The monitors asked Danny a few questions about what he told people about his suspicions and what they had figured out. They also asked about his elevated energy problem which Danny answered angrily, he didn't think he could resist another order so soon. He silently decided to only resist orders he knew would endanger others if he obeyed but all other orders, he would have to obey. The effort often wasn't worth it.

"That is all for now. Welcome to the Light Danny Phantom," one of the figures concluded the meeting before all the screens switched off. Danny scowled and bit back an angry retort.

Teekl jumped out of Klarion's arms and the Witch Boy strolled over to Danny. He hummed softly.

"What are you thinking Klarion?" Cheshire wondered curiously.

"I'm thinking that those baby heroes might be able to track down my new pet," Klarion muttered with a grin. Danny glowered at the teenager furiously.

"So, I think I should give some orders to make sure Phantom can't help them rescue him," Klarion resumed. Cheshire blinked before nodding in agreement.

"Good idea Klarion. Anything you have in mind?" Cheshire agreed.

"First, see this Phantom," Klarion began and pulled a crystal ball filled with swirling black energy out of his suit jacket. Danny glanced at the crystal ball and scowled. He suspected what the item was and he knew that if he was right then he needed to get it away from Klarion and everyone else in the Light.

"You will protect this with your life. If you gain possession of it, you will give it to me and only me. You cannot repeat these orders to anyone," Klarion commanded. Danny's eyes pulsed black and he instantly felt protective of the crystal ball. Well there went that plan. Cheshire grinned.

"If your friends find you and get you out of your room, you will lead them to the ghosts," Cheshire added. Danny bit his tongue lightly, hoping against hope that they'd not tell him where the ghosts were.

"Great idea Cheshire! We can make a trap for them. Come on Phantom," Klarion called and led the way out of the meeting room and down the corridor. Danny sighed softly in defeat and followed the lord of chaos, Cheshire trailed along behind the halfa with a grin. They went down two flights of stairs and arrived at a heavy door glowing softly green.

"This door is lined with ectoranium," Klarion informed Danny casually as he opened the door. Danny eyed the door nervously as he followed Klarion inside.

The room was massive and filled with towering stacks of cages. A number of the lower cages were occupied by ghosts.

"Dipstick! I'm gonna kill you!" Ember shouted furiously. Danny blinked and turned to the ghostly diva. His angry scowl melted into guilt and sympathy as he saw Ember locked in a cage barely large enough for her. A few cages over Danny spotted Johnny 13 glaring at him.

"Phantom! Pay attention!" Klarion snapped impatiently. Danny flinched and turned to the lord of chaos obediently.

"Do you know your way here?" Klarion asked. Danny sighed before shrugging.

"I know the vague direction but not really," he admitted softly. He knew better than to lie right now. These people could order him to tell the truth. They could probably use the crystal ball to cause him great pain or anguish.

"Cheshire will show you the way again. Make sure you know the way," Klarion decided. Cheshire glanced at the teenager but didn't object.

"Once you lead those friends here, you will press that button over there. It will activate the alarm system. The door will lock itself and the vents will begin to fill this room with a sedative that works on ghosts. You are to fight your friends until you pass out. Understood?" Klarion ordered, pointing to a large red button on the wall. Danny sighed again as his eyes pulsed black and he nodded sadly.

"Yeah," he muttered.

Danny didn't notice as Ember and Johnny's glares faltered. They glanced at each other in confusion. They knew the halfa pretty well. And they knew that Danny Phantom wouldn't willingly agree to lead his friends into a trap, let alone hurt them. Something was wrong. Ember recalled what the talking dog told everyone at Fenton Works. The dog said that Danny was under a spell that he couldn't disobey. The two people ordering the halfa around must be the ones behind that enchantment. They watched as Danny followed Cheshire and Klarion out of the room and heard the heavy door thud shut.

"What's with the punk?" Johnny hissed.

"No idea. But the whelp is clearly a prisoner also," Skulker retorted from a distant corner.

"I think those two with the dipstick have him under a spell. He has to follow their orders. He has no choice," Ember ventured carefully.

"Wait, where did you get that?" Kitty asked with surprise from behind Ember. Ember turned to look through the bars at her friend.

"I went to Fenton Works to find you guys. Dipstick said he didn't know where you guys were and everyone looked really worried. So this talking dog volunteered to try and figure out what was going on and blew this blue stuff on the dipstick. Turned out someone used blood magic on him," Ember explained.

"Blood magic!?" Skulker exclaimed in alarm.

"That's what he said. Why, you know something about it? I kinda got sucked into a thermos before the dog could explain properly," Ember inquired curiously.

"Yes, it is powerful magic. And there are numerous variations on it. If those two cast blood magic on the whelp then he truly has no way to rebel against them. He is even more of a prisoner than us. If we get out of our cages, we can escape. But the whelp can't. As long as that spell is working, he is their puppet," Skulker replied.

"How do you know about magic?" Kitty called curiously.

"You hunt rare creatures for as long as I have and you eventually stumble across the magical world. That, and I did some research in Ghost Writer's library," Skulker admitted.

"So, he isn't to blame for us ending up here?" Johnny ventured carefully.

"No. He isn't. Not if they ordered him to hand us over to them. And if he didn't know where we were, they likely ordered him to forget what they made him do," Skulker confirmed grimly.

"So, what do we do?" Kitty muttered fearfully.

"Can't we help the dipstick Skulker? I mean if we're all prisoners, then we gotta work together," Ember suggested.

"I don't know. But perhaps we can help the whelp's friends by warning them that this is a trap," Skulker replied. Ember glanced at Kitty and Johnny. The couple nodded in agreement to the suggestion.

"We're all up for it. What about the rest of you lot!?" Ember shouted, turning her gaze to the ghosts from Walker's prison.

"Eh? To be honest, it's not much different here than Walker's prison," one ghost remarked uncaringly.

"It will be when those people start experimenting," Skulker growled loudly.

"Let's put it this way, if you can guarantee we'll get out and stay free, we'll help. But if it's just to save the halfa, then no thanks," another ghost interjected calmly and a number of ghosts called out in agreement. Ember scowled at the ghosts nearest her.

"You do know that the dipstick will save us. He likes to play the hero. He's not about to abandon us here," Ember pointed out.

"He's the reason we're here. He led those two into Walker's prison and let them suck us into those stupid thermoses," a ghost grumbled angrily.

"Have you not been listening!? The whelp isn't accountable for his actions. He must obey those people," Skulker retorted sharply.

"I've been listening. You said, even if he could escape this building, he'll still be their puppet. Which means helping him is pointless," a female ghost snarled. Ember, Skulker, Kitty and Johnny fell silent as they knew the other ghosts were right. Helping Danny was pointless. But… helping his friends wasn't.

"Can you at least help Phantom's friends?" Kitty shouted to the room. The ghosts glanced between themselves before giving their agreement. They'd help people that could actually free them. Ember grinned at Kitty. Now they just had to figure out how they could get Danny's friends to listen to them over the halfa. Yeah, none of them were looking forward to that debate. Especially, Johnny, Kitty, Ember and Skulker.

Well, the enemy of my enemy is my friend after all.

So a trap has been set for the rescue team. And the ghosts have been found…

Let me know what you guys think so far.

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Until the next chapter.