Notes:
There's not much to say except: this chapter gave me a real headache.
Sparky the Wonder Weasel: Happy belated birthday! I hope you had a lot of fun.
Thanks again for all your support through comments, favorites, and alerts. I hope you don't dislike this chapter (grin).
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Chapter 8: The Turning
Okay, so he really is here. His mere presence confirms it all, doesn't it?
Stay calm, Val.
Just breathe.
Feign surprise but don't show your nervousness.
Don't slip up.
Stay calm.
"M-Mr. Masters!" I manage to exclaim. "What are you doing here?" That's it. Play dumb, Gray. But, most importantly, don't forget to stay calm.
The billionaire walks towards me, casting the same sly and slightly amused expression he used the first time we met. "Why, Miss Gray, I think I should ask you the same question. After all, this is my lab," he replies smoothly.
Play dumb.
"Your lab?" I ask, trying to sound as surprised as possible. "I'm sorry, Mr. Masters. I didn't know. I was tracking down the ghost kid and I ended up here." Of course, he doesn't need to know I really got to this place because of his note and a computer profile.
"He is rather sneaky, isn't he?" the grown man muses out loud. He walks further into the room and stops in front of the cubic chamber that holds Phantom. Vlad –I'll stick to call him that from now on- gives him a triumphant smirk, while the younger spook glares and clenches his teeth. It's a little weird to see them have such a silent battle between them.
"I found him in the main lab while I was taking care of some experiments," Vlad continues, this time looking at me. "Fortunately, I was able to capture him before he destroyed anything. Imagine the extensive research I can now conduct with such an interesting specimen!"
Ghosts as guinea pigs? Even I find it a bit unsettling. It's not like I care about them, it's just kinda... morbid. I'd rather destroy them than keep them as lab rats.
Vlad must've seen my grossed out expression because he's suddenly chuckling. "Don't worry, my dear. Everything's under control," he exclaims reassuringly. "I'll take care of this reckless specter."
I turn to face the ghost kid. His angered gaze changes as he turns to meet my eyes. The same worried look from before returns, making me feel sorry for him. Of course, I'll never admit out loud any kind of sympathy towards my green-eyed enemy.
"Come on, I'll escort you to my private jet and send you home," Vlad says as he places a hand on my shoulder, steering me towards the stairs.
"Your jet?" I ask, genuinely surprised.
"Of course! You didn't think I'd let my most reliable hunter go wandering alone through the Ghost Zone, hmm?"
Go home? And leave behind the one who might help me find Danny? Pass. And I also still need to know where the others are.
I stop walking and take his hand off my shoulder. "I can't do that, Mr. Masters," I exclaim in a serious tone as the man in front of me raises an eyebrow. "I came here for the ghost kid and I won't leave without him. He has important information and I need to get it from him." Okay, so maybe I didn't come here looking for that spook, but the rest is true.
"You're asking me to give up a valuable part of my research?" he asks with a light chuckle, clearly amused by my determined request.
Research? Yeah, right. From what I've seen and read, this is all for personal gain and it's even destined for wicked purposes, not for the love of science.
Stay calm, Val. You can convince him.
"Yes, and I think my reasons have more weight than yours, sir," I answer again in all seriousness, trying to sound as polite as possible while I contradict my benefactor.
"Are you actually serious?" he questions with a hint of disbelief, but he really doesn't wait for a response from me. "In that case, you can interrogate him here for as long as you want, but I won't release this boy."
I frown at this. Sure, I would have probably accepted the offer in the past but, now that I know the truth about Plasmius, I can't leave Phantom here. Not only would he end up working for Vlad (which is definitely not good), but there's also a chance that I won't be able to find Danny and the others without his help, as reluctant as I am to admit it.
"That's not enough," I finally reply, still keeping my cool (at least on the outside). "I don't just need him to give me the information. As much as I hate to even consider it, I need him as a guide." Yeah, he'll be a guide who will suffer some severe damage if he turns against me, especially after all the trouble I'm going through just for him.
