Chapter 16
As Danny waited outside with the rest of the guests, his parents and Vlad met up with him. After they handed him a bag filled with one of his favorite Nasty Burger meals, he gave them a quick rundown of what he knew, save for the appearance of the ghost. While frustrated, his parents shuffled him into the RV so he could eat and warm up a bit. It was a chilly fall day after all.
As he ate, Danny vaguely wondered how his parents managed to convince Vlad, the man with the limo, to go across town with them. His dad's driving prowess… well, lack thereof… was famous in the area. The townsfolk and even the police steered clear of any known Fenton vehicle. In actuality, he had no idea how his dad hadn't lost his license.
After a couple hours, the fire department cleared the building with the exception that rooms on the second floor could not be used until the police preformed an investigation to verify whether or not arson occurred. The rooms on that floor would also need cleaned. Thankfully, little damage ended up being done from the fire: a few pieces of furniture and some scorch marks. The majority of the damage ended up being from the hotel's sprinkler system.
After collecting their items, his parents drove to a large house on the outskirts of the housing plan where Sam lived. After asking what they were doing there, Vlad matter-of-factly stated he just finalized the payment on it. Danny's utter confusion had to be evident as his parents explained Vlad recently decided to purchase a house in Amity Park since he would be around more to help with the research.
Well, it explained why it took his parents so long to get food. While the act itself didn't seem that strange for Vlad, he did own a castle in Wisconsin after all, something about the timing bothered him. With the rare exception of a day when there was a major experiment malfunction, Vlad tended to stay with the family upon his visits. Exactly how long would he be in town if he needed to buy a new house?
After getting a quick tour of the house, Danny retired to his temporary room and called his friends. The three way call ended up being hectic as he explained what happened. "Guys, I'm telling you, I saw a ghost, and then somehow the hotel caught fire."
"Calm down, Danny," Sam instructed. "I know you're telling the truth, but geez, how in the world did you end up being the center of so much trouble in two days?"
"My mom said something about me possibly attracting paranormal things now."
"Makes sense, in a weird sort of way," Tucker agreed as typing could be heard on his end. "I'll see if I can dig up any stories of ghosts like what you saw this time."
"Don't worry about it, Tucker. You're already looking into those files."
"Nah, this'll be easy. It'll only take a couple minutes at most to set up a search and have it run in the background while we talk. Any specific things that stood out?"
"Other than the blue flaming hair?" He sighed and collapsed on his bed. "If she hadn't been a ghost, she would have looked right at home in one of those bands Sam likes. She said she wanted to make people remember she still exists."
"So she looked like a goth?" Sam questioned.
"Yeah, but with some, uh… I think you'd say she's more punk."
"Woah! That's weird," Tucker stated after something on one of his tech devices beeped in the background. "So, apparently there have been a series of spontaneous fires that seem to occur about every ten years, but they started after the death of a local girl. Some people think it's her ghost that causes them. I'll send you the articles."
It took only seconds for the article links to be sent. Danny nearly dropped the phone when the picture of the mentioned girl appeared on the screen. With the exception of the hair, the girl's face matched that of the ghost. "That… that's her! Wow, she really doesn't look that much different as a ghost."
"Wait, you're serious?" Sam hummed as she reviewed the information. "Says here while she was unpopular at school, she was in a local band. She was found dead after her house burned down mysteriously. The police thought it might of been an arson, but officials were never able to verify anything. After her death and around its anniversary, there were reports of fires in the city. Sometimes, entire buildings are engulfed, but other times the words 'you will remember' appear burned into buildings."
"I kinda remember hearing my dad mention something about ghost fires growing up, but with it being my dad, I never put any stock into it."
"My mom said something about it once."
"I have no idea why I keep forgetting your mom works for 911," Sam interrupted. "You know, we might be able to use that to our advantage."
"I mean, you can try, but she refuses to talk about anything other than the occasional funny call. The one about the 'bambulance' still brings me to tears."
"Tuck, you're getting distracted."
