Chapter 5

Past and Problems

When they landed in Catalina's dreams, they were mortified. She was there, much younger, maybe four or five, but that wasn't what horrified them, Danny's earlier assumption was correct. She was strapped to an examination table, naked, covered in scars. Nearby two guys in white agents, Danny remembered them from the reality gauntlet incident, were speaking to a surgeon. "We need to be careful with this specimen, apparently it's capable of interacting with ghosts who are intangible, so until we find how it can do that, we need to keep it alive." Said one of the agents (O was it?) "Right, until then we should keep taking its claws when they grow back." Said the other agent (R?) "I shall begin administering the growth formula to make the claws return quicker shortly, studies of the specimen suggests there may be adverse side affects, but nothing that will prevent our work from continuing." Said the surgeon. Suddenly Danny and Kokoa felt someone tapping their backs, and jumped. "I should have known you would try to protect me in my nightmares. But it isn't necessary; I've already lived through this. I need to conquer my past alone. But since we're friends now I suppose I should let you know how this happened. Seeing as you're here now…" Danny felt bad, "I'm sorry to have dropped in here without your permission. But you looked like you were having a nightmare and I thought we could help, I didn't realize your memories were as bad as mine…" Catalina laughed. "Once you see all of my key memories I have a feeling you might rephrase that." Then the scene paused and faded. They reappeared at an intersection of four lanes in a big city, probably New York. "I was three when my parents were killed in a car crash, I wasn't in the car, I was taking a walk with my babysitter, over there," she pointed to a small green haired child with a middle aged woman across the street "and we stopped when I tripped and scraped my knee. Then we heard a loud noise and saw a truck had plowed into a car. When I looked closer I saw the car had the sticker I put on the side of it when my parents left for work that day, a kitten. At first I thought it was coincidence but then I saw my mothers green hair lying against the steering wheel." They watched the little girl escape the hands of the babysitter. "I ran to the car and opened the door, the undamaged door, and started crying," the older Catalina and the younger Catalina spoke in unison, "mommy? Wake up mommy! Please! Where's da-" then the two Catalina's went quiet. "I saw my father's hair covered in blood, wearing his favorite goggles, just like the ones I have now." The young Catalina shrieked a blood curdling shriek; something that Danny was sure would put his ghostly wail to shame.

The scene faded and they saw Catalina with a GIW agent, "they left me with my dad's best friend, Mr. Jonson. His agency name was agent J. he didn't know my family was monsters. I was afraid he would hate me and the memory of my family if he found out so I hid my true form on every day except Halloween. One day, it was take your child to work day, and he brought me." The scene morphed to show the GIW headquarters. "But it didn't go as well as they expected, there was a ghost breakout. One of them managed to hold J hostage. I wasn't going to lose my only 'family' again." Little Catalina transformed into her monster form and jumped at the ghost yelling "leave mister J alone!" the ghost ,surprised, turned intangible to dodge, but Catalina still got him. He dropped agent j and started flailing until one of the agents used a capture device (probably bootleg Ghostbusters equipment) to detain the ghost. "I went to Mister Jonson to make sure he was okay. He was less hurt than I was by the look of it, but I felt a prick in the back of my neck and passed out."

The scene reconfigured itself to one similar to the first one they witnessed. "This is the day after. I woke up while they were removing my claws." An ear splitting shriek. The scene changes to the first one. "I stayed there till I was four. Almost a full year. Then this day happened." The scene resumed. "they gave me a growth hormone, but they gave me a lot, they thought since I needed higher concentrations of everything else like sedatives and blood clotters ,so I didn't bleed to death during intravenous experiments, that I would require a great deal of growth hormones as well. But they were wrong. They gave me far too much, and…" they watched as the hormone solution was injected into her neck. Suddenly her body began spasming. "Because of my monster blood, the solution had an extreme affect. Every single gland, bone, and muscle in my body went into overdrive." They watched as the four year old body of young Catalina grew, arms and legs lengthening, body growing and slimming, breasts enlarging, hair growing at least as long as she became tall, tail growing longer, head growing, and muscles enlarging. "What you can't see happening is my brain growing as well, this is what caused my mental capacity to skyrocket." After the changes finished, the restraints designed to hold a four year old were destroyed by the now thirty year old in appearance Catalina. She unsheathed her claws, now twice as long as her childhood ones, approximately an inch and a half now, and bound out in an escape attempt, no matter how many sedatives they hit her with they couldn't down her. "Eventually they resorted to this." BANG! Darkness.

