getting from the teens.
Vlad sneered at Danny before looking at the dog Danny returned with.
"Daniel, what is that? I was under the impression you were fetching a monstrous brute, not this pathetic mutt," Vlad asked. Danny glared at Vlad.
"What did I say? Don't act like you. You don't want to make Cujo angry," Danny scolded.
"Daniel, that mongrel is not the same dog that attacked Axion Labs," Vlad pointed out, glaring at the grumbling green puppy. Danny glanced at Cujo and his eyes went wide in alarm.
"Uh oh," he muttered and backed away from the dog.
Before everyone's eyes, the green puppy grew from a happy, panting dog into a snarling monster with long drips of slobber dangling from his mouth. The team reacted instinctively and drew out their weapons. Danny ran in front of the dog.
"No! Put away your weapons!" Danny ordered urgently. The team faltered but obeyed. Danny stood in front of Cujo with his arms wide.
"Cujo, it's alright! Calm down," Danny soothed the beast. Vlad scoffed.
"Daniel that is not going to work," Vlad taunted. Danny glared at Vlad before turning to Cujo. The dog was growling loudly at Vlad.
"Plasmius, stop making Cujo angry. Apologise," Danny scolded in an even tone. Vlad gave a humourless bark of laughter.
"I am not apologising to a dumb beast!" Vlad retorted, Cujo took a step forward. Danny spread his arms out wider.
"No Cujo. Sit!" Danny commanded. The dog glanced at Danny before slowly complying but continued to growl at Vlad. The team were impressed and hoped that this display of obedience would force Vlad to listen to Danny.
"Plasmius! Don't make me blast you! Stop being so darn stubborn and apologise. I can't keep him back forever!" Danny yelled, keeping a close watch on Cujo. Vlad considered the situation. With a reluctant sigh, he stepped forward eliciting more deep growls.
"No, stay back. Just do it from there," Danny interjected.
Vlad rolled his eyes and folded his arms.
"Very well, for the sake of keeping the peace. I apologise," Vlad relented. Cujo's aggression eased and Danny edged closer and patted the dog's side.
"Easy boy. That's it. No need to be angry," Danny muttered and the dog gradually calmed down enough to return to his original size. Danny glared at Vlad.
"Was that really so hard?" Danny challenged. Vlad looked away.
"Are you saying that your apology to me after the elections was easy?" Vlad countered. Danny ground his teeth.
"That was different and you know it. Don't act like you know everything because you really don't," Danny retorted.
The team shared worried looks as they sensed another fight brewing.
"Superboy, mind holding Cujo's leash. Plasmius, stay quiet and keep away from him. I don't want you making him angry," Danny requested, holding out the Fenton Fisher to the clone. Conner blinked in surprise at being singled out but obliged. Danny gave the clone a quick grateful smile.
"Cujo. Stay!" Danny commanded and the dog whined as he lay down on the ground. With a quick nod, the halfa flew up and phased through the ceiling. A moment later he returned with a blue headband.
He grabbed a spool of glowing thread from a drawer and handed a number of Fenton phones to the others.
"Cujo isn't going to stick around once he gets the scent. Only me and Plasmius are going to be able to keep up. Fenton phones have good range," Danny explained and then knelt down beside Cujo and untied the Fenton Fisher. Cujo perked up and eagerly sniffed the blue headband offered to him. Danny slipped it into his jumpsuit pocket alongside the spool of ecto-resin lined thread. He stood up and pointed to the stairs.
"Cujo, fetch!" Danny ordered as he slipped his own Fenton phone in his ear.
Cujo barked and sped off through the lab. Danny and Vlad chased after the dog.
"If that mutt finds Jasmine, I'll eat my hat," Vlad grumbled as the three ghosts phased out of the house.
"You don't wear a hat," Danny interjected. Vlad didn't dignify the comment with a response.
So Danny and Vlad are working together, at least for now, to find Danny's loved ones.
And of course it was Cujo Danny went to find.
But will Cujo find Danny's loved ones? Where will he find them? Will Danny and Vlad and the team be able to rescue them?
Until the next chapter.