"Right. Anyways," some typing could be heard on Tucker's end, "my mom thought the fires were from the girl's bandmates. They had just recorded a song called 'Remember' which got some local play before she died. Since I know asking Mom for anything else is pointless, I think I'm gonna see if I can get into the files of those fires. The news articles all have explanations, but some of them seem a bit over the top."
"How long will that take?"
Danny snorted. "Sam, it's Tucker. Knowing him, he's already looking at them."
"I'm hurt, Sam. Do you really have that little faith in me?"
"I know you'll be able to get them eventually. You're track record hasn't been all that great recently. You'll still working on those files you got from Plasmius, after all."
"Oh, I've finished the review on those. Some of it isn't pretty, but I wanted to verify information directly from Vlad Master's companies. That's been slow going 'cause he has some impressive firewalls, and I'm really trying not to get caught. As for this," Tucker briefly shouted in triumph, "I've already gotten what I need. Hmm… that's weird. The official investigations regarding the 'Ember fires', as they're called, all state there was no known cause of the fire. There wasn't even evidence of an accelerant… which is…?"
"It's something used to make a fire go from a few flames to a roaring fire. Think of what happens when you add gasoline to a fire," Sam explained as tapping could be heard on her end. Was she at the computer too? "Most arsonists use one. If they don't, unless the flames start where there's something like tissue paper, sawdust, or something else really flammable, the fire usually takes a lot of time to grow and become a problem. Tuck, is there anything about flammable materials?"
"Hmm… no, not really."
Danny sighed as he got off the bed and paced his temporary room. "Great, now there's a fire starting ghost on the prowl, on top of Plasmius, that thing… and possibly whatever is wrong with that girl. Tuck, do you have any updates on anything?"
"On the Plasmius front, no. Like I said, I'm trying to cross-reference those files against the files from VladCo and DALV, but that's taking a while due to his security. For the creepy thing that attacked you, I have a notification set up for any potentially related attacks. I think that's all I can do for now on that… As for Maura, I got distracted a bit when Plasmius had that chat with you, but I can tell you she stopped posting on social media right after her disappearing act. That's pretty weird for girls in her clique. Give me a couple days to get her medical chart." Something beeped in the background. "Oh, it looks like I might have a pattern for our fire bug ghost."
"At least that's something. Can you send them to me?"
Sam snorted. "What, you're gonna try to figure out where she'll be and talk to her?"
"I mean, it's worth a shot. Maybe she knows something about Plasmius or that thing? And… maybe I can nicely ask her to stop lighting fires?"
"I think you're just gonna end up with your ass kicked, but go ahead."
"Thanks for that wonderful vote of confidence," Danny deadpanned. The ghost was nice enough to give him a warning so she couldn't be all bad. "I think if I open up with a 'thank you', she won't outright attack me."
"It's your funeral."
"Actually, Danny, can you die?" Tucker hesitantly asked. "I mean… your situation is kinda weird."
He thought about it for a few moments. "I think so. Clockwork told me I'm alive, so that's good enough for me. But, to be honest, I don't really wanna think about it too much."
"That's fair."
…
Danny's conversation only lasted a few more minutes after Tucker asked the awkward question as his parents called for him over an intercom system. Uncertain if the correct response to the intercom should be to cringe or be impressed, he pushed it from his mind as he meandered down the hallways to attempt to find his parents.
Something about the décor of the mansion seemed familiar, but Danny found it difficult to place it. Vlad loved the Green Bay Packers, and he commonly used their colors of green and gold for accents. He stopped in his tracks as he glanced around. Plasmius also had green and gold splashes in his home. It had to be a coincidence.
Not wanting to think about it more, he raced down the halls and eventually came to the main foyer. His dad shot him a questioning glance as his mother stood and moved towards him.
"Hi, sweetie! How are you adjusting? It's been a hectic couple days."
"I'm okay. I'm just a bit tired," he told her as he dodged a hug. "I let Sam and Tucker know we're fine. I'm not dealing with Jazz until after you guys talk to her."
"I trust the room is to your liking?"
