Catalyst: A Story about Change

Chapter Four: Research

Author's Note: Hopefully this will clear up that niggling question a few of you have...

August 1, 7 ½ months after

Don't panic, don't panic, don't panic… This was a mantra she'd adopted in the last few minutes as Sam lay suspended in mid air.

It was two in the morning, and she'd woken up with the intention of locating the missing blanket because she'd felt a draft of cool air. Now she knew why; she had been levitating in her sleep. Initially she'd frozen in fear, not knowing what to think except someone must be levitating her because she definitely couldn't do that by herself, and then the terror filled thought arose that it could be him, it could be him…and that alone had pulsated through her head for a few terror filled moments.

She'd calmed down a little when nothing had happened, and realized what was really going on, however. Her baby was doing it! She had suspected he (about a month ago she'd had a sonogram done) wouldn't be a normal child, and this simply confirmed it. The father was a ghost, so it made sense the child would be part ghost. And now that she thought about it, sometimes her womb would turn strangely cold, so in retrospect she should be thanking her lucky stars that she'd never levitated in the work place before.

She ran her hands through her hair as she gently bobbed up and down about a foot above her bed, and let out a long breath. At least she wasn't up too high, in case the baby stopped levitating suddenly. Had this happened before, and she'd simply slept through it? She was such a sound sleeper she wouldn't be surprised.

Okay…Mom would like to get some sleep now, if you could put me back down… It felt weird referring to herself like that, even in her head, but she knew that's what her son would call her someday.

Because it wasn't like adoption was possible, not when the child was half ghost. She was one of the few people in the world who even understood what that meant, and she was lucky to basically know what to expect, as far his powers were concerned. Besides, she knew she couldn't give her baby away, not after carrying him for nine months.

She gasped as she felt herself lowering back down to the bed, and noticed that she was suddenly much warmer again. She grabbed onto the mattress for comfort, and worked on getting her breathing under control…again. The sudden shift downward had shocked her almost as much as the initial discovery of being suspended in the air.

Suddenly a horrible thought occurred to her: what if this happened during the birth? What would the doctors do? She had already seen a doctor a few times during her pregnancy for basic check ups, and had already decided where she'd be giving birth and with who (Dr. Mark Evans). She'd even been given a number to call so someone could get her to the hospital when her water broke. (Dr. Evans didn't like that she lived alone, and had insisted she keep her cell phone near at all times in case anything went wrong.)

Sam got up from bed, and went about trying to fashion something that would keep her grounded (literally) in the future. As she worked to find a way to tie herself down, comfortably, at night, her mind turned over how to prepare for the birth, now that levitation during the birth (she didn't even want to think about the other ghost powers) was a possibility.

Sam wasn't the only one planning her birth. In fact, Vlad Masters, currently in his study in Wisconsin, had been aware of these ghostly episodes longer than she had. This was because he'd placed ghost sensing equipment in her new apartment, and had been monitoring it carefully ever since she moved in. There had been several brief incidents, lasting only a few minutes, in which a ghost presence would show up clearly on the radar. He had made notes of these, and intended to be nearby during the last month of the pregnancy to help with any ghostly predicaments if necessary, having decided that it was indeed the child he was picking up. It was shifting between ghost and human (though it stayed human most of the time.)

He was certain of this for two reasons. Firstly, the radar only picked up ghost activity when Samantha was in the vicinity. Also, Vlad knew she hadn't used any of her ghost catching equipment (since that was monitored also), so she hadn't seen any ghosts herself. Thus, it had to be the baby.

Vlad sighed and leaned back in his extremely comfortable designer leather recliner, and reached for his cup of tea. It had gone cold, so he warmed it by concentrating some ecto-plasmic energy into his hands (one of the many perks of being half ghost; you never had to eat anything cold.) He got up after sipping quietly for a moment, and headed toward his laboratory, thinking things over.

Vlad wanted things to go as smoothly as possible for her, and thus had rigged the Target lottery, but that wasn't enough. He needed to make sure the doctors did their best, and that nothing went horribly wrong in the event that the child did "go ghost" during the birth.

