People say that if you can do anything if you set your mind to it, but why wasn't it working for him?
3 years earlier. . .
Vladimir Masters stood over his computer, analyzing his DNA sample for the millionth time. He lets out a sigh of dissatisfaction as the results came in; incompatible. He ran his hands through his unkempt silver hair that reached a little past shoulder length, and abraded the corner of his left soulless eye. He growled as he glanced back at the inaccurate DNA formula.
"Dammit," He anathemas under his breath and turns back to a chalkboard coated with equations and notes but, in the center of the chaos is a diagram of DNA structures. He then turns to a microscope, picks up a needle to jab his index finger and rubs the blood across the bare slide. He picks the glass of carefully; cautious to keep his bloody finger out of the action as he slides the glass under the microscope. He lowers himself to peer into the scope, seeing his bright red orbs swimming beside each like they're stuck together. He zoomed in on a group in particular, a group of spiky blood cells.
He laughed as he saw this, no wonder his blood wasn't compatible. These spiky cells are drawing out the water in his other blood cells. He pulled away from the microscope momentarily and jotted it down on a piece of paper, he jerked the paper from its binding and took a magnet from his pocket; hanging it up on his chalkboard.
The silver-haired believer bustled toward his lab's counter top. He rummaged through drawers and piles of research to find that particular syringe with a satiety amount of a clear liquid. He rolled up his white lab coat and quickly injected the liquid into his arm; trying to hold back a groan. After he deposited the bare syringe, he removed his bloodied and unwanted slide and shuffled around his unkempt work space for another slide. When he finally found one, he beamed at it with crazed eyes as he briskly pierced his other index with a clean, fresh needle and smeared it all over the slide. The crazed scientist then slid it under the microscope; only to find that the spiky blood cells had healed.
He jumped in the air and exclaimed "yes" loudly, he had drawn more blood and smug it on his scanner.
"Scanning," A woman's mechanical voice said, as a green light under the glass canopy scanned the blood and a digital version of his blood appeared on his screen; looking for traces of compatibility. He waited anxiously for the results as he bit on his finger nails and paced back and forth.
"Scanning completed," The woman's voice boomed. He raced over to the computer and typed in a few codes; excited for what the conclusion might be. Alas, the results appeared on the screen. His never-ending smile had vanished from his features and he slumped back down in his chair. Incompatible.
Angry from his downfall of his current Immortality project, he burst and threw his computer and microscope off his desk in one swift movement. The silence was overbearing, and he slumped back in his chair and let small tears fall. He buried his tiresome features in his hands as he broke down. Inattentively, he drifted off into deep stupor.
X*~*~*Hybrids*~*~*X
"Vlad. . ." A woman whispered weakly.
"Maddie! Maddie, hold on. The antitoxin is almost ready, just please hold on." Vlad pleaded, holding his wife's disfigured appearance in his lap; caressing her cheeks softly and let small tear drops fall on Maddie's cheek. She shook her head no. "No, darling. This had happen for a reason, the spirits have need of me. It's ineffectual to argue with them, you know that."
"I know. . . I just-"
"Vlad. . ." She whispered, he brushed her short, chestnut hair behind her ear and listen; to what maybe been her the last words. "Sweetheart, please promise me something. . ." He nodded as more tears streamed from his face. "Please finish the project, for me. Create the sons and daughters you have always dreamed of having. And promise me that. . ." She closed her eyes for what felt like forever.
"Maddie, sweetheart?!" He heart nearly stopped, that's when her eyes fluttered open softly.
"Do whatever it takes to create immortality, sweetheart. And, never ever give up. . . I love you, Vladdy."
"I love you too," He kisses her for the last time. Her breathing began to die and rapid tear drops dripped down off her face; as if her breathless body was weeping.
X*~*~*Hybrids*~*~*X
Vlad's eyes shot open, it had been so long since he had slept. The feeling of debilitation leaving his body was exhilarating. All those long nights doing research for his Immortality project, he forgotten what a good night sleep had felt like. Maybe that's just what he needed. All that agony from unsuccessful blood tests, must have gotten to his head.
But now that he had gotten, at least, 5-10 minutes of sleep; he seemed quite clear. Clearer than it was when he shoved everything off his work desk. Noticing this, he quickly attached his scanner to his computer and ran a few blood tests. He rummaged through a drawer for a butterfly needle and a 10 mL test-tube, once discovered, he gently slid the needle into his forearm; extracting the venous blood drip by drip and sealing it with a red cap.
