Chapter XCVII
Sam and Valerie sat at one of the many tables in the library. The two girls talked quietly amongst themselves. Mr. Lancer and Mr. Falluca occupied a different table, well out of earshot of the girls. Phantom sat with them.
"So you're saying that it's your child?" Mr. Falluca asked curiously.
"Shh!" Phantom cast a glance over at the girls, who hadn't heard any of the conversation. "Not so loud!"
"Sorry."
"And no, it's not really my child. I mean, yeah, it kinda is, sorta, like, half of my, well-"
"Do you intend to walk circles around your argument all day?" Lancer interrupted.
"The ghost I fought in the computer was a clone of me created by my . . . arch nemesis," Phantom tip-toed his way around being specific. "It absorbed my DNA before I destroyed it. Or before I thought I destroyed it."
"And, acting out of instinct, it impregnated a suitable host," Falluca nodded in understanding. "But how are you going to remove it?"
"Remove it?" Phantom repeated.
"Yes, remove it. Something like that cannot live inside a human being without repercussions. It is probably some type of parasite."
"Well yeah, ok, but, I mean, let's not just jump to decisions here-"
"Do you want Valerie to go through a full nine month pregnancy term with a ghost baby?" Falluca asked Phantom in an are-you-serious? manner. "We know nothing about ghost reproduction cycles, let alone those of a clone ghost. That embryo could kill her."
"Ok, but if I try to remove it, it could kill her anyway," Phantom countered. "Besides, I don't know how to manipulate technology, and that thing is at least half technological."
"What about that other ghost you said you fought in DOOMED?" Lancer offered. "The master of technology?"
"Well ok, he's probably still in the game somewhere, but it's not like he'd come out of the game to help us."
"Then perhaps you'll just have to go get him," Falluca said with a grin.
"How?" Phantom asked. "The power's-" the lights in the library all winked on at the same time. The computers booted up as well. "-out."
"I guess Tucker must have found out how to activate the backup generator," Falluca remarked.
Phantom opened his mouth to reply, but a cry of pain from Valerie stopped him. Within seconds, everyone was standing around her, unsure of what to do.
"Valerie," Phantom said nervously. "Can you lie on the table? We need to see what's going on."
Valerie muttered something incoherent, but obliged to the ghost's request. Slowly, and with help from everyone else, the girl eventually settled down on the table. Phantom stood next to the table near Valerie's midsection. The girl lifted up her shirt again to expose her abdomen and Phantom laid his hands on her stomach.
Skin, muscle, and everything else that made up Valerie's stomach vanished from sight. Once again, Phantom had a clear view at the red circle, but he instantly knew something was wrong.
It was getting bigger.
"Oh man," he whispered. "Oh man . . ."
The two teachers moved closer to have a better look. Sam stayed near Valerie's head to provide support, although she was curious as to what had the men so wound up.
"It's taking root," Phantom said loud enough for everyone to hear. "It's intertwining the life support functions with Valerie's heart, lungs, everything."
"Why would a ghost need that much sustenance?" Falluca pondered.
"I don't want to wait long enough to find out," Mr. Lancer wheeled his chair away from the table. He turned to Mr. Falluca. "How much smaller would you say that is than a human embryo?"
"Hard to tell, since I'm not a medical doctor," Falluca stated. "But I do remember my anatomy classes from high school."
"How?" Phantom asked, interested.
"Photographic memory," the man grinned and tapped the side of his head. "I'd say this ghost is about equal in size to a human fetus during the third month of pregnancy."
"How can it be growing that quickly?" Valerie demanded angrily.
"It's a ghost, we're complicated," Phantom replied.
Valerie glared daggers at Phantom, but the ghost turned away. "I don't think we have any other choice but to find Technus," he sighed. "Most of the ghost's parasitic qualities are technological, and he would know how to remove at least that part."
"What about the organic half?" Falluca asked.
Phantom looked at Valerie's stomach. His hands were still resting on it. He felt the rhythmic rise and fall of her belly with each breath she took. But it was different somehow. She was breathing for two people, living for two people. One of those people was his child. Unlike Walker, Phantom felt a strange feeling whenever he got close to the embryo; like a bond. Phantom grinned at the thought, but almost gasped when he felt positive emotions flowing from his link with his unborn offspring, fueled by his own. His child, his son, that little red circle was really his son.