Danny jumped as Vlad's voice came from behind him. How did he miss him? "Yes. Thanks for letting us stay."
Vlad waved his hand dismissively. "It's no trouble at all. My house is yours."
"Vlad, you mentioned you had a workshop we can use?" His mother asked as she abandoned her attempts at hugging her son.
After staring at her for a second, Vlad shook his head and regained composure. "Surely that can wait until tomorrow, my dear. You've been through quite a lot in the past twenty-four hours."
"No can do, Vladdy!" Jack boomed as he excitedly stood. "You heard those policemen. They want a Fenton product, and I can't sit still when that spook is still a threat to my family. Say, do you want to help?"
The billionaire grimaced before forcing a smile. "I must politely decline, but I will gladly look over any blue prints in the morning."
"Don't worry," Maddie told him while giving her husband a fond grin, "I know how… enthusiastic Jack can be when he has a new project. I'll also make sure he sleeps tonight. We don't want any accidents."
"That would be greatly appreciated."
Danny glanced between Vlad and his parents. There was some sort of story he was missing. "Should I ask?" he hesitantly questioned.
"I was badly injured when we were in collage when an experiment went wrong," Vlad explained as his expression hardened. "As a result, I've made it a rule to not be in a room when someone is actively making experimental items or preforming experiments. However, I'll gladly double check procedures, blue prints, set ups, and results."
"I… yeah… That… that makes sense. But you're okay now?"
"Absolutely, my dear boy. You could say I gained a different outlook on life as a result." Vlad gave a predatory grin which sent shivers down Danny's spine. "Why, if I hadn't gotten into that accident, I probably wouldn't have ended up so successful."
"Right…" His mother must have caught something off in Vlad's tone as she furrowed her brow in confusion. "It's gotten pretty late. Danny, will you be alright?"
"Huh? Probably. I mean, I could use a snack."
"The kitchen and pantry are just down that hall." Vlad pointed towards the hallway opposite of the way Danny originally came. "Will you be alright to be back to your room once you're done? If you wait, I can escort you back once I'm done showing your parents where the lab is."
"Thanks, but I think I'll be alright. 'Night everyone." Chuckling as his father couldn't contain his excitement anymore and bounded down the hall followed by his amused mother and wary Vlad, he just made his way to the kitchen. It thankfully was easy to find, and after making a sandwich, he meandered his way back towards his room.
….
Around midnight, Danny decided he would attempt to sneak out of the mansion. Luckily for him, Vlad put him in a room on the ground floor, saying something about how the upper floors weren't ready yet. Luckier still, there were no bars on the windows. Sam's parents tried doing something like before due to how many times she snuck out, but it was struck down by her Grandma Ida, who still had control of the deed at that time.
Escape ended up being a piece of cake. There didn't seem to be any type of security system or guard which seemed strange, but that would probably change once the mansion was officially finished.
He had an idea of where the ghost might end up appearing thanks to the articles Tucker forwarded to him earlier so he booked it in the direction of an older housing plan near the city's boarder with Elmerton. The majority of buildings in the area were row houses in disrepair. While there were still a few low income families in the area, most of the houses were considered condemned. Danny remembered hearing talk of tearing the houses down at one point, but either the project was shelved or abandoned.
As he approached, he decided to shift to his ghostly form. While it seemed unlikely he would encounter anyone, the area did have a reputation for crime. While he didn't know what sort of protection being a ghost would give him, it seemed a better option. And, if that thing tried attacking him again, maybe he could float to safety. He really hoped that thing didn't appear; his trust in his abilities honestly was non-existent.
The soft glow of his ghost form provided the majority of the light as he silently found his way to the road where the girl used to live. The few street lamps were either broken or burnt out, and some even seemed melted.
His destination, Garnier Avenue, seemed worse than the surrounding streets. At first he thought the houses were just gutted, but a second look said otherwise. Most of them had some evidence of fire: melted windows, ash marks, and collapsed roofs and walls. Ash and dust could be found on the road as well as the sidewalk, and in some places, they almost looked like outlines of people.