Bribe money was in order, and perhaps a little threatening to make things absolutely clear. Dr. Mark Evans would be instructed not to breathe a word of Vlad's interference to Samantha, of course, and indeed Dr. Evans wouldn't know who he really was. He would only know him as Vlad Plasmius.

Vlad took another sip of tea as the bookcase opened up to admit him into his secret lair, of sorts. It was for the best. Dr. Evans needed to know exactly what to expect from the baby, and Vlad could demonstrate for him ahead of time. It was important, if the child was in ghost form, and thus cold and possibly blue, that the doctors didn't think it had been born dead (though in a sense it was, but that was beside the point.) Also, he could threaten very effectively in his ghost form, and could easily convince the doctor that speaking of the encounter to anyone would be fatal.

He didn't like to threaten people's lives (much, anyway) but in this case it was absolutely necessary. If word were to spread about him, it could possibly bring the Fentons and that was the last thing he wanted. So the doctor would be sworn to utter secrecy. However, Vlad wasn't cruel (most of the time) so Dr. Evans would be compensated monetarily for his pains. Vlad would cover Samantha's hospital bills, and a little more.

He'd make sure Dr. Evans would tell her a donation had been made recently that was meant to cover people's hospital bills for the next year, or something like that. (Stranger things had happened, after all.) Vlad would be happy as long as she didn't suspect his involvement.

One thing he did not relish, however, was witnessing the birth itself. He had to be there for it; there simply wasn't any other option. He was the only one who could really hold the baby, or follow it if the child levitated or went intangible. This was a thought Vlad routinely chucked to the back of his mind in dread. Actually, he'd nearly rather be beaten senseless by Daniel a few times than have to go through this ordeal, and in truth, Vlad was hoping fervently that everything would go smoothly, and he wouldn't have to step in.

Vlad sat down at his computer, which had all the information he didn't want anyone randomly stumbling over, thus its location in his lab. He set his tea aside, and sat thinking for a moment. Along with getting plans for the birth in order, he had been doing research on who the father of the child might be. Now that he knew, from eavesdropping, that Samantha was due September 17th, that meant the…the incident had occurred on the 17th of December, or thereabouts. That would've been the start of the winter break, and after some research he'd discovered that her parents had been away for that week, returning home in time, he noted, for the start of Hanukah. That solitary time must've allowed the girl to pull herself together enough so her parents wouldn't suspect anything.

Vlad had also found, after pulling together every bit of surveillance he had of Daniel during that period, that the boy had been under the impression that Samantha was very sick at the beginning of winter break, which made sense. She wouldn't want to face her friends for a while, either.

Vlad frowned to himself. Poor girl. He wasn't unsympathetic towards her, even if his interest was less than chivalrous. If anything, his close observation of her over the past months had increased his high opinion of her by leaps and bounds. She'd gotten right back on her feet, and then made the decision to leave, he was convinced, out of an urge to protect Daniel, not to avoid embarrassment. It was amazing, really, that she could put aside her own needs to such an extent, and it was clear to him that she loved Daniel very much to be able to do so.

Still, Vlad prided himself on his ability to remain detached when it was called for, as scientists often had to, and so didn't allow himself to dwell on Samantha's emotional state, or the difficulty of her situation, beyond making sure it wasn't such that the baby was in danger.

Because that was Vlad's main focus. A half ghost child being carried by a human mother. It was a study he couldn't pass up. And of course, watching the child grow would indubitably be fascinating. What would it have been like, he wondered, to have been born with the powers he had acquired during his college years?

Vlad blinked his eyes a few times and brought his mind back to reality. All this speculation, however entertaining, was currently useless to him. He had been speeding ahead years into the future, and right now he needed to concentrate on other things. He leaned forward, and began clicking through files, making his way to a particularly useful one.

He had compiled any and all ghost encounters that had taken place in the weeks surrounding the attack on Samantha. There had been the regular encounters; a few visits from the Box Ghost near Christmas time (there were lots of boxes around, after all), the Lunch Lady had put in a visit shortly before the break (he was beginning to have highly disturbing suspicions about those two), and that was about it.