Finally, Phantom looked up. "I'll think of something."
Technus groaned as he rolled over. A spike of pain shot through his head, and the ghost winced as he brought a hand up to the affected area. Then he noticed that he was no longer in a combat form.
"What in the world?" the ghost stood to his feet and surveyed the area.
The destructible environment really lived up to its name. The entire level had been ravaged during his scuffle with Phantom. That was the very least of his problems. Technus tapped into the game's code and gasped in horror.
However long he had been unconscious had been long enough for the masterminds at Bouncie™ Studios to trap his unique code in the game. He was unable to escape on his own. The ghost pulled up data on the fifteen players that were about to appear on the map; they were the top fifteen DOOMED players in the world. Without any technology to construct a new combat form, the ghost was in for quite an uncomfortable experience.
"You virus!"
Technus turned his head just in time for it to be smashed by Phantom's fist. He flew across the map, slamming into the remains of a pillar.
"Do you have any idea what you've done?"
"What I've done?" Technus sneered. "You defeated me, and that isn't enough for you?"
"I didn't defeat you," the ghost flew up to Technus' prone form. "My clone did."
"Ah, I see that you two have met," Technus smirked.
That was a mistake that he learned never to make again. A blast of electroplasm tore into his body, destabilizing his molecular structure. Technus cried out in pain as Phantom's sure of energy coursed through his body.
"Oh we met, alright," Phantom ceased his attack. "And then it got to meet my ex girlfriend!" Phantom blasted Technus again, this time with raw energy. Without his constantly intangible binary state to protect him, Technus took the full force of this attack too. "And guess how it introduced itself?"
"Itimpregnatedher!" Technus blurted out as Phantom's second assault ended. "I know! I analyzed it when I discovered it in the system!"
"And you didn't stop it?"
"My orders were to capture you and take you to Walker, not to engage your clone!"
Phantom growled and grabbed Technus by the neck. He hoisted him up in midair, bringing him face-to-helmet. "Let's get this straight; Walker doesn't care about you, or anyone else. He wants me dead. If that means going through you to do it, then he will without batting an eyelash."
"I am painfully aware of that, thank you," Technus spat. "But the alternative was to perish without having the chance to save myself; not a very logical choice."
"No, it isn't." Phantom spun around and threw Technus into the ground. "Walker might be my son from the future, but maybe he's more like me now than I realized. If you don't want me to end you right now, you're going to help me with something."
"Why would I-" Phantom sped at the ground and launched his fist into Technus' stomach. Blood and spittle flew from his mouth as the air was forced from his lungs. Phantom slammed his MJOLNIR armored boot down on the techno ghost's neck.
"Because I can think of many more creative ways to mutilate your still conscious body," Phantom finished in a deathly cold voice. "You've worked for Plasmius too, so you must know about the voices in my head. I have three minds, and all of them want you dead. So, die here or die by Walker's hand. Choose."
"What do you want me to do?" Technus asked through strangled gasps for air that he technically didn't need.
"The ghost embryo is half technological. That's the part that is merging with Valerie's body. This thing is going to kill her unless you get rid of his technologic parts."
Technus grinned. "His? Your son? You want me to abort your unborn son?"
Phantom bared his teeth behind his ancient Spartan helmet. "This is your fault in the first place! You could have killed my clone, and then I could have beaten you myself. But instead, you decided to let it go!"
"How would your approval ratings fare if the citizens of Amity Park realized that you wish to destroy life instead of saving it?" Technus asked sadistically. "Ghost, machine, unborn, or all three, it is still your child."
"All I want you to do is to remove the machine," Phantom replied quietly. "I can deal with the unborn and ghost part."
"Oh? You can? I wasn't aware that one of your many powers was delivering newborn ghost infants."
"And what would you suggest I do?"
"The ghost embryo will grow at an accelerated rate. In one hour, I can remove all the technological material from your spawn. It will still grow much faster than a normal human, but I can intangibly remove it from Miss Gray's body before she is forced to give birth."
"Why can't I do that?"
"You've never done it before."
"And you have?"
Technus grinned. "I delivered Penelope Spectra in a similar manner. I believe this procedure is similar to the cesarean section process human females undergo for certain pregnancies." Phantom removed his boot from Technus' neck and the ghost righted himself. "Now then, before we are blasted all the way to holy hell and back by the greatest DOOMED players in the world, we should vacate the premises."
