#if vlad weren't such a wet rat man

[halfagone]

Read the update to Bloodlines this morning and have been thinking about it all day.

Danny grew a reputation I see, Danny setting assholes straight, he ain’t taking shit from anybody and yet -

I have gotten so used to a dynamic between Danny and Vlad where D doesn’t allow V to push him around or even so much as feel threatened by Vlad that this interaction threw me off so hard

Like! Danny being stuck in such a vulnerable position and taking this kind of abuse - That feels beyond different from the hero/villain scene - ‘cause he feels he’ll cause problems for others is just *screams internally*

Baby, please reach out to somebody 🥺

Can’t wait to see the bats on the scene by the way 😊

It's definitely not a dynamic we see very often, but it's one I thought ought to be explored. We never see Vlad abusing his power and influence as a billionaire in the show, only when he becomes mayor. But realistically, there is a very serious power imbalance between Danny and Vlad in their civilian lives that Vlad could very easily take advantage of. Like he does in bloodlines.

And just like the interaction you see in the newest chapter, Danny admits he could beat Vlad in a fight with ease but the consequences of Vlad's retaliation isn't worth the risk. He not only has to think about himself but also his friends and family.

I also wanted to showcase that there is more than one type of abuse. Yes, Vlad physically abuses Danny when he backhands him in chapter two and grabs him by the hair in chapter six. But he also financially abuses him by hacking into his bank accounts, as is referenced in chapter two. It's one of the reasons why Danny's conversation with Technus in chapter five is so important; it showcases how Danny has to hide all the evidence, in fear of retaliation or punishment.

Vlad has cameras set up all over Fenton Works, and is shown willingness to hack into other cameras when Danny dismantles those. In fact, when Danny goes out of the house, Vlad often times will come back in- whenever he wants, might I add- and replace the cameras Danny destroyed. Danny has little to no personal privacy, and Vlad is shown more than once how he ignores Danny's personal space as well.

I cannot stress enough that Vlad has far more power than most people realize. Had Danny Phantom taken the subject matter more seriously, or had a higher rating, we could have very well seen much worse behavior from Vlad in the show. And this is still the same guy that admits to wanting to kill Danny's father, marry Danny's mom, and has tortured and cloned Danny multiple times.

Between his immense wealth and his powers, no one's ever been able to stop Vlad before. Why would he let some teenager be the first?

All in all, Vlad is a creep and we can only hope Diana and the Waynes learn about his abuse before it's too late. 🤞