Except for one other encounter. And that's really all it was, because it was over almost as soon as it had begun. A ghost Daniel had fought briefly during his freshman year showed up again at his home on the 19th of December. Luckily, it had taken place in the Fenton lab, where Vlad had installed secret cameras over a year ago. (He admitted to himself that Jack was very good at inventing, if nothing else, so decided to keep an eye on his work.) Therefore Vlad had a recording of the entire incident. At least, he would have a recording if something hadn't gone wrong with the equipment. It had an unmistakable glitch.

This was the file he was currently loading. He clicked play, and watched the now familiar scene once again.

Daniel was in the lab, cleaning (an unusual occurrence in and of itself), when a ghost came through the ceiling. Daniel's reaction had been immediate and extreme. Usually he would "go ghost", and take a fighting stance, then exchange a little banter with the other ghost. Not so this time.

Instead he was so shocked, it seemed, that he didn't even think to change over. A moment passed where they stared at each other, and then Daniel snapped out of it. Suddenly he transformed, with his usual battle cry notably absent. He was utterly focused, and all non essentials had dropped away as a result. He was also incredibly tense, and the more times Vlad saw the video, the more he wondered if Daniel was even capable of speaking without straining his voice at that moment.

He had taken an involuntary step backward as the ghost landed on the floor (he had been hovering), and his eyes were still wide with shock. Everything about Daniel was on edge, and Vlad was still scrambling to figure out why. He didn't react this way when Plasmius showed up, so why with this ghost? It didn't make sense; the only fight Daniel had with this ghost took place over two years ago and only lasted a few minutes! True, a Nasty Burger joint had exploded, but that was actually due to poor management of the store, nothing more. Much more had happened between these two, somehow, somewhere, and Vlad was missing it.

"You." Daniel finally managed to say something, though it came out in a harsh whisper. He sounded as shocked as he looked.

The ghost with flaming hair gave him a wide smile. "Me." He glanced around the lab, as if unconcerned about Daniel's presence.

"I was in that blasted thermos for nearly two years." He said it lightly, but Vlad could see the malice seeping through. "I had a…long time to think about things. You, me. Our friends."

"You don't have any friends." Daniel's eyes narrowed. The ghost paused, and for a moment a strange look came over his face. It was intense, and for a very brief moment he seemed to be in horrible pain. It was gone so fast, though, that Vlad wasn't sure he hadn't imagined it. The ghost quickly adopted a cynical grin.

"You're so smug it makes me sick." His face grew more spiteful with every word. A look of pain crossed over his features again, and Vlad almost thought he might cry. "You have no idea…" But he stopped, and clamped his mouth closed. He looked up at the ceiling, as if looking for meaning there. After a moment, he said in a curiously hoarse voice, a half smile on his lips, "You're naïve and stupid, you know."

Daniel snorted. "Careful, aren't you insulting yourself too?" He was crouched, ready for an attack. (Vlad wasn't sure what to make of this remark.)

The ghost seemed distracted, however, and Vlad got the impression he was experiencing some sort of internal battle. He wasn't even looking at Daniel anymore, and was instead glancing around aimlessly, as if looking for a place to focus his attention. But then he turned, suddenly, and locked gazes with the boy, who had been watching him like a hawk.

"I could destroy your life with three little words, you know." The ghost spoke so quietly the recording barely picked it up, and his tone held a sort of guilty excitement, like he was about to tell a secret that wasn't his to tell. But his expression showed the deep pain Vlad had seen earlier. He was still struggling with something.

"What do you mean?" Daniel looked a little worried now, and Vlad couldn't blame him. This ghost was almost erratic in his behavior, and yet his comment could hardly be taken lightly. The only constant was the threat hanging in the air.

The ghost drew into himself, as if giving away those three secret words was something he wouldn't (or couldn't) do, when it came down to it. Then he spoke, as if talking to himself.

"Maybe I'll just kill you, and take your place." He looked up at Daniel, a slightly crazy look in his eyes. "I did it once before, you know." Vlad could see the terror in Daniel's eyes, and couldn't blame the boy, though he wondered at the ghost's comment. What did he mean, 'before'?