When the scene melted away and a new one reformed, they saw her cat form corpse (?) in a dump. "Of course, they forgot two things, one, cats have nine lives," they watched as the cat got up. "And two, I still had those growth hormones in me." They watch the cat, which has turned into a kitten, grow. Once it stopped growing they watched it turn into a thirteen year old, in appearance, Catalina. "Naked and thankfully scarless thanks to my nine life regeneration, decided to find out how to get into my home world, the monster realm. But first I needed clothes. So I snuck into a house and found the clothes I usually wear nowadays in a girl's closet, I took them and got changed. I then found somewhere to live while I learned all I would need to blend in. like math, reading, writing, science, all the stuff a thirteen year old like my body appeared to be, should need. I became the cat of a scientist, learned more about science then left, lived with a PI for a while, then, while I was with the detective I found out that there were strange things about a school in Amity Park, so I assumed it was the local monster school. However it was just Casper high, but upon further digging I found out Casper high was actually the former American monster school. I came here in hopes that I could find someone with knowledge of the way to get to the monster world. I didn't, that was last year. Since you started appearing I started practicing to become a super hero like you, in order to get your attention. Then I could ask you if you knew how to get to the monster realm. When you vanished, i put my plan into action, and when you returned I managed to get to you finally." The area around them morphed again. This time to a small apartment, with various photo's of what Danny and Kokoa assumed were Catalina's family, before her life went to hell. "So, any questions?" she asked as she sat in a chair. "Does this mean you are only six?" asked Kokoa. "Yup, six years old no parents, with the body and brain of a sixteen year old." She replied "do you want parents?" asked Danny with an unreadable expression. Kokoa and Catalina's eyes widened. "Yes, why?" Danny concentrated and held his hand out in front of him. Suddenly a DVD case appeared in his hand. "Can you make a DVD player in here, and maybe make the TV bigger?" he asked. The girls blinked and Catalina said "I suppose…" she then willed the TV much larger, and a DVD player. Danny put the DVD in the slot, and the DVD started. The opening ads played advertising 'Ghostly one liners: the Danny phantom comedy track', 'ghost hunters: the good, the bad, and the guys in white', and 'The Ghost Zone: a tour starring Danny Phantom'. Danny just whistled innocently as he placed each of said movies on the coffee table incase Catalina wanted to watch them later. Finally the menu started up. 'Danny Fentom, the video autobiography' Danny went to the scene select as Kokoa whispered in his ear, "why didn't we do it this way for us?" Danny replied, "Did you know what a DVD was before that?" Kokoa shook her head, "exactly."

Eventually they found his memories from today, and scrolled to the dream he had right before entering Catalina's dreams. He pressed play and immediately Kokoa said, "Why does this feel famili-. Oh crap…" Danny asked what was wrong and Kokoa said, "I had the same dream I think." And as the dream properly started she nodded. Catalina was watching closely, three children surrounded Danny and Kokoa. Then in came her as a six year old. "Mommy! Daddy!" she said, and she didn't hear past that. She felt a warmth spread throughout her entire being. She realized that dreams have a way of revealing people's innermost feelings. Does this mean they want to be her parents at heart? Or is this a case of premonition? Is it that they will become her parents? Either way she felt great joy. "Is it okay?" she asked. Danny and Kokoa stop theorizing their shared dream when she asks that. "What do you mean?" Danny asks. "I mean is it okay if you become my new mom and dad?" Danny and Kokoa freeze. It's true that she makes them feel protective but could they really do something like that? They turned to each other and started whispering. Eventually they nodded to each other. "For now you are just our friend," she became sad, "but," she perked up, "if we get married after school, we will officially adopt you. So, I guess the answer is yes, we would love to be your parents, eventually." Said Danny. Catalina began crying tears of joy at the prospect of having new parents, of course they can't replace her real parents but they will help take away her pain, and be there for her. "Alright, let's get out of here, if we stay here all night we won't have any energy." Kokoa nodded, then said "don't mention this to anyone else; they may think we're doing something stupid." Danny nodded. "Also, there is some things you need to know before we go to the academy on Sunday."