The area seemed dead. No noise. No sound. No movement. As he continued to move forward, his hair stood on end and his breath misted in front of him. It was almost as if he walked into some sort of wall of static electricity.
"So this is what you actually look like. You're not that bad looking after all," a curious voice called to him, making him jump. Danny spun around to see the ghost from earlier materialize in front of him. Her appearance hadn't changed, but she seemed more solid. Even her voice seemed closer and more natural. "Do you know how many of us would kill to be able to blend in that well?"
"Uh… I really wouldn't know. This is really new to me," Danny relied as he held up his hands in what he hoped was a submissive manner.
Her eyes narrowed. "So why are you here, baby pop? Do I interest you?"
He gulped at the undertones of her applications. "A little? I mean, you were nice enough to let me there would be a fire, and I wanted to thank you for that. And maybe ask a couple questions?"
"You just happened to be there at the right time," she responded offhandedly though her satisfied smirk suggested his thanks was welcome. "It would be a waste to see someone like you get destroyed by accident. But, I would like to know how you found me."
"I mentioned you to a friend of mine, and he was able to find out about your legend." Danny hoped he sounded genuinely curious and not creepy. Wait, was it possible for him to not be creepy? He was a ghost after all.
She nodded. "I like to come back around the anniversary of my death. It helps strengthen me."
"You do seem… I think stronger is the word I want."
"Glad you noticed, and that makes you more observant than most of the guys I've met over the years. Call me, Ember." Grinning again, she walked around him almost as if she was examining him.
"I'm Danny."
She snorted. "Bet that's your real name. Don't met too many ghosts who remember theirs. You really must be new. Anyways, you had questions?"
"Yeah. I was hoping you might know something about this thing that's been seen around the town. It attacked me, and it's caused enough trouble to get the police interested." When she didn't immediately respond, Danny took that as a sign he could continue. So, he quickly explained his interaction with whatever the thing was. When he finished, Ember expression turned stony.
"You're telling me something like that has been seen in my town?" she demanded. Her hair, which had been gently waving in an invisible wind, suddenly blazed in a blue flame. "Are you telling me one of those things have been seen here?"
Danny gulped and nodded. "Like I said, it attacked me! What are they? Plasmius doesn't know what they are either."
"Plasmius? Plasmius is here too?" The temperature around them spiked as she shrieked. "Are you working for him? You better answer me, Dipstick."
Notes: more often than not, ghostly fire is considered to be unsubstantial and doesn't do actual damage. Things like will-o-the-wisps and similar entities are not known for causing fires. They're sometimes described as a cold fire – science says they're probably a type of spontaneous combustion of atmospheric gases. Other times when fire is "seen", it's more of a memory. For example, there's a ghost ship off of Northumberland that witnesses say appears to be on fire.
The few cases where actual fires occur seem to be from poltergeists. There are some very famous accounts of that like the Hitching's ghost, the fire spook of Caledonia Mills, etc. However, there are some weird incidences that don't fall into the traditional poltergeist classification. Tarpon Springs, FL is said to have local fires set by a ghost. There are also stories of a ghost that sets fires at a campsite near Laurel Caverns in Pennsylvania.
Also, Ember's background here is pulled directly from information one of the show's directors provided.
XD I made a shout out to one of my favorite 911 funny calls. Search YouTube for "bambulance". It'll come up as "the guy, the deer, the dog, and the bambulance." There's some foul language, but it's amazing. For clarification, when he talks about why the deer is in the car, some US states allow people to take road kill.
Also, fun fact I just found out. Americans and the British use the word "Quite" differently. For Americans, it's equivalent to saying "wholly", "absolutely", etc. For Brits, it means "fairly", "slightly", etc. I'm American, so I use it in the way I grew up with.
And DP additional note: apparently Amity Park is classified as a city, but I lean towards more of a suburban town. Though McKeesport, PA is considered a city…. And if that counts, sure why not?
I also made a subtle Phantom of the Opera reference. Let me know if you caught it.