Chapter 3

Finally, Danny was at home with his family. They'd left the Pizza Parlor shortly after Danny had come back inside without Sam, looking miserable. Danny thought about going to see Sam, but he knew she was the last person she wanted to hear from right now. He would explain what had happened tomorrow. Danny wondered if she'd even believe him.

Of course she'll believe me, Danny thought. Why would I ever say those types of things to her? She knows how much I care about her…

Danny felt sick to his stomach. He went to bed early that evening, and tossed and turned all night. He awoke the next morning, the first day of Winter Break, not that Danny really cared anymore, to a knocking at his bedroom door. He sat up in bed, feeling sleepier than he had when he'd gone to sleep the night before.

"Danny?" Jazz's voice called from outside the door. "Can I come in?"

"Sure," Danny said. Jazz opened the door, looking afraid and concerned. She bit her lip, standing awkwardly in the doorway.

"What's wrong, Jazz?" Danny asked.

"It's Sam," Jazz said. "She's with Vlad."

"What? He kidnapped her?" Danny cried. "I can't believe that Fruitloop! I swear, if he so much as laid a hand on her…"

"He didn't kidnap her, Danny," Jazz said. "She went willingly."

Danny's eyes widened as he realized what had happened. Vlad made Danny break up with Sam… who then felt alienated and depressed… so she then turned to Vlad for comfort. It made sense, in kind of a cruel way.

"I'm so stupid!" Danny cried. "I should have followed Sam home last night… I should have at least tried to explain… I'm so stupid!"

Danny stood up, throwing the blankets off his lap, quickly going ghost and turning into Phantom.

"Where are you going?" Jazz said.

"Vlad's place," Danny said. "I need to get Sam out of there."

With that, he flew out of his home, heading toward Vlad's place.

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Sam woke up in an unfamiliar room. She sat up, looked around, tried to remember what had happened the night before…

Oh yeah. Danny broke up with me, told me he hated me, and now I'm in Vlad's mansion.

Sam was relieved and saddened at the same time. She was relieved that she now at least remembered what had happened the evening before and could make sense of her surroundings, but sad that it wasn't all just some terrible dream.

"What did I do to deserve this?" Sam moaned, rolling over in her bed and burying her face in a pillow to scream.

After spending a few minutes wallowing in teenage angst, Sam finally decided to stop feeling sorry for herself and got up. She walked over to the closet, and throwing it open she saw all of her own clothes from back home there.

Vlad must have brought my stuff here, Sam thought. The idea that he'd been in her home was beyond creepy. Sam felt a little sick to her stomach.

Why did I come here again? Sam wondered.

Well, she'd rather be here than in Amity Park. She'd rather be here than back home where she'd have to explain to everybody why she wasn't hanging out with Tucker and Danny anymore…

At least she didn't have to explain anything to Vlad.

Sam had already pulled on her usual outfit before she looked over and noticed a note sitting on the dresser.

Samantha-

Meet me downstairs for breakfast once you're awake.

-Vlad.

Samantha wondered how she was going to find her way downstairs. Vlad's mansion was huge. Her house was enormous, yes, but it really was nothing compared to Vlad's home. She'd tried to pay attention when Vlad was leading her through a maze of hallways to her room last night, but she'd been so sleepy at the time she doubted any of it had sunk in.

Sam decided to wing it, leaving her room and turning right on a whim. At the next intersection of corridors, she decided to turn left, and then she took a right the next time. After at least a half-hour of wandering around at random, Sam finally found herself downstairs. She pushed open a door to her right and found herself in the kitchen, where Vlad was cooking eggs.

"Samantha," Vlad greeted. It sounded like he was making an extra effort to be polite. "What do you want for breakfast? I have eggs, cereal…"

"Call me Sam," Sam said curtly. "And I'll just have toast."

"You're going to need more than toast, Samantha," Vlad said. "We're starting training today."

Sam stepped forward towards the toaster, cutting a slice of bread off of a loaf Vlad had sitting out and pushing it into the toaster.

"I'm Ultra-Recyclo-Vegetarian, Vlad," Sam reminded the Older Halfa. "That means I don't eat eggs or milk or anything that comes from animals. So toast will be fine."

Vlad coughed timidly at Sam's forceful tone. Sam considered it a triumph that she could make Vlad nervous.

The toast popped up, and Sam grabbed it, biting into it absent-mindedly.

"So, what do you mean by training?" Sam wondered.

"Well, you need to start using your powers more often if you ever plan on gaining control of them," Vlad said. "I figured we should start getting acquainted with them as soon as possible. You're really quite powerful, Samantha… imagine all the things you could do with these abilities of yours!"

"It's Sam," Sam corrected. "And by 'things' I'm hoping you don't mean evil things. Because even though I agreed to come live with you for the next few weeks, that doesn't mean I've crossed over to the dark side or anything."

"Good and evil are just words, Samantha," Vlad said, scooping up his fried eggs onto a plate. "Their meanings vary depending on your perspective. And I'm not going to make you do anything you don't want to do, Samantha. We're merely harboring your abilities. What you choose to do with them is entirely your own decision."

