Danny sighed as he tried to concentrate on his history book. He was supposed to be silently reading chapter nine section five like the rest of his class, but he couldn't focus on that while his neck was hurting this much.

He could feel the tenderness of the incoming bruises across his collar bone. Why did so many ghosts insist on catching him by the throat? Sure, he might not need to breathe as a ghost, but it was rude as heck.

Was it some sort of power move to catch such a narrow target? They sure would have a way easier time grabbing his big stupid feet.

Feet that were in need of some new shoes. Hopefully, he could just get the same shoes but bigger. He wasn't quite ready to say goodbye to these red Converse.

Wait, wasn't he supposed to be doing something? Crud, the reading assignment!

With the upcoming holiday weekend, Danny planned to do some much-needed ghost training. This time Jazz had asked to come, and he couldn't think of a reason not to.

"So, what are you going to focus on?" She asked as the two entered the lab.

"Well I have a bit of a routine that Sam, Tucker, and I put together, but there's still one power that I haven't got a handle on."

Jazz took a seat on the nearby stool, curiosity peaked.

It didn't take long to explain the duplication that he had seen Vlad do on multiple occasions, especially since she had seen it too. "But the last time I tried it all I could manage to do was more Lovecraftian than I was intending." He admitted still unable to shake the memory of seeing with that many eyes and reaching out with that many hands.

"Yikes. That sounds scary."

Danny shrugged, "I filed it under 'too spooky for kids' parties', but may be good for pranks?"

"Danny!"

"I'm kidding!" He shifted into his ghost form with casual ease. "But seriously, you have any ideas on how to do it? I think I'm just not in the right headspace."

Jazz tapped her chin in thought, "maybe you're trying to do much at once. Try just one part and go from there."

After several hours, all Danny was able to do was get a second right hand to sprout out of his wrist. If he focused any harder he ended up with an eyeball in his palm, like some sort of Nintendo boss.

The evening was clear in terms of weather and ghost sightings. He decided to do one final lap of the city before calling it a night.

He lazily floated across the sky with his eyes to the stars, trusting that his ghost sense would warn him of any danger below.

His attention was pulled away from the night sky with a jolt as his ghost sense trailed past his lips. He looked down at the city below, currently much higher than he realized, and spotted a familiar flash of magenta. "Plasmius." The name forced its way out through gritted teeth.

Danny flew down to see what the old man was up to now, planning on keeping his distance to keep the element of surprise on his side.

Unfortunately, Danny didn't notice the second Vlad until the dark glove of the older ghost forced its grip around his neck.

Dany gagged at the assault and tried to squirm free, but it was no use.

"Ah, Daniel, just the boy I wanted to see." Vlad gloated as the first Vlad Danny had seen flew up behind Danny and held his hands behind his back.

It was bad enough that Vlad got the jump on him, but to have done it with a duplicate after he had been spending so much time practicing. All that time and he wasn't even close.

He wanted to scream or at least punch that smug look off his face, but neither would work in his current position.

He felt Vlad's grip shift as he tilted Danny's head up against his will. "What's the matter, boy? I haven't even done anything yet and you're already in a sour mood."

Danny gagged at Vlad's overly dramatic tone. Couldn't the fruitloop just go back to Wisconsin already and brood in the privacy of his own castle?

Something shifted in the back of Danny's throat at the action and he did his best to clear it. Unfortunately, being strangled made that difficult. Danny squirmed again hoping that the old man would just let him go already.

Vlad didn't and instead started to blather on about how he was so much better at everything, and how Danny should just surrender to him, and the usual garbage.

It was the same as always so normally Danny would have started tuning him out regardless but that tickle in the back of his throat was getting worse.

It was starting to feel more like pressure, or like he was going to be sick. But he didn't feel sick. So what was that?

Something was moving its way up into his mouth. Making its way up the back of his throat until he finally felt it on the back of his teeth.

He knew what it was instantly.

He needed to deal with this as quickly as he could, he just had to get free first. He curled up and kicked the Vlad behind him hard with as much force and ectoplasm he could muster in such a short burst. Luckily, it was enough to disburse the duplicate leaving only the original in front of him, hand still firmly on his throat.

Danny pulled as hard as he could trying to pry Vlad's stubborn fingers away while also trying not to gag on the thing that was still inside.

Vlad must have felt it, because he finally stopped talking. Danny pressed his lips together as tight as he could. He didn't want him to see, he couldn't know.

Vlad was too curious and opened Danny's mouth, pried open his teeth and peered inside.

Danny felt as it pulled its way up and over his tongue. How it slipped between his teeth and forced his jaws apart, reaching outward.

Vlad let go instantly and just stared at him. The shock and horror evident across his features.

Danny wasn't sure if he should apologize or be grateful.

Sure, he hadn't meant for there to be a hand sticking out of his mouth, the arm starting somewhere halfway down his throat, but at least he was free now.