A/N: Yes, this chapter came so much easier. That's probably evident in how quickly I got it on the page. I think it was just getting this fic started that blocked me. I also wrote the three viewpoint scenes pretty much concurrently because they were all itching to be written.

Many thanks to my reviewers. Here's hoping I can continue keeping your interest in this story alive.

Edited: 3/20/2013


Once a Doll
A fanfiction by MidnightResWri
Adopted from Jeanette9a


Hiding inside the doll's hollow body was a secret.


Chapter Two

5:30 am and Vlad's alarm promptly sounded in the empty room. A maid pushed the curtains aside, letting in the first signs of morning light. The young woman walked toward the blaring noise and turned it off.

The man himself had stayed in his private labs in the first basement of the mansion that night. The room he occupied was meant for technologically based experiments, computer simulations, and research. He reasoned using that room for his current occupation as a way to run multiple searches at once and have the results readily at hand.

On one screen, Vlad ran a search for articles around Circus Gothica that included 'Eidolon' in any way. On another, a search for articles relating only to the performer. On yet another, a search for Frederich Showenhower on any federal database he managed to hack his way into. The rest of his searches followed similar lines of thought. He needed as many facts as he could get his hands on to begin his search for Eidolon. That couldn't be her true name, Vlad mused, and when he found her, he'd pull it out of her.

Vlad ran a hand through his hair and sighed. He'd wasted the night staring at the screens as they compiled their data. Of course, he wanted to have everything relevant readily available in a few seconds. He hadn't expected such a delay.

He glanced at his watch and cursed. "The meeting," he grumbled, rubbing a hand over his face. The computers could continue their searches while he was away at his offices in Madison.

Vlad walked out of the room, heading down the hall to the staircase. "I'll have to leave instructions for the staff to stay out of that room until I've finished with it entirely," he muttered. "Then start channeling funds towards finding the girl and bringing her here."

When Vlad entered his bedroom, he prepared himself for the day. A shower and a clean suit later and he was ready to head to the office.

The billionaire made his way to the foyer, stopping by his office to pick up his briefcase, and the front doors where his driver would be waiting. A butler opened the door for him as he approached and Vlad squinted into the natural light.

The crisp air lifted his mood a little, though he still scowled from not having slept. He gave a short wave to his driver, dressed in a crisp suit, and made his way down the stairs. Vlad glared at his feet as he moved. It was good that he did because a dark shape blocked his path.

Vlad stared at the bundled form at the foot of his staircase. The black hair tangled and covering the girl's face and much of her back, but he knew who it was. Kneeling, he pushed some of the long strands away and saw that it was indeed Eidolon. Her dress was tattered along the neckline, and he saw no remnants of the device that locked her powers.

Vlad closed his eyes and let out a frustrated breath. He had a board meeting to attend and the girl's appearance on his front steps, while fortuitous, was going to delay him. Vlad looked at his watch again before making a decision. "Jacob," he said to the uniformed driver, "get her into the car. I have no time to wait for the staff to come get her."

Jacob nodded and stooped low enough to pick her up. Vlad watched him juggle the child to open the door before he finally managed to find a way. The man set the girl in gently on the back seat. He closed the door and ran around the other side to open it for Vlad.

Vlad settled himself on the other seat facing opposite to the one occupied by Eidolon. He opened his briefcase and took out his tablet. A hand reached into his suit jacket and pulled out his phone. He pressed his speed dial for his headquarters' head accountant and turned on the tablet. He would need to get a better idea of whatever the board would try slamming him with during that meeting. A concise report would be the best defense against those vultures.

Occasionally, his eyes slid to the sleeping girl.


The familiar feeling of motion made Eidolon think he was back on the train, but the noise wasn't there. The sound of the cars shaking along the rails and the wheels turning along the tracks. But, he couldn't feel the hard flooring of the first storage car where he sometimes slept or the very soft bed he'd been given when he was old enough to perform and proving his worth.

So, when his blue eyes focused on the black ceiling above him, he flailed and rolled over. The cushion of whatever he'd been laying on gave out and he fell to the floor, biting back a sharp cry. Legs tangled in the folds of the dress. He didn't know where he was. For all he knew, Eidolon had been kidnapped. Just like Freakshow said he would if he wandered off.

