Chapter Twelve: The Test

Like most secluded enclaves of the rich and famous, Fenton Manor is difficult to find the first time one goes. It lies much out of the way of Amity Park, built in a sylvan forest far away from town. The forest itself is home to a mountain, where a massive coal mine used to turn out tons of the precious mineral year after year. Its main entrance is blocked by high-tech security systems that are not found on the utility entrance four miles away. It is remote and beautiful at once, like a sunset in winter.

On the skyway to the main entrance, a long black limousine streaked regally through the air. Inside the chassis of this car, seated on cushions and Corinthian leather, reading over the newest stock reports, were two men seated in the exact same spot.

They were having a conversation.

You're sure that Technus's machine can pull all this off?

Positive. He fared quite wonderfully all those years earlier, didn't he?

Yes, he did. He was the perfect scapegoat; just like all the others we used.

Thanks to them, even young Daniel thinks you're just an innocent pawn. Fool . . .

Be careful. He's become quite formidable. Surely I don't need to remind you.

I'd rather you'd not.

Good. I really don't want to think about all that right now, not when we're so close to victory. Finally! We get to see her after all these years!

Yes, it's wonderful, isn't it?

I just hope she returns our enthusiasm. She still considers me a family friend, along with that flabby oaf.

All the better. It'll only make things easier.

What about the children?

We must leave that to Dragon and Mary. They will estimate the abilities of our young friends. We will train one, and execute the other.

Are you sure? Why not keep both?

That's too much of a threat. Besides, if one is destroyed, it will add the perfect taste of melancholy to our protégée. It will be the tragedy that pushes the child over the edge and into our hands.

Very well. You're right. I must be getting sentimental . . .

Don't blame yourself. You and I were separated all those years. It was bound to happen.

I suppose. But remember, this is far more of a risk than setting Box Lunch loose. She didn't know anything. Once they trounced her, she went home crying to Mommy and Daddy.

Even better. That will make the farce a walk.

What if one of our operatives is captured?

I highly doubt that either twin will be carrying a Fenton Thermos in their pocket.

Point taken. Look; we're almost there. Shall we?

Indubitably.

As the car slid to a stop at the gate, the driver requested to be let in. This was done, and the luxurious vehicle came to a halt in front of the immense estate's entrance. The two men waited until their driver opened the door.

"Thank you, Victor," they said in perfect unison.

"Of course, sir," the driver replied. He was a short, stout man with a gray coif and a bristled moustache. His black sportcoat and green eyes gave an impression of shallow decadence.

The two men walked in tandem up the marble staircase, admiring the decor of the mansion's exterior. Not what either would have preferred, but still very good. They rang the doorbell in perfect unison, waiting but a moment before a woman with raven hair and amethyst eyes answered.

"Why hello, Samantha!" the two men exclaimed. "It's been an eternity!"

Jake Fenton looked at his reflection in his bathroom mirror. He'd just gotten out of the shower, a towel wrapped around his waist. The room was still filled with steam, looking as hazy as Jake did when his ghost powers were active. Drying his hair with a separate towel, it easily fell into the signature "perfect mess" that he'd worn all his life.

It was 9:51 A.M., at least according to the clock on the wall. Ellie had taken more than two hours in here, as this bathroom was one of the only two with a shower. From past experience, this was most unusual.

She never took that long before, he thought. Not that it had any particular importance right now. For now, the important thing was getting dressed for their family's annual holiday get-together.

Putting the towels back, Jake switched into another set of clothes and looked down from his balcony. In the foyer were Chrissy, Dave, and their respective parents wishing them goodbye. Also there were two people he'd never expected to see: Gina and Ty.

The latter two children were standing alongside a tall, statuesque African-American woman who bore short-cropped hair and teal green eyes. She wore a navy suit that bore a shiny badge on the right side of the chest.

This has to be Gina's mom, Jake thought.