A few hours have exceeded, as well as many tests. Vlad had looked over his notes and discovered a complication. It had been six months since the last he had run a FBE (Full Blood Exam). That's why the results constantly failed. He had signs of barbiturate toxicity; most likely from the poisons he had tried to perfect into medicine. Which he had fortuitously produced with the machinery he had created in his downtime. The poison that had caused the intoxication, could also help reverse the effect.
He burst into a drawer, and came across the stainless steel cylinder. From the poisons he had corrected into antidotes, one antitoxin he was the most august about; Mender, he simply called the antidote. During his research he had discovered the properties of two different types of Earth's most dangerous poisons, seeing how their idiosyncrasy similarities to each other; he reversed them. Discovering, one antitoxin into a medicine that can heal any brand of mortal abrasions. He pressed the small, shiny button on the side of the container; revealing a needle the size of his small and stubby pinky finger. All at once, he jammed the needle into his thigh as the antitoxin released from the container; spreading the antidote throughout his entire body. He pulled the empty container away from his body and looked at his reflection in the stainless steel finish. Have I grown older these past few months? The man thought as he touched a wrinkle along his left eye. He then peered back at the dark circles under his sockets, they have gotten darker since the last he stood in a mirror.
He shook his head and placed the hollow container in a canister; for he could wash the contaminated central and place more antidote inside later. He sat down at his computer and pulled an alcoholic swab from his pocket, tore the packaging to retrieve the damp cleaning cloth. He cleaned his Blood Scanner with ease, and blew on it softly to dry faster. He then pricked his finger and smudged the crimson contents all over the glass, as the green light appeared once again from under the glass canopy. A digital version of the blood appeared on his computer screen; zooming in on the red and white blood cells. Vlad watched anxiously but didn't allow his hopes to get too high like last time, for there might be a possibility that his blood wasn't ready yet.
5 minutes have already went by, and Vlad is on the edge of his seat. It has never taken this long to analyze his DNA before; perhaps this was a good sign that his blood was ready. He closed his eyes and pressed his lips against the top of his folded hands. That's when he heard it.
"DNA Compatible," the mechanical voice of the woman said; Vlad looked up in awe, not believing what he had heard. But his suspicions were accepted when he saw the check mark on a white banner with the words: DNA COMPATIBLE WITH SUBJECT(s) BODY.
A wide smile spread across his middle-aged features. Alas, it's done, Vladimir thought and darted out of the room. He'd entered a long corridor that was as dark as the night sky, making it hard to see the delicate details the long hallway had. His sights are set on the large metal door at the end of the hallway; almost like a door to a dungeon. Once he had reached the eerie and old door, he opened it with one slight push as if it didn't weigh anything at all. Inside the room, there were three coffins on intricate stone platforms. Each coffin was slightly bigger than the one on their left, and the platforms they were resting upon resembled to look like steps; one lower than the other. Vlad made his way to the biggest coffin, and flung the lid off without a second thought as he peered inside the resting place of a young man, no older than 24. He had long messy raven hair pulled back into a low pony tail; not a strand framing his bluish-pale face, only a small pitch-black beard on his chin. He was very buff and broad for his age and very good-looking at that, lucky little bastard, Vlad thought as he wipe some dirt off the immobilized man's clothed shoulder. He then pulled out a syringe and jabbed the needle through his lab coat to get the flesh and blood of his bicep; trying not to give into the wooziness he was feeling as he drew out the needle.
I gotta be more careful about how much blood I extract, Vlad thought as he injected a small amount of his heated blood into the side of his neck. I have the others to think about as well. The silver-haired genius removed the needle of the man's neck and continued filling the others with his perfect blood. The next, however, was a 14-year-old doppelgänger; of the 24-year-old man he had just reanimated. Vlad was completely astounded when he discovered this the first time he had seen the two coincidence; considering they had died weeks of each other. The same raven hair, the same pale skin, the same face. . . They could be the same person. The only alteration between the two bodies, was the age. He tilted the child's head the side and injected some of his own blood into the boy's neck.
