When he had gotten the message from Jazz's phone, he had expected a lot of things. This... was not one of them. At first the house had seemed empty, until he found himself in the building's basement. As soon as he was through the door, it fell shut behind him, a loud clicking sound telling him it was now locked. Danny stared in shock and anger at the floating being in the center of his parents' lab. It wasn't too difficult to figure out that the weird vampire guy was responsible for his father and sister sitting tied up and gagged in a cage on the far left side of the room. Then he noticed the device in the glowing figure's hand. His sister's phone. Danny narrowed his eyes.

"You sent that message?"

It came out as more of a statement than a question. Vampire guy chuckled.

"How clever of you, Daniel. I always knew you inherited your mother's intelligence instead of your father's stupidity."

Danny's eyes flickered to the cage holding his family members. His father and his sister, not his mother. This meant that either his mother was out of the house on coincidence, or that this guy had a thing for his mom. Like this creepy billionaire that was friends with his parents. Danny inwardly shuddered at the thought of Vlad Masters.

"How do you know my name? And what do you want from us?" Danny demanded.

He did not know how he did it, but he somehow managed to keep his voice steady through his fear. Vampire guy grinned, showing off his sharp white fangs in the process and floated closer to Danny.

"Oh, I don't care much for your idiot father or young Jasmine, really. In fact, I came here for you, my boy. Of course I would know the name of my future son, now wouldn't I?"

The Fentons' eyes widened. Danny could feel his heart beating faster and faster until he feared it might jump right out of his chest. He frantically tried to think of a way out of this situation, so far though coming up with nothing.

"I am not your son. And I won't ever be. If you think you could replace my father than you are one seriously crazed up fruit loop," Danny declared, earning concerned looks from his father and sister which he tried to ignore. He definitely couldn't lose it now. The newly defined fruit loop's expression darkened for a moment, almost making Danny regret his words, but as quickly as it had changed it went back to how it was before. Then he added a chuckle as if trying to hide his irritation.

"Don't worry, Daniel. You will learn to behave soon enough."

He floated down to the ground and began walking around Danny as if examining him. Danny's crystal blue eyes were blazing with anger and he had to concentrate to not lash out at the man - er, whatever he was - that was talking to him as if he owned him.

"You are mine now. Don't even bother resisting, you don't stand a chance against me " the... man drawled in this annoyingly arrogant voice of his.

Danny nearly laughed out loud. There was no way he was going to go with this creep willingly. However, this did not mean that he was not curious about who and what the one being - that had managed to fight himself to the very top of Danny's list of 'things and people I despise ' - was.

"Really? You must be powerful. What's your name?"

The man in question stopped in front of him and ascended a few feet in an attempt to look more intimidating, which - not that Danny was ever going to admit it - worked.

"I," He paused dramatically. "Am King Plasmius, ruler of the Infinite Realms. And you, Daniel, are going to be my heir."

Now Danny understood why the guy spoke and walked as if he were a king - he was a king.

"The... Infinite Realms?"

Plasmius looked at Danny like he were a three year old who had just asked what the word chair meant.

"The ghost zone, Daniel. Your parents really did not teach you well. Ah, nevermind. You will learn everything now that you are under my care."

Confusion was now very much evident on Danny's face.

"How could I be your heir? Aside from the fact that I am not your son, I'm human. I doubt it is allowed to have a human king in the ghost zone. Wait, that means you're a ghost, right?"

Plasmius sighed loudly.

"Of course I am a ghost. Do you not know anything ? As for the problem concerning your species... we will proceed to that shortly."

The thought of what the ghost was planning to do to Danny made him feel sick. It must have shown, because Plasmius suddenly smirked evilly.

"Oh, don't worry, boy. It won't hurt. You will thank me afterwards."

Somehow Danny had the feeling that the man was lying. His suspicions would be proven right soon. Plasmius walked over to a table, his back now turned to Danny, who saw his chance and once more tried finding a way out of the situation. He had to admit, the guy was not stupid. The usually messy lab had been cleared out and was now void of all weaponry, much to Danny's dismay. He must have also tinkered with the basement's door, since it had locked upon his arrival. Unfortunately the room had no windows, either. He also didn't know what to do about his father and sister. Danny knew that he would be too slow if he sneeked over to them, but if he ran Plasmius would hear him even faster. Their cage wasn't even made out of steel. Instead, it appeared to be made of pink coloured light. Danny guessed it was some sort of ghost thing. Great, now that he knew ghosts existed, he wished they didn't. He didn't have any more time to think, because Plasmius was suddenly standing right in front of Danny. It was as if he hadn't even moved at all, as if he had... teleported himself. Another ghostly ability?

"Now, I believe it is time. Go over there and put on the suit."

Danny furrowed his brows. Why would he need to put on a suit? When he didn't make any moves Plasmius became irritated. He produced a kind of gun - Danny had never seen anything like it before - and walked over to the left side of the room, training it on his father and Jazz. The emotionless look on the ghost's blue face indicated Danny that he would not hesitate to pull the trigger.

"I said, put on the suit."