The next morning found the trio waking up to the sound of an explosion. "Mom, dad broke the containment grid again…" said Danny in his half awake state. "Nope the scanner has been sabotaged, Danny boy." Said jack from the kitchen. Everyone was surprised by that. "Let me see, I might be able to sense the kind of creature who did it." Said Catalina. "How do you know it was a monster?" asked Danny. "because this house is a taboo, the only people who go near this house are you guys and people who have to, so who would break in here to break something especially since they know it can defend them?" she replies as she goes to the stairs and begins sensing. "She has a point." says Kokoa.

As Catalina inspects the broken machine she quickly finds the epicenter. " the explosion was not the machine itself, it was something placed within the machine… little shrapnel suggests that the device was mid power, heavy scorching suggests high temperature, placed inside using either maintenance hatch or intangibility, also the explosion type and radius suggests nitroglycerin in solution placed in the circuit. Just like the break in at the bank back in Onett…" she noticed the room was quiet and turned around. Everyone was staring at her. "Well, like I said, we had a similar incident back in the town with the detective. In fact that whole year I stayed with the detective had me figuring out cases before him and leaving clues." Danny just shook his head; her learning capability made her the intellectual trump card of the group. Even though he himself was not stupid, nor was Kokoa, having someone like her to help with the future defense of Youkai academy would be a godsend.

Catalina closed her eyes and concentrated. If we were to see what she was feeling she would feel the dark energy of a ghost surrounded by a chain of even darker energy. Her eyes snapped open, "oh crud." She said, "Danny. Kokoa. We have a problem." "What's wrong?" asked Danny. "Were dealing with a necromancer. A monster with the powers to control the dead." Says Catalina. "So if we fight him, we could lose control over ourselves." Said Danny. "Possibly, I mean you're only half ghost and Kokoa is… well we should actually test her blood to find the percentage of her transformation, but the point is, you may not lose all control but at the same time we will need non ghost reinforcements." Says Catalina. Danny and Kokoa look at each other, would the newspaper club be willing to help them? They might not be able to, but it couldn't hurt. "We're calling the headmaster; we may have help from kokoa's sister and her friends." Catalina nodded. Then she perked up. "Wait! I remember browsing through the detective's old case files, there is reports of a strange girl with superhuman abilities just three, miles away, however… that was only for a short period a year ago. So I researched the case and similar reports have been found in the small Japanese town of Inba. Local reports say she looks small, two black pigtails of uneven length, scar ridden paper pale skin, wearing a bikini top and micro shorts, both black, and a black trench coat split halfway, a blue star on the back, and black boots and gloves. Apparently she has control over some sort of multiform gun and a black daito. But what gave her away for me is, one of her eyes apparently ignites into blue fire when she fights." "Alright we we'll call and see if we can get help of any kind." said Danny as he takes out the cell phone the exorcist gave him. "I'll be back in a bit, you guys figure out a supplementary plan."