Phantom grabbed Technus by the shoulder and concentrated. The two winked out of existence just as the strike force arrived.
Phantom re-emerged from the computer screen, this time with Technus in tow. The two ghosts landed on the floor silently. Technus zeroed in on Phantom's child and made his way over to Valerie.
"W-who are you?" the girl stammered. "Get away from me!"
"I do not have time for this nonsense!" Technus cried out as he stopped. "You want this creature removed from your body, do you not?"
Valerie looked to Sam for approval. The Goth girl nodded, and Valerie looked back to Technus, mimicking the gesture.
"Uh, everyone?" Phantom spoke up. "This is Technus; ghost master of technology. Technus, that is Valerie. The girl sitting next to her is Sam." He turned and gestured to the teachers. "This is Mr. Falluca and Mr. Lancer."
"I'm delighted beyond words to make your acquaintances," Technus mumbled sarcastically as he continued on his way over to Valerie. Phantom quickly fell into step behind him. "I can promise you that this will not hurt you in the slightest," Technus glumly informed Valerie. "You will feel uncomfortable, but I believe it is safe to surmise that you do not wish to carry out this pregnancy."
"You, uh, need me to do anything?" Phantom offered.
Technus looked up. "Keep her abdomen invisible and intangible." He looked at Sam. "You, go find some form of towel or cloth. Preferably more than one."
"How? The rest of the doors are sealed shut," Sam replied.
Technus blinked. "They're open now. Hurry!"
Sam rushed out of the room, muttering something about stupid ghosts under her breath.
"You two," Technus ordered Lancer and Falluca without looking at them. "Go find something constructive to do. I need to be left as alone as possible."
The teachers exchanged confused looks, but obliged to the specter's request. Within moments, they were gone.
"This ghost's implantation process in incredibly complex," Technus remarked as he slowly began to work his magic. "I doubt it was created this way specifically."
"Created? What do you mean?" Valerie asked.
"The ghost that impregnated you is a clone," Technus replied with a smirked. "It was fused with several technological components to sustain its form. I believe it used the technology to evolve according to its own desire."
"And it evolved specifically to impregnate me?" Valerie growled.
"No, no, that's not it at all," Technus explained condescendingly. "This ghost evolved to grow more powerful than the ghost it was cloned from. The only way this could be achieved is through . . . natural conception and birth."
"And who is the ghost it was cloned from?"
Phantom glared at Technus. "You mean he didn't tell you?" the techno-ghost said in false-shock.
Valerie looked from Phantom to Technus. "Tell me what?"
"Don't," Phantom murmured.
"Why, the clone is a copy of Phantom!" Technus revealed with a grin. "It shares almost one hundred percent of his DNA!"
Valerie's mouth hung open in shock. ". . . You!"
"This isn't my fault!" Phantom exclaimed. "How could you possibly think to blame me for this?"
Valerie moved her jaw, trying to say something. So many thoughts clouded her mind that she was unable to organize them into coherent speech. Instead, she settled for giving Phantom a death glare.
"Look, I'm sorry that this happened to you, but it wasn't my fault."
Technus chuckled. "Not his fault?" he looked at Valerie. "He practically impregnated you himself!"
"Ok, even if that was true, how would you even know that?" Phantom shouted.
"I am removing your son's computer memory systems," Technus replied. "I can see everything that he has seen. You basically brought him right to this young female."
Phantom found himself unable to think of anything to say. So he stood there, his hands resting uncomfortably on Valerie's stomach while Technus removed the life-threatening technology from her body. Not even his voices could think of anything to say.
Technus, meanwhile, could have said a lot more. He decided, however, that he had ruined Phantom's image in the girl's eyes enough already. He was much more focused on the technology inside the girl's body. Plasmius never came up short on the matter of machinery, and the systems fused with the ghost were incredible. So incredible, in fact, that the ghost master of all things flashing and beeping couldn't help but reformat all the tiny particles of technology into nanobots.
The tiny machines were then intangibly inserted into Valerie's blood stream. He wasn't entirely sure what he would use them for in the future, but several ideas came to mind. He filed them away for later analysis before diverting all his attention to the task at hand; namely, removing the ghost infant.