The voice above him had been speaking in hushed tones before stopping entirely. Eidolon felt eyes on him and he swallowed. Honestly, he prayed it was Freakshow. At least he'd know he was safe with that man. Better than his parents who abandoned him when he was little, not that he remembered them.

A hand touched his arm and he jerked away, sitting up suddenly. He pressed himself against a wall—door, he corrected himself as his head brushed against the handle. Eidolon looked first at the window, seeing green blurs rush by, then at the other person in the car.

It was the man from the day before that, he was pretty sure, was like him. Well, his eyes changed colors at will and he had powers that destroyed the device. He'd hated that thing. Another way that Freakshow kept him safe, sure, but he still hated not being able to use his powers willingly.

Eidolon wracked his memory for the man's name. He'd said it, the boy knew that. What was it? he asked himself.

"Eidolon," said the man—Vlad! he remembered, "it's alright. I'm a friend."

The performer cracked a smile and laughed quietly. He dug the heel of his palm into his eye, trying to remember the night before. It'd been a rush, really. The adrenaline of being found by a stranger and the panic at thinking he might not be the only one of his kind had caused him to flee. But, some part of him had been attracted to the idea of finding out more about this man.

Eidolon remembered returning to the train, invisible, and following after Vlad. There was a long flight as he trailed the man's car, all the while tearing the remains of that accursed restraint from his clothing, and then passing out on the stairs. Okay, the boy thought, that sounded right. "Right, friend," he croaked and cleared his throat. Man, it had been a long time since he talked to anyone.

Eidolon jumped at the sound of Vlad's phone clattering on the floor. He fought down the instinct to go intangible and escape the situation. Do not dare to speak in the presence of people outside the circus, boy, he heard Freakshow's rule echo in his mind. Crap. He broke the rule. He was so going to be punished for that when the ringmaster found out.

But, he didn't know where Freakshow was. He shoved that thought away to deal with later.

Vlad swallowed, staring at him. Eidolon squirmed against the car door. "Say that again?" the man asked. He looked like he'd seen a ghost—right, so that wasn't too weird considering where Eidolon had come from—and just kept staring at the boy.

Eidolon took a handful of his hair and ran his fingers through it. "Um, heh, crap," he tried cracking a genuine smile, but even he could tell it looked fake and nervous. God his hair was a mess!

Vlad was silent for a very long moment. Eidolon started counting in his head. One, two, three…"You're a boy," the man finally said, aghast.

That got a real smile out of Eidolon. He'd never had the chance to make the reveal to anyone outside the Circus Gothica. He laughed. "Surprised, huh?" he asked once his fit settled down. He couldn't just shut up, now. The damage had already been done.

Vlad blinked multiple times before clearing his throat. "It wasn't what I expected," he answered. His eyes studied Eidolon, curiosity renewed. "Anyway, Eidolon must be a stage name. What's your proper name?"

The performer's face fell and he picked at the carpeting. "I don't know," he muttered, too low for Vlad to pick up.

"Pardon?" asked the man.

Eidolon glared at Vlad. His jaw tightened. "I said I don't know," he said through clenched teeth. "Eidolon's the only name I know I have."

Vlad narrows his eyes as thoughts Eidolon could only guess at passed through his head. The man leaned back and crossed his arms. The forgotten phone on the floor vibrated and rang out with a song Eidolon didn't recognize. He reached out to take a hold of it, but Vlad beat him to the device. He'd seen those things so many times at the after show dinners with the wealthier patrons. He'd wanted to play around with one and he didn't think he'd ever get the chance at this point.

"Yes?" Vlad said. His eyes narrowed from whatever the caller told him. "What? Who authorized that contract?...No, I never signed anything that had to do with the GIW. I remember telling them where they could—Oh, did they? I'll have plenty of words to say to them when I get there."

Vlad pressed an invisible button, ending the call. His hand tightened around the phone. Eidolon shrunk into himself, expecting a punishment even though he'd done nothing wrong. Yes, he'd wandered off. Yes, he'd spoken to an outsider. But, Vlad didn't know the rules, right? That anger couldn't have been directed at him.