Vlad doesn't seem to like what I just said. His once gentle and even playful expression suddenly changes into one of displeasure. "I'm afraid I can't let you take him," his tone is now as stern as his look. "I need this boy to carry out my investigation."
"So do I," I reply defiantly.
The wealthy bachelor gives me an irritated glance. "No," his answer is as simple and determined as mine. "Now, you can either take my offer and fly back home on my jet plane, or you can call your father to pick you up. Either way, I advice you to forget about this ghost. Your job here is done."
Somehow, I don't think I'll be able to convince him through simple reasoning. Besides, didn't Phantom say something about how Plasmius wanted him as a minion of some sort? I don't know why or what for, but I'm sure all of this goes beyond a simple chess game, with a ghost kid and a hunter girl as pawns. It's much more than that. If only I could figure it out...
Come on, Val. You didn't come all the way from Amity Park to go back with empty hands. You have to do something. You have the advantage. Don't be afraid to use it.
As the billionaire grabs my wrist and drags me with him towards the stairs, I pull out an ecto-gun and aim it at his head. He stops and turns around when he hears the weapon warming up. His blue eyes stare at the barrel of my gun and he can't help to raise an eyebrow once again.
Stay calm, Valerie.
"I said I won't leave without him," I exclaim as confidently as possible, though I'm really this close to shaking nervously.
Vlad releases my wrist and turns completely around. "I'm not in the mood for threats, Miss Gray," he says in a controlled tone.
"Then just let the ghost kid out of his cage so I can take him with me. I promise I'll stay out of your life afterwards, if that's what you'd like." I mentally groan. I can't believe I'm negotiating Phantom's freedom! Even though I can't see my white-haired opponent, I bet he's dancing triumphantly and doing back flips. Or at least he would if it wasn't for his chains.
"You were always a determined girl," Vlad exclaims in a low and amused tone. "Of course, you do realize that your weapon is only meant to hurt ghosts, don't you?"
I try to suppress a sly smile and mask my knowledge about his identity. "Would you like to test that theory?"
We stare into each other's eyes for a few seconds, neither of us making the slightest movement. He only has two options right now: a) he can use his ghostly abilities to finish me once and for all, or b) he can do as I said and let the ghost kid go.
The harsh glare I get from him tells me all I need to know: he's afraid of exposure. He knows he'll lose his precious pawn if he uses his powers. And who's to say I won't use that knowledge to blackmail him eventually? I wouldn't go as low as extortion, but he doesn't know that.
Vlad moves towards the control panel, our mutual glare never fading. Just as his hand is about to touch one of the buttons, he stops. I mentally shiver as a new expression takes the place of his previous anger, turning it into a smug smile. "By the way, Miss Gray," he begins nonchalantly. "Did he ever tell you what he did to Daniel?" he asks, gesturing with a slight movement of his head towards Phantom, who is now staring with disbelief at his archenemy.
I stop myself from blinking and lowering my gun. Instead, I defy Vlad with a narrowed gaze. He's just trying to distract me. "What do you know about Danny?"
His eyes change once again, this time casting what looks like an artificial sadness. How didn't I notice those things in the past? "I have reasons to believe that he was attacked and perhaps even murdered by this ghost," he replies rather theatrically. I can't help but widen my eyes after that comment. Danny could be dead?
"What?" the high-pitched voice of the ghost kid exclaims before I can even utter a word. "Valerie, he's lying. I would never do something like that!"
"I'm afraid I'm only telling you the truth," Vlad insists. "You know how much I care about my beloved Maddie. And Jack. That's why I would do anything to protect their children. When I found out about this ghost's felony, I knew I had to do something to stop him.
"I didn't want you to worry, so I tried not to mention a thing about this. You're my best hunter. I need you to be in top shape for the sake of those you protect."
I nod softly, finally understanding his intentions. I really can't help but feel confused, disappointed, hurt, and even frustrated. However, I know what I have to do.
