I apologize in advance for how short this chapter is.

I struggled a lot with it.

I got a shot earlier ): so now MY FREAKIN' ARM HURTS.

I HATE SHOTS. And needles.

Ugh.

Anyways, this is chapter four...yeah.

I don't own Danny Phantom.

Missing

Chapter Four: Hide And Seek

August 8, 2011

Back at the Fenton's home, pure chaos was ensuing. People were everywhere, on phones, shouting to each other, examining maps. Danny and Jazz stood on the stairs, watching the adults going insane.

"This is nuts," Jazz whispered, gesturing at the scene below them. "They'll never get anything done like this!"

"Come with me." Danny muttered. The siblings climbed the stairs and went to Danny's room. Danny closed the door and locked it, turning to Jazz. "I have to go out there and find them."

"What do you mean? You know where they are?" Jazz asked.

"It was Vlad. I recognized his voice. Those wolf...bear...things, those were ghosts. I'm sure they're hybrids Vlad invented. I'm 100% positive that he's holding Sam and Tucker captive until I come."

"You can't go, Danny! That's exactly what he wants, you'll just be falling into his trap!"

"If it means getting Sam and Tucker back safely, I'll do anything."

"I'm going with you!"

"No way!"

"Danny, I can help you!"

"How?"

"He won't be expecting me, and besides," Jazz drew herself up to her full height. "I want to be there just as much as you do."

"What are you talking about?" Danny asked, eyeing the sudden shift in his sister's posture.

"I'm going for the same reasons you are." She hinted, widening her eyes at Danny.

"But...Tucker and Sam aren't your best friends..." Danny said slowly, cocking his head to the side.

"Okay, earlier I said Sam was like a sister to me. Tucker's like a brother to you, right?" Danny nodded. "You have feelings for Sam, I have feelings for..."

"GROSS!" Danny said, shuddering. "Oh, ew. Jazz, that's just...weird."

Jazz rolled her eyes. "Whatever Danny, at least I'm not so busy pining after him like an idiot that I don't realize he has feelings for me too!"

"What are you saying?" Danny's anger was slowly mounting; Jazz was treading very dangerous territory.

"You've been so thick! You didn't even realize that Sam's been totally in love with you for ages now. And now it might be too late to actually do anything about it!"

"Don't say that." Danny growled. "You don't know." They glared at each other. "Fine. You can come. But you have to do exactly what I tell you when I tell you, got it? Tucker and Sam are depending on us, on me. You need to stay out of the way, especially when Vlad starts attacking."

"Okay." Jazz said.

When they returned to the living room, the chaotic scene they had left behind had not improved. No one responded to Jazz when she shouted that she and Danny were going to take a walk, so sneaking out was easy.

"We're going to Wisconsin first." Danny said once they were in the Specter Speeder. "Vlad's only expecting me, but I'm sure you won't be much of a distraction. So we're gonna have to act fast if we want to find them."

"What if they're not in Wisconsin?" Jazz asked quietly.

"They'll be there." Danny said, his voice low. "When I get my hands on Vlad...he'll be a full ghost when I'm finished with him this time."

Jazz shuddered, but did not ask anymore questions.

Danny slowed the Speeder when the mansion came looming up on the horizon. The sun was just beginning to rise off in the east, throwing the mansion in a huge shadow. Danny pulled the Speeder around to the side of the mansion, away from the large bay windows at the front of the house. Danny grabbed Jazz around her waist and flashed into Phantom, forcing intangibility on both of them and soaring into the building. He kept them both invisible as they flew through the house, searching for any sign of life.

"Check the lab," Jazz breathed. Danny immediately sank through the floor into Vlad's lab. What he found haunted his dreams for years after everything was said and done, jolting him out of his sleep in a cold sweat, screaming in terror at the memories.

The lab was in complete disaray. Broken furniture and shattered glass littered the floor. Scorch marks occured every few feet along the walls, floor, and ceiling. Tucker was huddled in a corner, his arms over his head. He appeared to be unconsious. He was drenched in blood and his clothes were torn and singed. No one else was in the lab, but it was obvious that a struggle had occured. Jazz scrambled out of Danny's grasp and was at Tucker's side in an instant, wiping blood away from his eyes and begging him to wake up. Danny was on his other side before he was even aware of moving; he seized the back of Tucker's head and lightly slapped his cheek. Relief flooded through him when Tucker's eyes fluttered open.

"Wha...?" Tucker groaned, clutching his head.

"Tuck, are you okay?" Danny asked quickly.

"I...I don' know...wha' happened?"

"We were hoping you could tell us that, actually," Jazz said quietly, squeezing Tucker's free hand.

"But...I...I was...OH MY GOD, SAM!" Tucker suddenly shot upward, scrambling to his feet wildly. "WHERE IS SHE?"

"Tucker, calm down! What happened? What's wrong with Sam?" Danny asked quickly as Jazz attempted to calm Tucker down. "Tucker! She's not here!"

"But...how? She...she was fighting Vlad...I was trying to help...but he blasted me with some kind of gun...last thing I saw, Sam was standing over me while Vlad attacked us."

Danny felt his mouth go dry. Where the hell is Vlad?

"Danny...look," Jazz whispered. She was pointing to the wall behind Tucker. All three of them turned to examine the wall.

The word DALV was written in blood. In Sam's handwriting. Danny fished her diary out of his pocket and compared the handwriting, even though he knew the instant he saw it that Sam had written it.

"'Dalv?'" Tucker had dropped to his knees, wincing slightly. "What does 'Dalv' mean?"

"It's 'Vlad' backwards," Danny muttered. "Sam's trying to tell us something...but what?"

"Wait...didn't mom get invited to a science...thing by the DALV group? But it was actually just a plot to get you two to Vlad?"

"Yeah, but the stupid airplane dropped us off in Colorado...at Vlad's safe house!"

"So that means..."

"Vlad and Sam are in Colorado!"

I am in misery...there ain't nobody who can comfort me! Why won't you answer me? The silence is slowly killing me...girl you really got me bad...you really got me bad! I'm gonna get you back...I'm gonna get you back!

Have I mentioned that I hate shots?

:P

I don't own Misery by Maroon 5. :P :P :P

Whatevs.

You should review. Because reviews make me so so so so happy.

(:

And my arm has an owie. ):