"Most would consider electrocuting a defenseless teenage girl nearly to death 'evil,'" Sam pointed out.

"Touché," Vlad said. "Though I'd hardly call you defenseless."

Sam decided to spill out the question that had been on her mind since Vlad had come to her the evening before.

"Why are you helping me?" Sam wondered. "I mean, what's in this deal for you?"

"There are many reasons that I want to help you, Samantha," Vlad said. "First of all, I really do feel badly about almost killing you, and I wanted to make it up to you. Secondly, your powers fascinate me, and I would love to be able to study them in detail while helping you gain control of them. Furthermore, after seeing the way your friends were just using you for your money…"

"You knew?" Sam gasped.

""I'm afraid so, Samantha," Vlad said, shaking his head sympathetically. "I told Daniel not to toy with you like that, but he just insisted on it."

Sam's eyes filled with unruly tears again, and quickly she wiped them away. She didn't want Vlad to see her cry.

"It's all right, Samantha," Vlad said. "I understand."

"How can you understand?" Sam exclaimed angrily. "Everything I thought I knew for sure was a complete lie! The two people I thought were my best friends in the world turn out to want nothing to do with me! Everything's going to be different for me once I get back to Amity Park. How could you understand what I'm feeling right now?"

Vlad sighed, setting down his food.

"I believe I do, though, Samantha," Vlad said, stepping forward towards Sam. "After my accident in college, the two people I thought were my best friends in the world— Jack and Maddie— completely turned their backs on me. My ecto-acne made me a social outcast, a leper of a man. Jack and Maddie didn't want to be seen with me.

"I thought they were my best friends… turns out that a little case of ecto-acne was enough to make them forget I ever existed. And, sure, now that I'm a billionaire Jack absolutely wants to be my friend again- now I'm 'V-Man,' I'm his 'best buddy.' 'Best buddies' don't leave you to suffer for years in a stuffy hospital while they're out having the times of their lives, getting married and having children! I didn't even get an invite to his wedding! I didn't even know that the two of them were together! Imagine my surprise when I get out of the hospital to find they have they'd gotten hitched and had a baby girl together!"

Sam just blinked, staring up at the aging Halfa. She was completely taken aback by Vlad's speech. She'd never thought she'd ever feel so sorry for Vlad Masters in her life. Now she felt really bad for him.

"I'm sorry, Vlad," she said quietly.

Suddenly, the faint sound of screaming made both Vlad and Sam look up. It was coming from outside.

"Oh, dear," Vlad said. "That must be Daniel. I hope you understand, Samantha… I had to put up a Ghost Shield around my house. I didn't want Daniel to be able to get in here and take you away. And besides, I figured you probably didn't want to see him."

The screaming was getting louder, and Sam realized that yes, that definitely was Danny.

Sam cringed at the sound of Danny getting electrocuted. She chided herself for this reaction.

Danny deserves this, Sam thought. Why should I feel sorry for him?

They listened to Danny's screaming. It sounded like he kept trying to ram the Ghost Shield down, unsuccessfully. His agonized screams soon became broken sobs.

"I probably should go out and take care of this," Vlad sighed, turning into his Plasmius.

"But wait… why doesn't the shield electrocute you?" Sam asked. "And why can't Danny just get in here in his human form?"

"This is a unique Ghost Shield," Vlad explained. "I designed it to recognize both Danny's DNA, so that the boy can't get in while in human form, and my ecto-signature, so the shield won't zap me while I'm Plasmius."

"Oh," Sam said. Vlad turned intangible and shot through the roof, leaving Sam with the rest of her toast.

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Tears were in Danny's eyes as he tried to ram through Vlad's Ghost Shield. He shot into it as hard as he could, each time getting zapped.

Once… twice… three times… four times…

Now I know how Sam felt when Vlad electrocuted her.

Sam. Her name only fueled his determination to get into Vlad's house and take her home. His screams were sobs now, and he threw himself at the Ghost Shield once more, crying out as he was shocked again. He floated backwards, panting.

Suddenly, Plasmius flew up out of his house, up to Danny. Vlad stayed behind the Ghost Shield, though. Inches from Danny's face, but impossible for Danny to reach.

"Let Sam go!" Danny cried, punching the Ghost Shield only to get shocked again.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Daniel," Vlad said. "The girl wants to be here."

"Only because she thinks I hate her!" Danny cried, glaring at Vlad through the Ghost Shield.

"Well, it's not like you can tell her otherwise," Vlad said. "There's no way you can get past this ghost shield. Oh, and this shield also disables your psychic connection with her, so don't even try."

Danny tried to hide the fact that he hadn't even considered using his psychic connection with Sam. Internally, he face-palmed.

"You thought of everything, didn't you?" Danny asked, sighing. Resigning himself to the fact that he might not be able to get to Sam. That he might not see the girl he loved ever again.

"Yes. Yes I did," Vlad said. "Goodbye, Daniel."

With that, Vlad dropped back into him home and Danny flew back to his. He would find some way to save Sam. But today wasn't the day.