"Val, you have to believe me," Phantom pleads once again. "He's just trying to—"
"Enough!" I yell as I lower my gun, eyeing both Phantom and Vlad through my narrowed glare. The ghost kid has an alarmed look on his pale face. Vlad, on the other hand, looks rather satisfied with both our reactions. "I'm sick and tired of all of it," I continue. "It has been a year full of lies and games... I knew I shouldn't have trusted you. Not only did you use me for your own personal gain, but you also tricked me into a false sense of security.
"I was blind before. I dismissed all the signs that told me to be careful, to stop acting rashly. But now, I know better than that. I know what's under your mask. I know exactly what you are."
Phantom looks at me with a mixture of fear and confusion. "What are you--?"
"I wasn't talking to you, spook," I interrupt once again, which causes another surprised reaction from the ghost kid. "I was talking to Plasmius."
I face the renowned billionaire, who is looking wide-eyed at me. Before he can even react, I fire my ecto-gun at Vlad's chest. The blast sends him flying a few feet backwards, making him crash into the wall and fall unconscious. Still, I know it won't last long.
Taking advantage of his dazed state, I quickly move towards the control panel to open the cage. There are at least a dozen of buttons and I'm not sure which one to push. I turn to meet Phantom's gaze, who is still awestruck by what just happened. "What button did he use to close the door?" I ask him.
He hesitates for a moment before he regains his composure, or as much as possible. "Uh, the red one. The one to your right," he replies.
Spotting the red button, I press it and look expectantly at the door, which unfortunately doesn't budge. "Guess I'll have to do this the old-fashioned way," I mutter as I decide to push another button randomly to see if it unlocks the door.
"Wait!" Phantom yells, a second too late: my finger just pressed a blue button.
In an instant, a visible surge of energy travels through the restraints that hold the ghost kid. Phantom closes his eyes as he flinches in pain. His screams fill the room for a few moments until the energy stops. He looks a bit shaken, which is understandable considering what happened, but he seems to be fine aside from that.
"How come you didn't release that horrible wail this time?" I ask as I try to mask my guilty expression.
The white-haired specter shakes his head and looks at me. "That was just some sort of energy booster," he replies simply, letting me know it's not time for another questioning. He then tries to see the panel from where he's standing -or hanging, actually-. "Why don't you try the green one?" he suggests.
Just as I'm about to press the green switch, a pained groan startles me. I turn to look at Vlad's body, and notice he's moving. The ghost kid and I share an alarmed look. "He's waking up," I exclaim. Without wasting another second, I press the button.
The chains holding him begin to glow for a moment before they're unlocked, releasing my "former" enemy ("former" as in "still not trustworthy"). Unfortunately, the door separating me from Phantom is still closed.
The confused billionaire opens his eyes and looks in our direction. His gaze narrows as he begins to stand up. My chances of fleeing before my benefactor woke up are simply gone.
While I remind myself for the umpteenth time to remain calm, I summon again both my jet sled and the three cubic lasers. Once the cubes appear, I fire them at the control panel. The blast effectively destroys the console and the entrance is opened, allowing Phantom to float out of his prison. "Maybe I should've done that sooner," I mutter to myself.
The ghost kid looks at me as he's about to say something, but someone else speaks before he can say a word. "I'm saddened by your attitude, Miss Gray. I thought you were true to your convictions concerning that ghost," Vlad exclaims as he starts walking towards us.
Why isn't he saying anything about the uncovering of his secret? Heck, he didn't even complain about the blast!
"Drop the act, Plasmius," I exclaim while I point my gun at him, the three cubes warming up a blast as well. He stops as he notices this. "I already know the truth."
I'm not even surprised that I could finally defy him without feeling the slightest tinge of fear. Somehow, I feel more confident now that I have some backup, as weird as it is to consider Phantom an ally.
Besides, I really want to place my aggression where it truly belongs.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Vlad replies. His tone and expression are bordering on anger, but he's trying to act as smooth and innocent as possible.
I can't help but roll my eyes. "Sure, because the fact that you're half a ghost doesn't ring any bells."
