Vixey glared up at the genie phantom and pointed at the pendant around her neck, "This wasn't part of the deal!"
Desiree smirked and flicked her hair to the side, "Of course it was, or don't you remember?"
"Not the part where you nearly kill me, no I don't!"
"You cannot blame me." She purred, enjoying the girls torment, "We made a deal, you made a wish. Do I need to remind you again?"
Vixey clenched her fists, her voice dripping with sarcasm, "Please, I'd love to know how strangling me was something I wished for!"
"Such a temper in one so young, then again, you always did have a temper. Like the night you chose to steal from me, such a struggle you produced…"
"I was eight! I didn't know any better!" she protested.
"You knew enough to carry out the deed, such a sly little thing you were! Yes, a fox was the perfect punishment for you, although you were not the most loyal of pets."
Danny saw her flinch at the word. He glanced at Sam and Tucker who remained glued to the scene. What was going on here?
"You see, as a rule, I have to grant any wishes thrown my way, it's a gift and a curse," Desiree explained, flicking her wrist passively, "but you see, if someone ever steals from a genie, then they are forever in their debt. No wishes. No freedom. No escape."
"I know that!" Vixey cried, "Just… stop enjoying it so much…"
At that, Desiree laughed, "Oh my poor little pet, why must you make me out to be so harsh? I allowed you to join a school, didn't I? Most masters would keep their slaves locked away in darkness, slowly driving them mad with isolation, but not me, I have given you freedom! I let you wonder the streets and even give you the option to change between human and animal form, you should be thanking me!"
"But at what cost?" she asked, prodding the pendant, "I'm only allowed out at night if I'm transformed, if I even think about telling someone the real truth about me this thing tries to kill me and… and you only let me go to school to bring Danny Phantom to you."
Sam and Tucker turned to face Danny, eyes wide in shock. Danny felt his breath catch in his throat. He leaned in closer to the window, ears straining to hear more.
Desiree scowled and leaned in to lift Vixey's chin upwards with a sharp finger, "I've told you before, if you dare try and mention me to anyone I won't hesitate to tighten that collar so much that it slices your throat." Vixey pulled away shuddering, "Anyway, as for Danny Phantom, what a disappointment you've been."
"I've only been there for one day! I'll find him."
Desiree rolled her eyes, "You're sure that you haven't met him yet? He doesn't look that different in his human form, it shouldn't be that hard."
"I told you I haven't found him yet! Why is he so important to you anyway?"
"It's a personal matter, nothing to do with you." Desiree spat.
"Well why can't you do it then!"
"He'll sense me coming before I can even arrive on school grounds, plus I can't afford any delays with granting wishes on the way there. It has to be you to bring him to me; and if you don't…"
Vixey gasped for breath as the chain of her pendant instantly shrank, re-opening the sore scrapes on her neck. Her fingers rapidly tugged but they fell numb and useless. Tears streamed down her cheeks as her eyes slowly became bloodshot. She had no choice, she morphed into her animalistic stature and panted for air as the chain loosened again. Desiree smirked down at the young vixen and scratched behind its ear.
"Such a good girl. You wished for freedom, I granted it, but it's my idea of your freedom you're living by, got it?
The creature nodded its head before being consumed by the rings of energy, returning her to her human state, her face red from lack of hair and red sores lining her neck. She looked up at her capture with disgust and hatred.
"What happens if I bring Danny to you? Will you set me free, for real this time?"
Desiree arched her brow and cupped Vixey's cheek in a fake motherly fashion, her red eyes alight with mockery, "Of course, after I've taken care of Danny Phantom, you will be free. Free from me, from yourself… from everything."
All of a sudden, there was a shrill symphony of digital tones coming from Tuckers bag. The three froze as Danny grabbed the two friends and passed his invisibility through them. Tucker panicked and wrestled with his backpack, hunting for his organiser. He found it and clumsily switched it off, holding his breath hoping to go unnoticed. Inside, Desiree and Vixey could hear something from outside. Desiree smirked and ordered Vixey to search over to the window. The prisoner couldn't see anything, but she knew there was something there, she could sense it.
Danny, looked up in time to see Vixey looking through him, searching for the source of the noise. Feeling a pang of guilt, he knew that he had to leave. He gripped his friends around the wrist and lifted them upwards into the air, flying them back to his house. Once they were visible one more and Danny had flashed out of ghost form, he collapsed onto his bed. Sam placed a comforting hand of his shoulder.