The smallest coffin, was one that Vlad decided to keep in absolute abstruse. So he was conspicuous about reaching the next coffin. He flung the top of the casket without demur. His eyes widen as he step back in complete consternation, he couldn't believe it. Could this really happen? Could there be more than one doppelgänger of another person? He peered back into the casket of a young 12 year old girl. Her long raven hair reaching her mid shoulder and gently framing her ghostly pale face. She wore a soft blue strapless dress that reached her knees; making her complexion angelic. He careen her pretty face to the side, and introduced his DNA into her dead body . . .
X*~*~*Hybrids*~*~*X
"Cassie, try and keep up would 'ya!" A young 15 year old boy with brown hair and ivory skin mocked darted through the low branches that hung from the 80 ft. trees that had composed a deep forest.
"Tyler!" A youthful blonde girl in a pink coat shouted after him and almost tripped over her own two feet. "Wait for me!"
Cassie dashed into a set of green prickly bushes and nearly ran Tyler over. He stared in awe at the great tree. They stared as if they had met the center of all lifeforms, as squirrels scurried up the side, birds flew in the canopy to their nests and a small river that seem to circulate around the tree; composing it as a remote island.
"Wow. . ." The two teens murmured breathlessly; not believing their eyes. Cassie was about to turn back to the County K Highway when Tyler grasped her wrists.
"What's the rush, sweetheart?" Tyler cooed, and smiled demoniacally. Cassie's breath knocked out of her as he said that, and jumped when he broke down laughing.
"You should have seen your face! What are you, scared?" He asked in a derisive tone.
"No, it's just. . . We found the tree and I think we should go back. You know, before something bad happens." She says quietly yet energetically.
"Oh come on, stop being such a party pooper and come with me to get a better look." Tyler just smiled back at her as he started strolling toward the river.
"Tyler are you demented?! It's on his land. You know what happened to those teenagers." Tyler was already across the river by the time she finished her sentiment. "Tyler? Tyler!" She ran after him, after realizing that he was attempting to climb the landmark. The blonde girl ran across the river, shivering slightly as cold water sunk into her brown boots while she ran through the river to reach her friend.
"Tyler are you crazy?" Cassie screamed at him although he continue reaching for another branch. He smiled as she ran over to the tree and tried to convince him to come down, but soon admitted defeat. "Fine. Whatever, I'm going home." She said, and with that she turned to leave; she stepped on a slippery stone and lost her footing.
"Cassie!" Tyler screamed and jumped down from a high branch; completely ignoring his twisted ankle. He held her head in his hand, immediately drawing it away when he felt something aqueous. Blood? He thought as the ground suddenly burst into convulsion. The land around them began to crumble away and spread out around each other, as if they were one of many forming an archipelago. The once beautiful autumn forest became an eternally long, blank canvas. What's going on? What the hell is happening? Tyler's thoughts were buzzing around in his mind like angry bees. He glanced down at Cassie, her mouth was opening up like she was yawning as a white, apparition like substance leaked from her mouth formed a foggy ball above her lifeless body. Is that. . . Her soul? Tyler didn't dare speak; but left his mouth wide open. Big mistake.
He fell coldness sweep over his body; it was comforting. It was never what he pictured death to be. He imagined it painful and unbearable. But it was the exact opposite. And before he knew, it phased into an eerie, incandescent zone.
"Welcome to the Ghost Zone, children. . ." A deep and kind voice said, Tyler only had a second to catch a glimpse at his surroundings before losing consciousness. A clock tower?
X*~*~*Hybrids*~*~*X
Vlad woke up only a minute or two after he had successfully impregnated the three with his blood, he placed a hand on his head only he couldn't find his head! Panicked he jumped up and looked in the mirror on the far left side of the mystic room. He gasped as he had saw what had become of him, he was a ghost. His face was a light shade of blue and his eyes had no sclera; they were a solid red. His hair was black and fashioned in a pointed "U" shape on top of his head while the rest lied down flat in back. That's when he heard a soft groan right behind him. There, the young and tiny girl with black hair, pale skin and dressed in a strapless soft blue dress no longer existed. Instead a girl with snow-white hair pulled back into a low pony-tail, light ivory skin and a black and silver jumpsuit with DP written on her chest, sat up in her casket and rested her head in her small palm and let out a small groan.
"Where am I?" She spoke kindly, and looked at Vlad.
And that my friends was chapter one. Sorry if it took so long, I didn't expect it to take THAT long, oh well. Better late than never :)