As Danny goes upstairs the phone rings in his hand scaring him. He answers "how did you do that?" the exorcist laughs and says, "I take it you were about to call me. I didn't do this on purpose, I was actually calling to tell you and Kokoa something, but I think your news may have more severity." Danny nodded to himself. "We have a situation in Amity Park. We found an orphaned monster and she wants to come back to yokai with us." "I see no problem with that, I'll send the registration forms by fax. But I'm sure that's not all is it?" Danny rolled his eyes, should have known. "No, the situation is actually rather serious. Catalina, the monster I mentioned, is a nekomata who has been through even more than me, and she is also a genius. She sensed a necromancer in Amity Park, a fact we need to investigate due to the fact that it has been causing trouble since just after I left. I want to request help from the newspaper club." said Danny as he spoke in an uncharacteristically business like tone. "Hmm, I will ask them but if they come they may need your help when you all get back in order to catch up on their paper. Anything else?" "Yeah. We have a possible monster in the town of Inaba Japan, seems to be a hero like me. Think you could get her too? we need all the help we can get and if she agrees to come back to yokai that's one more helping hand when war comes, right?" the exorcist's smirk could almost be seen through the phone. "Ah, yes, young kuroi chan, I had been meaning to speak to her, she is sort of what you may call, a true human." Danny blinked, "come again?" "When a human is conceived, due to a curse placed on man at the beginning of its sentience, it is split in two. One half is the 'human' half. The other is a being called an 'othersider'. The 'human' receives the emotions and morals. The 'othersider' gains the strength, and sense of duty, that duty is to shoulder the pain the 'human' half receives. They live in a parallel sub-dimension and fight each other when their territory is invaded, usually when two people grow close. These fights are to the death and the fact always remains that as long as the 'human' half lives, the 'othersider' is always reborn. When an 'othersider' is killed, the 'human' is given a clean slate from pain. However, that isn't always a good thing. Should a 'human' be driven mad by their pain, they will cause their 'othersider' to become supercharged. At this point the insane 'othersider' will kill anything around it. And if an insane 'othersider' is killed, whatever caused the 'human' to go insane will vanish from their memory. But kuroi chan went through something a few years ago. An incident which caused her to fuse with her 'Othersider' and in the process become the true human. I've been monitoring her and as far as I can see, she can change both forms at will. Both forms now being much stronger. I suppose that now is the perfect time to pay her a visit. If she agrees, I'll call you and have her there by tomorrow." Danny nodded "so what was your news?" "Ah yes, the newspaper recently took out a small group of criminals who had taken up base on campus, I thought Kokoa would like to know that they defeated a doppelganger." Danny let out a low whistle. "Impressive, I'll tell her. Sayonara." as Danny hung up he saw something out of the corner of his eyes and turned to it at breakneck paces to grab it. "What the hell is this? Some kind of chain?" Danny started pulling it and as the pulling got closer his ghost senses went off, and he heard yelling, "what the hell why am I moving on my own!? I want to go north!" that sounds familiar. As he pulled again Ember McLain phased through the wall. "Dipstick? The hell have you been? And why are you holding a chain…" she looked down and noticed the chain was wrapped around her. "The hell? When did you learn that!?" Danny looked dumbly. "Guys? I think I found something." "What are you talking about? And why is there a chain around me!?" yelled Ember as she struggled to get it off, "god, its like it's alive, it keeps moving back on me."

As the others come upstairs they seem confused. "Why is Ember dancing?" asked jazz. "Can't you see the chains?" asked two very surprised ghosts. "What chains?" asked Maddie, pointing her gun at Ember. Danny sat and pondered for a second then he snapped his fingers. "Ok turn around, all of you. Then turn back to look at us slowly out of the corner of your eye." they did as he said and suddenly they saw the chains. "Oh, that's why we couldn't see them. The necromancer's natural perception field prevents people from seeing, or feeling the chains it uses to capture its prey." said Catalina in science mode. "That means somewhere on Ember should be a lock, if we break that she will be free." Ember suddenly shouted, "What the fuck is going on here!" Danny replied, "You've been under the control of a necromancer for an unknown amount of time. Ember do you know how you got back to Amity Park after the ghost invasion?" "Of course I do, a portal opened naturally in that movie theater downtown, I went through and-" suddenly she looked confused, "I was being pulled here by that chain? What?" Danny and Kokoa looked at each other and then Catalina. "That proves it, alright, if we hurry the necromancer won't notice till it's too late." Catalina grabbed Ember and turned her around. "What are you doing?" she asked. "Found it! Its right above her butt." Ember felt where she said and there was a padlock. "Well, that's…" said Maddie. "Good, we found it, I apologize in advance Ember but your butt will be cold for a while, Cat hold her still." "Roger!" she said as she hugged Ember so tight she couldn't move. "You cop a feel Phantom and you die!" Danny cringed and said, "Don't worry, no plans to do so. Kokoa would drain me dry." Ember went beet red as a misunderstanding was made. "Isn't that a good thing?" she said. Everybody in the room went beet red at that statement. "Oh god did you get that wrong. Kokoa is my VAMPIRE girlfriend…" Ember cringed and said, "oh… right." Danny just shook his head said, "no one ever speaks of this, ever." the others nod as Danny begins freezing the metal lock.

About twenty minutes later Danny said, "I hope you're numb because I'm going to break it now." and with that Danny punched it and the brittle metal shattered like thin glass. Ember suddenly collapsed as the chain was yanked off her by an unseen force. "Mom, bring her to the lab, no experiments." Maddie nodded as the three monsters left to try and free more ghosts. This was going to be a long day.