The ghost kid releases a small gasp behind me, but I'm really more interested in Vlad's surprised look. After a brief silence, he sighs in defeat and lowers his gaze. "You're right, my dear," he begins. "I don't know how you found out about my... condition, but you got the wrong impression. I can assure that I've only been trying to protect you. You certainly don't know what you're getting yourself into."
I don't need to know what I'm getting myself into. I was already involved without noticing! And how can he even claim he lied to protect me?
Now I'm mad.
"I'm not blind anymore, Vlad," I hiss in anger. "I know you're the one behind Danny's disappearance and I know you kidnapped his friends and family. What I still need to find out is where you have them!"
"I have nothing to do with that," he defends himself once more. "You can search my whole castle, if you want, but I don't have any of them here."
I see the ghost kid's right hand preparing a blast. His anger seemed to be building up ever since Vlad started talking. He takes a defiant step forward and glares at the man in front of us. "Where are they?" Phantom asks through clenched teeth.
I'm a bit startled by the intensity of his tone. It sounds almost as if he really cared about the ones who are missing. What really surprises me the most, though, is how I've never heard him speak like that. During all our battles, he showed an annoyed, frightened, or sometimes even playful attitude towards me. Now it's anger, but this is the first time I recognize it in his voice.
Does that mean he doesn't hate me as much as I hate him?
"As I said," Vlad's words snap me back to reality, "You won't find anyone here." He then turns to face me with another smug smile. "But I'm sure he knows where Daniel is."
What?
"You know?" I ask Phantom, not hiding my surprise.
The ghost kid doesn't even look at me. His narrowed gaze is still fixed on the one who's allegedly his archenemy. "I know Danny's fine, but we still need to find the others," he replies.
"How can you know Danny's fine?" I ask as I lift an eyebrow.
"Because he's not here."
"You sound so certain. How could that be?" Vlad now questions sarcastically, making Phantom scowl. "I must say I'm disappointed by your choice, Miss Gray. He's been clearly feeding you with lies, so why would you trust him over your benefactor?"
Phantom turns to meet my inquisitive glare. "Because I'm not the one who sent Skulker to attack Danny, or the one who left the note at FentonWorks," he replies with a low but determined tone.
Why are things always so complicated? Why can't the bad guys wear black hats while the good guys wear white? I know Phantom's right. Vlad has been behind all of this. Unfortunately for the ghost kid, that doesn't mean I trust him yet.
Even if Vlad is truly some seriously crazed up fruit loop, Phantom has been my enemy for so long that I don't think I'll be able to think about him otherwise. He's a ghost. Period.
Still... I know he's the only one who can help me right now. I only trust him (for now) because he's the lesser of two evils.
I sigh in annoyance. "You still have a lot of explaining to do, ghost, but you'll have plenty of time on our flight home." Phantom gives me a small smile before both of us return our attention to Vlad.
Our enemy's glare intensifies. He looks at my gun and at Phantom's glowing hand, clearly realizing we could be considered as threats. "Is that how you want it to be?" he asks coldly. "Fine. But don't say I didn't warn you."
With those last words as Vlad Masters, two rings of black energy surround his waist and transform him into a familiar blue-skinned ghost. Plasmius fixes his red glare on us and immediately releases a blast from his hand in our direction.
Everything else happens so fast that it's practically a blur. Between punches, kicks, blasts, and wordless battle cries, every movement is almost done instinctively. In the last few seconds, I know I fired my gun, that somehow one of my three cubic lasers was destroyed, that Plasmius managed to deflect a beam from Phantom, and that the ghost kid created a shield around the two of us to fend off an incoming attack.
Never in my whole year as a ghost hunter had I felt so lost in a battle. The intensity of this fight even surpasses the one I had against the Ghost King and his creepy Knight. Sure, they're still definitely stronger than Phantom and Plasmius together, but it's the way these two spooks are fighting that baffles me. It's almost as if they knew each other's strategies and weaknesses; as if they had become accustomed to trading blows between them. I really don't know how to describe it. One thing's for sure: I'm practically an intruder in this match between these two 'mortal' enemies.
