A/N: OK, so this definitely isn't my usual type of story, but I couldn't resist. It was one of those ideas that you are inspired to write for whatever crazy reason. Oddly, this idea came to me while watching a German Shepherd puppy play with a wolf on YouTube. (German Shepherds are the best). So somehow that led to this story. I don't own Danny Phantom characters or Danny Phantom. If I did, the show would still be on and probably have not been a kid's show. R/R!

Danny's POV

Green light filled the night air as I shot an ectoblast at Ember. The light was faded, considering the fact that I, after fighting two ghosts beforehand, was tired. No, saying I was tired is an understatement. I was exhausted and in excruciating pain from the many hits I had taken all night. I was bruised and beaten, but I fought on.

Ember easily dodged my attack, and plucked a chord on her guitar.

"Let's turn up the volume!" She said and sent a glowing green fist my way from her guitar. It was the size of my whole body, proving hat she had a lot more energy than I did. I put my hands in front of my head to shield it from the hit. It did little to stop the whiplash I got when I was hit and thrown to the hard earth below. I heard Sam yell my name, but it was muffled and unfocused. I opened my eyes and got up, knowing Ember would retaliate very quickly.

"What's the matter, Dipstick? Did you get a boo-boo?" Ember patronized, folding her hands and faking a pout when she asked if I was hurt. I flew back into the air so I wouldn't have to strain my neck and look up at her.

"Actually," I said, charging an ectoball between my hands, "I was just about to ask you that." Using whatever energy I had left, I shot the ball at her, hitting her in the chest. She tumbled to the ground and I immediately got out the thermos.

"Wait, how can I become famous if you keep putting me back into the Ghost Zone?" Ember asked pathetically as I stood over her, thermos already glowing white.

"You wanna know about fame, Ember? You can't just show up and expect it. You have to work for it, just like you have to work for everything else. Brainwashing people doesn't make you famous. It makes you lazy." I said before sucking her in, taking note of her gaping mouth as she was trapped. I capped the thermos just as Sam ran up to me.

"Nice job, Danny." She congratulated, smiling, and patted my back. I winced and she immediately apologized.

"Where's Tuck?" I asked, rubbing my neck.

"He went home. He said he had to be home by ten thirty or he'd be grounded for life." Sam answered, looking toward the ground. "I think I'm gonna go home too. It's getting late, and we have school tomorrow." She added.

"Want me to walk you home?" I asked, expertly hiding my disappointment at having to do this by myself again.

"No, that's fine. Danny...please be careful. You're getting hurt out there, and I don't want to see you get, well, too hurt. Sam said sheepishly, looking into my eyes.

"Don't worry, Sam. I'm fine. I'm going to do one last lap around the city and call it a night myself, OK?" I replied. I knew there would still be ghosts to fight, but maybe I could convince her there wouldn't be.

"We've been doing this for two years, Danny. I'm no fool. You're going to go looking for a fight. Just promise me you'll be OK." Sam said, using her amethyst colored eyes to ensure I'd reply the way she wanted me to.

"I promise. Now go home." I told her before kissing her to seal the deal.

"OK. Goodnight, Phantom." She said as she walked away.

"Goodnight, Miss." I replied, saluting her and smiling. Keeping up my Phantom persona around her was a joke. We did it just to laugh and ease the tension now. I chuckled to myself once more before turning around, only to see Plasmius floating behind me.

"Vlad!" I said stupidly, in complete shock. How had he gotten there without me knowing? Oh, wait, he's Vlad. He can do anything. But...how much did he see and hear? I don't want him using Sam against me. It is exactly the kind of thing he would do.

"What an amazing vocabulary, Daniel. Really, I'm impressed. I never would have thought to say someone's name in a time of surprise." He exclaimed very sarcastically. Vlad floated with his hands folded behind his back. He was at complete ease, not seeing me as a threat in any way. This made me angry. He was so stuck up, it was unbelievable. I wish I could wipe that smirk off of his face.