Tucker threw his arms in the air, "She's working for Desiree? How did she even escape? We wished her into the thermos for goodness sake!"
"Tucker! She doesn't have a choice, she's a prisoner!" Sam rolled her eyes, "That poor kid. No wonder she couldn't tell us the truth, the truth would literally have killed her! Danny, is there anything we can do?"
Danny remained silent, he had no idea what to do. He knew that Desiree was manipulative and twisted everything she got her hands on into something for her entertainment, but this was sick. Part of him wanted to fly straight back and take her away from all of that, but he knew that it wouldn't work. She would still be in Desiree's control. No, he needed to think about this carefully.
"Can't we just wish her back in the thermos?" Tucker asked.
"What've you got in mind?" Sam smiled, arching her brow.
"There's a portable ghost portal in the basement." Danny answered, "If we can trap her inside the thermos and throw it into the Ghost Zone; that might be enough to get rid of her. Think about it, no ghost out there is going to want to go near a Fenton thermos and even if she does get out, she can't do anything because her bottle will still be in this world!"
"And Vixey, what happens to her?" Sam asked.
Tucker folded his arms, "Will she still be prisoner if Desiree is powerless in another world?"
Danny shrugged, "It's worth a shot, right?"
They all jumped by a tapping at the window. Danny sat up and saw a small flash of rusty coloured fur nudging against the glass. He jumped up and opened the window to let her in. The creature straightened up in a flash of white and glared at them with her now human violet eyes.
"What in the name of 'something I can't think of because I'm so annoyed' did you think you were doing? If you're going to sneak around then you have to be quiet!" Vixey snapped, glancing at the technology in Tuckers hand.
"You knew it was us?" Tucker asked, blushing as he stuffed the device back into his bag.
She rolled her eyes, "Yes! Why do you think I ran off at that moment, clearly leaving you with unanswered questions and a clear way of tracking me? I wanted you to follow me!"
They all looked at her questioningly. Suddenly, Sam's eyes brightened with realisation.
"Clever!" Sam praised, then noticed that the boys still had no clue, "She couldn't tell us the truth, so she made an over the top exit so that we would follow her and she could show us instead!"
Danny nodded in admiration while Tucker chewed his lip in thought. A spark ignited behind his glasses and he smiled, nodding in understanding.
"Danny, I'm so sorry, I never wanted any of this." Vixey pleaded, "I'm the one that did it with the thermos I stole from you, but that was just because I had to. I never dreamed that this would happen. I'm sorry, I'm sorry to all of you…"
They all noted how she was deliberately choosing her words carefully, never actually mentioning Desiree or her imprisonment.
Sam put a comforting arm over her shoulders, "You've been protecting him, that's nothing to apologise for."
She smiled appreciatively, "Thanks guys… Oh…"
Her body slimed slightly and her eyes went blank. In an instant, her sweet smile turned into a cold, cruel smirk. Her violet eyes gleamed red. Sam snapped her arm away from her. Danny; pulling Sam behind him protectively, whispered "Going ghost!" and transformed determinedly. Tucker braced himself, eyes narrowing on the girl dangerously.
"Found you, Danny!" Vixey's voice was no longer present, now it was seductive and cold.
"Desiree?" Danny started, clenching his fists.
"That's right, ghost-boy, looks like my little pet wasn't the only one who knew you were watching after all. Don't try and get the better of me this time children, it won't work out in your favour."
"What do you want?" Danny demanded, glaring into the crimson eyes before him.
"What else, revenge? Sounds so cliché but I'm a sucker for the classics. Now here this, if you want your little friend to be free, then come and find me. I'm sure you know where to go by now?"
There was an eruption of sparkling green smoke and they were alone. Sam grabbed onto Danny's hand while Tucker coughed and spluttered among the smog. Vixey was gone. Danny growled in frustration and clenched his fists in rage.
Sam gasped for air behind him, "What're we going to do Danny?"
He turned to face her directly, "I'm going to hand myself in."
His friends froze, their mouths hanging agape. Sam grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him, her lilac eyes wide in horror.
"Danny, no, you can't! That's exactly what Desiree wants!"
Tucker nodded, "Yeah dude, I know this is bad but giving up like that isn't going to help anyone!"
Danny narrowed his neon green eyes and folded his arms, "Who said anything about giving up? Here's what's going to happen…"