Once they had made it to Fenton Works, Vlad quickly descended the stairs to the lab. He wove around cluttered tables, barely sparing a glance at the gaping alcove designed to hold a functioning ghost portal. Jack and Maddie had been in the control room for the device for the last few hours. Probably trying to figure out why the energy readings from the portal were wrong again.
Vlad already knew their little project was doomed to failure. Honestly, a ghost portal? Ghosts didn't exist, let alone an entire alternate dimension of them.
Still, as long as they were focused on their magnum opus, they would need him to manage Fenton Works, and look after Daniel. As well as Jasmine, he supposed, but she was already surprisingly independent at seven years old. That's why he'd fiddled around with the ectofiltrator again this morning. It was always so satisfying when they argued about the continually unstable energy readings and malfunctioning equipment. Who knows, maybe the continued failure of all their efforts would cause a big enough rift between them that they'd separate. It was an idle daydream, but one Vlad didn't mind indulging.
Jack and Maddie's voices met him as he pushed open the door into the small control room. They were both facing a large monitor, its green glow bathing their frowning faces.
"I just don't get it, Jack, the readings yesterday were very unstable, but they look perfect now. I'm not sure what's changed, but I think we should wait to see if the stability is permanent, and not just some fluke." Maddie bit her lip as her eyes swept over the graphs of data on the screen. Her husband shrugged his huge shoulders amiably.
"I dunno, Mads. This may be our best shot at punching through into the ghost dimension. I say we go for it!"
"I suppose," she said hesitantly, "We've just been having all those problems with our equipment frying. We shouldn't try to open a full rift yet. Maybe a test run, to see if we can sustain a small tear. If the equipment seems to be handling it, and the readings are good, we can push further. I don't want a repeat of what happened in college."
"Is everything alright?" Vlad interrupted. What did she mean the readings were perfect? He had reconfigured the filtrator at random, there was no way the device could be working correctly.
"VLADDY!" Jack rushed across the room to greet him, "You're just in time, V-man! We're going to do our first test run on the portal! Today's the day we punch a hole into the spook's own dimension!" Vlad impatiently extricated himself from Jack's crushing grip as Maddie spoke.
"I'm glad you're here, Vlad. Did you find Danny okay?" Vlad's irritation immediately faded at the mention of her son.
"Yes, I did. He's upstairs. He was very excited to start building his own space shuttle." Maddie smiled fondly, shaking her head.
"He always was more interested in aliens than ghosts. We'll win him over eventually," Jack assured his wife, pecking her on the cheek, "Especially when we get this portal up and running!" They both took their places at the control board.
Vlad leaned disinterestedly against the glass window that overlooked the lab, watching as the portal flashed to life on the adjacent wall. Its striped doors swiftly closed to protect the rest of the building from the energy about to course through it. Maybe if he was lucky the thing would explode and they'd have to start from scratch again.
"Jack, open the feed so we can see what's happening!" Maddie ordered excitedly, the lights overhead dimming as the portal began to activate. Jack's large hands darted with surprising agility over the controls, and a large screen started powering on on the opposite wall. Noise flooded the room as the display began channeling the sounds of the machine shuddering to life. Suddenly, over the dull roar of the portal combining electricity and what Jack swore was ectoplasm, an unexpected sound crackled over the speakers.
"Mom!"
The terrified cry shattered the excitement in the room, and they all froze. As one, they turned to the display. The camera inside the portal finally connected, revealing the fuzzy image of Daniel as he pounded on the doors that had so suddenly shut behind him. Maddie's scream shattered the numb shock that had fallen over them and they all sprang to life again.
"JACK! Power down the portal!"
The terrified parents leapt to the controls, but Vlad barely noticed as he sprinted out the door. He crashed through the lab, sending tables and equipment flying as he raced to the portal doors. Sliding to a stop, he pounded a code into the small control panel next to the flashing portal.
Nothing happened.
Cursing, Vlad darted over and dug his fingers into the groove between the doors, pushing with all his might. His eyes flew wildly over the lab, searching for something, anything, in the scattered equipment that could open the doors. His gaze fell on the ridiculously large weapon Jack had christened the Fenton Cannon.
"Daniel!" Vlad pounded on the doors, "Daniel! Listen to me, I need you to back up! Back up! Get as far away from the doors as you can!" He desperately hoped Daniel could hear him, because whatever Jack and Maddie were doing to power down the portal clearly wasn't working.
Lights began to blow out as the portal shuddered, the only illumination coming from the flashing lights of the portal. Vlad snatched the clunky weapon from its work table, clumsily aiming it at the portal doors.
BANG
The lab briefly flared with light as the blast erupted from the gun. A huge crater was punched into the steel, a dark gap now visible between the warped doors. Vlad tossed away the weapon and rushed forward, trying to blink away the sudden blindness from the bright flash.
Time slowed as he shoved aside the smoking doors. Electricity arced through the darkness in bright flashes. A swirling mass of green energy erupted into existence at the far end of the tunnel, exploding outwards. Daniel's small form was silhouetted against the coming rush of energy. His tear filled eyes locked onto Vlad's, shining green as they reflected the eerie light. All of Vlad's senses shut down as he jumped forward, wrapping himself around the child. In the split second before the energy hit, there was silence.
There are no words to describe the pain Vlad felt as the energy enveloped them both, their screams lost in the explosion that ripped through the lab. He could do nothing as Danny dissolved in his arms, ripped from reality in the torrent of energy. He could do nothing as the explosion rocked the house, killing Jack and Maddie instantly. It would be days before he was found in the ruins of Fenton Works, only alive because he was now half dead.