The ghost seemed to be close to a break down of some sort, emotions fluctuating quickly. Uncertainty (and was it despair he saw?) was dueling with murderous intent in his red eyes. Vlad had been afraid for Daniel when he first saw this video, some months ago.

Daniel had gotten control of his terror after a moment, however. "You can try! But I beat your butt before and I can do it again." He deepened his fighting stance, and looked like he was about to spring. The ghost took a similar stance…

And this was where the tape completely screwed up. It seemed to Vlad some minutes must've passed by that didn't get taped, but he couldn't for the life of him find a problem with the machine. Something obviously important was missing, though. Daniel had been in one place, and then suddenly he jumped to being several feet away, facing a different direction. It was like a CD that skipped, or an old movie that had several frames missing (or perhaps an entire scene.)

Along with Daniel suddenly changing position, the other ghost had completely disappeared. Daniel was still tense, his hands in fists and eyes narrowed, but it was clear the crisis had been resolved. Daniel had stood for a few minutes, slowly relaxing. Then he had walked out of the lab.

It was incredibly frustrating for Vlad, since clearly something important had happened. He could only study what was there, however, in the hopes of deducing what was missing. The only other option was to actually question Samantha or Daniel about the ghost, and that wasn't really an option.

Something about the ghost disturbed Vlad. He was strangely familiar, and he couldn't help wonder, based on the conversation, exactly what relationship he had with Daniel.

Why was his clothing so strikingly similar to Daniel's when in ghost form, for instance? The most disturbing part, of course, was the D insignia on the chest. Was he imitating Daniel, and if so, why? The ghost had said "our friends," and when he called Daniel naïve and stupid, Daniel had seemed to suggest the ghost was insulting himself.

Vlad had seen many different ghosts in his time as Plasmius, and so this ghost's features didn't strike him as unusual in any way. The forked tongue was common, along with red eyes, in the stronger and nastier ghosts. Pointed ears were as common as not in all ghosts, and that went for the flaming hair as well. Fangs were a tad unusual, but Vlad couldn't complain; he had fangs too, after all.

No, the truly disturbing thing about him was that, when you took away all the ghostly attributes, he looked strikingly similar to Daniel. Vlad guessed that when Daniel was fully grown, the two could even pass for identical twins, if not for the obvious differences.

This brought an entirely different meaning to their conversation, of course. Vlad was aware of the possibility that there were alternate dimensions where other versions of himself, and of everyone, existed. This ghost could very well be Daniel, but from an alternate dimension, which would explain Daniel's reply to the insult.

This didn't hold up, however, since the ghost (tentatively dubbed "Double D") was clearly older than Daniel. Maybe, in some other dimension, Daniel had an older brother instead of an older sister, and he stumbled across the Fenton portal in a similar fashion to Daniel?

Yet being brothers, of a sort, wouldn't necessarily mean Double D considered Samantha Manson and Tucker Foley his friends, or that Daniel would view an insult to himself as identical to an insult to Double D. No, Vlad was inclined to believe that somehow they were…mirror images of one another. Or perhaps Double D had been created out of Daniel, somehow?

Vlad was intrigued, yet exasperated. Clearly there was something between Daniel and Double D, but with the information he had available he was simply spinning crazy theories. (Of course, he had certainly learned the hard way that if you could imagine it, it probably existed.) He closed the video file, suddenly uninterested in studying it further at the moment.

One thing out of all this was very clear, however. Double D was the one who…he was the one responsible for Samantha Manson's current state. Vlad, at least, had one key to the conversation Daniel didn't. When Double D had said he could destroy Daniel's world with three words, he must've been debating whether or not to tell the boy what he had done to his best friend. Although when it came down to it, he couldn't tell the boy, and Vlad wondered about this.

Double D was right, of course; it would've torn Daniel apart. This ghost seemed to know the boy, somehow, and knew something Vlad had only felt certain of after years of observing Daniel Fenton; Samantha Manson was one of the most beloved people in his life. And from that you could deduce, knowing the sort of person Daniel was, that ruining her life would also ruin his.