In those brief instants of rushed combat, my mind barely registered many of the things that took place, including the witty banter that both ghosts exchanged or the stinging sensation on my left arm.
Wait... I'm injured?
I look at my left upper arm and notice a cut. It's bleeding and it's a bit painful, but not enough to stop me from fighting. How the heck did I get hurt, anyway?
Focusing back on the battle, I prepare to fly out of the shield and charge at Vlad. However, before I can take off, Phantom's voice stops me. "Val, wait!" At the sound of that, I stop and eye him with a mix of impatience and curiosity. "As much as I'd love to see you beat the crap out of him, don't do anything rash," my new ally warns me. "He's dangerous."
I roll my eyes at that statement. "As if I hadn't noticed," I reply at the same time that I see four Vlads attempting to destroy the barrier protecting us.
Phantom is straining to keep the shield up and he looks ready to collapse, but he's still standing. I know I have to do something quick to help him.
...Did that sentence really cross my mind?
"I just want to get you away from that boy. I really don't want to hurt you, Valerie," one of Plasmius' duplicates exclaims as they all continue hitting and blasting the dome around us.
"What makes you think you can?" I snap back.
I'm about to go out of the shield to continue the fight, dismissing completely a previous warning, but the ghost kid stops me again. "Stay here!"
Plasmius continues with his taunts and blasts, but I refrain myself from going out and doing anything rash, like Phantom said. "Fine," I mutter.
He does seem to know him better than I do. Maybe he'll be able to tell me any tips to fight against this fruit loop.
The ghost kid looks at me directly in the eye. "I know you're more than capable of defending yourself, but if we want to get out of here, we have to work together," he says in a low voice, which sounds more and more tired with each passing minute.
Work together? This is some serious déjà vu. I mean, here we are again, fighting against an enemy we have in common. But what if this turns out to be the same as last time? What if we work as a team for now and end up as foes again after a while?
But if it's not this, what other choice do I have?
"What do you have in mind, spook?" I ask after a moment.
"I don't have much energy left, so we have to act fast," he replies in a hushed tone. "Can you aim your two remaining cubes separately?"
"I don't know... I haven't tried that before," I reply honestly.
"You'll have to give it a try. I can't hold this shield much longer." His voice sounds more strained than before. How has he been able to use that amount of energy without collapsing? Either he's stronger than I thought he was or he somehow managed to regain his energy.
Hold on a second... didn't he say something about an energy booster?
His voice interrupts my thoughts once again. "On the count of three, I'm going to drop the shield and you'll have to fly towards the stairs. Clear the way using each cube against a Vlad. I'll take care of the other two and cover your back," he commands.
I stare at him in disbelief. "You want me to flee without you, after all that trouble? Who died and made you the boss anyway?" I exclaim enraged, but only loud enough for him to hear.
Seriously, I can't leave him behind. He won't be strong enough to fight for long. And then I would have to come back to save him… again!
"Do you have something else in mind?" he asks.
Well, we need Plasmius to lower his guard and to get rid of his duplicates. We can't use too much energy and we can't waste too much time. For all we know, the Fentons could be in mortal danger. But how exactly are we going to eliminate his three other copies with the minimum effort? Unless...
"Actually, I do have something else in mind." But I don't really like the idea. If it fails, we're back to square one. Maybe even worse than that... "Just shut up and let me handle this," I whisper.
Phantom gives me a curious look. "What are you g--?"
"Vlad!" I yell, interrupting the ghost kid. The four Vlads put their attacks on hold and look at me questioningly. "You're a business man, right? You obviously make deals and negotiations all the time."
"Where are you trying to get with this?" one of the duplicates asks impatiently.
"We'll make a deal," I reply. I hope this works... "You let us go this time, and your secret will be safe."
Vlad gives me another smug smile, which I was somehow expecting. "And how do you suppose you're going to expose me if I refuse?" he asks. "You have no proof about your claim."
I really hope this works.