Not wanting to take any chances, Danny hurried to the wall to his right and took the black and white hazmat suit from its place. Once he was dressed, Plasmius instructed him to stand in front of the unfinished ghost portal, which looked more like a useless hole in the wall than anything else. One glance at the weapon still aimed at his family, and Danny complied. He was then told to wait there, while Plasmius took another device and some other material from the table and worked on the box that hang on the wall next to the portal. As far as Danny had seen in his parents' notes it was supposed to control the portal and send information to the main computer.

"Why do you do this?" Danny suddenly demanded. "Why go to all the trouble with me instead of... you know, getting children of your own? Or can ghosts not procreate?"

He was stalling. Maybe if he kept asking questions and got the man talking it would give his mother enough time to come home and... save them. He honestly didn't have much of an idea on how exactly she would be going to do that, but he was desperate and therefore willing to do just about anything to get at least the rest of his family out of this safely.

"I do not have a wife, yet. And I need to present an heir soon or my position and power might be at stake," the ghost explained nonchalantly.

"Okay... But... how are you going to explain my sudden existence?"

It puzzled the boy how this ghost could act so calm and indifferent while pulling off a kidnapping all on his own. Plasmius eyes did not leave his work once, apparently being unconcerned with the possibility of his future son doing anything unexpected.

"I have been hiding you. Let it be explained by the fact of me not having a wife, or protecting you from the media. Either way it will work out in my favour. Our favour."

"What kind of media is there even in the ghost zone?"

It was getting easier for Danny to keep talking as his curiosity made his mind shout hundreds of questions about ghosts and their dimension on ist own. Plasmius must have been starting to think he actually wanted to become a ghost and come with him. Speaking of which... how was he going to turn Danny into a ghost anyway? He wasn't sure he wanted to know.

"It's not that different from what humans use, really. Things are just made from different materials and often powered by ghostly magic instead of electricity."

Maybe it was just Danny's imagination, but it seemed as though the other was pleased with his questions, or perhaps the act of asking questions at all. So, Danny continued.

"What is the ghost zone like?"

"Swirling green skies, floating doors and islands. Nothing too interesting. But you will be able to see it all soon."

Much to Danny's dismay, the ghost turned away from the controls, looking quite pleased with himself. Stalling was over.

"Now, Daniel, step into the portal and we shall fix our little problem."

Danny gulped, fear evident on his face. His eyes fell onto the glowing cage holding his father and sister. An idea flashed across his mind and he turned towards the ghost standing - or now floating - a few feet to his left.

"Wait! Before I... do this and go with you, I want to say goodbye to my dad and my sister. Please?"

He felt almost stupid begging for something he shouldn't even need to do, but he knew it was his only choice right now. Plasmius frowned, but after a moment his lips turned into a smirk and he agreed. The ghost waved one hand and the gags and bonds on the two Fentons disappeared, leaving only the cage to show their constriction. Danny instantly ran over and fell to his knees in front of the small cage grabbing one of each of his family members' hands.

"Danny!" Jazz gasped. "Don't do what he says, don't go with him, please!"

Danny gave her a sad, but somewhat reassuring smile.

"Don't worry about me. I'll be alright."

He didn't even believe himself, but he knew it was all he could do. Maybe if he did as Plasmius asked, his family wouldn't be harmed. He definetly did not want to find out what would happen if he did not do as the ghost pleased.

"But-"

"Jazz," Danny interrupted. "I don't have a choice."

Tears were spilling from the fourteen-year-old's eyes as she grasped her little brother's hand desperately. Danny was trying his best to stay strong and not break down in tears himself, but he wasn't far from it. Jack Fenton managed to look both angry and proud at the same time. Angry at the man - ghost - that was about to steal his son, and proud of that son, for being this brave and staying strong even though he was scared, more than a boy his age should be.

"Listen, you two need to promise me that you'll be alright. Promise me, and I'll promise I'll come back, okay? Please, just-"

"That's enough, Daniel. Come here now."

Danny glanced back at the impatient ghost, then looked at his family once more. Both their expressions showed their fear and worry for him. His father reached out and brushed away a single tear that had unknowingly made its way down Danny's cheek. Jack smiled sadly at him.

"I love you, son."

He did not want to leave. He wanted this all to be nothing but a bad dream, so he could just wake up and everything would be back to normal. But that was impossible.

"Daniel."

Mustering all his willpower, he let go of their hands and stood up.

"I love you, too." he whispered and walked back to Plasmius.

When he entered the portal he looked directly at Plasmius, whose face did not betray any emotion. A faint sound reached his ears. A door falling shut. Someone calling out their names. Danny closed his eyes, silently praying that his mother would get his dad and Jazz out of here. Then all he felt was pain. Pulsing, searing, burning pain. He did not hear the sreams of his name. He did not hear the pounding on the still locked door. All that was on his mind was pain, pain, pain. Then everything went black.

The last thought on his mind was, they didn't promise.

° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° °

I do not own Danny Phantom or any of its characters. Neither do I own Young Justice or any of the DC Universe characters.

Here's the first chapter to my new crossover story. (Which I probably shouldn't start publishing yet, because I still have another story to finish, but nahhh...) I hope you are pleased with my work and are looking forward to the future parts of It Lies In Our Genes. Thanks for reading! Don't hesitate to comment and/or vote!

FaHa