"Where is that scary girl?" Technus barked. "I require those towels!"
"I got 'em right here!" Sam darted into the room, holding several bundles of towels in her hands.
Technus held out his hand and received the cloths from the girl as she unceremoniously threw one at his open palm.
"More willing cooperation on your part will ensure the survival of Phantom's offspring," Technus scolded. His eyes never left the task at hand as he prepared to remove the child from the girl's body.
"His what?!" Sam looked at Phantom in astonishment.
Technus ignored her and carefully wrapped a hand around the now-squirming baby. He lifted it from Valerie's body and set it into the unfolded towel. The ghost quickly wrapped the child's body in the cloth and handed it to Sam, who instinctively cradled it in her arms. The ghost then made sure to check for anything else the parasite may have left behind. Satisfied that Valerie's body was back to normal, with the exception of his nanobots, he nodded to Phantom, who removed his hands from Valerie's stomach. The girl hurriedly tugged her top down over her midsection and hopped off the table.
"Another successful delivery," Technus sighed.
Valerie and Sam were looking at Phantom's son in fascination. It stared back at them with its curious oval shaped eyes. The red glow in them was not sinister as with so many other ghosts. The baby's eyes glowed a friendly, playful, curious red as it looked from one female to another.
"I'd say he likes both of you," Phantom spoke up, hoping to relieve the tension.
The baby heard his father's voice and twisted around, unconstrained by human or ghostly breaking points. His eyes widened and a happy gurgling noise sounded from the infant. It had no visible mouth. The only physical features it had were its eyes and hands, which had only three fingers. The child oozed out of the towel and floated through the air to its father.
"That's a very interesting power," Technus remarked. "He doesn't seem to have any consistency to his form. It is likely that he inherited it from you."
"Shape shifting?" Phantom asked as the snow-white ghost wrapped around his arm.
"Its amorphous state will make that power even easier," Technus noted in fascination. Then, with a malicious grin on his face, "Not that you'll ever get to see him master it."
Phantom looked up in confusion as Technus blasted him with electroplasm. The ghost boy tumbled into the wall of the library; his son fell to the floor and began to cry. Technus swooped in, wrapping the infant in the folds of his cape, and cackled victoriously as he vanished into cyberspace. Every computer in the school exploded once he was gone.
"NO!" Phantom shouted, flying over to the monitor. "NO!"
Phantom felt the fear and terror radiating from his son. He so desperately wanted to find him, to save him, but Technus covered his tracks surprisingly well. Tucker stumbled into the library with the two teachers, holding his smoking PDA in his hand.
"Dude!" Tucker asked in awe as he saw the carnage in the library. "What happened?"
Phantom sighed and looked away. His bond with his son grew weaker and weaker, but the sense of fear never changed. His son was still scared even as the bond diminished completely. He had failed another child, and he hadn't even had a chance do try to do things right.
Phantom rose up off the floor and ascended through the ceiling, leaving four very confused and concerned humans behind and one distraught, very angry human as well.
To Be Continued
A/N: Things get all wrapped up next chapter. Maybe now you can guess who the baby is? I'll name him next chapter, for those of you who still don't know.
I was surprised how many of you thought it was Danni. I understand where someone would get that idea, but I was still surprised that so many people guessed it. Sorry if you were looking forward to it. And I guess I should also apologize for snatching little Phantom Junior the Second away from his daddy like that. But don't worry, he'll find a suitable guardian soon enough.
So yeah. I guess all I have to do to get a lot of reviews is make people get pregnant. Next chapter, Sam gets preggers with twins; Youngblood and Danni! No, no, I'm kidding. Youngblood won't surprise many, although I think it will be a welcome change. And Danni . . . well, you'll just have to wait and see.
Thanks to all my reviewers, especially Shining Zephyr, Cyber-Porygon, Vorago Atrox, Belthasar, inukagome15, Amras Felagund, MissMeliss4251, Kyuubikitsune9, Fulcon, darkbunny92, Silverline Scimitar, darkness over day, and Billy D.
Billy D. is my friend in real life. We've been in school together since second grade. Treat him with the same respect you would show a Roman god.
THAT'S NOT YOUR HONEY, YELLOW JACK! – Honey Nut Cheerios commercial.