As he walked along the open-ended hallway that ran along the atrium and dining hall, he saw a few more familiar faces. Two belonged to his grandparents, Jack and Maddie; another to a woman with bright-red hair, sea-blue eyes, and a burn scar high on her cheek; yet another to his father's chief engineer, Tucker Foley; still another was that of an old man with ice-white hair and high cheekbones; and the last two belonged to his parents.

Ellie, however, was nowhere to be found.

Personal log, Dec 22 2029, 10:08 A.M.:

Ellie's been acting strange. Today's our annual holiday dinner, and Mom and Dad invited all their friends and family to come. Turns out Commissioner Gray and used to date in high school. Mom didn't seem to like that being brought up.

I looked for my sis all around the house, and found her hanging ornaments along with the butler. She said hi, saying that she just wanted to do some work to take her mind off things. I asked her what things. "You wouldn't understand." I'm sure that was the response.

She went down to the dining hall, greeted the guests, and sat down. Me, I'm just writing this before it pops outta my head.

Mom's calling me. Gotta go!

"Jake! I won't say it again!"

"Alright, alright! I just need to cap this off!" Jake typed the last lines of his latest journal entry on his computer, logged off the program, and went for the dining hall.

As he started down the rotating staircase, he mulled over the recent battle with Box Lunch and how she got free. Nowadays, ectoplasm was considered to have immense strategic value, and devices were created to harvest it. However, the process of collecting the interdimensional energy source was dangerous: the Ghost Wars had rendered practically every ghost livid at the human race.

The latest theory that Jake was working on–as well as the most likely–involved the little ghost and her brute pets escaping though an artificial portal during a harvest. This was a rare occurrence indeed, though not unheard of. And although Jake's own worst-case scenarios had Box Lunch showing up at Fenton Manor for revenge, he knew that wouldn't happen. The house was protected by some of the most advanced security known to man–

WHUMP!

Jake reeled back as he tried to discern who or what he'd run into. Standing in front of him, leaning on an oaken cane, was one of the strangest old men he'd ever seen. He wore a fine designer's suit which sported a red handkerchief in the breast pocket, along with a matching fedora. In the crook of his arm, he held a black coat that–presumably–he was taking to the closet.

The first thing that struck Jake was that this old man was very handsome for his age. The second was that this was the man he'd seen in the dining hall just shortly before. His hair was the color of ice, and drawn back in a ponytail not unlike his father's, only shorter. He had high-set cheekbones bordering a sharp cut nose, and a goatee to compliment his hair. Finally, his eyes were a very peculiar shade of blue: the color of a daybreak sky's remnant of night.

"Why, I'm so sorry, little badger," the old man apologized. "My eyesight must be going."

"It's okay," Jake replied. "But...who are you?"

"Masters," the man replied. "Vlad Masters. And you must be young Jacob, aren't you?"

"Um...yeah..."

"Daniel has told me all about you and Ellen. You're quite the bright young ones."

"Thanks...sir." Jake was uneasy about all this. He didn't even know this man, save by reputation.

Vlad took his coat to the closet, which was only a short distance behind Jake. In the boy's opinion, he took a very long time.

"Now then," Vlad said as he came back, "shall we?"

Taught to be polite, Jake escorted Vlad back to the dining hall, where everyone was seated around a massive table of food and confection. He took a seat beside Ellie, as Vlad did by his grandmother.

As the adults started to chat, Jake turned to his sister and Chrissy. "So...what was your problem back in the living room?"

"I told you I didn't want to talk about that," Ellie said evenly. "It's my problem, and I'll deal with it! Comprende?"

Jake frowned. "We used to be able to talk about everything. Remember?"

"Yeah," Chrissy interjected, "but it's probably something exclusive to women! You're not allowed to know!"

Jake was about to reply when that feeling of cold rushed up his throat and out of his mouth; his sister followed suit. Looking at Ellie, Jake thought about Box Lunch and her pets, and the feeling they got then. This meant something.

There was a ghost nearby.