Still, Eidolon pulled his knees to his chest, making himself smaller. He fought the urge to disappear entirely, remembering his lessons well. Don't do anything stupid, he told himself.

He watched Vlad seethe from his spot on the floor, hiding behind his tangled hair. He could leave, he realized. Just go intangible and fly away and never look back. Eidolon bit his lip and closed his eyes. He could do that. The necklace was gone. His abilities were his to use now.

"Whatever you're thinking, don't you dare do it," warned Vlad, startling the boy from his thoughts. "Just sit down, buckle up, and stay where you are."

A lump formed in Eidolon's throat as he pulled himself into the seat. He reached over his shoulder to what he recognized as the buckle. It clicked and he did as he was told. Eidolon sat strait as a ramrod, hands carefully folded over the folds of his skirt. He fidgeted with his gloves.

Questions filled his mind, but he refused to voice them, unsure if they'd be wanted. Vlad looked ready to murder someone, an expression he'd often seen on Freakshow, and he suppressed a shiver from running down his spine.

Perhaps following Vlad home hadn't been the smartest idea. Shame the temptation to know for certain what the man was overrode everything else that screamed at him to just run. Eidolon settled into the back of the seat and hoped that his muscles would eventually relax on the way to wherever the car was going.


Jessie Laney sipped at her bitter coffee, a scowl planted on her face. Interrogations were slow-going. They would be faster if they had actually arrested Showenhower, but he'd managed to escape somehow during the raid. The officers didn't even turn up with the circus's young star: Eidolon. Laney'd bet her badge that they were together and if not, they'd meet up at a planned location.

"Yours crack?" asked Jackson, her partner. He leaned against the wall beside her. Laney shook her head. Jackson rubbed his eyes. "Mine didn't either."

Laney tapped her coffee mug. "Same story?"

"You mean the whole not being in control thing?" Laney nodded. "Yeah."

"We've been running prints and names all night, too," she mentioned. "So far, we've turned up a train full of missing people. Some of them were declared dead years ago."

"This whole thing's turning into a huge mess." Jackson leaned his head against the wall.

"Yeah, it has," she agreed. "And the chief's not happy with the taskforce either."

He balked. "What? Is it because we didn't nab Showenhower?" Laney pursed her lips and glared at the far wall. "Damn it! Darby's gonna work us stupid if we don't catch him soon."

Laney held back a flinch at the mention of their lieutenant. He didn't even go on the raid, or babysit Masters for that matter. But he was tough and he liked results. Sure, they brought in the meat of the circus, but the ringleader and his biggest attraction were still out there. She prayed he wouldn't take it out on her and Jackson, too.

"We should be heading back into the rooms, then," she said, finishing her coffee. "If we keep pressing them, we might get a lead on where Freakshow's running to."

"Officer Laney! Officer Jackson," A younger member of the force jogged over to them, a note in her hands. "I got a call in from a station in Janesville. Says they got a tip on someone matching Showenhower's description. He might be in the company of an unknown female."

Laney glanced at Jackson. They had the questionings to finish, but the tip was hot. They both had an itch to go after the guy. If the tip proved genuine, it could boost their careers. Still, they had their current obligations and they couldn't ignore them. She banged her head against the wall.

"Go tell the Lieutenant," Jackson said, to Laney's relief. "He's upstairs."

The officer nodded, saluted, and ran off toward the stairwell. Laney sighed and rubbed her temple. "There went our chance to nab him," she muttered.

"Probably a false lead," Jackson reminded her. He jerked his head back down the hall. "Come on, Laney, we got circus folk to talk to."

Laney pulled up a tired smile and pushed herself off the wall. It was going to be a long day at the office.


A/N: Wow, Eidolon!Danny…turned out much different than expected. Oh well, I'm happy with the results, there. Oh, and I hope you don't mind I'm keeping Laney around and her newly named partner, Jackson. They won't take up too much attention, I promise. Janeville is a real place in Wisconsin.

On another note, I don't think I've ever managed to get another chapter in a fic done so quickly. (O w O)