Vlad drew in a shaky breath, fingers tingling from where they had been wrapped around Danny's throat.

That had been… thrilling. Vlad gazed at his palm, bewildered. Though he did have his sadistic moments, tormenting someone did not typically involve such a profound physical reaction. And yet, while electrocuting Danny, he'd experienced a reciprocal, sympathetic shock to his own system. It felt… empowering.

Strange…

It was as if Danny's ectoplasmic DNA had somehow… reacted to the electrocution. This would require further study – perhaps it was something unique to their status as half-

"Danny!"

Vlad yanked his head up.

There stood Maddie, at once breathtakingly beautiful and remorselessly terrifying, every inch a vigilant, fierce mother.

Vlad's chest swelled in possessive pride, my darling, my Maddie –

"What do you think you're doing to my son!?" she yelled.

Ah. Yes, he wasn't making a good image standing above the collapsed form of their son. "M-Maddie dear –"

"Out of my way!" Not wasting a single additional moment on him, she dove to Danny's side and frantically checked his signs.

"I assure you, he will survive. I never would have done something le-"

Maddie fixed upon him a look of pure animosity; it swiftly dashed his remaining elation. "How many volts, Vlad?"

"I – what?"

"How many volts was that? I need to know to provide the right treatment!"

Maddie had such an exquisite habit of fazing him.

"I'm not sure," Vlad admitted. He knew how to regulate his strength, to apply a reduced shock or a greater one, but the actual voltages involved…. He had never measured them in his lab. Now it seemed terribly negligent of him – imagine how useful the knowledge could be!

"Give me the machine that produced the shocks," Maddie bit out impatiently. "It'll have the information on it-"

Maddie absolutely could not learn that the electricity had come from his own powers rather than some paltry device. "Just put him to bed. Young Daniel will be fine."

Maddie lurched up and threatened him with every inch of her tiny frame. "He may need a hospital, Vlad. This goes beyond you and me – he doesn't need to be hurt because of us."

The word us dripped from her tongue like sweet honey, and Vlad let out a soft noise.

"Vlad!"

"Ah-ah, Maddie dearest. What did I tell you about speaking out against me?"

"He needs a doctor-"

"You wouldn't want to cause him more harm, would you?"

Maddie went completely still.

Vlad adored the lines of tension along her thighs, throat, and arms. So she remembered, finally, that Vlad held all the strings here.

She couldn't disguise the strain in her voice if she tried, "s-sweetheart, for… our son, please… he needs help."

"Trust me, beloved, he will be just fine." Previous electrocution incidents with Danny proved that. Not that Maddie needed to know.

Vlad caressed her waist. Ah, so warm… Soft. If only she were more receptive…

"Let me at least care for him," Maddie whispered. A single finger traced her jaw.

"Why do you resist me? I wish only the best for you…"

She averted her eyes; the message was exceedingly clear. Yet again, she desired to spurn his affections, and would only return them in exchange for Danny's safety.

Vlad swiftly buried his sentimental feelings behind a glittering smirk. "Very well. You may… care for Danny as needed. But I'll expect you in my chambers this evening, Maddie."

"Danny? Danny, can you hear me?"

Something cool daubed his forehead. A hand, gentle and familiar, rested on his forearm.

Danny mumbled softly. There was a pounding in his skull, and his muscles ached feverishly. Mom must've called him in sick from school… Danny nuzzled deeper into the bed sheets.

"Soup?" he murmured.

"What was that, honey?"

"Soup?" Mom always made him rich warm chicken soup when he got the flu.

A pause. "Oh, Danny…" she sighed, "I would if we were home…"

If we were home…

Danny's wrist prickled oddly. Something was wrong.

His eyes snapped open.

The sheets, a rich forest green, adorned a mahogany four-poster bed. Baroque gold-plated picture frames decorated the walls.

Danny groaned. Right. Vlad's manor.

Maddie touched his cheek. "Are you feeling all right? Does anything hurt?" She sat at the bed's edge, clutching a cool washcloth in her hand.

"I'm okay, mom." Danny slowly sat up, clutching his forehead. "Just really sor - ah!"

Maddie pulled him into a tight hug. "Don't scare me like that," she whispered.

"O-oh, y-yeah, sorry mom, I –"

She held him gently at arm's length. "I told you not to go off alone! Vlad is a dangerous man, Danny –"

"Yeah, I know that-"

"And you have to be more careful. Until my escape plan is completed, we have to comply with his will, as awful as that is."

"Wait, escape plan?"

Maddie cast him a sly smile. "I'm a ghost hunter, honey; I always have a plan."

"Heeyy, then why isn't it ready yet?" Danny teased.

Maddie ruffled his hair. "Oh hush. Even I didn't predict this. But there is a plan in the works!"

"Well, maybe you could share it with me?" Danny said. "We could – compare notes, plan together."

Her expression grew solemn. "Danny, what you need to do is listen to me…. Don't go antagonizing Vlad, do you understand? I know it's hard, but you need to stay on his good side, at least until we get out of here." She smirked. "Then maybe you toss some insults at him, huh? Mother's permission."

Danny chewed his lip. "I'll try. But he's such a creep! And I hate the way he looks at you!"

"Dan-" Maddie paused.

Danny froze. "What? What is it?"

"I thought I saw… " Maddie shook her head. "No, it must have been the light, dear. Your eyes reflected oddly for a moment. Promise me you'll leave Vlad alone?"

His eyes…

Had his anger made them glow green? But the Plasmius Maximus...

"Danny…" Maddie said in a sing song voice. "Promise me?"

"Uh- yeah. I promise. I need to go to the bathroom!"

Maddie quirked a brow. "Well, that sounds urgent."

"I'll be back!" Danny bolted to the restroom.

The restroom adjoined the bedroom – Danny guessed that Vlad had placed them here so that he could lock them in at night without worrying about their excretory habits.

Danny passed a precursory gaze around the bathroom's ceiling, "huh, so this is the one place you don't put cameras," he muttered, "at least you have some decency."

The implications for escape he could consider later. For now…

Danny raised the Plasmius Maximus wristband to eye-level. Nothing about it looked strange or off…. But it definitely had been sparking before he passed out.

Had the shock compromised its function?

Only one way to find out. "Going ghost!"

The white ring materialized - Danny's excitement surged – hah! Vlad had broken the machine! – then intense pain broke all over his body, like a phantom reminder of the earlier electrocution.

"OW!"

"Danny, honey? Are you okay in there?" Maddie called from the adjoining room.

"Ugh…" Danny rubbed his head. Well, so much for that. The Plasmius Maximus was just as functional as ever… No sooner had he thought this than the device sparked and burned his forearm. "Ow! Why am I always in pain?"

"Danny?"

Danny sighed. The quirks with the device he'd have to work out later. For now, time to pretend to be on Vlad's good side… great.

"Coming, mom…"