"What do you want, Plasmius?" I asked with as much venom as I could muster. I got myself into my typical battle stance and charged a last around my clenched fists. I will never let my guard down around Vlad.

"Well, Daniel, seeing as you are so prominently ready for battle, perhaps I should wait to tell you until you've calmed down some, hmm?" Vlad said, mockingly. I sighed out of annoyance at the fact he wanted me to withdraw the attack I had on standby. I groaned outwardly at having to beat down every instinct to stay on guard and absorbed the energy back into my hands.

"All right, Vlad. Now what do you want?" I asked for the second time, still in my battle stance.

"Nothing, but I do want to warn you. The Guys In White are searching this area for ghosts so they can do asinine experiments on them." Vlad said, sounding bored.

"Great," I said, crossing my arms and rolling my eyes, "what else is new?"

"These experiments aren't what you think, Daniel. They're not testing a new weapon or anything like that. They are testing DNA, doing biological experiments. The only reason I'm not worried is because I'm not so conspicuous when I decide to 'go ghost'." Vlad said, now mocking my battle cry. Is there a limit to what he'll do?

"Thanks for the heads up, Plasmius, but I can take care of myself." I said and attempted to fly away. Vlad grabbed my wrist before I could leave and was holding me on the spot. Whenever I went intangible, he did as well, so I couldn't escape. "Let go of me!" I said as I tried to pry his fingers off my wrist. This only resulted in him tightening his grip.

"This is more serious than you think, Little Badger. Normally, I wouldn't tell you because the Guys In White are no threat to either of us. But they're looking for us specifically, and my moles in the Guys In White tell me they have the equipment they need to contain us. If captured, even I wouldn't be able to escape. That is why I am not leaving you alone. You're coming back to my mansion with me, where it is safe. Now since I know you won't come quietly..." I saw Vlad try to stealthily pull a needle full of who knows what out from his cape.

"Get the hell away from me!" I yelled, trying to fly as fast as I could away from Vlad. When I turned back around, he was gone. I knew he teleported, the question now was where? My ghost sense told me in front of me. I turned my head back around just in time to see him stick the needle in my arm.

"Vlad, wait, don't do this!" I said before he could push on the plunger. He raised an eyebrow at me. "I'll go with you. Willingly. You don't have to knock me out."

"Vlad nodded and said, "Very well, Daniel. Just know I have the syringe. I suggest you don't go back on your promise."

"Whatever, Fruitloop." I cleverly retorted as he took the needle out of my skin.

"Come with me, Daniel." Vlad said, kindly. He was gentle when he said it, which is really odd. Is he worried? Scared? Impossible. Vlad doesn't have any other emotion besides anger. But, then, what's wrong?

"Vlad, which house are we going to?" I asked as we flew, putting my thoughts of him aside.

"Mansion, Daniel. Mansion." I rolled my eyes. "And we are going to my castle in Wisconsin. It'll be much safer there than my mansion in Amity Park."

"You were going to carry me all the way to Wisconsin?" I asked, again in shock. And Vlad says I'm dimwitted.

"No, you would've woken up about five minutes later. But by that time, we would've been far away from Amity, and you would have had no choice but to follow me, considering your amazing skills with direction." Vlad replied with a smirk. He was right. I wouldn't have known my way back to Amity. I sighed. I was willingly going with a kidnapper.

"At least tell me how long the trip will be." I all but pleaded.

"For me alone, two minutes. I could just teleport. Since you refuse to let me train you, it'll take about a day." Vlad answered. I began to wonder if he could say anything without bragging or mocking me. I sighed again. A day of doing nothing but flying with Vlad. How am I supposed to stay as Phantom that long?

"But Vlad-" I began to try to explain.

"We will have periodic breaks, Daniel. I have money to stay at a hotel tonight. I know you aren't powerful enough to maintain your ghost form that long." Vlad interrupted, practically reading my mind. He probably did. I sighed yet again. There was nothing I could do. I was stuck with Vlad, and depending on him for protection from the Guys In White. As we flew over some small hills under a full moon, there was only one thing on my mind:

Life was about to get very complicated.