"You know, that's one of the benefits of having a back-up plan," I continue bluffing. Why didn't I really have a back-up plan? "Before I came here, I made sure to leave behind a folder with all the information I found out about you. I gave it to a friend and told her not to open it unless I went missing. It would be a real shame if you ended up losing in your own game, all because you wouldn't let two of your pawns go."
Pawn-related banter? Check.
Plasmius scowls noticeably. "You're bluffing," he exclaims in a lower tone.
"Would you like to test that theory, too?" I ask defiantly. "My friend can create a huge fuzz about this if she wants to. Her group of friends can be very influential."
Well, if I had given Star the folder and if she convinced Paulina that Vlad Masters/Plasmius is trying to destroy Danny Phantom, Paulina could make a huge scandal to save her beloved 'ghost boy'. Too bad I didn't think about it before.
It feels weird. I mean... I used to resort to my charm to get whatever I wanted, which was something I learned that with the A-list girls. Of course, I didn't use it as much as Paulina, but I was always able to pull it off whenever I needed it. This time, though, it's not really charm. It's plain blackmail, and it's worse because I'm lying about it. It feels weird because it's a low trick to use, even if it's against Vlad.
The older ghost looks between Phantom and me. After a brief internal debate, he sighs in defeat. "Very well. I accept your terms. You may go in exchange of that file," he says. The same rings of black energy reappear around his waist and he resumes his human form. A smirk is visible on his face. "It seems that you're not the only one who's learning something from me, my boy," he tells Phantom, who grits his teeth and prepares to punch Vlad in the face.
I grab the spook's wrist and he turns to face me questioningly (yet again). "It's not worth it. Let's go," I exclaim.
We already have what we wanted. We already have our freedom. I know Vlad won't give up and he will return with another plot, but we're not ready to fight him this time.
The ghost kid gives me another determined look. "Not yet," he mutters. "Cover your ears."
Before I can even ask him what he's up to, he takes a deep breath and unleashes one of his horrible wails. The attack is directed towards his former prison and the control panels. The sound is so awful that I have to cover my ears, just like he warned. Even as I do so, I still feel as if my brain's going to explode. It wasn't this bad when he was locked in that chamber.
Vlad is also protecting his ears with his hands, his eyes are shut and his teeth are clenched, which makes him unaware at the moment of all the destruction in his underground lab.
The room shakes as the small prison becomes a pile of rubble, along with several devices, monitors, and other objects. Surprisingly enough, the roof above us doesn't collapse, though a part of it does have some damage.
The wail fades. All that's left is a curtain of dust and smoke. I notice the ghost kid on his knees, panting after releasing all that energy. He coughs, looking even weaker than before. All the energy he had left is now definitely gone. I still can't believe he took such a risk. I had already bargained our ticket out of here and then he ruins all of it with his little stunt!
Sure, Plasmius is nowhere to be seen, but that's mainly because of the still unsettled smog, not because he's out cold or anything. We should hurry, though. We can use this as a distraction to flee without a problem.
Besides, I'll have plenty of time to give Phantom a piece of my mind...
Without another word and without wasting another second, I grab Phantom's hand and guide him onto my jet sled. He sits on the back and I immediately take off to the room upstairs, flying directly through the portal and into the Ghost Zone.
I try to recall how to go back to Amity Park and finally remember about the coordinates I had stored in my suit's computer. A small map with the route I traveled appears on the small screen on my forearm. All we have to do is follow the map backwards, towards the Fenton Portal.
With that decision made, I start flying as fast as my sled allows me. Phantom's grip on the board tightens noticeably. Good. At least he didn't fall unconscious.
I glance for a second over my shoulder to look at him. "You still have a lot of explaining to do, spook."
Phantom gives a tired sigh. "I know," he replies in a weary tone. There's a brief silence between us before he continues. "Where do you want to begin?"
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Notes:
None... brain out of service.
(J'ai mal de la tête...)
Next chapter will be better. I promise.
Coming soon:
Chapter 9: The Explaining (of my headache?)
